Had to sniff at the 2011 entry.
Poor Corbie, sticking his head under you arm and shaking. Don’t blame you for picking him up and running to the car. He was so loved, you made him happy.
I sure do miss that boy! (And he was SO gorgeous, have you heard?)
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Have there been any other litters of kittens Stefan has loved like he loved those Dragons?
Stefan is a puppy in a cat’s clothing. He’s a little too rambunctious for some kittens, but I think he’ll always love playing with them, jumping at them, and freaking them out. He’s verrrry interested in getting into the foster room right now, but Koko has made it 100% clear that she is NOT HAVING IT. We had to put a towel outside the bottom of the foster room door because Koko would see Stefan’s feet on the other side of the barrier (there’s a gap at the bottom of the door and a gap at the bottom of the barrier) and get freaked out.
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How tiny is tiny Alice? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
We were SO bamboozled by that girl – half the reason Fred wanted to keep her was because she was so tiny! I guess she taught him.
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How old was Maxi when she had her babies?
She was pretty young – I think the vet guesstimated her at less than 2 years old. (For those who are newer to the blog or don’t remember – Maxi and Newt were here when we bought this house, and they stayed here. Maxi was clearly nursing kittens the first time we saw her, and eventually she brought her kittens around. They became Challenger’s House cats, and we fostered them for a short time before they went off to be adopted.) We thought that Newt was the father to her babies, but the vet said she thought he might be her kitten from a previous litter. He continues to be the only cat she’ll put up with, if only until he annoys her.
Look how tiny they were! These pictures are from late 2006, and in the second picture you can see the box we put on the front porch with a heated bed inside. They’ve certainly gotten much cushier accommodations since, haven’t they?
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Didn’t you have a foster kitten get out once?
and
Didn’t Dennis escape on a Sunday and return with Monday?
All of these were before we put the screen door at the bottom of the stairs. Rufus got out of the back yard and was gone overnight. When he showed back up, he wouldn’t let us get near him, and in fact Fred had to put out the trap to get him. Once we got him back inside, he was all cool and casual and “Hi, guys!” Such a brat.
Also, yes – Dennis did escape the back yard and returned with Monday (who immediately went off to be spayed and vaccinated, and was ultimately adopted out with Marshall, from the Cheez Doodles.
When Corbie’s litter – the Bookworms – was here and were six months old or so, I’m pretty sure we had an issue with Rhyme and Reacher going out into the back yard (which they weren’t supposed to do!) and climbing over the fence. We ultimately put collars on them, but that was before we had the screen door – if it were to happen today, their butts would have been shut upstairs.
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I wondered if you had spraying issues with such a large group. thanks for confirming ;). Which cleaner works best for that?
I’ve been using Thornell Cat Odor Off lately, or (depending on where I am and what’s within reach), I also use Nose Offense. Susan (the shelter manager) highly recommends the Cat Odor Off, and it works well for me, too. I do wish it didn’t have a scent, but it smells kind of piney to me, and it’s better than smelling cat spray!
I’ve had a lot of people recommend Fizzion to me – that’s the stuff that Jackson Galaxy uses – and I tried it and I wish I could remember what I didn’t like about it, but I don’t recall. Maybe it was the scent?
I want to know what y’all use. Chime in, you know I like hearing what else is out there!
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What’s the deal with the Archie V Stefan Superstar Death Cage Match situation?
The deal is that sometimes they’re like this:
And sometimes they’re like this:
We never know which way they’re going to be, but we have to break up the stand-offs once or twice a week. They usually happen when Stefan is somewhere that Archie wants to be, so very often it happens around a favorite cat bed. Archie is the instigator. Stefan will just sit or stand and stare at him, but if Archie takes things to a physical level, Stefan is invariably the victor. That boy can kick BUTT. So now Archie will just stand there, chewing and spitting out his hisses and growls of hatred all the live-long day (or until he’s carried off to another room).
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I saw on my Facebook feed the other day that there is going to be a documentary about cats in Istanbul and I thought I would share it with other cat-lovers. Definitely watch the trailer! (Kedi means cat in Turkish.)
It might seem like a documentary about cats that just happens to be set in Istanbul, but the thing to understand is how much cats are a part of culture and history in Istanbul. Here’s a snippet from the description:
“Cats – tabbies, calicos, angoras, norwegian forest cats; ginger cats, grey cats, black cats, white cats, black and white cats – all kinds of cats, roam the city, free, without a human master. Some fend for themselves, scavenging from dumpsters, living in abandoned buildings, others are cared for by communities of people, pampered with the best cat food and given shelter for the cold months. Cats have been a part of the city for thousands of years, and so, everyone who grows up in Istanbul or lives in Istanbul has a story about a cat. Stories that are memorable; sometimes scary, sometimes spiritual, but always very personal. Street cats are such a big part of the culture that when US president Barack Obama visited Istanbul, part of his tour included a stop at the Hagia Sophia to visit its famous cat. Cats are as integral to the identity of Istanbul as its monuments, the Bosporus, tea, raki and fish restaurants.”
I lived in Istanbul and it’s true – I have cat stories 🙂 My favorite memory involves the cats that made their home outside my apartment building one year. There were several that always hung around, but there were two who would always hang out by the door and greet people as they went in and out of the building. There was a tomcat who was very friendly and sweet and a girl who was a bit more wild. One day, I came home and the girl cat came running up to me. She started figure-eighting around my feet and then suddenly, she planted her front paws on my ankle, looked up at me for about 2 seconds, and then gave me a very deliberate love bite on the back of my ankle – it was just long enough with enough pressure to make sure I felt it, but it clearly wasn’t an angry bite. Then she looked up at me again and ran away. I’ll never forget it. After that, it seemed like news had spread that I was “initiated” and everywhere I went, a cat would come out to say hello.
So yeah, I’m excited about the movie 🙂
Thanks for the heads up – I look forward to seeing that movie when it’s available!
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“EhrmaGAWD, lady, sit down and pet me!”
She lifted that foot up, and then just sat there, all “Now, what was I doing?” Pregnancy brain!
“Being annoying, lady. Real annoying.”
In case you missed this on Facebook/Instagram/Tumblr Wednesday:
I made that with the YouCam Makeup app, and had WAY too much fun with it, obviously. (No mama was harmed in the making of those pictures.)
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Jobey-Joe
The tuxie-doe
Sure does love
That dirty carpet. (Yo.)
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Previously
2015: “Hug me in the sun Pickles… pweeeeze…”
2014: Please note that Mariette is laying right across Orlando’s head. And she doesn’t care if he likes it or not!
2013: Annnnd did I mention that she’s pregnant? (HA – no she wasn’t!)
2012: Mr. Chewy wishes you luck.
2011: No entry.
2010: Too bad the vet has a no-operating-on-humans policy. Or I assume she does, anyway.
2009: I am only so strong, you know!
2008: I don’t have to be loved by ALL my cats, but if he comes looking for love tonight, I don’t know that there will be any love to SHARE.
2007: “Did someone say ‘snackin’ time’?”
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.