Remembering Jack on Mancat Monday

Many of you have become familiar with my neighbor's cat Jack from my blog posts and Facebook photos - the tiny tabby with the beautiful eyes and markings. Well, he went missing in early November of this year and has not been seen since.  He is not one to go on a walkabout and he stays well away from the road  so his family believes something has happened to him and unfortunately, I feel the same.  My heart is broken at yet another loss this year.  And this is even harder - not knowing what happened to him.

Jack in the garden - for my photo project.

He was not ours but my husband and I counted him as one of our own - our part time outdoor cat. Since I included him in our blog,  I wanted to honor his memory and share some photos and stories of his short time with us.  He was the quintessential hunter, parking himself in the crawlspace under our house, waiting for a mouse or chipmunk to nab. We never had a mouse problem when he was coming by regularly.  Jack also loved to hunt voles in the garden and followed us as we weeded and worked in the flower and vegetable beds.  When he got bored he would wander off a bit to nap in the sun.

Napping in the sun

The tall evergreen in the front yard holds the bird feeders from the lower branches but Jack never once bothered with them.  Instead he would sit at the base of the tree and wait patiently for the voles to pop up out of their holes in the ground  for the seeds.  He was quick and would smack the vole just as they peeked out of the hole. He had his own game of Wack-a-Vole!.

Waiting for the voles

He got one!

Even though it was much closer to come to our house through the woods, Jack had an odd habit of walking all the way down his driveway and crossing over to ours where they met and then sauntering up our gravel driveway.  On warm days he loved to roll in the cool gravel and cover himself with the grey dust.  One day he spotted a full grown turkey in the shrubbery off the driveway.  His ears perked and he assumed stalking mode, crawling through the bushes to attack the big bird!   It didn't last long. I heard angry turkey sounds and Jack shot out from the hedge looking as ruffled as I have ever seen him. No more turkeys for him.

Jack looking in on Angel  Lily, Sweetpea and Tabitha.

 

Our kitties got very excited whenever Jack was visiting our yard.  The males would growl and fluff themselves up through the screen door but they didn't faze Jack.  I had a small catnip toy I gave to Jack whenever he came to the front or back door.  He would sit on the railing in front and look in the window if we hadn't seen him come.  In the back, we could see him through the screen door.  I still keep hoping I will see his sweet face looking in at me.

At the back door.

With his nip toy.

Asking me to come out and play.

As the air got cooler, Jack would sit on the dark colored roof of my car and soak up the sun, surveying his kingdom.  I miss seeing his diminutive muddy paw prints on the hood and roof of our cars or his footprints in the snow of our driveway.   If I had been outside with Jack and was heading to the door to go back inside,  he would hiss and pummel my feet with his front  paws as if to say "Hey don't go!"

Jack's prints int he snow as he came up the driveway.

Sitting on my car

I didn't see much of him during summers.  When his family was home, he was with them. One winter we had a good amount of snow and Jack's human dad walked with his kids across the street to sled down the hill.   Right behind them, Jack was tagging along like a dog - they hadn't seen him.  When they noticed he was following them, they sent him back up his driveway to be out of harms way.  He didn't look happy but he went.

We will miss so many things about this pint-sized cat with the huge personality.  I am guessing he was only about six years old when he disappeared.  Way too young. But as a friend told me, "Jack got to live just the way he needed and wanted.  He had the best of both worlds! All the care and love and shelter from people, but the minute he walked off his property he was his own master; the dominant tiger, staking out his territory...what a blessing to live life the way you choose."  Jack, as a cat, did swagger through a fun, exciting, adventure filled life. I often feel his spirit with me as I hike his woods.  Fly free sweet boy.  We will always remember you.

Mancats on Monday

Mr Kitty here today.  We have been having a heat wave since June - most places in the 90s but we have been in the upper 80s instead cuz we are in the mountains.  Still hot.  I like it hot since I come from Massachusetts so I beg to go out on the porch and just bake in the sun. I lay sprawled out like a beached whale soaking up the sun! The humans won't let me stay out there except for early morning and later in the day so I don't overdo it. 

Two Spot is out in the cat house and it is warmer there - it is built into the hillside so is cool in the indoor room and the porch is shaded with lots of fans.  Most days it is only 80 degrees out there.  If anyone looks too hot then the beans wet them down with cold water.  Al likes that!

Only loves the heat and lays out on the screen porch of the cat house in a stupor and he is in his glory!  Of course he doesn't mind getting wiped down with cold water either!

Norm or Normy as the beans call him is a shy guy and keeps to himself unless he is with Snowball who he adores! (I am not sure what THAT is all about.)  He comes out to the porch during the cooler parts of the day.

 Now Woody shares life in the house with me.  Even tho he is a youngster at nine compared to the rest of us 15 plus year olds, he was brought in due to Al bullying him in the cat house.  He lives the life of Reilly now so he is the one who lucked out!

Snowball is the head honcho of the cat house and he knows it.  He and Al go at it a lot since Al thinks he is the head cat.  Al has his own room within a room out there but in the hot weather, the beans have kept Al's room open for anyone to come in and for Al to go where he wants.  So far they have been pretty peaceful.  The heat is enough to keep everyone's minds occupied elsewhere.

And then there is Sam.  He is the only one with a tipped ear.  He looked so much like Georgie and Norm that no one could tell him apart so the beans had the vet tip his ear when he was neutered.  He is the most reclusive one - is never out, always hiding in a box, cabinet or under a chair. He comes out for food - thus this shot!  If the beans can get their hands on him (when he is out eating) he loves petting.  Go figure!

And last but never least is our Al.  He is a charmer with the humans but a bully with the cats.  With his long furs he is minding the heat more than the others and loves to be wetted down - really soaked.  He has been very mellow too lately - maybe as he gets older he is finally chilling out.

Hope you have enjoyed this visit with all our mancats.  Maybe next week we can feature the ladycats.  Hint...hint.  *wink, wink*

P.S. For those of you not on Facebook, Georgie had to spend a day and overnight at the ER vet this weekend due to being severely constipated and blocked.  After several enemas, they got her opened up.  Being diabetic this is more challenging because she was vomiting and not eating.  The humans will now be vigilant in keeping an eye on her input and output -  when she uses the litter box, giving her lots of Miralx and making sure she eats plenty of food.  It is a challenge to monitor her this way with all of us to care for too.

With all of the huge vet bills we have accumulated for Georgie over the past month or so, we will be hosting an auction within the next few weeks (will keep you posted) and also have added a Wish List on Amazon for our essentials like food and medications.  Check it out and please share!

Mr. Kitty on Mancat Monday and a Georgie Update

Me and Georgie enjoying the sun.

Mr. Kitty here - I seem to be sharing my Mondays with Georgie - I don't mind.  She is a sweet ladycat.  

Auntie Cheri has been very busy caring for her.  The ER vet has upped her insulin hoping that she will put on weight.  She was down a bit last week - not good.  If the new insulin level is not working to help stabilize her weight, then they will do a test for pancreatic insufficiency.  Scarier than it sounds - it just means she will need to take digestive enzymes with her food.  Before that  tho, Auntie has to do a "curve"  - something to do with the blood glucose.  It takes all day so that will keep Auntie and Georgie busy!

Georgie had been doing great - eating on her own and eating a good amount but they wanted to make sure so they left the feeding tube in her.  Good thing too cuz Sunday night she did not eat on her own and the beans had to feed her with the tube so they could give her insulin shot!  Hope this is a one time issue.  Auntie forgot a dose of the appetite stimulant.  I guess we can forgive her as Auntie was sick this week and went to the ER herself!  She is OK - just a stomach bug, and dehydration which made her pass out!  Purrs appreciated to Georgie that this can be resolved pretty soon.

Now to me!  Even tho it was a heat wave this past week I spent all the time I could out on the screen porch.  The beans wouldn't let me out unless it was cool - like in the morning and then later in the day.  I like the heat tho and lay tummy up soaking it all in!

For the International Box Day - Auntie made us all pose in boxes.  None of us were in the mood so she put catnip in the boxes to entice us.  She forgot and left the tub of catnip on the coffee table.  Oh boy! I jumped on this super opportunity to have it all to myself.  I knocked it off  onto the floor and low and behold, the top came off too!  Whoo whee - I was in nip heaven!  I rolled and rolled in the delicious fragrant nip.  What a feeling! Nothing like getting high!

Me in nip heaven!

Auntie rescued the rest of the catnip and I eventually passed out on the floor. It was great while it lasted!  Wishing you all a nip filled week!  See ya for the 4th of July!

Mr. Kitty's Scary Mancat Story and a Georgie Update

 The warm weather is here so we don't have the windows open anymore for fresh air but Aunt Cheri lets us cats go on the back porch from early evening on.  I enjoy this and stretch out, scratching on the wood of the porch.

Then my next job is introoder alert.  This is very important.  My Mom told Aunt Cheri that I would chase everything and anything that came into my yard back in my old house.  I am fearless.

 While I was on the porch this day, a big black dog came into the yard.  The other kitties all ran inside the house but I stayed and hissed and growled at the thing.  No one messes with me.

Auntie heard me growling so came to make me come inside.  "Do I haveta?" I pleaded.  She wouldn't listen to me.  Inside I went with the doors locked.  Auntie kept looking out the window where all the cats were now looking safely inside.

Then...she saw it.  It wasn't a dog after all.  It was a black bear!!  Auntie figured out it must have been just outside the door of the house maybe heading for the trash can.  When I hissed and growled, he ran up the embankment.  Bears are afraid of bobcats and mountain lions so my cat sounds scared him off.  Auntie had noticed the trellis for the climbing veggies in the garden was moving back and forth even when there was no wind.  That was when he bear ran by!

 Now that we were all indoors, Auntie Cheri ran to get her camera and took this photo of the bear.  It was getting dark and all you could see was his light brown snout against the dark woods.  Then Auntie yelled and banged on the screen to scare him away!  He lumbered slowly into the forest.

I got praised and told how good I was at my job as snoopervisor of the house and yard.  I was pretty proud of myself.  Auntie is hoping the bear does not come back again.  He won't, cuz I am here to guard everyone!

P.S.  We have a short update on Georgie...she is home, eating (tuna only but at least eating) and acting more and more like herself.  She is not a docile cat (except when she is sick) and is pretty fiesty if you try and hold her.  Two nights ago while the beans were feeding her with a syringe via her feeding tube, she jumped down off the table and ran down the hall with the syringe still in the tube!!!  Horrors!! Auntie was screaming and running after her.

Georgie seemed OK but Auntie took her to the ER vet to make sure the tube didn't come out.  It didn't - whew!  Now they wrap her in a towel when they feed her - better safe than sorry.  Georgie goes back on Tuesday to her internal medicine specialist to have a recheck.

Mancat Monday with Mr. Kitty and Georgie Update

 I will give you a quick rundown of my life with Aunt Cheri and Uncle Don and then turn this over to the beans to give you a Georgie update. It has been five weeks since I moved here and I am settling in just fine.  I LOVE my Uncle Don!

I follow hm everywhere - to the kitchen, bathroom, office.  I even beg for food from him (with the other cats supervising of course).  I sit on his lap any chance I get - when he is on the phone, at the computer or watching TV.  If he ignores me (how dare he?) then I tap him gently with my paw.  If that doesn't work then I give him a love nip on his arm,.  That usually gets his attention! 

I do miss my humans from before but things are not so bad here.  When we had company the other day,  I met a nice guy who has hair the same color as mine!  We hit it off real fine!  Us gingers need to stick together!

As of Sunday Georgie who was diagnosed with Fatty Liver Disease and is in ICU at the vet's, has eaten a bit of tuna on her own - a great sign that the feeding tube might not have to be in long and that she is feeling better.  This photo is from Sat. and she is still a bit loopy from the anesthesia and not feeling well.  She looked so much better a day later and hopefully even better on Monday.

Monday we will meet with the internal medicine specialist to determine when she may be able to come home and how we will be monitoring her.  Georgie seems to know we are there and purrs up a storm, with little chirps every now and then.  There is another Georgie cat in the next cage who got bit by a snake so there is confusion when the vet techs call out "Georgie's parents?"  Two sets of parents answer "Here"! So now we are Snakebite Georgie and just plain Georgie.

To tempt Georgie to eat, she has a buffet of food in her cage at all times.  She is also fed through her feeding tube every couple of hours, plus insulin and other things running through and IV all the time.  I will continue to update on her and sincerely thank you all for your support, sharing of our donation page (see in the sidebar or under the blog header), comments and donations.  We are finding that treating this disease is very costly - we will be upwards close to $3000. by the time she is home.  Money well spent on our sweet Georgie.

Mr. Kitty on Mancat Monday

It's time for me to do my post and let everyone know how I am doing at my new digs. Life is  pretty good these days. My new family and I still have to get used to each other so things are  slowly working themselves out.

 I am not using my old hidy spot in the bookcase anymore.  I prefer to sit on the table in the office window and watch the critters outside, enjoying the breeze.  It has been warm enough to leave the windows open at night and then things get really interesting with opossums and raccoons to watch.

 The excitement this week was that I coughed up a furball.  Aunt Cheri was concerned about me cuz I was throwing up my food  right after I ate it  for a couple of days.  But then up came a huge furball...no more throw up after that!  Now I get my Laxatone regularly to keep this from happening again.  (I am glad cuz I heard the V-E-T word!)

 I am still very much a guy's mancat and just love my Uncle Don.  I have a way of rubbing my face on the rim of his ball cap like I did with my Dad and human brothers back home. If Uncle Don doesn't lean forward enough so I can reach his visor, I tap it with my paw so he knows.  He gets a big kick out of it!  It doesn't take much to make humans smile!!

Come back by next Monday - I have a surprise for you all.  

Until then, have a super week and be kind to all critters! 

Thankful Mancat Monday

Snowball with Only behind him

 Mom didn't get to post this last night as we had BAD storms and even a tornado watch - very scary!  The storms lasted until 2 in the morning and ended with one huge clap of thunder that sent us all into hiding.  It sounded like something got hit right over us but this morning nothing looked amiss.  So us mancats are very thankful nothing was damaged in our area last night.  Wishing you all a happy week!

Two Spot hamming it up

Al napping - his ear tips get dirty - time to wash them.

Norm hiding in his box

Sam's usual hiss and growl greeting

Woody watching for storms