Don't ask me any dumb questions!

I escaped!

Two days ago, I managed to escape for part of the afternoon. It was hot out though, so I came back home. It's been hot here, but the basement is nice and cool. And on really hot days, my mewther has been hanging out down there with me and the bunny and the dog - I don't care about the dog, but it's nice having good company down there. Actually the dog part is good, because Pico would rather NOT be downstairs - I don't know why, it's one of the nicer parts of the house!

I now have only 1 week to go before I'm free, free, free! Can you tell I'm counting?

My Staples are Gone!

I was supposed to have my staples out on Tuesday, but when I went in to the vet, she only took out some of them because she said I wasn't healed enough yet to have them all out. So I had to go back today and have the rest out. (I also got to see the new vet.) And I had to give them blood so they could check that my liver had recovered from my accident. We weren't supposed to hear about it until Monday, but they got the results back early and called to tell Julie that I'm fine. Best of all, the vet just said that I need to stay inside, not be locked in a small area for the next two weeks. Yippie! Of course, I should say that my pawrents have only been locking me in the bathroom when I start jumping around and letting me laze around wherever I want in the house the rest of the time. But now I'm free as long as I stay in the house.

Turning the Linen Cabinet Into The Ultimate Cat House

My pawther let me out of the bathroom this morning and after he fed me in my regular place in the kitchen (I'm getting him trained - it's all fine and well to leave me food in the bathroom if you are locking me in there, but I want breakfast in the kitchen like normal!) After I ate, he put in me on the bed with Julie. Julie worked in the bedroom all morning and I got to sit in my favorite spot at the foot of the bed by the TV. When she went to get lunch, I made the mistake of wandering into the other room and climbing up onto the spare bed and into a storage crate with a pillow where I like to hang out sometimes. Julie retrieved me and stuck me back in the bathroom - but she brought me the pillow. So now, in my linen cabinet I have the big thermal mat (Ha! Pico doesn't get to sit on either of them, because the small thermal mat is on top of my cat tree!), my white stuffed tiger, and a really soft tiger pattern throw pillow. For a while yesterday, I had a little bag of valerian too, but Julie said it was making the house too stinky! People sure have a weird sense of smell, if they think Valerian smells yucky. (Oh, no, I'm starting to agree with Pico about something - I must be ill!) I wonder if I can convince my pawrents to buy me a small TV for the linen cabinet. I'd even take black and white. I'll have to work on getting my pawther to think of that one - he's much nicer (and a softer touch!) than Julie.

Wow! I'm diary of the day!

Thanks to Catster for the nice honor of making me diary of the day! Any diversion from the boredom of being locked in the bathroom is a nice bonus! Actually - my pawrents let me come lie on the bed with them for a little while today and then they took me outside and stuck me in Pico's crate while they sat on the porch and drank coffee - but then it started to rain. I did manage to escape to outside for a quick minute while the sun was shining too. But mostly, I'm stuck in the bathroom - I do get to hang out in the linen cabinet though. As a bonus, they seem to be letting me not wear my collar this afternoon. It's a big cloth circle designed so a cat can't clean himself. It's not actually bad - except that Julie calls it a clown collar. Apparently, she's not a student of history or she would know that such collars were part of Scandinavian vestments (see this picture) and not at all undignified! In fact, if it didn't interfere with my ability to bathe, I would say it was appropriate and dignified cat wear. Certainly much better than those stupid sweaters the dog is always parading around in!

Speaking of dogs, would you believe my mewther has set up yet another dog website? It's called Understanding Dog Body Language For A Well Behaved Dog. Now, I realize that as inferior creatures, dogs need all the help they can get in behaving, but still! She should be promoting how wonderful cats are, not writing about dogs!

Anyway, I have to go enjoy my unusual access to the linen cabinet and plot new ways to escape to the outside.

Back home again!

My mewther came and got me this morning and brought me home. I heard her tell my pawther that I'm supposed to be in a small area or a crate indoors where I can't climb and jump for 4 weeks. My mewther thinks the best place for me is probably the bathroom. And, she took the door off the linen cabinet in there and put my favorite bed there. I've never even been allowed in there! It's really nice. For now, I have everything I want in there - a great bed, my own cabinet, one of my stuffed toys, a litterbox, food and water. But as soon as I feel better, I'm planning to make a break for it and go outside! (Actually, I already tried once, but my pawther was outside and caught me before I got out the door. Next time, I'll try when my pawrents are both behind me.)

Thank you to all the cats and dogs who sent me or my pawrents prayers and good wishes!

Meow from Dove Lewis

I'm still at Westside Dove Lewis, but my pawrents came to visit me tonight and I told Julie what to type for me. Hopefully, she'll get it right without me there to supervise! Pico actually did a pretty good job of explaining things, for a dog - and she's right that I'm not planning on giving anyone enough details on what I was doing when I got in trouble that they might decide that if I don't get to do this or that I might not get in trouble again. I'll just watch out for myself, thank you.

So, today, Julie and Rich took me in the car - without Pico, which I don't think has ever happened before, and we went over near our regular vet, but instead we went to the big, fancy new Dove Lewis. I sat with them for a while in the lobby, then we went to a room, then they took me in the back and took some blood and put me in a cage. After a while they let my pawrents come see me and they let me have one of my stuffed animals which helps me be relaxed. Then my pawrents told me to be good and left. About an hour later I went to sleep. When I woke up a few hours later, I had an IV in my front paw, a big bald spot on my tummy with a bunch of staples, and a little bald patch on my back with a pain reliever patch on it. Pico is going to be so jealous 'cause she loves staples and hers are coming out tomorrow. Plus I have more than she ever had! Anyway, I didn't like the IV, so I ripped it out with my teeth, bit it into pieces and spit it at the vet tech across the room. (They told my pawrents I had really good aim too!) But that didn't work for long, because they just put one in my other front paw and made me wear a big clear plastic collar that is almost like a bowl so I can't reach my paws anymore - darn it! (The vet tech called it a party hat, but I think that's just one of those weird human things where they call bad things by names that make them sound fun - like when my pawrents say we are having spa day and then they just stick icky smelling junk on us!)

By listening in, I found out that the reason I felt so icky is that I had a tear in my abdominal wall big enough for a softball! They said that my fat hid it until they cut me open, so it was really good that the radiologist saw it. Apparently fat and a torn abdominal wall feels the same from the outside to humans. Doesn't feel the same from the inside to a cat, let me tell you! Fat feels good - torn abdominal wall feels bad. So they sewed me up, but I overheard the vet warning Julie that because of the damage to the area that they have to sew together, it doesn't always heal up. I'm going to heal though - just watch me! I'm a tough kitty! But I can still use everyone's good thoughts and prayers.

It was nice to see my pawrents and get lots of attention without the dog being there (Ha! I got to go somewhere Pico couldn't for once!) One bad thing, everyone keeps telling my pawrents how fat I am. The surgeon said I had an "ample layer of fat" - Julie says that means I really do need to diet. I think an ample layer of fat sounds pretty good actually! I may get to come home as soon as tomorrow morning - unfortunately I'll have to be calm and kept inside and where I can't jump or run around for at least 3 weeks! Although, at the moment that doesn't sound bad, I'd just like to crawl into the linen cabinet with one of my stuffed animals.

Mike is in the hospital! - From Mike's Dog Sister Pico

Hi, this is Pico, Mike's dog sister. Yesterday, Mike wandered off for the afternoon like he usually does (I don't know why he didn't want to hang out with me and Ben-the-bunny and Julie, we were playing clicker and agility games - it was super fun.) Anyway, he wasn't home when our pawrents went out to dinner either - although that's not uncommon for him. When they came home, he was in one of the chairs on the back porch and really lethargic. He also wasn't able to move very well. He's not saying what happened, but the vet said that his front nails were shredded, which usually means either a car accident, dog attack or some other kind of trauma. I'm guessing he's keeping quiet about what happened because either way, if our pawrents knew, they'd reduce his freedom somehow. Anyway, Julie and Rich were really worried about him and he obviously was in pain, so they took him to Eastside Dove Lewis - which is this really amazing emergency vet hospital right by our house. I know when I've had to go there, they made me feel a lot better. I don't know exactly what happened while he was in there, because they made me wait in the car, but when he came out he was feeling better and he had some medicine. The pawrents moved his litterbox and food into the upstairs bathroom and he decided to sleep on the bottom shelf of the linen cabinet instead of one of the beds or with us (he likes the linen cabinet - but not usually at night.)

Then this morning, Julie got a phone call from the vet at Dove Lewis and it turns out that when the radiologist looked at his X-rays, he saw what looked like a hernia. So, our pawrents had to take him to the main Dove Lewis for surgery. Julie just got a phone call that he's going into surgery right now. And she told me he won't be back until tomorrow morning at the earliest. I'll let you know more when I find out more - and I'm sure he'll have some comments when he gets home. I'm sure good thoughts from his kitty friends would help.

Pico

Bad News at the Vet

Today was Pico and my annual vet appointment. I got about the worst news a cat can get from the vet - I have to go on a diet! Not only that, but I can only eat a half cup of food a day. The note from the vet even adds "NO more!" Half a cup? I eat a cup for breakfast and a cup at night and when my pawther works the closing shift, I usually get some food when he comes in at 3 am. How I am I supposed to survive on a half cup a day!

Oh, yeah, Pico is supposed to have some lump on her side removed on Monday. Whatever, she's had that done before. I just care about having to go on a diet!

Tag! You're it! - Seven Random Facts

Che tagged me in the "Tag! You're It!" Game (rules below)

Seven Random Facts about Me
1) I have figured out every place in the house where the people can't see me tormenting the dog so she gets in trouble for growling at me or not coming when she is called.
2) I used to graze in the yard nose to nose with the bunny (he died in January, so now I have to graze alone.)
3) I like to curl up with stuffed animals
4) I actually like the dog, I just want to make sure I have the upper hand.
5) I managed to disguise the fact that I'm part Maine Coon for all the years I lived at the sanctuary
6) I don't care too much if the litter box is clean, but the litter better be at least 3" deep!
7) I tried to steal dog food until my pawrents got me the same kind in cat formula (Iams T/D).

The "Tag! You're It!" Rules:

Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write in their own diary about their seven things and the rules of the "Tag! You're it!" game. You also need to choose seven other cats to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave each cat you tagged a comment (Catster Paw Mail) that you tagged them and instructions to read your diary for details of game play. Have fun tagging and meeting new kitties (hint: check recently updated diaries to find some kitties who haven't been tagged that might have fun playing the game.)!!!

My Seven Catsters

Sebastian - http://www.catster.com/cats/347194
Alix - http://www.catster.com/cats/549329
Buddy - http://www.catster.com/cats/358443
Sneezer - http://www.catster.com/cats/494349
Maria Magdelena - http://www.catster.com/cats/103926
Anabel - http://www.catster.com/cats/382745
Gen.Fredryckelee GrantHathaway - http://www.catster.com/cats/110986

MySpace and Stuffed With Fluff

I finally got a MySpace page! Yippie! Of course, Pico has way more friends than I do. But maybe that's because I'm just particular.... That said, if you are a cat or a cat lover, I'd love to be your friend! Also, my mewther did a really cool job with my page, and uploaded some great pictures of me cuddling and killing the stuffed Zebra from Stuffed With Fluff. The pawrents have 4 Stuffed With Fluff animals on the big bed (the one we let them sleep on) and I really like cuddling with them. I guess they are supposed to be for humans, but they are one of the best cat toys around!

This is just getting out of hand!

Okay, now Pico has videos on YouTube! I realize that as a service dog, she goes everywhere with Julie, so there is a better chance that she's around when photos are being taken, but still! Just 'cause I like to spend my time sitting in my cat nest, sitting on the porch chair, or sitting in front of the TV, that doesn't mean I don't deserve as much of an online presence as Pico! It's definately getting out of hand! I did get a new photo up today though, and I'm very handsome - of course! I don't even have to go to the groomer to look good, I can do it all myself!

I want a bird!

Yesterday, I caught a bird and I was looking forward to some yummy bird after I finished killing it when my pawther stepped in and let the bird get away! Then he made me go inside so I couldn't catch it again. My mewther gave me a lecture about how I'm only supposed to catch and eat rodents, not birds. Oh, like they eat rodents! True, my mewther doesn't eat any meat, but my pawther eats chicken pretty much every day it seems like! Not that I'd eat human food - there is something strange about this cooking thing they do, I don't trust it.

Hah! I am finally one up on Pico on the Computer!

Pico may have her own MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/miss_pico

and her own Squidoo page Who is Miss Pico?

and her own blog The Adventures of Pico

and get mentioned by Julie on her BellaOnline.com Bio

Not to mention her Dogster page

But I managed to use Yahoo messenger to send a message to my pawther's cell phone without any human help! Ha! I rule!

Yesterday was a really bad day!

I went outside because Julie had left the back door open and then she closed the door when it started to get cold and I was stuck outside for hours. True, she kept checking for me at the back door, but she should know by now that she should check for me at both doors! Then it rained really hard and I was stuck on the small front porch unless I wanted to get wet! When I finally got in the house (after I had a snack) and tried to get up on the bed, Pico chased me off! Julie barely does anything when Pico is bad - just tells her no. Admittedly, Pico actually cares what the people say and even gets depressed if they tell her she is bad, but still...

Why I make Julie do the typing

Why do they make keyboards so cat unfriendly? I was trying to do my own typing today because Julie makes me be nice to her and the dog when she types for me.

I wanted to write some more about how much I want the cat doorbell and how specifically certain people are very slow about opening the door for me.

But I ended up with this:

^[[4~^[[6~^[[4~^[[6~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^ [[~^[[5~^[[5~^ ^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~^[[5~ ^[[5~5~]
|^[[1~^[[6~^[[6~^[[6~^[[6~^[[6~^[[6~^[[6~^[[5~^[[5 ~

Because I can't reach any of the letters without hitting one of the control keys on Julie's laptop!

Dogs are actually good for something!

We have a bell hanging on the door to the backyard, and whenever we ring it, our staff come running to let us out. The dog already had them trained for me when I moved in! Strangely, she usually doesn't use it unless she's desperate - she waits for it to be convenient for someone to let her out. I just don't get dogs! Who cares if something is convenient for humans?

At any rate, that's really nice, but when I'm outside, I either have to wait to catch the eye of some human walking by, or walk around the outside of the house until I figure out what room they are in and mew loudly to get their attention. My pawther is really good about checking to see if I'm ready to come in yet, but he also tries to make me come in sometimes. Besides, I'm a cat, they should open the door for me whenever *I* want in!

So, one of Pico's dog friends passed on some informations about an outdoor doorbell made just for cats and dogs to ring with their paw. I made Julie find the URL for me, but I haven't managed to get her to order it, something about credit cards... Whatever! Maybe I'll do better with my pawther!

Anyway, check it out:

http://tinyurl.com/26x5ay

I need to get one soon so I can start training my pawrents!

Maine Coon

Well, my people finally figured out that I'm part Maine Coon. Hello - brown tabby, some extra long hair, I'm BIG. Sometimes people are so slow! (There's one thing Pico and I completely agree on!)

Costumes

What is this costume thing anyway? The dog was running around in her dinosaur costume this weekend looking like an idiot. I heard a rumor that they are going to make me dress up as either the dog or Joan Bennet back from the grave. Hello, I have some dignity. I am not a dog and I am definately NOT a beauty queen, zombie or no! If I have to wear a costume, maybe the bunny will let me borrow his crown - king is much more my style!

Yuck!

Last night, Julie said something about it was treatment day,went and got some treats and went into the bathroom. Pico was all excited as soon as she said treatment day, so I figured maybe this was like spa treatment or something. So Julie puts some treats on the counter and lets me start eating them. Then there was a yuck smell. Then Julie put the yucky smelling stuff on the back of my head! Gross! I struggled and tried to get away, but she made me stay until she squirted a whole tube of it. I ran off as soon as she let me, but the crazy dog just stayed there wagging her tail and she let Julie put the stuff on 4 different places! Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! And apparently they do this every month here!

Exploring

Yesterday and the day before I went exploring. The backyard fence might keep the bunny and the dog in, but it's no match for a cat. The bunny says he could dig out if he wanted to but it's not worth the trouble. Whatever, I was so out of there. My pawrents were worried, I was just next door checking things out, I don't know what the problem was. The stupid dog over there is always barking at us, I had to go check out his yard. It's not like I was off miles away, although I'm not making any promises.

Pants

Today, for the first time since I'd known him my pawther actually wore pants! It's much easier to jump up on pants than a kilt, but I spent most of the morning hanging out on the porch chair and he's been gone much of the afternoon and evening so I haven't really gotten to take advantage of it. He's supposed to be talking to his friend Jacob about putting in a special door for me so I can go in and out whenever I want, so I guess I can forgive him for not paying attention to me.

I'm really getting to like hanging out on the porch chair!

Off probation!

Yesterday afternoon, we went to the vet. I don't particularly like getting in the kennel and driving because I never know if I'm going to a good place or a bad place. But once we got there, I figured we weren't anywhere too bad because the dog was completely relaxed - even more than she'd been in the car. Apparently, the way I feel compelled to mew when driving somewhere gets on her nerves, he he!

I got my rabies shot and I got my chip. [The dog was right and it doesn't hurt.] Julie says this means I'm off probation and I'm allowed out with less supervision! I was even allowed out in the front yard for a little while. (I'm really good and stay in the yard and generally come when I'm called - although sometimes I have to take my time about it to remind my pawrents that I'm not a dog and I don't have to follow their orders!) I was really good at the vet and didn't try to play rough and bite anyone like I sometimes do when I'm nervous.

Everyone said what a big beautiful cat I am! Actually, I lost weight! Earlier this year I weighted in at 24lbs - now I weight only 19.5 lbs! The vet said my teeth are really good, but I got my own bag of feline Presciption Diet T/D (what the dog calls toothy food) for treats because I've been trying to steal the dog's. It IS as yummy as it smells! Chomp, chomp!

Some weird things here

This is a good place, but there are a few weird things here!

Not only do the people take showers, the dog tries to get into the shower too - why would anyone WANT to get so close to water?

When I lived in a house before, I was supposed to play by grabbing and biting at arms. When I do that here, I get told "too bad" and they ignore me.

There is this weird animal in the yard here. It looks like a rabbit, it smells like a rabbit, but it's as big as me and the dog. When I tried to stalk it, it turned around and stalked ME! The dog says that's Jack-the-bunny. I don't know, bunnies are supposed to be scared of me.

There is also a weird rat-like thing that is apparently called a "chinchilla" in the basement. The dog and I aren't allowed to eat it. But apparently it doesn't really live here, it is looking for it's pawrents.

They have TV! TV is so cool! We almost never got to watch TV at the sanctuary. They even left the TV on today when they left me home alone. (Well, the rat-thing was here.)

Finally, my pawther wears these weird clothes - called a kilt - that makes it very hard to find a safe landing spot when you land on his lap. It feels good on the paws though!

My new home!

Today I went to what they tell me is my new home. It's pretty nice. There are nice soft beds in practically every room - they belong to my new dog sister, Pico, but she lets me curl up in them. I have a cat perch of my own and my new pawrents seem pretty good - they pet me when I want attention but don't chase me around the house. And the food seems pretty good, although I really want some of what the dog calls "toothy food" and she won't share that!