Friday, December 31, 2010

Therapy Cat Tales: Tabby's Christmas Eve Visit

Tabby writes:

Whew!  I hope you had as great a Christmas as we did!  Ours was pawsome!  Mommy and I started it off by going visiting to H. on Christmas Eve.  I wore my red velvet "Santa Baby" dress over my harness, and got lots of compliments on it when we rode the buses and MAX train.  Mommy wrapped the handle of my stroller with tiny Christmas lights that twinkled, too, so I was all festive!  She waited until nighttime to take a picture of it, but we had them on the whole time we were visiting.


Not many of my friends who work at H. were there, because they all wanted to be home with their families for Christmas Eve, but we met a new friend named V. who takes great pictures and sells them.  She's got kitties at home!

Once we were signed in and had our list, we went up in the elevator with one of the residents and his family.  He's one of my visiting buddies, so his family was glad to meet me.  As we got out of the elevator, we were surprised by (and surprised) M., who had the same Christmas lights as I did, but hers were around her neck like a long necklace!  That gave everyone a laugh!  M. told Mommy how much she enjoyed our visits every time we came, and that just made Mommy so happy.  G. and a friend tried to feed me oyster crackers, but I don't take treats when I'm out.  I sniffed the crackers politely, then asked for pets.

Many of the residents had beaded snowflakes on their walkers or wheelchairs.  I think they'd made them earlier in the week.  They were sooo pretty!  Some of the people had presents to open later on, and/or had Christmas cards that they showed to us.  Everyone loved my pretty red dress!  I walked around proudly, then lay regally in my stroller to ride.  Just before we left, Mommy had someone take our picture by the Christmas tree!

We took the bus back part of the way, then Mommy's dad came and picked us up.  I stayed at home while Mommy went to her grandparents' to celebrate Christmas Eve with them, her uncle, and her dad.  Daddy had to work, but we had our Christmas on Christmas Day with him.

Our Wonderpurr Holidays!!!

We had a great week of Christmas parties and get-togethers!!!  First, Tabby and Mommy visited H. on Christmas Eve, then Mommy went over to be with her dad, uncle, and grandparents for the rest of the evening.  On Christmas Day, Mommy's mom came over to exchange presents, and we got a LOT of boxes and wrapping paper to play in/bite/hide/pounce in!

 Christmas tree over at Mommy's grandparents' house
Lights at Mommy's grandparents' house
 Heimdall is interested in the fire in the fireplace.

In the afternoon on Christmas Day, Erin came over to spend the rest of the day and the night with us.  She was a bit sad, so we did our best to cheer her up.  We think it worked, too!  How could she not be cheered up watching us play and petting us?  Our purrents and Erin had yummy leftovers from Christmas Eve for dinner (meatballs, gravy, and mashed potatoes) and we got the plates afterwards.  Carbon does love his mashed potatoes and gravy treat!!!

 Erin and Freya
 Erin making kissy noises at Freya
 What's that???
What is it???  What's it doing???

Then, on Monday, Daddy went over and got Erin and JJ so we could have Christmas and open gifts with them.  They spent the night, then went back the next day.





When it was bedtime for JJ, he took a bath with his new green bath salts.  Freya, who loves jumping in the bathtub when the water's running for showers, wasn't sure exactly what JJ was doing, but wanted very much to investigate it.  So she jumped on the side of the tub and looked in!  Nope, she didn't slip in.








Friday, December 24, 2010

Fashion Friday: Meowy Catmas!!!

Meowy Catmas from all of us here at the PDX pride!!!!  We purrrray that it's a good one, filled with lots of blessings, snuggles, purrs, treats, and all that makes holidays wonderpurr.

Tabby in her "Santa Baby" dress by our small tree.

Freya wishing for Christmas to come sooner, wearing the "Santa Baby" dress.

No eating the cord for the lights, Freya!  (The reason we didn't get a full-sized tree this year; Daddy says next year.)

Merry Christmas!  Winter blessings!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Feral Friday: Peek-a-boo Tuxedo

Little Bit's watching Tuxedo watching us.  Can you see him?  He's by his hidey-hole under the deck.






Could you find him????






Peek-a-boo, Tuxedo!

Fashion Friday: Harness-training Kittens

Oh, hi there!  Heimdall here, modeling my mesh harness.  Mommy put them on Freya and me to start harness-training us again, since it's been a while since our last lesson.  I like my harness now, although I wasn't sure if I could jump with it on.  Turns out I can!

Freya here.  I don't really like wearing my harness, but I don't mind it.  In this picture, I'm fighting off the harness strap and the bag handle at the same time!  I ended up winning, but it was a long, tough fight, MOL!!!

See, I told you I won the fight!  Here I am, savoring my victory while still wearing my harness (but with the strap under me).  Mommy says we're doing really, really well at harness-training.  One more lesson and we'll get the strings attached and get to walk around the house with the strings on.  Oh, they're called leashes?  Well, they're strings to me, and I love to POUNCE on them!

Tabby's calendar is now for sale!


I'm soooo excited!!!  Mommy designed a calendar with my pictures on it, for the new year!  :)  If you click the piccy above, you can see all the designs for every month.  Some pics are just me, and some are with other family members.  I'm dressed in outfits in a few, too!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Therapy Cat Tales from 12/10/10

The rain held off this time, and I was all comfy in my new carrier with my new, warm, fleece raincoat.  :)  It rained a little, but just drizzling and not pouring.  I can't wait until it snows again, though!  I like watching it float down!  When we were at the first bus stop, Mommy took my picture so everyone can see what my new carrier looks like strapped to my stroller.  We have to use both on some of the buses, so that's why we have the new carrier.  This is the one I picked out at the Halloween party, and I love it!  The bag hanging from the stroller is the carrier's bag; it folds down to fit in that.  Very handy for us!

I got some chin scritches from a couple of fellow bus riders while Mommy talked with them on the way to Portland.  Then I got to get out of the carrier and into the stroller.  Boy was I ever surprised when I looked out and saw a GIANT tree!  It was 75 feet tall!  It's the Portland city tree, and it's all decorated with lights!  Mommy says we're going to have a real tree like that in the house this year, only it won't be that tall.  Will it smell as good?

There were trees at H. as well when we got there, all decorated and pretty, but they were fake like the tree we have had the last few years.  I didn't get to investigate them too closely because there were also poinsettias and those can make kitties very sick.  Pretty to look at from a distance, though, but I knew not to jump up by one.

The first thing I did when we got to H., besides go up to the office door, was to go in and show off my pretty new coat to everyone in the office.  I'm very proud of it, and love how toasty-warm I am in it!  :)  >^..^<  Then Mommy showed off my Christmas dress that I'm going to wear for visiting on Christmas Eve.  Yes, I'll be sure to have her take pictures of me in it!  The ladies loved my coat and dress just as much as we do.

As we were getting ready to go up to visit with my friends, a student from the local high school came in.  A group was coming for their first day volunteering.  They were all excited to meet me, and most had never heard of animal-assisted therapy at all, let alone a kitty having a job as important as mine!  They followed us all around while I worked, nine of them, while Mommy explained the health benefits (mental, physical, emotional) of interacting with me.  I kept on looking at them, making sure they were following me, as I went into rooms.  I was soooo proud to show off my skills, do my tricks, have them meet my friends, and have them learn about my work!  Ears up, tail up, proud walk!  :)  >^..^<

We had a short visit because some of the people were gone on adventures outside the building (to the store or elsewhere important) and others were sleeping.  As we were walking to the MAX light rail, we saw a squirrel in the park, eating a nut.  I was too tired to even be bothered by it, but Mommy took a few pictures of it.  I rested on the way home, because being a teacher for a day is very tiring!  We heard about other bus riders' kitties and angel kitties on the ride home, once they found out they were riding with a cat.  I always bring out stories in people, and I love it!  Mommy loves hearing the stories, too.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!!! (also wrap-up from last weekend)

Tabby, Rori, & Spooky/Nyx (the one we adopted out, not the latest Spooky) made these pictures in 2007.  :)

Rori:  I'm thankful for a warm home with my family.
Carbon:  I'm thankful for Mommy, Daddy, and the other kitties to play with, for a full food bowl and full water bowls, and for this house to run around in.
Tabby:  I'm thankful for my window to watch the world go by, for my family, for my friends that I go visit, and for friends who come visit us.
Freya:  I'm thankful for my home and forever family, for my new friend Jarek (Erin's son), and for fuzzy socks.
Heimdall:  I'm thankful for my home and forever family, for toys, and for snuggles with Mommy.
Starla:  I'm thankful for the kittens to play with, for Daddy and Mommy, and for time to explore the house.
Little Bit:  I'm thankful for my foster family, for Mommy Erin and Jarek who came to visit, and for space to run inside.

Weekend Wrap-Up from last weekend!

We got snow!!!  Not a lot, but we got to see it coming down and it stuck on the sidewalk and the grass was coated!  :)  Erin and Jarek came to stay for the weekend, too.  Freya and Jarek became good friends; she even snuggled with him for naptime and at night!  Heimdall, Rori, and Starla were a bit scared by an almost-three-year-old boy laughing and clomping around, but that's because the house is usually fairly quiet.  Tabby, of course, loved the whole thing, and Little Bit did, too.  Little Bit lived with Erin and Jarek for a few months, so she remembered them right off.

Jarek's naptime with Mommy's bear pillow tucked in with him

 The next day, Freya decided to bring her fuzzy sock up to participate in storytime/naptime, too!

 Uh, oh!  Naptime got postponed for sock-playing with Erin!

 Freya's waiting for Erin to play some more!

 Tabby and Erin

 This is what happens when you've got a bright child and kitty toys!  :)

 Jarek, almost three years old

 Little Bit with Mommy Erin

 Jarek took this picture of Tabby!!!  :)

 Heimdall loves Erin, and Freya does too but didn't really want to be held.
 Mrs. Raccoon put in an appearance

 Jarek and Erin in the snow

 Our backyard in the snow

 Tabby says:  Yes, Mommy!  I see the snow behind me!  *nods up and down fast and makes a blur*

 See that happy tail?

 Jarek's first raccoon experience, as Erin put it.  Mr. Raccoon liked him, too.


 Jarek:  Hi, Mr. Raccoon!

 Closeup of Mr. Raccoon

 Mommy and Jarek in the snow

 Erin got this pic of Tabby looking out as the snow was starting to fall.
Tabby:  What is that?  It's covering the sidewalk?  What are they doing out in it?

Erin and Mommy in the snow, with a snowflake in the middle of the pic!