I am Thankful

Dear Diary,

I hope that my foster mommy, Debra, and the others that saved the lives of me and my brother Milo (same name as my new brother) know how thankful we are! I will always love my foster family and I know they miss me, but they should be proud of how well they prepared me for my forever home where I am loved to pieces! Anyone who meets me can tell how well I was raised. I hope my brother will find his forever home very soon, but I am comforted knowing he is safe and loved in the meantime. UPDATE: My foster mommy decided to keep my birth brother Milo...YAY! He was so attached to her she couldn't bear to let him go.

I overheard my new mom and dad saying that I was the best "day after Christmas" present to themselves! And, since there are now four of us and we get along so well, they decided to order a larger cat condo for us so that we can play and perch on it together! It might be awhile before we get it though.

Well, my little paws are tired now so I must go and take a nap...

Riley

First One In, Last One Out!

Dear Diary,

Mom and dad are learning that they have to look down and around them when they open and close doors, bags, and boxes, of any kind! I'm always the first one there to check things out--curious as they say.

Dad was off from work the other day and left to go run some errands for a few hours. He was back home by the time mom came home during her lunch break from work. As usual, mom came looking for all of us and said to dad, "Where's Riley?" I was very quiet at first as they roamed around the house calling my name, looking in all my favorite spots. They knew it was unusual because I am not the shy type! Suddenly, they heard my little meow! I was locked in one of the bathrooms! They keep the bathroom doors shut so my doggie brother Quincy can't go in them to mess around, which he loves to do.

Anyway, they opened the bathroom door and I came trotting out! Boy, did I leave evidence behind as to what I did the whole time I was in the bathroom! Sure was fun playing with toilet paper, knocking things off the counter, and diving under the bathroom rug!

Poor dad, mom made sure he could hear her when she repeatedly said to me several times that day and night, "What happened Riley, did daddy lock you in the bathroom today?" Geez, mom, it was an accident, you're such a nag! Dad felt bad enough already.

The other thing that happened this week was that our new condo arrived and dad put it together right away. We were jumping all over the pieces before dad could finish putting it together but it's the one piece of cat furniture that we can all get on at the same time and play together. We've been taking advantage of it as much as we can!

Here's to more adventures!

Riley

Got Milk?

Dear Diary,

Mom has to keep the cookie jar filled because sometimes dad gets up in the middle of the night and goes downstairs to have cookies and milk (yes, even an old man like him). Mercy and I followed him last night and jumped up on the kitchen counter while he took the milk carton out of the fridge and set it on the counter while getting a glass. Mercy sat and waited patiently while I tried to knock the milk carton over, so dad gave us a few drops. Mercy was satisfied and went back to bed, but not me! Dad took his cookies and milk and headed for the computer so I followed him. I tried to stick my head in his glass, but when he wouldn't let me have any, I started to walk all over him and the keyboard. Did it work? You bet! He poured a little puddle directly onto the computer table, just for me.

Dad told mom this story and she rolled her eyes. She told him we are not suppose to have milk and he insisted that he had never heard such a thing and that if he doesn't give me milk I harass him, so he needs to give me a little. I tend to agree with dad!

Mom won the argument today when she told dad to go look at the nice present that she saw me leave in the litter box, just for him. He barely had to look, since it had a distinct aroma that anyone could identify.

Phooey!!

--Riley

Catnip Tea, Sympathy, and Me!

Dear Diary,

My dear Catster friends, Babs and Sredni, two hotties that live in Daly City, CA, huddled together in front of the computer earlier this week, sipping a cup of freshly brewed Catnip tea, when they came across my last diary entry about milk. "Oh, we have to help our friends just down the highway!", they meowed. So, they wrote to me a couple of days ago and told me how "their" mom lets them have cat milk, as she is a softie and believes in win-win situations. They asked if we had a Pet Club store in our area. I replied, "We sure do! That's where my mom and dad shop almost every week and how they found me and my sister Sofie!" They proceeded to tell me to ask my folks to look for Lap Happy cat milk, which comes in a variety of flavors, or Whiskas cat milk, the next time they go to the pet store. I was so excited that I ran and dipped my paw in some wet food and added it to their shopping list!

The folks went to the pet store yesterday and brought back Lap Happy cat milk in two different flavors, salmon and beef! I was napping upstairs when they got home but I heard the word "milk" so I went running downstairs along with my brother and sisters, and we all got to try the salmon flavored one. YUMMY! SLURP! BURP! Now, our dad can have his late night cookies and milk, and we can have our cat milk!! Thanks, Babs, Sredni, and their mommy!!

But, there's something else they brought home other than cat milk, and it wasn't something edible. What? It smelled like a new baby sister!! Oh no, not again!!

Look for my baby sister's debut, coming soon to a Catster theatre near you.....

Riley

The Box Fight

Dear Diary,

There it was, sitting on the kitchen counter quietly, looking brown, adorned with flowers, but yet was gutless... empty....hollow.....with a hole. I approached Mr. Kleenex box slowly, anticipating his every move. I gave him a left hook, then a right hook, and finally went for the kill, head first, right through the hole. Before I knew it he had me in a headlock!! So I shook him around while trying to maintain my balance, in total darkness, but fearless!

Suddenly there was light and Mr. Kleenex was taken outside, obviously defeated, and disposed of humanely into the recycling bin. I was proud and gave myself a good grooming session after that. It was a good fight.

Mom captured the key moment on camera and posted it on my page for all to see. It should be framed.

It's All About Meow,

Riley

One for the Birds

Dear Diary,

Months ago, we were sitting at the patio door, all in a row, looking upwards, for days. Finally, mom and dad noticed twigs and pieces of netting from our Cat Fence-in on the ground just under our patio awning. Aha! A mama bird had built a nest between the fabric and the retractable arms and we had been watching her fly back and forth, barely batting our eyes. Just when we thought we'd get to go outside and meet mama bird, we were told we were banned from the backyard so we wouldn't upset her. Our doggie brothers were limited to just going out there to do their business and called back inside right away. Bummer. We heard the folks say something about eggs and baby birdies.

Seemed like forever, but one day mama bird and her babies left and we never even got to meet them face to face, but we got to go back outside. We missed all the extra chirping that was going on while they were here, but we think we've seen them come back around the yard for visits.

Aside from that, I've beefed up a bit since I last wrote in my diary, and transformed from a kitten wearing a bow tie to a young cat wearing a dress tie. I'm continuing my journey for new adventures and so far the future looks bright!

Meows,

Riley

Cinnamon Powder Bath

Dear Diary

I had quite an adventure this morning and I timed it just right, just as my mom was getting ready to leave for work. Lately, I have taken to jumping onto the kitchen counter to get to the top of the fridge so I could bend over and push all the magnets off the fridge and onto the floor so I could play with them. I decided to do it again this morning, but my sister Mercy was on the counter in my way so I lost my balance and knocked over these little glass jars containing coffee flavoring powders. Glass shattered and powders covered the floor. There was not a kitty in sight! Mom didn't get mad as she knew we got scared, but she was tap dancing with our dog Quincy to keep him away from the mess until she could get the broom and vacuum.

When mom came to check on me, she noticed I had reddish brown spots on my legs and sides and realized I was bathed in cinnamon! She must've thought I smelled really good because she kept smelling me over and over, but then I saw her get the towel and I knew I was going to get a second bath, and this time there was going to be water involved. Darn! If only I had stepped in the vanilla powder, then maybe I could have avoided the water bath.

Whether I ever jump on the fridge again will be another story, but as long as there are magnets I just might.......

Purrs and headbonks,

Riley

Bento

Jamie, my human cousin (Mom's nephew), is the drummer in a local band named Bento. I thought it was cool to be able to use one of their recorded songs in the slideshow on my page and they got a big kick out of that as well. The band members are childhood friends who have professional daytime jobs and formed the group because of their passion for writing original songs and performing for the public. They currently have two CDs out and a few of their songs have hit the radio stations. To learn more about Bento, click here. It's always a treat when the the family gets together to watch their live performances!

Always have fun,
Riley

My Dad

I think my Dad is great because:

1. The day my Mom told him she'd like to go to another adoption fair and adopt another kitty if she found the right one, he said "Okay" and off she went and came home with me! Easy!
2. Dad calls me "Riley Boy".
3. He thinks I'm cool so I think he's cool!
4. When I bat the kitty balls under the couch, he gets them out for me just so I can do it over and over again.
5. I like to jump up on top of the refrigerator, bend over and slide the magnets off. My Dad will pick them up from the floor and put them back until the next time.
6. Dad gives us cat milk when he gets up in the middle of the night to grab a cookie and some milk for himself.

I love my Dad!

Love,
Riley

My Second Birthday!

Today is my birthday and I want to say thank you again to all the nice kitties and doggies who sent me their good wishes in their own special ways. I think my lovely buddy Echo and her family had something to do with spreading the word about my birthday, but she's not telling. I met some cool new friends who sang to me, sent me virtual gifts, and gave me virtual kisses. *blushes* Catster kitties and Dogster doggies are definitely the best!

I had a great day at home playing and snuggling with my family. The sun was out and I got some playtime in the yard, which I love. When Mom and Dad got home from work, I got to play with all my new toys, which of course, ended up being "our" toys, but that's okay, I'm cool with that. Then we all got to jump up on the dining table to eat yummy boiled chicken. For dessert, we had salmon-flavored cat milk.

It was a great day!

Love,
Riley