Friday Cat Blogging: Ain't I Prettier than the Computer, Mom?

Piper thinks she is much, much more interesting than that pesky ol' computer. She's chewed on the network card (bite marks covered by her pretty face) and is pushing herself into the picture to prove what a pretty, pretty kitty she is.

Hobbes had a rough week, and is recuperating from an enema and an overnight stay at the vet. He's better but the vet says his kidneys continue to degenerate, despite special food and extra care. I fear male kitties are esssentialy doomed to live a shorter span. He probably has years left, but I need to start accepting the idea that his span is shorter than I might like.

Piper reminds me that kitties are love and all they want is your complete and undivided attention, all of the time. Pure and simple, that's kitty love.

Friday Cat Blogging: Hobbes' Rotten No Good Really Awful Week

I worry that the cats, lacking comprehensible human speech and opposable thumbs, might be unable to let me know if something is wrong. I needn't have worried - when poor Hobbes found himself in distress, he came up to me and howled like a lost soul.

Then he sqatted in front of me (unproductively) and made me chase him around the house while he howled miserably and squatted periodically. I captured him, finally, and off we went to the Veterinary Clinic. Because, of course, it was Saturday and our beloved pets never get sick when the less expensive vet is open.

It turned out my poor little boy was... ahem... impacted, and spent several miserable hours getting the best medical care my savings can provide, and eventually being relieved of his burden. Complete with anesthesia. Poor kitty.

Then the poor dear got dragged home only to suffer his sister Piper's (right) hisses and outrage. This is something they both do, and it drives me nuts. When one of them goes to the vet, the other then hisses and snarls for days, as if the sibling had transformed into some horrific monster. The vet suggested, in all seriousness, that I rub the returned cat with dirty laundry in hopes of creating a familiar smell. Which I do, but it doesn't seem to help. I've even tried rubbing the stay-at-home cat with the dirty laundry and then rubbing it on the returned cat. And still they fuss.

Returned from torture, Hobbes lolled around on my bed disdaining food and water for about a day, worrying me even more. I took him to our vet for a followup visit on Wednesday (more chasing and stuffing into the cat carrier, and a terrifying car ride (if his complaints are to be believed) and all that poking and prodding).

He seems to be okay now... but who can blame him for just wanting a good snooze?

Friday Cat Blogging: It's not paranoia - it's just a heightened sense of self awareness.

Is that a pill bottle? Get that thing away from me! I don't care if you take pills too, I know the sound and you're not getting anywhere near me with a pill!

Friday Cat Blogging: You Lookin' At Me?

Are you lookin' at me?

I said.. Are YOU lookin' at ME?!

Well good. You should be. I'm very attractive.

You may go now, but leave kitty treats.

Love, Hobbes

Friday Cat Blogging: You see what I have to endure?

Piper views the collection of junk surrounding the couch with obvious disgust.

"You see what I have to put up with? This place is a disaster area! And the only warm, sunny spot is in the study upstairs, and there are two printers between me and it. Two! I have to jump on the copier/laser printer to get to the window sill, and it's always beeping at me and trying to do things.

Honestly, humans!

If only I had opposeable thumbs I'd do a thing or two about this place, I can tell you that!

Friday Cat Blogging: Look into my eyes...

Look into my eyes... look deeply into my eyes... now go get the can opener and the tuna... Hobbes must have tuna...

Friday Cat Blogging by proxy

Much, much too hysterically busy between preparing for the con this weekend (coordinating role playing) and a crisis in work land, so I'm going to point you to Ginmar's kitty picture. ginmar: Kitty porn!

Awwwwwwwwwwww...

Friday Cat Blogging: Even the Cats Feel the Loss

Andre Norton was the queen of cat ladies, as well as the Grande Dame of Science Fiction. I think that word must have spread along the worldwide insidious cat-network, for Hobbes (left) was unusually pensive last night.

I tried to snap a photo of Piper being all stretchy and cuddly, but as soon as she saw the camera she jumped up and ran off. Odd, especially since I'd given her a pill earlier, and she'd stayed snuggled up to me on the couch anyways.

In other news, I'll take any good vibes I can get - I have an interview next week for what sounds like my dream job - editor/proofreader for a publishing company here in town.

Andre Norton is gone

Andre Norton - 1912-2005. I know she's been ill for very many years, and this is probably a blessing for her... but I grieve nonetheless. The first SF book I ever read was "The Time Traders", and it began a lifelong passion for me. I regret I never had the honor of meeting her.

Friday Cat Blogging: Cat Shoots Owner

I contemplated staging a picture with one of the cats and a prop gun from my collection¹, but haven't managed it yet, so here's Piper looking like she approves of the story below, and if I try to stuff one more pill down her throat, well...

Yahoo! News: Cat Shoots Owner

BATES TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A man cooking in his kitchen was shot after one of his cats knocked his 9mm handgun onto the floor, discharging the weapon, Michigan State Police said.

Joseph Stanton, 29, of Bates Township in Iron County, was shot in his lower torso around 6 p.m. Tuesday, the state police post in Iron River reported. He was transported to Iron County Community Hospital.

Michelle Sand, a spokeswoman at the Iron River hospital, said Stanton was treated there before being transferred to Marquette General Hospital for further treatment. But Marcie Miller, a representative of the Marquette facility, said there was no record of the hospital receiving a patient by that name.

A telephone message seeking comment was left Wednesday at Stanton's home.

State police said he was cooking at his stove when the cat knocked the loaded gun off the kitchen counter behind him.

Me, I think that the cat was just reacting to this story² -- after all, Wisconsin is only across the lake!

¹If I do get to taking the photo, I'll replace the one above...
²In the event that the story link goes away, it's a story about a Wisconsin fellow who "has proposed that hunters in Wisconsin make free-roaming domestic cats an 'unprotected species' that could be shot at will by anyone with a small-game license".

Cute Kittens Rated

Okay, just a quick note and then back to work... I'm a sucker for cute kittens (and cats) and this site has me going "awwwww". Ratemykitten.com is just too cute for words. Makes me want to run home and take pictures of Piper and Hobbes (my spoiled cats).