Beat the Heat (Cold Air Sinks)

The heat wave is unrelenting, unless you count a handful of cooler nights.  The camping kitties are no fools.  There's an air conditioner directly above this part of the camper.  So lounging cats litter the floor.  It looks REALLY funny when they are all on their backs with tummies splayed upwards.  Kind of reminded me of a battlefield aftermath at first glance....ewwww....

Hope you're all either a.) beating the heat in your own ways or, better yet b.) not subjected to this record breaking taste of hell that has descended on parts of middle America.  We're in a serious drought here.  The pond is at least a foot low; the corn crop is probably ruined after a beautiful start; I'm becoming concerned about some of the trees that, despite their deeper roots, are showing stress now, too....

Still praying for rain.....

Red Kitty Camping - Life is Good!

 Security snuggle (you can't see me)

Red Kitty fills up all available space

More lessons in making a camper cat friendly.  Staging new and different sleeping spots so the 3 camping kitties can change it up.  Are we having fun yet?

Camping Cats

We aren't really roughing it here, but it sure is a huge change of scene! Red Kitty, Mariah and the Purrmeister spent their first weekend in my camper. We had a tricky adjustment period, that first 24 hours, and then, since all the comforts of home are right here, things settled down.

We'll probably make a habit of this: weekends at the campground. My theory is this is good practice for the "big move" we'll make to the new home later in the summer. Though Purrmeister lived here a couple of summers ago, the two older cats have never been anywhere except to the vet....so it's all a grand experiment.

I arranged a rug collection on the bed for them to lounge upon, and installed a little table for window watching. I plan to hang a few bird feeders in view for their pleasure, and so far, not too much fighting with me, a dog and three cats jockeying for space to move around. Sorry for the iPhone photos and I'll get better ones as we get settled in!

Poor Dakota

So who is boss around here? Well, this was Dakota's new bed (Dakota is the American Eskimo dog that shares the house.) She happily used it all summer, while we stayed in the camper that is. Now, installed at the house in front of the big glass sliding door, it's been, um, permanently borrowed by Mariah and Red.

Dakota's a pretty good sport. She has a different bed in the kitchen that she likes OK. Not quite as fancy as the new one, but it will have to do....

It's a Catnip Party!

Catnip grows wild in patches here and there and when I catch it in bloom, I pick the buds for my furry little drug addicts. Red, naturally, keeps his cool even when keeping Purrmeister in line. Purrmeister, on the other hand, really gets carried away. Out of view of my iPhone camera, he tackled poor Mariah (who he now outweighs times two.) Note the clumps of fur on the rag rug? Uh huh, looks like some serious smacking going on. It was a wild party and a good time was had by all!

Big Red Cats

Here's a good excuse for why I tend to avoid working at my desk. This would be my desk chair. Red Kitty loves the Red cushion. How can I move him when he looks so comfy? So instead, I go and use my work bench chair. Unfortunately, my bills and taxes aren't over there...my art projects are! Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing actually....

But I chose this picture because it shows how big Red Kitty is. Sometime the past month or so, Red Kitty turned 10 years old (it's approximate because it was many months after he was born that he found us and eventually joined our household.) According to my cat age chart here, since he's an indoor cat, he's about 56 in human years. I guess that's middle age. He's definitely the elder statesman among the cats.

He tolerates just about everything and everyone which is more than I can say for the other two cats, who are striving to drive each other nuts.....or maybe it's being shut in for all the crummy weather that's making everybody nuts? Oh well, a warming trend is moving in so there is hope! I was finally able to break up a huge sheet of ice that had formed right in front of my entry door (because of the roof eave above.) It was so nice to see my mat and my wooden deck again! Hoping all the cats get a touch of outdoor time over the next couple of days!

Red Kitty is on the Make

Is it the full moon or the season? I can't explain it but Red Kitty is really feeling, shall we say, very frisky the past couple of days. The object of his affections is Mariah (don't worry, they are both fixed!) Just now, he caught my attention because he was calling/crying like crazy. Just standing in the middle of the living room, downstairs, screaming his little head off. Very strange.

Of course, I'm concerned that somehow I've damaged him by leaving him so alone for so long over the past summer...with no company but other cats. He and Mariah are, and for years now have been, best buddies. So she tolerates his sexual advances, though I think she's clueless about what's on his mind. These little "attacks" turn into wrestling matches as Mariah wiggles out of being pinned down from behind.

They all seem very happy that I'm back living in the house with them. The past week, since I've been back, they follow me from room to room and basically hang out where ever I'm doing stuff. Yes, I do believe I'm the recipient of lots of kitty love...lucky me!

Loving Couple

Unfair, unflattering--Red Kitty looks a bit like a beached whale here, but the reason I grabbed my camera....

....was how sweet Red and Mariah looked snoozing after supper here, together. They are the best buddies even if Red is twice as large as Mariah. So I found a new gadget to help with my cats' health I'd like to put in a plug for here....

I have two male cats; each has been neutered and each is on a special diet to forestall urinary tract problems (I had a wonderful kitty die from this back in the '80's.) Drinking plenty of water is highly recommended, too.

Red Kitty loves to drink from a dripping faucet, has taught Mariah to do this and Purrmeister is just beginning to get the hang of it. This little water bowl with a circulating pump was not terribly expensive (under $30) and is easy to clean and maintain. It offers both the gentle stream of water AND the movement keeps the water fresh and aerated. I found it at Petsmart.

I'm really surprised by how much more water all the cats seem to be drinking now--I have to top it off a couple times a day! But you know the saying about "teaching an old dog new tricks?" Well, the Red Kitty is the slowest to get the hang of this contraption, so far....

I currently have it installed on a folded vinyl table cloth. Purrmeister thought it was the best toy ever at first so he was splashing all over the place....thankfully, I expected that and so was prepared before I filled it up and plugged it in. What is it with that kitten and water? I half expect him to start taking showers soon....

Water Lessons by Red Kitty

The Young Red Kitty (now a Cat)

I fell in love with Red Kitty when he wandered on to our farm in Iowa back in 2002. His eyes were an amazing orange color that matched his amazing orange fur. It was love at first sight...and it was mutual love, too. I love boy cats...they can just be so darn affectionate!

The Red Kitty was probably about 6 or 7 months old when he moved in, and after we had him neutered, he moved into our house with 3 other cats and a German short-hair pointer. Later, he moved to Woodstock with me. Back then he was the young punk of the house...here he's become the elder statesman. Time flies!

I was searching for old photos of him and haven't had much luck with finding stills yet (my early digital photo filing was a disaster!) But I was very happy to find this little clip with a collection of other ones. He was then, and continues to be, quite a character. Red is a credit to the Red Cat Race, if I do say so myself!!

Private Life of Red

I was surprised to walk in on this today! I never saw Red and Mariah sleeping nose to nose, almost cuddling...wait, there was no "almost" about it, they had their arms about each other!

So I disturbed them and got this goofy look, like huh?

Then Purrmeister decided he had to get in on the action, which really ticked old Mariah off!! It was quite the tableau!

Tax Time

Lucky me!! Red Kitty is doing my tax return! Ummmmm, well........

Red's Famous Talent

I'm working now to teach Purrmeister this wonderful trick. So far, he treats the water stream like a string, bats it all over, and makes a pretty big mess. Me? I only get my face nice and wet so that it's clean AND I get a nice fresh drink. I've already taught Mariah this trick but she doesn't like to stand right in the kitchen sink like I do. Unfortunately, I can't work the faucet myself, so I jump up on the sink, sit near the tap and stare at it until my mom shows up to help out. She knows what I mean so it works.

I Love Mariah

My oldest buddy, Mariah, is the very best pillow in the whole wide world!! We love each other very much. Now that new fellow? Purrmeister? We're not too sure about him yet. Too wild and crazy, too much energy because you see, we love to snooze!

Welcome, Red!

Ooooh, look at our newest member at the Red Cat Society--Red. Geesh, he's a lovely (handsome?) cat. He comes to us by Karen over at Will Oaks Studios, where she typically features her incredible jewelry and photography as well as her kitties.

Red got news late last night of the Red Cat Society and you can see how happy he was to be included. He immediately went to work preening for his shot!