The Clown

Patty O'Malley is a clown.  He's got no shame, and enjoys himself to the maximum.  Whenever I am around, he's right there at my elbow.  Other than rolling on the ground and nuzzling my armpit, Patty's third favorite pastime is photobombing Mama Mia.  Even while the hubby and I tore apart The Cat Hotel, scraped and cleaned, painted and caulked, Patty just sat a few feet away to watch, and nap.  Apparently, he's feeling just fine.  Such a funny fellow, and I love him dearly.

Closed for Renovation

Mousies!  It's MOLD!  The Cat Hotel has it, so we've stripped everything out, and given it a good wash, then a bleach bath.  The hubby has made a new lid, since the old one was why water leaked in.  It was totally gross, and I apologized to Mama Mia and Patty O' for giving them less than stellar accommodations.  Tomorrow, I will paint the inside with stuff that kills germs and mold, and seals the wood.  Once that has properly dried, we'll reinstall the flooring and fill it with clean, fresh straw.  Fortunately, we still have the old insulated shelter built five years ago, so the 'o' cats have a place to crash during the renovations.

And I've been worried about their health recently.  Mama was sneezing, and it sounded like she was underwater.  Patty has been quieter, almost introspective, and his lymph nodes under his chin are a bit swollen.  And why shouldn't they be sick, surrounded by slimy mold!?  Oh!!!!  If I hadn't have been nosey and popped open The Cat Hotel top to see how the straw was holding up, I wouldn't have guessed there was a problem.  When I saw—and smelled—the mold, it was all hands on deck between the hubby and I to throw out everything inside, then wash and bleach.

To help boost their immune systems, I add a bit of powdered Vitamin C, a sprinkle of Echinacea and Goldenseal, some granulated L-Lysine, and a spoonful of nutritional yeast to each meal.  Now that they are no longer exposed to mold, I am hoping they both improve.  Yikes, just thinking about it is giving me the willies!  They both are eating just fine, btw.  Mousies!

P.S. Angel is hiding in the corner of the bathroom, under the claw-foot bathtub.  She HATES fireworks.  Chucky is ignoring them, except the really big, deep ones that rattle. Patty O' and Mama Mia are simply lounging on the deck.  Obviously, they can tell the difference between fireworks and thunder.  Happy July 4th, everyone!  I hit some good sales today, so I'm pretty pleased (a future post!), except for the mold thing.  Mousies!

Angel's Spots

Chuck and Angel were born July 18, 2004.  And I just recently noticed that the markings in her fur look like a cat!

Well, yeah...

Aren't I just the cutest?

On her other side, Angel has a round dot, which earns her the occasional nickname of "Dottie"

You talkin' to me?