Happy New Year

Happy New Year to one and all! I hope that this year brings you prosperity, love and joy in all things.

Farewell, Radcliff

Update: I have been informed by Parker that the Food Source is actually the Dad, so I will edit the post accordingly. Radcliff trotted off to the Rainbow Bridge all by himself Christmas morning. His Dad noticed that he was having a bit more trouble with his hind legs than usual when he got breakfast for the kitties, but didn't think much of it because Radcliff had arthritis and had his good days and not so good days. After he got dressed and returned to the kitchen, he found him on the floor. It must have been quite a shock, as he hadn't been ill. His Dad adopted Radcliff from a shelter as one of the two first kitties in the house. Though he wasn't too keen on the other cats who joined him later, he remained the most laid-back cat his Dad had ever known. Radcliff loved to be loved and if he felt that he wasn't getting enough attention, he would wake his Dad up in the middle of the night for his head scritches. He was a fine, handsome cat and will be sorely missed.

                                         Radcliff went to the Bridge on his own,
                                         Softly and quietly -- not even a moan.
                                                    Now he runs free
                                                   And leaps with such glee
                                        To find that his legs are once more his own.

Farewell, Sox

I haven't been online much lately because of the holidays, now I find that I have four of these to do. I hope I can do them all justice.

Sox was a very cuddly and loving cat. He was the cat most likely to be found snuggling a bean or another cat at his house. He was also very active and mischievous. He liked to explore shelves, to see what was up there. He loved to sit by an open window and look at the birds. He was sometimes called Mr. Houdini, because he got very good at running out of any open door, but then his People got very good at watching out for him and his escapes came to an end. He never went very far when he got out and was easily brought back inside. He and his brother Cubby originally belonged to a lady who died of cancer about a year ago. Her son couldn't take care of Cubby and Sox, because he was away at college. Various things were tried, but last February, Sox and Cubby came to live with the other cats and beans at Irish Coda. Sox was about eleven years old. He got a tumor under his tongue that couldn't be treated. When it became apparent that he was suffering, his Mom and Dad helped him to the Rainbow Bridge.

                                  We now say farewell to dear little Sox.
                                   He was a sweet kitty; we will miss him lots.
                                          He loved to cuddle
                                          And sleep in a huddle
                                   With brother Cubby, who will really miss Sox.

Merry Christmas

I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas or a joyous Hannakah or a bright Solstice. May love and happiness be yours in the coming year. We will certainly be having a white Christmas, as there is already enough snow on the ground to insure that and we have two more storms coming. There are really no big worries about that, as our town is fully prepared with lots of big, noisy machines to clear the streets. My very best wishes to you all.

Farewell, Pepper

This very nice graphic was made from the last picture taken of Pepper as he enjoyed the sunshine while sitting next to Whimpurr as she wrote her post on Sunday. Pepper was a purebred Maine Coon, but he was a rescued cat. He was big and floofy and very loving. He liked to sit in Whimpurr's lap and he purred a lot. He did like to try to intimidate some of the other cats once in a while, especially the girls, but it was all for show. He was just strutting his Mancatliness. Not long ago, he started acting very sick and was rushed to the vet. The vet found so much fluid in his lungs that there was hardly any room for air and the vet couldn't even hear his heart properly. The vet managed to drain a lot of the fluid and Pepper felt much better. He still wouldn't eat or drink much but he was purring again. It occurred to Whimpurr that he might have cardiomyopathy, as this crops up frequently in Maine Coons. He had an appointment with the vet Monday for an ultrasound to see if this was the case. It turned out that Pepper had a very advanced case, with a possible blood clot already formed in his heart, which could break loose at any time and give him a fatal heart attack, or painful paralysis. Whimpurr decided to send Pepper on to the Bridge before he suffered any more.

                                     Pepper had a very sick heart.
                                     It could no longer do its part
                                          To keep him well,
                                          So we say farewell.
                                     Pepper's playing at the Bridge with all of his heart.

Award

The lovely cats at Forty Paws gave me this wonderful award. Thank you very much. I am very grateful. The rules are that:

This award is for the humans - not the cats - so remember to give it to the humans.

Link back to the furson who gave it to you.

The felines in the family then get to pass it on to three other crazy caring cat ladies (or not ladies, as the case may be).

Be sure to leave a link on the other cats' blogs to let them know their human persons have won an award.

HERE is the link to the small size award (200 pxl) to put on your side bar.

I would like to pass this award on to:

The Mom at The Creek Cats because she not only takes care of seven cats and a dog, but takes in fosters, too.

Toni of The Big Piney Woods Cats because she takes such good care of Mistrie Rose, even though Mistrie won't come inside and join the family and she has volunteered at a shelter in the past and may do so again, now that she has found a no-kill shelter that won't break her heart.

Whimpurr who also takes in fosters, even though she has seven of her own, including one FIV+ who has to have his own room, bowls and litterbox.

Award

Diamond Emerald-Eyes was kind enough to give me this wonderful award. Thank you so much, Diamond. Here are the rules:

"This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award."

I would like to pass this award along to:

Max the Psychokitty
Eduardo the Snuggle Puggle
Skeezix
Mickey
Dr. Tweety and Da Fab Five
Black Cat
Missy, KC, Sol, Smokey, BJ and Faith Boomerang
Goldie, Shade and Banshee

Award

The Gibbs Creek Cats gave me this great award. Thank you very much. Here are the rules:

• Put the logo on your blog or post.
• Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!
• Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
• Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

I would like to nominate:

Whimpurr
Sammy, Miles and Billy
Roxy and Lucky
William, Olivia, Caroline, Russell and Grace
Shadow, Molly and Jake
Gattina
Princess and Pierro
Sunny, Ollie and Rascal
Jan's Funny Farm
Miss Steffy, her rodents and Georgina

Farewell, Kelly

Kelly was the Big Guy over at Good Cats and he will be sorely missed. He was getting on in years and had had Irritable Bowel Syndrome for quite a while. Lately he was having more digestive problems and when it was discovered that his kidneys were failing, his Mom and Dad knew that they would have to help him go to the Bridge. On his last day, he wanted to go outside, even though it had been raining all day. He looked around and scratched on his favorite tree, then turned to come back inside. He refused to eat anything at all, so his Mom and Dad knew that it was time. There is a wonderful video of Kelly getting a tummy rub and purring on his blog.

                                      Kelly was a Good Cat; of that there is no doubt.
                                      He was really slowing down, but he still wanted out.
                                            He gave his tree one last scratch
                                            And looked around for a mouse to catch.
                                      Then he went to the Bridge, where he leaps about.

Farewell, Cloud Chaser

I didn't know Cloud Chaser at all when I read of his going to the Rainbow Bridge on the Cat Blogopsphere. I was very sad when I learned that I should have gotten to know him a bit, as the Cafe Cats had been visiting my blog, but I hadn't returned their visits. I am about six weeks behind in returning visits, but I am trying to catch up. As it turns out, none of us could have known Cloud Chaser very well, as he was sick when he joined the Cafe Cats. He had a nasty fungus in his sinus cavity, then cancer moved into the same spot. As you can imagine, this was causing him terrible pain and his Mom and Dad had him sent on to the Bridge as soon as they found out how bad it was. They left his body with the vet for research purposes, so other cats might benefit from the knowledge that can be gained by studying what happened to him. He was a very brave cat and it's a shame to lose him. I am sure that he is having a great time at the Rainbow Bridge now.

                                     Cloud Chaser was in terrible pain.
                                     His Mom and Dad couldn't take him home again.
                                                      So they gave him peace
                                                      And of pain surcease.
                                      He is playing at the Bridge till they meet again. 

Farewell, Skeeter

Here's Skeeter looking around his backyard, on the lookout for intruder kitties or prey. Skeeter was a fabulous hunter and he taught LC and Ayla how to be good hunters as well. He lived with The Big Thing for 15 years, but lately his kidneys started failing and he went to the Rainbow Bridge Wednesday afternoon. The Big Thing realized that all he wanted to do was hide in the bathtub and he wasn't eating anything at all, so it was time. Everything was very peaceful and Skeeter went while looking into The Big Thing's eyes. He was buried near the pond, which was the last place he visited outside. LC, Ayla and The Big Thing are really going to miss him, so please drop by and let them know that you care, if you haven't already.

                                     Skeeter was a hunter of great renown.
                                     Sadly his kidneys let him down.
                                                Now he can run free
                                                As fast as can be.
                                     He's having fun at the Bridge and he'll never slow down.

Memes

I decided to take part in the sixth picture meme. My sixth folder only had three pictures in it, so I chose the best one. I took this picture in January of 2007. This icicle reached from the roof to the ground. It forms off one side of the gutter over the front door, which is supposed to keep the water melting off the roof from forming ice on the front steps.

If you want to take part in this meme, the rules are simple. Go to your sixth folder of pictures and post the sixth picture in that folder. Tell the story behind the picture. Tag anyone you want. I picked up this meme from several open tags, so I will just encourage anyone who wants to do this meme to go for it.

In his birthday post, Vampy Victor encouraged everyone to post a story about love. I thought about it and decided to tell the story of how I got my first cat. I have always loved cats, but I was allergic to them as a child and my mother is extremely allergic to them. At one point while I was in college, I moved into a student co-op which allowed pets. The place was full of cats and dogs. I was determined not to get a cat, because it wouldn't be fair to the cat. I would take care of the cat for a few months, then have to find it another home. I managed very well for several months. One day a good friend of mine, who had two cats of her own, came up to me in the living room of the co-op and said, "Here, will you hold this cat for a minute?" Of course, I took the cat. She immediately hooked her claws into my shirt and looked up at me with pleading eyes. She was terrified and trembling, so I cooed at her and held her close. My friend said, "This cat is sick. Her owners are having her put to sleep in a couple of hours because they say they don't have enough money to take care of a sick cat." I was horrified. She was a beautiful tabby with yellow-green eyes and even I could tell that she was quite young. What did I say? "Let's go to the vet."

My friend said, "Great! Let's go! Oh, I think her name is Louise. Doesn't she look like a Louise to you?" I agreed and off we went to the vet. I found out that her owners had put a flea collar on her and never checked it. Louise had an adverse reaction to the flea collar and had developed and abcess under it. I got quite a lecture from the vet, but never mentioned that I had only adopted the cat a few minutes ago. I was that glad that she was going to be fine. Louise was the cat that liked to sleep on my chest. She also liked to make biscuits on my "pillows" and we had some serious discussions about the use of claws. Everything worked out fine. I did have to find Louise a new home several months later, but I found her a good one and knew that I had saved her life. We loved each other very much.

Farewell, Jack Blain

Little Jack Blain didn't have his own blog, but you can read more about him at Friends Furever. He was the runt of the litter and these kittens are the ones most likely to have problems. He had some kind of congenital heart defect and the vet said that he probably wouldn't have a long life, but his family wanted to give him the best life possible. They loved him dearly and he loved them right back. He loved staying close to his Mom and would meow for her if she left the room without him noticing. He played finger skateboard with the kids. He loved to look out the window and watch the birds. He was very much intrigued by the Christmas tree. He lived a mostly normal kitten life, but if he played or ran too much, he had to stop for a while and catch his breath. He was just two days short of being seven months old when the end came. Now he's at the Rainbow Bridge playing with all the other kitties and he can run and play just as much as he likes.

                                   Little Jack Blain loved to run and play,
                                   But his insufficient heart got in the way.
                                           He had to stop and breathe;
                                           Now he has his reprieve.
                                    Jack went to the Bridge, where he can run all day.

George

I wrote limericks for all the PB&J kitties, so now it's George's turn. George is a three-year old Airedale terrier, which means that she is a very high-energy dog. She loves running and jumping and playing hard. This picture was taken when she went to the beach with her Mom and Dad for a very fun day. George is very well-behaved on her leash and is generally a very well-behaved dog all around. She was doing so well at the beach that her Mom and Dad let her off the leash for a little bit. She surprised them. She ran and ran and ran and just as her Mom and Dad were beginning to get a little worried, she turned around and ran back to them. It may seem to be a little odd to see a girl dog named George, but she loves bones so much that she was named after the bone-snatching dog in Bringing up Baby, one of my favorite movies. George was adopted from a breeder as a puppy and remembers when she was the only furry in the house. That didn't last long, as the kitties began to appear. George has always liked the kitties and she was really glad when Bert joined the family, as he likes her back. George likes the sunspots as much as the kitties do and it is not at all unusual to find George and Bert curled up together, napping in the sun. George loves her toys, especially balls. She is very fond of tennis balls, but they don't tend to last long, as she chews them up, or the lawnmower gets them. Her Mom and Dad got her a soccer ball, but she ate the skin off of it. Then they tried a dodgeball, but it popped the first time she bit it. They thought about trying a football, but couldn't find one. Finally they found a girl's size basketball, and that quickly became her favorite toy. She has played with it for two years now. Last winter, she left it in the mud when she was called inside for the night and it snowed. The mud froze to the basketball and poor George had to wait until the weather warmed up enough for the ice in the mud to melt to get her basketball back.

                                    George's favorite toy is her basketball.
                                    She throws it and bats it over all
                                            Her side of the yard.
                                            She plays with it hard.
                                    George really enjoys her basketball.

Auf Wiedersehen, Mickey

Miss Peach was handing these out to people who went by German Mickey's blog to offer condolences on his untimely demise. I thought I would like to do a little bit more.

I had never met Mickey before hearing of his death, but I found out that he was much loved and loved his family in return. He was an inside/outside cat and disappeared for five days. Angelika, his Mom, found him under the neighbor's hedge in very bad shape on the fifth day. The vet initially thought that he had a broken pelvis from being hit by a car, but it turned out that he had been shot with what is called a Diabolo-Projectile which had pierced his large intestine and sphincter, then lodged in his buttock. He had a massive intestinal infection and the vet gave him only a 5% chance of surviving an operation to sew his intestine back together. There was a chance that his intestine could knit itself back together and that antibiotics could cure the infection, but when he got worse after a few days, Angelika made the hardest decision in her life and sent him on to the Rainbow Bridge. This is a family-oriented blog, so I can't really tell you what I think of anyone who would shoot a cat, but it really upsets me.

                                   When Mickey was found, he was tired and sore.
                                   It was too late to save him, but the vet did explore
                                        All of the possibles
                                        And the impossibles.
                                   Mickey went to the Bridge, where he plays evermore.

Farewell, Wizard

I didn't know Wizard very well, but I did want to say goodbye to him. Wizard was adopted when he was about two years old. He had a turned in eyelid that needed surgery to correct the problem, so he would not lose his eye. The vet who did the surgery recommended that he be fed IAMS and that is what he ate, up until the recall. Unfortunately, the recall didn't come soon enough to prevent him from getting severe kidney damage. He was only eight years old. He was a friendly and loving cat. He used to have a lot of fun playing with Angel, until he started to feel really bad. His Mom did everything she could for him, but the damage was too severe. He was helped to the Bridge on November 25th.

                                Wizard got sick and didn't get better.
                                His Mom followed the vet's advice to the letter.
                                       She gave him good food
                                       To tempt his mood.
                                 Wizard went to the Bridge, where he plays without fetter.

Bert

Bert just loves to be outside. Here he is supervising his Mom working in the garden. Like Pearl and Jake, Bert is a very good hunter. He is the speediest cat of the three and that really makes a difference. Bert also likes to be up high. He will climb up on the fence outside and seek the high spots inside to sit and watch the goings-on. He loves his nip and is especially fond of the nip banana. Bert was adopted in April of 2006 from the same shelter that Pearl came from. The shelter lady knew that the Mom and Dad were looking for a tuxie kitty after Basil went to the Bridge in January and she called the Mom and Dad as soon as Bert and his friend Cash arrived. As soon as the Mom set eyes on him, she knew that Bert was the kitty they were looking for. Bert was named after the chimney sweep in Mary Poppins and the name suits him very well. He is an adventurous and fun kitty. An interesting situation developed after Bert moved in. Jake had claimed the Dad as his special friend and Pearl had claimed the Mom. Bert looked around and claimed George, the dog, as his special friend. Bert and George spend a lot of time together, playing, wrestling and napping. Bert also plays a lot with Jake and some with Pearl, but he prefers to play with George.

                                    George is the one that Bert loves to pounce.
                                    He does it with such aplomb and bounce.
                                           They wrestle for fun
                                           And when they are done
                                     They both curl up and nap at once.

Pearl

Here is Pearl, outside where she most loves to be. I really wanted to do this limerick during Pearl Week, but woke up very ill on November 19th and just got well. As you can see, Pearl is a tortie and a Tough A** one, too. She is the alpha cat, though she is the smallest cat in the family. She even bosses George the dog around and keeps him out of the dining room, where all the cat beds and toys are. She doesn't want George to play with her toys, but she really enjoys playing with George's toys. She gets a lot of fun bunnykicking them. When Purdy went to the Bridge in September 2005, her Mom and Dad started looking for another cat and found Pearl in a shelter in January of 2006, when she was three months old. They wanted Pearl very much, for they drove an hour and a half in a blizzard to pick her up. Pearl celebrates her birthday on September 1st, which is the day that Purdy went to the Bridge and also her Aunt and Uncle's wedding anniversary. It makes a happy day that became sad a happier day again. Pearl was originally named after the octopus in Finding Nemo, but when her character became more apparent, her Mom and Dad thought that she was more appropriately named after The Black Pearl in The Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of The Black Pearl. She is quite a character. Like her two brothers, Pearl is very good at hunting and likes to eat her prey. Pearl only likes to sleep on the big bed if her Mom goes back to bed after breakfast. She finds it too crowded sharing with Jake and Bert at night.

                                     Pearl was feeling a bit neglected.
                                     She didn't get to blog, though she is respected.
                                             She got the blog for a week,
                                             Which her interest did peak.
                                     Let's hope that Pearl no longer feels neglected.

Fight, Moki, Fight

Moki is a terrific little kitty who has had to face more problems than any kitty should. He was a perfectly fine tiny kitten when he was first adopted, but he got sick shortly after his adoption, which is not at all unusual. What was unusual was that the sickness left him with an unknown neurological condition which is slowly robbing him of his ability to stand and walk. He needs help for even simple things like eating and using the litter box. Moki has never given up. He tries and tries to stand and walk and is managing so far. When it got difficult for him to play standing up, he started playing lying down.  He has put up with water therapy, where he is put in water and encouraged to move his legs to strengthen them. You might say he's been getting swimming lessons. He doesn't like it much, but he does it. Now Moki is very sick. He has a lot of blood in his urine and his temperature keeps dropping, then going up again. At first his Mom thought that he had an incredibly bad urinary tract infection, but the latest tests show no signs of infection. That means that, once again, nobody knows what is wrong with Moki or how to treat him. He needs all the purrs, prayers, healing thoughts and warmth that he can get. There is a wonderful virtual nap pile going on at his blog to keep him warm. Go join in or just send him some encouragement.

                                      Moki is a fighter; there is no doubt of that.
                                      If fight were all he needed, he'd be well in nothing flat.
                                                   Let's pray he keeps warm
                                                   And safe from all harm,
                                      For he really is a remarkable cat.

Farewell, Bounce

We knew Bounce couldn't last much longer, but it is always very sad to have to say goodbye. Bounce had high blood pressure and hyperthyroidism, for which he had been taking medication for years, but they finally wore his system down until he couldn't take any more. He had recently gone blind, but he seemed to be coping with that. What neither he nor his Mom could cope with was that he just couldn't get around much any more and he was feeling bad all the time. His Mom gave him the greatest gift of all by taking him to the vet to be helped to the Rainbow Bridge, where he could be young and full of energy again. I did a bio and limerick for Bounce, which you can read here.

                                     Poor old Bounce was tired and sad,
                                     So his Mom decided to make him glad.
                                          She helped him sleep,
                                          Though it made her weep.
                                    Now Bounce is bouncing around like mad.

Farewell, Winton and Girl Girl

I didn't know Winton. I think I visited the blog, Aging Felines, just once, when they were introduced on the Cat Blogosphere and never got back again. He was a handsome ginger boy and very loving. He loved to sit on the son's lap. Winton had a long hard fight with CRF, as so many older cats do. He reached the point where it was a blessing to him to take him to the vet for the trip to the Rainbow Bridge.

                                   Winton was looking for somewhere to hide.
                                   He was hurting, which Mom could not abide.
                                         They went to the vet
                                         For the deepest sleep yet.
                                   Now Winton runs free, with friends by his side.

I did know Girl Girl quite well. I was a fairly regular visitor to her blog before my visiting time got so restricted. I hadn't been to see her much lately, but I remember her well. She was quite a character and loved having fun. Her hide-and-seek Fridays were delightful. I have learned that not many hamsters live longer than two years and GirlGirl was two when she went to the Rainbow Bridge. She loved her family very much and waited to go to the Bridge until they all got home to say good-bye to her. When they got home, she was lying on her side and not very responsive, so they knew that she was going.

                                   Girl Girl waited 'til everyone was home
                                   Before breathing her last and setting off to roam
                                                Over the Rainbow
                                                To bask in the glow
                                    Of eternal youth and freedom to roam.

Jake

This is Jake of the PB&J kitties chillaxing in his bed with his nip banana. Jake is a big fan of nip and really enjoys himself with it, especially the home grown that his Mom keeps in the refrigerator. She grows it in a basket which she keeps up out of the kitties' reach most of the time. She left it down one time and Jake and Bert took advantage of the situation. Jake is the oldest kitty, at about six years old. He crawled out from under a bush one day when he was about three weeks old. His Mom found him and his Dad said to take him to the SPCA immediately, but it was a Saturday and the SPCA was closed. Mom took him home and kept him in the bathroom and by the time they could take him in, they had decided to keep him. There were two other cats living there at the time, Purdy and Basil. Both had been named after characters in Disney movies and the Mom and Dad decided to keep up the tradition, but were having a hard time deciding on a name for Jake. Finally the Mom came up with the idea that since peanut butter and jelly was the Dad's favorite sandwich, they should come up with a J name. That was how Jake came to be named after the seagull in The Rescuers Down Under. Jake is an indoor/outdoor kitty and a good hunter, as are Pearl and Bert. Jake has many of the characteristics of a Maine Coon cat. Jake likes to wrestle with Bert quite a bit. Jake's favorite human is his Dad. Jake loves to play with anything that has a feather on it.

Besides his Dad, Jake's favorite thing is the refrigerator. He tries to climb in every time he notices that it is open. There is a saying at his house that he loves the refrigerator even more than he loves his Mom. He also knows that the nip is in the refrigerator, along with lots of other yummy stuff.

                                     Jake has a crush on the big cold box.
                                     His Mom all the goodies in there stocks --
                                            Like nip and treats
                                            And all the good eats.
                                     Jake has to learn how to open that box.

Farewell, ShyGurl

I didn't find out until late last night that ShyGurl had gone to the Rainbow Bridge. It turned out that she had lymphoma, had lost quite a bit of weight and was very weak. Her Momma and Poppa took her to the vet and helped her over the Rainbow Bridge. Her Momma, Poppa, Ginger and Quest are missing her terribly. Q2 is still too new to really miss her much, but she also knows that something bad happened. I did a post about Shy that you can find here. It's not too late to go offer some comfort to her family.

                                     Shy was so sick that she couldn't stay,
                                     So her Momma and Poppa helped her on her way.
                                          Though tears were falling,
                                          The Bridge was calling.
                                     Now Shy can run and play all day.

Monty Q. Kat

Monty Q. Kat is one of the more famous cats around the Cat Blogosphere. He has hosted the "Do the Q" contest twice and he is the one who came up with the name for the Monty Q position. He is a big fierce mancat who is very tender and loving. He helped his Mom tremendously when she had to cope with the loss of Sprout. He loves his kid beans without reservation and has put up with lots of tail-pulling and other indignities that kids can inflict on cats. He is very laid back and nothing much ever bothers him, but he is also very particular. He likes his dry food almost exclusively and isn't even much interested in what the beans are eating. He only likes certain toys, but will play with his favorites very energetically. Kidbean has a fishing pole with a cat toy on the end of the line and Monty loves playing with that. He also is very fond of his feather wand. He has some shiny, rolly things with a bell inside that he just loves, but he tends to bat them under the refrigerator. Sweetbean, the little girl, is also very partial to these, and they tend to disappear after she plays with them. Monty has a great backyard with a high wooden fence. His Mom lets him out to play for a while and he almost always comes back in when he is called. However, on two memorable occasions, Monty has been very naughty about coming back in. Last November, he decided to go visit the neighbors and drove his Mom to distraction when he didn't come in that night. He was returned by one of the neighbors the next day, when the neighbor found Monty on the porch and recognized him from the fliers that the Mom had been handing out. A couple of days ago, he pulled the same stunt, but it was so cold out that he showed up by the back door the next morning. His Mom and Dad are going to look at the fence very carefully to see if they can find out how Monty is escaping. The fence is high enough that he shouldn't have been able to jump up and over it. The one thing that does get Monty worked up is if the family goes upstairs to bed and closes the baby gate at the top of the stairs, leaving him downstairs. This only happens when Monty is napping at bedtime. Monty has successfully trained Kidbean to open the gate after Monty starts singing. The limerick is kind of a catchall. Follow the links for more information.

                                    Monty showed us how to Do the Q.

                                    He also put his 'tocks on view.

                                                  He sings opera
                                                 To get to the top-era.
                                    Someone open the gate and let Monty through.

Two Awards

Boy was nice enough to give me this award. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.
Here are the rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog
2. Link the person you received your award from
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours, and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated

I would like to nominate:
Moki
The Cat Realm
Team Tabby
Curly
Marie, Casey and Donny
Royal Kitties
and The Gibbs Creek Cats


The really nice cats at PB&J gave me this award. Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

These are the rules suggestions for passing it on:

1. Those who have received this award, can add the pic.

2. Add a link to that person’s blog who awarded you.

3. Choose 7 others to receive this award and add links to their blogs.

4. Leave a message to their blogs so that they know about this.

I would like to nominate:
Shadow, Molly and Jake
Artsy Catsy
Missy, KC, Sol, Faith Boomerang, Smokey and BJ
Katie's Furry Mews
Niko and Cloud
Diamond's Lair
and Jan's Funny Farm

Sorry for the bare bones post today. I had an exhausting time at work and just am not very creative right now.

Happy G&S Halloween

As promised, here is my Halloween bear. I rarely do anything personal on this blog, but I thought I would make an exception tonight. Some other cat bloggers have made posts about spooky movies that they enjoy, and I thought I would do the same. I love spooky movies and I also love Gilbert and Sullivan. There is a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that is perfect for Halloween -- Ruddigore. It has everything you could want in a Halloween melodrama. There is a stalwart, but shy young lover with a mysterious past who is in love with a lovely, but very particular, young lady. Also vying for her hand is a bold young sailor. And, of course, there is a wicked baronet, who also has designs on the young lady. Said wicked baronet is admirably played by Vincent Price. I bet you didn't know he could sing. There is also a family curse and many ghosts, including the wicked baronet's uncle, who is in love with the young lady's guardian. Then there is the wicked baronet's girlfriend who has gone mad because the baronet is very wicked indeed and he practically dumped her at the altar. Being written by William S. Gilbert, there is a wonderful twist at the end, allowing for the happy ending. All in all, this is delightful Halloween entertainment and I highly recommend it. I don't know if you could rent it anywhere, but you might be able to borrow it from a library. It is great family entertainment and, though originally written for adults, it is suitable for all the but the youngest of children.

Happy Halloween

I was going to post a picture of my Halloween bear, but all my batteries, even the ones in the recharger, are flat. I have some recharging now and hopefully I will be able to get the picture up before Halloween is over. I hope all of you have a great Halloween, even if some of you spend it under the bed hiding from the Little Sticky People.

                                     To all my friends, Happy Halloween!
                                     It's the time when ghoulies and ghosts are seen.
                                            I hope you get treats
                                            And lots of good eats.
                                     To all and sundry, Happy Halloween!

Xena Velvet Ears

I got this picture of Xena from the memorial post when she went to the Rainbow Bridge last April. I think it's a lovely picture of her and it shows her sweet personality. I believe that Xena was born in her forever home, to her dad Thor and her mom Sweet Britches. By the time the Meowers from Missouri started blogging, she as already an old dog and spent most of her time sleeping, so she doesn't appear on the blog much. She loved napping in sun spots and I get the impression that seeing a nap pile in a sunspot with Xena in the middle was quite common. Xena loved the kitties and they all loved her. They would sleek up against her and she would give them little licks. She never chased them or barked at them at all. She would chew up any cat toy that she found, but that's just part of being a Labrador. Both of her ears were very soft and velvety, but I went for one ear in the limerick for the rhyme.

                                   Xena had a velvety soft ear.
                                   Just to stroke it gave her folks cheer.
                                            She loved all the cats
                                            And they would say, "That's
                                   Our beloved Xena.  Let's purr in her ear."

Nelson John LaPurr

This is Nelson enjoying his very favorite catnip. This little bag is his and nokitty else's.

Nitro and Edmund sometimes get ideas about "sharing" Nelson's catnip. Just after this picture was taken, Nelson whapped the living daylights out of Nitro. He might have been the geezer kitty, but he still had a lot of spunk in him. A long, long time ago, Nelson and his sibling used to hunt mice in the warehouse of the plumbing outlet where the Dad worked. One day Nelson showed up alone and was lured into a big cage. Then he became the office cat. The Dad named him Nelson after the warehouse, which was called WinnNelson. The Dad figured that the sibling must have been Winn. The sibling was never seen again and we can only hope that something good happened to him/her, like getting caught by someone who took him/her home with them. The John LaPurr part came from the Dad's boss' name, which was John LaPour. Nelson would spend his days in his Dad's office and the nights chasing mice in the warehouse. Every weekend, the Dad would take him home, then back to the office. One Friday night, when the cold weather was setting in, Nelson didn't come when he was called. The Dad figured Nelson was in the warehouse and went home without him, figuring that Nelson could live on mice for a couple of days. The Mom was very upset by this and the two of them drove back to the warehouse. Nelson came immediately the Dad opened the big warehouse door. Nelson went home with them and stayed there for the rest of his life, which was a long and happy one. By the time the Meowers from Missouri started blogging, Nelson was pretty old and spent most of his time eating, sleeping and watching the birds out the window. He did have two favorite things that he would really guard from the other cats and dogs in the house, though. He claimed one of the two cat cubes as his own and nobody better disturb him when he was in it. Even Xena, the elderly white Labrador, of whom Nelson was very fond, got a noseful of claws once when she stuck her head in. His other favorite item was his little bag of nip. He wasn't so particular about his food and Nitro and Edmund would sometimes try to steal his dinner. The Mom was very strict about this, though, and the two culprits would get spritzed with water and herded away from Nelson's food until he was finished and the Mom could put any leftovers away. Besides making sure that Nelson got enough to eat, she was keeping the other cats away from Nelson's food because he was on a special diet and his food wouldn't be good for the healthy cats. When the Meowers from Missouri decided to start Meow like a Pirate Day, Nelson became Captain Nels the Cranky, captain of the Cat o' Nine Tails, and loads of fun were had by all. Nelson went to the Rainbow Bridge just after this year's Meow like a Pirate Day. He was much loved and is much missed.

                                     Nelson zealously guarded his nip.
                                     Oh, woe to the kitties who thought to slip
                                             It from under his nose.
                                             He dealt with those
                                      With a mighty paw and claws ready to rip.

Cocoa

Here is Cocoa doing the Monty Q. She is an 80 pound Chocolate Labrador and she is full of energy. She likes all the kitties, especially Nitro and Xing Lu. The morning routine at the Meowers from Missouri goes like this. The Dad gets up at 0 dark-thirty, because he leaves the house at 6:00 am. First he lets Cocoa out to do her business, then feeds the cats. He picks up any cat food leftovers, then lets Cocoa in to eat. When she is finished, he puts her back outside, because she is very rambunctious. When the Mom gets up at 6:45, she may let Cocoa in for a while, then puts her back outside when she goes to work. Well, one morning it was hammering down rain and the Dad felt sorry for Cocoa, even though she has a very nice dog house, and left her inside. Cocoa had a blast inside. She chewed up everything she could get her mouth on, including a soda can and the water spritzer. Nitro was very pleased about that. The Mom was not pleased at all. Cocoa will chew and sometimes eat all kinds of things. She got hold of some modelling clay once and ate it. Then she had technicolor poop. Cocoa will sometimes protect Xing Lu from the other cats when they are chasing her and she is yelling. Cocoa just loves to play with Nitro. Nitro will get up on the recliner foot and bat at Cocoa. Cocoa will poke Nitro in the side with her nose. This goes on until Nitro decides that Cocoa is poking him too hard and leaves. Cocoa will chase Nitro around and try to corner him. When she catches him, she gives him a thorough and very wet bath. Nitro puts up with this, though he often doesn't look to happy about it. When Cocoa is in the house, all the cat food and toys must be put away. Cocoa will eat the former and chew up the latter.

                                     Cocoa bathes Nitro with a tongue like a wet mop.
                                      Nitro accepts it, though he wishes it would stop.
                                                On and on it goes
                                                 From his head to his toes
                                      'Til Nitro is soaked and wet as a mop.

Nitro S Pierce

Here is Nitro waiting for his chance to sip some of Mom's coffee. She puts cream in it and he can't resist. In fact, Nitro likes just about any kind of human food. He has been spritzed with a water sprayer, knocked on the head with knuckles, been rapped on the noggin with a spoon and he still goes for the food whenever he thinks he has the slightest chance of grabbing some. This is one of the reasons that his Mom insists that the S stands for Stubborn. One very wet and rainy day, a friend of the girlbean found Nitro in a dumpster and took him home to be friends with her woofie. That didn't work out at all well, as it was loathing at first sight for both of them. Then the girlbean took him to live with her and the boybean and their two kitties. That didn't work out, either, as Nitro kept beating up the other two kitties, so he came to live with Mom and Dad. There was a bit of a ruckus at first, but now things are pretty calm among the kitties and woofie. Nitro likes to wrestle Edmund, but Edmund soon tires of the game and finishes the match by sitting on Nitro. Nitro also likes to chase Xing Lu around, but the Mom usually comes and intervenes when Xing starts really yelling. Cocoa the dog really likes Nitro and often gives him a bath. Nitro likes to tease Cocoa by sitting on the foot of the recliner and swatting at her when she goes by. Nitro's favorite toys are catnip mice and feather toys. He once caught a real mouse in the kitchen. He ate everything but the tail, which he presented to Mom while she was still in bed.

                                    Nitro stalks the human food.
                                    He hopes his folks don't see him intrude.
                                                     When ravioli is near,
                                                     He sings loud and clear.
                                     Nitro really loves the human food.

Xing Lu

Xing Lu means "fortunate jade" and Xing Lu is certainly a fortunate cat. Her present Dad was taking some tree branches out to a dump site way out in the country one day. It's an area set aside for disposing of wood and leaves, kind of like a giant compost pile, I guess. Anyway, on the way, he found a new-looking fabric carrier, like the ones for sodas, by the side of the road and stopped to pick it up and put it in the pickup truck. Once they had unloaded all the branches, the Dad decided to open up the carrier to see why it seemed a bit heavy. Up popped Xing Lu's head, soon followed by the rest of her, so he took her home to join the family. Xing Lu's previous life is pretty much of a mystery, though she had been well cared for. She was well groomed and spayed. She is missing her top left fang, but that was well healed up by the time she was found. Whatever kind of life she led, she loves people and dogs, but doesn't care much for other cats. She is getting better about that, though. She never learned how to play. She likes catnip, but just sniffs and licks catnip toys. She doesn't toss them around or bunnykick them. Rolling balls and feathers on strings don't get any reaction from her at all. She did once get interested in a tinsel wand that Nitro was playing with and joined in for a bit, but that's it. Nitro would love to kitty wrestle with her, but she just yells and runs away. Edmund and Nitro find this yelling and running away amusing and will sometimes chase her all over the house. Xing Lu has her own suite of rooms at night. The Boy used to live in them, but he has moved out and now they are hers. This is where she gets her rest time from Edmund and Nitro. She and Edmund used to really hate each other, but lately they have been caught actually sharing the same chair and even both sitting on Mom at the same time without growling at each other. Xing Lu is quite floofy, but doesn't shed much. This means that she doesn't often get hairballs, but once she had a really impressive one. I can't do the story justice by summarizing it, so you should follow this link for the full story behind the limerick.

                                   Xing Lu once really hurled a hairball.
                                   Everyone gasped as it slid down the wall.
                                                     They stared in awe
                                                     At what they saw
                                   And crowned Xing Lu Queen of the Hurled Hairball.

Sir Edmund Percival Hillary

Here is Sir Edmund Percival Hillary in all his magnificent floofy glory doing his full monty for the 2008 contest.

Here he is on top of the computer tower, proving that he still likes to climb things. When I did my farewell post for Captain Nels, I realized that I hadn't yet done the Meowers from Missouri and thought it was high time I rectified that. Ed was born in a friend of his present Mom's house when she let in an obviously pregnant cat, so her kittens could be born in safety. Ed was born on his Mom's birthday and she was very pleased to make him part of the family. He moved in at 8 weeks old and was rather taken aback by the presence of fully grown cats. He decided very young that the best place for him to be was up high. When spooked, he would climb up his Mom and sit on her head. With climbing abilities like these, he just had to be named Edmund Percival Hillary. He got the Sir because he is such a chivalrous cat. Ed weighs in at a hefty 23 pounds and it's a mystery how he got so big and the other kitties didn't, because they all eat the same food. He's not particularly lazy. He loves to run and jump and play. He is quite fond catnip.

                                     Sir Edmund Hillary can climb anything.
                                     As a kitten, to Mom's head he'd cling.
                                              Now he views the fridge
                                              As a mountain ridge.
                                     Go, Sir Edmund, and climb that thing!

Farewell, Tiki

                                   This is one of the last two pictures taken of Tiki.

This is a similar pose before he got so sick. I think you can see that he was ready to go to the Rainbow Bridge. Tiki was 15 years old and had diabetes for some time. Lately his kidneys started to fail very quickly and his liver function went bad, too. There was just nothing more to be done for him but help him to the Bridge. Tiki lived with his Mom (Tara), Tavi (his litter brother), Cody, Miss Jade and Camie the greyhound. Tiki and Tavi were almost inseperable and Tavi will be missing his brother something awful. Please send them all of them some purrs and purrayers.

                                       Our dear, sweet Tiki got so tired
                                       That to go to the Bridge was all he desired.
                                                 His Mom helped him go,
                                                 Though it hurt her so.
                                       Now he's running and playing and nevermore tired.

Award

I am finally getting around to blogging about the very special award that Mr. Hendrix gave me. I feel very proud to get this award from him for my limericks. "With the Premium Dardos, recognize the values that each blogger shows each day in commitment to transmit cultural values, ethical, literary, personal etc. that, in short, demonstrate their creativity by alive thinking that remains intact from their letters and words."

I would like to pass this award along to:

Princess and Pierro for the pure humanity shown in their blog and their wonderful quotes.
Kimo and Sabi for their inventiveness and humor.
Black Cat for the sheer fun of reading her blog.
Jan's Funny Farm for all the help they give to animals in need.

Interesting Blog

I have had one of those weeks where something bad happened every day at work. I was feeling really rotten and sad when I found an e-mail with a link to a blog of slideshows. I found them really interesting and it helped cheer me up a bit. I tried to imbed my favorite of what I had looked at, but it didn't work. You can find the slideshow blog here. The show I liked most was the one on eyes.

I am still working on choosing blogs to pass on the award Mr. Hendrix gave me a few days ago. I hope to be back to my regular blogging tomorrow or Monday. At least I am going to have a better week starting tomorrow, because I am on vacation. Yay!

Samantha Black

Samantha Black is Tigger's sister and also an inside/outside cat, though she is always supervised outside now. That is because she gave her Mom quite a scare when she got out one night and didn't come back in the morning. After her Mom spent quite a while searching the neighborhood and getting very worried, she came home to find Samantha sitting on the porch, just as if it were perfectly normal for her to disappear like that. Samantha and Mr. Tigger get along quite well, though Mr. Tigger loves to stalk and pounce on Samantha. She holds her own, though, and whaps him back and wrestles with him. Samantha also loves catnip. Both Samantha and Mr. Tigger love playing with the TracBall and will sometimes both play with it at the same time. Another thing they both love is squiggles. Samantha has been in her forever home her whole life. Her very pregnant catmom found the garage open one day and moved in. The Mom let her stay and took care of her when she gave birth two days later. The Mom eventually found homes for the catmom and five of her six kittens, keeping Samantha. Samantha's boyfriend is Tybalt and Mr. Tigger's girlfriend is Trixie. Now that Samantha is staying inside a whole lot more, she loves to look out the window. If the blind is closed, she just crawls behind it.

                                      Samantha likes to play with the blind.
                                      She likes to look out the window behind.
                                             The blind may crinkle,
                                             But it doesn't wrinkle
                                       When Samantha gets up to look behind.

Mr. Tigger

Samantha and Mr. Tigger's Mom asked me to write limericks for them some time ago. Now that I finally have the time to do it, she's on vacation. I hope this will make a nice surprise for her when she gets back. Maybe it will help make up for the thorough house-trashing that's going on now.

Mr. Tigger started off life as a feral kitty. A friend of his present Mom found him in her yard and decided to keep him, but he tried to eat her bird. She decided that he needed a new home and gave him to his present Mom and they have been together ever since. Mr. Tigger is an inside/outside cat, but he stays around his neighborhood and is good about coming inside when he is supposed to. He is a good hunter and presented his Mom with a mouse as a Christmas present last year. He loves catnip mice with tails to play with. He loves catnip in whatever form it comes in. He gets great enjoyment out of stalking Samantha, but she doesn't mind it too much. He is great with the granddaughter. He never puts the bitey on her, even when she pulls his tail. Mr. Tigger's favorite way to get a drink is to get his Mom to turn the faucet on for him.

                                 Mr. Tigger loves to drink from the tap.
                                 He just sticks out his tongue and takes a lap.
                                       He also bites it,
                                       But never fights it.
                                 And that's how Tigger drinks from the tap.

Award

--d Ma and the Boyz have given me this very nice award. Thank you, I really appreciate it. Here are the rules:

1) Put the logo on your blog.
2) Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4) Add links to those blogs on yours.
5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

I would like to pass this award on to:

Ruis and all the other Kattenpraat kitties
Victor and Nina
Samantha and Tigger
Kilroy
Gaston
The Real Cats, Gibbs Creek
Chancy, Jake, Babe and Ernie's Voice

The modem seems to be behaving a bit better. For some reason I need to reboot it a couple of times when I first start trying to connect with the internet, then it works fine.

Award

I am very sorry I haven't been around much lately. My internet connection has been very erratic lately. I think my modem is dying.

D~ Ma and the boyz over at Cat's Eye have been kind enough to give me this lovely award. Thank you very much. The rules for accepting the award are as follows: Give this award to five friends (and only 5) who are dedicated followers of your blog - one has to be a new blogger in a different part of the world. Link back to whoever gave you this award.

I would like to pass this award along to:

Princess and Pierro
Michico, Adan and Lego
All the Ballicus cats
Goldie and Shade
Gaston

For Auntie Deb

Auntie Deb, Mom to The Taylor Catsssss, is having back surgery today and needs us all to send her all the purrs, purrayers and healing vibes that we can. She is in terrible pain and the surgery will be very painful, as well. Please take this graphic from Zoolatry and use it on your blog to spread the word. Get well soon, Auntie Deb!

Award

Omer, who writes the Of Cats blog, gave me this award a couple of weeks ago, but I am just now getting around to posting about it. Thank you so much, Omer. I really appreciate it. I would like to pass this award on to:

The Zoo
Poppy Q
Tara
Sassy
Dragonheart and Merlin
The Cat Realm
and, though it seems a bit circular, to Omer's cats, Snow, Leo and Fairy.

D~ Ma at Cat's Eye has given me an award, too, and I hope to do that one very soon.

Farewell, Captain Nels

Captain Nelson John LaPurr, also known as Captain Nels the Cranky, set sail for the Rainbow Bridge yesterday afternoon. He was 18 years old and had been having health problems for quite a while. The Meowers from Missouri were the ones who started Meow like a Pirate Day and Captain Nels was in charge of the good ship Cat 0' Nine Tails. Nelson was a calm old cat who lived with three other cats and two dogs. We will miss him terribly and the ship won't seem the same without him.

                                      Captain Nelson John LaPurr
                                      Was the finest pirate kitty ever.
                                                     Alas, today
                                                     He sailed away,
                                       But we'll see him again where it's always fair weather.

Quest

Quest is such a pretty calico girl. She is Shy's litter sister and was adopted at the same time. While Shy is aggressive and bossy, Quest is laid back, but not exactly quiet. Quest is the most vocal of the three cats at Ginger's house (or maybe four, if Q2 stays). The Mom thinks that both Shy and Quest may have some Siamese in them, as their brother looked very Siamese. Quest can really talk up a storm, if the mood so takes her. Since Quest is so calm and laid back, Shy and Ginger like to chase her around the house. Shy even whaps her once in a while, for no apparent reason. Quest takes all this in her stride most of the time. Once in a while, she just gets fed up with the other two, then look out. All of a sudden Quest is chasing Shy or Ginger or both all around the house. Quest's favorite toy is her catnip mouse and she really enjoys it.

                                The other two cats like to chase Quest.
                                She really wishes they would give it a rest.
                                        When she's tired of the game
                                        She knows just who to blame,
                               And the other two cats go running from Quest.