Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!!! (also wrap-up from last weekend)

Tabby, Rori, & Spooky/Nyx (the one we adopted out, not the latest Spooky) made these pictures in 2007.  :)

Rori:  I'm thankful for a warm home with my family.
Carbon:  I'm thankful for Mommy, Daddy, and the other kitties to play with, for a full food bowl and full water bowls, and for this house to run around in.
Tabby:  I'm thankful for my window to watch the world go by, for my family, for my friends that I go visit, and for friends who come visit us.
Freya:  I'm thankful for my home and forever family, for my new friend Jarek (Erin's son), and for fuzzy socks.
Heimdall:  I'm thankful for my home and forever family, for toys, and for snuggles with Mommy.
Starla:  I'm thankful for the kittens to play with, for Daddy and Mommy, and for time to explore the house.
Little Bit:  I'm thankful for my foster family, for Mommy Erin and Jarek who came to visit, and for space to run inside.

Weekend Wrap-Up from last weekend!

We got snow!!!  Not a lot, but we got to see it coming down and it stuck on the sidewalk and the grass was coated!  :)  Erin and Jarek came to stay for the weekend, too.  Freya and Jarek became good friends; she even snuggled with him for naptime and at night!  Heimdall, Rori, and Starla were a bit scared by an almost-three-year-old boy laughing and clomping around, but that's because the house is usually fairly quiet.  Tabby, of course, loved the whole thing, and Little Bit did, too.  Little Bit lived with Erin and Jarek for a few months, so she remembered them right off.

Jarek's naptime with Mommy's bear pillow tucked in with him

 The next day, Freya decided to bring her fuzzy sock up to participate in storytime/naptime, too!

 Uh, oh!  Naptime got postponed for sock-playing with Erin!

 Freya's waiting for Erin to play some more!

 Tabby and Erin

 This is what happens when you've got a bright child and kitty toys!  :)

 Jarek, almost three years old

 Little Bit with Mommy Erin

 Jarek took this picture of Tabby!!!  :)

 Heimdall loves Erin, and Freya does too but didn't really want to be held.
 Mrs. Raccoon put in an appearance

 Jarek and Erin in the snow

 Our backyard in the snow

 Tabby says:  Yes, Mommy!  I see the snow behind me!  *nods up and down fast and makes a blur*

 See that happy tail?

 Jarek's first raccoon experience, as Erin put it.  Mr. Raccoon liked him, too.


 Jarek:  Hi, Mr. Raccoon!

 Closeup of Mr. Raccoon

 Mommy and Jarek in the snow

 Erin got this pic of Tabby looking out as the snow was starting to fall.
Tabby:  What is that?  It's covering the sidewalk?  What are they doing out in it?

Erin and Mommy in the snow, with a snowflake in the middle of the pic!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Thankful for our Veterans Thursday


We are very thankful today for all who have served and are serving in the armed forces, in all branches, at home and abroad.  Whether in wartime or in peacetime, our freedoms are secure because of these brave men and women who have put their lives on the line, sacrificing so much of themselves in service to our country.  Our mommy's grandpa's grandpa served in the Civil War, her great-grandpa served in WWI, and both her grandpas served in WWII, one of her grandpas also serving in Korea then in the National Guard and as a military schoolteacher in an American school in Germany.  God bless you all!

We also remember today our doggie auntie, who helped raise our mommy.  Her name was Trixi, and today's her Bridge Day anniversary.  She was the baby of the family before Mommy was born, but quickly took on the role of protector of her new "people puppy", giving Mommy a big SLUUUUURRRRRRPPPP as soon as Grandma and Grandpa brought her home from the hospital!  Trixi was 13 years old when she went to the Bridge in 1986.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Sad Feral Friday Yesterday

Yesterday was a sad Feral Friday.  Our outside friend, grey striped kitty, got hit by a car and ended up on his side in our driveway yesterday afternoon.  He was friendly, probably someone's pet who was an outside-only cat, or someone's former pet turned out on his own.  He never let us pet him, or come very close, but he once jumped on our grandpa's car and looked in at him when he came to visit!  So he had to have some positive experience with humans at some point in his life.  He was probably somewhere between 2 and 5 years old.  He visited us at least every other day, eating from the food on our back deck.

Rest in peace, grey striped kitty!  We'll miss you!

Mommy saw his body in the driveway when Grandpa drove her home after work last night.  Daddy buried him with Skylar & Spooky, while Grandpa held the flashlight.  We watched with Mommy from inside the house, through the back window.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Happy Bridge Birthdays to Skylar & Lydia!

Skylar and Lydia,

Your dad and I are thinking of you both and missing you today (and always), but today especially.  It's your birthday today!  You would both be 11 today.  We are forever grateful to have known you both for as long as we did, and that you both lived as long as you did.  When we look at the little ones, we are reminded of your antics as well, even though we didn't know you as kittens.  From what your first family told me, you were just like them when you were that small!  Lydia, as I watch Rori interact with Freya, I have to laugh, because she treats Freya just as you treated her:  loving, watchful, teaching her to how be a lady, disciplining her whenever she gets too playful or jumps around too fast, and grooming her when she's being good.  Skylar, when I watch Carbon playing with the rest of the household and flopped down watching the kittens go zooming by, reaching out a paw to swipe at them occasionally, I know that it's because he had you to teach him how to be a mancat.

We love you both always!

Love,

Mom and Dad (and your nieces and nephews still on earth, those you met and those you sent to us)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Lydia's Bridge Day Anniversary

Sweet Lady Lydia, today marks two years since you flew away to the Bridge.  I still miss you every day, and I know your dad does, too.  Skylar is with you now, together again just as you were in life, and I know you both are looking down on us.

Freya is sooo much like you, love.  Sometimes, I think Rori thinks Freya's you in miniature.  Sometimes I think we all do.  She could be you come back to us, she's that similar in looks & behavior.  She is learning to snuggle with her daddy just like you did, and Rori is teaching her how to be a lady of the house (when Freya's not chasing Rori wanting her to play, lol).  Freya & Heimdall are bonded and act like you and Skylar, and we're forever grateful for them, knowing that you and your brother had a paw in sending them to us.

We love you so much, Lydia, and will always love you!  We honor and cherish your memory today and always.

Love,

Mom.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Go Yellow for Livestrong Day!


Our grandma and great-grandma beat cancer, but many others in our family did not.  We are thankful every day for the advances in science that allow many cancer patients the hope of remission.


In honor of those who are fighting the battle against cancer, or who have beaten it, and in memory of those who lost their lives to cancer, Freya is wearing her yellow sundress.  We also would like to remember those who lost their lives to feline cancers, including our Skylar and Lydia.

Friday, September 24, 2010

The kittens are 6 months old today!!! Party time, and you're invited!!!


We're 6 months old today!!!  We'd love you to help us celebrate!
 Heimdall's bringing his favorite new toy to the party!

 He also really likes this one, can you tell?

 Freya:  Hey, I was playing with this, brother!

I'd better stick it in Daddy's shoe so my brother won't take off with it.

But, now, on with our party!  Join in using the comments if you'd like to come celebrate with us!



We even brought plenty of nip for everyone!  ;)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Wordy Wednesday Public Service Announcement: Catster's sold out to Nutro!

Attn:  All Catster/Dogster members
Re:  Catster's new policy regarding advertisers


Catster HQ has been kenneling (temporarily taking offline) member pages that post links to recalls, update others on kenneling of friends' pages, inform others of poison food (by brand name, i.e. Nutro, or in general) that advertises on Catster/Dogster, and/or post testimonials of adverse reactions to poison food that is advertised on Catster/Dogster.

By the new community guidelines, you cannot post anything that could turn someone else away from an advertiser.  See the post that Dogster founder/Top Dog/Top Cat Ted R. wrote here.  Notice that all comments will be moderated first?  They're scared, and they have a right to be!

Catster Hazel Lucy, of the famous Tranquility Blankets and the Purr List, had her diary "cleaned up" (aka censored) by HQ for listing recalls and telling others plainly about Nutro's poison food.  She has also been put on warning that she may be kenneled if she keeps this up.

Other Catsters and a few Dogsters saw this and complained to HQ about it.  Over the weekend, many names on Catster were appended with "who loves Hazel Lucy".  Cats wrote diary entries about her, and some wrote about their experiences with poison food of various brands (mostly recalled).  One cat wrote about her doggie brother who ate Nutro after winning it in a Dogster-sponsored contest (free Nutro for a year).

Over the past day and a half, the diaries that were anti-poison food were either kenneled or put on notice, and many of the cats who had changed their names were either kenneled or warned as well.  Some of the cats who had commented on censored diaries were also kenneled for commenting and agreeing with what was posted.

Catster/Dogster has prohibited anyone from commenting there on what is going on, but many have been making the new policy known other places.  There is a group on Facebook for Concerned Catsters/Dogsters.  Some of us have been posting on our non-Catster blogs.  Many people have been using their FB status updates to keep others apprised of the situation as well.

Some Catsters/Dogsters are leaving because of this.  Some have chosen to stay but not participate as much.  Some have chosen to stay and defy the new rules.  So far, only a few e-mails have been answered, of the many sent to Ted R. about the whole situation.  None of the answers are good; most state that since advertisers pay the bills, they must be respected at all costs, and anyone who speaks out against them is defying the terms of service and will be kicked off the site.

User-friendly?  Community?  Definitely not!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Happy Gotcha Day! Wow, has it really been 3 years???

I guess it has really been three years since that day!  I was sooo small, only about 4-5 weeks old.  My brother and I were running across the street in the Portland neighborhood, having fun playing chase, when Mommy Erin saw us first.  She told Mommy Karen, and they both told Daddy that they were going to go out to try and catch us.  Daddy shook his head, but my mommies were adamant that we needed to be caught and brought inside.  Maybe not kept for forever, but at least brought in because we were too small to be out there alone without our momma cat.  Then maybe fostered and adopted out, or maybe kept for forever.

Mommy Erin and Mommy Karen were both in their pajamas, but they didn't mind climbing over the fence and walking around some tires and car parts to neighbor Dale's backyard, where we had run.  My brother took off running when he saw them, but I was a bit smaller so I didn't run that fast.  I also was very scared, having two humans coming after me!  I hid inside a tire that was on its side, and I fit very snugly in the covered part of it.  My mommies had to look closely to see me, but I was staring at them, watching their every move.  They picked me out of there, and Mommy Erin cuddled me while Mommy Karen took the picture above.  Then they brought me inside the green house.

Mommy Karen got a can of tuna and put it inside the big crate, then put that out and watched it.  My brother ran over to chow down on the yummy food, mainly lick it because we were so small, and Mommy Karen closed the door on the crate.  She brought him inside.  His first picture is below, clinging to Mommy Karen.
We lived in the plastic crate for a few weeks, with supervised running-around time, and were bottle-fed by both our mommies.  Then, after we were on solid food, my brother Knut was adopted out to a friend of Mommy Karen's.  Mommy Erin was going to keep me, but then she moved and had a newborn human baby to care for, so I stayed with Mommy Karen and Daddy.
My brother Knut with his doggie brother Toby.
This picture was taken last year, and Toby has since passed.
Mommy and Daddy get regular updates on how Knut is doing.
Besides his doggie brother, he has a kitty sister named Nermal who looks like Tabby!
I love hanging out on the dining room chairs!
It's so comfy, and the perfect vantage point to watch the others zoom around the house!
My younger half-sister Little Bit is watching the kittens.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Happy Anniversary to Mommy & Daddy!

Happy anniversary, Mommy & Daddy!!!  We love you!!!  It's their 2nd anniversary today!

Pictured from left to right:  Erin D. (Skylar's Mommy Erin), Mommy, Daddy, West (one of Daddy's work friends), Grandpa Mike (Mommy's dad), and Keon & Hannah (kids of Mommy's best high school friend).

Friday, August 27, 2010

Therapy Cat Tales from 6/20/10

Tabby writes:


Yay, we got to go visiting again last week!!!  :)  >^..^<  I sooo missed seeing all my friends!  We took the bus & MAX light rail there, but Mommy said we were going to get to ride with Grandpa for going home.  I love my grandpa!  He always wears a special shirt when he comes to visit so that our fur doesn't get snagged in it, which means that he can hold us and pet us more.

We had some extra time downtown Portland, so we stopped at a store.  Mommy bought some cute Hello Kitty pajamas that were on sale, pink leopard-patterned ones!


At H., I hopped out of the stroller and walked to the office door, then turned around and lay down to wait for Mommy to finish signing us in.  That's become my new habit now!  A couple of the residents stopped to pet me, and the receptionist walked over to pick me up and hold me.  *Purrrrrrs*  Then she let me in the door, and Mommy followed with the stroller.  I walked in and said hi to S., then we got our list.  Mommy showed S. the pajamas, and S. took them to show a couple other people, who all thought they were cute too.

I strolled into the elevator this time.  On the way to the elevator, we saw R. and another lady.  The other lady was afraid of cats!  The receptionist took my leash while Mommy was showing R. the pictures of the new kittens, and I wanted to go into a room with lots of boxes on shelves.  The receptionist said it was called a mailroom and the boxes were people's mailboxes.  They looked like good sleeping spots to me!

We only had time for a short visit, because we were going over to Mommy's grandparents' house afterward to visit for a while.  It was her uncle's birthday on the 15th, so we were going to go see him and them.  I got to see three friends at H., though, and visit with one other new friend there!  The new friend, I., loved seeing me, and talked with us about her experiences growing up on a farm.  She had pet pigs and pet calves, along with the other animals!

It took a while for Grandpa to come pick us up, and I got bored waiting.  R. came by just before Grandpa came, while we were still in the lobby, and was surprised we were still sitting there.  Traffic was terrible, so it took about twice as long as Grandpa had thought it would to come get us.  I knew we'd had a short visit and not seen everyone that I normally see, so I tried to go back inside when we went to get in the car.  Mommy and Grandpa said we were leaving, so I turned my back to them and sat down facing the door to H. until they got the stroller folded and in the car.  Yes, I was pouting!

I was fine once we got going, though.  I love riding in cars!  Not buses so much, because some of the bus noises scare me, but I love cars!  I usually sit on Mommy's lap in the passenger seat and watch through the side window.  If I'm really tired, like I was on Friday, I lay down on a lap and rest.  Traffic was bad on the way back, too, so we sat a while.  At one point, we were sitting and there were people with signs on the side of the road.  Grandpa said they were asking for money.  They were looking at the people in the cars because they were bored, too, and then one of them saw me.  Grandpa's window was down, and they were on that side, so the man called to me!  I flicked my ears, but I was so tired that I just stayed put.  The man asked Grandpa and Mommy a couple of questions about me, and the lady thought it was cool that I was riding in a car so calmly.  Then it was time for our car to move again.

When we were almost to my great-grandparents' house, I suddenly perked up and looked around, sitting straight up in Mommy's lap.  What did I smell?  Was that a creek?  Wait a minute, why was the water on both sides of the road?  Grandpa told me that we were crossing over the creek.  I sniffed toward one side of it, then the other.  Nice!

At my great-grandparents', we weren't sure that I could go in right away so Mommy and I went out to the backyard first while Grandpa asked if it was ok to bring me in.  There were some lovely flowers, but I stuck my nose right in them and then sneezed!  Some blue jays were taunting me, so I was very glad to go in the house rather than be outside.  Not nice, birdies, when I can't chase you!

I walked up the steps into the house, then stopped to sniff.  A carpet!  Purrring, kneading the plush carpet with my paws/claws, total luxury!  We used to have carpet at our old house, but it was torn up.  Besides, it wasn't like this:  thick, nice-smelling, great on the paws!  I tipped over and rolled on my back on the carpet.

I walked all the way in to the living room and met my great-grandma and great-grandpa, then Mommy took my leash off so I could explore without it following me around the house.  I investigated the hallway and two of the rooms, then went back to the living room to get more pets from Great-grandma.  Great-grandpa was in a huge chair that made funny sounds when it moved, because it was all electric, so it took me a while to go over on my own to him.  I finally did, though, and he petted me and told me what a good kitty I was.  They both did.  I love them, too!  Then my great-uncle and Grandpa came in from the yard and I went right over to Great-uncle to be petted.  He sat down on the couch, so I hopped up there too.  I thought, since I'm allowed on the couch at home, that I would be allowed on the couch there, too.  Nope, I wasn't, but I was allowed to sit on Great-uncle's lap.  I really, really wanted on the white couch, though, so he had to keep putting me back on his lap.  After a couple times of that, I cooperated.

After a while, I hopped down again and went to get pets from everyone else.  Uncle D. decided to sit down on the floor so that he could pet me better, and I loved that!  He did, too!  Everyone loved my visit.  :)  >^..^<

Sunday, August 8, 2010

World Cat Day: Adoption News!


Today in the news...another kitten got adopted and is in his new forever home!

Skylar sent his Mommy Erin a new kitten, a tuxedo boy formerly named Pete but now (at least temporarily) named Scamper!  Mommy, Daddy, Erin, and JJ went yesterday to pick him out!  Erin thought she was going to look at a little orangie boy, but the orangie was adopted already and the other orangie didn't want to come out to be held.  This little tuxie dude went right over to JJ and wanted attention, then was perfectly happy (even purring) while JJ picked him up, carted him around the room, and plopped him on various cat furniture pieces!  It's not every kitten who can put up with a 2 1/2-year-old boy!

Scamper was a good traveler,
but kept sticking his paws and nose out of his cardboard carrier on the way home

When he got home, Smokey came over to sniff the box and was interested in it, even when he meowed at her.  But when the box was opened and she saw who was inside, she hissed and ran off to the far corner of the room.  Scamper is now in the bathroom at Erin & JJ's, with a radio going.  He meowed all last night until she carried him into the living room to watch a movie with her.  Unless he's being held, he's meowing because he's lonely.  We're all sure he'll be fine in a few days once he realizes that he's somewhere new for real.  Then, the process of introductions to Smokey will begin!  Moke's already sniffing under the door, but not hissing or growling.  Erin's going to find the mesh carrier and use that for introductions.

The people at Salem Friends of Felines were so happy to hear that Freya and Heimdall are doing so well here!  Mommy & Daddy brought the digital camera loaded with pictures and video to show them, and they said to e-mail pics as well so they could share them with the other volunteers who cared for them while they were there.  :)  Once Scamper gets settled, Erin's going to e-mail them pics of him at his forever home, too!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

It's my 3rd birthday!

Rori writes:

Wow!  I can't believe I'm 3 years old already!!!  It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was with my mama cat in the backyards of the Portland neighborhood, curled up with my littermate brothers.  Now I'm the Lady of the House, Big Kitty of the House, and taking care of everyone!  My new niece and nephew need a lot of guidance, since they're kittens, so I've got my paws full watching over them.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

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!