My Dirty Boys

Sophie, the feral cat, comes out smelling like a rose. She just never makes messes beyond an occasional tuft of fur left on the carpeting, and even that...I suspect....was pulled out by one of the boys.

No, I don't prefer girls over boys...at least not when it comes to cats. And, in all fairness, I admit the boys may have charmed me into feeding them "improperly". Not that I know what "properly" would be.

Don't get me wrong. Part of me loves thinking of them like little kids who need constant clean-up, but, things are to the point of my having some difficulty handling it gracefully. Is there such a thing as a coach for crazy cat ladies? I WANT THE SHIT ON THE FURNITURE AND FLOORS TO STOP!!!

At least 3 days out of 7 Issey has poop on his tail, something which I discover by odor or, much worse, by seeing the trail from his wiping it on walls, chairs, and...of course, me. Yesterday when he jumped into my lap it wasn't poop, but a ball of urine soaked litter. What on earth is he doing in the litter box???

Rudy continue his vomiting. I am constantly cleaning carpets. I have tried him on various foods and all I have learned is that he can't tolerate anything too "pure". However, he also doesn't tolerate Fancy Feast. But none of this is consistently true. Occasionally, with nothing being different, he'll go a week without throwing up. I am now finding bits of vomit on bedspreads and pillows and I am constantly doing laundry. It's gotten worse.

Santino, an incredibly well behaved, trouble-free kitty, is also having a few issues . Dingleberries. Butt wiping. Again, I'm constantly cleaning and doing laundry. I need to figure out what is going on here!!!

Cat Whisperer?

Daughter refers to 10 yr. old Nate as "The Cat Whisperer", so I was curious about how it was going to go with me three princes and one princess who are not accustomed to smallish visitors.

Rudy was very interested initially, but quickly got bored with having to share attention. To my surprise, my most outgoing kitty hung back. (Rudy has changed. He was still asleep at 11 this morning, oblivious to my voice.)

Issey thought it great fun, but I think it was all too much for him as he lost food from both ends. He did keep coming out for more and there was no way for me to keep Nate and him apart. Even a quiet 10-year old's energy is a better match for a young dog than a cat, though, I think.

Santino hid under my bed the first two days, and then came out for tummy rubs. Oh, they liked Nate, but it was too much of a good thing. I thought it was a really good thing that we were out of the house so much. Sophie only came out when everyone was in bed.:-) She seems very happy now, allowing me to come closer to her than ever....as if to demonstrate how she feels about ME. :-)

Getting Cuter!

My blogs are neglected, but definitely not my cats!:-) If anything, they are cuter than ever! It must be the expensive food I am feeding them! Today's bill came to $80 with coupons, and that won't last a month, nor did it include treats.

So, about getting cuter.....I have lost 12#. No one notices. But back to my cute cats...just look how Santino and Issey forsake empty beds, preferring to curl up tightly together. And, what a nice color contrast they make!













The Red Prince is once again posing for the camera, and there has only been one vomiting incident in two weeks, which does wonders for the house.:-)

As I shower him with attention, he has stopped growling on general principles, and last night, interpreted Issey's actions as invitation to play rather than "pestering".

Rudy has never been a particularly funny cat, but he made me laugh out loud today. I had lain down for a nap, with a light blanket covering me. Too warm, I left my bare toes uncovered.

On the verge of falling asleep, I felt Issey between my lower legs. Oh good...I thought....he avoided pouncing on my chest first. And then, a short time later, I awoke to having my toes very gently nibbled on. It felt loving, it was so gentle.....not, mind you, that I particularly liked it. It was sweet, though. Eyes still closed, I reached down and patted Issey's head....only it wasn't. It was Rudy!

Stil Busy

Check out Santino's arms around Issey! They are so cute squeezed into the same doughnut bed. :-)
Rudy is the dark lump in the back. He loves to settle in wedged between pillows. He has not cuddled with anyone since Blu, and then Miki, died. Cats are individuals and no more replaceable than people are. Rudy loved Blu and Miki.

After a good nap, it's back to work for the studio assistant, Issey. Here he has talked Santino into helping. I picked up Santino and placed him in the chair, petted him and told him he was a good boy. He stayed! This does not work with Issey who is much too much into being "studio assistant"!

Allergies?

Santino just keeps getting more and more handsome! My chocolate prince!






















Issey's eyes are so runny....Think I will take him back to the vet, not that anything ever comes from any of our visits there. The diagnosis dujour are "stomatitis" or "allergies".

Rudy had all but his "fangs" removed for stomatitis, so no more mouth infections. But, he still still has allergies...That's why he throws up.

I wonder whether the vets realize that these are my children and I want answers.






But, I shouldn't whine. Santino and Sophie are trouble-free kids.

Asleep on the Job

Oh, how I love those times that I can talk my studio assistants into going to sleep on the job!

Santino has always been amenable to staying in the chair while I am busy at my work table, even when he was a kitten. Issey, however, much prefers being ON the table, paws busy. He likes strings of beads, anything that can be rolled on the floor, as well as things which clink or tinkle....and I can count on him to walk over and on what can be. I keep single beads, feathers, and jingle bells out of sight and reach. Paper or fibers with which I am working are a bit dicey as they are completely irresistible and quickly ruined.

I LOVE nap time, especially when they choose to nap right next to me.

This & That

This is a 16x20 commemorative collage of Sammy, a beautiful Balinese boy. Issey had kind of a "fit" while I was working on this piece.... as if he knew it was about another cat. I wished that I had brought him up better!:-) I don't know that it would have been possible to teach him to stay off my work table, but I wish I had tried. I am that obnoxious cat mom who thinks everything he does is cute. How can I expect him to know that ruining the expensive art paper I'm using is NOT cute? Oh..yes...I know where I went wrong.















My friend, Doreen, knowing how much I like both monkeys and cats, sent me this picture. The kitty looks like he is barely tolerating the hugging, but I've seen that same look on my cats faces! The monkey is in love, however.