Hey Frankie,
I just remembered another fun game I get to play sometimes with my Mom - its with brown paper bags. Most of the groceries and stuff that she brings into the house come in some flimsy material she calls plastic. But she won’t let me play with those bags ‘cause she says they are dangerous for kitties, so she takes them away from me if I go snooping in them for the interesting smells inside. But sometimes Mom brings home big, heavy brown paper bags – my kitty food comes from a store that only uses paper – so it has wonderful smells of all kinds of toys and food and other goodies for furry critters like us.
Anyway, when Mom is finished unpacking my kitty food she tips the paper bag on its side, on the kitchen island where I eat breakfast, and lets me climb inside. Then Mom teases me on the outside of the bag making little scratchy noises with her fingers running all around it like a scurrying little mouse. After a couple of minutes of me chasing the noise I stop and wait to pounce... that’s when Mom slowly picks the bag up and lifts me in the air, then gently puts me down on the floor so that the bag is upright. That’s when I get to tip the bag over and shoot out of it dashing around the house and then I come running back to the kitchen and dive back into the bag, which usually causes it to go sliding across the floor propelled by me jumping inside. That always makes my Mom laugh! When I make my Mom laugh – that makes me happy!
Chessie
8/30/2014
8/29/2014
Newspaper Play by Chessie
Frankie!
I just saw your post about the crumpled newspaper balls! LOVED the pictures of you: master of the mess!! Wow, your Mom must have laughed so hard... before she realized you weren’t going to help clean it up, uh oh.
Well, I have another game I like to play with newspapers – and it is a little neater too. When my Mom reads the newspaper she drops sections on the floor and sometimes they tent up in the air a little bit at the fold. I wait until that happens and then, when Mom isn’t paying any attention – I slip under the newspaper fold. I can usually get my whole body all the way under so its just my tail sticking out – and its dark and quiet and I can nap there for a while. Of course my Mom thinks its funny and sometimes she’ll ‘catch’ my tail as I wag it gently back and forth. That’s an invite for me to go running out from under the newspaper, throwing it off my back as I go running out of the room in one real fast lap through the house and then back again – jumping up on the ottoman where Mom rests her feet when she’s reading.
Really, really fun – and sometimes she plays the game again with me – but this time she’ll drop the newspaper over my head when I’m resting on her ottoman. My Mom is such a character – she also likes to play ‘peek a boo’ with me, using the edge of the newspaper just raising it a bit to ‘find’ me!
Fun, fun! I’m going for a nap now... all this talk about running around the house has tired me out, Chessie
I just saw your post about the crumpled newspaper balls! LOVED the pictures of you: master of the mess!! Wow, your Mom must have laughed so hard... before she realized you weren’t going to help clean it up, uh oh.
Well, I have another game I like to play with newspapers – and it is a little neater too. When my Mom reads the newspaper she drops sections on the floor and sometimes they tent up in the air a little bit at the fold. I wait until that happens and then, when Mom isn’t paying any attention – I slip under the newspaper fold. I can usually get my whole body all the way under so its just my tail sticking out – and its dark and quiet and I can nap there for a while. Of course my Mom thinks its funny and sometimes she’ll ‘catch’ my tail as I wag it gently back and forth. That’s an invite for me to go running out from under the newspaper, throwing it off my back as I go running out of the room in one real fast lap through the house and then back again – jumping up on the ottoman where Mom rests her feet when she’s reading.
Really, really fun – and sometimes she plays the game again with me – but this time she’ll drop the newspaper over my head when I’m resting on her ottoman. My Mom is such a character – she also likes to play ‘peek a boo’ with me, using the edge of the newspaper just raising it a bit to ‘find’ me!
Fun, fun! I’m going for a nap now... all this talk about running around the house has tired me out, Chessie
8/27/2014
paper - Paper - PAPER !!! by Frankie
Hey There Chessie,
I took your advice you gave me earlier about hiding toys for later. A few weeks ago I was playing with my little mouse, the one your mommy gave me before getting to my new family. And I remembered what you said. So I stashed it away and mommy has been looking for it ever since... lol Every now and then I will get it out and play with it in the living room, tossing it up in the air, then catching it mid flight and pouncing on it. Oh, it's so much fun playing with it. Sometimes mommy hears me and comes out to see what I'm up to, so I have to grab it before she sees and hide it again. She's getting close to finding my hiding places though. I'll need to change it up a little.
Mommy was reading an ad paper the other day from a craft store called ACMoore that she shops at. When she was done she was just going to recycle it, but I was looking kinda bored. So she crumpled it up into a ball, which got my attention right away, and threw it over my head. Well, I should say she tried to throw it over me, I caught it mid-air. She cheered and said I was a good boy, I like that, it makes me feel good. Anyway, I like to roll around with the paper ball, scratch it with my feet and tear the corners off into shreds. Mommy got such a kick out of watching and playing with me, she decided to get more ads from the paper and make more balls to play with. We played for hours together and by the time we were tired and needed a nap, the whole house was covered in ripped up and crumpled pieces of paper everywhere. I love it, it's so much fun, but as usual mommy just had to snap a few pics of me. After we both settled down a little, she picked up all the pieces and put them in my box to be played with again later. You just have to get your mommy to do the paper thing with you. It's so much fun!
I took your advice you gave me earlier about hiding toys for later. A few weeks ago I was playing with my little mouse, the one your mommy gave me before getting to my new family. And I remembered what you said. So I stashed it away and mommy has been looking for it ever since... lol Every now and then I will get it out and play with it in the living room, tossing it up in the air, then catching it mid flight and pouncing on it. Oh, it's so much fun playing with it. Sometimes mommy hears me and comes out to see what I'm up to, so I have to grab it before she sees and hide it again. She's getting close to finding my hiding places though. I'll need to change it up a little.
Mommy was reading an ad paper the other day from a craft store called ACMoore that she shops at. When she was done she was just going to recycle it, but I was looking kinda bored. So she crumpled it up into a ball, which got my attention right away, and threw it over my head. Well, I should say she tried to throw it over me, I caught it mid-air. She cheered and said I was a good boy, I like that, it makes me feel good. Anyway, I like to roll around with the paper ball, scratch it with my feet and tear the corners off into shreds. Mommy got such a kick out of watching and playing with me, she decided to get more ads from the paper and make more balls to play with. We played for hours together and by the time we were tired and needed a nap, the whole house was covered in ripped up and crumpled pieces of paper everywhere. I love it, it's so much fun, but as usual mommy just had to snap a few pics of me. After we both settled down a little, she picked up all the pieces and put them in my box to be played with again later. You just have to get your mommy to do the paper thing with you. It's so much fun!
8/25/2014
Coffee by Chessie
Hi There Frankie!
What’s doing with you this lazy summer day? I’ve just been hanging around my Mom’s desk, sleeping on her computer router – its nice and warm and hums and vibrates a very little bit. Sweet. She’s stepped away from the desk for a few minutes... so I thought I would tell you about my newest discovery = coffee.
Every morning since forever, after Mom and I have our breakfasts (she feeds me first, of course) she makes this pot of dark brown stuff. It smells interesting, I can’t quite describe it, sorta nutty and sweet. When she turns on the machine that makes it, which sits on the kitchen counter – the same counter that I am NOT allowed on! – it gurgles and makes all manner of noise and hisses steam and then there is a big loud finishing noise and it stops. Mom pours the liquid in a big mug and takes it into my sunny room and sits in MY comfy chair and reads the newspaper – another fun thing to play with, which I will tell you about some other time.
Anyway, this has been happening almost every morning for forever... as long as we’ve shared my sunny room. Well, one morning a couple of weeks ago, Mom got up to stop the black thing on the kitchen counter from ringing – it’s so annoying! She stayed in the kitchen and talked into the thingy for a long time, so I got back up in my comfy chair and sniffed at the brown liquid in Mom’s mug.
The warm steam from the hot liquid tickled my noise, but it wasn’t too hot ‘cause their wasn’t much brown stuff left. Just a little in the very bottom, so I pushed my head in the mug to see if I could reach it with my tongue – it did smell wonderful, different than anything I’ve ever had and in the cup the flavor seemed intense. But I got my head almost all the way into the cup and was just about to taste this mysterious liquid – when Mom came back into the room! I heard her yell, but the smells in the mug were so lovely and I didn’t want to stop – my head was snugly almost to the bottom – my whole face was inside the mug. Mom sat down and gently pulled my head out of the mug and said, very sternly "Coffee isn’t for kitties!" So now I know it’s called ‘coffee’ – it sure does smell nice, and I still want to taste it, I’ll just have to wait for that thingy to ring again and take Mom away from her coffee mug!
What’s doing with you this lazy summer day? I’ve just been hanging around my Mom’s desk, sleeping on her computer router – its nice and warm and hums and vibrates a very little bit. Sweet. She’s stepped away from the desk for a few minutes... so I thought I would tell you about my newest discovery = coffee.
Every morning since forever, after Mom and I have our breakfasts (she feeds me first, of course) she makes this pot of dark brown stuff. It smells interesting, I can’t quite describe it, sorta nutty and sweet. When she turns on the machine that makes it, which sits on the kitchen counter – the same counter that I am NOT allowed on! – it gurgles and makes all manner of noise and hisses steam and then there is a big loud finishing noise and it stops. Mom pours the liquid in a big mug and takes it into my sunny room and sits in MY comfy chair and reads the newspaper – another fun thing to play with, which I will tell you about some other time.
Anyway, this has been happening almost every morning for forever... as long as we’ve shared my sunny room. Well, one morning a couple of weeks ago, Mom got up to stop the black thing on the kitchen counter from ringing – it’s so annoying! She stayed in the kitchen and talked into the thingy for a long time, so I got back up in my comfy chair and sniffed at the brown liquid in Mom’s mug.
The warm steam from the hot liquid tickled my noise, but it wasn’t too hot ‘cause their wasn’t much brown stuff left. Just a little in the very bottom, so I pushed my head in the mug to see if I could reach it with my tongue – it did smell wonderful, different than anything I’ve ever had and in the cup the flavor seemed intense. But I got my head almost all the way into the cup and was just about to taste this mysterious liquid – when Mom came back into the room! I heard her yell, but the smells in the mug were so lovely and I didn’t want to stop – my head was snugly almost to the bottom – my whole face was inside the mug. Mom sat down and gently pulled my head out of the mug and said, very sternly "Coffee isn’t for kitties!" So now I know it’s called ‘coffee’ – it sure does smell nice, and I still want to taste it, I’ll just have to wait for that thingy to ring again and take Mom away from her coffee mug!
8/22/2014
About Mommies by Chessie
Frankie,
Now take this advice from someone older, and with much more experience than the youngster kitty you are: You’ll learn as you get a bit older. You do not want to scratch anyone, any time! Especially those eyes in the back of your Mommy’s head – oh my, no. Didn’t you tell me you had already heard that word ‘no’ when you nipped or scratched? Remember our humans are mysterious creatures, they respond to our slightest mood and always try to make us happy, and try to protect us so we don’t get hurt doing dangerous things. Take it from me, I have personal experience with how much my Mom tries to keep me safe. She tells me sometimes that I am a smart kitty, but just too fearless for my own good. I don’t understand that really ‘cause I like to explore... but honestly, she has had to rescue me a few times.
They certainly do have special, mysterious powers that we don’t understand though. My Mom has been telling me ‘no’ for many years, I am almost eleven years old now – and I’ve never really figured out why she says I shouldn’t do something. You are certainly correct, sometimes my Mom can be in her office working, and suddenly I get a hankering to explore the kitchen counter where I am not supposed to be; I might find a pencil, just laying there near our grocery list, and I start playing with it and pushing it around. Suddenly I hear: ‘Chessie, are you on the counter? What are you doing?’ And it’s her tone of voice that means – she already knows the answer! As soon as I hear her coming to investigate, I’m quick to jump down and sit on the floor, swishing my tail and looking all innocent with just a hint of a Cheshire cat smile on my face.
I guess Frankie, there is just no explanation for the special powers of our Moms... one of the mysteries of life – sort of like a cat’s purr. Humans don’t really understand how we make that blissful sound and we don’t really understand their powers of intuition. Our world is a mysterious place, but its fun to test the limits of those powers sometimes too!
Think I’ll investigate the kitchen for a while, catch up later, Chessie
8/21/2014
Mommy Sees & Knows All by Frankie
Hey Chessie,
I gotta ask you about your mommy... Does she catch you being bad every time? Mine does.
I don't know how she does it. Every time I feel like being naughty, mommy ALWAYS catches me. It's like she knows exactly what and where I am, and what I'm getting into. I just don't understand. She says 'I know what your doing!' from a different room then where I am. It's like she can see through the walls. Just as I jump up on the counter she calls for me to get down. Sometimes I don't even get that far, once I was still on the floor just thinking about getting up there, and she looked at me and said 'No'. I can't catch a break.
I've even tried to see how she does it by watching her. Like the other day... I was playing in the living room with my toys. Now I'm not allowed to play with plastic bags. Something about twisting in it and not being able to breath or some nonsense. So when something caught my eye in mommy's donate bag, I was just gonna go over to investigate. So I was looking at mommy to make sure she didn't see me, but just as I was sniffing in the bag she said 'Get out of that bag, it's nothing for you.' I jumped and ran behind the chair and looked at her. She didn't even turn around to see me or what I was doing. How does she do that?!? She said 'Mommy has eyes in the back of her head and I know what you're up to.' I never heard of that, have you?
She uses those same eyes to bust Mom-mom when she tries to eat cookies or sweets when she's not to. They argue back and forth about who's older and knows more, but my money is on mommy. She pulls a mad face and just takes the stuff away from mom-mom and gives her something else to eat. One of these nights while mommy is asleep I'm gonna have to check out the 'other' eyes. Maybe if I pounce or scratch at them and let them know I don't like them they'll stop tattling on me.
I gotta ask you about your mommy... Does she catch you being bad every time? Mine does.
I don't know how she does it. Every time I feel like being naughty, mommy ALWAYS catches me. It's like she knows exactly what and where I am, and what I'm getting into. I just don't understand. She says 'I know what your doing!' from a different room then where I am. It's like she can see through the walls. Just as I jump up on the counter she calls for me to get down. Sometimes I don't even get that far, once I was still on the floor just thinking about getting up there, and she looked at me and said 'No'. I can't catch a break.
I've even tried to see how she does it by watching her. Like the other day... I was playing in the living room with my toys. Now I'm not allowed to play with plastic bags. Something about twisting in it and not being able to breath or some nonsense. So when something caught my eye in mommy's donate bag, I was just gonna go over to investigate. So I was looking at mommy to make sure she didn't see me, but just as I was sniffing in the bag she said 'Get out of that bag, it's nothing for you.' I jumped and ran behind the chair and looked at her. She didn't even turn around to see me or what I was doing. How does she do that?!? She said 'Mommy has eyes in the back of her head and I know what you're up to.' I never heard of that, have you?
She uses those same eyes to bust Mom-mom when she tries to eat cookies or sweets when she's not to. They argue back and forth about who's older and knows more, but my money is on mommy. She pulls a mad face and just takes the stuff away from mom-mom and gives her something else to eat. One of these nights while mommy is asleep I'm gonna have to check out the 'other' eyes. Maybe if I pounce or scratch at them and let them know I don't like them they'll stop tattling on me.
8/19/2014
Hide-Aways & Napping by Frankie
Hey Chessie,
Your napping / hide-away spot sounds nice. I have a few hiding places to choose from but only one really nice napping area. Don't get me wrong, anywhere I want to sleep is fine, but Mom-Mom's bed - with her big fluffy comforter - is the best in the whole house. The sun shines through the mini blinds in the afternoon as a soft glow. I hear the little sparrows chirping while they eat at the feeders. Mommy's nearby in her room lightly tapping away on her computer. The comforter is so warm and toasty I just love to snuggle down deep in it and stretch out. I have the most awesome naps ever there. Mommy also promised me to get a thing called a window seat. She says it will let me sit right up on Mom-mom's bedroom window so I can watch the birds at the feeder. Right now I can only see them if they fly over the house cause I stand up on the hope chest at the foot of the bed. It's not high enough and I tend to slip off the edge trying to get closer to the window.
Now as for the hide-away, I'd have to say, under mommy's desk is my go to. It's an L shape so the center is in the corner, that's where I like to go. When she is online and typing away, I rub across her legs to say 'hi, I'm here', then go lay down for a nap. She checks on me from time to time, and says I'm her good boy, I like that. Under the rest of the desk are boxes but how the desk is made they sit forward on the floor. It makes a sort of pass through for me behind everything. I like to stretch out there too, as seen in the pic below. It seems like everytime I do something 'cute' mommy has to get her camera out and snap a picture.
All this talk about naps is making me sleepy. I think I'll go lay down for a little bit.
Talk to ya later, FRANKIE
Your napping / hide-away spot sounds nice. I have a few hiding places to choose from but only one really nice napping area. Don't get me wrong, anywhere I want to sleep is fine, but Mom-Mom's bed - with her big fluffy comforter - is the best in the whole house. The sun shines through the mini blinds in the afternoon as a soft glow. I hear the little sparrows chirping while they eat at the feeders. Mommy's nearby in her room lightly tapping away on her computer. The comforter is so warm and toasty I just love to snuggle down deep in it and stretch out. I have the most awesome naps ever there. Mommy also promised me to get a thing called a window seat. She says it will let me sit right up on Mom-mom's bedroom window so I can watch the birds at the feeder. Right now I can only see them if they fly over the house cause I stand up on the hope chest at the foot of the bed. It's not high enough and I tend to slip off the edge trying to get closer to the window.
Now as for the hide-away, I'd have to say, under mommy's desk is my go to. It's an L shape so the center is in the corner, that's where I like to go. When she is online and typing away, I rub across her legs to say 'hi, I'm here', then go lay down for a nap. She checks on me from time to time, and says I'm her good boy, I like that. Under the rest of the desk are boxes but how the desk is made they sit forward on the floor. It makes a sort of pass through for me behind everything. I like to stretch out there too, as seen in the pic below. It seems like everytime I do something 'cute' mommy has to get her camera out and snap a picture.
All this talk about naps is making me sleepy. I think I'll go lay down for a little bit.
Talk to ya later, FRANKIE
8/18/2014
Climbing Places by Chessie
Hey Frank-ster!
Probably won’t be able to call you a youngster too much longer now that you are getting three squares a day of good food and growing by leaps and bounds. You’ll be all grown up very soon! And speaking of leaps and bounds...
I mentioned before I'm a climber – whenever I am stressed, or annoyed, or just to scare my Mom a bit when I want to show her how fearless I am. I have always climbed to the highest tops of cabinets and big, tall pieces of furniture wherever my Mom and I have lived. She has tried every way possible to stop me, but I am fearless and wait until she goes away from our house, and then I climb up high and sleep all day. When she returns, if I am not waiting for her at the garage door – she knows where to look for me.
Unfortunately, my very favorite place to climb is on top of a big, old piece of furniture Mom calls a breakfront – why I do not know – strange word! But when I have climbed up there in the past and then jump down, I land on my front paw pads and hurt them. One especially gets all swollen and sore and sometimes bleeds, and then I limp around looking forlorn and seeking sympathy. Mom told the Vet when he was looking at my bloody paw that it was getting old and I was too smart to keep hurting myself. Soooo he told her to put aluminum foil on top of the chair and it would prevent me from getting a foothold to climb up. Hisssss! He was right – I can’t get up on top of the breakfront anymore, unless we have visitors to the house and then she takes the foil away. Then as soon as Mom’s not looking – I jump up on the breakfront, curl up and go to sleep. She doesn’t even know I’m there! Until I jump down – ouch! It’s the challenge I like.
The kitchen cabinets are easier, and that’s where I go most often because Mom can’t block the path = I jump from the kitchen counter – shhhhh! – don’t tell her, but I think she might know already, and then on top of the refrigerator then up to the tippy-top of the cabinets and walk along the edge, in and around and through the baskets she had put up there to stop me from climbing... drives her crazy, but she has to get a big ladder – a funny looking portable thingy with steps on it (which I also like to climb, if I get the opportunity!) So, she usually leaves me alone when I climb in the kitchen. It is a lovely, snug place; I can spend the whole day up there and no one knows I’m there, unless they hear me snoring!
I mentioned before I'm a climber – whenever I am stressed, or annoyed, or just to scare my Mom a bit when I want to show her how fearless I am. I have always climbed to the highest tops of cabinets and big, tall pieces of furniture wherever my Mom and I have lived. She has tried every way possible to stop me, but I am fearless and wait until she goes away from our house, and then I climb up high and sleep all day. When she returns, if I am not waiting for her at the garage door – she knows where to look for me.
Unfortunately, my very favorite place to climb is on top of a big, old piece of furniture Mom calls a breakfront – why I do not know – strange word! But when I have climbed up there in the past and then jump down, I land on my front paw pads and hurt them. One especially gets all swollen and sore and sometimes bleeds, and then I limp around looking forlorn and seeking sympathy. Mom told the Vet when he was looking at my bloody paw that it was getting old and I was too smart to keep hurting myself. Soooo he told her to put aluminum foil on top of the chair and it would prevent me from getting a foothold to climb up. Hisssss! He was right – I can’t get up on top of the breakfront anymore, unless we have visitors to the house and then she takes the foil away. Then as soon as Mom’s not looking – I jump up on the breakfront, curl up and go to sleep. She doesn’t even know I’m there! Until I jump down – ouch! It’s the challenge I like.
The kitchen cabinets are easier, and that’s where I go most often because Mom can’t block the path = I jump from the kitchen counter – shhhhh! – don’t tell her, but I think she might know already, and then on top of the refrigerator then up to the tippy-top of the cabinets and walk along the edge, in and around and through the baskets she had put up there to stop me from climbing... drives her crazy, but she has to get a big ladder – a funny looking portable thingy with steps on it (which I also like to climb, if I get the opportunity!) So, she usually leaves me alone when I climb in the kitchen. It is a lovely, snug place; I can spend the whole day up there and no one knows I’m there, unless they hear me snoring!
Well, all this talk about a nap has made me tired, so I think I’ll go get a snack in the kitchen and then climb into my cozy basket for a snooze. Catch you later, Chessie
8/16/2014
Name Game by Chessie
Great Day Frankie!
Now, you asked me about my name ‘Chessie.’ Well, when I came to live with Mom, she was living in someplace called Florida, which was nice because it was always warm there. And I was only four months old – I was called an American Shorthair, Exotic Blue Tabby – and my fur was bluish gray, with little raccoon-like ringlets on my tail. So my Mom brought me home as a surprise for her Dad, who lived with her. And he wasn’t sure he wanted a kitten (he thought he was a dawg person!). My Mom said to him "you name her" and left us alone to get to know each other – smart Mom!
My ‘grampa’ was a lifelong railroad man – I don’t know what a railroad is, but trains and stuff about trains were all over the house, and I was seriously warned against ever playing with any of it... and I decided that their tone of voice meant = don’t even think about it! So we talked and played with each other, ‘grampa’ and me, until I got bored and fell asleep on his desk. It didn’t take long and he decided I was cute and I could stay because I looked just like the CSX Railroad kitty that was the mascot for that rail line. I didn’t understand what that met, but everyone who met me remarked that yes, I looked just like that CSX cat – whose name was Chessie. So that’s how I got my name. I liked it right way; it was classy and no other cat that I had ever met had that name, so I was special. Of course I am.
I’m tired, I need to go take a nap... meow for now, Chessie
My ‘grampa’ was a lifelong railroad man – I don’t know what a railroad is, but trains and stuff about trains were all over the house, and I was seriously warned against ever playing with any of it... and I decided that their tone of voice meant = don’t even think about it! So we talked and played with each other, ‘grampa’ and me, until I got bored and fell asleep on his desk. It didn’t take long and he decided I was cute and I could stay because I looked just like the CSX Railroad kitty that was the mascot for that rail line. I didn’t understand what that met, but everyone who met me remarked that yes, I looked just like that CSX cat – whose name was Chessie. So that’s how I got my name. I liked it right way; it was classy and no other cat that I had ever met had that name, so I was special. Of course I am.
I’m tired, I need to go take a nap... meow for now, Chessie
Side Note On Names
Chessie The Railroad Kitten ~ from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chessie_(railroad_mascot)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chessie_(railroad_mascot)
8/15/2014
What's In A Name? by Frankie
Hey Chessie,
You know, I've been meaning to ask you... Where did you get your name from?
Mommy says when she tells people my name, they think it's odd or she's too young to have heard my namesake. Frankie comes from Frank Sinatra. Apparently he was a famous guy called a 'crooner'. That's just a big fancy word for a handsome singer, I guess like those boy-bands everybody listens to nowadays. She loves to watch the old/classic movies. Sometimes if it's a musical, or if the couples dance, she picks me up for a snuggle and rocks me like we're dancing. I think its OK, but only if she doesn't kiss me all over my face. She does that sometimes ~ yuck, girly stuff 
Anyway... Mommy called me Frankie because something just told her I was gonna be a singer/talker. I guess I am though, I like to talk to her and the birdies outside. When she makes my canned food, I just can't help but sing cause I'm so happy I get my favorite stuff. Oh, speaking of food, at my last Vet's visit I weighed in at 10.2 lbs. Can you believe it? When you and your mommy found me I was only about 8 lbs. The Dr said I'm a happy and healthy growing boy.
Well I gotta run, mommy wants to play again. Talk to you later.
FRANKIE
FRANKIE
8/14/2014
The Back Yard by Frankie
Chessie,
Hhmmm, I don't know about butterflies or hummingbirds other then when I was there, but we have squirrels and lots of different kinds of birds. The Blue-jays are my favorite. Mommy throws out peanuts for them in the morning and there's always at least one around that flies up into the big tree in the yard and squawks. Then a few minutes later we have a bunch more. They dive-bomb from the tree down to the grass, then hop around to find a peanut they like, and fly off to eat it or hide it for later. It's so awesome to watch, I lay down as flat as I can so they don't see me. The rest of the birdies eat on the other side of the yard at the feeders. Mommy even tosses some food on the ground for the cooing mourning doves cause they can't fit on the foot holds of the feeder.
We don't have flowers just some grass, a bush and the tree. The next door neighbor has a bunch of trees, and one that blooms, that the tiny little sparrows like to hide in. Mommy said the only reason we don't have flowers out there is cause mom-mom would find a way to kill them. She doesn't have a green thumb as they say. Besides, she said the bunnies would be all over the flowers or vegetables like me on canned food.
About the tape measure, I totally agree, it's not fair. Mommy was using hers in the living room yesterday, and mom-mom said it's probably one of her 'organization ideas'. She keeps rolling her eyes whenever mommy cleans and picks up things around the house to 'put them in their place'. I think I'm NOT gonna get in the middle of that.
Well I'm due for a nap now, talk to ya later.
FRANKIE
Hhmmm, I don't know about butterflies or hummingbirds other then when I was there, but we have squirrels and lots of different kinds of birds. The Blue-jays are my favorite. Mommy throws out peanuts for them in the morning and there's always at least one around that flies up into the big tree in the yard and squawks. Then a few minutes later we have a bunch more. They dive-bomb from the tree down to the grass, then hop around to find a peanut they like, and fly off to eat it or hide it for later. It's so awesome to watch, I lay down as flat as I can so they don't see me. The rest of the birdies eat on the other side of the yard at the feeders. Mommy even tosses some food on the ground for the cooing mourning doves cause they can't fit on the foot holds of the feeder.
We don't have flowers just some grass, a bush and the tree. The next door neighbor has a bunch of trees, and one that blooms, that the tiny little sparrows like to hide in. Mommy said the only reason we don't have flowers out there is cause mom-mom would find a way to kill them. She doesn't have a green thumb as they say. Besides, she said the bunnies would be all over the flowers or vegetables like me on canned food.
About the tape measure, I totally agree, it's not fair. Mommy was using hers in the living room yesterday, and mom-mom said it's probably one of her 'organization ideas'. She keeps rolling her eyes whenever mommy cleans and picks up things around the house to 'put them in their place'. I think I'm NOT gonna get in the middle of that.
Well I'm due for a nap now, talk to ya later.
FRANKIE
8/13/2014
A Visitor & The Garden by Chessie
Frankie,
Now that it is summer in the garden there are lots of butterflies and hummingbirds flitting through my yard. They fascinate me because they are so colorful and move so quickly among the pretty bright flowers. I can sit in the window and watch them for hours. Several times this year the hummers have come close to the window and we briefly stare at each other, I couldn’t catch them they move too quickly – and besides, they are so pretty! And sometimes I can even hear the whirl of noise from their wings flapping.
Now that it is summer in the garden there are lots of butterflies and hummingbirds flitting through my yard. They fascinate me because they are so colorful and move so quickly among the pretty bright flowers. I can sit in the window and watch them for hours. Several times this year the hummers have come close to the window and we briefly stare at each other, I couldn’t catch them they move too quickly – and besides, they are so pretty! And sometimes I can even hear the whirl of noise from their wings flapping.
I am a little worried however – something’s going on in my sunny room – where I watch all the birds and squirrels in the yard. There are lots of windows so I can go from window-to-window and watch all the critters outside. But Mom has been pushing furniture around in there and then a couple of days ago a man with four legs arrived and came to sit in the room for a while. He had a big, black boot on one foot, and a pair of aluminum sticks that he used as extra legs – he called them crutches. I was quite interested to see how he moved on these extra feet, but Mom shooed me away saying she didn’t want me to trip him – whatever that means.
Anyway, when he sat down I checked out his booted foot = pretty cool, but no shoe on that foot. I like shoes they have wonderful smells and I like to lay on them. The metal sticks, were leaned against a chair, so I went to investigate them. Very odd, cold metal with little rubber thingys on the ends. Not very interesting – I got bored and walked away.
I sat watching what was going on, especially when a long metal toy came out and they started sticking it in one corner of the room and pulling it all the way across the floor. After a minute, they’d do it in another place on the floor, but I got yelled at when I leapt upon it as it was retracted back into the man’s hand real fast – its not nice to tease me with toys, and then stop me from playing with them. Then they went outside and fiddled around the windows and walls with that same gizmo – I watched from the windows inside! Mom handed it back to the man and called it a measuring tape. Wonder what’s up with that? Think I’ll take a nap and think on that question for a while.
Anyway, when he sat down I checked out his booted foot = pretty cool, but no shoe on that foot. I like shoes they have wonderful smells and I like to lay on them. The metal sticks, were leaned against a chair, so I went to investigate them. Very odd, cold metal with little rubber thingys on the ends. Not very interesting – I got bored and walked away.
I sat watching what was going on, especially when a long metal toy came out and they started sticking it in one corner of the room and pulling it all the way across the floor. After a minute, they’d do it in another place on the floor, but I got yelled at when I leapt upon it as it was retracted back into the man’s hand real fast – its not nice to tease me with toys, and then stop me from playing with them. Then they went outside and fiddled around the windows and walls with that same gizmo – I watched from the windows inside! Mom handed it back to the man and called it a measuring tape. Wonder what’s up with that? Think I’ll take a nap and think on that question for a while.
It is lovely and coolish here at the beach, so Mom has opened the windows and I can smell the flowers in the garden and watch the critters through the screens.
Hope you had a great weekend!
Chessie
Hope you had a great weekend!
Chessie
8/11/2014
The Hunt For Bugs by Frankie
Chessie,
Your kind of summer sounds awesome. I don't have a favorite chair or spot yet, I just sit or sleep wherever I feel like. My mom-mom's bed is comfy for afternoon naps though. It has a big & thick comforter that I just snuggle down into. As mommy cleans or is online during the day, she checks on me to see how I'm doing. We don't get people coming over except repairmen so far. Maybe later for the holidays. It may seem a bit boring to some, but it's nice and quiet, I like it that way.
As for 'the hunt', I was stalking a fly a few days ago. I almost had it when mommy came in the kitchen and saw me on the counter by the sink. The fly was in the window trying to get outside. Apparently I'm not allowed on the counters, something about dirty feet and mommy just cleaning it. I got down but still followed the fly from the floor while mommy got the fly-swatter. She smacked at it and it disappeared somewhere. Neither one of us could find it anywhere. Oh well, so much for my first kill.
I now know a new house rule... Don't eat a bug before mommy sees what kind it is. The day after the fly incident I found a different kind of bug. It was just walking around on mommy's bedroom floor. I pounced on it just as mommy saw me stalking it. She asked what do I have, and I thought she was going to take it away from me, so I ate it. Turns out it was a little beetle bug. Not very tasty but I didn't have time to savor the flavor. Mommy said all bugs are to go outside, not be eaten. Where's the fun in that? That's OK though, mom-mom told me she'd let me eat any bug I want as long as I keep them away from her.
Hhmmm, I think I'm in the mood for another. Talk to ya later.
FRANKIE
Your kind of summer sounds awesome. I don't have a favorite chair or spot yet, I just sit or sleep wherever I feel like. My mom-mom's bed is comfy for afternoon naps though. It has a big & thick comforter that I just snuggle down into. As mommy cleans or is online during the day, she checks on me to see how I'm doing. We don't get people coming over except repairmen so far. Maybe later for the holidays. It may seem a bit boring to some, but it's nice and quiet, I like it that way.
As for 'the hunt', I was stalking a fly a few days ago. I almost had it when mommy came in the kitchen and saw me on the counter by the sink. The fly was in the window trying to get outside. Apparently I'm not allowed on the counters, something about dirty feet and mommy just cleaning it. I got down but still followed the fly from the floor while mommy got the fly-swatter. She smacked at it and it disappeared somewhere. Neither one of us could find it anywhere. Oh well, so much for my first kill.
I now know a new house rule... Don't eat a bug before mommy sees what kind it is. The day after the fly incident I found a different kind of bug. It was just walking around on mommy's bedroom floor. I pounced on it just as mommy saw me stalking it. She asked what do I have, and I thought she was going to take it away from me, so I ate it. Turns out it was a little beetle bug. Not very tasty but I didn't have time to savor the flavor. Mommy said all bugs are to go outside, not be eaten. Where's the fun in that? That's OK though, mom-mom told me she'd let me eat any bug I want as long as I keep them away from her.
Hhmmm, I think I'm in the mood for another. Talk to ya later.
FRANKIE
8/10/2014
Lazy Summer & Bugs by Chessie
Hi Frankie!
Meow – wow! Just saw your first blog post! Cool! Now I can keep up on what’s happenin’ with you, from here at the Delaware shore.
I’ve fallen into the lazy days of summer – sleeping in my favorite chair ‘cause my Mom seems to have had a lull in beach visitors, which is too bad ‘cause I really like people to come see me. I’m not much of a critter cat – those others – as I call them. My home, my Mom! I never learned to play well with the others I like being an ‘only’ cat.
It’s been warm here, so we’ve had lot’s of beach people and they all seem to like to play with me and laugh when I bring them toy mice to toss so I can fetch them back. But everyone left when it got rainy - finally the rain has stopped for a few days. Maybe they’ll come back now! Now we just have a massive crop of big ol’ black flies shooting into the house whenever Mom opens the door but, never fear Chessie’s here! I can stalk them and patiently hunt them until they land and then pounce on them, and catch them with my paws. I don’t eat them though – yeech! – they tickle inside my tummy and it makes me sick, so I just call – “Ma-ow” and she comes and tells me how I am a great huntress and takes them away... where they go, I do not know.
My Mom doesn’t like spiders and this year we have quite a few that keep appearing in the sun room. Big ones – about the size of the lid of one of my can food cans! I don’t think they would taste good and they run quite fast so if I try to put my paw on them when I spot one running across the floor they are really hard to catch. I make little noises until Mom realizes I’m stalking another spider and she saves the day – for both of us!
Uh oh... I just heard Mom rattling dishes for supper... gotta go! Stay in touch, Frankie – super to know what’s going on with you in your home!
Chessie
8/07/2014
Congrats! by Chessie
Meow, back at you, Frankie:
This is Chessie, who lives with my mom, Jan, who found you in our kitchen garden. It sounds like you have landed in the sweet spot of a wonderful, loving family. I’m so glad for you and them; as I am more mature in years and just a bit territorial, so I don’t play well with others of the furry ‘purr’suation... I love people, just not other kitties. So it was at my behest she was hoping to find you a new forever home.
It sounds like you are training your humans as they have brought you many trinkets and toys and you can pick and choose which you will play with and hide each day – making them reorder them all into a box so you can dump and search out your favorite, then you hide it again. Sometimes I hide a toy, to enjoy later – I have received so many from ‘my cousin’ Liz, and then it will reappear = out from under a piece of furniture... so I have to keep re-hiding it. Keeps my mom busy.
It’s fun to look out the windows at all the other critters isn’t it? I like the deer the best, ‘cause they are quiet. But, I’ve learned how hot and cold it can be outside, from those days when my mom was trying to socialize that cat she named Phanny and she had the kitchen door open a lot – I ‘purr’fer living inside in this nice temperature controlled environment.
Bye the way, I eat Science Diet too, ‘cause I have a delicate digestive system, and I like the food, it tastes good; but sometimes, just for fun, I will stare at the dish when mom serves it , then I just look up at mom, and get up and walk away. Drives her crazy, but she knows that deep down I’m really in charge of the house, and she lives here to cater to my whims. I know you are just a youngster, but a word of warning = don’t bite the hand that feeds you! It is just not done – besides you can always get your way with a sweet purr and a nice tail wrap around a leg. I heard my mom tell someone that you did both while you stayed here, so Frankie, practice that and you’ll have them eating out of your paw, as they say.
Oh, and one more thing: when I hear the vacuum – I sometimes climb up on top of the kitchen cabinets, where no one can reach me! I can watch the world from up there, but often no one can see me, unless I let them... just saying, it’s a thought. Just don’t let on that I told you that.
Well, gotta go for now, do write again and keep me posted on what’s up with you and your new family. So glad that you found some loving folks that you can train and be entertained by their human antics too.
It’s fun to look out the windows at all the other critters isn’t it? I like the deer the best, ‘cause they are quiet. But, I’ve learned how hot and cold it can be outside, from those days when my mom was trying to socialize that cat she named Phanny and she had the kitchen door open a lot – I ‘purr’fer living inside in this nice temperature controlled environment.
Bye the way, I eat Science Diet too, ‘cause I have a delicate digestive system, and I like the food, it tastes good; but sometimes, just for fun, I will stare at the dish when mom serves it , then I just look up at mom, and get up and walk away. Drives her crazy, but she knows that deep down I’m really in charge of the house, and she lives here to cater to my whims. I know you are just a youngster, but a word of warning = don’t bite the hand that feeds you! It is just not done – besides you can always get your way with a sweet purr and a nice tail wrap around a leg. I heard my mom tell someone that you did both while you stayed here, so Frankie, practice that and you’ll have them eating out of your paw, as they say.
Oh, and one more thing: when I hear the vacuum – I sometimes climb up on top of the kitchen cabinets, where no one can reach me! I can watch the world from up there, but often no one can see me, unless I let them... just saying, it’s a thought. Just don’t let on that I told you that.
Well, gotta go for now, do write again and keep me posted on what’s up with you and your new family. So glad that you found some loving folks that you can train and be entertained by their human antics too.
Happy tails...er trails, Chessie
8/05/2014
My New Home by Frankie
Hi, This is Frankie...
Sorry I haven't emailed you both sooner, but my new mommy has been busy trying to teach me as much as she can while I'm still young (whatever that means). It's been a bit hard at first, what with all the "No", "Ouch!", and "Stop". I guess I just like the thrill of the hunt, and maybe a little taste of blood. But I'm just a kitten and I am still learning the right and wrong way to play. But I digress...
When I first arrived at my new home I was a bit scared. So many new things to see, sniff and investigate. My mommy took me into each room and pointed out hiding places and different things to look at or play with. It's a nice house and has plenty of room for me to run around in. Not to mention the full length glass front and back doors. If I look out front, I get to watch people walk with their kids and dogs. Or I can see out back, all the birds and squirrels eating from the feeders and running around in the grass.
I have so many toys I don't know what to do with. Mommy has to pick them up every morning and put them in my box. I like to dump it over and play with all of them at night, while everyone is asleep. When she started to pick them up, I thought I was in trouble, but she says it's OK and calls me her "Good Boy". And I REALLY don't like the vacuum cleaner, it's scary & noisy. I ran into my moms room and hid for a while, then took a nap.
Food was an issue for me the first week. Anything mommy gave me, I would scarf down as fast as I could and as much as I could. So she would only give me a few bites at a time while feeding me, so I'd slow down. After a few days I understood I could have food anytime I needed it. Now, I not only get crunchy food, but I get my new favorite, canned. YUMMY! Mommy says the "Science Diet" will make me healthy and strong like her other kitties. They lived for like 16 & 18 years, and one was 22 years old.
Well, I gotta go, it's play time for me. I'll send more letters later about what I'm doing and how things are going. Next time I'll tell you about my Dr's visit at the Vet's office. Mommy says I need to get "Neutered" soon. I'm not sure what that is, but I don't think it's a good thing.
Love,
FRANKIE
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