MacKenzie

TABBY/TUXIE TOCK-TOBER TUESDAY

We had absolutely no idea what Tock-tober was all about, much less what tocks were. One of the first places we saw this term was when we were visiting Flynn‘s blog, so we asked him what it was all about. After his explanation, we had a little better idea.

But when we read buttocks on Savvy‘s blog, we got the whole picture, so to speak. Once we knew what this was all about, absolutely everyone of us refused to pawticipate, and we knew Mom didn’t have time to follow us around trying to get the appropriate inappropriate photo.

She was forced to go into the archives, and she came up with photo from 2004 when Mauricio and Misty May were just kittens. As you can see, MacKenzie was not shy about showing off his tocks.

Misty May, MacKenzie and Mauricio

Is this what they call one of those “Get you head out of your a**” moments?

MOL, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

TABBY/TORTIE TUESDAY WITH MACKENZIE AND ASTRID

Janet had a little lamb,

Whose fleece with orange did glow.

And everywhere that Janet went,

The lamb was sure go.

Of course, that lamb was actually a cat. But I bet you already guessed that. His name was MacKenzie, and he was an orange tabby. There was nothing small about Mac, except for his size when we adopted him. At the time his name was Cyrus, and we were unaware that he didn’t meow. He actually made a baaing sound just like a lamb.

He was supposed to be his human dad’s cat. But like most cats, he decided with whom he wanted to spend his time. MacKenzie was my shadow. He followed me everywhere inside and out. And he snoopervised every activity in which I participated.

I actually always associated him with the Robert Louis Stevenson Poem,”My Shadow,” from A Child’s Garden of Verses (1885).

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,

And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.

MacKenzie sticking close by in bed.

MacKenzie was my faithful, man-cat companion until he went to the Bridge at age 10 in 2011. He even stayed by my side for five months that year while I was recovering from a broken leg. He was suffering at the time with inoperable cancer in his abdomen, and I think he welcomed the chance to spend his time snuggling next to me.

Since MacKenzie’s passing I have not had a little lamb or shadow by my side until recently. It appears, at least for now, that Astrid has decided to take up that post.

Those of you who follow this blog know that Astrid is our little escape artist. She can sprint through a barely open door before her dad or I even know she has entered a room. And she has bamboozled us a couple of times. We have yet to discover how, when or from where she escaped.

Astrid sitting in my lap while I work on the blog.

Astrid sitting in my lap and snoopervising while I work on the blog.

But recently she has taken to staying in the house. Even though she has full catio privileges, she rarely takes advantage of them anymore. I suspect it is because Fiona, for some reason, has decided she doesn’t like her. Or because, the last time she escaped, it got dark rather quickly and the skunks and possums were about.

With that said, she always accompanies me to the bathroom whether I am bathing, showering or attending to other needs. She enjoys lying on the kitchen counter or in my lap while I type. Her new form of entertainment is to get under the covers with me. She often will sleep or just as often try to remove my FitBit or any embellishment or buttons on my sleeping attire.

And she doesn’t really meow either. She mostly shrieks like a cat with its tail caught under a rocker.

September 9, 2013 by Janet Blue Backstory Tabby Tuesday Tortie Tuesday 30

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.

The 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!

One 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.

Though 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.

But 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.

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

June 17, 2013 by Janet Blue Angel Cat Backstory Man-Cat Monday 27

FIONA FRIDAY: THE BEST DAY EVER

Lisbeth, Giulietta and Fiona enjoy a little nip and their new scratcher lounge.

At least in my opinion!

Wild-eyed Astrid

The humans went out around lunch time yesterday. They were away for about two hours. Some of us decided to stay in the house and some out on our screened deck.

When Mom and Dad arrived home, they had presents for us. We got a new scratcher. It’s also a lounger. And it came with NIP. We have pretty well decimated our old cardboard scratcher. And Mom’s been complaining about all the itty-bitty pieces of cardboard all over the floor and stuck to Giulietta’s furs. So, this was probably more of a gift for her than us. But, heck, we’re not going to complain.

We also got two new crunchy balls. They are one of our favorite toys, but we can’t seem to keep our paws on them. We think Mom hides them from us, but she says we lose them under appliances, dressers and other furniture. We’re not buying that lame excuse for one minute.

That made for a pretty exciting day for all of us. But I got an even better surprise.

“What’s that? Is that a worm? Hey mom, I think I see a worm.”

Mom decided to work in the garden in the afternoon after she noticed bunches of dandelions in the side yard. She hates dandelions and wild onions (not as much as English ivy and honeysuckle, but they’re right up there).

Anyway, she took me with her. Of the five youngsters, I am the only one who gets authorized outdoor privileges. I don’t get to go without supervision, but I am not complaining. Mom will let me accompany her a few times a year as I am almost always a good girl. I stay close by and report to her whenever she calls me. Well, at least most of the time.

The snoopervisor, Misty May.

Before MacKenzie went to the bridge he was Mom’s yard snoopervisor, following her and plopping down nearby. Misty May has taken over that position, so when I am in the garden I’m free to explore.

See what a good girl I am.

Misty May tired out from snoopervising takes a nap.

Mommy was out for three hours. I only got to stay out for two, but again…not complaining. When I came in I had a nice nap on the new scratcher. Like I said, best day ever!

Purrs and hugs, Fiona

April 19, 2013 by Janet Blue Backstory Fiona Friday Kitty Written Blog 21

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: TWINS

MacKenzie & Tigger

March 12, 2013 by Janet Blue Backstory Wordless Wednesday 34

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

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.

February 25, 2013 by Janet Blue Backstory Man-Cat Monday vSquillion 20

OUR FIRST AWARD: YIPPEE!

Last week, The Cat on My Head was fortunate to be nominated for the Reality Blog Award by Kitty Tales. This blog is hosted by Denise Brixey. The blog’s mascot is Punkie.

This is not just an ordinary pet blog. It also lists both cats and dogs available for adoption from Wee Bar None Ranch Pet Placement in Apple Valley, CA. As I support a feral cat rescuer and no-kill shelter, Barn Cat Buddies in Hardy, VA, and sometimes show their adoptable pets on this blog, I really appreciate other sites that do similar things. Three of our kitties have been adopted from BCB: Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette.

Thank you, BoBo, Mi-Mi and your mommy, Denise Brixey, for nominating The Cat on My Head for the Reality Blog Award. We shall treasure it and each of you always!

There are several rules you must follow in order to accept this award:

1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them.

3) Answer the 5 simple questions. (See below)

4) Nominate up to 20 blogs for the award and notify each of them. (See below)

5) Display the award on your blog somewhere.

Here are the 5 questions and their answers. We all collaborated on the answers to prevent any hissing, growling, swatting or hair pulling.

1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?

We would make all cat owners accept the responsibility of spaying or neutering their beloved housemates so that so many of us would not be left homeless or end up euthanized.

2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be? any year?

Mommy would go back to a time when her beloved boys, Madison and MacKenzie, were alive; though, that would mean that some of us youngsters wouldn’t be, which makes us very sad. But she told us that we would still be in her future. So we guess that would be okay. We kitties like things just the way they are here and now.

3. What is one thing that really scares you?

The garbage and recycling trucks when they come down the alley if we are out on our screened-in deck.

4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you’ll be able to complete it?

We all dream that our food bowls would never be empty and that we could live forever ’cause our mommy misses all the kitties who have passed on and she gets really sad. Mom says that she wants to go to Chengdu, China, to the Giant Panda Breeding Facility.

5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?

That’s a really tough one for us kitties and for Mom. We all like who we are just the way we are. But after much deliberation, Mom says she would like to be Hugh Jackman’s wife. She thinks he’s really sexy! Sorry Dad.

Last but definitely not least, we would like to nominate some blogs we follow and admire for this award. This was a most difficult task for us as so many excellent blogs exist. We did have a tendency to chose some that feature oodles of great photos and maybe not as much writing. Our mom does tend to go on-and-on, and let’s face it, we just want to look at the pictures to make sure we don’t see any kitties cuter than we think we are.

Those of you who have stumbled across and read our blog are probably well aware of these blogs and read them regularly, but if not, please drop by and let them know you did by leaving a Comment. We feel sure you will find them entertaining.

Random Felines

Brian’s Home

Poppy Q

Daisy the Curly Cat

Jacqueline’s Cat House

Sweet Purrfections

Our Life by Eric and Flynn

Sometimes, Cats Herd You

The Island Cats

Prancer Pie

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

February 7, 2013 by Janet Blue Awards Barn Cat Buddies Kitty Written Blog Uncategorized 17

MAURICIO: IN MY DEFENSE

Hi All,

Mauricio here. I feel, in my defense, that I must offer a rebuttal to Calista Josette’s Kitten’s Choice Awards. Okay, so I’ll admit I’m not the best boy in the house even now that I am the only one besides my human dad. And I am much better behaved than I once was. Since MacKenzie and Madison passed away, I hardly ever spray anymore. When they were here competing with me for top male cat honors, I felt the need to constantly mark my territory. They were already established members of our cat house when I arrived. Being the bottom male on the cat totem pole did not appeal to me. Now, however, I’m The Leader of the Pack and everyone in the house knows it. So I usually don’t have the need to leave scented reminders.

Look at my sweet, innocent face. Do I look like a bad boy to you?

Now in my defense: Calista Jo is an attack kitten and she bugs me constantly. When she’s not jumping on me, she’s cozying up to me trying to get me to bathe, play or cuddle her. When I’m not in the mood, I give her a teeny, tiny, little nip on her ear or neck, she reciprocates and were off on a chase across the bed, down the hall or through the entire downstairs. Lots of hissing and growling accompany these incidents. This makes our mommy and daddy very unhappy. But they really need to chill. We’re cats doing what cats do. And it’s their fault! If they had not adopted a single kitten, breaking their own rule of adopting in pairs, Calista would have had a sibling to terrorize and she could have let me be.

And I am a very good big brother to all the other female felines except Lily Olivia and my real sis, Misty May. Nobody is nice to Lily and brothers and sisters are not expected to get along so I shouldn’t get any bad marks for those little misbehaviors.

I may not be a suck-up, goody-goody kitty like Fiona, but I am not a bad cat either. I don’t set out to make trouble, I just have a few little personality quirks I don’t see a need to change or control. I am a cat. So sue me!

P.S. I found it necessary to sit on mom’s lap while she typed this so she wouldn’t go astray and say something bad about me!

P.P.S. I just discovered that while mom has been looking for a photo of me to include and I have been napping in the chair next to hers, Calista Josette has been snuggling in her lap with her motorboat purr cranked all the way. She better not have changed anything in the post or it’s no more Mr. Nice Kitty.

January 14, 2013 by Janet Blue Backstory 3

CHRISTMAS: DAY 5

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: THIS IS NOT A PARTRIDGE

MacKenzie

December 19, 2012 by Janet Blue Backstory Christmas Wordless Wednesday 8

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: CAT NAP ATTACK

MacKenzie

October 10, 2012 by Janet Blue Wordless Wednesday 1

YOU
For Fiona

It seems like only yesterday…
You were just a kitten.
When I saw your pleading look,
I was completely smitten.

Now at only six years old,
You are getting ready to leave,
Soon you will have your wings.
I’ve already started to grieve.

You’ve fought hard for the past year,
And I’m not ready to say good-bye.
I can’t imagine you not in my life
I am so sad…today I had to cry.

I am grateful and blessed
For my six years with you.
You’ll live in my heart forever.
You’re one of the best ever Kitties Blue.

YESTERDAY

Many yesterdays have passed since
You gained your angel wings. Today
Is six months since you left us behind
To remember and mourn. Our hearts
Continue to hurt, and we miss
You as much as the day you left.
Giulietta whined from the catio
Yesterday as I worked in the yard.
I know you put her up to it. That
Was your way of getting me to,
Allow you to join me as I
Gardened. You were there with me
In spirit. With every meow
I thought of you and how much I miss
Your sweet face and disposition.
In these past few months, many friends
Have traveled your same path in your
paw-steps. I am certain you were
Waiting to greet them with purrs and hugs.
I pray you and your friends are laughing,
Frolicking and having fun together.
Picturing that makes me smile, but
Does not lessen my sadness at your
No longer being here to snuggle
And receive our love, care and kisses.
Fiona, please do not ever forget
You are still and always will be loved.

ONE YEAR MISSING YOU

One year has passed since you flew away,
And I still think of you everyday.
I see your sweet face in my mind’s eye
And wish we’d never had to say good-bye.
It’s nice you’ve sent us kitties needing a family,
But my dearest love, we are now at capacity.
You thought it would take more than one cat
To take your place in our habitat.
We love Cooper Murphy and baby Sawyer dearly
But thinking either could replace you makes me teary.
You were one-of-a-kind and will stay in my heart
Until the day I join you and we’re no longer apart.
When once again I can hold you in my arms
And revel in all your love and feline charms.
Together with you and all who have passed.
I will spend eternity contemplating how blessed
I was to share my life with my furry children,
Each and every one of you one-in-a billion.

UNTIL

I miss you each day.
Until we meet in heaven,
The pain will remain.

ONE OF A KIND

I don’t know how to say good-bye.
I thought you were invincible; though,
You used up many of your nine lives.
You ruled us all with an iron paw;
Never took “no” for an answer
And always got your way.
If not, you’d bark to signal your
Displeasure and sometimes raise a paw.
I always joked that you were bi-polar.
When I told people you were a calico
They immediately understood what I meant.
Today was unnaturally quiet in the house.
Can a home seem empty with eight cats?
I will miss waking up at night to find you
Sitting next to me and staring at me.
I will miss you yelling at us as you did
When you wanted breakfast and dinner.
I will miss watching you lounging and snoozing
On the porch settee on a warm afternoon.
But most of all I will miss your kisses!
When kitten Sawyer befriended you,
We suspect you were imparting your
Wisdom and secrets for controlling us.
Time will tell if he was a good listener.
But whatever he may have learned,
Neither Sawyer nor any other cat
Can or will replace you in our hearts.
Lily Olivia, you were one-of-a-kind.