The ultimate kitty betrayal

How could it be? I thought we were kitty friends. Best kitty friends (BKF!), in fact. But then, I spotted it - the ultimate betrayal.

Sure, I know I like to drop dookies in Scruffy's kitty box. And he does it to me too. It's just part of the game we call "Turd Wars." But this, dios mio, was downright mean.

Ok, ok, get to the point Giuseppe Gattino. I went to lie down in my fleece snuggle bed and, gasp, someone was already in it. In MY snuggle bed. Scruffy - how could you?

I tried to alert Heather, but she thought Scruffy was missing. She and Craig searched all over the house for him while I stood by their bed meowing my complaint. Finally, Heather looked under the bed and saw a strange sight. Something gray sticking its head out of my snuggle bed. And then - it gets worse! - she started laughing. Ooh, that just made me even more angry.

After a good laugh, and some photos, Craig pulled out the treats to entice Scruffy to get out of my bed. They tried to offer us both treats but I refused. No way. You can't buy your way out of this one. I waved my tail in annoyance and stomped off to Heather's office. When Heather followed me in and brought in those stupid treats I showed her what I thought and tried to bury them in the carpet. Take that, Heather!

But I can't hold a grudge for long. Heather got me some of my favorite treats and brought them to the windowsill where only I could eat them. I enjoyed them and then, when Heather wasn't looking, I ate the discarded treats that Heather threw in Scruffy's bowl. And now that I'm full, it's time for a little kitty nap. But maybe on my throne, since my bed still smells like Scruffy.

Where's the Virginia?

After eight days of Heather's mother visiting us, we all assumed she was here to stay for good. Well, heck, if you've seen her unpack her car and fill up the guest room, you would think she had moved in for good!

Scruffy will have one less lap to sleep on. And I will have one less human to avoid when I'm not feeling snuggly (which is most of the day, according to some.)

I know what will happen: Heather will scrub the house and get it back in order just in time for Virginia to come back and visit for Christmas! We're counting down the days!

Don't forget, Virginia - we love catnip presents!

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino showing his incredible desire to be snuggled by Virginia.)

Oh, Scruffy - trick or treat!

What's that noise? I swear I just heard Heather walk upstairs with a clean kitty box. I'd better go check it out.

Yup, there's fresh kitty litter in my freshly scrubbed box. But, here's my favorite part - I beat Scruffers to the inspection of his box. And his box has been scrubbed clean too.

I look around to see if he's coming. Nope. I quickly jump into his box and lie down. I love to rub my scent in all over his box so he can't get away from me! Might as well tinkle a little too so he really knows I was here. He he he!

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino looking around for a sign of Scruffers.)

Happy Thanksgiving to Canadians and Scruffy Gray

I talked with Scruffy Gray this morning and he told me he wanted to celebrate a late Canadian Thanksgiving since it's too early to celebrate it here. "Why?" I asked him and here's what he had to say.

Scruffers: "The weather is turning cold and rainy and every time I look outside I remember how miserable I was last year. Living outside in the cold, the pouring rain, fending for myself, with no one to care for me. And here I am, inside a warm, dry house, with a soft fleece bed to nap on, a new kitty friend (that's you, Giuseppe Gattino!), great humans who love me, and two delicious meals served to me every day. I am forever grateful that I was rescued and given another chance at life."

Wow. Sometimes I'm so busy playing, napping, getting petted and making sure I get fed on time that I forget how lucky I am. Thanks for the reminder, Scruffers!

Lump

What could the lump be in the couch? Could it be Giuseppe singing a classic song from the Presidents of the United States of America?

Or could it be Giuseppe hiding from the world?

I would guess option B if I were you. Especially 'cause that song is funny only if you hear it once in a blue moon. But afterwards you'll find it in your head for weeks and that always annoys me. Who wants a dumb song like that floating around in their head for weeks on end? Not me. I'd rather find myself singing "Peaches".

Now, where was I? Oh yeah, why I'm hiding. Everybody needs a time out once in a while and today's my day. Today we find out of Virginia stays with us for another week or if she is able to go home. The anticipation is killing me. I think I'll hide till I find out.

There's something about that hat

I don't know what it is but I can't stay away from Craig's Green Trails hat. Craig will come back from a hiking trip and set his hat on top of his backpack and the next thing you know the scent lures me in. I sniff the air and all I can smell is his awesome hat.

I have to check it out. First I walk over to casually inspect his backpack. Then I see the hat, waiting for me. I jump up and stealthily grab the hat! I inhale deeply and the aroma overpowers me. I take the hat with my teeth and drop it on the living room floor. Then I rub my head all over it. And roll around on it. And the next thing you know I've been rolling and sniffing for long enough that Heather and Craig are standing over me, laughing. I gulp and try to regain my composure. How could I look so silly? I try to ignore that hat but there's something about it that tickles my nose.

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino enjoying the Green Trails hat.)

Don't Bug Me!

You know what I love about fall? OK, besides the fact that Craig and Heather are actually home on weekends...



What I really love about fall is that the bugs are trying to move indoors. And I love tasty bugs! They're almost as good as tuna treats.


That's right, funny-looking, big, flying bug - I'll get you. I'll watch you fly in circles around the light and I'll make make funny little chirping noises at you while I wait for you to tire out. And as soon as you get to my jumping level - smack! I'll bat you around over and over until my stomach growls and then I'll have you as a snack. I can't wait!


(Giuseppe Gattino spots a funny-looking big flying bug in the house.)

Dueling Naps

You've got to love Friday afternoons. They're purrrfect days to nap!

The contest is on - ready, set, nap! Whoever gets up last wins!

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino and Scruffy Gray take over the living room.)

Mutts Turns 15!

Can you believe it? Fifteen years of Mutts! Of course, I, Giuseppe Gattino, have only been around for one year so fifteen sounds super old to a young, spry kitty like me.

I love wintertime when Heather and I curl up on the couch and we read Mutts comic books. I love Shtinky Puddin' the best but Crabby is pretty funny too. Check out Mutts Comics and the cast of characters at www.muttscomics.com

Congratulations, Patrick McDowell! And thank you for your help in finding me my home! The strip above is what started it all.

Giuseppe in the Mail

Can you see it? It's me, Giuseppe Gattino, on a U.S. postal stamp! Scruffy and I were having fun one day at work and we ordered a bunch of these. We also surprised Craig with a set of stamps featuring Scruffers lying on Craig while he was napping on the couch. Scruffers mailed those to Craig separately with a note thanking Craig for rescuing him. I admit it, it was a pretty cool thing for him to do.

Are we becoming buddies? Well, sometimes. When Scruffers is in a good mood I like to make him chase me around the house. Of course, when I try to chase him around he gets nervous and has a hissy fit. And he's so darn old I swear all he wants to do is sleep. Take today, for example. We slept all day yesterday while Craig and Heather were out hiking. So today I'm full of energy and all I want to do is run laps around the house. But Scruffers, no. He slept all day yesterday and now all he wants to do is nap all day today too. So I have to run over to Heather and tag her on the leg and make her come chase me. It's just not the same as having a kitty friend.

We're almost touching!

I've been waiting for months to become friends with Scruffers. I know he's a really cool cat - Heather and Craig wouldn't have brought him home if they didn't think he was a great kitty. But he's been so darn nervous around me and it's driving me crazy!

Why won't he let me meet him and get it over with? We have been getting closer. We play together sometimes (I let him chase me around until he hisses and freaks me out). And in the mornings he sometimes lets me hang out close to him.

Here we are today in the dining room. Scruffers was ripping apart the catnip plant and I took the opportunity to see how close I could get to him before he freaked out. Here's how close I got. Of course, this photo was taken seconds before he hissed and scared me off, but that's life! I'll just keep trying!

Don't worry, Scruffers, we'll be friends soon!

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino trying to greet Scruffers.)

Don't forget to vote!

My new poll! I know, I'm shameless - vote for me! Giuseppe Gattino!

My - He's so Big!

Everywhere I go all I hear is "My! Look how big he is!", "Wow, he's sure grown!" or "He's bigger than my dog!" Well, that's because you own a rat and not a dog, lady.

But, quite frankly, all this talk about my size is getting a little tiring. So what? I've grown. I'm no longer the 8 week old kitten I was when Heather brought me home. I'm a 12-pound eleven month old cat. And, I must add, I am part Maine Coon. Do you know how big I could still get?

And what if every time I saw you I commented on your size? That's what I thought. So let's can the size comments and talk about what a wonderful, brilliant kitty I am instead.

Oh, and Craig - no more comments on my "belly drop", capisce? I'd rather you talk about giving me more 4 a.m. belly rubs, hint, hint...

(Photo: Giuseppe Gattino at 3 months of age.)

The Imminent Return of Scruffy Gray

I've been looking out the window, trying to catch sight of Scruffy Gray. I know, I know, he's not here. But I can't stop thinking about him. Probably because Heather and Craig keep talking about him.

Tuesday after Craig left Heather made a call to the Skagit Valley Humane Society and then suddenly got into her car and took off. When she came back a few hours later she had a bag of cat food in one hand (perfect timing 'cause it's past my dinnertime again!) and in the other one was a book titled Cat vs. Cat. Uh oh. I know where this is going. Sigh.

"Tuesday?", you ask. "Isn't it Friday?" Well, yes, but sometimes when something happens I am not happy about I don't always want to talk about it right away. Haven't you ever had that happen to you? And hey - didn't I ask you all to find a home for Scruffy Gray?

I, Giuseppe Gattino, am the house kitty. Scruffy Gray, well, he doesn't really belong here. But it sure looks like Craig and Heather think differently. (I overheard them talking at the dinner table. I pretended I was checking out the kitchen, but I was really trying to listen in.) Craig was less than pleased to find out that Heather filled out the adoption papers for Scruffy without consulting him first. Ahem, how about consulting with me - the house kitty?

It turns out that Scruffy is suffering from an upper respiratory infection at the shelter. His eyes are all icky and he's sneezing and sniffling a lot. I looked up UPIs online and one of the common causes is stress. OK, that makes me feel bad. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I were left at a shelter and forced to live with all those other loud cats and dogs. And then getting sick on top of being stressed and lonely and forced to live in an unsnuggly cage.

Well, if all goes well with his medication and if Scruffy is FIV-, he could be here in 10 days 'or so'. I guess I have some time to think this over. I still don't like it, but maybe he won't be that bad.

Will the Real Giuseppe Gattino Please Stand Up?

Rumor has it there has been some questioning of who writes this blog so I want to set the record straight.

I, Giuseppe Gattino, the house kitty, am the author of this blog. I know there will be a few who cannot believe that a house kitty could be that smart, and all I can say to you is: don't underestimate the intelligence of a kitty. And to those of you who say it's impossible and that kitties have 'pea' brains, I pity your small-mindedness. You have no idea what goes on in our furry little heads.

Us house kitties have mastered our owners. We let them think they take care of us, providing us with food and shelter and love. And it's true. We enjoy this pampered lifestyle and we wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it. But do you know what we do while you're at work? Or at 3 a.m.? Of course not! And it's going to stay that way.

(Photo: Caught in the act! Giuseppe typing madly away.)

The Other Giuseppe Gattino

Have you ever found out that someone else has your exact same name? Do you wonder what they look like? How they act? If there's any resemblance to you because they share your name?

I was poking around on the web (Heather was busy working, so she didn't notice I was using her computer) and I thought, "Why not google myself?" Come on, everyone's done it! Haven't you ever looked to see if you exist on the web? So I googled me: Giuseppe Gattino. And look what I found! Another Italian! Of course, he's got a lot less hair than I do. But seriously, look at him.

We share the same serious expression - that's my exact look when I see a bug flying in the house! A complete focus of attention. And do you know what else we share? A love of games! The other Giuseppe was the head of media relations for the winter Olympic games in Torino. I love organizing games too! I like to play chase and soccer and hide-and-seek and devil-kitty. I like taking my favorite toy upstairs when Craig and Heather are sleeping and leave it out on the bathroom floor. That way when they wake up they know I'm ready for them to throw it around for me. See? I'm a game organizer too!

And I love the Olympics! I remember last summer when Craig and Heather took me over to the neighbor's house and we watched a girls' beach volleyball game in the summer Olympics. I was so excited watching the ball fly around the screen that I jumped at the T.V. and dug my kitty nails into the T.V. stand to catch the ball. Aah! The memories!

You know what else is kind of a weird coincidence about me and Giuseppe? The Winter Olympics are coming here next year! OK, they'll be in B.C. but that's only 60 miles from here. Is that strange or what? Maybe he'll be coming over with the Italians. Il mondo e piccolo!