Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for June 12, 2019

SPOILER SPACE

BABA TOEBEANS! Looks as if those who speculated that the newspaper stacks were her chairs were right. Glad to see her dining area is neat and tidy.

Of course Baba has fish shaped snacks. Cookies or crackers? Sardine flavor perhaps?

I distrust our vacuum cleaner, after all, it is a Shark.

I wonder what is up with the amethyst crystal ball?

Wonder when the crystal ball will be explained. Maybe about not telling the future for the kittens who leave, or trying to see where they’ve gone.

Are those mice on the plate? Tommy’s munching on one so maybe not. The tea is always a nice touch.

Goldfish (?) which might explain the “crystal” ball.

Anyone who trusts a vacuum cleaner is

Oh, so true.

“One day, you’ll look to see I’ve gone

For tomorrow may rain so, I’ll follow the sun

And now the time has come, And so, my love, I must go

And though I lose a friend, In the end you will know.”

“So when you look into the sun

And see the words you could have sung

It’s not too late, only begun

We can still make summer

And summer always comes anyway.” (Jethro Tull)

“Haven’t lost one to the vacuum cleaner yet.” This made me laugh. I vividly recall the tooth-marks left on the vacuum cleaner by my family’s dog. Apparently his mother gave him the same advice that Baba Mouse gave her kittens.

Oh my Cat!!! Unseen footage! (happy jig) “Haven’t lost one to the vacuum cleaner yet.” Purrfect punchline!

It’s nice seeing a pleasant side to Baba Mouse. She looks very happy.

We once had a small dog, and when she was a puppy, we found a small brush attachment. Every time we vacuumed, we would vacuum brush her too. She liked it, and it was great when she was shedding.

Losing a kitten to a vacuum cleaner? That REALLY sucks……..

Are those roast mice they’re eating ?

One of my cats isn’t afraid of the vacuum. I can actually vacuum the cat.

This sequence is very apropos this week. Mac, our son, is heading back to Conservatory for the summer. We had him home for a 4 weeks. That represents the longest stretch of time he has been home in the last year. We will have him home in late August for about 3 weeks and his 15th Birthday, and then he’s gone until Christmas.

The Conservatory does a great job looking after the students and he has a great time, but we miss him. A piece of yourself will always be with a child who is not there, and you won’t feel whole until they are back.

…Well, he came from college just the other day,

So much like a man I just had to say,

“I’m proud of you. Could you sit for a while ?”

He shook his head and he said with a smile,

“What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys.

See you later. Can I have them please ?"

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon,

Little boy blue and the man on the moon.

“When you comin’ home ?”

“Son, I don’t know when.

We’ll get together then.

You know we’ll have a good time then."

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away.

I called him up just the other day.

“I’d like to see you, if you don’t mind.”

He said, "I’d love to, Dad, if I could find the time.

You see my new job’s a hassle and the kids have the flu,

But it’s sure nice talkin’ to you, Dad.

It’s been sure nice talkin’ to you."

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me,

He’d grown up just like me.

My boy was just like me.

(Yeah, yeah, yeah)

*Cats In The Cradle – Sandy Chapin / Harry F. Chapin

I wonder if all those cats riding Roombas in the videos realize they’re consorting with a vacuum cleaner.

Ah yes, the dreaded vaccuum cleaner. Ancient catsronaut theorists suggest that vaccuum cleaners are robotic aliens from outer space who are on an eevil mission to annihilate all cats from the universe!

“Some folks have to seek out the sun.”

And a nice window ledge or cushy rug to enjoy it on.

Little mouse teacakes or cookies. Sweet!

Kittens have to be given curiosity? I thought it was in their DNA.

Yum Yum teleports into her personal black hole when I break out our little vacuum cleaner. If I ever get a bigger model, she may never teleport back into our lives.

I wanted to tell everyone that BCN (especially their Shelter Cats page) convinced me to start fostering cats again (tried it once, she stayed). His name is Rusty and he’s the sweetest orange cat I ever met. On the drive home he asked for a little skritch through the carrier door. That evening he purred as I held him. It’s going to be hard to part with him but I know he’ll show his new family (whoever they are) much love.

Is Lupin deaf in real life?

I heard Kiki playing with a toy this morning. Still not coming out of the room, but she is coming out of hiding most if the time when i go in.

She did come to the door this morning and look out.

Sage advise for all parents.

Ah, the famous advice.

The Vacuum Cleaner is always close…

“Sometimes words can serve me well

Sometimes words can go to hell

For all that they do

And for every dream that took me high

There’s been a dream that passed me by

I know it’s so true

And I can see it clear out to the end

And I’ll whisper to her now, again

Because she shared my life

For more than all the ghosts of glory

She makes up the story

She’s the only story of my life.” – Harry Chapin

Also – Orbsters! My rescheduled 5K is at 6:30 Eastern tomorrow evening. Will let you know how it goes on Friday morning. :-)

Is that plate of fish or mice?

OT: Diego

Well, I guess that explains the state of my kids’ rooms.

Come to think of it, I’ve never lost a cat or dog to a vacuum. Even if they think they’ll die from it.

What are they eating? Deep fried field mice?

Off topic, my partner and I decided to put down our ferret Rufous yesterday (almost eight-years-old—multiple cancers, been getting a ton of drugs for basically hospice care). The receptionist was in the middle of explaining they didn’t have an opening for us till maybe tomorrow, when Dr. Nelson told her to tell me to bring him on down and they’d fit us right in. I just want to say how thankful I am to have such a great vet.

Baba says it “usually” is enough in the last panel . . . I hope there’s not an unfortunate story there!

Nushi Update: She is eating like crazy and today stepped back into the “adult” litter box, and I swear she was strutting when she walked off! I may not have mentioned that she had become so wobbly I had to go down to a 1" high box flat (that cat food cans come in!) with a 1/4 inch of litter on top of a pee pad for a couple of days before the turnaround. She not only could no longer easily step into the main litterboxes, but having 2+ inches of litter was too unstable for her to stand on. And falling down in even a clean litterbox is unacceptable! I was SO relieved when I finally figured that out (and so was she), because twice when I carried her in to the bathroom to see if she wanted to use the box she had turned away and then peed, quite miserably, on the floor and she had to be cleaned up. I was afraid it was disorientation, another sign of decline, but she was just trying to tell me she couldn’t use that one anymore! The same day she started getting better I put a real, but smaller litter box with 1/2 in of litter and she used it immediately. I’ll leave that one out another day or so.

Meanwhile, my vocal kitten is finding her voice again. Her voice was one of the first things that went and she was completely silent for a full week except for small little grunts. She started to murmur late Sunday, and slowly started getting her vocubulary back. This morning I was treated to a full on you’re awake! song with her strong purr filling in any gaps. Her trill may be the last thing to come back fully, but I heard hints of it today! I’m so happy!!!

Her shots, which are quick, but sting, are going to be a challenge now. The return of her coordination and strength immediately made it harder, and she’s smart enough that putting food in front of her worked only once. Believe me, it’s a problem I’m glad to have, but before she got sick even the vet said she was an expert squirmer. No biting, and only incidental clawing, but a squirmer.

It’s only your foot that is misplaced you know! A Cat is always where it is supposed to be!

Vacuum cleaner awareness is vital. Rumor has it that tails have been lost.

I vacuumed yesterday and had to hunt down all 4 animals who were under my son’s bed. The dog and Maine Coin are bigger than the vacuum. But it has a longer tail.

When I was a kid, we had a beautiful Maine coon long haired black and white cat named….Sylvester. He wasn’t afraid of the vacuum. Until one day my mother accidentally vacuumed up his tail when he was under the bed. After that, vacuum came out, he hide. Or went outside.

Those dastardly vacuum cleaners….

Don’t think ball is amethyst, likely just a bowling ball.