Rusty's World

Remembrance Weekend

2011-05-01T11:25:00.004-04:00

I'm lighting the Remembrance Candle in honor of all the wonderful kitties we've lost, including my Rusty. It's not been easy getting used to life without him.

Thanks everyone for you kind thoughts and wishes. I know that Rusty is at the Bridge now frolicking with all his great furriends from the Blogoshphere.

Rusty's Mom Writes

2011-01-19T19:51:00.004-05:00

I want to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and wishes. It's been really hard for me after losing Rusty. We had gotten so attached to each other after Grady passed away. We were so close. I feel like I lost a part of myself. It has been so hard. I know you all understand. Some days I just wish I could see his little face again. It brings me to tears.

Thank you all for your kind thoughts. They make my cry when I remember, but they do offer me comfort too.

Letting him go has not been easy.

Rusty Comes Home

2010-11-16T16:01:00.002-05:00

Rusty's Mom here: Today started out being a very bad day. I cried from the time I got up this morning, I don't know why, but I was just feeling the loss of Rusty so much. Then the vet's office called. Rusty's remains were ready to be picked up. I didn't know how I would feel, and I was already being torn about what to do with him. Should I bury him in his favorite place in the yard or should I just keep him close to me? Well, I didn't realize this, but he came back in a very nice wooden box. They made me a cast of his paw print, which made me cry again. But, I decided for now that he should be on his window ledge where he always sat and watched outside. So, that's where he is.

Thank you everyone for all your kind comments and thoughts. I cried while reading them but they let me know how much Rusty was loved by so many friends here.

Rusty - Sad News

2010-11-06T11:12:00.003-04:00

Rusty's Mom here. I want to thank everyone for their purrs and prayers. Rusty was gently helped to the bridge this morning. I know he's there now with his brother Grady and his friend Fat Eric and all the other kitties that have gone before.

Last night we rushed him to the emergency vet when he could no longer walk. He began deteriorating rapidly after we took him to his regular vet yesterday evening. At the emergency vet he got more fluids and they gave me a nutritional supplement. They ran blood work on him and everything appeared to be pretty good, but still the fact remains that he was not doing good. I got him home and took him to the litter box and had to help him stay upright so he could go. This morning he couldn't even lift his head and I knew it was time. So, with my heart breaking, I called his vet and took him in.

When I'm feeling more up to it, I'll post a remembrance of him here, but for right now, I just have to get used to the idea of him being gone.

Thank you everyone for being here for me and Rusty.

Rusty Update

2010-11-05T19:26:00.002-04:00

This is Rusty's Mom again. Thought I'd just let everyone know how Rusty's vet visit went. He wasn't horribly constipated, the vet said he could feel waste in his colon, but nothing of any large consequence and nothing that indicated he could have a blockage. Rusty was dehydrated so they gave him fluids. I was given some B-vitamins with iron and also an appetite stimulant for him. This vet told me to stop the lactulose since he felt it was adding to Rusty's dehydration and to add mineral oil to his food instead. So, we'll see how it goes.

Keep your purrs and prayers going for Rusty, I know that he and I really appreciate it.

Rusty Report

2010-11-05T12:48:00.003-04:00

Hi, this is Rusty's Mom. I just wanted to let everyone know that today he is not doing real well. He hasn't eaten all day and he really looks like he doesn't feel very good at all. I can't get him into the vet until this evening and I'm not sure if he's just constipated again or if perhaps more is going on. My husband is convinced that his body is beginning to shut down, I don't know, I just feel all I can do right now is try to prepare myself for the possible worst. He has been around a very long time, much longer than I ever thought he would. All I can do at this point in time is tell myself that he's had a wonderful life and I've done all the best I could for him.

I ask that you keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks.

I will try to keep you all posted as to what happens.

Mancat Monday

2010-11-01T09:46:00.004-04:00

I'm still a pretty good mancat. I still explore and check out my yard on a regular basis. But, it's getting colder now and I don't like to go outside when it's cold, so every warmer sunny day I get outside when I can.

I have to tell you though. My Mom went away for a week to visit the Morgan-baby. She actually left me home alone all night for the first night because the house sitter was out of town until the next day! I was so mad at my Mom, first for leaving me for a whole week and then leaving me home alone! But, when she came back, I was so glad to see her. She also took me to the vet person before she left. So, that's three bad things... vet, home alone, gone for a week. But, the vet lady suggested Mom try to feed me something called toonafish if I don't eat (and I don't eat, I hate the food Mom gives me. All except for whipped cream, I still like that.) This toonafish stuff is good! Mom's not sure it's a good idea, but I like it and I eat it.

Rusty's Mom here. He did fine being home alone that first night. I was a bit concerned about it, he hasn't been left alone all night for years, not since he was much younger. But, he was ok.

The vet told me that his kidney value is up a little bit and his liver enzyme, alkaline phosphatase, was also up a little bit, but she said that it's nothing to be real concerned about yet. Rusty just doesn't want to eat much anymore. He leaves the cat food in the bowl and ends up eating maybe only 1/4 or less of a small can a day. I do worry about this not eating, but I'm not sure that feeding him tuna fish every day is also a good idea either. But, what do you do with an older cat? I guess I try to just give him as good a life as I can. He sleeps most of the day now so perhaps he doesn't need to eat much anymore. I fear that his time is getting shorter and I try to prepare myself for that eventual day. Then, when I think the time is drawing nearer, he does something remarkable for such an old cat as if to say, "I'm not dead yet".

Thanks everyone for visiting his blog, even though we don't post much anymore. I find it hard to write about him, when I'm worrying so much about him. You've all been such good friends to him.

Rusty's Thursday

2010-09-30T09:57:00.001-04:00

Mom let me have some donut for breakfast. I LIKE donuts! A LOT!

Then, I had so much energy from the donut, I went outside on the deck for a while.

But now, after all that, I think I'll just take a nap for now. I need rest these days, it's not easy being 19 1/2 years old. That's for sure.

Mancat Monday

2010-09-13T13:12:00.002-04:00

Mom got a new computer last week. She has been spending so much time with it getting it all set up with her stuff. I've been feeling a little bit neglected. So, I told her that today, we needed to put something on my blog, and no excuses!

So, today after I yelled at her a few times, I went outside to do some mancatly things like check out my yard and make sure there were no introoder kitties around. There weren't. Which is a good thing, I'm not so sure I can move fast enough anymore to chase them away!

After that, I came back in the house to jump in my bed and take a nice nap. Even mancats need naps. I just need a lot more than you younger guys do.

So it's been a good day, so far. I just need to get Mom out of that computer room so we can sit on the sofa together.

Mo-Cats Day!

2010-09-09T09:06:00.003-04:00

On 09-09-09 some human decided that it should be no cats day. Well, us blogging kitties just were not going to stand for that.

So, Derby decided that from now on 09-09 should be Mo-Cats Day.

I know I don't blog so much anymore, my advanced age makes it hard, but I am still here. I am still on the internets and I plan to be here for a long while yet! Yay for internets kitties!

Mancat Monday

2010-08-30T10:02:00.005-04:00

Don't let my age fool you. I can still be a ferocious mancat! I still have some teeth! And I can still growl and look fierce too!

But, most times I'd just rather relax and look debonair. Being ferocious is so exhausting!

Goodbye Sweet Eric

2010-08-18T09:06:00.002-04:00

I just heard the news about my good budd, Fat Eric. He's gone to the Bridge. I'm so sad to hear this, but I know that I'll be at the Bridge soon myself, so I'll be able to check in on him. Mom is still crying, I know we will all miss him. He was a great kitty.

Tuesday

2010-08-10T09:18:00.002-04:00

In the morning, before it gets real hot, Mom lets me go outside for awhile. Sometimes I just like to lie on the deck and look around at things.

When I feel up to it, I head down the stairs to get a closer look at stuff. Sometimes I go under the steps and head to my favorite napping place behind the big green bush. You can see when I have a good pathway between the first and second steps.

But, some days, I just like to wander around a bit and see what I can see. I enjoy these outside times and I hate when Mom makes me stay inside when she says it's too hot.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday morning, I'm enjoying mine a lot.

World Cat Day and Update

2010-08-08T11:04:00.004-04:00

Mom says this is World Cat Day and it's an important day to celebrate cats around the world. Mostly, I just want to celebrate me.

So, I spent a little time on the deck this morning just watching things in the yard, until Mom made me come in when it started getting warm. She says it's supposed to get to near 90 today and she doesn't like me outside in the heat and humidity. I'd rather be outside, but I just get no where trying to argue with Mom. She's the Alpha Cat you know.

So, I crawled in my bed for a nice nap. Happy World Cat Day everyone!

Rusty's Mom: I want to give everyone an update on how Rusty's doing. A couple weeks ago I took him into the vet for a checkup and blood work. He wasn't really happy about it, but I just felt it was time, it had been a little more than six months since I took him in last.

He had lost some weight, nearly a pound from the last time he'd been in, but he just hasn't really been eating real well. The vet agreed with me, that if he doesn't like the k/d food anymore and really won't eat it unless he's desperate, I should just feed him other things. She said at this point in time quality of life and Rusty being happy is more important than trying to extend his time.

The blood work surprised us both. His kidney test showed improvement. He's in the top of normal range now. She remarked that he is one tough cookie. Yeah, don't I know it. But, he did have a result that caused a little concern. A liver enzyme called alkaline phosphatase was a little on the high side. I believe she said that normal was 30-60 and Rusty was at 90. Not an extreme concern at this time, but something that we should watch. I wonder if it became high because he wasn't eating well and had lost so much weight. I know that weight loss in cats can affect liver function. But, other than that he's doing well, he wasn't dehydrated and she gave me lactulose for his constipation and it seems to be working well. I think that most of his trouble is that he doesn't do much anymore and spends most of his day sleeping and I've read that cats need to move around and exercise in order to keep their body functions working well. Just like people, I guess.

Anyhow, he's eating a lot better now, nearly double what he was eating before. He's up to about 1/2 can of food a day now. I give him Fancy Feast twice a day with his lactulose and the rest of the time I feed him Science Diet Senior which isn't too high in phosphorus and he seems to like pretty well. I've got information on the Fancy Feast but the flavors that seem to be lower phosphorus all are gravy types with chunks of food, and I don't think he likes that as well as the ground up type of food. He'd more than likely lick the gravy and leave the rest. So, I'm still thinking on that.

But, he's nearly 19 1/2 now. He's lived far longer than I ever thought he would. So, I guess at this point in time, I agree with his vet. We'll keep him happy and comfortable and when his time comes to head to the Bridge we'll gently help him there as well. He's been a great little guy and has even been an inspiration for me on how to live and enjoy life.

Thanks everyone for your concerns. He's doing well now and we'll just take each day as it comes.

Rusty Report

2010-07-20T15:28:00.003-04:00

Hi, this is Rusty's Mom here. I know we haven't been blogging a lot lately. Rusty's been having some problems, he's not been eating much and he's been having a lot of problems with constipation. I think that's why he's probably not been eating much. You can only fit so much in there, and if it doesn't come out, there's not room for more. I've been really concerned and giving him Laxatone, which he loves, pretty much daily and it's helped some, but not really enough, I don't think. The vet told me to give him mineral oil, which I have done, but it's such a fight to get it in him. So, today I finally said, enough is enough. I went to the store and tried to buy canned pumpkin, which I hear is really great for these types of digestive problems, but the grocer told me that they don't have it in stock right now since the pumpkin crop was really bad last year and they barely got enough to cover for Thanksgiving and the holidays. He told me they didn't expect to see it in the store until the end of the summer. Oh, oh, that's not going to help Rusty out. So, I tried second choice. Baby food squash. I bought a jar of that and some Fancy Feast Turkey and Giblets. Some of the folks on the CRF newsgroup say that Fancy Feast is what they give their kitties when they stop eating well. I guess the thought is that not eating is worse than giving them a delectable food that they will eat. So, I mixed the Fancy Feast with some squash and gave it to a very tired, sick looking Rusty. He wolfed it down like a starving man! So, I came to a decision today. Rusty has been looking bad and acting weak lately. He's 19. He's starving because he just doesn't much like the k/d food and he's getting constipated eating it. So, I'm not sure how much time he's got left on his calendar, but I think he's going to get Fancy Feast and squash. If it clears up his constipation and gives him some strength to enjoy the end of his days, then so be it. He's resting now, as you can see from his photo above. I'll let everyone know how he does the next few days. Send him some good purrs, I know he'd like that.

Mom! I Wanna Go OUT!

2010-07-07T15:49:00.004-04:00

What do you mean it's 102 degrees in the shade out there and I should stay in where it's cool? I wanna go OUT!

I wanna go OUT right NOW! Open this door! Awwww, Mom, you're NO fun at ALL!

Friday Fun

2010-06-25T10:24:00.003-04:00

The Guy put a hummingbird feeder right outside my favorite window! Now I can watch the birds, but only thing is, I haven't seen any yet. Mom says the birds probably won't come when I'm sitting so close in the window, but I really want to see them real good.

Easy Like Sunday

2010-06-20T10:52:00.003-04:00

Today is a lot cooler than yesterday so Mom let me out on the deck this morning just so I can relax and check out my back yard. I have this cool shady spot next to the outside food cooking thing. She and the guy are planning to go somewhere later this afternoon and she doesn't let me stay out when they're gone, so I might as well enjoy as much of this as I can for now.

Hope everyone has a good, easy Sunday!

Saturday Caturday

2010-06-19T15:29:00.000-04:00

Mom won't let me go outside today since it's over 90 degrees. She says that's way to hot for me in my furry coat and she's worried that I'll get to much heat at my advanced age. So, I guess I'm stuck in the house for now and I'm just gonna snooze in my bed.

Easy Like Sunday

2010-06-13T08:25:00.003-04:00

Just relaxing on the deck scoping out my back yard. Not a whole lot going on, but it's nice to just sit here and relax.

The Hunter is Back, Sort Of

2010-06-02T10:55:00.004-04:00

Over the weekend, I was walking across my back yard and guess what I saw? A robin and two babies! They were running around the neighbor's driveway, flapping their little wings! I couldn't help myself! I forgot my arther-itis and I just RAN! And I GOT it! I couldn't believe it! I ran to the front of my deck with it and the Guy saw me. Mom yelled for him to get the bird from me. Whaaaaaaaaat? I was hoping for a nice warm lunch! Well the Guy got the bird and took it away from me and Mom grabbed me and put me in the house. They are such spoil sports. This is a picture of maybe the bird I caught, Mom wasn't sure since there were two of them.

I still think an old guy like me can still have it.

This is Rusty's Mom. Before anyone gets upset, I want to let you know that the baby bird is fine. It went on to finish running around in the yard with its mom and sibling and finally ran off to where ever they went after their workout. Rusty didn't have the bird long enough to do any harm, and without many of his teeth now, even carrying it in his mouth did no harm to it. In fact, this photo was taken when it was taking a rest after running around the yard while its sibling was on its way across the street with its mom. Eventually this one joined them. I'm not sure if this is the one Rusty caught or if it was its sibling. He did go out in the yard later and looked all around the deck for it, and I think he was not happy when he couldn't find it. It surprised my husband and I so much when he took off running after the bird and the fact that he caught it too. To see him run, you'd never have guessed that most days, he has a hard time walking. Guess he just forgot himself for a few minutes in the excitement of the chase.

I didn't read everything Mom said, but I still think that she and the Guy are such spoil sports.

Rusty - Tummy and Toesie Tuesday

2010-05-25T08:18:00.003-04:00

Some days it's nice to just snooze on the porch in front of the big glass door.

Finally Friday - In the Yard

2010-05-21T13:32:00.004-04:00

Here I am in the yard, sitting on the sidewalk. Mom's yelling at me not to eat the grass since it tends to make me throw up. Most times, I just ignore her and throw up anyhow.

I think I'll just head back torwards the deck, since Mom won't let me eat the grass. She just makes way too much noise and sometimes, well, it just gives me a headache. "HEY MOM! MAYBE YOU SHOULD JUST CUT THIS GRASS, I CAN HARDLY WALK THROUGH IT!" (There, I yelled back at her. That should show her.)

"Ok, Mom, let me in the door already. I've had enough yard for now. I think maybe I need some whippped cream now since you won't let me eat the grass."

It's My Gotcha Day!

2010-05-01T08:58:00.011-04:00

Nineteen years ago today, my Mom and my human sister went to the Humane Society and picked me out from all the other kitties there. They brought me to my forever home and I've been here ever since. I've had a great life here with my Mom, she's loved me very much and I love her too.

Me and Grady not long after I came to my forever home to live.
So, everyone, join in my Gotcha Day pawty. I've got lots of good things here for everyone to enjoy.

We have lots of yummy ham (one of my favorite foods)!

And shrimp and crabmeat for all the seafood lovers.
Lots of whipped cream (my most favorite food ever).
Catnip martinis for those who are old enough to drink
and glasses of cream for those who aren't old enough or those who don't drink.
And, we've got lots of toys to play with too.
I hope I've got plenty here for everyone, have a good time and ENJOY!

Easy Like Sunday

2010-04-18T10:27:00.003-04:00

Just relaxing in my bed this morning. Not sure what I want to do today, the sun's finally out, but it's a bit chilly outside.

Finally Friday!

2010-04-16T13:24:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, I finally got a chance to explore my front yard. So many things to see since last year.

I sniffed some of the plants in the front garden, but none are blooming yet.

The border bricks are warm on my back feet. It feels good while I look across the yard.

And, sometimes I just plain like walking on top of the border bricks. It gives me a path to walk along.

Today it's raining a little bit, but I just know I will have lots of time to explore the yard now that it's finally spring!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T12:10:00.001-04:00

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Mancat Monday

2010-04-12T15:26:00.004-04:00

Hi Evrybuddy. I know I haven't been around much lately, but with my Mom being gone for awhile visiting the new baby, I just haven't had any chance to get to the computer. Mom's back now for awhile and I sure missed her a lot!

Mom says she thinks I'm still a very handsome mancat even though I am a very old one now. She took my photo here and I decided to let her until I found sumpin better to do

like jump up

and sit in my BIG window and watch what's going on outside. It was a bit chilly this morning so Mom wouldn't let me out on the porch, but I got to look out and see how green the grass is getting now. I think that Old Man Winter has finally gone to where ever he goes for the summer. Yay!

New Arrival!

2010-04-01T09:56:00.004-04:00

Mom's still gone, but she told me she could put a picture of the new kitten, err baby, on my blog for me. I wanted everyone to see her. I think she's pretty for a human baby.

Morgan Elisabeth (that's her name) was born March 28, 2010 at 6:56am. She weighed 5lb 14oz and is 19 inches long. Wow! She weighs less than me!

Mom told me that mother and baby are doing fine. I can't wait for Mom to get back home. I'm being good.

Gone for Awhile

2010-03-27T19:12:00.003-04:00

Oh, oh, Mom's green packing bag is out. I think that means she's leaving for awhile.

I don't like that green packing bag. It means Mom will be gone. But Mom tells me that they're off to Pennsylvania since my human sister's baby is coming (come from where I wonder?), but anyhow we will be gone for awhile. Not sure when Mom will be back.

Wordless Wednesday - Dreaming of Summer

2010-03-24T10:14:00.002-04:00

I won! I won!

2010-03-23T13:33:00.003-04:00

Rusty - Mom! Mom! I won, I won!

Mom - What did you win, Rusty?

Rusty - I won the CB t-shirt! I've never won ANYTHING before!

Mom - Well, that's very nice, Rusty. I'm glad you finally won something.

Rusty - Me too! I'm not real sure what a t-shirt is, but it sounds cool. I can't wait to get it!

Mom - It will come soon, sweetiepie. I'll let you know when the mailperson brings it, ok?

Rusty - Ok, but, I'll keep watching for the mail truck too!

Easy Like Sunday

2010-03-21T11:05:00.004-04:00

I'm spending this Sunday snoozing in my bed all day. It got real cold last night, but at least we didn't get any awful white stuff. I'm hoping things get nice and warm again, and until then, this is where you'll find me.

Saturday Caturday First Day of Spring

2010-03-20T09:31:00.003-04:00

We've been having some really great weather here this past week. It's been in the 60s and the sun has been shining. I've been able to spend a lot of time on my favorite chair on the porch snoozing. Mom says that's all spose to change today, it's spose to get cold again and even snow! So much for Spring! But, Mom says that's how the weather does this time of year. She says in April, old man winter will finally be done. I can't wait. I LIKE going outside and snoozing on the porch!

After the Pawty...

2010-03-11T08:16:00.003-05:00

Thanks so much everybuddy for coming to my pawty yesterday and helping me celebrate turning 19. I had a great time and and hope that you all did too. We partied hardy all night long! What a way to celebrate this milestone in my life. Now, I think today I'm going to have Mom clear the party remnants from my bed so that I can take a nice long nap.

It's my 19th Purrthday!

2010-03-10T08:17:00.007-05:00

Welcome to my 19th Purrthday Pawty!

Thanks to the girls at Zoolatry for this great photo to help me celebrate!
We have lots of seafood to eat.
And a whole yummy ham!
And Mom went out and bought my most favorite food, Whipped Cream in the can!
We have greenies for treats.
And lots of toys to play with.
So everyone come in and have a great time, we'll celebrate all day long!

Tomorrow's my Birthday!

2010-03-09T12:54:00.004-05:00

I will be 19 years old! Everyone please come and celebrate with me, I'll have lots of good stuff (if I can get Mom off her butt and get busy).

I'm even taking a bath and cleaning my toes to get ready too!

Easy Like Sunday

2010-02-28T16:40:00.002-05:00

A week or so ago, we had some real nice temperatures and it was sunny so the porch warmed up a lot and we were all able to sit out there and relax. I sure miss that during the cold winter (so does Mom and the Guy too). I just sorta napped the afternoon away on the porch feeling the warm sunshine on my back. It felt soooooooo goooooood!

Some have made comments about Mom keeping chocolate goodies on a shelf in the basement with the other stored food. Well, Mom has real good self control and she just knows if she gave in and ate all those chocolate goodies right away, she'd end up gaining too much weight so she tries real hard to keep those urges in check. She gets a few out of the box and takes them upstairs and puts them in the big white cold box. She says she likes them better when they're cold but not frozen. Then she eats them before she goes back for more.

The Guy was a bit elated this morning cuz he caught one of the mouse culprits. I'm afraid it was a death sentence for the critter too, the trap did it's dirty deed. But, Mom says she hopes no more delicious peanut butter cups will be wasted on the mouse population. The guy reset the traps just in case, though. You never know when there's more mice hanging around. I sure wish I could have caught that mouse. I haven't had a warm meat meal in a very long time. I always liked the head best too. I used to woof that down right away and then leave the rest for Mom in case she wanted to just roast it for dinner.

Oh, Oh, I'm slippin'

2010-02-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

Mom went to the basement storage shelves to get a peanut butter cup. Guess what she found! Someone's been eating them! She says it must be mice. She looked at ME! (I haven't been eating them) and said I must be slippin'!

Well, look how high up on those shelves the boxes of peanut butter cups are! I can't get up that high at MY age! I just CAN'T! Mom needed a ladder to take the picture! So, the Guy says we need to get some traps to catch the mice that I can't catch (and he said it with kind of a sarcastic look, rolling his eyes, like how good is a cat that can't at least catch mice!)

Well, all I got to say is, I'm a bit old to be hunting mice these days. I used to catch them, but at my advanced age (I'll be 19 years old on March 10th) I just can't do that stuff anymore. I'm RETIRED!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T09:39:00.002-05:00

Cat Olympics

2010-02-20T16:34:00.009-05:00

Ok, I wasn't going to really enter or host any Cat Olympics events. I mean, at my age, the only one I feel I'm really good at is napping. I mean, I probably nap more than anyone else on the blogosphere!

But, then I got to thinking. There are some things I can do quite well. One is the Twin Event. Now look at these photos. I think I do very well at looking like my nephew, Bastien's, twin.

Now, really, you can't look anymore like someone else than that, can you?

And, then there's the stairs climbing event. I have that mastered. With my house, there are so many stairs that I need to climb, that even at my advanced age, I can do quite well. Look at this form:

Is this not the face of a champion?

Yes, even if I don't win the gold, me and my Mom think I'm always a gold medal winner all around.

Mancat Monday

2010-02-08T13:12:00.002-05:00

I'm doing a smart mancat thing and I'm hunkering down in my bed for the next few days. Mom says that even though we were lucky and missed the last snowstorm, we are supposed to get hit with 6 - 10 inches tomorrow. 10 inches! Wow, that's higher than I am tall on all four legs! I won't be able to go outside at all, until they can get things cleaned up a bit. I'm NOT looking forward to it. Mom says maybe she can get some pretty snow photos, but you know what? I'd rather have pretty SUMMER photos! So, I'm going to stay hunkered down in my blue blankie covered bed and dig in (oh no, I can't believe I just said that!) for the next few days.

Saturday Caturday

2010-02-06T11:38:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh, Saturday. A relaxing day. We didn't get hit with all the white stuff that some folks got last night, we were just at the very edge of the storm (which I am caternally grateful for since I don't like that cold, wet, white stuff). Hope everyone who's buried in can just stay in their nice warm beds and nap like me. I peeked and saw Mom sneaking up with the flashy box. But, notice my great sleeping form. Front leg partially over my face to block the light, head curled around on my floofy tail, and if you look closely my head is resting on my back foot. I think I should be in the Kitty Olympics. Mom says I can curl up into the smallest bit of cat she's ever seen.

Hope everyone has a good Caturday, those who got the storm, stay home and warm.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-27T09:14:00.002-05:00

Easy Sunday

2010-01-24T12:27:00.002-05:00

I looked out the deck door window today and guess what I saw? It was raining! It's January and it was raining! The snow is nearly gone and it really looks more like spring than it does winter.

I went out for a few minutes on the deck, but it was so wet, I decided the best thing to do was just to spend today relaxing in my bed (which Mom gave back to me) and thinking. I do a lot of relaxing and thinking these days. I'm turning into a real cerebral sort of guy.

Hi, this is Rusty's Mom. Just a quick note. He's still wheezing on occasion, but it doesn't seem to bother him. He doesn't look like it's causing him any difficulties, he goes about life just as always, wheezing or not. So, I'm going to just keep an eye on him and try not to be too concerned. I think it's mostly emotional, he seems to start when he gets happy, excited or stressed. But, other than that, I can see no real triggers such as allergy, etc. For the most part, he appears to be doing fine and for that I am glad. Thanks again, everyone for all your well wishes and purrs. I know that Rusty and I greatly appreciate it.

Easy Like Sunday

2010-01-17T13:11:00.002-05:00

Mom's still been trying to figure out what's causing my breathing problems. She took away my new bed, she thought that maybe I was allergic to something in it, and it was made in China and she's real antsy about things made in China these days. So, now I have a blue blankie to use as a bed for now. She's watching to see if I wheeze anymore.

Hi, Rusty's Mom here. We got the bloodwork results back from the vet. She told me that for a cat his age, his results were very good, so nothing unusual or overly abnormal there either. As Rusty complained above, I took away his new bed to see if maybe he's allergic to something in it. I've also quit feeding him Temptations and he's getting Greenies now, which he likes just as well. I've also quit burning scented candles, checked out the humidity setting on the furnace. I quit using Bounce dryer sheets too and just went back to Downy unscented fabric softener. These are all things that I can think of that changed or were added to his environment before the wheezing started. I guess when the wheezing/whistling stops I can then gradually re-introduce things to see if something sets if off again. He's been doing very well since yesterday afternoon and has only had a very slight wheeze again. So, we'll see how it goes. His vet just told me to watch him, since they can't find any medical reason causing this, except maybe indoor allergy. If he starts up again, I'm going to take him and get him x-rayed from his nose to his toes to see if something shows up. Thanks everyone for all the well-wishes and purrs. He seems to be holding his own for now.

Not so Wordless Wednesday

2010-01-13T11:54:00.002-05:00

I'm hiding out in my bed so my Mom can't find me to take me to that vet place again. I HATE that place! They do all kinds of things to me there. There are strange smells, lots of other animals. Euwwwwwww. I want to just stay home and smell my home smells.

Ok, the coast looks clear now so I think I'll take a bath and try to wash off all those other smells.

Rusty's Mom here. Don't let Rusty kid you. He's actually very good at the vet even if he tries to make a quick get-away though the back door. They took x-rays of his chest which all looked normal. The vet who saw him said that his heart had a slight abnormality, but she felt that more than likely that was just a variation that is normal to Rusty. Nothing to be alarmed at or concerned about. His lungs looked very clear, his blood vessels feeding his heart all looked normal and fine. So, it's back to the drawing board. They took some blood to do a workup, but I haven't heard back about that yet. So, I'm back to thinking it's a sinus/allergy issue. The vet did mention that they can get polyps in their sinuses which is a possibility, but they didn't check for anything like that yet. He actually had a very good day yesterday, very mild wheezing at times, nothing like the choking, gasping attacks he's been having. Today he's been good too. I decided to try to clear out scents from the house, I got a new litter called Precious Cat which has no perfumes or deodorizers which is a great improvement over the Tidy Cat I had used for years. A complete cleanup (rug wash, sweeping) of his litter box area and a completely new litter box too. We'll see if that helps. No more scented candles for awhile either. I raised the setting on the house humidifier too, just to see if that makes a difference. But for now, he seems to be doing much better. All this is probably just his age, he is going to be 19 in March which is a very old age for a cat. To be honest, I am very surprised that he's lived this long. He was always my "wild boy" who disappeared all day and did his thing, hunting and roaming along the banks of the river near us. I guess I should be grateful that he's had such a long wonderful life for a cat. I think if he could tell you, he would say that it's been a great life.

Thanks everyone for all the well wishes and the purrs. I'll let everyone know if anything changes.

Rusty Update

2010-01-11T16:25:00.002-05:00

Rusty's Mom here. We had a rough weekend. Rusty got a couple shots at the vet on Saturday, one a steroid the other an antibiotic. Neither seemed to have really helped. The vet thinks that if he had asthma, the steroid injection should have given him some relief. He has an appointment tomorrow morning for x-rays to see if they can tell what is giving him so much trouble breathing at times. It's really frightening to hear him wheeze and struggle to breathe. I'll let everyone know how tomorrow turns out. Thanks everyone for all your purrs and well wishes.

Saturday Caturday

2010-01-09T14:55:00.002-05:00

Rusty's Mom here. I wanted to let everyone know how he's doing, I gave him some Childrens' Liquid Benedryl this morning and of course, he didn't like it much. But, it made him spit out a lot of mucus. So, I called the vet and they had me bring him in to give him an antibiotic shot in case he has an infection and also another shot that will help him with his congestion. So, as you can see below, he's resting quietly now and I'll see how he does when he wakes up. I know that for us beans it's not always easy getting older and I sometimes think that's the same for our beloved kitties. Thanks everyone for being there, Rusty and I both appreciate it.

Thankful Thursday and Rusty Update

2010-01-07T16:43:00.005-05:00

Here I am giving Mom the laser eyes to impress her while she takes my photo with her new picture box she got for Christmas. As you can see, I can get up in my window perch more easily thanks to Mom's thoughtfulness getting me the little bench to climb up with. I am thankful for my Mom and my window perch. I can watch all the snow fall outside (but I'm not thankful for the snow, it can go away any time now. I HATE snow!)

Rusty's Mom here. Thanks everyone for the thoughts and suggestions. We have a whole house humidifier attached to the furnace because I have so many issues in the wintertime with dry air (I get nosebleeds all the time without the humidity.) Rusty seems kind of phlemmy and congested so I'm going to try some benedryl on him. The vet said that I could give him 1/2 teaspoon of Childrens' Benedryl to see if that helps. I just have to get to the store and we're in the midst of a snow storm right now so I might have to wait until tomorrow. But, I'll give it a try and see if it helps. It scares me so much when he starts that wheezing and he acts like he can't get his breath. Keep him in your thoughts. Thanks so much for all of you being here to help.

Saturday Caturday after the Holidays

2010-01-02T15:49:00.002-05:00

Mom did something really nice for me. She saw that I was using the presents over Christmas to jump up on the bench to get to the window. So, she made the Guy bring down a stool from upstairs and put it in front of the bench to make it easier for me to get up there.

Yep, thanks Mom, I know you're always thinking about me.

This is Rusty's Mom. I've been a bit worried about him. He's started doing some wheezing when he breathes. I took him to the vet and he said his lungs sounded good, nothing seemed to be amiss, but still I worry about this wheezing. The vet said he thought it was a sinus thing. It seems that Rusty only does it when he's excited, and I've seen some comments on the internet about it in older cats, but I haven't found any conclusions or what it might be. Rusty seems to be fine, except for when he's wheezing, and then I get worried and put him on my lap to calm him down and get his breathing back to normal quiet. Has anyone else experienced this with an older cat? I thought I'd ask here since you all seem so knowledgeable about cats and their difficulties and health problems. It's hard when you have an older kitty. You know that day is coming and you keep trying to push that thought aside. I know that we all love them so much and we have a very hard time dealing with losing them.

I can't read what Mom just said, and she won't tell me what she wrote, but I sure hope that everyone had a very happy Holiday Season and I hope that everyone has a fabulous New Year!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-23T14:49:00.001-05:00

Sometimes the best Christmas gift is just a BIG box!

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Snowy Caturday

2009-12-19T10:22:00.003-05:00

This is what I see this morning when I look out the deck door. I tried to go out, but I just didn't like that white stuff all over EVERYTHING! So, looks like I'm staying inside, but I'm kinda bored. Maybe I can get Mom to take pity on me and just feed me lots of treats today.

Hope everyone has a great Caturday and weekend.

Finally Friday!

2009-12-18T13:36:00.004-05:00

It's finally Friday and I sure am glad. It's been a busy week, Mom and the Guy have been out shopping and Mom's been working on getting the house cleaned up. My human sister comes here next week and then they're all going to Pennsylvania for a few days. I'll be home with the house sitter again. *sigh* Either we need to move to Pennsylvania or my human sister needs to move back here!

Mom finally got my present wrapped this week. It's not real big, but she says that sometimes the best things come in smaller packages (I think she's talking about me too cuz I'm kinda small).

And, mine's the only one that has ribbon on it, Mom knows I like ribbon.

Mom has a lot to do next week, she has to bake Potica, which is a Slovenian nut bread. It's an old family recipe handed down for generations. So, I just hope she doesn't get too busy (there's that four-letter word again) to help me blog. I'll just have to bug her a lot!

Mancat Monday and We're Decorated!

2009-12-14T12:52:00.005-05:00

We are decorated! And, in my usual mancatly manner, I made sure I snoopervised and that everything was done right.

Yep, it all looks good to me, except for that spot on the bench to the right of the tree. Can I fit up there to get to the window to look out?

Mom! I'm not sure I can fit there on the bench next to the tree!

Yes, Rusty, you can fit there. There's plenty of room for you.

Ok, guess I just have to trust that Mom knows what she's talking about. I'll check it out later on tonight when I like to look out to see what's wandering around my neighborhood in the dark.

I wonder if any of those presents there are for me?

Nope, my name wasn't on any of the tags! Mom said my present wasn't wrapped yet, she needed to get some more paper. Guess I'll just have to trust her on that one too.

Then I spent a little bit of time looking around on the rug to make sure Mom didn't miss any decorations (and sometimes there's a treat or two there for me too!)

Mom took this fancy photo using a speshul filter for the flashy box that makes the lights look like stars.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-12-13T10:02:00.004-05:00

Ahhhh, Sunday morning. A very relaxing time in my house.

Here I am sitting on my Mom's lap while she and the Guy watch Sunday Morning on TV. It doesn't get any easier than this. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

The power is all back to normal at my house, it got fixed on Friday. So, Mom can do all the normal things she does like cook. I'm glad it's back to normal. Mom and the Guy are going to put up the Christmas tree today. And, Mom's got lots of presents to wrap too.

Brownouts

2009-12-10T10:24:00.004-05:00

We're currently having a power brownout situation here. Mom says we should be grateful we have enough power to run the furnace, but she's having problems with running our main computer that has all my photos and stuff. Right now she's using the laptop. Internet is spotty, she's trying to keep the cable modem, router and at least the wireless up and running. We're not sure how long we're going to be like this, but I sure hope it's not too long.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-12-09T09:06:00.000-05:00

Mancat Monday

2009-12-07T15:09:00.002-05:00

I think I've been here once before. I seem to remember a not very nice experience.

Let me think about this for a little bit.
Oh, oh, perhaps I have gotten too close, could that be the shadow of doom hanging over me?
You know, I think I'll just show how mancatly I can be by just walking away. Sometimes a mancat has to be smart and not make the same mistake twice.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-12-06T11:00:00.000-05:00

My favorite way to spend Sunday during the cold, cold winter.

Mancat Monday - Mom's Home!

2009-11-30T14:06:00.004-05:00

Mom's home! She and the Guy came home late yesterday. They said they had a real nice Thanksgiving with my human sister. They also said they saw an ultrasound (does it play music?) of the new kitten (errrrr baby, they call them babies) and it looks like it's a girl. Mom and my human sister were excited about that, I'm not sure about a girl, since I'm such a manly cat. We'll just hafta see how it all works out.

Mom took some photos of my nephews. This is Simon and Mom said he's so cute (as if I'm not?) Mom assures me that I'm cute too, but just not quite in the same way cuz I'm older.

This is Bastien and he's older than Simon. Mom says he's pretty, but not as cute as Simon either. (Hmmmm, what is it about younger cats?)

But, in any case, Mom brought me presents! I got a new mat to lie on. It's furrie. And I got a new bed that's just the right size for me.

And, Mom admitted she bought a bag of Temtayshuns for my nephews, but she brought TWO bags home for ME! I LOVE Temtayshuns!

Tuesday Work

2009-11-24T15:29:00.006-05:00

Oh, oh. Mom thinks that I should maybe start doing some things for myself and become more self-sufficient (whatever that means). So, she partially closed the door to see if I would push it open myself. Now, understand, I am nearly 19 years old. I've spent enough years on this planet to think that maybe people should just wait on me and do stuff for me now. I think I've earned it.

But, no, Mom just sat on the other side of the door and kept calling me. I kept giving her that look that said, "Mom get off your butt and just open this door for me". But, she wasn't having any of it.

So, then what does she do? She gets out the BIG GUNS! Temtayshuns! Who can resist Temtayshuns? Certainly not me, but this door still looked too big to push.

So, she put a Temtayshun down on the floor and I thought I'd get a little paw action in. I got a couple of them that way.

But, enough of this. I just got tired and gave that old door a big push and got myself through. I think I need to send Mom back into training so she can learn to just wait on me again.

Mom and the Guy are going to be gone for Thanksgiving. They're going to visit my human sister in Pittsburgh so I won't be around for the rest of the week. I just want to wish all the kitty bloggers and their families a very Happy Thanksgiving.

My Ooops Accident!

2009-11-18T11:30:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Mom decided it was time to clean the jets on the whirlpool tub. So, she started filling the tub up with water and left the bathroom door open so she could hear it running and not forget (my Mom forgets lots of things. She just says it's 'cuz she's so busy all the time.)

I just had to go see what was happening, I like to jump in the tub sometimes, especially when Mom has the curtain drawn, it makes it like a secret hidey place. But, this time, unknown to me, there was WATER in the tub. Kerplash! Mom heard scrabbling noise in the bathroom and came running.

Me, I couldn't get away from the bathroom fast enough! Man! I was in SHOCK! (I left a wet trail from the bathroom through the dining room.)

Mom got a nice big blue towel and tried to dry me off as best she could and I worked on the rest. Mom says I was lucky she hadn't put in any bleach yet, the tub was just beginning to get halfway full. Next time, I've got to LOOK before I leap!

I also want to mention that I, in all my greatness, am featured today on Wendy's LOL-Spot. The pictures made me and Mom smile, so if you get a chance, click the link and have a look. Thanks Wendy!

Easy Like Sunday

2009-11-15T12:43:00.001-05:00

It's still warm enough that I can go and sit in my favorite chair on the porch and relax for a Sunday. It doesn't get any easier than this.

Saturday Caturday

2009-11-14T09:49:00.003-05:00

I was spending Saturday morning doing my favorite past time, napping.

Then Mom came along with that flashy box and took some pictures of me. She tried to get me to wake up and smile for the photo, but I just wasn't in the mood. Guess I look a little grumpy here, but it's hard to look pleasant when you've been wakened up from a nice nap.

Hope everyone has a great Saturday. It's spose to be sunny and warm here today, so later on, I plan to spend some time napping in my favorite chair on the pourch.

Thankful Thursday

2009-11-12T11:04:00.002-05:00

I have lots to be thankful about. Mostly I'm thankful that I have such a good home and a Mom who cares a very lot about me.

Here's me and Mom. Mom got a remote thing for her camera and now she can take photos of us together, instead of just me. This was taken right after she got in my face and I licked her nose (which is what I do when she gets right in my face). Mom laughs when I do that. I like when Mom is happy and laughing. It makes all right with the world and makes me glad and thankful.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-11-08T16:38:00.003-05:00

I was sitting on Mom's lap on the porch and we were talking about the new heater stove thing and how we haven't needed it these last couple days cuz it's been so warm and the sun has really heated up the porch.

Then, I just couldn't help it. I just had to look inside that black flashy box thing (that doesn't flash much anymore since Mom took photography classes). I didn't see much inside there, so I'm not sure how that picture thing works at all. But, Mom shows me how it can save a memory of me. She says that will help make her feel better when I am gone. (Huh? Where am I going? Hey Mom, don't feel bad, I'm gonna be here a very long time!)

Saturday Caturday

2009-11-07T09:32:00.004-05:00

A nice relaxing Saturday for me. A few weeks ago, Mom and the Guy bought a heating stove to put on the porch. It's lectric, but it looks like a burning wood stove. It heats good for days when the sun isn't bright enough to completely heat the porch, works just enough to take off the chill.

Here I am and where I plan to spend most of the day, snoozing in a chair on the porch that's in direct line with the heat from the stove. Ahhhhhhh. It's supposed to be a bit warm and sunny today, so I might not even need the stove too.

Dona Nobis Pacem

2009-11-05T14:24:00.003-05:00

"Give peace a chance." John Lennon

Rainy Friday

2009-10-23T12:51:00.003-04:00

Today's a rainy day and I think I'll just nap on my comfy blankie on the sofa all day. I really don't want to go outside, I tried that this morning and came right back in the house cuz it was just too wet outside. Bleh, I hate the rain! I want sunny days always!

Mancat Monday

2009-10-19T12:35:00.005-04:00

This is my ferocious mancat look.

Don't I look so mancatly? Do you think this look would keep the neighborhood introoder cats away from my yard and also make the girlcats swoon?
Mom's still been practicing with that black picture box thing. Thankfully, no flashies, but I still can't get used to her just sticking that thing in my face. I'm always waiting for that bright flash.

Ok, Mom, enough already! I think you've taken like a hundred pictures and I'm tired now. All these photos were taken while I was sitting on Mom's lap. She just held the camera out there and "snap!"

Many thanks to Zoolatry for including me in the Masked Monday. I recognized me right away.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-10-11T08:15:00.002-04:00

Ahhhhhhh, it's Sunday again. I like Sunday. Everyone sits around after breakfast drinking coffee (just cream for me, please) and relaxing all morning. Mom reads the paper and I get to sit on her lap when she gets over to the sofa. I finally got my sofa-sitting privileges back after getting my feet cleaned up enough.

Mom's been taking a photography class at the local Community College and she's learning how make photographs without using the flashy thing. I'm liking this a lot more although I still shy away when she comes at me with that black box that used to flash. She says that in the house, she's going to have to get her small tripod out to use since the camera wants a very slow shutter speed and big aperture (whatever that means) when she doesn't use the flash and photos can get very blurry when she just holds the camera. She took this photo just holding the camera and she tried to stay very, very still. Later today, she wants to go over to a big park and take some photos. I'm waiting until she learns a lot and can take some real nice candid shots of me.

Saturday - Caturday

2009-10-10T08:42:00.003-04:00

It has been raining so much here, Mom and I are really getting tired of it. Things outside are so wet. And, not only has it been raining, it's been kind of cold too. Last night I went out and Mom wasn't too happy with me when I came back inside. Can you see why?

Yep, look at my feet. I didn't think they were that bad, but Mom did. She wouldn't let me up on the sofa to sit with her until I got cleaned up. I fussed about it, I mean really, they'll eventually dry and the dirt will come off, but those Moms, they just don't want that dirt to come off on the sofa, I guess.

So, I got busy doing a bit of foot cleaning.

And, since Mom was so upset, I thought maybe I should just clean a bit more to try to get back in her good graces. It took me awhile to get my feet in an acceptable condition, Mom got a damp washcloth and helped too, but you know, I really don't like her messing with my feet. Especially the back ones, they're a bit sensitive, you know?

Mom says it's not supposed to rain today or tomorrow. I sure hope she's right. We're both so very tired of the rain all the time.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-10-04T12:43:00.002-04:00

This is how I'm spending my Sunday. Relaxed and napping in my nice warm bed. It's been cold and rainy here lately, and even though I've gone outside in the rain, I really don't like it much and I won't stay out very long. I just sit on the deck next to the house under the roof overhang. I don't get so wet that way.

Mom says winter (snow time) is coming and that doesn't make me very happy. I see leaves from trees all over the ground now. I wish summer can be here all the time.

Easy Like Sunday - NOT!

2009-09-20T13:20:00.004-04:00

Mom enticed me to come out on the deck with her. Little did I know, she had that furminator thing in her hand.

I don't care if it smells like me and Mom, this is not my idea of a way to spend my Easy Sunday. No way. Uh uh.

So, I just ran off the deck down into the nice green grass and turned my back on Mom. That way, maybe she'll just take that furminator thing and go away. Yep, this is much easier. Easy Like Sunday, lying in the cool green grass, ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Saturday Caturday

2009-09-19T15:10:00.000-04:00

Mom caught me napping this afternoon in what's left of the catnip in the garden, next to Grady's resting place. I like to nap there sometimes, it makes me feel closer to my brother, who I still miss very much.

Not so Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-16T13:44:00.002-04:00

Mom was just reading the paper and was horrified by something she read. A burglar broke into a home and put the cat in a washer, closed the lid and turned it on. The full story can be read here news story. Mom is just horrified at the cruelty in the world today and she wonders what motivates some people. She's worried that the human race is on its way down into the gutter at a fast clip. I know there are still good people in the world, many of which are found here on the cat blogosphere.

Easy Like Sunday

2009-09-13T09:25:00.003-04:00

I know I haven't been around for awhile, Mom's been really busy again. Not sure what she's been doing, but she always tells me she has LOTS to do!

The porch is finished and if Mom gets time today, I'll get her to take some pictures. She has a baby shower thing to go to (are they going to give a baby a shower? That poor baby! I'll just never understand what these humans do sometimes). I like to sit in front of the big door window and look outside. Sometimes I just doze here too.

Hope everyone has a great, relaxing Sunday. That's what Sundays (and most other days) are for!

Finally Friday!

2009-09-04T08:30:00.002-04:00

Mom fixed up a pillow on the porch so that I can have a comfy place to take a nap. I think this is a good way to spend a Friday.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-09-02T09:28:00.001-04:00

Easy Like Sunday Morning

2009-08-30T07:30:00.000-04:00

My idea of a good way to spend Sunday morning. Hope everyone has had a good weekend so far and an easy Sunday.

Finally Friday and Humans are NUTS!

2009-08-28T08:43:00.005-04:00

Humans are NUTS! Mom got up this morning and said she was feeling a bit stiff (what else is new, Mom, it's called getting OLD, been there, done that!)

So, she started walking up the stairs. Ok, normally she goes up, and then she does stuff up there and comes back down. So, I thought I should follow just to see what she was doing and make sure she did it right. But, she went up, then came right back down, then went up again, then came right back down! I thought that maybe she'd lost her mind! But, she said it was eksersise (whatever that is). She told me that since the weather's been not so good outside, she couldn't do eksersise stuff outside. She told me to stay downstairs, but I just had to keep following just in case I missed something.

I had to stop and take a breath. She was going too fast for me to keep up. I lost count after 10 since I can only count that high. She told me again to stay downstairs, but I just couldn't. I just had to see what she was doing!

I decided Mom is nuts. This is just too much work. I can hardly make it to the top, where's my water dish? I think I need a drink!

Mom: Rusty always has to follow me. Once when I got on the treadmill he did too. It was so funny when he fell off the back.

Rusty: Oh yeah, Mom, just yuk it up over me. See if I care.

Finally Friday

2009-08-21T09:34:00.003-04:00

Ok, I've really had enough of this furminator combing thing. So, I decided when I see Mom get that purple comb out, I'm putting something like the table between me and her. Take that Mom! Just try to catch me, I may be old, but I still think I can outrun you!

Mom took this picture the other day and she said she really likes it. She didn't use the flashy thing and so it came out with a pretty neat effect.

Hoping everyone has a great Friday!

Tummy and Toes Tuesday

2009-08-18T10:58:00.002-04:00

Mom went after me with that furminator thing again this morning. She worked on my tummy. She says we still have lots to do and my hind quarters and tail need a lot of work yet too. She found some little twigs and leaves stuck in my tummy furs too. Well, Mom! I like to lie under the deck in my leaf bed, what can you expect?

I am gonna be so glad when she gets tired of this furminator thing. Only thing I like about it, is she gives me lots of Greenies to make me happier while she's combing me with that thing.

FURMINATOR!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-17T19:41:00.004-04:00

Mom went to PetSmart today and got this FURminator thing. I'm not sure I like it, but Mom gives me lots of Greenies when she has it in her hand, but then she holds me by the scruff of my neck so I can't get away and then she rubs this thing on me! Look at all the furs she got off me! She says that we still have a lot more to do, whaaaaaat? I think she's already gotten a whole me off me! Mom's in 7th heaven, I'm not sure where I am except that I must certainly be a few pounds lighter!

Easy Like Sunday

2009-08-16T10:29:00.003-04:00

Ahhhh, relaxing on my Boogie Mat, I've got my 'nip nanner here and I'm all set. Maybe I can figure out that flying thing and go visit my three cousins, The Island Cats. If that doesn't work, I'll just have a nice nap.

It's been a nice weekend having Mom all to myself. Yesterday we made some mint ice cubes and some Rosemary ones. They worked out good. Mom's going to do some more later today if it's not too hot. She's talking about putting on the cool blower since it looks like the hots are back for a couple days. She didn't turn it on yesterday because it stayed pretty cool in the house, even though it was hot outside.

But, it hasn't been all fun and games this weekend. Mom decided I really needed some grooming real bad and so she tempted me out on the porch with some Greenies and man, she combed and combed. Look what she got off me!

And, we're still not done yet. That was only half of one side! I don't like to be combed and groomed, even with Greenies. I heard her thinking about getting something called a Furminator. Wonder what that is, wonder if it's better than her grooming comb? Mom tries to be gentle, but it pulls when she combs me. I hate that!

Saturday - Caturday

2009-08-15T11:29:00.002-04:00

Today is finally Saturday and I get my Mom all to myself this weekend. The Guy is going to a place where they make the big driving machines go real fast. Mom explained that guys get in those machines and go round and round to see who can get to the end first. Then lots of beans go to watch the machines go round and round. Kinda sounds like a cat toy and I asked Mom if the beans chased the machines and she said, no they just watch. Kinda sounds boring to me, but then beans always do a few strange things anyhow. In any case, I got my Mom all to myself! Mom found some ice cube trays so we're going to cut some herbs and try freezing them following Alfie's instructions. And, Mom spent a lot of time with me this morning on the porch just petting and petting me. I really liked that. So, it looks like it's going to be a great weekend!

Hope everyone else has a good weekend like me!

Mom's Herb Garden

2009-08-13T14:05:00.002-04:00

Here's a couple pictures of Mom's herb garden.

First we have from the left, Thyme, Rosemary, Italian Parsley and Basil. There's some catnip there for me on the right.
Then, on the other side is some more catnip for me, followed by Oregano and Mint.
Mom liked what Alfie Marshall posted on his blog The Cat's Meow about freezing herbs and Mom says she's going to try that. She just has to look and see if she has an ice cube tray (we have an ice maker and don't use trays anymore).

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-12T13:00:00.003-04:00

Tummy and Toes and Dreams

2009-08-11T09:47:00.003-04:00

Thought I'd show some tummy and toes for Tuesday.

Now, I've heard a few of you talking about flying around on boogie mats. and for some reason, I've not been able to succeed at that. Maybe it's my age, and I just get so exhausted trying. So, I spend more time sleeping here than I do flying and the only flying I do is in my dreams.

Dreams are great, aren't they? Mom says I twitch a lot when I sleep, she says she knows that's when I'm dreaming (she also says I snore, but I just tell her that's me showing my mancatness in my dreams, it's not a snore it's really a growl). When I dream, I'm like a used to be, running and jumping and hunting at the river again. Sometimes when we get old and can't do so much anymore because our back aches from arthritis, dreams are the best way to live as we used to. I think maybe that's why I sleep so much these days. Dreams are nice.

Mancat Monday

2009-08-10T09:40:00.003-04:00

Here I am for a Mancat Monday today.

My Mom and the Guy were gone all this past weekend. They went to visit my human sister and see her new house in Pennsylvania. They left me home with the house sitter. She's ok, but she's just not my Mom. I missed my Mom all weekend. I missed her lap, she has the best lap in the world for sitting. It's just not the same when she's gone.

I heard some news too. My human sister is having a kitten (wait, they don't call them kittens, they call them babies). So, I imagine my Mom will want to make more trips to Pennsylvania to see her. I heard them talking and they said she'll probly have the baby sometime in April. And, I heard my Mom talking on the phone with my human sister and they were talking about my Mom going and spending a month with her after she has the baby. A MONTH!!!!!!!!!! That's a long time! What will I do without my Mom for a MONTH???????? What is she thinking??????? Me and the Guy for a whole MONTH without my Mom! I don't know what I'll do!

Saturday Caturday

2009-08-01T10:54:00.001-04:00

Here I am in one of my favorite spots on the new porch. It's very much like a cave to me. I like that I can lie there and no one even knows I'm there until they get down on the floor and look for me. It's my own little private place to sit.

I'm feeling much better now. I think my cold is nearly gone. I hardly even sneeze anymore. Thanks everyone for the well wishes.

Tummy and Toes Tuesday

2009-07-28T20:08:00.002-04:00

This is a good day for tummies and toes, I think.

I had to go back to the V E T. I was sneezing and snotting and Mom was afraid I got an Upper Respiratory Infection from being at the Hospital overnight. The V E T said that it looked like it was not an infection, but just a virus (spelled Kitty Cold) that maybe I caught while I was there. She gave me a shot, just in case. But, I'm still sneezing, just not so bad now. Wonder how long these cold things last? It's been a week now and Mom is still a bit concerned. The V E T also gave Mom some pills that are supposed to perk up my appetite, I've lost a half pound in the last year and Mom was concerned that maybe I wasn't eating enough (those Moms are ALWAYS concerned about SOMETHING!) But, man do those pills work! I was so starving! I ate like a horse! Mom thinks maybe I'll gain a little weight back. I just hope this cold thing goes away soon. I don't like having a cold!

Easy Like Sunday

2009-07-26T07:47:00.005-04:00

Thought I'd relax on the front sidewalk and check out how the porch project is coming along. It's nearly done, the Guy just has to get the new lattice to put around the bottom. He's got it on order and hopes to have it in a week or so. The grass is all growing back in along the sidewalk real well, and Mom's breathing a sigh of relief. I think it's all turned out rather well.

This is my house. Mom tells me it was built in 1896, so it's pretty old, but we like it. Especially all the windows.

So Embarrassed!

2009-07-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

I am so embarrassed! I mean really, here's my Mom on Mancat Monday posting that I was constipated! I mean, how mancatly is being constipated? Us Mancats are supposed to be cool and tough not constipated! It's gonna take me awhile to get over this embarrassment. Those Moms, they just don't have any clue on how to act sometimes!

I really didn't like being in the hospital, but I tried to be good because my Mom told me I should be. I also am a pretty smart guy and I just know that if you don't do what they want, they'll make you stay even LONGER and I sure wanted to go home. I didn't want to stay in that place any longer than I had too!

But, I must admit, this is the relief I felt after it was all over. I have to tell you younger Mancat guys, getting old is the PITS! Sometimes it ain't fun at all!

Rusty Update

2009-07-20T16:21:00.002-04:00

Hi, this is Rusty's Mom again. I just spoke with Rusty's vet and he's doing fine. She told me I can pick him up around 6:30 EDT, they wanted to give him fluids one more time and make sure that he's cleaned up. She said that he's pretty much cleaned out now. She suggested giving him the Petromalt on a daily basis for a week or so, then every other day after that. She also told me that I could put some Benefiber in his stinky goodness food or try some canned pumpkin or even baby food squash, just to get him a little more fiber in his diet. I'm thinking that now he's going to join me and the Guy trying to keep things regulated around here.

She did tell me that the last x-ray showed some arthritis in his spine, which is not unusual for a cat his age. But, other than that, he's in great shape age considered. So, I'm relieved. He'll probably post something tomorrow and tell you all about it.

-Rusty's Mom

Rusty News

2009-07-20T10:30:00.002-04:00

Hi, this is Rusty's Mom. I know we haven't been blogging much lately, but it's been a really busy summer for us.

I wanted to let everyone know that Rusty is at the Animal Hospital after I took him in yesterday when he got constipated and was unable to easily have a bowel movement. The vet x-rayed him and said that yes, he did have a few poop balls stuck in his intestine and that they would give him an enema or two (poor Rusty) and keep him overnight. I just got an update, they told me that he did have a bowel movement last night, but they still feel that he hadn't gone enough yet, so they gave the poor boy another enema and they're keeping him for awhile longer to monitor him. The vet also told me that she saw something else in his x-ray that she thought was just a loop in his intestine near his stomach, but she wasn't sure until she saw the followup x-rays to see if it moves along. So, no word on that yet, but they said he's doing fine and eating well. So, everyone say a quick prayer that everything comes out all right (literally) and that Rusty can come home this afternoon and is fine.

Interestingly, the vet told me that I should give him Petromalt on a daily basis just to help keep things moving along in the future so they don't get stuck again. I plan to do that. He likes Petromalt and thinks it's a treat.

So, that's it on Rusty for now. I'll keep you all updated.

-Rusty's Mom

Saturday Caturday

2009-07-11T14:41:00.002-04:00

It rained this morning. Mom was glad it did, since the new grass seed they planted in the front wasn't doing real well and she thought it needed a good natural soaking. She also said the herb garden really needed a good watering.

I know about that, sometimes a good natural drink is the best. So, I went out on the deck table after the rain and had a real good, refreshing drink. Yummmmmmm.

I haven't been around much lately, Mom's been pretty busy, so she days. I'm not real sure what she's been so busy at, she said she had a few computer problems that she thinks are resolved now. And she was hoping to get into some new job training program, but she's not real confident about that and she'll find out for sure this next week. I think she's just getting bored with things and not working.

She's really happy with the porch project. She and the Guy spend a lot of time out there sitting on the nice wicker furniture enjoying the cool breezes from all the open windows. The Guy's been painting, he's working on the floor today after getting all the walls done. I'll have to put up a finished picture when he's done. Mom wants a ceiling fan put in and I think she's going to get that. The Guy thought it was a good idea too.

So, that's about it for a Saturday, Caturday in Rusty's World.

Caturday Picnic

2009-06-27T08:19:00.002-04:00

Well, today's the big picnic day. I couldn't get Mom to go out yesterday and de-stress by rolling on the sidewalk. I really tried to convince her it would make her feel better, though.

I'm going to help her right now so we can do a quick blog before she gets too busy with more preparations.

Here's all the stuff they have packed up ready to go. Mom says I have to stay home, but that's all right with me since I really wouldn't want to go for a long ride in the driving machine anyhow. Mom says she'll be glad when the picnic is all over with. I hope it all goes good for her.

Finally Friday!

2009-06-26T10:05:00.005-04:00

It's finally Friday, after a very exciting week. Think I'll have a scritch or two on the sidewalk to start the day.

The raccoons finally all got down. The Guy who's married to Mom said he saw two come down Wednesday night when he went to bed and he saw the other two come down Thursday morning when he was on his way to work. So, they all got down and went to where ever raccoons around here go to hang out. Mom's relieved that they are all safe and ok.

My human sister's wedding celebration picnic is tomorrow and Mom's just been going a bit crazy trying to help organize things. My human sister should be home today and then they have to go shop for food and other stuff. The Guy who lives here just left to buy some ice. Mom says she'll be glad when this is all over. (She's sort of a stress person, I told her to just go out and roll on the sidewalk for awhile and she'd feel better.)

The porch project is coming along, Mom and the Guy went to the wood store last weekend and bought big sticks of wood to finish the inside. The Guy wasted no time and had the wood all up in a couple days. He says he's getting too old for this construction stuff and he was a bit achy for a few days. But, it's nice, they have a few more pieces of wood to get and put around the windows and door. Then they'll paint. Mom told me already, no way was I going to be allowed to snoopervise the painting. She didn't want to have to clean wet paint off me. Here's some pictures of the work in progress.

C'mom you guys, I can't snoopervise if you won't let me out the door. I just gotta make sure you're doing a good job!

Let me try a different approach. I'll try getting in from the outside.

Well at least I can see more now, but it's kinda hard to do a real inspeckshun through glass.

Here's my chance! I'll just slip in quietly when they're not looking...

Oh, oh, the guy's yelling that I'm getting in the way and maybe I should just try to make an exit. Sheesh. Guess he just doesn't appreciate good help.

Well, here's what they got done. I think it looks pretty good. Can't wait until it's completely finished and all the mess and noise is done.