Remembering Skylar and Lydia on their Birthday

Today we remember Skylar and Lydia especially, because today is their birthday.  They were Mommy's first kitties, and they were born on October 26, 1999.  Lydia lived until 2008, and Skylar lived until 2010.

They started out being part of the Rich family in Portland, who were neighbors of Mommy.  Skylar would garden with Mommy, eating tomatoes!  Lydia took a while to warm up to Mommy, but she would watch while bird-hunting.  They were inside-outside cats, a bonded pair of littermates, who would cry at the screen door if one of them was inside while the other one was outside.  They loved the Rich family, and considered the kids their people.

When the Richs had to move across the country, they asked Mommy to adopt Skylar and Lydia, because Skylar had already adopted Mommy!  Of course, Mommy said she would.  Mommy became Skylar's person, but it took a while for Lydia to choose Daddy.  At first, Skylar and Lydia lived at Mommy's boss' house, because Mommy was a nanny.  After a few months, and a few escape attempts, Skylar and Lydia were brought over to Daddy's and introduced to (then kittens) Tabby and Carbon.  Immediately, Lydia became the alpha cat of the household, although she gave her brother more leeway than anyone else.  She ruled the household with an iron paw, and could send anyone (including Skylar) flying across the floor with a double-paw slap!

After hiding and making it obvious that she despised the relocations, Lydia made up her mind to choose Daddy as her person because she wanted to help him heal.  He had just had knee surgery and was confined to the couch for most of the time.  One day, while he was sleeping, Lydia climbed up on his side and settled down.  When he woke up, she was staring right into his eyes, telling him that she was here for him and would always be.  From then on, he was her person.

After Lydia died, Skylar was heartbroken.  A few months later, we thought we were going to lose him, too, but then Starla came into his life.  She was a young cat, just over a year old at the time, and very skittish, having come from an abusive and neglectful home.  Skylar adopted her as "his kitten", and the two bonded almost like he had with his sister.

Three days after Skylar died, we adopted the "new" tuxedo twins, Freya and Heimdall, who are now five years old.  They remind us every day of their aunt and uncle, and are a constant joy in all our lives.  We know, absolutely, that our original tuxedo twins sent them to us!

Happy Birthday at the Bridge, dear angels Skylar and Lydia!  We love you and will never forget you!

Remembering Skylar and Lydia

Lydia (pictured above) was Mommy's first girlcat, and Skylar (pictured below, with Carbon) was Mommy's first boycat.  Both were the sweetest, most loving kitties that she's ever met.  Today we celebrate their birthday, remembering them on this special day.  They were born on Oct. 26, 1999, to a tuxedo mom and a Siamese dad.  Their first family was the Rich family, who moved into a house across the street from Mommy in Portland, OR, in 2004.  Skylar and Lydia were both outside kitties as that time, and Skylar quickly adopted Mommy.  He would wait for her to come home, then follow her to her garden to eat tomatoes, nibble on peppermint, and "help" dig.  Lydia was more aloof, and Mommy didn't get to know her very well at first.

In 2005, the Richs had to move to Florida.  They and their daughter, Kayla, were devastated that they couldn't take Skylar and Lydia along, because they were going to be moving in with Mrs. Rich's mother (who was allergic to cats).  Mrs. Rich asked Mommy to adopt the kitties, because "Skylar has already adopted you!"  It was true!  Of course, Mommy said yes, so when she moved in with Daddy the tuxedos moved in as well.  Daddy even helped catch them when the Richs left.

They adjusted to inside life well, but Lydia was upset that her family had left her with these strangers.  She ran away once, during a brief time living at the home where Mommy was nannying, but she only went one apartment complex away and still had her tags.  Mommy went and got her, putting her in a backpack to carry her back.  When Lydia moved with her brother Skylar to Daddy's, she hid.  She also got back at her new surroundings by pooping on the couch.  That all changed when Daddy started to have knee problems.  One day he woke up to Lydia lying on his side, staring him in the face.  She "told" him, "I know you're hurting, and I'll be here to take care of you."

From then on, until the day she died, Daddy was her person.  She was his constant guardian, best cat friend, devoted nurse, and companion.  Skylar's person, of course, was Mommy, until Lydia died.  Then he took over Daddy in her place.

They were the reigning king and queen of the household, deferring to each other and taking care of the rest of the kitties.  They helped raise fosters and permanent family, including Rori, Tabby, Carbon, Little Bit, Starla, and Smokey.  Lydia trained Rori to follow in her footsteps as alpha cat of the household, and Skylar picked Starla to be his companion kitty after Lydia died.

Skylar and Lydia will live forever in the hearts of all who knew them.  Many thanks to the Rich family for letting us know these two wonderful spirits.

Lydia died in Oct. 2008 and Skylar in July 2010.

Remembering Skylar & Lydia on their birthday

 Lydia

10-26-1999

to

10-13-2008

 

Skylar

10-26-1999

to

7-23-2010

Forever in our Hearts

Skylar and Lydia came into our lives in the summer of 2005, even before Tabby and Carbon did.  Skylar actually came into Mommy's life two years before that, while she was gardening.  He wandered over and started eating a cherry tomato that was on the ground!  Mommy laughed and called him over, petted him, and found out his name from his collar tag.  He lived with the Rich family, who had just moved in across the street from Mommy.  For a while after that, Skylar would garden with Mommy and walk her to and from the bus stop, greeting her as she came home from work as well.  She met the Rich family and became a kid-sitter for their daughter.  She also met Lydia, Skylar's littermate sister, who at that time was much shyer around people than Skylar was.

When their family had to move across the country and leave the kitties behind, it was decided with a lot of tearful farewells to have Mommy adopt Skylar and Lydia because, as Mrs. Rich said, "Skylar has already adopted you."  It was totally true!  Later on, Lydia adopted Daddy as her person and Skylar adopted a second person, Mommy Erin.  Lydia became the Big Kitty (alpha cat) of the household, and reigned supreme until her death, at which point she appointed Rori as the next Big Kitty.  Skylar was everyone's favorite uncle, teaching the kittens, playing tails, wrestling, and generally enjoying life.  Even as he aged and got sick, he still loved begging for food with his Siamese yowl and playing with straw wrappers and strings.

Foodie Friday: We want Mommy's rice dish!

This week's Foodie Friday post is a dialogue of what goes on in this house when I cook chicken soup and rice. I use two regular-sized cans of chicken noodle soup (or any kind of chicken soup) and one box of rice pilaf or other small pre-packaged rice mix. I heat the soup, then put the rice in, add any flavorings, and cook according to the rice directions.

So, without further ado, I give to you the dialogue. All "voices" are those of the cats, except mine (which is "Mommy").

Mommy takes two cans and a box out of the cupboard. Skylar wakes up from his nap and comes running full-speed to the kitchen.

Skylar: sitting on the floor looking up at Mommy with hope in his eyes Mrrrrowwwww!!!!!

Mommy: No, it's not for you, Skylar. opens the cans

Rori and Tabby come walking in, and Tabby jumps up on the dishwasher.

Mommy: Down, Tabby!

Tabby sniffs the can lightly, then jumps down.

Mommy: Good girl for listening. pours the soup into the pot.

Skylar, Rori, and Tabby crowd around Mommy's feet while she stirs. They are joined by Carbon, while Starla watches from her sewing basket in the living room.

Mommy: NO, not for you. This is my food.

Skylar weaves around Mommy's ankles as she pours the rice into the boiling soup.

Skylar: Mrrrrrooowwww!!!!

Tabby: Mow, mow, mow, mow moooooowwwwww????

Mommy: putting lid on the rice soup. Nope, this is mine.

Mommy goes away to do other things while the food cooks. The cats also disperse, with occasional glances at the stove.

The microwave dings, announcing that the cooking time is up. Mommy comes into the kitchen, followed by all the cats. Skylar and Tabby start up their pleading again, and the others give her sad kitty eyes.

Mommy: dishing up a plateful of steaming rice. No, my food.

Skylar, Rori, and Tabby all follow her to the couch, where she sits down. Skylar jumps up on the couch, and is immediately put back on the floor. He tries again, only to be told NO.

Mommy: eating. If you're good, I'll give you some after I'm done.

All the cats have hopeful eyes.

Mommy: finishes eating, takes another plate out of the cupboard and spoons a small amount of the rice onto it. puts it down on the floor. Here you go, you guys.

Munching sounds are heard from the cats who swarm around the food bowl, trying to get in the best position to eat.

For other Foodie Friday posts, click here.
For those cats who roleplay, don't forget Chef Skylar's Saturday Sit-Down Dinner tomorrow from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. You don't need to have a Catster account, just sign in with your e-mail address. Click here to join.

April Fools from the vet?

Skylar: Whattaya mean, no medicine? I have to have my medicine! *follows Mommy around*

Mommy: I'm sorry, buddy. The vet gave us the wrong thing!

Skylar: You're not April Foolin' me, are you?

Mommy: Nope, I wish I was. See, your label says it should be methimazole, but the bottle label says it's fluoxetine and it's definitely not shaped like your regular stuff.

Skylar: But I want my medicine!

Mommy: *pets Skylar and tries to reassure him* I'm sorry. It will have to wait until after 11:00 am. I'll call the vet right away when they open.

Skylar: After my 8:00 medicine time? I don't get my 8 am medicine either? *looks very, very sad*

Mommy: I'm so sorry, hun.

Skylar: *goes to sulk by the food bowl where Rori is eating* They better have the right stuff at 11 am. *goes to stick his nose in the bag where the other bottle is*

UPDATE:
Yes, we did get the right medicine now from the vet. Someone had put a special shipment of the other medicine in the wrong cupboard. Skylar is happy and medicated. :)

Skylar's three-year Bridge Day anniversary

It's been three years since Skylar became an angel.  What a lot has changed in that time!  We still miss him every single day, but treasure the memories, especially as we see Heimdall & Freya grow into their adult selves.  When Freya carries her fuzzy socks around the house, meowing to them, we're reminded of Skylar's sister Lydia doing the same thing with yarn puffballs.  When Heimdall snuggles into our arms or gets a funny look on his face and dashes around the house yowling at the top of his lungs, we laugh and remember Skylar doing the same things.

Those years with Skylar grow ever sweeter looking back.  He was the mommy's first kitty, and adopted her before she officially adopted him.  He was almost five years old at the time of his adoption, fully his adult self, but still willing to start his life over with Mommy and Daddy, his littermate, and two small kittens (Tabby and Carbon).  Between that day and the end of his life, he was honorary uncle to many foster kittens, enjoying every minute of playing tails with them and teaching them how to play.  Mommy was his person, but he adopted Mommy Erin as his second person, then Daddy as his third person and (then baby) JJ as his fourth person.  He loved to terrorize his sister Lydia, but she loved putting up with it.  It was a game between the two of them.

Even at the end, old and crochety as he was, he would come over for a snuggle and a proffered lap to sleep in.  He loved being held like a baby.  He never lost his wonderful Siamese yowl, especially when it came to food, and was the official timekeeper of the household.

We love and miss you every day, Skylar.  Thank you for sharing our lives and letting us into yours!

Thinking of Skylar on his first Bridge Day anniversary

There really are no words that fully express what this last year has been like for our family.  Skylar was the first cat who ever adopted me fully, even before I adopted him.  He was my "heart cat", as one of my friends puts it.  He was everyone's favorite, the one who played with all our foster babies and taught them how to have fun.  His sister was the head of the household, but he was next.  When she passed, the new head of household (Rori) still deferred to him a lot of the time.  That alone tells you how revered he was in this family.

As I think about him today, and grieve once again, I will cry into the fur of one who looks and acts so similar to him that sometimes we have to stop ourselves before we call Heimdall by Skylar's name accidentally.  Heimdall was the name given to the keeper of the Rainbow Bridge in Norse mythology, so it's appropriate that we gave that name to the kitten Skylar sent us, three days after he journeyed.  Heimdall and his sister Freya are signs that Skylar is still watching over us every day, and will continue to watch over us on our earthly journey, waiting for us at Bridge's end.

Thank you to all our friends who have supported us through this past year.  We love you all!

Thankful Thursday: Kittens!

Welcome to your forever home, Heimdall and Freya!!!

We are proud to announce the arrival of our two newest family members!  These two littermates are 2 1/2 weeks old, born on (approximately) March 24, 2010.  Heimdall is a little boykit, named after the Norse god who is the gatekeeper to the Rainbow Bridge.  Freya is a little girlkit, named after the Norse goddess of love, beauty, wisdom, and the leader of the Valkyries (warrior maidens who ferried the souls of the dead), whose sacred symbol is the cat.

Our family was looking for one, possibly two, kittens to adopt, before Skylar got so sick.  Then, we all got too busy taking care of him, and our purrents thought it would be too much strain on the household to have kittens during that time as well.  So, they asked Skylar if, when he crossed to the Bridge, he would pick out a kitten to send to our family.

On Sunday, Mommy was looking at Petfinder.com at kittens in our area.  She and Daddy already knew they wanted a tuxedo kitten, in memory of Skylar, and probably a boykit would fit best with our family.  She narrowed down the choices, then saw the picture below:

Doesn't he look sooooo much like Skylar???  She just knew this was the kitten that we were supposed to adopt!  She told Daddy to look at the picture, and he agreed.  He looked at the other kittens at the shelter, and saw the following one:

Guess what???  She is the other kitten's littermate sister!  Just like Skylar and Lydia were littermate brother and sister!  Mommy and Daddy went down to Salem, OR, on Monday (the next day) to meet them.  The shelter is named Salem Friends of Felines, and we highly recommend it to everyone.  The kittens were in one room, free to play and jump, and the adult cats were in another room, also free to go wherever they wanted in their room.  The only ones who had cages were the sick ones or others needing veterinary care (one was recovering from a leg amputation).

Our purrents gave them their new names on the way home, and Freya proceeded to lick Mommy's hands through the carrier door.  Heimdall wanted in on the attention, too, so he pressed up against the door to get petted.  This, of course, started a wrestling match in the carrier!

When they got home, we all came out to investigate the new beings who were going to live with us.  Even Carbon likes them, and he usually doesn't consider kittens to be cats until they pass a year old!

Of course, Carbon also though the carrier was interesting!

Heimdall on the left and Freya on the right

Little kittens, big hallway!

Meezer Colors Day 2010

Hello, we are Skylar (on the left) and Lydia (on the right), littermates and tuxedo kitties.  Skylar is 10 years old, and Lydia lived to be almost 9.  Even though we are black and white, we are actually half-Siamese!  Our mama cat was a tuxedo cat like us, and our daddy cat was a handsome Siamese dude.  We inherited his fine triangular face, petite feet, and rounded-end tail, as well as his voice.  Skylar is and Lydia was a snuggle kitty, and we follow (or followed) our humans around the house constantly.  Lydia was lady of the house, and when she left for the Bridge she passed that duty on to Rori, with one exception:  Skylar gets the utmost respect and honor as man of the house and oldest kitty.

Lydia in 2007, showing off her petite paws and triangular Siamese face

Skylar in 2009, showing off his snuggling skills and meezer "stare-down", pictured with Starla (who may be part meezer herself).

Remembering Skylar....

Skylar, there isn't a day that goes by that we don't think of you and how you lit up our lives.  I dreamt about you, and woke up feeling a presence behind me on the pillow.  No one was there, at least no one living, but I believe you came to visit us so I smiled and said hi to you.

In some ways, it doesn't seem like it could be five years since you left us.  In others, it seems like more than that because our lives have changed so much since then.  Your other mommy, Erin, and your little boy, JJ, are doing fine.  We know you loved them just as much as you loved your daddy and me.  We all tell JJ how you knew he was there before Erin did, and how you used to sit on Erin and purr at him.  I'm so glad that Erin could be with us when we said goodbye to you, hard as that was for all involved, including Dr. C.

You were one special boy, Skylar, and we cherish your memory and the memories of our time with you.  You were so full of life, even at the end when you were so sick.  You kept your word, sending us new twins in the form of Freya & Heimdall, who inherited the same respect from the others as you and Lydia had.  We see your influence in their lives every day, even though you never actually met them.  There's a reason we gave Heimdall your name as his middle name, because his personality matches yours in so many inexplicable ways.  He's sleeping on the computer desk as I'm typing this, dreaming away.

Carbon took over your role in the household when you left, and has become just as much the "bouncer" of the family as you were, keeping peace between the others, although always deferential to Rori, who is still our Big Kitty (alpha).

I'm sure you greeted my mom last year and are taking good care of her, along with the other furries she knew in life.  That gives me some comfort.  I know you're with your beloved sister Lydia, and the others who went to the Bridge.

We miss you so much, dear Skylar, but we're glad to have had the gift of knowing both you and your sister while you lived.  Thank you.

Love,

your mommy Karen.

Thursday Thirteen: 13 things connected with fibromyalgia

As Mommy's realizing that she has to change her life to accommodate things she thought would just go away (but now she knows are part of her fibromyalgia), she has 13 things that affect us as well. Well, sometimes not us in particular, but the household.

1. The radio. Daddy likes the radio on or the tv on when he's got other noise as well, like playing a computer game on the laptop or watching another tv show online. Mommy's sensitive to noise, so the volume has to go down a bit.
2. Music for sleeping. Sometimes, Mommy needs to put on cd's to help her sleep. Instrumental music and classical stuff, jazz sometimes. We like to be in the bedroom while the music plays, because it calms us down as well!
3. Sleep times. Mommy now takes a nap after she gets up. This makes sense to us, because cats need a lot of naps during the day too. We know when it's her nap time and when it's her regular sleep time, and we make sure she is surrounded by purrs. Tabby is by her pillow, Skylar is by her side or her feet, and sometimes others of us are in the room as well. We send out delegates to be with Daddy when he sleeps, too, because he sleeps better with purrs as well. Starla's his designated sleep buddy at the moment, and Skylar goes out there when he's sure Mommy's resting well.
4. Alarms. Mommy sometimes turns her alarm off and then falls back asleep, forgetting she's turned the alarm off. This has happened for two days with her awake alarms for medication and for Skylar's medication. Rori and Tabby make sure she's up by coming purring up to her for pets. She wakes up to pet them, then realizes that it's time to get up.
5. Walking around the house. Mommy is having a little balance trouble because of her new medication (Lyrica), so we make sure to observe very closely. Sometimes she says we're too close, but we're only trying to be there if she falls so she lands on something soft.
6. Temperature. Mommy and Daddy were playing a game with the heat before she realized that was part of the fibro, so the game continues. All the heat pours into the bedroom, so that's good for Mommy. Daddy takes naps on the couch, and he only sleeps in the bedroom when his back isn't bugging him as much (or when they have "private" time). Sometimes it gets too warm in the bedroom for us, so we come out to the main part of the house.
7. Not working. Mommy doesn't work right now except for her art business, so she's home all the time with us. That's wonderful! Daddy still goes to work, and we hate to see him leave! We all wish he could stay home as well, but someone's got to earn money for our food and litter. ;)
8. Food. Speaking of food, Mommy is supposed to eat healthy. That means more yummy things for us to sample. Rori likes soy yogurt; Smokey will eat anything with potatoes, including jo-jos; Tabby likes to lick up the soymilk from the cereal bowl; Skylar snoopervises the cooking like any good chef would.
9. Brain-fog. Mommy has brain-fog, also knows as fibro-fog, which means that sometimes she doesn't remember words or loses track of her thoughts. For us, that means sometimes we have to remind her to scoop our litter box twice daily. It's not a big deal for her to forget things sometimes, so we gently remind her of what needs to be done for us and she writes notes to herself about other things.
10. Chores. Daddy does a lot of the chores, because it hurts Mommy to do some of them. He loads the dishwasher and takes the big loads of laundry downstairs. Then Mommy unloads the dishwasher when it's done and does the laundry, putting the small loads in the washer and dryer from the piles Daddy brought down. Daddy uses a lot of towels because he works outside for his job, so he takes a couple showers a day. It all adds up. When it's downstairs, though, then it's easy for Mommy to put in the washer.
11. Love and purrs. Sometimes, Mommy and Daddy get overwhelmed with all the changes and everything, so we make sure to give them extra attention. We're very good at that!
12. Humor. We make sure to play and do things to make Mommy and Daddy laugh every day. They also joke around a lot more now.
13. Hope. Seeing us figuring out new things and interacting with each other offers Mommy hope that the next day will be better. She's actually doing really well, but it's a big change.
    

Happy 5th Gotcha Day Annifursary to Freya & Heimdall!

Happy 5th Gotcha Day Annifursary to us!  Five years ago today, we were kittens at Salem Friends of Felines in Salem, OR.  We didn't know it then, but our lives were about to change drastically, and for the better!  SFOF is a wonderful no-kill shelter, and they have kitties in rooms where the public can come in and socialize with them, plus foster homes for those who need more direct socialization.

We loved being part of the kitten room clowder, but we were 3 1/2 months old and the oldest in the kitten room.  We really dreamed of a home of our own, like our other two siblings had.  They were adopted before our new purrents met us.  Instead of our current names, Freya was Furkins and Heimdall was Fonz.  Do we look like those names to you?  Our siblings also had names starting with F.

The day before we got adopted, Mommy had seen Heimdall's picture online on the Save A Cat game on Facebook.  It's a game that uses real shelter cats' profiles from Petfinder and donates ad-based revenue to the participating shelters.  She and Daddy had been thinking about getting one or two tuxedo kittens, but it was only two days after Skylar had passed and they weren't thinking about doing that right away.  Little did they know what Skylar and Lydia had planned for all of us!

Anyway, Mommy saw Heimdall's picture and noticed how much he looked like Skylar.  She went running out to Daddy and showed him the picture, then he searched for the rest of our biological family on Petfinder.  He found Freya's picture, and noticed right off how much she looked like Lydia!  The rest, as they say, is history!

Mommy and Daddy went down the next day and met us.  At first, we didn't want to interact with them, but then they found our favorite toys (a fleece wand and a feather wand) and played with us for a bit.  We were surprised, though, when Daddy came back in with a carrier and the lady who volunteered there.  The lady picked us up and put us in the carrier, with Daddy reassuring us and Mommy watching from outside the room.  We cried a bit, but once we got into the car Freya put her paws through the carrier mesh the whole way home.  Heimdall curled up against her in the back of the carrier.

We got our new names on the way home.  Mommy named Freya and Daddy named Heimdall, which is kind of cool because Daddy is Freya's person and Mommy is Heimdall's person.  That's the way everyone knew it was going to be, too, because Mommy was Skylar's person and Daddy was Lydia's.  So why wouldn't it be expected that the same would be true for us?  Freya is the Norse goddess of war and beauty, and Heimdall is the Norse god who is the guardian of the Rainbow Bridge.

Once we got home, we came out of our carrier with our tails and heads held high, exploring our new home with all the excitement and wonder that comes with kittenhood!  Our new family greeted us like long-lost friends, and we've been here ever since!

A Gotcha Day anniversary, a Bridge Day anniversary, and a new angel

The PDX pride mama here.  This post is not one that I wanted to ever write.  I'll start with the good thing.  Today is Freya's & Heimdall's 12th Gotcha Day anniversary!  After Skylar went to the Bridge 12 years ago (that was on the 23rd), I was looking at kittens online at Salem Friends of Felines and saw Heimdall's picture.  I showed it to Scott, then he saw that Heimdall had a sister.  We knew then that they had been sent to us by Skylar & Lydia, because they looked so much like them.  Freya & Heimdall were 3 1/2 months old when we got them.

Now, the sad news.  Only Freya is here to celebrate.  Heimdall went to the Bridge on the 23rd, so he now shares a Bridge Day date with Skylar.  In April, Heimdall came down with a really bad double ear infection.  We took him to a vet we hadn't used before (mistake #1) instead of our regular vet because we couldn't get in to our regular vet in a decent amount of time.  The other vet diagnosed his double ear infection, gave us medication (actually four different ones) and we were told that he had a "mass" in his right ear that would continue to grow and had ruptured his eardrum.  Mistake #2, because the "mass" was actually an ear polyp which ended up shrinking back down without damaging the eardrum.  We were told that he would have chronic ear infections, a head tilt, and awkward gait for the rest of his life.

Because of this (mis)diagnosis, we didn't get him rechecked more than once after that initial visit (mistake #3).  He started going downhill fast the last three weeks.  He was very lethargic, had given up, and wasn't interested in food (although he was still eating, just more because he thought he should rather than because he felt he needed to eat).  He shakily climbed up onto the futon to snuggle with his daddy the last couple days of his life.  He wasn't grooming himself at all, even when he fell down in the litter box, since we took him in to that vet in April, and he started to resent me trying to clean him up.  He had litter caked in-between his toes that he didn't take care of, so his daddy and I had to.  We made the appointment to put him to sleep.

At his appointment (with our regular vet), we were told that his eardrums were intact, his ear canals had a lot of debris in them but that the vet could see the eardrums which didn't look damaged at all.  The vet said there were small polyps (probably what the other vet had called a mass) that were not impeding the ear canal at all.  However, because his sinus infection had blown all out of proportion due to being untreated (because we had thought the symptoms were from ruptured eardrums and the mass), his poor body was so weakened that he would've had a long, uphill battle to regain his health.  I made the decision to not put him through that and to put him to sleep instead.  I held him while the vet gave him his shots.  He growled at the vet and stuck his tongue out when the vet put his paws back onto my lap, but then he put his head down on my hand like he loved to do and was gone.

We brought his body back, opened the box, and let the others say their goodbyes.  Freya curled up in the box lid, so we had one dead tuxie twin in one side of the box and one live tuxie twin in the other.  She's kind of lost without him, since they have never been apart since they were littermates.  I had to lift her out of the lid twice so that I could hand the box with Heimdall's body to his daddy.  He buried him by the roses under the cedar tree in the backyard, near where Carbon and Rori are buried.

I just finished writing an e-mail to the other vet, telling them what happened.  So many mistakes on their part and on our part.  We feel so guilty for letting our boy down by not taking him for a second opinion.  We should've done more for him.  He should be here to celebrate today with his sister.

Heimdall with his favorite toy, a fishy potato chip clip

Heimdall Skylar

March 24, 2010 to July 23, 2022

Carbon's diary from Catster

Carbon writes:

As our family moves from Catster to Cathugger, we are each publishing our previous diary entries here so that we will still have them and others can read them if they like.  These entries are mostly previous to the creation of "Furry Tails of the PDX pride", and are from earliest to latest, organized by cat.

Legos!!!

October 10th 2006 4:45 pm

I love it when my humans get out the Lego table! It was Mommy this time, not Daddy. He usually is the one who plays with Legos, and lets me hop up on the table (if I don't touch anything). Mommy got out a big project, and I walked onto the table from the kitty tree and sat there watching her. I was very good, and didn't touch any pieces. She gave me a window piece to sniff because I was so good.

A big box came for Mommy today. We were having door time, so we watched it being delivered. We had to get away from the door when the mailman came up so that Mommy could open it and get the package. The mailman is nice. I usually hear him put stuff in the box, but hardly ever see him unless we have door time at the front door when he comes. Mommy put the box on the floor, and I jumped on top of it. I love when she gets boxes! She opened it up, and it was a pony toy. Mommy has a whole closet full of them, and I love carrying around any brushes that get left out by mistake. I jumped in the open box and sniffed around a little bit before Mommy picked me out of there. The pony toy had been outside, so it had lots of wonderful smells on it.

I had FUN last night!!!

October 11th 2006 1:25 pm

Last night, I decided to go after the kitchen witch again. It looks so tempting, hanging over the sink, just taunting me. I always sit in front of the sink on the kitchen floor and gaze at it, plotting the best way to get it.

I thought I had it figured out perfect, but things didn't go as planned. Our water glass was on the edge of the sink, right where I jumped. CRASH!!! It woke Mommy and Daddy up and sent me tumbling into the sink, but I jumped right out of there. Mommy got up and checked my paws to make sure I was okay, and got the glass out of the sink (along with pieces of a plate that broke, too). I didn't really get in trouble, because the broken pieces distracted her, but she chased me under the bed to make sure I knew I was being naughty. Not like I didn't know that in the first place, but that's part of the fun!

She ate it!

October 12th 2006 4:26 pm
I'm mad at Tabby. She ate my moth yesterday! I spent 15 minutes hunting it, and got it with my own paws, and she came over and stole it! I had it, and she came over to take it, so I hissed at her (which I almost never do) and she backed off, so I thought I was fine, but then I got bowled over by a head butt and she ate MY MOTH! Mommy gave us all treats for catching the moth, but SHE got to eat it when it was MINE. She ate the whole thing, and got a treat, too, and I didn't even get a wing. I got my treat, and I wasn't going to share that with anyone, even Lydia (who tried to get it).

Avon day!!!

October 15th 2006 6:44 pm

 Today was Avon day at our house. Mommy gets at least one Avon box every two weeks, and we fur people get so excited, because we get the box and the yellow ties to play with! Lydia claimed the box as soon as Daddy brought it in the door, so she got to play first with the ties once Mommy clipped them. I pounced on the box lid, and Tabby played with the tie that Lydia wasn't playing with. After a bit, when Mommy was looking through the new catalogs, I hopped onto Daddy's lap to get pets, and Lydia went over to sit by Mommy and sniff the books.

Sometimes, Mommy stamps on the books right away, and other times she doesn't. Today, she did. You can see pictures of me sitting on the table helping her. Her pen was very interesting, and I batted it to the floor once, but then she put it and me on the table again. She knows I like being up.

After a bit, I got bored, and went out to sleep with Daddy on the couch. I slept by him this morning, and he woke up and saw me there. He told me I was such a good kitty, and that he felt better because I was snuggled with him! I love Daddy (and Mommy, too).

Squirrel!

November 7th 2006 1:33 am
I wanted to hunt a squirrel today, but I couldn't get to it. I hopped on the kitchen sink counter (where I'm not supposed to be, but sometimes Mommy lets me) and I could hear it in the rafters going to the attic. I tried to figure out how to get to it, but I couldn't. I meowed softly at it, telling it I was there, and it chittered back. Mommy came in the kitchen and saw me, so I got down, but I still kept looking at the ceiling. Mommy went outside to see if she could chase the squirrel down, and got chittered at too. We both finally gave up.

Storming!

November 16th 2006 5:13 pm

I want to get the storm monster! Gramma was here for a visit, Daddy's in Idaho, and Mommy's been resting a lot. I rested in the window when Mommy was asleep yesterday, and woke up to the wind coming at me! Good thing there's the window inbetween me and it. Maybe that's why it's called a window? I had slept too long in one spot, and my back legs needed some time to wake up, so I paced in the kitchen until they got better. Mommy was concerned about how I was walking, so she paced with me and figured out what it was. I started at every noise the storm monster made, and I shook, so Mommy picked me up and cuddled me for a bit until I was better. Then I wanted to show the storm who was boss, so Skylar and I went into the bedroom and shouted at the storm to make it go away. Well, Skylar shouted and I hissed and growled, but we made quite a ruckus and Mommy was very proud of us for scaring it away. It's not quite so loud now, so I think we did our job protecting the others. Mommy says it might come back, so I'm on the lookout for it.

I tipped my water bowl over this afternoon and got into a lot of trouble because I made a lake in the living room. I was quite proud of it, and the other kitties came over to admire my work too, but Mommy didn't like it and put my towel over it.

Meow?

November 25th 2006 8:21 pm

Normally, I'm not very vocal, but today I really wanted to play chase with Mommy so I went into the office right behind her chair and meowed. Just one little meow. She turned around and tried to get my tail, but I was too quick for her. A few minutes later, I came back and meowed again, but she still couldn't get me! It's a fun game.

Cold and hunting

November 27th 2006 11:03 pm

It was cold today! Mommy let us have door time, and funny white stuff was coming down. She said it was snow. I wanted to go outside and catch it! Well, maybe sit on the porch steps and catch it, anyway.

I got up in the living room window later on, and sat looking at all the birds in the side yard. I swished my tail at them, but Mommy and Gramma didn't want me to go outside to catch them.

King of the Water Bowl!

December 3rd 2006 4:31 pm

I decided to take a break from my fun day to purr this diary entry from Mommy's lap in the computer room/office. I woke up early, before anyone else was awake, and saw a new toy to play with! I got up on the kitchen counter and got the full paper-towel roll down, unrolling it all over the kitchen. I had lots of fun! Skylar helped me decorate, but then Daddy woke up and had Mommy come get the toy and put it away.

After they went back to sleep, I found something else to play with. I love fishing, but I didn't have a full-sized towel around my bowl, just a hand towel, so I decided to do something different. Skylar was the first one to notice it, and he yowled for Mommy, who came out and just started laughing. I put the little towel in the water bowl and soaked up all the water so none of the other kitties could drink any! I'm King of the Water Bowl!!! Muahhahaaa!!! Then I fought Skylar for the first drink once it was refilled, but Mommy picked me up and moved me away so the others could drink. I wanted to defend my kingdom!

My Secret Santa Kitty gift came!

December 16th 2006 2:05 pm

(Carbon's Mommy is writing this, since Carbon's too busy playing with his new white furry mouse toy)
Carbon says thank you so much to his Secret Santa Kitty!!!!!!! He absolutely loves the white furry mouse, and it's currently in the bathtub playing chase and bat with him, and has been for 20 minutes already! The other toys are a hit, too, and the cookie cutter will come in very handy for treats. Skylar guarded the Santa package from the others, because he thought it was his (since his Secret Santa gifts came the other day), so we got a laugh out of that! Carbon LOVES things to battle, and gives a big kitty hug to his Secret Santa Kitty. The HK paper is too cute! Pics will go up soon.

Mommy's mean!

December 18th 2006 1:53 am

Tabby and I have been playing with the Christmas ribbons. We found the bag Mommy hides them in, under the bookshelf, and have been helping ourselves to them and scattering them around the house. Most of it's raffia, so we can't eat it and hurt ourselves (it tastes bad, I tried). There was a new fuzzy in the bag too, and I wanted to play with it. Mommy clapped and said "NO" and wouldn't let me have it. She said it wasn't a toy, it was a fabric/yarn bowl a friend had made. She put it up, along with the rest of the ribbons. *goes to pout on the sock bag*

-- two seconds later --

Christmas Mouse! Let's play!

Lucky Boo and Luna sent my mouse!

December 18th 2006 11:51 pm

Lucky Boo and Luna were the ones who gifted me with my Christmas Mouse! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I sent Bruce his gift, and he attacked the package even before his Mum had a chance to open it! It was a catnip pillow that he loves. :) 

Meowy Christmas!

December 27th 2006 8:35 pm

Daddy got sick for Christmas. That's not a nice present! We've all been trying to make him feel better. Well, sort of. Everyone else has, but I've been a little devil! I found where Mommy had hidden the yarn bowl and got it out to play with again, even though it meant jumping where I couldn't see where I was going. She found it in the middle of the floor. I also got into the kitchen sink and tried to lick the water from the faucet. I'll have to work on that trick more, because there wasn't any water there and something was covering the faucet. Mommy says there's a water filter on it. Whatever it is, it's foiling my attempts to get at the water!
Daddy got us a new kitty tree. I love sitting on top of it. There's a little nest on top, where I can be king of the world.

Tristan's in the hospital!

January 27th 2007 4:35 pm

Our little 4-year-old human friend is in the hospital! Please purrrray for him. Updates are in the forums under "Get Well Soon" and on Cadillac and Boots' pages in their diaries.

Meoooooooooooooooooooow *cries*

March 7th 2007 6:08 pm

Christmas Mouse is gone!!!!!! Mommy said it had to go away!!!! My favorite toy! Daddy found it in the bathtub hiding behind the shower curtain, waterlogged and mildewing. I was so glad it was found, I played with it the whole day. But today, Mommy found it in the litterbox poopy tray, with poop on and around it. My MOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *sniffles and goes to cry in a safe place*

*giggles and runs around the house like crazy*

April 28th 2007 10:59 pm

Hehehehehehehehehehehe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was the ButterflyKitty sending anonymous rosettes to everyone, and nobody guessed for a long time (well, long to me!). I had a blast doing it, and everykitty loved their butterflies I sent them to catch!!!! :) :) >ii< *

And...I got gifted with anonymous rosettes myself, which somehow earned me a badge at The Samoa Detective Agency. Huh? *scratching my furry head* I'm busted and promoted on the same day by the same agency?

Sleeping in my water dish?! *blushes*

May 5th 2007 9:00 pm

Brad (Erin's boyfriend) caught me sleeping in my water dish (aka fishing bowl) today! Oh, no! He told Erin, and she came up to me and woke me up. I had my head and one paw soaked! I was so ticked off at them; I pranced over to them and shook my fluffy butt at them, then pranced off to the bedroom to lick myself dry and pout.

Tabby's Trapped!

May 14th 2007 8:14 am

Tabby's trapped in the bedroom! Mommy and Daddy won't let her out, and won't let any of us in to see her! They and Erin are the only ones who can go back and forth, no kitties allowed. This morning, I really really wanted to play with Tabby, because it was our time to go bouncing around over all the humans and wrestle, but we couldn't because she was in isolation. She was tired and didn't want to play paws under the door, even. What's wrong? She's got sneezies, and her eye's goopy. Mommy brings different medicines in to her at different times during the day and night, but she's still in isolation. When I wanted to play paws this morning, I kept on meowing my little tiny meows at the door and putting my paws under, but she was asleep on the bed. Mommy heard me and talked with me through the door so I wouldn't feel so lonely. I'm writing this now, curled up in Mommy's lap in a furry circle, getting petted and loved on. Hopefully, Tabby will get better soon and be able to come back out into the rest of the house. Go away, sneezies!

Tabby's out!

May 18th 2007 2:11 am

Tabby's out of her isolation! She's all better, and we've been racing around the house like crazy. I'm so purrrrrrrrrrry and playful!!!!!!!!!

Tagged!

May 22nd 2007 1:19 am

1. I'm an evil genius.
2. I have long hairballs.
3. The first thing I did when I met Daddy was climb up his arm to his neck and hide.
4. I have a very small, sweet mew.
5. My favorite room of the house is the bathroom.
6. I LOVE anything smelly!
7. I snuggle with smelly shoes and dirty laundry.

The rules: Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Tagged cats:
Saki
Dante
Ghanja Querida Rodriguez
Churchill
Ellie
Shiloh
Joci Drusilla 

I'm a big boy now (and going outside)!

June 7th 2007 7:11 pm

I turn 2 years old tomorrow, but I got my present today! I got a new collar, brown plaid with my SuperCat tag on it, but I got another present that's even better! I'm not a scaredy-cat anymore!!! :) :) :) Mommy took me outside in a red harness and leash, and I sat on the porch in the wind, all happy and sitting tall, and smelled all the smells! I didn't even cringe like I used to, and now I'm meowing my head off for her to take me outside again! She says once is enough for today. I met a new friend outside. His name is Dot, and he looks like Skylar. He eats off the porch bowl, but he didn't want to come up when I was out there, so we just looked at each other from about two feet away. Then, Mommy picked me up (under protest!) and took me back inside.

Happy Birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a big kid now! MEOW!

June 18th 2007 11:27 pm

I can MEOW!!! Not just mew, like before, a real grown-up MEEEEEOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a real cat now! Mommy's dad has a theory that I've been watching Skylar and have decided I'm the man of the house now, so I need to start acting like it. I won't tell if he's right or not. :) I've been going outside more now, too. Today, I MEOWED for out, and Mommy opened the door. I came face-to-face with Shadow, who was eating breakfast. While Mommy and Erin watched, I calmly went out the door (Shadow ran off), sat on the porch, and enjoyed my outside. Wind on my fur, new smells on my nose, different things to watch, all fun and all new. Things I haven't been around since I was a tiny kitten, since I was brought home. Sarah, the neighbor cat who doesn't meow at all, came by and greeted me with a silent meow, and I sniffed in her direction. After she left, I decided to explore my new world a bit more. Erin came outside, and I went down one step because I didn't want her to pick me up and take me inside again. Then, I smelled something different, so I dove under the porch into the dirt. Shadow and Tux had been spending a lot of time down there, because I smelled them very strongly. Also, Skylar had been there once or twice. Mommy called for me, but I wasn't ready to come back yet. Then Erin had a great idea: she brought my battle buddy out to Mommy! I can't resist my battle buddy, and poked my head out when I heard its bell. Mommy twirled it around, and I came out a little more. Finally, she was able to grab me and I went limp. I knew it couldn't last forever, but there's always a next time! Bad, mean Mommy, not letting me stay outside!

My new hiding place!

July 27th 2007 8:54 pm

Well, it WAS my new hiding place! I worked and worked on opening the kitchen cabinets with my paws, and I finally got one door open. Mommy couldn't find me anywhere, but she'd heard the cabinets, so she looked in. There I was, resting in the cupboard amongst the pots and pans, a happy camper! I jumped right out when she discovered me, though. I didn't want to get in trouble for being somewhere I knew darn well I wasn't supposed to be. I've tried getting in since then, even to the point of spending an hour trying to get in, but Mommy put a wooden footstool against the doors! Mommy, please, PLEASE, move the stool!!! *purrrrrs* please??? >^..^

I've got an outside twin???

February 4th 2008 9:14 pm

Daddy has been delivering firewood to different places on the weekends, and having the door open a lot. None of us has escaped (yet), but he watches the door when it's open and is careful to close it if we get too close.

BUT............................................... ............

He thought I got out this weekend! He had shut the door and was over by the truck, shifting the wood around to be sure it was secure, when he saw me outside in the yard! He was absolutely sure it was me, and it gave him an awful fright! He started towards "me", and "I" turned my head, showing off a bright red collar. ;)

Wasn't ME! I have a twin with a red collar now! I was safe inside the house! :) Daddy came inside and found me, cuddled and petted me, so glad I was safe.

My birthday's tomorrow!

June 7th 2008 10:18 pm

Today I've been playing and snuggling a lot, thinking of what tomorrow brings. It's my third birthday tomorrow! Mommy's going to get me a special birthday toy from the store she's working at and bring it home to me. She also promised me snuggles and brushing! I LOVE MY BRUSH!!!

My little buddy Rori's going to go to her new home with her Mommy Erin this week. I've been teaching her all kinds of tricks since she came here, and it will be sad to see her leave, but Mommy Erin is nice and will take good care of her. After all, Mommy Erin's the one who found her in the first place!

Meows,

Carbon, the almost-three-year-old.

My great birthday yesterday!

June 9th 2008 11:09 pm

Boy, did I have a great birthday! As you can see from my main picture, I pulled out my favorite blankie and took a birthday snooze. Yes, I picked it out of the pile of blankets and put it on the floor, then curled up in it. :) Then, when Mommy came home from work, she gave me kisses and petted me a lot, then made a sandwich and gave me the crust (the only part I'll eat). She also brought a new toy home for me: a gigantic crinkle ball! It's as big as my front legs put together! Rori and I had so much fun playing with it last night!

And...Rori gets to stay with us! Erin decided that she couldn't afford to take her, so we officially adopted her!

Thanks to those who sent me birthday greetings!

Purrs,

Carbon, the now-three-year-old fluffball.

P.S. At Mommy's work today (she works inside four different Petco stores) there was a family who came in with their newly adopted kitten: a black, longhaired guy who looked just like me when I was adopted! Mommy got to pet him, and showed them a picture of me.

What's happening?

October 13th 2008 6:46 pm

Mommy and Daddy took Lydia somewhere, then came back and she didn't move, smelled different. They said she died. Skylar, Sara, and Tabby know what's going on, but I'm in the chair sleeping after I sniffed her body.

Mommy wonders if I'll realize it in a day or so, or if I'm in denial, or what.

Mommy and Daddy are so sad.

-- Carbon.

We're writing hubs!

November 12th 2008 6:59 pm

Mommy is letting us occasionally write articles on her hubpages account. Our articles are getting read internet-wide! I wrote one interviewing Skylar, Lydia, and Sara about adopting our humans.

I got a Christmas Card!!!

December 18th 2008 7:42 pm

Wow! We hadn't checked the mail for a bit because of the snowstorm, but Dad went out to get it yesterday. One of the envelopes was for ME!!! I got a Christmas card from my buddies Taz, Ko, Jacob, Boots, Susie, and Orvis, and their purrents enclosed pictures! The card's of a big cat teaching a kitten how to birdwatch through the window, just like I taught Rori how to watch for friends! :)

Merry Catmas, everyone!

Love,

Carbon.

Sara's gone

January 5th 2009 4:44 pm

Mommy and Daddy took Sara and brought her home in a box. I sniffed the box and wanted to jump on it, but they wouldn't let me. When Daddy lifted her out, I went over a few times to sniff, then licked the top of her head and walked off.

Thank you *brushes away tears*

January 6th 2009 12:27 pm

Thank you, everyone, for your purrs, prayers, and rosettes for my family, and for the honor of being Diary of the Day! I went and sat on Daddy's lap this morning for cuddles and pets because I was so sad about losing Sara Kitty. It's just not the same without her around. Everyone's so subdued, and the only one playing is Rori (who plays even when she's sad). Even she is checking on everyone more often, though, and woke Mommy up with kisses and snuggles.

We now have a blogspot!

January 29th 2009 6:20 pm

We now have an actual blog! You can read it here. Of course, we're still going to be updating our Catster diaries as well.

Cat fight!

February 11th 2009 8:47 pm

Everyone's ok now, but see Rori's diary for details.

Workers next door

February 20th 2009 7:38 pm

It's been an exciting day today! For the last few days, there have been people working on the house next door, right in front of our living room window! I sat in the window all day today and watched them. They're putting new siding on the house and making all sorts of noise, with ladders and pails and other interesting things around. I hop down to eat, drink, and use the litter box, but then it's right back up into the window to watch again!

Wow! I'm Cat of the Day!!!!!!

June 3rd 2009 12:30 am

Thank you so much, Catster, for making me Cat of the Day today! I know I haven't kept my diary updated lately. Others in the family have kept the news going, but I've kind of been silent since February.

The reason: I've turned into a snuggle kitty most of the time now. I'm either sleeping, investigating, or snuggling with Mommy while she types. I still watch the world through the back window and tell Mommy and Daddy when someone new is out there, but my days running around like crazy through the house are almost done. I just don't get the crazies like I used to!

Starla's here now, and I was trying to get her to play all the time, but then I finally figured out that she's a snuggle kitty who plays by herself when she wants to play. Tabby hasn't yet figured that out, so I often tag along behind Tab when she goes to harass Starla, just to watch.

My birthday!

June 8th 2009 12:25 am

Ack! Mommy tells me that today's my 4th birthday! Do I look that old? I'm starting to get a few grey hairs, but not too many. Is four too old to still run around with the kitten crazies? I sure hope not, because that's one of my favorite things to do!

I don't remember too much about where I was born, just that I was with my kitty mommy and furblings and then some humans took me and placed me in a cage. Daddy tells me that I was born in the same town he was born in. Tabby was born there, too. It's called Clatskanie, and is midway between Portland and the beach along Highway 30.

I already know what I'm getting as a present: flea medication! To some kitties, that wouldn't be a good present, but it sure is for me! I hate the scabs I get from those nasties, and I know the medicine makes it better, so I'm always glad to have it. I know the smell, and I don't run from it. So Mommy and Daddy are getting some for me. I also get a new toy. I'm hoping it will be a crinkle ball.

Thank you so much, everyone, for the nice rosettes and pawmails for my Cat of the Day award! :) Mommy read all of them to me, and we love every one!

Our new house!

December 30th 2009 2:47 am

I do not like this thing called "moving"! I peed in the carrier going over, on myself and the blanket and on Rori. :( I had no idea what was going on, and I was so scared that I was shivering and stress purring.

I hid in a teepee (no pun intended) of chart paper for a day, then started to explore the house. Mommy and Daddy were so proud of me when I made it into the living room! Now, I run all over and play with all our toys happily! I love the sliding glass door in the dining room.

Happy Birthday to Me!

June 8th 2010 2:09 am

I'm now 5 years old! :) I'm going to enjoy my birthday with naps, playtime with Tabby, laying by the sliding glass door, playing with my favorite catnip toy, running at top speed through the house, and maybe a snuggle or two from Daddy and sitting in Mommy's lap.

It's a happy day, but also a sad one. Daddy brought little Spooky's body home from the vet's yesterday. (See Spooky's diary for the news.) He put it on a blanket on the living room floor so we could all say our goodbyes. I had been having fun with my catnip toy, so I wasn't keen on going to see what was on the blanket. I was more interested in the box that Daddy had brought home. But Daddy said I couldn't jump in the box, and wanted me to look at the blanket. I didn't quite know why. Mommy picked me up and placed me nose-to-nose with Spooky's body. I was kind of afraid of him while he was alive, because I don't consider kittens to be cats until they are at least a year old, for some reason. But I sniffed because I was that close, then realized what I was sniffing! I looked at Tabby, who was right beside me, touched noses with her, then looked at Mommy and Daddy and walked away to the other end of the house.


After everyone had sniffed and said their goodbyes, conferring with the others about it, and even Starla had come to say her goodbyes (Mommy brought her out to see and sniff), Daddy carried the body out to the backyard. He and Mommy buried Spooky in a corner of the yard, at a spot where you can see and hear the geese in the marsh next door. We all love to hear the geese!


When Daddy and Mommy came back in, I claimed Mommy's boots (not raining at the moment, but the yard is muddy) and slept with/on one for a couple hours.



 
 
 
 

Wordy Wednesday: Our New House!!!

We've lived in our new house for just over a week now, and are starting to get used to it and find all the fun things about it! There's a fireplace (a thing we've never seen before), lots of windows to look out, heaters in the floor in every room that we stand over and wait until the warm air blows through our fur, and a room with nothing in it! Plus something called a garage that we can't go into but Mommy and Daddy can. That's where the laundry lives.

Here's our individual takes on the move:

Rori writes:

It took me a long time to get used to the new house. At first, I was scared. When we moved, Daddy stuck me in the green crate with Uncle Carbon, who pees on everything when he travels. So I got peed on! Yuck!!!

This is how we moved to our new home. Carbon and I in one crate, and Starla in a soft carrier, then Tabby, Skylar, and Spooky on harness & leash in the front. Plus all our things. You can see our kitty tree on the left, and our scratching post.

Can you see me hiding in these two pictures? I was really scared. I didn't know what was going on! Spooky hid with me in the pony closet, but he was on the bottom shelf so he doesn't show up in the picture.
Mommy carried me out of the closet and showed me the house. I clung to her like I did when I was a kitten. She put me down in the living room and I made a beeline for the bookcase/entertainment center, hiding underneath it. I ran back into the kitty room/office after everyone was asleep. After a couple days, I ventured into the bedroom and hid in the closet there. Then, while Mommy was napping, I timidly explored the rest of the house. When she woke up from her nap, I chirped at her to follow me and showed her the house proudly! I'm now Big Kitty in a bigger house!!!

Skylar writes:

Moving again? Okay by me! I was totally unconcerned with the moving process. When it was time for us kitties to move, our purrents put my harness on and carried me out to our friends' Expedition that they let us borrow.

They had to stop at the store to get new litter boxes and some food for us, so Tabby and I waited in the driver's seat until Daddy came back. Then I sat on Daddy's lap the whole time while he drove.

Once we got there, Starla and I shared a room and the others shared another room. Tabby and Starla still need to be separated, so they figured that was best for us. Once we were all allowed out, I saw my chair had arrived so I hopped up into it and settled right down.

As long as I have my chair, I'm fine! Spooky and Starla like it, too. :)

Carbon writes:

I do not like this thing called "moving"! I peed in the carrier going over, on myself and the blanket and on Rori. :( I had no idea what was going on, and I was so scared that I was shivering and stress purring.

I hid in a teepee (no pun intended) of chart paper for a day, then started to explore the house. Mommy and Daddy were so proud of me when I made it into the living room! Now, I run all over and play with all our toys happily! I love the sliding glass door in the dining room.

Tabby writes:

Moving is fun! What an adventure! I didn't know what to think when everything started being packed up and the furniture and boxes kept disappearing.

Where did the dvd shelves go? I didn't know all our toys were hidden under here!

There were so many interesting smells and fun things to investigate! When we got put in harness, I thought maybe I was going to go visiting but then the others were put in harness and carriers so I thought maybe not. I loved the car ride, and watched out the windows most of the time. At one point, I climbed into the back and rode in the big kitty tree behind Mommy's seat, watching out the window. I rode on the sewing basket as well. Fun stuff!

I was not at all sure about this thing called a "fireplace". What did it do? Mommy said I'd find out. Then Daddy put wood in it, then flame, and it burned but it stayed caged. What was it?

No, really, what was it??? I investigate the heater vents in each room, too. I stand over them with my nose to them and wait for the warm air to fluff my fur. Then I look at Mommy.

This is our dining room. We're getting a drop-leaf table once we put some of this stuff away. I was guarding Mommy's purse.

Once the bed moved in, Skylar and I took a long nap on it. :)

Starla writes:

Moving is scary! I did it once before, and I was kind of scared that it would be the same this time, that my new purrents would abandon me. Everyone else said no, so once Daddy put me in the carrier I settled down. I rode in the back, next to Carbon & Rori's crate. Once there, I was put in the same room as Skylar, because Tabby and I still aren't getting along.

I saw the chair was there, so I ran to it and looked for my little table. It wasn't there! Why wasn't it there? It always is by this chair! Once the living room got put together, my table appeared. I spend a lot of time under it or under the big chair, but I go investigate things too. I also snuggle in bed with Mommy and Daddy. I love doing that!

Fireplaces are kind of scary, but interesting. You may need to biggify this picture to see my reaction to the fireplace, and there wasn't even anything in it!

Spooky writes:

Fun!!! I got to be on harness for the first time, and ride in a car!

Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy were so proud of me and impressed with my car-riding skills. I sat on Foster Mommy's lap the whole way and purred!

I didn't know what a fireplace or a fire was before I came here. I've only tried to climb the screen once, and that was when there wasn't anything inside. I talk to Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy about the fire, and am mesmerized by the whole thing.

I love the wide open spaces and dash from room to room. Foster Mommy throws my jingle balls down the long hallway, and I run after them happily.

Shadow writes:

I'm not quite sure what's going on. The people in the green house haven't been around as much as usual. A few days ago, they were trying to get me to eat out of this big green box, so I did. Not too bad, same food. Then yesterday, as I was letting the lady pet me and was purring for her, she took the back of my neck and lifted me up, then tried to put me in the green box! I realized I was inside it when I was halfway in, stretched out my legs, and the lady was caught off-guard. She didn't close the door quickly enough, and I scratched her on the way out. I didn't mean to scratch, and I was very gentle, but I did leave marks. I just was so scared, and ran toward the back fence.

The lady said she was sorry and said she'd be back to pet me again in a few days. I love her, and love her petting me, but I wasn't at all sure what was going on today!

Spongebob (my friend cat who lives across the street from the green house) said the people in the green house may be moving. He went inside their house yesterday, and called for their kitties to come out, but there were no other kitties inside anymore! The lady said they had all moved to their new house! She told Sponge that they want me to move with them. Maybe that's why she wanted me in that box?