Another heatwave

It was as hot as the blazes in our house over the weekend. I happen to enjoy the heat, but I felt pretty bad for Tulip. She was slow roasting all weekend long. She was very good natured about it though. Mostly she lounged around on the wood floors, trying to find a cool spot.

Last night we stuck a fan in front of the sliding door which brought in a nice cool breeze. Kitty sat in front of it and sniffed the cool air. It was blowing her little ears around. She kept shaking her head and licking her nose, but wouldn't walk away. It was adorable.

I'm glad it's supposed to cool off a bit now. She's been a patient girl, but she has to be pretty uncomfortable.

Feline Pine

Recently we have tried a lot of different kitty litters. I like the clumping kind because it helps to keep the box fairly clean. However, I generally hate the strong perfume smell, and all the clay dust that ends up everywhere. If I don't like it, I can only imagine how harsh it is on a little kitty nose. I can't imagine all that dust is good for a cat's lungs. Tulip sneezes a lot from it. I decided it was time to try something different.

I had heard of Feline Pine before, but only knew of the original version that looks somewhat like pellet rabbit food. Being blind, I wasn't convinced that Tulip would take to the texture of it. However, I found out recently that they have a scoopable clumping version, so we went out and bought some last night.

I have to say I'm happy with it so far. It smells a lot better since it contains nothing but recycled pine. Every time I smell it, I have visions of summer camp. When it gets wet, you can really smell the pine. The texture is like sawdust, which is exactly what it is. It's still a little bit dusty, but not nearly as bad as the clay.

Kitty was very curios about the new smell. She got in there and proceeded to kick half the box of sawdust all over the bathroom. Not exactly what I had in mind. It's extremely light-weight, so I'm hoping she's just getting used to the fact that it doesn't take a lot of force to move it around. She was perfectly content to use it. I was a little concerned she might not like it and look to take care of business elsewhere.

It looks like everything is going to work out fine. I'm very happy to find something cheap, clean, recycled, and biodegradable.

I don't like heatwaves

Tulip kitty thinks this hot weather sucks. She has been lethargic and cranky. She's spent the last few days stretched out on various areas of the hardwood floor, looking for a cool spot. She plays with her toys, but only for a few minutes at a time, before getting a drink and sprawling out on the floor again. I feel bad for her. I looked at the thermometer and it was 80 degrees inside our house today. Kitty needs a lighter suit!

The windows are open and the ceiling fans are on. She doesn't really like the breeze generated by the fans, but she'll lay on the bed under one every once in a while. I'm glad it's starting to cool off for her.

Kitty argument

Right now Eve and kitty are in the kitchen. Eve went in there to make some tea. Kitty darted right in there after her. It's just after 8:00 PM and Tulip thinks it's time for a snack. The two of them are arguing over this. It's going something like this:

Tu: MRRRREEEEEEEEEW!
Eve: No Kitty.
Tu: MRREEEW!
Eve: NO! It's not time yet.
Tu: MREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Eve: KITty!
Tu: mmmeh.

Contemplating the litterbox

Tulip has been up to some weirdness lately. She keeps going into the bathroom and sitting in front of her litterbox. She just "stares" at it. She does it like 15-20 times a day. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with her. She's not going in there and straining to use the box or anything. She just sits in front of it and contemplates it. Freaky!

Mama's home!

We got back from our roadtrip this afternoon. When I came into the house, Tulip kitty was sitting at the far end of the hallway. She perked up when I called her name, but she didn't seem to be convinced that it was really me. I walked down the hallway to her and reached my hand down so she could smell it. As soon as she did, her whole face lit up. She stood up and arched her back so I could pet her. She let out a little chirp. It melted my little heart.

After we unpacked some of our stuff, Eve took a nap. I had some reading to finish, so I went into the office. Kitty joined me. She was very vocal for the first several minutes. Finally she jumped up in her chair for a big nap. She was out like a light, sleeping in her chair next to my desk, content as could be. She even tolerated a belly rub. Kitty missed us!

I felt bad when I had to leave her again to go to school tonight. I can hardly wait to get home and curl up in bed with her. It was a long few days without her. I missed her every night when I went to sleep, and I missed her every morning when I woke up.

Early morning tiger hunt

Kitty was full of energy this morning. As I was getting ready for work I could hear her playing in the hallway. I walked out to see her tossing Tiggy Tiger way up into the air, then jumping up and trying to catch him. She was flinging him all over the place. It was adorable! I'm so glad she knows how to amuse herself.

Spooky cat

For some reason, Tulip has been doing the "spooky cat" a lot lately. You know, when cats arch their backs, puff up their tails and creep sideways? For some reason, it seems to be especially funny when she does it. I guess it's because she makes such a serious face. I have to get this on video.

Anyway, the other night I went down to the garage for something. I came back through the garage entrance and was standing on the landing of the stairs. The stairwell narrowed my view up into the living room.

So picture this. I'm looking up into the living room. From the right, kitty creeps into my line of view doing the spooky cat. She then proceeds to creep all the way across my line of vision and out of sight off to the left. Oooooooo, kitty. So scary!

It was like something out of a cartoon. I swear I'm going to start carrying a video camera around with me all the time.

Headrest

Little punky jumped up on the back of the couch last night while we were watching TV. Normally she doesn’t really hang out with us. She’ll hang out near us, but almost never on the couch with us. Mostly she will curl up on the rug near our feet or in her kitty bed under the coffee table. For whatever reason though, last night it was the back of the couch. She lay down right behind my head like a headrest. A fangy, scratchy bitey headrest. She behaved herself, but she kept giving me the evil eye (or the evil eyelid as the case may be). She’s sweet, but man is she tough as nails!

Let's GO!

Miss Tulip couldn't wait to get up this morning for some reason. She was sleeping at the foot of the bed. When the alarm went off, she walked right up the front of me and stuck her nose in my face. After a couple pets and some purrs, she jumped off the bed. When I didn't follow right away, she came back to see where I was. I heard her thump her head against the bed frame, then she let out a little chirp. When I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, she took a swat at my ankle. I think she was trying to direct me to the kitchen.

After kitty got some breakfast, she came out to the living room. She proceeded to "stare" at me while I drank my coffee. You wouldn't think it's a big deal when a no-eyed cat stares at you. I find it's more disturbing than if she had eyes because you can't read the expression on her face. It makes me wonder what's going on in that little head. She really is an interesting little creature.

Lazy bones

Yesterday Tulip had a leisurely day of migrating from kitty bed to kitty bed. She napped ALL DAY. I was so jealous, as I struggled to stay awake doing homework. Once in a while I'd call her name. She'd stretch her little kitty arms out, toes all extended, and let out a little "brrrrrrrrrrrrrt". Then she'd yawn, get up, and stroll to the next bed. Must be nice!

This morning she was obviously well-rested. After eating her breakfast, she was bouncing off the walls (literally) playing with her leopard ball. Ah, the life of a punk rocker. I'm coming back as a cat in my next life.

Snuggles

Tu was such an angel this morning. She started off with her meow / pace routine around 4 AM. I called her up onto the bed, gave her literally 2 pets, and she curled up next to me and went to sleep. When the alarm went off at 5, I woke up and felt her nestled up against the small of my back. She was so warm. I loved it. Of course, after she heard me stir, she got up, stuck her nose in my face, and got 2 more pets. Then she curled up under my chin and we snoozed a little longer. When it was finally time to get up, kitty went to the foot of the bed and waited for the "elevator". I set her down on the floor and we headed off to the kitchen to make coffee. I love our little routine. She makes me smile. I think she's starting to understand that.

GET UP!

Tulip kitty was ready to get up this morning. She got off the bed before the alarm went off. Then she proceeded to pace back and forth around the bed. Over to Eve's side... Brrreow? Over to my side.... Brrreow? It's time to clip her nails again, so in between brrreows we heard tap, tap, tap, tap as she walked back and forth on the wood floors. It was so insanely maddening that Eve actually got up. She couldn't take it any more. She got up and made coffee, just so she wouldn't have to hear it one more time.

The evil Raynay came out, and I had to chuckle. I hear that pretty much every morning. Hee hee!

Hey, what's going on!?!

We are in the process of cleaning out the office/spare room and turning it into a proper office. Eve's parents were kind enough to take the spare bed and a few other pieces of furniture that we no longer need. Kitty is quite confused by all this commotion. Once the furniture was gone, she went into the office to investigate. When she noticed things were gone, she turned around and "looked" at us as if to say, "Hey! Did you know those guys took the bed and stuff!?! It's gone!" She had quite the surprised little expression on her face. She kept reaching out with her paw to see what else was missing. I wish we got it on video. We've been keeping the door closed so she doesn't get into all the rest of the stuff currently strewn on the floor. But every time that door is open, she's in there to see if things are really still gone.

Uh oh, kitty! Where's Tulip supposed to nap now? There's no more bed in the office!

The family that pees together...

Quite frequently, when we use the bathroom, Tulip decides she should use the litterbox at the same time. Since the litterbox is right next to the toilet (in a tiny bathroom) she ends up leaning right against you, while she's perched on the edge of the box peeing. I'm not sure why she perches like that, but I have a picture of her doing it somewhere. I'll have to find it and post it.

Anyway, Eve got up first this morning. I was awake, but still lying in bed. I heard Eve go to the bathroom and pee. Then I could hear kitty climb into the litterbox and pee too. It's as if she goes, "Oh. Is it time to go to the bathroom now? OK".

That was probably too much info, but I thought it was funny. Is this some kind of feline bonding ritual?

My eye!

Tulip tried her best to give me a black eye this morning. She was curled up next to me when the alarm went off. She stretched and purred while I petted her. Then I sat up, which intimidated her because she could feel me looming over her. So of course she threw herself at me, claws and fangs out. Her nose hit me right in the eye full force. All I saw was a bright flash, followed by throbbing pain. I couldn’t even open that eye for a few minutes to see if it was okay. It’s a little bloodshot, but not too puffy now. Happy Friday!

Tulip realized right away what she had done. She sat down on the end of the bed with a pitiful look on her face. I was so pissed off initially that I left her sitting there. Once I decided I was going to live, I went out to the kitchen to make coffee. Kitty came out and rubbed up against my leg, looking for some approval. She got a pet and some breakfast, but she wasn’t very interested in eating.

While I sat and drank my coffee, she was still pretty sheepish. I finally coaxed her over to me and gave her another pet. Kitty was sorry! She curled up at my feet and watched the news with me while I finished my coffee.

I know that Tulip does most of the crazy things she does because she can’t see. I suspect that she’s used to being punked by the other cats she used to live with, so she’s very defensive unless she’s 200% sure who is touching her (or even near her sometimes) and why. But did I really need a punch in the eye at 5:30 in the morning?

Ouch

Tulip kitty was in a feisty mood this morning. She was kicking up a ruckus because she wanted breakfast. Evie got up and made coffee, and finally got around to feeding kitty. When I went out to the living room to drink my coffee, kitty bounced over to say hi. She was running around in and out of the legs of the coffee table, just itching to get into something. Well, unfortunately what she got into was the wrought iron leg of the table. She was standing between me and the table and spun around to run off. Instead she spun her little head right into the table leg at top speed. It made the most horrible bang. I picked her up to make sure she was okay. Of course she was flaming mad, so she bit me. I got her to calm down a little so I could check her out. Eve heard the whole thing go down, so she came out to see what happened. Tulip let Eve give her a little head rub. Poor kitty! She was definitely stunned a bit. I swear we're getting rid of that coffee table.

Kitty tunes 2

As a follow up to the last post, the Enya story in Evie's own words:

I usually work without listening to anything but the voices in my
head. The absence of music or TV noise makes for a stressful work
environment sometimes. Yet, I feel too busy to get up off of my
chair and put a CD in the player. Once I start my work in the day,
I am full steam ahead and not many things can deter me from doing
anything else. This is not always a good quality. In the instance
of not listening to music, I end up being more stressed than I
should be because I have nothing else to distract my thinking and
state of mind but my own brain chatter, which doesn't always help
the challenging situations I have to deal with every second.

All of that to say that yesterday I forced myself to put on a CD
before I began my work. I didn't want to listen to the usual genre
of music that I listen to on my iPod at the gym or in my car. I
needed something to calm my nerves instead of inflate them. As I
was looking through the case full of CDs, I saw the familiar Enya
CD cover. I remembered it as one of the first CDs I listened to
with Renee when we first met. So for old time's sake, I decided I
would play it and hope that it wouldn't result in me wanting to
take a nap on my desk. I'm used to listening to faster beat, even
angry music.

I set the Enya CD to "repeat all". Another of one of what I call
inconveniences is having to press play every 30 minutes. Those come
by so quickly that I will go hours with silence before I realize
that the music has stopped playing. And when I do set it to play
till the end of time, I hardly ever notice that I've listened to
the same song every 30 minutes for the past 10 hours.

Soon after Renee left for her work day, I walked through the house
once over to verify the windows were open, etc. As I did that, I
wondered where Tu was, as I didn't see her in any of the usual
places. She wasn't in her bed in the bedroom, nor in the bed in the
livingroom, nor on her couch, nor in her tiger den, nor on the top
of her tree house.

I don't know why, when I can't find her in those places that I
think to myself, "Tu must have left for the day and didn't bother
to tell anyone." My mind begins to imagine her on her motorcycle
riding up the coast with our old cat, D. Don't ask why I drift off
to those images every single time I can't find her initially. I
don't have an answer for you.

I went back to the office and as I was looking over the piles of
stuff on the bed, I see her lying in between the piles. She's
sleeping like a sweet angel. It has been a while since she hung out
with me while I worked. I thought it to be a little unusual but
pleasantly surprising. Without another thought, I decided I needed
to get back to work. I had my back to her while I sat at the
computer.

Hours go by and I decide to walk around a little to get my mind
fresh again. I see she's still peacefully curled up on the bed
sleeping, only a foot or so from the CD playing Enya. The volume
was pretty loud. If I have music on while I work, I have to turn it
up a bit so that I might actually hear some of it throughout the
day. Again, I didn't think much of her sleeping only to think how
cute it was.

Lunchtime comes and goes. I had the rest of the black beans from
yesterday with some tortilla chips. It's just a little something to
keep me from freaking out over hunger at 3pm. She was a little
interested in my crunching on the chips but didn't move from her
spot. She only stood her head up till I finished eating, which
probably took 5 minutes. The she laid her head down again to resume
her sleeping. Yes, Enya was still playing.

Now at this point, I finally got that she liked Enya's music. And I
was tickled pink to realize that. I felt bad in turning it off on
my way out later that afternoon. But I resolved the conflict by
remembering that she had just gotten 7 hours of sleep from it.

A long story to say that: Tu likes Enya! She has good taste in
music.

Kitty tunes

Evie was listening to Enya before I left for work yesterday morning. She was commenting on how that music just alters one's mood. Apparently kitty thinks so too. Eve just let the CD loop, since it was just background noise for her anyway. She said that Tulip curled up next to the CD player and slept there all day long. She didn't even get up to snack. Kitty has some diverse musical tastes. Maybe we're going to have to compile a "Kitty's favorite tunes" playlist.

Sometimes you're the punk. Sometimes you get punked.

Tulip decided to sleep in her kitty bed last night. When the alarm when off this morning, I was in no mood to get up. I hit the snooze button and plopped my head back down. It just so happened that my arm was sticking straight out off the edge of the bed. When kitty heard me stirring, she got up and attempted to jump up onto the bed. Instead, she jumped right into my knuckles and fell back to the floor. I punched her right in the nose. Or I should say, she punched herself in the nose on my hand. It must have really smarted, because she kept sneezing and shaking her head. Poor kitty! When she finally made it up on the bed, I rubbed her little face and head. She got over it. I still felt like a creep though, even though it was obviously not on purpose.

I know, I know. "Why you gotta punch a blind cat?"