Tag: cats

Dog takes over cat’s bed: victory at last!

My mom rarely buys a dog bed or cat cushion. But a couple of years ago, she wandered over to the Cat Show at McCaw Hall. She admired the purebred cats and found someone who was selling handmade cat beds.

“The cats need their own space,” she said.

Huh? There are two cat condos in this apartment, plus two cat cushions. Mom didn’t buy the cat condos. She’s much too cheap. She inherited them from cat owners who were upgrading.

But Mom brought home this wonderful cushion. I immediately took it over. See? Purr-fect fit. After all, if you look at previous entries in this blog, you’ll see our ditzy housemate Creampuff in my bed and my crate. Stand back, calico cat! It’s MY turn.

Dog too tired to pay attention to cat

So here I am, enjoying my dog bed. It’s been a tough weekend. Mom dragged me to the dog park on Saturday. Sunday I played in the dog lounge for hours. This bed feels so soft and comfortable.

Someone’s trying to sneak by me but who cares? I’m down for the count. Yes, I saw that calico tail on my left (your right). But my priorities are firmly fixed. Sleep first. Cats later.

At least we’re finally getting some sun.  Back to my nap as soon as mom puts away that darn camera.

Celebrity Apprentice: Should have got a cat (spoilers)

My mom was watching Celebrity Apprentice on hulu.com. She told me their task of the week was to make a YouTube episode for All Detergent. It was supposed to be viral and funny.

“They fired the wrong people,” Cathy told me, shaking her head at the computer. “But hey, it’s show biz! We like watching Clint and Melissa. The people they fired were…well, background. And sometimes that Boardroom is more like a Celebrity Therapy Group. Good for the ratings.”

Well, c’mon, guys. I may not be a celebrity (except on the Seattle Metro buses and in the dog park). But I could give these folks some lessons.

Team #1 made a raunchy soft porn video, where “doing the laundry” stands for…well, something I no longer do, now that I am fixed. Team #2 did something with midgets.

Midgets? Little people?

Here’s a short quiz. What stops everybody dead in their tracks? When videos get posted on yahoo, what do they feature?

A cat.

If I were making a video that’s what I’d do. We could have a cat playing with the laundry. A dog works too, but cats work with the female demographic. (I’ve been listening to my mom the copywriting strategist.) And yes, I have an ulterior motive…

If my techno-challenged mom ever gets the hang of her Flip video camera, we’ll have videos up the wazoo. Hopefully that will happen in my lifetime. I am not optimistic. My mom bribes the building manager to change her light bulbs and smoke detector batteries.

Meanwhile, if those Celebrity Apprentices want a cat who’s perfect for the leading role, we will lend them Ophelia. Ophelia looks very funny when she waddles across the room. She’s hilarious when she dives into her hiding place, one step ahead of Creampuff. (I think Creampuff lets her win.) My mom adores Ophelia and she wouldn’t give her up. But Ophelia would have a great life on the set, eating treats and sardines instead of crunchies.

Who knows? Maybe Donald Trump would adopt her. A dog can dream, right?

Oh well, back to my normal role. In my non-celebrity life, there’s always time for one more nap.

Cat meets computer

Look who’s taken up residence near Mom’s desktop computer. Mom’s favorite Computer Guru, the MacDaddy of Seattle, says cat hair won’t bother the desktop. Thank goodness!

Creampuff likes to sleep there. So we figure Ophelia just had to take over and establish dominance. Besides, it’s nice and warm.

We can’t figure out how she got up there. Ophelia’s not a jumper. She prefers hiding out in her cave.

Wow…look who’s settled in!

This morning the weather was awful. My mom dropped me off in the Dog Lounge with instructions to, “Make sure she gets LOTS of exercise.” I did and I’m wiped.

So who’s daring to enter my turf on Cathy’s bed? This is where I get to take naps. Since when do cats share my space?

Ophelia doesn’t get it. She’s the Queen Mother and I’m just the Princess.

Cathy caught me in this awkward pose. She tried to get a more dignified picture but she was so happy to see Ophelia looking directly into the camera.

Notice how my mom’s priorities have shifted. My blog gets the photo where Ophelia looks best.

Ophelia was saying, “I’m being polite and dignified. I don’t know what’s going on over there.”

Nothing’s going on. I’m just scratching an ear, for heaven’s sake.

We walk in the sunshine

Yesterday my mom decided we should go for a long walk. The weather was beautiful, she said, and she wanted more exercise. Have you ever noticed that when Mom wants exercise, I have to walk too?

We took a bus to the top of Queen Anne hill (thank goodness – it’s very steep). We walked to the pet store. So many wonderful dog treats! I couldn’t wait to see what Mom would buy me.

Bad news.

“Gracie, you have enough treats,” my mom said. “This time we are getting something for Ophelia. She’s been playing with pieces of paper and I want her to have something she can’t swallow.”

Have you noticed that Ophelia’s taking over? My mom feels a special bond with that cat because she nursed Ophelia to health last fall. You’d think Ophelia would hate the person who shoved food down her throad twice a day. But no: there’s a mutual adoration society in our home.

The people at the pet store were very helpful. “Here’ s a catnip toy,” they suggested. “She couldn’t swallow this one.”

“But Gracie could,” my mom said, giving me the eye. “And Gracie will play with everything. She loves catnip.” Right, mom. Tell the world.

We walked away with a catnip log that’s not even interesting. What a wasted trip. And when I say “walked,” I mean that literally. We walked all the way down the hill to our home.

“Every time we pass a bus stop,” Cathy says, “Gracie wants to stop and wait for a bus!” Well, why not? My mom let a perfectly good Number 2 Bus – our favorite – get away.

“Walking is good for us,” she said firmly.

Ophelia loves her new cat toy. She has no dignity for a cat of her age and size. I’m too tired to care. And I need to save my energy for my trip to the park with Aunt Sara. We CUPPIEs need our beauty sleep.

Back to normal (more or less)

After the cat food fiasco, my mom has been feeding me small amounts of crunchies mixed with rice. I’m eating.  I’m happy and healthy. See, mom? No bit deal. I haven’t dragged you out at 2 AM for the last two nights.

The cats are another story. Cathy doesn’t want me eating their food so she put their dishes on the kitchen counter. Creampuff enjoys jumping up. Ophelia, who’s not exactly skinny, says that waddling is more her style. So Cathy lifts he up a few times a day, hoping she’ll get the message.

Ophelia’s not into messages. I think she was spoiled rotten in her first home. But give her credit: she’s adjusted well, all things considered. Some cats hide in a closet for a whole year. Or a lifetime.

Ophelia just hides in her kitty condo.

Cat seeks refuge from housemates

See this terrific piece of feline furniture? My mom grabbed it when someone was moving out and left it behind. opheliahiding She washed the cushions in our washing machine (thank goodness – who needs fleas?).

Creampuff likes to sit on the top. But our newest housemate, Ophelia, has claimed the lower opening for her very own. She spends hours there, watching the rest of us.

“Better than under the bed,” my mom says. “And better than the laundry room, too.”

You have to look closely but do you see that black and white blur? Yes…that’s Ophelia, fully recovered from liver disease and her traumatic time in the Animal Shelter.

And (in my opinion) winner of the Most Useless Household Animal award.

Ophelia eating: still a news item

My mom Cathy is still celebrating Ophelia’s recovery from liver disease. If you are just joining us on this blog, Ophelia’s the cat on the right – the fuzzball approximately the size and shape of an aircraft carrier, seen from above.2 cats eating

“After force feeding that wretched cat for 5 long weeks,” Cathy says, “at least Ophelia turned out to be really special. She’s loyal and loving.”

The cats are getting along with each other. Every so often we hear screams and cries, but Cathy says that’s a good sign. “At least they’re showing some interest in each other,” she says. “Nothing worse than a bored cat.”

Except a dog who’s getting bored with all the cat talk. Time for a walk, Mom.