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 . . .

Going to Japan?!

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.

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

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.

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.