A Visit with Maggy, Zoey and Ann, a Portrait of Angel Squashies

Hello, Pip here.
We are in Florida!  In fact we have been in Florida for a whole month.
It has been furry cold in Florida, but is still warmer than it is back home in Maryland.  They have had lots of cold and snow at home.  I don't like the snow or the cold, on account that I had to live in it fur 2 whole years before mommy convinced me to live with her and daddy and TK.

It has been a hard adjustment fur me. I was so ascairt, I spent the first three days UTB. Then I heard mommy tell daddy that she was going to cancel the trip and take me back home, so I wouldn't be ascairt.  So I came out for a while so she wouldn't do that.  Then I came out more and more.  First I would hide when peoples walked by, but then I figured out that no one but mommy and daddy would come in the van.  Now I am out all the time! (Peoples still scairt me. I'm not tell you why! But you would be ascairt too!)

This is me in our Van, sitting on mommy.  Look at my BIG mancat paws!

So first mommy got to go visit Maggy and Zoey. It was a furry nice luncheon that Maggy and Zoey's Mommy, puts together so my mommy gets to meet all the Florida friends.  There was Angel Max, Bugsy and Knuckle's HH. (and flat Max!), Angel Sniffie, Angel Tamir, Ellie, Allie, Raz, Clifford and Cubby's Mom (and flat Raz!), and even Auntie Elinor cames, which was furry special because she is furry sick. *Purr, Purr, Purr, Purr*.



This is a picture Auntie Ann  made of all the attendees.

 While at the lunch Angel Max's HH mentioned that she is doing a new series of paintings called "Cats in Motion" and she wondered if mommy had any pictures that would work.  So mommy came home and looked at her thousands of photos of all of us, and sent a few to her for consideration.  And guess what?  She did one of
Angel Squashies!  She is so talented.  And guess what else?  Mommy got the picture to hang above Squashies' ashes on her desk, where she can see them all day... when she is at home.

HH paints Squashies

Mommy and daddy have been doing lots of stuff. Daddy has played lots of golf, and mommy has done lots of work (LOL).  They went to an airshow, and took an air boat ride, and saw lots of birds. Birding is a hobby of mommy's and she added lots of new birds to her bird list.  (Birding is a hobby of TK and mine too, but I don't think it's the same thing at all.)

TK and Pip, birding in Florida

And then, Maggy and Zoey stopped by to invite us to lunch!  They were furry nice and didn't want to scairt me.

Maggy and Zoey visit me!

So then mommy and Zoey and Maggy's mommy had a wonderful day together.  They had lunch and went shopping and chatted and chatted like sisters. My mommy had such a great time!  Before mommy knew it, the day was over.

We are going to be very sad to leave Florida.  But this is not the end of the trip!  Mommy is going to take the Van to Huntsville, AL to visit her sister for a week.  And then we are going to have another visit with a mystery Blogger, that has TK's tail quivering. (Can you guess who?)

You all have a safe and happy Holiday.
Love, Pip-Squeak

Update: Pip's closing didn't make it on the last posting.

Thoughtful Thursday

Dee here.
I wanted to let all our furends know that we are doing well.  Our regular Vet has put Squashies on Interferon, and we are in process of weaning her from the steroids.  We have placed a literbox and water stations on all three floors of the house, so she doesn't have to do the stairs if she finds her energy waning.

The last week has been a good one for Squashies. She is alert, eating well, playing with her toys and gracefully jumping up on the high cabinet for her afternoon naps. Still, we aren't squandering our time together- every moment is precious.

Even though these are smartphone pics, with no attempt at creating appealing composition or lighting- I wanted to share them.

Squashies by the day-bed in my office.

TK and Squashies in the tree.

TK has been very attentive to his little sisfur.

"You may kiss my hand!"

"Is it lunch time yet?"

The young Master Pip-Squeak is fitting in nicely. He is a "get-along" kind of fellow and switches easily from rough-housing with TK and purring quietly near Squashies.

Pip (who isn't allowed outside,) sits next to TK while Squashies has some deck time.

He is also a little snuggle-bug. He follows me around the house and, whenever possible, he tries to put as much of his body against me as possible. I'm not sure if he feels safe near me, or if he is showing gratitude.  Either way, I love his exuberant affection.

I really want to thank all of our CB furends, you have been so gracious with your cards, emails, FB posts and Tweets.  Your thoughtfulness and support are a blessing.

Formerly Feral Friday- My Gotcha

Pip: hello...

TK: You have to speak up, little brofur, so efurryone can read you.

Pip: I don't know what to say...

TK: Juss tells about you, like why you lives wif us now.

Pip: But it is better to be quiet when bad things are about!

TK: Don't be ascairt! No one is gonna hurts you. Dis a nice place wif furry nice kitties. Them all knows this is our place, they not tries to take it away from you.

Pip: I am not scared!! I am an outdoor cat, we do not get scared!

*cough*

Hello, my name is Pip-Squeak. TK says that yesterday was my "Gotcha Day".

TK: Pip, juss talks normal, me promises, blogging is fun!

Pip: Hello, my name is Pip-Squeak... and this is my story.

 A few darks ago Socks came in my territory again. He thinks that this yard is his, but it is not, it is mine. So we had to have a fight.

Socks

He scratched me some, but you should see him! I got him good. I won that fight!

After the fight, I was resting in my cabana, when suddenly the lady that always brushes and feeds me (TK says I should call her mommy now,) picked me up, shoved me into a big box, and zipped me in.  I can tell you outdoor mancats do not like this at all. Seriously, here I am defending the realm and this is the thanks I get?

Next thing I knew, the lady put the big box in an even bigger box, and it was moving! Then it stopped and the lady took the big box out of the bigger box and took it in an even bigger box.  I really was not too scared, the lady has always been nice to me. Then we were waiting, and the lady reached in a few times to scratch my chin, and I had to purr to let her know she was doing it correctly.

Then she moved the box. I got to get out and onto a table. There was a lady in a coat, and she stole some of my fur and stuck me with a needle. I was a gentleman, my lady was stroking my head, I am always safe when she is around.  The coat lady said I was too gentle to be feral.

And that is when everything turned bad.

Someone came in the room, I could not see my lady anymore. What was I doing here?  Then I showed them what a ferocious outdoor kitty could do. I finally saw my lady, but by then everyone else was attacking me, my lady look scared.

I put my ears flat, showed my teeth, pulled my claws out, and I fought.  I fought for hours, sortie after sortie. I used all my best cat-ninja moves.  I fought on the table, I fought on the chair, I fought on the counter with all the papers that flew in the air. I jumped from the counter to a cloth on the door, I hung 6 feet up, and I fought there as well.  All were defeated by my prowess!

Then I got jammed up in the corner...  There was a towel and gloves...

I won that fight too, but I decided to rest in the cell that they put me in anyway.  Then I went to sleep, and when I woke up, some parts of me were missing!?!  I took inventory from my head down, of the missing things- some fur on my shoulder, some fur on my back, some OH MY COD!?!  Where are they?

I was ferocious in my cell!  I attacked anything that moved, cat-ninja style. They even put a sign on the door that I was a wild-animal! You better believe that sign!!!!

Then my lady came and they shoved me in the big box again.

My lady took me out of the even bigger box, and put me in the big box that moves.  Then she opened my door and gave me my favorite chin scratches.  Of course I rolled on my back, so that she could serve me better.  And I purred so that she would know that she was doing it correctly.

Now I am at the big box that is near my outside territory.  I have met TK and Squashies.  They both give me my space, they know I am the toughest kitty on the block, though really they should be more scared of me than they appear to be. They even slept a few feet away from me last night. I am in their territory, and they do not seem to mind it. Indoor kitties are weird.

The big problem is that I can see my territory, but my lady won't open the door like she used to.  I'm not sure what to think... I do feel safe here. But my territory is so close.  Why is my lady not opening the door?  I will have to nap on this greatest of questions.

Pip- safe, warm and loved.

Update
We just got the sad news that Emily, of ToSimplify, went to the bridge today. If you have a few seconds, please stop by. She was Glenn's furend for 18.5 years. He is furry sad.

Godspeed, sweet Emily!