Food, Glorious Food!

 Spyro:  Mom is finally going to get back to blogging.  You know what prodded her to blog again?  Her cousin talked her into joining Facebook and that reminded her of blogging.  We all miss Brody very much, but he left behind some awesome food.

Karen Jo:  I bought Brody Elegant Medleys, Mornings, Delights and broth to tempt his appetite and it worked.  He ate right up until the day he left for the Rainbow Bridge.

Spyro:  Mom gave us some of this special food along with our regular Stinky Goodness.  It was delish.  We all had some, even Oja, who isn't supposed to eat anything but pate style Stinky Goodness.

Oja: That's because any canned food with gravy or lots of liquid gives me the runs.  Mom figured a little bit every other day wouldn't hurt me.  That was cool.  The really good food lasted longer that way.  Speaking of food, where's dinner?

Karen Jo:  It's not quite time for dinner yet.  You'll get it as soon as I finish this post.

Rocio: We have been up to all sorts of mischief.  Mom had this throw and a pillow on top of the table.  I pulled it off and made my own Mancat Cave.  I pulled off all her papers, too.  You should have seen her scrambling around trying to pick them all up again.  Hahaha!

 Bambino:  I enjoyed the special food, too, but what I like best is treats.  Mom is supposed to put my treats in that crystal bowl, so where are they?

Karen Jo:  You've had treats at least five times today.

 Horus:  I prefer the dry food to either canned food or treats.  I did enjoy the broth, though.  Spyro is on the other side of this box and I'm going to surprise him.

 Julius:  This is where I get my treats.  You can see Mom in the mirror again.  I have been letting Mom pet me while I eat my treats.  Three strokes is my limit, though.

 Cissy: Here I am in my cave.  I am getting bolder, though.  Mom bought a new cube and I went into the living room and got into it, until Oja came and chased me out, so she could get in it.  She sure is a bossy Alpha.

Tabitha:  I am growing.  Mom says I'm twice as big now as when I first came.  Mom has treats and I want some.

Good News at the Vet

 Bambino:  Man, what a morning I had!  First the blurp came over and I didn't feel like dealing with her.  Luckily, whenever she comes over Mom puts our ham-micks on her bed and won't let the blurp come into her room, so I just sacked out in a ham-mick until the blurp's grownup came over.  Then Mom picked me up and put me into a PTU.  Off we went to the vet with me complaining all the way.  After we were put in a little room, Mom opened the PTU and I got out to explore for a little, but I didn't get much looking around done when a lady came in, picked me up, put me on a table on a comfy mat and started poking and prodding me and holding a round thing to my chest.  Then she stuck something where it didn't belong.  Thankfully she left after that and I went to hide behind Mom.  Then another lady came in and felt me all over and held a round thing to my chest and talked to Mom.  Then she took me into another room and stabbed me several times and pilled me and put something on my hind leg.  Finally she put me back in my PTU and we went home.  When I got there, my fur on my back was all wet and I couldn't shake that thing off my leg.  After a bit, Mom took the thing off my leg and gave me some really yummy food and I ate most of it.  I would have eaten all of it, but Julius kept sticking his nose in.  It turns out he's not all that afraid of Mom when food is involved.  A little while later I felt hungry again and ate a few bites of dry food.  There was an intruder kitty in our yard and I jumped up on the table to watch out the window with the rest of the mancats.  It's the first time I have been really interested in something in days.  Right now I am in the playpen catching some rays.

Karen Jo:  The good news from the vet is that there is no indication that Bambino's FeLV has become active.  The bad news is that we don't know what's wrong with him.  His temperature is slightly elevated, but that's not unusual for him.  Just going to the vet can do that to him.  He might have an upper respiratory infection, but there aren't enough indications of that to put him on an antibiotic yet.  He might just be feeling under the weather for some reason.  He got a shot with B-complex and B-12, subQ fluids (in case he got dehydrated) and some blood taken for a new FeLV test. He also got an appetite stimulant and I got some more to give to him later.  He could be back to normal in 24 hours or so, or he might not be.  I'm supposed to watch him for signs of an URI, like sneezing or discharge from his nose.  The test results will be back Thursday and will tell us for sure if he really is FeLV+.  If he's not back to normal by then, I am to take him back in.  Keep your paws crossed.  Thank you so much for all the purrs pouring in.  I am sure that they are helping him and I know they are helping me.

Spyro:  I just love making Mom get down on the floor to take my photo.  The blurp was handing out treats like crazy and I was the only cat brave enough to get close enough to her to eat them.

Oja:  I feel discriminated against.  Mom manages to get clear pictures of all the cats, except me.  She took two shots of me and this one was the less blurry so she used it.  I haven't been sleeping with Mom lately and she wants to know why.  I'm not telling, but it might have something to do with a certain orange kitten.

Rocio:  I grabbed Horus' favorite spot today.  Just look at the great sun puddle up here!  There was an intruder kitty in our back yard a few minutes ago and I'm still watching for her.  I know it's a her because Mom knows the cat.  She lives up the street from us.

Horus:  Rocio and I traded spots today.  It's comfy up here and I got some sun on me, too.  I have been grabbing Mom's lap a lot lately.  She pets me and tells me how hard it is to type with me in her lap.  Too bad.

Julius:  The Lady caught me by surprise.  She was facing the other way, then she suddenly turned around and took my photo before I could run.  See my cool stripes?  Mom says I look a bit like a Rex cat she saw at a cat show once.  Mom kept trying to shoo me away from Bambino's really good food, but I kept sneaking back.  Bambino let me have some and he let me have his leftovers when he was done.  He didn't leave me much.

Easy like Sunday Morning

 Spyro:  Let the other cats take their Easy.  I just scratched for treats and I'm waiting for Mom to put down the clicky box and tell me I'm a good boy and give me some treats.

 Oja:  I'm taking my Easy in the cushioned chair in the kitchen.  It's dark and out of the way and no other cat will bother me here.  The clicky box is another matter.

 Rocio:  I'm taking my Easy on the couch next to the drawer where the treats are kept.  I don't want to miss out on any treats.

 Bambino:  I'm taking my Easy on the couch.  It's comfy here with room for any other cat to join me.

 Horus:  I'm taking my Easy all by myself in the safe room on the easy chair.  I love this fake sheepskin cushion.

Julius:  I won't let the Lady get too close to me with the clicky box while I am taking my Easy.  I just discovered the ham-micks.  I love them.

Caturday

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 Spyro:  Getting Mom down on the floor to take my picture was so much fun the other day that I decided to do it again.  It's so funny watching her get up again.  I haven't been doing much since yesterday.  I know where Mom has stashed all those new treats she bought yesterday, but I can't get at them.  I did knock the laundry basket over onto the floor trying to get at them.

 Oja:  Mom is so lame.  The picture she took of me in my chair was too blurry to use, so I have to appear in a repeat.  Now that I have accepted Julius as part of the family I am back to lounging around in all my usual spots instead of hiding from him.  He is the most polite kitten I have ever met.  He never pounces unless he is already playing with the cat he pounces.  I had to give Mom the stink eye today.  I was so comfy cozy on her lap, then she told me she had to get up, so I moved to my chair.  When she came back, Horus jumped up on her lap and she was petting and praising him just like she had been doing with me.  The nerve!

 Rocio:  See that purple fish by the scratcher?  It's stuffed with silvervine like the green one.  I rubbed it all over my face and now I'm playing with the blurpy's blocks and enjoying my sun puddle.  Julius is so great.  Just before Mom got out the camera we were snuggling and grooming and rasslin' just like I used to do with Austin.

 Bambino:  We have great sun puddles today.  I am just lounging around and soaking up rays. It feels so good.

 Horus:  I am up on the watch tower making sure that the other kitties behave themselves.  I have started eating treats more often.  I used to just ignore them when Mom would give me some, but now I eat them at least sometimes.

Julius:  Spyro had so much fun under here that I decided to try it, too.  He's right.  It is fun watching the Lady trying to get up again.  Last night when she went to bed I followed her and jumped up on the bed.  There were no other kitties up there, though, so I jumped down again.  I don't trust the Lady enough to be alone with her.  I did the same thing this morning after she woke up.

Friendly Friday

Spyro:  Mom didn't take any photos of us today because she was "busy" again.  First the tiny two-legger came over, then she left with her friend and didn't get home until nearly dark.  Our photos are half reruns and half unused pictures.  I am up on our fairly new scratcher busy scratching for treats.  One good thing about Mom being gone is that when she got home she had half a shopping bag full of treats.  Yay!  You'll never guess what Mom has for breakfast half the time.  Crunchies!  I love them.

Karen Jo:  It's Grapenuts, Spyro, and I'm amazed that you like them better dry than when I put the milk on them.

Spyro:  You don't use real milk and I don't really like it.

Karen Jo:  It's almond milk and it's good for me.

 Oja:  I am in the safe room by the heat vent.  It's toasty warm back here, which is nice because it's been cold outside.  I know because sometimes I greet Mom at the door and the cold air comes in.  I think I have mentioned that all the food in the kitchen is mine and I choose who I will share it with.  Last night at dinner and this morning at breakfast, I decided that Julius could share the canned food.  While he was eating breakfast, I sniffed his tail from the tip to his rump and gave him my seal of approval.  He is now officially no longer an orange threat.

Karen Jo:  This is amazing.  Oja has never warmed up to a new cat this fast.  It look her a couple of weeks after she came out of the safe room to make friends with Herman and Spyro.  It took months for her to make friends with Bambino.  She did make friends with Horus fairly quickly, but it was still a matter of weeks.  Rocio has been here a year and she still doesn't like him.  Julius has only been here nine days.

Oja:  You know what Mom has for breakfast some mornings?  Solid milk.  I love it and make her share.

Karen Jo:  It's called yogurt, Oja, and you are welcome to share.

 Rocio:  I am mostly in the blue cat bed by the heat vent in the living room.  It's nice and warm here, too.  I also like to play with the toggle and string from Mom's coat that you see hanging over my head.  I wish Oja would make friends with me.  At least Spyro, Bambino and Julius like me.  And Mom, of course.  When she has yummy meat or fish for dinner I stare at her until she gives me some.  I only want a bite or two and Mom always gives me what I want.  I love to lie on Mom's legs when she goes to bed.  It's comfy and warm.

 Bambino:  I'm up on the couch watching Julius play.  That boy loves all the toys and wants to play all the time he's awake.  Sometimes he curls up with me and we groom each other.  I am glad Mom got so many treats.  We were nearly out and I scratch for them a lot.

 Horus:  There is nothing better than my favorite pillow in a sun puddle for a nap.  The tiny two-legger wore me out with Da Bird this morning.  Mom got a new bird for it and it was more exciting than usual.  The tiny two-legger even petted me.  She has learned how to do it right and it feels good.  Rocio upset Oja again this morning and I had to chase him down the hall.  That boy will never learn that he can't make friends with Oja.  She has to make friends with him.

Julius:  I still won't let Mom get too close to me with the clicky box.  Oja lets me eat in the kitchen with the big kitties now.  Yay!

Karen Jo:  But your kitten food is in the safe room.

Julius:  Let Rocio eat it.  I like the big kitty food better.  Oja doesn't hiss at me any more.  She really sniffed my tail this morning, all over.  I think she might even like me now.  You will never guess where I slept for the first part of the night last night.  The Lady went to bed and Spyro followed her and she was petting him, so I jumped up on the big bed.  The Lady ignored me and just kept petting Spyro, so I snuggled up to her leg and went to sleep.  It's very comfy and warm up there.  I think I might try it again.

Closer and Closer

 Spyro:  You see that green fish I am sort of lying on?  It's stuffed with silvervine and I just got a bit high on it and now I'm rolling around and playing with anything I can reach.  Mom gets these fish from Nip and Bones and they are wonderful.

 Oja:  I have stopped hiding from Julius.  I've decided that he isn't a little orange monster after all.  He mostly leaves me alone, but I still hiss at him if he gets within two feet of me.  I love hanging out on top of this scratcher.  The top is curved and fits my body perfectly.  I even scratch on it for treats sometimes.

 Rocio:  Mom took a terrible picture of me.  I show up better on the photo of Julius she posted at the Tabby Cat Club.  I am having fun with Julius, but Oja got all hissy with me again today.  I wasn't doing anything to her, honest.  Horus has stopped hissing at me, though.

 Bambino:  I am thinking about scratching for treats on our new scratcher.  Mom got it for us just before Julius arrived and it's really fun.  We tore our last inclined scratcher all to bits.  Julius and I rassled a little bit more today.

 I'm napping to catch my breath again.  Julius and I rassled this morning, then the blurp showed up.  She's been coming over more frequently.  I must say that she's more fun now.  She has gotten the hang of using the wand toy and I love it.  She is also pretty generous about giving out treats, which the other kitties really enjoy.  Even Julius came out once, but she scared him.

Julius:  See how close I let the Lady come to me with the clicky box?  I turned my head just as it clicked, so I'm a little blurry.  I have been having an exciting time.  Yesterday afternoon I actually pounced Spyro's head and we rassled until he ran away.  At night the other kitties tend to disappear and last night I decided to find out where they were going.  I walked down the hall and at the end I saw a room with a big stripy thing in it and there were Spyro, Rocio and Bambino.  I jumped up and there was the Lady, too.  That scared me a little, so I just stayed at the very end and watched for a while, then left.  I jumped up again this morning because Spyro and Bambino were there and the Lady was still there, too, so I stayed at the very end again, then left.

Karen Jo:  My bedroom is at the end of the hall and I have a striped bedspread.  I was glad that Julius jumped up on the bed.  Maybe he will get braver about getting close to me as he sees the other cats lying beside and on top of me.  I petted Julius a little today.

Easy like Sunday

 Spyro: I'll get my Easy on later.  Right now I am scratching for treats.

 Oja:  I may look like I have my Easy on, but I am feeling distinctly uneasy.  That little orange monster has escaped from the safe room.  I am so ticked off that I am hissing at all the other cats.  Mom was giving me my early morning petting and I hissed at Spyro, Bambino and Horus from the bed.  At breakfast time I hissed at Rocio and the little orange monster.  I am sticking close to Mom, where it's safe.

 Rocio:  I have my Easy on.  Julius is a cool cat.  He runs around and wants to play, but he doesn't go around pouncing other cats.

 Bambino:  I'll get my Easy on later.  Right now I want to play with Julius, but I can't find him.  He's hiding from Mom.

 Horus:  I have my Easy on in my favorite sun puddle.

Julius:  What's an Easy?  I decided yesterday that I was bored with my room and wanted to meet the other cats.  I tried coming out in the morning, but there were three of them in the hallway and that was too much.  In the afternoon, the hallway was clear, so I stayed out.  When I wanted to run, I ran into the living room.  I met all the boys yesterday and they told me their names and I told them mine.  I didn't meet the grumpy gray one with the curly tail until this morning and she hissed at me.  This morning after breakfast I discovered an opening that leads to a dark place with a great napping spot.  I was sound asleep when suddenly another opening appeared and there was the lady, right in front of me.  I think she wanted to catch me and put me in a box and take me out in the cold, so I ran out of there so fast she didn't even see me.  I hid for hours, then came out to play.  The lady did give me something crunchy and very tasty, but I still don't trust her.

Karen Jo:  Sunday is laundry day and I opened the closet door to put away some clothes.  I didn't mean to, but I really scared Julius, who was napping on some bedding I keep in there for the kitties.  I tossed him some treats when I was giving them out to the other boys and he got a couple.  I think he likes them.

Caturday

Spyro:  Mom was supposed to blog about our plots for the KittIDES of March, but she disappeared in the morning and didn't come home again until nearly bedtime.

Karen Jo:  Sorry about that.  My friend asked me if I wanted to go out for a few hours and interesting things kept happening and it got later and later.  You can tell about your plots now, as there isn't much else to talk about today.

Spyro:  OK!  I always plot about how to get outside.  I don't want to run away; I just want to go to the back yard and roll in the dirt and eat grass, but Mom doesn't want me to go when I want to go, so I dream up ways of getting past her in the doorway.  I'm getting pretty good at it, too.  I got out today and Mom let me stay for a while.

Karen Jo:  The weather was warm enough for a change and I was right there watching your every move, so I let you enjoy yourself for a while.

 Oja:  This is the other chair in the computer room. I can stretch and scratch on it.  I would say I was plotting on ways to get rid of the boycats, but nobody would believe me any more.

Karen Jo:  Not since you were seen sleeping right next to Austin and grooming Rocio.  Not at the same time, but still . . .

Oja:  My main plot now is how to get more food.  Spyro and Rocio keep eating my crunchies.  Every day I jump up on the boxes next to the counter and measure with my body to see if I can jump up on the counter yet.  One of these days I will.  Then I will eat Spyro's crunchies.

Karen Jo:  I'm surprised that you don't just go into the boys' room and eat their crunchies.

Oja:  How do you know that I don't?  I don't sleep beside you all night, do I?

 Austin:  I plot on how to get all the wet food for myself.  When it is meal time, I run to our room, so I will be the first one to get the food.  Silly Rocio thinks he can get more food by trying to eat it as Mom puts it into our dishes in the kitchen, but she still brings it back here.  By the time the second dish is ready, I have eaten most of the first one and when Mom brings in the second dish and Rocio, I am waiting to make him share.  When Mom lets us out of our room after Oja finishes her meal, I run into the kitchen to see if she or Spyro left any food in their dishes and polish them clean with my tongue.

Rocio:  Austin isn't the only kitty who loves these knitted things.  I plot on how to get lots of treats.  I know how to earn them by scratching on the posts and scratchers, but I also am adept at stealing them from the other kitties.  When Mom is holding out a treat in her hand to another kitty, I dash in and grab it.

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.