Thankful Thursday: The 'O' Cats

Yesterday morning at 8 am
Minus 4 F

Today, at 8 am
Minus 12 F

I am so very thankful that The 'O' Cats seem to be making it through this frigid weather.  Am also thankful that The Cat Car has been able to get me to and from the office.

We still aren't out of the woods yet, folks, so please continue to be very careful with yourselves and your human and furry families.

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Only The Shadow Knows

🎵"Na na na na na na Na...Batcat!"🎵

And yes, I drove into the office this morning...my toes stayed cold the whole drive, even with the car heat blasting!  The whole 'let's close the office' ploy fell flat!  However, I've advised my boss that I will leave early every day for the rest of the week, so I get home during daylight.  Somehow, it feels best to feed The 'O' Cats while the sun is still up, even if there is no added warmth.  Both The PO'M and Sweetie ran out to greet me this morning, but they got to munching kibble without any delay.  👍

State Of Emergency

***Michigan Governor declares State of Emergency ahead of extreme cold temperatures***

This is my DIY feral cat feeding station windbreak.
Made from found foam core sheets.

I cut pieces to size, punched holes in the foam core, and zip-tied the whole thing to the card table, that is our feeding station.

The PO'M enjoys my lap!

Sweetie took to the feeding station improvement in a trice; she rushed right in and put her nose in the bowl.  The PO'M was hesitant, but he goes in once I've walked away.  The idea was to keep the frigid wind from blowing on them while they nosh.  In addition, the three-sided barrier prevents snow from swirling in, which I'm sure isn't pleasant on their paws.

This moment, my supervisor is considering closing the office for tomorrow, due to the extreme weather.  I already advised him that I'll be leaving a couple hours early each day, to get home to feed Sweetie and Paddy when the sun is still up.  That's the best I can do.  

Snowy Monday and Farewells

I stayed home from work today; travel is very dicey out there!

Image from Facebook

❄☃🌬

Tink the Tortoise was only 20 years old, but he'd decided to shuffle to The Rainbow Bridge.  His people are devastated.  

Tink The Tortoise on Facebook
Image from Facebook

And an old friend from Jan's Funny Farm Blog ran away to heaven too.  Jan is sick too; losing Cyndi is just too hard to bear.

Angel Cyndi
Image from Jan's Funny Farm Blog

Farewell, sweet Angels!

We wish that you could have stayed with us on Earth for a little bit longer, but we know that you are safe and warm where you are now.  We rejoice in the time we had together, yet our parting blows a cold wind on our hearts.

Hugs and purrs all 'round

💔😿💔😿💔

Sleepy Sunday And Farewells

Manny, upside down, in front
Chili Bruce behind
They decided to hold down my legs; guess they think that gravity doesn't work on the weekends!

Desperately quashing my anxieties regarding the upcoming frigid weather, and hoping everything we've set up for The 'O' Cats will be enough to see them through.  Will my love for our cats create a bubble of protection around them?  Please take care of yourselves and your family...two-footed or four...during this arctic experience!

⛄❆🌨

Sad news

Farewell, Angel Toby, from The Whiskeratti.  Please visit and leave words of comfort.  Run to Angel Leia, Toby...she's been waiting at The Rainbow Bridge for you.

We'll miss you, Toby
Image from The Whiskeratti blog

Farewell, Angel Andy, from Nerissa's Life.  His health problems were too much for his cat body.  The news isn't posted on the blog yet, but you can leave comforting words.

Bye, Angel Anderson
Image from Nerissa's Life blog

Hydrate At Your Peril!

Chili Bruce guards The Hubby's water bottles
"Go ahead, reach your hand in here!"

😹😸😹

Farewell, Angel Tallulah

RIP Tallulah
Image used with permission

Our dear friends at 15 And Meowing lost Tallulah yesterday; please stop by to leave a few words of condolence.

💔😿💔

Thankful Thursday: CatVideo Fest 2019!

Image from CatFest Video 2019 website

YAY!  CatVideo Fest 2019 is coming!  And, I've already purchased my ticket for the March 9 showing at the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts!

In the past few years, there have been a few attempts at a cat video show in Metro Detroit, but they've each been cancelled.  I've wanted to attend one since they first began to exist; a collection of online cat videos that will charm the hearts of enthusiasts to no end.

Please go to http://www.catvideofest.com/ to find out if there is a showing near you!  Sorry, looks like it's only the USofA, but perhaps there are other versions in your particular country.

And yes, I am thankful CatVideo Fest 2019!  I plan to wear a pair of cat ears on my head...or maybe a wooly cat-eared hat, 'cause March in Michigan can be very cold.

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Whoa!

January 30, 2013
The PO'M hasn't lost an ounce in five years...!

On Consignment

Kitty Cast Iron Doorstop
Shhh...don't tell The Hubby! 

I may have a slight problem with acquiring cat statues, pins, scarves, etc.  I really have more stuff than I need, but let's just say that I'm a collector. 

So, when friend BG and I visited Ditto Consignments & Design in New Baltimore, Michigan (right on Lake St. Clair!), I immediately headed for the cat display.  Oh yeah, the folks who run this store hooked me like a largemouth bass!  There were cat paintings, cat toys, cat dolls, and cat doorstops.  I grabbed the kitty above, minutes before a couple showed up to paw through the cat collection too!  There was also cat items displayed about the entire place; one has to search a bit, to uncover wonderful treasures.  What fun!

Collecting stuff is not new to me; I have a Star Trek, Original Series book and game collection; a ton of Sherlock Holmes things; "The X-Files" TV show EVERYTHING, and quite a supply of Haunted Michigan books.   The trick is to carry such treasures past The Hubby, without his noticing that I've got another armload of stuff!  If he's spotted my new doorstop, he hasn't said anything.

😺😸😺

Super Blood Wolf Moon

#1:
The temperatures in our area are frigid.  The 'O' Cats water bucket was just about frozen solid!

The weather app on my phone first thing this morning!

Water bucket, almost frozen solid

Sweetie and The PO'M came out for breakfast!

#2:

Last night was a Super Blood Wolf Moon!  Super, because of the short distance between the two celestial bodies; Blood, because of the full Lunar eclipse, which turns the face of the moon reddish; and Wolf Moon, 'cause it's January, when the wolves (and every other living thing!) need to find food.

Taken from the interwebs

This is how the full moon looked from our front window

#3:

Got up at midnight to look at the lunar eclipse, and Chili Bruce decided that my body would make a nice beddy for him!  I was laying on the futon in the parlor, which is on the first floor.  Bedrooms are on the second floor, in Angel's Apartment.  

This image is from 12/2017
Last night's super full moon light still wasn't enough
to snap a photo of CB on my chest!

Bananacatastrophe

No photos exist of the disaster that occured this morning.  The Hubby reports that Manny reached up and hooked his claws on the cutting board that held a nicely chopped banana.  The banana was due to grace MY breakfast, but instead, it hit the floor.  Oh noes!

Manny being weird

Fortunately, the crisis was erased by the surfeit of organic bananas on hand.  Oatmeal with bananas, cinnamon, and a tablespoon of peanut butter was served on schedule, and I wasn't told about the bananacatastrophe until later.

No animals were harmed in the making of today's post, and The Hubby was only upset by the banana loss for a few minutes, because Manny is too cute, and now all is forgiven.

Barbarians At The Gate

For the first time in many months, Da Boyz were able to breach defences, and scamper straight up the stairs.  Actually, it happened twice within 24 hours!  Angel was beside herself each time, seeing those barbarians at her doorstep.  Thank goodness the screen door was latched!

Angel's growls, hisses, and shrieks brought the humans to the rescue in seconds.  Da Boyz didn't seem to care a whit that they'd broken radio silence, so to speak.  They were dutifully carried back down.  Angel keeps up her patrol, guarding the gate.

Angel at the top of the stairs

"Stay Away, Barbarian Boyz!

"We wanna explore everything!"

The Hubby has beefed up the downstairs door mechanism, to prevent those rowdies from bashing the door open again, as they wrestle together.

Tabby Too Much!

We had lovely, warm sunshine a few days ago, and The PO'M and I had a cuddle session on the deck.  Any image I snapped of him straight on were blurry, but when I held the camera low and shot upwards, Paddy really shined in the sunlight.  Here are a few of my favs:

Blep!

"I'm so cute!"

"What with this hair, Mama?"

Paddy tries to look dark and mysterious

He's just too much! 💕

The weatherguessers are predicting inches of snow...or not...for this weekend.  "It all depends", they say.  The Hubby reports that the grocery stores are packed, as people stock up, whether we have a significant snowfall or not.  What isn't up for debate, however, is the deep cold that is coming.  I really don't worry about The PO'M so much, since he rolls on the ground when it's summer or winter, but Sweetie is an older ladycat, and I wish I could sneak her into my coat to keep her warm from now until about May.

Thankful Thursday: A Year Ago

Da Boyz chillaxin' a year ago.
Manny's Great White Spot is in evidence, while CB is demure.

The Hubby and I couldn't get enough of watching Manny and Chili Bruce sleeping together a year ago, and the wonder and delight at watching them snooze is still as fresh to us.  We count ourselves so very lucky to have been at the right place at the right time, to have adopted them.  There were two other women hovering about while I played with Da Boyz at the pet store adoption center, and I am convinced that they would have been adopted by someone else if I'd hesitated.  We are thankful that we struck when the iron was hot, so to speak!

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No Donut

Outside the Troy Police Department, looking for Donut

Last year, the Troy Police Department in Troy, Michigan, announced their newest and cutest recruit in their Feline Unit: Donut.  Pawfficer Donut was a global media sensation, and since I work in the City of Troy, I vowed to visit the kitty when I could.

Yesterday, I screwed up my courage, 'cause, walking into a cop shop makes one queasy, even a law-abiding citizen like me, and stepped into the station lobby.  I asked if Pawfficer Donut was available for an interview, and received a polite turn-down from the desk officer on duty.  Apparently, Donut stays home when not attending impawtant city duties.  I will have to keep track of Donut's next appearance via the city newsletter or website.  The desk officer and I had a wonderful time discussing service animals, especially dogs.

Trust me, my goal is to be nose to whiskers with Pawfficer Donut soon, and will report on the meeting when it happens.  I've discovered a few photos of Donut, plus a video, which are below. 

https://youtu.be/f29Y-mddGJM

"Purrtect and Serve"
From Troy Police Department - Troy, Michigan's Facebook page

Bag Cat

"Mine!"

Angel rarely jumps onto my bed, but she did when I placed a bag of newly purchased cat toys up there, and then walked away!  She dug right in, and found the catnip toy.  I quickly removed said toy for her amusement, since seeing her inside a bag made my heart leap into my throat!  No kitties were harmed in the making of this post, I assure you.

Snoozes

Absorbing as much sunshine as possible!

After taking photos of Da Boyz sleeping together on Sunday morning, I climbed back into my bed, and napped for hours!  I guess sleepiness rubs off...

A Chance Encounter

Friday morning, I was at the optometrist.  To my wondering eyes, a gorgeous dog peeked 'round the corner, and I sank to my knees to pet this wonderful baby.  You should have heard his tail thumping the floor!

Interestingly, the employees were a bit shaken by our (dog and me) interaction, since the woofie is never supposed to encounter patients.  They offered lint rollers for the fur, and were bowled over when I snapped a photo!  I assured them that, 1) I wasn't reporting anyone to anyone, 2) I am already covered in cat hair, so a few dog hairs ain't no big thang, and 3) who would turn down a change to rub that big noggin, and pet that glorious tummy?!?

I forgot the woofie's name!  Darn!

Just because I was wearing a cat scarf, cat earrings, and a cat pin...doesn't mean that I don't adore woofies too!

The computer screen on my pin reads, "Mouse Error"
My 'old' glasses

Maybe my 'new' eyeglasses? Cat-eyes!
Image grabbed from the interwebs

I really liked this pair.  They are ordering them in a smaller size, since I looked like Elton John in the set that they had!

Rockin' the glasses, Elton!
Image grabbed from the interwebs

Farewell, Angel Oreo

My sister's former cat, my nephew cat, was just helped to The Rainbow Bridge.  Angel Oreo was mostly an outside cat while my sister's children were young.  New neighbors built their house in the field that Oreo like to play; actually, he 'allowed' them to build on his turf!  That family fell in love with him, enough so that they asked if they could adopt him, as he was already spending so much time with them.  He had a good life, with two loving families, but he left us too soon.

Farewell, Oreo

Baby Oreo

Oreo, at 15 years
Photos used with permission

😿💔😿

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Thankful Thursday: I'm Not Sorry

Cover

Haikus

Cutie kitty!

Uh-huh!

Dude, get a nickname!

Rosa Silva, the author of "I'm Not Sorry" and "Stop Meowing and Go The F*CK To Sleep" and blogger Cat Lady Confidential, gifted me with a copy of her cat poetry book.  I read it within minutes of opening the package. I enjoy haikus, and there are plenty here, and so many other poems.  I've included a few images from the book, and heartily recommend that everyone acquires a copy of their own!

I am thankful that Ms. Silva reached out to me, after commenting that I hadn't read her poetry book yet.  So very kind, and I recommend that you read it not because of the gift, but because I know all will enjoy it as much as I did.

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