Dinnertime Toy-Tossing

IZA:  I love TBT's dinner time.  That when he tosses toys the most.  Oh sure, there are random tossings annytime of day (and I really do enjoy that).  But dinnertime is the most intense.  I unnerstand that he cant toss toys around too well when he is carryin his clothes to the water swisher or bags of good smelly trash to the garage, but he usually has a few mousies in his pockets and tosses them when he can.

But, like I said, his dinnertime is the best of the day.

He tosses mousies around.  He tosses squiggles around.  I love chasin them.  I even grab the squiggles and bring them back to him ta toss again.

Heres how it goes:

I ask fer some toy-tossin while he is having dinner.  He asks iffen it is a mousie night or a squiggle night.  I always say "both".  Its a joke between us.  He knows I want somma both.

So he decides on a squiggle.  We have 2 red, 1 green, an one multicolored one.  I nefer know which he will use first.  At first, he just waves one around me to get my desire goin.  When I am really focussed, he tosses one over my head.

I JUMP and grab it to the floor.  TBT cheers my effort.  I bring it back to him.  Then we start gettin more complicated.

He swishes it around on the floor and I actually move away from it.  I know it is gonna be tossed farther this time.  Will it be over the open dishwasher door?  Over the TV tray table?  Into the living room?  I watch every twitch of it to judge...

It swishes around on the floor.  This way.  That way.  Up and down.  Ooh, Im goin crazy...

Into the kitchen it goes and I catch it in mid-air, spinning around with it for a minute or so.  Then I sniff it for more movement.  None.  So I grab it an bring it back to him.  Whats next?

It could be a different color squiggle, a rattley mouse, a softie shrew.  We have so many wunnerful toys.  OH!  it is a rattley mouse!  He tosses it up in the air, and I grab it.  Thats easy; a warm-up.  But the next toss is trickier.  He tosses it DOWN on the ottoman.  It can bounce in ANNY direction from there!  I useta haf trubble wif that, cause ya never know where the mousie is gonna go.  But lately, I allus catch it on the first bounce up!  I cant catch it being tossed at the otto man cause I cant see it the.  I only see it on the random bounce.

TBT says I may be "Pudge" but I am becoming one on the fastest-reacting cats he has ever aseen!  In fact, he is beginnin ta worry I might actually catch a hummerbird outside.  He is serious cuz he moved one of the feeders higher.

Annyway, I was catching the random bouncin mousies and he stopped.  Somethin on the TV got his attention. So I hadda ask him ta please toss me another toy.

Well, OK, I ONLY stared at him...  When he noticed me again, he tried ta claim he heard me eatin some crunchies and thought I was tired.  Right.  Eat 2 crunchies and yer out of his mind...

But, to his credit, he really went at it.  there were mousies an squiggles flying around every which a way!  It was glorious!  It was so good that when I really WAS tired of it, I hadda go up near an tell him "no more".  I even said "settle".

Hes good!  He immediately got up, brought a few snacks (good healthy ones like nuts and fruit) to his table, put a leg up and offerred me a lap!

Life is about purrfect there.  I spent 2 hours on TBT's lap while he watched science TV shows.  It keeps him in the chair and thats all I care about.  Yeah, he shifted positions several times, but I am used ta that an I hardly even wake up when he does it.

 I just stay mostly asleep, ya know?

Ayla came by a few times.  She shared some lap space but she didnt stay long.  She wanted to go climb things.  Bookcase, ladders, tables, etc.  Shes weerd.

Easy Like Sunday

IZA:  I dont remember this at all.  Im not sure I can call it "Easy Like Sunday" but I was asleep accordin ta the pictures...

The Big Thing says I was hafin "dreams".  Im not sure what those are.  He says that is when ya have thoughts in yer mind when ya are nappin that arent really happenin.  That doesnt make much sense at all, but he is very certain. 

I KNOW I was chasin some mousies around the yard.

It was wunnerful, the best huntin day efer!...

But The Big Thing says I was sleepin on his lap the whole time an my paws and tail were twitching all around an my legs jerked like I was grabbin stuff and runnin.  I dont get it.  But I am there on his lap, so I cant splain it...  He says it was so funny watchin all my paws movin an stuff.

He says I was "dreamin".  Where I was thinkin I was doing stuff but wasnt.

I dont know about this dreamin stuff.  Has this ever happened ta you?

Up and Down 2

IZA:  Ayla is so annoyin sometimes.  SO I CANT jump up on stuff like she can.  That doesnt mean I cant get UP if I werk at it.  Like here:

See?  I can too get up!  An sometimes AYLA is "down".

I jumped from the floor ta the human litterbox cover.  Then ta the sink counter,  THEN (after some careful thought), ta the stand what Ayla uses ta get ta the windersill!  I DID it.  I could go up ta the windersill now, but I dont wanna rub it in.  Yeah, thats the story.  Ferget Im feelin a bit uncomferable up this high.  Oh wait, did I just say that out loud?  Drats.  Never mind I said that.  In fact, I DINT say that.  Im deleting it!

TBT!  Where's the delete button?  This one marked "submit"?  Thanks...


[ADDED:  Oh Bast, we just realized that The Big Thing left his puter set on his own blog (what he KNOWS he isnt sposed ta do) an all our comments ta kitty blogs went out today unner his own name!!!  So unnerstand that those were from US, not him. ]

Remembering LC

LC would have been 17 years old today.  So we are celebrating it here, as we know she is celebrating it with Skeeter over the Bridge.

Here, she is enjoying breakfast in a sunny spot the day before she left us...

And here she is relaxing on her favorite chair later that day...

Have fun over The Bridge, beautiful girl...  Tell Skeeter we miss him, too.

Garden Thursday

IZA:  Since Ayla can't go out annymore, and I like to stick close to The Big Thing when outside (and snoopervise), it appears I am now the designated Garden Cat.  Well, it's a better name than "Pudge" or "Tick 'Tocks"...

The garden is just beginning to bloom, so there is lots to show.  Some will be in bigger blooms next week, so I'll save them though...

The small patch of purple Stachys and one Oenothera 'Cold Creek' look very nice today.  That one lonely Oenothera is the last of a larger patch from years ago (so I'm told - I wasnt here then).

It even hadda flutterby!

There is a tomato blossom already!

The Big Thing LOVES those maters!  I don't smell annything inneresting in them myself.  TBT says his Dad hadda cat once who liked them.  Go figure...

[Edit:  Oopsies - I got my days mixed up...  Iza]

Up and Down

AYLA:  This is SUCH a typical picture of us.  I am allus up on somethin an Iza is allus down on the floor. 

Well, of course Iza does sometimes get up on stuff like the bed or the kitty condo or the table, but she hasta werk to get up on stuff so shes mostly a down cat.  I, on the other paw, am almost allus up on stuff.  Ive got 3 windersills ta get up on, theres the kitty condo, the bathroom counters, the bookcases, the puter desk, the tall basement tools, the indoor stepladder, even the noisy machine in the garage (when its quiet).  And chairs, lotsa chairs...

Even when I am down, its only cuz Im goin to a different place ta get up.  And when Im down, Im either prancin or runnin somewhere.  Iza says she stays down "cuz thats where all the toys are".  I know better...  Ya should see her just plannin ta get up on a chair.  She sits next ta it, stares fer a minnit, wriggles her butt a few times, then jumps hard!  She makes it, but ya can tell it not easy.  I dont even hafta THINK about it, just float up!

I get WAY more exercize than Iza does.

Watchin The TV

AYLA:  Since I been havin ta stay indoors so long (weeks now), I been payin more attenshun ta stuff inside the house.  Like the TV.

There are weerd creatures there.  An Im not sure, but some of them seem like Beins.  I mean, they grab things wif fingers instedda claws, they make hooty noises, and they move around together.

They even look a bit the same.  Serusly, ya wouldnt mistake THAT face fer a cat, now wouldya?

Trapped inside watchin TV is AWFUL...

I was SO despret, I even chased a bunny on the TV... *SHAME*

President Obama Needs A Cat!

We saw this picture and were shocked.  SHOCKED we tell you, SHOCKED!  There is a rat below the podium!  IN PLAIN SIGHT!

This cant be allowed ta continue...  So we propose a White House cat best able to deal with rodents.

The new White House Cat (afterwards known as "First Cat") should be:

1.  Good at catching rodents.
2.  Reflect President Obama's heritage (Black and White).
3.  Reflect an American heritage itself.
4.  Be both reserved and agressive according to situations.
5.  Be respectful of the White House carpets and drapes and other historical cloths.
6.  Look good siting on red/white/blue clothes (photo ops ARE important).
7.  Reflect The First Lady's interest in outdoor activities.
8.  Be a darling around The First Kids.

To that end. we suggest that the new First Cat be like this:

What do you think? 

American Shorthair, Black/White, sturdy and solid, great catcher of mousies.  Laid back.  Civil. Non-political.  Generally friendly without being fawning.  A real Moderate.  Non-aristocratic.

Happy Birfday ML!

For all you do for us on the CB, Happy Birfday!

Yay, Yay, Yay to you!

Purrs, headbonkies, and laps

GRR!

AYLA and IZA:  Our never-ending kibble bowl went away!  Its been gone a whole week an we ARENT happy. TBT says it is "for our own good" an that is never a good thing as far as we are concerned.  We LIKE our crunchies!  We like that they CRUNCH like bones and mousie skulls.  Duh...  Plus, they are always there when we want a snack!

TBT:  After readin for the umpteenth time that unlimited dry kibble is simply bad for most cats, I decided to try not leaving it out all night and day.  On the up side, they do eat their good canned food a lot better.  Even flavors they have declined to like before.  Well, its not like Evo Venison or Avoderm chicken is BAD for them.  They just want Evo chicken/turkey or duck stuff all the time.  And would you believe they don't like TUNA unless they are really hungry?  I  wonder about them sometimes.  They eat ham and beef if I drop bits from the kitchen counter but will not eat it from a quality canned source.  Hmmm.  I concluded that they were getting too fussy about high quality canned food.

AYLA and IZA:  Well, What we WANT is live mousies evry day!  Is that so hard to get, TBT?  We wouldnt eat dry kibble iffen there was live mousies ta chase and eat. 

TBT:  Actually, I think they would still want never-ending kibble...  I even tested it.  Sometimes, when there was still canned Evo left in the bowl, I would put down a small amount of kibble, and they would run over to it.  Now, its not that I mind them eating SOME kibble if they enjoy the crunch.  I just don't want them filling up on it all night and then being too stuffed in the morning to eat their healthier canned food.  And I WANT them to eat healthier food.


AYLA and IZA:  But we LIKE the CRUNCH,  we LIKE the CRUNCH, we LIKE the CRUNCH!!!

TBT:   Which is why I have started spreading out their meals.  When I get up, they split a small can of Fancy Feast.  Then a few hours later, I place a small handful of dry kibble in their bowls when they are both around to get their fair share (interestingly Ayla will only eat her portion, but Iza will eat both portions if she can).


IZA:  HEY!

TBT:   You know that's true Iza, I watch carefully...  You try to be sneaky about it, but I ALWAYS know what you both are doing.  Heh-Heh.  Anyway, as I was saying, I split up their meals.  Some Fancy Feast first think in the morning (small can), then some small amount of kibble a few hours later, then late lunch (teatime?) of a half can of some high-quality canned food, then around dinner, some kibble (and I mean a tablespoon each), then the other half of the canned food at bedtime (mine, not theirs).   And that actually spreads it pretty well around the clock.



So they are getting a good 8.5 ounces of good quality canned food and 4 ounces of kibble each day for the 17.5 pounds of them (Ayla is 6 pounds and Iza is 11.5 pounds).  I am weighing them every couple of days to make sure they aren't losing any weight (though quite frankly, I will let Iza lose a pound if that happens to occur gradually - I don't call her "Pudge" for no reason).  The Vet agrees that Iza would be healthier at 10 pounds (according to her skeletal size).  


I really worry more about Ayla's weight.  She is only 5.5 - 6 pounds and she doesn't eat as much when she is in heat, so I have to watch that more carefully.  I try to keep her "plumped up" to at least 6 pounds.  It is difficult though.  She eats more than Iza does (I give Ayla slightly larger portions of the good Evo food) 

Iza:  Wait, WHAT?  Thats not FAIR!

and she eats it right up but she never seems to gain more weight.   And Ayla is a member of "The Clean Plate Club".  She licks the bowl clean.  I think I should give her a LARGER portion. I would like to see Ayla at 7 pounds and Iza at 10.


WAAAA!

Quiet, Iza...  The good news is that they are starting to see the regular kibble as "treats".  That's OK because neither of them actually seem to like commercial treats.  I've been using up the last of the dry Meow Mix in the lunch and the dry Hills Science Diet in the evening, and they love both.

As I have gotten older, my cats have been gradually getting better quality food (as best I can tell by reading articles about it).  I probably can't give them much better food then they are currently getting.  I just wish I had gotten "here" many years ago. 

And I'll repeat that I am watching their weights very carefully as I change their feeding habits...

Sink Fun

AYLA:   Oh wow, I found a mousie in the sink!  I couldnt get whap it out, so I hadda great time playing wif it right there.

Heres a action shot.  Sorry, I was movin REAL fast.

Then I got it back in the sink.  I swished it around a lot!    And I bit it real good...

Even so, it was still movin, so I batted it around real hard til it stopped.  It was so cool cuz it couldnt get out of the sink!

I did pull it up once ta give it a chance, but it was all worn out...

But then TBT came by an said he hadda use the sink fer somethin.  Ack, there wouldbe sudden hard water splashin!!!  So he grabbed my mousie an tossed it on the bed.  I chased it there an had lots more fun wif it.

Iza Finds The Mousie

IZA:  I heard a mousie drop!  I know I did...

 Its down here somewhere.  Fer sure...

There it is!  I got it!  They NEVER escape ME!

I pulled this one up ta the tabletop an ate the skin right offa THIS one. 

My bowl of skinned mousies gets fuller efry day!!!

Tick Tock

IZA:  I'm not sure about mentionin this cuz its a little gross an embarassin, but I am an upfront kitty.  Just warnin ya that this may be a bit "strange".  You'll unnerstand why there are no pictures, though.

Well, it started last night.  The Big Thing was readin his noospapers and I climbed up to block his view like usual.  I turned around once, and he laffed an said I had a dingleberry.  Well, that was embarassin, so I left to take care of it.  I couldn't seem ta get it loose though.

The next morning, TBT said I still had it! I ran off at first ta make a last try at removing it.  I  even did the butt-scootch across the carpet (which always works) but it dint work...  I hated ta do it but I hopped back on the table and asked fer help.  Don't quote me on that or what follows, I'll deny it.

I HAD A TICK ON MY BUTT!  Right "there".  And he laffed about it til he almost passed out.  Yeah, really, he DID!  But at least he did help.  He went an got one of his weird tools.

Well, he got that mean old tick off so easily I could hardly tell it happened!  Though I did fight a bit about getting held down on my side (I dint know what he was doin, an I dint like that at all)  But he was really firm about it, an I know when he is THAT WAY, there isnt anny use in fighting.  He even looked at it unner a magnifying glass afterwards ta make sure its jaws were still attached (they were) before he deaded it.

I felt so much happier immediately!  I'd been SO itchy back there.  In fact, I was SO happy, I groomed his arms for as long as he let me (about 10 minutes, Beins got tender skin). 

Except NOW he is callin me "Tick 'Tocks"... 

Bedroom Games

We hadda good time playin in the bedroom yesserday!  Good exercize, good pouncin, good wrasslin...

Here is how it started...

Opposite sides of annythin is a good start.  This is us movin too fast fer the flashy box...  Iza pounced an Ayla defended, whappin an bunny-kickin Iza as she ran by tryin some whaps herself...

That was all about toy control.  We both wanted ta play wif the same ones.  There were lots others around, but thats not the point.

 We both wanted the same ones.

 Iza won this round.  Here she is playin wif her hard-won trophies! 

 Ayla is hafin ta watch Iza play.  But she is determined ta win next time!

And it really is "OK" cuz TBT brought out more mousies ta toss around, so Ayla got her share up on the bed...

Easy Like Sunday

AYLA:  My all time favrite bed spot.  Against the pillow and a bit to the right.  That puts me out of sight from Iza on the floor, and nearest the drinkin fountains and the bafroom window. 

Well, think about it.  Why would ya sleep FAR from other good things?  I plan my movements very economicaly!

Egg Carton Fun

AYLA:  OK, it really doesnt show up well, but I took one of Izas egg carton chunks an bunny-kicked and chewed it ta shreds!

That'll show her shes not the only one who can do that!  Of course, I made sure she was outside when I did it.  She's "possessive".

An how does she get all that mushed cardboard outta her claws?  Does she EAT it?  I cant ezactly ask or she'll know what I did.

I think I better go claw around in the "clean" litterbox a while an get this paper mache stuff out.  Ick...

On Guard!

AYLA: There haf been too many nappin pictures lately, so I wanna show ya all that I do move around. 

Im just bein watchful right now.  There been some weerd noises around here lately!  And I dont mean Iza or The Big Thing.  I gotta be ready ta spring at what ever it is iffen I see it...  There might even be a skwerrel in the house...

[IZA:  I suspect it was the ping pong ball I batted down the stairs, an The Big Thing tosses some around at random, but dont tell her.  Its fun when shes nervous and alert.]

Ayla Laptime

AYLA: Iza is so weird!  Ive been spendin over 2 YEARS on The Big Thing's lap an I know how ta do it.  I just nap there so light an soft an quiet...

See?

No big deals, no making him move his legs (like when Iza is so heavy).  I even just settle there when he is nappin hisself!  Sometimes, he doesnt even know I'm there until he wakes up...

[Yeah right.  Sly as you are, I always know]

Um, like I was saying, he "sometimes" doesn't know when I hop up on his lap fer a nap.  I may be caught "sometimes", but he doesnt know when he doesnt notice.  Right?  And he never objects.

[True - Hey wait, did she just shift "sometimes" around on me?]

Heh-heh ...

Iza On Lap

Iza:  Lap Time!  Yay...

Nothin better than The Big Thing's Lap...

I can sleep there ALL night.  Well, I could iffen he dint get up after an hour or so...

Even when he moves around.  Its THAT good.  You think Im about ta fall off, dontcha?

I wont.  See?  Ive got a good grip on him.  He doesnt mind cuz he is tuff!

[I am not, OUCH!  I spend a lot of time pulling claws out of my flesh and clothes!]

You want one of these, buy yer own!  IZA-555-1212.  Ask fer "Iza's Cheap Pre-Owned Beins".  Shipping extra.  While Quantities Last.  And other legal caveats...

In Bed

We have no daily schedule.  Like The Big Thing, we get up when we please, nap when we please, an eat when we're hungry.

Nappin inna daytime!  Yes, thats 2 cats, though we bet we COULD HAF convinced ya otherwisey.

Time ta wake up an groom someone...

We HADDA wake up.  The Big Thing was walkin aroun us with the flashy camera.  Who can sleep through flashies?

Tablecloth Activity

AYLA:  There's some activity below me.  I dont know what it is.

It sounds suspicious though...

I think Iza is outside.  At least I hope she is.  Cuz then it could be mousies...

But I jus cant help feelin shes aroun here SOMEWHERE!