Merry Christmas

Hahaha!  Look who's wearing the Santa hat this year!  Mom didn't even try to put it on me again.

Karen Jo:  I was going to put it on Emma, as she didn't seem to mind the St. Patrick's Day hat, but Snowball here makes a good second choice.

Mom finally put up a tree and my stocking and a wreath on the front door.  There's a bad picture of the tree on Kitty Limericks.  I like the lights.  After they had been on for a little while, I got up on my platform to admire them.  We did have steak tonight.  I got a couple of licks of sour cream and some steak juice and several bites of steak.  I was nice and turned away from the last piece Mom offered me without licking it first, so Mom could eat it.  That was my Christmas present to her.

Karen Jo:  The love you give me every day is my best Christmas present.

Mom is deserting me tomorrow and won't be back until Christmas day.  Let's have a house trashing party while she is gone.  She is going to make me wait until she gets back to empty my stocking and open my presents, so let's do it before she gets home.  I have lots of toys to play with and there is turkey all sliced up in the freezer.  We could dig it out and let it thaw and feast.  There are lots of fleecy blankets around to sleep on and even a couple of cat beds. Let's party!

Merry Christmas to everyone!  May your days be filled with love.

Bad Mom

I have been up here a lot, looking out at the snow and napping on this great pillow.  Right now I am admiring my two Christmas presents.  I sniffed them all over earlier, but Mom was too slow with the camera to get a picture of that.  Speaking of being too slow, Mom has been a really bad blogger again.

Karen Jo:  I have been really busy getting out Christmas cards, shipping packages and stocking up on food between snow storms.

We don't even have a Christmas tree.

Karen Jo:  I know.  I haven't put up a tree since my Mom died.  I will look out in the garage for the small one tomorrow.  I could put all the Christmas cards on it for decorations.  I will also put up your stocking.

Am I going to get anything in it?

Karen Jo:  Yes, you will get a toy and some treats in it.

Just one toy?

Karen Jo:  You also have your two Christmas packages from your woofy cousins.  You don't need more toys, anyway.  You have three plastic buckets full of them already.  You might get some from your kitty cousins in Albuquerque, too.

It sounds like you are going to desert me for Christmas again.

Karen Jo:  Only for a day and a half.  I will leave Christmas Eve morning and come back Christmas afternoon.  And that's only if the storm we are having now is over by then.  We are certainly going to have a white Christmas this year.

You have been really boring lately.

Karen Jo:  I try to play with you, but you don't want to play for very long at a time.  You get plenty of petting when I am reading and when I go to bed.  You also get brushed almost every day.

I haven't gotten anything much good to eat since you cut up the turkey and froze it.

Karen Jo:  You got all the turkey you would eat while I was cutting it up, though.  When I was done, I put the carcass in a plastic bag and put the bag on the kitchen floor while I went outside to take the lid off the garbage can.  When I came back, you had your head in the bag.  I waited until you were done with the carcass before I threw it away.

That didn't take long.  You didn't leave anything good on the carcass.  You wouldn't share your supper with me tonight.

Karen Jo:  I was eating fried rice with vegetables and an orange.  I let you smell it and you turned away.  That was funny.  You really meowed at the orange, until you got a good smell of it.  You couldn't back away fast enough then.  I am having steak tomorrow night.  You can have some of that.

Yay!  I love steak and sour cream, though I don't eat as much of it lately as I used to.  Are you ever going to put up my Christmas cards?

Karen Jo:  I will work on it tonight, if my software will cooperate.

Tuxie Tuesday

I decided not to get up when Mom did.  I like her pillow as much as she does and the flannel sheets are nice and warm.

Karen Jo:  I can't blame you for not wanting to get up.  We are having a big storm today, with lots of snow.  I didn't go out at all, except to feed the birds and take out the trash.

Mom finally found a small fresh turkey and cooked it yesterday.  I stuffed myself when it was done.  Mom kept offering me bites and I kept eating and eating.  I ate so much turkey that Mom didn't give me any cat food at my dinner time.

Karen Jo:  You couldn't have possibly eaten any cat food after all the turkey you put away, so it would have just been wasted.  You really do love your turkey.  Every time I get it out, you meow and meow until I give you some.

Fresh turkey is the best.  It is even better than chicken or roast beef or steak.  I hope we have it for a long time.

Karen Jo:  Not for too much longer.  I will have to cut it up and freeze it soon.  Turkey goes bad fairly quickly if it isn't frozen.

Rats.  I will have to see how much I can eat before that happens.  There was some excitement out the window yesterday.

Karen Jo:  I saw you get all excited and jump up on your platform.  There was a little calico kitty outside in the snow.  She ran away when I approached her.  I hope she got home all right.

Not much else has been going on around here.  Mom went to bed way early last night and I got lots and lots of petting.  She was pretty boring today, just sitting at the kitchen table doing something.

Karen Jo:  I finally got going on my Christmas cards.  I got them all ready to mail.  Now I just have to get them to the post office.  The storm is supposed to end tomorrow at noon and the sun is supposed to come out.  I'll go then.

I have been getting some nice cards in the mail and by e-mail, too.  I wish Mom would put up my e-cards so I can share them.

Karen Jo:  I will get started on them soon.  Copying photos from e-mail gives me a "not responding" error sometimes and that can be a pain. As soon as I can I will get them all up on your sidebar.

Out and About

I have just been brushed.  That's why my fur is sticking out a bit.  I haven't turned into electric cat again, but I am afraid that it is coming.  I found this great sun puddle and plopped down in it for a while.  Mom keeps fussing with my fur and pulling at it and threatening me with the little scissors.

Karen Jo:  I need to keep up with the little mats before they become big mats.  I got one out of your chest fur today, but it took me three tries.  You keep squirming away from me.  Tomorrow I will go after the one on your foreleg.  It beats me how you can get a mat in the short fur on your foreleg.

I am just talented that way. Mom deserted me for the first time since she got sick.

Karen Jo:  I had to go to the store.  I was going to go out again, but decided that it was too cold.

What was that yummy stuff you were making in the kitchen after you got back?

Karen Jo:  I am going to a Christmas party tomorrow and needed to make a snack.  I made a Braunschweiger ball and boy, were you interested.

It all smelled so good that I just had to have some.

Karen Jo:  I let you have a few licks of the Braunschweiger/Neufchatel mix before I added the seasonings.

It was really good.  I want some more.

Karen Jo:  Sorry, Herman, but it's for the party.  If there is some left over, I will bring it home, but you still won't be able to have any more.

Why not?

Karen Jo:  I added onion and horseradish and bourbon to it.  None of that is any good for you.

Rats.  If you eat any of it in front of me, you better be prepared for lots of begging.  Not much else happened today.  I curled up on the couch with Mom while she read after her chores were done.  I love the way she pets me while she reads.  She even put the book down and just petted me for a while.  Then she found the mat on my foreleg and I left when she reached for the little scissors.

After the Storm

I'm just napping in my ham-mick again.  I love my ham-mick, especially in the winter. Au was wondering just how big I really am.  This ham-mick is 20 inches long and 13 1/2 inches wide.  As you can see, I fill it up.  Mom was acting really weird for a while.  She was staying in bed, but getting up and down all the time.  I couldn't get really comfy with her.

Karen Jo:  I got pretty sick last Friday, going at both ends.  I am all well again now, but it really wiped me out and I needed to rest up after I got better. It's a good thing I did all that shopping last week.  I haven't needed to go out again yet.  I did cook the turkey and the roast beef and Herman got his turkey bites and roast beef juice and some bites of that, too. The storm didn't amount to all that much.  We only got a few inches, but we needed it.  We are still in a drought and need all the snow we can get this winter.

I like the snow.  It makes the birdies easier to see.  I get up on my platform in the afternoon to watch them some days. They really splash around in the birdbath right after Mom puts in fresh water.

Karen Jo:  I put warm water in the birdbath in the winter.  I think it must feel good to them.

I am playing with more of my toys.  Last night Mom got out my flashy ball and I knocked it all around the living room.  I am even playing with my Starlight Turbo Scratcher, which I haven't done much of since it was new.  Oh, I have been using the scratcher part, but ignoring the ball, until a few days ago.  I also knock around my crinkle ball and my regular balls and even a mousie or two.

Karen Jo:  I am really having fun playing with you, Herman.  I thought you might be interested in the laser dot again, but you ignored it.

I gave up on that one.  I can't catch it or bite it, so why should I chase it?  Mom thinks I might be getting interested in her lap.

Karen Jo:  I do.  You get up on the couch to read with me and put your paws or your head on my thigh. The lap is only a step away.  I put you up on my lap the other day because you kept pawing at my knee.  You even stayed for a minute.

Your lap is lumpy.  I prefer the couch.  The bed is even better.  Boy, did I get a lot of petting time while Mom was sick!  It would have been perfect, if it weren't for all the getting up and down.  I would just get all comfy and blissed out, then Mom would get out of bed again.

Karen Jo:  Sorry, Herman, I couldn't help it.  I am well now, so you can get in your uninterrupted hour or so of petting when I go to bed.

I love that, along with snuggling up to you to keep warm.

I Wanna Treat!

I was giving Mom my "Please give me a treat" face just before she took the photo.  I looked down just as she pushed the button.  I did get my treat, though.

Karen Jo:  I think I am going to have to hold the treat or the treat bag in my hand next to the camera if I really want to get that look.

I have just about finished off my Duck and Pea and there is no sign of any more coming.  Sigh.  At least I still get my Medley and Stinky Goodness three times a day.  Mom got up early to go to the store to get the groceries that she would need for the next few days.  We are supposed to get a big snow storm starting any time now, but it hasn't started yet.

Karen Jo:  If I had known that the storm was going to hold off this long, I wouldn't have gotten up.  When I got up, it looked like it was going to start snowing any minute and there were tiny flakes in the air as I walked to the store.  Then at noon we actually got sunshine for a little while.

It made a big sun puddle on my big green pillow and I made the most of it.

Karen Jo:  It is certainly cold enough for a big snow storm.  The birdbath was frozen solid.  I couldn't get the ice out to put in water, so I just poured some water on top of the ice.  Hopefully, that will melt enough ice to get it out of the birdbath, so I can fill it with water.  The birds are really going after the suet, so I put out a new cake today.

You are doing something funny with your fingers and my fur.

Karen Jo:  You are getting little mats in your chest fur again.  I am trying to work them out with my fingers.  I don't want to try to cut them out because you have a thin fat layer and loose skin right where the mats are.  I am afraid that I might cut or pinch your skin.  At least you are enjoying your brushing again and don't run from me any more.

Most of my fur isn't long enough to catch in the brush, so it feels good.  You can forget that Furminator, though.

Karen Jo:  It's not that bad.  I need it to thin out your chest fur so you get to keep it for the winter.  Remember how cold you got last winter because you had to have your chest shaved for mats?

Boy, do I!  Did you find something good at the store?

Karen Jo:  I found some turkey thighs and a roast beef.  I will cook the turkey thighs, then get rid of the skin and bones and cut it up and freeze it for lunch meat.

Don't you dare put it in the freezer before I get some!

Karen Jo:  Don't worry.  I will save some out for treats for  you.  Tomorrow I will cook the roast beef. Then I will have lots of food to see us through the storm.  I will let you lick up the beef juice after I carve it.

Yay!  I love beef juice.

Tuxie Tuesday

I am getting a lot of use out of my ham-mick these days.  I can't believe that Mom forgot to include all of our blogging friends in the things that we are thankful for.  I don't know what she was thinking.

Karen Jo:  I wasn't thinking very much.  My brain was still full of how much I was missing Emma.  Your fur is growing back nicely, Herman.  It even looks a little wavy.

Just in time, too.  It's getting cold around here.  Mom left the door open and the screen door closed and I went up to the screen door to check things out.  I soon retreated because the air coming in was so cold.  I don't know how Mom goes out in it in just her shirtsleeves.

Karen Jo:  I am only out long enough to feed the birds and change the water in the birdbath.  It's not too bad as long as the sun is shining.  You have been pretty cuddly lately.  When I sit on the couch to read, you often come up on the couch and sit beside me.  You have even put your head on my thigh. Are you turning into a lap cat?

You wish.  I do like to be near you and get petted, though.  I like to play with you again, too.  I am playing with almost all of my toys, even some of the wand toys. I even played with Da Bird for a little while.

Karen Jo:  That surprised me a little.  You hardly ever payed any attention to it before Emma came.  I am glad that you are playing with me and even chasing your balls around and running down the hall.  You jumped up on the sink for a drink of tap water a couple of times, too.  I was afraid that you would turn into a lounge cat and lose the muscle tone that you built up playing with Emma.

We are almost out of Duck and Pea.

Karen Jo:  I know.  I am reluctant to buy any more.  You didn't lose any weight last month.  You didn't gain any, either.  I am thinking about not giving you any more Duck and Pea until you lose the rest of the weight you need to lose.

Dang, not only didn't you bring me any turkey, now you want to cut down my buffet even more.

Karen Jo:  I tried to buy us a turkey yesterday, Herman, but all they had were really big ones.  I will wait until I can buy one of the smaller fresh turkeys again, then you will get some turkey.  As for cutting down on your buffet, you have to lose some weight.  I want you to stay healthy.  From what I have read about FeLV, if you make it through your fourth year, and you are halfway there, you stand a good chance of living a normal lifespan.  I don't want anything to compromise that.

At least I still get some treats, though not as many as I would like.

Karen Jo:  I wouldn't make you go without treats completely, Herman.  I know how much you like them.

Happy Thanksgiving

Karen Jo:  These china quail mean Thanksgiving at my house.  My mother always used them for table decorations.  I am thankful for many things -- my home, my family and Herman, mainly.  I am also thankful that I got to share in Emma's joy of living for eight and a half months.  What are you thankful for, Herman?

I am thankful for this nice sunspot on your bed.  I am also thankful for my forever home and my Mom who does so much for me.  I am thankful that I got to know and play with Emma for a few months, even though I wasn't always nice to her.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Tuxie Tuesday

I am sitting my my toy baskets, trying to decide whether I want to play with what Mom has gotten out for me today, or pick one out for myself.  I went with Mom's choices, though I didn't play with all of them.  Mean Mom deserted me for most of the day.

Karen Jo:  I left the house for my teeth cleaning appointment a little after ten and didn't get back until a quarter to one.  At one my friend called and wanted me to go with her to visit her mother in the nursing home in twenty minutes.  I didn't get back from that until three-thirty.  I did try to play with you after I fed you on my return, Herman, but you didn't want to.  I invited you to share my easy chair while I read after I did my chores, but you only wanted the chair.  I moved to the couch and you took my warm spot on the chair.  I tried to play with you again after supper, but you weren't much interested. At least you joined me at bedtime last night.

About midnight last night I jumped up on the bed and stared at Mom the way I do when I think it's bedtime.  She actually put on her PJs and came to bed.  We snuggled all night.  I got a lot of petting.

Karen Jo:  I was so glad that you wanted to come to bed with me again that I petted you until I fell asleep.  We stayed that way until dawn, when I had to get up to use the human litter box and I fed you.  I was so happy that you came back to bed after you ate.  I really missed you those two nights you didn't come to bed.  I think we were both missing Emma quite a bit today.  I found Herman in her room twice, lying between the litter box and the spot where Emma passed away.  Herman used to only go into Emma's room to use the litter box or play with Emma.

You told me that you are deserting me for Thanksgiving.

Karen Jo:  That's right.  I am going to my brother's house Thanksgiving morning and coming back on Friday.  Don't worry, the same nice lady is going to come in and feed you and give you fresh water.

Does that mean that I don't get any turkey?

Karen Jo:  I will ask for some turkey to bring home.  If it all disappears, then I will cook a turkey just for us soon.  How's that?

I guess that will do.

Mancat Monday

I am up on my big pillow in front of the window, washing my face.  This is a spot that Emma and I shared.  Sometimes I would get up here and sometimes Emma would.  Mom finds it interesting that I got up on the couch that Emma preferred yesterday, even though I had not been up on that couch since Emma moved in with us.

Karen Jo:  You seem to be moving back and forth between spots that Emma used and spots, like your bed by the heat vent, that she never went.  You also used Emma's litter box almost exclusively yesterday.  I wonder if her smell lingering in these places comforts you.  I cleaned and put new litter in both boxes today, as it was long overdue.  I hope that didn't upset you.

Heck, no!  It was high time that you put new litter in the boxes.  You took the food and water out of Emma's room, but you refilled both litter boxes.  Why?

Karen Jo:  You have gotten so used to using either box that I thought I would keep both boxes filled up.  If you stop using one of them, then I will cut you back to just one.

Hey, kitties, you will never guess what has showed up on my buffet!  I have kitten food again and I got a treat of baby food yesterday and today.  I was feeling too sad to eat the baby food yesterday, but I cleaned it up today.

Karen Jo:  Don't get too used to it.  I decided to let you have the kitten food that was left in Emma's bowl and to give you the baby food that I was going to try to tempt her to eat.  When that is gone, you won't be getting any more.

I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.  You didn't share your lunch today.

Karen Jo:  You didn't show up to ask for any until I was on my last two bites of roast beef sandwich.  You can have some roast beef tonight, if you want it.  Speaking of not showing up, where have you been at bedtime the last two nights?

I have been sleeping in my bed in the living room.  I did join you just before dawn both mornings.

Karen Jo:  Yesterday morning I thought you just wanted petting and didn't get why you kept putting your paw on my face.  This morning it finally dawned on me that you wanted early breakfast.  You haven't asked for early breakfast in a very long time.

Well, I want it now.  You should be glad that I am waiting until just before dawn instead of o'dark-thirty.  Why didn't I get my lunch until just now?

Karen Jo: Sorry, Herman, with all that has been going on, I just forgot.  You should have reminded me.

I have been sleeping, so I guess it's OK this time.  I want you to be more punctual in the future.  It's not like you are all that busy. 

Karen Jo:  I have had a busier day today than in a long time.  I got up early to cancel Emma's vet appointment, so they could get some other animal in her slot.  I did my usual chores and cleaned the litter boxes.  I played with you more than usual, as you have been more playful with me.  I went to the grocery store.  I finally applied for my Social Security, which I should have done weeks ago.  That trip to the allergist has really paid off.  The new medication has made me feel better than I have in months.  I actually have my energy back. Before today, just getting my daily chores done has been all I could do and I didn't always finish all of them.  It's too bad that Emma didn't live to see the new/old me.  She would have enjoyed the extra play time.

I am enjoying it.  We played with the blue-mousie-on-a-string that Emma got for Christmas in July.  I don't usually play with wand toys, but maybe watching Emma have so much fun with them gave me ideas.

Karen Jo:  Herman seems to understand what happened to Emma quite well.  He is not looking for her, unless he is doing it after I have gone to bed.

Goodbye, Emma

Karen Jo: I want to thank all of you for purring so hard for Emma.  It really means a whole lot to me. This is the most recent picture that I have of Emma that shows her and her personality well.  She ran off to the Rainbow Bridge last night.  It all happened so dang fast.  Tuesday she was running and playing and being my lap cat and Saturday night she's gone.  I keep asking myself if I missed something, but I don't think I did, really.  She was a bit more subdued after the fight with Herman, but not much.  She was a bit more leery of Herman, but I thought that quite normal.  The vet checked her over very carefully and there was no sign of any injury.  Wednesday, she hid all day.  Thursday she was lethargic and I whisked her off to the vet, who found nothing.  Friday she was weaker, but still jumped up in the easy chair to sleep on the fake sheepskin cushion.  Saturday she seemed about the same during the day.  She was moving around the room, though very slowly.  I sat with her for over an hour starting about 4:00.  She was over by her bed, soaking up the heat from the heat vent and I went over and spent some time petting her.  She made some funny little noises, like she was maybe in a little bit of pain, so I stopped petting her and went to the easy chair to read.  After a bit, she walked over to lie beside the chair, where I could easily reach her and I started petting her again.  I kept on petting her until I had to get up to go to the bathroom.  When I got back, she was in her hidey-hole, too far back for me to reach her.  I checked on her hourly, but she stayed in her hidey-hole until I found her in the litter box at 9:00.  She had gotten in and done her business, then hadn't the strength to get out again.  When I picked her up to put her on the floor, she was so limp that I think I knew, deep down, that she wouldn't last the night.  I got the syringe and gave her some baby food because I didn't want to believe it.  I petted her and talked to her, but she was very unresponsive.  I left her and left the light on because I didn't want her to be in the dark  I came back at 10:00 and gave her some more baby food, petted her and talked to her, again with very little response.  I stayed as long as I could, but seeing her like that was more than I could bear for long.  When I came back at 11:00 she seemed cool to the touch and I think she had already gone, but I didn't want to believe it.  When I checked her at midnight, there was no denying it.  Rigor mortis had set in.

I slept very little last night.  I wrote her a limerick, because I had to do something other than lie in bed and wonder if I could have done anything differently.  I will be posting it a little later.  She is still there on the floor of her room.  This morning, I opened the door to her room and took Herman back to see her.  He sniffed her paw for quite a while, then went around to his little hidey-hole under the sewing machine.  He was attracted to her food, but kept looking back at Emma. Finally, he reached out and very gently touched her paw.  Then he nibbled on her kitten food and left the room.  In a little bit I will go out and find the shovel and see if the soil is frozen or if I can dig her a grave.  There is a spot under the living room window just across from the bird feeder where I can bury her. If the soil is frozen, I will put her in the garage until tomorrow when I can contact the vet about having her cremated.

Most people stop blogging for a while after losing a loved one, but I think I will be blogging more.  I need to keep my mind occupied and it's good to know that other kitties are having birthdays and gotcha days and house trashing parties.  Goodbye, my dear sweet Emma.  I will miss you so much.

Caturday

This is kind of dark, but you can see the contrast in my ruff, which wasn't shaved and my lower chest, which was.  I am growing fur back, but slowly.  Mom hasn't taken any pictures lately.

Karen Jo:  I promise to take new pictures of you, Herman.  I am not going to take any pictures of Emma until she feels better.  I hate to see her lying flat on the floor.  The Emma update is that she is not doing too well.  The good news is that she is still drinking and using the litter box.  She does feel much more comfortable in her room with the door closed.  She moves around the room and last night I even found her upon the fake sheepskin cushion in the easy chair.  The bad news is that she isn't eating.  I bought some baby food today and she wouldn't even lick a tiny bit off my finger.  She just turned her face away from it.  I am going to mix up a slurry of baby food and water and syringe some into her tonight.  I syringed a little water into her today and it prompted her to drink more water on her own. So far she is hanging in there and she does have some body fat, but not much.  I know that I can only syringe one ml of the diluted baby food into her at once, but does anyone know how many times a day I should do it to keep her going?

I want to go see Emma.

Karen Jo:  I am sorry, Herman, but you can't.  She is too sick.

Now that I can't play with Emma, I am playing with my toys again.  Mom and I played for a long time this evening.  Mom plays with me whenever I want now.  She gives me good stuff to eat, too.  I have gotten chicken, steak and roast beef in the last couple of days.  I am getting more treats than usual, too.

Karen Jo:  I have to watch myself to see that I don't spoil you even rottener than you are now.  I am glad that you want to play with me again.

Purrs for Emma

Mom took this picture of Emma and me occupying the bed together on November 6th. Don't we look peaceful together?

Karen Jo:  You weren't so peaceful a couple of days later.  I was standing at the kitchen table reading my mail and giving Emma a pet or two, with you sitting in my chair looking on.  I then went to my room and shortly thereafter head kitty fighting noises.  There you and Emma were on the kitchen floor kicking each other like crazy.  Your first real fight.  Are you really that jealous of her?

Yes.  I didn't really hurt her and let her go as soon as you asked us what we were doing.

Karen Jo:  You did let her go, but whether or not you hurt her remains to be seen.  I checked Herman over for wounds immediately and didn't find any.  Emma hid for three hours and I checked her for wounds as soon as she came out of hiding and didn't find any on her.  Emma then sat in my lap and Herman came into my room to see what was going on.  He got up in the computer chair and after a little while raised his paw, as if to swat at Emma.  Emma growled and I said, "Don't you dare!" and Herman put his paw down.  The next day it looked as if everything were back to normal.

Everything was back to normal, but you were too lazy to blog about it.

Karen Jo:  I have been feeling too tired to blog.  It looks like I have developed asthma.  I am now on a medication for it and I am feeling a bit better.  I will be back to regular blogging.

You forgot about my Gotcha Day.

Karen Jo:  I didn't forget it completely.  I knew it was coming up, but I didn't check on the day until it was too late.  I'm sorry.  Your Gotcha Day was the day I realized that I hadn't seen Emma all day.  I found her hiding under the couch and let her be.  Thursday I discovered that she was very lethargic and was lucky enough to get her into the vet that afternoon.  The good news is that her temperature, lungs and heart are all perfectly normal.  The bad news is that she could have a hidden abscess caused by a claw puncture during the fight, though the vet says that she has never seen a case of that where the cat didn't have a temperature. The really bad news is that her feline leukemia could have become active.  The vet sent me home with the pink liquid antibiotic to give Emma twice a day for a few days to see if she improves.  Today she is very weak. She doesn't fight the antibiotic I squirt in her mouth, though she doesn't seem to like it.  When I got up this morning, I found her by the water bowl in the kitchen and she had peed on herself.  This worries me very much because Herman never did that even when he was at his sickest.  I cleaned her up and put her back, but she crawled under the kitchen table.  I left her alone for a little while, but decided that she would be more comfortable in her room on the warm carpet than on the cold kitchen floor.  Her food, water and litter box are all close at hand in there.  I got her kitten food off the tall shelf and put it on the floor, then went and got her and put her near her food and water.  Herman came in to see what was going on and immediately gorged himself on the kitten food.  I let him.  I went to make sure that I had an extra dish, so I could give her some Medley in her room and Herman followed me, both out and back in.  Herman walked up to Emma and sniffed her all over, then bent over the top of her head.  I thought he was going to give her a comforting lick, but he just sniffed, then raised his paw and took a swat at her.  She dodged and scooted away from him.  I immediately evicted Herman from the room and shut the door. I brought Emma back to her food and water and petted her a little, but she wanted in her hidey-hole under the corner table.  I have been in and out several times and spent quite a bit of time with her, just reading in the easy chair.  She did come out and sit by my feet for a while, then went to her bed by the heat vent.  I was glad to see that, as I thought she would be comfortable there.  I had to leave her to do stuff around the house and when I came back, she was back in her hidey-hole.  So, Emma is back where she was when she first moved in, locked up in her room, because I can't trust Herman around her.  I will visit her often and spend time with her.  I made another appointment for her on Monday.  If the antibiotic works and she improves significantly, I can cancel.  If she stays the same or gets worse, the vet will take a blood sample to see if the feline leukemia is active.  Please purr for her.  I am very worried, because if it is the leukemia, she doesn't have the reserves that Herman had to fight it.  She has only lost a tiny bit of weight, but she is tiny herself.

Dona Nobis Pacem

We are both purring for peace.  Emma and I made peace with each other.  Though we still have the occasional spat, it is never anything serious  We hope that all the people in the world can follow our example.  We know it won't be easy, but we purr and purr that it will happen.

Occupy the Bed

 The Krasota Kastle Cats started the Occupy the Bed movement and we decided to join in.  Here I am preventing Mom from making up the bed.  This makes the point that we think the bed should belong to the kitties.

Emma:  Mom keeps a soft throw at the foot of the bed and I have claimed it as my own.  It's dark and makes it hard to see me.  I nap here quite often.

We could take up more room if we would both occupy the bed at the same time, but we never do that when Mom isn't in the bed and we rarely do it when Mom is in the bed.

Emma:  The only times we are both in bed at the same time is when I beat Herman to bed and grab his spot next to Mom.  He has to be contented to sleep by her legs.

Karen Jo:  Thank goodness that little trick of yours hasn't started any spats, Emma.  You both respect the first cat in the bed gets the petting rule and don't get jealous (usually) unless I try to pet both of you.  Sometimes (rarely), neither of you comes to bed with me and I have to sleep all lonely.

It's that coughing and shaking the bed that keeps us away, I think.  Sometimes we get all comfortable in Emma's room or the living room and don't feel like moving just because you decide it's bedtime.

I got to go outside.  Don't worry, it was in the stroller.  I am beginning to enjoy the stroller more.  I didn't start complaining until we were almost at the vet's.

Karen Jo:  I just took you in for your monthly weighing.  You weigh exactly the same as you did last time.  I'll take that as good.  I don't know how you recognize the vet's before we go in, but your complaining goes up a notch as soon as the sign is really clearly visible.

You take me there every month, of course I would recognize it.  I had to really ramp up the complaining before you would take me home again.  You just stood there talking and talking.

Karen Jo:  OK, you recognize the vet's by the sign or whatever.  Why don't you stop complaining when we get close to home?  Surely you recognize home.

I do, but I am still cooped up in the stroller and I want OUT.

Guess what?  Mom roasted a cross-rib beef roast and I liked it.  The only beef I have liked before is steak and rib roast.  Mom gave me little bits whenever she ate some herself.  I really bugged her about it.  I even jumped up on the table while she was eating, which is a big no-no.

Karen Jo:  You got your fuzzy butt coaxed off the table right quick, too.  I am glad to see you jumping up so high again.  You even jumped up to the sink for a drink of water the other day.

I got it, too.  I love faucet water.

Emma:  I am totally all right again, all well.  Herman and I play chase and boxing again just like we used to.  Herman was really nice.  When he realized I was almost myself again, he started to play with me gently.  He jumped out at me and made me run, but didn't chase me and didn't try to swat me.  He waited until the next day to start playing a little rougher.  I have only run to my hidey-hole once since I got well and I didn't stay long -- just until Herman went away again.  I have also become a lap cat.  I sit in Mom's lap for at least a little while almost every day.  Herman watches sometimes, but doesn't try to do anything to make me get down.

I don't care if you sit in Mom's lap.  I don't want to sit there.  I think you get a bit more attention than you deserve, but I get attention, too.

Happy Halloween

We hope that everyone has a very Happy Halloween.  Mom decided not to put the Halloween collar on me again this year -- once was enough for her to learn how much I dislike it.  It's way too big for Emma, so we bring you Halloween Bear.  We will be back tomorrow to tell you what's been happening around here.

Wordy Wednesday

 More 'tocks shots.  Mom put some new catnip on our scratchers and I am checking it out.  I turned around just as Mom took the picture, which is why I am blurry.

Emma:  Mom actually thought I was going use the Alpine Scratcher and wanted a picture of it, but I was only trying to decide on whether or not I wanted one of the toys in the toy buckets.

Karen Jo:  Emma is feeling much better.  She is no longer spending time in her hidey-holes and is coming into the living room again.  Her eating and drinking and litter boxing have stayed normal the whole time, so I don't know what it was, but it is possible that she had a tiny flare up of her feline leukemia.  One of the most prominent symptoms is lethargy.

Emma:  I feel pretty normal now.  I am not yet ready for much play time, but I am taking much more interest in looking out of the windows again and not sleeping all day long.  I must say that Herman has been very kind to me.  He hasn't chased me once while I was feeling bad.

I have been looking out for her.  I sleep near, but not too near, her.  Just now she is sleeping up on the big pillow on the table in the living room and I am in my bed, right next to the table.

Karen Jo:  Herman has been the playful one lately.  We have played soccer and Da Bird and toss the mousie in the last few days.  Herman sleeps with me at night, unless the coughing spells get too loud; then he deserts me.

It's hard to sleep with all that going on.  You shake the whole bed when it gets bad.

Karen Jo:  Hopefully it will get better soon.  We are due for some cold weather starting today and I have an appointment with an allergist next month.  I put off getting that appointment way too long.  I should have done it last spring.

At least you still cook interesting things.  I keep asking for tastes, but you are stingy.

Karen Jo:  I am not stingy.  You don't follow me to my bedroom where I eat supper any more, so you don't get any more bites after I leave the kitchen.  You didn't even notice that I had shrimp for lunch.

It was cold, so I guess I didn't smell it very well. Maybe tomorrow.  I did enjoy the bites of steak and sour cream and chicken and roast beef I have been getting.

Emma:  I don't see how you can eat that stuff.  I sniff it and it doesn't smell like food to me at all.

You are just silly.  It is all delicious.  I want to go outside something terrible.

Karen Jo:  I have noticed.  I have to push your head back in the house every time I open the door.  I can take you for a ride in your stroller.

I don't want a ride in my stroller.  I just want to go outside on my own.

Karen Jo:  I am sorry, but that is impossible.  It's dangerous out there.

Sigh.

Late 'Tocktober

 We are a day late, darn it, but Happy Birthday, Derby, and here are my 'tocks.  They are a bit blurry, but I never stay still when Mom is looking at my 'tocks.  I am afraid that she is going to wipe them, which I hate.

 Emma:  Happy Birthday, Derby, and here are my 'tocks.  I am too lady-like to leave my 'tocks uncovered by my tail, so this is the best we can do.

Karen Jo:  I guess this could count as a 'tocks shot, too.  Happy Birthday, Derby!  I am sorry it's a day late.  I chased the kitties around yesterday morning, getting 'tocks shots and got all ready to post, then I had a really bad allergy attack.  I didn't even get to the meeting I was supposed to attend.  After getting very little sleep for the previous two nights, then having another bad attack, I was just wiped out.  I was either coughing or couldn't hold my eyes open.  I fell asleep a little after seven and didn't wake up again until after midnight, so I called it a day and went to bed.

She was so noisy in bed the previous two nights that not even I could stand to be in the same bed with her.

Karen Jo:  As you can see from the bottom picture, Emma is not afraid of Herman.  Wednesday, she spent the whole day asleep on her snuggle on her high shelf. She got down to eat dinner and retreated to her original hidey-hole, under the corner table in her room and spent the night there.  Herman slept in her bed.  I think he wanted to keep her company.  Thursday, Emma spent most of the day on the kitchen chair with a cushion.  After I got back from running some errands, she came into my room and plopped down on the floor. This is quite unusual for her.  I picked her up and put her in my lap and she just settled down and let me pet her.  This is also unusual. When she does stay in my lap, she usually turns round and round and pats everything and kneads a little bit before settling down.  She stayed in my lap for over an hour and I only moved her because I had to use the human litter box.  Last night she slept in my underwear drawer, which I keep open for her and Herman slept in bed with me.  In the wee hours, Herman and I both woke up to Emma either having very lady-like dry heaves or coughing.  That's when I figured out that, although Emma probably stayed in her hidey-hole the first day because of Herman, Emma was really hiding out and being a sleepyhead because she wasn't feeling all that good.  That also explains why Emma hissed at Herman last night when he came up to her to give her a nose kiss.  I was about to call the vet to make her an appointment this morning, when Emma came bounding down the hall for breakfast, just the same as ever.  Now I think I will keep an eye on her for the week-end and see if she really is back to normal.  If not, I can call the vet Monday.

There were some questions about the jealousy between Herman and Emma.  Herman always gets jealous and wants attention when I have visitors or am talking on the phone.  He usually comes up to me and tugs on my pants leg, or puts his paws on my lap or meows at me to get my attention.  This was the first time that he took it out on Emma. There is very little fighting over food.  The only time it happens is when they both want to eat out of the same dish. They usually trade whaps on the head, then the interloper backs off.  If I switch attention from one of them to the other the first one always gets jealous.  I had thought that Herman had gotten over this, but he hasn't.  Petting both of them at the same time isn't easy, as they are seldom that close together.  If I am petting Emma and Herman comes up for some petting too, petting them both doesn't stop Emma from swatting at Herman.  Herman will sometimes tolerate my petting Emma, too, while I am petting him, but not often.

Tuxie Tuesday

 I am especially fond of sunspots since my shaving.  I found a great one near my platform.

I love to lie on this chair in the living room, though I haven't been doing it much lately.

Karen Jo:  I am getting a little concerned about Emma.  A few days ago I had a visit from my financial advisor.  He and I sat around the table in the living room and talked.  Herman seemed to get jealous, but instead of pulling at my pants leg with his claws like he usually does, he took it out on Emma. Emma was just lying on the couch, watching the visitor and me.  Herman went and sat and stared at her, as he does when he wants to chase her. Emma wasn't interested in playing chase.  Herman took a swat at Emma and Emma swatted him back, then there were angry cat noises from both of them and a mad dash down the hall.  Emma went to her most secure hidey-hole and stayed there for the rest of the day. She did come out to eat, then retreated to her high shelf in her room.  Since then, other than coming out to eat and use the litter box, she is up on her high shelf or in her hidey-hole in her room, or in her secure hidey-hole in my room.  I did see her lying on the kitchen floor last night, but it didn't last long.  She got up, ate a bit, then went back to her room.  Has Herman terrorized her once too often, so that now she is scared to get near him?  Is there anything I can do about it?  I feel terrible that Emma is restricting herself to just a few spots in the house where she feels safe.  I am petting her while she is up on her shelf to show her that I love her and she purrs up a storm. Would going and getting her for playtime in the living room help or make things worse?

I kind of miss her company, but otherwise I am enjoying being king of the castle.

Karen Jo:  I just wish you would be nicer to her.

Caturday

 I am just lounging around with my toys.  I have been doing a lot of this lately.  Mom is a very bad blogger.

Karen Jo:  Yes, I am and I really apologize.  My allergies have been very bad lately and it's very hard to type and cough at the same time.  I really will try to do better.

Mom took a bad picture of me, but posted it anyway.  I let her get close to me with the camera and I guess she didn't want to miss the opportunity.

Karen Jo:  Emma is up on her shelf right below the window sill and the light is coming in right at the camera.  I really must resist trying to take pictures of her up there.

Not much has been going on around here.  Mom has been either goofing off or cleaning, neither of which interests us much, except that she goofs off lying down quite a bit and we love to cuddle with her.

Emma:  I found a way to get Mom all to myself.  I am becoming a lap cat.  I sat on her lap for an hour the other day and it was bliss.  I got petted the whole time and Herman couldn't do anything about it.

I sat at Mom's feet and glared at Emma for a while, but she didn't run away like she usually does when I glare at her.  I guess she knew that Mom would protect her from me.

Karen Jo:  That's right, Herman.  Emma deserves her petting time as much as you do and you have been hogging bedtime.

It's not my fault that I always beat her to the bed.  She's just too slow.

Karen Jo:  The fact that you have been giving her a swat on the top of the head when she does jump up on the bed has nothing to do with it, right?

Of course, right.

Emma:  Herman has been being mean to me.  He even invaded my hidey-hole between Mom's bed and the wall.

I got tired of your saying that I was too fat to get in your hidey-holes.

Emma:  Luckily, I have another hidey-hole that you ARE to fat to get into.

I keep trying and you keep growling at me.

Karen Jo:  That's because she runs to her hidey-hole she gets tired of your chasing her, Herman.  You need to give her some space.

Hey, I'm not always the bad guy here.  She chased me down the hall just the other day.  She smacks me on the head when I try to eat out of the same bowl that she is eating out of.

Emma:  That's because your head is so big that if I let you share my bowl, the next thing I know there is no room for me.

The food has been great around here lately.  Mom cooked chicken and gave me some and last night she had steak.  I got four or five bites, plus sour cream.  Mom even offered Emma a bite of steak, but she didn't want it. Emma is weird.  She even turned down a catnip treat a few days ago.

Emma:  I prefer cat food to people food.  I have decided that I only like Temptations for treats.  Mom gives me one for taking my Interferon.

I don't get a treat for taking my Interferon any more.

Karen Jo:  That's because you like taking your Interferon and Emma doesn't.  You get plenty of treats for scratching on your scratchers.  That's all for tonight and I really do promise to blog more often.  I am really sorry if I worried anyone with my absence.

Togetherness Day

That's me on the left and Emma on the right.  Mom couldn't believe her eyes when she saw both of us sharing the pillow in front of the window. She had never seen the two of us so close together before. She wonders if cuddling together can be far away.  I say, "Yes!  Cuddling together can be very far away, especially if she keeps on trying to butt in on my petting time."

Karen Jo:  Emma wasn't trying to butt in on your petting time.  I had been petting you for a long time and thought you were asleep. She just jumped up to see if she could get some attention, too.  You have been really hogging bedtime lately.  I just reached over and started petting her and you smacked both of us with your paw.  Poor Emma just looked confused.  It was morning and that is usually her time.

Night time, morning, I don't care.  If I am there first I want all the attention.

Karen Jo:  And you have been getting the lion's share of it.  To clue in our friends, I haven't been feeling well lately and have been spending a lot of time in bed. Herman has been right there with me, wanted to be petted and keeping me company.  Poor Emma hasn't been getting much attention at all.  I have managed to find some time for her when Herman isn't around.

Enough of that.  Our litter boxes need changing.

Karen Jo:  I know.  I tried to buy litter today, but all I could get was one box and I need two boxes for one litter box.  I will try again on Monday.  There was enough Deserts' Sand, but you don't really like that.

I don't like that at all.  Oh, well, I hope some more Swheat Scoop shows up soon.

Karen Jo:  I think I am going to have to start buying it one box at a time whenever I can find it.

Emma:  I want some more play time.

Karen Jo:  I have tried to play with you more, but you usually don't want to play when I want to play.

Emma:  So find out when I want to play and do more of it.

Karen Jo:  I know that you like to play at night, but I have been so tired that I haven't been up to playing with you when I used to.

Emma:  So get over it and play with me.

At least the food is getting better.  Mom cooked chicken in the oven and I sat by the oven waiting and waiting for it to get done.  At last it was ready and Mom gave me a bite.  She made something good out of it with cheese and I got some cheese, too.  Tonight was steak night and Mom gave me some sour cream.

Karen Jo:  I would have given you some steak, too, but you never asked for any.

I was too full of sour cream.

Emma:  I don't like that stuff.  My duck and pea bowl is almost empty and you aren't filling it up.

Karen Jo:  Every month I dump all of your dry food, wash the bowls and start over.  You will get all brand new dry food in the morning.

Emma:  I can hardly wait.

I can wait.  I tried some more of that duck and pea yesterday and barfed it again.  I think I will stick to my weight control formula.

Karen Jo:  I think that's a good idea.  I took you to be weighed Wednesday and you have lost 0.6 pounds.  I hope some of it was fat and not just fur.

I do, too.  I hope I didn't lose that much fur.

Emma:  I think you look great without your fur, except for your swag belly.

You little twerp!  Wait till I get my paws on you!

Karen Jo:  Now, now, Herman.  Your belly is a bit more obvious now.

Humpf!  At least I still get most of the petting around here.  That proves I am still the primo cat in this house.

Adopt-a-Less-Adoptable-Pet Week

This is the most appropriate badge I could find for Herman and Emma. Herman is FIV+ along with having Feline Leukemia. Emma just has Feline Leukemia. Adopting these two adorable kitties is the best thing I could have done for them and for me.  Herman came along shortly after I lost my Mother and was feeling very much alone in the family home by myself.  I was sad and lonely; he was sad and lonely; we were a perfect match.  Other than his one bout of active Feline Leukemia, Herman has been perfectly healthy in the almost two years that he has lived with me.  Emma came to live with us on March 1st of this year.  Herman was showing some signs of being lonely while I was at work and the word came that a nearby shelter had a cat with Feline Leukemia who needed a home at once because the shelter didn't really have an isolation cage and all the foster homes were full.  I went and picked her up the day after I found out about her and talked to the lady at the shelter.  I can't say that they loved each other at first sight, but they get along well.  There was never any real antagonism between them.  Emma hasn't been sick at all.  If you are thinking of adopting a first cat, please consider taking one with FIV or Feline Leukemia.  These diseases are serious, but they are not an automatic early death sentence. There are treatments to help keep them healthy and research is coming up with new drugs to help or even cure the diseases.

This is Hal. A life on the streets of Albuquerque, NM, has left him with an aversion to dogs and children, a cauliflower ear and FIV. He really needs a quiet home and a loving human. Please consider adopting him.  You can find out more about him here.http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/17712249?rvp=1

Herman Goes Nekkid

 I found a sunspot on the big pillow in front of the living room window.  Mom would get me shaved just when the weather turned cool and rainy.  I am trying to keep warm now.  I am also using my ham-mick and bed in front of the heater again.  This is called a half-lion cut.  I think it is more three-quarters.  I thought Mom would become a better blogger when she retired, but she's worse now.

Karen Jo:  My apologies.  I am still trying to get used to my new schedule, or rather a lack of one.  I fall prey to the lure of the TV much too often, then fall asleep watching and don't blog.  I am also going out more.  I love having a social life again.  Working nights and weekends meant that I had barely any social life at all.  I promise to do much better.  Herman, don't complain about your shave too much.  You know that you feel much better.

True, I am running around and playing much more, now that my flanks don't hurt from the nasty mats.

Emma:  One of the things that I really like about having Mom around all the time is that she lets me explore places I was never allowed in before.  I surprised Mom by getting up on her clothes in her closet when she was trying to pick out something to wear.  I walked from one end of the closet to the other up here, then I jumped down again.

Karen Jo:  I was about to offer you a ride down, but you handled it all on your own.

One of the things that I don't like so much is that Mom changed our lunch time.  We used to get fed at 1:30 every afternoon.  Now we have to wait until three or four.

Karen Jo:  I was throwing out so much food that you didn't eat between breakfast (any time between 8 and 10) and lunch that I decided to space out your meals more evenly.  Now most meals get eaten almost completely.  You still get breakfast and supper at your regular times.

You are not giving me enough treats.

Karen Jo:  I am only giving you one treat at a time and only several hours apart now.  You need to cut down on treats so you can lose weight.  You need to go in for a weighing again fairly soon.

Rats.  Hey, maybe I lost weight when I got shaved, so I will weigh in at less this time.

Karen Jo:  That's possible, but you are still not getting more treats.

Rats again. At least I still get nibbles from your meals.

Emma:  Mom has started giving me a treat when I take my Interferon, but I still run from her when I see the syringe.

Karen Jo:  I don't know why you don't like it.  It's just a little squirt of cold water in your mouth.

Emma:  It's the cold I don't like.  It makes me shake my front paws and sometimes give a little shiver.

Karen Jo:  Sorry about the cold, but the Interferon has to be refrigerated.  Herman likes it.

I still shake my front paw right after I take it.

Karen Jo:  Emma is still having a lot of fun chasing the ribbon tied to my Happy Retirement balloon.  It's Mylar, so it still floats.  Today, she was playing with it in the living room when I left to attend a meeting.  When I returned several hours later, Emma was napping on my bed and the balloon was in my bedroom, too.  I am guessing that she grabbed the ribbon and took the balloon with her.  The windows were closed, so it couldn't have drifted there on its own.

Emma:  I am not saying a word. It is really fun, though.  I am also still very partial to my new wand toy, though I still like Da Bird best. We are getting more play time, though we aren't always interested when Mom wants to play.

Mom went on a toy hunt the other day.  I love watching her lie on the floor and try to reach the toys we have batted under the couch.  She found a bunch of balls and a couple of mice.  Mom has been watching me pounce Emma.  I jump out and try to grab her with my front paws.  She always gets away, though. Sometimes I chase her afterward and sometimes I don't.  I like to keep her guessing.

Emma:  I don't know why Herman wants to grab me.  I don't mind it, or the chasing.  I can always get away from him.  He won't follow me if I go up high or if I duck into any of my hidey-holes.  Herman can be fun with toys, too.  I whapped a ball near him and he whapped it again and I chased it.  He lost interest after that, but it's the most play with toys interaction Mom has seen between us.

Karen Jo:  The two of you seem to be getting closer and closer.  Most nights both of you sleep with me on the bed, though not close to each other, usually. The other night Emma beat Herman to his favorite spot next to my chest where I pet him.  I was petting Emma when Herman showed up.  He just lay at my feet, out of whapping range from Emma and went to sleep.  I kept expecting him to try to get his spot back, but he never did.  I didn't even try to pet Herman, because I know how Emma reacts when I switch my attention from her to him, even if I pet both of them at the same time. The upshot is that Herman is no longer jealous of Emma, but Emma still gets jealous of Herman. What was really unusual is that Emma stayed by me all night.  She usually moves during the night, then Herman reclaims his spot.  I had both kitties in bed the whole night, which was really great.

Mo Cats Day

Karen Jo:  I just read that Beau's Mom Cathy passed away.  It makes me very sad.  I have been reading Beau's blog for years and enjoyed it very much.  Cathy loved all the kitties so much that I can't think of a better way to honor her than to go ahead and blog for Mo Cats Day.

 We got our package from China Cat and Willow for Christmas in July yesterday.  We were late getting our gifts to them, too.  Look how nicely everything is packaged and wrapped.  It came with a nice card, too.

 Look at all this good stuff. Even Mom got something.  That square that says "Meow" is a picture frame with a great picture of me and Emma in Santa hats in front of a fire with a Christmas tree.  Mom loves it and has put it out on the table.  We got a purple cube and lots of Temptations (some flavors we have never had before), furry mousies with rattles, a little basketball, a blue ball that looks like a woofie, a nip cigar and a wand toy.  Each of us grabbed our favorite right away.

 I grabbed the nip cigar as soon as Mom got it out of the package.  I sniffed it and licked it and bunny-kicked it like crazy.  Then I took a nap using it for a pillow and had nice nip dreams.

Emma:  I got all excited when Mom got out the wand toy.  I played and played with it until Mom's arm got tired.

All the toys got played with before the day was over.  Mom gave us Temptations, too.  Thank you so much, China Cat and Willow.

Mom has been acting strange since she retired.  She has been sleeping a whole lot.  At first she went out almost every night, then came home and went straight to bed, so she didn't blog.  Then she just started going to bed early and didn't blog.

Karen Jo:  I don't think I realized just how tired I had become.  After several night of spending 10+ hours in bed, I finally feel rested again.

Emma:  I like all the bed time.  I can get my morning pets and the noisy thing doesn't go off and Mom doesn't get up until I have enough petting.

I like all the bed time, too.  I have been getting long petting sessions at night.  Mom even lies down to watch TV and I can get more petting then, too, if Emma doesn't beat me to it.  Other than that, Mom hasn't been much fun.  She has been playing with papers all day long.

Karen Jo:  I had a lot of paper work that I had been neglecting.  It is almost all done now.  I have been trying to play with you more, but mostly you don't want to play in the afternoons.

We got used to napping all afternoon while you were at work. We still like to nap in the afternoons, especially now that it gets all cold and rainy every afternoon.

Karen Jo:  Yes, I am having to close the windows every night (if not earlier) now.  Fall is well on its way.

And you are still plotting to steal my fur.

Karen Jo:  I have to.  Your mats are even worse that I first thought.  You have an appointment with a groomer on Tuesday.  Hopefully, it will just be for some spot shaving, but I will let the groomer decide whether you need the whole lion cut.  I don't think it will be necessary, as you don't have any mats on your back, just on both flanks and around your legs.  You need your butt cleaned, too, but I will try to get that done before your appointment.

I don't like you wiping my butt.

Karen Jo:  I know, but it has gotten pretty bad.  Your fur is so thick that it is hard to see how many klingons you have.  I thought there was just a little bit, until I wiped at you this afternoon and felt them all.  You will have to get wiped every day until I can get them all off and maybe you just need to be wiped every day to keep clean.

Argh!  I am going to hate that.

Emma:  You need to groom yourself.  I keep myself clean without any help from Mom.

Your fur isn't as thick and you don't have pudding poop.

Karen Jo:  You don't have much pudding poop yourself, Herman.  Just a tiny bit every day.  It does tend to get stuck in the fur, though.

Nobody warned me that having a retired Mom meant that she would have more time to do stuff to me that I don't like.

Karen Jo:  I have more time to do things you do like, too, Herman.  I didn't see you turning down bites of my lunch or supper.

That's true.  I found out that I like corned beef, but you wouldn't give me very much.

Karen Jo:  It's salty and I don't think you should have too much salt.

It is cool that you are home for more meals.

Thank You, ML

I am a bit late getting my post up, as I have been celebrating my retirement, but I do want to participate.  Thank you so much, ML, for all the kitties you have rescued and the inspiration you give all of us to open our hearts and homes to those kitties (and other animals) who need our help so much and who give us so much in return.  Without the Cat Blogosphere, I might never have found the blogs of people who adopted cats with health problems and learned that FIV and Feline Leukemia were serious, but no reason not to adopt.  Without your lead in showing how a house could take in so many kitties and not only survive, but thrive, I might never have considered taking in my two darlings.  Oh, I would have adopted a cat or two, but probably not the two I did adopt.  Without the links to so many cat and other animal blogs, Kitty Limericks would not have gone on as long as it has.  It is being revived, by the way. Most of the entries in my blog lists came from introductions I found in the Cat Blogosphere.  Thank you so much for all the birthday and gotcha day announcements and the sad ones of our friends going over the Rainbow Bridge.  I have had very limited time for visiting and I would never have been able to keep up on my own.  Mainly, just thank you so much for being the wonderful person that you are.

Tired Thursday

 I can't believe how weird Mom is acting.

Emma:  I am looking for Mom's mind.  I think she lost it.

We are used to Mom coming home and announcing that she is tired.  She does that almost every night.

Emma:  Last night she came home with flowers and a balloon.  Instead putting on her PJs after she fed us, she put on a clean shirt and changed her shoes and combed her hair.

She called her friend that she goes out with and off they went and didn't come home until stupid o'clock.

Emma:  When she finally got home, she had more balloons.  When we tried our best puzzled looks to find out what was going on, she said that she was re-tired and was celebrating.

Of course she was tired all over again, after working seven days in a row then staying out until stupid o'clock, but we don't see anything good about that.

Karen Jo:  Retired doesn't mean that I am tired all over again.  It means I don't have to go to work any more.

What about the green papers?  You always told us that you had to go to work to get green papers for our food!

Emma:  And toys!

And treats!

Emma:  And litter!

Karen Jo:  Don't worry.  I worked for a long time and earned a pension and Social Security.  They will send me green papers every month.

You mean they are going to give you green papers NOT to go to work?

Karen Jo:  That's right.

Weird!  But I think I will like it.

Emma:  Me, too.

Wonderful Wednesday

 I am chillaxing on the bed, keeping Mom from making it up.

Emma:  I am chillaxing on the couch, wishing Mom would come and make Da Bird fly around.

It's supposed to be Whisker-Hump Wednesday.

Karen Jo:  I know.  I don't have any good pictures of your whisker-humps.  I will try to get some.

What's so wonderful about Wednesday, anyway?

Karen Jo:  It's the last day of my seven days in a row of work.  All I have to do is get through Wednesday, then something great happens.

What?

Karen Jo:  I'll tell you tomorrow.

Emma:  Some kitties have been sympathizing with me about getting chased by Herman.  Truth to tell, I usually enjoy it.  It's a fun game because he never catches me.  When I get tired of it, I have several hidey-holes and places I can go where Herman can't follow me.

You never chase me back any more.

Emma:  I only ever did that a couple of times, anyway.  I think it's more fun running from you.  You chased me away from the toy I was playing with this afternoon.

I wanted to play with it.

Emma:  You always want to play with whatever toy I am playing with.

If you are playing with it, then it must be fun and I want it.

Emma:  At least you don't always interrupt my play.  Sometimes you are just too lazy to bother.

I need my nap time so I can chase you some more.

Emma:  I really checked out the chicken Mom was eating to see why Herman likes it so much.  I decided that I didn't want any after all.

I think you're nuts.  The chicken is delicious and I ate a bunch of it.

Karen Jo:  I just wish that you wouldn't lick the last bite before you decide you don't want it after all.  If you just sniffed it and walked away, I could eat it.

It doesn't go to waste.  You give it to the ravens along with the cat food we don't eat.

Karen Jo:  The ravens really love your left over cat food.

Emma:  They were really making a racket about it the other day.

Karen Jo:  They sure were.  They must have been pretty hungry.

Emma:  I jumped up in the kitchen window to watch them.  I can stand in Mom's chair and look out the window.  I can get all the way up on the windowsill, but it's pretty narrow, so I would rather stand in Mom's chair.  Mom hogs it sometimes, though.

Karen Jo:  I only sit in that chair to eat my lunch.  You have it the whole rest of the time.