All tuckered out

These Olympics marathons have worn little Maggie out. She really liked the short track speed skating but feel asleep during figure skating. 

Pouting

I don't tolerate being brushed very much, so I've developed some mats in my fur. Mom and Dad forced me to get Furminated some tonight and they brushed, cut, and picked out two of the big knots until I got really hissy. So now I'm downstairs on the couch, ignoring Dad when he came through to the kitchen, and being shunned by the giant stuffed pink cat-bear on the couch. There might be a well-placed hairball later. Just sayin'.

Jasper came home

Hi, everyone. This is Josie. I figured at some point I might have to take over the blog, but I always hoped not. We all thought we had a few more years with Jasper. But when your body stops, that's all we can do. We miss him so much. We've been paying extra attention to Mom and Dad since Jasper left. Mom has really needed some extra love. Huggy Bear, especially, won't leave her side.

Mom and Dad picked up Jasper's ashes last Monday (January 22). When they brought them home, they set the box on the floor to get a picture or two of us with him. They didn't anticipate our reaction.


Huggy Bear rested him head on the box that contains his ashes. This was completely unprompted and was so emotional. He really misses his brother.


Maggie and I paid our respects too.


Then Maggie rubbed her face against the corner to put her stink on the box.


The crematorium also make an impression of Jasper's paw. You can't really see it in the picture. I'll try to post a better one.

The house feels more empty, and Dad keeps stepping over the spot Jasper where would stretch out in the mornings like Jasper is there. Jasper is now resting in the bookshelf next to Fluffy, Mom's first cat. Thanks again for all the kind thoughts and words during this tough time. Jasper was Dad's first cat, and a great friend to all of us.

It's my time

Well guys, I've had a good run, but unfortunately my body just can't go anymore. My kidneys are shutting down, heart rate slowing, body temperature getting low. I'm not in pain, not suffering, but I've just run out of time. So Mom and Dad made the difficult decision to help me across the Bridge tonight. 

Everything was peaceful. Mom and Dad got to love on me. I even got to show the vet tech who was boss briefly. They were talking about how I was so weak I wouldn't stand or walk so I pushed myself up and took a step just to prove them wrong. One was all I had in me, but I did it. Unfortunately they didn't think I'd even make it through the night. 

Josie, Huggy Bear, and Maggie knew. They'd been giving me my space. Maggie even was sleeping with me last week. She sensed something because that's not like her at all. I'll miss them. They taught me how to be a cat.

But I think what I'll miss the most is sharing Mom's pillow with her, my head butted up against hers. And watching Tennessee football with Dad. I was always his Big Orange Boy. And the sink. I loved the sink -- sleeping in it, drinking water off the counter -- it was my favorite spot for sure.

I've loved having all of you as friends here for the last 13 years. Even though I'm gone Josie will take over the blog eventually.

Now I've got to go catch up with Fluffy who came before me. I've always heard such great stories about him. Then I'll go meet up with all my blog friends who went before me -- Scooby and Shaggy, and Ginger, Quest, and Q2, and Diva Kitty, and William and Russell, and Buzzerbee and Meep and so many others.  I can't wait to catch up again.

Thanks for all the love through the years. And keep Mom and Dad in your thoughts.

Jasper McKitten-Cat
April 15, 2002-January 17, 2018

Chronic Kidney Disease

I had to go to the vet today -- I just haven't been myself recently, and I had a bowel issue in the walk-in closet where I've been hanging out. Mom was afraid it was another anal gland so she rushed me to the vet. 

The vet examined me and did some blood work and came back with the worst diagnosis I could ask for next to cancer -- chronic kidney disease.

I received subcutaneous fluids that perked me up for a little bit, and Mom got a variety pack of Royal Canin renal food, which I'm ignoring as of right now. I'm back in the closet resting on Mom's shoes, but I'll be sequestered into the bathroom tonight so Mom and Dad can monitor if I use the litter box or eat my new food. 

Please send all the purrs you can muster my way, because I'm rigid, and weak, and lethargic. Mom worries that I'm giving up. I'm a little sore in my back leg where they took the blood, and I was fussing earlier when I was walking. 

I really hope that tomorrow is a better day and that the trip to the vet did something more than just get me diagnosed. 

Thanks for your purrs, prayers, and thoughts. I know our community is strong and we can make great things happen when we set our minds to it.

The nerve of them...

So I've been wintering in the closet, sleeping on Mom's shoes. I usually hang out in the sink, but with the cold the closet has been nice. Mom has been a little concerned because I'm a little out of character staying in the closet and not snuggling in bed. I'm showing some signs of arthritis, and have started on a hemp extract CBD oil (https://www.cwhemp.com/charlottes-web-pet-hemp-oil-supplement). 

Mom and Dad had the nerve to move all the shoes I've been sleeping on and buy me a big fancy cat bed. Clearly I was offended, even though I stayed in it while Mom was petting me. Once she went to bed I moved somewhere else and abandoned the spot. So Mom moved the bed and I'm back in the closet, just in fewer shoes.

His happy spot

When there's no remote control to lay on, Huggy Bear likes to sleep on Mom's iPad. 

Knock knock...

This stinker was knocking on the office window this afternoon. Mom and Dad were watching TV and heard noise and this little woodpecker was tapping on the screen, then later on the window itself. It looks like one of us will need to be transferred from squirrel watching duty to woodpecker patrol.

Mom and Dad got back in town from Christmas travel late last night and we were so happy to have them back. Our neighbor was checking on us, and she's very nice, but we've been a challenge for her lately. I've started hissing at her and Josie stalks her. Maggie hides, which doesn't help since her needs anti-nausea meds while Mom and Dad are away due to her anxiety.

What we think happened is that Dad accidentally set off the panic alarm on the home security system when he held the remote in his hand. The corner of the car key pressed against the button. It is so loud when the alarm sounds and it's traumatized Maggie the most. Right before the alarm sounds it beeps and we think Maggie has learned to hide when she hears the beep. This is also the beep that happens when the neighbor comes in just before entering her code to disarm things. So Maggie hides. Our neighbor even hung out watching TV and enjoying a beer hoping Mags would come out but no luck. 

Maggie has snuggled with Mom from the second she came in. She loves Mom so much. 

[Hopefully Dad's fixed the alarm remote issue by flipping the remote on the key ring. Unfortunately Christmas night somehow a motion sensor went off -- probably one of us hitting the Christmas tree near the sensor. Fortunately our cat-sitter's daughter and her boyfriend were at the house and are both police officers. They swept the house and endured it was just us. But that stupid alarm was loud again. That should be the last false alarm for a while.]

Perfect napping spot

Mom turned on the little space heater and Maggie wasted no time finding a cozy spot right in front of the path of the heat. It's no fireplace, but it's a good second. 

Lazy Sunday

We took the"extra" hour from Daylight Saving Time to lay around with Mom and Dad and enjoy a lazy Sunday. The weather was perfect to have the window open and Josie snuggled up against Dad for some quality time. 

I've been in the sink a lot recently and had developed some knots on my belly. I was super patient as Mom and Dad sheared them off my belly. It feels so much better. I also allowed Mom to clean my ears. Even though I seemed annoyed by having a Q-tip in my ear, I was also purring the whole time.

Maggie has been doing well since her most recent belly issues. We think it is stress colitis and Mom is looking at a diffuser to help with anxiety when Mom and Dad are away. Hopefully that will work.

Huggy Bear got to have some sour cream and queso today. Mom and Dad shared some of their Mexican, but not the spicy stuff.

Tuckered out

Poor little Maggie had to go to the vet today. She's been sick again, vomiting and diarrhea, like back in the summer. She was by the house alarm when it accidentally went off and she's been dealing with stress colitis since. She's gone from 7.4 pounds to 5.8. So she got subcutaneous fluids and an antibiotic. Her disposition has been like normal, full of pep and love. This treatment worked last time, so here's hoping it works again. She seems better already.

Snuggling with Mom

Mom and Dad were out of town this weekend doing a bike ride with the MS Society (Bike MS Breakaway to the Beach). They got back Monday around noon, and the ac was acting up, so Mom was stuck at home today waiting on the repairman. That means that I got to do a lot of this:



It is very important when your people come home to snuggle up with them and make sure they don't go anywhere again soon.

Guilt trip

Dad was trying to trim Huggy Bear's "thumb" claw because it was getting really long, and it was hard to get to, and Dad trimmed it shorter than he meant to. Mom and Dad feel terrible. It didn't bleed, but they know what it's like when you trim your own nails too short. So he's going to get a little extra spoiled the next few days. 

Happy birthday to Josie and Huggy Bear

So, I'm a bad brother and missed my usual birthday post for Josie and Huggy Bear. They turned 13 on September 15. Tonight they are both on Mom and Dad's bed while the sheets are in the dryer. Of course the best time to lay on the bed is when there are no sheets. Not only does it make for a bad picture but it also puts our cat hair on the actual mattress and not the sheets. But it's not often that they are both in the same picture so this is the picture for the post. 

Anyhow, we're all doing well. We are fortunate to be in our teens and healthy like we are. These two are so sweet. I'm fortunate that they came into my life. They really taught me how to be a cat. It sounds funny, but they taught me how to cuddle and eat treats. I'm a much better cat because of them.

Now it's time for some stinky goodness... 

Rare sight

All four of us in bed with Mom and Dad to watch Orphan Black. This never happens.

Too real, too sad

Ellie, Allie and Raz's dad Bill passed away this week. I've had cat friends pass, and I expect that, even though I'm not happy about it. It's part of life. But when our people leave us it really hits home. Please snuggle up and purr with your people today, and keep Sharon in your thoughts.

http://friendsfurevercatblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/a-very-sad-friday.html?m=1

We're in trouble

Maggie and I are in the proverbial dog house after playing hide and seek this week.

It started with me on Tuesday. We had a plumber fixing the commode in the hallway and I didn't care for his shop vac so I went somewhere I've never been before -- under Mom and Dad's bed. Mom looked all over the house calling for me and shaking treats but I didn't (couldn't) come out from under the bed. Mom didn't even think I could get under the bed. Huggy Bear is the only one who ever goes under there, and he had to low crawl to do it. Dad actually came home from work in the middle of the day to help look. Mom had to flip up the mattress so I could get out because I eventually to panic. 

Then on Friday another service guy came by, this time to fix a fuse on our AC. Mom and Dad were packing to go out of town and Maggie disappeared. Mom and Dad turned the house upside down trying to find her. She's always the first one to come out when the treats are offered but there was no sign of her with treats or wet food. Mom and Dad were even looking in places they knew she couldn't be (like the freezer and the car) but no sign of her. After two-and-a-half hours of looking Maggie showed up upstairs on a new scratcher that Mom had covered with catnip. We have no idea where she was, but thankfully she's OK. Her hiding delayed Mom and Dad's trip by a few hours, but Dad suggested maybe there was a reason they weren't supposed to be on the road until later. 

We never hide, so it is nuts that two of us would "disappear" in one week. Mom and Dad really hope this is out of our systems because they can't take much more. Mom almost had a panic attack, and that's just not cool. 

Window cat

It's pretty much unheard of to have open window time in Columbia, SC in August so you know I'm going to take advantage of it while I can. It actually feels like a fall evening tonight. Football is in the air! This time next week I'll be pulling for The Big Orange Volunteers of Tennessee against Georgia Tech. Summer went so fast, but this is my time off year. 

Sweet Maggie

Maggie is so sweet. She snuggled right up against Dad while sitting in bed watching a little TV. She's feeling so much better with no puking and holding at a steady weight, and is behaving like again. 

On the other hand I gave Mom quite a scare last weekend. I got ahold of some ribbon and almost choked. Mom spend a good 15 minutes clearing it from my mouth. They were getting ready for a party and I'm sneaky. Fortunately Mom realized what was going on just before getting into the shower or who knows what might have happened. But I'm OK, so don't stress over me. 

I have taken a brief vacation and have started sleeping in the other sink. Sometimes you need a change of scenery... 

Maggie is sick again

Poor little Maggie has been having some tummy issues again, throwing up and diarrhea. Mom took her back to the vet today. They put her back on antibiotics and want to do an ultrasound (they didn't have the equipment so they had to refer us to another office). They want to rule out a blockage or The C Word. The vet kept calling her old, which I take offense at because she's three years younger than I am. Please keep her in your thoughts and purrs.

We were interviewed!

We were interviewed by the Funny Farmer Felines recently, and the interview was published last Friday! I was very flattered to be chosen to be interviewed. If you want to read more about us, the article is here. Thanks Mousebreath and the Funny Farmer Felines for featuring us!

Back to her fighting weight

Well Maggie had us scared for a little while. We're still being cautious, but she's doing so much better. She lost a lot of weight last month, getting down to 4.8 pounds. She was so skinny, and had us all so concerned. Mom got her to the vet, and fortunately her organs were OK, but her white blood cell count was high. The vet suspected an infection in her gut and she was put on an oral antibiotic (liquid) and prescription food. Dad weighed her tonight and she is holding at 7.4 pounds, which is where she should be. This makes us all so happy. We're sticking with the prescription food, but will probably mix it with another just to stretch it some. But we all like it (of course we like there's expensive stuff) and it is settling well on our systems.

Thanks again for all the well wishes while Maggie recovered. Y'all are the best!

Big week

We have had a big week at the McKitten-Cat house! Monday we had our first true dog encounter. One of our oldest cat blogging friends was in town (Ginger's mom Rita -- one of our very first visitors) and she visited with her friend Jennifer and her 12-week-old puppy Sally. Sally pretty much stayed in the kitchen, but that didn't stop Josie from walking through and testing her perimeter. I stayed upstairs in the bathroom sink. Maggie and Huggy Bear stayed in the next room. But Josie proved once again that she was the protector of the home. 

At one point Sally was coming back on from going out to tinkle (dogs don't get to use the bathroom in the house like we do) and Josie was at the door. Dad expected Josie to head back upstairs but Josie stood her ground. Sally wound around Rita's legs with the leash and Dad had to come remove Josie before she got too defensive. 

Once dinner (steak) came off the grill Josie and Maggie were at one entrance to the kitchen, HB was at the other, plotting their strategy to get past Sally and reach the steak. That's when we all got sequestered into the big bathroom for the rest of Sally's visit.

---

In other news, Maggie has had two vet visits. She is on an antibiotic and prescription food. Her blood work was good, except for her white blood cell count. They suspect she has an infection in her belly. She was such a perfect little baby at the vet's office, and everyone praised her (clearly she didn't bite them on the butt like she does me). The last two days she has been more energetic and acting more like herself, so we think she must be on the mend. But a little purr or two wouldn't hurt. 

Sick Maggie

Maggie had to go see the vet today. She's been losing weight, having litter box issues, and throwing up her food. Luckily, all of her blood work (liver, kidneys, sugar, etc) came normal except for high white blood cell counts. So she has an infection somewhere, most likely GI. So she got an antibiotic shot, prescription GI food, and a probiotic. Fingers crossed this takes care of the problem. In 12 years, this is the first time she's gone to the vet for an illness.

Maggie's weight is up

Dad needs to weigh Maggie again tonight, but the last time he weighed her she was back up over six pounds. Maggie has been enjoying the Iams kitten pate (and do am I when she turns away) and I think this had been helping. I think she gets anxious when Mom and Dad are out of town, and when her weight dipped it was right after they had been away for two long weekend in a row. At her lowest she weighed in at 4.8 pounds, and while she's not exactly bulked up, she's looking better and more active again. Hopefully this was a fluke. Thanks for all the concern and purrs.

Happy birthday Maggie

Happy birthday to my snuggly sister Maggie! You are the little sister I never knew I needed until you joined our family. I can't believe it has been 12 years already, especially since you still act like a kitten.

(Also happy birthday to Mom, who happens to share her birthday with Maggie!) 

Stinky Goodness

Maggie has lost some weight recently, and it has Mom and Dad concerned so they've been trying different wet foods to try to bulk her up. She's just too skinny and you can feel her ribs and spine when you pick her up. On the bright side it also means that I get to share her wet food with her. Tonight we tried Purina Beyond grain free chicken and sweet potato recipe, and a new brand to us I and Love and You chicken me out recipe (grain and gluten free). Chicken me out was our favorite. Hopefully Mom and Dad can find one that'll put some meat back on Maggie (she weighed in at 5.6 pounds last night). 

Rest in Peace, Shaggy

One of our oldest and dearest cat friends passed away yesterday. Shaggy followed our blog even before he had his own. It amazes my that we've been in contact for close to 12 years. Our family is just so saddened by his passing. I'll miss his adventures of sunning in the yard and reading with his mom. But he is with his brother Scooby now. Scout, give your mom lots of love from us. 

http://littlecf.blogspot.com/2017/05/shaggy-2000-2017.html?m=1

Rest in Peace Cheysuli

Just too much loss this month ... our hearts are breaking for Cheysuli and her family. May has been a tough month. I know that death is the inevitable end result of life, but that doesn't mean I have to be OK with it. And at 15, Chey still seems young to me -- I mean, that's my age and I don't think I'm old yet. Chey's news reports were a highlight for me among the cat blogs. She will be missed dearly.

Wait, wishing

Josie will stand vigil by the gap at the bottom on the garage door just waiting for a lizard to try to sneak in. Nothing gets past her. 

Purring for Shaggy

Our old friend Shaggy is having a tough time right now. Please purr for him so he can bounce back!

Rest in Peace, Flynn

Our old friend Flynn passed over the Bridge on May 1. I'm just now getting a chance to post about it. He and his brother Eric were old friends, and gingers like me, so I always felt a connection to them and enjoyed watching their adventures. It was so fun to see them exploring their farm and hunting field mice. They would sometimes wear a camera that would photograph their trips around the fields, too, and I thought that was so neat. Flynn had been having health issues for a while, and even though he's re-united with his brother, I'm sad for his parents, and selfishly sad for myself because I'll miss him. Rest in Peace, old friend.

When on chair just won't do...

Dad was going through some old pictures and found this one of me from 2014. We have a new table there now with different chairs.


There's just something about finding a nice secluded spot to enjoy the sun. I may have to do more of this today.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Today is my 15th birthday! I plan on spending it napping in the sink, then later napping on Mom and Dad's bed, and maybe later napping in the closet. I'll get stinky goodness birthday cake tomorrow and I'll post pictures of the celebration (because celebrating my birthday is much better than thinking about taxes).

All four of us snuggling with Dad

They said it would never happen -- all four of us snuggling with Dad. Usually Josie would hiss at Maggie or HB and run off downstairs to her couch (yes, it's her couch). But recently we've all been cohabitating around the bed more, but I'm not saying it too loud because I don't want to jinx it. 

Dad's two girls

There's been more peace between the girl cats recently. Sometimes it requires a leg wall from Dad, sometimes they can be almost touching without any hissing or Josie just running off. It's a nice new thing. The other night all four of us were in bed with Mom and Dad. We even let Mom get photographic proof, which I'll try to post soon. I hope this new trend continues.

The girls together

Wow! Josie and Maggie are both snuggling up with Dad, even if they aren't actually snuggling together. Normally Josie hisses at Maggie if she's even close so this is serious progress. (In her defense, Josie hisses because Maggie pounces her a lot.) 

Josie's castle

Yes, we still have our Christmas castle cat scratcher out, but mainly because Josie loves it so much. 

Sharing the couch

Josie and Huggy Bear shared the couch watching Runaway Jury on DVD tonight since our cable is out.

Almost snuggling

This might be as close as we get to snuggling. In general none of us snuggle together (although we do snuggle up to Mom and Dad). But you can see I've got my paw on Maggie to let her know that I do care (or I'm just pestering her while she tries to sleep -- you be the judge). 

Laptop cat

Since Mom and Dad were using the laptop and not allowing Maggie to sit on it she did the next best thing and slept on the laptop bag. 

Reindeer pillow

Maggie has discovered the reindeer pillow that Dad picked up at Target after Christmas. She has been sleeping on it the past few days. Dad liked the pillow and thought the geeky reindeer with a snowflake tattoo was funny. While he hasn't decided where to put the pillow, Maggie is making it easy to keep it on the couch for right now.

The cat cave

Mom and Dad got is this cat cave cat bed about a month ago. It went largely ignored until today when Dad walked by and saw that Josie was sleeping in it. I'm glad that someone has found it and is finally enjoying it. But I still prefer sleeping in a box.

Too much cute

This cute girl is directly responsible for Dad's current lack of productivity.

Space heater hog

Maggie loves when the space heater comes out. She positioned herself on the arm of the couch between Mom and the heater so she could get all toasty. It was genuinely cold here in SC for the first time this winter, and one of the Christmas trees is near the thermostat and it throws off the temperature downstairs a little when the lights are on, so it was nice to have the little heater out. 

Sweet Josie

Josie doesn't get enough attention on the blog, but she is such a sweet sister. Dad vacuumed the couch so of course she needed to stretch out and sleep on the couch. She loves when Mom and Dad hang out downstairs (her domain) instead of watching tv upstairs. She was extra loving today, and actually cuddled up with Mom in bed this morning (forced Mom to stay in bed). She usually gets chased off the bed by Maggie so it was nice that she got to enjoy some Mom time.

Happy Black Cat Day!

I saw on Simon's Cat that today is Black Cat Day so Happy Black Cat Day to all my house panther friends out there, and especially to my brother Huggy Bear! Black cats get such a bad rap, but they are some of the most precious and loving cats Mom and Dad have been around (I've only been around one, but if he's a good representation then they're all OK in my book).


This is an older picture of Huggy Bear (2008 -- wow!) but this is how you'll usually find him, snuggled up as close as he can be to Mom.

Windows are open -- life is better

My abscess is healing nicely and I'm feeling much better. Thanks for all the well wishes. Hurricane Matthew passed by us with few issues locally. We had heavy winds gusting up to 52 mph, and hard rain steadily on Saturday. In Columbia we had about 240 trees down and 31 roads blocked, but we were unaffected. Today was a prefect day, so nice that we had our windows open and enjoyed some fresh air.

During my illness Maggie was acting weird. Mom and Dad decided she had bruised her paw pad or tweaked her back left leg because of how she was behaving. She seems to be moving better now, but Mom also noticed that she was down about two pounds (now 7 1/2) which caused some concern. We are now trying out some wet food to try to get a little weight back on her, but so far it's Josie and I who are benefiting from the wet food. Dad bought 12 different brands and styles and we are taste testing them. We'll let you know our verdict once we've tried them all.

The post I haven't wanted to make

Selfishly, I haven't wanted to post about this, because once I write about it it becomes real, but the same day I ended up at the vet, our dear friend Ginger's Dad passed away. Fred had been battling bladder cancer that ravaged his body. Mom and Dad have become friends with Ginger's parents Fred and Rita over the years, and it just breaks our hearts to watch him fade away. We are purring hard for Rita as she deals with all of this. Please keep her in your thoughts, too.

My Tuesday adventure

Well I had quite the adventure on Tuesday, and not the fun kind involving a pirate's treasure map or giant robots from space or a Time Lord's blue Police call box. No, I had to go to the vet. It all started Monday night when I had an abscess on my left hindquarter rupture. It smelled terrible, and Mom and Dad instantly started to investigate.

I was sitting in my new favorite hang-out chair cleaning and cleaning this mess. Dad quickly scooped me up and took me to the big bathroom to help clean me up. Then I was whisked into the carrier and off to the emergency vet clinic. Mom and Dad didn't want things getting worse and they wanted me to be comfortable, but that guy wanted to do a ton of tests that started to feel excessive, and the price quickly jumped to almost $700.

I've gone through this before, so they knew what to expect, and this felt like overkill. I was doing better because most everything had already drained, so they took me back home and let me sleep in the bathroom by myself that night. First thing in the morning Mom took me to my regular vet. They were very nice to me, although I wasn't too thrilled about the barking dogs. (I know, they were nervous too.)

They had to put me under to do some minor surgery, shave the area, and clean it up real good. I'm home now and getting back into my routine. Mom and Dad have given me some pain meds that are a gel in a syringe. I've learned how to knock it out of Mom's hands, which is fun and makes me feel a little better and in control of some part of this situation.



Being in my box again helps too.Boxes make everything better. My sisters have been a little out of sorts since I came home, especially Maggie, who won't quit hissing at me, although we did share treats last night. (Treats make everything better.) So now Mom is worrying about her, too. But Huggy Bear is starting to hang around with me again, so I think it's more a smell thing.

It was weird, though, when I was at the vet because they talked about me being "a 15-year-old cat" like I'm wearing out or something. First of all, I'm 14-and-a-half. Secondly, my name is not Jasper McOldman-Cat. It's Jasper McKitten-Cat, and I stand by the kitten part of my name. So don't go writing me off just because I'm not a toddler cat.

Hopefully I won't be sequestered in the bathroom at night anymore. But it all depends on if my wound of seeping or not. Thanks for all the purrs and well wishes from the Cats with Blogs group on Facebook. It means a lot. I didn't get to post here because it all happened so quickly.

Also, if you've made it to the bottom of this long and rambling post, thanks for reading it all. I don't normally type this much (my paws get tired), but I wanted everyone to know what is going on. Now I'm going to take a nap on Mom's bed while she's not looking.

Snoopervising

Dad had some online continuing ed to do. Maggie was snoopervising. By sleeping against his leg she made sure he didn't get too bored and wander off.

Happy 12th birthday Josie and Huggy Bear

I can't believe it was 12 years ago that Josie and Huggy Bear came into our lives as little kittens hanging around outside our apartment. You two are the sweetest cats and great siblings. You taught me how to be a cat, the joys of snuggling, and what it means to be a big brother. I can't wait to share sticky goodness cake later tonight!

Big helpers

Mom is going through old pictures while watching the Olympics, looking for good ones for her 25 year high school reunion. You can see that we are being extra big helpers tonight. As soon as little box was emptied I was in it. Maggie is making sure the lid doesn't come off the other box. Huggy Bear is watching gymnastics. Meanwhile, Josie is downstairs wishing Mom and Dad would come watch tv in the living room like civilized people.

Cute as a button

Mom and Dad got new couches earlier in the year. They worked with the old look of the living room ok, but then Mom found a new rug that looks really good with the new couches. Well that started a cycle that included painting the walls and a new chair. This chair is from World Market and is called "Cute as a Button" but the girls think it describes them in the chair, and not the chair itself. Now I will say Josie is a cute girl. (She was even cuter just seconds before this picture, but it started raining really hard and got her attention.) The other bonus of the new chair is that the old chair is currently up in the bedroom and I've been sleeping in it. I may (gasp!) like it better than my box for naps.

I'm having a poopy day -- literally

The last two days haven't been great. On top of the fact that Mom is under the weather and I should be snuggling with her, I was stopped up yesterday. I kept trying to hack up a hairball (but only produced foam) and then had loose stool that kept making a mess on my furs that Mom had to clean up. Well, we were low on food and Dad had some cheap food in his car for the parking lot cat at work that he gave us, and that, along with some cat grass, has seemed to do the trick to loosen everything up. I've been in and out of the litter box all day, and puked some too. Poor Mom hates to deal with the box anyway, and she's been having to come and check it and me. I've got my purr back, and am starting to feel more like myself, but it's no fun having an upset tummy.

Sorry for the TMI post...

Josie on the new couch

Mom and Dad had just finished vacuuming the couch, so Josie figured it would be a good time to stretch out and get her furs back on it. Doesn't she look so sweet on that gray?

Oh the indignity

First of all, thank you all for your concern about my bloody paw. It seemed to be a fluke. But I'll keep you posted. 

Now, today's indignity... I am a very floofy cat and because of that I sometimes get bad matts in my furs. Well I had a few near my bottom and I couldn't really do much about them, so Mom and Dad bought some electric clippers today at Target and gave me a little bit of a sanitary cut. It's not as severe as the one I got when I had to go to the emergency vet with my anal gland issues last year, but it still wasn't my favorite thing I've done recently. It feels better, but the process stinks. 

Strange issue

A strange thing happened tonight. I was lying in bed with Mom and she noticed a few spots of blood on the bed spread. She looked and I had a little blood on my front right paw between my toes. It wasn't actively bleeding, I wasn't guarding my foot while I walked, and Dad was able to clean it pretty well. All I can figure is that I aggravated my paw climbing up the step stool that helps me get in bed. Dry skin, I'm hoping. At least it got me some extra treats. 

Happy birthday Maggie

Happy birthday to my dear sister Maggie. She's the youngest of us and the sister we never realized we needed until she became part of our family. She can be bossy, but we love her so much. 11 years old and she still acts like a kitten. Maggie, you are a special cat and we love you so much. 

Memorial Day

I hope you had a relaxing and restful Memorial Day.

A rare sighting

Hey look! It's all four of us in one picture. We were hanging out in the parlor with Mom and Dad. This was a special treat for them. It didn't last very long, but it was nice while it did.

Goodbye old friend

Our dear old friend William is entering his final days, less than a week after his 13th birthday. William was the first blogging cat to come visit us something like 11 years ago. My blogging opportunities are less than they used to be, but when I did get to visit William's was one of the blogs I always made time for. I remember the passing of his siblings, including the sudden unexpected loss of his brother and best friend Russell. I know we don't get to stay here forever, but William is a year younger than I am, so it just doesn't feel right or OK. I just have to find peace in knowing that William is reunited with Russell and that Caroline and Co. will take good care of his mom. Rest in peace, William. You will be dearly missed. 

Snuggling with Mom

Mom and Dad worked in the yard all afternoon. When they came in to clean up they realized that the pilot light on the water heater had gone out and ended up taking cold showers. Mom got chilled and couldn't warm up, so she got in bed and watched Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Huggy Bear loves when Mom is in bed, and he even likes when she holds him. He's doing his best to help Mom get warm again. 

Snoopervising

Mom and Dad were working in the kitchen last night getting ready for company today so of course we needed to snoopervise. Mom made two ice creams (Meyer lemon and peanut butter honey) but we didn't get to taste any of it.  We weren't too interested in the potato salad or pasta salad. The big score will be today when they break out the hamburgers and brats.  (They still owe me my yummy goodness birthday cake, too.)

Happy birthday to me!

Today is my 14th birthday! It is hard to believe that it was 14 years ago that I climbed out of the cage at the shelter and onto my Mom's shoulder. I picked her first, and Mom and Dad took me home. My plan for my birthday is to curl  up  in my favorite box and sleep. I know, it's not the most exciting way to spend my birthday, but it sounds pretty perfect to me. I'll probably have some wet food and some treats too. But mostly just nap.

Maggie hates the blinds

Maggie hates when the blinds are shut, so much so that Mom and Dad have to leave the right one up at night or Maggie constantly wakes them up getting the blinds. You can tell by the picture that at least she is consistent with which blind she dislikes the most. She is such a stinker.