Happy Birthday to the Twins!

 

 

 

 

It's Freya's (top) & Heimdall's (side) 11th birthday today!  We're celebrating with snuggles, games of red dot, and playing chase.  We're also going to get canned food for dinner!

Happy 14th Birthday to Tabby, and a Health Update

I used the June challenge template from The Cherry On Top, two papers and two elements from the “Because” collection by The Cherry On Top, one element and two papers from the “Optimism” collection by The Cherry On Top, one element from the “Pampered Pups Blog Train – June 2019” kit by Tootypup Scraps, and word art and paper from the “Birthday” pack by Sweet Cravings Scraps.

Happy 14th Birthday, Tabby!  Hi, everyone, it's the PDX pride mommy writing, because Tabby is currently resting.  She's having a pretty good day today, after spending the morning snuggling wrapped around my hand and arm while I slept.  She's lost a lot of weight very rapidly, and isn't getting much nutrition from her food anymore.  We think we'll have to send her off to the Bridge within a couple weeks.  She's been going downhill for most of this last year, and it's now at the point where she yells constantly because she's so confused and hungry.  We're glad for the last 14 years of knowing this sweet girl, and of being able to share her with all of you.  We will keep you updated.  Thank you for your love for Tabby!

Happy 13th Birthday to Tabby!

Tabby writes:

I can't believe I'm 13 years old today!  I'm going to spend my day napping on the top of the cat tree where Autumn likes to be, because it gets on her nerves.  This picture shows my other new napping spot, on top of the overturned crate on Mommy's bed.  Her CPAP machine lives in the crate.  I want to be snuggled on top of her head, but she won't let me because I ask her mask when I want to be petted.

Happy Purrthday, Rori!!!!!!

Rori writes:

I don't feel like I'm 10 years old!  I don't feel like a kitten anymore, like I was when that picture was taken.  But I certainly don't feel like I'm 10, either.  I've slowed down a bit, and I'm chunky, so my bones creak a little.  I can still run down the hallway after my younger half-sister, Little Bit, and I still fit under Daddy's dresser.

I'm the Big Kitty of the household, the alpha cat, and everyone knows it.  Even Panther, who torments me, has to respect my position in the household.  I watch over everyone, keep everyone safe, and make sure that people are where they are supposed to be.  I love hanging out with Daddy in the chair but I sometimes sit next to Mommy when she's at her computer.

I also like to check on guests, but only after the house is totally quiet.  I don't like a lot of noise, sudden movements, or strangers.  Daddy and Mommy's friend Debbie came yesterday to visit with her cat, Henry.  I met Henry before I ventured out to check on Debbie, because he came and found me in my hiding place!  He's a sweetheart, and I don't mind having him visit at all.  After a few hours, I walked down the hallway and stood in the dining room, just staring at Debbie.  Mommy called me over, but I didn't get within range of being petted by the new person.  She's ok, and she is very nice to all of us, but it may take a few more times of her visiting for me to actually go close to her.  That's ok with her, since she and Henry have moved a few hours away from us.

It's been really hot here, so I've been staying put on a low shelf/cave during the day.  Keep cool if it's hot where you live, and you can even get your purrents to put an ice cube or two in your water bowl to play with!

Remembering Carbon on his birthday

Happy birthday at the Bridge, dear Carbon!  We miss you and love you, and know you are taking care of Missy now, too.

PhotoHunt: Paw! Also celebrating a birthday

Tabby writes:

It was my 11th purrthday last Thursday!  I went visiting on Wednesday in my party dress, and everyone loved it.  I'm having to go on shorter visits now that I'm getting older, because of my arthritis, but I still can visit for an hour easily and 1 1/2 hours at my regular place.  That's plus the bus ride there and back!

Our humans have been rearranging all the furniture again!  Almost everything in the living room moved, and two bedrooms got switched almost completely!  I got to ride on a shelf as it was being moved, and the kittens we've been kitten-sitting didn't know what to do when the futon mattress came off so that could be moved.

We're posting our photohunt pictures late this time, because of all the rearranging.  Have fun guessing whose paws are whose, and we'll tell you on Thursday!  Carbon and Little Bit declined to pawticipate, because they wouldn't stay still for their paw pictures.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

Pic 7

Pic 8

Pic 9

Pic 10

Pic 11

Pic 12

Are you a photohunter?

Happy Belated Purrthday to Carbon!

Carbon writes:

Don't worry, my purrthday wasn't forgotten!  Yesterday was just an extremely busy day around our house, with appointments for the humans and kitten-watching for us.  I had a good purrthday, though!  It was very relaxing, as you can tell from the above picture, MOL.  I snuggled with Daddy and later with Mommy, taught Bunny that the food plate is mine with a whap to the head (gently), and ran around playing with all kinds of toys that Mama Shawnee had taken out for us.  I even played Crazy Circle!

I turned 11 years old yesterday!  Yes, I'm a grouchy old man, but I can still tear up the house like a kitten when I want to, including going after a bouncy ball set loose in the kitchen!  The kittens were afraid of it, but I taught them how to whap it down mid-bounce.

Happy 8th Birthday to Little Bit!

Little Bit writes:

Today's my 8th purrthday, and my sister Smokey's as well!  Smokey lives with Mommy Erin and is celebrating with her today.  We were born in SE Portland to a sweet black kitty named Boo-Boo.  She and our cousin Starla (Boo-Boo's sister's kitten) belonged to neighbors two doors down from the house that my purrents lived in then.  Boo-Boo and Starla used to go over to eat with the ferals in their yard, so they brought us over as soon as we were able.  We had another littermate sister, Baby Chiba, but she got eaten by our people's puppy when she was a kitten.

My dad-cat is Spongebob, who lived with a neighbor across the street.  He's a huge Maine Coon!  No one knows for sure who Smokey's dad-cat is, and Baby Chiba's dad-cat was Outdoor Fluffy Buddy.  She looked like his "mini-me"!

From left to right on the porch:  Starla, Little Bit, Smokey     From left to right on the steps:  Outdoor Fluffy Buddy, Boo-Boo Kitty     Summer 2008

Baby Chiba and Starla     Summer 2008

Little Bit     Summer 2008

Smokey     Summer 2008

Happy 6th Purrthday to the Twins!

Happy 6th purrthday to Freya and Heimdall!  In 2010, they were born to a pet cat in Salem, OR, and were two out of a litter of four.  The other two were taken with them to Salem Friends of Felines.  Freya was given the shelter name of Furkins and Heimdall was given the shelter name of Fonz.  The other siblings were given the shelter names of Fizz and Fink.  They were already adopted by the time we saw Freya and Heimdall.

Their mom-cat was a tuxie and their dad-cat was a neighborhood Siamese.  They were born at their mom-cat's home, but the humans there didn't want to keep them and got the mom-cat spayed shortly after.

Happy purrthday, twins!  We love you both!

Happy Mew Year, Gotcha Day, and Purrthday!!! Whew!!!

Missy writes:

First of all, Happy Mew Year, everyone!!!!!!!  Purrayers for a year filled with treats, love, happiness, family, warmth, and all good things for you and yours!

Yesterday was my Gotcha Day!  Thanks to those who left messages yesterday.  I like to write a three-in-one post for all three things on New Year's, in case you were wondering why I didn't have a post up yesterday.  It was the annifursary of the day that my humans adopted me, even though I'd adopted them a while before then.  I found them at Mommy's work, a few days after a big parade there (May 17th parade for Norway's constitution day).  The parade was scary, but I realized that there were more people around than I thought.  I wanted some of them to help me find food.  I lived in an industrial area by the Franz bakery, and the bakery employees fed me sometimes, but I was getting very hungry.  I walked down the sidewalk, calling out for help.  Mommy was teaching and the whole class stopped so that she could go find me and see what was wrong!  She picked me up and held me while someone else went to get Daddy, who was inside the building talking with other friends.  They put me in the car and Mommy finished her class.  I escaped when Daddy opened the car door, and it took them a long time to catch me again, because I hid in someone's backyard behind a fence!  Finally, Daddy got me and we all drove to my new home.

It took me a long time to purr for Daddy, but now I purr a lot for him, and sometimes for Mommy, too.  Daddy's my human, though.  When they took me to the vet for the first time, they were thinking that I was a kitten still because of how tiny I am.  Nope, I was 2 1/2 years old at that point!  That's when I got my shots and got checked for diseases.  I was (and still am) a very healthy adult cat, and I sat in the vet's lap when he sat on the floor!

It took a while for my purrents to decide to keep me, but they did.  I bonded with Daddy too much to be adopted out to anyone else!  Besides, I'm a socialized feral, and we make the best snuggle buddies!

The vet had assigned me a purrthday of New Year's Day, and I'm glad, because I get to see the fireworks and hear the cheering on my purrthday!  I like looking at the pretty lights in the sky and on tv!  I'm going to snuggle with Daddy while he plays his computer game now.  Happy Mew Year!

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!

Happy 9th Purrthday to Rori!

Rori writes:

Wow!  I'm 9 years old?  I don't feel like I'm a senior cat!  It's hard to believe that 9 years ago today in a yard in SE Portland, OR, USA, my mom-cat gave birth to my brother Knut and me.  I think we had other littermates, too, but I'm not sure because it was so long ago and I was so young (4 weeks old) when I got adopted.  My mom-cat, Rachel, was a feral, and my dad-cat, Spongebob, was an unfixed pet.  My brother's dad remains unknown.  I only know who my dad-cat was because Little Bit and I have the same dad-cat (and so do two of Little Bit's kittens).  Little Bit and I aren't littermates, though.  I'm the older sister!

Here's a picture of my brother, Knut, hugging me in our sleep.  We had just had a bath, and are approximately 4 1/2 weeks old in that picture.

Here's Knut a few years ago, playing at being a Jedi!  His mommy, my mommy's coworker Tritia, took this picture while she was folding laundry.  Our mommies like to compare notes on how we're doing, because we still have some of the same quirks and personality traits, despite having been in separate homes since we were about two months old.

Happy 10th purrthday, Tabby!

Tabby writes:

No, this isn't how I'm dressing for my purrthday today, but it is how I'm going to dress for my next visit to H.!  It's my 10th purrthday today!  Carbon had his last week, so it's my turn now!  Yay!  I'm asking Mommy right away if I can have the same yummy treats we got last week, and I'm sure she'll say we can!  Although we've been getting into the treats without being given them, lately, oopsie!  Daddy put the swag bag from the Doggie Dash on the floor, and a certain just-over-a-year-old found out that there were Temptations in small packages in there.  Oops!  I might've told her to check, but I'm not telling.  I had fun yesterday opening a bite-sized package and chasing it around the floor for about 15 minutes, then eating all the treats that dropped out of it.  Yummy!  There actually aren't that many per package, since they're the sample-sized ones.  I wanted to chase another package, but our purrents are limiting it to one package per kitty, with the fun exercise to go along with it.

Bad Mommy forgot Tigress' Birthday!

Tigress writes:

I'm so embarrassed!  Mommy was bad and forgot my purrthday!  Mommy, I turned four years old on May 12th, and you're only letting everyone know now?  I've been 4 for two whole weeks now!

I've been trying to teach Little Nissy that it's ok to come inside the house.  He's still not sure about the door, but he's getting braver every day.  When we come up to eat together, I go first to make sure it's ok.  He follows, and then we both meow for food.  He's learning that the door will open but that no one will come out.  I'm very proud of him for that!  He even will eat when Autumn and Tabby stick their heads out the door, and when Mommy and Daddy have fingers to sniff.  He hasn't wanted to sniff the fingers, but he doesn't immediately back away now.  It's tough raising a kitten, even one who was half-grown by the time I adopted him!

My own mom-cat, Leopard, disappeared when I was a few months old, so I was raised by my dad-cat, Tuxie.  He and Leopard had been bringing me to our purrents' deck for a while by the time Leopard disappeared, so Tuxie asked the people for help in raising me and my siblings, Miss Marble and Hemming.  We all turned out just fine, even with all of that!  My other sibling disappeared when Leopard disappeared.  When Leopard came back, months later, my other sibling didn't come with her, so we don't know what happened there.

Hemming probably celebrated our purrthday with his adoptive mommy, and I celebrated here (because I knew it was our purrthday).  Mommy did give us special treats, so some part of her brain connected that it was a special day, even if she didn't remember what it was.  More about the treats on Friday, because I'll let one of the others tell about that.  I took my treats outside with Little Nissy when we got the treats.  It was his first time eating treats, but he loves them just as much as the rest of us!

I know my sister, Miss Marble, is smiling at us from the Rainbow Bridge.  She would love that I have someone else outside to social-eat with and to team-hunt with.

Mom-cat Leopard, Hemming, Miss Marble, and the other sibling in summer 2011.

Hemming, the other sibling, Leopard, Miss Marble, and Tigress in summer 2011.

Adoptable Autumn (and Happy Birthday to Little Bit)

We are pawticipating in the A to Z challenge this year!  This should be fun!  Today, our post is written by foster cat Autumn.

 Autumn writes:

Hi, everyone!  I'm the youngest here, and I'm about a year old.  I am a petite young lady, spayed, and current on all my shots.  I've been here for almost 6 months now, learning how to be a grown-up kitty in a family.  I'm very well-behaved, except for I think the bathtub is a place to pee.  One of the other kitties here, a special-needs cat named Starla, does that, so I've started doing it, too.  My foster parents are sure that I will learn how to use the box for pee when I'm in a home with a well-behaved older cat who would like an energetic playmate.

I'm looking for a new foster family or a forever family in the Portland, OR, USA, area.  I love this foster family, but I need a home where I have a consistent role-model for using the litter box.  I am an inside-only kitty who needs plenty of playtime and snuggle time.  I give hugs with both front paws and sleep hugging my foster daddy's tummy.  I love the laser pointer and feather toys, as well as milk rings and springs.  I also love running around with the other kitties here, and always jump on Tabby to try to get her to play!

I came from a backyard breeder on Craigslist and was sold to a young couple.  They thought I was a little boy!  I had a different name back then.  The couple broke up and the lady couldn't take care of me anymore, because she was going to live in the dorms, so she asked my foster parents to take me instead.  My foster parents named me Autumn, because my head looks like it has an orange autumn leaf on it!

If you would like to foster me or adopt me, please leave a comment on this blog with a link so that my foster parents can contact you.  You can also e-mail them by clicking on our profile in the sidebar, where it says "PDX pride".  Hope you have a great first day of April, and keep checking every day for more letter-themed posts!

Do you think I should wake up Little Bit to tell her happy birthday?  Nah, I think I'll let her sleep!  She'll have the rest of the day to pawty!

Happy 5th Birthday to the Twins!

Freya writes:

It's our birthday today!  For a birthday present, we want Sherbet to come out to play, or at least play pawsies with us.  Can you see me sticking my paws underneath the door trying to get him to play?  I'm going to have a fun day running around the house and playing with everyone.

Heimdall writes:

I want Sherbet to play, too, although I've been asking him to play tails by sticking my tail underneath the door and wagging it at him.  It works with everyone else, so why doesn't it work with him?  Our purrents say it's because he likes to be in a box in there, but he can't see the door from his box, so he doesn't see us trying to play with him.  If I were in there, I'd want to have some company and someone to play with!

I've got a goopy eye that's getting better, so I'm going to spend my day snuggling with Mommy either on the bed or sleeping on the desk while she does computer stuff.  She cleans my eye to help it feel better, and that's working.  I may need medicine for it, but that's ok, too.  As long as I get my snuggle hand under my head, I'm happy!

Happy Gotcha Day & Birthday to Missy!

Photo credit:  Erin Dublin

Missy writes:

"How I spent my winter vacation"

Hmm...no, that's not right.  Let me try again.

"Enjoying Christmas at my forever home"

Yep, sounds about right to me!  Yesterday was my gotcha day anniversary!  I can't believe it's been four years since Mommy and Daddy made the decision to officially adopt me!  It's actually been 4 1/2 years since I came to live here at my forever home, but I wasn't "official" for a few months until Daddy decided he couldn't part wth me.  I love my daddy!

I remember when I found my family.  It was May, and I was hungry.  There were some people who had been feeding me, but they weren't around because it was after their work time.  I went looking for someone to help me, but couldn't find anyone.  I was worried because it was starting to be evening, and there wasn't much prey in the industrial area I called home.  I lived outside, finding what shelter I could.  I walked down the sidewalk, calling out for someone, anyone, to come help me.

Mommy was teaching her class, and the whole class stopped to listen to me.  They could all hear me from inside the building!  Everyone turned to look at Mommy, and she put down the chalk she'd been using.  She all but ran out the door to look for me!  She found me and picked me up after letting me sniff her hand, then asked a few people if they knew where I belonged.  Then she asked someone to go inside the building to get Daddy.  He came out, took one look at me, and put me into the car!  I knew right then that this was the family for me!

I escaped from the car when my new purrents opened it to go home.  I'm very quick!  It took them another 45 minutes to re-catch me, because I decided to hide in the lot across the street.  They had to earn my trust enough to lure me out the side of the fence and catch me again.  I rode by Daddy the whole way home!

It took me a while to trust them completely, and about a year and a half to purr for them, but I'm so glad I chose this family!  I love my auntie, uncle, cousins, nieces, and nephews as well.  They are my play buddies, entertainment system, and companions.  For a kitty who grew up on the streets without siblings, I've come a long way!

The interloper, aka Autumn, has been taking over Daddy a lot lately, though.  I think it's fun to play with her tail as she walks by my chair, so she's not all bad.  Actually, she's a fun kitten, but she has this annoying habit of tackling when she wants to play.  I have to watch when I'm coming out of the bathroom door after using the box, because she likes to try to ambush the rest of us at that corner!  I've actually played with her a few times, and even snuggled with Daddy at the same time as she, but not often.  I do like watching her from the top of the chair or from the file cabinet!

Photo credit:  Erin Dublin

Mommy Erin, JJ, and Coriel came over last weekend and we had a wrapping paper party!  I got all the paper, and there was a lot of it!  JJ gave me every piece off his presents, and made a fort around and over me.  I played in it for a while, and then walked off with a piece of the paper still attached!  I made a big deal of shrugging it off, and everyone laughed.  Very fun!

Today's my 6th birthday, too!  Does that mean I get more wrapping paper to burrow in?  I sure hope so!

Happy Birthdays Yesterday and Happy Thanksgiving Today!

Panther is thankful that it was his birthday yesterday, and for two loving families (and hopefully the chance to go back to his forever home).

Sherbet is thankful for this nice deck and tree place where the people put out food for him, for his birthday yesterday, for his brother Panther inside, and for Auntie Tigress watching out for him.

Tabby is thankful for her visiting (even though she hasn't gone the last couple months due to other things on the schedule for Mommy), for friends, and for a loving family.

Carbon is thankful for Mommy and Daddy who take care of picking up his hairballs and missed litterbox times and still let him snuggle with them.

Little Bit is so thankful that she wasn't hurt when she fell off the mantle and bounced off the fireplace screen a few days ago.

Freya is thankful for fuzzy sockies, family, and her brother.

Heimdall is thankful for Mommy, snuggling, and his sister.

Rori is thankful for starting to get over her fear of coats and loud shoes and for family.

Autumn is thankful for a loving foster family and so many teachers and playmates.

Tigress is thankful for snuggles, a loving family, and the ability to go outside still as well as hang out inside.

Starla is thankful for her space in the bathroom and for a relatively peaceful household.

Dare is thankful for climbing spaces and snuggling.

We all are very thankful for YOU!

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.

Happy Birthday to Daddy!

Missy writes:

Today's Daddy's birthday!  We're not saying how old he is, but it has a 4 in it somewhere.  We're going to make sure he has LOTS of snuggles and purrs today, especially because he's got a cold so he needs our snuggles to warm him up.  That little Autumn has been hogging Daddy lately, but today she's allowed to if she wants, I guess.  Normally, his lap is my territory.  At least she let me use the box first this morning, hmph.