Pillow Talk

Happy New Year!!

Jinx loves pillows. Wherever he sleeps he mashes the pillows to make his nest. I caught him as he was working in between the pillows on the bed. Once he had wedged himself in, if you didn't see him while he was fixing his little catnest, you would have had no idea he was there. I guess kitties like the cushy comfy feel of pillows too.
Visit Friday Ark, to see this week's round-up of cats, dogs and other animals.Also, make it a habit to stop by the 93nd Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and will be hosted this week by Elms in the Yard.

Good Day Sunshine

All of the cats love the sun. They will lie in the sun and bake. I have read somewhere that the sun gives them nourishment. I love to watch them relaxing and sleeping with the rays of the sun on their fur. Abby looks content, doesn't she?

FOILibles

Just a simple ball of foil and Gracie was able to make magic with it. She loves to play and she had a ball with a ball!

Feline Navidad

Angels Come In Many Forms

I thought this was very inspirational.

Angels come in many forms

By Sharon Swanepoel The Loganville Tribune
Published December 16, 2005

This week we have been getting letters to Santa from local school children for publication next week. While the vast majority of them are typical requests to Santa for the usual hot-ticket items, there were a few that really tug at your heartstrings. It takes the simple words of children to remind us that Christmas isn’t necessarily a joyful season for everyone. Since last Christmas we have been through the tsunami, earthquakes, several major hurricanes, the ongoing war and every day people suffer tragedy through death, sickness, car accidents, loss of a job, relationship breakups — the list goes on. The Christmas season heightens emotions and enhances the loss for people who are already suffering through difficulties, either emotional or financial. But it also brings home the inherent goodness of people. There are so many people who really make the Christmas season about helping others. From charity organizations, civic groups, church organizations, and just individual people, it is sometimes almost as though there aren’t enough people in need to satisfy the outreach of kindness and humanity. Obviously that isn’t really the case and there are always those who slip through the cracks, but it certainly isn’t because nobody cares. Not in this community. We could fill our pages with organizations trying to improve the quality of life for local residents, especially during the Christmas season. Angels truly do come in many different forms.I found this out myself several years ago after losing my mother, a very special, gentle soul whose life lessons will live on as long as she has descendants who remember her. I knew that first Christmas without her was going to be tough. During that Thanksgiving weekend I moved from the Mews in Loganville to a new house in Grayson. It was a particularly cold winter and a stray black cat had been hanging around the apartment during the move. He was the ugliest cat I had ever seen, a jet-black crippled Manx that had been tortured and tormented, de-clawed and deserted, thrown out and left to fend for himself. I knew that he wouldn’t survive the winter without the food or warm bedding that I had put out for him, so I took him with me. I didn’t expect him to make it through Christmas, but he did. In fact he prospered, gaining strength and confidence with each day, eventually forcing the other two cats in the house to accept him despite their initial resistance. It was only in mid-January that I realized that my concern for him had carried me through what would have undoubtedly been a very difficult Christmas. That was when I named him Gabriel. To me he was an angel and for the remaining five years of his life his blessings kept coming. Whenever I felt under-appreciated and aware that I could no longer look to my mother for that unconditional validation, he would be there at my feet, letting me know that at least to him, I was absolutely everything. Gabriel died last year, eventually succumbing to a kidney disease, but I will never go through a Christmas without remembering how much I miss my mother, and how Gabriel carried me through that first Christmas without her. He was the perfect reminder of her unconditional love.

Feline Friday -- Abby Hits A Playful Note

Ummmm what's this?
It moves!
Hippeee I'm hanging on for dear life.
What are you looking at? Silly humans!

From my kitty family to yours; Abby, Boo, Gracie, Jinx & Ping wish everyone a safe and catnip filled Christmas.

Visit Friday Ark, to see this week's round-up of cats, dogs and other animals.Also, make it a habit to stop by the 92nd Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and will be hosted this week by Watermark.

Catfights

Abby

Boos is such a gentle girl. She is sweet and quite polite. She doesn't rush and never gets in a hurry.

Abby on the other hand is full of fire. She is quite the opposite of Boo.

Last night I went to get Boo to put her in the bedroom. She was sitting in the hallway and between her and the bedroom was Abby. I knew she knew she could not get past Abby with some altercation, so I went to intervene. My mistake. When I reached to pick up Boo, Abby came up to keep Boo away from me. Abby is very possessive of me. I thought she was being protective, but our vet said no she is possessing you. She feels you belong to her. I know how Abby reacts when I pay attention to Boo, or any of the other cats, so I am careful, because I don't want her to fuss at them because of me. As I had Boo halfway in my arms Abby came at her with hisses and claws. I was in the middle and I was the one who got scratched. Of course Boo got away and ran up into her cat tree. I went to comfort her ( my second mistake), because Abby followed and she went up the cat tree after Boo. Poor Boo. Abby chased Boo off the tree, in fact she lost her balance and fell. This upset the entire household. My husband does not care for Abby, to be fair she doesn't care for him either. She will nip at him anytime he is near her. She is very devoted, but it's only to me. After Abby chased Boo away, I went and picked up Abby and took her into another room. I went back to check on Boo. Then Gracie decided to chase Boo ( this was only in play) but nevertheless, Boo didn't want to be chased. I let Boo calm down and after Abby settled into my lap, my husband brought Boo into the room and everything went smoothly. I know I was the reason that this entire scenario played out, but I feel bad because it caused such chaos, and it made my husband have harder feelings toward Abby.

Does anyone have these things happen?

Itty Bitty Kitty

Abby found a new place she likes to sleep. She nestles herself on top of the pillow on the antique setee. (She wasn't too crazy about Mom taking her picture with the flashy thing!)

Jinxy's Gift

Isn't he amazing? He wraps his gifts to match his fur.

No Peeking, Poking or Shaking....

Take a careful look at Ping....
He was buzy getting into HIS Christmas gifts!

Feline Friday -- Sweet Nothings

Just a beautiful picture of my sweet darling Boo.

Visit Friday Ark, to see this week's round-up of cats, dogs and other animals.Also, make it a habit to stop by the 91th Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and will be hosted this week by Music and Cats.

Abby & Boo

Boo is contemplating Abby's next move.

Abby Takes A Nip

I just love it Mom when you give me lots of nips!
It just makes me want to put it all over my body!
Oh MY this is the best catnip I have ever had!

In The Garden

This is one of the favorite rooms within the house for the cats. They all love to go out on the screen porch and watch the wildlife and lay around in the furniture. It is the perfect spot for them as they have best of both worlds. My husband made them a 5 foot long cat 'couch' which snugs up against the screen and they seem to really like being able to all get up on it together and look out. It's also the perfect place to take a nice long catnap in the sun.

Boo strikes a pose!

Birthday Boys

Happy Birthdays are in order!!!! Since we don't know precisely when any of our kitties birthdays are we have to estimate what their birthdate is. So now Jinx (the grey tabbie) and Ping (the orange tabby) are officially a BIG 2! We have two other birthdays in our family this month. My Great Uncle turned 91 yesterday and my Dad ( the best in the world!!) will be a spry 77 on the 29th. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GUYS!!!!

Feline Friday--Santa's Little Helper

This is Abby's first Christmas with us. I began this week by bringing out all this "new" christmas stuff so each of the cats had to check out every item I took from the closet for inspection. Abby had to check out my Santa collection. She nearly looks like she belongs as a part of this display, put a little red hat on her and she can be an elf. She is as small as some of my stuffed Santa's!


Visit Friday Ark, to see this week's round-up of cats, dogs and other animals.Also, make it a habit to stop by the 90th Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and will be hosted this week by Quite Early One Morning.

Boo-licious

This is one of Boo's favorite spots to snooze away an afternoon.

Boo has the sweetest temperment of all the kitties. She is a little lady. When Boo first came to us, she was withdrawn like a cat will be, not caring whether you paid any attention to her or not. As time as progressed and after Abby came to live with us, Boo has become a changed kitty. She is no longer standoffish. She seeks out companionship and has become quite affectionate, especially if you are alone with her. As things have sorted themselves out, Boo's room has become the master bedroom. Since Ping has started spraying on the bed, I have had to shut the door to this room so no one can go in when we are not at home, and only Boo & Abby go in when we are at home. When Boo and I are seated together in the above chair, she will curl up on the arm of the chair and look out the window or sleep quietly. She has begun to snuggle up more to me. Yesterday she actually lay on top of my shoulder as support and flicked her tail all around my face. She loves to be rubbed along her shoulder blades and down her back. Finally when she wants to totally settle down she will come along the back side of the chair and slowly creep down into the seat and lay up against me. I would like to think that I have gained her total trust. Her former owner threw her, and her two brothers out in the summer of 2004. I know she must remember this. All I want is for her to now feel totally safe and secure, because she has found a true home, and I believe this is partly why she is opening up more and showing her affectionate side.

Daddy's Chair

Every evening Ping gets up in the recliner with his Dad. After a little while Jinx decides HE is going to get up in the chair with both of them. Since there isn't enough room for all 3 of them, Dad gives up his chair so the two cats can snooze in comfort.

Just Right

When I found this little cat bed, I was really thinking it was about the right size for Abby. As it turned out, it's much too big for her, but Ping took one look at it and decided it fit him "just right".

The Gang Is (nearly) All Here

This is the cat's window to the world. When they get up into this window they can see everyone's comings and goings. It was getting a little crowded, and I can tell from Boo's expression that she was feeling uncomfortable. I have seen all 4 of them up in this same small window. It's definitely a favorite prized spot!

Feline Friday -- The Acrobat

Whoa Mom that was some powerful stuff I got into it makes the world go 'round and round....
It makes me want to hang upside down & inside out.
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee I LOVE catnip ~~

Ping ( the acrobat)


Visit Friday Ark, to see this week's round-up of cats, dogs and other animals.Also, make it a habit to stop by the 89th Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and will be hosted this week by When Cats Attack.

Gracie

Gracie has been such a lifesaver for Ping. Before we brought Gracie home from our excursion to Animal Care & Control, Ping was in hyperdrive. He needed another cat who was an rambuctious and playful as he is. Gracie fit that bill to a capital "T"! It is funny in many ways, because she has adopted all of his mannerisms, and has taken over many of his favorite spots. But, he is content to allow her these things. They are Ying & Yang to each other now, and she has helped him overcome that loneliness I could sense he had. Gracie is so infectious, she is simply full of personality, which was one reason we could not resist taking her home that fateful day. She had been dropped off at the ACC and was outside the front door engaging every person that came near. With our heavy hearts of looking for our lost Button, we found Gracie who has been a blessing to us every day since.