Serious Slacking...and Peace.

I have seriously slacked off from my writing duties on this blog...I haven't written since October!

Well, I promised a large kitty story, and I will deliver, but I wanted to get back into the groove of the blog and get my head back in the game.

Update: Freddie and I are now getting along. This blog actually served as therapy for me and has been instrumental in the development of a peaceful relationship for Freddie and me. We are now pals, and I rarely get as angry or annoyed as I used to. Freddie's antics don't bother me as much, and I find myself simply scooting her off a surface or moving her aside as I try to brush my teeth.

Freddie has not changed much since I began writing about her...so it's obvious that I am the one that has changed...and it's a nicer, calmer, and more peaceful household as a result.

So, I may or may not change the name of the blog...not sure how long it will go on...but you won't JUST be hearing about the battles and frustrations anymore...hope it's as enjoyable.

more to come...

More Naughty Cats

Maureen suggested I post images and stories about friends' cats...My friend emailed me a couple of shots of his cat, Token, relaxing in the bathroom sink. Token seems to feel right at home in this sink. My friend suspects that his cat spends most of his day in the bathroom. Enjoy!

Next up: a 22 lb. kitty!!

Secret Wish

Looks like Freddie's been impaled...she hasn't.

How It All Began - part four

Freddie survived the ear mites...but she's never quite been the same. I think they ate a little bit of her brains, because now she's fearless and doesn't seem to understand the basic concept of consequence. She's been sprayed with water from the water bottle countless times...in the span of an hour...and somehow doesn't remember that she doesn't like it. She's either not very smart or damaged...or both. I don't know, maybe she DOES like it...

Even after Freddie started to gain an amazing amount of weight, she never slowed down. See this before and after:

So, after a little over 2 years, Freddie and I have formed a unique relationship. I'll be posting many more photos and some videos of life with Freddie...

Ouch!

This is an older photo--Freddie clawing her way up my pant leg as I take the photo...

Lick and Eat

Here's a short list of items that Frederika has either licked or eaten...or both:

• Doritos
• Tortilla Chips
• Shredded Cheese
• Chocolate Milk
• Plain Milk
• Soy Milk
• Water
• Baby Food
• Onion
• Broccoli
• Chicken (back when we weren't vegetarians)
• Bacon Grease (same)
• Pretzels
• Peanut Butter

The Fountain

Frederika's obsession with drinking from the tap has been especially draining for me the past couple of weeks. I don't know why, but she has really stepped up her efforts to get her face under a faucet lately, and it drives me nuts...mainly because a simple trip to the kitchen sink or the bathroom has become a race for me. I find myself running into the bathroom and shutting the door quickly behind me before Freddie gets there...and feeling a sense of victory over having beat her to it...I know, it's sad, but that's my life with this cat.

Here's a couple of shots of her in the bathroom--she gets to drink before I wash my hands...




So, I have to pick my battles...and I have decided to buy one of those water fountain drink bowls for the cats. I think I will be getting one from a company called Veterinary Ventures, Inc. They make a really popular model called the Drinkwell Original Pet Fountain and I have read good things about it...I hope this will appease the thirsty cat.

How to Make Guacamole

How to make Guacamole:

1. Place avocados and onions on counter.
2. Go to fridge to get cilantro and lemons. see Freddie jump on the computer counter (connected to the kitchen counter) out of the corner of my eye.
3. Feelings of anger swell within.
4. Go back to work station and try to get Freddie to get away from my workspace and back down to the computer counter...perhaps by nudging, shooing, or mushing in the face.
5. Begin chopping onion/cilantro.
6. Watch as Frederika approaches computer table again.
7. See her jump up and try to sneak into my work area. (she doesn't realize that she is about 2 feet from me and in plain sight.)
8. Go around the counter to shoo her again. She scrambles away and knocks over a lamp and scatters assorted papers and mail.
9. Clean up mess, slice avocados and place into a bowl.
10. Smash avocado with fork, then spray Freddie with a water bottle to get her off the counter again.
    
11. Add chopped onion and about a tablespoon of lemon juice to the bowl and mix ingredients well.
12. Chase Freddie from the spot where she was about to jump back on the counter.
13. Try to calm feelings of rage.
    
14. Add cilantro, salt and pepper to taste. mix well.
    
15. Catch Freddie in mid air as she jumps up to the counter, take her to the bedroom, lock the door.
16. Enjoy fresh Guacamole with tortilla chips!
    

Cats are for Sissies!

Maureen sent me a link to a great article in the New York Times about straight men who feel secure enough in their masculinity to admit their love affair with their pet cats. I love that this idea is spreading and battling the misconception that you are weak or somehow less of a MAN if you have and love a cat rather than a dog.

The neighborhood we live in is FULL of pitbulls, rottweilers and other assorted large and scary dogs. Granted, the neighborhood is a bit scary, so I can see the value of having a large and menacing companion as you take a walk around the block with toughies standing on the corner...But as the article suggests, a big dog doesn't make you a big man. In fact, I see it as the opposite--like the guy who has to buy a loud motorcycle, sports car or other overly-expensive toys: they're all overcompensating.

It's a strange idea to think that cats are sissy props anyway: they're PREDATORS! They attack and have sharp teeth AND claws. they're little hunting monsters, really...and if they were larger, they WOULD EAT YOU. Or, at least, they would bat you around until you were dead.

That's one thing about Frederika: she takes care of herself. And as a man, I like the convenience of that. plus, she's pretty cute.

Read the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/05/fashion/05cats.html?ei=5070&emc=eta1

How It All Began - part three

Left to Right: Olive and Frederika

Frederika and Olive were born in a garbage can--at least, that's where they were rescued from. They seemed fine when we adopted them, and the pet rescue informed us that they'd had all their vaccinations and had been neutered. But Freddie was sick.

She started showing signs that something was wrong after about a month. She scratched her ears a lot and we started noticing that they were more and more dirty. Well, that dirt was a bad case of ear mites...It was pretty sudden, but one day Maureen and I came home from work and Freddie was in bad shape. Her head was tilting to one side and she seemed to have lost her equilibrium. After a while she just started walking in circles and would start bumping into things around the house...

We took her to the vet and were told that she had mites that were starting to get really deep into her ear canal, and that, if left untreated, might kill her. For the next few weeks we gave her antibiotics, cleaned her ears with a solution every day, and watched her carefully. There seemed to be no progress the first few days, but then she started to get better.

Freddie...plotting.