A post only a cat mother could love

Non-cat owners, this may bore you. I don't blame you. I used to be anti-cat until I was converted. 

If you've been around these parts, you probably know I have three cats. You can read more about them here.  Today, we're going to talk about Ricky..........

This is Ricky. My stepson once gave him an award..."The Cheekiest Cat Ever".  Jana has his American cat doppleganger.  Let's talk about the antics of Ricky and show you my very first cat video loaded to the internet!

Ricky...the cat who regularly looks like he is plotting something.

Ricky...the cat that is a cockroach killer (notice the leg hanging out of his mouth), but he likes to carry the half-eaten cockroach around the house and eventually, dump it somewhere to be noticed and admired.

Ricky...the cat that looks at you like this when you are talking to him about why he's on the ironing board, why he's on clean clothes, and how he needs to get down from there.

Ricky...the cat who thinks "Look woman, you didn't want me on the ironing board, and now you're telling me to get off the drying rack too?!"

 Ricky...the cat who bent many blinds in our previous rental property.

Ricky...the cat who thinks if there is food on the plate that he wants, then he should help himself to it.

Ricky...the cat who thinks if there's something in a cup that he wants to drink, he should help himself to that too.

Ricky...the cat who makes it impossible to have a nice looking Christmas tree because he climbs it, bends and breaks limbs, and throws the ornaments to the ground.

Ricky...the cat who will climb anywhere...kitchen counters, cupboards & closets & drawers, on top of stair railings.............and on top of the shower.

Ricky...the cat who decides to join me when I take a bath, and he shows off his acrobatic skills by leaping and balancing on the top of the shower.

Ricky...he's at it again.

So.......earlier this week, a tradesman had to come to the house.  My guy put the cats up in the bathroom.  Apparently, Ricky tried to show off to his kitty sister and brother by going to the top of the shower, but........check out the video.

 Ricky...the cat who purrs louder than any of the others when he decides he wants to give me cuddles.

What does your fur baby do that is cheeky/naughty/adorable?

They Know Best

From Brianne's at My Life As..., I saw this post and had to steal borrow it. She's given credit and posted links to others that posted it prior to her.  I'm encouraging you to go see Brianne to get those links. I looked at them and found new bloggers to read. I love the way that the land of bloggerville works this way.

Speaking of loving things...

I asked those that know me best to name 3-5 things that I love, obsess over, and/or am addicted to.  Nine of my nearest and dearest (including my parents) replied, and here's what they had to say:

10/9 - something related to FOOD - (How did that happen?  Someone gave 2 answers that were food related.  Thanks, Mom.) - TexMex being the most prevalent answer, specifically Chile Con Queso was named, as well as carbs, bread, cheese fries, and cheese.  Part of me laughs at this, the other part of me cries.  Maybe this is why I'm overweight.  Huh?  You think?  The other reason - notice what doesn't make the list - exercise.

9/9 - something related  to MUSIC - Music, in general, as well as concerts, live music, hair metal, and Bon Jovi were all specifically listed.  All true.

5/9 - READING - Well, yes, I do love a good book.  I found that there are some that I don't do book chat with too often, and they were the ones who didn't say this answer.

I got a whole bunch of other answers too:

3/9 - CATS (specifically, Astro) - Okay, yes, I've sorta kinda turned into a Crazy Cat Lady...but I love my doggie babies too!

2/9 - TRAVEL - There was a guy I knew in college whose family had *a little* money.  He described his mother as a "professional traveler and shopper".  Yes, please.  How do I get that job?

2/9 - SHOES - Could explain why I wrote this post two years ago --> Shoe Collector (go ahead, read it, you know you weren't following me then)

2/9 - AGGIE FOOTBALL - You can take the girl outta Texas, but you can't take the football outta the Texas girl.  Isn't that how the saying goes?

2/9 - DANCE - I don't take classes anymore.  My years on a dance team are long behind me.  I rarely hit the clubs anymore.  But.......give me some good music and some space and chances are I'm gonna shake my groove thang. 

Others that got mentioned once: Compassion (I love this), Costumes (yep, love them too), Make-up (shocked that more people didn't say this), Clothes (again, surprised only one gave this response), Caffeine, Sleep (who doesn't love sleep?)

Can you relate?  Are you obsessed with any of these things too?

Meet the Felines Link Up

I never owned a cat.  Cats scared me and typically hated  me.  But...my guy loves both cats and dogs, so I was willing to give an effort to see what this whole cat thing was all about.  My guy, his two kids, and I went to our nearest Animal Welfare League in November 2013 to adopt two kittens. We left with three! And they have enriched our family ever since.  I'm a total cat convert.  Yep.  Crazy Cat Lady, all the way.

They are so much like children; they all have unique personalities, and we love each of them so much.

Name:  Ricky Sparkle  

(That's right.  Sparkle.  I was already named Ricky at AWL.  My human mama says Ricky Martin is handsome and knows how to move.  My human brother, who just turned six at the time, had the honor of giving me a middle name.  That's what the kid named me, and I like it.) 

Stats:  

• Tuxedo cat
• Male
• Silky, shiny coat
• Green eyes
• Slim
• Agile
• Curious
• Mischievous

Likes:   

• Climbing through window blinds (and bending them)
• Sitting at the window and staring outside
• Chasing the other cats
• Taunting my doggie sisters through the sliding glass door
• Looking for food on the kitchen counter
• Attempting to eat the dog food (while my humans are dishing it up)
• Killing cockroaches or millipedes or spiders or whatever other little critter tries to creep in our house
• Climbing the screen doors or windows
• Sticking my paw (or head) under a flowing water faucet
• Balancing on the top rail of our stairs
• Laying on our iron board, or clean clothes, or drying rack
• Hiding in drawers
• Climbing the Christmas tree
• Yanking down Christmas tree ornaments 
• Snuggles on mama's chest
• Purring
• Meowing

Name: Ivy Lou 

Kinda like Blue Ivy but backwards, and different, so not really like that at all.  I'm not really a diva either, so my sweet name suits my sweet demeanor.  I'm not sure why the font just changed, but I'm not the smartest of the bunch (apparently, neither is my mama because she can't correct it.)  Oh well.  I'm an easy-going girl.

Stats:  

• Torti (or torty, or tortie) cat
• Female
• Medium length coat
• Greenish-gold eyes
• Bootylicious
• Flirtatious
• Affectionate

Likes: 

• Bags
• Boxes
• Catching sunrays through windows
• Taunting my doggie sisters through the sliding glass door
• Looking for attention from the men of the house
• Running from my brothers
• The heat from the satellite tv box
• Piles of clothes
• Daddy's jeans (my favorite place to lay)
• Bouncing while I run
• Rolling over when I say hello (c'mon humans, that means I want a belly scratch!)
• Chewing the tip of my tail...I know, it's weird, but it's a habit

Name: Astro Naut  

We were waiting in the AWL office for my human daddy to complete the adoption paperwork, and my human mama was bouncing around Texas-themed names.  Some suggested: Sam (after Sam Houston), Willie (after Willie Nelson), Stevie (because it could give props to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Stephen F. Austin).  The rest of the humans weren't feeling any of these.  So, mama started offering up sports teams and names.  Astro (after the Houston Astros) is the name that they all turned and said "yes" or "I like that".  Secretly, I was thinking it's the name of the dog on the Jetsons, but whatevs.  I'm orange-ish, and I'm told that's the right color for a Houston Astro.  My middle name?  Well, the human brother steps up and decides my middle name is "Naut" because "Get it? It's like astronaut!" (Yes, this conversation happened.  Plus, it works.  NASA is in Houston, and NASA has astronauts). 

Stats:  

• Ginger cat
• Male
• Greenish-gold eyes
• Loyal
• Lazy
• Affectionate 
• Intelligent
• Awarded "best Cat ever" by my human brother
• BFF to my human mama

Likes: 

• My mama
• Cat food
• Cat treats
• Breakfast
• Naps
• Dinner
• Snuggles with my mama
• Headbutts with my mama
• Belly rubs from my mama
• Hanging out with my mama while she takes a bath
• Laser pointer time with dad
• "Helping" my mama read (this may consist of laying on top of the book)
• Sleeping in the cat tree
• Sleeping next to my mama
• Sleeping on my mama

All of us get along really well.  We play with each other, cuddle each other, and pretty much all five of us (kitties with my daddy and mama) sleep in a queen size bed every night.  We are great with our 7 year old human brother who absolutely adores us.  He thinks we're "the cat's meow".  When asked why he liked us so much his response was:

"They're really, really cute, and they're part of our family." 

Well, you can't get much better than that.

Cat conversion complete.

Join our mama's link-up, so we can meet other felines in bloggerland.

An InLinkz Link-up

And, if cats aren't you're thing (I don't know why they wouldn't be), there is a Meet the Canines link-up too.  So, you can check that out here:  Meet the Canines

Fur Kids and Families Unite: Link Up Announcement

Recently, I read a post about Eddie at foodboozeandbaggage, and I thought it was all kinds of sweet.  I told Mariah that I was going to plan a link-up of my own (giving her credit, of course).

This is NOT a sponsored post; I just love the stuff from animalhearted.com and thought I'd share

Then, the doubts crept in and my inner voice started talking.  "You've never done a link-up.  Will anyone participate?  Of course, no one will participate you big dumby because you have very few followers.  And speaking of dumb, you won't be able to figure out how to post a link-up.  That involves coding and crap."  My inner voice is not always kind. 

Screw you, inner voice.  I love my fur babies.  I know other bloggers that love their fur kids too.  I'm going to do this.  Or try, at least.

 We are going to link-up and "Meet the Canines" on Thursday, the 9th of April.

We're going to link-up and "Meet the Felines" a week later, Thursday, the 16th of April.

Are you a proud pet parent?  Are your fur babies an extension of your family?  Is your home not complete without the pitter patter of furry feet?  This link-up is for you!  Join me in sharing with others the joys of being a pet parent.

 Let's "Meet the Canines" and "Meet the Felines"!  Tell us anything and everything that you want to share about that special relationship you have with your fur kid(s).  Share pictures, stories, or allow your furry friend to run your blog for a day; however/whatever you want to share.  I encourage you to read about all the others featured in our link-up and enjoy their stories.

(Please participate.  Don't let me be that girl who invites everyone to her party and no one shows up.)

For Cat Parents Only (because they are possibly the only ones who will enjoy this post)

Long story that I'm trying to write as concise as possible:

Once upon a time, I didn't like cats. I was scared of them, and I was convinced that they sensed my fear and would prey on that weakness. Me being their prey. I was ready for an attack, a hiss, or a scratch anytime I was around a cat.

I loved dogs and pretty much always had a dog in my life. 

My guy enters the picture. He likes dogs AND cats. Love is about compromise. So, I agreed to get a cat. Actually, we adopted three adorable kittens from the Animal Welfare League.  Kittens grew up and are now a little over a year old. I am a cat convert, I love them, and I'm such a crazy cat lady happy cat mama. 

Fast forward to now...I'm still learning about cats and cat behavior. I found myself googling this:

Well, because of this:

Yep, Astro loves to sit on my face, sleep on my head, and be a kitty scarf around my neck. I needed to ask Mr. Google "why?". 

My "research"* findings were this:

• "He's displaying immense trust" and feels safe with me. - well, that's a good thing, right?
• He adores me. - duh, who wouldn't?
• It's the ultimate expression of affection. - awwww, that's so sweet
• Not only is he "sharing his love", but he's "sharing his scent" too. - uhm, what?
• "If any other kitties come around, they'll know you already belong to another cat" because he has spread his personal smell on me. - I don't know what to say about this.
• He's being dominant.  In a household with more than one cat "sleeping on your face puts the top cat at the highest point". - I think some people would say this means he's just being an asshole to the other cats.

There you have it; I think this means Astro loves me.

I can't post this without showing off my other two pretty kitties who don't sit on their

mama's face but still show their love in other special ways (like watching me take a bath which is what they're doing in this photo). 

Ricky & Ivy

*sources: www.catbehaviorassociates.com, www.pets.thenest.com, www.cats.about.com

Thoughts #23 - I Believe (link-up)

 

Megan and Amanda are hosting a link-up, and I'm joining in...

1. I believe ... I can fly (no, I really don't...and I know that's a terrible joke, but I couldn't help it; it was stuck in my mind, and I had to get it out).
2. I believe ... that my friend who had brain surgery less than a week ago is a total badass! 
3. I believe ... that my other friend who is battling cancer is another total badass (her husband's support is pretty amazing too)!
   
4. I believe ... that both of these women are touching more lives than they can even imagine with their fighting spirits, strength, and courage.
5. I believe ... in faith.
6. I believe ... we all have struggles and challenges, and no one's battle is any less important than another's.  Respect each others' struggles.  Help one another however you can.
   
7. I believe ... I've had darker days than most people realize.
8. I believe ... that my cat Astro's head butts can always bring a smile to my face (and to think there was a time that I didn't like cats).
   
9. I believe ... everyone should embark on the experience of a dream vacation, a holiday to beat all holidays, to go to a place where you've always wanted to go, at least once in a lifetime (or lots in a lifetime). 
10. As cliché as it sounds, I believe ... there is always room to grow.  There are always things to learn.  The search for self-discovery, growth, and knowledge is an on-going process.
11. I believe ... Tex-Mex is the greatest cuisine on the planet.
12. I believe ... in these words (thanks to those friends and family members who are "true"):
    

Thoughts # 9 - Fur Babies

It's been awhile.  Sorry about that.  I admit it - I'm horrible about keeping up with this blog.  When I blog, I like it.  When I don't, I intend to write something.  Oh well.  Have patience with me.

You know those friends that you had in high school that you reconnect with on social media by realizing that you have some shared interests now that you are both adults?  I've been fortunate enough to reconnect with a few of these people.  With one of those re-connections, we share special bonds with our animals aka pets aka fur babies.  We like to post pictures and cute little updates about our animal family members.  She and I mutually "like" and/or comment on these posts encouraging each other's animal love.  She lives in Oregon; I live in Australia, but I feel like I've seen a glimmer of her pets' personalities from her posts.

I had a very special bond with one particular pet of mine, and I left him behind when I moved to Australia.  I still have moments when I cry over this, hurt, feel a void.  It's been five and a half years. 

Sadly, my aforementioned friend lost one of her fur babies in a tragic accident this weekend.  My heart just aches for her and her family.  Some people are able to develop very special bonds with their animal family members; some people don't.  I understand the loss she feels and the heartache.  RIP Carlos.

So, for those of you that have special members of your family from the animal kingdom - hug them a little tighter tonight in honor of my friend, her family, and Carlos.  

Our little purr puss IVY

Our mischievous boy RICKY

Our somewhat timid, not too smart, but oh-so-sweet DOLLY

Our super affectionate mama's boy ASTRO

Our strong and beautiful SALLY