Where's my breakfast?

As you can see, the 'o' cats are very social.  This video is a classic example of how I am greeted each morning as I carry breakfast bowls.  Patty O' is ALWAYS first, but then he stops dead in his tracks, and I've just about stepped on him!  Sammy brings up the rear, but now that the temps are warmer, he's much more active.  And Mia is in between; she runs halfway out to see me, then darts back.

My friendly ferals!  I love 'em to pieces, and have breathed a very small sigh of relief that Old Man Winter may be on his way out.  Ha...I'll believe it when I see it!

Chucky's Ducky Gets Around

Ducky in the upstairs hallway 

Ducky in the Dining Room

Boxed Ducky

Every day, the Hubby and I amuse ourselves as we search the house, looking for Chucky's newest favorite toy, Ducky.  The three photos above were taken yesterday and today.  Ducky has also been discovered on the bed, in the rocker, on the bedroom floor, and on the stairway.  I rarely see Chuck actually play with it, but that Duck gets around!  And we know it is NOT Angel; she doesn't DO toys (she used to, and I am working hard to get her back into playtime again).  Just one of those marvelous, silly things that cats do, that nobody tells you about!

Angel rocks the box

Angel loves her boxes!  Here are just a few photos of her enjoying open boxes that once held pre-packaged coffee.  She enjoys them so much, that we put a bed inside a box, where she naps every day in the afternoon, and often overnight.  She curls herself up, and often little, bitty snores can be heard.  Hubby and I turn off the TV volume, just to listen to her soft wheezes, and it always makes us smile.  The brush lays there too, so she gets brushed while in a box, and I dangle the cat toy so she can bat at it while she reclines.  

William of Mass Destruction, you are too much!  Thanks for the shout out; I've been a fan of your blog for years, and you inspired me to start my own cat blog.  William looks so much like our Chuck, down to the white bits of fur on his belly and his long, thick tail.  I visit you everyday, to read up on William, Elliott and Caroline, and also to click on The Animal Rescue Site and Free Kibble Kat.  I haven't figured out how to put their icons on my blog, but I'll keep trying!

Patty wuvs me!

Patty was all over me yesterday, while we romped in the sunshine.  I managed to record while he licked my hair and my fingers...and when he tried to chew on me too!  Not a dazzling display of movie-making, but it captures Patty's loud purr, and my laughter at his shenanigans.  And this is a feral cat, or at least when he first showed up, he ran away from any human contact.  I love Patty O, and I think he likes me some too...aw, shucks!

Spring Sunshine

Sammy eats

Patty turning his cute dial up to 11

Mama Mia warming her fur

Ahhh...sunshine!  The 'o' cats were enjoying themselves!  The people were too; hubby and I hit the home-improvement store and scored a garden rake (!) and a few items for both of our upcoming projects: the cat crate update and some soffit repair.  

Hmm, methinks I need a new name instead of 'cat crate'.  Cat House is okay, but no...Cat Shelter is boring...maybe Cat Cube?  Cat Box?  Cat Condo?  If you have an idea, send a comment please!

And thanks for the birthday wishes: having a birthday on the First Day of Spring can be a lot of fun, especially after the cruel Winter we've endured in the Midwest.  Looks like another week of below-freezing temps overnight, then they start to climb.  Woo hoo!

My birthday present

Angel inspects

Yeah, yeah, it's my birthday but a really groovy gift that I received is for the 'o' cats!  It's a super sturdy wooden crate, that hubby and I are going to fix up with insulation, silvery mylar and/or duct wrap, and even a second floor!  Am thinking of summer and winter living quarters.  The thing is massive, and weights a ton, but that's perfect since I won't worry about blowing winds or downpours.  The cats will have a warm and sturdy sleeping place, plus they will enjoy jumping on top too.  I am grateful to Paws for the Cause Feral Cat Rescue for this terrific crate!  I'll post more as the construction proceeds.

For my big day, I used a vacation day from work and went shopping!  I also went to the salon, to get a hair cut and manicure.  The hubby and I ate out at a Mediterranean restaurant in downtown Royal Oak, and I won't need any more food to the rest of the day because I stuffed myself!  Yummy to the tummy, and when we arrived back home, the inside cats and the 'o' cats wanted their dinners too.  Am thinking it's nap time around here now!

Squeak and Arf!

Listen to Patty O'Malley 'squeak', and Sammy 'arf'! May have to turn up the volume a bit.  I love it when my boys sing to me!

Top o' the morning...

An early photo of 'Tiger'

Just before TNR (no ear notch)

Silly Patty O'!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Only seems fair to write about Patty O'Malley today.  We trapped him on 3/20/12; he had started showing up around New Year's that winter.  At first, hubby was calling him Tiger, but his personality soon revealed him to be sweet, fun-loving and outgoing...and those green eyes!  This cat seemed Irish to me, or at least he'd kissed the Blarney Stone, and the name "Patty O'Malley" just jumped into my noggin.  

Since then, he has revealed that he is the top cat, and that he is friendly to humans.  In fact, his desire to be petted and loved on has rubbed off on the other 'o' cats.  Prior to Patty's arrival, neither Mama Mia nor Sammy allowed me within ten feet, and now they let me stroke their fur and get really close.  I pick up Patty and hold him to my chest, and he barely wriggles while I smooch him.  Patty has a distinctive squeeky noise he makes as he runs down the driveway to greet me.  And his dark fur stripes are the color of a pint 'o Guinness!

Endearments

Kitten Chuck

Grow'd up Chuck

Below is a incomplete list of names we often call Chuck instead of...well, Chuck.  He responds to most of 'em!

Bobo

Bowzer

Stretch

B.B.C. (Big Black Cat)

Monty

Slinky

Black Velvet

Brother

Chuckster

Chuckinator

Meowzer

Baby Boy

The Tax Man

Window Cat

Big Cat...

Kitten Angel

Adult Angel

Angel's list of endearments is as long:

Pinky

Sissy

Dottie

B and W (Black and White)

Cow Cat

Baby

Bunny

Domino

Little One

Alarm Clock

Wee

Angelina

Sugar Bear

Sweet Pea

Pussy Cat...

Can't believe we are the only ones who re-name our cats often; how about you?  List some endearments or nicknames that you use on your furbabies in the comments!

What's that, Angel?

Hm, what do you think Angel is trying to tell me?  That it's time for "Jeopardy!"?  That my book is overdue at the library?  What, girl, what?  Let me think...the kitchen floor needs a wash?...well, yes but no...it's time to recycle my cardboard?...no, not that either...Golly, I just don't know...C'mon, Angel, give us a hint...you would like more newspaper to chew on, that's why your sitting in front of the cabinet that holds newspaper and...OH!  Cans of cat food!  Luscious stacks of cans of food!  Are you hungry, little Angel?  LOL!  Alright, I'll pop a can for you!  See, I can read cat!

I try to buy canned food by the case, and when there is a sale, I stock up!  We use an old stereo cabinet (with glass door) as storage.  Sometimes, Chucky will crawl inside and sit on the newspaper stack.  That's one of his ways of telling us he wants his meal!  The quiet 'snick' of the magnetic latch on the glass door is enough to wake cats on the other side of the house from sleep...to beg for food!

Oops! I did it again!

I just couldn't help it!  Too adorable to pass up, so yes I purchased ANOTHER CAT PIN!  Have not seen this design before, so that makes it unique in my book.  Think it will be a hit at the office, plus there are several metal colors to match with my work-a-day wardrobe.  My cat pin collection just keeps growing...!

P.S. Update on Sugar Bear: M & P's kitty with kidney problems got some interesting news when visiting their new veterinarian.  Not to get all technical, but Sugar Bear's bout of nausea can be cured, and with her sub-cu fluids, she's actually doing better than it seemed.  They thought she was on a downward spiral, but hopefully with new meds and a better understanding of what is happening in Sugar Bear's body, M & P are now rather hopeful instead of extremely worried.  That's fantastic news!  Thanks for the purrs for her and her sister Amber, and please keep sending them along.

Whitefoot

Little Whitefoot

Spent some time with Paws for the Cause Feral Cat Rescue on Sunday, for an adoption event.  The handsome boy pictured here is Whitefoot, named for the three toes on his back foot that are white.  The rest of him is beautifully grey, and he has a sweet, loving nature.  He was burying himself under the cage blanket, and the other cats simply slept through his shenanigans.  Took all of my willpower to not open that cage and hide him under my coat and walk into the sunset with him!  But I know one thing; these folks will do right by Whitefoot, and all the cats they work with.  I also witnessed Rusty, a small pale orange cat leaving for his furrever home (see his photo on my 2/16 post), and another brother and sister duo found their humans too.  Very heartwarming!

Another kitty who found a furrever home is Elliott, who joins William of Mass Destruction.  A wonderful blog that I've been reading for years; go take a look, and say hello to the two boys and their sister Caroline.

Please send some purrs to Amber and Sugar Bear; their people P and M are worried.  Relocated to Florida a few years ago, these sweet kitties are in quiet retirement.

Sugar Bear

Amber

Both are feeling unwell, so send your kind thoughts to these lovely butterscotch kitties.  Those white muzzles are just the cutest!

Welcome March!

The hubby often gets excited by sports stuff on TV, and I've mentioned to him that he could take a chill pill once in awhile since his outbursts are not good for himself, the cats...or me.  Today, he turned around and pointed that finger right back at me when I emoted about upcoming weather and temperatures while watching the news.  Hell's Bells!  More snow?  Overnight in the single digits?  WHAAAA!!!!

Guess he may just have a point, but in my defense, I was not yelling...just a sort of whimper.  At least it's March...something has got to give sooner or later, right?  May be my sanity...

On the other hand, we have discovered a new cat roaming around.  He's all black, and I can tell Patty is constantly on guard should this bruiser saunter by.  My heart is torn; of course I want to help any cat who's wandering the neighborhood, but I've got to take care of the three I'm already caring for.  Plus Angel and Chuck, who can smell the new boy when they go out onto the front porch.  I've adjusted the food levels that I put outside; only want enough for the 'o' cats to get a meal, but no leftovers.  The black cat looks very healthy, so hopefully he's found some other kind human to take care of him.  We'll keep our eyes peeled; wonder if this is how Patty got the new scratch on his nose.