You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine...

 The original gang circa 2003

 Puff and Rudy 2000-ish

 Brand new Rudy - 1999

 That tail...

 Our mischief maker

 Handsome boy

 Sunshine in the late afternoon

Rudy - May 16th, 1999 - August 11th, 2018

Semper in corde meo

The Mom 'rent here. This boy, this little orange cream sickle, this big, bright ray of sunshine - he left us yesterday. The world is dimmer. Rudy Toots never knew a stranger. He loved everyone. He lived life large and made the most of it. We were blessed with 19 years of this orange menace, but in the last few weeks he struggled with kidney disease. We did fluids and medication, but he did not like being sick. He struggled with his new normal and as things normally go with Rudy, he got his way. He sat in my lap on Friday night and we had a chat. He wanted to go. Some of you may know that look, it's the worst look that your beloved cat can give you. I promised him that he didn't need to keep up the fight. Instead of the appointment for fluids yesterday morning, we said our goodbyes. He passed quietly and gently - no more struggles. The Dad 'rent and I took his remains to Wayside Waifs where they will take very good care of him. We will bring him home later this week,

Rudy is the last of our original gang. We lost Puff 2 years ago and Powder last year. The connection to our brand new marriage with kittens is gone with the passing of Rudy. That fact makes it even sadder for us. 

It seems that we have lost many old blogging friends lately. The Bridge is lucky to have so many wonderful animals. But I, for one, would like to hold on to our babies longer. 

Rudy was a lucky cat. He never knew hunger or what not having a home felt like. He always knew love and happiness. I take some comfort in that.

Love is eternal.

H-E-Double Hockey Sticks Has Freezy Cold Water!



BFF's In Training

Well kitties, I have wore Rudy down. After a few months of chasing him, hugging him, swatting him, kissing him and just generally staying in his personal space, I think he's willing to let me sit next to him. For a second or two... Mommy and Daddy say that I am irresistible - they think that soon I'll be BFF's with all of my sibs!
I went to meet the wonderful Dr. Joe - I purred the entire time I was there. I like riding in the car. It's fun!
I also purred so much that Dr. Joe had a tough time listening to my ticker! But he pronounced me very healthy. I got my shots and go back and get a "rooster" shot in a few weeks....sounds like good times!
All in all kitties, I am one happy boy.
I thank Parker every day for sending me here.
The 'rents say they thank her too...

Sharing...Not!

We each have our own arm. Sharing is not our thing.

Don't Forget To Take Out The Recycling!

Never underestimate the powerful, lingering scent of catnip in an empty box. And always remember to thoroughly check the recycling bin before emptying!

Computer Woes

Hita' kitties - just wanted to let you know that our computer no longer recognizes our wireless. Good times kitties, good times...
So...'till we get this latest computer issue figured out we have to take a little break, dunno how long, but I hope it will be short.
Oh, and the Rudester? He's all de-floof-ified. I hate to admit it, but he looks great and smells good. He popped out of the PTU like "Ta-Da!" What a little suck-up...

The Rudy Report

HiDeHo HiDeHay kitties! It's me - RUDY! with your Rudy Report! Seeing me chow down really makes the 'rents happy. I was supposed to go and see Dr. Wendy today for my final Hemobartinollis check, but the appointment got moved to this Friday. Yay! Mommy is sure I have gained back all of the weight that I lost and I really seem to be back to my ol' orange menace self. Do you know what I did this weekend (besides eat)? I jumped up on the dining room table and almost made a big mess. The 'rents put a red tablecloth on the table and I forgot about that. When I jumped the tablecloth slid and I almost made everything on the table come crashing down, including a Pepe LaPew cookie jar that my Mommy is pretty fond of. oops... it was a good thing that Mommy was sitting there to grab it or I would have been in a bit of a pickle.
Here in God's deep freeze we are supposed to get about a foot or two of snow tonight. This is the time of year when the 'rents get a little cabin fever and start talking about how nice it would be to see a little springtime in the air. I know I'd like to see a little deck time and some fresh catnip. But, I am afraid that's a few months off. So in the meantime, I'll keep chowing down. One last thing kitties -

'Scuse me!

The Rudy Report

I Taste Good!

Greeting and salutations kitties! Here I am, RUDY! with your Rudy Report! Here in Gods deep freeze, we've been hanging out in the kitchen watching Mommy cook things. She made a lot of stuff, some of it was good, some of it was not something I would rate high on the kitty scale of nommy. Brownies are nothing I'd ask her to give a repeat performance on, but pork ribs, make 'em again! She made potato pancakes and I was sort of lukewarm about those. It is a lot of fun snoopervising and she's very entertaining to watch.

It is freezy cold here and I feel so bad any animals who are stuck outside. Daddy feeds the birds and the squirrels, I watch them chow down and they seem fine with the weather.

Next Monday I go to see the lovely Dr. Wendy for my (hopefully) last Hemobart check-up. Given the fact that I run around and play like my tail is on fire and I eat like there is no tomorrow, I am hoping for a great report. If the report is good, it's bad. Why? Because I'll have to endure a grooming. Since I am less than pristine with my grooming habits, I'll need to make an appointment with Tiffany, my personal groomer and get all sleek and de-matted.

As Roseanne Rosannadanna would say - "it's always something..."

Keep those tails high kitties...

Our New Haute Couture

Both Rudy and I were long overdue for new collars (aka haute couture) and one of the places we like to shop for our new collars is Feline Fido. They have a good selection of collars and they last a long time. Most important to us is that they donate a portion of their profits to animal charities. On Saturday our new collars came from the man in the long bloo underwear - we were excited because this means that we get to run around naked while Daddy says bad words about his nails being too short and fusses about how hard it is to put our ID tags on our new collars! All in all, if you are a cat, it's pretty good entertainment.
I was going to let you guess who got what collar, but here's how it was decided. We let Daddy choose. His reasoning is as follows -
~ I get the peace sign since Daddy likes peace signs and I am the star of this show.
~ Rudy got the Bumblebees because he's always buzzing around chasing us and  being antagonistic! HE CALLED RUDY ANTAGONISTIC! HaHaHaHaHaHaHa!!!
...I love Daddy.
~ Feline Fido did not pay us to promote their products. Feline Fido probably does not even know about me or this blog! ~

The Best Spot in the House

Come On Santa!

Rudy has found the perfect spot to wait for Santa Claws. He's hoping for a squillion cans of Stinky Goodness. His appetite and attitude have returned. We've even caught him giving himself baths! He's playing with the bows on the packages and he's got his tail up. Mommy and Daddy says that his improved health is the best present ever! We want to thank you on this Christmas Eve for all of your good thoughts and prayers for our little orange menace, er, ah, miracle!

Remember kitties, go to sleep early tonight, Santa is watching!

Flirting With Disaster...

Rudy feels better enough to tread in dangerous water. No One messes with Puff's tail! For the record, he did give it a whap and Puff decided to let him live...

The Rudy Report

I still hate the medicine!

Happy Holidays kitties! It's me! RUDY! with your Rudy Report! I am very happy to report that I am still hanging in here. I'm at about 70%, I still fight the good fight with my medicine (7 more days...) and my appetite is a lot better, but boy-oh-boy am I ever picky about the foods. I have the 'rents buying stock in stinky goodness. AND - I think Parker has gained a squillion pounds. She sneaks up behind me after I pick at the food and hoovers it up before Mommy can catch her. I, on the other paw, still need to bulk up a bit. I'm still on the skinny side for me and I blame Mommy and the awful gunky medicine. It takes my desire to eat away. So then, I get a little Valium and I eat a little. Better living thru chemicals kitties...

The good news is that I have not had to get Sub Q's or visit Dr's. Joe and Wendy for over a week! I mean, it's great to visit them and all, but I prefer to stay home and enjoy our tree and the 'rents laps.

I appreciate your good thoughts and purrs. I'm still on the road to recovery.

A Rudy Update

 

This is my worried look...

Hey guys, Parker here. Thought I would let you know that my bro - aka the Orange Menace is hanging out with Dr. Joe. He's been there since yesterday morning. And to be honest with you - I sort of miss him. He's easy to blame for stuff and while he's in the joint I have no patsy to pin things on. So, yes, I am worried and yes, I miss him. There - I said it - now you all have evidence. And, I am sure that I will live to regret ever admitting that...

...Anywho - The Rudster is stumping Dr. Joe and Dr. Wendy. He's got no lumps and bumps, he uses the box, his labs are perfect...so is his temp. I guess there are more diagnostics in his furry little future. If they get everything done by close of business tomorrow, he'll get to return to casa de Perfectly Parker in time to help destroy trim the tree that's going to be coming inside (see why I need him back here?!? A TREE! - INSIDE! I really need a patsy!)

Good thoughts are appreciated. We want to thank everyone who left such sweet comments yesterday. Opinions and ideas are welcomed. Mommy is all over the internets trying to figure out what might be going on and she and Daddy aren't a lot of fun right now. So, my job is to try to get them to relax just a little. I have laps to fill and love eyes to make. Take care kitties, we'll update when and if we learn more.

The Rudy Report

Ya'at'eeh kitties! It's me - RUDY! with your Rudy Report! The best thing about Thanksgiving was that I finished all of that awful medicine that I had to take. Boy oh boy, am I ever grateful about that! But now it's time to go back and see my old buddy, Dr. Joe. He has to check and make sure my bladder infection is all gone. But he needs to do something else. Here's the deal kitties, I still don't feel great and I am not gaining any weight back. I ate a little turkey on Friday and I threw it back up! I don't care too much about any foods - Mommy went out and bought some baby food to see if I had any interest in that. Nope. My Rx. food? - not so much. Warmed up stinky Rx. food? Nah - not now...I'm just not hungry. And I am tired. I did love up on our guests over the weekend, so that was a little fun. Other than that - all I want to do is nap. As a matter of fact, I think a nap sounds pretty good right now. I'll catch you later kitties...
Mom here - we are worried sick. Dr. Joe will do some more diagnostics this week, we hope whatever this is that has him so lethargic can be found and fixed. He does not seem to have any pain and is still very affectionate, but he just ain't right...please think good thoughts for our little orance menace...

The Rudy Report

Hello there kitties! It's me! RUDY! with your Rudy Report! I am very happy to say that I am feeling 95% better and I have gained back some of the weight that that nasty bladder infection took from me. I like to spend my time recuperating on Daddy's lap. I'm eating and I am using the box and I am drinking lotsa' water from the bathroom tap (it tastes better there). The new food is OK and I really like getting the new food stinky goodness once a day. The sibs are liking the food and all is well in the dinnertime department. So, all in all, good news. I heard a rumor that I have to go back to see Dr. Joe on Thursday for a urine check-up, but I will choose to ignore that possibility 'till I see the PTU in the kitchen...
I want to say thank-you to every bean and every kitty and every woofie who prayed for me. I know that I was lucky and I know that even thought I had to stay at Dr. Joe's and get poked and prodded, the 'rents did the right thing by me. I just hope I never have to go through that again.
Mommy: me too Rudy, me too...

The Rudy Report - A Day Early

To quote my good buddy Max, Doods, I did not feel so good...

Anywho...let me tell you about the last week or so. It sucked - big time. I didn't want to say anything to the 'rents, they worry and when they worry, it means a trip to see Dr. Joe. And as much as Dr. Joe is a very nice guy, he has a bad habit of sticking things into me that I'd prefer he didn't. So, Mommy noticed last week that I wasn't acting my normally spritzy self. You know, not chasing Puff and ambushing Powder, maybe not being as hoover-y with my food and just generally not being my normal adorable orange self. Then she said to Daddy - "doesn't he feel a little light"? Daddy agreed and the next thing you know, Mommy was on the phone with Dr. Joe and had made an appointment for me to go and see him on Saturday (yesterday). But last Thursday night Mommy opened a new bag of Temptations and took us out on the deck. Normally this is my little idea of kitty nirvana. But I had no interest in the treats and while I was out on the deck I just sort of lolled around. That's when Mommy knew that things were not as they should be with her little orange creamsicle and the next thing I knew, the appointment got moved to Friday.

Really Mommy, I'm OK

So, OK, I lied, I wasn't OK. I was hiding a raging bladder infection and I did not see why it was anyones business. Later that evening, I joined in on a fun game of trackball but did not choose to challenge Parker's mad whapping skillz.

I could totally beat her at this game...if I wanted to...

So Friday morning I got stuffed into the PTU and off to Dr. Joe I went. Honestly, I didn't even care, I felt like last Monday's poop. I just wanted to sleep. I didn't want to eat, I didn't want to do anything. I got on the scale and all I heard were the gasps - "He weighs 9.7 pounds!" (I usually weigh about 12 pounds).  So I had lost a few pounds, what's the big deal?  Dr. Joe poked me, prodded me, stole my bloods, and stuck a tube somewhere that I don't even want to tell you about  - and then he told Mommy and Daddy to go away and call him in a hour. THEY LEFT ME THERE KITTIES!  Mommy and Daddy went home and I went to a suite in the back of Dr. Joe's hotel. I had a  lot of nice people waiting on me hand and paw. Needles here, thermometers there, it was really a lot of fuss over my poor bladder. Back at the ranch, Mommy and Daddy were beside themselves - they didn't know what Dr. Joe was going to tell them. When they called to see if they could come and get me Dr. Joe said no! He wanted to keep me overnight and said that I had one of the worst bladder infections that he had ever seen. I had to stay the night and get IV aunty-biotics and fluids. Crappity-crap-crap crap...

Sooooooo...I stayed at the kitty Hotel California on Friday night. Luckily I was much better on Saturday morning and got sprung from the joint to enjoy the weekend at home.

Now I'm on a new diet and the 'rents are hovering over me - frankly it's a little annoying. I love them and all, but a guy needs his alone time. I feel better, but I have a ways to go 'till I'm back to my old menacing self. I leave you with a little picture of what I went through - kitties, I hope this never happens to you. As much as Dr. Joe and his staff are awesome, home and healthy is the only place you want to be.

Yeah, it's a lot of dough, but the 'rents say I am totally worth it.

Formerly Feral Friday

The Rudy Report

ZZZzzZZzZzzzz...Oh HAI kitties! It's me - RUDY! with your Rudy Report! Sunbathing is very tiring work, but I am up to the challenge. We are so sorry that out blogging has been so spotty, but Mommy is computer shopping and our old laptop is really on it's last little computer legs. We thank our facebook pals for the suggestions on what's the best computer to buy. Until we get the new one, we will continue to post, but just a little.
Parker had some groovy news last week that all of us will benefit from. She actually won a great contest and as a result will score us some excellent goodies. Fido Friendly magazine held a contest about introducing a new kitty to a home that already had a woofie-in-residence. Parker sent in her story of how she was introduced to Diamond and she won the grand prize! I'm telling you, she is now impossible to be around, she's all "I won a contest and you didn't you little orange menace". Well, I have news for her - she can be all high and mighty, but guess who has to go see Dr. Joe for some shots in her hiney on October the 16th?
I'll give you a hint - it's a kitty with two different colored eyes...and her name rhymes with barker...

The Rudy Report

HI! HI! HI! It's me, RUDY! with your Rudy Report! Yesterday we told you about T.C. the cat who is looking for his forever home and it's got me thinking. I am one lucky little orange menace. I have everything a kitty might want or need. Then there are kitties like T.C. who have to fight to survive and find a forever home. I have always had a home and 'rents who loved me from the second I drew breath. I'd like to ask you a favor, if you have room in your heart and home or if you know someone who might have room in their heart or home, could you help T.C. know what "forever home" means? The post about him is right here. Thanks everyone, this is Rudy the lucky kitty signing out.

Big Woolly Ball Winner

This is me yelling for joy, not hissing!

I am happy to announce that we have a winner in our giveaway contest! We had a total of 47 entries and last night Mommy went to Random.org and the number that got picked was #20!
The means that my buddies from the Mitten State, The Island Cats - Ernie, Wally and Zoey, you are the winners! You get this big awesome woolly ball from Purrfectplay ! We'll e-mail you for your snail mail address so the person in the bloo shorts can send it on it's way!

We still have another contest giveaway to do, and it involves 'nip and a carrot! Stay tuned for that in a few weeks.
ps - The Rudy Report will return next week. The little orange menace is all hissed off that I stole his thunder - HaHaHaHaHa!

Flying Fur

Hi kitties, how are you? I'm going pretty good - hangin' on the dining room table and catching the breeze of our fan. It feels great with all of the hots going on. Mommy says that I need an UBER brushing - something about my furs flying all over the house! I'm pretty sure that it isn't just my furs, there are plenty of furry suspects in this house. It is supposed to be a little cooler and if it is we will all go on the deck for a Furminator Fest! Well, all of us except Rudy, he'll just watch.