Bribing The Cats

Getting the Giardia Brothers into the carrier to go to the vet Friday morning before our trip was traumatic for everyone involved, and then we left so they spent the weekend hiding from the strangers coming in to feed them. It took them a full day after we got back for them to remember us/stop hiding when we came in from the garage.

Good thing I’d ordered a Costco cat tree on sale that showed up while we were gone. I put it together as a bribe to get them out and it worked!
A large gray cat tower against a wall in the bedroom. A gray cat is on the platform at top and an orange cat is a level below.

By Monday afternoon I was remembered/forgiven, even without a cat tree nearby. Now we just need their giardia meds to kick in.
Two cats cuddled up on a lady's lap.

Mostly Cat Memes

I don’t usually joke about something being “as good as” therapy or meds because it’s just not true BUT this really does come close:

 

This is how I feel lately:
Picture of a cat licking a screen. A fake news chyron says "BREAKING NEWS THEY HAVE JUST ANNOUNCE IT"

 

This might be more accurate, though.

And finally, here are the boys in action, learning all about cutting out patterns:

Smart Boys

Cheese and Mr. Wizard have quickly figured out that I need a lot of assistance with sewing:

An orange cat and a gray cat on a pattern piece

A gray cat on an ironing board, impeding progress

An orange cat asleep on a windowsill, seen through the harp of a sewing machine

I don’t know what it is about cats and fabric, but these guys learned that it must be sat upon pretty quickly. Now I just need to get Cheese to stop biting the serger threads…

Friday Links

1. I loved reading this so much: Why ‘What’s Opera, Doc?’ Looks Like That.

[Background designer Maurice] Noble took an experimental route. That included some of the colors: a red Elmer Fudd against a purple sky, among other unnatural choices. With work underway, Friz Freleng dropped by Noble’s office and saw the concepts. “[He] muttered, ‘What the hell?’ and then just left,” Noble recalled

 

2. This fills me with evil glee:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Joe Fenti (@fentifriedchicken)

 

3. I can’t believe it hasn’t even been a week with the kitty boys. Look at these little faces! We love them so much (although Doc wishes they sat on his lap just a little more.)

Embracing ALL The Change

Reader, we made a snap decision. Meet Mr. Wizard and Cheese:
A grinning woman on a bed with a gray cat and an orange cat on her lap

After we tried meeting a dog in June, I wasn’t going to even think about another animal until the winter. Then I got laid off and thought, “Yeah, that’s for the best, we don’t need another mouth to feed.” But THEN my brother sent me a bonded pair of kitties at the shelter because the orange one was named Cheese just like our childhood cat. We met them Friday, they both sat on my lap, and we took them home.

When I immediately wrote about getting laid off, I said I wasn’t panicking yet, but as it sunk it, I’d been starting to panic, literally–waking up and having my heart start to race, upset stomach, needing to do my breathing exercises. NOW I have two lap cats who wake up with me and need snacks and pets and have the best purr motors. Now I have two little guys to keep me company in the office as I send out applications.
A gray cat and an orange cat on a couch in the sun. The gray cat has his arms around the orange cat.

We think these two are pretty young. Mr. Wizard might be older but their fur texture and body type are so similar that they might be litter mates. I’ve never had a bonded pair of cats and they’re just a delight. Mr. Wizard makes sure little Cheese is OK; when Mr. Wizard is around, Cheese is so much braver.
A gray cat guarding an orange cat under a blanket fort.

They’re also good boys, settling in and letting us sleep through the night. I have had to move some houseplants around and buy two more scratching posts, but they’re pretty chill overall. An orange cat and a gray cat sitting on a wide window ledge, watching birds

Was it the most responsible thing to take on extra responsibility and expense without a steady income? Maybe not, but I don’t regret it. I guess part of me was ready to blow up everything about my old life. But I think the new life with the kitty boys will be pretty good.