Tag Archives: family

22

A Very Cali Christmas

|
Christmas Calico 🎄 : r/cats
Nana Cali has been hosting a family Christmas dinner as long as anyone could remember. She had been doing all the work herself. She always made her family-famous fish stew. There were various kinds of kibble and a creamy eggnog or catnip punch to drink. She welcomed contributions but rarely got them.
It was usually a great time for all involved. But this year things didn’t seem to run as smoothly. It began with the invitations:
Tortoiseshell and calicoes and torbies, oh my! - Way of Cats
Cousin Sally: Nana, you know that I’ve been seeing Richard for months. Why wasn’t he on the chat?
Cousin Ruth: Probably because when he came to the picnic, he spent all of his time complaining about the location and the food.
Cousin Jenny: And he snarfed down enough for a Maine Coon.
Cat On The Phone GIFs | Tenor
(The younger family members had convinced Nana to use a group chat rather than just spreading the word. She was already regretting it.)
Cousin Sally: Well, I’m not coming if he can’t come.
Nana: Sweetie, you’re overreacting. I only sent it to family. There will be plenty of food.
Aunt Gertrude: That reminds me. Can we get something other than fish this year? My Calista really doesn’t like fish.
8 Cats Who Love Fish In Honor Of 'Go Fishing Day' - CatTime
Uncle Dill: You’re welcome to bring whatever you want for her. Mom makes the stew, but she doesn’t mind if others bring additional food.
Aunt Gertrude: Then it’s really not hosting, is it?
Aunt Jess: Do you always have to be so dramatic, Gert? Of course, she’s hosting. It’s at her house. There’s plenty of food and drink. And you’re welcome to bring something more if you want.
Ever seen a cat catching a ride on a pig? 🐷🐱 This is Silo the pig & Opal the cat! Thanks for sharing Jessica Hebert!
Cousin Bruno: Do you know what would be really epic? Let’s get a roast pig!
Cousin Drago: Yeah! That would be the best thing ever!
Nana was very upset. She thought that she had been doing a nice thing, and now it looked like no one was going to be happy. She talked it over with Gramps.
How Do Cats Communicate With Each Other? (It's Complicated.) - Petful
Nana: I think maybe I shouldn’t have the dinner this year.
Gramps: Why not? It’s one of the few times we get to see all of our kids and grandkids.
Nana: They talked me into creating what they call a group chat. No body actually talks to anybody. It seems like they just type whatever they want to in it. I don’t want to make a roast pig.
How this pig and cat became BFFs | story | Kids News
Gramps: A roast pig? Why would you make that? It would be three times as big as you are.
Nana: And they don’t want the fish stew. They want me to make all kinds of other food. I don’t think I want to do it anymore. I think I’m just getting too old.
Gramps read the chat. He was furious. He called their and told them to come over for a family meeting. Soon Gertrude, Dill, Jess, and Moonlight were there. Moonlight didn’t follow the chat and was very confused to see her parents so upset.
What Is a Group of Cats Called?
Gramps: Okay, listen up. Which one of you decided that it would be a good idea to let the entire family weigh in on how Nana does her dinner?
Gertrude: I guess it was me. It’s how the kids make plans, so I thought it would be good for us. It lets everyone contribute to what’s going on.
Gramps: Thanks to your brilliant idea, Nana doesn’t want to do Christmas dinner anymore.
Using Your Smartphone to Keep Your Pet Healthy - The Animal Medical Center
Moonlight: Wait a minute. What? Why?
Nana: Because apparently people are tired of my fish stew. They want more variety. And a roast pig.
Moonlight: That’s ridiculous. I hate social media. Everyone thinks they can say whatever garbage pops into their heads. What idiot suggested a roast pig for a cat family dinner?
How Do I Apologize to My Cat in A Way They Understand? 7 Vet-Approved Ways - Catster
Dill: I think it was my sons. Sorry, Mom. I didn’t realize you’d take them seriously.
Nana: Well, I might not have if Gertrude hadn’t said that I should make something different for Calista. I thought everyone liked my fish stew. I said you were welcome to bring your own dishes if you wanted to.
Jess and Dill glared at Gertrude.
Non-Recognition Aggression Syndrome In Cats - Good Pet Parent
Jess: Tell Dad what you said to that suggestion.
Gertrude looked embarrassed.
Gertrude: I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.
Your Cat Etiquette Guide: What to Keep in Mind If You're Hosting Thanksgiving - Vetstreet | Vetstreet
Gramps: What did you say?
Gertrude: I said it didn’t really sound like hosting if we had to bring our own food.
Gramps: Why would you say that?
Ever get bored and drink with your cat ? This is a chicken Churu flavored Icelandic spring water Meow-tini. I had a vesper on my side. : r/cocktails
Gertrude: I don’t know. It was probably the two niptinis I had. It was a bad day.
Dill: If you’ve messed up our Christmas dinner, Gertrude, you better run because I’m coming after you.
Jess: Yep. It’s the highlight of the holiday season.
Moonlight: You’re not really going to cancel the dinner, are you, Mom?
How to keep your cat from jumping on the table while you're eating - Dr. Marty Becker
Nana: I don’t know. It really hurt to hear that you aren’t happy with it.
Jess: We didn’t say we wanted to change anything. It was just the princess over there.
Gertrude: I’m sorry. I didn’t think about how it sounded. I can make some turkey if you’ll keep the rest of it.
Happy Thanksgiving!! From Maya and her giant turkey leg 🍗 We're so grateful to be a part of such an incredible community, and to get to know all of you!! 💛💛 (For
The cats looked at Nana and waited.
Nana: Okay. I guess it’s back on.
Gramps: And the group chat is off.
Merry Christmas Animated Images Free GIFs | Tenor
Pictures courtesy of Google Images.
20

Hibernation Season: Five’s a Crowd – Part 2

|

Can you see a bear in the winter? – Kodiak Wildlife Products | Bear Spray | Bear Bangers | Wild Life Safety Kits | Bear Bells

Where we are: The bears are getting ready to take a long winter’s nap. But when Mama and Papa Bear return from a family reunion to their cozy den, they discover that their son has brought home a friend with nowhere to spend the winter. The relative he is supposed to stay with is nowhere to be found. You can read about it here.

Mama Bear and Papa Bear are trying to find somewhere for Bubba to hibernate.

Rare Moments with an Amazing Grizzly Bear Family

Mama Bear: Maybe we can find him a spot on the ads from The Weekly Bear Gazette.

Papa Bear: That’s a great idea! There’s a section for bears looking to connect with other bears. Let’s see what they have.

Mama Bear: Here’s one: Older male bear looking for someone to share sleeping space for this years hibernation. Prefer female bears who are looking to start a family. Must be willing to forage for food. Some cleaning responsibilities as well.

Evie: Eww! That’s creepy.

🔥 Alaskan Grizzly bear family : r/NatureIsFuckingLit

Mama Bear: It definitely is. Let’s see what else we can find: Looking for a young strong male bear. Must be willing to live with young cubs. We can build a den together for the winter.

Papa Bear: I don’t think we’re going to find anything in there. Those sound more like dating ads than roommate solicitations.

Mama Bear: Have you had any luck tracking down Cornelius? Bubba is supposed to be staying with him.

Pin page

Papa Bear: Not really. I guess I’m going to have to talk with Madame Goldie.

Evie: That’s a funny name. Who’s Madame Goldie?

Papa Bear: She says she can see things that no one else can.

Mama Bear: You don’t believe that, do you?

Papa Bear: Not really. But I don’t know who else to ask.

Bear Hibernation: The Science Behind Their Long Winter Sleep - Lions Tigers and Bears

Mama Bear: Maybe we should just let him stay here. We might be able to rearrange things to make it more comfortable.

Papa Bear: I think we should at least try to find his family.

Papa Bear went deeper into the woods. It looked like a lot of bears had already settled in for the winter. He finally found Madame Goldie. 

Madame Goldie: Hello, sir. What brings you into this part of the woods? Are you trying to find a place to stay for the winter. I can help you find a den?

Kodiak Grizzly/Brown Bear Cub | Another shot of Shaggy. She … | Flickr

Papa Bear: No, I’m set for the winter. I’m trying to help a young friend find his family. His name is Bubba and he’s looking for someone named Cornelius. It’s his cousin or uncle or something.

Madame Goldie: What does Cornelius look like?

Papa Bear: I’m really not sure. Bubba is brown and shaggy, so maybe someone like that?

Two Bears For Every Believer | Grace for the Race

Madame Goldie called out to her son.

Madame Goldie: Walter! Come out here please.

Walter: What do you need, Mummy?

Madame Goldie: This gentleman is looking for a bear named Cornelius. Apparently a relative is looking for him..Do you remember anybody with that name passing by?

Checking in with the sloth bear cubs

Walter: That doesn’t really sound familiar. Ruthie!

A smaller bear came out.

Ruthie: What do you need Walter?

Walter: Do you remember meeting a bear named Cornelius? This fellow is looking for him.

Ruthie: Hmm. That name does sound familiar. Let me look through the books.

Bear Wearing Glasses Reading Book | Stable Diffusion Online

Ruthie got out a large ledger while Papa Bear waited, somewhat confused.

Ruthie: Here he is. I thought I recognized the name.

Papa Bear: Can you tell me where I can find Cornelius? A family member is looking for him.

Ruthie: I don’t think that is possible. Cornelius was part of a group of bears who moved into the city and domesticated. We’ve totally lost touch with them.

Papa Bear: That’s very unfortunate. Thank you for your time.

Bear wanders into City Hall in South Lake Tahoe

Papa Bear headed home. It was snowing again, and he was very tired. He would have to talk to his family to see what they wanted to do with Bubba. When he got home, the den looked different but he couldn’t figure out why.

Cody: Hi, Papa! Any luck finding Cornelius?

Papa Bear: I’m afraid not. He has moved to the city and domesticated. There’s no way to reach him.

AMAZING video of Black Bear Emerging from Den

Mama Bear: That’s too bad, dear. Do you like what we’ve done with the den?

Papa Bear: What did you do?

Mama Bear: Cody and Bubba enlarged it with some old logs and a lot of dirt and leaves.

Cody: I was afraid that you wouldn’t be able to find another spot for Bubba, so we made some space at our house.

Bear family on a bog : r/bears

Papa Bear: You are all comfortable with Bubba staying here?

Mama Bear: It’s really the only option. We need to get to sleep very soon.

Evie: We can’t leave Bubba out to freeze.

Papa Bear: So it’s settled. Welcome, Bubba.

Bubba: Thank you. I think we’ll have a good winter.

Sleeping grizzly bear stock image. Image of nature, hair - 24477713

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

18

Hibernation Season: Five’s a Crowd

|

Brookfield Zoo Chicago on X: "Bear-y cute cuddle puddle alert! 🐻🐻 Tim and Jess are always together, exploring their habitat with endless curiosity and cuddles. The animal care team reports the siblings

Mama and Papa Bear were returning from a family reunion with their daughter Evie. Their son Cody had chosen to stay home and get the den ready for hibernation.

Mama Bear: I can’t wait to get home. All I want to do is sleep.

Papa Bear: Me too. I can’t believe how much salmon your mother brought.

Evie: And the clams were scrumptious. I’ve never had them before.

What Happened To Our Pumpkin? | Lake Lure North Carolina

Mama Bear: I think my favorite was the berry pie.

Evie: The honey ice cream was really good too.

Papa Bear: It was the perfect end to the season. Now it’s time for a long winter’s nap. I hope Cody did a good job gathering leaves and moss and bedding. He’s never done it before.

Evie: How hard can it be? Our den isn’t that big. There’s just enough space for the four of us.

Brown bear winter cave

Mama Bear: It’s the perfect size. And it’s in a great location. Right behind those rocks so no one can see us.

Papa Bear: We were really lucky to find it. I hear that some of the bears couldn’t find space locally and had to go further up the river.

As the bears walk along, they stop and wish some of their neighbors happy hibernation. They finally reach their den. Cody is outside eating a few late berries.

Cody: Hi, guys! Did you have a good time?

Animal Names - a group of bears is called a sleuth or a sloth. (Not sure if they can see the future though.) : r/PopcornCulture

Evie: It was wonderful! You really missed a feast. Everyone asked about you.

Cody: Maybe next year. But I’ve been busy, making the den extra cozy.

Mama Bear: Wonderful! Let me see.

Cody: Umm. There’s something that I need to tell you.

Mama Bear: We can talk inside. I’m ready for bed.

sleepy grizzly bear | Inhabitat - Green Design, Innovation, Architecture, Green Building

Cody: Well, that’s what I wanted to talk…

Evie had walked into the den.

Evie: Oh kettlefish! There’s a strange bear in here.

She ran back out and hid behind her mother.

Scared bear

Mama Bear: Why is there a strange bear in our den?

Cody: He’s not really a strange bear. That’s Bubba. He’s a friend of mine.

Papa Bear: Okay. Why is there a Bubba Bear in our den? It’s time for hibernation.

Cody: He’s a friend of mine from bear scouts. We were goofing around by the river. When it was time to come home, he told me that his family didn’t have any place of their own to winter. They were trying to split up and stay with relatives. I couldn’t just leave him there.

Papa Bear: Please ask him to come outside.

Very shaggy bear - Picture of Bear Country USA, Rapid City - Tripadvisor

A rather shaggy young bear comes out. He looks at the family.

Papa Bear: Who are you supposed to be staying with this winter?

Bubba: I have a cousin Cornelius who said he had room. But I haven’t been able to find him. They said that if I followed around the bend in the river, I couldn’t miss him.

Cody: We looked, and we couldn’t find him.

Brown Bear Family

Papa Bear: I don’t know of any bears around here named Cornelius. Where’s the rest of your family?

Bubba: My Grandma said she could find places for them if they went north. They plan on coming back down here in the spring.

Mama Bear: So they’re already gone? Without making sure you were safe?

Bubba: Yes ma’am. My daddy said that I was old enough to find Cornelius on my own.

31 Animals That Use Each Other As Pillows | Bored Panda

Cody: Do you think he could stay with us?

Evie: There’s not enough room.

Cody: We can’t just let him freeze.

Mama Bear and Papa Bear looked at each other, then at Bubba. As if it were planned, a light snow began to fall.

What Time of Year is Best to See Bears in Jackson Hole?

Next week: Where will Bubba spend the winter?

Pictures courtesy of Google Images.

14

AIU: Hibernation Havoc

|

Alaska Magazine | A sloth of bears, and other inventive names for Alaska wildlife

The poster has written to the Am I Unbearable (AIU) forum to get some feedback on an issue he is having with his brother-in-law regarding sleeping arrangements for the upcoming hibernation season.

My darling partner Pamela (7f) and I (8m) have been together for several years. We are both successful in our careers. I am the spokes-bear for our local park system and Pamela is a technology whiz who works from home. We are the proud parents of two cubs, one of whom is still at home.

Grizzly bear photographed roaming near downtown Quesnel, B.C. | CBC News

A little background: I come from a very progressive family. We were early adopters of the movement to get bears out of the woods and into structured society. My grandfather was the first bear on the city council. He worked tirelessly to make our home town into a place where all animals could live together in peace.

Cuteness overload: brown bear cubs becoming best buds

I met Pamela during a sit-in protesting the use of “bear spray” by the police department. She was the most beautiful bear I had ever seen. She is a wondrous creature, gentle and soft-spoken. And really smart. I fell in love almost immediately, and we’ve been together ever since.

Pamela’s family still lives in the woods. They are very nice bears, just not interested in anything outside of their own world.

Hibernating bats have similar metabolism to that of hibernating bears

As you probably know, when bears become part of the “civilized” world, we lose some of our “bearness.” Most importantly to this issue is that we don’t do a full hibernation anymore. Because we don’t live outside, our bodies aren’t fully synced with the seasons. It’s more of a grogginess than a full sleep.

A Bedtime Story: How Nature and Nurture Help Grizzly Bears Hibernate | The Maryland Zoo

Pamela’s younger brother Dave has been saying that he really wants to try doing a “semi hibernation.” I’ve explained that he doesn’t really understand what happens. He can’t just choose to not hibernate. He’s lived deep in the woods his whole life.

I didn’t know anything else, so I actually find it kind of weird that Pamela’s family disappears for five to six months every year. The first couple of years, she really struggled with the change. I don’t think Dave has any idea what he’s trying to do.

Angry Bear Pictures | Download Free Images on Unsplash

Here’s where I might be Unbearable. Dave has asked to live with us for the winter. In fact, he wants to move in by the end of the month. He says that living with artificial light will make it easier to not fall into a deep sleep. I told him that I really didn’t want him to use our house as an experiment. Bears can get pretty unpleasant when they don’t get enough sleep.

🔥 This bear has reached peak boredom : r/NatureIsFuckingLit

Pamela said that I should have talked it over with her before I told Dave that he wasn’t welcome. She thinks I’m a hypocrite for saying that I want bears to integrate more into the general population, but when her brother wants to try it I won’t help him. I don’t think Dave wants to integrate; I think he just wants to try something different.

1,000 Kilometers from the Coast, Bears Gorge on Ocean Fish | Hakai Magazine

We don’t eat as heavily in the fall as bears who do a full hibernation. Dave’s been power eating for the past month and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. I’m not sure he’s going to be able to find enough to eat in town. We have a good pantry, but not enough for a full-grown male bears in hibernation prep.

Bears in the woods

Pamela’s family think that I don’t want Dave here because I look down on “woods bears.” They are saying that if I really think of them as family, I won’t mind having him stay here all winter. I’m more concerned with having a 400-pound grumpy male bear who isn’t getting enough sleep.

So, I’m asking your opinion. Am I Unbearable?

Final Frame: Brown Bear Greeting

Next week – see what the readers think.

Pictures courtesy of Google Images

20

Snoops: Update from the Home Front

|

Greetings fellow felines (and your humans). Snoops here. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over eight months since the intruders arrived. They seem to have made themselves comfortable in my house. My human sister is okay, but those little humans need a volume control. Last night, the littlest one had a bad dream or something. At first he was upstairs, but then he came downstairs with his mom. Totally ruined my sleep.

He can be cute when he tries to feed me. I just wish he understood what cats like to eat. We really don’t like Mandarin oranges or fruit snacks. I think he might be trainable. His brother isn’t as loud, but he doesn’t really share. I think they could use some training to make them really useful.

The original arrangement for us cats was to have two of the visitors in our sun room with me and Kommando getting full run of the first floor. Then they would be gradually introduced to us.  Unfortunately, Kommando went over the Rainbow Bridge. Angel and Gypsy were not a good combination in the sun room. As near as we can tell, Angel was eating almost all of the food. Gypsy got really skinny before Mom said she should go upstairs. You’d never know she was so thin to look at her now.

That left me and Angel on the first floor. They decided to wait a little bit for the introductions because I was a little stressed out over Kommando, and the stupid fleas came back. Angel gets to come out once in a while now. I don’t really mind her. She doesn’t try to get in my face or sit with my humans the way some cats do. We pretty much ignore each other. And she is very attached to the littlest human so that’s a bonus.

I wish I could say the same thing about the cats upstairs. Onyx is my human sister’s therapy cat. So she’s been upstairs since the beginning. Of course, Sgt Stripes lives up there. And Gypsy has settled in up there too. No one is eating her food up there, so she’s filled out nicely. (Mom had been afraid that she might not make it because she had lost so much weight. But she looks good – for a dilute calico.)

Here’s the problem. Mom wants to open up the house so that we can go wherever we want. That’s supposed to be the step after Angel and I get used to each other. There are doors at the top of the stairs. They’ve been closed since Sgt Stripes arrived. It was a pretty good arrangement. Except the little humans know how to open the doors. (And apparently have not been taught how to close them.)

Gypsy’s been really good about staying up there. It’s the first time she’s actually had a specific human to care for, and she seems to be happy with the situation. On the other hand, Sgt Stripes and Onyx have been coming down pretty regularly. And they are not good at keeping to themselves. Onyx is the smallest cat on the household, but hisses at all the rest of us cats every time she sees us. It’s rather annoying.

Sgt Stripes is the biggest of all of us. He doesn’t hiss, but he wants to be friends with everyone. He’s always ready for a game of pounce. I do not want to be pounced on. He seems to be a little intimidated by me. I don’t think he has forgotten about how I jumped on him after he first got here. He had gotten loose and ran after Kommando. I had raised her from a kitten and wasn’t about to let him hurt her. He was probably trying to play, but he frightened her. That’s why we were segregated by floor.

I’m over the fleas and have gotten used to the boys. (I even let them pet me if I’m in a good mood.) Mom says all of us cats have to start getting along. I’m fine with that as long as they don’t try to interrupt my cuddle time or eat all my food. Or get in my space. They should probably have their own toys. And their own human. And I get first dibs on the best sun puddles. I’ll keep you posted.

     

Sgt Stripes here. I want to thank everyone for the nice things you said about me being a calendar cat. I’m going to choose the winners this weekend.

20

Sgt Stripes Makes a Friend

|

Hi, everybody! Sgt Stripes here. Guess what! I have two new friends, one human and one feline. I was really lonely last week because my main human went to a place called Italy for 10 days and left me all alone (except for Mom and the new human/cats). I thought I had been deserted

Then one of the new kitties moved upstairs. I guess she was supposed to be locked in one of the bedrooms until the humans had a chance to introduce us, but she escaped. She must be pretty smart. Her name is Onyx. She’s a really pretty black cat. And she smells really good.

She seems kinda shy. We sat together for a little bit one day. The next day, I sniffed her again, and she seemed to get a little offended. She went under the bed. I guess I’m going to have to keep trying to charm her.

I think she might be a little intimidated because I’m a lot bigger than she is. But I’m patient, so I’m sure we’ll be spending more time together soon. She doesn’t hiss at me like Snoops does, so I think she kinda likes me.

I really like her human mom. Snoops says they used to call her Blondie. I don’t really know why. Her hair isn’t blonde. Snoops says it used to be. She’s their human sister, so I guess she’s my human sister now too. Although my main human is her brother. I don’t know. It’s all really confusing to me. For the purposes of identifying her, I guess I’ll call her Blondie too.

She’s the mom to the two small humans. I’m not sure about them. The one seems pretty okay. He comes in once in a while and wants to pet me. He’s pretty gentle. The little one is another story. He is so LOUD and he cries a lot when he’s tired. He scares me. I try not to go near him.

Back to Blondie. She’s working from home now. And she sends the kids away during the day. Snoops says it’s some kind of shelter, and she hopes they stay there one day. I’m not really sure what a shelter is, but Snoops says she used to live in one. Mom says it’s called a daycare, so I’m guessing they’re not allowed to stay there at night. When I told Snoops, she was pretty disappointed.

Anyway, Blondie has been working upstairs since Onyx moved up. And it’s pawsome. She lets me stay in the room with her ALL DAY. And she lets me help her work. She does some kind of medical office job. We talk to patients and work on the computer. The best part is that she does something called Zoom calls. I get to see people on the computer. My brother does those sometimes too. I love Zoom calls.

Yesterday I learned how to schedule patients for some kind of testing. It’s pretty cool. Blondie uses a lot of different computer programs, and I’m learning them all. I already know how to change programs and shut them down. Pretty soon I’ll be really good at this stuff and ready to learn something else. The best part is that when I get cold, she lets me cuddle up with her.

My regular human returned yesterday, so now I have all sorts of options. I can help him with his school work. (He’s in something called grad school. I’m not really sure what that is, but it seems to take up a lot of time.) He spends a lot of time on the computer too. Or I can keep helping Blondie. And of course, I have to spend time with Mom. I don’t want her to feel deserted.

This is so exciting! I don’t even miss the lady cats anymore.

20

OMC!! Our World is Upside-Down

|

 

Sgt Stripes here. I’m helping Mom type the post, and I am not a happy cat. We’ve been invaded. And apparently it’s of indefinite duration. I’m a very chill dude, and most things don’t bother me. (Although I do wish the lady cats liked me more.) But my furs are totally ruffled.

The blonde woman is here with her two screaming children. And they’re staying in MY room. And they keep bringing more stuff. Pretty soon there won’t be room for me. Of course, I don’t really want to be in there with them anyway. I’m trying to decide whether I should take up residence in Mom’s room (that’s where my cat tree is) or my human brother’s room (it has the best cat TV).

It’s me, Snoops. For once, the man-cat is right. We’ve been overrun. It appears that our human sister is back for a while. And she brought the small humans with her. We were really mad at her when she left, but at least she’s family. The two little ones are just a problem.

They run around the house and make a lot of noise. And they want to TOUCH us. We are very selective about who we let touch us. And the list does not include anyone under four feet tall. And it does not include anyone who screams or cries. (We make an exception when Mom cries – we just don’t let her rub her face in our fur.)

Kommando Kitty here. And they keep trying to eat our kibble. NO ONE is allowed to touch our kibble. Snoops takes care of any mouse who tries. And the big humans yell like it’s going to hurt the kid. We have excellent kibble, and we do not want to share it with a couple of little humans who don’t even understand the proper way to bathe.

Speaking of which – all humans smell weird, but little humans smell extra weird. Apparently they haven’t been litter-trained. So they have that on top of the weird regular human smell. And they eat funny stuff too. Nothing good to share with us cats. I’m really not seeing a lot of positives in the current situation.

Snoops again. And it may get worse. I overheard our human sister saying that she misses “her” kitties. I think she’s referring to the pests who relegated us upstairs a couple of years ago. I certainly hope that she’s not planning on having them visit again.

Sgt Stripes – More lady cats? That would be scary. Although, maybe they would be nicer to me. It would be better than having any more small humans running around.

22

Chloe Cat’s Christmas Guest

|

300+ Free Christmas Cat & Christmas Images - Pixabay

Mama Cat had been working hard for days getting everything ready for Christmas. She was having a big family dinner on Christmas Eve. It was the first time the whole family had been together in several years. The best part was that her daughter Chloe was coming home from college for the first time since the beginning of the school year. And she was bringing a friend. A male friend!

Mama Cat: I’m so excited to see Chloe! It’s been months since she’s been home.

Papa Cat: I’ve really missed her. She’s my little buddy. I hope we get a chance to go hunting while she’s home.

Mama Cat: I wouldn’t count on it. She’s bringing a boy home. She’ll probably want to spend all her time with him.

Cats R Cool 4 Back to School - oregonlive.com

Regina: Don’t you think it’s a little weird that she never talks about him? We don’t really know anything except that she met him in her Chemistry class.

Sophie: Yeah. So we know that he’s probably a nerd like she is.

Mama Cat: Be nice, girls. She’s never brought anyone home before. It must be serious.

Papa Cat: How serious can it be? She’s only been gone four months.

Mama: We need to be nice to him. He’s going to be staying here for a few days.

17 Pets Who Can't Believe You Aren't Taking Them On Your Trip - The Dodo

Meanwhile, Chloe was preparing to go home.

Chloe: Sasha, are you ready to leave yet?

Sasha: Not quite finished packing. Are you sure I’ll be welcome?

Chloe: Absolutely. My family is great! Mama says they’re really excited about meeting you.

Sasha: What have you told them?

Chloe: Just that I met you in Chemistry, and that we’ve become good friends. And that I wanted to bring you home for the holidays so you wouldn’t be alone.

Sasha: Do they think I’m your boyfriend?

Chloe: It never really came up.

Cat Signals for Expressing Happiness and Mood

Sasha rubbed his head against Chloe and she purred.

Chloe: Okay. We’ll leave mid-morning. Remember, we have to be there by 2 pm. Mama doesn’t want anyone to be late for dinner. And I haven’t seen them in months so I don’t want to miss anything.

Sasha: Don’t worry. I’ll be ready bright and early.

Christmas Eve was a beautiful day. Sunny and cold. The family started gathering around noon. Grandma and Grandpa were the first to arrive. As usual, Grandma had brought her favorite catnip cookies.

US embassy apologises after mistakenly sending Cookie Monster cat invitation | Canberra | The Guardian

Sophie: Yummy! One of the best parts of Christmas.

Grandma: Is Chloe here? I can’t wait to see her. I hear she finally has a beau.

Mama: Mother! Don’t embarrass her. She’s calling him a friend. We have to be nice.

Grandma: I’m going to be nice. It’s just good to see she finally has a social life.

Mama: Mother —

I prefer the unneutered male cat appearance – PoC

Uncle Charley was next. He was a little eccentric. Rather conservative and prone to speaking his mind.

Papa: Charley! Good to see you. How are things?

Uncle Charley: Not bad. Glad to see the elections are finally over. Didn’t see too many dogs or other lowlifes voted into office this time. Maybe we’re finally back on track to getting things back under control.

Regina: Uncle Charley, would you like some milk or some water?

Uncle Charley: Do you have anything stronger?

Mama: I was going to make some punch if anyone wanted it.

Uncle Charley: The good stuff with catnip AND silver vine?

Mama: That’s the one. I’ll go get started.

Group shot of a pack of kitties ❤ #grouppicture #kittens #cats #adorablecats | Cute cats, Cats, Cute cat memes

While Mama was in the kitchen, most of the rest of the family arrived. There were about 20 cats in the extended family, and everyone had come. Except Chloe.

Mama: I wonder where Chloe is. I told her not to be late.

Just then, the doorbell rang. 

Mama: How odd. Who would that be?

Sophie: I see Chloe’s suitcase out front. Maybe she has a surprise.

25 Giant Dog Breeds — Huge Dogs | Reader's Digest

Mama opened the door and saw Chloe’s surprise guest. She could barely speak.

Mama: Welcome to our home; you must be Sasha.

Sasha: Indeed, I am. Thank you for having me.

The others heard voices but couldn’t recognize the accented words. Sophie ran up.

Sophie: Oh my cats! You’re a dog!!

Sasha: Why, yes I am.

Dogs That Are Good With Cats: Breeds That Tend to Do Well With Felines

Sasha was the largest dog she had ever seen. And he was standing in the doorway to her house. Her father stepped up.

Papa: Sasha, please come in.

Sasha stepped into the room and looked around the room full of cats. He wasn’t sure whether to be amused or frightened. Chloe was still paying the driver and getting their things organized. Finally she came up.

Chloe: Hello everyone. I see you’ve met Sasha.

Her grandmother had been in another room. She came out when she heard Chloe’s voice, took one look at Sasha and fainted. Uncle Charley arched his back and began to hiss. Sasha looked like he wanted to head for the door. He wasn’t sure what to do with the box of smoked fish he was holding.

Next week: Will the family have a Merry Christmas? You can read the conclusion here. 

Christmas Cat Pictures | Download Free Images on Unsplash

 

14

Jake Rabbit, the Very Bad Hibernation Lodger – Part 2

|

Can My Bunny Play In The Snow? - Bunny Parents

Where we are: Jake Rabbit had been planning to spend the winter with his girlfriend Suzy in the home of the hibernating Woodchuck family. Unfortunately, he made too much noise and woke up the Woodchucks. Now he had to find a new place to stay. You can read Part 1 here.

Early the next morning, Suzy set out to find Jake. It didn’t take long. He was under the other end of the porch where the Woodchucks had burrowed. He looked pretty bedraggled.

sleepy bunny Free Photo Download | FreeImages

Suzy: Jake! What are you doing here?

Jake (embarrassed): I kinda got lost last night. After hopping around for a while, I came back here to get a little sleep.

Suzy: Where are you going to go?

Jake: I don’t know. Do you think I can go back and apologize to Wally?

Suzy: I don’t think that’s a good idea. He’s sleeping.

Jake: Oh, right. Maybe he wouldn’t notice if I just slipped back in.

You Shall Not Pass: Sweet But Angry Groundhog Tries to Scare People Off With Evil Laughter

Suzy: That is not a good idea.

Jake: Maybe we can find a place of our own.

Suzy: It’s the middle of winter. All of the good spots are taken. And there aren’t any leaves or grass around to make a bed.

Jake: Right. That’s a problem.

Suzy: What about your buddies? Maybe you can stay with one of them?

Jake: Nah. They’re a bunch of slobs. It would drive me nuts living with them.

Suzy: Could you move back home?

Jake: I don’t want to go back there.

Rabbit Fact Sheet | Blog | Nature | PBS

Suzy: Why not? I’m sure your Mom would let you stay.

Jake: It’s embarrassing. I said I was ready to leave home.

They went for a walk around the woods. It was a beautiful day. There were deer and squirrels running around. They didn’t see any of their friends, but ran into a couple of Jake’s sisters.

Jasmine: Jacob! How are you? We miss you!

Jake: I’m good.

Rabbits -- sad rabbit.

Jenny: How do you like living with the Woodchucks? Is it hard being quiet all the time?

Jasmine (looking at Suzy): We have a bet about how long he’s going to last before he gets in trouble.

Jenny (laughing): Yeah. Jake’s kinda loud for a rabbit.

Suzy and Jake looked at each other but didn’t say anything. Jenny stopped laughing.

Jenny: What’s wrong? Isn’t it working out?

Jake: That stupid woodchuck threw me out last night.

How High Can Rabbits Jump? - Sand Creek Farm | Rabbit jumping, Wild bunny, Animals

Suzy: Jake! He’s not stupid! You woke him up. He had a right to be mad.

Jake: Whose side are you on? I thought you were my girlfriend.

Suzy: I am. But you knew they were sleeping, and you had a party.

Jasmine: That was kinda dumb, Jake.

Jenny: Yeah. We love you, but no one could sleep through one of your parties.

Jake: I guess you’re right. It was dumb. But now I don’t have anywhere to live.

Pet-n-Sur - How do rabbits show happiness?

They all sat and thought for a few minutes. Jasmine started smiling.

Jasmine: Hey, Jen. Didn’t Aunt Sheila say that she was looking for someone to help around the house?

Jenny: That’s right! She’s been having a terrible time trying to find anyone.

Suzy: Isn’t she the one that lives in that gorgeous burrow by the big oak tree?

Jenny: Yep. It’s huge.

Suzy: You should talk to her.

HD lots of rabbits wallpapers | Peakpx

Jake: I don’t know. She has like a million kids. It’s a zoo over there.

Jenny: That’s why she needs someone to help.

Jasmine: You’d be perfect! You’re like a big kid.

The three girl rabbits talked Jake into visiting Sheila. He didn’t really like little rabbits, but he didn’t want to spend another night hiding under the porch. He nervously knocked at the door.

Sheila: Jake! It’s so nice to see you! How are you? Jennifer! Jasmine! And a beautiful stranger! Come in!

100 years ago: Rabbits burrow into willow tree | Environment | The Guardian

They all entered the burrow. It was beautiful. Sheila listened while Jake explained that he was looking for a place to spend the winter. There were several young rabbits running around, but it was not at all crowded.

Sheila: You are welcome to stay here if you would like, Jake. You can have a room at the back.

Jake: That would be wonderful! Can I have friends over?

Sheila:  Certainly. We can’t have any parties, of course, because of the children. But your girlfriend is more than welcome to visit, if she’d like. And, of course, your family is welcome.

Jake couldn’t believe his luck. He promised himself that this time would be different.

30 Cute Bunny Pictures to Make You Smile — Adorable Bunnies

Pictures courtesy Google Images.

17

Snoops and Kommando: Our Really Awful, Truly Terrible Week

|

Greetings. Snoops and Kommando Kitty here. We hope everyone is well. We are not contented kitties at the moment. You would think with spring FINALLY starting to show some signs of life that things would be good. However, all is not kibbles and tuna steak.

First, our felines cousins visited a week ago. Our human sister went on vacation with her family and left them here. You know three of them: Angel, Onyx, and Thunder. They went home on Easter Sunday. At least, they were scheduled to go home on Sunday. Three of them arrived the Tuesday before Easter. It was supposed to be all four, but one refused to cooperate and had to come separately on Wednesday. That would be Gypsy.

We love family as much as the next cat. Meaning that we love our family – just the way it is. When the cousins visit, Mom lets us have the upstairs where she sleeps, and the visitors get downstairs. It’s not too bad, except THEY HAVE HALF OUR HOUSE. Snoops got down the second day. After that, a couple of them spent the rest of the time in the basement. Mom was not pleased.

At this point we should mention that the boiler went out the last week of March and we didn’t have any heat. The space heaters were downstairs, so we got the bed warmer. But it was still cold. Mom thinks we grew some extra fur to compensate. We still had cold feet. We were not happy cats.

FINALLY, Sunday got here and our human sister was supposed to pick up our visitors. They corralled three of the kitties fairly easily. Once again Angel, Onyx, and Thunder were pretty cooperative. Kudos to Onyx who was the easiest to wrangle.

Then they tried to find Gypsy. No one had seen her since she made a beeline downstairs directly downstairs following her arrival. Someone had been eating the food they were putting downstairs, so we were pretty sure she was OK. It’s an old farmhouse with lots of places to hide.

Finally, our sister gave up and went home WITHOUT her cat. That’s right. We have an intruder in our home. She’s here at least until Sunday. Snoops has seen her a couple of times and hissed at her, but the humans still don’t know where she’s hanging out. But she’s eating well, so they’re not really worried.

Back to the heat. Mom stayed home on Monday which was pretty pawsome. It was really cold that day. (It snowed 2 inches!) But then we found out why she was home. Human intruders came to FINALLY fix the heat.There were three of them, and they had to invade our space upstairs to put something on the wall. We couldn’t go downstairs for the entire day.

Then they came back Tuesday. The house was really cold Tuesday because they kept letting the outside air in. Mom worked from home, and she wouldn’t let us participate in the staff meeting or anything. We would have been a big improvement over the people who were running the meeting.

At long last, the strange humans left, and we had a warm house! Hooray! Now we just have to find the extra cat and convince her to go home. Wish us luck!