Saturday, April 24, 2010

PhotoHunt: Addiction

Rori hiding in Mommy's addiction:  My Little Ponies!  Mommy has collected them since she was 3 years old, and has over 300 different ones!!!  Sometimes we're allowed to play with one, but only one that she picks out for us.  We love playing with the manes & tails, and sometimes drag the pony around by the mane.  When we do that, she takes it away, though, so we know we'd better play nicely or else the toy will go away again.

Feral Friday


Hi, my name is Tuxedo!  Sorry this post is a day late, but better late than never, right?  Speaking of which, I finally have let the lady take something called a picture with a funny flashy box that she holds up in front of her.  Usually I come at night, but I was out hunting and thought I'd stop by during the daytime to see if they had any food for me.  Guess what?  They did!  I ate a bit, then I spotted something in the tall grass just off the deck.  I crouched low...edged my back paws into position...and POUNCED!!!  I flew high in the air, twice as high as the grass, and landed on my prey!  I proceeded to eat whatever it was, so the humans couldn't see what I'd caught from where they were inside at the glass door.  It was very yummy, though!  I could tell that the inside tuxedo cat, the one they call Skylar, was jealous that I was hunting and caught something.  The others just looked interested, but he had a faraway look in his eyes like he was remembering a time when he used to do the same thing.  He also ran over to the door to look out as soon as he saw me pounce.  I saw him out of the corner of my eye, and my head whipped around to look that way as soon as I'd safely caught my prey.  But I knew he couldn't come take it away, because they can't go through that funny window/door.

Photo Friday: Sunshine

Outdoor Fluffy Buddy enjoying some winter sunshine last year at our old house.
He's a feral (wild) cat, doesn't tolerate humans,
but would come and eat at the bowl we put on our back porch.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Starla Update

Starla writes:

Mommy and I are dealing better with my litter box accidents. She has found a product that works even better than Nature's Miracle, and has reviewed it on her other bloggie. She sprays it on after I pee on the floor, or sprays it after she takes up the washable pee pad, and it takes out all the odor!

For the past day and a half, most of my pee has gone in the box. I only used the pad once. It's right beside the box, so that I can use it if I don't want to use the box. The pee pads we use are washable, and located in the doggie section of the pet store, but they're great for me because it's easy for Mommy to clean up and reuse, plus there is a waterproof vinyl layer so the urine doesn't go through.

I have heard rumors of a vet visit for me, but it sounds like it will be at least a couple more weeks until that happens.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Exciting therapy visit!

Tabby writes (from Friday):

Lovely day; bright and sunny and kinda warm!  It's the first time I didn't need my jacket since last fall!  There are all kinds of smells in the air from the plants blooming, and birds singing and flying.  We walked through the park on the way to H. and people were sitting on the benches enjoying the sun.  I got petted by one of Mommy's friends who asks for money in the park.  He was a customer when she worked at a grocery store around there, so now she talks with him for a bit when she sees him in the park.

At H., we knew something was different the moment we got to the parking lot.  There was a big trailer building there, that Mommy says is a health cliinic on wheels.  She thought maybe the people at H. were getting their blood pressure checked and things like that.  We went inside the regular building, and there was a health fair going on!  Tables were set up along the sides of the lobby and the hallways, and people were at the displays talking.  R. said we could sign in and go see the tables before our visit.  We got Mommy's nametag and signed me in (I have my own sign-in sheet with my name on it), put our bags (my carrier and Mommy's bag) in the office, and went back out into the hallway.  I wanted to go back into the office because I didn't know what was going on in the hallway.  I wasn't scared, just a bit startled, so Mommy picked me up and held me.  We stood for a few minutes, looking and listening to everything going on, so that I could get used to the disruption of my regular routine.

Some of my friends came walking by us and greeted me, so I felt better about what was going on.  After a few minutes, I wanted back in the stroller again, so Mommy let me sit in it.  Then we started going around to the tables so Mommy could see what there was to see.

The first table we stopped at didn't have anything on it, but it had two ladies sitting at either end of it.  They had papers, and were there to talk about what was on their paper, but didn't have a formal display.  One of the ladies petted me, then kind of laughed.  She told us, "I was going to make a joke about the cat when I saw you over there, but then I thought better of it and figured that she must be here for a purpose."  Mommy said yes, then explained about my therapy work.  She and I answered a lot of questions from that lady, demonstrating how I ask for petting by putting my paw up, and demonstrating how I am so calm with everything that goes on around me.  While we were talking, residents walked by and stopped to greet me by name and pet me.

As we made our way down the hallway, we saw two ladies at another table with a display waving to us and calling us over to their table.  Puzzled, Mommy wheeled me over.  It turns out they were from DoveLewis Animal Hospital, and had a booth about their planned giving/legacy fund (designating their nonprofit in a will).  DoveLewis also has an animal-assisted therapy program, and Oddard the dog (who visits the weeks we don't) is part of their program.  The ladies had just been talking about therapy animals, and were wondering if there were ever cat teams.  They had just decided that cats wouldn't do well in this situations, then we appeared!  So, of course, we answered a lot of questions from them and I got lots of petting from them too!  Mommy explained that originally we'd wanted to go through their group, and had trained using the Delta Society manual (the same one they use), but that I didn't qualify for the DoveLewis program.  So that's why my certification is going to be through the therapy animal program at SARA instead.  They thought that was wonderful that there was some place I could get certified, because they know how important my work is and could see that I am well-qualified for it.  Afterwards, they told the assistant wellness director that they loved talking with us and meeting me, and were so glad that there was a therapy cat who visited there!

We talked with a couple other people and looked at quilts, therapeutic gardening programs, medical alert systems, and chocolates (looked, not tasted, as chocolate is toxic for me and the ones offered as samples had peanuts, which Mommy is allergic to).  Then we went up to visit with my friends.

I was in a semi-silly mood, because of all the excitement.  I didn't want to sit on laps, but loved being on everyone's beds kneading their blankets.  There was a new nurse on the floor, and one of the other nurses introduced me to her, then told us that one of the people I used to visit with, who had gone back to her real home (she was recuperating at H. under doctor's orders instead of as a resident), had absolutely loved visiting with me.  Mommy smiled and nodded, and the nurse looked a little surprised that we remembered exactly who that was!  We remember all of our friends there.

My friend M., who now has a room of her own, was using the bathroom when we got to her room.  She was the last one we visited for the day, but we didn't want to pass her by, so we waited outside in the hallway until she was out.  She was so glad to see me as usual, and even remembered that it had been a long time since I'd been there!  I was so happy to see her, too!  She was standing up, using her walker, and I walked around it and her the whole time until she got over to her chair.  Instead of sitting in the chair, she offered it to me, so I hopped up there so she could pet me better.  She talked to me and I listened, then she talked with Mommy, too.  I got down off the chair and went around M.'s feet and walker some more, so she bent down with one hand still on the walker to pet me.  I hopped up on my hind feet so that she could pet the top of my head!  They both were sooooo proud of me for doing that, so that M. could pet me more easily!  I did that a few times, alternating with going around feet and walker, then hopped onto the chair again.  I wanted to get up on the little tray table, so M. picked up her lipstick container from there so I wouldn't knock it down.  I sniffed a stuffed kangaroo puppet that was new since the last time I was there, then headed toward a flower.  Mommy scooped me up and held me, since she didn't want me eating the flower!  M. and she laughed at that, and I wasn't really bummed because I was getting cuddled and petted.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

PhotoHunt: Covered

We know we just used this picture for another post in the last two weeks, but it's purrfect for this theme, so we're using it again.  Rori's covered by the blanket!  She was hiding from one of Mommy's friends who was visiting.

Photo Friday: Wheels



This dog was jealous of our wheels! He wanted to jump into the stroller with Tabby, and almost did at one point!




Rori (in the basket) and her brother Knut as kittens, playing around our wheels.




Carbon sitting in the stroller when it first arrived.

We got our wheels two years ago, as a present from Mommy. She bought our stroller, a Pet Gear Happy Trails Pet Stroller, at PetSmart. Tabby uses it most, riding to and during her visits to the nursing home, but most of us like going out in it once in a while as well.






Saturday, April 3, 2010

PhotoHunt: Sweet


Is there anything sweeter than babies? Look closely at these three pictures. Who are the cats?


Twins? No, but related.


Is this the same kitten that Tabby's snuggling with in the first picture? Nope!
The first picture is Rori as a kitten 2 1/2 years ago with Tabby.
The second picture is Rori last year with her half-brother Little Guy.
The third picture is Tabby cleaning Little Guy.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Photo Friday: Blurred


Camera phones don't take the greatest pictures in the world, but it was all I had at the time. Here are some of my favorites!
Above, Baby Chiba (Smokey & Little Bit's sister, Boo-Boo's daughter) and Starla eating on the porch


Our now-angel foster Sara Princess Kitty checking out a paper bag that everyone else had been playing in. 18-year-old Sara Kitty didn't want to be left out of the fun, even though she was almost blind. :)


Carbon loves to wear my shoes! He'll do this with any flat-heeled pair that I leave lying around: sandals, jellies, clogs, etc.


Our feral friend Shadow from our old house, letting us know that she was semi-comfortable around us. I still was about 10 feet away at this point, and couldn't get any closer at that time without spooking her, but she exposed her belly to let me know that that distance was ok with her.

No fooling...answered!


Who/what was it?????



It was I, Rori!!! I hide under the blankies when someone I don't know comes to visit, because I know they can't see me when I'm under there.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Window Views: the Nighttime Version! Part 2


We have another nighttime video for our Window Views on Thursday submission this week. The tuxedo cat is coming every night to eat, and Mommy tried to get a video of him. It's dark & a little bit shaky, but if you make it full-screen you can see his white leg and side out the sliding glass door.

No fooling!


Can you guess what it is??? We'll post the answer tomorrow!