I'm Not Actually Playing With This...

Silent Sunday... mostly

 "Hey!  There's a new black kitty blog over there!!

Kraft Kat Shack!  Mommy!  Isn't Kat your name??"

"Another bad day for mom so we're cheering her up."

PS Please go check out the info on Shelter Cat Saturday.

It's on Ollie's blog and concentrates on helping black &

predominately black cats find new Forever Homes!!

Thank you!!

Thomas, Zaphoid, Star, Knives & Audrey

Saturday...

 "YES!  Mom and Corwyn are going shopping and

I'll love you and squeeze you and pet you and..."

"If you call me Mumfred I'll scratch you!!"

 "Da-ad!  Da-ad!!  I need love too!!"

"You do know that I don't like any of you, right?"

 "Okay, mom and I are going shopping and then

when I get home we'll take up where we left off."

Star - "No problem."

Audrey - "You'd better!!"

 "All right boy, you promised you'd be coming back and I'm going to... wait.  How can I keep an eye for you if the door is closed??

Hey Boys!!  Give me a hand here!!"

PS check this out!!  Pass it on!!

Wait? Almost Two Weeks Already?!

 "Ha!  I have one of my favorite hair band toys!"

 "I chase it all over the bathroom and house.  Mom would like to know how I move the scales."

 "I love this toy!!  And I'm enjoying my Forever Home!!  (except that stinky yellow cat)"

 "My favorite game with it is to pass it around the legs of the stool over and over and over and..."

"I am winning over all of my brothers.  Well, except that stinky ole' yellow cat.  I touch noses with Zaphy and of course my twin of another mother Star!!  I even touch noses with Thomas now!  But I growl immediately at Knives because he chases and growls and snaps at me too much.  UNFAIR!  Just because I've taken over mommy & the window seat & & &... now to make mom get me a new leash..."

Mommy is Sick! The Van is Fixed! And We Got an Award!

Hi!  I would have done this yesterday but we had doctor's appointments!  Then I would have done it earlier today but I didn't wake up until 11 and I was sick!!  Oh wait!  You want to know what this is!!  It's a nifty award we got from Admiral!!  ::waves at Admiral & her mom::  Thanks ladies!!!

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the blog that gave you the award. I was given this cool award by Admiral Thank you so much. ♥

2. Tell seven things that people out in blog land may not know.

First thing - the first member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde was Christopher T Cat.  His mom and her sister were viciously thrown OUT of their home because the... the... things that had been feeding them got pregnant.  grrrrrrrrr.  And neither one of them were spayed!!!  Both Queens got pregnant before anyone knew and at the time no shelters in town took pregnant Queens or kittens under 6 weeks.  One day my ex and I were coming home and saw Chris limping on the sidewalk.  All the vets were closed and I called my grandmother frantically (we were broke).  She promised to cover the emergency vet fee.  We rushed him to the emergency vet.  His hip had broken off at the ball and flipped completely over.  They said they could strap it until we took him to his regular vet.  We said he was a stray.  They freaked.  "You brought in a stray?!"  Duh.  "You brought in a stray?!"  He was hurt!  "You brought in a stray?!?!  So how much will it cost to get his hip fixed?  $150.  oh.  "It will work fine without an operation if we strap it like this and it's kept like that for x time."  He broke it again a year later & the new vet let us split the amt into three payments).  Thus began the Horde.  Come on.  Leave a hurt kitten on the sidewalk??  Harrumph!  That was in 1988.

Second thing - Almost all of the TMNKH have had Oriental breed blood in them.  While four of them have been shelter cats the rest have been rescued cats.

 Third thing - Since Nicodemus the Evile Anti-Koala aka Thief Cat joined the TMNKH back in the early '90s, the Horde has always had at least one sable point.  (However this is Zaphy, not Nikki... I haven't got any pics of Nikki scanned.  ::sigh::)

Fourth thing - Since the very beginning, the Horde has always had at least one black cat with one white spot on them.  Quite often this spot is on the belly like the cat for whom Christopher T Cat was named.  The original Christopher was a black cat with a white belly button whom Kat had as a child.  Christopher, Christopher T Cat and StarWatcher where all black with white belly buttons.  StarWatcher also had a star on his throat.  StarWalker has a star and a white bellybutton (which is getting bigger).

 Fifth thing - there is often a tabby in the TMNKH, however Knives is the first orange tabby.

 Sixth thing - Audrey is the fourth Princess in the Horde and the second Audrey.  The first Audrey was Audrey Catburn who was a gray tortie Maine Coon mix with gold eyes.

Seven - Most of the TMNKH have been therapy cats.  This is a Good Thing™ since I have chronic myofascial pain, fibromyalgia, migraines yada yada yada.  The current healer cats in the Horde are Zaphy, Star, Thomas (to some extent) and now Audrey is learning.  Knives likes to eat.  This isn't too unusual since Oriental breeds tend to do best as therapy cats.  However, all cats help their Feeders reduce stress simply because of their nature.  Christopher was, however, a spectacular Healer Cat™.  I had knee surgery when he was about 8 weeks old.  I was at my grandparents when our water heater blew.  So my ex brought Chris over to their house to make sure the workers didn't let him out accidently.  Every time I woke he was there purring on my chest.  He put me to sleep.  I worried about him not eating or using the litter box.  My grandmother said, "Oh Kathryn!  We know you've gone to sleep because he comes bouncing out of the room, uses the box and has something to eat.  Then he curls up in your grandfather's lap.  We know you're about to wake up because he jumps up and races back into the bedroom!".  Christopher passed away at the age of 16 due to kidney failure.  I miss him.

3. I have to pass this award on to seven blogs that are stylish. This is VERY difficult!!

Luna and Luzie

Brian's Home

Us Three Coons

on a more personal note...

Sammy & Andy's Place

The Paw Relations

Life from a Cat's Perspective

We could go on!!  PS if you know of someone who deserves a Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde award and does not have one, please contact us!!  Because of my health issues I don't always get things done!  In fact, if I haven't commented recently on your blog it probably isn't because I'm not ready, it's because I just don't have the energy... or someone has sat on me!!  Hmmmm, does that count as another fact??

Thanks again Admiral!!

Snow and Some Other Stuff

"What's up with the white stuff on the ground?" 

 "I am your slave twin brother of another mother... it's snooooooow."

When you have twins, your windows are never empty.

 "Those dumb ole' boys are out there.  I wonder why?  It is pretty!"

This is what happens when you have a kitten

scampering across your keyboard.

PS Please take a minute to go see the Facebook page dedicated to Snickers the Sphynx.  This page is dedicated to the awareness of the travel risks for animals in cargo and to all of the animals who have lost their lives or been injured while traveling on airplanes.

PSS  One of my friends, Sara Harvey who is an excellent author, has just had a baby.  She and her husband are fantastic woofie parents and I know that they'll be great human parents as well.  But they're having one spot of trouble.  One of their furbabies, Javert, is seeing the baby as prey.  They are heartbroken!!  Please read Sara's FB post and see if you might be able to help!  They've worked SO hard to socialize and train Javert and they want to make sure he gets a new Forever Home where he will feel safe and loved.  Purrs & prayers are greatly appreciated!!!

Lady Audrey Had a Busy Night...

 "See?  Jennifer took this picture so you can see

how my fur looks under just the right light!"

 "I made mom get off of the computer!!"

 "Then, since mom was washing the bathroom rugs,

I decided to see how the toys scattered in there."

 "YES!!  SCORE!!"

 "Here I am with my twin brother of another mother Star.

Can you tell which one is which??"

"I'm positive mom made this for me!!"

Tips for Furfriends Who Fly...

 "Ahem.  I was lucky.  My foster mom drove me to meet my

Forever Family so I didn't have to fly in one of those Scary Airthingees.  Because I heard a sad sad story about a special

kitten who died after being left on the runway in what should

have been a climate controlled cargo hold.  Mom and I cried.

So when we saw this information I said mom could post it

before I make her get off of the internet.  I am stricter about

this than Da Boys because I am a Princess.  If you have a

furfriend who needs to fly, please keep this information in mind!"

If you need to fly with your pet, Petfinder recommendations follow:

• Pet Airways is the first pet passenger airline, flying pets in a first-class experience in secure cages. Attendants check on pets every 15 minutes.
• Jet Blue offers the Best Pet-Friendly Amenities.
• Best for Budget-Conscious Consumers: AirTran. AirTran tops this category, allowing small domesticated dogs, cats and birds to travel for $69 each way in-cabin.
• Best for Transporting Pet Variety: Frontier Airlines. Of the airlines researched in the 2010 Petfinder.com analysis, Frontier allows the most diverse variety of pets in-cabin, including domesticated dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters and small household birds.
• Best for Animal Health and Safety: JetBlue. If a pet becomes ill mid-flight, JetBlue will ring the cabin crew to see if there is a veterinarian on board who can treat the pet immediately – showing their dedication to the health of our furry friends.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde: Stray or Shelter?

 "Hi!  I'm Sir Thomas of Snuggle.  I wasn't a shelter cat because

my mom was a stray.  Our mom's best friend took her in even

though she was allergic.  There were no shelters in the area

who would take pregnant cats at the time and they wouldn't take kittens until they were weaned.  When we were weaned, mom adopted me and my brother and her friend had our mom spayed and adopted her because her children loved our mom soooo much!"

 "Zaphoid Beeblebrox here!  My older brother Thomas is right!

It's one of the reasons it is SO important to neuter and spay!

Our shelters only have so much room!  And some areas don't have 'no-kill' shelters.  It's especially important to help support 'no-kill' shelters!!!  Please help do this whenever you can, however you can!!  Mommy puts in an extra dollar when she shops at the pet store."

 "I'm StarWalker BitCat the ComputerKitty.  I'm not a shelter kitty either.  Mom's ex-husband found me and my sister when we were four weeks old!!  We were shivering on the side of a walking trail, covered with fleas and encrusted with tuna!!  He brought us back to mom and said, 'You're going to be mad at me'.  We hardly filled up his two hands.  She said, 'Why would I be made at you?' and he showed us to her.  She said, 'Oh my!  Quick, send someone to the pet food store and get some kitten milk and bottles and then someone else get them cleaned up in the meantime.'  Eventually my sister was adopted by his parents and even though his stepdad said he wouldn't have 'indoor cats' she became his furfriend.  At that point I was the eighth cat in the Horde which is why one of my names is BitCat!!  People had tried to help me by leaving out tuna but that's not the help I needed.  By supporting shelters you also help support education to teach people to be responsible pet owners!!"

 "I was framed!  Set up, I tell you!  I spent All Night in jail!  What?  Oh.  Okay.  Ahem.  I'm Knives aka Vicious Miette Pumpkin Thunderblaster Knives Pterodactyl aka the Kitten aka Trouble

aka Oberon aka Cat with the Identity Crisis, .  Dad's daughter

Sarah found me at a shelter.  Well... not a very good one.

The woman there said that I was a girl (which is what Sarah

wanted and what mom suggested since the other Horde members were Tims) and I was a BOY!  She wanted to help cats but she

didn't know as much as she should have.  So do check out shelters before you donate.  Make sure that they are safe and healthy

places where they take care of their animal companions and are picky about Forever Homes.  One of the ways you can help donate if you have no green papers is to donate blankets, toys, extra coupons and things or spare time.  Companions need lots and lots of loving!!"

"PS I only smacked Star because he was between me and Audrey."

"HI!!  My name is Lady Audrey Nova StarWatcher!!  I've been in my new Forever Home for a week and two days now!!  See my shaved belly??  I am a Princess so I don't ever have to worry about adding to the already large kitty population.  It's also healthier for me!  Neutering is especially healthier for stinky ole' boy cats.  I came from DAILY DOSE OF DOGS (AKA CATS WITH YOUR COFFEE).  They are very very nice people!!  They took the most wonderful care of me and if you are looking for a furfriend I suggest you start there!!!  There is a link on the left sidebar of our blog for their site so you can go there anytime to donate someone's honor or find a new furfriend (or 2)!"

 (this is only in a bumper sticker)

The Whys and Wherefors of Cat Names...

 "Me-om!!  Whadda mean I have to play nice with her?!"

There are times when cats change and when this happens their names change as well.  There are also times when you can help them through a crisis or change a behavior by changing their name.  This is one of those Great Cat Mysteries™.  Now when Mister Kitten was first brought home by Sarah, everyone thought that he was a she (and I've been sexing cats for... a long time).  She named him Vicious Miette Pumpkin Thunderblaster Knives Pterodactyl.  Once it was discovered  that she was a he Miette no longer worked.  Then he became the Kitten aka Trouble aka Oberon aka Cat with the Identity Crisis which eventually became Mister Kitten.  I am of the opinion that he needs to go back to his original name.  So we are going to try Knives for a week and see how that goes.  If that doesn't work, the next thing to try is Miette, even if it is a girl's name rather than a boy's name.

 "Well, we all like her!!  And she pretty much likes all of us!  Naturally she like me the best!  I'm her brother of a different mother.  She likes Zaphoid the next best and then Thomas.

But as you can see, she lets us all onto the bed now."

 "hehehe  Can you find me??  I'm hiding!"

 "Me-om!  Me-om!!  Zaphy's looking at me!!  Oh!  My daddy has given me a new name!!  He said on the way home that I looked like Audrey Hepburn because of my beautiful black furs.  I love it!!!  Daddy called me Audrey this weekend and I bounced right up to him!  Mommy called me that and I came right to her!  Please call me Audrey now!  Mommy says that my full name will be Lady Audrey Nova StarWatcher.  YAY!!!  Oh, and I love love love the window seat and I'm starting to explore the house.  A big kitty litter is now the hall outside my room for me to use and the itty bitty one in my bathroom is gone.  Now I just have to do something about that stinky yellow cat."

Audrey has been with us for a week and a day now.  She is integrating well into the Horde.  Yesterday she touched noses with both Star and Zaphy.  Certainly she pulled back and gave a delicate Princess hiss but this is an excellent sign!  I have often found that cats who have not reacted well with other cats just need a different environment.  Sometimes just dropping into a smaller number of cats or a cat/dog household can do it.  I've been working with my aunt Susan to help her two cats interact with each other.

Audrey had her nails clipped again yesterday and was determined that she would let me know that it was Not Fun™.  I now have three good sized scratches on my left arm!  However, I'm used to it so I already had treats for Audrey for the ::hand to forehead:: trauma and alcohol wipes & triple antibiotic cream for me.  Then I did Da Boys' nails as well.  You have to be SUPER careful when clipping a cat's nails because if you clip into the quick it is VERY VERY BAD.  So if you should decide to do this for yourself make EXTRA sure that you only clip the translucent/clear part of the nail and I would suggest only clipping the front nails.  That's what I do.  If I sound a wee bit... ummmm... stringent about that it's only because I've seen what can happen to a poor baby whose nails have been clipped too far back.

So, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Kitty Horde are all doing well.  My son has grown another half inch since the first of the year.  My daughter is going to be going to night school Tuesdays & Thursdays.  Now this wouldn't be too much of a problem except that my husband is taking a Tuesday night class and my van has a short in the rear lights and I can't drive unless it's... sunny.  Fortunately he can fix the passenger side window which wasn't working when he came out from a concert last night.  I've been very glad to have Audrey here because she has lifted my spirits through a fibro flare.  She's a darling!!  She's been playing with her new toys from Noodle and Olive while Da Boys adore the fountain they sent.  With the donation from the Califurrrrrnia 5 Petey, Jack, Spunky, Tabitha, Madison LaRue & Momma Pam she has yummy kitten food that must be defended from Da Boys.  The kids and I had physicals last week and I had another doctors appointment which wore me out.  So Audrey kept coming up to me and headbutting me.  She is such a delight and darling and winning over everyone who sees her!!

Please Please Please

Take some time and support a shelter!  Time, coupons, blankets, towels, money, adopt, whatever you can do!!  There are so many who need so much.  And take a minute to love your companions!!