Back 'N Forth

Ah just discovered somethang new the other day.. hey, there's this thang way up there in big-cat mom's room, and it's going round and round.. aw- wow man! Ah just stood there and watched it, Ah thought it wus pr'tty neat. Ah stood on the beed and tried to figure out how Ah could reach it, Ah mean hey! that's a pr'tty biig toy up 'dere. But couldn't quite get to it. [Ceiling fan was on.]

But Pipi here began to freak out. She looked at that darn thang and sprinted down the stairs. Anywah, Ah lounged with big-cat mom on the beed, kissing 'er and awl as usual, when Ah heard Pipi start to cry: "Ow! Ah can't come in! And I want to! I'm really afraid of this thing, help me!" So Ah jump down and run to her rescue. "Pipi, honey! What's the matter? It's just a big toy, can't you see??"... Ah tried to make her feel better; I sat with her patiently until she calmed down but she insisted on lying just outside mom's room. And then Ah hopped back over to be with mom and continue nuzzling her and kissing her. This is our quality taime, you know, after she's gone all that taime.

"Ow! Pleeease! Someone? Come get me! DO something!", Pipi cried again. Down Ah go agin - that female's gonna drive me crazy.

Ah tried to make her feel better again but she wus too scared to come in. After she settled down again, Ah run back up to mom for the second or third taime..

Ah mean, how many taimes am Ah gonna end up doin' thiiis?? Mah-mah, oh-mah...

The Scratching Post

Big-cat mom came in yesterday kinda late but Ah greeted her with Pipi downstairs as usual. It kinda used to bother me when she started comin' in later than Ah expected, and when she'd trah to pet me? Ah would shake mah shoulder free from her and turn mah back for a minute.

Anywah, Ah got over it... Ah guess Ah have had to learn that this is laife here.. So Pipi and Ah were still groggy from sleep but we sprang up the stairs raight behand big mom. When we get upstairs, Pipi laikes to run straight to the scratching post and she just scratches up a storm; she duez that every time. That leaves me pr'tty much owt... Ah am left to my own devices 'cause Pipi here thanks it's awl hers..

So, Ah go to a nearbah spot and start scratching up my own storm [right on the carpet!]. Ah'm thanking: Ah'm gonna put Pipi to shame. That's when big-cat mom sprints across the room raight at me, oh boy. Ah see her comin' at me and mah ears go down but Ah stand there waiting. She picks me up and next thang Ah knew, she moved me raight over to Pipi's scratching post. Bah that thyme Pipi was done with her scratch-feast so she places me raight on the post itseelf and says: "It's okay, Gabriel.. This is yours, too. It's okay, you can scratch right here. It's not just Pipi's you know.." And she took mah paws and made laike Ah wus scratching, "See? Like that, Gabriel".

Ah looked around to fand Pipi while awl this wus going awn and there she was, peering at us laike she was mad. Ah hesitated while Ah heard mom saying "It's not just yours! Princess..". And Pipi looked away, her ears bending down and moved further away to pretend she didn't care.

Aw, okay, Ah thought. Naw that Pipi retreated and with big-cat mom standing raight there above me, Ah guess Ah'll just get on with the program here. So, Ah started scratching in-earnest right awn the damn thang just to make her happy.

Tryin' To Keep Cool

For the first thyme, Ah begaan to feel kinda hot since yesterday laike nevah before. Ah don't really know what's going awn and awl but .. Ah had to figure out a way to keep kuel. So Ah thawlked Pipi into going with me and layin' down in that biiig whate flat bed upstairs where we could hide too. Pipi didn't thank it wus such a great idea, she told me that if mom found out she'll be mad at us. It's a biig, white bed but it feels hard and kuel and it's behand this thang hanging from up hiigh, hidin' the whole place. [This 'thang' 's called a shower curtain..]

So Ah slept in there with Pipi for a little while, not'ing or no one bothering us. Oh, it's the same place where Ah tried to do a little beat of poopoo a while back and mom got ahold of me and we had a fight right in there but it wus awl forgotten, Ah mean Ah got that message.

So naw, Ah'm in there snoozing instead when Ah seense mom coming upstairs.* So Ah get up and peek out the 'shower curtain' to get one up on mom, see what's going awn. But Ah came face-to-face with her instead, Ah reely wusn't plannin' on that. She laiike was standin' there already looking at me and Ah just froze and didn't move for a few moments, as Ah'm peeking from the 'shower curtain' [like a delinquent at a hippie party about to get busted].

Well, that went bah and it waws awright, Ah guess. And then mom moved closer and wanted to look and see what else was behand there, besides me. That's when Pipi bolted from the other side laike a bat outta hail 'cause she knew mom wouldn't be happy about it. Pipi just didn't give her a chance, Ah mean she just ran outta there as fast as she could.

Pipi did say that was a "no-no" place but Ah tawlked her into it anywah.

* [How he sensed it is beyond me because you cannot hear anyone going up the stairs..]

A New Lease On Life

As life continues with the cats on board, I still reflect on how I found them and I get amazed at the strong bond, the strong attachment that they have with me. I don't take that for granted.

Every single day, no matter where I am in the house and what I do, they're right there alongside with me. As I move about from one room to another, they follow me. As I open the bedroom door every morning, they're right there, camped out by the door waiting for me. I finally moved their fluffy mattress bed there so they'll be more comfortable. This morning, they were sleeping on each other, much like the time when I first found them at their adoption cage; but as soon as they heard that door open, they sprang up to greet me. ... They greet me every day when I come home, as I go through that garage door into the rec room.. there they both are, standing up and waiting. Always.

I look back sometimes, just for a moment, on how utterly sad I was over losing Princess in August. That awful day. And how I tried to continue living in this house without her, feeling the unbearable emptiness every time while the universe kept sending me the same message through several people: "When are you gonna get another cat?", they would say or suggest. I had to be led, literally, to that pet psychic... literally following a stranger by happenstance on that day, October 5th, where the message fell upon me that my poor cat in spirit wanted to come back. Soon. Before Christmas even, "at a place like a Petsmart". She said I would know, that she'll be "this tiny little kitten". She picked up that my poor cat 'had to be put to sleep', and that there was a problem with her kidneys or liver. And that I called her "my baby". I know that perhaps this nickname may be common for many pet owners; but I did call her 'my baby', all the time, in a special way. The fact of the matter was, this pet psychic was 100% correct about Princess's life and passing.

It would have to happen that I would get that sudden urge to steer the car to the Petco one day without giving it a second thought. Where I could not at first find a cat in all the cages that 'called' to me. Until I found this tiny tabby kitten with a foreign name tagged on the cage but who I later learned was nicknamed... "Princess"... Who would know her way around the house, and show me that she'll jump all the steps "upstairs" to "beddie bye" as soon as she heard it, who would run over to me the first time she would hear it was "time for [dinner]".

It has been a miracle. In more than one way.

And Gabriel.. well, it was love-at-first-sight with him too...Both of them were in the same cage along with two other orange cats. When I first touched Gabriel and held him, I knew immediately he was special. I mean, when this cat touches you, you literally feel the heat emanating from his huge white paws ... He is definitely a healing cat.

The arrival of these cats has created a kind of good luck, a kind of ... new lease on life for me. I began to sleep better as my sadness was replaced with amazement in my heart. And then I suddenly got recruited for a new IT job just a few weeks after their arrival. In the dead-of-winter, something that has rarely happened to me in my entire consulting history. Everything has cruised on peacefully ever since.

This is a ...furry miracle.

Lipstick On A Cat

By now, Princess's heat cycle has subsided; there's no more ... hedonistic rolling and twisting on the floor, no more posing and posturing and other obscene gestures. :)

Except Gabriel's 'bahind', right now, who decided to park right up against my laptop's screen - and for his parting shot before he jumped off the table, he reached out with his huge white paw and swapped the laptop one.. (Yep, apparenly he doesn't like this new 'thang', taking all my attention.) *

So when Princess went through her first heat cycle something new emerged, a new physical characteristic that I am guessing must be a result of the hormonal changes: All of a sudden there was a dark spot under her tiny little mouth forming a kind of lip-like appearance. I looked and looked closer... somehow, the area under there has simply gone dark - as if she's got black lipstick. Who knew? A cat in heat develops ... lipstick-mouth.

(Much better look than lipstick on a pig, I'm sure.)


* [I have finally given in to in-home internet after resisting it for so long... I am hoping it's not going to keep me home longer than normal or curtail my overall physical activity.)

A Bit of an Embarassment

Ah'm gonna mike 'dis short 'n sweet... well, Ah actually wouldn't even want to admit it, really. But here Ah wuus agin, lounging on the bed 'dis mornin' with mom and Pipi, having a really nice thyme stretched out by the saide of the beed. And mom had her back turned away from me, Ah thank she wus napping. Anywah, next thang Ah knew, Ah feel her hand stroking the tips of mah legs, Ah guess she was trying to find me .. And so, Ah oblaaiged as usual and tried to turn awl mah attention toward her... but mah belly somehow got caught at the edge of the beed and next thang Ah knew Ah wauus goin' down feet first. So here Ah am, holding on for dear laiife god-darn it .. Mom sat up and realized what wauus happenin' and got me bah mah shoulders... But Ah was so heavy, it took a whaile to get me back on up agin... And 'den Ah realized mom was actually... laughing at me. Mah ears went down and they usually never go down laaike that. Soon as Ah made it back up to the beed, Ah turned mahself around so she wouldn't see mah face... she could see mah butt, though.. And mah tail swinging raight and leeft.

This wauus kind of embarrasin' to me, y'a know.. Ah just don't laiike to be laughed at.

Another Hump On The Road

Yaw know? If it's not one thang, it's another. Gabriel here agin, aand Ah'm gonna try and explain 'dis to y'all as best Ah can: Pipi here has been acting up the last couple of days in a way Ah just hadn't quaate anticipated. Awl of a sudden, she's begun to laike .. roll on the floor in front of me, kinda acting downright foolish. Ah mean, tuday she's even streeetched her back as long as she could and ...uhm.. well, pretty much raised her whooole derriere up in the air. Raiight in front of my face, mind ya.. Ah tried to step up to the plate mahself, mind ya.. Ah swapped her a few, Ah got on her back and gave her a few nips here and 'dere. But Ah really just had to walk away. Well - that is, if mom didn't already jump over at us and told us to "stop it!". But Pipi over 'dere just couldn't quiite help herself, Ah could see that. Ah mean, she's begun to make these chirping noises at me and awwl.. Just begging to be spanked, Ah thank.

Anywah, mom started playing with us right about the point where Ah just couldn't take it no more and naw we both had a great thyme with the flying thang [the fishing pole string toy]. We played, and played until both Pipi and Ah got too tired to thank about anythang else, know what Ah mean?

... But every few hours, Pipi just goes baack to this new aact of hers and it's makin' me crazy, Ah tell ya.. Ah wanna sit 'er down and just make her stop but Ah .. caan't!

[Mom's timing with the vet visits hasn't been exactly up to par... Who knows now how long we'll have to wait until it's safe to have "Pipi" altered.. I have heard that they can die if they're operated on while they're still in heat... Aw-mah-GOD! ]

Not My Cup of Tea...

Hi, y'all.. Iiit's Gabriel here. And Ah'm laying down on mom's bed, all relaxed and happy... When she decides to start tickling me down low in my belly.

'Hey, 'dere.. that's a no-no zone, dear!', I say with a quick nip at her fingers.

But 'dere she goes, done it again. Ah nip at her harder this thyme. Nope, she ain't getting it. She keeps tickling me down there, hey .. Ah'm kinda sensitive nowadays about that whole area, know what Ah mean? Bah the third or fourth thyme, after downright biting her fingers Ah give up and get disgusted, Ah jump down from the bed to get away from this unpleasantness. Ah pass by Pipi on my way outta here, looking back at 'her: "Comin' Pipi? Ah'm outta here."..

Nope, she ain't followin me. That's aww-raght. Ah go on my merry way to my own beeed, next door, know what Ah mean?

Hmmm... It's gettin' kinda lonely in here. Pipi and mom are still lounging around on her beeed. Aw, Ah guess Ah can just go baack and pretend no-ting eaver happened.

Hmm. Yep, don't like to be on my own that muuch.

New and Exciting Blog Features!

Hey, you all! Try and log into the blog, you're all members.

If you haven't already, check out the Mean Kitty video - it's my favorite!

The Favorite Links are personal tried-and-true places. Gabriel and Princess 2 were adopted through Four Paws Rescue Team. The Favorite Vet was the place we used to go to with Princess for all her fluid shots and now we go there with the new kitties too. Animal Attractions is an actual pet lover dating/networking site.

Have Fun!
Love,
Denise

Ah Thank Ah'm On Tha Awuts

Ah'm Gabriel, here - Ah get addressed as such, Ah don't answer to "Googie". Naw, you all know Ah'm quite easy going and awl. Ah mean, okay, Ah have mah moments. But Ah DO oblaage, yees maam.

Ah try to do raaight by mom and Pipi here.. down to the toilet roll..

But naw? Ah got me another problem. Yaw see, mom was cawling me this morning and Ah heard her, and Ah came to her looking her raaight in the eye laike "yes?". She wanted me to come over to the bed, she tapped her hand raight on it and Ah did oblige right then and there. Ah mean, that was a clear invitation.

But then Ah saw Pipi already awn there, you see. She took kinda laike ... possession of it and in short order? Ah pretty much had to get down soon after that. Ah took my old post by the corner outside the bed room, bah the doorway. That is where Ah wait for mom each morning, you see.. That's mah spot. And, ya' know, mom tried to tell me Ah didn't have to lay there but she just don't understaaand what's going on here. You see, Pipi has a lot of rules of her own 'round here.. It's laike, her bed, her 'poopoo box', her toy, her [scratching post] .. and don't scratch here, don't scratch there.. She pretty much keeps me out of all these thangs. But Ah do insist on the toys, though. She even talked me into not using the 'poopoo box' so she can have it all to herself, you see? Ah had to go downstairs this mornin' and use the other one, even after mom cleaned it all up after Pipi. Ah mean, she tried to put me in there once or twice but then Ah saw Pipi lurking around and Ah just thought: You know whaaat? Ah don't want any trouble, Ah'll go down...

... Ah thank Pipi thanks she owns this place and Ah'm laike.. on the owts.

[Mom ain't gonna let that happen, though.. :) ]

Mother's Little Helper

Hello all, Princess here. And I must tell all just how vigilant I do get sometimes. Like when "Googie" starts acting like a retard himself? Yep.

I was lounging limp all over mom, right there on our favorite couch when I see him start to hang like a monkey from that little step between that room and this one.. [step-down from dining to living room, covered in carpeting].

He just goes into this .. convulsive trance and starts clawing like a madman. And I KNOW mom doesn't like that - I've seen her chase him every time he does it. She leaps up from the couch and darts toward him like a big, mean, mother cat. So, this time, as soon as I heard the clawing I leaped up from her comfortable lap, flung myself across the coffee table and darted right at him, that bad boy.

"NO! Goog! NO!", I insisted, pouncing on him to stop, forcing him to stand upward again and moving him away all at once. "You know she doesn't like that!" I said, chasing him away from the spot as we met nose-to-nose, in-his-face.

Mom didn't have to lift a finger, you know.. I did it all this time.

Let Me Explain Some Things

As life continues to evolve with the new Princess, more of the same keeps coming up like the peeling of an onion. I was cleaning the litter box and at the end I said my usual "All clean!" phrase I used to say before. On cue, Princess ran over to the box immediately from the other end of the room. It was the first time she had heard this phrase.

If she were to communicate verbally to Googie, this is what she would say: "Let me fill you in on some things around here, Googie, okay: When she says "I'm gonna go bye-bye and I'll be baaack", that means she's gonna go downstairs and leave out that door down there. At which point we go down there to escort her out, get it? And when she comes back home? She'll come through that door again and many times? She'll have these scrunchy bags. We wait for her down here, you see? And then you check those scrunchy bags out, put your nose into them, 'cause that's where our "nummy num" is. And when she goes into the kitchen and says "Time for nummy-num?" That means you run over and get your food, in short order! Now: When she cleans the litter box? You have to wait. You wait until she says: "All clean!", and then you can jump in there as much as you want. And for god's sakes, Gabriel! Don't wake her up!.. Especially when she says it's "Time to go to beddie-bye"? We go upstairs with her. But when that door gets closed? Can't you see me being quiet the whole time after that? (Well, I guess you can only talk to her when you can sense she's already awake, know what I mean?)

I know every bit of this house, Googie, just trust me on this and do what I do. "

Signs of Unrest?

Gabriel seems to have adjusted well after the trip to the vet last week. Or so I think.

I mean, he doesn't seem to be holding a grudge on me at all; he's just as affectionate as before, such a trusting sweet soul he is.. But I came home the other evening to find both carrier and collar ...stomped on.

Yup... Not sure who did it, but that carrier was almost disassembled. And the collar, which had fit him perfectly, a soft plastic blue number that made him look like he came out of the Middle Ages, was flattened as it lay on the bed. I just can't imagine the scenario but I can certainly try: Knowing Princess, she probably did it for him, as he shared his disjointed impressions from that day at the vet's. So, to make him feel better, she most likely went ahead and ...creamed that carrier, STOMPED on that collar! 'Take that! "

I'd like to see what'll happen again if I just put that collar around his neck for a few minutes... Just for fun... (or not!)

Princess 2.0

I was on the phone the other day and I started getting tense, my voice rising and what not (a doctor's appointment-gone-wrong type of thing)... As I sat on the couch talking, all of a sudden Princess comes out of nowhere and tries to .. calm me down...She jumped all around me, on my lap, made her special 'chirping' sound, tried to get to my face... Oh my god.. I couldn't believe it.. Just like before, this one's getting into the same specific act. The only thing she didn't do was to tap her paw on my mouth like Princess 1.0 used to do... but hey - she's still young! And doing this at only six months, while the original behavior took years to acquire.

Wow...