I want them all

Not being able to foster any cats right now is killing me. There are a bunch of kittens at the Seattle Humane Society whom I've been photographing for their local TV appearances, and they are heart-slayers. But given that our foster room was originally Meow Meow's room (now obviously occupied) and our second foster room is now being converted to a room for the baby, we don't have an ideal foster space. And I'm not allowed to do any litter scooping or litter vacuuming or accident cleanup until this baby gets here, which means Dieter would have more janitorial duties than he can reasonably keep up with while working outside of the house.

So all of those darling little ones at the shelter are off-limits for now. Join me in squeeing over them from afar:



(Nope, this isn't the product of clever video magic; the footage, shot by another videographer at the SHS, is playing straight!)

I am NOT your squeaky toy

Meow Meow is a very tolerant kitty. She's always accepted the various cat care operations we've had to perform on her without too much protest -- nail clipping, teeth cleaning, even disinfecting and bandaging her back paws when she rounded a carpeted corner a little too quickly and yanked out almost all of her hind claws such that they bled (it's a long story we'll save for another day). In short, she possesses admirable patience.

Which, occasionally, Dieter takes advantage of for his own entertainment.

While Meow Meow will roll onto her side with abandon to accept belly rubs, she hates being put on her back. Here's what happened when Dieter, in a moment of mischief, decided to find out how long it would take for her to get out of such a predicament in her favorite place, a nice warm lap:

A new place to pose

Mom has been taking yoga classes since September and it turns out she's allergic to the studio-provided mats -- they contain latex. So she ordered this mat online, which I promptly decided to test out.

I approved once I figured out how not to get my claws stuck in the squishy material -- not flexing them quite so much when I walk on the surface.

The other option is to put my front paws on the carpet when attempting Downward Dog.

All that rumbly goodness

Leslie behind the keyboard today -- we're all well, and Meow Meow's enjoying the extended sunshine we've been getting, even though it's October. Seattle is not known for sunny Octobers.

One of the things we've always found amazing about Meow Meow is how loud her purr is. It's resonant enough to be heard across a room above the whir of the cooling fans in some electronic devices (and around here, with D's tech junkie tendencies, there are many cooling fans in operation). My phone mic can't record at such a distance to give you an idea of just how beautiful that contented rumble can be even from 15 feet away, but I did recently sample the joy up close for your listening pleasure.

Jaw-rubbing and pawing to ask for loves are bonus visuals. Apologies for the glaring light, though ...

Thank goodness, they're back

Mom and Dad went to Texas for a wedding over the weekend and they left me home alone. I know, right? Not nice at all. I missed them horribly. Forty-eight hours is a long time for a kitty, even if I did spend more than two-thirds of that curled up on my fleece blanket in total oblivion.

I had plenty of food and water (neither of which I finished), but I was afraid Mom and Dad wouldn't come back. I gave them both a thorough talking-to when they returned last night. And followed them both around very closely today to make sure they weren't heading anywhere else except work. Dad was amused this evening when Mom told him I seemed particularly clingy -- I was kind of plastered against her hip and thigh while she researched car seats on the sofa. Normally, I just sleep about a foot away from her on the afghan she knit for me. I also let her groom me way longer than I usually care for (and I'm pretty amenable to a brush session under regular circumstances). What can I say, I was feeling ignored for two days! I needed that extra TLC.

Now that both of my parents are home for the night, I'm giving Mom a break from making up their absence to me. Reading time is tummy time, Dad. Start the belly worship.

Home improvements

There is never a shortage of cozy spots here even when Mom isn't laid out on the sofa. This week, she and Dad were hardly around -- something about picking up furniture for the nursery that they found on Craigslist. (Craigslist? What's that?)

They have, so far, acquired an IKEA crib frame and chair, the former now assembled and the latter still awaiting some nuts and bolts. I'm a bit dubious about the comfort of the crib -- it looks suspiciously like a cage. Mom insists it will be better once there's a new mattress in the bottom, which is currently nothing but wooden slats. I much prefer my fluffy kitty bed and blanket, thank you very much! Especially when it's fresh out of the laundry. Mom and Dad finally caved and replaced the ancient washer that came with the house -- it wasn't draining every third load or so -- and now the new machine (which happens to reside in the kitty suite) gets my bed extra dry after the spin cycle. Mom was impressed and wonders why they didn't do this sooner.

The machine is also much quieter than the previous one, but it still makes enough noise that I prefer to hang out elsewhere while it's running. As you can see, I'm not picky about alternate accommodations. And perhaps if I'm on Mom's purse, it'll keep her from going out so much ...

They can't be the same, can they?

Meow Meow here again. Mom is still knitting and I'm taking my naps all over her equipment. Occasionally, she has to sneak her scissors or tape measure out from under my tummy, but I don't mind. I like keeping them warm -- like this book I'm resting on.

Mom says this creature in the picture is what I'll be meeting early next year. Looks fairly innocuous. Mom also tried to explain that this is the same thing as the baby I met last weekend when her friends came over for lunch. I'm not sure I liked that one -- she made me nervous because she wanted to pet me but couldn't figure out how not to grab my fur instead of stroke it. She also liked to slap things with her hands -- the couch, the carpet, the coffee table -- a little too close to me for comfort.

Mom says I did just fine, and I didn't run away (Mom also gave me lots of reassuring chin scratches and let me hide my face against her leg when I needed to). Looking at this picture, though, I'm not convinced that the baby that's coming could be like the one from last weekend. I mean, according to Mom, her baby's movements hardly feel like more than a flutter right now. Flutters = slaps?

Clearly Mom doesn't know what she's talking about.

Meow Meow has an announcement

Hi! Meow Meow here. I'm writing for Mom because she's been under the weather for the last two months -- which you might think is a total drag, but for me, it means TONS of time next to her while she's curled up on the sofa. Best two months EVER.

Mom is almost back on her feet again, but she's asked me to tell you that I'm going to get a sort-of sibling in February. A human one. She finally told her friends at the Humane Society (who occasionally visit this blog) so now I can share the news officially. I have no idea what the sort-of sibling will be like, but Mom has been knitting a lot lately, which has also been lots of fun for me. See?

I like this sock. I like whacking the back ends of Mom's knitting needles even more when she's using them. So far, I've only made her lose three stitches, but she's been cool about it.

I may be the one updating the blog for a little while, but Mom promises to take more pictures of me so you can see what I've been up to. In fact, she's got a backlog to post (most of them taken while she was lying on the sofa), so look for more shortly.

And there goes another

Meow Meow's adoption anniversary was last week! It's hard to believe she's been with us for only two years -- it feels like she's always been part of our family. It goes to show you how well she's trained us ...

In honor of the day, we treated Meow Meow to tuna, which she was delighted to discover next to her water dish. We tried to get her to look up for a second from the food, but of course, it was a lost cause.

It's good to know she's happy :)

The joys of the job

Work at the Humane Society has been keeping me away from blogging, but now that I've settled into a bit of a routine there, I've got some amusing footage to share.

On occasion, I get to edit raw film shot by other staff or volunteers of adoptable kitties to post on the HS website. This video is one of those. Bunny has been adopted already, but she was so adorable that I had to include this here anyway. She's aptly named -- with her poof of a tail stub and her two-footed hop, her back end is all rabbit.

This other film was neither shot nor edited by me, but I'm hoping to get still photos of this mischievous girl next week in order to update her profile a little more. Watch that deft little paw in action starting around 0:35. Esmerelda's definitely not reaching into her own dish! Cracks me up every time.

Remember me?!?

Smart girl that Meow Meow is, she knows when I'm not home at the usual times she expects to see me. I was traveling earlier this month, just long enough that she started to get anxious when I didn't reappear for cuddles after several mornings and nights. Dieter was home with her, but she's a family kitty. If one of us is missing at the breakfast table, she goes to the top of the stairs to summon the latecomer -- adamantly.

On my first morning home, Dieter was showing me something on his computer in our home office. Not to be deterred any longer, Meow Meow leapt to the top of Dieter's office chair to demand attention, which is a huge bound for her standards.

It seems my absence made an impression?

Why Meow Meow loves recycling

So that kitty afghan I mentioned I might knit? I did.

Here's what the yarn was originally part of -- a scarf I'd made in college that was just too bulky and itchy to wear against my neck. You can just make it out under Meow Meow. I'd already turned half of it into a hat and mittens (which are much more comfortable than their predecessor) and needed a way to use up the leftover wool. Since Meow Meow was so attracted to that particular piece of knitting to nap on while I was working on the other pieces, I figured turning the leftover scarf into a mat for her was the perfect use. The bonus for us: much less fur to comb out of the couch!

I suspect she knew what I was doing as she really wanted to be in on the process ...

I realized after I'd finished that I should have put a border on it so the blanket wouldn't roll at the edges, but Meow Meow doesn't seem to mind. Right, Meow Meow?

Meow Meow?

Well, you get the picture.

Dissembling dozer

Don't let the paw over Meow Meow's face fool you -- that eye to the right of it is half open, keeping tabs on the whereabouts of all it surveys. Asleep? I think not.

When Meow Meow's really out, her head ends up lower than her body on the back of the couch -- her favorite place to nap when no one's nearby to cuddle up with.

Resisting temptation?

I've had some knitting projects going this winter, as you can see. In the process of trying out a few patterns, I've learned that Meow Meow enjoys watching yarn dance between skein and needles as I work, but when the string isn't moving, she's content to ignore it. Which means I can leave works-in-progress sitting in the open without worrying that a certain nimble paw will unravel them while I'm not around.

I may have discovered this week, though, that Meow Meow isn't exactly ignoring my knitted goods. I've caught her napping on top of some half-finished garments, in particular, the heavier knits. Perhaps a little kitty afghan should be on my list of things to make ...

A slight shift in venue

So what happened to February?

Well, several things. The first is that the room in which we'd been doing our fostering began undergoing a makeover that wasn't kitty-friendly, so for the time being, the only resident cat is sweet little Meow Meow. She says hi.

The second thing, which I've been dying to post but couldn't until all was finalized, is that I have a new volunteer position at the Humane Society. All the photo-taking and video-making I've been doing here for the last two years and change? I'm now officially doing it for the kitties at the shelter. I trained during the second half of February and finally started working last Friday.

I'm thrilled to be able to work with so many more cats who need help finding new families. The first little lady I met last week was Penny Lane, whose video (original footage shot by the marketing department) is below. I'm hoping to post more regularly now that training is done, so stay tuned for more updates! And of course, check out the other darling furries on the Seattle Humane YouTube channel ...

Resolutions? What resolutions?

Meow Meow isn't one to worry about her weight, and in general, we don't worry about hers either since we control her food portions. Dieter, however, does enjoy keeping Meow Meow active.

Unbeknownst to me, he decided to buy her a Christmas gift to further his (her, my) entertainment. And well-being! Happy, healthy pets make for happy pet parents too, no?

On the day of our holiday celebration (a week early, as we had to travel to be with family), Dieter presented Meow Meow with a tiny package wrapped just for her. This is why I love him:


Inside, he'd placed a length of leather cord. Way too much for one kitty to handle -- but the extra means whatever we offer Meow Meow can be replaced should it get too worn out.

Of course, we were eager to find out what she thought of her new toy. Here's her review:

I'd say that's a pretty solid recommendation.

Like bookends

Meow Meow had another luxurious stay at the Hotel Shanti while we were traveling for Christmas. Shanti's dad managed to catch both cats on the window seats he'd installed and sent us this picture shortly before we got home. I was reminded of a pair of bookends -- though in truth, Shanti is rarely still whenever we visit him. I can't imagine him sitting on any shelf for long!


We are glad to have Meow Meow back, especially after nearly two weeks in a kitty-less home. She, too, seems delighted to have our morning routine again, rolling on her back to beg for tummy rubs as I come down the stairs and jumping into my lap as soon as I sit down for breakfast. If only the return for us could be so easy! (I won't get into the details of unpacking, replenishing our groceries, sorting through the accumulated junk mail, doing trip laundry ...)

More updates soon, including some backlogged Christmas news. Until then, happy 2012!