Warm....

Stygia: Ms. C says it is cold outside, but I can't tell from here. From here, it seems like the perfect place to bake. That's what Ms. C calls it anyway. She says I'm a sunpig. I am not any kind of pig, I am a beautiful cat. YOU can see that. Little do the other cats know this will be fuel for me... to stalk them... hehehe!

Naps: Together or not?

Abby: I don't know how I let this happen. I was sleeping between Ms. C's knees, and right before the camera flashed, I noticed that Sticks was sleeping right next to me with her head on Ms. C's foot. In fact, our back feet were touching!! HOW could that be? I was, however, very comfortable and too lazy to move. Naps are very important.

Sticks: Mr. R wants all of you to know that my name is Sticks, not Styx. Did you know it has almost been one year since I have lived here in my forever home? I am called Sticks because when Mr. R first decided to take me home, I was so skinny and small that I was more like a bundle of sticks than the plush feline I am today. I love my home. I love my people. I even love Abby!

Stygia: I have my OWN spot on the couch, away from those tabbies. I do not need their company. Mr. R and sometimes Ms. C are enough for me.

Happy Gotcha Day and Birthday, Stygia!

Stygia: Today is a very special day for me, because it is both my Gotcha Day and my seventh Birthday! As you can see, I am here putting my paw down early in the morning so that Ms. C will be sure to commemorate this day as she ought!

When I first came to my forever home in August of 2008, I was 2 years old, and so skinny that Ms. C and Mr. R thought they were adopting an oriental style cat. However, as you can see from the examples below, this was not the case! I was depressed and not eating, but as soon as Ms. C gave the the BLUE MOUSIE that you see me rolling with, I knew that I was loved and promptly began to eat and play the way I really wanted to do. I just wanted to know I was loved. 

Besides being my birthday and gotcha day, I hope today will be just like every day since I came to my forever home with Ms. C and Mr. R -- one in which I can roll, play, snooze, and cuddle to my heart's content! 

Spring Fever

Stygia: This is the BEST time of year because Mum opens the window, and I reap all of the warm benefits! In case you were wondering, I have fully recovered from my UTI problem. I am a much happier cat! Interestingly, it started to come back when my people were feeding me Temptations "Blissful Catnip Flavor" treats. Mr. R speculates that the bright green dye in it aggravates me. 

Ahhhh. The sun. The warm sun. From here, I can see everything. All of the birds, all of the other cats in the house, and Ms. C, since her desk is next to this window. Now, as long as it doesn't thunderstorm like it did last night, I will be very very happy. Because storms make me very very worried.

Abby: I find it important to snoopervise my people constantly. They were spending the evening watching a movie, so I was spending the evening watching THEM. Very important work!

Although, sometimes the work needs to be done while ON a person. Here you can see me keeping Ms. C calm as she watches the movie with Mr. R.  I pretend to sleep. But I am very aware!

Styx: Ms. C says I am "off the rails." I especially enjoy chasing my own tail in the bathtub, but I am not averse to doing so on top of the cat-condo as well. Round spaces are good; every cat knows that!

Poor Stygia!

Ms. C: Stygia went to the vet on Friday morning. She was not very happy about this! She meowed mournfully the whole mile-and-a-half to the vet's office.

As you can see, being at the vet is a scary experience! Stygia burrowed into my elbow/armpit area and remained there for the entire visit. Unlike Styx, she does not get mad and try to fight having her temperature taken or other indignities, such as getting an antibiotics shot. She just hides her little head and waits for it all to be over. She sheds a lot. But otherwise, a model patient:

It seems she has a urinary tract infection (UTI), which she has had before. She does not think that she is lucky that she has to take a pill each evening. I hope she will be feeling better soon. The vet said to expect to see a big improvement in 3-5 days, and if we don't see that, to give a call. Today is day 4 and she still seems to be uncomfortable, so we'll see what happens.

Cross your paws for Stygia!

Progress!

Styx:  As you can see, I have been making great progress! I actually managed to sleep right next to Stygia the other day. I don't think she was exactly excited about it, but she was very tired, didn't hiss, and didn't move away. I, myself, was very happy about this occasion. I hope for more.

As you can see, I also rest near Abby (I'm on the blanket on top of the couch). She also did not move away, which is new. We play together pretty often. Sometimes we get rowdy very late at night, which inspires Ms. C to get up and write about us. Tee hee!

I am also helping Ms. C with her new artwork. The paints Mr. R ordered for her for Christmas finally all arrived, and so she has begun to work.  Wouldn't you feel a lot better about work or anything you do in life if you had this view all of the time? 

Stygia: Bastet, grant me the serenity to accept the cats I cannot change, courage to chase the ones I can, and wisdom to know when to stop so Ms. C does not get out the squirt bottle again. 

Our Mousebreath Interview!

Stygia: Exciting news today, friends! We have been featured on Mousebreath! We really enjoyed talking to Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Rusty, and Micah (the intrepid felines of Jan's Funny Farm) and answering all of their questions. You can read all about it by hopping over to Mousebreath by clicking on the graphic below:

Percy is their lead spokescat. Hey! How come we don't have a lead spokescat here?

Abby: Because you are too busy either sitting in the sun or sleeping or flirting with Mr. R, Styx is too young, and I... well, I would take the job but I have to help Ms. C.

Stygia: Hmm. Okay. Well! You can visit Jan's Funny farm and read about her bunch by clicking on this next graphic. Thanks so much, Percy and friends for this fun opportunity!

Cahoots?

Ms. C: I am happy to report that Styx is still doing wonderfully well after her spaying. Last night she played for over an hour with a favorite rattly ball toy, and this morning I woke up to the sounds of some kind of furry flopping in the bathtub, which I imagined (and confirmed by sneaky ways later on) was her chasing her tail in the bathtub. It's not one of those plastic bathtubs, so it is a very noisy activity, which I am sure is gratifying to her.

Styx: I bet you think I am in trouble in this picture. It's true, they are trying to be intimidating, but I don't let that get to me. My new home is so much fun there are better things to do than worry about bullies!

Stygia, Styx, and Abby

Ms C: I have reasons to believe that there are plots afoot and conspiratorial cahoots. As I sat at my desk reviewing some writing, Stygia strutted by with her fur full of little particles. I couldn't imagine where she'd been, maybe she decided to get in a skirmish behind the couch with Styx and rolled around in some dust?

"You're a mess!" I told her.

It was only when I went to the living room that I discovered the source of said particles:

Abby: I had nothing to do with this. I did not tell Styx to go and find the catnip bag and bring it to the floor and to kick it and bite it and get it all over the floor. But I liked it.

Stygia: It was very, very, very, very, very exciting.

Styx: Why not?? It was right there on top of the bookcase. The other two cats don't even seem to be aware that there is a "top of the bookcase," so I figured it was up to me to take advantage of the situation and have the first go at this bag of awesome smelling stuff! Wooooooo!

Ms. C: OK, I concede, there are no plots yet. No cahoots yet. But I can tell it's coming!

I am Home!! (Thankful Thursday)

Styx: It was a cold and snowy morning. That was Tuesday, when I was rudely awoken (ok, so I woke the humans up, but I am going for sympathy here!). I was hungry, because the thoughtless humans didn't offer any food after 6pm the night before. Then, I was placed into my carrier and taken out, across town, back to the VET! Where they LEFT me! Overnight!!

After that, it all becomes a bit of a blur. I don't remember much, but suffice to say I feel just a little bit lighter than I was before, and pretty stiff in the belly area. When I woke up, they did that terrible thing at the vet where they take your temperature, the thing I refused to let them do before, but they surprised me this time. So when they came to give me a booster shot, I said NO WAY. NO. WAY. And I won!! Ha ha!!

Ms. C arrived to pick me up. Did you know that some cats actually have jobs just like humans? I mean, at the vet there are several "office cats." Ms. C thinks this is wonderful, but I wonder if anyone could pay me or treat me enough to work there? Doubtful. You know what I'd say. NO WAY!!

Sun warms Styx's shaved belly

Ms. C says I am lucky because I don't have to wear the "cone of shame" collar thing. Personally, I think she is somehow part of a conspiracy. I am being very, very cautious about her. I was extremely happy when Mr. R, my love, came home last night, and showered him with licks, purrs, and entreaties. HE would nevr be part of such a plot!

My first order of business when I arrived home was to eat. Then I went on patrol and sniffed everything thoroughly. After that, it was time for a drink. Then, it was time for a full bath in the sun. It felt great! Then I discovered a chair I didn't observe before and made the sunny spot my own for a long afternoon's nap. Ahhh... it is great to be home!

Ms. C wants to give a special shout out to the lovely folks who helped make my rescue and spaying (what is that??) possible so quickly. She and Mr. R appreciate from the bottom of their hearts the generosity which allowed me to get the attention and care I needed as soon as they could manage it. I appreciate it, too! I love having a home. LOVE it. Can't say it enough! Cat bless you all!

Big Day for Styx

Styx: Ms. C says I must be ready for my Big Day tomorrow. I have heard so much about how I'm going to be "so much happier" afterwards, but already I am not sure. She put the food bowls away at 6pm. What could this mean?

Styx: Don't I look like a good cat?

I don't know what is going to happen. But I'm not going to let that stop the fun! I have found new places to hide that confuse the humans. I ambush the other cats any time I can. I want them to PLAY with me!!

Mr. R says I have to learn proper use of my claws. Which means not using them. I am trying to learn, but I am a hunter and I need to use them when I go after voles and toy mice. Ms. R thinks I need a scratching post, but I don't even scratch at the couch. Maybe he is right though, a different texture might be nice to scratch.

Helping. Waiting. Cat Stuff.

Abby: I am a very good helper. My Mum, Ms. C, has a lot of writing to do for work, so she needs companionship. Inspiration. Motivation. Help.

All of these things I can offer. I do a great job, I know it, she tells me this all the time.

If I sat behind your screen like this, you'd have written a bestseller already, wouldn't you? I don't know why she hasn't. Maybe I need to stop falling asleep back here so much. 

Abby Normal likes to help.

Styx: Well, I am taking a break from my boy-crazy behavior. I am still a talkative cat. Ms. C says I "mutter" to myself all of the time. Well, there is a lot to observe and comment on in a new home, right? Especially since I am giving the boys a break, I have time to sniff about. I have time to learn where the other cats like to sleep so I can try out those places too. And I have time to try to get close to them.

I would like to be closer to them. Not just physically, but they don't let me do that much yet.

Ms. C says to "just wait until Tuesday" and things will change a little bit after that. I'm not sure how. I still think it must be something wonderful because she talks about it so much!

Styx is thinking about birds and Other Cats

Little Styx

Styx: If you have read my story so far, you know that around Thanksgiving, some anonymous bad people (ABP) dropped me off at a dairy farm. I did get some sympathy because I was so small and had just had kittens. But if I was going to stay on the farm, I was going to have to become a farm cat, and it was obvious that I'd enjoyed being a house cat, probably until I had kittens and the ABPs decided I wasn't "cute" anymore.

Here's a picture of me from Thanksgiving:

I am small now, only 7 pounds and very trim, but as you can see, I still had a bit of that kitten-shape to my head back in November.

It was a cold November, and I was quite happy and warm sitting on Kokomo the dog's little house. He was featured on this blog before back in 2008, when he was quite young himself. "Young and bad," Ms. C tells me. I don't see why he is so bad, we got along just fine.

I am much happier in my new home where I get all of the personalized attention I need and I never have to go out in the cold. In fact, I never want to go outside at all, not even to look for boy-cats. Everyone else here is really looking forward to next Tuesday when I go to get "fixed." It must be something really good, like being knighted by the Queen or having a tuna fish party. Right?!

Active!

Ms. C: Do you know how difficult it is to get a picture of a cat that is constantly on the move? These days, it's practically impossible to get a picture of ANY of them. With Styx in heat, they are all on the move. Here is a rare one of Styx:

She does not act like a statue at all

Styx: Mrrrr? mmmrrrrr? (various sounds like a creaky door, and does "the pose" for Stygia)

Stygia: (hisses, sounds a bit like someone blowing her nose)

Stygia hides behind Ms. C's screen

The only way I got this picture of Stygia is because I took about 15 pictures. 

Even though it's not a clear photo, here is what Abby is doing while Styx is trying to appeal to Stygia as if she/it is a tom:

Yawning on the Laundry

Yes, it's going to be another active day in our household. We are now on day 4 of Styx's heat. Hopefully only another 4-6 days to go.

Disturbance in the Force

Stygia (Worm): There is a disturbance in the force. I mean, there is something really quite wrong in our home. It smells weird. I try to rest, but it is difficult.

My rest is constantly disrupted. There is a howling, a yowling, a crying and a-begging. I think it is all because of THIS creature:

The Creature Known As Styx

Yes. It is the one they call Styx. It's not that she is from the dark side or anything like that. But she certainly seems possessed. I have suggested an exorcism. Ms. C told me that a spaying is about the same thing.

I just want to rest. For once, Abby and I agree on something, although Abby does not seem to be quite as disturbed as I am. Our Mum, Ms. C, had a nice long nap today and Abby always thinks that's fantastic. Nothing will stop her snoozing if Ms. C is doing the same. But I am different. I need peace.

Good Work!

Stygia (Worm): I didn't do this, although if I did, I would be very proud of my work:

I was a prime suspect, because I am known as a biter of things, but to be honest, I most often prefer biting fabrics. Chewing the handles off of Ms. C's re-usable grocery bags is a favorite pastime for me. Don't tell her I said that.

I think Styx did this. She is the most active cat right now. Poor Abby is letting off her "barn cat" fear smell because Styx is in heat. I try my best to ignore Styx. Those tabbies are something else.

Oh, I know you want to see a picture of me, so here it is:

All Night Long.... Alll Night...

Ms. C: A couple of days ago, I had the distinct feeling that Styx was going through a change of attitude. Being so comfy and safe-feeling in her home, well-fed and loved, it was bound to happen. Yes, she is in full-blown estrus.

I think I know what inspired Lionel Ritchie's song "All Night Long." Probably his cat.

Styx: Rrrrrow? Rrrrrrrooow? Oooohhhhh.....! Wooahooh. Roww. Oooh.
          Rrrrrow? Rrrrrrrooow?  Wooahooh. Roww. Oooh. Oooohhhhh.....!
          Oooh. Rrrrrow? Rrrrrrrooow? Oooohhhhh.....! Wooahooh. Roww.

We're both tired!

Ms. C: I stayed up for quite awhile brushing her, playing with her string toy with her, keeping her distracted. Though she loves catnip, it didn't seem to help. Her spaying is scheduled for the 22nd of the month. YAY! I predict we will all be very tired by then. She is really a super, friendly little girl. 

What things have you done when your little kitties experience this to help comfort them?

Greeting each other nose-to-nose

           

The Spaying of Styx

Styx: Most of you know my story. I was dumped at a farm, and I really campaigned hard to find a family -- and I did!

When those anonymous bad people dropped me off at the farm around Thanksgiving (what a holiday for me), I'd just had kittens. I don't even know what happened to them, I am sad to say.

My Mum says it is time for me to be spayed. She put a ChipIn widgit on right side of the blog, and I would be ever so pleased if you would like to help. Ms. C says I won't like being spayed, but that I will be much happier afterwards. Thank you, if you can!

I am having such a wonderful time in my new home!

Introducing Styx!

Abby Normal: On Christmas day, something extraordinary happened. When Ms. C and Mr. R returned from visiting family, someone else came with them. Someone with four legs. Someone with fur. Someone who meowed and smelled funny!

We could not believe it. Even though she weighs a lot less than we do, we were a little bit scared! Her name is Styx. Ms. C took her to the vet this week (ha ha!!).

Styx: Hello! I am Styx. I am a tabby, although I have a classic silver pattern, unlike Abby, who has a dark brown mackerel print. Suits her since she is such a fish lover, though I don't mind a nice piece of tuna, myself. Here I am at the vet before I knew what they were going to do. Trying to take my temperature? NO WAY. I made sure I let them know how much I did not appreciate being vaccinated.

(at the vet)

Styx: Screeeeech!! Raaaawwwaarrr! SCREEEEEEEEECH! (kicking)

Ms. C: She's afraid!

The vet: (chuckling) Oh, no, she's not afraid. She's mad. 

The vet is right! I am not afraid of anything. I lived for a month on a farm after some people just left me there, and I held my own with every farm cat. I brought the people voles. And I conquered the hearts of Ms. C and Mr. R (but I have my heart set on Mr. R....) because I am a very determined cat. Nothing will stop me from getting the love and warmth I want.

The first thing I did when I arrived in my new home (let me emphasize that it's mine) was to use the litterbox. YEAH! I have my own box! And I can sleep anywhere I want. If there is another cat there, well, if I want that spot, it's mine. I may only be 7 pounds and a year old, but they know that I am top cat.