Stitch Moped All Day

I thought it would be fun to dedicate a post on Mondays to a priceless, precious photo that I've snapped. I have so many that get too old to make posts for. With that said, here is the first official Manic Monday Photo. This was on a rainy day a couple weeks back. Stitch begged, and begged, and begged to be let outside to roll around on the grass. However, when I opened the door he discovered that it was pouring rain. I think his spirits fell into a melancolic despair. He dragged his tail on the floor as he retreated back from the cold, wet stuff and parked his butt on Jax's Princess couch. And moped for the rest of the day.

Festive Pissed Off Cat

I’m not sure about your cats, but my cats hate being dressed up. I haven’t really tried anything past a hat or a collar. The hat is really a little cap that was a Chicken Halloween costume that I got for Stitch one year. I really thought that maybe he would wear it. He wore it, for about 20 minutes, then gave me the look of death and then managed to pull it off of his head. You can see the play-by-play click here.

The Chicken Hat has been dubbed the “Hat of Shame” by my sister. Cats in this house must wear the “Hat of Shame” when they do something really horrible or selfish. Like the time that Stitch spilled my nice, cold, refreshing glass of white wine (it was the last of the bottle that I had been saving for a hard day and oh, had it been a hard day). And the time when Gordita was so angry at me she beat up on Stitch.

This Christmas my sister and I found a quick joy in dressing Stitch up in some of Jax’s accessories. It started with a curiosity of whether or not her doll’s tiara would fit on Stitch’s head. Upon the joyful discover that not only did it fit, but that it stayed on his head we clipped one of her hair bows to his collar. The end result – one pissed off, but festive and pretty cat.

We did take them both off as soon as we had gotten a great shot. But its no wonder our tree ended up with only the top third still with decorations (you might be able to tell in the background of the photo). But in my opinion it is still quite a bit of a tossup between the toddler and the cats of who took off the most ornaments.

Thankful For Tolerant Cats

This year I am thankful that both Stitch and Gordita are tolerant and (I guess) understanding when it comes to living with a toddler. The latest and greatest is this gem of a photo.

That is Gordita. Those are Dora the Explorer stickers. Jackelyn has discovered the glory of stickers. One day she brought over the sheet and we put stickers all over her shirt. She walked away to go play. About 20 minutes later I went to go check on her and as I passed Gordita who was sitting on the couch I noticed she had some new accessories.

Gordita let Jackelyn share her Dora stickers with her. Which means not only was she kind enough to let Jackelyn sit next to her, but she also let her touch her and attach the stickers to her. Luckily the stickers weren't super sticky and they didn't have much resistance when I removed them. Gordita didn't seem fazed but she did give me a look that clearly said “I hope you see how nice I am.”

Yes, Gordita. Note taken. Thank you.

Meeting Oreo

Our house has been an interesting place to be the last week and a half. My cousin is moving so we’ve been watching her cat Oreo. A beautiful, black and white, long-haired girl cat who is sweet but naughty.

We did introductions via the cat carrier. Stitch was curious enough to go up to the cat carrier. He, of course, greeted her with a hiss.

Gordita wasn’t willing to get that close. She greeted her with a growl.

Jackelyn shared some cat treats with her to make her feel a little more welcomed.

As when Stitch and Gordita first met there has been a lot of growling, and hissing and boxing. Nothing too scary or violent though. We have dished a few timeouts of alone-time in the bathroom, but it hasn't been as bad as it had potential to be.

Gordita did take her anger out on Stitch though for the first week. Oreo wanted to play with Stitch, but he denied her any playtime. So she’s been creating her own playtime.

A hierarchy of dominance has been established. Gordita picks on Oreo. Oreo picks on Stitch. Stitch runs away from Gordita and Oreo.

I've tried to tell him that Oreo is only here for a few more days. I don’t think he believes me. He gave me the cold shoulder for the first couple of days. Lately, though, he has been cuddling next to me.

First I brought him to live with the boys and Gordita. Then Gordita left but I brought home the first baby. Then Gordita came back. Then I brought home another baby. Poor Stitch.

Gordita Hears a Noise

Monday morning came around and it was time to print out and sign my timesheet. Gordita was sitting right next to the printer looking at me. I assume she was trying to send me telepathic vibes to reach into the Cat Nack bag and scoop her up some tasty morsels. I also assumed that since she’s been living with me for the last year I thought she knew all about the printer. We all know what assuming makes you. Then again, she’s never sat with her head at the same level as the printer before as its running. It was a whole new experience.

The printer whirred to life and Gordita’s eyes widened. She cocked her head and listened. The printer sucked up a piece of paper and Gordita about jumped out of her skin. She kept her composure though and looked the printer square in the dark depth of its soul.

She stuck a paw into that black hole of mystery and felt around. Not feeling anything she switched paws and stuck the other one in. Something was definitely in there making a noise and being the fearless female Amazon cat that she is, she was going to seek it out and (if it was truly a find) conquer and destroy it.

Just trying to do its job, the printer printed and slipped my timesheet under her curious paw pad. She leaned back with a look of surprise. At least what I interpreted as surprise. I caught the precious moment on camera. Perhaps you can better put into words the look on her face.

Which Cat For President

I’m not a fan of Election Time. All the negative campaign posts really rub me raw. I don’t care want to hear why I shouldn’t vote for the other guy (or gal). I want to hear why I should vote for you! Well now I have a better campaign competition to pay attention too. Hello Kitty and Morris the Cat, two well known felines, have announced their candidacy for the 2012 Presidential race.

To tell you the truth, I’m just torn on which cat would be the best for President. I’m a fan of Hello Kitty. I always have been since I was a little girl. And I’ve been immersed in Hello Kitty once again with my daughter who likes Hello Kitty. A vote for her and she says she will help make the world a happier and friendlier place.  She’s even asking us to help choose her Vice Presidential running mate! (I voted for Chococat as her running mate. I’m not going to lie, I think two cats in the office would be better than one.)

But Morris the Cat has a good campaign going too. He’s out to help shelter and feed the homeless and hungry cats of the nation and his promise is starting now! He has a campaign poster on his Facebook campaign page that promises that with every time his poster is shared he will donate one bowl of food to cats in need. Plus he is an orange kitty and you all know how much I adore orange cats.

I've even asked the cats to weigh in on it. Stitch's vote is for Hello Kitty. He's more into the fun and flowery image she shares. But personally, I think it's a stigma against orange cats he has. Gordita, on the other paw, has confidence that Morris the Cat is the cat to do the job. She's all about food. Need I say more?

I’ve liked both the Morris the Cat campaign page and the Hello Kitty campaign page on Facebook. I’ll just have to see who can sway my vote with their campaign promises. Who are you going to vote for?

Orange Cat Dreams

Don’t tell Stitch, but I would really love to own an orange cat one day. I’m not sure where the desire to own one came from. It could have possibly been influenced by Morris the Cat. It was definitely influenced by the character Kyo in the anime/manga Fruits Basket. It could have even been from seeing a cute, orange kitten at the Orange County Pet Expo one year.

I went back to work this week from my Maternity Leave and was delighted to see that CatChannel.com is running a Pumpkin Cats Contest. Cat owners can submit photos of their orange cats for the chance to win some fun cat-related prizes. Since I don’t have an orange cat of my own I have made an effort to look through the entries of orange cats that have already been entered.

I want to snuggle each ball of orange fluff. I think Stitch might be catching on though. He sat on my lap as I viewed photo after photo of one orange cat after another. I “oohed” and “awed” over each one.  I think he got jealous because he jumped off my lap and sat on the window sill pouting. I could tell he was pouting because he kept looking over at me and each time that I caught his eye he turned away from me. I think it was a look of disgust. He seemed downright moody. Then again, he’s a cat and I just might be over analyzing typical cat mood swings.

I told him I loved him but I don’t think he believed me, especially when I went back to looking at orange cat photos. I guess I could have been a little more sensitive. I still want an orange cat one day if I can find one at a rescue that can tolerate a house full of kids and two moody cats.

The Fail of Mission Get Nack

It was 2am and I was washing out the baby’s bottle at the sink. I was half asleep and the soft glow coming from the hood above the stove wasn’t too bright. But then I heard a sound that jolted me awake with a panic.

It was a loud thud, almost as if someone had thrown themselves or something up against the wall. It came from behind me. I grew up in the ghetto of South Vallejo, Calif., so naturally I thought that it was someone trying to break into my house. Then I remembered that I live in the small, quaint town of “Nothing Ghetto Happens Here” and I calmed my active imagination.

I turned around to find Gordita sitting on top of the Microwave trying to get at the Nack (cat treats) that we keep high up on a shelf. Stitch was sitting on the floor near the Microwave. Gordita looked irritated; Stitch looked at me with the Puss in Boots eyes.

I walked over to Gordita and told her to get down. I had to say it twice again with the angry stern, but not loud because it’s 2am voice. She jumped down and as soon as her paws hit the floor she smacked Stitch. And I mean wacked him good on the head.

I have a theory about it. Gordita and Stitch had a Mission to Get Nack from the shelf. However, they weren’t expecting me to be awake. My assumption is that Stitch was supposed to be the lookout while Gordita grabbed the bag of Nack.

I’m not sure how they missed me over at the sink. A light was on and I wasn’t being silent as I rinsed out the bottle. Either they truly didn’t see me or Gordita thought that she had enough skill to gracefully jump up on the microwave without a sound. However, with a name like “Gordita” I promise you that a silent, graceful jump up is anything up possible.

Needless to say, no Nack was stolen that night. Mission Get Nack was an epic Fail.

Toddler Cat Loving

I have a feeling that something is going on with the cats in our house. I don’t know if it’s because of the new baby or if there is something in the cat fountain water or if the cats are trying to butter me up for something because they have been behaving unlike they're usual selves lately. Perhaps they’re planning some grand scheme and they figure if they are nice and lovey dovey they can gain my trust and catch me off guard. Whatever it is I’ve really enjoyed it.

The cats have been really calm and non-dramatic when it comes to Jackelyn showing them affection. In my last blog entry I shared a priceless photo of Jackelyn giving Stitch a big, ole kiss on the noggin. Here is another priceless, amazing and precious gem. Not to be cliche but I think hell might have frozen over.

That is Jackelyn rocking Gordita like she’s a baby. What you don’t know just by looking at this picture is not only did Gordita jump up on the couch to cuddle up next to Jackelyn, but she also allowed her to rock her and sing to her for about 3 minutes. What you can’t hear just by looking at this photo is that she was also purring the whole time. What happened about 3 minutes after this photo was taken is that Jackelyn is the one who stopped rocking and singing to her and ran off leaving Gordita wondering what happened to the love fest.

I never thought I’d see the day that grouchy, cranky Gordita would allow a toddler to rock her like a baby and to sing to her. Pet her, yes but to rock her and hold her? Unheard of … until now. I’m telling you now I think something is up or something has been slipped into the cat fountain water. There is a lot of toddler cat loving going on and not only have the cats have been allowing it to happen but I think they kind of like it.

And He Didn’t Scratch Her

Stitch has come a long way when it comes to the toddler. I guess it helps that he first met her as a gang-sign throwing newborn and has watched her learn to crawl, walk, run and climb. There are few words that can really describe what happened yesterday. All I can say is I’m proud that Stitch has learned to use patience when it comes to Jackelyn trying to show him how much she loves him. He doesn’t complain when she tries to share her crackers with him. He doesn’t scratch her when she hugs and pets him. And he definitely didn’t scratch her the other day when she did this.

Thank you Stitch. I truly appreciate your understanding that she just wants to give you some love when she gave you that big, smacking kiss.

Don’t Disturb a Lounging Cat Or She Will Puke on Your Floor

I’m apparently the worst sister a cat could ever have. My parents’ cat Gordita has been living with me on and off for the past five years. She’s currently living with us and by now I think she’s gotten used to all of the kids, the new house and realizes that her mom and dad will (usually) come on the weekend to come visit her.

Yesterday she was sun bathing by the back sliding door. The blinds were opened and I could feel the heat form the sunshine pouring into the house. Considering our air conditioner is currently out of order, I decided to pull the blinds shut. I did, however, crack them a bit so that Gordita could continue to lounge in the sunlight.

She was rather angry with me, to put it lightly. She glared at me. Then stood up and worked her body in between the blinds. Then she glared at me some more. I dared to limit the amount of sunshine she was getting, and even worse was that I forced her to have to get up and move from her lounging spot.

She managed to move between the blinds in the perfect spot for the sunlight to glare in the direction that I happened to be sitting. I guess that could be called karma. She also decided to throw up some food later that day too. I guess that was her letting me know that I was on her list of not favorite people for that day.

Give the Cats their Snack

My dad calls the cat treats “nack.” And the cats have come to learn that “nack” means cat treat. Jackelyn has also learned that snacks are called “nack” and not only calls cat treats “nack” but also asks for her own snacks by asking for “nack.”

We have a big ziplock bag full of nack. It’s about three bags worth of cat treats (different flavors) dumped into a ziplock bag and kept up high on a shelf that the cats cannot jump onto and that Jackelyn can’t reach.

Today I spilled the nack. I grabbed the bag and shook it like I usually do when I let the cats know that it is nack time. Except that the ziplock top wasn’t zipped closed and nack was flung all over the floor. Stitch was not in the room, but Gordita was. She was in shock. I figured she would immediately start to scarf down nack. However, to my surprise, she stared at it. She had a look of disbelief that all that nack had really rained down from the heavens and onto the floor. Perhaps she was in shock that I had dared to treat the nack with such disrespect and dumped it everywhere.

I started to scoop up what I could and put it back in the bag. Gordita is our resident “eat all the food I can before Stitch can get any and then puke it up somewhere else in the house” cat. Luckily for me Jackelyn was there to help. I thought if she saw me scooping it up off the floor and putting it back into the bag she would help. I even showed her how to do it. But, as I should have known, since Jackelyn thinks she is a cat she would think like that cat. She actually got rather mad that I was taking the nack away from the cats. She picked up bits of nack and instead of putting it in the bag she reached over and placed it in a pile for Gordita. In protest she started reaching into the bag and taking more nack out for the cats. I’m rather sure she would have demanded that I give the cats their nack if she could speak in full, clear sentences. Instead I got a big fat “No Mama!”

Eventually I managed to scoop up the majority of the nack and left the rest for the cats. And I learned to make sure the nack bag is sealed before I shake it. I also learned that Jackelyn doesn’t have my back, she’s got the cats’ backs.

The Baby is Here

The new baby is here and the cats are pissed! Baby Reia was born at the end of July at a healthy 8lbs 3oz. We brought her home the next day and I got quite a bit of attitude from both Jackelyn and the cats.

Jackelyn, who is almost 2 years old, gave me a look that clearly said “You brought it home?!” Jackelyn was the first of the kids to meet the baby and she was not pleased at the hospital and was even more not pleased to see that I actually brought the baby back with me. On a good note, Jackelyn now loves her baby sister.

Stitch gave me a look that clearly said “Another one?!” I’m fairly certain he was thinking “I just got this last one trained and you dare to bring a new one home?” This look was later combined with looks of pure annoyance when both Jackelyn and the baby were crying. Jackelyn was crying because she wanted me to hold her and the baby was crying because she was hungry. Stitch glared at me and walked into another room that was across the house from the crying.

Gordita gave me a look that, I’m fairly certain, said “What the hell is that?!” Gordita didn’t meet Jackelyn until she was a couple of months old and missed out on the joys of having a newborn. She also didn’t move into our home until Jackelyn was about 10 months old. I try to remind myself that Gordita is just a cranky, old lady cat and tend to forgive her. While she is still pissed at me about bringing the baby home, she has at least warmed up to Jackelyn. I think it’s more a situation where Gordita views Jackelyn as another hand to pet her now that she knows how to actually pet a cat the right way.

I think Stitch is still not willing to completely forgive me just yet for bringing home another child. He spends many days staring (pouting) at me holding the baby. Although he has joined me, Jackelyn and Baby Reia on the couch while we are cuddling. I take it as a sign that there is some hope in getting some form of forgiveness from him. I have been making sure that I do make time for Stitch, just like I make time for Jackelyn for some one-on-one time. While spending time with my children is amazing, there is still a different type of comfort in cuddling with a fuzzy kitty on the couch.

Apologizing Again

Dear Stitch and Gordita,

I fear I stand before you begging for you to forgive me. However, there is a big chance you will not completely understand what I am asking forgiveness for until July.

To cut clear to the point, we are going to have another baby. Now before you begin to hiss in protest and go on and on about how unfair it is let me remind you that at one point you too were baby kittens. In fact, Gordita, I have a good memory of you as a kitten in our home peeing outside the litter box, scratching up the couches and shredding my beta fish when I came home from college.

As you roll your eyes may I remind you that Baby Jackelyn (who is more Toddler Jackelyn now) loves and adores you two. She often tries to share her snacks with you and play tea party. She has even learned to pet you in a gentle manner. I understand you may not want to eat cereal she offers and I completely understand the inability to drink from an empty teacup. But remember that babies will not cry for forever and may even grow to be amazing little cat lovers who will pet you all day long. She even shares her Princess couch with you Stitch. She doesn’t try to shove you off. She snuggles up with you or allows you to snuggle up with her on it. So let’s try to be positive about this new baby.

Again, I’m sorry. I promise this wasn’t planned or meant to ruin your kitty cat lives any further than I already have.

You’re humble human slave,
Crystal