Wendi McLendon-Covey is currently starring in the NBC sitcom St. Dennis Medical. It’s a hospital mockumentary that costars David Alan Grier, Allison Tolman, Josh Lawson, and Kaliko Kauahi (Sandra from Superstore!). Wendy is a big proponent of animal rescue and has several rescue cats. To promote the second season premiere, Wendi talked about her rescue cats and how she feels the Universe calling her to help them. She also talked about seeing people dressed up as some of her more popular characters for Halloween as well as her holiday decoration philosophy.
Why she rescues stray cats: “When they show up in your yard and they need you, we can’t look away. I think my first pet was a kitty, and she was just so grateful to be rescued. And it’s just such a small thing, but it’s an important thing to show, ‘Okay, someone’s looking out for the little creatures.’ Everything else is going to hell in a handbasket, but we found this little life and we’re going to nurture it and give it a good home and maybe in some small way that’s making a difference somewhere. I don’t know.”
“But they’re cuddly, they’re cute, they’re hilarious. They all have their different personalities and they have their little meetings and their little way of talking to each other, and it’s just fascinating to watch. So that’s a hot Friday night for me, is just throwing treats to the cats.”
“When the universe tags you and says you’re it, you got to step up,” she said.
Holiday decorating: “I love decorating. I love crap,” she said, jokingly. “So I’ve scaled it to where when Halloween’s over, we’re going to go straight into Christmas. So all I have to do is take down some pumpkins, change some lights, take down the witch hats, put up the sugar plum whatevers. I go hard. From September to January 1, that’s my season for decorating […] because when it gets dark early, you want to look at something pretty.”
On seeing people dressed up as her characters: “Well, Clemy, Deputy Johnson [from Reno 911]. I see a lot of those around Halloween. A lot of Beverlys [from The Goldbergs]. And just a lot of crazy cat ladies because that is what I am. But people send me pictures, ‘Thought of you, you were my inspiration.’ […] So that’s really fun.”
Regarding the holiday decorating stuff, on November 1, my SIL texted my in-law family group chat with pictures of their Christmas tree already up. I could *never*! From September until January, I also go hard with the decorations. Only, I do the holiday taper. I take some of my spookier decorations down a proper week after Halloween, but leave the more fall-centric ones up through Thanksgiving. Then, on the weekend after American Thanksgiving, I do a big overhaul and put the Christmas stuff out. I’d love to hear where the rest of you stand, but for me, it’s following the color aesthetic and mood for each month. I can’t decorate with red and green until after the orange/yellow/purple holiday is over. As Kris Kringle once sang, ”Put one foot in front of the other…”
As a cat person, I love that Wendi is so committed to animal rescue. We have a rescue cat and she is just the best. Her foster mother told us that she wasn’t a lap cap and didn’t like to be picked up. She also advised that this personality was questionable for children, but she was wrong! Not only is she a lap kitty that wants to be picked up, she’s also absolutely great with both of my young children. In fact, we have to make sure that their doors are closed at night because otherwise, she’ll jump up on them and lick their faces at 6:30 a.m. to wake them up to play with her. I am a big believer in the Universe and that we each have to answer whatever call, and I totally believe that my family is the perfect match for our cat.
photos credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon, Getty and via Instagram
Halloween decorations are removed November 1 and replaced with wreaths decorated with poppies for Remembrance Day on November 11. No Christmas decor until AFTER November 11th. We honour our veterans in this house. Then we celebrate Christmas.
I saw my first lit Christmas Tree in someone’s window on November 1 this year. I admit, it cheered me on during our first real rain ‘event’ here in Vancouver, BC. Made me smile.
Not ready for Christmas music though, or shopping till after November 11th, though as my sister can no longer make our mother’s flap jacks, I did buy the ingredients to see if I could do it myself. We shall see.
I love this. No one pays attention to Veteran’s Day anymore.
I was in a Petco last night and they were playing all Christmas songs. It just takes away the significance of the holiday season when retailers push this on us too soon. My family puts up Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. Give Thanksgiving some space, too.
Aw, I like that. I wish the US did more with poppies. More remembrance than the celebratory feeling I get now. They used to sell poppies for the foreign legion but I haven’t seen them in years.
All three of my cats were street cats. One was tossed outside for being “mean.” She had a chip and we talked to her owners who said keep her, we threw her out like trash. She loves to be held like a baby while she naps. The other two were born on the street and one got left in our bushes at 8 weeks by his mama because he is so chatty (our guess) and the other fell in love with him through our screen door so I brought her inside. I would love to have the space for a full cat rescue.
So here for her take on cat acquisition. The Universe has always provided when we had a kitten eco-vacancy, and our most recent kitten turned into the Best Cat Ever. He just ran out of lives, and we are bereft. But we also know that at some future point, we will hear a meow or spot a tiny furball in the yard and the cycle will begin anew. (In the meantime, there’s life with the dog…)
I have three rescue cats (and a rescue dog). The kitties have extremely different personalities, but they get along with one another. they are the lights of my life.
Amy T, I know how hard it is to lose a kitty. May your cat run free.
I start decorating Nov 1st because I love holiday decorating & the twinkling lights are cheery on these dark evenings. Decades ago, I used to wait until December.
Now I follow the Queen of Christmas when she announces “it’s timeeee!!!”
I am an avid holiday decorator, as well! It brings me joy to have lights everywhere – especially after the stupid time change.
The timing of Thanksgiving determines when Xmas decor goes up. If it’s late (like this year) I will stage some things and then put the tree up after turkey day. When it’s earlier in November I will wait. I buy live trees so want to make sure they last.
I am the proud mama of one rescue house panther and the sweetest rescue pup ever. Ravyn and Dharma, respectively.
Remember to Blackout the System November 25th through December 2nd. No spending!
I’m ordinarily staunchly after-thanksgiving for christmas stuff, but I feel like christmas is all I have left to look forward to and I’m ready. This has been a bad year and I’m ready. I’m getting my stuff out soon.
I didn’t realize it was the Universe calling to take care of cats, I just thought my cats knew a sucker when they saw one and moved in whether I wanted them to or not. Silly cats.
I don’t put up any type of decorations anymore. I’ve become a holiday scrooge. I don’t have family living close so I’m the only one who will see it. I go to them for the holidays so I get a few days of decorations and that’s plenty for me.
I go straight to Christmas, mostly because I live in Florida and we have no fall. When you have palm trees out your windows, the whole fall aesthetic decor inside just looks silly.