24

The Big Chill (Feline Edition)

|

Greetings everyone. It’s me, Snoops. It seems like a very long time since I’ve talked with you. It seems like every time I start to say something, someone…

Sgt Stripes: What’re you up to Snoops? Not trying to hijack the blog are you?

Snoops: How could I hijack it? I started it. With Kommando, remember?

Sgt Stripes: Not really. I wasn’t around then.

Snoops: My point. Exactly.

Sgt Stripes: But she’s gone. And I’ve taken her place, right?

Snoops (growling): You have not taken her place, you big goofball. No one can take her place.

Sgt Stripes: Don’t get mad, Snoops. I didn’t mean it like that.

Snoops: What did you mean?

Sgt Stripes: Don’t you remember? You added me as co-owner of the blog.

Snoops: Yes, I did. What’s your point?

Sgt Stripes: I just wanted to know what you were going to talk about?

Snoops: I was going to tell everyone about the barely tolerable living conditions the past week or so.

Gypsy: You mean how we almost froze to death?

Angel: It really was unacceptable.

Onyx: Especially for us smaller cats.

Sgt Stripes: And it went on for days.

Gypsy: Did you hear Mom’s extremely lame excuse? She said she wasn’t really paying attention because it’s not that late in the season. Snoops, apparently your original human didn’t really believe in turning on the heat until November 1, regardless of the weather. That’s downright inhumane.

Sgt Stripes: Then when my humans was complaining about it, she told him that he’d have to wait until she could call the repairman in the morning. And he was already sick!

Snoops: It gets even worse. When she called in, she said it wasn’t an emergency. We had to wait four more days for them to come. Something about needing to take time off work.

Gypsy: She didn’t take any time off work. She brought the work here. She could have done that any time. It was really cold!

Sgt Stripes: I don’t think the humans really understood how bad it was. They were gone during the day and had blankets and electric paw warmers.

Snoops: I think Mom finally understood on the day she stayed home waiting for the guy to fix everything. It was only 48 degrees inside she said. And her handwriting was really bad because of it. I don’t know what any of that means, but she was a lot more sympathetic to us.

Sgt Stripes: She even got blankets for each of the kitties.

Angel: We shared.

Gypsy: I would get a good spot, then you’d kick me out.

Angel: Then Sarge would kick me out. It’s a good thing there were enough to go around.

Snoops: I spent that last day on her lap. I was helping her work.

Onyx: It was a really pretty day. I was sunning in the window.

Snoops: Until you decided that you wanted to sit on the inside porch.

Onyx: What’s wrong with that?

Snoops: When Mom opened the door for the repairman, you took off outside again.

Gypsy: Mom was not pleased.

Angel: The guy was really upset. He tried to help her bring you back.

Onyx: She’s way too slow for me. It was a beautiful day.

Gypsy: So why’d you come back in?

Onyx: The repairman was really nice. I thought he’d give me treats. But he brought me back inside. Then I got locked in the study for the rest of the time he was here. It was humiliating. I don’t think Mom trusted me after that.

Snoops: I can’t imagine why.

Gypsy: At least it got fixed.

Sgt Stripes: I heard the guy talking to Mom. It needs something called a thermostat. I guess a lot of humans need them because he had to order one.

Snoops: So why did it get warmer?

Sgt Stripes: He did some kind of adjustment and showed Mom what to do in case it goes off again.

Gypsy: So there’s still a chance we could all freeze to death.

Onyx: That is really annoying.

21

Onyx Dishes the Dirt

|

Hello Everyone. It’s me, Onyx. I saw that Gypsy and Angel were talking about me last week. I’m here to set the record straight. It is true that I got out of the house a few times while the weather was still warm. But I’m not the same cat who moved in here a couple of years ago.

Blondie rescued me from the Humane Society when I was young. We bonded and were pretty much inseparable at our old place. It was a good life. But it was loud and crowded. None of us really minded getting more space. Gypsy was a little overwhelmed, but she finally seems to be relaxing a bit.

After we had to move out, both Blondie and I were pretty traumatized, and we stuck together. When she had to go to the hospital the first year, I stayed in our room almost entirely. I generally ignored the “upstairs cats,” Sgt Stripes and Gypsy. I just hung out and waited.

By this summer, I was a lot braver. I started to go into Mom’s room and let her give me pets and treats. Blondie was gone for a long time. I decided it was time to explore the rest of the house. I really liked it on the freezer in the laundry room. I could watch everything from on high.

I’ve been making a lot of changes. I even eat wet food once in a while. I’ve discovered I like fish a lot. I like hanging out in the kitchen. You never know when something yummy is going to appear.

But enough about me. I have things to tell you about all of the cats. The really big news is that Sgt Stripes and Gypsy are a “thing.” They got close when they were both upstairs. But she’s the only one who really bonded with him out of all of us lady cats.

Gypsy has gotten pretty close with Snoops too. When Mom works from home, they tag-team so that one of them is always in her lap. And they don’t even hiss at each other to move. Gypsy has never been social. It’s weird/

Gypsy’s really spoiled. The heat is off in the house. (It’s supposed to be fixed on Tuesday – whatever that is.) Mom put a towel in a clothes basket so Gypsy wouldn’t get cold. Nobody offered me a blanket.

And that big tabby has stolen my prime spot on the freezer. One day, he just bounced out and took it. He’s done the same thing with my eating spot in the kitchen. He just jumps up and sits there in my spot. He is so rude! Mom told me to just ignore him, that he’s really gentle. She wouldn’t want someone three times her size to take her seat.

I can’t forget Angel. She’s pretty much okay. She really wants my spot with Blondie. She hangs out with her when they watch TV in the living room. Blondie is having foot surgery again soon, so she’ll be staying downstairs for awhile. I need to make sure Angel doesn’t steal my human entirely.

I think the last thing is that Snoops fell asleep on guard duty the other day. She was supposed to be making sure the cookies got safely put away. I guess she got bored. It was pretty funny to watch. At least she hasn’t fallen asleep on mouse patrol. She really is the only excellent mouser in the group.

I guess that’s all the news here. Hope you enjoyed the rundown.

24

Onyx is NOT a Most Excellent Kitty

|

Gypsy: It looks like someone wants to turn the Belleville Three into the Belleville Two.

Angel: What do you mean? We’re finally getting along. I haven’t hissed at you in a long time.

Gypsy: Not you. Onyx. She’s acting like she wants to break up the team.

Angel: She has been acting a little weird, even for her. I thought when Blondie got home she’d disappear upstairs. But she’s been sleeping on the freezer or the bag of paper towels.

Gypsy: She even comes out for breakfast.

Angel: Yeah, and she doesn’t even eat wet food. She’s got Mom trained to give her treats in the morning.

Gypsy: Did you see what happened this morning?

Angel: You mean sitting in the sink?

Gypsy: Mom gave her a bowl of water in the sink so she would stop licking the faucet. Like she’s too good to share with the rest of us.

Angel: She’s not used to sharing. She used to stay in Blondie’s room all the time. She had everything to herself.

Gypsy: She’s giving up a pretty sweet deal. She was always treated like she was better than us.

Angel: It’s strange that she’s started going outside too. She’s been an indoor kitty her whole life. 

Gypsy: It’s pretty rude, if you ask me. Blondie spent her time away missing Onyx, and now Onyx is pretty much ignoring her.

Angel: Can you believe that she got out last Friday, and no one realized that she wasn’t just being anti-social? In the past, there would have been a massive cat hunt until someone found her.

Gypsy: Yeah. She had to come back herself the next day. Blondie was pretty frantic looking for her.

Angel: In the humans’ defense, she got out when it was dark and no one saw her leave. It’s been crazy around here. 

Gypsy: And the small humans still need some training. The big humans know to close the inside porch door before they open the house door, but the little humans can’t see to get it coordinated when they come home.

Angel: And it takes forever for them to go in or out. One little human opens one door and keeps it open while the other one comes in. They don’t seem to understand they are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Gypsy: Yesterday, one of them opened the door and went outside by himself when Mom drove up. Onyx was right behind him. Mom and Blondie had to track her down with treats. And she was really crabby when she got back in.

Angel: She is fast. And persistent. This morning Mom had to hold her back when our human brother went out. Twice.

Gypsy: Mom gave Onyx treats right before she left so she’d be preoccupied.

Angel: That’s a pretty good trick. She’s used it on Sarge too.

Gypsy: He’s not as dedicated to getting out as Onyx is.

Angel: I think Onyx is kinda dumb. It’s starting to get cold. Why would she want to go outside?

Gypsy: Agreed. The warm stuff is inside. And so is the food.

Angel: I wonder if she’s still Blondie’s favorite. She’s getting to be pretty high maintenance. She’s always been pretty annoying to the rest of us cats. Now she’s trying it on the humans.

Gypsy: Probably. She still has the small humans, and they are extremely high maintenance.

Angel: Good point. Onyx probably just enjoys seeing the humans chasing after her.

Gypsy: We are the only two who haven’t tried to escape this fall. That has to be good for our House Cat ranking.

Angel: Excellent point.

10

Yak Express in a Changing Economy

|

Most Dangerous Yak Bull Meeting Amazing 😍 || Village Animals ||

Boris Yak, head of Yak Express, is holding a meeting with other members of the Yak Express board. This meeting is focused on how the new tariffs have been slowing down business. 

Little yak : r/aww

Boris: “Alright, our profits have dropped nearly 30% this quarter. Does anyone have any idea why?”

Darlene: “Well, the humans have that new tariff in place.”

Oliver: “What on earth is a tariff? Is it yummy?”

The Significance of Yaks for Tibetan People

Darlene: “No, silly, it’s a tax that humans pay. It makes things more expensive.”

Oliver: “Oh. Well, I know humans hate paying more for their luxuries.”

Boris: “That is an excellent point. And now humans have to pay extra for smaller shipments.” 

Yaks at Everest Base Camp and their adaptations to high altitudes

Todd: “That stinks. We yaks mostly transport smaller shipments.” 

Darlene: “We have to. It’s the only way to ensure quality and safety.”

Boris: “Of course. But that would certainly explain the decrease in business.” 

Why Tibetan Yaks are Indispensable in Tibet?

Oliver: “We need to figure out how to offset costs.”

Todd: “Well, I think we need to put a hiring freeze in place. We may even have to discontinue lesser traveled routes.”

Darlene: “We also need to become more selective with the deliveries we take. No more heavy but cheap items.”

VISHAL SINGH على X: "Sad Yaks from Laddakh at Kufri Himachal Pradesh. Especially brought from their homeland for tourists to take pictures on them. Stop this cruelty ! https://t.co/cPcwvoSFQQ" / X

Boris: “Both are excellent ideas. I do hate to say this, but we may need to put some of our less productive yaks on furlough.”

Todd: “Let’s save that as a last resort.” 

Boris: “Of course. In the meantime, let’s do a review of our yaks and our items serviced. We may be able to figure out which ones to get rid of.” 

Himalayan Yak, now a Food animal: FSSAI | India Business and Trade

Darlene: “Well, there’s Petal, who delivers mostly food. I think we need to keep her on.”

Oliver: “There’s Wilbur, who delivers toys and electronics. The humans may be grumpy if we slow or stop his services.”

Todd: “There’s Kendall, who delivers furniture. Seems like an awful lot of work for one yak. I think we can pause Kendall’s route.” 

Silent soldiers of the extreme, or why I'm glad I'm not a wild yak

Boris: “We also have Sam, who delivers luxury items like tuna and heated beds. Clearly, we need to keep him on, or there will be riots”. 

The yaks continue to discuss routes. Finally, they’ve made their decisions on who to cut.

Boris: “Alright yaks, I think we’ve done a good job today. Does anyone have any closing thoughts? 

7 Weirdest Animals That You Can Find on ...

The other yaks shake their heads. They’re all ready for the meeting to be over.

Boris: “Alright! Let’s go and have a nice bowl of steamed grass!”

A yak is eating hay from a bowl. Yak eating hay. - PICRYL - Public Domain Media Search Engine Public Domain Search

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

17

The Strategic Kibble Reserve

|

Free Photos | Cats having a meeting

We stumbled into a meeting of Felines for a Better World, a shadowy group of some of the most influential cats in the country. They are also known as the Cat Cabal by some of their detractors. If there’s something happening national for kitties, you can be sure they’re involved somehow. The meeting is called to order by the president, Mr Tibbles.

Most Beautiful Cat Breeds: Top 5 Majestic Felines, According To Experts

Mr Tibbles: Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. You are probably wondering why I needed you here.

Penelope: It was very inconvenient. I’m miissng my weekly deep muscle massage.

Theodore: It doesn’t have anything to do with the humans, does it? I hate dealing with human problems. They are so hard to control.

Zoe: Just when you think you have them trained, they do something ridiculous.

Cat Loves Greeting Strangers In A Shopping Cart. They Can't Believe It | Cuddle Buddies

Mr. Tibbles: I’m afraid it does concern the humans. Princess Zelda, would you please report on what you’ve been observing.

Princess Zelda: As the privileged class, you may not have noticed, but the price of kibble has skyrocketed. The humans have caused something called inflation. It makes the prices of everything go up.

Rocco: How does that affect us?

Princess Zelda: Where do you get your kibble from?

Cat Fight: 10 Tips for Stopping & Preventing Cat Aggression

Rocco: I’m not really sure. It appears in my bowl every morning. I have better things to do with my time than worry about who’s buying my kibble.

Maurice: You simpleton. Someone has to buy it at the store. It doesn’t grow on trees.

Rocco (offended): I’m not a simpleton. I know kibble comes in bags.

Feed Me': Cat's Hilarious Empty Bowl Protest Delights the Internet - Newsweek

Maurice: And someone has to buy those bags. Those bags are getting more expensive.

Princess Zelda: If you two are finished, I’d like to continue my report.

Mr Tibbles: Please proceed.

Princess Zelda: it’s not really an issue for kitties living the good life, but there are a lot of cats who are starting to be impacted. Some of them are being forced to eat cheaper kibble. And some are even getting their portions cut.

Cat Won't Eat Dry Food? When To Worry - Cats.com

Audible gasps around the table.

Theodore: You mean an end to the never-ending kibble bowl?

Rocco: And generic kibble? That’s inexcusable. We need to talk to the humans and get this straightened out.

Princess Zelda: We’ve tried. But they really don’t seem to be all that concerned.

Why Does My Cat Ignore Me? When to Worry - Cats.com

Maurice: That figures. All they think about is themselves.

Audra: So we need to take care of it ourselves?

Mr. Tibbles: I’m afraid so. We need to do something to get the prices down.

Zoe: You don’t mean…

Poured 50 pounds of cat food into a sealable container. Fat Ass over here thought it was just a GIANT bowl for him 😂 : r/Thisismylifemeow

Mr Tibbles: I don’t see where we really have a choice. We can’t have cats not ed the kibble they’re entitled to.

Rocco: That is the reason we created the Strategic Kibble Reserve.

Theodore: How many depots are there?

Mr. Tibbles: We have ten locations around the country.

A group of cats walked onto forbidden property, while one snuck away, refusing to be part of a secret society.

Audra: Is it going to be edible after being stored?

Mr. Tibbles: It’s been freeze-dried. It will be fine once it’s thawed.

Zoe: We need to be careful. Releasing too much will leave us vulnerable until we can restock.

Rocco: We need to make sure we have cats on the ground when we release it. We don’t want a riot. We are releasing excellent kibble.

Feeding Cats In A Multi-cat Household [A Quick Guide]

Mr Tibbles: I have created a distribution plan. I’m confident we can control the release. Shall we vote on it?

Maurice: I have a couple of questions. Are we involving the humans? If we do, who’s in charge?

Princess Zelda: We need to run this the way we ran distribution during that big human sickness a few years ago. Entirely through the

cat underground. The humans will get in the way.

Homeward Pet | Vote for Cats vs. Dogs

Nods around the table.

Mr Tibbles: Time to vote. All in favor? All against?

The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Tibbles: All right. I’ll set the distribution in motion. Thank you for your time.

Support food distribution for community cats

Ed. Note: We would like to thank Bella Dharma and Bella Sita from The Bella Girlls’ Purrfect Pad for recommending us to their followers. Bella Dharma does a wonderful job of describing life with her humans. You can check it out here.

What Is a Group of Cats Called? Interesting Answer & Facts - Catster

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

27

Sarge and Snoops’ Big Escape

|

Gypsy Katt here. We had quite the drama last week. We started out with five cats on Monday home with Mom while the men finished working on the basement. When our human brother got home from work, he saw a large grey tabby streak across the yard and head into the woods next door. We were down to four kitties. (Or so we thought.)

Onyx: Pretty ironic. They kept me locked up, and Sgt Stripes made a run for it.

Sgt Stripes: I didn’t make a run for it. I sauntered out when I noticed the doors were open.

Gypsy: They were pouring something they called cement downstairs. They had to keep running back and forth between a noisy machine outside and the basement.

Sgt Stripes: I just wandered out. No one even paid any attention.

Gypsy: Humans are pretty careless sometimes. They thought that just because you’ve never seemed interested in going outside that you could roam around while the work was being done.

Angel: Yeah. They didn’t know how dumb you are.

Sgt Stripes: Hey! I’m not dumb. I wanted to visit my old hangouts.I know I have a pretty sweet deal here.

Angel: Then why did you run when your human came home.

Sgt Stripes: I think that was just a coincidence. I heard a really loud noise and took off.

Gypsy: All of the humans were pretty upset.

Onyx: Blondie even put it out on the community bulletin board.

Sgt Stripes: They should have just relaxed. I was just looking around.

Angel: You came back pretty quickly. One of the little humans went outside, and there you were. Blondie just had to pick you up.

Gypsy: That’s funny to watch. You’re a big kitty, and she’s not very big.

Sgt Stripes: It was extremely undignified. I would have walked in on my own if they would have waited.

Angel: You didn’t turn your nose up at the extra food and treats.

Sgt Stripes: I told you, I’m not dumb.

Snoops: At least they noticed you were missing.

Angel: I knew you weren’t around, but nobody listened to me.

Sgt Stripes: I tried to go back outside to get you, but they wouldn’t let me.

Snoops: I am the elder cat. The Empress of the House. And nobody noticed I was missing.

Gypsy: To be fair, you were only showing up for breakfast for a while there. You were spending most of your time in the basement.

Snoops: That’s what made it so awful. Those strangers invaded my safe space. And they made a lot of noise. I was just looking around when I ended up outside. Then there was a lot of noise, and then those strange humans closed the doors so I couldn’t get back in.

Angel: That sounds awful. Then what happened?

Snoops: I heard a loud noise and ran under the back porch. Next thing I knew it got dark and windy. After Sarge went back inside, it was just me. I heard the humans wandering around a little bit, but they didn’t hear me. I had to sleep out there.

Gypsy: Mom finally figured out that you weren’t in the house when she went downstairs and looked in your litter spot. Nothing was there. She was really upset. She went outside and called a little bit, but you didn’t respond.

Snoops: I didn’t hear her. She was in front of the house.

Gypsy: It was pretty sad. She was trying to work when she heard a car honk in the road. She went out and saw something in the road. False alarm: It was just a bunch of paper. But she went around the back of the house and started calling.

Snoops: I heard her calling, so I meowed. She heard me, but kept calling. I kept calling back. She finally got to where she could see me and she brought me back inside.

Gypsy: You’re a lot smaller than Sarge, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Sgt Stripes: But Mom insisted on locking both of us in different rooms while the workers were there.It was awful.

Onyx: She put you in her bedroom. She keeps food, water and a litter box in there. How tough could it have been.

Snoops: Yeah. I got put in the bathroom because it’s one of my safe places. You had a bed and a cat tree.

Sgt Stripes: I do not like being told what to do.

Gypsy: It’s your own fault. You should have been a good kitty and stayed inside like Angel and me.

Snoops: All’s well that ends well. At least the repairmen are finally gone.

20

Gypsy’s New Job

|

 

Hi Everyone! It’s me Gypsy Katt. I want to tell you about my extremely exciting week. Mom didn’t go into the office this week, and I got to help her. I got to work with her for four days!

Angel: Why don’t you tell about the very annoying reason she was home?

Gypsy: I’m not really sure why but some guys came into the house every day and went down the basement.

Sgt Stripes: And they made a lot of noise.

Snoops: It was very annoying. I’ve been using the basement to get away from all the commotion upstairs. The first day they came in with some kind of really noisy machine and broke up some of the cement in the basement. It was terrifying.

Gypsy: It was really loud for a while. Even upstairs.

Sgt Stripes: Mom didn’t see you go racing upstairs. She thought the men had trapped you in the basement. She was going to go downstairs and see if she could find you.

Snoops: Well, that was dumb. She should have known that I didn’t make it to Senior Cat status by sticking around loud machines that could crush me.

Onyx: At least you got the choice. As soon as she realized they would be leaving the door open to the outside, she locked me in the study.

Gypsy: That’s because you’re what they people on human TV call a “flight risk.”

Onyx: Why would they call me that? I can’t fly.

Snoops: It means you’ve been trying to get outside all summer, and she couldn’t risk you getting out and being eaten by a big bird.

Sgt Stripes: Or a coyote.

Onyx: It was very undignified. And I got locked in Blondie’s room the rest of the week. I thought someone was going to let me out on Tuesday. There was a nice man who talked to me through the door.

Snoops: That must have been the man who scared me out of my hiding place in the upstairs bathroom. He did something to the sink.

Sgt Stripes: I supervised that work. It didn’t take very long.

Snoops: Mom says they can use that faucet now that it’s not leaking. That’s a good thing. They get the water for our upstairs fountain there.

Sgt Stripes: Yeah. They weren’t really great about remembering to bring water upstairs.

Gypsy: Hello??!! We’re supposed to be talking about me helping Mom, remember?

Sgt Stripes: That’s right. So what did you do?

Gypsy: One of my big jobs was to keep Mom warm. It was kind of chilly with the doors open even though it was sunny outside. And I made sure she got enough cuddles.

Sgt Stripes: She’s kind of funny about snuggles when she’s working.

Gypsy: I did notice that. She was particularly fussy when she put things in her ears so she could hear her training while they were making noise downstairs and outside. Something about not being able to hear without them.

Snoops: I’ve seen those upstairs.

Sgt Stripes: Mom uses them sometimes when she watches humans TV upstairs. Although she got some different ones that don’t have wires so she doesn’t have to worry about us pulling them out of her ears.

Angel: That’s weird. I wonder why she didn’t bring those ones downstairs.

Snoops: I don’t think she likes to have them around the little humans.

Angel: That makes sense.

Gypsy: Back to me. I helped with some of the typing. I really like the thing she types on. It is really warm. And I can use it to call up something called an AI Assistant. It knows the answer to everything.

Sgt Stripes: Mr Google knows everything too. Maybe they’re friends.

Gypsy: Maybe. We can ask one of them.

Snoops: Did you get to be on any Zoom calls? I was really popular when I attended a few meetings with Mom.

Sgt Stripes: Yes. The people in her office really like us.

Gypsy: Sadly, she did not have any calls like that. In fact, she wasn’t on the phone much at all. She did have a lot of papers for me to sit on.

Sgt Stripes: That is true. I spent some time helping too. What was that new thing that you taught her?

Gypsy: I made her screen show everything in greyscale. No colors at all.

Sgt Stripes: That seemed to upset her for some reason. I think I look good in greyscale.

Gypsy: I don’t really know why it mattered. She said she needed the colors to tell when stuff was done.

Snoops: I hope those men are gone. I really don’t like having strange people in the house. Especially loud, strange people.

Gypsy: They’re coming back on Monday. I’m supposed to have two more days of helping Mom.

27

Onyx’s Human Returns

|

Ed Note: You may recall that everyone has been awaiting the return of Blondie to get the house back to normal. She’s been back a week and a half but things don’t seem quite right yet.

Sgt Stripes: Hey Onyx. What’s going on?

Onyx: What do you mean?

Sgt Stripes: You don’t seem to be very excited about your human getting back home.

Gypsy: Yeah. You were supposed to move back upstairs when she got here.

Onyx: I never said that. Everyone just assumed that was what was going to happen.

Gypsy: You said that was the reason that you kept trying to get outside. You wanted to track her down.

Snoops:You are acting pretty weird.

Gypsy: You never came downstairs before she left. You were the princess while Angel and I had to spend months in the sunroom.

Angel: They’re right. You always got special treatment.

Onyx: That’s because I’m the house panther. The empress of the night.

Snoops: You’re only empress when you’re upstairs. I’m the real empress.

Sgt Stripes: Snoops does have seniority. Why aren’t you back upstairs  with your human?

Onyx: I decided that I like it downstairs. I even have a new favorite spot.

Gypsy: You mean on top of the freezer? That’s a weird place to hang out.

Onyx: It’s actually very warm up there. I just need someone to put a pillow or a blanket or something down for me to lounge on.

Gypsy: You can’t see anything up there.

Onyx: I still go out on the inside porch. I just don’t want to go outside anymore.

Sgt Stripes: I thought you were some kind of emotional support animal for Blondie.

Angel: That was why you thought you were so special.

Onyx: I am special. But Blondie took me for granted.

Snoops: What do you mean?

Onyx: I was with her for all of the bad times. I never left her side. But then she disappears for two months and expects everything to be the same when she gets back.

Snoops: You know she needed to go away for a little bit to get healthy again, right?

Onyx: That what she says. But she didn’t take her emotional support cat. She deserted me. And I discovered that I can get cuddles from the other humans here. And all of the good treats are downstairs. I’m even trying wet food once in a while. And I really like it when Mom lets me drink out of the kitchen faucet.

Gypsy: There are definitely benefits to being on Mom’s good side.

Onyx: She spoils you. Every time you get really neurotic, she gets you back on track.

Gypsy: You’re just jealous because she gives me lots of cuddles.

Onyx: Blondie used to do that with me.

Snoops: Are you just going to sulk for the rest of your life? Why don’t you just go back to her?

Onyx: She needs to apologize. And promise not to leave me again. She was gone a long time. And she left those small humans behind. I’m really not fond of small humans.

Sgt Stripes: I didn’t like them at first either. But they are excellent at filling the kibble bowl and giving treats. Even Snoops lets them pet her.

Onyx: Blondie knows where to find me if she wants to apologize.

Angel: That’s not really her thing. Maybe you should just forget about what happened and go back upstairs. Cold weather is coming, and she has the good blankets up there.

Onyx: I’m going to take a nap. Then I’ll think about it.

27

The Summer Was a Zoo

|

How to Train a Siamese Cat (4 Easy Steps) | Hepper Pet Resources

Ms Cavendish, an elegant Siamese, was the new primary-level teacher at the Cheeseland Academy of Inter-Species Learning. It’s the first day back after summer break.

Ms Cavendish: Welcome everyone to our first day of school. My name is Ms. Cavendish, and I’ll be your teacher this year. I thought that a good way to introduce ourselves would be to go around the room and tell everyone one thing that you did this summer. Would anyone like to start?

Video: Who Wins This Battle Of Cat Vs. Squirrel? | PawTracks

Sally Squirrel: Ooh, me! My brother Hal got into a fight with the cat next door. There was so much hissing and chittering that my mom had to throw water on them to break it up.

Ms Cavendish: Oh my! Is everyone okay?

Sally: Yes. But my mom said that they aren’t allowed to play in the bird bath anymore.

Running the Raccoons at Critter Care Wildlife Society - YouTube

Ralph Raccoon: We went on a trip to the mountains to visit some relatives this summer.

Ms. Cavendish: Oh, that sounds lovely.

Ralph: We had a great time. And I learned something new.

Ms Cavendish: What did you learn?

Ralph: That humans are really weird. Some of them think that we are adorable and others think that we are full of diseases. One lady saw me and my sister playing chase, running after each other. She started yelling at someone to get a gun because we had to be diseased to be running around like that.

Adorable raccoon eats a marshmallow

Ms Cavendish: That must have been terrifying. What happened?

Ralph: Another lady came out, but she didn’t have a gun. She said, “Myrtle, you’re crazy. Can’t you see that they’re little raccoons having fun?” Then she made the other lady go inside.

Ralph: It turned out really well. The humans had a bonfire later, and we went back to thank the nice lady. She gave each of us something called a s’more. It’s 2 graham crackers with melted marshmallow and chocolate between them.They were really yummy.

Su Pallosu's cat beach is taking Sardinian tourism by storm - Traveling Cats

Tommy Tabby: Me next. We went to the beach.

Ms Cavendish: That’s an interesting choice for a cat family. Do you all like water?

Tommy: Not at all. I mean it’s great to drink, but don’t make me walk or play in it. My mom’s the same way.

Su Pallosu's cat beach is taking Sardinian tourism by storm - Traveling Cats

Ms Cavendish: So who planned the trip?

Tommy: My dad did. He says he didn’t notice all of the water. He wanted to go for the sun and sand. That part was really nice. But my little brother didn’t understand that it wasn’t an open-air litter box. We almost got kicked out when another guest saw him doing his thing. Mom was so embarrassed. She says we’re never going back.

Ms Cavendish: I can definitely see why she would be a little uncomfortable. Who’s next?

Labrador Retriever Group | Facebook

Lily Lab: We went to a family reunion in a place called Woofington.

Ms Cavendish: That sounds like a dog-friendly place.

Lily: We thought so too. But maybe a little too dog-friendly. My aunt had reserved a place in one of their parks for all of us. She was expecting 20-25 dogs. But the park is big, and it seemed like every Yellow Labrador family in the state was in Woofington. There were also lots of Chocolate Labs and Golden Retrievers.

Ms. Cavendish: That sounds like a lot of dogs.

Tibetan Mastiff Owner's Guide | Greencross Vets

Lily: My mom said that she had never seen so many dogs. We followed the directions to our site. She found her sister pretty fast. My aunt was really upset. Some other family had taken over the site.

Ms Cavendish: That’s awful. What happened?

Lily: Not long after we got there, Mom’s other sister arrived with her family, Aunt Shelly’s married to Steffo. He’s a Tibetan Master. He’s really sweet and wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he’s huge and very protective of his family. He went to the alpha of the other family and suggested that they had made a mistake. They were really good about moving on.

_MG_1231 | A young grizzly bear and a coyote having a conver… | Flickr

Ms Cavendish: This is all very interesting. Anyone else want to share?

Kyle Coyote: We got kicked out of a national park. I don’t want to say which one because they might be looking for us.

Ms Cavendish: Oh my goodness! What happened?

Kyle: My family went to this park and wanted to camp. Did you know that some of those places are run by humans? We thought bears ran them all. Bears are cool to coyotes; humans are not.

What's All the Ruckus? Coyote Howling at Night.

Ms Cavendish: And the one you went to was run by humans?

Kyle: Yeah. Mom and Dad got into a huge fight when they found out. Mom won, so we decided to stay. But the guy at the entrance was kinda a jerk. He read all of the rules to us like we were too stupid to do it ourselves. We finally set up camp and ate. We were relaxing at night when we heard the call of the wild. Of course we had to respond. Several other coyotes joined in.

Ms Cavendish: That sounds wonderful.

Kyle: It was. Until the humans showed up and told us we were breaking the rules by making noise after 9 pm. He got into a fight with my dad who scented him. Then we got kicked out.

My favorite animal in i party hat, how cute!!

Ms Cavendish: This has all been a lot of fun. I’m sorry but we’re out of time. Any last thoughts?

Voice at the Back: Party with animals, not with humans.

Pets In School

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

23

How Much Fish is Too Much Fish?

|

A cat in front of a fish stall in a market in the sichon province of southern thailand | Premium Photo

You may recall that one of the prizes at the Cheeseland Rummage Sale was an All you Can eat dinner for six at Freddy’s Fish Factory. The lucky winner was Rex Rutford, an elegant tabby who invited five friends and family members to join him.

Our own elegant tabby, Sgt Stripes, joined them for the dinner. He speaking with Angela Rutford, Rex’s lovely wife.

Sgt Stripes: Hi Angela. Pleased to meet you. It looks like you are going to have quite a feast.

Angela: We are really excited to be here. Rex and I both love fish, and I’ve heard so many great things about Freddy’s.

Sgt Stripes: And who are your lucky fellow diners?

Cat Birthday Party

Angela: This is our son Fernando. And our neighbors Luke and Kitty, and finally, our nephew Tommy.

Sgt Stripes: I hope everyone’s hungry.

Fernando: I haven’t eaten all day. I’m starving.

Tommy: Me too. Fernando and I have a bet over who will eat the most fish.

How to Make All-Natural Pet Treats| VetriMark

Sgt Stripes: Good luck to both of you. What’s at stake?

Tommy: The loser has to buy the winner a bag of their favorite treats. Mine are beef/liver.

Fernando: And mine are tuna.

Luke: What happens if I eat more than either of you?

Chartreux - Wikipedia

Fernando: I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Rex: It might. He’s bigger than either of you.

Tommy: But that won’t matter if we’re hungrier.

Luke: I still think I can eat more.

Some Facts About Cats Talking To Each Other

Kitty: Luke honey, they just have a wager between friends. It’s not a challenge to you.

Luke: Nonsense. If they’re going to compete at the table, anyone at the table should be allowed to join.

Rex: How about it, boys? Can Luke be part of your challenge/

Luke: You should join too, Rex.

2,700+ Four Cats Stock Photos, Pictures & Royalty-Free Images - iStock | Cat lady

Rex: Hmm. Maybe I will. What do you think, dear?

Angela: I think that it’s ridiculous you’re turning a nice dinner into a competition. With your son, of all cats.

Rex: It’s just for fun. The four male cats competing to see who’s the best.

Kitty: At being a glutton?

The complete guide to raising a kitten: Part 7 – 7 super simple homemade treats guaranteed to make one happy kitty - RSPCA South Australia

Angela giggled and looked at Fernando.

Angela: It’s okay, honey. I’ll buy treats for both of you if either of them win.

Fernando: I guess its okay.

They were interrupted by the waitress.

A Vet's Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Feeding Fish to Your Feline Friend | Holistic Vet Blend

Waitress: Hello everyone. My name is Ruby. Welcome to Freddy’s. Has anyone been here before?

Everyone shook their head.

Sgt Stripes: They won a free meal at the Rummage Sale.

Ruby: Excellent. Here’s how it works. You order your favorite type of fish. We’ll bring you two pieces to start. If you want more, put your plate at the edge of the table. I’ll bring you two more pieces. What would you like to drink and what type of fish would you prefer?

Waiter! Bring me food!

Angela: Goodness. That sounds like a lot of fish. I’d like mackerel and water, please.

Kitty: That sounds good. I’ll have the same.

Fernando: Tuna and water, please.

Luke: Salmon and water.

Tommy: Salmon and water.

Rex: Bass and water.

Why Do Cats Paw at Water? - Reasons a Cat Plays With Their Water Bowl

Ruby: Thank you. I’ll bring two fountains for you to share and be back with your fish when it’s ready.

Luke: I think I like this place.

Kitty: Yes. They have a lot of choices. Does anyone want to go to the salad bar?

Luke: Not a chance. I’m going to be filling up on fish.

Can Cats Eat Fish? - Fish Cats Can Eat - Bella+Duke

Their orders appeared a few minutes later. The ladies were relieved to see that the portions were manageable.

Angela: This looks delicious.

Fernando: It tastes great too.

Kitty: And I like that they don’t try to stuff you.

How to Get the Cat to Eat: A Guide for “Picky” Eaters – Kahoots

The male cats finished their fish quickly and put out their plates for more. Ruby quickly refilled their plates.

Ruby: Would you ladies like more?

Angela: I think we’re set for the moment.

The male cats are the second serving quickly, but not as quickly as the first. Rex slowed down significantly at the end.

Cat sitting on a table 2025

Ruby: You boys ready for more?

Rex: I think I’m done, thank you. You guys go ahead. I’m full, but not too full.

Luke: Where’s your spirit of competition?

Rex: I want to remember this as a pleasant meal.

What to do if your cat gets away – Adventure Cats

Luke, Fernando, and Tommy set to work on their third plate. Suddenly, Luke sat up and ran for the door. The other cats watched him with surprise.

Rex: What do you supposed that was about?

Tommy: Classic scarf and barf, I think. He probably isn’t used to this much so quickly.

Kitty: Poor thing. I’ll go make sure he’s okay.

Rex: Guess I won’t be remembering this as a pleasant experience after all.

Baby Driver on X: "@mamblonumber5 The cat after eat your degree : https://t.co/f8xnXaJzNh" / X

Angela: Boys, I think you need to stop eating after this plate. I don’t want either of you to get sick.

Fernando: I’m not feeling that great right now either.

Tommy: Yeah. I’m done too.

Rex: What about the bet? It looks like you ended in a tie.

Angela: I’m proud of you both for knowing when to quit. I’ll buy you each a bag of treats.

Multi-cat Households | Useful Tips & Common Issues | Medivet

Pictures courtesy of Google Images