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!

Mancat Monday

I am up on my big pillow in front of the window, washing my face.  This is a spot that Emma and I shared.  Sometimes I would get up here and sometimes Emma would.  Mom finds it interesting that I got up on the couch that Emma preferred yesterday, even though I had not been up on that couch since Emma moved in with us.

Karen Jo:  You seem to be moving back and forth between spots that Emma used and spots, like your bed by the heat vent, that she never went.  You also used Emma's litter box almost exclusively yesterday.  I wonder if her smell lingering in these places comforts you.  I cleaned and put new litter in both boxes today, as it was long overdue.  I hope that didn't upset you.

Heck, no!  It was high time that you put new litter in the boxes.  You took the food and water out of Emma's room, but you refilled both litter boxes.  Why?

Karen Jo:  You have gotten so used to using either box that I thought I would keep both boxes filled up.  If you stop using one of them, then I will cut you back to just one.

Hey, kitties, you will never guess what has showed up on my buffet!  I have kitten food again and I got a treat of baby food yesterday and today.  I was feeling too sad to eat the baby food yesterday, but I cleaned it up today.

Karen Jo:  Don't get too used to it.  I decided to let you have the kitten food that was left in Emma's bowl and to give you the baby food that I was going to try to tempt her to eat.  When that is gone, you won't be getting any more.

I'll just enjoy it while it lasts.  You didn't share your lunch today.

Karen Jo:  You didn't show up to ask for any until I was on my last two bites of roast beef sandwich.  You can have some roast beef tonight, if you want it.  Speaking of not showing up, where have you been at bedtime the last two nights?

I have been sleeping in my bed in the living room.  I did join you just before dawn both mornings.

Karen Jo:  Yesterday morning I thought you just wanted petting and didn't get why you kept putting your paw on my face.  This morning it finally dawned on me that you wanted early breakfast.  You haven't asked for early breakfast in a very long time.

Well, I want it now.  You should be glad that I am waiting until just before dawn instead of o'dark-thirty.  Why didn't I get my lunch until just now?

Karen Jo: Sorry, Herman, with all that has been going on, I just forgot.  You should have reminded me.

I have been sleeping, so I guess it's OK this time.  I want you to be more punctual in the future.  It's not like you are all that busy. 

Karen Jo:  I have had a busier day today than in a long time.  I got up early to cancel Emma's vet appointment, so they could get some other animal in her slot.  I did my usual chores and cleaned the litter boxes.  I played with you more than usual, as you have been more playful with me.  I went to the grocery store.  I finally applied for my Social Security, which I should have done weeks ago.  That trip to the allergist has really paid off.  The new medication has made me feel better than I have in months.  I actually have my energy back. Before today, just getting my daily chores done has been all I could do and I didn't always finish all of them.  It's too bad that Emma didn't live to see the new/old me.  She would have enjoyed the extra play time.

I am enjoying it.  We played with the blue-mousie-on-a-string that Emma got for Christmas in July.  I don't usually play with wand toys, but maybe watching Emma have so much fun with them gave me ideas.

Karen Jo:  Herman seems to understand what happened to Emma quite well.  He is not looking for her, unless he is doing it after I have gone to bed.

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.

Mancat Monday

My toy basket is a great place to give myself chin scritches.  I am also claiming it as mine.  Emma does the same thing.  I am getting my nightly petting sessions almost every night now.  Last night Emma beat me to bed and was lying next to Mom's face on the pillow when I came to bed.  I walked right up to her and sniffed her tail.  She did not hiss at me, so I settled down in my favorite spot next to Mom's chest.    Mom stopped petting Emma and petted me for a little, then went back to petting Emma.  Then she moved her other hand, so she could pet both me and Emma.  Then Emma got all wiggly, like she always does, so that Mom had a hard time petting her, as she kept moving around.  After just a little while, Emma jumped over to the rocking chair and I had Mom all to myself.  I snuggled in really close to Mom and lay on my side, so Mom could pet my chest just where I like it best.  I got petted for a really long time until Mom told me she was too sleepy to continue and then we went to sleep.  It was just like it was before Emma moved in.  I stayed in bed with Mom all night.

Karen Jo:  I am really glad that things are working out between the two of you.  Emma is the one who wakes me up early for breakfast now, then she comes back to bed for petting, but never stays very long.  Then Herman gets some morning petting and I go back to sleep until time to get up.

I didn't chase Emma around much this morning, but I made up for it after Mom got home.  First we ate, with Emma eating up most of the Stinky Goodness, then I chased her all around for a while.  It's fun.  I guess we are playing THoE, but Emma never chases me back.  I got treats for scratching on my scratcher and my platform, but Emma didn't get any.  She sees me scratching and getting a treat, then she jumps up on the couch or the armchair and starts scratching.  Mom lifted her off the couch and put her on the base of the scratching post and moved her paws in a scratching motion, but Emma never gets it.  I think it's funny.  It only took me one day to figure out how to get treats for scratching on my platform.

Karen Jo:  You were an only cat and knew that the platform was for you from the beginning.  Maybe Emma is more distracted from her scratching lessons by your presence, or maybe it's because the places where she is supposed to scratch smell so strongly of you. She has never been on your platform that I have seen.  That's why I am going to get her a new scratcher.

Quiet Thursday

 We have had some really nice sunshine lately and I have been taking advantage of it.  It sure is quiet around here tonight.

Karen Jo:  I shut Emma up in her room tonight.  She has to go to the vet again tomorrow and the vet lady wants a stool sample.  The only way to make sure that the stool sample is Emma's and not yours was to clean out the litter box, then shut Emma up in her room overnight.  She's not happy about it, but it has to be done.

You mean I can have my sleepy spot by your chest without having to worry about Emma?

Karen Jo:  Yes, if you want it.  I hope she didn't ruin things for you the other night.

That was really something.  When I came to bed, Emma was curled up by Mom's face.  I stayed toward the end of the bed, where Mom could barely reach me to scritch my chin, because sometimes Emma hisses at me when I come to bed.  Emma just kept purring, so I crept a little closer where Mom could pet my side.  When Emma still didn't hiss at me, I figured everything was okay, so I snuggled up to Mom and turned on my back, so Mom could pet my chest the way I really like.  All of a sudden, Emma let out a yell and attacked me. She didn't hurt me, but it really startled me and I retreated to the foot of the bed.

Karen Jo:  It caught me by surprise as well.  One second Emma is purring in my ear and the next she is flying at Herman in full attack mode.  It only lasted a second.  Herman retreated to the foot of the bed and Emma jumped over to the rocking chair.  I scolded Emma and comforted Herman, but Herman decided that it wasn't worth the aggravation and he jumped off the bed and went to the living room.  I tried to go to sleep.  A little while later, I heard Emma growling softly.  She was still in the rocking chair and Herman was on the floor, thinking about jumping back on the bed.  I told Emma to knock it off and she did, but it was a while before Herman joined me in bed and even then he stayed near the foot of the bed.  Come morning, Herman had crept up behind my legs and I gave him some morning petting.  Emma was still in the rocking chair.  I had no idea she was that jealous of Herman.

This is one of Emma's favorite spots.  She is lying on a bookshelf just under the window.  She can relax and still see outside.  She spends quite a bit of time lying here or sitting up and looking out the window.

Feeling Better

Mom, I thought you were supposed to do a limerick today.

Karen Jo: I was, but writing limericks with a head full of snot is turning out to be rather difficult. Besides, I wanted everyone to know how much better we are feeling today.

That's great. Mom asked me if I wanted to sit still for a picture today, and I said no, so here is another picture of me watching the birds. At least Mom thinks it is the other one. I am feeling a whole lot better with the reduced amount of The Missing Link. I am eating almost all of my Stinky Goodness again and I don't wake Mom up every few hours for different food. She fed me at bedtime and I let her sleep until 8:30 this morning.

Karen Jo: I am very grateful for that, Herman. I had to get up at nine anyway to go to my doctor's appointment, so everything worked out just fine. I feel better since I got more sleep and my allergies don't seem quite as bad today. My doctor recommended a new allergy medicine, which I will try tomorrow. Other than that, I am in great health.

I got brushed twice today. Once before Mom went to work and once when she got home. I love it. I even played a tiny bit. I also hit her up for three Temptations by scratching on my platform. I haven't been doing that much lately.

Karen Jo: I am looking forward to seeing you run down the hall at full speed to show me that you want to play again, Herman. I hadn't realized that I was missing it until you started to perk up again a little bit. I am really sorry that it took me a week to figure out that you weren't feeling too good and your tummy was getting upset. I now know what caused that mystery barfing episode. It was too much The Missing Link for your system, even though it didn't show up for a couple of days. I think you do have a delicate tummy, as your vet suspected. I will talk to her about it when you go in for your checkup this spring.

Do I have to go to the vet?

Karen Jo: Yes, Herman. You need your checkup and your rabies shot, but it's not for a while yet. Don't worry about it. It won't be too bad.

You told me that we get to spend two whole days in a row together next week. That sounds great.

Karen Jo: Don't get too excited about it. I am having dental surgery and I need the two days off to rest up and recover, so it will be mostly cuddle time. I am getting two implants put in, so that in about three months, I can start chewing normally again.

I like cuddle time just fine. I bet there will be some brushing time and some play time, too.

Karen Jo: There will definitely be some brushing time. I hope we both feel good enough for play time, too. There might even be some more blogging time. I am not to do any work, so I can blog as much as I feel up to doing without feeling guilty about not doing something else instead.

New Sleepy Spot

I found a new place to nap.  There is a really comfy rug in the kitchen by the washing machine and dryer.  I like to nap there while Mom is doing her boring blogging.  Her room is really crowded and there isn't room for me to watch her blog except in the rocking chair and I don't like it.  The funny thing is that Mom couldn't find me for the longest time and kept wondering where I was.

Karen Jo: It's dark in the kitchen and I supposed that you would be in the living room where the light is.  It makes sense that you would want to nap where it's dark.  I am really glad that you have white feet, so I can see you in the hall with the lights off.

I am, too.  At least you don't kick me any more.  White stuff fell out of the sky again and Mom put on those big clompy boots.  This time I wasn't scared of them because Mom has gotten a lot more careful about where she puts her huge feet.

Karen Jo:  It just took me a little time to adjust my walking to being aware that there is a kitty in the house and I need to look to see if he is right in front of me.  I am glad that you aren't afraid of my boots any more.  In fact, you don't seem to be afraid of anything any more.  Does that mean that you are totally settled in now?

Yeah.  I feel comfortable and safe here now, so I don't have to be afraid of anything at all.  I even talk back to the ravens that you keep giving my food to.

Karen Jo:  I only give them what you don't eat.  If you let your Stinky Goodness get all dried up, then I will give it to the ravens.  They will eat it, along with the bits of sardine that you leave behind.

I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I guess it's better than throwing it away.

Karen Jo: Thank you to everyone who gave me advice about what to look for in a camera and which cameras you like.  I will do some research and try to get a new camera soon.