Owie Cats

There is a side to Her which appears to be kind of new. It seems as if every day or so, She gets a headache over Her eye. It is very puzzling to all of us, because She never goes out, so if it is something in the air, it is something in the house. I can promise you, it has nothing to do with cat hair, because the only cats in the house are Kasey and me, and our hair is magnificent. Anyway, to get rid of the headache, She takes two little red pills, and if it doesn't go away soon, She takes a little, tiny bright pink pill. The red pills are for Her to stop hurting. You may remember, the pink one - that's the one that makes Her sleepy. She doesn't like to take that one before She goes away, in case She gets very sleepy while She is having a good time. Today, She was so excited to go and see Cleo'sOldestGirl, who was visiting. She was fine for the visit. He and She had a big bunch of good things to eat. She enjoyed seeing both of Cleo'sGirls, who had fixed a wonderful dinner. She loved talking to Cleo'sMom and-Dad, but all of a sudden, She felt as if She were going to fall asleep. That was not good, because She was driving in Her car. It would be very dangerous if She fell asleep while She was driving. Luckily, He and She got home and She was still awake. All full of good food, She couldn't stay awake much more, and settled down in Her big chair to rest Her eyes. I am not sure, but I think I heard Her snore. Kasey and I had plenty of kibbles, so Kasey went to rest with Him, and I climbed up to rest on Her.. What a nice visit it had turned out to be. Chow, bellas.

Good Looking Cats

As you can see from our pictures here on my stories, Kasey and I are splendid-looking cats. I, of course am the handsomer, because I am three times as big as Kasey. She weighs around 6 pounds, while I tip the scales at close to 18. I am a prettier color than she is, and I have a seriously better disposition. There is no argument that sweet cats are easier to look at than grumpy cats. No, Kasey does not look like that famous grumpy cat, but the only time Kasey looks sweet and innocent is when she wants a treat. As cats go, however, Kasey and I are fine examples. He and She look quite good to us, although neither of them looks like models or movie stars. I believe He is slimmer than She is, but She says Grandmas are supposed to look like dumplings. I have seen dumplings, and She does resemble one. The big difference with Him and Her is that She doesn't yell as much. She gets loud when She is cheering for something, or when She is joking. He gets loud every time something doesn't work. She and I suspect He has a little trouble with His hearing, because He turns the TV up very loud, and says the people are whispering. She doesn't bother him about it, but She turns the TV down when He isn't there. People have different ideas about what is good looking, which turns out to be a good thing, or else everyone would look the same. No two people look exactly alike, and neither do any two cats. She sees a cat and says that looks exactly like my darling Coffee, but I have to laugh when She says that. Whatever cat She says that about doesn't look any more like me than Kasey does. I bet everyone thinks his or her cat is good looking. Pink fish for our dinner. That looks good to me. Toodle pip.

Friendship Cats

Of course Kasey and I are friends with Him and Her, and I know how good it feels to have our friends around us. He and She feel the same way about us. They have other friends, as well, and I have noticed that these friends can cure whatever is wrong with them. She was happy seeing Her friend, Hana'sGran this week, So happy She was singing. Just to keep the happiness going, She met with Her beloved Crones yesterday. They aren't actually Crones anymore, because sometimes there is Cleo'sGirl, who is a Cronelet, and sometime another Cronelet, Smudge'sMom'sGirl, comes along, too. But last night there were two guys who can't be Crones, because they are men. Smudge'sDad and Cleo'sDad caame to the meeting, and She was right chuffed. They all chatted and had good things to eat, and there was a lot of laughing. She thought that would be the end of real-life friends for this week, but no. This morning She got a phone call from a friend who lives very far away - even farther than Her OperaGirl. This friend loves horses, and She sent a nice blanket with pictures of horses on it, and they had a lovely phone visit. This girl has a dog-cousin of ours. His name is Buddy, so she is Buddy'sMom. She really loves that She has such good friends who can brighten even the worst day. She also has so many friends that She feels like She knows very well, but they are Her computer friends, and She loves them almost as much as She loves us. While we are all being happy around here, She has a nice bowl of shrimp that She will mix with vegetables for our dinner. Then She puts some nice sauce on them, and I could eat a whole bowl of that sauce. So I am happy enough to sing - if I knew how. Bye for now.

Buying Cats

Every so often I look over Her shoulder while She looks at Her catalogs. It is unusual for me to see something I would like to have, unless She is looking at the catalog for cat products, and everything She has gotten for me there has been just fine. Of course, Kasey and I get tired of some of the things after awhile, and He and She are stuck with them. She got each of us a water bottle that lets you drink out of the little dish, and then new water comes down. He has to fill the bottle when it gets empty, and it worked just fine for awhile, but then we both got tired of it and asked for our old water dishes to come back. We have ignored every toy They have ever gotten for us. Sometimes we played with it once, but usually we just sniff it. If it has a stick with a string on it, Kasey and I bite through the string, and there is just a stick and some feathers or a toy on the floor. We like biting through strings, although She is not amused when I try to bite the string that holds Her eyeglasses around Her neck. The thing that we like is treats, and He doesn't need a catalog for that.l He gets our treats from the pet store, and we like them just fine. I like to play with Her, and I do that every day. I get on Her when She is in Her chair or at Her desk, and I bump Her head with my head. That is hilarious fun. Sometimes I hide under Her neck, and She wonders what that big fur thing is on Her chest. I untuck my head and She sees that it is me. Right now, though, we are buying things that are bargains for Christmas presents. That means She has to organize Her gift-closet. She would not be able to do that without Kasey and me. When She opens the door, we go in and climb around and find things She has forgotten, so we don't have to buy more for that person or cat. What would She do without us? I tremble to think about it. Well, back to the catalogs. Cheerio, mates.

Celebrating Cats

One thing that humans do is to celebrate. That means that when someone is glad about something, they put a name on it and call it a celebration. One thing She likes is celebrating birthdays. She loves Her birthday, and when one of Her beloveds has a birthday, She wants to have lunch, plus some dessert and to give him or her a gift, or at least a card. Today She celebrated the birthday of Hana'sGran, and was completely chuffed to do it. It isn't so much about what they eat, but it is about time they spend together. She thinks that having lunch or dinner with a friend is a reason to celebrate. Then, if you add a birthday to that - well - She is in high spirits for several days. It wasn't so easy to celebrate His birthday, because it is on a day called Christmas Eve, and a lot of people are too busy to celebrate with Him. She thinks the most important thing about Christmas Eve is Him, but not everyone feels that way. One year, a long time ago, He and She started celebrating Christmas Eve AND His birthday with Cleo'sPeople. Everyone got together, had a big dinner, and opened presents for Christmas. When it was time for dessert, Cleo'sPeople had a birthday cake and presents for Him. He and She love that. Our Auntie Heather has a birthday in about one week. Aunt Heather and Uncle John live so far away that they can't have dinner with Him and Her, so She sent a card so that they could celebrate where they live. The next birthday to celebrate is Her Brother, He and She always sent A special Texas ice cream for his celebration. Don't worry - it isn't a surprise. Her brother knows what he is getting. Kasey and I came here to live in the same time as Her brother's birthday, so They celebrate it here with us. We get good, healthful treats. Whenever your birthday is, I hope you celebrate it. If you don't like to celebrate, we will be glad to do it for you. Chow.

Cookie Cats

I don't think She has too many bad habits you don't already know about. One involves cookies. She loves cookies, but there is a certain kind She has with Her coffee-the-drink every afternoon. They are kind of like a sandwich of yellow cookies with chocolate in the middle. I am not allowed to share them with Her because of the chocolate. Just about every day, She eats six of these cookies, so She likes to have a back-up on hand, in case She runs out before He can get Her more. One day, when She was looking for bargains, She saw a company that would sent Her six packages for a really good price. She was chuffed, and ordered them, and waited for Her bargain cookies to arrive. When they finally came, She was excited, but that didn't last, because She saw that there was white frosting instead of chocolate in every package. Of course, She decided to remain calm, and contacted the guys that sold them. She had proof that She had ordered the right kind, so they said it was their mistake. She had to send them back, which was a lot of trouble, but they agreed to give Her the money back. Now they have been shipped off and She has to wait some more. She has to find the bargain again, order those cookies again and hope they send the right ones. In the meantime, He has brought Her a package to have when this package is gone. If anyone asked me, I would say She should forget those cookies and find a bargain for cat treats. Cookies are not so good for you. I will keep you posted, and check for any other bad habits. Meanwhile, She is making another recipe for our dinner. The picture looked good, and She has all the stuff She needs to make it. I hope He likes it, because it is not often that She makes a dinner that has more than two steps. Later, gator.

More Flea Business Cats

Here's what happened yesterday. The battle with the fleas needs to be over. It costs a lot of money to get a guy to come in and kill them all. Besides that, we would have to get back into our boxes and leave the house. We needed a better answer. He has sprayed a bunch of times, but now He had this other idea. If the flea-guys needed us to leave, what if He set off a gadget that killed the fleas, but we could stay home? Well, Kasey was having a nice nap in the bedroom, so He just shut the door. He put my food and water in with Her, and put me in with Her and the computer and shut that door. I don't particularly like being moved against my will, but after I settled down, things were OK for quite a while. She kept saying, It's OK, Coffs, and I was fine until I wanted to go out of that room. I cried and scratched the door with my non-claws, and still She wouldn't open that door. At last He came and let me out. By now I was frantic. I can't help it, guys. I am just not good with stuff like that. So I ran into my closet, and didn't come out until all the lights in the house were off, and He and She were asleep. Kasey and I checked everything out and we both went back to bed. You know, if anyone asked me, I would say those fleas have been more trouble than hot weather, or a new cat, or having Her go on a boat ride. I was ready to tell Him to never mind, I would just keep itching. Things are much better today. There will be fish for dinner and lots of pets and snuggles. She is very excited to know that Mazie will be home from her camping, and she will see what is in the box He and She sent to her. I bet she likes that birthday box. Well, let's check on what snuggles are waiting for me. So long for now.

Recipe Cats

To begin with, Kasey and I generally have kibbles for our meals, and we don't particularly care about what goes into them. He buys them, He and She dish them out, and we are very happy about that. All we need is a dish of water to go along with our kibbles, and we have what we need.Sometimes They give us treats. Kasey simply loves treats, and I have been kind of into them lately, myself.They have a hard outside, like kibbles, but inside is kind of a soft center, with a taste of chicken or fish or something. Those things are all Kasey wants, so she has no need for a recipe. I have a different interest. Almost every evening, He and She have plates of food and it is my job to lick Her plate to eat up any gravy or sauce or flavor that is on Her plate. She and I are quite used to that, and here is where the recipe comes in. There are certain foods I am not supposed to eat, even if they taste good. You probably know that cats do not have the thing on their tongues that taste sweet, so I have to be careful not to accidentally eat chocolate. Cats can die from chocolate, which makes Her say She is glad She is not a cat. Sometimes, if there is fat in the sauce I lick off the plate, it is hard on my tummy, and I could gack it up if I have too much.. Now, if the recipe has tomato sauce, meat gravy or cheese, I am just fine with those things. It is very unusual for me to steal a small piece of meat, but when I do, She pretends She doesn't notice, and I take it down on the floor to eat it. Every so often She fixes a recipe that does not interest me, It is usually mostly vegetables. I like grass, but I am not very interested in cooked vegetables.I bet She knows how lucky She is to have a big, handsome cat looking out for Her recipes. TTYL.

Watch Out Cats

If you plan to talk to Her about school, you had better watch out. The way things are going now has Her really irritated. Just when She gets all calmed down, up comes a report on something else. One topic to avoid is tests. She agrees that tests can tell you a lot, but they don't tell you everything. Right now,there are a lot of places where you can't go to the next grade, or even get out of school, if you don't have a high enough score on a test. She says they are working on that, but just say the word test to Her and you are likely to be sorry you did. She is very stuck on this thing called learning styles, and there is no way to test people with a particular style on the same test as another person with a different style. It would be like putting Kasey and me in a contest on mouse-catching with cats who lived in barns. If I saw a mouse, I would go and hide, Kasey would ignore it, and an outside cat, like our old sister Kate, would probably have it in her mouth in a minute. Today She read about a place where part of their school work was to be how to control their gender. Boys had to act like boys and girls would act like girls. That sounds right, until you realize how many people there are that don't want to act the way the school tells them. If you can get Her to calm down about that, be careful not to talk about teaching kids to read in kindergarten. When that topic comes up, I just go into the closet for a nap. No, She doesn't go to work to teach kids anymore, but I don't think She will ever stop telling schools what they are doing wrong. I am glad I am Her cat. She lets me be however I am supposed to be. And Kasey, too. That is a good thing, because Kasey isn't going to change for anything. Is that pink fish thawing out on the counter? That is a very good thing. Toodles.

Sentimental Cats

When She used to go to school to teach people stuff, we didn't live here. The rumor is that they had dogs back then. I'm not a big fan of dogs, so I'm glad They waited to bring us home. The funny thing is that She feels kind of lost when it is this time of year, because She misses teaching young people about things in the world. Even though She is almost in tears from remembering how it used to be, She is glad She can stay home with us, and sleep as long as She wants. She had time to travel around the world and play with Her grandchildren, who came along after She stopped teaching. They are mostly all grown up now, and don't really need Her anymore. It is fun now to see what they are up to and see how beautiful they turned out to be. One of Her favorite things to do is to go have lunch with Her beloveds. Today She went with Cleo'sMom and they had good things to eat at an old favorite place. Next week She is going to celebrate a birthday with Hana'sGran, another Beloved. Today She didn't bring home anything for us except left-over pancakes. I am not sure what they are, but She seemed glad to have them. They looked fairly uninteresting to me. We are about to have another set of pills to make good and sure those nasty fleas are gone for good. He says that if you could sell every flea for some money, we wouldn't be able to catch any. That is a joke, I guess, because She laughed at it. Well, Oddy-ose, amigos.

Frantic Cats

He had every intention of doing something good for Kasey and me. He was getting us some more of those flea-killing pills. When He was on His way home. Someone ran into His car with her car. No, he wasn't hurt, but He was quite shaken up. The police came and gave Him a ticket that says He has to pay some money for the crash. Kasey and I were not there, of course, but He and She have made that turn a gazillion times and not had any trouble. The person that bumped His car didn't even try to stop, and she was quite rude to Him, which made him feel even worse. Even the police were sorry for Him. Here is a sad thing. She was so interested in saving money that She got something called insurance that says someone else can pay to fix His car. But only after He or She pays a huge lot of money first. I like the way She saves money, but this time, it didn't work out for the best. It meant long talks on the telephone to get these problems worked out. Kasey and She and I are so happy no one got hurt in this crash, but we are so upset that it happened. Kasey was actually kind of worried, which is huge for Kasey. Then she realized His treat-giving fingers were in good shape, so she went and had a nap. So far, there is no reason not to have a nice dinner, which is going to include chicken. I will love that. Chow, bellas.

Free Stuff Cats

I'll tell you a little secret about Her. If She can't get it free or cheaper, She is likely to just let it go. If it is something the rest of us really, really like, She will bend Her rules, but if She does that, She does it reluctantly. And if She can get Kasey, Him and me to not be hasty, She sometimes lucks out. Here is an example. One day, She and Rocky'sMom found a place that has great pizza. Of course, She had one of those papers that make it half-price. She brought some home, and He just loved it. He wanted to get more, but She explained it cost quite a bit. He said it would be worth it, and She flinched a little. He mentioned it again over the weekend, and She sighed and said maybe tomorrow. When She looked on Her computer, there was a paper for half-price on one of their pizzas! I don't know how She did that, but today He went and got just what He wanted. We will have it for our dinner tonight and we all will be happy. I wonder what She would do if He got all our money back from His projects. I bet She would dance, even if Her knees hurt. She has some catalogs with pages turned down. That's because there are bargains on those pages. If you get something from Her for your birthday or Christmas, don't worry. They are not cheap things - they are bargains. I am going to love that pizza. Cheerio.

Back to Work Cats

Part of our work here is watching out for Him and Her, and making sure They are just fine. Kasey and I were so distracted by our own problems that we didn't notice some things. She has been so worried about our fleas that She has gotten a bit careless with Her own self. I had to stop and think this morning. She slept so long that I thought I wouldn't get any butter all day. I woke Her up two times, and reminded Her, but no, She went right back to sleep. Finally, just when I thought I was going to have to get Him to get me some butter, She decided to get up and start our day. I thought that was a sign of something wrong, so I thought very carefully while licking butter off Her fingers. I believe I know what is to blame. I blame those little pink pills that She took to make Her stop sniffling and sneezing and rubbing Her eyes. Even though She doesn't go outside very much, some dust gets into Her eyes and makes them itchy. I know how annoying that is. Then She starts to sniffle and sneeze until She realizes that She doesn't have a cold, There is something in the dust that makes Her feel that way. She goes and takes a little, tiny pink pill that puts a stop to her troubles, but the bad thing about this pill is that it makes Her very sleepy. Today I must be sure that dust doesn't get in Her eyes. He says it might be the cat hair that causes it, but I just scoff at that. How could cat hair bother anybody? Anyway, once She is up and around, Everything is back to normal. Now I am just looking forward to that nice meat that is thawing for our dinner. Life is good. Meow.

Changed Cats

It has been a bunch of days since He and She took us to the vet. As much as we hated that, Kasey and I are almost cured of those nasty fleas. Once we stopped scratching, and He sprayed all over, we began to return to our old habits. Kasey has gone back to sleeping on the bed,on her nice clean blue blanket. I think He is missing having Kasey on His lap, but He is glad she is happy on her old spot. I have come back to the living room, and eat my butter and get pets and snuggles from Her when She is in Her chair. Now we have to be careful that the fleas are gone for good, and that they don't come back. That way, they don't have to get a guy to poison fleas in our house, and we don't have to get back in the boxes. If you have ever been so very itchy that it seems as if it would never stop, then you know how pleasant it is when the itches go away. That is the feeling Kasey and I are enjoying right now. We have learned something from this, too. Sometimes we fight against things we really don't understand, and what they were doing was good for us. I would not bet any kibbles that we will remember this when they put stuff on us to keep fleas away, like the vet told them to do. I am sure we will forgive them more quickly, though. Telling you about this makes me want to go and find Her and rub my head on Her face and get pets. That is how I say thank you. Of course I will look forward to some nice juicy meat for our supper. I have gotten my taster back. Cheers.

Names for Cats

Everyone knows my name is Coffee, but I wonder if you know why? When He and She brought us home from esspeeceeay my papers said my name was Hank. She said I don't look like a Hank, although She couldn't say what a Hank is supposed to look like. She considered very carefully and decided I looked like the color of coffee-the-drink with cream in it. She decided to name me after that stuff She loves as much as She loves me, so I became Coffee. My sister's papers said Casey, but She said that sounds like a boy''s name, so She changed it to Kasey. It didn't sound different, it just looks different. I could have told Her that Kasey wouldn't care. Our next-door cat was named Katie, but when she came to live with us, Katie sounded too much like Kasey, so She changed it to Kate. That worked very well, until Kate got tired of being an indoor cat and sneaked outside. He and She coaxed her but Kate wouldn't come in, so she was gone. I'm glad she left before the fleas came in here. She would have hated those fleas. Before we came here to live, They had a cat named Charlotte. That was her name when she came here to live, and She didn't change it. Charlotte used to belong to Her beloved Mazie, so it was OK to leave it. Poor Charlotte died from eating some bad cat food in a can, which is why they only give us dry kibbles. That is fine with us. Before Charlotte, He and She had dogs instead of cats. When the dogs were used up, She didn't want more dogs, because they are more work than cats. (ahem)Before the dogs there were two cats that they named after playing their favorite game. There was one named Finesse. She looked like a Siamese cat, but she wasn't. They said that was a clever finesse. When They went to get Finesse, They saw her scraggly sister. They were afraid no one would want this kitten, so He and She decided to take it along, to be sure it got plenty of love. Since this was one more than They needed, They named her Overtrick. The funny thing was, when Overtrick grew up, she was gorgeous. They love dogs and cats just the same, but She is too old to take a dog for a walk, and they would have to let it outside, and then clean up its poop. They decided on pets that use a litterbox, which is much simpler. He keeps it very clean. Even Kasey appreciates that. Well, that's all the pets They have had that I can remember hearing about. She is very particular about pet names. My name makes me feel quite loved. Toodles.

Strange Thing Cats

Ever since we have known Her, She has never been sick, especially when it was Crone's Lunch Day. Yesterday She felt a little pew, but thought She would feel better as the day went on. When It was time to get ready to go to lunch, She realized that Her head ached and Her tummy ached. She had to call Cleo'sMom and tell her She wasn't up to meeting her for lunch. I was astonished, I can tell you. I wonder if all this flea business has made Her feel bad. Anyway, She went back to bed and was sound asleep before you know it. this is the sad part. When I went to write my story, I found that She had turned the computer off. I am probably one of the smartest cats there is, but I don't know how to turn on the computer. Oh, sure, I have watched Her do it hundreds of times, but it never has sunk in. I always depend on Her. This time She let me down. Oh, well, it doesn't happen too often. I will let it go this time, because She was sick. She seems to be better today, but is taking it easy and able to eat a little something. She is so not used to feeling pew that She doesn't want to take any chances. If all the fuss about our flea problems made Her sick, I am so sorry. I only want to love Her, not cause Her any problems. You know how that is. I think I'll go get a snack now. G'day, Mates.

Gracious Cats

It turns out that She was right. Not one flea bit us all night long. It felt so nice that Kasey and I decided to forgive them for almost all the indignities that we suffered, and accept their pets and snuggles. We looked a little shaggy from that stuff the vet sprayed on us, but we did smell nice. Kasey went to Him before I forgave Her, but finally we both realized that we did not have a single itch, so we decided to be gracious and let Them be friends with us again. She gave me a nice brushing today, but when She tried to brush Kasey, She got told off in no uncertain terms. This comfort may not last, however. He has to give us a pill again two more times, and I won't like that. If we start to scratch, there is some more of the spray stuff they have to put on us. Sure, it feels good not to have the bites, but Kasey and I don't like sprays, and having the stuff rubbed into our fur. It makes us look like hoodlums, all spiky and damp. The other bad news is that we may have to have this guy come and treat the house. If we have to do that, we will have to go back into our boxes, because everyone has to be out of the house when the guy poisons the fleas. I will tell you something important. I really don't like those fleas. They have come sneaking in here and caused nothing but trouble, and I am glad they have to die. Usually we don't like killing things at our house, but that does not include fleas. If you know cats and dogs that go outside, make sure they don't get fleas. I am glad that She and I are friends again, because She is a great snuggler. Bye now.

Tortured Cats

Today I found out what it means to go to the vet. To begin with, I was minding my own business when He caught Kasey and put her in a carrying box. I thought it was a bad sign, so I went and hid. It wasn't easy, but They found me, but I was too slick for them. I trusted Her, but when She got hold of me, She tried to put me in a box, as well. I managed to escape by clawing Them with my back claws. I promise you, If I had front claws, it would have been Them going to the doc. I struggled to hide and avoid Their clutches, but both of Them were too much for me, and I got put in a box, like Kasey. Both of us cried a lot, but They didn't care. He took us and put us in His car, and She came along. She talked to us and sang to us, and I felt a little better. Then we got to the vet. They took us away and sprayed some nasty stuff all over us, then forced us to take a pill. The vet told them it would kill every flea for 24 hours. She said that meant until tomorrow. Actually, the fleas already started to die while we were still there. If the fleas get off of us, I may forgive Him and Her some time. The table at the vet was full of dead fleas when we were back in our boxes. Well, we are home now, and there are more hard times ahead, until all the fleas are gone. She told us that a guy was going to come and spray the whole house, and we would have to go somewhere while the guy was here. I hear Her coming, so I must go and hide. It hurts my feelings that She tortured Kasey and me. I don't want to be around Her. Or Him. I trusted them. I'll tell you more tomorrow.

Deal Cats

This story is about Her, because of something that happened that you will understand, dear readers. The thing is, He loves all kinds of flying things. One thing He has wanted has been a little helicopter, which is a flying machine with its propeller on top. This little machine, to Her and me, is a toy. This little toy costs $195. In our opinion, that is too much. If it were for one of Their cars, that would be different, but for just a little flying machine it is not something She would like to get for Him. Guess what. Today Her bargain place on the computer had that exact little machine for $24.99. Yes, it was the exact machine He had been wanting. Of course She had to get it at that bargain price. He has been wanting it for so long. It works by a little control thing, but the best part is that it can work with Him just telling it what to do. Just His voice can make the machine do tricks. You see? This is what makes Her really happy. She gets something for Him, it is even better than what he wanted, and it is a gazillion percent discount. She is really happy today. I am waiting to see if I am happy, though. Their dinner tonight will be left-overs. I have to check this dinner carefully, to see if it something that I liked when it was new. Kasey and I are going to the vet tomorrow, so I hope I am happy tonight. TTYL

Dry Cats

The weather here has been so very hot that the fleas actually come into the house to keep cool. The weather telling guy on TV said that it would rain today, and the weather should get a tiny bit cooler. So far, it has not rained at our house. The sun is shining and there is no thunder, so I'm not spending time in the closet. Some people have said it is raining where they are. Kasey and I don't know exactly how that happens. There have been pictures to help us understand, but I just don't get it. I guess the city where we live is so big that it can rain on part of it and use up the rain before it gets to our house.There are people who say that the world is getting hotter, and that we should help keep it nice by being more careful of the air. I don't know about you, but Kasey and I are very careful. What She tells us is that the extra warming is caused by cars and smoke and machines. I have even heard that there are lots of people working on the problem. In fact, Smudge'sMom has a car that only uses half as much burning gasoline as Her car does. She would love to have a car like that. Maybe someday, when He has sold some of His projects, She could get one, if it is on sale. The thing is, She hardly uses Her car at all. I think that She will stop driving altogether when Rocky'sMom moves away. Or maybe She will just stay home with me and give me some extra pets. There is still plenty of time to decide.. I could not believe my eyes a little while ago. I saw Him taking the tails off of some fat, pink shrimp, which makes me pretty sure there will be a nice dinner of shrimp and vegetables with that nice sauce She gets. Even though I am still itchy, that would make me feel better. Ah-dyoo.

Heavenly Cats

He and She have some definite feelings about why people are supposed to behave in a kind way. The group that thinks like They do says you should care about other people. You should take your responsibility to care for the world. They think you should listen to what other people have to say and then make up your mind. They say you should study what other groups think, so you can understand them. What they do NOT believe is that you should be good so that you can go to this place called heaven when you die. There is also a place called hell that these other groups have, and it's where you go if you have not been nice and kind. Kasey and I talked this over, and we believe that there is no place called hell, and we think you can enjoy heaven right here while you are alive. To have enough to eat and plenty of water is heaven. To have soft places to lie and someone to give you pets is heaven. We like that there is someone to help with your fleas, and play with you and let you write stories if you want. We also think that while you are doing these things, you put them into the memory of other cats and people. Naturally, you want these memories to be about nice things, and not about biting and scratching and being a pest. That way, when you die, you are still alive in the memories of your cousins and people. He and She would like that, so Kasey and I try to give them nice memories. Do you know what? Kasey actually got on Her lap today, so that She will never forget her. It is an extra piece of heaven when She fixes meat for dinner and lets me lick the juice off Her plate. Nighty-night.

Funny Place Cats

There was a paper in the mail the other day that told about a place to get good things to eat, and you could get some money off your lunch with that paper. Rocky'sMom got the same paper, so the two of the ladies decided to go there and try it out. Today they went to this place. It has a funny name, and She and Rocky'sMom worried that they wouldn't get people to come in, because the name sounds like it is for little kids. Well, when they went there, the place was very nice. She mostly liked to look at the desserts. There were cakes and pies and things in cups. Everything was pretty. They had other stuff, too. Sandwiches and soup and hamburgers. She didn't see much that was for people who only want vegetables. One thing that R'sM does every time, is get something for them to take home for people and cats who couldn't go with them. That is very kind of her, but She gets a little sad, sometimes, because it feels like She is getting a handout. The thing that She had for Her lunch is called nachos, which looked like chips with meat and cheese and other stuff on them. It was so tasty that She got the same stuff to bring home for His dinner. He said it looks perfect. It didn't look like I would like it, but we will see, because She brought most of Hers home, too. She might even have enough left over for our lunch tomorrow. She likes getting bargains like that, but you know Her, so you aren't surprised. For the next days, She will stay at home and try to solve the mystery of The Cats Who Don't Step on the Floor. Toodle pip.

Reluctant Cats

He and She have had enough of this itching and peculiar behavior. Oh, they still love us, but it bothers them that we won't get on the floor. They don't realize that there are fleas down there. Oh, sure, She said She put flea-killing stuff on it, but why are we still itchy? They put flea killing stuff on us, too, but He and She tell us that we have to go to the vet. That is an animal doc, and we are reluctant to go there. Vets have a way of fixing you, so you won't have kittens. Plus, they poke you with needles and look in your mouth. I don't like any of those things. The worst is when They leave you there all night, and you are all afraid that They will forget you and not come back. She says the vet told Her there is a pill that will kill the fleas in one day, but I ask myself, is it worth it to be so scared and nervous? Sometimes I look out the window and think I might like to go outside for a little while, but then I think of the fleas and I'm glad to stay inside. She has itchy ankles as well, but Hana'sGran gave her something that stops the itching, and She has started smiling again. If anyone solves the mystery of how those little rascal fleas got in here, I would like to know, so it doesn't happen again. She went outside and said if She were a flea, She would come inside, too. It is extremely hot here. Even hotter than usual. She says She can't believe She is wishing for temps in the mid-nineties. We are all staying in the air conditioning until it gets better. Even in the A/C, She thinks They will have salad for their dinner. I am not too thrilled. The chicken They fixed last night was wonderful. I would like some more of that. Sy-o-nara.

Routine Cats

One thing He and She really like are routines. They both talk about being flexible, but They eat the same things for breakfast every day, They eat lunch and dinner at regular times, They sit in the same chairs - that is, each of them sits in His and Her regular chairs, and They keep things in regular places. He is a little fussier than She is about that, but in our house, you know where stuff is. If it isn't where it's supposed to be, He gets very anxious, and tends to yell at Himself until He finds it. She has things in stacks, and She knows what stacks something would be in. Kasey and I were like that, too, until we got these wicked fleas. Now, we have changed so many things that it makes them confused. Kasey used to sleep in His bed, on her nice blue blanket, and then in a box on His desk. Now, you never can tell where He will find Kasey. One thing They both noticed is that she doesn't like to get on the floor. She goes flying through the air from His chair to the pass-through, to the table. If Kasey does get on the floor, she jumps up on something as soon as she sees a space. I have been avoiding the floor, too, so He and She put my food and water up on the table. I remember that we were on the floor when we got fleas. It makes Her a little anxious when She doesn't know what I am going to do. We have new routines, and They don't. It makes Their lives more interesting, I believe. Who knows what we will do next? I'll let you know.

Mystified Cats

Kasey and I wonder where all these fleas come from. We never go outside, and we haven't had any furry visitors since our sister Kate wandered away. Kate didn't have fleas. All of a sudden, Kasey and I have fleas. She put some stuff on our necks, and sprayed on the furniture the flea stuff our Aunt Heather told Them about. For awhile, then, we were OK. Now, the fleas have come back - maybe they just hatched out - and the fleas are driving us crazy. Yesterday, She put some more of that flea stuff on our necks, and She told me that Her ankles were itchy. We will have to try the de-flea spray again. I believe She is going to look up more info about fleas, because we can't keep having these problems. Since there will be a bunch more hot days, the people who say that fleas sneak into houses have told Him to spray all around the outside. He got stuff to do that, so by my next story, I hope I have good news about fleas,and we don't have to spend half a day scratching and being puzzled. She will be glad that I'm not lying on Her computer and sleeping on Her chair. And I will feel like writing my stories again. Have a nice rest-of-the-day, and I'll talk to you later.

Advantage Cats

Kasey and I have an advantage that a lot of other cats don't have. That is, we live here with a teacher. I wonder how many cats don't learn a lot of words, or how to spell, or how to write stories on the computer. I know She doesn't go to work and teach things to children anymore, but She says it is like being a U.S. Marine, like he is. Once a teacher, always a teacher. She can not help teaching things to people and cats. I have to admit, Kasey doesn't care about it, but I like knowing stuff. I am pretty good with regular words, but She didn't teach me words from other languages. I just hear them and have to figure out what they look like. Just by listening to Her squawk, I learned the difference between less and fewer. She is also fussy about lie and lay, and although She, Herself ends sentences with prepositions, She knows it isn't right. And don't even talk about split infinitives. Every time She hears them say to boldly go, she gets another gray hair. Some people teach because it is their jobs, but She does it because it is in Her heart. That's my guess. She is kind of fussy and gives a lot of advice, but She knows most of us need to figure things out for ourselves. Since I started with only hearing words, and now I can read and write, I take Her advice. I bet if I didn't, She would turn off Her computer when She goes to fix dinner or watch Her shows. I know you depend on my stories, so you can be glad I am a good scholar. Tomorrow is the President's birthday. He is a half a year older than Her beloved Eddie. I have to go check on the soup She is cooking. One nice thing about air conditioning is that you can have soup whenever you like, not just when it is cold. Toodle Pip, everybody.

Hungry Cats

Maybe we have to get used to the new kibbles, or maybe we are just being fussy, but Kasey and I are only eating treats and what we lick off the plates lately. Last night She had left-over meat from Her lunch, and He had the same things, and I could not get enough of the meat I licked off the bones. Kasey wasn't all that interested, but I loved it. Now He is saying that She should not give me anything off Her plate, because He believes that is why we aren't eating our proper food. I don't know how that will work, because She is fixing pink fish for our dinner. Since Kasey and I have come to live here, we have always had plenty to eat, so we never had to gobble down food. It is strange now to be uninterested in our kibbles. He got the same brand, but this kind is for indoor cats and it has green things in it. I will have to get used to it. That's the way it goes, sometimes. New things come along and we have to try them before we make up our minds. This is easy for us, and for Him and Her, but there are a lot of people we know about that don't try very hard to get used to new things, and they are not happy with changes. I'm glad we aren't like that. I will be back to eating as soon as I get hungry enough. That's what He says, and I believe Him. Lots of people are glad that it is Friday, but She doesn't think about it because She is retired. Oddy-ose.

Amazed Cats

I am simply amazed at what She brought home today. She went out for lunch with Rocky'sMom, and they had a couple of things happen. First and scariest, a car got right in their way and She had to put on Her brakes so hard that it left a print on the road. She stopped just a few inches from the car, and the two ladies were quite upset by that. If He had been there, there would have been a lot of bad words! Then they went to a place to have lunch that She went with Hana'sGran before, but the surprise there was that everything cost more than it did last time. but everything they got tasted very good, and as usual, they each brought some home for their dinners. She was sure I had seen these things before, but I am sure I didn't, which is why I am so amazed. There are very big bones, and they have a lot of meat on them. A cat could really make sure those big bones were licked clean. I hope She knows to give them to me and Kasey. That is almost as good as fish. He and She think they are excellent, as well, and She really loves that Rocky'sMom paid for everything. I have been enjoying Her computer room chair for my naps, and I am amazed that She doesn't mind. She would never sit on me, but She is glad I am not on Her keyboard, so She gives me lots of room. So it is another hot day full of nice things and scary things. I think I will go and dream about those bones, now. Buh-bye.