Blooming Time

This is one of my favorite times of the year: it's blooming time for my peonies. I just love their color.

A Milestone

It's our very first video! Courtesy of our terrific new iPhone 3GS capturing a pretty typical night in these parts...

Watch out Quentin Tarantino...

Explanation

I asked Diego-san and Theo to explain yesterday's picture. Theo said he told Diego to "bite me." Diego said he only did as he was told.

Cat Talk

I take pride in my ability to speak enough cat to think I understand what the boyz are trying to tell me most of the time. That said, I have no idea what Diego told Theo here that provoked such a reaction. My guess is it couldn't have been good...

Not the Best Posers

This picture probably would have turned out a heck of a lot better if Diego-san had been the one in the sun, and Thompson was the one in the near shadow. Thompson just doesn't need as much illumination assistance (no offense meant Diego...)

Versatile Persuader

Diego-san has a couple of tools in his toolbox that he uses to be persuasive. One is his cuddly, loving persona. The other is his intense glare. I'm pretty powerless against either one.

St. Paul Pioneer Press 6/13/09

Can't afford the cat anymore? Neither can the shelter
By Bob Shaw

In good times, there are lots of clicks in Vickie Lachelt's office.

It is the sound of people hanging up after hearing the recorded message that Feline Rescue's cat-saving programs are only for low-income families.

Now, the hang-up clicks are gone. Thanks to the recession, the callers have less money and qualify for help. Day after day, they leave a stream of messages about their unwanted cats.

"It is never-ending," said volunteer Lachelt, "and it is heartbreaking."

Cats — and the groups that rescue them — are victims of the economic downturn. Animal rescue groups are staggering under the burden of thousands of cats, turned in by people who have lost jobs or houses.

At the same time, donations to the cat-saving groups are dropping. Several groups are pulling back or failing — making more work for those that remain. This, in turn, increases stress on those who love cats.

After 31 years of caring for dogs and cats, Rita Knudson recently shuttered the Brooklyn Park-based Lucky Dog Rescue. "We just couldn't take it anymore," she said.

"I do not want to drop dead with a leash in my hand. It's stressful when the phone is ringing seven days a week, night and day."

For shelter workers, the cat glut isn't just about money.

It rattles their faith in humanity. It makes them bitter to think that kindness to animals only prevails when the stock market is up.

"There is so much more neglect now. So much more cruelty. I don't understand it," said Laura Johnson, president of the cat-rescue group SCRAM, based in Shoreview.

"I get these calls. I say, 'We only have so many hands. Can't you put this animal in your garage? Is there any way you can help?' " Johnson said. "Nine out of 10 say no.

"The suffering I have seen in the last nine months ... I have nightmares."

ABANDONMENT BURNOUT

Johnson saw a Siamese cat that had been set ablaze with lighter fluid. She has seen several cats turned loose after having been declawed on all paws, which renders a cat unable to feed itself.

"A cat like that doesn't have a chance in hell," Johnson said.

"People get mad because (cats) are killing songbirds. That is sad but true. Nature is cruel. But how are these cats supposed to survive?"

One reason Knudson quit was burnout over the increase in abandonment and cruelty.

She was called after kids in Minneapolis shot guns near a chained-up dog — as a training exercise.

"They said they were making it a police dog," Knudson said. "It was the stupidest thing I have ever seen."

Other times, stress comes from listening to owners abandoning pets they love.

"A young gal called me to see if any assistance was out here," said Erin Hauer, director of Our Paws Cat Sanctuary in Wyoming. "She said her cat was hungry. She said she was hungry."

This June is a perfect storm for unwanted cats, said Deb Balzer, spokeswoman for the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley.

Winters are steadily becoming milder, so the cat-breeding seasons are longer. "They used to have one or two litters a year. Now they have multiple litters," Balzer said.

The recession compounds the problem. The river of unwanted cats is swamping the Humane Society.

"We average 75 cats a day, more than 500 cats a week," Balzer said. Last summer, the Humane Society took in 10,000 cats. About half were adopted. The other half — old, diseased or unadoptable — were euthanized.

The national average of cats euthanized after being admitted to shelters is 71 percent, according to the Humane Society.

FEWER CATS OR MORE HOMES

SCRAM's Johnson said calls for help have doubled in nine months. "We are averaging 30 to 40 calls a day, because of this economy," she said.

The economic downturn hurts other animals, too.

Because of a foreclosure, the Humane Society recently received an entire petting zoo. Later, a goat named Billy was taken from a foreclosed farm in Woodbury.

But cats are by far the most common abandoned animals. The ultimate solution to an abundance of cats, rescue groups agree, is an aggressive and cheap spay-neuter program.

Many such programs already are in force. For some cat owners, SCRAM charges a rock-bottom $33 for neutering and $69 for spaying — procedures that normally can cost $300.

The Humane Society's Balzer said people need to learn that they have a responsibility to spay and neuter their cats.

"We hear people say, 'Oh, I never got around to spaying and neutering them.' Then it's 'Oh, look at all the cats running around here,' " she fumed. "Pretty soon they are giving away free kittens at their kid's lemonade stand."

Another solution?

"People need to open their homes," Johnson said, "and take in another cat."

Schnews

The news makes Thompson snooze. Sometimes I can relate to that...

Four Eyes

Something tells me somebody's (or somebodies') dinner dishes are empty...

Different Mindsets

This could very well be Theo and Diego-san.

My Boy Thompson

Have I ever mentioned what a great cat Thompson is? He seldom gets into trouble. When I yell at his more trouble ridden buddy Diego, Thompson is the first to go over and sit with Diego as if to let him know where his allegiance is. He has somehow managed to befriend both Theo and Diego, never taking sides in that difficult relationship. This entire household salutes you Thomps.

Kings of the Castle

I was at a offsite training today so I got home a lot earlier than I normally do. When I entered the house, Theo groggily looked up at me from the couch. Diego-san came prancing down from upstairs. Thompson came hopping up from the downstairs. I don't know if this is normal when I'm gone but I found it somewhat amusing that each boy had claimed his own level of the house.

A Little to the Right

A friend gave me a one year old washing machine (his family needed a larger one). He delivered it in the evening. I was able to corral Thompson and Theo and put them upstairs but Diego-san ran downstairs. He ended up in the basement rafters supervising our installation. Nosy Nellie.

Back in the Old Days

Thompson is regaling Theo on all the adventures he once had as an outdoor kitty. Theo is wondering where that french fries smell is coming from...

Monday Blahs

Sometimes it's hard to get going on a Monday morning. Fortunately for some, they don't have to.

Resistance is Futile

Theo is making some progress in his relationship with Diego-san. Now not only does Diego sometimes stay in the room when Theo appears, but he is also allowing his little brother to be in the same proximity on the rare occasion. (My favorite part of this photo is capturing Thompson's ever present supervision of all things going on in this household...)

Old Man

My legs cramped up badly last night during our softball game so all day today I've been pretty sore and hobbling around like a very old man. Theo has been watching my new walk with complete fascination. Meanwhile Thompson and Diego-san look at me with eyes that suggest they've seen it all before, just the normal shtick.

Diego-san's Vision

Somebody sees a weekend coming around...

More Than Enough Special

I think I offended Thompson. Theo greeted me with extra enthusiasm when I got home from work. I picked him up and hugged him. He was purring loudly and he tried to lick my arms so I hugged him even tighter and said, "How's my special little guy?" Thompson looked at us and meowed with a little attitude. "That's my nickname," Thompson's eyes seemed to say. I tried explaining all three boyz are pretty darn special but Thompson was having none of it as he grunt hopped away.

The Revenge of the Boyz

A strong case has been made that I shouldn't leave the boyz for days/weeks at a time. Since I've returned home the following has happened:

* My mini laptop crashed and I've had a hard time restoring it;
* The sound card on my desktop computer has stopped working;
* The doorknob to the upper level of the house broke;
* The HD channels on my DirecTV do not work.

Coincidence?

What I Did on My Spring Vacation

My friend -M and I took the Amtrak down to Austin and San Antonio Texas. My favorite part of the trip was eating lunch at Sandra Bullock's restaurant in Austin. I had a turkey and gouda sandwich. It was delicious.

A True Friendship

A true friend doesn't care where you sleep. And I guess I don't blame Thompson for his choice here- Diego-san's belly is awfully soft and warm.

Unpredictable

I got home and read the day to day notes from the boyz's babysitter. I wasn't surprised to read that Diego-san dominated her time by demanding constant attention. I wasn't surprised that Thompson was a little reluctant to approach her at first, but by the end of the week was waiting his turn for her attention.

What did surprise me was that Theo spent much of the week hiding after he was done with his meal. He's usually the friendliest of the boyz when it comes to greeting people that aren't over on a regular basis. My theory is that he has become the most schedule dependent boy of the trio. The boyz are fed three meals a day, and Theo spends much of his time waiting for the next meal to be served. When I'm gone the boyz get the same amount of food, only it is served all at once. This probably really threw poor Theo off and he didn't know what to do with the rest of his day.

Home Soon

Thompson waits my arrival.

My Boy

My boy's life is all about stylin'.

Absence Haiku Pt. 5

Tag team been through much
happy to be together
a great partnership

Absence Haiku Pt. 4

Together we stand
or at least sit, companions
brought together here.

Absence Haiku Pt. 3

Theo is constant
motion in action, playful
a very sweet boy

Absence Haiku Pt. 2

Thompson talks all the
time. He's very sensitive.
The glue that binds us.

Absence Haiku Pt. 1

Diego-san is
idiosyncratic with
a teddy bear soul

The Suitcase

Thompson and Diego-san clearly have figured out what packing the suitcase means... Diego-san even went so far as to crawl inside before the packing was complete.

Bad Newz

I had to break the bad news to the boyz... once again I'm taking a trip and they will be on their own for a whole week. I hired the sitter that stopped in and looked after them when I took a trip last Christmas so they are in good hands. However, the routines like on demand fresh water out of the tap will have to wait until I get back...

Strange Days Indeed

The weather has taken a turn for the bizarre around here. It suddenly turned into summer yesterday with temperatures in the mid-90's. Today was equally hot and humid but it was incredibly windy. I thought I was going to be blown off my scooter on my way home from work.

The boyz are trying to figure out what is going on but what chance do they have when all them schooled meteorologists can't explain it.

Psst Theo

Psst Theo... did you know you have a ball in your mouth?

Leggo of My Eggo

Diego-san occasionally takes it upon himself to be a guardian of the refrigerator. I'm glad he's willing to chip in wherever necessary.

Survivor Sunday

The boyz and I enjoyed the season finale of Survivor. I tried to explain to Thompson that JT's decision to honor his friendship and take Stephen to the end was akin to Diego-san choosing Thompson over Theo and risking a sure million dollars.

I Hop

Here's one of my favorite sights in the whole wide world: I'll be sitting at one end of the hallway upstairs and Thompson will come up the stairs and be standing at the other end. I'll call his name and he'll run to me as fast as he can. I wish I had the technology to get a video of this but it is such a wonderful sight to see him hop enthusiastically towards me meowing/grunting all the way. When he finally gets to me he'll stick his face forward- a sign he wants his face rubbed. Everyone involved is rewarded...

Let Go

Theo's got a hold of my camera. Guess he doesn't want his picture plastered all over the Internet.

Happiness

Tonight was the first softball night of the season. Although we ended up forfeiting because we didn't have enough players, we still scrimmaged. It felt great to get out there again and I did pretty well both hitting and fielding wise. Many years ago one of my friends told me the only time she ever saw me truly happy was when I was out on a softball field. Of course she hasn't seen me romping around with my current roommates...

One Question

Diego-san wants to know, "when are you going to comb me?"

The Club

Driving home in a long line of cars near the University of Minnesota, I looked up at a balcony of an apartment and saw a handsome black dog. I was admiring the dog while waiting for the stoplight to turn green when the dog turned around and headed back inside the apartment. That is when I noticed it was missing its right front leg. It's odd how I feel a kinship with the club of animals that Thompson is a gold star member.

Bewildered

Theo and I share a common feeling. Sometimes life just bewilders both of us. This is Theo's best bewildered look.

Anniversary

Six years ago, Thompson and Diego became my roommates. You can read about how we all found each other here: The boyz.

It's been a really great six years together.

Award

Our new friends Cliff and Olivia were kind enough to give us the prestigious International Bloggers Community Award. Here are the rules attached to this award:

1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Copy the image above, the rules and the questionnaire in this post.
3. Post this in one or all of your blogs.
4. Answer the four questions following these Rules.
5. Recruit at least seven (7) friends on your Blog Roll by sharing this with them.
6. Come back to BLoGGiSTa iNFo CoRNeR (PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE THIS LINK) at http://bloggistame.blogspot.com and leave the URL of your Post in order for you/your Blog to be added to the Master List.
7. Have Fun!

Questions & Your Answers:

1. The person who tagged you: Cliff and Olivia
2. His/her site’s title and url: Cliff and Olivia, http://cliffandolivia.com/blog/
3. Date when you were tagged: May 8, 2009
4. Persons you tagged: since I'm not sure who all has been tagged, I'm tagging all you who are mothers on this fine fine Mother's Day.

My Trickster

One of the many tricks in Diego-san's arsenal is when he stares up at the ceiling daring me to look up with him. I try to resist but he's pretty persistent so eventually I do look up. Often I see nothing but I swear I can hear Diego snickering underneath his breath that he got me again...

Yard Work

There's lots of yard work that needs to be done and the boyz are wondering when their lazy roommate is going to get off his butt and actually do the work...

Squirrelly Watching the Squirrel

I was watching Theo watch a squirrel who was climbing a tree that sits outside our living room window. The squirrel had caught Theo's eye by quickly dashing up the trunk of the tree. Theo himself dashed to the window and kept a close eye on the squirrel. Occasionally he would look back at Thompson who was laying nearby on the floor. Theo's look to Thompson conveyed one of two things: 1) he couldn't believe Thompson wasn't interested in the visitor climbing the tree; 2) he needed instructions on what to do next when one spots a squirrel.

Choices

Last night was the first night it was warm enough to leave some of the windows open overnight. I woke up a little after midnight and heard it raining. So I closed the skylights. I noticed Thompson was asleep underneath the open skylight where when the winds blew the right way, a little mist came in. He must have been enjoying the fresh air so much that he was willing to tolerate getting a little wet.

Running on Empty

I was out of ideas of what to blog about today so I asked Diego-san to do something entertaining. This is what he did.

Ain't No Cure for Love

I went and heard Leonard Cohen last night. Cohen is an artist I never thought I'd get the chance to see since he doesn't tour that often. The last time he was in the Twin Cities was 1993. And the guy is 74 years old. It was a very entertaining show. It's not often you get the chance to see an old guy skipping across the stage.

Suddenly Sunday

Sunday is fun day in our house and it sounds like Diego must be having fun by the looks on Theo and Thompson's faces.

Line Up

I grew up with three sisters in the house so I learned early on that it was wise to get up early if I wanted to use the bathroom without an indefinite wait. Even though the boyz and I don't have any sisters in the house, the boyz seem to be catching on to the same lesson.

So Close

Is that the weekend that Theo sees out his window?