Caturday

 We have totally learned to share Mom in bed.  Now that we don't have any problems lying right next to each other, we can each get a petting hand at bedtime.  We both love it.  Other kinds of sharing don't always come so easily.

Emma:  Herman was mean to me yesterday.

You were playing with my favorite toy and I wanted it.

Karen Jo:  Herman, you have 12 or so of those favorite toys.

But you only get them out one at a time.

Karen Jo:  You still didn't have to whap Emma over it.

You were tossing toys to Emma and she was playing with all of them for a little while, then waiting for the next one.  The last one you tossed her was one of my favorite balls.  She was playing and playing with it.  I decided that I wanted it and I whapped her.

Emma:  I hissed at you, but then I jumped up on the sofa to get away from you.

That was exactly what I wanted to happen.  I got the ball and started playing with it.

Karen Jo:  If you had waited for another minute or two, Emma would probably have stopped playing with the ball and you could have had it without whapping her.

But I wanted it right then.  I didn't hurt her or anything.

Karen Jo:  At least you mostly get along.  You got Emma to play THoE with you this morning.

That was fun.  I chased Emma down the hall into Mom's bedroom.  Then I crouched down at the foot of the bed and started teasing Emma with my paw, waving it at her.

Emma:  I crouched down at the side of the bed and started doing my wiggle-butt.

When I saw Emma was ready to pounce, I started running up the hall.

Emma:  When I saw Herman running, I chased him all the way up the hall.  I like it that I can chase him now sometimes and not always be the one being chased.

I had been trying to get you to chase me back for weeks.  It just took you a while to catch on that chasing me back was part of the game.

Karen Jo:  I love seeing Herman and Emma playing together.  Emma has been so good for Herman.  He has even started playing with his toys by himself again.  He had stopped playing unless I played with him and even then his interest flagged quickly.  Now he will sometimes spot a ball and start batting it around and chasing it.  Tonight he even joined in playing with Da Bird.  They weren't trying to catch it together, but I would swing it near Emma for a while and let her play with it, then I would swing it near Herman and he would play with it, too.  He hasn't played with Da Bird in a long time.

More Firsts

 Mom put more nip on the cardboard scratcher and the turbo scratcher.  I am enjoying it and watching Emma play.

Emma: Mom put out this toy for the first time since I got here.  I love this nip banana.  The picture is a bit blurry because I was moving so fast.  I bunny kicked the banana so hard that I lost my grip on it and it went sailing across the room.  Mom laughed and laughed.  I looked sad, so Mom got the banana and gave it back to me.

I have decided that sleeping with Emma isn't so bad.  Mom got really sleepy after dinner last night, so she lay down on the bed to watch TV.  We both know that means cuddle and petting time.  Emma jumped up first and got all comfy close to Mom's face.  I jumped up next and made myself comfy right next to Emma.

Karen Jo:  You actually cuddled up to Emma.  Your shoulder was up tight against her rump.  Emma murped about it a couple times, but didn't move away.

This morning was great.  We finally played THoE for real.  I chased Emma down the hall and when I turned around, she chased me up the hall, so I chased her down the hall again and she chased me back up the hall again.  Then we took a little breather and I started to chase her down the hall again.  Halfway down, she suddenly lay down and waved her paws at me.  I just sat down and looked at her.

Karen Jo:  It looked to me like Emma was inviting you for a bit of kitty wrestling.

It could be, but she had never done it before and I didn't know how to react.

Emma:  I am having more fun here.  Every day after lunch, Mom puts the toys away and gets out different ones.  She tosses them toward me and I play with each one for a bit, then wait for the next one.  They are all great fun.  I really enjoyed chasing Herman today, too.  Now that I am absolutely sure that he won't hurt me, I can enjoy playing with him more.  He doesn't seem to know about kitty wrestling, but maybe I can teach him.  He kept showing me that it was all right if I chased him back, but I wasn't sure about it for a long time.  Maybe he feels the same way about kitty wrestling.  We have each pounced each other, but it wasn't for play, except for the times that Herman just ran at me and tagged me with his paw or started to chase me.  I think things are just going to get better and better.

Tuxie Tuesday

 Mom didn't take pictures today, so here's an old one of me that she hadn't used because it didn't turn out too well.  I'm just snoozing in the living room. We got some more turkey today.  I got three or four bites.  I really like it.  Mom says I better get my fill soon, because she is going to debone it and slice it up and put it in the freezer tomorrow.  Last night Emma didn't come to bed.  I got Mom all to myself until she fell asleep.  I loved every minute of it.

Emma:  I am relaxing in the living room, too.  Mom likes this picture because my eyes show up well.  I don't know why I didn't feel like going to bed with Mom and Herman last night.  Maybe I got too excited by the woofies barking or something.  I woke Mom up bright and early this morning for breakfast, though, then I got some petting after she went back to bed and I had eaten my breakfast.  Mom laughed when she got up because I had dragged Da Bird all the way down the hall to the foot of her bed.  I wanted to play some more, but I didn't get to until after she got home from work tonight.

Karen Jo:  I am sorry, Emma, but I just didn't have time to play with you this morning.  I have too much to do before I go to work to play.

Emma:  Mom offered me some more of that turkey, but I don't really like it much.  She put a couple of bites in the food dish, but I didn't eat them and neither did Herman.

I like it best right out of Mom's hand.  I had fun watching Mom play Da Bird with Emma tonight.  Mom tried to play ball with me first, but I wasn't interested.  Watching Emma put me in a playful mood, though.  I played with my mousie wand toy quite a bit after Emma was done with Da Bird.

Emma:  I caught that mousie a few times myself.  It isn't nearly as much fun as Da Bird.  I don't know why Herman likes it better.  Nothing else worth mentioning happened today, so we'll say goodnight.

Mancat Monday

I just finished gorging myself on smoked turkey and decided to nap right here.

Karen Jo:  I take it that you enjoyed your Easter.

Mostly, but Emma whapped me.

Karen Jo:  I thought the incident was amusing.

I didn't think it was so funny.  You promised us smoked turkey for Easter dinner and you came through.  You chopped up a pretty big piece of turkey and put it in our spare food dish.  Emma beat me to it.  She was just sniffing at it, so I slowly started to push my nose toward the dish and she whapped me, right on the top of my head!

Karen Jo:  How many times have you done that to her?

Two or three times, but I usually just threaten to whap her.  I only whapped at her once and she dodged my paw.  You were sitting in your chair and eating, so I went over  to you to ask for some of your turkey.

Karen Jo:  That's when you missed the funny part.  After chasing you away, Emma sniffed and sniffed at the turkey, then licked it.  She ate one or two bites, then decided that she would rather eat the crumbs of Medley left over from breakfast.  I had to turn you around so you could see that the turkey dish was unguarded.

That Emma is silly.  I ate quite a bit of the turkey, but you put out a lot.  I couldn't eat it all.

Karen Jo:  What was really weird to me is that when I got home from work, the two of you still hadn't finished the turkey. After all the asking and asking me for more turkey, you didn't eat that much of it when I gave it to you.  I guess you prefer cat food, after all.  All of that got eaten up.  I noticed that you and Emma played with the toys while I was at work.

Emma played with them.  I just watched her.

Karen Jo:  You did that during after work playtime, too, at least until the play got interrupted.

Some really rude woofies started barking loudly.

Karen Jo:  That really caught both of your attentions.  Emma ran to my bedroom to get up in the high window to see what was going on and you went to the hall and started growling at each bark.  I never heard you growl before.

You never saw me hear woofies barking before, either.  I don't like woofies.  Remember when you petted that woofy at the vet's and I wouldn't let you touch me afterward?

Karen Jo:  I remember.  You didn't seem to mind my neighbor's little woofy who came over that time.

She was a really little woofy and she didn't bark.  I was bigger than she was, so she wasn't scary to me.  I think she was scared of me.

Karen Jo:  It's almost bedtime.  Are you ready to curl up with Emma and me for bedtime petting?

I am ready to curl up with you.  I guess I can tolerate Emma again.  We seem to be making a habit of both going to bed with you for bedtime petting.

Happy Easter

Mom couldn't find cat-sized bunny ears, thank goodness, so here is our Easter stuffie again.  Happy Easter, everyone!  We hope you all have a great time.

I am relaxing in the living room near the toys, but not playing with them.

Emma: I am playing with one of the feather toys that Herman doesn't like.  I love this toy bucket with the holes in the sides.  I stick my paw in and fish out the little mousies, then play with them.

My favorite room lately is the kitchen.  Mom bought a whole smoked turkey and she has been sharing tiny bites with us.  I thought I was going to get to help myself, but Mom caught me.

Karen Jo:  I sliced off what I thought I wanted to eat, but left the turkey on the kitchen counter, in case I wanted more.  I didn't think anything about it because the last time Herman tried to jump up to the sink he didn't quite make it.  He had gotten too fat to jump that high.  Emma wasn't showing much interest in the turkey.  While I was eating, I heard a familiar thump.  Herman had jumped up on the counter and was inspecting the turkey.  I got him down and fed him bites until I finished.  I think he wanted more than I gave him.

I did want more.  I wanted the whole thing.

Karen Jo:  You couldn't possibly eat that much turkey.  Today you quit after six bites.

Emma:  I want more turkey.  I hardly ever get any.

Karen Jo:  That's because you aren't patient enough to wait for your bites.  I give you one bite, then you rush off somewhere else.  You have to learn to sit and wait, like Herman does.

Emma:  I still want more turkey.

I do, too.

Karen Jo:  I am having Easter dinner for lunch before I go to work.  I will make sure that you get lots of bites of turkey.  I think I will cut some up for you and put it in the extra food dish.

Emma:  Herman will hog it all, like he did with the tuna juice.  He drank up every drop of it, except for the one lick I got before he crowded me out with that big head of his.

Karen Jo:  I will make sure that you get some, Emma.  I have noticed that Herman has learned that if he positions his head directly above the food dish, you can't get your head in.

Emma:  At least he isn't being mean to me any more.

Karen Jo:  I noticed that both of you are getting better at sharing.  The two of you slept within inches of each other last night, all night, with Emma sharing my pillow and Herman curled up against my chest.  When I woke up in the early light to go to the litter box room, the two of you realized how close you were to each other and traded a couple of paw swats, but nobody moved and nobody made any threatening noises.  Both of you were still on the bed when I got back and you both got your early morning petting.  Tonight, Herman just watched Emma play with Da Bird.  I tried to get him to play again, but he wasn't interested until I got out his favorite wand toy and he played a bit with it and some more with a ball.

Emma:  I don't hiss at Herman any more.

Karen Jo:  I noticed and I really appreciate it.

So do I.  That hissing was getting really old.  I like to watch Emma play.  She plays a whole lot more that I ever did, but she's more that a year younger than I was when Mom brought me home.  I am playing more than I used to since Emma moved in.  I still think that ambushing her in the hall and chasing her around the living room is more fun than batting a ball around.

Caturday

I am in the kitchen, waiting to be fed.

Emma:  I am in the living room. playing.

Mom really meant to take part in House of Horrors week, but then she started feeling bad again with her allergies and didn't get any of it done.  We have been going along as usual, except for the time I jumped Emma when Mom was playing with her.

Karen Jo:  What was up with that, anyway?  I was flying Da Bird for Emma and I was flying it over your head, too.  You could have joined in at any time.  Instead, you suddenly pounced on Emma, pummeled her a bit, then left.  Emma let out a high-pitched eeeee! but didn't really yell for help.  I couldn't tell if you were playing or being a bit mean.  I think you were being a bit mean.

I got a bit jealous of all the attention you were giving Emma, so I stopped the game.  I let you play with her tonight.

Karen Jo:  It was a one time thing, but the next time I flew Da Bird for Emma, she kept looking to see if you were watching.  When she spotted you, she stopped playing.  Luckily, she seems to have forgotten all about it now.

I am just playing with her now.  I grabbed her when she was running down the hall, but didn't hit her.  She just turned around and ran the other way.

Emma:  That didn't scare me.  I knew you were just playing.  I think it's fun when you chase me.  I think it's great that Mom keeps the toy baskets on the floor.  I am picking out my own toys to play with now.  Mom saw me pull out a soft ball and chase it all over the living room.

Karen Jo:  I love to see you playing with the toys.  What's really wonderful is that you like the feather toys that Herman shows no interest in at all.  Now all the toys are getting played with by somecat.

I am not playing much with the toys.  I would rather play with Emma.  We are still working out what's fun for us.  I love hiding and waiting for her to come by so I can jump out at her.  We are both on the bed with Mom most nights and mornings now.  Mom has fun getting into a position where she can pay attention to both of us at the same time.

Mancat Monday

Mom didn't take a picture of me today, so here's a blast from the past.  Mom really has to get her picture taking together.  She forgets a lot.  Luckily, she often has extras, but not today. Emma and I are getting really used to each other.

Karen Jo:  I'll say you are.  When I woke up early this morning to go to the litter box room, both of you were in bed with me.  Your back paws were almost touching.  I wish I had had my camera handy.

That was Emma's idea.  She got in bed with me.  I was just where I was when we went to sleep.

Karen Jo:  You are confusing Emma about the food dishes.  Sometimes you let her share and sometimes you don't.

It all depends on how much I like what is in the dish.  If I really want it, I don't want her sharing until I am finished.  Otherwise, she is welcome to share while I am eating.

Karen Jo:  You seem to like to watch her play.

She's fun to watch.  She really goes after Da Bird.  While you are at work, she drags it under the corner table to play with it by herself.

Karen Jo:  It's Mancat Monday, but we are talking about Emma.  What have you been up to lately?

Just my usual.  I eat, sleep, take care of business and play some.  I like to hide and peek out at Emma, like I am going to pounce her when she goes by.  It makes her nervous and she runs by.  Sometimes I chase her.  We both like that.  I like to get my bedtime petting.

Karen Jo:  I have noticed that some of your fur is trying to mat again.  You even have a tiny mat near your elbow.  I am going to have to snip that out.

You will have to be fast.  I hate scissors.

Karen Jo:  You don't seem to mind so much if I pet you a lot first.

You better pet me a whole lot first if you are coming near me with scissors.  I would love the attention.  That reminds me that I love to scratch for a treat while Emma is watching.  She always runs to scratch on the furniture and doesn't get a treat.  That makes me laugh.  That stuff you bought to spray where she scratches to make her stop scratching there doesn't seem to be working.

Karen Jo:  I haven't noticed her avoiding any of the places I have sprayed.  In fact, she seems to find the smell interesting.

Score another one for the kitties.  I think Emma is going to scratch on the furniture forever.