Post 1449: Andy’s new perch…

I put a chair in the bathroom to make it more comfortable ironing shirts. Then I forgot to put it back at the dining room table.

A little black cat decided that was a better place to hang out than under the other chair with things hanging on it over by the washer/dryer.

Cats rule, so the chair is where I forgot it till Andy’s tired of it. It’s a good place to “scritch” Andy without alarming him, anyway!

Then there’s Dougy, under the dining room table in the spot where the chair used to be. He wanted to play the chase game he and Andy invented. He located the colored cloth strip, but Andy was more into roosting and dozing on the chair in the bathroom.

Post 1448: Andy in videos…

Andy is a sweet-natured kitty, but he has an ornery side, too.

The title of this video says it all!

Andy’s curiosity is boundless…!

I have to watch Andy closely when it comes to crinkly or clear packaging because he “mouths” it, and will try to eat it if I don’t take it away. Darn kitty!

Andy defers to Dougy when it comes to kitty playtime. I have to either play with him when Dougy isn’t around or wear Dougy down to the point Andy feels comfortable coming in to play. Here’s a time I found Andy alone and we had a great playtime!

This is my all time favorite Andy video. I’ve posted it before, but I post it now to remind us all that Andy, named after St. Andrew the apostle and patron saint of Scotland, is a genuinely sweet little guy. He’s a bit shy, but totally lovable.

On the other hand, Andy is all cat! I hope you enjoyed this little tribute day to Andy.

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I know Andy doesn’t appear as often in these posts compared with the more extroverted Dougy. This, I hope, helps remind you this is a two-cat blog, and Andy is a full partner in “kittiness” with his brother Dougy!

Post 1447: a slow, hot Sunday…

Dougy’s horns are up. He suspects something’s about to happen!

“Brother, you better skeedaddle!” Dougy (bottom) warns Andy that I am coming and I have plans for Andy.

Andy’s too comfortable on the cool bathroom floor to move, so I easily catch him. It’s so hot in the apartment this morning, I was tempted to join him on the floor instead!

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Andy is conflicted. He doesn’t want his medicine, but the cool liquid will feel good on such a hot morning. He closes his eyes just the same. Maybe I won’t see him if he can’t see me…! LOL!

“Nope. Still there. Rats,” Andy thinks to himself. He closes his eyes again and takes his medicine. Then I give him his kitty treats for being a good kitty boy.

I think we will spend the rest of the day staying cool.

Post 1446: What? No peacock feather play for you today?

Dougy is a bit upset with me for combing out mats on his legs. He doesn’t even perk up when I say “Woof! Woof!” to him, the kitty boys’ and my “in joke”. (“Everyone knows we are kitty boys,” they meow back! “Aw, you make us ‘meow’ when you ‘woof’ at us!”)

So I poke the shaft end of the feather into his ruff. Neither he nor Andy can resist that end of the feather! RAWR! I think it’s a favorite because they can snag it more easily than the other end, and it has a satisfying crunch when a kitty bites on it!

That’s the spirit, Dougy! Get your kitty on! All’s well in Kittylandia again, the dematting ‘incident’ forgiven, maybe forgotten!

Now, where’s that other little rascal? He can use a dematting, too. “AN-DDDDDDY…! Here, boy! I have a big surprise for you!” (Where is that kitty boy…?)

The chase is on.

Post 1445: a hot morning today…

“Now that you and Andy have eaten your morning kitty food, are you ready for some peacock feather play, Dougy?”

“So that’s a ‘no’, McDougall?”

It’s already hot inside the house today, and no one is moving very fast. Dougy will perk up once the air conditioner brings the temperature down!

Post 1444: before…and after

Dougy before his grooming appointment, and…

…Dougy after his grooming appointment.

Andy is soooo ashamed of his brother!

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Yes, there is no difference. Dougy was a very naughty kitty yesterday, and hid from me when it was time to put him in the carrier to take him to the groomer.

That is to say, Dougy missed his appointment, an appointment that was very hard to arrange in the first place because of a shortage of groomers in the area and the increase in business that’s brought the kitty boys’ groomer.

I tried to find him under a bed in the guest bedroom. He was there, but I couldn’t get him out. I shook the bed to scare him, and he ran out.

Of course, being a cat, I didn’t hear him leave, but the next time I looked under the bed, he wasn’t there.

I closed all the doors to other rooms then, and tried to find him in the rest of the apartment.

No luck! I was livid! I tried to call the groomer to let them know I couldn’t find Dougy so cancel the appointment. I called and called and called, getting a busy signal each time.

Thoroughly pissed at the cat and the groomer by that time, I got in my car and drove over there to give them the message I tried to give them by phone.

After telling the groomer about Dougy, I decided to take care of some bank business, take my car through the car wash, and get a breakfast.

An hour and a half later, I went home and opened the closed doors. The last door I opened – my bedroom door – Dougy walked out! I’d missed the fact he’d run into my room at some point, and I closed the door on him.

Not a good day yesterday. (Secretly, I was a little pleased Dougy had a miserable hour and a half closed in my bedroom. Bad kitty!)

Post 1443: July 4th holiday…

The kitty boys and I are taking a day off for the holiday.

Post 1442: a good “skitching”…

Dougy’s hinting broadly: “Give me a good ‘scritching’!”

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What Dougy wants, Dougy gets!

“Oh, yeah! Purr! Purr! Purr!”

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“That’s enough! Thank you!”

Post 1441: Mary has 41 cats…

…but first, the kitty boys (Andy, left; Dougy, right) thank you for your birthday greetings! They had the water off a can of albacore, their favorite birthday treat. Below, they clean up after their treat.

Then, I got a mail package with new sandals inside. There was a box within a box, so both birthday boys got a box for himself! Unfortunately, they ran off as soon as I went for my smart phone to take a photo.

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But what about Mary and her 41 cats? Yesterday my old friend Craig and I followed up on an invitation from Mary to come for a visit and to see her “cat house” and the camp for disabled she and her late husband created. I hadn’t seen Mary in 51 years, so that was a bonus to the visit!

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That’s Craig at the wheel. He’s normal, and we’ve been friends since we were babies in the 1st Presbyterian Church nursery in Alliance. That’s more or less 69 years!

(I had to put on my “crazy old bearded coot” face to chase deer off the highway on the road to Mary’s.)

It was a beautiful day to travel in a unique part of America. The Black Hills of South Dakota are near where I live in Nebraska. They are heavily infested with tourists this time of year, for good reason. (And deer all the time….)

Where Mary lives (in an old tin mining camp her late husband and she repurposed and expanded on) has the benefit of the beauty of the Black Hills with isolation from the crowds. We knew we’d have a great time at Mary’s!

It was safe ride down to Keystone from Rapid City, thanks to Craig’s expert driving skills. (No deer jumped in front of us, thanks to me!)

Craig and I arrived at Mary’s and had a happy reunion! She still is as sweet as I remember and is one of the coolest people I know. (Craig wants you to know he isn’t Joe Cool with the sunglasses. He had cataract surgery recently, and the sun still bothers his eyes.)

The house cats (as compared with the feral cats and those Mary has rescued, the most of the 41 cats she houses or helps) quickly introduced themselves to me since I am a cat person and know how not to scare them off. Also, they enjoyed smelling kitty boy scents on my hands, clothes, and legs! I should note that the kitty boys had a great time sniffing me over when I returned home, catching up on what their South Dakota kitty boys and kitty girls had to “say” back.

The cats Mary’s rescued have deluxe accommodations in three rooms in Mary’s home that have significant additions for the comfort of the kitties. We didn’t spend a lot of time in these rooms since these are abused, abandoned cats largely, and they are working through their issues with Mary’s kind care. Some were far enough along to come right up to me, however, since I come bearing important kitty messages on my hands, clothes, and legs. I felt honored!

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By far the coolest cat of all is Barnaby! When Mary, Craig and I went to see what she and her husband created for disabled campers she hosts at her place in the Hills, Barnaby lead the way. (Again, no deer leaped in front of us, thanks to my “crazy old bearded coot” face!)

The cabins are compact, have themes, and are handicap-accessible. People ranging from those with Down’s syndrome, are wheel-chair bound, or have other disabilities come for a week in this beautiful setting in the Hills. It is a major challenge for Mary to run, but she gets by with volunteer help and donations.

She also has two rescue horses and a momma skunk with three kits that eat cat food on her porch and live under it. Did I mention Mary is one incredibly good and decent person? Craig and I agree we are blessed to have such a positive person in our lives.

Some days, the political news dismays and suggests the end of goodness and decency in America. There is hope, however, because goodness and decency exist in the hearts and compassionate actions of people like dear Mary.

We ended our visit by enjoying talk and a restaurant meal in Keystone. Craig then took me up to Rapid City where I left my VW Sportwagen in his driveway. We made plans for Craig to visit me in Alliance on August 21st, where we will watch the total eclipse of the sun in comfort on my patio. (My “crazy bearded old coot” face won’t be needed.)

Yes, life is good!