Thursday, July 30, 2009

Things Fall Apart

Little Guy & Squishy write:

Yesterday, something fell out of the sky and scared us awake while we were napping in the living room! We scattered, Foster Daddy woke up from napping on the couch, and Foster Mommy came running out to see what was going on. There was a white object in the middle of the floor! Foster Daddy and Foster Mommy said it was part of the ceiling lamp and fan, and had come unscrewed. Wow! We watch the fan go around sometimes, but we had no idea that parts of it could come off and fall down to us!

Very late last night, we heard a sound in the neighbor's yard. Foster Mommy went outside with a flashlight, and saw the neighbor putting the porch swing up again!

Last, but certainly not least, we are now back to one litter box for the house again. We watched Foster Mommy put everything into a huge garbage bag, haul it outside, then sweep up the scattered litter. We pounced on the whisk broom as she swept. Who knew this thing called "cleaning" could be so much fun???

Friday, July 24, 2009

Foodie Friday: Sea Turtle Sundae/PhotoHunt: Utensils


My Foodie Friday post for this week is from yesterday's dinner with family. Here's my cousin's kids enjoying a Sea Turtle Sundae from Joe's Crab Shack. It's got chocolate cake, ice cream, caramel, and nuts. Their grandma took these pictures.



They had a spoon fight while eating!

More Foodie Friday and posts.

Foster Friday

We're still looking for homes for Squishy, Little Guy, and Little Bit, but here are some cute pictures of everyone from this last week.












Cloud's Adoption Day!

Cloud had a home visit yesterday morning, and everything went very well! I'll let him tell you about it, because at the moment he's the only kitten awake (and on my computer desk), while his brother Squishy sleeps on the desk next to him and his brother Little Guy sleeps in my lap.

Cloud writes:

I went to visit a nice lady called Becky yesterday! I was very, very scared when Foster Daddy and Foster Mommy took me out to the truck. I was stress-purring really hard, and shaking all over! I had been in the truck on a ride with them when I was 4 weeks old, but I barely remembered that. All I knew was I didn't understand what was going on, and I was outside!

We got to Becky's house very early, so that gave me time to calm down before we went in. I climbed all around on Foster Mommy's lap while she and Foster Daddy talked to me and petted me. Then, Foster Daddy picked me up and we all three went up to the door.

When we got inside, I climbed onto the top of the futon and hunkered down, getting my bearings in this strange place while Foster Mommy and Becky talked. After a while, I felt comfortable enough to let Becky sit by me and pet me. She wanted to pick me up right away, but I wasn't ready for that yet.

Foster Mommy put me down on the rug, because I was looking down but couldn't judge the distance properly. I'd never seen or felt a rug before! It took a few minutes to get used to it, but then I was off exploring underneath the futon and behind the electronics. Foster Mommy and Becky sat on the floor, while Foster Daddy stood watching me. Becky got a shoelace and everyone tried to get me to play with it. Nope, not interested in that; I wanted to explore more! I climbed back up the futon cushions, then jumped down again.

Finally, they got my attention with the shoelace by dragging it slowly around on the floor in front of me. I pounced after it, stalking it then swiping. I saw Foster Mommy's hand, and went running over to head-butt it for pets. Then I sniffed Becky's shoes. Circling her, I rubbed against her and meowed a little. She reached out her hand and I stretched my head up, wanting her to pet me, too! She did, then picked me up to give me kisses and cuddles. I wasn't expecting that, but let her. Then, I decided to climb onto her shoulder and then on her back. Luckily, Foster Mommy told her that's what I was going to do, so she leaned over and let me walk on her back to the floor. I circled around to have her pet me again.

Everyone was impressed that I wasn't at all scared of exploring this new place. I walked tall, with my head up, and didn't shy away from the new furniture, smells, or sounds! Becky got supplies yesterday afternoon, and called to say she was ready for me to come for my week trial period today! So, my foster parents will drop me off at my new home today, where I will live for a week and see how it goes!

Here are some pictures from after Cloud got back home. He loves this yellow bucket, burrowing into it like there's some kind of trap-door in the back that he can get out! That's Mama Little Bit's whiskers getting in the way of the first shot.






Foster Mommy is still writing Cloud's Catster page until he gets permanently adopted. It's here if you'd like to visit.

Feral Friday by the Trailer Kitties

Food bowl rollcall:

Shadow, Spongebob, Marble, Chubby, Siamese cat, raccoon, Precious

Marble actually lounged on the porch yesterday, enjoying the warm weather and sunlight!

Photo Friday: In Shadow



Our feral Outdoor Fluffy Buddy, foster kitten Cloud's dad, in February.
When I was uploading these pictures, Cloud was up on the desk.
He batted at the picture, which he's never done before!

Photo Friday

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Boo and Michelle have been adopted!

Boo and Michelle went on an extended home visit to their new home yesterday! Their new people have some questions (mostly because of having had a bad kitten experience before/feral kitten they didn't know was feral), so we're treating this like a trial period for now, but we think that once everyone settles in they'll love them so much that they'll decide to keep them. If not, then they'll come back to us.

From Boo:

Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy brought my sister and me to our new home this morning! We rode in the truck in a carrier bag, but didn't like it. We kept trying to get out, and Foster Mommy kept saying, "No." We got there early, so Foster Daddy and Foster Mommy let us out in the truck so that we could stretch and explore (and relax).

Our new people were out getting the last of the supplies they needed for us. When they came back, they parked next to the truck. When our new lady saw us, she knew exactly who we were and smiled!

Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy brought us inside and handed us to our new family. They liked us right away! They petted and held us for a while, then set us down so we could explore. We could smell that there had been another animal there, but couldn't tell exactly what it was. The people said it's something called a ferret. We've never met a ferret. We followed its scent trails all around the house. I went up the stairs and got lost, so I called out to the humans. The lady came and got me, carrying me back downstairs. She said I was in the teenage girl's room. All I knew was it was somewhere I didn't recognize.

Our new people are happy to have us here, but still getting used to us. That's fine, because we're still getting used to them! It will take a bit to settle in. Michelle already wanted to play-bite, during the visiting time, and both of us tried scratching the couch. We're kittens, so that's normal for us to try. We didn't get very far, though. These people know to snap their fingers to teach us what to not do, just like our foster parents did.

From Foster Mommy:

Their Catster pages are still being kept by us until this adoption's permanent. You can visit Boo here and Michelle here.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Photo Friday: My Favorite Spot

My favorite spot is on the couch with one or more of my cats. In this case, Skylar and Starla.

Photo Friday

If you missed yesterday's update, check it out: pictures of Kai's first day in his new home, sent by his new mommy. :) He's settling in well.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Kai is Gotcha'd!

Our little Cousteau, now named Kai, is going to his new home in the morning (Friday morning) FOR GOOD! The mommy/foster mommy has been crying all day, because she's happy-sad, and the daddy/foster daddy is happy for him to be going to such a good home. :) We'll post pictures of him at this post on Friday afternoon (most cats' evening, probably just after 5:00 pm Pacific Time).

Kai's Catster page will stay the same: here. His new mommy promised us she'd keep it updated with pictures and the blog so everyone could see how he does in his new home and as he grows up! :)

UPDATE!!! Pictures are courtesy of his new mommy, with the caption:
"I think he's settling in well!
"


On the coffee table, sound asleep wrapped in a throw



Happy Adoption Day, little Kai! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

It's our Gotcha Day!



Four years ago today, Mommy and Daddy were on their way to Long Beach when Mommy saw a sign at the feed store in Clatskanie, Oregon. "Free Kittens". All the way down to the beach, Daddy kept on saying, "I want a puddy. We've got to stop on the way back to get a puddy. Don't let me forget."

So, on the way back, they stopped. Clatskanie is Daddy's hometown, too, even though he lives in Portland now. The feed store was closing, but Daddy saw a cage with two little kittens in it. Mommy saw a rabbit in a cage, and knew it was meant to be because she'd seen the rabbit in a dream. Of course, the rabbit didn't come home with us, but it was included in the dream when Mommy saw us coming home.

The lady at the feed store got us out of the outside cage, and Daddy held Carbon while Mommy held Tabby. Carbon immediately climbed up to Daddy's shoulder and perched there, while Tabby snuggled into Mommy's arms. Then they switched us around, and we snuggled in. The lady got a big cardboard box with holes punched in the top, and we were put in it.

It was sooo hot that day, and Carbon got sick in the box from heatstroke with his black fur and being outside. Mommy cleaned it up. Tabby wanted to climb all over the truck and sit on Daddy's shoulder while he was driving, so Mommy had to corral her in the passenger's side of the truck to look out the window most of the way home.

When we got home, the box was set in the middle of the living room and we were allowed to explore. Carbon immediately found Daddy's smelly work boots and dove headfirst inside, taking a little snooze. Tabby saw Mommy sit down on the couch and wanted to sit with her, but Mommy was eating a bowl of birthday cake. Tabby walked over on her unsteady legs, got up there, and dove headfirst into the cake bowl!

Later on, after we played and explored a lot, we went into the bedroom while Daddy and Mommy were watching a movie. All of a sudden, they realized it was much too quite in a house that had just gotten kittens, so they went looking for us. No kittens in the kitchen. No kittens in the living room, or in the bathroom, or the office room. No kittens on or under the bed. Daddy thought of the dresser, so they looked there. Sure enough, Tabby was in the top drawer sleeping, and Carbon was in the next drawer sleeping. We woke up when our drawers were pulled open, yawned, and looked at our parents like, "Well, what did you expect? Now can we go back to sleep?"

Tabby was 4 weeks old, and Carbon was 5 weeks old.

Happy 4th Gotcha Day to us!!!

Kai's Wordless Wednesday




These were from Kai's home visit last Friday, on his new kitty tree that he took a short nap on!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Happy birthday, Mommy!

It's our Mommy's birthday today! :) :) :) :) :)

Thanks, new Mommy!

Cousteau/Kai writes:

My new mommy gave me two gifts on my Catster page today! She gave me a kiss and a furever diamond! I am so happy to be so loved already by my new forever home. :)

Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy gave me a going-away present today: a new blue collar with my new name and my new mommy's telephone number on it. I'm still trying to get out of it, jumping and trying to scratch. It keeps following me, no matter what I do! My auntie Boo came running up to me and batted at the tag on it, which confused me. Why was Auntie Boo playing with MY new thing? And why did it still stay ATTACHED to me? My foster parents say that by Friday I'll have gotten used to it. Then my new mommy can decide whether she wants to keep it for me or not.

I'm getting so excited to be at my forever home for real!!!!!!

Friday, July 10, 2009

Cousteau got adopted!

Note from Foster Mommy: He goes to his new home a week from today!

Cousteau writes:

I met my new mommy today! Foster Daddy and Foster Mommy took me in the truck to meet her. I didn't like the truck ride, mostly because I had to stay on Foster Mommy's lap. :( I wanted to explore! I talked most of the way there and most of the way back, trying to climb over Foster Mommy's arms, but there was no way she was going to let me off her lap. I climbed onto her shoulder and watched out the window for a while.

When we got to my new home, my new mommy and her roommate were there. They held me and kissed me, then the roommate had to go to work. My new mommy carried me into the kitchen. I was scared, so I snuggled into her. Then she set me down on the counter, but I wasn't sure where I was. The wood floor where she set me down next was better. At least I recognized the surface. I went off to see what was around, and walked into something else that I didn't know. They called it a rug. I was afraid of it, so my new mommy got down on the floor with me and talked to me, telling me the rug wouldn't eat me. I touched it, but didn't walk on it.

Next, my new mommy carried me downstairs and showed me my new room. There's a small scratching post, a litter box, and toys. Oh, and a mat for my food and water, but my bowls weren't set out yet. There was another rug there, but it's called a carpet. It felt funny, but I wasn't afraid of it. I was carried into a bedroom and set on the bed. I tried to figure out how to get down, but it wasn't like the bed at my foster parents' house. My new mommy set me down, and I explored the closet while she talked with my foster parents. I played hide and seek with all of them around the closet doors, then my new mommy got into the closet with me and played shoelaces with me! She really loves me!

Finally, she brought me into the garage where the big kitty tree is set up. This thing is HUGE! There's a lot of space for me to climb and play, and more when I grow into it. I was tired and relaxed, so I washed myself and played tails with my new mommy's finger. Then I took a mini-nap! My new pictures are of me on this kitty tree.

I get to go back there to live next Friday. I will be 7 weeks old then, and weaned. I can't wait, and my new mommy can't wait either! I'm so excited!

Oh, and I got a new name! I'm now Kai.

Foster Friday/Photo Friday: Eyes


Cousteau and Tabby Boy write:

Being twins is fun! No one can tell us apart (except our mama cat) unless they look at our noses. Can you tell us apart?










Cousteau is the top picture and Tabby Boy is the bottom picture! Our personalities are different, but we look identical (except for a little line on Tabby Boy's nose, and slightly different shade of fur).

Cousteau writes:

I'm going on my home visit today! Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy are taking me to visit the lady and her roommate who want to adopt me. I don't know if I'll like the truck ride, because the other time I was in a car/truck was when I went on the horrific ride to the shelters and back, then to my foster home. I hope I'll like the lady, and she'll like me! I'm coming back to my foster home for another two weeks with mama cat, even if the visit checks out. All of us little boys are now 6 weeks old, but Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy want to wait until we're 8 weeks.

Little Bit writes:

All of my kids plus Boo and Michelle either have home visits scheduled or are in the process of having them scheduled! That's such good news, but no one has asked for me yet. I'm glad my kids will all have good homes, and that my little sisters will also, but sad that no one wants me to be their kitty yet.

My babies are being litter box trained at the moment, and I supervise every time Foster Mommy picks one of them up to put him in the box. There's two extra boxes set up now, each where they have been going potty. They're an Avon box lid and a tv dinner tray, with litter in them. Someone went poop and pee in the tv dinner tray one, plus others have gone pee right beside it (on a lap pad that's set up there). Cloud is adamant about using a spot underneath the couch, so Foster Mommy may set up another box there.

Boo and Michelle write:

We're going to a home together! We have a home visit scheduled a week from Saturday, and we're so excited about it!

Cloud and Tabby Boy:

We're going to have a home visit at the end of the month, and will go to a home together! We're glad we'll have each other to play with at our new home.

Squishy writes:

Foster Mommy hasn't heard back on times for my home visit, but she's got someone else lined up for me if the first lady doesn't come through.

Photo Friday

Feral Friday by the Trailer Kitties

Food bowl rollcall:

Shadow, Spongebob, Marble, Precious, a Siamese cat with a black collar who came from the back fence, possum, Chubby.

The lawn got mowed yesterday, and Shadow wanted to watch the whole process. She meowed at the back door to let the people know that something was going on, then went out to the front to watch from an already-mowed spot.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Thursday Road Trip!

Skylar writes:

Sorry this has taken so long to post, but we've had a busy week watching over the fosters. The little ones are learning how to use the litter box, so we've been alerting Mommy when one or more of them starts scratching in the spots they like to use. Then she picks them up and "flies" them to the litter box, where they go potty and are praised and petted.

Anyway...here's the pictures and video from our Fourth of July road trip to Long Beach, Washington, USA. It's the world's longest beach!

The road trippers were Daddy (driving), Mommy Erin (in the front seat holding on to my leash), Mommy (in the back seat), and me (laying between the driver's and the front passenger's seats. Mommy Erin is like a younger sister to our parents, and lived with us for a year. I adopted her as my second mommy, and get jealous whenever she pets the other cats. She's also the one who adopted Smokey, which most of you remember.

We stopped at Daddy's parents' house for almost two hours. They live in Clatskanie, Oregon, about halfway between here (Portland) and the coast. It was soooo hot traveling, so when we got there Mommy showed me where the food bowls were. Daddy and Mommy's nieces and nephew were there visiting from Idaho, so they pampered me and played with me. I got to eat some Fancy Feast, and the kids set out a water bowl especially for me!

Desiree

Raven (on the left), Davina (top), and Storm with me on the couch

Storm found me two black & white friends!

This train squeaks. I was ok with it, but didn't really want to be bothered to play with it. I'd much rather play with the kids!


Mommy, Daddy, and Erin left me at Grandma & Grandpa's while they continued on to the beach, or as I call it, the big litter box. I was having such a great time there, and it was so warm out. Plus, they didn't know if the fireworks would upset me too much or not. They don't at home, but out in the open might have been different. I had a wonderful time at Grandma & Grandpa's house! I got to beg for and eat mashed potatoes, got a lick of a popsicle, and watched tv on Grandma's lap. Plus, Storm and Raven walked me on my harness all around the house many times, so I got plenty of good exercise. I tried to have a bite of chocolate ice cream, but I wasn't allowed that.

I didn't get to use the litter box when I was there, though. Their cats don't have one! They use the yard, because they're inside/outside cats. Grandma & Grandpa live on a farm, so they don't have to worry too much about roads or getting lost. Because I didn't get to use the box, I had an accident on Mommy Erin's lap on the way back home. She forgave me, but it was a bit smelly for a while in the truck.

Here are some more pictures from where Daddy, Mommy, and Mommy Erin went while I was with the family.

There were many flocks of herons at the beach! Mommy talked with someone the next day who had seen 80 herons, and that is unheard of in this area. Must've been lots of good fish!




A jellyfish! Lucky I didn't go all the way to the big sandbox, because I would not want to feel the sting from one of these! Mommy Erin had her shoes off, and Mommy told her she'd better put them back on. After seeing this, she knew why!

They went into the town of Long Beach, Washington, and ate dinner there. They went to a "museum" which was more a kitschy store than anything else, then drove to the beach just north to find a spot to watch the fireworks. It was too crowded directly on Long Beach!

People come down to barbecue and hang out during the day. You can even have fires right on the beach, but you need to bring in wood because they don't let you use the driftwood there. It was very smoky because of all the fireworks, so the picture's a bit fuzzy. People can drive down onto the beach as well, so there were motorhomes and campers.

The fireworks started as soon as it got dark! The display wasn't put on by the city; it was what people had brought themselves! Mommy, Daddy, and Mommy Erin all had a great time, and thought it was a wonderful fireworks display.


Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy Fourth of July!



Have a safe and happy independence day! Daddy, Mommy, and Skylar are going to the beach for the afternoon/evening, and everyone else will stay home. We're not bothered much by the big booms, so we'll be fine. Hope everyone doesn't get too scared and stressed out!

Love,

The PDX pride

Cousteau's newest accomplishment!

Cousteau writes:

Foster Mommy, Foster Daddy, my mama, and the other cats in the household are all so proud of me! Even though I wasn't feeling well yesterday, and was extra-cuddly, I went potty in the litter around the big litter box all by myself! It even was diarrhea, and I made it in there three separate times to go potty, scratching first and then trying to cover it up! I meowed while I was going potty, like I was saying, "Look what I can do!" Then I ran out to my mama, who was watching, and she licked me.

I'm feeling better now, after snuggling with Foster Mommy for a few hours. Foster Daddy brought me in the bedroom with her, so I snuggled on her chest and then by her head. At one point, I crawled down by her neck, so she had Foster Daddy take this cute picture of us together. :)

Oh, and Foster Mommy has a pink sleep mask for the .