The Adventures of Harukat & Chloe-butt-the Winningest Motorboats

haruka's birthday!! part 3--the TOY!!

2010-03-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Haruka's birthday dinner:

Pictures of the kitties checking out this awesome--and-affordable--kitty playset.

haruka's birthday!! part 2.

2010-03-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Some more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

No shame.
She likes to lick the inside of the fridge....

Haruka's birthday!! part 1

2010-03-20T20:12:00.001-07:00

A year ago today, we brought Haruka home from the shelter. A lot has happened since then.... I'd like to share some various pictures taken recently of her, including some with her birthday toy! I have a video for it, I just need to load it onto my computer and add some music :) Until then, KITTY PICTURES!!

HAMPER CAAAAT!

I can't remember if I put her in there myself.

Ninja cat ears!

The more things change....

2010-03-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

...the more they stay the same!

Like me taking forever to update this. Like the cats fighting. Like the cats.... snuggling?

They still fight; they still get all kvetchy and aggravated with each other, but we see more and more of THIS happening:

This happens at least once a day. Usually, they'll lay down, face each other, and start 'making out,' or grooming each other. Todd and I both think it's the most ridiculously adorable thing we've ever seen.

It certainly beats them fighting... which still happens, at least once a day. I guess you just have to take the good with the bad!

This reminds me--I need to update the logo for the blog since Chloe has arrived. Perhaps I will get on that....within a month or two ;)

Haruka's odd behavior.

2010-01-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

And when I mean odd, I mean ODD. Lately, she's been aggressive towards Chloe twice a day (in the morning, and then in the evening, around the times she has her spazz attacks). She will run up to Chloe, hop up and put a paw around Chloe's neck and try to bite her. Other times, she's shoved her face in Chloe's butt and bit it (seriously).

To add to this, earlier this evening, she did a #1 and a #2 on the cat mat in front of one of their litter boxes. Is she angry? The box wasn't super-dirty. The mat is a week or so old (we had to replace the old one as it was getting shredded).

Of course, I also noticed she apparently chewed an LED light off of a strand I had around my office window. I have no idea when she did that, as I didn't notice until I took it down. Other than these crazy moments, she's fine. (I haven't noticed any problems associated with said light-eating, either.)

They have no crazy new food, they're still fed at the same times, but . . . Haruka is going batshit crazy! Any ideas? I mean . . . I've never really seen the whole biting-the-butt thing. Chloe was none too pleased. :(

Christmas with Haruka and Chloe!

2009-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

It's been about a month since I posted--been busy getting stuff together for the holidays. We bought Haruka and Chloe some new toys for Christmas and would like to share a video of them playing with them sort of half-assed-like.

We all hope you're having a spiffy holiday season! Here's to potentially more kitty blogs in the coming year!

Snot. And cats.

2009-11-22T19:36:00.000-08:00

Today, another example of sleeping kitten-cats on lofts and furniture.

This is a fine specimen. (Although it makes her head seem very itty-bitty compared to her fuzzy butt.)

The Chloe-monster has become temporarily legless on Todd's chair.

She's the shape of a rubber duck!

Anyway, I have a question. Chloe's got the snots. She's had a URI before, and if I'm not mistaken her other mother said that it could be something she has to live with (but isn't contagious). She's snorking at times, trying to get rid of her boogers. Sometimes, they dangle out of her nose :( It's tough seeing her so uncomfortable at times (the boogers bother her, but she's still playful and eating and such). We have powder medicine for her, but I was wondering if there are any kitty versions of nose spray available? I know I could look this up on my own, or call the vet, but I figured I'd give it a shot here. We both have wonky work schedules this week, and our car is in the shop until Friday. Borrowing the granny-mobile, but it has bad tires and is leaking something, so long distances/highway travel isn't a good idea at the moment. Bah!

sleeping cats.

2009-11-17T17:58:00.001-08:00

Today's adventure: SLEEPING.

Haruka plays the part of a folding chair very well while asleep on the loft bed in my office.

Chloe, also asleep in my office, decides a Stitch towel from Tokyo Disneyland, a Hot Topic bag, and a Wabash sheep plushie make for better sleeping arrangements. Also, I need to clean.

Also, I've created a Puka! This is the 2nd one (the first was sold at a convention earlier this year). Pukas are awkwardly-shaped cats with hearts or stars stuck to their butts, and sharp felt teeth. Puka is up for adoption at my etsy site: http://justbucky.etsy.com :)

Carry on.

PS.

2009-11-12T18:41:00.001-08:00

I kinda fail at following blogs, as I've forgotten the password needed to log in to click 'follow.' I'll try to rectify that in the future. But, I've read some of the new blogs! :)

And now, to sleep. Not really. Right now, Haruka is chasing invisible(?) bugs, Chloe is licking plastic bags, and Tuxedo Cat is sleeping on our porch. (Yes, the neighborhood cat has claimed our patio furniture! I'll share a picture in the near(hopefully!) future.)

I realize it's past Halloween . . .

2009-11-12T18:25:00.001-08:00

But before I forget . . . .

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES.

(And yes, the pictures are rather large when you click on them. You've been warned!)

"MOM. You're in trouble. You're NOT making me hang out at your Halloween party in this get-up! Everyone'll laugh at me!"

"Holy crap, sis! What are you wearing?! Did you go Goth?"

". . . . I stand corrected. Now get me out."

Arial shot! (These are actually small dog-sized costumes. We did buy a kitty Pharoah headpiece though.)

Haruka subsequently decided to either hide in this suitcase, or try to mail herself to Abu Dhabi.

I've been bad!

2009-11-12T18:05:00.000-08:00

It's been almost two months since I've posted. I apologize! Once Chloe came home to stay, it's been one thing after another. She had a lingering upper-respiratory infection (much like me, I got sick, too, and so did the hubby!) and for awhile we had no idea when she'd get better. She slept with us in our room and we had medicine for her and for several weeks, that was the arrangement! We'd keep her and Haruka separate, and let Chloe out to walk around and get used to things. She was used to things within the first hour.

Haruka is just now used to Chloe!

This is Chloe on September 20th, with her other human, Keri (Keri was moving back in with a couple of demanding little Welsh Corgis.)

This was during their first meeting. Haruka subsequently stalked Chloe the entire time they were together, and eventually pounced. Which is sort of amusing, only because Haruka is younger and smaller.

This was the first time we ever heard Haruka hiss outside of the vet's office. When Haruka is pissy, she looks like a vampire from Buffy! I think her tail indicates that she is part-raccoon.

The hissing and general crankiness continued for quite some time. Haruka was just hell-bent on NOT getting along with her new sister!

However, one day, we just said . . . . "Y'know, let's just leave them alone. They'll work it out!"

And eventually, they did! Not to the point of snuggling each other when they sleep, but they're a lot more cordial to each other. We've witnessed several 'elusive' kitty nose-bumps. Chloe's water dish and litter box (which Haruka uses, too, and Chloe uses Haruka's) are still in our bathroom for the time being. They get full reign of the house when we sleep, and Haruka has shown Chloe how to be the perfect alarm clock for us--about 15 minutes before our actual alarm goes off.

So, a belated hello and thank you for advice and tips; since we've been kitty wrangling, and sick, and working new schedules, it's been tough keeping up with the blog. But I have a barrage of kitty photos to show off. Oh yes. I've been doing my homework!

KITTY YOGA!! (Chloe was on the other side of the door.)

EEEK!

2009-09-19T21:24:00.001-07:00

"What do you WANT from me?! Let me sleep in my tuuuuube!!!"

It's been over a month since I last posted! I'm horrible with blogs D:

Tomorrow after work, Haruka's new sister arrives. I may have stated it before, but our friend is moving and won't be able to take her kitty with her, so we offered to adopt her (our friend will still be close enough to visit sometimes, which is good!). I really, really, REALLY HOPE this goes well!

After we got back from our trip to japan, Haruka was very clingy for a week--even sleeping on us (she never does that) and kneading us (never does that, either!). Didn't take too long for her to get back to her old self, though--the self that likes to hide behind my printer, knocks stuff off my desk, uses my guitar case for mountain climbing, etc--So, I ask, what would any of you recommend in the following instances:

1. Kitty likes to chew, claw, explore in places she shouldn't, and keeps coming back even when I kick her out of my room. Sprays only work some of the time on her. Any advice?

2. New female cat, around the same age, coming to live with us. Both cats are NOT declawed, and I'd really like to keep it that way (the nails are trimmed). Any advice on how to safely introduce them/take care of kitty quarrels? When my sister's cat came to live with my parents' cats for awhile, they got misplaced aggression and took it out on everyone. I don't want that to happen!

So . . . . any thoughts or comments would be great! Yay, last minute questions . . .

Going to Japan?!

2009-08-16T00:53:00.001-07:00

Yes, it's been eons since I've posted about our little fuzzy-lumpkins, but we've been preparing for our vacation to Japan and we now leave in a few hours. Eeek! I hope Haruka will be okay alone for a couple of weeks . . . . because after we get back, she's getting a SISTER!!!

"I shall hide in the sink until this all blows over."

Not that kind of girl.

2009-07-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

Haruka is officially crazy.

I think it started when she got into the cabinet in the bathroom . . . .

I'd love to draw this out, but I should be in bed. perhaps mental images are all we'll need for this one!

Haruka has been trying to get into any and all cabinets in the house. She understands that we pull them open, but she can't quite figure out which side to pull from. She tries and tries, and it's really funny because we know she'll never get in.

We have spoken too soon.

Earlier this month, we came home to find our bathroom door open (can't remember if we left it that way), some bath supplies knocked over, and the big sticky anti-bug paper placed by Truly Nolan out on the floor, with a BIG TUFT OF FUR STUCK TO IT.

Haruka, apparently, found a way to get into the cabinet under the sink, got in, got some part of her kitty self stuck to the fly paper, and somehow pried herself off! I checked her feet and didn't see anything amiss . . . so . . . . did she wax herself?!

So you say, Haruka, but what about the other night?!

Riiiight.

Now we know what you do when we're not home! You get yourself all gussied up for that cat who walks around the neighborhood in his tux!!

Anyway, sorry for the delays in updating. We went to Otakon this past weekend to sell some of my books and are just now getting back into the swing of things. Con season is over, and that means one thing--off to Japan in a few weeks! Must take pictures of cute kitty things . . .

(By the way, when we went to Otakon, we left Haruka alone for the first time EVER. EEEEVER. My sister and her boyfriend checked up on her and trimmed her nails. We were SHOCKED! We've never been able to! Kathy said it was probably because they were strangers to her and she was in shock. Well, now, at least we know she'll be okay on her own . . . . we worried over nothing. But of course, we'll do it again when we fly out to Japan!)

HARUKA VS. CATNIP PART 1

2009-06-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

It's taken awhile for Haruka to warm up to catnip. At first, she'd sniff it and walk away . . . now, whenever it's out, she tries to eat it, and hilarity ensues . . .

This was filmed earlier this evening with my digital camera. It may be jumpy and grainy, but it was right there . . . and so was the catnip-eating motorboat!

She's asleep near my computer, now--wedged between a VHS tape, some old comics, and a box full of modeling clay. Crazy cat.

June happenings.

2009-06-22T22:58:00.001-07:00

Once again, it's been too long! I had to spend a good chunk of this month working on the first graphic novel of my web comic Cardboard Angel--had to finish it in time to send it off to the printers so we'd be able to sell it at Otakon in July. (CA is 12/13+ and safe for work, just in case you were wondering! :)

Haruka is becoming bold. She is also getting into more trouble. But at the same time, is still redonkulously cute, and needs her nails trimmed. Anyone ever use that Pedi-Paw?

Please click on the image if it's not large enough to read! This was the second time Haruka has left a 'present,' so to speak (besides the initial piddling, she also 'rubbed off' on Todd's shirt a few days prior to this incident). I didn't notice anything at first, until I caught a whiff . . . . and since I'm curious, I sniffed.

BAD IDEA!!!!

It was only a tiny, 1-inch track, but it was enough to make me almost, well, I have a sensitive nose. Looking back it's funny that I was wearing a brown shirt at the time, but very glad I wasn't about to go out somewhere.

As for the door-opening . . . still not quite sure how it happened. We've been keeping her out of our bedroom at night so we can sleep better--she loves to knock stuff over and fall into our hamper--and usually around 6 AM--7AM we get a wake-up call in the form of 'MOMMY, DADDY, WAKEY-WAKEY EGGS AND BAKEY!! SUN'S UP! I'M UP! WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU UP?!' . . . . which means one of us gets up, opens the door, Haruka darts in, acts cute, and then we play with her for a few minutes with one of her feather-duster toys and check to see if she has enough food. After that, we unceremoniously kick her out and she's fine, and then we go back to sleep because our alarms aren't going off until 10.

ANYWAY . . . . we had placed a scratching toy she doesn't care for in front of the door, to give her something else to scratch on (still need to trim those nails!) if she got frustrated . . . .

And, around 4ish in the morning, we hear a huge THUD!!!!!!!!!!!!x infinity . . . . and all of the sudden, there's Haruka, mewing and inside. At first, we thought she had broken the scratching post or knocked it over, but we determined that she must have knocked it up against the door and that opened it. We did our thing and then locked the door after she kicked her out.

Closer inspection in the morning revealed that a plastic bin filled with stuffed animals had fallen off a shelf in our closet, which caused the noise. The thud could have theoretically made the door ajar . . . but I like to think she got superhuman powers for a split-second and learned how to turn the doorknob while floating.

And now I must float away . . . . as she is camping out on my guitar.

apologies for the lateness!

2009-05-27T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since we've updated on the current happenings of the Harukat. Rest assured, we have just been gathering many awkwardly cute photos to bombard you with . . . .

STARTING NOW!!!

This was taken on the day we brought her home. She is just getting out of her kitty carrier . . .

And this is just after she got her first bath, after piddling all over the place (as mentioned in the one of the first blog entries.) Note the happy face. (More like . . . OMG get that camera out of my face . . . face.)

And this is my peed-on self.

We shall return soon with updated kitty happenings!

One of Haruka's silly spots.

2009-05-11T10:57:00.001-07:00

These pictures were taken a week or so ago, but I'm just now finding some time to post them. Haruka loves the small shelf on our TV stand. Almost TOO much . . .

There shouldn't be a shelf there. It should be a drawer. We just never finished it.

The patented upside-down head tilt with paw up.

CAT CHIN!!! MUST SCRATCH!!!

*waves to adoring public*

The close-up . . .

Okay, mom. You can stop now. Really.

Spoilsport.

Naughty kitty.

2009-05-08T23:46:00.000-07:00

Haruka has been very naughty lately. In addition to her ninja trolling, she is also climbing on top of the laundry, trying to get into the dryer, sitting in the fridge, and she's still trying to eat my legs and toes as appetizers.

When she's sweet she's awesome . . .

And when she's mischevious you want to lock her up!!

The only time we do lock her up is when people are coming in and out of the house and we don't want her to run outside . . . . or when she decides to jump into a low-lying cabinet and the door shuts behind her. I know she's just being curious . . . . . . . . and it's so frustrating sometimes . . . . but . . . . that face. You can't help but start cooing.

"Yeah. Go ahead and coo. Will you be cooing when I chew up that Target receipt you stupidly left on the bed? You didn't need that, did you?"

At least she's not chewing wires. My old cat, Little, chewed through a LOT of radio wires! She also licked plastic bags. Haruka must be related, as she likes to lick . . . just about everything, including the fridge, the shower, and the hubby's face.

Such are the joys of cat ownership! :D

random kittage!

2009-05-03T22:03:00.000-07:00

Some random pictures of Haruka for your 'ahn'ing pleasure.

Laying on top of the loft with her head hanging over the edge.

CAT BUTT!! Disappearing under covers. I totally realize this is upside down.

Sleeping in a Harry Potter blanket. No lie. She would totally be Gryffindor.

Proof of the 'Al Bundy Cat.'

2009-04-30T12:22:00.001-07:00

I present to you proof that our cat sits like Al Bundy. Either that or she has no shame whatsoever.

She will sit like this on the couch, in a lap, or on the floor. Pardon the upside-down-ness. She was caught in the act of attacking the door.

Haruka is perfectly content this way. With her little paws up like a bunny. Ah, yes, the sideways-ness. Haruka told me not to adjust the picture. She likes it this way.

The ninja troll.

2009-04-29T16:49:00.000-07:00

Upside-down ninja troll is trolling like a ninja!

Since we've put the bedskirt back on our bed, Haruka has taken it upon herself to camp out underneath it, just behind it, and ATTACK.

She's like a little troll under a bridge, but with ninja-like reflexes. She will see an unsuspecting foot or ankle nearby, and BAM! a paw or two zooms out to clamp around the prey. The prey always gets away after a 'HEY!' and a shrug-off. But that doesn't deter this ninja-troll. No feet are safe. She's always lurking . . .

She tried to get me, but stopped short when she realized she was being photographed. Then she posed, but said, 'you're NOT putting this on the blog, mom.'

Well, I've got news for you, Haruka . . . . you can't access the internets.

Bug Issues #2.

2009-04-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

So, I shall continue this by typing, as it really isn't as epic as it may have started out. Like any new home owners, we needed a pest inspection anyway to make sure nature doesn't find its way in. Like any new pet owners, we FREAKED OUT at the sight of ants making a home in Haruka's food bowl. Maybe MORESO than most . . . . I was all sorts of paranoid that she would get bitten by bugs (in reality, she was still munching when we saw it . . . . but still . . .)

We had Truly Nolen come out the next day to perform an inspection, and then the day after that they came back out for a treatment. So far, only one ant has tried to come back. We've upped our protection with a pet-friendly bug repellent disc underneath her water bowl. Haruka came out of it all unscathed, but I got bit twice.

We interrupt this broadcast . . .

2009-04-21T22:55:00.000-07:00

. . . . to bring you CUTE CAT PICTURES. The bug stories will continue. But CUTE CAT PICTURES cannot wait!!

playing with some packing material . . .

tunneling through said packing material . . .

caught in the act of playing with her feather-duster toy!

PS. Please don't turn these into LOLcat pictures. That's MY job.

BUG ISSUES #1.

2009-04-20T22:35:00.001-07:00

Those of you who have spoken to me or read my updates on Twitter know what we're going through right now. This is how it all started . . . Sorry if the image is still too small. I've tried to correct it, but we'll see! Click on it to see if it opens in another window!

the sleepy spot of choice.

2009-04-18T22:19:00.000-07:00

Haruka has a few spots she likes to sleep in, but the loft bed in my office room is the main attraction. I keep an awkward assortment of stuffed animals up there; one evening I found a German Shepherd stuffie on the floor. I guess she didn't want company? She always sleeps RIGHT NEXT to the stuffies that are on the edge on a carpeted area. She usually stays off the mattress, as far as I can tell (of course, watch it--the second a guest comes to stay the night, we'll have to bust out the lint roller . . .)

She zooms up the ladder and will stay up there for hours during the day, so she's revved up to go nutso as soon as we get home. Last night, she tried to eat my elbow. I have a scratch to prove it.

Sure. Cute and innocent now, but the second we get into bed . . . . we have to watch our limbs!

A little awkward story.

2009-04-17T18:42:00.000-07:00

We got home from work today, and Haruka was as usual waiting for us next to the the door (she never tries to get out). She has this habit of, first time she sees us in the morning or at night, weaving in and out between our feet, making it VERY EASY to trip over her.

Well, tonight I didn't trip over her, but I did accidentally step on two of her feet ;_; She made sad kitty noises and ran under the kitchen table. She got over it quickly though (and she's not hurt) . . . . I gave her one treat per ouchie. Any other cat owners have problems like that? She has a bell on her collar so we know to stop dead in our tracks if we hear her zooming towards us!

Her crazy spells are awesome, by the way. I have stories. Many stories. But those will come at another time. Until then . . . here's a picture of her in a rare instance when she's looking at the camera and not trying to attack it.

What, mom?

Wait, what's her name? Or, Haruka's adoption story.

2009-04-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since Haruka came home with us. I had been wanting to get a cat for so long; kind of a gift to us for dealing with the wonderful task of searching for our home (our realtor Karen is awesome) . . . . We hadn't even finished moving stuff out of our old place yet, but we couldn't wait. On March 20th, the first day of spring, we drove to the Orange County Animal Shelter to search for our first cat.

We had originally wanted to get a boy cat, since in a couple of months we'll be adopting our friend's female kitty when she moves back home (not to mate or anything, just to have some sort of balance, I guess). However, the second we walked into the room with the available cats, this loud, obnoxious chirper caught our attention. This little cat in the lower left-hand cage was all about seeking attention! She pawed at our fingers and rolled around. The other cats had varying degrees of outgoingness . . . some were chirpy, some were sleeping, and a couple of them were grumpy-pants. We gave it some careful thought, and walked back towards the chirpster just as a couple had stopped to look at her. I felt a twinge of jealousy . . . . but it subsided once they left. We asked the assistant in the room to take her out and let us hold her--she was REALLY GOOD about being held! A lot of cats start squirming instantly, but not this one . . . We knew she was 'the one,' so we let the girl know and went about filling out the paperwork. Within 20 minutes, we were walking out the door to the car with our new kitty.

The car ride was mostly uneventful . . . she mewed a little bit, but was mostly silent and wide-eyed. Traffic was crappy as we were on the highway; lots of stop-and-go. Luckily she wasn't bothered too much . . . . or was she?

When we got her home, and took her out of the kitty carrier . . . . I noticed something.

Something wet.

Something . . . . very . . . . piddle-like.

The poor cat had actually gotten so nervous that she had soiled herself . . . . and continued to soil herself, and ME, and our bathroom WALL, as I took her out of the carrier.

And thus, Haruka got her first bath. (She was pretty okay with that, too.)

That night we left the door to our bedroom open so she could explore and get acquainted with things in the house. This mostly meant she came into our room every hour on the hour, hopped on the bed, licked our faces, and hopped off. Like many new parents, we got very little sleep.

I still haven't explained her name yet, though. Haruka is a Japanese word that can mean 'far away' or 'distant.' In this instance, however, it's written with the kanji for 'spring' and 'scent', so her name actually means the scent of spring. Quite fitting because we got her on the first day of spring, and ironically so because she piddled on herself.

It took a little while to figure out her name. When we were stuck in traffic, the song 'Haruka' by the band PIERROT came on, and it's my favorite song by them. Haruka also happens to be the name of the band in my web comic, Cardboard Angel, and the name of a character in my favorite comic, Maison Ikkoku. All of this combined is her namesake. All of this combined means that I'm beyond help when it comes to being geeky.

Her nicknames range from cute to spastic, like Harukat (hence the name of the blog--nope, it's not a typo!), and Kitty-Butt (among others). She comes to those names about 50% of the time. The other 50% you need to be opening a door to a room she's not allowed into, or the refrigerator.

Haruka has adjusted pretty well to life with us. She's gotten used to our schedule (and sometimes adheres to it) and has never made any messes since the day we brought her home. She's still very chirpy and purrs like a motorboat, and is currently on top of the loft in my office, sleeping now so she can wake us up later tonight.

welcome.

2009-04-16T16:10:00.000-07:00

Hi there. Welcome to the craziness that is US. My name's robin, and I'll be doing most of the typing. Some of you may know me from deviantArt, my comics, or on twitter. If so, I thank you for checking this out! If not, greetings and salutations (again. For the third time.)

My husband Todd and I recently took the plunge and bought a house. We moved in on March 18th. On March 20th, we brought Haruka, our first cat, home from the Orange County Animal Shelter here in Florida. I've had pets (cats and german shepherds and some fish) all my life, and Todd has had some smaller buddies like birds and hamsters, but this is our first time actually adopting a pet ourselves. We've decided to chronicle our cat's misadventures here in this blog for our (and hopefully your) personal amusement.

We call Haruka 'the winningest motorboat' for a reason--she sounds JUST LIKE A MOTORBOAT when she purrs. And of course, she IS the winningest kitty, in our opinion--but everyone thinks their pet is the best (and rightly so). An explanation of her name will be up shortly. We hope you will enjoy reading this blog as much as we enjoy making it.

I'm sure I could have said things a lot more poetically and cutely, but we're all just in it for the cute cat pictures anyway, right?