The Ghost Fly

Well what do ya know: Just as I was ready to pack it up for the night and go 'upstairs', I began to notice that Princess started to suddenly sit up from her snooze position.

I noticed she began to focus and stare at something at the wall to my left. (Church bell) - OH! It's that ...FLY! .. And it's huge! And we thought it was DEAD!

Now Princess was getting all mesmerized all over again. Her little mouth started to open and her chin started to tremble as she stared at the fly.

Time went by and I looked up from my computer only to find Princess in the same position, this time having this glazed look over her eyes, still staring. The look in her face was so unreal I started laughing hysterically out loud.

Suddenly, she came to, out of her trance and shifted her little face to gaze at me. She just snapped back and realized I was right there.

:)

[Pipi has already spent all her energy chasing the fly earlier... all she can do now is just stammer and tremble her chin, and murmur... :)) ]

My One Mission In Life

Well - Besides being with mom, that is. That would be catching an errant fly around the house.

You see, when we spot a fly - a rare thing around here - we spring into action. It doesn't matter if we've been sleeping, snoozing, or lounging all day up there with mom. When we get wind of a fly, Googie and I become a tight team. We work together to catch it.

So, this early evening we did. Googie suddenly leapt from the bed to go chase it, I admit I hadn't realized what was going on yet (well, what with the constant rolling around, you know; I mean, I totally forgot about my heated condition and all.)

So then we chased it around mom's room; then I ventured on and chased it clear to the small room as it drove me crazy watching it circle around the lights.

"Don't you DARE get up there!!", mom bellowed. See, she's got all her things all over up there. The closest I could get to it was to jump up halfway [on the side of the tub]. And I tried to stare it into submission with all my muster [and adrenaline] running through my body, my eyes wide open and my spirit ready to fire.

Googie waited just outside the small room as I darted out still chasing it. I was going crazy, I could taste it in my mouth. The last thing I remember is seeing Googie out of the side of my eye jump one last time. And then we lost it.

"WHERE did it GO??!!", mom asked. We looked around, stunned.

As we continued stepping down the stairs looking for it, Googie put nose-to-nose on any little thing that looked like it could've been the fly. But it wasn't.

[Googie pretty much swatted at it, is what I believe happened because it disappeared right after; it just drove them crazy that they couldn't get ahold of it, it probably flew somewhere out of reach.]

New Cat Video of the Week

Hello you awl!
We have a new cat video of the week! It's a kitten playing foosball - first video.

(yeah... YouTube just keeps popping up with other random ones hitting my parade... oh well .. just ignore the rest, okay?)

Not The Right Time

Mom came in tonaight and did her usual thangs. Ah followed 'upstairs' as usual, checked in on her in the 'small room' and Ah parked it right there next to her feet. Ah wasn't expecting anythang else, really. And then she did an unthankable thang to me: She leaned over and picked me up like she does in our morning routine.

Ah wasn't expecting thees. Ah felt quate uncomfortable with this unpredictable development and called her out awn it. Mah body stiffened a bit while mom asked me what was the matter.

Ah just waited patiently for her to get through hugging me and rubbing her cheek up against mane, while mah tail continued to swing back and forth.

'Dees just wasn't the right TIME, okay? In the mornin' Ah'm awl for it, and Ah even purr to all hale over it.

Not in the evening.


[I guess I didn't realize just how much cats are really ... regimented.]

An Ah-HAH! Moment

Tonaight, Ah was on a roll. Busy chasing Pipi up and 'downstairs' and then back up again.

And just as Ah was takin' mah last futile swipe at her ever-moving fast butt, who do Ah see standing there.

"Ah-HAH!!", mom called out at us. We both stopped in our tracks, Pipi and Ah.

To tale you the truth, Ah didn't know WHO was in trouble: Me or Pipi? Ah stood there for a few moments, one paw in front of the uther with mah eyes all wide waiting for more clues. Usually, it's Pipi who starts darting away guilty as hale. But naw, she just stood right in front of me, looking at mom in the same frozen position.

Well, to be honest? We ALL just stood there looking at each other. And then we pretty much forgot about it; Ah mean, Ah did. Ah had to start moving again, you know?

:))

A Reactionary Cat

Pipi is running wild again for a short while now and she was begging me the other naight for some play. So, as usual, Ah responded the best Ah could. When Ah see her in this way, rolling all over the floor, thrusting her belly at me and awl... Ah just can't help it but pounce on her and nip her on her back. Ah get at her and trah to gain control.

And then Ah hear mom sayin' somethang mah way.

"Gabriel, stop it... you need to be careful not to hurt her, okay?"

You know? That pretty much stopped mah momentum and Ah just walked away, passing mom where she was sitting and not even looking up at her. Ah just kept walking right into the kitchen. Later awn, same thang - different day: Pipi was going crazy again up on the steps while Ah was trying to mand mah own business just a couple of steps down.

Next thang Ah see, it's mom's face popping out from the kitchen, watching me. Ah didn't even do anythang this time, Ah just stood there trying to be good.

But you know whaat?? When Ah climb up on mom's 'beddie bye' the next morning to lay down close to her and Pipi? Ah dawn't wohn't nuttin' to do with her, really. She tried to come up to me and hold me close but Ah jerked mah head the other direction and moved out of her grasp. It's true, Ah dawn't usually DO that, but Ah wasn't in the mood to be petted. At least, mom can take a hint and she left me alone.

Ah mean, enough is enough: Ah've got Pipi on one hand, literally begging me for play - and then, Ah've got mom on the other hand insisting that Ah dawn't!!

[There is no other plausible reason I can think of that Gabriel would be mad at me today - the only thing is Pipi's predicament. :) ]

Busting Googie

So, I discovered where Googie goes in the morning like I was saying the other time. I had begun to notice that he would disappear out of sight as soon as mom gets up from her 'beddie-bye'.

You see, Googie usually follows me around, that's the way it is. And so, when I don't see him nearby, something's up. I've got to keep close tabs on that silly boy. And so, come to find out he's in there with mom! In the small room!

I walked in there one day and saw him parking it like he was on vacation! So I got in between the two of them and inspected the premises. Nose-to-glass, you know ... the usual. I looked here, I looked there, I passed by mom's feet. And then what do I feel? But Googie pawing my behind!!

I turned swiftly around and slapped him one right on the ear. "What are you doing!??", I squealed.

Disgusted, I walked around and stalked behind the door, planning on surprising him just the same as he continued to just lie there. But mom had a different idea. She spied on me between the crack and surprised ME. Oh well.

Indiscrete Grooming - Encore

Once again, Googie seems to be crossing the line at some point, as Princess becomes increasingly perturbed. A very particular Princess-cat she is.

Wrong place, wrong time perhaps?

An Indiscrete Grooming

Googie likes to come up to me often to grovel for my love and approval. So you know? I do give it to him, I do.
I lick him thoroughly on his head and I put my paw around his neck and shoulder for good measure.

One of the last times this happened, mom came into the picture and Googie turned around to look at her. Well, from that moment on it all changed for us.

Next thing Googie did was to nip me the wrong way under my neck and I wouldn't have any.

I pushed him away, insulted. "NO! Googie, I don't like that okay? Especially when mom is right here looking at us!"

Googie-boy never quite seems to get it at first, unfortunately.


[You just never know the fine points of feline grooming etiquette... ]

:))


[Video accompanied].

Cabana Cat

Okay, so I am hoping and praying this direct video upload is gonna work - right on my own blog!

Gabriel prefers a four-poster area similar to a drapeless cabana. Here's another video as a testament to it.
Cabana-cat!

Pleeeaase, Mom!

Ah thought that mom was gonna go "upstairs" tonight like she usually does. But awl of a sudden, she did a whole uther thang: She took a left instead of a right, and sat where she never sits. [in the dining room]

And then she began to be all quiet and looking at this thang on top of the table where Ah sometimes go and sit at.

Ah hung around for a while, patient. But then Ah started running out of patience and Ah demanded some of her attention.

Ah stood there bah her side, bah the chair, tawlking to her. That, apparently wasn't good enough. So Ah stood up, leaned on her side of the chair, and reached out with mah paw to her: "Hellooo? Hello, 'dere, what ARE you doing??'

She would reach over and stroke mah head but wouldn't come away from that thang she was looking so... intensely at.

Ah finally jumped up on the table itself. Ah realized Ah had to compete with this thang and Ah was gonna go right there next to it. At first, mom told me it wasn't cool for me to be up there but then she gave up. And so, Ah circled all over the thang and tried to get her attention. Ah went back and forth in front of her, even stepping on the damn thang repeatedly, seeing that mom's hands were all over it, dancing back and forth on these ... small other thangs... And Ah pressed mah paw on this leetle dangling thing off of it...

Finally, Ah figured Ah'll just settle right by its side, facing mom. Ah now had conquered the thang and Ah was satisfied.

[Gabriel noticed my attention was absorbed on the laptop... and he walked all over the keys trying to divert me... ]

Playing Chicken

Ah resumed mah chasing of Pipi. Well, a modified version of it, you see.

There are times when Ah'm really nawt into it as much but she'll do or say sometin' that will really teeck me off and then Ah'll thank about pouncing. So, Ah postured and bluffed her way - and she took my bait.

Awl Ah have to do mand you, nowadays, is just lean mah body forward real sudden... Just sort of jerk forward. And she jumps.

But mom here, once again, put a cramp to mah style. Again.

You see, Ah don't laike to be called "not naice". And so, Ah just walk away.


(... until temptation gits to me again in just a few seconds later.)


[VIDEO ACCOMPANIED - YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE THIS: FRAME 30 seconds to 37 seconds ]

Hot On The Trail - With A Break

Ah was really teecked off the uther naight at Pipi. Ah started stalking her and running up to her behand and didn't even care that mom was right behand on MAH tail.

Ah tried several times to pounce on her but mom kept interrupting mah momentum - WTF?!!

And so, Ah kept trying, and trying to git 'er. But then, awl of a sudden, Ah felt anuther kand of urging. Which pretty much interrupted me and made me stop right on my tracks.

Ah had to run the other direction and make it to mah bathroom pretty fast. After which point, Ah forgot awl about Pipi and chasing her behand.

[Gabriel hot on Pipi's trail but suddenly had to drop out and take a shit.]

:)

A Change in Shifts

I've been quite busy with all my interests and doings in the house all this time, what with mom chasing me around half the time calling me 'bad cat' after my forays into new spaces or digging up something nifty to keep, or with my flush, hot-and-heavy days rolling on the ground and what not.

And so, I hadn't quite noticed what Googie-boy had been up to all this time. But it did occur to me one day: 'WHERE does he disappear to when mom gets up from her 'beddie-bye' every morning?'

And so, I decided to inquire and find out for sure. I started prodding Googie: 'Hey, Goog? what's going on? Where do you disappear to? I see mom, and then she goes off to the small room ... and then I don't see YOU'.

And then he finally fessed up: "Well, Pipi.. Ah go awn in there to be with her.. what do you thank?!!"

"So what is it that you DO in there Goog??", now I really wanted to know.

"Well, Ah... Ah.. just sit there next to her and Ah look up at her and ..you know, she takes me and holds me on her lap and ..you know, hugs me a lot. Whah?? You mand??"

"Huh! Is THAT SO? No, Goog, I don't mind. But you know what? I'm gonna have to cut in on that, you realize that now don't you? Because you DO know that I'm number one here, RIGHT?! You knew that since day one, didn't you!!??"

"Awkay, Pipi... Awkay...You can have your time with her too, Ah aisn't holding you back or nuthing."

And so, the next time I began to pay closer attention to mom's movements, not that I wasn't alert before mind you, and made sure to accompany her MYSELF to the small room. WITHOUT Googie. I made it a point to have MY quality time with her, like he described HE did.

I made sure to stand up against the magazine stand in there and reach out to her nose, nose-to-nose. Another words, I was pretty much in her face at that point.


[And so, Princess tries to replace Googie (Gabriel) every morning while I'm in the 'small room'...But at least now they alternate.]

:)

A View From The Top

You know, Ah've been seeing Pipi awl this time sit up there on top of the thang [couch], sitting awl pretty like Ah can't get to her.

Well you know? Ah figured for once? Ah'm the one who's gonna git on top of there, and Ah did. Ah claimed her spot as mine, for a change.

And then mom comes in from outsade and stops in her tracks, just in time to notice me. She actually didn't know what to do. And she couldn't very well order me to come down, you know... That's just not the kand of behavior expected in our house...

Ah just wanted to show Pipi that there ain't nuthing Ah can't get to... And then she could re-claim her spot, like she did.

Time To Go

Mom was gettin' ready to go to 'beddie-bye' the uther naight and Pipi and Ah were hanging around as usual nearbah. In fact, I was standin' near the 'small room' while Pipi was still in her crazy phase, rolling about awl over the carpet.

And so it came time Ah guess but Ah lingered behand. Ah was just watching Pipi rollin' and writhing against the wall close to the door. Eventually she came to as mom started to tale us both 'time to go to beddie-bye', and she started to walk awn out the door.

But Ah just didn't want to take the chance and get too close. Ah had beean dealin' with this foolishness AWL day lawng and Ah wasn't takin' any chances for another tangle. Pipi on one hand starts beckoning to me, then literally begging me and tauntin' me - and when Ah do step up? She starts screamin' at me.

So mom tried to tale me, it's time again. "C'mon? Gabriel? Out?", she said as Ah stood near her leg, reluctant to move. Ah kept looking at Pipi ahead of me, not wanting to move at AlL, actually.

"C'mon, now? It's time...", she said again. Ah took a few steps but budged again. Pipi was steel in her crazy.. rubbing against the railing and the floor, and everywhere..

Ah finally walked out the door at mom's urging very carefully, keeping my body close to the opposite wall just to make sure Ah won't run into Pipi. Watching her the whole time, ever so vigilantly so Ah don't end up in anuther tangle.

:)

Pipi's Predicament

I've been having my moments lately, feeling very flush and very eager, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I also feel the urge to mark my territory carefully in as many spots that I can figure out. So yesterday, I began to scope out a new spot I hadn't gotten to before. So, okay, it was that way-out corner in the dining room, so what?

I sniffed my way around there, pondering.. and contemplating, should I or shouldn't I? I was absorbed all in my little world, it was my moment.

When suddenly I became aware that it was too silent in the house. I was no longer hearing mom go about her things in the kitchen. I turned my neck startled and what did I see? Mom AND Googie standing there, scoping ME out.

I just couldn't believe it - they were BOTH standing there, stalking me! Looking like they were about to ...pounce! Googie had lowered his face to the floor, his chin almost down on the carpet, eyeballing me: "Pipi, are you really gonna do that again?!". And mom was standing near next to him just staring.

I stared back for a couple moments, busted and in disbelief.

Aww, shit! I'll just get the hell outta here - this is SO embarassing!

[Ran downstairs, tail up. ]

Gabriel's Passionate Embrace

Ah was with Pipi tuday in the daning room and she was provoking me again to make out with her. So Ah stepped up to the plate and got into a rather passionate embrace, mah mouth awl over her neck - and it lingered there whale she just hung in ecstasy, upside down.

Until mom crashed our scene. Ah kind of knew she was standin' there but Ah was too involved now to break away. Ah just continued mah long embrace with Pipi, Ah had her with mah paw around her neck and shoulder, as she layed her head on the floor and stared at the ceiling. And Ah just continued to nip at her neck.

Mom stood there, not knowing what to do. " WHAT is THIS all about?? ", she uttered.

Well, Pipi pretty much came to and broke it off. And now, Ah was sitting there all bah myself, facing mom dead-on.

She continued to stand there, looking right at me. "So what was THAT?", she demanded to know.

Ah looked at her momentarily, having come back to mah senses - mah eyes all big and dilated now... Ah didn't know what to do. So Ah just looked away, Ah turned mah head to mah right looking at the wall. Hoping this awl's gonna go away and that she'll forget about it.

There are some thangs that just can't be explained to mom, okay??


:))

Don't Worry Pipi

Mom went out the door the uther day laike she does usually.

But she came back a little too quickly when she should of just been gone, like usual. Pipi and Ah were standin' bah the lower steps, wondering what was going awn.

So as mom came back through the door, we both felt a little apprehensive, Ah thank you'd cawl it. Pipi was stooping right next to me, not sure what to make of it. You see, this is how it usually happens if mom gets one of us into the really small thangs [carriers] and next thang we know, we're out of our home!

But as Ah studied mom's face and movements, Ah decided that it should awl be okay.

Ah turned to Pipi, nose-to-nose, to assure her thangs are okay, trying to placate her as Ah then turned back to watch mom carefully - to make sure mahself...

[He is STILL scared of being taken out of the house after two entire years... At least he would never run out, I can guarantee you THAT. ]

:)

Ah'm Nawt A Pig

Ah dawn't just jump on mom just because she's so close bah. Ah mean, when Ah'm perched up at the top of the couch? Lookin' out the window? And then Ah decide Ah want more close-up quality time with mom? Where she's layin' on the couch right below me?

No, sir - Ah won't just jump like a pig on her, Ah have mah manners.

Ah will test the waters carefully, so to speak, reaching hesitantly first with one outstretched paw toward her, leaning down ever so carefully, trying to balance mah 'belly-belly'... And once Ah get this awl right, Ah will then very softly land on her 'belly-belly' without a hitch.

The last thang Ah wanna do is hurt mom, aw no.. that would be unthankable of me.

Doing My Dirty Work

This is just amazing to me, to see how clever and sneaky my Princess cat can be:

I was in the 'small room' the other day when I looked over and saw her go straight for the garbage pail. It was full of dirty stuff, things I was worried she might swallow (like my earplugs) and so I quickly told her to get on out of there.

She did. But she had a plan.

Next thing I see, it wasn't even thirty seconds later, Gabriel comes in:

He goes straight for the garbage pail.

It was like: "AH'LL do it for ya, Pipi, honey ... don't worry.. ", so he starts nose-ing into the pail, trying to rummage FOR her !!

"OUT! OUT!", I go. He too quickly made his exit, gingerly bouncing out the door.

"Ah tried, Pipi.. Ah deeed.."

:))

Perched On Top

Princess has taken a liking to a certain spot downstairs where she sleeps or snoozes, sometimes even when I'm in the house. I have noticed this a while now but thought nothing of it. But then, when she disappears and I'm looking for her, I discover that she's right over at that specific spot: it's the uppermost perch on the rec room couch.

Why there?

Suddenly it occurred to me: This is the most comfortable yet secure spot for her, a place to get away from Gabriel and have peace and quiet and be able to snooze without interruption.

"Without interruption", I say, because 'Googie' likes to smother her. I have seen him go up to her while she's relaxing, nipping at the back of her neck, trying to dominate her, get her to play, and god knows what else. (And no, this goes on when she's not in heat.) And so, it finally dawned on me why she's picking that spot routinely, on a daily basis now: she's just trying to get some peace of mind! This way she can see him or sense him coming, if he tries to climb up - she doesn't get ambushed in a sudden manner.

Love can be smothering sometimes, you know?

Better Double-Check

Mom was going out the door as usual as Googie and I were standing around to watch her leave "downstairs". I was stooping near the couch and he was by the window, his usual spot, where he thinks he is really hunting. All he does, really, is just watches life go by him and he thinks that's hunting, ha!

Anyway, so mom all of a sudden said something I wasn't expecting as she was going out the door:

"NO fighting, okay?! No fighting."

You know, I usually just stand there and watch her but this time, when I heard that it sort of alarmed me. Whaat, what do you mean? Is Googie about to pounce on me?? I quickly turned my head over to him to check and make sure.

Nahh.. he was clueless...

Keeping Up the Pace

Ah was so happy the uther day when mom got up and about the house. Pipi and Ah start running around, keeping up the pace with mom.

As she gets down to the kitchen, Ah start to chase Pipi and she chases me back, and we're so happy that mom's is up and about. Ah did mah slide across the kitchen floor and banged mahself against the door, conquering that rug one moar time.

And then Ah lost track of mom. Where'd she go?? !!

Ah decided to go awn upstairs. Ah didn't think this would be, but Ah stepped hesitantly into her room, one paw ahead of the uther and Ah looked upwards towards her 'beddie bye', stretching mah neck.

Could it BE? She's back on the beddie-bye?

Yes, she waus. Ah guess then it's back on the beddie-bye mahself.

Regardless of how excited Ah waus to be running around all over the house, Ah climbed back in to be with mom and settled in for a snooze.

Opted Out

Princess is usually quite responsive to the simple phrase: "can you give me a massage?" She comes right over, most of the times, and starts to knead my stomach. (But you've seen those videos.)

A couple nights ago though, not so much.

Even though I begged for a belly massage, Princess's attention was somewhere else.

She opted out as she became absorbed on the movie playing on our TV screen.

"2001 A Space Odyssey". Her little face and ears pointing right at the screen, completely fascinated.

Cabana Cat

Mom brought in this thang, a whale back you see. And Ah took the liberty to presume that it was for me (well, Pipi too Ah suppose... ).

Ah took eenstant ownership of it. Becohze, you see, it's got four legs to it, and it creates a naice space where Ah can lounge. Awl on mah own. Ah believe they call it a "cabana" in uther terms.

And so, Ah always go there, and lay underneath it.

Mah own personal cabana.

[Video accompanied. It's a corner decorative table... ]

YouTube key words: princess diaries cats Gabriel cabana - just uploaded.

:)

Runnin' Enterfearance

Ah tale ya, Ah trah to do mah best. But sometimes? Mah best isn't good enough.

Yesterday eeevening, Ah saw the storm gathering again between Pipi and mom in the living room and this time, Ah decided Ah waus gonna trah and get in between them.

Even though Ah steel dohn't understand whah it is that Pipi fands it so necessary to do what she does where she has to go mom's couch where she sits and makes a mess. But Ah do know it makes mom upset and mad and she ends up yellin' at Pipi.

So, this time, yesterday? Ah saw it coming and Ah prepared mahself. Ah saw mom coming from the kitchen right about the time when Pipi was sniffing around the couch where mom sits. So mom took on momentum, charging from the kitchen. And so did Ah, so did Ah. Ah ran towards Pipi: "Pipi! Honey? Whaat are you DOIN? Don't you remember this never ends up goood??!"

Pipi turned for a moment and then realized mom's coming at her fast.

"HEY! HEY!!! ", mom bellowed.

Ah deed mah best. Ah tried to shield Pipi but Ah guess it deedn't do any good. Pipi ended up running in her guilty-as-hell style again... As mom, now bah the couch, picked up the flyin' thang again. And here Ah waus, running after Pipi, traying to make sure she'll be okay... when the flyin' thang crashed right behand Pipi's butt.

Hale! Ah gawtta go too, naw! This is too muuuch...

Ah lost steam bah the fifth step above mom and looked down at her, between the railings. Ah looked down at the flyin thang, it waus now in a few different pieces.

Hhmmm... how did it do that? Ah looked carefully at the wreckage and studied mom's face.

"It's okay.. You're out of it, don't worry", mom said to me. Ah came down but then had to go check on Pipi for a whale becoze she wouldn't come down. So it was just me and mom on the couch then.

:(... [the 'flyin' thang' NEVER hits Pipi.. I make sure of it, okay? ]

Ratting On Pipi

Hah, y'awl.. You know, Ah keep vigil on mom whenevah she locks herself in the small room [trying to get some privacy!!??].

So Ah camp it out right bah the door, waiting for her. [He's outside the attached bathroom door, in the bedroom.]

So she opened the door and looked right at me. Ah guess she noticed mah worried look. Ah do confess mah eyes were bigger than usual as Ah looked up at her, made direct eye contact and then turned mah head to the direction of Pipi over 'dere. Mom didn't seem to miss a beat on that one.

Yeah... Ah guess Pipi waus doin' sometin' she wasn't supposed to be doing, so Ah figured Ah had to tale mom about it. Ah mean, what else waus Ah gonna do? She looked right at me as she came out the door. So, upon seein' mah head turn so sharply, mom looked over to discover Pipi rummaging inside her open drawer 'dere bah the 'beddie-bye'...

Aw well... Ah mean, Pipi had no clue she was about to get busted red-handed, she was so beesy picking through all the thangs mom has in there, she had her back to mom.

"HEY! WHAT are you DOING?!!", was pretty much a foregawne conclusion, Ah tale you. No fuss no muss, though, all Pipi does is jump down and flies out of sight.

[...yeah, Ah do sound pretty lame and awl... becauze Ah guess Ah am.. Ah don't laike cawnfleect, really...]

Can You Make This Work?

I was 'downstairs' in the kitchen yesterday wanting to drink some water. So I extended my paw all the way just so, just like Googie does it. Googie has taught me that to drink the water properly? You have to tap it with your paw so it can do the 'bubble-bubble / glug-glug" noise. [After all, this is a water-cooler style dish we have here.]

So, I tried desperately to make it bubble down, extending my front paw out, over and over again but it wouldn't work. I tried doing it in front and then from the back of it.

I got frustrated and ran "upstairs" fast to get Googie.

"GOOGIE?? You gotta come down and help me with this! I can't get it to WORK!! ", I urged him.

Googie came downstairs with me, almost missing a couple of steps in his hurry to help. Ran right directly to the water bowl. He tapped it just so with his paw, looked at it carefully. So he looked back at me: "It's working, Pipi.. just go ahead and use it, don't worry."


[Pipi doesn't know how to make it 'work' - she stuck her paw completely outside of the bowl, by its rim. Googie, however, knows to tap it around the cooler-to-the-bowl rim. She really did run upstairs and got him to come down and help her.
You may find this hard to believe - but you've seen similar videos - including water-cooler video of how Googie does it. Check out this site and/or YouTube keywords: princess diaries cats Gabriel water cooler ]


:))

A Jumpy Snooze

I was laying by mom's side the other day, lounging in bliss with my eyes closed, purring away. I love our lounging time together and I just let myself go and snooze by her side. Not easy for a high-strung cat like me to do, even.

Then that 'phone' thing made its noise and she picked it up. Okay, I thought, I'll just continue snoozing my way into bliss.

My bliss began to be rudely interrupted. Mom began to go crazy again, yelling: "STOP IT!, STOP IT!!". And every time she yelled, I jumped a little, never losing my position or opening my eyes. I knew this wasn't for me, really. I didn't bother to jump down the bed and far from it. But I jerked every time she yelled to "stop it".

(Someone else was in trouble.)

[Princess has the ability to discern when momma-cat yells and it's not for her, even though it's right next to her ear.]


:)

The Bad Cat Syndrome

This will be much more fun to describe from little miss Princess' perspective:

All things considered, I'm really happy in my life. I follow mom around most of the time, I love Googie, he loves me, we love our dinners together, and I love to walk all over mom when she's on her 'beddie bye', before I give her my massage. So this is our routine, pretty much. Oh, and I always make sure to be "downstairs" to greet her when she comes in, regardless if Googie is there or not (he's a little slow on the take but that's okay..)

There's only a couple of glitches to this domestic bliss... Well, there's the part where mom goes and tries to sit on the couch... That's when I get nervous... I see her try to sit from afar, as I'm usually finished with my dinner in the kitchen and then walk over and realize.. well, that she's not gonna be happy when she sits on my pi. I just keep forgetting.

Anyway, it's gotten to the point that I don't even wait to be yelled at, or chased, or see the 'flying thing' thrown in my direction - I just high-tail it upstairs; real fast. But the other day, mom stepped it all up. She began to throw the 'flying thing' at me but then would start to laugh hysterically as she saw me fly myself out of the way. And she DID this two or three times in a row! I just couldn't believe it. Here I was thinking I was gonna be served my dinner, but instead? I was being chased by mom, laughing like a mad woman. It finally ended, thank god... She told me "it's okay, it's over - come and get your nummy-num now, okay?" So I felt safe enough to step back into the kitchen; she stroked my head and then served me my dinner.

But now? Every time I see mom start to laugh at me?? I stop in my tracks, my eyes start to get real wide, and I anxiously study her face, her every move to try to figure out: IS SHE gonna start acting crazy again? IS SHE gonna start chasing me with that thing? DID I do something 'bad cat'???

[Not always a Princess-like charmed life... Sorry! ]

Hitting the Liquor, 'er Catnip Cabinet

Exactly three nights ago, I shut the lights out to go to sleep without incident. Until I began to hear an unidentifiable sound coming from somewhere below... a low banging noise. For a while, I thought it might have been someone at the door even.

I decided I was not gonna investigate, I figured it must be something the cats are doing.

It sure was, allright. Woke up the next morning to find the kitchen cupboard OPENED, Gabriel standing nearby, apparently keeping watch.

"Pipi!?? Pipi honey? She's HERE!", he looked up anxiously toward the opened cupboard. And then what do I see? Princess Pipi jumping down and disappearing from eyesight in her usual guilty-as-hell, speeding bullet style.

I looked in to find catnip strewn everywhere, all over the cupboard and underneath on the counter. She had managed to open up the cabinet doors and get into the one sealed pouch of catnip I had stashed in there.

And she used HIM for her look-out!

(For the second time in a year, Gabriel has suffered a scratch on his eye, most certainly as a result of their catnip-frenzied fights; fortunately, this time there was no corneal scratch and it didn't cost me $210.00 like last time!!)

Rabbit Kitty

It is by now obvious to me that Princess has taken ownership of the rabbit - the fake toy rabbit sitting by the foot of the bed.
As she was lounging on the bed again, upon my calling out "Rabbit Keeety!", she took her cue and looked at the rabbit and even anxiously followed it back and forth as I held it up for her.

"It's mine! Isn't it?!!", she seemed to be saying.

Now every time I call out to her with a 'rabbit kitty?', she just shows up. She likes being 'rabbit kitty'.

Double-Vision

Mom came in the uther naight and she spent time stroking me raight bah the steaps [steps].

She had a bunch of little tiny round thangs on her, and they were all hanging and moving back and forth on her and Ah kept watching them, wondering if Ah should pounce. But then, some movement caught mah attention on the UTHER side, on mah right. Ah turned mah head to look, and what do Ah SEE? Ah see the same kand of little round thangs just like they waus on mom? But naw they were moving in the same way to mah RIGHT.

Ah kept moving mah head back and forth - to mah left, Ah could see them clearly on mom. And then to mah RIGHT, Ah could see them, but Ah could nawt TOUCH them. But they were moving just as muuuch.

What in the world's going AWN here? !!

Ah never could quate take action - Ah literally did nawt know WHICH one to pounce awn!


[Gabriel noticed my long necklace which made a shadow on the light-colored carpeted steps thanks to the light behind us. And he was totally confused about why or how the real necklace could also appear to be moving on the steps! Good point.. ]

The Closed Door

It is sometimes hard to comprehend how a tiny cat, weighing less than six pounds really, can manifest so much mental energy... Or is it soul energy? Does it really matter what we call it?

Here we were, all in bed lounging, and then I decided to close the bedroom door to keep the smoke alarm noise out. I figured the cats were deep in snooze so what would it matter?

Wrong, I was. The moment I closed the door to within half an inch of the jamb, they both sat up suddenly alert to the fact that, 'oh, NO - the door's closing!'

"It's okay, you can open the door if you want to. It's okay.", I tried to reassure them, and I repeated the fact that they could open the door. Next thing I see, Princess who had been watching the door like a pointer, jumps down and walks over to the door. Within seconds, she opens it back up again, as Gabriel is looking on and comes back to the bed. And she didn't just open it - she then pushed it all the way open back against the wall.

Did he somehow order her to go do it? Did she take my reassurance literally, like she HAD to open the door? Is she just a really obsessive cat who just has to have things HER way?

You take your pick. :) Use the Comments section, let's see if this works!

Nightly Thuds

It almost became a nightly ritual that after I turn in, after that bedroom door closes and I shut the lights out? I will hear thuds and bumps against the door. At which point I jump back up and open the door to find them both just having separated from a melee of sorts.

They stand there then, literally ruffled, standing still.. as if neither really wants to be the one to get in trouble.

"Stop fighting", I beg. It's interesting that the one who always ends up walking away after I say that is Princess. She's the one who reacts and stalks off. Gabriel then composes himself and retakes his post near the door.

One can only bang one's head against the door for so long.. :)

Not To My Standards

They don't call me Princess for no reason. I mean, besides the fact that I am, and always have been, a Princess, I do have my standards. And they run pretty high.

For example, I will not drink the water from the water bowl if the water is not completely clean and transparent to me.

And even if I am really hungry? And mom has just served me with my dinner? If I spot a little fly-thingy actually landing on my food? It's over - I won't have anything to do with it.


[Yep, that's what she did - she had lowered her face to the bowl ready to eat, and she spotted a small fly on or around the bowl and instantly backed off and walked away. ]

Cat-ichisms: Bag Phobia

This morning we had something unpredictable happen: two handbags I had hanging from a hook on the bedroom wall suddenly dropped. What I find interesting though is that, just seconds before the actual drop both cats suddenly focused on that spot on the wall even though I could not hear anything. Princess bolted away first and then Gabriel jumped.

An hour later, what do I see - Gabriel is standing by the foot of the bed, staring at the spot where the bags fell. I mean, staring as in a trance, waiting for something else to happen. He just couldn't get over it. He was keeping vigil by the fallen handbags, apparently fearing they might resurrect in a life of their own. (Well, one shopping bag DID ... a couple years back when he got his head stuck inside its handle and as he started to run the bag kept ..appearing to follow him right next to his body. He couldn't figure out that it was really an inanimate object simply stuck around his neck -- You don't all wonder by now whah he's gawt a Southern accent, do you? ) :))

So now, minutes later after this random bag drop, he is walking around in the same area on the floor. Maybe he didn't know I was standing right there practically next to him. Suddenly I shuffled my foot on the floor and the cat jumps two feet high in an instant relfex reaction.

As funny as it was, I have to wonder: just how deeply is this poor cat imprinted by whatever sudden events may have happened around him, or to him, as he was rescued? I mean, I adopted him when he was two months old... But after two years, he is still very jumpy at ANY sudden noise he did not expect.

Not to mention about having a ... handbag phobia. :)

Princess' Birthday

Princess has reached her second birthday by now. The date was October 7th
(and, unfortunately I never got the chance to post it on time given that 'mom' now has an actual job that she has to trek for every day right into the downtown DC area.)

But yes - she has now reached the 2-year old mark. And just as petite, although she is slowly gaining some more weight and more muscle.

Hey, at least I'm not one of those people who plans birthday parties for my cats! :))

(You know who some of you are! LOL)

Acrobat Cat

Gabriel turned out to be quite a cat, allright. I've been leaving this one thing out for two years but he's definitely got it into a pattern by now.

He likes to rush into the hardwood kitchen floor, slide, jump onto the kitchen rug, and knock himself against the kitchen door. Kinda like ... wood-luge. He loves to slide on the rug for that last foot before he knocks into the wooden panel of the door.

Definitely an athletic cat, he's got so much body energy, he needs to release it somewhere, somehow, and he's found a good way to do it. Nothing gets knocked off, nothings gets destroyed... Well, except the rug.

Oh, the rug. I bought that small, rectangular rug two years ago with the intent of setting it vertical, leading to the door. I wanted to cover the space across the wood floor where I walk the most. They wouldn't have it. Every time I entered the kitchen, what did I see? The rug was moved to horizontal, parallel to the wall.

No matter how many times I changed it back, they simply insisted in their own quiet little way. They were convinced that rug was all about them because it was placed in what they consider their territory, near their feeding area, and therefore, they took total ownership.

So now, the rug is in tatters thanks to Gabriel's 'slide 'n knock' games.

Things Are Heating Up Around Here

Okay, I admit it: I could write this from Princess' perspective, as I have watched her behavior consistently the same in this certain scenario - but I don't know what she's thinking.

All I know is that many times, she doesn't appear to want to share the bed with "Googie" while I'm still laying in bed. She's okay only if I'm up and out of it, and then she and Googie lay around together on it. But when I'm still under the blanket, and Googie jumps up to nuzzle me and circle around me, she consistently jumps down if she's on the bed already. I don't know what the deal is - but I think I can take a guess:

We have our usual routine with mom every morning as she opens the door: Googie and I come into her room, and if she's not already up, I jump on the "beddie-bye" to see her first thing. I walk around her carefully, I try and gauge her mood, I try to give her a "massage". I even tip my nose to hers, as much as I can. But you know what? If that sloppy boy finally finds his way and thunders up on the bed? I'm outta there - on the double.

I will NOT share my time or mom with Googie, okay?!! I just WON'T. Especially when he starts his shenanigans, like the other day: He all of a sudden started going crazy just because mom was moving her legs underneath the blanket. I just had to jump down and I was sooo relaxed, I was actually snoozing.

Things just got too heated for me, up there.

New Cat Reincarnation Links

Just to let you know that I have researched cat reincarnation stories and have posted them on the Princess Diaries blog.
We're not the only ones!

:)

Pipi Continues to Freak Out

As we noted before, Princess continues to carry this fear of the sound of scrunchy bags. Just like the original Princess did throughout her life, up until her last few years. Every time I put away a grocery bag she always bolts like a mad cat. She was snoozing ever so blithely by the foot of the bed next to Gabriel, the other day. Without thinking, I tidied up some bags to put away in the bathroom, right across this whole lounging scene. She bolted.

As she jumped down like a fire alarm, Gabriel woke up with a start himself getting that look in his face again like: "What in the hale? ..."

I stood there, facing the bed talking to my cat: "She's crazy, Gabriel... She's just being crazy, that's all." (Gabriel looked right at me trying to understand.)

I looked to my right and Princess had stopped in her tracks halfway down the hall, looking back at me, back legs extended, her neck craned over looking right at me: "That's right, Princess! Y-o-u a-r-e C-R-A-Z-Y ".

She stood there for a few moments, pondering the word. Her ears kept going back and forth like antennas again, while eye-balling me. She looked a little lost, a little confused: Is this good or is this bad? She turned her head the other way now, ears going a little flat, eventually disappearing quietly from view.

I don't think she liked that word much.

A New Word...

Tuday, Ah paid mah visit to mom in her small room in the mornin' as she got up, as usual. And then, Ah had to lift mah head and look at her face carefully, as she began to talk to me, using a new word Ah didn't understaaand:

"Hey, Gabriel? Today you were born!... It's your B-I-R-T-H-D-A-Y ! Yes! It is!", she said, smiling at me the whole while.

Ah looked right at her, right at her eyes.. tryin' to understand what this "birthday" word really meant.

Well, whatever it means, Ah thank it is good.. She was happy. And Ah got hugged as usual.


[He is 2 years old already... ]


:))

The Flying Thang

Ah just nevah...! Ah tried digging mah claws at mah favorite place dees evening, Ah paid no mand to the faact that mom was nearbah. To tale you the truth, Ah just deedn't geeve it much thawght.. Ah'm used to doin 'dees so many times now awn mah own.

But then, right as Ah waus gettin' ready to deeg deep, mah instinct told me to just check on mom...

Right about that time, what do Ah see but mom looking right at me, and holding, actually LIFTING the flying thang on her hand.

AW-MAH-GOD! Ah stopped dead in mah tracks. Ah couldn't even THANK about digging mah claws naw.. Ah had to scurry awn outta 'dere! FAST, Ah tale you.

Ah kept staring at mom in disbelief even though the flying thang never flew out of her hand. She then made like she waus gonna do it, and it made me scurry off a few more steps away.

Ah was in shock, staring at mom... "That's right, NO. You go to your scratching post in the kitchen", she said.

After a meenute, Ah guess Ah gawt over it. But eet shook me, eet really deeed, Ah'm nawt used to this type of treatment.

[Oh WELL! I'm trying to preserve my carpet here! ]

:(

Banned On My Own

Princess, the cat, has continued to evolve as a skittish, high-strung tabby, always on the lookout for whatever might be a perceived, imaginary threat.

Of course, that doesn't stop her from continuing to smear my couch on a regular basis with her scent, and worse...
She did it again apparently today - and she was on red-alert to see whether I would discover it.

At first, I just plopped down to eat and watch part of a movie. But then, I could feel that all-familiar dampness underneath my dress. She was around allright - on the lookout near the dining room, the next room in our open floor plan.

Soon as she saw me getting pissed [no pun, really], and getting up from this mess on my own couch, she ran for it. She flitted out of sight, flying up the stairs like a bullet. How obvious can you get, guilty cat?? !!

About half an hour later, she figured it would all be forgotten. I was still busy watching the movie when she slinked down the stairs, looking over my way as casually as she could muster. I did not even have to do or say anything: the look in my face, or maybe just my 'vibe' was enough for her to know that I was still, well... pissed. :)

She briskly bounced out of sight again, this time downstairs. She actually banned herself away from us, Gabriel and I in the living room, for the rest of the evening. (Until she got hungry and finally came up in the kitchen.)

Gabriel In A Bad Mood

I SPOKE TOO SOON... IT'S TAKING FOREVER TO UPLOAD A 2-MINUTE VIDEO!


I noticed Gabriel was in a 'bad mood' yesterday. This is a very subtle change, a very subtle process that you really have to be in-tune with, otherwise you could miss it. I mean, your cat may be in the house as usual but then you realize at some point that he's not sticking with the same routine as usual. He didn't come in 'the small room' to see me in the morning like he always does, he didn't even make an appearance in the bedroom as I was getting dressed, up and about. He's always there. This was very strange - and unusual.

Later, as he finally got on my bed to snooze, he layed his head against Princess's back. I looked at his face, and he truly did look like he had lost his best friend or something. I took video. And then she started grooming and licking him.

As he shifted about, I noticed he also did something for the first time ever - he turned his back on me while we were both laying on the bed. He had never done that before, ever. So then, I began to wonder what I might have done that somehow, signaled to him to be some sort of... hostile act.. a faux-pas.. :)) (I never did figure it out.)

So I spent time stroking him and 'talking to him'. I thought maybe, those two fought again while I was sleeping. Princess can be very vicious sometimes, I have seen her jump right on him - well, we've got some videos to prove it.. So who knows what transpired... You can see it all over his face though, on the first video.

And then, luckily, after I did some talking and stroking, he came to... Back to his old self. I took another couple of quick videos - you can see the difference so clearly. The cat has a very expressive face.

... Maybe, he had a bad dream and he couldn't quite distinguish it from reality...

:)

[VIDEO ACCOMPANIED ]

What an Overly Friendly Tone Means to Me

You know, Princess is no fool. She doesn't miss a thing, not even when I try to fool her - even though sometimes I can be quicker and can manage to outsmart her. But she learns very quickly from that. Take, for instance, our new thing lately, the glop I try to get her to lick from my finger of the calming stuff. (Yes, I am actually administering a kind of anti-stress antidote to my CAT!) Well, here's what transpired today, from the cat's point of view:

I was lounging in peace in the other room this afternoon, all cozied up and snoozing with my eyes half closed. You know, the other room, our room. When I heard mom approach. She took that overly-friendly tone with me and I immediately got suspicious. I wasted no time - my eyes got real big as I gave her the once-over as fast as I could, even though I was still laying in my spot. I especially tried to look at her hands but I couldn't see nothing [I was hiding the glop in my hand behind me].

When mom takes this tone with me, I know better, see. My radar goes up and I search to try and see what she's up to - I eye-ball her, trying to figure it out. I'm ready to flee, if I have to - but first? I have to assess the situation.

So this time, I coudn't see anything, and she was quick to come up to me and stroke me and all. So, I figured that was allright. When all of a sudden i saw it: there was this smell at the tip of her finger coming at me, at my face, the one that oh, I hate so. It was too late then...she had me, and I couldn't get away. All I could hear was more of the sickly-sweet tone from her, all the while pushing this funny-smelling glop on my mouth: "Come on, honey!", she cooed cheerfully; "Go ahead! It's nummy-num!"

Aw, please! I have to lick it now that you've pasted it on me, and I really, really hate it sooo....

"ALL DONE !", I then heard her say as she cheerfully walked out of my room. I stayed there, on the bed, trying to collect myself from this sudden intrusion.

Mom's Toes

Mom went to the small room like usual and Ah followed her right behind to sit near her like Ah always do.

Except this time, something was really different. Staring me in the face in fact. Ah was just gazing in mom's direction when awl of a sudden what do Ah see but bright dark and intense color on her toes!

Nose-to-mom's-toes: Hmmm.... Ah mean, Ah like it awl but.. does it smell? Nose-to-toenails. I do like it though, it's different [lick-lick]. Wonder if I can make it change.. [more lick-lick] Naw, it doesn't come off. Wonder if Ah can ... eat it?

"Ooh! No! Don't eat it, honey!", Ah heard mom go. "A pedicure is not meant to be eaten!...", she said.

Ah quickly retreated from that idea. But what is a "pedicure" ??

[This is the first time ever that Gabriel has seen a color on my toes in his 2 years of life... ]

[VIDEO ACCOMPANIED]

Another Cat?

Hah, y’awl. Ah had another sudden scare the uther day Ah’ve gawt to tell ya all abowt right now: You see, Ah was eatin’ mah lunch bah the bowls and awl, just hanging out there you know, drinkin’ the water and Pipi was bah mah side.

When Ah turned to leave, mah eye awl of a sudden caught a glimpse of another cat. That’s right, it wasn’t Pipi. Ah kept looking, thanking that mah eyes were maybe playin’ with me. But naw, there WAS … ANOTHER CAT in the room! Right down there on the floor near mah bowls!

Ah started to walk slowly toward it, never avertin’ mah eyes to anythang else except that cat's face that was starin’ back at me so intensely.

Well, Ah came right upon it, and it didn’t move… Ah found Ah couldn't really touch it and it didn't move.

“It’s just a picture, Googie! Don’t freak out.”, Ah gawt the understandin’ from Pipi nearbah who seemed to take it awl in stride. So Ah went along mah merry way tryin’ to act natural after that.


[Gabriel noticed the picture on the cover of “Best Friends” magazine laying on the floor by the scratching posts.]

New Reinforcements

Well, after the latest episodes of "Googie" (Gabriel) and "Pipi" (Princess), especially if you've seen the latest video in which he actually slaps her face with his right paw... Ah figured, 'er, I figured I would try some new calming reinforcements.

So the latest ointment would be: "Nutri-Vet" 's 'Pet Ease Paw Gel for Cats'. No kidding, that's what it's called. Furthermore, it says right on the tube "Helps Calm and Relax". How could I resist, right? Well the cats, could.

As usual, Gabriel didn't really freak out when I placed a small glob above his mouth. This stuff has chamomile and passion flower. Princess of course, being her usual obsessive self, pretty much freaked out but I was too fast for her to really react. In fact, the stuff is really for her more than it is for Gabriel because she is so high strung. Then again, it may very well be all because of him after seeing what he did to her.

So now, we're ALL on a ... calming regimen.

:))

Ah Dawn't Like Problems

Ah can't tell you how muuuch of a brouhaha Ah had to endure the uther naight. But Ah'll trah.

Awl Ah knew was that mom was in the small room and Pipi and Ah were just hanging around. But awl of a sudden, Ah hear mom talking to Pipi and Ah see Pipi struggling with the door. So Ah approach, and what do Ah see: PIPI, here, has closed the door! Ah thank it was her fault.

"Let me see here, Pipi... let me see what you've done.".. Sure enough, it was pretty much closed and Ah don't like closed doors or the problems that go with them. Ah gawt pretty much mad, Ah will admit. Ah turned to Pipi after Ah realized we're dealing with a closed door again and Ah let her have it:

"Pipi?!! What did Ah tell you? See what you've done now?!" [ slap! on Pipi's face].

Sure enough, Pipi squealed at me "I didn't DO anything Googie! I'M just trying to HELP! Mom here's trying to tell me to OPEN it!"

"That's bullshit, PIpi... YOU did it." Ah was so peeved, Ah jumped at her neck as she crouched beneath me. At that moment Ah get yelled at by mom, in a big wah so Ah backed off.

Pipi continued to struggle with the door and Ah just couldn't believe the situation we were in so Ah stalked over to her one more time, curving mah neck at her trying to make a point, ready to pounce, when what do Ah hear - the F-bomb straight from mom's mouth:

"GABRIEL!!! WHAT THE F---? !!!"

Ah had no choice but to back off for good, reluctantly so, Ah tale ya... Mah tail was whipping back and forth, mah head down in pure defeat and frustration.

So Ah resigned mahself to let Pipi handle it as she got ridiculous and crawled awl over that door. So, what...So it opened, big deal...

Ah was supervising though.

(I'm nawt sure what mom meant by "idiot" ... Ah thank she was cawling Pipi that though.)

[VIDEO ACCOMPANIED - MUST SEE TO BELIEVE - YouTube title/keywords: ThePrincessDiariesCatsDoorFight.mp4 ]

Ah CAN'T Deal With It!

Gabriel has been coasting through life for the past two years without a hitch.. without a worry, really. He has been pampered and loved every single day, he has company in Princess, he has access to a full house, birdies and chipmunks to look at up-close through the glass door, not to mention toys and all the privacy he can handle ... you name it, he's got it.

But he hasn't quite gotten the part where getting smothered by his 'mom' comes with the territory.

And so, yesterday, we had a few tense moments where Gabriel just wasn't in the mood to be 'petted' when I wanted to pet him:

Ah waus beesy keeping tabs on Pipi becoze sometin' was up with her, Ah thank she waus onto sometin and Ah had to follow her when mom all of a sudden grabbed me and picked me up. What tha... Hey! Ah wasn't planning on thees. Next thang Ah knew, she plopped me on the beddie bye and started her little wiles and awl, trah' ing to get me to looove her like Ah usually do in the mornin.

But this wasn't the right time. I felt totally violated and away from the real action, where Pipi waus. Ah tried to leave but then Ah felt mom's paws on me, getting me back right befawre Ah jumped off. OH-MAH-GAWD!! What's goin' AWN here?!!

Mah eyes got the biggest they'd ever bean, Ah just nevah... Ah thought AH was in control here.

Ah finally got away and onto mah business. But Ah just couldn't forget it, Ah felt perturbed and violated for a whale longer. When Pipi decided to park it outside mom's door bafawre she closed up for the night, Ah just sat beside her flapping mah tail in furious annoyance. Mom came out of her room and saw me, she could tale how mad Ah waus. Ah didn't even wanna look at her, really. Ah mean, AH am NAWT a TOY, okay? Ah have mah dignity ... Ah can't be forced to schmooze when AH'm nawt ready!

The Fly

Mom came in the other night and somehow this flying bug started taunting me all around. I couldn't even concentrate on greeting mom, Googie and I just focused totally on getting this fly. We were totally intent on catching it. No amount of height was an obstacle, at least for ME.

That fly taunted me over and over again - I jumped way high several times; sometimes above the lamp, then up against the wall. I was like a crazed cat but with a mission.

Then Googie caught it and I watched from a distance. I knew not to disturb his 'kill' 'cause he would've bit my head off. But would you believe that silly boy didn't know what to DO with it? He had it right there between his paws and he let it go!

So then the chase started up again and this time? I was intent on getting it! And I DID. I did.. I caught it in mid-air and grabbed it in my mouth. Googie looked over at me and tried to get at me but I wouldn't let him. I ran up the stairs quickly with my kill and found a private spot all the way back [under the dining table].

Finally, I let my 'kill' down - I had total control of it. Until mom came. She took my kill. I scooted away leaving it behind and ... she took my kill! [with a paper towel and threw it in the garbage].

I walked away with my ears down... I just couldn't believe it.. THIS is what I get for getting it? Googie tried to approach me. "Googie please, not now... I'm just gonna disappear for a while". I was SO deflated I just didn't wanna deal with anyone any more.

[Sadly, she left us for a while and went to another room.. ]

Another Belly Show

Mom came at me the uther day while I was snoozing on her 'beddie-bye'. Ah was lounging in awl mah glory, mah eyes shut and awl... And awl of a sudden she comes at me holding that thang she holds half the time in her hand [cell phone].

So, she starts 'coo-cooing' at me again, trahs to coax me into showing off mah belly. This mand you, is gettin' kinda old, Ah've done it so many times now.. Ah mean, 'cmon, Ah'm nawt a circus performer here. Ah didn't thank mah role revolved around mah belly! And besides, Ah'm so sleepy..

Then she said the "pleeease?" word, and that gawt me. That's when Ah realized she was desperate for some reason to see mah belly.

So Ah couldn't just very well ignore her in the end.

After a paws on mah part, Ah decided Ah will trah to please her one more time: Ah flipped over and showed her mah belly.

[ Video accompanied ]

Our Room

Sometimes, mom does certain things I just don't understand. Like a while ago, she all of a sudden took up and actually occupied OUR ROOM!.. Yep, she did.

At first, we couldn't believe it. Gabriel and I saw her go in there, fix the 'beddie bye' in there, and plop down right on it. If that wasn't enough, she actually closed the DOOR!

Gabriel tried to run some interference for me, seeing the shock in my face: "Uhhm... mom? Can you please open the door? Ah thank there's been some mees-understeandin' hear...[meow and scratch, scratch on the door]. "

She opened the door and looked at us, as I'm hesitantly stepping away, not knowing what to expect: "Well, I'm sorry but I need to sleep in THIS room tonight. Is that okay with YOU? "

The door closed again. "Ah dawn't know Pipi... She won't come out .. she won't open up...Maybe thangs have changed.."
"Uhmm, mom? Can you please open up again? [scratch, scratch on the door]."

Well, we pretty much got the picture; dear MOM ignored us the whole night through, kept us out of our own room, can you believe it.

[They really HAVE claimed the second bedroom as their own... They go in there occassionally if they need a break, some peace and quiet, like the time when Gabriel felt he was being 'kicked' out of my bedroom when I was trying to make the bed. This was their baby room, where I brought them into as young babies / kittens.. And they just couldn't accept at first seeing me 'take it' for the night. When I close my regular bedroom's door every night, there is never a fuss, let alone any scratching on the door; they have long ago accepted that this is my own space and this is the nightly routine. ]

:)

Another Surprise

I was deep in mom's closet the other day with Gabriel in tow, of course. That boy follows me everywhere I go, so when I find a treasure trove? He's got to share.

So like, I'm busy looking around at this and that, nose-to-things and such, when I suddenly hear mom call out:

"You guys are gonna have to get out of my closet!", she bellowed in no uncertain terms.

I couldn't see her but I certainly heard her. Loud and clear. So I didn't take any chances; I just promptly -and gingerly- pranced out of there, leaving Gabriel to fend for himself lost and deep in the closet.


[Yep, she did... She actually understood this whole entire sentence, not just "outta there" ... ]

:)

Ah Know Hah To Poosh Buttons

You knaw, Ah may be a sweet cat, and tolerant of mom's 'coo-cooing' urges, pretty much smothering me awl over and awl... But Ah know hah to poosh her buttons.

Ah tale you what: There's a certain point in time that Ah feel she should be opening that door barring me from her and the 'beddie bye'. Ah have mah limits even though Pipi trahs to explain to me that mom must be left alone during that time.

So when Ah feel it is time for her to open up, Ah start cawling her bah standin' right outside the door. If she doesn't answer? Ah start scratching furiously [on the carpet]. Naw, Ah've deescovered that, THAT definitely gets her up and openin' the door.

But if she just answers to me, cawling me back? [As in, "Just a moment!"] That'll work too.

Ah'll be patient then.

Nothing Is Sacred..

Nothing is sacred when Princess is in heat. Nothing.

She actually marked my... panties lying on the floor (!!).

She marks my seat, she marks other (leather) sofas, gets on top of the kitchen counter and marks the corners... And for some reason, she has to do it when I come home - besides the times I can't see her or catch her.

She likes to inspect my purse, dipping her snout into it and looking around.. I'm afraid she might pi into it too, so I have to remember every time to hang it up somewhere.

I now have new video of her and her in-heat wiles with Gabriel; look for it soon.

Ah Git With The Program Anywah

Hah, y'awl.. Gabriel here. You know, Ah'm the kand of cat that likes to please, there's no doubt about that. And so, when mom sometimes gets into one of those urges and reaches out for me and hugs me, Ah just stay as still as possible and wait for it to pass.

To tale you the truth, Ah don't necessarily like it, Ah don't purr mahself into a frenzy, Ah just lay there, immobile ... well, almost catatonic, really. And Ah'm patient.

Ah know she has to do this, Ah mean, Ah get that she loves me and has to show it, so Ah let it be. So, she nudges the side of mah face with her face, and makes these 'coo-coo' noises, cawls me 'mah baby'... (That's Pipi's favorite and naw Ah'm gettin' it too.)

And then the whole thang is over. Ah just can't disappoint mom, Ah'll nevah run away from it -- she's gawt to do what she's gawt to do with me...

All In A Day's Work

Princess was waiting for me by the window the other evening, perched on top of the couch and looking out. She saw the car rolling into the driveway, and that's her cue to jump down and run down the stairs to the ground floor. She waits there for that door to open to greet me. (Gabriel usually follows her but he's not always 'on board' with her awareness.. )

So, the routine is, we greet each other, I talk to her, I pet her, and then ... THEN, she bounds up right back up the stairs and heads straight for the couch, straight for MY SEAT on that couch, and marks it with her pi. This time I succeeded in catching her after I had wiped her pi on a paper towel.. She usually eludes me and runs way too fast for me but I have out-smarted her: I beckoned and plied her with the promise of food... So she took me seriously, her little eyes getting wide, looking up right at me... and then ... I guess I violated her trust by sticking the paper towel in my hidden hand right on her nose.

More running around ensued, she definitely does not like that.

But then, just a few minutes later, as I'm winding down upstairs in the bedroom, changing clothes and laying down on the bed... Who comes in to lick my hands...

"Can you give me a massage please?", I begged.

Yep, she did... On-demand.

Old Cat Habits Never Die

Some of you may remember reading in years past about how Princess One/I used to fear the sound of scrunchy bags - paper or plastic. She had that fear since she was a kitten, since I had found her as a homeless cat, taken in by a kind neighbor.

Well, Princess-incarnate carries this same fear. Every time I take out a plastic garbage bag or put away grocery bags she runs away like a bat out of hell. Meanwhile, Gabriel couldn't care less.

She also still does not like to be 'smothered'; she doesn't like to be picked up and held, just like Princess One. She'll give me a cat-massage, no problem.. But on her own terms.

And she likes to mess with my papers.

Did You Pi On My Seat?? !!

Unfortunately, "P-p" (Princess), is continuing to pay me back for something I did or did not do by leaving some pi on the crack of the couch, exactly where I sit... Good thing it's a leather couch.

So now we have a new routine. Well, let's look at it from her perspective, shall we? :)

Mom came back in last night and did her usual things.. She eventually walks to the couch - and that's when I remember that I left my pi there when I wasn't supposed to. And then I turn and try to look casual but my ears go down in apprehension.

This time, she came right out and asked me while I was still walking around in front of her: "DID you PI on my SEAT?!!" We even made eye contact. I didn't even wait for her to finish, I turned quickly the other way and ran downstairs.

"DID YOU?!! You F--k!", bellowed mom from a distance now.

Sometimes, she won't say anything to me. But when I see that paper on her hand, I know I'm in trouble already [paper towel]. I see her pick it up from the kitchen and then I remember: Oh, NO! And I run away for a while until she forgets it. When I come back from "downstairs", sometimes I see that paper scrunched up in her hand and if she takes one step toward me I know.. I know what's gonna happen so back down I fly, butt and tail up in the air.

I really don't like to smell my own pi. And Googie still can't figure out what all the fuss is about. He just stands there in the middle of the chase and just wonders what just happened. Then he goes over to the couch and takes a sniff - and still looks confused.

Lunch Interrupted

Ah was trah'in to git some lunch the uther day, sitting there bah the bowls, muchin' away, when Ah heard some kand of ruckus coming from "upstairs".

So Ah abandoned mah breakfast and ran over to the bottom of the stairs and stood still to trah to listen to what waus Pipi up to now. She was rampaging up there but it waus some kand of new noise that both mom and Ah hadn't heard of before... sometin' she waus doin' causing this noise.

So Ah just stood there, looking intently up the stairs in her direction, trying to figure out: Should I or shouldn't I run up there to make sure she's awlright? Ah always guard over Pipi and Ah dawn't waunt anytin' happening to her, nevah.

Ah looked over at mom who was standing there near me, listening to Pipi's rampaging. She didn't seem too concerned after awl.
So Ah went back to mah bowls and mah lunch.

The THANG!

Ah waus hanging out the hallway outsade mom's room with Pipi, beesy licking her and grooming her. She liked it so much, she was stretching her neck and chin awl the way up for me. And then she stretched her little head all the way to me to lick the top of her head good, too.

So we were beesy and happy together laike that. Out of the corner of mah eye, Ah was aware that mom was doing thangs around her 'beddie bye', like putting thangs here and there [I was changing purses and placing stuff inside the new purse]. So that awl was cool.

And then Ah heard it. Ah heard that special metal tinkle sound that Ah KNOW what it means. Ah didn't even have to see it, to know it. Ah suddenly came to awl mah faculties and leapt over closer to mom's room entrance. Pipi had already disappeared.

Ah stood there still, in pure suspense and mid-stride, one front paw extended on the floor, mah eyes wide open and dilated. Ah was staring at mom, needin' an answer fast befawre Ah took mah next step.

She turned to look at me and took in awl mah worry. She seemed surprised then. "Gabriel? Aw, come on! You're not still afraid of this, are you? " as she held up the THANG. [the house alarm remote]

She threw it near me so Ah can inspect it closer, nose-to-thang, you know. "Nobody's coming, Gabriel... It's okay..", she reassured me. "Yeah, but... naw Ah'm confused..." Ah thought, as mah ears went back and forth toward "downstairs" like a couple of antennas. Ah thought pretty much that any time she touches this thang, some stranger is gonna come in here and git me!

"No one is gonna come in, Gabriel. I have to touch it first like this before that happens", mom said. Nawt really sure about that - but Ah gawt over it.


[See Video: "The Story of the Alarm Remote" }

Gawt the Drill Down

Hah, y'awl, Gabriel here. Ah wanna tell ya awl that Ah've got quate adept at understandin' what mom means when she says:

"Excuse me?"

Ah mean, Pipi's been doin' it for a long time but Ah just nevah thought it was important until Ah kept watchin' her and she pretty much feeled me in on what 'excuse me' really means.

You see, Ah like to lounge bah the cold floor next to mom in the small room [bathroom]. But apparently, there's a spot where she always trahs to get me out of, and at first, Ah couldn't understand it. Ah fought it 'cause it was a good spot for me, Ah liked it there and darn it! Whah is she tryin' to move me? So Ah would raise my front paw and push her hand away when she tried to move me.
[He parks it down by the front of the sink area where I have to stand and wash my face, etc.. ]

So, naw when she says "Excuse me? Gabriel?', Ah don't wait any more, Ah just stand up and walk out - breeskly, mand you. Ah won't question it, Ah won't look baack.. Ah just comply with the ladies.

(the ears get a little flat too here again)
:)

Nawt Another Sweet-Talk

Gabriel took his post again outside the door last night, fully expecting the routine. So I thought I would 'reward' him and stood there telling him:

"Aww! you're such a GOOD cat. "

His ears went down. Like in that video when he's on the hardwood and I'm approaching him, making a funny kind of noise at him, right before he shows his belly only on "pleeease??"

Now: why would this cat's ears go down when I tell him he's such a 'good cat'?

"Aww, pleeease..! Don't butter me up when you know what I want is to sleep on that bed with you" is what it translates to.

Either that or just simply 'don't butter me up'.

It Finally Happened - A Doggie Legal Trailblazer

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/11/AR2010071103006.html


Here's a story that will tug at your heart strings. "Lucky", the dog, went to court .. well, sort of virtually, with his divorcing owners who both wanted to keep her. She was treated by the Judge as a family member. The Judge ordered shared custody of the dog.

According to one of the lawyers in this case, this sets the first legal precedent for pets. Pets are now being legally elevated to family member status.


:)

That Woard

Ah waus layin' in mom's bed this afternoon, had juust woken up in fact. After figuring owt mah whereabouts and what nawt, and taking in mom's 'coo-coo's', not to exclude her irritating urge to tip her nose onto mine when Ah'm nawt ready for such thang...

Anywah, Ah started groomin' mahself. Ah lifted mah [huge white] paw up to mah face, leecked it, and began to rub it against mah nose. You awl know the drill, Ah'm sure.

Take two of this routine: (huge white) paw leecked, lifted up to mah nose. And hold... hoooold it!

"Nummy-num!", went mom all of a sudden.

Ah sat there with mah huge whate paw suspended up in the air close to mah face, and looked at her. Ah wondered: 'how serious is she?' Ah had to assess the situation whale holding mah paw up, suspended in front of mah face.

"Nummy-mum", mom intonated again. Ah did one more motion and held mah paw one more time, looking at her intently. Ah then watched her walk down the steps, turning around to check on me.

Aw, awkay... It's time to jump down and follow her, it's for real.


:))) [For real! ]

Time To Get Up!

Mom was a little ... off today. I came up from "downstairs" earlier in the day and found her on the couch. Then later, I followed her "upstairs", expecting her to primp and preen and get ready to "go bye bye". But she didn't. She went back and layed on the 'beddie-bye'. So okay. I figured, I'll just lay there with her. I occassionally walked over to give her a massage too; on and off, and so it went.

But this went on a little too long. She was laying there much longer than usual. I mean, right about this time, she is usually not even here (!)

So I got a little restless myself. I jumped down and back up to check on her, I walked over near her face, eyeball-to-eyeball. I had that worried look in my face [that little tiny face of hers with her eyes real big]. And suddenly? I figured it out. Instead of jumping up and down the bed, I'm gonna like go rummage in the closet. She hates that.

So I did, and she just yelled over my way. I scurried out a couple of times. And then I figured it out even more:

I'm gonna like, PUSH the door ALL the way open. THAT'll get her attention. Hey, mom! This way to change, okay?

That actually, DID get her up - never to return to the bed for the rest of that time.


[This means, she got up and dressed and out the door finally.]

:)

A Scratch of Mah Own

I came down to the kitchen where mom was and noticed there was another long box there next to my scratching mat. I circled around it a couple of times and looked at it more closely. Mom saw me looking at it: "Hey, Princess? You can tell this is for YOU? ! ", she said. Yeah, mom, I can tell... I mean, it pretty much had my picture on it. And it was the exact same size as the other one that I'm using with all my glee and fury.

So she came over and picked it up, continuing to say to me: "That's right, Princess! It's for you, yeah.!" I scurried a few steps away... She seemed a little too.. excited about it.. like she gets when she's ready to stick a glop under my nose, so I don't really trust her when she gets that way. But I decided to park it right outside the kitchen and watch her open it up.

Yep, it was another scratching thingy. She placed it on the floor next to the old scratch [mat] and next thing I knew, Googie comes by and claims it, this brand new one. I mean, okay... I did have Gingy-the-girble, my favorite toy, placed right on top of my own scratchy thingy. [Yes, she does; every time the toy falls off, she places it right back on the first scratching mat that she claimed as only her own.]

Googie's version:
Hey! By-gosh-darn! What do Ah see! but a brand new scratch thang. A scratch thang of MAH OWN! . Ah promptly gawt raight awn it and gave it a test try. Dug mah claws naice and deep. Deed it a number of times, mand you, it's been hah time Ah got mah own. Pipi here claims everytin' as her own and Ah couldn't use the uther one for a long time. But this time? This time Ah stepped mah claws down and made it clear to her; she got her own over 'dere anywah.

Had to See It To Believe It

We were snoozing up on mom's bed this afternoon, Googie and I. She was laying quietly right beside us looking at some papers or whatever. So I let myself float into sleep, knowing all is well with Googie and mom so close to me.

And then I started hearing in my sleep this noise.... 'clip, clip, clip'...

I finally opened my eyes to see where this noise was coming from and right in front of me was mom holding this shiny little thing and doing something to Googie, working on him around his tail there... I looked over at Googie... he didn't seem too concerned, he was still relaxing. I looked back at mom and that shiny thing [scissors] she was holding.

This just didn't seem natural. I started really waking up now. Come to think of it? Googie had said something about this a while back, now I remember. He said that she was ...taking away his fur from back there. And here he is now, he doesn't even care! He wouldn't even move! I think he actually liked it, you know? He had a low purr going, oh my god.

You know? I think I saw enough. I'm probably gonna be next, come to think of it. Aw-NO. I jumped down and away from those two just to play it safe. This was way too... weird for me.


:) [Gabriel got his 'sanitary clipping' ]

Bamboozled

Every night, we go through the same routine: we follow mom "upstairs" and watch her get ready for 'beddie bye'. Ah take the opportunity to groom mahself along with Pipi... (well, that is if she isn't rolling awl over the floor, taunting me.)

There are thymes when it begins to look like mom might even let us sleep with her. Ah always jump up on her bed with that in mand.. Ah make mahself comfortable and hope for the best. There are uther thymes when Ah can tell she's intent to close that door so Ah don't even fuss about it, Ah take mah post outsade the door. Pipi is the last to leave.

But you know, when it begins to look like we're gonna linger? Laike mom's gonna let us lounge on the bed a little longer? Ah get hopeful. And then she comes over to me, walking around the bed behand me as Ah'm so comfortable in awl mah glory, and she starts to whisper to me: "It's time to go to "beddie bye" now, you know.. 'Cmon now.." And awl the while she does that, she strokes me and hugs me.

Well, what the HALE! Ah start to flap mah tail impatiently up and FLAP! down against [the mattress] becauze naw, damn it! Ah don't wanna jump down right about naw. And what peeses me off most of awl is the fact that she's tryin' to pull the wool over mah eyes and make it look like she looooves me so muuuch... When awl she really wants to do is get me owt of the room.

And so, mah tail flaps ever more furiously as Ah reckon thees fact. But Ah stand mah ground, Ah do. Ah only finally get up when she begins to trah to lift me and then Ah realize it's .. game over pretty muuch.

Might as well git up naw and jump down - Ah look over at Pipi on the way out who's usually layin' under the chair. And then she sees me, gets up, and catches up with me and we both walk out together, side-bah-side.


[Ah have sleep problems and just cannot be woken up by the cats - Ah wake up as it is at least once a night... ]

Nawt The Right Time...

Hah, y'awl, Gabriel here. You know? Ah'm gettin' more sensiteeve nowadays to mom's expectations of me.

Laike the uther naight. Pipi was makin' a fool of herself again all over the floor, nearbah mom's 'beddie bye'. Ah mean, we both were up there to be near her, Ah knew she was AWN the beddie bye, that much Ah knew. So Pipi is rolling awl over the place, begging me to come up to her again.

So Ah step up, again, tempted to get 'er good this time, whale she stretches herself. Ah usually like to nip her in the middle of her back, Ah thank she laikes that....

But then, right befawre Ah am ready to do that, what do Ah catch ahold of? Mom's peeping at us from above her bed!

Uh-oh.

Mah immediate reaction was to just stop... "Stop fighting!" was pretty much echoing in mah mand awl of a sudden even though Ah do get quate confused at that. "Aw sheeet!", Ah thought. Better not take a chance. Ah looked at mom's face, she wasn't sayin' anythang. Ah stared back for a second befawre deciding what to do.

Ah quickly changed mah mind and stepped away from Pipi and under the chair. Ah mean, mom's face was right there, watching me!


:)

Ah Wait For Mah Eenvitation.

Ah wanted to jump on mom's lap whale she was layin' on the couch the uther day but Ah could tale she wasn't ready... Ah thank she was a beet preoccupied and what nawt.

So Ah went and sat a little further away, biding mah time. Ah figured, Ah'll give her her space.

And then she turned to me: "Gabriel? Wanna come up here?? "

Ah sure did, sure did. Ah got up promptly and walked over to her to join her.


... You see, Ah wait for mah eenvitation.


:) [Happens every time.}

The "V" Word

That's right. Gabriel knows the word "vacuum" rather well.

He was lounging up against the railing on the second floor hallway, his head leaning against one of the rails. And then I gave him the warning: "Gabriel? I'm going to v-a-c-u-u-m", I said.

His head immediately snapped upright, eyes widening, dilating: "Huh? aw.."...

He disappeared promptly.


:)

A Transfer of Anger and a Curved Neck

We had a serious cat fight this afternoon that I had to break up. Unfortunately, it looks like I helped create it to begin with.

We were all happily lying around together on the couch. Princess was snoozing on my feet, Gabriel nearby under the coffee table. He figured, he couldn't fit himself on my lap this time, it was an awkward position.. :)

Then Princess got up to go eat in the kitchen. Just as I was trying to cajole Gabriel to come up on the couch, stroking him and talking to him, I noticed that he suddenly turned all his attention to Princess. It was the fact that she went to the kitchen to eat. He got up on all fours, ears perked in her direction, and began to stalk his way to the kitchen.

"This is why she is so skinny... He's stopping her from eating every time she goes there... ", I thought. Well, I stopped HIM.

"Gabriel? NO, no.. ", I called but he fought me. He spited me and ran right into the kitchen straight to the bowls. "LET HER EAT!", I yelled. I knew that the moment he does that she starts to leave. I reached out and picked him up and brought him back to the couch. As we both sank deep, Gabriel got stuck between the couch and my body, all four white paws up in the air, his belly sunk down below me. There was no way he could move up, he was totally stuck.

This was a very unsettling feeling for him. Apparently, Gabriel does not like to feel out of control. I began to giggle a little, watching him try to come up with that oversized belly of his and he couldn't do it. He really had to struggle and yet he wouldn't use his claws on me to get a real hold to come up - he knew it would hurt me a lot if he were to dig into my legs. So he struggled a little more and finally he got his body to turn over the other way. Now he was back on all fours.

He looked up at me, eyeball - to- eyeball - he really looked very unsettled.. very perturbed, I could see it in his eyes.

"Ah can't belieeeeve this happened to me, gawd damn it! ." He jumped down from the couch and the first thing he did was to target Princess who was done eating and was now unsuspectingly grooming herself leisurely nearby. He got over to her and pounced. "STOP FIGHTINGf!", I yelled from the couch. They split up for a few seconds.

I knew this wasn't good when he went back and started curving his neck menacingly at her for the second round, raising his body and neck to make sure he's higher than her. I could tell she didn't know what had hit her, why was he so mad. She crouched in response which is very unusual for her. He continued to take this threatening stance. The next thing that usually happens after a cat stands over the other with the neck curved is the shrilly 'yelling'. Of course, in OUR household, we don't do this sort of thang... (we don't know how).

I really had to step in on this one; I fret that he may hurt Princess inadvertedly, even though he loves her so much, because she is so small boned and tiny, and he is three or four times her size. She ran downstairs to get away from him and he tried to follow her but I stopped him. At least he listened to me and stopped - now he could tell I was pissed. He continued to have that shocked and confused look in his face now that he discovered that he was not going to be allowed to bully her to that extent.

..At least, I did not hear any squeals for the next half hour and Princess came up to watch me lift the barbell weights so... it seems like it was all good.

Kick-Ass Trimming

Gabriel's special grooming sessions continued. I had to get some other big knots around his derriere. That cat has a luscious, long fur complete with a permanently puffy tail. So I worked on him some more the other day, clipping away all the impossibly knotted, matted hair - I basically gave him what they call at the groomers a "hygienic shave".

He took it well. He let me do it, is the point, while lying on my bed. After a while, he decided to take control himself; he sat up belly-up, spread his fluffy hind legs, and focused on the very area I was working area ("Awkay: let me do that mahself now.")

A while later he came down to the kitchen. I was already down there when I turned and looked at both of them. Princess was trailing him, her nose aimed at his derriere. She had that curious look, when her neck stretches out and she wants to know or understand something:

"So... what happened Googie? Come again? You say, she was doing something on your butt? !!"

"Aw.. drop it, Pipi, awkay? It's all over now and I just want to go over to the bowls here and eat...", Gabriel kept walking toward the food bowls, trying to ignore her.

:)

The Carrier and the Vet

Princess got a new carrier a while back, a hand-sewn pink number with her name on it. She got a pink-Princess carrier basically.

So we finally got to use it last week when we had a short little visit at the vet's to find out why she is still so underweight.

We came back home and I left the carrier in an unusual spot - kind of randomly on the floor in the middle of the rec room.

A few days later I catch sight of something dark under the daybed, clear on the other end of the room: it was the Princess carrier. She had actually pushed it all the way over there, out of sight.

Or at least, I think it was her... Maybe it was Gabriel, who just hates leaving the house in those carriers. Maybe he figured, he will reassure her by trying to hide the carrier, put it out of sight. (One of the two did anyway!)

:)

That Dress

Mom came back in today and I just wasn't happy again with certain things.. like the state of my litter box, for example. I've been trying to tell her I'm not happy for a while now but she's not getting it. So, I did it again. I went ahead and snuck a pi right where she SITS. ON the couch in the living room.

She didn't quite get it until she sat right on it. She was wearing a new dress I hadn't seen before.

Next thing I know, she starts coming at me kind of slowly. "Princeeeess??"

Oh-no. I can smell my own pi on that dress, and she's holding it now in her hands, walking toward me..!

"Princesss? Honey?" [YES, I was gonna rub it in her face when I got a chance]. Oh-no - I'm not gonna let that happen. The closer she walked toward me, the faster I started scurrying away. I KNOW what she wanted to do with that dress.

I ran up the stairs, out of her way, down the stairs, what have you.


.... Well, okay, she finally did catch up with me, and well... I did get a bit of my own pi smell on my snout but hey- you can't have everything.

[She just KNEW THAT dress was no good news, didn't she...]

Bad Cat

I'm going through another heat cycle here, being Princess - the - cat. And so, I found it imperative to leave some of my pi on mom's bed again. Right where she puts her head, pretty close anyway.

I waited until she was busy in the small room [bathroom] before I did my deed.

Happy she was not. I waited for the wail, which did come - and as soon as I heard it and saw her face ... I mean, I did hear the "F--!" word and my ears went down and I scurried off.

She eventually came down to the kitchen where Gabriel and I were hanging out and yelled at me: "YOU?! Are a BAD CAT!!!". I looked straight at her, stopping in mid-track in the middle of the kitchen floor with my eyes wide open and dilated, my ears flat going flat down. Oh-no - Now, that was NOT a good word... "bad cat" is just not what I need to hear.

So then, Gabriel started scratching his claws where he wasn't supposed to. A-HA! - I thought. Here is my chance to REDEEM myself and become an ... UN- "Bad Cat": I ran over to Gabriel in front of mom, just moments after she had just called me a "f-ck", and stopped him from scratching more.

:)

The Reincarnation Story

A new permanent link has been posted at the bottom of the page. You can scroll down to the end and read what happened after Princess I passed.

Perturbed Pet Grooming - Part II

I had to take matters into my own hands - and scissors.

After stroking Gabriel's back numerous times and feeling those knots on his fur, I realized there was no other reasonable solution than to cut them off. (The vet wants $90.00 to clean him... ) So I bided my time. I was gonna get him when he was relaxed and preoccupied.

I saw him looking out the window, perched by the bedroom's window sill. He was definitely preoccupied, looking out for birds. So I snuck up on him and started stroking him. And clipping. Clipping away those stuck hairs right on his lower back where there was no way he could get to them.

He was beginning to look like he had a mohawk! for god's sakes!.

So as I clipped, at first he didn't realize what was going on. His fur is so thick, with so many layers. But with each clip, I tempted fate and dropped his bright red fur tufts right in front of him, under his nose ... on the window sill.

"HUH?!!... Whaat ees thiis?", he looked at the first drop and put his nose on it. "What in the world? How did this get there? That's mane, ain't eet?? ".

At least he continued to sit in place. I had to repeat this grooming session when he got on the bed. More tufts falling in front of him. And yet he could not feel a thing as I clipped away, he had a few big knots that had to be clipped in steps.

"Hey, haww .... haww did this get there? What's going AWN here?..", he appeared a bit confused and slightly perturbed. This was a new experience for him and he wasn't sure about it. He finally realized I was holding something in my hand, the small pair of scissors. "Awww.. 'dat's whare the noise is coming from?? What the hell EES this thing?? ", he looked at me, a bit unsettled again. He knew I was working on him with 'this thing'.

"It's okay, Gabriel. I am CLEANING you", I intonated for him. He knows what "all clean" and "cleaning" means, even though I am not the anal cleaning housewife type, a-la "Ordinary People"... let's hope not.

He settled although he did not appear to be too happy. He knew he had lost a bit of his fur, seeing the red tufts fall under his nose.

"Hey! Ah really don't wanna be DONE OVER here! " (no paw scratching or screaming, thank you.)

:)