TV documentaries and my thoughts (Ozzy doesn’t do a lot of thinking really…)

Well despite all my efforts and good intentions, I did actually what I’ve promised myself I won’t do when I took over Sheng Chi’s blog….I didn’t blog often as I was meant to do. You see now I understand how easy is to get distracted when you are such a busy kitty like myself. You have good intentions and well thought plans but they never come into effect because life sometimes has other plans….

Now I understand all the work Sheng Chi had to do and how difficult it can be to keep on top of everything….too much to do so little time…and they dare to call us lazy as species go…cats are not lazy even when they do seem to be doing nothing at all as they are still working, planning, thinking how to do things and how to keep other kitties in the house along with their always making a mess hoomins in control…It can be really exhausting trying to keep up with everything, a cat’s work is never done completely, they are always things she needs to do to keep a happy and well maintained home….

After a hard day's work a kitty is entitled to a little relaxation....a catnip bath!

Ozzy of course prefers a more...traditional method of relaxation...snoozing!

So when you see on TV programmes hoomins made about us, kitties, and our lives and behaviours, well, sometimes you have to try very hard not to get annoyed. Supposedly we are great and ferocious hunters, behave like lions when at home and we can’t live with other cats at home we can’t stand each other, we are manipulating because we talk to our humans by meowing (the only way possible really) when we want something from them (how else you are suppose to communicate then with vocal creatures like hoomins?)…well what a lot of…what is that expression you hoomins are often using….it begins with b…I think…excuse me but I’m not very good with hoomin swearing like Sheng Chi was….

My point is that what you see in these programs is sometimes half the truth…not all cats are the same or behave in the same way….

They often seem to forget to mention that many kitties these days live a safe and enjoyable life being permanently indoors and some have never even put a paw outside (myself included) so they have never chased, catch or kill and god forbid, kill or even eat a bird or a mouse….I like birdies and I’d never even dream of trying to catch and kill them…they haven’t done anything to me, they are cute little creatures who I enjoy watching flying and eating from the birdfeeders outside in the garden….as for eating them ….why on earth any kitty would eat a bird who has feathers or a furry small rodent when she can have delicious meals at home served on regular intervals by her hoomins? Really now let’s be realistic, cats are not that stupid they are a lot more clever than some hoomins think anyway…

Besides a lot of cats are not very good at hunting anyway…at the moment I’m looking at that big spider on the wall (it looks huge actually) and I’m hoping that hoomin would catch it and let it loose outside as it is quite big and a bit scary too…So not all cats are not very good with hunting, they simply don’t know how while also some they are even afraid of small furry running very fast creatures….I remember very well one of my best companions a few years back, poor Flouffy, who used to get petrified of anything small and furry like the hamster the hoomins used to also have at that time. If the little thing was out of his cage (which needed regular cleaning if I remember correctly, it was such a long time ago you see…) Flouffy would go into hiding under the bed till the hamster was back on his cage again….Yeah poor Flouffy was never any good at hunting anything other than his little blue ball which he used to love…

Even the great and menacing Sheng Chi wasn’t such an expert at catching anything really even spiders which she used to accidentally kill sometimes by simply stepping on them and flatten them (by the way and to update you tall hoomin finally caught that huge scary spider and let it loose outside to terrorise in the garden…so glad that I don’t go outside in that scary garden….). At least in my younger days I could catch the occasional moth and even eat although I must admit they didn’t taste that good…..prefer tuna or salmon instead and very small chicken pieces well cooked….not raw.

Of course and let’s not forget that some cats are even friends with what they suppose to catch and eat like birds and smaller animals….there are so many videos on the internet now with many cats and their small friends….

No, those programs on TV must be banned or at least to stop showing us being so mean and vicious and trying to convince hoomins that all of us, kittens, are terrible killing machines or that we are still wild and behave like our ancestors….Not true, us cats have evolved and now we are equal family members who enjoy having an easy life and be pampered and loved by hoomins….who really wants to go outside where it is cold, noisy, smelly and rather dangerous for small creatures like ourselves, definitely not me and my other three companions….

Till later (Ozzy also agrees with me while he is currently eating my food….go away pest and eat your own food…..). 

Introductions

Hi there. My name is Ripley and along with Ozzy (who currently is growling behind me....he is hungry again I guess) we are taking over from now on the ownership of this blog.

I am Ripley, the clever one

This is Ozzy the one that hoomins  often call trouble and who is not that clever really, he likes eating and playing a lot...

Sheng Chi unfortunately passed away a few months back,very unexpectedly and her loss caused a lot of sadness to both my hoomins and myself of course along with Choo Choo too. Since we've lost Sheng Chi hoomins have brought home (or as they said it they've 'adopted') two other rescue cats. 
Faith, a 12 year black and white female who has no many teeth left (just four really, poor thing) and a bit of arthritis on her front left leg which makes her limp most of the times and impossible for her to jump on high places. Faith came from a local shelter and she is a very affectionate and loveable cat who causes no trouble and who i also like very much.

Faith snoozing in her new bed...she is quite cute really...

My hoomins also adopted Ozzy (big mistake really) from the local cats protection branch, who is a 7 year old black and white male and who most of the time acts like a 1 year old kitten, instead. He is far too playful and a big pain in my fury....who thinks that anything and anybody is there for him to play with....Yes it is quite obvious I guess that I don't like him that much really but now he is a member of our family so slowly, very slowly I'm getting used to him being around (believe me it is very hard to do though ...). 
Unfortunately and although Ozzy is not that clever really nevertheless he has managed to win over the hoomins and Choo Choo (not Faith who she doesn't really trust him as he runs a lot and tends occasionally to knock her over....he can be very excitable and he also tends to buzz a lot like a mosquito....this is why the hoomins call him mosquito, I guess). He sometimes behaves also like a puppy, following the hoomins all the time, being affectionate and cute with his big eyes and rather cute face (grr...) so you tend to hear quite often from the hoomins a lot of 'ooohs' and 'aaaahs', and 'how cute is he'....grrr and more grrr...such a manipulative little monster he is....
Anyway this is how things are now that Sheng Chi is not around any more and from now on and since I'm the oldest and the wiser of course I'd tell you on a regular basis, hopefully, some of the things that are happening in my house and which you might find interesting and entertaining perhaps. Oh yes Ozzy (ha, ha right if this is ever going to happen....) would perhaps take over and tell some of our stories also as it was agreed (the oldest and the youngest in our family) but very much doubt as he doesn't have the patience really to sit down and type anything...
Till next time then! Time for dinner now which hopefully will stop Ozzy for a little while from running like a maniac downstairs....poor hoomin can't get a moment of peace and quiet, he, he!

Finally the mystery has being solved (at least hoomin thinks so!)

    It’s being a while since I’ve posted anything and now we are already in 2014! But you know how things are sometimes… a kitty like me can get really busy especially when she has hoomins and other kitties to manage! Yeap I’m a very busy kitty and sometimes don’t have the time for all the things I want to do as you understand of course that snoozing and eating always takes priority in a kitty’s daily life!

 But since today I seem to have a bit more extra time I’ve decided therefore to post something and since my hoomin seems to be also so annoyingly pleased with herself. You see she believes that she has finally solved this big mystery, which in my opinion it has never being a mystery anyway.

So for the past couple of days she keeps telling over and over and over again that she finally knows the answer to the big question of what cats are doing when hoomins are not at home (they are at that place which they call ‘work’)! Apparently the other day when she came home after being at work for most of the day (around 9 hours really too long for a pussycat to be without her hoomins and the services they provide, mainly regular food) she found Choo Choo (who is really lazy and sleeps a lot even for an old lazy cat) sleeping on the exact and very same spot she had left him in the morning… big deal!

When my hoomin came back and went into the bedroom Choo he simply looked at her, still very sleepy and not too much bothered, and he went back to sleep again to finally wake up a little later to hassle her to feed him, acting of course like he hadn't be fed for days (to make things clear here I don’t bother hoomin so she can feed me as we have a clear understanding of when she needs to feed me and how much…so she doesn’t need to be reminded)! 

Afterwards she told to the other hoomin: ‘Not that I had any doubt of course that my cats spend most of their time when I am not at home sleeping but at least now I have proof too,  I have seen it with my own eyes!’

Really hoomin and all the other hoomins out there you didn’t know that when you are not around to give us attention and food we’ll sleep till you finally come home again and save our energy for when you are at home?

Well if this is the case then you should stop once and for all consider yourselves to be an intelligent species because everybody else including the birdies outside already knew this facto of life!

It's being a while....

No humit I'm not really here!

OK it has being a lot while since I've posted anything here but I have been really busy. You see we've moved and it took me a while to get used to the new home and to retrain my humits again since they've started spending a lot of time outside... Yeap things have definitely changed the past six or seven months... Let's not forget of course that this year we had a hot summer too...yeah didn't like it as the new house got really hot and it was difficult to find a cool spot but at least now I have a lot of shiny surface to do surfing in the evening and plenty of paper to make a nice cosy nest...I love my paper...
Hunits have being busy too and my favourite humit at the moment is working on some kind of assignment...yeah right...she says she is but I know better...she is just wasting time till the last minute that is and then she would start panicking again...oh those silly humits they never learn. Anyway that's all for now and I promise I'll post again soon with more news...about Ripley talking to the flies...Choo Choo meeting Shelob and myself having a rather nasty experience with marmite...yuck! What a horrid humit food that is... worst than eating cardboard!
Bye for now then!

My new, 2013 resolutions, which this time I promise to stick to...despite all the disbelief and mockery from my humits...I'm a determined kitty, this year!

I most definitely need new toys...oh humits time for your 2013 resolutions!

So and since the new year has already just started and which of course it also means that it is once again that time...when the inevitable and dread resolutions begin. For humans is the always the usual stuff, lose weight, spend more time with the family, do more, do less, etc, etc (not to be achieved of course as humits lack determination to anything really!)

But of course it's not just the humans who'd embark on a program of self-improvement in the spirit of the New Year, us, kitties, want also perhaps not so much to improve ourselves (as we are simply purrfect in many ways) but simply to just fine-tune ourselves..

So here they are my New Year's resolutions, for this year that is!

Resolution 1: Too perhaps try and lose a little, tiny, weight perhaps so I can jump on that elusive window sill and to all high above the ground surfaces! But of course humits need to provide some form of incentive though such as new and the right kinds of toys to play with, a new scratching post, cat tree, etc, etc...

Resolution 2: To try and be perhaps a bit friendlier to other humits that sometimes visit my domain! I should try not to always turn my nose up at newcomers right away but instead to give them a chance to perhaps scratch my ears and chin and after of course I have shed some of my fur on their clothes to establish my presence, before exiting the room to find a quiet spot for snoozing.

Resolution 3: To try to be bit more cuddlier for my humits! I will try of course to purr more often and loudly to even be more affectionate to everyone in the family, except of course from the other two, Ripley and Choo, who seem to always try to annoy me by just being around!

Resolution 4: I promise not to be so fussy about my food, as long as my food is always the the right texture, taste and temperature, and given at the right time each day without no delay no matter what! Oh wait a minute I'm not really fussy when it comes to my food, I eat everything...oh well I promise then not to become fussy about my food this year...what about it, humit?

Resolution 5 : No more scratching on the furniture or carpet, I will only use the scratching posts (unless of course humans get new furniture or re-carpet the house in which case...well you know I am a kitty after all). Besides i don't think the carpet on the stairs can take any more scratching...there are already enough marks to show who really owns this place!

Resolution 6. I promise to stop hiding stuff behind the couch, under the furniture where no human hand (or paw for that matter) can reach!. Besides it's getting a little cluttered behind there anyhoo and there isn't enough space to hide anything else anymore!

Resolution 7: I'll let everyone else sleep later in the morning...

I suppose 4 a.m. is a little too early to get everyone up to play and feed me. I think I can hold on until 4.15 a.m. unless of course humits are exposing their feet and hands again from under the bed covers!

Resolution 8: I'll stay off the kitchen counters, laptops and tables when humans are eating....(unless of course they are eating chicken, beef, ham, lamb, turkey, fish, bacon, etc, etc). Of course I know that my humits tend to get upset sometimes, so I'll try to be a bit more understanding and climb up there later when everyone is not around or looking so I can patrol these off limits areas in peace!

Final Resolution: I also promise to give my humits some time to do their 'important' (yeah right!) work and not to disturb them provided that my humits stick to my timetable or don't forget their kitty duties so meals and play sessions are always on time (besides it takes a while for a laptop to warm enough before any well behaved kitty can sit or snooze on it....)

Finally, let's all (kitties and humits) have a great new year!

Hmm! I think I snooze here till 2013 and ignore those noisy humits in the meantime!

And here it is me thinking that finally Xmas (or Catmas for us kitties) was finally over and all the fuss and noise and yummy...extra food was over when suddenly I've just had an epiphany and realised that there is still more to come. So this is once again a good opportunity to remind to all humits who are sharing their homes with kitties and before they get too drunk to remember anything at all that there are still a few things they need to remember to do to protect their kitties. You humits need to remember that for at least some of us, kitties, the holidays are not always that much fun as we tend to get disturbed, stressed with that all noise and with all those humits who seem to enjoy these festivities a bit too much and often us, kitties, having very few, if any, places to which we can escape during that time.

Humits you should know that the holidays put a lot of stress on everyone involved, some of it good and some of it bad. Us, kitties have to withstand any number of unusual circumstances that are unusual each year because we don't have the chance to get used to them. Such circumstances usually are:

Too many people in one place! Some friendly kitties may seem to enjoy meeting new people that adore them the majority though of us are in reality shy or fearful kitties who will see their once safe haven overrun with strangers.

Bad eating habits! One of the side benefits to all that chaos of humits gathered in the same place is the chance to sneak some snacks often...on the counter or table. This usually isn't healthy (and you know me, I won't say often that food is bad for us so to say it here it means that is really really bad). These festive days sometimes the feeding kitty schedule may get disorganized and as certain foods can also cause your kitty to have gastrointestinal upsets such as vomiting or diarrhea is best then to avoid feeding your kitty anything else than her normal food (although a bit of chicken might not do that much harm really!).

Less playtime. Don't forget humits your duties and under no circumstances stop playing with your kitties as you'll do any other time of the year! This could easily throw off our precious schedule and feeling of wellbeing,you know, by simply depriving your kitty of his/her normal exercise..very stressful! (Think about how you'd feel about it.)

Frequent shouting and yelling! Kitties like being where the action is – where their humits are that is to explore and investigate, where they are cooking or baking or even struggling to carry bags of gifts or groceries into the house. So any frequent scolding or cursing, not necessarily at your kitties but because humits sometimes can be clumsy and careless and tend to drop things...so there is no need for such bad language you know as your emotions can add to the stress level of any kitty in the house!

Finally try to avoid frequent trips as much as possible humits as us, kitties, really prefer to just sit on the the window sill to observe and to snooze. So traveling with all the family to see other family members far far away is a no no for any kitty... because it causes us a HUGE amount of stress! Also try to avoid the 'K' word, you know the kennel place...not such a good idea either as when we are being moved from home to a strange place is like a catastrophe, no matter how nice the accommodations.

So what can you do to ease the burden? Just one thing really: Stick to the normal routine! Keeping as close as you can to your kitty's normal schedule is the best antidote to holiday stress. Stay consistent with feeding times and amounts, and be on guard against illegal snacks and keep your kitty's waking, eating and playtime schedules.

Also make sure that there is at least one room in the house where the kitty can really

retreat to, equipped with all your kitty's favourite toys, a bowl full of fresh water, some food perhaps, and clothing or blankets with your scent on it and a litter tray. This gives your kitty a safe comfortable place to which he/she can retreat from the madness. Also, be extra careful around the door if you have an indoor kitty only. Make sure she doesn't sneak out during all the comings and goings of those pesky humits!!

Enjoy the rest of your festivities humits and have a great 2013 all of you kitties and your humits!

Kitties and Xmans worries...for some humits that is!

This is not a Xmas tree humit...really now!

Here we go again...you know...the jolly and festive time of the year is almost upon us and my humit of course has just reminded me of my duties (like I needed reminding really...) that I need to give some Xmas advice for the safety of all kitties to their humit carers because you know sometimes humits can get really excited during this time with trees, lots and lots of food and drink, outside trees that are brought inside to be decorated with lots of shiny things, etc, etc while at the same time they seem to forget that us, kitties, don't get really excited, rather quite the opposite, we tend to get stressed and very anxious. Although some kitties might remain calm throughout this festive season in reality and for the most part kittens and young or even senior cats, react because this is indeed a very exciting time. You see, OK, OK at least for some kitties (as Choo Choo and Ripley definitely not included in this general category of curious and explorative cats) , their natural urge to explore (he, he right!) is in high gear this time of the year and all the unusual activity of the house can affect them too!

I mean just think about if for a minute, humits, as any decorated tree looks like toy heaven (and saying it once again) to some cats. So as humits can't really guard that decorated tree all the time, which tree any other time of the year would normally be outside and all of the sudden like magic it has been brought indoors by you who are some times very very peculiar humits and who you, humits, therefore can't prevent your kitties from exploring that tree - so instead, you should try some of my Xmas tips to make that tree cat-safe.

First of all humits need to make sure that the Christmas tree is as stable as possible as there are good chances that the kitty of the house will try to climb all over it sooner than later. So you humits need to make sure that the base of the tree is heavier than the top, even after all the decorations are hanging from those branches!

If you have a live tree, never let your kitty drink from the water in the tree stand. Most people use some form of special chemicals to help preserve the tree and these can be deadly for us, kitties! Even the tree itself releases toxic sap into the water, so the humits need to cover the water altogether and make it inaccessible to everybody else in the house, us, kitties, of course included. Although I don't purrsonally think that is such a good idea, the humit might also want to try spraying around the center of the tree skirt with lemon scented air freshener to deter any kitties from wandering too close (yak!).

If you can you, humits, try to avoid using tinsel, strings and hooks as part of the tree's decorations. All of which are extremely dangerous to us, kitties if swallowed. Fragile ornaments can be dangerous. Glass shreds on the carpet are a safety hazard to humits as well as us, kitties - so keep all breakable ornaments out of our reach.

Also humits don't forget that Christmas foliage can be toxic too! Holly, mistletoe, poinsettias, ivy and Christmas roses, as well as the Christmas tree itself are all harmful to all animals in the house (humits included of course). Holly and mistletoe can be even fatal. Poinsettias and ivy bring on bad digestive upset and pine needles when swallowed can pierce internal organs. So humits try not to use ornamental plants or keep them well out of reach and always remember to sweep up any dead needles lying about and always be on the look out.

Another thing that humits should be extra careful about is when burning candles which although are festive at the same time they can be really dangerous...not just for us but for everybody else that is! If you humits insist in burning candles, do so safely. Don't forget that sometimes a curious swish of a tail, can cause a burning candle to dump over and disaster can result. Inquisitive kitties can burn their nose, ears paws or tail getting to close to a flame. Instead of spending the Holidays with your family, then you might end up spending it with your kitty at the your vet's!

Christmas can be very stressful for some kitties. All the changes in the decoration, having guests over or simply changing the familiar routine can bring on anxiety in your kitty. So you need to make sure you don't neglect her. Spend at least 15-20 minutes a day with her, grooming and playing interactive games. If you're having guests, your kitty has to maintain some privacy in the house. Be sure that all the litter trays and and the feeding areas are far enough away from the festivities, so as not to disrupt your kitty's normal habits.

All right I really shouldn't say this, I mean who am I to complain about too much food being available but on the other hand and it is unfortunately the truth that rich Christmas food is not really good for us, kitties (darn it!)! So ideally humits need to make sure that their kitties keep to their regular diet and don't feast on Christmas delicacies. Most of the foods you humits would eat this time of the year (and you would definitely eat a lot!) are really bad for us, kitties, and may cause upset stomach, vomiting and diarrhea. You should also tell your guests this too so they don't try to feed your animals without your permission.

Finally and very very importantly ....Never, never give a kitten or a puppy as a Christmas present! Let all your friends and family know that this is not an acceptable present under any circumstance. Far too many cute kittens and puppies who begin their lives as Christmas presents, they end up shortly afterwards in the local shelter or on the streets, abandoned. Getting a cat or a dog is a life-long commitment that should receive the special consideration it needs.

So all you kitties and your humit carers have a great festive season....wherever you are!