Friday, March 30, 2012

New Toy

Greg came home with a couple new toys the other day. One was an immediate hit. With Leo anyway...

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! A birdie with FEVVERS on a bouncy string!!



Oh boy, it's great! You should try it!!



You have GOT to be kidding... It's got barbarian spit on it already! Remove it from my sight..



All for me then!! NOM NOM NOM!!


Star did play with it briefly when Leo wasn't around. But still wasn't all that impressed. I made the mistake of leaving it out one night. The next morning it was dead on the floor and it's ring on the human end of the string had been chewed off.. I think he's saying he wants to play with it alone, no humans allowed!

Have a fun, toy filled weekend!


~~~~~~~~~


And on  your weekend, please find time to go over to Daily Dose and check out the kitties in need of homes! If not for yourself, then for your friends. And spread the word please, the kitties are desperate for forever homes!
Time is running out to get a brick for the Winnie's Wish Walkway and help support this amazing private rescue, please get one if you can, or just make a donation, every dollar helps the kitties. Thank you!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Beddy Bye

Leo is normally a very spread out sleeper. On his back for the most part, rolling from side to side, twisting and generally being a very silly sleeper. Which is why I have so many tummy shots of him laying on his back.

That's why when I saw this the other day I was kinda surprised:

It's a big ol' ball of Leo! Still has his toys nice and close though. I have no idea where his head is..



Niece 2, not the live in, but her twin, was over looking for a missing calendar the other day. This, of course, freaked out the cats and they took off. I mentioned off hand that Leo and Star were probably hiding under beds or in closets. She said, no they aren't, they're on my bed. Together!

This may not seem odd to you readers, because every time it happens and we get a picture, I post it. But seriously, it's rare for them to be that close and not fighting! Not like they're cuddling or anything, but it's something!
That's Leo in the back and Star in the front by the way. She's got her back to him, but he can't take his eyes off her.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Taxing Star

Wonder of wonders, Star has, after having been here 11 years, recently started to sit on her daddy's lap! She always sits by him, might stand a paw or two on his leg, demands his pets, but never lays on his lap. Until now! I have more pictures of this new habit of hers, but today's series was too cute to hold.


What is all this? This doesn't belong here! Taxes Smaxes, it's in my way!



Daddy.. Can't you tell that it's time to pay attention to ME now?



If this stuff is taxing your mind too much, then I will stomp it into submission.



Ha! I knew if I was persistent enough I'd get your undivided attention! I'll shred these things for you later since they distress you so much.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time is running out to get your brick in the Winnie's Wish Walkway and help support Chrystal's rescue! Please head over to Daily Dose of Dogs (aka Cat's With Your Coffee) and  help in anyway you can!! Adopt a kitty! Or two! Buy a brick! Make a donation! Give her a word of encouragement!

Monday, March 26, 2012

LEO THE CHINESE LION‘S GOTCHA DAY!

A year! A whole year! I cannot believe it’s been a whole year since we picked up Leo from Chrystal in Illinois! That was such a wonderful day! I was in kitty heaven!

Weeks earlier, I’d finally got in contact with Chrystal and told her how very much I wanted the little feral kitten named Leo the Chinese Lion. His adorable shy scared little gray face had caught my attention the minute she showed up in her blog. He was among the first of his siblings to be captured, a feral family living near Chrystal’s mother-in-law’s house.


Leo on the left
Big mean two-legs! Leave me 'n my sissy alone!


It took a week for her to capture all six of the little fluffballs and their mom. But they worked tirelessly and got the job done! Mom was too feral to be tamed, so she was neutered and released and a neighbor promised to continue to feed her.

As I said, Leo was one of the first to be grabbed, along with who I assume to be Glitter. Then Tuxie, who was renamed Trixie when she was adopted by Amy of Amy and the House of Cats (who seems to have disappeared, anyone know what’s happened to her?) Then Spritz and Mitts. They thought they had them all, but low and behold, Cashmere was trapped in a garage and cried and was discovered.


Leo on the far right, one sister must have been down below.
We're fine right here, close the door and don't come in!


These were some seriously feral little kittens! It took a long time to tame them. But they sure turned out sweet! Leo is a snuggler, loves to be touching me whether it’s a chin over my ankle or laying on my stomach or hanging over my shoulder doing his scarf imitation.

I had started reading Chrystal’s blog, Daily Dose of Dogs (AKA Cats With Your Coffee) about a month before the great feral kitten capture. I loved the way she wrote and went back and read every post in her archives. I’m a little obsessive like that... I have to read it all!

I fell in love with Leo the Chinese Lion before he had a name, before he was anything other than a hissing ball of gray fluff. That face, oh so scared and oh so cute! I had always wanted a gray cat and for one reason or another, I always had to give them to someone else when they were born to my kitties.

Then I got Star when she was two and for a long time she was my baby, especially after the other three elder kitties we had went over the Rainbow Bridge. Over the years, Star switched her allegiance over to Greg... Unfair! I finally had a gray kittie and she preferred him!! Boo! (Can you tell that I was a little jealous?)

So I watched the little solid gray feral kitten that Chrystal had and dreamed. Then he got that name! Leo! I’m a Leo, my cat loving gramma, to whom I’d given one of my rare gray kitties, was a Leo. And I had just lost her. It still hurts my heart that she’s gone. Anyway, we always said we loved kitties because we were Leos and we played cards with a Leo deck that we wouldn’t let non-Leos use (as a joke). And they went and named that little gray fluffball Leo!


Leo The Chinese Lion getting his name
Ok, the name's cool, but I'm still not exactly sure about you people..


Fate? Meant to be? I told Greg about the kitten every time he was mentioned and showed him every picture and told him wouldn’t it be great if only we lived closer. You could have knocked me over with a feather the day he told me we could make a trip to get him if I wanted!


Little Leo the Chinese Lion
It's ok, I know I'm cute. You don't have to squee. unless you wanna..


If I wanted? IF???? Seriously! I got serious about contacting Chrystal then. I’d tried before, just to see, even though I didn’t think it would work. But now, now I was on a mission AND her mail finally came through! She’d been emailing me but it never arrived until after Greg said we could get him for sure!

Once the decision was made and Chrystal approved of our adoption, everything just fell into place. Greg’s boss let him have a few days off, a kennel was borrowed, a van was borrowed, a hotel was booked and we were off!

I was so excited all the way there! We went the night before so we could get him early in the day and have the rest of the day to drive back home. It was 8 hours each way, not a horribly huge trip, but not a short one either.

I think I remember emailing Chrystal once we got to the hotel, letting her know we were there and that we’d see her the next day. I don’t know how I slept at all! I was on pins and needles until I got a call from Chrystal that they were there! But they couldn’t get to the hotel because they seriously hid the entrance and I think there was construction. (we had trouble the night before too)


Leo in Chrystal's carrier on his way to me
I don't know where we're going.. hope it's some place good..


I want to tell you.. I have never checked out of a hotel so fast in my life! Seriously! AND I had to complain before we left! Here, let me take an aside to explain why... Three times, not once, not twice, but three times! Someone from the hotel opened the door to our room WITHOUT knocking, WITHOUT announcing themselves WHILE we had a do not disturb sign out.. I will never stay there again I’ll tell you that much! But I digress..

We checked out and we heading to the gas station where Chrystal was within 15 minutes! And at that very second, at this very busy gas station, the parking spot right next to Chrystal opened up and we pulled right in!

First things first, I had to hug the woman who was making my gray kitty dreams come true! She was then ready to transfer the kitty, but I knew, just knew that once I got him every other thought in my head would flea, so I stopped her so I could hand over a few goodies for the rest of the kitties back at her house!

Now it was time! Now I’d get my hands on my baby boy. Chrystal handed her carrier with Leo in it to us, we shut the van so there would be no mishaps, and I opened the carrier. Looking back at me were two huge scardy cat eyes. There was no way he was coming out of that carrier on his own. So I gently reached in and pulled him out into my arms.

People, he melted into my chest. Just melted. I just wanted to sit there and hold him and never put him down. All that floofy goodness that I’d been waiting for was in my arms. Yes, I was very misty-eyed.

I knew Chrystal was waiting, so I reluctantly put him into my carrier and we gave her back hers. More hugs and well wishes and we were on our way home with my baby!

Leo rode half the trip in the kennel and half the trip on my shoulder. I got a crick in my neck from how hard he was leaning into me! Did I care? No! I had my baby!


Leo in the kennel on our way home
Well, this isn't what I was expecting..


Ok, let’s talk about the ‘baby’ part.. He was about 9 months old, I figured he’d be in the kitty teenager size, not kittenish, but not full grown. I figured he’d be about Star’s size if not a little smaller. She weighs around 6 pounds. Leo, my baby, was at least half again bigger! And SO long! He was a giant baby! And not done growing since now he’s easily twice Star’s size! I love every ounce of him!


Leo on the right, Star on the left, about a month after he arrived. See the size difference, it's even greater now! And he doesn't try to get that close to her any more, more's the pity.
I just wanna be friends.. I'm gonna poke her in the butt...


I cannot thank Chrystal enough for giving me my big baby boy. I cannot imagine our house without him. I cannot thank her enough for saving that scared feral little kitten and his sisters. She’s done amazing things, Chrystal has.

When I think of all the kitties she’s saved, the sick, feral, frightened, abused, abandoned, neglected kitties, I realize again how very special she is. How wonderful the work she does is. How desperately she is needed. How much she needs more homes for kitties, more funds to care for the ones she has. All I can do, on this, Leo’s Gotcha Day, is beg each and every one of you to please help. Please adopt, please donate, please purchase a brick for Winnie’s Wish Walkway. Please, help Chrystal and the cathouse cats.




Ok, now that you’ve endured my long gotcha day story and shameless plug for adopting kitties, lets let the party begin!

It's muh Gotcha Day! Time ta Par-tay!!


Kitties, rush on over for Tuna, Temptations, Niptinis and Toy-palosa!




Thank you to Ann at Zoolatry for the new header and wallpaper!

Friday, March 23, 2012

It's Still Here!

Did Star's bean bag chair stay in the living room?

Well of course it did! She is the princess after all, she gets just about anything she wants!

When I make a demand, it better get granted. And since that barbarian has claimed my bedroom, I now can have my bean bag where I can use it without having to look at him!



Not only that, but I can survey my kingdom from the most comfy spot in the house.



Now it's time for my bath, you may exit backwards while bowing.


This is probably how we're going to spend our weekend! Hope you have a good one too!


Last minute edit!

I JUST looked over and saw this! Greg had been using the bean bag as a footstool while napping in  The Chair. Since I finished my post, I looked to see if he was ready to go up, and saw Star claiming her bean bag from him!

(sing songy) I love my daddy and I lean on his leg...



What do you want? This is my daddy, and even if I don't want him stealing my bean bag, he's still my daddy and my most favorite person in the world!



If you can, please take a minute to look over at Daily Dose and the kitties needing homes! If you know someone, or if you can make room, please please help! Also don't forget the brick fundraiser! Or a donation! Check the top of her sidebar!

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Windows and Doors

Wonderful weather! Lots of open windows and doors! The kitties, they be lovin' it!

I have claimed the door, and now it's nap time!



I likes the winder, lots of breezies, lots of wiffies! purrrrrrr



Uh oh.. looks who's comin' downstairs.. I not givin' up the winder!



Star: He's in my window..
Leo: It's not yers!



Leo: Ooo what was that? Birdie!
Star: It was a bat, it's night, you big goober..



Hey, you! Thing out there! That's our trash can! You go now!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Star's Bag

Long time readers (heh, haven't even been blogging a year yet..) may recall that Star has a bean bag chair in my closet that she loves to sleep on. In the winter anyway. In the summer she has a box in there to sleep on. Though lately she hasn't used either much.





I always thought she looked adorable in there, and certainly comfortable! But like I said, not lately. Probably because she thinks Leo has taken over HER bedroom so she's spending more time in the niece's room and in the hall by the warm wall.

Recently, the other niece, not the live in but her twin, has been feeling pretty poorly and can't really be left alone. She came here the other day and wanted a comfy way to lay on the floor so she dragged Star's bean bag chair downstairs and used it. Then she had to go lead her girl scout group so she left the bean bag for when she came back.

Star came out and saw HER bean bag in the living room with The Jumpy One's coat on it. Well, she took great exception to that and tried to reclaim her bean bag without having to touch The Jumpy One's coat!

This is MINE! How dare she put her things on it!



There.. I knew I could reclaim it without touching that coat.



And I can still watch the squirrels from here, so ha! Mine!


She seemed so happy to use her bean bag in the living room that we decided to leave it there for the time being. She does love her bean bag!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Trifecta Tuesday!

First, here's a very tiny peek at kitty tongue.



Next, some awesome toes!



 Oh? You need better toes? Ok, here you go.



And now.. The Trifecta!   Tongue, Toes, and Tummy!!  
(And just for you, King Spitty, a modesty tail.. MOL)




That gonna hold you all for a while? Ok, good. Then it's nap time!




By the way, I posted late (for me) yesterday, so if you didn't see it, scroll down for World Cancer Day post.


Please remember all the kitties needing homes over at Daily Dose and the big push for adoptions in March! And the brick fundraiser is still going on!!

Monday, March 19, 2012

World Cancer Day

I know it's late in the day for me to post, but honestly, I fell asleep before posting after midnight like I usually do... Still, I cannot NOT post today, not after what my family has been through lately...

Today is World Cancer Day.



 As you all know, and thank you again for your purrs, my dad had cancer surgery last month. He had a sarcoma in his calf, but they got it all! So far so good! They told him Friday that he's doing so well that he could start trying to walk, sooner than they expected!

While we are rejoicing, we're also missing some people. Last year we lost my dad's youngest sister and his oldest brother.

Two cousin's battled cancer recently, one is still battling, the other was declared cancer free recently!

Today one of my nieces is having a biopsy which I'm hoping and praying is more a precaution than an actual problem.

Cancer is a horrible thing, we all need to do what we can to fight it! Here's hoping there's a cure in our lifetime!


More kitties tomorrow. In the meantime, if you need a kitty fix, please check out Daily Dose and please please help where you can to get cat house kitties into a forever home, and if you can, get a brick or make a donation to help those homeless kitties.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Baby Pictures

I could kick myself for missing the "The Way We Were" event yesterday.. And I have some adorable baby pictures of Leo.

Star, as you may know, came to us when she was two years old and had been a mommy. It was the free kitten sign that caught my attention and the tiny gray cat on the porch that caught my heart. I was sure she was a teenager-ish kitten, but when we finally got hold of the people, we found out she was one of the mommies. They had two girl kitties and a male broke through their screen and spent all day in their house. Obviously both girls being in heat drove him to it and they pretty much trashed the house in the process. That ought to teach anyone to fix their kitties, hmm?

Anyway, she was petite, but not a kitten, so no kitten pictures.

Leo was still a kitten when he was rescued by Chrystal and her family (please check out her blog Daily Dose and consider adopting a kitty, Leo's sisters are still waiting for their forever home!) He was one of the first captured, and was not very happy about it. I like to think he's very happy now, not only for being rescued in the first place, but also for coming here and becoming my heart kitty!

So I'm a day late, but I'm gonna show off a few pictures that Chrystal took when my baby was a baby!


This is Leo on the left and I believe Glitter on the right. Don't they look like scared little babies?
Go 'way big two leggy things.. no like you!


Look at those paws! And the ears are definitely talking, aren't they?
PutMeDownPutMeDownPutMeDown!



I love how adorable his shy little face is in this one..
I'm just a little wee babeh, you can't see me in here..



A little older, look at the ears. He's getting less feral!
Ok, maybe you're not so bad, but still, put me down, 'kay?



Here's the whole row of them! Only one sister missing. Leo was the only boy, he's on the right. And he's already a bigger kitty than them, isn't he? Signs he was going to be massive!
We're fine right here, thank you very much, you peoples stay right where you are.



Getting a little older! And longer!
these stretching exercises are gonna make me get real long!



On that same little shelf, his head fits where his whole body was before!
I know I sat in here before... what's the problem now..




Here he is in Chrystal's car on his way to ME! They had to pull him out of there, but then he was a happy traveler. Once I got him, he rode half the trip on my shoulder. 
I wonder where we're going.. And who's that Andrea person they're talking about?




This is not long after he came to us. Around 9 months old. This is one of his best spots, hanging over my shoulder, being my Leo Scarf! My snuggly boy!
Ah, now THIS the life.. purrrrrrrrrr