This is How I feel about Fireworks

OK, the truth is I was yawning in this photo. But if I could look evil enough to make all the fireworks go away, I would. In a heartbeat. Come on, why spend all evening (or weekend) scaring all the animals? And some of the war vets too, I might add. It sounds like we're under attack and it's loud and scary.

On top of it all it's been a very dry month and what if sparks from someone else's fireworks hit the grass in our yard? Heather was over at a neighbor's house the other day when a smoldering fire was found in their back yard. Just what I need is for my favorite kitty home in the world to burn down.

And you thought Scruffers was tweaky normally? Let's see what he's like after a night of incessant fireworks. I hope it rains. Cats and dogs.

Kitty Burrito

Here's Scruffy Gray pretending to be unhappy about being wrapped up like a burrito. He knows if he makes a little whiny noise when Heather gets the towel out that Heather and Craig will fawn all over him and maybe give him an extra treat after the eye drop. He's a smart kitty. Tweaky, but smart.

What's he going to do this week since the eye drops have run out? Gasp - live without treats? Maybe Heather will have to hand out treats when we play nicely together. Got it, Scruffs? I know how to get my treat!

Trick Pillows

Which one of these pillows would hiss if you laid your head back on it? I think I will skip the experiment since I like my life...

How does time fly so quickly? I, for one, had a great weekend. OK, besides Saturday, when Heather and Craig left (for Point Roberts) at 6:30 in the morning and didn't come home until after 8 p.m. That was a long wait for lunch. And dinner.

Luckily they both got sick so they stayed home on Sunday and since then they have been taking long afternoon naps with me. So, what can I say? I've been enjoying plenty of belly rubs and my new sock.

What? I didn't tell you about my new sock? The eye doc told Heather that Scruffy Gray needed to relax (duh!) and that giving Scruffers Valerian would help him out. So Heather bought a bottle of Valerian root tincture and put a few drops on an old pair of socks and gave us each one. I've been loving it! Who knows if Scruffy has even noticed his sock. And who cares? I have reached a state of blissful relaxation and I am too busy carrying my sock around the house to even notice Mr. Polly Pants.

Kitty Heaven

Here I am loving the fact that Heather planted cat grass just for me! What a gal! A week or two ago she placed a plant on the kitchen floor and motioned me over - like I was supposed to inspect the plant. Umm, you remember what happened last time I inspected one of plants, right? The basil plant that didn't make it. Yeah, that's the one.

Well, this time was different. She placed the plant on the kitchen floor and invited me to eat it. And it was kitty grass! And then, a few days ago, she surprised me with another kitchen herb: fresh catnip! I'm in kitty heaven!

Hissy Fit

How much trouble do you think one kitty can get into in one day? It can't be that much, can it? Well, why don't we just tally it up and see, shall we?

Scruffers wanted to roam the house this morning so Heather locked me into her bedroom. But then Scruffy got scared and just stood at the door of his sanctuary. Heather sat down close by to let him know it was OK to leave, but he thought she was blocking his way. So he hissed at her and then jumped over her while continuously hissing in her direction. That move surprised her and she spilled her morning coffee all over herself (and the white carpet).

Later he decided he wanted out again but Heather hadn't locked me up. He decided he was going to barge past her and so he charged downstairs. I don't mind if Scruffy wants to check out the house, but he's going to have me meet me if we're going to share living quarters. So I ran over to greet him and he hissed and growled until I decided to take off. Heather was forced to chase me down (I didn't make it easy on her, I'll tell you that!) and lock me in her room again until Scruffers went back upstairs.

But tonight was the kicker. He was sitting lovingly on her lap when Heather pulled out the eye drops (for his kitty herpes infection!!!) and he snapped at her while in her arms. And then, after running away, he walked back over to her to smack her hand and then hid again. She waited a while and the third time she opened the eye drops and put it close to his eye he freaked. He hissed and waved his paw at her lashing out.

You know, even when Scruffers smacked her hand he only gave her a gentle high five. I know he's just trying to tell her he's scared and to back off. Heather's a little afraid of him still so she takes the warnings seriously. I think she's nervous he's going to turn on her. But even when he was angry at her tonight he only high-fived her. He's never used his nails and he's never tried to bite. I think it's a sign that he wants to be good and that he really respects people; he's just wigged. Sometimes Heather and Craig call him tweak when he gets like this. He was definitely tweak today!

Oh yeah, who's the good kitty around here? That would be moi. I'll make sure to be snuggly tonight so Heather gets the hint.

Scruffy Sees a Kitty Specialist

Not that Dr. Dight of the Skagit Animal Clinic isn't a specialist. He's just not a kitty eyeball specialist. Who would have thunk? Who would guess that it's possible to even get a degree in veterinary eyeballs, much less a steady job staring at animal eyes?

But that's who Heather and Scruffers visited on Thursday - a veterinary opthalmologist. I'm sure Scruffy liked the drive to Bellingham.... But that's not what this is about. Why I am writing is to share the good news. No, it's not that the kitty opthalmologist was free, it definitely wasn't that! So the good news is not about Heather's wallet (unless she wants to brag about how much weight it lost on Thursday).

The good news is that Scruffy shows no signs of FIP. None. His eyes are still inflamed because of a stress response. Here's the funny part: Scruffy has kitty herpes! Ha ha ha! The herpes virus is reactivated during stress, just like shingles and cold sores in humans. And boy, has he been stressed! He had the eye inflammation when Craig found him residing under our deck. It's why he never opened his eyes at all. Then he was sent to the Humane Society and he stressed even more and that led to his immune system's poor response. Hence the Upper Respiratory Infection. And then he came to live with us and he still hasn't calmed down all the way and that has caused the herpes virus to flare again and affect his eyes. So, the other good news is that once he relaxes, he should get over this stupid eye problem. And here's the kicker: to help him relax we're supposed to get catnip every day! OK, he's supposed to get it, but there's no one he can have catnip every day without me getting some too. Yay!

The bad news is that Scruffy was so malnourished that he suffered from a taurine deficiency that was causing his retinas to deteriorate. I guess the doc said the deficiency has to be pretty advanced for that to happen. Poor guy. He must have been living on his own for a really long time. In fact, the doc seemed nervous to handle him because she was sure he was completely feral. She said in all her years of practice it was really rare to see the retina deterioration from malnourishment. She didn't really want to touch him. Poor guy. I'd touch you if you'd let me. Just in a friendly kitty way.

Did you Miss Me?

I know I sure missed using my computer all last week. Heather allowed Craig to borrow my computer without asking me if I needed to work.

I guess it's for a good cause so I can't get too upset. Craig had to make a bunch of maps for the new Snohomish County tourism guide. Oh, you haven't heard of it? Well, he did a hiking guide for the county a few years back and it was a big hit. And this year he reworked it - all day hikes and great new maps and photos. And I shouldn't be upset that he borrowed the computer for so long because he feeds me.

So, I'm back and I'm ready to have the run of the house tomorrow while ole Scruffers goes to Bellingham to meet another vet. A specialist this time. A kitty opthalmologist. Have fun in the car, Scruffers! Not to mention at the vet! As I always say, "better you than me!"

Maybe that will give me the quiet time I've been needing to work on some projects. I've been trying to hide under the bed to get some work done but somehow Heather always squirms just far enough under there to bug me.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

I have almost had my fill of that Scruffy Gray. Do you know what he did to me last night?

Heather and Craig took me out to the deck, because they were BBQ-ing they said, but really it was to let Scruffers have the run of the house. Of my house. He came wandering downstairs and sat in the dining room, right in front of me, and ate the rest of my dinner. And here's the worst part: When I walked over towards the screen door to let him know he was eating dinner out of my bowl - he hissed at me. At me! Scruffy was eating my food out of my bowl and he had the nerve to hiss at me. And then (it gets better) Heather and Craig thought the whole thing was funny. Can you believe it? I didn't talk to them all night.

Heather washed out my bowl and brought out new food and water, but I had to make them wait. No way was I going to accept a peace offering from those traitors. This is my house!

I think the heat's getting to all of us. Especially Scruffy's common sense.

Could You Turn Down the Heat?

Shade. That's all I can think about. Where is the place with the coolest breeze in the house? And why does it feel like an oven in here?

Yesterday Seattle felt a record temperature of 89 degrees. I could feel it all the way up here in Skagit, I tell you. Do you know what it's like to be a long-haired kitty on an 89-degree day? (It's not pretty.)

I hear today's going to be a tough one too. Sigh. I'll write more when it doesn't make me pant to move my paws.

Scruffy Pulls a Fast One

Every time we think we've got Scruffy's actions down he surprises us. And this past weekend was no exception. Scruffers had another appointment with the vet and for the first time ever he didn't willingly enter the kitty box. I heard Heather try to entice him and then finally she picked him up and tried to push him in. Then I heard her groan when he ran out past her. (Atta boy, Scruffers!)

Then Craig tried to stuff him in the box with the same exact result. It was all pretty funny to listen to. Especially because Craig and Heather were getting a little stressed about making it to the vet on time. Then I overheard Heather try to push him into the box and Scruffers splayed out every limb to keep from entering it - just like a cartoon character. Somehow they got him there, but it was a new side of Scruffy Gray we had never seen before.

But the best kitty surprise came later. Heather and Craig were so worried about getting Scruffers to the vet on time that they left a bag of tasty tuna treats on the floor. That evening, Heather looked on the floor and found the (now empty) bag of treats. "Hmm," she wondered, "I thought there were more treats in there." Then she inspected the bag and found teeth marks everywhere. Scruffers had ripped open the bag in multiple places and devoured the contents.

Now every time he doesn't respond to us instead of worrying that Scruffers is sick, maybe we should really think "What is that boy up to? What is he plotting now?"

Scruffers - maybe someday we'll be friends and you can show me how to distract Heather and Craig so I can have an entire bag of tuna treats or maybe freshly grilled tuna steaks....

Look at Me - I'm Famous!

Have you seen me in print yet? I'm so excited I have to share the news! The summer issue of Adventures NW just came out and my picture is in it! That's right, daddy and me in Craig's bio. Oh Scruffers - see who's daddy's favorite?

I never thought I'd end up a model, but what can I say? I do have a nice shiny coat and an expressive face.

Can you tell what I'm thinking in this photo? Karen Sykes took this and wow, did she ever smell of strange kitties. I thought she had to be a kitty herself with all that scent and so when she reached over to touch me I hissed. I know, it wasn't very polite. She's a great lady. But it just happened. Completely out of my control. She understood - which just shows she knows kitties. I hissed and she still took my photo. And made me famous. Thanks, Karen!