Cat Musings (Mewsings)

Happy Mew Year!

2009-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

I could have just written "Happy New Year!" but I just couldn't resist.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

2008-12-28T13:46:00.000-08:00

To all who happen to stop by . . .

We wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy

New Year from Foo, Myself, Bek & Bitsy.

Kitten Bathtime

2007-09-25T13:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs to visit is "Cute Overload." It always makes me smile and puts me in a good mood. They usually have baby kittens, puppies, bunnies and a cadre of other "critters" that are nothing short of cute. Hence, the name of the blog.

One of the postings today is a video from YouTube.com. It's definitely one of those "aaawwww" videos. Check it out!

Be sure to turn up the volume. You can hear cat purring and kitten mewing that will tug at your heart strings for sure! Makes me yearn for just one more furry companion.

Good Deeds & Happy Homes

2007-09-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

My instincts were right when I rescued a cat living outside a hotel several weeks ago. I was going to an evening meeting at a Dallas hotel. Before entering, I spotted a beautiful gray & white tabby. He was mewing rather sadly, so I wheeled over to check him out. A bit dirty, he came over and immediately began rubbing on my chair, mewing to be petted. I cautiously reached down where he began persistently rubbing against my hand, seeking affection. It was a typical HOT August night, and I was worried. There was no food or water to be seen. After prying myself away from him, I went inside and asked the clerk if someone had called the Humane Society, SPCA or Animal Control to pick him up. With the heat, it's animal abuse. I also asked her to set out a dish of water for him.

After the meeting (during which I thought of him alot), I went out again to check on him. He came right up, begging to be petted. I tried to figure out a way I could bring him home, then take him to our local Animal Shelter. Physically, I couldn't do it on my own and knew Foo would have thought I was loony. Before I left, I did let him sneak into the hotel, figuring I would call tomorrow and check on him.

The next day, I called the SPCA and Dallas Animal Control of which neither would do anything. I was furious and frustrated. At 2 am that night, I called the hotel to find out the cat was STILL there. I told the Night Manager, I'd come the next day to get him myself.

The next morning, I went to get him, but he wasn't in his usual spot. I told the staff at the desk about the cat who actually thanked me -- rather than calling me a crazy old lady. I found him in the back of the hotel, laying between smelly trash cans. After some cajoling and luring with food and water, I got him into the carrier I'd brought. He wasn't too happy about that, but I think he knew I was there to help. He mewed a lot at first, but calmed down after I petted him several times during the trip.

My first stop was the Allen Animal Shelter, where I was rudely turned away by a woman who had no sense of who do deal with a soft-hearted individual trying to do a good deed. She was, quite frankly, the epitome of the word bea-atch. Broken hearted, I put the cat (now named Oliver) back into the car where we traveled to the Collin County Animal Services. They took Oliver out of the carrier and remarked what a beautiful cat he was. His picture was taken and posted online as being lost. He had no microchip, so he was definitely a lost soul.

For the next week, I kept track of him online then it disappeared. I called the shelter, who told me he'd been taken to the SPCA of McKinney. I hoped he'd be put up for adoption. Finally, after 2 weeks, his photo popped up on their web site. It was there for about a week. I looked today and noticed it's gone! I can only guess that someone adopted him. He was a sweet, loving cat who I would have kept had I not already had 2 sweet loving cats already. Oliver, I hope you found a loving home. You will be missed.

Frazzled Cat Momma

2007-09-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

Like many things now days, my intentions are well meant but there just aren't enough hours in my days to get things done. I'm dreadfully behind on many tasks. Of course, when things go wrong (as they often do), I only get further behind.

Lately, one of my problems is "the kids." I don't know what has gotten into either of them.

For Bek, it's tormenting his younger sister. I'm not sure exactly what he's doing to her, but I'm hearing sounds come out of her that I've never heard before. They're downright mean. Of course, I have to rush in, try and separate them, then do it all over again because it never really works.

With Bitsy, it's PMS (or something like that). She's been an outright bee-ach lately. For no reason, she'll whip around and snap at me. Usually she sits on my lap for hours at a time. Not any more. I'm lucky to get a moment or two before she hops down, preferring to look at me from a distance.

Maybe it's the teenage years. I don't know. Any parenting suggestions are greatly welcomed.

Prosh Corgage

2006-10-31T14:28:00.000-08:00

I know this blog is supposed to be all about my dear darlings ... cats. But one of my favorite blogs is "Cute Overload," and they had the most darling puppy on it...a Welsh Corgi. If we ever get a dog (and we have tossed the idea around), I put my vote in for one of these. Actually, we'd to to a shelter and probably fall in love with a mutt of some sort or another. But you have to admit, these guys are awfully cute.

Catster Rocks!

2006-10-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

While rummaging around on the Internet, I came across another kitten/cat blog called "Catster." It's filled with cat photos, web pages, stories, shopping and more! There are more than 90,000 cats participating from all around the world, and each one has his or her own web page. Of course, there are also links to rescue cats (and dogs) as well as tons of information on caring for your beloved family member.

So take some time and check it out!

Cat Momma

And the meme rolls on....

2006-09-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

Foo lubs me. No one ever tags me, but Foo. Since he did, I feel compelled to answer the following questions:

1. Three things that scare me:
Idiot drivers in Dallas
The fear of not being able to breathe easily
Losing my mind as I get older

2. Three people that make me laugh:
Foo (which is one reason I married him cuz I'm an A personality type)
Robin Williams
Whoopi Goldberg

3. Three things I hate the most:
Stupid people who don't use the mind God gave them
Not being able to do everything myself and having to ask for help
Not being able to run, dance or walk

4. Three things I don't understand:
Math (algebra, geometry, calculus and anything that isn't accounting)
Why people are so mean and self-centered and we can't just get along
Why we can't elect the character of Geena Davis as president in this next election

5. Three things I'm doing right now:
Watching Foo assemble a ceiling fan for my office
Thinking about what to make for dinner tonight
Looking at my sweet cat Bitsy watching the kids come home from school on the bus

6. Three things I want to do before I die:
Make a difference in this life
Travel and experience seeing more places
Write a book about my family's genealogy

7. Three things I can do:
Work well with all different personalities and people
Find a positive side to almost every situation
Learn different things

8. Three ways to describe my personality:
Outgoing/friendly
Sincere
Positive

9. Three things I can't do:
Walk
Run
Go up into extremely high places and look out the window or down the side

10. Three things I think you should listen to:
God
Your parents
Good friends and mentors

11. Three things you should never listen to:
Political BS
Liars/cheats/con artists
Screaming children in stores (Shut them up!)

12. Three things I'd like to learn:
I can't name just 3 things...there's too many!

13. Three favourite foods:
sweets (chocolate, ice cream, cookies, desserts in general)
pasta (red sauce preferred)
hamburgers/steaks

14. Three beverages I drink regularly:
Diet Coke
Water
Lemonade

15. Three shows I watched as a kid:
Petticoat Junction/Green Acres
Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Munsters

16. Three people I'm tagging (to do this):
Foo

Over the rainbow bridge

2006-08-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

I saw this image posted on another blog Pickled Beef and felt compelled to post it on my own, along with this short story.

On Tuesday, while driving to an appointment, I happened upon a tragedy -- no thanks to heartless drivers. There was a minature Border Collie lying lifeless in one lane of the road. He was obviously someone's companion, since his beautiful coat was well groomed. I wanted to check on him, but couldn't get out of my car in the middle of a busy road, so I did the next best thing. I called Animal Control, who gave me the number of the local police. (Apparently, the police can be called when there's an injured animal. God bless the police.) Since I had no idea how injured the pup was, I called, said a silent prayer and drove on with tears in my eyes, incensed by the driver's cold heart at leaving the injured pup lying there.

As a pet parent, the thought of my own sweet babies being injured makes me shiver and come to tears. For the driver, I pity your insensitivity. To the pup, I pray you are in heaven with God and all the other animals -- healthy, happy and loved. You will be missed.

Momma Cat on the Mend

2006-07-20T04:53:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I must apologize for not having more tantalizing kitten fodder. I've been fighting severe allergies and sinus problems, so the kids have been taking care of me. Last night was the first night in a week that Cat Daddy and I actually shared the bed. I have been sleeping on the couch, because I have been coughing at all hours of the night. The kids have been really good. In fact, Bek would be a great daddy, since he's so sweet and stays by my side no matter what whenever I'm sick. On the other hand, whenever I'd have a coughing fit, Bitsy's eyes would get big and she'd run for cover! We had a talk yesterday about me teaching her to how to call 9-1-1 if there's ever an emergency and Cat Daddy isn't around. She just looked back at me.

Fans, be patience and stay tuned!

In the meantime, take the time to visit my "Links!" The Daily Kitten always posts a new kitten picture each day, and Cute Overload always posts several baby animals pictures each day. Both make you say "Awwwwww." Whenever I need a lift, I simply stop by and check them out.

Have a blessed day! - The Cat Momma

Bitsy: My side of the story

2006-07-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hi! My name is Bitsy. It's short for Itsy Bitsy. You know that song, "The itsy bitsy spider crawled up the water spout." When mom picked me up at Operation Kindness (a no kill animal shelter), she says I was so small that I fit in the palm of her hand. I was 3-months old at the time and had a brother who looked just like me. Mom and dad couldn't adopt us both, but I was mewing so loud that mom couldn't leave me. Dad says I was the scrawniest kitten in the place, and she had to have me, because no one else would adopt me. Personally, I think he fell in love with me too!

(Oh! That's me with dad when I was little. I was catching a few winks and dad was looking pretty proud. We were reading a book together at the time, and it just plumb wore me out.)

Before mom and dad took me to my new home, life was rough. My brother and I were abandoned in an apartment complex somewhere in Dallas. I don't know where my birth mom went. She just disappeared. Lucky for us, someone took us to Operation Kindness, where mom and dad adopted me.

When we left the shelter, I thought I would be an only child. But the minute they brought me to my new home, I saw there was this BIG black and white cat already living there. I mean he was B-I-G! A whole 12-pounds of muscle and fur. Me...a mere couple of ounces with a scraggly coat. Well, I told him who was boss (bitch slapping him through my carrier), and it's been great ever since!!! *big grin*

Life with my new brother is pretty good. He likes to harrass me occasionally. Most times I don't mind. In fact, I like chasing him around our new house. He's such a goof! There's lots of room to run around. But there's times I have to swat him and tell him to "knock it off!" I don't think he'll ever grow up! He can be so immature.

He's not very cuddly -- at least not with me. In the beginning, he used to let me snuggle with him, but that changed as I got older. Maybe he'll let me snuggle again when we get older.

We're pretty spoiled. I have lots of toys to play with, several cozy beds to sleep in and mom's lap to snuggle on. One of my favorite activities is getting in mom's lap and rubbing my face on the tip of her nose, while she rubs my belly. She gives great belly rubs! Even Bek agrees.

That's all for now!

rubs, purrs and snuggles,
Bitsy

Bek: Moving to Texas

2006-07-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

(As told by Bek, the elder cat)

It was a very long trip. Fifteeen hours riding in the car. I didn't care for it a bit, so I stayed in my carrier until the very end of the trip when I finally had to relieve myself. Get real. A cat can only wait so long.

Anyway, when we finally arrived in Lewisville, Texas, I was elated to get of my carrier, the car and the stupid harness mom put on me. (Like I'd really run away. She spoils me.) There really was no room to move around in mom's tiny Honda, so I stayed put almost the entire trip. There really wasn't much to see or do, so sleeping was my best option which I did a lot of that day.

Back to the story. My new dad was there waiting but, frankly, all I wanted to do was crawl under the couch, hide and get some real shut eye. Mom, on the other hand, just wanted to make googoo eyes at dad. It was kind of disgusting actually.

Life was pretty good that first month. I had a run of the new house. Dad and I were bonding and getting pretty tight. There were lots of places to check out, and the waterbed was nice and cozy. It was big, so I could stretch out all I wanted without getting kicked, pushed or knocked out of bed.

Not long after they got married, mom and dad decided I needed some company. They got me a sister. I haven't figured out just HOW they did that, but they brought home this scrawny white and grey fluff of fur. When I went to check her out in her carrier, she made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with me. Feisty little spitfire. She let me know right from the start that SHE was in charge and head of the household. Fine by me, as long as she left me alone.

I guess she was okay. Once she got out of that carrier, she mostly slept, played and slept more. I just stayed back and kept an eye on her. Of course, as she's gotten older, she's gotten to be a bit of a pain. But for the most part, she's okay. She'll let me chase her for awhile around the new house. Mostly we keep to ourselves, though.

- Bek

Part 3: Almost the present

2006-06-29T13:14:00.000-07:00

The saga brings us almost where we are now -- when Bek moved into my house and my heart.

Bek, which stands for blue-eyed kitty, was a bundle of black and white fur who loved climbing underneath my wheels. Unfortunately, that led to being run over many times, including his entire body once. I still feel guilty about that.
Despite all, he grew up to be a 12 lb, 3 1/2 foot long sweetie who loves to snuggle and nuzzle his parents, particularly his dad, whom he prefers to mom. I'm back up if he's in need of some affection.

When Bek moved in, Tequila didn't take near a liking to him as Bek did Tequila. Bek would lie on the kitchen floor, roll over on his back and wait for Tequila, taking full advantage of Bek's total openness. Then Tequila would skitter across the floor, bite Bek's ear than run squawking for his mother. Smart bird. Not too smart cat. With one swipe of his paw, Tequila could have been a snack. Instead, he'd just lie there and wait for more. He really wanted to snuggle the bird and clean his feathers for him, but Tequila wanted none of it.

When Bek and I prepared to moved Texas in 2002, we had to find another home for Tequila. Last I heard, Tequila was quite happy with his new owner and family, who have given him run of the house. Tequila also gets to eat off everyone's dinner plate and enjoys all the freedom he wants to fly around the house. What more could a bird ask for?

At the end of August, I sold my house. It was a bittersweet moment, looking back. I'd achieved a lot living on my own. Took a long look at the house before leaving, sighed, then opened a fresh new book for the next half of my story.

Freitag by Foo. You're it!

2006-06-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was tagged by Foo. Since we have the same friends, I guess I'll be duplicating, eh? I'll also be trying my best, since I don't know everyone THAT well.

Here are the instructions:
1. Choose a search engine (e.g. Google).
2. Pick 5 random blogfriends.
3. Think of a word or phrase that describes each friend (or use their blog name).
4. Do an image search of that word or phrase.

Click on the name to see the image, and how I see everyone. You're all great! I love reading your posts on Foo's blog. Keep'em coming!

Foo
Tink
Anne
Susie
Emma

Part Deux: The story continues...

2006-06-24T05:22:00.000-07:00

When we moved back to St Louis, it was into a 3-bedroom ranch in the 'burbs. It had a pool (above ground with a deck) and a big back yard. Otherwise, it was your typical home. As time moved on and I got older, I developed allergies, which gave my parents a reason NOT to let me have more pets. I'm sure they were elated.

I guess after much nagging on my part, I talked them into a hamster (or 2 or 3). I loved how they packed their little cheeks with seeds, making them twice their size, then carried them into their "bedroom" where they pushed them out. They are soft and fuzzy and have cute little stubby tails. Although small, I loved to rub them against my face, which gave me a bad case of ringworm once, much to my mother's dismay. I thought nothing of it. She totally lost it!

After sending 3 Petie's over the "Rainbow Bridge" to hamsterland, I progressed to birds. Parakeets to begin with. There were 3 of these too. Two Pete's and one Crackers. (Are you seeing a pattern?) Crackers died tragically in my hands after falling off his perch. They say that happens when they lose their balance. All I remember is calling my mother at work crying into the phone, and her trying to console me.

I went through college pet-free then moved to North Carolina. Living all alone, I bought Indiana Jones. He was a beautiful sky blue & white parakeet. He was a mean little cuss, but I loved to listen to him chirp away. He traveled back to St Louis with me, moving from my parents house, 3 different apartments and finally into my first house. What a trouper!

Not long after settling in, I got him a companion -- Jimmy Buffett. Well, Jimmy turned out to be a girl Jimmie, who just wanted her way with Indy, and he wanted no part of her. So off she went to live with a man who fell in love with her. Next, I adopted Whitey Herzog, named in memory of my grandmother (an avid Cardinal baseball fan). Whitey was older and simply wanted company, so he and Indy got along splendidly -- my two little old men. What characters! They'd sit, chatter, nap and chirp all day long. After a long 10 years, Indy developed cancer and had to be put asleep. It was difficult decision for me. Both Whitey and I missed him. A year later, Whitey joined him. He'd been missing his pal, which was obvious in his lack of enthusiasm for the other bird we took in. They are both buried side-by-side in the garden of my first house.

Next came 2 love birds: Paco & Tequila Sunrise. Paco was a present for my mother, living in Florida at the time. I thought she could use some companionship. While keeping him for her until she came to visit, he got a little attached, but he did fall in love with my parents. He had the run of their house, hopping up and down the stairs of their townhouse, following them around. He loved riding around on dad's shoulder, giving dad an occasional nip on the ear, which made dad roar with laughter.

After Paco moved in with my parents, I got Tequila. He would get out of his cage, run across the room, climb up the spokes of my chair, climb up my body, then hop on my fingers, while I typed on the computer. If that didn't get him enough attention, he'd climb up onto my shoulder, nibble on my ear and proceed to hang from my glasses! He was such a character! Everything was perfect in Tequila's world until Bek came along -- a cute black and white tuxedo cat that had been found motherless in a basement.

(Stay tuned for Part 3!)

In the beginning...

2006-06-22T07:25:00.000-07:00

I'm a lover of most all creatures. Just ask my husband. I've had a lot of pets during my life time, much to my parents dismay, since only recently that they cared very little for my love of animals and merely tolerated it. But I digress. I've parented hamsters, dogs, birds (parakeets & love birds) as well as cats.

My very first pet was a tiny turtle. You know...the kind that had a plastic bowl, molded into a tiny clear forest with a tiny plastic tree on a mock island?! Well, my younger sister took care of him. She wanted to touch him and ended up sticking her finger in the back of his soft shell, sending him quickly to the grave. It was a long time before I got another pet.

About age 8, I had two cats: Princess and Coco. Princess was a totally white indoor/outdoor cat who brought Coco into this world. Coco was a hot chocolate-colored ball of energy who used to hide under the sofa and attack my mother's legs with his claws (whether she had on slacks, jeans or nylons). At that time, we lived in rural Missouri, so our cats came and went as they pleased and pretty much did. I don't recall what happened to either, but I'm guessing they just "disappeared." Where I lived, that usually meant they went "over the rainbow bridge." Either way, I loved them both.

Then there were Snowball (mine) and Brownie (my sister's) the bunnies. My parents got them for us for Easter one year. They lived in a pen outside our trailer. (Yes, I lived in a T-R-A-I-L-E-R when I was a kid.) Little did my parents know that, even though they were brother and sister, they still liked to $&^# like bunnies! Before deposting their litter, my parents found them a new home. Go figure.

I guess my aunt Judy took pity on my loss, and we got a beagle for Christmas! It was my very first dog, named Snoopy. He wasn't very bright, but he was loveable. Unfortunately, his stupidity led to a short life. While taking my sister and I to school, he ran into traffic on our one road and met the fate of a truck. My mother scooped him up and took him to the vet but to know avail. He passed away.

After Snoopy's demise, we got Tiger -- a German Shepard/Beagle mix. He wasn't particularly pretty, but he was smart. In fact too smart for his britches. He survived being hit from a car, only to chew the cast off his leg immediately afterward. Boy was he stubborn. He was a great watchdog and protected us fiercely. I think my dad really liked him.

Of course, Tiger needed some companionship, so we got Challenger -- a full blooded Springer Spaniel. A beautiful dog, sweet, loving but dumb as an ox. He loved to run around, tease Tiger and get into everything. He was gentle and, one day, being a hunting dog, he brought home a baby bunny which he carried gently in his mouth and deposited in front of my mother.

My parents decided we were moving to the "Big Smoke" (aka St Louis), so they found new homes for Tiger and Challenger, leaving me in a puddle of tears and totally heartbroken.

(to be continued)