Our first snow - a.k.a "Where did my heat go?"

Saturday brought with it some snow. Those who knew me last year (pre-amputation) know that snow days were horrible days for me. I hid, screamed, and hopped about on three legs.
I'm still hopping about on three legs, that's a permanent thing now, but winter time is so much more pleasant without the pain that my leg brought me.

The house heat was turned on a few days prior to the snow storm. I know Mama had been wondering if I was going to continue my "face baking" ways of previous years in front of the heat. I was pleased to supply her with an affirmative answer to that question. (If you can remember, the x-ray from my good leg, did show last year the early signs of arthritic spurs in my foot. I wonder how that's doing a year later and being now my *only* [back] foot?)
As soon as I discovered the lovely heat emanating from the wall, I resumed *my* position in front of the heat and there I stay until I want to eat or get a drink from my personal fountain or some cuddles from Mama or Papa.

The day of the snow, all was still light outside yet. A darkened, snowy type of light, but I could tell it was daytime. Nuk and Gabby were asleep on the bed and I was happily face-baking.
Then a horrible thing happened, my heat started to go away. Very slowly it left me and did not return. I sought out Mama and lodged my complaint. I meowed and meowed in much the same way that I *demand* to go out on the back porch, but my heat did not return.
I complained to Mama some more and she tried to explain to me that we were powerless.
If we are powerless, she is powerless to provide me with heat. Unacceptable. I snorted my displeasure at her and hopped back in front my heat. If it was coming back, I would be there meet its return.

The light grew darker and Papa came home early from work. "Papa, papa" I cried. "Mama has no power to give us heat." Papa told me of a time when we had oil heat and ran out in the middle of the night. Before the oil truck came to fill up our tank that night, the cats who lived here were so cold themselves that they ended up coming under the covers to keep warm, with Mama and Papa.
Nuk paced around the house, aware that something was different. Gabby begged for food. Mama lit candles and placed them up high. Papa got the oil lamps ready and they discussed what they would do for supper.

The house grew dark as evening approached and still my beloved heat had not returned to me. Finally, 6 hours after my heat had abandoned me, with a flash it returned! Then it left again. It returned and left, several more times before the night turned again to morning. But, it never again left me completely. I said to the heat "I will make you a deal. I will not abandon you and you will not abandon me, ok?" ... and being heat (and not intelligent) it said nothing.

Kitty Kat Talk Tag

I read about this new game called 'Kitty Kat Talk Tag' in Gabby's Diary. It seems she got it from Colette's Diary
[I'm not really surprised Gabby was the first of our family to play] It seems like it's a really easy game to play and there are no rules!

You just have to answer a few Questions. So please PLAY ALONG, everyfur!

1. Your Meowmy or Dad is asleep and you are furry hungry; You would.....

Wow. There are so many varied ways to wake a human. Let me consider the *wisdom* of revealing my *methods* (well, past the ones, I've already revealed.)
Walking on them works, pawing at them, biting their hair, burrowing under the covers...

2. You are furry sleepy and are sleeping on a top ledge; Meowmy or Dad would say..........

"Aw, look at the Itty" and I would watch them through slit open eyes to make sure that they just pass on by.

** I feel I must add, that regardless of *what* Gabby may write on her diary, the very *idea* of her Wookieness being on a "top ledge" is laughable as well as nearly 'physically impossible' ~ While ducks may waddle and fly, Wookies seem able to only waddle **

3. You saw a dog who wants to chase something; what's the furry furst thing you would you say or do?

"Bye bye doggy!" and then I think to myself "You'll never catch whatever you're chasing."

4. Your Meowmy or Dad wants you to stop tearing the furniture. You would...

Stop for a moment, give them a look that says "You're not the boss of me." and continue.

5. Your Kitty Kat emergency box, full of fur fashions, is locked. Oh No! You would....

That's a confusing question. I don't wear clothes and the only fur I wear is my own, so...
I guess I would do nothing.

Okay, I don't "Tag" ~ But if you liked reading my answers and want to show me yours, consider yourself "Tagged"

HAVE FUN!!

Headbonks…

The Air Conditioner Came Out of the Window and Caused an- Earthquake!

It's been cool enough lately and we haven't used our air conditioner much this summer. There was that horrible week in July where the temperatures refused to come out of the 100F/38C range. Our weather has been pretty mild for the month of August. (Tonight even, Papa is under a heavy blanket sleeping, while Mama helps me type this up.)
It was cool enough tonight to make me want to *cuddle.* ~ Mama was sitting with her feet on the edge of the couch and her legs bent up. That's the perfect position for me to curl myself up on Mama's warm chest, while my butt rests against her legs. We had a nice cuddle.... until it was medicine and tooth brushing time!

I watched as Papa and Mama removed the air conditioner this morning. They set it on the floor (just in case it has to go back in. Historically, when the children return to school summer seems to enjoy a resurgence) and they set a nice, folded soft light blue blanket on top it. I like that! It makes a nice queenly napping place that has a little bit of *height* and softness.

Later today, in the afternoon the house started to feel like it was moving back and forth. Mama thought it was either me or Nuk demanding attention by grabbing, kneading and pulling the side of her computer chair. She looked around for a cat but none of us were near. Mama stood up and walked through the house, feeling like the house was swaying. Nothing fell from the walls or shelves, but it was a strange feeling.

One more item for evidence that I am the "boss" of the house.... When the strange rock and sway of the house started Nuk made himself really low to the floor and slunk/crawled his way towards the bedroom to go hide himself under the bed!
Gabby stayed out with her face turned towards me, watching me while I sat on the floor of the living room, looking all around me, but I didn't run and I didn't hide.

Mama grabbed the phone, locked us in the house and went outside, where the other neighbors were coming out of their houses. "Did you feel it?" they were asking each other. "What was it? Earthquake?!" ~ This is Pennsylvania and earthquakes are not common here. (This was a first for all of us at home.)

Papa was on his way home on break from work and said his first thought was that "the wind was somehow strongly shaking his car." His second thought was "Is something wrong with my engine?" "It felt like his car was surfing." He told Mama that he knew something was wrong when just about every other house had the people standing outside in front of it. He parked his car and he and Mama had the "Did you feel it? What was it? Earthquake!" conversation and put the TV on to learn that the earthquake originated in Virginia. Friends of ours have reported feeling it all the way up to just outside Toronto, Canada.

We're all fine (and Nuk's pride and dignity seemed to not have suffered)
I have, yet again, established that *I* am the real ruler of this household. (as if there was ever any doubt.)

I Like Kale ! Return of the Stinker (and other things...)

I want to start with a complaint... I do the "photo test" for our family last night and *he* writes about it? (Making himself look smart and dandy?
*sigh* I guess *he* needs all the help he can get.)

That particular (photo test) picture was taken from outside on the back porch.... What's wrong with that picture? I'm inside! Separated from the porch by first the back door window glass and also the screen door window glass. So close but yet so far from my beloved back porch.
I'm protesting the fact that I'm inside and Mama is outside with the camera. A situation that should never be!
(But it does make a great "Solidarity" picture to go with my recent diary about my shelter's fight for their lives.)

Mama was cutting up Kale for a soup tonight and I decided that she needed help with her discarded stalks. I jumped up on my 'furniture/step' took a stalk and ran away with it. Later she saw the kale stalk discarded on the floor, bitten but uneaten.

I did something last night that I haven't done in a looooooooong time.
I used to wake up my family by batting at the cord that goes to the clock/alarm clock. As I batted that cord it would hit the wall and make a "tap tap tap tap tap" noise. It was enough to wake Papa, which would then also wake Mama and (Taddaam, like magic) I had their instant, undivided attention. (bliss!)
Papa moved the cord and trapped it out of my reach which took my (magic) waker (and fun) away.

I had to seek a new and creative way to work my waking again. Some time passed and then I found Papa's "penny jar" aside of his dresser. I learned that if I pulled that jar with my claws and then let go that it would rock back into the dresser and make a "bang" noise. The "bang" was much better (effective) than the "tap" and it only took 3 times at most to make Papa wake.
Have you guessed yet that the "penny jar" quickly found a new area, away from my reach?

Years passed and I perfected my "walk on them, bite their hair, bat their heads" techniques of waking and I forgot about this little waking trick... Until last night !
There is a triangle piece of wood that should be a shelf for the side of the entertainment center. (Except it's not being used for that. In the summer, this piece of wood supports the black fan head when it comes off its stand to sit on the floor.) Some person put this piece of wood aside of my "bed bench" which is also next to Mama's dresser.
Last night at 02:36 am I decided that I wanted attention and to get that attention, I need my family awake! I jumped onto my 'bed bench' (which sits aside of Mama's dresser, simply to make it easier for me to jump onto the bed) and I noticed this piece of wood.

I pawed at the wood and it moved towards me, I took my paw away and the wood slammed back against the dresser making a very loud 'wood hitting wood' banging sound. I did it again and once more. *Bang* *Bang*
... That's all it took, I had both Mama and Papa awake and talking. Papa got up and out of bed to turn on the light. There I was, all by myself, on my bench smiling!
Papa said to Mama "She's by herself, he's nowhere near." (I guess they had thought I was Smacky Pawing the Striped Nuisance and in the process hitting the dresser.)

When Papa saw that I had been using the wood to make my waking noise, he said to me "Oh you're a clever one...." and then he took the wood away.
Achieving my goal of having my family awake, I took the opportunity to sprawl out with them in the bed and make them pet me while I purred. I sat on each of their pillows for awhile and then decided to get down and go sleep on my 'blanket box' in the computer room !
MoL

My Shelter is in Trouble...

This has been going on since the last half of July. It started with one neighborhood guy complaining once about the dogs at my shelter. Then he started to complain about the fact that my shelter is a "business" (although a charitable 501(C) certified business) centered in a residential district.

He phoned complaints to the Code Enforcement Officer, he wrote a letter to the editor in the local newspaper, he complained at a City Council Meeting where he claimed my shelter has 15 dogs. (They've never had double digit dogs, ever.) He asked the City Council "Why is there a business in a zoned residential district?"
At the end of that meeting, City Council voted to revoke my shelter's business license. They were given 30 days to try to find homes for the animals currently living with them.

At the next City Council meeting, Mama and Papa and around 30 other people attended along with my shelter family to refute the claims made against my shelter.
An extension was granted to my shelter in their attempts to find homes for the animals living with them, but what could not be resolved was the zoning use issue.

City Council recommended that my shelter go before the Planning Board and the Zoning Commission in order to seek a zoning variance, for their use of a residential property as a 'home business.'

Five years ago when my shelter first started and their business license was given to them by the city, the zoning issue wasn't a problem. It is only a problem now, because this man has made it his issue and is complaining everywhere and loudly enough to get the attention of everyone with power.

My shelter has retained a lawyer to help them in this fight and my family is faxing, writing, calling and appearing with their messages of support.

4 years ago, when I was found on the streets the only other shelter local was a kill shelter. (That shelter in the years since has converted to a No-Kill shelter) But, had the kill shelter found me first, I don't think I would be here now living a life of love and sharing my life with you. It took my shelter nearly a year to find me my forever home. I don't know a kill shelter who would have been that patient.

In addition to keeping stray animals off of the streets and getting them the veterinary care they need, while providing them a safe 'home' until they find Forever Families of their own, my shelter does a lot for their local community. Low-cost spay and neuter, vaccinations and microchipping are some of the services offered by my rescue to the public. They also work to educate the public about all aspects of animal care such as dietary needs, inoculation protocol and emotional care.

In the current economic climate, foreclosures will continue and owners will continue to relinquish animals they can no longer support. The pet overpopulation problem and resultant strays will continue. It would be a shame and a loss to the community if my shelter is not permitted to continue their work.

I will keep you updated as my shelter and my family with them, moves through the Zoning Commission and the Planning Board hearings.

I know the miracles that the Power of Purr has made, if you would please purr a little purr for my shelter.

Charlie Chocolate Paws Scales of Feistiness

Charlie Chocolate Paws Scales of Feistiness

1. Do you make demands of your human? (If you answered Yes, give yourself 1 point.)
Yes, they *need* to be told everything and often
1 point

2. If you make demands by doing any of the following, give yourself 1 point for each:
Persistent meowing ~ Persistence pays off!
1 point

Biting When I want to play ~ Not so much to show I want to play, but biting while playing.
1 point

Smacky Paws ~ I am the Smacky Tomato! MoL
1 point

Relentless staring ~ What are my big eyes for, if not to make humans cave to my demands. Put the persistent meowing, the relentless stare and a tilted head all together and there is not a human alive who can resist.
1 point

Inappropriate behaviors (i.e., chewing on furniture, electrical cords, the oven) ~ I am far too old and dignified to chew on anything
0 points

3. If you make demands by doing any of the following, subtract 1 point:
Headbonking ~ Oh, guilty as charged
-1 points

Rubbing and purring on your human ~ Oh, but sometimes more is to be gained through sweetness than nastiness
-1 point

4. If you let your humans rub your belly, subtract 2 points. ~ Oh! I will stop, plop and roll on my side to solicit belly rubs.
-2 points

5. If you let anyone kiss your belly, subtract 5 points. ~ I must confess, I don't understand the desire of a human to 'belly kiss' but I have submitted to this...
-5 points

6. Are you Head of your Household (HOH)? (1 point if you consider yourself HOH) ~ Indisputably! But, I do not rule with an "Iron Paw" but more of a "Regal" bearing.
1 point

7. If you have kitty (or other animal) siblings, do you:
(Give yourself 1 point for each Yes)
Eat their food? ~ Nuk and I eat from each others and if Gabby has some in her bowl, I feel free to help myself. Can I claim an extra point for forcing them all to eat my *prescription* diet?
1 point

Demand that they groom you? ~ No ! Who wants Nuk or Wookie spit on them? Not I.
0 points

Chase them? ~ No! I'm not a "thug."
0 points

Stare at them relentlessly? ~ Only if I must engage in a "stare down" with 'him.'
0 points

Stalk them? ~ No! Again, I'm far too dignified to engage in such behavior
0 points

Pounce on them? ~ No! I would have to actually touch one of them to do that.
I have seen them "Cape" each other and it is not a position I ever want to put myself in. Not either the "Capee" or the "Caped."
0 points

Make them meow? ~ Make them? I do not make them do anything.
0 points

Steal their (well, *your*) toys? ~ No, I'd rather they be occupied with their toy and therefore leaving me alone.
0 points

Make them growl? ~ No, I am usually the one, screaming or hissing at the indignity and intrusion of their unwanted *advances
0 points

Make their ears go backwards? ~ The backward ear thing seems to be a side effect of the stare down with 'you know who.'
1 point

Pretend to be grooming (or staring at the wall, ceiling, etc.) while actually stalking them? ~ No, but I know exactly *whose* tactic that is.... and he's not quite as *subtle* as he believes himself to be
0 points

8. Have you ever destroyed household items? (1 point for each yes)
Furniture? ~ Ooooh, the others will probably not admit it, but we each have a paw in destroying the cloth on the 'mushroom' ottoman.
1 point

Clothing or shoes? ~ Some cat *attacked* the leather pants in the closet. We blamed "Taag' (That's our story and we're sticking to it.)
0 points

Kitty Toys? ~ There is not a toy that our teeth and claws have not eventually destroyed.
1 point

9. Please list any other crazy things you do that are ridiculously feisty (1 point per).
I'm not very ridiculous or feisty.

Total Score (Place your score/name in your Diary Title):

My Score is 2 Feisty Points! I am a LAIDBACK LOVEBUG

0-5 LAIDBACK LOVEBUG: You are a lovebug. You are sweet (and probably floofy) and you go with the flow. Nothing *really* bothers you and you like everybody. You don’t even mind having a feisty sibling! You are a laidback lovebug!

6-15 COOL CAT: You are one cool cat. Smooth with a touch of mischief. You’ve got a bit of feisty in you and a bit of lovebug. Balance is good; you know how to have a good time by chasing and pouncing AND you know how to have a good time by being a mellow kitty and just hanging out. You are a cool cat!

16+ CRAZY FEISTY: You are a nut. A cheeky little monkey! Crazy, feisty, the talk of the town! Chasing kitty sisters, demanding your human feed you NOW, eating your mom’s favorite pair of shoes, turning on the oven with your freakishly strong teeth just because you can! The world is your playground and you’ll try anything once (or twice). If your human can handle the shenanigans of a CRAZY FEISTY kitty cat, all is good! If your human cannot handle the shenanigans, wait until she leaves for work to get crazy and then blame it on your sistercat when your human comes home! You are crazy feisty (and a whole lot of mischievous fun!)!

Any kitty that wants to play is invited! Feel free to tag friends to find out just how feisty your friends are!

Lovebug Tag!

1. Meow! Are you a noisy kitty or a quiet kitty?
I am a "noisy" kitty. I am also a 'persistently noisy' kitty.

2. Litterbox! Cover your business or let some other kitty cover?
I cover the worse of my two products, but I'm sometimes *forgetful* about covering the other.

3. Happy! Favorite Daily Routine?
Going outside isn't a daily thing, but I definitely love it. I do also love cuddling my family (if some other cat hasn't already claimed them.)

4. Hiss! Least Favorite Routine?
Nuk's idea of play and his 'playful' moods.

5. Ding-Dong! What do you think about visitors to your house?
I don't hide. I may remove myself to a room farther away from stranger people, but eventually I warm up. The more visitors there are the longer my 'warming' takes.

6. Friends! Do you like other animals?
I think I would prefer to live alone. I can tolerate Gabby, but does anycat really *need* a Nuk in their life? (the answer is "no.")

*** If you've enjoyed reading my answers and would like to "play" ~ Simply consider yourself "Tagged by me." You can title your diary "Lovebug Tag" and copy the questions and answer them. I love reading and learning more about my friends. Angels can tell about their time at the Rainbow Bridge or before. Everyone is welcome (and has a bit of the 'lovebug' in them.)

Red Rocks, Running Squirrel and 3 Times an Outing.

Yesterday was some kind of magical, special day.... First I was permitted out on the back porch with Mama in the early afternoon. (When it's just Mama, it's only I who gets to go outside. If Papa is home, he'll open the door and let the *other two* out with us. Boooo!)

On my first outing with Mama, there were a few "new" things to explore. The first is a new lawnmower up on the porch. All kinds of interesting smells on that one. The next surprise for me was when I made my way down the porch steps. There were small red rocks and large white ones. I knew the white ones were for "walking on" but the red ones give a nice massage if you roll around on them.

Later, in the evening when Papa was home we went outside on the porch again. This time *they* came out and I don't like to be on the porch when *they* are so I went down to the red rocks. All of a sudden a squirrel ran into our yard. I chased him up the porch and he nearly ran in the screen door that Papa had propped the 'arm' open on. Mr Squirrel changed his mind at the last minute though and ran up the side of the wooden porch support to sit himself safely on the roof.

(You should have seen Nuk's face as the squirrel ran past him. I swear it was a look of Fear! Gabby as usual, had a *mostly* blank look on her face like "Huh, what'd I miss?")

Later as the sun was setting we all went out one more time. This was for only a short time. I decided that I should jump from the porch side and explore the wonderful red rocks under the porch. Gabby decided to follow (Gabby see, Gabby do) After Papa crawled under the porch to retrieve us (because we were ignoring his command of "Gabby, Sweets, come here") we all had to go back inside.

I hope today is as nice as yesterday, maybe I can go back outside again.

Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on

It has been hot here this week. I have been what Mama thinks is "lethargic in the heat."
There have been the "Air Quality" warnings, that say that outdoor activity is dangerous for and should not be taken by certain "risk" groups. Among those risk groups are people with heart disease.
Since I am a heart "patient" ~ I do not get to go outside on those days.

Well... today the air conditioner went on and although in past years I've never been a fan of the mechanically cooled and filtered air, today it completely reinvigorated me.
I did not sleep all the day away. When I did nap, I did so in a cute little curled ball, not in the stretched out straight "discarded rag doll" pose that seems to so upset Mama.

I was up and moving about the house often today, attacking a ripple in the rug, until mama and papa *fixed* it and ruined that fun. I was seeking mama and papa's laps and kneading them with my paws. I was being "social" and following my family when ever they went from room to room. It was the complete opposite of "being lethargic in the heat." ~ and i know it made my family very happy to see the return of my active, loving, curious, playful and social self.

Every one here showed some form of improved comfort. Nuk napped on his carpeted sentry post (instead of the coffee table)
Gabby went under the bed sheet and curled next to papa when he went to bed.
Little Ancho slept in a round nest he had made of his bedding and not on top of it.
Sookie slept in her igloo and not aside of it.

It is so interesting to see such a change my behavior. I have always so loved the heat.
Of course, I had then a leg that was ruining itself from the inside and that really hurt. Now that I don't have that leg, I wonder if my "can never too warm" preference will go where ever my leg has gone.
I wonder what winter and the winter time house heat will bring. Will I still want to be "baking" myself or will I be taking a more 'distant' approach to the heat.

We will see ;)

Mama's *Promise* to me

She looked up at Papa with tears in her eyes several times during the latest novel she read. She said "I can see our Smacky in "Skippy" the cardiology affected dog."

She said ...
After this book, she is determined on the timing of my humanely determined demise to push my euthanasia plunger herself. To tell my doctor and surgeon Lucinda "This is my responsibility."

... On the logic of "If she is responsible for my happiness and care in life, is she not also responsible for administering the final taking of my life out of *mercy*?"

She has also promised me that such a decision would never be made *lightly* and that my happiness and life quality would always be her deciding factors and that my head would be gently cradled in either her hand or Papa's. Their eyes trained on mine for that moment. Full of the love that we shared in life.

There are a whole host of Guardian Angels (both human and animal) whose lives are on her soul already. On the day that she and they meet again I expect those creatures (both four legged and two) to look into her heart with grace, mercy and dignity and to there lift the weight that she's carried for so long.

I expect them to be more forgiving of her humanness than she previously could have imagined.

.... and as my shelter Mama said to my Forever Family on my May 30th Fourth Adoption Anniversary. "You have been such a god send for her. Nobody would have done what you are doing for her. Poor Sweets has been through so much and you are always there for her. She could not have gotten a better home than yours... Thank you for adopting her."

...But as far as adoptions go, we know it was really *I* who adopted them and not the other way around. I will always be thankful to Furry Feet Rescue for providing me a safe and loving home for as long as it took to find my Forever Family.

We're amazing, just the way we are. Perfectly imperfect !