Cat meets Dog.. it's all good

Sorry i've been gone so long! We got a dog and she is taking a lot of time and energy for a fantastic return. The first moment we brought her home, we call her Sara, Bella the cat let her know that Bella was the queen of the house. Bella also let us know that she was relieved we got a dog and not another cat..;-) the feeling was like, fewheew... a dog i can handle.
They have been playing together.. mostly tag. Sara runs around and Bella is centrally located, and darts out and tags Sara as she flies by. It's pretty funny to watch. I'm gonna try and get some video and see if i can post it.
Happy May Day!
jod

Cat drinking water FUNNY!

Hi, everyone, I just got the funniest cat video. I can't post it because I don't know where it came from or who owns it. If you are interested, send me an email and I'll send it back to you. My eyes are still wet from laughing!
jodyrussell@yahoo.com

Most Excellent Cat Scratching Post

I've had a cat scratching post for our cats forever. They loved the one on the back porch that was a limb off our peach tree. I also had a really nice carpeted one that we had inside. No one ever used it much. I read that cats don't like carpet to scratch on, so on her outside climber I turned the carpet inside and left the backing out. Ehh.
Finally last month I took off the carpet on the inside post and just left the bare 3x3 wood. Bella the cat was much more interested and actually used it but I could tell that she still wasn't thrilled. Today I finally wrapped it in sisel rope. I showed Bella how it worked and she came over and gave it a half hearted try. When she actually got her claws into it she gave me this surprised look and then really dug in and gave me a cat grin! Then she was exhausted and is still taking a nap. We'll see how it really plays tonight. Maybe Barbara will get her wish that we can take the towels off the chairs and Bella won't keep using them for cat scratching posts.
Stay tuned..;-)

Cat Painting

So... I've been painting my bathroom and hallway. The lovely Bella cat is eager to help! After my first session she managed to get into a closed room and paint her tail. Just a bit of undercoat and a little on the tail tip. Fortunately the color is not incompatible with her grey and cream markings. Barbara managed to get most of it off but Bella is determined to keep a little.
Today I finished the bathroom door and frame. I was working on the inside of the door and I turned away for a second and the cat most recently known as Bella, joined me inside. I scooted her out. When I finished I closed the doors to the hallway and the door to the back of the house so air could circulate but Bella couldn't. Of course she managed to sneek by me at the last moment and scampered thru the hall. Happily, I was able to get her out the door on the other side before any paint was cat-taminated.
Exciting news coming soon on helping grumpy or scaredy cats!

It 's hard to say goodbye to a cat or anyone really...

Not just "Goodbye Fluffy, see you tonight", but "Goodbye Fluffy you've been a wonderful friend and companion. You've let me laugh and cry and dance and mope. You've warmed my lap and heart when all humanity has let me down. I never felt judged by you, except when I made you wait too long for dinner."
My friend Karen had to put her best friend and cat Fumar, to sleep today. Her kidneys failed. Karen sobbed, and I sobbed with her remembering my last 2 cats we put down when age caught up with them.
I remind Karen as I remind myself, and all of you, Breathe... And grieve. I remind myself whenever I leave anyone really, but especially those that I love the most, to tell them that I love them. People die unexpectedly all the time. Young and old and in between. Do your best to keep your love up to date...;-) Really you never know which goodbye will be your last. Peace everyone.

Cats in Avatar

I saw Cameron's Avatar, the movie twice this weekend. I could hardly believe my eyes. We saw it in 3d. unbelievable!. The depth, in more ways than one. The indigenous people of Pandora are 9 feet tall and have blue skin. They have cat noses and faces and eyes and teeth and tails. Really!
Even if you don't like the story it's worth seeing for the technicals. I liked the story too! Make sure to see it in 3d, and if possible imax 3d. also make sure you have an unobstructed view of the screen, an extra head in your way would be a bummer..;-) I loved it because it had the "good bits" in it. So many movies lately are all toil and starkness and strife and in the last 30 seconds you see a bit of happiness. It makes me crazy! This actually showed the happiness and wonder and beauty. I was estatic!
I'mm write more later. See it if you can, i think it changes the way movies will be made in the future. It's a place i'd like to live, and not just because i like blue!

Best Cat toy so far- Cat Dancer!

I've been reading a bunch of books on cat behavior and two by Pam Johnson-Bennett are really good. "think like a cat" and "Cat vs. Cat" She recommends a cat toy called Cat Dancer. Bella the cat thinks this is the best thing since sliced turkey! It's the simplest toy and it really gets her hunting and pouncing. It moves unpredictably and she gets a great cat aerobic workout. Pam talks about how important it is to play with your cat. They need exercise, and something to keep  them interested in life.  So do we...  The zoo calls it animal enrichment. Cats are at our mercy when they can't go outside, and find their own entertainment.   Bella is an indoor cat. I have a screened back porch and a nice cat gym I built. She can get fresh air and watch the birds,  but she loves to stretch and run and leap and climb. She is much more relaxed when I give her regular workouts. I try for at least morning and evening round of spin-the-cat, and Barbara tries to get in a midday romp. Bella is waiting for her pre-bedtime workout. I better get  moving.