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

Haruka's birthday dinner:

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

haruka's birthday!! part 2.

Some more pictures for your viewing pleasure!

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

Haruka's birthday!! part 1

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....

...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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 . . .

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!

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!

"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 . . .

Not that kind of girl.

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!)

June happenings.

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!

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.

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.