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.