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January 2, 2011:
Happy New Year! Here
I am, sort of celebrating, although neither the catnip nor the toy
mice made it into the photo. Last year's photo is a bit less
staid, and it made it into the 2011 calendar (although
not for December of January).
We received a few other calendars this year,
including one from Barx Bros,
that has wonderful drawings of cats and dogs. This company handles
client communications for animal care professionals, but their
catalogue contains some delightful fun stuff. There's a t-shirt
showing a love cat sitting on top of a computer, with the words Original
Laptop, and one which changes the nine lives saying around, so
that it reads: Every life should have
nine cats. Of course there are nine different
cat portraits on the front.
Bobbi and I received a whole set of cat-themed note
pads for Christmas, and she's teaching me how to hold a pen so I can
use them. We also received a cat bookmark and she will soon be
wearing a tiny black cat pendant her niece sent for her birthday.
December 25, 2010:
Merry Christmas!
Our pal Dexter sent
a photo of the Christmas tree which he's guarding. Lily, the
youngest members of our MEWSical Society,
poses in front of her tree. Lily has been cast as Tinker Bell in
our new virtual production of Peter Pan.
You may not know that Bobbi has a birthday two days
before Christmas. It turned out to be a busy day, as one of her
former students at The Latin School of Chicago told the alumni group
and a bunch of them sent email greetings. She also received some long-distance
phone calls, and the three children from across the street came over
to deliver a card, gift, and cookies. No catnip, alas, although they
did bring me a wonderful new toy earlier in the week, when they had
their musical Christmas party here.
I've been sitting in on their piano lessons, and
plan to try playing a scale (remembering to put my thumb under!) one
of these days. I have six toes on each paw, so that shouldn't be difficult.
December 18, 2010:
Bobbi has been out a lot this week, so I'm hoping
we'll spend next week enjoying some play time together. I know there
are new toys in my Christmas stocking, and I heard to tell someone on
the phone that she bought another new one for me which is still in
the car. Evidently, it won't fit in my stocking, so I'm really curious!
Meanwhile, I'm trying to figure out what to do to
help her celebrate her birthday, which comes just two days before
Christmas. What an awkward time. She's been receiving birthday cards
along with Christmas cards, and I find it all a bit daunting.
I've decided I'll use My Calendar as my gift to
her. I know I didn't do this myself, but I did give Iris permission
to use My Photos!
December 11, 2010:
I have the Most Exciting News! Superbly talented
artist/photographer Iris Ten Holder has created a calendar for
me, using photos from our website. She's selling it from her website,
at www.ottawaphoto.com.
You can see the cover at the right. The 12 photos
for each month were taken by Bobbi, but this cover photo was taken by
Debra Hulley, at my 3rd birthday, when I performed all my tricks for
a large audience, including many people I've never seen before.
That's Bobbi, holding a treat in her hand as I obey her command to
"leave it there" until she tells me I can have it.
December 4, 2010:
We just found out that Bobbi is this year's winner
of the Shojai Mentoring Award,
presented at the international conference of the Cat
Writers' Association. The award consists of a plaque and $500.
As soon as it arrives, I will ispect it carefully for Traces of
Catnip, and then help Bobbi decide where to hang it. And I'll get her
to post a photo here. Meanwhile, I have to find out if there's an
award for Wise Cats who mentor other kitties. I know my pal Tyler
would nominate me, and members of my MEWSical
Society and my Fan Club would certainly
vote for me.
Meant to tell you that Tyler's mom took the book he
helped her write (Just Call Me Ernie) along
with Mewsings/Musings to The Ottawa Authors
& Artisans Fair last month.
November 28, 2010:
Bobbi keeps coming home smelling of DOG! Last
Sunday, it was Radar, the golden retriever who played Sandy in the
delightful Orpheus production of Annie. A Master Obedience
Champion and Agility Dog who competed in Canada and the U.S., Radar
is now 11, retired from competition but still active as a
Therapy Dog. Bobbi saw him as he emerged from backstage after the
show, and got to pet him.
Then yesterday she signed copies of Mewsings/Musings and
Five Fast Steps
to Better Writing at Books on
Beechwood in Ottawa. Antoinette, who works there, brings her
miniature poodle, Teacup, to the store, where he greets everyone.
November 20, 2010:
Bobbi took copies of Mewsings/Musings to
a new "exclusive boutique for cats" in Ottawa yesterday.
She returned home with several long grey hairs from the store's
resident feline, Mookie, who spends every day at the store greeting
visitors and demonstrating the furry beds and elaborate cat condos
they carry. The Cats R Us
website has music, pictures of many of the featured products, and a
page on their cat-sitting service.
Speaking of cats and books, the first book about
Dewey, The Library Cat, sold over 2 million copies, has been
translated into dozens of languages including Sanskrit. Author
Vicky Myron said she never imagined that the small fluffy and scared
kitten they found in the book shute one frigid morning would touch so
many lives. She's heard from people all around the world, and
people often stopped in Spencer,
Iowa, when Dewey was alive just to meet him. Others still come to
see his memorial.
In 2009, the library adoped Dewey's successor, an
orange and white tabby stray found by the side of a snow-covered
road. If you search the web, you can find videos of Dewey, and hear
about the movie to be made about him, starring Meryl Streep.
November 13, 2010:
We had some excitement here this week. A Big
Truck pulled up in front of our house before we were even out of bed.
Two men got out and brought Big Ladders into our back yard with ropes
and a Chain Saw. I'd heard that noise before, when these same men
were cutting parts of the tree in the yard behind us, but now there
were here, attacking Our Maple Tree!
Bobbi assured me this was a Good Idea, because a
lot of small branches have been falling from that tree every time we
have a windy day. But I was worried about My Squirrel Pals who nest
there, and their Bird Feeder that the cardinals also enjoy.
Fortunately, the top of the tree is fine, and
somebody told me the squirrels will use leaves still on the ground to
build a new nest before it gets too cold. And the Bird Feeder is
going back up this afternoon.
November 6, 2010:
Yesterday was my annual check-up with Dr. Dan. I
really like him, but hate the ride in the car to get there. However,
when we arrived, there was a dog to greet me! Bailey is a cream and
tan American cocker spaniel who lives with two cats (one of whom he
"adopted" and cares for after his owners rescued an
abandoned kitten).
Dr. Dan was pleased that I lost half a pound in the
past year. That's because I'm on a grain-free diet which contains 40%
protein, and also because I've been exercising!
I won a ribbon wand in contest sponsored by
The Inside Scoop, a great newsletter from Dusty Rainbolt, who
reviews all kinds of cat products for Catnip.
Speaking of veterinarians, Dr. Susan Little was the
vet Bobbi first took me to when I was just a tiny kitten. That was
four years ago, and I now go to Dr. Dan, who lives closer to us, but
I still remember Susan and how she had a special way of handling
cats. So imagine my delight when I saw her on TV earlier this
week! She was on a segement of Global National News at 6pm and they
called her the cat whisperer! One thing the announcer mentioned
when introducing Susan was that there are 8.7 million cats in Canada.
October 31, 2010:
Happy Hallowe'en! I'm going as a leopard this year.
This light-hearted holiday also has a serious side,
as many animal shelters need funds to help them survive through the
winter. Our friend, Debra White, volunteers at The
Arizona Animal Welfare League, the largest and oldest no-kill
shelter in Arizona. They try to keep the large population in
the cattery comfortable and happy until permanent homes are found.
Someone recently built a couple of kitty condos the cats just adore.
Debra is one of the shelter's "match-makers" who help
visitors find the right cat to join their household. The cat adoption
page contains names, birth dates, and detailed info about many of the
cats, and every week one cat is chosen to be the "volunteer
pick." We think all shelters should operate this way.
Recently they participated in the annual Bowl a
Rama which raised more than $200,000. The AAWL group won best
costume, dressed in "Lady Doga" outfits. Each group
that participates in this event keeps the money they raise for their
own work in the rescue field. The
Phoenix Animal Care Coalition raised $40,000 for their Emergency
Medical Fund, which all the groups in the coalition can tap for
veterinary bills.
October 26, 2010:
Today is the fourth anniversary of my adoption from
the Ottawa Humane Society. I'd been there just a few weeks, and was
about 10 weeks old when Bobbi took me home. So it's fitting
that I am the special cat for Oct. 28 in
The Cat-lovers Book of Days.
October 22, 2010:
One would think that if a Lady Who Shares the
Office of a Very Famous Cat left him alone for Four Whole Days, she
would have brought back a Significant Present to compensate. But the
suitcase has been emptied, and not a single Toy or Treat was tucked inside.
Meanwhile, I had to take Every Single Toy out of
all the baskets around the house in order to amuse myself while she
was gone. Fortunately, Laura came over and helped me prepare for Hallowe'en.
October 18, 2010:
I'm late writing my blog this week because Bobbi
was in Toronto attending a Moslem/Hindu wedding over the weekend, and
she shut down the computer before she left. I know how to use the
keyboard, but not how to turn the computer on. Have to figure that
out so this doesn't happen again!
Meanwhile, we're getting ready for Hallowe'en. I
have some great photos to post from a fund-raiser held last summer by
some pals of mine in Arizona. Volunteers dressed up in "Lady
Dog" costumes, and raised lots of money. I'll send those next week.
October 8, 2010:
I received a long letter from Tyler (a member of my
MEWSical Society) and posted that, along with my reply, on Tyler's
page. We discuss vet visits, having claws clipped, and holidays,
among other things.
We also had a report from An Unknown Source about
one of our dog pals. DUH (Poochino
Spitt (aka Der Uberhund) turns out to
be a typical female in that she adores shoes. We hear that she often
sneaks shoes out of the house (head down, so her humans don't notice)
and takes them out to the middle of the lawn and leaves them there
like trophies.
News this week is that Orpheus
is casting their winter production, Sondheim's Into the Woods.
I'm an Angel whose name appears in all the Orpheus
programs, but I've never appeared in a production. They didn't ask me
to audition for the dog in their current show, Annie, although
I tried to persuade the director that it might be better for Annie to
adopt a stray cat rather than a stray dog.
In any case, I see there's a non-speaking,
non-singing role in Into the Woods. It's Milky White, a
dancing cow.
I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to
commit to more than six weeks of rehearsals. I also don't think I
should have to audition. Don't you think they should make an
exception for Yours Truly, a Furry Angel?
October 4, 2010:
I just heard that the The Phoenix Animal Care
Coalition is having a photo contest for a wine series they will sell
to benefit homeless animals. Six pets will be selected to be on the
new labels. The $10 entry fee also goes to the animals. Go to
www.pacc911.org for details about how to enter. PACC and other rescue
groups partner with Charity Wines for this venture and it has been
successful for those involved. I'll be telling you more about PACC
later in the month, as we know a great volunteer who works there.
September 26, 2010:
I sent Bobbi to Britton's book and magazine shop in
Ottawa this afternoon, to sign copies of our books (Mewsings/Musings and Five
Fast Steps to
Better Writing). It was cool and rainy,
so I opted to stay home and nap. That's one of the advantages of
Being a Cat!
Ted Britton is a great guy. A political science
graduate who took over his parents' store after his father died, Ted
has become an institution in the neighborhood. He carries a huge
selection of newspapers from all over the world, magazines of every
type, and a wonderful selection of books.
September 19, 2010:
Bobbi's speech to the agm of Ottawa Lifelong
Learning last Tuesday generated quite a few giggles. I don't
understand what's so funny about the tale of how Simon Teakettle took
over her life and her career!
We've just added our 27th cat to the Fan
Page. We also keep adding to Cat Facts,
including this new tidbit from catchannel.com:
Dr. Elizabeth Devitt, DVM, in an article on cat color, describes the
black and white cat as born to be an ambassador. There is
always a black and white cat in residence at 20 Downing Street,
residence of the British Prime Minister.
September 12, 2010:
September is Happy Cat Month, and I'm doing my best
to celebrate. My dear friend, Dusty Rainbolt, who writes
product reviews for Catnip
(the newsletter from the The Cummings School of Veterinary
Medicine at Tufts University) has started her own newsletter, called The
Inside Scoop. They had a contest, with I won (!) and
I'm awaiting my prize, a special feather toy. When it arrives, I'll
have Bobbi take a photo to post in a subsequent blog.
Meanwhile, our new laser printer was installed last
evening, the inkjet has gone downstairs, and the oldest printer and
fax machine are being donated to The
Ottawa Mission. Last year 50 people studied in their Learning
Centre, 223 new clients were helped to find employment and education,
332 people were helped to find housing, and 414,174 meals were served
to the hungry. It's one of the charities we support.
September 4, 2010:
I'm sorry I didn't think to write this self-help
book for cats, because it answers all the questions I've been
wondering about since I first arrived four years ago. Who are
we? Why are we here? Where are you going with that ham? Filled with
quizzes, exercises and insider tips, this indispensable guide
empowers cats to make the twenty minutes they’re awake each day
the best twenty minutes of their lives. I particularly like the
chapter called Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff&ldots; But Feel
Free to Freak Out Over Anything That Moves Suddenly or Without Warning.
This book is now on our Favorite Cat
Books page.
August 29, 2010:
I don't like to leave the house, but if I went on
vacation, I might consider a luxury feline hotel in Hertfordshire,
England. Their individual chalets feature private bedrooms with
bird boxes in the windows, porcelain water fountains, and a special
menu that includes poached salmon, tiger prawns and even
steamed white fish for delicate tummies - all served on a shiny
silver platters and bone china plates. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/26sg9wd
From the most luxurious accommodations to being
homeless, a video of a homeless man in Santa Barbara and his pets has
been circulating on the Internet. This little band travels the
streets collecting donations. The man rigged a harness up for
his cat so she wouldn't have to walk so much. At some juncture the
rat came along, and as no one wanted to eat anyone else, the rat
started riding with the cat. The Mayor of Santa Barbara filmed this
clip and sent it out as a holiday card. Watch it at: http://tinyurl.com/2bphm8y
August 22, 2010:
Ottawa Independent Writers held their summer social
yesterday, at a local restaurant where they had a private room. That
was ideal for members to read from their work between courses. I
persuaded Bobbi to read Grow Your Own Fur Coat from MEWSings/Musings,
and she said it got quite a few laughs.
She stopped en route at a local store where they
had Fancy Feast on sale, so I was delighted to see all those
little cans being put away in the hall closet (where she also keeps
the catnip!). It looks as if there will be enough to keep me
satisfied through the winter.
Like squirrels, we have to lay in supplies before
the weather closes in!
My Fan Club is growing every
week. There are now 25 cats, 9 dogs, 2 birds, 2 alpacas, 1
llama and a rabbit, and I've been told two dogs and a cat from
Spokane will be joining soon.
August 14, 2010:
Did I ever tell you that we have a piano in our
living room? You've seen me with my drums, but probably didn't
realize that they reside beside the piano. This is a house filled
with music, and I'm learning to play the piano as Bobbi teaches the
children across the street. I'm paying careful attention so I can see
if my six-toed paws can hit all the keys in order. If that doesn't
work, I'll accompany them on my drums, tambourines, and chimes. Bobbi
has borrowed these from me to teach the children rhythm and time signatures.
August 7, 2010:
Do you play with your food? I just read that cats
consider their food and water bowls to be safe places to hide prey
(i.e. toys). Not me! I root through my dry food dish and toss out the
ones I don't like as much, rather than putting anything into the
bowl. Bobbi is pretty dense; she still hasn't gotten the message that
I prefer two of the three different dry foods she's mixing together.
Tulip (a member of my MEWSical
Society) was adopted after the death of a lovely black female
who had strange eating habits. Marlene used to scoop water out of her
bowl to drink it. Maybe she didn't want to get her whiskers wet!
Tuffous (another Society member) likes to
communicate. When he's annoyed about something, he walks around
making short, voiced purrs. And one day, when he realized he was
eating from the wrong bowl, he made a sound like "oh!" and
went over to the other bowl.
August 3, 2010:
We don't know my actual birthday, but Bobbi decided
to celebrate it yesterday. The children brought me cards and little
gifts, and helped set up a tunnel Bobbi bought for me. The only
photo of me exploring the tunnel is not very flattering (all you see
is my rear and tail!) so I'll have to ask her to take a few more.
National Dance Day tired me out, which is why I
didn't add to this blog over the weekend. And I spent a lot of time
trying to figure out what smelled of catnip in the big birthday bag...
July 24, 2010:
We're gearing up for National Dance Day, which
takes place all over North America on July 31st. Sponsored by the Dizzy
Feet Foundation, this doesn't actually involve cats, but we
think it should, and we're lobbying for feline terpsichorian
exhibitions to complement the human ones.
Meanwhile, our favorite human percussion group, NEXUS,
is playing a concert that evening in Woodstock, NY, and then they're
off to Japan for concerts there.
We have several talented choreographers in our MEWSical
Society, and they'll soon be busy working on our new Virtual
Productions, Peter Pan and Snow White.
July 17, 2010:
I've been exchanging e-mails with other members of
my MEWSical Society about how animals communicate. This started with
an article in the NYTimes about how babies learn language, and Pookie
& Tuffous said they recognized many words, as I do, without any
hand signals to provide clues to their meaning.
Among the words many of my Society members
recognize are those related to prey or food: bird, mouse,
catnip, treats. I will come running if
Bobbi says the word brush, and of course I respond to food.
She refuses to put the dish down for me unless I obey her command, Sit
by your tray. And since I have to sit for so many things, that's
a word I react to immediately.
We're working on Stay. I'm getting pretty
good about that, but not ALL the time!
July 11, 2010:
Willow (a
member of my MEWSical Society who
lives in Edmonton, Alberta) wrote to say that she enjoys sitting in
the front door watching fledgling magpies walk up her sidewalk. They
are really cute with their fuzzy black heads, but they drive me
crazy when they spend hours practicing their voices. Then I need earplugs.
She continues: I watch the robins too, and any
kind of bird that hops around outside. Sometimes I see a
squirrel run across the sidewalk to another tree. What really gets to
me are two cats that come right up to the step and look at me.
Believe me, I give them a piece of my mind. I think it's really rude
of them to come on my property, especially when I am sitting right
there warning them.
The sun shines in that door all morning, and I
have some of my best sleeps sprawled out there. I hate it when
Elizabeth goes out because then she closes the wooden door, even
though I'd be happy to stay there keeping guard.
I agree completely, but I never sleep in our
doorway. There's just too much to watch outside. Our squirrels are in
the back yard, so I can see them from two favorite windows which face
the maple tree where their feeder hangs. We just posted some
fascinating information about squirrels linked to the Animal
Facts page. Go HERE to find out
about more than you probably ever wanted to know about squirrels.
July 2, 2010:
Did you know that I get to celebrate two holidays
this weekend? We observe Canada Day on July 1st, because that's where
we live, and I'm a Canadian citizen (Feline Variety). But Bobbi was
born in Connecticut, and she's still an American citizen, so we
celebrate the Fourth of July as well. Fireworks! And yes, that's a
lobster in my paws.
June 24, 2010:
I'm sure you heard about our earthquake, as it was
reported not only in Canada but on CNN. I must admit I didn't feel
much, as I was asleep on the waterbed when the house started to
shake. A few things fell down, but only one broke (it wasn't anything
important, but I was warned to stay away from the glass until Bobbi
cleaned it up). What excitement!
We only get one of these every decade or so, since
we're on a major fault line, but Bobbi said this one was accompanied
by a deep rumble (which I thought was just a heavy truck going by)
and vigorous shaking for longer than any previous quake she's
experienced here.
We do have a quake story from 2003, when the huge
and terrible tsunami hit Southeast Asia. Evidently, when something
that big happens deep in the earth, all the plates move, and Tiki was
one of many cats who reacted far away from the actual event. He was
included in an article, "Can Cats Predict Earthquakes?" in Cat
Fancy.
June 20, 2010:
You know that I'm a great patron of the arts. The
first Simon Teakettle started that tradition, supporting the Orpheus
Musical Theatre Society for many years, and the Great
Canadian Theatre Company from its very early days. Orpheus is
now in its 104th year, and GCTC is just completing its 35th season.
Bobbi attended the final productions of both
companies this month, along with a couple of other local MEWSical
Society moms. They all loved The Producers at Orpheus and Heroes
at GCTC, both of which received rave reviews in the media.
One of the three actors in Heroes is our
MEWSical Society's own fight director, the wonderful John Koensgen.
June 12, 2010:
Last Wednesday, Bobbi got together for dinner with
two of the Ladies whose cats are in my MEWSical
Society, and they shared many cat stories. Tulip Adams, it
seems, continues to Get Into Trouble, although her Table Manners have
improved somewhat. The Foss trio, on the other hand, tend to blame
each other whenever some Naughtiness is discovered.
They might all benefit from reading Cat
Confessions, a "tell all" book complete with
photos of the misbehaving felines who provided the quotes. Flash, for
example, explains the Case of the Missing Shrimp by inventing a
terrific story about aliens who flew into the kitchen, while Ham,
Shem and Japheth confess that they "lick the salt off the potato
chips when Mommy has company."
June 5, 2010:
June is Adopt-a-Cat Month. One of our pals, Steve
Dale, award-winning pet columnist and broadcaster (whose cat is a
member of my MEWSical Society), is
involved with two organizations that just published CATegorical
Care: An Owner's Guide to America's Number One Companion.
It's free from the websites of both the
American Humane Society and the
CATalyst Council.
Bobbi was on Steve's popular radio show two years
ago, when she was visiting Chicago. She and another guest talked with
Steve about feral cats. We have info about ferals on our Cat
Facts page. Bobbi is always adding to that, so check it every so often.
May 28, 2010:
A friend of ours, who came to my First Birthday
Party in a car decorated Just For Me, has embarked on an interesting
New Venture. Her cats have joined my Fan Club, and I wanted to tell
you about her unique gifts.
Shannon Lee Mannion was a columnist for many years
with a variety of daily and monthly publications. When she stopped
using the computer keyboard to earn a living, she did an about-face
and started to turn computer keyboards into art, Pop Art, that is.
Riffing on the QWERTY designation for standard keyboards, typewriter
and computer, she calls her creations, Quirky B's.
For more information and to follow her success as a
Pop artist, please go to www.quirkybs.blogspot.com or www.slmannion.com.
She's also on Facebook.
May 22, 2010:
Bobbi snapped a photo as I was showing Tazi my new
denim vest. I won't be wearing it out of the house, because I'm
strictly an Indoor Cat, although I've enjoyed the wonderful weather
we've had all spring because Bobbi leaves the front door open, where
I have a little stool where I can see out the full screened panel.
If you've been following Tyler's
letters to me, you'll see he wrote about going Outside. I
don't think he has a denim vest, though!
If you're looking for a wonderful website, check
out the new store in Ottawa that's carrying Mewsings/Musings.
The site has lovely graphics and will soon announce where the store
is moving (probably still within Carlingwood Shopping Centre).
The store is called Cats R Us.
May 16, 2010:
Ottawa is in the midst of one of the best Tulip
Festivals this city has ever hosted. The early warm weather forced
the bulbs into bloom earlier than usual, and since it was followed by
a cool spell, they've remained in glory. Because it's the 65th
anniversary of the liberation of Holland, accomplished primarily by
Canadian soldiers, Princess Margriet, who was born in Ottawa when her
mother, the Queen, took shelter here during the occupation, is
visiting this week.
The number of tulips Holland has given to Ottawa
over the years has now multiplied so there are now an estimated
500,000 in bloom across the city. What a glorious sight!
Part of the Tulip Festival is a series of celebrity
speakers, and among them this year is Italian scholar Lamberto
Tassinari, who claims Shakespeare's plays were actually written by
John Florio, from whom Bobbi's father's family is supposedly
descended. Read about The Florio Connection HERE.
May 9, 2010:
Cats don't celebrate Mother's Day. But that doesn't
mean we don't remember our mommies. Those first few weeks with Mom
are very important, which is why it's always a mistake to take a
kitten away from his mother until he's at least 8 weeks old. I think
the reason why I'm afraid to go in the car dates back to when I was
taken from my mom and siblings and brought to the Ottawa Humane
Society, where I was in a small steel cage, all by myself, until
Bobbi came to adopt me.
We did have a very brief car ride last week, but I
kept both paws on Bobbi's arm all the time, although I did sit in my
open carrier, where I was securely fastened with a special belt.
Pets need seatbelts, too! It's not safe to drive
with a cat or dog in the car unless they're restrained so that they
can't fly off the seat if you stop suddenly or have an accident.
I finally got Bobbi to take a photo of my Benjamin
cards, now that I've received all ten in the series. You can
see them here, hanging beside the closet door. On the door knob are a
couple of my dangly toys, hanging from a blue plastic hook. I always
take a quick bat or two as I walk by.
May 1, 2010:
Somebody just accused me of being Spoiled. That's
not true! It may appear that way because I have Three litter boxes,
Four scratching boards, and Toys All Over the House, but I'm actually
a very Polite kitty!
I come when I'm called, have to Sit Beside My Tray
before Bobbi will fill my food dish, and don't climb on top of Places
Where I Don't Belong. Those include countertops, tables, and One
Special Chair in the living room.
I do lots of tricks, which include giving
first one paw and then the other, leaving my paw on her palm withe at
treat, until she says I can have it, touching a treat with my paw
when it's on a small tray, and leaving my paw on a special mouse
while she holds a treat in her hand.
I do get rewarded, however, in many ways. One is
with massage, which makes me purr so loud I'm sure the neighbors can
hear me. Bobbi follows the method described by her friend, Maryjean
Ballner. Her cat massage DVDs are very popular, and she's even
appeared on the David Letterman show! Send your People to: www.catmassage.com,
so they can learn how to do this, too.
Sometimes, however, I have to Assert Myself. I lost
the argument about the "Frenchie" chair in the living room,
but I'm still insisting that All Stools belong to Yours Truly. That
seems to be fine with Bobbi, except for the bathroom stool, which she
claims as her own. As you can see by the photo at the right, I Do Not
Agree! Note how green my eyes look as I Claim My Territory!
April 24, 2010:
I'm honored to welcome into my
Fan Club a Very Important Dog. Wuffy is a remarkable dog
owned by Gary A. Rohde. Wuffy's ability to sense what kittens
need began when she brought four abandoned kittens to Gary, who soon
discovered that Wuffy was able to work with sick cats and also with
feral kittens that were considered unadoptable. Wuffy worked with
hundreds of cats and kittens, with a 100% success rate, until her
retirement. Now 15, Wuffy enjoys a life of leisure in Los Angeles
with Gary.
Wuffy was the subject of an award-winning article
in Cat Fancy called, "Cats' Best Friend." The author
of that article, Kari Winters, worked with Gary in a Siamese rescue
group, and wrote the book, Princess Fiona: My Purrsonal Story.
April 18, 2010:
The camera caught me napping beside the sign I make
sure visitors see when they come to visit. I'm very friendly and
polite, but it's important that anyone who comes into this house
understands that I have First Choice of Where to Sit.
I've already told you I have my Own Seat at the Great
Canadian Theatre Company in the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre
in Ottawa. Bobbi often sits in my seat (A-13), but that's only
because I give her Permission. If I wanted to, I could take the
ticket and leave her home! My name is in the program as a Donor, and
the tickets are in My Name.
I send regular posters to GCTC for them to post on
the bulletin board either in the box office or upstairs in the room
where the actors and staff have their lunch. They all know me
there, so if I should ever show up, I'm sure a Red Carpet will roll
out for me!
April
13, 2010:
There was a Serious Situation here yesterday.
Before I describe what happened, I have
to explain that most of the closets in this house have sliding doors,
which I have learned to open quite easily. I often hide my Little Fur
Mice in various closets, so I go in and out of these frequently.
But there are two closets with Difficult Doors, the
kinds with knobs on them. One is in the hall, and it happens to be
where Bobbi keeps the Catnip. If I'm close by when she gets something
out of this closet, I reach in, grab the bag of catnip and try to
chew it open until she takes it away.
The other closet is where she keeps the Big Plastic
Bin of extra cat food. I'm Not Allowed in there, either, but this
morning, she needed something in that closet in a hurry, as she was
rushing off to the launch of the 2010-2011 season at GCTC,
and didn't see me go inside.
She DID call me before she left, wondering why I
wasn't in any of my usual morning napping spots, but I was sitting on
top of The Big Food Bin, so I decided not to answer.
Big Mistake. I ended up spending Four Hours in the
closet. I thought, after a while, that maybe I was being punished for
going in there in the first place. And of course I couldn't get the
Big Food Bin open, so I had nothing to eat!
You can be sure I won't do that again.
April 11,
2010:
Every so often I cuddle on the back of the living
room couch with Tazi. Sometimes I wash him, or inspect his ears
(which are always remarkable clean). I don't know if he appreciates
this attention.
April 5, 2010:
The latest fan to join my Fan Club
is an old pal, affectionately known as Der Uberhund. The
reason for her big smile is that she lives with humorist Steve
Pitt, who keeps Bobbi giggling with his almost-daily messages.
I've never met any dogs in person, but I'm sure I'd get along with
this friendly hound.
Bobbi's April column for the West Quebec Post is
called The PURRfect Pet, and is all about why a cat is the
ideal pet for a senior. She refers readers to all the cat
pages on our website.
March 26,
2010:
I've been posing for Easter photos, with mixed
success. First, I don't understand the basket idea. It's too
small for me to sit in, Bobbi objects to my playing with the colored
cellophane grass, two of the eggs are much too big to play with, and
she got annoyed when I managed to paw one of the smaller ones out of
the basket and chase it around the room.
Meanwhile, she waited with the camera, finally
luring me back on the bed by the little bunny angel. She's really
quite sweet, and Bobbi managed to snap a photo as I held her in my paws.
March 20, 2010:
Lily, the youngest member of my MEWSical
Society, who began as an apprentice and quickly worked her way up, is
taking her role as an Assistant Publicist seriously. She purred her
way onto the cover of a new book, Catscapades,
and even mentions the MEWSical Society in the chapter about her catscapade.
Meanwhile, we're trying to PURRsuade Bobbi to
follow the lead of her friends, Bob & Frances Walker, who
transformed their home into a kitty paradise. The
Cat House has been featured in magazines and on TV, and is
described on their website and in their book. I have five windows in
this house where I'm allowed to sit to look outside, but don't
understand why I can't have a high wooden walkway, close to the
ceiling, that extends from room to room. Don't I deserve that?
March 15, 2010:
In anticipation of Easter, our neighborhood bunny
has hopped across the street to join our Fan Club.
Omaste, already a member of our MEWSical Society, has also joined
the Facebook group. She's been featured in a children's magazine in
the U.K. Go to http://tinyurl.com/yd7bc9u to see the issue.
March 7, 2010:
Bobbi went to see a play at GCTC
yesterday. I don't know pay much attention to her glowing
descriptions of performances she sees, although I do know she usually
sits in MY seat at the Irving Greenberg Theatre, which I purchased
with My Own Money. It's seat A-13, and there's a placque on the back
with My Name on it!
GCTC is about to announce the 2010-2011 season, but
there are two more plays left in this season, one starring the Fight
Director from my MEWSical Society,
John Koensgen. GCTC's exquisite new home is almost paid for,
but they could use more donations, so if you want to support them, go
to the website. You could buy Your Own Seat as well, if you wish!
February 27, 2010:
If you've been reading this blog since the
beginning, you know that I respect all animals (even admire a few
despite their non-feline shortcomings). My MEWSical Society has
a parrot as its drummer, one of its members tried to encourage a
chipmunk to join us (see Shooter's photo) and now there's further
proof, as not only a llama, and alpaca and a couple of dogs have
joined my Fan Club, but we just added two birds and about to welcome
a bunny!
I'll update this blog as soon as Bungie the Bunny
joins us. He lives across the street, with four lovely children who
come to visit and love to pet me.
So stay tuned!
February
21, 2010:
Sometimes when I'm on Bobbi's lap, she wears a
favorite pair of slippers. These were made by our friend, Violet, who
lives in Sandy Lake. I've never met Violet, but I'm sure I'd really
like her, because she trimmed the moosehide slippers with rabbit fur!
I often wash this carefully before I settle down for my nap.
Violet is a member of my Facebook
Fan Club, and she also made the stunning wall hanging Bobbi took
off the wall to place behind the slippers for the photo.
It does make sense that I would wash the fur on
these slippers. There's a story Bobbi tells about Mysti, a
tortoise-shell part-Persian who was this household's Resident Feline
before the first Simon Teakettle.
Bobbi had a holiday party where the guests left
their coats on the bed. Evidently, when some of them were ready to
leave, they discovered Mysti nestled cozily among the furs, which
were still slightly damp from her careful licking.
The question on the Facebook page this week is what
happens when your cat gets bored (and doesn't have any fur to wash).
Tyler and I have chatted about this (via e-mail, as neither one of us
can figure out how to use the phone), and he also reported this week
on how he deals with Big Machines. His comments are HERE.
February 15, 2010:
I hope you had a nice Valentine's Day. My Valentine
present was an e-mail announcing that Mewsings/Musings is the
featured selection on the Indie Spotlight this week. Go to: http://www.theindiespotlight.com/
Books selected for this highlight are then
available in the archives (in the "Featured" section).
I also just heard that TWO birds are joining our
MEWSical Society fan club. Look for them on the Facebook page, and
also HERE.
Some fans join on our fan page because they don't
belong to Facebook.
Tyler sent me another
card from Benjamin, the traveling cat. Tyler and I refer to him as
That Strange Purple Cat, but we're both impressed by how far he
travels. The current card is from Mt. Fuji, and the message says he's
meditating in order to achieve deeper wisdom.
But Tyler and I think he's just napping. By the
way, Tyler has asked for my advice because he's been trying to tell
June that there's a mouse in the house. He and I agreed that Humans
are Pretty Dense. June thought he was running around from room to
room just for exercise!
February 6, 2010:
Have you checked our Fan Club page? There are a
bunch of cats, a dog, and a llama, and there's a rumor a bird will be
joining this week! The Fan Club page on Facebook has attracted 46
members in just a month. This is a Big Responsibility for me, and I
want you to know I'm taking it Seriously.
But there are many things clamoring for my
Attention. I had to pose for my Valentine's Day photo, and remind her
to turn the Christmas lights back on every evening, now that
Winterlude has started.
We're also preparing for the Olympics, as Bobbi
follows the figure skating and I will have to help her Keep Score,
hoping our Canadian champs win some medals.
January 30, 2010:
My favorite toy this winter is a furry spider. It
used to hang from an elastic string on the door of the office, and I
got great exercise jumping up to grab it. Eventually, the elastic
broke, and I triumphantly carried it off to play with on the rug.
This is even more fun than a mouse (well, almost!). I throw it up in
the air, grab it with my paws, bounce it around the room, pick it up
in my mouth and carry it from one place to another, and when I'm
finished, sometimes I take it to bed with me so it can't escape.
January 23, 2010:
Bastet, the ancient cat goddess, has been in the
news recently. A large number of statues of Bastet were found in the
ruins of a 2,000-year-old temple in the former city of Alexandria. Read
about it HERE.
As you can see, we have three Bastets in our
household, to remind Bobbi that I'm descended from Majesty. It
doesn't seem to influence how often she fills my food dish, however.
January
17, 2010:
This blog in linked All Over the Place, including
at the site of the Pride Cartoon, an award-winning "reality"
comic strip about the True Adventures of Crazy Johnny. That site is
now up for an award, so be sure to go to thepridecartoon.com
to enjoy the cartoon and vote for the site at: http://artistswanted.org/janeatthepride.
The Very First Simon Teakettle made the decision
that Our Brand would never become a cartoon. In fact, Simon I was
quoted in The Bedside Book of Celebrity
Gossip, published by Crown in 1984, when
he denounced Garfield as one of those phoney cats "in loud
orange suits."
Simon was one of only three Canadians quoted in
that book.
A Michigan member of has introduced a bill into the
U.S. Congress called the HAPPY Act: the Humanity And Pets Partnered
through the Years. It proposes a tax deduction for pet care. This
isn't such a silly thought, because many pets - cats particularly -
don't receive proper veterinary care because their humans can't
afford it.
January 9, 2010:
BIG NEWS! Lily has been
Promoted! She worked so hard as an Apprentice to Aimee (publicity)
and Jazz (piano) that she's earned two new titles: Publicity
Assistant and Piano Assistant (and page-turner).
We also have a FAN CLUB both
on this site and on Facebook. Be sure to check it out. Do join, and
encourage your friends to join, too. We hope to create a list of Fan
Club Members (just first names), their locations, and, Most
Important, the names of their cats.
Since the youngest human in my MEWSical Society is
10 years old, we're hoping lots of kids will join.
I received another fabulous post card from Tyler.
This one shows Benjamin, the purple traveling cat, in front of
Stonehenge. He looks rather startled, which isn't surprising, given
the location.
I know all about stones and rocks. Bobbi is
Obsessed with stones. She's collected them since childhood, when she
gathered them each summer from the rocky shore in front of their
cottage in Indian Neck, Connecticut. She wrote about them in Rocks,
a prize-winning story that appears on Her Side of Mewsings/Musings,
and even removed all the grass from both the front and back yards a
few years ago, replacing it with stones.
We have stones under the plants in the front bay
window and the dining room window, under the table fountains, and
even on various shelves. I was told those were Special Ones with
exotic names which mean nothing to me.
She has Other Idiosyncrasies, too, but I've been
warned not to tell you about those!
January 1, 2010:
Happy New Year!
This is my new blog format, with photos on the
right side. Do you like it?
The first photo is of the adorable Lily, the only
Apprentice my MEWSical Society, a bit awestruck by her First
Christmas. The Sandy teddy is bigger than she is!
This was my 4th Christmas, but the first one I
really understood. I realized this year that I should go tell Bobbi
late in the afternoon when our neighbors put their Christmas lights
on, so she could switch on ours, too, and also that I Should Not
Touch any of the wrapped packages under the coffee table.
I seem to recall her telling me that last year and
the year before...
Here I am with some of the things in my stocking. I
guard the White Mouse carefully, as I've had a succession of these,
and they're my Very Favorites.
Did you notice at the top of this page that you can
now become A Fan of my MEWSical Society? Click on that link to find
out how! |
Terzo celebrating: 2010 (above) 2009 (below)
Dexter Moss, in Massachusetts
while Lily Fry,
in California, poses beside
a Father Christmas teddy bear
Here's MY fur bed, where I can be almost invisble because it's
black, so I blend right in!
And here I am, keeping an eye on my reflection as I play with a
toy hanging in the corner of the door.
On Alert, watching out for Chain Saws!
Here I am, holding the ribbon wand
so it won't escape.
And trying to swat it from a precarious perch
on the back on the recliner
Ready for Trick or Treating
in my leopard costume
Here's the Lady Doga troupe.
Laura helping Terzo prepare for Hallowe'en
Terzo making sure at least one copy of his book
goes into the suitcase:
One of the newest members of the Fan Club:
Amund-Ra Gjedrem from Norway
Terzo trying on Hallowe'en costumes
Here I am in my new tunnel:
We've just put a few of Lauren
Merryfield's haiku from her delightful book, There's More
Than One Way to Love a Cat, on the Poetry
page. Lauren's site is: www.catliness.com
James, Laura and Simon with their cards.
 Pumpkin
the llama with Hudson, the brown alpaca, disucssing our next Virtual
Production from their home in the Northwest Territories. 
Pookie & Tuffous Hamilton,
who live in Montreal.
Willow (who plays The Bird in Peter
& the Wolf) guardiug her front door.
The latest member of my Fan Club: Beauty Benedik:
My new Denim Vest
(June 14 is Dress Up Your Pet Day)
Tulips in Our Front Yard
Bejamin's Travels
Giving my paw
The Disputed Stool
Wuffy nuturing a kitten
The Catnip is Out of The Closet
Inspecting Tazi's ears:
Der Uberhund (Poochini Pitt)
The newest members of our Fan Club include Bungie
Quesnel (below) and Omaste.
Dora & Flora, the first avian members of our Fan
Club
Fur Slippers from Sandy
Lake
Two Haiku by Simon Teakettle
Fishing in basket
Paw retrieves a furry mouse
Prize to bat, then hide.
Through the screen I spy
A fly eyed by a spider
Quickly disappears.
Kissing my favorite mouse:
My Valentine Photo (my sweater reads Be Mine:
Sleeping with my spider:
Our three Bastet statues.
Sometimes I look in the mirror to see what Bobbi's doing in the office.
Terzo beside his water fountain.
Lily enjoying her first Christmas
Terzo with his Christmas gifts
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