Nora, the Pianist

I try to not be arrogant about the intelligence of my cats. But, let's face it, they ARE exceptionally bright. At the vet's office they cannot fathom that mine are so good at reading body language that there's simply NOTHING I can get past them. Obviously, they have never encountered animals as intelligent as mine.

This morning I discovered that I have been holding them back by not providing them with a piano. Just look at what they could do if they weren't so deprived!

This is Nora who, with her 6 siblings, lives in Lithuania and who, thanks to her artist parents, has become a concert pianist. (Nora swats her siblings off the piano, claiming it as her own.) In fact, her dad wrote a concerto just for her, and now she is more famous than he is.

See this most amazing video!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeoT66v4EHg

P.S. After thinking about it, I've decided to not buy a piano.

Rudy

Though Rudy is looking a bit pensive here but he is doing great. He had his dental yesterday and gave up more of his teeth. He must have lost a few on his own because his dental chart now shows only the incisors remaining. I will check when his mouth is no longer sore.

I took in a growling kitty early yesterday morning. Had "words" with the dental tech who insisted the dental could not, and would not be done without a rabies shot. (Just because Rudy was growling, I'll bet!:-) I told him I would take Rudy back to our former vet, but first I wanted to speak to Dr. Whitehill (our present vet, and the tech's boss). For 15 minutes I stroked growling Rudy while I was kept waiting. Through the small window in the door to the hospital, I could see and hear Dr. Whitehill in conversation with another vet. The tech never asked him.....but came back to tell me "fine....Dr. W. said we'll do it.". I do NOT like lying.

What an arrogant young man! It was later in the day when I picked Rudy up and saw Dr. W. that I found out that it's this particular vet tech that administers the anesthesia! Dr. W. said he would have been fired if he did not excel at anesthesia. At t least I understood that the tech was scared! I mean what kind of a crazy person while petting her 10#plus growling, hissing cat says....oh, he won't bite!? Still, I would not want to deal with this tech if Rudy DID bite! I mean, I wanted to bite him myself....Rudy might do it FOR me.

Rudy was visibly happy to see me! He rubbed against the front of the carrier, and kissed my hands. He has not uttered one single growl!!! No, not even when Issey attempted to shove him from the food dish. Not when Santino smelled his butt. Poor Rudy! He was in pain much too long.

I was instructed to feed 1/4 of his usual amount of water and wet food last night, but Rudy made a b-line for the dry food immediately and started inhaling it. I grabbed it from him and barely managed to put wet food down when that was gone! I looked on in amazement and did not have the heart to take it away. Instead of eating 1/4, he ate 4 times his normal amount. He kept it all down, and slept better than a baby.

This morning, it took me 2 hours to convince him that I had no evil intent....Yes, he reads my body language! TWO full hours! Wrestling him into position, took 30 seconds, and squirting the pain medication into his mouth 3 seconds...if that long. The second dose tonight will be harder.

Missing Cats

Thank God, it's only photos which are mising and not cats!

This is Santino's relative (same fathers, Santino Sr.), Velcro. He was one of the candidates to come live with us, but he wasn't all that crazy about me. I would also have had some difficulty lugging his 10# plus sweetness through airports.

I have many photos of Virginia and Paul's fabulous cats to share, only I can't find them! When I worked with them in creating the cat scrapbook, I apparently allowed the files to go under something other than "photos". I'm sure I will locate them, yet!
I pray I might learn patience from Sophie...the most patient kitty I have ever known. She is not, however, quite as patient with Issey as she was with Santino when he was little. Still, she is very sweet and very kind. I think Issey may be a bit naughtier than Santino ever was.:-) and as a full grown cat now, Sophie may not be as easily amused by kitten antics.

Let Sleeping Cats Lie

They sleep and sleep and sleep. And then, sometimes, I wish they did! But, I am only joking because I find everything my cats do fascinating. And, THAT is what makes me a crazy cat lady, not the (measly small) number of cats I have.











In order to choose a mix of beads to create a custom necklace, I needed to lay them out. No sooner had I done that, when Issey appeared to critique the project. I think he's taking his name a little bit too seriously.

He was intent on one particular string of small blue beads, and no matter how I mixed it up in the bunch of others, and no matter how many strands that I did not intend to use and shoved near him, he searched and found his favorite once again. He finally picked it up and ran away with it. Unfortunately, he has hidden it! Do you think he is telling me those small blue beads don't belong in the necklace?

Poopy Incident

Issey had a weird adventure today, and, I guess, so did I. He hopped up on my computer table and as stroked him my hand hit a damp spot on his tail. I grabbed a paper towel and wiped...feces. None of it on his actual behind.

And, then I saw it. The top of his head was smeared with it. I did a quick towel wipe and then rushed into the bathroom with him. There was no time to wait for the slowest faucet in the world outside of Peru to deliver warm water. He was struggling, and unlike other cats, he has a tiny, delicate scruff, very short hair....nothing much to hold onto.

First, I leave him for a week, then I take him to the vet for neutering, and now I do THIS to him. I used what was closest, the soap I use to wash my face. Holding Issey with one hand, soaping and wiping with a washcloth (mine, of course) in the other hand, I used my elbow to keep Santino and Rudy away. They were protesting loudly what I was doing to Santino.....or, perhaps, they were cheering, not sure. I did not have a container nearby or I could have used that to rinse his head. I stuck poor Issey's head under the faucet and managed to give him a fair rinse. Used my face towel to dry for a few seconds, and then he was gone. He sat under the bench in my bedroom looking stunned. He made no attempt to shake the water off....nothing. I felt terrible.

But, he did not hold a grudge. An hour later, he had forgiven me. Of course, I would love to know how this happened...Then again, I'm almost afraid to.
I have cleaned up enough poop in my life that it does not gag me, but I do have full respect for the bacteria it harbors.


Rudy is feeling better, but is avoiding chewing and not wanting the other kitties to come very close. I am hoping he will be sufficiently infection free to do the dental this coming week.

Lying Cat- Mom

Everything is back to normal....more or less. I lied this morning.

I took Issey in for his neutering appointment, and when the vet tech said he needed a rabies shot, I said...oh, I did not bring it (proof of vaccination)......but would. I was not about to let them give little Issey a rabies shot!

A few words later....remembering I had a rabies tag which belongs to another kitty who wound up not coming with me to TX....I said I had his rabies tag in the car, thinking that showing it would be the end of the matter. "Oh, great! The vet's phone number is on the tag and we can just call her for the paper!" she chirped.

And, this is why one should never lie. Even if one occasionally practices situational ethics, like saving an indoor, sweet kitten from a rabies shot, there is no such thing as "just one white lie". Lies always lead to others. Now I have to do a stall because today I am dealing with the head vet, the owner of the vet practice. My guess is that he would be all about upholding Texas law, if not income of his business.....and, I will be lying again when I do a stall. I am embarrassed to find myself in this situation. Like how old am I, anyway......13?

What comes next, the flaky blond routine? Or the old confused woman routine?

I'll come clean, but to my regular vet who knows me, but who is on vacation this week. Just look at my sweet baby Issey.......It's bad enough that I have to do this neuter procedure.

Rudy has not growled once since I took Issey, his tension target, to the vet. This afternoon, I am having him checked out. I think his gums are hurting...even though he is eating normally. If he is o.k. physically, I'll get more kitty pheromones.

All Is Well

My grand-cats, Princess and Buster.....13 yrs old by my calculations, 16 by their Mama's.:-) I have known them since they were fuzzy babies. Both have been wonderful companions to my grandson; Princess adores him. Buster is a little on the grumpy side.






Princess got me to feed her OFTEN. She is bones and fur. I'm afraid I told her Mama that part of being "present" is paying close attention and giving needed care to all living beings, beginning with your own.

It wasn't that she wasn't being fed at all. However, she is alarmingly thin.







I took this photo of Buster last year right before Nate's birthday party. People who claim that cats don't show expression have never actually looked at a cat.


When I returned home, everything was normal. The only kitty who is very dependent is Rudy, but he's been nice to his companions. Perhaps, chilling out in my bedroom made him appreciate them again....Or, perhaps, he thought it his job to keep everyone in line in my absence. Issey grew..........................TALLER, that is. Cat-sitter said she had worried that he was not getting enough food. (He eats as much as the other 3 combined!) This, of course, made me flash back to
my concern over grand kitty Princess.:-)