Tag Archive | cats

PAWS

Apr19

Years and years ago, I saw the movie Aliens. One thing I remember very clearly is when Sigourney Weaver and the little girl (Newt?) are shut away in a room…hiding from the alien. Suddenly there’s this noise…this horrible skittering of claws across the floor and you know, they are not alone. [I'm trying to YouTube the scene with no luck, but I recall this little alien lobster thing...eek].

Once when I lived in my apartment (alone), I went to bed one night. Lights off, I lay back in bed and then I heard it…skittering behind the wall…over the ceiling, behind the wall again. I turned my light on and kept it on for a long time. I can only assume a squirrel had gotten into my building (and I hope he found his way out again).

Now when I sleep, I’m sometimes woken by another very distinct sound….what I call “scrabbling.” Scrabbling is the noise strivingcynic cat’s paws make when he’s a) trying to jump up on the bed, but not quite making it and b) losing his footing and about to fall off the bed but trying desperately not to (and not quite making it). I’m afraid to say, scrabbling is more often than not followed by a clunk. “Poor little guy” I’ll murmur and pat the bed next to me to let him know he should try to come up again.

although not mid-scrabble, this is the paw in action

Unfortunately, sc cat manages to scrabble several times a week. He’s not a jumper and as he’s maneuvering around the bed, he doesn’t always have a good grasp of where the edges and gaps (between bed and nightstands) are. And so the sound of his paws, and claws, trying to grasp the sheets to keep him from falling is not uncommon.

The other morning I had no idea that sc kitty was on the bed with us. I found out very quickly that he was because he began to scrabble and based on where he was on the bed when he started to lose his balance, he tried the grip whatever he could hold onto when he scrabbled.

Unfortunately, that happened to be the top of my head.

It didn’t work (thank heavens) and I heard the clunk a second later. My head is fine…a small scratch, but it’s tender enough that I suspect the noise of the scrabble will be joining the ranks of the skitter. And I will always be aware of the power hidden away in those paws!

okay, I said I'm sorry (but you can see how comfy I am on the bed)!

Are there certain noises you don’t want to hear in the night (or any other time)?

that buzzing in my ears

Mar12

Hard to believe it, but it was the start of daylight savings time this weekend. Although I appreciate having more light, the “less sleep” aspects don’t thrill me.

Usually, my waking up happens in stages. I usually have a sense of when it’s almost time to get up. The alarm goes off…and usually I turn it off, lie in bed for another few minutes, and get up. I am not someone for whom the stages involve a snooze button…I’ve always had a hard time understanding the appeal of falling back to sleep and waking up again in ten minute increments.

I do have an assistant of sorts when it comes to waking up. You see, I made the mistake of getting into a routine with strivingcynic cat. When I wake up, I’ll go downstairs and give him some Whiskas.  So, he’s come to understand that the sooner mom gets out of bed, the sooner the Whiskas will appear in his bowl. This translates to some pre-wake up time visits from him. I’ll hear meows and feel that tell-tale pressure that announces he’s now on the bed. And then the buzzing starts….he’s happy…he’s with mom and mr. sc, and soon the day will start, which means Whiskas. And so he starts to purr! Loudly! And step all over us as he happily anticipates his morning treat.

oh, did I wake you?

Now, I love hearing cats purr…it’s a great noise and when you go to pet a purring cat, you can often feel the vibrations. However, a happy-purring-in-the-morning cat takes a little getting used to…they step on vulnerable body parts or hair, they rub cold their wet noses onto your exposed skin (growing up, my family had a cat that used to give us what we called the “wet nose in the armpit” treatment). They sound like a little motor next to your ear.

If sc kitty doesn’t get the reaction he wants…he jumps off the bed with a loud thud. And a few minutes later, it starts all over again. When I finally get up, he follows me into the bathroom (he whacks the door with his paw if I don’t let him in), pokes me with his paw while I brush my teeth, and then down the stairs….it’s Whiskas time.

[On another note, you might remember how I started having Whiskas shipped to me from Amazon because it was so much cheaper, in fact, I even "subscribed" to have it delivered every month. Well, a few months ago they canceled the subscription saying they were no longer offering it). We had stocked up, so I finally just looked at Amazon, and they're charging almost 28 dollars for a 4 pack (when I subscribed, it was 15). This price is ridiculous, so it's back to the stores for Whiskas for me.]

who cares about price? I'm worth it!

How do you wake up in the morning?  Have you had any “sticker shock” experiences for a product you buy regularly?

that face . . .

Feb27

Can you resist this face? Go ahead, try.

sweetie face!

This is not the best picture of strivingcynic cat, but I love the look in his eyes and the shape of his head in it.

I mentioned last week how he likes to try to get my attention when I’m on the computer. When he’s in the right frame of mind, I can actually pick him up, flip him on his back, and cradle his head on my arm WHILE I type (yes, his head moves slightly, but he doesn’t seem to mind). If mr. strivingcynic is nearby, sc cat will often shoot him a look of  “haha…mom’s paying attention to MEEEEEEEEEEEEE” (don’t get me wrong, sc cat loves mr. sc and vice versa…but sometimes kitty thinks there’s a competition). Anyway, last week I had my camera by my computer and managed to take this shot of him cradling away with his head on my arm.

For those of you who don’t know cats…this kind of behavior is a rarity. I’ve loved all my cats, but lap cats are a rarity. Some cats love their humans very much, but don’t want to hang out on their laps. I would say sc cat is occasionally lappy…not an every day thing, or even a once a week thing, but he will pass out on my lap several times a month (usually when I’ve just made the decision to get up and get a drink or some food, which I’ll delay for him). Not all cats like to be cradled (they don’t like being on their backs…I don’t think I’ve ever cradled one of the shelter cats; they like to be held in other positions). So the fact that he’ll cradle away is pretty special. And it’s nice to have a kitty to pet while I type.

What special things does your pet do? Feel free to admire sc kitty!

a bit of nice

Feb20

After asking my readers to look at my crappy gift wrapping skills in my last post, I thought I’d show some nicer pictures in this one. Not surprisingly, none of these are things I had any hand in making!

a very yummy bread pudding

This (made by a family friend), was so good. It was sweet, with apples and pineapple juice, and tart with cranberries. It went back into the oven before serving and got a nice crust. I was very happy!

so pretty..

Mr. strivingcynic sent me these beautiful flowers for Valentine’s day. I love the colors.

a closer look

My camera (or possibly my nonexistent photo editing skills) don’t really do the colors justice. It is definitely a “lift” having flowers around. They were actually delivered to me at work (I thanked the delivery guy so much it was as if he’d gotten me the flowers..), but I decided to bring them home (especially good since they’re lasting through the weekend). By the way, yes, that’s the corner of a composition book in the photos. Do they bring back memories?

these are quite excellent

Mr. sc and I found ourselves at Trader Joe’s again last week. I’ll admit it….I walk around TJ’s hoping that I’ll see something that is a) new to me and b) too good to pass up. Usually these things work out well, although a few weeks’ ago’s wasabi seaweed snack purchase, not so much. I walked, I looked, I picked up, I inspected, I put things down. I was intrigued by things like their kettle corn cookies, falafel chips, and chocolate covered potato chips. But what you see in the picture was what got put in the cart. They call them “Pinachios” and they are pistachio and white chocolate cookies. And they are….well, as I said, quite excellent. I think it’s the pistachio that lured me in…I think usually white chocolate is combined with macadamia nuts. I can assure you, this pairing works as well.

and of course, strivingcynic cat is an essential for any "nice pictures" post

Sc cat just loves to bask in the morning sunbeams. Sometimes he looks at me and gives little “pet me, play with me” mews. When I do, sometimes he just closes his eyes and arches a little…sometimes he quickly gets up and gallops across the room (no doubt thinking “Sucker!”). He’s definitely smile inducing.

What picture(s) would you post for a “bit of nice”? What’s your favorite cookie combination?

a creature of habit

Feb13

Poor strivingcynic cat had a bit of a trial the other day (but no worries, he’s fine). He knows his world so well, that any little change makes him nervous! He walks around the house, a proud, fierce, wanna-be jungle cat. But if you test his “jungle smarts” he turns into a scared little boy!

strivingcynic cat in out-of-focus jungle cat mode!

Way back this summer, mr. strivingcynic and I decided that our kitchen needed redoing. The first part was painting…and that was the last part for a while because we found that we needed to devote our time (and finances) to other things. Time marched on and we got annoyed at ourselves for not doing more…so the other week, we devised phase 2…replace our nonfunctioning appliances, one dishwasher (never worked since before mr. sc and I started dating) and our stove (burners that didn’t burn).

So, the appliances were ordered and due to arrive last week. Mr. sc would stay home for the delivery, but I’d be at work. We decided that sc kitty should be moved somewhere for his own safety and comfort. So, he was going to be stay in our room, with his food, water, and litter. Everything he needed, plus room to move around and a soft bed to sleep in. Perfect for everyone.

The day arrived and the appliances were delivered and installed. I got home from work 4-5 hours after the last person left and when I arrived, mr. sc told me that our cat had yet to emerge from his hideaway. In fact, sc cat had felt so disturbed by the goings on below that he had not only gone under our bed, but had managed to climb up inside of it (thanks to the fabric covering the bottom being torn). And he’d stayed there for hours and would not be coaxed or lured out with Whiskas or cat treats.

Thinking my little guy needed his mommy, I went up looking for him, but couldn’t find him in the bed. Or anywhere else. Eventually we found that he’d moved to under the bed in mr. sc’s daughter’s room. He was close to the wall and just staring, but I managed to reach a hand in and got a head rub. A few minutes later he took some uneasy steps out in the open….and then unfortunately, someone knocked on our door, which sent him scurrying under the nearest bed. He eventually felt his world was safe enough to emerge in it again…a fierce jungle cat once more (until next time).

Remembering back, sc cat does stress out pretty easily when it comes to changes in his environment. As I started moving out of my apartment, I noticed he got more and more clingy as there was less and less in the apartment. Eventually, I decided to move him to mr. sc’s before I went there myself since we knew he was comfortable there (I used to stay with mr. sc some weekends once we’d decided I’d move in…my cat came with me so we could all start acclimating). When we painted the kitchen, we moved his food and water bowls for a few hours… mr. sc noticed that he seemed to be “stress eating” while his stuff was displaced. (If you want reminders of the paint job, you can see an in process post and a done post).

So, sc kitty is both a brave little boy, but he also needs his routines (and his mom).

sc cat investigates his new housemate

Oh..and he also wishes everyone a happy Valentine’s Day!

isn't he sweet?

If you have pets, do they get stressed out by disruptions in the household? What was your latest kitchen upgrade (or what would you like to change)?

calendar cats

Jan30

I like to think I’m open to making changes, but I am a creature of routine and habit. Thanks to tendencies, I have a peculiar daily reminder about how I’m not always willing to change.

Every year for Hanukkah, my mother buys me a Page-A-Day calendar featuring cats (this one). I had come to enjoy that calendar which features pictures of cats that are submitted by owners and admirers. Each day brings a new cat or cats, and the caption tells you about the cat and his/her “owners.” One thing I particularly love is the calendar’s heavy use of shelter/rescue/former stray and feral cats. It strikes a chord with my own particular sensibilities. And the pictures often show these cats being cute, sweet, crazy, or some combination of the three.

This year, my mother got me another calendar (this one) from the same company (Workman). Still cats, still daily, but this was a “gallery calendar” meaning that rather than tearing a card off, the pages sit in a plastic case. As each day passes, you move that day’s page to the back. In July, you turn it around because the back of every page has a corresponding 6 months from now cat (I know…it’s a little confusing).

When I opened it, I was happy to get the cat calendar, but annoyed at myself for taking in that it wasn’t the usual calendar. I looked at the box for any mention of a contest, or pets (the Page-A-Day is run as a contest where people submit the photos, and you can either “place” or just get a spot on the calendar). No…these cats…well, they looked like models. They were beautiful cats being graceful, daring, and cat-like, and the text was always an inspiring quote or a fact about cats. But, the cat in the photo never had a name or an identity…it was just a….brand. A week in, I realized I missed my daily dose of reading about how Bobo the cat from Kalamazoo likes to watch tv with his parents and sits on the remote so no one can change the channels. By the end of the second week of January, I had ordered the Page-A-Day. I was almost relieved when it arrived and I could read about how stray kitties had found loving homes.

strivingcynic cat is totally calendar-worthy!

Of course, this means I now have two daily cat calendars in my house. I have a different (non-cat) daily calendar at work, so I just decided that the gallery calendar would stay in the “usual” spot (in the kitchen) and the Page calendar would go by where my computer is set up (the dining room). An elegant solution? Well, no. Am I a little embarrassed that I couldn’t “accept” a different calendar? Yes. But, I had to accept the fact I really enjoyed this particular calendar..so I could spend a year missing it or remedy the situation.

Do you have a particular “loyalty” to a brand/product to the point that you couldn’t adjust to using another?

winter sleepy musings post

Jan14

Oh. The weather has taken a turn for the cold. For all my love of Northern Exposure and wanting to travel to Alaska, the cold makes me just want to hibernate. I want to be like strivingcynic cat and find a nice, happy sunbeam to lie in and not move for a few hours.

he's found his sunbeam

Actually, we’ve had some pretty warm days lately, but it’s gotten a little colder, which makes me take stock of my “what will protect me from the cold” winter weather gear. This week has seen me wearing a layer of long underwear under my clothes (genius), double socks to bed (okay, I’ve been doing that all along), and wristlets (I think that’s what they’re called…fingerless gloves that cover the entire wrist). I’ve worn my warm faux fur lined boots to work (I’ve changed into my work shoes at the office).

And then there’s the tea. I always love tea, but once the weather gets colder I basically keep drinking it all day. I also bring a water bottle that I intend to drink all day too, but I end up never touching it (and to be fair, the tea is decaf).

My habits change in the winter. I eat less ice cream (I still eat it though). I still go for desserts, but I go more for cake, cookies, chocolate. I have almost no interest in getting fresh air; the winter blahs set in.

Good thing there are things that put a smile on my face. Seeing that there’s a little more light in the sky in the morning and evening, hot chocolate, warm blankets, and of course, this guy:

still there!

What gets you through the cold, winter days? When do you break out the winter gear and what are your favorites?

two tales of a kitty

Jan5

Today is a special day because I’m going to tell two strivingcynic cat stories in one post! In fact, we’ll say one sc cat story and one story for his alter ego, T Swoop! Just to make it easy, the sc cat story will be in words, and the T Swoop story will be interspersed in the pictures (and captions).

The story of how T Swoop still loves my birthday present bag (which we got in October)

So,one night a few weeks age, mr. strivingcynic, strivingcynic teen, and I were hanging out in our living room watching tv. Now, the layout of our house is such that basically as soon as you walk in, you’re in our living room. There is a tiny floor area one could call an entry way, but it’s pretty much all living room.  A few feet away, on the same wall as the door is a window with a big windowsill that sc cat likes to sit in and watch the world go by.

From November 16 post, T Swoop hanging out on "his" bag

On this particular evening, sc cat seemed a bit agitated. He kept going over to the window and the door and crying. He even stood up by the door and made pawing motions, like he wanted to open the door. I started getting worried about why he was suddenly interested in the big world outside the door. Did he want to go out (he’s an indoor cat)? Was I now going to have to battle him every time I went in and out of the door? (A cute door story about sc cat. When I lived in my apartment, when I would get ready to leave for work, he’d run ahead of me as I was heading to the door and would flop over and “ask” to be pet before I could leave.)

from last week. Guess why the bag isn't flat?!

Another possibility was that there was an animal out there that interested him….a bird, a bunny, a squirrel, another cat. I looked out the window, but didn’t see anything. I got fearful that maybe there was a lost cat or kitten out there and opened the door not sure what I would do if I found one, but it was cold and dark, and again, I didn’t see anything.

the (glow-eyed) answer is staring you in the face....

The next morning, I headed out the door at 6:30 in the morning and in the daylight, all was explained. By our porch and almost under a bush, our mail carrier had placed the latest shipment of sc kitty’s Whiskas autodelivery. Sc cat must have smelled the Whiskas! We were amazed at his power of smell and relieved to find out that that was the source of all the agitation. Needless to say, the cold Whiskas was immediately brought into the house where it and sc kitty could get better acquainted!

that's right! It's T Swoop in the bag!

The end!

thanks for spoiling my fun, mom. I'm gonna play somewhere else!

I don’t even know what sort of question to follow this up with, so feel free to comment on the cat, the format, or whatever you feel like!