We are leaving Catster

Dear friends,

We will be deleting our family's accounts on Catster.com at the end of May. This decision has been a long time in the making, but has been prompted by the recent changes and the very recent acquisition of Catster by Say:Media.

Catster and Dogster are no longer nice places to play for our family, so we have moved over to Cathugger.com. We are going to recreate the restaurant group over there, too.

We love each and every one of you, and hope to continue to chat with you either on Cathugger or at our family's blog at http://pdxpride.blogspot.com

Love,

Smokey and family.

A successful move!

Yesterday was quite a busy one! Mommy packed up all our stuff, and I got quite nervous. I hid in the bedroom. She brought Mia in and stuck her in the bedroom, but Mia didn't mind. Then Scott and Karen came over, and I was scared of them. The last time I saw them was when I went from their house to Mommy's house, so it's been a few months.

Karen put a harness on me, and Mommy held me so that they could put flea medicine on me. Mia got flea medicine too, but she didn't mind as much. Mia's my new older sister, who's at least 8 years old but probably closer to 10 or more. She's a pretty calico, and there's a picture on my page now of her.

When everything was all packed up, Mommy looked for me but couldn't find me. Everyone called for me inside and outside, but still couldn't see me. Finally, Karen happened to check the kitchen cupboards, which were open. My leash was trailing...remind me next time I hide to take that in with me as well!

I scratched Scott pretty badly when they were bringing me out to the truck, but he knew it was because I was scared. There was only one cat carrier, so Mia got that and I sat in my harness. Truffles, our guinea pig, was in her travel cage on the seat. When we got to the new apartment, Scott picked me up and took me in, putting me in Jarek's new room. Karen followed with Mia in the carrier and Truffles in her cage. As she got out of the truck, Truffles' cage bottom came off and down the little one went! She's alright, but it took all of them plus Scott's friend Ole to get ahold of her because she didn't want to come out from under the truck!

Finally everyone was in, and Mommy brought in our food, water, and litter. Karen helped by setting that up, since she couldn't help bring boxes. I immediately used the litter box when it got set up again, and Mia chilled in the big closet. Truffles was happy once her big cage got set up again.

Mommy got everything out in two trips. The new apartment's very nice, and a one-bedroom with a big living room.

My family and I are moving!

Next month, Mommy, human brother Jarek, Mia (the cat who lives outside but is being adopted by us), and myself are moving into a new apartment! Mommy and her boyfriend had issues, so we are getting a new place (previously lived in the boyfriend's house). Everything is getting packed up, and I'm running all over investigating what's going on. Fun times!

Update

I know I haven't written for a while. My page is still being kept by my foster mom, and she had forgotten to update it for a bit until my new mom reminded her. So, here's the updates.

Smokey is doing well in her new home. She now sleeps with her 1-year-old brother in the crib when he's sleeping, and runs around the house after him. She has a scratching post and a feather wand that she absolutely adores, but her favorite toys are still her new mom and dad. She hates when her human brother chases her with his flashing, realistic-sounding fire truck, and is scared stiff of the guinea pig! When Truffles the guinea pig is out being petted, Smokey takes one look and dashes under the bed. If it's in its cage, she'll look at it, but if it makes any sudden moves she shoots away.

She is getting a new older cat sibling. Mia is an absolutely gorgeous calico who has been coming to their porch to be fed. Mia's estimated age is somewhere between 6 and 8 years old, and she's had a hard life (teeth missing), but is sooo loving. Right now, they are getting Mia tested for felv/fiv and clearing up her eye cold, but then she will come inside if all checks out.

I'm feeling more comfortable

I'm feeling a lot more comfortable in my new home now. I'm eating, drinking, and using the box normally, without my new purrents standing guard.

I've also decided to hoard all my new toys into the bedroom. Everything I find from around the house, I collect into that room.

I haven't made up my mind yet on the little thing that makes funny noises at me and waves around. I've sniffed out his room, and sniffed him as well, but then he scares me off. I don't know if he's human or what he is. He doesn't act like the big humans, but they take care of him, so he must be a little one.

Eating cat food now

I'm eating my cat food now. I just needed to have my new mommy or daddy (preferably both) in the kitchen with me while I was eating. Once they figured that out, I've been eating fine.

Settling in well

via telephone from my new mommy to my foster mommy:

I hid under the bed most of the time, until it was sleep time. Then, I wanted to explore and PLAY and SNUGGLE!!!! I walked back and forth over the bed repeatedly, then climbed under the covers when they were asleep and snuggled. My new mommy rolled over at one point during the night and felt something furry by her leg. She, being sleepy, forgot for a minute that I was in the house, and was very startled. She woke my new daddy up, and he said, "It's the CAT, Erin, go back to sleep." She laughed, then went to sleep again.

I had some chicken last night. I thought at first it might be a trap, so when they put it on the floor for me I circled it, suspicious of it. Then I sat down and ate the pieces. It was yummy, but I'm still keeping my distance from them during the daytime. My new mommy put some fries by the bed this morning for me, then went and sat on the couch to watch. I came out enough so she could see my little eyes, then swiped the fries with my paw. I wasn't taking any chances, so they went under the bed with me to eat.

No cat food for me yet, and no deposits in the litter box. Mommy called Foster Mommy to ask her about that, but it's probably just because I'm a bit stressed from the move and my new surroundings. So Mommy isn't as worried about that now. Besides, Foster Mommy reminded her that I did eat the chicken and fries, just not my cat food.

There's a creature here! It's a guinea pig named Truffles, and it's in a plastic box on the table above my litter box. I stood up on my hind legs and put my front paws on the table to look at it. It was doing something, so I watched it very closely. Each time it twitched, I jumped!

I'm in my new home

My new mom and dad came and got me, and trapped me in the cat carrier. In the car, my new mom opened the carrier a little and petted me to try to calm me down, because I was holding my whole body rigid.

Once I got to my new home, they opened the carrier right by my new litter box. I explored all over the house, except the little human's room, then hid under the bed. I'll explore later, but right now I know I'm safe under here.

Adoption Day!

Smokey writes:

Today I'm going to my new home! I don't really know what that means, but Foster Mommy and Foster Daddy are happy-sad about it, so I guess it's a really good thing. I'll get to bring one toy with me: a wand with a big fleece string on it, and it chirps like a bird when it gets waved around. It's my favorite toy in the whole house, so they said I could take it with me. My new purrents, FM's friend Erin and her boyfriend Brian, are coming to get me after 5:30 pm.

Karen writes:

Smokey's Catster page be transferred over to Erin and will continue to be updated by her.

Home from the vet

I'm home at my foster home again. I'm still very sleepy, and growly at everyone although I let Rori clean one ear before swatting. My belly's shaved and stitched up nicely, and I have a paper collar on with my name on it. When Foster Mommy came to get us, I was back asleep and the vet tech woke me up to put me in the stroller. When Foster Mommy looked at us before she took us outside to go home, I was trying to go back to sleep again.

When we got home, the first thing I did was growl and swat at Carbon, who was checking up on me. Foster Mommy took me out and held me for a while in her lap, petting me and calming me down.

*yawn*

Smokey