An Inconvenient Cat

I'm trying to do the (painful, since my quads are full of lactic acid) wall squats and every time I am in the "sitting" position, Martin comes over and meows at me. When the 10 second interval is over, I stand up to pet him, he runs away. I think it's because the sitting position looks like it has a lap -- always a cat-friendly position, right? Err... no, Martin.

Taste Testing: Cat Edition

Yesterday, I went into the pet store to stock up on cat litter and one of the three catfoods I mix for my boys' dry catfood bowl.  (It's related to my own resistance to doing the same thing all the time, not so much a request from the boys.)  After wandering around for quite a while looking for Friskies Dental Diet, I find out that it's been discontinued.  Nooooooo!  I've been feeding them Dental Diet for nearly 7 years now and they love it and their teeth are great! 

Much put out, I went to look for an alternative*.  Of course, there's nothing even remotely similar (especially that nice big kibble size), and the packaging is all skewed to appeal to touchy-feely types ("would you feed your pet something you wouldn't eat") or sciency types ("scientifically proven!") or the mainstream (as seen on TV).  It really put me off, but I ended up looking more at the touchy-feely stuff, since I'm more inclined to think esatz "pure ingredients" was slightly more believable than "science" that I didn't know the background for.  The mainstream stuff I dismissed as the kitty version of junk food.  Sure, I would like to live on Cheetoes myself, but for how long would that be?  Granted, Dental Diet was a Friskies brand and though not advertised much, would have been found with the mainstream stuff.  I purchased small bags of three different possible substitutes and put out a small bowl of each.  Interestingly, the one I was slightly favoring is the one they've barely touched.  The picture above (taken this morning) is the 12 hour results so far.  Top to bottom are the catfoods shown below left to right.  Interestingly, the boys seem to like the one with avocado in it.  Hmmm!

* If anyone hears of a good alternative, let me know!

UPDATE: The results are in. I originally gave them 50 g of each food. At the end of 24 hours, the following amounts remained:
Wellness Indoor Health - 48 g (boys ate 4%)
Blue Buffalo Indoor Health - 17 g (boys ate 66%)
Avoderm Indoor Hairball Care Formula - 9 g (boys ate 82%)

Looks like Avoderm is the clear winner, with Blue Buffalo an acceptable alternative. Wellness got a big "no thank you!" so I'll be dropping that off as a donation for the Cat Care Society.

My FABULOUS PRIZE

I believe the established procedure is to exclaim:
"Loot! Loot! Loot for ME!"

Last week, Janiece asked for some feedback on what graphic she should use on her next set of address labels. She promised a prize, but I consider living within a short drive of Janiece to be a prize in itself.
Surprisingly enough, I actually won.

Today, my prize arrived... YAYAYAYAY!

Yes, those are the (in)famous Bonbon Bars!
Of course, when I was photographing the above, Matti had to check things out. :)


I've decided to save them for my visit with Susan next weekend. I find pleasures shared are generally twice as nice as pleasures alone.

How on earth am I resisting the siren call of the Bonbon Bars? Well, I don't think I could have if I didn't have these in the fridge:


Thank you so much, Janiece! You are the best!

Holiday Crush

I hate the "sorry I haven't been posting" posts, but this one will serve also as a run down on how my life is going recently:

- Historic Preservation project at work that has three days of exterior work planned for next week (was planned for last week, and fortunately able to be rescheduled, or we'd have been popsicles)
- Design project at work with an extremely short schedule, understaffed, and the client refuses to take any responsibility for decisions
- Cookie Exchange Party next weekend (I have no time for anything new and fun, so it'll be baklava, I think)
- Insulation needs to be put into the above ceiling (above grade) portions of the BitB (Bathroom in the Basement) project. I was thinking I'd do it this morning, but I "wasted it" sleeping in and relaxing.
- Drywall insulation on the BitB, scheduled for Wednesday evening.
- Making a Christmas gift for my nephew
- Buy a Christmas gift for ... someone in my family.
- Go through the finances to make sure that my household finances on track and the BitB project won't go over budget. (Need to pay some people next week.)

Addendum: Just foiled an escape attempt by Matti by grabbing him by the tail as he jumped off the railing. (Didn't plan it, just reacted.) I held him in my arms as soon as I hauled him close enough and even moments afterward he didn't seem too worse for the wear. A bit shocked at myself, but it turned out OK. Whew! I'm super glad I didn't hurt him.

Cheap Comfort

I got some plumbing fixtures in the mail and the box was a great size for cats, so I put it under the bench by the front door (where I've noticed the boys sitting lately) and layered the bottom with an old towel. Sure enough, it was an instant hit.

I think the new location is preferred, since it's near a heat register. I know I keep the house temp low (I have to wear a fleece and/or hat a majority of the time) and this is how the cats compensate.
Sitting on me:

Sitting on each other:

Or sitting on the stove (the pilot light makes the metal warm):


They are soooooo cute.

Feeling Strangely Insular

Here are some belated photos from the big snowstorm last week.
Sorry this blog has been quiet. I've had the time, I've had the subjects (like the pictures below). I guess I just haven't had the inclination. For that, I apologize.
Seeing as tomorrow is November, a month devoted to writing, I will pledge to do better in the days to come. I do have a plan for writing some fiction for NaNoWriMo, which I will unveil tomorrow (Nov. 1).

Until then, marvel at the quantity of snow on my deck!



As you can see, Matti braved the 1/2" of snow that had collected in a corner. Couldn't get much further though.

Neighborhood Watch

Martin, keeping an eye on stuff going on in the alley.

Morning Routine

Every morning, when I emerge from the bathroom after my shower, Matti or Martin (usually Matti) is waiting for me to emerge. As I walk to the bedroom, he trots happily ahead. See, my job is to pet them after I shower. Not positive why, but it's definitely an expectation. After we do some of that, I turn to the closet to select clothes for the day and lay them out on the bed as I do this. Almost invariably, this happens:

Taking Care of the Kitties

While I was away last week, Da Boyz boarded with my good friend, Stacey and her infinitely patient hubby. I was a little nervous since I've never resorted to that before, and only once in the 5 years I've had them have I taken them with me to someone else's house. I know they're very domesticated and sweet in their own home, but I didn't want to completely stress them out. However, these worries were counterbalanced by the knowledge that they are also very social cats and would get lonely left on their own for four days.
So, on Monday afternoon, I nabbed them (so easy, since they didn't know to be wary of the cat carriers) and drove them over to Stacey's. They did get stressed, meowing and panting (a classic sign of distress in a cat), which distressed ME too. At Stacey's we let them out (to disappear under the bed and behind the desk) and I stuck around for a couple hours. By the time I left, they were out and investigating (warily, but at least they were out!).
Stacey and JR took very good care of them in the intervening days. Stacey even took care of ME by sending me periodic updates. I was relieved to find that they were good guests, peeing/pooping in the approved location, not meowing all night, and providing companionship and entertainment to Stacey.
When I got back, it was a very simple process to lure them out from their napping spot under the bed, petting them both for about half an hour, then popping them into their carriers for the return trip. Stacey drove us back and thankfully, the return trip was only punctuated by a little meowing and no panting.
They were, naturally, very happy to wander around and make sure the house was unchanged.

Thank you, Stacey and JR, for taking such good care of them!

(As you can see above, they are very relaxed and happy.)

An Exchange:

Scene - sitting outside with the cats, Matti laying nearby, Martin investigating near the stairs to the deck

Me [to Matti]: How you doing, bub?
Martin: Brrrowl? (translation: Who me? I wasn't doin' nothin'. Just looking around. Not guilty at all!)

Wheels Within Wheels

My boys. Too cute.

Dry Well

I haven't posted much the last couple days, as you've probably noticed. It's not because I'm busy, but rather I haven't been feeling particularly creative. I even have a partial post started, but to finish it would require some other creative work. I'm compiling a list of meals I want to eat in the near future, but that's not going to help me now.
I know that I could post some pictures...

Like an update of the farm (now with 3 pigs, which will be my max.):


Or a cute picture of the cats:


Or, I could post an embedded YouTube video of one of my favorite Firefly scenes:


I could also put in a pimp link for my friend Jeri, who has a lovely quote by TDR about daring greatly. That is what I aspire to as well. :)

Sigh, I could do those things, but really what's the point? It's all filler. You guys are sharp enough to see that. So you're just going to have to wait 'til I come up with something more interesting...
tomorrow.

Mattimeo, My Boy

Matti, "helping" me study for the exam last weekend.



I don't think Matti is much of a ham. He ended up turning away from me, ostensibly to keep an eye on his brother, but I think he was unsettled by the pictures for some reason.

Cat Blogging Friday

In some parts of the world, it is Cat Blogging Friday. There are variants, like Boogie Blogging Friday, but I, myself, generally avoid doing what other people are already doing. I'm a bit of a contrarian, you see.
BUT, in order to be a true contrarian, you must occasionally be contrary to contrarianism. And so, with that double negative in mind (and a desire to post about the cats, as they have been pictorially absent from the blog lately), I bring you: The Boys Getting Some Yard Time.


Matti enjoys watching the birds, who stay damnably out of reach.


Martin doesn't like to lie or walk on crumbly, shifting things like leaves. He prefers more reliable surfaces, such as rocks, brick, and concrete.

Easter Cats

In honor of Easter, Spring, and cute fuzzy things who feel they are owed a spot on your lap (even if it's already taken):




































The "Pay Attention to ME" pose

Home Comforts

I made soup today, pretty much out of stuff I had around the house: garlic, onion, carrots, celery, ground turkey, homemade chicken stock, lentils, mushrooms, and wild rice. Primary seasonings are: salt, pepper, parsley, with a few shakes of garlic salt and italian seasonings. It's pretty yummy, if I do say so myself.
I have a friend whose husband used to be a restaurant chef and who has told me many times about the yummy food he makes for them. Then there's Jim. I've always thought their spouses were lucky. However, I just realized that I lucky to have ME as house chef. Granted, when I'm feeling lazy, there's no one to whip up something awesome. But I am a good cook. And that's nothing to sneeze at. :)

House cleanup is going well. My current method of choice is to take a pile of papers, dump them on the floor, and then sort it out. It works because I dislike having clutter on the floor, so I HAVE to clean it up: file, deal with, or recycle.

The boys are funny. When I'm fiddling around the house, they're generally nearby, but not always. When I'm lying on the bed, reading, they join me (Matti scrubs around under the covers, Martin sits next to me). Here's a cute picture of them investigating an interesting noise outside.

Anabanana, Makin' Catfood

(you have to read that title as if it's being said by Rob Schneider doing his SNL skit about the guy who sits next to the copier)

Belsum said in the comments of another post that making my own catfood seems complicated. It's not really, and since I don't think I've ever explained what it is or why I do it, I thought I'd post about it here.

When I was growing up, we fed the cats both dry and moist catfood, so that's what I intended to do when I got cats myself. When I offered them moist catfood from the store, however, they only licked off the moisture and wouldn't eat it. I was certainly NOT going to buy something that they were only going to lick, so I started casting about for other options. (I did try other brands with the same result.) In the vet's office, I spotted a brochure for a way to make your own catfood. I figured I'd try it. It was a smashing success. They ate all that they were given. Over time, it seemed like a good decision because their coats became healthy and they seemed to have very few health issues. Plus Matti, a little on the lean side, gained weight, while Martin, a little on the heavy side, seemed to lose weight. They really seem to enjoy it.

It doesn't take long, maybe and hour to an hour and a half to make a batch and a batch lasts 7 days in the winter and 10 in the summer. (They eat more in the winter.) I can do it while watching TV and can do it in advance, since it's frozen between the time I make it and when I feed it to them. When my dad was taking care of the cats while I was in India, I made three or four batches to tide him over til I came back.

It's not complicated either. I buy a powder online that has many of the vitamins and minerals the cats need. I add that to water, plus a little salmon oil, then add ground chicken and liver. I grind it myself with a small food processor from chicken breasts I buy at Costco, so that keeps the cost extremely reasonable. When all that is mixed together, I divide it up into single serving sizes (refined from the powder's instruction after a little trial and error when I'd first started) that I put in cheap plastic baggies (the fold-over sandwich kind seem to be best) and then freeze. The daily routine then is to take the frozen servings out of the freezer and put them in the fridge to defrost, then warm them up (or defrost if I've forgotten step one) in a warm water bath before dumping the serving from the baggie into the bowl. I've tried to figure out a less wasteful way to package them for freezing, but I need to be able to warm them a little and the microwave tends to start cooking it if I'm off by a second or two. Plus, I need to be able to defrost them quickly (without cooking) if I forget to. So, that part is still being thought through.

All in all, it's cost effective (through the wonders of Costco), and only a little time consuming (which for people who know me know is not an issue), and the cats really seem to thrive on it. I really enjoy taking care of them as much as they enjoy taking care of me. :)


At least I can still move my fingers to type. Thanks, Martin.

Matti being cute while sleeping. As usual.

Cat Sleeping Habits

Both my boys, when they sleep with me on the bed, will curl up either on/below my feet, behind my knee joint, or at my waist. I don't think it's just because there's a crook there to snuggle into (in the case of my feet, it's definitely not that). My guess is that my body gives off marginally more heat at the joints.

OK, Matti is pestering the heck out of me. I'm going to go feed him, in case that's what he wants (even if not, it'll distract him for a while).

Twitchy

...is a cool word.

Anywho, random things from today:
Martin suddenly jumped up to where I was sitting on the couch and pressed his head against my hand. It was such a cute request! "Put your hand HERE!" Actually, I think the cats identify more with my hands than they do with my face. "Ah yes, the feeding appendages that also pet and scratch. Excellent. Why don't you have more than two?"

I found it very difficult to get out of bed this morning. Not because it was cold (which it was) or because I was tired (I wasn't) but because I really just didn't want to interact with the day.
Fortunately, I talked myself into taking off the entire week between Christmas and New Years. It should be nice to get a breather (even if the project IS winding down).

Reading while eating lunch really is one of the seminal pleasures of life.

Bitter cold is not fun.

I need new shoes.

It's time for bed.

ETA: Jenn, posting at the same time as I was posting, talks about cats being heat-powered and the addiction of reading. Clearly, she is a fellow member of BA (Bookaholics Anonymous).

Da Boyz

For those of you who haven't had the good fortune to "meet" my boys, here's a supercute photo of them. They are brothers. (If you look closely, you might be able to see the family resemblance.)
The one on the right is Martin. I think of him as the big brother. He started of being the more reserved of the two, but his affection, once earned, is a serious attachment. He is the "talkative" one, and he has an adorable way of stretching up with one paw outstretched that really won over my dad when I was in India.
The one on the left is Matti. He's like the little brother. He checks to see what Martin is doing on a regular basis and likes to sit against him and have his head groomed (as shown in the picture). He used to be the more outgoing, but less attached of the two. Now, as they've gotten more comfortable in my house, they're pretty equal with the greeting duties. Matti is more likely to wander off on his own and sleep above the heating ducts in the basement and more likely to make an escape attempt out of the yard.
They are such brothers. One minute they are competing to see who can lick the other more, then they're fighting and chasing each other around the house.
I love them both equally, even though they are so different.
My boys make my house a home.

(More pictures of them can be found in the righthand sidebar, towards the bottom.)