Christmas tree decorating….moggie style!

Most moggies aren’t overly helpful around the house and usually shy away at the mere mention of housework…with the exception of doing the dishes – they at least lick their bowls clean!

But when it comes time to decorate the Christmas tree, they are always willing to get in the thick of it and lend a helping paw.

Firstly you have to make sure that you have all the right bits….walk over the top of them and make sure you get any loose bits of artificial leaf out of the way. Don’t worry about the instructions – they’re always in Engrish anyway!

The next step – stare at the tree for long enough and it will miraculously put itself up! Laser eyes are really helpful in this process – it lets the tree know you mean business!

Next, make sure you have the site supervisor’s approval on your construction before you progress any further. If you get the branches in the wrong order, he won’t be happy and you’ll have to listen to him moaning all day long about how you stuffed it up.

After it’s up and all the pretty balls and tinsel are on it, you can sit back and take pride in your work.

Simple and understated is best for the moggies here – flashing lights are a no no, particularly with a resident chewer in the household. If you’re lucky, the tree will stay upright for the festive season and they will be content to bat the balls from time to time while lying under the tree.

Best be prepared to be picking it up every day though….oh and invest in some shatter proof balls for the tree

Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth…

Don’t you just love looking at baby photos?? A very young Mojo – back when he wasn’t quite as cranky, had yet to discover what grass is, hadn’t destroyed a lounge suite by using it as a scratching post and didn’t blink every single time you went near him with a camera.

Entertaining cats

Most of the time, my cats entertain themselves. But tonight I discovered a way to provide an endless source of amusement for Rosie and for me. Of course the effectiveness of it depends on how sweet and innocent your kitty is. Fortunately Rosie is sweet-natured and gullible…..thus easily entertained.

The method is simple:

1. Take a roll of wrapping paper and discard the paper (or wrap presents with it first, it’s up to you) and remove the flexible inner cardboard. This will only work with those rolls that have a cardboard liner that is not a solid cylinder.
2. Roll the cardboard so that it forms a long funnel with a very small opening at one end and tape up the side of the funnel.
3. Put the smallest end to your mouth and start talking.
4. Watch your gullible little kitty try to jam her head into the end of the funnel, wondering how you’re hiding a human in something as small as the funnel.
5. Repeat ad nauseum, until you are no longer laughing or kitty loses interest.

Of course the fun stops when kitty starts chewing at the end of the funnel and starts making a big jolly mess everywhere. *hehe*

Part of the All Women Blogging Carnival 26 November 2007, hosted by Leigh at All For Women.

Oscar, the Grim Reaper?

Even if you love your moggies, I think you would have a good reason to steer clear of this one.

I was quite amused to hear about Oscar, the cat they are dubbing the Grim Reaper. He’s even made it into the New England Journal of Medicine due to his uncanny ability to be present when terminal patients are within hours of passing away. If you do a Google search for “Oscar the Grim Reaper”, you will find he has also made it onto CNN, CBS and NBC. Everyone wants to know – how does he know when people will die? Oscar has been present for the last few hours of around 25 patients at his nursing home in Rhode Island – to the extent that when he lies on someone’s bed, the nursing staff start making calls.

There are all sorts of theories to explain his behaviour such as pheromones or change in routine of the nursing staff to accommodate increasing needs of terminally ill patients. Others are putting it down to a kitty sixth sense. It’s not too unrealistic to believe that this is possible….after all if dogs can smell cancer, is it unreasonable to believe that a cat can detect imminent death?

Whatever the reason, I’m sure that Oscar brings comfort and support to those who are dying. When my time comes, I hope I will spend it with a furry or two by my side. But if I see Oscar all too soon, I will be running for the hills!

Bliss!

We’ve all heard the phrase “a picture paints a thousand words” but I’m pretty sure that the exact opposite is true as well. One word can mean so many things to different people. Every so often I’ll pick up a copy of Australian Digital Photography. I just love the section where readers send in their submissions. Usually they pick a theme – for example, happiness – and you take a shot that you think sums up the word. It is really amazing to see what kind of entries people come up with.

I remember seeing a photo of a moggie sprawled out across a table, eyes half-lidded with the sunlight coming in through the window, shining on the table. I looked at that photo and thought “that’s one contented kitty”.

I don’t often get an opportunity to take a photo of Mojo in those moments. Particularly now that he is older and has decided that 9 years of photos is well and truly enough. *hehe* But occasionally he will let his soft side shine through and providing I’m quick with the camera, I can actually capture that moment. He really is quite sweet when he wants to be, don’t you think?