Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas!


It's been a couple of days and I've been busy working the holiday shifts. I wanted to wish y'all a Merry Christmas, and so did the Dastardly Kitties!

Yeah, yeah, Merry Chr-- what's this smell?
Oh. Hello. Yes, I am cat! Merry Christmas!
Right. I'm headed back upstairs. Merry People In My House-mas. Hmph.

Well, they did it in their own way. Happy Holidays!

Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Apocalypse!

EVERYBODY RUN IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!


What?! Cat, are you serious? It's the end of the world?!


I can confirm. I can SEE the BOTTOM of the bowl. APOCALYPSE!


BUT I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIE. There's so many things I haven't seen, things I haven't done yet! I was going to get married in the summer, and have kids, and, and--


What? No! I wasn't serious. Don't listen to him!

Oh, good. See, I was worried there. It's one thing if an ancient calendar says the world is ending. It's another thing entirely if a cat says the world is ending.

Fun fact time: many animals are sensitive to subtle signs that disaster is approaching. Changes in air pressure and water pressure, for example, can trigger an instinct to get out or get down and weather the storm. Not everyone agrees on the extent to which animals, like cats, can "predict" disaster, but given their remarkable senses, it makes sense that they would pick up on signals from nature that humans just tune out. Interesting!

Have you ever noticed your cat acting funny before a storm or natural disaster? Comments are always welcome and much appreciated!

From my kitties to you, hope your "last day" is a great one!

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Sweetie & Brother: The Cats Who Adopted Us

Sweetie hiding out.
Somewhere about January, we had a horrible ice storm. It snowed a good five inches, melted a little, and then froze over. To top it off, we had freezing rain, and then more snow on top of that.

So imagine our surprise when a cat showed up at our door!

We didn't really know what to do, considering we have cats and this stray kitty could have diseases. We ended up bringing her downstairs (it's separate from where we live) so we could give her some food, water, and warmth.

 From that night on forward, she kept coming back around. Clearly, the warm house was much cozier than the garage she had found her way into. At first, Sweetie was timid. She hadn't been spayed. We think she was a stray that simply got so desperate for food and warmth, she found a house to beg her way into.

Now, I don't know if she saw that we had cats and knew it would be a safe place for her to go, but she picked the right house. Everyone here loves cats, and she's been well taken care of. Since she started coming around, she's been spayed, vaccinated, and tested for diseases. She's fed well, and comes and goes as she pleases. We named her Sweetie.

But the story doesn't end there.

Brother cat decides he wants loves after all.
One day, I was rummaging around in the garage when a black cat darted out and escaped out the door. No big deal, Sweetie can be excitable from time to time. Until I went back in the house, and found out that Sweetie had been inside the whole time.

That's about when we found out Sweetie had a brother.

He was feral when we first found him, and we really doubted if he'd ever be friendly, let alone as friendly as Sweetie. He ate, but he wouldn't come close to anyone. If you so much as looked at him the wrong way, he'd take off and wouldn't be seen for a day or so.

I worked with him, sitting in the yard, offering him food. The poor thing looked starved and had scars all over his face from fighting with the neighborhood cats. Slowly, he'd start to come around. He'd eat with you sitting on the deck. I upped the ante, bringing his food closer and closer until he was right next to me. Eventually, he let me pet him as long as he could eat.

Now, he begs readily for attention before and after meal times. Brother still doesn't come in and he hates to be picked up. I hate to think of him out there in the winter, but we've set up a den for him in the garage. Sometimes he hides out under the house, which is cover at least. Hopefully, one day, we'll be able to tame him enough to bring him inside and give him the proper care that his sister gets.

But that's the story of how these two kitties became our downstairs family, and adopted us when faced with the harsh reality of a bitter cold winter.

If you enjoyed reading this story, please subscribe and share with your friends! Of course, comments are always welcome. Also check out my youtube channel, The Dastardly Kitties. I try to update regularly with pictures, videos, and information. Thanks!