Have You Ever Been This Tired?

Cara came running in today to get me to come and look at Whiskers. She started coming out of her "Ker Cube" and fell back asleep before she was all of the way out. Now tell me...were you ever this tired?

All I Wanted Was to Watch A Little Baseball

LSU is playing in the Super Regionals heading up to the College World Series. They won it all last year, but this year the pitching has been struggling. The game is blacked out here. They are playing at UCLA and I was able to find it through Facebook posts on the LSU page. Some guy was streaming the game from his cable connection and it came in loud and clear. I loved being to sit in the recliner and watch the game on the laptop. Pretty decided that I was to be her bed, so I had both of them on my lap. Most of the time, she didn't block my view. She roots for LSU too. That's my girl.

Bunnies for Kitties

Easter is coming and I thought the adoptable kitties at Robyn's work could use some Easter treats. I saw a cute pattern for knitted bunnies on Ravelry and decided to give that a try and felt them. I wish I had taken a picture after the felting because they turned out perfect. Pretty was not happy with me. I didn't make any for either her or Whiskers. Whiskers seems to be pretty ok with it, but Pretty was not. When I was putting the stuffing and catnip in the bunnies, I left briefly. Yes, I know now that was not a smart thing, but I confess I did not think it through. When I returned, catnip was everywhere. Stuffing and bunnies were scattered all over. One of the bunnies was missing. I did a search around the immediate area and the missing bunny was no where to be seen. I decided to finish the bunnies before looking for the last one. Pretty jumped up and tried to steal another one. When I refused to let her, she let me know her opinion by giving me four perfect tooth marks in my arm. They correspond perfectly to her fangs, upper and lower. I won out though. The missing bunny was found by Skittles. She walking around the house showing it to everyone.

Too Much Help

I was putting away the Christmas ornaments and I cleared a space to slide the box back into the closet. Before I could get the box into the space, my help came to make sure the space was perfect. It was. I just had to wait until she was finished using the space so I could use it.

Everybody Wants to Be a Cat

Oh to be Whiskers... I wish. I am posted about this nutty girl before. Sometimes when I don't see her for a while, I go on a hunt for her. Often I can find her closed up in one of the girls' rooms. She sneaks in when no one sees her. We call her teleportation cat or TP for short. They are convinced that she was not in the room when they closed the door. Today when I went on my TP hunt, I found her on Cara's bed completely relaxed. As stated many times...I want to be a cat.

Where's the Kitty...You Can't See Her

She was hiding. I washed Robyn prayer shawl in a big plastic container. I left it out a couple of days to let it dry before putting it away. It doesn't help if the washing container has mold growing in it. Apparently the container makes a great hiding place. Whiskers had a great time, sitting inside and watching everyone walk by. Sometimes she would jump out at us and we would pretend we didn't see her in there. Her favorite victim was Pretty. Pretty didn't pretend like we did and let her sister know that this jumping out was not appreciated. I think Whiskers was on the lookout for Pretty in this picture and was unaware that her prey was nearer than she thought.

What the Cat Drug In...

We came home this afternoon and was greeted with this sight. Pretty has been knitting AGAIN. The yarn ran from Robyn's room, through the kitchen and into the dining room. It seems like under the dining room table is her favorite knitting spot. Sometimes you will find a single thread of yarn passing through and other times I will find several whole skeins under the table. What is it with Pretty and the yarn?

I Want To Be A Cat

And yet another post in the series of why being a cat would be a good thing to be. This is what Whiskers does 28 hours a day. I made my point.

Looking for Sirius Black

Last night before bed, I noticed Whiskers standing in front of the fireplace. That is one thing about cats. They can stare at what looks like nothing for hours. She must have stared into the fireplace for 20 minutes or so. This morning I noticed she has soot on her side. I guess we took a trip into the fireplace to get a closer look. It reminds me of when Harry Potter talks to Sirius Black in the "Goblet of Fire". Maybe Whiskers was waiting to see if Sirius' face would show up at our house as well.

Our Sentry

Sometimes people moving around the house need to be checked out by security. Whiskers is happy to provide this service. She likes to sit at her post on top of the stereo. She sits there looking beautiful and she draws each person passing closer to her. We cannot pass without reaching out to pet her. That is when we undergo inspection. She is tricky like that, taking care of her security duties without our realizing it. Later she moves to the back of the sofa where she "appears" to nap. We know that cannot be the case because she is ever vigilant in her quest to keep us in line.

Where's the Kitty?

Having a cat (or if you are luckier...cats) can bring a multitude of joys and laughter. I love reading about the cat escapades from bloggers such as Lin of Duck and Wheel with String, or from the cats themselves, Daisy and Harley of Daisy the Curly Cat. Cats are the original comics and they will have you smiling in no time. Lin sometimes does a little feature called "Where's the Kitty?". It is usually a post about some silly place Hobbes has gone. I am hitching a ride on Lin's coat tails and doing a "Where's the Kitty" segment too.

Robyn spent the weekend cleaning her room. When she cleans, she usually has one administrative assistant (Whiskers) in the room "helping". This time Pretty felt the need to come and put in her 2 cents on what needed to be done. I went into Robyn's room to ask her a question, and at first all I saw was her bed covered with her stuffed wolf collection. Then, I looked closer and noticed 2 orange ears moving. Pretty was taking a much needed break by sitting in the warm sun by the window. It was the perfect spot. She was able to blend in and not be noticed by the dogs and it was warm and cozy.

Another Use for Yarn

Tonight, I was all settled in waiting for Jon and Kate to come on. It was the season premiere and I am all "Miss Nosey" on how they are going to play the drama going through their lives at this time. I had my drink...check. Sufficient volume...check. My current knitting project...check. Everything I thought I needed. I was getting all into watching the show and knitting, when Whiskers decided I had forgotten something. Cat on lap...not check. She walked all over me until she found the perfect spot. It was on my chest about 4 inches from my chin. I had to crook my head to the side to see the TV. Whiskers is the purriest cat I have ever had. She purrs all of the time and loudly. It is hard to get annoyed with her when she is so happy. As the show progressed, she eventually settled in further down my lap and completely across my yarn. One of the cakes of yarn made the perfect pillow. She stayed in my lap for about an hour. I enjoyed having her there. She is such a cutie.

Queenly Behavior

There are definitely times I want to come back as a cat. Not just any cat, but one who lives the life of a cat in our family. Oh, to be able to lie around all day. To be able to sleep 23 hours a day plus a 2 hour nap. The big decision of the day...to sleep here...or here. Nothing is required of you. You don't have people asking you where their dance bag is or what is for dinner. No one is begging you to get off of the computer or asking for snack money for school. You are able to lie around the house...to be beautiful and admired. People walk past you and comment on how lovely your legs are, how sweet you look, then reach over and scratch your neck. I could really go for a life like that.

A Cat's Work is Never Done

One of Whiskers' favorite places is on the sofa. Last fall, we bought new furniture. On the old sofa, her perch was on the right arm. The new sofas do not have arms perfect for setting up a cat's office, so there was some discussion in the family as to whether she would claim a new spot or ignore the new furniture. She has claimed her office space. On the new furniture, her spot is on the back of the love seat. It still has to be on the right side. She is completely uninterested in the left side. Pretty sometimes uses the left side when Whiskers is working elsewhere. Once Pretty made the mistake of working on the right side. Whiskers let her know pretty quickly that was unacceptable.

Whiskers particularly loves to stick her leg out for everyone to admire. Sometimes she will stick them both out. It often does not look comfortable, but she doesn't seem to mind. We will walk by and discuss how lovely those legs are. She acts as though she already knows it, but I guess even cats cannot be told too often how beautiful they are.

Goldilocks and the Ker Cube

We have a couple of beds for the cats. Not that they don't take a nap wherever they want, but around the house there are additional spots for them. One of these has been named the "Ker Cube" which is short for WhisKERs'Cube. Whiskers loves to spend time in the cube. It is one of her many places to do her "work". Every once in a while Goldilocks AKA Pretty will do her work in there. When the Baby Bear AKA Whiskers comes in to go in her bed and sees someone in her bed, she must get the intruder out of her bed. Whiskers will nonchalantly sit on the side, looking around or washing her face. Then she rears up and starts swinging. Pretty will put up a small fight, but she eventually shoots out and finds another spot. I tried to take the picture in mid-leap, but I was not fast enough. Baby Bear was successful. She was able to regain her bed and set about her "work".

The Crab Lady

Pretty is 12 going on 80. She has always been high strung and wound a little too tight. She has been known to attack you for some motive only known to her. For some reason, she really likes me. As soon as I sit down, she is right there looking for a place to nest. She usually sleeps on me at night. I don't know what I did to earn this honor. I think she is funny and I don't take her as seriously as she takes herself. She is the smallest one in the house and maybe that makes a difference to her. When she lies on me, she frequently gets these "sweet" faces. We all crack up because we know the face does not match what goes on inside that silly head...or maybe it does for that short time she is with me.

Pretty's Fascination with Hair

Pretty has this thing for Robyn's hair. She loves to roll around on it, rub her head on it and bite at it. Sometimes Robyn will be sitting on the sofa and Pretty will come up behind her and start messing with her hair. The big show comes when Robyn washes it and lies down on the floor. Pretty comes over and falls on her head and starts working. She kicks, bites, rolls around and flips. I don't see what the big deal is. Robyn's hair is beautiful, but that is taking things a little too far.

Getting Work Out of the Cat

I went to the computer room to check email and such, and I found Pretty working on the computer. Usually she is very sneaky and I don't catch her doing "work". I told her about all of the other things I could use help with around the house, such as vacuuming, doing the dishes or laundry, picking up all of the dog toys, etc. She just looked at me and gave that cat look that said "Lady, you know I am a cat, therefore, I don't do what you want me to." She then jumped off of the chair, found a corner, and went to sleep.

Sometimes I want to be a cat.

Meatloaf

Our cats love to sitaround like this. Their feet are tucked in and the only things sticking out are their heads and tails. My family has long been major fans of the artist, B. Kliban. He draws the most wonderful cats. In one of his books, he draws a cat sitting in this position and then draws a picture of a meatloaf next to it. They do look strikingly similar. The girls love to point out when the cats are "meatloafing" or ask if someone wants a slice.  Cats can be so funny and they don't even try.  If you do a google search for Kliban cat meatloaf, his drawing of a cat vs. a meatloaf comes up.

So without further ado...I bring you...Pretty the meatloaf.

This!

THIS is what fell on the floor last night when Cara was working on her Mardi Gras float.

THIS is what Pretty found.

THIS is what makes a cat happy.

THIS is what she kept playing with all hours of the night.

THIS is what kept me from sleeping some last night.