Post 648: Andy and Dougy play a game of their invention…

Andy slipped into the box, dragging the multi-color ribbon wand toy behind him. This toy, a favorite of the boys, is part of their self-play. I can’t get them to play with it, but they have their own game, something like “keep away” they devised using the toy.

Andy guards the toy. He doesn’t want Dougy to get it!

Silly kitty! You are all the way inside the box, but the toy is mostly outside! Dougy surely will notice.

Dougy can't budge Andy from the front, so he waits by the hole on the side. Andy will try to scare him away, but Dougy will prevail!

Dougy can’t budge Andy out the front opening of the box, so he waits by the hole on the side. Andy tries to scare him away, but Dougy prevails!

Dougy scared Andy out of the box, so he checked it out. Nothing there. Dougy leaves the box...and still forgets about the toy!

Dougy shoos Andy out of the box, yet he still must verify it is empty. Yep! No kitty there! Dougy leaves the box…and the toy! Game’s over. Hunh?! I guess it makes sense to the kitties….

The toy will show up somewhere else before the morning’s over. In fact, it will “wander” all over the house. I rarely see a cat attached to it, but the cats move it. Only they know the rules and strategies of their homespun game!

=(^+^)=

Post 647: On the matter of Dougy’s snuggling…

Many believe Dougy is a perfect little guy, never a bother, always a joy. There is some evidence of that:

Everything but drooling here…! Dougy enjoys snuggling my arm.

“Is that Andy sneaking up on me?”

“Are you going to do something about Andy?”

“Well, are you?!”

Which isn’t to say he isn’t jealous of any attention I give his brother Andy!

Andy keeps a respectful; distance, but makes sure he is seen by his brother...!

“La-la-la! Just taking a bath!” Andy keeps a respectful distance, but makes sure his brother sees him….

Post 646: snug Dougy

Some days — icey cold days! — the best plan is to snug up to the closest warm body and take a snooze. Dougy chose me for his snuggles. I appreciate the arm warmer! d sleep

Post 645: The fugitive Andy makes an appearance…finally!

Andy just popped up out of nowhere after being in hiding all day.

Lick-lick-lick! He smoothed his hair in a most becoming way and waited for me to take his photo, which I add to the one of Dougy I posted earlier today.

Andy won the game today. It's too late for his medicine. Coincidentally, it's "feed the kitties" time.

Andy won the game today. It’s too late for his medicine. Coincidentally, it’s “feed the kitties” time. Perfect timing!

He moved to action over to the blue carrier, which is closer to the "feed the kitty" spot. Andy, you little scoundrel! I'll feed you anyway!

He moved to action over to the blue carrier, which is closer to the “feed the kitty” spot.

Andy, you little scoundrel! I’ll feed you anyway!

Post 644: Dougy’s new ‘do

With just a hint of “horns”, Dougy posed nicely for this portrait.

66178226horns [For those unfamiliar with cat “horns”, here’s an early photo of Dougy at his horniest!]

=(^+^)=

Dougy as he appears now.

dougy3_edited-1

What? I actually got one of Dougy looking straight into the camera??! (How about that tail?)

Most of them looked more like this than the top photo.

Most of them looked more like this than the middle photo.

Next: get a decent photo of Dougy in a nice background! Of course, there’s Andy’s photo to take, too, but he’s hiding since he hasn’t had his medicine yet today.

Post 643: “catch a cat on camera” catastrophe

The boys looked really sweet after they got their prettied up at the groomer’s, and I wanted to show you just how cute they turned out this time. Yeah…!

No cooperation and a weak charge on my camera's battery equal crap phtos, such as this one!

No cooperation and a weak charge on my camera’s battery equal crap photos, such as this one!

The best of the Dougy photos: “If it’s photo forget it. Our best is none too good” as we used to joke at the 69th Signal Company (Photo). [ Blink! ]

“Maybe I can do better with Andy,” I thought…!

Nope!

Since this sad effort, I’ve recharged my camera battery. Seriously, though, their ‘dos turned out really cute!

Post 642: je suis Charlie

charlie

Post 641: Louie the ginger cat

Here are a few more photos of Louie and Louie-associated things:

Louie didn’t get in the way …much!

Louie postage stamps.

Door warning. (Louie wasn’t mean, but he was big.)

My favorite photo of Louie’s tail.

Louie usually slept with his tail curls under this way.

Louie usually slept with his tail curled under this way.

Post 640: The late Louie the ginger cat loved snow.

I’ve mentioned Louie the ginger cat before. He was a nearly 24 pound (10.8 kilos) ginger tabby cat, a real man’s kitty. You could wrestle him like he was a dog!

Louie came to me by way of the local animal shelter, where he did some time as a stray cat waiting for someone to claim him. But no one did, amazingly, and when I went to the shelter to pick another cat (the short-lived Freckles), Louie pranced and preened in a cage nearby, daring me not to fall in love with him. And I did!

louie ponders an outside life

As a former stray, he also loved his creature comforts, but he also loved the snow. If Andy barely goes as far as the door and Dougy carefully avoids getting snow on his feet if he can, Louie got right with it, sniffing, walking in it, catching up on the local cat messages other cats left for him to find.

Louie checks the fir tree for birds. Yeah, I shoveled a little path through the drift for him!

DSCN0421-1 DSCN0420-1 DSCN0419-1 DSCN0418-1

Inside, Louie filled the traditional cat's role of helpful meatlump.

Inside, Louie filled the traditional cat’s role of helpful meatloaf.

Louie was a good ol’ cat! I was devastated when he died August 1, 2011 of lymphoma. Until his last day, he didn’t even act sick, then the only sign was he wouldn’t eat his supper meal.

Post 639: Andy forgets to watch his tail, with miserable consequences…

Dougy came first. He heard the birds at the feeder across the lane.

Keep on moving. Nothing much here to see! Just a few plump, juicy house sparrows is all!

Nothing much here to see! Just a plump, juicy house sparrow is all!

Maybe there isn’t much to see, but Andy still had to stop by to join Dougy at the front door.

Dougy notices Doug (the human one) sneaking over to the door, and he high tails it. (Well, “low tails it” because it’s more stealthy!) Andy, fixated on the snow by the door, doesn’t notice the drama unfolding…!

[Sniff! Sniff! Sniff!] Then a flurry of legs and hands, and Andy finds himself…

…wrapped in the white towel! He spots the medicine bottle on the table. This can only mean one thing!

Time for his blood pressure medicine, and once again he got lost in cat business, forgot to pay attention to what Doug (the human one) was up to. Yes, wrapped in the white towel, he’s about to get a dose of blood pressure medicine. ICK! Andy resigns himself to his fate.

After Doug (the hiuman one) reassured Andy he was a good boy and massaged Andy's shoulders and neck till the tension left them, Andy jumped to the floor for his kitty treats, then he hopped on top of his happy place, the blue carrier, to groom and reclaim his cattitude and self-respect.

After Doug (the human one) reassured Andy he was a good boy and massaged his shoulders and neck till the tension left them, Andy jumped to the floor for his kitty treats, then he hopped on top of his happy place, the blue carrier, to groom and reclaim his cattitude and self-respect.

All’s well that ends well. Later, Andy joined Doug (the human one) at the computer desk, where Andy snuggled into a little ball and slept the sleep only a cat can sleep. He slept there till “time to feed the kitties” time.