I'm here, I'm here!

Hi Everyone! Here I am! Sorry to worry you Edsel! Until this past week, things were very very busy around my house. For most of October and all of November, my Mom had to work like crazy on her school stuff, and since she's the one who helps me blog, we fell way behind. We would still read everyone's blog and comment rarely because Mom said it was a nice stress relief for her.

All sorts of things have happened that I will have to write about over the next few days. We have time to do that now because Mom and Dad are on vacation! We have had several glorious days of playing and snuggling and even more playing! Before that, I met two of my Grammas, other people came and stayed at our house, we had Thanksgiving, and Mom went away for a whole week. Now we have a tree in the house! There are many blogs that we still have to catch up on, and over the next few days we will be coming around and commenting. I added links (with Mom's help of course) for some new cats that left me messages on my last post. I want to make especially sure to point out Eponine's blog. Mom and I are both very sad that we didn't come across her blog until her last few posts, but we have really enjoyed what we read of her previous posts. Eponine and her Cowboy had a very special relationship, and Mom said it was ok for me to add a link to her site for awhile so that others can read and feel the love they shared. It warms Mom's heart while making her very sad for the Cowboy and his loss. Eponine's Cowboy said one of the things he enjoyed these last few rough days was seeing pictures on other cats' sites. Well I don't know if the Cowboy will be by my site, but I'll add a few pictures anyway!

Mom and Dad put up a Christmas Tree. From reading everyone's blogs it seems most of you have had experience with one of these. Well, being only 9 months old, I had never seen one before. It's loads of fun! Though I mostly have to enjoy it when Mom and Dad aren't around, because sometimes I get squirted with water when I get to close. It's a curious thing, but it only happens when Mom and Dad are home. Anyway, it has lights on it, but they aren't lit very much anymore. Mom says it has something to do with how it looked after I was left alone with it for half a day. I had so much fun, and I don't think it looked nearly as bad and Mom and Dad did! Mom says these pictures don't even really do my "handiwork" justice. I've also included a picture of me admiring my improvements to the tree. You can see I'm sitting on the radiator. I could do that because it wasn't hot... and it didn't get hot for a few days, but that's for another post! Here is a funny website if you want to see some more Kitty Christmas Tree fun. Mom said it made her laugh out loud... so much that tears came down her face. She thinks we can all use a laugh like that sometimes, so she wanted to make sure I shared it with you.

I'm off to play with Dad right now, but stay tuned for more updates in the next few days, and I'll be coming around to comment. Hope you are all warm and happy!

Mom's Busy Night

Hi all kitties and friends! Thanks a lot for your comments on my last post. They helped to make me feel like a normal kitty again!

Remember how I told you last weekend my Mom was up all night doing all sorts of crazy things? Well one of the things she did was make me a toy. Two things brought the toy about. First, I kept telling her I wanted to try out a box like Timmy and lots of other kitties have. A box finally came in the mail, but it was very big and I didn't use it much. Then when she was in the pet store last Saturday, she saw all sorts of kitty condos and things that she wanted to buy for me, but that were way too expensive. She wanted to get me something I could play in, "put the bite on" (as Timmy says!), and something I could hide in. So when she got home, she put the two ideas together, and made me what you see in this picture here! She took my box, taped it closed, then cut a hole in it so I could have a hidey place. Then she cut some holes in the top and strung through one of my toys on a string (a nip sock). Then she took the stick that used to have a purple mousey on it (he finally broke free a few weeks ago), and tied a new teethy toy to it and stuck it in the top. I have been enjoying it very much. I mostly play with the toys on it and try to get them off (Mommy found the stick toy under the desk in the office today). I like to scratch the box, but I haven't chewed it very much. I like to sit on top of it and be up high and look around. But I haven't been in it very much. I get too distracted by the toy in the doorway and just play with that. Mom says she'll keep that in mind for future models because she wants me to have a warm hidey place. She wanted me to tell you about it, because maybe one of your Mom's will get inspired to make you a new toy or something. It sure gave me fresh interest in some of my older ones!

She also wanted me to post this picture because she says you can tell how well I take care of my fur, and you can see how big I'm getting! You can also see that I have a bit of a belly! But I'm a growing boy so I'm telling her that's ok. She says "We'll have to see what the vet says". I'm not afraid of him.

Hope you all stay well out there!

Way to go Dad!

Yesterday Dad stayed home from work because he was feeling sick. I enjoy having someone stay home all day. It means lots of extra love for me. I now especially like it when Dad stays home. I got several treats throughout the day and we played a lot. Then, Mom came home late, so Dad fed me while we were waiting. Well he didn't realize that since Mom switched to buying the larger cans of food, I only get half a can for dinner... and he gave me a whole can!! Oh I was so happy. I ate and ate and ate. I still asked Mom for some food when she came home, but she didn't go for it. Oh well. I hope Dad stays home more often. Mom worked from home today, but she isn't as liberal with the treats, and she knows how much to feed me. I did a lot of begging today, but she's wise to me. I told her I'm a growing boy and need more food and she told me to grow into my big round belly first! I didn't think that was nice, but maybe she has a point. These pictures posted here today are from a few weeks ago, so you can't see my new belly so good. I have to get Mom to upload the more recent ones. But she was real busy helping me to update the blog today and get my links more in order, so I'll wait a few more days if I have to. We made some minor changes, but we're still not totally happy with it. Mom says we'll get there though.

I would like to ask you all a question about catnip now, and how you react to it. I have active "freak outs" (as my parents like to call them) on a daily basis already. The other day I was given some catnip to play with for a bit, but it didn't seem to make me nuts too much. I did act weird about half an hour later though as Mom and Dad caught me sitting in the middle of the floor just staring into space. And this morning after some catnip I was licking the couch. I'm just wondering how all of you react. I'm worried I'm not normal.

That very eventful day

Mom and I are up late tonight and she said I should put up a new post since it's been awhile. I haven't been able to post much because of our continuing computer situation, and it's unfortunate because I have a lot of news. I certainly won't be running out of things to post about in the future anyway. First of all, things are much better between Mom and I. That very night we had a talk and I realized there are so many great things about being a kitten, and she really is just worried about me after all. So that's all good now. Thanks for all your comments about that!

Next I want to show you the pictures of that day when I ate all the chicken. First I want to show you how I got into the bag.
Next we can see not only how much chicken I ate, but the styrofoam I chewed for dessert! The pictures are poor quality because Mom took them in the hallway outside our apartment, and also there wasn't enough battery in the camera to use the flash she tells me. But I think you can get the idea! I'm still so proud of myself even if Mommy wasn't proud of me.



That was a very busy day for us. That night, while I was eating the chicken, there was a plumbing problem, and everything Mom washed down the sink when she did dishes after dinner came up through the bathtub! She said she wished they didn't have enchiladas that night because it sure made the bathroom smell like a taco stand. Anyway, I checked it out for Mom to make sure everything was ok... and here's the proof! Before this, Mom thought I was afraid of the bathroom because whenever I went in there I didn't stay very long. But I read about so many other kitties that like the bathtub in their blogs that I had to check it out for myself. Now Mom knows I'm not so scared.

Also that day Mom had a lot of paperwork to do and I was a tremendous help to her. She said so. I performed my usual duty when she has paperwork to do... I spread it all over the floor for her so it's easy for her to find what she's looking for. She gave me some bits of paper of my own to play with, but I was more concerned about helping her out.

Finally I was just exhausted. I had a huge meal in the middle of the night (and no breakfast afterward), I had to take care of things in the bathroom, and then I helped Mom with her paperwork. Plus I kept pooping all day, Mom says probably because the chicken was bad. Anyway, Mom was able to get the camera to work for a few shots of me all tuckered out. She wanted to get a shot of me from above while I was standing so she could show everyone how distended my belly got from all the chicken, but I don't like to stand still much.


Boy was I tired that day. I'm tired now too. I'm going to go put myself in a position much like this one.

I'll be updating my links and blogging buddies in the next few days so stay tuned!

Kitties Not Allowed

Hi Everyone. I'm a little peeved at Mom. She helped me to set up this new blog, and now I'm never allowed on the computer because she's working on a big paper. We even have a new laptop in the house that a friend of Dad's let us borrow, and I'm not allowed to use it!!! She says "Mattingly, I know you wouldn't hurt it on purpose, but we can't take any chances that any accidental scratches or anything will happen." She knows I much prefer the laptop over this chunky desktop! She also won't let me sit all over her while she works lately like I really like to do... so I don't feel I've been getting as much love as I'm used to and that upsets me too. One good thing is that I've been getting lots of window time lately, one of the big cold-blowing boxes (air conditioner is what it is I'm told) has come out and been replaced by a fan. It's pretty neat, I like to smell it, but Mom freaks out if I get to near it. She also gets all nervous when she opens the living room window and I look out the screen. She's so worried that I'm going to push through the screen, or scratch a hole in it or something and fall out the window. Apparently my Aunt Peanut (one of Mom's cats that lives with one of my Grammas) fell out of a second story window... twice... so Mom thinks I'm going to do it too. This is a picture Mom gave me of Aunt Peanut. I've never met her. Anyway, I've tried to tell Mom that I have no desire to go outside... it's loud and scary out there... I was out there for a few weeks and I have no desire to go back (one of the reasons I think Timmy is so brave... he goes outside quite a bit and gets in cars and everything). Well the whole point of all of this is that she is treating me like such a kitten! I'm a growing boy here... I'm not a sick, scared little baby anymore! She tells me I'm growing into a handsome cat and that I'm taking good care of myself, but she won't trust me in windows or with a borrowed laptop. Whatever. And now she needs the computer back to do more work.

I do thank all of you for your comments, and I'll be updating my links section soon to include all of you and come and comment on your blogs. It's nice to know that others out there know what I'm going through. Maybe I can sneak onto the new laptop while she's sleeping tonight. I hope she finishes this paper soon.

Oh! One more thing. Mom finally did some figuring based on what the vet has said when I've been there, and she picked a birthday for me. My birthday is June 6, 2005. Oh... I guess I am still a kitten. Well, I don't feel like it so I don't want to be treated like one!

My Round Belly

Oh boy what a day! There are so many many things that happened today, but I think I'll save some of them for a post tomorrow. In this post, I would like to discuss my belly. You'll see why it's round in a moment. Let's start at the beginning of the day:

When Mom woke up this morning, I was playing by myself in Dad's t-shirt drawer (I love it when the dressers aren't closed all the way!). I did not wake Mom and Dad up by jumping all over the bed and rubbing faces with them. But Mom did not notice my good behavior. She said I looked cute though. As she got up and did her morning routine, I followed her around, but I did not beg and yell for my breakfast like I usually do. Again she did not notice my good behavior. She kept looking at me though and said, "Mattingly, your belly looks much rounder than it did last night." She looked around a bit for places I might have gotten into things, but all was well in the kitchen. She kept looking and looking at me and said again, "I swear your belly is bigger than last night." And then, she found it. And it explained everything. See, last night Mom and Dad were going to have chicken for dinner, but when they opened the package, it smelled bad... (let's note here that it smelled bad to HUMANS). So Dad bagged it up and put it by the door where they put all garbage that needs to go out quickly. Well, during the night, that bag made it to the dirty clothes piled near the bathroom (hidden from Mom's view for the first few minutes of her day). I was a very busy kitty, tearing open the plastic bag, and then eating THREE whole tenderloins!! Oh it was wonderful. I've never had anything but my crunchies and some canned cat food before (well, I don't remember what I ate on the street). And for dessert, I chewed up a bunch of the styrofoam the chicken was sitting on. I'm a little disappointed at her response. She didn't yell, saying something about how it was her and Dad's fault. But I thought I would get lots of praise for taking so much initiative. I fed myself without their help... and even did it before breakfast so I wouldn't have to wake them up and then get in the way begging for breakfast while they got ready for work. No appreciation whatsoever. And on top of that, I didn't get any crunchies for breakfast. Hmph. Mom couldn't go to work today so she was home... she said she was just waiting for me to throw up because that was bad chicken... but I haven't. I have pooped three times though, and it's not even dinner yet. Oh and Mom took pictures of the scene, but hasn't had a chance to upload them yet. Still waiting on batteries for the camera. She said it was a miracle the camera stayed on long enough to get the pictures she did. I can't wait to show it off to you!

Well, I'm sorry that they didn't notice I was such a good kitty. I'll have to put forth more effort in the future. Even if I did get in trouble, it was all worth it. I shall remember that night for a long time. I'm going to go sleep now and work on making some more poop. I have a lot to get out of me. Hope I get dinner tonight!

My New Blog!

Mom and I have been working on my new blog. We were over at Xanga, but a lot of the other pets over there don't post as much, and she wanted to try something new. You can check out my old blog if you like, and eventually I think I'm going to move some of the content over here.

This is me typing an entry in my old blog. I don't have a newer picture up because Mom hasn't bought new batteries for the camera in the longest time. Something about "bills" and "priorities" or something. I know she'll get on it eventually. She talks about it all the time. I also haven't been using the laptop lately. The power cord doesn't work anymore. And I really don't know anything about that. Honestly. Mom says she saw several puncture marks in the duct tape that was precariously holding the wires together. It must have been Dad though. Seriously. They told me not to chew wires, so I don't. You only have to tell me once. I mean, look at my face. I'm a totally honest kitty.

Anyway, so now I have to share the other computer with them. It somewhat limits my posting time, but I'll do my best to keep up regularly. Hopefully they'll fix my laptop soon. Mom says she has to do work now, so I'm going to be a good kitty and share. Have a good day!