Feral Friday: Leopard & Miss Marble

Mama Leopard writes:

I've been coming regularly to the food place now, and have greeted my family in purrson.  I'm nervous around them, but I've let them groom me and rub against me.  I won't let Tux eat with me yet, though.  I will let my girls eat with me, just not Tux.

Why did the humans switch the water bowls?  Do you see the grey one in the picture?  That used to be the water bowl, before I went away.  Now the white one is the water bowl, but the grey one is still there.  I went to drink out of the grey one like I used to, but there was no water in it.  The lady told me that the water is now in the white one.  Why?  I drank it, but it's confusing.

I remember the name the humans gave me, and respond to it.  I've also meowed at them, but am still really nervous around them, like I was before I had my kids last year.  It will take a while of being around here again to get used to the humans watching me.  I get very nervous when my daughter goes in their house, but she always comes back out again and tells me she had fun.

Miss Marble writes:

I know my mama is always nervous when I go inside, as is my daddy, but I'm really ok!  I love visiting with my friends inside!  The humans always talk softly to me and pet me, give me toys, feed me, and make me feel happy.  My aunties and uncles all love me, and I love them.

I sat on chairs yesterday!  I got up on the wooden chair that Auntie Freya loves, and it's comfortable!  I took a bath on it and almost fell asleep.  Then Mommy came over, so I asked to be petted.  She sat down and picked me up to sit on her lap.  I was nervous about being that close to her, but her lap was a good place to be for a few minutes.  The other chair I was brave enough to get on was actually the organ bench.  It's got a puffy top that feels good to my paws.  My aunties and uncles say it's like a pillow.  I don't know what a pillow is, but if it's like that organ bench then it must be a comfy place, too!  I took a little nap on the organ bench before getting down.  I've also walked down the hallway on my own some more, plus gone into the living room to have Mommy pet me.  I'm not brave enough to go over to get pets from Daddy in his big recliner chair yet.  That chair squeaks like a giant mouse when Daddy sits up!  It scared me the first time, and I shot back over to the door.  They said it was ok, so I went back for more pets, then the chair squeaked again.  The second time, I was able to tell it was the chair, so I didn't go running away.  I just looked at it and meowed back to it!

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!

Newsflash: Mama Leopard's Back!!!!!!!

Leopard writes:

Hello, anyone remember me?  I'm the feral cat who had Miss Marble, Striped Girl, Hemming, and the other kitten last spring.  I disappeared when my kittens were around 10 weeks old.  One of my kittens disappeared around the same time, but the rest were brought by Tux to the people and Tux also helped raise them.  He taught them what they needed to know to be good adults.  Now my kittens are just over 9 months old, and I've returned!

I showed up yesterday in the middle of the day to eat at the deck feeding area.  Yum!  I'm very wary of the humans now, like I used to be before my kittens were born.  I didn't bring the other kitten back with me, and no indication where I've been for the past 7 or 8 months.  The humans wish I could tell them the whole story.  I didn't come to eat at the same time as the others, so the humans don't know if I've seen my family again yet.  I've smelled them, though, and am happy they're still around and are doing well.  Miss Marble smells different, but I think it's still my girl because her scent trail is mixed in with the others I recognize.  I don't smell my boy anywhere, though.  The humans say they found him a good home and that his name is now Hemming.

I have been eating well, and have a nice, fluffy winter coat.  I don't have any new scars, and am still the same self-assured kitty I was.  I'm glad to be back!

Movie Monday: Miss Marble!

Miss Marble writes:

Oh, hi!  I'm visiting inside more and more!  I like it where it's warm by the heat vent, but I've been learning how to play spring and exploring around the open area.  I've been in the kitchen and down the hall a little, even!  Auntie Freya brought over her spring to show me, so she's been teaching me how to play with that.  Missy came over and greeted me, but didn't want to groom me when I asked her.  Mommy and Daddy pet me a lot, which I love, and I lean against their legs while purring.  Everyone loves me, and I love everyone!  I'm not ready to stay inside forever, though.  I like visiting inside for 20 minutes or so, then ask to be let out again.  I'm coming in at least three times a day, though!

I like this chair.  Mommy or Daddy sit in it while they pet me.  I've been put on the chair, but I don't like staying up there yet.

Freya likes to play with me when I'm under the chair!  I was wrestling with her for a while this morning.  She's become my "mommy-auntie":  my substitute mama kitty.

 I now am not concerned at all when I'm eating from the inside food bowl.  Auntie Rori can even sniff my tail tip, and all I did was flick it at her nose!

I found a new toy this morning!  It's a blue ball, and I can pick it up in my claws to shake it!  The blue is a crocheted covering for a ping-pong ball, but the ball itself got squashed.  It doesn't roll well now, but it's still a lot of fun to play with!

Therapy Cat Tales from 1/25/12

Tabby writes:


Sorry I didn't write about our visit two weeks ago!  We were job-shadowed by two students from Benson High School, and it was fun showing them what we do.

Today was rainy, but we were inside for most of the big downpours.  I had my nice raincoat for the small showers.  Typical weather for January where we live.  It snowed a couple days, but now is back to rain again.  While we were waiting for the rain to stop, buses to come, and on the bus, we heard a lot of cat stories!  We always love hearing about other people's cats, and they love telling us about them.

One lady told us a horrible story about three cats each jumping out a window and drowning in the water tank, all years apart.  That story wasn't so nice, but she decided to not have cats as pets again.  She loved visiting with me, though.  Another lady had a bad story that has a good ending.  She decided to use a cheap flea product on her cat.  She got it from Safeway, where they don't carry Frontline, Advantage, or other veterinarian-approved flea products.  Her cat lost all her fur and had to go to the vet because she was being poisoned by the flea medicine.  She is just now starting to grow back her fur, but not her tail fur yet.  Please, please, PLEASE only use Frontline, Advantage, Advantix, Revolution, or other top-of-the-line flea products on your pets!  Please do not use Sargents, Hartz, Bio-Spot, or other cheap products.  They're not worth it!

We heard about a kitty who loved to sleep in a baby-doll buggy!  One day, his people couldn't find him, and were looking all over the house for him.  They found him in the little girl's room, asleep in the buggy, curled up with the doll and blanket!  A lady on the bus told us about her sister's cats, who live with her because her sister lives with her.  They have as many cats as we do!  One of their cats got hit by a car when he was just a little kitten, but he lived and is doing well now.  A lady on the MAX light-rail train told us about a cat she rescued when he was about 4 months old.  He was down to skin and bones and the vet didn't think he'd make it, but he survived and is a big cat now.  She also has a girl cat who came to her doorstep and was probably thrown out of a car.  That family also has two new kittens, a present they got last Father's Day.

They are still working on the ceilings at H., but I wasn't interested in looking up the ladders today.  Now it seems normal to see men up ladders into the ceiling.  Our friend Dr. W. died a few days ago.  We'll miss seeing him and his visitors.

G. was sleeping when we went to see her, but she woke up right away and petted me, scritching my forehead the way I love.  A. was sitting beside her, smiling as he watched G. pet me.  E.  didn't have her kitty pillow around her neck today when we went to visit her, so she smelled a little different (the pillow has lavendar in it), but I let her pet me anyway.  She put her hand down on my stroller at one point, and I put my arm across her hand to comfort her.  Another E. was talking with her niece, M., so we didn't want to interrupt, but M. called us in because she wanted to see me.  It turns out that M.'s afraid of cats!  She wasn't afraid of me, though!  :)  >^..^<  She wanted to know all about me, my training, and exactly what my job is.  S., who is that E.'s roommate now but used to live upstairs, was telling M. all about me and S. and I demonstrated together how I love to snuggle on beds and with my friends.  We also showed how I ask for pets by putting my paw up to tap the person.  M. was very impressed, and told our supervisor that.  She also told our supervisor that her aunt E. loves when I and the therapy dogs come to visit, always calling her after the visit to tell her all about it!

We went upstairs to see P., who was very glad to see us.  I visited with her for a long time, staying just within arm's reach so she could scratch my ears.  I played a game with her with my tail.  Not the regular game of tails, but a different game.  She likes to hold onto my tail, wagging it back and forth, then letting it go.  She'll pet me from my head to my tail, then hold my tail again and let it go.  I slap her hand with my tail, then she pets me from head to tail and holds my tail again.  We play this way because she is visually-impaired.  I know she can't see my tail well enough to play regular tails, so I play this only with her.  In the hallway, we visited with two new friends.  I might see them again, if they want to visit with me next time.

Torbie Thursday: Miss Marble's Weather Report

Miss Marble writes:

This picture that Mommy took is what my world looked like the past three days!  It's now back to normal:  wet, cold, and windy.  This white stuff is called "snow", and it sticks to my fur!  It's very cold and wet, and turns to water when I lick it.  I can't walk anywhere when it snows, but I can pounce in it.  It's hard to catch mice in snow, I found out yesterday.  I pounced from the deck onto a mouse, but then it slipped from under my paws.  I'd bitten it, so it couldn't get far, but after I got it again I looked at my sister and at Mommy (who was watching from the door), asking for explanations on why my mouse almost got away!  My sister was as confused as I was, and Mommy was laughing!  My sister and I ignored Mommy and went under the deck to eat my mouse.

I've been coming inside more and more, now that it's been snowing.  There is a lot of new stuff inside!  There are things called toys!  I like rolling toys, I've discovered, because my auntie Freya keeps rolling them to me to play with after she demonstrates how they work.  I like a ball that used to flash, so the humans keep that by the door for me.  Auntie Freya gave me one of her special toys, which she calls a roller!  Actually gave me it!  It's the core of a roll of doggie poop bags, but she loves to play with the roller (the core), and now so do I!  Auntie Freya brought it out to show me, then pawed it around in the dining room so I could see how it works.  Then she pawed it to me!  I wasn't quite sure if it was ok for me to play with it, so I looked at her, then at the roller, then at Mommy.  Mommy hit the roller with her shoe, and then I batted it with my paw.  Fun!  I batted it even more, then picked it up in my mouth and carried it a little closer to the door.  I batted it some more, then picked it up in my mouth again, inching it even closer.  Mommy opened the door and I took my special toy out into my world!  My first favorite toy, besides natural things!  I've played with grasses, rope, and other outside things, but this is my special, inside toy that my auntie gave me!

There is something called a heat vent inside, just on the other side of the door, that keeps the house warm.  I like to stand by it and play with the blinds as they move in the wind.  Striped Girl and I have learned that the spot outside across the door from the vent is the warmest spot to stand, but now I know why!  I still get a bit nervous when the heat starts up, because it makes a whooshing noise, but then I like to play with the blinds as they move.

Daddy has been shutting the door when I come inside, to keep the warm air in.  Mommy has, too, but Daddy makes a game out of it.  I come inside, the door shuts, then I paw at it and wiggle.  The door opens and I bat at the track and at the door.  I go outside, come back in, and the game starts all over again!  I get so into the game that I sometimes forget that I'm not supposed to bite the humans.  They understand, though.  When that happens, they tell me it's time for me to be outside for a while to calm down.  I get to come inside again later, though!  I'm even beginning to purr out loud when I'm petted inside.

Very Exciting News!!!

Miss Marble writes:

I've decided that I like to be petted!  I come up to the glass door and stand up on it, putting both front paws as high as I can reach, asking to be petted.  The man or lady come and open the door, then reach down and pet me as I rub against them.  I am a bit bitey, but it's just love bites, not hard bites.  I've also learned how to lick their fingers to groom them!  My sister and daddy can't figure out why I like being petted, so they stay back and watch, but they accept that I like it.

My brother Hemming is doing really well at his new home, the mommy says.  He sleeps on his new mommy's face and shoulder at night and is "aggressively affectionate".  We're all so glad that his new home is working out that well!

Missy Kitty writes:

Guess what?!  This thing called Christmas has boxes!  It also has ribbons, which are big strings.  But, the most important thing about Christmas is that it means that I'm in my forever home!  I got adopted officially by Mommy and Daddy today!  And, my third birthday is tomorrow:  New Year's Day!

Happy New Year from the PDX pride!

Wishing you all the best in 2012!

Therapy Cat Tales from 12/28/11

Tabby writes:


Wow, our last visit of this year!  Mommy had a nasty sinus infection for most of December, so we didn't go visiting the rest of the month, but she's feeling better now.  Since we didn't get to visit before Christmas, I wore my "Santa Baby" dress and had the little Christmas lights blinking on my stroller handle today!  Everyone loved all of that, even people on the buses and the MAX light rail train.

It was really cold and rainy, typical December weather for around here, so I wore my raincoat.  I'm so glad I have my raincoat, because the wind was so strong it turned the umbrella inside out!  Don't worry; Mommy had a coat, too, so we both were nice and dry except our heads.  The top of my head got rained on, so I made the coat into a shell, like a turtle, and hid in it from the rain.

On the MAX, a family petted me as soon as they got in, and told us a few stories about trying to harness-train their cat.  Their cat was scared of parks!  Not me; I love the grass and wide space, and all the smells.  On one of our buses, the people a few seats away from us talked about cats the whole ride.  It was fun eavesdropping on their conversation.

When we got to H., Mommy took my coat off and I put my "Santa Baby" dress on.  I love my dress!  It's slinky and form-fitting, so it feels like a light blanket:  so cozy!  I posed for these two pictures, then hopped down.  We went into the office and gave S. and R. the Christmas cards we'd brought for them, then got our list of friends to visit.  S. went with us for a few minutes, but then had to go take care of her husband.  He was sick today.  Some of our friends were sick, too, so our list showed which rooms to not visit because of illness.  That way, no one gets sick from petting me when someone else sneezed on me, or anything like that.  Plus, if there's anything that I could catch, I don't want to get sick, either.  There are some things that humans get that I could get also.

A couple of our friends took pictures of me in my dress, and one family member of a man we visited took a picture of me, too.  They all loved the stroller lights, as well!  One of our friends, C., who works at H., was telling a couple people about my Facebook page.  They thought that was funny but good!

E., who has a kitty neck pillow, loves to see me each time I visit.  She talked to me and petted me, fixing my dress so that it was smooth, then showed me her neck cat.  I sniffed it politely (it smells of lavender) and purred.  G. is a new friend and she has a cat named "Kitty".  Kitty has come to visit her at H. a couple times!  :)  >^..^<  G. had a snowman stuffed toy that she wanted me to see, but I wasn't really interested in it.  Mommy showed it to me, and I just looked at her, wondering what I was supposed to do with it.  Then, Mommy made it touch its nose to mine, so I rubbed my head against it and sniffed it, making friends with it.

The most amazing thing that happened today was visiting a lady who was in a big room with soft music playing.  Her daughter and son were there, sitting in chairs.  We wondered if they would like to visit, but didn't want to disturb them.  They waved us in when they saw me, and told us that the lady didn't have very much longer to live.  The daughter said that it seemed like she was waiting for someone or something, then looked at me and asked if maybe she was waiting for me!  I looked straight at the lady in the bed and stared, concentrating on her.  Mommy felt a wave of peace come over the whole room, like angels were there in the room.  The others said it was ok to put me up on the bed to see the lady, so Mommy wheeled me over and told the lady she'd brought a kitty to see her.  The lady's breathing changed; she made a sound and held her breath, then breathed normally again.  Her right hand moved up and down a little.  Mommy lifted me up on the bed, and I gently stood next to the lady, still staring at her.  I looked at Mommy, wondering why the lady wasn't responding by petting or talking to me, but then it kind of clicked in my brain that it was like when we waited with my auntie Lydia kitty on her last weekend.  This was the same thing, but with humans!  I wanted back in the stroller, so Mommy let me jump down.  I went over and got pets from the daughter and son, sniffed the son's shoe (he has kitties at home) and jumped up on a spare bed that was in the room.  Mommy talked with the others, then brought me over to the other side of the lady's bed one more time before we left the room.  I sat right against the lady's leg, and once again she let out her breath then started breathing normally.  We thanked the daughter and son for letting us visit, and they thanked us.  It meant so much to them to be able to have me visit their mom.  The lady will probably not be there for much longer at all, but we're so glad we got to meet her.

A. and G. were coming to watch tv, so we went in with them.  I sat between them on the chair arms and got pets from both of them.  I was interested in G.'s cookies, but she said they were hers and not for kitties.  Darn!  She didn't have any fig newtons today, either.  Hey, at least I tried!  She loved my dress, and said I was dressed up with nowhere to go.  When she said that, I got down on the floor and lay down!  Well, if I didn't have anywhere to go, I might as well lie down, right?  Everyone laughed at that!  I played tails with G.  She and I love that game, where she tries to touch the tip of my tail and I twitch it for her.  It's a game I learned from my uncle Skylar kitty when I was a kitten, and Mommy and Daddy play it with us, too.


H. (a friend, not the place) had family over to visit today.  He's a new friend, and they were playing cribbage on his bed.  They all love cats, so I hopped onto one of the offered laps and settled in, getting lots of attention.  After a couple minutes, I hopped over to the bed and lay down by the cribbage board, letting H. pet me.  One of his relatives saw my tail move and mentioned it, so H. tapped my tail.  He plays tails, too!  We played tails for a few minutes, while everyone looked and smiled.  H. tried reading my dress, but he was reading it upside down so it was an incomprehensible jumble of letters.  Someone else figured out what he was doing and corrected him, then he read it correctly.  They are a Jewish family, but they liked that I was dressed up for the holidays and that the stroller was decorated, too.  That's what's good about the holiday season.  No matter which holiday you celebrate, you can find joy in other people's celebrations as well.

I visited P. on the other floor.  It was definitely a day for playing tails, because she wanted to play tails, too!  She's almost blind, so she can only feel where I am and not see me, or at least not see me very well.  That means, if I'm walking on the floor and she has her hand over the chair arm, she can pet me but "loses" me when I flop over for tummy rubs.  If I'm close to her feet, though, and flop over, she can find me and give me tummy rubs!  When she was younger, someone in her family had a cat who took over a baby buggy!  The cat slept in it and took rides in it.  P. was pleasantly surprised to hear that I have one that I use for the same things!  She felt my stroller and got an idea of what it looked like.

After we were done with our visits, we went to Furever Pets.  They carry the big bags of Felidae, which is a very yummy food!  Mommy says it's good for us, too.  I said hi to my friends who work at Furever Pets, and they gave me some treats to eat.  I don't like some of the treats, but I did like one kind.  They gave Mommy the rest of the package to share later, too!  We got our two big bags of food.  They even helped wrap the food bags up with a big plastic sheet so that they wouldn't get soaked in the rainstorm!  Thanks, friends!  It worked really well to have the food bundled up like that on the top of the stroller, and kept it safe and dry all the way home.  We were all worried that it might slip off, but it never did!

When we got back home, there was a box waiting for us from Canidae, the pet food company that sponsors us.  It was a tin of popcorn for Mommy and Daddy, a Christmas card, and some nice t-shirts and polo shirts for Mommy to wear when we visit!  Thanks, Canidae!  We love you, too!

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to everyone!

Merry Christmas!

All of us at the PDX pride would like to wish you a

Merry Christmas

and all the best wishes for a

joyous 2012!

Miss Marble's Breakthrough!

Miss Marble writes:

I'm so cold out here, and I miss my mommy-cat.  Daddy-cat Tux and my sissy Striped Girl and I all huddle together in a kitty pile to be warm.  Hunting helps warm us up, too, but there's white, cold stuff on the grass that Daddy-cat calls frost.  He says it will get colder still before it warms up again.  Brrrrrrrr!

It's warm inside that house!  There is always heat radiating from the open door when the mommy leaves it open so I can play paws and touch noses with the inside kitties.  I like just sitting in front of the door even when it's not open, watching the inside kitties and being just a little warmer because of the heat from the glass-door.

Tonight, when the mommy came to feed me, I wanted to get a bath from Tabby.  I stuck my head and shoulders inside and purred very quietly while she groomed my head.  My front paws were inside!  I did it again with Freya, then touched noses with Rori, while the mommy watched.  Then, while Tabby reassured me with gentle headbutts, I walked inside all the way!  I greeted Tabby, Freya, and Rori, then explored the dining room a bit.  The mommy closed the door most of the way behind me, but I didn't know that.

The inside kitties were following me, sniffing me, and one of them was too close.  I think it was Little Bit, but I'm not sure about that.  All I knew was that I suddenly wanted back outside.  I flew toward the door, but I couldn't get through anymore.  I cried and jumped up the door, then ran down the hall as the mommy came toward me.  She opened the door a little more, so I could tell it was open if I came near it again.  Then, she went to see where I was.

I had run into the bathroom, because I remembered being in there when I was inside recovering from my spay a few months ago.  I was up on the window sill, but the window in there is permanently frosted over and wasn't open anyway.  The mommy talked gently and softly to me, asking if I would let her pick me up and take me to the open door.  I talked to her, still scared, but something in my eyes let her know it would be ok with me if she did that.  She petted me slowly and carefully, then gently picked me up and scruffed me.  She didn't hold me close, but held me securely enough so I didn't feel like escaping.  She carried me over to the door and set me down, still scruffed, then opened the door wide enough so I could get out.

I'm now sitting in the middle of the deck, collecting my thoughts about what just happened!  I'm not sure that it was bad, but I'm not sure that it was good, either.  The mommy and the inside kitties think that it's very brave and very good of me to come inside, and I think I'll decide that as well after I'm over the shock of everything!

Hemming got adopted!

The PDX pride Mommy writes:

Well, Hemming's at his forever home now!  He did really well, but kept calling and looking for the other cats.  He let Kayla pick him up and snuggle him, and played for a couple minutes with a feather wand.  He investigated the covered litter box and scratched in it, so we know he'll be fine with using that.  We cautioned them about the garland and ornaments on the lower branches of their tree, so they'll be moving things up on that.  But, all in all, it seems like a great home for him!  When he came out of the carrier, he didn't scoot or run, but walked out and investigated things, then made his way around the edges (walls) to the bathroom and hopped in the tub.  He looked at windows, trying to see his sisters, and looked at the mirror, thinking his reflection was another kitty.  By the time we left, he had rubbed up against Kayla also and wasn't as stressed.  He'll do just fine there once he gets used to it and gets used to being an only cat.

Lots of changes and a Christmas tree!

Hemming writes:

Whoa, what is that thing up there?  It's got shiny balls on it, pretty ribbons, and lots and lots of branches.  It looks like a tree, but what's a tree doing inside?  It doesn't smell like my apple tree outside, the one I used to use to trim my claws.  In fact, it smells like plastic, not like any tree I've ever smelled.  It certainly doesn't smell like the forest I was born in, just a few yards away from the house, where there are trees that look like this one.  But if this is a Christmas tree, then I guess that's what it is.  My foster uncles and foster aunties all say that it is one, even though Uncle Heimdall and Auntie Freya only saw a little tree last year in this house.

The tree went up a week ago, with all of us investigating and "helping" put the branches into the trunk, then watching in surprise as Foster Mommy put the top on and put a cloth around the bottom of it.  Freya and I batted at some of the ornaments and were told "no".  Foster Mommy took some pictures of the tree and of us gathered around looking at it (and tasting it, batting at ornaments, etc.), so I'll post those here in a slideshow:

This free digital slideshow personalized with Smilebox

What is this thing called Christmas?  Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy say that I'm a Christmas kitten for my new mommy.  What's a new mommy?  I thought I already had two mommies:  my momcat and my foster mommy!  I'm going to meet this new mommy and this place called a forever home this afternoon.  Everyone's excited for me, and the others are saying this is special, but I'm not sure about it.  I think once I'm there, I'll hide like I did at that other place.  I'll find a good hiding spot to watch what's going on in this place called a forever home.  My foster parents say that's ok to do, and that my new mommy understands.  Good!

I wonder if she'll have a Christmas tree?  If I'm a Christmas kitten, then don't I belong under the tree as a present?  That's what Auntie Tabby says!  After our tree here was up, Foster Mommy supervised us for a while then went to sleep.  She woke up because she was dreaming about playing ping-pong.  Well, guess what the ping-pong ball was?  I had an ornament and was playing with it, down the hall, into the bathroom, bouncing it against the tiles!  All the ornaments are kitten-safe plastic and cloth, so she laughed as she went to retrieve it, wash it, and put it back on the tree.  Soon, I was at it again!  A few days later, she found one of the bows in the middle of the hallway.  Guess who?  Yesterday I tried to climb the tree, but it fell over!  I guess it's not for climbing.  When Foster Mommy was editing the tree pictures on the computer, I tried to get to the tree!  Yep, I'm a tree-obsessed kitten!

I'm also 7 months old today!  Wow!  I told my sisters that, through the window while they looked at the Christmas tree, and they love that we're all a month older!  They don't know what this Christmas thing is either, but as long as it involves food, water, and talking to the inside kitties through the window, it's ok with them!

Tabby's Cyber Monday sale!

Tabby Cat 2012 Calendar by TraceElements
More Tabby Calendars

Tabby writes:

My new calendar is out!  Some pictures are from last year's calendar, but there are some new ones from this year as well.  Zazzle, the site we use to sell our calendar, cards, and other products, is having a Cyber Monday sale and will give you the code once you are at their site.  You can click on the calendar (above) or the Christmas card (below) to get there.  There will be a "Catmas Greetings" stamp available in a day or two that matches the card, plus other winter and holiday products that are available now.  Thanks for looking!

Kitties with Christmas Tree Greeting Card by TraceElements
create a card designs on Zazzle

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at the PDX pride!  Tabby is thankful for family, furmily, her friends that she goes to visit, and her fans.  Rori is thankful that all in the house are safe and happy.  Starla is thankful that she can be out with everyone for half days and sit with Daddy while he sleeps.  Missy is thankful that she is inside this fall and not outside in the cold and rain like she was last year.  Freya is thankful for giant fuzzies (aka Mommy's robe) that she takes and tries to drag up into chairs to make nests out of.  Heimdall is thankful for snuggles with Mommy and with his foster nephew Hemming.  Carbon is thankful for clean litter boxes, water bowls, and catnip scratchers.  Little Bit is thankful for family to run and play with.  Foster kitten Hemming is thankful for his foster family, for warmth in the house, for being dry and having lots of food and snuggles, and for the promise of a new home in a few weeks.  Feral Miss Marble is thankful for food, clean water, a sheltered place to rest, and friends to talk with through the crack in the door when it's open.  Feral Striped Girl is thankful for food, clean water, and a sheltered place to rest.  Feral Tux is thankful for the inside home for his son Hemming, for food, clean water, and shelter, and for a place to bring his girls where they are taken care of and loved as well.

The PDX pride Mommy and Daddy are thankful for their furmily and for all their friends in the Cat Blogosphere!

Blessings to you all!

Mini Mancat Monday: I coughed up a monster!

Hemming writes:

I coughed up a monster in the litter box!  It was icky, squirming, and bad-smelling.  Foster Mommy said it was something called roundworms and my half-eaten food.  Whatever it was, I wanted it gone and buried, so I buried it!  Foster Mommy scooped it out of the box right away and threw it away, along with the poop that I was doing when the monster came out of my mouth.

She then took me into the bathroom and gave me a big pill to swallow.  I tried to get rid of it, but she said I had to swallow it.  I finally did, but my eyes got really big when I swallowed!  She said that pill was for tapeworms, but I had to take it because I had a flea on me also.  Just one flea, and I had to take that big pill?  What would have happened if it had been more than one flea?  Foster Mommy says that the flea can have tapeworms, so I needed the pill.  Good, because I don't want more monsters!

After I swallowed that pill, Foster Mommy gave me some liquid medicine.  I had the liquid medicine before, a few weeks ago, but obviously I needed more.  It didn't take care of all the monster wormies the first time, so we're trying it again.  I kind of like the caramelly taste of the medicine, but I don't like it for the time it takes me to drink all the liquid.  It's too much after a while.  Foster Mommy tried mixing some of my food in, but I wouldn't eat the food after the medicine soaked into it.  She looked for a syringe or an eyedropper, but couldn't find them.  Finally, she got the idea of a straw!  I love straws, and will carry them around the house.  She put it in a mug, then poured my medicine into the mug.  I played with the straw while she did that, and sniffed the contents of the mug.  Then, she put her finger over the hole in the top of the straw and trapped some of the medicine in it.  She lifted it up for me to drink!  Wow!  I got to drink out of a straw!  Boy, did I ever lap that up.  I got most of the medicine that way, so she thinks I got enough to kill those bad roundworms.  I drank most of it myself, but she had to put the straw into my mouth for the last bit because I was done with that flavor.  She said I was a good little boycat, though, taking my medicines!  I just hope the nasty roundworm monsters are gone this time.

Therapy Cat Tales from 11/15/11

Tabby writes:


Mommy got to go to H. twice this week, but I only got to go once!  She got to play with rubber stamps there on Friday, and a lot of people asked where I was.  I would've gone, too, but Mommy had to go to work after that, and her work won't let me go there.

When I went to H. on Wednesday, though, I had a lot of fun!  The leaves are falling from the trees here, and one hit me on the nose as we were walking through the park.  I looked up, surprised, because it had woken me up from a nap!  The leaf was gentle, but it still surprised me.  I sniffed it, then looked at Mommy and she removed it from the stroller.  Since I was awake anyway, I kept a lookout for more leaves.  No more fell into my stroller, but I saw a lot falling around us.

It was definitely a day for looking up!  Actually looking straight up!  Besides the leaves.  A man was fixing the ceiling at H., right across from the office.  I saw the ladder first, and then saw the man's shoes on the ladder.  I thought that was funny, so I looked up to see the rest of the man.  He was moving a ceiling tile, so I could see his arms and shoulders but not his head!  Then he looked down, and I stared at him.  Why was he up there, and what was he doing with the ceiling?  Why was there a hole in the ceiling?  I never did find out why.

At the floor we visit most, I looked up at the ceiling the second we got out of the elevator.  It had all its pieces, no hole and no man on a ladder.  Good.  I like when things make sense.

Most of my friends were awake this time.  I met some new friends, too.  B. is a new friend who broke both ankles, so she had both legs wrapped up.  I didn't know what to do about her legs, which were sticking out from under the blankets because she had been doing her exercises.  I didn't know whether or not it was ok to lie down on her legs, so I lay down beside her.  She talked to me, and to Mommy, for a while.  Then she said it was time for her to continue with her exercises.  I chose that point to climb onto her stomach and curl up.  I didn't want to leave her!  She let me snuggle for a bit like that, but then it was really time for her to do her exercises.

T. is in a wheelchair now instead of a walker.  She invited me to sit on her lap, so I did while she cooed at me.  She always tells me how much everyone loves me, which just makes me happy and purry.  T.'s roommate, P., had grabbed my harness and pulled last time I visited, so I didn't know what she was going to do when she wanted to touch me this time.  P. was very gentle this time, though.  She wanted Mommy to move her hand for her so that she could stroke my fur with the side of her hand.  She went for my eyes, to pet my face, but that kind of scared me because I thought she was going to reach for my harness again.  I held very still, like Mommy said to, and was a very good girl.  P. didn't hurt me this time (although I know she didn't mean to hurt me when she pulled last time), and she just petted me for a bit.  That was fine with me.

We had a few people to visit on another floor, so we went up to that floor.  On the way up, someone suggested we visit someone not on our list.  We knocked on her door, and she answered after a few minutes.  She wasn't wearing any pants, but she was holding them up next to her.  She had just gotten out of bed to answer the door, so she was wearing her nightgown but no pants.  She liked the idea of me visiting with her, and let me come in, but Mommy stayed out in the hall and held my leash.  I rubbed up against her legs and she laughed, talking to me.  We'll visit with her next time, if she's awake.

I wanted to go visit my good friend I., but Mommy reminded me that I. wasn't there anymore.  I tried to head down to her room anyway, certain that she was going to be there.  Someone saw me do that and said that a lady had moved into I.'s room that day from another room.  She suggested we visit V., so off we went to I.'s room.  V. was supervising the hanging up of clothes in her closet when we got there, but she said to come in.  She sat on her walker and I hopped up on her bed.  It was weird being in I.'s room and having V. there instead.  Everything was different, because it was V.'s room now.  I kept looking around at all the new things.  The ladies putting the clothes in the closet were careful not to move the clothes too near me, although I sniffed a few that were on the bed next to me.  I like V., and she loved seeing me.  She told us all about cats that she'd had, and she found where I like to be petted and scratched.  I rolled over for tummy rubs, and she loved that!

On one of the buses back home, a lady from OHSU (Oregon Health Sciences University) helped Mommy brainstorm places to ask about visiting.  Of course, those places will have to wait until we have either a little more free time or a car available, because right now we're only able to visit on one day a week.  If one of the places would like us to visit on alternating weeks with H., we could work that out, though.  We'll just have to see.

Happy 6-month Birthday to Hemming, Miss Marble, and Striped Girl!!!!

Hemming writes:

Foster Mommy just told me it's my 6-month birthday today!  Wow, I'm a half-year old already?  Right after she told me that, I ran into the bathroom and pawed the treat drawer!  It's my birthday, so do I get treaties?  Foster Mommy said I do!

I got a special half-birthday gift a few days ago.  Someone named Kayla wants to adopt me!  She's going to move close to where I live, so she'll be here on the 28th.  After she's unpacked the major things, my foster parents and I will go meet her.  I hope she's nice and has good hiding spots for me in her house!  My foster parents made sure that she knows I will hide at first, and she said she's willing to take the time that I need to get used to her and come out of my shell.  In fact, she was looking for a cat who would need extra love and attention, so she sounds like she'll be a really good mommy for me!  I hope so!

Miss Marble writes:

I'm 6 months old?  Wow, that seems old!  I'm still a kitten, though, right?  I can still play and have fun?  My daddy, Tux, says I can.  He even still plays, and he's a lot older than me!  I sleep in the rose bushes under the humans' bedroom window now, with my sister Striped Girl, so I hear when the humans wake up and know that it's going to be food time soon.  Then, I go over to the window-door and wait on the deck.  I meow when I see them, talk to them to tell them that I'm ready for food, and then they come out to refill the water dish.  They go back inside and get the food, then put two scoops of food on the deck.  That's the cue for my sister to come running from the rose bushes for her breakfast.  Sometimes our daddy joins us, but sometimes he's off hunting or doing other important things.

In the evening, we wait until it's time for the human daddy to leave in the car.  Then we wait on the deck, patiently, until they see us.  I go right up to the glass and meow again, but this time the human mommy comes over to the glass and talks to me.  She puts her finger on the glass, and I put my paw on it.  Then, she gives us food and water.

Striped Girl writes:

Are we really 6 months old today?  Really?  I love being outside with my sister Miss Marble and my daddy Tux, but I miss my mommy Leopard and my other littermate.  My other littermate would be 6 months old today, too.  I wonder where they are, and if they're still alive.  It doesn't bother me much anymore, but it's in the back of my mind sometimes.

My life is pretty good right now, but the air is getting colder and it's getting more rainy.  I don't like being wet!  I hide under the deck in the big rainstorms, but most of the time I like being in the rose bushes.  I used to hang out in the backyard or behind the fence, but it's too muddy back there.  I sink down in the marshy grass!  As long as I have my sister and my daddy, plus food, water, and someplace dry, I'll be ok.

Happy birthday at the Bridge to Skylar & Lydia!

Happy birthday at the Bridge to our angels Skylar and Lydia!  Missing you both so much on what would've been your 12th birthday.  We love you both forever!

Wordless Wednesday

Tabby got her sponsorship!

Tabby writes:

I'm now being sponsored by Canidae, which makes the cat food Felidae!  :)  >^..^<  I'm featured on their website, and will be doing some publicity for them.  I love their food, so I was thrilled when they asked to sponsor Mommy and me in our therapy work!