You are simply the best!

Thank you so much, to everyone who stopped by or emailed and to everyone who honored Winnie on their blogs. Losing Win hit me so much harder than I ever expected - and I expected it to be rough. Your thoughtful words made me smile through the tears. Our little community never ceases to amaze me with your caring and your love. I am still responding to the many emails that were sent to us, too. Unfortunately, I get kind of emotional so the going is slow... and I want you to know I've read and cherish each one, even if I haven't responded yet.

The girls and I are trying to get back to a regular routine. I hosted our family's Thanksgiving, and that alone kept me busy (in a good way) for days. And turkey anticipation was a welcome respite for the ladies, who have also felt the kitteh size hole that Win's departure has left in our lives. The auditors left yesterday at work, and I am hoping to get back to regular posting and visiting soon. I have missed you all, so very much.

All my love,

Lisa

Thank you to Jan and the CB for this lovely photo:

Winnie has left for the final adventure

Thank you all for your patience these last weeks. It's been quite an emotional roller coaster and I hope you understand that being with my wonderful Winnie was my priority. Unfortunately, her illness coincided with my busiest time at work, leaving little time for anything else, but I should have at least posted something to let you know what was going on.

Last Saturday, November 20th, Winnie took off on her biggest adventure yet... she left terra firma to explore the wonders at Rainbow Bridge. I am so sorry, but I just didn't have strength to do a post. Even now, it's hard to type this for the tears.

Almost a year ago, I recorded this short video:

My beautiful Win drifted to sleep with belly rubs - her favorite caress in all the world - while making biscuits. I am very grateful to Doc Andrew and his staff for making sure our girl's last hours here were warm and soft and peaceful.

In many ways, Winnie made our introduction into fostering possible. She was the grandma - the arbiter of good behavior - and a calming influence on all of our residents, permanent and foster alike. Nothing ruffled our Win - a new foster could be aggressive and she'd just sit and look at them, even as they charged her... and then drew up short, not knowing what to make of a kitty who didn't even twitch a whisker - threw 'em for a loop every time! And everyone behaved well around her.

Win has been part of my life for 16 1/2 years. She's seen me through joy and sorrow. She was never much of a cuddler yet if I cried, she was on my lap, or next to me in bed, headbutting my face and sticking to me like glue until I was in a better place. What I wouldn't give for one of those headbutts now. My family and neighbors often threatened to steal her away from me and, around here, she was known as Winne the Wonder Cat.

Win came to me as no cat should... she was a gift. And a gift she truly was. When I was living in Aspen Hill, I lost my Little One (also a black cat), at the age of 17. Friends of mine, Jan and Les, and their family were temporarily bunking with me - a long, but good, story for another day... it was a big house, unlike the Casa of today. They saw me through four months of nursing Little One, and Jan was with me when we helped Little One to the Bridge. The next weekend, Jan and the kids went to my vet, Doc Meyer, and asked about a new cat for me. I remember being in our church's kitchen, and young Paul coming up to me with a sparkle in his eye, saying he knew something I didn't. Jan and family were always full of fun, so I didn't think too much of it.

When I got home, everybody was lined up and grinning from ear to ear. The kids, Paul and Liz and Rachel, came forward to present me with a little black ball of fluff. I'd been heartbroken over losing Little One and really didn't feel ready for another cat, but I just didn't know what to say, with those children looking so happy and expectant. I wouldn't have hurt those kids for the world, so I smiled and cooed and made over the tiny kitten, still wishing they hadn't. Not that I'd ever recommend gifting an animal, but you know how glad I am now!

The first night I brought the wee one into my bed, but she was having none of it... she was off to explore the house! It was clear she was an "alpha" from the start. There were already 3 man-cats and a dog in the house and this pint-size pumpkin made it clear the premise was hers. She backed down from no one.

The next day, Jan told me that the kitten had been considered hard to adopt. Her hind legs were longer than her front (giving her what, later, became known as the "Winnie Walk" or the "Winnie Waddle"), her head was too small for her body, and she had an extra lens in one eye, giving her a kind of spooky appearance. And, of course, she was black... not the most adoptable color. One of the kid's favorite videos was Disney's "Hocus Pocus" and it was viewed with irritating regularity that year! After the umpteeth time of the kitten displaying her headstrong tendencies, I called her a little witch. Ahhh haaa! There's the name! And, so, she was christened Winifred, after Bette Midler's character in "Hocus Pocus."

In those days, the vet recommended kittens be fixed at around 9 months old. Now my cats are indoor only but, at that time, they were indoor/outdoor. My cats had always been indoor, until my Dad came back from living in Europe and stayed with me for a year, just before Jan and Les's family moved in. Dad had declared it was unnatural to keep cats in and, despite the fact that they were my cats, and it was my house, started letting them out. *sigh* What's a daughter to do? I think you may see where this is headed.

I took Win in to the vet at 8 months old to have her spayed, only to be informed that she was already pregnant! What??? I know the signs of a cat going into heat and she never displayed a single one! Little hussy just went out and took care of business. Win is the only cat I've had to get pregnant on my watch and I was mortified. Jan had known, though... she'd said, "That kitten looks like she's sitting on a tennis ball... I bet she's preggers." *double sigh* She was right.

And so two more little black cats came into this world - a boy and a girl. Being way too young to be a mother, Win lost three of her five babies at birth, and the little male who lived was an "at risk" kitten. All eyes and not much body. The little girl was strong and healthy - I called her "The Tick" - she'd plug in and visibly swell up with maternal goodness! Despite her youth, Winnie was an awesome mom and, soon, the babies were toddlers. Paul, seeing the little boy weave and stagger one day, said, "You should name him Lurch." Another "Ahhh haaa!" moment. Keeping with the spooky theme, they became Gomez and Morticia.

When the kittens were 8 weeks old, I promptly had Win spayed. There wouldn't be any more kittens, if I could help it... I felt guilty enough that these two had come into the world (and, believe me, my vet let me have it, too!). Much to our amazement, Winnie continued to nurse the kittens. And nurse. And nurse some more. The kittens were five months old before she finally closed the milk bar. Doc Meyer said he'd never seen a spayed cat do that before. Jan was sure it was because Winnie knew Gomez was such a sickly little runt, and I've got to agree.

Well, Winnie's good care paid off. Both her babies grew up big and strong and sleek (and were neutered earlier!). Gomez, by the way, grew up to be one of the largest cats I've had... not weight wise, 16 lbs or so, but tall, and long, with the longest legs I've ever seen on a cat... and the biggest, most beautiful, green eyes. I fell in love with Winnie's babies and just could not give them up. Tisha, as many of you know, passed away last year, at 14, from intestinal cancer. Gomez, sadly, disappeared in 2003. That's when all my cats became indoor again. In 2008 I saw a black cat, with a collar, in my back yard... huge eyes and long, long legs. He wouldn't let me near but, to this day, I pray that was Gomez, who'd found himself another lovin' family.

I had moved to Bel Air, MD, when the kittens were about 7 months old, soon after Jan and Les's family moved on, and rented an historic house, in the "old" part of the city, for a year and a half... and discovered Winnie's exploring nature. The kittens were about 9 months old when she started taking off, for a week (or two, or three) at a time, scaring me near to death. She stayed in the woods near the house, living off the land. And then she'd turn up, as though she'd never been away. I tried to keep her in, but to no avail... she's sneaky. Again, while I wouldn't recommend this, I know she enjoyed walking on the wild side.

When I decided to move back to my home town (Bel Air is only 1/2 an hour from Baltimore, but it just seemed too far away from family), I bunked with my sister for nine months, while searching for a home of my own... she had a big house, too, LOL! I bought the Casa, which is only two blocks away from my sis. Winnie showed up on Lori's doorstep the day after I moved. In fact, I received calls that "Winnie came for dinner," for months afterward!

Those of you who have been reading for a while, have met Gary, my neighbor, who remodeled the first floor of my house (oh, my gosh, I don't think I've shown you the new and improved Casa... ok, then, that's a post to come!). From '98 -'03, when the cats were still indoor/outdoor, Winnie was a regular visitor at his house. She snoopervised all of his household improvement projects and Gary and his wife, Roxanne, would sometimes come home to find Winnie lounging on their bed, with their cat, Jasper. Win would sneak in the house when they weren't looking! Gary always said Winnie could be his cat any time. If they weren't such good friends, I think he would have swiped her. They were disappointed, I think, that I let Doc lay Winnie to rest, instead of bringing her home to be beside Jasper.

I've been so blessed. Gary and Rox have helped look after Winnie these last months... Gary has stopped in during the day to make sure she was OK, ever since we discovered her thyroid condition. Shortly after that, Win also developed kidney problems. And Winnie has suffered from chronic sinusitis for at least five years... Doc Andrew tried everything... fortunately, her lungs had always been clear. On our last visit, Win finally showed signs of fluid in her lungs and we both knew it was time to let her go with dignity.

Doc Andrew had a very soft spot for Winnie. On Monday, the poem below, and "At Rainbow Bridge" were in my mailbox. He emailed me Wednesday, to see how the girls and I were getting along, and to reassure me I had given Winnie the gentle passing that was her due.

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this -- the last battle -- can't be won.
You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.
Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end
And hold me firm and speak to me
Until my eyes no longer see.

I know in time you will agree
It is a kindness you do for me.
Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.
Don't grieve that it must be you
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close -- we two -- these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.

-- Unknown

Winnie, my darlin', thank you for the love. Thank you for the warmth and the smiles and your special strength. Thank you for a wonderful 16 years. I will love you always.

Moosie Repost and Quick Update

Our friend, Brian, asked us to spread the word about Mossie a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, we were up to our ears in caring for Winnie and work and had not even checked our email. Soooooo.... here's the scoop for those of you who aren't already up on Moosie's plight...she's a sweet lady and both her furbling and human recently passed to Rainbow Bridge. She needs a home and she's right here near Charm City!!! Pop on over to Brian's Home and read her whole story, please... and pass the word to anyone you know who might fill this lady's last years full of love!

Winnie Update

Well, Win's T4 test came back on Tuesday and were good -her levels are normal now. The transdermal meds clearly are doing the trick. Unfortunately, her kidney function readings are now borderline. So, off to Doc Andrew we went today. The good: She's gained 2.5 oz since Saturday! Woohooo! The bad: She's got a very slight tremor over her entire body and Doc isn't sure what's causing that. She's been peeing and pooing outside the pan for the last few days but, in the last 24 hours, she's been good. *sigh* So, baring any downturn, we're scheduled to go back in two weeks for another check. Doc, of course, will be available by email anytime I want to check in or ask questions, so I know we've got the support we need to keep an eye on our old girl.

It's late, so I'll close, but tomorrow, we've got some good news! :-)

My fav Winnie pic (to date) got LOLed!

As you know from yesterday's post, after over a week off-line with Winnie on my my mind, I finally got back to the intertubes. I stopped by Wendy's Wonderful LOL Spot for a smile before bed. What did I find???? Why my very favorite pic of Win, to date (I say that with all hopes for a complete recovery and more great pics to come), turned into a grin inducing LOL! Thanks, Wendy!! If you haven't seen Wendy's Halloween spread, scoot on over to the Spot and check 'em out. Grins galore, I guarantee! :-)

Thank you, so much, everyone for all your good wishes for our sweet WinnieOne!! I won't lie, I'm really worried. We get the T4 results back tomorrow and I'm hoping we can adjust her meds for better control. In the meantime, I'm giving her lots'n'lotsa lovin'. Working hard to get caught up with my reading, but home life is making it tough right now! Hugs to everyone!!!

Progress on the Home Front

Hi there! It's me, Sophie, again! Remember I said I needed to turn on the charm for Annie and Peggy Sue? Well check this out... yep, Peggy Sue is sharing the dinner table with me already!

And, Winnie is sharing the same plate with me, just like she did on the first day. In fact, we usually share our meals.

And, now be prepared to be impressed. Here I am on the lady's bed with Annie (the Space Paws lady tried to be really quiet when she took the picture, but she kinda woke us up). I didn't even sneak... just jumped right up and Annie didn't hiss or anything! OK, she looked a little uneasy when I got too close, but I laid down about a foot away and it was snooze city. Next time, 6 inches. I know how to worm my way in.

Winnie: Hey, don't look at me! I told the others the little twerp was OK from the beginning.

Winnie, I could use a pillow. Is that OK with you?

Yes, charm, I gots it! Give me a month and it won't just be Winnie... they'll all think it was their idea to be nice to me!

10th Anniversary of National Feral Cat Day!

Our friends at Animal Shelter Volunteer Life will tell you all about it. Go on over and see what you can do to help furries still on the streets!

Please Send Your Purrayers to Anya and Kareltje

Anya and Kareltje lost their beloved husband and dad, Wilfred. This vital and loving man had a heart attack in June. He fell into a vegetative state and, after a long and difficult watch for Anya and her daughters, with friends from across the world praying for a miracle, Wilfred passed away on Thursday. Our purrs for peace go out to their whole family.

Update on Casa Construction

It's been a long time since I've talked about it and, since I caught the girls peering through the new door on video, I thought I'd bring you up to date. The casa is still under construction, and it looks like we'll be done sometime in June. Yay! I've got to admit the cramped quarters won't be missed!! By me or the cats!

The title on the video below isn't quite accurate. Bitty and Peggy Sue aren't precisely fascinated by the construction. They're fascinated by Winnie exploring the construction. She's the only one I trust in there alone (she is bold and sneaky and slips in when I am passing through). We've already had Bitty sneak in and need to be rescued from the basement ceiling because the opening for the HVAC was just too tempting to resist. LOL!

OK, maybe one resident will miss the construction. As you might remember, Bitty is very fond of high places and she has made good use of the kitchen cabinets stacked in the living room!! Boy oh boy, the flash photography sure does show off the imperfections of the old ceiling, doesn't it?? Good thing it's not as noticeable from the floor!

And here's a shot of the pocket doors from the construction side. The French doors that led from the den (soon to be dining area) to the living room have also been replaced - with double pocket doors. You can see one of them in this pic. The single pocket door will connect the kitchen area to the living room. It will be sort of an "open plan" kitchen/dining room. At least as open as you can get when your house is only 18" wide... LOL! The dining and kitchen areas will be separated by a floor to ceiling cabinet (ending where you see the bulkhead that juts into the room) and an island. And you can see the hole in the floor for the HVAC that held such allure for Bitty!

Here's Winnie checking out the new kitteh friendly window sills. They're 2" wider than the old sills. The old ones weren't wide enough for window sitting when the panes were closed.

Winnie got just a little too close to some of the newly spackled walls.

So, as you can see, the area will still be able to be closed off and used for quarantine when necessary, yet can be a bit more open the rest of the time. Have I mentioned I can't wait until it is done???? ;-)

The Elusive Little Bit

Whiskey and Tango's mom, Lil Bit.

J2's elusive little feral doesn't make herself available for pics too often, either. Photos were a non starter this week. Here's one that Joy was able to snap before our girl got skinny again. :sigh: Sweetie, I just know Joy and Jim are going to be able to make a responsible ladycat out of you soon!! Just ask your babies... living with them is nice!

And tonight I had lots of production help. Grey, Winnie and Peggy Sue all felt the need to come on up and snoopervise. I think they like the fact that the laptop frees up some desk room from which they don't get shooed away!

Hubba, hubba! Even if she is a preggers chick!

Would you like me to enhance your post with my laser effects?

Yup. Been there, done that. Glad it's over!

Get with the program, sister - inside is definitely better!

Emergency Preparedness

Hi guys, I know I promised to post more from my visit to Ali's today, but the computer has chosen now to go all funky on me. After some hairy hours, it's up again, but who knows for how long? Unfortunately, I don't have a laptop or other PC here at home.

So, while I've got a data backup unit, if the PC goes down, Space Paws will be dark for a bit. Keep your fingers crossed I get a new one in before this one goes up! :-) Anyhow, tonight I'm getting critical info off of the computer so I can do stuff from work if this one goes ppppffft.

I'll try to get a post up tomorrow and I'll leave the blurb at the top of the blog just to remind folks we've got technical difficulties right now.

So just a quickie of Winnie tonight. How many times have you walked away from your yummy snack only to return to find this? :-)

So, you thought these were your noms, now did you?

You thought wrong.

Do you think I need to update my wallpaper??? LOL!

Photo Hunt (and Rerun)

Cruising around the cat blogosphere this morning I saw a number of "photo hunt" shots featuring threes. Well, my favorite photo posted to date is a lousy cell shot but it does feature three. :-) More important, it just makes me all mushy.

You may remember Miss Aggie wasn't really social when she came to us in May. In December we had a breakthrough with her allowing other residents and fosters to lounge near her (sometimes touching!!!) while contentedly purring up a storm. It's only a still, but when I shot this, I could distinctly hear grand dame Winnie, perky Percy and (formerly) antagonistic Aggie each rumbling away! It was a very good day.

Building Inspector Winnie Reports Construction Coming Along Nicely

Building Inspector Winnie here. Yesterday's inspection of the new kitchen and dining area for Casa Space Paws went well.

I'd been told that duct work would be reused. I concur - reuse, repurpose, recycle, I say!

We do need to check it careful for any areas needing repair.

Equipment seems to be in order and well maintained.

Good choice for this application, I'd say.

Nice tracks for the new pocket doors.

Look at that! You can see all the way into the basement!

Yes, all in all, I'm quite satisfied!

Gary reported, when I first moved here, that Winnie was his inspector on all of his home improvement projects and that he enjoyed her company while working. (The cats were indoor/outdoor then.) She'd even sneak into his house, unseen, only to be discovered on the bed when nightfall came. That all ended when the cats became indoor only, and Gary & Rox have missed her visits.

Now that he's doing my home improvements, Winnie has resumed her role! Actually, Gary doesn't allow her in the rooms when he's working, but she regularly slips in when someone goes in or out to do a quick inspection.

5 out of 6 kittehs prefer...

...my bed. At night. With me in it.

Only Miss Bitty is absent from the bed. She, of course, prefers high wire sleeping these days. It's possible she was there at some point. The far bottom corner of the bed is her usual spot and it was unoccupied.

What makes this pic special is the proximity of Miss Lilo to Peggy Sue. :-) This is part of a breakthrough for her that's been developing over the last couple of weeks. So, when I woke last night, hemmed in by kittehs, I very slowly and carefully contorted myself out of bed to try to capture the historic moment - thank heaven for the slats on the headboard to use as grab bars. I used the cell... if I went for the camera, I knew the moment would be over.

And, yes, I escaped through the 2' of space at the top of the bed. I was sandwiched in the channel between Annie, Peggy Sue and Lilo. (Yeah, they managed to nudge me partially out from under my extra blanket.) As the joke goes, sorry guys, king size is the largest bed they sell. We all know it wouldn't make any difference if there was a larger size, though, our furkids would still plaster right up against us! :-)

More amazing, I slowly and carefully contorted myself back into bed and everyone stayed put. Why do we do this? What is the psychology of not wanting to disturb the kittehs? Is it deeply buried desire for a body as flexible as theirs and we see this as an opportunity to practice?

Anyway, back to the breakthrough... up until a few of days ago, Lilo insisted on claiming an entire side of me at night. Sometimes Win would move in to the bottom on that side during the night, but we never started out that way. Then, one day, Winnie plunked herself on the same side right at the beginning of bedtime, although a foot or so away, and ignored the hisses that followed. Surprisingly, Lilo did not get up and leave or move in and run the usurper off. The next day Peggy Sue followed suit in boldness, again at a distance, but on the same side, and got no adverse reaction. Last night, 6" away. Yay!

(Sorry all these pics are cell, but that's the way it's been lately... camera way out of grabbing range.)

I'm very proud of our little grey diva. Lilo has clearly turned a corner and warmed up, not only the residents, but to me, too. Oh, she's been a lap sitter and bed sleeper since day one, but she never burrowed in so trustingly before. You can just feel the difference.

And she's sharing space much more freely now. Here's a pic of Lilo sharing the chair with Winnie. I tried to get one of Peggy Sue and her sharing my lap but, I have to shoot blind and my aim was way off that day... got only the tips of ears.

The construction is coming along. I'm soooo excited. I know it'll be a couple of months, but watching the demo systematically proceed, and the utilities go in, has been great. Gary says the pocket doors will go up first (yes, the French doors will be moving... more on that later) so you'll be able to see some progress. In the meantime, you can see that the living room is in constant disarray. Oh, well, it's worth it!

Our gang liked the snow storm, too.

Here's a set of pics of the Space Paws gang taken during and after our recent Snowmaggedon, as it's come to be called. The kittehs really do seem to have gotten used to me being around all day and I've got to say I'm going to miss being around them... even if I am actually looking forward to going back to work. Cabin fever sets in quickly, I'm afraid.

So, if you hadn't heard by now... 44.3" in 5 days in Baltimore. 49.9" within 8 days. 79.9" this winter (previous record, 62.5" in 2003). As you can see, some of the mounds are taller than a minivan! And they're calling for more snow on Monday. I don't care if it's only supposed to be a couple of inches... enough already!!


Miss Winnie, the intrepid, crowded the door almost every time I went out. Figuring she wouldn't go far, I let her explore. She had a nice long tour of the porch on this evening. And yes, the snow fell as deep as the porch. Have I mentioned I'm heartily sick of snow?


Here's the Bitty, doing her cute thing... all floofy toes and tummy and tail and adorable little tongue. She was a love bug that morning.


And that afternoon, she just looked lovely in the setting sun.

Miss Lilo deigned to pose for us, too. The whir of the flashy box coming on usually seems to be her cue to exit. ;-) After a brief bit of hissiness on Friday, things are going quite well between her and the residents. Most close passes don't even merit a warning growl now. Yay! And she has become quite the lap sitter. This seems to have inspired more interest in said perch among the General Population. I'm loving the competition for lap, personally!

When she's not looking for a lap, Peggy Sue usually settles down on the Hubble throw. I snagged a pet session with her on video this week, so that will be coming to you soon.

And a great pic of Grey going after Bitty. Yes, this is still going on! It's an almost daily event and the outcome is never different. She gains the high ground and he won't go above the middle step (one step higher than the one he's on here). This time he has an audience in Lilo, too. When he gave up the chase and decided to get down, he realized he was trapped between the girls. You could almost see him trying to figure a way out. Nobody gave ground for quite a while!

Kids... Got No Manners!

He would have to sit ON me! Harrumph!

Winnie the Wonder Cat

I thought I should capture a few clips of my darlings, too. :-)

This is the grand old lady of our home, Winifred. Win is 15 and came to me as a kitten... the way you shouldn't get a cat. A friend gave her to me... presenting Winnie as a gift, in front of her kids. I wasn't ready for a new cat (my 17 year old, Little One, had passed away that week), but how do you say no faced with a precious ball of fluff and three excited kids facing you?

My little sweetie (she's just 7 pounds) has had a chronic sinus irritation, which we've battled, with multiple medications, to no avail. Fortunately, her lungs remain clear and, except for her occasional wheeze, she's quite healthy. She is a gentle grandma, who lives and lets live but backs down from none. She's an amazing peace keeping force of one and provides a stabilizing influence on behavior here.

My neighbor of 12 years has always said that Win is the perfect cat. I'm not sure perfect exists (or maybe each kitteh is perfect in his or her own way) but Winnie is truly wonderful!

Everday Miracles, Part II

The quality of these pics isn't too good... they're from the cell phone, the light was bad in both cases, and I couldn't get a wide enough field of vision either time... but the cuddles were great!

Sunday night I crawled into bed with a book and Grey snuggled up in the crook of my arm. This made reading a bit tricky but you know we'll turn contortionist for our furkids. :-) After a bit, Percy bounded onto the bed insisting on attention in that teenage "me, me, me" manner young mancats have. I thought for sure Grey would move off but, after a bit, Percy settled down about a foot away (felt closer at the time, but pics don't lie), face to face with Grey and they stayed, both purring. I was in 7th heaven and the book was now forgotten as I petted with the boys. (Unfortunately, all you can see is a silhouette of Grey to the right.)

Soon, I felt Peggy Sue's delicate landing behind me. She was in one of her insatiable moods so with the other arm, I petted her behind my back, again sure this was too much stirring for Grey. Nope, after a while, she settled down on my hip and started purrin' up a storm. I was in shock! (That's just a tiny bit of Grey in the bottom right corner, only about six inches away from Peggy Sue.) Three of the bebes close in bed, all purring, warm'n'happy. Heaven!

Deciding this needed to be recorded for posterity, I groped behind me on the end table, praying I wouldn't disturb any of them. With one hand, shooting blind, I tried to get them all in a frame together. Well, you see the results, but it's enough to bring back the big, warm fuzzy feeling of the night! (Am I a bad Mom to admit that after a half an hour or so I was so cramped I had to move??)

Then, last night, it there was a triple feature of kittehs on my lap! Again with the cell, not great, but you can see Winnie (OK, technically she's on the stool by my feet, but close enough!), Percy and Aggie. Yep, that's the same red sweater I was wearing a couple of weeks ago... hmmmmm... maybe I should wear it more often!! LOL!

Don't know about you but these bits of love from the furkids just melt my heart!

(And sorry about the lack of commenting when I visit, friends... things are still busy at work. Weekend is coming up, though!!)

Gus, The Angels, Fred'n'Percy, and more!

Sorry folks, I kinda crashed last night when I got home from work. After falling asleep during cuddles yesterday evening, I decided to call it a night, so no post. Gus is doing fine... he came charging around the corner when I brought in wet food (his fav) and Amoxi (NOT his fav) both last night and this morning. This last time I had to wrap him to get the Amoxi in him, so that's very good... our little Mr. Feisty!

Today at the Vet
Fred, Percy, Gus and Winnie all went to visit Doc Andrew this morning. Fred'n'Percy for their second shots, Gus just so Doc A could see how he was doing, and Winnie for her old lady checkup (she got chronic upper respiratory issues).

Once again, not a peep out of Gus during the journey, and the boys were very quiet and seemed much more relaxed this time. Maybe it was because grandma Winnie (an honorary designation, of course!) was riding with them. She's a good influence on all the kittehs in the house! Winifred is definitely not a cranky old lady, instead she reminds me more of a kindly, patient grandmother.

Winnie shows the boys how to chill during the ride to see Doc Andrew. It seems to be working.

Whilst in the waiting room, we noticed a new addition... yes, that is water bubbling up through the sculpture. It's truly amazing the things that vets receive! Anyway, I thought it was pretty cool!

Tech Jenn took us back for the weights and measures portion of our program. She used to work for Doc Hess and confided that the price he gave us for the surgery was very reasonable for supposedly "full price" work. I couldn't believe I forgot to tell her about his generous offer to spay and neuter our critters as part of his teaching work. I will have to rectify this as soon as possible!

Our little guy has gained half a pound since Wednesday!! Yay! Gus had lost a few ounces during the surgery event but he's up to just over 5 pounds now!!

It looked like the practice had an emergency come in first thing this morning and we waited a little bit for Doc Andrew to join us. Winnie and the boys were allowed to roam, of course, but I kept Gus quiet in the carrier, and the pics of him were blurry (wrong setting, I guess) so I only got one shot of him on this trip, unfortunately.
Winnie checks on Gus (just missed a shot of her up and peeking in on him), while the boys explore.
Fred could hardly contain himself. Up down and all around for our boy. He even climbed me to get to the exam table!

After a good sniff'n'splore, the boys returned to the carrier for a little lounging. All of a sudden, Win jumped up and sniffed at the door as if to say, "Somebody's coming!" Sure enough, about 3 seconds later, Doc A arrived!

The doc pronounced the boys hale and hearty, as well as cute as the dickens, and gave them their second shots. Then Win was up. Lungs clear as always and she got a script for a new antibiotic to try to clear her sinuses - she should be feeling up to snuff soon (not that the weezies really slow her down!).

Jenn shows off Gus' good looking incision. No swelling, no redness and, best of all, Gus is leaving it alone!

Then it was time to look over our Gus. He's got just a bit of swelling in the left foot, but that's normal because he's not using it yet... which is also normal. The incision looks great, his temp and other vitals are right on and Doc Andrew declared him to be healing well. And also as cute as the dickens. Doc A once again sent us on our way without filling in the front desk on everything he'd done. I tried to beat up on him, at least for Winnie, since she's mine, but it was to no avail. I tried to convince the front desk to override their boss, but they are a disgustingly loyal bunch. (Staci, please give that man of yours a huge hug for us, OK?)

So, everyone is now home and chillin'. It's a lovely Saturday here in B'more and we've got cats in every window! LOL!

And, finally, to bring a smile to your face today, here's the next installment from Abigail's Angels that we filmed last week! Enjoy!