Christmas Day, 2011.
There is really nothing better than an empty box. At the same time, there is nothing better than a box with cat toys in it. So, you see the problem…
Ideal solution is a large box with many cat toys, which is then emptied onto the floor, creating a lovely empty box to play and sleep in. That was the scenario this past Christmas. “A good time was had by all!”
Godfrey and his brothers are in the early stages of welcoming a new kitten into the house. His name is Stedam Capt. McTavish of MacDuff — a spectacular silver tabby American Shorthair who is full of mischief!
It’s funny. You always know that kittens are full of non-stop energy, but somehow you forget until a new one arrives! There are times when all of us wish McTavish would just settle down and take a nap, but he is just too eager to explore, play with toys and generally annoy his big brothers.
So far it seems that he and Godfrey are getting along swimmingly, while McTavish loves to wrestle with Ritzy, our silver Maine Coon. It’s “all in good fun,” and Ritzy is “dealing,” but we can read his mind; “Please make this stop!”
Let the celebrations begin! Our sweet lummox turns seven years old today. At this very moment he is curled up next to my legs as I continue to work on his memoirs. (he wants to make sure I get it right) Later today he’ll get a bonus can of food AND some scrumptious Royal Canin Maine Coon kibble, which he only gets as a treat or on “special occasions.” Or when we need to lure him somewhere!
Godfrey is truly a special guy. Happy Birthday Gawd-frey!
One of the best cat-related sites in the world (and we’re not exaggerating!) is SimonsCat.com.
The genius animator, Simon Tofield, creates these wonderful little animated films in the traditional manner, that is, they are actually hand-drawn, frame-by-frame. But what’s really amazing is just how perfectly Tofield captures the reality of living with cats. There is never a false moment in his work.
Our favorite new bit is called “Double Trouble.” Since we have a new kitten in the house, it really hit home. Enjoy!
For the well-traveled cat lover, it’s important to “speak the language” when you are abroad, particularly if you happen upon a cute “kotka” or “kissa” and want to strike up a conversation. Here’s a fun list of the word “cat” in many tongues…
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Albanian – macë Arabic – kitte Armenian – katu Basque – catua Bulgarian – kotka Cantonese – Maow Catalan – gat Cherokee – eesa Chinese – miu/mau Cree – bushi Czech – kocka Dutch – kat or poes Egyptian – miw English – cat Eskimo – pussi |
Esperanto – kato |
Italian – gatto Japanese – neko Lithuanian – katinas Netherlands – kat/poes Norwegian – katt Pakistani – shimii Polish – kot or gatto Russian – koshka/kot Slovak – mačka; muca Spanish – gato Swedish – katt Turkish – kedi Vietnamese – mèo Welsh – cath Yiddish – kats |
The very funny folks at I Can Has Cheezburgher, have put together a list of resolutions for 2012 — as seen from the perspective of cats. Godfrey claims he will do none of these, because, (I quote) “I’m already perfect.”
He did say, though, that “staying cool” was on his agenda.
Well, maybe :-) Anyway, take a look and enjoy!
What’s new? Well, we survived another year with the large, 9 foot “pine scented cat toy” in our dining room, and neither Godfrey nor any of his curious brothers created any havoc! In fact, Harley and Ritzy seemed to sense that the tree had special powers — and they spent most of the holiday season camped out either under it or very nearby. Now we’re worried that they’ll be depressed when we take it down week…
We have been off the circuit for a few weeks, which is particularly nice this time of year, when there is so much to do and when the weather can turn sour very quickly, but pretty soon now we’ll be back “on the road again.” By the way, I recently found a fun version of that Willie Nelson classic done in French!
If you’re a cat lover (or a cat!) and you’d like to say hi, please do!
Cheers and best wishes for a wonderful 2012!