Year 3 - Day 171 - June 19

I recently got the cat a new scrating post thingy with a stand on top. He has always liked laying in the sun beam in this window, so that's where I put it. However now, he lays in the shade that the perch makes. Go figure. He sticks his nose up in the perch a lot, but doesn't jump up there. If Mike puts him up there he'll stay and get comfortable but he doesn't take the initiative to get up there himself. The good news is, he has definitely lessened the scratching in inappropriate places. (He loves the berber carpet on the stairs!)

Year 3 - Day 163 - June 11

The vet said we could try the dry version of Moose's prescription food so that he isn't begging early in the morning. He loved it. Sadly, it caused the same problems as the grocery store dry food. Sigh. I guess we're back on wet food now. :( This is so frustrating for us, and I'm sure for him since he doesn't feel good. Stupid reaction to stupid rabies shot. Poor guy has been messed up ever since.

Year 3 - Day 140 - May 19

We went to our friends' house for their annual Preakness Party today. On the way out, we noticed their two cats lounging in the window downstairs. Then, Killer The Neighborhood Cat walked up and Scout & Charlotte jumped to attention. It was pretty funny.

Also cute, but not showing in the photo, Killer's got a new tag on his/her collar - it's an Orioles tag. I'm 100% positive I've never seen that before! More proof that people are starting to think that maybe just maybe this will be the year to get above .500!! :)

Year 3 - Day 31 - January 31

My cat is super excited that I've been hanging out on the couch for 4 days. He follows this sun beam around the room and then later in the afternoon around the house. He lives in the lap of luxury!

Year 2 - Day 271 - September 29

Something is wrong with my cat again. Let's just say it involved using the Little Green Clean Machine on multiple places in the house before leaving for school this morning. Seeing as how I leave at 6:45am, it was a busy morning. Now I have to try to get him into the vet this afternoon...I have spent more time and $ at the vet since April of this year than the rest of my life put together ... and I've had a cat for approximately 31 of the 32 years of my life!

Year 2 - Day 243 - September 1

Recently out of nowhere Moose started having stomach issues. It started after his most recent "check the lump from the vaccine" appointment in which he hissed and snapped at the vet for the first time, so I think it perhaps it started with stress. Whatever the reason, he was using his litter box appropriately for pee and after one inappropriate closet pooping incident, he wasn't going at all. I read that wet cat food can help their systems regulate themselves, so I splurged and bought a couple cans.

Oh. My. Goodness. Not only did it solve the problem (whew) but he is now crazy when it comes to food. I am not switching him all the way to wet food because it's a pain in the butt. However, I'm giving him a portion of a can twice a day to go with his dry food. More of a supplement than an entire diet change. This seems to be working on his stomach and life is good. However, he has completely changed. He used to eat to live, now he lives to eat. As soon as I pick the can and a spoon up, he goes nuts and starts howling and running to his bowl. It's gotten to the point where sometimes he howls just if I pick up silverware for us. I couldn't believe that the box of food says a can for every 3 pounds of cat a day. That'd be 5 cans a day! He eats dry food when he's hungry and gets like a table spoon of wet food morning and night.

Year 2 - Day 83 - March 25

The next time you hear my darling husband talking about how much he does not want a cat or like my cat - remember this picture!!!!

Day 292 - October 19

Moose seems to know it is me when the garage door opens on my way home.  (I'm the only one with a car in the garage, so I guess he's figured it out.)

Every day when I walk in the door these days, he runs and sits next to his ribbon toy and scratching pad.  (As you can see, they are currently located in the dining room that has nothing else in it but a desk & piano.  What does that make it? The conservatory? The office? The study? The ballroom?)

I don't know who made this ribbon toy - but I must say it was worth every penny.  The first toy I got him was a mouse or something at the end of an elastic cord.  He cared nothing about the toy, but attacked the cord.

The second toy I bought was just a ribbon on a stick - but the ribbon lasted 2 days.

For many years, I just put a new ribbon from the crafting zone on the old plastic stick because the ribbon had a 2 day shelf life before it was chewed into uselessness.

But this toy I saw in a store and had to try out.  Greatest cat investment ever.  Instead of a ribbon, it's a double thick sewed fleece strip.  Moves like a ribbon, but withstands the fangs of the feline.  It's lasted for more than 6 months already!

Day 241 - August 29

Mike got this exercise ball thing at Target on sale this weekend.  The pump that came with it blew it up pretty quickly, but made an odd squeaking noise with each pump.  This terrified the animal.  However, instead of running for cover like he usually does when he's scared of a noise, he stalked the ball from across the room.  (That slow, stalker walk and stare down that you see wild cats do on Animal Planet, etc.) He still can't get over this weird object that has come to inhabit his space.  I rolled it around the dining room, chasing him with it to see what he would do - and he refused to turn his back.  He just ran backwards to keep eye contact on the ball at all times.  Weird!!