Random Drift

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T09:36:00.000-05:00

Look what we got for Christmas!

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our good friend Alex sent us a gift! He sent us that beautiful bumper sticker that his mom showed us in this post.

But did our Mom put it on the car bumper? No, she stuck it on the refrigerator, just above our food bowls! Apparently we (well, except Trouble) are packing on too many holiday pounds, and this is supposed to motivate us to watch our figures!

Hmmmfff, if that ugly duck did not make us loose our appetite, nothing will!

Well, at last we convinced her that Alex should get a place among some of our other internet friends on the fridge.

That's better! Thanks a lot Alex. Happy Holidays.

Formaly Feral Friday

2011-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

Formally Feral Squish loves Christmas, especially the tree.

OK, how many sleepies to Christmas?

Purring for DMM

2011-12-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Formally Feral Friday Bliss (Trouble)

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Formally feral Trouble enjoys face scritches.

Easy like a Fat Mancat Sunday

2011-11-27T14:52:00.001-05:00

Life is good for a formally feral Mancat who loves naps and noms.

Kimo please go home

2011-11-17T18:27:00.001-05:00

Our old friend Kimo is missing. Please go home Kimo. We are all worried about you.

National Feral Cat Day

2011-10-16T10:47:00.000-04:00

Feral cats are cats too!

Easy like Sunday - Squish

2011-10-09T11:46:00.001-04:00

No Milkbone-chasing-somebody drama today, so Squish can take it easy on the top level of the cat tree.

Another casualty

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-04:00

Another casualty of The Tail-less One.

Time-out Sunday

2011-09-25T09:48:00.000-04:00

Our Easy like Sunday turned into Time-out Sunday for Milkbone and Madness up in a tree. During the past week Milkbone has been a good cat, not chasing anybody, but apparently it was too much to ask for him to keep that up for the entire weekend.

Bad Milkbone!

Don't worry, Madness is fine. She just got a bit of a scare. *sigh* Why can't everybody just get along!

Two Tabbies Taking a Nap

2011-09-17T20:46:00.002-04:00

Milkbone and Trouble taking a nap on the couch. We've had a couple of cool days, so the snuggling has begun.

Don't be fooled by how innocent Milkbone looks here. He had to go for a time-out earlier since the chased Squish. Now he puts on an innocent act for some sympathy.

Mr. Mean (Part 3)

2011-09-07T05:30:00.000-04:00

I continued to feed Mr. Mean, but was very careful not to touch him. Then one day, he head-bumped my hand when I was putting out the food. I carefully petted his head ... and he loved it! It was then that I realized that he was not feral at all. He loved being petted, but soon it became a problem, cause he wanted to come into the house! And he still wanted to eat all my cats.

After Bubbles passed away, I spent a bit more time with him and decided to open the window to my office (it opens on the porch) to see whether he would like to come inside. He promptly jumped in and showed no sign that he ever planned to leave again! All the stray cats I've taken in before, wanted to still go outside all the time. Not so Mr. Mean. I got him a large doggy pillow and he seemed perfectly content to lounge on it for the majority of the time

Because of his love for this pillow I started calling him Milkbone.

A couple of weeks ago I put a kitty door in the window so he can go out when he likes. He seems pretty content to be inside, but since I cannot let him come into the rest of the house, he gets a bit lonely in the office. Eventually I got a pet gate to separate the office, the guest bedroom and bathroom from the rest of the house. This allows him more space when I don't have guests and he can also see what it going on in the downstairs part of the house.

He looks kinda sad behind the gate, but unfortunately he still sees my cats as potential snacks, particularly Squish. He really looks at her as if he wants to hunt her and she is terrified of him. I suspect the absence of a tail and her funny bunny-hop way of trotting around the house is the reason for his interest. Does this behind look tasty?

I've never had to deal with cats in my household that don't get along. Everybody seem relatively content, although Milkbone is a big cuddler and wants to spend more time with me. Don't feel too sorry for him, he does get to sit on the couch with me when I watch TV. He has to wear a harness, so I can keep him close, but he seems to be OK with it.

He is a very good cat. He learned very quickly what he is allowed to do (brow, brow for play) and what not (jumping over the barrier). I'm not sure how all of this will work out in the long term, but for now everybody seem relatively happy. It makes me sad to think that such a nice cat, who obviously had a home at some stage, had to live outside all this time.

I will probably never be able to let him loose in the same part of the house as my other cats, but hopefully he will stay content with his part of the house and his time with me on the harness. So it seems I've created a bit of a headache for myself, but hopefully it will all work out.

Whisker Hump Wednesday - Mr. Mean (Part 2)

2011-08-31T05:38:00.002-04:00

In the beginning of May I lost my patience with the tomcat smell on my front door and I decided to trap Mr. Mean and have him neutered at the local low-cost Spay and Neuter clinic. It turned out to be very easy to trap him and I got him on my first try. He was not a happy Mancat.

He got neutered and also got his ear tipped. I let him out the evening after his neutering and he was fine. Surprisingly he came around the house again the very next night. I carefully opened the door on a crack and put some food out for him. Since that day he came around every night at 9pm sharp and cried in front of the door for food. I was very careful not to touch him in case he decided to attack me again. I now basically had a feral cat that I was feeding, but at least the spraying on the front door stopped. I guess it was a fair trade - his manhood for regular food.
TBC.

Whisker Hump Wednesday - Mr. Mean

2011-08-24T05:23:00.008-04:00

Last Wednesday I said that I will tell you about the cat in that picture. So for the next few Whisker Hump Wednesdays in memory of our big mancat friend Kismet, I will tell you the Epic Story of Mr. Mean...
When I moved to Georgia in 2008 there were a number of stray/semi-stray/semi-feral cats in the neighborhood. Two of the local strays, Trouble and Squish (and here) eventually became part of our family.

Trouble & Squish

However, there was one particular big tomcat, who was the meanest cat I've ever met! He terrorized my cats, chasing them and mauling them any chance he got. He seemed to be feral, or semi-feral at best. He had that typical scruffy tom-cat look. I sprayed him with water several times, and he eventually learned to stay away during the daytime (when my cats get to go outside). He did however come by every night and sprayed the scrubs in front of the porch. So in the morning when I opened the front door, I got a lovely "whiff of tomcat". This semi-truce went on for a couple of years - he peed on everything at night, but stayed away during the day. Then one winter night he decided that the scrubs were not enough. He simply HAD to start spaying my front door!
You all know the smell of tomcat - I could clearly smell it inside. One evening earlier this year, I saw him sitting on the porch again and I grabbed the spray bottle to chase him away. He did not run away like usual and just kept looking at me. On closer inspection, he looked even more scruffy than usual. His ear seemed to be tattered and the hair on the one side of his body seem to be just growing back from a large wound.
That was when I made a very, very, VERY big mistake. I felt sorry for him, and decided to give him some food. I went inside, got some kibble in a bowl and took it outside. He let me get close to him and I put down the food and turned around to leave. The next thing, he was attacking my leg! And I mean attacked - he took a small chunk out of my calf! This was the first time ever that I got attacked by a cat unprovoked. He was not cornered or anything - he was just mean!
And of course, despite my best first aid efforts, the wound got infected and I had to get antibiotics, but at least it wasn't more serious (e.g. rabies). For the next three months he kept peeing on my front door, and I kept ignoring him . I did not give him food again, but I did name him - Mr. Mean.
TBC.

Whisker Hump Wednesday

2011-08-17T06:00:00.003-04:00

In memory of our friend Kismet, we submit these Whisker Humps for your approval.

I know our regular readers now have questions... We will share the epic story every week on Whisker Hump Wednesdays in memory of the original Big Mancat.

R.I.P Big Man

2011-08-13T17:28:00.003-04:00

Our friend, the Big Man Cat Kismet went to the Bridge. We'll miss you Big Guy.

Sunday with Madness

2011-07-17T12:03:00.006-04:00

Since Bubbles got ill, I've not posted much about my other cats, so it occurred to me that some of the newer readers might not know the rest of my cat family. So here is Madness. She is now the cat I've had the longest (since January 2007) and you can read about how she came to live with me here. Madness is now the only cat left that moved with me from Louisiana, since the 2Bs have both passed.

It turns out that her name is well suited to her personality. She can be a wild one. She does not like other cats. She will not pick a fight, she just ignores them. Unless they try to play with her (usually Trouble tries this) or get too close to her - then it is time for extreme hissing.

Like her role model Grr, she definately lives life on her own terms. She likes her tummy rubbed, but only for as long as she decides it's OK, after that you get the claws of death.

She is not a big cuddler, but she likes to sleep on the bed with me (as long as no other cat touches her) and when I sit on the couch she likes to climb on my chest for some scritches. Of course only for as long as I scratch her in exactly the right way and don't move any part of my body except for my scratching hand. Did I mention that everything has to be on her terms?

Thanks for the support

2011-06-26T06:51:00.005-04:00

First I want to thank everybody for all the support and kind words. It's been overwhelming to see how many people Bubbles touched and that even through this electronic medium his spirit came through.

I've had cats my entire life and loved them all very much. But Bubbles was special. He was independent and sweet, fierce with other cats and incredibly gentle with people. He loved the outdoors and was fearless out there. But underlying everything was his incredible trust and devotion to me. We had a bond that I've never experienced before.

Since Bubbles was diagnosed I've been hoping desperately that he would die in peace at home or in the garden that he loved so much. However, it was not to be. When I arrived home early on Friday he was lying on the floor, breathing heavily through his mouth. He hasn't been feeling well for a few days and I knew that it was time to help my sweet friend along. I am thankful that I was there with him at the end but it was the most desperately heartbreaking thing I've ever had to do.
At the moment I can't think about him without breaking down, but I hope that in time I will be able to only remember the wonderful days I spent with this gentle, fearless soul who will be a part of me forever.

R.I.P Sweet Friend

2011-06-24T16:52:00.002-04:00

Still Life with Cat

2011-06-15T06:00:00.001-04:00

Easy & Vishus deer

2011-06-12T09:49:00.007-04:00

Ah, this is a nice sunny spot for Easy on Sunday. Maybe I will even roll around in this sandy patch later.

Is there something behind me?

What are they looking at? Do I have bed-head?

Woman, what are you doing up there? Come down this minute and pet me!

Still going strong

2011-06-09T06:09:00.005-04:00

When I posted at the end of May, I was very worried about Bubbles. However, an adjustment in his meds has done the trick and he is doing very well right now. In fact, I think he's doing as well as he has since he was diagnosed (I'm a little nervous saying that - I don't want to jinx it).

He continues to surprise everybody and I am thankful for the extra time we are having together. Right now he is sitting on the back of the couch washing his face since he just had some delicious Steamed Wild Alaskan Salmon (Fancy Feast Appetizers). Life is good right now and I can just hope that it will continue for some time.

And here is what Trouble is doing.

Easy like Sunday

2011-05-29T10:45:00.001-04:00

A Catnip Elephant!

2011-05-26T19:40:00.006-04:00

Bubbles received another package. It was from Wally, Ernie & Zoey of The Island Cats and it included a Catnip Elephant toy! How cool is that? There were also a card, treats and fever mousies.

Trouble immediately grabbed the elephant and made crazy catnip eyes.

Bubbles is still hanging in there. Some days he is doing well and others, not so much. He had a few bad days when I was out of town, but is doing better today and ate an entire Fancy Feast Appetizer serving this evening.
We are getting close to the point now where I have to consider whether his quality of life is still acceptable. Right now he is doing fine; in the crook of my arm, purring and grooming. I hope we will have a nice sunny long weekend in the garden ...

Beautiful Cards

2011-05-13T15:53:00.003-04:00

Bubbles received two more cards! This beautiful card with the pink flowers is from our good friends at ManxMnews.

And this unique card of a kitty enjoying the outdoors is from the crew at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life.

Thank you very much. Bubbles is doing well. He had an ulcer on his eye last week, but with treatment it is nearly totally healed now. The vet thought that due to the steroids he is on and his FIV+ status, this would cause serious problems, but Bubbles just keeps surprising everybody. He is still eating well (especially Temptations), and enjoying the garden.

More Gifts for Bubbles

2011-05-05T03:57:00.001-04:00

We received more cards and gifts this week. This card with Bubbles on the front and back was from Casper, Cleo and their Mom.

These fever toys and little note pads were from Kari (she doesn't have a bloggie). They came in a beautiful blue package and everything was neatly packaged with little cat stickers everywhere.

Junior & Orion sent us this cute Easter Hello Kitty, card and Temptations. Our Mom loves Hello Kitty and claimed it immediately. We don't think that was fair!

Bubbles did not feel up to playing today, but he did pose with one of the fever toys.

Thanks to everybody thinking about us and purring for Bubbles. He has his good days and his bad days, but is still doing OK.

Weekend of Remembrance

2011-04-30T10:34:00.003-04:00

We remember Mrs. B and all our friends from the Cat Blogosphere who are now eating Temptations at the rainbow bridge.

Bubbles in the garden

2011-04-28T09:12:00.002-04:00

Artemisia, Fenris, Socks, Scylla & Mom Alasandra made this pretty picture for us of Bubbles in the garden.

Bubbles loves the garden. When the weather is nice (he hates the cold) he likes nothing more than finding a sunny spot to snooze and watch the antics of the other cats.

So many Temptations, so little time

2011-04-24T11:36:00.006-04:00

We received more gifties and cards from our friends on the Cat Blogosphere. First we got this very pretty card with tasty mousies on, from Jan's Funny Farm.

And we got Temptations and Nip from Toby & Cupcake from the Tower Hill Mob.

Bubbles has been feeling poorly for the last few days, but he did enjoy the Temptations.

And of course Squish is always close by when there are Temptations to be had. She also indulged in the Nip, but Mom was bad and did not get a picture!

Thank you very much for your thinking of us. We are having another great Spring day. Bubbles is dozing in the shade outside in the garden.

More Gifts!

2011-04-20T06:04:00.003-04:00

We got a beautiful card and magnet from the one and only Miss Peach. And she even included a picture!

Here Bubbles is reading the card. And Madness is making laser eyes because she hasn't had a turn to read the card yet!

Thank you very much Miss Peach. It means so much to us that you are thinking of us. We think reading the card made Bubbles feel better, because he asked for a second helping of dinner!

Wordless Easy like Sunday - Bubbles

2011-04-17T11:08:00.001-04:00

We got Gifties!

2011-04-15T06:00:00.005-04:00

We received a package and inside were gifties from our friend KC and her family! There were postcards and a magnet from Texas! And a HUGE red heart with nip! And that's not all - the biggest, hugest bag of Temptations on earth! They are right that everything is bigger in Texas, cause we've never seem such a large bag of T'ations.

Here Squish is inspecting the loot.

The Temptations are Creamy Dairy flavor and Bubbles LOVES, LOVES, LOVES them. We can't believe our Mom never got us this flavor. They are yummie!

Trouble claimed the red heart. He looks like a tough guy, but his just a big old lover boy.

Thank you very much KC, Mom ML and your whole family. We appreciate it very much. We think Bubbles is now addicted to this flavor of Temptations! He already ate nearly half the bag!

Another sunny Sunday with Bubbles

2011-04-03T12:37:00.003-04:00

We've had a rainy week, but today is a lovely sunny day. Bubbles had a tough week, but sitting outside in the sun always seems to perk him up a bit. Although he is still eating, he is getting terribly thin. We'll enjoy the sunny days in the garden together while we can.

Easy like Sunday - Bubbles

2011-03-13T15:35:00.006-04:00

We are having nice warm weather and all the cats are enjoying the garden. Bubbles found a comfy spot and is napping and watching the birds.

He is doing reasonably well, although he is a lot less active. He spends most of his time napping, but is still eating well and wakes me every morning by jumping on the bed and poking me in the eye with his paw (as he's done for the last 9 years). And he is still just as sweet as ever.

Easy like Sunday

2011-02-20T21:17:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-08T20:38:00.003-05:00

Bubbles - The conclusion

2011-02-03T04:34:00.004-05:00

The histopathology confirmed that Bubbles has lymphoma. There are not many treatment options. Chemo can be done but I've decided against it. There is no cure and I have decided to concentrate on making whatever time he has left as pleasant as possible. Towards that end we will try some medication to make his breathing easier and alleviate his symptoms. At best it will give him a few additional weeks/months of quality time.

He is still eating very well, and enjoys getting as many Temptations as he wants. And he wants a lot!

Bubbles - Ultrasound

2011-02-01T18:48:00.003-05:00

Bubbles had a good weekend. It was warm and sunny and he spent most of the time in his favorite sunny spots (supervised of course!)

He went for his ultrasound today. He has a large mass, that the vet thinks is lymphoma and she agrees with my own vet that it probably spread to his lungs. She also did a needle aspiration biopsy and we should get the results some time tomorrow. So far it pretty much confirms what we already suspected.

Bubbles got a sedative for the biopsy and is a little high right now, so all is right in his world. Generally he is doing pretty well all things considered. He is eating well, and still following his usual routine (except for the narcotics today).

Bubbles - Update

2011-01-25T20:54:00.005-05:00

Thank you for all your good thoughts, and many purrs and hugs. We are truly overwhelmed with all your well wishes.

Bubbles' blood work came back normal. Kidney function, red and white blood cell counts are also normal. It seems that the main problem is his breathing, and unfortunately if it is indeed cancer metastasized in his lungs there is not much to be done, despite the normal test results.

On Tuesday he will go for an ultrasound and a biopsy. This is the least invasive way to get a definite answer. If the current diagnosis is correct, there is not much point putting him through major surgery, so that is why I chose this option rather than immediate surgery.

Bubbles is doing reasonably well. He is eating, drinking, using the litterbox, etc. He is going up and down the stairs without trouble, but is a bit winded when he gets to the top. He spends most of his time dozing, but does not seem in pain (although it is difficult to know for sure). He seems more irritated with his breathing than anything else. Right now he and Squish are both sleeping on me as I lie on the sofa. Here is a picture.

You can also see Trouble's ears sticking out behind the sofa armrest. And that he has been playing with the blinds!

Once again thanks for all the support.

My sweet Bubbles

2011-01-24T18:59:00.003-05:00

I took Bubbles to the vet today because he's been loosing weight and seemed to be breathing very fast. The vet took some x-rays and he has a large growth in his body cavity. His lungs also look abnormal. It is the opinion of my vet that the growth is cancer and that it metastasized to his lungs. We are doing further tests to confirm the diagnosis.

As you can imagine this is devastating news. Of course I hold out some small hope that we will find with the further tests that there is something to be done. At the moment I'm concentrating on giving him as much love and attention as I can.

Christmas Eve snuggles

2010-12-24T20:02:00.001-05:00

The Sweetest Kitteh in the Whole World

2010-11-21T10:04:00.004-05:00

The Gladiator cat has turned into the sweetest cat one could imagine.

Hobbit's Petfinder page

2010-11-01T19:26:00.002-04:00

Hobbit is doing well and is ready to be adopted. Here is her page.

Hobbit - growing up

2010-10-06T06:35:00.006-04:00

Hobbit's foster mom sent me some pictures! The first picture was taken the day she arrived there and the second picture just a couple of days ago. She is doing well and apparently growing (and eating) like crazy. She will be having her lady-parts operation soon.

Hobbit - update

2010-09-09T16:47:00.009-04:00

I took Hobbit to my vet to have her checked out and get a combo test. She is very healthy and combo was negative! My vet pulled some strings and got her accepted by a small rescue organization (no-kill). They have 2 more kittens of about the same size and they will be fostered together until they are old enough to be spayed/neutered and adopted.

I was somewhat torn about this, but he assured me that they have a very good reputation and have strict screening criteria for potential adopters. The main thing that made me decide to give her to them, rather than try a little longer to find a home myself was that she would be living with 2 other kittens. She was really too lonely here, all alone in the room for the vast majority of the time. Also, this way she will definitely be spayed.

This is a small local organization and they told me they would update me on her progress. I am hoping for the best for her. This was not an easy decision at all and even now I'm second guessing myself. I wish I could have done better for her and found a home that I knew for sure was a good one, but I hope she is better off today than she was a week ago. I tried to do what I thought gave her the best chance to have a happy life and I hope is was enough...

Thank you for everybody's support and suggestions.

Hobbit

2010-09-09T06:14:00.004-04:00

Little Hobbit is just too cute!. I've got her set up in an spare bedroom and she is running all over the place. She climbs on the bed, which is pretty high and when she wants to get down she just jumps down with abandon.

Unfortunately she is spending about 23 out of 24 hours a day by herself, since I work long hours and when I get home in the evening there are many demands on my time. After calling about 15 no-kill shelters all over Georgia, it seems that that is not going to be an option - they are full to capacity. I've now put an ad on Petfinder and Craigslist and am hoping for the best. Please spread the word if you know about somebody who is looking for a very adorable kitty to adopt.

Hobbit - looking for a home

2010-09-08T06:17:00.004-04:00

I have called just about every no-kill shelter in Georgia, but they are all full or don't take cats from private people. It is a real bad situation. She is very cute and playful so if you or anybody you know is looking to adopt a tiny, hairy-feet kitty, please consider her.

Dumped kitten needs forever home

2010-09-07T09:43:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, my neighbors dumped a little kitten on my doorstep! Everybody in the neighborhood knows I have cats since they often see me outside playing with them. They knocked on my door and when I opened they said they found this kitten and their Grandmother told them that they could not keep it and that they should give it to me!

These neighbors had 2 cats when I originally moved in, neither sterilized. The female had kittens and when they were about 8 weeks old they (including the mother) disappeared. When I asked about them, they said they gave her and the kittens away. The male cat got into a fight, had huge wounds on it which became infected and he died. In both these cases I tried to talk them into getting the cats sterilized and taking the male to the vet. Their excuse was always that they did not have money, even though I found a low cost spay and neuter facility and gave them all the information. The mother cat was also extremely thin and constantly ran into my house to eat food. She seemed extremely underfed.

If I thought that there was any chance that they would look after this kitten I would have just taken it back to the grandmother and told them to look after it themselves, but I was unsure about whether they would not just dump it in the woods somewhere.

In any case, I already have 4 cats and my landlord has been very lenient with letting me keep Trouble and Squishy. However she put her food down now (understandably) and I cannot keep this kitten.

I guess she is about 4-5 weeks old. She eats on her own and even uses the tiny litterbox I put down for her. I havn't taken her to the vet yet, but she appears to be healthy, no runny eyes or scabby skin or anything. She is tame and very playful.

If you or your friends are in the market for a new kitty, please consider her. I live in Georgia and will deliver her within reasonable distance.

At the moment I'm calling her Hobbit, because she has huge hairy feet!

UPDATE: I have already called about 7 no-kill shelters in my area and they are all full. The local Humane Society only takes animals from high-kill shelters, not the public. The animal control for my county does not even take in any cats - yes hard to believe, but true.

A very, very sad day

2010-08-18T17:19:00.002-04:00

Two of our oldest and best friends went to the bridge today. We will miss you.

Rest in Peace Sweet Friend

2010-07-02T18:52:00.004-04:00

Easy like Sunday

2010-02-21T09:14:00.003-05:00

Cat Litter

2010-02-19T18:07:00.002-05:00

I was wondering whether anybody has any good ideas about alternatives to clumping cat litter. I've tried the Breeze box, but my cats refuse to use it. Preferably something "natural", like pine, but I've never tried is so has no idea whether it is practical.

Any ideas?

Snow Tiger

2010-02-13T08:38:00.004-05:00

I know for our friends in the north snow is nothing special, but here in Georgia we get very excited about it.

Formerly Feral Friday

2010-02-12T07:03:00.001-05:00

Wordless Weekend

2010-02-07T07:46:00.001-05:00

Formerly Feral Manx

2010-01-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Well, I did it. I brought the little manx into the house. Yes, I know I'm crazy, but I just could not stand looking at her outside in the cold. In any case, I took her to my vet and the good news is that she is not pregnant and had negative combo-test. She was treated for ear-mites and intestinal worms. At the moment I have her set up in a spare bedroom. I will be out of town for a few days and didn't want to let the BMTs loose on her if I'm not here. It doesn't mean I'm keeping her! She is still on the waiting list at the no-kill shelter. We will see how she adapts here, but ideally I want to find her a home. At least she is cozy and warm inside, although a bit lonely in a room by herself, but that's the best I can do for now.

Get Well Soon Kismet

2010-01-05T07:06:00.002-05:00

Manx - Update

2009-12-29T09:42:00.010-05:00

Well, here are some pictures of the little Manxie. She is TINY. Unfortunately she also looks pregnant!

She likes following the BMTs (Bubbles, Madness & Trouble) around. They hiss at her when she comes too close, but generally they don't care very much.

She seems curious about me, but stays out of reach. She really wants to be around the cats, but is pretty suspicious of me.

In this picture you can see how tiny she is (compared to Bubbles's butt).

I have contacted my local no-kill shelter and they said they have a 2 month waiting list. I put my name on the list in any case, but I doubt that she is tame enough for them to take her in. And then there is my suspicion that she is pregnant, so I don't really think that is an option.
At the moment I'm feeding her and planning to make a shelter outdoors, because at the moment she is sleeping under a shrub next to the front steps and it was below freezing last night.
So no long-term solution yet.

Sunny Sunday

2009-12-27T08:50:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T08:14:00.003-05:00

Manx Rescue

2009-12-22T05:26:00.001-05:00

About a week ago a little Manx cat showed up in our neighborhood. I think it's a Manx, I'm not an expert, but it has that "bunny look". It's not feral, but skittish. The neighborhood kids have been chasing it. They don't mean to harm it, but want to touch, but it's too afraid. For some reason it likes to follow Bubbles around. Bubbles seems bewildered by this strange bunny-cat. Madness hisses. Today it came into my house, but ran away when I approached. However, I put some food just outside my door, and it let me touch it a little bit while it was eating.

In any case, I don't really want to take it to the local shelter. I'm afraid it will just be put down, because it's so skittish. I contacted our local no-kill shelter, but they are apparently full. So I thought I would try a specialized rescue group. I checked the internet, but the addresses, etc for Manx Rescue groups seem very outdated and my e-mails returned, "undelivered".

So I was hoping that somebody from the Catblogosphere community might now about a Manx rescue group that might be able to help. I'm in Georgia, so it would be good if it is a rescue group in the South, or relatively close by.

I will try to get a picture of the tiny little thing.

What the ....?

2009-12-20T08:43:00.001-05:00

I was trying to take a Christmas picture with Trouble. LOL.

New Toy

2009-12-07T20:06:00.002-05:00

Fly Free Sweet Bathsheba

2009-11-14T19:59:00.001-05:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2009-10-31T10:08:00.001-04:00

Mrs. B (RIP)

2009-09-26T13:22:00.007-04:00

Today I had to make the very difficult decision to let Mrs. B go.

You can read the story of how she came to live with me here (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 & Part 4)

Bye, Girl.

Gizzy Quilt for Trouble

2009-09-14T05:40:00.002-04:00

Trouble liked Madness's Gizzy Quilt so much that I had to get a matching one for him also. First Bubbles gave it a good smell. Must be that Millie smell that he likes.
Oh and apparently it tastes good also.
Madness immediately claimed it and just dozed on it.
But eventually Trouble got to try out his quilt. He seemed to like it very much.
And just look how innocent he looks! Don't let it fool you - he lives up to his name.
Thanks a lot Millie - we all love the quilt. Now if Trouble can just manage to get it away from Madness!

Three

2009-09-10T07:01:00.003-04:00

Wow I'm three! And so is my brother Dobby.

Formally Feral Trouble II

2009-06-19T06:48:00.005-04:00

Trouble has settled in well. He still wants to spend a lot of time outside, but he comes when I call so I can get him inside when I need to. He wakes me up every morning meowing to go outside! Th other cats don't mind him much any more. Madness still growls when he come very close to her, but as long as he doesn't try to basically sit on top of her, she is OK with him. Bubbles actually plays with him!

Mrs. B doesn't mind Trouble at all. She pretty much just ignores him, which is also what she does with Bubbles and Madness. Mrs. B is continuing to improve, so I'm hoping she is over the worst. She is not totally back to normal, but she is MUCH better than last week.

Mrs. B Update (again)

2009-06-16T07:59:00.002-04:00

Thanks for all the kind words and huggs and purrs. I just wanted to let you all know that Mrs. B is doing a bit better. She is eating, not as much as usual, but at least she is eating now. So I'm hopeful that this will pass and that she will be OK.

Mrs. B update

2009-06-12T06:58:00.003-04:00

I still don't know what is wrong with Mrs. B. After her last vet visit she was getting better and eating again. But the last couple of days she is much worse. I have an appointment with the vet in a couple of hours. I don't really know what to do. We have done a lot of tests, but still have no diagnosis. She has lost a huge amount of weight and she is obviously not feeling well and I don't want her to suffer like this. But since we don't know for sure what is wrong with her it is difficult for me to know whether this is something that we can fight or whether I should not let her suffer anymore. I guess I'll see what the vet says today.

Blackie

2009-06-06T08:17:00.001-04:00

Wanted

2009-05-31T12:39:00.004-04:00

Warning: Content not appropriate for our Bunny friends.

This morning I heard a screaming sound from outside. I ran outside and I saw Trouble with a small bunny in his mouth. Of course I screamed and ran towards him. The bunny scrambled away, but I think it was injured. I can only hope that it will be OK.

Our new addition is definately living up to his name. T R O U B L E !

Formally Feral Trouble

2009-05-29T05:00:00.000-04:00

Trouble: I have been neutered and have a tag with my name, address and phone number. I guess I now have a Mom!

Mrs. B update: Mrs. B is still not eating. I've tried warm stinky goodness, baby food, ham, other brands of cat food. I will be taking her back to the vet later today.

Mrs. B is not feeling well

2009-05-27T06:00:00.001-04:00

On Saturday morning Mrs. B threw up all her food and then would not eat the rest of the day. The same thing on Sunday morning, and yesterday she would not eat at all! Mrs. B always eats like a horse, so I became very worried and took her to the vet today. After a "comprehensive exam", bloodwork and $200+ I still don't know what is wrong with her. She is FIV+ but has never had any health problems and although some of her bloodwork is a bit lower than normal, the Vet said there as nothing that really worries him.

He gave me some "cat lax", because she had some hairball problems before. Otherwise we have no idea what is wrong. He also have her some fluids and and antibiotic shot. She seems OK, except for the not-eating. She walks around, sits at her usual places and acts "normal".

She is drinking water and urinating. I tried giving her some canned food, but she just licked a bit of the juice and did not eat anything.

If she doesn't start eating by Thursday, I have to take her back to the vet.

Of course I'm using a new vet now. I mainly chose them since they are conveniently on my way to work. I had Trouble neutered there last Monday and the doctor I dealt with seemed OK. I guess we will see. I just hope Mrs. B will feel better soon.

Happy Birthday ML

2009-05-23T06:04:00.002-04:00

Farewell Georgia

2009-05-20T19:21:00.003-04:00

Wordless Wednesday with Trouble

2009-05-20T10:33:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Auntie Deb

2009-05-19T06:19:00.002-04:00

Easy like Sunday

2009-05-10T09:14:00.000-04:00

As you can see Trouble is making himself at home.

Trouble

2009-05-06T06:00:00.010-04:00

I know he looks adorable here, but this is Trouble - with a capital T! Since we moved here, we've been lucky because all the cats around here are very friendly and even Bubbles, who likes to fight with everyone, did not even hiss. But yesterday, Trouble showed up. He already chased Madness yesterday and she sat and growled at him through the window all evening. Today he met Bubbles, and I had to intervene.

The thing is he is very friendly with me and purrs and shows his tummy for scratching. He also wants to come inside the house and now he is sitting outside meowing to come inside. And he is an intact male. I hope Bubbles and Madness will get used to him, because they like to go outside, but I don't want fighting!

Of course, I'm not really doing the right thing, since I am giving him food! I probably should not, but I am a softy and he is so sweet (and hungry). *sigh* I hope it will all work out.

Oreo

2009-04-28T06:44:00.001-04:00

Little B aka Mama cat

2009-04-23T06:10:00.001-04:00

This is Little B, but since she is expecting kittens we just call her Mama Cat. She lives with Boyfriend and we think he is the Daddy cat.

She comes and visits every morning when Mom leaves for work and every evening when Mom comes back from work.

Unfortunately Boyfriend went to the bridge a few weeks ago. It was very sad, he got in a fight with another male cat and as very badly injured. We hope that some of the kittens will look like him.

Earth Day

2009-04-22T07:54:00.002-04:00

Another day on the Deck

2009-04-19T07:41:00.003-04:00

Easy like Sunday

2009-04-05T16:16:00.001-04:00

Snow Day

2009-03-02T06:48:00.007-05:00

Hello internets. You will not believe what happened here! We had snow! Remember we moved to Georgia from Louisiana last year and we never got snow there. We got more than 6 inches! We were very curious and were all watching through the windows. Mom opened the door to see whether we wanted to explore, but Bubbles gave one sniff and then ran back inside! Mom went outside without us and played in the snow. And the best thing about snow ... Mom's work is closed today, so she can stay home and snuggle with us!

Farewell Jake

2009-02-07T08:17:00.003-05:00

Window Cat Hammock

2009-01-15T10:02:00.002-05:00

Hi internets. I want to get one of those Cat Hammocks that can be attached to the window sill. Can any of you that have one, suggest a good one? I rent the house I live in so I cannot attached anything permanent. Any ideas?

Boyfriend

2008-12-28T17:31:00.008-05:00

Mrs. B: *sings* Madness has a boyfriend.... Madness has a boyfriend.

Madness: I do not!

Mrs. B: Madness has a boyfriend...

Madness: Mom!

Mrs. B: *snickers* And not just any boyfriend. A MANCAT boyfriend.

Madness: I don't want no Mancat boyfriend. Mom, tell them!

Mom: OK, Madness calm down.

Madness: But Mom I don't want no mancat boyfriend. Ahhhmm, he hasn't even had his ... you know.. his "big boy" operation! Tell everybody I don't want no boyfriend like that. I'm a good girl.

Mom: Yes internets it is true. We have the neighbor's un-neutered mancat hanging around the house, calling for Madness. He is OK, except for the "man"cat part. I was afraid that he and Bubbles would fight, but they get along fine. However he does have his eyes on Mandess, but she wants nothing to do with him.

Here are some pictures of him on the porch trying to get her attention. For now I'm just calling him "Boyfriend". Yes, very original.

New Toy

2008-12-14T07:33:00.006-05:00

Mom bought us a new toy! It's like a real tree right inside the house! And it has little toys hanging from the branches for us to play with! Our Mom is the best!

Bubbles! No!

Free!

2008-11-16T20:52:00.013-05:00

At last I let the cats out. At first I only let Bubbles out so I could watch him and then later I just opened the door so Madness and Mrs. B could also go out. Bubbles and Madness were very excited and I think they climbed every tree in the yard! Mrs. B just sat in the door and watched. They were good kitties and did not go very far and came in by themselves.

I'm so relieved that is went so well. They were supervised and I made sure to talk to them all the time so they could hear where I was. They will only be allowed to go outside when I'm at home and can watch them - that means only on weekends or holidays. It is a big change for them since they were used to going out every day, but I think they will be OK with that.

Outside!

2008-10-21T19:24:00.007-04:00

I "fenced-in" the deck at the back of the house so the cats can get some fresh air. Here are all three of them enjoying the great outdoors. Don't worry, they are strictly supervised.

Bubbles: I think Louisiana is that-a-way...

Settling in

2008-10-19T07:58:00.006-04:00

The cats are exploring the new house and finding all kinds of interesting places. Madness have to be wherever Bubbles is. He doesn't seem to mind.

Bubbles is seeking out all the sunny spots. He doesn't like cold weather at all. And off course Madness is close by. On her Gizzy quilt!

Later this week I will post some pictures of their outdoor adventure...

We moved!

2008-10-09T09:55:00.008-04:00

Hello internets. We have not posted for a while because we were busy organizing our move. Last Saturday we moved from Louisiana to Georgia. All three cats were stuffed in their pet carriers. Mrs. B was not worried at all and did not even give one meow. Madness cried for about 1 hour and then settled down. However Bubbles went a little crazy and for the first couple of hours tried to claw his way out of the carrier and for the other 8 hours he meowed pitifully. He was not a happy guy.

Once we arrived I settled them into the main bedroom and Bubbles and Madness spent the first couple of days hiding/sleeping under the sleeping bag. Can you see the 2 lumps in the picture? That's them.

We've now been here 5 days and all our furniture and stuff finally arrived. Madness settled in fine and is now running around like the crazy little girl she is. Doesn't she look very happy with her new bigger home.

Bubbles is still not happy. Although he is walking around, exploring the house he is still very nervous.

Mrs. B was not disturbed in any way. She just carried on as if nothing untoward happened at all. Here she is just wondering why she is not getting more food. The vet gave me a stern talking to about her weight when I took them to get their check-ups and shots before the move. I'm trying!

Today I took Bubbles outside on his harness. He was not afraid at all and made a beeline for the woods behind the house! We live in a suburb and there is a small wooded area behind the house. We even saw deer in the back yard a couple nights ago.

He hates the harness, but for now that is the only way he will get to go outside. And here is where I need you advice. How long do I need to keep them inside/restrained before it is safe to let them go outside? I am afraid they will try to go back to Louisiana. Any advise from beans that have moved long distance with outdoor/semi-outdoor cats will be much appreciated.

Gustav - Pictures

2008-09-05T07:24:00.009-04:00

We have internet back! I cannot believe how quickly it happened. We are very lucky since most people still don't have electricity. Here are some pictures of the aftermath of Gustav.

Our courtyard.

My neighbor's roof.

My roof! Now you can see why my apartment is leaking. You can also see where I parked my car to try and protect it.

Here you can see the roof tiles/shingles (mostly from our roof) all over the road.

The 2Bs are not worried.

The courtyard (again).

Bubbles, inspecting the damage.

We are OK

2008-09-04T10:13:00.002-04:00

We just wanted to let everybody know that we are OK. Baton Rouge was severely affected by Gustav. Most of the city does not have power and might not have power for several more days, maybe weeks.
At my apartment we were extremely lucky to get power back within 24 hours. However we have no internet. At the moment I'm posting from my office on the LSU campus. Most of the campus also lost power, but some buildings got power back yesterday and we have intermittent internet on campus.
Thanks for all the good wishes. We were pretty lucky. We lost a lot of tiles from the roof and it is leaking in the bedroom and living room, but it is not too bad. At least we have power!
Once the internet is more reliable I will post some pictures. I'm not sure how much you see on the news, but Baton Rouge have a lot of damage. There are long lines for gas, ice, food and tarps. More than 90% of residents are still without power.
Well I will post more once we are "connected' again.

Gustav

2008-09-01T08:53:00.006-04:00

We are still here (and connected!). So far we have only had rain and some wind gusts, but nothing serious. They say that we will probably lose electricity soon, so I just wanted to post before that happens. Luckily it looks like the worst will miss Baton Rouge and pass to the south of us. We hope so.

UPDATE: We are still here and all is good. Bubbles wants to go outside!

UPDATE: The weather is getting much worse. It's a wonder we still have electricity. More than 30,000 homes have already lost power in Baton Rouge. It looks like the eye of Gustav is going to pass very close to BR. We are expecting to have very high winds and a lot of rain in the next few hours.

Waiting for Gustav

2008-08-31T11:50:00.004-04:00

Hello Internets. We here in Baton Rouge are just watching the Weather Channel and preparing for Gustav. This is the current projection.

This is what the weather looked like this morning in the direction of New Orleans.

We had no serious damage during Katrina or Rita, we just lost electricity for about a week every time. So we hope it will be about the same this time. I will post more pictures during the storm if the electricity and internet stays on.