Happy New Year

I hope that everyone has a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. I am researching some kitties for limericks, but my sore ribs have taken a lot out of me and sometimes I find myself falling asleep at the computer and need to go to bed before I'm ready to quit. At least working at the computer doesn't hurt any more.

Merry Christmas

Sorry I haven't gotten back to the limericks yet. I overdid it the last time I blogged and made myself sore again. I am slowly getting better and think I have figured out how to space myself out blogging, so I don't get sore again. My physical therapists are very happy with my progress. I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate.

Auction for Fiona

I just want to help spread the news about the auctions to help pay Fiona's vet bills. There are new items offered each week and they look great.

I am sorry that I haven't been blogging in so long. I had a bad fall on the evening of December 8th and cracked two ribs. I spent the next week in bed, only able to feed myself and Herman and take care of our bathroom needs. I am getting a little better now and can finally bear to sit in my computer chair again. I will try to get back to the limericks soon.

Salem

This is Salem of The Zoo in one of her many napping spots.  At 13 years old, she has become a champion napper.  She likes all the big beds, the top of the cat tree, the closet shelf and her own pink bed on the floor. Sometimes her Mom even brings her food in bed, so she doesn't have to get up to eat.  Some of the other cats are a bit jealous of this, but as the elder Alpha cat, she deserves it.  It isn't that Salem isn't active.  She still likes to go outside on her harness and leash.  Salem is pretty calm.  The only time she gets a little put out is when one of the woofies steals her pink bed.  Usually she just finds another spot, or gets up somewhere and waits until the woofy gets up, then takes her bed back.

                                                    Salem loves to snooze around.
                                                    Sometimes way above the ground.
                                                             Or she'll sleep in her bed
                                                             On the ground instead.
                                                    Salem just loves napping around.

The Shelter Pet Project

I have been meaning to do this for some time, but I kept putting it off.  I feel that this project is very important to help save the lives of many healthy and treatable pets who are euthanized each year.  If I can help save just a few, that is reason enough to post about it.  Here are a few facts:

Each year approximately 4 million pets are adopted.
Of the 8 million pets that enter animal shelters each year, approximately 3 million healthy and treatable pets are euthanized.
It is estimated that 17 million people will acquire a pet within the next year. 
To save all the healthy and treatable pets that are euthanized, we just need 3 million of these people to adopt.

To find out more about this project go here.  I recently adopted Herman from Friends of the Shelter where he was in a foster home.  He is not what many people would consider a perfect pet, as he has some health issues, but he is the perfect pet for me.  He was sad and lonely and so was I.  Now both of us are much happier and no longer lonely.  If you are going to adopt a pet, please check your local shelter first.  I am sure that there is a cat or dog who there who would be thrilled to go home with you.

Adopt from your shelter, oh, please do.
The cats and dogs are waiting for you.
Each pet girl and boy
Will bring you such joy.
You want to adopt them; you know that you do.

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish all my friends a very Happy Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Herman came into my life at just the right time. This was going to be a kind of lonely Thanksgiving without my parents, but now I have Herman to keep me company. My little cold has prevented me from sharing this Thanksgiving with my family, but I won't be alone. I will try to visit as many of you as possible and I will also try to get back to the limericks very soon. I slept all afternoon Wednesday and I am feeling quite a bit better now. Love to you all.

Farewell, Kimiko

I am really getting behind with these. It's been almost a month since Kimiko went to the Rainbow Bridge. Kimiko was one of the older cats in the house. Her Mom found her in a dumpster near her work with four siblings. No one knows how the kittens got in the dumpster. The momcat was hanging around the dumpster and that is what alerted the Mom to look inside. She found the five baby kittens, but could not catch the mother. She took all of them home and socialized, litterbox trained and found homes for all the rest, but kept Kimiko. Kimiko loved her Mom very much and always wanted to be near her. She also loved to hop in the laundry basket as soon as the clothes came out of the dryer. Her favorite treat was fishy flakes and her eyes would get really big when she saw them come out and get put in a bowl. She was very vocal and told her Mom all about everything. She loved to be held and cuddled in her Mom's arms. Kimiko got small cell intestinal cancer. Usually this disease is slow-acting and responds well to chemo. In Kimiko's case it was very aggressive and nothing seemed to slow it down. Kimiko had to be helped to the Rainbow Bridge not long after her diagnosis. Her family is still missing her very much.

                                    Kimiko's cancer came on fast.
                                    She tried her best, but could not last.
                                            Alas, now on Earth
                                            Of her there's a dearth.
                                   She is at the Bridge, having a blast.

Limerick Tomorrow

I will definitely start up the limericks again tomorrow. I already have one written, but I am too tired to post it tonight. I have had a busy day, as you can see on Herman's new blog. It isn't much to look at and it has my profile, but at least it's a start.

Playful Herman

I managed to get a much better picture of Herman this morning. Since I knew that the light level was high enough that the flash wouldn't go off, I got much closer to him. I know now, thanks to your kind advice, that I shouldn't be shooting toward the window, as I still am here, but I was close enough and low enough that the picture came out all right. I took this picture just after our cuddle and play session and he was still making biscuits on the carpet. He loves it when I get down on the floor with him. I think the hopping up on the bed and hopping off was him testing to see whether it was allowed and if he felt comfortable enough with me to join me. He slept on my feet for a few hours Wednesday night. I was expecting him to meow me awake for breakfast Thursday morning, but he didn't. This was probably because I noticed just before I went to bed that he had eaten almost all of his Stinky Goodness, so I gave him some more. I think one of his previous families had punished him for jumping up on the furniture because when I got up early to put out the trash bin, he was sitting on a big pillow I had put on top of some storage boxes in front of the window near the bird feeder. As soon as he noticed me, he jumped down and ran as if he had been caught doing something wrong. He is slowly learning that jumping up on the furniture in this house is allowed, though he still very rarely does it. When I went back to bed after putting out the trash and making sure that he wasn't ready for more food yet, I had just gotten settled in good when I heard a meow from the foot of the bed. I scratched on the covers and told Herman that it was OK and he joined me in bed. He came up to me and I gave him some scritches. Then the most amazing thing happened. I had my hand flat on the bed scritching his cheek when he nestled his head into the palm of my hand, closed his eyes, started purring and went to sleep. Now that is trust and love.

Herman is making great strides in the playing department. At first he would only bite and paw at his toys for a minute or two, then lose interest. After I got him the kicker toy, he started bunnykicking. Today I noticed that he is batting them around. Tomorrow I am going to try out Da Bird on him again. The first time I tried it, he just watched it for a few seconds, then walked away. The second time, I waved it around slowly, then let it stop and he walked up and sniffed the feathers for a bit before walking away. Now that he is batting toys around, maybe he will bat at it. This morning I rolled a ball for him and he chased it. That was the first time that I had seen him show any interest in the ball at all. I found one of his little mousies in the kitchen and scooted it across the floor to him. He batted it around so vigorously that he knocked it under the dishwasher. He was so disappointed when it disappeared. I got down and looked, but couldn't see it and I couldn't feel it, as far as I could reach. I think he must have knocked it over the hose and way to the back and it just might have to stay there. He meowed at me for a long time after I gave up trying to get it out. Of course, I brought him a new toy when I came home from work. It's like a miniature tennis ball with a fuzzy tail. He groomed the tail, but didn't seem much interested in the rest of it. I do notice that most of the toys change position during the night. I think Herman will be completely over his depression very soon. I got his vet papers today and they state that he just turned two in June. The shelter had told me that he was three or four. No wonder he was so depressed, going through two homes in one year and eleven months, with the second one not being much of a home at all. I wonder how long he will sleep with me tonight.

Settling In

Here is the first picture of Herman. I obviously have a LOT to learn about taking pictures of cats. He is lounging against his scratcher, which he doesn't use; he prefers the carpet. I need to find him a better one, but there aren't any available in this little town. If you biggify, you can actually see him. Sorry it's so dark. I don't understand it. The picture was taken in bright sunlight, so the flash wouldn't go off and alarm him. I'm sorry I didn't blog last night. I pooped out at 11:00 pm. Herman didn't spend the night with me Monday night, but he jumped up on the bed once, then jumped back off again. Tuesday night he jumped up three times and down again. The fourth time, it looked like he was going to stay, but the alarm went off and he ran. I had to get up early to get the bags of donations out for charity. Herman likes his breakfast early. Tuesday morning he meowed me awake at 6:00, so I got up and fed him, then went back to bed. Wednesday morning, he meowed me awake at 4:45 and I told him that it was much to early. He finally gave up. The alarm went off at six, so I dragged out the bags, then fed him, then went back to bed. I usually get up at ten. By then Herman was ready for his midmorning snack.

Monday night, Herman would only let me pet him a little bit. Maybe he wasn't sure what was going on quite yet. Tuesday, I got down on the floor with him and he let me pet him for a long time. We had three nice sessions like this, periodically interrupted by the dryer alarm, as it was laundry day. At one point, he was cuddled up right beside me, on his back, making happy feet in the air and purring. He has a rumbly, but very soft purr. I keep buying him toys. I found a fairly long tube, made of hemp and stuffed with organic catnip. When I wiggled it on the floor, he pounced on it, bit it, clawed it, rubbed his face on it and bunnykicked it good. I was so happy that tears came to my eyes. Herman hadn't played with toys in a long time because he was so sad. He certainly plays now.

Wednesday I had to go back to work and I wondered what Herman's reaction would be. He was taking his afternoon nap in his mancat cave when I left. When I came home, he soon appeared, meowing loudly, probably asking me where the heck I had been and why was his dinner so late. I was afraid that he would be feeling abandoned and maybe a bit sulky, but he was delighted to see me and we had a great play and scritch session after he ate his dinner. I got to clean up my first kitty barf. Herman is a nibbler, so he always has food out. I was getting my lunch and he was eating again and whoopsie! I think he probably just ate a bit too fast. Maybe the smells from my lunch warming up stimulated his appetite a bit too much.

I will set up Herman with his own blog soon and get back to the limericks soon, maybe tomorrow night, for the limericks, anyway. As I recollect, setting up a blog takes some time and I probably won't have much until Friday. A huge thank you to you all for welcoming Herman so warmly. I'm in love and I'm probably boring the pants off some of you with my new kitty ravings.

Welcome Home, Herman

Herman came home a little after 11:00 Monday night. The plan was to close him up in his safe room for the night to let him adjust. He was supposed to be nervous and a bit shy. Ha! I let him out of his carrier once the foster lady and I had gotten him into his room and the door shut and he came right out and rubbed up against my legs. I got him some water and he lapped some up. I got him some food and the foster lady brought out the tuna that she had lured him into the carrier with and he dug right in. Then he used his litter box and came right over to where I was sitting and rubbed up against my legs again. I started to pet him and he let me for a little while, then he gave me a little nip to let me know that he had enough for now. He is just a tiny bit nervous about letting me touch him for any length of time, but then he comes right back for more. Best of all, he has already lost the sad, droopy look that I saw in his foster home. His ears and tail both came up after only a few minutes. The cat who never plays found one of the catnip mice I scattered around on the floor for him just after I let him out of the box and mouthed it and rubbed up against it and even rolled over on his back holding it. It only lasted a minute or two, but it is behavior he has not exhibited since he was brought into the shelter last May. Herman is very talkative. After the foster lady left, I went to the door to go get a plastic bag to scoop up his litter box deposit. He came to the door with me. I asked him if he wanted to come along and he meowed at me. So I opened the door and he walked down the hall with me to get the plastic bag, with him meowing all the time. Herman is having none of this safe room business. He wanted to see the whole house right away, so I walked around with him following at first, then leading. I think Herman knows a forever home when he sees and smells one. So much for having another couple of days to finish the cleaning while Herman stayed in his room adjusting. He is adjusted already and I think he loves it. He has been rubbing his cheeks on every corner in the house. I didn't realize just how much nervous tension I have been carrying around, worried that something would go wrong until everything went right and it left. I am exhausted and going to bed very soon. I am leaving my door open, bedroom cat-ready or not, although I don't think there is anything in the room that would hurt him, just things that might break if he knocked them down and a lot of dust. I won't be at all surprised if Herman joins me in bed tonight. Both the foster lady and I are overjoyed. She gave me a big hug as she left and told me that she had almost given up hope of finding a home for Herman and that she felt sure that he had found his special home at last. I think so, too. I believe that even Herman thinks so. He sure is making himself at home.

Behind Schedule

I had some time all plotted out this morning for kitchen counter scrubbing, floor mopping, dusting and vacuuming and then things started to happen, like phone calls, and I never got any of it done. I do have time tomorrow morning, if nothing else happens, but this means that I still haven't gotten started on my room. I thought about doing some of my room tonight, but I had a really busy day at work and came home too tired to do anything but blog a bit. I can always sleep in Herman's room, if he shows signs of wanting company all night. The couch in there is a hide-a-bed. I kind of think he will want his own space tomorrow night, though, and I just might be able to get my room in shape Tuesday, my day off. I surprised myself at how quickly I got the living room and kitchen cleared of stuff that wasn't kitty friendly. I am happy, excited and nervous. I tried telling myself today that if there was anything that would make the Friends of the Shelter change their minds about letting me adopt Herman, they would have asked me about it already. I guess the only thing I have to worry about is that the foster lady said that sometimes the cat liked the person, but hated the house and would get so fractious that he or she had to be returned. I think that Herman will be so glad to get out of that room he's been in for the last few months and into a home with just himself and one person that he will just settle in nicely. I also believe that fractious cats just need some space and time and love, though there may be cases where that doesn't work. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, Herman will be settling into his new life.

Getting Ready

I have called Herman's foster lady and she suggested that she bring Herman over Monday night, so he can spend the night in his safe room and I will be there for him in the morning and all day, as I have Tuesday off. I have been busy getting ready. Herman's safe room is all set for him. The living room and kitchen are ready except for the cleaning and putting the safety locks on the cabinet where I keep the cleaning supplies and the cabinets where the good china is stored. I haven't even started on my bedroom yet and it is a total wreck. I hope I can get it in shape by the time Herman starts to think that sleeping with me might be fun. He will be spending the first few days in his safe room with the door shut. I have gotten some good advice about that. I hadn't even considered that he might be overwhelmed by the extent of the change in his life and learning one room will probably be quite enough for him to begin with. I know what I have to do and how I am going to go about it, but it seems like there is just so much of it. I am such a packrat that there is stuff everywhere. I am buying storage boxes and I think I will just throw bunches of stuff in the boxes and go through everything later, just so I can get things cleared off. I am excited, happy and very nervous. Part of me is still afraid that something will go wrong at the last minute, but that's just my nature. I am a bit of a worrywart. Wish me luck.

Herman Has a New Home!

Your purrs and pug snorts worked! The screener called me at 7:00 this morning and interviewed me over the phone. I passed with flying colors. Herman is now officially my kitty. The foster lady suggested that I give him his own room, at least to begin with, and I spent the rest of the morning working on getting it ready for him. I won't close him in, but he will have his own space to feel comfortable in. There's a nice hidey-hole for him under a corner table, an easy chair, a sofa and a spot on a shelf where he can look out the window. The foster lady and I agreed that I would pick up Herman on my next day off that I don't have any commitments, so he will be arriving early next week, possibly Tuesday. That way I can spend the whole day with him before I have to go back to work. I know what he eats and what kind of litter he likes, so I'll be picking that up for him tomorrow. I already bought some toys, a brush and some food dishes for him.

Speaking of what he eats, that leads me to a problem. Herman is currently eating Purina Kitten Chow (for the extra protein he needs), dry Friskies and Fancy Feast. Everything I read last night about FeLV and FIV says that a cat needs the best nutrition possible, high in both protein and fat, to live as long as possible. From what little I know about cat nutrition, this isn't the best diet for him. Can anyone point me to a book about caring for a cat with FeLV/FIV or a good one on cat nutrition? Herman cannot eat raw foods, because his doubly weakened immune system can't handle the bacteria that might be on it. I would be willing to cook for him, if that is the best route.

Thank all of you for your support in this and any help you can give me on tips for caring for Herman. I am thrilled that he is going to come live with me. I will be really busy until, and after, his arrival, but I will be checking in from time to time and posting updates. It may be Friday the 13th, but it is a very lucky day for both Herman and me.

Second Step Successful

Things are going well. I met the foster lady and Herman this morning. The foster lady thinks that I just might be the perfect match for Herman. Most important is that Herman likes me. The foster lady says that he is a bit shy and not very trusting of people, but he came right out to meet me. I did have a small bowl of tuna in my hands, but the foster lady says that he doesn't often come right out to meet someone. Herman let me pet his back while he ate his tuna, then he went back to his safe spot for a minute. I crouched right down and just stayed still and he came back out, sniffed my fingers and gave one of them a little lick, then rubbed his chin up against my fingers for some scritches, which I gave him. He talked to me a bit, too. He is unhappy. His tail was droopy the entire time. I so much want to give him a home and make him happy. Now I just have to get through the screening process. The foster lady said that they probably would want to know how I would take care of him, so I am off to learn as much about feline leukemia and FIV as I can.

I am finding it very hard to concentrate on limericks for some reason. Grin. I will get back to them once this is resolved and I find out whether Herman will be coming to live with me or not. Right now, I am too excited and nervous to be able to do them justice.

Excitement

My plan was to get the house in order and all cleaned up and just the way I wanted it, then get some good cat furniture, then go cat hunting. However, I saw a flyer for a cat who needs a home NOW. His name is Herman and he's 3-4 years old. His previous family really neglected him, leaving him outside, unneutered and unvaccinated. He got FeLV and HIV and terrible mats in his long gray and white fur. At present, he's in a foster home, locked up in a room by himself with little contact even with the foster lady. He took a dislike to her when she and another volunteer tried to cut out his mats themselves. He has been professionally shaved and checks out healthy except for his virii. He is sad and lonely. When I saw the flyer, something inside me said, "This kitty needs you," so I called the foster lady and left my number. This morning she called me back and was very excited that I wanted to adopt Herman. I go to meet him in the morning. If that goes well, then all I have to do is go through the screening process. I ran around this morning, putting away all the picture frames with glass in them and cleaning off the table by the window, so he will have a good view of the bird feeders. The screening process has me a bit worried. I have heard that they can be pretty strict about who they let adopt animals. I have no idea what they are looking for, except that they don't want to give an animal to someone who would abuse or neglect it. Will my really messy house count against me? Does anybody know anything about this process?

Gracie

I just love this photo of Gracie enjoying the sunshine. Gracie hasn't been blogging long, just since the end of September, so I can't tell you a whole lot about her. She lives out in the country, where the tradition is that cats live outside to keep down the rodent population. She first showed up in July, shortly after Sassy, Guy and Punkie went missing. There was an outdoor party going on and she was drawn by the food smells. Lots of people wanted to pet her and coo over her. It wasn't long before the Dad noticed that she was starving; her ribs were sticking out much too much, so he went and got her some food. The Mom was not happy about this, as she didn't want to get attached to another kitty. She was still heartsore from Sassy, Guy and Punkie. Gracie worked on her, pulling out all the cute stops and before long, a few days at the most, she won the Mom over. Gracie got named and taken to the vet to get checked out, get her shots and her microchip and to get spayed. The vet said that Gracie had to stay indoors for ten days after her surgery. Gracie was delighted. It wasn't long before Gracie was sleeping in the bed with her new Mom and Dad. Then the Mom got all sad about the ten days coming to an end and Gracie would have to go outside again. However, Gracie had been working her kitty magic on the Dad and it was decided that Gracie would be an inside cat. She couldn't be happier. She doesn't even try to walk out an open door. Gracie now has her own kitty condo and she seems to really enjoy playing with shoe strings. One of her favorite toys is a hand, especially her Dad's. Everyone enjoys the hand game very much, except when Gracie gets a little excited and bites down a little bit too hard. She has learned to back off quickly when this happens, though.

                                     Gracie knows how to get her desire.
                                     Her pitiful look sets humans on fire
                                             To serve her and feed her,
                                             To love her and need her.
                                    It's a good thing a home was her only desire.

Farewell, Beezer

Someone mentioned recently in a comment that I must hate doing these. Hate is the wrong word. It makes me sad, yes, and I wish that only very old friends had to go to the Bridge, but I also feel that it is an act of love to say farewell and that's why I do it. This one is hard to write, because I have known Beezer for a long time. Back before I had a blog, I used to read Beezer's blog all the time. Then I started blogging and time got shorter and Beezer started blogging less and I just stopped going by much at all. I hadn't been by in ages when I read on the CB that Beezer had gone to the Rainbow Bridge. It came as a shock. I did write Beezer's story and limerick, which you can find here. Beezer was with his Mom as an only cat for almost 10 years. She first saw him in a department store window the day before Thanksgiving, which is how the shelter he came from encouraged people to adopt kitties and puppies. I always loved Beezer's adoption story. He was a mellow and loving cat. He loved to sit in his Mom's lap. He got sick all of a sudden and went quickly, at home with his Mom. She is missing him terribly.

                                  It's hard to say farewell to Beezer.
                                  He wasn't really even a geezer.
                                        He got sick and left
                                        His Mama bereft.
                                  Have fun at the Bridge, dear friend Beezer.

Farewell, Shadow Lady

This was supposed to be a happy post about Shadow Lady, the only cat at Jewel Girl's house that I hadn't done a limerick for. I had written her happy limerick and chosen the picture below to go with it, then I had my tooth problems and didn't get it posted in time.

Shadow Lady was the calm, collected elder cat of the house. Nothing ever seemed to bother her and she left the rough-housing and play to the younger cats. Her idea of fun was to find a great place to nap, like a handy lap. Last summer, Jewel Girl let her out into the back yard to enjoy the sun and grass and Shadow Lady loved it. Shadow Lady was born on March 5th, 1995, as one of a litter of eight. She lived the longest of any of them. She went into a sudden decline a few days ago and the vet determined that her kidneys had failed. She went to the Rainbow Bridge on November 6th. Jewel Girl is really sad right now. Here are Shadow Lady's two limericks.

                                       Shadow Lady is a gentle cat.
                                       She seldom, if ever, has a spat.
                                               She takes her naps
                                               In convenient laps,
                                       Which is something she is very good at.

                                        We now say farewell to Shadow Lady.
                                        She's lounging around someplace shady,
                                                  With grass 'neath her toes
                                                  And not any woes.
                                        Have fun at the Bridge, dear Shadow Lady.

Farewell, Baby Pickles

I am back to feeling mostly human again, so it's back to the limericks. There are going to be three farewell posts in a row because Shadow Lady was up after Pickles, but she went to the Bridge, too, so her post won't be a happy one.

Patrick went to the Rainbow Bridge on August 4th and the Mom found Baby Pickles the very next day. She was delighted because he looked almost exactly like Patrick -- all white with some Siamese in the mix. Pickles was born deaf, but that never slowed him down. He was all over the place and having a great time with Christopher. Then in early October he had a seizure of some kind. The Mom knew just what to do and got some glucose into him and kept him warm. He seemed to come out of it just fine. Everything seemed to be going well until the Mom found that he had run off to the Rainbow Bridge very early on the morning of October 17th. She thinks that he had another seizure. There must have been something wrong with his little insides. This really tore the Mom up emotionally, but things are getting better now. There is a new little kitten in the house, Bug. She was part of a rescued feral litter and very sick. She is much better now, and the Mom is cautiously hopeful.

                                      Baby Pickles left us much too soon.
                                      He fell into a deathly swoon,
                                            And floated away
                                            To the Bridge to play.
                                      Now he runs and jumps and chases the Moon.

Dona Nobis Pacem

Thank you very much to The Meezers: Miles, Sammy, Billy and Meezermom for putting this lovely graphic together for me. I was unable to do it myself.

I really do believe that the only way we will get world peace is for all of us to treat each other better as individuals. When no one is is desperate need and we can be content with what we have, there will be no more wars. It may sound terribly naive and it may be, but that is what I believe.

Help, Please

I have been having a pretty rough time lately. Yesterday I went to the dentist to get a small cavity filled and have a sore tooth looked at. The dentist couldn't find the cavity, but the sore tooth (a molar) was cracked right through and infected. It had to be pulled and it came apart, so the dentist had to dig for the roots. I feel terrible. I am not in any real pain, just a general feeling of exhaustion and malaise. I have always had a terrible time putting my Peace Globe together and I just can't do it myself in time. Would some kind soul do it for me? Here is my globe:

Here is my picture that I always use:
Here is my limerick:

Love thy neighbor as thyself.
Covet not his goods or pelf.
Be willing to share
To show that you care,
And Peace will come, all by itself.

If some kind soul could just put them all together and e-mail me the finished product to: nyctolopsATvlaDOTcom I would be very grateful.

Aniwa Scrat

This is the look that got Aniwa her forever home. She was all alone outside, starving and cold on an October 12th, with snow flurries in the air. She saw her new Mom and gave her this look and that was all it took. Well, could you resist it? Spooky Do welcomed Aniwa into the family right away and she has never forgotten it. To this day she loves to initiate play with Spooky Do, usually by giving him a bat on the head. This leads to a spirited wrestling match, sometimes followed by a mutual grooming session. When Kin Kin showed up, Aniwa was delighted. Here was someone who loved to play as much as she did. The two of them have become fast friends. Aniwa is a small cat and Kin Kin is quickly catching up to her in size. In fact, he may be as big as she is now, though he is still a kitten. Aniwa is often the first cat to size up a new toy in the house. She was the first one to play with the new tunnel. She has a favorite spot on a high shelf which has a cloth on top of it. She loves to get up there to watch the action below and nap. Lately she has been sharing it with Kin Kin. It appears that he followed her up there one day and now he enjoys it as much as she does. When the Halloween pumpkin appeared in the house, Aniwa was all over it. She rubbed up against the stem. When the top was cut off, she inspected the inside carefully and started to play with the insides. Her Mom made sure she didn't make a mess, though. Once it was carved, she was content to just look at it.

                                                 Aniwa says, "Will you play with me?"
                                                 Spooky may say no, but Kin Kin says, "Whee!"
                                                               They wrestle and chase
                                                               All over the place.
                                                 They have such fun as they play with glee.

Farewell, Tabbygail

Tabbygail didn't have a blog, but you can read about her last sickness on the Purrs and Prayers Blog and you can read about her on her Catster page. Tabbygail was lost or abandoned in her Mom's neighborhood in January 2000 and found her way to her Mom's house. Her Mom suspects that their house has a sign, visible only to cats, which says, "Hungry cats welcome here." After feeding Tabbygail for a couple of weeks, she started to become more approachable and the humans suspected that she might be pregnant. When the weather turned really nasty in February, they brought her inside and she gave birth to four kittens, which the family also adopted. Her family thinks she was three or four years old when she was adopted. Once Tabbygail got used to her new humans, she became very affectionate and loved to be brushed. She loved to watch birds and squirrels out the window and chatter at them. She had a favorite toy leather mouse which she played with. She was really enjoying life until she developed a tumor. It was in a place which made it almost impossible to remove. Rather than risk losing her on the operating table, her family decided on an alternate treatment and Tabbygail was doing well on this treatment until she developed a complication in her lungs. This was making it very difficult for her to breathe, so her family made the difficult decision to send her on to the Rainbow Bridge on October 17th.

                                                 We now say goodbye to sweet Tabbygail.
                                                 She had a good life till her health did fail.
                                                         She went to the Bridge
                                                         Just over the ridge
                                                 To play forever, did sweet Tabbygail.

Miss Peach's and Mickey's Wedding

Miss Peach and Mickey are getting married today. You can attend by following this link. I am so excited. I followed the wooing with much joy. I wish them all the happiness in the world.

                                                 Miss Peach and Mickey get married today.
                                                 The kitties are gathered in splendid array.
                                                         Let's toast them long life
                                                         Without pain or strife
                                                  Then throw rice and shout, "Hip-hip-hooray!"

Happy Halloween!

I am putting up my Halloween post a little early, so I can also put up my post for Miss Peach's and Mickey's wedding for tomorrow. Fred and I would like to wish you a very Happy Halloween. Stay warm and safe, but have lots and lots of fun.

                                                 Have a Happy Halloween!
                                                 Beware, take care, if the Moon turns green.
                                                                 Strange creatures fly
                                                                 With a watchful eye
                                                 Looking for meat for their soup tureen.

Luna

Luna's beans made a request that I fit Luna into Halloween week, as she is definitely a black cat. She has the most gorgeous green eyes. Here she is sitting on a lap, one of her favorite things. Luna's beans are very much involved in making electronic music, so there are wires and cables all over the place. Fortunately, Luna is not at all interested in them. What she does go for is the ties that hold them neatly in place. She leaves the ties alone while they are on the cables, but if she finds one on the floor, it instantly becomes a toy. She never gets to play with one long, because someone always takes it away from her. It wouldn't be good if she bit off a bit of the plastic and swallowed it. Luna is fond of toys and adores catnip. She always has a really good time when the catnip on her scratcher is refreshed. She loves basking in the sunlight. Where she lives now has a private patio with a high wall, so she can go outside. She loves it. She has her own little pot of cat grass on which to nibble. Luna asked me to remind you that she is hosting the Halloween edition of Weekend Cat Blogging, so get your posts in.

                                                 Luna's a black cat with eyes of green --
                                                 One of the prettiest I've ever seen.
                                                          She loves her nip;
                                                          Goes on a trip.
                                                 Now she's ready for Halloween.

Anakin Andrae

When the Mom first put this toy down for the kitties to play with, Anakin pounced on it and claimed it for his very own. He growled at any other cat who tried to get near it. Anakin is the youngest and smallest of the cats, but he is growing fast and is nearly as big as Aniwa now. The Mom discovered that Anakin and Aniwa sound too much alike to the cats and it was causing confusion, so Anakin is always called Kin Kin now and he answers to that name. One day the Dad went hiking in a nearby National Forest and when he returned to the car, he discovered a tiny, very bedraggled and muddy kitten nearby. The kitten ran under the car and pawed at the tire. The Dad got him away from the car, but didn't have any way to keep him safe and warm in the car, so he sped home to get a carrier and some towels. When he got back, a lady had the kitten in her arms. He asked if it were her cat and she replied that she found him and was going to take him to the Humane Society. The Dad explained that he had brought a carrier and towels to take the kitten home and give him a forever home. The lady handed the Dad the kitten and that is how Kin Kin found his forever home. At first, the other cats weren't thrilled by this newcomer, but it didn't take long at all for Spooky Do to welcome him and for Aniwa to discover that he liked to play as much as she did. Aniwa seems to be Kin Kin's favorite among the other cats, probably because she is closest to him in age. They play together a lot. Kin Kin is very adventurous and has already discovered how to climb up to Aniwa's favorite high shelf.

                                                Kin Kin staunchly defends his toy.
                                                He is such a brave panther boy.
                                                      He will growl and hiss
                                                      And take it amiss
                                                 If any cat comes near his toy.

Farewell, Pierre

It is easy to tell from this photo why Pierre's nickname was Tarzancito. This was his very favorite spot to sit and watch the world. He loved climbing through the trees and was very good at it. He also loved playing in the garden of the abandoned house next door. He is buried there now. Pierre was also a very loving cat and loved curling up with the family on the couch to watch TV. Pierre was always a very active cat and when his family found him listless one day, they rushed him to the vet. He had a very bad case of kidney stones with complications. He was such a tough mancat that by the time he showed any symptoms of there being something wrong, it was too late to save him. The vet tried overnight, but he only got worse, so his family sent him along to the Rainbow Bridge to end his suffering. They loved him very much and still miss him terribly.

                                                 Pierre just loved to climb in trees.
                                                 He scampered through the branches with ease.
                                                       He got kidney stones,
                                                       Which hurt down to his bones.
                                                 Now he's at the Bridge, climbing the trees.

Spooky Do

As promised, today it's back to the limericks. As it is Halloween week, I am doing only black and orange cats. Above is Spooky Do, doing his best to live up to his name. I think that Spooky Do is the largest of the cats in his house and he is now quite the mellow guy. He welcomed Nelly and Anakin into the family without any fuss. Aniwa likes to attack him, but it never goes beyond the wrestling match stage and they are often seen grooming each other. Spooky Do's favorite thing is to climb into containers: bags, boxes, plastic bins. He has a favorite blue plastic bin that he often naps in. He loves to chew on plastic grocery bags, just to hear them crackle, perhaps. He likes to get up on a high shelf to keep an eye on what is going on.

                                                 Spooky Do likes to sit in boxes.
                                                 He jumps right in and settles his 'tockses
                                                       To look at the world
                                                       Before him unfurled.
                                                  He also likes to nap in his boxes.

Feeding the Birds

Unfortunately, it's happening again. The kitties and woofies are going to the Rainbow Bridge faster than I can keep up with them, even if I do a tribute post every day. I am not going to do that, as I can't handle it emotionally any more and it makes my blog look like an obituary page. I will do the tributes in between the fun posts, even if it means that the tributes appear long after the event.

I thought I would tell you about my adventures in bird feeding. It all started many years ago when my family discovered that the ravens who hang around liked to eat chicken skin and just about any other food that we wanted to discard. The ravens are a riot to watch and we were soon getting fat from the grocery store, just to feed them. There weren't any ravens around this morning and I didn't have anything for them, so there isn't a photo of the ravens.


This is the suet feeder in the crabapple tree next door. For many years, we had birds spending the winter based in this tree, eating the crabapples. Then about two-three years ago we had a late frost and all the crabapple blossoms were killed. I didn't want the birds to starve, so I put up this feeder and put out a big block of birdseed. Every critter in the neighborhood enjoyed that block of birdseed, including the raccoons and deer. The ravens really like the suet, too, though I also get smaller birds eating it. I have kept it full every since, but decided against another big block of birdseed.


This is the finch feeder, which contains thistle seed. This spring a pair of house finches built a nest in our carport and I wanted to make sure that the babies had enough to eat near their nest, so I put this feeder up. They were emptying it every day at first, but now it last two-three days.


When my Mom began to get very frail, there was very little that she could do and she got bored. I put up this general small bird feeder to give her something to watch. I also thought that the tweeting of the small birds might amuse her. It worked, to some extent. Up until winter arrived, this feeder was also being emptied every day, but now it generally lasts two days. I started putting just the cheap seed in it, but the hulls were making quite a mess on the ground, so now I use the no waste bird seed. It attracts a variety of small birds, including finches, sparrows and juncos. I have also seen a dove or two on the ground, eating up what the smaller birds drop.


This was my attempt to take a picture of the feeders with birds actually using them. It didn't turn out very well, but you might just be able to make out some birds if you click on the picture to make it bigger. That's my adventures in feeding the birds. It's a reasonably inexpensive hobby and I am really enjoying it. I love hearing all the tweeting just after I fill up the feeders.

Tocktober

Things did not turn out at all the way I had planned them. I had been having a regular flock of birdies around the bigger bird feeder and thought that I would refill the feeder, then back off far enough that the birdies wouldn't feel threatened and photograph some bird tocks for Derby, as that is the only kind of tocks around here. Unfortunately, winter arrived and this happened:

Most of the birds took off for warmer climes and the ravens wouldn't hold still long enough for me to photograph their tocks. So here are the only tocks I could photograph for you, Derby:

I don't know if stuffed tocks count, but I did my best.

Farewell, Rosendo

This one just breaks my heart. Gretchen's Mom was writing a story about how an abandoned kitty got adopted and found a forever home. Her husband didn't know anything about the story, but he brought an abandoned kitten home with him. The kitten's name in the story was Rosy, but Rosendo was a little boy kitty, so he got named Rosendo, which is Spanish. He was starving and sick. You can see how tiny he was in the picture below:

He got the very best care possible, but on what would have been his fifth day with Gretchen and her beans, the kitty angels called him home. What is really tragic is that Gretchen threw a major hissy fit when he first came home, but she was just getting used to the idea that he would stay when he went to the Rainbow Bridge. It isn't all sad though. Gretchen's Mom found Sophie and she has moved in. Gretchen threw three days' worth of hissy fits, but now has accepted the fact that she has a new sister. Let us be comforted by the fact that little Rosendo had four days of unmitigated love and attention that he otherwise would not have had, hadn't the male human found him and brought him home.

                                                There was a kitty named Rosendo.
                                                Whose cuteness caused our hearts to bend-o.
                                                             He was skinny and sick;
                                                             His life sped by quick.
                                                 Have fun at the Bridge, little Rosendo.


PS.  I don't really want to take away from the feeling of sorrow for the untimely death of Rosendo, but I feel that I must tell you of what is going on right now. I feel lower than a toad's belly now and I can't go on with the limericks.  I knew to expect it, as I felt it with my Father's death.  I am going to post a Tocktober post tomorrow and tell you about my bird feeding efforts the day after.  I will get back to the limericks after that, I hope.  I have had the comforting dream of my Mother telling me that she is all right now and with my Father, so I hope that my feeling of crushing sadness will go away soon.  I just hope that I can de-clutter the house soon and adopt some kitties to keep me company.  I wish I could stop waking up in the middle of the night, feeling that my Mother needs me and not being able to sleep again.  Sorry to burden you with my troubles.

Nelly Dancy

Nelly Dancy has begun sticking her tongue out lately. Is she showing her opinion of the flashy box? Nelly has a very expressive face and it's always easy to tell what she is feeling. She was adopted into her forever home in November of 2008 when her previous family was moving and didn't want to, or couldn't, take her along. She fit in easily with the other cats and was very welcoming to Anakin when he came along. Nelly is full of energy and is usually up to something. She loves to attack toes and toys. Nelly is fascinated by the Outdoors and will try to sneak outside every time she spots an open door. Last summer she succeeded in getting out and made a beeline for a mountain ash tree in the yard. She climbed up to the very top in her bid to get to stay outside for a while. This ploy succeeded, at least for a while. She wouldn't come down and someone had to climb up a ladder to reach her.

                                                 One day Nelly sneaked outside.
                                                 She climbed to the top of a tree to hide.
                                                         Her humans saw her --
                                                         It caused a bother,
                                                But they got her down and back safe inside.

Farewell, Tiny Tim

Here is Tiny Tim, soaking up the sunshine. He was named after Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, as he showed up on December 26, 2001, with a lame leg. He got rescued and his leg healed up fine. Tim loved sitting in the sunshine and also going outside in the garden, though not as much as some of the other cats. Tim also very much enjoyed pouncing on Longfellow or whacking him on the bum as he was about to jump off the porch. Tim knew that the catnip is kept in a drawer in a table. He would go sit on the table when he wanted catnip. A while ago, Tim lost interest in eating and drinking and started panting. Off to the vet he went and it was discovered that he had Pyothorax, a fairly rare condition in which an abscess forms in the thoracic cavity and fluid builds up. There is a treatment, involving 5-10 days at the vet having the fluid drained, but there is no guarantee that the fluid won't just fill up again. Tiny Tim always hated going to the vet and his family decided that such a prolonged stay for maybe little gain would be harder on him than just saying goodbye. He was helped to the Rainbow Bridge on September 28th.

                                                 Tiny Tim fought the good fight,
                                                 But Pyothorax sapped his might.
                                                        His Mom helped him go
                                                        On his journey so
                                                 Long to the Bridge, where he plays in the light.

Daisy Dukes

Daisy Dukes is a beautiful, polydactyl calico with lovely green eyes. This is a very unusual picture. Daisy loves to sleep on the very softest things she can find and this fleece blanket is just perfect for her. What is unusual is that the new kitten Anakin is also sleeping there. The other cats have taken to Anakin pretty well, but Daisy has been avoiding him. She isn't mean to him or anything; she has just been staying away from him, though she does hiss at him occasionally. So now the question is, has Daisy finally accepted Anakin or was the fleece just too irresistible, despite his being there? I guess it is possible that Daisy was there first and Anakin joined her after she went to sleep. Notice how she has snuggled her face right into the fleece.  This is a typical sleeping position for her.  Daisy has lots of fun when she isn't napping. She really enjoys paper bags. Once in a great while, her Mom lets her go out in the back yard, under careful observation. There is a comforter with a daisy pattern on it that is her favorite place to nap. I call it a quilt in the limerick to make the line scan.

                                                 Daisy chooses the softest place
                                                 To take her nap and rest her face.
                                                       The quilt with daisies
                                                       Brings on the lazies.
                                                 That has become her favorite place.

Farewell, Jake

This is a hard one to write because it is so sad. Jake and Spot were inside kitties living with their Mom and two Kidbeans. They started blogging in 2006, but didn't blog very much at all. Then a boyfriend who didn't like cats moved in and Jake and Spot became outdoor only cats in the summer of 2008. The last we heard from them on their blog was that the Mom had gotten a doghouse, put it in the basement and put fleece blankets in it to keep them warm for the winter. That was September 2008. It must have worked because we didn't hear anything more until just recently. Jake was killed by a car. His Mom has lost her information to get into his blog, so it hasn't been updated since September 2008. She is just devastated.

                                                 Jake and Spot had to live in the yard.
                                                 They liked it fine, 'cept the door was barred.
                                                           A car hit poor Jake;
                                                           A trip he did take
                                                  To the Rainbow Bridge where nothing is hard.

Awards

Oh, wowie! I got two awards today. First the one that I am most excited about. Mark, LC, Ayla and Iza designed this award just for me. The photo is of Edward Lear, master limerick writer. He wrote hundreds of them. The most famous one is this:

                                             There was a young lady from Niger
                                             Who smilingly rode on a tiger.
                                                     They returned from the ride
                                                     With the lady inside
                                            And the smile on the face of the tiger.

He wrote lots of other poems, too, but most of them have become rather obscure. His best known one is "The Owl and the Pussycat" which I think will be well-loved forever. I am so very happy that I will celebrate with a limerick of my own:

                                               Thank you so much for my limerick prize.
                                               I truly appreciate you guys.*
                                                           They are fun to do**
                                                          And to know that you
                                               Really like them, too, is the bestest prize.

*Well, one guy and three gals, but I was going for the rhyme.
**The tribute ones aren't really fun, but they are done with love and I always feel gratified when they come out right.

I also got this one from Mark, LC, Ayla and Iza. They are really spoiling me. I don't understand much Portugese, really just enough to recognize the language when I see it, but I do know a few words and I think it says, "This blog is a dream." Thank you so much. I didn't see any rules, but I feel that I should pass it on. I would like to give this award to:

Perfectly Parker
Shadow, Molly, Trooder and Jake
Diego-san, Theo and Thompson
Brian
Cheysuli and Gemini

Loki

Loki has had a rather interesting life so far. Originally, he lived with his Daddycat, Nana's younger son. Then Daddycat lost his job and finding a new one would involve a lot of travel, so last May Loki came to live with his Nana for the summer, or so he thought. Nana has two dogs, so Loki moving in with them was rather a shock for both the dogs and Loki. They all get along fine now, though Loki does sometimes object to having his butt sniffed while he is napping on a chair. Daddycat has found a new job, but it involves moving around a lot, so Loki is living with Nana from now on, or until things settle down for Daddycat. Loki misses Daddycat, but he comes to visit whenever he can. Nana is spoiling Loki a bit. She buys him lots of toys and has introduced him to cat treats, which he never had before. Nana has discovered that Loki really likes catnip and she keeps a special stash for him. Loki knows where the stash is and will love all over Nana while looking at the catnip drawer. This usually works for him, but not always. In visiting around the cat blogs, Loki discovered Reese and fell in love. He dreams of her often.

                                                 Loki's in love with a cat named Reese.
                                                 Just seeing her makes him squeeze
                                                         His eyes in delight.
                                                         He dreams all night
                                                 Of the fun he could have with his darling Reese.

Farewell, Mrs. B

I think Mrs. B was about 10 years old. She had a rough time of it before she found her forever home. Someone found Mrs. B in their backyard. She was in bad shape and they took her to a neighbor who rescued cats. This Nice Lady took Mrs. B to a vet who discovered that she was FIV+ and insisted that she be put to sleep. The Nice Lady was having none of that and took her to another vet, who treated her for her immediate problems, including diarrhea, and who said that she could live a long life with the right care. Mrs. B was about two years old at the time and was definitely not a feral cat. She had obviously been an inside cat, but how she got to be in the condition she was found in we will never know. Foster Dad took in Mrs. B to nurse her to health, but then she developed some alarming symptoms, so off the vet she went again. This time it was discovered that she had heart worms. This is often fatal, but Mrs. B pulled through. Mrs. B, called Bobbi at the time, was being kept inside, but she sneaked out one day and was terrorized by Foster Dad's dog. She wasn't hurt, but she was traumatized. Mrs. B went back to live with the Nice Lady, I think. About this time, Random Drift's Mom was looking to adopt a cat, as her Kalahari had gone to the Rainbow Bridge and her apartment seemed much too empty. She didn't have any luck at PetSmart and told a fellow worker that she was looking for a cat to adopt, but didn't know where to look. This fellow worker knew the Nice Lady and took the Mom to see her and Mrs. B. Mrs. B went home with the Mom and stayed there for eight years. She was never sick until just recently, when she got so sick that she had to be helped to the Rainbow Bridge. Mrs. B was a calm cat, but she did like to sneak out to eat grass. She never left the yard; she just wanted her salad. Her Mom took to growing cat grass in the house to see if that would stop her from sneaking out. Mrs. B loved to watch TV, especially Meerkat Manor. She would come running whenever she heard the theme music. For a long time, the Mom thought that Mrs. B just didn't like to play at all. She provided lots of cat toys for Mrs. B and Bubbles, but Mrs. B ignored all of them. Then one day Mrs. B found a milk ring on the floor. All of a sudden Mrs. B was playing all over the place. She never did play with anything else, though. Mostly she slept on her own special pillow, but she would sit on the couch with the Mom to watch TV.

                                                 We say goodbye to Mrs. B.
                                                 She lived quite well with her FIV.
                                                        Milk rings gave her joy
                                                        Like no other toy.
                                                 Now she's at the Bridge, eating grass carefree.

Huffle Mawson

Here is Huffle Mawson in her parsley pot. It was one of her favorite places to sit in her back garden. When her Mom decided to redo and improve the garden because it has mostly gone to weeds, the parsley pot disappeared. Huffle was quite upset by this turn of events. After much begging by Huffle and a campaign started by Angus Mhor to get the Cat Blogosphere involved in getting Huffle a new parsley pot, this appeared:


Huffle is quite pleased with the cat grass, cat mint and catnip planted in the two little pots, but has yet to sit in her new parsley pot. She has been too busy hiding under the new plants in the garden, waiting for a chance to pounce on the evil birds who have been taunting her.

Huffle's Mom and Dad brought her home from a shelter four years ago and named her Stella. When her Dad noticed that she was quite the explorer and loved to investigate anything and everything, he added the Mawson, after the arctic explorer. When her Mom noticed that she liked to huff at things, lots of things, she started calling her Hufflepuff. This was soon shortened to Huffle and that is what she answers to now. When she first moved in, Huffle had a brother named Salvador. He didn't like her much and gave her a rough time. Even so, Huffle missed him when he went to the Rainbow Bridge. Huffle loves to play outside on her deck and in her garden. She thinks that all of her Mom's new plants are delicious, but her Mom objects to her tasting them. Maybe that's why she planted Huffle's new pots, thinking that Huffle would stick to her cat grass, mint and nip. Huffle is also determined to catch a bird or two, but she hasn't been successful yet.

                                                 Huffle lost her parsley pot.
                                                 It was something she liked a lot.
                                                      She got a new one,
                                                      But it wasn't a blue one,
                                                 So Huffle ignores her parsley pot.

Farewell, Baby-Dot and Baby-Tuxie

This is Baby-Dot, having a little look around.

And this is Baby-Tuxie, going exploring. These two brothers were abandoned, along with one other sibling, who is being fostered by someone else, by their feral mother in a lady's yard. She was caring for them on her porch, but couldn't take them inside because her son is very allergic to cats. She called a vet, who knew that PDX Pride's Mom fosters tiny kittens and she took them in. Unfortunately, they both died within hours of each other only a few days later. They were only 2 1/2 weeks old. There was a problem with their formula, but that in itself wasn't enough to have caused them to go to the Rainbow Bridge. Maybe there was something wrong with their little insides. Despite the short time that they knew them PDX Pride's Mom and Dad grew attached to the little ones and are still very sad about it.

                                                 Two little tuxies were fighting for life.
                                                 Their foster Mom helped in their strife,
                                                            But they left anyway
                                                            And all we can say
                                                 Is, "Have fun, tiny tuxies, in you new life!"

Trooder

By special request, today is Trooder day. This is his very first Gotcha Day, so be sure to drop by and wish him joy. Trooder is four years old. He was found in a feral colony by a very nice couple who were surprised by how friendly he was. They took him to Grayson County Humane Society. He was quite a mess. His fur was terribly matted and he had diarrhea and ticks. They cleaned him up and discovered that he walked funny because his left front ankle had been broken and didn't heal properly. He was a big hit with everyone, but no one adopted him and his time was running out. A group called N.O.A.H. took him in and put him up for adoption. His forever Mom found him at the store where she always shopped for food for Jake and the cats. He was huddled in the back of the cage, but came forward and meowed when he saw her. The lady who was handling the adoptions took him out of the cage and handed him to his soon-to-be Mom. She was very hesitant, but when they went to the quiet room and Trooder sat next to her and purred, then put his paw on her hand, she just knew that this was the new kitty for her. She took him home that very day. It turns out that Trooder has arthritis and his limp will never completely go away, but it is much better now that he is getting treatment for it. The shelter and NOAH called him Nowhere Man, but the Mom decided that he needed a new name. She tried Big Guy, but he didn't respond. The Dad called him Thumper because of the noise he made walking across the kitchen floor and he sort of responded to that. He was also called the Introoder, because that is how Molly, Shadow and Jake saw him. This got shortened to Trooder and suddenly, he was responding to that name. Shadow was the first one to make friends with Trooder. Molly was slower to come to accept him, but they get along fairly well now. Trooder still hisses at Jake sometimes and guards the human litterbox room from him. This is to prevent Jake from eating out of the litter box and that makes the Mom very happy. Trooder was so happy that he had a new home that he started to gain weight. He needed to gain some weight, as he was pretty skinny. However, he now has a jiggly belly and may have to go on a diet. This brings us to Trooder's first limerick:

                                                 Trooder may have to go on a diet,
                                                 But shhhh, the Mom is keeping it quiet.
                                                         Trooder loves his eats
                                                         And he loves his treats.
                                                It will be hard keeping him on a diet.

Because today is the first anniversary of Trooder's Gotcha Day and
because his Mom may not let him see the first limerick, here is a
special Gotcha Day limerick for him:

                                               We celebrate Trooder's Gotcha Day.
                                               Everycat come and shout, "Hooray!"
                                                         Kitties far and near
                                                         Raise a mighty cheer
                                               And toast Trooder's first Gotcha Day!