Powder Speaks

Um...Hi! It's me, Powder, and I want to say that Mommy headed my Autumn Funk off at the pass this year! As many of you know this is the time of year that I take my itty bitty self and hide under the bed for a few months. It's an annual tradition that I have done for many years. The 'rents have tried everything to keep this from happening. This year, with some help from Dr. Joe, Mommy took me in at the first signs of me starting my Autumn ritual (last Saturday) - they decided to give me a shot of what I had last year before the symptoms became too pronounced. When Mommy brought me home I went right back under the bed...for a few hours...and then...I came downstairs...and I'm back to my itty bitty, loud-mouthed, treat-begging, hug-seeking, neck-napping, dog-swatting (read smooching) self. W00T!
Hello Autumn, nice to meetcha'!

A Powder Update

Here we are enjoying some Stinky Goodness. This is about the only time Powder will come downstairs and interact with us. She still prefers her under the bed world to anywhere else. She does come out for Mommy and she is slowly getting better. Mommy says she'll probably get back to herself the day before we have guests arriving for Thanksgiving weekend.
Then she'll be back under the bed again...sigh...
I hope you have a fun and fabulous Friday!
Smoochies!

Little Stories From The Past - Puff and Powder

Mommy says when she looks at this photo of Puff and Powder she sees a pattern that has lasted for 11 years. Puff has always been pretty fearless, always the first to investigate, the first to check out something new. Powder, not so much. Shy and sweet, Powder always chooses to stay behind her sister and observe from a safe distance.
Powder is still in her Autumn Funk, but we know with patience and love she'll come out. When she's good and ready!

Wordless Wednesday - Powder

Formerly Feral Friday

It's been a rainy few days here in O Hi O. I don't mind that one bit, this couch is very comfy and I have been enjoying lap time in the evening with Mommy. Our tiny little sister is still in her Autumn funk and Mommy is feeling very sad for her. We hope she comes out of it soon. She will come out from under the bed for Temptations and for hugs from Mommy. But as soon as she decides she has had enough - zoom! - under the bed again!
Stay dry and warm kitties and have a wonderful Friday!
SMOOCHIES!

Powder's Autumn Funk

Our little sister Powder has been in her Autumn Funk for a few weeks now. If you don't know about this please go here and read about it.

Powder enjoying the Summer

It started right around the first day of Autumn. Mommy and Daddy wondered if they bring it on by anticipating it, but that seems like a bit of a stretch.

We miss our "Summer Powder"

We still think that DKM, Diva Kitty's Mom may be right. Last year she commented
..."It could just be the change in the earth's rotation and the shifting to fall that could be affecting her. Cats are more sensitive to the seasons than we are. Or it could be that the time of year reminds her of something that happened long ago and she is still impacted by it. I know that Sophia will hide in my closest anytime someone BBQs near my condo. Not sure why, but the smell of the BBQ sends her hiding." ...
Powder had a rough go with her spay 11 years ago, you can read about that here. Since she is otherwise very healthy, we think that this time of year she remembers that ~ or ~ she has Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Mommy read an article about it here.
Whatever it is, it's no fun for Powder and no fun for the 'rents. If the past years are an indication of how things will turn out, in a few weeks she'll be back to normal and Mommy can stop stressing about her tiny little girl under the bed.

Our Tiny Girl Does A Meme

While the ittiest, bittiest member of our family came out of her Autumn funk, she has gone back into another one. She's back under the bed and will only come out for meals, to use the box, take a drink out of the bathroom faucet and to lay on Mommy at night. When it's very, very still and quiet. We are stumped. She is physically healthy, but she's acting a couple of sammiches short of a picnic.

"I'm just mysterious, that's all..."

Frankly, we'd rather have frisky than mysterious...

The cutest kittens in Maryland, Cloud and Niko tagged us for a meme, so we all gathered around the bed and peeked underneath and had a little interview with Powder. It's a great little piece of fun called The 8 Random Things Meme - Abby started it!

Ready Powder? Ok then, let's play!

1. I only weigh in at about 6 to 6 1/2 pounds.

2. I only have 1/2 of a tail and it's crooked at the tip!

3. Of the 4 of us kitties, I am by far, the hardest to get into a PTU (Mommy has the scars to prove it!)

4. Puff and I are true blood sisters!

5. That makes Rudy my true blood nephew!

6. Mommy says that I am her "heart." I like that. She's mine too!

7. I love Daddy, but I am what you call a "one person kitty."

8. I have the loudest meow of all my sibs!

So there you have it, Powder in 8 random facts.

She's tagging Toulouse!

We just wish she'd come out a little more!

Thankful Thursday - Powder

Hey! Who's that coming down the stairway?

Hey Mommy! Powder's out from under the bed!
Powder: "So, ya' got any treats?"

Easy Like Sunday - Powder

Mommy wants to thank everyone for the ideas, suggestions and for the warm wishes for our tiny girl to "get the funk outta her face."

DKM left a comment that got my Mommy to thinking. DKM said "It could just be the change in the earth's rotation and the shifting to fall that could be affecting her. Cats are more sensitive to the seasons than we are. Or it could be that the time of year reminds her of something that happened long ago and she is still impacted by it. I know that Sophia will hide in my closest anytime someone BBQs near my condo. Not sure why, but the smell of the BBQ sends her hiding."

Powder enjoying some dinner yesterday.

Little Miss Powder has led a very easy life for the most part. She was rescued from a barn, along with Puff, when they were kittens. The rescue happened in May. In late September Powder went in for her spay. They lived in a very small town in SW Kansas and the VET was what you might call a "country VET." He was way more comfortable with cows and horses than he was with felines. Her spay scar is 3 inches long (that's a BIG scar for a spay), and she was so stressed by being kept in a kennel for the better part of a day that she had scratched and hit her head upside the kennel bars to the point of being bloodied on her face and front paws. It was not a very pleasant experience for her (not to mention the huge freak-out Mommy had when she came to pick Powder up). Powder's spay recovery took place for DAYS in Mommy's closet. She'd only come out to eat and use the box. Thinking back, Mommy thinks that this qualifies as a trauma in Powders life and perhaps every fall Powder remembers what an awful time it was for her. As we said in yesterday's post, we have tried everything; medications, Feliway, Rescue Remedy and on and on and on. This year we are just being loving and supportive and hoping she'll come out of this funk as soon as she can. Mommy checks on her frequently and Powder will voluntarily come out from under the bed for a few moments of snuggles and affection, then she leaps out of Mommy's arms and heads under the bed again.

Thanks for jogging Mommy's memory DKM, if nothing else, we can trace Powder's Autumn Funk back to a very short, but very bad time in her little kitty life.

Saturday Caturday - Powder's Autumn Funk

Every Autumn since Powder was a little kitty, she takes to hiding under the bed. Only in Autumn and only for a few weeks. She comes out to eat and use the box and to get some loving from Mommy. She will have nothing to do with Daddy and she avoids all of us.
Mommy has taken her to the VET for this and the VET says that there is nothing physically wrong with our little kitty girl. One year they even tried anti-anxiety medications.
Last Monday, Powder started her Autumn ritual again. Last Monday was also the autumnal equinox. There is nothing Mommy and Daddy can do except to wait for Powder to decide that her Autumn "funk" is finished. Even though we all know that she is physically OK, it's sad to see her seem anxious and depressed. In a week or so, she'll pop out from under the bed and be herself again. Mommy and I wanted to know if any of you have had experience with this weird phenomenon. Powder has been to three VET's for this and they all wind up just scratching their heads. So in the meantime Mommy waits for this to be over and frets about out tiny girl under the bed...