Wordless Wednesday.....

Quick Edit: there is a local rescue that has posted a request for signatures on this petition. The city council is planning to pay (a lot) to have a guy come out and trap and kill stray cats - but won't recognize TNR and won't help local groups.....

Beware - serious cute ahead!!!

Treesday....

Mom has been saying that she was going to buy a cat tree. But, she was waiting to transform the other bedroom. Friday after work, she was getting groceries and saw a tree on sale at the grocery store. She didn't get it, but thought about it most of the night. So she left early on Saturday to get it and bring it back before driving the transport. Only by the time she got there, one of the two was gone and the other was broken (and not as stable as she would like). Drat....

Now she had plenty of time since she wouldn't be coming home. There was an Anderson's over there and she decided to stop. They have some pet stuff and she figured you never know. Well, they had one that was a decent height and not a bad price. It isn't quite what she wanted, but for now it seems to be working. She was going to put it in the spare bedroom but ended up moving her coffee table and leaving it in the living room.

She still plans to convert the spare bedroom into a foster fort and change some things around, but this was a spur of the moment thing....and seems to be working. :)

Not even that hard to put together

wow - and pretty tall (42")

Inspecting the finished tree

The mice are a big hit

But the box.....wow!!

Yep, Tommy approves of the box.....

weekend wrapup

Well, the snotty kids are still....snotty. :)  Caramel just doens't understand why EVERYONE knows he is coming when he tries to sneak up on them (hint - the heavy breathing gives him away). Mom says he isn't the brightest lightbulb.
       Hey - on that note, maybe that solves the Ivy mystery from Friday - she stands close to the light to get smarter.....hahahahahaha (sounds of feets running as their sister reads that part)

OK - while they are off whapping each other, I (the mom) will fill you in on the rest of the weekend.

Transport Saturday: Polo (boston/french bulldog mix) and Bunny (Rat terrier mix [though I think she may be more papillion])

Bunny

Bunny

Polo

They are on their way from a shelter to foster home. :)

The snotty kittens are now on a different drug. Hopefully this one will work. Poor Caramel fell asleep on my lap on Sunday and has to breath through his mouth.

Otherwise, a slow weekend...we napped on Sunday.

Unsolved Mysteries

Mom had to think about this.....

We have some weird mysteries, but sometimes they solve themselves. Like - how was Tim getting his first collar off? Turns out one of the foster kittens was taking it off (swear to cod...we saw it happen). There are several minor ones that happen: who surfed the big box down the stairs? how does the crinkly tube get down the hallway?

But, right now, there is a bigger mystery. See, Ivy likes to sit on the half wall by the stairs. And then she does this:

And then this:

And the mystery?? WHAT THE HECK IS SHE LOOKING AT????  Drives mom nuts (which, knowing Ivy, may actually be the goal, but we don't think so considering how often Ivy can be seen doing this).

Thankful Thursday.....

Mo is thankful that mom is gentle when she kicks him off the kitchen counter.... MOL  She said she had to take this picture first cause of all the counter he could sit on, he parked his behind on the pot holder....

Mom met a very nice family last night at the shelter who adopted a young kitty named Rose. It was very sweet!!! Mom loves helping these kitties and families match up into their forever homes....and is so thankful that people are learning to ADOPT NOT SHOP!!

We thought we would get some sun puddles yesterday, but the sun was messing with us - showed up for a little bit but then disappeared before it could come in the windows.....drat!!

Miss Dollop could use some purrs. The other lady that mom is working with from the rescue emailed her today and said that Petco called and Dollop wasn't eating. Miss Beckie went and picked her up and Dollop got some sub-q fluids and did eat some canned chick-hen.....mom is afraid that the move to the store was just too much for this shy girl.

Oh - and the shelter has put up a Finally Home page on their website. Some of you may remember mom talking about Smudge (Mo Cats Day). Well, this was posted from his mom (it is longer, but this is the part that made mom laugh:

"Smudge is the second black cat we have owned and they are definitely unique. For some reason, black cats seem to act more like dogs and have this great fascination with water. I'm currently shopping for a kitty fountain for Smudge. I figure that it would be easier than trying to teach Smudge to turn off the faucet with his kitty paws. His love of water has progressed into a fascination with the washing machine. It's a front loader and everytime that I start a load of clothes, he runs down to the basement and watches the clothes spin."

Blackout Wednesday

Two bills that are currently going through US Congress — SOPA in the House of Representatives and PIPA in the Senate. These are internet censorship bills that could destroy the World Wide Web as we know it and hamper our freedom of speech. Even though this is happening in America, these bills have far-reaching repercussions for the web as a whole. There are many companies against SOPA, such as Google, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia, and today we are joining the protest.

Tabby & Tortie Tuesday....

Well, it was bound to happen.....the kittens got a b-a-t-h....

Mom was doing her hair on Sunday (something about a gray color she doesn't like so much). And she grabbed the flea comb (with the really close tines) and ran it through both kittens. Found lots of dirt - and a couple of friends. YIKES!!! So, into the tub they went.

We have gotten questions....do all kittens get baths? When and why? And HOW???

Not all kittens get baths. We don't get them at all. We are self-cleaning, thanks!!!  However, sometimes we have pretty tiny kittens that are....well....messy. So they baths. Mom says in all our kittens, she thinks there have only been 3-4 litters that have gotten the bath.

Bug and the black semi-feral girls got theirs in the kitchen sink. Then mom thought there had to be a better way. So now everyone goes in the shower....yep with her (we know, TMI). Works out pretty well...

They still sound pretty snotty, but mom says they are definitely getting better....

PeeEss: the kittens never leave the floor of the bathtub - mom isn't risking anything more than her ankles. :)

Weekend transport.....

Mom loves those bloodhounds!!! (we don't mind them either so long as they don't decide to live here - MOL) They transport well - just get in the car and go "whatever"....

Mom says they were super sweet and she loved them even for the hour she spent with them.  Penny (first two pictures) rode in the passenger seat up front with mom and Dixie (last 2 pictures) got the backseat to herself. They traveled from O-hi-O to Canada and New York to their forever homes through Ontario Bloodhound Rescue.

Cubist Saturday....

Some of you may remember that mom bought us a cube to try to help with some of the weird stress around here (Spud hisses at Junior, Spud stalks Ivy who hisses at him, and Tommy chases Spud). Mom likes the cube where it is, but is appears to have been taken over by Mozart (that is his black behind you see in the picture).

So, she bought another cube and put it across the room:

And she keeps finding Junior in that one. Now, don't get us wrong, she is really OK with Junior finding a place where he is comfortable.

But, this was supposed to be about Spud.....

Oh, and she bought some calming treats. Tommy won't eat them.....

well, that's....weird

Happy Friday the 13th....May all your luck be GOOD!!

As you all know, we got new foster kitts last Friday.....and they were SNOTTY!!! Poor trailer park babies - don't know what gushy fud is, have earmites and had fleas, nasty URI.....  BUT - now they are safe and friendly and getting better....

So, Tuesday night mom was in loving on the babies. And she picked up Mocha and felt something...strange. Like the ribs on her one side almost folded in. Now, mom doesn't freak out about much anymore, but she was concerned. Did someone hurt Mocha? Was this going to hurt her as she grows? We needed some answers.

Mom is lucky that she works for a small office (ok, not so lucky in some aspects, but they humor her rescue stuff). She left early yesterday and got Mocha into see a v-e-t at Rascal. Everyone was very enamored by the cute!!  :)  The tech checked her out and felt her side...yep, strange. She took Mocha back to weigh her and when she came back said she had passed the vet and when they got their hands on Mocha agreed an x-ray was in order (which mom had presumed). So, Mocha got her picture taken (she was very good according to the tech). Then the v-e-t came in to see them.

"well, that's.....weird"

Great, mom thought....I paid for that??  But the v-e-t smiled and said that she thinks everything is fine. They will have a radiologist take a look to be sure, but the v-e-t thinks it is a birth defect. The ribs on that side curve over like they are supposed to but then sharply turn in toward her lungs. And the v-e-t said her floating rib was REALLY floating out there. Mom asked about effects when Mocha grows. The v-e-t said she doesn't think it should be an issue, but understands the concern especially for potential adopters. She said that as Mocha grows, her ribs should grow at the same rate and while they won't straighten out, they shouldn't cause any damage. No guarantees, but at least good news. Mom talked to the rescue lady and they all agreed better to know now and be able to tell people - or be able to fix something now when she is little.

Oh, and both kitts got their ears cleaned and medicated again.

awwwww

Caramel says "stay away from my dinner" (either that or he was pre-sneeze)

Mom let them out for the first time last night. Mocha played in the back bedroom. Caramel made it as far as the hall....and ran back into the bathroom when he saw himself in the mirror on the back of mom's bedroom door. MOL!!!

new girls at the adoption center

Mom took some new girls to the adoption center at the local Petco. We thought we would introduce them to you:

Snickers is a 1.5 year old torbie girl. She is spayed and microchipped but the chip wasn't registered. She was found with a feral colony and they discovered her chip when she was trapped. The chip was tracked back to a Banfield clinic and while they couldn't find current info on the owner, they did say they got left with a vet bill as well. She is pretty sweet and was already sitting on the shelf looking out the front window of the store when mom left.

Dollop is about 3 years old and a gray/white female. She is front declawed and very shy. She was found outside and office and the guy took her in but called the rescue after she started moving stuff off his desk. sigh.....  She is a medium sized girl and sweet - we are hoping lots of positive attention from the store guys will help her come out of her shell. Mom checked on her last night and she was UNDER the cat bed. But, she was out and looking around this morning when mom drove by, so hopefully it is more the commotion of the store that she is unsure about and will come around quickly.

We are happy to meet you girls and hope you quickly find your furrever homes from the store!!!

Wordless Wednesday....

Quick update on the kitts: Caramel is BEGGING for attention every time mom goes in there and is very cuddly. Mocha is getting there too - she sat next to mom last night and didn't jump when mom picked her up - and she started to purr.....  :)

And, now, for your viewing pleasure, the resident old man cat: Maestro

Oh nose.....

Well, the head mancat's ninja sidekick got his....nose kicked!! (don't worry - it happens more often than you would think....about once a month Tim walks by mom and she notices that someone thumped him and scratched his nose)

We can't be sure, but mom suspects this may be the culprit:

Tommy says: nope, wasn't me. Nobody saw nothin'.

weekend wrapup.....

Yep, those kittens are pretty danged cute. They also had ear mites, so their ears looked a little slimy in the last picture. Both are pretty sweet - Caramel just purrs when mom picks him up (ok - it is more like "purrrr snort purrrr snort"). Mocha is getting better about being picked up - mom says she doesn't blame her for being a little hand shy right now but knows she will come around. For now, they are eating (though mom laughs cause she put out the gooshy fuds which they are ignoring but they are eating the dry stuff) and drinking. Not much else she can do for them except run the vaporizer a couple of times per day.
(oh - and to Admiral's mom - our mom was thinking about you last night when she was loving on Mocha....) 
Once they are feeling better, mom says they are going to get a b-a-t-h....yikes!!

Otherwise, nothing too exciting here this weekend. Mom bought some "calming" treats to try on us. Spud likes them, Tommy not so much. Figures.....

Mom also worked an adoption event on Sunday and 5 kitties went home. Now they need to "restock" the Petco tonight with new cats. 2 of the 5 were even a bonded pair - they were adopted after a week and a half in the store - mom said she was pretty amazed cause she was SURE it would take longer. And Cathie finally got to go home - her family had done the application a while ago but the pipes burst in their house and they are just now moving back in from a hotel. :) We are certainly glad to see all these kitties get their own homes - and that the adoption process at the new Petco is going so well....

500 Posts!!!

OMC - we are kind of amazed we made it to this point!!!

And of course, to celebrate, mom brought home more foster kittens.....  MOL

They are VERY snotty. Mom feels so very sorry for them. They are now on drugs and hopefully will be feeling better soon. The little tortie girl is kind of....hissy. :)  They were found in a trailer part and are probably about 9-10 weeks old. Their ears are nasty as well...ewwwww

A few days in the bathroom (they have already found the doorstop) and they will be allowed out....should be entertaining. :)

So, let's meet the kitts: (mom was on a caffeine fit today, so they are named after frozen coffee drinks)

Caramel (male buff tabby)

Mocha (tortie female)

Finally Friday.....

Mom says she is still astounded that a 4 day week can last so long. Nothing too exciting this weekend....mom has an adoption event on Sunday so she will be gone part of the day. The sun has been out a little bit the last couple of days, so Mo has been working on his tan in the sun puddles.

We hope you have a nice relaxing weekend.....

Thankful Thursday.....

First, mom loved all the comments from yesterday. Carolyn asked if the boys pay rent - mom snorted and muttered something about "if only...."

So, we were thinking about all the things we are thankful for, and as we start a new year, we want to point out those people we think about alot....

THANK YOU to:
Those who rescue - be it for a non-profit or just on your own

Those who volunteer at shelters and rescues - they can't do it without you

Those who drive transports every weekend - those animals get out of shelters because of you

Those who foster - what an amazing start for these animals

Those who choose to ADOPT!!

And that leads to this: In April of 2011, a beautiful torbie girl came into the shelter. She was named Esmerelda.

She did ok at first, but mom said she could tell that Es was getting depressed the longer she was at the shelter. She moved from a cage to a real room with other cat roommates. But, she wouldn't greet people and just didn't seem to care.

About a week ago, she and another cat named Butterscotch went to Petsmart. And on this past Saturday, an application was faxed over from Petsmart for Esmerelda. Single middle aged guy. Owns his condo. Had cats before but no current pets.  YEAH!!!

He was approved....seems he had been in to see her about 3-4 times. And when it came down to it, he couldn't leave Butterscotch, so he ended up taking both girls!!

So, today we are REALLY thankful for:

CAT GUYS

wordless Wednesday....

mom gets all excited every time she sees someone new sleeping in the condos....

Tuesday Transport News.....

Monday was a wild day for mom. She got up, started laundry and opened the curtains and used a word from the bad werd list.....there was snow on the ground. Not much, but it seems that no one living in this town knows how to drive....

She had a transport as well. Monday isn't a normal day, but with the holiday it worked out. There was a wienie dog/taco dog mix and a mini poodle dog. And there was a pair of kittens. All coming from a high kill shelter and going to rescue in NY.

And then mom headed over to watch more football. And....

SPARTY beat those Georgia Bulldogs!! Go State!!

And we are sure the Mom Paula from Sweet Purrfections is happy as her South Carolina Gamecocks won as well.

Mom came home later and rooted for those Badgers from Wiskerson.

Mom - you should really know better by now...

So, Friday night when she was at the shelter checking on George and Gigi, someone dropped off a big black cat. The cat lead person brought him into the front adoption room and mom noticed the collar and shelter tag. She asked what happened and the lead said someone had walked in, shoved the cat at a volunteer and left. Mom asked who the cat is and they said Smudge. Mom left after the kitts were adopted feeling a little heartbroken that her boy had shown back up with no explanation. She called her friend Miss DeLynn and emailed the cat caregiver as well.

Now, in mom's defense, she didn't check anything, she just took this persons word for the id of the cat. Though she told us later that her first instinct was that Garth the office cat had escaped his office.

Mom was back at the shelter Saturday evening to check on the black kitty boy. Miss DeLynn grabbed her as she came in the door.

Turns out the cat wasn't Smudge. But, Miss DeLynn called Smudge's house to check (he was adopted the Friday before Christmas and he is a bit dorky so we worry about him). Turns out his new mom thinks he is awesome, he was sitting in the middle of their living room and they LOVE him.  YEAH!!

OK - but then who is that other black cat??? They finally did what mom presumed the people did on Friday and, in hind sight, she should have done herself. They checked his tag number and microchip. It was in fact Falcon that was adopted this fall. So Miss DeLynn called his family and discovered that he had escaped Friday night when they opened the door to walk their dog. His mom came in to pick him up and our mom talked to her for a few minutes. They love Falcon but she is a little frustrated with the door jumping so mom suggested maybe an outdoor enclosure and harness/leash training him so he can actually go on walks WITH the dog. His mom loved the idea and said she would look into it.

So, Falcon was returned home, mom was reminded not to trust information without checking it first, and Smudge is doing great in his new home. We wanted to re-share the video mom took of him - we sure home Santa Paws brought him a fountain for Catmas.

This is how we spent our weekend - we hope you had a great one.

BTW - mom said that there is weirdness going on at work - which is where she reads lots of your blogs. She is going to try to keep up on our blogging and reading everyone, but her commenting may fall a little behind until things smooth over a little....never fear - we will still be here!!

Happy 2012!!!!

We thought we would share some of our Christmas cards with you (finally - that mom is kinda slow). She likes to tape them on the door to the pantry in the kitchen so we can all look at them. And we got WAY more than she did..... MOL