Lest we forget

Yesterday mummy and I watched the dawn service for our fallen, wounded and safely returned soldiers. It's called ANZAC day. A public holiday here.
(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.)

We are such a small country (in population) but in world war 2 we sent almost 700,000 troops. That's a lot, isn't it. Sadly, 39000 were killed and around 200,000 wounded.

Our population was 7 million. 10% of our people, almost all of them men, went to war with no training, or very little. They were farmers and carpenters, school children (some cheated...at 14 to get in!) and factory workers, very few were regular army.

11,000 of them are buried on the Western Front in France without a headstone.

Mummy cried a bit. I comforted her.

I know my mate Ka-Zar will understand, Mr D too. He's a Kiwi. WE are very thankful to those peoples for helping us be the cats we are today. Thank you to all the soldiers, known and unknown for saving us.

Thoughtfully, peacefully, respectfully - Riz

What is it with Shopping Bags?

Are shopping bags infused with catnip? Do they represent an early form of cat cave. Are they a throw back to the primitive hiding place of the catasaur? And do cats know this?

My cats go nuts for them. Riz sleeps with me at night and Puss sleeps any way she can get comfortable, on a shopping bag, on the sitting room floor. However, as a great favor to me, in winter, she sleeps at the end of my bed. A great sacrifice for her to give up the bag.

Here in Adelaide Australia we have a law that bans those cheap plastic shopping bags stores used to provide for free. (They created so much pollution and would end up in our waterways or worse....at sea).

So they make our bags from recycled plastic, like carton ties and plastic soda bottles. Great idea. You cart them around in your car and when you go shopping you supply your own bags. Recycle after recycle after recycle, they take ages to break or wear out and for 99c it's worth it.

Riz will wait next to the one with the Ham in it, oh duh! Yes she knows immediately I set them down, which one has the ham. And when she's had her treat and the shopping has been put away, she jumps in one or all as if playing some sort of leapfrog game. She gets decidedly jungle-cat and goes native! It's so cute to watch.

So now there are 2 special bags, a black one (Riz) and a green one (Puss). They are covered in cat hair, yes I vacuum them!!! They live on the mat on the floor adorned with various toys and at nap or play time are used by my cats.

Have we discovered a new use for recycled shopping bags, temporary cat beds or caves to hide in...and of course they must be defended from the evil mummy who cleans them, or puts them away when visitors come.

Love from Rizzy and Mum

Mid Life Cat Crisis

Do cats get a mid-life crisis. I guess they do. Why am I asking?

Well Rizz, 14 this year, has taken to leaping off furniture, being a racing car, stalking me, guarding all empty shopping bags as if they are her property, and actually being nice to her sister Puss-Puss.

She is now a cat of routine, almost obsessively compulsively so. This has only happened since we moved just over 12 months ago.

She is a little more finicky with her food (but that's no big change) and she is happy to come indoors after her hour of play outside at our new home. She used to want to stay out all day - Puss still does though.

She is very active, roars around like a mad thing then collapses and sleeps for a few hours. She seeks out my husband and I for cuddles and talks...it's so cute. And she still loves sleeping in the crook of my arm (much to hubby's annoyance)and if she can't find us, she sits at closed doors and meows until we find her or let her in so she can see what we are up to,(indoor rooms like the office, TV room ...or even the shower or bathroom.... eeew).

She's a real character and a funny old thing, set in her ways, but full of love and affection.

The object of our affection doesn't have to be big or human or even speak. (Although Riz and I converse on a level no one else understands).

The object of my affection is a small ball of ginger fluff waiting at 9.30pm every night for mummy to say, "Go Bed".

She knows exactly what that means and gets grumpy if I'm late. (She will even follow me as close as 6 inches behind everywhere I go, when I brush my teeth, get a drink, you know the drill, until I am cosy and warm all tucked up in bed and she is my hot water bottle. She stays that way until morning and I suffer from stiff shoulder and elbow for a while until I get up and move around. (The things you do for your cat!)

God I love that cat.......... Rizzy's mum Deb

We got the internet back?

We lost our internet and couldn't find it anywhere. Mummy and daddy looked and couldn't find it. Then we got a computer dude, he couldn't find it. We got a phone company dude and his boss, they couldn't find it. We got our internet server guy and even he couldn't find it. Then the internet guy said a glitch in the phone exchange lost it, so after a whole month of looking we found it....today. YAY. Sorry everyone we is back now.
Riz

Shadow Cats, it's time for a Promotion

Listen up Catsters this is important.

I want to talk to you today about Shadow Cats. I guess my sister Puss is one. You know, when you have a super-star in the family, beautiful, talented, outgoing, famous. Well that's all well and good for THAT cat, it's the cats that live in their shadow that are often left out, lonely, not included in the gossip we Cats have, left out of important party dates and are happy to live in your shadow. Their rosies are few and their diary entries not as widespread. It's not fair and something must be done.

Shadow Cats Unite. Come out of the Shadows, have your say, send a rosie, write a diary....speak up and be heard.

It's time for a PROMOTION dear friends. It's time for action and I nominate Teddy Bearz, the most handsome, loyal, intellectually stimulating furperson you could ever meet, is in need of our support.

I will not sit idly by and do nothing. No longer sitting there in Alfies shadow. Like the song goes Teddy, you have been the wind beneath Alfies wings for so long now and for Milo and Ollie too. You are MY hero.

I want everyone who reads this entry (regardless of mummy E's request) to send Teddy a rosie and show how much we love him and are thinking of him right now. He isn't well and we need to lift him with our Whisker Spirit. GO TEDDY BEARZ, we is sending you big loves......

From your adoring public,
Rizz and Puss and ALL the Kangaroo Kitties

Teddy Bearz is a Hero Cat

OMC A daily diary pick...Thanks catster

WOW, You turn 13 and everything happens. I am a DDP. I hope I look presentable.
I want to say thank you to my stylist (mummy) who makes sure I look great for a cat of my years and Puss Puss for sneaking up on me now and then to keep me in peak physical shape. Daddy for making the cat patio and all my Catster friends for not forgetting me. I hope to get back onto Catster Plus again soon.

Whisker to Whisker

Love Riz

I'm a teenager OMC 13 YIKES

Hello furry friends (and not so furry)

Thank you all for your wonderful gifts and warm wishes on my birthday. Dear friends when mummy has enough time to scratch herself she promises me she will get back to Catster on a more regular basis.

Also a big thank you to Anja for my Milan postcard, furry nice.

Well life is chilled out for me and my sister Puss. We are indoor cats now because Mum is paranoid if we run away or get lost we won't be able to find our way home to our new place.
Daddy is busy building a higher fence and a cat-proof patio so we can sit and enjoy the sun, plants and see the birdies.

I haven't been too concerned about it though, I like being inside. The new house is plenty big enough for us, we have all our toys, squeaky mouse lost his squeak and Brucey's white mouse is grubby but Mummy is too scared to wash it again coz she thinks it will fall to bits.

Daddy has been working hard with all the renovations and additions and after 8 months here he is almost finished. I'll post new photos soon.

Thanks again efurybody.

Whisker to whisker

Rizza (And Puss)

Back from the honeymoon!!

So I'm back, from outer space....or so the song goes. Mum says she is nearing the end of the "honeymoon period" of retirement. I guess that means we are back to Catster, finally. She has let our plus membership lapse so we better get that sorted soon.
Between running her meditation classes, walking with Auntie Margaret (and ....shhh... her dog Amy) mum's fit and happy.....and she spends more time with me and old Puss-Puss.

Daddy loves Mummy being home he gets cooked meals every night, muffins, biscuits, fancy pastries. Mum says she has finally become "domestic".

She has been out there in the real world helping people and doing some charity work. All in all its a pretty good life (she says she should have retired years ago.)

So time to catch up with old friends, do some emails, send some gifties and say hi to all those lovely, lovely pussycats we have so rudely neglected.

Love ya,
Riz

Still away but not for much longer

Mummy is still tidying things up from her retirement. We are trying to sell our house and renovate a smaller one, all at the same time. She doesn't get the time to do much "surfing" these days, in fact she said, Rizzy I don't know how I ever fitted in full-time work.

So thank you all for those wonderful Christmas Cards received in the post, by email, the thoughtful messages, photo-cards and gifties. Received with love, a happy smile and warm appreciation. All those precious thoughts are returned to you and yours, times 10. Thank you to all my dear friends.

Love Riz. HAPPY NEW YEAR

Thank you all so much

Thank you to everyone who sent me gifties and emails for my birthday. Mummy hasn't been on Catster for a while coz she's so busy getting our house ready for sale. Doing up the new house and retiring from her job. Things nave taken a toll on her and she is very stressed out at the moment. So apologies from mum, when everything is done and dusted she'll be back.
Thanks again everyone, I'm a lucky cat to have friends like you.
Love Riz xxxxxxxxxxxxx