Camie's Kitties

One of the ways I like to have fun

2012-01-14T19:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when Mom is in the bathroom, I like to go in with her. But sometimes I just sit outside the door and like to have fun. Here is one of the ways I like to have fun.

If you can't see it here, go here.

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T02:09:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. Happy New Year!

This is Cody. As many of you know, I don't like people touching me...well I should say I didn't like people touching me, because after almost 12 years of running away whenever anyone got close to me, I finally started to let my mom sort of touch me while I was getting treats. I would let her give me pets just for a couple of minutes while I ate my treats. But, guesses what? I finally decided that the big hand wasn't going to do anything mean to me, and I am now letting Mom pet me for long periods of time without her getting out the treats. I hate to say it, but I think I really sort of like it. I purr and rub all over her and the table while she pets me. If I am feeling up to it, she will pet me for quite a while (like 15-20 minutes). Mom says her only complaint is that I won't come out from under the table, so she has to stretch her arm at an odd angle in order to reach me, but she does it for as long as I want. I've even been meowing at her to get her to give me pets. I will sometimes come to the other side of her chair and meow at her, and I've touched her hand a couple of times, so Mom is hoping I'll get comfortable enough to sit near her one day. She has said that I've given her more than she thought possible when I decided I liked pets, so she's not going to push her luck. Who knows thought...i never knew I was going to like pets as much as I do. I just might decide I like sitting near her too.

In other news, I think Gracie might like me a little bit. She's come up to me a couple of times and touched noses with me. I still don't trust her, but she seems to be listening when Mom tells her to be nice whenever she comes close to me. We hope everyone has a wonderful new year.

Tortie Tuesday with Gracie

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, not much has been happening around here. Mom has been subbing a lot more, so she is gone quite a bit during the day. She says it's a good thing because then she can buy us our foods and litter, and treats and toys, but we miss her. It's been on the cool side for us Southern Californians (high 40's to low 50's), so I've consented to let Mom cover me with a blanket. I used to be scared of being covered by the blanket, but I don't mind it so much any more. Last night, I even snuggled next to mom under the blanket with my head on her arm. She made a pretty good pillow until she decided to move.

In other news, Cody has finally let Mom pet him without having to eat treats. He will only do it while under cover of the table, and it takes Mom about 15 minutes to win his trust, but once she does, she can pet him for a long time. He even rubs his head against Mom's hand to get more pets, and he purrs the whole time. Mom says it's really awkward for her because she has to sit in her chair, and stretch her arm down the side of it, and then up under the table to be able to pet him, but it's worth it to her.

We have also had an evil red dot invade our house. I keep trying and trying to catch it, but it moves so fast, I end up sliding on the tile floor while I'm trying to catch it. Mom hopes to get video one day, but it tends to only show up when it's dark outside, and most of the house is dark, so a video would probably be very dark also. I'll have to see if I can find the evil red dot in the daytime. Even Cody tries to catch it a little bit.

Cody and I have also been getting along better. He will come out into the rest of the house now, instead of hiding in his clubhouse (behind the couch). He yells at me when I come near him, but I haven't been swatting him as much. When Mom sees me getting close to him, she tells me to behave, and I mostly do. Mom thinks part of my swatting him, is half me wanting to play with him, and half me being a brat. I can't make up my mind whether I like him or not, so I keep getting close to him and then the swat just happens.

In case Mom won't let us blog again before Christmas, we hope everyone has a fun but safe holiday. Our Christmas wish, as always, is for all kitties to find a home and become formerly feral, kind of like Cody is becoming.

Purrs of thanks!

2011-11-28T23:21:00.000-08:00

After being missing for two weeks, our buddy Kimo is now safely back home. We know how thrilled we are that he is back home...we can only imagine how happy his mom, dad, brother, and girlbean are. You can visit him here
http://www.Catbanter.blogspot.com

Tortie Tuesday

2011-11-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

This may not be the best picture, but this is where I love to sleep while Mom is on the computer. Sometimes she has to really stretch her neck to see over me - mol. We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

PS - we were so sorry to hear that Emma ran off to the bridge. We are purring for you Herman and Miss Karen Jo.

Cody getting pets

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

These images are really terrible, but since I hide and don't like to come out from under the protection of the table, Mom wanted to show you, she can actually pet me, and I will eat out of her hands. In the last picture, it looks like Mom is digging her claws into me, but she's not, she's just giving really good skritches (and while it looks like I get a lot of treats, I'm supposed to tell you it's mostly dry food that Mom mixes with Temptations, Party Mix, Whisker Lickin's and sometimes Greenies)

I am still not really comfortable having her reach over me to give me skritches (that's why they don't look so good), but I won't come up to her level like I used to before, so she puts down lots of treats, and tries to reach along the side of me before going over my back or head.

I am becoming more comfortable being out, and I told off Gracie the other day for bothering me. I love it because Mom always yells at Gracie for bothering me - hehe. I will wander out into the kitchen to yell for food, and then sometimes go on into the dining and living room. My primary home is still in the den behind the sofa.

Happy Monday everyone.

Blog Blast for Peace

2011-11-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Formerly Feral Friday

2011-10-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hi - it's me Cody - I came out of hiding because Mom said she would let me post instead of the evil Gracie. This is where I like to eat. Mom was feeding me under the table I'm mostly hiding under, but she is trying to make me feel more comfortable coming out into the rest of the house. I kind of like my little clubhouse under and behind the couch (except when Gracie tries to break in). Mom put my litterbox on the other side of the cat tree, so I don't have to bother with the evil menace that calls herself Gracie.

This picture is of the Evil Intruder Kitty (EIK) that has decided the lounge outside is a good place to nap. Mom has seen EIK up there a couple of times. Mom isn't feeding it or taking care of it in anyway because we think it might have a home. It looks very well fed. Mom thinks it likes the lounge because it is really warm there because of the big bathtub there - it reflects the sun.

Actually - we don't know if EIK is evil or not. Gracie doesn't seem bothered by her/him - and s/he has been back there quite a few times that Mom has seen.

Mom says I have to show this picture too since Gracie is also kindof F.F. Gracie is finally leaving me alone - right before this, she had been playing with the wand toy you see in the picture. I was trying to play with it, but she broke into my clubhouse, so I had to hide. Mom stopped playing with me so Gracie would leave me alone.

We hope everyone has a great weekend.

Hello Again

2011-10-24T00:15:00.001-07:00

This is how I have been spending a lot of my time. Mom has been busy unpacking and cleaning out Papa's house. It took almost 6 weekends for them to go through everything and throw a lot of stuff away. But, it's better now. There are still things to put away, but there are only a couple of boxes left for me to play in, so I think they are mostly done.

I've also been spending a lot of time up here. Mom will sometimes play with me on here, and I can look out the big glass window here and see the birds and other animals that visit. Sometimes Mom goes out through the giant window and gets in a huge bathtub and moves around a lot. I cry and cry and cry for her when she's outside in that bathtub. She won't get out of it though for a long time. She says she's swimming, but I just think she's nuts.

Cody is hiding as usual. He has decided that in back and under the couch is where he wants to live now, so Mom is babying him. She puts our food under the table where he feels safe, and she went out and bought him a new litterbox that I get yelled at for going near. She put it at the end of the table next to MY cat tree, and spoiled the spot I might want to sit in to look outside. She's also put a blanket and bed behind the couch and yells at me if I go back there. It's not my fault he won't come out from under the couch if I'm back there - I don't tease him too much. Mom says that he has let her pet him a couple of times, but he still doesn't feel safe enough for the daily petting that he was getting right before our move. He does come and demand food (which he wasn't doing at first) and treats, and will take the treats from Mom's hand. Mom is just giving him time she says. He played a bit with the wand toy tonight, but Mom says I ruined his fun. I don't see why she blames me - it's my toy after all, and I was playing with it first. I shouldn't be yelled at because he butted in on my fun.

Mom has also been using the hot as hell box a lot. She even let me try some of her cookie. It was delicious. It was tangy, and cinnamony, and yummy. It had a weird name though - snickerdoodle. She says she is going to be baking a lot more now, because she has a kitchen she can move around in again, and it's a lot cooler here at Papa's.

Mom says she promises to help us blog a lot more than once a month. We will see if she sticks to her promise.

We Remember

2011-09-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

While there is no denying the terrible loss of life and peace of mind on 9/11/01, we also remember the extraordinary acts of courage that day also. The ordinary people, firefighters, and police who risked and often lost their lives, either trying to rescue people or carrying people out of the two towers, helped to remind us that even in the face of a terrible act of terrorism, most people are so much better than we often give them credit for.

The FDNY raising a flag over the rubble of the towers, reminding us that we, as a nation, can recover.

The Pentagon Memorial at night. Many military personnel and civilians gave their lives trying to save colleagues.

This sculpture was a gift from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian people, and was dedicated on the 5th anniversary of 9/11. It is meant to symbolize the sadness over the loss of life, but also the hope that one day we will be crying tears of joy when we eradicate terrorism.

We also can't forget the heroes of Flight 93, who chose to fight back against the hijackers and lost their lives when the plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania.

And finally our hope for peace in the years to come.

All Moved

2011-09-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, we are finally all moved (we've been here since last Sunday but Mom didn't finish moving until Thursday ). It's not bad being here. There is lots more room like Cody said there would be, and a tower that we get fed on top of. Mom says that this was the easiest move yet with Cody. It only took about 15 minutes to corner him in the bathroom and convince him that the PTU was the place to be safe. He only gave her 5 scratch marks when he used her arm as a spring board trying to get away from everyone. Once he was in the PTU, he calmed right down and didn't create a fuss in the car at all. I, on the other hand, was very easy to put in the PTU, but once I was in it, and in the car, I cried most of the way to my new home.

Once in our new home, I explored a bit and decided it wasn't so bad. Cody took off and hid, and Mom didn't see him until last night. She got worried that he might have slipped out somehow, even though there was no way he could have because he doesn't like going near the door. So she locked me in her room with her for the night, and in the morning the food dish was empty and the litter box had been used, so she knew he was just hiding. He did show himself last night for about 10-15 seconds when Mom surprised him, but today, he actually came partially out of hiding to get treats. Mom is hoping that he will start to venture out further once he feels comfortable again.

It's been nice getting to know Papa too. He gives good skritches, but don't tell him I told you. Mom says that he likes to seem like a tough guy, but he's really just a marshmallow. Well, I better go. Mom still has movies and stuff to put away and I need to snoopervise.

Gracie

Goodbye Sweet Little Mancat

2011-08-24T01:10:00.000-07:00

We were absolutely heartbroken to hear that Beignet went to the bridge today during his second surgery. Mom Paula, Mom Terri, Chloe and Truffle, we are purring for you.

Goodbye and Purrs

2011-08-22T19:11:00.000-07:00

We are so sorry that it was Miss Peach's time to go to the bridge. She was such a gentle ladycat, and we are going to miss her very much. We are purring for her Mama, LapDaddy and grandbean, Cole.

We are also purring for Beignet. He developed a VAS after his first vaccination and will be having another surgery tomorrow. Please send purrs for him. He will not be able to live with his Mom Paula and littermate, Truffle. He will be staying with his cat mom, Chloe and his human mom, Terri. Please send purrs to them also.

Goodbye Big Mancat

2011-08-13T21:36:00.000-07:00

Our friend Kismet ran off to the bridge this morning in his sleep. We are so sorry to see him go. He was such an inspiration to us. His blog was one of the first ones we read when before we started our own. We will miss hearing of all of your adventures, Kismet.

Sophie and your Person, we are purring that you will find some comfort in knowing that Kismet was loved the world over.

New Toys

2011-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Cody and his mom had a contest to win a coupon for a free bag of Innova food. We won, and the package came today. Inside was more than just a free coupon. We got two mousies, a nice note, and a bumper sticker. The note said that the pink mousie was just for me. I LOVE it. I've been playing with it off and on all evening.

As you can see, Mom let me check out both mousies (and her computer mousie too), but I went straight for my pink mousie.

I think she needs a name - will you help me name her?

In other news, the "M" word has been mentioned again. Mom lost her job at the end of April and was doing substitute work for the school district, but there isn't any work in the summer, so Mom has been doing some work from home. Unfortunately, the company that Mom was doing work for seems to have gone belly up also, and they still owe Mom for 3 weeks of work. So, we are going to be moving back in with Papa by the end of the month. I've never lived there before, so I'm a little scared. Cody says that Papa is nice and that I will like it there. He also says there will be lots more room, and a tower that I can play on. So, I guess it won't be so bad.

Purrs for Ayla

2011-07-27T01:09:00.000-07:00

Our friend Ayla had to have surgery yesterday. When TBT went in to check on her after she came home, he found her bleeding from her stitches. He rushed her to the emergency v-e-t. We are purring for her to get better. She needs purrs, so we are sending her ours.

Visitor Visiting

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. No, this woofie isn't moving in with us. He's just visiting. He's been okay, except he has barked at me (Gracie) a couple of times. Mom tells him "NO!" when he does that. His mama is on vacation, so he is staying here, keeping us company. He has a couple of cats of his own, so he mostly knows how to behave around us. We're still a little leery of him tho - after all, he's not Camie.

He's been here since Wednesday, and will be staying with us about two weeks. At night, Mom says she feels like the filling in a sandwich. Diddy (the woofie) is sleeping tight next to her on one side, and I am on the other side, sleeping tight next to her. Usually, I don't sleep touching her so much, but I have to make sure she remembers she belongs to me (and Cody) and not the woofie. He did bring us some treats tho, so I guess he's okay - especially because he's not staying - mol.

Adieu Sweet Friend

2011-06-24T23:12:00.000-07:00

We lost another of our oldest friends today. Bubbles ran off for the bridge after being sick for a while. We are all going to miss him. Adieu sweet friend.

Just a quick update

2011-06-16T17:16:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. We had a miracle at our house last night. Cody has been letting Mom pet him almost every night now, and boy does he love it. He rubs on her and leans into her hand and raises his butt up into the air. And when he's done with pets, or I spook him, he takes off - but at least he's allowing Mom to pet him.

Last night, something different happened - well, actually two somethings.... Cody let Mom pet him while he was on the floor. He usually only allows pets when he comes up on the bed. The second thing that happened was truly a miracle... Cody let Mom pick him up and put him on the bed. She decided to see what would happen if she put her hand under his tummy, and she just scooped him up and put him on the bed. He didn't stay there, but he didn't fight her when she picked him up. Do you all remember what happened the last time Mom picked him up??? See here and here.

Mom is glad he let her pick him up without going ballistic. She is hoping that she can keep picking him up and maybe one day get him to the v-e-t for a check-up. Since he's always been so feral - he's not been since he had his hoohaectomy. Fortunately, we're indoor only cats, and he's been healthy.

Goodbye Jack

2011-06-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

We are so sad. One of our friends had to go to the bridge today. He was a greyhound who lived with his mommy and daddy and grey-sister, Scout in Missouri. Jack loved camping, playing with Scout, and watching Judge Judy. He broke his leg today and when they took him to the vet, it was discovered that he had cancer that had spread throughout his body. We are crying that he's gone, and know his family will miss him terribly as will we. Goodbye Jack - have fun running at the bridge with Camie.

Hello again

2011-05-20T00:54:00.000-07:00

Wow, we can't believe it's been over two months since we've posted. So much has happened in that time. Mom has changed jobs, and has gone on vacation for the first time in forever. We know she's gone to Washington DC almost every year, but that was always work. This time she went on a real true vacation. She left us for a week to go to Zion National Park. She went with our Papa, her brother, sister-in-law, nephew, niece and niece's husband. She said she truly felt like she got to relax for the first time in forever. The only thing she said she worried about the entire trip was us (we had someone coming in to feed us, but she still likes to worry). She said she posted all her pictures on facebook if any of your beans are interested.

We do have some other big news to share regarding a certain grey kitty in our house. It seems like this grey kitty has truly discovered how nice pets can be. He comes up on the bed for treats at night and will let Mom give him pets. He's even been heard to purr every night for the last week. Cody has even let Mom zoom groom him, but that scares him a bit.

As for me, I am still the same. I still love my Mama, and still like to prick her with my claws when I am loving on her. I really need to stop pricking her because it just makes her give me clippy claws that much more. I still am not fond of Cody, and he's still scared of me, but he will come on the bed when I'm up there ( he's been too scared to do it for a long time).

Mom says she's trying to save up to get another pair of Tonks. She went to a cat show put on by the Tonk association, here in CA. The breed has changed a bit in the last 18 years, but just in looks-they are still the same loving puppy cats that they've always been. She says she misses the constant lap kitty presence - I will sleep on or near her, but only if she's laying on the couch. I won't sit on her lap, and as far as Cody has come, he'll never be a lap kitty - afterall, it's taken 11 years just to get him to like bring petted.

Well, we think that is all that's happened in the last two months. We hope we are able to blog more in the upcoming months. Mom hasbeen slacking as usual. Bye for now.

Gotcha Plus One

2011-03-14T01:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my gotcha day. This is one of the very first pictures taken of me. I was still unsure of what being in a house and having a bean to love was all about. That has certainly changed. I now love being inside, and hate having to go outside.

I have started to sleep on Mom almost all the time on the couch, and I love to lay on her and turn my head up towards her so that I am looking at her upside down. I also have started to sleep with her more than I used to at night. I will sleep on the bed, but haven't really liked to touch her when she's asleep, which Mom thinks is funny, since when she is out on the couch, I love to come up and sleep next to her. I love to sleep on my back cuddled up right next to her with all my feet resting on her. I refuse to do that in bed tho.

I asked Mom for a special gift this year for my gotcha/birthday. I asked Mom to donate some money for the kitties and woofies that were left hurt and homeless in Japan. We donated through World Vets. We are purring for all the animals and beans in Japan and everyone affected by the tsunamis all across the Pacific.

A sad day

2011-03-12T15:12:00.001-08:00

We are so sorry to hear that Mickey ran off to the bridge. We know how sad his mom and siblings must be. We will be purring for them.

We are also purring for everyone in Japan and everyone who has been affected by the earthquakes and tsunamis.

You'll Never Guess

2011-01-29T01:20:00.000-08:00

You'll never guess what that woman who calls herself my mother did to me!!! She picked me up (which I hate) and took me outside and let a sticky person touch me. It was horrifying.

I suppose I should tell you everything. We live in an apartment, and I like to sit in the windows that face the middle of the the two buildings (the two buildings form a U with a pool/grassy area in the middle). Anyway, one of our neighbors has a sticky person that likes to say "Hi" to me. That's not so bad because he's on one side of the window, and I'm on the other. Tavi didn't mind saying "Hi" to him up close and personal, but I haven't been outside since I was adopted.

So, anyway, this sticky person gave Mom a box and bag of food for us, so she made me go out and thank him in person. I could have thanked him very well from inside where I was safe from all the scary stuff outside. Besides, while I like to sleep on Mom and lay next to her, I hate being picked up. It has to be my idea to get in her lap.

I was so traumatized after my experience, I had to come in and curl up in my favorite blanket and take a nap.

P.S. Mom is thinking of changing our blog name - we aren't sure about it. What do y'all think?

Hello Again

2010-12-30T01:30:00.000-08:00

Hello again! We are all doing okay. Mom is home on winter break. We haven't been doing much of anything. Mom has been reading a lot, because it's been rainy and windy and cold outside. We got 7 days of rain in a row. That never happens around here. They have been saying that it was one of the worst set of storms California has seen in years. Mom just laughs because it really wasn't stormy, just rainy. But then again, there is that belief that it never rains in Southern California. Mom is weird because she likes the rain.

We also wanted to send a big thank you to the friend who sent Mom this wonderful pendent. She got it the Saturday after she helped Tavi to the bridge. She has only taken it off when she showers because she doesn't want it to get wet. The person who sent it to us got it from the esty shop Oliviamoon.
As you can see, it is one of Mom's favorite pictures of Tavi, with a beautiful sentiment on the back. We love it.

We are doing okay without Tavi. We all miss him of course. Both Cody and I miss sleeping with him. We don't like each other, but we both liked him. I have been trying to cuddle more with Mom because Tiki and Tavi were the cuddlers. I don't alway sleep on her, but I am trying to more.

In case we don't get to go online again before the new year, we hope you have a safe and quiet New Year.

Happy Christmas

2010-12-25T03:36:00.000-08:00

We wanted to wish everyone a Happy Christmas!

Goodbye My Love

2010-12-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite pictures of Tavi.
June 25, 1993 - December 1, 2010

As most of you know, I helped Tavi to the bridge today at about 11:30 am PST. He stopped eating almost two weeks ago (only eating a bite or two twice in all that time) and even then, would jump up to sleep with me, or lay on my lap. When I came home last night, I knew it was time to help him take the journey to the Bridge. He was lethargic, and while he would get up, he was extremely wobbly on his feet and had to fight hard to keep his balance. That was the first time he had to fight so hard to stay upright. It also exhausted him, and he would breathe heavily after getting up to get a drink. I had to lift him back up to the couch with me. It was also the first time he sounded like he was in pain.

He tried so hard to fight this terrible disease. He fought it right to the end. He tried to take three gasps even after the vet put the medicine in. He has now joined his litter mate, Tiki, his sister, Jade, and his woofie sister, Camie. I buried him in my dad's front yard, next to Tiki and Jade, and I put Camie's ashes in with him. He was so close to her while she was alive that I felt that they should be together even now.

Thank you for all of your purrs, prayers, good thoughts and encouragement. It has been a very difficult 2 years and I know that your comments have helped me cope with all four losses a bit easier than I would have without you.

One Last Update?

2010-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, I've decided to update everyone on how I'm doing, and the short, quick answer to that is not good, but it could be worse.

On Sunday, I decided to stop eating. I just don't seem to want to eat anything. As a result, I've lost more weight and am getting cold a lot. Mom has left her heating pad on low with a thick blanket over it so I won't get too hot, but I do like to curl up there and stay warm, especially in the morning. I also like to snuggle into her newest afghan. It's very warm. In fact, I'm laying on it right now.

As I said, on Sunday, I decided to stop eating. Mom made me eat a little watered down baby food, but I struggled with her. I also kind of didn't know to get up to use the litterbox while I was sleeping, so I got mom a little wet, and another time, got the blanket I was in wet. I really wasn't feeling well at all. I was very lethargic, and stayed curled up under the blankets all night. Mom stayed up all night with me. She had to go into work on Monday, but came home on her lunch break. By then, I was feeling a bit better and I decided I wanted to go outside and sit in the sun a bit. I am usually only allowed out when it is time to get the mail, and then Mom carries me most of the way. Anyway, she let me out, and sat with me on the stairs for a while, but then she had to go back to work. When she came home after work, I again wanted to go outside and wanted to explore a little. Mom was very happy about this because she said she thought she was going to have to take me into the v-e-t so I could go on a trip. I am not quite ready for that trip just yet.

On Tuesday, I decided to try a little more food. I ate about 2 mouthfuls, and decided to try to steal some of Mom's quesadilla. It was buttery, and I really like butter. I also met her at the door again when she got home from work to go pick up the mail, but she wouldn't let me sit outside because she said it was much to cold out there. She had stopped by the v-e-t to leave a message about how I was doing.

On Wednesday, Dr. Martini (the v-e-t) called Mom and they talked about me quite a bit. Mom told him that I had stopped eating (except for the two mouthfuls) but that I was still meeting her at the door for my daily trip outside, and that I still seem interested in finding new places to sleep. He agreed with Mom that I will probably get to see my brother, Tiki, and sister, Camie, before too long. He also told my Mom not to force any more medications on me, except my Pepcid (because the renal failure causes high acid amounts which could lead to a sore tummy) and my fluids to keep my hydrated. He said that he could tell I was a fighter and so was Mom because my numbers were so high 2-1/2 weeks ago, he was surprised I wasn't at the Bridge already. Basically, he told my Mom to keep me comfortable and happy, and to bring me in when it was time for my trip to the Bridge.

Today, I didn't meet my mom at the door for our trip because it was a bit cold in here, and I was curled up in our favorite afghan. Mom picked me up anyway and took me out to get the mail. I've been up and walking around tonight and going to a couple of my favorite places to sleep. I jump up with Mom and sleep on her lap until she either has to get up or I get too hot (the afghan is really warm) and then I jump down and sleep in my ham-mick, and when I get cold again, I jump back up on the couch and sleep with Mom again. I am hanging in there, and fighting as much as I can. I even ate a couple of licks of butter again tonight, and took one lick of the juice from the cat food.

As you can see, my bones are really prominent and I have almost no fat left at all. Mom is calling me her skinny, little man, or little old man. I don't mind as I am both.

As, always, thank you for being our friends and thank you for always making us laugh or cry - usually just when we need one or the other the most.

Update - Tavi

2010-11-03T00:21:00.000-07:00

Tavi here - Mom was trying to put up a picture of me, but she is too lazy to get her camera, and there is something wrong with her ability to send pictures via her cell phone. Anyway - we thought we would update you on what's been going on.

As you know, I have been diagnosed with CRF. I had to go back to the V-E-T a week ago, and they said my numbers are very high which is bad. Mom was at work when the V-E-T called, so it went to her cell phone voice mail. Mom called back to get some more information, and the V-E-T said something that Mom can't quite figure out if it's good or bad... he said that my numbers were so bad, he couldn't figure out why I was still alive... Mom doesn't know whether to take that as "Your cat is really a miracle because he should be dead," or "Why don't you just let your cat die?" He also said I shouldn't feel like eating. He called twice after that and left messages asking if I was eating and how I was doing. Mom is kind of under the impression that he thinks I am going to run for The Bridge any moment, but I am proving him wrong.

I am still asking to go get the mail with Mom, and the appetite stimulant really worked on me, because I keep asking for food. I even stole a piece of pepperoni with cheese on it today. Mom wasn't too happy about that - something about not being good for my tummy, but it tasted yummy. I am also still demanding pets and love from Mom and am still hopping up onto the counter to get to the TV stand so I can sleep on top of the Blue-Ray and wireless router. It's very warm up there. I've even sneaked out of the house a couple of times when Mom was leaving for work - that was fun, except I got caught too soon each time (I don't go anywhere, except to the end of our little hall and wait for Mom to pick me up - it's how we go to get the mail everyday).

Anyway, I am getting sub-q fluids every day. I also have to take blood pressure medicine so I don't have another stroke. I've been okay with the medicine, but I really don't like getting the sub-q fluids. I don't really fight Mom, but I definitely let her know I would rather be elsewhere. One day, I jumped down after she stuck me, and pulled the needle out. I don't think I will be trying that again because I just got stuck again. All in all, I am doing remarkably well for a cat that shouldn't be alive.

As for Gracie and Cody, they are both okay. Mom just got a new throw from Sam's Club that Gracie absolutely loves. She kneads on it and suckles it and goes completely gaga over it. Cody has his days where he will jump on the bed for treats and let Mom pet him (she almost gets misty eyed every time it happens because of the long wait to be able to do so.) She says his fur is very soft and he will now stop eating his treats for a few seconds at a time and just enjoy the pets. He is still a scaredy cat about everything else tho. He's so cute because he raises his behind in the air to get more pets. Mom says this is proof to never, ever give up on trying to win over a cat. It's taken her 10 long years to be able to touch him, and she doesn't think he will ever get much beyond where he is now, but just being able to pet him for 2 or 3 minutes is a miracle she never thought would happen.

As always, we thank you for your continued friendship. We are so sorry we are unable to comment or visit as much. Mom used to do a lot of it while she was at work, but she has a different boss now that gets all frowny faced about it.

Funny Video - NSFW based on language

2010-10-22T22:39:00.000-07:00

Mom laughed so hard at this video. It does have some words from the naughty list, so be warned.

We hope everyone has a good weekend.

Happy 'Tocktober Day Derby

2010-10-20T01:12:00.000-07:00

Today is our good friend, Derby's, birthday. In honor of him, we are posting our best 'tocks. (We don't do 'tocks very well - sorry Derby)

I don't have much 'tocks anymore since I've lost so much weight.

Gracie has lots of 'tocks, but she's such a lady, she doesn't like showing them off.

We hope you have a great birthday Derby. You deserve it.

Tortie Tuesday Tavi Update

2010-10-12T17:33:00.000-07:00

I decided to report on today's update since Tavi is just a bit hissed off at the world. He had to go back to the V-E-T again - and Mom made me go too. He has CRF and has to have sub-q fluids, and a special diet. He also got two more prescriptions. One is an appetite stimulant since he hasn't felt like eating, and the other is a phosphate binder - both of which have to be done at a compounding pharmacy. Mom has to take care of those tomorrow. He also got two shots today: one of Vitamin B complex and Vitamin B12 combined, and another of a long lasting anti-biotic.

Mom has to give him 70 mls of fluids each day, and she has to give him a Vitamin B12 shot weekly for at least the next six weeks. And he has to go back for blood tests in 2 weeks.

Tavi was not a happy camper today. Mom isn't sure if it was because he had to go back to the V-E-T- for the third time in as many days or if it was because I was in the carrier with him, or if it was just that he's not feeling well, or a combination of the three. I had to go to get my rooster shots. Mom figured it made sense to take care of it since she had to go there anyway.

Thank you all for the purrs, prayers, and good thoughts coming our way. We really appreciate it.

PS - Mom did buy a pill splitter when she got the pills, but she says it's still a pain in the hiney to split those little things. 1/2 isn't too bad, it's the quartering that's a royal pain.

Meezer Monday

2010-10-11T11:43:00.001-07:00

Well, we got back from our v-e-t a little while ago. Mom says we got lucky because I got the v-e-t she likes the best there. He does seem a little bit more gentle and kind when he examines me.

Anyway, they stole some of my furs, my blood and my urine, and are going to send it in to be tested. They also took my blood pressure, and it is high, so they gave mom some medication for me to take at least until they get the report back. It is a very, tiny, itty bitty pill - and I only have to take 1/4 of it once a day. Mom says it's going to be a pain in the hiney to cut it into quarters.

So Not a Sleepy Sunday

2010-10-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

We seem to be always apologizing for not getting around and commenting much, and not posting much, so here it goes again. We are so sorry. We are reading about you tho. Here is a bit of an update.

I got hauled off to the emergency v-e-t today. It appears I might have had a stroke. I woke up Mom this morning by dragging myself out from under the covers. Mom noticed I hadn't walked out and got very concerned. She tried to stand me up and I just collapsed back down. She moved me out to the couch to look at me better, and I couldn't move one side of my body. I also had 2 different sized pupils. She took a quick shower, and while she was in there, I tried to get up and ended up falling off the couch (but I didn't hurt myself). She raced me to the emergency v-e-t (I threw up on her shoulder in the car because I got car sick). Once there, they did a preliminary check on me, and I couldn't feel pain sensations in my toes on my one foot, and they agreed with mom about my pupil sizes, but said I was stable for now, and Mom could hold me until the v-e-t could see me.

Once we went into the v-e-t, I had improved noticeably, and was able to stand up and stagger around. I was given a physical exam and neurological exam, and kept getting better. My eyes had improved a lot, but were still slightly different sizes, and when the v-e-t checked my foot orientation (they turned my paw upside down by putting the top of the paw on the table), I could straighten it out, but slowly. I could also see and smell, although the v-e-t said I am starting to get cataracts. I also seemed to have a loss of sensation along my back bone which could be from a couple of things.

I have to go to my regular v-e-t tomorrow for blood work, and a follow-up appointment. I don't really want to go. Today's appointment exhausted me.

Mom was crying both on the way to the v-e-t and on the way home - she said she was first so afraid she would have to help me over the bridge, and then she was so happy. I don't get her at times...how come she was crying because she was sad and happy????

Anyway, I am doing lots better than I was this morning, and am enjoying being back home again.

Mo Cats Day

2010-09-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of Mo Cats Day, we've decided to include pictures of all the cats in our family and pictures from some friends of ours.

One of Mom's favorite pictures of Tavi.

Cody sleeping with Camie.

Gracie looking a little annoyed at having her nap disturbed.

Tiki (now at the bridge)

Miss Jade (now at the bridge)

Our cousin, Einstein. He is now a whopping 16 lb boy. (We don't have a picture of Dharma - his sister)

The intruder kitty from Christmas, 2~1/2 years ago - Belle

Belle's cousin - Ewok.

Stealing Warmth

2010-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Mom's shoulder was a bit hurty today, so she brought her heating pad home from work. She put it on the couch by me, plugged it in, and turned it on low. Of course, I had to steal it from her. It was a bit chilly today, so I needed something to keep me warm, and this was wonderful. Mom said she is going to leave it home for us, so I can use it as much as I want.

In other news, I am still a bit depressed without Camie. I have been sleeping in the bathroom in the dirty clothes. I have plenty of other places to sleep, I just feel like sleeping in there for now. I have still been demanding lots of Mom time too. She's pretty good about letting me sleep on her when I want.

Gracie is doing okay, and Cody is still allowing Mom to pet him lots while he eats his treats.

Today is a Heartbreaking Day

2010-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

We just found out we lost another beloved friend. We are in tears. Luxor was another cat who dealt with a terrible disease with grace and dignity. We are so sorry to hear that he has decided to leave for the Bridge. He will be missed by everyone who knew him through his blog and Facebook. Luxor, we know we will see you at the Bridge one day.

Goodbye Dear Friend

2010-08-18T04:11:00.000-07:00

We were so sad to learn that Eric had to be helped to the bridge yesterday. We know how devastated his mum and dad are. Eric was an inspiration to us when Tiki was diagnosed with diabetes. He gave us hope at a time when we were feeling hopeless about Tiki's diagnosis. Eric, we are glad that you are now running around pain free at the bridge. We have so many friends up there to greet you and welcome you. Until we meet again.

Thankful Thursday

2010-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's not so much that I am thankful, but my mom sure is. I hid from her really good the other day. She was looking and looking for me and couldn't find me. I wouldn't even come out for treats. I finally ran past her so she was able to go to bed. She looked outside for me, and in the refrigerator - mol - knowing I wouldn't go in either of those places.

I wouldn't come up on the bed for a couple of days to get treats, but I am back to doing that. The thing Mom is most thankful for tho, is I am allowing her to pet me while I eat my treats. I even let her pet me last night for a bit after the treats were all gone. I've never willingly let her pet me before for as long as I am now. I hate to say this, but I am kind of liking this petting thing. I am even raising up my back while she pets me to make her do it again. Don't tell anyone.

17 years young & Update

2010-06-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I am 17 years young today. It is hard to believe that I am that old. Of course, it is also my brother's birthday, even if he is at the bridge. Mom's birthday present to me (well, really all of us) is that she is home for a whole week. She took off a vacation day, and then has four furlough days. She says she doesn't mind the furlough days because they took the money out a little at a time over all of her paychecks, but she gets to take the days off all at once (so it's like a mini vacation).

We are sorry we haven't been updating. We are all okay, but I have been extra clingy with Mom since Camie went to the bridge. I have been asking Mom to hold me almost constantly when she is home. She has been a little bit concerned about me because of it, but she is giving in to my demands for the most part to be held all the time.

Gracie is her usual self. She is still very sweet with me and very bratty with Cody. Of course, Cody starts their arguments half of the time anyway, so we can't blame it all on Gracie. She still loves to knead on Mom with all of her feet while she purrs and drools. She also takes long naps on Mom until I come up and kick her out of the way. I wouldn't mind if she wanted to share, but she won't. She's kind of selfish.

Cody has the biggest news tho. He has been letting Mom pet him lots while he is eating his treats at night. Mom has been able to pet him for almost a minute. As you know, this is a HUGE improvement over his previous behavior. He still gets spooked easily, and will move away from her if she makes any sudden movements, but at least he will sit still and let her get some good petting in on his back and he doesn't run and hide if she has to move. Mom is going to try to get some video of it if she can. She says it's hard to take video and pet at the same time, especially because it's Cody.

Thank you all for staying friends with us. Mom keeps saying she is going to go back to helping us visit and blog soon.

Goodbye Baby Girl

2010-05-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Our Camie was helped over the bridge today a little before 2 p.m. PST. In the last week, she stopped eating anything but our cat food, or boiled chicken and even then, she could not eat much. She had lost a lot of weight and she couldn't walk very well to go out to go potty. She also had lots of swelling under her chin from the tumor, so Mom made the agonizing decision to help her go. She went very peacefully, and the V-E-T told Mom that she had picked the perfect time to let her take her trip. Mom has been crying lots, but we are sitting on her and sleeping on her to help her feel better. We know we will see her again at the bridge. Goodbye our sweet baby girl Camie. You were a wonderful sister to us, and we will miss you very much.

Update

2010-04-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

We are so sorry it has been so long since we have given you an update. Everything is about the same here. Camie is still doing really well. As you can see, her tumor is getting pretty big, but she is taking it in stride. These pictures were taken about a month ago. It really doesn't seem to be bothering her much. Mom is really hoping Camie will make it to her 13th birthday in June, which seems like a definite possibility.

As for the rest of us, Gracie Mae is becoming more of a lap kitty with Mom. When she is tired, she will come up and sleep on Mom. Mom says she is dead to the world then, and won't get up without a lot of prompting.

Cody is doing fine. He has finally started coming up on the bed again for treats. Mom has managed to get all three of us up on the bed at the same time for treats. Cody will run if Gracie moves from her treat spot. She likes to finish up the bits and pieces that Cody won't and sometimes gets overeager and runs him off.

As for me, I am starting to feel my age. I am sleeping a lot more, and am having a harder time getting up and down. Mom says I am looking a little arthritic. I feel fine, just a little creaky. I am almost 17, so I think I have earned the right to be creaky at times. There are times that I still love to play THOE, but they are getting shorter in length and fewer in frequency.

Mom stayed home with us this year over spring break instead of going to Washington DC with the eighth graders. She wanted to stay home with Camie and I think she just really needed a break from work and school. We took advantage of her being home to sleep on her a lot.

We are really sorry we haven't had a chance to visit most of you lately. We have been keeping up on our reader, but have not had any time to comment. We wish that Mom would quit her job so we could visit you all everyday, but since we still need her to buy our stinky goodness, we know she has to work. Thank you for continuing to stick by us as friends and inquire as to our well-being when we haven't posted in a while.

My Gotcha Day

2010-03-13T00:36:00.000-08:00

Hi, Gracie here. Wow, I can't believe it's been a year since I was gotcha'd. A year ago, I was living out in the desert where anything could have eaten me, and only given the very basics of care and attention. Now, I am my mama's spoiled baby girl, and have all the food, love and attention a girl could want. I also gained 2 brothers and 2 sisters when I was gotcha'd, even though one of my sisters ran off to the bridge. The big one is still here though, and loves me to sleep with her. I have also gained friends from all over the world whom I love very much. I think I was very lucky the day I tried to eat some food in a box that captured me. I love my new life and love that I was gotcha'd.

Hello

2010-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hi, We're sorry we haven't been around much. We know we've had some of you worried. Mom has just been super busy with work, school and homework. Camie is doing really well. Her tumor is growing, but it doesn't seem to be affecting her at all. She is acting as if nothing is wrong with her, so we are all trying to treat her the same. Mom is trying to keep her from running a lot (not that she does much anyway, but she does love to run in the rain, and we've had quite a bit of it the last few weeks).

I have been a little bit more cuddly with Mom. She needs me to sit on her at times and make her stop moving around. I take my job seriously. I am lucky now because she is doing a lot of sitting and watching all sorts of sports. She doesn't normally like sports, but she is watching a lot right now. Does any other cat have this problem with their beans?

Gracie is not being such a brat. She still purrs, kneads, drools and stomps on Mom. She uses all four feet when she is kneading, and has given Mom a few bruises when she stomps too hard. She hasn't been bothering Cody as much, which makes Mom happier.

Cody hasn't been hiding under the bed as much unless Gracie is in there. He is spending more time on Mom's bed or Camie's bed. Not while we are in there, but Mom catches him every once in a while.

Other than that, not much has been happening. Oh, Mom did find her flashy box. It was vacationing under the couch. Mom thought it was under her bed, but she found it under the couch instead. She has to juice it up. She said we might do a photo shoot this weekend - oh joy!

We hope all of you are well, and we will try to be a little better about posting and commenting when we visit, but Mom hasn't let us.

Meezer Monday

2010-01-25T00:57:00.000-08:00

I've decided to see if I like being a monorail kitty. It was fun while it lasted.

A Very Wet Thursday

2010-01-21T00:30:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have heard, we are getting lots of rain here in "Sunny" Southern California. Today was one of the worst days of the three storms we are supposed to get. Mom took some pictures to show us how bad it was outside.

This is at Mom's work. An hour before this, the ground was wet, but it wasn't flooded like this. Mom has decided to call it Lake Ross. (The name of her school is Ross)

This is looking the other way from the door where she was standing. The campus has 4 long buildings that that face away from the admin building like fingers. This is between the first and second building. The top picture is between the second and third.

This is also between the first and second building.

This was on the drive home. Mom was stopped at a red light. If you look closely, you can see the water is up to almost the bottom of the doors on the sedans.

This is at our apartment building in the parking area. It is about 2-3 inches deep.

This is right outside our apartment. The first window on the left is our living room window. Fortunately, the apartments are up from the sidewalk, otherwise we would be under water. Our doorway is off to the left (out of the picture). It is higher ground than the sidewalk and under cover so it is only wet from foot prints.

This is Mom standing in the water so you can see how deep it is. She is nuts. Camie said that water is very cold.

This is what Gracie, Cody and I have been doing. We are staying warm and dry inside. Camie has mostly been doing that, but she does have to go outside sometimes.

And finally, here is an update of Camie. If you look closely at her neck, you can see the tumor. She is doing really well tho. She is eating better than ever and is enjoying being pampered. Mom says that we are going to keep on taking one day at a time and being happy with every moment we have with her.

Saying Goodbye is Hard & Thankful Thursday (and an update)

2010-01-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

We were so very sorry to hear that our good friend LC has run off to the bridge to be with her brother. LC, you were a wonderful friend, and an even better sister. Even though you weren't thrilled to have first Ayla and then Iza join your family, you took them under your "wings" and taught them everything they needed. We will miss you very much.

In other news, here is an update on Camie...She is doing pretty well. For the most part, she is acting normally. Mom says she is a little bit slower on her walks, and doesn't want to go as far. Mom has noticed that she can no longer lift her head to look up. She can still look ahead of her and down, but she cannot raise her head to look up. Mom was trying to give her some treats, and she cried a bit when she raised her head to get them, but it's okay because Mom is making sure she doesn't have to look up. All of her treats are given at a comfortable level for her. Other than that one thing, Mom thinks she is doing great considering.

As for our Thankful Thursday, we are thankful that Camie is doing so well. We are continuing to take each day as it comes and be thankful for the time we have with her. Cody is still sleeping with her every night, and we continue to bathe her and love on her.

LC, we will see you at the bridge. We will miss you very much.

A Gracie Tuesday

2010-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is what I did on Mama last night. I am not normally a "lap" cat, but Mama has been noticing lately that if I am tired, I will sometimes sleep on her instead of near her. I slept on her so long that her arm almost fell asleep. Of course, that is a bonus.

Meezer Monday

2010-01-11T00:47:00.000-08:00

This is pretty much how we all spent the weekend. We did a lot of sleeping and a lot of cuddling. It's my favorite way to spend a weekend, and next weekend, we get Mom for an extra day.

Thankful Thursday

2010-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

Because the last couple of days have been so sucky for us and for Mom (those whose beans are on facebook know what's been going on), we decided that we needed to focus on some positive stuff. So, we are thankful that Camie is such a wonderful woofie sister, and that she loves to snuggle with us. We are also thankful we have such wonderful friends. Thank you all for your purrs and words of encouragement. Some of the comments made Mom's eyes leak. We are so, so grateful to have friends like all of you!

News about Camie

2010-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Mom finally got the news about Camie and it isn't good. She took Camie to a surgical vet specialist today, and he basically said the tumor in her neck is inoperable. They did x-rays to see if it had spread to her lungs or chest and it hadn't. So then then did an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that the tumor was very vascular and that it she must have torn a blood vessel or something and that was lead to her huge amount of swelling a week ago. The ultrasound also showed that the tumor has either started to spread down to her chest, or it was a bloodclot.

Mom asked the vet if Camie was any pain and he assured her she was not. He said that if the tumor bleeds again, it probably wouldn't be good. When Mom asked him how much time Camie had left, he said it all depended on whether the tumor bleeds or not. It could be a week or a month. We are going to take each day as it comes and spend as much time with our Camie as we can.

We want to thank everyone for all of the purrs lately. We know we have been very bad at leaving comments. We have tried to visit as many of you as we can each day, but Mom doesn't always give us time to comment. Thank you all for continuing to be our friends.

It's a New Year - but we still have some of the same problems

2010-01-01T01:06:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday was day two of Camie's neck mystery. The V-E-T called yesterday morning with her lab results and said that the only thing he could see on the report that was abnormal was her protein level was low - but he attributed that to the bleeding into her neck. He wants to check her again on Saturday. He thinks that she might have a tumor that has a lot of blood vessels in and around it and that it might have started to bleed and all the blood poured into the surrounding tissues and caused the massive swelling. She doesn't seem to be in too much discomfort unless Mom tries to put her collar on or she moves her head wrong. She has more energy than she did the first day, but still gets worn out much too fast. Here are some pictures of her neck as of last night/this morning about 1:00 am.

This first picture is what her neck looks like when she is standing/walking. Mom says she looks like she has a turkey wattle. It's kind of hard to tell in the picture, but it is mostly dangling skin with just a little bit of swelling in it. The prednisone shot the V-E-T gave her is helping a lot with the swelling, but Mom says it is making her drink a lot and use the potty a lot - even when she sleeps. Mom doesn't care tho.

Here she is laying down. As you can see, I was trying to give her some purr therapy, but Mom wouldn't let me in the picture (I snuck part of myself in tho).

This is the bruising that is on her neck area. The V-E-T assured Mom that it was because of the blood he took yesterday, but Mom isn't so sure. It's really a large bruised area.

Some of the bruising and swelling has migrated to her chest/underarm area. Mom is lifting up her leg so you can see it better.

Finally Mom let me in to do some purr therapy. I really love my sister and hope she is better soon. Thank you all for the purrs, prayers, woofs, tail wags, etc. They mean a lot to us and we know the power it has in helping her get well. Mom has promised us she is going to get caught up on visiting everyone before she has to go back to school on Monday. We will give you all an update after Camie gets back from her V-E-T visit tomorrow.

Camie (and Gracie)

2009-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

We don't often post pictures of Camie because this is our blog, but she had to go to the V-E-T on an emergency yesterday, so we thought we would ask our friends for some purrs for her.

About a month ago, she got a lump on her neck, so Mom took her to the V-E-T then and they did a needle biopsy, but it came back just showing blood cells. The V-E-T assumed she had an edema and told Mom to keep an eye on it.

Well, yesterday when Mom got up, she took Camie out for a walk and she was fine. About 15 minutes after she came in, Camie was panting in the kitchen, and wouldn't come lay down. Mom finally got her into the living room to lay down, and noticed that her neck was starting to swell up. Mom thought it was an allergic reaction, so she drove to Target to get some antihistimine medicine. She gave her a pill, but realized almost immediately that the swelling was a lot worse, and that it would be best to take her in to the V-E-T.

When they got to the V-E-T, he decided that it didn't feel like an allergic reaction, so he took a couple of x-rays. Fortunately, they showed that her airway wasn't closed at all and that the swelling was all on the outside of her neck area. He still isn't quite sure what the problem is, but he kept her for the day, and gave her a steroid shot to help with the swelling and some antibiotics for her to take in case it is an infection of some kind. He also took bloodwork to send away to the lab and we should have the results later in the day today.

Here is what her neck looked like last night - about 12 hour after Mom first noticed the swelling. We are sorry the pictures aren't that great, but Mom still hasn't found the camera so she used her cell phone. (The bruising is from the bloodwork they took - not an injury)

Here is a bonus picture of Gracie playing with a flashlight spot. She isn't smart enough to realize that the light comes from Mom and you can't ever catch it.

PS - We also want to wish everyone a very happy New Year. We hope everycats' beans are safe tonight.

Saying Goodbye is Hard

2009-12-18T01:38:00.000-08:00

We read some very sad news today. After 18-1/2 years, Princess has run off to the bridge to be with her beloved brother Caesar. Princess, we will miss you very, very much. You were the epitome of the word lady. We are glad that you are with your brother now, but our hearts are sad and our eyes are leaking.

Thank you for letting us use your graphic Skeezix.

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-12-16T00:01:00.000-08:00

My rule for today - take care of your beans when they are sick, but only up to a point. After a while, taking care of them ruins your naps.

Tortie Tuesday

2009-12-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

Wow, little did we know that when Tavi complained about not having enough Mom time, how much we would be getting. Mom came home from work last Tuesday with a fever and has been home sleeping, snorting, hacking, honking, and complaining about how much her head and ear hurt ever since. We liked it a lot for the first few days and spent a lot of time snuggling with her. Now, we are kind of tired of the interruptions to our sleep with her hacking and honking all the time. She is finally starting to feel better, but is still planning on staying home with us at least one more day. Of course after Friday, she will be back home with us for two weeks for winter break, but by then, she should be feeling better and not interrupting our naps.

Meezer Monday

2009-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is how I spent my weekend. I slept a lot. Mom was gone both Saturday at a friend's house, and then went out to dinner on Sunday. The little time that was left, I cuddled with Mom. I think she needs to take some time off so she can spend it with me. I don't think she's been spending nearly enough time with me.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-12-04T01:49:00.000-08:00

Me Gracie. Me don't know if me Formerly Feral or not, but me found outside, and me only trust the Mom person at first. Me likes to sit on the back of the couch - this is where me is now. It has the best view of the pool area. Birds like to hang out there, so Gracie escape and som friends We hope y'all have a fabulous weekend.

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here I am sleeping in the arms of my favorite bean. My rule is: If it is a special day for your bean, cuddle with them, and give them as many purrs as they can handle.

Fun on Tuesday

2009-12-01T01:24:00.000-08:00

We got another package yesterday, and Mom finally got around to opening both of them for us. We are sorry for the quality of the pictures, but Mom still hasn't found her camera, so she had to use her cell phone, and it doesn't take the best pictures.Here is the package we got today.

Here I am helping open both of them.

The package we got yesterday was from Eric and Flynn and their beans. They thanked us for hosting a BBQ when they were here last month.

Here is the inside of the card.

Here is another card that was inside.

Here is the inside.

Here is one of the gifts. It is a bouncy ball. Gracie really likes it.

Here is another one. It has a cord that you can pull and it moves all around.

Here is a bone for Camie.

And here is a rawhide card for Camie. Mom was going to give Camie her treats when we went to bed last night, but Camie had other ideas. She took her treats and wouldn't give them back to Mom without a tug of war. Mom had to open them so Camie would not eat the packaging.

This is a wonderful toy. It is a kicker, and I tried to help Mom take it out of the box. Gracie and I LOVE it. It is so much fun to roll around with. There was also a black spider toy inside, but Mom doesn't know where the picture of it went. We also LOVE to play with it too. It is on a string so Mom can dangle it for us,

Here I am testing it out.

Here is a gift for Mom. It is a beautiful silver bookmark with a cat on it. It is perfect for her. She loves to read.

Here is the package we got a couple of weeks ago. It is from Mom Robyn of the Hotties (House of the Mostly Black Cats). She had a contest and gave a pin away and we won.

Here I am with the box.

There was a beautiful pin inside. Mom is going to enjoy wearing it.

Meezer Monday

2009-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Mom decided to desert us overnight to go play and sleep with a bunch of Camie dogs. One of her friends has 4 greyhounds, so she took Camie and watched them overnight. She came home reeking of strange dogs. I had to bathe myself just to get the stink off of me. We are glad she has her normal scent back now.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-11-20T02:16:00.000-08:00

This is where I've been sleeping every night. Mom puts a blanket over Camie, and I get up there and snuggle with her. It's quite warm. And it allows me to see when Mom starts to move so I can start to demand either treats or food.

Thursday Thirteen

2009-11-19T01:11:00.000-08:00

Me Gracie. Me decided to post 13 things that maked the MLP go "Oh Gracie" this week.

1. Me chasded Cody under the bed. Me not like Cody much, so me chasded him under the bed - Gracie thinks he belongs under there.

2. Me used MLP's wicker dresser as a scratching post. It's perfect for that, so Gracie has to stretch and scratch, scratch, scratch.

3. Me pokded Tavi when he walked by. But he swatted me back, so me had to pokded him again.

4. Me tasted the MLP's dinner. It was okay.

5. Me convinced Tavi to play THoE at 2 in the morning just as the MLP was trying to go to sleep.

6. Me walked across the computer 50 million times.

7. Me chasded Cody again.

8. Me scratched, scratched, scratched, scratched, scratched in the litter box. Me likes to makded sure everything is well covered.

9. Me ignored the MLP when she called for Gracie. Me just kept hollering for her so she would come to me, not the other way around.

10. Me sat near Tavi and let him lick Gracie's head.

11. Me sat with Camie and purred.

12. Me fell asleep in a cute position.

13. Me loved on the MLP and prickded her lots. Me liked it so much, me did it almost every day.

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-11-18T00:01:00.000-08:00

We entered a contest on Facebook, and would really appreciate your votes. We entered the Cutest Senior Cat on Facebook contest. nThis is one of Mom's favorite pictures of Tiki and I before he went to the bridge. She loves it because we are holding paws. It looks like you can vote once per day and we would love it if you would vote for us.

My rule for today: If you enter a contest, don't be ashamed to beg for votes.

Ticked off Tuesday

2009-11-17T00:32:00.000-08:00

Okay, the person who calls herself Our Mom is totally useless. She still can't find her flashy box (not that she's really tried hard to find it). First it was because she was sick, and now it is because she has school. We got something really cool in the mail, and we want to show everyone. There is a picture of it somewhere here on our blog, but we want to see it in person, and Mom won't open the package 'til she can take pictures. Anyone want to trade Mom's for a while?

Meezer Monday

2009-11-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

Mom was home with us for almost a whole week. She had Wednesday off, and only went to work for about 2-1/2 hours on Thursday, and was home with us all of Friday, most of Saturday, and all of Sunday. We've been doing a really good job of holding her legs down for her so she doesn't fall off the couch or the bed. She spent most of the the time asleep, except for yesterday. She was still laying down on the couch, but she spent a lot of time playing with a guy named Tivo. She went back to work today. We are not very happy about having our napping buddy gone again. She said it was only for a week and a half, and then she would be home again for a long weekend, and then she said before we know it, she will have winter vacation off and be home with us for two whole weeks. We can't wait. We love it when Mom is home to give us extra treats and nap time with her.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-11-13T02:05:00.000-08:00

I am still really good at demanding treats. And Mom almost always complies with my demands. She even came home early yesterday and is going to stay home today to make sure we get treats on demand. Of course, when she came home yesterday, she ended up sleeping for 5 hours. And she told us she plans on doing even more sleeping today. We think because she is staying home, she should spend time with us, not sleeping on the couch.

Happy Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Today, we thought we would post a few posters from WWII as a way of paying tribute to all of our veterans.

We also want to thank our Papa who served in the Air Force for 26 years. He was a Flight Simulator Technician. All pilots have to use a flight simulator to practice situations where it is unsafe to do it in a real plane - such as landing in bad weather, or having an engine go out. Our Papa made sure that the pilots had working flight simulators to practice in so that they would be safer if they were ever faced with one of those situations in real life. He may not have been in a combat situation, but he made sure that the pilots were able to be well trained before they got there. Thank you to all our veterans, whether they were in combat or not.

Thankful Tuesday

2009-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Me Gracie. Me sad today. Me not always like Jade, but me miss her now. Mommy says for me to tell everyone "Thank you!" So, thank you everyone for your purrs and condolences and hugs for Jade and for us. We are so thankful we have friends like you. Tavi and Me, Gracie, are spending lots of time loving on Mommy. Her is still sad, but her knows her did the right thing, and her knows Jade is healthier and happier at the Bridge.

A New Angel

2009-11-08T14:03:00.001-08:00

Jade ran off to the bridge a little while ago. I took her in to the emergency vet, and while they were writing up an estimate of how much it would cost to run all of the tests, I was alone in the room with her. I told her that if she needed to run off to be better to go ahead. She immediately started gasping for breath. The vet came back in and said she was going, and I told him to put her to sleep so she wouldn't suffer anymore. I only had her for a little over a year, but it doesn't lessen the pain of missing her. I know she is happy and healthy again, but I will miss her very much. Thank you all for your purrs. I am sure they brought her comfort in her last hours.

Purrs for Jade - Please

2009-11-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

Hi, Camie's Kitties Mom here. I was hoping I could get some purrs for Jade please. I hadn't seen her in a couple of days which is not unusual, but I took some food into my room to eat, and she didn't show her face which is unusual. She loves to steal food from my plate. Anyway, I found her under my bed in the back corner - I had to pull my bed totally apart to get her, and she is a very sick lady. She is very lethargic, and feels a little warm to me. She is drinking lots of water, and will take a lick or two of baby food, but doesn't seem that interested in eating. I've gotten her to eat two syringes of watered down food. If she isn't looking better by tomorrow, I will take her into the emergency vet, otherwise, I will take her into our regular vet on Monday. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind sending some purrs her way, she could sure use them. Thanks.

BTW - Gracie is all over her stomach bug. It looked like it was just a 24 hour thing.

Bleagh

2009-11-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Me Gracie. This is how me feel. Me feel upset in my tumbly. Mine Mommy let me sleep on her and her covered me with a blanket. Me sleep lots. Me tired. Me don't like it when mine Mommy coughs. Her is coughing lots right now. Mine Mommy and me are going to sleep lots so we can feel better.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2009-11-05T00:38:00.000-08:00

We wish peace for everyone!

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-11-04T00:56:00.000-08:00

My rule for today: When your mom can't find her camera, it's best to just sleep until she takes the time to look for it. Of course, that could lead to a really long nap.

Tortie Tuesday

2009-11-03T02:09:00.000-08:00

Me Gracie! MLP is a dork. Her can't find her camera, so we have to use old pictures. Hopefully her finds her camera soon, because Gracie's been very cute lately - her said so.

Meezer Monday

2009-11-02T01:22:00.000-08:00

This is how I spent my weekend - well this, and napping. Mom deserted us both days. On Saturday, she went to a friends' house, and on Sunday, she went into her day hunting place, even though she doesn't day hunt on Sundays. She was gone all day too. She did say she would be home one day the week after next, so I guess that it's okay that she left us both days.

Another 'TockTober Day

2009-10-30T00:13:00.000-07:00

Me Gracie! Me doesn't like having my 'tocks ina picture. Me kept turning from the MLP, but her took my picture anyway. Me only likes to stick my 'tocks in her face, not her camera.

Thankful Thursday

2009-10-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

It is starting to get chilly at night. I am thankful I have a nice warm bed to cuddle up in (and a bean to cuddle with - if I want).

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-10-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a short video of me eating some BBQed hamburger. I really had a great time. So, my rule for today is: If you are given the chance to be at a BBQ - GO! (and make sure you get to eat some of the nommy food.)

Tortie Tuesday

2009-10-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Me Gracie! Here is me going purr, purr, purr and prick, prick, prick on the MLP. She doesn't like it when I keep pricking her. When I prick her too much, she chops off my clawrs. Me don't like that.

Meezer Monday

2009-10-26T02:44:00.000-07:00

Mom had her BBQ yesterday, and I got to go (along with Camie).

Here the two of us are on the blanket in the sun. As you can see, I had a harness on, but noone was holding me. I never wandered off.

I got to eat a little bit of grilled hamburger. It was nommy. Camie got the rest.

Here I am on Grr's (etc.) mom's lap. She was so nice.

Now I'm with Grr's girl. She's nice too.

Here is Eric's and Flynn's mum holding me.

Here's their dad.

We all had a great time. Everyone spent a lot of time holding me, and petting Camie. Mom and everyone else talked about what else - cats and the blogs. If you want to see all of the pictures, you can visit the Southern California Cat Bloggers Meeting Place.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-10-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

This picture is a couple of days old. I haven't been feeling well the past couple of days and have been hiding under the bed. I only stick out my head to let Mom know I want to eat, and then it is only a half-hearted meow. I get this way sometimes with my tummy trouble, but will be fine in a day or two. Mom will, of course, worry about me until I come out again.

PS - Southern California kitties - don't forget to let us know if you can come to the BBQ on Sunday. You can click on the picture in the sidebar to go to the Southern California Cat Bloggers Meeting Place.

A Gracie Thursday

2009-10-22T00:22:00.001-07:00

Me Gracie! Me wouldn't let the MLP get a picture of my 'tocks for 'TockTober. This is the only picture me would let her take.

The MLP says don't forget 'bout the BBQ/Potluck if you're in Southern California on Sunday. Please notify any Southern California bloggers, or let the MLP know who they are so she can visit them and invite them. Grr's, Midnight's, Coco's, etc Mom (and maybe beanagers) will be there as will Eric's and Flynn's Mom and Dad. The MLP said she might even take Camie and Tavi with her - in person - not as a flat dog or cat.

We Interrupt this Regularly Scheduled Blog Post with a Special Announcement

2009-10-21T00:01:00.000-07:00

Eric's and Flynn's mom and dad are going to be here in Southern California this weekend. They are getting back from a cruise on Sunday, October 25th. We would like to see about getting together a group of us So. Cal. bloggers to have a BBQ/Potluck. We know this is really short notice, and we appologize, but if you are in Southern California and would be able to make it, please let us know in the comments. Also, if you know of any Southern California bloggers, please spread the word.

Mom has created a special blog just for the information.

Happy 'TockTober Day

2009-10-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

We'd like to wish Derby a very happy 'TockTober Day. We hope your birthday is great!

(Gracie was going to join me in wishing Derby a happy 'TockTober Day, but Mom's camera lost power before she would cooperate. )

Meezer Monday

2009-10-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

This is how we spent our weekend. We are trying to catch up on everyone's blog. If we haven't made it around to you yet, don't worry, we will.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-10-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

I am asking Mom for food here. She has started something different when she feeds us. We have 2 bowls that all four of us share. Two of us share each bowl. We used to get one can in each bowl twice a day. Now what Mom is doing is giving us 1/2 can in each bowl four times a day. She said she is doing this for now because Camie was eating too much of our food, and we were always begging for more. Now we just beg more often, but we are finishing everything that is in our bowl instead of saving some for later. We will see how it goes.

Also, we are a bit sad today because it was one year ago that Tiki ran off to the bridge. We know he is happy and healthy there, but we are sad because we miss him. We can't wait to see you again Tiki.

A Gracie Thursday

2009-10-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

Me Gracie 'gin. Me gotted tuna joose last night. Nommy! The weather has been wet! It's rained for the last 2 days. The MLP* likes the rain. She's weird. She says the only bad thing about it is that it makes the beanagers she works with smelly -"Worse than a wet dog." Of course, we don't know what a wet dog smells like 'cuz Camie doesn't smell when she's wet. Greyhounds don't. She's weird too.

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2009-10-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it takes Mom's to get back into the routine of blogging. My rule for today is to keep standing by, sleeping on, pawing at the computer until they realize you mean business.

Tortie Tuesday

2009-10-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Me Gracie!!! Me miss all of you!!! The mom lady person had some rice that she didn't finish, so me helped her with it. It was yummy!

Me has also discovered something new. When the MLP lays down on the couch, or in bed, me comes up to her, puts Gracie's butt in her face, and sit there and purr on her and knead. Me does this all the time. The MLP tries to move me around so me am looking at her, but me likes to sit the other way. The MLP doesn't let me do it much unless Gracie's clawrs are chopped off, because me likes to prick her - hehe.

We're Back

2009-10-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

We are sorry we have been gone for almost two months. Mom has been busy and has not let us do much visiting or any blogging at all. We have not been doing much, but Mom had a month off of work, and then was busy with the first of the school year stuff. She worked late a lot, and the nights she didn't work late, she had school. Hopefully, it has calmed down enough that we can start visiting and blogging again. We hope to get around to all of you in the next couple of days.

Tabby Tuesday

2009-08-18T05:25:00.000-07:00

Mom has gotten not only her schedule all messed up, but ours as well. It is 5:30 in the morning PST, and she has not gone to bed yet. This means that we get fed at really weird times. We were just fed a few minutes ago (an hour earlier than normal), and when she wakes up some time this afternoon, we will be fed again. And then because it should be dinnertime somewhere in the world, we will probably be fed around 9 or 10 tonight. We only got fed a few minutes ago because she felt sorry for us, and she doesn't want us waking her up in a couple of hours. In the meantime, I am existing on treats between meals. (Mom is an 11 month employee, so she is off the whole month of August. Who is going to buy our treats for us this month - oh, Mom says she stocked up so we don't have to worry about it).

Meezer Monday

2009-08-17T04:04:00.000-07:00

Even I get in on helping Mom study.

As we told you before, she is learning how to be a stenographer (court reporter). The bottom book is her "lesson" book that goes along with her classes. The top book is a dictionary with the way all of the words are written out on the machine. Mom is learning lots, but says it is a lot of hard work. She is half-way through her second quarter, and has to pass this class not only knowing everything in the lessons, but she also has to pass a speed test too (60 words per minute). She says the lessons are the easy part, it's getting her fingers to move faster that is hard. She has been using them to work her stupid machine instead of helping us visit. We are sorry and hope to do better this week. We miss you.

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-08-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

Gracie isn't the only one who can help Mom with her homework.

Gone too soon

2009-08-13T01:20:00.000-07:00

Our wonderful friend, Charlie Taylor, has gone to the bridge much too soon. Charlie, we will miss you, but know that you are healthy and happy now.

Mommy ML, Daddy Charlie, KC, Faith Boo, Sol, Smokey and BJ, words cannot help ease your pain right now, but we hope the happy memories you have of him will help ease the hurt. You had him for such a short time, but the love you gave was more than enough to last a life time.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T01:27:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Tune Up

2009-08-11T02:21:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we told you that there had been a change in our living arrangements. As many of you know, Miss Jade has some tummy trouble, and every once in a while, doesn't make it to the litterbox. She spends a lot of time either on the bed, or under it, so Mom put a litterbox under the bed for her. She still doesn't manage to make it all the time, so Mom was constantly having to move the bed, and then scrubbing the floor. Mom decided to make it easier on herself and the following pictures are what she decided to do.

First, Mom got 2 shower curtains and taped them down to the floor and all around the base board. She did this so that if Miss Jade misses the box, it won't ruin the hardwood floors.

Next Mom taped down plastic trashbags so that if an accident occurs, she can easily replace the bags, and cleanup will be easier. This, unfortunately didn't work well, but Mom plans to use stronger tape and try again.

Next, Mom put a cardboard box across one end of the bed on the support beams. She did this to make a bed for Cody and Miss Jade since they spend most of the time down there. She eventually wants to get a thin piece of plywood or particle board to put down, but in the meantime, this works.

Finally, Mom put a blanket down on the cardboard to make a soft place to sleep. She felt bad that Cody and Miss Jade didn't have anywhere soft to sleep when they hang out down there, and now hopefully, they will use it to sleep. Mom's boxspring doesn't have the dust cover on the bottom of it because we long ago ripped holes in it and Mom just tore the rest off, so there is a nice open area above the cardboard box for a nice little tree house bed.

Finally, we have pictures of where Cody has been spending his nights. We are sorry this first shot is so dark, but it was the middle of the night when Mom caught him sharing Camie's bed with her. Mom grabbed the camera and took a few pictures before she scared him off - back under the bed.

Meezer Monday

2009-08-10T00:30:00.000-07:00

You'll never guess what that woman who calls herself our mother did! She put a necklace on ME - a boy - and it's a girly necklace. Granted, it's a nice necklace, and you can't beat the subject matter, but still, I am a mancat. Next thing you know, she's going to find some way for me to wear the matching earings. I shouldn't have to wear girly necklaces.

Here's a close up of it around my neck.

World Cat Day 2009

2009-08-08T01:49:00.000-07:00

This is how we plan on spending World Cat Day - well this, and being spoiled. In other news, Mom made some changes in Cody's and my living arrangements. We'll tell you more on Tuesday (don't worry, it's something really good - we think)

Formerly Feral Friday

2009-08-07T03:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite sleeping poses. I like to look at the world upside down.

We are sorry we haven't been visiting much this week, but our internet has been acting up, and about the only time we can get online right now is in the middle of the night. Hopefully we will be around to visit all of you this weekend.