Goodbye, dear Gustav

Gustav is gone.

After 13 years of living with us, he has taken his earsplitting yowls and his chrysanthemum bud of a tail to the other side of the Rainbow Bridge, there to await us with a cynical expression and a complaint, no doubt.

He was not the easiest of cats, but the poor little guy had a very hard life before we got him. Abuse, neglect, abandonment, kicks, and beatings were his lot from birth, pretty much. He was rescued, with his mother and siblings, from a drain in which he was born. Some cruel person had dumped the pregnant mama cat in there and poured liquid on her. Ants were biting her and the babies. You could say his hard life began at birth.

He survived a few years of being passed around -- nobody wanted him, because he was not a 'pretty' animal. He was lean and rangy and the suspicious look got worse, I imagine, after a few different people rejected him with kicks and blows. When he came to us, we had a houseful of cats. We took him in because his alternative was death. We will never regret saving his life. He was not an affectionate cat, and it took him years to learn how to play with toys, or interact with us. The first time he ever played with a toy, after he'd lived with us for two years, he sneaked downstairs in the wee hours of the morning. We were awakened by odd, scrabbling noises in the living room. When we turned on the light, there was Gustav, lying on his back, batting at a ball -- looking embarrassed as hell.

He never liked people. He was not the kind of cat to approach people looking for petting. He shrank away from them and yowled loudly, convinced they meant him no good. He came to us with his mother, Greta, to whom he was greatly attached. He would attack any cat who came near her. He never attacked people, to his credit. But he did not like sharing Greta with anyone. Greta was a sweet, affectionate kitty, and it was difficult to interact with her, with Gustav getting anxious and yowly when she would approach us for pets or treats. Unfortunately for us all, she died shortly after her arrival. She threw a blood clot. A terrible death. Gustav was never the same after, although Bandicoot, the best of all kitties in the world, took him under a mighty fraternal paw. The Coot was easily three times Gustav's size, weighing in at an impressive 20 lbs in his fattitude, whereas Gustav never got much beyond 7, maybe 8 at the most. And the Coot was very fluffy, and he would let Gustav curl up in his enormous furry coat to sleep. So Gustav was somewhat consoled by the Coot, although he got on everyone's nerves with his unending complaints, and occasionally, the Coot would bite him about the ears. Which just made him complain louder.

After the Coot passed on, Gustav started deteriorating pretty quickly, poor guy. His legs got weaker and weaker, and eventually he couldn't get up on our giant bed any more. We couldn't train him to use the kitty stairs we bought, so we made him a comfortable bed on the floor. Little by little, his world shrank to the scope of the bedroom, although he did still go outside when it was warm and sunny. Then he got a nasty infection in his eye, right around the time we learned that our beloved friend, Cris, had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Life became very hard, then, with Gus on the verge of losing his eye while Cris died by inches.

It cost us a lot of money and he needed a veterinary opthalmologist's services, but we managed to save his eye. Shortly thereafter, Cris died. I lost a dear and very much-loved friend, someone I had loved for nearly two decades. And I thought we had saved Gustav.

Lately he seemed to have more and more difficulty walking. His feet were acting strange, and his gait was very unsteady. Sometimes he would trip over his own feet because one foot had turned inward or outward unexpectedly. And the crying was getting worse. It was hard to tell whether he was just screaming because he screamed a lot of the time anyway, or if he was screaming because he was in pain. We had him on pain medication for his arthritis, but his kidneys were going and his digestive system was pretty messed up and he had lost most of the sight in one eye, and he never could smell very well because he'd always had herpes.

So when we heard him yowling on Friday, we thought, it's probably time for his pain medication, poor guy. But then the yowling got very strange, and we ran into the bathroom and found him lying on the floor having a seizure, or something. His body was rigid and trembling, he was lying on his side, he had peed himself and was drooling and frothing at the mouth, with one foot drawn up to his chest. We dried him and wrapped him warmly in a towel and held him and tried to calm him, but it was obvious something was very wrong with the old guy, and not so clear that anything would help. But we called the vet anyway, and finally found someone.

She didn't know much about his history, so she suggested we try to save him. Apparently, Gustav's retinas had blown out, so he had suddenly gone blind. The treatment she recommended would have meant medicating him daily. He might not regain his vision. And it was just a matter of time before his kidneys gave out anyway. He would have to stay in the hospital for 36 hours.

We did the right thing by the boy. It was a hard choice, not because there was any possibility that we were wrong, but because it feels so arrogant to take a life, when we cannot give one. But for Gustav, there was no quality of life left. Blind, surrounded by two rambunctious younger cats who seem to remember how he attacked them when he was younger, not really enjoying his food, unable to see, smell, walk, or hear very well, in a house full of stairs? If I were in his place, I'd want the bliss of the needle. Can't eat, can't shit, can't walk, can't hear, can't smell, can't taste, can't see? What's left of life to enjoy?

And for a cat so averse to human contact to be picked up and medicated three times a day? He only let us medicate him when he was very, very sick, because he was too weak to run away. As soon as he got his strength back he started fighting me over the medication. He's never bitten me, but he has, on occasion, got a claw stuck -- deep -- in me and caused some not insignificant bleeding. I know he doesn't mean to, but that doesn't make it hurt any the less. And he's very good at refusing to do things. Plus, he never really learned to interact with people. He's always preferred the company of his own species. And these last two remaining cats of the family never liked him and never will. His life would have been hell.

We said goodbye to him at the doctor's after assuring ourselves that he suffered no more. I hope by the time we go, we have the same option. Goodbye dear little Gustav. You tried so hard to be a good kitty. Life was not very fair or very kind to you. We tried our best to give you everything that made you happy, dear. We miss you very much, and always will.

Stumble It!

Caturday?

NO we don't have any more cats, geez

This is what it feels like at La Casa de Los Gatos, these days. Like we're mothering some kittens. And we desperately need a DRINK, goddammit.

You ever try raising kittens? Geezus, they're a pain. So, what's going on, we ask? Bandicoot was sick for quite a while, and then we had to leave him and go away, and he wasn't doing too great when we got back. We've spent the past couple of months curing him of whatever stomach ailment he picked up and making sure he's doing OK.

Bandicoot with Gustav

See, he's getting old. He wants to be fed about once an hour, all day. Sometimes he'll eat some kibble, but mostly he wants his food brought to him, and he always was a messy eater, and he's gotten a hundred times worse. Seems like he's not seeing or smelling too well, either. If you don't bring his food to him, he climbs up on the bed and pokes you in the face with one enormous smelly paw. Actually, his paws aren't smelly at all. Just big. Bigger than my eyeballs. Which is what he likes to poke, mostly. He doesn't want water from a bowl, either. He wants to lick the water in the shower. And his coat was a matted mess after the long stay at the vet. We're clipping and brushing and what-all, but he's a pig in a fur suit, he does not care for this grooming shit.

And Gustav is kinda sensing something in the offing because Bandicoot just wants to be left alone to sleep all the time. So Gustav has taken to howling every night, I mean Siamese cat x water buffalo bellows every night from, like, 1 am to 3 am. I'd kill him, except he's suffered enough already. I think. Little fucker. Sleeping like a baby next to me right now. Just half an hour ago he was trying to sit on Gojira's face and howling because she bit him in the ass. Apparently she does not care for this face-sitting business.

Gojira with Zingi-bee

Gojira is still freaked out about Zingiber dying and won't go outside any more. She only wants to be at home, preferably in bed with us. (Fucking bitch wants to be RIGHT BETWEEN both of us, too, so forget a sex life.) And she squeaks like a motherfucker when she doesn't get her way. Also, too, claws. Hers are like tiny little razors. You can't tell you've been scratched till part of your leg bleeds and falls off. There's no possibility of trimming them, either. She's not the type to hold still that long, and we'd have to *catch* her first. Always an exciting sight, watching two rapidly aging people chasing an extremely lithe, swift, and nimble cat around. And when she's not being obnoxious and shrieking in your ear and bouncing off the walls, she's demanding attention. Pet me, pet me, scratch my ears, check my butt for poop stains, pet my belly so I can remove the skin from your hands. If she weren't so stunningly cute, she would have been a slipper a LONG time ago. Little bitch.

And MADU has suddenly developed a need for affection. What's with this? The lady with the French-perfumey big bosoms isn't giving him enough lately, or what? He's still running off to visit her regularly, I see him hiking down the road all the time, the little slut. Then he comes home and wants to drape himself all over us, and could we please pick him up and hold him so he can fall asleep in the most comfortable position and drool.

There was a time when the little fucker would barely give us the time of day. AFAHWC, we were convenient stepping stones for hunting mice on the hill.

I miss those days.

Yeah, so, WTF, y'all, check out the fucking heat wave that's cooking the whole middle of the country AND the eastern seabord, is this reality time for global warming deniers, or what? Will the stupid subside long enough for the marching morons to realize that they ARE every bit as stupid as everyone else has believed for years, and that global warming has finally decided to, like, personally cook their asses or something for being such fucking dolts? Only thing is, they'll be sure to take all of us with them when they go, y'know? Just to be assholes. Srsly, this heat is nothing to fuck with. Remember to wear sunblock, stay cool and aerated, go to a public place that's airconditioned, or your local pool, or whatever. Stay indoors, if you can. Drink LOTS of water, but not too much too fast. Stay safe!

Here's something for y'all to enjoy!

Stumble It!

Caturday!

From the ICHC LOLcattery

We were supposed to let Cyrrie of 922 Cats host today's Caturday post. And as you can see from the photograph below, Cyrrie the avowed foodie is just as sweet as a kitty can be. No, he's not trying to nom Buddy, just bayve him.

Cyrrie Bayves Buddy

However, as Fate would have it, a sweet little white kitty named Pearl drifted by and we got distracted. So, apologies, Cyrrie, but when you hear of Pearl's adventures, you surely will not begrudge her the Hostess o'the Day position.

This is Pearl.


Thanks to Hurricane Gustav, poor Pearl became so terrified and discombobulated that she stopped eating for quite a while. As any cat person knows, if a cat doesn't eat for more than two or three days, it becomes a candidate for liver problems (specifically, hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease). Which is why you should NEVER EVER put a cat on a diet without a vet's recommendation and supervision.

Well, Pearl, who is the most beautiful adorable little blue-eyed white shorthair, was temporarily rehomed due to Hurricane Gustav, and became so terrified that she hid under the bed and refused to eat. Naturally, she began showing symptoms of hepatic lipidosis, including yellowing of her normally pristinely (dare one say Pearly?) white ears. She's spent the past week in a feline hospital on an IV.

Her hoomin brought her back from the vet just yesterday, and she appears to have regained some appetite, which is good news. We are very, very happy for Pearl and her hoomin. If you have some kind feelings, good thoughts, beneficial karma, food vibes, or just general "be-well-furry-one" feelings running around in your personal hoomin bubble, please direct as many of them as you can spare towards little Pearl, who can use them. Let's hope she's soon back to a shining state of health.

Pearl in happier days:


Be well, Pearl! Be fluffy and furry and purry and happy and hungry and well-fed and contented and all good things that kitties deserve to be!

Gustav Proclaims Innocence

La Casa de Los Gatos' own personal Hurricane Gustav the Cat insists on DNA tests to prove his innocence. We believe him. He's hardly moved out the door for over a month now.

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Politics: Republicans Wish NOLA Would Quit Whining

Photograph courtesy of Reuters

No, really. They do. Because, you see, as Republican spokesweasel Jim Ellison of Oregon says, "We already do enough for New Orleans." Y'all hear that, New Orleans? Be sure to check that with your Governor and the other fine Republicans y'all elected to high office.

You can watch him say so on CSPAN, here:

"The fact is," said Ellison, "hurricanes happen. We didn't stop anything for Florida, and New Orleans has certainly been through it. President Bush in his wisdom has put qualified FEMA people in place. They're ready for it."

Ellison continued, "I don't think we should have interfered with our convention because we already do a lot for the people of New Orleans."

So? Whaddya think? Is this guy fucking crazy, stone ignorant, deluded as fuck-all, or on REALLY good meds?

Damn, Oregon, where did you find this walking bag of doggy do?

On the other hand, he kind of has a point, yaknow? Without the Republicans, there would be at least 2,000 more people in NOLA, requiring, oh, let's see, food, housing, health care, social services ... instead of which, we can have a certifiable looneytune Exorcist for Governor and a diaper-wearing, prostitute-schtupping, criminal for a Senator ... decisions, decisions.

On a related note, we're pleased that Gustav appears to have avoided NOLA, mostly, although AP is reporting that about 1 million people are without power. Bloomberg says insured losses will run to $10 billion.

In other news, Governor Goodhair of Texas (Rick Perry) used Gustav as a fortuitous excuse to duck the Republican convention, and who can blame him? Jor Jee and Dick "the dick" Cheney had previously announced that they will not attend, having "other priorities." Governor Arnold "steroid microdick" of California had to use a different excuse (the budget), but other Gulf Coast governors were happy to go along with Goodhair - Charlie Crist of Florida, Bob Riley of Alabama, and Haley Barbour of Mississippi joined Governor Goodhair in greeting conventioneers via taped messages.

Bobby Jindal of Louisiana was able to avoid even that, on the grounds that Gustav was liable to strike his state the hardest. Cindy McCain then proceeded to render the audience, composed largely of lobbyists and volunteers, immobile with her basilisk stare. A not-so-good time was apparently had by all.


Meanwhile, Sammy Hagar was trying to raise funds for NOLA over at the Republican Convention (SAY WHAT??? We thought those lying motherfuckers said they were canceling the convention!), but apparently the Republican conventioneers, delegates, journalists, and lobbyists (damn! They let lobbyists in? Will wonders never cease?) agree with Jim Ellison. Either that, or they're too fucking cheap to shell out a few shekels. Tough luck, Sammy. Ya need to start playing for a better class of customer, dude.

Here's hoping all is well in NOLA and the rest of the Gulf Coast for beasties of the two-leg and four-leg variety. Hope y'all get your power back soon. Meanwhile, try to stay dry and avoid watching the Republican convention — you can't afford an aneurysm when transportation is difficult.

As for you wonderful Republican friends, may we leave you with a tribute from Frank Zappa? It's called:

Cocksucker's Ball

Hey, this is for all the Republicans in the audience!

Cock-sucker Tammy get your mother fuckin' dammy
We're goin' downtown to the Cock-Suckers' Ball
Fuck, suck an' fight
'Till beginnin' of the broad daylight
We don't need no
Goddam taxi here
We're gonna trim them holes in a
Rockin'-chair
Take off all the rags
We're gonna play a little game
Called tag
Tomorrow night at the Rock Cock-Suckers' Ball

Come on you moe-ass singers and you
Mick dick slingers
We're goin' downtown to the Cock-Suckers' Ball
Fuck, suck an' fight
'Till beginnin' of the broad daylight
We don't need no
Goddam taxi here
We're gonna trim them holes in a
Rockin'-chair
Take off all the rags
We're gonna play a little game
Called tag
Tomorrow night at the Rock Cock-Suckers' Ball
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Tomorrow night at the Rock Cock-Suckers' Ball!

Thank you, you're too kind!

(Copyright Frank Zappa)

Stumble It!

Caturday!

And we're still not ready for our long-awaited Caturday guest!

So we leave you with a Gustav story for your amusement.

Gustav with his momma, Greta

Gustav and his Mum, Greta came to stay at La Casa de Los Gatos some seven years ago. Gustav's story is quite sad, really. Some idiot adopted his mother Greta but never had her spayed and, when she got pregnant, dumped her on the streets to fend for herself. You see why we don't approve of teenage pregnancy? Some other nasty soul, when Greta went into labour, kicked her into a drain and poured some sugary substance over her. Fortunately, a kind hoomin came along and found ants trying to eat the mother and her babies alive (ugh!) and rescued them all.

The kind soul took them home, cleaned them off, and proceeded to find homes for them all. Gustav was not the best looking of the bunch, so he was placed together with his dear sweet Mum, in a home with a young lady who liked cats.


Unfortunately, the young lady had a boyfriend who didn't like Gustav. He's never been an "easy" cat. He's loud, jealous, clingy, possessive of his mother, possessive of his hoomins — he was really meant to be an "only" cat. Unlike Bandicoot, he doesn't have a friendly open temperament and a sweet nature. The Coot visits all our neighbours fairly regularly and introduces himself to their guests as well, and offers to jump on anyone's lap for a quick belly petting or ear-scratching. Nor is he like Madu, who is basically an indolent catloaf and won't move if a stranger comes into the room. Actually he won't even open an eye to see who it is, sometimes, but, if petted, will purr loudly enough to be heard a couple of rooms away.

Gustav isn't gorgeous like the lovely Gojira, whom everyone falls in love with at first glance. She can be as difficult as she likes, with her plush, silvered gray fur, her lithe and delicate figure, her long, pointy paws, acid-green eyes, little pink sticking-out tongue. She's too beautiful to expect anything but indulgence. Nor is he a big silly fluffito like Zingiber, who runs away screaming from strangers (but they laugh rather than get annoyed because he's so big and fat and fluffy and looks so ridiculous waddling as fast as he can to get away).

No, Gustav is nervous and twitchy and shy and suspicious. He won't come when called. He won't make eye contact. He leaps away when touched. He has a loud, raucous, Siamese-type voice. He also has herpes, which makes both his eyes kind of pinkish and watery. He's a scrawny fellow. He cries a lot. His markings aren't exceptionally beautiful or distinguished.

So, of course, the boyfriend didn't like poor Gustav. And is the wont of some cruel hoominz, he would kick or hit Gustav whenever the poor kitteh was in the room. (Nasty jerk, we sincerely hope he comes back as a cockroach for his next seventeen lives and is beaten and eaten by cats!)

Some months of this, and the saint who placed Gustav heard about it and insisted on taking both Gustav and Greta back into her own home. But, like our dear friend Lizzy, of 922Cats fame, she had more beasts than house to house them in, numbering in her menagerie this handsome fellow:

Corky at home

as well as several tortoises, some of them maimed; a veritable herd of cats of various ages and sizes, mostly rescues from horrible fates; several drop-in ferals (to whom Gustav did not take kindly); birds; and deity only knows what else. Fish? Frogs? Could well have been.

In the event, Saint Francis Assissi II was getting ready to move to a far and distant land and could not take the entire menagerie, so we were asked to please take Corky, Greta, and Gustav. Having burdened ourselves, at that time, with SIX indoor cats, three ferals, three rescue opossums, and a family of skunks (not to mention the raccoons and that goddamned herd of deer that come by and eat our tomatoes, roses, and wisteria to the fucking ground alla time) we debated long and hard. But what could we do? What would you do?

So we got on a plane and filed the paperwork and paid for the vet visits and special carriers and flew for hours and came back with two cat carriers and one very upset dog. And thanks be to the deities of furry beasties, we managed with the help of Madame X and her wonderful partner to schlep the beasties up the stairs and into the house. Greta was wonderful and easy, but Gustav attacked all the other cats (though never us) from day one.

It has been some seven years now. A year after she came, Greta threw a blood clot and almost died on the spot. We took her to the emergency clinic and they did not think she would make it, so we said goodbye to dear, sweet, beautiful Greta.

Then, two years ago, Corky lost control of his bladder and his back legs. We helped him get up and down and cleaned him and tried to give him the best life we could (and he had a horrible pre-adoption story, too), but in the end none of us — not the poor doggie nor ourselves — could take it anymore. So we said goodbye to the best little doggie in the whole wide world. Goodbye, dear Corky. You were such a good dog, dear.

Corky getting ready for walkies

Gustav was still on tranquilizers owing to his habit of suddenly attacking any cat within attacking distance. One of the indoor cats (the mother of Madu and Gojira) decided to uphold her lifetime feral status by running out of the house at high speed and refusing to return; another outdoor inhabitant took off one day and has yet to return (dear Simona, please come home, all is forgiven, love, tpc). Bob-the-almost-Bobcat also took off, never to return. And Faridah left for a trip across the rainbow bridge. The possums moved on, the baby skunks grew up and moved away, the raccoons moved over the hill (one family recently returned, to Madu's great chagrin).

The half-blind deer vanished, probably victim to our local cougar. One of the males, with a fine set of antlers, has also disappeared, but one of the boy babies now has a nice, if small, antlerage and fair bids to replace the old fellow. At least we've seen him leaping about on the hillside with a couple of does and some of the cutest fawns. They took some herbage out of the tomatoes, but we responded with chicken wire, so we've had a good tomato crop this year. Although we still mourn the loss of the Sterling rose. (pigs!)

Gustav discovered toys. We took him off his meds, and one night we heard the strangest sounds coming from downstairs. We put all their toys in an old milk crate under the dinner-wagon. Sneaking downstairs, we found Gustav carefully lifting several toys out of the milk-crate before finally settling on a fluffy to play with. The yellow fluffy was the toy of choice for some months, although he would still take his terrycloth bunny and blue racoon out. Finally, he settled on the terrycloth bunny and began taking it upstairs to bed with him every night.


This was good. He had never played with toys before, and it was good to see him enjoying himself. Also, the more tired he is, the less aggressive he is.

The high point of Gustav's life with us came during the catnip incident.

We used to put the catnip on a high shelf in the closet, in a ziplock bag. Periodically, we'd take out a few pinches and sprinkle them on the floor, and everybody would go wild. We figured the catnip was safe high on the shelf because the two fatties were way too fat to climb up there for it, and Gojira (the only other climber) was too intimidated by Gustav to try for it.

Imagine our surprise when we walked through the front door to find the entire floor of the house covered in catnip and five cats lying around on the floor, paws-up, looking blissfully stoned! Apparently, Gustav had climbed up and "liberated" the nip, ripped the bag open, and shared generously with friends.

We now keep the 'nip in a glass bottle in the freezer. Even if he gets the damn door open, he's going to rue the lack of opposable thumbs.

He's totally rehabbed, by the way. He now sleeps close to us — still nervous and twitchy, but happy to get ear rubs and chin scratches, and mostly good to everyone else. Mostly.



To everyone on the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav prepares for landfall: May you all be safe and protected and may your furry friends be safe with you. Gustav apologizes for the coincidental naming. This is one thing you can't blame the poor fellow for.

Stumble It!

Entertainment: Belated Caturday Post

Yesterday the weather was truly and stupendously yucky, with a blanket of fog enveloping Casa de Los Gatos, and a mingy drizzle of rain throughout the day. Your hosts at this fine blogging establishment were forced to tunnel through Cattitude to get a spot in (our very own, we might add) bed. Five lumps graced the sleeping space for much of the day, with lasers muted to mere slits of malevolence. Bitter complaints ensued at every attempt to change position (reading in bed is not easy, when one's arms are pinned down).



Thus, blogging was light. No one felt much like it. No inspiration came from the Cats and Catlets, either.

In between muttered dreams, they murdered dust bunnies for exercise. Attempts by your hosts to flee the prison of the bedspace were futile. We were permitted the occasional meal break and bio break, usually accompanied by much nagging along the lines of, "Get the hell back into my sleeping space! I need your body heat, beyotchez."

We're not naming any names. The issuers of the erstwhile threats continue to slumber close by, and inspection of our body parts reveals evidence of recent encounters with overly sharp claws (how did those scratches get there? And when??), encounters that were clearly lost, since the winners have no shame about staying right close to the humanoid heating pad. We don't see any scars on their furry butts.

One of them appears to be dreaming of tasty mice - he's been making little running motions with all four paws, interspersed with growling noises deep in the throat, and the occasional SMACK! of furry lips.

At any rate, the sun's out now, and it's a beautiful clear day, and three of the five louts have been summarily evicted (leaving the worst clawdaddy firmly centered in the bed ON MY FUCKING PILLOW), so it's back to blogging as normal ... insofar as anything at Casa de Los Gatos could ever be considered normal.

Yes, yes, I know ellipses are meant to imply elision, not pauses as in the spoken word, but don't go all Twisty Faster on my ass, fer cryin' out.

Stumble It!

Gardening

It's been a long time since I put up a gardening post. What with all the stress around the layoff and preparation for the visit to the maternal unit, there hasn't been much time for garden-minding.

Winter's been dancing around the edges of Autumn, killing the buddleia flowers while occasional odd days of warmth and sunshine bring the leaves to life. The shasta daisies put forth an occasional white-rayed flower with a deep gold heart. The alyssum has never stopped blooming, a froth of white cascading down the hill, making silvery-green pools around the feet of the bougainvillea.
The bougainvillea (the one with wicked thorns) is blooming wildly, all magenta and light green, while the other, less thorny individual has lost all its flowers and is concentrating on growing long, slender branches, gold-leaved, for next year's flowers.
Blackberry is invading everywhere, as is the seedy wild dill. It's lost most of its feathery fronds to various depredations, but occasionally lifts flat, gold, umbelliferous heads among its silvery bluish trunks. Oddly, the plumbago continues to bloom, pale flat bluish heads peeping through the packed trunks and leaves.
The Luculia is finally blooming, with its tiny pink balloons of buds and cerulean stamens against the deeper pink of the fragrant blossoms. One can't hardly walk past the front door without brushing its perfumed daintiness. And the solanum is blooming, much more than before, every two leaves seem to be sheltering a deep purple, yellow-throated cluster of blossoms. And the burmese plumbago, low-growing and bronze-leaved, is putting out flowers of an impossible gentian violet, although the leaves are redder than usual from our cool nights. The irises did not set their second bloom this year. I wonder why?



Down on the hill, the rose is sending forth long, thorny canes, invading the space of the echium, the ceanothus, the oleander, and the manzanita - almost crowding them out, in fact. I must teach it some manners.

The last of the scabiosa, the pincushion flowers, are blooming, deep burgundy and pale pink. The whites, creams, and darker pinks seem to have gone to seed, and lots of little seedlings are springing up all over the hillside. Nigella seedlings are everywhere, too, and I expect a glorious spring crop of blues and whites. Even the blue flax set most plentifully, and here and there the glorious gold gloriosa daisies and Mexican cosmos (nearly the orange of a marigold) and calendula, gold, orange, and yellow, and even Iberis, pinks, whites, and mauves, are blooming, punctuating the weedy greens of the hill.

My blue fescue (festuca ovina) survived everything that's been hurled at it this past two years, although a more golden variety cacked hopelessly under the deck.
The dietes (scourge of my garden!) is finally cut down to the point of a single blooming mound, but continues to propel itself into spots where its not wanted. The yellow iris took quite a beating, but I think it will survive. The white oleander at the bottom of the hill hasn't stopped blooming since March! A perfect white lace veil of blooms. And here and there I find a little treaure, a Canon Wendt linaria, or other toadflax blossoms, pink, yellow, mauve, dark gold, the occasional cluster of pink evening primrose, a lonely fleabane in all its glory, dark gold hearts, pink and white rayed flowers.

A garden is a wonderful thing. I don't know how I'd survive without mine. And later when the heat and sun wanes a bit, Bandicoot will come to call me in, or simply to sit by my side, companionably staring out at all the small life from the shade of my brimmed straw hat. We'll talk in low tones, he'll lean against my side. Madu may wander in and try for a hummingbird (they're much too fast for him, thank goodness, that indolent marmalade lump!). Gustav might cry from the deck for his "substitute mamma" to come back up. And perhaps a certain tub of marmalade, who shall remain forever unembarrassed by the bruiting about of his name will come to chide me for not paying attention to him, and only him, who deserves me more than anyone.

Miss Dainty Paws is far too precious to venture into the lower garden, where some passing canine! might be able to feast its lowly eyes upon her silvery gray visage and poison-green eyes. She'll be up on the high hill, looking down at us all below, unfeared by mouse or bird. She's fast enough to hunt them, but too small and light. I often worry an owl will carry her off some night. Unlike the other lumps which would require mutant eagles of vasty wing dimension. She'd make a tasty mouthful for a tiny pterodactyl.

Luckily, I needn't worry about those. Off to the garden, then!

Stumble It!

Caturday!

Bandicoot and Gustav attempt to hypnotize us into providing freshly poured kibble

Well, it appears that the primary bunny-lover at Casa de Los Gatos is ... Gustav! While we were bedslugging this morning (i.e., being slugs in bed, not punching the poor damned mattress), a flurry of activity caught our attention. Noting that Gojira, Bandicoot, and Zingiber were snoring on the sheets, as is their wont, and positing that Madu was spending his usual "night out on the tiles," we opined lazily that it must be Gustav. The noise eventually reached a bed-evacuating crescendo, with nervous kitties actually waking out of their sound sleep to look around, whereupon we followed suit. Only to find Gustav delivering multiple death blows to the white terrycloth bunny. One wonders wherefrom this murderous enthusiasm. But one returns lazily to bed, tea, and newspaper anyway, after some mild words of admonishment. Not that he takes our admonishment to heart. In fact, it's my opinion that the little fucker is utterly deaf to human voices. He only hears cat bandwidth.

And what is with the freshly-poured kibble schtick? He can have mountains of food in multiple bowls, but the minute one pours so much as a single kiblet, he comes running. And turns his nose up, conversely, at kibble that has been sitting a while. Twit. Not that the others are immune to these shenanigans.

We firmly believe that people are regularly breaking into our home of nights and spoiling the little wretches rotten.

Stumble It!

Caturday!

Gustav reads using his belly

I confess, dammit!

Whaaa?

Disciplining Zingiber

Whaaa?

My little hooligans. The garden's calling my name quite loudly, so I'm off to rip out some weeds. Yesterday's haul was three gigantic trashbags. Hopefully they'll all still be alive when I return.

Stumble It!

Caturday!

So sez Maru, and because she makes me laugh a lot, I'm going along. Besides, she's so fucking uncivil, it makes me feel all extended-pinky-tea-sipping.

And today at Casa de Los Gatos, it rained and thundered and lightninged for a good part of the morning, which forced those poor overworked felines to assume the positions:


You talkin' to zzzzz

I swear to god this child was asleep till I brought out the camera:


Madu pretends to be awake

Zingiber: Faking it so well.


Whaaaaa? Gzzzzzaw ...

Who hates you, asshole? Schnorrerrrrrr ...



And, least but not last - or WEvs, Gussie:


I Hate You

so much, I could forget to eat or pee because I needed to hate you ... zzzz

At least they're consistent.

Stumble It!

Uncle Ramon Passes The Torch

Way back when Ramon Rivera, shadow-dancer extraordinaire, lived at Casa de Los Gatos, and little Bandicoot and Zingiber were just tiny younguns come home with us for the first time, I worried that the kittens would be lonely, cooped up in the house all day with Faridah Peeples, that accomplished hater of all other lifeforms. Ramon, being the angel he was, took Bandicoot under his paw and showed him All Things Catly at Casa de Los Gatos. (He never did warm up to Zingiber, but we all know Zingiber is neurotic, and I think he got on Ramon's nerves.)
Then Ramon departed, and Faridah left us, and Domino and Simona came, but elected to stay outdoors. Gustav, Greta, and Corky the Dog.
Bandicoot is a good soul, and took it all in stride. Next Simona disappeared, then Greta died, and Gustav (Greta's son) was utterly bereft without his mother. No social skills at all, poor kid, and a pretty bad herpes infection that seems to have affected both his vision and his smellsense. So I'm guessing he lives in a dimly lit world, because his way of greeting other animals is to rush right into their faces.
Imagine my delight when Bandicoot allowed Gustav to slide under his paw, in turn, and became Uncle Bandicoot to a very sad and bereft lonely little kittyboy (obnoxious, anxious, and psychotic, too, but who's counting?):

Uncle Bandicoot Parents Gus

That's how they usually sleep - Gustav curled up inside Bandicoot's immense fluffitude. Not for nothing is the Coot affectionately known as The Area Rug!
Although sometimes when Gustav is too annoying, Bandicoot sleeps ON TOP of him. I'm hoping he knocks that off without my intervention. He's quite the heavyweight, and Gustav is barely 10 lb.

Stumble It!

Psychokitty

Gussie on the bed

Poor Gustav. He really is a nutcase, but it's not his fault. He was very very badly treated as a sprog, and I'm afraid it's rather scarred him for life. Of course, I'm not too pleased with the fact that he's taken to periodically attempting to scar us for life, witness the most recent incident:

Back of hand with mortally disfigured pinky finger

Front view of damaged pinky

It doesn't look like much, but cat bites are deep, not wide, and he certainly connected with bone. Before the evening was over, the pinky finger had swelled up like a balloon, the entire hand was turning red, and sharp stabbing pains were coursing through my poor paw.More evidence of wrongdoing

The blood kept pouring from what seemed like a very tiny incision, which led me to believe that he must have bitten right into a small, but arterial, blood vessel. I wrapped three paper towels around the finger, and they were soaked within a minute. Blood was splashing on the floor, the sheets, the papers and books - Eugh!

Fortunately, I had antibiotics in the house, and I started taking them immediately. Otherwise, it would've been another revolting trip to the revolting ER. Feh.

I did have some very hard words with him. But I can't blame him for what happened. He had a crazy moment, where he just lost it and tried to bite Gojira, and my hand was in the way. I'm just glad he didn't get her. Spoiled rotten as she is, the Little Princess is rather delicate, and easily injured, scared, and affected. She just acts tough with us.

In any event, he soon sought out his substitute "mother" for comfort:
Gus being comforted by Bandicoot
Dear sweet Bandicoot, the little Buddha Cat, as April calls him, is always good to the others. A veritable saint among felines. Though occasionally Gustavito does get on his nerves. Anyway, we made it up, and I patted his sleek head and told him to practise his teeth on mice in the future. There's a permanent discolored spot on my nailbed, but maybe some day it will fade.

Stumble It!