Catlove

Abby: I admit, I am hogging the blog this week. Perhaps we should just all understand because it was my Gotcha Day this week, I can't help but hog the blog a little bit.

I am not usually a lap cat, and since I have doubled in size since I arrived in my home just over a year ago, it's a little difficult to rest on Mr. R's shoulder, as I used to prefer. As you can see, however, a lap is also a warm and friendly place to rest!


PS. Ms. C messed up the blog again and is working on restoring all her linkies and stuff!

What, Mom?

Abby: Thanks to all for the wonderful Gotcha Day and Blogoversary remarks! The party never ends, here, though!

I found this awesome new toy in a cardboard box with many others just like it in the bathroom! It crackles! I love it!

I don't know why my mom is laughing at me so much.

Let's GET Abby's Party Started!!

Today is a very special day -- not only is it our First Blogoversary, but it's also the 1-year anniversary of Abby Normal's GOTCHA Day!!! All of the pictures featured in today's post were taken in the first week of living in her new home with us lucky humans.

On the very first day that she lived with us, Abby spent almost all of her time sleeping with and ON Mr. R. It was to the point where he had a constant neck-ache named Abby, but he would not move so he would not disturb her. She doesn't sleep there anymore, and he misses his neck-ache. Perhaps it is because she only weighed 5 pounds when we got her, whereas she weighs 11 pounds now. So, instead of sleeping on Mr. R and his chair, she chooses to endorse him by sitting right under his chair.

One of Abby's favorite games in the entire world is FETCH. The cats we knew before Abby loved to chase after and play with the little toy mice that we had for them, but none of them ever carried them right back to us, so it came as a delightful surprise when Abby did just that.

We still play Fetch almost every single day!

The first time we saw Abby, she was one of many, many meowing and hopeful-eyed sad cats in their cages at the SPCA. Actually, Abby wasn't meowing when I first saw her; every time I walked by, she rolled and gazed up at me, almost with a smile on her face. Sad as I felt for all of the other cats who meowed and begged for the attention and love they were starving for, there was something other than pleading in the gaze we exchanged. At that moment I knew she was going to be Our Cat.


We first heard her voice when the woman working at the SPCA took Abby out of her cage and handed her to us so we could visit with her. Perched on Mr. R's shoulder, she let out a loud and piercing, kittenish wide-mouthed "Reeeow!" that expressed her anxiety at being in a situation full of frantic cats, and also her excitement at being held and released from her cage into the friendly arms of a human.

"Shall we take this cat home with us?" I asked Mr. R, and he responded with a smile and a nod. Instead of putting her in the carrier, he sat with her in the back seat and held and patted her as I chaufferred us all back to our home, Abby's new home.

Some cats go into hiding right away when confronted with a new home/location. Abby never did, she moved right in without missing a beat, as if she had never been abandoned to the SPCA, as if she'd always lived with us.

This is one of Mr. R's favorite early photos of her:

At the SPCA, the little index card on her cage said her name was Abby. Like many adoptive "parents," we thought beforehand that we were going to probably rename her to something we preferred, but the name stuck. We simply added to it, so she is Abby Normal. She knows her name, all you have to do is say it and she will look at you, or come to you if she is so inclined. Who is the luckier, her or us? I'd say, it is all of us.

Cats and Bags .... and Whacky Weed Wednesday!

Stygia: The perfect place to rest is usually near to one of our people, and even more perfect is resting near one of our people on one of their bags! I found this beautiful backpack right behind Ms. C's chair, and I occupied it neatly. I think my colors look really good with it, don't you?

Abby: Does life imitate art, or does art imitate life? I don't know, but I do know that it's a fine thing to find a bag to rest a chin on, especially if it is a vaguely cat-shaped bag:

I didn't even realize Ms. C took this next picture of me, I was fast asleep after a furious round of catnip-induced frolic!

What, you want to see the frolic? Well.... ok:

PS. Ms. C is not sure why the video is "squished," but you can still see the frolic....

Cat Nests

Abby: We are sorry we were away for so long! I think Ms. C is finally doing better. In fact, we all are fine, so if anyone was concerned that we were abducted by aliens or some-such thing, we assure you, it's not true. We have been here all along.

Today, Ms. C did some shopping, including a few new items of clothing for Mr. R. She took them out of the packaging and put them on the floor to carry downstairs with the laundry she is doing, but FIRST, I had to make a full inspection and a proper cat-nest out of the deal:

Of course, Stygia could not leave me alone for long. She wanted to get into the action, but I repelled her advances and burrowed and stayed in as long as I liked! It was quite comfy and smelled interesting too.


Stygia: I think it's fine that Abby nested in the new clothes before I did. I was interested in them, of course, but I am very patient. I knew that as soon as Abby left, there would be a pre-formed and pre-warmed spot for me to curl up upon! I am still there even as Ms. C types, and I will probably remain there as long as she lets this stuff lay here.

Sharing, Whacky Weed, and ATTACK Wednesday!

Stygia: Look at this. I was hanging out next to Ms. C quite calmly and happily, when Abby decided she had to sit here too. Don't you think it's a little rude, the way she is sitting on me? I'm trying to stay calm.


Don't like it? Talk to the paw! She tells me. I'm not going to even sniff the paw, never mind deign to talk to it.


Now for the whacky weed! When I get to roll in the weed, I become like a vacuum, and then I just chill.


Abby: Whacky weed attack! I seem to have lost my head!


Poor Ms. C, she is having a different kind of attack, allergy attacks. See those lovely long dangling things hanging off the birch tree? They make her miserable! We hope they go away soon so she will be happy again.

How.... did..... ugh....

Abby: Check out this cool cave! I got here first, so it is MINE, and I am not going to let Styggie share it with me. After all, look -- it has 'nip all inside of it! Mine, mine mine!

ARRRR! Yaaaaa! This thing has nothing on my paws, claws, feet, and fangs!


There's a saying that people use a lot that isn't very nice, but I kinda think it applies to this fun situation, so I'll just paraphrase it by saying, "There's more than one way to bite a box!"

As all of you know, once you have thoroughly conquered the outside of the box, you must then enter it to surprise and intimidate all your foes with scary sounds and ambushes:

(ziiiiiiip!)

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wait a minute! This was not supposed to happen. Where am I? Oh my gosh, oh no ... no, NO! Please, please, pleeeaaaaaase do not "fix" me again! I am purrfect, I promise!


Well, ok, it was awful. Going to the vet is always awful, but Dr. V did compliment me on the shiny softness of my coat! But . . . (whispers) he also told me I should not gain any more weight.

Well you know what that means . . . everyone should really be extra nice to me for the rest of the day. No one should touch my tail, and I am just going to lounge everywhere, upside down:

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! Ms. C is still adjusting to her new job, and her grandma is quite ill, so she has been distracted, but we understand.