Friday, December 30, 2011

Sadie's chosen spot





Sadie has decided that the coffee table in the living room is just the right place for a quick nap in between eating and looking out the window. You can see some scratches on the table - courtesy of a cat running across the table at any given time. Sadie has her own style of leaving scratches as she jumps up onto the table.

After seeing several days of a curled up cat sleeping on the wooden surface of the coffee table I finally took pity on her and folded up a blanket for her. It didn't take long for her to realize this was hers and now most evenings when I come home I see her curled up in various positions, oblivious to the world around her. If you look closely in the first photo you can see two of the woofies behind her, curled up peacefully on their own cushions.

The first two photos catch her in two of her typical poses. I particularly like the second which has her paw tucked over her nose. (No...it is not that cold in the house!)

The last photo shows what happens to any spot that is left unprotected for long. I took a break from my list of "to do's" and put some cat treats out for the four kitties. When I came back into the living room about 15 minutes later I had to take a second look when I saw the change in occupant. Now this is where you can see my lack of skills in taking photos...I took my phone out of my purse to get a quick shot but obviously did not check the view finder carefully - or I would have seen the edge of my finger in the shot. And that is why hubby is usually responsible for any serious photography around here!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

My Faithful Companions



Usually one or both of these two are my companions late at night when I am working on my laptop in the living room. Today, they must have been a little confused. It was noon, I was home, and ...yes...busy working on my laptop. Within 10 minutes of me starting up the laptop and spreading some paperwork around, they both slipped into their respective resting spots, silently keeping me company as I worked. I think they must have been surprised to see me working during the day..but they didn't miss a beat getting settled in beside me.

Turn the clock forward nine hours....youngest daughter has come and gone, hubby is off to bed and I am settling back in to work on some analysis for the day job. As I look around me, the three woofies are spread out on their beds, Angel has moved over to the far side of the room and all I can hear are soft little grunts from Spike as he stretches out in the bed recently vacated by Angel (with a little help from Spike). Just the company I need as I dig in for another 3 hours of work!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Handsome New Faces



Aren't these boys just so handsome? Bandit on the left and Schroedinger on the right. They live in B.C. so don't have to worry about seeing the amount of snow we have here...but on the other hand, they see more than their fair share of rain!

I was laughing when I read the email since I know that Siamese meow well. Here's what had me laughing: "Schro has such a very good pair of lungs on him that our neighbours are convinced that we have a small child on the premises. I occasionally wonder if we shouldn't have called him Pavarotti instead of Schroedinger." I can almost hear the operatic aria now!

Years ago our family had two seal point cats. They lived with us out in the country for several years and then moved into the city with us. I came across an old film my father took when we still lived in the country ...you can see my face for a split second and then the camera quickly panned down to the little meezer kitties running around in the fresh cut grass. Typical of our family though...if you are cute, furry and have four legs you get more camera time!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Dog bed..cat bed




As if we don't already have enough pet beds in the house! This is actually a dog bed from Costco that looked just right for Spike's big bulk. He has a few places where he can stretch out but most times he stuffs himself into cat beds that barely contain him. I had walked by this dog bed several times while checking in regularly to see if they were stocking orthopedic dog beds (for the old woofers).

Finally last week, I put it in the cart and told hubby it was for Spike. Once we had it in a good location in the living room Spike was quick to get in and get comfortable. Once I figure out how to download the photo I took on my cell, I'll be able to show that look of contentment as he is lying on his back all stretched out to the ends of the bed.

When the bed is empty, Angel does try to sneak in and curl up. This photo was one of the times he wasn't disturbed. Yesterday he was asleep when Spike jumped in beside him. Spike took a little lick of Angel's back....and then he took a bite out of Angel's neck! I guess that is what happens to any cat who dares to invade Spike's territory.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

When the dogs are away...

Hubby takes the woofers out three times a day, leaving the house in the care of the cats. It is not unusual to have one cat at the window, and sometimes two but it is very rare to see all four at the same time. In fact, most passersby reckon we only have one cat that looks a little different (more fluff/less fluff) at times. Speaking of The Fluff, he is easy to pick out here. Unfortunately the photo is a little fuzzy and I had to look twice to see who was who. From left, Sadie, Angel, Spike and then Sebastian sneaking in cautiously from the far right.

There are actually seven "cats" in this photo, my hubby pointed out. Two metal cat caricatures in front of the window to the left and one cat planter to the right.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Just right for Sadie

The new cat tent has been sitting empty for several days post acquisition. After Spike checked it out, there seemed to be a general lack of interest on the part of the other kitties. We tried relocating the tent in several areas downstairs with no sniff of interest. I finally became tired of tripping over it in its last resting place and took it to the upstairs hall where it sat for a few more days.

Two days ago hubby was headed upstairs and thought he saw something inside the tent. Stopping to look inside, he saw a curled up Sadie snoozing away. The next day on my way by, I saw her tucked away looking totally contented. Now we are at the third day of finding her ensconced in the tent, so have concluded that she has taken ownership. I was surprised because she had to jump up onto a box which leaves very little paw space before hopping into the tent (regular readers know that her short legs means she is not as agile as the other kitties and typically hesitates to jump up when the height of the jump exceeds her comfort level). However, it is clear by the look of contentment on her face as we pass by her sleeping in the tent that any hurdles getting there are worthwhile!