Brendan surveys his kingdom.

A few mornings ago all three cats were lying on the bed and I was surprised to see Brendan give Harper a butt-licking. As far as I know, in the cat world that is an affectionate, dare we say parental gesture. Then Harper went over to Brendan and gave him a few licks on the forehead between the eyes, the way Ramona likes to. Then it struck me.

All along I have been under the misconception that I found Harper and Ramona on Petfinder and I was mysteriously called to beg Olof to drive one thousand miles to pick up these kittens I just had to have. And then it was just my luck that Ramona turned out to adore Brendan and Harper turned out to be a sweet fellow that got along with everyone and was a wonderful, easy going cuddle bug. But after watching the three of them together I finally understand who really picked out these two and sent the gotta have them vibes.

It was Brendan.

Summer Flies By

It's been a week since I posted. It's amazing how summer just flies by. I guess it's because there is so much more outdoor stuff to do, including the best garden we ever had. Olof has made us a terraced garden on the hill behind the house which is the sunniest place on our land. That means plenty of planting, weeding, picking, eating and figuring out what to do with it all when it starts coming in all at once.

I took the kittens out for a long walk this morning and they are happy, bouncing around the house. We still plan on making a safe fenced in place for them. Have to get through their surgeries too, coming up August 3rd. At the moment, Harper has two little lumps under his chin which we think are swollen glands. I will call the vet tomorrow, I don't think it is an emergency thing, though I will google it. Our vet is very good at having someone on call for emergency runs and they don't charge much extra at all, but the place is a half hour away and Harper yells all the way there. So I don't want to give him unnecessary stress.

I just did a new Pawprints and I will see about doing the web thing. It is all set up, it's just another step to do after making the dvd's for the other stations and sending them out.

I feel low on energy myself, it is probably the weather, either too hot or too wet.

Sunday Nap

Sunday morning turns peaceful after a wild romp around the house and up and down the cat tree. Ramona is happy to be allowed to actually touch Brendan.



By 8 AM it is already hot outside and the house feels cool. Brendan did Dawn Patrol early.



All three are content together.



Harper is a bit sleepy, he was happily cuddled up in my arms but then I had to ruin it and get up.



And Ramona? Well, Everyvody Loves Ramona and as far as she is concerned, that is how the world is.

Caturday Nap

A hot Caturday morning finds the Tribe of Tigers taking an after breakfast nap in the air conditioned bedroom. Harper woke me up around 2 AM for a mad trilling and purring session. His trill is the funniest one I ever heard, it sounds like a Rube Goldberg water fountain going nuts. Then he settled down in his favorite position, next to me with his head on my shoulder. I woke up to find him there.

I was thinking how fortunate I am to have found him because he is so gentle and loving and he just loves to be hugged and held close. There are two situations though in which his inner tiger comes out. One I got to experience yesterday when I had to take them to the Vet for rabies and distemper shots. Harper in a car, in a crate is a demon. And he's got some lungs on him too. He howled and howled all the way to the clinic and he got Ramona going to so she chimed in with her sweet, higher girl voice.

We got the shots and made an appointment for their spay/neuter August 3rd. I am not looking forward to that but I am looking forward to having it over with. Ramona has inflamed gums, the vet said it could mean she has a weakened immune system from her kittenhood problems with URI and her eyes. I have been giving her the vitamins again and lysine and I am going to try brushing her teeth. Hey, it works for me. I love these two and I hope they will be my companions into my senior years.

The other time Harper goes nuts is when I bring home a new toy that has feathers. We got a new water fountain for them yesterday and a Da Bird toy. Oh boy, Harper saw that and suddenly he was doing aerials I didn't think he was capable of. We will try to get some action shots but it will have to be on a soft rug because he gets airborne and crashes. Then he growls when he has the thing. Ramona was patiently waiting her turn but it wasn't to be.

Introducing Bucky

This is Bucky and he has just started a very unusual cat blog so I hope you will all hop over and say hello. Bucky is unusual because he lives in a shelter, and he lives in the dog house. So he has a different view of the world from most cats and he has been asked by the shelter staff to help out with getting the daily shelter happenings out in the blog world. I'm sure you will all enjoy getting to know Bucky.

I think his friends Gato, in the Cat House and Tripod Tom, also in the dog house are also going to get into the act so their blog could be very interesting.

Bucky'’s Blog is called The Secondhand Dog

You may notice that it looks a lot like Caturday. That is because Bucky admired Caturday's design so much he asked Zuleme if he could have his blog exactly like it.

Why not? answered Zuleme.

Bucky is a good friend of hers, as is Gato and Tripod Tom.

Bucky also has a new PayPal account and a donation button. Any donations go directly to the Conway Area Humane Society where Bucky lives quite comfortable, roaming the halls and keeping an eye on things. So if you can make a donation, the gang will be thrilled since this is a new thing for them.

Summer Games

Miss Ramona just loves to play Cat Dancer. Her favorite trick is to remove the entire toy part with the wire from the paw that holds it. She is a very clever girl. Then she holds onto one end while Harper goes after the other. Last night I saw her on the windowsill trying to open the window latch. Good thing it is heavy.

Summer always seems to fly by. There are a million things to do, the garden is already producing more than we can eat and we have to spend some time keeping up with pulling out things that have gone by and replanting, and weeding and feeding. We have small tomatoes starting to come in and they have such wonderful flavor, like tomato candy. But soon I will have to think how I am going to preserve some of this bounty.

17 dogs came into the shelter Sunday and three were adopted by the end of Monday. It was a hectic there day with the staff vet doing nine spay/neuters. These are all from kill shelters in the south and people are so eager to get them up here. I will be starting up a shelter blog soon that we will add to the web site.

Ramona and Harper know as soon as I rattle their harnesses that it is time for a walk and they come running. Ramona knows when she is wearing the harness and the door opens she can run out. She is a little live wire. She flys up the apple tree and then both kittens are worn out for the rest of the day. So I try to get them out when I can. One friend of ours has built a safe enclosure for her formally outdoor cat with a tunnel covered with wire leading to a small dog door in the wall (big cat). She told me she had had a coyote on her back porch and it just wasn't safe to let their cat out anymore. I would like to build something around the apple tree so I can let the kittens run while I am out there.

Brendan still does dawn patrol but he is getting up a little later, usually around six. So we don't need an alarm clock.

Shelter Day

Chewy, a chinchilla, hangs out at the shelter.

I just looked at the last posting and was surprised I hadn't posted in almost a week. Where did the time go? Well, it's what we call the Fourth of Julabor Day Weekend. That's how fast summer seems to go. There is just so much to do outside, video shooting, gardening, getting video projects done for clients, work on our buildings, and fun stuff you can't do when things are slower in the winter, like bicycling. I did almost twenty miles yesterday morning including hills and it felt good for the first time. I try to work up to about 35 miles at a time.



We have a litter of eight kittens at the shelter, five are black and three are grey. Also a lovely litter of three that are two days old and a pregnant white and orange cat. It is still kitten season and a great time of year to donate to your local shelter. Food, kitty litter ( ask what kind they want), cash, time. Bloggers can always help by posting links on their sites or writing about available animals or taking photos. Probably the most important thing I do for our shelter is take the photos and upload them to Petfinder. I took plenty yesterday, posted them last night and saw more cats listed I didn't get to photograph. They might be in foster care, very young ( like the two day olds) or in the new isolation room.



Isn't he lovely? And his brother is too. They won't be at the shelter long as soon as they finish their hold time and go out front to be seen.



And this sweetie shouldn't be there long either. She has a sister who is long haired and beautiful too.



And Cassidy. Cassidy is a nicer fellow than he seems from his scowl. He had been spending his life underneath a trailer, having a wild time of it, girls and all and has ended up at the shelter. He had just been shaved to get the mats out of his fur, he probably needed medical attention and hmmm, his carousing days are over. So he figures he has something to scowl about except that...why is everyone so nice to him? What's that sound he's making? Could it be that Cassidy has a purr and will go on to live a comfortable life as a .....lap cat?

Everyone is fine here. Ramona got to fly up the apple trees yesterday and then both kittens were exhausted for the rest of the day. They will be going for their surgeries in three weeks. I will borrow a crate from the shelter and bring them home that day so I can watch over Ramona as she recuperates. I am nervous about it but it must be done. They are growing up but are still running through the house like little tigers. There are kitty toys everywhere and Ramona has a new one that is just too cute. Our local shop has the pink hippos in, it is a company called Dr. Noys, Toys for Cats with Attitude.

Brendan is still doing dawn patrol, eating very well and enjoying the adoration of Miss Ramona.

I'll try to get some good new photos of the gang to post.

Brendan Says

A proper cat is always perfectly groomed, has clean habits and is always, always, calm and poised.



Like this Brendan?



Is this ok, Brendan?

Sun-dappled Sleep

The whole Tribe of Tigers takes a nap together in the sun room. I still find it amazing how well they get along. Ramona loves Brendan and gives him long head nudges and kisses which I have yet to catch on camera. Harper admires Brendan and they have conversations. Harper and Ramona raise heck together. This morning the kittens were on the bed with their arms around each other, after Harper had spent an hour being cuddled in my arms with Ramona on my knees.

They are such good natured, lovely kittens.

It is a stunning summer day here in the mountains. I am packing the cameras, video and still, to go do some shooting at the shelter. There seem to be a lot of new cats and I think some dogs so Petfinder needs to be updated. I will also shoot the new thrift shop in progress and take outside shots of the buildings for grant writing. We are gearing up promo for the year's big fund raiser, The Walk for the Animals in conjunction with Bark in the Park, September 16. I am going to send out a PSA on it to TV stations. See if we can get some PR going.

I see Malcolm has raised just about enough to take care of Lucky little kitten.

There is a sense of peace in a house in which three cats are sleeping together, well fed and secure.

The Cat You Need

Sometimes you get the cat you need and sometimes you get the cat who needs you.

I got Harper, who I need and also Ramona who needed us. And now I have both of them and they are both wonderful.

Check out this story about a guy who got the cat who needed him. Vote for a name and send him a donation for this little kitten's major medical bills. I'm going to.

Dropped In

Sleep

Just a minute ago they were raising heck, racing up and down the kitty tree and using us as a trampoline.


She's pointing that clicky thing at us again.



I envy Harper that flexible spine. Yoga Kitty!

We went over to Portland today. Harper yelled almost all the way there, about an hour and fifteen minutes. Then he settled down next to Ramona and napped for the last half hour. Brendan rode in front and Ramona ( the Queen of Cool) slept on my lap. ( If Brendan is sleeping then I should sleep). They have forgotten this place but now they are running around downstairs. They haven't met up with Uncle Sid yet, though they saw his tail flashing by when they came in and Sid retreated to his room,

Nice cool ocean air tonight.

Pretty Little Girl

Ramona sometimes takes her afternoon nap curled up in this rocking chair. She has become very helpful at keeping the ant population down. When I come down in the morning there are tiny corpses everywhere.

It is pouring, pouring rain. I guess if I ever need rain all I need to do is hang out a few loads of laundry. Yep, they are getting well rinsed. Brendan is disgusted with the weather, he insisted on going out to take a look at it but he purred when I picked him up and said it's no good sweetheart.

You're right, he said.

It is however, a good day for working indoors and I did a lot of computer type stuff and a bunch of errands downtown. I was going to go to Bean's to get some sneakers but every bored tourist who had the misfortune to have this week off was in the store.

Harper and Ramona actually got four free boxes of Fresh Step Kitty Litter to try out. I can't remember if someone called me or emailed but the company sent me some to try out. Funny thing is, they both really like the stuff and it is neat and easy to clean up. I tried it in their upstairs bathroom and caught Harper going upstairs to use it. I have been using the lightweight litter made of sawdust. But I just may switch. We'll see if Harper and Ramona become spokescats for Fresh Step.

That is the first concrete benefit I have received from blogging. Other than getting good at photography and working for the shelter taking photos.



For everyone who liked Ramona;s hippopotamus, here is Harper's teddy bear. Same thing, it is about the size of my thumb and beautifully made. The company is called, I think, Dr. Noyes Toys but I can't find it on the web. I bought them at our local good food for cats shop. It is called Four Your Paws Only in North Conway, NH. 1-800-327-5957. Try calling them and see if they will send you one.

Ramona has just pulled the tablecloth off the table again. I keep putting it back so she can pull it off, she enjoys it so much. And she manages to get the piece of wire out of the cat dancer toy on the back of the chair. She wants a hug now. Gotta go.

Pink hippopotamus

This is the pink hippo, it is about the size of my thumb. It occurred to me that it might actually be a pink pig but Ramona says it is a hippopotamus so I am not going to say anything.



She has learned to fly up onto the window screens and hang there while she hunts bugs. She weighs so little she doesn't even make a mark. Good thing. By the time she is bigger, bugs will be passe.



After some ferocious running around they settle down for a nap. They like the red chair.



But on a cool rainy Caturday, the best thing is to snuggle up in the clubhouse. This is a footstool with blankets over it. Brendan watches TV from the top at night. Underneath is a polar fleece blanket. Cats really loves having secret places of their own.



"Did you want me for something?"

No, Harper, just a quick photo. Go back to sleep.

Ramona

A little while ago I walked into the house and saw Miss Ramona had discovered Fergie's favorite resting place, the top of the brown velvet, cat modified chair. In fact, she is lying in front of the urn with his ashes. It gave me a funny feeling, hard to describe, sad yet peaceful. Of the two kittens, she is the most like him, spirited and eager to explore. So it is bittersweet to see that she also loves his napping spot, stretched out comfortably along the top of this beat up old chair.



Ramona gets excited when I get out the kitty harnesses and she lets me put it on and then heads right for the door. Tail straight up. And she can fly up a tree like a squirrel. Harper sees what she does and then he has to do it too but he doesn't have her grace.






She is still, at 18 weeks old, tiny and kittenlike. Actually she looks like a miniature cat, very slim and delicate. I bet she will always be small. I am waiting to have her spayed until next month. I dread the thought of having to put her through it but there is no way not to. I am hoping she and Harper can go together and at least have each other for comfort. But I am not looking forward to dropping them off at the vets and I wish it wasn't a necessity. But I know it is.

Harper is growing unto a sturdy little guy. He won't be little when he is full grown. Both kittens are nice cats, happy and loving and loving towards each other and Brendan. Harper is so affectionate to both of us I couldn't have asked for a sweeter companion. The other cats who have been "mine" , Finnegan and Fergus, were rascals, honestly. And I loved them madly. Finnegan loved to run his nails down my prized maple kitchen drawers, chipping tiny pieces off the edges, all the while looking at me to see my reaction. Which was never long in coming. And Fergus was Wild Thing, roaming the woods and depressed if he couldn't be free. He was an incredible spirit and I have not seen any cats at all like him since. Harper is happy to play at home with his toys or cuddle up whenever I sit down. And both kittens like to be near us when we work.



We finished almost all of the children's museum exhibits and last night was the Sneak Preview. Olof took photos so I will get a couple and post them on a site somewhere. We are both tired out from a few weeks of seven day a week work. The house looks like a tornado went through it. I had three loads of laundry on the line and didn't take them in when we got home last night so of course we woke to a downpour.

It seems like the blogging world slows down when summer starts. I don't intend to, it's just the combination of video editing ( 7 TV spots and a half hour show) plus the museum exhibit painting and life in general left me with no time or energy. I still haven't been on my bike! And soon it will be Julabor Day ( from July 4th to Labor Day, which goes by so quickly it might as well be one day)

I will take a photo of Ramona's pink hippopotamus. I also wanted to say it's fun to get comments from readers in other countries, I see I have a lot of readers in France and Germany but I don't know who they are. So to you, Bonjour! And thanks to the person in France I did get an email from. Olof and I were in France a couple of years ago and loved it. I might have a friend coming from there this summer and I want to work on learning French!

Apres Lympics

Everyone was pretty wiped out after all the Catolympics excitement. And it has been really hot for New Hampshire (we don't like heat) so with the windows closed and the ac on, Ramona showed us she still loves her brother.

Brendan says it was quite a job judging all those fine athletes and maybe he will post about it later. And he had his paws full taking the kittens to the Lympics. Miss Ramona insisted on talking Thunderdome (their tent), her favorite blankie and her pink hippopotamus. Brendan also hauled along cans of Wellness in their favorite flavors so no one would have a tummy upset from all the excitement and new foods. And he took some of those tuna flakes Miss Ramona likes to have on her breakfast. Ramona also wanted to take her Bizzy Box but Brendan said she would have plenty to do for the two days. He was right, of course. He also took both of their Lupine harnesses and says it was quite a job holding on to two kittens going off in different directions while judging.

Ramona is already dreaming of winning gold in the floor routine like Dolce. She is also turning into quite a climber and can scamper up the apple tree in a flash.

This morning the kittens are giving us a live replay of their well received wrestling demo. I can see why it was so entertaining.

It's going to be hot again here today. We are going to shoot video at the shelter for another Paw Prints.

Catolympics!!!

Brendan and the kids are off to the Catolympics! The opening ceremony is tonight. Brendan is judging and Harper and Ramona are doing a wrestling demo so they were pretty excited. They are checking into the hotel together since Brendan has to keep an eye on his kids. They'll be sending repots home so I will post.


Don’t miss The Cat Olympics !

Tiger Girl

Ramona just loves climbing in the apple tree outside out back door. I would love to fence off a small area from our porch around a tree so they can go out safely. We saw a good price on 300 feet of deer fencing and we might do it.

Ramona is my Tiger Girl. She also likes to be called Sweet Ramona. When I come in she will often come running with her tail up. She is like a softer version of Fergus and that is very comforting to me, since I still miss him every day. She has also started doing flying leaps from place to place, even longer ones than he did. Fergus's favorite trick was to run up the stairs and fly through the air hitting the second level of the cat tree in the living room. Then he'd swing around and give us the "do not feed after midnight look"

Miss Ramona is a gentler soul but she's got that love of the wild in her. Harper looks at it and says it is far too much effort. He is a calm and yes, lazy fellow who will walk outside and collapse in a nice sunny spot. Or he will saunter around.

It is pouring outside and the air is nice and fresh smelling from my flowers outside. Harper is in front of the computer curled up and Ramona is draped on the top of my chair. She loves the same spot Fergus loved and it was a little eerie to see her lying there exactly as he did. I took a photo which I will download soon.

I find it amazing how these lovely creatures respond to being loved If I am doing something they come seek me out and want to be near me. In the morning Harper sits before the computer and Ramona behind it on my knees. Life would be bleak without them.

I put up a photo board at our local pet supply shop today. We have some lovely animals. Kittens of course but some beautiful dogs rescued from kill shelters in the south. One in particular, a long haired shepherd with a sweet disposition. I don't know what the human race ever did to deserve the love we get from dogs. Jimmy who was found just about dead, is eager for attention. One of the women at the shelter said that the mistreated animals are often like that. I asked if she thought the dogs thought the abuse was their fault and they craved reassurance and kindness from people.

"Maybe," she said.

The Big Green World

Ramona and Harper get to see the big world. On safety harnesses and leashes made by our friends at Lupine.


Ramona is a lot like a gentle version of Fergus. She discovered the apple tree and had a great time. Harper says it looks like too much work.


But Harper loves to walk around on the lawn. We plan to buy some deer fencing and make a safe kitty yard. All cats should have the sun and the sounds of outside. These two were very very happy.

Sunday Nap

After a very exciting walk (on ropes) Outside, the kittens took their Sunday Nap.



Harper is in the circular too. They just about fit.



Ramona is still sleepy.

I agree, two kittens of the same age are the best bet for happiness. These two are inseparable.

The J Family

Here is the J family. Above is Jeremy


This is Jazz



Jasper


Jody


Jessie



And foster mom Tilly. She nursed one litter of her own kittens and then these guys came in as orphans and she raised them too.
Kitten season is in full swing. These lucky guys will get good homes. Many across the country will not be so lucky.

Three little guys came in yesterday, their mom had been killed and a kind woman fed them and then caught them and delivered them to the shelter with a donation. Good time to g ive your local shelter a donation if you can. Good quality kitten food is always welcomed.