Happy Meowloween!!!

Happy Meowloween from all of us at the PDX pride!  We'll be celebrating while being safely indoors.  Lana and Logan got a pumpkin, and Lana's going to carve it today.  We've already been investigating it, and Autumn can't wait to jump inside!  We don't get trick-or-treaters at our house, so Mommy is going over to Grammy's house to do a "haunted yard" and hand out treats while in costume.  Tabby isn't going with her, because it will probably be cold and rainy.

Stay safe and away from that scary door, and don't forget to paw the clocks back before you go to bed on Halloween night!

Tabby's Therapy Cat Tales from Yesterday

Tabby writes:

First of all, our daddy says thanks for the birthday wishes from two weeks ago, and sorry we haven't been keeping up our bloggie!  We've had a busy and crazy few weeks.  Daddy had a good birthday, but his daddy is on hospice care now due to liver cancer.  I can't go visit Daddy's daddy and help him, because he lives a ways from here.  Mommy was hospitalized last week with pancreatitis, and I couldn't go visit her in the hospital, either!  Daddy took care of us while Mommy was there, but now Mommy's back home so they both are taking care of us again.  Purrrrrrrrrs.

Another comforting purr to each of the families of three ladies I visit at H.  A couple weeks ago, one lady died, and then today two ladies died on two separate floors.  I was excited to go visiting again, because we missed our visit at H.G. last week.  I knew it was going to be a special visit this time, too, because Mommy was getting out our candy-corn witch costumes!  I love my costume; it feels like a blankie!  I watched her until it was time for my "bath" with the pet wipes, then Mommy put me into my carrier bag.  I didn't even fuss, which is unusual and meant that I really did want to go visiting!

When we got to H., we went into the restroom, and that's when we met the daughter of the lady who died this morning.  She talked to Mommy and petted me for about five minutes.  I'm glad I was able to help her!  When we went to S.'s office, she told us what had happened as well, so we wouldn't be surprised.  Then we went to visit the other people on our list, with S. asking at each doorway like she usually does.  I was very sleepy today, so I didn't get out and walk like I sometimes do.  I walked on the beds, but not on the floor.  Of course, I had my harness on under my candy-corn witch outfit.

At one of the rooms, I kept on shaking my head, looking from the room to Mommy and back again.  Mommy wondered why I was doing that, but she found out soon enough.  S. had gone into the room to ask the lady's son if they would like us to visit, because the lady was in a coma and had been for most of the last day or so.  Turns out, the lady had died a couple hours before, and her son was sitting in her room having some quiet time with her before the body was moved.  S. apologized and quickly left the room.  After S. came out into the hallway again, I lay down calmly in my stroller again.  If the son had wanted to visit with me, that would've been fine with me, but I could tell what had happened.

A new friend wanted to pet me in the hallway then motioned for me to follow her into her room so she could pet me more!  Her daughter and son (I think) were there with her, and they loved that I was visiting with their mom!  The lady was almost in tears saying goodbye to me, because she loved that I'd come to see her.  Another lady in another room was telling us about their 19-year-old cat they used to have, and about the pug they have now.  I guess the pug acts like a cat and is smaller than I am, and she's full-grown!

TCC Halloween Costume Dress-Up Day!

We're not yet members of the Tabby Cat Club, but we noticed their dress-up day was open to everyone.  Here are our posts for this year's Halloween costumes!

Tabby and Mommy dressed up to visit the nursing home.  They're candy-corn witches, with costumes that match!

Heimdall made a great Yoda.  Hey, even his new harness matches!

Carbon even decided to play along with the Yoda dress-up game, for once!

Therapy Cat Tales from 10/16/13

Tabby writes:

Boo!  I know it's not quite Halloween yet, but since it was our last visit before Halloween we wore our candy-corn witch costumes for visiting today!  We made a lot of people smile and giggle at H., C., on the buses, on the MAX light-rail, and walking down the sidewalk.  Mommy says I brightened a lot of lives today, so I'm glad about that!

The basket behind me on the couch is a Hello Kitty trick-or-treat pail.  We were reverse trick-or-treating today, bringing pencils to our friends instead of getting treats.  I don't usually eat treats when offered them while visiting anyway, so I liked the idea of giving my friends their Halloween treats instead.

I usually sleep on the way there and the way back, and my costume felt like a little blankie, so I was nice and toasty-warm even though it was a bit chilly outside.  I wore my harness and leash under my costume, even though I don't usually need restraining.

I visited with around 20 residents at H. today!  That's a lot more than usual.  I kept finding empty beds and rooms, though.  Many of my friends were out on a field trip for apple-tasting.  Mommy and I visited for a long time with R. and M., two of my favorite friends.  M. always loves seeing my costumes, and was even more impressed that Mommy and I were matching!  She wanted to know every detail of our costumes and where we got them (Party City).  I was feeling snuggly while visiting with R., because she has a soft office chair like we have at home.  I lay in it, paws on her hand and my head on my paws, while she petted me and scritched my ears with her other hand.  I purred up a storm, and she could feel my purring even though she couldn't hear it.  She loved seeing my costume, and was quite impressed that I wear the hat!

We got stopped by many visitors, nursing staff, and physical therapists while walking in the hallways.  A couple people asked if they could take our picture, and Mommy had one of them take this picture of us as well.  I don't have the striped orange-and-white socks, but otherwise Mommy and I completely match!

After we had visited with my friends who were in their rooms, we went back downstairs to sign out.  All of a sudden, I was looking at my missing friends!  They had just come back from their apple-tasting outing and were coming through the doors!  We went right over to visit them and I got a lot more pets.  They all got pencils from us, too.  Everyone's hands smelled of apples!

Mommy turned in our visiting sheet, then showed off her book and our costumes to our supervisors.  The publicity lady for H. even took our picture for their Facebook page!

Next, we walked over to C.  Once again, everyone loved seeing our outfits, and we were a total hit in the elevator!  We visited with my new friend P. for a long time, and she wanted to know every detail of our outfits as well.  She and Mommy talked while I took a bit of a nap in the stroller.  P. had feral cats when she lived in California, and her daughter-in-law rescues feral kittens as well.  Mommy showed her the book, and she immediately bought it, asking us to donate some extra money she had to the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon as well!  We'll be sending that in along with a portion of the proceeds from each book we've sold so far so FCCO can help more kitties!

While we were waiting for the bus to go back home, a lady came up with her iPad and asked to take our picture!  Wow, I guess we were very popular today!  Another lady on the bus wanted to know all about my training and was very impressed that I ride so nicely in my carrier.  She and Mommy shared kitty pictures all the way from downtown Portland to Vancouver!

Therapy Cat Tales: Halloween Costumes!

Tabby writes:

Happy early Halloween!  At least it was for all the people we visited today!  Mommy and I both wore our candy corn witch costumes from last year to visit my friends at H., because it's our last visit before Halloween.  I was very good and kept my costume (minus hat) on for most of the time, only walking out of it once.  I love dressing up!  My costume feels like a blanket, so I went to sleep on the bus and the MAX.  I even slept through a pigeon walking under my stroller at the MAX stop at Pioneer Courthouse Square!  Mommy tried to wake me up to see the pigeon, but I was fast asleep.

As we left home, Mommy had to be very careful pushing the stroller, because there were so many wooly caterpillars on the sidewalk.  She counted 5 in half a block!  I was more interested in the grasshoppers, and wanted to get out to catch them, but I had to stay in the stroller.  We were just crossing the street when the bus came, but luckily it saw us and stopped for us.

Most of the people on the bus were happy to see us in our costumes, and two people told us that it totally made their day to see us, especially me.  *purrs*  That's why I do my job, and why I'm good at it!  The people on the bus had a lot of questions about putting a costume on a cat, animal-assisted therapy, and (of course) me.  Everyone was all smiles by the time we got to the transit center!  A job well-done!

After that excitement, I went to sleep.  Mommy forgot my witch hat on the first bus, but was able to get the bus driver to open the bus again so she could retrieve it.  People in downtown Portland loved our matching costumes when we got off the next bus.  Many smiles again, and some laughter all around.

I woke up again when we got on the MAX, because Mommy wanted me to get out of the carrier bag and just ride in the stroller.  When I got out, a little girl in front of us squealed, "It's a KITTY!"  She was wearing a Hello Kitty shirt, so obviously she wanted to pet me, and her parents let her.  A lady in front of us on the other side wanted to pet me, and since she was sitting I got to sit in her lap.

As we walked in the doors at H., three people came over to see our costumes.  Two of them I'd met before, but one I hadn't met.  Then, some more people came down the hall and stopped to talk and admire me.  Lots of petting and everyone telling others in the hallway to come see me!  It was 10 minutes before we got in the door of the office to get the list of people to visit!

We got the same reaction on the two floors we visit.  The nurses and other people who work there were telling others to come see me in my cute costume, plus some of the people I visited had relatives visiting them at the same time.  E. was almost asleep, but she woke up for her favorite kitty visitor.  I hopped into bed to snuggle with her for a few minutes.  R. loved seeing my costume and asked all kinds of questions about it.  Mommy made me wear the hat for a couple minutes so she could see what it looked like on me, too.  The hat falls upside-down, so then I wear it on my neck.  It looks silly that way, so I don't usually wear it except to show it off.  Another R., the one who lives on the 3rd floor, moved to the 2nd floor.  Her son was visiting her, so I got to visit with both of them.  Her son was telling us all about his mean cat.  I'm glad no one in my house is as mean as that cat!

P. was dozing, but woke up when we came in.  She loved my costume, and felt every inch of it so she could "see" it.  She played tails with me again!  I love that game.  N. had a visitor:  her niece.  Both of them loved seeing me.  They let me explore the room and petted me while they talked with Mommy.  After a bit, I figured out a closet door was open, and all Mommy could see was my leash!  As soon as she called me, I came out, and everyone had a good laugh.  I'd just been looking for a cozy place to curl up and take a nap again.  Visiting is tiring work!

When we got back to the transit center by our house, Mommy saw the bus driver for the bus she normally takes to work.  They'd been talking about my book and about me the last time she rode that bus, so we just had to go over to say hi!  The lady loved seeing me and told me repeatedly what a good kitty I am!  *purrs*  She is going to buy my book for her grandchildren!

Halloween visit to H. on 10/19/11

Tabby writes:


I got to wear my candy-corn witch costume to H. on Wednesday!  It was our last visit to H. before Halloween, so S. suggested that we both dress up in our costumes.  Yep, that's right!  Mommy dressed up in hers, too!  She and I have matching candy corn witch costumes.  :)  >^..^<

We got a lot of attention on the bus and MAX train.  But there was someone way more worthy of attention who was riding our first bus.  There was a mobility puppy-in-training on her first bus ride ever!  She was soooo well-behaved, lying down under her trainer's seat, although she got up a couple times to sniff my stroller.  I just stared at her and went back to sleep, and she settled right back down.  She's going to be a good service doggie for someone who needs her help!

There was another service doggie, fully trained, who got on the bus after the puppy got off.  The guide dog wanted to pay more attention to me than to his person, which was a no-no.  I know it's more important to pay attention to your person than other animals, but that doggie needs some more training on that.  He wanted to sniff me the whole time he was on the bus, so his person had to keep him on a very short leash and hold on to his harness to make him sit down.  Mommy and I felt sorry for the person!  Most service doggies are more well-behaved than that around me, so I think this one just hadn't been trained around kitties originally.

On the MAX train, we sat next to a man who spoke a few words in Hungarian and one who spoke Vietnamese.  Everyone was talking about words and translating them into those languages, English, and Norwegian (which Mommy knows).  That was a fun conversation to listen to!  I learned that mao is Vietnamese for kitty and cica is Hungarian.  Norwegian is katt, and I already knew that one from Mommy.

We stopped at a store to get pencils to do reverse trick-or-treating.  In normal trick-or-treating, you go around to people's houses and collect candy or other small treats.  Reverse trick-or-treating is not usually done, but Mommy likes to do it to surprise friends!  Instead of getting candy, she gives people something small as a treat!  Since people at H. are sometimes on restricted diets, we chose to give out Halloween pencils instead of candy.  :)  >^..^<

H. was all decorated for Halloween!  There were fake spiderwebs over the vases in the lobby, pumpkins on shelves and tables, and indian corn next to the pumpkins.  It looked great!  We went into the human litter box room, because Mommy needed to use it, so I sat on the couch while she did that.  All the ladies who walked by were exclaiming over me, making a fuss over how cute my costume looked and how well-mannered I was.  I loved all the attention and comments, and the petting, too.

 S. took a couple pictures of Mommy and me together, in our outfits.  Mommy's kneeling because I didn't want to be held in her arms when she was standing up, but she's got striped long stockings on and black shoes.  I wore my hat for the pictures, but I don't like wearing my hat.  It's got a chin strap that I don't want.  I wouldn't mind it so much if it just sat on my head or ears, but I want that chin strap off.  After the pictures were taken, I glared at Mommy until she took the hat off me again.  S. thought I was a chicken originally, because the hat was almost over my nose!  *giggles*  Nope, I was a candy corn witch!

We got our pictures taken again once we got to the floor we visit.  One of the nice nurses there (everyone's nice there) took our picture with her camera phone.  I forget the nurse's name.  That's not the one that's posted on my FB page.  My friend Crystal took the picture that's on my Facebook page when we saw her after I got done visiting.  :)  The other one, the one that was taken while we were visiting, is of Mommy standing and holding me.  I wanted to get down and walk, though, so I kept looking away from the camera.  Sorry, lady who took the picture!  It's just so much fun to walk down the long hallways there and see all my friends!

I visited with some of my friends, but others were sleeping or off doing other errands while we were there.  I'm glad I got to visit with some of my friends, though.  I went into the physical therapy room, where the bike and a mirror are.  I thought the bike pedals were interesting when they moved, so I started toward them, but then I saw myself in the mirror.  Wow, is that what I look like in my Halloween costume?  I just had to admire myself for a few minutes, while J. and the others watched me watching myself!  Then I went over to one of the ladies for pets and to look out the window.  J. rolled over a small stool, and I thought it was some kind of a monster!  I'm used to rolling things, but I'd never seen something that small roll before.  I walked past it once it stopped moving, looking back at it to see if it still was stopped.  Then I disappeared behind my stroller to hide from it!  I didn't stay scared for long, once there were more people to visit, though.  Mommy handed out pencils to everyone who wanted one, which they all liked.  Many people thanked me for their treat, and I purred at each of them!  You're welcome, everyone!  Happy Halloween!

After we were done at H., we went to "my" store:  Furever Pets!  That's the place the Halloween party was at last year.  We won't be able to go to the party there this year, because we've got things scheduled for that day already.  Furever Pets has a video showing on their tv screen of last year's Halloween party, and I'm on it with my costume!  A couple times, because there's one of my costume and then one of the doggie sniffing me!  It was very strange to see myself on the screen.  The lady there said I was famous because I had the picture on there.  Really?  She also said that I was the only one allowed to try out the scratching posts, because I don't scratch them.  I just sit on them and admire the view.

I got a new, pink harness!  I'm outgrowing my old one, and so it doesn't fit right in the shoulders anymore.  The new one is very comfy, and easy to wear.  Once it got on and adjusted, I started purring to let Mommy and the lady know that it was fitting properly.  Then I got to wear it home!

On the way back home, we listened to stories of a cat and kitten who are being harness-trained.  The mama cat slips out of the harness, but the kitten likes wearing it and keeps it on.  The mama cat knows where home is and always comes back, but the kitten likes climbing trees!  So it's good that the kitten is the one who likes the harness.