1-9-14

Posted on by Robyn

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These three absolutely adorable kittens are in the Austin, TX area, and need a home! Reader Trudy rescued them off the street, tamed them and loved them, and helped them grow into the beautiful boys you see here. Now it’s time for them to find their forever home! Please click on the picture (or this link right here) to learn more about them, or email Trudy at trudy_jewell@yahoo.com if you have any questions or know someone who might be interested!

Please please please spread the word!!!

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So, back in 2011, we had the Peppers Gang – Everett, Lucy, Harlan, Molly, and Sally. They were hissy when we first got them, but they eventually got over that nonsense, turned into friendly little lovers, and then went off to Petsmart. Molly (silver tabby) and Harlan (brown tabby) were adopted, but Everett, Lucy, and Sally sat and sat at Petsmart. In January 2012, they came back here for a break from the cage, and during that time I took some pictures that were among my favorites.

Yesterday, I got an update on Everett Peppers, the Da Bird-lovin’ jumper who reached amazing heights in his quest to CAPTURE that thing!

Emma said:

We’ve had Everett Peppers for almost 2 years now, and we LOVE LOVE LOVE him, and of course we kept his awesome name! We also have a 7 year old kitty, Lulu, who at first was extremely unimpressed with Everett. There was a lot of hissing in the beginning. Lulu is getting a bit crotchety in her middle age, and tends to be displeased with most things in life, except for my 11 year old son (who is HER human). However, she finally came around and has decided that Everett is not, in fact, the devil. He’s still a bit too high energy for her liking, but she tolerates him, and even allows him to snuggle with her (assuming she is already asleep and comfy when he shows up). Everett on the other hand just LOVES Lulu so terribly much and constantly follows her, tries to clean her, play with her, and snuggle with her, much to her continued annoyance.


Ears of Annoyance due to the weather. (I feel ya, Everett!)


Everett’s first day in his new home (with my son Max). He is a snugly kitty!

We learned very quickly that Everett NEEDS at least 20-30 minutes of active play time chasing da bird every single day. If not, he will go find and drag da bird into your room and place it on your face at 3 am until you wake up and play with him. He is the perfect mix of energetic, playful, loving, and sweet of any cat I’ve ever met! He has chosen me as his human (partly because Lulu is a bit territorial over my son), and sleeps with me every night. I’m convinced he might be part dog because he loves to play fetch, and will meet me at the door, tail wagging, when I get home from work. He also loooooves to have his belly rubbed!


You know it’s cold when Lulu allows this to happen!


Finally and most importantly, the flying Everett still flies after da bird! (Taken with my iphone which is not nearly a fast enough camera to catch his antics!

One last, but very important note: I can’t say enough good things about adopting a cat from Love & Hisses. If you have room in your home, and in your heart, do it! Lulu was a shelter kitty (from The Ark, a wonderful local shelter), and while adopting any cat from any shelter is a great thing, there is a notable difference in Everett. It is clear that he is well adjusted to being in a home and around other cats. It’s also very clear that he was loved very much in Robyn’s home. I think kitties who are lucky enough to spend their foster time in a home with other cats and someone who sincerely loves them so much have an easier time adjusting to home life. My only regret is that we didn’t rescue him from the cage at Pet Smart sooner! He seems to have a bit of PTSD from the cage, as he cries and cries whenever he has to go into his carrier, or gets separated from the family in another room.

We love Everett Peppers so very much!

Emma also reported that Everett lost his white whiskers last summer, and they haven’t grown back in. Everett’s white whiskers were how I was able to easily tell him apart (from a distance) from his sisters. They gave him a jaunty air, but I guess he decided he didn’t need them any more!

Thank you so much for the update on Everett, Emma! I sure do love seeing his sweet face and hearing about how he’s doing.

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In case you read Love & Hisses very early in the morning, you might have missed where I edited to add that this happened:

Tony and Melfi did come back (as I mentioned yesterday), but with the way adoptions have been this past week, I think they won’t be around for long. And HOPEFULLY the same will be true of their mother!

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John Smith shows off another random white patch in the middle of his tabby stripes. Hey, I just noticed that it (I’m looking at the mark on his right hip area) is kinda shaped like a fish!


Bunnie has taken to climbing into my lap when I visit, now. She’s such a sweet girl.


Toto in the sun.


Toto tries on the Ears of Annoyance.


Tricki has a thought.


Tricki has a bath.


Tricki has a thought while she has a bath.


Tricki likes to roll around under the scratcher; she does it a LOT (well, they all do, actually!)


“What?”


Peekaboo!

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Every now and then, Jake gets kind of fixated on Stinkerbelle, and he follows her around, and tries to play with her. She DOES NOT want to play with him, and she’s made that perfectly clear. He kinda scares her! The other night, he was doing his thing, and tried to join her on one of the platforms in the front room. She let out her scary scream, and I don’t know if she actually made contact with him or not (I wish the camera had been tilted upward just a bit more!), but down he came.


YouTube link.

(The fall is kind of scary looking, but rest assured that he is FINE, and we’re probably going to put a blanket on that table to catch any falls in the future. Personally, I think we need a safety net like they use in the circus.)

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Thank you, everyone, for your good thoughts for Alice. She came through surgery just fine, and is now home recovering. We kept her in Fred’s room overnight, just so she could relax without the other cats harassing her, and she was in HEAVEN. Perhaps you’ve heard that she loves her Daddy, yo?

To answer the questions a few of you had, we realized on New Year’s Eve that Alice was spending a lot of time in the litter box. It was too late to get her in with the vet that day. And then the next day, we realized that there was blood in her urine. Other than the peeing, she was acting fine – eating, playing – and so rather than take her off to the emergency vet, we opted to wait ’til the office reopened on January 2nd.

(If Alice had been a boy, we would NOT have waited. Females can get blocked, but it’s unusual and is a lot more common in males.)

So we took her to the vet on Thursday, and they thought she had a urinary tract infection. We got antibiotics, and started her on them immediately.

Saturday morning I walked into the kitchen and found Alice squatting in the sink. When she jumped out, I could see that she’d peed a little, and it looked like it was all blood. She’d been on antibiotics for only a day and a half, but it seemed that she was getting worse instead of better. There’s a vet about half an hour away who’s open on Saturday, so Fred called and got an immediate appointment for her. We took her, they did an extensive exam, and weren’t able to get a urine sample. They told us to keep her on the antibiotics, and gave us the tools to get a urine sample (“tools”: sterile sample container and a syringe).

Sunday, Fred got an excellent urine sample (it was easier, since Alice was peeing in the sink at the time; yeah, I know: gross), and then late on Sunday he got another one, just to be safe. He took them to the vet on Monday and dropped them off, they sent them off to the lab, and then on Tuesday they called and asked us to bring her in for an X-Ray, whereupon we saw the stone.

The funny part of that visit was that, after we’d decided on surgery, the vet started looking at his schedule and mentioning the possibility of doing surgery on Thursday. Which is when I laughed and said “Fred would like you to go out back and starting scrubbing for surgery RIGHT NOW!” When it comes to the cats, Fred is 100% Aurora Greenway.


YouTube link.

The vet took one look at Fred’s crazy eyes and offered to work through lunch the next day. Heh.

So Alice is home, she’s recovering, and they’ve sent off the stone for tests so we’ll know exactly what we’re dealing with!


“Would like to not do THAT again, please.”

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Previously
2013: “LADY YOU GOTTA SIT DOWN. I NEED SOME LAP TIME.”
2012: Also, so you don’t have to go without your kitteh fix, here I am getting my very first kitten for my (I think) sixth birthday, so it was mumblety-mumble years ago.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: She’s all ::sniffsniffsniff:: “HI TOMMY!” and he’s all “Yeah, whatever, runt.”
2008: No entry.
2007: Naturally, Mister Boogers heard us talking to them, and came up to be a jerk.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

Comments

48 thoughts on “1-9-14”

  1. Everett Peppers sure is handsome and obviously VERY loved! What a lucky boy! As for John Smith….well, if you are going to have a tattoo and you are a kitty, then a fish is the perfect choice!

    Stinkerbelle sure can fly up those stairs (impressive). Yeah, I would have liked to have seen the “action” at the top. Jake sure got out of dodge at that point! (However, did you notice his cool, calm and collected stroll out of the room like there had been nothing going on? Ha)

    So glad to hear that Alice is doing well and is getting pampered. That Aurora Greenway video gave me a hysterical mental image of Fred at the vet. Classic! As for the peeing in the sink, my Josh (RIP) would pee in the bathroom sink if his glucose level is getting all wonky and high. He was difficult to control since he had become glucose intolerant (till we found a new miracle insulin to use for $80 every 20 days!). Sometimes the bad behavior is the best indicator because it takes away the guess work that there is something wrong.

    1. Oh, no kidding – Alice is such a good girl that seeing her in the sink took away any doubt that something was wrong!

  2. Aw Alice, I’m so glad she’s doing better.

    Wow, Jake! You know, I never thought of him as a bully?! Or is it just when he’s around girls he gets all hormonal-teenaged-boy like? You know Jake, stalking is no way to pick up chicks, no matter how cute you are.

  3. By the way, CONGRATS TO MEADOW! I love her so much! I pray that her new family always sends us updates!!! (Same with Stompers’, Puff’s and Dandelion’s moms)

  4. Happy Birthday, Robyn!!! So very nice to see the Everett update and that Alice is doing well — was sending positive and warm thoughts and will continue. Have a great day! Celebrate – the DAY OF YOU!!!!!!! oh, and the kitties too!

  5. Happy birthday, Robyn!

    Everett is certainly still one handsome boy! I do love these updates!

    I hope Alice-Mo recovers from her surgery lickety split. Although looking at your post my eyes were drawn to the capitalised HEAVEN before actually reading what it said and my heart leapt into my mouth. Thank goodness it wasn’t what I initially thought it was.

    I love that Loony Jake has Loony Eyes even in video! 🙂

  7. First, so glad Alice did well!

    And then love the update on Everett!

    But I have to say this. When I was growing up, my mother would randomly say “kiss me fish lips” (sometimes kiss me moose lips) so when you pointed out the fish on John Smith the first thing that ran thought my mind was Kiss me fish hips!

    Now, he’s got wings on his back and a fish on his hip…

    Fish angel, fish angel, fish angel, woo woo…
    Fish angel, can you hear me,
    Fish angel can you see me,
    Are you playin on the stairs above,
    Over there at hisses and love..

    (Yes, I know that’s backwards, but it fits the song that way)
    Clearly, I need sleep.. 🙂

  8. Happy birthday Robyn!
    Is it just me or do Toto’s facial expressions remind one of Mister Boogers? The ears picture today and a picture from yesterday had me thinking of the Boogie (whom I miss very much!)

  9. Wow, great to see an update on Everett Peppers! He was an Alpha kitten, looks like hes an Alpha cat now. That boy can jump!

  12. Poor Fred! I know my husband would be the same way if his little girl was sick, and I’d be (and probably HAVE BEEN) the same when my little by is sick. Yeah, they’re “just cats” my big fluffy butt! 🙂 I cannot STAND when one of them is sick, and have actually thought of calling off of work to stay home with them – just in case. (I haven’t yet but I always think about it!) All that to say – I understand Fred’s crazy eyes! Glad the vet understood too.
    I’d love to adopt a Love and Hisses kitten, but I live too far away. 🙁
    PS: Happy Birthday!

  13. I’m so glad Alice is home and doing well!!!! Yeah, peeing in the sink is gross, but when mine have done it, it was the sure indicator of a urinary problem and time to call the vet. I’d much rather they do it there when I can see it immediately, rather than the box were it may go unnoticed for too long! Besides, what is bleach for anyway? 😉

    I love the Everett Peppers update! I loved that group of poofy jumpy kitties with a passion!! And I understand about Da Bird. Sabrina will drag Da Bird to wherever I am in the house and demand to be played with! I really need to get a video (with sound!) of her dragging it up my hardwood stairs first thing every morning when she gets up!

    And yay for Meadow and Happy Birthday Robyn!!

    1. Oh absolutely, seeing her in the sink made it clear that we weren’t overreacting! Also, it made it a lot easier to get a sample – Fred was able to just get in there with the container. LUCKY Fred! 🙂

  14. Happy Birthday, Robyn. I hope it is super fantastic!!

    Thanks for the repost on the boys, still haven’t heard anything.

  15. I need help, and hopefully you can post this Friday for all of the kitty experts. Thanksgiving weekend, I made an emotional decision. to adopt a cat from the SPCA. His name is Gus, he is about 7 months old, and Philo, my nearly 7-year-old alpha cat, is making his life miserable. He stalks and harasses him, and the confrontations turn physical. I have given Gus his own room as safe space, but his anxiety is such that he has started peeing all over the “safe room.” Philo has accepted kittens in the past, and I am sure that if it weren’t for him, Gus would have integrated into the household by now. Gus is so very sweet and friendly. I have ordered some of Jackson Galaxy’s Spirit Essences (the Ultimate Peacemaker pack) and wondered if anyone has experience with these? Any and all advice is welcome.

    1. So sorry that your guys are still working through their territory issues.

      I’ve tried the pheronome things but not sure if they made a difference, I felt better though.

      I like the idea of a safe room and don’t know if seperate litter box in there for a little while would help defuse tensions.

      I know sharing facilitiies can be a delicate, very personal matter. For cats too.

    2. If the safe room doesn’t have a litter box it definitely should.

      You could try isolating Gus again, then doing room swaps with Gus outside and the bully in the safe room to avoid fights and let them get used to places they’ve been.

      Then you could try bribing them both with treats in the same area to get them used to good things around each other.

      1. Yes, the safe room has litter, food, and water. It also contains our guest bed. Hubby put a tarp on the bed to protect the bedding, but Gus has started rooting under the tarp and peeing on the bed beneath it. We do have another spare bedroom I could move him into, one that does not contain a bed.

        2. I would move him to the room without the bed, if only to save yourself the hassle of having to clean the bed!

          Also, it probably wouldn’t hurt to have him checked for a UTI, I believe I’ve heard/read that stress can bring one on.

  16. OMG Everett is such a doll and that was a fantastic update! I wish every single one of your foster’s forever homes would update us like that monthly! Too much? Yeah? Well… a girl can dream. 😛

    So glad to hear Alice is feeling better and good on Fred for being so mental that the vets do his bidding! That’s awesome!

  17. Happy Birthday!
    Glad Alice is doing well, and hope it’s the only issue she ever has, truly.
    And updates are awesome!

  18. Everett is such a handsome man, as the saying goes, “He should be on the cover of a romance novel.” Love those snuggling pictures of him with his brother, sister, all of it. And that bird regiment, you’ve created a monster Robyn!!!

    So glad that Meadow found a forever home, she’s so sweet. I know Melfi and Tony will find a good one too, that must’ve broken some hearts returning them but I get it.

    My brother’s allergies were bad so the doctor gave him a choice: get rid of the cat or get monthly allergy shots. God bless him, he took the shots for ten years. Same with my mother.

    I’m glad that Alice is doing better but I’m trying to remember how she got her name. Did the song or the name come first? BTW, love the vet taking a look at Fred’s face and deciding to work through lunch. You’re right, that vet’s a keeper!!!

    BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN!!!!

    1. I get the shots. Started out once a week (one shot in each arm)…and almost two years later I have progressed to only going once a month! I have three cats…ever so worth it!!!

      Alice got her name because at the time she came into the household Robyn was fostering the Bradys. Thus, she got to be the maid! Funny cuz it seems to me that she is one of the bosses! 🙂

  19. Oh wow, Stinkerbelle sure has some pipes on her! I think if I heard that in the middle of the night I wouldn’t be able to get back to sleep. Too freaky!

    I remember reading the Crooked Acres Permanent Resident Compatability Chart® (which I can’t seem to find now) and seeing that Jake has a “Wierd Obsession” with Stinkerbelle, who I think mostly has a “Hates” designation in relation to other cats except Tommy. Looks like Princess Stinker got the better of Jake this time around!

  21. Well now I’m crushing a little bit more on Fred.. got to love a man who gets his cat in to surgery sooner rather than later 😉 Glad to hear she is doing well, and look forward to hearing the results.

    Love the peekaboo image!

    Hope you have a wonderful birthday.

  22. Happy Birthday, Robyn! I know the cats are waiting on you hand and foot. Well, a girl can dream… But seriously, you bring joy to so many of us thanks to all that you do on behalf of the kitties — you are literally and figuratively a life saver.

  24. Happy Birthday, Robyn! And as my personal gift to you (since you brought up the urine sample thing) here’s one of my favorite stories: Max had a UTI and needed a follow-up sample. I was instructed to empty the litter box, have the cat pee, then use a syringe to get the sample. So I empty the box. Max jumps in, looks around, scratches, gives me the “Excuse me, lady, but you forgot the litter” look and jumps out. Repeat 3 times, with the look of exasperation on Max’s face increasing. Meanwhile, Sophie is pacing behind me (I only had one litter box at the time). Finally Sophie had enough and as Max was exiting, she shouldered in past him, squatted and peed. I actually SAW the lightbulb go on over Max’s head. So then he tries to get in the box as I’m yelling – “No – WAIT”. Poor baby, getting mixed messages…

  25. I have often felt like Alice Greenway. That felt so good to watch. So glad that one of my “favorites” is doing fine. Love your site !

  27. Happy B-Day, Robyn! Hope the cats do all the chores for you and play with you and spoil you rotten on the occasion 🙂 So much goodness you’ve posted today!

  28. So my husband and I joke about creepy Google. If he Googles someplace on his work computer while logged into our family Google calendar, directions to said place will pop up on my phone. It’s not my favorite feature, as when I text him to ask why he was Googling xyz, he’ll ask if I can stop by and pick up something. Sure honey, I have the directions right here.

    All this is a long lead up to tell you that today my Google cards are telling me the score of the Illini game, how far it is to my office, and the fact it’s your birthday. I have no idea how it knows that I would appreciate this, but will tell you that even though it’s your birthday, I will not be running your errands 🙂

  29. I was re-watching that video of Jake and Stinkerbelle have it out and I just noticed that His Looniness falling to the floor was strong enough to shake the gamecam! “Kitty fall down go boom” indeed.

  30. Happy Birthday, Robyn!!!
    Though with this post, you are giving all of us a present!
    That video of Jake and Stinkerbelle is historic – and hysterical!

  31. Thank you so much for the birthday wishes, everyone! It was a quiet, relaxing day, and I got dinner out, so I’m giving it two thumbs up! 🙂

  32. OMGosh if your birthday is on January 9 then we share the same birthday. I love the idea of us having the same birthday as the only other person I know who’d born on 1/9 is Richard Nixon.

  34. I’m so happy to read about Everett Peppers, my most favorite Crooked Acres kitty. And what great photos! I’m so glad he and his human and cat companions are happy together.

    My birthday is on January 9, too, so this was a perfect birthday gift!

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