World Cat Day

 Happy World Cat Day!  I thought I would celebrate the day by carrying my camera around with me and taking pictures of how having cats in my life has made things more interesting.

 Spyro helped me make up my bed.

 Rocio helped me with my email this morning.  Sorry about the poor quality of the photo.  My hands must have shaken more than the anti-shake stabilizer could handle.

 Oja helped me pick which mah jong puzzle to work on this evening.  Sorry it's too dark to see her properly.

 Bambino inspected my breakfast to make sure it was good enough for me.

 Spyro loves to help me read the newspaper.

 Opening the screen door is always and adventure.  Spyro is looking out to see that there are no vishus deer or bears waiting for me.

 Anyone can have regular tp.  I have lacy tp thanks to Rocio.

 I never know what will be waiting for me in the hall.  This time it was Bambino and Horus rasslin'.

 Rocio helped me fold my laundry.

 Spyro made sure that the towels were folded and put away just right, with Rocio snoopervising.

 Horus led me on an inspection of my now gopher-free yard.  The gophers just got to be too much, so the whole block got together and called in the exterminator.  I don't like killing creatures, but these gophers ate my sage, leeks, cilantro, chives, daisies, California poppies, nearly killed my lilac bush and made big bald spots in the grass.  Spyro watched Horus go out on the harness and leash and made piteous meows, but wouldn't let me put the harness on him.  I have ordered Spyro a new and different type of harness, so maybe he will get to go out again.

One of the best times of the day is relaxing before dinner time.  Horus just loves Da Bird.  That's Spyro in the play pen.  Rocio joined in after a while.  Bambino and Spyro just watched.  Oja was in the computer room, where she spends most of her time.  I hope you enjoyed seeing what my day with cats is like.

After the Ball Is Over

 Oja:  I want to thank everycat for coming to my soiree yesterday evening and night.  Almost everything went perfectly.  I did wonder why so many of my guests, especially the gentleman cats went out to the patio for a breath of fresh air and came back smiling.  We did have the windows closed, as the evening got rather chilly, so maybe it got a little hot and stuffy in the living room.  The gopher hunting must have gone really well, because I saw Bambino going all crazy pants in the back yard.  I'm really glad I sent his silly self outside during my dignified party, because he doesn't even know how to act dignified.  The only fly in the ointment was my Mom.  Halfway through the evening, just after she got all the trays refilled with canapes and sushi, she said she needed to sit down for a minute.  She sat down in the easy chair by the window and promptly fell asleep.  I was so embarrassed.  At least she didn't snore.  I nearly had to go out to the patio for some fresh air myself at that point, but Jose and I had to get busy passing the trays of snacks around.

Spyro and Rocio:  Whew!

Oja:  What was that?

Spyro:  Nothing Oja.

Oja:  I didn't see you or Rocio all evening.  What were you up to?

Rocio:  We were outside, keeping an eye on Bambino and the younger kitties.

 Spyro:  Psst, Rocio, is Oja out of earshot?

Rocio:  I think so.  We got away with it, didn't we?

Spyro:  We sure did. High five, bro!

 Rocio:  Spyro and I really enjoyed putting one over on Oja.  She still hisses and growls and yowls at me.

Karen Jo:  She wouldn't if you didn't keep smacking her with your paw.

Rocio:  She insists on sitting in the chair I want.

Karen Jo:  This house is full of chairs.  I think you just enjoy annoying Oja.

Rocio:  That could very well be the case.

 Bambino:  I sure had fun in the back yard last night.  Spyro and Rocio let me have just a little niptini.  I'm not that much underage.  I will be a mancat next month, I think.  The younger kitties and I played chase and sniffed the gopher holes and chased moths, though there weren't many of those.

Karen Jo:  That's because I don't have any flowers for them.  One or two of the peony buds opened, but the rest of them turned brown.  I don't know if it was lack of water (probably) or some bugs got them.

Jose:  I enjoyed the soiree very much.  I had never been to a dignified party before.  Oja and I danced together, then we danced with the other guests.  That is until the Mom fell asleep and we had to take over her duties of seeing that everyone got canapes, sushi, shrimp and catmint tea.

Karen Jo:  I apologize.  Throwing two parties in three days tired me out.

Karen Jo:  Now I want to bring up another subject.  Last summer, Spyro loved going outside in his harness and leash.  I think I spoiled it for him this year.  We had a warm day in April and I put his harness on him, but it had been a long time and I forgot how it went.  I got it on him wrong, took him outside and something spooked him.  He pulled strongly on the harness and got out of it and ran to the back door to be let back inside, then hid.  In late April, I tried it again, getting the harness on him right, this time.  Again something spooked him and he jerked the leash right out of my hand.  I opened the door for him and he ran, still wearing the harness and dragging the leash and hid.  I thought he was under the bed and that I would take his harness off of him when he calmed down enough to come out.  I heard a big meow from him and when I went to investigate, I found him in the hall without his harness.  He had gone into Oja's hideyhole, where there isn't much room, gotten the leash caught and managed to wiggle out of the harness.  I tried taking him out on his leash twice more, once in  May and once again today and he lets me put the harness on him, but as soon as he gets outside, he wants right back inside again.  Have I ruined his enjoyment of his harness and leash forever?

Getting Back on Schedule

 Mom was trying to get me to play with this yellow ball, but I didn't want to.  I hardly play with anything any more.  Spyro tried to get me to rassle with him yesterday, but I avoided him.  The last time I did rassle with him, I got a little rough.  Mom heard a yipe and when she came to see what was up, she found a tuft of Spyro's fur on my chin.  I just want to be left alone to snooze these days.

Karen Jo:  I would be a bit concerned about this, but you have never played much and you still go for the catnip when it is offered and eat normally and scratch for treats once or twice a day.  You got me up for breakfast this morning, which you hadn't done in quite a while.

I had to.  There isn't as much food around as there used to be and I was starving.

Karen Jo:  I am putting out the recommended amount of kibble for each of you and you still get your Stinky Goodness three times I day.  It isn't my fault that you didn't show up for lunch yesterday until almost all of it was gone.

 Spyro:  I always show up first for meals, but I am still the skinniest cat.  That's because I do more.  I really like lying up here on these boxes.  I am going to be sad when they get picked up.  Mom even took me outside on my harness yesterday evening.  I had a great time.  I sniffed at lots of stuff and got very interested in some birds who were in fairly low branches of a tree above my head.  Unfortunately, the trunk of the tree is over the neighbor's fence and the branches within jumping height are too thin to support me, so all I could do was watch them and talk to them.  I dug at a fresh gopher mound, but I didn't find anything interesting.

I got to go out, too, but I didn't see or hear the birds.  I was more interested in chewing on the grass.

Oja: Mom got all happy when I started playing with this ball.  I don't know why.

Karen Jo:  It's because you are the first kitty who has ever played with that ball.

Oja:  I like it well enough, but I like my jingle balls better.  We are having fun with the jingle balls with the feathers on them.  Spyro got out the pink one yesterday and played with it, then hid it again.  He got out the yellow one today and we both played with it for a while, then he hid it again.  It drives Mom nuts.

Karen Jo:  I'm just afraid that you'll "hide" it somewhere I'll step on it and break it.

Oja:  I am getting curious about this going outside business.  Maybe I'll want to try it someday.

Karen Jo:  You will have to put on your harness, but I'm afraid that the one I bought for you is too small for you now.  You can share Spyro's.

Oja:  I don't like the sound of that.  We'll see.

Mom finally got all the "important" stuff done that she has been "working" on and not blogging for us.  I think we can drag her away from the TV more now, too, so we just might get back to blogging almost every day like we used to.  I hope so.

Back to Blogging

 We are really enjoying our ham-micks.  We get in them to nap almost every day.

 Spyro:  I think it's funny that I often take Herman's ham-mick and Herman takes the one that Mom got for me.

Oja:  This picture is to show just how well we are all getting along.  That's me and Spyro eating out of the same dish in my room.  A few weeks ago I would have whapped him a good one if he had tried to share my food.

Karen Jo:  We haven't posted in like forever, so what would all of you like to say about what you have been doing?

I miss being next to Mom when she goes to bed.  Oja usually beats me to it.  The other night, I was first.  Oja jumped up on the bed after I had gotten all settled in and Mom expected a showdown.  It never happened.  Oja did what I usually do:  looked over the situation and decided to snuggle down somewhere else.  Mom often wakes up in the morning to find all three of us in bed with her.  I still rassle Spyro sometimes, but mostly he and Oja rassle.  Yesterday I saw Spyro having so much fun with the nip nanner that I rassled him for it.  I got it for a little while, then Spyro started the rasslin' again and we both forgot about the nanner.

Spyro:  I love rasslin' with Oja.  She is nearer my size, being only one pound lighter now and Mom thinks she might have even grown a little bit since we got her.  I don't see how, as she is two years old, but she does seem a little bigger and not just around the tummy.  It's funny.  I'm the cat who eats the most, but I'm the only one who hasn't gained weight.  I think it's because I run and jump up on stuff more.  I have given up on jumping in the laundry basket when it's on top of the dryer now.  I did it a while ago and it fell off the dryer with me in it.  I haven't been up there since.  I am still the top escape artist.  I have stopped being afraid of Mom's foot.  She used to be able to stop me from slipping out screen door when she opens it by putting her foot in front of me.  I know full well that she isn't going to kick me, so I just jump right over it and head for the back yard.  Mom is still amazed at how close she can get to closing the door and I still fit through.  She has to put her hand on my head and keep it there until she has the door almost shut and sometimes I still get through when she has to let go to get her hand out.  When she is going to carry something outside, she shuts the kitchen door as far as it will go, then opens the screen door.  I can get the kitchen door open, but it takes me longer to do that than she needs to get out the door.  I love going out in my harness and leash, but I haven't been getting to do that nearly as much as I want to.

Karen Jo:  I rigged the kitchen door so that it can't shut completely.  That's so the wind won't blow it shut and latch it so you can't get in or out.  You haven't been able to go out in your harness as much because the days have been crazy hot and it has been raining in the early evening.  YAY!  It can be pouring down rain and you will still be by the screen door begging to go out.

Oja:  It is so much nicer now that we all get along.  I rassle and groom Spyro and he rassles and grooms me back.  I groom Herman sometimes, but he doesn't groom me back.  Once Mom even saw him push me away with his back paw while I was grooming him.  Mom hasn't ever seen me rassle Herman.

Karen Jo:  I recently read an article on Cat Wisdom 101 on cat behavior that said that grooming another cat indicates that the groomer accepts the groomee as a member of his/her group.  I think that maybe now Oja is more accepting of Herman than he is of her, even though I have seen them eating side by side.  I guess that would mean that Oja and Spyro see only one group of three cats and Herman sees two groups with himself and Spyro as one group and Oja by herself.  If so, I bet it is because she beats him to his accustomed spot next to me in bed.  They have never fought over the "best" spot or even contested the other one when they find him/her already there.  It's just a feeling I get from Herman.  I also haven't seen any of the dominating behavior from Herman toward Oja that I saw him do toward Emma.  I think Oja has more confidence in herself than Emma had and won't put up with it.  I saw  Spyro chase Oja into the bathroom one day and Oja jumped in the tub to escape him.  When she had enough of being in the tub, she just jumped out right over Spyro.  Emma would have been cowering in front of the tub and yelling for help.

Oja:  I don't see what the boys like about going outside.  I have absolutely no interest in going out.  I look out the window and that is enough for me.  I still haven't tried out the ham-micks, but I discovered that Herman has a great bed by the wall in the living room.  I am getting quite a collection of toys in my room.  I pick out the ones I like from the living room and bring them back, or play with them in the hall.  I don't play with them in the living room.  Sometimes Spyro comes in and we play with my toys together.  I love the TurboScratcher in my room and play with it every day.  Mom hopes that some day I will discover the big TurboTrack in the living room and play with that, too.

Karen Jo:  I don't know why Oja won't play with toys in the living room.  Maybe she still doesn't feel completely at home there.  She mostly naps in her room or in my room, though I have seen all three of them in the living room napping with Emma in Herman's bed and the boys in their ham-micks.  Ayla, Iza and Marley gave us an award ages ago.  This post has gotten so long that I will save it for tomorrow.

New Ham-mick

 Spyro:  The ham-mick that Mom won in the auction arrived!  I helped Mom put it together, then I got first dibs on being in it.  If you look closely, you can see that I have catnip all over my fur.  Forty Paws is generous in packing catnip with their ham-micks.

Karen Jo:  The main reason that Spyro got first dibs is that he was on it most of the time I spent putting it together.  He loves it.

 I got to test it next.  It's great.  I love it, too.

Oja:  I don't see why the boys got so excited about the new ham-mick.  I sniffed it, then decided to use the scratcher.

Spyro:  That's because you have never been in one.  Mom has been taking us outside again.  I got to go out for a long time yesterday.  I have gotten used to my harness and don't slink along on my belly anymore.  I even run with it on, making Mom run, too, just to keep up.

Going outside is great, but Mom made me come in early.

Karen Jo:  That's because there were two cars parked in the carport and on the driveway.  You were far too interested in going under them.  With the roads being torn up around here, I often have cars parked in front of my house.  I gave my neighbor permission to park in my carport and the other car just showed up.  I can't blame them.  Parking spots in this neighborhood are at a premium.

Oja:  I found out that the boys have some pretty cool toys.  See that box with the holes in it in front of me?  It has toys in it that I can fish out.  Some of them are so cool that I carry them to my room to play with them. I have gotten used to the mancat stink on everything and now I don't mind it.

Karen Jo:  There has been no hissing or growling for a couple of days.  Spyro and Oja play THoE together, taking turns chasing each other up and down the hall.  Herman and Spyro are closer friends than ever.  I am really glad that Spyro came here to live before Oja did.  I think he is the glue that will hold our little family together.

Let Freedom Ring

 It's hard to find a place to relax in this messy living room.

Karen Jo:  I am saving some boxes for a friend who is moving, but I think I better move the boxes to the forbidden room because there is just too much clutter.

Mom went to the pet supply store yesterday and she bought harnesses for both me and Oja.  I didn't fight my harness at all.  I didn't slink along on my belly, either.

Karen Jo:  You took to your harness like you had worn one before.  That is quite possible, of course.  I didn't take any pictures of you outside because I had my hands full with both you and Spyro out at the same time.  You both got to go out together again today.

I got more outside time today than Spyro did.  Mom took me out first, thinking she could just take us out one at a time.  I refused to budge from the screen door until she went and got Spyro.  I couldn't stand his crying.

Karen Jo:  I hooked your leash to the mailbox and went inside to get Spyro.  Then you wanted to go in different directions and kept my arms stretched out almost all the time.

That was funny.  It was also funny watching Spyro slink along on his belly.  Then you took Spyro inside because all he wanted to do was loll around in the driveway and took me to the backyard.  That was awesome.  I chewed on the grass and inspected a gopher hole and walked almost the whole length of the back yard before you picked me up and took me back inside.

Spyro:  I don't have any problem finding a place to relax in the living room.  I just take Herman's ham-mick  It's not fair that Herman got more outside time than I did.  I chewed on the grass a little, too.  I slink along because I'm not used to my harness yet, but I still love going outside.  Lolling in the driveway is fun.

Karen Jo:  I will take you out first tomorrow.  I still think it would be best to take you out one at a time, so you can each do what you want.  It would be easier on my arms, too.

Oja:  I am up on my blankie on the bookshelf by the window.  I am getting more adventurous, too.

Karen Jo: You sure chased Herman off last night.

Oja:  You left the door open to come in and give me my good-night petting and Herman came in to inspect my food dish.  I charged him and he left quickly.

Karen Jo:  You came out of your room three times today, too.  I left your door open when I went to get your lunch you went into my bedroom.  You came running back for your lunch, though.

Oja:  I was hungry.  I came out again when you left the door open  to get my fresh water and scoop the litter boxes, too.  I saw you coming with my water and ran back to my room, but left again when you left.  Then there was some excitement.  Spyro sneaked in again while I was gone.

Karen Jo:  I was surprised when I came in to scoop your litter box to find Spyro in your room and you gone.  I was finished with your box before you came back.  You chased Spyro right out of your room again.  I am beginning to think that you are not afraid of Herman and Spyro, you just don't like them.

Oja:  Bingo!  You finally figured out that I will play with toys, if they are new and don't have mancat stink on them.

Karen Jo:  That's right.  I got you a tin of Yeow Stinky Sardines (catnip) yesterday and put one out and I couldn't even find it today, so I put out another one.

Karen Jo:  Now I want some advice.  I worry about Oja's quality of life.  She has been in that room by herself for a month and is just now starting to explore a bit.  I got her a harness, too, but wonder if she would even like to go outside.  I don't want to do anything that would scare her, but I also want to give her more things to do.  What do you think about seeing if Oja will accept a harness and go outside?