TCC News

 Rocio:  See this ratty-looking scratching post?  If I scratch on it, I get a treat.  I am trying to decide if it is worth the trouble.  Bambino, Jose and I are all exceited.  Mom finally put in our applications to join the Tabby Cat Club and Gracie said we could consider ourselves unofficial members until her computer comes home from the computer hospital.  Yay!

 Bambino:  I am trying to decide if I want to give Jose a whap for trying to take my sparkle ball that was dipped in nip.  See my raised paw?  I am the only full tabby cat here.  The rest of you are tuxie-tabbies or Russian Blue tabby.

 Jose:  Mom has been trying and trying to get a picture of me full face with my eyes open, so you can see what she calls my Egyptian eyes.  This is as close as she has come so far.  My eyes are a light green and with  my brown eye-liner I look quite exotic.

 Oja:  Ha!  I have you all beat.  Everyone should go right over to the Tabby Cat Club and look at the wallpaper.  That's me!  Right there!

Spyro:  All this excitement!  I was the first to join and tuxie-tabbies are just as tabby as full tabbies.  No that is not a smudge of Stinky Goodness under my nose.  That is just part of my markings.  I am getting screen door whiffies and trying to figure out how I can get outside without my harness.  Mom is getting too fast for me and I hardly escape at all any more.

Karen Jo:  Thank you all for the good advice on calming things down between Rocio and Oja.  I have been basically letting them work it out, until Oja yowls.  I don't want a full-fledged fight.  Until the Feliway arrives, which will probably be a waste, because it is finally open window season here and the sockets where I could plug it in are right under the windows, I have tried Brian's suggestion of acting the MomCat.  Rocio got Oja cornered in the litter box room last night, so I got behind him down on all fours and hissed at him and chased him into the bathtub.  This morning, he tried it in the computer room and got I down beside Oja, facing Rocio and hissed at him again.  He ran away and hasn't been a pest to Oja since.  I don't think this means that the problem is solved, but it is working.

Mostly Mancat Monday

 Oja:  Spyro is over at The Tabby Cat Club today.  If you just have to see him, you can go over there.  Meanwhile, I am snoozing in my warm bed by the heat register.  We are having clouds and freezing rain for the third day in a row.  I want my sun puddles back!  The boys are being onery, too.  Austin was lying just where I wanted to walk, so I hissed at him to get out of my way and he ignored me.  I smacked him with my paw and he had the nerve to smack me back.  After a few more smacks, I gave up and walked around him. Boys!  Cant't they tell that I am the oldest and should be in charge around here?

 Austin:  While Spyro is gone, I have taken over his spy tower.  It's great up here and that hissy Oja can't get anywhere near me.  I learned something new today.  I have seen how Spyro does something, then runs over to a certain drawer and the Mom gets him something out of the drawer and he gets pretty excited about it.  Rocio started doing the same thing a couple of days ago.  I have even seen Oja do it.  Today I found out what it is.  I scratched a scratching post and the Mom went over to the drawer.  I ran over to find out what it is that she takes out of it, but so did Rocio.  Mom tried to give me something in her hand, but I was up on the back of the couch and fumbled it over the back twice trying to get it before Rocio did.  I finally got one and it was yummy.

Rocio:  It took you long enough to figure it out, Bro.  Whenever we scratch on scratching posts or scratchers, the Mom gives us a treat.  They are yummy, but you have to watch out when Spyro is around, or he will steal it.  Oja hissed at me today, too.  The Mom sat on the couch and I went to get next to her and Oja hissed at me.  It's like that silly girl is trying to claim the Mom as hers or something.  I just got on the other side of the Mom and we each got to be next to her.

Karen Jo:  I really know very little about the social dynamics in a group of cats, but it looks to me like Oja is making a bid to become Alpha cat.  She is trying to boss the Boys around, but they are having none of it.  Austin pounces Rocio and Spyro for chase and rasslin', but he ignores Oja.  Oja pounces Spyro for rasslin', but ignores the Boys unless she feels that they are in her way.  If Oja gets too hissy with one of the Boys, the other one will come to the rescue and Oja will run from the pair of them.  I don't know how it will turn out, but it is fascinating to watch.

Caturday

 I am napping on the floor.  We didn't get any sunspots today or open windows.  We are both a bit bummed out by it.  I tried out the new diet dry food.  It wasn't too bad.  I ate quite a bit of it.

Emma:  I usually nap on the big pillow, but today I just napped on this soft throw that Mom put on the table for us.  Herman says it was here when he moved in.  I haven't tried the new food yet.  Oh, I sampled the kitten food, but I don't like it as much as I liked the old kitten food.  I am just eating the Purina One dry, along with the Stinky Goodness and Medley.  Every time I hear Mom putting new dry food in a bowl, I come running, sniff the new stuff, then look at Mom reprovingly.

Karen Jo:  It almost feels like winter again.  It actually snowed yesterday.  It was too warm (in the 40s) for it to stick, but it came down.  Herman seems to like the grain free food OK, but Emma doesn't even want to taste the weight control food.  I don't know what she is going to do when the Purina One runs out.

Emma:  I like to scratch both vertically and horizontally.  I mostly like to scratch on the couch in the living room, but I also scratch on the easy chair in the living room and the couch in my room.  Herman's platform has material on it almost like the material on the couch, but I won't scratch on it.  Mom keeps trying to get me to scratch where she wants me to, but I won't do it.  My new scratcher has the same material on it around the edges and the base, but I won't scratch on it, either.

Karen Jo:  I will keep on trying.  Luckily, you have small claws and they don't seem to be doing much damage.  All the furniture is quite old, so I don't really care all that much.

I actually played with Da Bird for a little bit tonight.  I still don't see what makes Emma so crazy about it, but it is kind of fun to bat around.

Emma:  I played with it for a long time tonight.  It's my very favorite toy.  I think Mom may have to get a new bird for it soon.  I have pulled out all but two of the feathers and those two are looking pretty scraggly.

Karen Jo:  I will get a new bird for Da Bird the next time I am at the pet supply store, or when the feathers finally give out.  I wouldn't want you to miss out on play time with your favorite toy.  You kitties have been coming to bed kind of late the last few nights.

You have been going to bed earlier.  I came in at my usual time and you were already asleep, so I missed out on my petting time.

Karen Jo:  Sorry about that.  I had a lot of work to do yesterday and I got so tired that I needed to go to bed.

Emma:  You made me miss out of Femme Friday.  Pout.

Karen Jo:  If it's all right with Herman, I can let you have Sunday.

I don't mind.