Feline Friday

 Lily's meowmy may have been very busy...but Lily herself has had a great week! 

 She's been busy snoop-ervising all the activity around here from her new lookout spot on the ottoman. In all the years we've had it, I've never seen her reclining on the ottoman until this week!

 

 And since it's back to school time, she had a First Day of School picture taken on her well-loved scratcher desk.

 

 While there, she got some well-deserved ear scritches!

 

As a senior kitty (age 15!), Lily could be expected to slow down a bit. And she does have some slower days. Lily has some arthritis throughout her body so we sprinkle a joint supplement onto her food which seems to help. But this week she was particularly active! She jumped in the air to snatch treats with her bare paws, ran around before bedtime like a crazy girl, and even enjoyed some middle-of-the-night yarn adventures. 

 

And of course, Lily had a few licks of something tasty throughout the week!

 

 

 

Here's to a great weekend with plenty of scritches, time for play, and tasty treats!
 

Happy FELINE FRIDAY!

Lily and Janet

 

Feline Friday

 As I mentioned in my last Feline Friday post, we recently returned from a trip to Pennsylvania to visit family and one of the side benefits was getting to spend time with KITTENS. I was in Kitten Heaven for the entire visit. (Of course, now I'm in Kitten Withdrawal...)

But wait...there's more!

I also got to see lots of grown-up kitties, too! This photo shows all of them, minus one who didn't come out from under the bed when I met her. The interesting thing about this group of kitties is that they ALL have the same ginger-colored mama, pictured in the center and bottom left. All of these kitties live with various members of the family, and the other kittens from her litters have been adopted out to wonderful homes.

And you can see the family resemblance between the litters! It seems that Mama always has kittens with similar coloring as she is in a long-term relationship with a local feral tomcat. So the kitties likely have the same daddy, too.

 Mama is going in soon for her spay so it is hoped that this will be her last litter. Although she's a great mama, she deserves to live a life of leisure!

As an aside, I also got to hang out with two wonderful pups, too. Truly, I had a great time visiting with family AND so many furbabies!

Happy Feline Friday!

 

Feline Friday: Kitten Fest!

 We've just returned from a trip out East to see family and as an extra bonus....KITTENS! It's been a long time since I've had the opportunity to spend any extended time with a litter of kittens and their mama. Let me tell you, I was in KITTEN NIRVANA for the entire visit!

I mean, seriously...! Every time I peeked in the box, there was some adorable pose happening!

Mama Kitty is such a good and attentive mother. Every time I would approach the nest and the kittens were unattended, she'd hop right back in the box to see what was up. Always very friendly but just keeping a watchful eye as she should!

 

There are five kittens in this litter: Three ginger tuxies (cats with this coloring are usually boys) and two tri-color (cats with three colors are almost always girls). So I would bet that there are three boys and two girls in this litter, even though I wasn't able to closely inspect each of them!

I could scarcely handle this level of cuteness! Look at that tiny tongue, AKA a BLEP!

I wanted to bring them all home with me!

It was wonderful to get a kitten fix, even if it was just for a few days! 

HAPPY FELINE FRIDAY, FRIENDS!
Hope these kitten pics brighten your day!

Feline Friday

 

 Refill Day is probably Lily's all-time favorite day! As soon as the lid comes off and Meowmy fills the hopper, she's RIGHT THERE, practically inhaling the tasty morsels as quickly as she can.

 

She gets SO EXCITED about Refill Day that I do allow her just a few extra crunchies. It would be very sad not to let her enjoy this simple pleasure!

 Lily hopes that everyone has a nice weekend and gets to enjoy something as exciting as Refill Day...although, of course, NOTHING could possibly be as exciting as Refill Day!😻

Feline Friday: I Can See Clearly Now?

 Since May, we've been having some updates done to our laundry room, upstairs guest bath, and kitchen. Lily has been a real trooper throughout the process, having to spend numerous days in her "apartment" (AKA the guest bedroom) while the contractors do their thing.

This past week, our new windows were finally installed. Ideally one would install windows FIRST before any painting was done, but due to the delay in getting the windows and the availability of the painters, we had them installed LAST. As a result, the paint will have to be touched up and the tile patched back together. It will be a few more weeks before all that can be finished.

But now we have nice new windows, replacing the old ones which had rotted out over time. The old muntins were broken in places and were difficult to take in and out. The new windows have muntins which are actually between the panes of glass. This will make cleaning them so much easier...no excuses now!

The trim around the new sink window did not fit the opening exactly as expected, so some of the backsplash tile had to be removed (*sigh*). The tile guy will fix all of this in a few weeks.

 The holes in the window trim will be patched and caulked, and the paint around the windows will be touched up. Once all of that is done, then the kitchen will officially be FINISHED!

 

The new windows had a plastic film over them and when it was removed, the glass was sparkling clean! The windows are probably the cleanest that they'll ever be. I quickly re-installed Lily's window bird feeder knowing she'd LOVE having such a clear view of her feathered friends!

 

Instead, she can barely keep her eyes open! Her feathered buddies come and go to the feeder and she sometimes doesn't even wake up to see them!

 

 

 

So much for her appreciation of the new windows! haha

 

Feline Friday

This week, we have replacement windows being installed in our kitchen and laundry room. Because of all the work going on, Lily has to spend the days in her upstairs “apartment” (i.e. the guest room). She doesn’t mind at all and it keeps her safe from all the activity! If left to her own devices, she would likely be underfoot.

 

As a result, I moved her cat tree -- positioning it quite close to the counter. When the contractors left, I let her out of her apartment to survey the day's work. 

 She quickly discovered with her cat tree moved, she had easy access to dinner preparation. When I turned my back to grab something from the fridge, she had launched onto the counter!

 

 Mmmm...this dill smells weird, Meowmy!

 

Lily remained quite interested in dinner preparations when she discovered salmon was involved. haha 

 

Clearly, it's a good thing the cat tree will soon be moved back to its normal position! 

 

Happy Feline Friday!

 

 

 

Feline Friday: Flannel Blankies for the Win!

Hey, kitties: Do you have an old flannel baby blankie to call your own?

This everyday object actually has many uses! Take a look at a few of Lily's favorite ways you can use a flannel blankie:

 On a cold winter's evening, you can keep your blankie on whilst traveling to the kitchen for a much-needed snack! Heck, you can even use your Cozy Wrap all year long. Just remember when you wake up from your nap, stand up VERY slowly and SAUNTER -- don't run! -- to the kitchen. This will allow your Cozy Wrap to stay in place. Kitties who master this skill may even be able to return to the original napping spot with it still in place. WHOA!

 Let's face it, from time to time that tasty snack comes right back up. It's especially gross because most kitties don't brush their teeth regularly and that VERY BAD TASTE can stay in your mouth. That's when your flannel blankie comes in very handy as a Tongue Cleaner! Place it carefully on the floor or over the edge of your Expensive Cat Basket, grab it with your sharp claws, and lick until all of that nasty taste is gone from your mouth. Pro-tip: In a pinch or if your Tongue Cleaner is the washing machine, you can also use Dad's t-shirts hanging in the closet! He will never even know you licked them all!

And finally, there may be times when strangers are in your house doing work such as fixing the cable or painting the walls. You want to be part of the action but not in plain view. That's when your flannel blankie can come in SUPER handy as a Disguise! Just cover your body with it and NO ONE will realize that you're there snoop-ervising their every move! Pro-tip: Use this technique when your meowmy needs to take you to the VET or trim your nails. She'll never find you!

Lily is excited to bring these tips to you today! We hope all of her kitty friends enjoy these great ideas on how to get the most from your own flannel blankie!

Feline Friday

 Now that Lily's automatic feeder drops some dry morsels at 5:30am, she no longer wakes me up at the crack of dawn for First Breakfast. (WHY DIDN'T I SET IT UP FOR THIS HOUR LONG AGO?)

After she enjoys First Breakfast independently, she waits (generally quietly) for Second Breakfast until I get up, often in the hallway right outside the bedroom door. 

This past week, however, she's taken to waiting for Second Breakfast on the stairs!

 

 I'm not so sure this is the best place for her to hang out...I must try to open my sleepy eyes, lest I step on Miss Lily! Still, I can see why she likes the purr-fectly cat-sized steps.

  And seeing that sweet face first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day! 

Second Breakfast...coming right up!

Feline Friday: A Visit with Rory!

 I've just returned from a very enjoyable trip to Texas to see our daughter, her fiance, AND sweet Rory!

 

While the focus of the trip was on more important tasks (like wedding dress shopping!), it was wonderful to also see Rory and experience a bit of her daily routine!

 

Rory is absolutely living her best life! She has gone from wandering the streets of Tyler, Texas to having every comfort a kitty could want: Her own cat tree, comfy blankies, all sorts of toys, wide windowsills, and cushy benches for viewing -- not to mention humans who love her.

By my observations, Rory is enjoying every minute of every day. And who wouldn't love continuous naps on a soft bench, plus a purr-fect view of Meowmy's beautiful flowers and all the neighborhood wildlife?

 

So glad I got to spend some quality time with this girl!

Feline Friday

Awhile back, we invested in an automatic feeder for Lily, one that she couldn't pry open. Twice a day, it dispenses her delicious dry morsels into a metal bowl. From Day 1, she recognized the sound of her Food Drop and would come running.

It didn't take long before she figured out the TIMES of her food drops, too. An hour or so before the programmed hour, she positions herself near the feeder so as not to be even a second late.

On a couple of occasions, we've had to change the times of her food drops and amazingly, Lily's figured that out, too. Yes, she even tells time!

Recently, we changed the time of her afternoon food drop dramatically to 5:30 am, a welcome change for all as it keeps her from begging me incessantly to get up and feed her. She does wake me up, however, at 4:30 am when she suddenly opens her eyes, stretches, and runs to the kitchen. Can't be late for breakfast, you know!

Her evening food drop is currently set for 9pm and at 8pm, like clockwork, you can count on seeing Lily near her feeder, watching it intently.

 Even if she's sound asleep, she somehow WAKES HERSELF UP and gets to the feeder well in advance.

 

A girl just can't risk being late for a tasty meal of Royal Canin Moderate Calorie Urinary SO. YUM! 😉

Feline Friday

 Lily has continued to be a trooper as we've weathered through our kitchen update! To her delight, we've had carryout on a few nights, including PIZZA, one of her very favorite things.

As soon as Spouse brought in the pizza box, she took her seat at the table, sitting up on her haunches with her little paws just like this! She was quite sure this was HER piece of pizza!

 

 Of course, I saw all of this happening and pulled the plate away from her just before she touched this piece.

 

But I'll confess that I did give her the tiniest bit of cheese and a small taste of sausage. As they say, "Everything in moderation!"

 

Feline Friday with Rory

 It's been awhile since we've checked in on sweet Rory in Texas. As you can see, she's living the good life! In nearly every picture I see, she's completely zonked out...totally relaxed!

  She's got the best bench for napping next to the front window. The flower garden provides pretty views with lots of butterflies and other critters to watch.

 Occasionally you'll find Rory on the half-wall at the top of the stairs, looking down over her queendom (AKA the living room). It's scary to see her jump up onto this narrow ledge, but Rory is a master jumper. She LOVES being up high!

It's also nice to cuddle up in her Meowmy's arms! 

How sweet is this?

Happy Feline Friday, y'all!