Man-Cat Monday

MAURICIO’S BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

Several days ago, I asked a beautiful, floofy, blue-eyed lady-cat to be my girlfriend, and to my great pleasure and excitement, she accepted.

So today, I would like to introduce you to Allie.

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Allie is a member of the Florida Furkids family, along with sisfur, Ellie, younger brofur, Raz, and woofie, Cubby, at the Friends Furever blog. Both Allie and Raz, like me, are members of Cat Scouts, and we’re all members of the Worldwide Wildcats troop.

If you don’t know Allie and her family, I hope you will click on the link above and visit them. Allie also is making an announcement today about our new relationship. I cannot wait to see it.

Purrs and hugs to all and special paw-pats and nose-kisses to Allie, Mauricio

 

MAN-CAT MONDAY WITH A MISERABLE AND MIFFED MAURICIO

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“Mom, you are a traitor for deserting me.”

Mauricio is pea green with envy. His friend, Wally, from The Island Cats joined Cat Scouts well after Mauricio and has earned oodles more merit badges and even been named Cat Scout of the Week. And he is now in second place on The Cat Scout Points Leader Board.

I tried to explain to Mauricio that Wally is more motivated and industrious than he is. But, of course, Mauricio blames me. He says that since Wally is a year older than he is, he should not have the energy to be in the lead. Mauricio claims to have worked tirelessly toward his merit badges while his dad and I were away playing (his word) for ten days, but with no one to get the photographic evidence, Wally was able to surge ahead.

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“Leave me alone. I’m pouting.”

 

After meyowling at me, stamping his paws and giving me the stink-eye, I promised to help him as much as possible this week. He still left the room in a huff as I didn’t jump up immediately to assist him. I found him later doing what he does best. I also suspect this is exactly what he did the entire time we were away. Now you know why he continues to lobby for a Napping Merit Badge. After he got up from his nap, I did help him earn his Journalism Merit Badge so he’s a little less perturbed with me.

MAN-CAT MONDAY WITH CAT SCOUT MAURICIO

For my birthday Mom joined me up with Cat Scouts. She’s hoping I will make friends with other kitties who are more well-mannered than I, don’t treat their meowmates so mean and can convince me that good scouts DO NOT spray. Good luck with that one.

Here I am in my Cat Scout uniform.You may have noticed this pix in our sidebar shortly after my birthday. I do look rather dashing, don’t you lady-cats agree?

Tenderpaw Cat Scout Mauricio Blue

Tenderpaw Cat Scout
Mauricio Blue

As a recently turned nine-year-old kitty, I am not as active as I once was, and I haven’t noticed any merit badges being offered in napping. Maybe I can suggest that. I have, however, already earned four merit badges.

The first was the Bunnykicking Merit Badge. I used my sister, Calista Jo’s, knitted, catnip mouse that she received for her birthday to demonstrate my fierce skills. Human arms are the best for bunnykicking, but my humans are too savvy to allow that!

The second was the Tree Climbing Merit Badge. I earned this by climbing the dogwood tree next to the house. This is a great place to climb as I can access the tin, porch roof and make lots of noise by running back and forth. It’s also a great place for staring at the humans through the second-floor windows. MOL!

I also have my Friendship and Computer Technology Merit Badges and my Be Purrpared Ribbon. And I have made 14 friends already, including Wally from The Island Cats and Brian from Brian’s Home. I am currently number 13 on the Merit Badge and Award Leader Board; however, that was prior to earning my latest merit badge.

As I now have my Computer Technology Merit Badge, I am going to help Mom set up a dedicated Cat Scout page  on our blog where I can register and keep track of my friends and accomplishments.

I really hope others of you…hint: Spitty, Sammy, Maxwell, Faraday, Austin (just to name a few) will join me in Cat Scouts.

Purrs and hugs, Mauricio, Tenderpaw

 

 

MAN-CAT MONDAY WITH MAURICIO AKA BOO-BOO BOY

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Furst of all, I’d like to know why it looks like I am wearing flowers on my head? That I have a huge gouge on my nose means I’m a tough guy, not a big ole sissy.

Mommy says that I am a bully, but I beg to differ. I’m just a male cat defending my turf. I’ll admit that I might engage in a little unprovoked rasslin’, bitin’ and paw smackin’ with my sisfurs, but I don’t deserve gettin’ a lickin’ like some punk, street cat and then bein’ forced to wear flowers in my furs.

Let it be known to all that I’m protestin’ my female human’s lack of respect for my position as top man-cat (well, actually the only man-cat) in this family. From now on, I refuse to refer to her as my mom or to bestow any term of endearment upon her. She was totally out of line and disrespectful in parading me in front of my fans in such an embarrassing manner!

Purrs and hugs, Tough Guy Mauricio

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Hi efuurybuddy…Janet here.

Recently I was contacted and asked if I would announce the following, which I do with pleasure:

The creator of the book A Letter To My Dog™ is working on the natural follow up: A Letter To My Cat.  The upcoming tome will feature a compilation of cat portraits accompanied by personal letters from devoted cat owners.

To create a volume of pet owners’ stories, the team behind the book is putting a call out to cat owners for story and photo submissions.

You can potentially be featured in the book by submitting a letter to your cat along with a photo!

The book team requires the following for submission:

•    Your letter: Please start it “Dear XXX,” and remember to sign it (Love, Mom / Dad…etc.). The length should be under 500 words.

•    Photos: We need you to submit a few photos of your cat alone, no people. Ideally, these would be your own photos, but if they are professional, please include photographer information so we can contact them for the rights if necessary.

•    Contact Info: Please include your full name, mailing address, phone number, email address and any website/blog/social media info.

Remember to include any stories that highlight your cat’s unique personality and expresses how much he/she means to you!

SUBMIT YOUR LETTERS AND PHOTOS TO:

http://alettertomycat.com

Deadline for submissions is 8/20/13.

 

MAN-CAT MONDAY WITH MADISON AND MACKENZIE

I have featured our angels, Madison and MacKenzie, in previous posts, usually on Wordless Wednesdays, so most of you know little about them.

MACKENZIE AND MADISONThe two boys joined our household almost simultaneously. Madison had wandered our neighborhood for at least six months, spending most of that time on our back deck. He was suspicious of us and wouldn’t let us pet him, but he kept returning again and again. With his magnificent blue eyes, it was almost love at first sight for me, but I vowed that I was not going to allow him to adopt us. I thought, if we didn’t encourage him, he would eventually move on.

He didn’t, and finally he began to let us approach him and then touch him. By that time, he had wormed his way into our hearts and soon after was invited to join the current clan, which consisted of Steamer, Daphne, Thelma, Louise, Chloe and Lily Olivia. We did not give him his name until then as we knew (even then), once you name a cat, that cat is yours!

MADISON AND MACKENZIEOne of the reasons we were not going to offer Madison a spot in our household was the recent adoption of an adorable and itty-bitty marmalade tabby we dubbed MacKenzie. Named Cyrus when he was delivered to us, we promptly abandoned that name for a nice Scottish one to go with all that orange fur.

A city ordinance only allows for six cats per household if they have been spayed/neutered and four if not. We were already at our legal limit prior to either of these boys joining us. But we had lost our first kitty and only boy, Skooter, and I felt our little kitty clan was not complete. So the two boys became part of our odd lot of felines we adopted as well as ones who had adopted us.

MADISON AND MACKENZIEThough they didn’t always see eye to eye in the beginning, these two became best friends, even though Mac was a kitten and Madison was already about two years old. Once they had bonded, they were nearly inseparable, except when MacKenzie was acting as my shadow. He followed me everywhere and snoopervised every little thing that I did, even though he was supposed to be his dad’s cat.

MADISON AND MACKENZIEBut then, just as they both joined us in 2001, they both left us in 2011 with little warning. Madison passed away in January very shortly after being diagnosed with lymphoma. MacKenzie died later in the year from inoperable cancer in his abdomen. Being best buddies in life, they are now best buddies at the Bridge.

MACKENZIE ND MADISONThey both continue to live in our hearts and memories. You can find out a little more about these boys on the Felines page.

 

 

MAN-CAT MONDAY WITH MAURICIO

Help! I'm stuck in the house and can't get out.

Help! I’m stuck in the house and can’t get out.

As it is a holiday, maybe some of you other kitties are home alone. But we are getting super tired of it. Even we kitties can nap only so much!

None-the-less, we wanted to say Happy Memorial Day and thanks to all our service men, women and animals, past and present, who work exceptionally hard to keep the world safe and at peace for all of us kitties and our humans.

Purrs and hugs, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette. 

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MAN-CAT MONDAY: MADISON

As you can seen, Madison wasn't too keen on getting head kisses. But I just couldn't resist planting one on him.

As you can see, Madison wasn’t too keen on getting head kisses. But I just couldn’t resist planting one on him.

This is a photo of our beautiful, blue-eyed* boy, Madison, from 2002, the year after he adopted us. He showed up on our back deck, and though he wouldn’t let us touch him, he decided he was staying. As the months went by, we finally broke down his defenses, and he let us pet him. So after six months, we invited him to move in, and he graciously accepted. Our vet estimated that he was about two years old.

Madison was one of “The Best Ever” cats who has been a part of our household. He had wonderful manners until our other kitties corrupted him. And he loved, nurtured and bathed most of the other kitties, especially MacKenzie and Louise.

He had one crazy food fetish: the juice from green olives. When he smelled it, he lost all control of himself and misbehaved badly in an attempt to get this treat.

Sadly, we lost Madison in January 2011. He was diagnosed with lymphoma and died in my arms 13 days later. I have cried for every one of our kitties when they’ve left us, but Madison’s loss was particularly heartbreaking due to its abruptness and to the belief that he had been brought to us for a special purpose.

Madison's Angel vSquillion

Madison’s Angel vSquillion

I will share more about Madison as well as additional photos in the future.

I recently adopted this Madison Angel vSquillion in his memory. The kitties and I plan to send all our love to our sweet boy by way of this darling angel.

* Unlike many white, blue-eyed cats, Madison was not deaf. When he came to us, his left eye had what appeared to be an old injury. Our vet could not tell if he possibly was blind in that eye.

If you are interested in adopting one or more vSquillions you can do so at www.virtualsquillionshelter.blogspot.com.