Pet(s): Photos & Discussion

[bosawks]

@DementedDaisy I love the WTH face on Leia!

[DeLurker]

I'd guess Leia is a bit unsettled from the move and is parking herself where she is constantly surrounded by familiar smells.  Maybe Luke finds the flooring in the bathroom cooler?

Will be going to see my folks this summer - we'll be driving from the Houston area to Florida.  Our normal stopping point to spend the night is around Mobile or Pensacola.  Anyone have recommendations for places to stay where a 9 lb. cat would be an acceptable overnight guest?  The place we normally stay does not allow pets and the woman there recommended a place in the area, but it had a pretty steep charge for a pet.  She said the other ones in the area were not usually that "clean".

[ABay]

Hi there. I'm a refugee from the Chit Chat thread where we are no longer welcome to discuss our pets. So I added this thread to my followed threads, and a couple of users to my ignore list, and look forward to seeing many familiar names and some new ones. I did actually post here before but it was ages ago.

My credentials: I have 2 black cats, ages 8 and 17 (or maybe 18. He's a cat of mystery). 

Edited June 7, 2016 by ABay
Following is not customized home page.

[DeLurker]

My cat has been nutso today. Jumping straight up because something I can't see has startled him, staring intently at the wall or ceiling at nothing visible, running like he's on fire suddenly...I've come to the conclusion that my grandma and/or uncle are teasing him. They are both deceased, but they were notorious tricksters. 

Only logical explanation.

[riley702]

If they add chewing or licking at their butt to that, have a vet check them out. Could be anal glands needing to be emptied, a bladder infection or bladder stones. Otherwise, I'd think it's the usual cat crazies.

Edited June 11, 2016 by riley702

[auntlada]

I saw this at our local American Cancer Society Relay For Life last night and thought of you guys, especially Maharincess. I was going to post it in Chit-Chat, where I saw all the conversation about pets, but it looks like most of you are here, so since it is a pet thing, I'm putting it here.

[DeLurker]

Sad to report that my cat is on the dim side.  He's spent the last 20 minutes trying to get a lizard that is on the outside of the window.  I am a bad cat parent because I took some video of it because it is funny,

[bosawks]

So, it's obvious to me now that the rescue lied about Alli being a full bred Chessie.  She obviously has some jackrabbit in there somewhere....

[DeLurker]

I crack up every time I see this picture of Alli because she is mooning all of us.

[bosawks]

1 minute ago, DeLurker said:

I crack up every time I see this picture of Alli because she is mooning all of us.

And enthusiastically!

[DeLurker]

Nothing worse than a half-assed mooning.

[slf]

Can someone explain to me what cats love about bleach? I disinfected my trashcan in the bathroom with bleach and they've been alternating between yowling at the shut door, demanding to be let in, and rolling around in the hallway like lunatics. You'd think I'd dumped a pound of catnip on the floor.

[ABay]

Not bleach exactly, but my dear departed Bear would go crazy very time I used Comet. He also loved the clean, wet laundry and would try to crawl inside the laundry bag. If I didn't make a little nest of the socks for him, I couldn't hang anything up to dry.

[slf]

13 hours ago, ABay said:

Not bleach exactly, but my dear departed Bear would go crazy very time I used Comet. He also loved the clean, wet laundry and would try to crawl inside the laundry bag. If I didn't make a little nest of the socks for him, I couldn't hang anything up to dry.

LOL, what is that about? Maybe they get high off the fumes? What kind of cat was Bear? Sounds like he was adorable. The maine coon I used to have loved laundry fresh out of the dryer. Every time I did the blankets I'd dump them on the bed and he'd crawl directly into the pile and gurgle at the top of his lungs. My other cats hate fresh laundry though, go figure.

[ABay]

Bear, aka Bruce, was a big tuxedo cat who showed up in my yard one December night in 2001 and became my unexpected third cat. His face looked like he was wearing a mask--only his jaw was white--hence Bruce for Bruce Wayne. And Bear, just because. The cretin who had him before had him declawed, and he'd been in some kind of accident long before he got to me; he suffered some skeletal damage and one shoulder blade was higher than the other so his walk was peculiar. He was a total love bug with me but terrorized one of the other cats, for which I still feel very guilty. Aside from clean, wet laundry his great joys were sleeping in the middle of the recliner footrest--I became a Circque du Soleil contortionist to get out of the chair without lowering the footrest--having his belly rubbed, and pouncing on plastic shopping bags. I don't know how old he was when he showed up, but 10 years with him was not enough and I still miss him.. 

[ratgirlagogo]

Our late cat Kitten was obsessed (among her other obsessions) with Mr Rat's stick deodorant - I came home one evening to find that she had dug a mostly used up one out of the trash and was lying on the bathmat happily chewing on it (!).  She complained loudly when I took it away from her and when I took it outside to throw it in the outside garbage cans she stood meowing by the front door for a long, long time. Oddly eating this was not what killed her.:)

[Petunia13]

@bosawks now she's adding hurdling and high jumps to list of sports she does?

[Petunia13]

On June 18, 2016 at 1:06 PM, slf said:

Can someone explain to me what cats love about bleach? I disinfected my trashcan in the bathroom with bleach and they've been alternating between yowling at the shut door, demanding to be let in, and rolling around in the hallway like lunatics. You'd think I'd dumped a pound of catnip on the floor.

It probably smells like ammonia heavy urine. And that either bothers them or entices them. 

[bosawks]

12 hours ago, Petunia13 said:

@bosawks now she's adding hurdling and high jumps to list of sports she does?

Yup, it's helpful having a never-ending supply of energy, her, not me........

[Qoass]

Quote

 pouncing on plastic shopping bags.

Thank you for reminding me of the time my dear departed fuzzy roommate somehow managed to get both handles of a plastic grocery bag caught around his torso then tried to outrun it as the bag billowed behind him like a balloon.

[Sandman87]

On Saturday, June 18, 2016 at 11:06 AM, slf said:

Can someone explain to me what cats love about bleach? I disinfected my trashcan in the bathroom with bleach and they've been alternating between yowling at the shut door, demanding to be let in, and rolling around in the hallway like lunatics. You'd think I'd dumped a pound of catnip on the floor.

Maybe that explains why the wolf-dog my family had when I was in high school would not stop chewing up bleach bottles at every opportunity (and it didn't matter whether they were full or empty.) She thought she was a cat. She really did; used the litter box, preferred to grab with her paws instead of her mouth, etc.

[DeLurker]

We had a dog that we got as a puppy, but we already had cats so she pretty much thought she was a cat.  Watching her try to slink through chain link fences was a crack up.  When we got new neighbors, she finally figured out she was more like Killer, the German Shepherd (a love bug) and made her first pathetic attempts at barking.

[Bastet]

I'm another Chit Chat refugee, here to report that I've adopted a new kitty.  For those who don't know, I lost my Baxter right before Christmas '13, and my Maddie this past September.  Finally ready to adopt again, I set off to the shelter to select two (adult) cats ... and came home with one.  She's about five years old, and came in to the shelter in February with four others (the owner had died), and they all had issues.  She was the only one of that group left (one was euthanized, two were deemed unadoptable and sent to a sanctuary, and one was adopted after going through the socialization program and improving), and she was horribly depressed and scared (despite going through the same socialization program).  She's spent all these months hiding in a box inside her cage, losing weight from not eating much, etc.  She rubbed her head against my hand from inside her box, but later on my lap she just shook from head to toe and hid her face in between my arm and body.  If one of her siblings had still been around, that would have made the perfect two to take, but I knew I couldn't ask her to adjust to a new random cat and me at the same time.  (And I sure as hell couldn't leave her there; the odds of anyone else wanting to adopt her, period, let alone before they ran out of space due to kitten season and had to give up on her, were not something I could live with, even if I somehow could have walked away from the saddest eyes I've ever seen.)  So I took her alone, and will go back and adopt a buddy for her when she feels secure, whenever that is.

Since she promptly managed to get under my stove and hide upon being let out of the carrier (I had no idea a cat could fit back there, but she's tiny!), and then hid under the twin bed I use as a sofa in my home office when I moved her there, I figured this would, indeed, be a long project.  But when I poked my head under the bed skirt to check on her about 90 minutes later, she came out.  She inspected me for about ten minutes, and then started purring and rubbing me.  And she hasn't stopped!  She even licks my nose.

She still hides under the bed when I'm not in the room with her, thinks the big, bad world outside this room is a scary place to be avoided even if I'm there, hasn't eaten much and will only eat out of my hand, hasn't peed, pooped or slept, is scared of unexpected noises or sounds, etc.  So she is definitely a project cat.  But so much less of a project than I thought.  She's a sweetheart, who has improved dramatically in just eight hours, so she'll be queen of the castle in time. 

I've named her Riley, because after a rough start in life, she will live the "life of Riley" from now on.  Here she is, with eyes no longer sad:

 

[riley702]

Oh, she's gorgeous!

[ABay]

Wonderful, @Bastet!

[Wings]

On 6/7/2016 at 8:04 AM, DeLurker said:

I'd guess Leia is a bit unsettled from the move and is parking herself where she is constantly surrounded by familiar smells.  Maybe Luke finds the flooring in the bathroom cooler?

Will be going to see my folks this summer - we'll be driving from the Houston area to Florida.  Our normal stopping point to spend the night is around Mobile or Pensacola.  Anyone have recommendations for places to stay where a 9 lb. cat would be an acceptable overnight guest?  The place we normally stay does not allow pets and the woman there recommended a place in the area, but it had a pretty steep charge for a pet.  She said the other ones in the area were not usually that "clean".

We drove from MA to FL snow birding for 4 years.  We traveled with 3 dogs and could not always find a pet friendly motel.  Choose a one story structure with parking right in front of the room, and ask for a room in the back.  No one will know or see your cat. Easy!  

The pet friendly places usually stipulated "one well behaved pet allowed."  We had no problem with that because one was well behaved, the other 2 were not.  

[Bastet]

Well, I am exhausted, because Riley was too busy rolling around on top of me (including on my face) and next to me to sleep - and she also talked to me much of the night, in this little mouse squeak sound - but I am so impressed with the fact she made it out of the office and down the hall to the bedroom on her first night.  I closed off that "wing" of the house and opened the office door, giving her access to the hallway, main bathroom, and bedroom.  Over the course of several hours last evening, she started exploring for a few minutes at a time before running back into me/the office for reassurance.  Then when it was time for bed, she followed me part of the way and then eventually made her way into the bedroom following my call.  She explored, I got in bed, and within minutes she hopped up and joined me.  And the cuddling began.

She went back and forth all night, but spent most of her time with me until about 5:00 when she retired to her safe spot in the office to finally sleep.  A couple hours before then, she'd gone in to eat on her own.  Not a whole lot, and the dry food instead of the canned <sigh>, but at least she ate with zero prompting from me.  Still nothing in the litter box, but a few minutes ago she drank some water for the first time.

So, wonderful progress for her first night!  My parents are coming over in a little while, so we'll see how she does with people other than me.

Updated to say she did pretty well (for her <g>).  She dove under the bed when she heard them come in, but she eventually came out and let them quickly pet her.  Then we switched some TVs around, and Riley hid under one bed or another through all of it, but when we were done she readily came back out for another quick hello.  So, for her to let two random people pet her after just about 24 hours in her new home is great.  She'll get used to them.  She's meeting her Auntie tomorrow.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Bastet

[Maharincess]

@Bastet, Riley is beautiful!  I am so, so happy for you both.  I LOVE how you got her name. She sure does deserve the Life of Riley.  Her progress just shows how comfortable and content she already is with you. 

It's incredibly rewarding to take a terrified animal and change their lives.  I got so much out of helping my Kaylee girl, she changed my life as much as I changed hers. 

I want to thank you all for all of your posts and private messages when I lost my Kaylee.  They all mean more to me than you'll ever know.  I  appreciate all of you so much. 

I've been in a deep depression since losing Kaylee.  I have lost other pets before and their losses have devestated me but none have hit me as hard as losing my Kay Kay.  I got her ashes yesterday and it hit me all over again.  I miss her so much I don't know what to do with myself.  I'm so happy that I took a chance on a dog that everyone else had given up on.   I'm so thankful that she passed knowing what love is.  I know that sounds corny but it means a lot to me. 

@Bastet, give Riley hugs and kisses from her honarary California auntie. 

Edited June 25, 2016 by Maharincess

[editorgrrl]

Meet the World’s Ugliest Dog 2016—Sweepee Rambo—and Another That Looks Like Donald Trump! http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/worlds-ugliest-dog-2016-meet-sweepee-rambo-w211269

Sweepee Rambo

Himisaboo

[Bastet]

Yes, Maharincess, it's great to "see" you again; I've been thinking about you so much since Kaylee died.  I understand how you feel (my heart ached reading "I don't know what to do with myself" because that's exactly how I described it), and I wish there was something I could do to help, but I know there isn't; only time does, and it's a slow process that feels downright unbearable for a while. 

Riley is bathing on the desk in front of me right now (and I got her to eat about 1/3 can of food total between two feedings, which is not a meal, but is great for her!), so I've given her a kiss on the head from her virtual aunt.  And you give yourself a hug from me; I'm just so sorry for what you're going through.

[Maharincess]

4 hours ago, Maharincess said:

 

I have no clue why that quote box is there.  I couldn't make it go away. 

stewedsquash , there will definitely be more Kaylees in my life. When I'm ready again I'm going to tell the rescue to let me know if they get another dog like her.  I'm extremely partial to Border Collies but I'm open to other breeds too.  I agree about the forum change.  I created Chit Chat as kind of a catch all forum to talk about what's going on in our lives, which to many of us include our pets.  It was fine for a long  time, but what can ya do?   I personally don't see the problem, if someone doesn't like the pet posts they can just scroll past them.  

Bastet, thank you.  I missed all of you guys too.  I was in a really bad way for a while and couldn't seem to do much of anything.   I'm so very happy for you and Riley,  it seems like she's very comfortable with you already.  Animals have great instincts about people,  she knows you're going to be a great mama to her.  

Edited June 26, 2016 by Maharincess

[harrie]

Very (belatedly) happy for you, Bastet.  Riley is a beauty - and it sound like she catches on pretty quickly, too!

[raven]

Maharincess, Condolences on the loss of Kaylee.   Such a big emptiness when they're gone because they fill so much of our hearts when they're here.  The right dog will find you when you're ready.

Bastet, Riley is cute as a button!  How wonderful for you both!

Edited June 28, 2016 by raven

[Maharincess]

Thank you @raven

@Bastet,  how is Miss Riley doing?  I've been thinking a lot about you two.   I'm so happy you found her.  

 

Edit:.  I don't know if you all remember Rufus and Murphy, the two mini schnauzers that my husband found in a hot car in  Arizona.  He ended up bringing them home and we adopted them.  I think I mentioned that poor Rufus, who we call "Baby Ruf" was always a big, scared ball of nerves.  He was terrified of everything,  very sweet but really timid.  He doesn't like being on the road so he stayed with my daughter and her family when we went on our trip.   When he was at my daughter's house and with the kids he was a different dog.  They sent videos of him running around and playing with the kids and I couldn't believe it was the same dog.   Fast forward, we bring him home and he goes back into hiding and acts scared again.  I took him to my daughter's house again, again, different dog at her house.    My daughter ended up keeping him at her house and he's their dog now.   I never told anyone here about giving him to my daughter because I didn't want you guys to think I was a bad person for giving him to them.   I did it for him and the kids but I still feel bad. 

He's been there a few months now and he's the happiest I've ever seen him.  I don't know what it is but he's so happy over there and that's what matters to me.  I still get visitation though!   

But now I'm dogless.  Murphy is a complete and total road dog.  He's always on the road with his daddy. A lot of the truck stop people know him by name now and he's so so happy going in the truck.  When they go on the road, like now, I have no dog at home, I've never not had a dog at home.  I'm looking at some rescues but I'm not sure yet.  I don't like my house without dog fur everywhere. 

I'm just babbling here, mind of thinking out loud I guess.  Do you guys think it's too soon for me to start looking at rescues already?  

Edited June 28, 2016 by Maharincess
Wasn't done babbling.

[Babalu]

If you're thinking of looking at rescues, I don't think it's too soon. I knew I was ready for new cats once there were no longer any lingering thoughts of, "But s/he (new cat) won't be Babalu/Hoku (old cats)." Then I was sure I could still love my old babies but also give unreserved love to my new ones. Anyway, there's no harm in looking. If you don't feel ready or don't find a match that's good for you, you'll know it. However, your heart is so full of generosity, it will probably happen soon!

[krimimimi]

It's never too soon, if you catch yourself looking.

I used to say without my dog, I'm just an "owner," and what the heck is that?

Our Dutchie died nearly 24 years ago, and I can still cry if I start thinking about it in detail. If I never stop missing her, but I waited until I did to get a new dog, I'd never have had my other fur babies. Each has enriched my life in their own way. None is interchangeable or replaceable, but that doesn't mean they can't have successors. Just like people can fall in love again after the loss of a partner.

And I think that sounds incredibly generous, not bad, to let Rufus go where he's happier. That's pretty much the "if you love someone, set them free" thing in a nutshell. Have you come any closer to figuring out what made him so scared at your place?

[Bastet]

I don't think there is any timeline for when to start looking!  Some people need a long time, some people need a very short time.  Everything in between.  Go ahead and start looking; maybe someone will jump out and you and say, "I'm your dog!" or maybe it will be a while.  Whenever it happens, that will be one lucky dog.

And no shame in giving Rufus to your daughter.  The opposite!   You'd have kept him all his life, but you discovered he is - for whatever reason - a lot happier at your daughter's home, a home you know is every bit as good as yours and a home where he can continue to get visits from Grandma and Grandpa.  Win-win.

Thanks for asking about Riley, and good timing as we just got home from the vet's office.  But first, she has discovered the joy of toys, and she runs and jumps around like a kitten when she's playing.  I've also opened up one more room in the house, and she's been exploring that with me and even on her own.  Really, everything is progressing beautifully other than her appetite; it's still a real struggle getting her to take in just enough calories per day to avoid getting sick with hepatic lipidosis or something.

So, the vet visit.  My "clearance kitty" (her adoption fee was only $10 because she'd been there for so long) just cost me about $700, but I will have a complete baseline to compare to as she gets older, and if there's anything medical contributing to her lack of appetite, we'll find it.

Despite pooping (and an average amount) around 10:00 this morning, her colon still had a lot of poop in it at her 1:30 appointment, and then gas in front of that. So that may be a reason she doesn't eat much, and only eats a little bit at a time. I'll give her medication for a while to see if we can get things moving and see how that affects her appetite.

(Going forward, after she's eating well [and thus won't refuse to eat food that I've put something in], I can add psyllium or even MiraLax to her food if this will be a chronic issue. Extra hydration will help, too; she's not dehydrated, but when she's eating more, she'll be getting more water, and the extra will be good.)

Other than that, the abdominal x-ray looked normal. Chest x-ray looked good, and heart and lungs sounded good as well. X-rays of her hips/hind legs showed no issues, so the odd way she moves sometimes settling down probably is, indeed, just a matter of getting her muscle mass back up to snuff after nearly five months of hiding in a box 24/7.

Her anal glands were full, so those got expressed and I'll have to keep on top of that. Watch her wind up needing to have them surgically removed like my Baxter's did. At least I know a top-notch surgeon if it comes to that.

Blood test and urinalysis results will be in tomorrow, so we'll see if anything is amiss there. Her teeth need to be cleaned, so if her blood work is good I'll take her back in after a few weeks and have that done. We also scraped some gunk out of her ears for testing, and I brought this morning's poop in with us for a fecal parasite test.

No need for fluids, enema, or appetite stimulant at this point -- keep doing what I'm doing, and hope that with getting things moving through her system better and more time to settle in, she'll start eating better. Fingers crossed!

Oh, but her weight was 6 lbs 12 oz, which is good for her. I'd like to get about a pound on her in time.

The vet thinks Riley is probably about six years old. Maybe seven, but she doesn't think any older than that. (Shelter paperwork said five, but then you look at earlier paperwork and it said unknown, then 6-7 years old, so who the hell knows what the family actually said or if they were even right -- five cats who weren't theirs, what are the odds they know how old they all are?)

She, of course, promptly took to her hiding spot when we got home, but came out about half an hour later to chat with me, lick my face, and then take a bath and settle in for a nap - out in the open.

I love this little girl so much already.  Yeah, it would be nice to have two cats roaming throughout the house, and greeting people when they come over, but we may get to that.  We may not.  Whatever works for her is fine with me; I wouldn't trade her for anything.

But she better shit diamonds and gold when stuff starts coming out.

[Maharincess]

Aw, she sounds like such a sweet girl,  I love hearing that she's playing and coming out of her shell.  I can tell that you're already in love!  

Sending good, positive thoughts that all tests come back normal.  

We have never been able to figure out why Rufus was so scared at my house, he came face to face with a big deer through the big window in the living room one day and went flying out of the room but he had been acting scared before that.  I doubt we'll ever know. 

[harrie]

Maharincess, I think it's great that Rufus is with your daughter's family. He seems very happy there - do you suppose he had kids in his former life? - and it was selfless of you to let him go where he's happy.  

As bastet noted, everyone is different.  When our first dog passed, I really missed having a dog (during one of our most severe winters, with lots of snow and tundra-like wind gusts almost every day); and we got our dog Tip about six weeks after losing Ethel. To be fair, Tip looked like she needed help; our animal control officer was a corrupt, nasty piece of work, and I wasn't sure where she'd end up in his care. But still, the hub felt guilty and kind of heartless being a party to replacing our beloved dog so quickly.  

Fast forward twelve and a half years, and we lost Tip to cancer. I saw an adoptable dog who looked kind of like Tip in the margin of the website for my hometown and showed it to the hub.  The hub - the same guy who thought I was rushing things six weeks after losing our dog - wanted to ask about the dog in the popup; and short story long, we ended up getting Handsome three weeks after we had lost Tip.  It was early for me this time around, but I'm so glad we adopted the boy.  

Life is funny, and people are funny. 

[Bastet]

Here's Riley on her second night here, hanging out on my desk rather than hiding:

 

[Babalu]

She's really a beauty. And probably thinks it's her desk now.

[riley702]

So heartwarming to read about Riley chatting in the middle of the night. She finally realized she was safe and was probably telling you all about it. Interesting about the dominance thing, stew. Lucy was here first, but Swiffer took over almost immediately. Lucy really doesn't seem to mind, but sometimes, when she's on the bed with me and wants under the cover, she looks around to make sure Swiffer isn't watching first. If she is, she won't get under the cover. Swiffer doesn't usually want under the cover, herself, so it has to be some kind of dominance thing playing out. I don't interfere unless she's chasing Lucy or trying to block her in a room by laying in the doorway. They have no problem sharing the couch/futon, and neither hesitates to jump up if the other is already there. They'll sleep side by side and groom each other, so I'm not worried. I let them sort it out.

[Bastet]

Riley's test results all came back in normal range.  And she has no fecal parasites, and the gunk in her ears is just wax.  So, hopefully her meds will work to move things along better in her colon, and between that and continuing to settle in, hopefully she'll eat better.  She's doing okay so far today.  I'll let you guys know when we have achieved normalcy.

Here she is last night, conked out after her rough day.  It was the time of night she normally gets in a good play session on the office couch/bed, but last night she played just long enough to mess up the pillows, and then settled in for a nap.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Bastet

[krimimimi]

I'm thrilled you've got a new kitty, and a gorgeous one at that. She's terribly cute. Looking at the pictures, I can't imagine how she managed to become a "bargain bin kitty" and wasn't snatched up long ago. But I'm glad she was still there when you were finally ready for her. 

[Demented Daisy]

@Bastet I'm a dog person, but even I have to admit she's awfully cute.

Edited June 29, 2016 by Demented Daisy

[Maharincess]

@Bastet, I was just coming here to ask if you had the test results yet.  Yay on a healthy Riley!!!   I can't tell you how happy I am for you and for Riley.   She certainly seems to be coming out of her shell in a big way.  She knows that she's safe and secure with her mama.  

In weird pet news, in the past 5 days my daughter has had 2 Australian cattle dogs show up at her door.  The first one ran into her garage when she was in there with the door open.  No tags or microchip but she posted on the local pet finders and Craig's list and found the owners.   Today she went to the mailbox and there the dog was again.  She brought her into the garage and went to call the owners when she noticed that this one isn't the same dog, it's a male.  She once again posted to the lost dog sites and now she's waiting.    They've been in their house for 7 years and have never found a dog, now they have two almost twin dogs show up in less than a week.   They fell in love with the first one and would have kept her if they couldn't find the owners but she said she doesn't get a good vibe from this one so she's keeping him in the office away from my grandson.   My granddaughter is here or she would be wanting to go in and see the dog. 

It's just so weird. 

[ABay]

Finally. I've been messing with this picture for an hour trying to make it an acceptable size for PTV and it finally fits but is grainy. Oh well.

These are my cats. The boy is on the left and today is our 16th anniversary. He celebrated by overshooting the edge of the litterbox twice and I celebrated by cleaning it up. He's probably 18 now--the vet thought a year and a half to two years old when I got him and his brother (cancer took him in 2010) from the rescue agency.  This boy is 70% bladder and 30% vocal cords and I'm hoping that in another 16 years, he might trust me enough to let me pet him. 

The girl cat will be 8 on Sunday but our 5th anniversary was back in February. She's as sweet as can be and enormous,

Edited June 30, 2016 by ABay
Confusion

[bosawks]

Happy Anniversary!

[ABay]

Thanks! I'm sorry the photo is so dark! It was my first attempt to post one and I kept getting messages about the size and none of my eiditng programs was helping. Ugh. If I can master the system over the weekend I will bore you more.

Edited June 30, 2016 by ABay

[stillshimpy]

Happy Anniversary, ABay.  The photo looks great :-)  She looks like a sweetie.  

Okay, before we left the St. Louis area I had Oscar's portrait taken by the same photographer who did Pud's picture (one of those shots is my avatar).  I'm trying to figure out which shots I want from the gallery. 

If anyone wants to take a look and chime in, here's a link to the gallery with Oscar's photo shoot.  Pud's in it too and obviously the ones of me crawling out of the frame are not going to be ones selected :-)  If anyone has time to take a look and tell me if one stands out to you, it would help my indecisive mind.  

Oscar, ready for his close up.