Some of you know that O'Malley is not a normal cat. His mother was a domestic cat, but his father was feral so life with O'Malley has been a daily struggle.

It is much more difficult to live with O’Malley than a regular house cat because feral cats bond with one cat in the “colony” and he chose my husband and it’s a little much at times. He’ll watch my husband’s every move and when he leaves the house, O’Malley cries like a female in heat. If I leave, it’s okay as long as “daddy” is home. I’m used for rubs, food, keeping the litter box clean and engaging him in play. We need to keep him active, he’s about 20 pounds now, but mostly muscle.

This blog is for O'Malley the cat fans - I'll try to keep it updated a few times a year.



O'Malley had a really bad experience with Catnip last year in early July and it took about four days to settle him down. He was hiding and caving constantly, nervous of shadows and the slightest noise. He still had a few demons to battle off and on for a few weeks, but the worst of it was in those first few days. The first night, I stayed awake all night. When my husband woke up, I went to bed so O'Malley would feel safe.

He had his birthday in mid-January and he has calmed down a bit as he matures. He's not chewing the speaker wires anymore. Although, he's been nibbling at my leather computer chair -and he stole my husbands Halls a few months ago and hid them under the runner in the doorway. He's a bit of a prankster. He likes to hide on us and when we pass by he'll stick his paw out and try to trip us.

His favourite games involve feathers or string, wands and ping-pong balls or dangling toys that have a slight rattle sound - no bells.

He has the most fun with cardboard boxes and a fetish for gift bags. I picked a new one up for him yesterday so I could throw away the old ones. He likes to nap on them in front of the sliding doors because his hair doesn't stick to it. He's starting to nap more on the leather lazy-boy too, he even turns it so we can't see him and then he peeks over the side and mews if he wants us to come and find him.

Couple of cat quotes:
There are people who reshape the world by force or argument, but the cat just
lies there, dozing; and the world quietly reshapes itself to suit his comfort
and convenience.
- Allen and Ivy Dodd

To please himself only the cat purrs.
- Irish Proverb

He's been resting most of the morning so far, lastnight we listened to the last hour and a half of the Bone Conduction Music Show. O'Malley likes music (jazz more than blues with a little touch of Christmas music or rock on the side). When music is playing we can find him on his back with his paws in the air chillin' or rubbing his body against his ooh-lala-scratching arch or coming to us for deep-scratchy-rubs.

I discovered there are a few songs that make him cry (yeah - really), he's a bit sensitive. I had to turn down Dolly Parton singing Hard Candy Christmas one time because the sound O'Malley was making was like a distressed baby - I don't think he was singing along. He's reacted that way to a few other songs.

I'm sure most folks know I named O'Malley after Shamus O'Malley the alley cat from the Aristocats movie. I had a Shamus when I was little and he was the coolest cat I had ever encountered until now. Although, O'Malley is hard to love sometimes, he's totally charming too - and he knows it.

Everybody wants to be a cat
“Ev'rybody wants to be a cat
Because a cat's the only cat who knows where it's at
Ev'rybody pickin' up on the feline beat
'Cause ev'rything else is obsolete . . .”

I loved the Aristicats! I sing "Everybody Wants to Be a Cat" to O'Malley - he seems to like it, but if I "ham it up" too much, he want to leap on me to make me stop.

He's a bit of a music critic.