Cola Cat

This may not be the "Real Thing," but I'll go to any lengths for that caffeine buzz!

Cup 'o Catte Latte?

So, who wants to come over for coffee?

Feed Me!!

I do not CARE that this is food is for the elderly dog.

I'm hungry NOW!!

Knick-Knack Catty-Whack

Of all the knick-knacks in this room, which one does NOT belong there?!

Good Morning ...

Everybody, SING !!

"Good mornin', good moooornin'!

It's great to stay up late,

Good mornin', good mornin' to youuuuu!"

And you thought Annabelle was the only entertaining cat! So did I. Little did I realize that Phoebe Jo has been secretly honing her singing skills just for me.

Let the Hunt Begin

Maybe I can intimidate my "twin" sister with my vulture impersonation and steal her roadkill stew!!



Now, I just SAW Mom get breakfast outta this, there's gotta be something in here for ME!!??

Ohhhh, life in the wild is soooo cruel.

Farewell, Lily Rose

May 22, 1999 -- May 30, 2009

This is probably a first -- a dog eulogy in a blog designed for cats. But hey, it’s my blog, and I can do whatever I want. People who aren’t pet lovers won’t care about this, and you who are will identify, and not think this is weird. Again -- my blog, don’t care.

Lily was a fill-in-the-void pet for a 19-year-old cat named Muppet who had died. Which reminds me of an amusing moment at the veterinary clinic. The vet asked the name of the new puppy, I said it was “Lily Rose” named after a distant relative (which we do with most of our pets), and the vet began laughing. She said, “I’m afraid to ask about your Aunt Muppet!!”

Anyway, little did I know how similar the personality traits were between cat and dog. Good thing I don’t believe in reincarnation, or I’d think that Muppet had transmigrated into Lily -- at least as far as the paranoid and needy qualities go. I was really not quite prepared for her type of personality because our other dog, Sophie, behaved like a grownup mellow dog from the time she was 6 months old. Lily was anxiety-ridden from Day 1 and stayed that way for her full 10 years. Her anxiety issues led her to destroy in a frenzy anything in the house, whenever we left her sight. It took ME 4 years to consider crate training. It then took LILY only a couple of weeks (she was much smarter than me) to kick the destructive habits. Not the actual anxieties, mind you, but she stopped shredding the house. It’s a pity we can’t crate train our children and spouses, isn’t it?

Lily was a Shih-Tzu/mini-Schnauzer mix. And that little Shih-Tzu tail never stopped whirling with joy, even while lying flat out on her back in total relaxation. It was also clear that she would eat almost anything, including things that weren’t edible, but we won’t go there now. She’d eat almost anything I’d put in a tossed salad, except for black olives. I dropped one in her ever-open mouth once and she looked at me with a “how-could-you” face and literally spit it 3 feet across the room. Now, who would tolerate that from kids and spouses?

Lily had an exceptionally cute method of begging. She’d sit up in perfectly-balanced “meerkat” fashion, eyes bugging with desire, eyebrows pinched together with fear of deprivation, and quivering lower jaw. Who can resist that? And who would let kids and spouses get away with that?

We brought her home very young, about 7 weeks. We were told she would sleep on her mother’s back. Sophie wasn’t thrilled with that arrangement, so I would let her sleep, belly up, in my arms. Again, not for kids and spouses. But Sophie was a very tolerant sister/mom. Being much bigger than Lily, and with long chin fur, she unwittingly became a Worlds-of-Fun ride for Lily, who would stretch up her head, grasp the Sophie whiskers, and literally dangle and whirl off the ground from Sophie’s face. My husband has chin whiskers, and although I’ve begged, never would he allow me to entertain myself in this way.

Oh yes, the most important bonding occurred between me and Lily at 4 months. It’s called shopping. I wanted my child to be impeccably dressed. Sophie would never submit to that at all, and really, I did it only once for Lily. I went to a Build-A-Bear Workshop and bought a silver fairy-princess dress, complete with wand, and sewed wings on the back of the dress. (I don’t sew at all, so you can see how smitten I was.) Then I entered her in a Best Dressed Dog contest, and of course, she won, and she reveled in the win, prancing all over the stage, gathering ooohs and aaahhhs from everyone. After all, what’s cuter -- old ugly dog with a pig nose strapped on, or Lily Rose in a dress? Big stupid-looking dog in a Superman cape, or Lily Rose with wings? I could go on, but I won’t. Except to say, what child or spouse would encourage this method of bonding?

Well, I suppose I should not continue with 10 years of darling stories, or even end it with what eventually did her in. Except to say, that her appetite never stopped. She had a full dinner the same evening her health declined, her tail still whirled upon seeing us, and she was oh-so-happy to go for that final car ride.

And as a final thought, I pray that when my last day comes, even though I may not have an appetite for food, that God will grant me tail-twirling happiness to be with those surrounding me, and even more joy to be heading off for my final ride, knowing Who waits for me.

Going Green

They say these special green storage bags keep food fresh longer. It was necessary to explain to Annie that it will not keep HER fresh longer.

Laundry Day

"I think I need a good drying off, after hours of playing in the sink/bathtub/toilet."

Remember the old commercial, "this is your brain on drugs"? Well, this is your cat kinda drugged-up after one too many joyrides in the dryer. And before any of you report me to the PCA, I'm kidding!! The truth is, I think she got lint on her tongue & was trying to shake it loose.

Kitchen Inspection, the Sequel

"When you want a job done right, ......"

Impatience

We've done all the shopping, now we're ready for our cooking lesson. So, what's taking so long?

Faux Friend

A fake friend is sometimes more cooperative and patient

than a real friend.

A fake friend doesn't bite back.

A fake friend doesn't try to steal your food.

On the other hand, sometimes a fake friend can be kinda boring.

But when you need love, a real friend is always there.

Kitchen Inspection

"Failing grade here -- there are suspicious hairs in the microwave,

and a revolting lack of imagination in the culinary department!!!"

Discriminating Taste

"There's never anything good to eat around here!!"

Copy Cat

Hee-hee, the door of opportunity knocks -- eveyone knows, there can never be enough of ME!

Analog Annie

I'm like SO bored! There is like SO not anything on this t.v. without the converter box!

True Love?

Exactly how many legs CAN one cat have? This accounts for the sound of buffalo herd whilst running down the hall.

Patron of the Arts

"Let's see, shall I expand my mind with knowledge about the great city in which I live? Or shall I indulge in pure entertainment, by watching an old-fashioned video? How about the Wizard of Oz, or ... OH LOOK, The Titanic, my favorite!!!"

Trashy Girl

There is no place this cat deems unacceptable. The pull-out trash receptable in the kitchen island apparently made Annabelle think twice about her definition of fun. Determining that there was absolutely nothing to do inside this bin, she then leaped up about 4 feet in the air, and dashed out of the kitchen, pounding her sister Phoebe on the head.

A Boy and His Cat

I erroneously reported earlier that Phoebe Jo is boring, thus very few exciting photos of her. Well, she took exception to that, and herein proudly displays the results of her feline catch-and-stun hunting technique.

What's the Difference ...

How does one know the difference between a fake cat and a real cat? It's easy. The fake cat has an APPETITE!! The diva real cat refuses 15 different kinds of food in a row, and then tells lies to visitors that her mama never feeds her!

Dogs in the Midst

Lest any of you assume that I love cats and thus, must hate dogs, here's proof you're wrong. Below are Sophie Mae (l) and Lily Rose (r), on a lakeside walk. They're now 13 and 10, respectively, and prefer their walks to be lazy strolls in their backyard. They now frown upon invigorating healthful walks in their older age, preferring to nap-drool on the deck.

And since I must entertain myself occasionally, here's what can be done with a sleeping dog and a minimal computer photo-enhancing gadget. Since said dog was sleeping near an embroidered pillow, it seemed only right to colorize her nose, and voila! Lazy reindeer-dog!!

Muppet-Face

This sweet(?)-faced little guy was my buddy Muppet, who died 10 years ago. Just dug this photo out of a drawer. His name is Muppet for obvious reasons, at least obvious to me. Poor Muppet was the proverbial scaredy-cat, afraid of everything from our parakeet to vacuum cleaner hoses to stairs. And yet he lived 18 years. I believe some of them were pleasant to him. At least while eating.

Deception

Everything Annabelle does starts OFF looking deceptively sweet and innocent, perfectly posing. Then her real personality comes forth -- that of rerranging every object in the house, usually searching for food.

Little Drip

We have never owned a kitty with such an affinity for water. Annabelle LIVES in the kitchen sink, and frequently visits bathroom sinks, bathtubs, and toilets, the last of which has caused almost irreparable "damage" to her. And us.

Crockpot Cat

Annabelle has proven herself as indispensable help in the kitchen.

Snack Cat

Not long after Annabelle's arrival in our home, she began displaying her sense of humor. And/or hunger.

Mesmerizing

Whilst babysitting a friend's parakeet, Lydia fell in "love."

Quilted Comfort

Not to be outdone in the comfort department, Annabelle and Phoebe both settle in to my personal couch quilt. Quilted kitties are just the most gorgeous things in the world.

La-De-Dah

This is probably my most-favorite photo of all -- Lydia Jean being a prime example of how much cats love their comfort.

These Girls No Dummies

Phoebe Jo has the best life -- warmth from the floorboards, and a back massage from her new sister/child Annabelle.

Twisted Sister

Our dainty little daughter Annabelle is truly twisted. In this photo, don't be deceived in thinking that her back legs are just in the air. Oh no, they're bent completely back to where they're touching the floor. We're beginning to think that she is an alien.

Annabelle, the magic kitty

Last Sept., 2008, my husband was gardening in the front yard. He turned around, and there magically appeared this little Calico kitty. He made the mistake of saying "hello kitty," 'cause she came right to him, and that was that. We spent a month trying to find her owner, or anyone else who wanted a kitty, but no go. By that time, she had ingratiated herself into the household, and made Phoebe Jo her mother substitute, and sometimes punching bag. My husband dubbed her Little Ophan Annie. Her full name is officially Annabelle Lee. What Phoebe Jo lacks in amusing characteristics, Annabelle makes up for in hourly antics. We're quite happy she chose us for her rescuers.

Phoebe Jo, our narcoleptic fuzzball

This is Phoebe Jo. Phoebe is also a Bible name (like her "sister" Lydia's name) and Jo is for my father, Joe. So both my parents now have a grandcat named after them. Phoebe was found running lose by a lady who later gave her to us. So we didn't get her until she was about 6 months old (in 2001), thus missing her babyhood. I don't have many spectacular photos of Phoebe, since she can be rather boring, although she is incredibly sweet and loving. All she wants to do is sleep, as evidenced below. Then eat. She cares little for games. In her younger years, she used to be a kleptomaniac, preferring ballpoint pens and Tootsie Pops.

Lydia, the Beginning

This is Lydia Jean, our little wildcat diva, born under our front porch in the year 2000. She made a nest for herself in the front bushes, shortly before I blatantly kidnapped her from her wild feral mama. I almost named her Fern, because she also liked to sunbathe curled up in an asparagus fern potted plant. But we decided on Lydia, from the Bible, and Jean, for my mother. All our animals have 2 names. I suppose that makes us quirky people.