SAYING GOOD-BYE

CATS ON TUESDAY

Tomorrow I will leave for a roundtrip to Turkey. My suitcase is open and ready for a cat to sit in. At least that's what had always happened when I went on holidays. But this time not at all.

Of course when I started putting things in they came and checked, but as soon as I took my camera they all ran away ! Nothing to do. Even my sweet voice invitation to pleeaase sit in the suitcase for a picture was not heard at all. Pookie seemed already offended she surely smelled that she wouldn't see me for a while. Because today she didn't sleep at all on her usual place besides my computer. She installed herself in the guest room on the sofa there and I could call and call she didn't move ! She has never used this sofa before and had never slept in the guest room either !



Pookie on her way to the guest room

Arthur suddenly discovered that he absolutely wanted to play with me. Maybe with the intention to make me regret my holidays. He finally had dared to go inside this funny tube I had bought for them all and which sits there since 3 days without any reaction from the cats part. Lisa had sniffed at it a little and then walked away, Pookie too. Kim of course looked at that strange thing from very far ! You never know. But Arthur now went in and even had a little nap.

Here he shows me that I would regret not to see his clowneries for a while.

Next tuesday I am in Istambul and I don't know if I could publish or even find a cat story. So we will "see" each other in two weeks.

For CATS ON TUESDAY Dragonheart is so kind to host you next tuesday. So please start your rounds there.

A PEACEFUL EVENING

Have you ever been knocked out by your cat ? This happened (nearly) to me yesterday evening. I peacefully watched a murder at TV and suddenly heard a long awful complain behind me which came out of the depth of Arthur's chest. He had spotted his enemy the black cat with the big head who had dared to enter the living room !

Before I could turn my head to see what happened and eventually get up and chase the intruder away, I got a hit on my head, the TV switched off alone, I heard water splashing on the ground and saw 3 shadows disappearing in all directions.

I gathered my spirits and rubbed my head and then saw what all had happened in one second. Pookie, who napped on the sofa back behind me, had jumped on my head, and catapulted herself by putting a paw on my nose somewhere into the living room.

Kim who was peacefully sleeping on the dining table had got up and kicked over the vase which was full of water. Arthur who was watching his enemy from a chair under the table had knocked it down and was invisible. Only Lisa hadn't attented this event.

Our living room looked like a battle field. The vase lay just at the border of the table. A big puddle had formed on the floor, two chairs were also laying down. The remote control had disappeared, I found it later under the sofa and I sat dazzeled there and wondered what had happened to my head, nose and me in general.

Mr. Gattino took the events in his hands. First he sweared, chased the black intruder outside, stepped in the puddle and got wet feet (which increased his vocabulary) He picked up the flowers, throw them in the vase (I had to arrange it later) picked up the chairs and comforted his little Arthur who sat there with huge eyes transformed into a pillar of ice.

Today the carpet is still wet, but the cats are fine.

Pookie checked why the TV is not working anymore

Arthur to recover needs a glass of water !

FIRST MEETING WITH ROSEL

Yesterday I took my camera and went to visit little Rosel for the first time.

We decided to call her Rosel (at least for the moment) because this name suits her quite well and follows our family rules, name the cat after a great aunt or uncle and Rosel was my grandma's sister.

But I thank all of you very much for the name suggestions !

Greta, Hazel, Vivianne, Dolce, Cookie, Oreo, Queency, Victoria/Vicky, Angela, Sandy, Isabel, Dora, DW, Netta/Netty, Lola, and Lyla. We really had the choice !

Vivian (Vivianne in French) was not possible because that's my neighbors name and I can't ask her to please come down from a tree or not to dig holes in my garden. The same for Isabel, because that's the name of her daughter !

We then thought the name shouldn't end with a "ah" or a "e" because we already have Lisa and Pookie and they could get mixed up with "Roseee" or "Lolaaa".

Little Rosel was born here in this house, which contained stables before and had been transformed into a beautiful home. I was greated by the master of the house, dog Arhius who is the same breed as our neigbor dog Yanouk ! So little Rosel will find the same kind of dog here in our home.


Rosel's home


and here with Mum !



She tries to get her own ways !


Isn't she beautiful ??




There were 10 kittens from two mothers. They had their own cat room (former guest room) and both mothers had chosen to keep their little family in the two wardrobes standing there. Each mother with her little babies in one wardrobe.
A double bed matrass layed on the floor and served as excersise place !


Rosel and her siblings ! 5 in total





Cat mum 2 and dog Arhius are drinking water out of the same bowl


Rosel's mother (with black) and her sister who also had 5 kittens. They all were born with one week interval. Apparently Rosel's mother had chosen the dogs basket for giving birth to her five !



and when I came home I found "this" on my bed ! A fainted Arthur who probably guessed already what is to be expected ! His 7th sense told him so !

A NEW FAMILY MEMBER !

Arthur and his companions don't know yet what will happen to them ! I am pleased to present you ????? No Name !

After a long (not long at all) discussion between the family members i.e. Mr. Gattino and myself we decided to adopt another little cat. We found out that Arthur with the time gets frustrated because his female companions don't want to play with him anymore. Lisa with her 16 years still plays but not with him, she prefers us. Pookie, yes from time to time would allow him to run after her, but then she would suddenly stop, turn around and give him a hiss and a slap in his oh so surprised face. Not to talk about Kim who doesn't even know what playing is.

Now to avoid that poor Arthur will become an old grandpa before time, we decided to provide him with a playmate ! And for the first time in our life, we choose Internet to find the appropriate partner ! (like some humans do).

First we wanted to go to our usual animal shelter but it brakes our heart to see all these unhappy animals ! Coward as I am I choose the easier way : Internet. I put one advertising :

Want to adopt female kitten, black and white for companion to my cat Arthur (spayed)

The latter is very important to mention otherwise people think I want to have a birth machine for kittens. Already the first reply was a hit ! A very young couple and very surprised by the fact that their darling cat had become mother of 5 (!) babies ! answered. 3 were already "booked" and from the remaining two I choose (on picture only) this little thing above. A black and white girl.

And today I will drive about 20 km to have a look at our futur family member ! (Report will follow of course)

But now the big question ! What name to give ??? Please help us, otherwise there will be a divorce for disagreement ! We thought about ROSIE. Do you have a better idea ?? All suggestions are heartly welcome !

Poor (or happy ?) Arthur doesn't know yet what is expecting him ! From mid June on it's finished with naps and lazy times !

My friends now look at me with admiration ! I am the first one who adopted via Internet ! Nobody can reproach me that I don't go with the time !

THE MINI HUMAN

CATS ON TUESDAY

Saturday my friend visited us together with her 3 year old grand daughter and was of course very intrigued by the cats ! She has a big dog at home, but cats she only had seen in Kindergarten on pictures. Now I don't have to explain how 3 year olds behave when they are happy and want to touch an animal. It doesn't work without noise of course.

Pookie and Kim got hysterical and disappeared to all points of the compass. Lisa just had a bored look on this strange mini human and vanished too. But Arthur stayed. He apparently loves children and probably had never had a bad experience either. It looked like if he had met her everyday.

The first approach

Arthur wonders who it is, never saw this mini human and

lay down to wash. Of course what else. Cats when they don't know how to behave they wash and think it over. It's more esthetic then digging with a finger in a nose and think !


That mini human is OK he thought

and asked her why she stopped petting him !

Finally as nothing new came up, he strolled away. But not very far, he even came back and followed her in the house. Do your cats behave like that with a 3 year old ?

As he is always tracking the neighborhood he must have met a lot of kids and because he is not afraid of them he apparently only had met nice once !

The rest of the cat family only showed up when there were no strange sounds around anymore.

The Unplugged mom has reminded me that we all have to do something for PEACE in the world. Maybe if politicians don't listen to people they may listen to their cats if they have any. Usually they are more "dog" because a cat is too independent and wouldn't do what they want ! so please lets all together Blog Blast For Peace and read this from Mimi's Blog !

7 RANDOMS ABOUT POOKIE

Since all my cats had been tagged by Sharlene and my Spice cats and by Aloysius , now after Arthur, I think I should write 7 randoms about Pookie.

And here is what it says : each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and
list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and ask them to read your blog!

I know Pookie since she has been a baby. One dark rainy November afternoon, my son and I were sitting in his living room and both had the blues. After a while I sighed deeply and looking around stated : It's so empty here, not even a cat !

He jumped up without a word and disappeared leaving me on his sofa quite surprised.
After two hours he suddenly showed up again with a cage containing a tiny little kitten which manifested his disagreement in a loud voice, a litter box, litter, two bowls a basket and baby cat food. He dropped everything kitty included on the kitchen table and said : So, now we have a cat ! This way Pookie moved into our family.

1. Pookie is very intelligent and surprises me in many ways. She is very sensible and accords herself easily to each of my mood changes . I honestly have to say I never met such a "human" cat.

2. She also is very curious, loves to check handbags or others (here with the Doctor's bag)

3. She likes to be always near me. My bed is her favourite nap place or just the chair besides my computer. Pookie choose herself an indoor life. She only goes out for her natural needs and when I am outside in the garden.

4. Pookie loves hunting, but then only very very tiny little things. Flies or little spiders are her favourites. Here she is watching a fly. And it's amazing, but she always catches them. She wouldn't choose a mum mouse but the baby the same is valid for birds or moles !

5. When Pookie gives up mothering me for a moment then she gets her crazy attacks, runs through the whole house and makes a mess with all carpets.

6. Each and everything I do she watches and checks. She follows me everywhere. If I sit, she sits, I get up and into another room, she will do the same. Sometimes Mr. Gattino, seeing me coming alone wonders where she is, usually she is attached to my leg with an unvisible string.

7. Pookie is also a very motherly cat. She takes good care of Kim (which she had helped to raise) Pays attention that Arthur doesn't get to adventurous and slaps his face from time to time to show him who is the boss !

Only Lisa is above all that and goes her own ways.

And finally I have found 7 victims this time !

Angelo

Celeste

Oscar

Rosa & Felicitas

Dorothy

Rosie & Cheeto

Salix tree

7 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ARTHUR

Poor Arthur has been tagged by Sharlene and my Spice cats and by Aloysius and even has to respect rules, which is really against his cat nature ! But the worst cat can sometimes be in a good mood and cooperative.

And here is what it says : each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Cats who are tagged need to write on their own blog about the seven things and the rules. You need to choose seven cats to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment that they have been tagged and ask them to read your blog!



1. Arthur has the funniest sleeping poses I have ever seen. He even falls deeply asleep when he sits. On this picture he just woke up.

2. He is as curious as a concierge and knows everybody in the neighborhood

3. He is a brave cat and doesn't look for fights or troubles


4. He loves humans, from XXXL to XS the latter size being noisy and always persecuting him, especially the toothless miniatures. But that also doesn't bother him



5. He loves to sleep in wardrobes and jump out in the right moment to cause heart attack, but he has no commission on that from our doctor.




6. He is a very helpful cat. Here he helps taking blood pressure. He also assists with digging in gardens, washing cars and leaving paw prints when they are clean, climbs in the doctor's bag when he is on a visit and walks the postman around to check if he puts the letters in the right mail boxes.



7. He loves to look cute and therefore obtain everything he wants

Now I should tag 7 (seven in letters !!!) other cats to do the same, but there I give up, I really don't know seven who are ready to divulge their most intim character traits ! But you are free to play if you wish of course !

RAINY DAYS

First of all Arthur's health bulletin ! He is his old self again, plenty of energy and full of didoes in his head, ready for execution. In fact he (already) discovered that a white cord hangs down from his botty like a horse tail with short hairs and that itself is something marvelous to him. He tries to catch it and again and again, but without success, this €@#%@ thing is uncatchable and as laugh is always on the looser, I laugh my head off.

After having been spoilt with the weather for more then a month, every day warm and sunshine, now since Arthur is allowed to go out again, it rains cats and dogs and it's cold. So the whole little cat family stays inside.

and as I cannot go out either, besides writing I take the opportunity to make pictures of him while he sleeps. Above is a closer view on the now worldwide known tail !


As you can see he is not traumatized and sleeps like a bear in hibernation.





He also "agreed" in his sleep to pose with my motherday gift (below), which Mr. Gattino has bought for good services to the cats.


Isn't that a beautiful wooden cat ?



Pookie too does her 24 h marathon sleep and as she works for me on my blogWriter Cramps, she didn't complain at all when I took these pictures to decorate my posts



For all present or upcoming subjects.

I offered myself these two little watches, one indicating US time and one Australian time in order to be always aware when people sleep or should sleep.

Before posing correctly Pookie had first to check what could be under the Sunflower doll skirt. Probably she thought it was a scottish one.



Still not convinced to come a little closer, but it's already OK

Now you know how we spend rainy days !

If you havn't done it yet, please read some COT group (why not Cat at Tuesday) informations here !!!

INTERNATIONAL MEOWS

My cats try to meow in all languages, at least that's my opinion ! Because when they start it could be

Danish: mjav
Dutch: miauw
English: meow

Arthur learns Oxford English meowing also in writing. He felt asleep.

Finnish: miau, kurnau (must sound like Arthur : kuuurrrnaaauuu)
French: miaou
German: miau
Greek: niaou (Greek cats don't know "m"s)
Hebrew: miyau

Pookie is exhausted from Spanish - French

Italian: miao
Japanese: nyaa (japanese cats never agree !)
Korean: (n)ya-ong (I have to ask Arthur to pronounce that for me, he is meowing specialist)
Norwegian: mjau
Polish: miau
Lisa tries dutch
Russian: myau
Slovene: mijau
Spanish (Spain, Argentina): miau
Swedish: mjau
and Kim put her Thai - Turkish away.

Thai: meow meow (with high tone)
Turkish: miyauv, miyauv
Ukrainian: myau
Vietnamese: meo-meo

Please try to pronounce these international meows correctly !

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