Post 1116: Friday starts off slowly…

Andy thought he was getting away without his medicine tonight, but what happened was I fell asleep. Once he hopped up on the stacked carriers next to the recliner (“the kitty highway”), fell asleep himself, he didn’t notice I was now awake and stalking him!

He took his medicine like a big boy, so I rubbed his ears, muzzle, and nose, then gave him his kitty treats. He met me at the spot where I pass those our. Believe it!

Andy’s watchful now!

Dougy, on the other hand, just lazed on his ottoman, amused, I think, that Andy “got his”, but all he got was lots of scritching and nose rubs every time he hopped on the recliner arm.

Dougy’s satisfied to be left alone.

People visiting me are warned that if the sit in the recliner, they will be pestered to death by kitties hopping on the back and arms because, as noted, this is the kitty highway.

Post 1115: cool cat…

According to the Urban Dictionary, cool cat is defined: noun. a stylish and admirable person. Usage Note. slang. Of course, when the cool cat is a cat, it takes on other dimensions. Andy is a cool cat.

La! La! La! Andy enjoys a little recliner arm rest.

Here comes trouble!!!

Uh oh!

Andy gets ready…!

Dougy tries to shut Andy down with his “Terror-Inducing Rays of Total Meltdown”.

Andy responds with his “Cutest Kitty Terror-Reduction Charisma Stare”. No one can resist it! Even Dougy!

“Dougy! I have you in my spell!” Andy ramps it up. Dougy feels the burn.

Andy had his "Tragic Claws of Total Humiliation" ready, and Dougy wisely chose to mosey on!

Because Andy had his “Cutest Kitty Terror-Reduction Charisma Stare” ready, Dougy wisely chose to mosey on!

La! La! La! Andy enjoys a little recliner arm rest, again! But he keeps Dougy in sight.

Post 1114 : kitty wars, continued…

From the time they were kittens, Andy and Dougy have played well together…in kitty terms! Yeah, they get rough with each other, but then they settle down, ignore each other till time for the next play session.

Dougy likes to “hide” by the doorway till Andy tries to slip into the living room….

Wait and wait and wait!! (Notice his tail is twitching.)

Andy managed to slip by Dougy and hop onto the stacked carriers, a favorite place for sleeping and getting away from Dougy.

Dougy’s not giving up. Andy’s nervous now, and he plans his escape! Dougy turns on his “Victorious Flaming Eyes of Total Annihilation”.

Danged if Andy isn’t faster than light! He escapes Dougy’s eyes!

Don’t worry! Andy wins as often as Dougy, and they really do play well together…for kitties!

Off to College

Remember Benji the pup? His interview by Andy and Dougy and their interview by Benji was a well-received feature of this blog some months back. Now, Benji is mostly grown up and starting education for a new job as therapy dog! How exciting this is! To see what he looks like now, click on the link at the end of this posting. There’s also a puppy photo of Benji for comparison.

Post 1113: Dougy finds “it”, whatever “it” is…

One has to be careful not to leave anything out that a cat might find interesting. That is to say, if you value it, stow it! Likewise, one has to be careful not to leave anything out that a kitty boy might play with and chew, something that isn’t good for the cat and might harm him. Today, it was a dropped wrapped hard candy. I didn’t find it, but Dougy did!

I noticed Dougy playing with something behind the glider.

I notice Dougy playing with something behind the glider.

What’s that!? Dougy bats it with increased intensity.

Better than a Birbug? I doubt it, bit it had Dougy's attention, all right!

Better than a Birbug? I doubt it, but it has Dougy’s attention, all right!

I hate to stop Dougy’s play….

…but he looks like he’s about to chew on it. I take it from Dougy and put it in the trash.

Of course, it took no time at all for Andy to stop by, knock over waste paper basket, and find the candy! I have to take it away from him, too.

Post 1112: Deborah sent the ‘nip…and the boys appreciate it!

My friend Deborah send Andy and Dougy some of that catnip she grows in her garden in Maine, and it arrived in Saturday’s mail. The kitty brothers were amused!

"Catnip, boy! Catnip!" The kitties come running.

“Catnip, boys! Catnip!” The kitties come running.

“Inhale deeply, boys! It’s fresh Maine-grown ‘nip!”

I offer them their first taste….

Dougy runs off. He’s not into ‘nip as much as Andy, who pounces on the ‘nip and puts on a show.

“My ‘nip!” Andy covers his precious leaves!

Whew! Exhausted by content with this imported 'nip, Andy wears it off.

Whew! Exhausted but content with this imported ‘nip, Andy wears it off.

Yep! Time to try to walk straight. Or just lie there.

Yep! Time to try to walk straight. Or just stay in one place.

Post 1111: but I don’t do these….

Jean of http://www.jeannefoguth.com/ nominated me for a Brotherhood of the World award. I personally don’t like these because they remind me of chain letters and they, while well meaning, always impose upon one’s time to come up with just five, ten, or some other number of others to give the award to, too.

I know I am not alone in not liking to get these nominations, so it bothers me to name other bloggers without knowing their feelings about these awards. I will go along, sort of, this one time and answer the five questions that came with the award.

1. Do you purrfer to watch movies or read books? I like to read books first, but movies have a special place in my life since I spent my three years in the US Army as a motion picture photographer. I like to watch movies multiple times to enjoy different aspects of the story, editing, cinematography, and acting.

2. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I can be pretty stuffy about things I don’t like, for example, these awards. I hate to reject something someone has given me in good faith, but I truly find them upsetting because they remind me of chain letters.

3. What is your favorite sport? I like soccer/football as a sport to watch, but any sport where the individual can participate with or without others is more to my liking, for example hiking or riding a bike.

4. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you? This is embarrassing because I don’t approve of this sort of thing. Most embarrassing? Probably not.

5. What are you most proud of? In 1980, I saw and photographed the first phainopepla nitens ever to be reported in Nebraska. Nebraska records for such things go back to the Lewis and Clarke Expedition. There hasn’t been another one since then. Mine bird appeared on New Years Day, and stayed around for two months, enjoying the bird bath in my backyard. That fortuitous sighting led to a decade of involvement in Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union that ended only because of family responsibilities. It was a happy time!

Now, I’m supposed to post five questions of my own:

1. If you are nominated for a blogger award, how do you feel about it?

2. What is the funniest story you can tell about your cat/dog/parrot/horse/other animal companion?

3. Has having an animal companion changed your life in some significant way?

4. What is your animal companion’s favorite toy?

5. If you could go anywhere in the world to see a new animal in its natural habitat, which animal would that be and where?

I can’t bring myself to impose this award on others, but anyone who wants to take a shot at one or more of these questions, feel free to post your answers on this blog. I hope this is sufficient to recognize Jean’s thoughtfulness in nominating me for this blogger award, though I repeat I don’t do these. This is the last and only time I sort of do this, so please don’t nominate me for blogger awards!

No kitty photos this time.

1110: Dougy sneaks by…!

Kitties can be very stealthy, even when sneaking by fellow cats…or kitty brothers! Dougy demonstrated that this morning.

Dougy’s quietly enjoying the string toy he and Andy used to invent a kitty game they play.

It'd be more fun if Andy would join him to play! Dougy wanders off.

It’d be more fun if Andy would join him to play! Dougy makes his move.

Andy’s on the stacked carriers. Dougy “hides” by the door.

Time to try to sneak up on Andy. But Andy is on the kitty job and notices the movement!

Andy's losing interest and feel a nap coming on....

Andy’s losing interest and feels a nap coming on…. Where’s Dougy???

Good question…. What? What? What?

Dougy sneaked into the top carrier when Andy was sleeping on the job!

Dougy sneaked into the top carrier while Andy was sleeping on the job!

Later, Dougy came over to entertain me at the computer desk. Andy, in time, came by, too!

Post 1109: Andy figures it out…

Each day is a challenge to catch Andy off guard long enough to catch him to give him his medicine. Some days he figures it out that I’m stalking him. Actually, most days he assumes I’m going to snatch him up no matter what time of day it is, so he runs away from me!

Yeah! Andy’s asleep and ripe for picking!

Uh oh! I think he’s waking up!

Maybe not…! (Or is that other eye open a little?!

Dang! He’s waking up!

Andy sneaks a stretch, then it’s off to the races! I’ll catch him some other time, later, for his medicine.

Post 1108: catch up…

As predicted, the problem I had sending photos from my smart phone (“smart aleck” phone) turned out to be mind-numbingly simple: I apparently turned off the WiFi, though I don’t recall messing with settings.

So…! Here are a few photos that magically appeared in my g-mail once I did the incantation that restored the WiFi connection.

Dougy's sad because he hears those naughty words I'm using my smart phone....

Dougy’s sad because he hears those naughty words when I’m using my smart phone….

I catch Andy recharging his laser eyes by sucking power from the television. He denies it!

“Meow!”
Andy tries to divert my attention by acting like a kitty cat.
Yeah, sure!

Oh! Oh! Andy wants to lounge on the kitty lounger, so Dougy decides he must want to lounge there, too.
There are two of these so both kitties can lounge at the same time, but, of course, they always want the one the other has. Kitty boys!