New Site

Due to lack of time, I’m compiling all my blogs into one site.  Please visit Teacups and Tabbies to keep up with the latest on the wedding plans, new house, cats, and writing.  This site will be shut down by the end of the week.

Would Your Pet Make It Out Alive?

At The Dagger, an on-line news site that I helped found with friends Brian and Matt, there is a great article right now about the Humane Society of Harford County Maryland.  I urge everyone to read it, even if you’re not from the area.  We need more people to care and to educate others, and to make certain this kind of thing doesn’t happen at their local shelter.

Would Your Pet Make It Out Alive?

We need vets with good hearts to provide mobile spaying and neutering for free.  We need people of the community to care enough to make this happen by donations.  We can’t keep allowing defenseless animals be killed.  They’re not being given enough time to even find homes.  10 days for dogs with tags, 4 without.  3 days for cats–before the Humane Society can do whatever they damn well please.  It’s not right!

Dear Guin

You are now two years old.  It is amazing how time has come and gone, and how big you’ve grown.  I remember seeing your picture online through Petfinder.com and feeling compelled to make the trip out to meet you at the shelter that day in August 2006.  I’d actually had intentions of taking home a different kitten with a cute patch of black on his chin, but when I arrived you were there watching me from you cage with those big aqua eyes.  When I picked you up and held you close, you purred so loud that everyone around me could hear you.  In that moment my heart was yours and I refused to leave without you.

You’ve tried our patience more than once since we found each other.  When we move, we won’t be getting our security deposit back–you made certain of that when you tore the carpet by the bedroom door down to the ply wood underneath.  Within the first three days of our acquaintance, you shit all over my new curtains in the living room.  You’ve ruined two pairs of Mike’s shoes and the front of my very pretty tropical-wicker coffee table.  Lately you’ve informed us that you dislike noisy water containers (or perhaps enjoy them too much), as we found your drinking water flooding the kitchen floor on several occasions.

But you’re the smartest cat I’ve ever met.  You know how to open cabinets and drawers, have figured out the mechanics of the laser pointer, and taught us and the other cats how to play fetch and return.  I’ve never known another cat personally that loved the bathtub so much, or one who could howl like a mournful wolf when he wanted something.

You are cautious, yet proud, and the best hunter in this household.  You hold the record for highest jumper in my eyes and, although you are wiser about sharing your purrs, to hear that loud thurrrumping of love is still a precious thing in itself.

It’s strange to think you are no longer really a kitten, but I think the tender lion you’ve grown into is more of a dear friend to me now then ever before.  Happy 2nd birthday, Mr. Guinness Cat.

Refreshing the Litter

It was time for a new litter box.  While standing in line at the pet store, I was a little hesitant about the top-entry Clevercat box I had stacked in my cart.  Would it really live up to its award-winning claim?  Would the cats even like entering their litter box from a hole in the top?  All those uncertainties vanished as the three little troubles took right to the top-entry style without a question.  It has been about a month and a half since I chose Clevercat, and I must say that I’m impressed.  There is practically no litter being tracked across our tub or rugs any more.  I can step into the shower in the morning without being grossed-out from the feel of litter under my feet.

At Mike’s insistence, we’ve also switched the litter to something cheaper–Fresh Step’s 40lb bag.  It’s nearly the same price as Everclean’s 27lb box.  While I love Everclean, Fresh Step is saving us some cash.  We can use more of it at one time, giving the kitties some extra digging room, which they love.

I’m so glad the three troubles are so willing to adapt.  We change things on them a lot and they go right with the flow every time.  Thanks boys.

-3T’s Mom

Lazy Summer Days

We’ve been lazy lately, enjoying naps in the special room with all the soft blankets and the good, fresh smells.

So You Want to Know the Truth: Meme

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning. Each player answers the questions about themselves. At the end of the post, the player than tags 4 or 5 people and post their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you have posted your answer.

Thanks to Nola for including me (Scout) in this one!

1. What I was doing 10 years ago:

I was living the life of a king, commanding a pride in the African grasslands. Apparently I must have called one of my saucy females fat, and this is where I ended up–a pint sized cat. God truly is female.

2. 5 things on my to do list for today:
1) Annoy my human by perching on top of her tall white foodbox 2) Demand food – will use threats if necessary 3) Groom my soft fur to maintain my unsurpassed beauty 4) Chase Guinness until he cowers behind the big picturebox thing 5) Secure my place in the bedroom by making myself absolutely too adorable to kickout

3. Snacks I enjoy:
I’m particular about my snacks. I’m not too fond of fishy treats. I like Greenies, but I prefer tasty rubber bands and stickers when the humans aren’t looking. Ooo, and string. Mmmmm.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:
Let’s see, I’d buy all the plush mice and rubber bands in the world, then buy a billboard with my face on it and the words “submit and all will be forgiven.”

5. Three of my bad habits:
Excuse me, there’s nothing bad about me. I’m purrfect just the way I am.

6. Five places I’ve lived:
1) In my fur mom’s belly, 2) under the porch of a very nice man, 3) in that same man’s basement, 4) 1 day in a box at a noisy building, 5) currently in a crammed apartment over looking a river of ducks.

7. Five jobs I’ve had:

1) Torturer, 2) Emergency Siren, 3) Head Chef, 4) Escape Artist, 5) Model

Now, taggin these friends!

Reese, our barkin’ couzn

Shu’s Pearl

One of the 9 from House of 9

Callie from Artsy Catsy

A Rule Humans Should Follow

We’ve decided to create a rule, based on Scout’s experience this week.  I’m writing this for him, as he is too embarrassed to discuss what happened and too proud to admit a rule is needed.  Foolery of felines is a crime, but you won’t see most of us ever admitting we’re victims.  No, we’d rather hold up our tails and walk away as if we’re simply uninterested.  Scout could barely walk away from this one, which is why we’re making a rule.

Little red glowy bugs.  Have you seen them?  Our humans seem to control them from a device that looks like the one shown here.  Scout and Sonny haven’t realized yet that the red bug is at the mercy of our humans.  They will look for the critter for hours after it has been put away.  I, on the other hand, know what it’s about.

This week, while on a vicious hunt for the red bug, Scout followed it tightly in a circle for several rounds.  He doesn’t realize that it is elusive because our humans make it so.  He simply follows it down–and in this case, until he was so dizzy that he gave up and ran.

The problem?  When Scout tried to run away from the red bug, he was too dizzy to see straight and wound up flipping backward, head over tail, and crashed into the food bowls.  He didn’t come out from under the bed for at least an hour, pride obviously swallowed by fear.  Mom was so worried that she tried to talk softly to him under the bed, but Scout would have none of it.

Rule #1 from 3T’s–We do not profess to know the magics behind all human ways, but a human should never cause prey objects to spin in circles for more than three spins in front of a cat.  Failure to follow this rule could result in terrible consequences, such as Scout’s recent stint with hiding under the bed every night until our humans have just fallen asleep, only to pounce on them and cry loudly in their face.  That purr they hear–that’s Scout laughing as they jump.  I, on the other hand, would do something like tip over the water bowl every morning before they get up.  I’m so slick, they can’t pin it on me.  They have their suspicions, but it’s not enough for a conviction.

–Mr. Guinness Cat

Friends to Foes

Ah, the days when they loved each other. Guinness wasn’t thrilled with us when we brought Scout home a little more than a year ago, but he grew to love the company. The two used to snuggle in the winter and share the window seat without a fuss. When Scout got a little older, he started to bully Guinness, who is a total push-over.

When we took in Sonny, they both fell in love with the little scrapper, but the tension between Guin and Scout only grew. Now, Guinness can’t stand being within two feet of Scout, and the stocky bully knows it. Scout will pursue Guinness all over the apartment, chasing him into corners, on top of the TV, behind Mike’s monitor, and on top of counters. And Guinness is the bigger cat by far–we’re talking a 5 to 6 pound difference. There’s a lot of hissing and low growling from Guinness, but Scout just keeps coming.

I honestly think Scout doesn’t understand why Guinness doesn’t want to play like Sonny does. Guinness has no problem playing with Sonny, but as soon as Scout tries, forget it. I’m hoping that when we move into a townhouse in the next few months that things will change, as they’ll have a little more room to call their own. Until then, there’s the memories of sweeter days.

from 3T’s mom

Never Any Privacy

Hey, shut that thing off.

Can’t a cat get some privacy around here?

April Window Gazing

Over the kelpie green river, the wind carries the musk of feathers and season old leaves to our windows. Here we listen to little feet on the shingles. Our hearts beat with the wings on the sill. The thunk-thunk-thunk of our tails against the curtains give nothing away. One of these days we’ll have our prey.