Cat Scouts

LETTER TO SANTA CLAWS & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

With apologies to Teddy and Angel Sammy (Two Spoiled Cats), I am using Thoroughly Poetic Thursday to repost Kitties Blue letter to Santa Claws from 2018. Regardless, I recommend you visit their blog (by clicking on the poetry badge) to read Angel Sammy’s poem. I know it will be another winner, as the inspiration photo is adorable!

A Cat’s Letter to Santa Claws

Christmas cat graphic with flashing lights and stars.

Dear Santa,

Oh dearest Santa, I promise I’ve been good.
Always used my litter box and eaten all my food.
That broken lamp was a minor transgression.
I don’t think it required that time-out session.
And it wasn’t I who shred the arm of that chair.
Besides, isn’t that why they come as a pair?
The hairball on the human’s pillow didn’t come from me.
I don’t have floofy furs, as you can plainly see.
And all that litter spread throughout the house hither to yon…
It sprang right out of the box long after I had gone.
And you know that sandwich the human left on the table…
I swear it was stolen by a stray mouse named Mabel.
And the Christmas tree that suddenly toppled over…
Was not pushed by me but a marauding gopher.
I have no idea how these critters invaded my space.
I never leave the cat door open or out of place.
Oh. dearest Santa, I’ve truly never ever been naughty.
So please bring me some toys from Jackson Galaxy.
And a big bag of nip to last a whole year…
Please, oh please, oh please Santa dear.
And some nommy treats would be totally pawsome.
I’d eat every one and not leave a crumb.
For I, the cat, have been as good as a cat can be.
So please don’t pass me by this Christmas Eve.
If you’ll stop by my house once again this year,
I promise to leave cookies and a bit of good cheer beer.
And as to next year, I raise my right paw
And promise to be a good cat, oh dear Santa Claws.

Yours truly, The Cat

Thankful Thursday

Each Thursday we like to share with you the things for which we are thankful.

  • I am particularly thankful this week to have my bout with COVID coming to an end. That Dad Tom did not get it truly is a blessing. He has been exposed at least six times, but has continued to remain uninfected!
  • I am thankful that all 13 packages with Christmas gifts that needed to be mailed made it to the post office yesterday thanks to Dad Tom. With priority mail, most should make it to their destinations by Christmas.
  • Kitties Blue and I are grateful for all the holiday cards we have received from our blogging friends. We will share them here after the holidays. We also will share Kitties Blue card on Christmas Day, for those of you who did not receive one via snail mail.
  • Cooper Murphy is thankful to have the opportunity to earn twelve new merit badges at Scouts prior to Christmas. He has earned eight so far by learning about the animals represented on the badges and passing the accompanying quizzes. The ninth badge is for completing the December craft project.

Nine Cat Scout Merit badges featuring sloths, axolotls, reindeer, platypus, smart dogs, raccoons, cane toads, polar bears and Christmas craft project

Here’s a photo of his Christmas craft project.

Christmas tree made from folded magazine pages with star and round gem embellishments.

  • And, finally, Kitties Blue and I are most thankful for your support, following, comments and friendship.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by Brian. To participate, post on your blog for what you are thankful. Then click on Brian’s badge to go to his blog and enter the link to your post.

Thanks for joining us today!

 

 

CAT DOOR ENCROACHMENT & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

I had fun today with Two Spoiled Cats’ (Teddy and Angel Sammy) photo for their weekly poetry challenge. We had a similar inspiration photo some months ago. You can see it and our poem at, “Three’s a Crowd With Calista Jo”. Instead of Calista Jo, Raleigh joined today’s inspiration photo.

 

Cat Door Encroachment: Dog with head stuck in cat door to outside with small ginger cat standing atop the door.

 

Cat Door Encroachment

Hey, get your big nose out of my door.
You know I’ve warned you about this before.
This passage is strictly for felines,
Not gigantic-nosed, slobbery canines.
If you don’t back off, I’ll give you a whap,
And it won’t feel like a friendly love-tap.
Honestly, I didn’t think you were so dumb
Or is this just a case of sheer boredom?
Whatever your problem, I say, “scram!”
I’ve got claws and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.
Now, please remove your colossal schnozz
Or get a scratch from my mighty paws!

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 12/07/2022

If you haven’t been participating in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, I recommend you give it a try. It’s the perfect opportunity to get creative. Check out Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, for next week’s inspiration photo. And please read Angel Sammy’s poem. He’s one of our very favorite poets.

Thankful Thursday

Thursday is also the day we share the things for which we are thankful. Then we join Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop.

It’s been ugly and rainy here where we live, but its still been a pretty good week. Several of the kitties and I have thankfuls to share.

  • Audrey is thankful to have her spay surgery behind her. She had it yesterday and came through like a champ.
  • Talk about champs…Sawyer has been eating like one and hasn’t had a seizure, that we know of, in 11 days.
  • Cooper Murphy is thankful for earning another merit badge at Cat Scouts for learning about Wild Cats. Here’s a fact, that unless you are a Cat Scout, we bet you don’t know: The Rusty-Spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) is the world’s smallest wild cat weighing only 1.8 to 3.5 pounds. It is 14 to 19 inches in length minus its tail, which is approximately half the length of its body. (Just as a side note: Cooper Murphy weighs 19 pounds!)

 

  • I am super thankful I have almost finished decorating and addressing the Kitties Blue Christmas cards, and I have finished all my shopping. Please don’t tell, but the gang are getting some pretty great gifts this year!

If you’d like to participate in Brian’s hop, post on your blog for what you are thankful. Then click on his badge to link up.

Thanks for visiting us today. We’ll be back tomorrow with some fill-ins.

 

MISSING FIONA, THANKFULS & A POEM

Ooopsie…I just discovered I didn’t post this at midnight!

Thankful Thursday

Kitties Blue and I are joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop hosted by Brian. If you’d like to participate, post on your blog for what you are grateful, and then click on Brian’s badge to visit his blog and linkup.

  • Today is the sixth anniversary of our precious kitty, Fiona, receiving her wings. We definitely are not thankful that she is no longer with us, but eternally grateful to have had her in our lives. I think of her everyday. If you haven’t read the poems her sister Giulietta and I wrote for her, they are on the sidebar. This is the link to her obituary post, “Farewell Fiona.” She’ll be loved always.

Grey cat on couch

  • I am thankful I have completed a good portion of the Christmas decorating and have started addressing Kitties Blue holiday cards. These projects are eating up hours each day, so I must add to the thankful my apologies for Kitties Blue and my lack of visiting and commenting.
  • Cooper Murphy is thankful for earning another merit badge at Cat Scouts by learning about turkeys and passing his quiz.

  • Dad Tom and I are thankful Sawyer has been eating well lately; though, he did have a seizure prior to our returning home this past Saturday after celebrating Thanksgiving with family.
  • As always, Kitties Blue and I are especially thankful to all of you who follow, support and comment on our current posts and those we are sharing in our Looking Back links. But, more than anything, we are blessed to have your friendship.

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

It was definitely a difficult task this week to figure out how to add Kitties Blue to Teddy and Angel Sammy’s inspiration photo for their poetry challenge. Requiring even more effort was coming up with a suitable poem. The poem is a bit lackluster, but the gang and I hope you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.

 

An African woman carrying five clay pots on her head and four in her hands with cats and five cats around her feet.

 

Potted Cats

This nice lady is bringing us nine pots,
So we each will have our own cozy bed.
Four of us are trying them out,
But none of us are on her head.
Lisbeth actually enjoys being up high,
But if she fell, there might be blood shed!
She’s waiting ’til her bed’s on the ground
Where she’ll add a nice warm bedspread
And curl up for a good long nap
Until it’s time for Kitties Blue to be fed.
We thank this lady for her generosity,
Because we Kitties Blue are all well-bred!

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 11/30/2022

If you haven’t been participating in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, I recommend you give it a try. It’s the perfect opportunity to use your imagination and creativity. Check out Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, for next week’s inspiration photo. And please read Angel Sammy’s poem. He is a terrific and masterful poet.

So that’s it for today. We look forward to seeing you all again tomorrow.

 

SNOW CAT & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

I totally enjoy creating poems and joining Angel Sammy and Teddy’s (Two Spoiled Cats) weekly poetry challenge. They provided a really “cool” inspiration photo this week, but unfortunately my poem is totally lame. I apologize to Teddy, Angel Sammy, James Pierpont (author of “Jingle Bells”) and each of you reading it. I had what I thought was a good plan, but it just didn’t turn out that well. Top that off with the fact Cooper Murphy hates snow after being abandoned in it, and it’s even more pathetic. But I already had Cooper on the sled from a Cat Scouts event, so…

 

Treeso n a hill covered in snow and bent over with a ginger cat dressed in human clothes and sledding down the hill.

 

Dashing Through the Snow

 

These snow people look so sad
Bent over, trudging down the mountain.
The wind at my back makes me go fast!
Sadly, it causes them to slump over.
Many days of sunshine will be needed
To release them from their heavy burden,
So they can stand tall and proud.
I will watch them as I fly by daily—
Thankful I’m a cat and not a tree.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 11/16/2022

If you haven’t been participating in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, I challenge you to give it a try. Check out Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, for next week’s inspiration photo. And please read Angel Sammy’s poem. He’s one of our favorite poets!

Thankful Thursday

It seems as if most of the thankfuls this week are mine. To begin, I am especially thankful for those of you who have read and commented on the past posts I’ve been refurbishing and linking to here.

I also am thankful for completing 2300 Peloton rides and receiving a shout out from the instructor.

I am super thankful for completing lots of my interior Christmas decorating (excluding trees).

All of us are thankful for your support, following, comments and friendship.

Finally, I am thankful my camellia bush is in full bloom. It is always such a bright spot once all the leaves have fallen.

 

Large camellia bush covered in pink flowers.

 
This photo was taken on November 8, so there are many more flowers now.

Thankful Thursday is a blog hop hosted by Brian. If you’d like to join us on the hop, click on Brian’s badge.


 

SAWYER’S ADMONITION & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

On Thursdays we enjoy joining Angel Sammy and Teddy (Two Spoiled Cats) for their poetry challenge. As this blog is dedicated to everything feline, I try to add one of the Kitties Blue to each week’s inspiration photo. This week, that cat is Sawyer. He also has tried his paw, once again, at writing the poem.

 

Sawyer's Admonition: Grey tabby cat tells a little boy with a hobo pack and his pet piggy not to runaway.

 

Sawyer’s Admonition

Tommy, please don’t runaway.
For your and piggy’s sake, I beg you to stay.
It’s really not any fun to roam
And be away from your wonderful home.
When I went on my walkabout last year,
There wasn’t a day Mom didn’t shed a tear.
Your mom’ll miss you and piggy when you’re gone,
And it really doesn’t matter for how long.
Even just a few hours will make her sad,
And she will also be really mad
That you didn’t think home was good enough
And you took piggy and left in a huff.
Those snacks won’t last you both an hour,
And tummy grumbling has lots of power
To make you regret your rash action
And then lose your way by distraction.
That’s what happened to me, and it was scary,
Especially as it was totally unnecessary.
So, please don’t cause anymore pain or drama.
Head back home now and hug your momma.

© Sawyer Blue – 10/26/2022

To play along and write a poem, check out Two Spoiled Cats, by clicking on the poetry badge, for next week’s inspiration photo. And please read Angel Sammy’s poem. It is always a winner!

Thankful Thursday

Now it is time for our weekly thankfuls, so we can join Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Not only is Sawyer the author of this week’s poem, he’s also up first with a thankful. He has finally broken that once-a-week seizure occurrence. He is now nine days past his last one. All the Kitties Blue have their paws crossed that he can continue to extend this seizure-free episode.

Cooper Murphy is thankful that he earned another merit badge at Cat Scouts for taking the class and passing the quiz (with 100 %) about Trap Door Spiders. Cooper also was one of two winners of an Amazon gift card in the Cat Scout Halloween Bingo Game.

I am thankful that we have had some decent fall weather, and I have been able to spend time in the yard planting bulbs and cleaning up my flower beds. I am hoping to have a few more nice days, so I can continue the process.

As always, Kitties Blue and I are thankful for your following, support, comments and friendship.

If you’d like to participate in the hop, post on your blog for what you are thankful and then click on Brian’s badge to pop over and add your link to his post.

Thanks for joining us today. Kitties Blue and I are always happy to share our posts with you.

 

RALEIGH & THE DINOSAUR TEETH

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Another fun, inspirational photo was provided by Teddy and Angel Sammy for their poetry challenge this week. Raleigh thought he’d enjoy joining the photo, and the poem is written from his point of view.

 

Two children and a ginger cat inspect the teeth on a dinosaur fossil.

 

Oh My, What Big Teeth You Have!

Those are the biggest teeth I’ve ever seen.
I bet that dinosaur was really mean.
Meeting him would have given me quite a fright.
He’d probably gobble me up in one bite.
But the jokes on him, as he is dead,
And I’m right here staring at his big head!
I am certainly lucky to be a cat—
Dinos couldn’t have slept on anyone’s lap.

 © Janet Buickerood Blue – 9/28/2022

Check out Two Spoiled Cats for next week’s inspiration photo by clicking on the poetry badge. When you visit, please take time to read Angel Sammy’s poem. He transmits it to Teddy from the Bridge, and he is a masterful wordsmith!

Thankful Thursday

Kitties Blue and I are always happy when we participate in Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Cooper Murphy is thankful for earning a new merit badge from Cat Scouts University after taking a course and passing a quiz about jellyfish.

 

Though, Sawyer had a seizure on Sunday afternoon; he, his dad and I are thankful he went just shy of six weeks without one.

Kitties Blue and I are thankful we were able to make a donation to Feral Friends Community Cat Alliance by purchasing $51 worth of items (eight crinkle balls, 10 pounds of cat litter, and two 24-can cases Fancy Feast kitten food) from their Chewy Wish List in lieu of a $40 donation. Lone Star Cats selected Feral friends to receive the donation from our comment-a-thon celebrating Misty May and Angel Mau’s birthday.

And, as always, we all are thankful for your friendship, support, following and comments.

I’ll let you know next week if Dad Tom and I are thankful that for the first time Wednesday night the kittens were allowed to remain out of their enclosure. (They got out once unbeknownst to us until we discovered them romping around the following morning.) This is their first authorized night of freedom.

Finally, we have many friends living throughout the state of Florida, and we are praying that all remain safe.

 

THE LIBRARY CAT & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Kizmet and I are here today to share a poem. I went a couple weeks without writing a poem, and last week I did not include any of the Kitties Blue. So, this week I am happy to have had the opportunity to add Kizmet to Angel Sammy and Teddy’s (Two Spoiled Cats) inspiration photo.

It’s not one of my best efforts for which I apologize. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

 

Man sleeping on a shelf in a library with a grey cat sitting on top of him.

 

The Library Cat

As a library cat I am responsible
For making our patrons feel welcome,
But I think this fellow has gone too far.
Napping in the stacks is frowned upon
Unless, of course, one is a cat.
I do it all the time!
Snoring is never allowed; it breaks
The library’s tradition for quiet.
Possibly a lick to the face or a paw swat
Will wake our sleep-deprived, young scholar.
If not I’ll need to call in reinforcements,
And the librarian is not as gentle as I.
She’ll whack him with her ruler and grab his ear
To haul him to his feet. She’ll whisper
Her displeasure, shake her finger in warning.
She’s a bit old-fashioned. Tolerating my fur
Flying about is as much as she’s willing to bear.
So, I will do my duty and wake our sleeper.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 08/10/2022

To participate in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, click on the badge to find next week’s inspiration photo. Please read Sammy’s poem when you visit. He’s one of our favorite wordsmiths.

Thankful Thursday

Thursdays are the day we like to list our thankfuls. Being grateful for the good things in our lives makes it so much easier to manage the days and times when we are facing challenges. We are particularly thankful that our friend Brian gives us the opportunity to share these thankfuls with you.

Well, Sawyer’s streak has been broken. He had a seizure on Tuesday evening. But the fact that he enjoyed seven-and-a-half weeks being seizure free is something for which we are all extremely thankful!

Cooper Murphy is thankful for recently earning three new merit badges for classes he took at Cat Scout University as well as a new crafts badge.

Four Cat Scout badges.

We are all thankful Audrey and Raleigh are thriving. I am particularly pleased they are willingly allowing me to put harnesses on them for several hours each day. With a little luck and a lot of hard work, we may be able to train them to be Adventure Cats.

And, of course, Kitties Blue and I are thankful for your friendship and support.

If you’d like to join Brian’s Thankful Thursday blog hop, enter his URL in your browser to be transported there.

 

KIZMET WRITES: “I DESERVE A TREAT!”

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

I bet you won’t be surprised that we have another silly cat poem this week. Kizmet popped into the inspiration photo provided by Teddy and Angel Sammy from Two Spoiled Cats. And just like Cooper Murphy did last week, she wrote the poem as well.

 

I Deserve a Treat: Photo of carhop at an A & W from the 1950's with the addition of a grey cat peeking out the car window.

 

I Deserve a Treat!

Oh miss, is one of those drinks for me?
It is terribly hot in this car with no A/C.
I’m certain it’s plain for you to see
That I am overly warm and incredibly thirsty.
Actually, you know what would be my dream?
A extra large bowl of vanilla ice cream.
I’m on my way home from a trip to the vet;
It’s a really lousy place to take your pet.
I got a shot and they trimmed my claws—
That procedure should be against the law!
I was told if I was good, I could have a treat
So add to my order some hamburger meat.
I believe these things will satisfy my needs
And prevent me from making my human bleed.
Thanks so much in advance for your help today.
I promise Mom will leave a big tip when she pays.

© Kizmet Blue – 07/06/2022

I actually found this photo amusing, as I worked for A & W for a few weeks in the summer of 1969. I was fired! The reason why escapes me. (This photo obviously is from at least a decade earlier.)

To participate in Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge, click on the badge to find next week’s inspiration photo. Please read Sammy’s poem when you visit. He’s one of our favorite wordsmiths.

 

Thankful Thursday

Cooper Murphy is thankful for the last class of the school year at Cat Scout University. He received 100% on his quiz and earned this cool merit badge.Graphic with a large octopus and tiny white cat

Octopuses are fascinating, and both Cooper and I learned a lot in the class.

Sawyer, Dad Tom and I are thankful for his enjoying four weeks without a seizure. (He’s been much better about eating his med-laced noms.) Sawyer’s also thankful for his birthday gifts from Noelle, especially the 30-ounce container of Temptations!

All of the Kitties and I send our thanks to each of you for your support, following and friendship!

Thankful Thursday is hosted by Brian. To participate post on your blog for what you are thankful. Enter Brian’s URL in your browser to pop over to Brian’s and enter his blog hop.

 

PETTING IS FREE

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

The Two Spoiled Cats, Angel Sammy and Teddy, provided us with a particularly amusing, inspirational photo this week. I did my usual and added one of the Kitties Blue to that photo.

 

Petting is free: Photo of three frumpy and grumpy old ladies playing bingo with the addition of an orange tabby cat being petted on the stomach by the middle lady.

 

It’s difficult to tell, as Cooper Murphy has spread himself across the table, but these ladies are playing bingo, which I took into account in my poem. Unfortunately, it isn’t much of a poem.

Petting is Free

Don’t look so grumpy ladies.
It’s just a silly bingo game.
I know you can’t resist my floofy tummy,
And you won’t lose any money.
Petting is free unlike those bingo cards.
So get your fingers busy; make me purr—
I promise to put smiles on your faces,
And your bingo addiction I’ll cure.

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 06/08/2022

If you’d like to write a bit of poetry, check out Two Spoiled Cats for next week’s inspiration photo. Please make certain you read Angel Sammy’s poem when you visit. He transmits it to Teddy each week from the Rainbow Bridge, and he is an accomplished poet. Click on the poetry badge to go there now.

Thankful Thursday

Each Thursday Kitties Blue and I also like to shares the things for which we are thankful, as part of the Thankful Thursday blog hop hosted by Brian.

First of all, Stinky asked me to thank those, on Periwinkle’s and his behalf, who take part in their weekly adventures. If you are not one of their regular readers, check out their Tuesday post. They visited Normandy, France, to commemorate D-Day.

Cooper Murphy is thankful that I finally got my act together and helped him complete his Cat Scout craft project for May. We made cat planters out of soda bottles. We made a small Kizmet and a large Mau.

 

 

Admittedly, I am not a very good artist or painter. Mau’s nose and mouth should have been a half to a full inch higher. However, I do think it resembles him. Both Cooper and I are thankful to Angel Cat Scout Sammy P’s mom, Ellen (15 And Meowing), for providing the projects and instruction each month.

Finally, Kitties Blue and I are grateful to all our friends and everyone who follows and supports us!

We are participating in the Thankful Thursday blog hop. You can do the same by visiting Brian’s blog. The URL is on his badge.

 

 

 

POETRY FEATURING KIZMET & THANKFULS

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Kizmet has snuck in today’s inspiration photo for Teddy and Angel Sammy’s poetry challenge. My poem this week is a haiku.

 

Kizmet poetry: Man and woman looking away from each other with grey cat looking over their shoulders.

 

Do you hear a noise?
Yes, sounds like rumbling thunder.
Did you feed the cat?

© Janet Buickerood Blue – 05/04/2022

If you’d like to try writing some poetry, click on Angel Sammy’s badge. You’ll be able to visit Two Spoiled Cats, read Sammy’s poem for this week and get next week’s inspiration photo.

Thankful Thursday

The big thankful for this Thursday’s blog hop is that our e-mail post notifications are working, as most of you should know. I am definitely thankful for the absence of frustration and stress I was experiencing when it wasn’t working.

I also am thankful that I completed my 2000th Peloton ride last week.

Cooper Murphy is thankful for finding out he won the Easter Egg Hunt at Cat Scouts. He collected 50+ eggs and won an Amazon gift card and nip carrot. Both arrived in the mail today.

Finally, I was thankful to have had the opportunity to get to know Paula Gregg personally while in attendance at four Blog Paws conferences. In 2017 the two of us stayed up talking in her suite until after 1 a.m. I like to talk, but I couldn’t match Paula. She was an interesting and talented individual who contributed much to our community. She will be missed and remembered by all who knew her.

 

Paula Gregg and Blog Paws conferences with kitten and at awards ceremony.

 

Check out that infectious smile!

To participate in the Thankful Thursday blog hop, which is hosted by Brian, post on your blog for what you are thankful. Then enter the URL listed on his badge in your browser to pop over to Brian’s Home and join the hop.

 

 

Thanks for joining us again today.