Shy

Shy, also known as ShyGurl, is the one looking out the window. Ginger is on the couch. Shy and her sister Quest were feral kittens living with their mother and brother in a garden belonging to one of her Daddy's co-workers. Her Daddy adopted them when they were about 5-6 weeks old. They are 13 now. Shy got her name because she hides from humans. She will even run away from her Mom if Mom moves toward her too suddenly. When it comes to other kitties, though, Shy is anything but. She loves to chase Ginger all around the house. She chases Quest sometimes, too. Oddly enough, she doesn't seem to have chased Q2 yet, but I'll bet that is coming up. Shy has a sensitive tummy and barfs a lot. She loves to barf on the carpet under the piano. Her Mom wishes that she would barf on the kitchen floor, but Shy will actually run from the kitchen when the need to barf comes upon her.

                                       Shy likes to hide when people are near,
                                       But around other kitties she knows no fear.
                                              She'll haul off and whap them
                                              And chase them and fwap them.
                                        Her alpha cat status she holds very dear.

Meow like a Pirate

more animals

Aye, kitties, it be Meow like a Pirate Day once again. If ye be seekin' adventure on the High Seas, ye can ship aboard the Cat o' Nine Tails or the Black Furball. Eric and Flynn also be lookin' to hire on hands for their ship. Me, I be:

My pirate name is:

Red Jenny Rackham

Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. You have the good fortune of having a good name, since Rackham (pronounced RACKem, not rack-ham) is one of the coolest sounding surnames for a pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

I be holdin' a bit o' treasure hunt in me back yard. Some creetur took to livin' in me disused vegetable garden an' that dinna fash me a'tall, but lately it's been takin' a likin' to me lawn an' that's an eviction offense. If any o' ye pirate kitties would like to come by an' thrash the creetur, I'd be much obliged. Here's yer hint as to where to find 'em.

Thar'll be plenty o' nip rum an' tuna juice on hand, as well as Temptations and Greenies. Let's make a party o' the occasion.

                                Thar be a creetur livin' in me yard.
                                Ye can dig 'im up.  It shouldna be hard.
                                             Be not afeard to face 'im
                                             He'll run ye'll chase 'im
                                 All through the grass and out o' me yard.

Farewell, Pixie

Pixie was Daisy the Curly Cat's older sister. She lived to be 13, even though she had feline hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for the last six years. She seemed to understand a bit about her condition and always took all of her medications without a fuss. Pixie had a mischievous side and would sometimes whap Daisy on the head as Daisy walked by the chair Pixie was sitting in. Daisy would sometimes get a little miffed at this, as she knew she couldn't whap Pixie back, because of her heart condition. Pixie liked her nip, but best of all she liked bananas. She always got a few bites with her breakfast. Pixie got to feeling very tired and sad in the last few days and left for the Rainbow Bridge Sunday morning. She was a sweet, fun kitty and I am going to miss her a whole lot.

                              Pixie decided it was time to leave.
                              She told little Daisy not to grieve.
                                      She wrapped a banana
                                      In her fav'rite bandana
                              And early one morning she took her leave.

Ginger

Ginger has been blogging a long time, since December 2004. She lives with her Mom and Dad and two sisters, Shy and Quest (and maybe Q2 now), in Portland, Oregon. She originally lived with a friend of her present Mom, but that friend had to give her up and asked if her present Mom knew anyone who would like a nice cat. There was a neighbor who had said repeatedly that he wanted a cat and Ginger went to live with him. However, he was not a nice cat parent. He left Ginger outside all the time and didn't feed her or give her water very often at all. Ginger used to go next door to her present Mom's place often and beg for attention. Her present Mom gave her a box with warm bedding and food and water, but didn't bring her in because she wasn't sure how Shy and Quest would take to a new cat. When the weather got cold, Ginger's Mom took pity on her and brought her inside to live with her forever. That was the start of winter 1999. The neighbor never said a word about it. Shy and Quest didn't like the new kitty much, at first, but soon got used to her. Ginger has decided that her Mom is the best human in the whole wide world and likes nothing better than to sit in Mom's lap. Ginger also really enjoys watching out the screen door and the windows. She alerts her Mom to when the racoons show up to eat the food that her Mom puts out for stray kitties. Her Mom has a Super Soaker and knows how to use it. Ginger is really good at persuading her Mom to share some of whatever she is eating at dinner time. Ginger's favorite treat is maguro, which she gets in a special dish. She is one of the very few kitties I have ever met who actually likes wearing her collar. Whenever it comes off, Ginger hooks it with her claw and takes it to her Mom, who puts it back on.

                                   Ginger likes to wear her collar.
                                   When it comes off, she doesn't holler.
                                              She hooks it with her claw
                                              And takes it to Maw,
                                    Who quickly replaces Ginger's collar.

September 11, 2001

Remembering in silence. So many memories crowding in around me.

Farewell, Roscoe

Sassy made this beautiful picture to remember Roscoe. As you can see Roscoe went to the Rainbow Bridge just short of his and Opus' thirteenth birthday. They were litter brothers and inseparable. When Roscoe got sick, Opus stayed near him and hugged him often. Roscoe had a growth in one kidney, which shut down that kidney's function and the other kidney was quite swollen. His poor little body just couldn't take the strain. The emergency vet did everything possible, but the call of the Rainbow Bridge was just too strong. Cyndi, Opus and Danilo are just devastated, so please go and give them what comfort you can. I have been reading Cat Naps in Italy for a long time and really enjoyed their adventures. I am going to miss Roscoe terribly.

                                   Roscoe was the sweetest boy.
                                   To all who met him he brought joy.
                                         Now he's gone away
                                         To the Bridge to play,
                                    And we are left to remember this darling boy.

Texas' Dare

I made a donation to the Winn Feline Foundation in honor of Texas. I am going to try to get a gadget up on my sidebar with links for Winn and The CSU Animal Cancer Center, but I am not very good at that sort of thing and it might not work out.