Announcing the Grand Prize Winner

Hey Cats! Remember the games that Vanessa and I featured in our diaries recently? You can read about them here. Sounds like fun, eh? Well, I'm sorry but it's too late to play now because the time has come to announce the grand prize winner. Drum roll please! The cat with the highest score on the games (and by a wide margin, I might add) is… Beepers!! Congratulations, Beepers!! Beepers did an impressive job of finding words in Vanessa's name and came very close to guessing the motto. Very close indeed.

So cats, are you wondering what the correct answers are? Just check the comments section of the relevant diary entry! Vanessa and I will be posting the answers there. Thanks for playing, cats! We hope you had fun! To all players: Zealies and/or rosettes are coming your way soon!

Purrs,
Toffy (and Vanessa too)

Games Recap

Is your supply of Zealies dwindling or nonexistent? Could you use a few extra Zealies for Thanksgiving or another special occasion or unexpected event?

Well, cats, why not play some games that you'll find in my journal and in Vanessa's diary! You'll have to hurry, though, because the games will soon be over! Be sure to play as many games as possible for the best chance at winning the grand prize of a whole bunch of Zealies and whatever you do be sure to play The Name Game!

Here is a summary of the different games and a link to where you can play them. You can say here if you'll be playing so that we know that we can expect to hear from you over in our diaries. We've sent pawmail messages to a cat from each family that gave at least one answer so far or expressed interest in playing and reminded them to play the games as soon as possible. We're waiting to hear from every cat as to whether they'll be playing or not. We realize that humans are busy and may not have time for such things and might not come to Catster every day, so we've decided to extend the deadline for playing all the games until such time that we hear from every cat that we contacted.

In the meantime, any other cat that happens to be reading about the games for the first time is welcome to play too… but be sure to get your guesses in within the next few days!

Here is a recap of the games:

1) The Guessing Game: Happy Birthday

You'll find this game in my journal entry of October 23. All you need to do is fill in the blanks. Each correct word is worth a point. A total of 9 points are possible in this game. Each cat (or cat family) can have two tries at this game. The best set of guesses will be the one that counts.

2) The Guessing Game: Motto

In her October 23 diary entry, Vanessa asks you to guess the three words that make up the new motto that she's been thinking of using. The only problem is that I think the motto should be mine. Read Vanessa's diary entry for more details. Two guesses per cat but the points will only count toward the grand total if the main player of a cat family gets the correct answer. Another family member that gets all or part of the motto right will get a few Zealies.

3) Calming Collar Game

On October 30, I wrote about how last year I was made to wear one of those Calming Collars that many of you have probably heard about. Well, the game is to guess which fabric Mom chose for my collar. All cats that guess correctly will get 3 points but the points will only count toward a family's grand total if the main player gets the answer right. Another family member that guesses the fabric correctly will receive a few Zealies.

4) Bad kitty!

In her October 30 diary entry, Vanessa asked cats to guess the missing word in a sentence. The first cat to guess the word would get 3 points and any other cats that also got the correct answer before Vanessa checked her diary for responses would get 1 point. Each player had 2 guesses. This game is now closed because we have a winner already.

5) The Name Game

Be sure to read Vanessa's November 6 diary entry carefully to find out how to play The Name Game. The main player in your cat family is to form as many words as possible from Vanessa's full name (Vanessa Olivia Creamcheese) while following the rules that she lists in her diary. The list of words must be sent in a pawmail to Vanessa as soon as possible. Please ignore the deadline that appears in that diary entry as we've extended it so that every cat who wanted to play has a chance to do so.

6) Guess the Word

You'll find this game toward the end of my November 8 journal entry. There's a particular 10-letter word that Mom found using the letters of my full name (Toffy Enzo Caramello). Can you guess what it is? You'll receive 6 points if you guess the word.

Remember, cats, if you haven't used up all your guesses or if you haven't tried one of the games yet, be sure to do so as soon as possible. Have fun! Even if you don't win the grand prize of a whole bunch of Zealies (or a gift certificate to a Catster merchant, if you prefer), you'll still get some Zealies for getting correct answers.

Purrs,
Toffy

P.S. If any cat reading this was contacted by Vanessa or me about playing the games and you have decided not to continue playing, please let us know so that we won't wait for your answers. We do hope that you'll decide to play, of course.

Feeling Better and Guess the Word!

Cats, you may have read in Vanessa's diary about how I haven't been feeling well since Sunday. Mom was really getting worried about me… a bit too worried maybe. I mean, it's not like I haven't had this sort of problem before, you know, unable to get any poops out, throwing up, not wanting to eat anything.

Well, guess what, cats? I got better real quick when I found out that Mom was considering taking me to see the v-e-t. I happily licked food off her finger and ate from my food bowl this morning. I had used the litter box during the night and made sure to deposit the evidence--a nice round piece of poop-- in plain sight on the bathroom floor. Despite these obvious signs of my rapidly improving health, Mom still called the v-e-t clinic and told them about my situation. Thank goodness it turned out that she didn't set up an appointment for me! Am I ever glad about that, cats! I feel so much better just knowing that I was spared having to go to that awful place.

As for Vanessa, there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her, but the v-e-t wants a pee sample from her. Mom is supposed to collect said sample using a special type of kitty litter. Let's hope that Vanessa pees tonight, cats! Or maybe I should go and pee in that special kitty litter myself! Heh heh!! Just kidding!!

So, cats, how about another game? Inspired by the game in Vanessa's diary, Mom thought she would try to form words using the letters in my name, Toffy Enzo Caramello. When she found a certain 10-letter word in my name she exclaimed: "This is such a good word for you, Toffy!"

Can you guess what 10-letter word Mom found using the letters in my name? The first cat to guess the word will receive 6 points. Purrsonally, I'm much more interested in this 8-letter word, also found in my name: "meatloaf"! Heh heh!!

Purrs,
Toffy

Calming Collar

Oh, no! Mom just put a collar on me! Why did she have to do that? It's one of those Hazel Lucy recommended Calming Collars that you can get from this website.

I bet you didn't know that last year starting at around this time of year Mom made me wear my Calming Collar almost every night for around three months. Don't ask me why, cats! I don’t think I ever posted a picture of me wearing it… yet. I promise you that I will but first, can you guess which fabric Mom chose for my collar? See the fabrics here. Mom says she isn't sure if it's the exact same shade as the one that's currently shown on the website, but it's purrty close.

This is part of the series of games in my journal and in Vanessa's diary. All cats that guess correctly the fabric of my Calming Collar will get three points!

Purrs,
Toffy

The Guessing Game: Happy Birthday

Over the next few weeks, you'll find a number of games in my journal and in Vanessa's diary. All Catster cats are welcome to play any and all of these games by writing their answers in the comments section. The more answers you get right, the closer you are to being the grand prize winner.* Yep, it's all about winning, cats--and playing the games, of course!

Let's get started, shall we? Read the following story and then try to guess the words (or numbers) that go in the blanks. Each correct answer is worth a point.

A certain cat, I mean __________ (1, name of cat), wasn't feeling well the morning after her birthday so just when the alarm clock went off at __________ (2, time) she threw up on the carpet in the __________ (3)--in __________ (4, number) different spots! She then headed straight for my __________ (5) and proceeded to __________ (6). Eek! I have reason to believe that she ate too much of that giant __________ (7, flavour) __________ (8, food) that she didn't even bother to share with me. No wonder she was sick the next day!

So, have you all guessed what this cat of whom I speak got for her birthday? Why, __________ (9) of course!

Thanks for playing! Watch for more games in the near future!

Purrs,
Toffy

*P.S. I'll let you know what the grand prize is at a later date, but it'll probably be either a bunch of Zealies, or a gift certificate to use when shopping at a Catster merchant.

I'm a Diary Pick and Vanessa plays LoveBug Tag!!

Big meows, cats! Guess who's a diary pick today! Heh, heh, heh!!! I have Hartley to thank for tagging me in the LoveBug Tag game. Thanks for all the comments and rosettes you so kindly left me, cats! They are much appurreciated.

Well, it seems that Vanessa was also tagged in the LoveBug Tag game. Here's a link to the page of the cat that tagged her, Mugsy.

Since Vanessa's too busy suntanning on the windowsill, I thought I'd take the liberty of answering the questions for her. After all, I've been living under the same roof as Vanessa for over five years now, so I know her purrty well.

1. Meow! Are you a noisy kitty or a quiet kitty?

I'm a quiet kitty, except when I'm randomly kicking kitty litter about when I'm in the litterbox. 'Tis madness without any method to it!

2. Litterbox! Cover your business or let some other kitty cover?

You mean you're supposed to cover it? Ooops!!

3. Happy! Favorite Daily Routine?

Using the litterbox right before dinnertime. I also like pretending to use it immediately after it has been scooped, which makes Mom thinks she has to scoop again, thereby delaying dinner and making Toffy wait even longer for his meal.

4. Hiss! Least Favorite Routine?

Getting my fur and teeth brushed. My fur is full of mats and my teeth are likely to all fall out at any time now. Oh my, what a scary sight I've become! How I wish I had luxurious, well-groomed fur like handsome Toffy and the courage to brave a dental cleaning like he does!

5. Ding-Dong! What do you think about visitors to your house?

I'm a big chicken and always hide under the bed or in a distant corner when we have visitors.

6. Friends! Do you like other animals?

Friends? I don't think so! I'm not an easy cat to get along with.

I just know that Vanessa will secretly thank me for writing these responses on her behalf, even though her outward reaction may suggest otherwise. I have saved her the trouble of writing a diary entry while increasing the chances that my journal will purrhaps again be among the daily picks. Heh, heh!!

Purrs,
Toffy

It's a game of... LoveBug Tag!

I've been tagged by one of my look-alike orangey pals, Hartley! Read on, cats! You might just learn something new about me! Heh, Heh!!

1. Meow! Are you a noisy kitty or a quiet kitty?

In the daytime, I'm usually a quiet cat. At night, I like making noise, and not just by meowing, thanks to all those pieces of paper on the countertop. Who needs cat toys when you've got paper to play with! Heh, heh, heh!!

2. Litterbox! Cover your business or let some other kitty cover?

Ahem, I may not always cover my business, but more often than not I do... cover up my doodoo. Of course, if the business lands up outside the litterbox I'm not gonna kick kitty litter out of the box in an attempt to cover it!

3. Happy! Favorite Daily Routine?

Three meals a day, sleeping whenever I please, chillaxin in my favourite spots, snuggling with Mom at night on the bed. Oh, yeah, and my nightly noise-making routine! Oh, I have to pick only one? Well, that's easy... eating!!!

4. Hiss! Least Favorite Routine?

Well, I'm not crazy about having my teeth brushed, but luckily it's not really a routine.

5. Ding-Dong! What do you think about visitors to your house?

I'm the kind of cat who always approaches visitors who have stepped into my territory, just to say "hello" and let them know who's in charge around here.

6. Friends! Do you like other animals?
Other animals? You mean, like Vanessa? Do you really need me to answer that?

Any cat reading this feel free to answer the questions in your diary too!

Purrs,
Toffy

Stupid e-collar!

Some of you cats may be curious about how my v-e-t appointment went last Tuesday. Purrsonally, I thought it went really awful, and I made that clear to Mom with my growling when she came to pick me up. However, according to the v-e-t's version of events everything went well. I don't think so!! Not only am I missing a large patch of my precious fur at the back of my neck, the teeth cleaning that I underwent resulted in the extraction of an incisor!! In other words, I got a toofie pulled! Apparently, my teeth are not in very good shape and the v-e-t recommends that I be put on yearly teeth cleaning appointments from now on! Nooooo!!!! This is worrying me, cats! I do not want the v-e-t to take any more of my teeth!

As if that wasn't bad enough, I have to wear a stupid e-collar again… the same stupid e-collar that I wore the last time I had to wear one! It gets worse… I have been getting really bad diarrhea as a result of having to take medicine to ease the pain caused by the tooth extraction. Mom says she is just following the v-e-t's orders, but I say forget about the medicine and get rid of the stupid e-collar! Well, to be fair, Mom doesn't like that I have to wear the stupid e-collar either. She told me so herself and removes it whenever she sees that I'm about to use the litter box and sometimes after I've eaten because that's when I usually like to clean my fur. Believe me, cats, trying to use a litter box or clean your fur while wearing a stupid e-collar ain't easy! Besides, kitty litter does have a tendency to stick to e-collars, and I imagine that poop would too! That last part happening would be pretty nasty, eh? But maybe just maybe the e-collar would be ruined and I wouldn't have to wear it anymore… Heh, heh, heh!!!

Purrs,
Toffy

June 3, 2011 update

It's been a while, cats, eh? Well, the Toffster is back and today just happens to be my 9th birthday! A big "meow, thanks!" to all of you who sent me gifts and left comments on my photos. It sure took a looooooong time for some pages to load as I clicked back and forth between the email messages and my Catster page to read the gift messages and comments. It must be something about the Catster website. Or maybe it's our computer… or the Internet… I know, it must be Vanessa's fault because she insisted on checking her page too, slowing down the process considerably.

So, I bet you're curious to know what I got for my 9th birthday. Well, I'll tell you what I got, cats. I got brushed!! No new cat toys, treats, beds, blankets, scratching posts or anything like that. I got my fur brushed!! I love having my fur brushed!! I was expecting a dinner of raw chicken and lamb, but unfortunately Mom forgot to take the meat out of the freezer this morning. She does tend to forget important things like that sometimes. Maybe she'll forget about my appointment with the v-e-t next Tuesday. I really wouldn't mind if she forgot that!

Today was a beautiful sunny day, unlike yesterday when it was windy and raining. I got to experience the wind and rain myself yesterday as Mom took me on a little excursion as she called it. Oh well, thanks to the clear plastic garbage bag that covered the stroller, I was somewhat protected from the harsh elements. My meows of protest were barely audible against the loud traffic that could be heard the entire trip. I eventually gave up protesting and just sat back and enjoyed the ride as best I could considering that Mom was steering rather erratically with one hand while holding her umbrella with the other.

I don't think the v-e-t enjoyed my visit anymore than I did. The appointment went rather quickly. I was weighed but not after jumping off the scale first and hiding under the chair. Mom scooped me up and placed me on the scale again. The v-e-t tech announced my weight as being 6.44 kg. That's 14.2 lbs. After asking Mom a few questions, the v-e-t tech left the room and the v-e-t entered shortly afterwards. By now I had already gone back in the stroller and Mom had to drag me out and place me on the examination table from which I promptly jumped down. The v-e-t checked me over quickly as I struggled to get away. She touched the cyst on my skin at the bottom of my neck and looked inside my mouth long enough to determine that my back teeth were in bad shape and in need of a cleaning. Mom was worried about the cyst, a growth on my skin that she first noticed several months ago and which had recently gotten much bigger and become engorged with blood. The v-e-t said that it needed to be removed, so that's what'll happen next Tuesday along with my teeth cleaning. I can hardly wait! Yeah, right. Wish me luck, cats!

Purrs,
Toffy

P.S. I meant to post this journal entry on June 3rd but the stubborn computer refused to cooperate.

P.P.S. I'm getting forgetful in my old age! I also meant to write about the ironic coincidence that occurred after my v-e-t appointment. When we got home I happily remained in the stroller for a few hours before emerging and going to see what Mom was up to. That's when she petted me and noticed that there was blood on my fur at the site of the cyst. She got some gauze and held it against my skin applying a slight pressure. She thought it was strange that the cyst would suddenly be bleeding and immediately called the v-e-t clinic and asked to speak to the v-e-t. However, all she could do was leave a message because the v-e-t was in surgery. Mom mentioned that I was bleeding and wanted to know if the v-e-t had squeezed the cyst. A few minutes later the v-e-t tech called back to explain that the v-e-t had not squeezed the cyst, that it had ruptured on its own. Mom concluded that it must have done so as a result of my stressful experience. She managed to get the bleeding to stop. However, after several hours when she checked it again, my fur was encrusted in blood and it still is because Mom doesn't want to disturb the wound and risk having the bleeding start again.

The Toffster has been tagged!!!

I checked my pawmail tonight and found out that Spit Fire has tagged me to play the "5 reasons my humans annoy me" game. Well, this shouldn't be too difficult, and since a journal entry from yours truly is long overdue, here goes...

Five things Mom does to annoy me:

1) When I jump on the kitchen counter and rustle papers at night she threatens to brush my teeth instead of letting me have a snack.

2) Insists on scooping the litter boxes before serving me my dinner... doesn't she realize that I'm starving?!

3) Turns around and gives me an annoyed look and says "Stop it! Ouch!" when I try to get her to pay attention to me by scratching her butt with my claws as she's typing on the computer.

4) Gets mad when I play with the mini blinds at night... or at any time of the day actually. Can't a cat have some fun?

5) Holds the open bag of catnip up to my face and says "Have some nip, Toffy!" and acts surprised when I back away from it instead of going nuts over the stuff. Then when I try to put my paw in the bag, she pulls it away from me.

What about you, cats? What do your humans do to annoy you?

Purrs,
Toffy