Author Archives: cat9984

15

A Very Gator Easter

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Everglades on Twitter: "Well, lookie here what we spotted roaming around the park today - A Florida Easter Bunny! Isn't he the cutest little thing?! 🐊🐰🥚🥕🌷🌻🌞 #evergladesholidaypark #easter #easterbunny #easterbasket #airboattour #everglades #

Granny Gator has rented a spot on South Padre Island, Texas for Easter weekend and invited the whole family for a vacation. Stan, Adele, and the girls have been looking forward to it for weeks. As much as they love South Carolina, it’s a little chilly for doing much outside during the winter.

Suzy: I am so excited! Only two more weeks until Texas! This is going to be great!

Justine: I know! I just got my special lotion to make my skin absorb more of the sun. I’m going to be like a heat magnet.

Adele: What are you talking about Justine? All you do is lie in the sun and absorb it.

Justine: I know. Mom. But this is supposed to make my skin absorb it better. I figured it would help me wake up from this semi-torpor we’ve been in.

Adele: Where did you hear about that?

Despite their thick skins, alligators and crocodiles are surprisingly touchy | Vanderbilt University

Justine: I saw it on GatorGram. A lot of the girls are using it. It’s supposed to make my skin softer and shinier too.

Suzy: You are so gullible. You really believe those ads?

Justine: I do. Here, let me show you.

Justine pulled out her phone and brought up an ad.

Justine: See. Just look at the before and after.

Suzy: That’s not an alligator. That’s a chameleon. And it’s shed its skin in the second picture.

Adele: Probably because the cream irritated its skin. You’re not using that.

Justine: Mom! That’s not fair.

Adele: Your skin is fine the way it is. You’re not using that cream. Some human probably developed it.

viral alligator photos | This alligator goes to work; netizens wonder if it wears pants | Trending & Viral News

Stan was looking at his computer screen.

Stan: Why are earth are we travelling all the way to Texas? It’s warm in Florida.

Suzy: We always go to Florida. This way we get to see something new.

Stan: But why Texas?

Justine: You can blame Cousin Danny for that. You know he’s trying to be a bird doctor, right? There’s a huge Birding and Nature Center in the middle of the island. Humans come from all over to see the birds.

Ecoviews: Why do birds perch on alligators?

Suzy: Yeah. Danny figured that if it’s good enough for all those humans, it’s good enough for us.

Adele: Ugh. I hate humans. They have germs.

Stan: Don’t worry. If anyone bothers us, Uncle Charlie and John can scare them off.

Justine: Yep. The meanest gator in the family and the biggest. All Uncle Charlie needs to do is growl and show his teeth.

Stan’s phone rang:

Stan: Hello?__ Hi, Ma. How’s it going?__ Really?__ Are you sure no one else can take him? __I guess if he comes up here it’d work.__ Yeah.__ We can take him.__ Don’t worry about it.__ Love you too.

Stan set down his phone, looking irritated.

Southern Charm at Jefferson Hotel Richmond - Travel Addicts

Adele: How’s your mom?

Stan: She’s fine. But Vinny can’t make Easter. Apparently it’s still tourist season in Miami, and the resort won’t give him the time off.

Adele: That’s too bad. We’ll miss him.

Stan: The real problem is that he was going to bring his dad.

Justine: So Uncle Stu can’t go? That’s awful.

Suzy: Yeah. He’s the most fun relative we have.

Stan: Granny wants us to bring him.

Adele: That doesn’t make any sense. Almost everyone else lives in Florida. They’re all closer.

Gatorland | Experience Kissimmee

Stan: Yeah, but Uncle Stu drives them crazy. And ever since our trip to Michigan, I’m his favorite. If he can’t go with Vinny, he wants to come with us.

Adele: That’ll add two days to our trip.

Stan: He didn’t want to put us out, so he’s coming here by bus. Then we’ll all go to Texas.

Adele: Why can’t he take the bus to Texas?

Stan: He thinks this is more convenient.

Suzy: Cool! I love Uncle Stu.

Alligator In The Road? Just Kick It, One Woman Decides | Baton Rouge, LA Patch

Uncle Stu was due to arrive the Sunday before Easter. When he hadn’t arrived by sundown, the gators got worried.

Adele: Where is he? I knew it wasn’t a good idea to let him ride the bus by himself.

Justine: He probably got on the wrong one and is almost to New Jersey by now.

Suzy: Or maybe he got confused and went directly to Texas after all.

Stan tried calling him, but got no answer. He sent a text to Vinny asking if he had heard from his father. Shortly before bedtime, his phone rang.

Can you take a cat on a train, bus or tram? | PetsRadar

Stan: Hello. __Hi Stu.__Where are you?__You’re supposed to be here.__No. We’re in SOUTH CAROLINA, not SOUTH MIAMI BEACH.__Yes, you’re right. That is a long way from your house.__I guess it was a misunderstanding.__Are you OK?__Are you sure?__Tuesday will be fine. See you then.

Stan laid down his phone and shook his head.

Stan: Stu won’t be here tonight. For some reason, he thought we lived in South Miami Beach. So he found our street address there. Luckily some very nice big cats live there. They’re putting him on a train north. He’s supposed to be here Tuesday morning.

Next week: Does Stu arrive in time to leave for Texas?

Florida pedestrian gator causes a stir in neighborhood

29

Ahh Spring! Tis the Season for Shedding

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Greetings. Snoops and Kommando (and Sgt Stripes) here. Monday is the spring equinox which means it’s the first day of spring. And spring means more sunlight here in Michigan. And more sunlight means more shedding. None of us are extremely fluffalicious, but Mom swears she could build a new cat out of the excess fur this time of year.

The last thing we need is another cat, so we decided to research productive ways to use it. It’s so beautiful on us, it seems like such a waste to just throw it away. Here are some of the best ideas we came across.

Cute Cat Wearing A Scarf Will Make The Post-Christmas Slump More Bearable | HuffPost UK Life

Knitting

If your human is willing to wear a sheep, why shouldn’t they wear a cat? The first step is to spin it, then card it, then knit it. Our fur can be turned into mittens, scarves, or even sweaters. It can be a fully do-it-yourself project with instructions from a book or video, or your human can send your fur out and have it sent back as either yarn or a completed project. Imagine being able to sleep on a blanket of your own fur!

DIY: Needlefelted Cat Toys - collage

Felting

If your human isn’t quite ready for all that knitting, maybe they can make your fur into a felt project. They just need to be able to clean your fur then roll it into a ball. They stick the ball with a need a bunch of times to get the fur to knot itself together, then they shape into whatever they want. There are books and videos with instructions. They can make felted toys, ornaments or jewelry. Your human can also find folks online who create felted jewelry from cat fur. Imagine how attractive your human would be wearing beads of your fur!

Felted Feline Fun Cat Toys infused with Catnip - Bear Creek Felting

Toys

If your human isn’t crafty enough for felting, maybe they’d still like to use your fur to make you some toys. All they have to do is roll a bunch of your fur into a tight ball or rod. Then they can throw it for you. But be careful you don’t swallow the toy. (We’re not too sure about this idea. It kind of reminds of us of hairballs.)

Is there fish in your pet's food? Chances are it's contaminated with crap | Poisoned Pets | Pet Food Safety News

Fishing Flies

If your human likes to fly fish (that is fishing for fish with flies not fishing for actual flies), your fur can help! They can use your fur for part of the fly. Tips can be found online. Make sure they share the fish with you. It’s only fair since it’s your fur attracting the fish.

Create a cat garden that you and your cat will love

Gardening

Who knew? Our fur is excellent for plants. Fur helps retain soil moisture and keep roots hydrated which helps regulate the temperature. As the hair disintegrates, it will release nitrogen which is good for plants. It is like an organic fertilizer. Hair takes a while to disintegrate, so it’s probably best considered a long-term fertilizer. In fact, it may be a season or two before they see the results. Fur is completely compostable, so your human can add it to the compost pile too and fertilize the whole garden or lawn.

Cat lounging in a birds nest. : r/pics

Share with the Birds/Small Animals

Most birds and animals that build nests love having a little fur to soften things up a bit. Your human will need to leave a bunch of it in the branches or thickets outside for the critters to gather. Or they can mix it with a bit of suet. (Bonus: They can put the bowl where you can watch the critters gather the fur.) Needless to say, you will not be able to help with this project. (Apparently birds have a pretty poor sense of smell and don’t realize where the fur comes from.)

Own Cats? Watch Those EVs! - Carolina Tails Magazine

Help Clean Up Oil Spills

Matter of Trust, a San Franciso-based non-profit, collects clean pet fur donations to create oil-absorbing hairmats and hair-stuffed containment booms (made from pantyhose). They are not always collecting, but they continue to use the mats and booms. Your human could make their own mat for use with small spills around the house or garage.

How To Manage Your Kitten's Shedding | BeChewy

Mom says that she isn’t sure she really wants any more cat hair around the house in any form, but maybe your humans will be more receptive.

Pictures (not of us) courtesy of Google Images

 

14

Timmy Squirrel and the Hunt for Daylight Savings Time – Part 2

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Squirrel School?...:) | Squirrel funny, Squirrel pictures, Cute squirrel

Where we are: Timmy and his young classmates have heard some humans talking about Daylights Savings Time. Now they are having a contest to see who can “save” the most daylight. They are chattering among themselves before class starts. You can read Part 1 here.

Ms. Hooper: Good Morning, class! I hope you were all thinking about our assignment. Has anyone come up with a way to save daylight?

Several of the children raised their paws, waving to get her attention.

Squirrels Can Be Left- or Right-handed | HowStuffWorks

Ms. Hooper: Timmy, it was your idea. Why don’t you go first?

Timmy: It was a lot harder than I thought it would be to think of ways to save daylight. I couldn’t figure out what you would keep it in.

Suzy: That’s silly. You don’t keep it in anything. You have to share it with everyone.

Timmy: You think you’re so smart. I figured that out too. I found out that days are different lengths different places around the world. So we just have to ask one of those places that have longer days to share some of their daylight with us.

Margy: Ooh. That’s a good idea, Timmy. You’re so smart!

Annoyed Squirrel Blank Template - Imgflip

Timmy sat back down, grinning at Suzy. She glared at Margy.

Ms. Hooper: Okay. That’s one idea. Who else?

Ricky: I have some relatives on the West Coast. It’s light for a couple of hours there after it gets dark here. I’m going to ask them to send us some of their daylight.

Margy: I like that idea too!

Suzy rolled her eyes.

Snooze and you… win! Meet the animals that earned records in their sleep | Guinness World Records

Ms. Hooper: Margy, did you think of anything?

Margy: Well, I thought about it a lot. Sometimes, I nap when it’s light out. I want to figure out a way to save that time so I can use it when it gets dark later.

Ms. Hooper: Any idea how you would do that?

Margy: I was thinking maybe I could put it in a jar.

The other squirrels laughed. Margy got mad.

Solar and Squirrels: How to Protect Your Panels

Margy: Do you guys have a better idea?

Steve: I think my idea is actually kinda similar. I was thinking that the humans have something called “solar panels”. They’re supposed to trap the energy from the sun. Maybe there’s a way to turn that energy back into more sunlight.

TImmy: I don’t get it.

Steve: We could make reverse solar panels. Instead of trapping the light it would release more.

Timmy: That sounds really goofy. Definitely a human thing. My idea’s a lot better. Just get other places to share with us.

Squirrels In Winter | Cantu Pest & Termite

The squirrels started to argue with each other. Ms. Hooper realized there would be no way to decide whose idea was best.

Ms. Hooper: You all did a great job with the project and came up with some excellent ideas. I’m not sure we have a way to make any of them work, although it would be nice to have a little more sunshine. Let’s move on to our next subject. Does anyone know what season we’re in?

Suzy: It’s still winter, isn’t it?

Ms. Hooper: Yes, it is for a couple more weeks. What comes next?

Monique: It’s spring.

Squirrel in Spring - Desktop Nexus Wallpapers | Cute squirrel, Squirrel, Animal pictures

Ms. Hopper: That’s right. And what happens when spring gets here?

Suzy: The flowers come up, and the trees get their leaves back.

Timmy: And it gets warmer.

Ricky: And the days get longer.

Ms. Hooper: That’s right!

Timmy: Wait a minute! That means that we’re going to have more sunlight.

Bigfoot Cycle Club on Twitter: "THE SQUIRREL FAMILY RIDE – SUN 21ST OCTOBER https://t.co/ENkyvMSnKY https://t.co/7dB3dOcBa4" / Twitter

Ms. Hooper: Exactly. During the spring and summer, the days are quite a bit longer than during the winter.

Timmy: So why do we want to have Daylight Savings Time now when we already have more daylight?

Suzy: That’s probably when we’re supposed to be saving it to use when the days are shorter. We were thinking about the wrong problem. We don’t want more for the summer. We want to save some of the summer sun for the winter.

Margy: Ooh. That’s tricky. Maybe my jar idea wasn’t so stupid after all.

The squirrels went back to chattering to each other. Ms. Hooper looked out the window and wondered how long it was until Spring Break.

Squirrel party | This is a group of 4 red squirrel siblings:… | Flickr

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

16

Timmy Squirrel and the Hunt for Daylight Savings Time

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Photographer captures the nutty lives of squirrels in snow | Mashable | Cute squirrel, Animals beautiful, Animals wild

Ms. Hooper had been looking for a new game for her class of younger squirrels. It was almost spring, and they were getting restless.

Ricki: Ms. Hooper. I’m bored. Can we go outside?

Ms. Hooper: I’m not sure that’s a good idea. There’s still snow on the ground.

Joey: But we’re squirrels. We like snow. Look at all this fur.

He did have a very plush coat. Suddenly, Ms. Hooper had an idea.

What Do Squirrels Eat? - AZ Animals

Ms. Hooper: All right. Let’s have a treasure hunt. Whoever can find the most acorns in fifteen minutes wins.

Sasha: What do we win?

Ms. Hooper thought for a minute.

Ms. Hooper: You get to choose our next project. I have two ideas, and you can choose which one we do first.

The young squirrels were excited. They loved running around outside. As soon as they heard the signal, they were off looking for acorns. They raced around the schoolyard, looking in the trees and around the bushes. They pawed eagerly at the snow, hoping to find some of the nuts that had fallen from the trees at the end of summer.

Ms. Hooper watched her class, surprised at the number of acorns they were finding. She hadn’t realized there would be so many. There were fifteen students in her class. She had planned on each of them finding one or two nuts. Finally, she called an end.

Pin on Animals /animales , animale !

Ms. Hooper: Okay, class. Great job! Let’s count what you’ve found.

She went from squirrel to squirrel, counting. Most of them had five to ten acorns. A few had found walnuts. The last student was Timmy, who had a sizable pile of acorns.

Ms. Hooper: Timmy, you did a great job! Where did you find so many nuts?

Timmy: I guess I got lucky. I was over in that corner by myself. And I was really fast running them back to my pile.

Ms. Hooper had everyone put their acorns in a pile in a corner of the classroom and sit down.

Ms. Hooper: I hope you all had fun. We’ve got a lot of acorns there. We can use them as school snacks.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission advises people who see young squirrel on the ground to leave it alone | Robesonian

Roberta: So who won, Ms. Hooper? I bet it was me. I got eleven acorns.

Judy: Nope. I got twelve.

Edgar: You both lost. I got fourteen.

Ms. Hooper: Sorry, kids. Timmy’s the winner. He found twenty-one acorns in fifteen minutes. I didn’t think there were a total of twenty of them out there before you started.

Timmy was grinning.

Timmy: Guess I’m the king of the nuts.

Everyone laughed, and he hesitated.

Timmy: That sounded better in my head.

Run squirrel Run | Warrior cats art, Squirrel, Animals

Ms. Hooper: Anyway, you won. Now you get to choose what we study next.

Timmy: Oh, boy!. Let’s study running around outside. We can see who’s the fastest and figure out why.

The rest of the class cheered. They started to get up.

Ms. Hooper: Back in your seats. I said that I had two ideas, remember?

Timmy: Rats! I forgot. I bet they’re not as good as my idea.

Ms. Hooper: I think they’re pretty good. It’s almost spring. We can study the trees or we can study the sun.

Timmy: Those both sound pretty boring.

The other little squirrels nodded.

Squirrel in Spring - Desktop Nexus Wallpapers | Cute squirrel, Squirrel, Animal pictures

Jesse: I know! I heard some humans talking about something called Daylight Savings Time.

Timmy: What’s that?

Jesse: The humans said that it makes it lighter longer in the day.

Timmy: Wow! So there’s more daylight? How do they do that?

Jesse: I don’t know. They must find it somewhere.

Timmy: I’m really good at finding things. I bet I could save more daylight than the humans. We should do that!

Ms. Hooper: I don’t think that’s what the humans meant.

Timmy: Then what did they mean?

SQUIRREL TALK #by Alla Gill on prime.500px.com | Cute animals, Squirrel pictures, Animals

Ms. Hooper: I don’t really know. Squirrels don’t really tell time.

Timmy: But wouldn’t it be great if we could find more daylight? More time for running around and doing stuff. I bet I could find more daylight than anyone else in the class.

The other squirrels started chattering. They were excited about having another contest. Ms. Hooper let them talk for a bit.

Ms. Hooper: All right class. I can see that you are excited about this. Here’s what we’re going to do. Tomorrow, you can all present ideas on how you are going to save daylight. We’ll vote on who has the best idea. Then we’ll talk about the seasons.

Next week: How the squirrels are going to improve Daylight Savings Time.

Squirrel Talk | Never A Dull Bling

Note from Wikipedia: Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), or summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typically by one hour) during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later clock time. 

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

30

We Do Not Like Ice

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Greetings from Snoops and Kommando Kitty (and Sgt Stripes). It has come to our attention that even in our nice, cozy home, winter can wreak havoc. As you might have noticed, there was a major storm earlier this week. Mom said that we were really lucky, because where we live we didn’t get a lot of snow. (Some humans got two feet!) And we didn’t lose our power.

We got ice. For the second time in eight days. Mom got sent home from work early on Wednesday, which was nice. We got to help her with her job that afternoon. But then we lost our Internet service. No computers and no TV. We didn’t think we were going to be able to blog because it was out for two days. It finally came back a couple of hours ago, but it was too late for her to come up with a good post. Something about being really tired. She’s still sick with her stupid virus too. Nothing major, but she doesn’t have any energy.

Anyway. The humans have been grumpy about no Internet. Now we’re grumpy about no Internet. We couldn’t visit anyone for days. Sgt Stripes didn’t get to talk to Mr. Google. We didn’t even get extra cuddles. Stupid ice.

Our cousins were not happy either. They lost power. And when they got their power back, they lost their heat. They almost froze to death before it was restored.

Mom says we shouldn’t exaggerate. They were only cold for a few hours, nothing dangerous. But they were really unhappy. Now they have their heat back and are sitting on the ducts and snuggling in the blankets to make up for the cold.

Anyway, we didn’t want you to think we’d forgotten about you. We’ll be back next week with a real post. Think warm thoughts.

Funny Cat Memes and Pictures About Cat Behavior - TurboFuture

16

Behind the Scenes with the Easter Bunny

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When does the Easter Bunny come? Story behind the famous rabbit we celebrate at Easter - and when he delivers chocolate eggs | The Scotsman

Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) and Ash Wednesday are next week, so Easter is just around the corner. We thought we’d check in with the Easter Bunny (EB), see how things look going into his busiest time of the year. Let’s listen in on a meeting at headquarters.

Bunny Bath Mat, Real Life Image of a Group of Rabbits Eating Food in the Garden Feeding Animalistic, Plush Bathroom Decor Mat with Non Slip Backing, 29.5" X 17.5", Multicolor, by Ambesonne -

EB: Hello, everyone. Thank you for joining me at the kick-off for the busiest time of the year here at EB Enterprises. I’m excited to welcome all of you. Let’s kick things off with a report from Raphael in Marketing.

Raphael: Good Morning. I’m excited to say that we are finally back at full capacity after the events of the past few years. We have a lot planned. First, we have signed an agreement with the folks at Holiday Heroes to schedule a full season of Breakfast with the Easter Bunny.

Thanks I hate this Easter bunny because it is creepy and will give children nightmares : r/TIHI

Jenny: Aren’t those the humans who dress up like EB at malls and restaurants?

Raphael: Yes, it’s a very popular program.

Jenny: But they’re so creepy. They don’t even look like real rabbits.

Raphael: I’m told they’ve been working on their costumes, and they should be a lot better. Hopefully, fewer screaming children.

Geoffrey: And there were those problems with the way they acted too.

Raphael: Right. Carrot mimosas are definitely off the menu. Humans cannot handle carrots and champagne. That was a disaster that we learned from.

The rabbits in the room nod approvingly.

Rabbit: The Other "Other White Meat" | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine

Raphael: You should start seeing them in stores and restaurants beginning next weekend.

Paul: Any plans for making EB more like Santa? More presents and more hype throughout the year?

Raphael: EB is not interested in becoming Santa Claus. He wants to stick with the candy and eggs with maybe a few small gifts thrown in. No major changes in direction. He has decided against a phone app to speak with children. Says he’s more a symbol of spring than a gift machine. He’s going to leave the big stuff to Santa.

Paul: Is it true that Santa doesn’t want the competition?

The Sketchpad: Easter Bunny on Santa's Lap

EB: That’s enough, Paul. Don’t start any rumors. Things are fine between Santa and me. I’m just not interested in a year-round operation like he is. Thank you for your report, Paul. Next let’s hear from Marcia in Distribution.

Marcia: Thanks, EB. It looks like it’s going to be a bit of a challenging year. Global distribution channels are still not fully back to normal, and some things are still a little pricey. We’re doing our best, but it looks like eggs may be a little scarce.

Jeff: How are you going to handle the shortages?

Marcia: We have a lot of connections. I think things will be fine. But we will be working hard right up to the very end to make sure we make and deliver only the best products.

Why do we have Easter eggs and the Easter bunny? - CBBC Newsround

Pierre: I’ve heard rumors that the chickens may go on strike before Easter to make eggs more expensive,

Marcia: I hadn’t heard that. Is it a reliable source?

Pierre: Well. My mother said her sister saw it on Rabbit Reddit.

Suzette: I saw it on BunnyBook. My sister’s mother-in-law sent it to me. She heard it from some friends of hers.

Marcia: I’ll look into it, but I’m guessing those are just rumors.

Ted: Do we have a guaranteed supply of eggs?

Where Does the Easter Bunny Live? Here's Where Your Eggs Come From

Marcia: We’ve never had a problem. We have suppliers all over the world.

EB: Stay calm, everyone. We’ll have plenty of eggs. And I don’t want anyone in this room spreading rumors about the scarcity of eggs. We’re in the hope business, not the egg business.

Josie: What about chocolate? Is there a shortage of that too?

EB looked surprised.

The Ancient Origins of the Easter Bunny | History| Smithsonian Magazine

EB: Josie, I’m surprised at you. You’ve been here long enough to know that chocolate is never a problem for the Easter Bunny. We make our own chocolate. We would never run out of that.

Josie: I forgot. After that mess with getting chocolate alligators and platypuses instead of bunnies and chicks two years ago, we moved it back in-house. Never mind.

EB: Finally, I’m going to turn it over to Jack in Rabbit Resources.

Jack: I just want to remind everyone that we have finished our seasonal hiring. I’m excited to say that we are fully staffed for the first time in three years. Apparently, on-site bunny sitting and all the carrots you can eat were the key. We have also added some tuition reimbursement and bonuses for our regular staff. We will be posting the new teams and schedules by the end of the day.

7 Things I Learned About Workplace Culture From Watching Rabbit Videos

Stuart: Who did the hiring? The last bunch of seasonal employees weren’t very good. And they didn’t last.

Jack: We were more careful this year. Almost everyone is a referral from a current employee or a successful former employee.

Stuart: And no dogs?

Jack: Unfortunately, we will not be bringing in any canines. The Easter Bunny needs to be represented by bunnies. There was too much stress having a potential predator in the factory.

Annabelle: He wasn’t a predator. He was just over-enthusiastic.

Stuart: He kept smelling me. It was unnerving.

Jack: It was a distraction. This year, it’s all rabbits.

EB: Thank you everyone. Let’s make this our best year ever!

He walks out to much foot stomping.

Bunnies Have A Happy Dance! And 6 Other Funky Facts About Rabbits - Modern Farmer

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

 

17

Tyrone Tabby and the Valentine’s Day Dance – Part 2

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two cats one love : r/cats

Where we are: Tyrone tried to impress the new girl Erin with his pouncing skills in the lunchroom. He had missed the mark, but she had left him a message to meet her in the gym before class. Tyrone wanted to take Erin to the Valentine’s Day dance. He was eagerly waiting for her. You can read Part 1 here.

Tyrone was trying not to act nervous. He was sitting on one of the bleachers, looking around. No sign of Erin. He looked at his phone. Maybe she had changed her mind. He was looking down when he heard someone come in. A female voice said his name, and his heart stopped.

Girl: Hello, Tyrone.

Tyrone looked up. Then his heart sank. It wasn’t Erin. It was Ivy, one of the girls he had known since he was a kitten.

HD wallpaper: two kittens playing with each other, cat, love, cats, domestic Cat | Wallpaper Flare

Tyrone: Hello, Ivy.

Ivy: Hi. How are you?

Tyrone: I am well. And yourself?

Ivy: I’m good. I haven’t seen much of you lately. Until yesterday in the lunchroom. That was a really good jump.

Tyrone (embarrassed): Thanks, Ivy. I kind of missed my mark. I wanted to land on the other table.

Ivy: I was really impressed. Whenever I try to make that kind of jump, I end up on the floor.

Tyrone: I wasn’t supposed to slide.

Ivy: At least you stayed on the table. I thought it was really good.

Some Facts About Cats Talking To Each Other | Pets Nurturing

Tyrone couldn’t figure out how to end the conversation. He didn’t want Erin to come in and see him talking to another girl. But Ivy was being really nice, and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Ivy: What have you been up to? I used to see you all the time. Now it’s hardly ever.

Tyrone: I guess I’ve been spending a lot of time with Donny and Clyde. Not as much time outside.

Ivy: That sounds like fun. How are classes going? I’m taking a lot of classes to get ready for college. They’re really keeping me busy.

Tyrone: School is good. The guys are talking about starting an extermination business after we graduate, but I think I want to go to college too.

Ivy: You definitely should. You’re much too smart to spend your life chasing mice. What do you want to study?

Tyrone was having a good time talking to Ivy, but he really wanted to wait for Erin. Finally, he blurted out.

Tyrone: I’m kinda waiting for someone this morning, Ivy.

Ivy: Erin, right?

Tyrone (blushing): Yeah. How did you know?

Ivy: That’s why I’m here too.

Tyrone: What do you mean?

Ivy: She’s not coming.

Tyrone: Did she send you?

Now Ivy was embarrassed. Tyrone started to get uncomfortable. He could tell that Ivy was trying to hide something.

Tyrone: It’s OK. You can tell me.

Ivy: I’m sorry, Tyrone. I don’t really know how to say this.

Tyrone: Just say it.

Ivy: Erin didn’t send that message. Jessie did.

Jessie was another girl in their class. Tyrone talked to her once in a while, but they weren’t friends.

Can a dog or cat get jealous? | Yarrah

Tyrone (disappointed): Why would Jessie do that?

Ivy: She saw that you were interested in Erin. She’s jealous.

Tyrone: Of what?

Ivy: Of Erin. Erin attracts a lot of boys. She wanted to show you that it’s stupid to like a girl just because she’s pretty.

Tyrone: That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. But why are you here?

Laughing kitty! | Funny animals, Cats, Smiling animals

Ivy: Jessie wanted you to be sitting here alone so she could come and make fun of you. But I know you. You’re a really decent guy. You would have treated Erin well. You don’t deserve to have Jessie laughing at you.

Tyrone: Erin is really pretty. But I bet she’s not as nice as you are.

Ivy (blushing): Thank you, Tyrone. That’s a very sweet thing to say.

Tyrone: It’s true. I was really enjoying talking to you.

Ivy: I like talking to you too.

Tyrone: Maybe Jessie’s right. I am dumb. I should’ve been talking to you.

Just a cat hugging another cat in her sleep #hugging #naptime #cats #cathugs | Cute cats, Cat hug, Cute animals

Ivy: We’ve known each other a long time. You just don’t think of me the same way.

Tyrone: But maybe I should.

Ivy looked at Tyrone and smiled. He hadn’t realized that she was actually a very attractive cat.

Tyrone: Would you like to go out for a bowl of cream after school?

Ivy: That would be fun. We can talk about college.

Tyrone: I would like that.

Happy Valentine's Day Cat Pictures, Photos, and Images for Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Twitter

Pictures courtesy of Google Images. (Sgt Stripes guest-starring as Tyrone,)

23

Tyrone Tabby and the Valentine’s Day Dance

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Valentine's Day Gifts for Cats - The Catington Post

Tyrone stared at Erin across the lunchroom. He thought that she was the prettiest kitty he had ever seen. She had recently moved into the neighborhood and had started school a couple of weeks ago. She was in his Feline History class, but he hadn’t gotten up the nerve to talk to her.

He was eating with his friends Clyde and Donny. They were talking about the movie they had watched last night, “SpaceCat Rex: Defender of the Galaxy.”

Can Cats See TV? │ Hill's Pet

Clyde: That movie was lame. Those lasers never would have worked like that.

Donny: I agree. The trajectory was all wrong. But the story was excellent.

Clyde: The first SpaceCat Rex movie was the best. What is this, the third? Or the fourth?

Donny: It depends on whether you count that one with the lynx.

Clyde: You can’t count that one. It was outside the canon.

Donny: What do you think, Tyrone?

  Why Do Cats Stare? - Catster

But Tyrone wasn’t paying any attention. He was too busy watching Erin. She was so graceful.

Donny: Tyrone! Are you paying any attention?

Tyrone: Isn’t she pretty? I think I want to ask her to the Valentine’s dance.

Clyde: Who?

Donny: He’s all goofy over that new girl, Erin. She doesn’t even know he’s alive.

Clyde: Forget her. Girls like that don’t go out with cats like us.

Tyrone: What do you mean?

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Clyde: Girls like the smooth-talking Toms, not us.

Tyrone: I can be smooth-talking.

Donny: Tyrone, she’ll break your heart. Leave her alone.

Tyrone: It won’t hurt to say hi. I’m going to go talk to her.

Donny: You’ve never talked to a girl cat before. Maybe you should practice first.

Tyrone: How hard can it be?

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Tyrone watched Erin for a few minutes while he was gathering his nerve. He was a very shy cat and didn’t have any idea what he was going to say. Finally, he decided that he would pounce on her table and try to act sophisticated. He would impress her with his grace.

He walked to the other side of the room and waited for his opportunity. She was talking to a couple of other girls. Finally, the other girls left, and he saw his chance. He measured the distance in his head. Then he stretched and leapt.

Right over her table to the table behind her. He landed on a piece of paper and slid down the table. Just before he got to the end of the table, the paper stopped moving. Erin and a few other cats were watching him, confused.

Is your cat laughing at you? | BBC Earth

Tyrone jumped down and ran back to his friends. He tried to look nonchalant. They were trying not to laugh.

Clyde: Dude, what was that?

Donny: I think you got her attention.

Tyrone: Shut up. I want to disappear.

He looked around. No one was paying any attention to him. Erin was talking to some different cats. Then the bell rang, and they had to go back to class. He didn’t see Erin for the rest of the day.

After school, he was walking home with his friends. They were still laughing about his jump.

Why do cats sleep so much? What's normal and not | PetsRadar

Donny: That was amazing! I’m sure she was was impressed.

Clyde: At least you didn’t land on her. That would have been terrible.

Tyrone: Maybe she didn’t know it was me. Maybe I can still act cool around her tomorrow.

Donny: I think everyone knew it was you. Maybe you can move to Siberia.

Tyrone: This is awful. Now she’ll never talk to me. How far away is Siberia?

Clyde: It was a joke. No one will remember in a few days.

Tyrone: I will. This is horrible.

Tyrone went to his room when he got home. His phone buzzed.

Phone: Hi Tyrone, it’s Erin from school. Pawsome jump today at lunch! Meet me in the gym before school tomorrow. We can talk.

Tyrone stared at his phone. He couldn’t believe his eyes. He shut the phone down and turned it back on. The message was still there. It was still there in the morning.

He took extra time grooming in the morning, making sure every fur was in place. He told the guys he was going in early to get some extra time in the lab. He stood in the corner of the gym, waiting patiently.

Next week: Is Erin the girl of Tyrone’s dreams?

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

22

Groundhog Day Kerfluffle – Part II

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Cocky Groundhog Steals Farmer's Food and Flaunts It in Front of the Camera - AZ Animals

Where we are: Gustav Groundhog has gotten up early on February 2 to make sure everything is in order for his big Groundhog Day proclamation. Unfortunately, when he leaves the den, he is greeted by a group of hedgehogs who are intent on celebrating Hedgehog Day in the old Roman tradition. The hedgehogs are led by Nigel and Oliver who want to start their own celebration. You can read Part 1 here.

What is the difference between a groundhog and a hedgehog? - Quora

Gustav: See here. This is my spot. The humans will be coming here to watch the groundhog predict whether or not there’s going to be an early spring.

Nigel: There’s no point in your stupid prediction. We’re out and about. That’s enough to say that spring will be early.

Gustav: Don’t be ridiculous. It depends on whether or not I see my shadow. If it’s sunny and I see my shadow, I’m going back to bed for another six weeks.

Oliver: That’s stupid. If you see your shadow, that means it’s sunny. Why would you go back to bed?

Gustav: That’s just the way it works. If it’s sunny early on the 2nd, winter will be sticking around for a while.

Creature Feature: Groundhog Day - Blue Ridge Country

Nigel: So if you wake up in the middle of a snowstorm, that’s a sign of an early spring?

Gustav: I didn’t say that.

Nigel: No, but you won’t see your shadow.

Oliver: Excellent point.

Gustav: It’s never snowed all day on Groundhog Day. I’ve always been able to tell one way or the other. Besides, how do you know whether or not to come out?

snowmen... | Cute animals, Funny hedgehog, Baby hedgehog

Nigel looked at Oliver.

Nigel: Actually, we saw a posting that you would be holding a celebration. We figured that if the weather is good enough for a celebration, it’s good enough for us to come out.

Gustav: So you’re not out because you’re sensing warm weather.

Nigel: It’s warm enough for us to be out.

Oliver: There’s not a manual for this type of thing. It more a matter of whether we’re comfortable leaving home.

Nigel: And we’re comfortable, so we’re going to declare an early spring.

angry hedgehog :3 | Hedgehog, Funny animals, Animal planet

Gustav: You can’t do that. You’ll ruin my big day.

Nigel: It’s not your big day. It started out as Hedgehog Day and your sort stole the idea.

Gustav: We did not steal your idea. No one over here was celebrating that.

They argued back and forth, neither side willing to give up. They didn’t notice that people had begun to arrive and were watching them. The humans were fascinated. They had never seen a groundhog talking to a hedgehog.

Punxsutawney Phil's Groundhog Day 2012: A Shadowy Science

Human 1: Why is that groundhog yelling at the baby porcupines?

Human 2: Those aren’t porcupines, they’re hedgehogs.

Human 3: Where’d they come from? We don’t have wild hedgehogs around here.

Human 1: I have no idea. They’re pretty cute, though.

Human 2: When is that groundhog going to get up on his stump and look for his shadow? It’s freezing out here.

Gustav heard the people talking and realized it was time. He tried to walk away from the hedgehogs, but they had him surrounded.

10 Interesting Facts About Groundhogs and How to Remove Them

Gustav: Please let me make my prediction. It only happens one time each year.

Nigel: We want to be part of the ceremony.

Gustav: Doing what? All I do is stand there. The humans try to see my shadow and take my picture.

Oliver: We want to be in the picture.

Gustav: Fine. Be in the picture. Let’s just get this over with.

Gustav led the way to the big stump in the clearing. He climbed up and waited for the hedgehogs. When everyone was in place, he stood up. The people gathered around.

What Do Hedgehogs Eat? The Complete Food And Diet List

Human 1: Look! No shadow. It’s going to be an early spring!

There was a round of applause. The hedgehogs weren’t used to humans and curled up into balls.

Human 2: I wonder what that means?

Human 3: No idea. But they’re really cute.

The humans left piles of vegetable. Gustav shared them with the hedgehogs, making sure to keep all of the rutabagas.

Nigel: That was rather unpleasant. Humans are large and loud.

Oliver: I don’t think I want to do this anymore.

Nigel: You can have your holiday back, groundhog.

Gustav wandered off to take a quick nap.

Groundhog Day: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow - and 3 in 5 Americans trust his prediction! - Study Finds

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

 

 

20

Groundhog Day Kerfluffle

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Fun Facts About Groundhogs. The groundhog is a rodent of the family… | by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Updates from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Medium

Note: In the United States and Canada, February 2 is celebrated as Groundhog Day. According to legend, if a groundhog (or woodchuck) comes out of its den on that day and sees its shadow, it will return to the den and winter will last another six weeks. If it is cloudy, and the groundhog cannot see its shadow, it will remain out and spring will arrive early.

It’s mid-fall somewhere in Northern Michigan. Gustav Groundhog and his family are getting ready for hibernation.

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Monique: Has everybody had enough to eat?

Juliette: I’m stuffed, Mom. Couldn’t eat another bite.

Junior: I’ve been filling up on the last of the rutabagas. I love rutabagas.

Gustav: Remember to leave a couple for the end of the season. I’m going to be hungry when I wake up early.

Juliette: Dad, I don’t understand what the big deal is about Groundhog Day. We should all just sleep until we wake up naturally. Who cares how long winter is going to last?

National Groundhog Day 2022 - Fun Facts - Folklore and Weather Prediction

Gustav: It’s a family tradition. We’ve been the “weather hogs” for generations. It’s not so bad now that I finally got the humans to stop trying to pull me out of the den. If I go out on my own, it’s a lot more pleasant.

Monique: It is really nice getting all of those veggies your fans leave.

Junior: I hope they bring rutabagas this year. There was an awful lot of celery last year.

Juliette: Yeah. And it was still wrapped.

Monique: The flowers were pretty tasty too.

Gustav: All I have to do is walk out of the den, stand on my back legs for a few minutes, and come back in. As long as they get their pictures, everyone’s happy.

Tired groundhog | Jonathan D.-Casey | Flickr

Monique: And if you’re quiet, the rest of us don’t even have to wake up.

Juliette: Yeah, Dad. Quiet. Not like last year when you stepped on all of us.

Gustav: It’s dark in the den at the beginning of February. Besides, that wasn’t me. That was the goofy rabbit I paid to wake me up. I thought rabbits had good eyesight. He couldn’t tell which one was me.

Junior: It’s dark in here because we’re supposed to be asleep. How are you going to keep Herkimer quiet?

Gustav: Don’t worry. I’ll sleep closest to the door this year. Besides, I have the Internet now, so I don’t need Herkimer. I have my own alarm.

Junior: Let me make sure you set it right.

Gustav: Thanks, son. Put it at half-past dawn on the the second.

Groundhogs agree spring is early this year -

Gustav and his family settled in for their long winter nap. Before he knew it, Gustav heard the soft buzzing of his alarm. He carefully turned it off. Gustav got up and stretched. He was cold and sleepy. Hopefully this wasn’t going to take very long. He walked over to the edge of the den and looked out.

He saw some snow in the early light. It would be a little while before the humans showed up. He decided to have a snack and got one of the rutabagas. As he munched, he walked outside. He was surprised to see a line of hedgehogs surrounding his den.

A group of hedgehogs is called a prickle : r/aww

Gustav: Hi, guys. What are you doing here? You’re going to have to move. This is my big day to predict the end of winter. The humans should be arriving shortly.

Hedgehog: I’m Nigel and my buddy is Oliver. We brought some of our friends to protest your ceremony.

Gustav: Why are you protesting? My family’s been doing this for generations.

Nigel: We heard. And it’s not right. This is supposed to be Hedgehog Day, not Groundhog Day.

Gustav: That’s silly. Whoever heard of Hedgehog Day?

Join the Hedgehog Friendly Campus working group

Oliver: It’s not silly. You’ve stolen our day. It started with the Romans. If we come out in early February, it means spring is close. If you don’t see us, winter will last several more weeks.

Gustav: There aren’t any Romans around anymore.

Nigel: No. But some people still celebrate in Europe. It’s particularly popular in Ireland.

Gustav: You’re in Michigan, not Ireland. We celebrate Groundhog Day here. Now get out of my space.

Oliver: We’re not going anywhere. We’ve come to reclaim our holiday. And the treats that go with it. We’re not moving.

Next week: Will Gustav get the hedgehogs to move along so he can collect his Groundhog Day goodies?

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Pictures courtesy of Google Images.