The Easter Miracle

So much to catch you up on! It's been crazy around here with all the caring for Scruffy Gray. Last week Scruffs went in for his annual (birthday!) exam and started immediately hissing at the vet. The vet (who is really a nice lady and didn't deserve this behavior at all!) offered to sedate Scruffers so they could give him a full exam uninterrupted and end with a spa day of bath, nail clipping and the shaving of his matted back fur.

Heather agreed and left Scruffers at the vet for the day. But later that afternoon the vet called to inform us of a big surprise: Scruffy Gray isn't a boy kitty, he's really a she! No wonder she's been in a bad mood most of the time she's lived her - we've been calling her by the wrong gender!

But then Scruffers came home and she was scared and hid for a day and a half. And when she walked her right front paw buckled under like she was missing a bone in her front leg. (It was very reminiscent of when Harry Potter had his bones removed from his arm by accident). Heather had to call the vet repeatedly over Easter weekend (poor vet!) to give her an update on Scruffy's status.

First the vet thought Scruffy suffered a stroke. But Sunday night (Easter) Scruffy remarkably returned to her normal self, as if she rose from the dead. But then Heather fed her another pain killer (for the arthritis pain in her back) on Monday and the weird behavior started all over again. Very PTSD-like. She hid for almost two days this time and was scared of everything.

So now we know it's a very rare reaction to the pain medication. Since then, Scruffers has returned to her normal self.

Except that he's a she.

Happy birthday, Scruffy Gray

Happy birthday Scruffy Gray! Now wait one second - Scruffy, don't you know how birthdays work? We're supposed to surprise you, not the other way around.

Do you want to hear Scruffy's big surprise? My brother is really a SISTER! No wonder he/she looks distressed all the time. We refer to her as Mr. Scruffy Gray. And Mr. Robust Snuggles. Yikes! And Craig calls her "my little guy."

Well, no more of that! Luckily, Scruffers is a great unisex name, so it's not a big deal. Not like a certain someone (who shall remain nameless to protect her identity) who named her kitty Candy and then found out it was a boy. And that poor cat was stuck with the name Candy his whole life. So, Scruffy, be thankful on this Good Friday that Heather (oops!!!) didn't name you 'Candy'. Think how distressed you'd feel then!

GOOOOAAAAL!

Scruffy Gray won. Fair and square. It was just like a soccer game, long and drawn out with a lot of posturing and scrambling and changing of positions without gaining anything. But finally, it happened: Scruffy Gray 1, Heather 0.

Heather had arranged a visit with the vet - Scruffers needs his nails cut and his back needs to be shaved. Poor guy, he's so arthritic he can't clean the fur on his back. And no matter how much time Heather spends brushing out the mattes, the fur just keeps getting worse. And on top of that Scruffy has been doing his pirate trick again where he lifts one side of his upper lip funny like he's saying "Grrr, matey!" So the pulled tooth site probably needs to be looked at since the pirate look should have ended months ago after the broken tooth was pulled.

So Heather began by pulling the dreaded kitty carrier out of the garage. Scruffers took one look at it and hid behind the couch. Heather moved the couch and Scruffy ran (limped quickly, really) upstairs. But Heather was quick and had already closed the doors to all the rooms upstairs. Scruffy was trapped. "Should be no problem now," Heather thought. Except that the door to her office wasn't really closed all the way and Scruffy snuck in and hid behind a heavy desk.

Well, after a lot of hiding and trying to lure Scruffy out, Scruffs somehow escaped and ran under Heather's bed. Heather slunk in under it and tried to pull him out. And that's when Scruffy hissed at Heather. But she was determined. So she pulled out the green towel to wrap him up and he lunged at her. And scratched her pretty good all over her hand, enough to draw some blood. And then he hid for the rest of the day.

That was Tuesday and Scruffy has yet to sit on her lap again. He'll sit next to her, but doesn't really want Heather to pet him and he won't purr for her. And every time she walks into the garage he runs behind the couch - just in case.

I don't know what his problem is. I sat in the kitty carrier no problem. In fact, I watched almost the entire game from inside the kitty carrier. Pretty good view and I was guaranteed not to be approached by Scruffy. It was probably the safest place in the house for me to watch the fun.

The Furless Leader

Oh, really? It's FEARless leader, you say? Well, not in this house!

I know, I should bad for Scruffers. It's not his fault that his arthritis is so bad that he's unable to clean his back. Heather brushes it a lot, but she hasn't wanted to get in too deep because she's not sure how much pain he's in. And finally Scruffers had to go to the vet yesterday and the people told her his matting was too close to the skin to try and clean it up. He was forced to endure multiple shots, a blood draw, an ear cleaning and a partial body shave. Better you than me, old boy!

So, for all of you to see: Scruffy's new 'do!

What part of "I hate everything new" don't you get?

So here I am living the life of a happy indoor kitty, putting up with my cranky brother Scruffers. Life seemed good. Simple, routine, and perfect. What kitty doesn't appreciate a simple routine?

I get up, meow at everyone else to get up, I get fed, I take a bath, run around, take a nap, repeat. What part of this perfect routine says "please change"? NONE of it!

I woke up this morning and Heather attempted to feed me a meal I had never tried before. Where does that fit into my routine? No where. Duh. I ate a little and let her know how angry I was. But Heather must be really dense because she fed me the same stupid thing for dinner.

You realize I don't like change, right? So why are you trying to change my meals? Humans can have all the variety in the world. I'm a kitty. I don't need variety. (Hmm, by that logic, maybe Heather's dad is a kitty too...)

I didn't give in for dinner. I ran away. I ran around in circles and meowed at Heather till I lost my breath. Then I tried to bury my dinner. Finally - two hours later!!! - Heather gave in. She went into the garage and pulled out some of the wet food I like and poured it over the top of my rejected dinner.

OK, I admit it, I compromised and I ate it. I was hungry by then, you know. But I'm still not letting Heather anywhere near me. I sat with my back turned to her at the dining room table so she'd see how angry I was. Am.

I need to learn how to use a can opener.

Commando Kitty!

See that small golden circle hanging (annoyingly) off my collar? Well, it's gone now. I've gone commando!

Whenever I feel like Heather has slighted me, I tear off my collar so she knows how I feel: I don't associate myself with you. What has she done this time? Oh, the usual. She didn't take me outside yesterday on the last nice sunny day of the week. (Mark one check against her.) And then she has sent Craig away and he still hasn't come home. (Mark a bold check against her here.)

Scruffers is convinced that she took Craig to the vet and left him there. He won't sit on her lap in case he's next. OK, I know, he's a little odd. And highly anxious. And without Craig around we all get a little depressed.

So it's my job to mix things up a little. Liven things up. And so, I've gone commando!

A Christmas wish come true

Scruffers and I like to take turns sleeping under the Christmas tree. Of course, when Scruffers is under the tree Heather and Craig "ooh" and "aah" about what an adorable kitty he is. But when I am under the tree Heather pulls out the squirt bottle ready to aim when I taste test the needles.

Of course, when I am under the tree I like to mark the area with my pheromones by rubbing my face against the tree. I'm not really eating the needles; I know they were made in China (by small children). But Scruffers, he's different. When he gets under the tree he stares off into space for a while (usually till he starts snoring and we wake him up with our laughter). Then he gets settled in and takes a long nap.

What is that little guy thinking? Here's what we have decided: Scruffy is still feeling thankful that his wish came true. Remember, just a year ago he was living on the streets in the snow and freezing temperatures, barely getting enough food to survive. And then one day we took him and and nursed him back to health. And now here he is - living indoors, with two square meals every day, two down comforters to sleep on, a fleece snuggle bed, a kitty friend (me!), and two warm laps to choose from. If Christmas is about being thankful for what we have, then Scruffy Gray is celebrating Christmas more than all of us. Merry Christmas, little guy!

Christmas rush and treats for Santa

I know, I know, it's been a long time since I've written to you. Well, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to not keep in touch. I have no excuse except that it's Christmastime and this time of the year I feel the time pinch.

Come on, you have to understand all the things I have to get done. Help Craig and Heather with their Christmas cards (check) - ok, I admit it. I contracted that out to Scruffers. That's why some of them are so late. He's a little slow at cards.

Why? Well, first of all, he spends more time napping than me because he's pretty old. (Sorry, Scruffs, but it's true.) And he's just slow. Between the arthritis in his hind legs and back and the overly-flexible front leg, he has a hard time getting around. And then he spends a lot of time just staring out into space. That eats up a lot of card-writing time too.

Where was I? Gift wrapping (check) - I think. I always love helping wrap presents: chasing the wrapping paper so it stays in line and batting at the tape dispenser. Hanging of the Christmas ornaments and decorations (check). That was fun too. I like to check to make sure the tree is still fresh, but every time I try and taste the needles I get sprayed with the squirt bottle. And sniff the presents (check). Scruffers and I take turns doing that. And sleep under the Christmas tree (check).

See how busy I am? No wonder I don't have time to play! Now, if you excuse me, I have to go bake some tuna treats for Santa. I hope he likes them!

Sweet Dreams!

Sleep tight, little Scruffers! I have noticed that in this super cold weather you've been spending all your free time curled up on one of the down comforters in the house. I'll let you have them 'cause as a Maine Coon, I'm pretty toasty all the time. In fact, I keep begging Heather and Craig to take me outside on the leash but they seem to think it's too cold to go outside.

Gee whiz! Hello! I'm made for this weather! Well, except for the frosted grass. I didn't like how that felt on my little indoor paws. I kept trying to pick one up and shake it off but then I'd have to set it down to do the next one and it seemed, well, never ending. But I did get an awfully tasty tuna treat for letting Heather rub my paws down when we got back inside. And that's what it's all about now, isn't it?

Huddled around the fireplace

Brr, is it ever cold! The heater keeps clicking on and I can feel the chill in the air. Last night we all huddled around the fireplace trying to keep warm and watching the outdoor thermometer drop down to 30 degrees. It was an exceptionally good night to snuggle!

While we were huddled together, I noticed Scruffy got lost in his thoughts by the Christmas tree. He seemed to be remembering the hard times when he struggled to survive out in these miserably cold temperatures.

We're glad you're with us now, Scruffers! Just stop hissing at me, ok? I just want to play!

Feeling thankful for all I have

This is the perfect week to begin a season of feeling thankful for what we have. As an indoor kitty, I have been sheltered and naive to what could happen to me if I were living on the streets.

In the seven months that Scruffers has lived with us, he has taught me a lot about how other animals have to survive fending for themselves. So here's what I'm thankful for:

• My humans - Craig and Heather
• This warm house with many good snuggle spots (and views of the swans and geese)
• My bowl, which is replenished with tasty food twice a day (sometimes requires a lot of meowing to get it filled)
• My kitty brother Scruffy Gray
• My snuggle bed
• My dingle ball
• Belly rubs
• Catnip
• Tasty tuna treats

(Photo: Scruffy Gray enjoys a moment of catnip-induced euphoria in his new home.)

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.)

Who wants dinner-o?

Aah, dinner-o, one of my favorite meals of the day! And tonight was a special treat! Where do I begin?

Heather chose not to feed us before she left for yoga. We knew she'd be back after dinnertime but she decided that feeding us on time wasn't a priority. So we waited. And waited. And the next thing you know it's 7:45 and Heather's just coming home. And with groceries in her hand to boot. OK, it was bad enough she left us to go to yoga, but then she went shopping afterwards. Sheesh!

Heather raced in the door and fed us pretty quickly. Scruffers and I were too busy having our nightly feeding frenzy contest to be mad at her. Then Scruffers made Heather take his bowl upstairs (like every freakin' night) so he could finish dinner in peace. So far, all's normal.

Heather sits down at the diniing room table to eat her dinner and that's when the fun begins. Scruffers comes back downstairs and sits in front of my tunnel and begins retching. As he and Heather are facing each other. Imagine: Heather sitting at the table with a bite of food in her mouth watching Scruffers retch and regurgitate his dinner all over my tunnel and all over the living room carpet. She was horrified. Then to top it off, Scruffers had to wipe his mouth off on the tunnel to get the last bit of saliva and slop that was hanging from his lips. Ugh! I swear Heather turned green.

She tried to finish dinner and calmly waited for Scruffers to eat the slop off the floor and from inside the tunnel before she started cleaning. It definitely wasn't her night.

Maybe next time you'll feed us before yoga, eh?

We're thinking of you, Cynthia

Our kitty friend Cynthia goes in for surgery today for a double mastectomy. Yikes! I know Cynthia from my young days - she and Dave raised me from the time I was born till I was old enough to come live with Craig and Heather. She also took great care of me last Christmas.

Scruffers fell in love with Cynthia the moment he met her. While he was still nervous about being touched outside of his safety zone (Heather's office) he one day met Cynthia at the front door and proceeded to jump into her lap and purr while she gave him a full body rub. Here he is (left) keeping Cynthia from getting beyond the front entry way.

Get well soon, Cynthia! We both miss you!

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!

The Banana Bread Caper

I've returned, which means, of course, that Craig has left for another trip. On the bad side, I always miss Craig desperately when he's away. He gives me the best 4 a.m. belly rubs a kitty could ever wish for.

But, on the up side, I get to use my computer again! For those of you who didn't hear, Craig's computer passed away last week and Craig has been borrowing mine (OK, Heather's), which has left me without a means to post.

(Photo: The evidence, just waiting to be eaten.)

So where do I start? well, really, Friday was the most exciting day so I'll start there. Oh, did Heather ever get into trouble that day! Someone gave Heather a slice of homemade banana bread and Heather left it on the dining room table. Come on, you can't leave food on the table and think that a curious kitty (or two) won't check it out. So Heather was upstairs in her office, hard at work, when Craig came upstairs to yell at her. "Why did you leave plastic wrap on the living rooms floor? I can't believe you were eating in the living room!" (A big no-no in this house.) I hid quietly, hoping no one would notice me. He then went on about how there was a piece of half eaten banana bread lying on the table. At some point, they realized that it was me, but Heather still took the brunt of the blame. I would have finished the bread, but it was right after breakfast and I was still full.

Then, Heather was quietly eating lunch and Craig came into the kitchen to chastise her for leaving raspberry stains all over the counter. (A local farmer had just dropped by a bunch of raspberries and they were still sitting in a cardboard box on the counter.) But the stains continued onto the windowsill - and they were in the shape of paw prints! And there were a few smashed berries in the box. Heather and Craig both got a good laugh out of that, at least once Craig realized that Scruffers had not tracked raspberries onto the carpet. (Don't forget Scruffers - no food in the living room!)

So Friday was a lively day at my house! OK, I'd catch you up more, but it's time for my midday nap.

Giuseppe Gets his Groove Back

Darn it. I just can't get any work done today. In case you were wondering why I haven't been writing, well, I'll explain. Sigh.

Craig was gone for most of last week and that always puts Scruffers and I in a funk. We get worried. We're kitties. We need stability, routine. We kitties thrive on routine. And then on top of that Heather suddenly disappeared on Saturday with packed bags. And we didn't know what was going to happen. (Remember how we love routine?) So we were too depressed to do much of anything Saturday and Sunday. We just slept and waited for them to come home. And waited...

And then they finally returned late Sunday night and that's when we got our groove back: "Yay! They didn't abandon us!" And Monday morning I was full of piss and vinegar and ready to write and that's when Craig announced that his computer crashed. And he needed to use mine. So I've got my groove back and I'm all raring to write and now I have no computer. (Right now I'm using Heather's work computer while she's away at lunch.) So I guess I'll have to spend the day playing with Scruffers.

It's a tough life - forced to play. Well, shoot. Someone's gotta do it! Watch out Scruffers - ready or not, here I come!

(Photo: Yay! Craig's home! - Shot by kitty lover Karen Sykes.)

Total Kitty Makeover

Heather's favorite column in fitness magazines is the Total Makeover with the before and after photos of people who have transformed their lives. So, let's focus on someone who has been completely transformed in the short time he has lived at my house: Scruffers!





Here he is in the "before" shot: matted fur that was 'icky' to touch, eyes half-closed due to a chronic eye infection, and while not visible to the untrained eye, a very malnourished and weak kitty.





Now for the transformed Scruffers: A healthy kitty who has happily taken over my spot on the love seat in the living room. Since he's napping in this photo, you may not be able to see that his eye infection has completely vanished. The contented smile is a sign of how happy he is to receive two square meals a day and a kitty friend (me!) who keeps him on his toes.

I admit it, I was a little hesitant to invite Scruffers into my house, but watching him open up and learn to love us and his new home has been amazing. And I love having someone to play with every morning. He chases me around the house and sometimes we have swatting contests (until a pre-caffeinated Craig starts to raise his voice at us for making too much noise). It's all in good fun, Craig!

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.)