Catymology

After the sad news from last week, I needed a laugh. Fortunately, some humans just keep sending me LOL messages, like this one. This guy doesn't need a vacation; he needs a copy editor.

No matter how old your cat is, it is never too late to ensure that he is comfortable and that you are doing everything you can to maximize his health.

After all, your cat is your companion and you want the best for him.

What can you do?

Here are a few things:
• Make sure your cat has regular vet visits. Pets age much faster than we do and an annual exam can help identify significant problems early on.

• Ensure your cat has all vacations. It's best to prevent problems rather than treat them.

Speaking of vacations, some politicians need to take one. I just received a missive from James Carville:

As President Obama recently said, conflict is like catnip. The right-wing media scurries over to it. They sniff at it. They bat it back and forth. They roll in it. They. Just. Can't. Get. Enough.

They're masters of manipulation.

That's catnip for you: addictive. But otherwise, catnip is not like conflict. Catnip is more like mmm--the way humans describe a nice glass of single-malt scotch, or a really mellow reefer. Catnip is more like taking a vacation without ever having to leave home. In short, if conflict really were catnip, politicians would all be too blissed out to get worked up about it. And they'd take more vacations, thus preventing problems rather than creating them.

Earlier this summer, my backyard was full of the little rodents. I would chase them and chase them all the time--although I never caught one. Then, a couple of weeks ago, they all disappeared. My humans found a dead chipmunk on the grass, and they thought that I had done it in. But I didn't.

Yesterday, the next-door neighbor told my humans that she had called in an exterminator to rid her house of mice. Of course the exterminator put poison both inside and outside the house. That's when she said that she had found a dead chipmunk in the yard. The chipmunks must have all eaten the tasty poison, because they're gone.

I loved chasing my chipmunks. I wrote a poem about them--Timber Tiger, the slang name for chipmunks in parts of the Pacific Northwest. Even if I could have caught one, I never would have killed them all. I miss my Timber Tigers very much.

My timber tigers will be remembered on the Friday Ark, and in the Carnival of the Cats, hosted this week by House Panthers.

Labels: chipmunks

After the reaction to my Gotcha Day post, two wonderful cats have contacted me and asked if I can be of any help. They are Amber and Dora, both female and neutered, about 3 years old. They have lived with their human for the past two years, and they love each other dearly; however, the human's grandson is very allergic to cats and can't visit his grandmother while the cats are in the house. So, Amber and Dora are looking for new homes.

Amber and Dora live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are available for adoption to a loving home. My human has talked to their human, and we know that they are well loved and taken care of. If you know of anyone who might want Amber and Dora, one or both, please contact me and I will put you in touch with them.

The Animal Humane Society here and other rescue organizations been overwhelmed with cats and kittens this year because of the economic meltdown. People have been unable to support their pets and many have given them up. It's up to us cats to organize to take care of our own.

Love and purrs!

Labels: rescue

Most cats think of their Gotcha Day as they day that humans adopted them, but I've got a better idea. The Gotcha Day I celebrate is the day I got my humans. That was September 12, 2003, which means I've owned these humans (and their furniture) for six whole years!

I remember when I first came here. Right away my humans showed me where they kept the cat food and the litter box and they let me prowl around and explore the house. I roamed around for hours that night and finally fell asleep on the floor beside their bed. I have always been a cautious cat. It took me a couple of weeks to get up the nerve to sleep on the foot of the bed.

By now, of course, things have changed. I like to sleep in the middle of the bed, in between my humans. And not only have I taken control of the middle cushion on the couch, but--as you can see--I've taken charge of the TV remote control. From now on, it's nothing but Animal Planet for me!

I'm celebrating my Gotcha Day at the Modulator's Friday Ark, and also with the Carnival of the Cats, hosted on 09/13/09 by Kashim & Othello and Salome. Oh, and I'm also going to eat some of the good stinky tuna that comes from Trader Joe's.
How do you celebrate your Gotcha Day?

Labels: gotcha day