Happy Halloween

What is it with Mom and dressing up kitties, anyway?  The first thing I did when Mom plopped this thing over my head was go hide behind my platform.  Mom crawled after me and petted me and told me everything was all right and even pulled on my paw a little, but I wouldn't come out.  She went and sat on the floor with the camera, next to the treats and eventually I came out.  I used my hind foot to kick at this thing a little, but finally just made myself comfortable and Mom took two pictures.  She used one on Hansel's Halloween Contest blog and this is the other one.  Then she took it off, told me I was a good boy and gave me a treat.  Mom and I want to wish everyone a Happy Halloween.  Have fun, but stay safe.

Caturday

Mom didn't take any pictures of me today, so this is an old one that she didn't use.  You can see why.  I am inspecting my ball with the mousie inside.  We did find out that the mousie will squeak if I stick my paw in the ball and poke it.  I only did that once, though.  Mom found my nip ball the next morning.  My nip ball goes missing quite often, but Mom always finds it again.  I am playing with Mom more in the evenings.  For some reason, I don't seem to want to play with her before she goes to work, but I do after she comes home.  Mom has been lazy and hasn't been blogging for me.

Karen Jo:  It isn't laziness, Herman.  I wasn't feeling too good the last couple of days.  Luckily I figured out that it was something I was eating and I won't cook that way any more.  It seems that I can't really tolerate breaded fried foods any more, even fried in just a little bit of olive oil.  I finally found a lamb roast and we will be having that Sunday.

That sounds good.  You didn't share your steak today.

Karen Jo:  You didn't ask for any.  You munched your cat food, then left the kitchen just as the steak got ready.

We have been having lots of cuddle time lately.  When you don't feel good, you spend more time in bed and I get more attention.  Will I get to stay on just one dose of my poop medicine?

Karen Jo:  It looks like it.  The other day I found mostly pudding poop and thought I was going to have to put you back on two doses, but today I found almost all good poop.  Good job on catching that bug this evening.

It dive bombed me.  I wasn't going to put up with that.

Wordy Wednesday

This was supposed to be my picture for Tuxie Tuesday, but Mom let me down.  I am watching her get dressed.  I didn't want to leave the nice warm bed.  I love making her get up around me.  I didn't get up until it was time for my Interferon.

Karen Jo:  Sorry about Tuxie Tuesday.  I was really tired when I got home, so after I fed you I sat in my rocking chair to rest a little by listening to the radio.  I fell asleep.  When I fall asleep sitting up, with a light on right over my head and the radio on, I know that it's time to go to bed.

At least you are blogging for me tonight.  Not much has been going on.  I only got pilled once yesterday and today.  I usually get pilled twice.

Karen Jo: Yesterday I only found a little bit of pudding poop, so I decided to see if one dose of your poop medicine will do the trick.  I'll be giving you one dose for the rest of the week and if the pudding poop goes away, we'll stick to one dose.  I only want to give you as much medicine as you need.

I am all for less medicine.  I really don't mind the poop medicine much, but I would rather have less of it than more.  I have been joining Mom in bed almost as soon as she gets in herself and I snuggle up really close.

Karen Jo:  The cold weather has really arrived.  The bird bath was frozen this morning.  Snow flakes drifted down just a little bit today.

I played with Mom a little bit today.  My nip ball has gone missing again.

Karen Jo:  I will look for it in the morning.  I know how much you like it.

Mancat Monday

It's supposed to be Mancat  Monday and Mom kept pestering me to pose with a pink hat.  I don't think that's very mancatly.

Karen Jo:  That's the hat I wear to work every day to show my support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

What do I care?  It doesn't affect me.

Karen Jo:  Oh, yes, it does.  You know those soft warm things you like to cuddle up against and rest your head on while we are in bed?  This month is to help protect those.

Oh, I am all in favor of that.  I didn't eat any of the canned food you  left me when you went to work, but I ate up all that you gave me when you got home.  I didn't like having you gone away all that time.

Karen Jo:  I'm sorry, Herman, but it you want to keep having more food than you will eat, I have to keep on going to work. Do you know what I found in the litter box today?

I'm afraid to ask.

Karen Jo:  Half normal poop and half pudding poop.

Does that mean what I think it means?

Karen Jo: Yup, you get to go back on your poop pills.

Darn it.  Does this mean I get more treats?

Karen Jo:  You will get treats for taking your pills, yes.

I wish I could just get treats for nothing.  I have to scratch on my platform or post to get a Temptation or Greenie.  I have to take a pill to get Party Mix.  I have to take my Interferon to get my cheese.

Karen Jo:  I give you treats sometimes just for being you.

Not nearly often enough.  I got kind of grouchy today and wouldn't play with Mom before she went to work at all.  I saw her in her uniform and knew what it meant.  I did play with her just a little bit after she got home again.  Mom is eating pot roast again.  I smelled meat and begged for some, but when she gave me a piece, I could smell that it was pot roast and didn't even taste it.  I hope she cooks something good soon.

Last Mom Day

Another older photo.  Mom finally caught me sleeping.  The sun was so warm and I felt so good that I didn't wake up like I usually do when Mom tries to sneak up on me during my afternoon nap.  Mean Mom deserted me off and on for most of the day today.

Karen Jo:  I had to go get your Interferon and do the grocery shopping this morning.  It looked like it was going to rain down buckets, so I wanted to get it done early.  I got home, gave you your Interferon and cheese, ate my own lunch and decided to go out again to do some more stuff before the rain came down.  While I was in the grocery store, getting the stuff I forgot this morning, I met my best human friend and we got to talking, then she invited me to a very early supper, so I went.  We talked and ate and talked some more and by the time I got home again, there wasn't enough light to take a picture of you.

I like the new treats you got me.

Karen Jo:  I like you to have a variety.  I found some Feline Greenies and brought them home.  I also found some very healthy treats, but I remember the last time I got you very healthy treats.

I remember, too.  Instead of eating them, I would stash them around the house.

Karen Jo:  I have some good news for you.  You are doing so well that your vet has decreased your dosage of Interferon.  Now you have it every day for a week, then get a week off.  Do you know what that means?

I don't get my shredded cheese for a week?

Karen Jo:  No, I won't deprive you of your cheese.  It means that if you keep on having good poop, you won't have to take any medicine at all every other week.

Yay!  That sounds great to me.  You had that catalog with the kitty on the front out again.

Karen Jo:  Yes, I got a new issue.  Your Gotcha Day is coming up.  I need to find something good for your present.

That sounds great to me.  Everything is going so great, there must be some bad news coming.

Karen Jo:  There is.  I go back to work tomorrow.

Oh, no!  I like having you home every day.

Karen Jo:  Don't worry.  I will be having my days off soon.

Back to Normal

Mom didn't take a new picture of me today, as she has been wanting to use this one for a while now.  She thinks I have an elegant profile.  Things have gotten all back to normal now.  I woke Mom up to feed me at oh-dark-thirty, even though I hadn't eaten much of the food I demanded that she give me at bedtime.

Karen Jo:  And what did you do when I turned on the kitchen light?  You headed straight for your dry food and started munching down.

You didn't give me any new Stinky Goodness, so I had to eat the dry.

Karen Jo:  There was nothing wrong with the Stinky Goodness that you had.  It hadn't dried out yet and you had hardly touched it.  Sometimes I think you get me up at oh-dark-thirty just because you know that you can.

::stifles evil laughter:: You got your own self up in the early daylight to feed me breakfast.

Karen Jo:  I had to get up to use the litter box room anyway, so I might as well get you breakfast.  I gave you fresh new food from two newly opened cans and what did you do?

I licked up all the juice and nibbled at the food.  Then I begged and begged for new food when you got up for the day.

Karen Jo:  Which you didn't get until lunch time.  I am not going to get you new food every few hours when you aren't eating it much at all.  Which is not to say you aren't eating.  You are munched down pretty good on your duck and pea and your Purina One.

I wish you would cook something good again.

Karen Jo:  You are too picky to please.  I especially didn't put herbs on some chicken just for you and what did you do?

I sniffed it and walked away.

Karen Jo:  What did you do the last time I offered you real live cooked shrimp?

I sniffed it, licked it, chewed it up and spit it out on the floor.

Karen Jo:  What did you do with the last two bites of steak I gave you?

I chewed them up real good, then spit them out on the floor.  Is there a point to all these questions?

Karen Jo:  No matter what people food I give you, you don't seem happy with it.

So try something different.  I ate the pasta Alfredo and the macaroni and cheese you gave me.

Karen Jo:  I might cook roast lamb soon.  I don't put any herbs or spices on that at all, so we'll see if you like it.  If you don't, all the more for me.  I love it.  You are falling down on your job as mighty hunter.

What do you mean?

Karen Jo:  I haven't swatted the flies all summer, because you like watching and stalking them.  Now that it's getting colder, they are getting more sluggish and crawling around on the floor, easy prey.  You just bat them around a little.  I can understand if you don't want to eat them, but you don't kill them, either.

Why would I kill them if I don't want to eat them?

Karen Jo:  Good question.  The problem is that there are getting to be a lot of them around.  If you aren't going to take care of them, I am going to have to get out the fly swatter soon.

Aw, don't kill off my real live toys.  Now I want to answer some questions that have shown up in the comments.  Yes, I am a Gemini and I am very vocal.  I meow at Mom, chitter at the ravens, mew at the little birds and purr at the slightest petting.  Mom doesn't put a whole lot of store in astrology, but she was amazed at how close the Gemini profile came to me.  One thing that didn't fit was that the book said that Mom and I don't have compatible signs.  Maybe it meant that I wouldn't be compatible with a Scorpio cat, since it is a book on cat astrology.

I'm Back!

Mom got home after dark on Tuesday and brought me some new toys:  two small squeaky mousies, one with a fever-butt, and a furry ferret.  I played with all of them a little bit, but mostly I just wanted Mom to pay attention to me.

Here I am today, ignoring my new toys, as usual.  I was really glad to see Mom home again, especially as I had eaten up all my Stinky Goodness.  She brought a strange man in with her who wanted to pet me.  I went over to him and let him pet me just a little.

Karen Jo:  That was my nephew.  He drove me home from the airport.

Then Mom fed me and petted me and played with me for a while.  Then she decided to go to her room and turned out the lights and left me all alone in the dark again.  I cried and cried until she came back and turned on the lights once more. She petted me and asked what was wrong.  Then she said the magic word "bed" and I followed her back to her room and curled up on the bed with her and we watched TV together and I got petted and petted and petted.  It was wonderful.  She only got up to get into her PJs and into the bed and then I got petted some more.

I missed Mom a lot, but I didn't mope or stop eating or anything like that.  I met the cat sitter at the door whenever she came over and let her give me my Interferon with no fuss at all.  I didn't get my poop medicine while Mom was gone, because Mom said that was a bit too complicated for this cat sitter, but I am pooping just fine.  No trace of pudding poop, so Mom says I don't have to take my poop medicine any more, unless the pudding poop comes back again.  Yay!  I played with the cat sitter a little tiny bit, but I wouldn't play with the other lady who came by a couple of times.  I did let her pet me some.

We didn't blog before now because Mom has been a bit tired or something.

Karen Jo:  I was two time zones away and on a different schedule.  I am almost back to normal now.  I had a nice visit, but didn't do much.  I did get lots of rest and I feel great.

Thanks to every cat and dog who came to my house trashing party.  I got almost everything back to normal before Mom showed up, so she didn't suspect anything.  All she found was a bit of unrolled TP.

Trashy Tuxie Tuesday

No picture today, as I have to be quick.  Mom had the computer on, then went to the litter box room.  She's been "too busy" to help me blog or visit my friends, so I am going to throw a house-trashing party after she leaves.  We can start partying about dawn on Wednesday and keep it up until sunset next Tuesday.  There are plenty of paper towels and TP stashed behind the dirty laundry hamper in the litter box room, which will be easy to tip over because it's almost empty.  We can dump my toy basket and spread the toys all over the house.  Mom bought extra food and treats for me, so we won't go hungry.  All we have to watch out for is the cat sitter, but we can hide from her.  Let's party!

Catchup Caturday

Mom is still trying to get me interested in my new toy.  It's called Ball of Furry Fury if any of you are interested in getting one.  It does squeak, a little, when Mom drops it on the floor.  All it's done for me so far is remind me how much I like my squeaky mouse.  Instead of playing with the new toy, I went and got my squeaky mouse and gave it a good workout. Mom has been reading the book she got from The Cat Realm.

Karen Jo:  It's the book I got in the raffle for Coco's vet bills.  It is called Astrology for Cats and it is quite interesting.  I was amused at what it said about you, Herman.  You are a Gemini.  It says you are inquisitive, sociable and unpredictable, which is all true.  It also says that you like people, which is sort of true.  You usually want to check out anyone who comes over.  It also says that you are a picky eater, which is spot on, especially the bit about your liking variety and what you eat today you may turn your nose up at tomorrow.  The only thing that doesn't really ring true is the bit about your purring.  It says you should purr a lot and loudly.  You do purr a lot, but very softly.

A lady I have seen before came over and this time I introduced myself by sniffing her shoes.  She didn't try to pet me, though.

Karen Jo:  That was your cat sitter, Herman.  She is a good friend of mine and is doing this as a favor to me, though she isn't really a cat person.  She has a woofy.

Maybe that is why her shoes smelled so interesting. Will she play with me?

Karen Jo:  Probably not, but I have another friend who says she can come over a little bit to keep you company.

I'm going to get lonely.

Karen Jo:  I know, Herman.  I will leave the TV in my room on for you and you can sit on my bed and watch it, like you do sometimes with me.  I will leave out all your favorite toys and you know that you can fish more toys out of the toy basket any time you want.

Watching TV doesn't sound so interesting if you won't be there for me to cuddle up next to.  Will I get my treats?

Karen Jo:  I will be sure to tell her where your treats are and to make sure that you get some every day.

New Toy

The package from the cat place came and Mom did order a whole big bag of oral syringes, but I got a new toy, too.  It's a big open ball with a mousie inside that looks like my squeaky mouse, but it doesn't make any noise.

Karen Jo:  It is supposed to squeak and it did squeak just once when I pulled out the tab to activate the battery.

I played with it just a little bit.  I picked it up with my claws and dropped it and pushed it around some.  Maybe I'll find it more interesting later.  There's not much else going on around here.  Mom got really lazy on Tuesday.

Karen Jo:  I had two really tiring days at work Sunday and Monday and was just exhausted Tuesday.  I did change your litter and give you all fresh dry food.  You didn't seem to mind that I went to bed really early on Tuesday.

That part was pretty cool. I got petted and petted until I didn't want to be petted any more.  Then I just moved down the bed a little bit and snuggled up really close to Mom. We both had a nice long sleep.

Mom got a book in the mail from The Cat Realm, but she says that she's too tired to blog about it tonight.

Karen Jo:  Sorry, Herman, but I can barely keep my eyes open.  My apologies to everyone for not visiting lately. We are short-staffed at work and I am coming home really tired almost every night.

Tuxie Tuesday

Here's my handsome profile.  Mom had been playing with my nip syringe and I put my paw with all my claws out on it to show her who it really belongs to.  I was looking right at her.  I stayed that way until she pointed the camera at me, then I moved to this position.  Mom thinks the was I was before made a cuter picture.  Cute?  I am a big, fierce mancat.  I don't do cute.  Mom tried to play with me today, but I wouldn't do it.  I am still mad at her for planning to go away.  She even tried to feed me rib roast, but all I did was take it in my mouth and chew it up and spit it out again.

Karen Jo:  I think maybe you like the meat juice more than the meat itself.  You lapped up the juice from the cutting board that I gave you.  Note to the squeamish: I didn't let Herman lick the cutting board.  I poured the juice off into one of his dishes.

That was good stuff, that meat juice.  You are giving me those nasty pills again.

Karen Jo:  Yes, I am.  You have to take them for a week at the beginning of every month.  They help keep you healthy.  I planned my trip for the week after, thinking that you will be at your healthiest while I am gone.  It isn't all bad, Herman.  I took off two weeks from work.  I will be gone for seven days, but I will be home with you for seven days, too.  The days that I am home will be some before and some after I am gone.

Well, that's something at least. Do I know this person who is going to come and feed me?

Karen Jo:  You have seen her before. You didn't come up to her and introduce yourself, but you seldom do that with anyone.

You are my person and that's enough people for me.

Mancat Monday

This is the picture Mom picked to send in for the Friends of the Shelter calendar.  She never heard back from them, so we don't know if I will be a calendar cat or not.  I'm glad that it's Mancat Monday because, frankly, Sunday sucked.  Not only didn't Mom take a new picture of me, she ignored me all day until she went to work.  She kept talking to someone I couldn't see and even though I tried and tried to get her to play with me, she wouldn't.

Karen Jo:  I'm sorry, Herman.  When I am just chatting on the phone, I am glad to get down on the floor with you and play at the same time, but today I was talking to my aunt and it was very important.

Humpf!  You ate your lunch at the computer and wouldn't share.

Karen Jo:  I tried to share.  I offered you little bites of rib roast several times, but all you wanted to do was to try to lick the roast on my plate.  I let you get away with lots of stuff, but not licking the food on my plate.

Just what is so important that you ignore me for it?

Karen Jo:  I didn't want to tell you before, because it wasn't completely set up yet, but I got everything ironed out now.  I am going to go visit my aunt next week.

You are going to leave me here all alone?!

Karen Jo:  Yes, I am.  A friend of mine is going to come visit you every day to feed you and water you and scoop your poop.

How long are you going to be gone?

Karen Jo:  A week.

Cripes!  That's like forever!  How can you do this to me?

Karen Jo:  My aunt has been wanting me to come visit since last spring.  I couldn't go then because you were so sick.  I couldn't go this summer because we couldn't get a good time when we were both free of other commitments. My aunt is very dear to me and I really need to go see her.

So you were ignoring me in favor of making plans to desert me.  I knew that Sunday sucked but I didn't realize how much until just now.

What's Up?

This is the photo that Mom took for Wordless Wednesday, but didn't use.  I am trying to decide whether I want to whap that ball again.  I did.  I curled around and whapped it a good one, making it fly through the air.  It's so much fun to watch Mom chase the ball and roll it back to me.  Mom deserted me even more than usual today.

Karen Jo:  I had a luncheon meeting.  You had lots to occupy you.  All your toys are still dumped out on the floor from when I picked out all your yellow ones yesterday.

Yeah, that's pretty cool.  I whapped my nip ball up into the air and into the track of my Turbo Scratcher.  Now I can chase two balls around the track.

I almost didn't get to blog tonight.  Mom's been at the computer and muttering things about departures and arrivals and connection times.  It doesn't make any sense to me and Mom isn't telling me anything.  Do any of you kitties have any ideas?

LiveStrong Together

Mom helped me get all my yellow toys together to show my support for the fight against cancer.  She has lost two uncles and her sister-in-law to cancer. Here's to all the researchers who are trying so hard to find a cure and a prevention for this terrible disease.