A Halloween Riddle

Q: what is round, orange, and striped?

I'll let you think for a minute.

A: a pumpkin?

Nope. It's Lukie Dukie! And if you don't believe me, check out the proof here. Snort.
Plus, it's also his birthday, so that makes Halloween extra special. Happy Birthday Lukester! :)

I’m A Lucky Girl

You know how Lola—sweet, irrepressible Lola—is such a good girl? (By the way Lola, I think Scootie would be very proud of you!) Well, I can’t honestly claim the same, but I do think I’m an awfully lucky girl. Lucky to have been rescued in the first place, lucky to have a safe, warm, sun-puddled home to call my own, and lucky to have mom around so much. The cat upstairs isn’t as lucky. Her/his (we’re not sure) guardian is often gone long hours, both at work and at play. And when she IS home, friends are usually over, so there’s not a lot of one-on-one time. We often hear the upstairs kitty meowing plaintively and sometimes even yowling. Mom went and bought some crinkly balls (we first learned about those from Luke!) for him/her, and when we met the unlucky cat’s person, she informed mom that her old cat had thyroid problems, but no, wasn’t lonely, just whiny. Yeah, right.

I’m lucky too that I get to eat quality food instead of corn and by-product crap. I’m lucky not to be a lab cat, subjected to unnecessary research and experimentation, lucky not to have ended up in a shelter that doesn’t have a no-kill policy, and lucky not to live in a household where there’s domestic violence. Did you know that many women stay in abusive situations because their partner has threatened to hurt or kill their animal companion?*

And when mom says she could eat me right up, I’m lucky that she means that only figuratively. One of the pivotal incidents that made mom decide to go vegan was when she accidentally caught documentary footage of a cat being prepared for dinner. Before she could even change the channel, a poor cat had been skinned alive and dunked in a pot of boiling water. I know, it’s horrific just reading it, but imagine seeing it, and living in places where it’s considered part of the daily routine. That piece of the documentary, by the way, was very matter-of-fact about it. But it made mom start questioning just how we decide what animals are lucky enough to be thought of as companions (usually those we deem cute), and what animals we are willing to sacrifice even though their emotional, familial and social lives are just as rich and complex as that of dogs and cats. Because really, do we have the right?

I’m lucky as well that I get to keep all of my fur and not have it stolen from me to help trim toys and clothes. A lot of dogs and cats in Asian countries don’t have that option. I’m lucky mom doesn’t consider me to be property, and has pledged never to leave me behind no matter what the circumstance. I’m lucky not to be caught up in an earthquake, flood, or any other natural but unwanted disaster. I’m lucky, well, in numerous ways.

Thank you everyone for your gifts and kind words on my birthday! I’m also lucky that even though mom’s busy with other things (including her parents who are in rapidly failing health and are not quite so lucky anymore) and has neglected my Catsterly duties in a major way, that I have caring friends who haven’t forgotten me. I may not be a good girl, but I sure am a lucky one! :)

p.s sorry for the downer entry, but I think most of us kitties here in Catsterland are EXTREMELY fortunate, and we should never forget that many other cats just aren’t

* According to a survey conducted by the Ontario SPCA in 1998, 48% of surveyed Ontario women who had left their abusive partner said that their pets delayed their decision to leave an abusive partner, and 61% of surveyed Ontario women who had left their abusive partner stated that their partners had brutalized or killed a pet.

Did You See Me On The Red Carpet?

Actually, it’s a lovely shade of deep burgundy, but what’s in a name, eh? In case you missed it, it’s right up there below the main photo. So we’re more or less settled in (although mom still has to clean my windows!), and I’m quite happy here. Mom is around most of the time, and will be until she finds a pesky thing called a job. The noise from the traffic roaring by on the main drag took some time to get used to I must admit, but now I can sleep through it just fine. Snort.

So how are all of you?

Where Are My Manners?

Mom says I’m just not as polite as I used to be, but that she welcomes the change. The most noticeable difference apparently is that while I used to be as quiet as a mouse until mom got up in the morning, I now loudly proclaim my displeasure and disgust if mom isn’t up by six. But she says that must mean I feel comfortable enough to be myself and not fear repercussions like those that I probably did before I was rescued. Although why not anyone would have thought I was the most well behaved cat is beyond us. Mom says it’s not even natural for cats to be as obedient as humans would like them to be.

But what I really meant to post about is to apologize for not posting in a while, and to say that I probably won’t be any time soon either as mom and I are moving in the next couple of weeks. My mom’s parents are getting old (93 and 82) and are in need of more help in order to stay relatively independent. Thus, we’re moving back to mom’s old hometown and have rented an apartment right across from the old folks, so that mom can hop over anytime she likes. The apartment is on the second floor of a big house, has five windows, and plenty of sun puddles for me to lie in. The main thing though is that mom and I are together. Wish us luck, and we hope to be back real soon! :)

What Day Is It Today?

Other than Good Friday? Prevent Cruelty to Animals Day of course! Commemorating the founding of the ASPCA in 1866, this day is part of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month—the month to go orange.

We think it’s highly fitting that the Prevent Cruelty to Animals Day falls in the Easter weekend this year, because we would like to think that the religious figure celebrated by many this weekend would, if he were alive today, extend the love, compassion and humane treatment he is famous for to ALL sentient beings, not just the human kind.

Happy Easter everyone!

The Carrier

Mom bought me a new carrier. (See photos above.) Why? Because we’re moving again (the subject of my next post), and mom thought it would be nicer not to have to use that big ugly blue plastic metal contraption that I hate so much. So she bought me this Sherpa bag, which might actually be a D-O-G carrier, but never mind. You should have seen the look on her face though when she saw the original price—$129.99! Anyone who knows my mom knows that she is frugally minded to say the least, but this bag had been priced down a number of times and the clerk offered it to her for $55, so mom said all right. She figured that if I liked it well enough maybe I could use it as a snug little house of sorts when not in use for transport purposes. Well that part of the plan seems to have worked. I took to the “house” right away (it has a comfy little faux sheepskin liner inside); although I like to enter via the side door so mom can’t zip that up, snort. She keeps it in her office so that we’re in the same room a lot.

The problem though is that I like it so much that mom now doesn’t think she’ll use it to transport me after all! She’s worried that a) I’ll struggle and rip the mesh apart with my unclippable claws, and b) I’ll never use it again afterwards because I’ll associate it with the unpleasantness of being transported, which I detest. Sooooooooo, mom has decided that my carrier will remain a bed, and that she'll use the big ugly blue plastic metal box again instead. Hmmm. Wonder when that’ll be? Stay tuned!

Scootie Patootie

It's a sad time for many of us as we all mourn the loss of one of Catster's most beloved kitties. Scooter was well known, well loved, and highly regarded. She was also the first friend I made on Catster, and quickly became my best friend as well. Being who she was though, Scootie soon became the first and best friend of countless kitties and inspired almost everyone she met. So when mom read the words below:

Old friends pass away, new friends appear. It is just like the days. An old day passes, a new day arrives. The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend—or a meaningful day. —DALAI LAMA

her first reaction was one of anger, and she thought it was a stupid thing to say. How can you compare friends with days (they're like apples and oranges!), and how can you be so glib about them passing away? She then called this wise man a not very nice name that I had better not repeat. But she thought more about the last part of what he had to say and finally realized that that was exactly what Scooter and her mom had managed to do: to make each day of this short journey with each other meaningful, to make their presence and influence on Catster meaningful, and to make every one of their friendships meaningful as well. That's quite a feat for any cat or human being, and one we should all perhaps strive for. I am honoured to have met Scootie, and to have been her friend.

May you rest in peace dear Scootie Patootie, enjoy perpetual sunbeams and endless summers, and continue to be the inspiration that you are.

much love and many sad purrs,
Kitty Kazoomi

Guess What Mom Was Watching Last Night?

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,
Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?
"It came without ribbons! It came without tags!
"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"
And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore.
Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!
"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more!"

(by the one and only Dr. Seuss)

Merry Christmas to all my fellow Catsters, friends AND foes, snort.

What's In A Number? Part II

Not much, mom would normally say, unless that number is the number of pounds I weigh. Specifically, the number of pounds (which mom says must be way higher than what's advertised right below my main pic) pinning my mom to the ground while I lie on her chest. Ha! So there we were, enjoying the sun puddle in her office, when the doorbell rang and mom literally couldn't get up. I wouldn't budge and the sheer force of my weight wouldn't let her either. Serves her right. After all, doesn't she know by now that cats are top dog? Well, so to speak.

What's In A Number?

Not much, I would normally say, unless that number is 20 and happens to be the number of years your furst and best friend on Catster has graced the lives of her very fortunate parents. Then the number is quite special indeed. So go over to Scootie Patootie's page RIGHT now and wish her the very best birthday EVER!

I'm fortunate too in that I get to share Scooter's birthday by having one of my own on the same day. And that, even if I get to be 20 myself thirteen years down the road, will continue to amaze and delight me. Today is a wonderful day indeed.