My Labs Are Back

Just wanted to post a brief note that my labs are in, and Dr. Kingery says they are very good.  My liver and kidney functions are great, there is no sign of systemic infection, and I am a healthy boy.  Well, mostly.  My cholesterol went up a smidge.  And my fructosamine test showed that I'm not quite regulated as far as my diabetes.  Overall, though, I'm in good shape. 

However, my mom has now started writing things about me in a little black book.  Hmm.  I think the Thought Police have influenced her.  She claims she's just charting on me.  Uh oh.  That sound let V-E-T speak.   I'm not sure what to think of mom writing down exactly what I eat and my meds and if I puke or pick on someone.  I think I may have to go rewrite some history...

I injured myself

Last night, I was in the bedroom with my mom and we were just starting to play Shoestring when mom noticed blood on the carpet.  She wasn't sure what it was at first, but then there was more and she figured out it was coming from me.  One of my nails came out!  My pad was all bloody and sore.  Mom first thought she must have tugged too hard on the shoestring while I was holding it, but there was no blood or no nail in the shoestring.  Mom had to fight to get me to hold still while she put a styptic pad on my paw.  I sure didn't want to sit still--my paw hurt and that stuff stings.  She got me cleaned up and put some weird antibiotic powder on my foot.  I thought I was all done, but no.  This morning, Momma Amy took me to the V-E-T.  And not only did the V-E-T look at my injured paw, she took some blood and scraped my teeth (Momma Amy says I was due for all of these things anyway, but I'm not so sure).  But the V-E-T said that the nail broke off clean, so she wasn't too worried.  That is good, but I have to take icky antibiotics and have that powder stuff on my foot.  Yuck.

My Blog Has Fall Colors!

Even though my mom liked the other background and the blue (to match my eyes, of course), she decided to be festive and make my blog appropriate for fall.   Happy fall, everyone. 

Latest Recap

Hello furr-iends.  My moms have not been good about keeping you all up to date about my daily activities, so I'm here to recap all the things that have happened in the past couple weeks. 


First, my mom decided to start switching us to pine litter.  She put pine litter in two of the four litter boxes.  I have not been seen using this litter yet.  Sheba and Ty seem to like it.  I'm not sure how I feel about it yet.  I know that I like to sit right in front of the pine litter box so that Sheba and Ty can't get in it.  Mom likes the pine litter because it smells better and it's ultimately cheaper and is easier to clean.  I think she's trying to turn me into a lumberjack, and I'm not sure I'm that kind of mancat. 

My moms also put up some things on the Smudge auction, including some personalized cat soaps.  They had no idea how popular those would be.  But they were also very happy that the soaps made some money for Smudge and family.  They have been very busy putting the finishing touches on the cat soaps, and most of them should ship out this weekend.  There was such a good response, though, that moms are considering putting together an Etsy shop, and using the proceeds for Feline Rescue of Northern Nevada.  If they do end up putting together a shop, I'll be sure to let everyone know.  I think they just need to make Dreamboat soaps. 

My moms took Gram out to the Animal Ark for their Harvest Festival.  Animal Ark is a sanctuary for wild animals who are unable to fend for themselves in the wild.  There are former circus tigers, a mountain lion who had been trained for film, a half-blind peregrine falcon, and others.  At the Harvest Festvial, the staff fills up pumpkins with the animals' favorite goodies and dole them out throughout the day.  My mom got this photo of one of the mountain lions being a sunshine boy (just like me!).  He had bashed open his pumpkin and eaten the goodies, then settled in for a good old-fashioned cat nap.  That's my kind of mancat.

There was a female raccoon, too.  She looks just like my sister, Minnie.  We all think Minnie is part raccoon.  She looks like one and she makes funny sounds like one. 

There are also a few cheetahs at the Animal Ark.  My mom has always loved cheetahs.  When she was little, her paw-rents would take her to the Sacramento Zoo, and all she wanted to see was the cheetah.  Because of cheetahs, she even wanted to be a veterinarian at a zoo for a while.  So, getting to see a cheetah up close and personal was a treat for my mom.  Even though I know I am so much more handsome than a cheetah. 


And my moms are going to be going on vacation at the end of the month.  I don't like this because it means I might have to stay somewhere other than home.  And I don't know why my moms would be so excited to spend time away from me.  They are going to drive over to the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah and spend some time there.  Taking care of other cats, and even dogs, of all things. 

Also, Sydney has decided that she likes my cat tree.  This has not been photo-shopped at all.  Last night, Sydney decided that she wanted to climb on up the cat tree.  Needless to say, Sheba and Minnie were more than a little surprised that the rabbit was on the cat tree. 

Tygre's Tales

Hi, I'm Ty.  I'm very shy, but my mom thinks it would be good for me to write a diary every once in a while.  That way everyone knows I exist (even though I would rather hide and be invisible).  So, I guess I'll tell you a little about myself.  I was the runt of the litter.  Mom had to bottlefeed me.  And my teeth were so sharp that I bit through the bottle nipples and milk went everywhere. 

I also have asthma.  I've had asthma for many years now, but it affects me less than it used to.  I have an inhaler now that has really helped.  I hope my brother, Nikolai, will put a link to the kitty asthma website because it helped my moms a lot. 

I also love to play.  I love to play with feather wands and sparkle balls.  I used to fetch, but I don't do it so much anymore. 

And I love my mom.  I love to be held by her.  I purr so hard that it looks like I'm smiling and my smile is so big that my eyes are shut.  I need my mom, and I knead her.  I like to give her biteys and headbutts and smoocheys. 

That's all for now.  Boy, it's hard being social. 

Celebrating Banned Books Week

My mom reminded me that this week is Banned Books Week.  This is a week to celebrate the freedom of expression and the freedom to access ideas even if those ideas are unpopular.  It seems appropriate to celebrate this in the face of the censorship happening on Catster.  All of us cats need to continue to stick together and meow for our right to say what we want to say.  It is very important to be able to have an open dialogue about the issues that concern us; it fosters and strengthens community. 


Purr-sonally, I like books.  All books are nice to sleep on, regardless of what they are about.  Also, I like it when my moms read books because that means they are sitting and sitting means a warm lap for a kitty.  I don't see what the fuss is about some of the books on the list.  Harry Potter is on list because there's magic in it.  But we all believe in magic, don't we?  I mean, cats are magical beings, right?  Humans are so puzzling sometimes.

My furr-iend, Sydney, likes books, too.  She likes to eat them whether they are banned or not.  She doesn't understand human behavior in this respect, either.  "They all taste the same to me," she says.  I couldn't agree more. 

Birthday!

Today is my birthday.  I am 11 years young.  Technically, it is the birthday of my brother, Tygre, too.  But can't a girl have a birthday to herself?  I had to share my mom-cat's womb with Tygre.  And I have to share my human-mom with Tygre.  You'd think the least I could have would be my own birthday.  Hmphh!

In any case, I have had a wonderful day.  There was much tissue paper and wrapping paper to be had.  And many sparkle balls in my favorite colors:  red and pink!  I love to run into the wrapping paper and then grab a sparkle ball, pat it around and then stick it in my mouth.

I also had catnip and I here tuna may be on the menu tonight.  Yum!  If only I did not have to share the tuna with Tygre.

Love,
Minnie-not-so-mini

Please purr for Genny

Dear Furriends,
I have received word that my furriend, Genny the Generator, is ill with a 104 degree temp.  She had a rough start in life and still has a lot of growing to do.  Please join my family in purring for her.
Nikolai

http://www.catster.com/cats/1140083

Please welcome Sydney Rabbit to the family

As those of you who followed me on Catster know, I lost my dear friend, Brinkley the Bunny Rabbit about a month ago. I was very depressed and expressed my emotions by attacking on the other cats. Between my moms being upset and me attacking the other cats, it was a chaotic period in our lives.

Things finally settled down, but life was not the same without the "hop, hop, hop" of a rabbit. I especially enjoyed Brinkley the Bunny Rabbit because I could sit up on a chair and lord over her. She understood that I was superior, or at least that's what I thought. Evil Step Momma Amy says that she did not understand my attempts to dominate her and that Brinkley actually saw herself as dominant. Whatever, Evil Step Momma Amy is wrong. Brinkley and I had an understanding.

Well, my moms decided it was time to bring another bun into our lives. On September 12, 2010, my moms adopted Sydney Rabbit, a 10 month old, 7.9lbs rabbit from the Nevada Humane Society. She is "seal point" which means she is a Meezer Bun. But she is no Meezer. And let me tell you, she is NO Brinkley.

Brinkley was slow moving, respected my space and dominance.

Frankly, I am not even certain what to make of Sydney. She runs at the speed of light and then she abruptly stops within a half an inch of my face and stares at me. Um hello? Personal space? I know I am not allowed to attack rabbits, so I try wave my paw at her to get her to shove off. But before I can even get a single pad off the carpet, she is off again zooming somewhere else.

And she does not let me lord over her either. No, instead she JOINED me on the sofa last night. What the cat? Rabbits belong on the floor below me. They do not belong next to me on the sofa.

I have to say, I do enjoy her efforts in thwarting my moms' attempts to keep her confined. She learned how to get out of her pen so my moms put a roof on the pen. Next morning she had the roof off. She has also broken down a couple of barricades my moms have set up.

So all in all, I think we will get along okay, just as soon as she learns to respect MY personal space.

Another Day, Another Blog

For my second day of blogging, I can report that my mom finally figured out how to get my flickr photos to show up on my blog, so you all can now see photos of my furr-mily.  Of course, there are many photos of me.  Speaking of me, I got treated to a quail parade in my backyard after dinner--what great kitty TV!  Check it out:

There were about ten quail that went by on the fence.  Mom was able to snap a quick photo before all the quail passed.