Holiday's by Chessie

Hey, Frankster,

 This is probably your first experience with the time of year humans call ‘the holidays.’

 Well, since I’ve been around for quite a few years now – just recently celebrated my eleventh birthday! - I have seen these celebrations and wondered a lot about the thing called turkey.  It tastes good and smells wonderful when Mom cooks it, but they are big, ugly looking birds, and they can’t fly like the little wrens and sparrows in our yards.  They waddle on the ground.

 The other morning Mom had on that big square box that makes noise with moving images on it = TV, its called.  I was asleep in a cozy chair in her office while she worked.  Suddenly, the TV noise stopped... all was quiet for a moment and then there started this sound: ‘gobble, gobble, gobble.’  And I looked up at the TV and there were all these big, black birds, wild turkey, running through the Texas sage making these funny noises: ‘gobble, gobble, gobble.’

 I jumped down to the floor and sat in front of the TV very close to the picture and watched carefully as these birds ran around making a silly little gobble noises jumping and crashing into each other, it was mayhem.  When it was over, I still sat, hoping the birds would come back and play again, but when they didn’t I looked at Mom trying to ask her to make that happen: let me see these silly birds again.  Mom said if I was a good kitty maybe I could have a special turkey treat for supper... and then she did the strangest thing!  Mom said to me ‘gobble, gobble!’  and laughed.

 I’m confused, so I think I’ll take a nap and think on it for a while.
 Happy Turkey Day! Chessie

Another Trip To The Vet's by Chessie

 Sorry I haven’t written in awhile Frankie, but I’ve been a ‘little under the weather’ – that’s a Mom-ism that I do not understand at all.  How can I be under the weather: it’s all around us?

 Anyway, Mom had to take me to the Vet a couple of days ago ‘cause I had a very swollen lower lip.  Really swollen; she said I looked like some guy called Gene Simmons – whoever that is, but I guess he too has a big lower lip and sticks his tongue out all the time.  How rude!!  Oh, wait... that’s what I was doing too.

 The Vet is a really nice man, who calls me by my name, and is very gentle when handling me during an examination.  I really wasn’t feeling well and got quite grumpy and growled at him and the nurse – I know, not nice, but I am allowed when I don’t feel well and they poke and prod at me.  I’ve been sleeping a lot, which is why I haven’t felt like writing to you... so they ran some tests, which meant sticking me with a needle to draw some blood – ‘me-ouch!’  That made me mad!  All the folks at the hospital know me ‘cause I’ve been going there for years, since we moved here: they all think I’m cute and cuddly – well they saw a different side to my personality when they poked and prodded me.  That hurts!  I just wanted to be left alone, but that wasn’t about to happen.

 The Vet and my Mom discussed me while the nurse held me close in her arms and I grunted at the indignity of it all.  Eventually, he left but came back with TWO huge sharp sticks and stuck me in the rump with some medicines.  Dang did that sting!  Mom brought me home and I curled up in my comfy chair to sleep.  I’m feeling just a little perkier, but my lip still is a little swollen.  I’m trying not to lick my lips, and I hide my face in Mom’s lap ‘cause I don’t want to go back to the Vet and have him poke and prod me anymore.

 Feeling sleepy again, Chessie

The New Kitty On The Block? by Frankie

 Well, now that things have settled down a bit from all the weird goings on, everything should be back to normal - Right? Nope!

 Even after the vet visit, the new kitty needed to be quarantined because of her fleas. The vet said she was completely infested because she is really sick. Mommy and mom-mom say her tests didn't look very good. So they are gonna make her happy and fill her little tummy for as long as she's here with us. That doesn't sound all that good to me.

 Maybe if they can kill off all the fleas she might feel better. I'm gonna try and stay nearby and see if I can do something to help. Mommy says I'm a good boy sharing my food with the kitty by letting her have first choice of flavors. I don't think it's really a problem since I love all of my foods, I look up at mommy and say "I don't care as long as I still get fed".

 Mommy still keeps us separated, so I don't get to check her out just yet. The neighbor came up with a name for her, which I think sounds kinda nice, it's Gracie. She also brought over some treats and a few small toys for her. The treats smell nice but I don't care for them, the toys however I want for myself. I tried to grab them from mommy and go play with them but she caught me and took them back. Mommy said I have to share and besides the toys aren't for me anyway. What's with that? She did give me one of the jingly bell balls since I don't have any of those yet. But mommy did take a couple of mine that I haven't played with yet for Gracie. So I guess sharing isn't that bad.

 We'll see how this goes. I'm gonna take another circle around and see if I can get close enough to get a sniff of Gracie without mommy noticing. Talk to ya later.

What's In MY Travel Crate? by Frankie

 Ok, so a few days ago I told you about mommy going over to the neighbors house. That's when she brought something back with her, but she didn't show me what it was. Well, I still haven't been able to see what's going on. I've tried going down stairs but mommy has blocked it off with a gate at the top of the stairs.

 However, she did tell me there's a little kitty that is sick and needs some help to get better. She said that I'm not gonna be allowed to see her for a while until she's been to see the doctor and feels better. That means a trip to the vets.

 Mommy and mom-mom borrowed my travel carrier to take the new kitty to go see the vet. All I can think is, at least it's not me going for tests and shots.

What Did Mommy Bring Home? by Frankie

Hey Chessie,

 Something a bit odd is happening in the house lately...

 Two days ago, one of the neighbors came over to ask mommy to go over and check out a lost and sickly cat in her front yard shrubs. Being the animal lover that she is, she grabbed her shoes and went over right away to see how she could help. I jumped up in the front bow window so I could keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't go too far away.

 A little bit later she came back with something wrapped up in a towel. I followed close behind her trying to get a look or smell of what she had. She stopped to talk to mom-mom then went downstairs and blocked me from going too. Mom-mom grabbed a couple old blankets and some of my food, then went down with mommy.

 I don't know what's going on but I'm gonna get to the bottom of this.

Rude DVD Player by Chessie

  While Mom is still in my sunny room laughing at me – hrumph! – I thought I would share with you, my good friend Frankie, what just happened.

  Maybe you can appreciate my surprise.  I mentioned to you the other day that Mom was trying to move books around to stop me from enjoying the warmth and comfort of sleeping on the DVD thingy which sits on top of the set top box for the TV.  Well, I took care of those books in quick order –pushed them right to the floor - so it was free and clear for me to take a nap.

  A few minutes ago, I tried to climb up onto the bookcase so I set my foot near the front of the DVD player – when suddenly it stuck its tongue out at me!!  I just put a paw on it, and it opened its BIG mouth and whirred and the big, flat tongue slid out.  I waited, but nothing else happened so I touched it again with my paw and it made a chiming noise, but it didn’t pull its tongue back in.

  Mom came to see what the noise was all about, and found me curiously sitting and watching the tongue – but it wasn’t doing anything.  She mildly scolded me, but her tone had a chuckle in it, as she pushed some buttons on the thing.  I guess the thing liked that, ‘cause it pulled its tongue back and closed its mouth again.  I’ve never seen anything like that before... but now I’m not sure if I ever want to sleep on it again = maybe it could swallow me!

  I’ll catch up later, need to think on that some more, Chessie

Training Your Human by Chessie

  Hey there my furry friend, Frankie!

  Greetings from the beach.  Life is good here, as my world is mostly back the way is has always been.  My Mom has restored all the things that she had packed and put away during the great re-carpeting adventure and so I am now happily ensconced in my cozy home with all the familiar places for me to gaze out at the garden to see the little birds and squirrels.  It is too bad though the days are getting less light – so Mom has to get up in the dark, ‘cause my tummy says its breakfast time!  And it gets dark by suppertime too – she has to put the lights on to feed me.  I can see my food dish fine, especially when I can smell the yummy food in it, but I guess she doesn’t have the same vision skills I do.  Anyway, I wanted to tell you something I learned about getting Mom to do exactly what you want her to do: sometimes you have to encourage human behavior, with a little skilled and repetitive training.

  When Mom was putting back everything in the house, she decided to change-up the locations of some of the furniture and books in the bookcases.  That rather annoyed me, ‘cause I like things just the way they’ve been situated since we moved here!  So I started my own campaign:  the bookcase was easy, I have a favorite spot on top of the set-top box for the television, it’s nice and warm without being hot, and it has just the tiniest hum that vibrates the box, even I can barely hear it.  I could sleep on it for hours.  Well, Mom decided to make use of the space and stuck some big old artsy books on it so I couldn’t sleep there anymore.  Yep, that didn’t last.  I took my paw and shifted them slightly and ‘me-owed’ loudly until she paid attention and came to see what was up... purrfect... just as I knocked a whole bunch on the floor!  Didn’t really have to shove them off, just turn the books a bit so they were tipped off balance and they fell – all by themselves!  Smart kitty – me.  I won – books gone!

  We had a similar tussle with the big, old ruffled pillows on her bed.  I like one of them very much and often choose to sleep on it during the day – it’s a soft, comfortable place and I can barely be seen napping.  Well, my Mom decided to wash the covers to the pillows and then to put some of the decorative pillows away for ‘a new look’ – so she said.  I sat and watched her intently, I couldn’t believe that she was going take one of my favorite sleeping places away.  After a couple of days of being without my pillow, I decided to take action:  I pounced on the bed and ran all over it - flipped the remaining pillows on the floor and when Mom came home, she found a pile of rumpled pillows all over the floor and a messed up bedspread!  Chaos reigned!   Mom wasn’t happy with the mess, but I guess she got the message – some of the pillows are still packed away, but others, including my favorite napping pillow has returned.

  All this talk of naps, has made me sleepy, going to my favorite pillow – Chessie