Athena The Torbie Cat

mancat mama monday

2011-11-14T07:32:00.001-08:00

Hello fellow cats! Kit repurrting good news. Mom wants me to thank all of you for your good wishes, purrs and purrayers. She was in the hospital for a long time -- she had been getting better, but then she got an infection. She has been home for about a week but hasn't been able to get on the computer. Athena and I were so glad to see her when she got home, we missed her so much. Grandma took good care of us -- she even took us to the v-e-t for our checkups -- but it isn't the same.

We have been purring and purring on mom, helping her get better. We curl up on her gently, purring away. She says it is working! Your purrs are working too. Mom is so touched by all the messages of concern. She told us we have wonderful furriends, and we agree! Thank you so much.

where's mama?

2011-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

Hi kitties -- Athena here. I'm sorry Kit and I haven't been blogging or visiting -- mama has been in the hospital! She is still there. Her appendix burst and she gotted peritonitis. She was furry sick but she is getting better. She will probably come home in a few days. We miss her! We haf bisitors twice a day acause Kit needs his medicine treat. Grandma comes at night and the pet sitter comes in the morning. We are doing okay, but we miss mama and we miss all of you! I heard grandma on the phone wif the v-e-t -- if mama is not home by Saturday morning, grandma will take us in for our yearly visit. I hope to talk to you more soon!

Love,

Athena

wordy wednesday

2011-10-12T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hi! Here is a picture of me enjoying my ham-mick. We haven't touched the one that mama let grandma's cat sleep on, efun though mama washed it.

A lot of kitties wanted to know what kind of shampoo Kit is so crazy about. It is Aveeno nourish + moisturize with wheat complex and blue lotus flower. Catnip isn't listed on the ingredients, but it must be in there!

mancat monday

2011-10-10T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. Sorry it's been so long since we posted. Mom is having a hard time right now -- she got really sad, missing Grandpa. She's been lying on the couch a lot. Athena and I are laying on her and purring. I think it's helping.

In other mom news, she changed her shampoo and I LOVE it. I think it has catnip in it. I sit behind her on the couch or lay on her pillow in bed and just sniff, sniff, sniff her head. I rub my face all over her head! She says it's a little creepy, but I don't care. I just can't get enough of her head!

wordless wednesday

2011-10-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

I'm a lady!

2011-10-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

Guess what! This torbie cat has been accepted into The Ladies of Autumn club!

Here's a link to my entry!

http://bessthecat.blogspot.com/2011/10/athena.html

I am furry acited! I haf nefur been in a club before. Go meet my beautiful new friends!

LiveStrong Day and new toys!

2011-10-02T09:06:00.000-07:00

We want to start our blog by acknowledging LiveStrong Day. Kit and I highly support this cause. We lost our grandpa to brain cancer on June 2nd and we and mama miss him very much. He was always so nice to us. We hate cancer and wish it could be eradicated from the world. We admire Lance Armstrong and all he has done with LiveStrong.

On a happier note, we got new toys! The nice people at Kong sent us toys to test! We love our green kickaroo so we were really happy to be approached by Kong. We received no compensation for this -- just the wonderful toys!

First out of the box was an awesome snake teaser. We have been playing with this like crazy.

Mama wants to name it Nagini. I was the first one to get to play wif it -- Kit was sleeping.

It has great big eyes and feathers where the tongue would be. Kit heard me playing and came to see what was going on. He loves the snake and has been playing wif it ever since. Sometimes he plays wif mama and sometimes he plays alone -- he tosses it up in the air and wrestles it to the ground.

Next came another kickaroo! This one is for kittens, but mama said it was okay to play wif. It's pink!

It has catnip in it and makes a crinkly sound.

Next we gotted stuffed mice! These are also for kittens but we like them too.

They haf catnip too! We tossed them around for a while. Later I tooked a nap wif one.

And one more thing comed out of the box! A laser toy. I don't know if you can see it in this picture.

By this time I was kind of tired of playing and mama just waved it back and forth by my paws, and I kept trying to put my paw on it.

We are hafing a lot of fun wif our new toys! Thanks Kong!

cageless caturday

2011-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi! I haf some aciting news. A no kill, cageless shelter has opened in our county! Kit and I were both adopted from a kill shelter. We lived in cages and didn't haf room to run around. The people at the shelter tooked good care of us, but our lives were on the line. We are so glad we were adopted! This new shelter will save so many kitties.

Back to previous page

No-kill, cageless cat shelter opens in Olde Towne Gaithersburg

By Jen Bondeson, Published: September 28

Avery and Butterscotch’s room has scratching posts, carpeted cat trees and a three-tier hammock.
Avery, 3, likes to lounge on a tree near the window, watching people pass and curling his tail.
After moving in about a month ago, the feline pair and 12 other cats have made themselves at home.
The Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County, a nonprofit, no-kill cat shelter, has moved from a 12-cage, 600-square-foot building on Bonanza Way, near Snouffer School Road, to a mostly cageless, 2,100-square-foot, two-story townhouse on Park Avenue in Olde Towne Gaithersburg.
The shelter has six rooms and four bathrooms. Most cats either share a room with up to five other felines or are free to roam living areas. If they have had trouble adjusting or do not get along with other cats, they live in one of six cages. Sick cats are housed in an isolation room upstairs.
Colorful murals of paw prints and kittens brighten the walls. Litter boxes are hidden in corners, and a box of toys and balls overflows onto the hardwood floor.
The shelter’s goal is to create a relaxed, roomy environment for as many as 30 cats and the humans who adopt them, so people can get to know the cats’ personalities in a home setting, said Pat Gagne, the volunteer adoption coordinator at the shelter. Gagne said she has seen the cats grow calmer since moving out of their 3-by-3-by-6-foot cages.
The welfare league works with the Montgomery County Humane Society and owners who no longer can care for their cats to take in “adoptable” cats — meaning no trapped or feral animals, Gagne said.
This way, cats are adopted out of the shelter more quickly, so more can be shown; the average stay is less than six months.
Since its founding in 2005, the welfare league has saved almost 600 cats. Its old shelter began operations in 2007. Its 2011 budget is $100,000, coming mostly from grants and fundraisers, said Maureen Williams, the organization’s president.
The league is the only no-kill nonprofit shelter in the county; shelters that receive state funding must take all animals that need help and therefore must euthanize, Williams said. The league’s facility is the only cage-free shelter in the county she is aware of, although there are many in other states, she said.
Fourteen cats now live in the shelter, and 17 more are in short- or long-term foster homes.
The organization has more than 160 volunteers who visit for a few hours at a time, in one of two crews: one that cleans the shelter and make sure the cats have what they need, and one enrichment crew that plays with the cats and notes their behavior. The cats have volunteer visitors three times a day every day except Sunday. Adoption hours are Wednesday nights, Saturdays and some Sundays.
In a den upstairs, people considering adoption can sit on a recliner or couch and observe and play with a cat for as long as they want, Gagne said. Most of the furniture in the house has been donated by private owners, with some by organizations.
Volunteer counselors ask adopters questions such as how often they are home, if they have children and if they want a playful cat or one that will curl up on a lap, she said. The counselors then point them to a good fit.
Sometimes, it doesn’t take long to spot a perfect match, Gagne said.
After only a half-hour Sept. 10, Lorinda Potucek of Germantown walked out with Tigger. The 6-year-old, 22-pound, black-and-brown tabby jumped on her lap as soon as she sat down, Potucek said.
“Immediately, we connected, and he just would not get out of my lap,” said Potucek, who was the first person to adopt a cat from the new shelter.
Potucek and Tigger qualified for the shelter’s Senior to Senior program, which allows people over 60 to adopt a cat that is 6 or older for a discounted rate of $75; the normal cost is $125, and pairs are $200. Each cat is spayed or neutered upon entering the shelter, has current rabies and distemper vaccinations and has been tested for feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia virus.
As a grand-opening special, all cats will be $50 next month. The house’s official grand opening is Sunday.
The welfare league also offers a low-cost spay and neuter program for cats and dogs, organized discussions about animal care and a monthly pet food bank.
The organization will rent the shelter for at least five years from Mary and Gustavo Amaro, who have used the building for office space since buying it eight years ago.
When Mary Amaro, a cat lover, heard the shelter wanted to move in, she thought it was great, she said.
The couple’s real estate agent cautioned them about the dangers of cats roaming the building, but they believe the welfare league is a good cause, Amaro said. The couple lowered the monthly rent from about $2,500 to about $2,000.
Avery can scamper upstairs, over the pipe cleaners that his roommate loves to play with, then snuggle on a sofa with someone who might want to take him home.
“It is nice to have cats living in that environment — it is beautiful,” Amaro said. “They are able to look out the windows and see nature.

mancat monday

2011-09-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

I left a surprise for mom in the bathroom during the night -- a big juicy hairball. It was on the rug and she stepped on it! She said a word on the bad word list. Then she realized I had also vomited on the bed -- twice! She was, let's say, a little peeved. I don't know why I vomited on the bed, it just seemed like the thing to do. Sometimes a cat just has to vomit.

Thanks Hannah and Lucy!

2011-09-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

I gotted another award, from Hannah and Lucy!

It is called "Premio Destellos Brillantes en el Cielo Azul

(Bright Flashes in the Blue Sky Award)

and asks us to describe what we dream or wish for most in the world.

Here is my wish and hopeful dream: That all the stray kitties can find furever homes where they are loved and cared for.

Now I am supposed to pass the award on to 5 other bloggers. I pick

Plus anyone else who has a dream to share! Thanks Hannah and Lucy!

an award!

2011-09-22T16:42:00.000-07:00

I gotted an award from Brian!

To me, Brian is a big inspiration -- he does so much for so many cats. I am supposed to link to an inspirational post, but I haven't been blogging that long and I don't know what to post. I'm going to turn it ofur to mama.

Hi kitties -- it's the mama. This was easy for me. This week saw the end of the Don't ask, don't tell policy in the military. As the loving sister of a gay woman, I know a bit about how hard it can be to be a gay person in America. To think of all the people who served our country under this policy is very inspirational to me. I am so proud of them. Whatever your stand is on this policy, I hope you can join me in being proud of all the brave men and women in uniform who protect us every day.

tunnel tuesday

2011-09-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I finally got in the tunnel.

I'm still not a big fan. But I did try it out! Kit still loves it, he goes in it all the time. Maybe I will learn to like it more, but for now I prefer my box or the new bed. Some kitties asked how Kit and I can both fit in the new bed -- we don't, really. One of us has to spill over. I think mama should get us another one!

Easy like Sunday

2011-09-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hi kitties!

The weather is wonderful here, so we haf gotten lots of window whiffies! I am also watching lots of birdie TV, but the birdies don't seem to like their new food as much as they liked the old stuff, so there are not as many around. Fix this situation mama!

We also haf been taking lotsa naps, in the new bed and in our ham-micks. It's a good weekend! I hope you are hafing a good weekend too!

new bed

2011-09-17T06:42:00.000-07:00

We gotted a new bed!

Here I am after being rudely awakened by the flashy box.

Kit doesn't let the flashy box bother him one bit!

This was an impulse buy at Petco. Now mama wishes she had gotten two, because sometimes we squabble over this one. We have slept in it together a couple of times though! It's furry comfortable. Between this and our ham-micks, we have lots of places to sleep!

wordless wednesday

2011-09-14T15:23:00.000-07:00

mancat monday

2011-09-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

This is an old picture, when I was skinnier.

Bad mom! She forgot to give me my medicine treat this morning. She got an email today from the v-e-t -- I am overdue for my physical. She is going to wait until I was supposed to get my thyroid rechecked and get it all done at once. She says I have had so many v-e-t visits, she wants to spare me as much as possible. I'm on board with that plan! I really hate the v-e-t. I tried to bite a tech once.

Mom better not forget to give me my medicine treat tonight! It is delicious. Tuna flavor!

we remember with love and honor

2011-09-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

whisker hump wednesday

2011-09-07T15:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Kit showed off his whisker humps to you in honor of Kismet. If you didn't know Kismet, he was the original Big Mancat and his whisker humps were legendary. Neither Kit nor I can hope to match his humps but I wanted to show you mine in honor of the great Kismet.

Pee Ess -- Mama forgived me. She efun let me make biscuits on her chestal area for a long time.

trouble

2011-09-06T15:49:00.000-07:00

I am in trouble today.

I kept waking up mama last night. I knocked ofur her jewelry box twice and all the jewelry went all ofur the floor and made a big noise. She hadded to get up and turn on the light and clean it up -- twice.

But the way I look at it is, it's really mama's fault for leaving the jewelry box there. She knows I like to push things off the edges of tables! And this is just too tempting. It makes such a big noise!

Anyway, I'm sorry mama. I hope we can cuddle tonight and efurrything will be forgiven.

mancat monday

2011-09-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

We have been enjoying the long weekend with mom! We have been doing a lot of sleeping.

I knocked over our food maze and the food went all over the floor. I ate it up before mom could clean it up! I have been eating a lot lately. Mom says she thinks I will do great at my next checkup. I hope that's a long way away.

Athena and I were tussling last night. We don't tussle very often but when we do I enjoy it. She is bigger than I am, but I am stronger than she is so I usually win. She started it last night but I finished it!

I hope everycat has a good holiday today. Spend some extra time with your moms and dads!

another prize!

2011-09-04T08:13:00.000-07:00

Kitties! I winned another prize! I winned it from Freya, Teego, and Chatzi. It's a cat food maze!

Mama puts food in the top and it falls through and we push it through the maze to the bottom where we can eat it!

It tooked us a while to figure out how to use it. Kit tried to eat the food just by going in through the top.

I figured it out and hadded fun playing wif it! Of course, I love anything that has to do wif food.

Thanks for our prize, Freya, Teego and Chatzi! We are hafing fun wif it!

treats!

2011-09-02T13:35:00.000-07:00

I gotted treats in the mail today! I winned them by answering a question on Mousebreath. Catnip flavored Temptations!

I gotted to haf some and they were delicious! Kit didn't eat his so mama putted them back in the bag. I think she should haf given them to me -- after all, they're my prize! Thanks Mousebreath!

sorting hat

2011-09-01T15:37:00.000-07:00

In Harry Potter world, every September 1st young witches and wizards hop onto the Hogwarts Express and head to Hogwarts. When they get there, the sorting hat puts them into their houses. We're letting mama blog today, since she is a Harry Potter fanatic.

I was thinking about Hogwarts today and where my cats might be sorted if they went there. Kit, I think, would be a Gryffindor and Athena would be a Hufflepuff. Here is the Sorting Hat song from the first book:

You might belong in Gryffindor
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil.

Kit is definitely brave enough to be a Gryffindor! He is my little escape artist who loves to dart outside to explore the great outdoors. He also is never scared during thunderstorms. He wasn't troubled by Hurricane Irene and even last week's earthquake didn't seem to bother him! The only thing that might keep him out of Gryffindor is the chivalry part. Sometimes he turfs Athena out of her sleeping spots.

And sweet Athena is definitely Hufflepuff material. She is utterly loyal -- she follows me all around the house and she sits on my lap everytime she gets the chance. She is very patient when Kit bugs her and she definitely has a true heart -- she is a real mama's girl. As far as toil goes -- well, cats aren't really into toil, I guess, but the determination with which she makes biscuits makes me think that this fits her as well.

So those are my Hogwarts kitties!

wordless wednesday

2011-08-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

tummy tuesday

2011-08-30T06:14:00.000-07:00

In this picture you can see where my furs didn't grow back after my ladygardenectomy. Mama recently saw anofur cat who this happened to -- maybe it is not as uncommon as she thought. Kit's furs are almost all grown back from where he got shaved for his ultrasound. Mama was worried that his furs wouldn't grow back the way mine didn't, but that didn't happen. It took some convincing for me to let mama show you this photo. I am a little self conscious about my bald spot. But mama says I am beautiful wif or wifout furs.

we made it!

2011-08-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

That was not fun, but not nearly as bad as we expected. The worst of it was east of us. It rained for about 20 hours and in the middle of the night the wind was so bad we couldn't sleep. We lost power but it's back on now. We only got about 4 inches of rain. No flooding! We don't haf to go live wif the woofie!

I did not go UTB -- I stayed wif mama the whole time. When she sat, I sat on her. When she laid down, I laid down on her. I don't mind telling you I was skeered!

There are a lot of places wif power out, and lots of trees down, but it looks okay where we are. The power is out in the main area of our little town.

We are all watching the birds and squirrels now, they haf come back out. Earlier Kit and I gave each ofur a baf.

Mama is just going to stay put today, stay off the road and let the tree removal people do their job and wait for the traffic lights to come back on. So we are hafing a cozy day togefur!

Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and purrs. We feel like we got off pretty easy. Other people were not so lucky and we are purring for them.

Irene

2011-08-27T06:19:00.000-07:00

We are all hunkering down, getting ready for the hurricane. We are getting pretty nervous, the TV and FEMA people say it's going to be bad. We haf water, canned food, flashlights, and batteries. And of course mama stocked up on cat food!

We don't usually lose power during big storms acause our power lines are underground, but mama doesn't really know what to expect this time acause of flooding. They said that the ground is already saturated so flooding is likely. I hope water doesn't come in our house! If that happens, we will pack up and go to mama's sister's house in West Virginia. She has a woofie and I don't want to go there!

The storm is supposed to hit us around 6:00 tonight, get worst at 2:00 am, and last for up to 24 hours. Yikes! I think I will be UTB. Wish us luck, efurryone!

interrogation

2011-08-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

Mama is shining a bright light in my eyes, interrogating me! She wants me to tell her who pooped in the hallway. I know, but I'll nefur tell.

wordless wednesday --100th post!

2011-08-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

skeery day! And cat talk day

2011-08-23T12:48:00.000-07:00

All of a sudden the whole apartment started shaking! Mama said it was a 5.8 earthquake. I went UTB and didn't come out until she got home. She comed home early acause her office was evacuated. There is broken stuff at her office and one broken statue at our house. It was skeery! I felt much better once mama got home.

The Zoolatry girls came up wif a fun idea for us to do today! It's Cat Talk Day. My favorite cat talk phrase is "nipped out." I am a total nip head!

Here is a picture of me eating up some nip:

When you are nipped out, it means that you haf just eaten or inhaled some primo nip and are in a totally blissed out state. Here is a good example. After mama let my grandma's cat try out our hammick, she hadded to wash it. She sprayed it wif catnip spray after she putted it back on the frame. Kit rolled around on it -- he was totally nipped out!

I like dried nip and live nip best. Kit likes live nip and nip spray. However you like it, I hope you get nipped out soon!

mancat monday

2011-08-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

Emma and Buster asked how I am doing -- if I am eating well, if I have put on any weight. The answer to both those questions is yes! After our long, unsuccessful grain free experiment, Mom, with the vet's blessing, switched us back to our old food (although we have new crunchies that we like better than the old stuff). I have been eating very well! I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism exactly two months ago and the last time I was checked, a few weeks ago, I had put on over a pound. I should get checked again soon. I am eating my my medicine treat twice a day, no problem. The latest batch is tuna flavored! It isn't a pill pocket -- it's a soft chew that tastes great! Mom says whoever came up with it is a genius. So, I am doing very well. Thanks for asking!

windows

2011-08-21T07:27:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

The hammick is back -- grandma's big fat cat didn't break it, but he got his smell all ofur it. Neither Kit nor I haf sat on it yet. Mama put catnip spray on it but that didn't help. I am going to make her wash it, I think.

We gotted some good window whiffies yesterday! Our normal August hots are gone right now and mama has been opening the windows for us. This means that we can smell the birdies at our feeder (and the darn introoder kitties under our bush) and smell all the good things about summer.

This was Kit trying to climb the screen to get a squirrel that climbed up the post outside our window to tease us. Mama doesn't like it when he does this acause she's afraid he'll break the screen, but she doesn't understand the urge to stalk just gets so strong sometimes! Here's hoping we get more window whiffies today. Haf a good Sunday, efurrykitties!

bad plan

2011-08-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

I am annoyed wif mama. See my annoyed face?

She is taking one of our hammicks away today! My grandma has two cats and she wants to get hammicks for them, but they are really BIG cats and she is not sure if they will fit. So my mama is going to bring ofur one of OUR hammicks for them to test out! And get their smells all ofur it!

They better not break it wif their big butts. I am mad!

tunnel!

2011-08-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

Prancer Pie guessed it last night -- we gotted a tunnel! Actually, we gotted it a couple of weeks ago, but mama just gived it to us last weekend acause we recently gotted our hammicks and she doesn't want to spoil us.

Kit liked it right away!

I wasn't sure:

I am still hesitant about it. But Kit adores it! He's in there all the time. He plays in there, he sleeps in there, he just hangs out. He loves it!

whisker hump wednesday

2011-08-17T16:53:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. As the mancat of the house, today's post falls to me. Athena, mom and I were all very saddened to hear that Kismet went to the Rainbow Bridge. We read his blog long before we started blogging and we have loved him for a long time. He was the original mancat -- the ideal I strive for!

One of the many magnificent things about Kismet was his whisker humps. He had the best whisker humps I've ever seen! That's why I think it's so appropriate that today, in memory of Kismet, is Whisker Hump Wednesday. I don't usually allow closeups with the flashy box, but in this case I made an exception.

From one side:

And from the other side:

My whisker humps are nowhere near as pawsome as Kismet's. But I am proud to show them to you in his memory. Run free, Kismet.

Mancat Monday

2011-08-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

I have been reflecting on what it means to be manly. I think that a big part of being a mancat is knowing how to keep the womenfolk happy. Lately I have been making my mom very happy. I have not been running outside. I have not been yakking hardly at all. I have been eating up my medicine treats. And I have been eating like a rock star! All these things make mom happy. I am a very manly mancat, living right!

Easy like Sunday

2011-08-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Hi kitties! We are hafing an easy Sunday here after a busy Saturday yesterday.

Mama wented up to West Virginia to her sister's house to celebrate family purrthdays -- they haf 4 in August! Since we are from Maryland, my auntie baked a 12 layer Smith Island cake. Usually when mama goes up to West Virginia, she comes home smelling like woofie and chickhens and goats, but this time -- no chickhens! I asked her why and she said something bad happened. A raccoon ated all the chickhens! No kitty efun gotted a bite!

Last night mama watched a movie and I slept on her lap. We letted her sleep in this morning efun though our bowls were empty! When she saw that, she said that we were furry good kitties and she appreciated us furry much. Now she is getting ready to go see the Harry Potter movie. I don't know why she has to go see it again, she already saw it once. I think she should stay here wif me! I am going to take a nap while she is gone. My morning nap was so good, I think I need anofur one!

affectionate Friday

2011-08-12T14:50:00.000-07:00

We don't know why, but mama has been gifing us extra pets and kisses yesterday and today!

Here is a picture of me getting scritches. We haf been gifing mama lots of love and she has been gifing it right back to us! We are a furry happy house lately!

tabby thursday

2011-08-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

Since I didn't get to have Mancat Monday because of World Cat Day, I am taking over the blog tonight.

That gray tabby that I told you about the other day has been on Mom's mind. He was just so thin, and unlike the other cats that have come to our patio, he doesn't have a collar. He came up to her yesterday when she was walking out to her car, and he was really friendly. She saw him hanging around again today. She is worried about him. She doesn't know if he's a stray or not. There are so many cats around our apartment complex. I told her not to worry -- he looks like a pretty tough cat to me, the way he just sat and stared back at me. I sure don't want her to take him home!

wordless wednesday

2011-08-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

hammicks!

2011-08-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

We gotted hammicks! We haf been asking and asking and mama finally gotted them for us! They comed out of the package wif catnip already on them!

As soon as she putted the first one together, Kit was already on it! He was so relaxed he decided to take a baf!

I couldn't efun wait for mama to put together the second one, I sat on it right away!

We love our hammicks! Thanks, Forty Paws Maw!

World Cat Day

2011-08-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's the mama here. Athena and Kit have graciously agreed to let me take over the blog for World Cat Day. I am happy to have the chance to talk about the difference they have made in my life!

I grew up with cats. In fact, the first word I ever spoke was cat. I adore cats and couldn't wait to get my own. I adopted one of my parents' cats, Evinrude, and then got two kittens, Kit and Boo. When I moved to a new apartment, I could only have two pets, so I reluctantly let Evinrude go back to my parents' house. Frankly I think she was happier there, away from the kittens. Boo passed away from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy one month before her second birthday. Devastated doesn't begin to describe how I felt. I still cry thinking about it, and it was seven years ago. A few months later, I adopted Athena, and she brought light back into my life again. Right from the start, she and Kit got along -- most of the time! They are a good match.

For years, I struggled with an addiction that nearly killed me. In fact, there were times when I wanted to die. It is not an exaggeration to say that the only thing that kept me going was my cats. On days when I felt like I couldn't get out of bed, I knew I had to get up to feed them. When I cried, they comforted me. When I wanted to die, I stayed alive to take care of them. Now that I am healthy and am living a positive life, my cats help me through my day to day problems and also the big things, like when my dad died two months ago. I honestly don't know what I would do without them. I am so grateful for them! I think every day should be World Cat Day!

numero four!

2011-08-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

Kitties! Our patio invasion continues! So far we haf had a curious calico, a bruiser of a Siamese, and a little gray and white kitty. Yesterday a new introoder came around!

Mama spotted him first, padding across the patio. At first she thought it was Kit, that he got outside -- she just saw a long, thin tabby cat. He jumped up on the patio chair in front of the empty box.

Kit was the next one to spot him. He sat at the back door and glared.

I was asleep in my box and didn't know what was going on! Then Kit growled, alerting me to the introoder! I quickly got up to see what was going on.

That cat didn't efun seem to care that we were glaring and growling at him! No respect! He just sat there for a minute, stretched, and then ambled along. Grr! There sure are a lot of outside kitties around here. Mama thinks they come around to our apartment acause of our bird feeder. She worries that she has set up a buffet for the kitties. I say keep the bird feeder! We need our birdie TV!

A Major Award!

2011-08-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

Hi efurrybody! I winned an award! Prancer Pie and Willow gived it to me. Actually Willow gived it to me a little while ago but it was right after my grandpa died and I forgetted to do it.

I am supposed to tell you 7 unknown things about myself.

1. I love butter!
2. I have only efur been sick twice in my 7 years -- once wif kennel cough and once I hadded an upset tummy. The kennel cough was really bad -- I hadded to be on two different antibiotics.
3. I love to haf my belly rubbed!
4. I am normally furry gentle, but I turn into a wildcat if you try to gif me a pill or clip my claws. Mama has to take me to the v-e-t to haf them clip my claws!
5. My nicknames are Little Bit and Baby Girl.
6. I like it when my mama sings to me.
7. The v-e-t said I haf exceptionally clean ears!

I am supposed to gif this to 15 ofur bloggers, but I think lots of kitties haf gotten this already, so I am just going to pass it to anyone who wants to play!

wordless wednesday

2011-08-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

mancat monday

2011-08-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

We got the postcard from the v-e-t that it's time for my senior physical and my rabies shot. I don't want to go! I have been to the v-e-t so much lately.

Here I am up on the sink, helping mom do the dishes. I help her a lot in the kitchen. Once or twice I've even dragged my tail through the saucepan! You may think, from the look on my face in this picture, that I am in a bad mood. Not so! I was actually purring when this picture was taken. That's just the way I look a lot of the time. In reality, I am a very happy cat. Except when I have to go to the v-e-t!

torbie thursday

2011-07-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hi! I am still busy taking care of mama.

She forgotted to fill our crunchy food bowl last night! When we all gotted up this morning it was empty. Not efun a crumb! We like our new crunchies. We didn't bug her to get up to feed us, though. We knew she would.

Yesterday Kit and I gived each ofur a bath! Usually when we do this it turns to tussling right away, but not this time. We hadded a nice long bath and then we retreated to our separate corners for a nap. He was so nice to me! He is a good big brofur.

nap

2011-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

I just hadded the nicest nap wif mama! She is home today acause she is not feeling well. She has been coughing for days and days and today she feels worse, so she stayed home. She gotted back in bed and wented to sleep, and I slept on top of her back and Kit slept on top of her legs. Usually Kit does not let me sleep on top of her when he is there, but today he did!

We hadded a good sleep. Mama said if she is feeling better later she will help me visit my furriends. Right now she is going back to bed. I think I will go wif her! It is important to be a good nurse when she is sick.

Pee Ess -- I like the new food too! Last night we cleaned our bowls! This makes mama furry happy. She says she doesn't mind if I am a little chunky as long as Kit gains weight. Chunky! I prefer the term fluffy!

mancat monday

2011-07-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

I have been behaving myself -- I have not been trying to run outside when mom opens the back door. I go take a look, but I don't try to run outside. I want to go outside, don't get me wrong, it is just too hot outside to go out there!

I am feeling better on my chewy treat medicine. I have not been spending as much time in my closet. I am sitting on mom's lap again. I even started playing with my purple fevver-butt mousie again! The medicine is working. My appetite is back. Mom switched our stinky goodness from grain free to ProPlan and we like it a lot. Our v-e-t recommended it. I am eating it up and I have only yakked once. Mom says the grain free experiment was a bust because we wouldn't eat it. This new stuff is great!

All in all, I am a happy cat.

caturday

2011-07-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

I haf something embarrassing to admit. I am not a hunter! Last night there was a dying fly in our apartment. I tracked him just fine, it was fun to chase him. But when he set down on the couch, I just sat there and looked at him. Mama knocked him to the floor for me, and he just crawled around a little, and I put my paw on him a couple of times, but that's all I did. Then I just sat back and watched as he died. I didn't efun eat him! What can I say, I just am not interested in eating a bug. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this acause so many of you are mighty hunters! But, I am who I am.

thankful thursday

2011-07-21T05:25:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for our bird feeder. It brings lots of birdies and squirrels for me to look at!

I sit on the window sill and look just beyond that bush and I see them! I also look out the back door and see them, or out the sliding glass door in the bedroom. We get all kinds of birdies for us to watch. Of course, there is a downside -- introoder kitties also come to watch. We haf three of them -- a gray and white, a calico, and a Siamese.

I love watching the birdies and the squirrels! I watch them a lot when I am awake. They're the best!

wordless wednesday

2011-07-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

mancat monday

2011-07-18T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. I got the results of my thyroid test back -- now I am a point below normal! So we are going to keep my on my chewy medicine treat and test me again in three months. The medicine is working! Maybe almost too well -- mom has to keep an eye on me to make sure I do not become lethargic or lose my appetite.

Speaking of appetite -- I didn't like the special digestive food the v-e-t suggested. We are going back to grain free. Some of you suggested a nutritional paste supplement. Mom got nutrical and we tried it tonight -- I wouldn't eat it. She is going to get the GNC brand tomorrow to see if I will eat that. It is supposed to be tasty chicken flavored, which is one of my favorites. Mom is not giving up! There has to be a food out there that I will like that will not make me yak. She will find it!

Easy like Sunday

2011-07-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

We are haffing a quiet day around here. Kit has found a sunpuddle and he isn't budging! I haf been looking out the sliding glass doors in the bedroom onto the patio to watch the birdies at their feeder. Yesterday three big black crows showed up, they were huge! I hope they don't come back, they scare all the pretty little birdies away.

I hope you all haf an easy Sunday! I am going to take a nap!

putting up a fight!

2011-07-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. Well, it happened to me again today. I got shoved into the PTU and taken to the v-e-t for my follow up thyroid appointment. I howled all the way there!

When we got there, the tech came and took me away from my mom to go get my blood stolen. They took off my collar, and I was so mad at them that they didn't even try to put it back on! I get my results on Monday. Then the v-e-t came out to talk to my mom about our food situation. I have gained a little weight, so the situation is not dire, but they would like me to be a) eating more and b) not yakking. The v-e-t gave my mom some prescription food for cats with upset tummies. We will try that tonight. I am sure Athena will eat it. Athena eats everything.

torbie thursday

2011-07-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

Hi! I am eating up the grain free food, confusing mama. She will talk to the v-e-t tomorrow when Kit goes in for his thyroid checkup to see what is the best thing to do. Paws crossed that he has gained more weight! Mama says she thinks he has.

I got scared off of mama's lap a couple of times last night. She has a bad cough and when she coughs, I go running. Last night, though, I slept at her feet to take care of her. I am a good nurse!

wordless wednesday

2011-07-13T05:02:00.000-07:00

tummy tuesday

2011-07-12T15:30:00.000-07:00

Well, there is more foods drama at our house. Mama was gradually switching us back to our old foods and Kit started yakking again as soon as she introduced efun a little bit of the old foods. So now she is pretty sure that he is allergic to grain because he was doing so well on the grain free food and as soon as she starts switching us back he starts yakking again.

Kit's poor tummy!

So, mama is not sure what to do. She put us right back on the grain free food to see if Kit will stop yakking. He has to go to the v-e-t on Friday to get his blood work redone to see how he's doing on the thyroid medicine, and they will weigh him then. If he's gained weight, she is going to keep us on the grain free. If he's lost weight or hasn't gained, she doesn't know what she will do because it seems like the old food makes him yak, efun though he likes it better. Maybe we will just haf to haf a cat who yaks, if it means he is eating and gaining weight like he needs to. I feel sorry for Kit -- yakking is no fun. I also feel sorry for me -- I want the old food back! Mama reminded me that I haf to lose weight anyway. Hmph.

Mancat Monday

2011-07-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

I do something that leaves my mom a little befuddled -- I pull her towel down from the rail and make it into a little bed for myself. She does not like it when I do this because she does not want her towel on the floor.

But I am not going to stop. You know why? Because mom's towel smells like mom, and I like having a bed that smells like mom. So, sorry Mom. Your towel is mine.

windows

2011-07-10T07:10:00.003-07:00

One of our fafurite things to do, that I know many kitties share wif us, is look out the window!

From this window, we can look out onto the patio and see the birdies and squirrels come to the birdie feeder. This is also where we can see the introoder kitties.

There are also windows in the bedroom that we like to look out of. Some of them also look out ofur the patio. There is one that looks out ofur the side of the apartment building and Kit especially likes to look out of that one. Look, you can see how he ruined the blinds climbing through them.

There's so much to see when you look out the windows! Especially when you are indoor kitties. The best is when mama opens the windows and we get whiffies. She isn't going to do that today -- too hot. We had it yesterday, though!

windows

2011-07-10T07:10:00.001-07:00

One of our fafurite things to do, that I know many kitties share wif us, is look out the window!

caturday -- UPDATED

2011-07-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

Good morning!

We hadded a HUGE rainstorm yesterday! Mama was out buying food for us and she gotted soaked! See what I do for you two, she said, but I think that's just what she should be doing! When she comed home she opened the window so we could get window whiffies of the rain.

In this picture, you can see where my furs didn't grow back after my ladygardenectomy. Did this happen to any ofur cat? I hate my bald spot! Kit's furs are already growing back from where they shaved him for his ultrasound.

UPDATED -- it was six and a half years ago!

ha ha

2011-07-08T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ha ha, mama, we fooled you!

Mama was sure we'd lost weight on our new food because we were eating so little. She measured our food yesterday and it was worse than she'd thought. We only ate 1/4 of a 5.5 ounce can twice a day and 1/4 of a cup of dry food.

Mama got these calming chews for us to eat before we went to the v-e-t. They tasted good, but they didn't work! We still howled in the PTUs alla way to the v-e-t, then we froze up and wouldn't come out for our weight check. We fooled mama! We didn't lose weight, efun though we've been eating so little! Howefur, the v-e-t was not happy when she heard how little we haf been eating. She said Kit needs to eat more so he can gain more weight -- the hyperthyroid medicine alone can't do it all. He is still too thin. So, she said to switch us back to our old food acause he really liked it. We are going to switch back gradually so we don't get upset tummies.

Mama has already been to the store to buy the old food and has mixed it up wif the new food, and Kit and I are bof eating. Our ordeal is almost ofur! Hooray for the old food coming back! The v-e-t asked what we were eating afore and she said that nutritionally it is fine. We efun get our Temptations back! We are still going to get the dental treats, though, but that is okay acause we like them.

furs

2011-07-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hi! I got furminated!

Mama got this furminator yesterday acause I haf been shedding so much and presented her wif a big hairball. She used it on me right away. I loved it! It felt so good to be combed, plus I love whenever mama touches me. She gotted a lot of my undercoat off! I feel lighter already.

Thanks for all your advice about our food situation. Mama has tried so many brands of grain free stinky goodness, she thinks she gotted them all. There are some that we will eat, but nowhere near what we were eating before. She called the v-e-t to ask for advice. The v-e-t said to measure how much we are eating for one day, then bring us in for a weight check. So that stinks, we will haf to go in the PTUs. At least we know there will be no poking or blood stealing! The v-e-t wants to see if Kit is still gaining. She says it is okay if I haf lost a little acause I need to. The v-e-t is concerned, so we are going in.

We are still loving our ESS! We play on it alla time. Kit likes to sleep there.

stinky goodness

2011-07-06T05:37:00.000-07:00

Mama says she is considering changing us back to our old food from the grain free. We used to clean our stinky goodness bowls and now we don't. Because Kit needs to gain weight, she is considering whether it is more important to have food that he will eat more of versus food that is healthier. The other side of the story is that Kit's vomiting has gotten SO much better since switching to the grain free. He has already gained some weight with his medicine and the new food. She is not sure what to do. I don't know what to tell her. I am used to the new food and don't efun remember what the old food tasted like. I actually need to lose weight. She doesn't know what is best for both of us. She needs to talk to the v-e-t.

toesie tuesday

2011-07-05T05:11:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Here are my toesies, lined up on mama's arm!

You can see my one buff toe in the back there. My toepads are black acept for the buff one, that is pink.

Mama asplained to me why she is so worried about Kit and keeps taking him to the v-e-t for more tests and keeps talking to the online v-e-t. It's acause of the cat who came before me. She was Kit's littermate and she was a beautiful polydactyl girl named Boo. She had huge thumbs! One day, three months before Boo's second birthday, the v-e-t founded a heart murmur. He dided an ultrasound and saided that Boo had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. They putted her on medicine but she just got sicker and sicker until one night in the middle of the night she couldn't breathe. Mama rushed her to the emergency v-e-t and they tried to help her but they couldn't. They told mama she was suffering and it was time to help Boo to the Bridge. It broked Mama's heart to say goodbye before Boo efun turned two years old. Efur since then, she just is so worried about our health. So I guess I can understand why she is so worried about Kit, and I will not hold it against her.

last night

2011-07-03T05:19:00.000-07:00

Morning! I gotted to sleep on top of mama last night!

Usually Kit sleeps on top of mama and he doesn't let me get on top of her. But Kit has a new sleeping spot during the day -- some open drawers in mama's closet -- and he spent last night there.

Of course, this made mama worry about Kit AGAIN. She said, why are you spending so much time in the closet? Are you hiding acause you don't feel well? She efun broughted food to him in there!

I told her, don't worry mama. Sometimes kitties just find a good sleeping spot and want to spend a lot of time there. For example, I found this piece of paper in the living room. It comed inside a package. I love to sleep on it!

I've been sleeping on it a lot lately. But you don't catch mama worrying about ME, do you? Hmph. Sooner or later mama is going to realize that Kit is just fine on his medicine and is going to be okay. That she doesn't haf to worry about every little thing he does. That he'll eat when he's hungry and that he'll eat enough. Sooner or later she'll calm down! Not soon enough for me!

caturday

2011-07-02T06:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I would not want to haf to go to the v-e-t as much as Kit has had to go, but I am starting to get jealous! Mama says "good boy" when he eats his medicine treat or when he eats his foods. Big deal! And she keeps gifing him extra pets. Yes, she still gives me plenty of cuddles, but I am still jealous!

In ofur news -- we gotted an ESS! We haf seen so many of you playing wif yours and we wanted one, so mama gotted us one! Here I am haffing a little rest.

Here is Kit scratching on it while I pretend not to care that he kicked me off it.

Here I am gifing it a good scratch! I love that dangly feather!

Have a good caturday!

uh-oh -- UPDATED

2011-07-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

Not good news. The PTU is out again, and Mom has been on the phone with the v-e-t. I heard my name. The bedroom door is shut so I can't go UTB. I wish Mom would stop doing her own v-e-t research! She keeps talking to a v-e-t on the web because she is worried about me. I keep trying to tell her I'm fine by cuddling up to her and eating my food and eating my medicine treat, but she is still worried. I wish she would just leave me alone.

In other news, there has been a lot of noise outside our window. A man came with a noisy machine and trimmed our bush back. Another man came and sprayed something on the flower bed where our bird feeder is. And now another man is cutting the grass. Athena runs and hides, but I like to watch.

I'll let you know what happens at the v-e-t. They better not try to steal any more of my blood! I need it all!

UPDATED:

Whew! That wasn't so bad. Don't get me wrong, I hate going in the PTU, but this time when Mom opened it up in the exam room I hopped right out to explore. It turns out that when Mom and the v-e-t were talking on the phone about my blood, they meant my blood pressure, not stealing it! Something about hypertension secondary to hyperthyroidism. Anyway, two very nice vet techs came in. One was a big guy who held me while the girl did her thing. I growled at her to start with, but as soon as she said the word "muzzle" I stopped doing that. The guy tech was petting me and my mom was petting me too. The girl tech shaved a patch on my leg! Between that and my shaved belly and sides I am feeling quite nekkid. She put some kind of gel and a sensor on the bare patch and something around my leg. Then she used a machine to make the thing around my leg squeeze my leg! It felt weird, but it didn't hurt. The gel was cold, though. The v-e-t came in and told my mom that my blood pressure was perfect and that my mom doesn't have to worry. Mom feels much better! And I am not mad at mom. I am not a grudge-holding kitty.

Hopefully this will be the end of my v-e-t trips. Wait, what Mom? I have to go back in two weeks to have my thyroid levels rechecked? Great. At least everyone at my v-e-t is nice.

International Box Day -- Introoder Edition!

2011-06-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

Hi! Happy Box Day! Both Kit and I love boxes, so it was easy for mama to get these pictures. We haf a catnip heart in our box!

Here I am asleep in our box.

Here's Kit in our box.

Efurrycat loves boxes, efun brazen introoders! I haf talked before about the Siamese that is coming around to check out our bird feeder and come under our bush and come up to our window. Well, mama left an empty box on her deck chair on the patio and the introoder jumped right in!

Can you believe it? The nerve of this cat!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed our box post! I am going to go take a nap you know where!

it comed!

2011-06-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

Hi! We haf hadded some acitement at our house! A package came and it hadded MY name on it! Kit and I sniffed it and checked it out -- it smelled like a beautiful girlcat!

Hurry up mama and open it, I said!

When she did, we saw that it was Sparkle's book! We love Sparkle!

Kit especially loves Sparkle. He has a crush on her! He likes her because she is so smart, and beautiful, and funny, and she is petite like he is! He was sniffing her book, getting her scent.

He is really in love!

He was putting his scent all ofur Sparkle's picture! I am teasing him so much about this!

We are haffing a book club wif mama. It's a great book! Effurybody should get one! Sparkle efun pawtographed it for me!

Pee Ess -- mama finded anofur brand of grain free stinky goodness that we like -- Blue Wilderness. So we are not going to starve!

back to the v-e-t

2011-06-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

Well, Mom started worrying about me again. I've been going to our water fountain about once an hour. She talked to an online v-e-t who advised taking me in to have my kidneys tested, since hyperthyroid can mask kidney disease. As you may remember, one of my kidneys is smaller than normal and one is larger than normal.

So, I got loaded into the PTU. Mom had to go UTC to get me!

I was brave at the v-e-t. They stole some more of my blood. At this rate I'm not going to have any left! Mom and I waited for the results. I explored the office.

The v-e-t came back to tell Mom that my kidneys are normal! She is not sure why I have been drinking so much water. It could be because I am eating more crunchies than I was. I do NOT have diabetes. She said not to worry about it, they will check everything again in two and a half weeks when I go back to have my thyroid levels rechecked.

We got some really good news -- I have gained almost half a pound! Mom finally found a brand of grain free stinky goodness that both Athena and I like -- Wellness. We also like the Blue Wilderness crunchies.

Here I am eating!

I am eating my medicine treat, too, twice a day. Mom had to put it in my throat twice but other than that I am eating it. Athena is jealous that I get an extra treat.

Mom is so happy that I have gained weight! I weigh 7.3 pounds now.

Mancat Monday -- UPDATED!

2011-06-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

I am feeling kind of embarrassed, because my belly is shaved from my ultrasound.

I feel nekkid! Here are my laser eyes to express my unhappiness.

I am getting thyroid medicine twice a day. It is in the form of a soft treat. The first few times, I ate it up. The last two times, I just sniffed it. Mom had to put it down my throat! I didn't like that, but I am not holding it against her. I am not a grudge-holding kitty.

So far the healthy food experiment is not going well. Mom has only found one food that we like. She keeps trying, though. She did find some crunchies that we both like, so we are not starving. Both Athena and I want our old stinky goodness back, yet Mom insists that this will be better for us. Not if we won't eat it, Mom!

Still, I am not letting all of this get me down. I think I'll just have a good stretch and then watch some birdie TV. Maybe Mom will open the door today and I'll get to run outside! Mom doesn't like when I do that, but it's fun for me!

UPDATED TO ADD:

Well, I tried to run outside but Mom grabbed me. Listen to this! I was having some nice window whiffies when that introoder Siamese came by my bush! And just sat there and growled at me! I growled back but he didn't move! How infuriating! Mom, let me out so I can deal with this guy!

grumpy

2011-06-26T03:38:00.000-07:00

I am not furry happy about the way things are going around here!

Mama is changing our food to "healthy" food. She said that healthier food will help Kit gain weight and will help me lose weight, which makes no sense to me. Something about grain-free and high protein. She tooked away our old stinky goodness and crunchies! Now she is trying all different kinds of stinky goodness and crunchies, trying to find some that we both like.

She efun tooked away our Temptations and tried to replace them wif healthy dental treats! We wouldn't eat them, so we sent her out to get different ones. Finally she comed back wif Greenies, which we both like. But the only reason we haf to haf dental treats in the first place is because when Kit wented to the v-e-t last week, they said he has gingivitis and tartar!

Kit, Kit, Kit. That's all I hear about these days. Mama is babying him! Just acause he's been sick. She is gifing him extra pets. She broughted him his purple fever butt mousie and the nip banana yesterday. She tells him he's a good boy when he eats his medicine treat -- big deal! Who wouldn't eat a treat? And yesterday, when he was resting, kitties, she efun broughted food ofur to him to get him to eat. I couldn't believe it! It made me want to yak.

About the only good thing that happened yesterday was that we gotted window whiffies.

But efun that was ruined by two introoders -- the gray and white kitty and the Siamese. They keep coming under MY bush that you can see in that picture there! Right under my very nose!

Oh, I forgotted one really good thing that did happen. Something came for us in the mail! It was a cube! And mama efun put catnip spray on it! I like to hang out in there.

Ofur than the cube, though, I am not happy wif the way things are going around here! I want our old food back! I want Kit to stop getting so much attention! And I want the introoders to stop going under my bush!

caturday

2011-06-25T11:05:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all for their good wishes about Kit! He seems to be feeling like his old self again, eating well. We haf new food and mama is trying to find some that we both like. She thinks it is going to be a trial and error process. Mom gotted us new treats, too. They are grain free dental treats, and we hate them! They haf to be pretty bad if efun I won't eat them, because I love treats!

We are used to our collars, now. Mine is pink!

At first we really hated them and tried to get them off. I couldn't get mine off, but Kit gotted his off right away. But mama wrestled him and gotted it back on and he is used to it now.

They tooked it off when they did his ultrasound and he didn't fight mama at all when she put it back on. She says he has to haf it in case he keeps running outside, and I haf to haf it because he has to haf it. In these pictures we are drinking our Whiskas cat milk, which we love so much!

I hope you are all haffing a nice Caturday. We are haffing a good one, just hanging out and trying our new food and taking naps. There's not much sun today. Take it easy!

good news!

2011-06-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

Hi, it's me, Athena! Kit is too tired to blog about his day -- he's been through a lot!

This is an old picture. Iffen my mama could haf gotten a new picture, you would see that his belly and his sides are shaved for the ultrasound! He looks funny! But that isn't the news.

We gotted good news from the v-e-t! No cancer or IBD! So it looks like it is the hyperthyroid that made him lose the weight, efun though his levels were only slightly elevated. This is treatable wif medication! Mama is so happy. I'm happy too, he is a good big brofur. I am growling and hissing at him right now, but that's just because he smells like the v-e-t. I can't help it!

One thing the nice lady v-e-t did find on the ultrasound is that one of his kidneys is smaller than normal, and the ofur one is bigger than normal. They will haf to watch his kidney function, especially since the thyroid medication can mask dysfunction. His medicine is in the form of a treat! Hopefully he will take it like a good boy.

He is one tired kitty right now. They had to sedate him for the ultrasound because he is a feisty cat! Hopefully he will get some good rest this afternoon and will feel like eating his dinner. He didn't get any breakfast! Mama is trying out different foods on us right now. She is switching us to a premium, grain free diet to try to stimulate Kit's appetite. She wented to the store to return alla the old food and to get us new food. She got lotsa different kinds so she can see what we like best.

We want to thank efurryone for their purrs and purrayers! Mama was so worried and you all helped a lot. We know it is still a serious condition but it isn't as bad as we feared -- we were so scared it was cancer. at least this is treatable!

xoxo

update on kit

2011-06-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Hi -- Kit here.

The nice lady v-e-t called my mom late today with the results of my thyroid test. It is slightly elevated. The nice lady v-e-t does not know whether that slight elevation is enough to explain why I have lost so much weight, so I am having an ultrasound tomorrow. Another lady v-e-t is going to do that for me. I don't get to have any breakfast!

Speaking of food, tonight my mom gave us a new brand of food -- Weruva. She said she wanted to find something to whet my appetite. Boy, did it ever! I loved it!

I am going to have to take medicine for my thyroid, no matter what the ultrasound says. I am going to get it in the form of a chewy treat. Hopefully I will like it, because neither my mom nor I want to deal with pills. I am a really tough cat to pill, if I may say so myself! I may be small, but I'm strong!

Thanks for all the purrs and purrayers so far, my mom and I really appreciate them. If you could keep them going for the ultrasound, we would really appreciate it!

Here is a picture of me with my head in a food bag. As you can see, I do like to eat! Hopefully tomorrow we will figure out why I have lost so much weight and what we can do about it.

purrs and purrayers needed -- UPDATED

2011-06-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here.

We got loaded into the PTUs this morning. We put up a good fight, but it was to no avail. We went in the car and it was as I feared -- we were going to the v-e-t. The tech came out and, one at a time, took us back and microchipped us and clipped our claws. The microchip hurt! The tech nice, though. It only hurt for a moment. The problem came when she weighed us. I had lost "a significant amount of weight." Now, I am a skinny cat to begin with. I can't afford to lose any more weight. So, they are concerned. Mom is REALLY concerned. In fact, she is just plain scared. They want to see me again this afternoon at 3:00 for a full checkup and bloodwork. Cats, could you please purr for me? I will update you later. Thanks!

UPDATE:

Kit here. Well, she got me into the PTU again and back to the v-e-t. I howled all the way there and shook the walls of the PTU trying to get out! When we got there, they took me away from my mom to steal my blood and pee. They did my senior wellness exam at the same time, without my mom there, because I was getting so upset from having my blood and pee stolen they didn't want to waste any time getting me back to the room where my mom was waiting for me. One time when I was there I tried to bite a tech who was giving me a bath -- I guess they weren't taking any chances! I have gingivitis and tartar. Mom is going to get my teeth cleaned, yuck. The vet doesn't think that's the problem, though, because I can still eat fine.

The vet asked about my appetite. I have always been a very good eater -- I eat a lot, actually -- but my appetite has been a little off lately. I am a chronic vomiter, too. The vet didn't feel any masses in my belly. Mom told on me -- I have a habit of eating plastic. She tries to keep all the plastic away from me, but sometimes she forgets or isn't fast enough and I chomp down. She was worried that it might be in my belly, but the vet didn't feel anything there. My blood and pee came back okay, but my thyroid test won't be back until tomorrow. If that comes back okay, the next step is an ultrasound. The vet said some words like "inflammatory bowel disease" and "cancer." I don't know what those things are, but my mom's eyes got leaky when she heard them.

Thanks to efurryone for your purrs and purrayers. My mom is hoping it is my thyroid and not something more serious. I am just worried that I will have to take pills! I know my mom and the nice lady vet will take good care of me.

good news and bad news

2011-06-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, kitties, I haf good news and bad news. Let's start wif the good news! The gang at Crew's Views gave me the Kreative Blogger Award! That means I get to tell you five things about myself.

Here goes!

1. Athena is the name the people at the shelter gave me. My mama liked it, so she kept it.
2. I love, love, love Temptations. I gobble mine up and mama has to hold me back or I'll eat up Kit's too!
3. My favorite toys are bouncy foam balls. I could chase them all day!
4. My mama doesn't want me to tell you this, but last summer I had an awful case of fleas. It was terrible!
5. When they shaved me for my ladygardenectomy, my furs didn't grow back. I haf a bald patch! It's embarrassing.

Now I get to pick three bloggers to pass the award to! Let's see, I will pick Willow, Emma and Buster, and Selina.

Now, here's the bad news. Kit gotted out this morning and runned under the bush again. He comed back when mama called and whistled for him, but mama gotted upset. She said, that's it. When she comed home from work, she hadded something for us -- collars wif our names and phone number on them! At least she tooked off the bells. Mine is pink. I don't like it! And, kitties, she tooked out the PTUs. They are sitting in the living room. I am scared!

Mancat Monday

2011-06-20T15:17:00.000-07:00

My fellow cats, we have an emergency on our hands! We have a third introoder! A big siamese. I am beyond words! Outraged! They are coming in from the side of the patio, walking around and sniffing the bird feeder, and going to hang out under a bush.

Look at how angry I am!

And to top off the outrage, I got in trouble for trying to defend our home! Mom went outside to feed the birds, and I ran outside. I went straight under the bush and wouldn't come out when she called! Finally I came out when I was ready. She said she was worried I would run away! Doesn't she understand that I was just checking under the bush for introoders? That's where they hang out! She said that if I keep running outside like that, she's going to make me wear a collar. Man, I HATE collars. I am so misunderstood.

red alert!

2011-06-19T06:56:00.000-07:00

Kitties!

I was all set for a quiet day watching birdie TV yesterday but you'll nefur believe what I saw on MY patio!

Introoders! Twice! The first time it was a calico cat, the second time a gray and white! I couldn't believe my eyes! How dare they! Mama thinks that they started coming around acause of the birdie feeder. I don't care why they come, I don't want them there! Kit slept through the whole thing, which mama says she is grateful for acause she thinks he would try efun harder to get out iffen he knew there were introoder kitties in our territories. She doesn't realize that of course I told him!

caturday

2011-06-18T06:57:00.000-07:00

It is a gray day here today. Efurryone is moving slowly. We efun letted mama sleep late! Kit is sleeping and I am going to go back to bed myself.

Efun the squirrels are not at the feeder. The birdies are there though. Mama tries to take their picture but when she gets close they fly away.

*YAWN*

Time to curl up and go to sleep, now. Talk to you later!

tattle tale

2011-06-15T16:15:00.000-07:00

Kitties! Come closer! I haf a story to tell you!

When mama wented out to feed the birdies this morning, Kit gotted out! He runned out onto the patio and sniffed around. Mama picked him up and putted him back inside. But before she could shut the door, he runned back outside! And this time he runned far! He wented alla way around the side of the apartment building. He scared mama. He is in trouble!

Kit: Athena! It isn't nice to be a tattle tale!

Oh, Kit. You just don't want the girl cats to know that you are GROUNDED.

tummy tuesday

2011-06-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

Since Mom fell down on the job and didn't turn on the computer yesterday for me to do my mancat Monday post, I am taking over today's post and declaring it tummy Tuesday. Here is a picture of my tummy.

As you can see, I am a lean kitty machine. In fact, it's because of me that we get extra stinky goodness in the morning around here. The v-e-t wanted me to gain some weight. I am the opposite of Athena. She is shorter and rounder than I am. She has a little pudge in her bellicular region. She weighs about two and a half pounds more than I do, but we are well matched in a wrasslin match because I am all muscle.

smelly sunday

2011-06-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Today mama went up to West Virginia wif her family to haf brunch at her sister's house. Whenefur she goes up there she always comes home smelling like woofie. We are used to that. But this time she came back smelling like something else entirely! We sniffed and sniffed her but we couldn't figure out what it was! Finally she told us.

Goats.

Her sister has two Nigerian dwarf goats and two pygmy goats. Can you believe it! Why doesn't she just get a cat like a normal person! Mama says the goats are cute. I don't know, they look kind of scary to me. Here are some pictures so you can judge for yourselves:

Look, that one has horns! Scary! What do you think, kitties?

caturday

2011-06-11T06:53:00.000-07:00

First off mama and Kit and I want to fank efurrybody for their kind words and sweet purrs about Grandpa. We miss him a lot but we are holding up. Kit and I are taking good care of mama and Grandma's cats are taking good care of her. Even though Kit keeps eating the flowers.

We are just hanging out this morning. Mama is threatening to clean the whole apartment but who knows if she really will. She also says she is feeling lazy. If she starts cleaning, we will go UTB, but for now we will hang out right here.

Grandpa

2011-06-10T05:13:00.000-07:00

We are furry quiet this morning, loving on mama.

We are looking up to Heaven to see our Grandpa. Today is his funeral. Mama is furry busy of course, but we wanted to take a moment to post our favorite picture of him.

Yesterday was his birthday. He would haf been 67. Thank you, Grandpa, for being such a good Grandpa and for always giving us pats and scritches. Thank you for letting us stay at your house and taking care of us. Most of all, thank you for raising our mama to be a cat person. We love you!

"garden" tour thursday

2011-06-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

Hi! As I said last Thursday, we don't haf much of a garden, although there is nice landscaping outside. We also don't haf plants in the house, acause Kit eats them and then yaks them back up. But we do always haf either cat grass or a nip plant! We love to chomp on them, especially the nip plants.

Here is a picture of a chomped on nip plant next to a new one. As you can see, Kit and I eat almost the whole thing!

wordless wednesday

2011-06-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

toesie tuesday

2011-06-07T06:06:00.000-07:00

Here are my little toes. I haf all black toe pads except for one pink one. My claws are long because I don't let mama do clippy claws, she has to take me to the v-e-t and she hasn't had time to do it for a while. I am careful though, I don't scratch her.

Speaking of clippy claws, my mama tooked my grandma's cats to the v-e-t for theirs yesterday. Dey were furry well behaved. Dey haf been furry quiet since grandpa died. Dey are taking good care of grandma.

Easy like Sunday

2011-06-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Mama wants to thank effuryone for their purrayers and purrs. It has been a ruff couple of days but she has a close family and lots of furiends who are helping her. Kit and I are helping her the most. She is gone a lot at Grandpa and Grandma's house but when she is here we are laying on her and purring a lot. She says it is a big help.

We haf been taking it easy today. Mama is about to leave again but we understand.

The hospice social worker told Grandma to watch out for their cats. I guess to see if they are sad or act out. I think that is furry interesting. We will see what happens.

purrs and purrayers needed

2011-06-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

mama is furry sad because our grandpa died last night. purrs and purrayers are welcome. thanks.

garden tour Thursday

2011-06-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Surprise! We live in an apartment and we don't haf a garden! We haf a patio. But my mama put out this bird feeder so we could watch birdy TV and the birdies and the squirrels spilled the bird seed and now stuff is growing! Ha ha! We don't know what it is.

Auction for Shell

2011-06-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

There is an auction going on fur Shell's final expenses and those of 6 of her colony mates. There are a lot of great items up for auction -- check it out! http://catblogosphereauctions.blogspot.com/

Meow Meow Me Me

2011-05-31T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hi! Spitty tagged me in a game of Meow Meow Me Me! Here are my answers!

#1: Where do I like to hang out!

Hmm, dis is a hard one! It's a three way tie between my hole foods bag, my mama's bed, and my new box. I think I'm going to go wif da box.

#2: Who is my kitty crush?

*blush* My kitty crush is Spitty! I love the hard-to-get types!

#3: What is my favorite scent?

This one is easy -- nip! Here I am sniffing our new nip banana.

#4: What is my favorite TV show?

Birdy TV!

#5: What is my favorite movie?

My catsitter DVD.

#6: What is my favorite bit of feline wisdom?

Cats are kindly masters, just so long as you remember your place. -- Paul Gray.

Now I get to tag three kitties! I tag The Baby of

Katnip Lounge, Admiral Hestorb, and Mr. Puddy.

Mancat Monday

2011-05-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. We got an exciting package in the mail on Saturday!

It smelled like the best nip I have ever smelled in my life!

I tried to get into the package from the outside:

Just the scent of the package was putting me in heaven!

When Mom FINALLY used her thumbs and opened the package, I was thrilled to see my very own nip banana! I've been playing with it ever since.

Between deforesting our live nip plant and playing with the nip banana, I have been in nip heaven!

My mom wants to thank everyone for their good wishes about my grandpa. He is very sick. Athena and I have been helping by purring on mom a lot.

finally Friday

2011-05-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Well, to be honest each day seems da same to me. I nap, play, eat, nap, groom, play, nap, etc. But I know my mama is always happy when it's Friday, and dat makes me happy! I do love da weekends, acause she's home more. And she tolded me dat dis weekend has three days in it! So dat's acitin. She's been spending a lot of time at my grandparents' house lately acause my grandpa is sick. Whenefur she comes back, she smells like mancat! I haf two cousin cats. Mama says dat dey are furry big, furry nice cats. I guess it's okay dat she likes dem, long as she loves me best!

wordless wednesday

2011-05-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

tuna tuesday

2011-05-24T15:40:00.000-07:00

Yum!

Whenever mama gives us this brand of stinky goodness we gobble it up! We gotted some tonight. Hooray!

mancat monday

2011-05-23T15:58:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow cats -- Kit here. A few weeks ago I shared with you my love for a particular purple fevver-butt mousie. Well, my love for said mousie has only grown stronger and it is making my mom exhibit some funny behavior! Every night before we go to bed, she searches for the mousie. She says she wants to make sure it doesn't get lost. I get a kick out of watching her search high and low looking to figure out where I left it! Her compulsive behavior did pay off for me today, though. When she came home from work I met her at the door, like I always do. This time, however, I tried to alert her to a problem -- mousie was missing! We searched the house together, over and over again, but we couldn't find him! Finally she looked in the right place -- my enthusiastic playing had gotten mousie wedged between the couch and the newspaper basket. We found him! Thank Cod. I was worried!