Someone asked if his voice had changed any since then, so I got a video so y’all can judge for yourselves.

I shot this video yesterday as soon as I went into the foster room. The babies get their snack of canned cat food first thing in the morning, so they’ve all gotten used to yelling at me as soon as I walk in. No one yells more than our Marty.

His voice may have deepened a little, but it’s still the same funny meow.

And while we’re on the topic of cats and their voices, Coltrane certainly has a very distinctive, VERY high-pitched voice. Every evening he takes up residence on the side stoop, and any time Fred or I go out there, Coltrane has something to say to us. (In the second part of the video, you can hear Maxi’s meow, which is lower and huskier, but no less distinctive!)

I know, I know. I’ve put up an AWFUL lot of pictures of Corbett recently, but I just can’t help it. He’s so gorgeous that every time I see him I can’t help but take a thousand pictures of him. I swear I’ll point the camera in the direction of some of the other cats… tomorrow. For today, feast your eyes upon the sheer gorgeous stripey perfection of the kitty known (to me) as Corby McGee.

I blame the holiday weekend, and will likely go visit with my sweet boys in the next few days. Last report I got, from Jean who happened to be in Petsmart on Friday, they were curled up together in a non-scared manner on top of their litter box.

On Saturday, I opened the half-door at the end of the hallway upstairs and gave Martin, Melodie, Moxie and Dodger the run of the house.

They were distinctly underwhelmed.

Martin eventually made it downstairs and did some exploring on Saturday, became a little more comfortable on Sunday, and by mid-afternoon on Monday, he was helping the big cats clean their plates at snack time (the upstairs foster kittens get their “snack” of canned cat food first thing in the morning. The big cats downstairs get theirs mid-afternoon.). The other three have been down several times to look around, but they’re more comfortable hanging out upstairs. It’ll take them a little more time to spend any real time downstairs, which isn’t surprising – they think of upstairs as “home”.

The biggest surprise to me is how well the big cats have dealt with the little cats. Reacher and Corbett genuinely like the little cats, and have been seen playing with them and giving them the occasional lick on top of the head. Neither Reacher nor Corbett have Bolitar’s drama-queen nature, so aren’t picking on the babies.

So far, so good!

Martin approaching Jake for some love.

Melodie and Corbett.

I’m sorry, is Dodger THE biggest love bug on this planet, or what? He loves loves LOVES everyone.

Moxie puts up with the flood of love coming her way.

Melodie in the sun.

When I go out into the back yard in the mornings to snap pictures, Corbett likes to come lean against my leg.

Corbett’s got a bit of the ear floof going on. Nothing like his half-brother Gus, but certainly a bit more floof than your average cat.

Sometimes he likes to tell me how it is.

And sometimes he just gives me the look o’ love.

Newt wonders if perhaps it might be snackin’ time?

Now, if you’re unfamiliar with Huntsville or where I live, you might not know that to get from Sam’s Club to home, I had to go RIGHT by Petsmart. I stopped, of course, because I am only so strong. I just wanted to peek at Bolitar and Rhyme and make sure they were okay. So I got to a point at the end of an aisle where I could peek into their cage and they couldn’t see me. I peered around the corner, and Bolitar was sitting next to the litter box, and the instant I peered around the corner, his head SNAPPED around, and he saw me immediately.

I couldn’t help myself, I went over to the cage and started talking to him. I couldn’t figure out where Rhyme was, so I looked and looked, and finally realized that he was in the litter box, sound asleep. I spoke to him and got his attention, and just hearing my voice, he came out of the litter box and stretched and pawed at the glass.

Well. What would YOU do? I couldn’t just leave!

No, I didn’t snatch him up and bring him home – but I did go find a manager to let me into the cat room, and I let them out of their cage, and I sat there on the floor and cuddled and kissed and played with them for 45 minutes. They were SO happy to see me. They climbed into my lap, they purred, they hugged me. They showed me their toys, they ran back and forth, stretching their legs, and they climbed into my lap for more love.

After 45 minutes, they were ready to go back into their cage for some food and a nap, so I gave them each one last kiss and cuddle, and left.

I was so relaxed that I felt like I’d had a massage.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that someone falls in love with them tonight or tomorrow during adoption hours. But if they don’t, I know I can always go back to Petsmart and spend more time with them.

I forgot to mention this – Amy asked how it was that Bolitar and Rhyme were the first to depart. Basically, we were having an issue with Bolitar picking on the babies upstairs and also with him getting out into the back yard and then OUT of the back yard a couple of times, so even though (I know this will shock you) he was my favorite, I decided that he should probably be the first to go. And since he and Rhyme are best buddies, I let Rhyme go with him.

An interesting side note is that when I was at Petsmart with Bolitar and Rhyme, Bolitar went over to a cage of smaller kittens and sniffed at them… and then he did NOT hiss or growl or smack at them. Very interesting. So maybe when he was picking on the babies upstairs, he thought he was defending his territory or trying to establish dominance, and in a new setting like at Petsmart, he didn’t feel like he needed to do that? Then again, maybe it’ll just take a few days for him to be comfortable enough to let his inner drama queen out.

Dodger, Melodie, and Martin are now spayed and neutered. All the way to the vet’s office, I expected them to start howling, but after I got them into the carrier, they did not make a single peep all the way there, and when I picked them up last night, they didn’t make a peep all the way home, either. None of them seem to know they’ve had anything done at all – the instant I let them out of the carrier last night, they ran around like their tails were on fire, and they played hard all evening long. I was worried that Melodie would revert to her scaredy-cat ways, and she was a wee bit nervous this morning, but she came over to me pretty quickly to be petted.

So they’re ready to go to the adoption center when room is available, but I’m guessing that it’s going to be a while before that happens!

(Someone asked a couple of days ago whether Martin’s meow has changed since he was little. He still has a pretty distinctive meow, but I intend to get another movie of what he sounds like now, so y’all can judge for yourselves! It’ll take me a few days to get that done, though.)

Melodie, pre-spay.

Dodger shows his teeth and claws.

::thlurrrp::

::thlurrrrrrp::

::thlurrp!::

Reacher has turned out to be a middle-of-the-night foot attacker. But that’s okay – he also respects the can of compressed air.

I just cannot stand how GORGEOUS these boys are!

Spanky would like you to know that he’s no dummy. Since he doesn’t wear a collar (he’s never ever climbed over the fence, so we consider it safe to leave him collarless), he can get right up against the fence and the collared cats can’t get to where he is (or they’ll get zapped from their collars), and so they can’t bug him. HA HA HA ON THEM!

I took heart in the fact that they didn’t immediately go into the litter box to hide. They were scared and nervous, but they had each other, and were snuggled up together when I left. Reports from the adoption counselor for Tuesday night were that they spent the evening hiding in the litter box, though.

It will take a few days for them to relax – it always does – and I know they’ll be okay.

But I miss their little faces, and it is SO much quieter around here without them!

Reacher and Corbett don’t really seem to notice that anything’s different. Corbett has maybe become a touch friendlier – he was never unfriendly, but also hasn’t been super-friendly either, but yesterday and today he’s been approaching me to be petted. He’s also putting up with being kissed a lot better than he did before.

Jake and Elwood are fine. They have Reacher and Corbett to hang out with, and if they get bored with that particular selection of kittens, they jump over the half-door upstairs and hang out with the upstairs kittens.

Bolitar and Rhyme, of course, haven’t been adopted yet, but I know they will be, soon. And you know I’ll let you know when that happens!

I snapped a few last pictures before we left for Petsmart.

See that collar? In his last few days here, not only did Bolitar spend a lot of time sneaking out into the back yard, he also managed somehow to get OUT of the back yard twice. We have an extra collar on hand (we have an electric fence around the back yard), and it worked very well to keep him from escaping.

Brudderly love.

Rhyme gets in a last snuggle with Jake.

Martin, Melodie, and Dodger are about to go be spayed and neutered. Since Moxie was already spayed, she gets to stay home and hang out with me for the day. Things are certainly going to be QUIET around here today.

Once they’re recovered from their surgery – probably this weekend – I’ll be opening the half-door in the hallway to allow them the run of the house. Martin has shown that he’s VERY ready to go exploring. I’ve been having to hold him back with one hand as I go through the half-door. Last night he slipped through and headed down the stairs with no hesitation whatsoever, like he had places to go and he was GOING. Without BolitarZilla around to hiss and smack at them, I think they’ll be okay.

We were hanging out on my bed, and heard the noise of a cat jumping over the half-door. Moxie and Martin ran to the end of the bed to see what was going on – no doubt they were worried that Bolitar was coming in!

It’s hard to see, but Moxie’s got her back leg hooked up behind her head. It was bath time.

“What?”

Maxi and Newt join me in the garden.

Way back when we first got Martin, I said something about his sweet, squeaky little meow. Someone asked for a movie, and I did make the movie, I just never got around to getting it off the camera. ‘Til now.

Poor, lonely Martin on July 22, before he met his sisters and became lonely no longer.

Bolitar and Rhyme are off to the adoption center later today. Room has come available, and it’s time for the first two to go. I know, I know. I don’t want them to go, either. But it’s time. Don’t think of this as a sad time – think of it as a happy time! They’re going off to find their forever homes!

(Don’t think I won’t be crying like a great big baby when I leave them there.)

Bolitar and Corbett get in some snuggling.

Something does not agree with Reacher, it appears.

Oh, they just drive me NUTS when they do this. Just stroooooll out there like they’re supposed to be out there! Roll around on the concrete, chew some grass, and give me the looks like “What?”

Rhyme spies a chicken through the fence.

I don’t even remember what was going on here, but Rhyme, up in the air, makes me laugh and laugh.

Marty loves chewing on a good straw.

Miss Melodie, relaxing.

Note, please, that Martin does not seem to be too impressed by Melodie’s foot defense action, here.

Sheriff Mama takes a moment to relax.

They’re having a good time with the run of the upstairs. Most of the time when I go up to hang out with them, they’re in various places in my room. Martin and Moxie really like to hang out on my bed, Dodger likes the little kitty condo near my bed, and usually Melodie goes running when she hears me coming up the stairs, but comes out pretty quickly from her hiding place in the bathroom.

Moxie in the window.

I think maybe her eye color changes with her moods. Sometimes they look this pretty golden brownish color, and other times they’re gorgeously orange.

Martin and Melodie battle it out.

The Bookworms were hanging out in the back yard with me. Suddenly, the meter reader went tromping through the side yard and scared the heck out of them. Bolitar went and hid beside the steps and kept an eye on him.

SOMEONE’s super-annoyed by the fact that he was trying to sneak out the door and found that I was already out there, yelling at him to get his butt back inside.

“What? I’m trying to fold this laundry, lady.”

Spanky’s already annoyed by me and the camera, and I’ve only taken one picture of him!

The most inefficient drinker in the cat kingdom.

Oh, I’ve seen it – I just forgot to share it with y’all. The look on that cat’s face cracks me UP. He’s so serious! He’s like “By GOD, I will figure this out if it kills me!”

I have newly installed wood floors in my house and that includes the kitty room. I have large litterbox mats in front of the boxes, but litter is getting tracked everywhere. Any suggestions as I see you have hard wood floors also.

Most of my litter boxes are big buckets from Lowe’s with holes cut in the front as an entrance/ exit. I use big boot trays (I got mine online, but you can find them at Lowe’s. You can probably also find them at Walmart.) as litter catchers, and I turn the litter boxes (buckets) with the entrance/ exit toward the wall. That helps some, but honestly, I find that on the days I don’t vacuum, a quick sweep with the broom around the litter boxes helps keep things under control.

I think someone recommended the Roomba. I have one, but I rarely use it. We have area rugs throughout the house, and while the Roomba does a pretty good job on the hardwood floors, it tends to leave clumps of cat hair behind on the rugs. I find it easier to just vacuum myself.

Anyone out there have more suggestions for how to keep the litter scatter under control on a hardwood floor? We’re all ears!

Do Maxi and Newt stay out at night even when it gets cold?

They like the cool nights of Fall, but when it gets seriously cold (I know, those of you who suffer through winters at below-zero temperatures are scoffing at the idea that it ever gets “seriously” cold in Alabama!) they come inside overnight. Actually, during the coldest part of the winter, Newt’s just as happy to stay inside 24/7. Maxi’s really more of an outdoors girl, and she doesn’t like the large number of kittens who are always running around here, so she’ll go outside during the day then come in for the night.

Do you have any news on your recent fosters like, have they been adopted yet or what? A couple went through so fast recently I hardly got a chance to know them.

As of this moment, all my previous fosters except Pancho have been adopted. There was a time there when it seemed like the Rescuees were on a merry-go-round because three of them were adopted and then returned (Franco and Garrity because one of the girls who adopted them was allergic, and Lieu because the lady who adopted him decided she wasn’t ready), but it’s been a good few weeks since the last Rescuee was adopted, so I’m tentatively going to say that those adoptions are going to “stick.”

It depends on how adoptions go at the adoption center, but at this point the Bookworms are next in line to go, it’s only a matter of space opening up.

Sweet Miss Melodie.

Every mancat needs some pink floof in his life.

She swats! She… misses!

Leaning tower of Melodie.

Bad boys, bad boys. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they sneak outside and then totally act like they’re allowed out there and what’s YOUR problem anyway, lady?

(You’re gonna grab the camera, is what you’re gonna do.)

“What?”

Bad bad Buster Brown. He’s the baddest cat in the whole damn town. Well, the whole back yard, anyway. (“Buster” is Bolitar’s nickname, I’m sure I’ve mentioned.)

Corbett, clearly miserable.

“Y’all get your butts back inside that house! You know you’re not allowed out here, and I’m not putting up with your zany shenanigans! Chasing each other all over the yard! Rolling around on the concrete pad! Eating grass! Sheriff Mama won’t have it, you hear me?”

Pretty Corbett in the sun.

This is what I love about Corbett: I give all the cats a snack in the mid-afternoon (Snackin’! Time! was cancelled for a little while because I got tired of dealing with all the mess and confusion. I found that when I moved it back a few hours so that it was NOT centered around our dinnertime, life got a whole lot easier.) The Bookworms get their snack in the guest bedroom because otherwise Jake and Elwood would move in on their snacks and Hoover them up. So the Bookworms know to follow me into the guest bedroom and wait while I divide up their snacks on four plates. Then I put the plates on the floor, and when I leave the room, I shut the door so that none of the big cats can go in there. Then I give the rest of the cats THEIR snack, and I wait about five minutes, then open the guest bedroom door so that the Bookworms can come out.

Every single time, Reacher, Rhyme and Bolitar are clamoring at the door to come out. But Corbett is curled up in a cat bed on the bed. And he always looks at me, surprised, like he’s saying “We can come out? I thought it was night-night time!” Every time. How I have not squeezed the stuffing out of that boy, I do not know.

The Bookworms, Jake, and a sliver of Miz Poo over there to the side.

Bookworms in the sun.

Apparently, pink really brings out the gorgeous color in miss Moxie’s eyes.

“I find this toy tasty. Two paws up!”

NOM.

They were laying there playing with each others’ tails. Too cute.

Coltrane, looking guilty. (The sound of the camera was freaking him out.) I generally only see Coltrane at night – Fred goes out to give him a scoop of food, and then he spends the night in the back yard. He’s still there in the morning to greet Fred, and I’m not sure where he spends his days. We’re talking about moving the old chicken coop (the first one Fred ever made, for our initial flock of 12 hens. Oh, how I long for the days when we only had 12 chickens….) into the back yard so that the outside cats will have shelter when the weather turns cold.

First, someone requested a movie of Bolitar doing his Godzilla thing. It just so happened that I had the camera upstairs with me yesterday afternoon, and got some footage. I’m sorry about the shakiness; I’m apparently a 95 year-old woman with the palsy.

Three things to keep in mind:

1. I was so upset that he smacked Melodie (by the basket of toys) because I don’t like it when he actually makes contact with them, and she’s a sweet girl. I’m kind of protective of her, whereas I think Martin can hold his own if need be.

2. When I pick Bolitar up and he’s hissing and whining? He does that WHENEVER you do anything he doesn’t like. What a princess.

3. I DID NOT toss Bolitar over the door, even though it sounds like it. I set him gently down on the other side – but I banged my leg against the door as I did so, so it kind of sounds like I tossed him. Which I didn’t, even though he DESERVED IT.

(Or see it directly at YouTube here.)

That Marty, he’s a fighter AND a lover:

(Or see it directly at YouTube, here.)

Over the weekend, Fred finally got around to fixing the door at the end of the hallway so that we could pull it across the hall and let the babies have a little more space to roam. Now, during the day, they have their room, the bathroom, and my room to run around in. At first, they weren’t quite sure what they thought about that, but after a few days they decided it was pretty cool. I can hear them up there racing around as I type.

The only problem is that bratty Bolitar can jump to the top of the door (it’s a half-door) with his ridiculously long and lanky legs, and he runs into the hallway and hisses and growls and just generally acts the big bully. He’s kind of like Godzilla, all flailing around growling while tiny Martin and Dodger and Melodie and Moxie go running for their lives.

Martin thinks he’s big and bad ’til he comes face to face with Godzilla, I’m telling you. Then he just kind of squeaks in terror and runs so fast his legs blur.

The up side is that Bolitar only comes over the door when I’m in there, so most of the time the poor babies can run and play without fear.

@ @ @ @

“I just has to teach ‘em that I’m the boss!”

Exhibit A: ridiculously long and lanky legs.

Corbett does not condone bullying.

Corbett’s a lovah, not a fightah!

@ @ @ @

Da Sugs.

At least once a day, Fred looks around at the Bookworms (or looks at one moseying by) and says “I think this is the prettiest litter we’ve ever had.” There’s no arguing – they are one gorgeous bunch.

@ @ @ @

Melodie, playing. Just after I snapped this picture, she fell onto her side and gave that toy a few bunny kicks for good measure. I guess that toy knows who the boss is now!

“Who, me? Just sitting in this cat bed that I flipped upside down. That’s all.”

::thlurrrrp::

Martin and the toy that Melodie had just bunny-kicked. He’d like it known that HE is actually the boss ’round these parts.

Paws up, y’all!

These two are just so sweet with each other. They’ll walk across the room just to rub up against each other. It’s mighty sweet.

@ @ @ @

I was going out to run errands one day, and looked over to see Newt taking it easy under one of the upside-down tubs we can’t seem to find a storage place for.

It’s the only scratching post our Moxie (a 2 1/2 year old tortie) can’t knock over when she leaps off it like a flying monkey.

I get all my cat trees on eBay – just search on “cat furniture” and be prepared for hours o’ browsing!

It will amaze you, I’m sure, to hear that in the foster room, anytime there’s a fight, there’s always one little brown and white constant in the equation.

At least Melodie got a few chomps in this time!

Dodger was minding his own business, and Martin came RACING over to bite him. Such a brat!

Morning sunshine = Bookworms fightin’ time!

Corbett, looking particularly smug.

Corbett and Elwood, checking out the BIRD WING one of the cats brought inside. I don’t even want to know where the rest of the bird was.

I can’t quite wrap my mind around it, but the way Spanky and Corbett are positioned it seems pretty clear that Corbett was sound asleep here, and then Spanky came up and snuggled up behind him. What WORLD am I living in???

I count 7 cats in this picture, including two Bookworms. Oh, they make me despair. They don’t even act guilty when I catch them out back, anymore, and when I shoo them inside, they look offended. BRATS.

Rhyme, at the very back of the back yard, watching the chickens.

“Madame, I take exception to your tone. I am merely laying here chewing on this stick. If you have a problem with that, please take it up with the proper authorities.”

Comfy, are we, Marty?

Dodger. I have mentioned that he loves a good sun puddle, haven’t I?

“I HAZ A COMPLAINT.”

“So there.”

Sweet little Dodger. Yesterday, Martin jumped on him and bit his neck, and instead of just laying there and taking it like he usually does, Dodger bit back. I was egging him on from the sidelines – “Kick his butt, Dodger! Get him!”

I have no idea what’s up with the lack of Melodie pictures lately. I need to get some more shots of her because she is SUCH the gorgeous monkey.

Stinkerbelle, keeping watch over her Tommy while he sleeps. I have perhaps mentioned that she loves Tommy?

Thank you, Heather, for sending me the link. I LOVE IT.

When I see this picture, I can absolutely understand why Fred initially thought that Martin was a baby possum when he saw him sitting under the bush at the side of the house.

When I come into the room, Martin is invariably on the cat tree. He meows, stretches, then goes down the cat tree, meowing the entire way.

Then he runs over to me and sits at my feet, howling for me to give him kisses.

Dodger, Melodie and Moxie eventually come over to me, but they take their time doing it. Martin’s usually gotten all his kisses and is ready to go play before the rest of his litter wanders over for petting.

Tommy in the basket, giving me the stink eye.

Melodie’s face is cracking me up. She’s like “I SEE what you’re doing over there. STOP. IT. NOW.”

“Who me, bite? Never! Come closer…”

Moxie, up close.

I’m a little impressed that Elwood managed to get up here. Even more impressed that the cabinet didn’t collapse under his weight.

Reacher. Oh, how I love THIS cat.

Corbett. LOVE. (Do we sense a theme?)

Rhyme. LOVE him. At this point, all four of the Bookworms have figured out how to get from the floor to the counter, the counter to the top of the fridge, and the top of the fridge to the top of the cupboards. They hang out there from time to time, though never all four at once. YET.

Miz Poo’s all “Do you SEE what I have to put up with?”

Rhyme, up high. They make me nervous when they hang over the side like that – like they’re considering jumping straight to the floor. They haven’t yet, but they certainly like to make me worry.

Whenever I go on vacation, I worry that by the time I get back, the fosters will have forgotten me, and I’ll have to start all over again. Melodie and Dodger did seem a little “And who are YOU?” for a couple of days after I got back, but something shifted suddenly over the weekend, and now not only is Melodie on the floor as soon as I walk into the room (instead of staying on the cat tree), she’s rubbing up against me, she’s demanding petting, she’s picking fights with Martin, she’s playing like a wild thing.

It’s really nice to see, I’ve gotta say.

Dodger’s still a touch on the nervous side, but he’s definitely coming around. He is SUCH a little love – he rubs on the other cats, he rubs on the chair, he rubs on the wall. He’ll walk across the room with his tail sideways like he’s rubbing on something in another dimension only he can see. And he’s one submissive little monkey – yesterday, Martin jumped on him, and they both kind of slid to the floor. Dodger just purred and looked at Martin like “Do whatever you want with me, I LOVE YOU.” Martin was annoyed that Dodger didn’t fight back, and stomped off for greener pastures only to get his butt kicked by Moxie, who will put up with none of his shenanigans.

LOOK! All four in one shot! This took some work, let me tell you. I couldn’t convince them to get any closer to each other, but this is good enough for now.

“Shenanigans. I disapprove of them.”

I saw a copy of Cat Fancy a few days ago, and on the cover was a Bombay cat. I looked around online, and I really think that our miss Moxie is at least part American Bombay. She’s got the silky coat, the beautiful eyes, and the personality.

Speaking of the silky fur, both of the girls in this bunch have that lovely, silky fur that’s such a pleasure to touch. The boys both have coarse fur that isn’t nearly as soft (which is not to say that it stops me from petting them, of course!).

Dodger in the sun. He appreciates a good sun puddle.

One box of Loony, coming right up! Did you want that shipped UPS or Fed Ex?

This is Sophie. She belongs to one of my sister’s neighbors. She had a litter of kittens earlier this year, and recently went into heat, causing her owner to toss her outside in a neighborhood where at least two unfixed male cats roam. (I have no public comment on this, but I think you can imagine the comment I’d have if I did. Imagine a lot of obscenities.)

Luckily, A Paw in the Door stepped up to help with having Sophie spayed so that she won’t end up bringing any more unwanted kittens into the world.

A Paw in the Door is a non-profit, all volunteer organization that is completely supported by donations and fundraising events.

If you could spare some money, I know it would be very much appreciated. They have a paypal link on the sidebar of their web page, or if you’d rather send a check, their address is also in the sidebar. A Paw in the Door is a 501(c)(3) organization, which means your donation is tax deductible. Remember, it doesn’t have to be a lot – every little bit adds up, as y’all well know.

Just tell them Sophie sent you!

@ @ @ @

Just a few more pictures of the animals I got to bond with while I was in Pennsylvania:

Julie is NOT sitting on the table. I just photoshopped it to look that way.

Felina and her chew. She tried to hide it in my mouth later that night.

Waldo. He’s such a sweet boy. He cracked me up, because he LOVES Trey, and he follows Trey around, gazing at him with eyes of devotion.

Felina has her own chair, with her own blanket on it, and when she’s not sitting in Shirley’s lap like a little princess, she’s curled up in her blanket.

And one last shot of Maddy.

@ @ @ @

So THAT’s where it is!

@ @ @ @

“Oh, were you gone? I hadn’t noticed.”

Released: pictures of the crime in progress!

Unfortunately, Elwood fled the crime scene before Homicide Detective Maxi’s backup, Detective Coltrane, rolled up onto the scene. Rumor has it he was off rolling around in catnip. Has a ‘nip problem, that one, and you’d better believe Internal Affairs will have a field day with this one!

@ @ @ @

“HEY! YOU! Where’d you GO? That GUY doesn’t kiss me nearly as much as you do! I can’t believe you’d leave him in charge!”

“You know I need my kisses. I can’t sleep if I haven’t been properly kissed!”

@ @ @ @

Tommy, hanging out in the back yard. This platform (which Fred made, specifically for the cats to hang out on in the back yard. It looks like the fence is very close, but it’s not at all – they can’t jump from the platform over the top of the fence, believe me.) is about eye-level for me. Tommy seems to think I can’t reach him when he’s up there, so if I need to give him medicine or clean his eyes or whatever, he flees to the platform. Then he’s AMAZED when I grab him.

I have a ton to do, so I’ll be back tomorrow with a real entry!

Here at Crooked Acres, it’s business as usual. Elwood, having brutally murdered Reacher by licking him to death, desperately searches for a place to hide the body as Homicide Detective Maxi waits for backup just outside the door.

She was my very first bottle baby, way back in 2006. Nance fell in love with her over the internet, and she and Rick drove down to Alabama – the first time we met in person after years of internet friendship! – and brought her home.

This is one of my very favorite foster pics I’ve ever taken:

When Maddy was still with me, she loved to sleep on the printer next to my desk. Someone asked “What does she do when you need to print something?” I didn’t know, so I found out:

(No Maddys were harmed in the making of that movie. Her pride was a little bruised and she stayed away from the printer from then on, but she was fine.)

At four years old, Maddy has grown up to be gorgeous, if a little antisocial. I managed to get one single picture of her.

Next time I visit, I’m bringing the GOOD camera with me, and I WILL get a million good pictures of her gorgeous face.

I’m on my way home today. Fingers crossed that all my flights go well and I don’t have to spend the night in Charlotte!

“We can go, too?”

I love taking pictures from the plane.

Julie’s a little needy.

Felina’s decided I’m not so bad.

Waldo’s a pretty boy – but it’s close to impossible to get a good picture of him. I shoulda brought the good camera with me!

So, hi! Yep, I’m in Pennsylvania visiting with my friend Nance and her family. We’re having fun, laughing our butts off, eating like crazy, and so far Felina (her chihuahua who has hated me in the past) hasn’t barked at me even once.

Tomorrow, we’re going on a road trip! Woot!

There might be an entry tomorrow, or there might not. I’m only here ’til Wednesday, so things should go back to normal – posting-wise – Thursday or so.

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Attention, Alabama and Tennessee residents!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic is now open in Huntsville. They charge $35 for feline neuters, $45 for feline spays, $55 for canine neuters, and $65 for canine spays. The only cost above the basic charge is $10 for the rabies vaccination if you cannot provide proof that your animal has been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE CAN USE THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC. You do NOT have to qualify! There is no extra charge for weight or if the cat/ dog is in heat. Ear tipping for ferals is free.

The clinic also provides FeLV/FIV test and heartworm tests for $20 and the other vaccinations for $10, but those are completely optional. They’ll also do fecals!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic web site is here.

Please please please pass the word. I know there are so many people who are unfortunately put off from having their cats and dogs spayed and neutered by the potential high cost. The fewer unwanted kittens and puppies who are brought into this world, the better.

Maybe one day there’ll be no such thing as unwanted cats and dogs. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

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Forwarded from reader Nicole yesterday was this email from Animal Haven, a shelter in New York City. They recently rescued two blind kittens, Ray and Light, from a horrible situation.

Dear Friend,

Tiffany A. Lacey
Executive Director

Animal Haven’s web site is here.

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I have a cat, Emma. Emma is 8 yrs old and I have had her since she was about 1.5 – 2 yrs old. She weighs 12.8 lbs and the epitome of a quiet little angel with wings and a halo. Emma is the most submissive of kitties and, no matter what, she is at the bottom of the totem pole. Then, there is Sidney. He is 1.5 yrs old and a complete mama’s boy. He is 8.5 lbs and all boy-kitten. The problem is that he dominates Emma. He thinks he owns the world even though she was there first. He will charge after her to run her off from the food dish, from MY lap, and oh the tortures in the kitty box. In no way is Sidney aggressive or mean in that scary kitty way as it almost looks like play. I do know that if she chased him he would love it. He just knows that she will back down and he will get whatever he wants. I scold him when he tries to dominate her and I will not allow him to push her off my lap (jealousy). But of course, I work and am not always there. Sidney is not hateful or anything (he is actually incredible precious) but I would like him to be more accepting of his big sister and not act like a little Napoleon. Any suggestions?

I don’t have any good suggestions on this issue, but I KNOW someone (or several someones!) out there has some great suggestions. So let’s hear it, y’all! Leave suggestions in the comments, please.

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Okay, wait. Who is… THAT?

Hint: It’s not Moxie.

That right there is Dodger, the newest addition to the MMMs. Yeah, I know that his name doesn’t start with “M”, but Dodger’s such a perfect name for him that it’s going to stay. Dodger was found by Winnie and Kathie, a pair of Challenger’s House foster moms – the same ones who found Moxie and Melodie! He ran across a busy road right in front of them, dodging three cars along the way. As it turned out, he was living under a local business and they were feeding him leftover chicken fingers.

Poor baby.

I brought him home yesterday morning, and when I opened the carrier he walked out, spotted Martin, and head-butted him so hard that he almost knocked Martin over. It was SERIOUSLY sweet.

He was a little freaked out last night, but this morning he followed me around the kitten room while I scooped, and then sat in front of me and let me pet him and pet him.

He’s actually changed the dynamic in the kitten room a little bit – Melodie has suddenly become friendlier and less skittish. And there’s been a LOT more playing in there.

He’s about 9 or 10 weeks old, is the vet’s guesstimate, and he’s smaller than Moxie and Melodie, but bigger than Martin. He’s a sweet boy and a fine addition to the MMMs!

You know I was wildly waving a cat toy around to get their attention, right?

He’s got his pink fuzzy toy. What else does he need?

Miss Melodie, in my lap again.

Another shot of Moxie’s gorgeous eyes.

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I put this box by the door to take out to the garage and put with the other recycling. Then when I went to grab it to actually take it out…

“Shhh….”

“Don’t tell her I’m here!”

“I’m DYING to get out that side door!”

No luck this time around, Bolitar, you sneaky little brat.

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I was coming out of the foster room the other day, and Jake went running in. I had an armload of stuff and didn’t want to put it down to chase him, so I made a mental note to go back and get him after 10 minutes.

Three hours later I was all “Huh. I wonder where Jake is?” and then remembered.

I walked into the foster room, and Jake was in the condo on the cat tree, snuggling with Melodie’s “baby”, all nonchalant and “What?”

The kittens didn’t seem to care at all that Jake was in their territory.

Someone asked earlier this week if Jake and Elwood are our version of Charlene Butterbean. I guess they kind of are, though I think they’re probably rougher with the kittens than the sweet Miss Bean. We’ve always called Tommy our ambassador because he’s good with the fosters, but whereas Tommy mostly puts up with the fosters, Jake and Elwood actually seek them out and play and snuggle with them and really like them.

It’s funny, because I had SO hoped that Miz Poo would be the kitten lover, but she wants nothing to do with any of the fosters (she’ll grumpily put up with them after a while – they have to wear her down, though!). None of our girl cats have any desire to be motherly with the fosters, not even Kara or Maxi, who WERE mothers.

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic is now open in Huntsville. They charge $35 for feline neuters, $45 for feline spays, $55 for canine neuters, and $65 for canine spays. The only cost above the basic charge is $10 for the rabies vaccination if you cannot provide proof that your animal has been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE CAN USE THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC. You do NOT have to qualify! There is no extra charge for weight or if the cat/ dog is in heat. Ear tipping for ferals is free.

The clinic also provides FeLV/FIV test and heartworm tests for $20 and the other vaccinations for $10, but those are completely optional. They’ll also do fecals!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic web site is here.

Please please please pass the word. I know there are so many people who are unfortunately put off from having their cats and dogs spayed and neutered by the potential high cost. The fewer unwanted kittens and puppies who are brought into this world, the better.

Maybe one day there’ll be no such thing as unwanted cats and dogs. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Good news! Lieu was adopted Tuesday evening. Fingers crossed that this one “takes”!

This is exactly the color of Moxie’s eyes. You can’t see the rest of her, but at least you know what color her eyes are now!

A rare shot of all three of them.

Melodie, giving me the sass.

Melodie – in my lap!

She’s had just about enough of your shenanigans.

What the cats dragged in. I put the quarter there for size comparison, and Reacher had to come get involved.

Rhyme in the sun.

Corbett in the chair (you know that chair is there for the SOLE reason of supporting a cat bed, right? I’m not even kidding.)

Bolitar, on the table in the front room.

Bolitar, close up. He has such pretty eyes. All my Bookworms do, really.

Reacher, keeping an eye on everything.

He was sound asleep like this. With the temps hitting 100+ lately, he’s been spending his mornings out in the back yard and his afternoons sprawled out like this in the house.

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic is now open in Huntsville. They charge $35 for feline neuters, $45 for feline spays, $55 for canine neuters, and $65 for canine spays. The only cost above the basic charge is $10 for the rabies vaccination if you cannot provide proof that your animal has been vaccinated in the past 12 months.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ANYONE CAN USE THE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC. You do NOT have to qualify! There is no extra charge for weight or if the cat/ dog is in heat. Ear tipping for ferals is free.

The clinic also provides FeLV/FIV test and heartworm tests for $20 and the other vaccinations for $10, but those are completely optional. They’ll also do fecals!

The North Alabama Spay Neuter Clinic web site is here.

Please please please pass the word. I know there are so many people who are unfortunately put off from having their cats and dogs spayed and neutered by the potential high cost (OY the stories I’ve heard!). The fewer unwanted kittens and puppies who are brought into this world, the better.

Maybe one day there’ll be no such thing as unwanted cats and dogs. Wouldn’t that be lovely?

Someone asked yesterday how much longer the Bookworms will be around. The short answer: I don’t know.

The long answer: Not only were Garrity and Franco returned to the adoption center last Friday (two college roommates adopted them, then discovered that one of them has allergies), but Lieu was returned on Saturday (the woman who adopted him lost her cat three years ago and once she got him home decided that she wasn’t emotionally ready for another cat yet.) Garrity was adopted again before the end of adoption hours Saturday, which leaves Lieu and Franco still looking for their forever homes.

None of Los Gatitos have been adopted yet. I KNOW, I DON’T GET IT EITHER. I thought for sure I’d be fighting off potential adopters on my way from the car to the adoption center when I took them in.

And my fosters aren’t the only fosters in line for adoption, so it’s going to depend on how adoptions go and when room opens up at the adoption center. In other words, if adoptions pick up it could be soon – and if they stay this slow, it could be a while. These goofy Bookworms with their ridiculously long and lanky legs crack me up, and obviously they’re welcome to stay here as long as they need to, ’til room opens up.

But just in case they need to go soon, Elwood will make sure that Bolitar is shined up and ready to go.

“What?”

I don’t know what Martin was smelling on the rug, but it made him go ::FLOOF::, and he stayed that way for a good long time.

Melodie, hanging out in the cat bed on the floor instead of fleeing to the cat tree! Yay!

Poor long-suffering Moxie. All she wants to do is hang out and be petted, and that little brat Martin keeps picking fights with her.

Melodie got tired of Martin’s sass, and fled to the cat tree. Boo!

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I truly can’t stand how gorgeous Corbett is.

Rhyme’s all “Come give us a kiss, darling.” That or “Come here and let me bite your face off!”

Joe in the Joe cave, Reacher doing god knows what, and Jake and Rhyme about to get into a fight (or a snuggle, hard to tell).

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The fact that Elwood and Reacher are hanging out atop the bookcase in the front room – Stinkerbelle’s spot! – helps explain why it is…

..that Stinkerbelle is suddenly spending so much time in the computer room.

Her deep and consuming love for Tommy probably has something to do with it, too.