Thursday Thirteen + 2: Names for Brother

Ok, so I'm starting to like the little guy, just a bit. We started to run around and play a little bit last night, but every so often I had to show him who was boss. He is a pretty in your face little guy, very confident and brave. So I really have to keep him in line. And he still thankfully goes back into his room when I've had enough. Thank you everyone for your support!

Well, Mom and Dad have been looking at names. They want a Celtic name, fitting for a brother of a Celtic Princess. So, here are their favorites:

1. Conan: Wise and intelligent. Means 'little hound'. Hmm..not sure about being named after a woofie. Also reminds me of Conan the Barbarian! Not very fitting, if you ask me.

2. Connor: A strong will. Yes, he as that.

3. Devlin: fierce bravery. So far, he has shown no fear.

4. Dolan: black haired. Again, not too sure it fits.

5. Donal: domhan "world" and all "mighty" implying "ruler of the world." Well, he is not going to rule me!

6. Galvin: the right one

7. Grady: illustrious, noble

8. Haley: Ingenious

9. Kavan: the handsome one.

10. Keeley: beautiful

11. Nevan: holy, little saint

12. Nevin/Niven: the servant of saints. My favorite, as he would be my servant!

13. Nolan: famous, a champion

14. Phelan: brave as a wolf. Maybe he can keep the CECs away!

15. Ryan: A little king. Not over me!

Mom and Dad have picked one. Can you guess which one?

Again, sorry we haven't been around and commenting much, we have been very distracted. And Mom still doesn't have any good pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

Oh Brother!

I can't believe it! After a long drive (I only got to go out in my harness once), we finally got home. After checking out the house and supervising Mom and Dad unpacking, I finally started to relax. Mom and Dad left, I didn't think too much about it, I thought they went to get something to eat, and I was enjoying a moment by myself. It turned out to be my last. Dad sat down a PTU, and this noise came out of it! I heard Mom say Dad should take it up to the nursery, but Dad insisted I meet my new brother. I was not impressed. I did a little hissy when he first came out of his PTU. He was just into everything! Mom stayed with me and Dad played with this tiny, pathetic excuse for a meezer. He was just all over Dad, no pride! And he kept trying to get into my space! So I just backed up a bit, and watched from afar. Mom and Dad finally put him into the nursery, and I finally got some peace and Mom back to myself. Although I saw her sneak into the nursery a few times. With some of MY toys!

I supose Mom will insist on me posting pictures tomorrow. Right now, I'm heading to bed.....

Tara

Memorial Meezer Monday

Here I am, sleeeping in my favorite chair at our mountain house. It's a great shot of my ear tufts, don't you think?

Its time to leave our house in the valley underneath the big mountains. Its a beautiful place to remember why Mom and Dad had the day off today. Underneath these grand mountains, you can feel the presence of those that came before, and gave of themselves so we could live in a wonderful country such as this. No matter what your politics (and I have none, I'm a cat), give thanks and remember......

Mountain House Spotty Sunday

We have been having a wonderful time at our mountain house. As I've already reported, it was a great trip up. The weather has been glorious. We go for walks and play in the mornings, take long naps in the afternoon, more play and walks in the evenings, then snuggles in the bed at night. And lots of food and treats. Its been great.

Its a little too warm during the day for my regular outfits, but the spotted pink bandana from Lilly Lu is the perfect way to stay stylish and cool. Our backyard is pretty native, with lots of lizards, quails, cottontails, and chipmunks. I went hunting.

I actually spotted a lizard in this corner and chased at all the way down the length of the fence. Was it George all the way from Florida? And guess what? I CAUGHT IT!! I was so excited I flipped it over, Mom could see its belly as it sommersalted through the air. But then it ran under a sage brush, and alas, I lost it. Mom was relieved.

I finally got to go out in the front yard. Its a little less wild there, with some pretty shrubs. I had to take a break after my exciting hunt and sniff the air.

Don't forget Weekend Cat Blogging #103 at the House of the (Mostly) Black Cats!

Oh, and sorry I haven't been visiting and commenting as much as usual. Our dial up here in dreadfully slow! We will try to catch up when we get back...

PhotoHunters: Colorful

Here I am doing what I love the most, going for a walk in my favorite pink shirt. This is my favorite yard (besides my own). Its across the street with these beautiful roses.

Mountain House Fashion

I've gotten lots of packages lately! I got my sweater from the M's, my snuggle from DMM, and this week I got a package from Lilly Lu and my Gizzy quilt. Mom wouldn't let me open the quilt package, she says she might give that to my new brother, since I've gotten so many new things lately. Hummph! But besides her famous pink bandana which I got in Lilly Lu's auction for Tea Cup, she sent me a pink Boston Red Sox ball cap and this dress! Its like an easter dress! Isn't it amazing? I love having it on, I just strut around the house. Here I have it on up at our mountain house.


Mom doesn't have pictures yet of me in my bandana or cap yet. Thanks Lilly Lu!

The trip up yesterday went really well. I spent the entire trip in my PTU that Mom sprayed with Feliway and then covered with my snuggle. I cried a little, but slept most of the trip. Mom drove the green box up, and Dad rode up on this purple two wheeled monster! We all stopped half way up, and I got to go for a walk in the forest! It was sooo cool! Too bad Mom didn't have the flashy box, I looked RAD! When we got to our house, I was so happy, I ran around and rerubbed my scent on everything, got salmon treats, got to out out in the backyard. Then I snuggled with Mom and Dad all night in the bed. LIFE IS GOOD!!!

Thursday Thirteen: Kitty Nursery

Mom’s pretty disappointed. She was all ready to go pick up my new brother (Brother #3) on Monday. She had planned to work at home on Tuesday, so she could help introduce him to me. Then on Thursday we were all going up to our mountain house. But our breeder said Brother #3 wasn’t quite ready. He had developed a slight sneeze after his last set of shots, and she wanted to keep an eye on him for a little while. She has him on antibiotics. While Mom is thankful the breeder is being responsible, she was very disappointed (I, on the other hand, was relieved). She got the kitty nursery all ready Sunday afternoon. I helped. So I thought I'd list 13 things that make a great kitty nursery.

1. A nice, open, lit room with a great window is best.

2. A good PTU with a warm blanket and some furry friends. I still sleep in my PTU, its downstairs in the laundry room/bathroom Mom and Dad used as my nursery. I still consider those rooms MY rooms. Its important to get your smell on everything you can.

3. A food station. Since this nursery is fully carpeted, a tray under the food and water dish is a must. Good quality food is required. Little brother is going to get Evo, just like me.

4. A litter box station. Placed in a private corner, as far away from everything else as possible, especially the food. Mom used a bathmat to try to catch flying litter.

5. A good scratching post. Again, ideally with good cat smells, showing it is worthy.

6. A great window seat to share with a cool buddy. Mom brought Cammy the Camel back from Kazakhstan when she was there for work.

7. Lots of high places. Little brother won’t be able to get up here initially, but it provides a good goal.

8. No clutter on the high places, especially small stuff that could get eaten.

9. Its important that no cords are plugged in when a human is not around, and they are best tied up and out of reach.

10. If cords are going to be needed, plug them into a power strip, which then can be unplugged as a unit when the kitty is left alone.

11. A pretty picture to look at.

12. A human station. A place Mom or Dad can sit, read, print from the computer (I love to watch the printer), and provide a lap.

13. Toys, lots and lots of toys. Mom will probably put some of MINE in there. Yessh.

So, unless Brother #3 ends up not being healthy, he is the one coming home, hopefully next week. Mom and Dad are working on a name. More on that later……

Wordless Wednesday

Snuggly Tuesday and PoP Kwiz

I got another package, and it was even addressed to ME! It smelled really good, like Sophia and (I think) NIP! Dad was jealous I got another package so he helped me open it, but I was having a hard time waiting....


Look, a snuggle! And named after ME! Isn't it beautiful? And I got a squiggle too! I wanted to knead it immediately....


It is so soft, Mom said she was going to keep it for her lap. I said NO WAY!


She put it in the family room near my tube, and all this dried green plant stuff was in it, and made it smell really good. Mom wasn't sure if it was nip, but it sure smelled great. Here is a video of me lovin it....



Thanks DKM!

The gang at Forty Paws wanted a PoP Kwiz on the Thursday Thirteen post on Black Widows. So here it is:

1. What preys on Black Widow Spiders?
a. Crane flies
b. George
c. Mud-dauber wasps

2. True or False. The males are dangerous to cats, the females and juveniles are harmless

3. How many more times is the venom of the black widow more dangerous than the prairie rattlesnake?
a. 10
b. 15
c. 100

4. How many species of Black Widows are there?
a. 6
b. 15
c. 20

5. What kind of toxin is the venom?
a. vishus deer
b. nerve
c. gastrointestinal

Good Luck!

Meezer Monday: Brothers

I'm in trouble. Mom went to my breeder's house on Saturday. She looked at two 8-week old males who are my actual brothers (same mom). This is Brother 1.

This is Brother 2. He crawled onto Mom's lap onto one of my shirts she had brought, and stayed there the entire time she was there.

Brother 1 was curious, and checked Mom out a little. But then he left, more interested in playing around the house.

Mom was getting to know Brother 2, when this little guy weasled his way in. He is a 12-week old seal point by a different mom, but I'll call him Brother 3. Someone had a deposit on him, but changed their mind. Can you believe that?

I can't believe how much he looks like me when I was that age! And so friendly! Mom was smitten.

She couldn't quite decide between Brother 2 and Brother 3. So she put a deposit down and has first pick from the three. We are going up to our mountain house on Thursday and Mom has some work travel, so she wanted to wait for a few weeks. But Dad is telling her to go pick up Brother 3 now and take him with us to our mountain house. Mom's not sure about that. She spent all day today turning her office into a kitty nursery so she could introduce him to me nice and easy.

I'm afraid its hopeless......

Sunday Strollin

It's a beautiful Sunday morning, and Mom took me out for a stroll..





Then I got to go in a take a long nap. Life is good!

Fashion Friday: New Sweater

I got a package! It smelled really great, I wanted to tear it open.

It was my new sweater! It smelled just like Missy! You can't see it, but the buttons are cute little kitty cats!

I got so excited that I just begged to put it on. I purred and purred when Mom was putting it on me. I was so happy. Isn't it great?

I always jump up on the platform of my scratching post to look out our sliding glass door when asking to go out for a walk. I really wanted to go out and show off my new sweater, so I jumped up and begged Mom to take me out.

She did take me out, but alas, she took off the sweater, cause she said I would be too warm. I don't think so! My little girl friends were out there, and I wanted to show them my new sweater! Mom said it will be great when it gets cooler, but not now.

Later, I overheard Mom talking to my breeder. I heard things like "two cute little boys", and "just about ready". I'm getting a little worried about my place of primacy around here.....

Thursday Thirteen: Black Widows

Mom and I were out walking the other night, and we came through our gate in our side yard. Mom opened the gate and chained it open like she always does. As we walked past the wooden gate, she looked down and saw this ginormous black widow spider, hanging out in the open in a web on the gate. I walked right by it! Mom knocked it down with her foot and stepped on it. It really freaked her out. Black widow spiders are very common around here, but they usually hang out in dark, enclosed places (like fingers of work gloves or toes of work shoes kept outside). But this was right out in the open! She squished it before thinking to take a picture, but it looked very much like this:



So I thought I'd do a Thursday Thirteen on Black Widow spiders, cause every cat should be very careful if they live in an area that has them.

1. Black widows are in the Genus Latrodectus. There are 6 species, with the species L. hesperus being the most common in the western US and is the Black Widow found in the North American deserts. They occur throughout all four deserts of the American Southwest.

2. The Black Widow is considered the most venomous spider in North America.

3. The venom of the black widow spider is 15 times as toxic as the venom of the prairie rattlesnake.

4. Black widow spider venom is categorized as a nerve toxin.

5. Black Widow spiders are not usually deadly, especially to adult humans, because they inject only a small amount of venom.

6. However, cats are extremely sensitive to black widow spider bites, showing signs of severe pain, drooling, restlessness, and early paralysis. Death is common in cats.

7. While there is an antivenin available that has been helpful in people, it is very expensive and usually available only through human hospitals, and is not common in vet hospitals. So avoidance is the best defense for cats.

8. Black widows are often found on the underside of ledges, rocks, plants and debris, wherever a web can be strung. Cold weather and drought may drive these spiders into buildings.

9. The black widow spider is shy and nocturnal in habit, usually staying hidden in her web, hanging belly upward. Although not aggressive, she may rush out and bite when her web is disturbed or when accidentally trapped in clothing or shoes.

10. Only the female Black Widow is dangerous to cats; males and juveniles are harmless.

11. The female Black Widow is shiny black, usually with a reddish hourglass shape on the underside of her spherical abdomen.

12. Females may occasionally kill and eat a male after mating but this is more the exception than the rule.

13. The Black Widow is preyed upon by Mud-Dauber wasps.

So cats, protect yourself and stay away from these nasty feme fatailes!

How to Eat a Cranefly

Most evenings when I go out for my walk, I hunt craneflies. They are slow, and kind of dumb, so its not that challenging, but it does keep my skills up. Its quite easy, any cat can learn to do it.

First of all, eye your prey, usually flying up a fence or the side of the house. Quickly bat it down to the ground. Here I've already gotten one down onto the patio beside our house.

Eye it carefully, and make sure you've injured it some....

Put your paw on it to make sure it can't escape, but not too hard, you need to tease it first before you give it the final blow........

Lift up your paw just a little to make sure its still there and kicking, make it think it might be able to get away......

Finally, put it out of its misery and enjoy a nice evening snack! Tasty!

Then be sure to yak up part of it on the kitchen floor once you come it. Makes room for the stinky goodness you are sure to get for being such a good hunter.

Tummy Tuesday

Sometimes the best nap spots are where you would least expect them.....

Monday Meme

I got tagged! My good friends Miss Sara, Phoebe, and Skeeter and LC (and I hope by no one else that I'm forgetting) tagged me for the "Seven Random Facts About Me" meme (thanks!).

The rules: Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

1. Mom always puts a glass of water for me on the nightstand for me to drink at night. She has to hide her water in the headboard or I'd drink it too! I really love it with ice.

2. I always have to know where Mom is at. Dad sometimes, but not always like Mom.

3. When Mom gets home from work, after I greet her and get scritches, I always beg to go out in my harness.

4. I always wake Mom and Dad up at 6 am. I lay on top of Mom and purr as loud as I can.

5. Since I got my great Millie bed, I don't always sleep with Mom and Dad, but it is placed where I can see them either in the bedroom or down in the family room.

6. I only like Salmon Fancy Feast with Bumble Bee Salmon cup mixed in for wet food, and I always get some after my walk. I eat Evo dry. I'm not totally grain free because I just can't give up my Temptations!

7. I love live music of just about any kind, fiddle, guitar, whistle. I always run to it when someone is playing!

I'm so behind on this meme I can't believe there is anyone left to tag, so I tag anyone left!

PhotoHunt: Five

The PhotoHunt theme this week is Five. So, I wanted to show five of my favorite toys. But I have a lot of great toys, and it was really hard to choose. I finally settled on these, mainly 'cause Mom had good pictures of them.

This is a really cool tarantuala. It actually moves and walks. I think Mom has something to do with it, 'cause she is always holding this thing that has a long wire attached to, but she swears she is not doing anything.

This is a furry mouse. I love throwing it around and batting it up the stairs.

This is my great track mouse toy. It has a furry mouse in there that goes around and around in circles! I can never catch the darn thing. Mom got it for me when she decided I needed more exercise 'cause Dad called me "toady".

This is my hands down favorite toy, my crinkle tube. It has a great hole in the top that I can dive into. You can see a video of my doing this here.

My purple feather is really great. I love grabbing it and yanking out the feathers with my teeth.

I have lots of other great toys, like my coyote, my box, and my green mousee. But these are five really good ones.