Feast Day of St. Martin de Porres - Nov. 3

Lover of the poor, healer of the sick, promoter of peace among races, SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES charity also “extended to the ANIMAL kingdom and he inaugurated the FIRST SHELTER for stray CATS and DOGS. It was his sincere belief that ALL CREATURES WERE EQUALLY LOVED BY GOD so all were deserving of his compassion and servitude.

When his prior ordered poison to be set out to end the innundation of RATS and MICE the monastery was suffering from, Martin went out to the garden and softly called the rodents out of their hiding places. He reprimanded them for invading the monastery and promised to feed them every day out in the garden if they would stay away from the building. Thus both sides kept to this agreement and Saint Martin is still invoked to prevent infestations of these pests.” Today is his feast day. To read more see The Journey of a Bishop (above quote from site).

Saint Martin de Porres will be smiling at all the cats and their owners at my cat blessing/cat walk November 13 benefiting SMART Rescue. I hope you can make it!

Feline ONLY Blessing and Walk in Montrose, Texas

It’s going to be “Cat’s Lib” Day November 13 in Montrose, Texas! Why a cat lib day? Have you noticed how there are so many activities for dogs and their owners? Just last week, in the Houston Chronicle’s Pet’s Page calendar list it was exclusively for dogs! Not to mention all the doggie parks and yappy hours found all over our city. To celebrate, I, Cleo the Cat, am having a cat ONLY cat blessing and cat walk complete with a lunch at Rudyard's Pub that will help SMART Rescue!

I believe “Cats Are People, Too” as stated in Sloane Crosley’s blog post for the New York Times. Yes, I Cleo the cat, walk on a leash, enjoy dressing in dog clothing (only because there is no cat clothing line), love socializing – and I would be very happy if people would not refer to these traits as “dog-like”. I am a cat and cats can be as cute, intelligent and friendly, as dogs with no comparison. Being called dog-like is about as flattering as a woman being called man-like because she can do a man’s job.

So, enough of this nonsense Houstonians, get out and show how important your feline friends are to you! With your support, I’ll organize many other cat-only (and their humans) events. Granted some cats may be a bit shy, so their owners are welcome to bring them in picture only and be their representative for equal rights for cats.

Don’t get me wrong, I do love dogs (as you can see in my video advertising this event), but I’m all for getting cats top billing too!

In addition to being part of historic event, you will also be helping a great cause SMART Rescue – a no kill rescue organization. They help both cats and dogs equally – many are in need of surgery because of abuse. In fact, SMART is raising funds to save the leg of one year old bedlington terrier who was shot by a cruel human. Please help if you can: http://smartrescue.chipin.com/smart-rescue-injured-bedlington-terrier.

Here is the information on my upcoming event. I hope to see you all there!

November 13, 2010 at 12:30 PM Cleo the cat’s FELINE ONLY (and their humans)

Cat Blessing and Cat Walk Blessing by Father Jay Walsh at Lamar Park (Waugh Drive at Hyde Park Boulevard)
Walk immediately following to: Rudyard’s English Pub 2010 Waugh Drive

If your cat doesn’t like traveling or is no longer with us, bring a picture!

All food sale proceeds at Rudyard’s will go directly to SMART Rescue!

FREE Ginger Shortbread Cookies and Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream for kids! (with purchase of lunch for adults)

MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/CleoCleoCat

Cleo the Cat Goes to Pet Blessing at St. Anne's

I had such a great time at the pet blessing at Saint Anne’s Catholic Church today! I had fun socializing with all the dogs, and there were some other beautiful cats there as well as a hamster, parrot, and turtles. My brother Clarence was going to go with us, but he ran off so Lily went. She did well on her first social outing!

Fathers Jay and Bill did a really nice ceremony saying how important us animals are, and all the humans sang for us! I chimed in a little bit, but the dogs really carried the tune!

They had some contests, and I won best costume (I went as a dog in a dress)!

I talked to Father Jay about how cats might be more comfortable having their own blessing, and he agreed to a special blessing for just us felines! Stay tuned for that!

So, in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi Day (October 5), here’s a prayer for all animals: Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless these pets. By the power of your love, enable them to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures. Amen.

Prayer of Saint Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon,
Where there is doubt, faith,
Where there is despair, hope,
Where there is darkness, light, and where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;
To be understood, as to understand;
To be loved, as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive –

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

I say ME-OW!!

Review: My Birthday Party for SMART Rescue

I had a really wonderful birthday party! I’m so happy so many of my friends were able to make it out on a rainy day (and give up football!) and make a difference in less fortunate animals’ lives!

There were around 100 people and we raised $3,500 to help with medical costs and the continued care of SMART's animals! We also had food and sanctuary building supply donations.

The food was delicious! Hummus/avocado dip by the Broken Spoke Café, wonderful appetizers prepared by chef Joe Apa (made with cheese donated by Houston Dairymaids), fruit, sandwiches, ice cream donated by Blue Bell, root beer donated by Saint Arnold, the list goes on.

My birthday cake(s) was beautiful (made by Joe Apa)! One had a cat on a big ball of yarn all made with icing, and the other was Joe’s interpretation of Henri Matisse’s The Snail with a little help from his cat Maloney (I was hoping the big green bit was a smushed green bean since that’s my favorite!) I hear the French wine and Saint Arnold beer was very good too!

Last but certainly not least, the entertainment was fabulous!! If you saw last year’s video you would have seen my heart throb Chase Hamblin, and I was so happy this year all my friends got to see him in person! Wonderful musician and person! Constant Billy were sensational as usual and their new bass player, Dave Randall, is a great addition! OK, so I didn’t feel so much like modeling, but I did pretty good and everyone LOVED my new dress from BloomingTails!

Also, Constant Billy and Chase donated half the sales of their CDs to SMART Rescue! These musicians have huge hearts and I would be so THRILLED if they come back and play again for next year’s party!!

Thank you all who came to my party – it meant a lot to me! I will see you again next year if not before at events like my cat blessing/cat walk and Pet Polka featuring Brave Combo – stay tuned!!

CLEO the CAT's Birthday Party Benefiting SMART Rescue! 2010

I’m proud to show you my newest video advertising my 3rd annual birthday benefitting SMART Rescue http://www.smartpetz.com/, a no-kill rescue organization that actively pulls animals scheduled to be killed from places such as BARC (the city pound) and Harris/Montgomery County Animal Control. Funds are needed for surgeries - many of the injuries have been caused by animal abuse. SMART commits to animals for life, and they are in the process of building an animal sanctuary where these animals can live out their lives in peace, receiving the love and care they deserve – funds are going towards this too.

We are really happy Chase Hamblin and Constant Billy will be playing at our event! The Gypsies, who were represented in this video, canceled – but we’re still going to have a great time because Constant Billy and Chase are the BEST!! I may even do a fashion show if I’m in the mood!

So here’s the party info:
September 19, 2010, 3:00 – 7:00 PM
Alliance Française de Houston (The French Alliance)
427 Lovett, Houston, TX 77006

Complimentary adult/children beverages, food, birthday cake, ice cream, silent auction, raffle

$10 – all collected goes directly to SMART Rescue (kids free)

Please come and make a difference in these animals’ lives and have some FUN!

Whew, I am finally done with all my video shoots for my upcoming movie starring SMART Rescue (and me of course)! I have decided I DEFINITELY like studio shoots much better than on-location!

What an adventure! I was pushed in my zipped-up stroller through the busy streets of Houston. I didn't turn many heads though - guess they thought I was a real baby. I enjoyed all the sites though!

I loved the studio! It had AC, and I loved all the lights and cameras on me! Mark didn't think I could understand human talk, but I sure showed him when I did what he wanted me to do before he finished his sentence. I know what it takes to get all my best angles >^..^<

Well, I'm very anxiously waiting to see the rushes! More to come soon!

The Diva's Day of Filming!

I really had quite an adventure today! Started out my video shoot at 9:30 AM in front of Sasha’s Suds and Duds 802 West Gray. Before it got too hot, although it was already getting warm, we did the shots with my chauffer Scott and his beautiful 1950s convertible “Cat”illac. I wanted to drive, and I’m sure I would have done a much better job, but I got even …

The inside shots at Sasha’s went quite well. Everyone showed me beautiful clothes and jewelry I could pick from for my birthday party. Sasha looked very beautiful too, but I prefer the camera to focus on me!

Well, while the humans were doing all their cut-away shots, I sang a very pretty song, but they just kept saying, “Quiet on the set!” So I found a nice place to take a nap, right when I heard them say, “we’re doing really good on time.” I gave them their wish and stayed very quiet until they finally found me 30 minutes later hanging-out behind a bag on a shelf. Well, after all, one of the lines was, “We’re going to be late getting to Cactus!” I was just following the part!

Then when I got to Cactus, I was very happy to meet my SMART Rescue friends! I went up to each carrier and said hello – I especially loved Nelli and laid down in front of her carrier (she was saved from an abusive home). Baby Jessie is just a little baby boy – very cute black kitty. I didn’t fuss over him too much though since, you know, I like being the star cat! It really upsets me some mean kids were going to use Jessie as a soccer ball! I am so glad SMART Rescue saved him!

Eli is a very sweet doggie. So much has happened to him recently, I don’t blame him for being a little scared, but he was very nice to everyone. He’s a Shih Tzu that was found running in the intersection of I45 and Richey Rd! SMART Rescue had to arrange a surgery for him to remove both his eyes that were damaged due to a previous head trauma. He is doing so well now, and really happy in his new life!

We had a guest appearance by a sweet black dog SMART Rescue found on the way over named Bella! Luckily they saw lost signs around where they found her, and she was on her way back home after the video shoot. Well, Bella will have a real tale to tell her friends when she gets home!

When I saw all these cuties were going to be in my video, I acted up a bit – afterall, I am the Diva! I settled down though when I realized how important it is to find my friends loving homes! Be sure to visit with SMART Rescue folks if you could open up your heart and home to one (or a few!) of these great guys/gals!

Boy, I really loved my paparazzi scene! Ron looked REALLY great and so fit the part! You’ll just have to wait and see that in the video!

I was really exhausted after two days of filming! I took a little nap, had my dinner, and now I’m ready to hang out in the yard! Thank you all my friends at SMART Rescue, Cactus Music, Sasha’s Suds and Duds, and my crazy human friends for making this a great experience. I hope Mark got my best side!!

Hey, Jay Dryden got some GREAT shots of us at Cactus! You can see them all on my Facebook page, or check out the full res on Jay's page: http://gallery.me.com/jaydryden#100080&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=0. If any of you other wonderful photographers got some good shots, let me know!

Fun Events for Bastille Day (July 14)!

Bastille Day, July 14, marks almost two months until my birthday party! If you're as excited as I am and would like a sneak peak of this year's festivities, this is your chance!

L'Alliance Francaise (where I'm having my birthday benefit for SMART Rescue) is having a cool patriotic Greg Harbar and The Gypsies (who are one of the GREAT bands playing for my birthday) are playing at another fun celebration. There's enough time to do both and get to bed at a reasonable time on a "school night"!

Event 1:
L'Alliance Francaise de Houston
427 Lovett Blvd
5:30 - 7:30 Mercredi 14 Juillet 2010
La Fête nationale française!

Join us for a special summer cocktail in honor of Bastille Day. Enjoy a buffet of wine, cheese and more, sing along with La Marseillaise (we’ll provide the words!), and celebrate Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité!

Tickets are $15, $10 for Alliance members and students. De 17h 30 à 19h30. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Event 2:
Greg Harbar The Gypsies (full band!) LIVE at Under The Volcano
2349 Bissonnet
Musical style: French, Eastern European, International, Swing, Tango and Gypsy
7:00-10:00 p.m.
$5

Video Bloopers - Cleo's Video Promo 2009 Part 2

Here's the second installment of video bloopers! Sure was a lot of fun making the video promo last year- this year will be equally fun! Be sure to check out part one and the 2009 finished product. 2010 coming soon!

Video Bloopers - Cleo's Birthday Promotion 2009

Yay, it’s that time again to start working on my next movie advertising this year’s birthday party! To get in the spirit of things, I watched the rushes of last year’s footage, and I asked my Mom to make some never before seen scenes available to my fans! I guess you can say this is the “bloopers reel” but it will show you just how difficult being a movie star cat can be! My human friends had some struggles, but they are after all human and NOT feline, so that’s to be expected!

At last year’s party we helped Rescue Bank http://www.rescuebank.org/, a wonderful organization that helps over 70 no-kill shelters in Houston and surrounding areas. My friend Kevin Davis hosted my party at his art gallery L'atelier, the cool folks at Cactus Music http://www.cactusmusictx.com/ and Rudyard’s http://rudyards.s425.sureserver.com/ as well the band Constant Billy http://www.constantbilly.com/ lent a helping paw, and my many buddies in Houston participated too (some even on scooters!). Look for them in this highlight reel! Part two will be coming soon!

Thank you for being responsible humans and talking care of my animal friends! This is the season when there are a lot of and puppies out there needing homes (as well as some great older cats and dogs too!) so please do what you can to find them good homes!

Have a meow-velous 4th of July!!

xoxoxox,
Cleo >^..^<

L'Alliance Francaise Search and Rescue Dog Book Event

Great event tonight at L'Alliance Francaise (or so my human tells me!). Volunteers from Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue served up refreshing wine and beer and Bayou City Seafood N' Pasta catered a wonderful meal complete with Étouffée, shrimp, chicken tacos, and dessert. His 4 white retrievers joined the party later too!

Susanna Charleson, author of the book Scent of the Missing, gave a very informative talk complete with insight on what real search and rescue dogs go through, not just what's portrayed in Hollywood. The sadness some dogs went through during the Columbia space shuttle recovery brought tears to many eyes.

The presentation was interactive too having members of the audience smell from one bag and ten minutes later smell three bags and say which one they smelled first. One participant also had to "search" the crowd to find a very low iPod playing.

My human asked a good question about if other animals can do this type of work. Of course I think CATS can do it, Susannah said bubble bees and pigs are actually used in some searches as well!

It was fun meeting Puzzle, the star of the book, in person, and my human looks forward to reading the book!

Contact L'Alliance Francaise http://www.afdehou.org/ for more information about the book and tell them Cleo sent you! >^..^<