A big tea-party & a cat-care tip

It's mild temperatures but stormy today. Lots of snow blowing in the faces of passers-by. Kane and I got pretty wet on our walk. Now he smells like a wet dog which is exactly what he is.
The cats love this weather and like to watch the snow fall.

And watch the birds and squirrels have their breakfast, too.

Or it's nice to just nap through the whole thing.

The oldies are 17, 18 and 22 years old

Especially when you 

have your bed looking 'just right'. This is 1 week of 'nesting'.

Her box is almost the way she likes it.

I wish you could all come for tea.

Wouldn't that be a blast?
All of us here to meet each other. Oh ya, it would be very crowded but think of the laughs we'd have. And yes, I'd need to buy more tea-cups (love to) and bake more cookies but...hey, that's fine with me.

The cats would love to meet you all and have a nap in YOUR lap.

Wishful thinking.


Cat-tip for the day=^..^=trimming nails.
There are many fine cat nail trimmers in your local pet stores these days. I have bought different ones but I always go back to using the regular nail trimmer that I use for myself.

It's a personal thing to choose what works best for you and your cat. I am most comfortable with this one and I find the nails trim very easily.  My cats are used to it and don't even flinch when it comes to 'nail trimming' day. I trim my cats' nails twice a month. I only cut the point of the nail. There are also wood blocks at the fireplace for them to use and a cat-scratcher post. With all that, they seem to keep their nails in good condition albeit I have wood shavings flying around the room sometimes.
A cat's nail, if left un-trimmed, can curl and grow back into the skin. This is very painful for the cat. Prevention is best by having a day marked on the calendar to trim Fluffy's nails. Treats can also be handy if you have a cat that hates having nails trimmed or filed. A second person offering treats while the other trims the nails can work very well. If your cat is terrified of the whole procedure, trim one nail a day.


hugs, Deb

Top cat

It's lonely at the top

Audrey loves to sit at the top of our stairs and look down our 13 steps.

I suppose she imagines herself a lioness looking down from a hilltop over a herd of gazelles. Watching...waiting.

or she just thinks it's comfy.

Someone wants to say "hi"

Mr. Ed 

Well, I'm off to pick up keys for this weekend's work. I call it 'work' but really I'm just having fun with other people's cats. And lovin' it. 

hugs, Deb

add a flower

It's time to pretty up the bathroom with a flower.

on my new white shelves. That's all it takes.

This one makes me smile every day

'cause that's  little Riley after her bath. Love..love..love this girl.

I also love this little lady.
Annie is weighing in at 7 lbs now so she still looks very thin. She was under 6 lbs. when I brought her here to care for her babies. She eats 3 sometimes 4 times a day and is on a Holistic Select and Natural Balance chicken soft and a dry called NOW. Her little body is still very thin but I am not worrying about that. She has been through a lot and in the last six months has been seized from a home of almost 30 animals that were abandoned, given birth to 3 kittens while full of parasites and infection, helped through her ordeal with our love and good nutrition and now recovering from her spay. That's too much for any cat.

I think it will take a long time for Annie to look like a pampered house cat. She is just over 1 year old. A mere kitten herself. One thing that has not changed and I hope never will is her beautiful personality and love of humans. Her chin acne is better and her stitches are all healed up. She just needs to gain some weight now.

Talk about a soft place to fall.

hugs, Deb

gift & a recipe

Here is little Riley modelling her new hat from Peru. This was a Christmas present from her Aunt Allie.  

I will soon be showing you what Allie brought back for her lucky mom. It absolutely took my breath away when I opened it. I haven't taken a proper photo of it yet but wait 'til you see. 

No matter how you try to make a cat comfy they sometimes just want to stretch out in the most uncomfortable of places; right next to a blanket.

 Our Lily

On my walk today, I stopped by a real estate window to look at recent sales of homes in our area. We have to put a price now on our home of 23 years. The next step is to pick up permits to begin the building of a home on our lot.

Am I anxious? Youbetcha. There is just so much to think about. 

I  hope you follow along on our adventure.

It's time to make cheesy scalloped potatoes for dinner.

That's comfort food around our house.

Here's what you need.

Enough raw potatoes sliced thin to fill your roaster or casserole dish

Put a bit of butter on bottom of dish

Then a layer of sliced potatoes

salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with cheddar cheese

Add another layer of potatoes

Add chopped onion, more cheese and a dab of butter

Repeat

Pour milk over this dish 3/4 of the way up the side

salt and pepper and sprinkle more cheese on the top

Easy-peasy!

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender 

I use Yukon Gold potatoes.

Enjoy

Deb

hugs, Deb

a spoonful of sugar

The recipe I posted 3 days ago, I am posting again. Where it says 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar change that to 1 1/2 if you like a little sweeter cookie. These are not sweet at all.

Everyone is enjoying the fresh flowers.

Even our man, Ed 

Annie does a double-take

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies...mmmm

1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups brown sugar or 1 1/2 for a little sweeter cookie
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 pure applesauce
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup raisons
1 cup walnuts



Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter cookie sheets
Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy
Add eggs, vanilla and applesauce.
Mix remaining ingr. together in a large bow and gradually add to creamed mixture and beat until blended.
Spoon teaspoons of batter onto prepared cookie sheets
Bake for 10-12 minutes
Cool on rack.    Just try and only eat one.

Before I leave a client's home each day I write up a little report on how the cat was doing that day. Here is Indy on our last day together editing and verifying each daily comment I wrote. I'm going to miss this darling cat. She was a joy to care for. Never have I seen a cat enjoy being groomed like this gal.
I hope to see her again soon.


So happy Sunday everyone. Enjoy the day.

hugs, Deb

Taking the edge off winter

Winter is hard on the wild-life around here so many people help by feeding the birds and squirrels. I often sprinkle seeds on dry bread and peanut butter, cut it all up and place this outside a window for the cats to enjoy the excitement.

Birds love a bit of fruit, too. With the squirrels, this will be gone in minutes. After they eat, they scamper around our property and delightfully entertain the cats.  I have watched them take a corner of the bread, eat the seeds and then lick the peanut butter off. Yes, I too, am easily entertained. ;-b
I always have an assistant in the kitchen.

If she's not cuddled up on the couch in front of the wood-stove.

Beautiful cut flowers were added to the dining-room today. I am anxious for Spring and having them to look at softens the winter. 

This vase was my mothers. I remember as a child looking at the fresh cut flowers that would fill it from my mom's garden. It always made the house more a home. 

It is so sunny today and the wind has died down. Much more tolerable. I think it's time for a walk.

hugs, Deb

Let's play

Two things I know for sure about the average house cat. One, they are usually over-weight. Two, they are some-what bored.

To entertain your cat, there are feathers on sticks, jingly ball, fuzzy mice and the favorite...the ping pong ball. These are all wonderful toys for your cat but they are more fun and the cat will play longer if YOU are at the other end. Cat toys can lie around the floor and hang out in baskets for ages without the cat even noticing sometimes. And we wonder why they won't play with them. It is because these toys are more fun when two play.

There is nothing that will knock off the inches on your cat faster than to have it exercised. A stick with a string and feather on the end pulled around the house can have your cat doing somersaults. A ping pong ball thrown down the hall sometimes up to 100 times a day will keep Fluffy happy and svelte. Add stairs to the picture and the weight will come off even faster. Another helpful hint is to put kitties treats in a treat ball and make it fun to get those treats out.

A good diet, lots of love and plenty of exercise is what your dog needs. Well, guess what? Your cat needs it, too. 

So have some fun with your cat. You'll both benefit from it.

(our tubby-tabby model tonight is our 10 year old Sierra whose weight loss is a work in progress)

"I am just fine..

thank you very much."
This is a busy weekend for cat-sitting. Some clients are leaving and some are returning to very content kitties.
The little scared Torti, Gracie and I became the best of friends this week. No more hiding and now she lets me groom her and we play. Boy, do we play.

I love when the house plants just suddenly bloom for you when you don't expect it.

Shamrock

Simple things like a sunny room in your home is so nice when it's -20 C outdoors.

Add hot chocolate to that and life is good.

Best part of dinner out tonight...fresh, hot bread in a basket (oh mama!)

hugs, Deb