Andrea and I are back at it! We went to see the Cat Video Fest for 2023 at the North Park Theater. Don't know what the Cat Video Fest is? It's a compilation of viral cat videos, tik toks, and gifs from the past few years all in one place! If you like cats it's def worth seeing, and as a bonus a percentage of the proceeds goes towards local animal shelters and animal welfare organizations!

I like that you can submit pictures and videos to the North Park of your cat, and they will show them before the movie. I submitted a pic of my little Ginger. She had the whole big screen to herself! I didn't have time to pull out my phone to take a picture, but this was the one I sent in. The time she had a blep.

Cat Video Fest 2023 was divided up, as before, with CATegories like "Drama", "Action", "Documentary", and "Musical". Some of the highlights for me included the movie opening with songs from the Cats soundtrack (I love musicals), there's a Shining reference, you see the life of Fred the boat cat, Cat Man Chris the owner of Marmalade, Simon's Cat with the cutest cartoons, Cute Aggression metal song (which I just learned about and LOVE!), and the catchy Hold On to My Fur song from thekiffness. Not to mention, there are clips of kitties sleeping on books, wearing raincoats, the first ever cat video, and lots of one-brain-cell orange kitties! It's delightful.

The compilation was slightly different from last year. There were more musical clips and the clips seemed longer. They feature hirokisan79 and his piano cat duets more than once. I wish they sold the soundtrack to Cat Video Fest 2023! 

You can read about the other years I attended too 2019, 2020, 2022.

After getting our cat fix, we were hungry, so we went down the street to The Merry Shelley. I'm embarrassed to say, it took me way too long to blog about The Merry Shelley, a local goth hang out. It's a small bar that has it all, spooky decor, goth music, fun events, good drinks, food, and... books. Yes, books! It's a little free library too! We popped over, I donated some books, and picked up some that were on my tbr list from eons ago.

This particular night, there were tarot card readings being done by Liz from Divination Station. She's a sweetheart, and manages Rising Goddess a local metaphysical shop that I recommend, not only because they have a "house cat" named Trixie, but because it's a great store with good vibes. Naturally, Andrea and I had to get our readings done. 

Trixie & her blep. (Pic taken from the Rising Goddess Facebook page.)

During the course of our evening we saw old friends, and made some new ones. I don't get out much because I work a lot, but when I do, I like it to be a quality night like this! A night of cats & bats!

Even though I am catless (don't get me started, I'm really depressed about it, and just want Ginger and Vicktor back ~ no other cats...yet) I belong to a bunch of cat groups on Facebook. One of the common questions people ask is about FIV+ cats, aka cats that are positive for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. 

FIV+ affects the cat's immune system, and may be dormant for many years. It may make the cat susceptible to other infections, but as long as they are taken care of by their owner, the vet visits are the same as any other cats. They can live long happy and healthy lives. It's only transmitted to other cats through a bite, not shared grooming or sharing bowls. So logically, keep your FIV+ cat indoors.

FIV+ cats aren't as troubled and deathly sick as people seem to think they are. When we had Hans, he was FIV+. As far as I know, he didn't pass it to Vicktor or Ginger. 

Our Christmas card 2007. Hans, Ginger, & Vicktor. As you can see, Hans was a handsome fellow.

So please don't let a cat being FIV+ deter you from adopting them.

Click here for a good website on FIV+. 

I'm one of the few people that still gets the DVDs from my Netflix subscription. (We have a VHS player too.) "Why?" You ask? Because they offer different movies than the ones that are streaming, like the Fulci gem The Black Cat from 1981, not to be confused with the more well known The Black Cat from 1934 with Karloff and Lugosi, or The Black Cat from 1966, or all the movies named The Black Cat from 1941, 1968, 1989, 1991. Many are loosely based on the Poe story we know and love. While the 1981 version is not a "good" movie, I will say it's an amazing CAT-centric movie!

*spoilers ahead*

We get the point of view camera angle from the level of a cat, and he seems to be everywhere that people are ending up dead. The cat belong to Mr. Miles, an eccentric man that records spirits of the recently deceased. He has a wonderful old mansion house too! Lots of woodwork, giant staircases, candelabras...you get the idea. In the beginning, we are led to believe that cat is being forced to kill people as an act of revenge, but with the help of an American photographer, we learn that there's more to it. Both the cat and Miles are “bound by hatred” and by the end of the film the cat is the more powerful one, controlling Miles to kill!

I'll admit, not much happens in the movie, but it's a remarkable watch because they use a real black cat throughout. At only one point when the cat attacks can you tell it's a fake cat. It's rather impressive. I'm sure there was more than one cat actor used in the movie, and I loved all the close-ups of the cats and the purring sounds. There's also no dialog for about the first 15 minutes, which is fine as long as I'm watching a cat.

There wasn't just close-ups of the cats, but the eyes of the actors too....a little too much close-up. The lighting was interesting and at one point there were floating glowing eyes. The eyes have it! The town they are in looks quaint, sometimes overly foggy. The acting is ok, and there's your typical boobs, and several awkward make out sessions from the 1980s horror movie genre. (That's saying a lot since the movie's run time is only 1hr 32min.) The soundtrack has a folk horror sound that sets the tone.

Some special effects are well executed (see what I did there?), a highlight is the scene where a woman catches fire and her face melts. Some effects are not so great, like the scene with the fake bats, or bright white skeletons covered in cobwebs.

*trigger warnings*

Miles does try to kill the cat a couple of times, when he feels the cat is getting stronger than him. He tries to kill it by hanging it. While they never show it, they do show it in shadow, and the cat ends up living. (Yay, evil kitty!)  Another time he tries to poison and bury it alive, it's mentioned but not shown.

The first awkward make out session shows a young couple, and it gets a little rape-y, when she says no, and he tries to convince her to have sex. Not cool.

As a whole I give it a 1.5 out of 5 drinks at the pub (yes, yes, I know Fulci has a cult following, but I'm not in that cult), but I give it a 6 out of 5 for use of real cats!

Here's the trailer...

Based on the 2012 book A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman, A Man Called Otto is a sweet drama that needs a trigger warning for suicide! Based on what I heard, I was really hoping there was more cat in it, but it was still a decent watch.

I saw it at my favorite movie theater in town, The North Park Theatre, a historical landmark in Buffalo, NY. And if you didn't know, this movie is supposed to take place in Pennsylvania, but it was filmed in Niagara Falls, NY! A hop skip and a jump from where I live. (If you've ever been to Buffalo, we'll tell you everything is 20 minutes away by car, and it's true!)

***WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD***

Tom Hanks is Otto, an octogenarian curmudgeon, the total opposite of his portrayal of Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). Otto has recently lost his wheelchair bound wife to cancer and feels he has no reason to live anymore. He decides to take his life, but his plan gets upended by new neighbors moving in across the street... and a stray cat. While the new family is a charming distraction, the cat isn't really part of the movie. He's in the background and there's a tiny bit of story surrounding him ~ Otto protects him from the bitchy neighbor with a dog ~ but you don't even find out if he's given the cat a name! I was hoping the story would be more of the cat giving him something to live for, and, while that's true, the family, and friends were more of the impetuous for him to keep going. Miserable Otto continues to try to kill himself throughout the movie in various ways, but always ends up failing because of the humanity from the people around him or his own kindness. When he makes these attempts, you see his life in flashbacks and begin to understand his reasoning. In his last attempt, he has a vision from his wife, and she tells him to keep living, so he does. Without being prompted he steps up and helps one of her old students, his long time neighbor, and of course the family across the street in truly thoughtful ways. He has a purpose beyond his wife now, and he continues to live and find his place without her in it. When the time comes, he dies peacefully from a chronic heart condition.

I enjoyed this movie. While I'm used to watching period dramas, bloody horror, and musicals, it was a nice change. The acting is superb, especially the contrast of Otto's character and everyone surrounding him. The story, although sad, has some funny and feel good parts that they show in the trailer, I just really wanted more cat. There's a part where he attacks a clown, that is valid, and very comical. I give this movie four tuna cans out of five.

p.s. If you or anyone you know is in distress and has thoughts of suicide, you can call 988. It will route you to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's 24/7 and confidential.

Here's the trailer...

Thank you for continuing to follow me, so far it's been 6 years 💗 I don't write as much as when I started, but that doesn't mean I'm not still passionate about cats and horror! Enter to win my 6 year prize pack, description and rules below...

Prizes include:

1. Vincent Price Art Print by Little Shop of Gore, framed.

2. Acrylic Bat Necklace by Murderous Jewels.

3. The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay, hardcover.

4. Bat Bag by GoreJess Laboratory.

5. Silver Cat Earrings.

6. Bookmark to go with all your books from Little Black Bats.

7. An English Ghost Story by Kim Newman.

8. 25th Anniversary Edition of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman.

9. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

~ Like the Fluffy the Vampire Slayer Facebook Page.

~ Comment on the Giveaway post pinned to the top, why you follow Fluffy the Vampire Slayer.

~ Share the Fluffy the Vampire Slayer Facebook page.

Good luck, and I'll be picking a winner at random on 

Wednesday, February 15 and they'll be contacted via Facebook. *Sorry only US residents.

I went to a large book sale and came across a couple "The Cat Who..." mystery novels by Lillian Jackson Braun, and I just had to have them! (This may sound familiar because I mentioned them years ago in a blog Cat About Town: A Cat Cafe Mystery.) Right at that moment, a childhood memory had been unlocked! The books are mysteries about small town life, with characters you come to know and love. Yes, there are two reoccurring Siamese cats in them too ~ Koko and Yum Yum. There are 29 books in the series, but don't fret, they don't need to be read in order. Even though there's people dying and things blowing up, the books end on a happy, upbeat note. Honestly, they are always a feel-good read!

Andrew saw how much I was enjoying reading the few I picked up, so he went on a hunt for them. He gave me a bunch for Christmas to add to my ever-growing stash. "The Cat Who..." series have become my go-tos when I want "comfortable" books. They are like wearing a warm blanket with two cats purring on you. I highly recommend them.

This past fall has been challenging, and I've had a lot going on in just a couple of months. We remodeled our retro kitchen, went on a weeklong road trip across New York State to Sleepy Hollow, NY, and shortly after was followed by the passing of our cat Vicktor Frankenstein on Oct 21, 2022. Needless to say, Halloween time was hard with black cats everywhere. We knew it was coming, we just didn't know when would be the right time. We decided when he started having more bad days than good, it was time to make the hard decision.

Vicktor was very much Andrew's (the hubs) cat, and I was little Ginger's human, and she was my familiar. He was a chonky black Bombay cat with a moody personality, but when he loved, he loved strong. His purrs were loud like a motor, and he would follow you around for food. ANY kind of food. He was about 3 years old when we adopted him with Ginger, and in his file it said he was "abandoned". I always joked it's probably because he ate them out of house and home! He liked his food, especially olives. 

He slowed down in his old age, after Ginger passed you could tell he knew something was missing but wasn't sure what. (After all, they were together for about 17 years! During this time he became my buddy because he knew I was sad.) He didn't play as much and napped even more if that's possible. You knew his arthritis was acting up when he was having trouble going up and down the stairs. At one point before our road trip, he didn't come out of the basement and crawled into a corner. I went to work and thought ok, this is going to be the day he decides to leave us, but he bounced back like nothing was wrong. This went on for weeks. He'd have really great days playing and chasing me up the stairs, then other days he didn't move all day and sat in his box. 

I really think the kitchen remodel stimulated his curiosity. He stayed upstairs when they were working on it, but when he came down, would explore and find new places to nap. What we didn't realize until later was that he started peeing in one corner of the house. He never did that before. After we found that out, his days started getting worse. 

Because of his mood swings, and the poo nuggies he would leave around the house, I would call him "poop" kitty, but he was our poop kitty, and he's very missed. He liked sitting with his butt in my face when I would lay down. He worshiped the sun and would lay in the smallest sunbeam. He liked heat and would sit in front of heaters hogging the warm air. He liked to hide in plain sight on black carpets too. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over him. His fur was shiny and soft as velvet. He was smooth, and sometimes I'd refer to him as my "boyfriend" especially when he would hold my hand watching movies.

I feel like with everything going on in my life I haven't properly grieved for Vicktor. I'm still devastated from Ginger being gone. So please don't ask me when we are getting new cats. Yes, I miss having cats in my life, but I'm not ready for new ones yet. Everyone grieves differently. It's been almost two years since Ginger's been gone, and I think about her everyday. I still walk around the house talking to her likes she's still there, and I'd like to think both kitties are watching over me. 

 

Recently, I picked up the book Cat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine by Kristen J. Sollee from The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick because I really enjoyed her book Witches, Sluts, and Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive...and because it has "Cat" in the title. (Duh.) I have to say I enjoyed it. She writes about topics that live in our subconscious that we don't consider in everyday life, but I think I was hoping it would break down the chapter topics a little more. The feral feminine discussion is a HUGE undertaking because there are a VAST amount of cat archetypes symbolizing so many things, and can be interpreted so many ways! She used her experiences and pop culture references to round out the chapters, but honestly you could go on forever with how cat symbolism is around us daily. Everyone's experiences while reading this book can bring different ideas to the table. It's a malleable read.

There's a thoughtful introduction by Pam Grossman, who I have written about before. What a great start, then Sollee touches on ("touches" being the operative word) kitten play, cat kinks, cats and courtesans, and more. Side note: Kitten play is a form of animal role play where you get into the headspace of the animal you are portraying and take on their mannerisms. So this book was much more sexual in nature than I anticipated.

There are chapters covering black cat superstition, history of Egyptian cat gods (I was hoping it would get into more), and the cult of Hello Kitty cuteness. I'm a strong supporter of Hello Kitty. AND I'm here to remind you, Hello Kitty is a girl dressed up as a cat, her name is Kitty White, and she is five apples tall. 

I think the thing I hated about this book was that she references many many images that aren't pictured, and unless you are familiar with the artist or image, you really have no clue what she's talking about. I'd like to see the images in the book. Other than that, it's a good read that makes you think. 

For more info on the author http://kristensollee.com/

There wasn't a Cat Video Fest last year with everything going on. I went in 2019 and 2020, but I'm happy to say it's back this year! I ended up going alone at an odd time, 5pm on a Wednesday, so there were no kitties up for adoption in the lobby like the last few times. I tried to round up friends, but no one got back to me. *sad face* There was about 4 other people in the theater, so almost a private screening! 

The local cat cafe the Purrfect Cat Cafe was a sponsor of this event. I blogged about them before. Viewing it at the North Park Theater is always a good time. You can send them videos of your cats, and they show them before the movie. I did this with Vicktor and Ginger before. This time, 22 cat videos were submitted! It's always funny to see how goofy other cats can be.

The Cat Video Fest compiles a bunch of viral cat videos from the past few years into an hour and a half movie with CATegories like "Drama", "Action/ Adventure", "Documentary", and "Comedy". They featured the usual suspects Henri and his "Artiste" video. R.I.P Henri, you were the perfect existential cat, Dymka the Russian cat with prosthetic legs, Cole and Marmalade R.I.P. Cole, you reminded me of my Vicktor, Juno the Blind Wonder Cat and his new blind brother George, the legacy of Tombili Cat, and more. It mentioned the Ukrainian cats that have been displaced, and the Island of Lanai that has been turned into a cat sanctuary with more than 600 cats! 

I like supporting this event because they raise money for cats in need around the world. Watching it this time, I laughed and cried. If it comes to your town, don't miss out.

Being a business owner, I have to plan. I meal plan, I plan what I wear each day the night before, and I plan vacations. Andrew (my hubs) and I try to take at least a small road trip each year ~ even if it's just for a change of scenery. That means it's usually on a Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday when my shop Cats Like Us isn't open, so our getaway doesn't interfere with shop hours. Let me tell you, I had our Cleveland, Ohio trip planned a few months in advance. It did not go as planned, as the universe was working against us. We still managed to include some fun things, but it wasn't what I had hoped.

A few days before we were set to leave, I was double-checking the hours of everywhere on our list. One day of our trip was going to be dedicated to visit the Feline Historical Museum. It's a museum created by the Cat Fancier's Association outside of Akron, Ohio that's dedicated to the preservation of the history of cats in all art forms and types of pedigrees. Well it said on their website they were closed until further notice! I contacted them and one of the persons that runs the museum died, another was hospitalized. How awful. I was super bummed about this, but it's understandable. Needless to say, our trip plans changed two days before. 

Since our last trip to Cleveland in 2019, some new places have opened that we wanted to check out, so we were still determined to go on our road trip! The first stop was The Haunted House Restaurant for Sunday brunch. It's on a corner and when you check in at the movie counter there are large murals in the waiting area. Inside they have at least three TVs playing different horror movies, movie props, and lots of windows, booths, tables, and a nice bar. I ordered the lobster BLT and it was heavenly. (Yes, I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu! I'm on vacation dammit!) Paired with The Ring cocktail, it was the perfect combo. Andrew went with some a la carte breakfast items. They played 80s party music, and announced a birthday and an anniversary while we were there, but beware when the horror soundtrack starts! You might end up with an extra lunch guest! 

Andrew made a friend! (He's wearing the exclusive to Cats Like Us Monster Matt T Shirt.)

Next up we visited Suite Lorain. It's a go-to when we are in Cleveland for vintage, but it's very crowded. Not with people, but with merchandise, and this time around they were very strict with the Covid mask mandate. I was talking to Andrew with my mask on, alone in a corner of the shop, and was told that it was moving and needed to cover my nose better. Which is ironic since the shop itself is a bit messy, dusty, stuffed to the brim, and a little hard to shop because of the overcrowding. You could easily remove half of what's in it, and it would still be full. As a store owner myself, I just want to sort and organize it. If you do go there, go on a mission or be prepared to dig through piles. They do have everything, but you have to take the time to find it yourself.

Another new (to us) place we visited was Cleveland Curiosities. It was recommended by our friend Jay of Wooden Ts (He printed our Monster Matt T shirts.) The small and friendly shop was bustling with customers when we were there. It had oddities and taxidermy for sale, some of it quite large! I would recommend a visit. If you can't make it there, we have a local shop next to Cats  Like Us in Tonawanda, NY called Black Sheep Market that carries similar items, but has more small gifty items, less taxidermy, and a strong sense of humor!

After shopping and driving around, we worked up an appetite and planned to grab a drink at The Dark Room Bar. They have a list of horror movie themed drinks and seemed like a good fit for our trip... only...when we pulled up...they looked closed. It seems they had a fire. Strike two. Two places we had planned to go to that were closed. I swear I checked two days ago, and they had hours listed.

So what were we to do? We googled nearby restaurants and ended up at the Creekside Restaurant and Bar. We chose it because it sounded like an "old people place" that would have cocktails. It did not disappoint. Old people know where it's at! The food was delicious and service great. Good for people watching, lots of toupees, and golf style outfits. It's not surprising that as we left, there were tons of people waiting for a table. This ended up being a good choice.

We ate an early dinner, and were still pretty wired, so we decided to catch a movie. We saw Thor: Love and Thunder at the largest movie theater I have ever been in! You seriously had to walk up five flights of stairs to get to our seats in the middle of the theater. It was pretty cool. (Side note: I thought the movie was ok. It was much more of a goofy love story than a super hero flick.)

Now on to day two. (Sorry, this is a long blog post.) Our second go-to vintage shop is Flower Child. It's organized and two floors and we were really looking forward to checking it out only...as we were walking up to the door a sign was being added to the front door. Really?! You got to be f'n kidding me! Closed for maintenance. WTF. I JUST checked their hours. It looks like they made a post on their Facebook the afternoon before we went there saying they would be closed. Three strikes. Ok, I tried to maintain composure and stay positive. 

We were not going to drive to Columbus, Ohio to their other location.

On to our next stop then, The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft. I wrote about them before, and they deserve another write-up! I mainly wanted to go back to the gift shop there. This place has such a good vibe. It turned around our day. The owner was working again, and I overheard him chatting with some customers. Everything he said is exactly what I say when my customers ask certain questions. Being a business owner isn't easy. You don't get days off. (and even when you do, everything seems to be closed. lol.) The shop is small but has a nice selection of books both new and used, and not just on witchcraft, but all kinds of subjects, there's a large crystal and gemstone display, altar pieces, and so much more! 

"Attention Shoplifters: The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft & Magick is protected by a 1000 year old curse. Don't test us."

I came home with three books, a magnet, glow in the dark T shirt, special blended positive tea, and tea leaf fortune cards. (Another side note...I took an online six week tea leaf reading course from The Tasseomancy Museum. That's another reason why I was M.I.A. for a little bit. I plan to take the advanced one in fall.)

I'm a fan of cemeteries. They are quiet, serene, and free. I don't get a chance to go to them very often. When we learned the Feline Historical Museum was going to be closed, we shifted gears and decided the Lake View Cemetery would be worth a visit. Yes, Eliot Ness and the James A. Garfield Memorial are there, but I really wanted to see the Haserot Angel aka "The Angel of Death Victorious"! It's a life size angel sculpture made of bronze and marble located under a tree canopy that appears to "cry" black tears holding a snuffed out torch to symbolize extinguished life. Haserot was the name of a canning mogul, and it's their tombstone. It's absolutely beautiful in real life and so metal! But really it's a stunning piece of artwork by Herman Matzen. You can walk around it to view the full piece. 

Here's me in the picture for scale. I'm 5'6". Some other notable tombstones...

Alan Freed. Cleveland disc jockey that coined the term "rock n' roll".

Eliot Ness. Public Safety Director for Cleveland that brought down Al Capone.

James A. Garfield Memorial. It has relief sculptures, stained glass windows, and a gold dome.

Rounding out the day, and since we had more time to kill (get it? we were in a cemetery?.... I apologize.) we had some time, and visited a park. Hung out on a park bench, and then visited with some tiki friends at their in home tiki bar. We met their four cats. It was so nice and relaxed, I forgot to take pictures.

Last day was the drive back. We drove by the Worlds Largest Stamp. Even though it's a park, there's no free place to park because it's so close to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. (I've been there already. It's a beautiful, HUGE museum. If you go, be prepared to do a lot of reading and spend the whole day.)

Image taken from website, since we didn't stop and park.

The last last place to mention is that I finally ate at a Waffle House. (There aren't any in New York State.) Andrew is a fan and really wanted to go there. I thought it was fine. The bacon was made to my liking...burnt, and I was excited they had cinnamon raisin toast. He had a pecan waffle. 

So I guess the moral of my trip story... No matter how much you plan things, they may not work out and you will need to be flexible. I need to relearn this. Before I owned a shop, I was pretty easy going and went with the flow. This trip taught me I need to be able to pivot. 

If you got this far, thanks for reading!