The CAT room!

Roberta, you mean you have never left Mikey to go away, even for a short weekend?

Amazing!

Yes, you really need to write a book on Mikey's escapades ... I would buy it!

Thanks all for the suggestions about the book. Truthfully, I never thought of Mikey as all that interesting. Just annoying.

Misti, When Mikey was a kitten, my mother broke her shoulder, so I dumped Mikey at the vet--to be neutered and boarded--and disappeared for about a week. Since then, I've been home. When I had my corporate job, I came to hate travel with a passion. When I was downsized, I vowed not to travel again for five years. More than that amount of time has gone by, and lots has happened. Although I'm still not keen on travel, I couldn't do it even if I wanted to. My health isn't that good, and I can't afford it.

BTW, how was Mikey in my absence? According to the vet's assistants, he was scary. They let the cats they board out for play and exercise. Everyone was afraid to play with Mikey. So when he was out of his enclosure, he just glared. What a guy. When he was hospitalized, he didn't just glare. He spit at everyone who walked by. What a charmer.

Aw, but he's simply not an animal person, Roberta, he's a PEOPLE person!
And he was obviously unhappy in those situations, poor thing.

Re the book we're all encouraging you to write: It's not just Mikey's (clever, sneaky & hilarious) antics that would make for an amusing read ... It's your relationship with him, your power struggles, your truces, etc,
I'd love to read it, should you ever decide to write it!

After a month on the road I picked up our smeeze, Simon&Schuster from Bar King Kennels in Pahoa,HI thinking the critter would never speak to us again - or would come home and do something unspeakable in the middle of my bed to punish us = but not the case. Simon told me later on the QT that his stay was quite pleasant except for the squaking birds (a couple of huge parrots) that commented on everything going on.

I brought him home and he stayed out for a couple of days until he got his fill of the wild and then he slept for a couple of days.

Welcome home Simon.

Mikey update: Mikey likes to sit on the arm of the couch while I'm sitting there. I'm not going to go into the struggles, battles, and maneuvering that takes place as we jostle for arm/tush room on the couch. What I am going to go into is how, on one such recent occasion, I thought that Mikey's breaths were too fast. Panic. Minor hysteria. Worry. No money for the vet. Etc. I looked online to find out what normal respirations are for a cat. 20 to 24 per minute. Anything over 40 is cause for worry.

I don't have a watch with a second hand, but I do have an electric clock with one. The challenge was to get Mikey near enough to to clock for me to see him breathe and for me to be able to see the clock. This was more of a challenge than I could manage. We would start out ok, but he invariably moved. I'm sure he was mystified. Why is she staring at me. I eventually remembered that I had inherited my father's writswatch, which has a second hand. I dug it out and waited for the right moment.

Mikey asleep on the floor right next to the couch seemed perfect. I counted breaths and checked the second hand. 21. I checked again. 20. I checked again. 21. I guess there's nothing wrong with Mikey's breathing. When he woke up, I tried to check again. Couldn't do it. His breathing was too irregular. Fast then slow then fast. Panic. Then I realized that the fasts were nothing more than Mikey sniffing the air. Panic gone. Feeling sheepish. I assume that I got nervous when I saw him breathing midsniff.

I thought I'd mention this here in case anyone notices fast breathing or wants to check their cat's respirations. If nothing else, it proves that I'm at least as nuts as you thought I was.

Oh my!!!!

And write the damn book - if Minka and Curdy were interesting, this guy can sell millions!! I mean it - cat freaks will lap him up.

Try My Family and Other Animals too, if you haven't already - to see how much fun Mikey would be to write about!

You could include the breathless advice you have had here and Abuzz etc about him as a counterpoint - 'twould be even funnier.

Phew, Roberta! His Monstership is OK! I'm mightily relieved.

By the way, I can related to the fight with the critter over the best spot:
An unseasonal warm day here yesterday, so I decided to read for a while outside, on my trusty banana lounge. Half an hour of pure bliss in the sun & Mr Flat Cat arrives! You know the rest! Much jostling for the best spot. And he's HEAVY! Plus determined. I ended up with my feet sort of dangling over the edge - HE was perfectly contented! Hadn't seen the banana lounge for months!

Deb

Yes, Life With Mikey & Roberta would make a fantastic read! And Roberta could become very, very rich!

Yep, Roberta
Put your obvious talent towards writing something fun about His Lordship!

Have i growled at you ladies lately?


Hmmm


arf, arf, woof, woof, woof . . .


<yawn><stretch>


scratch, scratch, scratch . . .


Think i'll curl up here on this chaise longue and get some sleep in the warm sunshine . . .

Hey set, that dog is the kind of dog that thomas Kinkaide would paint if Thomas kinkaid could paint.

Ladies? Really, Setanta!

Harumpphhh!

We are women & men (also!) enamoured by the sheer beauty of our ravishing felines. <Shaking head sadly> If only you could understand the superiority of cats! ... You'd throw over those docile, drooling, tail wagging critters in a second! Sad, very sad ......

someone get the flea spray ..... quick

Flea spray doesn't work ... it has to be applied to the nape of the neck so that they can't reach back there and lick it off!

Try it, you can't reach it, right?

hey Misti - we're the same temperature as you today! too warm for me

I couldn't agree more MsOlga.

My wife went back to the States for the summer, leaving me with her dog (YUCK). What I'd give to have a cat purring on my lap right now!

Ah, Jim, I feel for you!

Right this very moment I do have a cat purring on my lap. Nisse is here and although it's actually too warm to have him on my lap - how could I send him away! He looks at me as if he could understand all my worries and problems and will be taking care of them. He is sooo adorable... :-)

Misti, it's nice and hot in Balingen, too!

How are you, dear?

Urs53 ... thanks for the lovely visual:)

We are all well here, thank you for asking. It is a very hot summer, with lots of storms, which we don't mind at all!

I will be posting some new pics of the kitties soon, will let you know!

Hmmm, while cats are obviously superior in every possible way, Jim, SOME dogs can be kinda nice, too, yes? BUT maybe not the one you've been left with? Or maybe you just miss your wife?
Good luck!

I like cats because they are cats. I also like dogs because they're dogs. I don't think one species is superior to the other. Is this heresy on this thread?