That'll Teach Ya, Mom

Every Cat has his or her routine and it's up to the humans to respect it. After all, they're the ones with the hands. My routine starts no later than 5:15 AM. I go tell Mom and Dad I want to go out and it's their job to get out of bed and let Me out. Dad does it when he's home, but if he's on the road, it's up to Mom to do it.

At 5:15 this morning I walked into the bedroom and announced to Mom that it was time. She got up dutifully and went to the back door, but I was hungry. I wanted to eat first. I wanted some treats first. I wanted some rubs and scritches first. Then I wanted to go outside. Even a Cat with a routine is allowed to vary it as he pleases, right? Of course right. She gave me the food, but was rather rude about the treats, rubs and scritches. She said it was 5:15 in the morning (So?), and a Sunday morning at that (Double so?), and she was going back to bed! And she did.

We weren't done yet and I told her about it.
She was stubborn.
I complained.
She told Me to Be Quite.
I got louder.
She pulled the covers over her head.
I put it into high gear. After all, I'm not called Demando for nothing.
She threw a pillow at Me.

At that point I left the room and went off to sulk about it, as loudly as I could. That's when I noticed this...

It's the window Mom forgot to close last night. Even better, for some reason the screen was up too, leaving the window completely open and clear. Guess what. I jumped out.

Around 7 AM I could hear Mom getting up. I heard her make her way into the kitchen and turn on the coffee pot. I knew she was puzzled that I didn't present myself immediately. I heard her call my name. Silence. She called again. She started going from room to room calling "Rascal!" Of course I didn't answer and of course she couldn't find Me.

I could almost hear the wheels in her head turning. I could also hear worry in her voice. She probably thought I'd finally succumbed to my Feline Lymphoma and had curled up somewhere to leave my body behind while I crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was thinking that the 5:15 scenario had been my way of saying good-bye. I knew this would make her feel guilty.

I heard her go into the bedroom to get dressed. I knew she was trying not to panic and would go let the chickens out while she collected herself. I timed it perfectly. As she came out the back door, I nonchalantly walked past the back porch and meowed, "Good Morning." You should have seen the look on her face!

Of course Mom's not dumb and she quickly found the open window and figured it out. If she's mad, she should suck it up and take it like a Cat. To make it up to her I'll spend the rest of the day testing out the new area rug she got for under the dining room table.

It's pretty comfy, actually. Happy Mother's Day.

A Walk With Rascal

Thank you to everyone who is praying and purring for me. I have to take a nasty pill twice a day. But that means that I get all the raw chicken, baby food, and Friskies Party Mix treats I want. Plus some mashed cooked chicken liver which is tasty. Mom thinks I've put on a few ounces and I certainly have energy for chasing birds and chipmunks.

Last week, I went with Mom when she took a walk in our woods. She does this "Colors of the Month" photography thing, so when she went for a walk for her Colors of March, I went with her.

We headed out the back field.....

... and into the woods.

I like to come back here to hunt sometimes.

And just to look around.

A quick lick is always in order,
no matter the occasion.

Are you coming, Mom?

I wonder if this tree needs Me to climb it?

We walked all over our woods, but Mom
didn't find much color to photograph.
No matter. I'm a better subject anyway.

We're heading home now.

A few times the sun came out.

This stuff's green all the time.
Mom calls it "evergreens."

I kept a lookout for anything interesting.
No birds or squirrels to report however.
I wonder why.

We looked everywhere but there were no budding trees.

Finally we came out of the woods.

And headed home along the tree
line between the two fields.

To see Mom's Colors of March, click here.
To see everybody elses', click here.

That's it.

Thank You

Thank you to everykitty and bean who still purrs and prays for Catzee. We have no idea what happened and no idea where she is. I was very worried and insecure for a long time but Mom and Dad reassured Me that no one else will disappear.

I have been doing my best to do all the Cat work around here. I've brought Mom a mouse, a chipmunk, and a squirrel that I've caught. I've lost all the weight I gained while living in the apartment.

Mom and Dad still look for Catzee wherever they go. I've been extra nice to Mom because I know she's sad. I am sad too, but I am a Cat. Cats accept life as it is and go on about their Cat business. And that's what I'm doing.

Mom Smithereened Her Camera

I can't believe this happened. Just when she was finally starting to take pictures of Me in our new house, with My new outside. Look at what Mom did to her camera.....

Can you believe it? She was outside taking pictures of some dumb plant she found, but didn't want to bring the camera back inside because her shoes were all muddy. Or so she says. So she set it on the hood of her car. When she finally did come inside, she forgot all about it. Later, she left for Lowes and the library and guess what. Yup, she left the camera on her car and didn't realize it until she got home and couldn't find her camera again.

Well. You never saw such a panic. Then, all of a sudden she remembered that she left in on the car. She looked all over the yard and then jumped in her car and took off again. When she finally got home, she had the camera as you see it above. Sadly the battery was missing, but the memory chip was still intact....

Which is a good thing because there are pictures of Me on it. The question now is, how is she going to get them off of it?

BTW, you can see some (mostly catless) photos of our new house and outside on Mom's new blog. Click here for a peek.

I'm Featured On Mom's Blog

Mom put me on her blog. She thinks those photos are funny. I say, don't mess with a ManCat's pleasures. Click here to go see.

A Crimp on Our Blogging Time

Mom has just been elected president of her weavers guild. She says that means that she's going to be very, very busy and won't have as much time for blogging.

The question is, whose blogging goes. Ours or Mom's.

I Help Mom With Her Weaving

Mom and Dad's Vacation

Mom and Dad just got back from a business trip to Atlanta. While they were there, they took a day to go visit Stone Mountain Park, for fun. Our human sister, Piano Girl, just moved in with us while she finishes her master's degree in piano, so Catzee and I stayed home with her so she wouldn't get scared and lonely.

Stone Mountain features the world's largest high relief sculpture, the Confederate Memorial Carving.

It features three Southern heroes of the American Civil War: President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee, and Gen. Stonewall Jackson.

It measures 90 by 190 feet and is 400 above the ground.

Mom and Dad took the Skyride to the top of the mountain.

This is supposed to be a spectacular view of Atlanta from the top of Stone Mountain, but you could have fooled Me.

There was a lot of other stuff to see and do there too. This is a photo of the 732 bell Carillon. It was in the 1964 World's Fair and was later donated to the park by the Coca-Cola Company.

This is a view up into the bell tower. Sadly, Mom and Dad weren't there at concert time.

Something else they liked was the grist mill. There were lots of other things to see and do, but they left early because of the long drive home. They missed their kitties too much to stay any longer.

The best part was what they got me as a payment for babysitting Piano Girl. It is a totally cool kitty fountain, just because they know I like drinking running water.

I missed them but I'm glad they're back. You can also see what Catzee got, by clicking right here.

White Cat Report

Mom talked to our neighbor who also works in the office here. It turns out that the White Cat belongs to someone who lives in another building. However, they won't let him inside.

So he's very scruffy and dirty. He is not skin and bones, but is usually hungry for both food and affection. He fights with a big ginger and white who also lives nearby and who usually wins. You can see the boo-boo on top of his head from fighting. His ears are all chewed up too.

Someone in our building put a bowl out for him and it is usually has Cat food in it. Sometimes it is empty so Mom fills it. Whenever the White Cat sees Mom coming he runs to greet her and asks to be petted and fed.

Mom doesn't think that this is a very good way to take care of a Cat and I agree. Personally I don't wish to get friendly with him, and Mom agrees we can't have another Cat inside. At least he officially has some humans and perhaps they do love him in their own way. Even so, Mom's going to keep an eye on him.

My Response

Dear Mom,

You claim that you're so busy teaching your class that we don't have time for blogging. So how do you explain those scandalous photos you posted of me on your blog.......

What are you running over there, a gossip tabloid? Even your post title, “Better Than Catnip” is ludicrous. My response is taken from sage advice: “Deny everything and make counter accusations.”

If you hadn't put that stuff out in the first place, then this never would have happened!

Indignantly yours,
Rascal

The Least Mom Could Do

For the most part Mom has it pretty easy around here.

Of course she is on duty 24/7, but we rarely ask much of her. All we want is an occasional treat, an occasional scritch, an occasional lap to nap on, someone to open the door, etc.

So is it really asking too much for her to not allow the food bowls to reach this deplorable condition?

There are only two rules regarding food bowls.
1. No crumbs
2. No bottoms showing.

Is that too much to ask? Really?

So I ask you, which bowl would you prefer to eat out of????

Yarn Hostage Update: Mom is Forgiven

The yarn hostage situation has been resolved and Mom is forgiven.

The House Panther human has sided with me instead of her and helped me take my rightful place on the House Panther list as a member of the House Panther Gang.

So I’m a happy cat. This is me with my bestest happy face for the flashy box:



















When I'm in a good mood I'm very forgiving, so Mom has been given full yarn privileges once again. In fact I sat on her lap for a long time today and purred. I didn't bite her once for petting me more than I wanted.

Thank you to all my fellow Cats for their support in this crisis. And a special thanks to Magoo, Smudge, Bella & Dolce's mom for her help.

All is right in Rascal's World once again.

Update on the Yarn Hostage Situation

Grr, Midnight & Cocoa asked about the status of the yarn hostage situation. Here is what has happened so far:

* Mom has apologized profusely to Me for her crime.
* Mom has confessed her crime to the House Panthers and is making an effort to correct the situation.
* The House Panther human is not responsible for Mom's actions and is not being held liable for Mom’s crime.
* The House Panther human, being human, is graciously awarded whatever time is necessary to help.
* Mom has been permitted supervised yarn activities, subject to My whim.
* Her punishment has not been decided yet and is still pending.

That’s it for the moment.

It Wasn’t Me

Scene: Mom has been making sugar cookies. She has just stepped back into the kitchen after putting the wet laundry into the dryer. Rascal has been minding his own business.

Mom: Rascal, what have you got on your nose????

















Rascal: Huh?

Mom: What have you got on your nose!!??”

Rascal: My nose? There‘s nothing on my nose.

Mom: What have you been into?”

Rascal: Who me? Nothing.

Mom: Come ‘mer, let me see your nose.”

Rascal: Well, I gotta go.

Mom: Get back here, I want to look at your nose.”

She makes a move toward Rascal and grabs him. Rascal struggles unsuccessfully.

Mom: Rascal, there’s flour on your nose.”

Rascal: It wasn‘t me.

Mom: How did you get flour on your nose?

Rascal: I'm innocent.

Mom: The only place there’s flour is on the kitchen counter.

Rascal: Didn’t you spill some on the floor?

Mom: There’s no flour on the floor, only on the counter top. (raising her voice) And Cats are not allowed on the kitchen counter!

Rascal: Well, I think I hear the birds calling me.

Mom: Rascal, get back here.

Rascal: Nice talkin’ to ya Mom. I’ll see ya later!

Mom, examining the counter top: Rascal! there’s kitty pawprints in the flour up here!!

Rascal (over his shoulder): It’s okay Mom. There wasn’t anything up there for Cats anyway.

Mom: Rascal??!!??

(Silence)

Mom: Rascal!!??!!

(Silence)

Mom: You’d better hide, Young Man, you’re in big trouble.

Rascal, hiding in the bedroom closet and washing his face: Good grief. The things I have to put up with around here.