Happy Heart Day from Disco & Brighton

Celebrating Mardi Gras, Cat Style!

  

ManCat Monday

About a month ago, Teri actually sat in on a #BlogPawsChat, her first in many months. And, we were purrty happy about that cuz there was something in it for us, hahameow!

Their sponsor that week was Pet Grass, and since Teri buys us wheat grass from time-to-time, she thought she would tune in and learn more about this subscription service that keeps your kitties stocked with fresh greens ... What's not to like?!

She decided to give it a try for us -- just one time to see what she thought of the product and she got 10% off the order, too. A few days later a box arrived for us! We were very interested in the contents, too!

It came cutely packaged and the instructions were to take one out and keep the other 2 in the fridge to make them last longer (and even put the one we nibble on in the fridge at night, too). PetGrass thought of everything, down to the finest detail!

Teri forgot to do that but each pot stayed green and fresh for about 10 days, much longer that the stuff she usually buys at
P _ _ _ _.

And it was priced only a couple of dollars more than the typical grass and she is sure if she put it in the fridge at night, and misted it daily, she might have been able to make it last even longer!

If your kitties like greens, and the though of a subscription and auto shipments arriving at your door without you having to run out and shop, then we think Pet Grass Whisker Greens just might be something you'd like, too!

Here's a link to their website so you can read all about it! https://www.petgrass.com and if you decide to order some, use the code YUM to get 10% off!

Oh, some of you LadyCats might be saying 'Where's the Man in ManCat Monday' ... well, here's something to whet your appetite for more than grass, HahaMeow!

Ps: Nope, this isn't a sponsored post, we just like nomming on fresh greens and thought you might, too!

ManCat Monday, Snow Zone!

The only cats that braved the weather round our house this weekend were the ones that 'live' in our yard! And a few birdies!

For once, we were happy to be house-bound with cozy places to while snore away the hours ...

Even if those snoozes were interrupted by Teri and her flashy box!

We hope your weekend was as warm and cozy as ours was!

Wordless Wednesday #BlogPaws Style!

Teri, Disco & Brighton BlogPaws 2010 in Columbus OH

Can you believe it! Only about 5 more months until Teri and Coco will be Reelin' From the Feelin' at the 7th BlogPaws Conference, out in the Wild Wild West! 

Cat Ladies at BlogPaws 2010

The 2016 BlogPaws Ambassadors have been chosen, and what a fab lineup...all of them are fans of ours and visa versa! Oh, what a great experience it was for Teri to be a BlogPaws Ambassador last year! It really brought to life the term Up Close & Personal, and she treasures the new relationships that were made and getting closer to friends she had already made through the BlogPaws Community.

Of course, just our luck that once again, only one of us can fly in the cabin with Teri and that prize has gone to Coco the past couple of years, we know at least a couple of our fans are clamoring to see Disco sunning himself by the pool!

And Brighton says he would make a fine Cabana Boy and would be happy to give massages, too!

But somehow we think that the stylish Ms Coco will be the one that gets to sip drinks with umbrellas in them, by the pool...but we can dream, can't we? 

Whoever Teri takes along with her, seeing our friends, getting energized about blogging and helping animals in need, and oh, yeah...enjoying the fabulous stay at the Wild Horse Pass Resort is something everyone who reads our blog should consider!

Whether this be your first BlogPaws conference or your 8th, we hope to see you there! To learn more, just follow this link! http://blogpaws.com/events/2016-conference/

And just for fun, join the BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop and feel the energy and make some new friends, too!

#National Dress Up Your Pet Day, The Boyz!

I haven't been dressing up the boys very much lately, seems like Coco and Kely get the spotlight!

But here's a short video of Disco and Brighton for your viewing pleasure!

#BlogPaws Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop ~~ Winter Shape Up

This is where Disco (and the rest of the cats, and Teri) would like to spend the rest of winter, hahameow!

And we're guessing that 'Winter Shape Up' tips don't include stopping at Coldstone Creamery, do they?

Teri doesn't even have these exercise toys any longer, cuz she says only the kittens played on the Jungle Gym,  and raced around the Cheese Chase, hahameow!

So, because we don't exercise much (supposed to do Air-Oh-Bix 15 minutes twice a day), we are having to Shape Up but changing our diet...and actually that's not been too bad!

We have no more kibble out, none in the Aikiou Stimulo Feeder, none in the foraging feeder...they now have freeze-dried chicken chunks in them.

And our canned food now how no 'plant material' in it at all--no potatoes, no peas, nuttin! We dine on Weruva Paw Lickin' Chicken and Primal Freeze Dried Raw Nuggets sprinkled on top and just today, we started on Darwin's Raw Cat Food, recommended to us by a friend who's kitties have done well on it. 

Disco was diagnosed with IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) back in 2012 and has done well since then on novel protein diets but Teri never ventured into raw much, but she is ready to move in that direction as both Coco and Kely have presumptive IBD (not diagnosed with biopsies like Disco was, but based on lab work and occasional pancreatitis flare ups), and still sometimes we urp up the shredded Weruva (and they don't make pates, darn says Teri). 

And cutting out the dry kibble has helped us all get toned, in spite of our lack of exercise. Teri needs to cut out something, too...if she is going to tone up without working out, hahameow! She just measured all of us to update our files in case we need more clothes and Disco is the Biggest Loser, even though the scale says he's plateaued!

You can't see it in this photo (Yoga Napping) but he has lost 2 inches from his chest and waist and now doesn't quite look like Detective Frank Cannon anymore, HaHaMeow!

And it sounds like exercise that might help you shape up, so why not Hop Hop Hop over to the Wordless Wednesday Blog Hop, hosted by #BlogPaws! It's a first step in shaping up, honestly!

ManCat Monday--Disco's Diet

Another 3 ounces melted away this week---Yay Disco!

Teri says she is going to add a page to our bloggie so that everycat who is having diet challenges of their own can maybe get some 'inspiration' from Disco...

ManCat Monday--Disco's Diet

We are just barely squeezing in a Monday post before Tuesday rolls around! But we wanted everyone to know, Disco lost 5 ounces this past week...Yay!

We was kinda worried cuz he didn't lose anything the previous week...and we skipped postin' about that...

He's down to 15# 8 ounces, and if he continues to lose 4 ounces a week...he'll be down to 15# by April Fool's Day...and ready for those Swim Trunks by summer!

Caturday Saturday

Disco...how you going to get down from there without knocking everything over? He got up there but I had to help him down!

We Elf'd Ourselves...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

The Auction for Fiona...

One of Furrydance Cats friends is in trouble and the Cat Blogosphere is coming to her aid! Her name is Fiona, and she is a Sphynx cat, the same breed as our Disco NoFurNo.

You can read about her story here:

Fiona's Vet Visit

So an auction has been organized and it will start on Monday. Friends have donated all kinds of things (our mewmie looked through her collection of cat statues and picked a pretty one to donate).



We donated a tiny bit to the Chip In for Fiona, too, and are liking watching that fund grow. Yay, all you cat lovers out there. What big hearts you have!

Here is the link to the auction:

Friends of The Cat Blogosphere Benefit Auction for Fiona

It will run from December 14th to December 31st, with items being added every day, so be sure to check back often and watch the bidding, too. All the proceeds will go do benefit Fiona and her vet bills.

Hey, we lost our Blog Roll!

To tell you the truth, we're not sure when it disappeared but today is the day we noticed it! We are sad! But mewmie says she can rebuild it from her "Blogs I'm Following" list, but she's hissing mad! She said the "Roll" is still there on her other blog and she wish she knew where and what happened to this one on Curlz and Swirlz...has that happened to other CB'ers out there before?

Man Cat Monday

This is Disco, in his svelte, show cat days...the diet starts today!
3 ounces of no grain canned food every 12 hours and 1 tablespoon of grain free dry at night as a treat

Disco phoned Home...

The Alien has come back home. And while I was truly hoping his new companion and he would soon be fast friends...it wasn't meant to be.

And, I am a bit surprised at how glad I am to have him back with me...since Mike died, I have been trying to get back to a managable number of cats for one person to love and care for and letting each one go reminds me that Mike is no longer here, sharing my life and loving the cats with me.

I let Billy Idol (my other Sphynx) fly off to California with a good friend and I smiled as I waved goodbye, but still knew I would miss his silly ways in my life. I also was able to find a wonderful home for 2 kitties I got back from their homes because they were peeing outside the box in their previous homes and that was not sad but happy for me and them that they got through their emotional issues and could be happy again.

But Disco, who also had been having the same behavior issues, with help from me and anxiety meds, had made it through "rehab" and was being good, but I thought he would be happy being #1 kitty in someone's life and this person was going to be someone I knew and work with, so it would be even better as I would get daily news of how he was doing and what he was up to...

Well, both he and Tabitha exhibited such obvious anxiety at being housemates that he only lasted 2 1/2 days before he was delivered back to me...after pooping on the bed numerous times, yowling for 6 hours straight at one point and causing his new owner such distress that I welcomed him back with open arms, of course. Now, I am familiar with the Cornish Rex and Sphynx personality and other than the out of litterbox experiences...I can say most of what Disco was doing was pretty normal and would more than likely have subsided in a few weeks.

I am sure she thought I would be angry, but not at all! We both learned something from this experience and this is one reason I am always most comfortable "rehoming" a kitty locally, so it can easily be returned to me with the least stress possible. Kittens are resilient and maleable and adjust to new homes easily...adult cats have a much harder time and especially to someone not familiar with the breed...adjustments can be difficult and overwhelming at times.

This is the quickest instance of having a cat returned to me, but Tabitha was the first to say "It could be me, not him" and I knew I had to intervene. I had one young woman return a kitty to me after two weeks as she said she never settled in, kept meowing, dug at the door if she confined her and seemed to miss her littermates too much. Funny, but she came back to me and went off to live with a woman who has a boy cat from me and she settled in just fine and in fact, is so quiet and serene next to her very active boycat, that she often has to go looking for Lola just to say hello!

Another time, I had a kitten returned to me after a month or so, because she was constantly trying to "nurse" on her new owners exposed skin. She did that in the new home I found for her for quite some time, but eventually outgrew the behavior except for when she is very sleepy and contented. Each person has their limit to what they can give and take in a relationship, whether it be with a human or a pet...

But...these past few days and thinking about whether I will still be breeding Cornish Rex a year from now, but knowing I will always have at least one in my life...where ever it leads me. I think, who would I keep and who would I seek homes for, and this recent experience has helped me decide that no matter what, Disco has found his place here...with me and I think that he and Coco and me would make a nice little family unit...don't you think?

It's obvious, from the photo, that Disco is happy here and loves to snuggle with Spot (who is 15 years old and has IBD, Spondylosis and was diagnosed this week with a heart problem and was part of the package when I married Mike and I couldn't do less than care for him like he is a that part of Mike still with me).

...Funny, how things can change so, in just a week!

Caturday Saturday

Lots of stuff going on this Caturday!

I had time to do another kitten photo shoot and out of about 50 photos, a quarter of them turned out good enough to share...and out of 3 videos, made one where they weren't just sleeping, MOL.

The babies are doing great! Gaining weight consistently now and starting to crawl around with their legs getting strong enough to lift themselves up now, instead of just their front legs pulling themselves along. They also can right themselves faster when they topple over. And, they are just starting to "groom" and "bite" themselves and each other and mom...it's so cute, like a baby noticing it's toes for the first time!

They are all quite fuzzy, and at this age, their fur isn't soft and velvety but more like one of those green kitchen scrubby things. I love all their patterns and colors--the cute tiger-like look of Daisy, the cute white stripe on Clover's face and who doesn't love little orange tabby cats?! Both Buttercup and Dandelion are Mackerel Tabbies, which is the pattern that has "fishbone" stripes down their sides. As they get older, it is a little harder to distinguish stripes from waves, as they go in the same direction.

Here's the latest pix!














and the newest movie!



And more news...

Disco moved in with his new owner yesterday and is causing quite a stir! He is a seasoned show cat and took all the traveling and hotel rooms and new accomodations all in stride, but he is going through some Separation Anxiety, and that surprises both me and his new owner, Tabitha (who works at the cat hospital where Teri works and who fell in love with Disco the first time they met!).

For the past month or so, he had been going in to work with me to bond with Tabitha, and so he would be less stressed, I sent him with his familiar litterbox, numerous cat beds/blankies/sleeping bag so he would have familiar scents in his new home. She is following my directions on how to acclimate him--keeping him in her bedroom for numerous days, then letting him investigate the house when she is home, but again confining him when she is gone. And I think he will settle in...but the first 12 hours have been filled with anxiety for both Disco and Tabitha.

First email:
Teri, it's 5:40am and neither of us have slept a wink.

I really didn't think it were possible for a cat to constantly meow and move around for 6 hours on end. I can't shut him in the bathroom because he starts screaming, and has woke Brian up twice (he has work this morning).

From 11-12:30 I snuggled my brains out trying to get him to settle down. From 12:30-2ish I consistenly ignored him, thinking he would get tired and go to sleep. First he spent a while going in and out of the bathroom, meowing etc. Then he started digging at my shoulders (I sleep on my hands) and eventually leaving bite marks all over them. It looks like I've been chewed on by a mouse! Toward the end of my "just ignore him" stage he started acting like he was lost... standing in the middle of the room yowling and pacing by the door.

Of course I felt terrible and started the snuggling phase again. No luck.

He's terribly unsettled, and although he's enjoying contact with me he's getting overstimulated and still acting ill at ease.

I know he needs time to adjust, but he needs to sleep! Should we ask Dr Jan and Fern if there is something else he can take at night time for a few days to get him sleepeh? Right now he's standing in the middle of the room emitting a "MYEHH" about every 4 seconds.

I'm going to sleep on the couch downstairs after Brian goes to work, I'll be back up to check my email.... later!

Taberious

Ps. I'm in love! Please don't think that I'm displeased with him. I can catch up on sleep, but he needs to settle down for his own good. The anxious excitable Disco needs... some help.

Second email:
I got a few zzz's on the couch. Whe I went downstairs (this was after his breakfast, and he has dry food to nibble on) he meowed for about 10 minutes and then was totally quiet. When I got back upstairs, I snuck in and found him sleeping in his bed on his heat pad. I knew he was tired!

But why didn't he sleep with me? I even let him sit on my face! When we were at the hospital he would get tired and go back to his cage to sleep. Maybe he just needs to establish his own space.

This email is taking me like 20 minutes to type due to mancat distraction. If he can stay off my keyboard long enough, I will update the blog. I have some very cute photos!

Third email:
Teriiiiiiii!

After my blog post I went downstairs to eat and watch some tv while he napped... I heard him start yowling and when I got back up here after breakfast he had pooped on my bed. I guess I'll be doing laundry...

Fourth email:
Talked to Dr. Fern on the phone. She said he's having separation anxiety (from you and his old home, not from me!) and we should change his meds. Just like the rest of us, the less sleep he gets the more stressed he is. I will either get valium or ace to give him tonight. Fern said on Monday we can figure out what to give him throughout the transitional phase (clomicalm, diazepam, more lorazepam etc).

He peed in the box while I was on the phone w/you. When I was talking to Fern he fell asleep on my bathrobe... he's SO tired. I'm going to nap with him for a while before going grocery shopping. Later this afternoon I will go by the clinic and get meds for the weekend. Patrick and I are supposed to have dinner, and Fern says to give him the valium or ace before I leave for dinner so he can get some solid rest.

I put his sleeping bag on the bed, too. Fern agrees it would be best to keep the disturbances to a minimum, so I'm going to limit my coming and going from the bedroom. I have to get used to using my bathroom without closing the door!!! I'm going to keep my window open a bit so there is some white noise. Also, no visitors for now (we must resist).

He's still asleep!!! *whispers* (see attached photo)

Thanks for your guidance. I'm very tired and kinda freaked out with the poo on the bed... but I can only imagine how he feels! We are just going to take it easy today. I will update you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am so glad I work with super people and wonderful vets, too! Tabitha has lots of experience with her work at shelters, with all the emotional baggage pets come with, so I know she will try her best to make Disco happy...and if he just can't settle in...of course, I will take him back to join the Furrydance clan again. I want him to be happy too, and after Mike died and he began his spraying and peeing outside the box, I knew he was not happy...but I worked with him, rehabbing him and he was doing 100% best behavior and I considered keeping him.

But I have worked very hard this past year to get down to having 5 cats in the Furrydance household, as I owe it to them and me to be able to have the time to love and care for each one, and keep the cattery small and manageable and so I have found new homes for 5 cats, and now they get lots more one-on-one time with their owners and can rule the roost instead of having to share, mol! That's what makes me smile and be happy when I think of them, and lessens my missing their presence in my house. (Plus, most of them are close enough for me to visit, too!).

If you want to get to know Disco better, you can visit his Catster page at
Disco's Catster Page
and his new blog at:
Purr, Baby, Purr!

Here's a new pix of Disco in his new home...sleeping, finally!