More Christmas

It's been two weeks since Devon left us, and we are creating a new normal at home.  Tanner and Smokey have been super snuggly lately and seem to follow me around more than normal.  It is nice to have them around.  Christmas was a nice break, as Auntie and I went to our parents for a couple of days, and then they came to our house for a couple of days.  We enjoyed our time together...The boys have had some special treats as well...let's take a look...

Tanner enjoyed a plate of Christmas sardines...Smokey came over later and had some too, but he seems to be more of a tuna fan...I'll try to keep that in mind for next year :)

Smokey has loved the down throws on the couch...he has a nice warm nest and spends his day snuggled down in it...

Here is the tree in the living room...and yes, I should have taken the clothes racks down first!  Smokey is laying on the back of the chair...do you see him?

This is the tree in the study, which is at the front of the house...

The black tree is in the dining room, and here you can see it and the tree in the living room...

This is Devon's new ornament this year.  We picked it up at the beach this year.  It was chosen because first of all it was blue, which is Devon's color, and secondly because Devon loves fish :)

This one is a bit harder to see, but it is our family ornament this year...it is a snowwoman, holding three snow babies (they are in the colors of my boys) and then dangling from it are rings in colors of all 4 of my boys.

This is Tanner's new ornament because he still has a major sweet tooth and it was green!

Smokey got a new goose ornament...would have been more perfect if it had been purple...

I got several of these festive ornaments because they are easy to just poke into the tree, and also because they are in the colors of my boys...red, purple, green, and blue.

 

Well, there you have it...life is continuing and we are moving along with it.  Very thankful for pictures and that I have another week off work next week to spend with my boys.  I'm sure they will be ready for me to go back to work on the 7th! 

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone this year.  Hold tight to those you love and cherish every moment!  We look forward to making more memories in the New Year.

Devon - Results

Well, it has been almost a week since Devon's sudden passing and we are getting some answers.  The preliminary results of his necropsy have come back and he had a very rare (in cats) cancer called hemangiosarcoma.  He had tumors on his liver and spleen and they are what ruptured and caused the acute bleeding.  Devon never thought he was a cat, so this is probably a fitting disease for him, since it is so uncommon in cats!

Things I am thankful for with his sudden passing:

1) That I was home when the cries came from him
2) That he didn't suffer for long
3) That I have this blog, and have therefore taken more pictures than I normally would have of all my boys
4) For the support that I have received from friends around the world
5) That I learned when brother Mojo was diagnosed, to cherish every moment because one day you'll miss it

Devon was a special and unique boy.  He didn't believe he was a cat.  He loved to help in the kitchen and lick the butter.  We have not had a proper piece of toast all week!  He wasn't a snuggler, but he was always close by on the couch, or in whatever room you were hanging out in.  He loved to watch tv and seemed to enjoy the time together...he would purr and touch you with a paw.  He had a wild streak about him and a zest for life.  He had the most expressive face.  He would puff his tail out for no real reason and just walk around like that...I think he liked to 'spook' himself!  He would lay in the floor and whimper if you didn't speak to him.  He loved the be told he was beautiful and petite...you could just see his face beaming with pride :)  He was the craziest of all my boys, and I will miss his antics...he kept me on my toes, always wondering what he would do next.  There was never a dull moment with Devon. 

Thanks for the lovely graphic...not sure who made it...

Secret Santa Paws

Our Secret Santa package arrived last Wednesday, and we opened it right away!  We were excited to find out that it came from the Random Felines!

Devon and Sophie checking out the box to make sure all the gifts had been taken out...we don't want to miss one!

Sophie gets in the box for a closer look...

Tanner reads the card to everyone...

The boys ended up with lots of wonderful gifts...a Kong kickeroo, some mice, a compressed catnip ball, TWO new cubes, some truffles for mom, and the best of all was the catnip bubbles!

We have never seen bubbles and were all fascinated by them...Smokey, Tanner and Devon all watching the bubbles...

Tanner coming up for a closer inspection.  We have played with the bubbles every day since we got them...

Thank you to the Random Felines for the lovely package...we are thankful we chose to open the package right away and not wait like we normally do. 

We also want to thank everyone who came by to leave a kind word about Devon...we are still in shock, and waiting for the report to maybe know what happened.

RIP Sweet Devon

Still trying to understand what has happened to Devon, but my sweet boy passed over the Rainbow Bridge this morning around 7:30.  We had gone to the vet school emergency at 6am, and they worked on him, but could not figure out what was wrong...he is getting a necropsy, that will maybe shed some light on what happened.  He is at the bridge with brother Mojo and many other wonderful kitties and woofies.  RIP Devon...you can dance all you want now!

Two on Tuesday

Spending time outside in December is a nice treat...no allergens for Smokey to worry about!  Devon (left) and Smokey discuss the plan for the outing.

NOTE: We have changed the settings for comments, as we are getting some inappropriate ones from anonymous commenters.  If the setting we  have chosen prevents you from commenting, please let me know through email, and I'll adjust them again.  scanipe1 at nc dot rr dot com  Thanks for understanding.

Mancat Colors

Mancats love to decorate for Christmas and have many ornaments...

 Smokey

 Tanner

 Mojo

Devon

Wordless Wednesday

Tummy Tuesday

We were able to spend some time outside over the weekend...Devon loves to roll around on the concrete!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to all, from our family to yours!

 

 

Mancats get an Award

The mancats are honored to have received, not one, but TWO awards this weekend!  They are both from Kevin Bacon, the cutest pig you'll ever meet.  If you haven't been to his site, pop over and meet him and his four cat siblings.

 

This first award is to be passed on to blogging families with multiple pets, either all the same species or a variety.  So we are passing this along to the four following families, since we are the Four Crazy Cats!

 

The Island Cats

Fuzzy Tails

Eric and Flynn

Wendy's 3D Cats

 

This second award is the 'Bring on the Nip' Award created by Nerissa's Life.

When you get this award, you must 1. thank who sent it to you 2. tell something you want to celebrate and 3. pass it on!

We would like to thank Kevin Bacon and his family for this award.  Today we are celebrating...Friendship!

We have met so many wonderful families through blogging and we consider you all our friends.  Our hearts go out to Karen, Spyro and Oja today as they process the loss of Herman.  Please go by and leave a kind word for them today.

We pass this award on to anyone that has not received it yet...

Wordless Wednesday

Mancat Monday

On Friday, Smokey was subjected to the Snatch and Stuff procedure and placed in the evil PTU.  He was off to a blood work recheck at the VET!  We left a touch early, so we also ran through the drive-in bank...a mancat's work is never done. 

Once at the vet, Smokey was weighed...he had lost a few ounces since his visit in August, but we already knew that because we weigh everyone weekly.  I mentioned to the vet that this seems to be his pattern, as he lost weight last fall too.  We are keeping a close eye on it, and offering extra snacks throughout the day.  Note: we weighed yesterday and he has gained 3 ounces this week!

After the weighing, he was whisked off to the back to have his blood drawn.  They are rechecking his kidney values, since they were borderline high in August.  We have been mixing some of the kidney diet food with his regular food since then. 

I spoke with the vet and asked many questions, as Smokey is my first cat to be 'aging normally' and I am not familiar with chronic kidney disease...the treatments, symptons, prognosis, etc...She spent a good bit of time talking about options and said we will know more when his results come back this time.  They will check him often to look for trends.  She said the next time he comes in he will need his blood checked, along with his urine and blood pressure.

The vet called on Saturday morning and said that his numbers have gone down, and she is very pleased!  I am pleased too!!  We will keep doing what we are doing for now and recheck him again in 3-4 months.

Thank you all for the purrs you have been sending our way...they are helping!!

Window Views

Cousins Sophie and Pirate enjoyed some fresh air the other day...window whiffies are the best!

Happy Halloween

We got off pretty easy this year with the Halloween costumes...only one to try on...we are still not happy about this whole ordeal, but it keeps the mom happy.  A happy mom is more willing to dole out treats!

 Devon with the shark attack hat!

Tanner gets his ears bitten off by the shark!

We hope you enjoyed our Halloween costume...we look forward to seeing what you all are wearing this year!

Two on Tuesday

Devon and Tanner are squeezed into this bed together...I have a feeling Tanner was here first, and Devon weaseled his way in...

Mancat Monday

The mancats enjoyed a restful weekend, which is something we all needed...

Did you get some much needed rest this weekend too?

Happy Birthday Mojo

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Angel Mojo!  He would be about 17 if he were still with us. 

 You loved to eat beef...so we will have a beef dinner this week in your memory!

 You were only with us 4 short years, but you made quite an impact in our lives...

 You got along with everyone...Devon was your favorite :)

 You were so laid back and understanding about everything that happened to you...we have learned to take things in stride...everything happens for a reason.

My Four Crazy Cats together eating...You made our lives complete, and I am a better person for having had you in my life.  One day we'll all be together again...until then...Fly High Superman!

Mancat Monday

Today is Miscellaneous Mancat Monday...

 The mancats got some new paper to play with over the weekend...we were also able to have the windows open for a bit, so it was a nice weekend for everyone!

 Mom and Auntie did the early voting for the election...so they are done with that...go vote everyone!

Today, we livestrong...we feel so bad about what is happening to Lance Armstrong, that we are showing our support once again, of this phenomenal bike rider and cancer survivor. 

Mancats Decorate

It's been a while now since we decorated the house for Halloween, but the mancats helped none-the-less.

 

It started out simply enough...several storage containers being brought downstairs and unloaded...

The table quickly filled up with many of the decorations...we like to refer to this as the Halloween Forest!

As the unpacking continued and decorations were being placed in just the right spot...Devon found a comfy nest of Halloween dish towels and took a much deserved rest.

 

Mancats love to decorate, but Mancats tire easily :)