Cat updates

Oh boy has it been a crazy cat year around here. You can see in August of last year we fostered (then adopted) an adorable tiny black kitten. Sad to say, Kellen disappeared in May of 09. Despite being chipped, going door to door and posting signs, no information was ever received.
While we were enjoying a rocking trip to Pensacola Beach in the motorhome, I decided to check craigslist and saw someone had listed a small black kitten. It was abandoned at the side of the road in a paper bag or box (the story was sketchy). We talked about it and asked around about some other kittens, but seemed to settle on another black kitten, tiny, abandoned.
We picked up new black kitty the day after we got home. Max had named him Odysseus before meeting him. I still forget his name and call him Kellen. They look so much alike! He's great, loving, but won't play with Molly like Kellen did and Molly is sulking a bit. He's growing, healthy and we all love him.
My 9 year old cat has been thin for several years. The vet thought it was stress, gave me some meds and left it at that. Lately, she's gotten much worse. For those of you (sarah) who won't get another animal because of the cost, stop reading! After a liver biopsy ($409.) it was determined that it was not lymphatic hepatitis as suspected, it was lympha somethingerother sarcoma. No treatment, no hope. She has improved somewhat and for now we're letting her eat all the raw organic hamburger, greens, roast chicken and butter she wants. She will hopefully pass over the rainbow bridge without assistance, but we are prepared to help her if need be. We refused to let her linger in pain.

Mommy's little helper

Anyone remember Kellen? That kitten rescued at 4 wks old from the animal shelter? He was never returned to the shelter, not that I didn't try, but it just didn't seem to be in the cards for him to be a foster. He's ours, lock sock and barrel. he is also HUGE and very very HELPFUL. He's in the middle of everything, whether it's playing with Molly (the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier) or sewing curtains for the RV, Kellen is there. Heck, he and JD even "help" me check my email!

Kellen!

Ginger has documented some frustration I had with the City Animal Services and I am happy to say that ultimately I met with the director and hope to continue to expand the volunteer fostering program in the very near future. Until then, this little guy went from foster to adopt and we're thrilled with him (as are the dogs and cats...for the most part). Without further ado, I give you Kellen.

Molly, Fudge and a few cats

The cat is out of the bag

I am a person who thinks there are some things that just should not be knit and when the knitting goddess hears me say this, she laughs. I think knitting a grocery bag/sack is ridiculous, yet I just finished one knit out of organic cotton for heavens sake! The cats LOVE it. Adore it, as in "gee, that's great, how did you know I wanted one!" Witness the photos. Knit sack, Cat outside bag, cat INSIDE bag!
I can't make this stuff up. Friday is market day and I'll see how well it holds up. It's an altered version (I made 2 loop handles on the side, like those plastic sacks at the store) of this

The nature of the beast

Here is William's cat. She's a handsome one year old now and quite the huntress. She's brought us many a gift and despite bells, whistles and being confined to only our yarn, she continues. (If you are offended, don't tell me, just be grateful you're not here cleaning it up! And don't tell me she shouldn't be outside, she's an inside cat with access to a dog door. I won't keep the old dog from his potty access.) Max's cat went through a similar phase (remember the flying squirrel incident?) fortunately she's outgrown it. I am hoping Galadriel will too. Until then we document her prizes occasionally.

Coke Kitty, or "look at MY Coke Rewards!"

This is simply too good to pass up. After a recent grocery shop, one of our cats (Galadriel) decided she loved diet Coke cartons. And the fun ensued. She crawled in, out, around, through and over all 3 cartons. Max, pictured here, laughed himself silly until we all came running to see what the fuss was. I'll share. I hope the video link works! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWkN1TX_S2I

Cozy Kitties

Here are 2 of our 3 cats napping on a bath towel under the new kitchen desk. They love this area and I'm happy they do, in winter they will no doubt keep my feet warm! I finished a quick summer top knit (photos to come, it's still not quite presentable) and cast on instantly for a kitty bed. I looked at Kitty Pi bed and used that as a starting point. I knit this with some donated Brown Sheep worsted weight in a warm yellow on size 11/ 8 mm needles. It was super fast to knit. I did double the yarn on the sides thinking I wanted them thicker and sturdier. Then I put a few rows of some other donated odd ball yarn along the top. Here are before felting pictures:

 

Kitty Cozy

the first shot is pre-felting. I washed it in our fabulous washer (a knitter's dream it has handwashing setting AND "heavy duty" setting so it felts like a mad man) on only one 14 minute hot cycle with a few towels and voila, a Kitty Cozy. Hopefully there will soon be a picture with the CATS in it, but so far nothing. I might need to rinse it again, not sure if all the soap is out, but they don't like damp thing. It needs no blocking whatsoever.

I need a break!

Max & Ginger, Diane & knitting, William and J.D., Mickey (phat cat) and Venus de Mittens. Not pictured is Fudge the super Yorki and dearly missed is Blue Angel who died 2/6/06 in a tragic household accident.

After finishing up a little over 24 hours of volunteering with Ronald McDonald House's Rock103 Radiothon, I plunged into Oscar Night America and the annual Valentine Cookie delivery for significant donors to RMH Memphis. But I was exhausted. One evening found all of us in our bed. No one was missing and while I was knitting they were giggling and watching a bit of TV between vying for a spot on the full-sized bed.