I'm sad...

My apologies for not blogging better over the past 2 months... My talents have been required elsewhere. Tending to a sick kitten to be exact.

Remember those kittens I posted about last month? I can't bring myself to post a picture of them... because the day after I posted about them, the little orange one fell very very ill. So for the past 6-7 weeks, I've been nursing him back to health. Or trying to. This care has included weeks of giving him breathing treatments every 3 hours, round the clock. Countless doses of more medications than I've ever seen anyone, let along a 4 pound kitten, take in a given day. And more trips to the vet than I could imagine.

Yesterday morning, that sweet little kitten passed away in my arms.

And I'm sad.

So so sad.

I'll be back to posting all kinds of creative things in the coming days and weeks.

Thanks for understanding.

Callie & Mac

In April, we lost our beloved cat Otto. Since then, our daughter has been desperate for kittens. We kept waiting and waiting for the right time... then we saw Christmas on the horizon and Bug decided that Santa should bring us Kittens for Christmas.

And that is just what he did. Meet Callie and Mac:

Otto's brother Wojo is not really happy about this gift. But he's adjusting...

In Loving Memory of Otto the Orange

Poem For Cats

And God asked the feline spirit
Are you ready to come home?

Oh, yes, quite so, replied the precious soul
And, as a cat, you know I am most able
To decide anything for myself.

Are you coming then? asked God.
Soon, replied the whiskered angel
But I must come slowly
For my human friends are troubled
For you see, they need me, quite certainly.

But don't they understand? asked God
That you'll never leave them?
That your souls are intertwined. For all eternity?
That nothing is created or destroyed?
It just is....forever and ever and ever.

Eventually they will understand,
Replied the glorious cat
For I will whisper into their hearts
That I am always with them
I just am....forever and ever and ever.
Author Unknown

This morning I held our beloved Otto as he passed away. He's been in our lives for 13 years and will remain in our hearts forever.

There is no way to describe how amazing this cat was... he was full of love right up until he left us. Our lives will not be the same without his gentle way. We're worried about his brother (pictured above, Wojo.) They've never been apart. But thankfully, Otto died at home, and Wojo got to see him and hopefully that will bring him peace.

I miss my puff kitty terribly....

Kitty Litter Screen

Prior to being parents to the 2 best kids in the world, we became parents to the 2 best cats in the world. I'm not just bragging here, ok, well maybe a little... but anyone who meets these cats can't believe what amazing animals they are.

Meet Otto and Wojo (Otto is the long haired red tabby, and Wojo is the russian blue.)

Please forgive their mild annoyed appearance, I'd woken them from a nap while taking the picture. Something that you can only do with these guys if you're going to snuggle or feed them. Taking a picture is NOT an acceptable reason to wake them from a nap.

About 3 months ago Otto was diagnosed with diabetes and he has arthritis in his hips. These two factors have made it difficult for him to get in and out of our old litter box, the kind with the privacy hood.

So we had to get something very easy for him to get in, turn around and do his business - the problem, now we have to see him do his business and no one wants to see that.

Just imagine watching that game while watching a cat do it's business... no thank you.

So - thanks to the 4 shutters I scored at the Habitat for Humanity Restore today... I was able to construct privacy screens to place around their litter box.

Not only will it give them privacy but we're hoping it will cut down on the litter scatter as well. Since I got the shutters from the ReStore, it was really cost effective too. $5 per pair, 4 pairs... $20. Plus I've got 1 panel left over that I'm plotting a use for.

At some point I might paint or do something to dress them up but for now, the immediate problem has been addressed.

(Told ya the ReStore finds were already on their way to being used!!!)

Lets take another look at those sweet kitty cats...  

Seriously. Sweetest. Cats. Ever.