Dolce's Purrthday!

Today our little Chatty Cathy Cat is 5 years old.



This was from when Dolce was just twelve weeks old. I originally posted it for her second birthday. Between you and me, this is what I see everytime I look at her.


She is still quite the little lady.

We love you, Beanie!

Happy Purrthday, Dolce!

It does not seem possible that our little Dolce is not so little anymore.

It was shortly after we adopted her from a local rescue society that I started this blog.


4 years later...

She is still a troublemaker as she runs through the house leaping and jumping on and over anything in her path.

She is still my little girl who still likes to be held and cuddled and told that all her mousies are safely hidden under the couch where she placed them.

Here are her purrthday gifts...


Happy Purrthday, Dolce!

Can't trust the Cats

Sorry that it has been so long since we have posted any pictures. We have been busy with our two new housemates and the chaos that has ensued. Which brings us to the purpose of this post.

Baci is being a jerk. He keeps chasing Chloe and Smudge. There have been couple of fur-flying fights, which has upset Grandma terribly. So we decided that we need to stop encouraging Baci's bad behaviour and at the same time try to increase Smudge and Chloe's comfort in roaming about the house.

So I laid down a new rule...

If Baci attacks either Chloe or Smudge, he has to go for a time out in the bedroom.


It worked for about thirty minutes when his bestest furriend ever, Dolce, decided to spring him from the room. That's right, Dolce figured out how to open the door and let Baci out.

Now what do I do? Outsmarted by my cats again. Maybe I should give in to my wife's desire for a puppy...Hmmm...

Welcome to our Purrthday Party!

Your Hosts:

Dolce Bean


Baci Monkeybutt

We have a pile of catnip for everyone to roll in,
and there's a comfy sofa to sit and tell funny stories and have some laughs,

or a place to roll in the grass and maybe enjoy a warming fire.
There's also a bed that's perfect for a great big nap pile,

or big patio to lounge in the sun, where we will be serving Niptinis and Meowgaritas.




We are all tuckerred out from the party...

Who is the Smartest Cat in Your House?

We have four(five) cats in our house, each has a personality. One that that is unique to each of the little furrballs. One is a Soldier, a Defender, a Knight who knows no fear. One is Lover (Healer) who gives his heart and strength to whoever needs it most. One is a Thinker. To look into her eyes is to look into the eye piece of the Hubble telescope (I see the stars and see what lays beyond.) I did not know what to call Dolce when she blessed our threshold. She is my Scientist. Everything is a problem to her and every problem has a solution. They just take time and thought. Baci is just a blank slate. I think he is waiting for whatever instructions Dolce gives him.

I have pictures of one of my Honey-Do work items. I had hoped to post it as a blog item, but my Scientist, Dolce, has figured out my most devious puzzle.

I put a cat door into the door leading into our garage. Since our cats seemed to enjoy exploring our garage as much as they enjoyed exploring the back yard, we had always planned on putting a cat door in.

I finally got around to it after much guidance and reminding from my dear wife.

Imagine a hole in a door (picture to follow)


Then imagine a nice plastic door neatly attached (picture to follow)


Now we tried to train our furrkids to use the catdoor...

We held it open and each of our cats used it to go out into the garage. We even held it open so that they would get used to coming back into the house.

We have one smart cat, our newly designated Scientist, Dolce. She has started to go in and out through the door to the garage. Her best friend, Baci, cries to follow her. We are hopeful that his bond with her will lead him to mimic her actions.

Magoo and Bella may clue in and follow the "Tweens", but we do not care. Each cat in our house has a path to follow and it is our job as the "intelligent" species to manage to their expectations.

Live long, Purr Strong.


Pee Ess. Dad is trying to finish the "Littlest Guardian Story". Actually it is finished in his head, but he is having some issues whether to end on a happy note or a realistic note. He would prefer a happy note, but what is the purpose of a story if it does not leave the reader with some guidance.

The Christmas Tree is up...for now...

Last weekend, my wife and I got our Christmas tree setup for the season. Of course it is minus any ornaments at this time. We do this every year in hopes that the cats will get bored of the brightly lit tree after a week and then we can start putting all of the ornaments and ribbon on it.

Last year, Dolce and Bella took turns going for rides in the tree. (My wife purchased a tree that rotates.) Dolce thought that this was the greatest thing ever. She sat on one of the branches and enjoyed the ride. Well, she has climbed the tree several times this week and has found a comfortable spot on one of the branches. I saw her looking out at me. She had this look that seemed to say... Turn on the Tree, Dad. Turn it on. Make it spin like last year. Turn on the tree, Dad.

We have been closely watching Baci to see what his level of fascination will be with the tree. Right now, he only seems interested in it when Bella or Dolce are in the tree or if Dolce is playing with one of her mouses underneath the treeskirt. Hopefully, he remains this oblivious once the ribbon and ornaments go on. Magoo might be fascinated by the ornaments and ribbon, but he is too old and too husky to do any real investigation or damage.

Baci, on the otherhand, is a little Furricane just waiting to make landfall. Once that happens, all of our stuff will end up strewn about the living room and the tree will be unceremoniously uprooted. I wonder if the Canadian Red Cross would cover the damage from Furricane Baci.

Dolce's Purrthday Party

Welcome to Dolce's 2nd Purrthday Party!

Please come on over! There are plenty of tuna and ham and chik-hen appetizers on the buffet table. Niptinis and Russianless White Russians and Catnip Punch (for the younger kitties) on the beverage cart.

We have lots of climbing and chase games to play, and Magoo has overseen the construction of the feather bed for those who want take a break from the festivities.


So welcome one and all to Dolce's Purrthday Party!

Six days to Dolce's Purrthday

My wife informs me that have Dolce's purrthday wrong. It is not Sept 27th, but Sept 29th. What kind of a purrson gets his fur-child's purrthday wrong. I'm going to go with an attractive, witty, intelligent one. Everyone else in our house might challenge me on that one.

This was from when Dolce was just twelve weeks old.

Dolce has some news

Baby Dolce and Mom Sleeping

I has to type very quietly or Baci might hear and he'll come running to find out what I'm doing.

I just wanted to let all of our furriends know that Baci turns one year old on Saturday, Sept 1st. I know I should have posted a picture of him, but I think I am still cuter than he is.

It's going to be my second purrthday on Sept 29, 2007. Dad says that I am officially an adult cat now. I said that since I am an adult, can I have a car and a credit card now.

He laughed at me. Can you believe it?

It's a Work of Art, I Tell Ya!

Before I explain the title of this post, I should let you know that Baci and Dolce are with me on Project. There is a reason why they are with me and not Bella. I will explain later why, but be assured there is nothing wrong with any of the four cats in our household.

We have tried many different ways to manage the output from our four cats. We orginally used the self-cleaning litter boxes, but Magoo grew a little too big for even the largest one. We tried the Littermaid products but Magoo was pretty intent on always peeing on the rake mechanism and it would constantly be jammed. Our last and most successful idea to date (not to mention the least expensive) is to use two under bed storage boxes. They are quite long, 18 inches wide and about 6 inches deep. Each one takes one full box (40lb) of cat litter. The cats love it. They can dig to their hearts content; it does not get disgusting as fast as a smaller litter box, and it is easier for me to clean.

Now for the main purpose of this post. We have a small litter box that we take camping with us for Dolce and Baci to use. I currently have that litter box with me, as well as Dolce and Baci. So I am dutifully cleaning the litter box, when Baci comes by and watches me. His eyes track each lump of hardened cat litter and kitty doot. I don't know what is going on in his mind, but I think it goes something like this:

Dad, that's not mine. I peed on the side of the box. Magoo says that that method makes you have to replace the litter faster. It must be Dolce's. Ooh! Ooh! That ones mine. I left that one this morning at 4:30am. You remember, you woke up and complained about the smell. Oh! That ones mine too. Although I like chick-hen, especially when its from the Colonel, it doesn't like me. Are you done yet? All this watching you clean the litter has made me have to pee. Could you please hurry?

I do not know why they find it so interesting to watch us clean their litter, but I had an audience. As I picked the last doot out of the litter box. I swear that Baci was saying "It's a work of art, I tell ya."

Dear Cats / Dear Dad

Dear Cats,

Although I have a pretty good idea of who the perpetrator is, since I did not see the act take place, I cannot name names as to who is responsible for embarassing me in front of Project.

I know you all like to play with your toys, and I know that the best way to play with them is to put them someplace where it is hard to retrieve them. Like under the couch or under the linen closet door. Or like I discovered this morning as I was putting on my dress shoes. Now Dad has to share an apartment with one of the Project people. So they got a real good laugh as Dad tried to figured out what was jammed in the toe of his dress shoe. They thought it was quite funny when I pulled a fuzzy mouse from my shoe.

So please no more fuzzy mice in Dad's shoes.

Love Dad.


Dear Dad,

Please return my fuzzy mouse as soon as possible. I was not done playing with that one when you so rudely took your shoes away. There were two other shoes you could have taken that did not have my fuzzy mouse in.

Love Dolce

Hippo Birdday to Dad!

Today is Dad's Hippo Birdday as Victor Tabbycat likes to sing. He's almost ancient. Not as bad as Magoo who is all the way ancient. We had to sing the Hippo Birdday song to him over the phone because he working on project again.

I don't know who this Project person is but I do not like them taking our Dad away from us all the time. Maybe Dad can introduce Project to Baci. Then Project might take him away for a little bit. Boy would that be nice.

Mom sent Dad an e-card. It had kittens playing on a trampoline. It was furry furry funny.

Dolce

PS. Dad is thinking about taking Bella with him on Project since he has a nice apartment. He says he misses us lots when he is gone. Mom thinks it would be a good idea to give Bella some snuggle time with Dad all by herself. What do you think?

The Great Montana Camping Adventure

Dolce: Our camping trip was great, I got to …

Baci: No, I gets to tell the camping story. First, Mom and Dad loaded us into our new carrier. It was blue to match my …

Dolce: I gets to tell the story. I am the oldest, therefore I will be the one to tell the story.

Baci: But I’m the cutest. You even think I’m incorrigible.

Dolce: Baci. That doesn’t mean cute. I lied.

Baci: Oooh! You’re going to get it when Dad finds out.

Since both Dolce and Baci came with us, it wouldn’t be fair to let only Dolce or only Baci tell the story of the Great Montana Camping Trip. I will only set out the itinerary for the trip and then I will let BOTH Dolce and Baci tell you what they did that day. Given that they are both excitable cats, still more kitten than cat, the story might get a little bit long. So here goes the story of the Great Montana Camping Adventure:

DAY ONE: LEAVING HOME
Dolce: Once Dad got the Rumbly Truck attached to the House-On-Wheels, Mom said good-bye to Magoo and Bella and carried us out to the Rumbly Truck.
Baci: We got put into a new carrier that Dad had attched to the back seat. He said it was for safety reasons.
Dolce: Baci let me finish my part first.
Baci: Fine.
Dolce: Once we got into the Rumbly Truck, I told Dad that I needed to help with the navigation. Actually I told him that a lot, and quite loudly too. He said that I couldn’t help with navigation until we got out of the city. He said it wasn’t safe with so many Jaskasses on the road.
Baci: What’s a jackass?
Dolce: Kinda like a vishus deer but they are way stoopider. At least vishus deer don’t pretend to know how to drive.
Baci: Oh yeah. Those jackasses were scarey.
Dolce: Dad finally let us out of the carrier and we drove to Uncle Gruffy McGruffypants’ house. He likes me lots. While Mom and Dad and Aunty and Uncle were talking, I curled up on the couch and slept while Uncle kept playing with my dainty little paws.
Baci: I tolded Aunty McGruffypants how happy I was to meet her. I told her that lots as I followed her around the kitchen. I asked if she had any chick-hen. Dad told me not to beg, but did say that I could have some of the chick-hen that Uncle McGruffypants had made. It was so delicious.

DAY TWO: HEADING TO MONTANA
Dolce: I forgot to mention that we met my cousin Odie-cat. She didn’t like us very much, but then she is very old, almost 17 years.
Baci: Yeah, she hisses very loudly. I pooped in her litterbox.
Dolce: Mom and Dad put us into the Rumbly Truck and we headed south towards America. We got to roam around the truck, but we had to stay away from Dad’s feets and the pedalls.
Baci: Cats can get squished by the pedalls.
Dolce: So we had to talk to a Border Guard. She said that she needed to see our papers.
Baci: I asked if she wanted the ones I peed on or the pooped on ones.
Dolce: She didn’t think that was very funny. I told her to arrest my brofur for being stoopid.
Baci: If stoopid is a crime, you should get a life sentence. Oops, I think you are violating your parole by being stoopid right now.
Dolce: I’m going to tell Dad. Maybe he let me finish the story by myself.

Baci: No, I gets to help.
Dolce: So we drove to the campground in Kalispell, Montana. It was furry nice. Mom and Dad turned on the AC in the House-on-Wheels and gave us our holiday toys.
Baci: Then I had a really bad poop.

Dolce: Baci had some very sticky poops. Mom and Dad were worried that the food wasn’t good anymore. But I didn’t get any poops just Baci.

DAY THREE: CAMPING
Dolce: WE finally got to check out the campsite. It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t too bad. The people around us were pretty nice, even though they seem to like Baci better.


Baci: Good taste. They all just had good taste.
Dolce: I don’t think so. If they knew how much you pooted and how stinky your butt was last night, they would not think you were very cute at all.
Baci: I was having some problems. I think it was because I don’t get enough chick-hen.
Dolce: Mom and Dad put our new carrier outside so that we could get used to the new place.

Baci: It didn’t take long. I wanted to go exploring right away.


DAYS FOUR to SEVEN: OUR CAMPSITE
Dolce: Mom and Dad went out for some people fun. Mom calls it golf, Dad calls it something else. Especially when he is having a bad game.
Baci: Dolce! You said a four letter word.
Dolce: What four letter word?
Baci: Golf!

Dolce: Mom and Dad came home and let us outside to explore the campsite some more.
Baci: Lots of people came by and freaked out when they saw us on our leashes.
Dolce: Some very nice people came by and said hello to us. One or two mentioned how cute Baci was. I sure hope the rest of the country isn’t as delusional as these people.
Baci: You are just jealous because I’m more incorrigible than you.
Dolce: I told you Baci, that that doesn’t mean cute.
Baci:Yup. More jealousy!

Dolce: Our Dad saw some ominous clouds billowing over the mountains. He tried to scare Mom and us that it was a volcano exploding. Mom believed him but I didn’t. It was just a forest fire that sprang up.

Baci: I didn’t believe him either.
Dolce: Yes you did. You pooped when you heard him say volcano.
Baci: I might have pooped but it was not because Dad said volcano. I was still having some tummy problems.

Dolce: Dad showed me his pictures and I nearly pooped like Baci. There was a picture of a vishus deer on one of the golf courses. It was laying in wait for a nice tender joosy cat to wander by.
Baci: I saw it and I did poop.


DAY EIGHT: TOO MUCH HOT
Dolce: It was very hot. Almost twice as hot as it is at home. Thankfully we were inside with the AC. Mom made Dad take her to Missoula so that she could go shopping in some of the bigger stores.
Baci: I think she bought half the state back with her.
Dolce: It’s a girl thing. You would’t understand.
Baci: Nope. A couple furry mice, some catnip and a comfy place to sleep is all I need.
Dolce: Boys!
Baci: Did you say something?

DAY NINE: GOING TO UNCLE GRUFFY’S PLACE
Dolce: We had to stay inside the trailer while Dad was packing up outside.
Baci: Once he was done, I got to go outside. I pooped in the firepit.

Dolce: Once we got back to Canada,we got to see Aunty and Uncle again. I was very tired from our vaction so I hid downstairs where it was cool.
Baci: I followed Aunty around. She saved me some chick-hen so I was very happy. She keeps calling me Bocce-ball. I tried to tell her that’s not how I spell my name, but she doesn’t speak cat very well. I think it’s because of Odie-cat’s accent.

DAY TEN: WE’S HOME!
Dolce: I talked to Dad almost the entire way home. He says he was getting a headache. If he would just drive the way I wanted, I wouldn’t have to talk so much.
Baci: I slept on top of my carrier. I was very, very cute. That’s what Dad said to Mom.

The Camping Adventure

A picture tells a thousand words, so I will let the first 6,000 words come from the furkids themselves.

Baci can't wait for camping to begin

Dolce investigates the new smells

Baci looks out the window at the rain

It's crappy outside, so lets enjoy this sunbeam

Except for the weather, I approve of camping

We are very tired now.

Docle and Baci were very well behaved on our little excursion last weekend. It was a dry run for another trip we are planning later on this summer. Docle was so good on our last camping trip, it was a given that we would be taking her this year. But then Baci came into the picture. Since he and Dolce have bonded so well and the other cats really are not that crazy about the little guy, it seemed natural that we would need to get Baci used to the trailer too.

I think I read it on a blog or someother place about you can tell how well a kitten/cat is adjusting to a place by how fast they adapt/find the litterbox. Using that as a measure of how well Baci took to camping, he loves it. It took him less than ten minutes to find the litterbox. It took over thirty minutes for the stink to dissipate from the air. I guess it is partially my fault; I let the little goofball lick some of the sour cream off my peroghies the night before. Let's just say, he is very lactose-intolerant. The worst part is that is was a little loose and stuck to his fur. So we have a stinky little cat following us around trailing this pungent cloud of poo-stink.

They both played in the trailer with the toys Mom brought with her and looked out every single window in the trailer. Baci got to go for a bit of a walk but he started to try and squirm his way out of his collar. That earned him an immediate timeout in the trailer.

Dolce was pretty much an angel. She sat in my lap during the short drive to the campground. There was some front lap driving on her behalf, but I tend to ignore her since she can't see over the dashboard anyways. Then she was pretty content just look out the windows and sleep in the sunbeam and cuddle with her Dad.

So that was the camping adventure. It was lot more fun than it sounds. By the way, this is also my 200th post. Who would have thought I would have that much to say about my furchildren and our adventures together.

We's Home!

We're Home!

Click to biggify

While Mom was in the Campground Registration office, Baci and I sat with, or more accurately on, Dad in the Rumbly Truck.

We had so much fun in the House-With-Wheels. Dad said that he will post some more picture over the next couple of days. He has to go away for work again. But I made sure I got lots of snuggles and cuddles while we were camping, so I think I will be okay for a couple of days.

Dolce

PS. I think Baci wants to say something...


I gots salmon and steak and a new toy and I got to chase some butterflies and I gots to sleep on the bed and I made a big stinky poop.

Baci

Dolce and Baci's Big Adventure

Dolce: Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!
Baci: Why you dancing around, Dolce?
Dolce: We's going camping!
Baci: What's Camping!
Dolce: You get to go in the Rumbly-Truck and you gets to sleep in the House-That-Has-Wheels.
Baci: That sounds kind of scary.
Dolce: It can be, but I learned last time to ensure safety you have to give Dad instructions on his driving. Like he's going to slow or too fast. Or that you really need to stop at the Garden Centre and check out the catnip plants.
Baci: Is that why Mom put this stupid collar on me? I know its blue to match my eyes, but it binds.
Dolce: You has to wear that if you goes camping. That's what Dad said last year. He said it can keep the bears, coyotes and wolves away. Not to mention the Vishus Deer.
Baci (shudders): Not Vishus Deer!
Dolce: I am not worried.
Baci: Why not?
Dolce: Cause I can run faster than you.
Baci: What does that mean?
Dolce: Ask Dad.

PS. Dad promises to bring back pictures.

Dolce's Tummy Tuesday

Here is Dolce rolling in the catnip garden my Wife replanted for the cats. The previous one had been overtaken by weeds and had been peed on several times by Magoo, Smudge, and some of the other neighborhood cats. I personally don't want my cats rolling in their own pee let alone another cats.

We are hoping the plants will survive long enough to grow larger. As you can see Dolce has quite the catnip addiction, so we are not holding our breath for the plants to make it past June. I think Dolce wants to add something...


Scout,
Wanna come roll in the catnip with me?
Dolce

Dolce teaches Baci about Spring (A Wordless Wednesday Adventure)

Mr. DeMille, Is It time For My Close Up?

You have seen the power of Zoom, now behold the splendor that is Macro.

Our Prime Minister has recently returned to me that portion of my Income Taxes that he was not entitled too. I decied that I needed one more lense to complete my new camera package; a 100mm F2.8 Macro lens. At 11 inches, it can reproduce life-size images or really neat stuff. I have taken some pictures of the flowers that my wife got after her surgery, some rocks outside, some stupid household items, and of course pictures of the cats.

In Monday's post, Beau Beau & Angie said... "Had to post again -- Baci looks so so stunning in that shot and has the look of an old soul. Do you think so?"

I don't think he has an old soul, but he does have a deep intelligense within his eyes that is far greater than his eight months of life. This lead me to look through some of the 1,000 pictures I have taken of the cats since I got the new camera. Did I ever tell you much I enjoy digital cameras?

The following two pictures are pretty close to life size. I can't be completely sure because neither Bella nor Dolce were very cooperative when I tried to hold their heads up next to the computer monitor.

Click to biggify
Bella's eyes don't so much imply an old soul, but a deeply caring and loving one. She has the biggest eyes of all of the cats. They make her seem like a kitten still.

Click to biggify
Dolce's eyes say Trouble, with a capital "T".

Everyone stated how terrifying Magoo looked as he patrolled his backyard. I wanted everyone to also see why we love him so much. When he is asleep. Magoo is a great big purring teddy bear.
Click to biggify
Note his tongue partially sticking out.


Pee Ess: I have no picture of Baci's eyes closeup because he always scrunches his face up when I get too close with the camera.

What's Up Wednesday

It has been a little hectic in the House the last two weeks. Work has me travelling and the wife was cleared for surgery so she has been running around the house getting everything cleaned and organized so that things don't pile up while she is recuperating. But that is enough about the underlings/ the paid help of the House.

Everycat in the House is doing well. Magoo is getting grumpier and grumpier about not being outside every moment of the day now that the snow is gone. A couple of neighborhood cats have been coming by and leaving their calling cards. This is really aggravating Magoo. We have caught him peeing where he shouldn't.

Bella is doing a lot better now that Dolce is distracted by her new brother Baci. Bella doesn't seem a stressed as she was before. She is back to sitting on my wife's lap and helping her with her makeup. She comes and says Good Morning and Good Night everyday. The number of mats in her fur have gone down drastically. I guess she does have to worry about being cannonballed by Dolce when she wasn't looking.

Dolce is being Dolce. Everything happens at 100 mph. She is has started to cuddle again and even fell asleep on my lap while the Wife and I watched movies on the weekend. She hasn't done that in months. I think it really ahs to do with having a willing and able playmate in Baci. Although Baci loves bedtime, his ears perk up when he hears Dolce calling to him. They are a very sweet twosome. I'm not calling them a couple, because I think Dolce still has a thing for Scout.

As for Baci...Well I could write a couple of pages of what a little Mancat he is becoming. His paws are huge. They are rapidly approaching Magoo's in size. In a word, he is "Snorglelicious". He loves to be picked up and cuddled. He follows you around and cries until you pet him or scoop him up from the floor. Then you get to hear his deep rumbling purr. He has tried to make friends with Magoo, but his older brother can't be bothered to train another sibling. Bella doesn't want much to do with him either, which is okay because Dolce loves him. Baci loves her right back.

In less than a week, Baci will be turning 8 months old. He is firmly caught between the goofy kitten months and the transition into a young adult cat. He is now of a size where he can reach things on tables without a lot of awkwardness or clumsiness. It is amazing to see what becomes a cat's first obsession when they suddenly realize that they can get things down that they want. For Bella and Smudge, it was Q-tips; for Dolce, it was fishing socks out of the hampers; for Magoo, well he didn't seem to care about any of that sort of thing; and for Baci, it is change that I have left on my nightstand. He gets this determined little scowl on his face and he reaches up and slowly pulls the coins off the table. He is happiest when they hit the floor and roll into the heat register. There is way more noise that way. Let me tell you, it scares the crap out of you when he does it at 3:00 AM.

It's a short spell until I am home again with my Wife and the Cats. As silly as it sounds, I am counting the sleeps.