November is National Diabetes Month

Parker Pie hated Diabetes and so does Ricky Tiki Tavi. Mommy has that crummy disease and it sux! Please continue Parker's tradition and post this your blog and share all over the place. Pray for a cure!
Smoochies from the bridge from Parker and hugs from Ricky Tiki Tavi!
And thanks to Zoolatry for the awesome design!

Perfectly Parker - Remembering Our Angel

A year ago today we lost our wonderful, sassy, sweet, fabulous, gorgeous, loving and much loved Parker Pie.

There are no words to describe the hole that Parker's passing left in our hearts. She opened up a whole new world to us with our Cat Blogging friends. She was born a feral and died a much loved, spoiled housekitty. Not a day goes by without us thinking of something that reminds us of her. Ricky Tiki Tavi's meow, an empty (!) food dish, a chewed up toy mousie or the empty spot next to my pillow that was her special spot. If heaven means that you get to meet all of your loved ones when you pass, I look forward to seeing her and getting one of her trademark smoochies. No one gave 'em better.
We love you Parker Pie. We always will.

*Many thanks to the wonderful and talented Zoolatry for the great Parker graphic!

Hey Kitties - We're Back!

Mommy has some mad photography skillz said no one ever...

 

 

Hi everykitty! Ricky Tiki Tavi here. So, what do you think of Zoolatry's redesign of our bloggy? We think it's pretty spiffy! Maybe we can convince Mommy to post a little more often now that we look so darn good!

When last we left you, Daddy was getting ready to have surgery on his leg and foot. Fun times kitties, fun times...His accident was in mid-October and it's just been the last few days that he is able to walk without a cane and wear a shoe. Daddy tends to be a little on the hyper-active side, so all of that sitting around just about drove him over the edge. All of us kitties (and Diamond Doggie) were the very best nurses he could have. We kitties acted like blankets and kept him warm and anchored. Diamond stayed at his side and made sure he kept his foot off of the ground. We were invaluable I tell you...just invaluable. So what do we get as a reward for all of our 24 hour nurses duty? We get abandoned by the 'rents. That's right kitties. The 'rents have the nerve to go on vacation at the end of this month. Before you start to send us tea and sympathy, know that we are being left in awesome hands. Our pet sitter - Auntie Megan, is going to stay at the house. Diamond even gets to go an a spa day with her. Since she works at our little shelter she is going to take Diamond for a day of nail trimming, baths and grooming. HAHAHAHAHA! I'm so happy that I am a cat.

Speaking of me, I think you all know that I am deaf. Does it bother me? NO! Do I use it to my advantage? Yup. Do I know hand signals for treats? Yup. Do I use it to garner sympathy when I do stuff I shouldn't? You betcha'! Life is good kitties, life is good. Rudy Toots and I are best bros. Powder is a lot of fun to chase and terrorize, Diamond is fun to mess with, But Puff - no one messes with the Puffster. I learned the hard way that she is NOT to trifle with. She keeps me in my place and I give her the respect that she demands and deserves. She and Powder turned 15 on April the 1st. You'd never know that they were geriatric kitties, Mommy says thank Cod that they are happy, healthy and very playful.

Mommy is now the board president at our little shelter. She spends a lot of time trying to help them help all of the animals that they care for. I think that's great. All of the animals there deserve the very best care and they deserve forever homes. It's still Mommy's passion.

Out of all of this they still miss their Parker Pie. I know that without her, I would not be where I am today. Because of her, we have a blog and a set of 'rents who do all that they can to help animals in need - like me. Thanks Parker, I owe you a lot.

Peace out kitties. Love is all we need.



November is National Diabetes Month!

Hi kitties - Ricky Tiki Tavi here and I want to ask you a huge favor. My Mommy told me that every November Parker would take a stand against the awful, rotten, crummy disease of Diabetes. So I thought it might be a good idea if I continued in her tradition. The wonderful Zoolatry lady made these sidebars for us. When Mommy saw what she had created, her eyes got very, very leaky. After she dried her tears, we decided to ask all of you to share this sidebar on your blog.
You see, Parker always wished for a cure for Diabetes as Mommy has the no good disease. I want the same thing. So if you would, help spread the word that a cure must be found.
Last week it was 5 months since Parker Pie left for the bridge. My family misses her very much, but the good news is that they are so happy that I have arrived. I help fill the hole that Parker left in their hearts.
Mommy is super, super busy helping the animals at our little shelter. She always tells me how very lucky I am, but I already know that. Rudy and the Calico gals are learning to love me - kinda. I want to play all of the time, and they don't always like my advances. Rudy is a great wrestling buddy. He kinda likes to throw down with me. The Calico gals, not so much. Puff throws a mean left swat and a pretty big hiss. She still holds the "Queen of Everything" title. Powder just gives me the stink eye and runs away. Diamond just sighs and stays out of my way. He's pretty smart for a dog.
I went and saw Dr. Joe for my rooster shots last week. I am happy to report that I am healthy and have gained 1 pound and 1 ounce since my visit three weeks earlier! Mommy says I am growing before her very eyes. I am sleek and shiny and very, very handsome. I'm called the little house panther!
I hope you are all doing well. We all love and miss you.
Love and Hugs,
Ricky-Tiki-Tavi

Diabetes Month - We Have A Favor To Ask

I may be feeling poorly, but I still have the energy to hiss and swat at the awful disease of Diabetes. I'd like to ask all of my kitty pals to post this on their sidebar for the month of November to increase Diabetes awareness. Diabetes is a rotten, expensive, time consuming and stupid disease that needs to be wiped off the face of the earth and sent down to basement cat.

I'd like to send special smoochies to Zoolatry who designed this great sidebar.

So please kitties, if you can, help me raise awareness.

Smoochies to all of you - I love you all!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The Rudy Report - NOT!



I have the right to remain cute...

Well...maybe not as cute as Rudy as a mere babe...

He turned 12 on Friday. I may or may not have shut down Blogger to avoid all of the Hoopla.

Yeah, he's cute, he's the one on the right. A suck-up right from the start.

He got pretty sick last year. We all were so worried, it took a lot out of all of us.

He's fine now. Big and bad and hard to diaper.

As brothers go, I guess I got lucky in that department.

I turn 10 in August. And I'm the baby.

Mommy says that she sometimes gets a little leaky eyed when people suggest that we are all Geriatric. I remind her that we are all here now. All of us, happy and healthy. That's the secret to happy, keep the love from the past in your heart, keep the love you get now in front of your whiskers.  If only beans could remember that.  Live for the moment kitties!

*The Rudy Report will be back next Monday, if I let it...

Wordy Wednesday

 

Please Help Me Raise Awareness For Diabetes!

While my brother Rudy is recuperating from his horrible ordeal (he's a little better, but still doesn't feel as fine and frisky as the 'rent's would like), I'd like to ask that you put this sidebar up for the month of November. I have posted three sizes for you to choose from. And if you'd link to The American Diabetes Association, I'd be ever so happy! I talked about Mommy's struggle with this awful disease here and helping us find a cure would be a most awesome thing! Diabetes sux.Thank you so very much.
I'd also like to ask that you keep that little orange menace in your thoughts. He might be a pain in my tail, but he's fun to have around.
Smoochies and thanks to all of you rockin' kitties and woofies!

They Say It's My Birthday!

Thanks to Zoolatry - what a wonderful picture of me!

Hi there! I know I don't look a day over five, but today I become nine! So here's the deal, I'd like to celebrate with a commentaton to honor the memory of our blogosphere friends who ran off to the Bridge this week. Here's what my 'rents have agreed to do - we will donate 25 cents per comment to our favorite shelter, Wayside Waifs. And we will make the donation in memory of sweet Fat Eric, gorgeous Luxie, delicate Wintergreen and beautiful Molly. I think that they would like that, don't you? We will accept multiple comments from a family, for instance, if I commented, then Rudy came back and commented (as if the little Orange Menace could spell - HaHaHaHa!...oops, sorry), I would count that as two. The commentathon will run until August 20th 11:59 PM Eastern time. That's about it for the rules, so let's have a little fun, shall we?
If the 'rents of these wonderful kitties happen to read this - I hope your hearts begin to heal in time. All of here at Casa de Parker want you to know that you are in our thoughts and prayers.
Smoochies!

DoDoDoDoDoDo...They Say It's My Birthday!

Hi Kitties! Guess what? I am 11 years young today!

I feel a lot younger than that - 4 maybe, 3 on a good day!

Thanks for stopping by, Let's party!

Tattle Tail Tuesday - Pretty

I think Zoolatry really outdid "pretty" with this picture. Mommy is going to frame it.

Thanks to Zoolatry for being so nice!

Wordy Wednesday

Remember this?

How about this one?

Hi kitties, I have a big 'ol favor to ask all of you. You may or may not know that my Mommy has Diabetes. It's an awful thing to have and it sux. She's lucky that she has good health care and she works very hard to keep her blood sugars under control. But there is no cure for Diabetes...yet. The most wonderful Zoolatry made 2 banners for the month of November to help raise awareness during November which is National Diabetes Month. If you would put one on your sidebar we would appreciate it very much! There is a large one and a small one.

It even has my cute little mug on it!

Please and thank-you!

HAPPY WORLD CAT DAY!

Here are some interesting kitty facts to celebrate and learn about US!

From "The Encyclopedia Britannica"; All cats are members of the family Felidea. Interestingly enough, the cat family split from the other mammals at least 40,000,000 years ago, making them one of the oldest mammalian families. All cats share certain characteristics that are unique to the cat family. Cats are pure carnivores. They need a high level of protein in their diets - around 30% - and lack the digestive equipment to do well on a diet of grains, fruits or vegetables. In fact, if you were to design a creature to live from hunting mammals you would have trouble doing better than the design of the cat. If you know cats at all, you know that they have powerful jaws, long, sharp teeth, and claws that draw back into their paws when not in use. Cats hear extremely well. Their eyes are adapted for vision in dim light for hunting just before dawn and just after dusk, the prime hunting periods.

Don't be alarmed when your cats bring you gifts of birds, mice or other wild critters. This is a natural part of their gift ritual, and they do it to please you.

Cats purr to communicate.

Cats have five toes on each front paw, but only four toes on each back paw.

Cats have true fur, in that they have both an undercoat and an outer coat.

Contrary to popular belief, the cat is a social animal. A pet cat will respond and answer to speech , and seems to enjoy human companionship.

If left to her own devices, a female cat may have three to seven kittens every four months. This is why population control using neutering and spaying is so important.

Kittens are born with both eyes and ears closed. When the eyes open, they are always blue at first. They change color over a period of months to the final eye color.

When well treated, a cat can live twenty or more years.

Cats beat dogs for the #1 spot as the most popular pet in the United States.

Dogs and cats are color-blind.

If you sneeze whenever you're around cats, chances are it's not the cat hair that sets you off, but the saliva that remains on their fur.

Aspirin is poisonous to cats.

A smooth, shiny coat is the sign of a healthy cat.

Cat saliva contains a detergent that keeps their fur clean.

A cat cannot see directly under its nose. This is why the cat cannot seem to find tidbits on the floor.

The gene in cats that causes the orange coat color is sexed linked, and is on the X sex chromosome. This gene may display orange or black. Thus, as female cat with two X chromosomes may have orange and black colors in its coat. A male, with only one X chromosome, can have only orange or black, not both.
If a male cat is both orange and black it is ( besides being extremely rare ) sterile. To have both the orange and the black coat colors, the male cat must have all or part of both female X chromosomes. This unusual sex chromosome combination will render the male cat sterile.

Cats have AB blood groups just like people.

A happy cat carries its tail upright, while a nervous one holds it down low. When a cat fluffs out its tail, it is to appear larger and scare off whatever is frightening it.

If your cat hides and then runs out and pounces on you, she is acting out her instinctive hunting ritual.

Cats act reserved because their ancestors hunted and lived alone. They did not live in packs and therefore depend less on others.

Cats' eyes don't glow in the dark; they only reflect light.

In relation to body size, a cat's eyes are bigger than most mammals.

Though rare, cats can contract canine heart worms.

People who are allergic to cats are actually allergic to cat saliva or to cat dander. If the resident cat is bathed regularly the allergic people tolerate it better.

Studies now show that the allergen in cats is related to their scent glands. Cats have scent glands on their faces and at the base of their tails. Entire male cats generate the most scent. If this secretion from the scent glands is the allergen, allergic people should tolerate spayed female cats the best.

Cats lick people as a sign of affection.

Cats do not think that they are little people. They think that we are big cats. This influences their behavior in many ways.

Cats are subject to gum disease and to dental caries. They should have their teeth cleaned by the vet or the cat dentist once a year.

Cats, especially older cats, do get cancer. Many times this disease can be treated successfully.

Most cats have no eyelashes.

Many cats cannot properly digest cow's milk. Milk and milk products can give them diarrhea.

Cats lack a true collarbone. Because of this lack, cats can generally squeeze their bodies through any space they can get their heads through. You may have seen a cat testing the size of an opening by careful measurement with the head.

Cats with white fur and skin on their ears are very prone to sunburn. Frequent sunburns can lead to skin cancer. Preventive measures include sunscreen, or better, keeping the cat indoors.

Cats can get tapeworms from eating fleas. These worms live inside the cat forever, or until they are removed with medication. They reproduce by shedding a link from the end of their long bodies. This link crawls out the cat's anus, and sheds hundreds of eggs. These eggs are injested by flea larvae, and the cycles continues. Humans may get these tapeworms too, but only if they eat infected fleas. Cats with tapeworms should be dewormed by a veterinarian.

Cats can get tapeworms from eating mice. If your cat catches a mouse it is best to take the prize away from it.

Many people fear catching a protozoan disease, Toxoplasmosis, from cats. This disease can cause illness in the human, but more seriously, can cause birth defects in the unborn. Toxoplasmosis is a common disease, sometimes spread through the feces of cats. It is caused most often from eating raw or rare beef. Pregnant women and people with a depressed immune system should not touch the cat litter box. Other than that, there is no reason that these people have to avoid cats.
Cats have a full inner-eyelid, or nictitating membrane. This inner-eyelid serves to help protect the eyes from dryness and damage. When the cat is ill, the inner-eyelid will frequently close partially, making it visible to the observer.

You can tell a cat's mood by looking into its eyes. A frightened or excited cat will have large, round pupils. An angry cat will have narrow pupils. The pupil size is related as much to the cat's emotions as to the degree of light.

A cat is pregnant for about 58-65 days. This is roughly two months.

Purring: To purr, cats use extra tissue in the larynx (voice box). This tissue vibrates when they purr.

In ancient Egypt, killing a cat was a crime punishable by death.

In ancient Egypt, mummies were made of cats, and embalmed mice were placed with them in their tombs. In one ancient city, over 300,000 cat mummies were found.

The first cat show was in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London.

Today there are about 100 distinct breeds of the domestic cat.

Genetic mutation created the domestic cat which is tame from birth.

Like birds, cats have a homing ability that uses its biological clock, the angle of the sun, and the Earth's magnetic field. A cat taken far from its home can return to it. But if a cat's owners move far from its home, the cat can't find them.

Hunting is not instinctive for cats. Kittens born to non-hunting mothers may never learn to hunt.

Cats bury their feces to cover their trails from predators.

Mother cats teach their kittens to use the litter box.

Among other tasks, cats can be taught to use a toilet, come, sit, beg, eat with their paws, heel, jump through a hoop, play a piano, play dead, roll over, open a door, hide food in boxes, shake, and fetch.

Cats sleep 16 to 18 hours per day. When cats are asleep, they are still alert to incoming stimuli. If you poke the tail of a sleeping cat, it will respond accordingly.

In Great Britain, black cats are thought to bring good luck.

Besides smelling with their nose, cats can smell with an additional organ called the Jacobson's organ, located in the upper surface of the mouth.

Cats can't taste sweets.

The chlorine in fresh tap water can irritate sensitive parts of the cat's nose. Let tap water sit for 24 hours before giving it to a cat.

The catgut formerly used as strings in tennis rackets and musical instruments does not come from cats.

A large majority of white cats with blue eyes are deaf. White cats with only one blue eye are deaf only in the ear closest to the blue eye. White cats with orange eyes do not seem to have this disability.

Neutering a cat extends its life span by two or three years.

Ten human years translate to about 60 cat years. A one year old cat is similar in age to an 18 year old human.

A cat's night vision is six times better a human's.

A cat retracts its claws by flexing its toes. This protects their sharpness and lets him walk quietly when stalking prey.

Cats have a vomeronasal organ behind their front teeth that heightens their sense of smell.

Cats born without tails genetically have a shorter spine and longer rear legs than other cats.

Most deaf cats do not meow.

Although milk is okay for kittens, it is not easy for an adult cat to digest. Cottage cheese and yoghurt can be more easily digested.

Cats eat grass to keep their digestive systems clean. The regurgitation brings up hair and other irritants.

A healthy cat's nose is cool.

Cats don't scratch furniture to get attention, they scratch to groom their claws.

When a cat swishes its tail back and forth, she's concentrating on somthing; if her tail starts moving faster, she has become annoyed.

Cats rub to mark ownership. They have glands on their lips as well as at the base of the tail just so they can mark their territory.

Only a mother cat should pick a cat up by the scruff of the neck.

Brushing your cat daily will cut down on hairballs.

A cat is but a small lion who socializes with humans.

Multi-colored male cats are very rare. For every 3,000 tortoiseshell or calico cats born, only one will be male.

Most cats do not like to be held by the shoulders with their hind legs swinging loose.

A cat's whiskers are actually sensory organs that provide feedback on how near objects are.

In England, the government owns thousands of cats. Their job is to help keep the buildings free of rodents.

Cats knead you lap because they're happy.

If you do not respond when your cat talks to you, it will soon lose the urge to communicate with you.

Some cats, males in particular, develop health problems if fed dry food exclusively.

A little vegetable oil daily will help to prevent fur-balls and bring a shine to your cat's coat.

Cats can rotate each ear independently, so they can hear noises from two directions at once.

Cuddle your cat.

The Cat family includes about 39 species of cat, ranging from the tiger to the domestic cat. Agile, athletic predators, all of them are excellent hunters. They combine speed and strength with a highly developed sense of sight and hearing.

Australia and Antarctica are the only continents which have no native cat species. It is believed cats were living in parts of Australia before European settlement, possibly escapees from shipwrecks or traders' boats where they had been employed to catch rats.

Cats have the best vision and in the dark their eyes become more like "Ears", the reason being that their pupils can pick up acoustic vibrations.

Cats are able to hear sounds that move faster than 45,000 hertz. They could hear the sound of a bat.

Kittens when they are born have closed ear canals that don't begin to open for nine to ten days.

When a kitten is born they are unable to hunt as this must be taught to them by their mothers.

The average cat food meal is equivalent to five medium-size mice.

Cats are unable to eat many things such as Chocolate, Tylenol, avocado, poinsettia, lily-of-the-valley, and morning glory are all poisonous and sometimes deadly to cats.

A can't will not eat its food if is unable to smell it. The cat has 17 million nerve cells in its nose, which are used to trace smells around its environment.

The indoor cat has a longer life span than an outdoor cat.

Formerly Feral Friday

I would like to thank the lovely gals at Zoolatry for showing how much fun it is to be FORMERLY feral! I think this hat matches my eyes perfectly, don't you?
Smoochies to you and have a fun and fabulous Friday!

International Box Day!

It doesn't get cuter than this does it?

Happy 11th Birthday Puff and Powder!

My Calico Sisters are 11 years old today! You can read about how they came to be the first cats of our happy little family here. I'm so very proud to call them my sisters!

We would like to thank Zoolatry for the great graphics for Powder and Puff.

We would also like to invite you to leave a comment for Puff and Powder today. For each comment we receive, we will donate 25 cents to The Beaufort Community Cat Project in memory of our friend Cal. So kitties, let's hear from you! (Only one comment per kitty, woofie, bun, bean, bird, fish, lizard, dinosaur...well, you get the idea...)!

Smoochies and Happy Birthday Puff and Powder!

Wordy Wednesday Challenge

I love you Zoolatry!

Smoochies!

The Most Magical Night of the Year

Diamond: "Hi everyone! It's Christmas Eve!"

Powder: "I hope you've been good!"
Puff: "May your wishes come true!"

Rudy: "Santa's coming, make sure to get to bed on time!"

Parker: "Here's a Christmas Eve Smoochie!"
Smooooooooooch! (Sleep tight!)

So, Whatdaya' Think?

Hi Everykitty! Welcome to my new look!

This new layout is an early holiday gift for me and Mommy from Daddy. He said we should spruce the ol' blog up and give it some new life. Mommy spoke to the most wonderful Zoolatry human and she highly recommended that we work with Chica and Pumuckl's mom to help us with the design. We sure are glad that we did that. Zoolatry worked with some of our photos and voila'! We are very, very happy with how it has turned out. It was painless for Mommy - Ana was very wonderful to work with and she is very artistic! Please take a look around.

And you know what else? It still has that new blog smell!

Smooches to all of you and especially Ana and Ann!

Dona Nobus Pacem - Blogblast For Peace