The Rainbow Bridge came yesterday, for one of my loved ones...

...around 2:00pm, one of my fur-babies, Suki, passed away from "renal failure"! She was 4 days away from turning 11.

I buried her last night at 11:11...on a clear and cool night which happened to be the start of a new moon?

I have more to say later about her untimely death and how it changed our lives?

But my heart is too heavy to continue right now...

R.I.P. my Suki Yama [ June 7, 1997 - June 3, 2008 ]

I MISS YOU ALREADY!

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

Maxie does not have CANCER after all!

Thankfully we waited for the blood tests to come back before deciding his fate! Doctors can be wrong on visual diagnosis and one must get that second opinion...this being his blood work-up.

The best words in the world was hearing the doctor's assistant say "we have GOOD news"!

Seems what they were seeing, when doing the physical, was his throat/gum area at the back of his throat was raw and swollen on both sides, with lacerations! His blood worked showed that somehow he had most likely swallowed some cleaning substance that might have happened while drinking water out of the bathroom sink, toilet or tub at some point. Or maybe while laying in the bathroom sink [because it's warm] and might have picked up some leftover residue cleaner that hadn't been completely been washed off and was ingested while he was cleaning himself.

WARNING!!!

His ailment didn't just happen overnight! This happened over a long period of time and had been slowly eating at his throat! The vet says that these substances can be picked up anywhere people use these harmful cleaning substances and even the pesticides outdoors...all can be picked up on the fur/paws and subsequently ingested! All it takes is for something to open the skin and the caustic stuff will do it's job!

It's not only cats that have this problem...this can happen to your dog!

Hopefully this can be reversed! Maxie has had to stay the weekend at the vets because the next 48 hours is the deciding factor whether his health will pull him through...so he's not "totally out of the woods" as yet! One good thing was that his liver hadn't shut down and there seems to be no damage there!

I'm still waving my magic heath wand in his direction hoping that anything might help him to get by this!

Maxie after all is MY HERO...without him my daughter and grandson might not have survive the intruder that broke into their house in Edmonchuk 7 years ago! He deserves to live a long time!

HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR PET TODAY?

CAT INFO

Last night my cats amused me with their antics after I gave them some catnip. Both of them just love the stuff! I don't give it to them very often in its raw form as they have it in their toys. The cats go through a faze where they need to play in it and can be quite demanding if they don't get it! I guess you can say their addicted! They have this scratch pad that I like to put it on and they really go nuts rubbing on it. You should see how wild they get on it! Sounds cruel to do this but my cats can be very demanding when they need this and they both have this weird meow that lets me know that it is time for their fix! I only let them have this about one a month!

This morning I decided to look up the facts of catnip and how it effects your cat....

CATNIP- this report was taken from HDW Enterprises & Foothill Felines

Catnip is a grey-green, leafy member of the mint family. This hardy, robust perennial was originally grown throughout Europe, and was native to the dry regions of the Mediterranean, inland Europe, Asia, Eurasia and Africa. It was introduced in America long ago as a popular plant in herb gardens. Catnip came to the U.S. along with the pioneers, as a vital element of their kitchen gardens, useful as a medicinal tea to alleviate coughing, cold symptoms, upset stomach and to aid sleep. The plant soon escaped the confines of cultivation and naturalized throughout much of the continent.

Catnip the herb is also employed as a remedy in the treatment of tension and anxiety, and is mentioned as being a useful calmative for hyperactive children. Also listed as a mild diuretic, catnip can be helpful in eliminating toxins from the body. Distilled oil from catnip can be procured from an herbal apothecary, and this oil is supposed to be a very effective appetite stimulant, and has been used in the treatment of anorexia.

Catnip loves full sun but can tolerate partial shade, and does well in almost any garden soil (pH between 5 and 7.5). It is more pungent when it is grown in sandy soil with full sun. Cataria grows to 4 feet tall and somewhat resembles stinging nettle. Mussinii grows to 1 foot, sprawls. It has a citrus-like scent and is sometimes called catmint . Bruising the leaves is what releases the powerful oils in the catnip which so many cats find irresistible!!

Catnip is now mostly recognized for its use as a feline "aphrodisiac", although it is estimated that about 15-20% of cats do not have a response to catnip. The presence (or lack) of a response to catnip appears to be a genetic trait for cats. Since catnip triggers responses that are sex-behavior linked, kittens generally do not begin responding to catnip until they have started to sexually mature, at the age of six months. Studies have shown that the Big Cats (lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, etc.) also enjoy the effects of catnip!

It is the scent of catnip, not the consumption of it, that has such a dramatic effect on cats. When cats are enjoying the plant, they do often chew the leaves, but this may be merely to release more of the scent that is in the essential oils. It is the chemical nepetalactone , a volatile oil similar in structure to the sedative ingredient found in valerian root, another well known sedative herb, that triggers the response in cats' brains; however, because human brains are physiologically different, we must be content to gain any vicarious pleasure through watching our cat's enjoyment of the herb!!

I have also found that catnip oil, taken by steam distillation, is also a repellent against insects...in particular mosquitoes, cockroaches and termites. In research they found that the active ingredient in catnip repels mosquitoes 10 times more effectively than DEET!

So what could be worse...being chased by mosquitoes or being an attraction for cats?

I feel, like us cats need to have some fun once in awhile and if it makes them happy, with no harmful results....why not give it to them?

NEW BLOG

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately and enjoyed the ones that are animals with blogs. This is where the story is being told through the eyes of their pets. Dogs are DWB and cats CWB. I found it particularly strange to read at first and thought that they had lost their marbles until I realized that it's just another style of writing...kind of like narrating in the first, second or third person but instead being another creature. It's kind of weird looking at your life through the eyes of someone/thing else?

So I decided to give it a try!

I have given speech to one of my cats... who if could really talk, this might be what she would say. Anyone who has met her has found her to be very vocal and can be quite annoying when she wants to be noticed! I've always remarked that Suki always wants to put in her 2 cents worth and will keep bugging until she does! This is a trait of Siamese cats and they have many sounds for all situations. The reason I haven't done one with Thumber is that she is not a vocal cat unless it involves her "treats" or if the littler box needs changing. She has different vocalization for these things, other than that she is quiet! But I'm pretty sure if she wanted to say anything it would be how crabby her great, great grandmother is towards her!

So I have given Suki her own blog and it is called "Baby Doodie" which is a pet name I call her when she is being cuddly. Of course I didn't set it up...PoD did! We all know how inept I am at that sort of thing. She did have her own problems in some parts as we weren't able to give Suki her own profile because it kept changing mine...we have obviously done something wrong in the set up? You can access it through my "Links" section. Also "Blue has given Suki a nice send off also and a DWB -Jackson from Jasckson's World has already contacted her on her site! That's better than I've been able to accomplish!

So hopefully I can keep up both?

How can you tell I don't have a life?

UPDATES

Weather:

Its been 13 posts since I've talked about the weather and so for the 14th post I think it's safe enough to talk about it...which by the way, right now, is fantastic for me and my cats! I didn't want to jinx it by talking about it on the 13th!

The last few days the heat has dissipated and cooler weather has prevailed! We have even had some rain! I love that fact of waking up to say "brrrr...it's cold in here" and having to put on a sweater!

"Grumble, grumble"....is what you hear from the heat seeking ones now! Taking a page from the "Selfish Book" I say....who cares! At least they can put a sweater on!

All the heat ever did for me was add to my grief! Some of the medication I take, is effected by the heat and this caused me to feel sick with nothing I could do about it but suffer. Being out in the sunlight made it even worse! Either way it was stay out of the sun or suffer in the airless house...I couldn't win! I even had thoughts of moving up north if there is going to be global warming involved!

Air conditioners had problems keeping up to the heat...so BillyRoo says! His ended up not satisfying his need to be cool after long days out in the grilling sunlight [he works the oilfield]!

Around here everything else was suffering also! The leaves on the trees and bushes were starting to show signs of needing water and the greenness of the scenery was fading to yellow! The farmers in the middle of their "Haying" process were complaining about the dangers of machinery causing sparks and the possibilities of field fires was a concern! The oilfield guys liked it and hated it as the heat made them able to work but the excessive heat made the working unbearable!

This morning I awoke to being cold and walking to work I noticed that we had some rain in the early hours. Listening to the birds chirping and smelling the freshness of the morning has put a lightness to my mood and things don't seem to bad right now...it's a good T.G.I.F. day....so far!

Even my cats are happy....

Suki's Health:

I seemed to have found the solution to her problems...because there has been no puking lately! With her age [10 human yrs - 56 cats yrs] the heat might have played a big part in her illness! Although, I did change her food to suit the needs of her age. So either or both could have been the problem...I'm just happy that she's better!

I know the heat affect both of my cats! Because they were both pretty lethargic and all they wanted to do was sleep. Last night was the first time I saw any life in either animal and watching them play like they were kittens again, made my heart a whole lot lighter!

So have a Happy T.G.I.F. Day....I actually feel like working!!! ?

SUKI'S...HEALTH UPDATE

I may have found the solution to Suki's throwing-up?

When I got home from work yesterday, I noticed that there wasn't as many puke spots as before...granted it was also a cooler day.

I had changed her food to one that supposed to have a better PH value than the one that both my cats preferred. That was one of the main reason that I had kept them on the other brand...was that it was one that they would eat! Not a good idea! Vets say that indoor cats need a change-up of their food...especially as they get older. Outdoor cats develop a different type stomach as they supplement their diet with live food and cure their stomach ailments by eating grass.

Since I moved to my new place I stopped giving them grass [didn't want puke spots on the rug]and that maybe one of the problems also! I'll just learn to live with the grass-puke spots...if that's what it takes to keep them healthy!

I have been keeping an eye on Suki's fur...it's still looking good so she is not in total distress...yet!

She still runs around and acts like a kitten...if it wasn't for the puking I would say she's just fine.

I have also decided that she will be going to see a vet if things go on too long....after all what's one more debt when it concerns one of my children! Without them things would be pretty lonely at home without them!

Cat Facts...

"It's hot in here and I want to take off all my clothes"...

I can sing that song but my poor kitties can't!

Not being able to have an air conditioner [bad for my health and my cat's] my house has become a sweat box! The fans are going continuously trying to keep some form of coolness for them but I am afraid that it isn't helping any of us! I'm able to remove all my clothing and fans help to cool me down but my poor cats are stuck with their fur coats!

"Cats with heavy dense coats such as Persians and Persian-type cats suffer the most. Obese cats will also be more prone to heat stroke because the layer of body fat tends to soak up the heat. Young kittens and senior cats likewise have a reduced ability to process the heat load and may cause vomiting. Indoor cats suffer the most if there is inadequate ventilation. Outdoor cats fair better as long as there is shade and a breeze to cool them off"

Suki has been vomiting a lot lately and this has become very worrisome for me! I have been trying to find ways that I can help heal her without the expensive cost of a vet!

I may own my own business and that might sound like I have lots of money but I don't...I am still trying to recover from a business that was poorly managed and money that somehow disappeared...not to mention my own medical woes! So seeing a vet has to be a last resort for us!

Don't get me wrong...I LOVE MY CATS...and I would like to be able to say that I would do anything for them but lines have to be drawn...like it or not! I know there are others out there in the same boat as me...we have no alternative but to help ourselves!

Thankfully I have the Internet and advice has been available on her various symptoms.

Hairball problem?

Both cats got a good brushing [hair brushed forwards and backwards] to help remove most of their excess fur and then I wrapped them in wet towels...giving them a good rub down so the water would reach their skin. Using this method keeps them from getting overly wet [like a bath would] and they don't have to lick themselves as much [causing hairball problems] to dry off. I was smarter this time and did Thumber first as she has always learned from what happen to Suki, would happen to her! She didn't care much for the wet towel but seeing her later she looked cooler. Suki is a better minded cat and took it better...and she also looked cooler!

Dietary change?

As for her continuing to vomit [not a lot, but too much for my liking] the on-line vet suggests that I change her diet [she is 10 and that's considered old] to one that has a better balance of protein and carbohydrates suited for an older cat. Maybe a change from dry to wet food might help? Suki is not over weight so that's not the problem!

Hopefully these changes work!!

Will keep you posted on the outcome....

Saturday Evening - The Cat's New Home

It was now time to move the cats!

Suki was okay and were were able to transport her to the house without any trouble. She was a little curious about what was going on but handled it quite well and the kids were able to be in the vehicle. The problem one was going to be Thumber!

Thumber has always been afraid of the kids and Pod...nothing that they have done to her. She's just a nervous cat and doesn't like people.

In order to get her there, PoD was going to have to drive and not say a word, while I was going to have to contend with a cat that might freak out!

There was no way I was going to be able to hold on to her if she decided she wanted not to be there...she's big and strong...and has too many claws! My solution was to get a cat harness on her so I would have something to hold on to if she decided to bolt! That meant tricking her with "treats" to get her to stay still long enough to accomplish this.

It worked but she wasn't to happy and you could feel her tensing up as I got closer to the door to outside. I was able to get her out and into the car but the further we drove the worse she was getting. Thankfully she doesn't bite [me] and I managed to get her in the new place and the harness off before total panic set in!

She was gone in a flash!

I wasn't even sure where she went in the house! It took her a long time to reappear!

Meanwhile...

HairGirl had taken the kids while we were messing with the cats. She had come in with AJ [8yrs old]to see how we did and find out how Thumber took it. She left JD in her boyfriends truck and had left it running with explicit warnings on NOT TOUCHING ANYTHING while she was gone.

All of a sudden she could no longer hear his noisy truck anymore and wondered why? At that moment in comes JD with this scared look on his white face!

All hell breaks loose!

We all go running out with HairGirl in the lead...to see the boyfriend's truck down the street sitting perpendicular to the curb!

It seems JD figured he could fool around in the truck...seeing as no one was there to see him doing it!

His messing around with the stick shift caused him to go out of "park" and he rolled backwards down the hill. He must have cranked the wheels because the trucks path served into an empty lot...hitting nothing...and came to rest when the front tires hit the curb. Figuring he could drive it back he got it into drive and onto the road, into the traffic area, before it stalled!

Thankfully he didn't try to jump out while it was moving!

Lessons learned were:

NEVER ASSUME A CHILD WON'T TOUCH ANYTHING WHEN YOU TELL THEM NOT TO!

NEVER LEAVE A CHILD ALONE IN A VEHICLE WHILE IT IS STILL RUNNING OR HAS KEYS IN IT!

Hopefully JD has learned something from this?

ANTICS OF MY FUR KIDS:

Last night I was again entertained by my fur kids.

My cats are always more active when the moon is at its fullest moments...new moon tonight.

Thumber was doing her weird thing again!

She runs around the place chasing something that only she can see. It looks like it must be a fly but her actions show otherwise. Flies kind of dart here and there...erratic looking but the thing she chases flies in a straight line and stops...more like bird movements...my thoughts make it out to be an "orb". She chases it and stops when it does...then she acts like she wants to pounce on it. This is all done with the object being up high where she can't get to it. Thumber doesn't react to the dangling string thing but when the invisible thing starts she looks like she is doing just that!

Last night she was perched on top of the "Queen Anne Chair" and was quite intent on the invisible object that looked like it was just out of her reach. Being on the edge like she was it was quite a balancing act and she was focusing hard on the object looking like her thoughts were going a hundred miles an hour!

Meanwhile Suki had noticed her antics and decided to investigate what was going on! She might have even seen what Thumber saw and wanted some of the action also...who knows? Anyways she went into the stalking mode and snuck up to the chair where Thumber was balancing on. She did her stop and you could she her butt wiggling like she was getting ready to pounce. All of a sudden she pounced...leaping onto the seat of the chair!

This scared the hell out of Thumber!

Thumber leaped 2 feet into the air straight up...flipped herself over...emitting a screech and hissing...landing 2 feet away from the chair! Her whole body was fluffed right down to the tip of her tail! Then she went into attack mode...her hair standing straight up along her spine...arching her back like a halloween cat on her tippy-toes...growling as she did this!

Where's the camera when you need it! It happened all so fast that I wouldn't have been able to take the shot if I did have one there!

Thumbers reaction startled even me and I couldn't stop laughing...it looked so funny! Cats do not like being laughed at and this ticked Thumber off even more! I'm pretty sure Suki was laughing also! We didn't see Thumber again for at least another hour...and she was still looking at the spot that had captured her attention earlier! She was walking very carefully and looking like she was on guard for anything else that might come her way

Like I said...my cats can be quite entertaining!

CAT FACTS:

- Besides smelling with their nose, cats can smell with an additional organ called the Jacobson's Organ, located in the upper surface of the mouth behind the front teeth. Sometimes you will notice that they look like they are sneering or snarling...they are using that organ to check out their present environment.

"Can you imagine someone [stranger or otherwise] coming up to you who has either just bathed or didn't...what they would smell like? I have many allergies and I am bothered by those who are very odorous, pretty smelling or not...so the first thing I try to do is get away from them. If they extend their hand to me to shake [in greeting] I try to avoid it because of the soap smell [or not] or if they are sweaty...so if I was a cat with extra strong smelling abilities...I would hiss and back away"!

-A cat will spend nearly 30 % of their life grooming themselves.

"Can you imagine you just spending hours on grooming yourself...only to have someone come up and ruffle that nice hair-do that took for ever to get it that way...would you enjoy the fact that some weird smelling person just picked you up and spread their smell all over you?"

"Dogs may not care what they smell or look like but most cats have human traits!"

- Cats do not think that they are little people. They think that we are big cats. This influences their behaviour in many ways.

"Don't blame the cat for their attitude...they are only standing up for their rights in whether they want to be handled by you or by strangers!"

"After all...we teach our children not to talk to strangers...don't we?"

CAT FACTS:

Here is a chart that will relate your cats age to a human's age in years:

Cats Age: ...............Human Age:
6 mon..............................10 yrs
8 mon..............................13 yrs
10 mon............................14 yrs
1 yr..................................15 yrs
18 mon............................20 yrs
2 yrs................................24 yrs
4 yrs................................32 yrs
6 yrs................................40 yrs
8 yrs................................48 yrs
10 yrs..............................56 yrs
12 yrs..............................64 yrs
14 yrs..............................72 yrs
16 yrs..............................80 yrs
18 yrs..............................88 yrs
20 yrs.............................96 yrs
21 yrs.............................100 yrs

So in human years.....Thumber is 40 yrs old and Suki is 56....the same age as me!

I wonder if she feels as old as I do?

My Fur Kids

I would like you to meet my fur-kids: Thumber [left] and Suki [right].

You can't tell by their pics but both have blue eyes.

Thumber is 6 yrs old and Suki will be 10 in June.

Both decided to give me a nice pose until the orange locator light drove them off... neither one likes to have their photo taken.

THUMBER UPDATE

For those of you who cared what happened to my cat after she tumbled out the window…she’s just fine!

She sneezed and shook her head for a few days but other than that…all is okay!

She did learn a lesson from her adventure because she won’t sit on the window frame when the window is open! I have placed a chair/stool near them so she can still enjoy looking at the birds…which happens to be her TV.

I’ve also learned a valuable lesson about seeing to safety first…whether it be for a cat or one of my grandkids! When installing something…always double check!!!

It also made me realize how much she is a part of my life!

I hug my cats daily!!!

Thumber's Accident!

Completely my fault!

Parent negligence...wrongful installation of screen for window!

I was sure that I had secured it properly.....should have double checked it!!!!

I had just installed the screen in the window frame and decided to leave it open for a bit. I left the room with Thumber investigating the new opening and the cool fresh air. Minutes later I heard this load bang and knew in an instant what had just happened!

Thumber fell out of the window taking the screen with her!

She has a tendency to stretch her full length up the screen to see how high it goes....her weight popped them both out!

A 16' foot drop to the cement sidewalk below!

I wasn't sure at first because all I saw when I leaned out the open window was the screen laying on the sidewalk! No cat!

I called for her outside a in and still no... I shook the treat can....no Thumber.....she never misses her chance for a treat!

She had a tendency to hide when ever she knows she did something wrong and I think that she would have figured out that what had just happened......was wrong!

I walked up and down the street....around the block....looking and calling for her....hoping not to find a body instead.....

No cat anywhere!

Walking back to my place she surprised me by running out from under the car parked next door!

I was so happy to see her!

She wasn't limping at all....she was running close to the ground acting extremely scared!

Not only did she just fall from a high place but found herself.... outside....all alone! She has never been outside....strictly an indoor cat! She probably panicked because she couldn't get back inside to safety!

The fall and the trauma is added fear but mostly my fear is....

Has she hurt herself internally?

Last night all she did was shake her head once in awhile and sneeze. I checked for any bloody spots after her sneezing and all was okay! I listened to the sound in her chest and she is not wheezing or straining for air. Felt all of her bones and she never tried to get away....her tummy wasn't swollen last night and is okay this morning. She has been wanting her treats and still is able to eat them.....so her appetite is okay also!

But usually she comes down stairs with me.......not this morning!

I will be keeping a close eye on her until she starts acting more like herself.

Hopefully all is well!!!!!

Keeping my fingers crossed........

I will be making sure this never happens again!!!!

CATS & RENOVATIONS

Suki has been either helping me out...or is frantic that I'll forget something of hers in the move!

So far I have received; 2 scraps of vinyl, 1 Muppet toy, a pen & 2 kinder toy cars.

I think she's either bringing me stuff to pack for the garage sale or she thinks we're moving again and wants me to pack some of her things.

I'm not sure which one?

I can tell that the chaos of the house/shop cleaning/clearing [a rare sight to all] has upset both cats.

Suki hates it when I'm doing laundry because hanging up and put away my clothes makes her think that I might be going away for awhile, so this packing & moving of boxes has her stressed.

Remember all boxes are hers!

It's making her quite clingy!

Not to mention having to shoo her out of the box every time I turn my back!

Thumber has been making like "Lightning" every time I move something!

She thinks I'm unearthing all of her toys that she has lost...which was always under something! She bolts in like "Lightning" and grabs the missing item, tripping me in the process. Suki's attacking her while protecting her boxes that she thinks Thumber is after and not the lost toy.......you know...CHAOS!

Tomorrow cats stay up stairs while we are working!!!

WEATHER UP-DATE:

White Crap has turned back to pavement....yippee!

All of us folks who reside in Sask know that saying..."wait 5 minutes and it will change"....so I have no plans on holding my breath while I wait for it! I am sure glad I am not a "Weather Person"...although my knee seems to want to do forecasting!

Right now it's quiet!

MOUSE UP-DATE:

All quiet on the home front....Thumber has gone back to regular routine...maybe she had lunch?

HEALTH UP-DATE:

Still 2 fisted eating!!!!!! Pounds are still piling on!!!!!

Good note is....I have managed to cut back food until the evening hits...then the resolve quits!!!

Still have Bronchitis but not as bad...I think it's "snow mold..itis"????


CAT FACTS:

-Don't be alarmed when your cats bring you gifts of birds, mice or other wild critters. This is a natural part of their gift ritual, and they do it to please you.

-Cats purr to communicate.

-If you do not respond when your cat talks to you, it will soon lose the urge to communicate with you.

WHERE DID IT GO!!!

Thumber strikes again...OUT that is!

Thumber brought me a present last night....well it was exactly a present as she wasn't quite finished with it yet!

She caught a mouse!!!

At least I think it was a mouse? It was too tiny to tell! All I could hear was this chittering sound [creature protesting] and all I could see of it was that it was quite small & dark looking...it could have even been a mole [not sure if moles move that fast or not]!

She brought it right to me and dropped it at my feet!

I got to see it for just a second and then it ran for safety under the love seat, next to where I was sitting, with Thumber in hot pursuit! I could hear her skittering around under it and then all went quiet?

This peaked Suki's [who had been napping next to me] interest and she just had to go and check it out!

That started a squabble under the love seat and out Thumber came with Suki in hot pursuit!

Nobody had a mouse in their mouth!

Now I am not afraid mice but I don't exactly care to have them loose where I reside...so relaxing was out of the question until I found out where it went or if anything happened to it!

I turned furniture upside down and moved everything possible to find that little critter...nope...nowhere to be found! There wasn't any tell-tale body parts or blood...so I am pretty sure it didn't get eaten! Granted it was so small that she could have just swallowed it!

Thumber proved me right by coming back later and kept searching around for it!

I've got to admit it...that made me quite nervous...thinking about where it might show up and when! That lasted for about 2 hrs and then I had to go to bed.

This morning I got up and walked around slowly everywhere I needed to go scanning for any signs of a body...the last thing I wanted to do was STEP ON IT!

My cats don't always eat the little critters! Usually they like to play with them until they get bored or it dies of fright and then they like to leave me the body to show me signs of their worth!

Nope....no body!

So what I want to know is:
....it still alive and living in a new place?
....did it get eaten?
....do I have to still keep a watch for a body?

Hmmmmmm

Is This A Hint or What?

The Weird Cat struck again!

The night before she brought me another present...a hairbrush?

This hairbrush is a good size that an average dog can handle but somehow Suki managed to bring it up from downstairs and drop it at my feet!

Question is....is it a hint that I should brush my hair...or maybe its time to brush hers?

By the way...both cats LOVE having their fur brushed so who knows?

Weird Cat!

My cat Suki is the weirdest cat I have ever lived with!

We used to live on an acreage where there was lots of room for a cat to have fun. You know; climb trees and hunt the little animals! She always liked to bring me a little surprize to show me how good she was or maybe something I would like to eat?

Since moving into town she has never been allowed the freedom of going outside.
She wouldn't last two minutes out there!
She would either get run over or someone would pick her up...she's just too friendly!
So I have to keep her in much to her displeasure!

The one thing she hasn't stopped doing is bringing me presents!

Generally it is the pieces of discarded vinyl...I can tell when she has had a busy night from all of the vinyl balls that I have to pick up the next morning.
I used to collect these little "Kindersurprize Toys" and her favorites were ones that had wheels. When stepped on they hurt worse than the "dinky toys" my son used to leave around! So I put them away where she couldn't find them.

That didn't stop the bringing of gifts!

The other night I could hear her bringing me another gift!
When she brings a gift to me she makes this weird "sounding" noise to call me to come and see. It's something a female cat does when she has kittens and she is bringing them food to eat...kind of like calling them for dinner.

Anyways...this noise is the weirdest yet!

My first thought is that she must have caught a mouse [there has been a couple so far] because she sounded different. I hoped it was dead becaused I didn't feel like chasing a live one around after she let it go. I know it's her challenge to me whether I can catch it or not!

But to my surprise she brought me a pencil sharpener!

Not your ordinary tiny sharpener! This one had a container that caught the shavings as you sharpened your pencil! How she got her small mouth around that big sharpener is a mystery to me. The sharpener is a round barrel type with a diameter of 1.25" and is 2" high!

I very seldom use a sharpener as I prefer a pen to a pencil!

The next night I decided to paint another rock and needed to sketch a rough draft first. I always use a paint brush and paint to do this sketch...never using a pencil. This time I though I would try the pencil instead of the paint.

I had to search around for a pencil and when I found one, it needed to be sharpened!

Low and behold there on the table in front of me was the pencil sharpener that my cat brought me!

Like I said...weird cat!

Cats & Boxes

When your last child graduates and moves out of the house [does partially count?] you’d think there would be peace and quiet…nope!

I have two cats!

Suki & Thumber:

Both are as different as night and day!

Suki is a “nosy” Siamese…or should I say “noisy”! Who’s favorite saying should be [using a whiny voice] “what yah doing…can I see…what yah doing?” repeat that a lot!

Suki is also the ruling monarch of the house…this includes ruling me!

Thumber is a “Scaredy Cat”…she hides from everyone except for me and my son.

She will occasionally stand up to Suki but not very often.

Thumber might be big in size but Suki is bigger in attitude!

Both cats are banned from the shop during business hours and sometimes you can hear “Thunder” running around upstairs. It’s like there are kids up there wrecking the place!

But they are also wonderful entertainment and I would rather watch them chasing each other than watch TV!

They are just like kids…they ignore the expensive toys and fight over a cheap cardboard grocery box!

My cats love empty boxes…especially Suki.

All boxes are hers!

The size doesn’t matter…she will try to squish herself into a too small box.

Thumber tries to play in them when Suki is not around with no success as she can’t play quietly!

Suki has fantastic hearing and always comes to kick Thumber out!

One evening Thumber was busy play in “the box” and didn’t see Suki sneak up on her. Suki sat next to the box and didn’t move a muscle…just stared at it!

Thumber had been rolling around on the bottom and missed seeing Suki’s arrival. As she played she would occasionally poke her head out and check for Suki.

Thumbers eye sight isn’t too keen and never once did she see Suki glaring at her!

Then she did!

I never saw a cat jump so high from fright!

Ears pasted down on her head, tail fully fluffed, she leapt out of the box…this reaction startled Suki who fluffed up and ran the other way.

They both scared each other!

I pissed both cats off by laughing at them…I couldn’t help it…it was so funny!

Where’s the camera when you need it?

These guys keep me well entertained!