Proud Mommy

I'm so proud of Annie. She is handling the new addition to our family incredibly well. So well, in fact, that she hasn't been this social in years. She lets different people touch her, she hangs around with us, she purrs, and she stays in the same room with both of the other girls. I am thrilled and stunned. I never, ever would have expected this.

All Quiet (Except on the Foot Front)

So far, all is well with the new cat.

H went and picked up Cookie yesterday. He took her to the vet and brought her home, all before I got home from work. She seems to be settling in well, aside from crying loudly at 4:30 in the morning and hiding under the bed a lot.

We have her sequestered in one of our spare bedrooms. Hopefully, the other two will be good when we finally let Cookie out to wander. They are both downstairs with me right now and seem perfectly normal. Last night, when Cookie was freaking out, I went in to check on her and she escaped. She ran downstairs. Katie didn't seem to care, but Annie did hiss for a little while. That's par for the course.

Cookie seems to be a very nice girl, and I hope that it works out. I am very afraid, though, that it will be very stressful for our girls. Ultimately, that is where we might have to draw the line. We'll let her out of the room for a little while later and see what happens.

The worst part of the whole weekend so far is that H twisted his foot badly yesterday while he was picking Cookie up. It's very black and blue, and it hurts him terribly to walk on it, but we don't think that anything is broken. He's resting now with Tylenol and ice. That does add to the stress of the situation, but he'll be fine.

Pure Romance

Homemade Veal Parmigiana. China and silver. Nice wine in crystal glasses. Candles giving off a warm glow. Just the two of us in the dining room celebrating Valentine's Day.

All this splendor accompanied by the smell of singed cat hair.

Cat Chaos

A friend of mine from work is staying with us for a little while because she has gone through some pretty heavy stuff in the last week or so. Mom left yesterday, and last night I ran around to make sure that D's room and bathroom were all set.

We (okay, I) had the brilliant idea to shut the girls in our room overnight so that D wouldn't have to worry about them lurking around. I put the litter box in our bathtub, showed them both where it was, and shut the door.

Normally, we leave our bedroom door open so that they have the run of the house. The litter box is kept in the laundry room next door. I put the litter box in the bathtub because I am sick to death of stepping on it in my bare feet, because both beasts track it all over everywhere.

Now, it's no secret that cats are nocturnal animals. Ours lurk all over the house during the night. They also chase each other up and down the hall and stairs. Why on earth would I take that into account when I shut them up in our room with us attempting to sleep?

I was awakened at about 2:45 am to the sound of hissing, which is normal, and them jumping up and down off the bed, which is also normal. What was not normal, however, was the wet spot right next to my head. Turns out that someone had an accident. Right. Next. To. My. Head. If she was trying to prove a point, it worked. I went into the front bedroom to get the comforter, put the cat-pee-covered comforter on the floor in the front room, and tried to lay down again. Sure enough, the sheet was wet as well. K, being all excited at that point, sunk her teeth into H's toe, which elicited a scream from him. H got up to go to the bathroom (in the appropriate place, mind you) and I changed the sheets quickly. At that point, the little monsters were really freaking out. I left the door open so that they could escape, and they both ran down the stairs immediately.

With new sheets and H back in bed, he went to sleep after a lengthy sneezing fit. I lay there worried that D was awakened by the 20 minutes of chaos. She was, of course, but only heard the sneezing fit.

Welcome to our home, D! The room is comfortable, but the cats are badly behaved and you never know what you'll hear in the middle of the night!

Here, Kitty Kitty

I don't understand why some people hate cats so much.

1. They are soft.
   
2. They are elegant.
3. They are graceful.
   
4. They purr.
5. They like to cuddle.
   
6. When they don't want to cuddle, they are self-sufficient.
   
7. They are very clean.
   
8. You don't have to take them outside.
   
9. They can be potty-trained.
   
10. They meow.
    
11. They bat things around with their soft little paws.
    
12. They are quiet.
    
13. They are affectionate.
    

So, what's not to like?

Little Brats Redux

I got out of the shower to find them both at the door staring at me. It looked like something out of a Stephen King novel.

I started to say, "No, you can't have another t--..." then realized that I couldn't say the word "treat" because they would expect one.

Another "No" solicited blank stares with their beautiful golden eyes.

I'm so glad that I have to go to work now. At least I won't have to worry about them staring me down all afternoon.

Little Brats

We are freakishly attached to our cats. They are our kids, after all!

Ever since A had a horrible bout with pancreatitis a few years ago, we have had to give her special diet food. K eats it as well, of course. And, both girls love to get treats. So much so that they will come running from various points in the house when the word "treat" is uttered. We searched in vain for all-natural treats, until H's mom bought some from the Three Dog Bakery for them for Christmas. The girls love them and now we have to order them online.

I ordered another batch the other night, only to find out that they now have LOBSTER. They previously only carried Salmon and Chicken, and of course, they don't like the chicken. I don't even eat lobster! But, I ordered one anyway to test it.

The treats just arrived. I opened the box, asked if anyone wanted one, and they both came running. I gave them a lobster treat. They sniffed it, stared at me quizzically, meowed with concern, and then wolfed it right down. I don't think either one of them chewed it.

I'm so glad that they're happy. I don't think I could handle it if they ignored me or woke me up repeatedly during the night because they were miserable.

(end snark)