Hi Mom!

I've been home a week now after being gone a full 8 days. (Yes, a full report on the vacation will be upcoming.) The girls were watched by my friend, Pam. Mija usually came to see her when she came in the front door. Pilchard has taken a spot on the bed and that's where she stays. Sometimes she comes to greet me when I get home, but usually not. She's grown into the "oh, it's you" state. I'm not quite used to that. I still get a momentary panic when she doesn't come. Having had one cat die at home while I was at work, when she doesn't come, I worry. Then, I go into the bedroom and she's sitting on her spot on the bed looking at me, giving me that look. Every cat companion knows that look. "I'm right here. Why are you yelling?"

Pam said that toward the end of my vacation, even Mija wasn't coming in the morning. She would go into the bedroom and they would both be on the bed. She took to giving them their treats in bed. Oh the luxury. There was only one "accident" on the living room rug while I was gone, but Pam and I both knew it was no accident. It was a statement. "Mom is gone. You're not mom. I'm registering my displeasure."

Since I've been home, both have followed me around. I expected this. It's the "Don't ever leave us again" syndrome. I blogged about Pilchard over at House Panthers. She's been quite clingy since I got back.

I haven't really seen behavior changes other than following me around. I did find someone's breakfast on the hall floor this morning. The worst thing was Wednesday night. I climbed into bed and smelled poop. It smelled close but there have been some whopper stinks coming from the litter boxes this week. I settled down and rolled onto my side to get comfortable and my arm hit something soft and spherical. You guessed it. I have no idea whose idea it was to make a deposit in the bed, but I know it was because there was displeasure at my being gone. I got up and stripped the sheets, sleeping on a blanket. Yesterday, I wiped down the mattress cover and replaced the sheets.

I thought I had prepared them for being gone, but time passes differently to cats than to humans. It must have seemed like a very long time; days changing to nights and no sign of mom. There was no one to play with other than one's sister, a fact I'm seeing in growling, hissing and spitting. I haven't had a full-blown cat fight, but given how pleasant they have been lately, I'm expecting that this weekend. I've made sure the bathroom floor is clean for the inevitable isolation of someone as punishment for the snarling.

In the meantime, we are back to our usual routine. I go off to work and return home. I do a couple of chores and then sit down to watch the news or read the current book. Mija hops up next to me and "talks" to me about her day. I extend my right arm and she flops down on top of it.

It's one of the highlights of the day, actually. She purrs and purrs and kneads the blanket on the recliner or, if she's close to me, my pants. She will monopolize my hand for a good 45 minutes. Pilchard, meanwhile, jumps up into my lap and complains about disproportionate scratches until I scratch her ears and she settles down in my lap.

Wednesday was Hug Your Cat Day. I hug them every day and I do believe they know how much I love them. This fighting is, I think, just like kids in the "Mom loves me best" derby. I hugged them both on Wednesday and told them I loved them. It's hard not to want to hug them when I have this face waiting for me when I come home.

Beverage:  Water

Deb

The Bestest Place

I enjoy writing my weekly post over at House Panthers. It gives me the opportunity to take more cat photos. They know that sound of the camera and, sometimes, cooperate. I got a couple of great photos over this past month and the cold snaps we've endured.

They like to be next to me now. When I'm in the recliner, I usually have Pilchard in my lap and Mija asleep to my right. Sometimes, she climbs up onto the back of the recliner and stretches out by my head. She has a loud purr but it is so comforting.

I try to leave a chunk of time on Sunday afternoon for "lap time". I read or watch TV and Pilchard gets an uninterrupted block of time to be in my lap.

This seems to be hugely important to her. We do this at night when I come home from work, too. I sit down and watch the news. She commandeers my lap for an hour and then I make her move because I have to make supper and continue on with my evening. If, for some reason, that hour doesn't happen, she will 'yell' at me later in the evening and try to sit in my lap. Maybe it's a calming thing. Maybe it's just a ritual. Whatever it is, it's important and, seriously, what is more important than giving my cat an hour's nap time in my lap. Lowers my stress from the work day, too.

Look at that face. You tell me animals don't show emotion. She is really happy.

Beverage:  British Breakfast Tea

Deb

Happy Thanksgiving

I posted this over on House Panthers, the black cat blog to which I contribute once a week. In case you don't pop over there, I'm reproducing it, with some addendums.

For these things, I am grateful.

Noms.

I don't like people food. Mom can have that, except, oh man, when she brings home deli sliced turkey...

I'm thankful for food they aren't interested in.

My sister...

even if we do sit at opposite ends of the recliner.

My family, even if we're all over the Midwest and rarely get to see each other.

Boxes.

I'm grateful for the stuff that comes in boxes. 

Windows, where I can look out but not be out.

Ditto, especially when being out would not be pleasant. 

Places to scratch.

A place to sit with my feet up...

and a cat in my lap or next to me.

Warm places to sleep...

and peaceful places to relax. 

Best of all. I am thankful I have a home with a mom who loves me and my sister.

I wish all kittehs could sit in someone's lap and get chin scratches this Thanksgiving. Some day. Some day.

I'm grateful and thankful for friends and family who have been with me through thick and thin.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Pilchard, Mija and Deb

Beverage:  hot cocoa

Branching Out

Blogs are everywhere. I don't remember how I stumbled onto this one, House Panthers, but, in perusing the posts, I've found a blog for those of us sharing our lives with black cats.

I have had a hard time keeping up Deb's Cup of Tea with the goal of a post a day. Lately, I've been really busy and, right now, I'm going through a minor flare-up of my RA which leaves me tired. I have many more posts from the Virginia trip and there are always things I see that become posts in the back of my mind. Yet, a blog written by a number of people who have black cats?

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know I'm a huge proponent of adopting a black cat. I love, adore, Mija, don't get me wrong, but black cats are so maligned that if I can spur one person to adopt one, giving it a forever home, then that's one cat and one person who is happy and it's worth trying to remember Black Cat Appreciation Day. (PST...August 17th.)

So, I applied to become a guest blogger. My "credentials"? Viola.

Today, I did my first post for House Panthers. I'm giving myself the goal of a post a week. I can, when I'm feeling eloquent and inspired and verbose, write the next week's post and schedule it. I'm thinking Thursdays are a good day.

We'll see how this goes. Maybe it will be more than I can, realistically, do. Then again, maybe it will inspire me.

Beverage:  Water

Deb