Tap Tap Thursday with Chica

Hope you are all rested up after my birthday party last weekend!  I certainly am.  Thank you very much for making it such a special day for me. 

If you remember I told you about the tap tap tap technique I use to get my beans attention if I want something.  Well Mom finally figured out how to get some of our new photos on the borrowed laptop we are using so here they are. --  This is me begging for some meat off Pop's  plate a few weeks back. 

Here comes the tap, tap, tap...I keep doing it until I get results.  Sometimes it can take a while.

Don't give up.  It can take lots of practise to get it just right.  Did you get that last pic Mom?  I think it was the best tap so far! 

What trick do you use to get what you want from your humans? Ya'll have a super weekend!!

Welcome to Chica's 21st Birthday Partay!!!!

Today, Sunday June 24,  is the day..my 21st birthday!!!   Mom asked Ann of Zoolatry to make her a graphic for my 21st birthday - I love it!  Thanks Ann.

Thanks to each and every one of you for joining us this week to celebrate me and making it so special.  It was fun sharing memories of my long life with you and in turn learning more about you too.  I have had an amazing life - from being found at a Florida strip mall to moving to North Carolina and getting used to sooo many new brothers and sisters.  We have moved 6 times in my life but as  long as Mom and Pop were there - I was home.

Since the theme for this party is 21 - Mom found some info online about why the 21st birthday is so important....

Some say it’s significance originated from knighthood rituals of long ago. A boy began to learn about becoming a knight at the age of seven when he was taken on as a page. He graduated from page to squire at fourteen and became a knight’s assistant, caring for his equipment and training with him until at the age of 21 he would become a Knight.

In Elizabethan times 21 was the age of consent for a man to marry.

In the US today, 21 is the age that you can purchase alcohol.

The symbol of the 21st Birthday has traditionally been the key. It is believed that the meaning of the key is that the birthday boy or girl is now a senior member of the household and given a key to the house. 21st birthday gifts, invitations, decorations and cakes are often fashioned around the design of a key.  (my21stbirthdayideas.com)

Mom asked me to choose a song that best describes my life and I chose My Way by none other than Frank Sinatra (heeheehee) Of course Mom could not get the embedd to work on the laptop but you all knowe the song and singer!

 I appreciate your friendship and hope to be around for some time to come! Help yourself to the salmon, shrimps and ham, niptinis (of course) and assorted toys, and even a jungle gym!  Mom got me two cakes for the party - one to celebrate that now I can legally drink and the other is key cake -  "You got the key to the door, never been 21 before"! Let's PARATY!!!



Our good friends Derry of Fuzzy Tales and Sparkle  also are celebrating their birthdays that day too. Wendy's LOL spot features me - so check that out! Make the rounds and be prepared to party yntil the sun comes up!

P.S. Mom did all the posts this week on a tiny borrowed mini laptop!  Very frustrating as she could not access her photos, put on any new ones...She says she can't see straight anymore either!!!  I don't believe her but I know she loves me lots for doing this and caring for me all these years!

Caturday of Chica's 21st Birthday Week

Me as a young cat

One day until my official birthday!!!!!! I can't wait  for tomorrow but this whole week has been just super fun. 

Mom wanted me to tell you how feisty I still am. The other morning I was on the bed to wake Mom up and Yoko came up too. I didn't like that so I whapped her good. She surprised me and whapped back...next thing we know we are both whapping and growling at each other. We woke Mom up with all our commotion and both got put off the bed. It wasn't my fault!

Me now

We also had a big thunderstorm today and loud boom followed by a flash of lightning just outside the window really scared me.  Back when we lived in Florida, Mom and I were sitting on our lanai as it started to rain.  I didn't mind storms then so we stayed out in the porch.  Suddenly lightning hit the transformer right behind our house and made a huge ball of light that traveled down the wires away from us with the loudest  bang we ever heard!  Mom and I scrambled to get inside the house and I was very very skeered of storms since that day. (That ball of light blew up all the appliances inside all the houses on our street.)  Whenever I hear thunder, I crawl on my belly to the closest hidy place - under a bed or sofa.  If Mom is home I just go cower by her.  The storms here in the mountains are not so loud and violent so I do much better now.  Are you skeered of storms too?

We had some folks ask what food I ate after the last post about why I have lived this long.  Well, Mom tried cooking the food herself but none of us ate it.  So she feeds us Wellness canned food - no grain or Evo or Pet Guard.  She has to alternate the flavors since we are all very picky - especially me!  For dry which we don't get but a few as snacks, we like Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover.  Mom tried Wellness dry but we would not eat it.  Sometimes you just have to go with the flow and give us what we will eat.  I like my food with extra water to  soften it and with juice from the can on it.

I guess I should stop talking and let you all get to the munchies today - fresh salmon.  For games and toys - we have some that will sharpen you whapping and hiding skills!  Be sure to come back by on Sunday for the official pawty and don't forget to visit Derry and Sparkle too.  Enjoy!

Friday Fun for Chica's 21st Birthday Week

Young me, still living in FL doing by Jabba the Hut impersonation!

As I said in the last post, I have mellowed out a bit in my older years.  Since I have been like 17 or 18, I have developed a new habit of going over to Mom when I want something and raising my paw to tap, tap, tap her.  If I can't reach her from where I am, I still tap the air which must look like I am waving.  Mom doesn't know how this came about but it seems to get me what I want!

Another thing I do is shake all over like a wet dog to dry off.  But I am not wet.  I do this when Mom gives me extra water with a plastic food syringe.  She squirts water into the side of my mouth behind my fang and I swallow it.  When I am done I stop and Mom says do your shaky and I shake all over.

A couple of you asked me yesterday what was the secret to my long life.  I talked this over with Mom and the only thing we can say is switching over to no vaccines and high quality food.  When we lived in Florida, both Yoko and I went to a regular vet, got all the vaccines and boosters yearly and ate kibble - Purina or Fancy Feast.

When we moved here 14 years ago, Mom found a holistic vet who did not believe in vaccines so we never got another one!  The vet also told Mom to feed us good high quality food - it took Mom a while to completely switch over for all of us but she did.

Now, I still have chronic renal failure which I have had for 6 years and Yoko  has high normal thyroid and kidney values but we have been treated all along with homeopathy, herbs and other natural treatments, no drugs.  This vet got Mom to stop using only western medicine for herself and she uses all natural things on her and Pop too.

It may have to do with good genes too.  Many of the feral cats inbreed with their own and it caused physical problems.  We don't really know where Yoko and I came from but we were pretty healthy as youngsters.

We have a big bash planned on Sunday for my official birthday so do plan on stopping by.  Our good friends Derry of Fuzzy Tales and Sparkle cat also are celebrating their birthdays that day too.  Make the rounds and be prepared to PARTAY!!!!

In my old age I still like whapping a paper bag for fun and napping it it after.

For today's noms we have beef rolled in cream cheese - one of my favorites.  When Mom has cream cheese on toast I run over and beg for some.  She sets some aside on her plate to dip her finger in and let me lick. MMMM MMM good.  Even when she stopped eating cow's milk cheese, I like goat chevre like that too.  To me cheese is cheese!

To go along with the noms - a passel of nip toys of every kind.  So enjoy and eat up.  Did you all like the mice yesterday!!!!  That was fun.

Thankful Thursday - Chica's 21st Birthday Week

This is me when I was little in a fish tub Pop brought home from the restaurant he cooked at. I loved this tub - mostly cuz it still smelled a little like fishies!

Back to this birthday business!  Yesterday I asked for questions from you all and got some interesting ones.  Oui Oui asked if I had a special friend.  Nope - just Mom.  I guess I would have preferred to be the only cat.  I never liked any of the others that came after me.

Going along with this question CCL Wendy asked how I reacted to all the other cats in the house?  Well, I was not very happy.  I would growl at them, grumble and swat.  If I was playing with a  toy and another cat came by I would just get up and leave making growly grumbly noises as I left.  I wanted to play be myself, nap by myself, eat by myself nd have Mom all to myself.  The other cats got the message with all my noise and left me alone.  Mom called me Queen of Mean but I was never mean to her or  Pop! Nobody messed with Chica in our house!

Both Prancer Pie and Animal Shelter Volunteer Life asked if I was more vocal now that I am older.  Strangely enough I am less vocal.  I guess I have mellowed out with age. In the past 4 years I have become very laid back.  I don't like a lot of commotion so I prefer to watch from the sidelines but I don't grumble or growl at anyone much - only if the other cat bumps into me or pesters me too much.  I actually will groom the young ones - unheard of before. Mostly cuz they were all afraid of me.  The newest ones didn't know me in my grumpy prime so they don't  run when I come near.

I would not venture to say that Yoko who is 19 is my friend but I do tolerate her lots more than I used to. We will often share the same chair or both get on the bed with Mom.  Years ago I would have chased her away.We are both very old now and get spoiled by our beans - as it should be!

I am very thankful to have had such a long loving life with Mom and Pop.  Who would have guessed I would live to age 21?  Being fiesty certainly helps.  And I am very thankful to have all of you as friends.  I love that we know kitties from alll over the world now!  The internets is such a cool thing!

Me at our newest NC house in 2009.

Today's toy and snack will be live - real mousies to chase after  and to eat.  We have plenty for all so don't lag behind.  Have fun!  Be sure to come back for more stories on Friday!