Update on Bailey's Vet Visit

Bailey: So, I was happily snoozing away on the bed in a nice big sunny spot, when Mom picked me up. That is NEVER a good sign. Mom knows I don't like to be held, and the only time she does this it's not a good thing! I was right, she put me in "the crate", then the car, and took me to the V..E..T.

Tatiana: Ha ha, I didn't have to go!

The Dog: why are you in there, why are you in there, huh? huh?

Bailey: So, fine. We get to the V..E..T, and we go into a small room right away. I can hear Mom telling the V..E..T about my fat lower lip, although the swelling has already gone down. He asked who bopped me in the mouth, and they were LAUGHING. HEY HEY!! This is not the time for jokes, humans! Get me outta here! Then, I got plopped onto a table. Hey, there's a window, cool....Hey, wait, what are you doing to me? Don't..do..that. Catpals, I squirmed and wailed and meowed and howled...

Tatiana: Hold on a second. I've been to the V..E..T with you before, and that is not how you ever behave. Admit it.

Bailey: Sigh...fine...I purred and headbutted...please don't be ashamed of me.

Tatiana: PShht, what kind of cat are you?

Bailey: The same as you, Tatiana - you behave at the V..E..T, too!

Tatiana: Busted...grumble, grumble.

Bailey: Can I finish now?

Tatiana: Whatever.

Bailey: After the poking and prodding, the V..E..T left the room for a few minutes. They let me look around the room which was pretty neat . Nice window, checked out the exam table, went under the chair, headbutted Mom and made her pet me and fuss over me. When the V..E..T came back he said I had Eosinophilic Plaques, which is basically a sore, most likely caused by an allergic reaction. He said it is likely to re-occur, and if the swelling lasts several days to come back in, and he would give me a cortisone shot. SHOT???? I don't like the sound of that! Mom is currently in research mode, but if any of you cats out there have experienced this, we'd love to hear from you!

Tatiana: Is it contagious? I don't want your icky stuff, ya know. At least give it to The Dog.

Bailey: Nope, not contagious. After all of that, Mom brought me home and told me what a good girl I was. Then she gave me CHICKEN - meowza!!! I gave her more headbutts then took off to catch up on my naptime.

The Dog: Where ya been? Where'd ya go? Huh? Huh? Oh, a cookie, thanks!

Bailey: My cat brag of the day is that I now weigh 12 lbs. After about 4 years of "dieting", I've dropped 8 lbs - Mom is so proud of me!!

This week it's Bailey's Birthday!

Tatiana: It's Bailey's birthday this week. I asked Mom what she was going to give her, and Mom said she has no idea. So, I said I would ask all my cat pals for suggestions!! Bailey isn't into treats, and doesn't play much, but she still likes to race around the kitchen with her toys now and then.

Also, Bailey has a (gasp!) vet visit on Wednesday. She has a fat lower lip, and Mom wants to get it checked out. Bailey or I will post afterwards to keep you all updated.

Tortitude!!!!

As you all know, Tatiana is a Tortie. Her coloring is a mix of brown, grey & peach. She has beautiful green eyes. Does she have what is called "Tortitude"?

The definition from Wikipedia: Among cat owners there is considerable talk about tortoiseshell cats having a personality set apart from other colorations. This is referred to as "tortitude". Tortoiseshell cats are said to be strong-willed, fiercely independent, hot-tempered and very possessive of their owners. They are also said to be more vocal and likely to hiss, meow loudly or purr strongly to make their needs known. Calico cats are also said to have these traits but to a lesser extent.

Tatiana is a pretty sweet & sociable cat. Mom doesn't think she has as much tortitude as some other Tortis she has met. But, Tatiana can be stubborn, and is definitely possessive of her owners. She really doesn't like that there are other furkids in the family to take the attention away from her. She tolerates it though, at least!

Tortitude can be viewed as a negative purrsonality trait, while others love it! Some owners like a good challenge or even consider it as the cat having a lot of character. That's how Mom sees Tatiana, plenty of character. And, yes, Tatiana does talk, chirp, grumble, trill & squawk. And, she is a purr machine and loves to make biscuits (kneading with her paws).

Whether Tatiana has tortitude or not, we love her!!!

Mom, Stop Screaming

Mom came home today and when she opened the door, the dog and Tatiana were there to greet her. Mom said "Where's Bailey?". You see, I am always by the door when Mom comes home. Always. ALWAYS.

Mom walked down the hall, calling for me, but did not find me. "Bailey, where are you? Where's my Bailey Girl?". Mom was getting a little worried. I am always at the door. ALWAYS. Mom told the dog to find me. He did nothing.

Then. Mom walked into the kitchen. There I was, lying down, looking up her. Looking smug. Mom said "Bailey, are you ok? What's wrong?". Then. Mom looked beside me and saw it. She thought it was one of our many toys. The ears looked rounder than she remembered though. Then, she noticed the tail. Mom said she pretty much froze in her spot, realizing I had caught a mouse.

YUP, I caught a mouse! Mom started screaming and ran out of the house. She really did, I'm not kidding. The dog looked very confused. Tatiana went to look for her, and saw her texting Dad, telling him about the mouse and "TO GET HOME NOW."

Mom did come back inside. She kept screaming if Tatiana or I went near the mouse. Why was she screaming?? I did a good thing!

Dad finally came home, got a box, and took the mouse away. Why did he do that? That was my trophy to show off to everyone. I looked around for it afterwards, but it was gone.

Hey, maybe I"ll find another one!

(You better, NOT, Bailey!!!).

Baily Needs Her Forever Home

Baily is a gorgeous Persian with Torti coloring.  She was brought to Wayside Waifs when her owner was dying.  Animal Control brought her in, so unfortunately, there wasn't any information on Baily's personality.  Being a Torti, she does have a fiesty personality at times.  She is also all 4 paws declawed, so has no way to defend herself by using her paws.  She likes to have someone nearby to hang out with, and does enjoy being petted, but on her terms.  She will let you know when she has had enough. She needs an experienced cat owner, someone that can easily read her signals.  She is quite content to just have you in the same room.  When she wants attention, she will gladly headbutt your hand.  Short petting sessions seem to be what she prefers.  She can be playful, but is not overly exuberant about it.  She is in foster care while waiting for that perfect person to take her home with them.

You can learn more about Baily by clicking on her name below.  If you can not adopt Baily, please share this information along to help her find her forever family.  Thank you!

BAILY

BAILY

If we posted our status on Facebook

Tatiana:  Grumble grumble grumble.

Bailey:  MEEEE!!!!  NOW!!!!!!!

Sharing

We do not share most things. Once in awhile, to give Mom some exercise, we will curl up together.  This makes Mom go running for the camera.  Last week, we decided we had been slacking in our motivational moments for Mom and totally surprized her by sharing the ledge in front of the window. 

Tatiana: I'm just here 'cuz Mom thinks it's cute.  Bailey: Whatever.

Tatiana: Give me more room!  Bailey: Whatever.

Wordless Wednesday

The Cat Pose

Mom was doing something funny this morning.  She said it is called Yoga.  She said it makes her feel much more relaxed and focused.  She hasn't practiced it in awhile, so admitted she was rusty.  She kept sitting, then standing, putting one leg this way then that way, raising her arms in the air.  It was funny to watch her.  At one point, Bailey was so curious, she went right over and sat ontop of Mom.  Then the red dog stuck his nose in Mom's face.  Mom couldn't stop laughing, but said next time she might have to keep us out of the room!  We doubt that, Mom let's us do whatever we want. 

We Wuv Our Catmas Gifts!!!

We love cat wand toys, especially Tatiana.  We aren't very picky about it either, we will chase just about anything.  Santa Paws really delivered this year with the goods, though!  We got the Neko Flies Holiday Gift Pack.  OH MY CAT, WE LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!  Both of us take turns playing, and Bailey usually plays on her own, that's how much she loves it.  Tatiana turns into pure evil huntress mode!  As you will see in the video and photos, Tatiana catches it, chomps down on it and game over, she ain't given it back!  Definitely one of THE best toys EVER! 

This is how Neko Flies describe themselves on their website:

Ever wonder what cats dream of?

Creepy, crawly bugs, flying insects, furry rodents…eww, everything we dislike and fear! We like cute, cuddly, high tech, you get the picture. Award winning neko flies are designed to appeal to cats natural hunting instincts with realistic looks and movements of the critters that cats dream of inspiring them to run, stalk, chase, swat, jump, pounce…inspiring them to be more active…with you. See all products.
An active cat is a healthy cat. Inspire your cat to be more active...get neko flies. It's swat cats love!

If We Were On FaceBook

Mom asked us what our status update would be if we were on FaceBook. 

Tatiana:  "Hoping for some strawberry milk and potato chips."

Bailey:  "Threw up today.  Mom cleaned it up.  I wailed for more food."

Bailey vs. The Evil Blanket

Our Day So Far....

Woke Mom up.  Why was she sleeping in?  She said she had a headache. But, we don't know what that means, so we pawed at her, and Tatiana even licked her nose.  Mom finally gave up and got out of bed.  We accompanied her to the bathroom, as we always do.  This is to make sure she doesn't make an escape before breakfast - she has to feed us!!!  She finally came to the kitchen.  Tatiana smacked the dog around, and then it was time to eat.  Nom, nom, nom.  Mom disappeared into the basement for awhile.  We know she is hiding a foster cat down there!!  Yawn....off for a comfy nap on Mom's bed.  Mom came back upstairs to give us our kisses and tell us how good we are.  Good morning so far....zzzzz......

We are Thankful!

Ok, we are a day late.  Blame Mom.  As usual.  Sigh...

Anyways, we are both very thankful for many things.

Bailey is thankful for every meal she gets, especially when it is on time.
Bailey is thankful for warm places to nap - in the sun, in a bed, by the heater.
Bailey is thankful when the evil dog leaves her alone.

Tatiana is thankful for having a warm lap to cuddle on.
Tatiana is thankful for yummy treats like strawberry milk and potato chips
Tatiana is thankful for playtime with Mom everynight!

We are also thankful for all the love we receive, we are very happy kitties!

Cats Rule, Dogs Drool!

Yeah, we cats are the coolest, and we run the house! The dog in our house knows it, too! Well, ok, he scares Bailey a little bit, but she's the baby of the family. Tatiana, on the other hand is QUEEN in our home. She only has a couple of rules:

Rule #1 - no running in the house! (if you run, Tatiana will chase us down and smack us).

rule #2 - no excitement during mealtimes (again, more smacking; more for the dog though!).

Tatiana and the dog (the humans call him Sushi) grew up together, but Tatiana was in our home first and let Sushi know it the day he arrived. He cowered in his crate. By the end of day 2, he had enough and came charging out at her. They have been friends every since.

Now, don't get this silly idea that Tatiana and the dog cozy up to each other. Uh uh, that does not happen. But, they do play together. In fact, the dog mimics how Tatiana plays (weirdo dog).

So...here is a little video showing Tatiana beating up on ....uh...we mean...playing with the dog.

Christmas Cats in Hats!

Mom loves pictures of cats in hats.  Would YOU wear one of these?  We would NOT!

Christmas Cats in Hats!

Why don't we socialize our cats?

Mom says she has been thinking a lot about this subject of socializing cats.  She works with all the cats in a big shelter (we are ok with that as long as she doesn't keep any!).  She says most people would be surprized to learn that cats that are surrendered by the owners are usually the most difficult to interact with compared to a stray cat when they first arrive. 

You see, stray cats have just made it big by being brought to the shelter.  They now have a warm, safe place to sleep.  They are served food.  They have fresh litter.  It's a palace compared to the streets.  Cats that are surrendered by their owners, however, have downgraded in their lifestyle.  As nice as the shelter is, and the people take really good care of all the animals, it's not home.  It's not familiar people, smells, noises.  It's scary. 

So, this got Mom to thinking.  It's just a given that when someone gets a puppy or a dog, that you are supposed to socialize it.  With other dogs, people, kids, taking it out to the store, park, going for walks around the block, etc...  Why don't cat owners do that for their cats? 

Yes, cats like to be independent, but we are social creatures, too.  Just when we want to be.  But, why do people just think "it's just a cat" and not work with it. 

Now, Mom kind of sees this topic in a different view.  She hopes no one ever has to give up their cat, or any of their pets, but unfortunately it happens.  If cats were socialized and exposed more to people, other pets, kids, noise, etc... then there would be less "fraidy cats".  Your cat's vet would probably hug you and thank you for this!  If you had to board your cat, it would make the transition easier.  And, if you had to surrender your cat, well, this makes them that much more adoptable.

So, how do you socialize a cat?  That's where Mom is looking for some advice. 

Obviously, introducing the new cat or kitten to friends and family in a safe environment would help, and following up with some tasty reward and praise.  Handling the cat or kitten would get them used to being held, touched, etc...  The cat might at the very least tolerate this!  Clicker Training would be a great way to help, as well. 

Overall, wouldn't socializing your cat or kitten benefit them in all kinds of ways?  And, that can only be a good thing.  Plus we cats would get tasty treats! Meow!!

Mom Baked Cat Treats!!

Nom Nom Nom...Mom made makerel treats yesterday.  The whole house reeked of makerel, and we loved it!!  Mom let us have some and we cleaned up our bowls quick before the dog could have any!

Noms, pleez?

Slurp, slurp, slurp, mmmmm...

Did you enjoy your treat, Bailey?

The dog did get a treat, too, humph!

Wordy Wednesday - The Talking Kitty Series Videos

Hey kitties, how's it going?  I know your pawrents love to watch cat videos as much as they love to videotape you.  One of Mom's all-time favorite cat videos are The Talking Kitty Series featuring (mostly) Slyvester the talking cat.  Mom sits at her computer and laughs and laughs and laughs.  So, we figured that if we posted those videos here, all in one shot, maybe she will stop paying attention to the videos and pay more attention to us!  Mom loves them all, there are quite a few, but she highly recommends that you get comfy and watch all of them.  (We have a kitty crush on Sylvester, shhhh....).  Post back here to let us know which Talking Kitty video is your fav!

As Mom is typing this up for us, Bailey has jumped onto her lap and is severely headbutting Mom's hand, hehe. 

Tatiana & Bailey

Tatiana's Vet Visit

Tatiana went to the vet last week for her annual checkup.  The vet said if he didn't know that she was 8 yrs old, he would have thought she was only 5 yrs old!  Tatiana was very well behaved, and was allowed to roam around his office for a few minutes before hopping back into her carrier.  Good girl, Tatiana!!