Tortoiseshell cats are named for their distinctive coloring – a combination of patches of black, brown, amber, red, cinnamon and chocolate. The size of the patches varies from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color. The term “tortoiseshell” is used for cats with brindled coats that have few or no white markings. Cats of this coloring with larger areas of white fur are called calicos. Sometimes, these colors present in lighter versions such as lilac or cream. Torties with this lighter coloring are called dilute torties. Occasionally, the typical tortoiseshell colors are also seen in a tabby (striped) pattern, and these cats are sometimes referred to as “torbies.”
Tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female. Tortoiseshell and calico coats are the result of the interaction between genetic and developmental factors. The occasional and very rare male tortoiseshell cat is the result of a genetic mutation.
In addition to their distinctive coloring, torties also have a reputation for unique personalities, sometimes referred to as “tortitude.” They tend to be strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. They’re usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with anything from a hiss to a meow to a strong purr. These traits are stronger in tortoiseshell cats than in calicos – it seems as though these traits are somewhat diluted with the addition of more white to the color scheme.
As of the writing of this post, I share my life with Amber*, and those of you who’ve followed this blog for a while have gotten to know her in her Amber’s Mewsings posts. You will soon be able to read all about Buckley in Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. The photo above shows Buckley in the front, Amber behind her.
Prior to Amber and Buckley, there was another tortie in my life. Virginia was the first office cat at the animal hospital I managed. She was my introduction to torties, and my love affair with this particular type of cat began with her. She, too, had the “tortitude” I so love about these particular cats.
Do you have a tortie or calico in your life? Does she have “tortitude?”
*Sadly, Amber passed away on May 13, 2010, after a sudden, brief illness. I now share my life with Allegra and Ruby, two tortoiseshell cats who have their own columns here on The Conscious Cat, titled Allegra’s World and Ruby’s Reflections.
Photo ©Ingrid King, all rights reserved
Bernie has a new pic of Steeler on her FB page.
Sleeping on her pillow with her stuffed Monkey.
Bernadette is right folks. I will be off CC for a while. In the meantime I expect and hope each of you pick up the continued pressuring of making sure to remind everyone to vote and vote often for Ingrid’s sites. You all know them. But just in cast I am putting the reminder on this post. I will try to check in on you guys if I can. But you bet when I return I will see how things went. Stay well and keep being “gabby” as Harry would put it. Till I return be bad.
To vote, go to http://dogtime.com/petties – I’m nominated in the Best Overall Pet Blog and Best Cat Blog categories.
Have a wonderful time, Bernie – and thanks for staying on top of making people vote 🙂
Ok Folks, listen up. You all know Bernadette from here. She is a walking library of knowledge.
Today I received her brand new printing of her culmination of a long work effort, her 16 month GREAT RESCUE CALENDAR.
IT IS SUPERBLY DONE. THE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE WONDERFUL. THIS IS MORE THAN JUST “a calendar”. Bernadette has added features on health and care and so much more. I would suggest that you folks order early, I can see a sell out of these in no time. Make sure you are early to order.
You can write Bernadette here, even tho she did post back a ways about the info. I am sure she would answer you questions and help you order 1 or more if you like. This calendar is STEELER APPROVED, and as you all know, STEELER, approves very little.
Already ordered… I know there will be something good to look forward to when I get home!
Bernie–thanks! My first review!
You got it ALREADY?!!
I just dropped it off Priority Mail in Carnegie at 4:00 p.m. yesterday! Let’s hear it for the US Postal Service!
Steeler is still one of the best rescue stories I’ve ever heard.
FIVE STAR RATING Bernadette. It is a wonderful presentation. Job extremely well done. Leaving late to night. Make sure these folks keep voting.
Without singling out anyone here, my favorite rescue stories are in the “Who Rescued Whom” category. Not naming names.
You guys are going to be bad while I am away. I haven’t even left and “not mentioning any names” it has already started. Keep up the good work. (Gabby uh) 🙂
And what just came on the radio–Aretha Franklin, “Rescue Me”!
I may be screaming that in the Gulf on Sunday. Not a great swimmer. But will remember to scream “Rescue Me.”. Hope it works.
I can’t wait to get mine!
Bernie, what’s the latest on Steeler ?
Saw her on FB that she loves the mice that Rachel got her (Thanks Rachel).
Hope the old Steeler is showing up now. Golden eyes yet ?
Had my friend Shelly saying special prayers for her.
She is a Wicca priestesses and has connections to animals and their health.
I am hoping that every little bit helps.
Especially around Solstice, really powerful time for healing.
I believe Bernie is going to be away for a few days, not sure if it starts today or tomorrow. Didn’t want you to worry if she didn’t get back to you!
Jay and everyone else here, Steeler is being herself in many ways. There is a ways to go.
Steeler does enjoy those tiny mice, and she enjoys watching me get on the floor to retrieve them from under the cupboard. I have to admit, I keep a long stick handy to pull her toys from under things, finally got smart on that one. She is still sticking to me like glue. Her mornings are at her discretion, if she wants to eat at 4AM she does her morning ritual walk on mommy and smack to the jaw if no response. I let her thing I am asleep, until the 2nd smack then the normal headbutt for her forehead kisses and off to the kitchen. She is ready to eat. I stumble around and feed her and head back to the comfort of the bed.
Steeler eyes are no longer green. They appear to be coming back to a amber color but not there just yet. But they are beautiful eyes nonetheless. I will take whatever color they become.
All prayer and wishes, I believe help in one way or the other. So thank you friend, as I thank everyone here who has and continues to wish her well.
We think about Steeler all the time, just carrying good thoughts for her.
Bernadette I know all of you do. I do appreciate all those good thoughts for her.
Let me put everyone’s mind at peace about her care while I am away. She is going to have 3 caregivers (more than I have ever had for myself). One is a CRNP, my granddaughter and the farmers who know Steeler and she “tolerates them”. They will spend time with her during the day and make sure she takes her Meds and my granddaughter will be here all evening and night (also one Steeler will tolerate”. None of which can pick Steeler up. UH UH no touching Steeler. So I can have some piece of mind for my short trip.
🙂
So true.
Family.
Bernie, that’s wonderful news that Steeler’s eye color is returning to more of an amber color.
Ingrid, even though I checked the box thast said “Notify me of followup comments via e-mail ” I stopped getting e-mails about a week ago. It it just me or are others having this problem ?
Been voting a couple times a day.
Are there any other blogs (Dog or Cat) that you recomend?
IHC (I Have Cat) is one I do like. The Dog ones I have not checked out.
Bought a deshedding tool last night at Walmart . was looking for The Furminator as my friend Kimmie has one for her Golden, but Walmart doesn’t carry it but had one from FurGOpet that looked the same and was $20. With my discount was only $19.97.
Took off enuf fur on Tabby to equil the size of Stirfry. Stir being short hair did not get much but she liked it. Pumpkin I have not done yet but he should have about halfway between Stir and Tabby.
Wow, a whole 3 cents discount, WalMart is really generous.
Try putting the e-mail and/or domain name in your “safe senders” list. See if you get these replies.
Sorry, have to proof read before hitting Submit.
From a distance 8 and 9 look so close
It was $18.97
Jay, did this resolve for you? There’s been an issue with comment e-mail notification earlier this week, but it’s resolved from my server end. Let me know if you’re still having the problem.
Thanks for voting!
I’ve been voting every day, Berns lol but only once…I promise this weekend I’ll vote twice a day
Ok but I will hold you to that. Vote twice a day. Vote like Chicago, vote early and often. Ingrid going to hang me for saying that. But you have to catch up. 🙂
Thanks for all the voting support! Vote twice a day, every day, for two more weeks!
O….M….G! A conversation about dog breeding came up at work today. Now personally, I’m all about spay and neuter because it’s better for both the animal AND the world. There are already too many animals in shelters and on the streets….My personal believe is that NO-ONE should breed a dog or cat until the shelters no longer have to euthanise ANY pets. But anyway, I digress. It came up at work today that it was okay to breed a father to a daughter, mother to son, or brother to sister, but only once. I absolutely could NOT believe that, so I looked it up.
W…..T…..??????
It seems to be a common practice!
And people are amazed when children get mauled and their pets have all these wierd health issues! Well, DUH!
People who aren’t too smart think it’s incest, and I’ve gotten a few people to spay and neuter when I tell them it’s not. At least there’s something they find gross.
Those who breed like that want the traits more than they want the dog.
I thought it would make for pink eyed animals or all white, if the blood lines were so close. So much for how much I know.
Right? Isn’t that the reason purebred dogs have so many wierd issues, and why little kids get mauled? I can’t BELIEVE that is still accepted practice!
I have to admit I know very little to nothing about the breeding. But that just doesn’t sound right. Maybe it is just me. Hey Wild Child go vote and vote often. 🙂
I can’t believe in this day and age that anyone REALLY thinks that would be okay!
LMAO…too funny Bern…..but man, that’s a hard way to go about getting tough!
BTW Bernie……(Points up to Andy’s post) All signs are suggesting we have another “Wild Child” in the building…..still waiting for confirmation, but we tend to know one when we see one lol
Hey Wild Child there is only ever going to one Wild child here to me and that is you. I nicknamed you that a while back, with your expressive post, that strange music, Monkey screaming and poor Peaches has to live with that all. YOI 🙂
I seen Andy’s post. He can’t be a wild child. But I am glad to see another newbie here.
Got my bike back from the shop.
Had to walk 4 miles thru the country on back roads. 1st 1/2 mile was rough but then I got into a good pace and enjoyed the scenery Mostly Amish farms. Watching red tail hawks soaring overhead and never knew high tension lines crackled when standing directly underneath. Ride back was a lot faster.
Now back to cleaning out the garage and basement.
Hey folks, do you all see what I see with Jay. He seems to have a penchant for electric wires.
Wonder if that comes from taking after Stirfry. She is tough, so Jay may be trying to be tough like her. Don’t know. What do you think?
Four miles along country roads through Amish farms? Can we trade places? I’ll still let you clean your garage and basement.
My first cat, Coco, was a tortie. I was seven years old adopting my first kitten, thinking that she was going to be this sweet docile little fur ball that would let me dress her up and sleep in a doll house. Oh, how surprised I was when the true personality of this little cat came out! Coco was an expert hunter, insanely hot headed, and not very affectionate the first years that I owned her. She never let me dress her up (I have the scars from attempting!) and was always attacking the other members of our household.
But as time wore on, Coco became very attached to me, and would accompany me to the bathroom and sit on my lap while I pissed and would sleep on my face during the night. Lovely. She was very possessive of me- I once was the owner of a hamster in the 4th grade, which was slain and dismembered by Coco, reminding me “No, I’M your pet.”
Coco also liked to bring home a wide assortment of animals and display them proudly on my carpet. Mice, rats, birds, gophers, large rodents almost her size and even humming birds were in the mix. She was an extremely skilled huntress, a bad ass, and the best tortie one could ever ask for.
My love, my Coco, ran away from home after I had to move for college and never came home… she was found by animal control severely ill and injured, and they put her to rest.
I’ll never forget my Coco. I hope you’re killing some mice in heaven, angel.
I’m so sorry about Coco, Andy. She sounds like she was a very special little girl – and she sure sounds like she was all tortie during the first few years of her life!
Sorry for your loss of Coco. Tortie take our hearts and are always with us. You have all those wonderful memories of her. If by xhance you ever adopt another kit from a shelter that needs a forever home I hope you can find another Tortie.
Wow, your first cat, and what a cat to find! I’m so sorry it ended that way, and I’m sure Coco is keeping heaven’s mice busy.
Sorry for your loss. I’ve had two torties, first Hatchet (RIP) and now Monkey, and they both ended up being very attached to and posessive of me. Not sure about Monkey, as I live alone with her and the divalicious Princess Peach (a tuxedo cat), but Hatchet was definitely a one-person cat. She was never actually mean to anyone else, it was more like no-one else even existed. I think that’s actually a tortie trait too.
As of now, Monkey loves everyone she meets. But that may be because not a lot of people come over. I don’t know how she’d be if someone else lived here.
BTW…..I get a sense….are you a metal or hard rocker kind of guy, by any chance?
Actually, I DID get an idea the other day…My neigbor with the finicky Ragdoll came over (The one who buys him expensive stuff, then re-gifts it to me when he won’t use it)….usually she’s only here for a minute or two, and Monkey loves her. But this time we got into a conversation about Astrology and she stuck around for a while….Monkey loved her for a while, but toward the end, she bit her twice. I think Monkey likes newcomers as long as they’re new lol…..
Before y’all go thinking I’m a mean bad host like my ex who thought it was funny that Peaches terrorized his friend, I actually DID chastise Monkey for her behavior as soon as she did it both times. Obviously she didn’t pay a bit of attention, but I tried!.
Hey Wild CHild sounds like Monkey showed her true Tortitude with your neighbor or maybe she doesn’t like to share you, either way, she did her thing. Did your neighbor try to pet her or reach for her to make her defensive. That’s all you have to do with Steeler to lose a limb!!!
Tortie do not pay attention, now I am laughing. I learned that a long time ago with Steeler.
How did you try to chastise her. Did she walk away from you with her tail in the air flicking the tip of her tail at you? 🙂
SHe was rubbing and loving on my neighbor FOREVER!..the whole time she was here, Monkey was loving her, then all of a sudden for no reason at all she just turned and bit her! I yelled; MONKEY! BAD!…..Monkey was nice to her again for a minute, then she bit her again!
Thank GOD my neighbor’s Ragdoll is even ornrier, so she’s used to being abused by cats! lol
Well that sounds like standard Tortie behavior to me. At least from what I know about Steeler. If some one shows her affection, she will return it three fold. That is to say, she will only take three fingers off the well meaning person for no good reason. Just a plain Tortie.
Andy, I am truly sorry to hear how you lost Coco. It sounds like she made a young man very happy while she was with you. Torties are special that way. Maybe one day you will get another Tortie. You know it takes a special kind of person to take in and love a Tortie. You sound as though you may be one of those guys. Thanks for sharing your story with us.
I dunno Berns, for some reason he gives me a metal-head vibe…I think you should be very afraid lol
Hey my friend, I like you and I am not afraid of you. So I am sure Andy is just fine and I am not afraid. I give you the credit for that. You are a one of a kind. Poor Peaches. But Monkey and you are a good match. A lot of Tortie tude there 🙂
Hey everyone, I wanted to give you a quick update on Steeler’s health. Bernie took her to the vet’s for a recheck today. The vet was pleased with her heart rate, it was lower than the last time he checked it. Another x-ray showed improvement in the right lung – no more fluid or aspiration in it. Her trachea appears to have healed and shows less narrowing than a month ago. Unfortunately, her thyroid level remained unchanged and is still high. Her liver enzymes are still elevated, but not to a dangerous level. For now she will continue her heart meds. The vet will do a cardiac ultrasound and and electrocardiogram in about two weeks, that should give him a better picture of what’s going on with her heart.
This is definitely better news that what we had been hearing! According to Bernie, Steeler is even playing a little again (she posted some photos on her Facebook page), and even though she tires easily, it sounds like she’s doing much better.
Aww, that’s (mostly) good news, anyway
Thanks, Ingrid – that’s great news! I’m so glad Steeler is showing improvement. It’s not by coincidence that Tortie and Tough both start with “T”!
Hey my friend, you are supposed to be enjoying a vacation. Well deserved, I might add. I am envious. The Point Diner, I really wish I could have joined you guys out there. Maybe next year. I don’t think they would have thrown you out if you had mentioned my name in the diner. Maybe thrown you in jail, but not thrown you and Julie out of the diner. Enjoy my friends. Be happy.
Well, you see, we went into the Point and said we knew Bernie, and they said they dint want no trouble and escorted us through a door into the back parking lot.
Actually, it was just a photo stop, Bernie. Dinner was Mack and Manco’s pizza, on the boardwalk (and it was fantastic, so good that 7 of us ate two whole pies). I have eaten at the Point before, but last night’s plan was for the kids to enjoy the amusement rides on the boardwalk and to eat good thin crust pizza. (Too impatient for a sit down dinner.) You wouldn’t recognize the circle anymore… because it isn’t a circle anymore. As part of replacing the cute old drawbridge 🙁 they have turned the circle into a regular intersection. Boo, hoo.
2 whole pies? Malia and I each had a slice and we didn’t eat at the same Mack and Manco’s as you!
Bernie, so glad to hear the good news about Steeler, hope the mice are keeping her company!
Harry that puts my mind at ease. At least I don’t have to bail you folks out of jail (yet). Nice photo. I am sorry to hear that progress has changed the circle. But the diner is still a landmark.
I do hope to return to OC in the future. It was always very nice to unwind and rest. Cape May is also very lovely. I loved the victorian architecture of the quaint homes. There are several or used to be very good bed and breakfast homes there. I seen the OC pic that show Atlantic City across the ocean. Many a night I looked at that. The lights are night are very pretty. I hope you are getting a good tan and lots of good food.
So all of you know that I want you all to enjoy your vacation to the fullest. Always make every vacation better than the last.
Steeler says to leave the NJ kits in NJ.
Rachel, I can tell you are having a great time. I was sorry to hear that they don’t actually pull the taffy right there on the boardwalk in OC. It was so interesting and extremely good. My weakness. I always brought the fresh taffy home.
Steeler has been bitten by the attraction to the mice. I was totally surprised because her big thing as always been her ducky and ribbons. But she lays on the floor and tosses the mice. She is getting pretty good at it to. Except when she tosses them to parts she can’t reach I have to crawl around on the floor looking for them. But she really enjoys them.
Steeler does enjoy her mice. Yes I do have to keep getting them for her from under the cabinet.
Now for getting in shape for the beach, Jay, you may get a bigger shock now for that remark, than the fence gave you.
You ladies know what I mean. 🙂
Fantastic news on Steeler. Like Harry said, Torties are tough and back down from nothing – health issues included. Thank you Rachel for giving Steeler mice to play with and getting her Mom exercise by having to retrieve them from under the furrniture. Bernie did say she wanted to get in shape for her vacation and Steeler is doing her part.
Such great news! Cats are amazing healers and stronger than we think. I can’t believe her lungs cleared and her trachea healed. And I am eternally glad she has a good vet.
I’m not one for revenge or lawsuits, but I am one to warn others, and I think the first vet was negilgent. Whether it was just this one instance or she is careless in general, I think this was serious enough to be reported to the licenseing board in PA. What do you think?
Folks you know if you all just go back over some of the posts on here, some people might say “those folks talk strangely”. I still laugh at some of the things we have said here. I hope Ingrid keeps some of these posts and puts them together in a book about this blog and the good, but nutty, people are here and how they are truly “misunderstood” by sane folks.
I think it would be a best seller. 🙂
*lifts an eyebrow* Are you implying I’m strange?
*LMAO….never mind, I KNOW I’m strange! I actually like it, and purposly seek out other strange people to hang with
Hey Wild Child, no not implying you. I am talking about all of us. Just go read some of what we have posted over the past and it will make you laugh. We are all guilty of implying a little unsaid things. Then laughing at each other. It just makes us all a fun read. You don’t get all the credit for the craziness we have been posting. We are all guilty. But we love it. Don’t we??:)
Explains why you fit so well in this group.
Anyone with a Tortie has to be out of the norm. As they are too.
FYI.
Of all the ways to wake up in the morning, straddling an electric fence wearing shorts in not recommended.
🙁
I’m sure this has an interesting story behind it.
How the world did Jay stand up and sleep straddling an electric fence???:) Was he sleepwalking or is that the norm. Most people wake up in bed of at least laying down. 🙂 😛
I recommend coffee instead.
The story is I went to sleep at 3am, woked up at 5:45 and put the critters out and turned the fence on. Hopped over it and went inside to drink coffee and watch the news.
At 8 I went out to move them to the yard to earn their keep.
I stepped over the fence instead of hopping.
Put it this way. The fence was higher than I expected and cotton is a very poor insulator. No scream but my eyes did cross.
Ouch!
uh uh oh oh Steeler is pulling my fingers off the keyboard. She knows what I would write.
Steeler says for her Mom to be good and not tell Stirfry’s Daddy that more than the eyes were crossed. oops Steeler let go of my hand. 🙂 😛
Steeler needs more self control 😛
So you’ll never have kittens, that’s okay, the world has enough kittens.
Bernadette: Good job I am glad Cookie let you say it. 🙂 🙂
Already fixed for no kittens but the thought of making kittens went out of my thought process for a good 10 minutes.
Luckily I have recovered by now. 🙂
Only 10 minutes, not a sufficient method for birth control. But you didn’t have to go so far in support of spay and neuter as to get yourself fixed, though you set a good example.
I don’t believe Jay said he can’t have any more kittens!!!!!! What is happening here. Well at least we all are safe on that front. 😛
Bernadette you are our secret weapon. You go girl. Your good!!!! Jay doesn’t stand a chance with your wit. 🙂 We need to make note of this stunt for him so we can occasionally let him know that we will remember what he did. 🙂
You know, we could have a lot more cheap fun at Jay’s expense, something about cheap thrills, but we’d have to get a little more vulgar than we should here. I think we’ll just remind Jay the next time Harley gets loose.
Bernadette I am on board. So no vulgarity, but geez, Jay gives us so much to work with. It is hard to hold back. Your right we have a lot to remember to work with. 🙂 Jay is such a good sport, and that helps. 🙂
I’m with Ingrid on this one……
Ugh, THE most frutrating day at work…..I’ve been training the boss’s sister, and as long as I’m checking her work, it’s fine, but the SECOND I say it’s okay, she’s trained….well okay, I don’t see it right away, because to me once you do a couple of perfect trays, you’re trained…You know what it’s supposed to look like, I TELL you what NOT to do, what makes a reject, WHY that makes it a reject, I’m not vague or indecisive….a week later her work looks NOTHING like it looked when I trained her….which I know, no-one’s perfect, but her shit is bad enough to cause rejects at the end stage where it costs big money. To top it off, I PERSONALLY build about 80% of these parts, and they throw the paperwork away two operations after what I do, so when they’re rejects, who do you think it’s gonna come back to bite in the ass? One guess…
I REALLY want to scream, but I’m scared it would scare the cats…well, maybe not Monkey, then again, Monkey too, because it wouldn’t be a metal scream, it would be a Horror Movie scream! lol
I’m at my wits’ end, but I don’t know what to do! The guy at the liguor store told me to ask my boss if I could have a monkey instead, but I don’t think that would be very PC or condusive to keeping my job which I both need and love (usually)
But I’d REALLY LOVE the Monkey option……Not my cat Monkey…..I mean an actual monkey. I’m sure I could teach it to do a consistant job better than the boss’s sister. It makes it even HARDER because I actually LOVE her! She’s a riot to be around, and has a great heart, so it’s hard to criticise her (Not to mention her sister is the boss!)
A no win situation.
Save Documentation on your own PC to cover your butt.
Did not say A** as you don’t have a Donkey 🙂
Your situation has really been degrading–work, liquor store, monkey possibly replacing you. There is no way around a boss’ relative, even if the boss sees the error and admits it. I hope it turns out okay! Your kitties need to eat!
Sorry things are so rough for you – I hope it gets better soon!
I remember days like that when I still worked for other people. On those kinds of days, coming home to my cats was always extra special. Hang in there, and hug Monkey and Peaches (if they let you!)
Thanks guys. And sorry for the language. I try to not curse on here, I was just so frustrated I forgot myself. My immediate supervisor sees how frustrated I’m getting. She’ll eventually find something simple for her to do and pull her off my parts. Kathy’s good at that kind of stuff, I guess that’s why she’s the department co-ordinator. So hopefully I won’t have to deal with this too much longer.
The boss’ sister isn’t a bad person, she’s really nice, and funny as can be. She’s just flighty and has trouble staying focused.
Hmmm, Monkey MIGHT let me hug her…for Princess Peach I’ll have to settle for a quick rub and a peck on the forehead
So go scream. Just keep up you spirits and remember this will pass. Training someone is tough. It is even tougher when it is someone you like and they may be a little or a lot slow on the learning curve. You will find a way to get thru this. Hopefully the little furry ones will help you out in calming down.
We have all been there at one time or another in our lives. You will get thru it to. I am pulling for you. But I won’t play heavy metal for you. 🙂 😛
She came in today (3 hours late)….I was still stewing, so I put on my headphones and some Slipknot ( http://youtu.be/_az4CQHHzr4 ) and reasoned with myself; “It’s not her fault” “Good God if anyone else acted like that they’d be fired!” “She’s such a sweetheart though” “As often as she leaves with her Panic attackes, how does she still have vacation time?” “If she wasn’t the boss’ sister, no WAY she’d still be here” etc…etc….
My angry music must have helped me put things into perspective, I felt better. Then she apologized to the room, saying “I know when I leave like that you guys have to work harder” Then she cleaned the rejects from me and said she understood why they were bad and she was sorry.
But see, I’ve been through this with her before and I know it’ll happen again. I just have to be patient until she gets passed on to someone else. She’s been getting passed around for 5 years, while others who are….less bad…have been let go. It’s not fair, but it is what it is.
Any more cats and my grandma will have us committed! >^^<
Pumpkin has a lot more friends outside now. A rubbermaid tub on the porch holds ears of corn for my critters. I noticed a hole chewed into the top this morning. Looked out later and a squirrel came out. The saw Punky watching intently further out. A family of 4 or 5 were making trip to the porch and onto the tree near my cat feeder. Stir was watching too.
Punky was thinking “Playmates”
Stir was thinking “LUNCH”
Rachel, is this a new version of the “I spy” game? 🙂 I’m starting to worry that after your vacation, it won’t be the Shubin 7 anymore – it’ll be the Shubin 8, or 9, or 10…
oh oh Julie will have a fit. Harry will get to much sun and Rachel will be locked in the beach house for the rest of their vacation. 🙂
It’s been too long since I’ve been to the beach. Maybe we’ll have to plan a tortie family reunion at the beach some day.
Now you are talking. A beach book party signing at the ocean. Sounds like that needs to be looked into.
You guys are the best! Thank you for voting – frequently! Bernie, you are officially my campaign manager. Steeler can be the communications director (we all know how well torties can talk). 🙂
🙂 🙂 Steeler approves. She is on the job. ppurr
I was thinking of Steeler as more as “The Sergeant at Arms” or Claws.
Who would dare to say no to her.
🙂 🙂 🙂
LISTEN UP FOLKS. THE VOTING FOR INGRID STILL GOES ON. AT LEAST TWICE A DAY. LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR HER. SO I AM POSTING THE VOTING SITE AGAIN. I WILL KEEP PUTTING THIS UP UNTIL THE LAST DAY AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. SO YOU WILL GET BORED WITH ME, BUT THAT’S OK. I BORE MYSELF. STEELER IS THE EXCITING ONE. SO HERE GOES AND GET VOTING. LIKE THEY DO IN CHICAGO. 🙂
To vote, go to http://dogtime.com/petties – I’m nominated in the Best Overall Pet Blog and Best Cat Blog categories.
Thank you so much for all of your support!
Thanks for the reminder, Bernie! I’ve pretty much got it into a routine on weekdays – 10 AM coffee break, cast a vote; 2:30 PM coffee break, vote again — but on weekends I rush around so much that it just slips my mind sometimes.
Sharon, happy to help. Sometimes we all get busy. I know that. Since I was taken to the woodshed for telling folks to vote a “thousand” times, just thought I better keep everyone reminded. Not a thousand times but as often as you think of it. 🙂 I know I can be ornery. 🙂
Bernie: “I know I can be ornery.”
Not buying it.
PS – that wasn’t the woodshed you were taken to, for suggesting voting 1000 times. I think it was Rod Blagojevich’s office.
Hey, your on vacation. Go jump in the ocean. I am envious 🙂
Too dark to go jump in the ocean. Maybe tomorrow, after grocery shopping. Rachel has already seen three cats, at least one not feral.
Actually I saw 3 black and white cats when we came into Cape may, sitting with some people by the pool of a motel. I saw one kitty on the way to the mall, black and white with some tabby, didn’t seem scared. Saw a calico cat off far in the distance behind her. Then coming back from the mall I spotted a black and white cat (what is it with all of these black and white cats!) right near a car, but wouldn’t come when I called it over.
Harry grab Julie and go for an early morning swim. It is great. Been there done there. No plague.
I hope you guys have the time of your life.
Miss us here already uh. 🙂
Now Rachel, honey, leave the kitties there. Go and enjoy your vacation. Swim, eat, laugh and enjoy yourselves.
I think I might be the only one here tonight. All our buddies must be with you guys. Maybe next year I will go jump in the ocean with you all. 🙂
No Kitties now. It is break time.
😉 🙂 only Harry!!!!
Voting with alcohol – hmm. Just make sure you place the dot in the correct field… 🙂
😛 🙂 🙂
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 😛
Thanks for the info on voting Bernie.
I voted 1 time a week ago and thought that was it.
Did not realize it’s Chicago voting:
Vote early and vote often.
Harry and Family.
Have a wonderful and well deserved vacation.
Everyone else has said so much about your rescue isues. I know no matter what that you all will do what is best for your 7 and all those other lost kits who deserve a home. Bless you all.
Thanks for your support, Jay! The initial vote was for the nomination phase. This is the second phase. I know it’s a little confusing.
Chicago voting!
Have breakfast, vote, have dinner, vote.
Bernadette, have a glass of wine in the evening to relax and ah heck, may as well vote again. 🙂
No wine, bad for the gall bladder. Voting has no adverse effects.
Keep forgetting about that darn GB. Well you are right. Voting has no adverse effects. 🙂
I will have the glass of wine or something and then vote. Claim I don’t recall!!!! 🙂 Steeler can handle the house.
OK ALL LISTEN UP.
THE BOSS, INGRID, IS IN THE RUNNING FOR THE PETITES AWARD, BUT SHE NEEDS OUR HELP. SO GO TO HER CONSCIOUS CAT FB SITE AND VOTE FOR CONSCIOUS CAT.
HERE IS THE ADVANTAGE WE CAN GIVE HER. YOU CAN VOTE AS MANY THOUSAND TIMES AS YOU CAN. VOTE OVER AND OVER. IT IS PERMITTED..
NOW REMEMBER THIS IS LEGAL, NOT LIKE OUR ELECTIONS WAY YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE.
YOU CAN VOTE ONCE, TWICE THREE TIMES AND MANY MORE.
LET’S HELP HER WIN THE AWARD.
SHE SHOULD POST THIS ON HER FOR US.
INGRID POST THE URL ON HER SO EVERYONE CAN FIND IT, OK.
By the way, gang, Steeler and I were the 5,500 post early this AM on her. Now let’s get Ingrid that award. Any questions, write them here or go to Ingrid’s FB site. I know if we work together we can sure make a difference. 🙂 🙂 🙂 Your elder has spoken.
Thanks, Bernie!
But actually, you can’t vote “as many thousand times as you can” – please don’t! I wish you could, but Pettie regulations state that you can vote once or twice a day, but excessive voting is prohibited. So the best way you can help me is to vote a couple of times a day, and to get as many of your friends as you can to also vote a couple of times a day.
To vote, go to http://dogtime.com/petties – I’m nominated in the Best Overall Pet Blog and Best Cat Blog categories.
Thank you so much for all of your support!
And congratulations on being the 5500th comment, Bernie. I still can’t believe this post has gotten that many comments. You guys are the best!
OK guys, Steeler and I am wiping out the original line of “vote a thousand times”. BUT do go and vote for Ingrid’s Blogs at least twice a day. She has some competition there and we want her to keep her job.
🙂 🙂
Hey guys this is called in older days, as being taken to the woodshed by the boss. But she does it so nicely.
As for Steeler and I being the 5500, it’s like Harry says, we are a gabby lot. So I guess we will just keep doing what we do best. Brag, compliment, help, and complain. What great company to be in. 🙂
I am posting this now, because I think Ingrid(the Boss) may already be in bed. Hope so anyway. 🙂
🙂
It’s nice to see how well our family enjoys Steeler’s torte poem. She is sharing is with all of her buddies. 🙂
In addition to my latest accomplishments, we have fleas again here; I don’t think I got rid of them entirely from last year’s infestation by the visiting possum. I’ve kept Cookie inside since before flea season though whenever I’m out she goes to every door and window and yells out to the neighbors that she’s being neglected. She is so horribly allergic that she’s lost half her fur and she’s constantly biting at herself. She has hot spots near her hips that make her swing around to both bite and kick at the spot simultaneously, once lacerating the tip of her tongue with a hind claw. Poor baby, in between she’s still the same Cookie but this is horrible.
Some of the others are affected to a certain extent, but nothing like Cookie. Everything’s been washed and vaccuumed repeatedly or it’s simply been removed from the house, but two weeks of diatomaceous earth and diligent vaccuuming–plus a diet at least half raw–hardly had an impact. I still have so many boxes of papers that I need to have here, and they are a big part of the problem. I had to use Frontline and close off a few of the rooms and spray. I moved into a house years ago that had resident fleas and if I’m not careful it will be the same here.
I gave Cookie a bath today–gave a tortie a bath and I’m still in one piece. She had so many bites and so much flea dirt the water turned red. She struggled and complained loudly, but it must have felt good. One thing that big old-fashioned green ceramic sink is good for is a bath, and I just held her under the faucet, turning her around, to rinse her off. She yelled when I towel dried her, then turned around and purred and rubbed my hand and gave me that special Cookie look. I have to say Cookie is not just an exceptional tortie, she is an exceptional kitty all around. I just hope I can get this under control–I’ve had fleas in the house before from rescue kitties and beat it.
Aw man, I feel your pain. Been there, done that. You’ll beat it, but it’s a painful process. I’ll keep you and Cookie in my thoughts.
Bernadette, I know how much you feel for your little ones, especially Cookie. I don’t know what to say, but I am sure you will find a way to kill the eggs the fleas leave behind.
I have never had the flea problem with Steeler.
I do, however, set the raid bug foggers off, throughout the house, once a year, in the summer. Right down to the basement. I do this in parts, basement first. then the next floor then the next, you get my picture all the way thru the attic. Of course you need to remove the little ones for about 3 hours while you do this. It does kill off all flies, spiders, fleas, flea eggs and etc. Other than that, I don’t know how to help you. I did sprinkle flea powder on the carpets when Steeler was first brought into the home just in case. It must work.
She has never had a flea problem.
At least it’s only fleas, and not something more serious, like the Shubin household. It was pretty frightening when Lucy was diagnosed with FIP, but that’s a different issue from the virulent calicivirus. In comparison, fleas are an annoyance.
When I was about to move from the house I rented that had the resident fleas (left behind by the owners), I called an extermination service because I didn’t want to be blamed for fleas. He took one look at the size and number of the fleas in my pans of water flea traps and laughed. “Do you know how you’re going to get rid of these fleas?” he asked. “Burn the house down. They live in the dust behind the baseboards, the subfloor, the walls, everything.” I don’t want to get to that point!
I just wish I could ease it a bit for Cookie and Kelly while we’re getting rid of them.
Bernadette “just fleas” is an understatement. It makes for some very uncomfortable days, especially for Cookie and Kelly. Wish I had a better bit of advice for you. I hope you succeed soon. I would be frantic by now, but you are calm, in the storm. So Steeler and I wish you quick success with the fleas.
My heart was broken with Harry’s and everyone who knows them. They work so hard to the little unwanted ones. But they will rebound and be stronger and more diligent than ever. I know that for sure. Wisdom, comes with age (sometimes). 🙂
I’m so sorry you have to deal with this again, Bernadette, but I’m especially sorry for Cookie. As much as I hate Frontline and products like it, this is definitely a time where you need to use it to get Cookie some quick relief.
It’s humbling how quickly they forgive us for something we do to them that they don’t understand, isn’t it?
I really dislike Frontline and comparable products; Pearl has had mini-seizures ever since we used Revolution on her years ago, but we came pretty close to using it on everyone again after we had the flea-infested kittens in the house. Instead, we have just been combing everyone often and inspecting the fur; no flea dirt so I think that we’re in the clear. If we saw a flea on the cats, though, we’d resort to it.
Oh, and it’s now been more than 10 days since the kittens were put down, and no one here shows any signs. We are leaving on vacation tomorrow, with a well-coached petsitter taking over, and two layers of back-up, should anything happen. Yes, Bernie, we will survive, though I think it will be a very long time, if ever, before we foster again. And, to top it all off, exhausted by the stress of the past few weeks I said something particularly nasty in an email about someone in the rescue.. and forgot to delete her from the address line. so, in addition to all else, I am not well loved at the moment. We will be taking a rescue break for a while… well, at least until we meet up with our rescue friends at the beach. There always seems to be a litter of feral kittens needing work.
I think you’re in the clear, Harry – as much as you can be with what we know about this virus. I can certainly understand that you won’t be fostering for quite some time, if ever.
I can’t imagine you ever saying anything nasty about anyone, so I’m guessing that your e-mail got blown out of proportion. With emotions flying high all around in your rescue, that wouldn’t be surprising. This too shall pass, and it’s probably a good thing for all of you to take a little break.
Have a wonderful time at the beach!
Harry you and your family go and have a wonderful vacation. I will think of you guys in my old stomping grounds up in Ocean City.
Whatever you said, it would not be all that much. I think anyone that knows you would know (1) whoever you said it about had it coming )2) whoever you said it about had it coming.
Don’t sweat the small stuff. The bigger picture is your family, and the Shubin 7 are doing well.
Be safe.
Harry, by the way, if you and Julie go up to Ocean City, to eat at the Diner on the Circle in Somers Point, you may not want to mention my name. It may still be remembered.:) We always ate there when in Ocean City. Just a reminder. 🙂
It was really nasty, and I normally really try so hard to stay out of the drama. Just like a tortie, though, when angry… and it was deserved. Still, I should have kept it to myself.
Bernie – I have eaten at the Point Diner, though not in many years. I hear they have a booth with your name on a plaque.
Harry, you do wonderful work with rescue, but you don’t belong with them right now, for your own good.
I work with many non-profits from all areas of interest for my business from animals to the disabled and mentally challenged adults, adult literacy, libraries, artists and musicians, all filling in the gap where a governmental body doesn’t and often shouldn’t fill a need, vying for the same money and public support. Moreso than any other interest I have never seen such an ego-driven, unforgiving group of people as those in many–not all, but many–shelters and rescue groups, especially the smaller groups formed by individuals. Most of them talk negatively about other organizations and about each other, they won’t work together, and none of it does any good for the animals. I think the situation is so extreme and everyone is desperate to get animals off the streets and reduce euthanasia numbers so they are overprotective and won’t admit that other methods have their successes as well, it’s their way or the highway.
So you were outcast because you were perceived to be the person who “caused” the catastrophe even though your involvement was peripheral because all you did was introduce an excellent foster person who did much more good than ill before she snapped and caused a disaster. Nothing you do is valid now in their eyes, but do any of those in the organization who are holier than all the rest know they could follow the same path as her just as easily, and they need to recognize that fact before tread the same footsteps? Why weren’t they full of sympathy for your feelings in all of this? Does blame really belong in this situation, is it in any way productive in resolving the issue?
No, go and enjoy your vacation, perhaps rescue another group of feral cats, and see if your family can find another way to help cats until either things cool down or another opportunity presents itself. You need to heal from your losses and not from their inflictions.
I just gave Cookie another bath, then took a shower myself after I towel-dried her and she was all set up on a nice fluffy cotton bathmat, got out of the shower and she was in the LITTERBOX!! and unfortunately this is one of the times I got scoopable litter because I had a really good coupon at Costco. Yes, wet cat in litterbox, stuck all over the bottom with clumping litter like sprinkles on a doughnut (you’ll never think of doughnuts the same way again, had to share that). I had to put her under the bath faucet and rinse her again and comb her. This time I blow-dried her a bit with the diffuser on the blow-drier and the temp on low. Bathing is actually one of the best ways to trap the fleas from them since they really can’t get away, and you don’t even need to use a flea shampoo, just a mild detergent will kill fleas and then they also drown.
Then she and Kelly had lunch and Cookie is having a really good sleep. Kelly is acting as if she’s been personally invaded, which she has. She may be next with the baths, but it really soothes Cookie’s inflamed skin. I learned with that long ago horrible experience that combing and sweeping and organic methods are good the first year, but if they’ve overwintered you really need to pull out all the stops. Last year, the forgettable year, I did my best but between Peaches and my mother and all the little festivals I tried to get to since business was worse than bad I couldn’t keep up with it.
Twice else since I’ve been here I’ve had a bad infestation because of the time of year and age an infested cat came in. Plus, fleas live in paperwork because of the dust in the file drawers and boxes, and I have ten years of paperwork for my mother, Social Security, Medicare, cancer, multiple conditions, an amazine pile of dead trees, then my brother’s paperwork, then business, and that’s what’s the problem. If I hadn’t had that last year and this year I might have stood a chance.
I don’t like Frontline or any of the others, either. I used chemicals on the house and on my cats all those years I lived in the infested house, and I lost two of them at age ten to lymphoma. I’ve always thought it was largely due to the flea chemicals I used.
I’ll be sweeping this weekend, and probably bathing too! thought I could take a break, no rest for the wicked.
Poor Cookie, she just can’t seem to catch a break! I’m glad to hear she’s sleeping it off.
On a happier note, I saw Kathy today and she’s planning on buying out your entire stock of Rescue Calendars 🙂
Just so it doesn’t wear her down. I wake her now and then and she looks at me a yows, “What?!”, drinks some water, eats some food, goes back to sleep. I guess I’m glad she’s comfortable enough to sleep.
Thanks for telling Kathy. I have to write to her this weekend! I love Peaches’ story.
Bernadette I really feel sorry for Cookie and Kelly. Actually all the kitties. I know you have to be tired. But your remark, “and probably bathing too!” geez only on weekends 🙂
You don’t sell all the calendars, to Kathy. One is for me. Got that.
I was trying to catch up with posts and I could sit here all night and write notes. I’ve been totally involved with a project of my own since April but most intensely for the past month, so I’ve been commenting less and less. It’s a calendar and gift book I designed from 15 commissioned portraits of cats I’ve done over the past 20 years including their rescue stories, also including my very first portrait of my torbie cat Fawn from 1989. It’s an idea I’ve had since before I began working at home in 2000, but put it on hold for family matters. The big run of the books is being printed now and bound tomorrow, though I got a handful last week to enter into the Cat Writer’s Contest. I spent the holiday weekend (all of it) building the website and learning to use a self-hosted WordPress site, and I’ll be posting about the calendar on The Creative Cat and my FB page along with an e-newsletter later this week. Finally, it’s all done and I feel like school just let out–I enjoyed every minute but I’m glad to let go.
And because we all talk about our rescued cats I’ve been thinking of all of you while I’ve worked on it. After carrying this idea for so many years and wondering if it was valid, sharing stories with everyone here really reinforced the idea that we need to share our rescues. Now I just can’t wait to share it with a bunch of people who I know will enjoy the portraits and the stories! I hope Ingrid doesn’t mind if I post a link to it here, but I don’t want to take up space on Ingrid’s blog with comments on it. It’s at http://greatrescuescalendar.com/.
Thanks, everyone, for being such an inspiration! I’m sure you had no idea!
You have been busy. I love the rescue calendar site, it’s beautiful! I’m just sorry Kathy never got her act together so we could share Peaches’ story.
I’ll have to get my act together for personalized inscriptions, and then I’ll be ordering. This is going to make an amazing Christmas gift!
Yes, my cats are totally bored with me! Actually, Kathy’s was one of the first stories I received, handwritten on notepaper, and Peaches is actually December 2011 kitty–a truly amazing story too. I can’t post them all because I’m afraid no one would buy them!
Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready too!
I just looked at your new website. Nicely done. The calendar is very attractive. I will, of course, be in touch for it. Great job.
What an accomplishment you have finished. Your book sounds amazing. I will have to check out that web site. You are just so darned talented.
If I, me, was an inspiration of any kind, then I am humbled by that, if not you will hear from me.
YOU GO GIRL 🙂 MUCH SUCCESS
Thank you dear! I’m very pleased, and now that it’s done I’m very tired. But I’m smiling.
What a great project – perfect for gifting!! Love the website, too – it looks like it took a lot of work to create it, but the results are beautiful. Just curious – what WP theme did you use?
I’m glad you think so, Sharon! The site wasn’t too difficult–the materials are always the same no matter what you build–but learning CMS was truly an experience. Glad I know CSS and HTML and the rest of the alphabet soup. No more standard sites for me, this is the way to go. I used Oulipo because I liked the fixed menu on the left and that it’s just a plain field with no dividers, like drawing paper.
Sweet, just ordered one! and also asked how much you would charge to do Monkey, but I changed my mind. Can you put two photos together? I’d love to have a portrait of Peaches and Monkey together. Not like they love each other, more realistic…..I’d like Peaches all divalicious looking at Monkey like she’s poor white trash, and Monkey looking at Peach like “Who do you think you are beyotch!” lol
MY Peaches, I mean…..divalicious Tuxie girl who thinks she’s all that and a bag of chips lol
Oh, I’ve seen that look! I always end up putting photos together, and most of the time it’s, “…not too close, they didn’t really get along…” Trumpet and Jasper were like that, but they have to share that rug for all eternity.
LMAO…I’ll have to try to get pictures of them both with those particular looks….It might be hard, because both of them put on the sweetness when I’m around. I’ll have to catch them off-guard.
Hi Folks. Well the holiday is over and life goes back to whatever. Harry, I am posting this for Brooke to read, so she can get back to being a Tortie. I think most of you can relate to thisl
Naughty Torties!
chapter 1 — updated Dec 12, 2010 — 900 characters
We’re red and black and brown and white
We creep about in the middle of the night
We’ll happily destroy everything in sight,
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
We’re naughty – it’s inevitable
That we’ll dig up all your vegetables,
We really are incredible
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
We’ll break in without a sound
Then up and down your stairs we’ll bound
Causing chaos as we race around,
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
We’ll knock stuff over and run away
Rip up your carpet and underlay,
We’ll never do anything you say,
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
We’ll jump through windows, climb up walls,
And just when you think that that is all
We’ll keep you awake with our caterwauls,
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
We’ll investigate anything explorable
Our behaviour is deplorable –
But we really are adorable,
We are the Tortoiseshell Cats!
Love it Bernie
My favorite line
“But we really are adorable”
I hope all our Tortie friends can identify with this. Steeler approved. Stir 2 paws up. So it can’t be all bad.
Cookie is stilll investigating at 19, not to mention trying out various kitchen implements to determine their relative comfort level and usefulness.
Love it!!! I would read it aloud to Callie and Dood, but I don’t want to give them any ideas. So far they’ haven’t shown much interest in digging up veggies or doing any caterwailing, and I’d really like to keep it that way….
Harry, good to hear from you. Happy 4th. Sterilization is often needed for all of us. Sorry really doesn’t cover how I feel about your incident, but then you know that.
Now for Brooke, what the heck kind of tranquilizer did you put her own. She never backs down. Did she happen to drink your Sangri or something?
Good to hear from you again.
Steeler and I are enjoying our day, Steeler with cat food, Mom with hot cheese and chili bean dip with a wine cooler. So one should counteract the other. (Is that a dream) 🙂
Bernie, all Brooke had today off the table was some salmon. I think that an indoor tortie is just not a match for a former barncat who’s seen the world.
Brooke is just having an off day. Don’t give our Torties a bad name.
This is probably why Mother Nature is giving me her best fireworks and heavy downpours right now.
Brooke will be back to herself in no time. The orange cat will soon back off again.
“I think that an indoor tortie is just not a match for a former barncat who’s seen the world.”
I guess that is what makes Kasey so formidable; a tortie who spent 8 years at a gas processing plant out in the “sticks” coming into contact likely a wide variety of critters, she beat the odds just by still being alive.
That’s got to be right, Glen. That tortitude + the world experience makes one not to be messed with.
Glen , our outdoor and feral Tortie had to fight for every meal and learned that to survive you have to be tough and stand up to everyone and everything. An indoor cat does not stand a chance (but being an indoor Tortie does put them on a higher lever cause than born attitude give them an edge)
Brooke left because she forgot something but will hold her own in that house.
I’ve been reading all, but too much going on this week to comment. We unfortunately were involved in the virus that caused the Fairfax Shelter to put down over 80 cats in their care. We were fostering four kittens from the group, including a tortie and a dilute calico, beautiful and sweet kittens, and although they were apparently healthy we had no choice but to euthanize them. We’ve spent most of the week sterilizing the house with bleach, it now smells like a swimming pool. However, all of our cats seem to be healthy, and I focus on them when I think about how tragic it was that so many cats had to die.
On a happier note – I saw a tortie get “the look” from a non-tortie today, and give in. Victoria, our orange tabby recovering barn cat girl was on the table on the screened porch, and Brooke jumped up and landed near her. Vickie gave her the look, and Brooke twitched and suddenly remembered that she forgot something on the couch, and left…
I don’t know what else to say except I am sorry to hear about that, it must be very tough to go through.
Thanks, Glen – it’s been the most disheartening thing that has ever happened to me in over 6 years of rescue. But all we can do is continue to save the ones we can. We can’t go near rescue events for a few more weeks, on the chance that we still have the virus on our clothes, etc., which isn’t that bad of a thing since we’re leaving next Saturday for two weeks at the beach, and are so far behind in everything now anyway. But, last Friday the founder of our rescue pulled a litter of kittens out of a rural shelter in our honor. That’s all that we can do.
I’m so happy to hear that all of yours are okay. And how wonderful that the founder of your rescue pulled a litter of kittens in your honor. That, more than anything, honors all the lives that were lost.
As for orange Vickie giving Brooke “the look” – sounds like she’s been taking notes. You may have a second stealth tortie in the making…
You have to be black to be a stealth tortie, I think. Vickie’s just a world-wise cat with a take-no-prisoners ‘tude.
Harry, so glad your 7 are ok. Such a shame for those 4 kittens and all the others. But I can see why they could not risk it.
And the fact that your rescue founder honored you by saving those kittens show they know where your heart is.
Remember that torties also choose their battles carefully. They do not suffer fools lightly. (Any more overused phrases I can throw in here?)
I’m glad your kitties are still apparently looking good. Every shelter has to do that at least once each year if not more often for highly contagious illnesses no matter how careful they are; in dogs it’s usually parvo, so they are not immune to the situation, as it were. It’s one of the heartaches of animal rescue, but it’s just too bad you had to hold those kittens before it happened.
The shop vac.
Kasey has her wet food at 10:00 pm (and will remind you of that).
When she gets this, it is time for Taz and Morgan to go into the basement. This is due to their nocturnal activity that precludes human sleep; they actually like the basement anyway, going there voluntarily.
Even though Kasey loves her wet food, she never completely cleans it up.
However, I don’t have to dispose of the left overs in the morning.
When the basement door opens, Taz the 20 pound orange shop vac comes up and cleans the bowl so only a wash is needed.
Big orange boys are useful for some things 😉
Glen, Kasey knows her schedule. Torties know when and where they want to eat and where they want to sleep. I go thru that with Steeler, also, she always leaves a little in her bowl. However, I don’t have an orange shop vac called Taz to finish it off. I love that term. I usually not just take her leftovers out to the Big O and leave that in a bowl for the outside visitors. Hopefully they are cats. And not a City Kitty.
Belated Happy Canada Day.
Heheh, I miss having an orange boy around, but Monkey hoovers up well enough
Come to Pgh. I know Big O would like to live with you. THen you would have an orange shop vac. Give Monkey a break. 🙂
Sounds like a good deal. Bernie has an orange kitty and Lianimal wants one.
Sound like a forever home !!!!!!!!!!!
Probably explains why most orange cats seem so big.
Taz, Punky, Big O and the big orange feral I feed are not just “big boned”
My original black cat, Kublai, was otherwise known as the feline dispose-all. He was driven to eat anything, including the wrapping, and when he tried to plead his case that he’d lived in a barn when he was young and he had known hunger, I reminded him that that was only his first four weeks and he had had it pretty well since then, relatively speaking. He opened the refrigerator door, took food right off the stove as it was cooking, ate meat, fruits and vegetables, he was truly amazing.
Friends of mine rescued a torbie much like Kasey. Callie lived in a trucking company garage in the inner city, no wild outdoor animals but lots of rats as big as herself and cars and kids with BB guns, plus a lot of other scary things. She broke into every place they had cat food stored, even when they hid her and moved the food storage place to a heavy box inside a cabinet near the ceiling. She only lived three years after they rescued her; she developed mammary cancer, and even after the surgery it spread. But even with that they are glad they rescued her, just to give her a happy human experience in this lifetime.
I had a big orange boy whose brain cells would occasionally cross paths up there between his big ears. He wasn’t the brightest bulb on the string, but he was about the nicest.
Happy 4th everyone.
We had our holiday here on July 1, so its back to the office for me 😉
Thanks..
Hey folks, now remember some of our little ones are frightened by explosives. So when your area is have celebrations, watch the little ones. The fear can be strong in the as so many of us know.
REMEMEBER WHY WE HAVE THE FREEDOMS WE DO ON THE 4TH OF JULY. CELEBRATE SAFELY AND THINK OF OUR MILITARY.
Happy 4th of July!….
Let’ s get this started now,
So it will be out there on the fourth!
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR
WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD,
INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY
AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!
KEEP IT LIT!! KEEP IT LIT!
For all of our other military personnel, where ever they may be.
Please Support all of the troops defending our Country.
And God Bless our Military
Who are protecting our Country for our Freedom.
Thanks to them, and their sacrifices, we can celebrate the 4th of July.
We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we have,
Of which we should be eternally grateful.
I watched the flag pass by one day.
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease.
I looked at him in uniform; So young, so tall, so proud.
With hair cut square and eyes alert,He’d stand out in any crowd.
I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil;
How many mothers’ tears?
How many pilots’ planes shot down?
How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers’ graves?
No, freedom isn’t free.
I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.
I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant ‘Amen.’
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.
I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.
I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea.
Of unmarked graves in Arlington .
No, freedom isn’t free.
Enjoy Your Freedom
And God Bless Our Troops.
When you receive this,
Please stop for a moment
And say a prayer for our servicemen.
Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Soldier, prayer is the very best one.
Well said Bernie
Thanks to all those that fought for out country and to those that are serving now.
Will be thinking of them tonight at the concert in the park and the fireworks after.
It starts off with the 1812 Overture and 17 real Civil War cannons to start it off
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/262998_It-takes-an-army-to-move-artillery-for-big-Fourth-of-July-spectacle-here.html
Lianimal now you are talking my language!
I loooooooooove Metallica and they are local boys! I have almost every cd, though I prefer their 80’s stuff.
Jay, I was trying to laugh at your post but it won’t let me lol
Bernie and Jay….not sure I’ve ever posted this before, but it’s really good
http://youtu.be/TUHFfR8hWcA
Metallica
Yay! Kung pao triple delight. Xtra spicy RULES
Put me down for extra spicy too.
Just don’t order Stirfry cause it will kick your butt after. 🙂
See, and I almost had her lured over to the dark side! lol
Monkey Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfuBREMXxts
Bernie might like this one 🙂
This is definitely my kind of music. I love this song. Always have by the Monkees.
Steeler give this a 2 thumbs up.:)
lol..LITERALLY Monkee music lol
uh uh told you 🙂
Glen – Happy Canada Day to you.
Thanks, Jay
Weather was good yesterday for it.
I took the bike out for a cruise, nowhere special though; all the tourist type destinations in the area are jammed and more people than usual check their brains at the door before heading out on the road, so I keep to the secondary Hwy’s on holidays.
it was a great day all around. 🙂
The lyrics are Brilliant.
You asked me to love you and I did, traded my emotions for a contract to commit, and when I got away I only got so far the other me is dead, I hear his voice inside my head
You told me to love you and I did, tied my soul into a knot and got it to submit and when I got away I only kept my scars, the other me is gone, now I don’t know where I belong
Is it just me and Monkey? Or is that kind of deep?
Lynn, the song you sent is life. It is real. Not make believe. If you listen to it you feel the pain of love lost and a life hurt. That is the way of life. That is not deep, it is what we live every day. That is how I see it.
We only have each other in the world to lean on. If love is lost, then our society is lost. This is what he is saying. Can’t give it up.
That is my LECTURE to all of you here for today. I think I may the more mature of the lot of you so take it from me. I know.
Wow Berns…that’s really…..well, deep! See, Metal artists DO send a message, as you saw from reading the lyrics, as opposed to just hearing a bunch of screaming you couldn’t understand. It really makes a difference. Maybe now you’ll understand my metal love more, even if you don’t agree lol
🙂 🙂
Hey all you folks here. Yesterday Ingrid posted a poem on her FB and on Concious Cat.
It is named A CAT’S PRAYER.
It is worth reading. I think every one of us would say that is our cat. So go check it out before it disappears.
Have to support the BOSS.
Thanks, Bernie. You mean not everyone here reads my every written word each and every day the very moment it’s published? 😉
uh uh no no BOSS, just wanted to make sure everybody that has been busy got to see the post. No no we read your post. Oh yea. 🙂 Don’t want to lose our blog here.
Whew! That’s a relief. Now I can go to bed without having to nurse a bruised ego.
lol..I’ll admit I’m a bad fan, but I’ll go read it now (walking off all chastened lol)
I think they like whatever makes you happy. If Bernie likes Perry Como and it puts her in a good mood, Steeler’s in a good mood. If I’m listening to 5FDP amd it puts me in a good mood, Peach and Monkey are in a good mood. They like for us to be happy, and whatever makes us happy makes them happy. Monkey’s only a metal chick because I like metal….same with Peaches. If I was a country chick they would both be country chicks too(God Forbid! lol)
Hey Wild Child, Country is good. Steeler and I like country. We are diverse but heavy metal and a lot of loud yelling, we don’t seem to like that. You would be surprised at my taste in music. I have many and varied.
I am like my Tortie, Steeler, never expect, the expected, from us. We will fool you each time.:)
See, I like GOOD country music, but listening to a country radio station? I can only listen for about 30 minutes before I have the nearly uncontrollable urge to hang mnyself! lol
Hey my Wild Child I will remind you of some of your words on here before. Not verbatim, but close. “If you die, your cats will eat you”. So think twice before you hang.
Hate to think of you being breakfast, lunch and dinner to your little ones. 🙂
lol I still stand by that….if you die your cats will eat you. Dogs will wait until you no longer smell human. Dogs will starve. Cat’s won’t. Cats only let us live with them because we pay for water, air conditioning, and buy food~
Wierd, This is Peaches approved, she’s here head-butting my leg……but this is NOT Peaches music…Maybe Princess Peach is becoming a metal head also, Hmmm?
Monkey’s tried to steal my Bacon Egg and Cheese toaster Scrambles in the morning. She’s pretty rotten that way lol
Hmm, Probably not. See, I think what I’m thinking is that the beginning of the song is really mellow and nice, but by the end it gets kind of crazy. ANd I’m thinking you’re probably okay with the beginning but not the end….lol
Nope on this one it is Steeler and Bernie approved.
Bernie…I dunno, almost out of options here. but maybe…..just maybe…..there’s an off-chance you might like this one…..It’s Peaches approved……http://youtu.be/fJXEerT4TCk
Hey Wild Child. Bernie and Steeler approved. You are getting closer to the me. Steeler didn’t run from the room this time and I liked this one. So you now have made 2 on my side. 🙂
Oh my goodness, Bernie!!!! I had to go check and make sure……That was Slipknot!!!! lol…Admittedly the softest song they ever did, but still…….Now you can truthfully tell your kids that you like Metal! They are considered one of the hardest bands out there! lol
Oops forgot to share…Dead Memories…..Monkey music that Peaches does’t hate lol
http://youtu.be/kP5PqJpk5lQ