Sweet, Sweet Sugar

**This is a letter to my little T, aka Chabifa!***

Dear Tabifa,
Shanks for being the wonderful lap kitty that I always wanted. Although I've had a lap kitty before, it was only as a child...I vowed that when I had my own kitties, they would be spoiled, indoor only pampered kitties.

Since then, we adopted Milo, our Zen Buddhist kitten. He calms me down when the world around me is spinning at 50 mph, and I love to give him kisses and hugs while holding him like the baby that he is. He never complains, but he will put his soft paw (no claws) on my mouth to show he'd like to be on all 4's again- puhlease, Meowm! He also dips his paw in the water bowl, and washes himself. I hate that b/c I don't want litter particles tainting the water for them, but we can't stop him from doing that and got rid of the really deodorized litters.

So far, we have several modern conventions to thank for our sanity. We have the Littermaid, the Litter Robot, and the Roomba. The two litter machines require little scooping, and the Roomba sucks up all the nasty cat and Ruby's black bristly Lab hair every day.

Tabifa, you hold a special place in Meowm's heart. I rescued you and your sibbies (and half sibbies) from a feral colony, and you were the sweetest kitten of the bunch. I used to hold you in my arms close, like a baby, and would sing you Disney songs as you held your ears back in fear. In time, your ears turned upwards into curiosity, and you purred as soon as I'd give you a big hug...

Since then, little Chabifa has really blossomed into a beautiful, curvaceous little lady. She's still small for her age, though I guess technically not, as she is less than a year old but the same weight as Milo, so at least 7 pounds or so. She eats like the piggie she is, and rarely has stomach upset. She waits for
Milo to leave some wet food which is why she caught up to him weight wise. They never fight over food, and they gladly share between each other.

Milo and Tabifa have become the best of sibbies. They sleep together often now (more than when she was younger), they groom each other all the time (it looks like they are two lovers making out, esp. with Tabifa's neck craning out), and they eat together peacefully. Since her arrival, there was not even a single swat or hiss from Milo or even on her end. They were meant to be buddies for life, and are now very close and love to spend time chasing each other, soaking in light beams, and basking in sun rays as they stream through the windows on a late Sunday evening.

Chabifa, aka my little Princess, is definitely my sweet, sweet sugarpie. All our furbies are spoiled, but she gets extra attention b/c she's the baby of the family. I love that she starts purring within seconds of me kissing her, stroking her fur, or holding her close to my heart. She knew I was writing her a
letter, and jumped right up onto my lap, sprawling out on my computer with her paws on the lower keyboard...

She has a wide variety of facial expressions. When you stroke her neck, she cranes it upwards, and has a look of utter contentment as she closes her eyes gently...When she's eating, she's voracious and eats chunks of food whereas Milo takes his sweet time and LICKS his food. hehe When she wants to play or when she waits for me, she meows at us sweetly in one of her different tones...there's Meoooow (hurry let's play)...Meoow? (are you ready to play). Meowm Meowm Meow (when she holds a toy in her mouth and brings it as a gift). She has other tones but those are the most used. She still has the sour lemon face as her face and muzzle are still really small compared to her body!

Lately, she's been taking Bella's whale toy, and carrying it up the stairs while meowing in a


consecutive pattern. She then drops the toy off at our feet. She also plays with a smaller stuffed animal toy BY HERSELF, by somehow throwing it in the air, tossing it around the floor, and attacking it while tossing it with her own 2 paws. She LOVES stuffed animals just like her dog sister Bella, and carries them around in her mouth...

As for Bella, our crazy JRT mix pup, she and Little T are best buds too. They often sleep together, with Tabifa on top of Bella, just relaxing, and resting her stretched out paw on Bella's deep chest. She licks and grooms Bella, and Bella in turn licks her ears, enjoying the attention and warmth of a warm kitten next to her. She lets Tabifa sit on top of her, next to her, and enjoys sleeping on the same bed with her no matter what. She even lets Chabifa steal her kibble from time to time...She lets Chabifa play with all her toys, as she in turn loves the cat toys as her own...

Chabifa loves to lounge with us in bed. Just relaxing, on our laps, on our stomachs, and even next to us, kneading on our laps or purring away...

But my all time favorite Tabifa thing is when she comes in the middle of the night to sleep with us. I am mostly asleep, but I can always hear her loud purring...resonating through the darkness...and I feel her soft whiskers gently tickle my face as she plops down right between DH and I. that's always the spot she goes for, right between us with the maximum area for warmth. As she settles in, she does a half "meyyarr" and will stretch out onto her stomach, and I make space for her,
so comfy and settled...She then tucks her little head under my chin, and lets me caress her coat in my sleepy stupor...Of course, she eventually gets up around 5 am before I wake up to horse around with Milo as they are both early bloomers and are anxiously awaiting breakfast...

She's been doing that almost every night for a good 6 weeks now. She used to do that sporadically but she does it almost every night now, whether or not the door to the bedroom is closed. Latley its been open as the room stinks if the dogs have an accident, or if the kitties pee/poo in the Litter Robot.

Chabifa reminds us of a little dog. She has certain dog mannerisms an dplays like a dog, eats like a dog, and imitates Bella at every chance she can get. She is very affectionate and needs to be with people. Although she is afraid of strangers and runs when the doorbell rings, she genuinely loves her pawrents and sibbies more than anything...

I promised my furbies that I'd provide them with a safe, nurturing environment where they will never have to hunger, work for food, or be unhealthy again. In our house, our furbies, including our dogs, are indoors only-- even Ruby our big Lab mix that sheds like crazy. We love all our furbies and will
continue to give them the best that time and money have to offer!


Lately though, I've been so busy with work and with fosters, and some adoption issues our small rescue has been having But I have never failed to spend time with little T getting her late evening work out!
Since we fostered Tabifa, we have TNR"ed countless adult ferals, feed at several colonies, and have tamed and socialized many so-called "unadoptable" kitties, many of whom were not the easiest cases to find homes for-- personality and/or looks wise

Tabifa- had Dad never come across your colony- this journey would not have begun... Our efforts have turned into a small but devoted rescue group!

We think to ourselves how easy it would've been to recue and adopt tame kittens and cats. But we have chosen to work with ferals, as these are the kitties that need us the most, and don't have a lot of
rescues that are willing to work with them...

In fact, there are NO rescues you can call in this area if you find feral kittens. Nobody will take them. Unless you want to foster and socialize them, nobody will take the kittens. That's why we tame down
kitties, and we even have a whole slew of older kitties that aren't quite feral but very shy. They all seemed to have been owned at one point b/c they were touchable from the start...

The Best of Times, the Worst of Times...

Monday, march 30, 2009
Its been a week since Cheyenne, our rescued Maine Coon kitten went missing. My uncle struggled many times whether to release her back. But I made him stand firm because I don’t believe in releasing a former feral kitten back after you’ve kept the kitty for several weeks. The cat can’t survive in that outdoor environment, and loses valuable training skills.

Just last week Sunday, March 23, She was adopted into a wonderful new home, but the new owner didn’t follow my instructions, and didn’t keep her confined to a small room. It was too soon, because that very night, she escaped through a small gap in the window. It was a narrow gap, but the screen was loose. Also, the new owner didn’t discover her cat was missing until the next night, so she had escaped for a full 24 hours before she was discovered. She was originally going to be adopted into a different home, but that family decided not to adopt because they didn’t want to drive 26 miles (yes, it was the worst & lamest excuse, as I’ve had people drive 70 miles one way to see one of my kittens).

We are devastated by this incident. She lives in an area crawling with coyotes and other wildlife, and its university housing so the complex is huge and vast. There are large bushes everywhere, with tons of places to hide. Rabbits running rampant, and large dumpsters that conceal every putrid culinary pleasure. The new owner has tried looking for her at night (after 10 PM), daily since her disappearance, put lost posters everywhere, re-set the food in the live humane traps in different locations, but so far, nothing. Nobody has seen her, and now I’m worried she’s dead. My uncle has gone to the complex himself, cruising the property for hours, looking for her several times that week and setting extra traps in different areas. Still no luck. The new owner is giving up, as she only had Cheyenne for a few days and not more.

I keep thinking in my head about what went wrong. A snowball of events that led to this misfortune. If that adopter hadn’t cancelled, I would’ve adopted to him or to the several people who called after her. I thought she would provide a great home, the only reservation I had was her age (she’s 22). I’ve learned my lesson the hard way, and I will not adopt out to anyone under 25 or so, unless I have some additional assurances that the person is wise beyond his/her years. Also, she’d escaped earlier that week, but within 5 days we found her. That too was a small miracle b/c I was wrapping up the drop trap after waiting for 2 hours on a weekday, and she hadn’t shown up. But my Dad had driven up with her in one of the traps he’d set back there. The difference is that in that prior incident, the cat had actually been seen twice, though not every day and it was close to where she used to live.Then, the fact that the new adopter didn’t confine the cat, and even after she almost escaped during the adoption when being handed to the adopter’s friend, it was not enough for her to pay heed and confine her and check ALL her windows. So if she hadn’t left that window open, this wouldn’t have happened either. Anyways, I still blame myself for what happened. I shouldn’t have adopted to her. Granted, everyone else who called lived even further away, and lived in homes or townhouses where access to back areas would be even more difficult but I can’t help but regret my decision.

I was very depressed yesterday because of this, as I was already on the verge of burnout from doing so much rescue in spite of a full time, 70 hour a week job including weekends. My uncle is exactly the same way, but worse. We both agreed that once we are done with TNR for the last colony near his home, no more rescuing on our own. I barely have time to take care of my own 4 furbies, plus work, and my poor husband never seems to get enough time with me either. And adoptions were going smoothly until Cheyenne vanished. I guess you can only learn from your mistakes, and move forward. This morning, I resolved to do just that, and have decided to let it go…All my guilt, my repeating the incident over in my head, I’ve gotta just let it go. Things like this do happen, though they are unfortunate, and I just have to DEAL.

Tuesday, march 31, 2009
Today is a NEW day! Yay! I’m over the whole Cheyenne incident, and no longer will spend anymore time wallowing in my guilt and regret. No mas. Life is short, and there are more kitties who need me.

On the bright side: We received an email last week from mighty’s parents that he is doing great! They say he is fearless, playful, affectionate and growing well. We will be visiting him soon, that’s for sure! I also got a surprise email from Gizmo’s Dad and he is so spoiled and doing great. He is so cute and adorable with his little German moustache. We also got Merlin adopted to a really nice lady this past weekend who loves Meezers, so he was truly our little Cinderella. He wasn’t even properly posted for adoption but we had one of his pictures up, and that’s the pic she noticed. She came to our home for over an hour to spend time with him to see if he would be the next great kitty for her. She is very knowledgeable about kitties, and clearly intends to spoil Merlin! So there were a lot of good things, and just one bad thing (Cheyenne). Furthermore, my 2 former ferals are going up for adoption through Meoowz Resq. They are both getting more accustomed to being held, and they now meow. They still need some attention, but they are really coming around. I just need a couple weeks more and they should be MUCH better. Once I can start playing with them with toys, they will be much easier to handle.

So far, we have 5 rescued kittens left. They are all older, but Hershey and Harlow are the youngest pair. After these 5, we're taking a break, and going back to fostering with a rescue group.

Lucky Number S'eleven

Lucky Number S’Eleven

Meowm has been ITCHING to update this site with all that has happened lately. Unfortunately, she’s been bogged down at work, and has worked weekends and 80 hour weeks lately. Needless to say, she comes home exhausted, but 99 percent of the time, she makes time to play with me every night (one night, she got home, washed her face, got into her jimmies, and passed out). I have a specific toy, this dangly thing from Walmart that I insist on playing with, and I don’t like to play with Dad—it has to be Meowm! Haha She’s got a special technique that I love that Dad hasn’t been able to replicate just yet. Heehee So she makes sure we have our playtime, and I go to bed a happy little kitten

Although Meowm has been busy, Dad has been picking up the slack for her, esp. the last several months. She tells me what a wonderful husband and Dad he is, as he cleans the house, gets dinner ready most nights, and takes care of us even sometimes coming home during lunch to let the dogs go potty outside. He feeds all 4 of us our special diet concoctions every night, takes the dogs on walks, takes the dogs out regularly for potty breaks, and plays with us kittens with our favorite toys. He also gives us plenty of snuggle time when Meowm isn’t home, so he’s been absolutely instrumental to Meowm not losing her sanity despite her sleep deprivation and physical fatigue. Meowm has never worked these kinds of hours, but she is really GRATEFUL in this plummeting economy for extra work, such that she rarely has a bad day. Gratitude = good mood (well, most of the time)!

Meowm was studying for an important licensing exam back in October and November, and Dad had to pick up the slack then too. She would come home after work, and konk out for a few hours, then hit the books. The weekends were the same- just studying and cleaning. The night before her exam, Meowm became nervous about the exam, as she always does before any exam. And while I usually sleep next to Meowm and Dad at about 3-4 AM every night, this particular night, I came to sleep several hours earlier. I also cuddled up right next to her arm, and rested my little tiny chn on her arm to let her know that everything was going to be OK. I could sense her exhaustion, her anxiety, and what not, and I wanted to make her feel better. And boy did it work! She took the exam the next day, and found out she passed about a week and half later! She was so stoked, and she says it really helped her to have my soothing purr lull her to sleep, and to feel my tiny paws kneading her lightly as I fell asleep in her arms…

Meomw and even Dad become more enamoured of me every day. They love me for my unique qualities- Meowm says I’m super quirky and idiosyncratic, just like her, so we have a special bond I don’t like it when she holds me in her arms like a baby, and I squirm to get away, but I do like plopping down on her lap, on her computer, and resting my chin and/or feetsies on her arms whenever I can. I also love to roll on my belly in front of Meowm, and get belly rubs. My fave thing to do at 4 am at night, is to jump into bed with Meowm and Dad. I squeeze right into the center of the two of them, and Meowm scooots over so there’s enough space for me to sprawl out. Then, I end up purring the night away which both of them find soothing AND I benefit from dual body heat on both sides. Hehehe They hope I continue to be snuggly and sweet as the months, and then the years go by…

Meanwhile, I get along swimmingly with the resident dog, Bella. Although she has these crazy hyperactive spells and bum rushes me like a football player charging for the finish line,I know she means no harm. That’s why I love to snuggle right up to her, and sleep side by side with MY dog. Yep, she’s mine b/c even though she never does what I say, she loves ME! Hehe I don’t know why I love that dog so much,but I really like to sleep with her. I also seem to be emulating her—as I wrestle with HER toys in the same manner that she plays with her toys, I fetch like she does, I sleep and roll over on my belly like she does, and I cuddle like she does. I also get along great with my older cat bro—he’s only a little over 1 year old and he is the little Buddha in our house—like the eye of the cyclone—so calm, so centered, so unfazed. Meowm hangs out with him whenever she needs to calm down, as his very soothing aura puts her into a more palliative, calm state of mind. He is my big bro and we’re best buds too. We sleep in the cat tree together, though we sleep in different rooms on the cat tree. We groom and lick each other all day, and compete to sleep in my faux lion bed which I kindly share with him. He is a small adult cat, but still he’s bigger than me, so it gives me less space to sleep on the lion bed. Hehehe

As for the lucky 11, it has been a miracle that Meowm and Grandpaw found homes for so many kittens. They were tough cases—older than 3 months, shy to varying degrees, not the prettiest colors or eyes, and even one that was all-black at 6 months old, and another that went blind in one eye. Most of them were about 5-6 months old, so we thought it would take longer to get them adopted, but they went to such lovely homes. Meowm still keeps in touch with some of them, and has heard back from EVERY owner as to their new kitty. Some went to multi-cat homes, others went to homes with affluent owners, and some went to homes without other kitties where they are being spoiled to bits.

Meowm has worked with Dad previously, and recently, with Grandpaw to rescue kittens, get them healthy and pest-free, vet-checked and treated, spayed/neutered, then find great homes for all of them. It has been kittens non-stop since July of this year, and boy, just when meowm thinks she’s going to take a break, Grandpaw brings home more kittens. He can’t help it I guess—he’s been doing that since Meowm was a kid (guess its somehow genetic too). Since she’s been so busy at work, Grandpaw now does the tough part—the trapping, the daily care, removing fleas, deworming, vet visits, spay/neuter, post-surgery treatment, and socializing them, b/c most of the time they are feral. Meowm handles the adoptions—she writes their adoption ads, handles all correspondence and communicates with the adopters, and usually shows up for the adoptions to handle the adoption, and make sure each of the kittens finds the right home. She’s lucked out b/c ALL of the homes she’ s adopted kittens to went to such nice, accommodating owners…Even the ones who didn’t end up adopting from her ended up being really great people as far as she can tell…In any event, it doesn’t stop there—she and Grandpaw have 3 kittens waiting in the wings, and at least 2 more after that. They’ve also got at least 5 adult cats to get fixed before kitten season hits, so tis a huge responsibility. Meowm doesn’t know how Grandpaw does it while running a full-time, 7 day a week business, but he cares so much for the kitties, and really is happy to see them go to such great homes….And when the kittens stop showing up, Meowm and Grandpaw will go back to fostering with a rescue group, as it will not cost them as much money and effort!

Meowm's Little Princess...

is ME!

I am her little doll, and always let her know how I'm feeling. She has discovered what a quirky personality I have, and she loves me for my uniqueness.

For instance, she thinks that b/c I love Bella, the resident JRT mix (hyper and crazy by the way), I am acting more like a dog every day.

These are the reasons why:
1. I bring Bella's stuffed toys to Meowm, esp. the yellow ducky and the grey and orange shark that Bella loves, then meow as I drop them off next to her

2. I fetch my toys, by snagging them during playtime, and bringing them back to Meowm so she can help me catch them again

3. I come and lay down next to her in bed, almost every night around the crack of dawn, rumbling and purring away

4. I sleep with Bella, and enjoy putting my little paw on her back as we sleep next to each other. I don't even mind when she kicks me inadvertently

5. I like to use Bella's wee wee pads to pee, instead of my own litterbox. dad and meowm got me this expensive Litter Robot machine, and we have an Omega Paw, but I much prefer those pads!

6. I come when called, and respond to my name just like any dog, meowing in response

7. I LOVE to play, every night. I wait for Meowm to finish studying so we can have our playtime. I won't let her sleep unless we have our playtime. I enjoy playing with Mom more than with Dad, Meowm has better technique. hehe

8. I am very affectionate and cuddly. I like to plop down so ungracefully on meowm and dad's laps, whenever I feel like it, or plop down right next to them and rollover on my back so comfortable and relaxed

9. I sleep like a dog-- belly up, paws in mid air or stretched out to the max so comfortable and utterly peaceful

10. I can sit up and beg for treats- Pawps taught me how to do it, and I will do it when there is a treat involved! Just like Bella

Meowmy says I'm her little princess, along with Bella, her doggie princess. She says I'm a real sweetheart, and love to sprawl out LONG on her lap too. I'm a lovebug, what can I say?

Growth Spurt

Meowmy has taken me to the vet a LOT recently--- first the tapeworms, then the limping paw, & my microchip. Meowm is worried b/c the cortisone shot was an anti-inflammatory, and it didn't work. So I'm going back to the vet in a few days to diagnose my problem.

The vet said I gained 2 pounds in just one month! I'm still quite lean compared to other kitties my age, and still have my baby face. I'm not feeling well the last few days, as my paw hurts, and I don't know how to tell Meowmy and Pawpy what the problem is.

I've grown so much in such a short amount of time. My latest gig is to snuggle up to Mom and Dad in the middle of the night, and even when she gets home from work I'm super cuddly and want to roll around on her lap. Its nice there-- soft and warm:)

My Sick little Girl...

Two Saturdays ago, I pooped on Bella's bed b/c I didn't like my litterbox (Mom and Dad were experimenting on how to keep Bella away from it, and inadvertently left it too inaccessible for me). When Dad arrived at the scene, he noticed wriggling...white...WORMS! Turned out to be tapeworms, which Mom recognized as soon as she came over and gasped in horror...She couldn't believe what she was seeing, but then again, M and D weren't THAT surprised, considering I had a massive flea infestation along with my feral bros and sisters.

In any event, they took me to the vet the day after, on Monday. Mom sprinted from work, and took all 3 of us in. Bella probably got it from us b/c she eats our poo from time to time, and Milo had some segments on his butt earlier which only Dad noticed, but he never knew what it had been.

So lo and behold, I had tapeworms ALL along. I probably got it early on, and carried the tapeworms for 5 months. Mom and Dad are SO relieved that I pooped in the wrong place! They think i was smart enough to let them know what the problem was, as the clumping litter hides it all...

So off we went. and boy were we such good boy and girls! hehe We didn't ever scratch or be mean to the vet or vet techs. And Bella was wagging her tail b/c she just loves going out, even if it means going to the vet. The vet is really cool, and Mom has been going to him for many years now. He never recommends unnecessary tests or exams, and will tell you straight up what you can do for your kitty or dog. So he gave everyone a tapeworm injection, and we're due for our oral dose to cover all our bases in November of this year.

So Mom thought Phew! After Bella's adverse reaction to the flea IGR spray and diatomaceous earth, Milo getting really sick from stress, then this tapeworm incident, she thought it was the end of all things medical.

But on Friday night of this week, she noticed I was limping. They watched me limp and lift my paw for a few days, but I'm otherwise eating, pooping, sleeping but playing less b/c my paw hurts. Well, they took me to the vet today, and he checked her limbs and joints out--nothing. temperature from a possible bite- nothing. So he gave her a cortisoid injection to bring down the swelling, and to come back if she wasn't healed in 3 days.

She is very worried about me, as i had a few pee incidents. Mom and dad think it is just b/c I don't like my boxes being moved around AND I refuse to go potty if there's a gate in front. So, they had to move a litterbox inside their bedroom just for me. It sucks for them b/c now me and Milo are both using it@!

On Saturday night, I was still in some pain b/c of my lame footsie. But I kept sleeping on MOm's lap, and rubbing my head on her leg and hands. I love to be cuddled by my humans, and I also love Bella the crazy nut dog. But anyways, Mom was so happy b/c I came and slept with her at her side, and I curled up so close to her, facing her with my paws on her armpit. It was the sweetest sight in the middle of the night for her to see...And I was purring so much, felt so soothing and comforting knowing that I was happy. And then I jumped over to the middle, and slept b/w Mom and Dad- my furravorite spot b/c its the warmest in the bed. and I snuggled up close to Mom and Dad, stretching out my beautiful long limbs...

Mom and Dad love me so much. I have become so wonderfully cuddly, and they will always remember how I've been transformed into this beautiful, sweet, cuddly baby:)

The Evolution of Mimi...

The Evolution of Mimi...



Mimi, oh sweet Mimi. She’s our latest foster kitten that Grandpaw plucked off the streets. Just a little background on her—she was only about 6 weeks old when Grandpaw rescued her. She was so brave—as soon as he’d come over every night to feed the feral colony, she’d come running up from her hiding place to get first dibs. Sadly, she had a really bad eye infection that turned itchy, and she scratched her cornea with her nails. We took her to the vet, and the vet said her eye would just go bad, and didn’t have to be removed. We were all really sad about that, b/c she is probably the prettiest, most dainty little girl we’ve rescued thus far. Mimi is a beautiful, tiny little white kitten, with splashes of calico markings, and a clear white face. Her now bad eye, has turned milky white, but her normal eye is a light yellow color, almost green…She’s got the teensiest little paws, and an even teensier little meow. Such a cutie.



Day 1: Grandpaw moved her to Mom’s house, b/c she wasn’t getting enough socialization inside her crate. She was liking it there, but it doesn’t mimic a real home environment. Day I was last last Friday, September 28, 2008. She was hissing at anyone, flattened her ears, and wouldn’t let anyone come close. However, she’s allowed us to pick her up, and has NEVER even gestured to bite, scratch, or hurt the humans in any way.



Day



Friday, October 10, 2008: Luna is brought over with Mimi, after their vet appointment. They are so far getting along, though we didn’t see any close contact between the two. Later that night, Mimi has her paw on Luna’ butt, snuggling away. Luna couldn’t care less.



Saturday, October 11, 2008. The roles have reversed. Mom finds them together in the old cloth organizer. Luna now has her paw on Mimi’s butt, and they’re snuggling together.



Sunday, October 12, 2008: Mimi for the first time decides to play without fear, bc Luna is there. They both engage in some play with the dangly toys. It’s the first time Mom ha seen Mimi come out of her shell. She seems happier with Luna, and keeps on following her around. She even understands the food is coming from Mom, and eats from Mom’s holding out the bowl for her with no problems.



Week 2: October 13, 2008. On Monday morning, Luna, the older 5 month old black and white kitten was staying with us. Mimi comes out of her area, and sideways, starts walking towards Mom still scared. She tries different alternate routes to become physically closer in location o Mom, but Mom has to go to work. Luna gets adopted later that night, so sadly Mimi is alone again.



Tuesday: Mom wakes up to feed and medicate Mimi. At night after work, Mimi responds well to Mom caressing her neck and giving her massages, and starts purring like crazy. She sits with mom on her lap for quite some time, but I starting to tear up in the eyes again. That morning, s he raised her butt b/c she like mom petting her.



Wed: Same thing as Tuesday, but Mom sees Mimi knead her paws, almost imperceptibly as she massages MIm’s little neck and head area. So far, it’s really cute. She also seems to know that Mom is the food source, and gladly and greedily accepts the Tasty Temptation treats she doles out one by one from her hand. She even play bites Mom and exposes her belly to Mom for the first time, though she is still really really scared. Also, she raised her butt again ever so gently, and enjoyed playing with Mom. She was still really scared, and won’t grab the ball, but at least chases it!

Thurs- got back from Grandpaw's place. Too sick to go to the vet for my first set of shots. Purred away as Meowmy held me close, and fed me those tasty Temptations treats-- love those, starting to refuse eating Felidae.

Friday- I now let Meowmy hold me w/o much hissing. I even raised my butt a few times, and my tail curled up like a question mark b/c I was happy to have her scratch my back and lower back area. I also purr a lot, and even rolled on my back for the first time, play biting meowm's hand. I love those temptation treats, she gave me a bunch more today, one by one, so I associate her hand with all things TASTY. I also did a small kneading motion, as I enjoy her neck and head massages-- she's the best! One day, I'll stop hissing and running away from her...

GREAT NEWS: It turns out Lola's PCR FeLV test came out NEGATIVE. She is free and clear of the disease, and was able to fight it off. Meowm was getting really worried, as it would have taken a huge emotional and financial toll on my already very busy Grandpaw...So it worked out for the best, and they're going to find her a great home soon.

The Evolution of Mimi

The Evolution of Mimi...

Mimi, oh sweet Mimi. She’s our latest foster kitten that Grandpaw plucked off the streets. Just a little background on her—she was only about 6 weeks old when Grandpaw rescued her. She was so brave—as soon as he’d come over every night to feed the feral colony, she’d come running up from her hiding place to get first dibs. Sadly, she had a really bad eye infection that turned itchy, and she scratched her cornea with her nails. We took her to the vet, and the vet said her eye would just go bad, and didn’t have to be removed. We were all really sad about that, b/c she is probably the prettiest, most dainty little girl we’ve rescued thus far. Mimi is a beautiful, tiny little white kitten, with splashes of calico markings, and a clear white face. Her now bad eye, has turned milky white, but her normal eye is a light yellow color, almost green…She’s got the teensiest little paws, and an even teensier little meow. Such a cutie.

Day 1: Grandpaw moved her to Mom’s house, b/c she wasn’t getting enough socialization inside her crate. She was liking it there, but it doesn’t mimic a real home environment. Day I was last last Friday, September 28, 2008. She was hissing at anyone, flattened her ears, and wouldn’t let anyone come close. However, she’s allowed us to pick her up, and has NEVER even gestured to bite, scratch, or hurt the humans in any way.

Day

Friday, October 10, 2008: Luna is brought over with Mimi, after their vet appointment. They are so far getting along, though we didn’t see any close contact between the two. Later that night, Mimi has her paw on Luna’ butt, snuggling away. Luna couldn’t care less.

Saturday, October 11, 2008. The roles have reversed. Mom finds them together in the old cloth organizer. Luna now has her paw on Mimi’s butt, and they’re snuggling together.

Sunday, October 12, 2008: Mimi for the first time decides to play without fear, bc Luna is there. They both engage in some play with the dangly toys. It’s the first time Mom ha seen Mimi come out of her shell. She seems happier with Luna, and keeps on following her around. She even understands the food is coming from Mom, and eats from Mom’s holding out the bowl for her with no problems.

Week 2: October 13, 2008. On Monday morning, Luna, the older 5 month old black and white kitten was staying with us. Mimi comes out of her area, and sideways, starts walking towards Mom still scared. She tries different alternate routes to become physically closer in location o Mom, but Mom has to go to work. Luna gets adopted later that night, so sadly Mimi is alone again.

Tuesday: Mom wakes up to feed and medicate Mimi. At night after work, Mimi responds well to Mom caressing her neck and giving her massages, and starts purring like crazy. She sits with mom on her lap for quite some time, but I starting to tear up in the eyes again. That morning, s he raised her butt b/c she like mom petting her.

Wed: Same thing as Tuesday, but Mom sees Mimi knead her paws, almost imperceptibly as she massages MIm’s little neck and head area. So far, it’s really cute. She also seems to know that Mom is the food source, and gladly and greedily accepts the Tasty Temptation treats she doles out one by one from her hand. She even play bites Mom and exposes her belly to Mom for the first time, though she is still really really scared. Also, she raised her butt again ever so gently, and enjoyed playing with Mom. She was still really scared, and won’t grab the ball, but at least chases it!

My Little Munchken...

Tabitha, you are soo cute and delectably sweet.

Last night, Tabifa jumped up and curled up on my pillow. Even when I'm konked out from sleep, I can feel and hear her purring and it soothes me. She also intersperses her purring with some meeyahhs.hehe She then curled up on my chest, relaxing so much that she sprawled out, and spread out on her back exposing her cute white tummy...She then started kneading my neck (good thing I was too tired to make her move-ouch!). She then tucked herself in her favorite spot- bw Mom and Dad. She was laid out on her side, facing me with her pawsies facing me, fast asleep under the thick blankets just loving her sleep...purring so loudly and so vibrantly...Made me smile all morning. What a lovely girl you are Tabifa, we love you!

15 things Meowmy & Pawp love about Me!

Meowm's been having a really tough week, and I've made her smile so many times, just thinking about what cute thing I did the night before. She is grateful for having me in her life, as I am truly the little angel of the house, with a feisty, don't-mess-with-me-you-insolent-70 lb dog-streak. hehe

1. I curl up next to Meowm, in the middle of the night. I sleep wedged b/w her and Dad, or on Mom's left arm. She can hear me purring away, she loves how it vibrates, its so soothing when she's sleeping.

2. I curl up on Meowm or Dad's lap, and even enjoy lying on their stomachs. I usually meow, then plop down, and eventually start kneading their tummies while purring away.

3. I headbutt Mom when she's holding me, and stretch out my neck realllll long so I can get the underside of my neck. Ohhh that's my sweet spot.

4. I meow really loudly, and I INSIST on being fed. I will meow for a long while, esp.on a weekend morning when Mom and Dad get up later than their usual butt crack before dawn awake time. hehe Mom likes my voice, and finds it endearing. She holds me close, reassuring me that I will be fed, every meal, every day, twice a day.

5. When Mom and Dad pick me up, I stretch both of my back paws out reallly straight. They look like chopsticks! haha I stretch my legs and my toes.

6. I have a white muzzle, and am a calico/black tabby. Basically, I've got patches of orange and white, with the soft overlay of black tabby markings, white paws, white belly, white chest, and a beautiful white nose & muzzle. I also have beautiful kohl-rimmed, amber eyes...They are so beautiful, Mom loves looking at my jewel like eyes.

7. I play like a girl, but in a good way. I bat my toys gently, and don't hurt Mom's arm in having to dangle toy all night. When its time for nighttime play, I will do the cutest thing. I jump up on the bed, and have a giant doggie toy in my mouth. Or, I'll bring them my dangly toys.Usually its the long ducky toy that is 2x my size or another furry toy thats way bigger than me. I bring it to Mom or Dad, drop it off on her chest, and meow! Its my signal that we haven't had evening playtime yet.

8. I play "stalk the kitty" with my new brudder, Milo. He stalks me like prey, and pounces on me, and I do the same.

9. I sleep on the pouches on my new kitty condo. Its more like a kitty mansion, and its one of the best ones out there, and huge too with at least 9 levels! I like the hanging pouches where I can get away from the nutball doggie, Bella who tries to stomp on me to play. @_@

10. I will hold my own against even the foster dog who was 70 pounds of muscle, and whose bark was REALLY loud (she's got some GSD in her). I went up to her crate, growled, and told her never to mess with me, even though I only weight about 3 pounds right now. Thats when M and D saw my feisty side.

11. I am so loving to my new brudder, Milo. He is a really sweet kitty too, but I love to groom Milo on the head, and knead on his butt, much to his chagrin hehe

12. I like to knead, and I even suckle on random soft animals, namely Bella and Milo. Bella doesn't like it and gently nips me on the head, whereas Milo will tolerate it for some time, or just move away. I don't do this to M or D, just the kneading (not the suckling part)

13. I purr the second I'm in M or D's arms. I just LOVE to purr. I also purr when I sleep, its the thing to do.

14. I peed in bed (I share a big bed with M and D. they got a king sized so they'd have room for all the furbies), but I did it so secretly that when M and D found out, it was more cute and funny than maddening. Even after multiple accidents, it was only b/c I didn't have a litterbox close enough! So they figured out why, but they thought it was cute and funny how I would furtively leave the area w/o so much as a trace, and they wouldn't find out until much later.

15. I sleep on my other bed that is a stuffed lion. Dad says I look like a lion, so its totally apropos. hehe I sprawl out on the lion, and my pawrents note the striking similarities b/w me and the lion.