Funny Tale Friday!

Rori writes:

Mommy threw up in our litterbox yesterday!  Ok, so it's not funny that she was sick.  She ate something she wasn't supposed to (food allergy) and got an upset tummy from it.  She's doing better now, so now we can all laugh.

She was running for the toilet to throw up in there, but Daddy was using the toilet.  She grabbed one of the poop bags that she scoops our litter into, but couldn't open it before she needed it.  She was right next to our box, so she threw up in that!  She figured it was the next easiest place to clean up, since she could just scoop it out.

Sure, Mommy.  Right.  I guess that's what we get for putting hairball traps on the floor sometimes.  She basically did the same thing to us!  We understood, though, and she did clean it up after she felt better.  Daddy scooped some litter over it right away, so it didn't smell as bad as it could have.  We all turned up our noses at it after we investigated, then ran to give Mommy extra snuggles and purr for her.

Gotta Go!

Panther writes:

I don't care that Auntie Little Bit is trying to get my tail!  I gotta go!  I found the hallway with Mommy yesterday, so where WAS that?  Oh, right.

*walks down the hallway, a little unsure of himself, glancing back at Mommy*

Yes, this is the way.  There!  That doorway!

*goes into the bathroom*

Yes, this is the place that the little silver kitty was using.  Auntie Dare, this is where it is, right?

Dare:  Yes, that is the potty box.  *sniffs Panther's tail*  Wait, what are you doing?

Panther:  Using the potty area.  Why are you looking so horrified?  Mommy, am I doing the right thing?

*walks out again*

Mommy:  You did fine, Panther.  Most kitties use the box instead of the floor, but we'll show you that when you come in next time.  You found the right room, though, and that's good.

(Panther got some pets after he used the floor in the bathroom, because he at least went close by the correct place.  He stayed inside for a few more minutes, then went outside again to hunt.  This was his first time needing to "go" while visiting us inside, so we're proud of him.)

Rori writes:

We got a new couch!  Pictures to come.  Some of it's in the blue room, waiting, because there is a davenport and a loveseat.  The davenport is a hide-a-bed, so it's in the blue room.  The loveseat is in the living room, and Missy has adopted the footstool as her own.

The bed in the green room got tipped up by Daddy, who cleaned up underneath it.  Yay!  The mattress still needs to be disposed of, because of getting peed on before Starla was put on her good medicine that's helping her, but at least it smells better in that room now.  I hid under Daddy's dresser while he was working on the room.

PhotoHunt: Guess?

Can you guess who Heimdall is looking at?

Yep, Panther decided to come inside for a visit!  As you can see, he's feeling much more comfortable with us.  His ad is up on Craigslist, so we'll see if anyone in the Portland, OR/Vancouver, WA, area wants to adopt him.  We're sure someone will take him!

Are you a photohunter?

Happy birthday to our alpha cat, Rori!

Rori writes:

It's my purrthday today!  I'm 6 years old!  Is that too old to learn how to ride JJ's skateboard?  When he and Mommy Erin lived with us, I liked sitting on it upside-down but didn't like it moving when it was right-side-up.  They've taken it with them, now, though, since they moved a few months ago.

Life here is getting back to a new normal.  One of my jobs as Big Kitty is to check on everyone, and that's exactly what I've been doing.  I heard Mommy crying at one point and pulled at the door for Daddy to open it so that I could check on her.  I hopped up in bed with her and snuggled for a bit, then Daddy let me back in the other room again with Starla.  Another time, I heard Daddy in the living room and wanted to come check on him, so I pulled at the door and Mommy opened it for me.  I made a beeline to Daddy's chair and got some pets.  Missy is slowly getting over being lethargic from her vaccinations, so I've been checking on her, too.  I lie down next to her for a while, then get up again and go about my business.  I've been checking on Freya, too.

Panther has come in a few times more, and seems comfortable letting us sniff him all over.  He's also comfortable exploring the dining room, has ventured into the kitchen, and has discovered that there's a hallway and living room.  He's doing really well so far!  My half-sister, Little Bit, got him to play last night.  She's good at doing that, because she was a mama cat.  She got his tail, so he started playing with her, but she was up on a chair so she was hiding from him.  He found her, though!  They played for a couple minutes, then he went outside again to eat.  Thankfully, he's staying in the backyard and further back, the opposite direction from that nasty road!

Thank you all for your comments and condolences on the passing of Miss Marble.  We love you all!

Miss Marble has flown to the Bridge

Miss Marble writes:

This is my last blog post.  Goodbye friends!  I will watch over every one of you from the Rainbow Bridge, and I will send down my love to you!

Last night, I snuggled with Mommy, Daddy, and my inside family, but this morning I wanted out again (as usual).  My purrents have a jingle bell necklace on the door to the other dimension (aka the front door), and I have learned to make that ring to tell them I want out.  I rang the bell this morning, so Mommy let me out, saying "See you later" as usual.  They never kept me inside against my will.  I was born feral, and they knew that I would never be happy as just an inside kitty, so they let me go outside when I wanted.

A few hours later, Daddy was getting ready to leave for an appointment.  He went out the door, looked at the road, and saw something.  It was I, lying in a pool of blood on the road.  I had been hit by a car while crossing the road.  I was killed instantly.

At the approximate time I was killed, my inside-mama-cat Freya (not my real mama cat, but she treated me as her kitten) had stopped walking for a few minutes and sat down, unfocusing on the household and focusing on something else.  Mommy thought it was very strange at the time, but she and Daddy now realize that she probably had heard me make one last cry.

Daddy collected me on a bag and buried me under my favorite cedar tree and roses, where my sister and I used to play as kittens and rest as adults.  Mommy and Daddy are hoping that my sister will come visit, but they haven't seen her since Panther took over the backyard territory.

I love you all very much, and that love transcends death.

PhotoHunt: Planter

Freya writes:

Daddy says that his shoes are not a toy planter, but we think they make a good one!  He always has to check them before he puts them on to make sure that our springs, yarn toys, or mousies aren't hiding in them.  One time, Heimdall even tried to plant his head in one and walked away with it on his head!

Are you a photohunter?

Happy 3rd Gotcha Day Anniversary to Freya & Heimdall, and a Panther Update!

Freya writes:

It was three years ago today that we came home for the first time!  Mommy had seen my brother's picture online in a Facebook game called "Save a Cat", which helps shelter kitties.  She showed the picture to Daddy, and he looked for any littermates that were still at the shelter.  I was the only other one from our litter of four.  Just the two of us left, because our brothers had already found homes and our mama cat was an owned pet.

I look and act like Lydia, who owned Daddy, and my brother Heimdall looks and acts like Skylar, who owned Mommy.  We both fell into the appropriate roles so easily, it was like we'd always lived here!  Of course, we also have our own personalities, but the similarities are striking.  It's obvious to anyone who knew Skylar and Lydia that they sent us to our family!

Heimdall writes:

It's been three years since I adopted Mommy!  Well, and my sister adopted Daddy, and they adopted us!  When they went to Salem Friends of Felines, the place we were, they found us in a room full of kittens.  We were 3 1/2 months at the time, and the oldest two in the kitten room.  My sister had the role of substitute mama cat to the younger ones, and I was the main play friend.  My sister didn't want to interact with our purrents when they tried to play with her, but I did.  However, once we were in the carrier on the way to our home, I curled up in the back of the carrier while my sister cried and put her paws through the door of it, wanting reassurance.

When we were finally home and the carrier was put down on the floor in the living room, out we came with heads held high, tails held high, ears forward, and eyes bright.  We were on an adventure, and we knew it!  From that moment on, this has been home.  We're looking forward to many more years with our family!

Now, an update on Panther.  We still don't know where his home is, because no one responded to his collar tag or the ad Mommy put on Craigslist asking if anyone knew where he belonged.  Our purrents took him to the vet to have him tested, and he's negative for any diseases.  That's a great thing!  He also got all his shots, since we don't know if he had any before.  When they all came back from the vet, we got to meet him nose-to-nose!  I, of course, went right into the carrier to investigate it and him, because it was our carrier that we came home in.  He touched noses with me, then pushed by me to get out of the carrier.  I let him, then went in the carrier the rest of the way.  I don't really fit in it anymore, so my tail was out.  Mommy said that's exactly what Uncle Carbon did when Freya and I came home!  Panther wanted out soon after he met everyone, so Daddy let him back outside.  But now we can let him in when he wants in, and we can start trying to find him a home!

Wordy Wednesday: Our new visitors!

Miss Marble writes:

There are two new visitors to our deck, our house, and our yard!  Tigress and I don't like them very much, because they eat our food and one of them gets pets from our family.  Our purrents say that one of them will learn to take turns with us and the other one will find a new home within the next couple months.  I certainly hope that turns out to be true!  I had to go out the door to the other dimension (aka the front door) this morning, because my door was blocked by the intruder who gets pets.  Mommy had to pick me up and put me out in the other dimension, then give me pets to let me know that it was still the same place.  No, it's not!  It's the other dimension!

 Panther writes:

Aack!  The lady took pictures of me!  I really don't like the flashy box, but learned last night that the red light means the white light will flash.  I freeze when the red light comes on, wait until after the white light flashes, then go on about my business (mainly getting pets from the lady and twirling around her while she talks to me).  I've been hanging around this new house since July 4th.  The people think that I either was dumped or ran away because of the fireworks.  I obviously know all the important things that a housecat should know, like what doors, collars, lights, people, and toys are, so I was an owned cat very recently.  I have a collar, but that is from these new people.  The tag is made especially for me, and says "Am I yours???" on one side and "If so, call xxx-xxx-xxxx" on the other.  The people named me Panther because I'm all black with gold eyes.  I'm shorthaired, and between 8 months and a year old.  I am not fixed, so if I truly am a stray or a dumped cat, that will be the first order of business (along with testing to make sure I'm free of any diseases).

I'm a very friendly boy, but I love to play, so I was showing off my ferociousness on the tomato cage!  I headbutt any hand that pets me, talk like a Siamese, and love to brush up against the people.  I'm a very strong boy, so my headbutts really push the people's hands!

If you are in the Hazel Dell/Walnut Grove area of Clark County, Washington, and know where I belong, please let the people know by commenting on this blog post.  If you are local, please share this information via blog, Facebook, etc., to help me find my home.  Thank you!

Our second new visitor is the raccoon in back.  He or she is a new kit, born about 12 weeks ago (probably), and just started coming with his mom.  His mom is one of last summer's kits, born to R.K., so the new kit is the fourth generation since we've lived in this house (three years).  He's very smart, and even likes to play with the toys JJ left behind!  The plastic saw is one of his favorites.  He'll spend a few minutes turning it over and over in his hands, trying to figure out what it is and what it does, then he'll bite it and put it down.  Daddy gave the outside cats a hotdog that had fallen on the floor inside, but the cats didn't want it.  The kit found it and figured out it was food after rolling it around for a bit!  He also likes the blue scoops from the weather station.

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!

Wordy Wednesday: Missy had surgery and Heimdall took a stroller ride!

Missy writes:

When I became part of this household, my purrents took me to the vet to have them search for a spay scar.  The vet couldn't find one.  In the two years since then, I've exhibited most of the signs of an intact female, so my purrents scheduled a spay for me.  They brought me in Monday night, because our vet is a 24-hour clinic.  The vet called when I was under anesthesia and being shaved, because I did have a very small scar that could have been a spay scar.  The vet gave my purrents two options.  1.  No incision, do vaccinations, and pick me up after I'd recovered from the anesthesia.  2.  Make the incision and check if my organs were there, do vaccinations, and pick me up after I'd recovered from the anesthesia.  I know some of you may think this was the wrong decision, but my purrents agreed that they would do option #2 because of my behaviors.

The incision was made, and I had, indeed, already been spayed.  I woke up later on to a bunny in my cage.  Not a real one, MOL!  A fuzzy stuffed animal bunny that had my purrents' smells on it!  The clinic gives them to patients who have to stay for a while, and has the patients' families hug and hold the stuffed animal so the smell transfers.  Then we have something nice and familiar to wake up to when we're recovering!

Daddy came and picked me up after I'd recovered, eaten something, gotten checked, and had my pain medicine.  I got to take the fuzzy bunny home with me, and Freya loves it!  Everyone has been checking on me during the day, taking turns being close to me.  I was up on the table at one point, and Freya hopped up to touch noses with me.  I wasn't sure what she was doing, but she sat down and made friendly noises.  Mommy went to pet both of us so that I felt more comfy.  Later on, Heimdall did the same thing after Freya hopped down.  When I was waiting in line to eat, Heimdall sat by me, then ate from the other plate when I ate.  It's nice to know that I'm so loved!

Heimdall writes:

I took a stroller ride!  I love riding in the stroller inside the house, and always hop in it for a ride after Tabby gets home from her visits.  That's always been inside the house, though.  I've only once gone outside in the stroller, and I got so scared that Mommy brought me right back inside.  That was a couple years ago, though.

Mommy's been taking walks every day, going a few blocks down the street and back.  Today she decided to take me with her in the stroller!  She brought it out and I hopped in.  Then she zipped it up, which I wasn't expecting but that was ok with me.  When she took me outside, I chirped at her, but she reassured me and explained we were going to walk down the street and then back home.  I tried to get out of the stroller until we passed the house next door.  A butterfly flew by then, so I got excited about what I was seeing!  Wings!  I didn't know wings were out here!  I also didn't know the cars and trucks stayed on their path, called a road.  I saw, heard, and felt a train go by as well!

When we got back inside, my purrents praised me and gave me lots of pets.  I'm so proud I got to go outside in the stroller for a walk!  Mommy says she might take me out again in a few days!  I've been even more alert for the rest of the day, so she knows that I'm happy with my adventure.

Happy 8th Gotcha Day Anniversary to Tabby & Carbon!

Eight years ago today, Tabby and Carbon were rescued from a wire cage outside the feed store in Clatskanie, Oregon, the hometown of Daddy.  It was a very hot day that day!  Carbon was 5 weeks old, and Tabby was 4 weeks old.  Mommy and Daddy were on their way to Long Beach, WA, when Mommy saw the sign on the feed store advertising free kittens.  All the way down to the beach, Daddy kept reminding Mommy to remind him to stop on the way back.  They finally got back just before the feed store closed for the evening!

Daddy picked up Carbon, who immediately climbed him and sat on his shoulder at his neck.  Mommy got Tabby, who snuggled into her arms and took a nap for a few minutes.  They then switched and each held the other kitten, after prying Carbon's claws off Daddy's shirt.  The lady at the feed store got a cardboard box and poked holes in it.

Tabby didn't want to stay in the box on the way home.  She wanted to look at the cars going by out the passenger window and also wanted to help Daddy drive!  She still is a good car-rider!  Carbon got too hot and threw up in the box.  Mommy cleaned it up.  To this day, he freaks out if he goes anywhere.

The picture above was taken a few days after they were brought home.  As soon as they were let out, Carbon found one of Daddy's boots and took a nap inside it!  Then they played for a while.  Mommy cut a piece of strawberry cake with whipped cream frosting, and Tabby wanted to know what it was, so she climbed onto the couch and made her wobbly way to Mommy's lap.  Tabby fell headlong into the cake!  Mommy and Daddy laughed and cleaned her up, with Carbon's help (of course), then got another piece of cake.

After a while of watching the kittens, the house was quiet.  Mommy and Daddy got up and turned the house upside-down looking for them, finding them asleep in the two top drawers of Daddy's dresser.  They'd climbed up the back and into the drawers!

Tabby writes:

Today, I'm getting to be out in the early morning!  Usually, Carbon and I sleep in the back bedroom at night, letting Starla be out, then switch with her when our purrents wake up.  But last night, when Starla came out of the room, Carbon hissed at her so he got put into the room.  I was good and stayed where I was, then lay down, so I got to stay out!  I have to go into the room when Mommy goes to sleep, but I can stay out until then.  I didn't know that Starla follows the same routine when she comes out that Carbon and I do.  We all use the scratcher, then head to the food bowls and have a meal.  Then we greet the others, including our purrents.

Carbon writes:

Phooey!  Tabby told on me!  Yes, I'm dictating this from time-out in the back bedroom because I was a naughty boy.  However, I did go into the room like I was supposed to after I hissed, so I will still get my Gotcha Day treats with Tabby when we get let out in the late morning.  I'm glad I won't miss out on those!  I've been a pretty good boy when I see Starla when we switch rooms, but this time she walked right by me.  I wanted to let her know that I am higher-up on the totem pole than she is, but it backfired.  Oh, well.  Nice try, I guess.

Happy birthday to our mommy!

Happy birthday to our mommy!  We love you, Mommy!

Thankful Thursday: Heimdall's Need to Purr

Heimdall writes:

Gramma's not feeling well.  She hasn't been to see us in a couple months, because she's taking some medicine but can't risk infection from a lot of things, including potential contamination from our litter box.  She doesn't want to take the chance, even though it's a low risk.  I miss seeing her!  I know she's not feeling well, so when I hear Mommy talking with her on the phone I sit nearby.

One time, Mommy put the phone to me so Gramma could hear me doing my two-tone motorboat purr for her.  Then I hung up the phone by pawing it!  "I love you, Gramma!  Bye!"  The last two times I've sat by Mommy when she's talking with Gramma on the phone, I've made my needs known very forcefully.  The time before last, I took one of Mommy's knuckles in my mouth to tell her I didn't want pets.  I got in trouble for it, but then I asked the phone by putting my paw on it like Tabby does to ask.  Mommy realized what I wanted, so she held the phone to me while I purred for Gramma and she talked to me.  The last time, I ME-YOWWW-ed at Mommy to give me the phone, NOWWW!!!  She did, and I purred for Gramma again.

Gramma loves my purrs and says they help her feel better.  I love my gramma!

Public Service Announcement: Foxtails!

Miss Marble writes:

When I came inside last night, Mommy did my "burr-check", just like she does every time I come in.  She runs her hands over all my fur, including my tummy and legs, to check for tiny seeds called burrs.  They are ball-shaped, with tiny hooks, and were the inspiration for Velcro.  Well, they sure do that to my fur if I go through those plants that have burrs!  One time, Mommy got five out of me at once, and I have short fur!

I only had one last night, but then Mommy felt something that was a bump with prickles.  She made me stay put, holding me between her knees to keep me in place, while she parted my fur and looked at the bump.  She pulled something out with her claws (which she calls fingernails) and said I had a foxtail!  No, I have a kitty tail, Mommy!

She showed it to me, and I promptly tried to gently bite it out of her fingers.  I knew it was bad, no matter what it was called!  This kind of foxtail is a seed.  It has a hard point that sticks in skin, then grass-like parts that act as arrow barbs.  The point gets embedded in the skin, then the whole thing works its way in, through muscle, veins, arteries, anything that gets in its way.  Nasty things!  I'm so glad Mommy got it out of my fur before it tried to work its way under my skin.

If you have cats, dogs, or any other animal that goes outside, please be sure to check them for these nasties.  Check your own clothing, too, including socks and laces, before coming inside so you don't inadvertently track them in.  It's definitely foxtail season out there!  Click here for a picture and more information.

PhotoHunt: Go!

This is how Tabby goes:  in her stroller!

 

Sometimes she likes to look where she's going.

 

Other times she likes to use her own four paws to go, but always on harness & leash.

Are you a photohunter?

Starla's SUNday!

Starla writes:

I know you don't hear from me as much as from the others, but you will be hearing me meow more now!  About three weeks ago, Mommy and Daddy made a major change happen in my life.  As long as they've known me, I've been a scaredy-kitty of the others and of changes.  I was worried when my purrents said something new was going to happen, but it turned out to be a very good thing!

They put me in the carrier and took me to the vet.  I meowed the whole way there, crying to get out, but when we got there all I wanted to do was stay in the carrier and be by my purrents.  I was a very good girl when I got my temperature taken, but Mommy had warned me about that so I was kind of ready for it.  I didn't like being made to stand on the scale, but got through that ok.

The doctor tried to take a pee sample, but I wouldn't cooperate.  He looked at the spots where I've been licking myself bald on my tummy and legs.  He wanted to get a pee sample to once again rule out any stones or infection, but Daddy was firm with him that I wasn't physically sick and tests had already been done by our other vet.  The doctor looked at my chart and agreed to give them some anti-anxiety medicine for me.

Ick!  Medicine!  I have to get rolled up in a blankie and sat on a lap like a human baby to take it, then Mommy pries open my mouth and makes me swallow the pill.  Sometimes I play hide-and-seek with it in my teeth and cheek, but she finds it and gives it to me again.  The first couple weeks, Daddy held me while Mommy gave the meds, but now I let Mommy do it all by herself.  I even came over one time to let her know that it was time for her to give it to me!

They're hoping that, eventually, I'll be as good about taking my medicine as Uncle Skylar was with taking his.  I don't know about that, because he was extremely good about his!  He let them know it was time, sat down, and did everything he was supposed to except open his mouth!

My meds are really helping me, though!  That's why today's a SUNday!  Sunny attitude, sunny day outside!  I love being this happy!  I can play without worrying that someone's going to jump me for the toy.  I can use the box or my pee pad without worrying who else has used the box recently.  I ask for more attention from my purrents and from others who visit.  I even talk to my toys as I carry them!  A few days ago, Mommy heard me talking from down the hall, and knew I was holding something in my mouth because I was muffled.  Sure enough, I came walking to her, talking all the way, with the fuzzy Christmas cape in my mouth and dangling it like a kitten!  Freya and I have an understanding about the fuzzies now, the fleece things in the house that used to belong only to her.  They are shared between us now.  Rori and I share possesion of the catnip pillow.  We trade off.  I carry that around, too!

Looking forward to more happy days!

Happy Birthday to Tabby!

Tabby writes:

It's my birthday already?  I'm not eight years old, am I?  That's how old Mommy way saying I would be today when we went visiting on Wednesday.  My friends always ask how old I am, and Mommy said, "She'll be eight on Sunday."  Two of my friends were worried about how old I might live to be, but were reassured that I just now am considered a senior cat.  Don't worry, friends!  I have a few more years of visiting left!  I'm not ready to quit that yet.  No way!

We got treats delivered two days ago in preparation for my birthday.  Well, they actually are a product sample to review, but we'll get them today.  *licks lips in anticipation*  I love my treats, and am happy to share with the others, too.  The delivery guy scared us, though.  Since we live on a busy street, the Fed-Ex people are told to deliver to our back door.  I was resting in a chair right by the door when, all of a sudden, the guy knocked loudly on it!  We didn't know there would be a delivery, and Mommy thought they would try knocking on the front first or leave the package on the front porch like the other delivery services do.  Nope!  We all ran for it, and even Mommy jumped!  We came right back to see what the package was, and I got to sit on the box first.

Therapy Cat Tales

Tabby writes:

I had a very good day today, in spite of the pouring rain.  I was very glad for my rain jacket and my umbrella, which Mommy held over my stroller so that I didn't get very wet.  Some of the drops came through, but not many.

I slept most of the way to H., except for when we boarded the MAX.  I don't like the sound the MAX makes and the vibration when it comes.  We had extra time, so we walked almost a mile instead of riding the second MAX.  It was in-between cloudbursts, so we were pretty dry for the walk.  The roses were beautiful and smelled good, but I didn't want to get close to them.  I was still waking up.

S. walked around with us for our visit.  The first person we saw on our floor was A., who just lights up whenever he sees me.  He calls me "My Kitty", and you can tell it has capitals from the way he says it!  "Hi, My Kitty," he says as he pets me and scritches my chin.  I actually got to visit with him twice, because he was downstairs later when we went down there to find someone else.

A.M. has become one of my favorite people to visit.  She always lets me sit on her lap, and doesn't care how I lie down or sit on her.  I wanted to curl up on her bed, but Mommy wouldn't let me.  I decided I would settle down against her leg, and she loved that.  She kept laughing, saying, "This old lady loves you."  Yep, I know, and I love her back!  I purred for her, kneading away, with my head on her knee and my eyes closed while she stroked my jowls.  Pure contentment!

I wanted to stay with A.M. for longer, but there were others to visit with.  We went downstairs, where the social hour was just getting over.  That's where A. was for my second visit with him.  S., B., E., and another friend were down there as well.  I got more pets and demonstrated some of my commands for them, because they hadn't seen me do any of those before.

After we were done at H., Mommy took me to a new place.  It's called C.  Someone at H. who used to live at C. told us that they might want me to visit over there, so we dropped by to see.  We walked in to the lobby and were greeted with smiles and pets for me, with questions for Mommy about me.  The people behind the desk were very nice, but I wasn't allowed to go behind the desk to make it easier for them to pet me.  They called the nurses to find out who would like a visit from me and got one reply.  When we got to the room, the lady and her daughter-in-law welcomed us in.  I got up on the lady's bed while they both petted me.  I said hi to them, then settled down against the lady's leg and side, snuggling in so that she'd know I was there.  I listened to them tell about raising baby squirrels, rescuing a kitten who growled like a tiger, and other fun kitty stories.  I love to hear about other kitty families!  The lady would like me to visit her regularly, so we'll try to do that each time after we go to H.

PhotoHunt: Grin and Happy Birthday!

Carbon writes:

Can you see me grinning?  I'm so happy, I even have my little vampire fangs sticking out!  You can see one of them if you look at my mouth above my right eye.  I'm grinning because it's my birthday!!!  I turned 8 years old today!  Mommy says that makes me a senior cat.  Wait a minute!  I don't feel old.  What are you saying, Mommy?  Oh, you're saying I'm a gentleman cat now?  Ok, I'll accept that.  I just hope I can still zoom and play when I'm this old. Daddy says I can, though.

I don't think of myself as 8 years old.  I still think of myself as a tiny kitten, like when my purrents adopted me.  I'm so glad that the family who had my mama cat took care of me when I was born and gave me to the feed store so my purrents could adopt me.  But that's a story for next month!  I'm grateful to that family, even though they don't know where I ended up and my purrents don't know who they were.  They gave me a good start in life and did what was right.  Thank you, whoever you were!

Off for a catnap now to dream of playing chase, then I'll spend the day lounging around, enjoying the company of my family, and playing with Little Bit and Dare.  They love to zoom, too!  Oh, and I'm going to share part of my birthday with our Facebook friend Spaghetti-Bob, because he and his brother are celebrating their birthdays today.  It should be fun!

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PhotoHunt: Quaggy

According to our dictionary, the most commonly used definition of "quaggy" is "marshy".  We live in a very quaggy place!  This picture is of the farm across the road from us.  We are surrounded on three sides by marsh, if you don't count the road out in front of our house.  It's a very peaceful place to live!

On another "quaggy" note, this is one of the very few years that Rose Festival Week has not been quaggy!  The Starlight Parade is tonight, and we have sunny, warm weather!  There's a saying in the Portland, OR, metro area around this time:  (looking out the window at or standing in the rain) "It must be Rose Festival!"  Not this year!  Mommy's glad of it, because her children's dance group (Sons of Norway's Grieg Lodge Leikarringen) is participating in the Junior Rose Parade on Wednesday.  It's supposed to be 83 degrees!

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