I put a little catnip out on my computer desk. It didn’t take Andy long to figure out where it was and to come and sample it.
Andy inhales deeply…!
“Good ‘nip!”
“Mmmm! More ‘nip!”
Andy finds the second sample of catnip, and snorts it down.
My cats show the range of cat reaction to catnip. Dougy is interested in it but has no reaction. Andy loves the stuff and reacts with typical cat abandon to this favorite herb.
Remember Sox the tuxedo cat, my sister’s cat that went missing for 10 months? He looked a bit rough at the shelter, as you can imagine after being missing for 10 months. His sleek fur was dirty and a bit ruffled. He needed a good grooming!
BEFORE
AFTER
What Sox looks like in his prime…just wait till his hair grows out again!
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Here’s a bonus photo of Sox in his hidey hole, among some stuffed toys.
Where’s kitty?
Thanks to my sister for sharing her photos with me and telling me about Sox’s adventure! Anyone who’s had a pet go missing can take heart from Sox’s story.
There are examples of cats and dogs showing up after long times and great distances, but they always seem a bit like fairy tale animals until one turns out to be the pet of a family member or yourself.
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Here’s a photo of Sox enjoying some bird watching out the window.
Dougy is exceptionally needy today. “Play with me! Groom me! Pet me! Feed me, of course, but don’t hold me!” Meow! I’m not certain what he wants, so I’ve gone through the whole list each time he comes over and goes into his little “annoying meow”.
“Annoying meow” is not a typical kitty vocalization. It is a sound that grates on the ears and makes you feel like a slug, a genuine turd for not stopping everything right now and waiting on his Feline Majesty! You can’t ignore “annoying meow”!
This is what Dougy looks like when he does his “annoying meow”.
Oh no! There it is again! What do you want, Dougy? What!? What!? What!?
Take a bad photo and turn it into something else.
One of my favorite photos of Louie my late ginger cat started out as a very bad photo taken with a camera with a nearly dead battery that failed to flash. A New Zealand friend added the super hero cape, and there we go! You’ve seen it before, but here it is again:
Today, when taking a photo of Dougy, the flash reflected off the hard surface of a binder in the foregound, wiping out pretty much everything. Here’s that photo:
Yet, there was something about the photo I liked. With a little imagination, tons of Photoshop, and the crop tool, this image came about:
I kind of like it. It’s Dougy art!
Andy has lots of curiosity about changes in his environment. I placed a DVD set on the corner of my computer desk yesterday after I took out the one I wanted to watch. Within a minute, Andy, who’d been watching me from somewhere, was on my desk checking out the new change!
What’s this!? I don’t recall this being there before!”
Curiosity satisfied, Andy scampers off.
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The next photos are included mostly as a test. Many times the shots I take of the boys are problematic because of their dark fur. These are an effort to get a nice look at the kitty and to ignore the background. They are heavily Photoshopped and cropped.
Andy’s vigil from atop my computer…or…old cat meets new.
Andy’s handsome profile…
What do you think?
Andy says “hi!” from my cellphone.
Must be feeding the cat brothers the right vitamins because they really are wound up this morning!
Dougy sets a trap for Andy…!
“Where is that kitty!?” I want to kick kitty butt!”
“…I know he’s in there!”
“Nyah to you, Dougy-boy!”
Andy is a little rascal, eh, Dougy? Didn’t even see him sneak by.
Dougy hops into action…a moment too late!
Quiet here, but what are the boys doing in the other room?
My sister reminded me today, June 4th, is Hug Your Cat Day. I know she hugged her two, especially Sox, who just recently showed up in a shelter after being missing for 10 months!
As for me, if Andy and Dougy get up from their naps any time before 12 tonight, I will give them their HYC Day hugs! 🙂
Dougy mugging for the camera.
I guess I could makes sounds like a box opening. That’d bring the boys at a trot!
Andy can mug, too!
But, more likely, nothing would bring them faster than to open a can of tuna. Actually, just operating a can opener brings them from the farthest corners of the apartment. Dougy just came over at the mention of opening a can. 🙂 Such is the power of that magical tool.
Some people go father than hugs for their cats:
I massage the boys, only with my hands. Happy paws! Purr~purr~purr!
A final Hug Your Cat video:
Andy’s having a great day today. Don’t know why, but he’s purring, coming around to get loving and actually staying long enough to get it. Not like Andy at all!
Yes, sweet as he is, Andy tends to be a bit skeptical about the motives of his brother Dougy and me. He just knows Dougy wants to chase him and I will pick him up and — ugh! — pet him! Silly boy! Of course we do these things, if we get a chance!
Yet, today, Andy is so affectionate and, well, happy. (Little does he know, I’m about to give him his medicine…!)
Soaking in the rays in a safe spot.
After all the rain, cold, and snow of the past few weeks, today is looking like a bright, sunshiney day!
I opened the doors to let fresh air in, something an apartment with three boys (Andy, Dougy, and me) in it definitely can use from time to time — whew!
Dougy was the first to make use of the open door in back.
“…litterbox?”
More important things to check out!
“This is what I’m talking about!” Dougy enjoys the backyard, and, with luck, will see a kitty pass by!
Another sunshiney thing about today is I finally figured out the problem with my all-in-one machine. You know computers and peripherals: when they work, they are wonderful; when they don’t work, it’s usually something stupid and simple, but takes hours and days to figure out!
You know this all-in-one machine from such photos as this one of Andy sneaking a peek at me:
Andy hiding behind the all-in-one machine.