More Adventures in Catsitting

I have been asked to cat sit again. Three cats, 14, 5 and 2 years old. Sounds familiar. My cats are 12, 7 and 3. In fact, Sammy looks a lot like Percy don't you think?

Milo is the baby of the family. He has the softest coat and he is very sweet. Yesterday he didn't eat much but today he was fine.

Lexi is the eldest of the brood. She is all white and she has two different color eyes. She is a love bug and like my Molly, she growls at the boys if they get too close.

Birdwatching is a favorite pastime in this household and why not?  The house is located on a hill surrounded by trees and birds.

 

Lexi enjoys the window too, when she's not rubbing her face on the perch her Daddy made for her.

 

 

Lexi, the birds are outside the window not in the house! The chirping is so loud you might think the birds were inside.

The kitties' backyard is an oasis from the rat race. Repurposed items decorate the garden.

Look at this arbor. It has seating for two. A neighbor was throwing it out so my friend got it for free. It certainly fits that spot perfectly.

The neighborhood is filled with colorful Victorians and well manicured lawns. Talk about pride of ownership!

I snapped this quickly as the UPS truck was about to spoil my shot. Also it was starting to rain quite heavily.

And this is where Lexi, Sammy and Milo live. They are allowed outside but just in the yard. But not on my watch. I already told them they would have to stay in until Momma gets home. The weather has been cold and rainy anyway.

This was taken on Monday. The last day we had sun I think. The morning light was beautiful in the yard.

Hopefully, the weather will improve but regardless I look forward to seeing those cute kitty faces again tomorrow morning.

Percy the poser

The sun was streaming in the living room windows Sunday morning and Percy was all cozy in his favorite chair. He looked so handsome I just had to do an impromptu photo shoot.

But then he got all shy on me. That's so rare, he's usually quite the poser. I guess he was just enjoying the warmth of that sheepskin rug.

Looks like the photo shoot has ended. What a brief session! Til next time, sweet dreams!

Who can resist these Valentines?

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  I stayed home with my 3 Valentines tonight.  We just lazed around and watched a little TV.  Here's Oscar looking dreamy as ever!

Percy was wondering if there was going to be chocolate involved tonight. And this was his face when he found out there wasn't.

And here's Molly. She is always looking for affection. That's her paw in motion at the bottom of the photo.  If you are near her and you don't pat her, you'll get whacked by her paw. She's a leftie like me!

I hope everyone had a wildly romantic day!

Holiday decorating inspiration

I don't know about you, but, I always look to magazines and blogs for my holiday decorating inspiration.  I saw this beauty in Matthew Mead's Christmas magazine. This was from a feature on Carol Spinski from Raised in Cotton. The chair is a little bit like my living room chair.

So I thought I would give it a whirl and pull out my own vintage ornament collection. I just grabbed the first few I could get my hands on since I haven't decorated yet. Mine is a little meagher but you get the jist of it.

I was admiring my work when ....

The one man wrecking machine awakened from his perch in the dining room. Of course, he had to investigate.

He just has to get in every photo doesn't he?  So the holiday styling session abruptly ended. I did not want to chance any of my vintage beauties becoming a cat toy for Mr. Percy or his siblings.

One last look before it is dismantled.  As you can see the chair is not in pristine shape as it has endured far too many kitty claws.

I decided to give you a close up view of some of my collection. I added a warm filter to the photo to give it more of a vintage look.

Where do you find your holiday decorating inspiration?

Those quirky kitties

Never a dull moment in my household. Sometimes it's like having 3 kids, toddlers at that.  There's Oscar about to steal my shoe.

And Percy is where he shouldn't be. I've told him a hundred times not to sleep on the cable box.

Obviously Molly is copping a catitude. She's giving me her backside. She must not have liked something I said. It's probably about the late hours she's been keeping.

And Percy thinks he's King. He thinks he's the boss of me but he's not.

When I see them all in the same room together I think 3 cats is a lot.  But I can handle it. Most days.

What the appraiser saw

An appraiser came out to do an evaluation of my condo today. I am trying to refinance my mortgage to a lower rate. It all depends on the value. If the value comes in high enough I'll save more than $150  a month. with the new loan.

He was almost clinical in his approach. "I'm going to walk around and do a sketch of the property and then take some notes" he said. He also took some photos and asked a few questions like when was the unit renovated and are there any major projects coming up?

What he thinks is valuable is not what I value the most. Like the souvenir from a trip with my sister in Kennebunkport that sits on that bookcase or the poster on the wall from my friend Pauline.

He looked at the dining room which was a living room for the previous owner. I look at the room and see my grandmother's china cabinet and all the teacups I've collected over the years.

He snapped a shot of the bathroom.

He looked at the hallway and I pointed out a closet.

He looked around the kitchen and the ceramic tile floor.  He didn't notice the bistro set my parents bought me as a birthday gift a few years before my mother's stroke.

He made note of the granite countertops, the maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
He did not notice the tea towel, a gift frrom my friend Karen or the antique label I had framed that hangs over the sink.

He noted that there was a pantry and in unit laundry. He did not know the calamity of the washer/dryer installation.

Snapping the photo of the bedroom, he definitely did not notice the Rachel Ashwell comforter from Target. Or the bed that I've had for 17 years which was originally assembled by my friend Joanne's husband Roy. Joanne died in 2006.

I doubt he took a photo of these military chests, I bought the top one at an Estate Sale and the bottom one I found at the side of the road.

I don't even think he noticed the cats.  Molly was hiding under the nesting tables in the living room.

Percy was hiding behind the birdcage.  Oh Percy, we can see you! Percy does not like strangers in the house.

Oscar was hiding on a chair under the dining room table.

Later, Molly decided a cat nap was in order after all the excitement. She settled in on a chair in the living room which used to be a bedroom.

Percy was tired too and he sprawled on the cool hardwood floor in the dining room.

I sure hope the appraiser gives my condo a proper value to make the loan work.

I've only lived here 3 1/2 years but to me this condo is more than granite countertops and hardwood floors.  I don't really think I can put a value on it.

Meet the Kits- Molly, Naughty or Nice?

I know I always mention the kitties in my posts but I thought it might be fun for you to get to
know each one of them up close and personal. Today it's 10 year old Molly's turn.

Molly might look like an angel but that's an act.  She can be a little devil at times too. Her vet says she has a beautiful feminine face and I agree she is a real beauty.

I adopted Molly from a Petsmart in Tyngsoboro, MA.  She had been rescued from a trailer park in Hooksett, NH by an organization called Kitty Angels. Her name was Little Martha at the time and she was 6 months old.

Molly was my sole kitty for the first 7 years of her life.  We lived in a one bedroom apartment

with a wonderful screened balcony.  She spent lots of time outdoors on the balcony. It's the one thing I miss about that old fifth floor apartment.

Molly is quite the character.  She does not make much noise and in fact she rarely makes a sound.
Well, she likes to rip up newspaper and paper bags. I think she likes the sound it makes.

Since "the boys" moved in to the condo, Molly has one eye open at all times.

She never knows when she will be under attack. As the boys age, this will be less of a problem. Molly and I are patiently waiting for the juveniles to grow up.

Molly does have a mischievous side. She is the first one to investigate anything new at the condo.
She is a curious cat.

Occasionally she will mix it up with Oscar.  Percy tortures her and she does not want anything

to do with him.

After so much play and investigation, she is ready for her catnap. She takes several naps a day. Unfortunately, the boys have taken over the bed and she never gets a chance day or night to sleep there anymore.  It is quite sad that she has lost her status as the alpha cat. She still seems happy most days but still I feel bad for her.  After all, I am the one who brought the boys into the condo without asking her opinion.

I am still holding out hope that there will be peace in the household in the future.