Strolling Sunday: Heimdall's Star Wars Adventure!

Heimdall writes:

I went on a grand adventure today!  Yes, I am wearing a Yoda hat with ears in that picture.  I'll explain why!

Mommy needed to go to the store to get litter for both our boxes, plus she'd gotten an e-mail from Petco that the new Star Wars toys, collars, and dress-up things were on the shelves.  They were giving away the Yoda hat to anyone who bought something from the Star Wars collection today, and Mommy thought it would look cute for us for dress-up.  I won't wear clothes, but I do like collars, harnesses, and hats!

Mommy knew I needed a new harness, because the blue mesh ones my sister and I got when we were kittens are too small for us now.  Mommy took it out to take the leash off, and I immediately begged for it.  I remembered what it was, and wanted to wear it to go into the garage or wherever I was allowed, because I knew I was allowed unusual places with the harness!  Mommy tried it on me for a laugh, and I looked very disappointed that it didn't fit anymore.  She said I could wear Tabby's harness until we got to the store and got me fitted for my new one.

I didn't like Tabby's harness.  I'm used to my walking jacket, and Tabby's harness is a loop one.  Not the same feel at all.  I wore it, but under protest.  I bit it first, then Mommy said the first loop went over my head.  I agreed to try it, so she put it on me.  I kept wanting to bite it as she was fastening it, because it looks like a giant string to me.  Another reason to get a walking jacket one!

Finally, I was harnessed.  Mommy put me into the carrier bag and I figured out how to lie down in it.  Once again, I've grown so much since I was last in it that I had to get used to it again.  Then I was put in the stroller and off we went to the bus stop!

I didn't like the bus.  I kept on squeaking to Mommy about it, but she wouldn't let me out to sit in her lap like I wanted.  Luckily, I speak softly, so I didn't disturb the other bus riders or the driver.  Everyone on the bus said what a good rider I was, and Mommy thought I was, too.  This was my first time riding the bus!  I got used to most of it after this first ride, though, and did well on the way back.

Once we were off the bus, Mommy let me out again to ride in the stroller.  I do this at home, so I knew how to sit while Mommy pushed me.  I commented on everything!  Cars, grass, trees, a big parking lot, people, wow!!!!!

Hey, there's a sidewalk!  Mommy, can I get out and rest for a few minutes?  It's hot out here, and that looks like a nice spot to relax.

Mommy let me rest here for a bit and petted me while we talked about all the things happening around us.  There were people walking in and out of a store, cars parking and leaving, and a bike going by, as well as big strollers called shopping carts.  It all was very overwhelming!

Yes, I'm giving Mommy the stink-eye!  She put three harnesses on me!  At one point, I ran away from her into the dog beds on the bottom shelf by the harnesses and she had to crawl in and get me.  I was a good boy and only ran into that shelf, instead of running anywhere else in Petco.  So many people, smells, and things happening!  Mommy said I did very well for my first time out, though.  She was quite impressed with me.  I only ran away twice:  once in the dog beds and once in the litter bags while we were getting litter.  A saleslady helped get me out and thought I was doing very well for my first time out, too.  Another customer had a dog and that's what scared me by the litter.  It was a big golden retriever, and I'd never seen a big dog up close before!  It was very good and sat when its person told it to, though.

A good Yoda do I make!

This was while we were waiting for the bus to take us back home.  I got to sit by Mommy on the bench.  I liked the ears and didn't try to taste them like I had with the string harness.  See my handsome new, green harness that matches the ears?

 Any day that ends with catnip mice is ok with me!

Yep, it's a stormtrooper mouse!

PhotoHunt: Model

If you are a regular reader, you know that most of our cats love to model clothing!  We dress them in outfits made for dogs & cats, but also in outfits for teddy bears and dolls.  Here are some of our favorites.  Tabby is pictured above in a "Love Bug" outfit from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Tabby, wearing her pirate girl outfit from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Former foster kitten Smokey poses with a pot of gold.

Rori joins Tabby for Thanksgiving dinner.  Tabby is dressed in a pilgrim girl dress from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

Tabby modeling a t-shirt from Bentley B.  They make awesome pet clothing out of vintage human t-shirts!

Tabby when she was a model in Dove Lewis Animal Hospital's Boutiques Unleashed fashion show, wearing another Bentley B t-shirt.

Tabby in a mixture of Build-A-Bear outfits and a hippie Halloween hat, bandana, and necklace from Petco.

Freya when she was a kitten, posing in a sundress from PetSmart.

Former foster kitten Hemming posing in a tie collar from PetSmart.

Tabby and I in our matching candy corn witch outfits, bought at Party City.

Carbon hates dressing up, but he will wear a collar and tie when the occasion calls for one.

If you would like any of these pictures, please do not take them.  I sell a lot of them on cards, as prints, and on other products on Zazzle.  If you don't see something and would like to request it, please ask and I will make it.

Are you a photohunter?

(P.S.  Happy 5th Anniversary yesterday to my husband!  Love you, and thanks for being such a great cat man as well as a great person.)

Therapy Cat Tales from 2/22/12

Tabby writes:

Hmph!  S. invited Little Bit to come along on my visiting day, too!  It wouldn't have been so bad, except I had to share the stroller with her and she wanted to lie on me instead of in the stroller!  At first, she was in the stroller like she was supposed to be, but then she decided that it was more comfortable to be on me!  Hissing at her didn't stop her, so I swatted.  Mommy separated us, and no one was hurt, but I was in a grumpy mood for my visit.

We ran into one of Mommy's friends from high school on the bus, so that was fun to meet her.  She and Mommy talked for a long time, but she petted both Little Bit and me as well, complimenting us on our soft fur.  She rode the MAX train with us, too.  On the MAX, there were two guys who had seen me before, but another passenger hadn't.  One of the guys who had seen me before was telling the new guy about my work and how spoiled I am, having my own stroller and clothes.  He jokingly said that Mommy even dresses us in diapers, and the guy believed him!  The new guy asked Mommy if that was true, and she laughed and told him no.  Everyone had a good laugh about that!

S. wasn't at H. when we got there, but R. was.  She met Little Bit, who was freaked by the doors opening automatically.  Little Bit tried to go into the corner and also tried to go into R. and V.'s office, but Mommy wouldn't let her.  Little Bit calmed down after she got to sit on Mommy's lap, though.  We got our list of people to visit and went back out to the hallway.  Some people were getting a tour, and saw us right away.  They were introduced to us, and Little Bit climbed on Mommy's shoulders.  I was being very good and stayed in the stroller!  I was a very good example.  Mommy explained about our work and told them Little Bit was visiting for the first time (and still in training).  Then we went up to visit our friends.

I stayed in the stroller most of the time, but Little Bit hopped out and said hi to people.  She rode on the stroller canopy instead of in with me, so that I wouldn't get hissy or swat while we were visiting.  I did swat once, but that's when she hopped back in one time, so she broke the rules first.  Everyone loved Little Bit just as much as they love me!  They petted me and paid attention to me, too, but Little Bit was the star this time.  G. rubbed her face and she snuggled with S., except she didn't want to snuggle against S. like I do.  She wanted to lie on the bed, but not totally snuggle with her.

Mommy was pleasantly surprised when we got to one room, because two of her church friends were there!  We got to meet L., who usually lives on another floor but needed to have a nurse look after her for a while.  V. was there visiting L.!  Little Bit went to greet them while I greeted L.'s roommate and picked a snuggle spot on the bed.  After a while, Little Bit went to snuggle against V. and I got to see L. and V., too.  L. had a book on her little table, so I didn't know if I was allowed to be up with the book.  As soon as it was moved, I settled down on the table and got petted a lot.  I know the rules!

Little Bit doesn't know the rules, but she's learning.  She wanted to go in R.'s closet, but she wasn't allowed in there.  R. is a new friend, and absolutely loved visiting with both of us!  When she opened the door and saw kitties, her eyes just lit right up!  She sat on the floor to pet us, and petted both of us equally.  *purrs*  I stayed in my stroller, but Little Bit wanted to explore.  Mommy kept her reined in on a short leash, though, so she wouldn't get into trouble.  Little Bit didn't like that very much, but she loved all the attention and being in a new place.  After a couple minutes, she went over to R. on her own and climbed on her for pets.  Little Bit broke a rule, though.  She jumped up on R.'s counter!  R. told her it was ok and offered her water, but Little Bit wasn't thirsty.  I wasn't, either.  I was just sleepy.

On the way home, Little Bit tried to snuggle on top of me again, but I wouldn't let her, so we snuggled side-by-side.  Well, she was still on top of me for some of the time, but not all the time.  We stopped at Petco to see if they had a bag carrier on sale, and ended up getting a really nice one for only $14, when it originally was over $50!  Little Bit hopped right in, so we got it!  The clerk loved seeing us and came around the counter to pet both of us.  I was just so happy that Little Bit had her own place to be, instead of on me!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day from the PDX pride!

Tabby says:

I went on a special Valentine's Day stroll today. Mommy and I left the house and said hi to SpongeBob, who was on the front porch. He sniffed me in the stroller and then rolled over for tummy rubs on the sidewalk. Mommy took me on the bus to Petco and had my picture taken. After about 10 different tries, most of which I was trying to get the cameraman to pet me instead of taking my picture, we finally got one that worked.


Then, I walked around the whole store, spending most of my time in the dog food aisle. A lady kept following us, asking all kinds of questions about me and my leash-walking and training. She also pet me quite a bit, and then her daughter pet me also. She joked around with Mommy that I must be some kind of a new breed of animal, a "cat-dog" or "dog-cat"! Here's a video of me walking around the store.



When it was time to go, I growled at Mommy because I wanted to stay. I love being out so much that I never want to leave when it's time! She said we had to go, and put me back in the carrier. We went to the store where we get my outfits, and they had the St. Patrick's clothes already, so we got a dress for me. Mommy's going to go back later today to bring them one of my Valentine's cards; she forgot to bring it with us.

We took the bus back home. Here's a picture of the bus at the mall.


When we got back to the house, our neighbors were just leaving, so I hopped out of the stroller to say hi to them. Then they started their truck and drove away. I got really scared and jumped and tried to run, but Mommy had my leash so I didn't get far. I crouched down and looked at the truck going away, swishing my tail. Then I walked up to the house and patiently waited for Mommy to open the door, and in I went.