The First Report

I've been here for 9 days now. Thankfully, I am told that this is how my life with be: just me and mommy. The kids don't live with her. She's got a lot of them! I've got 4 human siblings. Three of them are married, and 2 of them have babies. The last baby will be born in about a month. One of the girls, Becky, has a chocolate lab, named Maggie, who thinks that this space called my home is actually hers. We will have to set her nose straight the next time she comes over. It's mine now!

I have settled in very well. Mommy is already complaining about the cat litter I track into her bed (she says scoop litter is baaaaaaaaaaad and so fine) and that I leave footprints on the counters as I hop around on them. Did you know about all the exciting things on counters?

I'm also finding water in so many places. I stuck my head in Mommy's cup to drink her water, and she says that her long-ago cat, Missy, also drank out of her cup. I also love to drink out of the sinks, the bathtub, the washing machine (Sister left it open when she did laundry so naturally I had to climb in and sniff) and my 2 water bowls - I've got one in the bathroom and one at my food mat.

I love to hang out with my mommy. I'm not content unless I am right in her face, nose to nose. She's been making something with yarn. It is quite a fascinating process. I can't be bothered with cat nip but pouches and wrappers and bags - oh I love them! My favorite wrappers are the ones that have soup in them. I fight Mommy for the wrapper when she opens them up!

I've been coughing, though, and snivling. Mommy and Sister Stephanie (she's my Catster scribe) think I have a cold or a respiratory thing going on. I get to meet Dr. Shawn later this week for my free well-kitten visit. We shall see!

Ahhhhhhhhh CHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Invasion of the Little People

I just love my mommy. I must be close to her at all times. When she goes into her bed at night, she curls up in her blankets and all I can find to touch is her head, so I've taken to laying on top of it. Mommy says she doesn't get much sleep that way but she's been enjoying my company just the same.

Speaking of company, human sister Lisa came back with that baby of hers. Mommy left for work on Friday and promised me she'd be home early to put me in my box and we'd go for a ride to visit Dr. Shawn. She never came home. She was gone such a long time that my food bowl went empty and it didn't get filled.

When Mommy finally got home she was sooooo tired. She told me that human sister Becky's baby decided to show up a month early and it was all exciting and worrying and busy but she's so happy that the new baby is okay and doing well. So that's why Lisa and the baby had to come visit.

Mommy's also been watching that other baby she calls Lucy. She holds Lucy a lot, which means that I can't get into Mommy's lap. I have discovered the solution, however. I just get in the baby's lap and THEN I can touch my mommy's face. She has such a beautiful face, too. Lucy's lap is so small though that it's hard to get into it. I end up laying on her belly and by her chin, too.

The good news is that everyone in my world is doing okay, so that makes me one happy cat!

This is Really Cool

I never heard of such a thing as "Diary of the Day." Can you imagine that Catster thinks I'm cool enough to feature on the front page? I can't wait to tell my mommy when she gets home!

The Home has been so busy lately with Lisa and the babies being over. It can get downright distressing. The babies call Mommy "Memere" and Mommy just loves it. The babies also love it when Mommy rocks them and sings to them.

This is bothersome to me. When the babies (Mommy calls them Emma and Lucy) are in Mommy's lap, I can't get in it.

I have found a really cool place to sleep, though. The babies are cool for some things! Mommy has this seat she put on the kitchen table. It's for babies and when they lay in it, it vibrates and plays music. It is just the right size for me to curl up in, wrap my tail around my body, and watch the goings-on in the kitchen. I just don't understand why I can't sleep in this perfect space. All I hear is "Ivan, get out of there!"

Last night the Scribe came over to visit, too, so we had Lisa and Scribe and both the babies there. The Scribe made food, and Mommy and Lisa fed the babies. Then the babies were ready for bed, and Mommy rocked them.

ah ha! I spied my chance. Mommy put the babies down and picked up her yarn work. Faster than you can say "Ivan", I leaped into Mommy's lap and gave her a headbutt right on the chin. Mommy put her yarn work down and gave me attention.

Mommy calls me her buddy. I'm glad we can hang out together, even when the babies are here. They do make such a racket, though!

Getting Very Comfortable

Mommy's been busy lately, starting with her camping trip last weekend. I guess she does this often. Becky came to check on my food bowl.

The Scribe came to do her laundry today and I had to show her my stuff. Mommy showed her where I've indulged my new pleasure: biting & digging at the table cloth. I've put holes all through it.

Mommy found a perfect solution to my needing to be on the table. She put my cat bed in the middle of the table! She and the Scribe were examining my nap in the bed this afternoon. Apparently Boogie used this bed when he was king of the house, and he just barely fit in the bed. Me? I've got plenty of room to spare.

The Scribe says that I've put on a little weight. I don't look scrawny anymore.

I have been helping Mommy out. She's been trying to work with yarn, but she leaves strings all over. So I pick them up and run with them. I took the wrong yarn, though. She says she had just thread it through the needle and when she went to pull it through, it was gone. I already had it in the hallway!

Mommy and the Scribe had a wonderful meal of stir fried veggies for lunch. I did my best to help them out. When Scribe opened the door to the fridge, I tried to pull the bread off the top shelf. I just can't help myself; I must play with the bags!

I do enjoy hanging out on the counter, watching Mommy prepare her meals. Everything smells so interesting and .... oh .... the crinkly bags. Popcorn bag wrappings... noodle bags.... bread bags.... I don't mind which ones they are. Just as long as they crinkle.

Mommy caught me chasing my own tail this morning. I wish it would stay still so I can check it out!

Enjoying the Family

I am sorry I have not spent much time dictating to my secretary. I've just been soooooooo busy keeping up with Mommy I've barely had time to nap!

First, Mommy went "on vacation" for a few days. I wasn't sure what that meant, other than Mommy didn't go away all day; this time she was home and busy doing things. How can a cat sleep when there is so much to inspect, investigate, and interrupt?

This weekend the Secretary came over, like she always does on the day they call Sunday. She comes to wash her clothes. I have discovered how exciting it is to help humans wash clothes. Mommy told the Scribe to be careful when she opened the dryer because I'm "too nosey for his own good".

Can you believe it? It was actually even worse than that. When the Secretary came into the house she put her basket of clothes on the floor. She patted me on the head and said "hello Ivan; how are you? You look like you've put on some weight!"

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah attention! Then she stopped! She just stood there, talking to Mommy! I have come to realize that we share the same mommy, but still, why can't the secretary talk and give me attention? I got her attention all right; I got on my back paws and I leaned right into her leg. She didn't appreciate that; she says I've got very sharp claws. No matter; I got what I wanted! She picked me up and rubbed my head and it was total heaven.

Sister Lisa also came over with her husband and the baby Emma. She is so funny! She looks at me and she laughs and kicks her legs and squeals. The Secretary had Emma in her lap and was showing her how to twirl my toy-on-a-stick and how to play with me.

I didn't really care abut such rapt attention. I made short work of that mouse on a stick. I managed to pull it right off the string! The secretary would put it back together for me. She'd start to throw it; I'd chase it; baby Emma would squeal and laugh in delight. Very entertaining indeed.

Then the Secretary put Emma on the floor and the adults watched Emma try her best to figure out how to touch me. They tell me that she hasn't figured out how to crawl yet, but its only a matter of time. Maybe by the next time they come and visit, Emma will be moving around on her own. Should I be worried?

I am also a very big fan of laps. Any lap will do, as long as its warm and comfy. Lisa is not pleased when I try to lay in her lap while she's feeding baby Emma. "NO Ivan! Bad cat!" she says. So I try to lay next to her lap, but its just not the same.

So Sunday I noticed that Mommy and the Secretary had taken out their crafts again and - viola - two laps materialized! I immediately dove for the Secretary's lap first. After all, Mommy's lap will be there after everyone leaves. The Secretary wasn't all that pleased to have me in her lap at that very moment; she didn't want to get cat fur all over the blanket that she's making for baby Emma. Before I could protest, she picked me up and put me in Mommy's lap.

That wasn't bad at all. Mommy was trying to knit again. Did you know that they use needles with YARN???? Mommy says "Ivan, I can't knit all the way across the room" and she has to chase me running off with the yarn several times.

I keep her young. How can Mommy be so upset with me? I know she loves me to pieces!

I have not been pleased, however, with Mommy working late. She's changing jobs, and the old job she has is getting over tomorrow. She's been working long hours and being gone longer and longer. Last week she came home, fed me, and left again for a couple hours. I was not pleased. I took my angst out on the shower curtain. Mommy says its not very good anymore; shower curtains aren't supposed to have holes in them. One of them is even big enough to climb through.

I hope she got the message!

Having So Much Fun

I am sorry I haven't reported lately. My secretary has been so busy doing whatever it is that she does when she isn't visiting Mommy and me.

However, I have been super busy too. I have been very unhappy. Mommy has been working lots of extra hours at her new job so I get very anxious to see her when she actually gets home. I wait right by the door for her to open it. As soon as I hear her put her key in the door, I start meowing, which is something I don't see the need to do very often.

Mommy put this fancy seat on the table she calls a "kick and play". She sits sister Becky's baby, Megan, in the seat when they come over. Megan hasn't figured this seat out, but I sure have. Mommy put this thing in the seat that helps keep Megan's head from moving all over the place. It is just the right size to cuddle me when I curl up inside it. When the secretary saw he inside it, she came over and turned it on. It started vibrating & singing! I wasn't quite sure what to do about this; my butt stung!

We just had a grand holiday. Mommy called it "Thanksgiving". She says that the best part of Thanksgiving is the turkey everyone eats. Well, everyone but her. Mommy is a veggie-tarian. So when she went to visit other family, she brought home a slice of turkey for me. Wow. I don't know that I've ever eaten anything so delicious!

And then.... the ultimate injustice happened. Sister Becky came over to drop things off for Thanksgiving, and she showed up with baby Megan and a dog! Mommy opened the door and in bounded this huge brown dog who behaved as if my space was her space. Mommy explained to me later that the d*g, Maggie, used to come over all the time and even had her own place with toys to play with when she'd come over. But then I came and then baby Megan came, so Maggie hasn't traveled much.

Maggie came flying into the trailer and sniffed right to my sleeping spot in the spare room sitting chair. She stuck her nose right in my face! I was quite infuriated by her gal, so I made sure that Maggie would understand where I stood on this issue. I arched my back, stood my hair on end, and I hissed and growled like no one's ever heard me before. Mommy & Becky were going "poor Maggie!" and laughing, but I wasn't!

Thankfully for me, Maggie isn't a dumb dog. She knew right away that I meant business. She backed right up, put her head down between her paws, and whined. She thumped her tail, trying to be friendly with me, but just in case she got any more strange ideas in her head, I reached over the edge of the chair and hissed a special hiss. Maggie dashed out of the room and I've not seen her since. Thank cat for that!

The secretary comes over every Sunday afternoon to wash her clothes. I love helping with laundry. We always race down the hall to the washer. I always beat her. Occasionally I don't race fast enough and she catches my bushy tail under her foot. Ouch! Last week she tried to race me back to the living room, but I didn't see her get a head start on me and she actually got there before me! I made sure to slap her leg as I raced past her.

She's also been working on a blanket for the grandbaby, Emma, that lives far away, for a long time. She puts it in her lap and, well, there's nothing better than an exposed lap! I love to climb into her lap around her hoop. She gets grumbly about that, because Emma's daddy is allergic to cats, so she tries to keep cat stuff away from the blanket, but what do I care. How can you be allergic to handsome me?

Mommy's also been working on yarn things. The secretary's project has been with thread. It's been sooooooooooooo much fun! I love to steal their scissors and hide them. Takes Mommy forever to discover my hiding places. So she thought she came up with a grand way to fool me: putting their items in a small box with a lid. She reminds the secretary all the time to "put your scissors and thread in the box!"

I took care of that problem. I hid the lid to the box when Mommy took it off to put her thread in the box. I was so pleased with my coup. Next thing I know... Mommy's got another box. This one, however, doesn't have a lid that comes off. I haven't figured out how to get this lid off. Just give me time.

Mommy's also been talking about another holiday she calls "Christmas" and she's getting so excited because sister Lisa and baby Emma are coming. She's also been talking a tree. The secretary agreed to help her put the tree up in the living room on Sunday. This sounds intriguing. I might have another report for you after that!

Noisy Babies!

Mommy says that Christmas and all the holidays are all over. Wow, they sure are a busy time around here. The place was crawling with people - including babies!

Mommy's youngest kid, Lisa, spent two weeks here with her baby, Emma, who has learned how to use her legs to get her to where she wants to go. She didn't do that the last time they came to visit! They come and next thing I know, baby Emma's on the floor and she's moving towards me. I wasn't sure this was a good idea at all, but I wasn't about to leave the living room, since everyone else, including Mommy, was there.

My secretary, Stephanie, came over several times while they were here. She's cool; she even got me a really l-o-n-g cat tail on a stick for Christmas. I love it, but I can't drag it around like I can my cat and bell. Stephanie gave the stick to Emma, and she waved it all around like she was crazy. Oh my - I had so much fun, and Emma laughed and danced when I would chase the tail. That would make me more excited and fast to chase it, and we ended up making everyone laugh. It wasn't funny, however, when Emma was on the floor and got a bunch of my tail fur!

On Monday, Lisa was still home, and Mommy had the day off. They ended up babysitting baby Lucy and baby Megan. They called my secretary over to help, and boy, everyone is so glad they did! Lucy and Megan screamed and screamed and yelled and screamed some more, and Emma didn't feel good, so all she wanted was her mommy and when she didn't have her mommy, she would cry. I was quite distressed by all the noise. I had no place to hide! I went to Mommy's room, where my bed is, but Secretary had screaming Lucy in there, and it was horrible. So I went to the living room, but Mommy had screaming Megan in there, and I couldn't find a place to lay because everything was covered with Emma toys. I went to the kitchen and Lisa was rocking Emma. I decided to try the table, but my bed wasn't there!

Mommy noticed how distressed I looked, so she came over with the screaming Megan and put the "pick and play" on the table. Ah; finally a place for a cat to nap! I climbed right on the table and into the seat. I curled right up and, the good part about having a really fluffy tail is that is can cover your eyes and ears. That's how I ended up taking a long nap on Monday.

Eventually the babies stopped screaming and fell asleep. That's when the secretary came over and picked me up to give me attention. Yup, she sure is a swell purson. I really like her. She doesn't yell at me and call me back like the other do. For instance, on Monday I strolled into the spare room where Lisa's been sleeping and found that she left one of the dresser drawers open. It had everything except my name on it, so I hopped in and curled up. The secretary saw me while she was walking & take care of baby Lucy, and, knowing how much Lisa loathes me sprawling on the baby's clothes, asked Mommy to come get me. Mommy brought me back to the table and the baby seat.

Mommy's been busy working with yarn again. Great fun! She finally gave up and gave me my very own ball of yarn. Score! I also discovered the hanging stuff off that tree she put in the living room, and I tried pulling that off the tree. Mommy didn't like that idea, but upon closer inspection, I discovered how comfy it is under there.

Secretary gave me a picture of my Mommy and the babies from Christmas Day to put on my page so you can see my competition. They both tell me to "look out, they're getting BIG!"

Lisa and Emma had to get on their plane Tuesday, so when Mommy came home, it was just her and me again. Oh, I really love that. I purred for her.

Staying Warm & Busy

I must scold my secretary for not helping me keep my diary up to date. However, everyone has been so busy lately that I've been feeling sort of left out of the loop. I'm so happy, though, that Mommy's home more often again and spending time with me!

We've gotten so much snow this winter its starting to cover the view from my windows! I've had to get very resourceful in chasing sunbeams and warmth these days. I first chose this huge pot with soil and a plant in it, but Mommy growled at me for laying on her plant so she shooed me away from that. I was not pleased because the plant is right next to the place where all the heat comes from the floor. The fur around my neck has really poofed out. Mommy calls me her "tiger lily", though I'm not sure exactly what that is.

I've also been spending time helping Mommy with the house keeping. I tried to be helpful one day last week by taking all the seat cushions off the chairs in the kitchen and dragging them down the hall to her room. It's right next to the laundry machine so I figured it was a good place to store them till Mommy got them washed.

Thank cat that Mommy’s job isn’t keeping her away as much. She’s had more time to spend with me. She’s been working with the yarn again to make something for brother Tony’s house. I really, really, really want to help her with that yarn, but she won’t let me. Something about ruining the yarn. Me? I would never do that! I just want to check it out before she gives it away!

Everyone was over for lunch last Saturday and the girls couldn't believe how much weight I've put on. Becky and Stephanie are positively sure that Mom's feeding me too much and I've "poofed out". I must admit that my fur is getting more difficult to manage. It's longer than my tongue and my neck, so even when I run out of space, I've still got fur left to groom.

After the family left last Saturday, the babies left their high chair behind and didn't put the tray on it. At least that's what I heard Mommy tell my secretary this morning. Without that tray, the high chair seat is a nice, tight place to curl up. I barely fit in it. For some reason, when I try to sprawl out, my paws, tail, and head get stuck between the bars. Very annoying indeed!

Today I leaped onto her guitar speakers to look out the window, only to find that she never put the blinds up. I tried to push my way through the blinds, but she found me and asked "why must you use THIS window? There are plenty other windows that are open and free!" But I want THIS window, Mommy!

This morning we had company. Mama was all ready to leave for her youth group meeting at church when brother Tony, the leader, called to say they couldn't get into the church because the snow hadn't been moved so could they have the meeting at our house?

I have never met these people before, especially the two young boys. I wasn't going to pay them any attention until the older boy pulled out the most amazing toy I've ever seen. It was a red dot! It zigged and zagged all over the living room and kitchen and I just couldn't catch up to it in time. The boys were having such fun watching me race around the place. That red dot is something special, I tell you. I'm gonna catch it one of these days!

When the secretary came over, I was sure to help her with her laundry, as always. I went beyond the call of duty this time, however, by laying in the clothes’ basket to keep it warm. She threw my favorite string toy in the basket, and I couldn’t resist diving after it and attacking it through the holes. We had such a fun time together!

Mommy Wears Me Out

I just love those few Sundays when Mommy stays home all day. She says this winter has been really hard and so she's had a few days she's had to stay home from work.

When Mommy's home, she's really busy. I have such a hard time keeping up with her! First she's at one end of the mobile home, doing things in her bedroom, then she goes all the way to the other end and does things in the kitchen, then she might take things from the kitchen and bring them to the laundry machines and BOY it's a tough job to keep up with her! I'm going here and there and practically catching my own tail as I race to keep up with her.

Sister secretary came again today, like she does almost every Sunday. Today she had a new toy with her: a camera. It looks like the same camera she's pointed at me before, but apparently its not because she and Mommy were talking about and checking it out. Sister brought it over special to take new pictures of me. She is quite positive that I've gotten even larger since last week.

I think she's seeing things. After all, I heard her say she's having a hard time getting used to her new glasses that she keeps on her nose. She said something about them being "strong". Mommy thinks that the colder it's gotten, the more fur I seem to have and it just sticks out.

I don't know what the fuss is about my fur. It's mine. I've never had any other type of fur, so what's the big deal? Just because I've got a bushy mane and fur between my toes and a tail that most cats would fight over.... I just happen to have a lot of fur. Doesn't every cat have this problem?

Sister got pictures of me sleeping in the babies' pick 'n play and just before she left, she found me on the fridge. She left some of the pictures she took with Mommy and they put them on my page. Mommy says I am a beautiful boy and I am her tiger lily. She says I'm so special.

Mommy and Sister were watching a movie and Sister's lap was just there. She didn't have anything in her lap, which seemed like quite a waste of prime real estate. I hurried over to the couch, pulled myself up, and plopped right next to her leg. I put one paw on her leg, stretched my tail out so far that I could touch Mommy, and I got comfortable. I purred and looked at Sister. I wish she'd come over more often. She makes such a fuss over me and gives me lots of attention.

However, this afternoon I really had to nap. Mommy wore me out. I couldn't stay awake any longer so I ended up missing most of Sister's visit. What a shame!

A Birthday Pawty!

Wow life sure has been busy the past couple of weeks. Sister Lisa came to visit with her baby Emma, and everyone carried on about Emma and her first birthday. Mommy fussed and worried and carried on so about what to get Emma, and what to serve when all the family came over for the pawty, and who was going to get a cake, and where was she going to put Ivan during all of this (excuse me???) and how much she was looking forward to having vacation time.

That's a word I understood: Mommy staying home with Ivan! How can things get any better than that? Well, they did.

See, baby Emma is Mommy's first grandbaby, so I guess her turning an entire year old is a big deal. Emma is now big enough to figure out she's got legs and how to use them like everyone else does, and she thinks that I'm really cool. Emma also really loves my blue tail on a stick. Wowsers - she sure knows how to fling that thing around! I simply can't keep up with her zinging and zanging that all over the living room! She totally wore me out.

Then there was the time she decided crawling was better than walking, and when she saw me walk through the living room and sit next to Mommy (she calls her Memere) she rushed right over and stuck her face in my fur. She tried to pick me up by my tail. I wasn't too sure about this, but Emma was gentle enough. Besides, if I had tried to slap Emma, I am most sure that sister Lisa would have had me banished to the far ends of the earth.

The day of the birthday pawty came and everyone was there! My secretary, brother Tony came with his wife and baby Lucy; sister Becky came with her husband and baby Megan; some lady called Auntie Terry came, too. Emma's daddy finally arrived and so there was cake and balloons and -

Balloons! I forgot to mention the balloons!

Did you know that balloons are the greatest things around? Well, it wasn't so much the balloon I fell in love with; it was the string that the balloon was attached too. Secretary bought it for Emma; it had a big "1" on it. Oh gracious that purple string is simply divine! Emma couldn't bring it home on the plane, so she's left it in the corner with her bucket of toys. I drag that balloon all over the place. The string is pawsome, and the balloon loves me, because it follows me around wherever I go.

Secretary & Lisa are convinced that Emma is allergic to me, though. Mommy is not happy about this. The girls say that Emma started rubbing her eyes and they got puffy and red after staying with us for a day or two, and her eyes cleared up and she left them alone whenever she was not at our mobile home. Mommy and I don't believe a word of it. How could anyone be allergic to me? Secretary says that Emma's daddy is allergic to cats, so its not too silly to think that she could be allergic to them, too.

With Mommy on vacation, she spent most of her time at home. Oh it was so wonderful to have Mommy to play with and pet me and brush me and love me whenever I wanted - and she sure kept me busy with all the cleaning she did. She even had baby Lucy for a little bit one day, and poor baby Lucy (another one of those grandbabies) is afraid of me! Can you believe it? Mommy says Lucy doesn't have kitties at her house so she's not entirely sure what to do with me, but she starts her scared cry when she sees me and well, Mommy makes me stay in the bedroom when she comes over. That makes me sad. I was so upset about it that, while Lisa was still here, I pulled the hallway carpet under the bedroom door. That made Lisa, Mommy, and Secretary laugh and take pity on me.

Other grandbaby, Megan, came over while Mommy was on vacation. Naturally, the babies come with their mommies, so it was a very busy week. Mommy was sooooooooooooo happy to have all the babies around!

I've got some serious thinking to do. Secretary promised she'd help me. See, our mommy's birthday is on Sunday. Whatever do I get a mommy for her birthday? More purrs? A special head butt? Secretary said something about a "card" and promised me she'd find one for me.

Wait a minute.... birthday.... means cake and ice cream and more people and balloons! I can't wait for Sunday!