Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!  In case you're new to the Catburglars Blog, and you aren't aware that we have a Menagerie in our house, well, we do.  'Tis all the better for keeping the old man and me (the old woman) in tip-top condition trying to keep up the appearance that we are actually in control.  You are hereby free to laugh at our expense as you browse the year in review at the Overstreet Flying Fur Ranch.  Enjoy!

[Disclaimer:  this is not our dog -- she belongs to family members who shall remain nameless, due to extreme embarrassment at their inability to keep said dog out of the Bailey's Irish Cream.

Dog became natural fodder for New Year's Eve shaming.]

Procrastination -- not a good thing

And the reason procrastination is bad -- the children grow up so fast, when one doesn't post any darling photos in almost a year.  Of course, after viewing these photos, you will see WHY I had no time to post.  The last time I posted was in June of 2011, when we had newly acquired a bitty little puppy named Minnie Kay, to fill the void of previously-deceased beloved old dogs.  Three months after bringing home Minnie, a 2-month-old kitten ran out from under our deck, screaming for attention and food.  As was the case 3 years ago with our kitty Annie, we could not find the owner, or anybody else who would take a kitty, so naturally, we adopted the new kitty.  Kitty is named Louis, a/k/a Big Lou, and King Louie.  Louie and Minnie have bonded in a big way.  SO ...  grab a cup of coffee & witness the best 9 photos of the last year (some of which made their way onto a calendar), AND to top off the whole experience, is a video!!

Hey ma, get this thing offameee!!!

This is the only "cat" in the house that actually likes Louie.

"I don't care WHAT the other cats think of me,

I got the bestest, softest place in the house!"

This is the only place Phoebe and Annie can go

to get away from the Louis/Minnie daily mayhem.

Please don't call the authorities --

No Animals Were Harmed

in the making of this video --

except me, who almost broke her face

from laughing too hard.

Life Goes On

Despite the fact we have 3 cats with personality-plus upon which to dote, cats just ain't dogs.  After a 6-month lack of canine, we succumbed to the sweetness of Miss Minnie Kay. 

Minnie is proving herself to be quite the socialite, because everywhere we take her, people oooh and aaah and want to take her picture -- we're thinking maybe we should have named her Sara Lee, because, of course, "nobody doesn't like Sara Lee"!  And if you're not old enough to remember that theme song, well, you don't know what you're missing.  Of course, there are 3 household residents who aren't that sure that they like this baby, no matter what her name is.  Annabelle kitty expresses distaste that her favorite playtoy is being taken over:

Not to be outdone in the thievery department, Annabelle retaliates by taking over one of the many puppy-piddle-pads:

Yes, retirement is now everything it should be.

Play Date with Daddy

Poor Annie is depressed -- she thinks daddy loves Phoebe more.

Then she realizes that she has only herself to blame for not being more assertive -- even if it does make Phoebe display green-eyed jealousy.

Finally, all is well in kitty-land, as both girls learn to play together, knowing that daddy has enough love for all the kitties in the world.

Sunbathing Beauty

And the winner is ... Annabelle of Kansas City,  Ms. Sunbathing Beauty, 2011 !!!

Flower Children

Absolutely FED UP with winter, Phoebe Jo and Annabelle take matters into their own hands -- choosing their very favorite designer, Miss Sarah of Leawood, the girls model the upcoming Spring Fashion with feline flair.

A Dialogue Between Two Cats

Annie:  "Hey, doesn't that look familiar?"
Phoebe:  "Yea, sorta like that mouse in the house last December."
Annie:  "You mean the one you caught, and LET GO!!"
Phoebe:  "Yea, that would be the one."
Annie:  "Well, see what happens when you show compassion!?  It escaped the house, and now it's getting huge and fat from the outdoor cats food!  Which, by the way, why is mom feeding them better than us?"
Phoebe:  "Life sucks."

Creepy Kitty

Annie alleviates boredom by playing mindgames with her people -- by appearing to indulge in exorcist-style hovering and/or stiltwalking 4 feet off the ground! 

[doo-dee-doo-dee, whee-ooo ...]

Film Noir Cat

Lydia enjoys "Film Noir" where man appears to be killing a dog.

Sunshine On My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

There's nothing at all amusing about this one -- 

Annie's just so dern purty in the sunshine

that I had to include it into blog-eternity.

Phoebe Is Not Amused

Phoebe looks on with disdain as Annie once again

claims the favored spot upon Daddy's shoes.

Static Cat

Disclaimer:  This is NOT my cat.  The only reason I include it in this blog is because I experienced a similar incident with 2 previous cats from 2 decades ago.  I came home in a "snit" about something work-related, felt the need to destroy something, kicked a box in my living room that happened to be full of staticized packing wigglies, and said wigglies attached themselves to my 2 cats, who were not the least bit happy.  I myself went from fury to hysterical laughter, thereby determining that everyone should have a box of styrofoam wigglies in their house!

Crystallized Cat

Annie objects to being considered less attractive

than fake crystal.

Annie Becomes One with the Poinsettia

Farewell, Sophie Mae

This is a miserable Christmas for us, because our sweet 14-1/2 year-old Sophie Mae had finally reached her limit of elderliness.  She had a strong heart, but as is frequent with people & critters alike, other things were getting weaker by the day.  Much like her younger "sister" (Lily Rose), Sophie enjoyed every meal to the fullest, right up to her final breakfast this morning.  She would frequently give me a face that said, "well, that was a good appetizer, now where's the entree?!" 

When we first went looking for a puppy, we found an advertisement that said "mini-schnauzer puppies" for sale.  And me, being incredibly ignorant of what a real schnauzer should look like, was mesmerized by her oddball cuteness & little red bandana around her neck, and brought her right home. 

It wasn't until my veterinarian said "what is that?" that I realized I'd been schnookered by a pretty face, but by then it was too late.  We think she was probably half Cairn Terrier, maybe a quarter schnauzer, and who-knows what else.  Regardless, she retained the schnauzer protectiveness by growling at anything and anyone, yet at the same time, wiggling her little schnauzerized-tailstub ferociously (thus earning her the nickname of "wigglebutt").  She sang "operas" to any squirrel she spied, and she played rip-roaring games of tug and hide-and-seek with her sister/child Lily.  And whenever we came home, we could see Sophie's face at the window, usually with a look of distress, and we immediately knew that Lily had been up to no good.  Apparently, Sophie was incapable of controlling Lily.
As every dog-parent will testify, their's is the cutest, greatest, lovingest, protectingest dog that ever existed, and we will defend that definition of Sophie Mae forever.  And we will always remember Sophie and Lily together as mother/daughter, and/or sisters enjoying their days in the sun.

Competition

Annabelle sulks as Lydia gets first dibs on

the Wild Rocker Ride.

Boredom

Confucius say: 

"Humidity begets boredom begets silliness."

Krispy Kritter

Once again, Annie goes to extremes in food-finding maneuvers because, obviously, nobody ever feeds her.

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!!