Random Fridays

Armani says - enough with the camera

(actually mom was tickling his belly - MOL)

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Miss Connie asked (a while ago) where we got our " C A T" art. That is a genuine, one of a kind, original art work from the kid (aka mom's niece). She made it for mom for Christmas last year.
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Also, last Friday there was a comment about the window screen inserts.

The comment was that the window was up and not flush with the insert and the insert could be pushed out. While it does look that way, what isn't really apparent in the picture is that the screen extends and fits side to side into the window rails themselves - meaning the screen is actually pushed into the window frame and has to be maneuvered to get them back out. That is a terrible explanation, but let's just say we appreciate the concern however no cat is getting that insert out themselves.
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It is supposed to be nice here this weekend, though maybe rainy. Mom discovered the other day that Daiquiri is actually afraid of thunder. One big BOOM and she is GONE! Poor baby....  Otherwise nothing too exciting. 

toy review #ChewyInfluencer

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This month there was a neat looking toy being offered. Since we can't pass up something new to play with (seriously...we only have a bazillion toys here), mom requested this and opened it up as soon as it arrived.

Mozart of course was a little more interested in the box that the toy came in:

The toy is an interactive treat and puzzle toy from catamazing.com. It came flat in a package and required some assembly, but went together very quickly. There is a video on their website, but mom figured it using the information in the package.

Some cats were a little TOO helpful in the package opening process.
Tommy on top, Daiquiri chewing on the package

left to right: Diaquiri, Ivy and Spud (with his head in the hole)

The outside of the box has various holes in different shapes and sizes. Inside the box is an insert that waves up and down creating barriers.

Everyone was interested at first, but mom got this figuring that Daiquiri would be the one spending the most time figuring it out. To add to the fun, mom found one of Daiquiri's foam soccer balls and put that inside the box as well.

Spud watched as Daiquiri tried in vain to get the treats and toys out.

So far the biggest "fun" has been everyone pushing the box around the living room as they try to use their faces to get treats out of one end or the other. Daiquiri did manage to get her toy out though mom didn't see it happen. She and Spud spend the most time with this and mom has put more treats in every day.

The biggest concern mom had was that the box is cardboard and Daiquiri is a certified cardboard destruction expert. However, other than getting in one good chomp on the box as mom was putting it together, she has left it alone. How long remains to be seen....  :)

The toy is priced at $14.99 on Chewy's website and remember shipping is free over $49. The puzzle has been a big hit here and we give it 6 paws up! While some play with it more than others, everyone has checked it out at least a couple of times and tried to get those treats to come out.

wordless Wednesday

4 weeks old

4 days old

4 weeks old. Time flies.... The kittens certainly seem to be having a good time loose in the foster room. They have discovered the castle and spend a decent amount of their time sleeping in there. They will generally tumble out when mom comes into the room....or if they are looking for their momma. Millie is pretty relaxed unless she sees another cat outside the foster room doors, but we can hear her chirping in there at the kittens on a regular basis. She is going to have to learn to relax or it is going to get worse as the kittens get more active.

Chanel and her momma

All five of them are in the picture - Armani is between his brothers getting a snack. Gucci is on the left, Versace on the right. The girls are in front - Dior on the left and Chanel on the right.

Weigh in:
Gucci     13 3/8 ounces
Versace  15 3/8 ounces
Dior       14 3/8 ounces
Chanel   14 3/4 ounces
Armani  15 3/8 ounces

They are starting to bounce around a little more each day. Gravity still gets the best of them however. And their teeth are starting to come in - which means now there is howling when they bite each other. They like to try those teeth out on mom occasionally too....she says she feels great sympathy for Millie.

weekend report

Ivy and Daiquiri had their annual v-e-t check up on Saturday. They both got clean bills of health and Ivy felt the need to growl at Dr W just in case.
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When mom checked the web camera on Thursday afternoon, there was one kitten in the box and everyone else was out. That evening mom reset a few things. Millie came over and stretched out with the kittens, so our guess is that she was finding the box a little small. She may be sorry though as the kittens are now all over the place and we can hear her in there chirping at them. Good luck momma cat.  MOL

girl kitten checking on her momma

Dior

freedom!!!

she heard....something

the girls

OK - normally we don't post on Saturday, but geez these two were being cute.

Dior

Chanel (with an escaping Armani)

Dior has the white division on her nose and Chanel has more black on her face and the spot on her chin. That being said, mom still has to check her notes as that hasn't quite sunk into her brain yet. 

some things around the house

How mom does things to make life a little easier for us and her

When angel Maestro was young, he LOVED to play with the water dishes. Whap them with his paws, smack at the water....it never ended. Never failed either that water ended up ALL over the kitchen. Mom finally got frustrated one day and decided to make a serious change. She upgraded our dishes to large, heavy ceramic (dog) dishes and found a rubber mat with a lip to put on the floor.

Everything is dishwasher safe and the mat keeps the dishes from being shoved and water on the mat (for the most part). Plus there is only a need for a couple of bowls that mom cleans (once a day) and refills as needed (usually twice a day). She has noticed that the ceramic tends to keep the water a little cooler too.

Tommy enjoying a drink 

(yes, he drinks from the very FAR edge of the dish)

Mozart shows up the screens and our cat ladder

The other big thing in our house is the screen inserts into our windows. Several years ago Tommy fell out a window - and we live on the second floor. A friend found these inserts at the locally owned hardware store and bought mom a couple as a gift. Mom has since bought more and is looking for a couple more to have a complete set.

These sit in the track where the window goes up and down and keeps cats from laying IN the windowsill and potentially pushing the screens out and escaping (or falling). It allows air in and out but keeps everyone safe.

As for kittens, mom likes to try to keep them contained when they are tiny. This is a plastic storage container. Just the right size for containing kittens and allowing their momma in there to lay down and nurse.

At least until someone gets JUST big enough to figure out how to escape.

just over 3 weeks old

Mom suspects there will be a break out from the box soon. Versace will stand up and look over the edge and mom caught Chanel doing the same thing as well. Guess it is time to break out the non-clumping litter for a while.

Armani

Gucci 

(he is lighter than Versace and has white on him as well)

Dior

Chanel

check out that black spot on her toes

the orange boys (Gucci in the back) and Dior

weigh ins
Gucci     11 1/8 ounces
Versace  13 1/4 ounces
Chanel   11 1/4 ounces
Dior       12 3/4 ounces
Armani  12 3/4 ounces

So Gucci is still the light weight and his orange brother is still the reigning heavy weight. Mom keeps thinking that Armani is the lightest but he keeps proving her wrong. They continue to gain weight and are doing well. Versace was doing a little baby pouncing and biting of his siblings the other night. As mom says...that is all fun and games until someone gets some teeth.  :)

Millie continues to do well. She still does the occasional "drive by" nibble on mom but nothing aggressive. Still not sure why she does it, but whatever. She is getting a little more possessive of her space and the kittens with all of us on the other side of the doors. Mom is going to block the sight line on the farthest door that is by the shelves outside the room. We mostly leave the room alone unless mom is in there and then we are trying to sniff around and see in a little bit. Until the other night, Millie had kept herself to growling a little at the doors if someone was out there. However, Monday night she saw Tommy on the shelf and launched herself up and at the screen door (she looked like Spiderman hanging up there). Luckily mom can talk her down and she doesn't turn on mom when she is angry. However, mom will be spending some time working on cutting down our access to the doors until she is a little more sure about things.

And again - no fault will ever be placed on Millie - she is protecting her kittens and that is her job.

National Microchip Week

Everyone here has a microchip. And every animal adopted from the rescue and shelter all leave with microchips. In fact, we don't know of any rescue that doesn't microchip any more.

It really is the BEST way to make sure your pet gets home if they manage to escape for some reason. We always suggest collars and tags as well. If you don't want your cat wearing one in the house, we suggest having one for each cat just in case: in case people are coming over and the door will be opening and closing, in case you have to take a trip to the vet, in case of emergency.

However, you HAVE to make sure the chip is registered and UPDATED!! Mom can't begin to tell you how many times a lost animals comes in and either there is NO chip or the information is out of date.

Your pet doesn't have one? Check your local pet stores or rescues. Some will sponsor microchipping at a discounted rate and some stores have vet clinics on specific days that will chip your pet as well.

OK - so you have the chip and you got is registered. Great....now just make sure at annual check ups with your vet, they are checking for that microchip. It is reassuring to hear that beep, but until they heal under the skin, they can migrate. Or, in Ivy's case, it healed but she was chipped at 9 weeks old...so as she grew, that spot moved from between her shoulders to over one shoulder blade. If you watch someone scan, they should move the scanner from side to side and front to back to scan the whole animal just in case.

Remember, the chip doesn't put out a signal or anything - it isn't GPS. It has to be scanned for the number to come up and then a call made to the company to get your information.

This crew and their momma will get their microchips when they are spayed/neutered.

big cat or little cats

Apparently it doesn't matter the SIZE of the cat, they can all flail around with the best of them.

Though in Ivy's defense, it usually requires that she has a toy she is excited about.

These guys just roll over and get stuck.

weekend report

With open windows and nice weather, this is how most of us spent the weekend. Mom ran some errands but otherwise a quiet two days.

Two years after having a swarm of bees (and not the good kind) on the balcony, mom braved up and decided to put flowers back out on the balcony.

Mom doesn't have much of a green thumb, but she has found a few plants that do well in containers on our balcony (that doesn't get much sun) and she can't really kill. The round planter has sweet mint, the square planter has geraniums. She then put impatiens in the long planters.

 

With the slider open but the screen door closed, Millie got to supervise.

 

should hopefully be pretty when the plants get a little bigger

 

orange boys and their sister Dior

Gucci is the one with his feet on Dior

Random Fridays

We took a vote and mom is going to have to leave the gingerbread house up forever (though the chimney is now missing.....)

Don't you love how Ivy folds her paws up like that??

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The kittens are doing well. The other night there was some serious howling and when mom checked on them, Millie was in the box with the kittens and Versace was out walking around (if you want to call it that) on his own. No idea if he got fell out of the box on his own or Millie took him out and then left him out. Either way mom put him back and there have been no escapees since then.

It is supposed to be pretty nice here this weekend. The windows have been open some but then it gets chilly at night and mom worries about the little ones so she closes most of the windows in the evenings. She is thinking about planting flowers again on the balcony and maybe trying to get that started this weekend as well. 

pile up

OK - so they don't do much at this age, but dang they are cute. Give it another week or so and they will be attempting to get out of the box and making their way around the room. Millie's head just might explode. MOL

 

Versace on top of Armani

Chanel, Dior and Gucci above them

What a cute pair of girls.