Ahoy Maties and happy Caturday and Meow like a Pirate day. It’s time fur anudder Flat Cat Caturday. And meez been tellin’ ya’ dat me had a surpwise fur ya’. Last Fursday you all read da fictional account of Izzy and Tristy twavelin’ to see meez handsum mancat Andy. Ifin yous missed it, you can read it here.So today yous gunna get to hear pawrt one of what’s been goin’ on at Andys house. And even better, yous gunna hear it stwaight fwum him. Yep, dat’s wight. Andy be tellin’ da stowry today.. And be sure and tune in next week fur da pawsum 2nd pawrt. Take it away Andy.
Isn’t meez mancat handsum?
When Dezi and Christy arrived they were hot and tired. They met my whole family and got acquainted with my sisfurs Shelly and Tater. After we met them we all ate some good noms had some treats and then went to bed.
The next day was a rainy day so they went to see Grandma Jeannette. They really liked her. Grandma Jeannette has a woofie named Raymond. The people at the Shelter named him Raymond because he has a sweet personality and everybody at the shelter loved him. They sat at the table with Grandma Jeannette and had a nice visit with her and Raymond. (grandma Jeannette has been artfully cropped out because she’s shy)
The sun finally came out the next day. Mom Judy and Dad Dave took Dezi and Christy to Lakeshore Park to visit the duck pond. Dad Dave took the steps to get down to the duck pond and for some reason mom Judy decided to run down the hill. Luckily Dad Dave was carrying the Flats. Mom Judy took a couple of steps down the hill and went the rest of the way down on her backside. She was OK. They met the ducks and were not scared of them at all because they were very nice ducks. They had a conversation with the ducks and then they went home.
The next day Scouts Meiko and Pete arrived. They all went to Point Parke overlooking the Ashtabula River. The Ashtabula River goes into Lake Erie. There is a lift bridge that was built in 1925. The bridge goes up every half hour to allow boats to go to the Ashtabula Yacht Club. Right when they got to the Point the bridge went up. They also saw an artist painting a picture of the Lift Bridge. They did not want to bother her by taking her picture. Then they went to Lakeshore Park again. They went down to the water and sat on a bench. Mom Judy saw some sailboats out on the horizon. There were no little children around so they got to play on the playground.
After that they went to the Marina to check out the boats. They saw a really big sailboat that was docked. There were not very many people around so they had their picture taken in front of a big sailboat. While they were there a marina rescue boat was towing in a disabled boat. They watched it for a while and then they went home.
Stay tuned for Part II. (All fotos courtesy of Andy McIntyre, hims mom and dad)
MeeeeeOW weez been cwazy busy wound here da last few days so mommy just kuldn’t help me get a posty up yesfurday. Me told you Monday dat me has a give away comin’ up so mommy had lots of fotos to get in da puter and we luv this purroduct so much dat we didn’t want mommy to stop testin’ it. And mommy be on a mission to take a foto of sis Lexi everyday. Purroblem is dat sissy wants to do da same fing everyday so all da fotos look alike. But mommy sez dat’s okay cuz they all be of sissy sittin’ in hers lap. But enuff of ketchin’ ya’ up on what weez been duin’, cuz today be a Service cat twainin’ posty day.
Pull up a chair and let me tell ya’ a stowry.
In our last stowry sis Lexi had told ya’ dat me had finally gotten mommy safely into da pawdee box room. Sissy also told ya’ dat once dusn’t mean me be fully twained. Sumtimes she can sure be a downer, but she’s wight. Me wuld need to wepeat dat lots more times hopefully wiffout cwashin’ into da bafftub. And me needed to learn to dwive mommy down da hall and to da kitchen so she kuld make us our bwekky and hers coffee. Mommy sez by da time we head to da kitchen she be able to dwive. She still can’t walk, but she has use of hers awrms and hands; but finks it be a good idea dat we be twained cuz she just dusn’t know what da future holds. So da day me got mommy and me to da pawdee box room sis Lexi took over and got us to da kitchen. Me was still busy celebwatin’ meez success, and usin’ da big girls pawdee box. MOL
Foto fur da day 9/15/2015
So later dat day mommy got all set up fur a twainin’ session up da hall. Mommy had ‘cided dat tweat twainin’ purrobly wasn’t da way to go cuz we got too sidetwacked. Mommy isn’t fond of tweat twainin’ in general cuz havin’ a tweat on her all da time just isn’t pawsible and what we be learnin’ isn’t a twick to be purrfurmed like jumpin’ fwu a hoop. So anyways, mommy had put da tweats away and pawsitioned da chair at da edge of da pawdee box room headin’ out when she called to me. Of course me came runnin’ and jumped up in mommys lap. Me weally luvs meez mommy and wuld hang in hers lap all da time ifin me kuld. Mommy got me situated on hers wight leg and told me to turn on da movin’ chair. Me stawrted rubbin’ mommy and da awrm of da chair wiff meez head and purrin’ like a motor boat. Mommy caved and stawrted luvvin’ on me.
After a little luv fest me pawed at da power button and heard it beep several times. Mommy kuld see da wainbow of lights and told me to bite da joystick. Me bit down and da chair stawrted turnin’. Mommy had made sure da wheels was turned to make da chair veer to da wight and towards da hall. Me wasn’t sure we was posed to be turnin’ so me let go of da joystick and turned to look at mommy who weassured me dat everyfin’ was okay. Me we-pawsitioned and stepped all over da power awrm of da movin’ chair. Me finally settled in and mommy told me to push da joystick furward. Me gently pushed at da joystick and nuffin’ happened. Mommy twied to look wound meez head to see what was goin’ on, but me stood up and meez big paws purressed all da buttons on da power awrm. Me still had da joystick in meez mouff, and was pushin’ it furward. So yous guessed it, we bolted furward so fast me fawt meez head was spinnin’.
When we jolted furward me pushed da joystick even hawrder. And stead of stwaightenin’ out, da wheels kept turnin’. Wasn’t meez head spinnin’ after all; it was da room. MOL Let me tell ya’ sumfin’ ‘bout these movin’ chairs; they can turn all da way wound on a dime. So there we was turnin’ wound and wound and wound.
Lexi: Yep Dezi, frum minez seat in da livin’ room I’z fawt yawl wuz gunna burn a hole in da floor.
Oh sissy me too. Me finally got so dizzy me let go of da joystick and we came to a stop. Amazinly ‘nuff we was in almost da same pawsition as we stawrted out in. Even so, me was fwu dwivin’ fur da day. Me jumped outta mommys lap to a spinnin’ floor and “dwunkenly” wobbled off up da hall to da livin’ room to get me sum sis Lexi luvvin’. Me was stawrtin’ to fink sissy might be wight ‘bout it bein’ just luck dat me got mommy to da pawdee box room earlier. But me became more determined to purrove her wrong. Stay tuned fur da next epawsode of learnin’ to dwive.
Well it’s finally Furiday. Mommy has hers mumffly doctors pointment today so we ‘cided to write a short posty since we won’t be able to do much in da way of visitin’. We was gunna write a Service cat twainin’ posty but we got a email yesfurday dat weally disturbed us so we wanted to take today to write ‘bout it and warn peeps.
Come on in and let’s have a chat.
Wiff more and more peeps bein’ disabled and havin’ aches and pains these days, there awe lots of studies into pain management. One of da newest options is one of da oldest dwugs wound, Cannabis. Yep pawently good ole once illegal everywhere marijuana’s posed to help wiff pain. We get lots of purrsonal messages and emails askin’ us to sign petitions to legalize da medical use of it. Mommy supposes we get asked so much cuz peeps know hers lives wiff tons of pain and wuld be sympaffetic. And da twuff is we awe empaffetic wiff those speriencin’ pain cuz mommy duz know what it’s like. And Cannabis isn’t any more addictive than any uvver nawrcotic pain weliever. So what’s da big deal you ask?
Well it’s fur sure hawrder fur most animals to get into a bottle of pain medicine than a bag. And peeps tend to be more careful wiff a bottle of pain medicine and don’t tend to just leave it layin’ wound. Now dat’s not to say dat there awen’t animals out there getting’ into those pills and getting’ sick, but da nummers awe purretty low cuz most peeps know most human meds be dangerwous fur their animal furiends.
But da use of marijuana is much more welaxed cuz it’s sumfin’ dat be smoked. And most peeps don’t fink twice ‘bout smokin’ wound their furry babies. And leavin’ da bag of marijuana layin’ wound is similar to leavin’ a pack of cigarwettes layin’ wound. Da active ingwedient dat gives hoomans those welaxed feelins is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Afur da use of marijuana as a pain med, da THC levels was wound 1% – 3%. But today THC levels awe much higher and have even been noted at over 30%.
This ingwedient is highly toxic to yous cats, doggies, wabbits, pigs and all small animals; specially those wiff bweavin’ conditions. Smokin’ da dwug wound yous pet is hawrmful, but not nearly as hawrmful as them eatin’ it fwum dat bag dat be layin’ wound. Since da legality of Cannabis fur medical conditions has occurred there has been a rise of marijuana poisoning in dogs and cats. There awe more documented cases among our canine furiends, but studies show dat kitties have more severe and lastin’ weactions. Da symptoms of Cannabis poisonin’ in cats and uvver small animals is: Lethargy, Uncoordinated (falling over), Depression and/or Anxiety, Vomitin’, Slow Heart rate, Seizures and sometimes Coma. It can be fatal.
We wuld like to wemind you dat ifin yous usin Cannabis fur any weason dat yous keep it out of da weach of yous furry pal. Purrlease don’t leave it where your pets can get into it. And ifin yous spect marijuana poisonin’ call da ASPCA poison contwol line and get yous pet to da VET immediately.
Catnip and Cannabis awe NOT da same!!
Weez be joinin’ Rascal and Rocco fur anudder issue of da Pet Pawade. Check out da hop on their blog and all da udder pawsum animals in da blogosphere. And weez’ll be wound to see you as soon as we can.
Well as purromised weez gunna be tellin’ a Service cat twainin’ posty today. Furst tho’ me wuld like to ask fur yous continued purrayers fur sissy. It’s been an up and down kinda weekend. Okay on wiff da stowry.
Faynk you fur da purrayerz.
You know twainin’ dusn’t happen overnight and there’s lots of oopsies along da way. So weez not mind dat yous laff and find our stowries funny. Most of da time even we fawt they was funny at da time and fur sure now. So dat bein’ sed, meez last posty had me dwivin’ mommy and me into da dwesser stead of da pawdee box room. It’s weally purrtant dat me learns to dwive to da pawdee box room cuz mommy needs da wheelchair most in da meownins when she wakes up and can’t move. Ifin yous just joinin’ us me wuld like to splain to and wemind ya’ why it is mommy can’t move in da meownin’. See hers pain medicine wears off duwin’ da night and she sleeps half layin’ and half sittin’ and dusn’t move. Mommy has a little of da westless leg cwamps but she dusn’t turn or roll over in da night. She wakes up in da same place and pawsition as she went to sleep in. So when da meds wear off hers joints and muscles stawrt “fureezin’” up wesultin’ in hers not bein’ able to move. Any of ya’ dat have any sperience wiff awfur-itis will kinda unnewstand this. Mommy basically has severe awfur-itis in hers whole body.
So, after meez oopsy sis Lexi took over and got mommy to da pawdee box room and then to da kitchen to fix our bwekky. After bwekky we had a little cat nap and played sum. When tweat tiime came mommy called me and sis Lexi back to da bedroom where she sat waitin’ in da movin’ chair (wheelchair). At furst me didn’t fink anyfin’ ‘bout it cuz sumtimes mommy sits in da movin’ chair duwin’ da day. Like when she needs to take out da twash or check da mail or even when she has to take care of Buddy fur Mr. W. So me jumped up in hers lap and sissy jumped on da bed and we waited fur our tweats. Mommy seemed a little stingy wiff da tweats but twuff is we get purrlenty. So when mommy put da bag in da little pocket on da awrm of da chair me stawrted to get down. But mommy had udder plans.
Mommy gently stopped me fwum runnin’ off and stawrted tellin’ me to turn on da chair. She pawsitioned me by da power awrm and lifted meez paw up towards da joystick. Me turned and looked at sissy still layin’ on da bed and havin’ a little baff, and then looked back at da joystick. Me pawed at da buttons on da movin’ chair and it finally beeped. It beeped a lot of times actually but mommy kuld see da wainbow of lights fwu meez neck ruff so she told me to bite da joystick. Mommy kuldn’t see da second wainbow of lights but she had turned da chair down to da slow settin’ afur callin’ me and Lexi to her so she was sure we was gunna be takin’ it slow and easy. She gave meez head a gentle push to da joystick and me bit down on it. Mommys hand rested softly on meez back wight behind meez head. Me pushed da joystick and we inched furward and stopped. We was on da cawrpet and da slow mo was just too slow. MOL So mommy weached ‘wound me and pushed da speed button one time. It wuld still be slow, but hopefully this wuld get us goin’.
Mommy gently pushed meez head and me bit da joystick again and pushed. We jolted a little and inched furward again. Da jolt caused me to put meez paws up on da power panel and me accidently turned da chair off so we came to a joltin’ stop again. Mommy told me to turn da movin’ chair on again, and me pawed at da buttons. Now ifin yous ever had a good look at meez paws yous will notice they be HUGE and me has lots of tufts of fur on ‘em. Even when me was a little kit meez paws was quite lawrge and those buttons be weally small and weally close togevver. So yous guessed it, meez turned on da movin’ chair but me also turned up da speed. And when me pushed da joystick furward we shot off like gweased lightnin’ toward da pawdee box room. Sumhow da fwunt wheels had turned a little and we stawrted turnin’ and headin’ fur da big chest of drawers sittin wight next to da pawdee box room. Me kuldn’t see everyfin’ since meez head was down, but me kuld see da bottom of dat chest getting’ closer and closer and mommy was yellin’, “Dezi stop!!! Dezi, let go of the joystick!!!” Did me lissen? Nope, me just pushed hawrder. And suddenly…BOOM CWASH BANG There we was up close and purrsonal wiff da chest of drawers. Mommys knees was pinned and there was nowhere to go.
Finally me let go of da joystick and looked wound. OMC We was so close but me still hadn’t gotten mommy to da pawdee box room. Sissy had quit bathin’ and was lookin’ at mommy and me wiff hers big ole gween eyes. Meez sure she was shakin’ hers head at me. She even let out a meow and me was sure she sed sumfin’ like, “Dat kidz nebber gunna lern. I’z nebber gunna git anee help rownd heer.” Me mewed back and mommy backed us away fwum da chest and back to da bed facin’ da pawdee box room again. Me looked at mommy and mewed, “Weally mommy? Don’t yous fink weez oughtta quit fur da day?” But it seemed mommy wasn’t payin’ tention to me at all. Stead she was tellin’ me bite da joystick again. Meez gunna stop here fur today, but stay tuned fur da next twainin’ posty and find out what happened next.
Service Cats U.S. 