6.30.2011

As the Paw Swipes

This morning Mom and I were awakened at the crack of dawn by the sound of loud cat voices outside the bedroom window. It was a lot of fussing, but it didn't sound like a fight.

Naturally Mom thought of Mittens and she headed outside to see if our honorary Yard Cat was in trouble. He has a habit of inviting friends over. She saw Mittens on the back fence, and as soon as he saw her, he ran right for her. Mom gave him lots of pets to make sure he wasn't hurt, but he kept making angry cat noises. As did I from the other side of the screen door. Mom was sure she heard yet a third angry voice.

Mom realized the other cat must still be around, so she started to walk towards the wall to look for it. As soon as she walked close all the voices got louder. 

The Chubby Tabby was hiding in the brush on the wall! The Chubby Tabby and Mittens have appeared together before and Mittens acted like he had no knowledge of said Tabby.

Anyway this morning, every time Mom would get close to the Chubby Tabby's location both Mittens and the Chubby Tabby would get loud. Finally the Chubby Tabby decided to take a hike and when she stood up Mom noticed she was very chubby, and had a real swagger belly.

Mom thinks the Chubby Tabby is either still with kittens or recently had kittens. Mom thinks Mittens is fixed, so perhaps he just invited the young mom over to the yard for some spare snacks.

We have a pretty safe and secure yard and if I was a cat... er... heh, heh, ::Ghostwriter reinserts plausible suspension of furry disbelief:: ...

Mittens must think our yard would be a great place to have kittens. To which I say No! If the universe were to have a kitten arrive at our door, I think Mom would be completely incapable of saying no to it.

Dear Cod, let the Chubby Tabby just be a big eater. Hopefully this story does not continue...

6.29.2011

Waive Off

I don't know about you friends, but sometimes you need to have a waive off. You know the drill, you stand at the edge of the lap and you size up your sweet spot.

On Mom, for me, that can be a lay across the lap or it can be the other direction, between the lumpy tender parts. Both have their advantages, and I can literally go either way.

So sometimes I sit on the sidelines and determine which way I want to go. I may be swayed by the "pat-pat" of the hands trying to direct me, or not. I make my choice and I enter the lap. I enjoy a light petting, but it can be distracting and can cause an immediate mission abort (especially if she tries to get handsy on a floof knot).

Sometimes I do a couple of turns, and then things seem off, and there is a waive off. This can take place multiple times over the course of a half hour. It's got to feel right, and someone complaining about "settling in" or "Cod! Don't step on those" doesn't help.

I know you understand.

6.27.2011

Making it Right

The other night Mom had just headed off to bed, when I remembered they had washed the sheets. I knew they had ruined my careful pillow arrangements. I like them at a slight angle so I can rest my head on the edge.

I raced to the bed to make things just the way I like them before my parents had the opportunity to mess things up even more. Mom was already settled into her side, so I lept onto the bed and raced over her to get to my pillows. I was right to be concerned.

The sham was, well, a sham. I hate that sham. I let out a deep sigh and began digging at the pillow pile with both front paws. I really needed to get my shoulders into it. Those pillows weren't moving. So I began rooting under the top pillow with my head. I managed to get the top pillow up a bit and decided that sham had to go.

So I pawed my way in, and began working my  body down the length, planning to burrow out the other end. When I was about half way down the length I stopped for a little rest, and that's when things took a scary turn.

I heard the sound of some evil beast snickering. I feared for myself and for Mom too, she was out there alone with the beast. 

Next thing I knew something touched my side! It felt like fingers, and the beast laughed louder! I got a little freaked out, and I started down the remainder of the pillow to make my escape, and save Mom. You'll never guess what friends...

The end of the pillow was a dead end! I could not escape. I was trying to turn around or back out, and again the fingers came at me. All while the evil beast snickered.

I managed to turn myself around and raced out of the sham, ready to do battle, but I saw no beast. Mom had managed to scare it off, thank Cod. She grabbed me for a forced cuddle, and cause she was scared, I let her.

6.24.2011

Floofy Friday

Beware - Gratuitous Tummy Shot Ahead

This is not a drill friends... Prepare yourselves

But wait, there's more!

You feel better don't you? 
Let the weekend begin.

I understand tomorrow is "Take Your Pet to Work" day. Mom asked if I wanted to accompany her to the office, and at first I considered it, as I've always wondered what she could possibly do there that would make her so tired. 

Does she dig ditches, or run about? No.

From time to time she's had to "Work from home" and I'll tell you all she did was type on the keyboard, stare at stuff on the screen, and talk on the phone. Doesn't sound too taxing does it? Plus she does all that on her off time too. No thank you.

Besides I have important work here at the house to attend to. Naps to take, and bugs to kill. Humans don't just wake themselves kitties. 

How about you, would you like to take or be taken to work? 

I would enjoy sprawling on her desk and being admired by all who pass. I'd have to hire my own bodyguard. My floof is irresistible, as you well imagine.

Have a great weekend friends!

6.22.2011

Woofy Wednesday

No I didn't get a dawg... 


but I did revisit the place My Dawg once lived.

Yep, I used to have my very own dog. Her name was Nakoda, but we all called her Koda. She was the prettiest blonde, blue-eyed husky in the universe.

She and I met when I was just a baby kitten. My parents worried she would eat me in a single, kitten-sized snack. Instead Koda gave me a sniff-over and never bothered me again. 

As a baby I played with her big floofy tail. Of course she pretended not to notice, cause we were friends. Her molted fur was the prize of all the birdies for their nests.

She passed a few years ago (Before Blog) and we all miss her. She was the best! And she smelled great too... Made me roll around with nostalgia.

Miss you buddy.

6.19.2011

Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day in the U.S. and I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you how much I adore my Dad. Sure Mom is, well, she's Mom, nuff said. But Dad is my guy!

Dad gives the best rough pets, even when he goes against the grain, they are terrific. When I am given even an inch or two of lap access, I will lay with 3/4 of my body dangling off the couch (clinging on with my paw toes) just to be with him. I allow him to arrange my body in whatever arrangement best suits him.

I love it when holds me in his arms, with my belly up, and declares "This is My Cat!" Then he lets me walk the wall in the hallway with my front paws. Yep it's great.

We hunt bugs together. He brings em down and I finish em off with my Paws of Doom. We make an awesome team.

And let me give a special shout out to the Dad's behind my parents. You did a great job too! Purrs to all the Dad's out there!


Happy Father's Day!!

6.17.2011

Floofy Friday

Hey... is this my old dish on My Porch?
Wonder what it's doing out here? Full of water.
Ah well, I'll just have a little sipper. It's like soup.
Hey look, I look like Batman in my shadow... or Catwoman.

The Hots have officially landed in our little corner of the desert. Yesterday it was over 110 degrees on the porch. I smartly make quick forays and then back to the cool house. The whole house was feeling a little off this week. I had a hairball to work out, Mom wasn't feeling her best either, and Dad was busy caring for the two of us. 

Luckily we are both feeling better now. We'll have to show you the crop next week. We suspect things are going to slow down now that Summer is laying it on pretty thick. What's on tap for your weekend friends? We hope you have a great and cool weekend!


P.S. In a new Blogger mystery, suddenly all your comments are not coming to our email. Mom thought nothing made cat parent's hearts sing the other day till we looked at our blog page. We were glad to see that was far from the case.

6.13.2011

Mom on Monday

So I had to take over the blog to tell you a little story about my girl. Long time readers of the blog, and readers of our book, may know that Fin's secret love affair with her toy mouse is what started it all for us on the writing front. A short story for writing class called "Mousey and Me a Tale of Forbidden Love" is what spawned everything that has come after. 

When she was still a young cat I bought her a toy mouse, it was bigger than the mini mice she lost under all the furniture so I had big hopes. I took it out of the package, tossed it at Fin and she couldn't have cared less.

The mouse sat in exactly the same spot for weeks, when suddenly it started turning up all over the house. We NEVER saw Fin play with it, so both Hubby and I assumed the other was moving it (why we thought the other one would be moving a cat toy around the house is another question).

One morning I heard this awful cat noise, it sounded like she was being strangled. I raced to find her and she was fine, just chilling in the general vicinity of the mouse. This was repeated very often till we realized she was carrying the mouse and singing, and because Mousey is so plump it causes a strangled meow.

Only once in all these years have I actually seen her with Mousey.

I heard the strangled love song coming down the hall to the bedroom. I sat perfectly still, and rounding the corner was my girl with Mousey in her mouth singing out loud. As soon as she saw me she dropped Mousey like it was some shameful secret. The idea of a forbidden love affair bloomed in my head.

Over the years we have grown accustomed to the sounds of "Mousey Movement", but we never see the actual transportation. Until the other morning.

I was running late  and was just wrapping up an email in the den, when around the corner comes my girl, Mousey carried proudly in her mouth, tail held high, singing out her song of love with a smile on her face. She got all the way into the den when she spotted me and dropped her beloved.

It's funny that such a simple thing can make a cat mom's heart sing. When there is Mousey time, I know she is feeling her best and I know she is happy and joyful, and that makes me feel the same.

What makes your cat parent heart sing?

6.10.2011

Floofy Friday

Sneaking in a little floof on a Friday.

Mom claimed she was exhausted tonight and I had to lobby for any post at all. I knew you couldn't make it through the weekend without a little Fin Floof on Friday.We are hoping you have a restful and fun weekend ahead, and you're putting this last week behind you.

Last week?   Is that you back there?

6.09.2011

Crop Watch - Thursday in the Garden

Look at the size of the small planter box this week. 

The butternut squash is taking over the place!

Look at the harvest for the week.


I was so proud to see how well my cat sniffs are working. Mom was so pleased you'd have thought they came from her. Mom had just snapped this pic when I went off to take a celebratory nap. 

A short while later I heard some banging in the kitchen and went to investigate. Once the clanging stops, food can't be far behind, and I like to be on top of these developments.

"Whatcha makin Mom?" I asked.

"Garden stir-fry!" She exclaimed.

I gasped in horror. You heard right friends, after all that gentle tending, she turned around and ate them! With olive oil and garlic! To add insult to injury, she even threw on a little parmesan cheese.

6.07.2011

Feelin Hot Hot Hot

What's the one thing you don't want to break in the Summer when you live in the desert?

Your air conditioner. Guess what broke on Saturday afternoon?

What's that friends? Did you say air conditioner?

And you're right! I spent the entire weekend with my belly exposed, and curling up in my sink. You know what else helps the heat? Dippin a paw into your water bowl.

Luckily Dad's best chum was able to fix the a/c for the cost of a pizza. Pretty cool.

6.06.2011

Mom on Monday

There I am sound asleep at 3am when a certain grannycat walks across my personage. Her aim to hit the most tender areas is, as always, flawless. This is a pretty typical situation, I am like a kitten super highway, and feline jungle gym all in one. I couldn't help but notice one of the paws was damp. Yes, just one.

A couple of seconds go by in my sleepy brain when this thought occurs to me... what is that paw damp from? And why only one? An aggressive lick bath? Sure that's it. Probably shouldn't thing about it too much, just go back to sleep.

This may actually require me waking up, as visions dance in my head.

It's probably just a water bowl incident.... yeah that's it. She treats her bowl like a water park. It's probably all part of some scheme to get me up. She's clever that way. She's probably rubbing those paws together in the dark, and plotting.

6.03.2011

Floofy Friday

Ah Friday! Where ya been all week? Every time I turned the corner, it was a different day.

I look kinda mysterious here don't I?


We don't have much planned here at Casa De Housecat for the weekend. Probably lots of naps, laps, and snacks... sounds pretty close to ideal to me. 
What do you have planned? Hope you have a safe and happy weekend where ever you are.

6.02.2011

Crop Watch - Thursday in the Garden

::Three Paw Taps::

Hi friends! Let's take a look at what a week of high quality cat sniffs can do to a garden.

Wow, look at the Tomatoes!
We had to move all the plants around cause it was too hard to harvest.

Yep my sniffer has been very busy to excellent results. We have already harvested 5 baby squashes, 1 pea pod, and two green beans. Well the garden isn't going to feed the family yet, but it's getting there.

We had a scary moment the other day when the first bug was spotted by Mom. Luckily it was only two ladybugs "doing it" (eating breakfast that is) on the squash leaves. Mom yelled out that it wasn't a bed and breakfast and was about to shoo them away when I reminded her they eat other bugs and disaster was adverted.

Want more garden cats? Don't forget to visit Master Gardener Jonesie here.