thecityloft
The City Loft Variety Store and Body Jewelry Shop
Announcement
We carry a large selection of body jewelry, body jewelry retainers, and Fancy to Funky collectibles. Check out our many shop sections to find something you just canot live without!
Our profit from your orders pays for the 16 cats that live with us! We have been caring for 16 cats, most of whom were abandoned or born during the pandemic. Several needed medical care. Some needed to be spayed or neutered. All needed a safe place, food, clean water, baths, flea treatment, grooming, claw care, and lots of love.
One abandoned little kitty wandered out of the woods with a rubber cat collar stuck around her neck and under her left front leg. The collar had embedded into her underarm pit causing a huge open gash. She was bleeding.
It was clear someone had deliberately put her into the collar in this fashion. It had to hurt so much, but she didn't cry. We took her for three surgeries. She chewed the stitches twice. The wound healed well. Now she lets us check it to make sure it's okay. Her name is Miss Mimi.
We tried to find homes for all but to no avail given the cats had so many needs. The shelters were full, and clinics were closed. Therefore, temporary shelter was not available & veterinarians were not spaying, neutering or performing surgeries. Miss Mimi, because she could not be spayed, ended up having two litters while having the open wound. It was hard on her. All five kittens survived her first litter. She had nine kittens in the second litter, but only one girl survived. Her name is Chica.
Over the years, the cats have become family. We love them and they love us. They also love living, eating & sleeping with each other. They are like a tribe. It's not unusual to find two or three of the cats sleeping soundly together in a big kitty bed or small cardboard box top.
We have one mom with her three grown kitties, and one full family with mom, dad, and their six grown kittens. Dad, who is Mojo, lives upstairs now. He has a persistent skin condition, and his kitties -- thinking they were helping him -- would groom him until he bled.
Needless to say, it has been very expensive caring for 16 cats. Giving them to a shelter or splitting them up is unthinkable. To tend to all their needs we hope, at our store, you find something you just can't live without! (We have lots and lots of body jewelry retainers!)
The felines have been eating Purina Naturals Originals dry food but now several have skin signs showing they need more moisture in their diets. Water is not enough.
Some of the cats gain weight on the dry food, and others do not. Two cats need serious dental surgery which means eating hard kibble hurts. We have estimates for the two dental surgeries which could be more than $1,000 each. (Yikes! Let's see 100 tongue ring sales might cover it lol!)
We have experimented with Fancy Feast pate selections. All the cats tolerate it well, but it is expensive. Tops has had a sale on it, so that helps a lot. (Yay!)
Our Care Credit Card balance is near its limit! $700 of it includes the death of our beloved Hobie-cat, who died from kidney disease in January. We rescued him, too. He came to our door on January 25, 2013. It was a cold wintery night. I let him in, and he never left until he died on January 25, 2024. Our hearts continue to break.
Our air conditioners were old & went on the fritz last summer. If we continue to please our customers, we hope to add central air conditioning to our furnace this summer, so that the kitty room evenly cools.
Over the years, we have used several fans, which have proven to be expensive and hard to manage. We often give the cats cool sponge baths to make them comfortable. Our electric bill is now high year-around (the little buggers are worth it). xo
Of course, litter adds to the costs. We order five boxes every five to six weeks from Chewy. We get a very good price for a 40-lbs. box. The price is usually slightly less than $20. We scoop the litter boxes every two hours, which keeps them very clean. The morning box is typically full as some of the cats graze their food throughout the night. (We have Swarovski nose studs and tragus jewelry in many colors ... you might love them!)
The kitty room is our attached garage with heat. It was insulated but not enough, and the pink fiberglass was exposed. We had a friend staple large chewy boxes to the studs, which help to insulate the room and make it safe. The garage is large with lots of shelves. The cats love to chase each other, jump up & down, and hide on the upper shelves.
We need more electrical outlets with covers so that we can manage the lighting and heat better (a few belly ring sales will make a difference!). We call the kitty room the Hilton Hilltop Hotel. We hope to build a catwalk so that they can get lots of fresh air in the spring and summer or purchase a fenced-in enclosure in order to let them play outside.
Thank you for taking the time to read our story. We hope you find it sincere, and makes you want to visit our store to find a thing or two you like! All 16 kitties will appreciate you. The names of the 14 pandemic cats & kitties are Abbey, Bender, Benny, Chazz, Chica, Ella, Gibbs, Izabella, Jaco, Mimi, Mojo, Roach, Tessa. and Ziva.
In addition, we have Bailey and Benson, who are two rescues from before the pandemic. Bailey's litter, during the summer of 2013, was found in a driveway, which our girlfriend discovered. She nursed Bailey to health. He was tiny with no fur. We took him in when she asked. That was eleven years ago. Benson was going to be homeless, so we took him in. I took Hobie in at the same time. He was with me and my heart for eleven years.
Let me say one more time, thank you for reading the story about our pandemic & rescued cats. We know how much they appreciate our care, and we know they will appreciate your finding a piece or two of body jewelry or a vintage treasure that you just cannot live without!
Peace for all,
Maria & Kathleen
Featured items
Items
All Items
Reviews
-
wildcat9050 on May 3, 2024
5 out of 5 starsArrived on time, nicely made
Sisters Maria and responded on May 5, 2024
Thank you, Wildcat! We appreciate your 5-Star review! TCL
-
gracie on Apr 17, 2024
5 out of 5 starsTook a little longer to arrive but I am happy with the item :)
-
-
Barbie on Feb 13, 2024
5 out of 5 starsOne of the best sellers
Sisters Maria and responded on Feb 14, 2024
How good of you to say! Thank you, Barbie. We appreciate your business and support of our store. Maria & Kathy ;)
-
V. on Mar 25, 2024
5 out of 5 starsGreat communication from seller, item exactly as pictured and described, fantastic packaging, and quick shipping.
-
Taylor on Mar 15, 2024
4 out of 5 starsCame with nice packaging, good product, as described. A little bit larger than I expected but solid overall
-
-
Larry on Mar 2, 2024
4 out of 5 starsShipping was awsome however one of my items was broken. Was not the owners fault.
-
-
Shop policies
Accepted payment methods
Returns & exchanges
Cancellations
Cancellations: accepted
Request a cancellation: within 2 days of purchase
Seller details
Captcha failed to load. Try using a different browser or disabling ad blockers.