Wordless Wednesday

Two on Tuesday

Tanner and Smokey enjoy a nice nap...The pad Smokey is laying on will warm up when you lay on it.  It is always a favorite spot when it is cool.

Mancat Monday

Smokey and Tanner have both celebrated birthdays this month.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by to wish them well!

 Smokey enjoyed a nice plate of tuna for his birthday.  He plays some, but not enough to earn a new toy :)  He did get lots of sunggles with me throughout the day and seemed to enjoy our time together.  I know I cherished every moment!

 Tanner scored a few new toys and this one hasn't as big of a hit as I had hoped...he is warming up to it, but it is taking a while...oh well, it looked fun in the store!

Tanner did love his two new green toys...the ball of soft 'rabbit' fur and the catnip fish...



I'll take these, thank you very much!

 

All in all, the boys each had a good birthday and I hope to celebrate for many more years with them.

Thursday in the Garden

We haven't been outside for a few weeks because the pollen counts are pretty high in our area right now.  Our whole town is currently green with all the pine pollen floating around and sticking to everything!

Auntie has been outside working in the yard and found this on Sunday...

 One whole egg in the yard...

One empty egg nearby.  New life has emerged somewhere...

 A few weeks ago, this was the scene at the bird feeders...a very brown, bare bush with a few buds on it...and now...

This is the same bush on Sunday...full of life and new blooms!

 A close-up of the blooms...Spring is here and we are thankful.

Happy Birthday Smokey

Smokey is 17 today!  It is hard to believe he has been a part of my life for so long.  Each year, Smokey develops more and more personality.  He is so funny these days and I love seeing these sparks of life and spunk. 

Happy Birthday Tanner

Finally home and able to load the graphic I made for Tanner's birthday.  We have been catching up on some snuggling today, and I look forward to spending more time at home this weekend!

Thanks for everyone that has already been by to celebrate my boy this week!

Happy birthday Tanner

Happy birthday sweet boy!  Today you are 11 years old.  I'm sorry I forgot to post the graphic I made for you before I left on a business trip!  You got your new toys last week so we will post you playing with them.  Missing you and Smokey this morning.  See you both on Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday

Mancat Monday

These are some older pictures of the mancats...they are still some of my favorites.

 Smokey is doing well....love this 'cute' pose :)  He goes to the VET on Thursday to have his blood pressure checked and possibly some more blood work.  He is eating pretty good these days and either maintains his weight, or gains slightly each week.  Allergies are under control and the hair on his legs and arms is growing back...

Tanner loves laying in this bed still, especially in the late morning, early afternoon when the sun passes by...The trees are starting to bud and it won't be long before the leaves appear.  Tanner is still working hard to lose weight...he gained most of his weight back, but we have another game plan with him, and at least he didn't gain this week.  We are cutting the food back a touch more this week, so maybe see some loss.

My boys have both become super snuggle bugs lately...Tanner enjoys laying across my lap and watching tv with me.  Smokey still loves to be held like a baby and rest his head on my shoulder.  They have figured out how to both lay with me at the same time and not get upset. 

That's what is going on with us lately...sorry we haven't been very regular about posting.  Our lives are rather boring/routine at the moment and not many opportunities for photos.

Thursday in the Garden

It's been a while since we did a garden post, but some of the flowers are so pretty right now...

 Smokey is in the veggie garden spot that will be full of fresh veggies and herbs this summer...for now it is the lone butterfly bush, a rosemary plant, and a bunch of compost dirt...

 The daffodils came up really early this year...like the end of January!  We've had nice flowers for a while now and it is a pretty reminder that spring is coming!

The cat planter on the front porch is doing ok...the little pansies will last a few more months before the summer heat becomes to much for them...

Has anything started blooming in your area?

Wordless Wednesday

Mancat Monday

Tanner and Cousin Sophie enjoyed some playtime with the snake...

 The snake had been lost for a while, but then reappeared one day...not sure where it had been hiding!

Tanner and Sophie tried to keep the snake from escaping under this door...eventually though, it was gone...

Toesday Tuesday

Smokey sleeps really hard these days...partly because he is older, and partly because his hearing is going...you can call his name and he may not wake up. 

 I took advantage of this hard sleep, and grabbed my camera for a shot of his legs and toes.  He has been plucking his legs a bit lately, but some of the hair is coming back. 

I took several shots, with the flash, and he didn't move...when I was done, I touched him and had him come snuggle with me...he is such a lover boy!

Mancat Monday

The mancats enjoyed a beautiful weekend, and spent some time outside on Sunday.

 Tanner has always preferred crunchy leaves to the green ones, so he found this plant and took a taste.  Smokey is having some of his favorite bird water in the background!

 After a while, Tanner channeled his inner Eric and Flynn by laying in the pot...

From here, he could turn around and see some birds at the feeders. 

What did you do over the weekend?  We are ready for Spring to be here...it's getting closer everyday!

Wordless Wednesday

Mancat Monday

The mancats were blessed with a new scratcher from one of mom's co-workers.  It is the emory board scratcher and is supposed to help file the nails while the cats scratch...we'll see :)

 Tanner came right over to check out the new toy...

 He decided he liked his old broken X better...

 Auntie started playing Tanner's favorite game called Pokey Stick under the new scratcher and he came back over to check it out again...

Smokey gave it a slight tap tap to make sure it was safe for everyone...he did not try scratching on it though...

After a while everyone did scratch on it and they seem to enjoy it now....have you tried this new scratcher?  Do you take right to toys or does it take a while to get used to them?

We'd also like to let our boy Mojo know we are thinking about him today at the bridge.  Today it has been 4 years since you left us, and 8 years since you came to live with us...We had you for four short years, but you left an impression on our hearts.  Fly High Superman!

Two on Tuesday

Last Saturday we woke to this....SNOW!!  We live in the South and don't get snow too often.  The day before it had been in the 60's...so nothing was going to stick.

 It snowed all day but did not amount to anything on the ground...but it was pretty to watch!

 Smokey and Tanner sat in the breakfast nook and watched the snow some...they also showed each other some brotherly love...

Tanner tried to wash Smokey's head, but Smokey wasn't too sure about that.  Smokey has always been more on the 'giving' end of the head wash than the 'receiving' end.

Do you like to wash another cat in your household or do you prefer to be washed?

Mancats are Bossy

 Now, I'll admit this photo doesn't look like Smokey is being bossy, but trust me...he is! 

Smokey gets some special treatment because 1) he is getting old, and 2) he needs to gain weight.  We have special food for him in his cage upstairs all the time, so he always has food available.  He hangs out downstairs a lot and doesn't always want to walk upstairs to eat.  I can't say that I blame him there!  So this has led us to keeping a bowl of his special food in the den.  It is typically on the bookshelves so the cats can't get to it.  Sitting on this table will cause the bowl to appear in front of you.  So this is Smokey bossing us to put the bowl down!  He will sit and stare at you until you do it too...he is very persistant!  He also wants to make sure his cup of water is full, free of 'noodles' and fresh.  He is spoiled rotten, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

 

 

Health Update: We did a recheck on our blood work the other week, and his kidney values have crept up slightly again.  His BUN is at 38 and his Creatinine is 2.1.

Wordy Wednesday

You may need to biggify to see more clearly...

This is Devon's urn.  I found the pieces on Etsy and they are simply perfect for my boy.  Devon loved butter, so a butter dish as a final resting place is just too much...he would have loved this.  The dish is hand-painted and unique.  It is blue, which is his color, and has peacock feathers painted on it, which was one of his favorite toys.  The tag hanging from the top has a crown on it, with his name.  On the back is his birth date and death date.  I found this tag by simply searching for 'Crown' and 'pet'...it came up with his name on it (spelled correctly too), so I had to get it because it was perfect. 

Here are a few pictures of sweet Devon enjoying his favorite things...

Butter, of course!

 A toy that I brought from Japan...he would talk to it when it flew by...

 Catnip!

 A good roll on the patio...

Boxes!

Toysday Tuesday

Today, Tanner will show off his favorite toy...

 Sitting politely by my favorite stick, asking nicely to play...

 The toy has long been ripped off this string, but I like the string the best without the dangling toy attached...

Here I demonstrate the complicated move called 'pulling the snake's head off'! 

Thanks for the great play time...what are your favorite toys?

Mancats Share

Smokey and Tanner enjoyed a plate of tuna and juice this weekend...they did a good job sharing on the small plate!