Halloween at Eastside Cats!

Today's office attire: orange cat sweater, cat scarf, and bat earrings!

Bat earrings, found at a garage sale, and Halloween cat earrings gifted by a co-worker!

Black cat Halloween decoration at neighbor's home

Double black cat decorations (their heads move!) in the neighborhood

Today is the 37th Firstdateoversary for The Hubby and I.  We attended a work Halloween party together, and are still an item!  He was dressed as a plumber, while I wore my great-grandmother's long lace dress, elbow-length gloves, and velvet hat.  Should have known then...

Happy Halloween!

😽🎃😽

Halloween Prezzies!

🎃😺🎃😺🎃

Look what arrived from Four-Legged Furballs!

Thank you, Four-Legged Furballs!

A Halloween tote, a HUGE package of Temptations treats, two packets of cat-nip toys, and some candy that didn't make it to the photo shoot...hahaha!

Can you just imagine a photo of Manny and Chili Bruce, each playing with a black cat toy? 

🎃😺🎃😺🎃

More...

Two Black Cat Halloween Decorations

A co-worker gave me these; aren't they cute?

🎃😺🎃😺🎃

And more!

Cat masks, cat pin and treat tote!

Close up on tote

Isn't this a terrifc cat pin?  Love it!

Who dat?!?

My dear friend's P & M sent the masks, tote, and pin.  Such adorable items!

Thank you!

🎃😺🎃😺🎃

P.S. I am still in a week-long class, but there is plenty of downtime, surprisingly.  Am trying to visit all blogs to comment, and you all are posting great things these days!  Yay!

Uber Rides

My first Uber customers!

Manny!

Second customer waiting for his turn...

Chili Bruce!

The Hubby LURVS Trader Joe's food markets.  He shops there a few times a week, and on a recent trip, he brought home items in a box rather than a tote or bag.  This box turned into a taxi or Uber for Manny and Chili Bruce, and I was happy to be their driver.  I carried Manny from the kitchen, into the dining room, then to his destination in the parlor.  My second customer Chili Bruce hopped on board, and his trip was almost the reverse of Manny's.  Really, I enjoyed the trips as much as they appeared to!

Disclaimer: No, Trader Joe's didn't pay us to mention them, or their empty wine boxes.  All products shown were purchased for us and by us.  We do not drink alcohol; this was truly just an empty box.  But how could a cat-owned-human turn down a free box?!?

Angel's Health Is Good!

"Lemme outta here!"

Angel's examination and bloodwork at the veterinarian's today show her to be in excellent health.  The doc was pleased with her teeth, and found no urinary problems.  The discussion was that due to her age, she's just not holding her bladder as long as a spring chicken, thus more peeballs.  I thought that her output had increased, but it was just a frequency issue.  I am somewhat chagrined, but very glad that she is well. 

Thanks for the well wishes for my Bunny Rabbit kitty; I followed my instincts, and since she was due for an annual check-up in a month, we've knocked that off the chore list.

My posts and comments will be somewhat sporadic, due to a five-day course that I am taking this week.  Thankfully, it's occurring in my office building, and during my usual office hours...SCORE!

Thankful Thursday: Love, Litter Box Style!

Da Boyz left me a Valentine this morning!

Today, I am thankful that 1) the HUGE office meeting is OVER, and we made it through with little errors or problems, 2) have a plan to visit my sister and family next month for a weekend, and 3) Da Boyz left me a heart-shaped peeball this morning.  Such love! 💕

Let's Hop!

Join Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop by clicking here!

Hopefully, it's Nothing

Pensive Angel looks pensive

Since Angel has her own litter boxes, it was easy to notice that her urine output increased in the last two weeks.  We have a veterinarian appointment for this Sunday.  Even The Hubby commented on her acting a bit differently recently; more skittish, more vocal.  We are hoping that she's just got 'the-windows-are-shut' blues, and the vet will waive us away, commenting to the vet tech that I am a nervous nelly cat mama.  I can take being embarrassed over a cat-health nothing-burger any day!

Snoozing...

...with me!

Please don't ask which cat was #1 or #2...
they crawled underneath the blanket, and
all I know is that one was Manny and the other was Chili Bruce!

Manny In Action!

https://youtu.be/50O9bqakFVg

https://youtu.be/YSq-NFJjuDY

Now you understand why that spider plant looks a bit trashed!

And why we cannot have nice things...

😸😹😸😹😸

It's Official! "Prancie's Prayer" is at The Library!

Cover

Inside, with cute cartoon images!

More of the story...

Marjorie Kinzy, Youth Services Librarian
Mount Clemens Public Library

We all have a friend in the cat blogosphere in Ellen Pilch, at 15 and Meowing Blog, and I am so happy that she's had her first children's book published!  I purchased a copy of "Prancie's Prayer", and donated it to our local public library for the children to enjoy.  Saving homeless cats is a terrific story to teach young'uns! 

Concatulations to Ellen on her book, and we certainly hope that she publishes more!  

Disclaimer: I purchased this book with my own funds, and donated it with no strings attached to my local library; I will receive no tax write-off nor get my name posted on the library website!  I believe that this is a charming book, and that children need to read it...or have it read to them!  No More Homeless Pets!

👏😸👏

Special thanks to Marjorie Kinzy for graciously posing with "Prancie's Prayer in the Children's Area of the Mount Clemens Public Library.  

My Cat Smells Like...

An incomplete list:

...Coffee*

...Peanut Butter*

...Laundry soap

...Cardboard

...Straw

...Cat Litter

...Stuff that one finds IN the cat litter

...Cat

*these items are caused by The Hubby's hands

Chili Bruce, left, and Manny
hiding in the bathtub earlier this year

Do you know that I've guessed what The Hubby made for dinner, because I could smell it on a cat?  YES!  No wonder they bathe themselves like crazy after a human touches them!  Who'd want to smell like spaghetti, if you weren't eating any?!?

😹😸😹😸😹

Thankful Thursday: Snug As A Bug In A Rug

We are so very thankful to see Sweetie's eyes peering out
from The Cat Hotel!
The cardboard box in the foreground was where she and The PO'M were sleeping for a few days, which caused me no end of grief that I'd mistakenly kicked them out due to the refurbishment.
And see the wire hanging looped in the corner?  That's the electric to the warming pad on the lower level, now that our overnight temperatures are hoving at the freezing point.

😻😺😻😺😻

Let's Hop!

Visit Brian's Home Blog to join the hop!

***Update!  I've changed my comments, since I've had several folks mention that the comment link does a disappearing act!  Please let me know if you are having any problems, thank you!***

Goodbye, Pearl

Two doors away, there lived a beautiful black kitty.  She often greeted me as I began or ended my evening neighborhood stroll.  Never knowing her name, I called her Pearl.

Pearl liked to get pets and rubs!

She wasn't that fond of the camera

Gorgeous Pearl!

Last week, I'd noticed that Pearl was wandering around her home, but there was no human around to let her inside.  There were also bowls of kibble and water on the front porch.  Had she been abandoned?  The Hubby and I discussed it; if she was without owner, we'd take her in or find a new home for her.

On Sunday, there was a Rent-a-Truck in the front yard of the house, so I walked over to ask about Pearl.  Turns out, the in-poor-health elderly couple living there decided very quickly to move into their daughter's house, and son and daughter-in-law were clearing things out.  I introduced myself, and apologized for being nosey, then asked as to what was happening to the kitty?

Turns out, Pearl only responds to her momma's voice, and on the day the couple were leaving, Pearl didn't show up.  She is an indoor/outdoor kitty, but you see her ear-tip in the photos.  She was spayed when our city had a free spay/neuter deal going.  Her sister was too, but the sister cat disappeared over a year ago...sad to say.  I called her Opal.

The son promised me that momma was coming back Monday or Tuesday this week, to call out for Pearl, and take her to their new home.  After dinner yesterday, I walked the two doors down, and discovered no more bowls.  Pearl had gone to her new home.

The last photo I snapped of Pearl...

Yes, of course I know this is a GOOD THING!  Her humans did great; taking her along.  I don't count in this scenario; I'm just the neighbor who dotes on every cat she sees.  But Pearl is special, with her floofy tail, and high squeak of a meow.  I'll miss our tender snuggles, sweet girl!

Goodbye, Pearl!  Bon Voyage.

Global Cat Day®

Global Cat Day®

https://globalcatday.org/

"Whether you’re dining in Istanbul, relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean, working on a farm in Kansas or walking the avenues of Washington, D.C. there are cats who need your help.

Millions of community cats, or feral cats who live outdoors, are killed each year in animal shelters after people take them there.
They don’t realize these cats live and thrive outdoors. Owned, adoptable cats are at risk, too. When they end up at animal shelters, they are often killed because the shelter lacks the space, resources, and programs to care for them. For this and so many reasons, Alley Cat Allies is here to protect cats.
Alley Cat Allies is the only global advocacy organization dedicated to protecting and saving all cats.
We ensure communities, shelters and veterinarians have what they need to launch programs including spay and neuter clinics and Trap-Neuter-Return. We work with advocates, public officials, and people like you to create a world where cats are valued and protected.
There are so many ways to love and help cats.
You can advocate to help make sure the cats in your community are protected with humane policies, adopt or foster a cat from your local shelter, carry out TNR, and more!"

All of the above was taken from Alley Cat Allies website 

Eastside Cats' Story:

In 2008, the security team at my office told me that they'd witnessed a man and young son (!) releasing a cat into our parking lot.  I looked all over for the cat that day, but did not locate him.  The next day, however, I did find a tabby cat, who was hungry and very scared.  I fed the cat before work, on my lunch hour, and again before going home.  Through co-workers, I found folks who lived nearby who agreed to visit the cat on the weekends.  As time went on, I networked a group of like-minded animal-lovers who donated money, food, and time to help this cat, whom we named George.  

I had NO IDEA at the time what TNR was, what the difference between a stray or a feral cat was, or that there were organizations like Alley Cat Allies or local rescue groups who participated in TNR projects.  It took us the entire summer to catch George, simply because I had forgotten to latch the first humane trap that I'd rented, and George got OUT...and therefore was onto all of our tricks to catch him!  I used about five different types of humane traps, but all for naught.  In the end, we set up a dog kennel and slowly lured George inside with food.  That day in the autumn of 2008 was bittersweet; George was a part of my life, and I didn't want to let him go.  Yet we'd found a family that agreed to take in George, since we really didn't know if he was once a pet, or was a stray.  George lived with his family until his passing years later, and I will always be grateful for them.  We are still in touch!

Angel George

Because of George, I became involved in local animal rescue, and volunteered with several non-profit groups.  We soon discovered Hobo in our backyard, then Sweetie, and Angel Sammy and The PO'M came along afterward.  Attending a TNR class at All About Animals Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic and Rescue, I am now involved in spreading information about TNR, and encouraging all to SPAY AND NEUTER.

Global Cat Day®

https://globalcatday.org/

Mancat Monday

Chili Bruce, chillin'...

Manny, mannying....

Paddy, taken Saturday.
This was the first evidence that he'd moved back
into The Cat Hotel since the renovation.
Sweetie has been going in and out for days,
but this was MY first time seeing The PO'M inside.
YAY!
And of course, he's taken over the Penthouse...

Nibblers...?

The Mom: "There's a hole in the litter bag!"

The Hubby "Someone nibbled!"

Chili Bruce: "Not Me!  Look it, I'm all snuggly and sleepy here!"

Manny: "Don't look up here!  I'm just minding my own beeswax."

Voiceover: "A mysterious case of evidence, with no proof!  The humans claim that it must have been a cat, but the cats won't admit any wrongdoing, and think that the humans had better watch it!  Could be another unsolved casefile."

Thankful Thursday: Springs!

Prezzies from The Cat On My Head Blog!
Spring toys at the top!

Way back in August, Sawyer from The Cat On My Head Blog reported that he'd recently learned to play with spring toys, and when I commented that maybe Da Boyz might enjoy springs too, they mailed us a few, plus a handful of other coolio toys!

I've been trying since then to snap photos of Manny racing after his favorite spring toy (yellow), or Chili Bruce batting his around (blue), but all you can see are blurs of action.

This Thankful Thursday, sponsored by Brian's Home Blog, I gratefully thank The Kitties Blue for their generous gift of prezzies for The Eastside Cats.  The Hubby is NOT so thankful, since he's the one who fishes the springs out from under various household items using a yardstick, but he's thrilled to see Da Boyz so active. 😸

Da Boyz LURV the springs!

Let's Hop!

Whoa Wednesday

Manny, trying out a look for Halloween
What do you think?

Sparkle Cat Scarf

See how the silvery cats shine?

Modeling the scarf in front of my office Cat Collection

Three Chatty Cats knew that I'd love this scarf, so they mailed it to me!

YAY!

Love it!

Thank you, Three Chatty Cats!

Please visit their blog; it's hilarious!

Update on The Cat Hotel: no residents yet!
Thank you for the 'don't worry' messages, yet I won't rest easy until I see pieces of straw sticking out of Sweetie and Paddy's fur, as they climb out of their sleeping quarters.
I'll keep you posted!

Am Afraid That I've Stepped In It...

Michigan is having a few days of ultra-warm weather.  I figured it was a good time to fit out The Cat Hotel for the upcoming cold season, and had The Hubby pull it out from under the new awning he'd created.

To my horror, I found mold.  I pulled back the silvery insulation that we'd attached on the inside, and found it.  DAMMIT!

The Hubby said, "Okay, let's pull off the old stuff, give the inside a quick coat of 'die-mold-die' paint that we have.  In an hour, it will be dry, then we'll tape in new insulation, you'll fill it with fresh straw, and VOILA!"  Included in that list, was to insert the warming pad on the bottom floor.

MOLD!

Unfortunately, the paint didn't dry fast enough, but dusk was falling soon.  Between the two of us, we cut and taped, while Sweetie and Paddy snoopervised.

Painted!

Even the lid was painted and repaired

It was about 8 pm when we slide the new, improved Cat Hotel back into its slot.  I put out some kibble for the cats, and explained to them what we'd done, and how the mold abatement procedure will keep them comfy and cozy.  I apologized profusely for allowing things to get in such a state, which is why I had insisted that we build a new awning and wind breaks.

Both cats seemed purrfectly fine with everything.  In the past, I had freaked out every time I replaced the straw in the old Mama's House, thinking that I'd scared them off.  Yet, they returned every time.

Except last night.

The 'O' Cats's overnight quarters

This morning

Both cats slept in the cardboard boxes that we set out for them, and replace often.  While filling The Cat Hotel with straw last night, I threw some into one box, and forgot to fill the other.  But that's where they were when I left them last night around 9 pm, and where they jumped out of, for breakfast this morning. 

The Cat Car window, dripping with fog

And, we have FOG this morning.  Everything is dripped with moisture, and visibility is low.  And my cats stayed outside all night!  WHA!  *sob* *sniffle*

I am beside myself, worried that I've screwed it all up, and they won't use The Cat Hotel!!!  Neither cat seemed too distraught, but you know how well they hide their feelings!  The Hubby has reassured me...several times...that they will go in once the paint finally dries (it didn't 'dry in an hour').

And now, I look outside, and it's pouring rain at my office.  If it's raining at home...

The New Awning, with old windows used as windbreaks

The PO'M sleeping under the awning, on top of The Cat Hotel in July

 Am afraid, and quite sure, that I've screwed up this time...