A unique florist shop

More uniqueness...Because A Unique Florist didn't initially have a large refrigeration unit for their flowers, owner Terri Head makes a daily early morning trip to the flower markets in downtown Los Angeles to stock up for the day. A trip to the flower market is a fun outing for anyone who enjoys flowers—if you don't have to do it every day!

Terri also loves cats. She adopted a family of stray cats at her previous location several years ago, and one of them is still with her. This pretty tortoiseshell kitty has her own bed in the window, and only reluctantly interrupted her nap to acknowledge me.

In addition, a large stained glass panel celebrates cats.

The watch cats

Dogs bark when you pass, and rush to the fence to either greet you or warn you away. But cats just watch. They are everywhere—sometimes hidden, sometimes not, aloof and confident in their place in our world.

Take me home?

Whenever I shop at Petsmart, I wander by the cat adoption center (just in case, you know...I've adopted two cats from Petsmart over the years).

The adoption center is part of Petsmart Charities, which helps local animal welfare groups find homes for homeless cats and dogs. As the sign below shows, they've found homes for over seven million cats. The Downey store works with Zazzy Cats, a local organization whose goal is to rescue high risk cats from shelters in the Los Angeles area. (For example, one of the cats there tonight is missing one eye.)

So come on by, and see if one of them catches your eye, and your heart.

A domain keeper

I went out to the street this morning to throw some trash out. While out there, I thought I would check my peach tree for any ripe fruit I could use for breakfast. I noticed a few of the peaches had been eaten by birds. Then I was startled to find our neighbor's cat in my tree. I'm not sure if she was waiting for a bird to return or just surveying her domain. Either way, I left her alone in peace.

“A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.”
~ Benjamin Franklin

I'm watching you!

As I snapped this picture of this very fun conglomeration of yard art, I noticed the neighborhood watch sign. I appreciate neighbors who look out for others. It is all about safe and secure neighborhoods. This home appears to be doubly protected; by both this serene cat and very observant-looking dwarf out front and center.

Blending in

The colors and even the texture of an animal's fur are supposed to help them blend in with their surroundings. This cat almost makes it happen. I stopped to take a picture of another cat that was all gray. He was easy to pick out in this front yard. This cat sneaked up behind him and chased him away (about 10 feet away). Then he paused long enough for me to get this shot.

"Some people say that cats are sneaky, evil and cruel. True, and they have many other fine qualities as well."
~ Missy Dizick

Put out the welcome cat

I saw a lot of cats as I drove through this neighborhood recently. Most of them skittered away when I got close. But this cat made a point of stopping at his gate so that he could welcome me in, if I chose to visit.

"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat."
~ Tay Hohoff

Cat lover anonymous

When I saw new construction going on where a couple of old houses were recently torn down, I worried about the feral cats that used to live there. (I have a soft spot for cats.) But then I saw that someone else with a heart for stray cats was already on it—there was an alternate food and water location right across the street. Phew, what a relief!

"People who love cats have some of the biggest hearts around."
~ Susan Easterly

Guard cat

Walking past this house, I had the distinct impression that this cat was not only watching me, but also observing everything going on in the neighborhood.

You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats. 
~Proverb

Humans of Downey - Jean (1 of 2)

"My cat Sasha had not been well so we had taken her to the vet. From her, Sasha's, point of view, life was not bad. I do promise family members, pets are family members, that I will do my best to not let them suffer. So life from her point of view was okay.

"I had a trip planned and I debated about this and I decided I would go. I found a very good cat sitter that would come 30 minutes in the morning then 30 minutes at night. She would give Sasha her vitamin B1 shot. So, I went on the trip and I had a great time.

"The sitter gave me, she freed me to have that experience. I also thought of my cat and what was going to happen in the not to distance future. When I got home I took one look at her and we spent the night full of pets. The next morning I did the very kind thing. The vet was very supportive. I took her in on my birthday."
~ Jean

Guard cat on duty

As I drove slowly down the street, I knew I was being watched. By the ADT security cat.

What the cat sees

I don't have a Downey picture today. Not a single one. Maybe it's the rain, the cold, or my sniffles. But one way or the other, I didn't make it out this week with my camera.

So instead, I am pondering my cat. She is staring at the wall. She's been staring for several minutes now, and she hasn't moved. If she's just pouting, that's OK. I can handle that. But—if she's watching a spider, I want to know about it—and leave her to get rid of it while I wait in the other room!

"Strange rules of cat behavior #1: Stare at something that isn't there until your owner actually starts freaking out."

A little inconvenience

Sometimes a lack of inspiration and a lack of cooperation coincide and result in a lack of pictures for DDP. Such was the case tonight, when my cat convinced me that she was more interesting than the couple of pictures I currently have in my backlog.

"Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience."
– Pam Brown

Eating in style

Feral cats abound in a small area of downtown Downey, where there are some vacant lots and empty buildings. Typically, feral cats scrounge for their food and at best eat off of paper plates. But these cats get to eat in style.

Cats

Cats are such unique creatures. They are at once independent, but somehow expect to be the center of attention. This one had claimed this unused fountain. He did not budge even when I got closer to take a picture.

"When you notice a cat in profound meditation
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name." 
~ T. S. Eliot

Kitty in the window

On a beautiful spring day in southern California, everyone wants to be outside. Even the cat.

The porch cat

A cat on the porch is a peaceful thing. A dog at the window will bark and race around, either in welcome or warning. But the cat lies quietly, and just watches through half-closed eyes.

"There's no need for a piece of sculpture in a home that has a cat."
~ Wesley Bates

The good life

The feral cats at the abandoned south campus of Rancho Los Amigos Hospital have it good.

Thinking about these cats has become an annual thing for me, because I see them on my way to see the Rose Parade float being worked on.

Even though there are signs posts that warn against feeding the cats, someone obviously feeds them on a regular basis, even behind the locked gates.

And I imagine they have access to the dozens (would "hundreds" be an exaggeration?) of rats and mice that inhabit all of these abandoned buildings.

"You will always be lucky if you know how to make friends with strange cats."
- Colonial proverb

Wild feral cats

My wife and I like to take a walk on these warmer summer nights. One of our walks takes us past the parking lot for the "Dial a Ride" service here in Downey.

I've noticed these feral cats that reside there. They come out during the night to play and get handouts from the residents of the senior housing across the street.

They haven't over-populated yet. I wonder what keeps their numbers down?

Don't feed the cats

The Downey Rose Float is stored in a building on the abandoned south campus of Rancho Los Amigos Hospital. It's a fascinating and picturesque area, and we've done a lot of posts from here. I couldn't resist snapping a few new shots on my way to see the float last week.

The buildings are still abandoned and boarded up. And the feral cats are still everywhere, along with the warnings not to feed them.

Back in 2008, there was talk of building a data center here, but the plans were blocked because of the cats. At that time, there were 150 wild cats. Efforts were made, obviously unsuccessfully, to relocate the cats to barns where they could be useful in hunting rats.