Happy Easter and Happy Birthday, Oja!

Oja:  Welcome to my Easter/Birthday party.  We have plenty of food, nip and toys to go around.

 These are our Easter toys.  Mom rolled the bunny in catnip and there are treats in the eggs.

Mom is also throwing a huge nip party.  Austin and Rocio have already started.  We have tiny Spring moths to chase.  They have been drowning in our water bowls.  We aren't telling whether they had any help.  There are lots more toys than what you see, including wand toys that Mom will wave around for us.  For the cat who like to go outside and the woofies, there is grass to roll around in and gopher holes to sniff.  Mom filled up the bird feeders and water, so cat TV should be pretty good.  There is lots of cat food, both canned and dry, plus roast beef, ham and turkey.  Lots of fresh water is on hand, along with niptinis and meowgaritas.  When you get tired there are beds and sofas and chairs all over the place.  I am three years old today and I want to party!

Nippy Sunday

Spyro: This actually happened last Sunday, but Mom didn't get around to posting about it.  Mom decided that it was time we had a nip party.  First she got out a little fuzzy ball that had been in the nip container for a few weeks and put it on the paper you see me on.  Rocio ran right up and grabbed it.  Then Mom put a generous pinch on nip on the paper and Rocio decided to roll in it.  I just lay beside the paper and watched, sure that my time would come. Sure enough, Rocio wandered off a little ways.  You can just see him in the background.  Then it was my turn.  I licked it and rolled in it and had a great time.

Rocio:  Mom serves up some great nip.  After Spyro crashed (you can just see his feet) I came back for a little more.  Then I just started staring off into space out the window.  Mom checked and there weren't any birds to watch; at least not that she could see.  Shortly after this I got the munchies and went off to chow down on Oja's crunchies.

Spryo:  I do love my nip, but it makes me sleepy.  All in all, we two had a great Sunday.  Lazy bones Oja and Austin napped through the whole nip party.

Settling In

Spyro: About every other Sunday, Mom gets out the 'nip and today was 'nip day.  Now I don't know which toy to play with next.

Oja:  Silly boys!  I stayed up here on the couch and watched them all get silly.  It's not that I don't like 'nip, but no way was I getting down there among those crazy boys to get some.

Karen Jo:  I'll remember that for next time and bring you some of your own on the couch or your chair.

Spyro:  Today has been a really fun day.  Mom has been staying up after feeding us breakfast and playing with us.

Karen Jo:  When I was working I was a night owl  because my hours were 2-10:30 PM.  Kitty playtime was   in the morning between the time I got dressed and the time I ate, then again after I got home.  Since I retired, I was keeping the same hours, only kitty playtime moved to dusk, as they were more active then.  The first morning after the boys moved in, I went back to bed after breakfast and I heard noise:  THoE, toys getting knocked around and hissing.  That last one got me up and I have been staying up after breakfast ever since.  I never knew how active kitties were early in the morning.

Spyro:  The boys and I had lots of fun.  We are all friends now, mostly.  We played chase and pounce and rasslin' and the boys had some games I had never seen before.

Karen Jo:  The boys showed Spyro how to play box wars and cube wars and under-the-sofa wars.  Spyro has been very polite about playing with the boys.  He never joins in unless he has been invited.  He will run from Cool Dude to start THoE, but he won't pounce first. Spyro has decided that jumping in the box is an invitation to play box wars, though.  I also wondered just how long he would last watching under-the-sofa wars before he couldn't resist joining in.  It turned out to be about 15 minutes.  Cool Dude saw some movement under the sofa (which has cloth flaps hanging down almost to the floor, so you can't see much) and charged under to get Hissy Boy (he thought).  He came charging right out again when he found Spyro under there instead.

Spyro:  After all that, Mom decided that it was time for different toys and she got out the kitty with the catnip shorts and put new catnip in it and she got one of the fuzzy balls out of the catnip jar.  Party time!

Karen Jo:  First I gave Hissy Boy the catnip covered fuzzy ball and he picked it up in his claw and shook catnip all over the place. Spyro pounced right on the loose catnip.  Cool Dude was looking a bit left out, so I gave him the kitty with the newly-filled catnip shorts.  Things got a bit wild and crazy.  Oja started making a sound like the beginning of a growl whenever they got really rambunctious.  I got out Da Bird to see what they would make of that.

Boys:  We like Da Bird!  We like it a lot.

Karen Jo:  Cool Dude was leaping way up in the air and catching Da Bird every time.  Hissy Boy was looking left out, so I grabbed the Kragonfly with the other hand.

Spyro:  I got tired just watching them, so I got in Herman's ham-mick.  Mom flipped the Kragonfly my way a few times, so I could play, too.

Karen Jo:  I waved the wand toys around until my arms got really tired, then I put them away, much to the disappointment of the boys.  They dragged Da Bird out again, but soon lost interest in it when it didn't fly.  Oja had gotten a bit agitated, so I sat down next to her on the couch and started petting her.

Oja:  It was high time I got some attention.  Mom gave me all her attention until that dang dryer buzzer went off.

Karen Jo:  I had started the laundry before I got involved in kitty playtime.  I went back to Oja after I took care of the laundry.  I had been getting a little concerned about Oja, as she didn't seem to be settling down very much.  In fact, Hissy Boy got too close and she ramped up to a full open-mouth hiss and a "One step nearer and I'll rip your face off" snarl.  Hissy Boy was too startled to hiss back.  I do think things are getting better, though.  Just before afternoon nap time, Oja jumped off the couch and made a tour of the house.  She checked out her favorite hidey-hole, but didn't go in.

Oja:  Those stinky boycats ruined it.  They had been in there and stank it all up.

Karen Jo:  Oja hissed softly at any boycat who looked at her, but mostly she just walked around, checking things out.  This made me feel better, because she had been staying up in her chair and on the couch in the living room, except to eat and use the litter box.  I think she is beginning to believe that the new boys won't hurt her.  It may be Tuesday before I can show you pictures of the Boycats and use their real names.  I forgot that Monday is a holiday.

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.

Oja Comes Out!

Karen Jo:  First off I would like to thank Ann of Zoolatry very much for the new header.  I love the old one, but Spyro and Oja deserve a place on the header, too.

I am watching Spyro play and deciding whether or not I want to pounce him.  In the end, all I did was bat his tail once.  He was too occupied to notice.  Mom wouldn't take us out Sunday, but we got to go out for a long time today.  Spyro got to go first, but I didn't mind too much.

Karen Jo:  As soon as you discovered that we were out you started meowing that you wanted out.

I don't get all spastic like Spyro does.  I had a lovely time exploring the front yard and the neighbor's front yard and the back yard.

Karen Jo:  I carried you from the neighbor's front yard to our back yard.  You were getting a bit to nosy about their carport.

I got to chew on grass and watch ravens fly overhead.  I checked out a couple of gopher holes, but didn't find them all that interesting.  Mostly I just walked around on the grass and looked all around.

 Spyro: Mom got out a nip ball.  I had never seen it before.  Boy, do I love it.  I batted it and smelled it and licked it and rubbed all over it and even tried to bunny-kick it.  I am holding it in my paws in the picture.  Mean Mom wouldn't let me out yesterday, even though I meowed and meowed about it.

Karen Jo:  I thought there was enough going on yesterday.  Besides, I had a ton of paperwork to get through.

Spyro:  Mom took my out early this evening.  It had been cloudy all day and even rained a tiny bit, so it was nice and cool.  I still move with my belly low to the ground, but I go much faster now.  I chewed on the grass and rolled on the concrete and sniffed the spiderwebs.  Mom let me go wherever I wanted until I tried to step in the street.  Suddenly, I couldn't move forward.

Karen Jo:  That's what the leash is for.  You are not going into the street, ever.

Spyro:  I was sad when Mom took my back in.  Then she took Herman out and I cried and cried and jumped up on the screen door and tried to get out, but I couldn't.

Karen Jo:  I wish I had had the camera with me.  You had your front feet looped over the top bar on the screen door and your hind feet on the bottom bar.  I am really glad that the door has a hook-and-eye for when I leave it open all day.  The handle is just a pull-down type and you could pull it down with your acrobatics.  I might have to close the back door to keep you from opening the screen door when I take Herman out.

Oja:  Enough of the mancats!  The big news is about ME!  This is probably the last photo you will see of me in my room.  Sunday I decided that I didn't want to stay in my room any more and I came out and stayed out.

Karen Jo:  You came out when I got your breakfast, but went back in to eat.  When I left the door open for you to get your lunch and fresh water and litter box scooped, you came out and went into both my room and the litter box room.  You didn't go back into your room when you ran into Spyro; you chased him down the hall.

Oja:  Hahaha!  I chased Spyro all over the place.  By the end of the day I had been in every room in the house, except the one with the closed door.  I still go into my room to look out of my window and to eat and drink, but mostly I am in Mom's room or exploring.  Last night I got Mom all to myself.

Karen Jo:  Poor Spyro.  After I went to bed, he jumped up on the bed like he usually does and you chased him off.

Oja:  You are MY Mom and I want to sleep with you.  I claim my room and your room as MY territory.

Karen Jo:  I hope you learn to share more.  Herman and Spyro are used to sharing the bed with me.

Oja:  We'll see.  Right now I hiss and growl at the mancats almost every time I see them.

Karen Jo:  I have noticed that it's tapered off just a little bit, not much, but a little.

Mancat Monday

I was sound asleep in my hammick when Mom started to sneak up on me with the camera.  I just opened my eyes a slit, saw what she was doing and went back to sleep.  Mom spilled some nip on my hammick the other day and that makes it even more special.

Karen Jo:  You certainly are not a nip-head.  You didn't even play with the ball that I had marinated in the nip today.

Nip doesn't affect me all that much.  I really go for a new nip toy the first time you give it to me, but after that it doesn't seem like as much fun.  The only nip toy that I played with time after time was my nip syringe.  It's too bad that Emma destroyed it.

Karen Jo:  I am thinking about getting you a new nip toy from that company for your birthday.

That would be nice.  You were on the computer a lot today, but you weren't blogging.

Karen Jo:  I need a new computer or to update the one I have.  I was researching what I need/want for hours.  I found a good deal and ordered it.

That was kind of fast, really.  Shouldn't you have put more research/thought into it?

Karen Jo:  Maybe, but the one I found had everything I needed/wanted and it was on sale, but only through Sunday.  I only had an hour to make up my mind, so I went ahead.  Had I spent more time on research and thought, I would have ended up paying at least $200 more for a machine with the same/similar specs.  From what I checked upon about the prices of the parts I would need for an upgrade, buying a new computer was cheaper.

I hope you didn't spend my food money.

Karen Jo:  Don't worry about it.  My Social Security payments have started and my pension finally starts next month. We will be doing fine.

Not much else went on today.  I napped and ate and ignored my toys.  Mom did the laundry and used the computer.  I discovered that the printer makes interesting noises, but the paper coming out startled me.  I found a moth in the litter box room and played with it for a little while, but it was tiny and I lost sight of it soon after it took off flying.  I did bat at it a couple of times when it first took off, but I missed.

Femme Friday

 Hi, it's me, Emma, with my very own post.  Mom's allergies have been giving her fits lately and that's why we haven't been blogging.  She did go out Tuesday and get a new scratcher.  She set it up in the living room, then came and got me before she put the nip on it.  I enjoyed the nip, but didn't scratch on it.  Herman also enjoyed the nip and he didn't scratch on it, either.  In the photo, we are both just chilling and enjoying the nip.  Mom figured that we were well contented and went off to do whatever it is she does.  About three minutes later, she came hurrying back.

Karen Jo:  I heard a loud RAWNR and came to see what was the matter.  Herman was sitting halfway between the scratcher and the easy chair, facing the chair and looking as innocent as he could,  and Emma was underneath the easy chair trying to look as if she was just relaxing.  I don't know what happened, but Herman had been playing peek-a-paw with Emma.  He was hiding behind part of the scratcher and reaching his paw around the corner toward Emma.  However, the only other time I heard a sound like that it came from Emma as she pounced Herman.  Whatever it was, it has blown over and they are still both interested in the new scratcher.  Herman has scratched on it, but not Emma.  She is just interested in the nip.

The nip is the best part of it.

Karen Jo:  Speaking of nip, who did this?

Um, Herman?

Karen Jo:  I don't think so.  Herman played with that syringe toy for a year and nothing like that ever happened.  You are the one who has been playing with it lately.

It just smelled so good.  We had quite a nip party today.  Mom left the nip on the carpet and emptied the rest of it on the new scratcher.  She brought me a new nip pillow today when she went out.  I bit it and bit it, but nothing happened.

Karen Jo:  It is made out of heavy duty canvas.  You soon lost interest in it and Herman used it to take a nap on.  Both of you were nipped out most of the day.  It makes Herman sleepy, but you were tearing around the house like your tail was on fire.  You really went for Da Bird, too.

Da Bird is lots of fun.  I am really glad that I figured out what cat toys are for.  I got lots of petting this morning before Mom got up.  Herman and I have a deal.  He gets Mom when she goes to bed and I get her in the morning.  I worried Mom yesterday.  I hid between the bed and the bookshelves on the wall from right after she got up until she went to work.  I didn't even come out for lunch.  I just wanted some quiet time.

Karen Jo:  You did have me worried.  I was afraid that you were in pain or something was wrong.  When I got home from work, you were acting normally again, though.

Today was furmination day and I got furminated for the first time.  At least Mom tried to furminate me.  I was more interested in grabbing her hand and bunny kicking her.

Karen Jo:  I got some furminating done on you.  You tolerate the brush better.  You are doing some Spring shedding, but nothing like what Herman is doing.  Of course, his fur is a lot thicker than yours.

I'm excited.  I got invited to join The Tuxedo Gang and Mom said that I could.  I will be seeing you there soon.

Sunday, Nip Day

Sorry we haven't been around lately.  Mom got sick on Tuesday and hasn't felt up to blogging until tonight. Emma and I both lapped up all the extra cuddle time in bed.  Emma is all over the house now.  Nothing is safe from her.  She has been eating my food regularly and here she is hogging the catnip.

Karen Jo:  I put catnip on Herman's scratcher in the living room and the Turbo Scratcher in Emma's room.  Emma pounced right on it.  Herman got really close and there was a flurry of paws from both of them.  Emma retained possession of the catnip as long as she wanted it.  When she got up from sniffing and rolling in the nip to get something to eat, I expected Herman to go after the nip, but he didn't.  He just lay there next to it for a long time.

Emma:  I smelled the nip and I wanted it.  I am faster than Herman and I got there first.

Karen Jo:  Emma has been using her speed to her advantage.  It didn't take her long at all to learn the food routine in the kitchen.  Having discovered Herman's buffet and connecting the opening of the refrigerator with new food appearing, she has been beating him to the canned food regularly.  Today at lunch time, she beat Herman to his Medley and he just sat there and watched her eat it.  I put the Stinky Goodness right in front of Herman, but he still just sat there and watched Emma eat his Medley.  When I got back from putting out Emma's Stinky Goodness, most of the Medley was gone and Emma was going to town on Herman's Stinky Goodness. After she was done, Herman just looked at the damage, then looked at me and meowed sadly.  I picked him up, took him down the hall and showed him Emma's Stinky Goodness, which he ate part of.  When I got home from work, both cats came into the kitchen and Emma started eating some of Herman's Purina One.  I told them that it was supper time and picked up Herman's Medley dish to wash it.  Herman left the kitchen, which is highly unusual.  I found him sitting in the hall with his back to me.  I walked up to him, but he walked a few more steps down the hall and sat down with his back to me again.  I petted him and told him what a good boy he was and that he was my favorite mancat.  He followed me back to the kitchen and took up his usual position, right in front of where the Medley dish goes.  I put the Medley down right in front of him and he started eating. This time Emma just sat and watched.  I washed up and filled the Stinky Goodness dish and Emma dove right into that.  They ate side by side for the first time.  I hope this means Herman will start sticking up for himself a bit more.  He has been deferring to Emma in everything.  Both the Medley and Stinky Goodness dishes get licked almost completely clean every meal now.  I think Emma is eating more of it than Herman.

Herman:  I like Emma and I don't mind letting her have her way most of the time. She has almost stopped hissing at me. She keeps stealing my favorite spot next to Mom at bedtime, though.  Mom will make every effort to reach me wherever I lie down, but sometimes I get up and move away.  Once in a while, I will even get up while Mom is petting me and jump down from the bed to find someplace else to sleep.

Karen Jo:  I really hope that Herman isn't feeling displaced by Emma.  For him to leave the bed while I am in it is very strange.  He used to only get up to eat or use the litter box and always came right back.  Sometimes Emma decides to sleep on my other pillow and Herman will take up his favorite place next to my chest.  I feel that this is just something that they will have to work out for themselves.

Tuxie Tuesday

The sun coming in through the big windows is getting pretty warm these days, so I decided to take a snooze in the shade.  I appreciate all your comments about nip.  Most of the votes were for weekly or daily nip, so I will be getting my scratchers dusted with dried nip much more often.  I don't go crazy for nip, but I do enjoy it.  Mom is considering trying to grow me some nip indoors, but she has a brown thumb.  She forgets to water the houseplants so often that they are losing their leaves.

Guess what, kitties?  I don't like tuna sushi.  Mom pinched off a tiny piece of tuna for me and I sniffed it, licked it and walked away from it.  Mom worried just a tiny bit because I am not supposed to have raw food, but she wanted to give me a special treat and figured that a few tiny bites wouldn't hurt me.  She needn't have worried because I won't eat the stuff.  I got all the Friskies Natural Sensations treats I wanted tonight and I wanted a lot.

Karen Jo:  You like canned tuna (which you very seldom get any more) and you like tuna Stinky Goodness, so I thought you would like tuna sushi. Silly me.  At least I gave you lots and lots of petting last night, so you got the love part of the love and treats for Valentine's Day.  Yes, you got your regular treats, too, but I wanted something special for you.  I need to think of something to cook again, so maybe I will come up with something that you will like.  Maybe it's time for lamb again.  I love lamb and sometimes you do, too.

I played with a toy a bit today, as my Valentine's Day treat for my Mom.  She tossed me a furry mousie and I played with it for a while.  It made her happy.

Karen Jo:  Thank you, Herman.  It was a nice gift for me.

Nippy Tuxie Tueday

Mom finally got around to stuffing this kitty's swim trunks with catnip. At first I barely noticed it.  Then that great aroma started to get to my nose and I played and played with it.  After I finished tossing it around, I laid my head down on it like I was going to take a nap, but I moved as soon as Mom pointed the camera at me.  Mom got a whole new bag of nip treats and is giving me as many as I want when she gets home from work.  She will give me some before she goes to work, but she always quits giving them to me before I get enough.

Karen Jo:  Just what do you call enough?  I gave you about eight of them before I told you that I had work to do and quit this morning.  I gave you your nip kitty and sprinkled nip on your cardboard scratcher and Turbo Scratcher.  Just before I went to work, I gave you five or six more.  I think you are becoming a nip head.

And what's wrong with that?  I don't get really stoned, just playful and happy.

Karen Jo:  There's nothing wrong with it.  I gave you nip treats tonight when I got home until you didn't want any more.  I didn't even count them, but I know that it was more than ten.

Mom gives me other kinds of treats, too.  In the morning she mixes the nip treats up with Temptations, Greenies and Pounce.  She ran out of Greenies today.

Karen Jo:  I will get you some more Greenies tomorrow.

Mom is eating turkey again.  I ate a little bit of it today.

Karen Jo:  A friend of mine has a family that doesn't like the dark meat, so she brings some of it to me.  You only ate two bites.  I don't know why.  It is really good.

I think maybe I only really like freshly cooked people food.  I am not so keen on leftovers.

Karen Jo:  Your loss.  I still don't understand your reactions to my cooking.  You won't touch a bite of pot roast, so the last time I cooked it, I put in onions and herbs.  You kept meowing and meowing at me all the time it was cooking, like you wanted some.  When it was done, I let you smell it and you walked away like you were offended at the very idea that you might like to eat some.  I wouldn't have given you any because of the onion at any rate, but I wanted to know why you were meowing.  Were you disgusted at the smell or what?

I am not telling.  I have to keep you guessing.