My meows and purrs

Cats don't play, we train!

Dear Diary,

What's up with people not respecting us? I officially became the eldest family member when I turned 5 years old, which is 36 in human years. My person needs to be reminded.

I can ignore the laughing and giggling during training sessions, but falling asleep?? Like a couple of nights ago when I decided to train at 2am. I picked a pipe cleaner (those things are hypnotizing!!!!), brought it to bed and said "purrr Meow!" ("I need to train!"). Short human wakes up and says "aaah he he he kitty wants to play". She did pick up the pipe cleaner, started moving it but fell back asleep in seconds. I had to keep waking her up. I mean, instead of focusing all my attention in the exercise I had to keep pouncing at her and meowing. Unbelievable.

On the other hand, it has come to my attention that other humans were supposedly "advising" on how to keep me from chewing cables. As soon as I figure out how to get rid of that horrible smell around cables and be able to eat them again, I will go after you humans.

~ Amalia ~

Today I chewed cable #1901453456

... actually, I lost count of the number of cables I have yum-yummed. Today's treat was short human's cellphone charger.

I don't swallow cables, I just love chewing on them. It is good for my gums *naughty look*

Short human is very nice, she covers the cables for me to play hide-n-seek. I walk around my territory, sniff around until voila'! I find a surprise cable hidden under some blankets or something else.

The first time I chewed something, short human was all melodramatic "Nooooo kitty! Cables are not food!" . That was because she was still new at cat companionship and didn't know that everything belongs to me. Later on, she would just sigh and say "oooh kitty, you destroyed yet another cellphone charger/headset/etc....". Now she blames herself: "oh nooooooooo!!! why didn't I hide that in another place?!!"

and that is how you train a human =^_^=

~Amalia~

p.s. Happy Summer!!! Thanks to fantabulous friend Hazel for the beach ball!

☆ ☆ Five ☆ Cinco ☆ ☆

Dear Diary,

Ok let's get to the discipline stuff first: Short person is on notice! After I was so nice and named her "official transcriber of Amalia's memoirs", she has had the audacity of not uploading my thoughts since last year (*gasp!*). She claims to be busy with "work" not remembering that taking care of me is her job. I mean, look at my new profile picture: I had to go close the laptop and say "hey you, pay attention to me".

Well.... I am giving her another opportunity, but for now she is going back to being an intern.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ And now to the GREAT news of the day ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆☆ ☆

I am a Fabulous, Formidable, Fanciful, Flawless, Fearless and Fantastic FIVE YEARS OLD cat. At least short person didn't forget that and prepared my traditional wonderful meat breakfast with sprinkles on top (crunchy treats).

Catster-ville masters gave me 5 paws, and treats and congrats. Cute huh?

I am fantabulous.

~ Amalia ~

I am a lap cat??!!

Dear Diary,

Long time no write... My human was swallowed by "the outside" for many days... But I'll let Mabel talk about it.

So I realized I have a weakness (*blush*). I have a terrible attraction to blankets laying on short human's lap.... You know, I am very conscious of my personal space, I don't like people holding me for more than 3 seconds, and I don't cuddle but keep my distance when we sleep together. But a blanket-on-the-lap is addictive! I see human sitting on the sofa and the minute she puts the blanket on her lap, I *must* jump and get there.

I tell her "you'd better not move because I am napping" and she complies. Good human.

~ Amalia ~

meowoohoo

DEAREST DIARY,

I have been inducted in the Honor Society of Catsterland's September 18,2008 Diary Picks !!!

Short human, official transcriber of my memoirs, jumped out of the chair this morning while checking messages on the computer. Then she came to hug me, kissed me and said congrats. She was all "omg-omg-omg kitty this is so cool!"

...and I was like: "mmmeow purrr so who deserves an extra treat?" =^_^=

======= woohooo ===========

Awesome day. And awesome friends sending awesome gifts and messages. Thanks Hazel Lucy; ♥Korey♥ (aaaarrgh, captain!); ☆The Pawsee☆; the family of Buddie, Mookie, McKenna, Ricki, Angel, Victor Gibbs and Jason Cash; and Chelsea Louise for making my day!!

~ Amalia ~

Evacuating and coming back

Dear Diary,

We had to leave home at the beginning of the month because of Gustav. Kitty sister Mabel wrote about it in her diary.

After we spent an eternity in the moving thing ("car"), we arrived to a house with 2 people and 2 cats in there. And we stayed there for a whole week. During those days, Mabel turned 1 year old (it's about time she starts behaving like an adult!) and I sort of got used to these humans. I wouldn't let them touch me (oh no!) but I loved "flirting" with them by showing my belly and rolling all over. They say I am beautiful!

... I don't want to talk about the cats. You see, I have enough with baby sister Mabel...

You know what Mabel did while we were riding in the car??? She rode for a looooong time all curled up in human's lap. I was jealous!!! So when driving back home to Louisiana, I made sure Mabel had no access to the driver's seat:

I sat in a thingy they have between the two front seats. Human was like "aaaah Amalia you look like a dog!"... what the heck?? I am no dog. Anyway, whenever Mabel made attempts to go to human's lap, I would yell and hisssss and growl.

So, Mabel spent the ride back sleeping. I don't understand why she was so calm, I mean the thing was moving!!!!! She just curled up and went to sleep. She only got up once to go to the kitty's restroom.

All the while I took the responsibility of being co-pilot: keep the driver awake. I did it by yelling MMMEEOW! MGWAAAAAO! during all the 12 hours we were riding. You know, I also had to express my disagreement with car rides.

When we got back home, I immediately jump to the bed and slept straight for a whole day. That ride, keeping my balance and keeping human awake was exhausting! Human should be thankful.

~~~~ HOPING ALL KITTIES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN LOUISIANA ARE SAFE AFTER GUSTAV!! ~~~~~~

Scratch the belly

Dear Diary,

Remember 3 years ago when I had a surgery? Something about me "getting fixed"? Remember I had to stay at the vet overnight, then had fever when I went back home? And the hair on my belly was gone and it was very sensitive so I would bite *any* hand that would come near?...

I just found out it doesn't hurt anymore! It actually feels good when human scratches it. Nice. So I let her do it.

So it only took me 3 years to get over that surgery....

=^_^= =^_^= =^_^= =^_^= =^_^= =^_^= =^_^=

HAVE YOU SEEN MY GIFT BOX????

woohooo!!!! Catster-masters had this cool idea for "kitties on a budget" and my awesome-great-wonderful friends filled it!

Thanks to Gizmo & Max, Smokey & Punky; Cali, Leo & Lucky; Morgan, Ripple, Sin et al.; Diego, LuLu & Furie; Sissy, Luke, Cooter, Simon et al.; and Cali, Leo & Lucky!!!

~Amalia~

OMG it squeaks

Dear Diary,

I am a hard-core gamer, you know (I wrote about it in an earlier entry). At the same time, I have an exquisite taste. You know, I am a beautiful-intelligent-sophisticated adult cat; human must make a big effort to amuse me. So I gave her a task: find me a better toy, I am kind of bored.

Human tried with new versions of strings and feathers and balls, but *sigh* it was more of the same. But this week she finally got me something interesting: a mousie attached to a string, and better yet: the mouse squeaks. In-ge-nious.

I don't know how human can make the mousie squeak that much. Usually, toys that come walking or flying through the window don't last too long (they stop moving and making funny sounds). But this one, mgwao! Bounces a lot and the squeaky sound is hypnotizing. Amazing. Tonight she made it come; I was panting after a while with all the jumping and chasing.

And so I am pleased.

~ Amalia ~

This generation has it so easy....

Dear Diary,

So I am quietly cleaning myself in the living room when I hear a "crunch, crunch" nearby.... hhhhm it sounded suspicious and I decided to investigate. I approach the kitchen silently, the "crunch, crunch" gets louder, I get closer and... *gasp!* I couldn't believe what I saw!!!

Being the responsible adult I am, I ran to human who was in another room. I said "mmmmmmmeeeeeeoow!!" and she was just "Hi Amalia sweetie how are you?". So I tried again "mmmmmggwwwwaoo you have to come see!", human still saying "what, kitty?" and only when I turn around and say "mgwao follow me!" she finally understood and came with me.

Well, we go to the kitchen and there she was! Kitty Mabel had opened the cabinet and was *CRUNCH! CRUNCH* eating all our food! Outrageous!

Human just laughed and said "oh dear kitty"...
that's it? that's all Mabel gets??

Short human says I used to pull the same tricks when I was little but I don't remember that! This Mabel kitten has to learn some manners.

~ Amalia ~

The Fantastic Four

Dear Diary,

I know it is a special day today. The first thing short human did this morning when she woke up was to say "Hi sweetie Amaliaaaaaa!!!! How about some birthday breakfast?"

It's my fourth birthday today. YES. Short human gave me a special birthday cake: wet food with dry food sprinkled on top. Only for ME, I didn't share with Mabel.

(well, Mabel got an extra milk plate just to leave me alone...)

So, all morning human was sweet-talking to me, which I *luv*: "happy birthday girrrrrrl, you are the most precious 4-yo cat in the world...." And I just couldn't help but roll on my back, purrrrrr and show my belly to her. I know I am the greatest.

Mabel knew today is about me and left me alone (...or perhaps was eating cake leftovers)

You know, in human years I am 32. That makes me the oldest one in the house. I guess I have to keep acting like the adult and take care of the kids: human and Mabel (*sigh*)

Thanks to Caster-masters for the treats, vote and adding me to the birthday stroll!!

~ Amalia ~

One of our cat secrets revealed!!

Dear Diary,

Un-be-lie-va-ble. Human is using the "work" excuse again for not updating my page, and (worse yet) not enough playing time with me. However she keeps saying there is a surprise coming on the mail... tested and approved by our friend Hazel Lucy....

AND I have to warn my fellow catster citizens!! One of our secrets have been revealed. I don't know how but this video shows it! [video.yahoo.com] I have to get the word out DO NOT LET HUMANS WATCH IT....



~ Amalia ~

Springing forward, backward, up and down

- Kitty, shouldn't you get hungry at 6am now?

Yeah, right. Like human can tell me when to feel hungry.

I was born and adopted my person in Indiana when they didn't have DST. Then we moved to Singapore, where they don't observe it. Now that we live in Louisiana (and after 3 years living together) short human expects me to follow her clock! HA!

~ Amalia ~

Let the boss be *THE BOSS*

Dear Diary,

I am such a nice, patient cat. Human is lucky to have me.

I have been adjusting to my new little sister. On top of that, I still have to teach short human about the cat way of life.

I had been hiding *a lot* lately. Human thought I was simply enjoying my new nap spot in the closet, and OMC! it took her sometime to see what was going on. I had to take drastic measures: one night she was on the bed with the laptop and my baby sister was next to her, jumping playing purring playing and jumping and you know, being a kitten. I got on the bed, went to a corner and started howling, "hoooooooowwwwl, mmmgwaaaaaao!!!". Human picks me up, hugs me and asks what was going on. Baby sister Mabel was jumping around thinking we were playing, so human took her to a side and asked her to stay quiet. After several attempts, Mabel seemed to understand and gave me and human the space I needed.

...And so, I got what I wanted!! I cuddled on human's lap, next to the nice warm laptop, and took a nap. Human *finally* understood that I WANT her undivided attention sometimes. And Mabel learned not to disturb us during that time; I luuuuv cuddling and hugging human's arm.

AND I am the boss. I have to be treated with respect. Human changed a small (but very important!) detail: when she comes home from work, Mabel runs to the door purring and jumping and meowing and wanting to play, and I just stay by the living room watching. Human used to greet Mabel first, pet her and then come say hello to me. I AM NO SECOND CAT! So now, human first comes to me, pets me, asks how my day was and then, only after I am ok she goes and says hello, hugs and plays with Mabel. Mabel knows it already and is fine with that, it was human who wasn't respecting hierarchies!!

So, now that she understands I need exclusive cuddling time and being greeted first, I am ready to fully be part of "the family". The three of us sleep very close together, and last night human saw me letting Mabel kiss my forehead: I put my head down and Mabel licked me....

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwww!!!!!"

That's all short human said.

Am I not an amazing cat?

~ Amalia ~

The good thing about having a "sis"

Dear Diary,

Many many things have been going on with Baby-cat. Territorial negotiations are going so-so; we are making progress even with some step backs like that time when the baby stole my treat. I was so infuriated that I kept hissing for more than a day. Human had to declare "time out", take the baby to another room and spent time with me, playing and giving lots of treats.

BUT the good thing about a sister is that I don't need that much effort in waking human up. Baby Mabel and I get hungry at the same time (5am). We both jump on the bed, sit on opposite sides, and it goes like this:

Mabel: purrrrrrr, purrrrrrr I love you... purrr purrr You got some food?
Me: meeeeow *yawn* meow C'mon human get up, I am hungry
Mabel: purrrrr purrrr *POUNCE!* *POUNCE!* I love you, would you feed me?
Human: huh? huh? what time is it?
Me: mmmmeeeeooow It's breakfast time
Mabel: purrrrr purrrr feed me? yes? feed me? *lick lick lick*
Me: mmgwao, get up I'm starving! *scratching frantically*
Human: it's early, kitties....
Me: mmgwao! mmmmeeow, go ahead Mabel jump on her...
Mabel: purrrrr purrrr *POUNCE!* *POUNCE!* food? yes, food? *lick lick lick*

Really, having a sister makes it so much easier to get food...

~ Amalia ~

Progress at the negotiation scratching mat

Dear Diary,

Agent Baby-cat and I have gathered at the negotiation scratching mat to continue diplomatic conversations. I'm glad to report big progress after only 2 weeks.

Baby-cat has fully accepted my authority; I AM the alpha cat in my territory, period. I have agreed to let Baby-cat wander freely in my land. She respects my side of the bed and at night she cuddles with human to sleep. I'm ok with that.

Actually, I have so much energy in me!! I want to play with the baby kitty!! That tail of hers is captivating =^_^= ---but I must make sure we reach total territorial agreement, so I'm not done with the hissing quite yet.

I'm not sure she knows it, but Baby-cat's name is Mabel.

Note! The fact that I chewed the laptop cord is not an excuse for not putting up Mabel's Catster page. Human should have plenty of backup cords for when I feel like chewing some, right??

~ Amalia ~

Territory under control. Negotiations still in progress.

Dear Diary,

My territory is calmed and in control. The second week of negotiations start today. Recalling from my last report, a new agent (let's call her "baby-cat") is trying to establish presence in my land. We need much diplomatic work here, but the tension is easing.

I managed to sniff baby-cat's butt last night, while human had her distracted with food. Baby-cat noticed and I reacted with a hisssssss.... "what are you looking at?!!". Then... I have to admit it... I got weak with her sweetness and gave baby-cat a nose kiss, but just in case I hissssssed at the end "I 'm watching you!!!"

Baby-cat's barracks are located in the bathroom, where she's locked all day. Last night she was crying, wanted to go out and I... I felt sorry for her and stayed sniffing through the door for a good while.

.... but HISSSSSSS! I can't completely trust her yet.

~ Amalia ~

Apparently I have a new tenant

Dear Diary,

Human came back on monday with a funny smell... "HISSSSSSS you stink!" I said, and got away from her.

It turns out she had been with another cat and brought her home. She introduced us from a distance but HISSSS! I can't simply trust anybody.

I let the new tenant occupy the bathroom for now, and human opens the door for a while everyday. This is a 4mo kitten-girl, and she has to learn manners! She wont' stop moving, wants to get too close too fast and won't stop purring when I'm talking to her. Short human is a sucker for any cat, and is totally drooling over her. So I have to be the disciplinarian and teach this kitty-cat how to behave. Like for example she won't pose for pictures; human has been chasing her trying to get a photo but this kitty won't stop running around.

So far, it's not too bad. She understood I'm the boss and now keeps the distance I want. I am shortening the space little by little.

...actually, I am excited about getting a new playmate!!! I have been almost impatient and keep following her around =^_^=

~Amalia~

Temporary insanity

"Amalia, you smell nice!"

...huh, I don't think so!

It was horrible, Dear Diary. Human went koo-koo today and decided to give me a bath >:/

I didn't see it coming. She suddenly picked me up and threw me in that bath full of water. This time I resorted to not just yelling and scratching but I also bit her. She was possessed! Said nothing and started making me wet, putting that smelly bubbly substance on my body and rubbing it.

I was screaming the whole time "HEEELP! My person has gone crazy!, HEEELP! MGWAAAAO!, Somebody HEEEELP!, MMMMMEEEGGGWAAO!!!"

Then she wrapped me with a towel and dried me. And she starts saying "sorry kitty, are you ok? Now you are clean, see?".... hhhmmm.... yeah right. And after she let me free and I was cleaning myself, she came and brought treats. "ooooh sorry kitty, but Amalia you now smell so nice, see?" I don't think so! now I stink and have had to lick myself all day.

I love you, short person. But don't do it again, ok?

~Amalia~

New Year, Happy purrr!!!

Dear Diary,

New year! new territory! Kind of crazy for the last couple of weeks, but now my human and I are settled in this new place. I have sniffed everywhere and approved it.

It took me several days of rubbing against every corner, but it's now full of my scent. I like it. It is still sort of empty; human and I only have a bed we share; the living room is a big hole with only my scratching mat and a couple of toys. It's like my big play yard! I luv this "run for the treat" game we play; human stays in a corner and throws treats for me to chase and eat.

The apartment came with a cat condo! To get to it, I jump from the floor to the kitchen counter to the top of the fridge and then to the top of a cabinet. It's a long condo where I can stretch, walk and sleep (very high! I can touch the ceiling!). Human is putting furniture little by little, I already have a tunnel/bed where I can have privacy. Really cool, I will upload pictures soon.

THANKS to the family of Cybil, Hairy, Moses, Luna, Phineas, Lily and Winston for my Christmas stockings! purr purr purr --Cybil is such a beautiful, photogenic cat!

~Amalia~

Purrry holidays!!!

Dear Diary!!!

The last few days have been exciting. Since a couple of days ago, I am back in my previous territory. And today I was selected as a Catster Daily Diary Pick!! The perfect holiday gifts!

THANK YOU dear Catster-Masters for this honor. And Jack and Bibi Anne's family for the snowflakes! And Sweet Little Honey for being my friend! And Kay for your beautiful message! Purrrrr *headbutt* purrrr

I'm glad human has me with her. She is a first-time cat companion and needed an intelligent, patient cat to teach her the feline ways of living. This Catsterland honor gives me strength to continue my teachings.



Fa la la la la, la la la la la ~~~~~~ Catster Daily Diary Pick ~~~~~~ Fa la la la la, la la la la laaaaaaa!


Well.... This weekend my human and I came back to the US. It was a looong trip; we got into 4 different planes over 30 hours ...*sigh*...

I was pretty fine most of the time; you know I'd done that before =) I traveled inside my bag, placed under a seat in the cabin. My scratching mat was inside the bag, which I luuuuv and use a lot. I was quiet most of the time; human was the one freaking out and asking me if I was ok every two minutes, he he he he.

....well... the last plane wasn't nice. It was moving a lot. The whole time I was yelling "MGWAAAAAAO", which can roughly be translated to human tongue as "WHAT THE HECK IS MOVING THAT MUCH! STOP IT NOW!!"

This time I wasn't sent to jail (they call it "quarantine"). Instead, my person and I are temporarily staying in an animal-friendly human hotel. It is fun! this big room has lots of places to climb and hide.

To the other side of the world.... and back. So glad to be here :)

~ Amalia ~

What is going on??!

Dear Diary,

Yet *another* ride and visit to my doctor this morning... sigh...

I kind of stayed calm on the car this time, but made sure to MGWAO! a couple of times to short human. Then we get to my doctor, he congratulated me on my healthy weight (9.4lbs) but then wanted to give me not one but two! pills. I'm such a tiger, rowwwr, that it took 3 people to hold me and I managed to spit the medicine twice =^_^=

Vet says "ok, Amalia is fine and ok to travel" and "have a safe flight".... whaaaaa?

Anyway we came back home; I've kept a low profile because of that stinky substance they put on my back for the fleas. I licked it, started salivating heavily and human freaked out. But I'm ok.

So our place is upside down, all the stuff -including my toys- are inside cardboard boxes and human is putting more things in big bags. I don't want to be left behind so I'm always next to human.

this is not normal!! what is going on?!

~Amalia~

For the record: I DO NOT like car rides

Dear Diary,

I just came back from my doctor. Short human said I needed a checkup and shots for the upcoming trip (what trip?). She put me inside that bag I have come to get used to (but not love) and off we went.

Getting there was a nightmare! Cars move way too much; I don't enjoy being out-of-balance. The driver seemed like in a rush (maybe he's afraid of kitties?) and on top of that, he couldn't find the address!! ...sigh... I wasn't happy with the long ride, and human wasn't happy with the taximeter.

We arrive and... it's full of dogs!! big ones, small ones, all sizes and colors!! I put human in charge of warning me when they'd come; she'd say "aaawww puppyyyy" or "aaaawwww doggieeeeee!" and I'd know one of them was approaching.

My doctor was nice, hissing was not necessary. Cool, gentle guy.

On the way back: a pet hater >:( --after like 5 minutes in the car, the cab driver asks "is that a cat??". Human said yes, and the guy replies "That is wrong! very wrong!! I do not take pets!". Short human and I thought "well too bad, you already did :p" but kept quiet.

Later, when human was giving directions home to the driver, the guy says "You are going to have to walk, I'm leaving you around this corner"..... that comment ignited human. She said "well stop right here! I don't want the meter to keep going and I don't want to pay you any more money". The driver suddenly turned submissive, he was just quiet and even whispered a thank you when we got off. So much for the attitude, ha ha :)

Maybe the driver is allergic to cats, maybe he thought I would poop or pee there, but shouldn't he have a sign "No pets allowed" on the car?

Anyway, my human and I had a lovely walk together =^_^=


~ Amalia ~

I trick or treat all year long

Dear Diary,

The best time for trick-or-treating my human is when she's at the computer and both her hands are moving, pushing keys or clicking that mouse thingy. I jump on the desk, sit close to her face and give her "the look":

me:     Meow! (treat!)
human:   Hi Amalia!
... a few seconds pass, nothing happens...
me:    Meow! (treat!)
human:    mmmhhhmm ...
(now the trick part: I walk between her face and the monitor, rub my tail against her, and then lay down on the keyboard. The computer goes 'beep-beep-beep-beep' )
me:    Meow.... (treat...)
human:   aaawww kitty, sorry I'm ignoring you but I'm busy. Do you want a treat?
me:    Mgwao! (of course!)
(I never settle for only one treat, but stay there and wait for another...)
me:     Meooow... (that was good... got another one?)
human:   yeap but this is the last one ok?
me:    Meoooow (muahahaha)


My short human. She's such a sucker =)

~ Amalia ~

Meow the vote!

From Amalia's campaign headquarters ---

I have entered the World's Coolest Dog & Cat Show Contest. If I win, I will work on creating more awareness on feline cuteness.

My voting page is at http://www.catster.com/show07/vote_pet.php?i=72932

I am very proud of sharing the stage with all other wonderful contestants and I know whomever wins will help make this a better world =)

~Amalia~

STOP IT!

This is a serious post.

What kind of people can be so cruel?! My stomach hurts every time I see a "funny" picture on the web of people giving alcohol or other drugs to their pets.

And some kill them simply because it is "convenient".

"Pets Hurled Off Bridge in Puerto Rico" : [breitbart.com] (warning - graphic images and content)

STOP ANIMAL CRUELTY please...

She took away my vegetables

"Kitty, you're destroying the plants"

No, I'm not! They are my vegetables. I need to have a balanced diet.

Short-human has now put them outside in the balcony, where I can't reach them. Outrageous.

--- O ---
On a good note, human cleaned my condo. She calls it "dining table", I don't know why because it's MINE and nobody ever eats on it.

It was full with books, receipts and other papers that wouldn't let me stretch completely in the middle of it. Now it's all empty for me, I love stretching and laying on my back and rolling on top of it =^_^=

~Amalia~

Sometimes I forget humans are not cats

Dear Diary,

Short-human and I have this really cool "Catch me if you can" game. She grabs a small blanket and chases me around the house. The objective is to "catch" me; she throws it and tries to get me under. It's hilarious and fun, I run tooooo fast for her but sometimes I let her win :)

We played this game last sunday; running all over the apartment, from the kitchen to the living room to a bedroom then another bedroom. When I get tired, I hide under any bed. Then I suddenly get out and start running again, short-human behind me.

In a few milliseconds I ran from behind the closet towards the hallway. Short human almost got me but HA HA! I made a sharp right turn to a bedroom, then a left turn to got under the bed. And then I hear: thud! wham! pow! and finally "aaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy, ouch ouch ouch!!!". I saw nothing but when I came out, short-human was on the floor.

She didn't make that last turn... apparently she stepped on the blanket, fell and hit herself with the bed's corner. yikes, she has a humongous bruise from the shoulder to the elbow, and another one on her chest :/

She doesn't have the reflexes of a cat, poor thing.

She's ok, but now has to wear long sleeves all the time in this super hot weather ^_^

I say: don't worry! Just lick it until it heals.

~ Amalia ~

Tough love

...is what we cats have to show humans sometimes, dear diary. I mean, look at my last diary entry (3 months ago!) plus human disappeared for 4 weeks... again (sigh).

Thanks to nice fellow Catster-citizens I got a nice ration of treats =^_^= But my human went outdoors 4 weeks in a row this time. I noticed something weird when the neighbors started visiting more than usual and bringing food. They are sooo nice, and I respect their cat --actually, she scares me :p

So short-human came back last weekend. I was so excited that I... bit her. Yes, I needed to tell her not to leave again for so long! And I was no afraid to show the curtain thrown all over the living room, and the computer keyboard's cord was yummy (yes! I ate it! what was I supposed to do while you were away?!).

... then after that I was done with the ranting. I covered all her face with kisses (she says my tongue is the best skin exfoliator!) and cuddled, cuddled more, and purred... she's my buddy and we missed each other :)

~Amalia~

Absent-minded human

Dear Diary,

This is a true story! I'm not kidding:

A few nights ago, human and I are doing the final rounds before going to bed: turn off all lights, check the main door is closed, etc. She doesn't like me going alone to her food room so he always locks it.
Well.... absent-minded human left me locked in the kitchen! And when I meowed, she thought I was the neighbor's cat!!

Me: meow, meow, meow..... ("hey human... I'm locked in the kitchen")
Human: aawwww ... is that Tina? maybe she's alone at home?
Me: meoooooow, meoooow ("noooo! it's not the neighbor! It's me!")
Human: oh poor kitty... she misses her family...
Me: mgwao, mgwaaao..... mmmeow! ("silly human! it's me! Amalia! in the kitchen!")

After several minutes, she *finally* realizes it's me! Silly human won't even recognize my voice!

~Amalia~

Tagged!

Meow! I have been tagged by Cat-Six

The rules:
Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write in their own diary about the seven random facts and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your diary.

1. I like classical music and will come lay next to human when I hear it playing.
2. When human throws a treat, I do a goofy run to get it.
3. I have a black whisker on each side of my face =^_^=
4. I jumped in the toilet once when I was a kitten. I didn't think it was funny...
5. I now purr when they're clipping my nails
6. I sleep on the bed next to human, with my own pillow
7. Sometimes when I ask for food, human "massages" my face instead and I fall asleep. Then I suddenly wake up and start asking for food again.

My tagged cats are:
DandyLion DragonHeart
BALLU
Vanessa
Yoshi Mango
Fabulous Ferals
Kateri (Katie)
Smudge

purrs to all,

~Amalia~

I'm da' queen :-)

Dear Diary,

Today while I was camouflaged (i.e. under the clothes) waiting for a lizard to come, my human starts yelling around the house "Gatitaaaaaa where are you? cutie kitty where are youuuuuuu..."

Anyway, I went to see her and asked what was going on. She picked me, hugged me and kissed me all over. After that... why all the treats? and this catnip? and why the new toy???

Well, it's my Happy 3rd Birthday! Catster masters added me to the birthday stroll, cool huh? :-D

Congrats to all other wonderful birthday kitties !!!

~ Amalia ~

Updates

Dear Diary,

Can you believe I don't have any more treats on my homepage????? That's because human hasn't had the courtesy to update it lately; she claims to be busy. This is ridiculous.

Well, I haven't done much. Just keeping it cool while short human works.

A couple of weeks ago she got me a new water fountain. The first time she saw me drinking from it she started yelling all excited "oh my god, gatita preciosa, so cute!" as if I was a baby saying her first words. hhhmm sometimes she kind of overreacts :-)

~Amalia~

Appreciate me!

Dear Diary,

I don't feel appreciated today.

Since human doesn't know meowing, *I am* the one learning human language. She says "besito" ("little kiss" in spanish), I lick her forehead and voila! a treat appears in front of me. But today, when I'm having the initiative to do it by myself, she says nonsense like "you already had breakfast", "too many treats already", etc.

I jump to the computer desk, approach human and lick her forehead. She just says "oh thank you kitty but you ate already". Come on. And when I was going to do it again, she leaned back so I couldn't reach the forehead!! I thought we had a deal! I lick the forehead and you give me a treat!! Now where is it?!!

meo-o-o-o-ow

~Amalia~

Did you forget everything I taught you?!

Dear Diary,

It was particularly difficult to get breakfast this morning. Human kept looking at the clock and saying "not yet". What do you mean it's not time yet? I just happened to get hungry at 3.30am.

Feeding time is when I feel like it.

I scolded her when human finally got up at 6am: Mmmmeeo-o-o-ow! me-O-O-O-w! I am starving! I've been trying to wake you up for almost 3 hours!

Next time I'll knock that clock off the table =)

~Amalia~

Attack of the water monster

Dear Diary,

Dangerous day. I'm glad I made it through.

I was hanging out in my queendom. When human picked me up, my feline senses told me there was something weird.... "Meowww" ("what's goig on?") I said, and she didn't reply.

I realized we were in this room I don' t like too much, human puts me down and then suddenly.... mmmgwaaaaooo I was getting wet!! There was water all over me and more was coming. I yelled "Mee-O-O-O-O-O-W" ("can't you see I'm getting wet??!!") but human kept squirting this bubbly thing on my body.

At one point I was able to jump to the toilet tank, then the toilet lid and down the floor making a bee line for the door... but it was closed >:-/

My human wasn't harmed but I had to rip her shirt off while trying to run away.

I let human dry me with the towel for a few minutes, but at one point I couldn't take it anymore and had to hiss. Then it took me *all* afternoon to clean myself.

*sigh*... this the third bath I get in my entire life and I'm only two and a half years old!. What's wrong with people?

~Amalia~

--- 0 --- 0 --- 0 --- 0 ---
hilarious lesson on how to bathe a cat - Cat bathing as a martial art by Bud Herron [lifestorywriting.com]

HA! got a new game

Dear Diary,

Pipe cleaners are fascinating... mesmerizing... I see one in front of me and it makes me want to touch it with my paws.

Human and I have always played "try and catch it" with pipe cleaners, like with the feather string. But now as an adult I have better reflexes than human! ha ha! So my new game is that I actually catch the pipe cleaner in my mouth and run away! You should have seen human's look the first time I did it; she couldn't believe she had to chase me =)

Another thing I do is pretend I'm not interested anymore; I go to my bed corner, lie down and meow "game's over". After human says "ok" and puts the pipe cleaner back on the table, I wait a few seconds before getting it back and run again =^_^=

Now human hides the pipe cleaners somewhere... hhmm but it won't be too long before I find them... they are so captivating...

~Amalia~

Going to the vet can be good for you

... don't believe me? Let me tell you: My doctor has ordered human not to give me a bath! ha ha!! purrs to the vet!

My human put me inside that bag and took me to the doctor this morning. He's a nice man, I didn't have to hiss at him. After praising me for the wonderful clean ears I have and giving me a couple of shots (didn't hurt, though), I clearly heard him telling human "No baths for a week". Ha ha!! I knew human was planning to bathe me and now she can't :-)

Now I have to work on making her forget about that bath for ever... I will put my best cute face and she'll feel guilty, he he

~ Amalia ~

...and human's back

Dear Diary,

I had never purred so much in my life. My indoor/outdoor human came back on sunday after being away for 4 weeks!

As in previous ocasions, she put a bunch of stuff inside a bag and left me with some people coming from time to time to refill the food and water plates. These nice people also played with me :) --But of course I missed my human.

Human lost my scent after all that time and when she was back I couldn't recognize her. I did the "mysterious feline" act: hiding in the shadows under the bed, she could only see my eyes and I challenged her to prove she was my human. She had to call me by my name and nicknames and when she did, I ran to her!

4 weeks is a long time, you know. My claws were loooooooong and they kept getting trapped in the blanket when I was kneading, so I decided to lie on my back and knead the air. I think I saw a hint of smile on her face, but human respected the moment by staying next to me and not laughing.

Now, kneading my human's tummy is a favorite pastime. I wait until she's asleep on her back and jump on her =^_^=

In the meantime, I was a daily diary pick!!! Now my list of jewel treats from Catsterland include:
* Cat of the week on the week of Sep 14, 2005
* Featured Diary of the Day on Dec 7, 2006
* Daily Diary Pick on Dec 12, 2006

Quoting many Catster citizens: "this is pawsome!"

Purrrrs,

~ Amalia ~

Announcing: Human's promotion

Dear Diary,

Catsterland's masters have sent me an early holidays present! I was featured "Diary of the Day" yesterday 07/Dec =^_^=

I've got wonderful new friends, rosettes and even my own eternal star!

In recognition of her efforts, I promoted my human from intern to permanent transcriptor of my memoirs. Nose kisses and headbutts!

Purrrrrrrs of gratitude to everybody and happy holidays!

~Amalia~

I met a bilingual person!

Dear Diary,

Human came with two other people to visit me the other day. I'm kind of shy so I ran away and hid first :-) Then I came out slowly to see these new people visiting my queendom.

At one point I hear something... it sounded like a cat!! I was excited looking around, sniffing trying to find the fellow feline... then I realized there was no kitty but one of the new people was meowing to me. Isn't that cool!! A human that speaks cat! This lady is really good, she has no accent when she meows :)

Well, these two nice people belong to my penpal Jolly [jollymeow.podzone.net]. What a good job has Jolly made in teaching cat-language!

I am afraid my human is really bad at it even after 2 years of learning, maybe I can ask Jolly to help me teach her basic meowing :-s


~ Amalia ~

Because I say so

Dear Diary,

Some things are to be taken seriously. Period. Human needs to understand it...

Like yesterday. We are spending a quiet day at home when this baaa-rraa-pa-pum! horrific sound comes out of nowhere. I looked out the window and... water was coming down from the sky!! The sound comes again and I just barely had time to run and get under the bed (which has become my bunker). Human comes giggling and says "kitty is afraid of thunder". She did that several times during the day, she would come and peek under the bed and laugh... While I was all preoccupied with our safety, she just kept laughing... I mean, there was water! and this really loud scary sound >:|

Then later at night I was chasing the feather string toy. I couldn't reach it so I decided to hiss at it. Do you know what human did? She bursted into laughs... I was all into the roleplaying, focused on hunting the feathers and she ruins the moment. I looked at her like "what are you laughing at?" and she kept smiling... So I took my dignity, left the room and gave her the "silent" treatment for 3 minutes until she was ready to play again.

Well I don't blame her too much, she's a newbie and it takes time to master the art of being a cat's companion...

meow,

~ Amalia ~

**sigh** My tummy is expanding

Dear Diary,

A few days ago human and I are hanging around and she suddenly asks: "Amalia did your legs get shorter?" hhmmm ....

Oh dear, it turns out I gained 3 pounds since we moved to this new place. I blame it on the hot weather. Human thinks I have been eating lizzards in addition to my food, but I'm not telling!

Human also read an article [thepetcenter.com] according to which she was making several mistakes: having food available to me all the time, giving me food containing corn and other carbohydrates and too many treats. So I started to lose my slim figure...

Well, good news is we do "exercises" (extra playing). Bad news is she is cutting my food ration!! well it's up to her: that means I will pounce harder when asking to be fed :)

~ Amalia ~

(Short-term) Memory

~5.30am. Amalia wakes up hungry. Stretches and jumps to bed. Slowly approaches human...

Amalia: purrr... purr.... ("pst.. pst!")
human: (still asleep) huh?

Amalia licks human's face. When she doesn't wake up, Amalia licks her eyes.

Amalia: meow! ("I'm hungry")
human: are you hungry?
Amalia: meoooow ("what did I just say?")

Human gets up and they both walk towards the food room. By the door, there's one of Amalia's toys: a long string. The human steps on it, makes a noise.
Amalia: (runs frantically along the hallway and lands on her mat) mgwao! ("yeah let's play!")

A few seconds later, Amalia is still stretched on her mat. "Hhmm what was I doing?... I'm hungry" Stretches, gets up and jumps to bed. Slowly approaches human. Purrs, licks her face.
human: I just gave you food
Amalia: meow! ("I'm hungry") --licks human's face over and over
human: was I dreaming? I thought I just gave you food
Amalia: meoow ("no I haven't got any food")

Same scene repeats. The string, Amalia running like a baseball player stealing a base, landing on her mat. 30 seconds later she's licking human's face **again**: meoow!

This time human picks Amalia and puts her right in front of her food plate.
Amalia: (starting to eat like crazy) purrrrrrrrrr, purrrrrr ....("oh good food.... see? you hadn't given me any")

With age, I am mellowing

Dear Diary,

Ok, I am still very young -- 2 cat years which they say [cats.about.com] it's around 24 human years. But the thing is I am not a rebelious teenager anymore...

I used to hate when human would interrupt my baths. She would come close to me, make me lose focus and forget which part I was licking. But I have realized that humans don't know how to lick themselves clean (can you believe that??!), so my person was just probably trying to learn. Poor human. Well, now when she approaches while I am cleaning myself, I don't mind and start cleaning her too. I lick all her face and then continue my own bath.

I also have to admit that I like cuddling a lot more now. When I was a teenager I didn't like it too much and had to remind human to respect my personal space. But now.... it's just nice to lay close to the human's tummy and nap together. I kind of like it when she holds me and walks around the house (before, I wouldn't take more than a couple of minutes in her arms).

And it's not really that bad to get my nails clipped. The *click!* sound is scary, but then lots of treats come! So, well... ahem... I don't mind it too much now :)

Not that I am too soft now!! no no no no! I still inspire respect and intimidation to those geckos walking around in my territory :p

Meow!

~ Amalia ~

Grooming day... who are you kidding?

Dear Diary,

Human calls sunday "kitty's grooming day". Can you believe the nerve? I spend most of the time cleaning myself and she still feels she has do to something else.

She takes some smelly wet towels and rubs them all over my body. How I hate this, I always growl-and-run. I think I scared her enough so she only does it about twice a month.

And the nails.... She insists on trimming my nails every week (grrrrr.... *sigh*). I love her and all but when it comes to touching my paws I have no mercy. I have bitten and scratched her several times. I'm sorry she bled, but touching my paws is not negotiable!!!

But it turns out short human learned a new way of cutting my nails in Catsterland's forums. She now holds me firmly to her side and uses a people's nail-clipper >:-(

I need to restrict human's access to the computer. She should be reading about ways to entertain me, feed me, please me and make me comfortable. Right?

The only good thing is we have a new game for the after-grooming session: she shows me a treat, trows it and I run-run-run chase and eat it!

~ Amalia ~

Games and toys

Dear Diary,

Like all cats, I am a serious gamer. These are some of my entertainment activities:

** The toys that move by themselves are so fun. There are many types of them: "lizzards", "butterflies", "squirrels" or just "bugs". Here in my new territory there are lots of lizzards; how I love to chase them! But you know what? they can walk on the walls! I jump and jump but can't hold on to walls with my paws....

** Short human can be a good playmate. We play hide-and-seek; I stay and wait, she runs and hide, then I go searching. When I find her, I jump to surprise her! Then she starts chasing me and I hide. We do this over and over until one of us is tired.

** "Catch the thingy" is a fun game too. We sit down on the bed and I hide under the sheets. Short human grabs a thingy (a small stick, a twist-tie, etc.) and I wait quietly until the thingy is passing close by and.... catch it!! I stick my paws out of the sheets and get the thingy. I go back under the sheets to start another round.

** Balls are really cool. The rattle ball is fun to chase; short-human throws it and I run! When it stops moving, I wait there for human to come and get it (you see, I trained her well). I also have a little bouncing soccer ball which human throws and I jump to catch it. But the *greatest* toy in the world is my red fuzzy ball, which my friend Six gave me when I was like 3 months old and is still with me!! I keep it in a secret place where human cannot find it, and get it only when I feel like playing.

Meow,

~ Amalia ~

Maybe the human should wear a nametag

Dear Diary,

Remember when I jumped from the balcony and was lost outside for 2 weeks? Well, I think this time it was short human who got lost.

One random day, she came and later said goodbye. The only different thing was that she was carrying two big-bulky bags, but I didn't see anything unusual with that. She kissed me, hugged me and left. She didn't come back in 3 weeks!!!

Food people kept coming, so I had supplies and playing company during the whole time; but I was so worried about short human. Was she ok? Did she get lost on the way back?

She finally came back last week. Oh how happy and relieved I was!! Poor short human had lost MY scent and look tired. We laid down on the bed and I cleaned her for like 20min, poor thing needed so much attention. I put my paws around her face and licked her all over; I even tried to clean her hair (but it's too long). I slept really close to her and made sure she was ok.

I was still nervous during the first couple of days. I tried to rescue her from the water monster. You see, she goes behind a curtain in the "bathroom" and then *puff* a water monster appears! I meowed when I couldn't see her, she showed her face from inside and I run to rescue her. But you know, it's water and I hate it, plus short human managed to get out of it unharmed.

Good thing she found the way back. Now everything's normal, but I'm wondering whether I should put her a nametag with our contact info, just in case :p

~ Amalia ~

~ ~ ~ Happy Birthday to meeeee ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today I am 2 years old!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Human has been extra nice, and is giving me tons of treats and kisses today. I am a beautiful, healthy and extremely intelligent Adult Cat! So as much as I enjoy cuddling and all, I have to tell short human it's about time to not call me kitty or gatita (in spanish) anymore; you know I am mature and adult now. Well, ahem... she can still kiss and hug and pet me and brush my hair, but don't call me kitty :-D


The dear hosts of Catsterland have given me 25 treats!!!! And I also appear in the Birthday Stroll. Thanks!!!!

Well, back to Adult Cat's business

~ Amalia ~

Having a human roommate

Dear Diary,

Living with a human can be difficult, but it is a nice experience.

You know people sometimes cannot grasp things right away, so you have to keep teaching them over and over. My human stills forgets to clean the litter-box on time, so I kindly remind her by going in there, sniffing around and walking away with a dignified attitude “I am not using the box in this condition”. You got to be nice and patient but strong.

They need *a lot* of attention. It is good to keep a watch and stay close to them all the time. I follow my human everywhere; I even have my own spot on the bed. However I still need my own space and sometimes retreat under a bed or inside a cupboard for a quiet time alone (until human becomes needy again and starts calling my name).

But it is very important to reward your humans when they learn. After she brings the food, I usually go and lick my human’s arm or leg in order to let her know “good job, my dear, keep it up!”

Short human is not very good at language skills. I understand when she calls my name and I even reply with an enthusiastic “meow!” when she asks “are you hungry, Amalia?”, but I am afraid she still doesn’t know the difference between a mmmmmeow, mmkrgnao or mrkgneow. I meow a lot to teach her, but in the meantime I resort to sign language which includes licking her face, running around frantically or biting her ankle.

So it is a constant teaching process for me; it takes a lot of energy but I enjoy it. Especially when she combs my hair, oh it feels su-purrrrrr-nice. It is great to know I have rescued a human soul from the loneliness and emptiness of a life without a cat. Purrrrrr, purrrrrr

I definitely recommend all cats to get a human or two.

~Amalia~

Back to real life

Dear Diary,

FINALLY human lets me update my memories after two and a half months! Adjusting to the new territory has been hectic, but I set my paw and said there is *no* excuse for me to not keep in touch with fellow catster-citizens. Sometimes training humans is not that easy, you have to be patient...

So, I have a new domain, there are new people around. They call this place "Singapore" and "Asia". It is super hot and humid, and that means I have lots of flying and walking toys! "lizzards" and "grasshopers" and flying thingies. It's like eternal summer-time. I **love** chasing toys.

People are impressed with my long journey from America. I am such a brave cat. And they are also impressed with my beauty; they always say "ahhhh so cute, kitty kitty kitty", I roll around and show my belly to display the whole of my cuteness. I have to admit I still love it when they talk to me like a baby :o)

I also requested the human to upload new pictures to my website; hey I will be 2 years old in a couple of months!

well, back to the window and watch for birds. meow,

~ Amalia ~

Take me to the human

Dear Diary,

Still in the pet hotel. Short human came to visit today, ooooh how I get excited and start meowing when I see her. We play with the ball and my teddy bear for a few minutes, then I go back to sleep. Short human stays standing next to my cage :)

Have I talked about my condo? My "room" in the pet hotel is a nice, spacious 2 level cage, next to a window where I can see people walking by. I use the upper level to sleep and get breeze; the food area and "restroom" are in the second level.

But, but... When am I getting out of this quarantine place?! I want to run around and be home with my human. She said there is only one week left, wooohoooo

This is a very hot place. You know I am a Hoosier, and it was winter when we came here. But I am getting used to it; I am glad I have short hair because my roommates with long hair are having a hard time.

On another notes: Valentine's Day!! I have a beautiful picture in Catster's Picture Party. Thanks to Webweaver.nu, Chris Cochems and Bry-Back Manor for the clipart.


Meow,

~ Amalia ~

oh! so hot... where are we?!

Dear Diary,

Crazy events keep happening... a few days ago the human puts me inside the travelling bag and we go to my 'doctor'. They did nasty things! Several shots and some smelly thing on my neck. I had to hiss (sorry, doc, but you know).

Then, a couple of days later I go into the bag again. We drove for an hour to this place with lots of people! That's when things started going *really* crazy. My human says goodbye to the guy that is always around, the guy kisses me goodbye too, and off we go on this big thing with many rows of seats and people. The human is all sentimental and says to me: "don't worry, gatita, we'll be flying and it will be over soon"... What??!

I have no idea where we were, but it was scary. I stayed in my bag under the seat most of the time. The flying thing made a lot of noise, I hated it but kept my nerve. The human took me several times to a tiny bathroom, set up a small litter pan and tried to convince me to go there, but I refused. I only use litter pans I trust (well, by the end of the flight I just couldn't hold it any more and had to use it... but my travelling bag is clean! no accidents.)

We went from one "plane" to another and then a 3rd one! The whole thing lasted 23 hours. Oh dear, I was so stressed by the end of it. Then we get off the plane and somebody says "Welcome to Singapore".... hhhmm so that's how humans call this place.

And my ordeal does not finish there. The human kissed me, hugged me and says I have to go to 'quarantine' in a pet hotel. That's where I am now. It is soooo hot, but I am getting used to it. I have cat roommates from everywhere! some of them speak english like me, others speak chinese, japanese, etc. The human visits all the time, I get all excited when she comes and plays with me, though I keep asking when I am going home...

meow

~ Amalia ~

New territory ?!

Dear Diary,

Meow. Meooooooow. It's been hectic lately. Short story: we are in a whole new place.

A few days ago, a bunch of bags and boxes appeared in my territory; I thought they were new toys and loved playing 'obstacle race' with them. But then everything went in the boxes and the humans were taking them out.

On new year's eve, my territory looked almost deserted. Then they make me get out of the couch and they take it out!! my beloved couch!!!
After that, short human and I drove to this new place, big big territory that smells like the other human that is around all the time. It is big, with many places to hide, climb and crawl under. And, ehem... there is a dog.

Short human took me in her arms, and the other human brings this scary-looking, wild 1-year-old Border Collie named Lindy. I told you, she looks dangerous! (even though people say she is cute). We went through the normal display of ferocity, authority, growling competition and hissing. I tried my best but... we established who's the boss (Lindy). Now I just run and hide whenever she is around.

It was weird the first couple of days, but I am starting to like it. However, short human said something about this being temporary. More changes?! Well maybe we'll go to a place with no dogs so I can be absolute queen again :0)

Meow,

~ Amalia ~

That white thing falling from the sky again

Dear Diary,

The human has been traveling a lot lately, so I couldn't use the computer and update my memories.

A few weeks ago she took me to a pet hotel and left me there for 10 days. It was cool, good food and a big cage for myself but I had a couple of arguments with a roommate (gosh! some cats get sooo territorial). I was ecstatic to come back home with the human, I couldn't stop kissing and hugging her on the ride back here.

Then, last week short-human started acting strangely again: tons of kisses, hugs, many many treats... and a bag full of clothes. Hmmm... this time I stayed home to take care of things, but one of my human-friends came and visit with me every day --I didn't bite her this time, she is too nice for that ;o)

And now, guess what? That white stuff humans call 'snow' (or 'nieve' in my human's spanish) is falling from the sky again!! It looks sooooo fun, I want to go out and jump and catch it. I tried but... man it is so cold, and worst: it is WET! I hope all my fellow catster citizens are warned again this fun-looking floating 'snow' and don't get in the trap of getting their paws wet. It may be an ambush for giving us a bath! Be careful!!

On another notes, somebody left a message saying they found my collar... I am not sure whether I want humans to reconstruct my journey... to be continued...

I am now back to my bed, which started looking cozy and appealing with this cold weather. Meow (yaaaaawn)

~ Amalia ~

My adventure hike REVEALED!

Dear Diary,

Short human took me to the cat doctor last week. I wasn't too happy about the car ride, but I don't mind a little shaking after being in the wild world for 2 weeks. My doctor was very pleased to find me healthy --dirty and stinky, but all fine. She was even happier to see I lost weight!! The truth is I was chubby , so now I am a slender, more beautiful cat.

...The human gave me a bath after that, but I'd rather not talk about it.

Now that I have been home for a week, I can tell about my adventures during this 2-weeks absence. The truth is I always wanted to travel around the world, so I decided to go on a hiking trip.

I had mentioned my plans to the human, but she says she doesn't understand meowing (yeah, right, like I don't talk to her everyday). Anyway, after preparing for the trip and checking the weather, I jumped out of the balcony one night. I took nothing with me.

And there I was, out in the wilderness. The scenery was exciting, with fresh air and so many places to see. This journey included personal exploration and meditation about my feline nature, so I needed to be no near humans. That's why I kept running away and hiding whenever a person would see me. I also needed to detach from material posessions, so I got rid of the collar right away.

I met a bunch of kitties on similar journeys. A group of travelling cats took me along and I signed up for their tour entitled 'Be a real cat in a real world'. We would start everyday with a stretch, exploration walk and then the most experienced ones would teach seminars on real-life skills such as "chase the slowest squirrel", "hidden food: yes, there is some!" and "recognize a dog from the distance".

It was fun. However, after 2 weeks of intense hiking, not having a nice place to sleep, some cats getting into brawls and no human to feed me, I decided to come back. I went to the back of the building, called for short human but she wasn't there. Our next door neighbour was around and I asked if he would host me at his place while waiting for my human.

So that was it. I don't regret it, but boy am I happy to be warm and fed again!! I sleep every night with the human, and give her kisses all the time to remind her how much I missed home. Sometimes I stare at the window for hours, though, and remember those wild adventures.

~ Amalia ~

Trip to 'the other side'

Dear Diary,

This is Amalia again. Tonight I am back home!

I went to Boot Camp on the other side of my territory. I cannot say where I was, I can only tell that I jumped one night out of my balcony and stayed out for 2 weeks. I have been told that humans were looking for me all around.

Tonight, our next door human neighbour saw me behind the building. This nice guy brought food and called me, then took me to his place where my human came to pick me up. We were sooooo happy to see each other!!!

It took me a few minutes to recognize home, but oh I am so happy to be back. I cannot stop purring, purr, purrr, purrrrrrr....

It was tough. I lost weight and can use a bath, but other than that I am fine. However short human mentioned a visit to the vet. hhhhmmm I don't know about that.

purrrrr, purrr. I am exhausted.
Thanks to all Catster friends for your nice messages!!!

~Amalia~

No news from Amalia

Amalia disappeared a week ago. We thought she was hiding in a nearby garage, but it turned out to be a cat with a similar coloring that has been there for at least 2 weeks.

Somebody saw her around the building next to us, wearing her collar.

It's been a sad week. I hope she finds a warm place, it kills me to think of her hungry and cold.

Thanks everybody for your nice messages!

Amalia has run away

Amalia was out in the balcony last night, as usual. I fell asleep and she wasn't there anymore when I woke up.

When looking for her today, we saw her hiding in a garage. But she was scared and ran when we approached her. We haven't been able to find her.

My heart is so broken. Winter is coming and it is getting cold. She seemed to have eaten the food we left by the garage, but won't come out yet. I just hope she lets me or somebody else take care of her again.

~ Cat of the Week ~ purr, purr

Dear Diary!!

This week was my anniversary of moving in with my human and becoming a Catster citizen. I received the best gift ever! I was made Cat of the Week in Catsterland!

Short human printed the award and posted it on the fridge =-)

Many fellow Catster citizens have given me crunchy treats!!
I even received three rosettes! From Bruce, Tiger Lily and Mugsy :-D
..and other purrfect cats have become my friends. That makes it 96 friends to date, it is sooooo nice!
Purrr, purrr

[From short human:] THANKS everybody for the nice messages, I am so proud of my kitty!

~ Amalia ~

New pets

Dear Diary,

With the hot days, many small flying toys wander my territory; and they have become my new pets. Short human calls them "cigarras" in her spanish language, "cicadas" in english. They are so much fun!!!

I go to the balcony, lay down very quiet and wait... until one of them comes flying nearby and zap! I jump and catch it!!! I immediately run into the apartment with the toy in my mouth, they vibrate and make this whirring sound, whirrrrrrrrrrrr which echoes in my mouth.

It is so fun!! I drop the cicada on the carpet, wait for it to fly and I jump and catch it again!!! over and over. Sometimes I pick it by the wings, the cicada vibrating and whirring whirrrrrrr and short human all scared on a corner (she does not know how to have fun)...

However, most times short human takes the flying toy and lets it go out again, spoiling my fun. I think the cicada enjoys it too, so there is nothing wrong ;o)


meow,

~ Amalia ~

Short human is back

Dear Diary,

One day last week my human roommate brings a big bag, fills it with human 'clothes', gives me like a thousand hugs and kisses, leaves me lots of treats around the apartment and then leaves. She did not come back for 7 days...

In the meantime, a nice woman started showing up in my territory. I had seen her once before. She would come everyday, feed me and play. I was shy at first, but after a while my true personality came afloat :-D --I got so affectionate that I bit her (ahem... sorry nice human, that means I like you)

Well, my roommate came back friday night and boy was I happy to see her!! I admit that I even acted like a dog; kissing and hugging and following her everywhere. Purrr, purr

But what does short human do the day after coming back? She tries giving me the medicine!!! Can you believe the nerve?? This time I set my paw down and did not let her (then we went back to playing).

purrrr, purrrrrrr

~Amalia~

A healthy lifestyle

Dear Diary,

I have been working on having a more active lifestyle. A few months ago my 'doctor' realized I was developing a little bit of fat around my tummy and said I needed to exercise more. I love it because it means more playtime!! Short human runs around the apartment with me. I also love playing merry-go-round: the human sits on the floor holding a string I can't help but chase and makes me go around and around and around... Sometimes I cheat and jump over her instead, but you know it's just tactics ;-)

The not-so-fun part about a healthy lifestyle is taking the allergy medicine. hhhmmm.... I don't like it. But after the medicine, short human gives me treats and kisses and plays with me, so I quickly forget I was mad at her. So at the end it's ok.

oh! and I became friends with a nice family at Catster! They are Silver, Yoko, Simba, and Baxter. Simba likes kissing his human! just like me. Baxter is a brave independent cat, though I hope she lets their human adopt her. purrrr, purrrr

~Amalia~

I have new tenants

Dear Diary,

A couple of birds have moved into my domain. They are starting a new family and built their nest right above the balcony, on a ledge that comes out of a column of the building. I cannot reach there but if I can see it, it means they are within my territory. They are so close, though...

There is always one of them on the nest, and I keep watching all day, reminding them this is my territory. Sometimes they have friends coming over, and -poor unaware birdies- they stand on the railings. HA! I almost got one of them this morning. Meanwhile, I practice my hunting skills by chasing flies :o)

Short human gave me a nice water fountain as a birthday gift. It is a bowl with some "angel" figures with vases, and water keeps pouring down like a cascade. It is soooo cool, and satisfies my cravings for playing with running water. I even take baths in there: one paw in, then the other one and shake-it-shake-it shake-it to dry... a whole nice bath by myself, not like when the human puts me in the sink and wets me all over (horrible!).

purrrrr, purrrr

~Amalia~

♪ ♪ Happy Birthday to me ♪ ♪

Dear Diary:

♫ I am one year old ♫
♫ Don't call me kitty anymore ♫
♫ Now I am a Young Adult Cat ♫

So this month I am not a kitty anymore. The human bought me new food, not the one for babies. It's yummy, by the way.

I have two new friends: Sophie and Annie. They are so cute! And I see they like sleeping in boxes too; my human once bought me a "bed" but I never liked it, a carboard box is sooo much better, not so hot I guess. Purrs to them and all my other 20 friends to date!! Cat-Six, Cassie, Doogie, Tiki, Spooky, Motley Crue, Dude, Hazel Lucy, the super popular Mercedes, Milo, Zoe, Smudge, Salem, Pixie, Milo, Mango, Squeaks, Taby who's from the same country as my human, Shyla and Zap.

Well I have go do the stuff adult cats do, you know, taking care of things and my territory and sleeping and all that. purrr, purrr

~ Adult Amalia ~

Update

Dear Diary,

There was a lot of movement last weekend. It seems something important was going on with short-human; she was wearing a long "gown" and a funny black square hat.

And guess what? Tall-guy came to visit me! I guess he missed me too much. I showed him how big and mature I am now. I made sure to rub against his clothes and bags so he's marked as part of my domain wherever he's going :o)

The allergy is back today, my right eye is watery. Short human grinded up the medicine and put it inside a ball of sausage... HA! Like I wouldn't smell it. I took the sausage out of my food plate and kept eating... Short-human saw me and then forced me to swallow a pill. That was humilliating! I didn't like her too much after that.

And my friend Six posted a picture of me on his website! It's one of me sleeping on his tree. That tree was sooo cool.

I think the allergy medicine made me sleepy. meooooow, meow

~Amalia~

A visit to my friend

Dear Diary,

Last week was exciting! I spent a few days visiting the domain of my friend Cat-Six. It was so much fun. Well, ahem... it wasn't exactly like that in the beginning...

So my human-roommate takes me to Six's place (apparently she had to go somewhere out of town). There I am, everything smells like Six and his two humans. I couldn't just be friendly right away, you know I had to show some strength and send the message "don't mess with me". To tell you the truth, I was also scared... So I chose a spot behind some curtains to hide myself and kept hissing "I look like a kitty but my strength is enormous!". Cat-Six didn't mind me hissing, he just wanted to play.

The humans then put me in a room with my food plate and bathroom-box. I wasn't ready to trust them yet, though. But after a couple of days, I came out and meowed "ok please give me some love and pet me!!". I just couldn't take it anymore.

After that... it all went downhill. My buddy Six and I invented new games everyday, and he let me use his tree!! Oh that was so fun, climbing to the top and stretching and all. We would play "king of the kitty tree", "tag you're it", "make a lot of noise and don't move when humans come" and many others.

I was even sad when short-human came back, I didn't want to leave. But well, I am back now to my territory, and I get to climb on the railings of my balcony again. And the allergy is gone! I didn't need any medicine; it was apparently something outside.

meow, meow. purrrrrr....

~ Amalia ~

Seasonal allergies

Dear Diary,

Short human had to take me to my doctor because I am having watery eyes. I cry every day. Turns out it's allergy! Yes, not only people suffer with the spring season (hhmm... I hope I am not allergic to humans!)

Then she bought me some kind of sausage; I didn't like it at first but I smelled it and it looked yummy. But when I was eating it, I noticed something hard in it... what the heck: short human was trying to trick me into taking medicine! So I refused to eat. She tried again, and I said: fine. I took the sausage, ate it all and spit the medicine back. Oh no, Amalia's not a fool.

Now I have inspect my food thoroughly, who knows what trick my human-roommate will try on me. And I hope this allergy goes away....

meow,

~ Amalia ~

It's getting warmer!

Dear Diary,

Outside's been so nice lately. I go out to my balcony and lay down on the floor, taking the sun. It's so nice.

And I almost caught a bird yesterday! haha! but it saw me and flew away. No problem, I'll get it next time...

Short human hasn't payed too much attention to me lately. I have to keep going to the computer, get in front of the screen, walk on the keyboard and remind her that I need specific levels of attention everyday. When she doesn't understand, I have to take drastic measures: jump directly to her lap. She needs to learn that it is pet time. now. and I don't negotiate.

On other curiosities, I swear I heard tall-guy's voice coming out of the computer. And short human was talking back. I rubbed my head against the computer, and purr, just in case.

**yaaaaawn** meow. meow. purrrr....

~ Amalia ~

Taking over the world

Dear Diary,

So I can FINALLY write on my diary again. Short-human has been monopolizing the computer and I haven't updated my website for over a month! I need to remind her of a few lessons.

For the last weeks I have been extending my power over the world and humans. I conquered new territories and expanded my domain to... the food room!! People call it "kitchen". While the human was distracted with the computer, I went there and claimed it mine. She realized there is no stopping me and gave up. Ha ha!

Three days ago we went to a shopping place. It's a big store where animals take their humans and shop for food, clothes, toys, etc. It was cool except for the dogs walking around with their humans. I was so scared that I didn't leave my human's arms. However, I was fine by the time we left because I became the center of attention. Other humans were saying how beautiful I am; even a nice lady came and pet me. And dogs are fine, not really that scary anymore.

You know, I act serious and all to show authority, but I like my human a lot :o) We take naps together on the couch, and when it's too cold in the morning I go to the bed and get under the blankets with her. I like taking her by surprise and plant a big kiss on her cheek. Sometimes I even give her a bath, licking all her face to wake her up.

Purrrrr, purrrrrr

~Amalia~

My latest stunt

Dear Diary,

When I want to get fresh air, I tell little-human to open the door to the balcony so I can get on the railings, hang out and watch what's going on outside. Well, last week I pulled my greatest stunt ever...

The human trusted me (ha!) and went inside the apartment for a moment. Then, there they were: the birds. All over, flying from one tree to the other, singing, waiting for me to catch them. All my instincts took control of me. I had to catch one of them, I just had to. I couldn't think of anything else. Must... catch... the bird...

Then...*puff* A moment later I found myself on a side wall of the building, clenched with my claws. Boy I was terrified, I had to admit. The human came back and I yelled "meeeeeooow! I have no idea how I got here!". She asked me to jump back, and I tried but hey I was on a side wall!! The human reached out for me but she's too short for that. So I streched my tail, let her pull me and then grab me.

Now I am supervised all the time. My human, a first-time cat roommate, learned the lesson. I am still devising a plan to get the bird, though =-)

meow,

~ Amalia ~

Training my humans

Dear Diary,

So I am fully recovered from the surgery. It was very nice having special care and attention, but hey! I have all this energy inside that needs to be expressed. Now more than ever I'm running, climbing and jumping high.

I'm training the short human to play fetch. She trows the ball, I chase it and then I stay there looking at the ball to let her know she needs to come to me, get the ball and throw it again. Sometimes she understands, sometimes she doesn't. But it is ok, she's still cute and I lick her after our playing sessions.

The tall guy, my other roommate, came back. He brought me a cool new toy, a brown hard ball with something that makes noise inside. And he finally understood that I *do* understand human language and can keep a conversation (well, lot of times I have no idea what they say but I still meow back).

well, I have to go back and see if I can recover the red fuzzy ball from under the couch. sneaky ball!

Meow,
~Amalia~

ouch! mi pancita (ouch! my tummy)

Dear Diary,

I don't remember exactly what happened... memories are fuzzy...

2 days ago I woke my human up, like everyday, at 4.30am. She pet me and fell back asleep like any normal day. But short after she got up, she put me the "leash" and took me inside a moving vehicle. At first, it was kind of cool being in that machine, but then it started accelerating! I yelled at my human "do you realize we are moving?!!!" but she kept singing like everything was ok.

We got to some place where there were other cats and... dogs. Oh how spooky. After that my memory gets fuzzy, I felt sleepy. When I woke up, I see my belly is shaved and I have a scar! I spent the night there and yesterday morning my short human came to rescue me. She keeps saying I am such a brave cat (like I didn't know) and that this "spaying" thing is good for me. What is she talking about?

I hope my hair in that area grows back, you know I've always been such a beautiful young cat and this is embarrasing. I feel weak :o( But my human is giving me special care and attention :oD

Now back at home, I spend most of the time licking the scar and getting some rest. It is so nice sleeping on a sweater that smells just like my other human, the tall one. I miss that guy. From time to time I hear his voice coming through this small device, and the short human talks back to it (?). Anyway, she says he will be back soon.

aaah my tummy. I'll go back to sleep.

~Amalia~

All white

Dear Diary,

Everything outside is white! There is this white stuff called "snow"falling from the sky and covering the trees and all. Mom opened the door to the balcony and let me go; I was having so much fun jumping and scratching in this snow thing and then... What the heck? I realized I was all wet. Hhmm, that wasn't very funny. Is that a trap for giving me a bath again?

With this cold weather, we've been just lazy. Just hanging out at home. The little human built me a climbing wall yesterday, it's very cool.

Meow. Meeeooow *yawn*. Purr, purrrrrr. I'm sleepy, better go and lay on mommy's lap.

~Amalia~

Brrrr

Dear Diary,

Brrr! It's getting cold and wet. I am not excited too much anymore about going out; the last couple of times I ran back home and ask the human to open the door already. My humans bought me a sweater... a sweater! Do they think I'm a dog? Well I have to admit I sort of like it, it is warm and nice.

Even though they still call me kitty, I am big now, a young adult cat... or maybe a teenager. I don't fit in my tunnel anymore. But I jump so high!! My new favorite spots are on top of the tv and the closet.

My humans keep learning new tricks. When they watch tv, I lay down between the two of them and they both pet me! They're so cute. And of course, I give them nose kisses as a positive reinforcement.

Meow,

~Amalia~

First month

Dear diary,

Oct. 14th marked a month of being at my new home. Already!

My humans learn fast. My mom is good at playing all games I've taught her, and daddy knows how to accomodate his feet on the chair just in the exact position I like for sleeping between them. They have been also learning cat language; they know a long "meeeeeeeeeeeeeoooooow" means I want to play, and a short "meow!" means "what's up".

I'm an expert climber. They take me outside to climb trees and wow I am so good. My only limit is the length of the leash; I jump from branch to branch so bravely. Well.... ahem... actually I get scared sometimes, and there was this time when I fell and mom caught me, but I told her I meant to do that :o)

Humans are cute. And they need affection, that's why I wake them up everyday with nose kisses, licking their face and all.

The only thing is they don't let me into the food room. They go in there and come back with my food, and they also go there to get their own food. What's up with them? I guess it is a territorial issue.

Here comes mommy. Meow, meeeeeeeeeeooooooooow, meeeeeeoooooooow

~ Amalia ~

The outside world

Dear Diary,

I am exhausted. This evening they took me outside to a big forest. They tied one of my toys around my neck and body, it's a long string they call "leash". They use it so I can walk in front and guide them for a walk, which I did.

There were many trees, and I climbed them all! Well don't tell anybody, but I'm still little and afraid of climbing too high, but I did a pretty good job. I'm so fascinated by everything outside, although there are some scary, noisy big steel horses I don't like.

On other notes, I taught mommy a new game. She hides and I run around the house looking for her. When I find her, I run fast and she tries to catch me (which she never can, but I let her sometimes).

I like these humans. They need me to wake them up in the morning by licking their faces and ears. Who knows what the big one would do if I let him sleep late. Meow.

Oh! the slinky! must catch it!

~ Amalia ~

One week

Dear Diary,

Meow. So I have been in my new house for a week already. I have two humans, they are nice. I picked them up when they went to the shelter, they looked like good people to live with.

My website is up and I have lots of new friends. And Cat-Six has given me lots of toys! Yesterday he sent me a new tunnel. It's soooo cool. I'm training my human to throw the ball inside the tunnel for me, and I run to catch it. Ha ha!

~ Amalia ~