Merry Christmas!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year!

Munchkin's Favorite Places

Munchkin here,

This is one of my favorite places to be. Sitting in Bob's lap at his computer. I also like sitting next to him when he watches TV and to lay between his legs while he is sleeping. He calls me Daddy's girl. and that suits me just fine.

*smile*

New Food

Munchkin here,

Chewy sent us a new food to try.  It is grain free Muse from PURINA. The one they sent us is Natural Ocean Whitefish & Mackerel Recipe. Bob gave Obsidian, Jackie and me each our own can of it to try. While Jackie and I cleaned our plates, Obsidian only ate about 3/4 of his, but I was surprised he ate that much as he is usually allergic to seafood.

That give this flavor a big 11 paws up and has Bob and Monika interested enough that they may buy more in a none seafood flavor for us to try.

New Toy!

Jackie here,

Chewy sent us this wonderful new toy to play with!

It's called a Tower of Tracks, and Obsidian, Cosette and I love it.

We gave it 12 paws way up in the air!

Photo Bomb

Cosette got her name because she has the poor pitiful waif look down to a science and lately she has been using it on Bob to get him to give us extra treats. This morning Bob decided he was going to take her picture so he could show it to you in a post, but she kept turning her head as he took the picture, then I decided to join the fun, so I photo bombed this one.

*laughs*

Getting Older

Munchkin here,

I'm a senior kitty. I will be 17 in April. When I was a kitten Bob used to call me his kangaroo kitty because I could jump from the ground to the top of the bunk beds in one jump. Now-a-days I can jump unto the bed and the couches OK, but I can't jump onto Bob's desk for attentions any more. It's alright though because all I have to do is reach up and put my paws in his lap and Bob will pick me up and give me cuddles, then set me in his lap or onto his desk if I prefer.

*smiles*

Cookies are Evil

Yesterday Monika was making chocolate chip cookies and when she pulled the first batch out I jumped onto the table to try to steal one, but when my paw touched it, it burned me and I had to go hide under the bed. Monika and Bob both pulled me out and checked my paws and nose to make sure I was OK and were relieved to find out I was just scared not hurt. After she was done making cookies Monika brought me back to the table to show me that they were all gone, then I finally relaxed because I knew they weren't going to get me again.

Adoption Events

Jackie here,

Last Sunday Monika told me I was going on an adventure and that I would get to wear this pretty collar.  I got back out of it in about half an hour, but she put it back on and gave me pets while telling me how pretty I was, so I left it on. Then she put me into the carrier and took me to a place called Pookies and put me into a cage. There were other cages too, and they all had cats in them. I asked the cats what was going on and they told me that we were at an adoption event. At first I wasn't too sure about that, but the people were all nice and some even took me out of the cage and gave me cuddles. We went to another event yesterday and this time I even had some kittens in the cage with me for a little while. I'm still not sure I want to be adopted because I like Bob and Monika, but as long as the people at the adoption events are nice, I don't mind going.

Guarding Bob

Jackie here,

Munchkin and I have been sharing the job of guarding Bob while he sleeps to make sure no monsters get him. Monika came in and saw us, so she took a couple of pictures.

Now if we can just figure out how to get him to stop snoring.

*laughs*

Arthur and Guinevere's New Family

Here are Arthur and Guinevere with their new human's. We have since heard that they are doing well at their new home.

No Kittens To Play With

Bob here;

Arthur, Gwinevere and Merlin all got adopted this weekend. Poor Obsidian and Cosette miss there playmates. Jackie misses them too, but now she is venturing out of the bedroom more and hopefully she will start making friends with our cats now that she is not worried about protecting her babies.

New Litter Revisited

Bob was in the middle of switching all our litter boxes to a new litter and the box in the computer room was the last one with our old litter in it. We all liked the new stuff so much, we all but stopped using the last box with the old stuff. Then Chewy sent us some new litter to try and Bob emptied the old litter out, cleaned the box and refilled it with the frisco litter from Chewy to see what we would think of it. The next day when he went to clean the litters we had all used it including the foster kittens. He couldn't believe how much came out of it in the scoop. This litter is great and it gets 32 paws up!

*smile*

New Litter

Bob here,

Chewy sent us a new litter to try. I just finished switching out the old litter in one of our boxes to try it out, so I decided I would give you a preliminary report. It's Frisco scoopable cat litter and so far my biggest complaint is that it comes in a plastic bag instead of a box or a plastic container which would make it easier to store. I solved that issue for myself by emptying the bag into a old TidyCats bucket. So far I like the litter, it is fragrance free and 99% dust free. Also they claim on the bag that it is low tracking. I'll let Sid do a follow up post tomorrow and add any personal observations then.

New Treat

Chewy sent us a new treat to try. It's VitalCat Ahi Tuna by VitaEssentials. Munchkin and Cosette didn't like it at all and Ashlyn and I thought it was OK, but not great. We give this one 4 paws up.

Sharing My Toys

Yesterday I was playing with a big green spring toy and Merlin decided he wanted to play with it too, so I let him have it and Bob told me I was a good boy for sharing. Later Bob brought it back to me and again told me what a good boy I was.

*smile*

Guinevere's Stash

Yesterday Monika went to put on her shoes which she had left by our front door. She found one, but the other was nowhere to be found. Bob finally found it under the bed in their bed room. Guinevere, who has a habit of stealing toys and hiding them under the bed had added it to her collection. Bob says he wishes he could have watched her, because the shoe is as big as she is and she dragged it about 30 feet.

More New Food

Chewy sent us another food to try.  This is nulo freestyle and though it says it is ADULT TRIM the kibble is tiny and looks more like it is supposed to be for kittens.  Bob let us all try some as a treat and Cosette and I decided right away that we did not like it, but Ashlyn loved it and Munchkin thought it was OK too.  That gives it about 7 paws up.

New Food

Chewy sent us another new food to try. It's put out by Stella and Chewy's and the one they sent had salmon and chicken. This food is a little different because Bob had to put it in a bowl with some water and leave it for a minute to let it absorb the water before he gave it to us.  Obsidian was the first to try it and he thought it was OK, but he didn't go crazy for it. Then Munchkin tried it and she ate about 3/4 of what was left in the bowl. She probably would have finished it, but she had just finished eating kibble right before Bob put the bowl down. Cosette didn't show any interest at all, but Ashlyn surprised everyone by coming down from her tree and finishing it. That gives it 10 out of 16 paws up.

From Bob: The cats seem to like this for the most part, but it says right on the front of the bag that it contains salmon and chicken bone which generally puts a food on the don't buy list for me.

New Food

Ashlyn here,

Chewy sent us another food to try. It's from Evanger's and it has Pheasant and Whitefish flavors.  Bob tried giving some to all of us to try, but the only ones that liked it were Sandy and me. I liked it so much, I went around and ate everyone else's after they left it. That gives it eight paws up.

Meet Jackie & Her Kittens

Hi, I'm Jackie. I used to live outside Bob and Monika's apartment and I was always trying to move in, but they would not let me. I was kind of OK with this though because they put a bin on their patio for me to relax and get out of bad weather in. Then I had kittens, and I kept them in the bin so they were safe and one day Bob picked me up and brought me inside. I got all frantic because I thought he was taking me from my babies, but about a minute later Monika walked in with them and put them all on the blanket they had laid out for us. I immediately started purring then and Bob let me down to check on them.

Here are my babies;

This is Arthur. He is the biggest of the three.

This is Guinevere. She is my only girl from this litter and she is very sweet.

This is Merlin. He is a little more nervous than his siblings and he cries when he is being cuddled. Bob says he doesn't cry as much as when we first came in though.

And here is a picture of me and my kittens with the milk bar open as Monika likes to call it.

New Food

Munchkin here,

Chewy sent Bob some new food for us to try, but I liked it so much I claimed it all as mine. It's from Tiki Cats and it is called Aloha Friends. There are 4 kinds and they are all yummy. I give them a great 4 paws up, and I am sure they would get more paws up if I shared them.

Who Needs An Alarm When You Have a Cat?

Saw this on line and had to share,

Alamy

The Paw Bop maneuver is a very effective way to wake up humans.

Many humans believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it appears that many cats agree. Why else would they unabashedly go to such lengths to wake us up early, if not to encourage us to begin preparing their morning meal? And, let's face it: We all know that cats make the best alarm clocks.

If your cat is an early riser who clearly wants you to be one, as well, you’re not alone. Here's our humorous take on some of the more popular strategies cats use to keep us from sleeping in. Do any of these tongue-in-cheek examples sound familiar? 

The Head Nuzzle

The head nuzzle is a highly manipulative move because it can also masquerade as a cat showing affection. Cats know their humans crave feline loving. In this wake-up strategy, the cat gently pushes his head against the human’s face and purrs loudly. There are several variations on this theme: The cat can push his head against the human’s neck and nose, as well. The key here is the cat’s seemingly affectionate purring, which makes it hard for the human to be upset that she's been roused from sleep. Who can resist a nuzzling, purring cat? No one we know!  

The Chest Meow

This wake-up strategy is direct and to the point. The cat stands on the human’s chest, making himself as heavy as  possible (how do they do that?) and meows incessantly until the human awakes. Cats use this when they believe they are close to starving to death (even though those of us who can tell time know better) and there is no time to be cute or pussyfoot around. 

The Stare

Thinkstock 

Nothing says "good morning" like waking up to a cat's superintense stare.

This move is much more subtle than the Chest Meow tactic. Cats use this when they have a bit of time, aren’t feeling super energetic or simply want to exercise their mind control skills. In this strategy, the cat sits on the human’s chest in a meatloaf-like position and stares at the humanwhile she sleeps. This requires patience and trust in the process. It will work, however, and deliver the added benefit of creeping out the human just a bit, as she wonders just how long the cat has been sitting there staring at her. 

The Face Tickle

The Face Tickle comes in many varieties and is one of the most effective strategies available to the feline kind. There is no way a human can sleep through the Face Tickle. This tactic involves the cat sticking his face into the human’s face, ears or neck and breathing hot cat breath on the human, while brushing his whiskers against the sleeping human’s face. Some cats add a wet nose tap or snuffle, if the results aren’t happening fast enough for her liking. This strategy is also sometimes called “Morning Invasion of Personal Space.”

The Paw Bop

Some cats prefer basic, no-frills strategies that simply involve a cat paw and a human face. Pawing at a human face is a highly effective move and can also be quite fun for the cat. Bopping the human directly on her nose is a particularly entertaining component and may indeed make the human laugh, as well, thus rendering her defenseless against the Paw Bop. 

Cats are highly intelligent creatures in many ways and getting us to say bonjour to breakfast a little earlier than we’d like is one of them. Remember, there is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast!

But, never fear, dear sleep deprived humans! If your favorite feline's antics are truly bothersome, there are ways to help prevent your cat from waking you up, including, yes, simply shutting the bedroom door. 

Ashlyn Is Addicted

Ashlyn here,

Bob just opened the cabinet over his desk and I know he keeps the WERUVA treats there, so I am letting him know that I want some. I think I may be addicted to them.

From Bob - Whenever I open the cabinet she leans towards me and just stares intently.

Cat Wobbler

Chewy sent us a new toy to try out. It's a KONG Cat Wobbler. You have your human put treats or kibble into it and then when you knock it around or try to take off with its tail, it dumps treats out for you. Bob put some of our kibble in it to test it with us, but we all thought that was bogus. Then he added somw of the WERUVA freeze dried chicken treats and it became a whole new toy for me. The other cats all come running when I knock treat out of it, but they wont play with it themselves, so they onlly give 2 paws each, but I give it 4 paws. That gives it 10 out of 16 paws up!

New Treats

Chewy sent us some new treats to try.  They are made by WERUVA and they are freeze dried chicken pieces. Munchkin and I loved them although I thought that some of the pieces were a little big. Cosette  sniffed them and walked away, so Bob gave her some of our regular treat. What was really surprizing was that Ashlyn loved them too. She even gave Bob her best please can I have some more look and got more for all of us. Later Monika tried giving a piece to Sandy, but she didn't care for it either. All in all that is a great 12 paws up!

*smile*

Meet Sandy

Hi!  I'm Sandy and I am the new foster kitty at Bob and Monika's. I like sleeping on the bed with them at night and I love getting cuddles. On the other hand I do not like getting my antibiotics or being weighed on the scale. I am currently mostly kept in the master bedroom and bathroom by myself, but some times Cosette is allowed to come in and visit, and I also get to visit the computer room on occasion and be with the other kitties. I am still a little nervous around them, so I get hissy some times, but so far none of us has attacked each other and Bob and Monika both say that is a good thing.

I Had A Great Birthday!

Yesterday for my birthday we had a big party on the rainbow bridge and Bob and Monika got a new girl kitty to foster. Hopefully once she has recovered from her spay, poor Obsidian will be able to play with her and he wont miss Sahara so much.

I Miss Sahara

Obsidian here,

Sahara found a new home earlier this week, and I miss her lots. Every night, when Monika pulls out the mouse toy to play with me, I keep looking under the bed and around the corner to see if she is coming to play. Bob says he and Monika miss her too.

*pout*

New Food Test

Chewy sent Bob Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken Formula for us to try.  Munchkin and I loved it and Sahara thought it was pretty good too, but Cosette and Ashlyn would not touch it as they are weird and do not like stinky goodness. Monika has let one of the outside cats try it too and she also loves it. That gives it a solid 16 paws up.

Probiotics?

Chewy sent us this stuff to try. Bob said it is a probiotic, what ever that is? Monika mixed some in with our food and we all ate it. I don't know about the other cats, but I didn't even taste it. Bob says it should firm up our poos and strengthen our immune systems. That sounds like a good thing to me, so it gets 16 paws up.

*smile*

How To Move Into A New House With Your Cat

Moving house is a stressful experience for everyone involved, but perhaps one family member that often gets overlooked in all of the moving house palaver is your cat.

Cats are creatures that like routine and control, two things which go out of the window during a house move. First of all you will be packing, then there is all of the hustle and bustle on the day of the move and finally you will have to get your cat settled in a new home.

All of this is as worrying for you as it is your cat. Here at FLEXiSPACE we deal with a lot of people moving house, so we thought we’d put together this guide to help make sure the experience is as painless and safe as possible for your cat.

We give you some ideas to help before, during and even after the move. This includes how best to travel with your pet if they are going long distances, how to make them feel comfortable in their new home, when to let them outside again and how to get your cats used to smaller homes.

We hope this piece makes your, and your cat’s move, as stress-free as possible.

Wild Furs Revisited

Sahara here,

This picture shows my wild fur better. I asked Bob to make it bigger so you can see.

Wild Furs

Sahara here,

I just washed my fur and I can't do a thing with it.

Actually my fur is just naturally frizzy, so it always looks a little unkept. Bob says I am adorable though, so I guess that is all right.

*smile*

New Food

Chewy also sent us Fresh Market now fresh adult food from Petcurean to try out. This one also was different from the senior version that Bob selected but he said in this case it is better because we all get to try it. To introduce us to it, he gave us all some as treat this morning. Munchkin, Ashlyn and I all liked it, but Cosette would not eat it so he gave her some of our regular treat instead. Bob says Sahara is funny because she doesn't know what to do with treat. When ever he put some in front of her she starts batting it around like she thinks it's some kind of toy. All in all that 12 paws up.

Meet Sahara

Hi. My name is Sahara and I am the new foster kitty at Bob and Monika's.  I have been living in their Master bathroom and bedroom, but yesterday I got to go on an adventure. Bob picked me up and brought me into the computer room with him and Monika and their kitties, and I got to meet all of them. I had a lot of fun playing with Obsidian even though he is so big and makes me a little nervous. I also like Cosette, but Munchkin and Ashlyn are hissy with me, so I guess we still have to get used to each other.

New Foster

There's a new foster kitty in the house. So far I have only seen her paws under the door and they are black like mine, but Cosette has visited her and she told me that she is all black. Bob and Monika are calling her Daphne for now, but they don't think the name fits her and they are trying to think of a better one.

New Food

Munchkin here,

We got another new food to try from Chewy this morning. It wasn't what they showed in the email they sent Bob. That one was the chicken and tuna version which I am sure we would have all loved. However Obsidian and Cosette both have problems with most seafood so Bob and Monika don't usually buy us food with seafood in it. Bob decided to let us all try it though and Cosette and Ashlyn both took one sniff and walked away from it. Obsidian ate about two mouthfuls of it and I ate about 3/4 of a can. Sorry WELLNESS that only gives you 4 paws up for this one.

Monika Means Business

Yesterday I was picking on Cosette and made her cry out, so Monika hollered at me and said if I didn't stop attacking the girl cats she was going to put me in a cat carrier for a time out. About 5 minutes later I attacked Munchkin right in front of Monika and she hollered again, then got up and went to the closet in the bedroom and took out a carrier. Then she came a grabbed me and pushed me into the carrier and set it on the floor by her feet while she checked her email. When she finished with her email and checking her Facebook she finally let me back out.

*pout*

Confusing The Computer Is Fun

I found a new way to drive Bob crazy! Just after he hits the button to turn on his computer I walk across the keyboard. This makes it look for the boot disk and then he has to hold in the button to turn it off and then turn it back on again.

*laughs*

Comfortable Nap

Bob saw me sleeping like this and just had to take a picture. I'm sorry it not too clear, but I was sleeping with my eyes open and Bob didn't want to wake me with the flash.

Bat The Cords

Bob knows that the chains for the ceiling fan fascinate me, so he lets me get on his shoulder so I can bat at them. Today I wasn't really feeling it though.

*smile*

Silly Human!

Cosette here,

Monika put yucky flee and tick stuff on all our necks and now she wonders why none of us will come to her or let her near us.

*laughs*

Freeze Frame

Angel here,

Monika was trying to get a picture that shows my eyes and I wouldn't sit still. so Bob suggested shooting video of me and picking frames from the video for the pictures.

These two pictures may look the same, but they are two frames taken in sequence from the video.

New Food Test

Bob also got this from Chewy for us to try.  It's Wellness Morsels with Turkey and Duck in Savory Sauce. Munchkin and Angel chowed down on it and went looking for more. I liked the sauce, but was not interested in the rest of it and Cosette and Ashlyn both walked away from it. Munchkin and Angel finished theirs and mine too after they ate theirs. That gives it 10 paws up.

New Scratcher!!

This month one of the things Bob got from Chewy for us to try was a little different. Instead of food he got us a new cat scratcher with nip and everything. Munchkin and Ashlyn have not shown any interest in it because they are senior kitties, and Cosette only plays with it when she thinks no one is watching, but Angel and I love it. Here are some pictures of us playing with it and each other.

All in all that gives it 12 paws up!!

Guarding The Fridge

Angel here,

I'm laying here in front of the refrigerator all stretched out to remind Bob and Monika that us cats want more foods. Monika thought I looked cute with my back legs stretched out, so she took a picture.  Well at least I reminded her of how cute I am.

*smile*

She Closed Me Out!

Monika hasn't been feeling well lately, so I have been following her around and purring on her a lot. This morning though when she went to take a shower, she closed the door so I couldn't get in there with her. I tried everything I could think of to open the door. I even reached my paw under the door and pulled on the spring thingy, but it didn't work. Then she finished the shower and came out and told me she was feeling better. Well yeah, I could tell that, but why did she close the door?

*pout*

Happy Easter Everyone!!

Happy Princess

Angel here,

I still have a little bit of sniffles, but I feel much better now. Also as you can see Bob and Monika started letting me into the bedroom and on the bed today and I have been on and off it since 6 this morning with no accidents. They are still hand feeding me, but I no longer fight them and I have even started eating a little of the dry kibble they put out for me.

Pampered Princess

Angel here,

I decided I must be some kind of Princess because Bob and Monika hand feed me and they wash my face and comb my furs

I Was A Bad Girl

Angel here,

I'm not feeling to good because I have a bad head cold, but I feel bad because Bob let me out of the bathroom and onto the bed with him, so I could get some attentions, but I peed on the bed. This is me giving my best I'm sorry look.

Meet Angel

Munchkin here,

One of Bob and Monika's friends that they foster cats with just dropped off a new kitty for us all to foster. Her name is Angel and she is ensconced in the Master bathroom for now. Bob took a few pictures of her so you could all see her.