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.

Happy 19th Birthday Rudy!

My very first photo shoot! (that's me in the blue circle)

Today I am 19 years old. Wow. I don't feel that old. I have lived with many awesome brothers and sisters over the years. My Mom Puff, sweet Powder, Payton, beloved Parker Pie, and now Rickey Tiki Tavi and Kharma -  the great dogs, Jordan, Diamond and now sweet Fletcher. I have been very fortunate. Mom says that I have never known hunger, been without a loving family and a home - and for the most part have been very healthy. I wish all kitties could be as lucky as I have been...

It's fun being me!

Life is good!

Late 1999

 More of my cuteness

I know that we do not post very often on the blog - but if you are reading this - thank you for coming over and seeing me on my big day. I like to sleep more than I used to, but I still love to eat and snuggle and I still love the 'nip! Cheers everyone - I love you!

Rudy Toots ❤❤❤

Our Little April Fool - Happy 19th Birthday Powder

Guess Who is 19 Today?

This Girl!

We feel blessed to still have this little creature in our lives. Powder has been a part of our lives since Mommy and Daddy were married  - Powder was just a wee sprig back then. And to tell the truth, she never got much bigger. She's always weighed between 5 and 6 pounds. Such a little girl. Such a big mouth...she has the loudest meower out of all of us. As you can see, Powder thinks that she is large and in charge. Mommy says she's almost totally deaf, but she says the same thing about me - what??? Anyway - today we celebrate our littlest kitty, Mommy's heart and our darling Puff's littermate. Powder may be slowing down, but she still enjoys life and thinks that Mommy's lap is the best place in all of the world. 

Happy Birthday Powder!

Love from your brother - 

Rudy Toots - 

  Hi There Ladies - I know - I still got it!

Remember Us?

Hi there - I'm Kharma - remember me?

Lot's of stuff has happened since we posted for Powder's birthday last April. Some good, some not so much. I thought for those of you who are interested, now's a good time to share.

Rickey Tiki Tavi is both my best buddy and a great guy to wrrrassle with! Even though he can't hear nothin', he's a great playmate. We're both still young and need our kitty crazy time. He's taken after Rudy in the furs department. He came >>>thisclose<<< to a Lion cut. Mommy finally coaxed the tangles out, so he's safe for the time being.

Fletcher celebrated is 3rd Gotcha' day with us on June 1st. He's pretty cool for a dog. He spends his time trying out for the Cubs. He's a first class ball catcher. He's a great nap buddy too!

Powder is 17 and doing very well. She sleeps a lot, but Mommy says that she's reached the age where she can do just about anything her little kitty heart desires. Powder is "Mommy's Heart" - she's kinda' a one human cat...

Rudy Toots turned 16 on May 13th. He's just about the sweetest thing since sugar. Loves laps and naps. He can still chase down a Temptations treat with with the best of them! Everyone loves Rudy -  (even me - he bathes my noggin' and I love it!)

Parker Pie, dear Puff and Diamond Doggie are missed every day - always in our hearts...

So - the really bad - Mommy got pretty sick in June - it was scary.

Told you it was scary!

(I blurred Mommy's face)

She had a big Kidney Stone that made her kidneys shut down. She spent three days in the Eye-See-You, then another 4 days in Step-Down. The doctor wouldn't let her work for a month. Three surgeries, 5 squillion drugs and just as many naps later - she's almost as good as new...

Daddy took very good care of her - so did the doctors and nurses - she was hospitalized where she worked. 

Her kidneys are now working at 100% - YAY! If you haven't seen us on Facebook and Twitter, that's why we've been so quiet - we've been very busy nursing Mommy back to health.

So, we won't miss this summer too much. But I leave you with a pretty picture of Fletcher and with wishes that you are always kind to one another - you never know when ceiling cat might want you to come home...

Pretty cute for a rescue mutt!

Rudy Speaks!

Hi Kitties - I just thought I'd let you know how all of us are doing. I guess it's kind of a Rudy Report, but not a formal one.
The 'rents are still pretty sad about Parker Pie. We all do our best to cheer them up and day by day I think it's working. They are lavishing the love on us and who are we to refuse that?
Mommy is working a lot at the big hospital and then again at our little shelter. It's a busy time of year at both places. Today she caught an injured kitten under a porch - the thought of Mommy crawling like a snake under a yukky porch sort of makes me snicker - but I am glad the little guy is safe and sound now...
Many kind people sent green papers to our little shelter in memory of Parker. It made Mommy cry and smile at the same time. Even at the Bridge, Parker will live on, helping homeless kitties. Between you and me, I still miss her as well. She was a good sister, even though I loved to mess with her.
Puff and Powder are doing great and Diamond Doggie is enjoying the sunshine when he gets to go in the backyard. We kitties are enjoying the air conditioning and having the 'rents wait on us hand and paw.
It's a new reality here in our little corner of O Hi O, but we're carving a path to the new and honoring the past.
We hope your June is going great - we were happy to see May go away. Keep those tails held high kitties.
Love,
Rudy

Preview of Coming Attractions...

You'll have to wait till tomorrow for the "after" photos..
It's quite a big change. Think "Lion in the Summer..."

International Box Day - Rudy

Too cute to be contained in a box!

The Rudy Report

Heyello kitties! It's me - RUDY! with your Rudy Report! Nomming on nip was the thing to do this weekend! We were all liberally dosed with the home-grown stuff and we went to town! (Well, not literally to town, that would have not have been fun), but you get the idea! The hots were on the mild side and that's a good thing.
I seem to have sprouted a squillion mats on my back and butt, so I have to go and see Tiffany soon. She is a busy and popular groomer, so my date with her isn't for a few weeks. In the meantime mommy is unceremoniously hacking away at the mats with scissors when I am eating (I don't mind as much when I am eating). Let's just say that mommy should keep her day job and never aspire to become a stylist...my back looks like I ran under a mower!
Anyhow kitties, have an awesome week - keep those tails high and remember to lay on the love to your 'rents. Where would we be without them?

Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

The Rudy Report

Hellllllo kitties! It's me RUDY! - with your Rudy Report! Diamond Doggie and I have a pretty good relationship. Us guys have to stick together in a home full of female felines. He's got my back and I've got his. Or is it he has my hiney and I have his??? Anyway...it is bone chilling cold outside and we like to keep each other toasty on the love seat. Diamond has his froot bats up because there were people actually walking on the sidewalk in front of our house!!! It's his job to keep all of us safe from people walking outside on the frigid cold sidewalk.
I'm very happy to report that I FEEL GREAT! I've put a lot of the weight back on that I lost and I am playing, having attacks of the kitty-crazies and have even felt the wrath of the evil spray bottle a few times when I thought it might be fun to dive-bomb ambush my sibs. The 'rents say that I have turned the corner this week. I have no idea what that means - I turn a lot of corners every day...
In other news, I had a new collar come from the man in the bloo long underwear. Parker got a new collar as well. She'll show them to you later this week. We'll be stylin' our winter fashions! As far as what's been going on in the food report, I'm happy to say that the Stinky Goodness continues to flow freely to keep me bulked up. Mommy made some stuff that I think looks and smells disgusting - here take a look - that's not anything fit for a cat...

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting - Yuk!

Can you believe that Daddy actually likes these things??? 'Rents...I just don't understand them...

Happy Monday kitties, I'll catch you later.

Recovery Process

A lot of my recovery process has been spent right here, on Daddy's lap. There's really no better medicine in the world as far as I am concerned.

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 Packed Bag

We think he's feeling a lot better.  That, or he wants us to ship him to a new home...either way, he's definitely improving.

A Rudy Update

Blankie and Daddy = good!

I think that I have a little of my appetite back. I nommed some stinky goodness with gusto last night. That's the first time I nommed with gusto in weeks. I am still a little tired but I manage to give the 'rents a run for their money when it's medicine time! 13 more days of that icky stuff.

Your good thoughts are helping me! Thank you!

Thank-you

Mommy told me about all of the wonderful and encouraging comments all of you have sent my way. While I am recuperating in Daddy's arms I will focus on all of the positive purrs and prayers that you are sending my way.
Thank you all from the bottom of my little furry heart. You have no idea what your support means to me.
Love,
Rudy-Toots

Rudy Update - Home!

Hi-ya' kitties, I came home last night!

What an ordeal! I had so many pokes and prods - so many tests! I'm really stumping the experts...all of my labs are perfect...until they looked at a stain of my bloods and Dr. Wendy saw an itty-bitty infection in them. She thinks that I may have been bitten by a flea and that I got an infection from it. She says it may have been months ago and that it only takes one little bite for this to happen. My bladder infection is all gone - so that's good news. Now I have to take some more medicine (C-Doxycycline 50 mg) for 21 days!!! Both Mommy and I are so happy that we'll have 21 days of quality medicine-taking time together...

I do feel better, the Sub Q fluids helped perk me up and the great news is that Dr.Wendy and Dr. Joe said that I can eat whatever I want - I need to bulk up. I have lost over a pound in the last month. So now I have lots of Rx stinky goodness that tastes great! I really hope that this stoopid flea bite was the culprit and that I can put all of this behind me.

Both Mommy and I want to thank all of you for your good thoughts, advice and prayers. We know that they are helping and that we are very blessed and lucky to have all of you as friends.

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

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...