Requiescat in pace

BigKitty is very sad. She is very sad to have to tell everyone that Mr. Pud is gone away. He passed away last week, very suddenly. Dear Mr. P had been sick for some time, but he hid it from his BigKitty and she didn't know. It happened very fast, and was painless for Pud, who took some anesthesia for an x-ray and just didn't wake up.

LaurCat said one time that Mr. Pud is a goodly cat, and he was that. BigKitty told him he was the best cat ever. And she meant it. From Chicago, to Indiana, back to Chicago and then to upstate New York, and then further to far upstate New York, Mr. Pud was BigKitty's companion. He took long road trips with her - up to 14 hours at a time - to visit GranCat and all the family. He would nap in the back seat all day and then watch the headlights drive by as he lay in the back window. People would drive by when it was still light, look hard and point, like they'd never seen a cat before.

Pud endured all of grad school, a divorce, the first year of two jobs, a visiting cat from Uzbekistan, Gran's dogs, airplane rides, the horror of the vet's office, the kitty cat motel, tail bites from one of Gran's cats (that's you, Emily!), the intrusion of Beatrice kitten and even going on diets for weight loss. He gave back as good as he got with barfs, poops, marking, shredding, the occasional chewing of electrical cords, howling to be let outside, stealing food and the not infrequent midnight ramble through the apartment and over and around BigKitty's sleepy head. He was a goodly cat, the best cat ever, and he was loving and sweet and gave all the love he got back with extra.

BigKitty has cried and cried, she misses Pud so much. Little Bea and her foster sisters play and make her laugh, and that helps, but at night she wishes the Pudness was sacking out with her for a good night's sleep. Little dust bunnies of Pud-fur drift across the floor and remind her he is gone.

Little Pud, I hope you are in a good, happy place, where your bowl overflows with crunchies every day and you can eat all you want and gain not an ounce. I hope there are many scritchies and good long naps in the warm sunshine.

Goodbye, Mr. Pud, a piece of my heart goes with you.

Spiraling into disaster, Part II

True believers: here is what I can tell you now about my super secret mission in rural upstate New York. I now understand that I have been posted here by The Company to observe the behavior of the domestic tabby out of her natural habitat. My subjects are young female cats between the ages of 4 months and 2 years. [all the following in David Attenborough voice] Ranging in size from about 6 to 9 pounds, these tabbies are prime specimens of the neurotic cat in captivity. They engage in a variety of bizarre behaviors, including the aforementioned "chase you/me/all 'It'" behavior. These neurosis may result from the captivity in the "house" environment, in which the tabbies are not allowed to roam about freely Outside. I, however, am granted this privilege.

The youngest, whom you have already met (Beatrice; alias: The Runt) has recently added the following pattern to her routine: burrowing in the box springs of BigKitty's mattress. Because BigKitty had to saw her box springs in half to get get it upstairs, there is now a large rip in the fabric on the side. Beatrice enters through this rip and frolics about inside making numerous odd bumping noises. The second youngest cat, the newcomer Artemis (alias: Tiny) also enters the box springs from this rip and gambols about. The oldest of the three, Arasi Verdandi (alias: unknown), does not engage in this practice, but she is known to perch on top of the box springs that is upended in the dining room and sleep there. Beatrice is now mimicking this behavior; clearly demonstrating that the young may learn from unrelated, older cats.

This is only some of the information I have gathered for my initial report. Other, confidential information may be revealed later, but for reasons of national security, this info must be kept under wraps at this time. Let's hear it for truth, justice and the American way! Hi-ho Silver! Away!

Spiraling into disaster

True believers, you won't believe what I have to tell you now. It is a very, very long story. It'll take me a while to get through the whole thing, and I may have to tell it over several days. BigKitty is monopolizing the computer these days, so I have a hard time gettin' my time on it. But there are other reasons why it's difficult. Three main reasons, actually. Those three reasons are the three other cats I am currently living with.

That's right, you read that correctly - THREE, tres, trois, drei, 3 Other CATS!!!!!!!!!

I am dumbstruck, flabbergasted, bowled over and blown away. What the hell did I do to deserve this? You guys will already know about The Runt (aka Beatrice), who came to live with us a few months ago. However, now we are living in a new territory, where the other two cats already live. Both are young and female, and I've met them before. They used to live with AL (Archana and Layne). In fact, I think this may have been where AL lived, cause it smells kinda like them in some places. Most of it smells like our stuff, of course. And where it doesn't I make sure it smells like ME (ha ha ha).

Anyway, the other two cats are pretty mad that we're here. Tough shit, though. One of them spends a lot of time hiding and she runs away when she sees me. The other one seems to think that this is Her Territory. She's instigated a fracas or two with me and tried to tell me she's boss. We'll just see about that! In the meantime, I get to sleep in BigKitty's bed anytime I want and that bitch orange tabby doesn't.

That's all I can tell you for now - more to come later. I'll have to see if I can get some pics.

Feeling crappy

Oh crapazilla, I feel sick again. I was sick at AL’s (Archana and Layne’s) and they gave me meds – which I consumed VERY reluctantly. Now I feel like shit again. Same thing as before. And BigKitty is relentless with the meds! I want to bite her, grrr. But I don’t, just scratch her up a little bit. She rolls me up in a big flannel sheet and forces that pink goo into my mouth. Bleah! To add insult to injury, she makes fun of my undignified state! When I’m rolled up she says I’m a big Puddy Burrito. So I scratch her some more, the merciless bitch. Hrummph. I’m going to go sit in the tall grass behind the neighbor’s garage. And sulk.

Outside

Yesterday I stayed outside until after dark! It was super exciting, dudes! I was like a big lion, hunting on the veldt! There were noises and buggies and grass and shit. Awesome! BigKitty came looking for me but I hid where she couldn't see me.

I thought about staying outside all night, but when I realized I wanted some chow, I came inside. A cat's gotta have his grub, ya' know.

not playing

No, man, I wasn't playing with Bea. I wasn't playing with her. Maybe it just looked like I was. Granted my paws were dangling off the edge of the chair, and yeah maybe she was rolled over on her back batting at me...but we weren't playing. Nopers. Not a chance.

Wasted

Oh man, what was in that food BigKitty gave me? I thought it tasted a little off. Wow, there are giant, zig-zag something or others dancing around the kitchen. And the room is slowly turning. But I feel sooo....calm....dooodddddd