Aby-a-Day – March 10: The wonderful world of TICA

I also wanted to share the TICA experience. It was, as I said, different. Different breeds of cats, a slightly different style of showing, and a slightly different overall personality. Not bad, just different. Kind of like when you live in either the US or Canada and go to the other country; we speak the same language (apart from that whole “couch/chesterfield” thing), we watch the same television shows, but we use different money and do our everyday things just a little bit differently.

I like different. I’m a Gemini; different is awesome.

It was also a lot of fun to see Munchkins, Bengals, Savannahs and Toygers, since those aren’t recognised by CFA. Savannahs, in fact, on January 28th 2012, TICA accepted the Savannah as a championship breed, so this was actually one of the breed’s first “real” shows.

Animal Planet has a new episode of Too Cute Kittens with Savannah kittens, and it aired for the first time on the Saturday night of the cat show. I was talking to a woman with Savannah kittens on Sunday, and it turns out that those are her kittens on the program. So now I’ve met two of the breeders who have been featured on Too Cute! Kittens, the Abyssinians who were bred by Instincts (breeders of Jacoby’s mother Catalina), and now I’ve met the Savannahs, too.

This is Janet with one of her kittens. As I’ve been telling the Pouponette’s Number 1, my camera has been having issues lately…the good photo I took of her wasn’t saved by the camera, unfortunately, so this is the best I have.

This is an adult Savannah named Jordache.

He and his human were wearing coordinated outfits!

This is one of the Toygers that was at the show. I’d never seen a Toyger in person before.

But last weekend, I got to see two!

I never saw a Bengal in person, either. This was a Champion Bengal next to a really pretty little fawn Aby girl.

She was adorable!

There were also two ruddy Championship Abyssinians in the show.

And this incredible Silver Cinnamon Somali.

He was so gorgeous.

And good-natured!

This Siamese was actually a Household Pet.

Every time I saw this little Japanese Bobtail, I was reminded of Eyebrow Kitteh. His people actually hadn’t seen Eyebrow Kitteh…I’m sure they thought I was strange.

Dexter’s person had the most spectacular tattoo of her red/sorrel Aby…it’s certainly gotten me to thinking!

And we also saw this little lilac European Burmese. It was funny, because Jacoby saw her first and he just kind of stared at her. I’m sure he thought she was Tessie at first, and he was just fascinated with her. It was really funny.

As I said yesterday, there was also a Pet Expo going on (the cat show was a part of the larger Expo), and we had a lot of spectators coming through both days. Everyone was really well-mannered, for the most part; people asked sensible questions and the children were polite. Sometimes when there are a lot of what we used to call “Mundanes” when I was in the SCA walking around, I get nervous for my belongings; the more people who pass by your encampment, the more likely it is that something of yours may evolve legs and walk away. But I didn’t hear of any missing belongings either of the two days, which is wonderful!

We had a lot of attention around Jake’s house, because we were benched next to the only Sphynx at the show, and the kids all loved Sally.

Her people, Laurie and Michael, let the kids touch her so they would know what a hairless cat felt like.

I actually had to take her up to a ring while they were at lunch! I’ve petted Sphynxes before, but I’d never shown one…that was an interesting experience. I said it was like driving someone else’s car; I was familiar with the process, but everything was just slightly off.

I like having little kids (and older girls) come by to see Jake. I always talk to them and let them pet a real live show cat; I was just like them when I was their age, and I would have been over the moon if I’d have been allowed to touch a real show Aby when I was 12. I would have been too shy to even ask, so I really enjoy talking to kids about the cat show, Jake, and the whole show experience because I see myself in those kids. I found an article for cat show exhibitors on a Persian and Exotic breeder’s website which, personally, says everything I want to say and more; it’s a brilliant essay.

I also have Jake’s TokiPoki cards, and tiny “rock band buttons” with his name and photo on them that I give away to the really good cat-crazy kids. Those are very popular; sometimes the parents want one, too! A lot of the cat people at shows can be a little preoccupied and a lot of us deal better with cats than with people (myself included), so I always try to remember what I felt like when I just came to look at cat shows, before I was actually involved with them.

The Expo itself had a lot of booths with all sorts of pet-related products. I bought a totebag with “I Love My Abyssinian” on it (and it had green handles, too!) from Klondike Stuff embroidery, and the owner came over to me and said, “Thank you for buying a totebag.” I grinned and said, “Thank you for having a totebag with an Aby on it!”

I also got this little grey hand towel from her. It’s supposed to be a “Yoga Cat,” but I think she looks like a fawn Aby.

Another cool thing about Expos like this is that you get introduced to new products, like the new walnut-shell litter that Blue just came out with. The Northeast sales rep himself (I think his name is Greg) came around to all of us exhibitors and extolled the virtues of this new litter – and also gave us a bag to try out!

I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently nut shells in general, and especially walnut shells, have amazing ammonia gas and odor-neutralising properties. During WWI, they were used in gas masks because walnut shells were super-effective against mustard gas. According to Greg, this was discovered by accident when gas masks were stored in a shed that was broken into by squirrels, who stored walnuts inside the gas masks. When they were testing the gas masks for effectiveness against mustard gas, the men who had gas masks with walnuts in them were fine, but those without the walnuts passed out. And, as anyone who’s ever read a label on a bottle of bleach or ammonia knows, mustard gas is ammonia-based, just like cat urine. So it should work really well on cat box odor, and I’m very interested to try it!

I’m sure Jake is, too. I just hope he doesn’t try to eat it like he did the corn-based World’s Best Litter!

Aby-a-Day – March 3: Going to the (weiner) dogs (Fashion Friday)

I get a long of questions about the best harness to use on a cat. And I have a lot of answers to that. Because I’ve tried a lot of harnesses. And one thing I’ve discovered is, the smarter, more athletic and more often you put any given harness on any given cat, the better-designed that harness has to be.

If you have a sedate cat who only wears a harness to ride in the car that he is carried to and from, pretty much any harness will do, because it’s just there as an extra handle in case of emergency.

But if you have a clever cat, like an Aby, the likelihood that he’ll engineer a way to get out of that harness if he felt like it. And once a cat gets out of a hanress, you’ll have to throw it out, because has just been made useless.

And if you have a strong cat, you need a harness that fits well, and doesn’t put too much stress on his neck and throat. Because cats have a vestigial clavicle (if they have one at all), their necks and neck muscles are not as strong as those of a dog or a horse. If you have a cat who’s a puller, and a harness that doesn’t distribute the weight properly, you’re going to have a gasping kitty.

Furthermore, if you live in a place that gets cold weather and you have a cat who goes outside in that cold weather, you need a harness that also acts as a coat to keep your cat warm, because a harness and a coat is really pretty awkward.

Where is this going, you ask? I’m not sure exactly how I found it, but I discovered the Hug-a-Dog harness made and sold by Dachshund Delights. And don’t let the name fool you; their harnesses aren’t just for Doxies!

These harnesses are completely customised for your pet. You give them the measurements for the neck, chest (and length if it’s a coat), you select the colour of the mesh, fabric and trim, you choose whether to add an extra D-ring for tags, a pocket for ID, a patch or reflective trim, and you can also have your pet’s name embroidered onto the harness. They also ask you for the breed of your dog or cat, so that besides the measurements, they have a sort of mental picture of the body shape the harness or coat is meant to fit. This is key, I’ve found, for cat harnesses; cats have much more slender chests and shoulders than dogs do.

I had to get Jacoby a coat and a harness for his birthday, which is in April. Because of the cat show tomorrow, he’s getting them a month and a half early.

They have a really good selection of colours and prints for both the harnesses/coats and the trim, and the workmanship is exquisite.

This is the belly Velcro closure on the coat, and you can see how well-sewn it is. I wish you could see how plush the fleece lining is!

Here’s the back, showing the custom name embroidery along with the leash D-ring, the soft fleece collar and the reflective strip.

The coat and harness also match the SturdiProducts Incognito carrier he got for Christmas.

Which means they also coordinate nicely with the interior furnishings of his Studi pop-up show cage. Or, as we like to call it, “Jake’s mancave.”

See what I mean?

Jake just cracks me up. He is so totally posing for these photos, isn’t he?

Oh, what a ham!

Holiday Shopping Alert! Abyssinians on eBay

Last year, I posted about an eBay seller who had some amazing 1950′s photos of Abyssinians for sale. This morning, the seller, AberdeenSD, sent me an email alerting me that they’d just listed more photos of Abys and Siamese taken by the same photographer, Kenneth Heilbron.

All of the listings are here; there are some super-cute photos of Aby kittens playing on a toy horse that, even if you don’t bid on them, are so adorable. But if you do want to bid on these, you’ll have to hurry – the auctions end tomorrow!

*cough*Please-don’t-bid-on-the-Mama-&-kitten-or-the-bowl-of-kittens-though*cough*

Aby-a-Day – November 20: Carte blanche?

Jacoby seems to have a more intense interest in the “shopping cart” than the other cats, Angel included.

He’s not at all bashful about getting right up on the cart and into the bags.

Jake is a very thorough investigator.

Needless to say, we don’t let him get this “up close and personal” when we come home from shopping at Petco!

Aby-a-Day – October 19: Wordless Wednesday (Spoiled for choice)

Aby-a-Day – October 12: Wordless Wednesday (Oh noes!)

Aby-a-Day – October 9: Hello Goodbuy

So the other day, we needed to pick up some things at Target.

I brought Jacoby along with us. We used his little Snoozer Roll Around because the stroller is awkward in the car. The Snoozer fits nicely in the baby seat of the shopping cart.

Jake was quite happy to ride around in the cart.

He enjoyed some aisles more than others, though.

I get asked all the time if I have problems bring Jake with me to places like Target. Many don’t actually have signs about pets, believe it or not; it’s kind of an unwritten rule, apparently. And since he’s a cat, not a dog, that seems to be kind of a loophole.

I never try to bring him into grocery stores, and places that are mostly not food-oriented (CVS and Target have food, but I stay out of the food aisles to avoid a problem) don’t really seem to mind. And, surprisingly, many places – my Ace Hardware, the Apple Store, and (sniff) Borders are (were) very welcoming. Of course, he’s well-behaved, and fairly quiet; most people don’t even notice him. And whichever carrier he’s in, he can be zipped up and therefore “enclosed.” I haven’t ever had a problem, and I have had some really fun conversations with employees, particularly at places like Home Depot, where the people working tend to talk to customers a lot as part of the job.

I also don’t make a big production out of bringing Jake along. Apart from snapping a couple of photos (usually with my phone), he and I just do our shopping like any other pair of friends. I’m sure people think I’m talking to a small child until they see him in my shopping cart.

Aby-a-Day – August 26: Cat Fashion Dolls (Fashion Friday)

When I was a kid, I was never much into Barbies. I really wanted to be, because all my friends were, and let’s face it, all of Barbie’s clothes and furniture was totally awesome. But the main problem I had with Barbie was that she was, you know…human.

I did have one, finally. I can’t remember if I asked for her, or if my friends gave me one so I wouldn’t be left out, but for my 9th birthday I got a Malibu Barbie. She came with sunglasses, a swimsuit, and some sort of white linen pantsuit, as I recall. I really only remember playing with her at my birthday party, in the pool…and then, the swimsuit, sunglasses and the top part of the pantsuit ended up on a plastic orange tabby cat I got in a Sunshine Family pet set (which was insanely cool – it consisted of a two-story house, a brown-and-white hound/Lab mix, the orange tabby, collars, pet bowls and toys). Later on, Tabby (short for Tabitha) and Han Solo had a rather steamy love affair…I still have her, somewhere.

So you can just imagine how incredibly psyched I was to discover Petworks Nikki dolls. These are, basically, cat-shaped fashion dolls from Japan (where else?) and they are addictively enchanting. There’s a human version, called Odeco-chan, but eh…

Nikki comes in both boy and girl styles and in the entire feline spectrum of colours and patterns. The boy version was just introduced this year, and the very first one I found for sale just happened to be a gold-orange solid colour with mesmerising copper eyes…

He came without clothes, but luckily Etsy is a bustling Nikki outlet mall for Nikki clothes, and in short order he was clothed.

I call him “Jack.”

But the thing is, as lovely as boy dolls are, the real fun of fashion dolls is the female of the species. I mean, look at Ken. He’s a good guy to have around, but there’s only so many versions of shirt and pants out there…Not to mention shoes!

Obviously, I needed a girl Nikki. But she had to be just the right colour…like Jack, but lighter, and of course with the same colour eyes…

And so, I got “Angie.” The girl Nikkis have “sleep” eyes, with incredible long lashes, and there is evidently a big subculture devoted to customising her eyes. In fact, the official Petworks website even gives you instructions on how to mess around with Nikki’s eyes (in Japanese, but there are illustrations)!

It didn’t take me long to fix Angie’s eye at all!

So now, admittedly about 40 years too late, I have Jack and Angie.

Nikki cat has been around for about 5 years, but North Americans are only now discovering her charms. And there a lot of people on Flickr who share their Nikki fashion photos, too.

Jack tends to wear green, while Angie prefers purple…go figure.

I just feel fortunate that the dolls I was able to find – and afford! – just happened to be an Abyssinian-coloured pair…a darker boy…

…and a lighter girl!

Aby-a-Day – August 23: Sometimes I wonder if he has a Y chromosome…

The Goodwill store in Davis Square is one of the best I’ve ever been to. I always find really great clothing there. The last time I went, Jacoby accompanied me.

He’s a great shopping companion. He just sits and waits while I try things on, and he doesn’t even complain.

He even carries my purchases when we’re done!

Aby-a-Day – July 1: The weather outside’s delightful (Fashion Friday)

I know this is 4th of July weekend, and summer is in full swing, but this is also the best time of years to shop for winter coats.

I found this great coat, by Cloak & Dawggie, on sale at BaxterBoo for 60% off!

(You may recognise one of the models on their site, too.)

What I really like about this coat, besides the reflective piping, the comfy fleece lining, and the leash-hole, is the fact that it covers Jacoby’s chest without hindering his movement the way coats with sleeves do. I almost can’t wait for colder weather so we can try it out!

Aby-a-Day – March 31: Cat-tested and cat-approved

On our way home on Saturday, we also stopped at Doggie Day, which is probably the closest pet supply store to our house. It’s just over the Broadway Bridge where Arlington becomes Herald, but for some reason I hadn’t taken Jacoby there yet. I took Gun-Hee a couple of times, though.

It was also a nice little rest from the wind, which walking from Arlington to Broadway was fairly sharp. Jake seemed happy to be inside, although he did appear a bit overwhelmed by the giant doggie toys. I think that yellow one was larger than he is!

He also had to try out the giant dog bed (notice how he picked the one in colours that harmonise with his fur and coat).

His favourite, however, was this carpeted tunnel section of a free-standing cat tree. He didn’t want to come out. I tried to tell him that we do have one almost exactly like it at home…but apparently this one was better.

Aby-a-Day – March 29: Cat about town

Saturday, Jacoby and I went out to Coolidge Corner to meet Lucy, the Recreational Services Director at Brookline Health Care Center. When I mapped the walk from the T stop to the facility, my iPhone showed me a nearby store called Cause to Paws which sounded like just the kind of place we needed to investigate, so after our visit we went to check it out.

Jake saw this Pop-Up Cat Condo and decided it was just his thing.

“Mom! Can we buy this? Please??”

They were having a sale on winter coats – 50% off! – so I had to drag him out of the condo to try on some new clothes. They had a leather jacket that, sadly, was much too small…

…but this coat, made by Animal Wrappers, was perfect! It’s insulated with fiberfill, water-resistant and reversable! And it fit him so well, too – a lot of his coats are too short. It’s even his colour!

He also met Kipper the dog while he was there. There’s another view of this encounter on Cause to Paws’ Facebook page. Jake was polite, but reserved; he was bored and ready to get going. He actually jumps back into his carrier (which I used instead of his stroller for this trip because the Green Line trains are not stroller-friendly) when he’s done shopping. Typical male!

Cool T-Shirt Alert: I Can Has Cheezburger!

This is an awesome Abyssinian-related shirt available at I Can Has Cheezburger’s LOL Mart for a limited time! They’re only $15 (shipping included) and only available through Saturday. Once they’re gone, that’s it – only a few of their designs are ever rerun.

I don’t know about you, but that cat reminds me a lot of Jacoby…

Looking for a last-minute holiday gift?

Check out Sparkle the Designer Cat’s books and calendar. Sales of both books and the calendar go to help cats in need, and if you order quickly (by Wednesday at noon Pacific Time), you can not only get a calendar in time for Christmas, but you can also get it personally pawtographed by Sparkle herself! This calendar also ships internationally as part of Sparkle’s international goodwill program.

I can’t think of a more glamourous way to keep track of important dates, can you?

Very Aby Holidays – Safety and Enlightenment

Jake’s recent accident has made me realise the importance of having a first aid kit for cats on hand and at the ready. Entirely Pets has a convenient list of items you’ll need to stock it with. The one item that isn’t on the list is No-Chew Vet Wrap, which, I have discovered, is invaluable in keeping bandages from being chewed off, and may just keep your cat from needing to wear a Cone of Shame.

One more handy thing to have in your arsenal is The Veterinarians’ Guide to Your Cat’s Symptoms. This isn’t the sort of book you would refer to for in-depth research, but when you’re trying to decide if you need to go to the emergency vet today or if you can wait to call the regular vet in the morning, it’s a great help.

If you go outdoors after sunset (which, depending on where you live, could start as early as 3:30pm), lighting = safety. There’s a company that understands this and makes an array of safety lights for humans and their pets. Nite-Ize Spotlit and Magic Marker especially are designed specifically for pets. Jake has two Magic Markers attached to the front bars of his stroller, and they help a lot in making it more visible at night. I also generally hang an LED wand from the handlebars as well. Combined with the reflective tape that already sewn into the sides of his stroller, I think we may be more visible in the dark than we are during the day!

Very Aby Holidays – Abys on Etsy

It’s really amazing how many Abyssinians can be found on Etsy.

My most recent discovery is The Magic Sleigh’s holiday cat ornaments, including this perfectly charming Aby fellow helping with the Christmas lights.

Dusty Rose Designs has some wonderful porcelain cat items, and she also makes custom orders. She made these wonderful portrait sculptures of Jake and Angel based on my photographs.

You’ve seen my Orange-Brown (Aby) Cat at the Wine Bar tile hanging above the bathroom sink in the photos of Abys “helping” in the bathroom. Lulunjay makes over 200 different tile designs featuring different breeds of cats and dogs (and other animals) engaged in such whimsical endevours as drinking tea, taking baths and doing laundry.

I love Magic Bean Buyer’s Kittehs. They come in all different colours, but I think her Brown Kitteh looks a lot like Jake!

Another favourite of mine are Drenculture’s letterpress notecards. I have a set of his Aby With Butterflies cards…but they’re almost too nice to use!

And of course, no post about Aby (and cats in general) Art would be complete without Teri Persing’s Fat Cats. I’ve posted about these charming, chubby little guys before…but I just love them. Teri’s always coming up with new patterns and colours, so her shop can be dangerous to visit if you’re low on cash…but you will never, ever be disappointed when you adopt a FatCat (or six).

Very Aby Holidays – Hacks, modifications, and other DIY Projects

Sometimes, the exact piece of cat furniture you want or need just doesn’t exist. Yet. But it could, with a little creativity and ingenuity.

Moderncat is a great source of ideas for furniture modifications, as is the IKEA Hacker blog. IKEA is actually the basis for a lot of creative cat furniture, including the Hollywood Franklin Tower, which is based on the Stolmen system.

Ideas for cat furniture can come from literally anywhere. Ever since visiting Twice Sold Tales, a used bookstore in Seattle, I’ve been in love with the idea of combining bookshelves with cat trees and beds. Our favourite Shabu Shabu restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown has several pillars wrapped in sisal rope.

Every single time we go there to eat, I admire these “giant scratching posts” and think that if we ever move into a place with an architectural pillar, I want to wrap it in rope.

How much fun would that be?

Very Aby Holidays – Accessories for Travelling Cats

The holidays are a season for travelling, and many people can’t imagine spending holidays without their cat. Contrary to popular belief, some cats do like to go places with their people, and while travelling with a cat is somewhat easier than travelling with a baby, there’s one thing that’s always more difficult: finding a place to spend a night that will also welcome your cat. However, all Red Roof Inns are pet-friendly and the Cat Fanciers’ Association has a 20% corporate discount for exhibitors, judges, family and friends. There are a few basic rules, but if you ever need to travel with your cat, whether for a vacation or a cross-country move, just remember Red Roof Inns are your friend.

Another item that comes in handy if you travel with your cat is the Sturdi Products pop-up shelter. Mainly used as personal exhibition cages for cat shows, this portable house is great for travel (especially if you need to stop at a Red Roof Inn – even if you don’t keep your cat inside it the entire time you’re in the motel, it will reassure the fussier desk clerks that the carpet and furniture will survive your cat’s stay unscathed. It also comes in surprisingly handy around the house. We kept it set up for Gun-Hee during most of his life, and he came to see it as his lair. He would take things he wanted to hide from us and store them there. It was also the place he’d go when he wanted to be alone. I’ve just set it up for Jacoby today, so it will be interesting to see if he loves it like his brother did.

We also used it as a place to put him when we were doing something dangerous or intricate with which we didn’t want or need any Abyssinian assistance. He minded incarceration in his “house” much less than he minded being shut in the other room, because he could see and hear what we were doing.

One more note on travelling with your cat: it helps if your cat has his own bag to carry the things he needs on a trip. Of course, you could always just pack your cat’s things along with your own, but I’ve found it’s a whole lot easier if Kitty’s belongings are organised and packed into their own bag. Two that I’ve found useful come from LL Bean: The Carryall Tote Bag (I use one of these as our therapy visit bag) and the Microfiber II Tote Bag. Both are well made and well designed with lots of pockets so you can find what you need when you need it. Don’t forget, LL Bean has free shipping until December 20.

Very Aby Holidays – A Little Flash and Zazzle

Looking for a unique gift? Something that you know no one else will give? Thanks to digital photography, there are several companies that can help you turn your favourite photos into fantastic gifts.

Zazzle allows you to turn your photos into a variety of items, but my favourite is their photo sculptures. I haven’t found any other place that makes photos into standup cutouts for such a great price.

They do an amazing job. I sent this photo of Jake and Angel playing just to see how their statues turned out and I was very impressed. They cut out everything I didn’t want, but didn’t cut out anything I wanted to keep, and they did it all without any instruction from me.

These photosculptures are made of sturdy Plexiglas, and they can made into more than just statues. They can also be made into pins, magnets. keychains and ornaments.

They’re a lot of fun to have on your desk at work, and they’re a little more interesting than framed photos. I’ve been giving these to family and friends for birthday gifts and they are always appreciated.

Flashbags are unique bags made in Vermont from recycled newsprint and plastic. You can have your own photograph made into a durable totebag, clutch, checkbook cover, file folder or placemats.

I love their bags, which I have given as gifts using some of my catart photos. In the photo, you can see how large – and how sturdy! – these bags are (and yes, that’s a Rossi Pet Tag attached to the handle). I almost always get asked about these bags when I use them around town, and it’s nice to have something that’s not only original but also environmental.

Very Aby Holidays – Where do you go for Black Friday?

For those Abyfans who do not live in the United States, the day after Thanksgiving, “Black Friday,” is a day of publicly sanctioned insanity and celebration of the true American pastime: Shopping. Supposedly, most people’s holiday shopping happens all in one go on this day, which I just don’t get. I start Christmas shopping for each person as soon as their birthday is past; I haven’t got enough money to buy everything in one month!

I’ve also never understood the drive that motivates people to get up and be someplace at 4am to spend their money when, the other 364 days of the year, they can barely manage to get themselves out of bed by 6:30 to get to the job that pays them money. I mean, I love to shop, but seriously? 4am? That’s what we have the internet for, and you don’t even have to put on shoes to do it.

But, if you do plan to venture out, where do you go? What awesome local pet stores do you have in your town? When I go on vacations, I try to seek out local pet boutiques. I’ve actually gone to pet stores (or cat specialty stores) in Stockholm, Amsterdam, London, Tokyo and Seoul, as well as New York, San Francisco, Key West, Chicago, Montréal and Seattle. It’s always fun to see what other pet stores have; many items they carry are regional, or locally made, so you can find things you may not be able to get at home.

A few of my favourite stores from my travels include:

San Francisco: George, on California at Fillmore, is mainly dog-oriented, but they have some great cat items. I bought a Cubeycat in 1997 for my Siamese Harri and Patrick, and, for whatever reason, it’s still on of the most popular toys in the house today. Currently, it’s in the bedroom right now, still popular 13 years later…not bad for $10!

Barry for Pets, nearby on Fillmore between Bush and Sutter is more of a neighbourhood store; I used to shop here when I lived in San Francisco, and we stopped in this summer when we were on vacation. It’s small, but it has some great cat toys.

New York City: The first time I went to NYC in 1996, I had to visit Just Cats Inc. in the Upper East Side on 60th (near Bloomingdale’s and Serendipity, and also the Roosevelt Island Tram). I’d read all about in Cat Fancy, so it was a must-see stop on my list. Also nearby are Pets on Lex and American Kennels. This was long before the pet boutique boom, but they are all still there (American Kennels has occupied their space since 1954). These stores do sell kittens (including Abys!), so keep that in mind; they also sell toys and supplies.

Key West: Key West is known for its cats, and when we stopped here on our honeymoon cruise, we fell in love with a shop called The Blue Cat. This store collects photos of cats from around the world, sent in by people who have shopped here. I found an incredible T-shirt here with an Abyssinian graphic that literally took my breath away.

Seoul: In Seoul, it’s not one pet shop you visit, it’s a neighbourhood. Chungmuro (충무로) Street is famous for its concentration of pet stores along its 1.75km. We saw kittens for sale (mostly Siamese, Persians and Scottish Folds), and I bought one of the best leashes I’ve ever found there.

Tokyo: No contest. Pet City in the Venus Fort shopping center, in Palettetown, Odubai, is a definite must see. Venus Fort is actually a super cool mall, which allows pets – on the first floor, they can walk around on leashes, and on the upper floors, they can be carried in bags. The pet shop itself is busy on weekends; many Japanese live where they cannot have pets, so they flock to Pet City to see cats and dogs. When we went, there were two Aby kittens in a playpen (I wish I had been brave enough to take photos)! Pets there were incredibly expensive, but well cared for. The clothing selection was impressive and took up about half the floorspace.

I know it sounds like an odd thing to do, visit a pet store on a trip to Tokyo, but you won’t regret the time you spend here. Or the money…of course we spent at least $100 on collars made from kimono fabric, catnip toys, and colourful cans of cat food. We also saw the infamous “Cat Smack” while we were there.

Stockholm: When I went to visit my friends Björn and Titti, they made sure to take me to Katt! Katt!. Hidden inside a building that looks like a castle, it is a shrine to all things feline. The best cat toy I’ve ever bought, a Sami reindeer fur toy, hung on our cat tree until it went into storage.

And, if you’re ever in Boston, we have a new shop in Back Bay named Pawsh. Jake and I haven’t checked it out yet, but I’m looking forward to it.

One final note: LL Bean has just added a new Faux-Shearling Jacket for Dogs! I’ve ordered one for Jacoby already; it matches the Faux-Shearling Coat I bought for myself a few years ago perfectly! You can also get it monogrammed, and LL Bean is offering free shipping until December 20. Also, through Monday Nov. 29, you can save an additional 10% using the code “LLBEANFRIENDS10″ at checkout.