Happy Purrthday, Smudge!

Happy Purrthday, Smudge!

Today, you are elebenty years old. You don't look a day over eight.


Love,

Dolce, Bella, Chloe, Magoo and Baci

Grandma, Mom, and Dad

A Special Post

Dad: Sargeant-At-Claws!
Magoo: Yes, Sir!
Dad: Is Everyone Present?
Magoo: Yes, Sir!
Dad: Honour Guard! Attention!
Dolce and Baci:: shuffle nervously :: Attention, Sir!
Dad: M'Ladies, Would you please escort in our honored guest.
Bella and Chloe: As you wish.

Bella and Chloe leave the room. They return, escorting Smudge, one on each side.

Dad: Smudge, Present yourself to your family and kin!

Bella and Chloe lead Smudge until he stands before Dad, and then they solemnly move two paces away.

Dad: Smudge, Do you know why your family and kin have brought you here tonight?

Smudge: No.

Dad: They are here to bear witness and affirm what I as head of this household am about to bestow apon you.

Baci, Dolce, Magoo, Bella and Chloe look at each other and then at Smudge.

Dad: Tonight, You stood at the backdoor and growled for no apparent reason.

Smudge: I might have.

Dad: Good. So you admit the action which is the cause of all this ceremony tonight. Do you know what was discovered apon hearing your growl at the backdoor?

Smudge: I think so, I was growling at it.

Dad: But was it in your yard?

Smudge: No. It was past the fence over near the...

Dad: It was over near the road. Not a real busy road but a dangerous road nonetheless.

Smudge: Yes, You always told us to stay away from the road because it was dangerous.

Dad: Do you know what I saw when I went to investigate what you were growling at?

Smudge: The furry cat that sometimes comes to visit us.

Dad: Yes. The furry cat that comes to visit our yard from time to time. You have done a great and noble thing dear furriend.
:: Dad speaks to the other Cats ::
When I looked to see what was bothering dear Smudge, I saw our dear furry visitor attempting to cross the road at the end of our block. Now our road is not extremely busy but other stupid humans drive too fast and without care and attention to felines and puppies who might be out for an unsupervised stroll. I saw this poor feline soul starting to cross the road. I yelled at the feline. The cat surprisingly turned back and did not cross the road. Now if its home had laid across the road's expanse it would have ran faster across the road. But it did not. It came back to our side of the road. The side of the road where its home must surely be. By your actions, Smudge, I was able to prevent an unknown furriend from doing something that might endanger it own life. To do something for someone or some furriend that you do not even know that is the greatest act of honour and compassion known on this Earth.

As the bean of this household, it is my honour to bestow upon you the rank and privileges of the Holy and Ancient Order of the Catnip. Rise now, Sir Smudge, and accept your honours.

Reunion

Smudge and Chloe have now been here for two whole days, and I wanted to give all our furriends out there an update as to how everyone is doing.


Day One:

Smudge and Chloe were confined to the new room downstairs. They both preferred to hide under covers on the side of the bed or under the improvised tent I made with their blanket and a footstool.

Chloe did not let out a single peep, but Smudge was a bitt hissy and growly. Because Grandma hurt her arm two days before she was due to move in, my wife and I insisted that she sleep upstairs in our room instead of amongst the confusion and mess that still surrounds her new room.

So Smudge and Chloe had to share the room with my wife and me. Smudge treated us to a low growl almost all night; especially if one of us stirred or moved.

Day Two:

SMudge actually seemed to remember me. He rubbed up against me and did not try to run and hide whenever I entered the room. I think it helped that Grandma came downstairs and spent most of the day with Chloe and him. I think it reassured them both that they had not been abandoned in a strange weird place.

Day Three:

Smudge and Chloe got to spend the night with Grandma upstairs. Magoo, Bella, Dolce and Baci were banned from the room for the night. It really helped Smudge as he seemed to come even more out of his shell. I arranged a bit of a meet and greet for the cats. Chloe was surprisingly the first one to come out of the room and do a little bit of exploring. Bella was pretty interested in her and followed her around fairly closely.

Baci was of course a jerk and he was the first one to start caterwaulling and hissing at Chloe.


All things considered, it has gone relatively well. There have been no messy confrontations and we are slowly letting each household get to know one another.

Well, I have to go. The basement will not paint itself you know. I will keep you apprised on how things are working out in our newly expanded household. I hope to be able to get a picture of all six cats together.


Pee Ess: Because of all this, I will have to renege on my promise for two stories for Dolce's Story Chair. You can still look forwards to another of Jingle's adventures but the other story will have to be shelved. Don't tell Dolce though, she might get very angry with me and she might mistakenly blame Smudge and Chloe for me having to break my promise to her.

What to do, What to do.

There is meme out there for the 5 Reasons You Blog. Since no one sent it to me directly,(sigh!), I guess I will fill it out anyways.

1. A place to put all the stupid stories I would tell my wife about what the cats had done that day. (I do voices too.)

2. A chance to exercise my writing skills. (Believe it or not, I have thought about becoming a writer. Once I win a million dollars, and find a cure for cancer...)

3. Being able to interact with the other voices of reason and civility in the noise of the web. Politics sounds so lame when voiced through a cat. Seriously, would you elect anyone who would drop to the floor in the middle of a press conference and start licking themselves. Or if they saw a Bill they didn't like, they would just pee on it.

4. Knowledge shared is knowledge gained.

5. A virtual shoulder to cry on when times are tough and the absolute worst is a reality.


Now for an update of the household:

• It's supposed to be spring. I promised Baci this. Now we have another three inches of fricking snow. Dammit, Al Gore, You promised me Global Warming! or is it Global Cooling?Whoa. Deja Vu all over again.
• Smudge had a V-E-T visit today. He has gained a whole 0.5 of a pound. Dr. Nick says that he is extremely happy with Smudge's physical condition. There is a small sidebar. Like kidney disease in humans (I have an Aunt with kidney failure and on dialysis.), there is the risk of high blood pressure issues. Smudge is at the top of the acceptable range for a Cat, so Dr. Nick wants to start him on some meds to manage this.
• Smudge has decided that this house is not his home anymore. I brought him home to see Magoo, Bella and Dolce since Grandma was at work. Smudge knew where the water dish was and the litter boxes. But he hissed at both Bella and Dolce. Dr. Nick asked me about the new arrangements and I told him that Smudge associates me with these V-E-T visits. Dr. Nick said that we have to be careful not to just manage his disease and become caregivers only to Smudge. We have to be congnizant of the social relationship as well. That is my role now, I will bear the distrust and loathing and the unease so that Grandma can be free to show him the love and comfort he also needs. I am reminded of a line from a movie: "I will hate you for as long as I live." "I hope that it is a very long and healthy hate."
• Our dishwasher got recalled, and the dear wife used this as an excuse to replace the appliances, which Magoo has promptly sprayed after they were delivered and installed by yours truly. Anyone want a cantankerous old grey cat? Seriously, it's the cat equivalent of "Get the Frick Off My Lawn!"
• We still cannot understand how Baci, (Now referred to as a Meezer thanks to Miles and Sammie and the Girls from the Big Piney Woods), was not adopted sooner. He is a playing, cuddling, purring monster. He cries to be picked up when you get home and he starts to purr as soon as you touch him. He and Magoo are still not settled in the sleeping arrangements, but he makes sure he is in bed with us every night. Everything about him makes you want to pick him up and snuggle him.
• Also, Baci fetches toys like a dog. Don't let him know I said that. I'm sure he'll leave a gift in one of my shoes if he hears this.

If you come by and read the stories, please leave me a comment whether you liked or hated it. I'm not making you buy it, so the only way I know what you think is by how many comments they get. I would rather try and find some new storyline that captures your imagination than to keep feeding you stuff that you find boring.