Camera Phone Diary #2

Just a quick picture of how I spent most of the eight hour trip...it was very peaceful. When I first began taking long road trips with my human, SHE was advised by a veterinarian to give me some sort of p.i.l.l. It made me feel very awful and gave me seizures. Plus SHE said I was very meowish the whole time. So, SHE decided to try taking me with her minus the p.i.l.l. That was much better. Now I mostly sleep, but I do get a kick out of all the big truck drivers who flirt with me the entire way.

Camera Phone Diary

YES!!! I got to go with my human. I am in the throws of a grand adventure and just wanted you all to know that I have not forgotten you, but have been unable to get internet access. I will catch up personally with all of you who have left comments when I get back next week. Do stay tune, though. I'll try to keep up a bit on here with the Camera Phone Diary.

A Not So Cool Cat Day

Ah drat!!! A Friday and no interview with Cool Cats. Either I am no longer a cool cat myself...or there may be a glitch in my email (I am really hoping it is the later).

It is an odd Friday. My human is going out of town and I still don't know if I am going with her. I hope so. Cross your fingers for me...I kind of like traveling. At first I hated it, but there is a certain Zen to traveling in a car for a day or two. Hmmm. Do you think I should get a chirping account - you know that bird social networking thing? Then the little birdies can post to the site and let you know what is going on in my adventures? Actually I think they call it Twitter?

Also, do you think I should tell HER that Killer wants to come inside?

Take Me With You

I shut my eyes
and she thinks I sleep
but I hear her
not so subtle movements
the extra care in clean
the extra care in sorting the laundry
the piles that are never put away
and I know
she will go
And I hope she will
carry me with her
not in her heart
but in her car
the freedom
the adventure
the trucks that blow their horn
saying hello
the sun on the dashboard
I close my eyes
listening for the sound
of my name
and wonder
will she take me with her?

Puzzled

My human is addicted to games, not like the terribly complicated one's on the expensive funky boxes. These are simple games like the cat-bear game. And now SHE is into puzzles. SHE suggested I post this cool animal picture puzzle, so here it is. Have at it. Apparently it changes everyday.

And My Human Likes Chili

SHE is looking rather silly, racing about the cabin searching for a glass of water SHE left out on the front porch with Her homework. My human just finished a bowl of chili (SHE is freak for such things) and claims that HER temperature has risen and SHE is dire need for water. I'd offer HER mine, but I really would prefer not to have human saliva mixed into it.

Ah, good. SHE found the water.

Anyway, SHE is a big fan of Avanti Savoia's Chef Joseph. It is his chili recipe that has caused the sudden need for large quantities of water (from the winter catalog). Though SHE be loath at me telling you that SHE made some alterations (Sorry Chef Joseph). Rather than using beef (oh the horror), SHE used ground turkey and substituted pableno peppers for the green peppers. It's all we had. But SHE claimed it was fabulous just the same (and SHE likes it hot).

I can't post the recipe here, but I suspect if you email Avanti Savoia and ask for the recipe or the catalog it was in, you might have great success.

Please Vote for #11

A moth or so ago, I mentioned that my human spent the night in Waverly Hills Sanatorium (ghost hunting, silly). Well, SHE ended up falling in love with the place and gave up the ghost to make art. SHE has recently entered a piece in laketrees.blogspot.com's top 101 art blogs. SHE could really use your vote, if you haven't voted yet. The leading piece currently is of a cat (it is pretty wonderful), but...Please vote #11.

Click here to vote.

Cool Cat Angus Mhor!

I have to admit a certain affinity for the idea of "mancat." They are sexy and one that I find extremely so is Angus Mhor! He just oozes the cat pheromones. Uhmmm. Anyway, now you know I have a crush. He's my cool cat for this Friday. To read his blog (and stories about Sassy the Nose), visit heartfullocats.blogspot.com. Here are his answers to my questions:

Is there a story behind your name and if so what is it?

"Angus" is Gaelic for "exceptional; outstanding". "Mhor" is Gaelic for "great".

What is your life philosophy?

I am the sum total of all Felinity.

What is the best trait for a human to have?

An unending fascination with Me.

What would you change about your life if you could?

My house would have more windows. Lots of things happen on the other side of windows.
Which describes you more? Feel free to elaborate:

wet food/dry food

I'm a all-food kind of guy..Wet is good for meals, crunchies for snacking, treats for expressing
love and affection, and people food because I asked for it.

indoor/outdoor

If the temperature is just right, outside is the place to be. And when I'm inside, I'd better be amused!

lap sitter/or computer keyboard

I'm not much of a lap guy. If I sit in your lap, be prepared to sit a loooong time. I'm more a lay across your legs kind of fella. When you're on the laptop, my paws are right in front of the little fans-nice and warm!

affectionate/aloof

Definitely a lover! I kiss you! And make biscuits! And occasionally drool as a result of my fervent affection. (But don't tell Delilah!)

catnip/milk

Neither-Blech!

fish/pork

As a hobbit turned Gollum once said,"Fiiiiisssshhhhh!" I love, love, LOVE tilapia!

animal shelter/pet shop

Neither. Breeder of Pixie-bobs, a very unusual breed.

Humans and Animal Rights

I could not just let the Bloggers Unit for Human Rights Day go by without comment. I know they said "human rights," not "cat rights." However, after some discourse with my human, I feel my subject does apply.

One cannot watch the news without being aware that Mother Nature is taking her wrath out quite a bit lately. She is angry and in her passive aggressive nature affects everyone. This leads me back to the history of Hurricane Katrina and the plight of the animals left behind. I am mainly speaking about those humans who were force, FORCED to leave our kind behind to fend for ourselves and make the best of it. Both my human and I were horrified by this. Can you imagine? It is awful.

From my point of view, it is a human right to love your animal family members. It is a human right to want to protect and care for them. To separate an animal from its human is not so different from having to consider leaving your child behind.

My human grandmother keeps saying that should another event like Katrina happen, the government will not force humans to leave their animals behind, and I hope that is true. We looked on the FEMA web site and noticed a few positive things. It is hard to tell what states allow us in emergency shelters, but they do offer a few ideas to help us through troubled times.

Here are three of their suggestions:

1. Contact your local animal shelter, humane society, veterinarian or emergency management office for information on caring for pets in an emergency. Find out if there will be any shelters set-up to take pets in an emergency. Also, see if your veterinarian will accept your pet in an emergency.
2. Make sure your pet has a properly fitted collar that includes current license and rabies tags. Consider having your pet identified through microchip technology. Your local veterinarian can assist you in finding a location that provides this service.
3. Contact motels and hotels in communities outside of your area and find out if they will accept pets in an emergency.

But this reminds me of another time, a time when parents could not take care of their children during the depression. Children were sent away from their families sometimes. They went to orphanages or other relatives. How sad is that?

If humans have to leave us at shelters or vets, how is that so different? Will they really come back for us? What if they can't?

I expect, we here would opt for leaving the area and finding shelter together somewhere animal friendly.

But, maybe we should all begin to think about flexing human rights (to love and care for pets) to make sure there are sufficient shelters where humans and their animal companions can stay together?

Just a thought.

Cutting It Up

I am really digging this Esty stuff. I know, Mother's Day has passed, but I think artists can always use a shout out every now and again (my human is always appreciative of such things). So today's feature is actually a cutout. I can't believe it. It looks like pen and ink. The artist is Margieanne Moskowitz. If her watercolors are anything like this...To see more about her work visit www.mgcreativearts.com.

Back to Bed for Me

Wow. What a party! Sukie, you know how to throw 'em. I am still recuperating, though. I think I'll just go back to bed now.

Sukie, Sukie, Sukie - How's that catnip?

First, you should know I am having a great time at Sukie's party. If you didn't know, it is her birthday. I look a little miffed in this picture because I am jealous that she got to have a party and I didn't. But, I digress. SO - HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SUKIE!!!!

Huge thank you to all of you who have recently posted comments here. I will be visiting you all very soon (when my human gives me the keyboard).

It was a quiet weekend here at the cove. My human was else where, so I got to just relax and just center on being. Very meditative, and all that.

To meow or not to meow...that is the question.

Cool Cats Chica and Pumuckl!

Today is our first double interview and it is with Chica and Pumuckl, two cool cats that live in Egypt. My human grandmother is a big fan of these two because they reminder of her cat, Baby, that she had as a child. Chica and Pumuckl's human was really good about helping the interview along, and has also added her comments.

You can also read about their daily adventures at chica-pumuckl.blogspot.com.

Is there a story behind your name and if so what is it?

Actually for both the naming thing was very easy. When Chica was brought to our home and our friend said she was a girl I had in mind "Chica" directly. At this time I was trying again to teach myself a bit more Spanish so this name was just logic :)

When Pumuckl was born and I saw him for the first time I directly got the idea the name Pumuckl would fit very well with him. He had red hair like his Mama, his eyes have been huge, his nose as well and the nose was red. Plus, he was very tiny. The original Pumuckl is a TV figure from Germany. There are several movies about his adventures. Pumuckl is a kobold (imp) which can just been seen by his master. He is living with Meister Eder in his workshop and he has his own bed. And he is always doing the craziest things. So all in all with the months we have discovered this name is just perfect for him!

What is your life philosophy?

Pumuckl: Playing, annoying, being loved!

Chica: Everything is easy when it's quiet!

What is the best trait for a human to have?

Love! Love for other humans, for animals, for the environment, for what you do.

What would you change about your life if you could?

We would have a big pet store in our town which is selling a huge variety of cat food, just like in Germany. But to be serious: Everything we did in life, if good or bad, has a reason which maybe will just be obvious after years so there is no question about changing anything that happened in the past.

Which describes you more? Feel free to elaborate:

wet food/dry food

Wet food, because we don't have it all the time. Actually Chica prefers it because of the yummy sauce. But the best food for her is neither wet nor dry food but meat! Pumuckl eats anything.

indoor/outdoor

We don't have a garden so there is no chance to go outdoor. But a favorite place at sunny days is the balcony balustrade which feels a bit like being outdoor :)

lap sitter/or computer keyboard

They are not allowed to sit at the computer keyboard. Chica loves to nap at my belly :) Pumuckl likes to sit anywhere but very close to us!

affectionate/aloof

Pumuckl is 100% affectionate, he is around us 24 hours and he hates to be alone. With Chica it depends on her mood, she can be either way.

catnip/milk

We have never seen catnip here so we don't know if they'd like it. Pumuckl definitely goes for dairy products of all kinds.

fish/pork

We rarely have pork here as we live in Egypt. But they prefer beef and chicken over fish.

animal shelter/pet shop

Animal shelter. Chica was a stray cat before coming to us and I can feel how thankful she is.

Doodle Day

Okay, I am a team player (when I want to be). Apparently it is doodle week and today is "doodle me day," or rather "doodle you day," but I think that means me. So here I am. My human and I used the mouse to make this little image. I can live with it.

Another Princess

I just really love well done art, especially art with a feline bent (or anything that remotely resembles, well, me). Today's featured artist is painter Susan Faye. She did this remarkable watercolor during an exhibition and demonstration. Very impressive, even though it only looks a little like me. I must say this is a lovely cat anyway. You should check out her blog at www.SusanFaye.blogspot.com. She has some delectable bird paintings that are scrumptious!

The Persnickety Donation

While I sat on my human's mouse pad (I conquered the mouse), cleaning myself up after breakfast, SHE told me about HER recent shopping experience to Petsmart. SHE went there yesterday to restock my part of the pantry with food and such (I saw those Greenies). Anyway, SHE seemed a little persnickety and it turns out that it was the whole checkout experience that left HER cold.

Before I go on, in HER defense, there is a generous streak, but apparently not in the way Petsmart would hope. It seems that when you buy something with a credit or debit card, the little machine asks if you would like to make a $1 donation to a pet charity. In all semblance, this is benign enough and maybe it is the only way some people ever donate money to good causes. However, the principle of this bothered HER.

As I mentioned may be the only way certain people give money, but others like the two of us (and I suspect many of you reading this) give more substantial sums to causes of our choice. We actually have it in our budget plans and so forth (we do live on a budget). Plus the donation comes from us. When Petsmart gives money, it benefits their company. They become the donor of our funds. Now, there is nothing wrong with this, but I would feel better if they were purely donating from their profits or employees. I believe it helps with taxes.

Call me a miser if you must, but I know SHE was none to happy about it, and I suspect may not go there anymore. Sure, SHE could have given the random dollar and been done with it, but soon, if more companies do this, the random dollar adds up. And then of course, when SHE did not give in to the pressure, SHE felt guilty for being ungenerous.

What do you think?

My Six-word Memoir

Sukie at simplecats.blogspot.com has tagged me for the now seemingly famous Six Word-Memoir. This is the first time I have ever been tagged and I am pretty excited. So here goes:

Loved
Lost
Found
Love
Adventure
Muse

There. I think that sums it up. Now...I guess I get to tag others....Hmmm...I tag:

Lindsay
Moki
Creature Lover
Meaouwy Troops

These are the rules:

1. Write your own six-word memoir

2. Post on your blog, and add a picture, if you'd like

3. Link to the one who sent it to you

4. Tag at least five (or less!) more blogs

5. Let the tagged blogs know by leaving a comment

Cool Cat Moki!

Well, it is really hard to not notice Moki is you wander around here in Cat Cyberville. Moki is well known from the savemoki.blogspot.com blog or the savemoki.com web site. Though currently, Moki's humans do the writing for him, we have hopes that Moki will be personified and join us in our crusade to get more cats blogging. Hey, that's so cool, we have a crusade!

Is there a story behind your name and if so what is it?

(as told by his humans) Moki came to us as a foster. At the time I was volunteering at our local no kill shelter. Moki was left at the front doorstep along with his sister Java. Both where feral kittens. Unfortunately, most fosters do not want to take in feral kittens, so the shelter I volunteered at, always had a harder time placing them. After a few days of seeing Moki at the shelter, my boyfriend and I agreed to foster Moki. He was our first foster, and needless to say we failed miserably. He appeared healthy when we first brought him home, but got sick shortly there after. We went through a lot nursing him back to health and simply couldn't part with him so we adopted him. Moki was the name given to him by the shelter director and we liked it so much we decided to keep it. It's a name you don't hear that often and suited him well.

What is your life philosophy?

Never give up. Anything is possible with a little bit of time and lots of love.

What is the best trait for a human to have?

Compassion. (Websters Dictionary - "A sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it.") Need I say more?

What would you change about your life if you could?

Nothing. Everything, both good and bad has made me who I am today.

Which describes you more? Feel free to elaborate:

Wet food/dry food

Both. I get wet food in the morning and eat dry food throughout the day.

Indoor/outdoor

Indoor. My disability makes it difficult to walk and I could not fend for myself outdoors. I do however like to go outside when supervised.

Lap sitter/or computer keyboard

Lap sitter. I cannot jump, so I could never reach my owners laptop. I do however like to be placed on their lap.

Affectionate/aloof

Affectionate. The more attention I get the better!

Catnip/milk

I've never had milk so I am not sure if I would like it or not. Catnip is definitely yummy though.

Fish/pork

Neither. I cannot eat fish because it is to high in phosphorus and causes me to have urinary tract infections. As for pork, I have never had it.

Animal shelter/pet shop

This one is a no-brainer. No kill animal shelter. All six of my siblings, where either rescues from animal shelters, or found living feral on the streets.

School Work

Blond hair,
warm computer.
She won't let me
sit on the keys.
She won't make
room for me.
Her consciousness
seems away form me,
seems far away,
gone.
There is a sound,
a tapping sound,
always tapping,
never paying attention.
There are books,
uncomfortable to sit on,
pens and paper
every where.
Blond hair
hanging over her eyes
that do not see me.
They see nothing
but the words
coming from
the tapping sound,
her fingers
that do not pet me.
I jump down.
Does she notice?
Still tapping.
Then her voice
calls me back
into her world
of tapping,
keeping watch,
helping the words
continue to form.