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.

Present from Jan

Yesterday Eve called to tell me that Tulip received a present in the mail. It was from my sister-in-law Jan. Jan gave kitty some fun toys when she and my brother were visiting last fall, so I was curious to see what it was. I told Eve we should videotape Tulip opening her package.

Last night I set up the camera and put the package down on the floor. Eve coaxed kitty over to it with her birdie toy. Once she realized the package was there she was smelling it, rubbing her head on it, pawing at it. It was adorable. Then Eve helped her open it up. Tu was running around, jumping in and out of the picture. At one point she was in mid-air. It was hilarious. Her present was a package of Greenies which are kitty treats. Eve took one out and put it on the floor. Kitty grabbed it and ran off with it, stopping to chomp it down in 2 bites.

I was SO thrilled we got all of that on camera. We could hardly wait to watch it. Eve came over and I hit Play on the camera. Only to realize that I had never pressed Record. We missed the entire thing. *siiiiiiiiigh* That's about right.

I wonder if that ever happens on movie sets?

Kitty Christmas

Miss Tulip had quite a surprise for Christmas. Besides the king-sized bed we got her, our friend Caprice hooked her up with a gigantic kitty tree house. I thought she would be really afraid of it at first. That lasted for about half an hour. As you can see, she's finding her way around on it pretty well. I should mention that she has already taken a 4 foot nosedive out of it though. After we checked her out and she got over the shock of it all, she got back up to the top of it and I showed her how to get back down. We'll see how it goes. I still have a fit every time she gets up there. If nothing else, she's adventurous!

All ready for a slumber party now.


Finally, I can scratch without getting yelled at!


Look at me way up high!


I have a trapdoor.


We hope everyone else is having as great of a Christmas as we are! Happy Holidays!

Meeting Caprice

Caprice came over to have a few beers with me on Friday night. Evie was out of town, so I was pretty mellow and just wanted to relax. While we were kicking back Miss Tulip kitty was very interested in the whole situation. Caprice isn't especially loud, so I think that helped Tulip relax. Caprice also happens to be fantastic with animals, so I was really hoping kitty would check her out.

As we sat around talking, we pretty much ignored kitty. She stuck her head out from behind the couch to "have a look" at Caprice. Then she came to the other end of the couch to investigate from there. Then she came out an flopped herself on the rug by me, listening in on our conversation. Finally she decided it was safe enough to start showing off for Caprice. She was rolling all around on the rug. Then it was up and over the arm of the couch. Then she was on top of the subwoofer for the surround sound. What a ham! She let Caprice get as close as a touch on the nose. Not quite as much as I had hoped for, but her behavior is interesting. She is certainly opening herself up to people a bit more. One of these days she's going to make friends with someone. I can hardly wait to see who she chooses.

TV time

Last night Tulip kitty jumped up on the couch and sat with us for a little while. I think that may have been the first time she has ever done that on her own. We were watching TV when I noticed some little ears poking up over the edge of the couch. Then I saw some squinty eyes and a little pink nose. Suddenly there was a kitty in my lap, investigating the down-filled blanket I was under. She didn't stick around for long, but she did find a spot to lie next to me for a few minutes. Hopefully this idea of chilling on the couch will catch on with her.

New game

Eve invented a new game to play with Tulip and her new catnip ball. In our front entrance is a fairly long, steep staircase that leads up to our living space from the front door. Eve goes down to the bottom of the stairs. Tulip sits somewhere around the middle of the staircase. Eve throws the ball up to the top of the stairs where it bounces off the wall and bounces back downstairs. Kitty likes to chase the ball up and down the stairs. Sometimes she'll swat the ball out of the air as it passes over her. Sometimes she runs up and down the stairs after it. Sometimes she just sits there and listens to it bouncing around. Sometimes when we're all upstairs, she'll pick up the ball in her little mouth and head downstairs with it. Then she'll howl until someone comes down to play with her. Not that she's spoiled or anything.

Must set up video cameras all around the house...

Kitty presents

Tulip kitty made an attempt at meeting Ray and Jan. While they were around over the weekend, she poked her head out a few times. When we were all out relaxing on the deck, she made a brief appearance outside. She even let me pick her up and hold her so Jan could pet her for a second (literally). She tried her little, fuzzy best to be a good hostess.

Jan is a real animal lover. While we were out sightseeing, we swung by a PetSmart because she wanted to get Tulip a present. We came home with a live catnip plant. Tulip loved it. She immediately knocked it over and rolled on it. She keeps dragging it around the living room. I'd say it was a hit. She also got a birdie catnip toy. She hasn't seen this one yet. I was hoping that she'd warm up to Jan and Ray a bit more than she did, and that they could give it to her. It didn't pan out that way, but she did well.

When we all got home one afternoon, we didn't know where Tulip was. We all spread out looking for her (as if our house is so big). I ended up finding her on the bed in the office, sitting next to my open laptop that I accidentally left there. It looked like she was working on her blog. :) She let Ray get close enough to take her picture while she was laying there. Hopefully he'll send that to us so we can post it here.

New collar

Eve decided that Tulip needs a collar, just in case she ever sneaks out of the house. She's microchipped, but it would be just as nice if someone saw her and was able to give us a call and tell us where she is. I got her one of those break-away collars and wrote her name and our phone number on it so she doesn't have to have a tag dangling off of her. I thought this might go over a little better with her. She was unimpressed. After we put it on her, she spent most of the day trying to run away from it. By the evening she managed to loosen it up enough that she could get it into her mouth. She was trying to bite it off. I ended up taking it off of her for now, but we're not done with this plan yet. I'm going to tighten it up and give it another go. We haven't seen the last of the ugly yellow collar yet!

First pedicure

Kitty got her toenails clipped today. We were sitting out on the deck and Eve decided it was time. I went and got the clippers, then snatched Tulip up off the floor. I sat her in my lap and held her by the scruff of her neck while Eve clipped her nails. She tolerated it pretty well. No one even bled in the process! I'm always amazed by how tolerant Tulip is. She really is a great cat.

Meeting Christy

Kitty had another visitor last night. Christy came by to do some work with Eve. No earth-shattering events, but Tulip is definitely getting more curious about visitors. She hid next to the couch when Christy first got there, but you could see she wasn't really scared. She was just being cautious. We basically left her alone to do whatever she wanted. She pretty quickly decided that it was safe enough to come out from behind the couch. She never did go up and investigate Christy. However, she did wander around the house pretty freely. She felt comfortable enough to go to the kitchen for something to eat. She let out a squeak every once in a while when she wanted some attention. She's definitely loosening up a bit. I'm very curious to see who will be the first person she decides to make friends with.

Meeting Hisako

Our friend Hisako came over for dinner on Sunday night. Tulip wasn't the biggest fan of that idea at first. We closed the bedroom doors so she wouldn't disappear for the entire evening. When she realized that, she hid under the couch. Hisako did her best to coax her out, but Tulip was having none of that.

While we were eating dinner Tulip decided that things were quiet enough for her to peek out from behind the couch. She crept a little closer a few times, but ran away when we paid attention to her. A few times she came within a couple feet of Hisako, but wouldn't come say hi.

After dinner Hisako and I sat on the floor and tried to tempt Tulip out again. She came out and tiptoed around Hisako. She flopped down on the rug just out of reach. She walked along the couch just out of reach. What a tease! One time she walked up and sniffed Hisako's hand, then ran off. I thought that was pretty brave of her.

Overall I was really impressed at her efforts to visit. She was clearly tempted, but not quite brave enough for an official greeting. I'm hoping that if we have people over frequently, her curiosity will get the best of her. She's so sweet. Everyone wants to meet her. We just have to get her to be a little braver.

Tooth brushing

Eve brushed Tulip's teeth for the first time today. That went over like a fart in church. Not much actual brushing happened, but it was a start. I can see we're going to have to spend some time on this, hopefully not getting bit in the process.

Note to self: Don't accidentally use the seafood-flavored toothpaste.

New toy

Eve dug out this toy that belonged to our old cat. It's just a really long string of polar fleece attached to a stick. He was crazy about this thing. Eve washed it so Tulip could give it a try. She loves it too! She can hear it tapping on the floor and pounce right on it. She has great fun sitting up on her hind feet and swatting at it. She keeps grabbing the string and trying to walk away with it. I'll have to get a short video of this in the next few days. It's pretty cute. It also keeps her from pacing in front of the door for a while.

Gone to the vet

Tulip's first visit to the vet went surprisingly well. I came home early from work. I was hoping that it wouldn't take me all day to round her up, and to my relief and delight, she was downstairs sitting at the front door. With her in an easy spot, I rushed to get the carrier. I proceeded downstairs as calm as I could be so as to not give away my intentions. She was surprised to be in her carrier, but decided not to fight it and just settled in.

I clumsily placed her in the car, securing the seat belt around the carrier. Not one time during this whole experience did I hear a peep from her. Call it indifference or contentment. She wasn't worried or anxious or fearful. What night and day between her car riding reaction and our old cat's!

I got to the vet's a little early. The longer I was in that waiting area, the more people and pets piled in. Tulip was calm as can be. I had the top of the carrier open so I could pet her. She just laid there, moving her head now and then to pay attention to particular noises. She didn't seem to care about the dog that was barking in the adjacent room behind the closed door.

When it was finally Tulip's turn, the vet assistant asked me to place her on the scale, which was in the waiting area. I warned her that with all of the people, pets, and noises all around, it is unpredictable what a blind cat will do. She agreed to allow me to weight Tulip while in the carrier.

After that, Tulip and I were led to the room where the barking dog had been previously. I set Tulip on the examination table. Thank goodness there was a small blanket between her and the cold metal table. A little comfort in a strange place goes a long way.

I learned that the vet assistant also has a blind cat. It's amazing how we are learning of others that have pets with similar situations. It must be that law attraction being applied. Her cat's name is Cosmo. Cute!

After asking me a few questions about Tulip's history, of which I kept referring back to the folder Janet put together for us, she left us. It was just me and Tulip in that room until Dr. Cote came in. Tulip was being so sweet and patient through it all. She never sat up but just kept her paws tucked under her while I petted her constantly.

Dr. Cote was so welcoming. She has got to be the nicest, caring, non-sales oriented vet ever! I didn't feel rushed or limited for her attention. She made sure I had all my concerns and questions addressed. She's so personable.

Tulip's health is excellent. She received her distemper shot (FVRCP) and a teeth cleaning with some yummy seafood flavor toothpaste. The doc recommended we clean Tulip's side and back teeth with it at least once a week. So, she'll be on a Sunday-brush-teeth-time schedule starting this weekend. And with that, Tulip's scheduled to come in in 12 months.

I hope Dr. Cote finds her way to this blog and if she would permit us to place her business info here. Now I see why Janet highly, Highly, HIGHLY recommended her to us!

Lounging on the deck

Eve swept off the deck today and blocked off the railing with blankets so Tulip could explore out there safely. She's been pacing in front of the sliding door for days now. She obviously realizes that something is out there.

I've been paper writing all day, so I put a blanket down on the deck and sat out here with my computer working. She finally decided to come out and investigate. She's found her way up onto every chair and the air conditioner. I love watching her explore.

There's a tree that hangs over our deck, so she's been "watching" the hummingbirds up there. I think she's having a pretty good day. I also think we're all going to get some rest tonight after all the fresh air.

Meeting the grandparents

Eve's parents came over this afternoon. We had plans to take mom out to dinner for Mother's Day. They also wanted to meet Tulip. Tulip didn't seem to think that was the greatest idea. We were able to flush her out from behind the couch for a very brief sighting, but that was about it. She was already in a weird mood. She was even hiding from Eve and I for much of the day. Hopefully it was just bad timing and she'll be a better host next time.

First sushi dinner

Tulip had her first sushi dinner tonight. Eve stopped at Nigia Market to get some sushi-grade fish and brought it home for me to prepare. We had salmon, tuna, yellowtail, albacore and sea urchin. Tulip didn't eat much today, so when we sat down to eat, I gave her a little sample of fish. She didn't seem interested in the salmon, but enjoyed the tuna, albacore and yellowtail. She's an expensive date! She ate all that I gave her and was looking for more. I guess she enjoyed her dinner!

First day alone / first night in bed

Tulip spent her first day home alone yesterday. I worried all day long. I had school, so I didn't get home until 10:30 last night. However, I called Eve on my dinner break. She said that Tulip was just fine and that she had found the litterbox on her own during the day. I was so proud!

When I got home, she was hiding under the couch. I've decided that I've really had about enough of that, so we flushed her out. I had to play kitty rodeo for a while because she was spooked. But I found that if I get down on the floor with her and pet her really firmly, she usually calms right now. It worked. I walked her over to the couch and convinced her to come up there and flop with me for a while. She totally relaxed.

When we were ready for bed we brought her back to home base. She went right in her carrier and laid down. It's a straight shot from the bathroom to our bedroom so I could see her little ears pointing in our direction after we got in bed. She was still wide awake and wondering what we were up to. I decided to get her and put her on the bed to see if she'd sleep there with us. She was very curious about the room because she hasn't spent much time in there other than hiding under the nightstand. She did about 100 laps around the bed trying to figure out where she was. I was about ready to give up because I was exhausted and it was late. I decided to try the petting trick again and it worked again. She flopped herself down on the bed and went to sleep. When I woke up, she had worked her way up a little higher and was sleeping in between us. I gave her a little pet to wake her up and was greeted with a big stretch, yawn and loud purring. She woke up in a wonderful mood. I love it!

We took her back to her home base where she relaxed in the carrier while we ran around getting ready for work. We tried to get her to eat. She showed a lot more interest but fell just short of digging in. Eve ended up smearing a significant amount of wet food on her which she licked off. Then she went over to her water bowl and drank a lot of water. That made me happy. Things are looking up.

Timid morning

Tulip got off to a timid start this morning. She's still not really eating or drinking. She had a couple more pieces of dry food this morning. Last night we got a tiny bit of wet food in her by smearing in onto the back of her paw. She's completely uninterested in eating. That has me less concerned than the fact that I haven't seen her drink yet.

Last night she suddenly decided that she was nervous. We brought her back to "home base" where she curled up in her carrier and went to sleep. This morning she wasn't very eager to come out. She did finally decide it was okay. We're still learning where the litterbox is, so I try to encourage her to go in there. She's been in there twice successfully with some guidance from us. So far, no more accidents. We've discovered that when she starts pacing back and forth in front of a door, that's our cue to escort her to the litterbox. This morning she was in there for quite some time, but didn't do anything. I'm a little concerned she might be constipated, especially with the lack of water. I gave her a bit of vaseline. In the past, the vet has recommended this for hairballs. They all seem to like it. I smeared some on her paw. Hopefully that will help.

This is her first day home alone. We decided she's be safest if she was restricted to the bathroom area. She has her carrier, blankets, toys and food in there. Hopefully she'll be okay. I suspect she'll spend her whole day in the carrier. If I can sneak away, I'll go visit her at lunch. It's just about killing me to know she's there alone.

Ooo, a couch!

Tulip discovered the couch yesterday afternoon, or I should say the top of the couch. She had been hiding under it from time to time before that. I was sitting there doing homework and she was poking around the living room. She came over to visit and put her paws up on the edge of the couch. Once she realized what it was, she jumped up. I had down-filled, faux suede blanket spread out which she found her way onto. She immediately started kneading and purring. She ended up plopping herself down on the blanket and sleeping most of the afternoon. Cute! Every once in a while she would stretch her arms out toward me and yawn. I'd give her a little pet and she'd curl back up and sleep some more. That made my whole day.