Silly Sab Stories

Holy Cat! How Long?

I knew Mama has not taken my diary duties seriously but goodness... have I been away from it this long? Really? I have been snooping around my groups, causing mayhem, as usual!

Thing is, Mama's been busy and not feeling well and its a tough job trying to make her mind. She caught a bug that Memere had and Mama spent too much time on the litter box, in my humble opinion. It's hard to get proper attention when the humans go there!

Then Mama had to go and help with this job or something that took her away from me during the day. I know she likes money, but how can money be better than me?

During all of this, Mama went to a wedding and when she came home, she found one of our foster hamsters had gotten hurt in her cage and was almost dead. Mama couldn't do much for her but make her comfortable and Harmony died a couple hours later. I promise you I didn't touch her, but man, she was so fun to watch go round and round and round her wheel! Mama wonders that, if she had been home when she got hurt, if she could have helped her, but I tell Mama she can't save them all...

So what does Mama do? She didn't go get a foster this time; someone else brought a foster guinea pig to us! Not just any guinea pig foster, mind you. This one is loaded! Mama says this is a mama-to-be guinea pig and has babies in her belly and I am not to disturb her. As if I would so something like that? OK first there were two of them; a lady Mama knows from the shelter brought them over. They both stayed overnight, and then another lady from the shelter came to take one of them to her house. So now we just have one mama and babies to come.

I swear it wasn't me who made the big crash very early Thursday morning (Mama says 3 am is not the proper time to get up and do things, especially feed a cat, but eesh...) that woke up Mama and made her fly out of bed, yell "what the bleep did you do Sab!" and turn on the light to find out that "someone" had toppled over the pregnant guinea pig mamas' cage and she got out and was so scared. Mama had a hard time to catch her and was so worried about her getting hurt or hurting her babies. She says it was a good thing she didn't know which of us did it, but just the same, guess who got shoved in the pet carrier with a hissing Mackenzie and made to miss breakfast by 3 hours because there was no cat around to wake Mama up at 5 am?

And did I also mention that my auntie Lisa had her baby last month? Thank cat he lives with her in Michigan so I don't have to worry about Mama being gone to visit him. Mama calls him the "first nephew" and really wants to meet him. Last time Mama went to see auntie Lisa, she left me home for over a week without her! I hope she doesn't plan on doing that again!

I'm Here & I'm Back!

Wowsers I can't believe all that time has gone by since I wrote in my diary. We've been busy around here!

Auntie Becky finally had her baby so Mama's been preoccupied by that.

The weather is cooling off and feeling like fall, and I love fall. The air is so crisp and easy to breathe! Mama opens the windows again and I get to drink in the breezes and the fall smells. There is a place up our street where they grow apples, Mama tells me, and there's a small diner across the street from us, so between the two of them, we're smelling sweet stuff in the air.

And then, last week, Mama brought home more fosters! I thought we'd had this talk and she wasn't going to do that anymore, but I am relieved to tell you that she didn't bring home rabbits. This time she brought home two special hamsters who are not available to be adopted and its getting crowded at the shelter.

I couldn't have asked for more entertainment. The hamsters are in these glass things Mama calls "tanks" and "aquariums" and they spend lots of time in the darkness running on their wheels, making noises with them, and digging and digging and digging to get out. Mama calls them Melody and Harmony, and I wish I had been the cat to give them a "love pat" when Mama took them out for their foster book pictures.

Mama set their tanks on the floor between the glider chair and the Table I use to scratch my nails; its also the table that our hamster, Reese, lives on. I can't see Reese most of the time, but I can see these hamsters and I'm telling you, they are most fun to watch.

Up and down, around and around, here and there, climbing and falling... that black hamster, Melody, is determined to get out and I just sit there and watch. Oh what fun! Mama says I can't touch so I just sit and wait. Eventually, Melody will figure out how to get out!

Today, though, I've got more important things to do. Mama's home not feeling good, and she decided to stay in bed with a book. I have been following her around to the bathroom, the kitchen, the bed, and all around again. We've had a great morning hanging out together and Mama is now feeling better; I'm so happy! I can take my afternoon nap without worry.

Angels Saved Us!

I'm telling you, it was a very scary Friday we had.

Mama had been keeping an eye on the TV, watching someone named Bill who was making waves in the ocean and no one was sure he wouldn't come visit us, but he didn't, or so Mama says.

Instead, on Friday afternoon, there was no sun in my windows. That's not surprising since this year is the wettest summer ever, the weather people say. Mama took out our cat carrier and the guinea pig carrier and she moved Reese the hamster's cage and put all of this stuff next to the door to go outside. She also had the TV on loud so she could hear it.

We had supper, and just after that, it got very, very dark. It's not the right time of year for it to get nighttime dark when we eat supper. Mama took her camera outside to take pictures. She wasn't gone for very long before she came racing up the stairs. She put her camera down, yelled out "Sab! Kenzie!" really scared like, scooped up the guinea pigs and threw them in their carrier. I was already over sniffing things and she shoved me in the carrier & next thing I knew, Kenzie was right in my face and Mama was putting us in the stairs in the hall. She covered her head with a towel and sat next to us and we waited and waited and waited.

It was very hot out there. I did not like it one bit! I started to dig at the door and howl, and Mackenzie howled too. The guinea pigs were chattering their teeth, and the hamster was just plain curious. Just as Mama sat next to us, horrible noises started to come from outside and I could see Mama praying for all of us to be safe. It was so dark but the lightening was flashing and the thunder was the loudest I had ever heard; Mama says she hadn't heard anything like that before either. The rain came down so hard it sounded like banging on the roof. It was so loud I couldn't hear Mackenzie howling. I couldn't even hear myself meow!

Finally the storm went away and Mama got up. She brought our carriers into the apartment again and let us out. I still wasn't sure what had happened, but then Mama heard on the news that there was a confirmed "funnel" right in the street next to our building! Mama says that when she went to take photos of the dark clouds coming in, she had looked up into the sky above her head and saw it starting to form right over our building; that's why she was so scared and made us wait in the hallway.

Mama says we were very fortunate, because tornadoes don't come here much but we've had six in Maine this year. There was another one about an hour away from us that did a lot of damage and people got hurt but no one died.

I don't want to go through that again! I certainly hope none of our angels got hurt in the storm.

My Mama's BACK!

I'm sure you'll forgive me for being so quiet, even if the best thing in the world has happened to me: the bunnies are gone!

I had another coughing spell almost two weeks ago and that's when Mama said "OK, Sab", and she took Ringo and Shortie back to the shelter as soon as a cage opened up.

We're free! All this space is MINE again! My new favorite spot to sprawl out is behind the glider, in front of the closet door. That's where the rabbits used to play, but not anymore! No more hay all over the floor! No more bunny fuzz flying through the air! No more bunny tantrums! Best of all, my mama isn't spending her time working with bunnies; she's got time for ME!

It's been so nice. Mama's had more time to pet me and rub my chin and behind my ears and hold me and kiss me and hug me and talk to me and we aren't interrupted by rabbits. Well, its been nice when she's been home, that is.

There are babies in the wind again, and Mama's all goo-goo-gaa-gaa over new baby nieces and nephews and helping out Auntie Becky, who's having her baby tomorrow. Mama was supposed to go to Michigan to visit dog cousin Zeus and his family, but with Auntie Becky needing help, she stayed home and helped out there.

It's okay; as long as there are no bunnies here, I am loving life again!

Could it Really Be?

Do I really dare to hope?

On Wednesday, Mama laid down for a nap. I curled up next to her. She opened the shade just enough so I could get some sun. Oh it was lovely.

Then Mama got up. She woke me up, carried me to the kitchen and put me in the carrier & closed the door! Oh how I hate that! It only means one thing: road trip to the vet clinic!

Sure enough... Mama took me to see Dr. David. He's been my doc since my very first appointment and he gave me my very furst shots. We go back a long way, and he said I was looking really good for my age and I keep my coat looking swell.

Mama wanted to talk to him about my asthma. He took a listen to me growling at him --- er I mean my breathing and my heart --- and the good news is that everything is "dry" and "clear" and my heart sounds normal. My lungs sound normal; he doesn't see a need to put me on medicine yet!

Then they started talking about things that might make me choke and wheeze. Dr. David asked about how clean Mama keeps things; she could do better, but I will admit she does a good job keeping away the dust bunnies and other stuff. He asked about the other animals that live with me. As soon as Mama said "foster rabbits", Dr. David said

ah ha! Can you keep the rabbits in another room away from him?

I don't think I've ever heard more beautiful words. Keeping the rabbits away from me? Mama says that's not possible in our small space, but the rabbits aren't new to the environment, though its shedding time for them. (Man you should SEE the fluff in their corner!) Dr. David said that it is possible that I have developed an allergy to them, over time, and that Mama should consider either moving them to a separate spot or removing them altogether.

Dr. David is my hero! Will Mama really pay attention to what he said?

Mama noted that I have a habit of hiding things and then pulling them out. I've been doing a lot of hunting lately and digging out toys that are full of... well, fur, what else? Mama is certain that one attack was triggered by the dusty Rosie Rat that I found.

So for now, no new medication for me, and no new course of treatment. Mama's going to still give me prednisone if I have a spell, and keep Dr. David's office up to date on how I'm doing.

All I want to know is this: when are Shortie and Ringo leaving?

I'm Worried

Mama tells me that Auntie Julia and Lucy are coming over tomorrow so they can go shopping for the big trip. Its the trip that Mama was going to take but is now staying home because Auntie Becky might have her baby while everyone is gone. They still need to buy food for all those teenagers going to the land of Cheese!

I'm worried because Mama told me that Lucy told her that she wants to give me a carrot.

I want everyone to get this strait: I DO NOT EAT CARROTS! NEVER HAVE, NEVER WILL!

Mama says to not worry my brilliant orange head because she will make sure that Lucy gives the carrots to the rabbits and not me. She says that Lucy might think I like carrots because I am orange and carrots are orange and Lucy is only 2 years old and she loves me and she loves carrots and she loves to come here and visit "Bastian and Kenzie and Elmo" and the bunnies. (I just met this Elmo fella the last time Lucy was here. He's this red stuffed character that Mama's had on her shelf, way up high, forever, but she though that Lucy would love him, and sure enough, she did. Elmo's a quite fellow.)

I'm not so sure about this. Little kids are very smart. Maybe Lucy knows something I don't, like I've been hanging out with bunnies for so long that I'm starting to turn into one?

All I know is this: I don't do carrots!

10 years ago today...

Sab's Mama here;

I can't believe it. It's been 1o years since I made arrangements with my friend to pick up her darkest, last orange and white tabby kitten that she'd set aside for me after her two orange cats unexpectedly had a litter.

I couldn't seem to coordinate a face to face time with her, so she drove the 45 minutes to her mom's house and put him in a box in the garage to wait for me while I drove over to her mom's to get him. He was peeking out of the box and looking around, meowing. He was so tiny that he fit in one hand; he was only 1.5 pounds! Curiosity got the best of him during our 15 minute car ride, and he peered out of his box and had begun considering getting out of the box by the time we got home.

I brought him upstairs to the apartment and put the box on my bed. I raced to grab my camera before I opened the box again, and snapped the photo of the first glimpse of Sab peering out of the box, only to come nose to nose with Mackenzie. No sooner had I snapped that photo than she began hissing at him and backed away. (I didn't know anything about waiting periods or keeping them separate or anything like that.)

He finally tiptoed out of the box and started slinking around, sniffing out everything he could find. I picked him up and carried him to the litter box so he'd know where to find him, and he promptly made it his. I then called Dr. David to set up his appointments for shots and his neuter. I put a blanket in the box for him, and while he always returned to the box to nap, he did spend some of his first night on the bed with me, with his little body squished against my face.

He was so silly cute when he was a kitten! Check out his photo album, if you haven't, to see some of the kitten photos I have hiding in there. I can't believe I have been so richly blessed with him for 10 entire years now. It's been a tough 10 years, Baby Boy, and I couldn't have survived them without you!

Mama Scares Me Sometimes

Yesterday, Mama went on a special trip to meet Morgan's mom so she could adopt a couple of the many rats Mama and her shelter furiends take care of. Mama said she had a lovely time, but she came home super tired.

Then, she got a call from Andre's mama, who had found a couple baby bunnies who were in a nest that was filling with water because of some bad rain they had. Andre's mama didn't know what to do with them, and she hoped my mama might be able to help.

Ugh, Mama put on her "saving the bunny world" (which always gets me in trouble) and they talked a little while and she helped Andre's mom find some people she could talk to that should be able to help her. I'm glad Andre lives too far away or I wouldn't have put it past Mama to bring those bunnies home too!

So Mama wakes up this morning and she tells me about this dream that she had. She says that she opened the cupboard under the kitchen sink and realized that she'd forgotten about the two foster rabbits that she was keeping under there in a hamster aquarium! (Note from Mama: a rabbit cage should never be an aquarium.) Mama says one of the baby bunnies looked like Smudge and the other looked like Marty, who were two of our long ago foster bunnies. Mama says that in her dream, she hadn't fed them in over a week but that they looked OK and when she let them out of the tank, they started bullying Shortie and Ringo, our current foster bunnies, and trying to bite them to get at their food! Mama says that she couldn't feed them fast enough and that they ate all the rabbit food and the guinea pig food and then they wouldn't go into the regular cage that Mama made for them and when she went back to put them in the pen, there were two more baby rabbits!

I don't know about you, but that sounds like a nightmare to me. Four more bunnies in this apartment? I would have to beat Mama up if she did that to me!

I Want New Lungs

The ones I have don't work well. I hate having to gasp for air and choke and all of that. I also hate that I am sure Mama is going to drag me to the v*t again. This is not fun!

Mama is puraying for wisdom to know how to help me. She tried to put a pill in my breakfast kibble - can you believe that? I am smart, though - I didn't eat it! The pill pocket was fantabulous, though! Mama is feeling certain now that my asthma is getting worse even with the cold air machine on and that something else needs to be done.

I don't always like it when Mama gets ideas in her head, but this time, I hope she gets a really good one!

I Can't Believe it!

No I can't believe we all forgot: last Wednesday, July 15, was our third anniversary of finding Catster and making ourselves at home here!

I can't really blame Mama for forgetting; I was very busy last week soaking up the warm beams of the sun that finally showed up for summer. That sun has been hiding most of the time so when it shows up I've got to take advantage of every precious moment!

Mama's been busy... I dunno... doing whatever it is that mamas do. I do know that she's on baby watch right now, because Auntie Becky is almost ready to have her baby and she's not been feeling well. Mama's been keeping her schedule open "just in case" and all that stuff, but she's been home, too.

Mama also pulled her shoulders again so she's been trying not to pull or lift too much. She says that Kenzie and I fall in that category because we are "overweight". Ugh does she have to remind me? I don't tell her about how plump she is!

I also had an asthma attack this evening after supper. It disturbed my nap in the chicken box; how rude was that, I ask? Mama gets all worried about me and trust me, it is a scary thing when you feel like you can't catch your breath, but it was gone as soon as I noticed it, so I went back to sleep. The fact that it happened while I was napping has Mama worried.

I say "its time to meow and howl" to belatedly celebrate my arrival to Catster! I'm telling you, this place hasn't been the same since I showed up! MOL

I Love My High-Pitched Meow

Hey - its totally not fair that some boo-hoo humans thought they could do "research" to figure out why we cats might use our high pitched meow on them.

I had to MOL when Mama read it to me because this article says that we "control" the humans that way. Ha! Only in my dreams! Mama is totally not captivated by that spell.

When I use that meow at her for breakfast, I get shoved off the bed. If I keep at it and Mama thinks I'm "early", she'll lock me in the pet carrier!

But I also use that meow when I'm playing and I want Mama to join me. She doesn't come see me all the time, but she will talk to me when I'm carrying my toys around and using my shrill meow. Mama says I'm very demanding of her attention in the evening but I have a very good clock because I do it every evening after 8 - so she says.

I'm telling you, humans think they are so smart because they figure this stuff out. As if! We cats have known this all along; what took the humans so long to figure it out?

"Bastian!"

Today Mama went somewhere and she didn't take her car; can you imagine? I waited for her in the window, but Mama's car was in its spot, and Mama wasn't in the apartment. I know she went somewhere because Uncle Tony came up this morning and helped carry stuff out for Mama.

So I waited.

Soon enough, just after the proper time for supper, I saw a car pull up next to Mama's car and I saw Mama sitting in the back of it! She was pointing and waving to me. Of course I got all excited and head banged the window to let Mama know I was happy to see her.

Then I saw Uncle Tony get out of the car and take Mama's stuff out. Mama was talking to somebody in the car. Finally Uncle Tony and the car left and Mama picked up her stuff and came inside to feed us. Hurray!

Mama tells me that ever since Uncle Tony brought Lucy over to visit us, Lucy hasn't stopped talking about me. Lucy calls me "Bastian", she says, and loves to look at Mama's phone with no cord because Mama has a picture of me taking a nap in her no-cord phone. Mama says that they went to see family today and all Lucy wanted to do was "see Bastian in the phone" and "see Bastian sleeeeeeeeeeeeeping". So when she got home, Mama says she was showing Lucy where I was in the window and Lucy was very excited to see me!

I have a human fan club too; isn't that cool? I love to sleep, Lucy; Mama says you don't like to nap. We need to talk about this!

What a Weekend!

This is weekend one of the two weekends in the year that I just hate: Mama goes to camp. Usually she just drives for the day and comes home to sleep, but on Friday she packed her bag and her pillows and she went overnight! Her furiend Paul came to feed us supper and then yesterday breakfast but its jut not the same, especially since he was on his way to Camp, too.

So I did my very best to make it hard for Mama to pack. I tossed all her stuff off the bed. I batted her purse phone under the foot stool so she couldn't find it and then she couldn't go. Since that didn't work and she left, I hung out and actually got some sun! Mama says its rained all up 3 days this month and we've had over 7 inches of rain, so having the sun come out yesterday was a really big deal! Oooooooooooooooooh it felt so good that I didn't even try to sneak onto Catster.

This morning I helped Mama turn on the computer and the news was so cool and so sad all at the same time. I am a diary pick today; thank you Diary Gal! But also in the pmail was the terrible news that my furiend Peaches' family had a terrible loss yesterday. Her sisfur, Lucky, got sick and died very suddenly yesterday. She was only 6. Poor Lucky's mama; dog Tasha died just a couple weeks ago. Lucky and sister Squirrel were such a comedic duo; their mama was also catching their silliness on video and entertaining all of us cats with their silliness. I just feel so sad for Squirrel, Lobo, and their mama right now. Oh how their hearts much hurt so much!

So I'm using my platform as a diary pick of the day to ask all of you to purr for my furiends. They need all the Catster love they can to help them through this terrible time.

Our world-famous Mr. D let me know about a candle link for Lucky. Please stop by if you have time.

NEW Toy and GOOD News - what a day!

I was so busy yesterday that I never got to my diary. Here's what happened!

Mama is silly. She's obsessed with painting her toes. She's got a small thing of bottles of toe paint that I can't reach except when she's actually painting her nails. It's quite a smelly job, if you know what I mean! And she's got the silliest colors. She's got brown colors and pink colors and blue colors and green colors and

now she's got orange colors!

Mama is very fussy about her colors, too. She took out a few bottles of hairball orange looking paint (cough up hairball orange b/c its not my color orange, ahem!) that was so bright you needed dark shades on your eyes to see it. Last week she finally came home with a Sab-color orange!

Mama didn't want the hairball orange colors so she put them aside. Then Mama forgot she put them aside. She left them on the footstool at the bottom of her bed.

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Oh my goodness you've never had so much fun with hairball gagging orange! The bottle falls and goes "tink" and then when you hit it, it rolls around on the floor! I had so much fun with that bottle orange toe paint yesterday.

Then Mama came home from the shelter and I didn't even hear her - can you imagine? I wasn't even waiting in the window for her b/c I was so in love with the hairball orange toe paint! Mama caught me rolling it on the floor. Uh oh. Mama says "the last time you played with toe paint, Sab, you bounced it off a rock and we've still got pink toe paint on the carpet!" So I lost my new toy. *pout*

But I can't pout for long, because Mama brought home pawsome news from the shelter: Ringo and Shortie's days here are almost over! They were able to finally sleep together in a cage and not fight and now that they do, they can go back to the shelter! Mama says she's not exactly sure when, but hopefully within the week. Since Mama is planning on taking a trip later this summer (I didn't hear her say that!), she's not bringing home any new fosters for a while. I can't imagine it - no more foster bunnies taking up space in my sun spots? No more hay all over the floor? No more bunny tantrums? I can't believe it!

Pardon Me

Mama's had a tough week. She's been sick and not sick with super bad headaches she calls migraines and they've never been this bad before. My poor mama; even my meowing to help her feel better is making her really sick!

So I've been busy being Dr. Sab, laying next to Mama, moving when she needs to run to the kitchen or bathroom or just sit up, and trying to kpee the house functioning. Mama says I'd be most helpful if I'd learn to cook and wash dishes.

Off to take care of Mama!

Thank You Calvin!

Look what Calvin wrote about in his diary yesterday! He's talking about a silly boy!

Wowsers What a Week!

I'm telling you this week is like the bestest birthday for a forever week! I'm so excited that I'm not even making sense anymore!

The birthday wishes are still coming. Bestie Sparkman is still recovering from eating Moose's sparkly ball and growing fur back on his belly, so he snuck in later with a star to wish me happy birthday. I also got a birthday star from my furiend Sebastian aka Spaz; it was such a lovely surprise!

Because I turned 10, I am now old enough to officially join the pawsome group "Olde Furts", which didn't make Mackenzie happy. That came with a special heart and new furiend requests! Oh it is so cool to feel loved!

Then Mama checks her paw mail when she gets up to feed us (I know, get her priorities straight: food before mail!) and tells me "Sab, you're a diary pick today! See, I told you that saying thank you is important." I was so excited that I inhaled my breakfast! Mama laughed and said "I don't think you've ever eaten your breakfast that fast, Baby Boy!"

After that, I curled up next to Mama while she snoozed some more, and when we got back up, we see that I have concat messages from the pawsome duo of Buddie and Hazel Lucy, as well as rosettes from Callie Rose & Miss Goldie, The Texas Wild Bunch, and Sparkman! I also got a delish shrimp from Lancelot that is a combo diary congrats/belated birthday wish.

It feels sooooooooooo good to be so loved, furiends!

Today Mama tells me she's got lots of work to do for the animal shelter's first annual Pignic this weekend and says come one, come all because she's not making a salad for 75 people and letting it go to waste! Oiy can you imagine all those carrots and lettuce and tomatoes and bunny food???? Mama's going to be gone all day on Sunday (another reason to be annoyed b/c I don't get a Catster birthday pawty because of the stinkin' pignic!) but its raising money for the small animal medical fund that helps out our foster bunnies like Chocolate. It was because of Chocolate getting sick at the same time another rabbit broke her leg that made this Pignic happen, Mama says.

Mama! Its my diary and I'm diary pick so no talking about bunnies and guinea pigs! If they want to know about the pignic they can read her Tweety stuff on my page!

Ahem. Pawrents. Can't live with them; can't live without them!

Happy 10th Birthday to Me!

Oh my cats – where do I start? I forget that I am so loved and apurrciated and then I get all these happy birthday wishes. What better way to have a 10th birthday than to hear from your furiends? Mama says we are so very blessed and I must purr to that!

It’s Monday, so that means Mama had to go to the shelter and take care of the bunnies. She tells me that there is possible good news: she talked to a lady who wanted to know all about our foster bunny, Shortie! Could it be? Oh I don’t dare to think!

Mama came home and then left again. When she came back, she scurried around in the kitchen. Naturally it was almost time to eat so Kenzie and I were all over her feet! In honor of my birthday, Mama made me a big, long sign that said “happy 10th birthday Sebastian!” and then – and here’s the super cool part - Mama gave me non-kidney wet food for supper with a scoop of ice cream on top! Even Mackenzie got to have some. Oh my – it was so heavenly. I slurped that ice cream so hard that I got some on my nose and head! Mama helped wipe it off, but after I polished off my bowl I went to the bed to do a much more thorough cleaning. Oooooooooooooh that ice cream was good!

Mama did give me plenty of hugs and kisses this morning. She has kept me so spoiled!

My Catster family has kept me spoiled too! Have you seen the top of my page? Look at all the rosettes and gifts that showed up today! Do I dare to even name them all?

First of all, I got messages from Squirrel and her family, which was very, very sweet of them. They are mourning the passing of doggie sister Tasha on Saturday, which I didn’t know about until today. Squirrel’s doggie brother is so sad and their mama is sad, too, but they took time to wish me happy thoughts. That was so sweet of them to remember me!

I also got messages from another birthday girl, Keisha, who turns 6 today. You’ve gotta stop by Keisah’s page and see how pretty her birthday look is! OWP and Jas also sent me notes. Thanks, buds!

Today is such a grand day because I have so many furiends who celebrate with me! Along with Keisha, my very bestie and fellow Mousecateer, Jason Hopper, celebrates his birthday today but he’s such a sly fellow that he won’t even tell his dad how old he is! Then my little buddy, Bastian, turns 3 today! I can’t believe it! When I met Bastian, when I first got to Catster and he did too, Bassy was just a wee kitten. I can’t believe how old he is now MOL. Then there’s Heckyl and Jeckyl, who are furiends to both Kenzie and I, and they turn 5 today. Do me a favor and take a moment to say happy birthday to all of them, too!

I got “concats” from the Birthday & Gottcha Club, and the “I Knead You” group, and naturally, my Silly Sab group.

My besties, Jas and OWP, sent me cards in the human mail. How cool is that?

I got a star from Andre & his family; a diamond from Onyx and her family; and a world from Mathis de Meowler and his family. Way cool – birthday greetings to stay on my page forever!

The rosettes came from Callie Rose, Miss Goldie, and their family; Sock; Jasper, my American Canadian pal, Margo, R.K.N,, Keisha, Felix, Oly, and the Texas Wild Bunch.

Then the pile of special gifts that I got included a BBQ grill from the other Mousecateer, Chumley, who suggested that we grill some salmon, steaks, and chicks, but I’d like to add rabbit burgers to that list, Chumley, and throw a big pawty! Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin… but that just adds to the fun of getting cupcakes and hats and other gifts from Abbey, Chloe, Jas, Heckyl & Jeckyl, Oliver Winston Parsons, Alfie, Jersey Ashley, Morris, Pumpkin Puss, and Bastian.

And the best one of all? My favorite – I must confess, I do have a favorite. It’s the trophy that Calvin gave me because I have been chosen as he Pal of the Week! Can you believe it? Mama was just as surprised as me. However, being a fellow kneader and a brilliant orange, Calvin and I have plenty of things in common, especially because we both have sisters who think they are divas and that their litter boxes don’t, who are furiends to both Kenzie and I, and they turn 5 today. Do me a favor and take a moment to say happy birthday to all of them, too!

I got “concats” from the Birthday & Gottcha Club, and the “I Knead You” group, and naturally, my Silly Sab group.

My besties, Jas and OWP, sent me cards in the human mail. How cool is that?

I got a star from Andre & his family; a diamond from Onyx and her family; and a world from Mathis de Meowler and his family. Way cool – birthday greetings to stay on my page forever!

The rosettes came from Callie Rose, Miss Goldie, and their family; Sock; Jasper, my American Canadian pal, Margo, R.K.N,, Keisha, Felix, Oly, and the Texas Wild Bunch.

Then the pile of special gifts that I got included a BBQ grill from the other Mousecateer, Chumley, who suggested that we grill some salmon, steaks, and chicks, but I’d like to add rabbit burgers to that list, Chumley, and throw a big pawty! Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin… but that just adds to the fun of getting cupcakes and hats and other gifts from Abbey, Chloe, Jas, Heckyl & Jeckyl, Oliver Winston Parsons, Alfie, Jersey Ashley, Morris, Pumpkin Puss, and Bastian.

And the best one of all? My favorite – I must confess, I do have a favorite. It’s the trophy that Calvin gave me because I have been chosen as he Pal of the Week! Can you believe it? Mama was just as surprised as me. However, being a fellow kneader and a brilliant orange, Calvin and I have plenty of things in common, especially because we both have sisters who think they are divas and that their litter boxes don’t, who are furiends to both Kenzie and I, and they turn 5 today. Do me a favor and take a moment to say happy birthday to all of them, too!

I got “concats” from the Birthday & Gottcha Club, and the “I Knead You” group, and naturally, my Silly Sab group.

My besties, Jas and OWP, sent me cards in the human mail. How cool is that?

I got a star from Andre & his family; a diamond from Onyx and her family; and a world from Mathis de Meowler and his family. Way cool – birthday greetings to stay on my page forever!

The rosettes came from Callie Rose, Miss Goldie, and their family; Sock; Jasper, my American Canadian pal, Margo, R.K.N,, Keisha, Felix, Oly, and the Texas Wild Bunch.

Then the pile of special gifts that I got included a BBQ grill from the other Mousecateer, Chumley, who suggested that we grill some salmon, steaks, and chicks, but I’d like to add rabbit burgers to that list, Chumley, and throw a big pawty! Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin… but that just adds to the fun of getting cupcakes and hats and other gifts from Abbey, Chloe, Jas, Heckyl & Jeckyl, Oliver Winston Parsons, Alfie, Jersey Ashley, Morris, Pumpkin Puss, and Bastian.

And the best one of all? My favorite – I must confess, I do have a favorite. It’s the trophy that Calvin gave me because I have been chosen as he Pal of the Week! Can you believe it? Mama was just as surprised as me. However, being a fellow kneader and a brilliant orange, Calvin and I have plenty of things in common, especially because we both have sisters who think they are divas and that their litter boxes don’t, who are furiends to both Kenzie and I, and they turn 5 today. Do me a favor and take a moment to say happy birthday to all of them, too!

I got “concats” from the Birthday & Gottcha Club, and the “I Knead You” group, and naturally, my Silly Sab group.

My besties, Jas and OWP, sent me cards in the human mail. How cool is that?

I got a star from Andre & his family; a diamond from Onyx and her family; and a world from Mathis de Meowler and his family. Way cool – birthday greetings to stay on my page forever!

The rosettes came from Callie Rose, Miss Goldie, and their family; Sock; Jasper, my American Canadian pal, Margo, R.K.N,, Keisha, Felix, Oly, and the Texas Wild Bunch.

Then the pile of special gifts that I got included a BBQ grill from the other Mousecateer, Chumley, who suggested that we grill some salmon, steaks, and chicks, but I’d like to add rabbit burgers to that list, Chumley, and throw a big pawty! Pardon me while I wipe the drool off my chin… but that just adds to the fun of getting cupcakes and hats and other gifts from Abbey, Chloe, Jas, Heckyl & Jeckyl, Oliver Winston Parsons, Alfie, Jersey Ashley, Morris, Pumpkin Puss, and Bastian.

And the best one of all? My favorite – I must confess, I do have a favorite. It’s the trophy that Calvin gave me because I have been chosen as he Pal of the Week! Can you believe it? Mama was just as surprised as me. However, being a fellow kneader and a brilliant orange, Calvin and I have plenty of things in common, especially because we both have sisters who think they are divas and that their litter boxes don’t smell! I tell ya, we need to rid the world of sisters, Calvin!

Thanks to all you cats and your humans for such a great day! Check out my new photos of my birthday pawty!

Tricked You, Mama!

This morning I had fun with Mama and she didn't even know it!

She got up and had some things to do at her computer, but Mackenzie was sleeping on her chair. Mama picked up Kenzie and, as usual, silly girl thought Mama was going to give her love and adoration and not just move her. Mama did give her love and kisses and scratches behind the neck, so I made my move and got comfy on the chair while Mama's back was turned!

Mama turned to sit and said "Sab! I just cleared that chair for me! What a silly boy!" She then picked me up and hugged me and kissed me and rubbed behind my ears.

I am not dumb! You don't think I knew that was coming? How else to get a mama's attention?

My Tail of Devotion for Sebastian

This is a special Tail of Devotion

See All Tails of Devotion

Hug Your Cat Day!

I so love this holiday - what a great way to guilt the humans into giving us more attention!

It's called Hug Your Cat Day and when Mama first told me about it, I had to meow out loud at the funniness of it all. Seriously - aren't humans supposed to hug their cats every day, whenever the cat demands it?

Then I realized how brilliant the idea is. We cats have a very special day for our humans to stop and pay special homage to us. Mama did her part to recognize the holiday by ignoring our regular breakfast time and then picking us up to give us hugs and kisses before she fed us! Normally I don't mind being held, but hugs and kisses have their place!

I am also thinking its funny because Mama is taking Bijou, our black and white guinea pig brother, to see. Dr. Shawn this afternoon. Mama says she doesn't think there's anything wrong; he's just going for his annual check up.

Better him than me!

In other purfect news, Sparkman is home again and sporting another very expensive belly trim. Hurray!

Sparkman's At it Again!

I catnot believe this, dear readers. My bestie, Sparkman, definitely is part goat.

Last winter he spent a lot of time at the vet because he was so sick and they found a piece of towel in his tummy. You'd think he would have learned his lesson.

No, our brilliant Sparkman did not learn his lesson.

This weekend his worried Daddy rushed him back to the vet and they had to cut his tummy open again and they found that Sparkman ate a sparkly toy ball that belongs to one of his brofurs. What are we gonna do with that Sparkman? I'm telling you, being born in a barn has really affected his mind!

So please, dear readers, head over to Sparkman's page and share the love that you gave me when I was gagging and wheezing. I'm sure he needs it, and if his pawrents are like my mama when I get sick, they're gonna need the love, too.

COME HOME SOON, SPUDMAN!

I'm Feeling Better but What a DAY!

First thing first: hide your asthma attack from mama. Make sure you don't purr around her b/c she can tell from your purring that you're raspy and can't breathe well.

Secondly, mope about like you don't feel good and don't be your bouncy self. That's bound to get Mama's attention.

She decides to be safe and give you medicine for your asthma. I didn't feel like eating that suspicious treat, so I didn't. Mama tried to hide it in a bunch of other treats in my bowl, but I wasn't buying that either.

Not to be deterred, Mama decides to shove the pill down my throat! I spit it out. Mama shoves it in again; I try to bite her fingers. I don't have enough teeth left to harm her, but I get the pill out again.

This time Mama crams it down my throat and I can't get it out. It's all so stressful that I have an asthma attack right in front of Mama, and she's convinced by my shaking my head that the pill went "in the wrong pipe".

Mama picks up the phone and calls Dr. David's office.

I decide that its not worth faking it or she'll take me for a car ride, so I curl up on the bed and play normal. Mama carries the phone around in her pocket while she cleans litter boxes and starts working on making her bed & cleaning rabbit cages. Mama moves me out of my space on the bed to take the sheets off. I give her the evil eye of disapproval.

Dr. Vicki calls back and says to give me more medicine every morning through the weekend. She asks if I'm feeling better; Mama tells her that I am annoyed because she stripped the bed. Dr. Vicki tells her that was very inconsiderate of her to do that but at least I'm feeling better so that's a good sign!

Mama opens the apartment door to get the rabbit boxes and gets all upset. I hear her talking to someone in the hallway and I hear a man's voice talking back to her. I don't hear much, I can tell she's talking about me and asthma and "how long till you're finished?"

Mama comes in and closes the door tight. She turns on the air machine again, all the fans, and says we might have to leave because the landlord is spraying paint in the hall and its bad for breathing and it smells like paint and chemicals out there and WHY DIDN'T HE TELL HER ABOUT THIS AHEAD OF TIME and how was she gonna get me out of the apartment so I wouldn't have another asthma attack?

I could tell Mama was very stressed so I tried to play nice. After all, I could feel the pill was working and I was breathing wonderfully again. I turn my chin up so she can scratch it and know that I"m better.

I inspect the cleaning of the guinea pig and rabbit cages. I even feel good enough to slap Monet as he tries to run by me on the bed while he waits for Mama to finish his cage. Monet got mad at me and ground his teeth and made angry noises. That brought Mama over, who slapped my nose and moved my paw. "There's nothing wrong with you now," Mama says.

Mama goes to the post office and then takes it easy the rest of the day. I sleep it away, sleeping against Mackenzie on the bed.

Phew what a day!

My Poor Baby Boy

Mama here;

Sab has prednisone to take if he has another attack. Since I didn't know if he had or not, but his activity level isn't what it normally is on cleaning the cages day, I gave him a pill in a pill pocket.

He spit the pocket out. That's new.

I gave him a few treats (Mackenzie too) to make him eat the pocket. He ate all the treats but the pocket. I had to shove the pill down his throat, which he found totally unacceptable. Once he swallowed, he had another attack.

He's now resting comfortably in a lumpy mess on the bed, but I've got a call out to Dr. David's office for further instructions.

I feel so helpless watching his gasp for air.

I *wrasp* Don't *wrasp* Feel *wrasp* Good *wrasp* Today- *deep breath*

I dunno what's going on but the air is so heavy today. It got heavy last night, too. Mama is worried that I had an asthma attack this morning so she gave me a special treat. I get those when I wheeze so it makes it a little OK to wheeze, I suppose.

I don't like it, though.

Then you know what Mama did? She took all my toys out of the living room! I wanted my crinkly toy from Ashley to be in the living room, so I put it in my mouth and wandered back to the room. I set it down and coughed.

"Sab! I just put that away!" she says and picks it back up. I thought she was mad at me so I went behind the glider. That's when I realized the glider is in a different spot and Mama must be getting ready to clean the rabbits and guinea pigs. She turned on the cold air machine for me to make the air easier to breathe, even though she says its not hot outside.

Then Mama took all the sheets off the bed and lumped them up. How can I rest and catch my breath that way? Mama put me on the bed and I saw a most wonderful thing: she made a spot for me to sleep! So I'm going to rest while she finishes all her cleaning. Right now I hear her in the bathroom so that must mean I'll have fresh litter when I have to go next!

Quality Mama Time

Yup that's what I've been doing lately.

I mean there was all the noise that Diesel's family (he's the cat that lived next door for the past couple of years. We met once when he dashed into my space uninvited!) made as they moved out, which was quite distressful. Then were was the big huge machines that put the black stuff on the road and smooth it out; they parked in front of our building and oh the noise! Then there was a police man out there with the bagger people with the flags and there was banging outside the bathroom window too and IT WAS ALL SO STRESSFUL!

But its been raining the past couple of days and Mama's been curling up with me on the bed with her music, her phone, and a book, so all is well with my world. I will even forgive her for not getting up to clean my litter box yet!

*Hanging Head*

I am such a horrible BFF. That's what Mama says humans call their besties these days.

My bestie, Jason, was COTD yesterday and I didn't even mention it in my diary! How could I have been so busy yesterday that I didn't trumpet his good fortune and Catster's obvious great taste in cats?

No worries; I did sing his praises in the groups and gave him a handsome party hat to wear, but still. There's no excuse for forgetting my best furiend, so I made him a banner and stuck it on my page. You were a terrific choice, Jas, and you were a pawsome COTD!

In other news... that Mama of mine; what shall I ever do with her? If its not one thing, its something else going wrong. This morning she woke up and her eye was stiff, she said. It felt puffy. She couldn't see well. She went to look in the mirror (before giving me breakfast, I must add.. grrr...) and found that something called a pimp got stuck under her eye and swelled the entire thing up. I don't know what a pimp is, but it won't come off her face. Mama's been putting ice on it and funny smelling medicine on it.

The good part to Mama having a pimp on her face is that she couldn't see to drive. No church or going to Memere's for lunch for Mama! Nope! Instead she turned on her music and rested with Kenzie and me.

That makes up for yesterday, which I didn't mention, because I was too busy stalking the potting crock that was cooking the pot roasting in it. Oh you've never smelt anything so delicious in all your lives! Mama wouldn't give me one lick, either. Not only that, but when she was washing the pan, she nailed me with the sink spray!

Now that I think about it... I think that pimp is God's way of paying Mama back for treating me so terrible yesterday! MOL

I'm Busy - Oh So Busy!

Mama says I don't need to be so busy, specially when she's got a head that feels like its the size of Texas. (Hey cats - do you know what Texas is and how big it might be? I have no idea!)

I am a cat of habit. I love to talk. I meow to Mama; I meow to Mackenzie; I especially love to meow at my toys as I toss them around the apartment. Mama has this funny need to pick up all my toys and put them in the toy basket that's in the kitchen.

I prefer to have my toys in the living room. After all, it is a living room. Mama says if I leave them there, then I shouldn't whine if Shortie or Ringo decide to snack on them.

Mama usually talks to me when I'm chatting, but with her Texas-sized head, she says she's got no tolerance for me "howling like a banshee" and "waking up the neighbors". I happen to know that the neighbors are on vacation but once when I howled I could hear the nice lady's cat, named Diesel, howling back at me. That was soooooooooooooo fun!

Mama says I need a new hobby. Since she's been spending a lot of time sleeping and laying in bed because her head hurts so much, I've decided that my new thing to do will be to snooze next to her; maybe I'll even knead her head so it doesn't hurt so much. Mama says "no, that won't work". Says that allergies don't work that way.

Hey, I offered!

Uh Oh

Um, Sebastian?

Purrs, Mama! You're awake! You gonna love me?

Of course I'm going to love you, but what is this in your diary about Mama needing another human? Have you been talking to Memere?

Um, well, ah, Mama, I was just thinking that two humans are better than one?

Well, this is true, but you make Mama sound... desperate. Mama's fine just as she is. If Mama had a human in her life, that would mean less time for Sebastian. Besides, where would be put another human in here?

*long pause*

So you see, its like a human saying: be careful what you wish for; it might just come true.

Gottcha, Mama. No more dreaming of more humans, especially for you!

And Sab?

Purrs, Mama!

Next time, talk to me first. Not everything needs to go into your diary for everyone to read.

What did you say Mama? You're going to pet my head? Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs

What a Cat Might Think Up

I'm telling you its not a good idea to have a cat with too much time to think. My mind makes me think up some pretty silly stuff!

See, I have a new furiend. Her name is Willow and she's a brilliant orange and white gal. I'm telling you, she is so silly lucky to choose such a swell dad. Know why? Because she got two of them! Can you imagine? TWO DADS!

Mackenzie met Alex a while ago at her Furt group. He has two moms. How did he get so lucky? I've only got one mom. My besties, Oliver and Sparkman, have a mom and a dad. Uncle Tony comes over, and he's got Auntie Julia. So I have to wonder: how come I only have one mom? Why can't I have two moms, or a mom and a dad, or maybe two dads? I'm guessing that two people means more love, right?

So I meowed to Mama about this. She says "it's not that simple, Sab", because love is "complicated" and I shouldn't get an ideas in my head.

Well, I'll tell you what idea is in my head. If Mama would only go out and get me another mama or even a daddy, then maybe she wouldn't keep bringing foster animals home and fussing over bringing home more animals for keeps! Maybe, if she had a purson to keep her busy, then that purson would spend time with me and mama and then Mama wouldn't be fussing over animals so much.

Cuz see, we've had Reese trouble this week. Reese is my new hamster sister, and what a little pain in the paw she's been! Mama started freaking out and going OH MY GAWD and calling people and wringing her hands on Monday. She was saying such silly stuff about one of Reese's paws missing. Yeah, right. Reese lost a paw? I don't think so.

I guess, though, that it is true: Reese lost a paw; she's only got 3 now. Mama figured out some medicine to give her for pain and then she dragged Reese to see Dr. Shawn yesterday and sure enough, when I stuck my nose in to see Reese, she didn't have a paw in the back - it was all red and swollen and stumpy! Then today Mama took Monet to see Dr. Shawn for Mo-Mo's annual check up. When Mama got home, she spent time working and talking to Shortie and Ringo, the foster buns. Yes, you read that right - we've got another foster bun to be pals with Shortie.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Mama really could really use a special human, and so could Kenzie and I! (I'm not crazy about this; I hear that Memere is thinking the same thing!)

This is what I've decided I want my new human to be like: I've got a mom, so I want a dad. One of each isn't too much to ask, is it? I don't want him to hog the bed; he's got to feed me whenever I so desire; play with me for hours on end; sleep a lot so I can lean against him; and he will never take me to the v*t. Of course, he must also love me and Mama and Mackenzie.

Yup, that's what I think. It's time to find Mama a human! I wonder what kind of human Mama would like to have? She is so gonna kill me for writing about this.....

Brilliant Mama!

OH BOY Kenzie and I had so much fun last night - way too much fun to be sleeping. You'll never guess what Mama did yesterday!

Oops, sorry; it is what she didn't do yesterday that is so exciting. She forgot to put the new bags of cat food in the shelf in the closet!

Yes, my friends, you read that right. Two, 4-pound bags of prescription cat food just standing next to the table leg, pleading and begging us to rescue them from boredom. I chewed both bags for good measure, but it was Kenzie who managed to crack open the bag of r/d....

but it was too close to waking-Mama-up time and getting food the easy way, so we changed our techniques. Mama came into the kitchen with her blurry eyes and no glasses on and realized her mistake immediately because we had left both bags on their sides! She didn't see the hole in the top of the r/d bag until she picked it up and kibble started raining from heaven! Mama was not pleased about that b/c then she had to step all over the kibble. She used the broom to sweep it into a pile and then left it there for us to enjoy.

I hope she does that again soon!

Boxes! Corners! Score!

This evening Mama decided to pull lots of stuff out of her closet. She got all the way to the bottom boxes and took them out. She got on the floor and started sorting through them. Shortie hopped over and thought it was just delightful to hop through the papers and nibble on the envelopes.

I, however, discovered that the boxes left a great snoozing spot in the closet! I got to it before Shortie could, and even though she came over to sniff me out, I wouldn't let her have my space! I stretched right out and watched Mama fill one of the boxes with some of the papers. She said she was getting ready for a "shredathon" at one of the TV stations tomorrow. She says they're going to munch through all that very important paper she doesn't need anymore and it would take her a long time to shred it.

This seems silly to me. I don't know why Mama would put the stuff in a box and drive it away to be shredded when Shortie does a fantastic job of shredding things all by herself! You should have seen what she did with the newspaper Mama was trying to read the other day. Shortie left strips of paper everywhere!

Earlier today, Uncle Tony and Auntie Julia stopped by with Mama's "babies", as she calls them, but they really are her nieces, whatever that is. Last time baby Lucy was here she wasn't walking much. Now she's walking everywhere really fast and she can talk and say my name and she laughed at me. She also loved to touch my head; she said I was soft.

Megan, the other "baby", didn't seem to know what to do with me. She did point at me and say "meow!" but only when Mama was holding her and telling her it was okay. The guinea pigs moving around were scary to her. Mama says that Megan lives with dog cousin Maggie; she's not used to small animals.

Now I know what bestie Oliver talks about when he says the little humans make messes and leave yummies on the floor. Lucy threw her egg and macaroni on the floor and I had a delightful time licking up the butter! I hope that's on my kidney diet....

Breathing Scratches

You'll never guess what Mama said to me this afternoon. She said: Sab, is that a cat scratch on your nose?

Needless to say, I gave her the look that means "you've got to be kidding, right?" I'm a cat; I have a scratch on my nose, so of course its a CAT SCRATCH!

Mama was concerned because it looks dirty bloody so she got a rag and wiped it. She expected me to fuss and give her a hard time, but it actually felt good - that cool rag on my warm nose.

It's hot today! Mama's little clock thingy that's outside our window says "92" on it; Mama says that's hot! I must agree; its very hot in here today, so I've been as little as possible. I spent the morning on the kitchen floor, under the open windows. (Mama says the windows in the kitchen face north and face the lake; its always cooler in the kitchen.) Mama called Uncle Tony and he's going to put the a/c in the window tomorrow. She had to go somewhere this morning but since she got back she's been watching me to make sure that I don't have an asthma attack.

I don't want an attack either, so that's why I'm being extra cat-like in doing nothing. The guinea pigs aren't doing much, either. Bijou's been lounging under his dripping water bottle, and Monet's been in his usual spot, hanging over the side of his house. Mama says he looks "wilted". Shortie has been lounging too, but unlike the rest of us, she's been enjoying some of the sun that's come through the shades. Shortie is totally black; not one other spec of color on her fur at all. She doesn't look hot! It's not fair!

Mama gave each of them a large piece of white tile to lay on; she says it helps them stay cool. I wish I could have one of those!

At least I've got cool, fresh water in my bowl. I think I'll expend some energy and walk over to it for some deep pondering before supper.

Plus Trouble!

Yippee! Mama renewed our "Catster Plus" today. She doesn't have money for lots of stuff, but she said that she'd make sure we got our plus. Thanks, mama!

As for the 'trouble' around here... Mama's got a really bad cold - again. I wish she'd stop bringing them home. Seems like she gets better and then she gets sick again.

Auntie Lisa and toddler Emma are home for a few days, so instead of Mama staying home so I can take care of her, she's been going to visit Memere instead. Grrrrr

That's caused its own problems. Shortie has become very nasty because she's spent too much time in the pen. She came out tonight and I'm telling you, I couldn't even imagine all the ways she's come up with to get into trouble. She raced around the room and rammed her head into me while I was walking! I raced behind the kitchen barrier before she could do it again, so what did Shortie do? She rammed her head into the barrier! Later, she took on Mackenzie, who slapped Shortie's nose, and both of them got scolded by Mama. Mama has been wringing her hands tonight, worried about how upset Shortie is because she's had to be in the pen so long and wondering how to help Shortie get past her bad memories. She's been making phone calls and emailing people and reading stuff.... all while playing trumpet with her nose and coughing all over the keyboard.

Nope, I don't plan on touching that keyboard for a while... and thankfully, Shortie finally decided to go to her pen and eat her fresh pile of hay. We can all sleep peacefully now!

The Dumb Cat

I am sort of ashamed to say I might even look like this dumb cat I saw this morning. I know that none of my faithful readers would never be as dumb as this cat.

First of all, he's an outdoor cat. That makes him silly. How can you possibly find a soft spot to sleep when you're outside? I've never seen a bed or a pillow or a pile of laundry outside. I will admit it looks easier to find the sun when you're outside.... oh sorry; stay on track, Sab!

OK! So this cat (who was not a brilliant orange) was walking up and down the sidewalk most of the morning while I snoozed in the open window. I don't know what was so important that he was waiting for, but apparently he found it, because he finally decided to cross the road.

This is where he was a very dumb cat. He crossed the road at the same time that a car was coming! Doesn't he know that cars are baaaaaaaaaaaad and evil and only want to do hurtful things to cats?

Mama's had her nose stuck in a book the past day or so, so I was surprised that she saw the entire thing, too. I heard her suck on her air and heard her say "thank goodness that car slowed down" because dumb, silly brown & gray & white cat raced over to our side of the road and the silver car slowed down and didn't hit the dumb cat.

Phew. I'm so glad Mama makes me stay inside.

the New Entertainment

Mama put Reese (our new hamster, in case you noticed the fact that I didn't announce her arrival last week!) in the exercise ball for the first time this evening.

I have been watching Shortie (our foster rabbit) fight with the "ball" ever since! I don't think she knows what is going on.

The ball follows her into her pen. Shortie stomps and grunts and the ball still comes. Shortie pushes the ball with her nose. It rolls and then comes back.

Shortie hops away in fury and throws a tantrum. She comes right back to the ball moving around on the floor. The ball moves towards Shortie, and she leaps away.

Shortie decides that she doesn't want to be intimidated by the ball and she lunges at it; the ball moves away and then comes back. Mind you, the ball is moving all over the place in zig zag fashion so you really can't get away from it.

This is absolutely entertaining! Even Mama & Mackenzie have joined me in this new spectator sport!

No word yet from Reese how it looks from her persective....

Down Another Life

I had a very close call yesterday, thanks once again to my very klutzy mama.

Hey, that's not fair, Sab! If you're gonna tell the story, then tell it the right way! It was a total accident!

I know it was, Mama, but gracious... you know it; I know it; you and the kitchen don't get along well. Just sniff the air to remind yourself of the last thing you burned this evening.

Sab! Stick with the miracle story!

Yeesh, mamas are so picky and fussy....

Anyway, I was helping Mama in the kitchen as she got ready for her supper. She decided to bake some potatoes (sorry, Sparkman, I didn't know ahead of time!) and her baking potatoes in the microwave bowl is in the cupboard on a higher shelf. She needs to stand on my step ladder to reach inside there.

I dunno exactly what happened but there was a massive CRASH and all this crystal stuff went flying all over the kitchen and big pieces of it were falling all over the place. No way was I gonna stay and watch the end of that!

Mama panicked because I was sitting on the floor, right next to the step ladder that I usually sit on but she was standing on, and crystal chunks fell to the floor and Mama yelled out "SAB!" in a very scared voice. She couldn't find me at all! I was soooooooooooooo out of there.

She got down off the ladder and came to find me. "Are you OK? Are you cut?" She looked all over my fur and rubbed my head - I was on the bed by now - and I really wasn't all that sure what she was fussing about. When she was sure that I wasn't hurt, she hugged me and wiped her tears and said a big "thank you" to Jesus for keeping me safe from getting stabbed with the broken crystal.

Sab, the biggest piece fell right where you had been sitting! What was I supposed to think? You could have been very seriously hurt if that big piece of sharp crystal fell into your back or your head or your tail - or even if you stepped on it!

And whose fault would that have been, Mama? Why did you drop the crystal cup holder onto the crystal bowl?

I didn't, Sab. I was trying to move the cup holder so it wouldn't fall but I wasn't fast enough. Oh what a huge mess to pick up! But you were safe and I was safe and that's all that mattered.

Sure is, Mama! That's why I'm down another life. At this point I think I've only got 1 or 2 left!

Finally - GARNISH!

It's no fair. Mackenzie gets some; she's been getting it for a long time. She calls it "garnish".

All I know is that Mama's been giving it to her and not to me for a long time. I'm tired of it! I want the delicious tasting chicken garnish too!

Mama had a horrible rule about this, though. Only Mackenzie could eat chicken garnish. Such a terrible rule, I say!

Then Dr. Diana said that Mackenzie had to eat a different cat food! Hers is light brown; mine is dark brown. Mama puts food in Kenzie's bowl and then has to go back to the counter to get food to put in my bowl.

Mama stands over me and won't me check out Kenzie's bowl! I suppose it wouldn't matter; she inhales her food; doesn't taste it, then spits it all over the living room carpet. Makes Mama displeased, and you don't want to displease Mama! So Mama decided to put me in the pet carrier while Mackenzie ate her breakfast and my bowl was all by itself with my 1/4 cup of food inside, untouched.

Life is so unfair - until this weekend.

Mama put the garnish on my kibble on Sunday. Oh man, I'm telling you, my food has never tasted so pawtastic! Kidney food never tasted this flavorful, this moist, this aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahmazing! Now I get a squirt at breakfast and supper just like Kenzie! I don't need to eat out of her bowl anymore. Who cares if she has different food than me; I've got chicken garnish too!

Can I have some more, Mama?

PS from Mama: please don't tell Sab, but I'm not squirting thyroid medicine on his food; he doesn't need it. However, dipping the dropper in the bottle, leaving it empty, and then holding it over his food is enough to end the food wars, so I'll let him go on thinking he's got something special, too!

No Way!

Can it really be true?

First, Mama interrupts my breakfast by telling me "Shhhhhhhhhhhhh Sab! Can you hear the birds outside? It's the springtime birds!"

The only thing I'm hearing is crunch crunch crunch in my head, but OK, Mama, I'll take your word for it that the springtime birds are here and I'll pay more attention to it when my bowl is empty.

Then Mama tells me "Sab, you are a diary pick today! Look at that!" and I think "I didn't hear the birds so I think Mama is just not really awake yet" but I come to Catster to sniff it out and realize that if Hazel Lucy sends me a note saying "concats" for being a diary pick then it must be true.

I haven't been a diary pick in a long time - thank you Catster! Meow!

The Crashed Man

It was an ordinary day until Mama, Kenzie & I all heard the "thump" outside the open window. We all looked out and

there was man who had been on one of those two wheeled motor things who crashed over our curb and landed in our driveway next to Mama's car! The man wasn't moving and his back was turning bright red! Mama cried out "puray to Jesus!", grabbed her phone, and ran out the door talking to someone on the phone.

By the time Mama got outside, the neighbors across the street had come out with their phones, and a couple other cars had stopped, too. The man with the red back started to get up but he wobbled, and I saw Mama and a couple of the people ease him back to the ground on his side with his head up. His leg was looking funny to me and, well, I don't know as if I've seen a human look so funny.

I could hear the people talking and pointing up the road and some were putting string on his leg. Mama was pointing and making hang moves like she does when she's telling people what to do. Mama's done nursing work before she I knew she'd know what to do.

Just then the police car showed up with its blue lights flashing and they came out to sit with the man. Mama walked over to a young, pretty lady who was holding a baby and shaking and crying and twirling in circles like I do when I'm worried or trying to help someone.

Mama stayed with the pretty lady while the big fire trucks came, and more police men came, and the big rescue box with the red and blue lights came and even the dog catcher person came! He got out and used his black hand thingy to make traffic move around our apartment and the mess.

Mama gave the lady her phone; I guess she wanted to call someone. Mama stayed with her until the rescue people and fire people put one of those collars on his neck and then put him on a stiff bed and put him in the big box and drove him away. The fire people pushed the smashed bike up the street to another parking lot and the police people talked to the scared, pretty lady.

Naturally I had plenty of questions when Mama came inside. She said that the pretty lady was his girlfriend and that when he came around the corner, Mama thinks that he didn't actually stop like you're supposed to do when lights blink red colors. She thinks that when he came around the corner, he slipped on all the dirt on the road. She also said that she's sure he broke his leg and he had some bones sticking out, too. I meowed about his red back and face, and says that its called "road burn" and that its just scrapes that have lots and lots of dirt in it and that Pupah had the exact same kind of accident when he had his motor bike. She says its super painful, but that the guy was smart; he had his helmet on, and it was bumped, scraped, and cracked. Otherwise, she says that he'd probably be totally dead and not moving at all.

So please purr with me and Mama for the hurt man who went to the hospital, and his girl friend who had to drive with them with their litter baby in the car.

Please Purr for Mama!

I don't know where to start; my mama is just not doing well at all. I have no idea how to help her other than to tattle on her. I fear I am loosing my place in her heart. Yes, I know, its a very painful thought, but she's just plain going crazy! First, she says she's gonna do things different around here. Then she decides she's making the bed no matter what.

I didn't really care, until I realized that no matter what meant that no cat would stop her. I never noticed that she left the bed unmade on the days that we lounged and got comfy before she could get around to making it. Now, she says, cats or not, the bed's getting made every day. This means she will (a)plain pick me up and put me on the floor or (b) make the bed around me and cover me with the sheets or (c) she will tap my butt until I decide to move myself. How cruel is this? How am I supposed to enjoy the sun with bumps under my head if she does this? I'm telling you, the sun just hasn't been as comfortable since she started this nonsense!

Then this morning, she took a shower. That's not strange, but what was totally out of the ordinary: she shut the bathroom door! I know; can you believe such a travesty? She never shuts doors inside the apartment. She says that's not true, but I don't remember her doing this before.

To make matters worse - while she was in the shower, there was a knock at the door. I got up to sit next to door, but before I could get there a strange man opened the door, came inside, and started banging around in the kitchen! I didn't know what to do! Mama was in the shower! The door was closed! How was I gonna protect Mama?

It was even scarier: Mama came out of the shower and opened the bathroom door and didn't seem to care one bit that a strange man had come into the apartment and was banging on things in the kitchen! In fact, she went over to talk to him! They started pulling things out of the stove! Oh the noise! Oh the scariness! I couldn't even hide under the bed because Mama's got fencing around it to keep Shortie from going under there.

Terrifying indeed!

As if things can't get any worse, Mama had to clean our litter boxes today. She took out the dirty litter and such, and then left them! She says "I forgot to buy extra litter this month" and she didn't have any to put inside my favorite box!

So naturally I am extremely worried about Mama. She's being strange and, it would seem, I am getting tossed aside with no regard for my feelings.

*sob*

Fleas or Flees?

Man I'm telling you, humans are soooooooooooooo nosy, particularly mamas. If you don't have a mama, you are sooooooooooo lucky and you don't even know it!

I've developed an itch. You know the kind. It's that itch that just doesn't go away no matter how much you scratch. It's enough to drive even the sanest cat just doggey.

Unfortunately, in order to relieve myself, I did to much scratching in front of Mama's notices. As soon as she notices that I'm scratching, over she comes.

"What is this, Sab? Oh please don't tell me!" She rubbed my head. Well, that was swell of her, but that didn't help my itch go away. So I got on the bed and I scratched.

Mama comes back a little later. "Oh baby boy, don't let it be flees".

A what? Have you ever heard of a flee? I've seen humans flee, but to see a flee? What is that?

Mama sits on the bed and she pretends to give me attention. Before I realize what she's doing, she's searching my neck to find out why I'm scratching. She's looking for those "flees" and says that we've never had a flee in this house and now is not the time to invite one in!

Mama soon discovered why I'm itching so much: my hair is growing back! Yes siree, that meany Carol at Dr. Vicki's office snipped some fur off my neck so she could steal my blood and now the fur is coming back.

Dang, it itches! Thankfully I've got Mackenzie to help me. She saw my distress last night and came over to give me a thorough lick. She reached the places that I couldn't and when she was done, no more itching!

I knew she really loved me!

Thank You Doesn't Seem Enough

First of all, on behalf of Mama, Bijou, Monet, Mackenzie, and Shortie, I want to thank each of you who sent kind thoughts and messages to us upon Chocolate's passing. Thank you for the rosettes:
Kiwi and her big family,
Chumley,
Morgan the Pirate Gato and
Alfie, as well as notes from
OWP,
Biggest Boy,
Ashley,
Felix,
Timbo,
Diogi,
Jason Hopper,
Freddie,
Hazel Lucy (does she really need any introduction? I think not!),
Pepper,
Sparkman,
Onyx and her family, and
Emma and family, who left a rosie for Mackenzie.

Mama also wants to say a very, very, VERY heartfelt and grateful "thank you" to the mama of one of the above mentioned cats who gave money to help pay for Chocolate's vet bill to help the shelter with his costs.

Chocolate was only about 18 months old when he died, but he had such an effect on everyone he met. He will be missed by so many people; I wonder if he knew how much he was loved and by how many.

Things are back to normal around here: Mama spent a few hours on Sunday scrubbing spots he made on the carpet; she finally got his sick cage and his bedding and litter boxes all washed and put away. She took Chocolate back to the shelter for a proper "burial". Mama says they did some testing or something on him to find out what happened. She says that Chocolate apparently died from suffocation; his belly was so swollen and bloated that his heart and lungs didn't have space to work anymore. They also believe that some helpful visitor fed him some broccoli, which is not good for bunnies b/c it causes them to bloat. Mama says that everyone is now on special alert to make sure no broccoli gets into the bunny room ever again!

It is with Very Heavy Hearts

that I have to tell you, diary readers, that Chocolate died at 8:38 pm Eastern time here in the living room, on his makeshift bed.

Mama says that my howling "like a banchie" reminds her of bible times when they would hire people to cry and wail when someone died.

I just can't help it; it was just so sad to see my buddy on the floor and not be able to help him....

and then I drank the water in his bowl on the floor. What? It's not like he's going to need it...

Mama says I am one-track minded. Even so,

We will all miss you, dear Chocolate.

Chocolate's doing better!

Mama just got home with Chocolate; they were gone all day. Mama says that Dr. Ann was able to X-ray his belly and found the blockage. She can't do surgery on it; its not in a surgery place, she says. Choc is feeling good enough to start eating hay on his own (yay!) and stretching out to rest.

Mama says she's got to take Chocolate back to the shelter in the morning so he can have more fluids and get a final weekend check. Mama says that she and Chocolate are going to take it easy tonight. That sounds like a grand plan to me!

Clean Bills

Mama says that's what I got yesterday, so it must be a good thing!

Yesterday she woke me up from a comfy nap, put me in the carrier, and dragged me to the vet in the pouring rain! I'm telling you, it doesn't get much more rude than that!

Then I had to meet a new vet who isn't a new vet but she's never met me before: Dr. Vicki, who was immediately smitten by my good looks, but frankly, I wasn't interested in impressing her!

I weigh a svelte 15.2 pounds, which is 5 ounces more than I weighed in September. Carol, my tech, says that's very good news considering my not-so-good kidneys!

Dr. Vicki listened to my lungs; she says they sound great! Carol helped with my wrecked 'em problem in the past, so she took a peek where the sun doesn't shine and, after she stuck that ahem in the darkness, she declared me "normal" and "looking good" even though I've been scooting lately.

THEN Dr. Vicki stuck me in the hip with my rababies shot and then she stuck my back paw to steal my blood! She said there were very sick kitties out back and so no healthy cats were allowed there so she had to do it in front of Mama and I wasn't really enjoying that. I wanted Mama to rescue me!

Since I wasn't cooperating, Carol had to get the razor and shave a spot on my neck so Dr. Vicki could steal my blood. The good news is that my creatinine & BUN levels are both fantabulous!

Now this is no surprise to any of us, but I am one healthy, good lookin' dude! I have Dr. Vicki's say-so!

Scarry Stuff Happenings...

It's been a flurry of activity around here this afternoon. Mama got a phone call that made her very upset and she left and when she came back ---

She had our last foster bun, Chocolate, with her!

He looks really bad, diary readers. Mama says he's very sick - could be dying kind of sick, and he needs a lot of attention. I have doing my best to help him feel better. Mama made a cage for him and put him near the floor, so I have been sitting next to it to help him not feel so alone.

Mama moved all the stuff around in here to make space for him, because we've still got Shortie, too. Mama says "pray that we don't have to evacuate in a hurry!"

Mackenzie is so much better at this than me; I get so wound up and agitated when things get serious. Mama's set her timer to make sure she doesn't forget Choc's medicines, and she's gonna have to get up during the night to give them to him, if he's still around during the night. Mama thinks he's feeling better just by being here and being able to relax better, so she's feeling better about him getting better, but still....


*sigh* Don't make your buns Chocolate this Easter... just purr for the ones who are!

Covert Operations

I cannot believe Mama carried on about me not feeling well! Just because she's not feeling well...

I couldn't say anything about it before, but I was conducting and undercover operation. You know, the top secret kind. You know, "the kind that you win medals for, but they send them to your family" type of mission.

Well, I tried to make it secret, but Mama's a smart one. She couldn't understand why I was looking so "dirty and disheveled" of late (what's with the big words, Mama?) and was doing the unforgivable task of wiping me down with a damp towel. Oh, the indignity I must endure. First, she puts bunnies on my page. Then, she tells everyone something's wrong with me, THEN she wipes me with a damp towel!!!

The operation was compromised this evening, however. I got caught in the act and thus... with my cover foiled, I now retreat to the land of in plain sight. Me, and my Dr. Pussums' Fancy Feline Elixir organic catnip bag.

*big sigh*

Oh my furiends, if you do not have a Dr. Pussum's Fancy Feline Elixir organic catnip bag in your home, you have not truly lived. You will never sniff imitation catnip ever again. Its mesmerizing power just goes on and on and on and on...

I have two bags; one is an eye-blinding shade a pink, and the other is pale yellow. The yellow one got wet (I accidentally tossed it into my water bowl) and the bag got super, super big and then sprouts came out of it and oh wonder of wonders.... it was twice the pleasure! Mama cut it open and put it on the floor and... well, we'll just say that the rest is not fit for young eyes and ears, so I will let your minds do the imaginating....

Sorry; I got distracted by all that nip.

My covert operation was to hide the pink bag behind the trash can in the kitchen. Mama never noticed, or she didn't care, that the trash can kept moving. Since she doesn't sweep there much, it was needing a cleaning, which I took care of while I rolled and rolled and made sweet, joyous communion with my Dr. Pussum's bag. It was my secret crush; my one, necessary vice, and tonight,

Mama caught me in the act of indulging my private fantasies.

No more privacy for Dr. Pussum's and me. We've been tossed to the middle of the living room floor.

*sob*

Mama Frets over Sab

Hi everyone; I'm Sab's Mama. I hope I am not being an alarmist, but he is being so silly the past day or so. I can't tell if he's still swaggering from the Italian pawty or if that owl got to him or if maybe, just maybe, his disdain for the rabbit is getting the better of him but...

he's walking around here like a cat high on the nip or something... he's taking his time climbing up on things (almost fell off the step ladder this evening, but had no problem jumping off of it to race to his bowl) and his walk just seems strange to me. Granted, I really got my eye good this morning, and I'm kinda wobbly myself, but I am certain he's staggering, too.

Hopefully I'm just making HIM look sick because I've felt awful - no worries, Sabsters; someone just stole all my irons - but just the same, I wonder about him.

Yes, he is going to the vet but DON'T TELL HIM! His annual check up has been scheduled for Wednesday morning... I did that a couple months ago... so we'll see what Dr. Diana has to say. I'm thinking a routine blood panel would be a good idea, just to be sure.

Its Easter Time Again!

Oh man I have come to really dislike Easter time.

Have to seen what Mama did to my page? It's an equal-opportunity attack; Mackenzie's page looks the very same way. She comes from the shelter, though, so she likes it.

I don't like this one bit. Why are there bunnies all over my page?

I know Mama thinks she can save the world one saved bunny at a time, but why do I have to be a part of this, huh? Don't I sacrifice enough by sharing my space with homeless buns that Mama brings home for a short time?

Personally, I think its a trick by Mama to get more chocolate; that's what I think!

She was never like this till she went to the shelter. Mama doesn't get all possessed and pushy usually, but then comes Easter, and then she gets really, really pushy and bullish. She starts by telling true stories about "disposable bunnies" and that the stories and pictures are enough to make you squirm and uncomfortable! Why does she want to scare people?

Like making sure that everyone knows that a bunny is not a "starter" or "disposable" pet and "did you know that rabbits are the 3rd surrendered animal in the U.S. after cats and dogs?" and "rabbits requires as much attention as a puppy but the rabbit never grows up" and "like puppies, rabbits are natural diggers, must chew, are full of energy, have short attention spans, thrive on attention, need socialization, must have many toys, are capable of destroying the house, can learn commands, and learn to potty in a litter box."

Or, she might just burst out in disgust about how people just buy rabbits for their kids without thinking about the long-term effects or expecting kids to take care of rabbits when they are not for young children when young kids have been known to kill rabbits simply because rabbits are so fragile and not because the kids mean to hurt the rabbits and how many times has she has cried over stupid people misbehaving and how stupid people shouldn't be allowed to have animals they can't or won't care for and animals aren't a fleeting thing and "how many times do I have rehab a broken rabbit because of stupid humans?" I know; can you picture my mama saying stuff like that? Me either! I'm so glad that she doesn't! She knows better than to call people stupid; no such thing, she tells me! "There are ignorant people, Sab, but not stupid people," she likes to say... except when we talk about bunnies, I guess!

I hear they sell bunnies at pet stores. I am so glad I am not seen with Mama when she goes to pet stores. I hear stories about Mama actually going up to people at the stores and steering them away from stuff at the store b/c pet stores only sell stuff to make money, and not stuff bunnies can use. I love yogurt - I can't have it anymore b/c its not on my kidney diet - but I guess people feed bunnies yogurt and it makes bunnies very sick b/c they are "milk intolerant" and bunnies can't throw up so the yogurt just stays in their tummies making them sicker and sicker and it can kill the bunnies if they aren't too careful and so why do they put bunny pictures on yogurt drops? Or how about "its just plain evil to put a bunny in a hutch and put it outside... its as evil as chaining a dog or cat outside all the time!"

You know... Mama even likes to take over my diary sometimes and spit off all this bunny stuff. I have been watching her planning her attack on that Book of Faces that she goes to all the time and thinking she might put it HERE.

I don't think so! Save the bunnies, Mama, but do it on YOUR page, on YOUR time! Nope; nada; zip; zilch; I am not letting Mama take over my CATster page and try to save the rabbits!

I am so glad that I run this household!

Sammy Came Home!

Oh my cat I am so excited I can hardly hold my tail still. My buddy, Sammy, is now feeling well enough that he's back home!

He's still weak and has some recovery yet to do, but I am so sure that with all of your purrs he will be back on his feet in no time and feeling as good as he ever had! I know that he and his mama are so appurciative for all the purrs and love going their way.

On a kinda related message, because she's also a furiend of mine, would you please keep Pooter's in your purrs? Her grand-human is very, very, dying sick and so naturally her mom and she have been busy with all of that sad business. Thanks cats; I know you're the best!

Today Mama cleaned in the hallway and oh boy did I have fun! I got to talk to Diesel, the cat who lives across the hall. He couldn't see me, because he was locked in his apartment, but he could hear and smell me, so I went to his door and scratched and scratched and scratched and he scratched and scratched back and we have a regular conversation going for a while. He was complaining about his mama and baby human being gone for a long time and leaving him alone, and I told him I could totally understand... though I don't know about dealing with a baby human. (Mama held me the other day so his baby human could touch me and I was not amused! I will admit she was gentle, but still...)

Mama was amused that Diesel and I were having quite the conversation. She was jealous because she didn't understand Diesel language. Silly Mama.... doesn't she know that meows are universal?

It's Derby Time!

Well, that's what Mama tells me. It happens every year; so many people hang out around our apartment and by the lake.

Mama calls it "Derby Fest" and since we live near a major getting-to-the-water point and where they weigh fish, we see lots of people.

I like to watch from the bathroom window; its the best place to keep an eye on everyone. They come in big trucks and little cars and in between cars and trucks and those things that don't have wheels but zip on the snow and they make noise during the days and nights and people and dogs waking all over the place. They park on the sides of the road and in the parking spaces and they walk to the little store place across the street from us and they like to sit in the snowbanks behind our apartment and wowsers... there's so much to see and stare at!

Yes, furiends, I said fish! I've never seen a fish walking around on the road, although if I did, I'd be sure to capture it and have a good meal!

Mama then told me a really silly story. Did you know that during Derb Fest, they walk on top of the lake? She said you can even drive on the lake and park cars on the lake! I just don't know how they do this, but I can tell you that the lake gets really white looking at this time of year.

All I know is that it was a very busy morning in the bathroom window. I had to leave the window in order to get a nap! Mama came home early; she had told us she'd be gone a long time because Auntie Lisa was coming home today and Mama was going to get her. Mama was sad because Auntie Lisa couldn't find a plane to bring her home, so Mama didn't have to drive to the airport. I know that's sad, but since Mama's home, she can help me watch the derby tomorrow - through all the snow the TV people say is coming!

PS: foster bunny does not like Derby Time. She'd rather stomp her feet and pee in naughty places!

Updates

I can't believe I forgot to tell you guys: the bug has bit the dust! Mama says that's a fancy way to say "the bug is now gone!"

Was it last night, now? I can't remember! We could hear the bug buzzing in the kitchen. He was driving me crazy; his buzzing was calling out to me, torturing me! Mama could hear him, too, but couldn't see him.

I got on the side of the sink. Mama doesn't want cats there, and she was about to scold me in between her coughing fits, but then she realized the bug noise was coming from the sink!

I could not see that bug! I was reaching for a dirty bowl in the sink to swat with my paw when Mama said "I see him!" I looked up. I couldn't see him, but Mama could.

Stupid bug finally had a run in with the sticky tape! Mama hung it from the ceiling and said "not for cats!" a while ago. She says that once bugs land on it, its bye-bye bugs b/c they can't get off. Well, this one seems to have gotten off, but when he landed on the little shelf over the sink, he got stickies all over the shelf, which meant that the dust bunnies hiding on the shelf were stuck to the fly's wings, and he wasn't flying anywhere, even though he tried so hard.

Bug fought so hard to fly that he wiggled himself off the shelf and he fell down right in front of me! I s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d my neck to see the bug in the sink, but Mama said she needed to put him out of his misery and she washed him down the drain.

Dang, I lost my toy!

Speaking of toys.... Mama pulled out my shoelace this evening! OK, so be that way; it really is Mama's shoelace that she pulled out of her shoe before she threw the old shoe away. I was so happy to see that lace and I attacked it with such vigor that I ended up causing an asthma attack. That was NOT FUN, in case you weren't sure. I had to rest, and I didn't want to rest. I tried to hit that lace anyway, even though I was wheezing, but Mackenzie took over with a swat to my face and that was the end of me. Mama said "Sab, stay still!" so I watched Kenzie & Mama play. THEN the funny part happened: foster bunny Shortie jumped in the game! She hopped on that string & bumped Kenzie's head with her head! Mama laughed and coughed and wheezed, too. Neither Shortie or Mackenzie were amused, though!

On a related subject... the bunnies falling on my page are ONLY there because did you know that a bunny can get pregnant 30 minutes after giving birth to her kittens? First, I didn't know baby buns were calls "kits" and I also didn't know that about bunnies. Since its Spay Day next week, I've got bunnies falling on my page. If it wasn't for such a good cause, there is no way I'd let bunnies fall on my page!

Sammy's mama emailed me tonight! She says she's so glad to hear from Mama and me and to know that we're all purring for Sammy. Sammy has to spend another night at the vet's but he's doing better in the oxygen machine. I'm glad to hear that, but his mama says he's not out of the machine yet. Something about 4 more days and they'll know how he'll do. Keep purring for him!

Please Purr for Sammy!

Hi furiends;

My buddy & fellow Sabster, Sammy in California, is very, very sick. Two days ago he collapsed and his mama rushed him to the vet. They discovered he's got a horrible heart thingy that Mama calls "cardiomyopathy". Sammy was able to go home, but he's back in the hospital again.

I am very worried about my buddy. Please purr for him & his family! You can visit Sammy's page and leave him purrs & wishes for when he comes home, if you'd like. No pressure to do that, but I know how special the Catster family is when there's a cat in distress.

Chasing the Sicky Bug

Mama has been fighting a cold for almost a week now and I've not been able to get her better!

Tonight I discovered the reason why Mama's still sick: the bug is in the window - the window where the bed is! No wonder Mama is still sick with coughing and eyes that don't want to stay open and feeling like she'll fall over and feeling so hot that she turns off the heat and then all our ears get cold.

I attacked that bug in the window. Unfortunately, Mama was eating and when she heard me crash the window and bang the lighted candle into the window, she spun around and almost fell over and she was going to yell at me for being a bad boy until she saw that bug fly away!

I was right on its tail...er, wing as it tried to fly out of the window but hit the shade instead. I slapped that shade around and Mama came over and opened it a little for me so I could catch the bug better.

I swatted and I swaggered and I pounced and I stalked that bug until I think I caught it! I wouldn't move my paw. I was going to call mama over to come see what I did for her but when I lifted up my paw, there was no bug!

Now I can't find that bug at all; Mama says she thinks it went to the bathroom. So that's it: Mama's not allowed in the bathroom so she can get better. That bug can stay there!

Mama says she appurciates my assistance but that this particular bug has been in the apartment since fall and she has given up hope that one of us will catch it.

Should I be insulted by that?

What is Happening???

I don't understand. It's getting scary around here!

First, I hear Mama on the phone talking about Chocolate and Demetri, a previous foster bunny we had before Catster who was a real handful and other names I don't know and then Mama hangs up the phone and leaves.

Finally she comes back, but now she's moving stuff into the kitchen. She put the glider chair in the kitchen right where my food dish goes! What did she do to my food bowl? She's also blocked my pet carrier and my chicken box; I can't get into either of them!

Making matters worse, she hasn't put up the barrier to keep Chocolate in the living room, so he's been investigating the kitchen, too. Mama moved some other stuff and barriers that keeps him away from her desk, and he's been all over that, inspecting and digging and checking things out. He got back there and unplugged the computer! Mama was typing on her computer and POOF no more computer at all. The TV box went dark, and the printer that spits paper went dark, too.

Naturally Mama freaked out... until she discovered that Chocolate was sniffing the outlet where the big cord that goes to all that stuff was plugged in. Mama thinks he pushed it right out of the wall with his nose!

I'm doing my best to stay calm. I'm curled up on the bed with Mackenzie, but its hard to get comfy because SOMEBODY keeps hopping on the bed!

I hope Mama hasn't lost her mind....

Please Explain This

I don't understand the problem.

Mama is awake; can't sleep b/c she's in pain.
Mama is awake when she should be sleeping and sitting at her computer.

*pause*

Did I mention that Mama's awake?

*pause*

So how come she's not feeding us?

A New Tag: My Resume

At Silly Sab Stories, we're doing resumes & job descriptions for our "Free for All" Segment this week.

I've been working on mine for days... sorry I haven't written in my diary for a week... but here it is!

I'm going to make it a Catster tag: if you read this, then you're tagged. You've got to fill it out, put it in your diary, and then tag as many or as few cats as you'd like, as long as you say that whomever reads your diary is officially tagged!

So.... here goes!


Current Position: Quality Assurance

Name: Sebastian Unbelievable

Address: Lake Shoreline @ Four Corner Streets, Maine

Phone: 1-800- Hear-Me-Now

Email: originalsabster@sabstories.com

Duties: Making sure that everything that happens in this family is done on time and in proper order. Assist the owner in being punctual for chores, feeding times, and providing one on one attention and benefits to all staff. Inspection of every item that comes through the door. Greets newcomers and repeat visitors upon arrival. Strategically place fine decorating skills to the dullest of places, including bureaus, chairs, end tables, and human beds, and skid marks for floors and carpets. Monitors all internal traffic and is not shy about voicing approval or disapproval. Cleans up dirty spots left on the other cat.

Special Skills: Loud, Booming Meow; Foster Animal Supervisor & Trainer & inventor of Teeth Mark Art

Previous Employer: none

Previous Education: Small Modeling, Inc. Spent 8 weeks learning how to charm and cast spells on unsuspecting people, how to break hearts, and how to spin a good yarn.

References Available Upon Request

My Sad Heart

This morning Mama found the terrible news. I actually got the news last night, but Mama hadn't been feeling good so I went to sleep with her, early.

Did I ever tell you that I was honored with having a cat named after me? Can you imagine? Some mama out there thought I was special enough to name her baby after me. My buddy Stinker, who left us without much warning last winter, has a mama with a super big heart. She loves so many cats.

She's been loving a great, gray fella that she named Sebastian Marco San Simon, after some very special furiends of Stinker's. I'm so honored to know that Marco, as we call him, shared my name.

The terrible news came last night that Stinker & Marco's dad found Marco lying in the gutter in front of their house on Thursday. Marco was dead. His pawrents think that maybe he got hit by a car.

It's just not fair. Marco lived outdoors... I don't know why. It's just not a place for a cat to live! He chose Stinker's home to hang out, and I'm so glad he learned what it is to be loved. Mama says that sometimes, you can bring a cat inside, but you can't always take the outdoors out of the cat. Marco seems to have been that cat, because he still liked to be outside, too.

So tonight, I am mourning the loss of my namesake, who was only 1 year old, who lived a tough life that no cat should have to live, but was blessed and fortunate enough to discover love and a home in his short life. Rest in peace, dear Marco. I am so glad to have met you.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs

Where's My Background?

I hear there are fleas @ Catster HQ and they infected the Gift Shop! What a horrible thing; I'm glad to see the fleas were caught!

However, it seems like the fleas surviving the mass killing of fleas, because they are now on my page and my background won't load. I don't want to mess up the Big Cat's fur, but I want my snowfall background back... not Catster green.

The background isn't there on Mackenzie's page, either. Mama likes to use this Fired Fox dude, and he's not working. Mama checked that other thing, Internets Explored, and it didn't work there, either.

I'm telling you, those dang fleas are everywhere!

Mama also stuck this thing on my page. It's called Tweety or something. Says you can click on it and follow her around. Hey, that's a great idea! I'm gonna follow Mama around, too!

Thank You!

I dunno who did, and if Mama knows, she's not telling me. But SOMEONE - and I imagine whoever it is will read this - gave me a bazillion zealies sometimes today... or was it yesterday... and I am so happy to have them!

Someone thinks I am super special. I am so honored! So OK they weren't THAT many zealies but I'll keep the exact total between me and that special cat.

Thank you!

Huh? Again?

Mama had to go see her vet today about her aching back. She was upset that she'd miss "the inauguration" and "history being made" and all such nonsense.

Mama has only talked like this a couple of times that I can remember. Mama says it happens every four years and it makes us the greatest country because we had trade powers and do it all behaving and such. Eh, sounds like a bunch of human hooey to me!

Except that, Mama got home just in time! She kicked off her sneakers as fast as she could, turned on the TV, and threw all her stuff on the bed. Kenzie & I were snoozing in the sun on the bed, so we looked up to see what she was in such a hurry about. She turned on the TV in time to see all the people clapping and the music playing and stuff. Mama was all excited and carrying on so much that both Kenzie and I had to watch, too. Mama was doing all this Tweeter stuff and hanging out online and watching and such.

Mama watched and finally decided, after the president was eating his lunch, that she would eat her lunch. That's when Mama turned around, discovered that we cats had fallen back asleep, and she started to laugh. She came over and ruffed my head, laughing, saying I was so caught up in the history of the moment that neither Kenzie or I noticed that she had dumped two bags of cat food on the bed!

Oh man... if I had realized that she had gone to the vet clinic to get my kidney food, I would have gone after that food! I am feeling sheepish; I'm going to blame it on the glory of the moment instead of a lapse of paying attention!

How Cold is It?

Well I hear people complaining about the cold on TV, but I'm telling you, the sun is really warm in the window! I think people just like to complain.

Me? I've got tons to complain about. Let's star with Chocolate, the still-here foster bunny. Lately he's decided he's all about the little green trash can Mama keeps at her desk. He must knock it over, climb inside, and check it out. Mama puts stuff in there... stuff none of us want on the floor, but Chocolate seems to think he must own the trash can.

The first time Chocolate did it, Mama thought it was me and I got scolded, can you believe it? At least I got lots of love and attention over it.

Mama's been in pain, though, so I have to be careful. She won't let me jump on the bed when she's on it because I bump her ribs and her hips and she cries out in pain. She says the doctors are working on fixing them but she still hurts. She moves me when I'm on the bed so she can lay strait and use pillows. I love the pillows! I tried to sleep on the biggest pillow, but Mama said I was also sleeping on her arm and she couldn't move it. She made me move.

Mama says the weather has been so cold that Memere lost all her water. Mama says all the water to the entire neighborhood busted and flooded the street and Memere hasn't had water in several days, so Mama can't do laundry at Memere's house tomorrow. Score for me; Mama will stay home! I know, its bad for Memere, but I need to get my attention from Mama somehow!

How Early is too Early?

Mama woke up this morning to find a white with orange paw making rhythm on her nose. She says she didn't order a white paw with orange leg to wake her up.... at 4:16 am.

This makes me wonder: why are humans so stuck on exact time? I mean, it is morning; Mama feeds us every morning. Mama set her alarm timer for morning... so what if my being helpful is over 2 hours early? Isn't it early enough? Who said I was too early?

I know Mama's today schedule. She's not going to the shelter today; she has to drive to where Pupah grew up to attend... what did she call it? You know... the thing where they go and cry for dead people and say prayers and hug the families and such. She wanted to do some stuff before she left. Washing the dishes would be the first thing I would put on Mama's "gotta do" list - have you seen that smelly pile on the counter? I think a fish died in there! So I just don't understand how Mama could be happy to see me and yet not happy to be awake so early.

Mama reached over with her sore arm and scratched my head. Ooooooooooooow how I love head scratches in the morning. I showed my appurciation by purring and tapping her chin with the white paw.

Mama did thank me for waking her up so early. As she was giving me lovings, we heard the plows scraping the road. That made Mama sit straight up in bed. "Snow???" she growled and peeked out the window. I had to see too. Sure enough! The roads were snowy white! This makes Mama unhappy because she's got to drive so far to go to the boo-who thing..... wait a minute! Mama called it a "funeral".

Wait another minute.... since when is a FUNeral a place where people cry sadness? Dang, if it wasn't breakfast time, I'd take the time to think about that so early this morning.

Just a Quickie

I am worried I will need to find a new Catster secretary for a while. Mama's shoulders & back & neck are in so much pain she can't spend much time doing much of anything but resting.

My poor Sabsters!

Anywho, to welcome the new year, Mama showed me this wonderful video that a furiend sent her. You must see it - I love this cat! Mama says "thank you Colleen!"

Oh right; you wanna see the video! Check out the marvelous kneading action of that cat! Calvin would be so proud!

Death to the Infidel Rabbit!

I am so steamed and angry I just don't know where to begin.... not only did I share this story with Sab Stories, but I had to howl my indignities to you, too!

I was lounging on the clean floor that Mama had just vacuumed and Chocolate bounded over. I rolled over to see him and get up, but Mama said "let him say hello, Sab."

Like a good son, I listened to Mama. I am not going to do that again!

Before I could really think much about it, Chocolate put his front paws on my stomach and kept his back paws between my left front and left back legs!

I just didn't know what to do. I tried to reach him with my paws, but that wasn't fast nor good enough for Chocolate. He then tried to hump me!

Mama got up and said "Chocolate!" in her scolding voice and that was enough to send him scurrying and let me get up and race to the bed... to find my dignity.

Mama says that Chocolate's behavior was telling her that (1) he liked me and (2) he wanted to show me who was boss. Excuse me? I am not lower than a bun, thank you very much!

Mama did not let Chocolate follow me to the bed. Mama let him stay out of his cage while she took a nap earlier and he tried to hop on top of her on the bed, too.

If you haven't seen my diary for today, then you don't know yet that Mama is really hurting in her shoulders again and its hard for her to move unless she takes a nap, a ton of pills, lots of heat, and not much of anything else. Because of this, she's having a hard time moving the rest of her body so she won't put the barrier up to the kitchen b/c she can't step over it without pulling her back and neck. So... that means there's no bunny-safe spot now. Chocolate really likes the kitchen! Mama says "he just wants to be friends with you; let him say hello" but after THAT greeting,

I'M INVITING ALL OF YOU OVER FOR RABBIT MEAT!

The Bunny Broke My Mama

Mama is grateful the Christmas "nonsense" is over. She is not a fan of "commercialism" and all those other words she uses at this time of year.

I, however, think Mama complains too much. I made wishes this year. I wanted catnip, a crinkly toy, a Boogey Mat, and a bunny-free apartment. Two out of four isn't bad, I suppose, but Mama ignored my biggest wish.

I wished to be bunny free! We are not without bunny poo and fur all over the place.

Chocolate was supposed to be gone by now. No matter what Mama says to explain the "real" reason why Chocolate is still here, it doesn't matter to me.

Mama didn't keep her promise.

Mama broke a promise.

Mama lied to me.

Are you feeling my pain yet?

But wait - in case you think it couldn't get worse, it does.

Mama got hurt. A week or so ago she hurt her shoulders again at the shelter and she's been getting more and more stiff and unable to move her neck or her back and now she's loosing her arms.

Yesterday, she had a tough time reaching over to pick me up.

Today she tells me she not only slipped on ice and fell into the side of her seat in the car and it was a hard "umph" in the middle of her back and she could hardly move or breathe, but she's got to shove medicine into that dang bunny's mouth and he is not cooperating. He fights her so much and Mama had a hard time moving after she gave him his nasty-tasting anti-bug medicine. Now that Mama says she can hardly move, she's not putting up the fence between the living room and kitchen so Chocolate, that bunny who Mama broke her promise over, won't come into my space. She says he doesn't have front teeth so its not like he's going to chew anything, and he doesn't pee outside his litter box, and she can't step over the fence anymore, so down it will stay.

Chocolate broke my mama and he's not even sorry. In fact, he keeps following her!

At least, in all of this, Mama spent time yesterday stretched on her bed, to let her back stretch out and rest. I was on the bed, absorbing as much sun as I could, and Mama was able to reach my head and rub my chin. At least she made up for breaking her promise!

Merry Christmas & Thank Yous!

First of all, here is our family holiday card. Enjoy, my faithful readers!

I wasn't paying too much attention, but its Christmas Eve! Mama gives us our stockings tonight because she's going to the shelter in the morning. I was the last pet to get the memo, though. By the time I got the living room the guinea pigs, the bun, and Mackenzie had already been through their stockings. This was cool for me, because then Mama had time to spend with ME!

I was worried; it looked like a very thin stocking, but then, Mama spent most of our Christmas money on zealies, so I couldn't be too upset. However, I was excited to find a crinkly bug in my stocking! Mama took him off the packaging and I immediately attacked it. Unfortunately, Chocolate decided that he wanted to join me, so I had to make a quick exit, leaving my new toy behind!

Mama took pity on me and put my new toys in the kitchen, on the other side of the fence, so Chocolate wouldn't bother me. I played with it just long enough for her to take pictures, and then Mackenzie showed up.

She stole my toy! She batted it away from me and into the bathroom she and it went; haven't' seen it since. She is such a brat!

However, I finally had time to pay attention to all the gifts that have been piling on the tree on my page and in my gift boxes. Wowsers I've got such great friends that I didn't even know I had! I didn't recognize some of your names, I'm sorry to say, but you're PAWSOME!


Clara gave a can opener; I'm thinking it goes with the can of tuna that Antoine left. He also gave me a laptop. Oh my.... TUNA! It's not kidney approved, but I don't care! And my own computer to get to Catster... that's just priceless!

Dusty also gave cat food; Kragen gave a lamp & stove; Figaro gave me a chair and sofa; Belle gave me fruitcake & cat food (I am SO loving the food theme!); Mathis de Meowler gave me a super cute Chia Pet and a cat dancer; Pooter's sent over a Nativity Set, which Mama had to explain to me since I've never seen one before; its beautiful, girl friend! Clara gave me clippers, which I will discreetly give to Mama and hope she doesn't use them on ME MOL; Entrechat Cat gave me a refrigerator, which is fantastic considering all the food I got; and then this fella named Santa left a bazillion type stuff there too, like an iPod, cat nip (the best cat nip in the world, I might add), turkey, pie, shoes, a Target card, a stereo, and wine.

Add to that list the dentures Harly gave me "because you're old enough to remember 5 years ago" and the key to Mama's heart given to me by Mama and wowsers... I am one LOVED dude!

I must also thank Alvin, Sunny, Spcey & Jacoby for the wreath; Sock, Felix & Critter sent over Merry Christmas trees; my bestie girls Chloe & Georgia Ashely both sent over Santa Paws in the chimney, and I got a gingerbread from Quinn C. Thanks for the Caster special gifts, gang!

And just when I thought I'd seen them all, I found... rosettes! There's my snowman army from Margo, and OWP, and Loki, Kiwi, Muffin, peanut, Maggie & Abby.

All you furiends rock! Mama & I wish all of you a very safe and happy merry Christmas!

I am Sorry to Say

that Omar, our resident blue beta fish, went to the big Bowl up in the sky sometime last night. Mama couldn't find him this morning and thought he'd jumped out of his bowl, but instead, she found him blended into his blue and white rocks at the bottom of his beloved sleeping plant.

So, OK, I'll be honest... I haven't really noticed anything different and I'm totally making it up that I'm sad about this. Mama told me that Omar is gone, and took a final swim down the Toilet Express. Since I have no idea what on earth she is talking about, but his bowl is now gone from her bureau and its all cleaned and drying out, I suppose she must be telling me the truth.

Quite frankly, I'm more concerned about the nap that was disturbed when Mama discovered Omar was dead because when she went to move his bowl, she dropped something off the bureau and it made a noise. Then Mama wrapped Christmas presents on the bed and I got bonked with the roll. So excuse me, I'm going back to the bed and take a nap before it time to wake up and go to sleep for the night.

On second though, I may need to help Mackenzie keep an eye on that busy bunny....

We Love You too, Nova Scotia!

Mama says she always knew that her Canadian roots were as kind and generous as her Italian roots, and she wasn't kidding.

The newspapers and TV people were happy to report this morning that finally, after all that hard work and 8 days since the last week's ice storm began, everyone in Maine has power! Hurray!

New Hampshire isn't so lucky. There are still so many people without power, so now all the trucks from Canada and other states are going there to help them out.

However, the Nova Scotia trucks are leaving something behind when they leave Maine. Those people who worked so hard for us decided that, seeing how badly the people south of us, in York County, took a hit because of all the food loss and no power, are donating some of the pay they got from working here so that the York County rescue people can replace the food that was spoiled. Isn't that just so swell of them?

Mama says that must be a lot of money. She imagines that the men and women who volunteer to come here to help restore power must make a lot of extra money that they could go home and spend on their families. It's just so nice of them to want to leave some of it here!

So, to all of them, we say THANK YOU and Happy Fuzzy Days of Cats!

"Happy Fuzzy Days of Cat"

I'm telling you, if you aren't a part of my pawsome group, "Silly Sab Stories", then you are a rather dull cat. I don't mean that to be a bully, but the group of cats who proudly call themselves Sabsters are really are a creative bunch; I am so proud to be their leader!

Along with my grand stories - which, I will admit, have been scarce of late - we have several games, the newest of which seems to be the most popular. It's called "Mad Lib" and the gang has had so much fun going through the book that Mama found at a discount store.

Whatever will they do when I tell them the book is almost done?

Oops; I spilled the beans!

Anyway, Mama helped me put together a Christmas-themed Mad Lib for this month, and we chose one of Mama's two favorite Christmas songs. The gang finished up the Lib on Tuesday. You may know "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", but you've never heard it like this. I trust that you'll be able to figure out which words were the ones that were "chosen" by the group:


Have yourself a greasy pretty Christmas
Let your leg be light
Next high noon all our computers will be out of flamingos
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Prowling the yuletide muddy
Next minute all our angels will be 1,000 miles away
Once again as in outrageous days
Happy fuzzy days of cat
Darling friends who were dear to us
Will be sheepish to us once more
Someday soon we all will be together
If the gumballs allow
Until then, we'll have to elf through somehow
So have yourself a old(and) shiny Christmas now

Such a grand piece of literature, eh?

Blame it on Leo, but he was the one who thought that the world would be a nicer place if everyone was wished "Happy Fuzzy Days of Cat" on a regular basis. So, as the fearless leader, I am throwing it out there to see if it will catch on. The next cat you see, be sure to wish him or her a very "happy, fuzzy day of cat" with Leo's compliments.

No, Not Chocolate!

Mama warned us yesterday that there were 28 bunnies in the Rabbit Room at the shelter, so she was certain that she'd end up bringing a foster home after her weekly cleaning shift.

Whatever you do, don't EVER steal my hope! I hoped that they would all be adopted before Mama got there at 8 am.

It was not to be.

Just like Mama promised, she came home from the shelter with that dreaded white box with the heart on it. She set it on the floor next to the apartment going-outside door and got right to work in putting up the bunny cage.

Mackenzie hopped off the bed to inspect the box. Yes, she meowed, there is something inside! I wasn't about to budge my from comfy, warm spot on the bed, where I had flopped down after Mama got up. (Shhhhh... that's what I tell Mama; she is certain I did little more than swap sleeping positions in the 5 hours she was gone.)

It took Mama a few minutes to get things set up because she had to move the table with the holiday decorations on it and she had to move the pole lamp and she wanted to make sure she put a shower curtain on the floor b/c she says this bun will be messy too because he's not been snipped yet.

The box never moved a muscle.

I was beginning to think Mama was trying to distract me. Maybe there wasn't a bun inside, but my Christmas presents? Mama usually buys my gifts at the shelter gift shop. Maybe she hid them in that box so I wouldn't bother them?

I couldn't help it... I had to look. The box passed the grass-smell test. Yup, hay inside! Bun inside!

Finally Mama opened the box and said "It's OK, Chocolate, you can come out now."

I watched from the kitchen while Mama pulled this bunny named Chocolate out of its box. Imagine my surprise when she pulled out a white bunny!

For starters, Mama would live on only chocolate if she could, so I know a thing or two about chocolate. Chocolate is brown. This bunny is hardly brown. Well, he's got brown rings around his eyes and a couple brown spots here and there, but that's it.

Who called this bunny Chocolate?

Mama says that as of right now, Chocolate won't be here very long. Poor Chocolate was brought to the shelter because his family couldn't afford his medical bills. Seems that Chocolate has teeth problems and he needs to have the front ones pulled out. Mama says that he's going to have that surgery done, along with his neutering, next Tuesday.

Well, if its only for a week, I suppose....

besides, Chocolate doesn't do anything. Once he finished sniffing out his cage and surroundings, he's settled into a quiet nap in his litter box. I can handle a bun like that. Mama says "don't hold your breath" because he's a young bun. He'll be bouncing and taking over everything tomorrow, she says!

More Popular than Mama!

Mama says that she is getting plenty jealous of me. She says that my friends love me more than her furiends love her, because all the Christmas cards are coming with MY name on them instead of hers!

I mean, just today I got cards from 3 of my bestest friends: my very bestest buddy, Jason Hopper, and my little bestie, Bastian, and one from of my orange Ashley gals, from Jersey.

Then, both Kenzie & I got a card from Spotty and TC's family - she's furiends with their gray brother Diogi.

Jas' card has me worried. While it has a brilliant orange cat on the front, that cat is curled up with a d*g! I love you, buddy, but I don't think you've ever met a d*g, because if you did, you would NEVER imagine a brilliant orange cat doing something so WRONG! MOL

Mama loved the card from Bastian, since it had a snowman on the front, and Mama loves snowmen almost as much as she loves cats and nieces. Mama also laughed because she tried to read it to me and it didn't make sense to either of us. That's when Mama realized the wording on the card isn't English because Bastian and his mama aren't English or American kitties! MOL Bastian meows in English, so we understand that part. I'm loving my unique card!

Then Ashley sent a great photo card with pictures of herself and her pawrents and those nasty d*gs she must share her house with. Mama said they were all beautiful but I can't disagree with Ash. D*gs are just yucky!

Diogi's card also has all of them on it: Diogi, Zippie, Mr. Lollycat, and Pawlette. It's a grrrrrrrrrrrreat card, but Mama bent the corner in the car. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Mama!

Thank cat that Mama got the rest of my cards out yesterday. Phew! The cards are in the mail, buddies & dudes!

We Survived the Ice Storm!

Wowsers!

It was REALLY, REALLY COLD last night! Our power went away between 2 and 5 Friday morning and we didn't get it back till about 6 this morning.

Mama visited with Auntie Becky and baby Megan for lunch yesterday b/c Auntie Becky had power. Mama got to eat something warm but she came back to be with us.

There was/is only one shelter in Maine that's taking pets and its not the one in our town. Mama doesn't have two portable cages for the guinea pigs and they were fighting in the pet carrier so there was no way they'd sleep in the same cage. Mama explained to us that it was going to get very cold in the apartment and that she was sorry she couldn't do anything about it.

Mama had her candles out when it got dark, then she got to work. She found every blanket she's got (Mama doesn't keep blankets on her bed b/c she's always hot) and she put them on her bed. She used two blankets and wrapped up the guinea pig condos. She filled her suitcase with some of her clothes and sheets for us to sleep in if we wanted something soft and warm. She used a towel and her fleece scarf to wrap about Omar the fish's bowl to help keep his water as warm as she could.

Then Mama blew out all the candles and went to bed. By last night the clouds went away and the moon was big, full, and bright in our windows. It was so pretty! Mama and I got to see the stars; you can't see them around here when there's power b/c there are too many lights, Mama said.

I slept next to Mama, curled up under one layer of her blankets. Mackenzie curled up in the suitcase, but even if I wanted to sleep there, she wouldn't have shared it.

Mama woke up during the night and took turns bringing the guinea pigs to the bed and snuggling with them to help them stay warm. Hurray; their ears were never cool! Guinea pigs like to hide; Mama thinks they liked being in their "tombs".

Mama checked on Omar and she was scared b/c she couldn't see him at all. He had buried himself in his plants as best as he could, but Mama knew he was not feeling well at all. We could also see lights on down the road by the school, so Mama hoped out loud that we'd have power soon, too.

When Mama got up to feed us, she used her flashlight to walk to the kitchen. Just as we got to the kitchen, the Christmas lights came on! We heard the heat click on. Oh, what wonderful sounds! Three trucks full of men from New Brunswick got our power on for us. We were so happy!

Mama warned us that it would take a while for the air to warm back up, but when the sun came out, it was shining bright. At least we had warm sun to lay in.

Mama went to Memere's to take a shower; she said she didn't trust that the water would stay warm enough until she was all done. When she came back, she unwrapped Omar and put him back on the bureau. She put his heating lamp on him, and now even his water is warm like its supposed to be and he's a dancing fish again.

Still gotta purr for all the thousands of people still without heat or power. It's going to be even colder tonight; I'm so glad my ears aren't cold tonight!

Remembering Pupah

Mama reminds me that today was the day five years ago that we lost Pupah. I so miss him. Pupah didn't believe in diets and paying attention to feeding instructions. We always ate so good when Mama went away MOL

I just can't believe that I am old enough to remember 5 years ago. Mama was on her way to see Pupah at the big people vet hospital when the human vets called and said "he's coded, get in here!' Mama rushed around, calling Memere and Auntie Becky and Uncle Tony and Auntie Lisa and slammed the door behind her. I didn't know what "coded" meant but Mama later said it meant Pupah had stopped breathing and his heart stopped moving and the human vets never got them working again.

Pupah was so generous. When Mama would go away, Pupah would go to the store, but us our very own deli turkey, and feed it to us. I know he loved to give things away. Mama says that even when he died he gave to people. Mama says that Memere gave permission for the special human vets to take Pupah's bones and skin and share them with other people who really needed them.

Since then, though, Mama has told me about what happened to Pupah, and we don't ever want it to happen to you, too!

Mama says that Pupah was in the hospital because his heart had stopped working a couple days before he died. She says that no one knew his heart was in pain because Pupah had a "silent heart attack". When he died, everyone figured it was his heart, again.

No so, Mama tells me now. It was actually something called a "pulmonary embolism" that was made when an air bubble was made when his heart started back up again and the bubble went for a ride and burst in Pupah's lung. Sounds painful to me, but Mama assures me that it happens so fast that Pupah never felt a thing.

Thank goodness Mama helps me with all these big words, because today, in his honor, I wanted to help people to not have Pupah's problems. Mama used to give blood on Pupah's anniversary, as a way to give life to someone else in Pupah's honor, but because now Mama needs to give her blood to the doctors all the time, she can't share her blood with other people.

Pupah had die-ah-beet-ies. Mama says that's important to know, because heart attacks feel different in die-ah-beet-ies people. She also found out after Pupah died that those air bubble things are fairy common after the heart stops, but there's no way to know if it happened until the purson is dead.

I don't like that idea, so here's some information Mama showed me to help you learn about heart attacks and embolism stuff:

How to Detect a Heart Attack (see 2/3 down about silent heart attacks)

All about pulmonary embolisms

Tests & Diagnoses for Pulmonary Embolisms

Cat and Rats?

Mama says its all about the eyes. Says that eyes are the windows to the soul, and you can learn a lot about a person by looking one straight in the eye. I do that every so often, and I still don't know my mama as well as I should!

Tonight Mama helped me with my post cards for Pen Paws, but she was also working on a feeding list and routine sheet for all of us. That's bad! She must be leaving us again!

Yes, Mama says. She has to go away for a couple of days and help out her auntie who has cat-n-rats in her eyes. No wonder Mama's going away - can you image a human with a cat AND rats in their eyes? Who knew their eye holes were so big? Not me!

Mama says that she's going to her auntie's house tomorrow afternoon, after she goes to the shelter and comes home to clean the guinea pigs and pack her suitcase. She's going to be gone for two days! She says not to worry because her friends are coming over to feed us. These are the same friends who took care of us when Mama went on the airplane a while ago, so I don't have to worry.

I don't? What's what I do!

Mama says that her eye report is good, though. She had to go see her eye vet for her annual check up and he says her eyes are healthy and her vision hasn't changed, so she doesn't have to get rid of the glass frames she wears on her nose.

I know that my eyes are working just fine, because I saw Mama pack the foster buns in their "I Love My Pet" boxes and take them away. Mama says they had to go back to the shelter because the friends can't take care of the bunnies and she's going to be gone too long. When Mama came home from bringing the bunnies back and having her eyes checked, she folded up the cage, cleaned up the nasty messes the bunnies made, and set up our Christmas decorations. I have done a thorough inspection and I approve, particularly of the new stockings she bought for all of us. She complained that I ripped them last year. I know it wasn't me - I would never destroy something that gives me gifts! MOL

We Love You, Puddles

Mama made plans today to watch baby Lucy so Auntie Julia could have some time to herself, so I couldn't understand why Mama looked so sad when she got home tonight. Mama loves hanging out with the babies.

I was begging for relief from my screaming belly, but Mama wanted to pick me up, hold me, kiss me, and give me loving. This was quite distracting! Then she told me the bad news.

My first human mama, Mama's furiend Miss Sarah, has two boys. They had a black lab named Puddles... because he never quite figured out how to always go outside to pee. Mama says she doesn't know how it happened, but Uncle Tony told her that last night, Puddles got hit by a car and died. The kids are in Uncle Tony's youth class that meets on Sundays, so they called to tell him they were too upset and sad to go to class.

Mama is very sad. She says that Puddles just had his 3rd birthday, and even though he was a goofy lab, he was a good boy who loved his boys. He'd do anything for his people.

We will miss you, Puddles. 2005-2008

I'm Still Here

Phew what a storm we had yesterday! The wind blew against the apartment; the rain sounded like it wanted to come inside; the lights flickered. We've got some little flooding around, but at least we didn't get the snow that they got in the mountains, or Mama says we'd be buried for a week!

It was warm last night, too, but not quite warm enough to not have the heat on. Then it got hot in here, and Mama got up to turn off the heat. She wasn't sleeping well after all. She seemed upset, so I curled up next to her pillow and put my head on it, right next to hers. I even purred softly to help Mama relax.

Suddenly she was awake and her hand with the brace on it smacked my nose! "Sab!" Mama was so glad to see me. She took her brace off and gave me a lot of attention. She said she had a dream that I got into the hallway outside the apartment door and that the neighbor hadn't closed the door to outside when he went out to smoke, and I marched right out that door and she couldn't find me. Yet there I was, right next to her on the pillow. She was so glad to see me.

And oh oh oh - before I go - I can't believe I didn't tell you that last week my mama got famous! Did you hear? Did you know? Well, the story is...

Right after that election when the new president was elected, some nosy reporter went to a little store up the street from us and found a handwritten sign that invited people to give money to guess when the new president would get killed. The sign gave a couple suggestions for how it might happen, and then said "let's hope someone wins."

You can guess what happened next, and Mama tells me that the story was all over the internet and even the England people were talking about it in their newspapers. Mama got very angry because people all over the country and the world were saying that everyone in our town is race-iced. I am still trying to figure the word out, but if it makes Mama angry, then I know its super bad!

So while all the police people were investigating, the town people decided this was too much and they had a meeting and wrote a paper that says that the town is not race-iced. Mama was so angry that she went to the meeting to show that she didn't agree with the sign... and that's when the TV people found Mama and asked her some questions about the sign and what she thought about people in England and all those other places thinking that Mama was a race-iced. Mama said "this is my town; I've lived here all my life, and I don't like it. I want people to know that I am not race-iced and I support my town, not a poor decision about a bad sign."

And the TV people put Mama on the TV! Can you believe it? They showed it over and over and over and over...

Mama says she was feeling "wishy washy" about her answers to the questions because she feels best when she can write her answers down first, but everyone who saw Mama on TV said she did a wonderful job and why doesn't she get a job on TV? Mama says this isn't the first time the TV people have put her on TV (says that was a lifetime ago) and people thought back then that she should be a TV person.

My mama is famous! But I'm glad she'd rather be a cat purson!

Pile O' Toys

I'm telling you, with six of us four-leggers around here and one biped, it sure is easy to get ignored! I mean, what's a cat supposed to do when the guinea pigs and the foster buns get more attention; when the cats are simply left with a "you can't take the entire bed" and gets pushed over so the human can sleep?

Ah yes - you feel my pain! It has been most excruciating. Makes me wonder why it's Monet getting the pain medicine (his paw is still sore for him to step on) and not me!

Mama says I've been much more vocal the past few days than normal. Well, YEAH, Mama, if you'd give me the proper amount of attention, I wouldn't have to scream and BEG for it!

Not that I would abandon our tradition. I always say hello to Mama after she goes to bed, or when she starts closing out the lights for the night and sits back at her computer. She usually answers back and that's enough.

Small problem these days. I usually go to the apartment door, between the kitchen and living room, and talk from there. I can see Mama at her desk from there, but now Mama's put the glider there so the buns don't hide behind it and nibble on it and pee the carpet. How am I supposed to see her through the chair? I CAN'T!

This got me thinking. I want Mama's attention. She's not giving it out to me, so I'm going to have to tell her exactly what I want. This is what I did. I collected my favorite toys: my crinkly tube, my favorite mousie, Rosie Rat, my green sparkly ball, and a plastic ball with a bell in it, and I put them on the wiping-feet carpet at the door. I sat behind them, making sure that the toys would be the first thing Mama would see when she'd get up and look. Then I started calling out to Mama. "Hello? Meow? Mama? Mrow?

Mama calls back, but that's not what I want. I want her to get up and come see me! I continue calling out to her, raising my voice and getting more persistent.

Finally Mama says "WHAT Sab?" and I hear her push her chair away from the desk. Finally! Mama comes over, sees me and the toys, and out fall those dumb words humans come up with sometimes. "One might think you wanted to play, huh Sab?" she says. Either Mama is clueless or brilliant - one never can tell - so I just cock my head to the side and meow at her again.

Last night she pulled out that red laser light! I haven't chased that around in a while, and it went up the door and down the other side and I attacked that door as if it was my mortal enemy. You'd have been so proud of me - till Mackenzie showed up and crashed our party. (She seems to think she's being neglected, too. It's just that she's using the glider chair to study Omar in his fish bowl, and I just know she's waiting to make her move.)

Today, when I repeated the successful toy drop, Mama pulled a shoelace out of her shoe for me to play with! She swung it back and forth and wowsers I almost let it get away! Problem is that Mama had a really bad day today and she wasn't into playing much.

So.... I wandered into the living room and rang my claws down her mattress. This really ticks Mama off and it always gets to her growl "SAAAAAAAAAAAAB!" So I looked at her, stopped, and flopped onto the floor. Mama turned around and continued talking to her friend on the computer. I went over and rattled the hinges to the rabbit cage. They came to the door of the cage to sniff me out, but Mama heard me, turned around, and growled "SAAAAAAAAAAB!" She still didn't get out of the chair!

Finally I had the idea. Mackenzie was strutting into the living room! I sat still and waited for her to come by... and I slapped her a good one, right across the face. Kenzie hissed and attacked me immediately, and this time, Mama got up.

"What is the matter with you this morning, Baby Boy? How much attention does one baby boy need?" she asked. She picked me up and held me and scratched my head. Then she put me on the bed and continued to pet me.

That's way more like it, Mama....

I'm a Terrible Reporter

Apparently I have not learned enough about reporting after being a faithful reader of Bogdan, the pawsome editor of The Morning Scratch. I say that because I reported a few things that weren't exactly true when I carried on about Mama's church getting robbed, and I wasn't given all the facts.

Mama says "take it easy, Sab", because when there's upset-ness and confusion and people running around with their hands in air, things are bound to happen. She says big people call it "the fog of war". After all, the church people lost a person to cancer just this Wednesday, so everybody's minds have been focused on his family and his loss.

Mama says church went on without a problem today, and that they didn't take every thing with a cord; they took a bunch of cords that go to the amp and the mixer. This makes sense to me, because they stole the amp and the mixer! If you're gonna take something, wouldn't you want to be sure its gonna work when you get it home?

Mama says they also stole some other stuff, but Uncle Tony says they were so neat about what they took and how that it's almost like someone borrowed it. The bad guys knew what they wanted, because they left other, more expensive stuff.

Here's the scary and exciting stuff: Memere might have interrupted them! That's right - my Memere! She had gone to the church on Wednesday evening for the praise group practice, but it was canceled and she didn't know. She remembers hearing funny noises that didn't seem like proper church noises but she didn't pay much attention to it. She had used the phone in the room where they used the door to get outside and come into the sanctuary; Memere could have just missed them!

Mama says that Mr. Policeman thinks it is "an inside job" because it seems like they knew what to take. There have been a lot of break-ins in the area; Mama says she found out today that one of the families at church had their house broken into a couple weeks ago but they caught those guys and put them in jail.

Mama says that everyone agrees that everything will be OK. Those bad people didn't know that the stuff they stole is used for singing to God, so they're going to be in for a shock when they try to sing with them! Mama says she hopes whomever took them needed them more than the church did, and everyone is grateful that they only stole stuff, instead of damaging things inside, or trashing the inside, or worse. (A few years ago, the neighborhood kids threw rocks through the sanctuary windows.)

Anyway, I'm just happy its been so nice outside. It was so warm outside that Mama left the living room window open all night! I was enjoying being in the window and taking a nap this morning, but then the d*gs showed up! Seems there is a dog grooming store across the street from us and I never noticed before! Man they are so noisy! Now I remember why I can't stand dogs!

ROBBED!

Mama and I are still upset and quite in shock about the news we got this afternoon. Our church got robbed!

Auntie Julia called Mama and was upset. When the lady who does the cleaning arrived this morning, she found that someone had busted into the church and stole all the electronic equipment! Most of it was Uncle Tony's stuff that he had bought for the praise group and donated. They took everything that had a cord attached. No one seems to know how they got inside, but they didn't bust the brand new locks that were put on the doors this spring.

I feel violated - someone took God's stuff! That is so mean, don't you think?

Mama says "that's not the point", because nothing is sacred anymore. She wonders if it's the same monsters who egged the church on Halloween evening and drove around the building, doing drag races in the grass.

I'm telling you, if I find out who did it, I'll hiss at them and scratch their faces and hands and make sure they never do it again! Lemme at them, Mama!

She Can't Be Serious!

Mama tried to dress me up for a Christmas photo shoot! Can you imagine?

She came home all excited because she found Santa hats for ferrets and dogs on sale for $1. I don't understand why she got them because she's always trying to be careful with her pennies, and I'm sure that $4 for hats and antlers was too much to spend.

The dumb guinea pigs didn't mind their ferret hats at all. Mama is pleased with how well they posed.

Then it was my turn. She lured me over with an unopened bag of treats, of all things. So I made sure that's all she got. Her best pic of me was the one I wasn't in: the treats and the hat on the table cloth, but no Sab!

She got me later, though, and I am doing my best to make sure that one photo never sees the light of Catster!

This Kills the Joy

Mama didn't sleep much at all last night. She got into bed about 3 am and then we got her up about 5:30. Mama napped but was up again to watch more political stuff. Mama was still spinning with buzz... or whatever you call it.

Auntie Becky called this afternoon to tell Mama that a church member who's been very sick with cancer this past year died this morning at his house with his family around him. This makes Mama very sad. She tells me that she sang "Evergreen" at Lenny & Sherrill's wedding when she was just 11 years old. Mama tells me that Lenny didn't really have a chance once they found his cancer because it was advanced when they found it.

Lenny and Sherrill have 3 kids 20, 17, and 15, and the youngest is a special needs boy. I don't know what that means, but Mama tells me that means he needs more help and assistance, and she isn't even sure that he knows his dad was sick, never mind gone.

So I know what I'll be doing tonight; keeping Mama company & comfort her.

Will you purr for Sherrill & the family? We'd surly apppurciate it.

We Watched History Be Made!

Pardon me for yawning. Its late, and quite honestly, I'm bored.

It's Tuesday. There is no football tonight, so why is Mama carrying on like its the Super Bowl & the Patriots won.

"This is history in the making, Sab. I never thought I'd see a minority elected as president of the United States as a young lady. I figured I'd be old and wrinkled before that happened."

Minority? Does she mean that Mr. Obama is black? What is the fuss? I don't care if he's black - now if he was orange, I'd be all over it!

However, as I'm sure you can attest to, I've never seen an orange human or biped. Have you? Me either. What's the song that Mama's teaching the babies? "Red and yellow, black and white; all are precious in His sight."

Yup. That sounds right to me. It's just skin, but Mama says its super important to so many people and has killed millions. Mama says we have so much more to do as a country, but this is such a huge step. She's just giddy and carrying on and jumping and saying "wow, I just saw history being made" and writing it in her diary and

humans are so silly sometimes.

Mama is sure he would win, but isn't sure she's happy for all he stands for. Mama is so silly; since when does she agree with everything that something said? I just remind her: you tell me that Jesus is in charge, Mama, so just keep praying!

Pardon me, but I've got to go back to my nap.

I Helped Mama Vote

I watched Mama lay out her clothes for today. She packed her medicine. She dug out her socks. She put her purse with her clothes so she could get right up and go vote and then go to the shelter.

When she wants to get up early, she usually prays to Jesus to wake her up on time. Well, Jesus does use lots of ways to wake her up, and I love to volunteer!

I watched the clock. When it turned 3:45, I sat up (I slept next to her all night), tapped her elbow, then walked up to her head and purred in her ear. She opened her eyes, looked at the clock, and said "Good morning Sab, but its too early to get up and vote!"

She made us wait for breakfast till 5:30. She fed us. She washed her teeth, then bushed her hair and her face, and out the door she went.

When she came home this afternoon, she had her "I voted today" sticker on her shirt. Hurray for Mama!

Special Message from Mama

Hi American cats!

Tomorrow is a most stupendous day - big word, huh? It means "so great in size that it elicit awe", and that is so true.

We get to vote!

Do you cats realize how important it is to vote? I hope your pawrents do. We are citizens of such a special country that allows us the privilege to choose the people who will run and guide our country, and we have a say in what policies we want to see.

It makes me so sad when so many humans don't bother to vote, for whatever reason. Don't they understand how awesome we have it? Millions of people have died - given their lives - for the privilege to vote. Millions more are willing to die for this right.

We vote in the Dogster/Catster photo contest; we know how important a vote can be there!

People vote by the millions for American Idol and really, how important is that? It's "just" a song, and a singer.

Voting is one thing, but understanding what you're voting for is quite another. Voting comes with responsibility to know what your "yes" and "no" choices mean. It means understanding what the names on your ballot believe and stand for, and you can't know that in a few moments.

In Maine, we've got a couple very important ballot issues called citizens initiatives. (They are on the ballot because enough people signed papers saying they wanted to vote on it, for you cats who don't know what that means!) Question 1 is about whether to repeal the "beverage tax". This would repeal the 1 cent tax on beer, 3 cent tax on wine, and 4 cent tax on sugared drinks, sodas & flavored waters in order to fund DirigoHealth, the low-income health insurance program.

We've also got Question 2, the casino referendum. This is a tricky vote, so pay attention! The question is worded so that you have to vote no in order to say yes, and you have to vote yes in order to say no. Some people say we need a casino in Maine in order to bring new jobs and taxes to help pay for things. Do you want to have a casino here in our backyard? It's that simple a question.

I am not going to tell you how I plan to vote. I am not going to urge you to vote for a specific candidate or whether to choose yes or no. I just want you to know the facts so you can make up your own minds - Catster people are intelligent people! There's been so much arguing about why you should or shouldn't vote for him or her or them or that. Go to the source to read up on both initiatives: the State's website. Read the bills as they are current written, then vote based on what you read.

Question 1: An Act to Allow a Casino in Oxford County (this is a bill that will become law if the voters approve. It is not law yet.)

Question 2: Repeal of Health Access Surcharge (this law has passed but isn't enforceable unless the repeal effort fails.)

If you've made up your mind, and you aren't sure about what to don Election Day, this handy dandy website will tell you everything you need to know. It's called Can I Vote? and will help you find out if you're registered, where to go, and what times you can go.

Remember: if you don't use it, you'll loose it. So please, hound your humans until they get (this is a bill that will become law if the voters approve. It is not law yet.)

Happy Birthday, Uncle Tony!

Mama says its Uncle Tony's birthday again. This worries me; I didn't see her try to wrap a present; I hope she didn't do that while I napped!

I have become quite annoyed by the barrier Mama puts up between the living room and kitchen. She says its for the bunnies because Clover likes to hop into the kitchen and see what she can find. With the cage bars there, it makes it hard to follow Mama around! What's a cat to do?

Cry, obviously. Life is distressing when you can't be with your mama!

I am not fond of hopping over this barrier, even though I can. Mackenzie does it much more gracefully than me. I'd rather be escorted over it.

I sit on one side after Mama's stepped over and gone to the other room. I howl my "where are you, Mama?" howl over and over. Mama answers me back, but I don't always see her.

Tonight, though, I got smart. If I had a toy in my mouth, I am sure that she would come and get me! I gave it a try. I smacked that toy into the door that goes to the hall and then sat on the rub-your-feet carpet and cried out "Mama? Are you there?"

Mama came around the corner and asked me how I was. "Are you OK, Baby Boy?" Naturally I am, but that's not the point.

Mama knows the point by now, and she picks me up and hugs me. She is certain that, now that I'm on the kidney-only food, my fur has gotten more glossy and soft. She says its the softest she can remember and its kissable soft and she just loves to touch it. At moments like this, being touched is a good thing, so now I have a reason to pur!

MORE Upsetting News...

and this is no less devastating!

One of my bestie friends of a female variety, Jersey Ashley (so as not to confuse her with my southern girl, Georgia Ashley), has been dethroned as top cat!

I've never been forced to live with a dog - thank CAT for that. A couple run-ins with that crazy toy poodle Oliver makes me so thankful for that. (Isn't it grand to know that his mama, my mama's best friend, says that because of Kenzie & me, Oliver is petrified of cats?)

Ashley, in true brilliant orange fashion, has done her best to live with a lab dog, which I am told is a slobbery bunch of bones because they must love and lick EVERYONE they meet. So what does her mama do?

Ashley's mama rescued another dog and brought it home for good!

What was Ashley's mama thinking? Better yet, what is MY mama thinking? Those two mamas are patting themselves on the back, saying what a wonderful thing Ashley's mama did, rescuing a dog who was not wanted anymore and was on his way to getting tossed out into the great unknown. Now I will admit, no d*g, even if it is a d*g, should be allowed to be homeless and tossed on the street. But why do OUR mamas have to be the ones to rescue the lost and discarded? I mean, I know that I would have been tossed if Mama hadn't rescued me, and Ashley was a tossed out cat, but gracious - how come our mama rescuing hearts didn't close up shop when WE arrived?

No, we don't have dogs here; we just have bunnies who poo all over the place and never met a litter box that was worth putting litter in. Those buns seems to think the litter box is much better used for sharpening teeth. Apparently to them, carpets are much better for peeing and pooing. The only good thing about a foster bunny - or two - is that they are FOSTERS and, as such, don't stay here forever!

So when is forever over?

Ugh there I go again on a rant. I'm so sorry, Ashley. I asked my mama and she said that you can come stay with us at any time. The she asked me if I really wanted to do that, since that would be like rescuing a cat that was tossed out and what would I do with another cat in my territory?

Do you think my mama is trying to twist my mind and mess with my head?

Oh a Sad Day...

When Mama helped me open my Catster mail this morning and saw the one that said "Macallan is gone" I got so upset. So did Mama. Then we read the heartbreaking message from his mama.

My orange buddy - buddy because he was orange like me - was minding his own business, in his own house, in his territory, when an evil monster coyote tore through the screens and dragged Mackie away. Oh the horror! Can you imagine such a travesty?

Macallan was a cool dude - we just had his 13th birthday earlier this month. Mama was crying and hugging me and saying things like "oh my gawd, Sab, that is so devastating!" and how violated Mac's mama must feel to know he was taken from a "safe" place. Mackenzie is also in shock, too. He was a member of her "Olde Furts" group so its just so, so

unfair.

When you are able, please help me by going to Mac's page and leaving Catster love for his mom. As you might suspect, she is just numb and in shock right now. She's going to need all of our best wishes, purrs, and thoughts to help her get through her grief.

In much better news, Mama took Monet to the vet to have his stitches take out. He's all better now! He's still not zipping around at full speed, but he's so happy to be back in his condo cage again instead of the small foot-healing cage.

Guinea Pig Sitting

Mama's not feeling well enough to help me write out all my muses, so here's my last silly story:

Tonight was critter cleaning night. Those bunnies sure are the messiest things ever! We've never had foster buns so messy - I must agree with Mama!

Monet's on the mend - our guinea pigs, for those who might have forgotten. The downside to his paw getting hurt is that Mama's got to clean his cage every day to keep the paw as clean as possible. Mama says "that's not easy to do when you feel like crap and cough and gag and can't stand up straight." Yeah, I've been staying out of Mama's way, too!

So after the buns are cleaned (and getting under Mama's paws, I might add, which meant they made Mama mad, and got sent to their cage early MOL) she went to clean Monet's cage. I was lounging on the bed, so Mama put Monet next to me and asked me to "watch him" while she cleaned his cage.

Monet just stared at him. Had nothing to say at all. I stared at him. He twitched his nose. I suppose he can be cute when he wants to be. He turned around so his butt was facing me. Now, I don't know about you, but that's just rude in no matter what language or species you are!

I reached over and touched his tuft of hair that sticks off his butt - Mama calls it his "paintbrush". He didn't seem to care, but Mama wasn't convinced. "Don't startle him, Sab." she called out. "Don't make him run on his bad paw!"

Monet got comfy on the edge of the bed. Next thing I know, Mama's carrying on about how cute we look together and how sweet Monet looks all sprawled on the bed like he owns it.

Excuse me? Whose bed is this? It was obvious to me that he didn't need supervising, so I got up and left.

Mama says "it's a good thing I didn't pay you for this dig" and then I got thinking: maybe she SHOULD pay me for this! How about some nip? or some of that chicken I know she's got hiding in the fridge? Either way, I went to ponder my woes and worries at the water dish. It's my favorite thinking spot.

One day, I might even tell you what I'm thinking about!

Poor Monet? What about ME?

Ugh that's all we've heard today. "Poor Monet! Are you OK? Mama's worried about you!"

Mama has been such a bully today! I know Monet is hurt but that doesn't mean she can beat up on the rest of us! All Kenzie & I want is some love!

Mama came home from lunch at Uncle Tony's and she got her purse stuck on the outside doorknob. She had to put stuff down to go pull it off. I thought I'd sneak out the door and what does she do? Mama slammed the door shut with me in it - got me right in the side! Naturally I yelped and growled and slapped Mama's feet, and she growled back saying "Sab I don't have time or patience for your bad behavior today! get inside!" And she pushed me with her foot. No, I don't think that's proper cat etiquette either!

Mama laid down to take a nap. I laid down next to her. Mama rolled over to get out of bed, and rolled right onto my tail. UGH

Mama was going back and forth from the kitchen to living room, making a cake for her grammy, who's having a birthday tomorrow, and feeding the buns & pigs, and making sure Monet was eating and not in pain. Mackenzie wanted Mama's attention and tried to rub on her leg, but Mama didn't see her and ended up stepping on Mackenzie's tail. UGH

Then Mama heard the phone ring and it was in the living room. She raced in from the kitchen to get it, and Clover, one of the foster buns, hopped over to see what Mama might have for her to eat. Mama didn't see that, either, and ended up kicking Clover.

We've all taken a vote: Mama needs to chill out! Monet doesn't like the fussing she's done over him; he just wants to be left to rest. Clover didn't like being kicked; Mackenzie is still washing her tail; I have decided to sit in the middle of the floor and slap Mama next time she walks buy. Parsley, the other bun, has chosen to stay in the corner and nap, and Bijou... well, this is all his fault to begin with - you'd think he'd be involved! But no... he's just squealing and yelling from his condo that he wants to eat and where is it?

Mama did stop long enough to kiss my head and pet my head. I haven't seen her stay still that long all day!

Monet's Home & Hobbling...

Poor Monet. I feel for the little guy. Mama says he got hurt real bad!

Uncle Tony fixed the car; Mama took Monet to see the special guinea pigs vet because Dr. Shawn wasn't working. Monet's bite was very deep; Mama says the vet explained that it was like a human getting cut between the index finger & thumb and it going about halfway to the bone.

Monet had to stay at the vet a couple hours so Dr. Linda could stitch his paw and put a bandage on it. He's got a blue paw now. Why didn't she give him an orange bandage to go with his orange-colored paw? That would have been so much cooler!

Mama is still very worried about Monet. He's hobbling along; not moving well; doesn't seem like himself. I slapped Mama with my tail and told her "would you feel like yourself if someone bit through your foot?" Mama says she knows but she's still worried about him and plans to stay home from church to keep an eye on him. He's got pain medicine & anti-bug medicine to take and Mama has to keep his cage extra clean.

Mama had to redo his cage when he got home. Mackenzie and I watched Monet in his carrier while she did her work. He didn't want to look at us and kept his nose in the corner. Mama said to be easy on him; he was probably feeling a little funky because the vet had to make him sleepy in order to stitch him up.

So Monet is home & healing; please continue to purr for him so that he heals quickly & can be a happy pig again!

Monet is Hurt! Please Purr for Him!

Wowsers - I thought we cats got into it!

I was trying to help Mama take care of my Silly Sab duties & soak up some sun. Mama had let the guinea pigs roam the floor together.

There was a nasty exchange of noises by them and Mama was sure they were fighting. She got up so fast she almost stepped on me enjoying the sun under her feet!

Mama separated them and was quite annoyed; they were fighting over a piece of hay - and there were 3 piles of hay for them to enjoy. What dumb pigs!

Monet was particularly upset. I went over to investigate. I could see that he was hurt. He was playing with his front left paw and trying to lick it and I could see it was bleeding! He was leaving blood everywhere he stepped!

I howled and batted at their play fence to tell Mama "there's a problem, Mama!" Mama looked over and saw me. Normally I'd get in big trouble for doing this stuff.

"Sab! What are you doing?" Mama growled and came over. That's when she saw all the blood on the carpet and the bunny mats and on Monet. Mama wasn't mad at me anymore. She started freaking out yelling "Oh my pig! What did Bijou do to you, Monet?"

She grabbed Monet - freaked him out - and looked him over. She ran him to the sink to wash him down. Do you know what a wet guinea pig looks like? FUNNY! Mama finally figured out that it was his paw that was bleeding and she raced around to get that funny yellow/brown stuff that stops bleeding, and it worked.

Mama put Monet on her chair, in a towel, while she called Dr. Shaw's office. He's the local guinea pig expert and... as you might have guessed, he's not working today! Now Mama's really worried for Monet. He keeps licking his paw and Mama says its turning color.

Uncle Tony had just left, too, and is fixing Mama's car. Her back lights on her car don't work, so Mama can't even get Monet to the vet right now. I've been worried about this; Kenzie & I are driving Mama crazy, pawing at her, and getting in her way. Mama finally got Monet an appointment with the other guinea pig vet further away, but it will be an emergency appointment, so Mama says she's going to have to rob a bank on her way over! MOL

So, if you would, please purr for Monet. He's the guinea pig that joined me for picture once. It's in my Catster book. I know Mama's super worried about him. She doesn't know if he's in a lot of pain, or if his paw is really hurt. She think he's going to need at least an anti-biotic.

Mama also sternly warned me that fighting IS NOT OKAY and not to get any ideas!

~Sab

Where's My Stuff?

Mama was up early this morning moving stuff around. If Mama is awake that early, she usually just reads the news. Not today! She's moving stuff by the window with the air box in it.

Then I hear the doorbell ring. Uncle Tony is the only one who rings the doorbell - what was he doing here so early that Mama hadn't eaten breakfast? Mama seemed to know he was coming and he went right to work. He got that air box right out of the window and Mama closed the window as tight as she could. Thank cat for that; it was 60 degrees in here this morning and my ears were chilly! It was 32 degrees outside!

While Mama and Uncle Tony discussed whether 7:30 am was "too early" or "middle of the day" and how Uncle Tony couldn't see the rabbits and how our place always looks like a barn (what is that? I wonder) I decided it was time to get comfy. That's when I went to the kitchen to discover that our chicken box was not under the table anymore! It's been in another box under the table, and that box was missing too.

No box to sleep in, so I came back to the living room. It was about that time that Uncle Tony was looking for me, anyway, so I went over and gave him the cursory sniff. He waved the peacock feather toy at me and I followed it around with my eyes, but I really didn't feel like playing. Uncle Tony says I'm getting old, then told me that I looked "stately" this morning. Anyone know what that means?

After he left, Mama pushed the box with the air machine in it back to the kitchen and ... oh, yeah. The box my chicken box was in was the air box, and now that the air machine is in the air box, my chicken box is not under the table anymore, which means our carpet sample aka kitchen bedding is now not under the table, either.

Ugh. Mess up my routine!

I chose to snooze on the bed, but even that was messed up because Mama took off the sheets, complaining that I rubbed my butt on the sheets and she didn't like dingle berries caught on her bed sheets. When she finally came back home from doing laundry and she went to take care of the rabbit cage at the edge of her bed, she moved the sheet on the cage to find my favorite balls! She tossed them on the bed for me and I enjoyed them a few minutes.

I knew they were there all along. See, the bunnies want to chew our toy basket, so Mama's had it on top of the rabbit cage since they arrived. I've tried to take toys out of there, but they ever get stuck between the bed and the cage, or they fall into the cage and the buns chew on them. Does this seem fair to you?

Mama's solution to the problem was to move our toy basket (she bought us a snazzy dark green one, too, to replace the basket they already chewed) to the kitchen. Oh my I forgot about the toys I had!

Speaking of toys... Secret Sister strikes again! This time she got me a "Nemo" catnip toy. After I rolled it all over the floor, I carried it around with me yesterday, then brought it to bed to sleep next to Mama and me. Mama did move it when she took the sheets and dingle berries off the bed!

You Call That a Hurricane???

Mama here;

there were rough seas.
there was a road closure b/c the road washed out.
there were times when cats & dogs fell from the sky along with the rain.
the air was so humid you could see it.
the sky got very dark.

there was NOT any wind.
there was NO loss of power.


and that was the extent of Hurricane Kyle going by our house. While we all understand why we had alerts, most everyone I've seen wonders what all the fuss was about. We've had nor'easters that were worse than this! Other than 6.5 inches of rain that mostly feel before Kyle was close enough that pushed us to a record amount of rain for the year, Kyle was a dud.

We're all fine!

Tropical Storm & Hurricane a'Comin!

the storm called Kyle is now a hurricane. It is not expected to be a hurricane that hits my town. It will, however, be a tropical storm, and we still need to be ready.

We've got flood watches & warnings up now. The area from Stonington up to Eastport are on hurricane watch. That's Mid Coast to Downeast Maine and the Canadian border. We're in Southern Maine.

We've already had 4 inches of rain. As of last night they said the heaviest winds would be 6-11 PM tonight.

You can keep an eye on my weather by going to our TV station for news.

We'll keep you up to date; this area got hit hard the last hurricane in '91 and we lost power.

We're Gonna Build an Ark

Mama says we've got trouble brewing outside our windows this weekend.

There's lots of rain coming, and we're going to get a lot of it. Something about a storm called Kyle will probably be here later this weekend, but right now, the first rain drops have started and Mama says it will do this all weekend - pour, actually.

Rain drops aren't bad, I say, until they get in the way of my seeing out the window. Mama says its classic "read a book" weather and that's what she's gonna do... after she takes pictures of the damage she's sure is going to happen.

Six inches of rain is a lot to fall in a short time, she says, and you can watch it all right here. We are your cracking news!

I'll be reporting back to tell you we're OK soon enough!

Big, Evil Asthma

My bestie & fellow Mousecateer, Jason Hopper, asked me why I didn't pounce on 'Asma' and what did he look like? I will do my best to answer the question, but truth be told, I'm still feeling a little winded.

See, Asma is a nasty fellow because you can't see him, or touch him, or taste him, or sniff him. He can touch you, though, and I'm telling you, he is an evil monster! It's like having your cat sibling pounce on your chest, stay there, and then have her wrap her paws around your throat so you can't breathe. The air just goes away from your chest and you can't get any back inside, where its supposed to be. Trust me, it is no fun to have empty lungs!

Mama was right there to help me through it. I know she feels so helpless when it happens, and I must agree she is right. I mean, I am so glad to know she's there and she'll do whatever she can to help me breathe again, but when 'Asma' has his fingers on your throat and he's pushing really hard on your chest, every second feels forever. She worries that I have attacks while she's gone, but she gets so worried about me that I don't dare tell her if I do or not.

As it is, it wiped me out all day. She assures me that she called Dr. Diana's office - I am so sad to hear that Dr. Carol went to another clinic and isn't able to care for me anymore - and she talked to new doc, Dr. Vicki. She says to keep an eye on me and I must come in and see her if I'm not better in a couple of days. Mama gave me my special breathing better medicine, but I took it easy laying in the sun today. She came home from the shelter and I got off the bed to greet her after she opened the door, but she was so happy just to see me. She was sure that because she decided to go to the shelter anyway, she'd find me dead and she'd never forgive herself. I told you my mama worries!

It is I who should be worried. Mama has been feeling really horrible the past couple of days and super, super tired again. She tells me she's got a trip to her vet tomorrow - was planned months ago - but she's glad to be able to go see him in case he needs more blood to check. Having Mama take care of me when she's sick and I should be taking care of her... oh man, that's too long a sentence and now I must rest.

Mama, are you ready to come to bed? I'd really like to curl up and not be disturbed when you come to bed!

No Way to Celebrate a diary pick

Mama here;

I apologize to Sab's faithful readers - and to him - that I was so weary that I didn't have energy to type out his excitement about being a diary pick yesterday (yesterday for us; still today if you look at Catster time). I am not feeling well again, and apparently, neither is he. We did see all the gifts you sent him, and I know that he was very pleased by all the attention. I'm just sorry I couldn't help him celebrate better.

I went to bed early, and he curled up by my legs, like he usually does. The window by the bed opened while we slept, and I woke up because I was cold. His ears were cold, too. I had just closed the window and put my head back on my pillow when asthma attacked him again. I feel so helpless when he's gasping for air! My poor baby boy was simply trying to sleep!

Thankfully it wasn't a very scary, bad episode like it was back in the spring. I moved my pillow and laid down next to him, 'upside down' on the bed, to pet him during his attack, then he returned to his sleeping position and purred and purred and purred - a very raspy purr. It was a weird one, like he was purring into an amplifier and all you got was feedback noise. He still sounds raspy, but it didn't stop him from following me to the litter box.

I can't help but wonder if he's having attacks when I'm not home. There was nothing out of the ordinary that happened here during the day that I know about, and he has been more of his quiet, not-so-active self the past few days. I will be starting the prednisone for him with breakfast and making a call to the vet. I am scheduled to go to the shelter for a bunny cleaning shift but we'll see how he's feeling in the morning.

Since we had all been sleeping, Mackenzie wasn't with him for this. She slept through it. Of curious note: the guinea pigs and rabbits didn't. They saw or heard me stir and they got very exciting, thinking it was time to eat!

What is Your Pirate Name?

PS: Are the Catster fleas that wouldn't let me save my diary post gone? I did have Mama type this for me last night!




I have no idea what the fascination is with pirates. Mama shook her head when I asked her and told me she didn't know, either. She's not fond of pirates, she says. Says they are people that do bad things. I don't want to be a bad cat!

However, I see that pirate fever has taken over most, if not all, of Catsterdom, so what's a cat to do but check it out? After all, my bestie Sparkman's brother is Capt. Morgan and I've got a new buddy, Morgan the Pirate Gato. I suppose it can't be that bad, right?

So Mama found this website for me to share for the Furiday Free for all at Silly Sab Stories. What? You aren't a member of the kewlest group on Catster? What are you waiting for!

Anyway, the site is called "What's My Pirate Name?" and Mama helped me find out what my pirate name is. You ready for this? It is:

MAD WILLIAM BONNEY

I must say, I am not the least big impressed with my pirate name. There is nothing fancy about it at all! It doesn't sound old like "Barnicle-crusted Sab Man", or fearsome, like "Master Sab the Miscreant", or silly, like "Blunderin' Cold-gutted Sab". I'm not sure I like my pirate name at all!

Mama did a funny and put her name through. After I saw what her name is, I'm glad I'm only Mad William. Mama's is: Dirty Ethel Cash. Isn't that funny - my mama, the must-get-sprayed-with-water-once-every-day mama is "dirty". It's so MOL I'm rolling over!

Supervision is Exhausting!

Mama's got the guinea pigs running around on the floor this morning, and the foster buns were so excited they demanded to come out, so now the four of them are racing and pushing each other around just to get into a hay bin! Mama says its super funny! She's also worried because she knows that bunnies can kill guinea pigs by hopping on them - those back legs are buns are super powerful, Mama says.

Thus, Kenzie and I have been sitting on our side of the play fence, supervising everything. They zip and they zag and they're everywhere!

Clover, the brave gray bunny, hopped over the fence to sniff me out. I backed away and she sniffed me. I tried to reach for her, but Mama scolded me with a "SAB!" and I know that tone of voice means serious business!

Mama's been super busy working and playing on Book Face (do know what that is other than taking away from Catster time?) so I've not been able to tell you my good news:

she hauled me to Dr. Diana's on Tuesday and my under the tail business is all better! I am so glad I don't have to go back! Mama is glad, too!

Gone to War

I have become seriously worried about Mama's head the past couple of days. I think she is going nuts - and the enemy almost won.

The enemy was a fly. Yes, you heard me.

The fly came in on Wednesday. Somehow the fly got from the outside hall to inside and the fly was a mean one.

It haunted Mama. Stalked her like crazy. It flew around her knees, and her ears, and her head, and her desk, and her computer. She was sure it was taunting her, cleaning itself on the computer monitor and we couldn't see the Catster screen!

I don't really blame Mama for being so upset, really. It was quite annoying, listening to her hound us to catch that fly. "What kind of cat are you that you won't catch a fly?" she growled more than once the past few days to me or Mackenzie - didn't matter.

I was not about to expend any energy chasing something I knew I couldn't catch. Then again, it didn't land near me. What a smart fly!

Mackenzie, however, did make a valiant try, but she lost, too.

Mama declared all-out war and was determined she was gonna win. Yesterday she comes home with this funny looking thing I've not seen before. She pulled it and it just kept coming and coming and coming... and then she stuck it on the ceiling! She put one next to her desk and one over the sink.

I got on her desk chair to inspect this latest interesting thing that looked like a toy to me. It swayed in the breeze of the fans and it was rather mesmerizing.

Mama explained it was super sticky and do not touch it! Except that, she did, and her finger got stuck to the side of the counter. She couldn't get it off, and she growled and hissed that this fly was going to "be the death of me!"

We all woke up this morning and examined the strips. No fly, although Mama caught a couple of those super little flies that hangs out in the trash can. Mama was growling again.

It was while she was gone at church that it happened - she won! I couldn't believe it! There was the fly - stuck in the sticky stuff - with its wings stuck and try as it might, it couldn't fly away.

Kenzie and I stared at that fly for a while. She batted at it. I batted at it. It wasn't moving. It was quite entertaining, though, until Mama came home and wondered where we were because we didn't meet her at the door. When she saw what we were looking at, she started laughing and couldn't stop. She was wiping at her eyes she laughed so hard.

The fly wasn't stuck on either strip hanging off the ceiling. The fly got stuck on the sticky stuff on the side of the counter!

Mama happily put the fly out of its misery. There went our entertainment of the day.

Taking Time to Remember

Most days are ordinary days around here. I eat; I sleep; I swat at Mackenzie; I use my litter box; I hound Mama to feed me; I bathe; I lounge in the sun when there's sun to be caught; I stare at the raindrops from the window if those are falling; I get attention from Mama; I might bat some toys around.

Yes, indeed, most days are like the day before it, and probably will be like that the day after, unless Mama gets it in her head that I must be tortured by going to visit the vet. Even that doesn't happen every day, so its safe to say, I live an ordinary cat life.

So I wouldn't even remember that Tuesday as being anything different. I ate; I slept; I batted at Mackenzie; I sat in the window, soaking up warm sunbeams and a late summer sky; I used my litter box; I checked on the guinea pigs; I waited for Mama to come home from work. I did the exact same things today, too.

But on that day, something was different. I could tell by watching the cars drive by that something didn't feel right. The school buses went by the windows early that day. I saw people gathering at the sandwich store next door and they were hugging each other and crying.

That was during the time that Mama was going to legal school; she went to school right after work and she didn't get home till super late. I was anxious for supper, naturally, but Mama was so upset that night, and she seemed more interested in just hugging me and kissing me and telling e how much she loved me and that she would never, ever leave me as long as she had anything to do about it and she promised that she'd do everything she could to keep me safe.

I've heard that before, but Mama seemed to really need special love that night, so I gave it. What upset me was all of the pictures Mama was watching on the news that night. It was like one of those movies. Planes crashing into buildings and buildings falling down and planes falling from the sky and all those people dying was bad enough. People were taking hostages and threatening people on the street. What I didn't understand was that the TV people were saying this was done on purpose.

I still don't understand it. Why do people have to be so mean to other people and animals? It's a question that Mama can't fully answer, either. There's just enough evil stuff in the world that sometimes you can't see the good.

Mama says she was in the middle of some of the drama of that day; turns out that her work lost two people that day.

While I remember, Mama does too. Today we sat and watched a dedication for some of the people. It was pretty, and sad.

Mama remembered on her website. She wrote a special story about it, too, if you want to read it.

The Window Got LOUD!

After her breakfast this morning, Mama started her day. First thing, she tidied up the floor so she could open the door for the foster buns to come out and hop around. They came out, but only after staring and sniffing at the door for a while.

I got on the bed to watch them and discovered that, not only did Mama put the clean laundry on the bed to fold it, but she'd opened the window! That was enough to make me forget the rabbits, so I got right in the window and was enjoying the beautiful weather.

Then these two trucks pull up and park right next to the curb. One was orange and brown so naturally I was enjoying its colors. The other truck was funny looking and it was white.

Guys got out of both trucks and they took a long, long pipe out of the orange and brown truck. The put it on a hose on the white truck. They pulled the orange pavement off the ground and moved it, then they stuck the long pipe in the hole.

This was fascinating. I've not seen this before. Mama came to see what was making all that noise. She said they were "state workers" and they were "cleaning the gutters". I don't know what a gutter is, but I do know that these are the same holes that all the water goes to when it rains really hard and almost flooded last week when Hanna came to visit. Mama says that Pupah used to do that type of work and he called the white truck the "guttah suckah". Pupah had such strange names for everything!

Then it got terrifying. The white truck started making super loud noise! I heard Mackenzie go tearing into the kitchen. I couldn't take the noise. THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD I COULDN'T HEAR MYSELF PURR OR MEOW OR THINK! I bent my ears back and leaped out of the window, over the bed, and onto the floor -

right in front of Clover, the gray bunny. She was as surprised as I was to be nose to nose with her. She hopped away but I have stayed put. Both buns are out and about and I really should supervise. Mama says I can as long as I "give them space".

I will, but why is Parsley so close to my crinkle toy from Ashley? I must defend it!

Nightmare x2

I was doing so well this year. No extra fur around; no dog cage coming out and being set up.

Mama comes home from the shelter today with the most glorious feather you've ever seen in your life. She waves it in front of Mackenzie and me and we are totally and instantly hypnotized. She also got us extra food bowls because ours need a thorough soaking and - can you imagine she put the new bowls on the floor without any kibble in them?

Then I see it: that evil, dreaded white box. The one that says "I (Heart) My Pet" in red letters and only carries one thing: foster bunnies.

The only thing worse than seeing one of those boxes is: TWO OF THOSE BOXES! They were sitting in front of the door and Mama was building the dog crate!

She can't possibly be serious but she was!

Now I not only have to endure sharing my space with a foster bunny, but there are TWO foster bunnies sharing my space! I must admit, though, that they seem pretty scared. They are huddled in the back of their dog crate around each other. Mama got them a special treat, too, but they aren't interested.

You know what's even scarier? One of these bunnies is PURE GRAY. Mama assures me that this is not Marty; this is a girl bunny who's been at the shelter a long time, along with her brown sister. Mama says to feel sorry for them; no one has considered them for adoption since they arrived two months ago. Mama says that the room is just so full and no room to put bunnies that she offered to take one in foster for a while, and these girls were chosen. Mama says get used to it because with all the buns they've got (including babies), the girls are not likely to leave any time soon.

I've been studying them this evening, and she's right; this gray bun doesn't look like Marty. They've got different shapes, and I can tell that her fur looks softer than Marty's. Mama says that Clover, the gray bunny, is a "rex" bunny. She says your pawrents would know what a rex rabbit was because that's the kind of rabbit that Peter Rabbit is, and the Rex is velvety soft.

Mama also promised me that tomorrow she'd let them come out of the cage, though I shouldn't need to be worried. She says they haven't been fond of being outside their cages at the shelter, so they just might choose to hang around inside there all day.

Woe Isme

I got my diary title today from a bible joke I heard Mama tell once. The question is: what was the name of Isaiah's horse? The answer is: Isme, because in the book with his name, he yells out "woe is me!"

Just in case you didn't know why I'm saying "woe is me" today... yeah, it was one of those days....

For starters, it began quite horribly, because I woke up realizing how serious the news really was: my football hero, Tom Brady, is hurt, and it was looking baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad. He got hurt in the opening quarter of the brand new season. Then came the news we were all dreading: he's out for the season! Oh Mama and I are going to cry all season. It just won't be the same without him!

Then, Mama left for the day. She said it was going to be a "beautiful" day and that, since it had been cool during the night, she wasn't going to turn on the cold air machine. She's kept that thing on all summer - and now she says that maybe, for one day, we could have fresh air.

I like fresh air and all, but it was hot, and, between you and me, I don't handle the heat like I used to handle it. Maybe its my age; maybe my asthma has really gotten worse than it used to be, but I just didn't have the energy to be bouncing all over the place today. There was sun coming around the shades, so why won't lounge in that? I would have appreciated it being cooler in here. Mama knows how hot it gets when the sun comes over the building in the afternoon.

Mama came home just in time to feed us supper - yay - but I wasn't feeling so jovial. Mama noticed immediately and - as only mamas can do - knew exactly why I was moping and was so sorry and all about letting it get so warm in here, even though she didn't think it was seriously warm.

Then she decides to do dishes. I can't imagine why she did that - she did dishes on Friday and she hates doing dishes. (That's why Mackenzie is always busy cleaning dishes, but don't tell that to Mama....) Why would she wash dishes so many days close to each other? I wanted her attention! After that... what did she do? She changed the water in Omar's tank and washed his rocks and cleaned the inside and rinsed off the plants and then put everything back in, including Omar, who doesn't look too happy to me. All he wanted was a bloodworm, I'll bet. That's supposed to be catnip to beta fish.

When I got her attention, I was not pleased with what she did to me. I heard her calling - I thought she was calling me - and I came running. Mama put me on the bed and put our Patriots hat on me to pose me for my new Catster theme. Ugh; I hate posing with clothes and other items. Why does she need to hide my brilliant orange? I don't understand.

THEN (this is where it gets really infuriating) she flipped me on my back and started trimming my claws! Have you any idea how insulting that is? I can trim my own claws just fine - let me show you how sharp they are, Mama! I tried to scratch her but she moved faster than me.

Brat.

My consolation: she'd cut Mackenzie's first and she's the one who really needs it. She doesn't scratch and knead like I do. And oh - we got treats after that. Good thing!

So pardon me while I go sleep this miserable day away. Mama had better keep the air machine on for me tomorrow!

Hey - Who Invited Hanna?

As if we haven't seen enough rain this summer.... it rains again! We woke up to it raining outside, and tonight we're going to bed with rain - and I'm not talking a little rain. It's raining so hard we can hear it on the roof even with the cold air machine on!

We've been watching the news about it, too, Mama and me. They call this rain storm "Hanna". Mama says we have to be careful and be prepared, just in case we have to leave quickly, because they're saying we're going to get lots and lots of water just overnight. Tomorrow, they say, the sun will be out in time for a mid morning snack!

I am taking preparations very seriously. I put all my crinkly toys in my pet carrier. I can't be without them if Mama decides we have to leave because the drains outside don't work! Mama tells me that so many, many people have died because of this storm already, but that she's glad its also raining in places that haven't had a lot of rain this summer - but that's not us!

Mama also told me the story about the last hurricane that came to Maine. She said it was a long time ago - she was 16 years old then. It's name was Bob and she said it was just damaging enough to be fun. I don't quite understand that. She explained that they forgot to put the wading pool under the deck, and she, Uncle Tony, and Auntie Lisa watched it blow across the yard and stop in the neighbor's driveway. She said the trees in the yard bent right over. She told me about this big, huge pine tree that Memere and Pupah had in the front yard that was home to so many birds. Mama said things got scary when that tree bent right over and almost touched the house, but it didn't break in two. She says many branches came down, but not the entire tree.

Mama says that she didn't live here then - where we live now - but that back then, this part of the road that we live on was lined with trees for about a half mile. She says that Bob ripped so many of those trees down that they had to cut them all down, and now that's why we have so much sun around us. She says the Lake got hit really bad, and no one had thought of that. Says that boats all over the Lake were flipped over and broken and sunk.

I hope Hanna doesn't do that to us! That sounds so scary! Someone pass me a boat?

Extra Fur

Mama says that fur is not good for the computer and electric things. I wonder why she tells me this. As if I'm the one that puts fur all over stuff?

Today Mama had to leave right after breakfast - as if she was going to work at a job. Actually she was; she's working with a furiend again to help him set up a business or something. Anyway, she had to get up and be there at 8:30, which I thought was a big ta-do because Mama doesn't like to "exist" before 8:30 or 9. But there she was.... carrying her books to the car and packing a changing bag.

And she was gone all day. By the time Mama made it home, she could hardly stand on her feet, they were so sore, and she was carrying a large box full of stuff, and it was a couple hours past the time she allows us to have supper!

After I ate my kibble, I sat in the kitchen and howled for Mama to come see me. After all, I hadn't seen her all day; she should come see me! She finally got up and came to the kitchen. She picked me up and I got comfy and I purred and purred. Mama says "I can't stand tonight, Baby Boy" so she carried me to the desk and let me sit on it while she sat in her chair and put her feet on the stool I helped her paint a couple weeks ago. (We did a very good job, I might add!) Mama kneaded my head and scratched my ears and my chin and my head and ooooooooooooooooh it was blissful. That's when Mama said that extra fur is bad for computers and she needs to do something about this.

Does that sound like a threat to you? I does to me!

Hear Me Talk!

I don't know what Mama uses, but somehow she takes moving pictures of me and I don't see a camera. That's just what she did the other night - I was in the middle of my "talking to Mama evening" routine. She had to take 3 videos, she says, because what she uses to take the videos doesn't do more than 20 seconds at a time. She won't tell me what it is!

Anyway, if you listen carefully enough, you can hear Mackenzie meow and the guinea pigs start to squeal near the end of the third video. That's so typical... I ask for some love, and the others feel entitled!

Happy Birthday, Mama!

The big day is finally here! We've been listening to Mama whine about this particular birthday for a couple months now. I am still not entirely sure what the big deal is, but Mama seems to think that as of today, she is now "middle age" and she's not pleased about it. (Is that like being in Middle Earth? I don't know!)

Memere and one of Mama's aunts told her to get over it; if she is old, what does it make them? Mama says "I just never thought I'd get to be this age; now what am I supposed to do?"

Oh well now now now... you don't ask that question in a room with cats! You are supposed to be... petting me and worshiping me and feeding me and playing with me and being quiet when I'm ready to nap and wash my bedding so its sweet and fluffy again and de-fured so I can fur it again.

Mama got a super funny birthday e-card from her very good cat mama furiend, Ellie. I had woken Mama up at 3 AM just to wish her a happy birthday but she wasn't pleased about this. She got up to check on that bully hurricane out there and she saw the card from Ellie. The card said it was going to show how cats celebrate their humans' birthdays and... the first thing the card said was "wake you up way too early for breakfast" - which I did - and "stare at the wall as if there is something there" - which I do often - and "go somewhere to do your business when the litter box is not clean" - which I do not do - and "put hairballs in the worst places" - that would be Mackenzie. The card made Mama laugh out loud and hold her sides.

Mama was planning on hanging up a shelf before she was to leave for a family birthday picnic that Memere was having for her. The shelf stayed right where she put it, because the phone rang all morning. Mama said it was her "fan club" calling her, but gracious... we rarely hear the phone ring. First Uncle Tony called because baby Lucy wanted to talk; then Mama's auntie called (Mama looks just like this aunt, they tell me); then Mama's furiend in Boston called; then Mama's BFF, Jessica, mom to the evil Oliver, called. It was a busy morning!

Mama says she had a good birthday. She also got lots of good wishes from Catsters and their humans. I knew my mama was pupular!

Watch Where You Step!

I was snoozing in the chicken box this evening while Mama was in the shower bathing herself. She had freaked out because when she undressed, she found rat shavings in her clothes from her shelter shift today! I told her she smelt funny! MOL

Sorry... anyway I got mixed up. Mama came into the kitchen to take her evening pills. I was in the chicken box and found a prime opportunity to get some TLC. I got out of the box and sprawled on the floor behind her and in front of the fridge. Problem was, Mama didn't know this. She turned around and barely missed stepping on my back paws.

"Sab! You can't sneak up on Mama like that or you might get stepped on!" she cried out. I just meowed and looked at her with those "can't resist" eyes. After she swallowed, she picked me up and held me. Thankfully she smelt much better! I purred and purred.

Mama told me that today, at the shelter, they had all the doors open because it was so gorgeous outside and it was a lovely breeze. Says the bunnies loved it. She said she was feeding all of them some greens just before she left when she could feel eyes staring at her. She looked out the open door that goes to the outside bunny cages and, in one of the outside cages beyond the bunny places, was a light orange and white cat, meowing at her. Mama says the cat had white markings much like mine. She said that as soon as the cat realized he had her attention, he started meowing much louder, and longer, just like I do when I'm calling her to say goodnight every night. She said he made her laugh and want to come home and hug me right then and there.

She tells me that the shelter is full of orange cats right now. I'm glad she doesn't have space around here, because you know where all those orange cats would end up.... HERE! She showed me a picture of Theo, a brilliant orange gal who's been at the shelter just past six months now. She says that because Theo has pooing problems, no one has considered her for adoption. Mama says that Theo's problem is totally under control with the proper food, so why can't someone come and love Theo? I must admit, this story makes me so sad. I wonder why Theo's new family hasn't found her yet? Mama tells me that all animals seem to get really depressed when they are at the shelter longer than 6 months, and that they all see that happening to Theo now. Mama has reason to hope, though, because the lady who comes in to write stories about the cats was there this morning and they were talking about Theo. She told Mama that she'd write a new story about Theo to help her find her new family.

I am so glad to have a mama who loves me to pieces, no matter how much money I start to cost her or my under-the-tail problems. I am so lucky!

Lost My Dignity

I can't believe I'm even going to say this. I let Mama catch Mackenzie cleaning my chin yesterday.

Oh the indignity of the moment! I'm a big boy; I really can clean myself. Kenzie was just in a giving mood, and heaven knows she doesn't do it often! It was the sun frying my brain that made me do it! I promise!

Scratch and Sniff

I got a pmail from my bestie, OWP, saying how much he loved my page. In a week or two we'll be able to start picking apples. Mama tells me we've got one close enough to walk from our apartment to it, but she's never picked apples because she's not "in love" with them and what to do with them all since she doesn't cook? (Trust me - Mama had a tough time boiling water! She puts water in the pot, forgets its on, and when she comes back, all the water has left! MOL)

Mama said that my page, though, should be a scratch and sniff. I had never heard of something like that before. Mama then told me about these stickers that Memere used to get for special school work awards that you could scratch them and they'd smell wonderful. Says she hasn't seen them in a long time; doesn't know if they make them anymore, but that my page should smell like apples when you open it.

Honestly, I know scratch and sniff. I do that all the time in my litter box, and trust me, I wouldn't call the smell "wonderful"! I am not sure if this concept is a good idea. Besides, I wouldn't want the guinea pigs smelling apples and coming over to nibble on my page!

The Latest Tag Game

I owe Bestie OWP an "I'm Sorry" because he tagged me a couple days ago and I haven't done a thing about it!


1. What is your favorite Olympic sport?
That would have to be the sprint - because I do it every day!


2.What do you prefer - summer or winter?
Summer! Its warm and the sun stays out longer and is warmer in the window and Mama will open the windows and its just warmer!


3.What is the quirkiest thing you do?
As soon as Mama goes to bed for the night, I start calling out to her. She meows back, then I meow back and then she meows back, and I climb on the bed to sleep with her. That's our thing... and if she doesn't meow back, I just get louder and begin to howl and the neighbor asked if I was in pain because he could hear me when he was in the hallway!


4.Do you have a crush on any other kitty?
Well there's Siouxie and Pooter's and Chloe and Ashley and Ashley and Maya and Goldie and Callie Ann and Abbey and... I'd better stop naming all my friend girls or one of them might get upset that I didn't mention her!


5.What’s your favorite rosette or gift?
hmmm that's a tough question... I guess I would say that my favorite rosettes are the ones that my furiends go out of their way to send to me! If it was one of those grape or cherry glasses, it would be even more special!

Remembering Chumley

Before today is over, I want to make sure the world remembers that it was one year ago today that I lost my bestest and very first Catster furiend, the pawsome Chumley. I was so stunned I could hardly breathe. We were supposed to be gathering for an 'end of summer pawty" for all of us at BOCU and I'm Not Orange but finding out that Chumley wouldn't be joining us just broke our hearts and knocked the wind out of my tail.

Then today, I noticed that he sent a note down and put it in his diary. He never had a diary when he was here on earth. He mentioned in his post that his mama is so sad that Catster doesn't save group pmails forever because now she's lost some of his stirring poetry. Yes, he did have some great zingers! In fact, I believe it was Chumley who coined our "brilliant orange cats" motto: if it ain't orange, it ain't happening! And his song "Give Peeing a Chance".... I remember it had all of us in stitches the day he wrote that prose. I don't remember now why he wrote it, but I suspect it had to do with having a problem - naturally!

But, I do remember that we have a copy of his last message to us, when he sent BOCU a note to tell us that he had passed. (Mama doesn't believe in the "Bridge", and explained what everyone was talking about so I could figure it out, but apparently he wrote from the Bridge, so that's what we'll call it. Please, no throwing daggers at us; Mama knows she is in the minority and doesn't mean any disrespect to anyone who does believe in the Bridge.) We were talking about his note at the pawty that day, and Catster does save all the forum posts.

So dear Chumely's Mama, here is what Chumley had to tell us when he sent word that he was gone:

I am in the most beautiful place. There are all kinds of other kitties and doggies here, and birdies, and hamsters, and all kinds of other animals. I have two eyes now! And I can hear again! They tell me that I am at the place called “The Bridge”, and that my Momma will come here to see me someday. But in the meantime, I feel better than I have since I was a kitten!

The doctor took me home last night. I was feeling better, after I got so sick yesterday. Then, sometime after the doctor went to bed last night, my little heart gave out. I fought really long and hard to get better, but I just wasn’t strong enough.

I know in my soul that my Momma loved me, and I loved her more than anyone else, ever! My doctor worked so hard to save me, but I just kept surprising her with different problems. And I am so lucky to have had such wonderful friends as Sebastian and Jason Hopper, and Oliver Winston Parson’s Cat, and all the other wonderful orange kitties I knew on earth.

I am going to rest in the sun for a while, kitties. And when I wake up, I will eat some of the wonderful food they have here, and then go play with the other kitties and doggies and hammies and birdies. I am so happy now, kitties! I feel so well, and I am at peace.

Strong, happy, loving purrs,
Chumley

I shall bow my head and knead in sorrow in Chumley's honor. I miss you, Buddy, one of our Mousecateers.

Hi, Memere!

We got a surprise this morning: Memere came to visit! I didn't know she was coming; Mackenzie didn't know she was coming. Only Mama knew she was coming, but she didn't tell us!

Memere's on vacation this week, so she doesn't have to go to work. She stopped by today to pick Mama up and go to South Portland, wherever that is. Mama's birthday is next week, and for her birthday, Memere took her out to eat for lunch. So that's why Mama was getting ready to go somewhere but didn't go anywhere right away!

I was lounging on the carpet sample in the kitchen when there was a knock at the door and in came Memere. She said hello to Mama, then Monet and Bijou, whose condos are closest to the door. Mackenzie had been sleeping on the bed and she sat up to greet Memere. I saw her and got up to greet her.

"Where is Sebastian?" I heard Memere ask.

"He's right behind you," Mama told her.

Memere turned around and, sure enough, I was stretching my neck to sniff her jumper hem. Memere reached out her hand to scratch my head. Ah, she knows how to make bonus points with a head scratch lover! I sat down and purred for her. She didn't stop, so I sprawled out on the floor, in the doorway. Memere says "he certainly seems agreeable to me, but I think he's lost some weight. Is that because he's not been feeling well?"

Mama says "it must be all the business under his tail because he won't let me put cream on him and so he runs away!"

Gracious, Mama, do you have to tell Memere everything?

Memere turned her attention to Omar, who was doing his fish dance in his tank, before Mama finished putting on her sandals so she could go.

Mama returned just in time to feed us supper! She had a couple bags and some wood with her. They were shelves, and she told me how this place had them on sale and she needs shelves to put on the wall so she can put pictures up again. It was just what she needed. Then she took out the new bottle of paint.

Paint! Oh I love to help Mama paint. Last week, when Mama painted her footstool sparkle Christmas green (that's what the bottle said), she spilled some paint and I got my nose a little too close when I sniffed it. I had a green spot on my orange nose! I tell you, its not a smart thing to do, because it takes an awful lot of paw licking and rubbing to get it off - not to mention the wet wash cloth Mama used to wipe it off!

Oh I know this doesn't have anything to do with Memere coming over, but I curled up in the clean laundry Mama had on the bed while she painted the shelves on the little table she set up next to the bed. This time she used "nutmeg brown" and those shelves are looking pretty good now, though it smells like paint in here now and she says she's going to put shiny stuff on them tomorrow. "They have to dry, gang, so don't go rubbing your chins and bodies on them!" she warned us as she put them to dry in the kitchen.

But but but... I've still got a speck of sparkley Christmas green paint on me, don't I? Why can't I add a speck of nutmeg brown paint?

We're Behind, Maine - Give us a Hand!

Pardon my commercial here, but we've got important stuff to discuss, Maine readers!

Our initiative to get a specialty plate for adoptions is coming up short! Here's what our newsletter had to say:

Dear Friend of MALT (Maine Adoption Leaders Team)~

Our update this week comes just days after the 1-year mark of the J'Aime Kennel (Buxton Puppy Mill) Raid led by the Animal Welfare Program. We all remember it, particularly the dedicated group of people who worked tirelessly to save the animals who were a part of the largest raid in Maine's history. Click here to read the story as it was reported last year by the Portland Press Herald on August 23rd.

We are proud to report that the 350 animals who were a part of the horrific conditions at J'Aime Kennel were all cared for and subsequently found new homes. It could not have happened without the Animal Welfare Program and the other animal organizations that stepped in to help.

The Buxton raid is exactly what the Adopt Plate initiative is designed to PREVENT and SUPPORT. Funds will go to RESPONDING to animal-related emergencies that require professional, respectful human intervention and to the HELP FIX ME spay/neuter program to prevent the birth of unwanted animals.

Our deadline of September 1st is upon us and
we are quickly approaching the 75% mark. Even though we have sold nearly 1,300 plates in record time, we will fall short of our goal of pre-selling 2,000 by September.

The very good news is that MALT has been working closely with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Senator Nutting (the bill's sponsor) and there will be a meeting on Friday, August 29th to discuss possible ways to get the bill into the 2009 legislative session.

Regardless of the outcome of the meeting, MALT will continue to pre-sell plates so the initiative can be heard in the 2010 legislative session.

In the meantime, please buy a plate and get your name on our Leaders List. Our Leaders List will be published here in this newsletter the week of Sept 1st. It will include all the people throughout the state of Maine who are leading this charge in support of animal welfare. See below for a short list of events where you can purchase your Adopt plate.

As a reminder, this may be the last specialty plate that the State of Maine allows, so PLEASE make it one that will support the health and welfare of all our animals. NO animal deserves inhumane treatment. ALL animals deserve our respect.

Sincerely,
Members of MALT

So, please - if you live in Maine, can't you somehow find $25 to help us reach our goal! I know my mama doesn't have money, but she tells me she ordered her plate already. Since she's already got the loon plate on her car, she's been paying for a special plate for years. Even though the loon plate supports conservation efforts in Maine, she'd rather help support the homeless animals if she has the option!

If the initiative falls through, you can either get your $25 back or you can donate it the Animal Welfare Program. Either way, you win!

Stop by Planet Dog for more information & to order your pate, or just visit its website and you'll be all set to go!

Oh wait... even if you don't live in Maine, you're not off the hook! If you know someone who lives in Maine, please make sure they know about this! As Auntie Lisa would say, it's for the puppies!

Open Windows!

wow - what a day we had today! It was the most purfect day to have... for late September! Mama says that Mama Nature has no idea what time of year it is.

It's been so rainy and very heavy air because of all the water in it all summer. Mama has barely let the windows get open because of it and not wanting to mess with my asthma. Last night, though, it got to be in the 40's, so Mama turned off the cold air machine and opened a window.

After she fed us this morning, she paid some attention to the noisy guinea pigs before coming back to bed. When she was ready to climb back in, she realized she had a problem. Mackenzie had snuggled up to Mama's head pillow, and I had my head in the open window with my body across the middle of the bed. I was also laying on her cast-off sheets.

We've got a great mama. She rarely makes us move when we're on the bed and she wants it. She did move me enough to get at the sheet, then she balanced on her side while laying down. It was a little crowded for me, so I climbed onto the window ledge and enjoyed the busy-ness of outside.

When Mama got up for her breakfast, she opened the bathroom and kitchen windows, both of which face the Lake. I spent time in both windows. Mama was happy to see me out and about. She forgets that I always spend the summer doing almost nothing but sleeping. She was worrying about my health again. MAMA! Gracious!

I forget how noisy it gets with the windows open! The people who own our building and the yarn shop below us also own the building that's behind ours. It's not that close to us because our driveway and their driveway are between the two buildings. Busy stuff's been going on back there. The land man has been driving up with boards and nails and ladders and he's been building something that is tall and has stairs and a place to stand. Mama told me it was a staircase to the second floor. Mama thinks that they have to do this because the emergency people were there about a month ago during the night, and their bright, red lights woke us up. When they came to visit us a couple years ago, they told the land man what things weren't "up to code" and he had to fix them. Mama says it was because the town changed the code rules since our apartment was built, and as long as there isn't a problem and the emergency people don't have to come here, it's OK. So she thinks that's why the stairs were going up.

Now, though, he's got stairs on the roof! Can you imagine? Mama and I are wondering if there are making a new place to live in the upstairs under the roof, where you can't see windows. Why would anyone want to live in a place without windows?

Also today, the emergency fire guys were out behind our place, too. I watched them from the window. They sprayed water all over the road that goes to the Lake. Mama thinks they were cleaning out the hydrant that's there. I didn't know what a hydrant was, but Mama says its important for fighting fires and its where dogs put their calling cards. I hope those cards didn't get too wet!

I also got to hear the buzzing bees today! Mama went to investigate, and they made a nest right under our window! Mama thought she saw a few of them around the window. This makes mama mad, as she has to call the emergency people to take her to the overnight vet when those bad bugs bite her. So she's going to go see the land man tomorrow.

Then, just about supper time, I was waiting in the window when the most horrible smell came inside and made me cough and gag. Mama came over to see me and she wasn't pleased with the smell, either. She shook her head, moved me, and closed the window. She said the neighbor man who lives across the hall was now home and smoking on the porch and stairs that we have on our building, right next to our bathroom window. Mama told me she was sorry I got that smoke in my lungs and that she'd remember to shut the window earlier tomorrow.

Now it is dark out. It gets dark earlier, again. Mama tells me there are stars out there, but I can't see them with all the lights of the village here. Even still, I shall lay on the bed and enjoy the open window. Fresh air smells so good!

Sorry - Let Me Clarify Something

Mama here again;

Thanks for the encouraging posts. Its been a long, sad week here at the Sab household for various reasons and I'm not totally thinking strait.

Sab is not in total kidney failure. His kidneys are simply not functioning at 100%. His kidneys are doing well; his levels are just a little elevated. Think of it at about 85-90% function.

Sebastian's Home & Jumped this Hurdle!