Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Thursday Thirteen #28 -- The Feline File


Thirteen Things about
THE BEST CATS ALIVE
in the humble opinion of
THE GAL HERSELF

Meet the cats that share my home. Or, more precisely, that allow me to share their home. All three are shelter babies and are healthy, adorable, and as different in temperament as you can imagine. These fab felines are the best endorsement for adopting from your local humane society.

1. JOEY: Enormous gray and white tomcat. Age: 10 (best guestimate). Named after Joey Tribiani from Friends, which was a good choice because he is so open and warm.

2. Joey loves all people everywhere. Especially children. For a cat so large, he is amazingly gentle and literally wouldn’t hurt a fly. (I’m not kidding – I’ve see him ignore flies.) I find it very comforting when Joey has a “love jones” and can’t get close enough to me, and presses his warm bod hard against me. This is especially nice if I’m not feeling well.

3. He powernaps. No one has ever appreciated the rejuvenating power of sleep more than old Joe. When he’s asleep, he looks like he’s smiling and is so cute he breaks my heart.

4. He doesn’t meow, he gargles. Joey is not much of a talker. The only time he meows is when he’s also purring and it’s a very strange sound that comes from his throat.

5. CHARLOTTE: tiny white and brown girly-girl. Age: 10, as near as we can tell. I got her sight unseen in 2001, after a fire at the animal shelter. Her paperwork got lost in the chaos, so her past is shrouded in mystery.

6. Charlotte has no tail, but she’s not a Manx. Judging by the way her “stub” healed, the vet supposes she lost it when she was very young, possibly in a refrigerator or car door.

7. She knows she’s a babe. Charlotte is forever grooming, and when she wiggles that unfortunate little stub, and you can tell she thinks she’s wagging her tail in a saucy manner. That’s why it’s so incongruous that she snores like she’s sawing wood. Very unladylike!

8. She’s emphatic about her likes and dislikes. Likes: spending quality time with me while I’m putting on makeup; shedding on fresh laundry; a clean litter box. (There’s a spot on the hallway carpet that gets punished if the box isn’t to her specifications.) Dislikes: Joey, for reasons all her own resents his very existence and hits him whenever he walks by.

9. REYNALDO: 3-year-old skinny beige whirling dervish. If the Tasmanian Devil was a tomcat, he’d be Rey-Rey.

10. Reynaldo is a thrill junkie. Nothing frightens or displeases him. Life is all a game to Rey. If he takes a running leap onto the window air conditioner, thereby endangering his life because we live on the fourth floor, and I spank him, it’s the cool game where I yell at him and spank him. Let’s do it again! If he won’t stop howling and I spritz him with water, it’s the cool game where I yell at him and spritz him with water. You get the idea. It’s exasperating. There’s a plus side: he’s the only cat I’ve ever known who thinks of nail clipping as a delightful diversion.

11. He’s very gentle. I cannot imagine him ever biting anyone. Because nothing frightens or displeases him, he’s great with kids. It didn’t bother Rey at all when my neighbor’s son would drag him down the hall by his tail. The kid's mom and I were horrified, but not Rey. To him, it was all part of their game.

12. He has cat charisma. Both Joey and Charlotte adore him. He and Joe play rough and tumble games together, and he and Charlotte groom one another. (Though Charlotte quickly gets impatient with him when he starts to bite or chase her; Miss Thing is not into undignified, childish behavior.)

13. Rey can’t get enough sugar. Doesn’t matter what he’s doing: sleeping, eating, playing, or monitoring the activity of squirrels and birds. He’ll interrupt anything for a head scratch or a snuggle. If I’m not paying enough attention to him, he’ll dive bomb down on me from above. It’s an effective maneuver.

These cats were adopted from two of the many local humane societies listed on Petfinder.com. Before you buy a dog or cat from a breeder, stop by Petfinder and see if you can’t find the perfect companion there at a shelter in your neighborhood.


Links to other Thursday Thirteens!

1. Amy remembers her college days at Union Univ
2. Nicole Austin takes us along as she shops for school supplies
3. Pussreboots has a photographic TT
4. Suprina shares her school supply shopping list -- & it scary!
5. eht (Elementary History Teacher) lists new education blogs
6. Still in the mood for more fab felines? Visit Thomma Lyn's TT
7. Susan Helene defines the true Shapeshiftere fan
8. Comedy Plus shares pearls of wisdom
9. Sue takes a nostalgic look back at Honest Ed's, a Toronto favorite
1o. Friday's Child shares quotations she has found to be true
11. Lori must be a fly on the wall at my workplace, because her 13 snappy retorts would work well here!
12. Lori's Light Extemporanea is a tasty visit to her mom's kitchen
13. Week two of Jenny's vacation!
14. L^2 has an evocative TT of morning sounds
15. Damozel enlightens us about the political scandals of the past
16. Harlekwin goes banner crazy, and they're gorgeous!
17. Fence answers the important questions :)
18. Sparky Duck tempts us off our diets with a TT about fast food restaurants
19. Clubbs takes us eavesdropping on the wee ones at the beach
20. Robin's TT is the "Robin Wants" Google Game, always fun
21. Go check out Nicholas' sock drawer. I dare you!
22. Callista gets it all off her chest (a most healthy thing to do)
23. Marina explains about moving from CA to TX.
24. Impworks names his fictional characters from his spam folder
25. Boliyou lists 13 little-known that she owns and watches often
26. Guusejem spent the some not achieving these 13 goals


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!


August Happiness -- Wedneday, August 8

Received a long email from my best friend today. It was so nice to reconnect. He is struggling through a lot that he clearly thinks he has explained to me, but hasn't, so as I read his message I got the same feeling I get when sitting through a movie with subtitles ("what aren't I getting here?"). But he's healthy, if not necessarily happy and wise. And this was a start. I must admit that now that I know he's OK, I've been angry at him for abandoning me. But when I haven't been mad, I've been worried. And when I haven't been worried, I've missed him. So this morning's email has us moving in the right direction.

I drank dishwashing soap before taking this

I heard on CourtTV that's how to beat a lie detector test. And I certainly beat this blogthings test, which I found via Kwizgiver, because I know lean toward the hysterical at times.

You are a Balanced Babe!

You're direct and to the point, but never dramatic
You've got the confidence to speak your mind to anyone
But you leave the theatrics to Hollywood
Level headed and emotionally stable, no wonder everyone loves you