too perfectly cute

How could such dirty little kittens grow up to be so cute? I just scoop them up whenever they zip by and say "AHHHH!!!! You are so CUTE!" Normally I prefer the scraggly ugly little guys. Or the skinny ones with outsized paws. But there's something to be said for kittens that appear to be constructed entirely from pompoms.

Anybody want to borrow them? They need a short-term foster home for four days.

Cats on your bed

Mary sent this photo of Jack and The Leewit taking over her newly dressed bed. Perhaps I should ask the other bloggers reading this to post photos of their cats on their beds?

I can probably get a good one of mine, tonight, while I'm in it. :)

If you do post one on your blog, leave a comment here with a link. Thanks!


Here's one from Blog by-the-Sea (Thanks, Teresa!)

Judy sends a great shot from her page here (which has many more beautiful photographs if you need a pick-me-up on this gray day). Go to that page and scroll down! Hey Judy, did you stumble here from my Open Garden Days post?

Monica sends a bed full of kittens (I'm getting new blogs for my blogroll too. Loving this!)

50 Kittens sends a perfect bedtime reading photo.

More work in the cat facility

It's nice to make improvements in the cat facility. It makes me want to spend more time out there. Tonight I moved Sir Morgan upstairs, since he's been a week post-neuter without any sniffles or other signs of illness. The other cat mostly ignored him. Arthur finally paid some attention when I plunked him up on the table and he noticed there was a new cat in the room.

I bit the bullet the picked up more of these cardboard scratcher inserts for the turbo cat toy. They are nearly $9 for two measly pieces of cardboard at Petsmart. I used to be able to get them for around $6. The cats really enjoy this toy though. I also got two small cans of KMR powder so the kits can still have their bedtime bottle. One is for me, and one for the foster home where the other two are.



The cats really seem to like their furniture. I didn't even have to try hard to get a "cat on each level" shot tonight. Fluffy just fits into the middle level, and he lay their nicely as I combed him.



Molly has been playing well with the kittens, which is good socialization for them. Peek-a-boo with the stair curtain is the current game. Molly is at a disadvantage as she's not allowed upstairs.



This weekend I plan to paint the upstairs of the house, as I really need to get a housemate. I need some regular help around here mowing lawn, spending time with the cats, and house-sitting when I travel, as I will be this fall. It would be nice to find someone who wouldn't mind my cat wandering upstairs, but if not, I can put a door at the bottom of the stairs, and the children will just have to get used to one level life.

It's time to admit that it's just too big a place for one person.

Our own little cat room make over

Petfinder is having a very cool cat room makeover essay contest with furniture from The Refined Feline. Pretty cool stuff, huh? Alas, as an employee I am not eligible. Some deserving shelter is going to have a beautiful cat room!

But there is always...ta dah! The Craigslist Cat Room Make Over! Yes indeed, a few days ago I saw a post for a ton of nearly new cat furniture for ultra cheap.



Wow, huh? The owner of the kitty who possessed these riches decided to relocate to California, and the cost of shipping was too high. I am amazed I was the first one to call, as I only look at Craigslist every few days.



Pickles says "paint the ceiling, lady."



She also apparently feels it's time to put the heat lamp away.

It seems that getting her rug steam cleaned tonight was just not enough work for her. After cleaning the carpet and dragging all this stuff upstairs, I'm beat. However, it couldn't stay in the truck any longer (it's raining, and the cap leaks) and there was no sense in moving it in without cleaning the room.

Now I am waiting for Molly to wear the kittens out, so we can all go to bed.

Rest in peace, lovely ladies

Two friends have lost cats this week. Stephanie, who adopted Zuzu and Jasper, lost Annie to illness:

Valarie and Craig, who coincidentally rescued Zuzu as a kitten and have the Hagadorn Hill colony, lost Smudge, a member of their colony:



It doesn't seem right to post sad news on such a beautiful day. But I guess that's the best way to remember them. In sunshine with birdsong.

Come visit me Saturday, 11:30-2:00!

I will be one of the gatekeepers at the Myers Garden in West Danby for the Open Gardens Tour. It's only $5, and it will be a beautiful day. The West Danby/Spencer/Van Etten yard sales are also tomorrow, so what better excuse to come wandering down our way?

I know, I should have posted this sooner!

See, I actually am involved in things besides cats. Come keep me company for a few minutes, and visit a beautiful garden. The garden is open 10-4, so if you miss me, don't worry, you'll still have a gorgeous visit.

Wickes Lumber is no more

Kat is out of town, so I have to feed the Fast Food Ferals this week. I also needed KMR for the kittens, so when the bell rang for quitting time, I grabbed the lawn mower, mowed a chunk of lawn, then grabbed the dog and headed to Ithaca.

I turned left to the lumber yard, and...whoa.

No more lumber yard. No more building. No more nothing.

And there was my shelter and feeding station, carefully deposited at the edge of the parking lot, just as I had asked. They did not disturb the woodsy area where the cats physically are (although they won't hide there any longer, with no building to hide behind).

I stood and stared for a long while. That place has been a part of my life for over six years.

I was able to get both the shelter and feeding station into the truck (even though the truck was already filled with bags of cat litter, a child's playpen, two traps, etc.) and headed over to the new feeding site...now the only feeding site. And who should be waiting for me but a black cat. He was too far away for me to check for an eartip, but at least one cat has definitely found the new spot.

I trudged around the back of the fence and put a bowl of food at the other corner of the property as well.

I hope Pichou and Vannie are OK, and haven't run for the hills.

"Prescription Diets" in name only?

Did you know that "prescription pet diets" are a marketing tactic...and are not products requiring (and protected by) FDA oversight? Check out Dolittler.

"1) Animal foods do not meet the definition of a new animal drug (indeed, they are not drugs).

2) The container labels for Prescription Diets (notice the caps) do not include the federal legend required by the FDA for prescription drugs (i.e., they have not been approved by the FDA as safe and effective for their labeled indication)

The concept of a “prescription only” diet has merely been a marketing success for pet food companies who label their products as such and somehow manage to have engendered a belief that a product labeled as a “Prescription Diet”...requires a prescription.

But this is NOT TRUE! There is no legal basis for requiring a prescription for a product that is NOT regulated by the FDA as a drug. Shall I repeat that or was it sufficiently clear?"

I have a prescription for a/d hanging on my refrigerator at the moment. Huh!

He needs a name, and I'm running out.

Here is the little orange fellow who came running up on my porch the other night. Oddly, he has been around for well over a month, and would run away whenever he saw me. The other night, however, he came busting right up the porch stairs as soon as I came out. He was frightened off by Molly's yaps, but came running up again when I put her in the house and came out with a bowl of wet food.




He appears to have a detached right retina. The vet will be able to tell more. He is totally friendly, and is still amazed that he can eat all the food he wants.

Fur graffiti....

...speaks for itself.

Adopter photo - Simon!

It must be the week for portrait-quality photos!

Elvis visits the local bar - Adopter photo

I'm going over to visit Elvis's haunt on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing you, Alice!

Portraits of ZuZu and Jasper

Thanks, Stephanie. Sorry it took me over a week to get them posted! I love seeing how happy they are. I wish I had the talent and equipment to get such great photographs.

Ain't it the truth

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

sleepy...so just photos....