TheWumpus.com

Want to see how I spent a good portion of my day yesterday? Oh, and want to see how I plan to spend a good portion of my day today?

Yep.

And it’s Friday! Whoo! Hoo! Can’t beat sunshine, snoozin’ and on a Friday, can ya.

Oh, sure, FP packed her big, black box last night and she took off this morning … but I think it’s a quick trip. So, I’m not too stressed about it. Plus, it’s the weekend coming, so how stressed can one really be?

So, let’s get it started. Have a great weekend yourself – and don’t forget to play with teh kittehs http://www.ipetcompanion.com/ I mentioned yesterday - and I’ll see you on Monday.

The Wumpus

You know, I’m not very computer literate. I mean, I can paw the keyboard and stuff like that, but it’s AH who does most of the heavy lifting, and FP does most of the camera work. So, what’s my point? It takes quite a bit to impress me when it comes to latest, newest stuff on teh Interwebz. Mainly, because I don’t understand most of it.

With that said, I found something so cool – I mean, really, it’s that cool – I must share.

And just what is it? The ability to play with real cats who are waiting for adoption at shelters. Honest.

Here’s what it’s called. http://www.ipetcompanion.com/ And once it’s set up, you can move the camera throughout the room, and even shake a few toys to actually play with cats.

Now, you will have to download and install a program, but AH swears it’s safe and it only took him less than 30 seconds to do the whole thing. Then, he was able to show me a few rooms, we clicked on one and there we were. Playing with a cat at a shelter. In fact, it was this one, specifically. http://www.ipetcompanion.net/client/oregon-humane-society

They keep you on a time limit, so others can play, as well.

Now, I felt kinda bad because they’re in a shelter and I’m home playing with them, but apparently adoptions are up across the board since these particular shelters installed the program. So, that’s a good thing, right?

I did some additional looking around, and apparently this is a program you can set up at home yourself. So if you’re away, you can check in and play with your own pets. Not sure if we need it simply because AH never leaves and we do our own playing. But for others with newer, younger pets? Sure. And I guess that’s why it’s sold out right now.

Anyway. I thought this was the neatest thing, and hopefully other shelters will join in.

That’s it for today. Have a great one yourself, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

The Wumpus

Well, he finally let me out onto his precious deck last night. And the result? Mucho, mucho grass.

You know, this is easily my favorite time of year when the weather cooperates. Know why? Because it’s brand-spankin’ new, fresh grass. Everywhere. In fact, there’s so much … I kinda overdid it last night.

I won’t go into details, but let’s just say when I came back in – and my tummy was upset – even I took a second look at how much I ate. OK. Enough of that. But it was nice to get outside.

Not much else going on, so I’m off to enjoy another beautiful day.

But. Before we go, check this out.

Any idea what it is?

It’s a tattoo. On FP.

Of course, it’s not a real tattoo, but it’s something she got when she was at some conference last week. Apparently, it was a fake, cat tattoo conference. Or something. Anyway, it’s already off, but she made sure to show it to me to prove her loyalty. Or something.

I wasn’t nearly as impressed as she thought I should be. But, what can ya do.

That’s a wrap for a Hump Day. Have a wonderful day yourself, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

The Wumpus

Another glorious day on tap, and you know it almost makes up for the last three springs when we had lousy weather. Almost.

So, did I get to go outside last night? Even though it was nice out, and in the mid-80s? Nope. Didn’t really request to go out, either. Apparently, the deck is still not ready for walking, and I was kinda sleepy all day anyways. Seems like I’m that every year the first couple days it’s really warm. Not sluggish, but relaxed. And the best way to handle that? Sleep, of course. So, that’s the latest.

On another subject, I was scanning the news this morning and came across this:

10 Surprising Cat-Care Tips

In his latest book, “Your Cat: The Owner’s Manual,” Dr. Marty Becker offers his expert advice for new cat owners. From his tips on how to prevent health problems to how to stop cats from scratching the furniture, this book covers any cat-related question you might have. Check out Dr. Becker’s top ten surprising cat-care tips from his book below.

Now, I’m not going to list all 10 tips. And no, I’m not getting anything for plugging his book (at the link above). I simply found a couple of them interesting. And accurate. Like this one:

Canned Cat Food Is Preferred

Veterinarians recommend feeding canned cat food over kibble. Canned foods have a higher percentage of protein and fat than dry foods and are significantly higher in water content than kibble (70 percent vs 10 percent). Also, canned foods tend to be more palatable to cats that are finicky, elderly or have dental problems. Better health for your cat can start by closing the all-day kitty kibble buffet and feeding measured amounts of a good canned food. Talk to your veterinarian.

While I agree with the basic gist of his point, I actually prefer my vittles. Especially when it’s a new bag. Yes, I get my wetfood twice a day – ’cause it has my medicine in it – but I have no problem with my vittles. Oh, and about that ‘elderly’ or ‘have dental problems’? I’m both, and it’s the vittles that are good for my teeth. So, I guess we’re not all the same, huh.

Another point that caught my attention? This one:

Surprising Signs of a Cat in Pain

Chronic pain is not uncommon in cats, especially as they age. Cat-lovers miss the signs of a pet in pain because cats are good at hiding it. Any cat observed as being hesitant to jump up or climb, not using the litter box, not able to groom themselves as well, more aggressive or more withdrawn need to see the veterinarian. These are classic signs of discomfort, and need to be addressed.

I’ve mentioned before that AH keeps pretty close tabs on me, and can immediately tell when I’m not on my A game. But this doctor is correct – we do hide our pain. Probably my best example was when I had that abscessed tooth, and they didn’t know anything about it until it was sticking out of the front of my mouth. And now? The vet says I have a bit of Arthurs Rightus in my back, but it’s not bad. I still get around pretty good, and have no trouble jumping onto the window sill, and stuff like that. But I do take more time going up and down the stairs. In fact, I don’t even mind if I piggyback a carry up or down, from time to time.

In any case, keep an eye out for any changes in behavior. We may be trying to tell you something.

Anyway, the rest of the tips are here. You may find yourself nodding your head, or you may go, “Hmmm. I did not know that.” Me? I knew everything.

That’s a wrap for a Tuesday. Window is open, sun is out and I’m off to enjoy the day. You do the same – even the window sniffing, if you want – and I’ll see you tomorrow.

The Wumpus

Feh. Well, OK. Not a real feh, because it’s already 70-something degrees and the sun is shining. But a small feh, because I didn’t get to go outside last night.

OK. I made that up. I did get to go out, but not through my normal means. See, AH stained the deck and that means I’m verboten. The fact he did it at least six weeks early is proof of our nice weather this spring. Anyway, instead of going out my normal slider door, he actually broke character, picked me up and took me out through the garage. And in no time at all, I was in my upper grass area, chowing down and then moved on to some serious railroad tie chinrub near the dinner deck.

It was 80 degrees, and most certainly made up for all the months of cold, rain, ice and snow. Well, not all made up. But give me a few more days like yesterday and today, and I’ll think about it.

That’s all I’ve got for today. Yeah, I should’ve had pictures from yesterday, but it happens sometimes. Maybe today.

In the meantime, I’m doing some early summer. Have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

The Wumpus