To Play or Not?

 I am watching Spyro play with the Neko Kragonfly.  I chose not to play.

 Spyro:  I love playing with the Kragonfly.  I caught it and now I am chewing on it.  I found a new way to start a rasslin' match with Herman.  Mom was lying down on her bed watching TV and Herman was lying at her feet.  I jumped up on the bed and started licking Herman's head.  Before long we were rasslin', right on top of Mom's legs.  It was fun.

Karen Jo:  You always have lots of fun, Spyro.  I tossed a soft rubber ball in the bathtub with you so you could play tub hockey.  You played for a little, then picked up the ball and took it into the kitchen, where there is more room to knock it around.  I didn't really like the fun you had attacking my ankles today, though.

Spyro:  You wouldn't let me lie on the newspaper on the table, so I had to find something to do.

Karen Jo:  I only moved you down to the floor so I could turn the page.  I didn't so much mind your attacking my ankles as the fact that you drew blood.

Spyro:  I didn't mean to hurt you, honest.  I was just playing.

Karen Jo:  I know you were, Spyro, just take it a little easier on the claws next time, OK?

Oja:  I am munching my kibble.  See the curl in my tail?  Sometimes I curl it up like a chow dog.  I had a little more diarrhea, but it has stopped again.

Karen Jo:  I was feeding you Fancy Feast with Gravy.  It seems that is a bit too rich for you, as well.  I put you back on the plain pate style and the diarrhea stopped almost immediately.  I took you on a tour of the house yesterday.  What do you think of it?

Oja:  I like the house, but I just had to hiss at the giant gray kitty.

Karen Jo:  That was Herman.  I feel pretty sure that he won't hurt you, Oja.  I accidentally left your door open the other night and nothing happened.  When I discovered it, you were up on the windowsill and both the other kitties were in the living room.

Oja:  You don't visit me enough.

Karen Jo:  I know, Oja, and I feel really guilty about it.  I never knew a kitty who wanted as much loving as you do.  It is just that you hurt me almost every time I visit you.  I got so many pinpricks in my upper chest that I had an allergic reaction to them.  Now I wear a towel around my neck and chest when I come to visit.  This afternoon you stuck your claw in my upper lip.  That really hurt.

Oja:  I don't mean to hurt you.

Karen Jo:  I know you don't.  I just wish you would keep your claws in when you pat my face.

Oja:  I never play.

Karen Jo:  I noticed.  I put toys in your room and they are all right where I left them.  I got a new scratch pad for the Turbo Star Chaser and tried to get you interested in it, but all you did was watch the ball go around.  I waggled a nip nanner under your nose and you didn't care.  I don't know why you don't play.  You are only two years old.

Caturday

 Mom couldn't resist taking this photo of the two of us relaxing more or less together.  You can just see my nose poking up out of the laundry basket.  I am really glad that Spyro showed me how to get up here.  The laundry basket is amazingly comfy.

Spyro:  I like hanging out on top of the fridge.  I can see everything from up here and it's a little cooler.

Oja:  My pictures are always a bit dark.  You can just see me by the sunshine on my fur.  I got over my diarrhea.  It must have been the Tiki Cat.  It was probably just too rich for me.  I am even burying my poop sometimes now.  I feel much better.

Karen Jo:  Your pictures are a bit dark because you are in the darkest room in the house.  When you are ready, I will let you out to explore the rest of the house.

Oja:  I don't want out there yet.  There are scary giant kitties out there!

I finally got a peek at Oja.  Mom left the door open and Oja came halfway out.  I started walking slowly toward her and she growled and hissed at me.  I meowed softly to let her know that I meant no harm, but she didn't believe me.

Karen Jo:  You are over twice her size, Herman, and your long fur makes you look even bigger.  Oja isn't any bigger than Emma was; in fact she weighs a little bit less.  Maybe you'll look less scary after your shaving.

What shaving?  You aren't taking me to the groomer again are you?

Karen Jo:  Yes I am.  Your mats have gotten much worse in the last few days.  It got up to 90 yesterday and I am thinking that you will be more comfortable with a full lion cut.

Oh, man!  You may be right about it being cooler without all this fur, though.

Spyro:  I have decided on which toy is the coolest ever.  There is this white ball that had three feathers sticking up out of it and is makes a soft rattle sound when I bat it around.  I have chewed off the feathers until there is just a stump big enough for me to pick it up by and carry it around in my mouth.  Mom had the nerve to pick it up and put it away the other day.  I dumped out the toy basket and rooted around until I found it again.  Now Mom leaves it out all the time.

Vet Visit

 Mom snapped the pictures of me and Spyro at mid-afternoon and everyone knows that's nap time.  I keep trying to get a peek at that girl kitty in the safe room, but Mom keeps closing the door before I can get a good look.

Spyro:   I think the laundry basket is the best cat bed I have ever had.  I did get a look at the girl kitty this morning.  Mom left the door open and she poked her head out.  I saw her and she saw me, then she hissed at me.  Three times!

Karen Jo:  Sorry about the three times, Spyro.  She was in the doorway and I kept waiting for her to retreat back into the room, as Emma did, but she stood her ground.  I think that's a good sign for your future relationship with her.  I finally had to shoo her back into the room so I could close the door.

Oja: I'm not going to let any big mancat scare me into running away.  Mom was mean to me today.  She put me in a PTU, then in a metal monster and took me to the vet.  They poked me and prodded me and put something up where it didn't belong.  Then a vet lady squirted something in my mouth.  The only good thing about it was that Mom had another lady with her and they both gave me pets.  The vet lady and the vet tech both gave me pets, too. I was glad to come home.  My picture is all blurry because I won't hold still.

Karen Jo:  The picture is dark because it was taken late afternoon.  I tried to take Oja's picture in the full mid-afternoon light, but she wouldn't hold still enough for even a bad blurry picture.  The vet report is that her nose-drips have cleared up on their own.  I didn't tell you earlier because I didn't want to worry everyone unduly, but Oja also has diarrhea.  I think it is just that I am giving Oja higher quality food than she is used to.  Since Oja didn't have a temperature or any other obvious abnormalities, the vet cautiously agreed with me.  She is getting liquid metronitazale twice a day to help clear it up. She has to go back in 15 days for her boosters.  If the diarrhea doesn't clear up soon, she is going back sooner.

Hug Your Cat Day

 Wowee, kitties!  Did we rock the house down yesterday or what?  Mom gave up at midnight, mixed up a big bowl of meowgaritas, made sure the niptini fountain was full, put a bunch of records on the stereo and went to bed.  We kitties were still a-rockin' and a-rollin' and THoEing to beat the band.  Max the Psychokitty was shaking his booty like mad. When Mom got up just after dawn to get breakfast, there were crashed out kitties everywhere, including in bed with her.  She served up a generous breakfast of Stinky Goodness and Tiki Cat and went back to bed.  By the time she got up for real, all the visiting kitties had recovered enough to teleport home.  There weren't any leftovers to speak of.  I have spent most of the day just lying around on the living room carpet recovering.  Thank you all for helping me celebrate my 5th birthday in style.  ::finally notices the title of the post::  Hey!  This is supposed to be Mancat Monday!

Karen Jo:  This is a special day.  You can have Mancat Monday again next week.  So, how do you feel about being hugged?

I hate it.  Pet me and give me chin scritches and especially chest scritches, but don't hug me.

Spyro:  Man, I'm pooped.  I haven't played so hard in all my born days.  I spent most of the day crashed out in the laundry basket.  As for hugging, keep it to yourself.  Pet me and give me chin scritches and especially belly rubs, but don't hug me.

Oja: Hug ME!  I love to be hugged, petted, scritched, rubbed and loved on any way you please, just love me.  This picture is kind of dark, but I hope you can see my curly tail.  Mom loves how my tail curls up.  My front half is blurry because I decided to jump down just as Mom snapped the picture.  I still spend a good deal of time hiding because it is awfully noisy around here and I don't just mean the party.

Karen Jo:  I hope it doesn't put too much stress on you, but there is a bunch of roadwork going on very near my house.  You come out almost as soon as I come in your room, then it's a love-in.  I lean back on the couch and you get on my chest and we love on each other for a long time.  I got you a vet appointment for tomorrow to see about your runny nose, though it seems better today -- not quite as much kitty snot coming out.

Oja:  I don't wanna go to the vet!  I wanna stay here!

Karen Jo:  Don't worry.  We won't be there long.  We just need to get you checked out and in the vet records as being my kitty.  Then we will come right back home again and I will love on you.

Oja:  I guess that's all right.

Party Time!

This party is really rockin' the house!  I want to thank all of you for coming to my 5th Birthday party.  I just had to take a little nap, but there is plenty going on.  It's toasty warm (mid 70s), so the windows are open.  The Bird Channel is on because Mom put out the last of the bird seed and fresh water.  For you kitties who can go outside, there are snapdragons and roses to sniff and plenty of gopher holes to check out.  Just please stay in the yard and come in before sundown.  Mom isn't kidding about the coyotes.  She even found coyote poop in the back yard.

Like a good host, I got Mom up for breakfast at dawn.  She wasn't up to anything more than Stinky Goodness and Tiki Cat, because some kitties kept her up late with all the dancing and THoE.  Lunch was great with a huge buffet of turkey, chicken, roast beef, ham, shrimp and salmon.  Mom will keep the buffet open all day and night.  There's a niptini fountain, meowgaritas and nip champagne that Mom will get for you and fresh water and cat milk for the younger kitties.

Spyro:  The games are well underway.  I already led a rousing round of Help Mom Make up the Bed, followed by lots of fun in Help Mom Sort the Laundry.  Why is Mom doing laundry during the party?  Nice warm sheets and towels in the laundry basket, of course.

Karen Jo:  It beats me why you kitties would want warm sheets and towels on such a warm day, but they are there in the laundry basket right now.  I will be disappearing from time to time to be with Oja, who is a bit overwhelmed by all the goings on, but I have plenty of time for wand toys and I'll get out the laser toy when it gets dark.

We have had a moth infestation this year, so there are bound to be some in the house.  Oliver, Gerry and Mungo were nice enough to bring over six English churchyard mice and they are running around the house, ready to be chased.  The party officially ends at midnight, but Mom says that any kitties who party a little too hearty are welcome to spend the night.  There will be dancing this evening.  Come on over, we are having a great time!

Happy 5th Birthday, Herman!

It's my 5th Birthday and we are having a party!  Mom forgot all about it until she saw it on the Cat Blogosphere.

Karen Jo:  I did not.  Why do you think I took two pictures of you yesterday afternoon?

But you didn't get me a present.

Karen Jo:  Poor Herman!  You have gotten lots of presents lately.  A couple of months ago I got you a Plague Rat.

Yeah, that was pretty awesome.

Karen Jo:  I got you the turbo track you are sitting next to.

And gave it to Spyro.

Karen Jo:  Nothing is preventing you from playing with it.  Just a few days ago I got you a Neko Kragonfly.

Which I don't play with.

Karen Jo:  Yesterday I brought you home a new sister.

Big deal.  I tried to check her out in the PTU and she snarled at me.

Karen Jo:  She was scared.  Her family dumped her off in the drop-off box at the shelter and she was in a cage for days.  Give her a chance to get used to her new family.  Anyway, we are having a big party and you can invite all your friends.

Come on over.  The party starts now with a sleep over.  There is not quite as much room as last year, as Oja is in the safe room, but we still have the living room, kitchen, litter box room and Mom's room to play in and sleep in.  We have loads of toys to play with and Mom has promised to work the wand toys and laser toy for those of you who like that stuff.  There are plenty of places to sleep.  There's my ham-mick and bed and all the couches have comfy blankets on them.  There is a big pillow on the table, which also has a fuzzy blanket on it.  There are chairs and my platform, too. For you kitties who like to sleep with a human, my Mom has a full-sized bed with room for lots of kitties.  The best part is that Mom is retired now, so we can party all night.  There is a stereo for dance music and a great hall for THoE.  You can all meow a hello to Oja under her door.  We have plenty of Stinky Goodness and Tiki Cat along with ham, turkey, shrimp and salmon to eat, with nip cake and ice cream for dessert.  Of course there are plenty of drinks, too.  Niptinis, meowgaritas, catnip champagne and cat milk for the younger kitties.  We want to have a big blowout because this is a very special birthday for me.

Karen Jo:  It sure is.  For kitties who get FeLV when they are young, like you did, the most dangerous time is from the time they first get it up through four years old.  You are now five and are through that period.  Your chances of living a normal lifespan are now much improved.  I am thrilled.

Does this mean I don't have to take my yucky medicine any more?

Karen Jo:  Hardly.  You will probably have to take it for the rest of your life.

Rats!  At least I can wash it down with a meowgarita.  Let's party!

Spyro:  Don't forget that there are lots of things to knock down and push off tables.  Let's get started!

Who's in Spyro's Room?

 I have claimed this catnip bag and I'm not letting Spyro have it.

 Spyro:  I don't care.  I am going to chew on this wand to let Mom know that I want to play with the wand toys.  It worked, too.

Mom was acting all mysterious again.  She got up way early and moved some litter boxes around and shut the door to Spyro's room after taking food in there.  Then she took a PTU and left.  After a long time, she came back with something in the PTU.

Spyro:  It's another cat.  One who snarls.

Karen Jo:  I got a call from the Espanola Valley Humane Society yesterday.  The shelter had another FeLV+ kitty and did I have room for her?  I thought it over for a few seconds and said, "Sure."  Herman's foster Mom and I went and picked her up this morning.  Her name is Oja (O-ha) and she is two years old.

Oja:  Hi!  I don't know quite what is going on, but it seems things are looking up for me.  I had a home, but a few nights ago, my people put me in the metal monster and took me somewhere and put me in a box and left me.  In the morning some people took me inside a big building that smelled like lots of cats and dogs and put me in a cage and left me there, except to take me out and steal my blood and poke me with needles. This morning they took my out and poked me one more time, then put me in a PTU that smelled like other kitties and this lady put me in her lap in a metal monster and we rode for a long time.  The the lady took me out of the metal monster and took me into a house, but it wasn't my house.  She put me down on a box and two giant kitties came to sniff at me.  I snarled at them to back off.  Then the lady took me into a room and let me out.  I was scared.  I slunk out of the PTU and found a hidey-hole.  Then the lady left me alone for a while.

Oja:  The lady came back again and sat down on the couch. After a little while I came out to see who she was.  She isn't one of my people, but she's a nice lady.  I loved all over her and she loved me back.  She told me that this was my new forever home and that she was my new Mom.  That's OK.  I like her.  She let me rub kitty-snot all over her face.

Karen Jo:  You are going to the vet as soon as I can get you in to see if that drippy nose of yours is a kitty cold or allergies.  It's completely clear and you aren't sneezing or coughing, so I'm guessing it's not too serious.  I wash my hands and face after leaving your room, so I don't pass anything along to Herman or Spyro -- the giant kitties you saw.

Oja:  They are scary.  I am glad that I am in a room by myself.

Karen Jo:  You will stay in this room by yourself at least until I get you checked out to make sure that you are well.  You can stay in here as long as you like after that.  You are scarcely any bigger than Emma was and I don't want the boys bullying you.  I am guessing that Spyro would just want to play, but Herman bullied Emma a little and I don't want a repeat.  I am hoping that with Spyro to play with, Herman won't consider bullying you to be worth his while.

Oja:  That sounds like a great arrangement.

Karen Jo, Herman and Spyro:  Happy Gotcha Day, Oja!