Update by Spunky Doodle

My Vet Trip by Spunky Doodle

Way Up High! by Spunky Doodle

When I heard about Daisy the Curly Cat's blog entry about her trying to climb up on top of the kitchen cabinets, it reminded me of how fun it was to jump up on top of the wardrobe so today I went up there again.  I even laid on top for awhile, but then my human, Gerard, came to get me down.  Karen had the camera and wanted to get me jumping off but I went so quick she couldn't do it!  I really was surprised when I got this email from Daisy yesterday:

Hi Spunky Doodle! I am glad you let me know, because I didn't see them earlier.  You are just like me when I climb up onto the very top shelf in my Mommie's closet (I learned how to open the bi-fold doors).  After a few hours my Mommie usually tries to get me down, and I just keep backing away from her!  It is very impressive that you can do such a big jump without your clawrs, because they help you really grab on.

Be sure to check out Daisy's blog at www.daisythecurlycat.blogspot.com.  It's VERY Funny!

Let Me In! by Spunky Doodle

Boy, yesterday I was alone most of the day because my humans worked in the VBS at church all morning and then after a short stop home, they took off for golfing (whatever that is).  I don't know what it is, but it must take long because they didn't get back until 4:30. 

Then though, Karen went in the basement and let me come too.  I like it down there because there's lots of things to jump on and inspect.  Sometimes I even find a spider!  Anyhow, yesterday I didn't come up when she did and when I was ready to, the door was closed to the kitchen and I couldn't get in!  There is no food or water or litter box in the basement so I really needed to get back upstairs.  Finally, at 10:00 Karen saw me sitting on the other side of the kitchen door and let me in.  Good thing she saw me!

Got The Bug! by Spunky Doodle

Welcome, Abby--You're Okay! by Manny & Spunky

Oh, oh, there's that big dog, Abby, again guarding the door.  How am I going to get through?

Maybe if I run real quick I can get through.  That dog is big and cumbersome so isn't very fast.

Aha, I got by and Abby didn't even move!  I must report to Spunky Doodle immediately.

We both agree that you are okay, Abby, for a dog.  We will probably still keep our distance for awhile, but will come around you more and more.  You are a very nice doggie and we thank you for not chasing us and staying down here so we can have the upstairs as a dog-free zone.

We are happy to be one big happy family!  Now, if we can just get Karen and Gerard in a picture with us so we can have one of the whole family! 

Reclaiming My Territory by Spunky Doodle

Yesterday, I decided it was about time for me to reclaim my rightful place in the living room even if the dog was there.  I am back on my cat tree and the dog is about five feet away.  He did not bother me at all.  I am still a bit shy but the dog keeps greeitng me by touching noses with me.  I am still a bit shy though and after getting off the cat tree, laid behind the gold chair next to the cat tree just to be safe. 

I told Manny to come down too but he wanted to stay upstairs in the den.  He found a very comfortable place to lay that he really likes a lot--on the soft footstool.  Karen wanted him to come down for a family photo, but he is still a bit scared of the dog and didn't want to come join us.  I hope soon he comes to help me reclaim our territory.  He is such a big chicken! 

I also enjoy my cat nap on the big bed again too.  The dog has been sleeping in there now so Manny and me haven't been coming in at night.  Karen misses us and so I did come in early in the morning for a little bit.  The dog never bothered me at all--she better not!

UPDATED 6/29/09:  I talked Manny into joining me in the living room even with the dog in there.  He laid on the couch, I went on the cat tree and of course the dog greeted Gerard at the door when he came in, but this time Manny and me were there too!

Look What Came Into OUR House! by Spunky Doodle

Yesterday a big dog came in our yard and Gerard and Karen both greeted and pet it!  What's going to happen to us?  They let that big dog into our house!  It did not chase me and never found Manny yet, but Manny is very scared of it!  He hid under the desk in our den almost the whole day yesterday!

I am braver and observed this dog from a safe distance a little bit.  I admit I hid under the bed for a little while but then I came back out.  My humans keep it on a leash so it won't chase me, but it didn't seem interested in me at all.  It stays in the basement most of the time and when my humans left for 3 hours, it whined and barked some. 

At least it stayed in the basement all night so I slept on the bed as usual, but not Manny.  He came downstairs, but not on the bed.  I think he's is very angry with Karen and Gerard for letting this big dog into our house.  I will try to calm him down today.  It seems this dog is a gentle giant and will not disturb us.  I hope.   

P.S.  I had lots of room on the bed because Gerard slept in the basement with the dog so it wouldn't be whining all night!  "I heard him say he was not going to do that again--the cats will just have to deal with it."

Karen posted about this dog on her blog too if you want to read more about it at http:/www.zemeks.blogspot.com

Chicken Manny by Spunky Doodle

Last night Karen got some stuff (Frontline) she squirted on me in my fur between my shoulders while I was looking out the window.  Well, she tried to do it then but I moved but before long she got me.  Then she went for Manny who ran away.  He is such a big chicken Mancat! 

He wouldn't let her do it to him.  He ran down the basement first and then when she followed, he rolled around on the floor doing his rolly poly routine.  Then he ran into the basement bathroom and she closed the door so he couldn't escape.  Still, he avoided her by going between the toilet and the wall.  She finally went upstairs and he followed.

Then she closed him in our cat room upstairs where he jumped up on the desk by the window and she almost had him but he didn't stay still long enough and the he huddled in the corner making that high pitch noise of his and swishing his tail.

She let him out hoping he would go into the den on that table but he didn't.  He just laid for awhile on the floor by me until she came after him again.  Finally, he went to eat back in the cat room and then she got him while he was distracted by the food.

Karen and Gerard are talking about a dog coming into our house on Saturday.  They say it looks like a nice dog, but said it weighs 55 lbs.!  That sounds big to me!  I hope it doesn't eat Manny and me.  It better not chase us either!  That's why she put that stuff on is.

We Had Story Time by Manny

Yesterday Karen got a book in the mail from Paperback Swap that was very big with pictures inside that  she read out loud to Spunky and me.  She used to come into my private room when I first came to live with her and read to me so I would get used to the sound of her voice.  It's been a long time since she read to me.  Both Spunky and I liked this book.  It was short but the pictures were very large and it was a good story about a little boy dressed in a wolf outfit who imagined his room turning into a forest and going on the wild sea to another place where the wild monsters were but they did not scare him and wanted him to stay.  At the end, he went back home.  (This book seemed to be a take off on the radio show on Jungle Jam about Marty going on the high seas to Razzle Frazzle Island.)  Gerard listens to it sometimes so I hear it too.

Get Out Of Our Food, Ants! by Spunky Doodle

Friday there were ants crawling all over our food!  I don't know where they came in at, but I don't like them.  There was a whole bunch of them on our placemat too!  When Karen got home from work, she yelled at them!  She started squishing the ones that were in our dish right away and then came back for the others on the mat but by then most of them had run away.  She was very upset about this and went right to her computer, tweeting about it hoping for some advice but got nothing.  Then she went on Yahoo Answers and found a great solution. 

She put our little food dish inside a bigger bowl and filled the bigger one with water to make like a moat around our food bowl.  Since ants don't swim, they couldn't get to our food anymore!  Ha, ha, ha Ants!  Karen is getting smarter all the time thanks to the Internet!  Now, the next day, there are only a few that crawl on the placement and Karen squishes them . . . splat!

Cat Tip: Be Pesistent & Get What You Want by Spunky Doodle

We have a very nice ledge in our upstairs hallway that was cluttered with dolls.  I loved sitting on this ledge but had to squeeze my way in between the dolls at first.  I say "at first" because after several times of knocking them off and watching them roll down the stairs, my humans finally gave in and cleared them off!  I had the whole ledge now except for one little spot where a candle holder was.  It pays to be persistent! 

 

Sometimes Humans Can Be So Dense! by Spunky Doodle

This morning Karen did not follow her normal routine for some reason and forgot to go upstairs to clean our litter box before breakfast.  If she had, she would have realized then that Manny wasn't around because he ALWAYS goes up with her.  This morning though, Manny went inside Karen's closet while she was getting dressed and she didn't notice. 

I went and laid right in front of it and Gerard even said, "Hey Karen, look where Spunky is."  I never laid in that spot before especially early in the morning.  I was telling him Manny was in the closet but he didn't get it.  Karen came in and said, "so, she lays all over."  I followed her out to try getting her attention but she was headed for that computer so I knew it was a lost cause and returned to my position outside the wardrobe in the hopes that one of them would "get it."

Eventually, after about an hour and a half, Karen came looking for us.  When she saw I was still there, it finally dawned on her that there might be a reason and she opened her closet and out walked Manny.  She was so happy to see him because if she had left for work before noticing he was around, he would have been stuck in there all day!  I remember the time I was stuck in a closet all day and it's not fun!

Have you ever been stuck in a closet?  I think our humans should leave all closet doors part way open so we don't get stuck inside.

Happy Birthday To Me by Manny

Today is my birthday and I am a 4-yr. old Mancat.  I love living here (I've  been here a full year now).  Today I plan to enjoy my birthday by wrestling with Spunky Doodle, laying in the sun, having some Temptations treats and playing a little more than usual with my human.  Karen is not feeling well today so I may be able to convince her to stay home from work today with me and even get some extra petting and chin scratches today!

What A Scary Day!

Yesterday was very noisy around here and both of us hid under the bed for several hours once it kept up on and on and on and on!  It was so LOUD!  Plus, strange men came inside our house.  It felt like our whole house was being attacked!  We can't explain what was going on since we were hiding the whole time but if you want to know, Karen wrote all about it on her other blog at http://zemeks.blogspot.com/2009/04/insulating-our-walls-and-attic-by-usa.html.

Where's Our Easter Basket?

We saw over at http://friendsfurevercatblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/treats-on-tuesday-our-easter-baskets.html that they got an Easter basket.  It had catnip and Temptations treats and some toys!  How come we didn't get one of those????

Linen Closet Fun by Manny

Spunky Doodle told me how much fun she had in the linen closet so the next evening, I decided to check it out too.  She was right, it is fun!

I went way in the back at first behind that big red blanket and then walked around some and sat looking out at Karen.  Then I stretched up to the second shelf but it looked too croweded so I didn't go up there and jumped out after I was in there about 15 minutes.  Spunky is very nice about teaching me things and sharing her fun with me. 

Oh, by the way, be sure to watch the video to the right to see what a nice boy I am!  I let Spunky keep the sun spot.

Closet Fun! by Spunky Doodle

Karen took of the soft blue bedspread from her bed and stuck in in the upstairs hall closet so then I jumped in quick before she could close the door.  It had big wide deep shelves and I went right to the back of the first one and curled up on one of the chair throws back there for about 15 minutes.

Next thing I knew, Karen came back with her flash box and I got up and started walking around to explore the rest of the place.  Pictures Karen took are at the left side bar.  I tried jumping up to the second shelf on that blue soft comforter but slid right off!  I couldn't get a good grasp on it because I don't have front claws like some cats.  (That's too painful to even think about, I don't want to go there!)

Anyhow, I sort of tumbled back down and jumped out.  Since Karen was so nice to let me have this special fun, I joined her on the bed during the night and let her pet me nice.  I just laid next to her by the edge of the bed where she could easily reach me.  I know she likes that!  Maybe she'll let me go back in and try it again.  I hope so!

Too bad she didn't get the video camera!

My Safety Zone by Spunky Doodle

I like to play hide-n-seek with Karen, especially when she first gets home from work and tries to pet me.  If I go under the coffee table, sometimes she will still be able to reach me but if I go under the dining room table, the chairs protect me and she doesn't usually try reaching me there.  That is my "Safety Zone."  Sometimes, if I really want to hide good, I will scoot under the chair that she moved by the window or under the bed.  Where are is your "safety zone" or what are your best hiding places?

Happy Day With Karen by Manny & Spunky Doodle

Manny:  On Monday, when Karen stayed home from work because she kept sneezing and blowing her nose a lot, we have a wonderful day together!  We wish she could always stay home with us. 

Spunky:  After she got done on the computer in the morning, she played with us some.  Then she surprised us by moving the nice gold chair over to the front window for us and our cat tree even closer to the window too.  The big stuffed bear she calls "Buddy Bear" she put where the chair used to be. 

Manny:  We like running around him when we play tag with each other. 

Spunky:  She moved our double-decker cat bed that we used to lay on to look out the front window over under the side window at the other end of the couch.  I like curling up on the chair now and have slept there for several nights.  It's very comfortable.  I like it being by the window better than the wall.

Manny:  In the afternoon, Karen put some music on and fell asleep on the couch with me.  I haven't been in the chair because Spunky seems to be there ahead of me all the time.  I like to lay on the tunnel part of the cat tree though and look out the window.  I almost went on the second level one day, but changed my mind. 

Spunky:  Since Karen moved the nice chair by the window, I haven't been on the cat tree at all.  Maybe I'll go on it though once summer comes and the window is open. 

I'm sure she would change it back if we didn't approve of the new arrangement!  Cats rule, you know.

Laying With Karen Is Wonderful! by Manny

I've been laying on the bed during the night.  It's cozy because I usually get right between Karen's legs.  Sometimes I'll sleep between Gerard and Karen at the bottom of the bed, but usually I like to lay right in the middle of Karen's half.

Sometimes Karen will lay on the couch which I look forward to.  She covers up with a big black furry blanket and I jump on top and lay on her legs and watch TV with her.  Sunday night we watched a good movie (Freedom Writers) that lasted two hours and I stayed the whole time.  

My Favorite Morning Spot by Manny

Fun With the Feather by Manny

I Found An Ant in the Living Room! by Manny

Found the Basement by Manny

The Unhappy Manny--watch video

Wendy Helps Me Make Friends With Manny