Ask Arnold

I'm skeered!

It's raining and raining, REAL hard! I think I may get drownded!

Purrs for my pal

I have a pal named Toulouse. He's a really good pal and kind of shy and quiet. But he's a totally loyal and true friend.

Toulouse is diabetic, but he's handling that pretty well, with the help of his dear mommy. But he's been feeling kind of puny lately and his Mommy found out he has pancreatitis. Now she is very afraid. She thinks she isn't strong enough to take care of him, but I know she is, because she is one of the strongest women I know.

I am purring like mad for him, but I can't do it alone. Would you all help me purr for Toulouse, and for his Mommy?

Daina Silins

I never heard of her before, but I love the picture of her on the front page. She looks like a kind and pleasant person and her hat is very jaunty.

Then, when you read about her, you just have to love her! At least Mom and I do!

My P. is powerful!

Yesterday, Mom was cleaning my litter box. You know, the dump all the litter, wash the box, shine it up, and refill it with all new litter. She was doing it right at the time I normally pee, so she was rushing!

She JUST got it filled and the cover put back on when I ran into the bathroom and jumped in the box. I peed and peed.

All of a sudden Mom said: "Holy Smokes! You're making ME have to pee". So she peed too!!!

And you thought I was only named Arnold P. in honor of Mr. Palmer! No way! My P. is POWERFUL!

A little Brusselball story

A couple of years ago, I invented a Catster game. The game involves playing with a useless vegetable, and it is FUN! (Just don't catch one in your mouth!) A lot of cats liked playing it, but none more than my pal, Merlin the Cat Wizard.

Merlin liked it so much that he started a group called Brusselball. He even put the story of how I started the game on the group's front page so everyone could know the history.

The group has a Spa, where Frankie Sinatracat does beauty treatments. There are lots of imaginary creatures there, all of whom sprung from Merlin's wonderful imagination. AND, Merlin's real creatures, Abby and Scooter, hang out there all the time. And we sent a toy Brusselball all around the world, with Merlin coordinating everything.

A couple of weeks ago, the wonderful Merlin lost his struggle with diabetes and some other stuff, and went to be at the Rainbow Bridge. There, he gets to hang out with my other favorite orangie, Calvin.

But His Mommy wants to participate in a memorial Brusselball game, and I am honored to announce the Game here tonight. The date is December 5. That's a Saturday. It starts at 5PM Eastern time, but we will be around for a recap of the game at 8PM, too. The game will take place on the field, but the recap will happen at the Spa.

If you've ever been to Brusselball, or wondered about Brusselball, or never heard of Brusselball, please come and honor Merlin. He was a sweet and gentle soul, and we will always miss him. But we are thrilled to have the opportunity to play in his memory, and we all hope you will join us!

My Mother is MEAN!

Today, my Mother was cooking chikin for lunch. You all know how much I LOVE chikin. So I was staying close by and letting her know I'd like a piece. Here's how the conversation went:

"Now, now now! *walk underfoot*

Arnold, it's not ready yet!

Now, now, now! *walk underfoot*

Arnold, you know I'll give you some when it's ready!

Now, now, now, now, NOW! **walk under foot*

ARNOLD! Shut up and get out of the way!"

Now I ask you. What kind of Mother tells an innocent little kit to shut up and get out of the way? I'll tell you what kind! A MEAN Mother!

Later, she kissed me and hugged me and said she was sorry, but you can't take stuff like that back...

*tears begin falling*

My Mom is a V-E-T????

No! Not a veterinarian! A VETERAN! She and Boomer were in the Navy! She said Boomer was an excellent Navy kitty. When Mom had to wear her white uniform, Boomie would shed black fur. When Mom had to wear her black uniform, Boomie would shed white fur!

Mom is very proud of her Navy service and is proud of being one of the millions of American Veterans!

Happy Veteran's Day, Mom!

Hurricane!

Mom went to dinner tonight with her friend. When she came out, a hurricane was in our town! There was a torrential downpour of rain and it was windy, but not cold!

I hear that this mean hurricane is named Ida, but I thought she had gone to live in Alabama. What we had was just the tail of her! I'm glad we didn't have ALL of her here!

Ida gone to live somewhere else, if Ida known she was coming! MOL!

No longer a manly mancat

Today Mom used a "Kitty Wipe" to wash my... um... privates. She cleaned around my "manbits" and my butt.

Normally I growl through this process. But today, I purred the whole time and didn't squirm or try to get away.

I am no longer a manly mancat. I'm a big sissy. :(

Thank you, HQ!

Last night my friend Merlin the Cat Wizard snuck away to the Bridge. He had been sick and in the hospital for several days, and had been suffering from diabetes for quite some time.

Today, Catster HQ made available the Brusselball rosette for us to give in honor of Merlin, the heart and soul of the Brusselball group. What a great tribute to the wonderful, magical Wizard!

Thank you, HQ, for being so thoughtful of our group and helping to ease our loss by making our favorite rosette available.

We miss you, Merlin. We send our love and hugs to your Mommy and Abby and Scooter. We love you all!

Ode to Calvin's Mawmee

My best friend Calvin went away
One very long week ago today.
I knew that he was gonna go
But I still hate it, don’t ya know?

He was the best guy, handsome and funny
And since he left, my eyes are all runny.
I loved him the best, I always will.
I’ll love him forever, and further still.

The thing that I want to do the most
Is help his Mawmee who must be lost
Without his orange fur and bright green eyes.
We always miss something when someone dies.

But Calvin was special and I know why
It’s because his dear Mawmee would always try
To tell us with humor his ideas and thoughts
She was so good at it we all were caught

In his humor and kindness. And when he got sick
We all got together to try to do a trick.
We’d purr and we’d pray until he got well.
It worked for a while, then his blood count fell.

He left for the Bridge and broke our hearts,
We’ll remember him always, and that’s the art.
His Mawmee’s the artist, she crafted us all
Into Calvin lovers, a task not small.

So today I reach out to the Mom of my buddy.
To thank her for shaping me, like putty.
Into a Calvin lover. I’ve been one for a thousand days
And to tell you the truth, I will be one always.

I miss you, Calvin, buddy! Thank you for sharing him with us, Laura!

Is this a record?

My Mom worked today. When she got home, I timed her. The time it took her from the door to being in her jammies was 15 seconds. Is that a record? MOL!

I.B.D. + D.I.E.T.?

I saw the smart doctor today and he said I am FAT! I think I am just 19 pounds of manly mancatness. He said trying to feel my abdomen is like trying to feel what's inside a hot air balloon!?!

He said my poopie explosion might be due to I.B.D. I'm not sure what I.B.D. is, but Mom says it's a pain to type because of all the dots.

He also said I have to eat some stuff called W.D. What does he think I am, a squeaky hinge?

And I have to take some stuff called prednisone. Mom thinks that will make me even fatter, but we're gonna try it.

Most of all, I have to move more and sleep less and eat less. How am I supposed to have the energy to move if she's gonna starve me?

W.O.E. is me!

I'm a DDP!

Thanks, Diary Gal! I guess you really DO like poopie stories!

Post Traumatic Stress?

I think Mom has post traumatic stress. She said I may have it, too.

It all started this morning. I went in my litterbox and Mom did not see what happened in there. But she came into the bathroom a few minutes later, and said it looked like my poopies exploded!

There was poopies all over the floor and on the wall and on the outside of the toilet and in and ON my litterbox. I was running around all upset and had clumps of litter around my foot.

Mom cleaned the bathroom and wiped my butt with a diaper wipe and trimmed the hair between my toes. And then she said it.

"Arnold, I know you hate this, Sweetie, and I know you would never do this if you could help it. Maybe it would be kinder to you to PTS."

She was crying as she said it. I don't know what we're gonna do, but I hope we get over the PTS!

Good-bye, Calvin!

My best buddy, Calvin, has gone to the Bridge. He was a very brave mancat right up to the end. His Mawmee was really brave, too. She stayed with Calvin for the hardest part.

I think it was an honor to call Calvin my friend. He was kind and thoughtful and sweet and the funniest guy I ever knew. I'm gonna miss him terribly, but I'm gonna try and help his Mawmee. I don't know how I can help, but I'll do anything I can.

I love you forever, Calvin, buddy!

NOT a baff!

Mom lied to me! I did NOT get a baff today. I got a BATH!! It was horrible! I should have believed my Friend Diego when he said: "RUN!".

Mom fooled me into thinking I was getting dinner and picked me up and set me down in a sink full if water. I said: "Noe! NOE! NOE! NOE!!"

But it was too late. I was dripping wet and Mom used Neutrogena shampoo to wash my legs and tail and butt. (It was only a waist down bath.) It was HORRIBLE. The water was nice and warm, and the Neutrogena smelled kind of good. But she washed my BUTT! RUDE!

This is so humiliating! *blushes deeply and runs away*

Oh boy! This is exciting!

Mom says I'm gonna get a baff tomorrow! I don't know what a baff is, but I bet it's gonna be fun. If it wasn't gonna be fun, she wouldn't have told me about it the day before, right? RIGHT!

I wonder if it's something to eat...

I'm still all about Calvin!

My pal is having a hard day today. So I am purring like crazy. Because I am now, and always have been and always will be ALL about Calvin.

My new first four photos

Last weekend, when Mom was sick, I nursed her a LOT! So I told her she should do a photo essay about how we kitties nurse our humans.

So my new first four photos are a nursing journal. You all better study up, because flu season is HERE!

Dr. Perfect!?! (And votes, please!)

My v-e-t is named Dr. Perfect. No kidding. But I don't think she's so perfect.

Mom told her all about me, and then she examined me. She said I was a nice boy. (That proves she's not so perfect, because I hissed at her!)

And she said I am f-a-something. It may have been fantastic, or fabulous, or fast, or fascinating. But I forget.

She also says we have another guy that lives with us. Not Dan Druff. And not The Stinky Poop Boy. Nope. This guy is named Arthur Itis.

She gave me some medicine to take. She said it might make this Arthur guy go live somewhere else.

She also says I have to cut down on my food by 10%. I don't know what a percent is, but I DON'T wanna cut down on my food.

Perfect???? I think NOT!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pee. Ess.: Please vote for me in the Coolest contest!
Here is my voting page!

What a sissy!

My Mother thinks she's gonna die because her tempurrature is 102. My tempurrature is always 102. She's such a sissy!

This is beyond rude!

My Mother (Previously known as Mom) has breeched all standards of etiquette. I am FED up.

I heard her on the phone today, talking to the v-e-t place and asking for an appointment for me. She said: "Yes, it's for Arnold".

Then, they must have asked her why I was coming in. She said: "Arnold has become big and fat and round and hard".

How rude can she be? I am pleasantly plump, but so is she! But to say that on the phone to a complete stranger is just plain rude.

And to top it all off, I have to go to the v-e-t on Saturday. I am just ticked off! Imagine how I'll be on Saturday!

Barfing on demand!

Yesterday morning, I woke Mom up at 4:30 and demanded to be fed. Mom said: "Arnold, I am not getting up at 4:30 in the morning to feed you. There are crunchies in your bowl. Go eat those".

I went into the kitchen and ate some crunchies. Then I went back to bed, and Mom slept on. At about 5:25, Mom was awakened by the dulcet tones of me barfing on the bed.

If she doesn't feed me when I demand, I barf.

Barfing on demand! MOL!

20,000!!!!

I have been watching my VIEWS number for quite a while. I was getting very excited about going over 20,000 views. Lots of my pals have passed that mark a long time ago. My friend Mercedes has 20 gazillion views.

But I was going for 20,000. And today I made it. And the cat who put me at 20,000 was a great and dear friend: Merlin the Cat Wizard!

Merlin is a very cool dude who has creatures that live with him and he has the best imagination of anyone I know. And he is the administrator of the group called Brusselball. Brusselball is a game I invented and is a lot of fun!

So, thanks, Merlin, and everyone who helped me make this stupendous landmark. I am very happy and I love all of you!

I think she's senile!

Sometimes my Mom goes into another room from where I am. But then, when she comes back to where I am, she always says the same thing:

"Who is THAT pretty boy?"

DUH! It's ME! How could she keep forgetting me? She must be senile!

I think she insulted me!

Mom said she thinks I'm in charge of security for the National Softball Association. She says I'm hiding the ball in my tummy!

I think that's an insult! How rude!

Woo-Hoo!

I'm a Daily Diary Pick!! I guess the Diary Gal really does like poopie stories.

I think that to celebrate my honor, I am gonna repeat my activities of yesterday.

I'm also gonna spend the whole day being all about Calvin!

My day

5:30 AM: wake Mom up for breakfast; inhale breakfast
5:40-1 PM: nap
1 PM: inhale lunch
1:10-7 PM: nap
7 PM: inhale dinner
7:10: make stinky poopies
7:20-11 PM: nap
11 PM: bedtime

The End

P.S. I am 167 views away from 20,000 views on my page! I'm very excited about that, so please let me know if you are the one to put me over the top!

Dan Who?

My pal, Calvin, has a girl living at his house that he doesn't like. NO! Not Samoa, who is the most wonderful, beautiful sister. Nope, Calvin's unfavored room-mate is a girl named Ann Emia.

Well, Mom said I have a new room mate, too, and it's not a girl, and it's not Mom, either. It's a guy named Dan Druff. I don't know who this guy is, but Mom does not seem too happy that he is here and living on my back.

My hair seems to be growing in better, and thickening up a little, which is good, since I have the Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. But with the hair is coming this Dan guy.

I wonder if he could be the "stinkie poop boy" that Mom is always talking about...

Barf-a-thon

Mom said it's OK that I had a barf-a-thon last night. She said she didn't mind that I barfed on the bed and in the closet and in the bedroom and in the living room and in the dining room and in the kitchen. She said she really DID want to wash the mattress pad and sheets and blanket today. And she REALLY wanted to run the Bissell Spotbot for three hours straight and use a million dollars worth of cleaning solutions.

But if she really wanted to do all that stuff, why is she only giving me food at the rate of a tablespoon full at a time every couple of hours?

Do you think she might be lying to me?

I'm just hanging around watching her, purring, and being all about Calvin.

The weekend!

It's the weekend. I'm not doing much. I'm just gonna sit around and eat a lot.

Oh. Yeah. And I'm gonna be ALL ABOUT Calvin!

Woo-Hoo for Calvin! I love ya, dude!

Kisses

I'm getting them right now!

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

P.S. I'm still all about Calvin.

I feel guilty...

I am all about Calvin, so it is inevitable that I feel guilty tonight. You see, I have started to eat Mom out of house and home.

Ever since my poopie problem, all I want to do is EAT! And I harass Mom for food all the time. And I love Mom, but mainly as a food source.

So now I am REALLY rotund, even portly. And I feel bad, because my pal, Calvin, is having a hard time getting up much interest in food.

I wonder if I could have a tummy tuck and send the fat to Calvin? If I went to visit him, could I eat and then lay by Calvin so he gets the benefit?

What shall I do, what shall I do?

Hopeless?

Mom and I were lying on the bed just before sleep time. I was facing her. She looked at me and said: "You are just hopelessly cute, Arnold".

I know. It's a curse. MOL!

Calvin is SO cool!

I was checking out the "All About Calvin" stroll and got a surprise. Right in the middle of the current first page (of 19!) was a very unexpected face. So who do you think was there? None other than Calvin!!

He told me he joined because he wanted to thank all his pals for joining!

There is no cat cooler than Calvin!

I love ya, man!

Photo stroll for Calvin

I know we all love Calvin, so I started a photo stroll for him. Please tag your handsomest or prettiest photo ALL ABOUT CALVIN. Let's show him just how much we DO love him.

Please pass it on to all your friends and groups so we get the best looking group stroll EVER!

I'm only asking because I'm all about Calvin!

Thanks, friends.

I'm all about Calvin!

The title says it all! I'm all about Calvin.

I'm taking a poll

As you know, I have recently figured out that most things my Mom does are good for me. But I think this one may cross the line. So I am taking a poll, and I will abide by your decision!

I like to lay at right angles to Mom on the bed. She likes to reach over and pet and comb (with her fingers) the hair on my bag of groceries.

I think this is rude! I don't mind if she pets my hip or shoulder or back. But the GROCERIES? Isn't that private?

What do you say?

OH NOE!

My Mom is sick. That means she's gonna be all pathetic and I'll have to hold her hand and take care of her. This is gonna cut into my nap time!

Oh NOE!!

Purring for Calvin

To all who may read this: My bestie, Calvin, is sick!

My Mom just got a message from Calvin's Mawmee, who is on a short vacation in Florida. Calvin's Daddy was worried about him because he seemed listless and was not eating much. So the Daddy took him to the v-e-t. Calvin has to stay overnight and is getting potassium and IV's and antibiotics. Calvin is 18 years old!

Please purr long and hard for Calvin, and for his Mawmee, who is in Florida worried sick.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! We love you Calvin!

We Remember 9-11-2001

WE REMEMBER THEM

In the rising of the sun and in its going down,
We remember them;

In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter,
We remember them;

In the opening of the buds and in the warmth of summer,
We remember them;

In the rustling of the leaves and the beauty of autumn,
We remember them;

In the beginning of the year, and when it ends,
We remember them;

When we are weary and in need of strength,
We remember them;

When we are lost and sick at heart,
We remember them;

When we have joys we yearn to share,
We remember them;

So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are a part of us as
We remember them.

Author Unknown

*bows his head in respect as gentle tears roll down his face*

My honor

I didn't actually receive an honor, but I am honored, anyway. And I want to brag about the honor, even though it isn't really mine.

A while back, my friend Rufus went to the Bridge, and as soon as he did, he signed up to be my guardian angel. And he has done a fantastic job! He is always there for me and watches out for me and hovers close, especially if I don't feel good. I'm not sure how he knows when I don't feel good, but he knows, and he's always there.

Well, guess what? Catster must have figured out what a great guardian angel Rufus is, because they made him CAT OF THE WEEK! So I am especially proud today to see MY GUARDIAN ANGEL, RUFUS as Cat of the WEEK!

Woo-Hoo, Rufus. You deserve it, man! You're the BEST! I couldn't be happier or prouder than I am today that you are MY angel!

Mixed messages

Today, Mom was cleaning my bathroom (my litter box room), and I was resting in my room. When I heard the commotion in my bathroom, I got up and walked over to see what was going on.

Mom saw me coming, and immediately said: "ARNOLD! Don't come in here."

Five seconds later, she said: "Unless you have to pee, in which case, come on in!"

Women are hard to figure out! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!

My grievances

Recently, I have tried to find an adoptive family, or find a new Mom. I would like to clarify my reasoning for thinking I need a new place to live, or at least a new person to live with:

1. When my teeth were black, my Mom took me to the v-e-t, and they cleaned my teeth and made my breath smell good.

2. When Mom couldn't find a job in Florida last year, she made me travel to Oklahoma and then to Duluth, MN, just to be with her.

3. She locks me in a box and forces me to go on walking trips around the neighborhood.

4. When I couldn't make poopies, she took me to a v-e-t and they made me feel better.

5. When I'm sleeping, she pets me and makes me purr and purr.

*re-reads grievances. realizes he loves his Mom, and wouldn't ever find a better home*

Never Mind!

NEEDED: New Mom

Ever since I had my episode of not pooping, which led to getting a BATH, Mom has developed a horrible habit. Whenever I come to lay down by her on the bed, she lifts up my tail and looks at my butt!

She says: "How is your butt, Arnie? Ohhh, your butt looks good, Arnie!"

This is SO beyond embarrassing! I am interviewing for a new Mom. All interested parties, please send application and/or resume'.

Mixed blessings

Mom had a job interview today. It was at an Urgent Care facility 3 miles from our house. They were having an open house/health fair, and everyone was scurrying around. Mom was only there for a few minutes, 'cause they were so busy. They only had long enough to tell her she is hired!

So how could getting a job when you are unemployed be a mixed blessing? One of the founders of this particular Urgent Care was her friend Mark, who was killed in a car accident last December. When he started it, they didn't need any PA's. And now they do, and Mark isn't there anymore!

Mom is thrilled with the job, and at the same time bummed that she will never get to work there with Mark. But she believes that Mark has a hand in this situation. When the business manager showed Mom's resume' to the head doctor, the manager said: "She knew Mark". The doctor looked at the resume' and said: "OK". And Mom was hired!

God bless you, Mark! We love you still, and Mom will do her best to make you proud!

I caught Mom in a lie!

Mom always says she is never gonna color her hair. She says she earned her grey hair and she's proud of it. Besides, coloring your hair is a lifetime commitment, and she doesn't have the time. AND she says that since I have grey hair, her grey hair proves she's my real Mom.

But today, she came home and told me she went to a canal and had her roots done! So she's been lying to me! Maybe she's NOT my real Mom! Maybe I'm an orphan!

Oh, NOE!!!

Pros and Cons of Being Sick

There are good things and bad things about being sick.

CONS:
1. When your poopies won't come out, it hurts a LOT.
2. Puking
3. Going to the vet.
4. Getting anesthesia
5. When you wake up, your butt hurts
6. When your butt hurts, you don't clean it very well, so you get a bath.

PROS:
1. Once your poopies come out, you feel MUCH better.
2. Your appetite comes back
3. You can eat without puking
4. Your friends all tell you that they love you
5. One particular friend reports about you to the group, saying: "The vet unloaded a butt load of poop from his butt. I don't know details, but I sure can't wait to hear them!" MOL, Calvin!
6. You get to tell your friends that you love them, too!

Confession

I was really offended by getting a butt bath last night. I was mad at Mom. But this morning, when we woke up, Mom turned me on my back and looked at my butt and legs. She said: "Oh, Arnie, your fur is all fluffy again and you smell delicious!". Then she gave me tummy kisses. I purred and purred!

Even tho I hated my butt bath, I must confess I like being the Neutrogena Kitty!

Neutrogena Kitty

I have made two stains on the carpet since my emergency vet visit. And Mom said I smelled really bad. So tonight I suffered the latest indignity.

Mom carried me from my room and plunked me into a sink full of water! She picked up a washcloth full of Neutrogena shampoo and washed my butt and legs! I only got my backend wet. She plunked me back in the water and rinsed me off and then wrapped me up in a big bath sheet and dried almost all the water out of me! It was all over in about two minutes!

I was a really good boy! I didn't bite Mom, and I could have, EASILY! I only started really struggling at the end. And I have to tell you... I smell GOOD now!

I'm the Neutrogena Kitty!!

We have poopies!

Mom woke up this morning and headed straight to my box. And there they were! Four little poopies. Not as much as usual, but a sign the system is working!

And I was happy and purring and ate lots of breakfast. Woo-hoo! I'm normal again!!

Thank you all again for all your support and notes and gifties. I couldn't have made it without you!

Poopie Scan

There has been NO poopie sightings in this house today! Mom keeps looking in my box like she's on a treasure hunt or something. I think the vet stole ALL my poopies.

And ya wanna hear something weird? My Fancy Feast looks kind of orange and tastes like a giant vegetable! I don't know what that's about, but it tastes pretty good, so I am eating it anyway.

The saga of the poopies!

Last night, I threw up. That's not so unusual, so Mom just cleaned it up. Then I went to the litter box and tried to poop and couldn't. I threw up again.

Mom was trying to help me, so she rubbed my tummy, and I bit her! I've never bitten anyone before, let alone MOM! I was screaming, and trying to poop in the middle of the living room. And I've never pooped anywhere but in the litter box.

So, Mom got very worried and stuffed me in a carrier and put me in the car. I didn't even cry, which I always do in the car. We got to the nighttime vet and they took me into the back.

They gave me medicine and I got really sleepy, but I knew they were messing with my butt. The doctor dug hard clay texture poopies out of my butt! Ewwwwwwwww!

They gave me something called an enemy, too. I made lots of poopies. I was NOT happy. I was yelling, even tho I was asleep! Finally they let me wake up and Mom paid them a ton of money.

We drove home and I peed in my carrier. It was 2 AM and Mom was doing laundry. She has some odd habits.

I cried and cried for food, but the vet said I couldn't have any until this morning. So I slept in the kitchen next to my bowl. Mom got up at 6 AM and gave me Fancy Feast. I ate it all.

I'm kind of hanging out in my room, and not really talking to Mom. But she came in my room and petted me and I purred a lot. I haven't made poopies on my own yet, but I'm acting OK, so Mom thinks I'm gonna be OK.

I want to thank all my pals for your support and love. Mom and I were scared, and you all made it feel like we were less alone. Catster pals ROCK!

I'll let you know when I poop! I know you all love poopie stories. Especially Samoa!

We have a diagnosis!

For years, I have had an itchy back. I have had prednisone shots and a million tests. And then there was the famous single flea theory. I wrote about that a couple of weeks ago.

So today, Mom took me to a NEW vet. I was NOT amused. But he took one look at me and said: "He has FELINE HYPERESTHESIA!"

http://www.cathealth.com/hyperesthesia.ht m

And it fits me to a T! Now at least we know why I engage in my compulsive running and licking! I got a shot, and Mom is happy to AT LAST (after 10 YEARS!) have a diagnosis and to know I am NOT neurotic!

Feline hyperesthesia. Not easy to say, but it's better than neurotic!

Kibble shortage?!?

Mom said she isn't going to work anymore because the work place didn't have enough work. She said we have to skrimp and save until she finds a new place to earn kibble or we'll have a kibble shortage!

KIBBLE SHORTAGE?

*panics*

*faints*

*Gag*

We have a barf-o-rama going on here. 2 days ago, I woke Mom up at 5 AM by making that characteristic gagging sound. I barfed up a lot of food.

This morning, at 5 AM I woke her again. This time was different, tho. I was wakened from a sound sleep, too! I barfed up LOTS of bile, 7 times. The first one was right on MY BED! Mom whipped the baby blanket cover off and used it to catch the other 6 barfs in.

So at 5 this morning, Mom was doing a little laundry, and had the carpet cleaner running. (That first barf went FLYING!)

I'm not sure what's up with all this barfing, but it's enough to make a guy *GAG*!

I was a bad boy

Mom and I were outside doing my brushing. After a few minutes on the ground, Mom picked me up and laid me on her lap. She brushed my left side, then flipped me over and did my right side. From there, she could reach my back, and did.

Then she turned me a quarter turn and started to brush my tummy. She was brushing with her right hand and holding me with her left hand. She had her hand under my arms.

I reached my head down and kind of mouthed her thumb a little. She said: "Arnoldddd, don't bite the Momma!". So I stopped. But that thumb was right there. So I bit it again. Not hard, just a little. And guess what!?! Biting thumbs gets you flying lessons!

I was a bad boy, but I am getting a lot of flying time! MOL!

I have a good Mom!

Yesterday we were out on the porch and I was getting brushed. I was writhing around on the ground and having a GOOD time.

The wind picked up a little bit and a dried leaf rolled past and made a sudden noise. I jumped up, 'cause I was scared it was gonna be another BIG noise like last week.

Mom instantly grabbed me and held me on her lap and said: "No, no, Arnie. It's OK, sweetheart! It's just a leaf". I relaxed right away, because I always feel safest with Mom. She kept right on brushing me, and kissing my head. I purred and purred. When we finished, she had more hair on her than I did!

She really IS a good Mommy!

Not fair! She distracted me!

I was minding my own business, lounging on the bed. All of a sudden my ear started itching. So, of course, I reached up my foot to scratch it. Then Mom interfered! And what do you think she did?

Mom reached over and shook my spare groceries in time with my scratching! That totally threw my scratch timing off. I gave Mom stink eye, and then just shook my head to make the itching stop.

I think I need a new Mom. Anyone want to adopt a slightly used, mildly pudgy, handsome and adorable grey kitty?

Scaredy Cat!

Yesterday, it was raining, but Mom said we should go out on the porch so I could get brushed. I was a little hesitant at first, but then I got used to the noise of the rain coming down the gutter. So out I went! I was willing to be on the porch as long as Mom was there, and it was dry, and I was getting brushed.

I laid down, as usual. Mom started to brush me, as usual. THEN! Out of the blue came a big light and a REALLY loud noise. I jumped up and raced to the door. Mom opened for me and I raced into the closet!

Mom followed me into the closet, saying: "I'm sorry, Arnold! I'm so sorry, sweetie!" She picked me up and snuggled me. I purred, but I'm not going out in the rain EVER again!

Maybe I AM a scaredy cat, but I don't care. That light flash (lightning) and big noise (thunder) were SCARY!

Call the Dept. of Kitty and Family Services! I'm being- abused!

Today, Mom was making chikin. I was sitting in the kitchen, letting her know that I wanted some chikin, too. I was telling her how much I wanted some about every 10 seconds.

Me: "NOW!!!"

Mom: "Arnold, it's not ready yet."

Me: "NOW!!!"

Mom: "ARNOLD!"

Me: "NOW!!!"

Mom: "Arnold, SHUT UP!"

SHUT UP? Is that any way to talk to your cat? It's abuse, I tell ya!

Ham is scary!

Now that I am totally into human food, I have also discovered hammy. Mom said I smoked ham, but I don't remember lighting up. Anyway, I was begging for some hammy from Mom's sandwich, and she was giving me some.

But then, she flung me a piece and it landed on my head!! I looked shocked and jumped back about 2 feet. Then I didn't want anymore hammy. Hammy is scary!

I flew again!

After my combing, I went over to smell Mom's flowers that she is so proud of. All of a sudden, I was airborne again. I landed in the house. It was a soft landing.

I think Emily was right. I need to work on my steering. I might like to land somewhere besides the house sometime! (Mom says that is never gonna happen! Hmpfff!)

A LITTLE bit of badness

Although I am a VERY good boy, (as earlier reported) today, a bit of my badness came out. As a result of the badness, something happened to me that I STILL don't understand.

It all started when I went outside with Mom to get brushed. I laid right down and Mom was brushing me GOOD! All of a sudden, I saw a gecko. I LOVE geckos, because they are nummy. So I jumped up and ran over to the spot where I saw him.

And that's when it happened! I THINK I flew! Out of the blue, I was flying through the air and the next thing I knew I was in the house!

I think I can fly!!!!

Reverse psychology

Now that I have figured out that Mom takes me outside to brush me, every time she walks around the house, I head for the front door. I figure I might convince her to brush me more often that way. You know..."reverse psychology".

It's not working! :(

I'm such a good boy, I may *gag*

I'm being such a good boy that even I can't stand me!

A couple of days ago, Mom read me Rocky Ann's diary about how much she gets brushed. I asked why I didn't get combed much. Mom didn't have a good answer, but she immediately began to worry about the hair flying around the house.

When we lived in Georgia, we had a little fenced backyard. I got brushed out there. We don't have a fence in Florida.

So, three days ago, Mom got out my Zoom Groom and I immediately began meowing. Mom said: "Come on", and walked out onto the front porch! No fence! She sat in her chair and held up the brush and I laid right down and got brushed!

When we were done, Mom picked me up and carried me back into the front door. Yesterday, I went in the door myself!

Today, as soon as Mom opened the brush drawer, I ran to the door. I laid down and got brushed. When Mom finished brushing me, and stood up, I immediately walked to the door to be let back in!

I'm such a good boy, I may puke! MOL!

Where were YOU?

Mom took a nap before bedtime tonight. MOL! I didn't take the nap with her. So when she got up, she looked for me in all the usual places.

The kitchen: No Arnold

My room: No Arnold

The closet: No Arnold

The office: No Arnold

The living room: No Arnold

She started to panic and worried that I snuck OUT when she came in after watering the plants and I had been outside for an hour. So she goes to the front door and unlocks it. She opens the door and I came flying at her feet, trying to go OUT. I had been in the house, but she still doesn't know where!

She slammed the door and turned to me and said: "WHERE WERE YOU, ARNOLD?!?"

I'm not telling!

HEEL?

Mom made chikin today. She said she thinks she can teach me to "heel" if she walks around with chikin. She said I get just a little annoying because I follow her every move so closely.

Now, I love my chikin, but I do not like the sound of "heel". I am a CAT! Cats don't "heel"!

But I DO love my chikin...

Ode to Chikin

Chikin is good.

Ground-up chicken cooked in tomato sauce is good.

"The Colonel" makes OK chikin; Mom's chikin is better.

Shrimp is not chikin, so it is not good.

Chikin is good.

I love chikin.

The End

On the porch in the rain!

Today it was raining a LOT. There was no thunder, though. Mom picked me up and carried me out onto the porch and sat in the chair.

I have never been outside in the rain before. I was very interested in this process. I stared at the water gushing from the downspout of the gutter system. I watched it pooling in the grass. I watched the birds playing in it!

I felt very safe, because the rain was not coming on the porch where we sit. It was coming from the other direction.

But then the wind changed and I got a little mist in my face. Then I was done, and Mom immediately put me back in the house. She said I was a good boy!

I think I was VERY brave!

Sitting on the porch with Mom

Since Mom has been on staycation, we've been going out and sitting on the porch together every day. It's sunny in the morning, but by 1 P.M., it's in the shade and we can sit and watch the flowers grow. (Yeah, we have an exciting life!)

Mom sits on the chair and I sit on her lap. But I don't sit like a cat, I sit like a baby. I sit on my butt, and Mom locks her fingers around my lower half. I face to her right, resting my feet on her right arm. Then I rest my hands on my feet.

Mom thinks I am as cute as a bug when I sit like that. (How cute IS a bug?) It's comfy, and all my legs are supported, so I like it. We sit about 15 minutes, then it's back in for me, 'cause it's too hot out there!

I love the porch!

Adoration

Since Mom is home on staycation, I am getting the adoration I deserve. She goes away everyday and does stuff. I have no idea what kind of stuff she does, but when she comes back, she spends an appropriate amount of time admiring me in all my magnificence.

She kisses me a lot, frequently interrupting my naps. I could do without THAT! She tells me that the rugby stripes on my arms are adorable, and I'm precious when I sleep, and that my little face is SOOO cute when I'm asleep.

I think I could learn to like unbridled adoration. I wonder if Mom will retire soon so she can stay home full time and adore me...?

(Note from Mom: Noe!)

Huh?

This morning, Mom said to me: "Arnold, you are corpulent, and you do NOT need more food. Do you understand?"

I said: "Noe".

"You're portly".

"Noe".

"You're stout".

"Noe".

"Arnold, you're FAT!"

:~O WHAT?

She went on to explain that I suddenly seem to have lost my waist and I look like I swallowed a ball! Well, I didn't swallow a ball, so I have plenty of room for some more food, so BRING IT ON!

She said: NOE!"

Oh, Arnie...

For the past three days, Mom has said the same thing to me when she comes home. "Oh, Arnie! You are SO lucky that you do not have to go outside!"

She says that it is one hundred degrees outside and too humid to breathe. She says it feels like 109 degrees. I'm not sure what a degree is, but 100 of them must be bad.

I'm staying right where I am. INSIDE!!

The loss of a friend...

When I first joined Catster, I was nosing around and looking for groups that might interest me. I came across "10 Years and Older, Cats AND Dogs". I joined, because I was 10 then.

They were a nice group, and over the years, like all groups, they have undergone some changes. But one thing has never changed in that group, and that is the presence of a doggie named Mamie.

Mamie's main picture has never changed, altho her other pictures HAVE changed. The other pictures have shown Mamie as she copes with the realities of aging.

But that main picture is of the true Mamie, in all her glory. She has the biggest and best smile I've ever seen.

Mamie is the first one to ever coin the term "Power of the Paw". And she has always been the first one there to offer the POP to friends, and support and strength when the POP doesn't work anymore.

Today, her Mommy announced that Mamie has an appointment with the Bridge next Saturday. Her age is winning the battle at this point, and her Mom decided to be a brave and kind owner.

I love Mamie more than I can ever tell you. Would you please stop by her page and give her treats, or drop a note? I know her Mommy is in agony, and I know she can use our support.

Thank you. *wipes eyes with paws*

Mamie: http://www.dogster.com/dogs/179949

RALF!

Hey, humans! Remember when you were little and your Dad or Grandpa would hold your chin and shake it while you tried to talk? Your words would come out all funny, and "No" would come out "no-wo-wo-wo"!

Yesterday, Mom came home from grocery shopping, and I met her at the door and said: "Meow-maw-maw". Mom laffed, and said : "What, sweetie?" I said meow-maw-maw again and then again: Meow-maw-maw. Mom knew something was wrong.

All of a sudden, I began retching. Mom swept me up and moved me from the carpet to the tile floor, just as I ralfed up a hairball.

So, now Mom knows, Meow-maw-maw means "my tummy is upset and I'm gonna ralf! MOL!

I'm available for adoption!

I heard Mom talking to her friend today. She said I was breathing funny yesterday and that she thinks I need a chest X-Ray. WHAT?

I have been to the v-e-t for three Saturdays in a row and I am NOT going again this Saturday.

Will anyone adopt me, QUICK??

Three in a row!

Today was the third Saturday in a row that I went to the v-e-t. This is just not fair. The first time it was the stupid v-e-t. The second time, I saw another v-e-t, and essentially got a clean bill of health, except for a UTI.

I took medicine all week, until I decided I didn't want it any more. So I thought I was just gonna have a quiet Saturday with Mom today.

But NOE! This morning, she scooped me up from a really good nap and took me to the v-e-t AGAIN! What is UP with this woman?

The v-e-t's name was Dr. Perfect. As though that weren't IMPOSSIBLE!

Mom told the v-e-t I was compulsively scratching myself, which is true. I've done this before, so she knows my allergies were acting up. I hissed at the v-e-t for looking in my ears.

Then the v-e-t gave me a SHOT, and I got to come home. And as much as I hate to admit it, I do feel better, and I'm not scratching like a madman. But I still hate the v-e-t, and DON'T think she's PERFECT!

Next Saturday, I'm gonna cement myself to the floor, so I don't have to go AGAIN!

I won! I WON!

Last night I only eat half of the four pill pockets Mom offered me. So she took a TINY little piece of the medicine I am supposed to take and tasted it. She said it is VERY salty and bitter. AND she said I didn't have to take the medicine any more!

I told you I would win! Woo-Hoo!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

On another note, Mom is gonna post a picture of my newest hangout! You won't believe it!

Hmmm...Pill pockets, huh?

Last night, Mom gave me a new kind of treat. She said it is called a Pill Pocket. The same company that makes Greenies makes Pill Pockets.

(Note from Mom: unbeknownst to Arnold, his medicine was secreted in these little magic pockets!)

Let me tell you. Those pill pockets are NUMMY! They are squishy and must be fun to play with, because Mom was playing with them before she gave them to me. I just ATE them. I got 5 of them. I hope I get more tonight!

Pill Pockets! YUMMY! I am SO glad Mom got over that shoving pills down my throat idea.

I told you I'd win!

Pill Avoidance Techniques

Mom thinks she is SO smart. This is the fourth day of pill taking and I think I am winning. I won't voluntarily eat the pill, so Mom is now shoving it down my throat. Or so she thought. But tonight, she found part of last nights pill on the floor. HA!

Tonight, when she tried to put it in my mouth, I squirmed like crazy and then I turned on the drool machine! I almost drownded her! MOL!!! Now she's looking for the pill parts. I'm tiring her out!! MOL!!!!

I'm gonna win!!

She thought I was STUPID?

Saturday, after I got back from the v-e-t, I had medicine to take, because of a urinary tract infection. I have to take half of a huge pill once a day. But it's so huge that Mom broke the half in half.

Saturday night, she put my treatsies in the usual place, and mixed the two pill pieces in there. I ate all of my treatsies and one piece of the pill, and left the other half laying there.

Sunday she tried it again. I ate all my treatsies, and NONE of the pill parts. So Mom "pilled" me. I'm pretty easy to pill, so it wasn't that big of a problem.

But, then I got to wondering: Did she think I was so stupid that I wouldn't know a pill from my treatsies? Now my feelings are hurt!

I'm NOT stupid!

My v-e-t visit, AGAIN!

I went to a different vet yesterday. I didn't like this one any better, and neither did Mom, but at least he did try to figure out what is wrong with me.

My kidneys are fine, and my liver is fine. We don't have the thyroid test back yet. But I have a urinary tract infection. I have to take medicine. Mom put the pill in with my treats last night, and I ate it right up.

If you want to see my v-e-t gripes, go to this forum: http://www.catster.com/forums/Cat_Health/thread/618883

What the.... ???

Last Saturday, when I went to the v-e-t at 10:30 AM, the v-e-t was stupid. So, of course, I assumed I'd never have to go to the v-e-t again.

WRONG! I am going again tomorrow at 10:30 AM!

This is like deja vu. Mom said it's a different v-e-t, but v-e-ts are stupid, and I'm smart, so WHY am I going????

*wrings paws*

Human rudeness

The indignities imposed on me have gotten out of hand. This must be stopped.

First, Mom showed Auntie Beth my... um... privates. She said: "Beth, look at the cute little grey circle where his b*lls used to be". I mean, REALLY! They're called PRIVATES for a reason!

Then, she looks at my butt! She wouldn't let anyone look at HER butt! GEESH!

She likes to twirl around in my belly hair looking for my belly button. She has never found it, which makes me laff! (She knew exactly where Boomer's was, because she had a little black on her white belly.)

But the latest rudeness happened today. She was twirling my belly hair and made a part in the hair and said: "Arnie, you're little pink nibbles are so cute".

HELLO!!! PRIVATES! What about the PRIVATES concept do you not get??

The Day after Memorial Day

Since my Mom is a Navy veteran, she takes Memorial Day VERY seriously. Late last night, she saw a program that mesmerized her and brought tears to her eyes. It was called "Hallowed Grounds".

The program briefly recounted some of the major battles of World War II, and how cemeteries just sprung up at the site of the battles, because it was impossible to remove the casualties. There are American Cemeteries all over the world. This program basically briefly described the battle, and showed a picture of the cemetery. Mom was stunned by the numbers.

First was a number for the identified remains buried. Also, at each cemetery is a monument to the dead whose earthly remains are "known but to God". These are sailors lost at sea, or airmen whose planes exploded or soldiers in fire fights, etc.

Cemetery-Identified/Known but to God

Florence-4402/1409
Lorraine-10,489/444
Cambridge-3812/ 5126
Netherlands-8301/1723
Sicily-Rome-7862/3095
Manila-1 7206/36282

These numbers are stunning. All told, 416,800 American military personnel were killed in action during WWII.

We owe them so much. If you see an old man wearing a cap proclaiming him a veteran of WWII, PLEASE shake his hand and thank him for his service. Thank him because there are 416,800 you cannot thank. They literally saved the world. And now the WWII veterans are dying off at a rate of 1200 a DAY. Thank them before it is too late. You sleep safely because of them, and you will sleep better after you let them know you appreciate their efforts.

Memorial Day is for remembering...

...all those who gave the last full measure of devotion for our freedom.

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidst the might ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
O, hear us when we cry to Thee
For those in peril on the sea!

Christ, the Lord of hill and plain,
O'er which our traffic runs amain,
By mountain pass or valley low,
Wherever Lord our brethren go,
Protect them by Thy guarding hand
From every peril on the land!

O Spirit Whom the Father sent
To spread abroad the firmament,
O Wind of Heaven, by Thy might
Save all who dare the eagle's flight,
And keep them by Thy watchful care
From every peril in the air!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them whereso'er they go.
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee,
Glad praise from air, and land, and sea!

Ummm, excuse me, Diary Gal!!!

I figured out a long time ago that if somecat's diary doesn't have a title, and the diary gets picked as a Daily Diary Pick, it doesn't show up in Diary Central.

So, for all of you writing in your diaries, give the Diary a Title. Like: My Diary or something else brilliant like that.

And Diary Gal, why not pick diaries with titles, so we get five picks every day, and not four? I mean, it's YOUR system. Shouldn't you understand it, too? I'm just asking!?!

I think we got a new car.

Yesterday, when we went to the V-E-T, we went in our yellow Ford Escape. But today, when she got home from shopping, Mom said she was driving in a Deluge. So I guess she bought a new car. I'll check it out tonight when I go in the garage.

My V-E-T visit

Mom thinks the vet I saw today is stupid. He said that I am eating too much and therefore I gained 1.3 pounds. She is willing to concede that point.

But he said thyroid disease doesn't exist in cats. Since Boomer had her thyroid out, we KNOW that that is not true.

Then he said that the reason I compulsively lick my back is because of A flea. Mom said I don't have fleas, and he said it might be ONE flea that I ate. Mom said we have documented proof from 8 years ago that I did the same thing, but he still thinks it could be A flea. And that I will have the itching problem for the rest of my life. I guess that would be FLEA X.

Mom was really mad at this point, because he was talking as though Mom is an idiot. He said the flea could be causing eosinophilia in my skin, but not in my blood. Mom knows that's not true either.

Mom said that it is more likely that the mast cell tumor is causing me to itch, but he stuck to his single flea idea. We won't be seeing him again.

Now, even tho he was stupid, I have to eat less. That's NOT FAIR. If he's stupid, why can't I eat what I want?

*stomps paw*

I heard her say it! :~O

I heard her say V-E-T. Then she said Saturday at 10:30 is fine. It's a fine time for a NAP, I say. It's a horrible time to go see the V-E-T.

*runs to hide under bed*

OH NO!

My pal Alex read my last diary entry and wrote me this pawmail:

"I hate to say it ...but Sissy might be right. And it might be a while 'til your Meowmy sees the err, um...evidence. Sorry, dude!"

That means I actually MAY be sick. And Alex should know, because his Mommy is almost a v-e-t.

OH, NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Two more intruders. Should I worry?

Well, the stinkie poop boy is still visiting, but now Mom is talking about two other intruders.

She says I am eating like an elephant, just because I am downing almost twice the food I used to eat. Plus, chikin, of course. And she says I am as active as a slug. I've never seen a slug. Are they busy?

Sissy had said something about maybe I could get worms from all the mousies I ate during the winter, but Mom hasn't seen any evidence of that.

I don't act sick at all, but Mom worries about the increased intake and non-activity. Could I be sick, or am I just a bad watch-cat and missing the stinkie poop boy, AND an elephant AND a slug?

Diary for today

Mom said my diary today has to be about something besides chikin...................................................... .................................

I got nothin'..................................................... .........................

Oh, wait. Yesterday afternoon it was 10 degrees warmer in Duluth, Minnesota than it was in Ocala, Florida.

GEESH! I'm boring without chikin...................................................

It was disguised, but I recognized it!

Mom made dinner tonight, and I wanted some. She said: "Arnie, sweetie. You are NOT gonna like this dinner". I told her that was for ME to decide.

So she gave me a tiny piece. It looked funny, 'cause it was kinda red. And it smelled different, 'cause it was mixed with pasta instead of rice. But I ate it, and guess what? It was CHIKIN!

Mom made pasta with some kind of red stuff (marinara sauce) and ground up chikin. (Mom only eats beef as a steak! MOL!)

But I have news for you. If it's ground up, or covered with red stuff or mixed with pasta, chikin is CHIKIN! And I LOVE chikin!

Rain, RAIN! Hurray!

It's been dry as a bone around here all winter and there have been brush fires. But yesterday we had thunderstorms and today it is raining, too. And the worst of it is supposed to be tomorrow.

Mom's plants are starting to look very happy. I had forgotten that grass is supposed to be green, not brown.

Yesterday, it was a little scary because of the thunder. I hate thunder. But we are both happy it is finally raining.

Rain, Rain. DON'T go away.

Sitting, head in paws, sobbing uncontrollably

*wipes eyes with paws*

Mom and I had chikin for dinner tonight. I love the stuff! But I suddenly realized something.

Mom has been offering me chikin for 13 years and I have always turned it down. Until 2 weeks ago, when I tried it, and I LOVED it.

Tonight, it suddenly hit me. I have missed out on 13 years of chikin!

*resumes sobbing*

Spelling lesson

Mom says if I am gonna be a chi-kin fanatic, I have to learn to spell it correctly. Apparently, there is no hyphen in chi-kin. Well, I absolutely AM a fanatic, so I'm gonna spell it right from now on: CHIKIN!!

RELENTLESS. But Polite!

Mom made chi-kin again tonight. I love chi-kin SOOO much, that I walk between her feet in the kitchen while she cooks. And I say: "mine, mine, mine, mine" the whole time.

(Note from Mom: Since he never liked human food before, I was always able to cook unmolested until recently!)

At one point, I sat on a kitchen chair and yelled about getting my share, but I didn't go ON the table. Then Mom put the plate on the table and walked away to get something out of the car. And I sat on the floor and WAITED!

When Mom came back, I yelled and yelled for my share. "Mine, mine, mine, mine". But I didn't try to TAKE it, like I could have.

I'm relentless, but polite.

I'm in charge!

Last night I asked to go in the garage, even tho prime mousie season is over. So Mom let me go out there. It is HOT here now and that garage was sweltering.

Mom let me back in after an hour and I was tired from just laying there. In fact, I was too tired to open my mouth. So I said: "Mmmmmm, mmmm, mm, mmm, mmmmmm, mmmm, mmm, mmmm ,mmmm. MMMMMMM, mmm, mmmmm, mm, mmmmmm!

Finally, Mom said " I'm sorry, Arnie!"

MOL!! I'm SO in charge here!

I think we had an intruder!

Mom went to work today, as usual. I stayed home, as usual. But when she came home today, the first thing she said was: "Oooooooo, Arnold! The Stinkie Poop Boy has been here!"

Now, I was here ALL day, and I did NOT see any Stinkie Poop Boy! How could he have gotten in here without me knowing?

I'm gonna have to pay closer attention tomorrow!

Being good pays off!

Yesterday I was a very good boy and it PAID OFF! Mom was a little sad because she misses Grammy, so I stayed really close to her and was very lovey. I never left her alone ALL day.

So last night she disappeared into the laundry room and came back out with a bag. I jumped up to help open it, just like I always do. She opened the bag and the most wonderful aroma flew out!

It was NIP! And I mean STRONG nip! I tried to help a LOT and was pawing at the bag, So Mom finally pulled out a Yeoww LEMON!

OH, MY! That thing was STRONG! I was kicking and licking and biting it in seconds. Mom said my eyes were big as saucers. I'm not sure what a saucer is, but that lemon is FABULOUS!

I may have to be good more often!

I'm a good boy...

When we woke up today, I knew Mom was a little bummed because it's Mother's Day and Mom doesn't have a Mother anymore.

Normally, in the morning, I get up, eat my breakfast and then go and look out the window and nap in MY (the guest) room. But not today.

Today, I stayed with Mom ALL day. I never went to my room at all. I just stuck to Mom like glue. She hugged me a LOT! And kissed me, and even took me outside to sit on the front porch. But not for too long, because it was H-O-T out there. 95 degrees!

I took good care of my Mom today. I'm a good boy.

I cast a spell on Mom!

I'm not a witch or anything, but I did cast a spell on Mom. Last year she could not find ANY of my favorite toys, sparkly poofballs. Walmart didn't carry them anymore! She tried ALL over the city, and couldn't find any of them. Since I hide them all the time, I was in a SERIOUS deficit situation.

I put a spell on her so that if she ever found them again, she would buy LOTS of them. There's a store here in Ocala called the "Hobby Lobby". Last year they didn't have any poofballs. But around Christmas last year, they got them in!!

Mom bought me several bags. ($1.99 for 18) And every time she goes into "Hobby Lobby" she buys more. BUT she sent a bunch to my pals for Christmas. And she sent a WHOLE BAG to my pal, Sugar. So I didn't remove the "buy poofball" spell, just in case I ran low again.

Today, Mom went to my poofball stash and counted how many packages are there. There are NINE packages! That's... um... (1,2,3,4...) eleventy seven poofballs!

Mwahahahaha!!! Anybody need anything from the store? I cast good spells on Mommies!

Mommy's Day without a Mommy

No, not MY Mommy. Mom's Mommy, my Grammy. Grammy went to the Bridge 1.5 years ago, and we are missing her a lot today. I am sticking close to Mom so she won't be TOO sad.

Take good care of your Mommy today. She is a special treasure.

Happy Odd Day!

Mom read this on line:

"Math Buffs Awed By Odd Day

For the mathematically challenged, Thursday's date, 5/7/09, is one of only six this century that will feature three consecutive odd numbers.

Numbers lovers say the rare occurrence is an excuse to celebrate.

"The previous stretch of six dates like this started with 1/3/1905 _ 13 months after the Wright Brothers' flight," said Ron Gordon, the Redwood City teacher who enthusiastically promotes these numerical holidays, like Square Root Day on 3/3/09.

Gordon is offering a prize of $579 to those who celebrate the date with the most zeal or who get the most people involved in an Odd Celebration."

Mom thinks anybody who gets that excited about Odd Day is a tad odd, but then, she's writing this for a cat! MOL!

I discovered a fabulous new food!

As you know, I am a cat. All my life, I have tried to be an honorable cat. I have always, ONLY eaten cat food. Kibble all week, and Fancy Feast on Sundays.

I have been offered human food almost every day of my life. I have always turned up my nose at it. Or worse, GAGGED!

But tonight, something changed. I was offered human food, and I ate a bite. Then I waited for more. And more. And MORE! I begged for more of this magical food. I didn't know what it was called, but it was delicious, with a capital D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

After it was all gone, I asked Mom what it was and when we were having more. She said we will have more on Thursday. And the wonderful food is called "Chi-kin". I LOVE chi-kin!

Keep 'em guessing!

I have been a big water drinker all my life. I LOVE the stuff! It's wet and yummy!

I've pretty much always gotten my drinking water from the toilet. In this house, where we've lived for 3 years, I drink out of the guest room (MY room) bathroom. I don't like the master bedroom toilet. I don't know why.

I have a nice ceramic water bowl. Mom always fills it with very nice fresh water. I just never drink it.

A couple of days ago, Mom saw me sitting by my water bowl. The water was almost gone! And while she watched me, I drank a whole bunch more!

Gotta keep the humans guessing! MOL!!

I got a trophy!

My pal, Shamus sent me a heart rosie with a trophy in it! Go check it out!

The trophy says:

Mouser of the Year Award
Presented to Arnold P.
for outstanding dedication
to the field of
vermin removal.

It is radically cool! *does happy dance*

*waves to Shamus at the Bridge*

Thanks, Shamus!

No more garage for me!

During the winter (Prime mouse hunting season), I spent 3 hours every evening in the garage, hunting. As a result, I caught five of the tasty little treats.

In the past week, I have spent less then an hour each evening out there, and no catches. Mom thinks I caught the whole family.

The past two days, I have refused to go into the garage. It's boring, and I'd rather stay inside with Mom. Besides, it's about 85 in the garage, because it's summer here now. And it's cool in the house.

I think I am done with mice! But I caught FIVE! Woo-Hoo! I AM a mighty hunter!

I'm just O-L-D!

When I was a young whipper-snapper, I used to put up a heck of a fight about getting my claws trimmed. It got so bad that Mom bought a nylon muzzle and put it on me, but I still fought like a banshee.

Lately, tho, Mom hasn't needed the muzzle. I let her trim them, but only a few at a time. Well, today, Mom trimmed all my back claws. And I just laid there and PURRED!

Now it's official: I'm OLD!

Uh-Oh!

The Associated Press just announced that Franck's Pharmacy in Ocala, Florida admitted they made up the medicine that killed those horsies in South Florida.

Ocala, where we live, is the center of horse activity in Florida. Mom works a mile from this pharmacy and knows the people well. She is sure they are devastated by this mistake and she feels very sorry for them.

We're gonna be purring for them. We know they didn't mean it... :(

Mom started a thread in Olde Furts!

It's a new thread and it's entitled: I'm a little scared

Please, Olde Furts. Read and respond.

Neo is a big, fat....

My pal, Neo is a big, fat...(ARNOLD! It's not polite to call somecat a liar!)... untruth teller.

He wrote in his diary that my Mom has been around since Edsels and Studebakers roamed the earth. (http://www.catster.com/cats/969199/diary/Confessions_of_the _hopelessly_naughty/581178.) That is simply not true, because Mom said she has been around since Moses was a boy. And I believe MOM!

Anyway, Mom says it IS true that she knows every verse to every song ever written, But that's 'cause she's been around forever and things that get written to music are easy to remember. She thinks she still remembers them after getting her neck cleaned, but the radio at work is off today, so she's not sure. There has been no crooning since her neck was cleaned! Maybe they broke her crooner!

I need my Olde Furts to stand up for me and Mom against Neo. He's a young whippersnapper who harrasses his OF brother LeRoux, and as if that wasn't enough, now he's picking on me, too.

Official denial

It has come to my attention that my pal Neo wrote a lie about my Mom in his diary . http://www.catster.com/cats/969199/diary/Confessions_of_the_ hopelessly_naughty/579081

Mom is making me write an official denial of the facts as recounted in Neo's diary. She says she is NOT a hallway crooner and has never sung a bar in her life. (Or was that that she never sang IN a bar in her life? I forget!)

Thank you for reading this implausible denial!

How much I have to suffer.

All afternoon I was yelling and yelling at Mom. She kept petting me and saying: "What, sweetie?"

But I kept yelling, and her petting me didn't make me stop. She asked me if I was sick. I wasn't.

So, FINALLY, she went in the kitchen and saw that my food bowl was EMPTY! I had gotten a can of Fancy Feast in the morning as I do every Sunday, but it was gone and I had emptied the last of my kibble.

I was STARVING! She gave me some kibble and I gobbled it down. Sheesh! A guy could fade away around here! How much I have to suffer!

Guess what?

I love my Mommy again. She let me in the garage last night and I slept with her last night. She really is the best Mom and I don't think she meant to leave me alone during the storms.

She kind of moves funny because the doctor cut her neck, but she really is still my Mom!

Hurray for my Mom!

Joy of joys! My Mommy is home!

She got here about 2 PM. I don' t think they cut her head all the way off, because the scar is only about 3 inches long. It's in the front of her neck.

She's not allowed to pick me up, because she can only pick up 5 pounds, so she could only pick up a third of me. I don't think that's possible.

She feels bad because last night while she was in the hospital, we had BAD storms, and she didn't even know it because the hospital was so quiet. She saw it on the news this morning. Our property didn't get any damage, but she knows I was scared because I was by myself. She feels bad about that. I'm not being very nice to her.

Thank you all for your support and kindness. This surgery wasn't as bad as she expected, but typing is hard for her. It was easier last night on the iPhone from the hospital. Trying to look down at the keyboard hurts her.

We will try again tomorrow! We love you!

Home?

Mom's doc came in and said she can come home!! Woo-Hoo!! Now she just has to wait for the nurse to cough up the paperwork! I can't wait!!!!!!!

Message from Mom

Mom sent me a telepathic message. She said she's drinking and peeing and walking around. She even ate yucky food. They are giving her medicine in her ivy.( I didn't know she had any ivy.)

She says she is definitely coming home ASAP in the morning. She misses me!

Thanks to all my pals for your wonderful messages and support. (And Mom totally loves her iPhone, which is how she's writing this entry and seeing your notes.)

I THINK I have this right.

Tomorrow, Mom is going away in the morning and she's not coming back until Tuesday. She says I have to stay by myself Monday night. I can do that. I know, because I've done it before.

Mom says she is going to get her neck fixed. I don't understand a lot about that, but here is what I figured out.

Mom is gonna lay down on a table, and a doctor is gonna cut her head off and clean inside her neck, and then he'll sew her head back on. (I don't understand how her neck could be so dirty, because she goes inside that rain locker every day.)

But that's what's gonna happen. So I won't be around after tonight until Tuesday, at the earliest. After that, it all depends on how Mom feels.

To every cat with birthdays or awards or illness, please know that I loved you before your birthday or award or illness, and I will continue to love you after.

See you soon!

A sure sign of human stress.

Mom was having a BAD afternoon at work. She saw a colleague she doesn't see often because he works at another of the groups offices. She said: "Randy! Hi! Happy Halloween!"

He laughed, and said: "OK! So we know you're not oriented to time!"

They both laughed, and Mom was totally embarrassed!

My buds

My bud, Shamus had his birthday at the Bridge a couple of days ago. He's been at the Bridge a little over 2 years.

My other bud, Moose and I love Shamus. The three of us have always been like the Three Musketeers!

We miss Shamus a lot, but we still remember him, and love him. And, frankly, we think the three of us are the handsomest cats on Catster.

I'm sure glad I have such good pals!

Happy birthday, Shamus! Have some heavenly cake for Moose and me!

Navin wrote me a Cougar song!

Navin wrote me a Cougar song for my birthday! Here it is:

Arnold P. is a teenager boy!
Lucky number 13 !
I wonder if he will still enjoy
Riding around the pool in his boat?
Arnold loves water when he's safely afloat!
I love the new pics of his "naner" and "appo"
From his mommy these fruity treasures were bestowed
And his birthday portrait
Is so serene!
I guess that's natural when you are a teen?
Arnold has always been full of poise
And now he really is such a grown up boy!

Happy Birthday Arnold P.!
All my love,
Navin R. Johnson-Davis

I love you, too, Navin!

Teenage-ness

My pal, Calvin wrote about my birthday in his diary and he suggested 13 things I can do now that I am a teenager. I was excited about this birthday because I thought that teenagers get acne, and stop bathing and get stinky!

Calvin suggested 13 other things I could do now that I'm 13.

1. You are required to get one ear pierced. I'M NOT DOING THAT. SISSY BOYS DO THAT, NOT MANLY GUYS.

2. You can get a tattoo. NO POINT IN DOING THAT, I'D JUST COVER IT UP WITH HAIR.

3. You start wearing your hats backwards. I'LL DO THAT, IF I EVER WEAR A HAT, WHICH I HOPE I DON'T.

4. You can be in love, and sing that song, Teenager in Love. I DON'T WANT TO BE IN LOVE. MAYBE I'LL SING "SECRET AGENT MAN" INSTEAD.

5. Your voice will change. Mine hasn't changed yet. I still talk like a girl, and if I've ever left a message on your Voki, you know what I'm talking about! I DON'T THINK MY VOICE HAS CHANGED YET, BUT I'LL LEAVE A MESSAGE ON CALVIN'S VOKI TO FIND OUT.

6. You can bulk up and look like a manly mancat. Tiki helps you become a manly mancat. I ALREADY LOOK LIKE THAT! ( NOTE FROM Tyler's DIARY: "There are also pics of me with my young tabby-in-training Clyde. He's getting to be quite a lump, weighing in at about 13 pounds - 3 more than moi. And Mum thinks he hasn't stopped growing yet... wonder if he will get to be as big as Arnold P?")

7. Old people will get on your nerves. MOM ALREADY GETS ON MY NERVES.

8. There is peer pressure - you know, smoking, drugs, sex. Just say no is a good motto to live by. Nip is okay, but stay away from anything stronger! PHEW! AT LEAST I CAN KEEP MY NIP TOYS!

9. You might need to get a summer job so you can have some pocket change. I do modeling over at Etsy to get money. Catching mice is another good part-time job, and Arnold P. has already started doing that, so he will be rolling in the dough soon! YEP! CATCHING MICE IS LUCRATIVE. I HAVE ALL THE MONEY I NEED.

10. Cat acne. I'm lucky, I don't have it, but Samoa does and she isn't even a teenager yet! When you're a boy, it's kinda cool to have cat acne, but you can imagine how a girl feels about it! :( I DON'T HAVE IT YET!

11. You can't sneeze and wipe your nose with your paw. You have to ask for a kleenex. I hate this rule. I THINK I'M STICKING WITH THE PAW.

12. In addition to your body stinking, your breath might stink too. This means you need to go to the dentist. I know, growing up sucks! MOUSE BREATH IS GOOD BREATH!!

13. You can get a tongue stud. I like being a regular stud, and not worrying about whether my tongue is a stud or not. I'M A REGULAR STUD, TOO. I AM NOT PIERCING ANYTHING!!!

Thanks, Calvin! You're a great pal. And I love my fruity background! You're a real computer whiz!

Love,

Arnold P., Mr. Teenager . . . . . . . . . . .

Birthday Thankies!

I have so many to thank, let me get right to it.

Thank you to the mice for moving into my garage, so I can have fun AND protein on the hoof!

Thank you to Calvin and Rocky Ann for shout outs in their diaries!

Thank you to Elsa and my Daddy McGregor for my beautiful roses, Teddy Roosevelt for the package FULL of goodies, Emily Felicity and Edgar for another package full of goodies, Mac and Frankie for the picture frame to highlight my handsomeness, and Calvin for my pirate ship. (Photos to follow!)

For stars, diamonds and emeralds, thank you to: Dear Chrissy, Rascal and company, Neo and LeRoux, Sagan, Mathis DeMeowler, Wally, Emily and Edgar, Mercy and family, Lucy Liu, Moosie, Vincent and the ever delightful and beloved Scooter.

For party hats, mousies, champagne, cakes and cuppycakes, thank you to: Hooch, Misha, Calvin, Murray, Alex and Annie, Milo and Marvin, Emily and Edgar, Aldo, Diogi,Elsa and McGregor, Annadee, Mercy, Grey Mouser, Tooney, Sissy, Tyler, Jaffa and Diego.

For various adorable rosies, thank you to: Hazel Lucy, Simon and New Mexicats, Ashley Delish, Merlin, Chester, Mr. Sam, Moose, Kit, GGMMolly, Moozer, Mac and Grankie, Rocky Ann, Pie, Alex, Maxwell and Snicker.

Thank you to Mom for putting me on Catster 3 years ago! I LOVE it here!

You all are delightful friends and I love you more than you can know. Even more importantly, I am thrilled that you love me, too!

THANK YOU for a wonderful birthday. I will try not to stink too much, even though it IS my job, now that I'm a teen!!

If I forgot anyone, PLEASE accept my sincerest apologies!

Thank you's and #5

I would like to thank every cat who made my 13th birthday SO much fun. Mom will write about all the kindnesses tomorrow.

But for tonight, I just wanted to let you know I spent part of my birthday in the garage. When she came to got me, Mom found remnants of mouse #5! Woo Hoo! There's nothing quite like catching your birthday present!

Thank you, everyone!

March 30th Birthdays

Vincent Van Gogh
John Astin
Warren Beatty
Eric Clapton
Celine Dion

Oh yeah...And ME!

It's my birthday tomorrow and I am gonna be thirteen. SO I am gonna have acne and stop bathing and be stinky.

Woo-Hoo!! I can't wait! Come on, tomorrow!

E-X-P-O-what?

Mom said an enormous word today. Exponentially. Here's how it went: "The pain in my neck has increased exponentially". I have no idea what that means.

She said she has to get her neck fixed. She's gonna do it in the next week. She says it involves sir-jury. I don't know what THAT means, either.

I just hope she stops saying the big words! They make my head hurt!

Mouse 3.2

The third mouse I caught got away from me in the house when I brought it in to show Mom. It's been missing for a couple of weeks. I found it last night.

There was a wild chase thru the bedroom and out into the family room. Mom was NO help. All she did was say: "You'd better catch him this time, young man!"

This morning, Mom woke up and found him dead on the family room floor. I caught him!

He's not really my fifth mouse. He's my third mouse, revisited! Mouse version 3.2!

I'm learning how to spell!

Mom said today is HER birthday. (Like that matters, when MY birthday is next Monday!) She said she is old. So I asked her how old she is. She said she is older than Methuselah. Older than dirt. She said she has been around since Moses was a boy.

So I said: "Noe". How old are you, REALLY?

So she spelled it for me: 6. o.

I know how to spell old: 60!

The woman is C-R-A-Z-Y!

Today was a cool day in Florida with the high only 72 degrees. So Mom got up early and worked in the yard. By the time she was done she had attacked 8 trees/bushes:

Three 4 foot bushes were removed.
Two 7 foot trees were removed.
One 7 foot tree was trimmed by 2/3.
Two 5 foot bushes were trimmed back 1/2.

Now she's whining that her back hurts. DUH!

And she says that when she sees the neurosurgeon on Tuesday about her arms being numb, she is gonna tell him she's a tree surgeon. I think she's gone over the edge!

Are cats supposed to live with crazy people? I DON'T think so! Therefore, I think I may have to go up for adoption!

I knew it would happen!

Last night, when Mom was posting my newest pictures, she had a thought. There was a picture of me with my banana and one of me with my apple and my banana and my strawberry. So Mom wondered which of my friends would call me fruity. We assumed it would be Calvin.

But it wasn't! It was Moose! He sent me a joke about me being fruity in a vegetable (BrusselBall) rosette. He's SOOO funny!

Thank you, HQ, for bringing back BB rosettes!

Holy Smokes!

I woke up this morning and went to see if I had any messages on my shoutbox and my page had been redone! Calvin did it! He made me a birthday themed page, 'cause my birthday is coming up in 10 days. I'm gonna be 13. A teenager!

Mom says I have to stop bathing and get acne for this birthday. I don't know what acne is, but I'm gonna be on the look-out for some!

Thanks Calvin! I now look WAY cooler than I really am!

St. Patrick's Day/Catster Anniversary

Today is my 3 year anniversary on Catster. It's also Boomer's, and Samoa's and Calvin's, and Violet's anniversaries!!

We are SO glad we joined Catster. For one thing, we got to meet YOU! And we got to meet Calvin, and Samoa, and Violet! And we share the celebration, altho today we are a little anxious because Calvin is having his teeth cleaned.

(St. Paddy's is also my Mom's anniversary of the first day she ever had a date with my Dad and Boomer's Dad. I think that happened in about 1842.)

So, even tho my Mom is ORANGE, my Dad WAS green, and I am officially Irish. And a very happy Catster.

Happy St. Paddy's and Happy Anniversary to ME! And Calvin. And Samoa. And Violet. And, of course, Boomer, my sweet sisfur.

LeRoux is here!

My pal Neo has a brother named LeRoux. His nickname is RouxRoux. Leroux is 12 years old, and blind. He is not allowed to drive because the label on his medicine says it could make him dizzy! MOL!

Well, guess what? LeRoux is here! He just joined today.

I think he might be good pals with Sugar in the near future, because their eyes look the same. I hope Sugar and lots of others become his pals!

AND I invited him to my favorite group, Olde Furts! Woo-Hoo! I hope he joins!

My newest pal

I have had a pal named Neo for about 6 months. His Mommy and my Mom work together. Mom has been telling Neo's Mommy to put him on Catster, and today, she finally did! W00-Hoo!!

I hope she puts LeRoux on soon, too. You all remember LeRoux. He's the blind kitty who is not allowed to drive because his medicine might make him dizzy! MOL!

Anyway, I hope you all go and meet my new (old) pal Neo very soon!

You've heard of movies ON DEMAND?

This morning Mom was cleaning the litterbox, as usual. I was watching, as usual. Then she looked at me and said: "Arnold, there is no pee in this box. Do you need to go to the vet?"

I immediately stood up, stepped into the box and peed for about 5 minutes.

Your wish is my command, Mom!

A Poem

I was in the garage tonight. Mom has a new rule. I can go out, but the door gets closed and I only get let in when she opens the door. She checks on me often, and I decide when I'm ready, unless she says it's too late to stay out there anymore.

Well, I got my FOURTH mousie tonight. I won't tell you what I did with it, but I'll give you a clue with this poem by B. Kliban:

Love to eat them mousies.
Mousies what I love to eat.
Bite they little heads off.
Nibble on they tiny feet.

Rest in Peace, FoCSy!

Ever since Mom has worked at her new job, (Oct. 2008) she has seen a kitty wandering around the grounds of the building. She named the kitty FoCSy (Foxy) because she hangs out at Family Care Specialists. She was a unique looking kitty because she was brown tabby with white legs, but in the middle of her back she had a white spot that looked very out of place.

Mom would watch FoCSy from her office window. FoCSy would catch geckos and chase birds. She looked like she was having fun.

This morning Mom saw FoCSy lying dead by the side of the road. There was no doubt it was her. She had been hit by a car. :(

To all my friends that go outside: PLEASE be careful.

Rest in Peace, FoCSy.

Mom is laffin' and laffin'!

Mom's friend Kim got her kittie's medicine from the people pharmacy. The label said it was for "LeRoux, cat".

One of the jars said that LeRoux should contact his pharmacist if he is gonna use a salt substitute.

The second jar said LeRoux should not drive or operate heavy machinery while taking the medicine.

Kim said that was a good thing, because LeRoux is a BLIND kitty!

MOL!

No Fair!

Tonight I was crying to Mom to let me in the garage so I could hunt more mice. She said no, because she wasn't sure I'd caught the one I let in last night.

But I kept crying, so she relented, and let me in the garage. But she shut the door, so I couldn't get back in! She said that was the only way to make sure I didn't bring more mice into the house.

I was out there about an hour and a half, which is how long I normally stay out, so it wasn't like she tortured me. But I think it was mean.

If I catch any more mice, I'm not sharing with her ever again!

Number THREE!

I got another mouse!

I was in the garage and Mom was in the bedroom reading. She heard a thunk and thought I had fallen off something, but I was in the family room moving my stroller in order to get at the mouse. It ran out from under my toy box and I chased it!

Mom just threw her hands up and walked away! She's no help!

I'm gonna be 13 years old in a few weeks. That's 68 in human years, but I've still got it! And we have a mouse in the house, again!

THREE mice! Woo0-Hoo!

Pals are the best thing to have!

Starting two weeks ago, our computer has been acting goofy. Mom did a security scan and the result said we had 8 versions of a trojan virus. So she took the computer to the Geek Squad. They said they would have to keep it, but it hadn't totally destroyed everything YET. ALL of my pictures are on there, from ever since Mom got a digital camera.

This wouldn't have been so bad, but there was a deadline rapidly approaching for contributing to the tribute book for Scooter. We love Scooter and would have been heartbroken if we couldn't tell everyone about that love.

Mom could type on her phone and could pull a picture from her phone from work, but she couldn't get on the computer at work long enough to put the whole entry together.

Finally, she sent a message to Calvin's Mawmee. She explained the problem to her. And Calvin's Mawmee said she would take the picture and the writing and put it in the Scooter book FOR mom.

So we sent the picture and writing to her. She made the entry for us and even EDITED it. (The phone turned an ' into a ?) We got to see it yesterday, and it is perfect!

Calvin is my pal, and his Mawmee is my Mom's pal!

Thank you, pals!

Lying to Mom

I lied to Mom, but it's her own fault, because she asked me a stupid question.

"Arnold, are you chewing my shoelaces?"

I dropped the shoelace from my mouth and said: "NOE!"

Mau! Mau! Mau!

There is a man painting our house. Mom painted all the walls, but she refuses to do the woodwork and doors, so this man is doing it. His name is Chuck. He works whenever he wants to, and Mom trusts him, because he is our neighbor. So he has a key and comes and goes at will.

Chuck was here Saturday and Mom left. After a while, Chuck left, too. Then Mom came back. After she hugged me and told me I was a good boy, she went to her office.

I came in the office and said: "Mau, mau, mau, mau, mau!"

Mom said: "What Arnie?"

I wouldn't say what was wrong, but a few minutes later I came back and said: "Mau, mau, mau, mau, mau, mau, mau, MAU!

"What, sweetie?"

MAU, MAU, MAU, MAU, MAU, MAU, MAU, MAU, MAUMAU, NOW!!!!

Then I ran out of the room, and Mom followed. I ran straight to the guest (my) bathroom. I went right to the toilet and Mom immediately saw the problem. Chuck had put the toilet seat down, and I couldn't access the new fresh water. She lifted the seat and I had a nice big cool drink! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Mom promised she'd tell Chuck NOT to do that again. I ALMOST was forced to drink out of my ceramic water bowl!

Oh wow, Wow, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last year I was very jealous of some of my friends for being named "dreamboats" by the lovely Samoa. She didn't name me, and I was heartbroken. She said she thought of me as a brother! :~O

Her thinking of me as a brother is NOT a good thing, because she has LOTS of brothers: Calvin, who she thinks is lazy; Gleek, who is always talking about poopies; Violet, who goes outside and gets dirty; Newman, who is just a trainwreck waiting to happen; and Rocky, who is a d-o-g!

But this year, she has decided to add 10 MORE dreamboats. Guess who is first on that list? ME!

http://www.catster.com/cats/283038/diary/557849

Sh e says my eyes are dreamy! Holy Smokes!

Thanks, beautiful Samoa! I love you, too!

I'm proud!

Ya wanna know why? 'Cause I can say something about myself that would make anyone proud:

I'm Scooter's pal!

There could be NO higher honor!

Good-bye, Scootie!

I love you, and always will!

*puts face in paws and sobs*

My precious friend Scooter

My friend Scooter is going to travel to the Bridge in the next day or so. I love her very much. I will miss her precious presence and iron spirit forever...

*turns away and wipes tears from his eyes*

I'll try and keep this short! But it's WEIRD!

Mom was doing chores Saturday. The next to the last chore was the post office, and the last chore was a mile away, Walgreen's. So she paid for her stamp at the Automated Postal Machine (LOVE that thing!) and went to Walgreen's. She picked up a few things and went to check out. No ATM card. OY!

She drove back to the post office and found nothing. She searched the car. Nothing! So she came home and called her bank and cancelled the card.

You should know that Mom's bank is Navy Federal Credit Union, in Virginia. They are a Navy service organization that she joined 26 years ago and has had her checking through ever since. And there is no branch anywhere near here. But there was no problem calling, cancelling the old card and ordering a new card.

6 hours later, at 10 PM, the phone rang, and it was NFCU! They said a FELLOW MEMBER found her card and had called and said she wanted to return it to Mom. Mom called the lady and she asked Mom if she had a yellow truck. WE DO!!! She had pulled into the parkiing space just as Mom left and saw the card on the ground! (She had waited to call until her husband got back from work.) The lady lived in the next town over, and at 10:30 last night they met at a local landmark and Mom got her card back! And NFCU reactived the card immediately!

Mom was ebullient. Navy Federal rocks, and honest and kind people rock!

I miss Calvin!

...and his family. I don't know what Newman is up to, or if Samoa has her panties in a knot about something, or if Gleek had any poopie issues! And what if poor Sugar and Rocky aren't warm enough??

I can't take it! This ice storm that has hurt their house is the PITS!

Mostly, though, I miss Calvin, because he's my buddy and he's funny and very good-looking, even though he is not grey.

Come back Calvin and Samoa and Violet and Gleek and Newman and Sugar and Rocky! We need a laugh!

No sneezies!

I haven't sneezed since Saturday morning! And I haven't gasped for breath either! So the threat of going to the v-e-t cured me! I love the threat of the v-e-t, as long as I don't have to face the ACTUAL v-e-t.

Thank you to all my pals who supported me, and purred for me! You cured me, too!

Biscuit wrote in his diary about ME!

My buddy Biscuit (http://www.catster.com/cats/414462) wrote in his diary and won as a Daily Diary Pick. And the topic was ME!

Biscuit and I have been buddies since he joined Catster in Nov 2006. (Unfortunately, Biscuit went to the Rainbow Bridge shortly after joining Catster. He was 23.8 years old; a little older than my sissy, Boomer.) But we have remained good friends. And he watches over me from the Bridge.

But I was shocked and thrilled that he would write about ME! Here's what he wrote:

ARNOLD P.!

Arnold P Arnold P
Just how cool can Arnold be?
He always has the best DIARYYYYYY!
I wish I could be half as cool as he!
ARNOLD P.!

*chant along*

Arnold Arnold Arnold P.
Arnold Arnold Arnold P.

*do some high-kicks*

Arnold P Arnold P
Just how handsome can he be?
His pics should be hangin in a GALLERYYYYY!
I wish I could be as good lookin as he!
ARNOLD P.!

Arnold Arnold Arnold P.
Arnold Arnold Arnold P.

Now go by his page and take a look
He's so cute you wanna take him home!
Leave him some treats, pmails and rosettes
Call him up and breathe on the phone (no maybe not).

*sing it again*

Arnold Arnold Arnold P.
Arnold Arnold Arnold P.


Purrrs,
Biscuit

Thanks, Biscuit! I love you, too!

Mom is threatening me!!

This morning, Mom and I awoke to the sound of the biggest sneeze ever, and I did it! And I sneezed several times more, but then we both went back to sleep. We awakened again an hour and a half later to another VERY loud sneeze. Me again.

The second time, I had a small episode of gasping for air a little bit. But it passed very quickly. Then I went with mom to the bathroom and had another little episode of having trouble catching my breath.

Now, Mom is threatening to take me to the V-E-T! She has a couple of concerns. The trouble breathing thing is similar to the bad infection I had when I was a kitten. But I have had allergies all my life, so she doesn't want to be an alarmist.

But I also had that mast cell tumor, and mast cells can make you have respiratory symptoms. I am acting normal, and hanging out in the garage and hunting mice. But Mom said I sneezed so hard that she checked the blanket where I was sitting to see if there was any blood! There wasn't!

So I am gonna try really hard not to sneeze or wheeze any more! I'm gonna hold the sneezes in until they blow my ear drums out! No V-E-T for me!

Duh, Mom!

Maa!
What do you need, Arnie?
Now!
You wanna go in the garage?
NOW! (Running to garage door.)
I'm busy right now, Arn, can you wait?
Noe!
Wait just a minute, Arnold!
NOE!
ARNOLD! CAN YOU SAY RELENTLESS?
Noe.

What is a honey bunch?

Mom keeps saying "Hi, Honey Bunch" to me. Is that a bad thing? Where does she come up with this stuff? I don't want her swearing at me or nothin'. Honey Bunch?!? What is honey? What is a bunch?

HUMANS!

I'm officially famous!

Samoa mentioned me in her diary: http! //www.catster.com/cats/283038/diary/549913

Samoa is the maximum diva of all time and she's writing about ME! Vogue magazine will be calling me soon!

Girls just can't resist me! I'm ALMOST as irresistible as Calvin! WAIT! Maybe I'm MORE irresistible than Calvin, because Samoa CAN resist Calvin!

Woo-Hoo!

Thanks, HQ!

I'm a Daily Diary Pick! Thank you to all my pals who have sent me messages and gifties! I love all my messages and everyone who sent them.

Since I got the honor for writing about putting my toys in my food bowl, let's talk about it again! Some of you may remember that my MOTHER actually wrote to Dr. B about my "fetish"!

http://blogs.dogster.com/vet_blog_information_a dvice/why-does-my-cat-move-toys-to-the-food-bowl/

Dr. B said it's okay for me to put them there, so WHY does she persist in moving them? I don't get it! LEAVE THE TOYS IN THE BOWL! It's where they belong!

Thanks again, HQ! You have proved that I am right!

Why can't she get this?

For my entire life, I have had a "thing" about putting my favorite things in my food bowl. Those things are: 1.) a stuffed catnip (destroyed) replica of Bill Clinton, 2.) a stick with leather ties on the end and 3.) a stick with a string and leather ties on the end of the string.

Mom doesn't understand this. She calls it a fetish. So she cleans the kitchen and moves my toys. Then I have to move them back. If she puts my stuffie in the toybox, I find it and put it back. If she mixes the leather toys with other string and stick toys, I weed them out and put them back.

She complains that she steps on the sticks and hurts her feet. Blahblahblah. The toys BELONG in the food bowl.

Why can't she get this?

Going for a ride?

Mom decided that when the back of the car is full, you're supposed to stop shopping. So she was emptying out the back of the car. (Our car is a little yellow SUV.)

She made several trips, and left the door to the garage open and the car hatch open. She was almost done and she looked for me. (She KNEW I would follow her out there!) She looked on both sides of the car and no me!

Then, all of a sudden, up pops my head from the floor of the passenger side of the front of the car! I stared at her and she stared at me.

Then she asked: "Whatcha doing, Arnie?"
I said: "Now".
She said: "What, sweetie? Do you wanna go for a ride?

I came flying between the front seats, then over the back seat and out the hatch in (almost) one leap, and as I passed her and went running in the house, I said:

"NOE!"

Holy Coyote!

Mom and I were on a stroll this evening. It was a little dark, but seemed lighter because the moon was full. We weren't far from home when we heard a COYOTE!

Mom was all worried that it would run up and grab me out of my stroller, even though I am completely enclosed. I knew it was pretty far away.

I didn't know you could be jet-propelled in a stroller. My ears were plastered against my head, I was moving so fast! We were home in about a second! Who knew an almost 60 year old could move so fast?!

It was F-U-N!!

I hope we hear more coyotes!

Calvin is a genius!

My friend Moose is a genius, too, but that's another story.

Last night Calvin (and his Mawmee) sent my Mom a huge long code for my page. Mom put it in some box on my page, and my page was TRANSFORMED!

The background of the center of the page is faded, so you can read the text. The edge of the box is pretty blue and the background in the gift box has SNOW FALLING!!!

AND, I have a HEADLINE!!! It is SOO cool!

I feel very smart, but I just want everyone to know that Mom and I are NOT smart. Calvin and HIS Mawmee are smart.

Thank you, Calvin and Mawmee!

Mom got closure!

Mom went to Mark's memorial Sunday. It was weird. Getting ready and going was dreadful, because of WHY she was going: Mark is dead. She was very tearful when she got there and saw a bunch of her old friends that were also friends and colleagues of his.

But then the service began and she found comfort in the familiar Catholic rituals. And the priest said that sudden death means sudden glory, and she KNEW that was true of Mark. They sang a song with the words: "Don't be afraid, you belong to Me". That was good to hear, too.

She got to talk to Mark's wife, who she had only talked to on the phone before. She was stronger than Mom. Talking to her and seeing that she is doing OK was a comfort, too, because Mom was really worried about her and her daughters.

Today, my precious friend Chrissy sent me a rosie that said: "As long as we live, they too shall live, for they are a part of us, as we remember them". Mom thought that was the most beautiful and true thing she ever read. Thank you, dear Chrissy!

So Mom is doing bettter. She will always miss Mark, but she knows he is whole again, with two good legs. And we WILL see him again.

So thank you to all my friends who have helped and purred and prayed for us during this very difficult time. They DO sell closure at Memorial Services. I'm glad Mom bought some!

TURKEY! Or a Bonk on the head?

Mom was having some leftover turkey. She offered me some, so I ran over. As she bent down to put it by my bowl, her iPhone slid out of her pocket and landed right on my head!

Can you believe it? Those things weigh 3 or 4 hundred pounds. I could have been permanently maimed!

So guess who wasn't interested in turkey anymore? I think she did it on purpose because she really wanted all the turkey for herself.

I think that was more than a little rude! AND selfish!

Oh, boy. I am not looking forward to tomorrow.

Tomorrow Mom is going to her friend Mark's memorial service. He died on December 17 here in Ocala, FL. He was buried in Cleveland. Now there is gonna be a memorial service here in Ocala for him.

Mom will see lots of friends and expects to get something called "closure". I guess they sell that at memorial services. But she also is planning on taking a truckload of Puffs with her.

She seems to think that she will have to pay for this "closure" with water. I think it is gonna be torture for her.

Will you please purr for her that the "closure" doesn't cost too much? But I know that whatever it costs, she will think Mark is worth it.

Where's the mousie?

This morning, Mom was wakened by the sound of me racing through the living room. She doesn't know if I caught the mousie or not. There were no bady parts around, so she assumes I did NOT!

She went out and bought traps today and is putting them out in the house AND the garage. She said she is tired of this mousing behaviour of mine. Two mice in 13 years and she's tired of it already?

I bet she wouldn't be so tired of it if I would just play with them in the garage. It's the bringing them in the house part that she's tired of, I bet! MOL!

OMC, I caught another mouse!

I brought it in the house for Mom to admire and it ran off and now we are both chasing it!

What FUN!

Mom here: NOT fun!

A poem about ME; Well, PARTIALLY about me!

My pal, "Tyler, Mr. Boombastic" wrote a long poem about all the Olde Furts. And part of it was about ME!

Here's my part:
All I want for Christmas is a boat like Arn’s
And if Arnie’s cruising in it too, we’ll have a good yarn,
Coz Arnold P’s a captain of his own great ship,
I always thought to be like him would be really hip.

Thanks, Tyler! I love it.

Merry Christmas to all!

A tragedy

Before we became travellers last spring, Mom worked in the local emergency room. For the most part, she hated it. The bright spots were days she worked with a guy named Mark. He was a prince among a LOT of frogs in that department. Funny, smart and easy-going. He always set a positive mood in the department.

Mark had been a young Dad of three when he had a sudden traumatic leg amputation. His leg was re-attached and he went to college, medical school, and residency. After 20 years, the blood supply to his leg finally failed and he had it amputated again.

He was the hardest working man Mom ever saw, and he always said it was because he had to take care of his family. His children are 28, 26, 24, and 8. (Mark would hasten to point out that they were all with the same wife.)

Yesterday Mark was killed in a terrible car accident. He was 53. The man who hit him tried to avoid the accident. Mark would be the first to say that that man will be tortured by this event the rest of his life.

Mom knows that Mark is in Heaven, but she is SO sad. We are going to pray for the man who hit Mark. We are also going to pray for Mark's wife and children, and his 7 brothers and sisters.

We love you, Mark! Rest in Peace.

Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.

Why are we talking about Duluth again?

Mom checked the weather in Duluth today. We like to know what is going on there, because we loved it so much. And besides, my bestest bub, Moose and his brothers Captain Morgan and Sparkman still live there. So we always want to know about them.

Anyway, she checked today, and guess what? Duluth is BROKEN! The temperature there is 7. Anybody knows that temperatures are supposed to be two numbers, like 49 or 57 or 68 or 73 or 85. NOT 7!

When we were there, the temperature was usually 75 or around there. Now it's SEVEN!

Also, when we were there, everything was green and pretty. In Moose's latest pictures, everything is white and looks dead. (Except Moose, of course!)

Duluth is definitely broken!

What's a "third"?

Mom said I can't send as many Christmas presents as I did last year. Something about our income went down by a "third". I never even sent anybody a "third", so why should that affect me?

But she said that we still have our house and she has a job and I have kibble and we don't have to travel anymore, and so we should be happy. Mom IS happy, but does anyone know where I can get a "third"?

I'm a mighty hunter!

I've been obsessively hanging out in the garage lately. Mom thought it was just a guy thing about hanging out in the garage. But it wasn't!

Today I brought in a MOUSE! I caught a MOUSE! I am SOOOO excited. I brought it for Mom to see. She was proud of me and wanted my kill for herself!

It died of tooth marks, so I definitely killed it, but I didn't even take one real bite. The biggest thing I ever caught before was a gecko.

Mom always said I wouldn't know what to do with a mouse if I saw one! Well, she knows differently now! I killed a MOUSE! Behold the mighty hunter!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~

UPDATE!

My pal, Calvin asked me a lot of good questions about my mouse kill, so here are the answers:

1. Yes, I had mouse breath, but only for a little while.
2. No, there was no guts around. I killed it with one bite!
3. No, Mom did not scream. She would have dropped her teeth if they had been artificial, tho.
4. Mom picked it up by holding it's tail with a paper towel. She DEFINITELY did NOT touch it. She buried it in the trash and took the trash out for the trash dudes to admire my kill this morning.

Thanks for those great questions, Calvin!

December 1st memories

Today, it is one year since my Catster pal and brother, Wally went to the Bridge prematurely. I miss him, and always will. Peace to his Mommy and Grandpa and Alfie.

Mom also remembers another event that happened on December 1, fifty years ago! (She is OLD!) It was also a bad event. It was a fire in Chicago, very near to where Mom grew up.

The structure that burned was a school. In those days, fire alarms were not wired to the fire department. And multiple storied buildings were not required to have fire escapes. Because of that school fire, fire safety as we know it changed forever.

That fire began 20 minutes before the end of the school day. Three heroic nuns died trying to save their students. And they did save many of them. But they were not able to save many others.

The Our Lady of Angels School fire was a life changing event that mom remembers clearly, even though she was only 9 years old. So today we remember 3 heroic nuns and the 92 students who died with them. Rest in Peace.

MOL! It took her long enough!

About a year ago, Mom bought me a pink saucer bed. (My pal Calvin has the same bed, but his is green) She put it in her office so I could sit by her when she is on the computer. I never sat in it.

In MY (AKA: the guestroom) room, there is a purple FATCAT square bed. I never sit in it, either. But, in my defense, my room also has a human daybed, and my carpetted house, and my window hammock. So there are LOTS of places to get comfy in there.

Two days ago, Mom moved the purple square bed into her office, and the pink saucer bed into MY room. I immediately began sitting by her on the computer in the purple bed. During the day, as always, I hang out in MY room. But now I'm in the pink saucer bed!

It took her long enough to figure out they were in the wrong rooms! MOL!

I have a video!

Mom was recording me playing with my banana. She didn't know I was gonna do a TRICK!

Watch for my trick at 0:59 seconds! It's quick, so pay attention!

YIPPEE! AND Happy Thanksgiving!

My old vet called!

We LOVE him! He didn't HAVE to call, because we haven't seen him in 6 years, since we moved to Georgia! But he called!!!!

He said that he would have done a bigger excision. (A bigger cut!) But since the margins are clear, (by 1 millimeter- he said he likes to leave a 5 millimeter clean edge.) he would take an approach of watchful waiting.

That means Mom should feel my butt every month. HA! Like she can keep her hands OFF my butt! And if anything new comes up, then we go for a wider incision. And he will do it then, if needed!

So that means no more surgery for now!!! YIPPEE! Bring on the turkey! I am thankful! (So is Mom!)

We are MOST thankful for all my wonderful and precious friends on Catster! Thank you for your love and support!

I'm helping. Why is she laughing?

I always help Mom. When she drops stuff, I always look right at it, so she can see where it went. So yesterday, she didn't realize she had dropped one of her pills.

This pill was a blue pill, but it was cut in half. So I was laying on the bed and Mom said: "What is on your nose?". I didn't know what was on my nose.

She looked closely, and it was the cut pill half. She had dropped it and didn't know, but I found it. So she pulled it off my nose, but then I had a big blue stain on my nose.

So she rubbed my nose and finally got a wet kleenex and wiped my nose with that until there was just a little blue left. Sheesh! I was just trying to help! Why is she laughing??

My day

1) Wake up on e-lec-trick blankie with Mom
2) Breakfast
3) Nap in the sun in my room
4) Nap with Mom on e-lec-trick blankie
5) Help Mom take a shower and get dressed
6) Nap on e-lec-trick blankie while Mom went away in the car
7) Nap on Mom while she played with her new toy
8) Posed for pictures on Mom's new EYE phone
9) Nap on e-lec-trick blankie
10) Bedtime on e-lec-trick blankie

P.S.I also purred for Moose and Captain Morgan and Sparkman's Mom every moment I was awake, because she is sick and in the hospital!

Confusion reigns!

Mom got the copy of my pathology report today and it was amended. The first one said the margins were not clear of tumor.

The amended report says the margins are free of tumor cells. Now Mom wants to know which is true.

It seems that the second report is better, but how can it be "not clear" one day and then "clear" a few days later, when it's the same tumor?

So we are still going with the original plan, which is to contact my old vet next week. We will keep you posted as information comes in.

We love you all for all the love and support you have shown Mom and me. You have made this bearable!

Mom devised a plan!

Mom is very unhappy with the vet who didn't take my bump off with a big enough cut. So she has been thinking and thinking. One thing that she told the vet to do was have the pathologist recheck the margins. That report should be in either today or tomorrow.

Last night she wrote a letter to my old vet in a town 45 minutes from here. She told him the whole bump saga, and asked for his advice. (He is out ot town this week, or she would have called.) She is gonna call him on Monday.

So, we are in a holding pattern until Monday. I may have to go to the far away town. That guarantees puking in the car, but Mom feels like she can trust my old vet and she definitely does NOT feel that she can trust the one who did my surgery last week.

As for now, I am getting lots of love and kisses and cuddling. I like THAT! Mom is kind of getting my fur wet sometimes, but she's trying not to really hard.

We can't express adequately how much all your support and encouragement helps us. When Boomer was sick, Mom felt all alone. She doesn't feel that way now, and it means the world to her, and me! Thank you, all my dear friends!

My pathology report

The v-e-t called with my pathology report. The bump was a mast cell tumor, and the margins are not clear. That means I have to have another surgery. Mom doesn't know when yet.

Mom is pretty unhappy with the report and my needing another operation.

I'm a loser :~(

I wasn't selected in any of the categories I entered in the World's Coolest Contest. I guess that means I am totally un-cool... :~((

My bare butt

Some of you have seen the picture on my page of my shaved butt where I had the biopsy. It's SOOO em-bare-azz-ing. One of my pals suggested a butt toupee! MOL!

Anyway, this morning I was licking the right side and then I licked the left side of the bare place. Of course, my tongue kind of raked the hairy edges and moved them into the bald spot.

Mom started laffin' and laffin'. She said "Arnie! You look like you're trying to do a butt comb-over!"

What is a butt comb-over? Is it good?

I'm home!

Hi, pals! I am home from my surgery. Mom and I have been doing SERIOUS snuggling and fell asleep together. I am on drugs, I don't know her excuse.

My incision is VERY small and I haven't even tried to lick it. Mom took pictures and will post them soon. The pathology report will come next week.

Thank you to all my precious friends who have been supportive and sent me sweet messages of support. I love you all and treasure you to a degree you cannot imagine. You made Mom's day bearable while she worried about me.

Mom's mad and so am I...

She brought me to the v-e-t at 7:30 this morning because they said I would have my sir-jur-ee early in the morning. She was gonna pick me up at Noon.

So she just called and I haven't been done yet and it is 11:30. Now I can't go home until 5 PM! And I was starved for no reason.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

I'm skeered!

I have to have this operation tomorrow and I am SKEERED! I think Mom is more skeered than me...

I think I am gonna run away!

I probably won't have computer access while I'm on the run.

Bye, pals!

Update on v-e-t visit

I went to the v-e-t yesterday. She said I am a little... um... overweight. I'm 15.6 pounds. SO I am NOT overweight. My weight is 15.6 and I'm exactly 15.6. I don't get how they figure that "overweight" thing.

She also said I am all talk. That's 'cause I hiss and growl and spit, but don't even try to bite. I hope she doesn't tell any girls that I am all talk. That would be bad for my rep.

She also said I need to have something called Sir-jur-ee for that thing on my back. I'm gonna have that on Wednesday, I think. I don't know what it is, but Mom does. I trust Mom and think it will be OK, eventually.

Mom said I will be able to be in the NEKKID stroll! Yippee!

Margo's game

I was tagged by Diego, who was tagged by Margo, who started the tag!

Here goes:

1. How mene toes duz yew hab? 16

2. Is yew marreed? *gag*

3. Duz yew hab short, medium, or long hairs? Medium, except in private places.

4. Duz yew likes tew dress up? Absolutely not! Clothes make me paralyzed.

5. Hoo gots da stinkeeeest gas in yore house??? NOT me!

6. How mene toys duz yew hab? More than 16, but I ran out of toes after that.

7. Is yore tale straight, kinked, curly, fat, thin, or jus rite? My tail is straight and always in the air.

8. Hab yew eber killed a reel mousie?? Heck NO. I'm a pacifist!

9. Is yew beeyooteeful, hansum, or uglee?? Ugly

10. Is yew da King ob da house, Kween ob da house, or da Serbint????? I think the servant, 'cause Mom used to drag me all over the country to work with her.

Thanks, Margo and Diego. This was fun!

Film at 11??

Mom made me a v-e-t appontment for tomorrow at 10 AM. It's about the stupid wart. I'm a guy, for Pete's sake! We're SUPPOSED to have warts. And you girls are supposed to love us, warts and all. So why do I have to go to the v-e-t?

Please purr for the v-e-t that I don't bite him.

Uh-Oh! I think I feel a vet visit coming!

Remember back in the summer when my wart fell off?
http://www.catster.com/cats/283073/diary/ask_arnold/497040

It's Backkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!! And bigger than ever!! RATS!

Excuse me?

This morning, Mom and I were snuggling. I was laying on my side and she had her hand around my chest. She had her ear against my chest so she could hear my purring. Boy, was I purring!

Then, all of a sudden, Mom sneezed. Right into the bag of groceries! GROSS! Then she did it AGAIN!

Now I'm contaminated. YUCK!

I wonder if I am gonna get sick now and have to whine and groan and make hacking noises like her. Ewwwwwwww!!!

I'm available for adoption

This morning, Mom woke up and said: "Good Morning, Sweetie boy". But the voice that came out was something I had never heard before and it was SCARY! It was like a frog and Elmo, combined! FREAKY.

I am so scared by this voice thing that I am putting myself up for adoption. I don't want to live with someone that sounds like that! YIKES!

Will someone come and get me? I'm too young to drive...

Did you vote for me?

Here's my voting page.

http://www.catster.com/show08/vote_pet.php?i=283073

I f you didn't vote for me, would you, please? Mom thinks my funny face entry is a winner!

Thanks, everyone!

Not AGAIN!

Two weeks ago, Mom had her flu shot and the pneumonia shot. Both were given in the left arm at the same time. The next day she had a fever and felt really bad.

So today, she has a fever AGAIN! This is gonna RUIN our weekend. RATS!

I better hurry up and get a refresher course in nursing from my friend Margo R.K.N. (Registered Kitty Nurse!) I have a feeling I have a lot of work ahead of me.

Are we still in Duluth?

It is C-O-L-D here! We had a new, record low high temperature today! It was only 64!

Tonight it is gonna be 36! Duluth is gonna have 33.

Tomorrow the high will be 66. Duluth's high will be 41.

Okay! I guess we are NOT still in Duluth... But it IS C-O-L-D!

Steve McQueen?

It's probably just because my Mom is old, but that new ad on the side of the page kind of freaks her out. It says Big, Bold, Brave, Brash. And there is a picture of Steve McQueen!

Mom is not even sure what the ad is for. Don't get me wrong! There is no doubt that Steve McQueen was big, bold, brave and brash. But he has also been dead for 28 years!

So it kind of freaks her out every time she opens a page and sees one of her all time favorite actors (after Paul Newman) staring out at her. Especially since he has been gone 28 years!

YIKES!

She LIKED bridges when we were in Duluth

Mom was really crazy about all the bridges in Duluth. So today I decided to recreate the scene for her.

There I was at 4:45 AM with my front legs by her left ear and my back legs by her right ear. The bag of groceries was in her face. I thought she'd LOVE it!

So what did she say? "ARNOLD! CUT IT OUT!"

Now I'm confused. Only bridges in Duluth are good??

Test results are IN!

Mom passed her board exam! Way to go, Mom! Now go and earn us money so I can get some fresh kibble... Oh, yeah. I forgot to say: PLEASE!

She PASSED!

Contest results

Nine kitties responded
Five were right but admitted they cheated.
Three were wrong.
Spunky was wrong, but made me laugh.
Sissy was right, but not specific enough. She said the music was a violin, and made me laugh.
Spot was right when he said the music from a Sargento Cheese commercial. And he also knew it was from Vivaldi. Then he recognized the clues on my page. (My doggie Sisfur, Autumn and the autumn background on my page.)

Congratulations to the winner, Spot!

WOW!!!! (And a quiz!)

WOW! I am the first ever "Navin and Buds" Bud of the WEEK!! What an honor! Thank you to the Admins and all the buds for the recognition!

OK. Quiz time: Do you know the name of the new music on my page? (There are 2 clues on my page.) Send me a pawmail or a shout, and I will give a gift and name the winner in my diary! (A SMALL amount of specificity IS required!)

GOOD LUCK!

Huh?

Mom just explained to me the difference between egophony and whispered pectoriloquy. If she doesn't take this Board Recertification exam soon, my head is gonna explode. It is SOOO boring!

I'm not LISTENING!

(Note from Mom: The exam is tomorrow!)

Daily diary pick!

Thanks, diary gal! And thanks to all my pals for noticing! And thanks, diary gal, for letting me share the honor with my pal Edgar! I think you like my travelling stories.

Since we have been home, I have been trying to convince Mom that I need to continue my hallway inspections. So I stand at the front door and bellow.

Mom says: "Arnold! There is no hallway out there!" I KNOW that! I wanna go out and eat grass. But she's not giving in.

Except Saturday. She went out and dug out some shrubs. And I went out too. In my D-O-G cage! (It's a collapsible nylon thing. It's huge, but it's like I'm in PRISON!) I didn't like that one bit.

I want things the way I want them, when I want them. Why can't she understand that?

My travelling days are over!

Mom has found a wonderful job right here in Ocala! It's 12 miles from the house, has reasonable hours (8AM to 5PM instead of 4PM to 2 AM, like her old job!) and has great benefits. She has been trying for 6 years to get into this company, but they never had an opening before because no one ever leaves!

The best benefit? I get to stay home! Woo-Hoo! No more car, no more airplanes, no more hotels! Life is GOOD!

I'm entered...

...in the cool cat contest. Mom usually doesn't enter me in contests, but there's one picture she thinks is good.

So, if ya wanna, you can vote for ME! http://www.catster.com/show08/vote_pet.php?i=283073

I thought the "P" stood for Palmer

My name is Arnold PALMER. That's what the "P" stands for in my name. I think Mom has forgotten that.

Ever since we have been home in Florida... (Wait! OK, it was going on in Duluth too!) She has been calling me Pretty, or Precious.

This is SO NOT manly.

FLOOD!!!

We have been home for 4 days and there is a flood in the bathroom! One of the bolts that holds the water box above the human litter box is leaking like a sieve. Mom turned off the water and emptied the water box, but she has no idea how to fix it.

And there's no telling how long it has been leaking, either. The toilet was replaced last summer when the big tile debacle happened. Oy!

It better not make me wet!

I was a little sick, but I'm OK now!

This afternoon, I was feeling bad. I had just made poopies. I was crying and crying. I went in the litterbox and back out in a second. Then I threw up.

I went back to the box and peed one drop. Then out. Then in, and another drop. Then out. Then in and another drop. All this happened in about 10 minutes.

Mom sat me on her lap, but I got up. Then she sat by me in my pink saucer bed. I slept for a little while and then I got up and peed without a problem, and now I am fine.

I don't know what was wrong, but I am glad it's over!

How to tell if you have the very best Catster friends.

You tell them that you had a toileting accident (due to no fault of your own!) and they all say you are brave and it wasn't your fault and that it is O-K!

I have the very best of the best friends on Catster! Woo-Hoo!! Thanks, friends!

Travel horrors

I did not feel like travelling yesterday. I kind of liked the motel in Minneapolis. So I was an even bigger pill than usual, Mom said. Is being a pill a bad thing?

I cried in the car to the airport. Mom gave me some kind of a pill, and I became a saliva factory! I had the stuff running out of my mouth and dripping on my chest and I shook it all over... It was UGLY!

I cried at the airport. I cried on the plane. I cried waiting for the second plane. (Mom thought she knew what was wrong, but there was nothing she could do about it.)

Do I dare say? Well, I guess so, 'cause it was NOT my fault. Finally, on the plane into Tampa, I peed in the carrier. I had to GO, BAD! But I was mortified once I did it. I was embarrassed. I've NEVER had an accident before.

(Note from Mom: I don't think it was an accident. He had to go and I think it was perfectly O-K!)

We got in the car to drive from the airport to our house and I immediately fell asleep. I was exhausted and ashamed.

We got home and I was a HAPPY GUY! MY house. MY room. MY bed. MY window seat. MY ceramic bowls. MY toys. It ALMOST made the trip worth while.

But not quite. I don't want to go away EVER again.

A travel FIRST!

We drove from Duluth to Minneapolis tonight. I cried for 2 hours. That's not the first! MOL!

The first is: I PURRED the last 15 minutes! I have no idea what THAT was about!

My toys are gone!

Mom packed up everything that we needed to live in the hotel. That means ALL my toys, except my catnip banana and catnip strawberry. They're my favorites. They go in the suitcase.

I'm acting weird, because I FEEL weird. I know she's gonna sweep me up any minute and carry me off somewhere I don't wanna go.

She told me this morning, as she was leaving for work: "Tomorrow night we will sleep in our own bed, Sweetie!". I don't believe it...

Panic!

Not me...Mom! She is in total panic mode. She is packing up our stuff and freaking out.

But, Moose's Mom gave us a statue of St. Gertrude, the patron saint of cats, and travellers and gardeners! Moose's Mom is a serious gardener, and I am a cat, and we are going to travel.

So, we think we are gonna be OK. As always, the process will be difficult, but I know I will be happy to see my house again. And my trankie blankie, and my Morgan's bed.

But in order to get there, I have to go in the big silver flying germ tube. I hope I don't catch a cold...

Oh, Noe! Not again!

Mom took out some boxes that were hidden behind the dresser. She taped their bottoms shut and started putting things in them.

What can this mean? I'm scared!

Since when is gold bad?

Mom went out today to get some cat food. When she came back, she said: "Arnold, this is NOT good". She said the trees are becoming red and orange and gold.

Since I am grey, I look GOOD in red and orange. And I thought gold was a good thing. Why would she hate that the trees are turning red and orange and gold?

I'm very confused....

Mice? MOL!

Last night when I was doing my hallway inspection, we met up with a lady. She looked at me rather quizzically. Mom told her I was the hotel inspector.

She got a shocked look on her face and said: "They (the hotel) have MICE?" Mom said: "Not with him around!"

HUMANS! Talk about stereotyping! Just because I am a cat does not mean I am restricted to inspecting for mice! I inspect for activity under doors, and stray threads on the carpet, and I have even found MONEY!

Mice? RIGHT! Pffffttttttttttttt...

NO THANKIES?

Et haz jest cume to my attenshun thet mie laim Mothur did noet writght thanx youse nouts fer me afder I waz Dairy uf tha Daz. Sew, I tuk controol of tha 'pooter thingie to due it myselv.

Thanx yu to oll mie firneds whu rote me noets, and gaev me presnets and shoutde on my shout boks. I red evry won and laffed and laffed and hugged yu all! (In mie mined, of coarse!) Et waz a grate dey, manely becuz yu all shareed et weth mee.

Thank yu ALL!!!

P.s. Et iz veri hard to tipe withoot fengirs! Butt I em verry glade to be a gud spellir!

Me, slaving away

A stranger touched me!

Last night when I was doing my hallway inspection, a man came off the elevator. He was walking toward me, but I kept inspecting. It's my job, and I am very serious about it.

So, this guy walked right up to me and reached down and scratched my head and said: "Aren't you a nice kitty?". Well, yes I am, but I am also the hotel inspector! Can I get some respect here?

Mom said the man was from a place called England. Maybe they don't have hotel inspectors there....

Sparkman sighting II

Mom went for her last care -giving visit to Moose and the Captain and Sparkman this afternoon. When she walked in the door, there, on the stairway, was Sparkman! He didn't even look very scared.

She gave him some potato, but he only licked it. Then she got the Zoom Groom and slowly approached him. He didn't look scared, and actually almost looked interested. She went up 2 stairs and reached out to brush him.

He flopped over on his side and rolled and rolled and grunted. He put his head in Mom's hand and got brushed AND got his ears scratched. He didn't purr, but he was a happy boy!

TRIUMPH!

Their parents will be home this evening, but we'll see them again! We love them!

NEWS FLASH! Sparkman has been sighted!

This morning, when Mom went into Moose and Captain Morgan and Sparkman's house, Moose and the Captain met her at the door, as usual. But it was COLD here last night, and Mom thought Sparky might be hunkered down someplace warm. So she quietly walked into their parents bedroom, and there he was! On the bed!

She spoke very softly to him, and approached quietly. She expected him to bolt at any second, but he DIDN'T! She petted him, and scratched his ears. His eyes were wide as saucers, and after a few seconds, he DID bolt. But she SAW him and actually TOUCHED him.

I think it's a landmark event!

WOW!!!

I'm the DDP for today! Thank you headquarters!

Thank you Wally, for sending me a star with my honor in it. I wish I had computer skills like yours.

But mostly, thank you Sparkman! If Mom had ever laid eyes on you, I wouldn't have had anything to write about!

Sparkman, where are you? II

Six visits, no Sparkman sightings. Mom has heard him, tho. And he's still eating the potato.

What a silly boy. My Mom is so NOT scary! MOL!!

Sparkman, where are you?

Mom has been to visit Moose and Captain Morgan and Sparkman three times since their parents left. Moose and Captain Morgan come to the door to greet her. But she hasn't seen Sparkman.

Don't worry. She knows he's there! The first time she was there, she put out potato for him. The second time, the potato was gone! (Moose and the Captain are smarter then Sparky...They don't eat potato! MOL!)

Unfortunately, at the second visit, a chunk of kitchen towel was gone too! At the third visit, the piece of green towel was barfed back up.

So we know Sparkman the potato eating goat-cat is there, but he's hiding from Mom. What a goof! He's missing out on some great ear scratches! My Mom's great at giving them!

I don't think Mom can handle the responsibility...

Mom and I are taking care of important celebrities this weekend! The parents of Sparkman, Captain Morgan, and my bestest bub, Moose, went out of town. And they are trusting us to take care of the boys!

We know what everyone eats and how to give Moosie his medicine. We know how to get to their house from our house, too. But the biggest responsibility is MINE!

I have to kick Mom out of bed in the morning and get her going! I'm not sure if Mom can keep up her end of the deal, but I'll keep up mine!

My first shoutbox!

I just added my first shoutbox. I'm excited to get my first message. Who will it be?

*waits with baited breath*

(*wonders* Does baited breath mean I have a worm on my tongue?)

Oh, GLORY!

A lot of you don't know a secret about me. I have a very best DOGGIE buddy. I met her thru a group called "10 Years and Older, Dogs and Cats". She actually coined the phrase Power of the Paw.

She is kind and supportive of all the group members. She is always first to offer the PoP. And she has the best smile I have ever seen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Recently, she wrote this to the "10 year" group: "While I'm getting older and my issues have progressed (blind, deaf, alzheimers and tinkle issues), my human, my sister Gwen and I have reached a new stage of our being together. I am a happy pup. My mom's friend of many years has identified "Mamie's amazing life force." Mom and I have reached a new way of communicating...with both of us loving each other more. Gwennnie guides me when I get lost outside and inside. What used to seem obnoxious behavior, Mom has now labeled resilient behavior. I have come to appreciate every kiss, every walkie, every treat, every night on the Big Bed. Mom has come to appreciate every 4:00 wake up call, every cuddle, every accident, every sloooowwww walk down the street. I am aging but still very much alive.

I wish this for all of my friends here, and thank all of you who have helped me be the wise old lady that I am. This is who we all are...the over 1o pets. I and my pack, are greatful.

Thanks and bless you all. And to quote what I coined a couple of years ago...PotP for you all!

Miss Mamie"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LET' S RAISE A RUCKUS FOR MISS MAMIE

Can you hose down your Mom if you have no thumbs?

Mom is STEAMED! She left our room and was gone for four hours. When she got home, she found me LOCKED IN THE BEDROOM! She was p*issed!!!

She stormed downstairs and wrote an official complaint. "My cat was locked away from his food and water and litterbox." She thought, (but didn't say) if there is any damage to the room it's not our fault!

She was all apologetic, but I didn't think she had to apologize, because she didn't lock me up. But I DID get extra treats, so I guess guilt is a good thing, eh?

A wild and crazy adventure!

Mom and I went to the Lake Walk yesterday. I got brushed with my Zoom Groom, and saw a HUGE ship come into the harbor. We met a man who was nice, and a horsie stopped to see me, and a lot of people said "OOH" and "AHH" about me.

We got back to the hotel and when we got off the elevator, Mom let me out of my stroller, because I know where my room is. So I ran around the corner toward my room. I heard Mom saying something, but I was running, so I didn't quite catch what she said.

The door to our room was standing open, so I ran right in. I ran thru the living room toward the bedroom. Then I heard Mom say: "ARNOLD! We got off at the wrong floor!".

I looked around me and there were SIX people in the room, and I didn't know any of them! I was in the right room, but on the wrong floor! I was shocked! I turned right around and ran to Mom.

Mom picked me up and said: "I'm sorry, Baby! Mommy got off at the wrong floor." She apologized to the people whose room I ran into. (She was apologizing for HER, not ME!) She carried me to the elevator, and we went to the correct floor.

I ran to my room again, and this time it was OUR room. Boy! Did I ever need a nap! Fresh air, horsies and strangers. It's enough to wear a guy out!

Update on Xena

Auntie Beth's doggie Xena had an illness. (No one hurt her.) She got very sick very fast. All her blood was going out of her. They don't know why her blood was going out or what exactly was wrong with her.

But Auntie Beth knew that Xena was suffering and helped her cross the Bridge. Now Xena is young and healthy, running at the Bridge, and only Auntie Beth is suffering.

Purring and praying for Auntie Beth.

HOLY CATS! I'm almost famous!

My Mom asked Dr. Barchas about my put-the-toys-in-the-food-bowl fetish. And he ANSWERED! It doesn't say MY name but it's from Ruth in Ocala, Florida, and that's my Mom!

Thanks for telling me about it, Sissy! You're the BEST! NBLFY!

R.I.P. Xena

Auntie Beth's doggie Xena went to the Bridge yesterday. Auntie Beth is too upset to tell Mom why Xena had to leave.

I am praying that nobody purposely hurt Xena and made her go to the Bridge. And I am purring for Auntie Beth today.

Bye-bye for now, Xena, until we meet again. We love you!

I can't believe this happened. But YIPPEE!!

I have had a little wart like thing on my back near my tail for years. Mom makes every vet I've ever seen look at it. They have never been impressed. The vet in Duluth offered to biopsy it, but I was sick, so Mom said "Noe".

Monday, she decided to show my wart to Mrs. Moose's Mom. Well, it was way bigger than it had been before. Mom decided we would go to the vet in Ocala when we get back there, but she was worried.

Last night, Mrs. Moose's Mom was here again and Mom made her look at my wart AGAIN, because it was even bigger than Monday. So while they were parting my hair and looking at the wart, it FELL OFF! The WHOLE thing!

Woo Hoo!

I was gonna come to breakfast this morning...

...but before she left for work, Mom rubbed my nose. She starts at the tip of my nose and rubs gently upward to between my eyes. It feels SOOO good. I shut my eyes and purr and purr, and then I fall asleep.

So, instead of Pie's wonderful breakfast, I had cat food and an eye rub. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...

Headbonks all around!

When I patrol the hallway every night, it takes quite a while. You see, I have to headbonk every doorway and every column on the floor. There are 45 rooms on the floor and a column after every other room.

Mom is afraid I'm gonna get a concussion from all that bonking. MOL!

No other cat will ever come to this hotel and think it is THEIRS!

For all my friend girls

Today, it is 6 months since Valentine's Day, and 6 months until Valentine's Day. Lest you think I forget what a joy all of you are to me, I have changed my music to honor ALL of you.

Please go to my page to read the rest of this entry and listen to the music. Enjoy!

When I wake up, yeah I know Im gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know Im gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you
And If I get sunk, yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who gets sunk next to you
And if I haver yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's havering to you

But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
To be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door

When I'm working yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's working hard for you
And when the money, comes in for the work I do
I'll pass almost every penny on to you
When I come home yeah I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home to you
And if I grow old well I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's growing old with you

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
To be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door

Surrender
Surrender

When I'm lonely yes I know I'm gonna be
I'm gonna be the man who's lonely without you
When I'm dreaming yes I know I'm gonna dream
I gonna Dream about the time when I'm with you
When I go out, yeah, I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who goes along with you.
and when I come home, yes I know I'm gonna be,
I'm gonna be the man who comes back home with you,
I'm gonna be the man whose comin' home with you.

And I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
To be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door

Surrender
Surrender

Cuz I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
To be the man who walked 1,000 miles
To fall down at your door.

Is my identity in question?

Last night, when I was inspecting the hall, I met up with a man. He was fascinated by me and my skills. He asked Mom if his wife could meet me. Mom said yes.

So she carried me over to this man's room, and when he opened the door, I stuck my head in to start my inspection. (I was on Mom's shoulder.)

His wife said: "Is that a cat?"

Don't I LOOK like a cat? What DO I look like? Oh, NOE!

Weeds and Acid. Can this be good?

Mom and I went for a walk last night. There was one short back street and then the main street.

While we were walking on the short street, a man came up to Mom and said: "We're gonna drop some acid and smoke some weed. Ya wanna join us?"

At that moment, I said "NOE!" (I usually NEVER talk in my stroller... There's too much to look at.)

Mom said : "NOE!" too. (Mom was thinking: Do you honestly think a 60 year old woman pushing a cat in a stroller would wanna do that stuff???)

I put my ears back to improve my aerodynamics and Mom kicked it into overdrive. In 30 seconds we were on the busy street with lots of friendly people, so we were safe.

But it kind of freaked us out...

You CAN be TOO close to your Mom!

Tonight, I got on the bed with Mom while she was reading and laid down with my back to her. She said: "Arn, you have a dingleberry hanging from your butt." A WHAT??

So she immediately reached over and pulled a little piece of litter from my butt. Actually, it was the back of my thigh. But this was MAJORLY embarrassing.

You really CAN be TOO close to your Mom, if she's pulling dingleberrys off your butt!

I scared Mom

Mom woke up this morning to the dulcet tones of ralf...ralf...ralf. It was me, of course.

I don't know exactly what was wrong, but my tummy was upset. I ralfed up a little foam, but no hairball and no food. (It was 5 AM!)

Then, as quickly as it started, it stopped, and I was fine. I ran to the kitchen and asked for my breakfast and wolfed it down, and didn't throw up again.

Mom was terrified that I was sick again. But I'm not!

Woo Hoo!

Tall Ships!

This weekend is the 150th anniversary of Minnesota's statehood. To mark the occasion, 3 tall ships sailed under the Aerial Lift Bridge today into the Duluth Harbor.

Mom was at work, but I watched them from my window. They are MAJESTIC. Mom went down and looked at them up close, and watched the crew trim the sail. THIRTEEN men stood on a rope about 2 stories up in the air. Thye sang a chant and pulled the sail up in unison. WHILE STANDING ON A ROPE! It was impressive!

Since Duluth is surrounded on one side by Lake Superior and the other by a ginormous canal and harbor, this is a sailor's town! And I am a sailor. So I am in seventh heaven here.

Duluth ROCKS!

We took a trip that scared MOM!

Three weeks ago, on the night I got sick and went to the emergency vet, Mom and I took a little walk to the lobby of the hotel. She carried me, like she always does. I sit on her left elbow, she holds my feet, and my arms kind of just hang there, or I put one arm around her shoulder. I could jump down, but I never have, because she is my Mom and I love her best. That's how we go to the vet, too.

Anyway, three weeks ago, we just got back to our room and I started puking and didn't stop. Since that time until a few days ago, I was still acting sick and not eating very well.

Mom was afraid all this time that I got sick because the way she holds me squished my tummy, or something. So, except when I asked to go in the hall, I haven't been out of our room in three weeks. Until tonight. She thought that since I have been acting and eating normally, I should go on a SMALL adventure.

She picked me up and I immediately said "NOE!"
But she said "We have to try it, Arnold".

So out we went, into the elevator, and down to the lobby to see the desk people. They LOVE me. We talked for a minute, then we came back upstairs and I found my room back. Then Mom watched me like a hawk all night.

And I really am well. And Mom didn't make me sick before, she just timed the trip right as I was getting sick. Now her guilt is resolved, and I DID IT!!

Kitties are powerful!

Thank you, Wally!

For those of you who read my bridge diaries and couldn't see the pictures, I have been taught how to make links in my diary so the pictures show! Please try again to see these impressive pieces of architecture.

Thanks you to my pal and bro Wally for teaching me most of what I learn about doing computer things!

DDP or eating. Which is better?

Today, I was a Daily Diary Pick! Yippee! Thank you headquarters and all my pals for noticing.

But you know what made me and Mom even more happy than that? This weekend I began to really act like ME again. I'm playing and asking to go explore the hall and eating like an elephant!

I am finally, all, really well! Not laboratory numbers well, but acting like ARNOLD again. I am so glad to be back! And I know I couldn't have done it without all my catster pals purring for me.

Thank you, all my friends. I am well by sheer force of will, and I am eternally grateful! You all are the BEST friends a guy could ever have!

Duluth=Bridges #1

The coolest and most famous bridge in Duluth is the Aerial Lift Bridge. It controls entry to the canal and the St. Louis River.

The entire bed of the bridge lifts up when a ship wants to enter or leave the canal. The boats might be small sail boats or huge iron ore ships. When it is not up in the air, it is part of Lake St!

It is very cool to watch the bed go up and down. It is the major tourist attraction in Duluth. It has to be seen to be believed.

Aerial Lift Bridge at night

Aerial Lift Bridge with bed raised

Duluth=Bridges #2

The second bridge that connects Duluth MN to Superior WI is the Richard I. Bong Bridge. Richard Bong was the "Ace of Aces" of all the fighter pilots in World War II. He was from this area and won the Congressional Medal of Honor. He was killed in an accident while test piloting an aircraft 9 days before the end of the war.

This bridge is 12,000 feet long.

Bong Bridge

Duluth=Bridges #3

Duluth is on the western shore of the enormous and beautiful Lake Superior, the largest inland lake in the world. West of the lake shore is a ginormous canal that separates Wisconsin from Minnesota. To get from Duluth MN to Superior WI, you have to take one of three bridges.

The Blatnik Bridge is named after a state representative who got the bridge built. It is 8000 feet long. Some people call it the "high bridge".

Blatnik (or "High") Bridge

My lab results are back!

Thyroid: Normal
Liver: Normal
Bllod count: Normal
Kidneys: MILDLY elevated

So, the doctor thinks I am eating less because my tummy was still a little tender. But last night, I ate my WHOLE can of food. And this morning I was crying for Mom to get upand give me a new can.

So, it looks like, whatever was wrong with me is over! I couldn't have done it without all of you, my pals! Thank you for all the purrs and gifties. I love you more than you know!

How to properly explore a hotel.

1.) Overcome your fear of the pattern in the carpet.
2.) You MUST look under EVERY door.
3.) You must inspect EVERY piece of paper and debris on the floor.
4.) If loud talking is coming from the room, RUN!
5.) If you encounter a crowd of children, either run or make Mom pick you up.
6.) Find your own room back again.
7.) Have a snack and a drink
8.) Take a nap.

My vet visit

I got swept up and taken to the v-e-t yet again! He's not a bad guy. He's kind of a giant, but he's pretty gentle.

He did all the usual stuff. Look in the ears and eyes, listen to the lungs and heart. Poke and prod the tummy. Take the temperature in a place that can't be mentioned in polite company!

I have lost 1/2 pound in 2 weeks. That is TOO fast. So he stuck a needle in my NECK and took out my blood. I think he took ALL of it! He said it was for a liver, and thyroid, and CBC and kidneys. Since it was after 5 PM, the results won't be back until Friday morning.

So, the agenda for tomorrow is to worry. OY! Mom already does enough of that! So I am just gonna worry about Chrissy!

Take your handsome grey cat to the vet day?

My buddy Moose is going to the v-e-t today. So am I.

Moosie is going to have his yearly check-up. His brothers, Captain Morgan and Sparkman are going with him. I am going to find out why my appetite is so bad and how much weight I have lost. And I'm going ALONE!

Moosie thinks this is a great adventure. Even tho I am a brave explorer, I think it's the PITS! There are corridors that need exploring and doors to sniff right here in this hotel. I don't have time for the v-e-t.

*Stomps paw*

ME? A DDP?

YES! I'm a DDP today! Thank you HQ, Wally (for announcing it and the gold cup), and Hazel Lucy (for the early morning conCATs).

Woo-Hoo! I think I may become famous!

The adventures of Arno Polo

I have gone for a walk in the hall every day since I mentioned it the first time. One night I ran into a lady who smiled at me, but stayed on her side of the hall.

Then, last night, I met up with two other adventurers. I think they work at the hotel. They were wandering around looking at the walls. They thought I was very brave and handsome. Meeting them was such a chore, I had to lay down for a little rest.

This hotel is BIG! On the Lake side, there are suites with 2 rooms. Then there is a corridor that runs behind them. Then there are the suites in the middle, also with 2 rooms. Then another corridor. Then there are the suites on the canal side, where we are, and they have 2 rooms too! There's 45 suites on each of 3 floors!

So, if you were gonna walk from the front to the back, you would walk thru one room, then another room, then the corridor, then another room and another room and then a corridor again and then another room and then the last room before you got to the back!

I've explored both corridors, and one of the rooms in the middle section. We only stayed there one night, because Mom said she couldn't take 4 months without a window, and besides, it wasn't fair to me. And, of course, our regular room where we have been every night but one.

It's nice here, and quiet. But if you ever go to a hotel, be sure to ask if your room has a window! It's really dark if there's no window!

I met the Dog of the Week!

I have another Catster pal in the Duluth area, besides Captain Morgan and Moose and Sparkman. His name is Tobey, and he lives in Two Harbors, about a half hour up the north shore of Lake Superior.

Yesterday Tobey's parents came to Duluth to meet Mom and me. And they brought Tobey's doggie brother, Afro Ken, with them! Afro Ken is the Dogster Dog of the Week!

Afro Ken came to my room and got on the bed with me and we talked for a while. I wasn't scared of any little Bishon dog! In fact, I thought he was kinda cool!

We talked about what it is like being Cat of the Day, and Dog of the Week. We both think it is totally cool and fun!

WOW! I met the Dog of the Week!

This is GOOD... I think!

Mom was awakened today by a very strange noise. She looked over the side of the bed, and there I was, chewing on the cap of a water bottle she had put down by the bed last night.

She said: "Arnold, you are astonishingly odd".

That's good, right?

My official explorer name!

My dear friend Hazel Lucy, who we all know and love, read my diary and knows all about my explorations. She suggested my official explorer name and I think she got it right.

So, from now on, when I am exploring new places, or hotel hallways or anything, I will be known as:

Arno Polo!

She SAVES them!

No, not my poopies, silly! My whiskers. Whiskers shed just like our fur. I found out since we have been in Duluth that Mom saves my shed whiskers whenever she finds them.

What she is saving them for, I don't know. Truthfully, Mom doesn't know why, either. But she says she wishes she had saved Boomer's, too. Boomer's were all white, but mine are black and white.

Anyway, she found one yesterday and said: "Look, Arn, a whisker!".

Then she put it in a little container.

I said: "I've got a million of them!".

I got out!

Last night, I told Mom, in no uncertain terms, that I wanted out of the hotel room. So she opened the door, and out I went.

(Note from Mom: I tried to get him to go out before and explore the hall, but he wouldn't.)

So I get out in the hall and jumped about 3 feet because the very loud pattern on the rug scared me. But I got used to it FAST.

I walked half way down the hall and sniffed every room. I couldn't find mine again! Finally, Mom said: "I'm going to bed, Arnold. Let's go!"

So I followed her and she knew where the room was. I think it's because of the numbers on all the doors, which are too high for me to see.

I'm an explorer! And Mom said it was the first time I had acted like myself since we've been here. Maybe I wasn't feeling good for a while before I got real sick last week. I don't know... or, I know and I'm not telling.

Either way, I'm an explorer. Maybe I should change my name to Arnold de Leon. Or Arnold Magellan. Or Arnold Cousteau. Or Arnold Polo...

Doggies, doggies everywhere!

Where we are staying in Duluth is 1/2 block from the main entertainment center in the city. It's called the DECC. (Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center. That's where the car-knee-ville was, and there's a IMax theater, and a 10 Plex, and an aquarium, and an arena. And that doesn't even touch the Aerial Lift Bridge!

This weekend there was a D-O-G show. And this hotel was crawling with dogs. There were giant Great Danes, and little hairy weiner dogs and a English Springer Spaniel. The Spaniel was wearing a leopard print sweater, even tho it was 83 degrees out. I don't know why.

Since I had colitis, Mom said I didn't have to go out. No Lake Walk, no strolls, just scoping out the dogs from the 4th floor. I heard them barking in the hall, but I didn't see even one up close. I saw all of them from the window in my room.

And you know what? They all look small from up here!

I played!

I woke up this morning and felt really good. I have only eaten canned food since Wednesday; no kibble. I've had 2 cans of Fancy Feast a day, and I haven't thrown up at all. I made poopies and didn't have any problems.

Today, Mom drove a million miles (Note from Mom: 80 miles each way) to get me Tiki Cat food. Tonight for dinner, I had TIKI! Ahi tuna flavor. BOY! Does it STINK! And my buddy Calvin was right. Tiki ROCKS. It is yummy in the tummy!

And today, I played! It was just for a second, but I played! And I'm not hiding anymore. I think I am well! I couldn't have done it without all of you!

Thank you, dear and precious friends!

NOW what?

All my life, I have eaten hard food with Fancy Feast on Sunday. Yesterday, when I wouldn't eat, Mom gave me Fancy Feast on Thursday. I ate it...slowly.

We only had one can in the house, so when Mom went to work today, she gave me treatsies (Temptations) and I ate them, and some tuna flakes. Hard food was available.

When Mom got home from work, she discovered that I hardly ate anything all day long. She gave me another can of Fancy Feast, and I ate it.

Now she is confused. She doesn't have any idea how much Fancy Feast I should eat if it's ALL I'll eat. She thinks I should lose some weight because the vet scared her about my...um... size.

Anyone out there eat FF? Mom is going to drive an hour tomorrow to get me Tiki Cat, since Calvin swears by it. In the meantime, how much FF do I get? And are my beautifully clean teeth gonna suffer from eating canned all the time?

Yikes! Amazing how many questions a little colitis brings up. But I haven't thrown up, and I'm not hiding. I am acting a little stand-offish, but I'll purr very easily. I think I'm gonna be OK!

The saga of my day

Yesterday, I was fine when Mom got home from work. But 2 hours later I threw up all my food. Then I went in the box and tried to poop. I couldn't. I threw up some more. For the next 2 hours it was: try to poop, cry, puke, cry some more.

Finally Mom said "ENOUGH!" and swept me up into the car. I think she had it backward. Usually it's get in the car and then puke. Now, I'm already puking and she puts me in the car!

A short trip and we were at a VET office. I was MAD! I screamed and scared the vet tech when she tried to take my temperature you-know-where. They tried to take me for an X-Ray. I made quite a scene. They sedated me, which barely slowed me down at all.

The x-ray showed that I have colitis, or inflammation of the small bowel. They gave me sub-q fluids and Mom could hear me screaming behind 2 closed doors.

Mom talked medical to the doctor for a LONG time. He was very worried that I was not eating. EATING? I was PUKING! He said that since it came on so suddenly, it was probably stress related. And since my labs a month ago (for my dental) were normal, he was sure it is not chronic.

But he said if I don't eat, my "bag of groceries" will be mobilized by my body and then I will get fatty liver. Mom knows that is BAD!

So we went home and I snarfed down a bunch of food, but I puked again. Then I went to sleep, and hardly ate anything all night.

This morning I ate tuna flakes. Mom was encouraged by that and went to work. She raced home after work and found out I had not eaten much. So she cracked open a can of Fancy Feast. And it isn't even Sunday.

I ate a little, but not much. and I have been hiding behind the bed, which I never do. Now, 5 hours later, I have eaten almost the whole can, a little at a time. But I am still hiding. Mom knows I am not right.

SO that's where we are. I'm hiding and eating a little. Mom is worried about my liver. She says: "If you don't have a liver, you're not a live-r. I'm not sure what that means, but I hope I am a live-r.

Thank you all for your kind support and love extended to me. We love you all more than you know.

Car-WHAT?

They built a new thing behind my new big red boat. Mom says it's called a car-knee-ville. People come there and eat cotton candy and go on rides. Who would go on a ride on purpose?

One of these ride things goes round and round. Mom says it's called a Mary-go-round. Good thing it's not called an Arnold-go-round.

Another one goes round and round and the chairs in it go round and round, too. Mom says just watching it makes her want to puke.

I'm not sure what puke means, but if she does it, I'm doing it, too.

I'm brave AND smart!

Our hotel room directly overlooks the place in Duluth where they shoot off all the fireworks. So, last night, when it started, Mom took me to the windowsill to look out. I liked the lights, but the sound part freaked me out.

So I ran to the other side of the room and sat down there to watch. It was pretty, but it was still too loud. So I got an idea.

I stepped back a couple of feet, outside of the bedroom into the hallway. I laid down there, and had a perfect view!

This hotel building is a hundred years old and made of steel and concrete. So being in the hall muffled most of the sound, but I could still see all the pretty lights.

Mom was amazed that I figured this out, but I did. ALL BY MYSELF.

How much I have to suffer!

This morning, Mom was kissing me, and kissing me, and kissing me, and kissing me. My head, and my tummy, and my ears, and even my nose!

GEESH! Lay off, already! You're cutting into my nap time.

TREATS!

Thank you to my pals who bumped my treatsies up to 1111! Yumm-O!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~
My last vet visit showed that I have beefed up my manly form to 15 pounds! I'm getting more muscular by the day!

Normally, in the morning, I come to Mom and we lay in bed for a while tummy to tummy. Today, I decided to lay behind her so we were butt to butt. MAN! Her butt makes my butt look SMALL! MOL!

I'm gonna do this more often!

No treats?

Tonight Mom let me look out our window in our hotel suite. She had my hips between her arm and her side and her left hand around my left arm and her right hand aound my neck! So I stuck my head way out and looked down 4 floors. That's a LONG way. Then she freaked and made me come back in. Chicken!

She tells me all the time that I am a wonderful boy.

If I'm so wonderful, why do I have NO treats on my page?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Addendum: Thank you to whoever gave me some treats! I was STARVING! The bag of groceries was deflating!

Yogurt-head?

Every morning, Mom and I have yogurt. She eats most of it and I lick the cup. I really like the cherry cheesecake one. So I stick my face all the way into the cup to get all the creamy goodness.

This morning, Mom took a wet rag and washed my face! How RUDE! She said I had hard dried yogurt on my forehead, and she didn't want my pals to call me yogurt head.

Oh... OK!

Geri, again!

My dear and lovely friend Margo sent me this pawmail:

Oh Arnold, MOL! Dat bees funnee............. I hates tew tell yew, but Geri - A-Trick meens *old*.............. It not bees a purrson or kitty, or no nastee trick, ttankfullee. Jus meens dat yew bees gettin older. Das all. Nuttin bad, K?

Lubs,
Margo

I think she may be mistaken, because calling me OLD is VERY bad. I'm just a boy. An Olde Furt boy, admittedly...but a boy, nonetheless. And it is a dirty trick to suggest otherwise!

Geri-who? Is this a new trick?

Those of you who know me know how much I love the trick blankie. (It's the one that plugs in and gets all warm.) Well, now, it seems there's a new trick.

Mom took me to the vet today about my eye. He said I was fine and had an old scratch on my eye. But it's all healed now, and my eye's look healthy.

So Mom mentions that I have mild circular hair loss on my ears. (That's been like that for a while, so why are we talking about it again?) Anyway, the vet says they see that sometime in Geri A. Trick kitties.

Who is this Geri and what kind of trick is this anyway?

6 hands are better than 2!

Yesterday, for the marathon, Moose and Captain Morgan and Sparkman's Mom and Dad came down where we live 'cause the marathon was going right by our front door. So they were here and they petted me, and scratched me and told me I was adorable and charming.

I love my Mom, but I gotta tell you... 6 hands petting and scratching and rubbing you are better than only 2!

Now I know what a marathon is!

A marathon, for those of you who don't know, is a time when a bunch of people gather together and run a real long way. (I still don't know why, tho!) A lot of other interesting things happen, too.

1.) Some people finish in 2 hours and 13 minutes. They look happy!
2.) Some people finish in 6 hours. They look really unhappy!
3.) Some people puke on the side of the road.
4.) Some people ride in ambulances.
5.) A lot of people use crutches and knee braces to get around.
6.) Some people (Mom) are grateful they never took up running.
7.) The smartest ones of all are the ones like me who nap through the whole thing.

Who is Grandma, and why is everyone running?

Here in Duluth, one of the big rites of summer is the "Grandma's Marathon". Grandma was a "lady" who owned a brothel and now has many restaurants and businesses named after her. She also has a marathon, and it's tomorrow!

This marathon starts somewhere far away and ends up right in front of our hotel! 9,000 people are running, but WAY more people are gonna watch. This place is crawling with people, and it took Mom twice as long to get home from work as usual.

So, I am gonna see a LOT of Mom this weekend, 'cause she figures on staying home the whole time, because trying to move the car in this crowd is ridiculous.

Moose, and Captain Morgan and Sparkman's Mom is coming to watch the runners with us! Woo-Hoo! No offense, Moosie's Mom, but I think this calls for a nap!

What is a Klondike?

Yesterday it was 42 degrees and rainy with winds of 40-50 miles per hour.

Mom said it was colder than a well-digger's *ss in the Klondike.

What is a Klondike?

To my pals on the East Coast...

Today, Mom went to work and was wearing the following clothes:

1.) The normal shirt and pants to keep her from getting arrested.
2.) A 2 layer fleece jacket with nylon in between to block wind.
3.) A yellow slicker with a hood to block rain.

It was 45 degrees with 20 mile an hour wind and rain.

Come on up to Duluth, everyone! We'll have a party! We sure don't miss the 95 degrees and 95% humidity!

Moosie and me

So, now that Mom has met Moosie, my bestest bub, we talked about how alike the two of us are...or not.

We're different because:

Moosie is lighter grey than me.
Moosie has a shorter nose than me.
Moosie is braver than me, 'cause he goes outside! (But safely!)
Moosie is thinner than me.
Moosie is younger than me.

We're the same because:

I have spare groceries, and he needs spare groceries.
We both love our Daddies: his is human, mine is McGREGOR!
We both love our Moms.
We are hunters: I hunt geckos, and he hunts bees and mice.
I love Moosie and he loves me!

She thinks I smell like a goat????

Today, we went to the Lake Walk again. I saw a Great Dane. Now THAT'S a DOG! I also got within 2 feet of a horsie. (For those of you who don't know, a horsie is like a GIANT Great Dane.)

So this horsie has this odd fragrance about him, and frankly, he smells like a GOAT! AND, he has a bag hanging off his harness and bridle and stuff that catches his poopies!

I hope I didn't smell THAT bad last week. And I'm also glad I don't have to wear a poopie bag!

Meeting a Moose

Mom went today to meet my bestest bub, Moose! She said he is VERY handsome and sleek and fit. And his personality is very sweet! And Moosie LOVES his Daddy! And Daddy loves Moose, too!

She also met Moose's brother, Captain Morgan. He is a handsome bloke, too! He is kind of quiet and has gorgeous white feet and tummy. He is very soft!

Last, but not least, she met Sparkman. He's a little shy, but when Mom gave him some potato, he let her pet him. That boy LOVES potatoes! And he is the biggest kitty Mom has ever seen. He has a huge head and paws and LONG body, but he is very thin and also handsome.

How did their parents get so many handsome kitties, I wonder? They must have the same kind of luck my Mom has! MOL!

A lake can walk?

In Duluth, there is a place called the Lake Walk. SO Mom said: "Come on Arnold, let's go to the Lake Walk". Now, I KNOW that lakes can't walk, so I was a little cranky about going.

But we got in the car and drove a tiny way...so short that I didn't even get to cry ONCE! Then I got in my stroller and went on the Lake Walk. It turns out the lake doesn't walk, everyone walks around the lake! (Not the WHOLE lake...We're talking Lake Superior here!) We walked and walked and then Mom needed a rest.

So we sat on the bench and Mom took me out of the stroller. I sat on the bench and watched birds and people. And lots of dogs and giant white birds Mom calls see-gulls, I think.

People came by on bicycles built for FOUR, and scooters, and regular bikes, and walking, and pulled by horsies! Horsies are BIG!

We sat there for a whole hour and I was lounging on the bench and people came by and petted me, and told me I am handsome, and that I am a good boy! It was so FUN! Now Mom is a little worried that I got ear sunburn, so she's watching me like a hawk.

But what a day! I hope we go there again!

Moose's Mom and Dad!

I met them! They really exist! And they are maximally COOL! They brought me brand new, fresh off the vine (or what ever it grows on!) CATNIP! That stuff was POTENT! And they knew to pet my ears and they were SOOOO nice. I can't wait until Mom goes to meet my bestest bub!

I don't smell like a goat! (I DID smell like a goat?)

Between having my teeth cleaned and having anesthesia and travelling and flying on airplanes and having to make mastadon poopies, what do you think Mom said to me? She said: "Arnie, you don't smell as much like a goat as you did yesterday!"

WHAT? I smelled like a goat? Ya think it might be because you drugged me and two days later stuck me in a box? And then I had to make mastadon poopies, so when was I supposed to clean up?

HUMANS! Can't live with them, can't live without them!

I'm a flyboy! (with a side story about poopies)

Yesterday, I flew for the first and second times! First, we rode in the car for 1 hour. Then we got on an airplane. WOW, is it ever noisy. Hardly anyone (except Mom!) heard me crying. I was in a little box. I could turn around, but that's about all. But it was only for an hour!

Then I got in my stroller again and we walked for a little while. Then I got back in the box and we flew for 2 hours! Nobody could hear me cry this time because we were sitting by the window. Well, MOM was sitting by the window, I was under the seat. The indignity!

Then we got in another car and drove for 2 hours and arrived in Duluth, Minnesota, home of the world famous Moose, Captain Morgan and Sparkman!

This morning, Mom could tell I didn't feel good. I was straining in my box! Remember, I had my teeth cleaned Friday, so I didn't eat anything. Saturday I still didn't feel good after anesthesia, so I didn't eat at all. Sunday we flew, so I didn't eat until we got to Duluth. So this morning, after 3 days without eating or making poopies, I was hurting.

Mom went to work, and while there, she made plans to take me to an emergency vet for poopie help. Well, HA-HA, Mom! When she came home, she found what she described as the largest caliber and longest poopie ever made by ANY living creature, including a mastadon!

What kind of cat is a mastadon?

I've been shot!

Mom grabbed me and took me in the car this morning. I thought we were going to Oklahoma, so I cried and cried. But instead of driving 1000 miles, we drove 3 miles and stopped at the v-e-t.

First, they took my temperature in my EAR! (HaHa, Calvin!) I was a good boy, altho I did hiss at him when he was poking around my mouth. He said he is not sure if I have a cavity or not, 'cause the black spot on my molar may be just tartar. Woo-Hoo!

The whole time he was trying to listen to my heart and lungs, I was growling. The vet tech was laffin' and laffin', cause the v-e-t couldn't hear anything 'cause of my growling. But I didn't scream even once.

THEN, they gave me a shot, but honestly, it didn't hurt. I hardly noticed. Then I got to go back into my stroller and I was safe. Friday I am going back for my "dental".

Did I mention that my weight has PLUMMETTED from 15 pounds to 14.6? I am SVELTE! I'm wasting away! I'd better get some Tiki and start packing in the food!

This CANNOT be!

I overheard Mom on the phone this afternoon and she said: "Yes, I can have him there tomorrow at 11:30 and Friday at 8AM. HIM WHO??

So I confronted her and she admitted she was talking about ME. Have me WHERE? Then she admitted she was talking to the V-E-T. So why do I have to go to the v-e-t even once, let alone TWICE?

She said I have a cavity in my tooth. She knows this because she SAW it when I yawned and then she pawed my mouth until she saw it really well. If I had known what all the pawing was about, I NEVER would have let her look.

BUT, the vet lady said I can't have my teeth cleaned unless I have a rabies shot first! (WHY? Are they gonna give me rabies?) It seems that I haven't had a rabies shot since March of 2007. I didn't even know I was missing a shot.

I only go outside in my stroller. So Mom is gonna tell the vet I don't need it, but then he probably won't take care of my teeth! WHAT? Isn't this what they call a circular argument?

Anyway, I'm going tomorrow to get a rabies shot. OH NOE! Then I am going Friday to get my teeth prettified. Double NOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two beautiful angels

Yesterday, one of my favorite Olde Furts, Cybil, left for the Bridge. She was so sweet and kind and just plain gorgeous. She was white, like a cloud, and had the most photogenic face I have ever seen.

Today, Miss Simba will be leaving us for the Bridge after 20 long years with her Mommy. Simba has been brave and strong and full of humor throughout her fight for life. Now she wins the final battle, because she will be restored to her full, vibrant, jet-black (except for her pretty white socks, of course!), self at the Bridge.

I can envision the two of them, black and white, going off together into the sunset. How very like the kind and thoughtful Cybil to go ahead and scope out the best grass and butterfly fields for her friend. I will always think of them as arm-in-arm, strolling over the Bridge.

Rest in peace, girls! We all love you! We will miss you, ...until we meet again.

I must be sick!

Mom cut my claws today. And I let her. I didn't bite, and I didn't squirm, and I didn't yell. And I only pulled away a little bit.

I MUST be sick! Call the v-e-t!

V-E-T?? No! Wait!

I slapped my tail on the bed a little. YEAH! That's it! I'm OK! Forget the v-e-t!

Who IS this guy?

Every day, Mom says: "Uh-oh! Stinky poop boy has been here!"

I've never seen this guy! Who could he be?

What's your name, who's your Daddy?

I have a Daddy! I had some girls that said THEY wanted to be my Daddy. That is just WRONG! BUT, one of my best gal pals said her brother wants to be my Daddy! And he actually looks like he could be my Daddy! So he's official!

My Daddy is McGregor!

Catch, Dad! *tosses McG a rubber ball*

What I want for Father's Day!

No, I am not a father. So it isn't a tie or socks!

But I have never had a real dad. I know who my father is, but he lives far away and he never lived with me and Mom like he did with Boomer and Mom.

So, for Father's Day, I want a Daddy! Someone who will love me and tell me I'm a good boy and play (virtual) catch with me. Someone that I can send kisses to and tell he's the best Daddy in the whole world.

Anyone want to be my Daddy?

Tagged!

The rules for this game:

. Name 4 Jobs that you have
. Name Places that you have lived
. Name Places You would rather be

4 Jobs:
. Maker of hair so Mom can Zoom Groom.
. Official greeter to all who enter my home.
. Helper to all handymen.
. Foot warmer for Mom

4 Places:
. Ocala, FL
. Tahlequah, OK
. Evans, GA
. Lady Lake, FL

Places I'd Rather be:
. Not the car
. The Vet
. In water

Mom's name

Mostly I call Mom "Mau". But sometimes, when I haven't seen her for a while, I really kind of miss her.

Like last night: I was in the bedroom and she was in the office. I hadn't seen her in about 2 hours. I heard her coming to see me.

The second she appeared in the door of the bedroom, I said: "MaaMAU!" She loved it and I got all kind of kisses.

Humans are such suckers!

Why I love Mom

1.) Out of all the kittens in my litter, she chose ME!
2.) She feeds me and gives me treats.
3.) She let me pick out my own first food bowl at Petsmart the day she got me. I picked it by sitting in it.
4.) She realized after three days that she was calling me something that was NOT my name. So she stopped calling me Leonard and began calling me Arnold.
5.) She saved my life when I was tiny and had a bad infection.
6.) She Zoom Grooms me.
7.) She gives me tummy kisses.
8.) She gives me head kisses.
9.) She gives me everything she thinks I will like, even if I don't like it!

Cat of my Day

All day yesterday, Mom called me Cat of the Day. Then we went to sleep and when we woke up, Mom called the "Cat of my Day everyday". I think she loves me!

I received SOOO many cool greetings and treats and rosies and stars and pawmails and new friends! Thank you to each and every one of my wonderful friends who made being Cat of the Day so much fun! It was everything I always thought it would be and MORE!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! And thank you, Catster!

It's me! It's ME! It's FINALLY ME!

I'm the Cat of the Day! Holy cow! It's even better than I thought it would be!

WOW! Cat of the Day! I hope I get lots of tummy kisses and treats and maybe a year pass to never get in the car again...

Thank you, Catster!

A Quiz

Over the past few days, I have heard mom say the same thing to other people MANY times. The other people couldn't hear her, though.

Here is the phrase: "Oh My GOD! You are the worst driver I have EVER seen!"

How many times in the past two days do you think I heard Mom say this phrase?

Side story about our trip

We stopped Sunday night and checked out a motel. The lady said we could stay, but there was a $25 dollar, non-refundable pet fee. $25???? (Who is the pet?) Mom said, "Why so high?" The lady said because cats spray.

SPRAY? Mom said I had never sprayed anything in my whole 12 years and besides: " he doesn't even have opposable thumbs"!

The lady totally didn't get it, so we left! MOL! Spray? I couldn't even hold the bottle without thumbs!

Our second day in the car...

I got my Xanax, and did okay for an hour. Then the ralfing began again and I threw up my huge breakfast. Since that was over I settled in to say "MAU" every ten seconds for the next seven hours.

We were on an okay, but not limited access road. So we ran into traffic and went slow a LOT. We finally got to a part of the road that was kinda wide open and were racing along when the ride felt funny. Mom slowed it way down just as the front tire blew out.

So we're standing by the side of the road and Mom has to empty a month worth of OK stuff from the back of the car to get the spare out. She does this while waiting for road service. (Mom is almost 60, and has had back surgery. She doesn't pick up cars!) Road service comes and we get back on the road to look for a real tire... the donut one is no good for high speed or long distance. While packing the stuff back in the car, Mom has chest pain! But she didn't tell me!

We get to a tire place and they let me walk around the showroom. When we are ready to leave, they mention that they have rat poison all over the place! So Mom washes my paws with seltzer water in the car.

The rest of the trip was okay, but it took us 10 hours to get home instead of 7 and my throat was a little sore from saying "MAU" every ten seconds for 10 hours. I've been doing nothing but sleeping and eating ever since we got home. But after I was safe, Mom went and had an EKG and it was just stress!

What stress?

Sunday in the car with Mom

Me: Mau!

Mom: You're OK, Arnie!

Me: Mau!!

Mom: Arnold, you're OK!

Me: MAU!

Me: NOW!

Mom: Arnie, you're OK, Sweetie.

Me: NOW!

Mom: Come on, Arnie, calm down, you're OK!

Me: Ow!

Mom: Arnold nothing is hurting you

Me: OW!

Mom: Arrrrnoldddd!

Me: OWWWWWWW

Mom: Arnie, please! We're just into the first 15 minutes of the trip.

Me, to myself: Oh. OK. Then here's my breakfast back...maybe it can sustain us all day!

Me, to Mom: Ralf, ralf, ralf... MAJOR Flojectile!

We're going!

Mom says we're driving in the morning. She is no better after spending the day in bed, so now she wants to get home in case she has to go to a doctor.

Purr for us, please!

To travel or not to travel...

Mom and I are supposed to get in the c-a-r again tomorrow. But Mom is sick and has a temperature. So maybe we'll stay here? I don't know what will happen!

I'm Will Ferrell!

Wow, your cat is Will Ferrell!

Will Ferrell
The Comedian

Keeping a straight face around Arnold P. is a cheek muscle-wrenching nightmare. Try as you may, but giggling is inevitable because Arnold P. is comedian Will Ferrell!

For a while Arnold P. was just funny on Saturday nights, but that's all changed now that he's taken his act on the road. Whether he's being silly in real life or on the silver screen, Arnold P. has a true knack for making people crack up. Arnold P. has even managed to make the crossover to the cyberwebs, where he delivers raw, fresh, uncooked humor to his countless cyberpet fans. A fast runner, Arnold P. runs marathons when he's not dreaming up his next slapstick routine. Widely talented and able to impetsonate any number of two and four-legged critters, Arnold P.'s fans will be lapping it up for a long time to come.

Mom left me in Oklahoma!

She went back to Florida for "business" and left me in the hotel! I didn't get to see our nice big house... or my ceramic bowls... or my window seat... or a car... or an airplane...

Hey, wait a minute! This may have been a good thing! The ladies that own the hotel came to see me several times a day, I got brushed, I got fed canned food, petted and fawned over, and Mom was back in 59 hours.

Hmmmm.... I wonder if she'll leave me here when she goes to Wisconsin?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note from Mom: No, I will not leave him in OK when I go to Wisconsin!

We're drowning again!

I'm under the sink and a deluge is falling on the roof. I am not sure what a deluge is, but it is very LOUD! Oklahoma must be Cherokee for WET!!

Is this a record?

This morning at 5 AM, I used the litter box. That's normal for me. But afterward, I had to ralf up a furball. It came up right away, on a very artistically placed pool of bile.

But then, more bile. And more bile. And more bile! All-in-all, I ralfed up 7 little pools of bile. Is that a record?

By the way, Mom and I went back to bed. We woke up a little while later and I had my breakfast, so I'm fine!

We love Indians!

We never met any Cherokee Indians until 2 weeks ago. Mom's been working at the Cherokee Nation clinic for 2 weeks and says they are really nice people.

Friday night, mom left work without her purse. That meant a weekend in the hotel without food (no money) and no way to get money because no I.D.! Mom was a tad frantic! The clinic is closed tight as a drum from Friday at 5PM until Monday at 8AM.

She called the police in the community where the clinic is, 22 miles away. They said they would try to find a "key person", kind of like an emergency contact. No luck! But they called back and gave Mom the number of the Cherokee Nation Marshall. We don't know where they are located, but they are in a different area code.

Mom called the Marshall and a very nice lady answered. Mom explained the situation, and the lady asked if Mom was safe and had a place to stay. She said she would see what she could find out.

Two hours later, the lady called and said she had gotten hold of the manager of a clinic thirty miles in the other direction, but he had some ideas and she'd get back to us. An hour later she called again and said the guys were at the clinic right then and cleaning it!

Mom RACED in the dark, 22 miles over pitch black curving roads and got to the clinic while the guys were still there! She got her purse! As she was walking out of the clinic, the Marshall lady called again to see if Mom was OK.

Aren't Cherokee Indians the BEST????????? Mom and I think so!

A sad anniversary in Oklahoma

Today marks 13 years since the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed by some bad men. 168 people died that day.

It is a solemn thing to think about, and very much on the minds of Oklahomans today. Even transplanted Oklahomans, like Mom and me.

Cherokee for "cat"

Mom found out today how to say "cat" in Cherokee. It's "WES"! So I looked up if there are any cats named Wes living in Oklahoma.

There are 43 cats named Wes (or some derivation thereof) on Catster. They come from Sweden and Malaysia, and Canada, and a LOT from the U.S. And two of them are from Oklahoma! I wonder if they are Cherokee cats?!?

Would their whole name be Wes the wes? I'm gonna have to nap on this question!

More Oklahoma names

Mr. Naked Head
Mrs. TeeHee
Mr. Wolf
Ms. Bear
Mr. Big Pond
Mrs. Roman Nose

I'm sure glad I am not Mr. Naked Head!

Oklahoma Names

Since we have been in Oklahoma, we have met some people with very interesting names.

Ms. Hummingbird
Mrs. Killer
Mr. Fourkiller
Mrs. Mankiller
Ms. Tenkiller
Mr. Locust

I wouldn't mind being called Arnold P. Hummingbird. But I would NOT like to be called Arnold P. Mankiller.

Also, my friend Rafiki asked me a really good question, but I can't think of an answer: Why do I hate the car so much, but LOVE my stroller? I just don't know! Any ideas?

I crashed!

Mom and I were out strolling in windy, cold Oklahoma. She was aiming for a bank driveway. I, as always, was sitting right in the front of my stroller.

So Mom hits a rock and rams the stroller into the curb! My face smashed into the mesh of the stroller and I fell over.

I'm interviewing for a new driver!

Oooooooooooooooo...

...oooooooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping 'cross the plains! Whoever wrote that song sure knew a lot about Oklahoma!

Since we have been here in OK, we have had 4 major storms which have brought tennis ball sized hail, standing water EVERYWHERE, 2 inches of rain in one hour, tornadoes, roads getting washed away and generally yucky conditions.

Today, things have calmed down somewhat. It's sunny, and the wind is sweeping 'cross the plains at 40 miles an hour with gusts to 60 miles per hour! And it is gonna freeze tonight!

Mom says this is the worst weather she has ever seen, and she has lived in places where there are hurricanes and snow!

Thursday, she had to take a different road to work, because there was debris from tornadoes in the road she normally takes. So she wound her way through woods and forest. She turned left at a cow and then turned right at a horse and crept thru standing water while being chased by a bloodhound.

Oklahoma, O K!!! Well, not so much!

Oh, NOE!

I was daily diary pick and I missed it? Darned Oklahoma weather! We lost internet for 2 whole days! It was VERY scary, too. I spent the night under the sink when the storm came through.

Thank you to all my pals who DID get to see my day of glory and gave me treats and love. At least SOMEONE saw it, even if it wasn't ME! I love you all!

Strollin' in Oklahoma

Yesterday, I went for my first stroll in Oklahoma. It was a good stroll! I met three people, which was more people than I thought lived in this town. They all liked my stroller.

We were headed back to our house when Mom decided to stop at the car to get something out. I backed up into the back of my stroller and said: "NOE, NOE, NOE! Mom said it was OK, and quickly got her item out and walked away from the car.

I came to the front of the stroller, and Mom says she swears she heard a huge sigh of relief coming from me! She did NOT! I wasn't even scared! Much.

Travels with Arnold, part 2

We woke up in a hotel room and Mom packed up her suitcase and took a shower. When she was dressed, I was gone. She had seen me, the night before, checking out under the beds. So she looked, and I was at the head of the bed against the wall. NO WAY could she reach me. I was safe.

Next thing I knew, the mattress was standing on end at the head and the box spring was on end on it's side and I was exposed! I ran, but she caught me. And she made me wait in the dreaded car while she packed up our stuff. She gave me another Xanax while I waited.

We got under way. I was unhappy and I let Mom know. Mau, meow, maaaa, noe, Owww...I was saying it all. OFTEN! After an hour, Mom was convinced I had spit out the pill, so she gave me the Ace stuff. I got louder and more insistent. I was talking every 10 seconds. Even when my head was down and my eyes were closed, I was crying.

Mom called Aunt Beth and held the phone up to me. I told Auntie Beth about the trip. Auntie Beth then told Mom that my story was pretty annoying. HA! It was no more annoying than the trip!

We made record time and finally arrived in Oklahoma. I like where we are staying. This afternoon I took a ride in my stroller. I have my toys and food and I am pretty happy, as long as the c-a-r doesn't re-enter my life anytime soon. Mom went to work today, and I was calm and purring and acting like my normal self!

So that is my story of travelling 1000 miles in a car. If you want the short version, here it is: DON'T DO IT!

Travels with Arnold

Whenever I have travelled before, Mom has given me a medicine called ACEpro-something. It makes my eye membranes come out and my cry go from meow....meow....meow to MEEOOWWW..MEOW..MEEOOOWWWWWW.

So the vet told her he was gonna give me something different. It was Xanax! Mom laughed and laughed and even called Auntie Beth to tell her about me staring at the antenna ball and stuff like that. All in all the first day wasn't too bad. Altho I was NOT happy, I was less frantic than I usually am in the car.

I will tell you about day 2 tomorrow.

Preview of the next episode: Will Mom leave me in the hotel, or overturn the bed to get me out...AND did the medicine work as well on the second day? Tune in tomorrow to find out the answers to these and other questions.

My last entry

This is my last diary entry before the c-a-r trip to Oklahoma. Mom says we are going there to get kibble. Or money FOR kibble. Mom has taken a job at an Indian reservation for a few weeks. It's a good deal. The only down size is the c-a-r part. I think it will be fun, once we get there.

We will be off the 'puter from tonight until Sunday night. Maybe Monday night.

Since this trip came up suddenly, Mom didn't get a chance to thank all my wonderful friends for my birthday presents. So please accept my mass thanks to all my purr-fect friends for my special gifts and stars and rosies and pawmails and packages in the mail. I love every one of the gifts and treasure each giver.

Please purr for me and Mom during the next few days. We need your support.

Oh, NO! It's worse than I feared!

I heard Mom talking to the v-e-t today. She said she needs medicine for me to take because we are going on a c-a-r trip! WHAT? Does she not remember that I puke and poop and cry in the car?

She said she is gonna get ace-something and Xanax! I think the Xanax is for HER!

Why is this happening to me? Hazel Lucy and Macaroni said I could have some of their kibble and treats. So why do we have to go to Oklahoma? Two days in the car? OY!!

OH! Woe is me. WOE IS ME!

I'm scared...

Mom has only gone to that place called work three times since she fell down in February. I don't really understand why. She says that they told her she needed an "exit strategy", but they keep calling her to work a day here and there. She knows they are short of help, but she is supposed to have an exit strategy, right?

So now, she says that we need money to get kibble! WHAT? And I thought I was just enjoying her company! So she says she has a plan, but she's not gonna tell me what it is yet.

This can't be good, can it? Oy! If it's such a great plan, why won't she tell me???

Did you know....

...that 85% of stuff that people put in filing cabinets is never looked at again? I didn't either, but Mom found this out and decided to go through ours.

She has thrown away 50 POUNDS of paper and old magazines. She also burned out the shredder.

So, am I getting enough attention? NOE!!!!

*gives Mom stink eye*

Navin wrote me a Cougar song!

My bud, Navin, wrote a cougar song for me!

Ahem......

A Happy Birthday to Arnold P.!
This happy day fills me with glee!
Arnold is very special you see
Arnold talks of tuna flakes
When his mommy allows him
He partakes
In as many as he can!
Arnold is a handsome tabby man!
Arnold is captain of his own little boat
The swimming pool is his own private moat
Arnold is a religious fellow
Yearly he gets blessed at the church and he's mellow!
How many of us can say that?
Arnold P. is an extraordinary cat!
Last but not least....
I'm sure you know....
That my best friend Chrissy is Arnold's beau!
What a vision of beauty and grace she is
And Arnold has made her his!
Well Arnold P.
I hope that you see
That though I am late
For this very important date
I hold you in highest esteem
and think you are great!

I hope you birthday was wonderful my friend!
all my love,
Navin R. Johnson-Davis

Thank you, Navin! I love it and I love you. And you weren't even late!

Tyler wrote me a poem!

My pal Tyler wrote me a poem! Wait 'til you read this!

There once was a cat named Arn P,
He's a very great friend to me,
I'm sure he won't mind
If I tell all Catkind,
That he's as cute as can be!

You see today he is turning twelve
Into his habits I will not delve,
But so you all know,
I love Arnie P so
Coz he's handsome and smart (like myself).

Now Arnie is not at all spoiled
He smells good, not like an egg boiled,
His words are like gold,
He's not at all OLD,
But in Olde Furts, yes he's embroiled.

I'm coming to the end of my tale,
But my love for Arn will prevail,
Arn, it's your big day
So let's shout HURRAY!
And wish all this great birthday entails!

Love,
Tyler
xxx

I love you, too, buddy!

I'm a dozen!

Well, it is now officially my birthday here in Florida.

I am an even dozen!

12 years old.

I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

Think I'll go to bed!

More talks with Mom

Me: MAU!!!

Mom: What do you need, sweetie?

Me: MAU!!

Mom: What? A treat? You want some greenies?

Me: Noe (I already had some of those!)

Mom: Fishies?

Me: Noe (FIBER formula! Yuck!)

Mom: Dentabites?

Me: NOW!!!!!!!

(I'm so glad she gets me!)

I think I may need a pipe!

My new favorite toy is a pipe cleaner. I never had one before a few days ago. Then my pal Moose sent me one in the mail. I love this thing!

Here's how it's played: I sit on the chair at the foot of the bed. Mom puts the pipecleaner near the foot of the bed. I reach up and grab it and wrestle it to the floor.

Then, I continue to sit on the chair and "MOU" at Mom until she picks it up and puts it back where we started. Then I grab it and wrestle it again.

This is FUN! It's so much fun, I think that if a pipe cleaner is this much fun, I may need a pipe!

Give me a hand!

I figured something out a long time ago. So I thought I'd better tell all of you, just in case you haven't figured it out.

The best part of people is their hands. Hands are the source of petting, butt pats, kibble, canned food, treats, and all good things.

I watch my Mom's hand like a hawk! I wanna know RIGHT AWAY what wonderful thing is gonna happen. This helps Mom, too, 'cause if she drops something, I stare at it, so she knows where it went!

Yep, guys and gals, the hands are the best part of humans. Keep your eyes on the hands!

We have a winner! Mystery solved!

Yesterday I posted a mystery and asked kitties to solve it. And we have a winner! Actually 4 winners!

Tinker Bell (R.I.P.) guessed it in one try with no clues.

Diego guessed it in 2 tries with a VERY small clue. But he was first!

And Sissy and Scooter each guessed it after several tries and with a big clue!

So what was the answer? How DID I get outside?

Before Mom went to the garage and opened the overhead door, she had put several items into the car. While she was doing that, I had slipped into the garage with her. (YES! I was locked in the garage before:
http://www.catster.com/cats/283073/diary/ask_arnold/282770 )

So when Mom opened the big garage door, the noise scared me and I ran under it! Luckily, Mom saw my feet and followed me! I was found as quickly as I was lost!

Thank you to Taillee, Chester, Macaroni, Moose, Spot and Calvin for your tries. And Hazel Lucy and Oly and Sparkman, thanks for the laughs!

Oly, I remember when I was small enough to get thru the dryer vent, but it's a VERY distant memory! MOL!

Solve this one! There's a prize in it for the winner!

This afternoon, Mom opened the overhead garage door and saw kitty feet outside the door. That surprised her, because she had never seen any stray kitties in the neighborhood. So she walked in the direction the feet had gone and found a kitty standing at the front door of the house. It was ME!

Mom did NOT let me out the door! And NO windows were involved!

How did I get out there?

Send me your guess!

There's a prize for the winner, or the kitty who comes closest!

Talking with Mom

Mom and I talk. Today, we have had 2 conversations already.

Mom: Arnie, are you awake?

Me: Noe

Mom: Do you want to get up, Arnie?

Me: Noe

Mom: Don't you want something to eat?

Me: Noe

(After which I jettisoned off the bed toward the kitchen. I talk, but I don't always tell the truth!)

Later in the morning:

Mom: Arnold, did you hear that noise?

Me: Wha...?

Mom: You didn't hear it??

Me: Noe

(I heard it, but I couldn't be bothered! Mwah-ha-ha!!)

Mr. Wonderful

Mom talked to the lady that took care of me while she was gone to Hawaii. The lady said "Arnold is a wonderful boy"!

She said I was very sweet and fun and PRECIOUS!

PRECIOUS??? ME???? Are boys supposed to be precious? I'm not so sure about this!!

I was Bud of the Day!

I was chosen by Navin himself to be the "Bud of the Hump day" on Wednesday, March 12.

What an honor to be picked for recognition by such a wonderful kitty and great pal!

Bud of the Day! WOW!

*puffs out his chest and struts around the house*

I want to teach a new word too...like Calvin!

My pal Calvin is always teaching us new words. I know a new word and I want to teach you guys what it is!

The word is: humu humu nuku nuku apu 'a 'a.

It is the name of the Hawaii state fish.

It won a run-off election against: Lau wili wili nuku nuku 'oi' oi.

Let's hear it for humu humu nuku nuku apu 'a 'a!

Don't forget to use it in everyday speech!

Aloha and Mahalo!

We made up!

I was a little scared of Mom with her bruised face. So I didn't sleep with her last night and wouldn't come by her.

But she came by me, and combed me and petted me. And I got treats, of course. (I get treats if I'm a good boy...and I'm ALWAYS a good boy!)

So this evening, I came by Mom and we made up and she doesn't scare me anymore! She still looks weird, but I can tell it's my Mom!

Elsa wrote me a poem!

I am so proud! Elsa, the baroness of beauty and princess of pulchritude, wrote a poem for ME! Here it is:

My Captain

As we cross unknown seas
Captain Arnold guides our ship.
He pacifies the tallest waves and
Challenges the slightest breeze!

Fervently adored by all the crew
He maintains a course most true.
We are lost without his brilliance
Like an eight ball without a cue!

How the ladies flush and murmur
Excited by Arnold's dashing glance!
The seas are calm, the night is clear
Might he join us for a dance?

The music seems to brighten
As Arnold majestically appears,
We crane our necks to see him as he
Waltzes with Chrissie, his love most dear.

This endless sea reminds us
That Olde Furts are short on time
But we rejoice in Friendship
Celebrating each other along with silly rhymes!

Are we the stuff of dreams?
I wonder off and on.
But this I'm sure of knowing: Captain Arnold
Leads us onward calmly greeting a new Dawn!

*swoons*

What I learned today

Don't headbutt Mom's broken nose.

Fighting and head kisses

Sometimes, in the winter, Mom and I fight. We only fight in the winter because I'm not allowed to 'pretend bite' her arm unless there is some kind of fabric on it.

I grab her arm and she holds my chest, or rubs my face. I hold on and bunny kick and pretend to bite her. Sometime, I get a little too excited, and the claws come out.

When I get too excited, Mom puts her lips on my forehead and gives me about a hundred kisses. When she starts kissing me, I immediately stop fighting until the kissing stops.

Once the kissing stops, the fight is on again!!

No blankie, no Arnie!

I like to sit on Mom's lap when she watches TV. But I haven't done that in a LONG time.

The other day it was kinda cold, for Florida. So Mom grabbed a fleece blankie and sat in the recliner. I was on her lap in a flash!

Today she sat in the recliner, no blankie. (It's 85 degrees outside!) I jumped up and immediately jumped back down again.

She pulled the blankie on and I jumped up and laid right down on her lap.

No blankie, NO ARNIE!

Well, I never!

There's something I have never done, that is so cat-esque, that Mom is amazed I have never done it. What could it be? Am I a failure as a cat?

You know that arched back, puffed tail, running sideways thing that cats do to prove they are tough guys (or gals)? Well, I have never done it!

Boomer did it all the time, but I've NEVER done it. Am I just a powder puff?

*hangs head and slumps off*

Catster rocks! Wanna know WHY?

While I dictate to Mom, I'm resting in my pink flying saucer bed that she found CHEAP at Revival Animal Health. Then Mercy saw my bed and got some from RAH for her siblings, too. Then Calvin got one. Because of Catster!

My favorite toys are poofballs, which Mom sent to my pals. Now Moose and Spunky and Sugar and Chrissy all love their poofballs. Because of Catster!

I love YEOWW catnip toys. Scootie does too, and Calvin, and Moose, and Vincent! And I got a YEOWWW catnip banana from my bro Wally that he bought BEFORE he went to the Bridge! Because of Catster!

I get scared in thunderstorms and there's A LOT of them in Florida. So I go hide in the closet and sleep in a bed from Morgan the Pirate Gato. When the storm's over, I am well rested and ready to go about my business. Because of Catster!

In the morning, the sun streams in the window of my room. So I lay on my green and pink tranquility blanket from Hazel Lucy and catch some rays. At night I sleep on a little bed at the foot of Mom's bed on a blue and yellow tranquility blanket from Hazel Lucy. Lots of my pals do, too. Because of Catster!

When I was sick, my pals all rallied around me and made me feel like I was not alone and that other people cared. And I have helped others when they were sick. Even when they went to the Bridge, we all helped their families know they were loved and not alone. Because of Catster.

Catster ROCKS!

I have a sprinter's stride

Ever since I was a tiny kitten, I have had the same running technique. I only use it when I am running far, like all the way across the house.

I start running, and when I get up to speed, I throw my head back and push my chest out. Mom thinks it looks like a sprinter stretching his chest out for the finish line.

So, if I have abs of steel AND a sprinter's stride, why is she laughing?!? Shouldn't she be honoring my great athletic accomplishments?

Abs of steel

Mom and I woke up this morning and didn't get up. It was so warm under the lec-trick blankie!

So I'm laying with my back against her leg, head towards her knee. She has her hand between my legs, holding the bag of groceries. I fell back asleep fast and pretty soon I started twitching.

First my ears twitched, then my legs and arms. THEN! The bag of groceries twitched TOO!

Everyone knows that only MUSCLES twitch! So obviously the bag of groceries must be MUSCLE....Right?

I have abs of steel!

Happy New Year!

To all my pals and especially my Olde Furt pals: I wish you all a very happy and HEALTHY new year.

I expect you all to meet me here next year at this time!

PRETTY??

Whenever Mom has been gone, and then comes back, I meet her at the door.

She always says: "Hi, pretty boy!"

PRETTY? I think NOT!

I got a gecko!

Mom was doing yard work. I know, I know. It's December and you all are shovelling snow, but this is Florida. So Mom was doing yard work and when she opened the door to come inside, a gecko came with her!

Geckos are F-U-N!!! I played and played with him. He ran and I caught him. He hid and I found him. He snapped at me and I batted him. Geckos are SOOO fun!

Geckos. Protein on the hoof! Yum!

Cat Dancer!

My dear friend Elsa sent me a Cat Dancer for Christmas. Mom had thought about buying one for me before, but never did because she thought it was a lame toy.

So I opened the Cat Dancer from Elsa, and I went BERSERK! I LOVE this thing! Mom is planning a video in the near future.

Cat Dancer! YIPPEE!! (Thanks, Elsa!)

Santy Paws ROCKS!

I have a picture with Santa on my page. In that picture I am asking him for a mouse and a fish and a gecko.

Well, the other day, a package arrived from the NORTH POLE! And what do you think was in it?

A stuffed MOUSE, a FISH with catnip bubbles in it, and a GECKO clip magnet for holding my picture on the refrigerator! How cool is THAT?? Everything I wanted!

Santy Paws ROCKS!

I'm retired!

Mom was not very happy with my picture with Santa where my face didn't show, so we went AGAIN this morning. I was NOT amused.

I was very well behaved, and sat nicely, but I refused to look at the camera. The one second that I did look , they took a picture. Mom said I look like "Cujo Kitty"! We're not even posting it!

So Mom said I could retire from taking pictures with Santa! YIPPEE!!! From now on, we just re-cycle my "I want a mouse, and a fish..." picture!

I'm 11 years old and I'm retired!! Hip-hip-HOORAY!!!

My favorite place to sleep

Since Mom gave away some of my sleeping spots, it got me thinking about my FAVORITE sleeping spot. It's easy for me, because it's been the same for years.

Mom MADE it. (This is amazing in itself, because Mom frequently says she has no skills.) She took two layers of dacron fiberfill and put them in a pillowcase. That's the bed.

I love it because the fiberfill is soft, and it's dented in in the middle where I sleep. Mom loves it because it is washable.

In the summer, it just has the pillowcase on it. In the winter, Mom covers the pillowcase with a fleece baby blanket or my new Hazel Lucy tranquility blanket. Then it's nice and warm, and still washable.

It sits at the foot of Mom's bed. I sit anywhere I want all day, but when it's bedtime, I head to my very own bed. Ahhhhhhh, comfort!

Where's my stuff??

I'm an only cat. So I have a LOT of responsibility. I have to lay on every chair, every bed, every cat tree (2), and in every closet ALL by myself. There are no other cats to help me.

So today, Mom packed up my circle play condo, one of my blue cubes, two of my fleecy squares and my leopard print rectangle. And she drove them to the HUMANE Society! And LEFT them there!

She said I never used them. This is true, but they were MINE! I would have gotten around to them (probably). Or maybe not. But they were MINE!

Mom said something about needy kitties in China, or some such drivel. Now, I'M needy! I only have the bed and the daybed and the couch and the 4 chairs and my (two) cat trees and the footstool and lanai chairs and two tranquility blankets and a boogie bed and a fuzzy circle bed and the whole house to lay on.

Woe is me!

Squirrels!

Mom and I were just chilling this afternoon, and what to our wondering ears should appear? Squirrels on our ROOF! Man, they were loud!! They ran around up there and then they came down the side of the house and hung upside down on the screen.

I was ready to get them, but Mom wasn't fast enough in getting the window open. *frowns at Mom*

They ran across our yard and up our backyard tree and we couldn't see them anymore.

Squirrels are the BOMB!!! I WANT ONE!!!!

Admission

Mom is leaving in the morning for Chicago. Her friend is gonna come and see me while Mom is away. But before she goes, I decided I needed to get to Catster and make an admission.

You all know I am a dude's dude. I love my dude pals and my gal pals. I love football. I'm a flirt of the worst (or best) kind. So what's the admission?

I have a guy crush! There's a kitty on Catster who is SOOOO handsome, I can't help but stare at him every time I see his face come up. This dude is GOOD-LOOKING! And poised, and he has a great photographer.

He is NOT a perfect specimen in the classic sense, because he only has one eye! I can't begin to imagine how hunky he would be with two eyes! Did you catch the clue in that last sentence?

His brother, Calvin, says he's chunky, but I say he's hunky! Spunky!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away...

What a week!

We worried for two whole weeks that mom had cancer, because the x-ray looked like she did. But she had a second test and a biopsy. Then we waited some more, and finally found out Wednesday that she doesn't have cancer. HURRAY!

Before that good news could even sink in, this morning my Grammy died. She was 90 years old and ready to go to heaven. But Mom and I are sad anyway, because we miss her. Rest in peace, dear Grammy.

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.
I Thes. 4: 13-14

Mom's Test

My Mom just went and had a test.
She studied hard to do her best.
She had to drink some yucky stuff,
And that part of the test was rough.

She went, they poked her in the hand
Next she knew she'd been all scanned.
They said it's probably not cancer
but more than likely a giant ulcer.

We'll know for sure this coming Tuesday
In the meantime we want together to say:
We love you so, and all your kindness.
To not would amount to only blindness.

So thank you all and every one
for rosies and purrs for me and my "son".
Arnold loves you so much and so do I.
On that you can always and ever rely.

I'm in danger!

Now that it's fall, and the temperature has plummeted from the 90's to the low 80's, Mom has gotten out a little blankie. She sits on the bed to read or take a nap and snuggles under the blankie. I, of course, sit right next to her.

All of a sudden, something pops out from under the blankie and pokes my foot, or pokes my butt, or grabs my tail. It looks a lot like Mom's finger, but she doesn't normally do that kind of thing, so it can't be her!

So I flip over and fight this invader. Mom starts laughing and saying: "Ow, Arnie, that hurts!" How does she know how the invader feels???

Oh, woe is me!

She finally did it.

She went and bought a digital camera. So what happens? She sticks it in my face, of course!

And then, to add insult to injury, she puts me in a polo shirt! It has pretty snappy, manly colors, I must admit. But I am a dedicated nudist! I refused to stand up. I think clothes make me paralyzed...

Digital camera for sale... CHEAP!

Wednesday is National Talk Like a Pirate Day

My pal, Captain Morgan is very distressed because his swabbies have gone canoeing and he will miss most of Talk Like a Pirate day.

So, to support the Day, and Captain Morgan, I went and took a pirate quiz and got a pirate name.

http://www.piratequiz.com/

So for the next few days I will be known as Iron Tom Flint!

Arghh, mates! Lift a mug of grog!

For Simon...

My dear friend Simon (http://www.catster.com/cats/513631) is very ill. He, like me, is an olde furt. But I am healthy and he is not. He is having a test tomorrow that will kind of determine his future.

The Olde Furt group has decided that we are having an all day purr vigil for Simon. Thursday, September 13. Won't you join us in praying that this precious boy, who will be 15 years old on Saturday, will get better?

Simon has a poet's heart and you should go to his diary and read his latest addition. And then purr for his Mommy too. She loves him so, and she is afraid and needs our support.

I love you, Simon! Forever, pal! And we love you too, Ali!

I'M the "Little Brussel Sprout"!

My bro Wally is finally back on line after 2 whole weeks! WOW, did I ever miss him! What could be bettter than having Wally back?

My darling Chrissy wrote a wonderful diary entry about ME!

She called me her little brussel sprout. *swoon*

AND she put a new graphic on her page that says she LOVES me! *falls over backward*

Brusselball rosettes!

We did it! We convinced Catster Headquarters to give us Brusselball rosettes!

I never would have thought this would happen. WAY COOL!

Thank you, Headquarters! Woo-Hoo!

Mixed emotions

What is a guy to do?

My bro, Wally, is off Catster due to 'puter problems. I miss him A LOT!!

And Chrissy is my new girlfriend. We've been pals a long time, but I finally woke up and realized I love her!

But I can't share my joy with my bro!

Wally: COME BACK!

Chrissy: ;-)

My pal, Simon, is real sick!

Oh, Simon, my Simon, dear Simon...
I'm not really worried 'bout rhymin'.
I want you to know,
That we love you so.
We're purrin', in fact double-timin'.

And Boomer adds: "YEAH!"

Come on, Simon

You can do it!!!! Get better!

I started brusselball!

A few months back, my pal Chester fell away from home. When he was found, a big party was thrown. Only Chester was there when I arrived with Cornish game hens and Brussel sprouts.

Chester made faces and thought I was crazy to bring Brussel sprouts. I told him they were raw, and great fun to play with because they are oddly shaped and bounce funny. He tried it, and was hooked.

A new Catster game was born, thanks to Chester and Samoa's detectives. They love playing and have brought the game to other groups as well. And they have added more shots to it than I could have ever thought! What fun! Oly even made me falling brusselballs for my page!

Just don't catch one in your mouth! YUCK!

WOW!!! ME????

I'M a daily diary pick!!!!! That's never happened to me before! My life is SOOO boring, but they picked me anyway! WOW!!!

Thanks Catster, and thanks to all my friends for the gifties and conCATs. I'll be in touch with you all SOON!

A poem about me!

Mom wrote this in the OLDE FURT poetry section, but I liked it, so I'm adding it to my diary.

Mommy was petting my head today.
And doing so prompted her to say:
Who could have known when Boomer passed away,
And I wanted someone new with whom to play,
What a blessing that I would take home that day?

She FOUND the LEG!

Mom said on my page that the one-legged vet is my favorite toy. And I do love it. But even more than the vet himself, I love the leg I tore off him. It's stuffing is hanging out and it is the perfect size for tossing in the air.

Well, today she found it! It was in my toy box. I usually just take toys out of the top. Mom dug to the bottom, and there it was. I immediately grabbed it out of Mom's hand and flung it in the air and chased it.

What a great toy! Welcome back, old body part!

Cats and pot

Many years ago, when Boomer was a little kitty, (1973) Mom lived in an apartment building. One of the other people in the building said he was gonna take Boomer and put her in a paper bag and blow pot smoke in it to get her high. Mom about had a cow, and threatened him with great bodily harm if he touched Boomer.

So yesterday Mom comes home with a tree, and a pot. And what do you think got put in the pot? ME!!! I, of course, jumped right out!

She must be getting senile! Cats and pot don't mix! They didn't in '73 and they don't today!

FINALLY!

After a month, the house is almost done!

The floors are all tiled.
The walls are repaired.
The shower is re-tiled.
The cabinets are replaced.
The countertops are replaced.
The carpet is cleaned.
The medicine cabinet is hung.
The mirror is hung.

Most importantly, I GOT TUMMY KISSES! I haven't gotten them in a long time. I even had to ask Simon's Mom for some smooches because I was in a deficit situation. (Thankfully, she came through for me!)

Construction supervision is the hardest job I ever had! I think Mom can paint without me. I need a nap.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Memorial Day

My Mom loves Memorial Day. Not because it is the first bar-b-q day of the summer. But because it is a day especially set aside for all of us to remember the brave soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who have paid so high a price for our freedom. She says it is the ultimate sacrifice.

Today there are soldiers making this sacrifice in the middle east. But Mom is really worried about the World War II veterans. They are dying of old age at the rate of 1200 a day. Mom is sometimes afraid nobody will remember all these brave men accomplished.

We live in freedom, because of them. We worship in freedom because of them. And we forget them, because they don't draw attention to themselves. They just fade away, just as they "just" saved the world.

So this Memorial Day, Mom and I will be remembering a soldier who died (Mom's uncle), and an old veteran who died (our friend Bob), and remembering a young soldier who lives in danger today. And we will be grateful and humble. We will also go out of our way to thank a veteran for his sacrifice.

TAGGED??? 3 times??

Well, I've been tagged by Scooter and Oly and Orca, so I guess I am gonna be forced to reveal my deepest, darkest, manly-est secrets.

1.) I LOVE my Mom. I will go where ever she goes, if she carries me on her left arm. I put my right arm across her shoulder, and no matter what happens, I'm OK.

2.) Human food makes me gag. Literally. Mom used to think that it was a sickness, now she thinks it's just a statement of preference.

3.) I have cast a spell on Mom so she has to stop at every cat toy store.

4.) I feel inferior to Boomer. She was sooo sweet and so pretty. I feel a gag coming on.

5.) I almost died when I was a tiny baby. Mom told the vet I was sick. The vet didn't believe her. He took blood and called Mom later and said I had to come back RIGHT NOW.

6.) I have never spent a night at the vet. Mom always asks who will stay with me. Since the answer is always "nobody", she won't let me stay by myself. She takes me home and, if needed, brings me back in the morning. I think it may be because I have a personality meltdown at the vet.

7.) I love geckos! They are fun to play with and very tasty. But if they are real mature, I only eat the body, and leave the head. I also killed a baby snake, but I didn't eat it.

Whew! That was hard! Now, I tag:

Sissy
Wally
Vincent
Moose
Gordy
Ambro
Cybil

I met a BABY!

I had met a baby before, but only once. The first one was 10 months old and really liked her voice and me. So she crawled toward me and screamed in delight. (Of course!) I was not amused and bopped her on the head with my paw. (No claws!) She kept coming, so I bopped her twice. She thought this was very amusing. She laughed and laughed. I went and hid.

This week I met another 10 month old. She was MUCH quieter than the first one. Mom picked me up and put my paw on her arm. She turned her hand over and held my hand. I kind of liked it! Her tiny little hand was warm and soft. She smiled, but didn't scream, and OHHHHH, how Mom wishes she had a camera in that moment.

I am not sure whether I like babies in general, or not. But I know I like my new little friend!

Unique highs...and lows

What a week! I have never before been so happy and then so sad in such a short time.

Last week, in a TOTALLY unexpected move, I was chosen as the Tabbies with 'Tude "Tabby of the Month"! WOW! I was thrilled beyond what I could adequately describe in words. I was the FIRST one ever chosen! Quite a honor, because there are so many worthy tabbies in the group.

Then, early this week, my dear friend Honey's Mom made the decision to pull her account off Catster. Honey and Suki and Molly and Mindy and Guess were all gone! And I was, and am, heartbroken. Not just for myself, but for Honey's Mom too. I'm purring that she will change her mind.

Unique highs and lows. Fortunately, the highs have been much more frequent on Catster!

The V-E-T at NIGHT???

I know most of us don't like going to the v-e-t. But have you ever been there at night? I was, Thursday night! It was freaky!

First, the car ride at night is weird, because everything is dark, but bright lights flash on you when other cars go by. Scary!

Then, the vets office is really quiet, and smells nice, because there are no dogs there at night. And there is only one vet and one tech, so you don't have to wait. I liked that.

The v-e-t I saw was a very nice lady and she didn't hurt me at all. Even when she took my pee out with a NEEDLE! At one point, she was talking to Mom and I tried to sneak off the table. First I got my hands off, then my arms, then my shoulders, and the front part of my chest. I almost made it, but then she pulled me back and said: "Hey, big boy, you're kinda oozing off the table!" Mom thought that was real funny. I was not amused!

Then Mom forked over her money, and we went to the car for another scary car trip home. It was 2 AM, and we both collapsed on the bed. I got up in the morning and peed without any problem at all. I don't like the medicine, but it beats the heck out of hurting when I try to pee.

So that's a night v-e-t visit. It wasn't too bad, and I found out I'm not really bad sick. So, if you ever have to go, don't be too scared. But, of course, it is, still, a v-e-t visit!

It's jealousy!!

I have a great tail! It's smoky grey from on top and barely grey from below, and on the sides, it has stripes of dark and light grey. It's magnificent!

I love this tail, and I carry it straight up in the air ALL the time. I was appalled when I heard my friend Jefle had his tail BITTEN! YIKES! What's that about??

So, today, I'm helping Mom get ready in the bathroom, and she stepped on my tail!!! Why would she DO that, except she's jealous of this fabulous tail?

I made my unhappiness known by screaming at her. (Fortunately, she didn't have those clunky things called 'shoes' on!) She picked me up and said I'm sorry about a million times. She kissed me, and I purred and forgave her. Then I bit her.

MY MOTHER!

My dear friend Calvin made me his pal of the week!! You would think that would garner me extra treats and kindness, right? So what did it get me? (Aside from the glory, which really IS enough for me!)

MY MOTHER locked me in the GARAGE! She went out to get something and I went to help. She goes back in the house and closes the door!! I was in the garage for 2 hours! TWO HOURS!!!! I am a HOUSE CAT!! I do not belong in a garage.

I could have gotten dirty. (I didn't.) I could have gotten hurt. (I didn't.) I could have gotten cold. (It was 75 degrees.) How MUCH I have to suffer!!

Out-ed!

Well, it happened. I was out-ed. I am the White Shadow! I began to give a few anonymous Rosettes to random kitties. Soon, someone figured out that I was an "Olde Furt". Then they figured out I was a "Tabby with 'Tude". But they couldn't figure out who it was.

Then Cookie was 'accused', and I denied I was Cookie. But I HAD to admit I love Cookie, because I LOVE COOKIE! Someone knew about the "I love Cookie" group, and that was the end of the "White Shadow", because of fabulous detective work by Samoa.

Being the "White Shadow" was great fun and I actually enjoyed taunting the detectives, even though I said I didn't. What caper is next? WHO KNOWS? THE SHADOW KNOWS!

Mom and I are safe!

Hi, everyone!

Last night when Mom was coming home from work,it was raining really hard. Mom called it a deluge, but I don't know that word. There was a lot of lightning and thunder VERY close. Roads were flooded and Mom had to take a different road home. And I was scared, too!

Then we went to bed. When we woke up, 19 people were dead in a community 20 minutes from our house. It's a community Mom and I used to live in!! Tornadoes had flattened a 20 square mile area.

Today, Mom went to work again. She works in an ER, but I don't know what those letters stand for. She was especially busy because all the hospitals closer to the danger place were full, and her hospital was the next closest.

But she is home and we are safe and dry and warm. I'm not sure what all this is about, but I know that Mom called our friends in our old community, and they are all safe. But a lot of people and kitties and doggies have a big mess to fix. I hope the rest of them are OK!

My Mom is getting better!

My Mom went to the doctor today. He looked at her throat and said "YUCK!". It's always good to get a professional opinion!

But Mom understood, because he is her pal. She got medicine to take to help me get her well. There's just so much a cat can do by himself!

I'm exhausted from all this nursing care! But the extra 'lec-trick blankie time is good! It was only 25 degrees here last night. Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

Arnold's agonies

Boy, it is tough being in charge of a house.

This morning, Mom woke up with a sore throat and a fever. She didn't feel very good, so I had to stay in bed with her. And since she felt a little cold, I had to lay on the 'lec-trick blankie with her. THEN, I had to hold her hand so she wouldn't feel lonely.

MAN! A cat's work is never done!

Can it be???

I just found out I am Super Stroller of the WEEK! This comes on the heels of being Navin and Buds " Bud of the Week! I'm not quite sure why I have been singled out for such honor, but I am thrilled, none-the-less.

I have been a dedicated stroller for 2 years now and recommend it to all kitties. It is SO FUN!! You get sun and wind and smells, and no danger from cars and dogs and diseases. And you don't have to walk on a leash, which all but a few of us hate, anyway! And it's good for your people, too. They get exercise and get to stare down their neighbors! Fun, FUN, FUNNNN!!!

Thanks, Rocky Ann!

Bud of the WEEK?!?!!

Holy Smokes, my honor of "bud of the day" was expanded to "Bud of the WEEK! Does life get any better than this?

Being a bud of Navin's is no small thing. Navin is such a special kitty. He wears pants EVERY day! Not just for dress-up. And he gets a bath every OTHER day. And that speaks volumes about his Mom and Dad, too. Cats are traditionally thought of as low maintenance pets. But Navin is super HIGH maintenance, but they clearly love him and care very deeply for him. And they share him with all of us through Catster. How lucky are WE!

Thanks Navin, and ALL the buds.

Bud of the Day

Wow, I am totally psyched and honored to be the "Navin and Buds" Bud of the day!!!!! I have been in some great company in this group. I will try to keep up the high standards of fun and play for the group. Thank you Navin!

The boat

Well, Mom finally posted the pictures of me in my boat! I am such a seasoned sailor, I was a little unhappy with her for not posting them sooner. I hold the line and steer and sail all over my world. I never get wet, because my boat is in good repair. When I am done sailing, I pull into port and the dock master (Mom) secures the lines and then I disembark. It is great fun. I am in control, and am not even a little afraid. (I wouldn't get in if I weren't in control!) I am the Kitty Kaptain!!

Best Kitty Treat EVER!!!

Well, my Mom has gone and found the best cat treat EVER. It goes on her (OUR) bed. At night time, she pushes a little button and this thing (I think she called it a blankie) gets WARM! It's like sitting in the sun, only I'm in bed, on top of Mom! And if I stretch out to my full length, which is VERY long, I can even make Mom move over to the cold side! I highly recommend that you all try to get one of these things for Christmas!

NEWS FLASH!

My Mom made me go to the vet AGAIN! She wanted to get me checked up for the renal failure. Well, Ha-Ha. I don't have renal failure. I got bad numbers on the blood test because I wouldn't eat that ugly old renal diet. Once Mom began feeding me food I liked, I pigged out (no Arnold the PIG jokes, please) and my renal functions all returned to normal.

Remember, it's all about getting our own way, no matter what we have to do!!

I was the Senior Cat of the Week!

My Mom was very proud when she told me that I had been chosen as Senior Cat of the Week for the week of September 25. I didn't really DO anything to get such an honor, except sit nicely for pictures. But I was very honored and I tried to be a REALLY good Senior Cat. I played, but with dignity. I ate, but neatly. And I loved my Mommy, but I couldn't restrain myself on that one and did it TOTALLY without any boundries. I was a purring, head-butting fool. I hope I made the people who chose me for this honor proud.

My Tail of Devotion for Arnold P.

This is a special Tail of Devotion

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