I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul. Jean Cocteau
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Jingle Bells
(my first attempt at posting a YouTube video. We'll just have to see how things work.)
UPDATE: It turns out musaeri has a longer version of this video as well, at around three minutes. We just thought you might be interested in knowing about that.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Our Box of Life
Radcliff here. We expected to have a lot of trouble doing this meme, because with four kitties
SIX kitties!Be quiet. You're strays who sneaked into the house. You don't live here.
Don't be so sure!That's what worries me.
Anyway, as I was saying, We FOUR kitties expected a lot of trouble reaching any kinda agreement, but once we started listing things, we pretty much agreed right from the start.So, what we think important enough to keep in our own Box of Life:
Our Furrever home. The building itself has changed several times, but everywhere we go The Food Source is always there, keeping our food bowls full and the littler boxes cleaned.
Our beds. The beds themselves are just boxes, with folded towels in them. Some are less than that. The thought behind them is what is important. All of us are either shelter kitties or adopted strays, so a warm safe place to sleep is important to us all.
Affection. We have many kitties in our home, but The Food Source always tries to give each of us a little personal attention every day. If one of us gets upset in the middle of the night, The Food Source always cuddles with us, and helps us get back to sleep.
And some things a couple of us insisted had to be included, even though the rest of us thought them unimportant.
A sunny spot to sleep, especially if it is in the middle of the floor. (Allie)
Head bonks with The Food Source. (Luna)
Wrestling in The Food Sources lap. (Ozzie)
- Living inside. IN is differently better. (the two black kitties)
Hey! How'd that get in here?
Anyway, for all the kitties, buns, woofies, and all other critters and all their beans of the Cat Blogosphere. It is nice to know there are others out there living, loving, and thinking as we do.
A big {{hugg}} for you all.
(And a technical note from The Food Source. Since most of the entries in their Box of Life were feelings or emotions, rather than physical items, the kitties and I all agreed that a logical place to store them was a Klein Bottle. A little searching on the web lead me to Walter Myers Arcadia Street gallery, and he was gracious enough to let us use a copy of his Bottle for this meme. Check out his gallery if you have the time.)
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Are we OK?
Hi, Kelly Cat. We all appreciate your concern.
You don't remember any of us mentioning any black cats before, do you?
That's because these two interlopers just moved in a few weeks ago. The Food Source SAYS he's trying to find them homes, or at least a foster home, but he said that about Ozzie over a year ago, and he's still here.
It is getting to the point where The Food Source spends all his time tending to and worrying about those strays and ferals living across the street, and ignoring the kitties he already has in his home.
(Food Source here. I really am trying to find these kitties another home, but I thought I ought to post some signs and wait a bit, in case they wandered away from home, rather than being dumped. They're great cats, but I really don't need, and really can't afford, six cats. Even if I really like black cats.)
Radcliff again:
Yeah, right. We'll see.
To TT - We are still planning on doing our Box of Life meme you tagged us for, but we wanted to think about it a bit.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Some good news
So we're glad can contribute some good news, both for us and for a stray orange kittie.
Hobo (see picture) has a new furrever home, and so far he is taking over like he owns the place. That is the good news for him. His new home is about eighty miles away. That is the good news for us.
The story.
A month or two ago The Food Source met a friendly orange kittie at the V*T's office. He kept trying to get INTO the V*T office, so it was pretty clear he was homeless, and probably either desperate, confused, or really, really dumb! Anyway, The Food Source played with him a little, and the next time he looked out, the orange kittie was sitting in the yard outside his door.
The Food Source kept playing with him, and feeding him, and after a week or so The Food Source was able to coax this intruder into our house. Bad move, kittie!
A quick trip to the V*T, a quick snip, and this interloper was living in the utility room under the name 'Hobo'. Worse move, kittie!
We all made it clear this was not acceptable.
So this past Saturday The Food Source stuffed the interloper into a Prisoner Transport Unit and moved him to his new home, with The Food Source's brother.
The word is he is settling in fine, and already giving orders. Good move, kittie.
Friday, October 5, 2007
Desktop Meme
Here are the rules for the meme:
Upon receiving this tag, immediately perform a screen capture of your desktop.It is best that no icons be deleted before the screen capture so as to add to the element of fun.
Here’s how you can do a screen capture:
1.Go to your desktop and press the Print Scrn key (located on the right side of the F12 key).
Mommy bean note: On a laptop you use the Fn + prt sc keys then paste it into a graphics program.
2.Open a graphics program (like Picture Manager, Paint, or Photoshop) and doing a Paste (CTRL + V). If you wish, you can “edit” the image before saving it.
3.Post the picture on your blog. You can also give a short explanation on the look of your desktop if you want. You can explain why you prefer such a look or why it is full of icons. Things like that.
4.Tag five of your friends and ask them to give you a Free View of their desktops as well.
We decided to tag
- Skeeter and LC. We hope they get the word (they've been having email problems).
- Frodo, of Frodo's Catscentric World.
- Meisha, of Meisha's Meows.
- The Ginger Cats. We really hope they respond. Their blog is mesmerizing.
- We'll leave the fifth tag open. We were planning to tag The Pet Museum, but under the circumstances, we doubt the Curator is in the mood right now.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Cat Born Without Eyes And Teeth
But, dang...
Max, an orange tabby, looks and acts like any normal cat. He grooms himself, tries to get attention from humans, and in general, is a curious cat. And he rules the roost at the Best Friends Animal Clinic in Oregon.
But up close, people who meet Max see that this cat is a bit different. He was born without eyes and teeth.
Max lives in Oregon, and seems almost disturbingly happy.
Via an Itchmo post.
So you still have a few free hours in the day?
I know what you're thinking. "Do you spend ten hours a day on the web, or fifteen?" Well, to tell the truth, with all the bouncing from site to site, we've kinda lost track ourselves.
But even in a world with ICHC, about three hundred Cat Blogs, and even a site called LOLRats, you still can have a little free time, just a bit of a real life, right? Well, bean, is that what you think?
Well, to tell you the truth, we kinda thought that ourselves.
Then we found Moviecat at The Pet Museum.
With apologies to Dirty Harry Calahan, and with thanks to RobG, who did the photoshop we stole from Moviecat.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Talk like a pirate day
Per Blogthings Pirate Name Generator
Radcliff's Pirate name . . .
Allie's pirate name . . .
Luna's pirate name . . .
Ozzie's pirate name . . .
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Blog Blast for Anastasia
Anastasia, of The Cat Realm, has been missing since Tuesday, August 21, early afternoon.
Skeezix said the rest as well as we could...
As most of yoo know, Anastasia has bin missing for 4 days. Altho we can't help put up flyers or look for her, I thot we cood have a blog blast promoting one minit of hopeful purrayer and purrs and pawsitive thinking to help bring her home safe.PLEEZE POST THIS ON YER BLOG to enkerije all the cats we know to pawtisipate. Then tomorrow, take one minit owt of yer day at noon PDT, 3pm EDT to focus as much pawsitive energy you can toward Tucson, Arizona.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Lifelong Friends Pet Adoptions
Lifelong Friends Pet Adoptions (formerly Lago Vista PAWS), a true no-kill shelter for stray and abandoned dogs and cats, is in jeopardy of closing its doors. The shelter only has about a week's worth of operating funds left. Shelter volunteers have started a Save Our Shelter Campaign to raise funds so they can continue providing care for almost 400 animals. Donations for the SOS Campaign can be sent to Lifelong Friends, PO Box 4100, Lago Vista, TX 78645. To make an online donation, click on Network for Good at the bottom of this page.
We don't know much about this shelter, but it is legitimate enough a local TV station did a story on the problem.
From Itchmo, where else?
Powered by ScribeFire.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Cat Owner Files Legal Action Against FDA in Pet Food Deaths
Don Earl (of Pet Food Recall Facts) has gone to federal court to
force the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to “perform its duty” and investigate other toxins -- besides melamine -- as the culprit in this year’s massive pet food recall.More information available here, here, and here.
Also, Nutro had trouble getting some 'food' into the country recently, if we are reading this document correctly.
Via Itchmo, an invaluable resource, even if it does focus more on D*GS.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Get Well Soonest, BabyBean
Please send purrss and good wishes to BabyBean, MomBean, DadBean, and the rest of the family if you haven't already. Darling Millie seems to have the most up to date information on BabyBean.
Skeezix's is organizing a BlogBlast. Feel free to post the image, and add yourself to the Autolink at the Cat Blogosphere.
New Kittie Blog
Case in point. We just hit a new catblog, Meisha’s Meows. It looks like Meisha has just started blogging, and so far has few comments.
Check out the new kittie when you get a chance.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Fatal Infection Affecting Mississippi Cats
There's more information at Fatal Infection Affecting Mississippi Cats, and Fatal infection threatens Miss. cats.Veterinarians at Mississippi State University are urging cat owners to practice effective tick control on their pets after the emergence of a parasitic blood infection they call a “death sentence.”
After examining the unexplained deaths of several cats in the state, the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Center revealed that their death was due to an infection called cytauxzoonosis.
Via Itchmo.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Sunday, July 29, 2007
A Folk Tale
From American Folklore, via The Pet Museum.
The Talking Mule
retold by
S. E. Schlosser
A farmer owned a mule which he used for work all week. But being a Church-going man, he let the mule rest on Sunday.
One Sunday, the farmer had to go to a funeral. So he sent his son to saddle the mule.
"Since when do I have to work on Sunday?" asked the mule.
The boy dropped the saddle and ran to the house.
"Paw, the mule talked!" he shouted.
"Can't you even saddle the mule?" asked the farmer.
"But Paw, the mule don't want to work on Sunday," the boy protested.
The farmer sent the boy to his room for talking crazy and went out to saddle the mule.
"Move over," he said to the mule.
"Where's my supper?" asked the mule.
The farmer dropped the saddle in the same spot as his boy and ran out of the barn, followed by the dog.
"I ain't never heard a mule talk before," he gasped.
"Me neither," said the dog.
The man bolted for the house and slammed the door.
"The mule talked!" he told his wife.
"What!" said his wife.
"And when I exclaimed: 'I ain't never heard a mule talk before', the dog said: 'Me neither'."
"That's crazy," said his wife.
"What's so crazy about that?" asked the cat. "Haven't you ever heard of a talking mule?"
Powered by ScribeFire.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Healthy Karmic Thoughts For DMM's Grandad
Then we realized that this what what most people would be doing.
So we dug this out of the files.
Hang in there, DMM's grandad. Sending healing thoughts to all concerned.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
A schmoozing award
Hey. TT (the Table Troll) nominated us for a schmoozing award. We're not sure if we really qualify, but we're honored. Indeed, we spend so much time reading and commenting other kitties blogs we like never get around to posting for ourselves.
"As it goes, schmoozing is the natural ability 'to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.' Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. They are the ones who engage others in meaningful conversations, refusing to let it end at a mere hello - all the while fostering a sense of closeness and friendship."
Here are the rules:
Each award winner is to display the badge on the sidebar of his blog with a link to the post which contains the explanation of the award, then nominate five bloggers to receive the award.
We'll focus on blogs we've been reading regularly recently. We nominate:
Mozart is a relatively new blogger, but he has been telling an impressive tale of his efforts to get into his furrever home.
The Ginger Darlings. If we could write like them, we could all die happy. The Old One's tales are epic.
Just Sharlene and her oh so floofy Spice Cats. If they weren't something like a squillion miles away we'd go visit them. (heck, the Food Source would be stalking Garlic)
Pimp C and Lil Z mostly just because we like their picture.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Michael James Keenan
From Michael James Keenan blog:
As I sit here staring at my computer screen, contemplating just what to write, I realize that it is impossible to explain the inexplicable.
I’m not sure how to introduce you to what I’m about to write, so I am just going to get to the point.
At 12:00pm on Monday, June 18, 2007, Michael James Keenan was officially pronounced dead.
Not sure who Michael James Keenan is? Here.
We all just thought people might want to know about this.
UPDATE: For One-Eyed Jack, and anyone else wondering. The dog survived, and went home in March. Bobby has a Dogster page.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Some progress at last
Menu Foods announced today that it has received notice from that [unidentified] customer, stating that the customer will no longer purchase cuts and gravy products from Menu Foods. [emphasis added]Personally, I would like to know who finally jumped ship. I won't guarantee we'll start using their products, but we would definitely check into it.
To read the entire notice, visit StockHouse.ca : Menu Foods Income Fund. Basically the same notice is available at Globeinvester.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Email A Question For FDA’s Dr. Sundlof
Dr. Stephen Sundlof of the FDA has agreed to do a radio interview (it will be a taped interview and not live) with Steve Dale of Pet Central.
Read the entire post here.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Reporter finds missing dog 1,500 miles from Az home
A sympathetic newspaper reporter's search for a missing dog turned up the stolen animal - 1,500 miles from home.Via a Itchmo.
Powered by ScribeFire.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Court: Menu Foods harassed pet owners
From USA Today via Dogster (don't ask).
Court: Menu Foods harassed pet ownersThe pet food company that recalled 60 million cans of contaminated dog and cat food repeatedly made harassing phone calls to pet owners who had lawyers and said they didn't want to talk, even after a judge ordered the firm to leave them alone, court records show.Lawyers from six firms representing clients who claim their pets were harmed by Menu's pet food asked a federal judge in New Jersey Wednesday to stop Menu from "bullying" people who had called the company since the recall was announced March 16, according to their court filing.
U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman in Camden, N.J., agreed with the plaintiffs, describing the calls as "aggressive," according to a transcript of the hearing obtained by USA TODAY.
"It's one thing for two people to sit down at the table and voluntarily agree to settle their case. It's another thing to harass people on weekends through automated phone calls," Hillman said to Edward Ruff of Pretzel & Stouffer, Menu's lawyer.
Read the entire, sordid story.
Friday, May 18, 2007
60 Abandoned Cats Need Help!
Anyone out there in the Cincinnati, OH, area? If you are, and have room & time to foster a kittie or three, shelters out there have a bunch of kitties that need help. Apparently, Pet Alliance, Save Our Strays, and Silver Bells Rescue stumbled into a house full of abandoned kitties.
Some sub-human got evicted, and just walked away without even telling anyone there were sixty kitties in the house. More information here and here.
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
It's strange how time flies when you're checking recall notices.
I did not realize how long it had been since we had posted. I've spent most of my on-line time checking food recall notices and reading dozens of other cat blogs. With luck someone will be able to post something related to the clowder later this week.
In the mean time, a picture from a glorious site I found recently. Enjoy.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Menu Foods -- The Victims
UPDATE: Per a post on the Pet Food Recall Photo Gallery, this image was created by a member of the Menu foods Recall Group. Tee-shirts and related apparel are available at CafePress.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Cat For Sale
For Sale, Cheap. Large White Tom Cat.
About 12 Years Old. Spoiled Rotten.
Free or Best Offer. Will deliver.
Relax. I'm not actually selling Radcliff, although I might consider any offers.
I don't know if he was upset because of the thunderstorms, or he was just bored, or what. But he woke me up about every half hour all night long. I would rub his head a bit, try to cuddle with him, and he would let me go back to sleep for a while.
Just to rub it in, now he's asleep on my bed.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Allie
I spend most of the day lying on the computer table, so I decided to introduce myself.
Long ago, in a galaxy far far away (New Jersey, 1998), I was sitting in a cage in Petsmart. I was tired of that life. So when the guy who became my Food Source started looking in the window, I decided I was going home with him.
So I stared at him, thinking "take me home", "take me home", "take me home". I don't think he got it.
He kept checking out other kitties. I kept staring at him, thinking "take me home".
Eventually, it started to work. He started talking to me, and opened my cage. I hopped out of his arms, and dashed under the row of cages.
Hey, I was thinking "take me home", not "touch me".
Eventually he came back and put me in a little mobile cage, and took me home. The bad news is he took one of the other cats, too. A big, pushy white tom cat that insists on being the center of attention all the time.
But I eat well and regularly, the litter box is usually clean, and there are lots of places to sleep in the sun, so it's a tolerable life.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Cat Food Recall
A company called Menu Foods is recalling a bunch of cat and dog food. The food mostly sells under various house brands, but labels like Sophistacat and Nutro Max Gourmet Classics are also being recalled.
See http://www.menufoods.com/recall/ for more information and a list of the recalled brands.
For more information, check http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17650075/ and likely many other places.
If you have been eating any of these foods, a bit of advice. The original message is at http://www.catster.com/group/grp_message_read.php?g=685&m_id=484882&use=view, but I am not sure everyone can read it, so I'm repeating the significant information from a Caster group message.
Subject: Important info re: pet food recall Sent: Sat Mar 17 Message:
Since mom works in a vet clinic she wanted me to let you in on what your Vet needs to know if you get ill.
Let them know what you've been eating -- if you've got the packaging, bring it along.
Since it appears that this is a problem with kidney function, if you've been eating any of the listed foods, make sure your slaves are monitoring your drinking habits as well as your bathroom habits. Your doctor will want to know if there have been changes in the amount you drink or whether you've been peeing or not.
If you've been eating any of the foods listed, STOP NOW, and at minimum, it may be worth it to go to your doctor for a physical and kidney panel. A kidney panel will be less expensive than full-on bloodwork.
Mom's looked over the list and it includes brand names like Ol'Roy, Nutro Max, Authority, and many more. The kitty list has almost 40 brands listed and the doggy list has over 40.
Like Arty said, Gotta look out for our orangies and all their furry pals!
Dexter J.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
A Couple Nice Days
The girls spent the most of the day looking out and sleeping in the window. We have several windows, but for some reason they both insist on using the same one. There is room for both kitties, but they refuse to share the window sill.
This is what I had to deal with when I decided to post something about the nice day:
Tomorrow is supposed to be back into the mid 40's F (single digits, C), with a 50% chance of rain. This would be a lot more tolerable without the nice days.
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Please Don't Go
If not, let me add my small voice to the rest.
K.C. & momma. I "borrowed" you image for this post. No hard feelings, I hope?
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Ice Storm Aftermath
Friday, February 23, 2007
Unofficial Unthursday Unthirteen
The Official Thursday Thirteen is ending, and I never got a chance to get into that game.
So I decided to do an occasional Unofficial Unthursday Unthirteen. They will seldom, if ever, be on Thursday. They will seldom, if ever, have thirteen items. I may or may not ever do another
This is a list of things I've learned about Cat Blogging and the Cat-o-sphere.
- It is hard write using the voice of a cat, especially if I'm trying to accurately follow the viewpoint of the cat.
- It is even harder if you have four cats.
- It is hard to blog with a cat sleeping where the keyboard belongs.
- It is hard to read blogs with a cat sleeping on the mouse.
- I finally found an environment where having four cats is not weird.
- In fact, in this world I might be viewed as something of a slacker.
- I have to be careful what I say when not in the Cat-o-sphere. You get weird looks if you ask: “Where is the stinky goodness” or talk about a “forever home” or “poodin”.
- I mourn the loss of cats I never met, and never could have visited.
- I worry about people and cats I never met, and likely never will meet.
- I see triumphs that I never would have heard of otherwise.
- If I read all the blogs I'm following, I never have time to write anything myself.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
Radcliff
I'm still waiting.
So I decided to mimic the Thursday Thirteen idea, and just list a bunch of interest things about Radcliff.
- I was in New Jersey when I went into the local Petsmart looking for a new cat companion. Most Petsmart's link up with a local shelter, in this case one called The Animal Orphanage, to find homes for animals.
- The original plan was to get two cats that were litter mates, or at least already buddies. That way they could keep each other company when I was working or otherwise gone. The shelter did not have any paired cats, so I just picked two kitties more or less at random, and hoped for the best. Radcliff was one of the kitties I selected.
- Radcliff is a large, almost all white tomcat. I don't know if it can be seen on the photos, but there are a handful of dark hairs scattered around on the top of his head, above his eyes. There are also some dark hairs on his tail, about 2/3 of the way toward the end. (I don't have any pictures that show his tail, so you'll just have to take my word on that) He also has a black spot on the tip of his nose.
- The first time I noticed the black spot on his nose, I spent about ten minutes trying to wipe it off. He sleeps under the car, so he tends to collect dirt and oil on his back. I thought he had stuck his nose into a grease spot.
- Radcliff is the most easy going, laid back cat I've ever met. Most of the time, his purr is louder than his meow.
- He requires a certain daily minimum of head-rubbing and general attention. If I short him attention, he will tolerate it for a day or two. If things go any further than that, he wakes me up in the middle of the night to make up the difference.
- The main problem in his life is all these other cats that keep showing up in his house. Radcliff has spent the last eight years explaining to Allie and Luna that they don't live here, and need to leave. He's still sulking a little over Ozzie moving in this summer.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
My First Post
After spending several weeks reading various blogs on the Cat Blogosphere, I finally decided to start my own addition to the ever-increasing hoard. The plan is for me to supply the first few posts, introducing the cast of characters. After that, with luck, I'll be able to hand the blog over to the kitties.
I'm still feeling my way, so everything is subject to change.