When I got home this evening, Mel was lounging in this very odd pose.... I went and grabbed the camera, and she actually stayed there for a while so I got some good pictures.
1. Melvin, 2. Melvin, 3. Melvin, 4. Hey Baby...
[Filmstrip from Big Huge Labs]
a.k.a. What I Did on Summer Vacation
Mostly, I petted kitties :-)
Pix later!
Update
Here ya go!
Mom has posted some cuuuuuute kitten pictures:
kits06040106
Originally uploaded by FLMagpie.
Update:
The kittens are on The Ark!
We had a kitty scare this weekend. Our feisty Lorax puked all day Sunday (not unusual now and then, but this was impressive in quantity and frequency) and wouldn't even eat a treat, much less real food. By the end of the day, she was only walking a few feet at a time, and then hunkering down on the floor for a while. She wouldn't jump up anywhere, and was obviously unhappy. This morning, she barely protested being put in the cat carrier (normally a huge battle) and the MO took her off to the vet. It took them all day to figure out that she has a urinary tract infection. They zapped her with an antibiotic, and we have pills to try to get down her throat for the next week. She's not back to normal by a long shot, but is definitely more mobile now than she was yesterday. Poooooor kitty, it's just so odd to see her so subdued.
So for those of you who love the kitties, please think some happy thoughts for the Lorax over the next few days as she recovers. She will reward you by returning to her perch on top of the MO's monitor for more glamour shots ;-)
Mom's cat had her kittens today! Pix ASAP....
Update:
Day 3 - There's a tiny kitty resting on MommaCat's belly.
Almost forgot -- I heard Melvin's theme song on KTRU this morning:
08:17 AM- shonen knife / hot chocolate [happy hour] on the BIG DEAL label
When they sing, "Mel- mel- mel- mel-, mel- mel- mel- mel-, meltiiiiiing" I always hear (and sing) "Mel- mel- mel- mel-, mel- mel- mel- mel-, Melviiiiiiiin" so it's her theme song ;-)
Sadly, the excerpt at Amazon does not play that part....
Okay, so I'm a little slow catching on to this whole scrapbooking thing. I've been a member at scrapbook-bytes for two years now, and only just found out about "challenges" (apparently it pays to read the newsletter) and this is the result of a "sketch challenge" which was a lot of fun. The host provides a sort of generic layout (and an example), and then you fill it up with your stuff. It was actually pretty easy to convert the sketch into a template in FotoFusion, so now I can start with the same layout any time. I'm having so much fun putting together my "year in pictures" from 2005 that I figured maybe I'd get a head-start on 2006 (ha) so I found some good kitty pix and "rose to the challenge" (I think).
The Carnival of the Cats is up at Niobium this week. Thought I'd mention it specifically since Lorax and Melvin have both made appearances here after a long kitty hiatus.
Poor Melvin just curls up on herself when it's nail clipping time. She tucks her tail up and looks so pitiful. She also turns into a wiggly snake trying to get away. But she gets these dagger-sharp claws that make her nesting habit really painful, so she does get clipped. You'd think she'd have figured out by now that it doesn't actually hurt, but she doesn't have a very long memory.
This was supposed to be a picture of Melvin, but by the time my camera took the picture, she was long gone....
Who says cats don't have fantasies? I'm pretty sure Lorax is pretending to be an airplane....
A friend of mine had her oldest (first) kitty put to sleep yesterday (the kitty was 16 years old and was suffering renal failure). Afterwards, of course she was emotional and she spent a lot of time with her other kitties (she called it "forced love" ;-), including the outdoor cat, who normally doesn't go in for affection so much. This morning, the outdoor cat left a nice rat at the garage door. It kind of makes you sniffle, just thinking about it. Kitties are so sweet....
I left a beading magazine on the sofa yesterday after the bead party, and this afternoon I found Melvin sitting next to it, looking for all the world as if she were studying the directions very carefully. Maybe she thinks that bracelet would make a nice kitty collar?
Whee! Lorax and Melvin are #28....
Cool weather = soup and cooking in the oven. This is a Really Good Thing. The MO made caldo gallego (bean soup) and a balsamic glazed chicken today. The whole house smells delicious and we had a fabulous dinner and I have scrumptious leftovers to take to work.... Yippee!
And, being Sunday, we've had a full day of football, with the Texans getting our hopes up in the first half (tied 14-14 at the half??? could it possibly be???) and then dashing us to the ground (total of 6 yards of offense or something ridiculous like that), and then a last-minute Dallas/Seattle reversal favorably affecting my fantasy football matchup (sorry, Andy, the Boys were a sacrifice on the altar of the Spoilers). And, being THE WORLD FRICKING SERIES, we now have the Astros playing well (!) in drizzly Chicago. Tonight is slightly calmer than last night, when we had a full cheering section in the house, but there is still whooping and clapping and improvisational dancing when required. (The MO provides any necessary cussing. I am strictly a positive reinforcement sports fan.)
We also finally bottled the Oktoberfest, so I guess that means it's technically a Novemberfest, but it's going to be yummy.
And now, just because it has been a while, here's a happy kitty.
Doesn't that just warm your heart?
Melvin is pretty sure she hasn't done anything wrong lately....
This week a small tribute to Edloe: Melvin and Lorax try to capsize. You would think Melvin would be better at it 'cause she is fatter, and she rolls over onto her back a lot, but she is too easily distracted to stay that way for long. Lorax is much more relaxed, although not quite in full capsization mode here.
A few weeks ago I decided it was time to teach the cats to use the toilet, using this book as a guide.
Phase I was easy. Move the litter pan from the MO's bathroom to my bathroom, because there's room next to the toilet in my bathroom. Slowly raise the pan to the height of the toilet. No problem. Both cats accepted this situation with grace. This was gonna be easy!!
Phase II, move the pan to the top of the toilet, then down into the toilet bowl, with the seat down over it. This was not so well received. I perservered with the treats to reward investigation of the pan in its strange new location, and immediate cleanup of the objections. (They would both pee in the pan but Lorax refused to poop in the pan for two days.) After a couple of "accidents" (I have no illusions here--she pooped on the floor 'cause she was pissed off, pun intended, I suppose) we reached an agreement and everybody seemed happy.
After a week of that, I started Phase III yesterday--cutting a hole in the pan. I didn't think this was going to be a big deal, but this evening we've had two votes against. Aaarrggghhhh! I know they know what's going on--even though I call Melvin dumb, she's not really (she's just sort of a dingbat). Lorax is playing alpha cat games. If she doesn't capitulate, the book recommends retreating to Phase II for a while. So tomorrow I may tape up the hole in the pan and see how it goes, but I am really hopeful of a successful outcome from this experiment.
I've actually witnessed the feline acrobatics that have to take place, so I know they can do it. It seems to be a mind game at this point, so I guess it's a question of who's more stubborn....
Big furry Edloe the capsizing cat is gone. In honor of Edloe, treats all around at the Oilman household tonight.
So it looks like little Mel is a candidate for a kitty diet. HAHAHAHAHAHA yeah that's gonna happen.
Actually, she looks kinda like Kirstie Alley, doesn't she? Maybe we can get Melvin in show business!
The Carnival of the Cats is at Blog d'Elisson this week. Check it out!
I received an email with an article about Savannah cats, and I googled a bit to find out more about them (can't resist anything kitty!) and found this statement on a site selling kittens:
And last but not least, a very wild looking F2 female available, nice dark spotting, short thick tail, and big ears, just perfect, she was born March 12. Would like her in a breeding program, as she is just too nice to sell as a pet.
Have you ever noticed that the very same cat than can launch itself across an entire bed without touching the mattress once can also put at least eight or nine paws down on your bladder when casually traversing a distance of a foot or so?
All things furry and fuzzy at the Carnival of the Cats (hosted by Watermark) and the Friday Ark (as always at the Modulator).
Too cute for words, really.
We sat out on our back step for a while a few days ago, soaking in the beautiful weather. We saw lots of birds, and eventually spied this squirrel, zonked out on a tree limb. After a while, he woke up and started doing regular squirrel things, and we found out where all the green leaves on our driveway come from. (Squirrels are very messy eaters.) He even treated us to a few aerobatic displays.
We also enticed Lorax to come out and visit. She knows she's not supposed to go outside, so it took a bit of convincing. For the longest time, she kept her feet on the very edge of the porch and just streeeeeetched her neck out as far as possible.
She did finally come out on the top step, but she didn't stay for long. She probably figured it was all a trick and she was still going to get in trouble, but of course she didn't :-)
It was a wonderful way to spend an hour, basking in the sun, spotting birds (although we never did identify "the alarm clock bird"), taking pictures, and just enjoying our house and each other--some magic moments to tuck away and file under "happy things".
The Friday Ark is up at the Modulator and the Carnival of the Cats will be at CathColl.net this week. Go get your furry fix :-)
Company holiday today. Lorax says, "Go have a beer and leave me alone."
I've long suspected that a Roomba would provide as much entertainment as itwould housekeeping help, and this confirms it. Gotta get one of these....
[Link from Three Years of Hell to Become the Devil]
This week, it's all about Melvin. She's been unusually photogenic lately.
First, a classic feline pose.
Second, an action shot. We call this "rabbitting". She rolls over on her back, holds the victim in her front paws and kicks the stuffing out of it with her back feet.
Finally, a lovely portrait. She may not be very bright, but she does know she's a beauty.
The Carnival of the Cats is up at Music and Cats. Lots of entries, cute kitty button graphics, and a link to a cool Carnival entry submission form. Neato :-)
I had already planned to submit a picture of Sal for the Carnival, since the rules clearly state that RFOACs are acceptable (rule 3), and Sal is really just a cat in a dog-suit. However, rule 9 even more clearly sez "No dogs." Luckily, this week's Ark is dogbloggers vs. catbloggers, so I can post Sal with a clear conscience. I think he counts for both.
Photo by me, but Sal belongs to Prime Time Lou.
This picture is from last weekend when we all had a good laugh exploring the Chronicle's special 3-D section. (Really it was all about seeing how goofy we looked wearing the glasses.)
of Lorax....
Lorax is not impressed.
Apparently we grow cats.
Carnival of the Cats this week at Music and Cats!
Lorax: "I resolve to sleep as much as possible. Preferably near the Man. I also resolve to pester him for petting at least half my waking hours. And shed. And pounce on Melvin whenever she least expects it, which is pretty much any time, because she forgets, you know...."
Melvin: "Ummm, well, I guess I'll continue to be cute and clueless. Is that a rezzawatchamallit? Isn't it great how my eyes coordinate with the dining room walls? And how I look so nice next to flowers? I love to eat flowers. Hey, is that a buggie down there?"
I dreamed last night that Melvin and Lorax were swimming. On purpose. And they liked it. More like dog-paddling (cat-paddling?) really, since they weren't putting their faces under (obviously my dream--if it had been Mark's dream they'd have been scooting around underwater like porpoises). I was trying to get a picture of Melvin for the blog, but the light was reflecting off the water and all my shots came out as just a Melvin-cat head floating in a white glare. I guess I'm feeling guilty for not joining the Carnival lately?
Lorax likes to go out on the back porch as often as possible, but she's fairly patient about it. She'll sit right here for ages, no doubt visualizing the door opening. Use the Force, Lorax....
"I'm sooooooo full! Maybe I shouldn't have had thirds."
"Oh, would you just shut up and take a nap already."
"Hmm. I hear ribbons are supposed to be slimming."
"Now how do you suppose you wear this thing?"
"Okay, I think I've got it. I'm just going to rest here for a minute and practice looking svelte."
Lorax: "Psst, your ribbon is undone."
"Okay, seriously. Does this ribbon make my butt look big?"
The remains of four vases.
Rotten feline.
Sigh.
I actually got a picture of Lorax without the glowing green eyes :-)
I didn't realize how photo-intensive this catblogging gig was going to be. Now I have all these really horrible pictures of the felines, so I think the next entry will be Embarrassing Cat Pictures.
Now isn't this the sweetest kitty ever??
I can't believe she held still long enough for me to get this picture. Usually she puts her nose right in the camera as soon as she sees it....
Both the cats are scared stiff of the vacuum cleaner, so Saturday morning usually isn't their favorite time. Today I decided to invade their hiding places....
Melvin goes behind the curtains in my bathroom. This is her standard "I'm not here" location, no matter what she's scared of. I think she's a big proponent of the "If I can't see the bad thing, it can't see me" theory. I snuck outside and stood in the azalea bush to get the picture.
Lorax tucks in under The Mad Oilman's shirts on the desk in his closet. As you can see, there is just exactly a cat-sized space between the top of the desk and the hems of the clothes. And she fills it elegantly, as she does most things.
We will begin with introductions.
The First Cat of the house is Lorax, also known as Furball.
She comes when Mr. Man calls, especially if the call includes reference to "treats" (dried anchovies). She does pretty much anything she's not supposed if I'm silly enough to call.
And the beta cat is Melvin, also known as a complete dingbat.
She's pretty much untrainable, but does do wheelies fairly predictably. She's an equal-opportunity feline, though, and loves up on Mr. Man almost as much as she does me. (Nesting is reserved for me only. Silly kitten.)
Pannier baskets for the cats, so they can fetch things for Mark while he's on crutches.
