Mr. Scrubby

Mr. Scrubby doesn't post a whole lot, but he has some really fun pictures and videos on his blog. He was rescued in 2006 and has been blogging since 2007. He lives with his Mom and Dad and older brother Jake and younger sister Emma. Jake and Emma barely get a look in every once in a while, as Mr. Scrubby is definitely the star of his blog. Mr. Scrubby loves to play. His favorite toy is a red mouse. As you can see in the video, he even holds his mouse in his mouth while he plays with his feather wand. He also really enjoys wrestling with and grooming his sister Emma. Mr. Scrubby is pretty tolerant of being dressed up for the holidays, even wearing hats.

                                          Mr. Scrubby loves his mouse of red.
                                          He loves to bite it on his head.
                                                He plays with feathers
                                                While chewing its nethers.
                                          He even bunnykicks his mouse of red.

Farewell, Ghost

In 1993 the Mom saw a very dirty white kitten running through the pasture. At first she thought it might be Blanket, her white kitty who had gone missing. She soon discovered that it was a starving feral kitten. She wooed her with food and kindness and managed to tame her, almost. Ghost was never too comfortable around people or other animals. She loved her Granddad and was friendly toward her Mom, but would hide from anyone else. Her favorite spot to hide was behind the washing machine. She hated being picked up and would tolerate being petted only rarely. Because she had been so starved as a kitten, not all of her teeth came in. She lost the others to infections. She also lost an eye to a bad infection. Ghost got so she would tolerate Mia being in the same room with her, but just barely. If Mia stared at her, she would hiss. She hissed at Jade and BG if they got anywhere near her. She may have been the grumpy one, but she was very much loved and will be missed terribly.

                                       Away to the Rainbow Bridge ran Ghost.
                                       Her sweet little face we will miss the most.
                                               She may have been grrry
                                               And not very purry,
                                       But her companionship was something to toast.

Memorial Day

This is Santa Fe National Cemetery. It dates back to before the Civil War, but even then it was a military cemetery. It became a national cemetery in 1892. I have some friends buried here. There are a huge number of soldiers from the Bataan Death March buried here, as the New Mexico National Guard was training there when the Japanese attacked. Let us always remember that these graves hold the men and women who served our country to give us the liberties we now enjoy. It always saddens me whenever I go by that it is always expanding. I hope that some day we will know peace all over the world and the only new graves here will be of old soldiers who came home. All honor and respect to all who have served, who now serve and those who will serve in the future.

Hugs Weekend

It's Hugs Weekend in honor of Bonnie Underfoot. I almost missed it because I was feeling a bit under the weather yesterday and didn't turn on the computer. Give all your friends and family a big hug and tell them that you love them. I did miss ML's birthday, but Happy Belated Birthday, ML! Lots of {{{{HUGS}}}} to everyone from me.

Farewell, Georgia

If I had one of those gadgets that play music on my blog, it would be playing "Georgia on My Mind" right now. Georgia was a fine old cat. She wasn't the first cat in the household by any means, but for a while, she was the only cat and she liked it that way. She didn't approve when Gemini was added to the family, but she did mother her. Whenever she heard Gemini give a distress cry, Georgia would come running to defend her. The Mom got the most disapproving look she has ever gotten from a cat when she stepped on the tip end of Gemini's tail one day and Gemini let out a yowl. Georgia came running, got between the Mom and Gemini and just stared at the Mom with that "How dare you!!" look that cats do so well. She then comforted Gemini and made sure she was all right, then gave the Mom that disapproving look again. From then on, Gemini felt at home in the house, but she never understood why Georgia didn't wan to play with her. In fact, sometimes Gemini had to be separated from Georgia by a closed door, so she would leave her alone. Georgia was an older cat, even when Gemini first showed up. Cheysuli showed up later, but she and Georgia just sort of had an understanding that Cheysuli was welcome, but Georgia didn't want to play. A couple of years ago, Georgia was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The vet gave her a couple of months to live at the most. Georgia was a fighter, though, and she lasted another two years. She only started having a really bad time a few days ago. The Mom had actually decided to take Georgia on that final trip to the vet on Friday, today, but Georgia decided to go on her own terms, the way she had lived her whole life. Have a great time at the Rainbow Bridge, Georgia. We will miss you lots, but we understand that your body had failed and it was time for you to go.

                                   Georgia left for the Bridge from her Mama's lap.
                                   She just closed her eyes and was there in a snap.
                                           Now she's running free,
                                           Her heart filled with glee,
                                  But she really does miss Mama's lap.

Yay for Me!

see more Lolcats and funny pictures
This struck my funny bone just right, so I thought I would share it. I have also shared all the sad things that have been happening in my life, but few of the good things. This is an all good news post. My mother told me yesterday that she finally feels like herself again, after her most recent illness. She looks good; she acts healthy; she is more active; her appetite is back. I went to my own doctor today and got some more good news. Since I was first diagnosed with hypothyroidism three years ago, I have lost 40 pounds. That's not much weight loss per year, but I haven't weighed this little since I was in college 30-some-odd years ago. I have lowered my bad cholesterol by 50 points since last July. I am healthier than I have been in years and I feel great. Not bad for a 60-year-old broad, eh?

Farewell, Gerber

My NOMSSFs are Steffy's rodents. Gerber was one of them and a pretty special one, all right. Steffy rescued him from a pet shop five years ago. He had a terrible skin condition and diarrhea. The pet shop owner tried to talk her out of buying him, as he didn't expect Gerber to live more than a few days more. Steffy's thought was to get him to a vet and see what could be done to make his life comfortable for the little time he had left. It turned out that Gerber was a feisty little hedgehog and he fought hard to live. And live he did. He had never been socialized to humans and at first he got all huffy and bitey whenever Steffy picked him up. After a while, he decided that he liked being held and loved on. He became a lap hedgehog, and a shoulder hedgehog, too. He loved sitting on Steffy's shoulder under her shirt. He would sit in her lap every evening as she worked on her computer. He also loved rolling around the floor in his ball. He got the name Gerber as he was particularly fond of Gerber Baby Food Bananas. Steffy got him a girl hedgehog, Baby, as a companion and they spent several years together. Baby went to the Bridge last year. Gerber never gave any sign of being ill, but five years old is rather elderly for a hedgehog. The day he went to the Bridge, he had been active and happy, but when Steffy went to get him to help her blog, he had gone. He just went to sleep and woke up at the Rainbow Bridge. I am sure that Baby was right there to greet him.

                                        Gerber went to the Bridge in his sleep.
                                        It was gentle for him, but it made Steffy weep.
                                                    Now he's having a ball
                                                    With Baby and all
                                        Of his other friends in the grass so deep.

Happy Birthday, Auntie Deb

Happy Birthday, Auntie Deb! Also many thanks for all the things you do to help the cats and people of the Cat Blogosphere. We are grateful for your organizing skills and fund-raising skills to help those who need it. You have a very big and kind heart and we love you.

                                          Happy Birthday, Auntie Deb!
                                          Though your fortunes rise and ebb,
                                                         You're always there
                                                         With help to spare.
                                           Here's a heart-felt thank you, Auntie Deb.

Farewell, Tazz

As you can see, Tazz was quite a character. She lived with Margaret and she and ML often joked about their "twin" woofies. They were actually no relation to each other, but their personalities were very much alike. Bear and Tazz loved each other very much and they both loved playing with the kitties. Tazz was 17 years old and she had lost both her eyesight and hearing, but she still loved to play with the kitties. When she went into renal failure, there was just nothing more that could be done for her. She was in pain and Margaret, though it hurt her enormously, sent Tazz off the the Rainbow Bridge. I am sure that she and Bear are playing together and with all the kitties they can find. I can just see a herd of kitties, with Bear and Tazz right in the middle, playing a huge game of Thundering Herd of Elephants.

                                          Tazz got old and deaf and blind,
                                          But 'til her kidneys failed, she didn't mind.
                                                  Then she hurt so
                                                  Mom helped her go,
                                           Though it made her eyes with tears blind.

Fenris

Doesn't he look sweet? Fenris joined the kitties at Alasandra's house on February 9th of this year. He was rescued from a shelter after some mean human dumped him and his four littermates in a cardboard box at the Space Center. He is either a Great Pyranees mix or a Pyrean Mastiff mix. He is not quite six months old now. He is going to grow up to be a BIG dog. He is a very gentle dog. He likes all the cats, but they are not quite sure what to make of him yet. Socks just ignores him. Scylla likes to get up on a high perch and watch him. Charybdis thinks she might like to play with him, but then gets scared of him when he gets close to her. On his part, Fenris doesn't really chase the kitties, except when he thinks Charybdis wants to play. Fenris got his name from the youngest son. Fenris or Fenrir is the Wolf of Ragnarok, which is a rather fierce name for such a sweet puppy. Maybe it is those ice-blue eyes that caused the youngest son to choose that name. The characteristic that really stands out about Fenris is that he is such a happy puppy. He loves everyone and everything. He really loves to sit in Mom's lap. This might become a problem, as he has already doubled his weight since he was adopted. He loves to play with the soccer ball and with a tennis ball and with any stick he finds. If no one wants to play with him, he will amuse himself with a stick.

                                   The word that best describes Fenris is happy,
                                   Especially when he's in his Mommy's lappy.
                                                      He runs and woofs
                                                      Despite tail poofs.
                                   Fenris is just a happy chappy.

Straw Hat Day

Here is my straw hat. I'm wearing it, but you can't really tell from the picture. I tried taking my picture in a mirror, but I couldn't persuade the camera that it didn't need the flash for the photo. This straw hat has been all over with me, as I love to take it on vacation.

Charybdis

This is Charybdis watching Fenris when she feels safely out of reach.

This is Charybdis when she feels that Fenris is getting a bit too close. You can see her back beginning to arch a little and her tail beginning to puff a little bit. Charybdis can't decide how she feels about Fenris. She thinks that he would be fun to play with and gives him play signals, like rolling on her back and waving her paws in the air, but when he gets close, she jumps up, arches her back, puffs her tail, then runs from him. Of course he gives chase, thinking that it's all part of the game she wants to play. Eventually Charybdis will jump up on something out of reach and calms down again. It may be that Charybdis does want to play, but finds Fenris a bit too big close up to be comfortable with. Charybdis has always been the cautious kitty of the household. She is the first one to startle and run from anything new or strange.

Scylla and Charybdis were originally taken in as fosters. They were abandoned or orphaned at three weeks old and needed to be bottle fed. The Mom got very attached to them and asked the Dad, "They're so adorable. Can we keep them?"

The Dad replied, "Only if you let me name them."

The Mom thought it over and agreed, "If you stick to girl names, you may name them."

Charybdis was a hungry kitten and could suck down her bottle of kitten formula in nothing flat, which reminded the Dad of the Greek myth of Charybdis who could cause a whirlpool by sucking in the sea, so he named her Charybdis. Scylla was the natural complement to that.

Charybdis is a very active cat and can tear around the house like her tail was on fire, though she doesn't cause the chaos that her sister does. She also likes to climb some, but not nearly as much as Scylla. Charybdis mostly does her climbing outdoors in the tree or jungle gym. She hunts, like her siblings, but isn't as much interested in it as the other two. She loves to pounce Scylla and start a round of kitty wrestling. She also loves to play with toys and anything that she can turn into a toy. She will go on a walk with the Mom and Fenris, when Fenris is on a leash, and she stays ahead of him far enough for her to be comfortably sure that she can't get to her. She has been known to share the couch with Mom and Fenris, with Fenris in Mom's lap and Charybdis on the back of the couch. She is something of a lap kitty and will take any lap that's offered when she's in the mood.

                                        Charybdis is the cautious one.
                                        Though she thinks Fenris could be fun,
                                                       When him too close she'll see,
                                                       She'll puff up and flee.
                                         She wants both to play and to run.

Scylla

Scylla and Charybdis really are sisters and were adopted together as kittens a little over two years ago. They may look very much alike, but they each have their own characters. Scylla is very active and loves to get way up high. She loves climbing trees and discovered that she could get to the hummingbird feeder. She probably just wanted to bat it around, but the Mom was afraid she had designs on the hummingbirds, so she moved the feeder up higher in the tree. Like Socks, Scylla is a very good hunter and likes to bring her trophies home. She gets a bit disappointed when Mom won't let her bring them inside. Scylla is also the cat most likely to tear things up or knock them down. Don't let her anywhere near the paper towels or TP, unless you want the house redecorated. She got up on top of a tall piece of furniture near the windows once and saw a bug. She wanted to catch that bug very badly, but it hid behind the curtains. Scylla knocked the curtains down trying to find the bug. Scylla gets along with Fenris the dog by staying out of his reach. Whenever he gets too rambunctious for her, she just jumps up on something and watches his antics from above. Scylla loves her food and even tried Fenris' food once. She didn't like it. Scylla also loves the catnip plant that is growing in the garden. One day she got so blissed out that she almost forgot to come in for dinner.

                                      Scylla has a destructive streak.
                                      Chaos throughout the house she will wreak.
                                                  She shreds towels of paper
                                                  And down come the draper-
                                      Ies when like a whirlwind all around she'll streak.

Socks

Sorry I have been away for so long. Things just started happening and I didn't have any time to blog. Hopefully those things are settling down now.

The oldest cat at Alasandra's now is Socks at eight years old. He was picked out to be adopted and named by the eldest boy. Socks is very fond of the eldest boy and loves sleeping on his bed. He will even hop up for a nap before the boy has time to make up his bed. This gives him a great excuse to skip that chore. All the cats are great hunters, but Socks is the best. He took it upon himself to show Scylla and Charybdis where all the best hunting spots are and just how to go about hunting in the best way. Socks' favorite places to be when he isn't napping on the boy's bed are the Whiskers Memorial Butterfly Garden and the woods beyond. There is always great hunting there and this may explain why Socks just nibbles at his food. He caught a bunny once, and this made his Mom very sad. No one knows what he catches that he doesn't bring home. Socks enjoys catnip and is delighted that the catnip that his Mom planted last year is starting to come up once again. He was afraid that he and the sisters had killed it off with all the rolling around in it that they did last year. Socks wasn't too happy when Fenris the puppy joined the family, but it didn't take him long to accept the situation. I don't think you can really call them friends, but Socks tolerates Fenris quite well.

                                   Socks is a great brother and teacher.
                                   He has taught his sisters to hunt any creature.
                                                They hunt in the wood,
                                                 As well they should,
                                   For Mom feels sorry for the hunted creature.

Award

I got this really cool award from Angel and Kirby. I get a real kick out of it. Thank you so much.

"The blogger who receives this award believes in the Tao of the zombie chicken -- excellence, grace and persistence in all situations, even in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. These amazing bloggers regularly produce content so remarkable that their readers would brave a raving pack of zombie chickens to read their inspiring words."

The recipient is to pass the award on to five other blogs. I would like to give this award to:

Cats of Wildcat Woods
Darling Millie
Us 4 Gatos
Manx Mnews
Little Pink Pig