Toy Review

This is a favorite toy at our house. Tanner got this for his birthday one year, and loves it. It looks a bit silly, but it squeaks when it moves or bounces. The string is elastic, so it is very springy, and the ribbons at the bottom just drive the boys crazy!

I keep it put away when we aren't playing with it because Tanner likes to chew the strings until they break or he eats them!

I find that putting toys out of sight is a good way to spark new interest in old toys. How do you keep the spark alive with your cats and their toys?

Mancats need the Spa

My mancats are turning into Womancats before my very eyes! Their nails are snagging on toys and pricking their blankets when they knead their paws. My mancats need the spa!

Tanner (i.e. Tanneisha) is the only one willing to show off his, umm her, nails for you today.

Tanneisha keeps her eyes closed very tightly when getting her nails done, so that flying nail pieces don't blind her! She is very dramatic. I will be glad to have my Tanner back :)

Devonna and Smokeisha decided not to attend the spa this time, but don't worry their time is coming! The spa is running a three for one special this week, with free ear cleanings and chin combs and eye crusty removal too. What girl doesn't love a good day at the spa?

How often do you have to trim your kids nails? Do they tolerate it or put up a fight?

Dona Nobis Pacem

The Four Crazy Cats are wishing for world peace today...Catnip is the answer to all life's problems!

Wordless Wednesday

Devon's Halloween Recap

Devon was the most tolerant when it came to trying on costumes. He just sat on his pillow and watched tv while different hats were put on him. He loves attention, and is just a ham when it comes to the camera. Enjoy!

The other cats will be showcased later, and you will see that they are not the most cooperative of subjects. They could all learn from Devon...if you just sit there, it will be over quicker!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Halloween!!

Wordless Wednesday

Toesday Tuesday

Devon's dainty feet with the super white nails...what a cutie!

Tock Tober!

Devon did a pose while helping us whip up a cake for a scrapbooking workshop...he loves Cool Whip!

Smokey wasn't so sure about showing his true tocks, so this will have to do...

Tanner - Does this wall make my tocks look big?

Haven't I embarassed myself enough already?

Happy Tock Tober everyone!!

Happy Birthday Mojo!!

Mojo you came to our house with many medical problems. We were happy to help you recover and deal with many procedures until you found your forever home. You stole our hearts though and we adopted you because to us, you were perfect!

This picture was taken after Mojo's ear polyp was removed. We did not let the others make fun of his half shaved head!

You fit right in with our crazy family and we loved having you around. Red was your color, but you were happy with pink too. You were always so appreciative of anything we gave you...

As a family, we battled many evil conditions with you...some we were able to beat, like your allergies. Your IBD was controlled by the immune suppressants. Your stomatitis was fixed by removing your teeth. Your anemia, heart murmur, and early stages of renal failure never really played a role in your overall health concerns, just in your treatment options at times.

Your zest for life was contagious however, and we will never forget that Life is Good!

This picture above was taken on New Years a couple of years ago...you look so proud to be showing us the scratch that Tanner gave you on the nose! I can almost hear you tattling on your brother...Mom look what he did to me! You loved to make Tanner squeal, and I secretly think he misses that now that you are gone :)

You loved the outdoors, even though the grasses and things were not your friend. At this point, the tumor was huge and it was only a matter of time before you would be gone. You were feeling really good and so we threw caution to the wind and let you have fun in the yard. You loved to roll around and get dirty! Live every day to the fullest...that was your motto.
This is the last picture of me and you together. You had grown quite weak and had come up lame in a front foot that morning. We knew it was time. I'm so sorry that we were not able to 'fix' you here on this earth, but I'm thankful that we were able to help you to a better place. I know you are running around and attacking any red string you can find. Play nice with the others :)

Last night we had stew beef and gravy in your honor, as that was your favorite meal, until you switched to sardines. We loved you Mojo, but I don't think I'll be eating sardines for you :)

Fly High Superman and enjoy your day...we'll try to make you proud by living every day to the fullest. Making the most of every situation. Finding the silver lining in an otherwise black cloud. And always remembering that Life is Good.

Thank you for chosing us Mojo, and for 4 wonderful years!

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Tanner on Tuesday

Nobody will find me here...Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Tanner

Mancats like Purple

My boys each have their own special color, and so a lot of what I buy for them is in either purple, red, green, or blue. Namely blankets, toys, collars, clothes, etc... It is fun to see them 'choosing' to lay on their color.

Purple is one of those that tends to lean more towards girls than boys, and so when I find a masculine purple, I'm ecstatic! My boys though have no problem with the color purple, and enjoy laying on it, or in it, depending on the bed.



Here's Smokey choosing the purple blanket over all the others on the bed for his afternoon nap. Doesn't he look gorgeous?

Tanner isn't too proud to lay in a purple bed either...this purple puff is a big hit with the cats. It is super soft and squishy, and I like that you can throw it in the washer and dryer! Such a handsome mancat!!

Weight news: Tanner maintained this week at 18.0. At least he didn't gain. We are going to work a little harder this week on eliminating snacks. It is so hard when he looks at you all pitiful like. I'm going to be strong...I will be strong....this is for his own good...I can do it! Everyone please pray for me :)

Smokey avoided the scale, but I'm going to snag him tonight!

Together on Thursday

Tanner loved when we fostered and he was such a good 'mom' to all the kittens. This always surprised me, since he didn't have a mom, other than me, when he was growing up. Yet, somehow he knew what the kittens needed. Maybe he just liked how warm they were. He would let kittens nurse on him if they wanted. He would wrestle super gently with them. He even tried to take their bottles for them. He loved the KMR, but unfortunately it stopped loving him...projectile KMR is not pretty!

This picture is probably 5-6 years ago...we still have these beds, and the boys still love them. They were a good find at Target of all places.

Wordless Wednesday

Up and Down

Hooray for Tanner...he is on a mission to lose weight, and this week he lost 4 tenths of a pound. His current weight is 18.0 lbs. For you kilo folks that is 8.2. He needs to lose another couple of pounds, but we are proud of his progress. He was down to 17.0 before we went on vacation, but the free eating did not agree with his figure, so we backslid just a bit. We are on track now, and hope to continue our downward trend! Go Tanner!!

Smokey on the other hand is down another 3 ounces from where he was in August, according to the vet this morning. She is not pleased, and wants him gaining about a pound or so. He currently weighs 9.11 or 4.1 kg. He should easily weigh 11 pounds. She believes he is using a lot of calories worrying all the time because he is a definite worrier! He is on anti-anxiety meds already to try and alleviate some of his concerns and that is helping his herpes flair-ups, but now we need to focus on gaining weight.

We weigh weekly, so I'll keep you posted on the up's and down's at our house!

Paw it Forward

Our Paw It Forward box arrived on Thursday, but mom kept forgetting to charge the batteries for the camera, so we didn't get to open it until Sunday. She kept us waiting all that time, can you believe the nerve of her? We wasted no time in checking out the box, once she opened it. Tanner and I were the most curious...Smokey could not be disturbed from his nap to help us.

Here's me and Tanner laying with the loot...we really lucked out! Thanks to the Kitty Krew! In case you can't see everything because mom is not great at taking photos, there are some treats, a neat catnip duck, some fun balls, catnip socks and other toys, and Kitty Krew also included two crochet 'nip balls', from Shadow's mom and a jelly bean from the Casbah Kitten, an Etsy site! There's also a pouch of wet food that mom said she'd let us try tonight. Mom bean got some really nice note pads too!

Tanner loved the treats...anything that isn't on his diet the fat boy likes!

Cousin Sophie demonstrates the proper way to crunch the treats! She thought they were quite tasty too.

Tanner playing with one of the nip balls...these were a big hit!

Sophie claimed the jelly bean...later we found her using it like a pillow!

Here I am...mom was taking so many pictures, I finally had to give her the 'if you don't get that flashy box out of my face, you'll be sorry' look. She got the hint and moved on to someone else.

Here's Tanner...he's such a brown noser, posing nicely with most of the toys propped up against him. Mom bean says to ignore the carpet...she gave us a bunch of dried catnip this weekend, and has not passed the vacuum yet!

Tanner even thought the catnip bags were fun to chew on...mom took those away!

Do any of you like to chew on plastic? We both love it here, and can't get enough because mom keeps putting it away.

A huge THANK YOU shout out for the Kitty Krew - Bugsy, Sassy, Callie, Roxy, and Pixie....we loved our Paw it Forward box, and look forward to playing with another family. So, if you have never participated in the paw it forward, just leave a comment and we'll get in touch. I'll take the first two families that say they would like to play.

Devon

The craziest of them all :)

LOL Featured Cats

WOW - What a day for us!! We have just been informed that we are featured on the LOL Site today. Please pop over there and see what Wendy has come up with for us...it is fantastic! Thanks Wendy for LOLing us today...we feel honored and loved!

Contest - Free Ugg Boots

The Creek Cats told us about a contest to win a free pair of Ugg Boots, so we are entering. These boots look super warm and comfortable, and we would love to try a pair!




If you want to enter for a free pair, just click on the link above, and follow the directions on that site.

Good luck!

T. G. I. Friday!

We are all excited about this weekend...our Paw it Forward box arrived yesterday, from "The Kitty Krew" and today we get to open it! We are pumped and ready to see what our friends have sent us...In order to prepare for all the fun and excitement, we've taken a few precautions...one can never be too careful with something as important as a box of *paws crossed* toys!

We've eaten extra, so we'll have plenty of energy for playing!

We've sharpened our nails so we can attack anything and everything in the box!

We've rested up, so we can play for hours on end, while mom tries to get some good pictures of us!

Check back and see what was in our Paw it Forward box...we can hardly wait!

It's our season!!

Well, October 1st is here and that means we are now officially in the Halloween Season! Halloween is very popular at our house. Our mom has been collecting black cat stuff for 13 years now because of Smokey! She thought it was so neat to go into stores and see black cats, so she started collecting. Then Devon came along and bats were bought becase Devon looked like a bat when he was a baby. He also likes to play with his 'bat hands'. Tanner completed the Halloween Oreo and now we also collect pumpkin things...because in all honesty, Tanner is round like a pumpkin! She loves when she finds things that have all three symbols...the black cat, a pumpkin, and a bat.

Tanner would like to point out that it is because of his pretty orange color that pumpkins are collected, not because of his rotund shape.

Notice on the table, that this tree has a toy for each boy...A black cat for Smokey, a bat for Devon, a black and white cat for Mojo, and a pumpkin for Tanner!

Mom's friends have also taken to giving her black cat things...they know she'll love it! The tall bobble head cats in the picture below were a Christmas gift from a friend! They are a great conversation starter...

This past weekend mom and Auntie started bringing down orange boxes full of black cats and other stuf to 'decorate'. We were right there to help, and I know they appreciated our efforts.
Devon lays with a few decorations in the floor...


Can you spot Smokey on the table with the stuff yet to be put out? We really need to get more furniture to have a place for everything!


We'll have to get some pictures of the stuff around the house, now that it is all organized...does your family decorate for Halloween? Have they started yet, or are they going to wait a while longer so they don't seem so insane like my family?