Monday, December 22, 2008
Quick Update
I have been a slacker, but it's really been because I've been busy with the holidays coming up. In the next couple of days I hope to have time to post some updates on Stubbs and his meds and talk about the homemade diet that I have both my cats on.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Sick, sick, sick
This article angers me to no extent. I can't believe that anybody would do this to a cat.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
"My black dog doesn't match the new white carpet"
While these people repulse me, I do have to chuckle at how utterly ridiculous these excuses are.
You Can Ring My Bell...
Monday morning somewhere around 4 AM, I heard Joe shutting our bedroom door. I asked him what was going on, and he said that the frogs were being too loud (We have two green tree frogs, and if you’ve never heard green tree frogs, well, they bark. There’s no other way to describe it. It’s incredibly loud, although I had been so dead asleep that I didn’t hear it). He had put Annabelle in the naughty room, and shut the door. Stubbs was still in our room. I reminded him of this, and Joe’s reply was, “He’ll let us know if he wants to get out.”
Sure enough, about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off, I hear “ding, ding, ding….” Groggily, I lifted my head to figure out what the noise was. Stubbs was sitting next to the closed door, batting away at the bell on his collar. When he saw me looking at him, he stopped ringing his bell, and just looked back and forth between me and the door until I got up to let him out.
I guess Joe was right.
Sure enough, about 10 minutes before my alarm goes off, I hear “ding, ding, ding….” Groggily, I lifted my head to figure out what the noise was. Stubbs was sitting next to the closed door, batting away at the bell on his collar. When he saw me looking at him, he stopped ringing his bell, and just looked back and forth between me and the door until I got up to let him out.
I guess Joe was right.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Settlement in the Case of the Kidnapped Cat
This is interesting. I would like to hear more about it, particularly the reasoning that the neighbors had for thinking the cat was neglected.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Picture of the Day
This picture was taken the first time I ever found them sitting close enough to be touching.
Alarm Clocks
Who needs one? We were covered in freezing rain and ice overnight, and we lost power at some point. I, however, was not affected. Fortunately, the kitties don't lose power, and they made sure I was up on time (early actually) to get them their breakfasts.
I didn't have time to post the picture of the day this morning; I will put it up when I get home from work.
I didn't have time to post the picture of the day this morning; I will put it up when I get home from work.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
"Cats stink!"
There is nothing more infuriating to a cat owner who has a clean, odor free home than these two words.
Cats do not stink. Nor are they dirty. They are, in fact, very clean. If you ever observe a cat over a 24 hour period, much of the time that they spend not eating or sleeping is spent grooming themselves. I don't know any short haired cats that have ever needed any professional grooming services (except in very rare, medical related circumstances), and most long haired cats require vigilant brushing and maybe a once a year trip to get shaved down.
And they do not smell. At least not any more than a human or a dog. I mean, of course their poop might be stink sometimes when they first go (although since mine have been on a homemade diet, I haven't noticed it at all), but doesn't yours?
I know, I know. But you knew this person, and they had a cat, and the whole house REEKED! From one cat! The minute you walked in the door, you could smell it!
I hate to tell you this, but that person was not taking proper care of their litter box. With vigilant scooping and cleaning, your litter box will not smell. If your litter box smells once it's scooper, it's time to change the litter.
Cats are clean. It's their owners who are dirty, or, and I'm being too kind here, haven't been properly educated on how to care for a cat.
And I do not just say that as the snooty owner of a two perfect kitties. I say that as the humble, and oft embarrassed, owner of a cat who PEES OUTSIDE THE BOX (see previous posts).
Yes, it's a total pain, but when Stubbs goes on one of his peeing rampages, the only thing to do is pull up your sleeves and clean, clean, clean. And you CAN get the smell of cat pee out of things. It just takes time ad patience, and a little bit of knowledge learned from experience and trial and error.
Here are a few things I have learned through experience:
1. Don't buy a scented litter to try to mask the smell of a dirty litter box. Your litter box still smells dirty, and the scented litter has its own scent, which people recognize as the scent of litter, which makes them assume your cat is dirty.
2. Stick with litters made with natural ingredients like pine, corn, or wheat. Buy a scoopable, clumping version of this litter. Scoop daily. Or twice daily if you are like me and have a kitty who is pick about his litter box.
3. Buy another litter box. Yes, I know this sounds counter productive, but it's not. An extra litter box will make your cat happier and less likely to go outside the box. It also disperses the poops and pees so that they are not all in one location.
4. Add a sprinkle of baking soda to your litter box to absord odors.
5. Use a litter liner. Easier clean up.
6. For accidents outside the box: Nature's Miracle is the way to go. The trick with Nature's Miracle is to use it straight, don't water it down, and, now this is important so pay attention, do not use any other products on the stain until the Nature's Miracle has removed the odor. I cannot stress this enough. Nature's Miracle is designed specifically to neaturalize enzymes in animal urine. If you use another product on the urine first, you may be altering the enzymes, hence making the Nature's Miracle useless. Be patient and vigilant. Nature's Miracle, let it soak (for really bad stains I just let it straight up dry), water and a wash cloth, let it dry, sniff, repeat as necessary. For urine on hard surfaces like tile or linoleum, dump it on and let it dry, repeat as necessary.
If you have any other questions or tips, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment!
Cats do not stink. Nor are they dirty. They are, in fact, very clean. If you ever observe a cat over a 24 hour period, much of the time that they spend not eating or sleeping is spent grooming themselves. I don't know any short haired cats that have ever needed any professional grooming services (except in very rare, medical related circumstances), and most long haired cats require vigilant brushing and maybe a once a year trip to get shaved down.
And they do not smell. At least not any more than a human or a dog. I mean, of course their poop might be stink sometimes when they first go (although since mine have been on a homemade diet, I haven't noticed it at all), but doesn't yours?
I know, I know. But you knew this person, and they had a cat, and the whole house REEKED! From one cat! The minute you walked in the door, you could smell it!
I hate to tell you this, but that person was not taking proper care of their litter box. With vigilant scooping and cleaning, your litter box will not smell. If your litter box smells once it's scooper, it's time to change the litter.
Cats are clean. It's their owners who are dirty, or, and I'm being too kind here, haven't been properly educated on how to care for a cat.
And I do not just say that as the snooty owner of a two perfect kitties. I say that as the humble, and oft embarrassed, owner of a cat who PEES OUTSIDE THE BOX (see previous posts).
Yes, it's a total pain, but when Stubbs goes on one of his peeing rampages, the only thing to do is pull up your sleeves and clean, clean, clean. And you CAN get the smell of cat pee out of things. It just takes time ad patience, and a little bit of knowledge learned from experience and trial and error.
Here are a few things I have learned through experience:
1. Don't buy a scented litter to try to mask the smell of a dirty litter box. Your litter box still smells dirty, and the scented litter has its own scent, which people recognize as the scent of litter, which makes them assume your cat is dirty.
2. Stick with litters made with natural ingredients like pine, corn, or wheat. Buy a scoopable, clumping version of this litter. Scoop daily. Or twice daily if you are like me and have a kitty who is pick about his litter box.
3. Buy another litter box. Yes, I know this sounds counter productive, but it's not. An extra litter box will make your cat happier and less likely to go outside the box. It also disperses the poops and pees so that they are not all in one location.
4. Add a sprinkle of baking soda to your litter box to absord odors.
5. Use a litter liner. Easier clean up.
6. For accidents outside the box: Nature's Miracle is the way to go. The trick with Nature's Miracle is to use it straight, don't water it down, and, now this is important so pay attention, do not use any other products on the stain until the Nature's Miracle has removed the odor. I cannot stress this enough. Nature's Miracle is designed specifically to neaturalize enzymes in animal urine. If you use another product on the urine first, you may be altering the enzymes, hence making the Nature's Miracle useless. Be patient and vigilant. Nature's Miracle, let it soak (for really bad stains I just let it straight up dry), water and a wash cloth, let it dry, sniff, repeat as necessary. For urine on hard surfaces like tile or linoleum, dump it on and let it dry, repeat as necessary.
If you have any other questions or tips, please feel free to email me or leave me a comment!
The Healing Power of Kitties
I am home today, nursing yet another back flare up.
Luckily, I have my two little nurses to take care of me. It is funny, though, how these two function as a team when either Joe or I is sick.
Annabelle is the constant worrier. At the slightest sniffle (due to sickness or sadness), she is on the case. She will not leave my side and prefers to be on my lap or snuggled right next to me at all times. She suddenly becomes the model kitty, abandoning all naughtiness for the sake of her ailing mommy.
Stubbs is very content to let Annabelle take the brunt of the caregiving. He takes over whenever she is taking a break. He will stay in bed with me all day when I am sick, but he leaves the following me around and constant watching to Annabelle. However, he has an inante ability to sense when I really need HIM.
Although Joe and I love both the kitties, Annabelle is a daddy's girl, and Stubbs is a momma's boy. Sometimes I just need the comfort of my big fluffy Stubby. And he knows when that is.
Stubbs and I have been through some tough times together, both on his end and mine. I have nursed him through ailments and soothes him through anxiety, and he has returned in kind.
When I broke up with my ex, which now seems like a million years ago, I found myself living alone for the first time, lost and lonely. Stubbs was my rock. He was by my side constantly, waiting at the door for me when I got home, cuddled right up to me each night. He made the healing process go much more quickly than it would have if I had been truly on my own.
So, here's to my little nurses. I love you guys!
Luckily, I have my two little nurses to take care of me. It is funny, though, how these two function as a team when either Joe or I is sick.
Annabelle is the constant worrier. At the slightest sniffle (due to sickness or sadness), she is on the case. She will not leave my side and prefers to be on my lap or snuggled right next to me at all times. She suddenly becomes the model kitty, abandoning all naughtiness for the sake of her ailing mommy.
Stubbs is very content to let Annabelle take the brunt of the caregiving. He takes over whenever she is taking a break. He will stay in bed with me all day when I am sick, but he leaves the following me around and constant watching to Annabelle. However, he has an inante ability to sense when I really need HIM.
Although Joe and I love both the kitties, Annabelle is a daddy's girl, and Stubbs is a momma's boy. Sometimes I just need the comfort of my big fluffy Stubby. And he knows when that is.
Stubbs and I have been through some tough times together, both on his end and mine. I have nursed him through ailments and soothes him through anxiety, and he has returned in kind.
When I broke up with my ex, which now seems like a million years ago, I found myself living alone for the first time, lost and lonely. Stubbs was my rock. He was by my side constantly, waiting at the door for me when I got home, cuddled right up to me each night. He made the healing process go much more quickly than it would have if I had been truly on my own.
So, here's to my little nurses. I love you guys!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Escape Artist
Last night, Stubbs escaped into the hallway of our apartment building twice. The first time, we didn’t even realize he had escaped. Joe was helping our friend, Ben, in the door with his baby and all the accessories that come with a traveling baby. When Ben went back out in the hallway to go down to his car to get something he left down there, he discovered Stubbs in the hallway. He picked him up and brought him back in.
About an hour later, our friend Rich showed up (Tuesday night is guys’ night at our house). Stubbs had obviously learned from his previous sojourn that he needed to bolt, lest he be captured again, and bolt he did: Down one set of stairs, up the other, into the laundry room, dodging both Joe and Rich’s attempts to capture him. Finally, Ben came out to aid in the rescue mission; the three surrounded Stubbs, and he had no choice but to turn himself in.
Most cat owner would just chalk this up to a cat being a cat. And that could be the case in this instance. But, I always have to take into consideration the fact that Stubbs is a special kitty, a kitty that has been on and off various sedatives and anti depressants for the better part of a year.
As I’ve previously discussed, Stubbs pees outside the box. Not all the time, but it happens. It has been determined through tons of medical testing to rule out any physical issue that this behavior is the result of an anxiety disorder.
Yes, my cat has an anxiety disorder. Roll your eyes if you must, but it is very real.
Back to last night. The reason that Stubbs’ behavior raised some red flags for Joe and I is that the last time he escaped (and he has only made about 4 escape attempts, including last night’s, in the 3 years he has lived with me) about 6 – 8 weeks ago, the escape was followed by a 3 day pee-outside-the-box rampage that ended only after Stubbs took Acepromazine (a sedative) for several days.
You see, we have become very experienced at dealing with Stubbs anxiety. We have learned to read the signs. Like I said before, being a pet owner is all about learning from past experiences.
We made the decision to start Stubbs back on Clomicalm, an antidepressant used to treat anxiety disorders in cats and dogs. We gave him a low dose, and will continue to do so for a few days while we monitor his behavior. This is strictly a preventative measure; we are trying to play offense this time. If he goes a few days without anymore incidents, we will stop the meds, as we prefer to have him be medication-free as much as possible.
Did we make the right decision? Was he just being a normal cat? He has been pretty wild and playful lately, at least by his standards. Should we have waited another day to start the meds? What if he is actually getting better, and just being a more playful cat, and we are putting a damper on a normal behavior? Is giving him this medication taking a step forward or a step back in our treatment of his issues? I guess only time will tell.
About an hour later, our friend Rich showed up (Tuesday night is guys’ night at our house). Stubbs had obviously learned from his previous sojourn that he needed to bolt, lest he be captured again, and bolt he did: Down one set of stairs, up the other, into the laundry room, dodging both Joe and Rich’s attempts to capture him. Finally, Ben came out to aid in the rescue mission; the three surrounded Stubbs, and he had no choice but to turn himself in.
Most cat owner would just chalk this up to a cat being a cat. And that could be the case in this instance. But, I always have to take into consideration the fact that Stubbs is a special kitty, a kitty that has been on and off various sedatives and anti depressants for the better part of a year.
As I’ve previously discussed, Stubbs pees outside the box. Not all the time, but it happens. It has been determined through tons of medical testing to rule out any physical issue that this behavior is the result of an anxiety disorder.
Yes, my cat has an anxiety disorder. Roll your eyes if you must, but it is very real.
Back to last night. The reason that Stubbs’ behavior raised some red flags for Joe and I is that the last time he escaped (and he has only made about 4 escape attempts, including last night’s, in the 3 years he has lived with me) about 6 – 8 weeks ago, the escape was followed by a 3 day pee-outside-the-box rampage that ended only after Stubbs took Acepromazine (a sedative) for several days.
You see, we have become very experienced at dealing with Stubbs anxiety. We have learned to read the signs. Like I said before, being a pet owner is all about learning from past experiences.
We made the decision to start Stubbs back on Clomicalm, an antidepressant used to treat anxiety disorders in cats and dogs. We gave him a low dose, and will continue to do so for a few days while we monitor his behavior. This is strictly a preventative measure; we are trying to play offense this time. If he goes a few days without anymore incidents, we will stop the meds, as we prefer to have him be medication-free as much as possible.
Did we make the right decision? Was he just being a normal cat? He has been pretty wild and playful lately, at least by his standards. Should we have waited another day to start the meds? What if he is actually getting better, and just being a more playful cat, and we are putting a damper on a normal behavior? Is giving him this medication taking a step forward or a step back in our treatment of his issues? I guess only time will tell.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Men and their Cats
This is an article from The New York Times earlier this year. In a nutshell, it's about men, and how they are "coming out of the closet" as cat lovers. I found it amusing and interesting, as my husband is just a big mushball when it comes to our two kitties. I also have at least two other guy friends that I can think of off the top of my head, who are total softies with their cats. These guys are, however, not single men, which is what the article focuses on.
From the Onion....
I absolutely love the onion, and their animal stories always crack me up. Here is the latest.
Let's Talk Inappropriate Urination (Part 1)
If Stubbs were to go to a support group, his opening line would be "Hello, my name is Stubbs, and I pee outside the box."
It all started rather slowly and innocently. I had Stubbs for over a year and a half the first time this happened. I went away for the weekend, and when I returned, he had peed all over his new kitty bed. No big deal. I realized, in hindsight, that I had probably not been keeping his litter box as clean as I should.
There were no other incidents for about 6 more months. By this time I had moved to a new apartment that Stubbs never quite seemed to feel at home in. It was on the first floor, as opposed to my two previous apartments (one of which was on the 2nd floor, and the other on the 3rd), with a lot of street and foot traffic, which I think make him anxious.
But I digress. The fact is, that I tried to change him to a new litter, because I was sick of stepping in litter dust everytime I walked in and out of my bedroom, and I switched it too fast. I tried mixing it half and half, which he did fine with, but I naively thought that meant he would be fine if I just refilled it with all new litter. Wrong. He took one look at the litter box and promptly peed on my duffel bag.
OK, again, this was my mistake. Being a pet owner is all about learning through trial and error. So I went back to the old litter and stuck to it.
His major offenses started a few months after that, in the summertime. I was still teaching at that time, but was off for summer vacation. I had a part time job (at a Veterinary Office), but did not have to get up at the ungodly hour that I had to get up at when I was dealing with the hour commute that I had to school. Stubbs, however, did not understand this, nor did he care to understand. It was 5 AM, he wanted to be fed, and he wanted his mommy time. For several days, I got up at 5 to appease him, and to save my mattress from the destructive nature of his claws. On the third or fourth day, I had had enough. I shut the door. For the first time since I had him, I shut the door. He cried for a few minutes, and then went away. VICTORY WAS MINE! or so I thought....
I got up to discover that Stubbs had taken his anger out on the dishrag that I had left on the counter, in the form of a good dousing with urine.
And for some reason, this was the straw that broke the camels back, or the dishrag that broke the cat's back, however you like to look at it. Stubbs went on a two week long peeing rampage, that I still shudder to remember. Any piece of cloth that was left laying on the floor or counter may as well have been put in his litter box. Or maybe it would have been better off in his litter box, because he was certainly spending more time peeing out of it than in.
Again, in hindsight, I was going into this blind. Silly me, I kept leaving things around for him to pee on. For instance, I kept repeatedly throwing dishrags in the same spot on the counter. Now I know that this was a huge mistake. Always, always, always, if you can, remove the stimulus. I rearranged a few things on my counters, got in the habit of hanging the dishrag where it belonged, and he stopped going on dishrags on the counter.
But he did not stop peeing on other things that he was not supposed to pee on, so I took him to the vet, wondering if he, perhaps, have a urinary tract infection, knowing in my heart that he didn't, and that he was truly just being a big pill. And my heart was right.
At the same time as this was going on, Stubbs was also acting very needy. When I was home, he was constantly at my heels, crying for attention. After talking it over with the vet, we decided that perhaps he was lonely and he needed a friend. So, I got Annabelle.
Did the arrival of little Annabelle cure Stubbs of his inappropriate urination? Find out in the next installment of "Let's Talk Inappropriate Urination...."
It all started rather slowly and innocently. I had Stubbs for over a year and a half the first time this happened. I went away for the weekend, and when I returned, he had peed all over his new kitty bed. No big deal. I realized, in hindsight, that I had probably not been keeping his litter box as clean as I should.
There were no other incidents for about 6 more months. By this time I had moved to a new apartment that Stubbs never quite seemed to feel at home in. It was on the first floor, as opposed to my two previous apartments (one of which was on the 2nd floor, and the other on the 3rd), with a lot of street and foot traffic, which I think make him anxious.
But I digress. The fact is, that I tried to change him to a new litter, because I was sick of stepping in litter dust everytime I walked in and out of my bedroom, and I switched it too fast. I tried mixing it half and half, which he did fine with, but I naively thought that meant he would be fine if I just refilled it with all new litter. Wrong. He took one look at the litter box and promptly peed on my duffel bag.
OK, again, this was my mistake. Being a pet owner is all about learning through trial and error. So I went back to the old litter and stuck to it.
His major offenses started a few months after that, in the summertime. I was still teaching at that time, but was off for summer vacation. I had a part time job (at a Veterinary Office), but did not have to get up at the ungodly hour that I had to get up at when I was dealing with the hour commute that I had to school. Stubbs, however, did not understand this, nor did he care to understand. It was 5 AM, he wanted to be fed, and he wanted his mommy time. For several days, I got up at 5 to appease him, and to save my mattress from the destructive nature of his claws. On the third or fourth day, I had had enough. I shut the door. For the first time since I had him, I shut the door. He cried for a few minutes, and then went away. VICTORY WAS MINE! or so I thought....
I got up to discover that Stubbs had taken his anger out on the dishrag that I had left on the counter, in the form of a good dousing with urine.
And for some reason, this was the straw that broke the camels back, or the dishrag that broke the cat's back, however you like to look at it. Stubbs went on a two week long peeing rampage, that I still shudder to remember. Any piece of cloth that was left laying on the floor or counter may as well have been put in his litter box. Or maybe it would have been better off in his litter box, because he was certainly spending more time peeing out of it than in.
Again, in hindsight, I was going into this blind. Silly me, I kept leaving things around for him to pee on. For instance, I kept repeatedly throwing dishrags in the same spot on the counter. Now I know that this was a huge mistake. Always, always, always, if you can, remove the stimulus. I rearranged a few things on my counters, got in the habit of hanging the dishrag where it belonged, and he stopped going on dishrags on the counter.
But he did not stop peeing on other things that he was not supposed to pee on, so I took him to the vet, wondering if he, perhaps, have a urinary tract infection, knowing in my heart that he didn't, and that he was truly just being a big pill. And my heart was right.
At the same time as this was going on, Stubbs was also acting very needy. When I was home, he was constantly at my heels, crying for attention. After talking it over with the vet, we decided that perhaps he was lonely and he needed a friend. So, I got Annabelle.
Did the arrival of little Annabelle cure Stubbs of his inappropriate urination? Find out in the next installment of "Let's Talk Inappropriate Urination...."
Monday, December 8, 2008
Cats and Morning Routines
Slate magazine writer Michael Agger asked readers how they manage their morning routines. Among others, he heard from cat owners:
Cats were another big theme. Our feline friends help us get out of bed with a considered choice of sitting location, but after that service has been rendered, they can require a lot of work. One reader must sing a song to her cat—"He's a Bad Cat," to the tune of "Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—every morning while getting the paper.
You can find the rest of the article here .
I know that my two spoiled brats are a huge part of my routine, which usually goes as follows:
4:30 AM - Annabelle wakes up, stretches her legs, and proceeds to meow and walk all over our heads. I ignore her.
4:35 - Joe wakes up and puts Annabelle in the "naughty room" (our den, which is equipped with a water bowl and a litter box - more on why we can't just throw her out in another post).
4:35 - 5:30 - Annabelle howls and scratches at the door of the naughty room, or tears apart the toilet paper roll in the bathroom adjoining the naughty room.
5:30 AM - I wake up and release Annabelle from her prison. Stubbs wakes up and stretches, and they both follow me to the kitchen.
5:31 - I attempt to get my breakfast started whilst tripping over cats who are STARVING
5:35 - Pull cat food out of fridge, add cod liver oil and multivitamin (they are on a homemade diet), place food on floor
5:35 - 5:37 - Follow Annabelle around with food dish while she decides where she would like to eat.
5:37 - Take my (now cold) eggs and toast into the den to eat and read my email
5:38 - 5:40 - Attempt to eat eggs while Annabelle jumps on my desk and also tries to eat my eggs. Finally give up, shove as much food in my mouth as possible and throw plate on the floor for her to lick and sniff.
6:00 - Scoop the litter boxes, change the kitty water, and refill the bird feeder
6:10 - Get in the shower
6:20 - Emerge from the shower to see Annabelle sitting on the toilet, waiting for me to get out of the shower
6:20 - 6:30 - Attempt to get dressed while the cats attempt to keep me home by laying on every article of clothing that I lay out to wear
6:30 - 6:45 - Hair and makeup while Annabelle perches on top of the medicine cabinet, blocking the mirror
6:45 - 7:00 - Attempt to throw my lunch together while the kitties circle around my feet and fight with each other
7:00 - Attempt to leave. Stubbs looks at me with pleading, hungry eyes. Give them both greenies.
7:05 - Hopefully out the door and in the car on my way to work.
7:08 - Answer phone. It's Joe, asking me if I gave the kitties their greenies, because Stubbs is crying for them. Tell him, yes I did.
Cats were another big theme. Our feline friends help us get out of bed with a considered choice of sitting location, but after that service has been rendered, they can require a lot of work. One reader must sing a song to her cat—"He's a Bad Cat," to the tune of "Our House" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young—every morning while getting the paper.
You can find the rest of the article here .
I know that my two spoiled brats are a huge part of my routine, which usually goes as follows:
4:30 AM - Annabelle wakes up, stretches her legs, and proceeds to meow and walk all over our heads. I ignore her.
4:35 - Joe wakes up and puts Annabelle in the "naughty room" (our den, which is equipped with a water bowl and a litter box - more on why we can't just throw her out in another post).
4:35 - 5:30 - Annabelle howls and scratches at the door of the naughty room, or tears apart the toilet paper roll in the bathroom adjoining the naughty room.
5:30 AM - I wake up and release Annabelle from her prison. Stubbs wakes up and stretches, and they both follow me to the kitchen.
5:31 - I attempt to get my breakfast started whilst tripping over cats who are STARVING
5:35 - Pull cat food out of fridge, add cod liver oil and multivitamin (they are on a homemade diet), place food on floor
5:35 - 5:37 - Follow Annabelle around with food dish while she decides where she would like to eat.
5:37 - Take my (now cold) eggs and toast into the den to eat and read my email
5:38 - 5:40 - Attempt to eat eggs while Annabelle jumps on my desk and also tries to eat my eggs. Finally give up, shove as much food in my mouth as possible and throw plate on the floor for her to lick and sniff.
6:00 - Scoop the litter boxes, change the kitty water, and refill the bird feeder
6:10 - Get in the shower
6:20 - Emerge from the shower to see Annabelle sitting on the toilet, waiting for me to get out of the shower
6:20 - 6:30 - Attempt to get dressed while the cats attempt to keep me home by laying on every article of clothing that I lay out to wear
6:30 - 6:45 - Hair and makeup while Annabelle perches on top of the medicine cabinet, blocking the mirror
6:45 - 7:00 - Attempt to throw my lunch together while the kitties circle around my feet and fight with each other
7:00 - Attempt to leave. Stubbs looks at me with pleading, hungry eyes. Give them both greenies.
7:05 - Hopefully out the door and in the car on my way to work.
7:08 - Answer phone. It's Joe, asking me if I gave the kitties their greenies, because Stubbs is crying for them. Tell him, yes I did.
I'm serious about doing this...
Well, it looks like I started this blog back in March, and then proceeded to not keep up with it at all. I am recommitting as of today. I'm just diving in.
Yesterday I spent the day wrapping Christmas presents. Our tree looks quite ugly at the bottom. It's just the ugly tripod that the tree stands on and the wires for the lights. We can't put down a tree skirt. Stubbs has an inappropriate urination issue, whereas any fabric on the floor can be seen as a target for pee pee. Although he hasn't had any incidents since October, he isn't on any meds right now (I will post later about his medication debacles), so we don't want to trigger him. Now that I finally have the presents wrapped, I thought I would finally be able to make the bottom of the tree look nice.
I'm not stupid, though. I do know that Christmas presents can be targets of a different kind. Stubbs, in the past, has put a few claw marks in presents under the tree, but I have no experience with Annabelle and Christmas trees. Last year I had my tree in a room that she only had access to when I was home. This year it is out in the open. So, on a hopeful note, I put a few presents under the tree. They were all things in boxes, that would not be destroyed if the cats got into them.
By the time we went to bed last night, the presents were untouched. I was hopeful. When I woke up this morning, one of the boxes was torn to shreds. When did this happen? We always think the cats are in the bed with us all night. Everytime I wake up, there is a cat laying on one of my various extremities, limiting my movement. Do they have such an inate ability to read our sleep patterns that they can detect when we are in our deepest stage of sleep? Do they wait until we both hit REM, sneak away to do their dirty work, and then return to the bed, falling back asleep as if nothing happened? I know that they both can detect when I am awake, even if I keep my eyes closed. Very interesting.
Anyway, one of the presents was torn to shreds (well, the wrapping paper; the present was fine), so I moved them into the guest room this morning (where the kitties are not allowed). Now the question is, what do I do about my ugly Christmas tree? I am actually contemplating wrapping empty boxes, just for the decor. Am I absolutely nuts?
Yesterday I spent the day wrapping Christmas presents. Our tree looks quite ugly at the bottom. It's just the ugly tripod that the tree stands on and the wires for the lights. We can't put down a tree skirt. Stubbs has an inappropriate urination issue, whereas any fabric on the floor can be seen as a target for pee pee. Although he hasn't had any incidents since October, he isn't on any meds right now (I will post later about his medication debacles), so we don't want to trigger him. Now that I finally have the presents wrapped, I thought I would finally be able to make the bottom of the tree look nice.
I'm not stupid, though. I do know that Christmas presents can be targets of a different kind. Stubbs, in the past, has put a few claw marks in presents under the tree, but I have no experience with Annabelle and Christmas trees. Last year I had my tree in a room that she only had access to when I was home. This year it is out in the open. So, on a hopeful note, I put a few presents under the tree. They were all things in boxes, that would not be destroyed if the cats got into them.
By the time we went to bed last night, the presents were untouched. I was hopeful. When I woke up this morning, one of the boxes was torn to shreds. When did this happen? We always think the cats are in the bed with us all night. Everytime I wake up, there is a cat laying on one of my various extremities, limiting my movement. Do they have such an inate ability to read our sleep patterns that they can detect when we are in our deepest stage of sleep? Do they wait until we both hit REM, sneak away to do their dirty work, and then return to the bed, falling back asleep as if nothing happened? I know that they both can detect when I am awake, even if I keep my eyes closed. Very interesting.
Anyway, one of the presents was torn to shreds (well, the wrapping paper; the present was fine), so I moved them into the guest room this morning (where the kitties are not allowed). Now the question is, what do I do about my ugly Christmas tree? I am actually contemplating wrapping empty boxes, just for the decor. Am I absolutely nuts?
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