human food is loved by all

It is awesome being a human! We all joke about how great it would be to be a dog or cat and lay around all day while someone bathes you, feeds you, pets you, and basically adores you- but really, most of us would have it hard when it came to dinner time. Canned meat in a gravy sauce that smells like trash... um no thanks!

Think about how many animals love human food- fish will eat everything from cheese whiz squeezed from a can to a granola bar (I have personally witnessed this). Bears will kill somebody for a pack of hot dogs, and a mouse will put their lives on the line for a smear of peanut butter.

We get to eat whatever we want, and also a wide variety of foods. My poor cats get the same dry food for lunch and canned meat for dinner every night. No wonder they are always trying to sneak a way to get some of our food.

For Porter, dairy is his weakness. If I am eating yogurt, ice cream, or a bowl of cereal he will sit really close to me pretending to not be paying attention to my food. He will sit facing away from me and every now and then turn his head around to check my progress. When I am finished he and I have an agreement I will put the bowl on the floor and he can clean the dish for me. Cats are not supposed to have cow's milk so I do not do this frequently, but as a small treat for him every now and then.

Charlie is a hard-core carnivore. If I get the chicken out he is whimpering and asking me for a bite. The first few weeks we had him he nearly fought Mark for his plate of chicken. He soon learned he was not getting any chicken from us, so he relaxed. We eat canned tuna in water, so when we drain the water from the can we put it in a bowl and both cats love this tuna-flavored treat. If they see a can or hear the can opener they run to their food bowls waiting for it.

One of the funniest things I have seen with Charlie is he got a hold of some broccoli. You would have thought it was his favorite thing. He was flipping it up in the air, pawing it around, and then eating some of it. He really enjoyed that. Today I was cleaning some parsley and when I dropped some on the floor, he was all over it. Again he was playing with it and that made Porter curious/jealous so he had to come and try some. Neither of them really ate it, they just shred parsley all over the floor.

Porter helping me blog

a look back...

Mark and I were laying around trying to take that last 5 or 10 minutes to relax before getting started with the day. Porter and Charlie made certain that was not going to happen. We could not be mad long because they always make us laugh and smile (well, not ALWAYS). I cannot belive it has only been 6 months since we brought Charlie home. What a difference it has made for his life, Porter's and ours :)

This video really breaks my heart to see this

little guy in a cage so sick and just in shock. This was the day I first laid eyes

on Charlie, then known as "Prince"

Now to see him you would not think it was possible they are the same cat!

and Porter wants to say "hi", too

(ok, no he doesn't but I made him)

For any annoying thing they may do there are a dozen things they do to make up for it. I really encourage people to adopt a cat from the SPCA. There are so many personalities there you can find the perfect pet for your family! If you want a lap cat to hang out with you on the couch and keep your feet warm, or if you want a kitten to keep you entertained and on your toes... or if you just want to be a hero for a little guy who is sick and lonely being stuck in a cage 27/7 you can!

turns out cats don't like company....

Hello 2011

We had a wonderful Christmas with my mom and dad visiting us from Kansas. We had a great time... the cats however were a bit flustered. They were slinking around the perimeter of the room and sniffing everything that crossed their path. You could really see they were trying to figure out who were these people in THEIR home and where are the treats they should be feeding us?!? They sure did not mind the extra scratches and head rubs that were recieved.

So, I do not always have something to say about my cats... I lie. I am always talking about my cats to anyone who will listen to me! But, blogging about them is only fun when there is something silly to talk about- otherwise it is just 24/7 crazy cat lady. If you find yourself curious about what I have to say when I am not talking about my cats, you can check out my other blog HERE

So, until next time...

Mark's worst nightmare

I came home today to quite a shock.

My little one was...

well.....

I will just show you!

Charlie on top of the kitchen cabinets!!

I sent Mark a picture of this and he was not too happy about it. Charlie is known to be a bit of an instigator, and now that he has FULL access to the house Mark is worried. I think Mark just feels bad for Porter and the fact that he now has no where to hide. This was the ONE place where Porter could escape to and get away from Charlie, and now...

kitty in the tree

So, in years past with our one cat, Porter, we put up the Christmas tree and had to put up with some mildly bad behavior. Climbing in the tree, chewing the tree... I am afraid he will bite the light cord!

Porter in the tree, 2009

This year with our wild child, Charlie, I don't think a tree is the best idea. Maybe. I keep wondering if we had a real tree, would they be put off by the smell and taste if they tried to bite it? I would not try any lights until I knew they were no longer interested in biting the tree.


It just seems like too much to go get a tree. And one of those tree stands. And get it home. And put it up. And.... I just do not want to.

This year I think we will try a fresh evergreen wreath for the front door :)

it is time for Halloween

As much as I would love to dress my cats in cute costumes I don't because I know it will end in bloodshed. Instead, we did our pumpkin design this year in honor of the cats... you like?

Well, I have been working on some small projects around the house these days and it just seems that I cannot finish anything. One project I was especially excited about was some wall shelves I was setting up so that the cats had some vertical space to climb and play. This, too, has not gone so well. I have the shelves. They are cut to size. I have the materials to wall-mount them. We tried to set them up last night and there were some difficulties with the wall anchors. Oh, please! Can't I finish something successfully?!

Besides my home improvement frustrations... everything is going great here. Tomorrow is Halloween and if the trend continues, Mark will buy candy and get really excited for approximately 0.5 children to show up at the door trick-or-treating. Yes, that is right, 0.5, as in one-half. Last year we had our first kid at the door since 07' so... more candy for us! Happy Halloween

Cat Habits

So, it is nice to have my computer back up and running. I have had a few topics that I wanted to write about while away and of course I cannot remember any of them. Instead, I will resume with some cat-habits that a feline lover must endure:

Annoying things about cats!

1.Their absolute need to lay down on whatever reading material you have in front of you

2. Their total refusal to do that extremely cute thing they ALWAYS do when someone from outside the household is there to see it

3. The way they will eat random substances that are bad for them, like rubber bands or tinsel, but will fight to the death not to take helpful medication

4. Their need to show you how disgusting the off-brand food you gave them is by pretending it's something in their litter box and repeatedly pantomiming that they are burying it

5. Their magnetic attraction to anyone who doesn't like cats, shown by affection to them that is truly over the top, when you some days barely get a second glance

6. Their dire need to wash their most personal parts when you are trying to show said non-cat-lovers how adorable cats are

(the above mentioned were from a website. I have a few of my own)

1. they will run to the door to greet you home from work only to remind you it is time to eat

2. their need to use the litter box immediately after I have cleaned it out

3. when Porter is bored he finds it appropriate to sit directly in front of the TV. He just sits and stares at you...

4. how they can find the ONE thing you don't want them playing with out of a room full of potential play-things

I could add more to the list! To be fair the annoyances are only minor and are something that annoys you one minute, and the next it is what you find cute and funny when you are in a good mood.

One bad habit I have been enduring with my kitten, Charlie, is that he is nipping at me. It is when he is purring and pawing me with affection he nuzzles my face and bites my nose or chin or cheek. I am convinced this is him trying to latch on as a kitten would to a mother cat. Oh, the things we endure for FUR love! I could really use any helpful ideas to prevent this... I was thinking about getting a pacifier for him but that would make me an official CCL (crazy cat lady)