Another Disappearance?

Ho Ho Ho

or

Bah! Humbug!

Kitties, the mom has to go and have her operation all over again as it wasn't a 100% success.  Its not a big deal, just very minor, more of an annoyance than anything else.  But it does involves anesthesia.

She wanted to get it done before the end of the year because she met all her deductibles and Friday was the only time left - probably because no one else wanted it.  This may be our last post before Christmas, but of course we will try to post in the next couple of days.  In case we can't:

We wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.  We have high hopes it will be the best you've ever had.  We hope Santa brings everyone their heart's desire, especially those hoping for homes for the homeless, and food and love for the lonely and hungry.  May the spirit of Christmas fill you with joy.  Purrs, dear friends!  You are the bestest!

Uh Oh! Not a Good Day.

Maybe it was a good thing I wrote my letter to Sandy Paws yesterday because today was NOT a good day!  And the mom was at the heart of all the troubles.

Today some strange man came and looked at the thingy that blows hot air.  Ours wasn't doing anything before he came but soon it was blowing just fine.

After he left, the mom looked around for Julie and she thought Julie was in the basement when she didn't see her, so she let Mica Moo out of her safe room where the mom had put her so she wouldn't be spooked by strange peoples and noises.  Well, she should have looked a little harder because MMM and Julie very quickly found one another.  You should have heard their language!  I really hope Sandy Paws wasn't listening cause it wasn't very lady like.  I had to run UTB myself.

The fur really flew as Julie ran after MMM.  Who knew two kitties could run down stairs that quickly, even ones who play THoE regularly!  The mom put a stop to it right away, but MMM hid UTB in her safe room and wouldn't make a peep.  Julie went back to her lair to wait for her next victim.

The man left all the lights on and when the mom went down to turn them off she found three of us in a No-Kitty Zone.  We aren't allowed in the laundry room where the furnace is cause the walls aren't finished and the mom thinks we will crawl inside the walls, get lost or stuck and die.  Yes, yes, of course its silly, but those are the rules.  Naturally we go in there every chance we get.  So when she reached for the light, out came Julie, Carl and I.

That's two strikes for Julie, so I don't think Sandy Paws will be leaving any nip stogies for her this Christmas.  But I hope he will grant the wishes for the rest of us.  Please?  And there has to be coal in the mom's future.

Dear Sandy Paws

Dear Sandy Paws,

Its getting cold outside, so I know you will be visiting again soon.  I've been a very good girl this year and didn't sneak down into the laundry room once.  I also shared my sleeping spots with Mica Minnie Moo sometimes, so maybe I have been extra special good.

Sharing sweet dreams.

Julie didn't bite one person or kitty!  There were lots of growls and hisses, but we all agree she was extra special good too.  Mica Minnie Moo has been going for the Mona Lisa look and has worked hard on removing her eyebrows and other furs, so that has kept her out of trouble.  Sadly, Carl had some sort of escapade with those Trout Talking Tabbies when Gracie went Down Under and the less said about that the better (at least until after the holidays)!

Perhaps a clue to Carl's trip?

There's no particular reason to listen to the mom when she complains about how I will eat food one day and not the next.  If she says anything about my running in the opposite direction when she calls me at bed time, she's exaggerating.  I didn't run, it was more of a trot.  I know you know a kitty has to be a little independent.  The rest of kitties here can't think of anything they did to give the mom cause to complain.

A civilized encounter without hisses or growls.

We were really lucky this year and got to know many wonderful kitties.  I wish the lonely kitties and the ones without a home or foods could have a nice home, with plenty of treats and furriends to play with.  If you could do that, it would make my Christmas complete.  I have everything I need, so I would be very happy and purry if the homeless kitties could have a new home and a real loving holiday too, like me.  Julie would like to point out she is running low on nip cigars and MMM could really use something to keep her hackles down.  She looks like a feline stegosaurus.

MMM's hackles are always up, 

no matter how many times the mom brushes them down.

Julie promises not to drink all the milk we leave out for you this year and we all will try to leave some Beachside Crunch for you too.

Merry Christmas,

Oui Oui
Julie
Mica Minnie Moo
Carlos Raphael Camaro

Staying Warm

Thursday night the mom thought the heat sounded a little different, but it was running and everyone would be soon going to bed.  When she got up Friday morning there was a nip in the air.  She looked at the thermostat.  Yep, 57 degrees (13.9 C).  So she turned the temperature up.  Nothing.  She fiddled with it.  Nothing.  {{sigh}}

We are now making up for the days without AC after the derecho this past summer.  At least in the winter you can just put another layer of clothes on, throw another quilt on the bed and snuggle with a couple cats.  We hope it will be fixed Tuesday.  Thank goodness it hasn't been too cold, only two nights below freezing with the days in the fifties.

Oui Oui and Mica Moo have found their warm spot.

The only warmer spot is when the mom is with them.

It amazes the mom how 2 animals can voluntarily live

for days in a tiny area on a bed.

Although they have played THoE to get the blood moving.

The favoritest kitty pillow is fine by Carl. 

What? Is it cold?

Mommy, get out from under that blankie and clean my eye!

Me Bleedin' Ears!

Z Z Z Z . . .Snnkh.

Holy Cod, WHAT is that awful wailing?

I'm afraid to open my eyes.

  Deck the halls?

Angels we have heard on high?

Hmph, NOT in this house, Dear Cod!

 Tis the season to torture poor innocent animals

who have any hearing at all.

I'll never sleep again.

Spirit or no spirit,

someone should throw a shoe at the mom

for caterwauling like that.

The Company We Keep

Click to biggify.

Our ever curious mom Googled "famous people and their cats" just to see what would come up, and behold!  There we were, right next to Jackson Galaxy, under all the Disney cats and above The Acro-Cats.  Who knew!  Naturally, some of our fellow kitties include famous felines like Tony the Tiger and Felix the Cat.  And of course, there's lots of famous people.

A couple of our blogger friends made the page too, but we won't say who.  Here's the link if you'd like to take a look:

http://pinterest.com/karenesfrench/famous-cats-famous-humans-their-cat-s/

The digital world is a strange one.  There are many more well known cat blogs, better written and more interesting ones with more followers than us.  But it made our day.

Tortie Tuesday

Mica Minnie Moo snuggled & squished.

Its gotten colder and I've been snuggling as close as I can to the mom.  The mom, hoping closeness will help me calm down, has been doing as many things as she can snuggled up with me.  Maybe then I will grow eyebrows and butt furs.

One good thing has happened!  I have discovered a new and wonderful treat! Shredded Parmesan cheese and Raspberry vinaigrette.  Ah, heaven on earth!  I love them both separately and together!  I help the mom finish her salad then get to lick the bowl.

Calming treats, collars and drops haven't worked.  The vet shots didn't work.  Play therapy didn't work.  I'm not allowed to look at Julie.  Will snuggle therapy work?  What chance does loving stand against neurosis?

Will the mom get her Christmas wish and have 4 normal looking cats again?  Or will she have to settle for 3 normal looking cats and one with eyebrowless yet pretty blue eyes?  One thing seems certain - a vet visit for someone after the holidays.

Speaking of Christmas wishes, Oui Oui is hosting an event at The Tabby Cat Club entitled Holiday Wishes, so stop by for a little holiday cheer with some of your favorite striped furriends.

Flash Back Friday - Leia IV

Attila (L) & Leia (R)

We can't believe its been a couple weeks since we last posted about Leia, the mom's first cat.  (To see the other posts click here for:  Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3.)  Here are some more of the mom's favorite Leia stories.

A web pic of a Korat.

Leia loved stinky socks, and the smellier, the better.  She would drag them out of the laundry hamper at night, calling as she would have called for her kittens, and calling loudly at that.  In the morning socks would be scattered all over the house.  If there weren't enough socks in the laundry, she dragged underwear out too.  She started with the dad's socks, then the mom's and if she had to, the underwear.

Not only were there a lot of socks to be picked up in the morning, but also a couple pairs of shoes the dad would periodically throw at her.  Finally, just to get some sleep, the mom invested in a covered hamper.  It helped with the missing sock problem too.

Not Leia, but it looks just like her.

Do those eyes say to you, 

"I've got your number."?

Once, Leia and the mom were visiting the mom's parents.  It was a beautiful day and they were in the backyard playing and enjoying life.  Finally the mom had to leave for a doctor's appointment and it was time to go.

She tried to pick Leia up, but Leia would have none of it.  When the mom moved closer, Leia moved away, staying a tantalizing inch out of reach.  Just by coincidence every time the mom reached for her, a flower, bug, leaf or whatever caught Leia's eye and she'd saunter over to investigate.  She never let on she knew the mom was trying to catch her.

After almost 45 minutes, the mom stormed in the house and told her mom, "I'm going to be late, and I can't catch Leia.  She's still out there and I don't care if I ever see her again."  When she was done with her little rant, there was a scratch at the door.  Leia wanted in.  It wasn't any fun out there all by herself.

Not Leia, but it could have been.

Another time, Leia was washing the mom's arm while the mom was scratching her.  Leia put a paw on the mom's arm to still it but the mom kept scratching.  Leia gave her a warning bite and put her other paw on the mom's arm too.  The mom stopped scratching and Leia started doing that little chewy thingy cats do when washing.  Clearly she wanted the mom to know she was justified in biting her as her arm was so appallingly dirty it required teeth and tongue.  (For the record, it was not a hard bite.)

Ninny & Kimba

Eventually the mom had a dog, Ninny, a 75 lb (34 kg) Irish Setter/ Lab mix.  This was back in the days before monthly flea drops and no matter how hard the mom and dad tried to control the fleas, occasionally all the animals needed flea baths.

Every time Leia had a bath she would take a big dump immediately afterwards in the middle of the living room.  It was her way of saying, "Sh*t on you!"

The mom would camp out in the living room for hours.  She saved work and projects just for this time.  No matter how long she had been there, as soon as she left, Leia would leave her message.  So don't let anyone ever tell you cats forget, or they don't have a good short term memory, or they can't connect things after some time has passed.  It just isn't so!  Leia NEVER forgot!

Everyone have a great weekend  And to all our Mewish kitty furriends, Happy Hanukkah!  May your lights shine bright!

Wordy Wednesday

Olive at work in her studio

Kitties, we have a small correction regarding yesterday's post about Olive's paintings.  The paintings are available during auctions only.  Oops, the mom's bad!  We kitties, being sharp and savvy felines don't do anything wrong, but the mom is another story altogether!  If there is a problem here, you are sure to find her in the middle of it.

In other news, we have gotten enough link backs and awards so we now have 6 stars in the Blog of 2012 Award.  Yay!  Thanks to all our sweet furriends!

Finally, our adorable furriends, Sherlock, Ash & Traveler at Feline Purr-spective have given us the Super Sweet Blog Award.  How appropriate!  They are precious kitties with such angelic, innocent faces, we are sure they couldn't do anything bad.  {{snort}}  Like here, if anything untoward happens, its probably caused by their mom.  Thank you for passing this along, we are so grateful!

We do have to answer some questions, so here goes:

F - Cookies or Cake?  PIE!  We have to admit our mom makes some lushus pies!  Cept they do scairt Mica Minnie Moo who is afraid of being turned into a crumb pie.

Some of our mom's pies!  Mica Minnie Moo fears the crumb variety, but does enjoy the crusts.  She loves her carbs & it shows.

3 - Chocolate or Vanilla?  Both!  For chocolate, the darker the better, but if its "adulterated" then we go with vanilla.  Don't ask what adulterated chocolate is.

& - What is your favorite sweet treat?  Whipped cream!

P - When do you crave sweet things the most?  Is there a particular time?  Any time is a good time for a treat.

8 - If you had a sweet nickname, what would it be?  We can do one better!  Oui Oui is a nickname.  Her real name is Sweet Pea.

Now for the hard part!  We do hope if we pass this along to someone who has already received it, they will forgive us in the spirit of the award (sweetly, which we are sure they will).  We will pass the award these following kitties:

The Cherry City Kitties
The Poupounette
Charlotte at MoMo's Blog, Mieow
Fuzzy Tales
Marilla
Tommy at The Shelter Kitties

Purrs sweet furriends and we hope you have a fantastic day!

Cool Paintings

Hi Kitties!

We were going to blog about awards today, but we wanted to show you some paintings Gracie's niece, Olive, did of Oui Oui.

Olive paints in Photoshop, and was at a real disadvantage cause of the mom's lousy low res phone photos.  We know you know all about our mom's photographic talents, but we are sure it was a real surprise to Olive!  Hee, hee!  She took it in stride like a true trooper.  But you can see, fighting the odds, she did a great job anyway.

The mom wanted something the Girl could have while she was away at collich to remind her of home and of her sweet kitty waiting for her there.  You probably know how small dorm rooms are, so space is at a real premium.  And the Girl is working now, so she can't come home as much as she used to.

Here are the paintings along with the originals:

 The mom has a series of Oui Oui in this pose, taken over a span of a couple years.  Silly girl loves to bask in sun puddles like this.  Its a typical Oui-ism, as no other kitty the mom has had has ever sun bathed lounging upright.

 Oui Oui's relaxed contentment shows in her painting and we love the Impressionistic feel Olive's painting has.

 Can you tell Oui Oui & the Girl are special?  You can see the love in Olive's painting and the tight cropping makes it intimate.

 Here's our old header!  Miss Oui looks mysterious and captivating, none of that was lost in the painting.

We love how Olive captured the essence of the photos yet made them unique.  She did a great job of cropping too, each looks well proportioned and balanced.

Since they are digital we can size them as we like, when we print them out.  The mom has worked in a couple framing shops and she'd like to frame them, but she's unsure of what technique she is going to use.  Time to get out her framing tools!

Thanks, Olive!  You did a great job and we are so happy.  Thank you for turning them around so quickly too.  The Girl will be excited to have these little mementos of home.  You have brought smiles to all our faces.  Purrs & may your holidays be bright!


We ordered Oui's portrait through the recent auction on CB.  But if you like them, you can order from Gracie as well.  Just visit Gracie!

We have received nothing in return for our post.  In fact, Olive & Gracie don't even know we wrote it.

Tuesday Tummy, Tails & Toes

My Favorite Toy

The kitties at The Tabby Cat Club are having an event all about our favorites toys! If you have been reading us for a while, you might remember mine is my lovely Lovey.

Its a little battered and used to be a felt mousie.

It was my very first toy when I was a tiny kitten

and its still the bestest toy around.

I taught the Girl and the mom

to play fetch with it.

Even though its 6 years old like me,

when I have a choice, I pick my Lovey.

It was lost for a while

then mysteriously reappeared. 

You can imagine everyone's joy to see it.

So now the peeps put it away in a safe place
when I am done playing.

(Cause I'm not too good at picking toys up.) 

There it goes!

For more stories about kitties and their favorite toys, pop on over at The Club.  We have a new header by Gracie's mom with all the members in it.  Can you pick me out?