The Cat On My Head

FRIENDLY FILL-INS: I’M A TIGGER!

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #20

FriendlyFillIns

Today is a fun hop hosted by our friends, Annie (McGuffy’s Reader) and Ellen (15 And Meowing). They each pick two sentences (Ellen the first two and Annie, the second two) with blanks for the participants to fill-in. To join the hop, add your link on Annie’s blog.

My completions of this week’s fill-ins are in teal italics.

1. The last movie I saw at the theater was The Secret Life of Pets.

Tigger tattoo 2. The title of my autobiography would be I’m a Tigger. If you are curious about this title, it is a reference to the book, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch. Tigger is a metaphor for positivity.  I recommend everyone read The Last Lecture. I have referenced this book previously in the post, “Just Call Me Tigger.” You can read that post hereThe sub-title of my autobiography would be Resilience. Oh yeah, I have a tattoo of Tigger on my upper back. I had it long before I read Pausch’s book. (Please accept my apology for the poor quality of the photo.)

3. I would love to learn Italian. I do know some…all my numbers, the names of most animals and how to order a glass of wine (Un bicchiere di vino rosso, per favor.) and say thank you to my server, (Prego).

4. I am glad that I learned about blogging, because reading other cat blogs has taught me a lot about cat care and cat behavior.

If the fill-ins don’t interest you, and you only came here to look at photos of kitties, here’s a never-before-seen, squeee-worthy photo of baby Astrid (known as Tabitha at the time). 

Tigger post

 

We’ll see you all tomorrow for Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art blog hop.

REMEMBER ME THURSDAY® WITH POETRY

Remember Me Thursday® Awareness Movement

 Remember Me Thursday®

 

We are joining Remember Me Thursday® and have lit a candle at RememberMeThursday.org for our sweet Swizzle again this year. Swizzle is the kitty we continue to sponsor at PAWS of Connecticut. She’s been waiting for more than two years for her new forever home. We pray daily that this sweet and beautiful senior kitty will find the loving human and home she deserves.

The Remember Me Thursday® global awareness campaign encourages individuals to light a candle this day (literally or virtually) and to opt to adopt, reducing the millions of orphan pets euthanized each year.

Candles lit on this day (the fourth Thursday of September annually) across the world honor the pets who lose their lives without the opportunity to know the comforts of a loving home. These candles shine brightly on the millions of healthy pets who are still awaiting adoption—just like beautiful Swizzle.

Remember Me Thursday®

This being Sammy’s (onespoiledcat) Thoroughly Poetic Thursday and the prompt letter for the week being “O”, I have written a poem for orphan kitties.

OPT TO ADOPT ORPHAN CATS

Most of us were orphans at one time,
Whether roaming the streets or shelter confined.
But then one day our luck suddenly changed.
A human stopped in whose heart we would claim.
They took us home to keep us safe forever
With food, shelter and love as our caregiver.
So today, will you please a candle light
And pray for the orphans to not give up the fight,
As they wait and long for their special human
To find them and become their number one fan.

Please join me, other pet-lovers and advocates and animal welfare organizations around the world in lighting your own candle. Visit the link listed in the first paragraph to light your candle and learn more about Remember Me Thursday®. Or light your own candle at home. Just make certain it is either battery operated or in an area your pets cannot access.

 

 

 

 

MEOWIN’ LIKE PIRATES 2016

Meowin' Like Pirates 2016

 

Yo-ho-ho! Well th’ wench, otherwise known as th’ petretary, didn’ git any new scurvy gentleman o’ fortune photos made fer us ’tis yearrr. She been too busy doin’ stuff fer Mau fer sea foul beast scouts. Sink me! Avast ye, we be ‘avin’ a retrospective wit’ photos from previous years. Woe ’em ‘o ye who weren’t followers ’til recently ‘eartly enjoy them. ‘N we pray our barnacle-covered buckos won’t make us walk th’ plank fer showin’ ’em agin. Meowin’ like pirates ’tis day ‘n searchin’ fer buried booty.

 

 Meowin' Like Pirates 2016

 

Nay quarter! Aye aye, scurvy dog Mauricio (aka Nick “Thieving Magpie” Drown) got a new photo as he needed one for sea foul beast scouts, ‘n thee wench couldn’t find his barnacle-covered one. Blimey!

 

Meowin' Like Pirates 2016

 

Ahoy to all our mateys, Daisy “Red Locks” Locke “The Ghost of Lion Bight!” (This pirate be  haunting a dead man’s chest from beyond the grave!), Nick “Thieving Magpie” Drown “The Murderer of Bloodsucker Caves!” (This pirate be  bloody-minded, stopping at nothing to get the treasure!), Clara “Scoundrel” Clegg “The Heart of Crescent Bight!” (This pirate be good of heart, strong of stomach, and sore of head!), Georgette “Parrot Charmer” Dunkin “The Stranded Sailor of Seastar Reef!” (This pirate be wandering the shore, looking for ships. Not lost. Just wants something to aim the cannon at!), Jilly “Soft Heart” Pepper “The Stranded Sailor of Ghost Beach!” (This pirate be joining her corsair sis in wandering the shore, looking for ships.), Lil “Black Eyepatch” Scar “The Lion of Rattlesnake Retreat!” (This pirate be a fierce and royal sort, made of honour and courage!), Vera “Dead Man” Perrow “The Madness of Seastar Cliffs!” (This pirate be madder than a sailor on sea water!) and Helen “Blue Mane” Shiver “The Knave of Summer Estuary!” (This pirate be a jolly japester prone to the yo-ho-ho-ing, especially after a bottle of rum!)

p.s. Shiver me timbers! Blimey, who knew our names would be longer than this writing.

p.p.s Thank you to Bear Cat for the cool badge.

screen-shot-2016-09-18-at-11-18-26-pm

 

A MID-BATH SELFIE FROM MISTY MAY (WITH TONGUE)

Sunday Selfies: Week #110

I absolutely have no idea what I am doing back on the blog today. I was having a nice bath in the laundry basket when Mom thrust the phone at me and demanded I take some selfies. As I was in mid-wash, I clicked the shutter quickly a couple off times and continued my ablutions.

 

mid-bath tongue selfie

 

I cannot believe the photo Mom selected to use. Sheesh…me with my tongue out and all blurry. The tongue thing may work for Crockett (Lone Star Cats), but I am a mature, sophisticated lady cat.

Mom says that I look cute, and that by having me featured again today, it gives us an excuse to show off this sweet birthday card for me and Mau from Pipo and Minko.

 

mmmpipominko

 

Mau received a beautiful card from his wife, Allie. There also was a surprise, funny hat, birthday party for him in the Wolverine Patrol Den at Cat Scouts. He’ll share his cards from his Cat Scout pals and his silly hat photos later in the week.

Cat4-001Now, it is your turn to reveal your selfies. You all know how this works. The link to add your selfie to the blog hop is below. You also can use the code below to add the hop to your selfie post. Please link back to The Cat on My Head and/or display our badge on your post.

And don’t forget to leave us a comment if you have any problem linking up. Mom will fix you right up.

Finally, Mauricio and I extend our sincere thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes yesterday. This is the most caring and compassionate community. We are honored and proud to be a part of it.

Purrs and paw-pats, Misty May



MAURICIO & MISTY MAY: THEN & NOW

Caturday Art

Today, the focus for our post is not really on the art but the occasion. Twelve years ago today, Mauricio and Misty May were born. When we met them and their brother in November, they were three adorable little kittens. Even when I look at photos of those munchkins, I find it hard to believe they were ever so itty bitty. Their joint nickname was “The Babies.” We’ve haven’t called them that in many years.

I created a little bit of Birthday art using piZap and Picasa. Nothing wild and crazy this week.

 

Then & Now

 

caturdayartbannerThe top photo was taken in December 2004 and the bottom was snapped last night. We rarely see this sister and brother anywhere near each other, so it was a good catch for their birthday post.

This is our entry in Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty’s Caturday Art blog hop. To join and/or view the other submissions, click on Athena’s badge.

Mauricio’s good friend and Cat Scout pal, Sammy (onespoiledcat) sent him this nice card. Mauricio says, “Thank you my dear friend.”

 

may birthday 2016

 

Dad Tom has been working on some upgrades for the catio, which will be Misty May and Mauricio’s gift, along with some treats! I’ll share catio photos next week.

We are having a small celebration, and the birthday kitties would be delighted if you join us. We have cake, courtesy of Mau’s Cat Scout Bake Shop, nip champagne and all the catnip you can inhale or eat.

then & now

then & now

Sunday Selfies Reminder

Cat4-001That’s right, tomorrow is the day for our blog hop. It’s week #110. We’ll be looking for all our old friends to join us and maybe some new ones as well. Please invite your friends to join us. They don’t need to have a pet blog. They can link to their Facebook account. And here’s a tip to remember when taking your selfies: Don’t leave nose trips on the camera lens or phone screen!

Have fun at the party, and we’ll see you tomorrow.

 

FIONA AGAIN & FILL-INS

Friendly Fill-Ins: Week #19

It’s time for this fun hop brought to you by 15 And Meowing‘s Ellen and McGuffy’s Reader’s Annie. Ellen and Annie each select two phrases for participants to complete. Ellen’s are always numbers 1 and 2. And Annie selects numbers 3 and 4. You can join the hop by adding your link on Annie’s blog.

Friendly Fill-Ins

 

Here are this week’s phrases. My completions are in teal italics.

1. Something healthy I do daily is pet the Kitties Blue. In fact, Fiona is on my lap right now getting lots of loving strokes. Of course, if her daddy were at home, she’d shun me for him. And, as usual, Mauricio is trying to horn in. 

2. Something unhealthy I do daily is drink one or two cans of Diet Coke®. It is my caffeine of choice as I totally dislike coffee.

3. This Summer, was too, too HOT with more days in our city above 90 degrees than previously recorded. I do not tolerate the heat well and am tired of being sopping wet all the time.

4. This Autumn, I hope we have decent enough weather to cycle more. With the rain and heat of this summer, we were unable to get out as often as we usually do. 

This week’s fill-ins did not lend themselves to talking much about Kitties Blue. But as I did mention Fiona, she gets to have her photo (for the third consecutive day) as part of this post. She was enjoying yet another nap in a sunpuddle on the catio.

 

Fill-Ins

 

Wow, look at those long legs and precious toesies! I think the angle of her head makes this an exceptionally cute pose. You may now “squeee.”

As Fiona is here again today, I’d like to take another opportunity to thank everyone for keeping our little girl in your purrs and prayers. She’s a fighter…when she’s not napping!

Tomorrow is Athena’s Caturday Art Blog Hop. We’ll be participating with some birthday art. Don’t forget to drop in to find out who will be celebrating.

ODE TO DR. NEEL BY FIONA

Thoroughly Poetic Thursday

Screen Shot 2016-08-31 at 8.45.29 PM

 

Poem for Dr. Neel by Fiona

 

Today I have asked to write the poem for Sammy’s Thoroughly Poetic Thursday. Our prompt letter for the week is “N,” which is why I volunteered. I wanted to write a poem about our vet, Dr. Kathryn Neel from Vinton Veterinary Hospital. She is compassionate and empathetic and a really great doctor. If I have to go to the veterinarian every month, I am HAPPY she’s the one taking care of me.

Ode to Dr. Neel

Today was another trip to see Dr. Neel,
But nobody asked how that made me feel.
Though I always poop on the way in the PTU;
Today, as payback, I peed on Mom too!

I wet her pants & butterfly, rainbow, unicorn cat,
And she was totally not happy about that.
But she loves me so much, she didn’t get mad,
As she knows I didn’t do it to be bad.

First came the weigh-in with my paws crossed
That I’d gained some weight instead of lost.
I feared that I might end up singing the blues,
But I’ve gained five ounces…super great news!

Dr. Neel was as gentle as she always is
When she took me back for my bloodwork quiz.
Some numbers moved in the right direction;
Though, I am far from reaching purrfection.

My BUN came down from 135 to 129.
Even a small improvement is a very good sign.
My phosphorous level was also some better:
Four points down brought us all great pleasure.

I’m not quite as anemic as I was before…
More good news that made my spirits soar.
All my numbers continue to be way too high,
But I feel pretty good and so won’t cry.

It’s important to have a vet who truly cares,
And with your human information shares.
Our vet is AAHA accredited, cat friendly as well.
In fact Vinton Vet & Dr. Neel are totally swell!

If I have to be dragged to these monthly checks,
I’m glad that I have Dr. Kathy Neel as my vet.
I know she’ll always take the best care of me
As she monitors and treats my CKD.

 

Poem for Dr. Neel by Fiona

 

I don’t want to sugar coat how I am doing. My numbers suck, and I still refuse to eat the kidney diet. A normal BUN is 10 to 30 mg/dl. So 129 is really lousy. But this is the second month in a row that I have gained weight, and I really do feel good. I’m spoiled rotten, and I take advantage of Mom and Dad as much as possible. If I want something, I whine, and I always get it. Trust me, all of us would rather I wasn’t sick, but I don’t mind having my every whim and wish granted.

My next appointment is in a month. I’ll report back then. Thanks for all your continued purrs and prayers. Mom, Dad and I really appreciate your support.

Purrs, paw-pats and thanks, Fiona

HAPPINESS TAG

A couple of weeks ago our friends, The Canadian Cats Shoko and Kali nominated us for the Happiness Tag. We are happy to accept and sincerely thank Kali and Shoko for selecting us as a blog that makes them happy. In accepting we have some responsibilities.

List five things that make us happy:

1. Vacationing on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

Tortola -  Happiness Tag

 

2. Family: Tom and kitties
3. Cycling and Swimming
4. Friends: both personal and blogging
5. Catio (Kitties Blue choice)

 

Happiness Tag - catio

 

Name five favorite songs that make us happy:

This was very difficult. So many songs make me happy, and some of my favorite make me melancholy and nostalgic. I love some of those just as much, but these five always make me happy.

California Girls – Beach Boys

In Your Arms – Quito Rymer

 

Happiness Tag - Quito

 

Young Turks – Rod Stewart

Whenever God Shines His Light – Van Morrison

You Never Can Tell – Aaron Neville

 

Admit to adoring five bloggers who make us happy and notify those bloggers:

All the blogs we read and follow make us happy, which made it particularly difficult to select just five. But it should be evident why we have selected these five.

happiness tag - Allie

Friends Furever – The blog of Mauricio’s wife, Allie, (and housemates Ellie and Raz)

Happiness Tag -   SampsonKitty Cat Chronicles – The blog of Astrid’s husband, Sampson, (as well as five other kitties, dog Lucy and the Sugar Gliders)

onespoiledcat– Best pal Sammy’s blog (home of the Tuesday Teaser and Thoroughly Poetic Thursday)

McGuffy’s Reader  – Annie is an amazingly talented writer and poet who has become a great friend. (As a bonus her household includes two woofies and four kitties.)

Bailey Boat Cat – Bailey is an honorary Kitty Blue

We are tagging these five blogs to complete the Happiness Tag challenge and hope each will accept and complete the task of naming those things which make them happy.

Once again, the kitties and I want to express our gratitude to Kali and Shoko for selecting us for the Happiness Tag!