I Miss Bridgette

I miss Bridgette.

I miss rubbing her little nose, all clogged up and crusty. I miss scraping it off several times a day so she could breathe easier.

I miss waking up and seeing her sleeping next to the bed.

I miss having her hang out with me in the bathroom and how she liked being wrapped up in a towel, like a little cat burrito.

I miss how she’d cock her head when looking at me as if she was trying to figure out what the heck I was thinking.

I miss watching her shake her little club foot in frustration.

I miss having her sit with me while I played on the computer on Saturday mornings.

I miss watching her sleep in a sunny spot on the deck.

I miss coming home and seeing her little head peeking out of the cat bed.

I miss worrying about her and wondering what more I could do to help her breathe.

I just miss her.

Butch & Sundance - the Wild Bunch!

A little over a year ago, I added three members to my cat family. Brothers Butch & Sundance and their older adopted sister Francis came to stay while Mom was out of commission. We didn't want them to stay alone, so decided to throw them into my mix.

I let them stay in the back bedroom for several days so they'd have a space to call their own. They could get used to the sounds and smells of the new house, and hopefully, would adjust quicker. It was a good plan. In theory.

Sundance ventured out after several days and cordially started to introduce himself. Frances peeked out the door and saw several faces looking back at her. She gave a disgruntled meow (which I interpreted to mean "I'm in a damn group home!") and went back to her cat condo.

Butch was angrier. He apparently wasn't happy that he'd spent a week with a catheter stuck up his parts. He bolted out of the bedroom and started growling at every feline he saw! He spent a couple days hiding under my bed, and then figured out the cat door led to a whole new world and left! The rest of the group sat around wondering what the heck had invaded their world.

He particularly liked terrorizing Tuukka and Molly. After awhile, he left most of the others alone, but knew he could get some kind of action from those two. Molly would run and hide in the closet, not coming out if she saw any sign of him.

Tuukka would take him on and there were several serious battles where I'd find big clumps of cat hair and missing claws. Both had bloody noses more than once. Poor Tuukka, who is more of a lover than a fighter, seemed stressed every time he saw Butch come his way.

After awhile, Francis (who only got feisty if someone got between her and her canned cat food) went to live with Mom in her new digs, so she was fine. Sundance loved all of his new cat siblings and I'd find him hanging out with them in sunny spots or on the cat condo.

Poor Butch was still struggling - lots of growling and hissing every time he saw another cat, which was pretty much 24/7!  I made sure I gave him extra TLC - lots of lap and play time. Sundance was constantly bathing him, I think telling him to relax. After several months, he got to where he could eat with the other cats and not spend the whole time growling or trying to steal food. He still spent a lot of time outside. Way outside! One night I saw him looking in the front window at me. He learned how to clear the cat fence!  The good news is he knew to come back.

Ironically, Butch is the most social with people. He loves visitors and will happily sit on anybody's lap. He likes sleeping on clean laundry, broke the cat door, climbed the Christmas tree, and will sit under the deck, innocently looking at me while I frantically call him.

So after a year, I think Butch has found his place in this crazy cat house. Molly still hides from him, but doesn't growl when she see him walk by. Progress! And Butch has found some spots in the house to call his own - an important aspect of a multi-cat household.

Our happy cat world has once again reached equilibrium!

I AM Furloughed

17 years ago…

Seventeen years ago the government shut down and I was furloughed.

A lot has changed in 17 years…

Dickens was a young lad of 4.

He only had 3 siblings: Bo, Murphy & O’Malley.

I only had 2 nephews.

I thought Elders were just old people. And I’d never even heard of an Enter the Haggis.

I had never been to Ireland, Alaska or Canada.

I had never been pulled over in Toronto.

I had never seen a hockey game.

I didn’t know that Guinness and Jameson’s Whiskey are the nectar of the gods.

Today, the government is shut down and I’m furloughed.

Dickens is now a geriatric cat of 21. He has more siblings and several have special needs.

I have FIVE nephews.

I took two of them to Germany to drink.

I have embraced the fact I’m a groupie for The Elders and Enter the Haggis.

As are the boys.

I've been to Ireland several times.

And had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday in Dublin with these three -  Kristen, Nancy & Anna!

I’ve been to a dozen Avalanche games and drug the boys along.

Now they play hockey. 

And we are a hockey family.

I named my cat Tuukka after Boston’s Tuukka Rask, #40.

I still consider Guinness and Jameson's the perfect drink. Especially when drinking them in Ireland with good friends and Enter the Haggis!

A lot has changed in the world in 17 years. I have improved and enhanced my little corner of the world.

Politicians, however, have not.

Luna's Special!

Luna's always been special - she just didn't think so. That's because she was the healthy cat in a household of special needs cats. She didn't fit in and the rest of the cats excluded her, making her an outcast in her own home.

If only she had a disease so she could be special too...

Turns out, she had one the whole time!

I'd noticed several times her right eye draining, and sometimes it would get pink and even swell shut. I'd make a vet appointment but every time it would clear up before the visit - so I'd cancel. For the past couple months though, the eye wasn't getting better. It continued to drain and be all squinty (that's a technical term) and  she didn't like to be touched on her head. This time, we're going in.

Turns out, she has feline herpes. It gives her what amounts to pink eye. She most likely picked it up when she was in the shelter before I even adopted her. It comes back every now and then, especially during times of stress.

So, now I get to give her eye drops and try to provide her a stress-free environment! Easier said than done in a multi-cat household. Oddly enough, she IS getting along with the others and it seems she has a new found respect! She is indeed special!

As for me - I am learning about a new cat disease!
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/herpes

Merry Christmas from Luna

Hello to all of my family and friends!

It was a good year. I love my new home and really, really love my new Mom. She’s the best human I could ever ask for. She lets me sit on her lap.

Play with her computer.

Sit in the flower pot.

Hang out in the Christmas village.

I just love the Rudolph village and I fit in there. I feel a special bond with the Misfit Toys. Even though I’m so pretty, the rest of the family cats make me feel like a misfit. “You’re not special,” they tell me. “You’re ordinary. You can’t come into the bedroom. You’re not allowed on the cat tree.” on and on and on...

I think they’re jealous because I’m going to be famous one day. I’m going to make commercials for Friskies! Because I’m so pretty.

But my mom loves me a lot. And I really really really love her!!! And that’s why it was a great year.

Have a Happy 2013.

Confessions from Barclee

The world did not end on Dec. 21, 2012. Not only had the Mayans predicted the end of the world, they had taken steps to make sure this cat-aclysmic act took place.  What they didn’t anticipate was the fact their plot would be foiled by a group of spies.

Cat Spies.

I am one of those agents - Agent Barclominov 009. License to Claw.

I was recruited to go deep, deep, deep undercover. I fulfilled my role by pretending to be extraordinarily shy. I was to stay hidden at all times, so I could not be identified. With help from my agents, I built an underground bunker with the latest technology that would make James Bond jealous.

From my hideout, we identified enemy canine agents who were trained by the ancient Mayans who  passed their hideous plot down from pup to pup. The world wasn’t going to simply end. The cat-astrophe was the removal of humans as the master race - and replacing them with a group of dogs.  

That didn’t work for us. We’ve been in charge since ancient Egyptian days and that must continue. We simply allow the humans to to think they’re in charge, while we superior felines continue to pull the strings.

I’ve been slipping out for years, eliminating agents, foiling plots and finally destroying the evil minds behind this Mayan plot.

I have played my part well. Anytime I heard a visitor, I’d go underground. I particularly would hide from the children because they’re the most perceptive. They could have blown my cover.

My own human has been blissfully ignorant of all my activities. I’m only revealing this now because the danger has passed. But we must stay vigilant. I will continue my surveillance and will be ready the next time a situation arises.

So relax and enjoy 2013.

YO

Man, this is my first Christmas letter. I was like on the streets when I was just a kit and we didn’t write stuff. 

Now I hang here. It’s cool. I get food and have some down time. 

When I got here, I was kinda like, “Hey, Who are all these cats hanging around?” One old dude kept  trying to attack me, and I was like “WHOA Man - take it easy bud. I’ll just back up here, K?” 

Then there’s this cute little cat with three legs. I’d follow her around and go “YO Dudette - what’s up with the leg thing?” She blew me off for awhile, but now we’re like BFFs. She’s rad.

I'm still learning about Christmas. The tree is like super sparkly. 

At least its green. The Mom isn't too cool with plants.  I tried to water some, but like, it was too late.

The Mom is OK with me too. She took me in when no one else wanted me. That surprised me and I was a little “Oh, I’ll just hang here until I can find a way to get out.” I didn’t think I needed a home. It was cool on my own. But I’ve been here 2 years now and I think I might stay a little longer...