Shhhh ... One Day of Silence for Virginia Tech

Thank you to Puff and Spot!

This is my friend Puff. Puff is an incredibly handsome ginger cat who shares a bloggie called "Puff Has Spoken" with his brother, Spot.


Back at Easter, I was cruisin' the 'net visitin' my friends when I came across a neat photo that Puff had posted on his (and Spot's) bloggie. Their momma had made a really cool diorama using that ubiquitous Easter confection the marshmallow Peep. Likely on a lark, Puff encouraged his readers to guess the subject of the diorama and I ventured a guess: Moses leading the Jews out of Egypt.


And guess what?!?
Yep, I was right!

The next thing I knew, Puff and Spot's mom emailed me telling me that I was gonna win a prize for being the first to guess accurately.

When the box arrived, I got out the digital camera while Cocoa Puff and Lucky Charmz investigated the box and its contents. I wanted to be the first to see what was in the box, but the Feline Americans take really awful photos (they jiggle the camera and cut off other cats' heads ... usually mine ... when they're "in charge"). It was really better that I did all of the documentation ...



Presents are great ... And Puff and Spot's present came a couple of days ago! It's full of wonderful stuff and came with a card, too ...




This is the "thank you" message that I sent:

Puff and Spot!
The box came today! What a great bunch of goodies!
Mom said that I should send thanks from her, too.
She loves the two hand-knit dishcloths, the kitty
cat bag that she'll use on her walks, and the neat
bowl made from an album ... I asked Mom if I could
make more bowls out of her albums and she gave me
such a look! It's not like she plays with them or
anything!

We love our toys and snacks, too!
Thank you so much!

When Mom is no longer exhausted from her hunting,
she'll post the photos that she took of us with the
package. She told me to let you know that she's
"trashed" from proctoring standardized testing with
her ninth graders and just can't do it ... She's a
weenie!

Love and thanks!
DMM and the Feline Americans

I really love the presents that Puff (and Spot) sent for us and for our mom ...

Stop by Puff and Spot's bloggie as soon as you get the chance ... Puff has added a number of items to his Destruct-o-meter!

DMM

Saturday Photo Hunt #17: RARE

"RARE"

The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme for this week is RARE, so I chose this photo that Mom took while visiting the Polar Bear Plunge at the World-Famous San Diego Zoo with our grandparents for grandad's last birthday.

Mom's auntie likes polar bears furry much and I like 'em, too. It's a sad fact though that with global warming melting the polar ice, many polar bears ... who typically swim an average of sixty miles ... can't make the 200 mile swim from ice floe to ice floe on their searches for food and drown in the icy water. Majestic polar bears are dying at an alarming rate. Bears that choose not to swim in search of food have been eating polar bear cubs instead causing further depletion of the species. Polar bears are becoming RARE indeed ...

Scientists aren't optimistic about the survival of polar bears in the wild; some say that within fifty to one hundred years, the entire "wild" species will have died out due to melting ice, infant mortality, and over-fishing by commercial seafood companies.

It's sad to note that in the near future the only places we'll be able to see polar bears will be in captivity at zoos and marine parks like Sea World ... yet another reason to move to San Diego, right?

Friday's Feast #17

FRIDAY'S FEAST!
Appetizer
How fast can you type?
Hmmm ... Are we counting a "word" as being five letters? If so, about 125 wpm with zero to two errors. I learned touch typing in junior high (in fact, I was in fifth period typing class when Ronald Reagan was shot and my teacher had a meltdown!) ... Learning to touch type got me a job as a Kelly Girl in the late 80s and helped me to make pocket money by typing for people while in college. My students marvel at how I can type without looking at my fingers. They're easily impressed.

Soup
What is your favorite online game?
I have two favorites: On netives.com, I like Marble Drop even though I really suck at it; and I like Mahjong. On my Palm Zire and cell phone, I like Bejeweled.

Salad
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 as highest), how intelligent do you think you are?
Eight. I have a relatively high IQ, but I think that's mainly because I read a lot and have especially good retention (with good spatial skills and a photographic memory). There's stuff I don't know and areas where I'm weak, but I can hold my own. I sure wouldn't want to go on that "dumber than a fifth grader" show, though. I'd look like a colossal bonehead.

Main Course
Name three of your best teachers from your school years.
Oh, that's easy: Bud Power (Math Analysis and Calculus), Helen McIntyre (English 12 Honors), and Virginia Syverson (US Government and Juvenile Law). All three KNOW how they impacted me and influenced my career choice. I still see two of them in the community on occasion. It's nice, too, that they remember me fondly ... They even congratulated me when I was selected as a teacher-of-the-year last school year.

Dessert
What are your plans for this upcoming weekend?
I'm spending the most part of my Saturday at an English teacher conference that should be good ... but I'm going primarily for the continuing ed. credit ... oh, and the catered lunch. Since it's on my own dime, I can pick and choose whether I want to "learn" anything.

Sunday will be sleepin' in and resting followed by lunch out with the 'rents and some power shopping. Maybe I'll go to Sephora and spritz myself with enough different fragrances to smell like a French whorehouse ... Sounds fun, right? Oh, and like I need ANOTHER bottle of eau de toilette ... yep.

Public Service Announcement from the HSUS

As the doyenne of the Feline Americans, I get lots of mail. Granted, most of the mail comes in the form of unsolicited credit card applications, shoe catalogs, and offers to enlarge my genitals(!), but sometimes I get mail that is relevant to efurrycat and I feel the need to make it blog-fodder. This is such a piece of mail: It comes from the Humane Society of the United States.

Please note that the grammar utilized in the HSUS memo wasn't exactly right; therefore, I took liberties with the presentation of the content, but didn't alter the meaning.
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOUR PET
1. The recall involves foods containing wheat-gluten imported from China. If you have any questions regarding your pet's food, call the manufacturer and/or the store where you purchased the food.

2. Check H.S.U.S.'s Pet Food Safety site regularly for the newest, most up-to-date information on the recall. The FDA website is also a helpful tool providing an updated list of all pet food companies involved in the recall.

3. If you choose to make your pet's food and treats from scratch as a temporary alternative to mass produced diets, please consult your veterinarian to ensure that your homemade recipe contains proper pet nutrition.

4. Before purchasing new pet foods and/or treats, check the FDA website and/or the manufacturer's website to confirm that the brand you're buying has not been recalled.

5. If your pet has become ill or has died because s/he ate food that was recalled, please report it to the Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine.

6. Please contact the FDA and request that they provide more leadership and information to ensure a safe pet food supply both now and in the future.

SIGNS TO LOOK FOR IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR PET MAY HAVE EATEN RECALLED FOOD

Please contact your veterinarian immediately if you suspect your pet has eaten recalled food and is now displaying any of the following symptoms:

Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Depression
Change in water consumption
Change in frequency and/or amount of urination

Any questions you might have regarding the Urgent Pet Food Recall can be answered by calling the HSUS's toll-free hotline (1-800-HUMANE1) or by visiting their website HSUS Pet Food Safety.

NEW Blogger! Stop by and visit!

Hey efurrycat!
Our cousin, Zoey (from Oregon), just started a brand new bloggie TODAY! You can find it here: M.K. and the Crew.

I'd love it if you'd all stop by and make Zoey and the foster kittens feel welcome like only my friends of the cat blogosphere can. I'm puttin' her on my blogroll and I'm sure that she'd be grateful if you'd do the same. As you can see, she's a furry attractive Tuxie. And she's tryin' to raise four rambunctious platinum kittens while recovering from the "wheat gluten" debacle. It's a good thing that she's got a tight learning curve and supportive humans, right?

Anyway, stop by and say "hi" to M.K. and the Crew
Smooches!
DMM

Thursday Thirteen #17: True Americans?

Mom has some very patriotic friends who do lots of "email forwards." This came recently from Mom's good friend Lana and has made the rounds on the 'Net for at least four years. It's not too bad as a subject of this week's Thursday Thirteen, don'tcha think? Mom likes #13 the best. How 'bout you? Oh, and no offense to any cat who lives in a place other than America ... You have patriotism, too, of course!

THURSDAY THIRTEEN!
You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
 
1. It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, "One nation, under God." 
 
2. You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places. 
 
3.  You still say "Christmas" instead of "Winter Festival."  

4. You bow your head when someone prays. 
 
5. You remove your hat when you enter a building.

6. You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play The National Anthem. 
 
7. You treat military vets with great respect, and always have. 
 
8. You've never burned an American flag.
 
9. You reward an honest day’s work with an honest day’s pay.

10. You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.
 
11. You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same. 
 
12. You'd give your last dollar to a friend.
 

13.

 The Cyclone Cats Dazey, Jesse, and Conner Cloud interjected a GREAT addition to this TT, so I'm printing it here as #13B.
They remind us that True Americans "stand up when the US flag passes you by" as well.

God Bless the U S A !

Happy Sixth Birthday to Pumpkin!

Feline American Pumpkin is celebrating his sixth birthday today ... Please teleport over for some cake and ice cream. Pumpkin is having white cupcakes with pink frosting, and he's got French vanilla ice cream, too!
DMM

Don't patronize Earl Scheib, Inc.

Can you believe this?!?

Earl Scheib, Inc. is refusing to admit its culpability in the theft of Mom's stereo.

Do yourself a favor and avoid this HORRIBLE company like the plague. The President and CEO, Christian Bement, and his negligent employees don't deserve your business and YOU don't deserve the headache you'll most certainly get from them.

Consider this a piece of free advice.

EARL SCHEIB SUCKS!

DMM

Cody Needs a Furrever Home!

This is Cody. He is in need of a furrever home or else he'll probably go to an animal shelter in Las Vegas where his fate would be uncertain. If you can give him a furrever home or know someone who can, please contact his owner, Lillian, at 1-702-304-1921.
Thanks!
DMM





Cody, the cat, and Lillian, his person, are very concerned because she has to give him up soon or she will lose her place in the assisted living program she has to go into for health reasons. As you can imagine, the idea of putting Cody in a shelter after all their years together makes both of them very sad. Some of you may already have received the following message from Cody:

“I am a very handsome tiger stripe and gentleman cat. I’m a big guy too with an equally big heart. My person, Lillian is very sad because she has to go into assisted living and can’t take me with her. I told her not to worry, I’d get in touch with Best Friends and they would help to find me a good home like the one she’s given me. I am 5 years old and neutered as well as up to date on all my shots.

Unfortunately, I am de-clawed on all my four feet . This may also be why I don’t like being around other cats or animals: not having claws makes me feel kind of vulnerable. I am very bright, as you can see, I write a nice letter and I am ready to shower adults with lots of affection and attention. Not only that, I am really healthy so we can have a good long life together.



If you are looking for a partner and a cozy companion and you think I am your guy, please contact Lillian at: 702-304-1921. You can also help by passing on this message and my flyer to your friends and family too. Also, if you can post my flyer anywhere, that would be wonderful. I deeply appreciate any help you can give: so does Lillian and Best Friends too!”

You can find a printable flyer for Cody by clicking HERE!

Missy chose Meech (of Best Friends) and the Temptations® Prize Pack!

For winning my 400th Post Contest, Missy of The Adventures of the Ms
has chosen the FABULOUS Temptations® prize pack filled with every flavor of Temptations® (including Dentabites®) plus catnip and toys!

AND ...

She chose Meech from Best Friends to be her "sponsor cat" ...





You can sponsor Meech, too! Click here!

Caregivers sometimes argue over who Meech loves best among them. See, Meech has this life motto that can be a smidge misleading. "Treat everyone I meet like they're my favorite person in the world!" She is enormously affectionate, and not only to humans.

As a kitten she paired up with a friend named Alexia. To this day they are always looking out for each other. If one has a cold, the other automatically kicks into grooming overtime duty. Meech is feline leukemia positive, but that doesn't interfere with her quality of life. She is also trusting. Most cats fear lying on their backs and exposing their underside, but Meech thinks that belly rubs make life worth living. She is such a sweetheart.

Saturday Photo Hunt #16: STEPS

"STEPS"

The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme for this week is STEPS.

This is a photo from when I used to be an "outside" cat and I actually belonged to someone else. I didn't like living with the "Mom who came before (and her litter of horrible human children)", so I used to walk down the street to Mom's old house and sit on her front steps until she'd come home from hunting. No matter how tired Mom was when she got home, she'd always stop and sit on the steps with me before going in the house.

Mom's front steps were metal and painted dark green. They were cold on my paw pads, but there was always a bowl of food and some clean water there waiting for me whenever I'd drop by. Those steps were immensely important to my brother and me because of what they held and what they represented: Food, love, and safety.

You can tell from the photo that Mom is the one takin' the picture. I have my bright eyes focused on Mom and my tail is up waiting for her to rub my back. In the photo, I'm about two years old.

Winner of 400th Post Contest and Friday's Feast #16!

Concatulations to Missy of The Ms! This is my 400th post and she guessed 4/20 at 8:15 AM which was the closest to the actual posting time which is 5:08 PM.

Please email me at daisymaemaus@cox.net to give me your prize preference and the name of the Best Friends Animal Society cat you'd like to sponsor (Since The Ms won my 10,000th Visitor Contest, I already have their snail mail address to send Missy's prize to her).



Now ... On with Friday's Feast!


Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of bread?
Sourdough is my all-time favorite kind of bread. It doesn't even have to be "good" sourdough, either.

Soup
When was the last time you bought a new pillow?
I bought one of those buckwheat husk pillows about eight or nine years ago. I keep buying new zippered pillow covers and recycling the husks. I LOVE my buckwheat husk pillow and have a really hard time getting any quality sleep without it.

Salad
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend surfing the ‘net?
Hmmm ... I spend about an hour a day answering emails, shopping, and blogging. I have to thank my typing teacher from my seventh grade typing class for teaching me to touch-type back when electric typewriters were a new technology and computers were so huge that they filled a room. Being able to type fast makes my internet surfing time QUALITY rather than QUANTITY.

Main Course
What’s the highest you remember your temperature being?
Last year when I had a horrible allergic reaction to amoxicillan, I ran a temperature of about 103˚ while projectile vomiting for both distance and volume. I'm not a big fan of "the fever."

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: When I ____________, I _____________.

When I see urban/suburban teenagers wearing Crayola-colored elephant-sized outfits with cock-eyed baseball caps riding high on the tops of their running-on-empty heads, I think "Ringling Brothers" because the fools look like CLOWNS!

Get Well, Lilly Lu!

Thursday Thirteen #16: Pumpkin's birthday fast approaches

We're colorin' our post PINK in honor of Lilly Lu who is furry sick. We really hope that she gets better! Purr, purr, purr for Lilly Lu!

Thursday Thirteen: Pumpkin's Birthday Booty List
As you're well aware, Feline American Pumpkin will be celebrating his sixth birthday on April 23rd. He was born on famous English playwright and poet William Skakespeare's birthday, so that's where he got the "William" in his name. Mom calls him Willie P. or William Pumpkin (or sometimes even William, Duke of Pumpkin or Punky the Monkey).

Anyway, since his birthday is next week, I thought that I'd do my Thursday Thirteen about the thirteen things that Pumpkin would like for his birthday ...

1. A huge bag of panties from Victoria's Secret. Pumpkin likes playing in them and/or rolling in them when they're fresh from the dryer. He acts silly and undignified. He DROOLS!
2. A nylon tricot full slip. Any color. For the same reason as #1.
3. Temptations® ... Mom's body weight in Temptations® might last about six months. Pumpkin LOVES Temptations®.
4. Pro Active Solution. Pumpkin is a cat-acne sufferer. I sometimes call him "Pizza Face" or "Vesuvius".
5. Supersize scratching post/cat condo for the master bedroom.
6. More Whirly-Bird birdies.
7. A case of double-A batteries for the laser beam toy and unlimited "Mom time" to play.
8. The catfood formerly known as Sheba is mass quantities.
9. A ginormous fish tank for the master bedroom with big, colorful fish to watch and "fishing" privileges.
10. An exemption from clippy claws.
11. An exemption from brushing.
12. An exemption from wonk removal. (WONK is the brown crust that gathers in the inner corners of your eyes.)
13. Scrunchees made of nylon parachute material to replace the ones that got "funky" from too many games of fetch.

Whisker Wednesday!

Well ... Mom saw the photo that I posted yesterday and wasn't very happy with me. She said somethin' about me "invadin' Sparky's privacy" and "usin' unflattering photos." Bah.

Anyway, she demanded (can you believe her?) that I post a flattering picture of one of Sparky's most attractive features: His whiskers. Fine! So here it is ...

But Mom also demanded that I be punished for being insensitive ...

Me?!? Insensitive?

Mom took these shots of me while I wasn't lookin' ...

They are not big deal to ME ... I think that I have nice bunnies. Don't you agree?
DMM

Tabby Toozday: Tee, hee!

As grandma would say in a sing-song voice: "I know what you're doing!"

Mane Monday (Since he's too small to be a Man Cat)

Sparky Fuzzypants has been bugging me to feature him for Man Cat Monday, but quite frankly, he's just too small ('cept for his cat food gut) to be considered a "Man Cat." I tried telling Sparky that he was ... at 13 pounds and 30 inches from nose to tail tip ... too petite. He didn't take that information very well. He cried like the little wuss he is. It wasn't pretty and I couldn't get him to stop wailing without committing to post his photo on Monday. So, here is Sparky Fuzzypants showing off his glorious mane of caramel-cream fur for our first "Mane Monday."

Saturday Photo Hunt #15: HOBBY!

This week's theme is "HOBBY".

The Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt theme for this week is HOBBY. Mom has many hobbies that she throws money at to include designing chandelier earrings, crocheting, sewing, and painting holiday decorations.

Do I want to showcase Mom's talents this week?

Heck no! Mom gets too much attention on my blog as it is ...

Back in October, grandad celebrated his 68th birthday with a trip to the San Diego Zoo with Mom and grandma. They took him to lunch at Albert's restaurant. Albert's is named after a gorilla who was incredibly popular: A SD Zoo icon.

In tune with a Halloween theme (October ... duh!), the zoo hired a hobbiest who enjoys carving MEGA-pumpkins. Mom, grandma, and grandad watched him carving Albert's likeness in a ginormous, huge-a-mongous pumpkin.

So, for the theme "HOBBY": I present "Albert the Gorilla Pumpkin"! Isn't this a furry cool hobby?

Friday's Feast #15

Appetizer
When you were a child, which crayon color was your favorite?
Hmmm ... Most of my childhood was spent with boxes of eight or sixteen different crayon colors (and not even CRAYOLA crayons ... my elementary school always purchased PRANG), so I didn't have a very colorful world crayon-wise. I'd have to say that I liked red best. If you asked my younger brother this same question, he would quickly and emphatically answer PURPLE.

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest), how likely would you be to change jobs if it required you to move?
Ten being highest as in "most highly likely"? I guess I'm confused about the wording of the question in relation to the number scale. I'll just say "hell no."

Salad
Take all the numbers in your birthday and your phone number and add them up, one by one. What’s the total?
Huh ... Are we talking ALL of the numbers? Area code, too?
Okay ... I'll play: It's either 34 + 50 = 84 if you go one digit at a time; or it's 2,005 + 7,718 = 9,723.

Main Course
Have you ever “re-gifted” anything? If so, what was it and who did you pass it on to?
I regift all of the time if it's an item that I really can't use and someone else would delight in receiving. The last regift I did was a Starbucks giftcard to a colleague and some coffee with a travel mug to my uncle because ANYONE who really knows me knows that I NEVER drink coffee.

Dessert
Name something you need from the store.
At this moment, I really don't NEED anything from the store at all. Of course, I'll go to the store anyway ...

Thursday Thirteen #15: A Bumper-crop of Bumper Wisdom

The The Dog Hause has a section with all sorts of really cute stickers with funny/snarky/philosophical sayings printed on them. I like their stickers a lot, but Mom won't let me put stickers all over the freshly-painted black masheen. Therefore, I thought that I'd do a Thursday Thirteen featuring my favorite stickers from The Dog Hause.

BTW: I'm hoping that my linking to their website will appease them enough not to sue me for using images without their permission ... sorry??



1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.

Hey Kitties! Are you sixteen or over?

My cousin Suzanne and her mama have started a bloggie for all of those kitties in the blogosphere who are sixteen years (or close) AND OVER.

Are you sick of being called a "geezer"? Do you wanna hang out with the more seasoned cats and kitties? Well stop by Suzanne's new bloggie 'cuz it's dedicated to cats just like you!

Can you believe that I'm too young to even be classified as a "grasshopper"? Yep, I'm thirteen, but not quite old enough for Suz's bloggie. Darn.

Here's where you can click to stop by and support her new venture:
Sweet Sixteens for Kitties.
I'll have to stop by Rocky Ann's, 'cuz she just celebrated her Sweet Sixteen "Hello Kitty"-style ...
DMM

Can you believe it? 400th post is comin' soon ...

The deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time on THURSDAY, April 12th, 2007.


400th Post C...O...N...T...E...S...T...!!!!!

It seemed like just yesterday that Tara, Princess Meezer, was winnin' our 300th post contest! We're creepin' up on our 400th post, so we're havin' another contest!

You can venture your guess in the comments section of THIS post. Make sure that your guess is Pacific Time.

Any fluffy (or feathery or scaly) can guess: Multi-pet households can leave a guess for each LIVING pet who has been featured on a blog that I can visit ... For example, Riley, Tiki, AND Kesey can each make a guess 'cuz they share a blog.

The deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time on THURSDAY, April 12th, 2007.

The winner may choose ONE of the following as his/her prize:

A. A Temptations® Prize pack (like Midnight won on my 200th post contest)

OR
B. A genuine Whirly Bird® exercise toy with two replacement birdies (like Tara, Princess Meezer, won for my 300th post contest)

OR
C. A snack and toy prize pack of assorted items if you're a woofie, birdie, bunny, ferret, rat, hamster, fishy**, turtle, guinea pig, or reptile (so Mystery can guess, too!).

OR
D. A $25.00 Petco OR Petsmart giftcard

In addition to the choice of prize listed above, the winner of my 400th post contest will also have a $25.00 sponsorship of the Best Friends animal of the winner's choice recorded in his/her name.

**NOTE: Fishies only get ONE guess per tank 'cuz I'd be counting guesses for the duration of my nine lives if EACH fishy got a separate guess.

Good Luck, Efurrybody!

I hope that I get LOTS of guesses, so efurryone make a guess!
DMM

PS: I reserve the right to change the conditions and/or prizes in this contest at will, but with a good reason.

Wordlessly Weird (Woofy!) Wednesday ...