Yuri's Catablog

Fallen asleep at the helm

2009-08-09T00:12:00.003-05:00

Milo's person recently informed Main Person that I should be updating my blog. Milo, for example, has been very good at keeping us all posted on his activities.

So, in honor of Milo, I'm going to post a few photos. Perhaps I will write more later. After my nap.

Counting down...

2009-01-11T15:53:00.001-06:00

Bush countdown created by James Miller

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-31T22:07:00.004-06:00

In 2009, I, Yuri, resolve to:

1. Be a better cat.

2. Lose weight (at least 0.5 lbs).

3. Get more exercise, especially with that new laser mouse thing.

4. Try to eat more slowly, so I don't barf up my food so much.

5. Try to poop in the box. (I gotta remember to TURN AROUND once getting in the box...)

6. Blog more.

Happy New Year! (is there anybody out there?)

2008-12-31T22:04:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is New Year's Eve, and we are all by ourselves. I cannot believe it. Second Cat and I are just sitting here in the dark wondering what the hell is going on. Third Cat is in the People's Room, with the door closed, which makes me really mad. I can't get to her to tell her I don't like her AND she is in the room with the bed. No fair! I don't understand.

The Visitor came today, as she does every day, and gave us food. She said she won't be back tomorrow and that our People will. She better be right. But how could they leave us alone on New Year's Eve? Sheesh.

The V-E-T

2008-12-04T22:55:00.004-06:00

Last week, we had a family vacation to Iowa. It was fun, believe it or not. Sasha and Chloe aren't afraid of me though, which I find annoying.

We returned and then the next day, our people put me and Other Cat back in our little houses and took us in the car. We thought we were going back to Iowa, but it was much, much worse. The vet! That guy who calls me "fuzzy man" was there, of course and he pulled me out of my house even though I used all of my muscles to cling to it and try to stay in. Then he poked me a bunch and picked at my teeth. (That was kind of gross.) He told Main Person that I am healthy and that I now weigh 13.5 pounds--which is 0.5 pounds less than last year! M.P. was shocked that I lost weight. I don't know why she didn't notice my fine physique.

Other Cat also got checked out by the nice man. Other Cat cried the whole time. He's so embarrassing when we go there! All of the people and animals in the waiting room stare at him. I turned around in my house so that my back was facing the door and I couldn't see any of it. Sheesh.

Oh, Other Cat weight 10.9 pounds, which means he gained 0.5 pounds. Ha ha.

Do you think I'm getting fat?

2008-11-09T20:04:00.001-06:00

We are so happy here

2008-11-04T22:32:00.003-06:00

Keeping my claws crossed...

2008-11-04T07:56:00.002-06:00

Here are our Miis!

2008-11-01T16:29:00.008-05:00

Our people helped us make Miis on their Wii. We each have one. Here you can see the resemblances:

Yuri (& Yurii)i:

Other Cat (& Tomashii):

Third Cat (& Emmii):

Cats for Obama!

2008-10-30T21:07:00.003-05:00

And we're not alone!

My Nemesis

2008-09-22T22:32:00.002-05:00

I haven't blogged about Third Cat for awhile, but I need to register my complaints somewhere. Here she is, laying next to my cigar thing:

You might think she's cute, and I'll admit that she is very furry, but I can't get used to her. Whenever I tell her that, my people get all crazy and shut me away in their bedroom. Why, why, why? Aren't I entitled to not like her? I was never asked about whether she could stay with us. I don't understand why my people get so mad at me about it.

Anyway, I try to keep my eye on her, in case of any shenanigans, such as sleeping in my spots.

Happy Napping

2008-05-24T19:28:00.003-05:00

Other Cat and I had a nice nap this evening. I like to put my paw around him to make him feel safe.

Spring!

2008-05-16T22:41:00.002-05:00

Spring is back! My people have been opening the windows and doors lately, and you can smell that spring is here. It's still kind of cold sometimes, but much better than it was. Other Cat has been losing all of his fur, and sometimes he throws up fur balls. I've only done that a couple times.

I don't want to be too rude here, but my people have been very mean to me lately. I can't stand Third Cat, and when I tell her so, my people put me in one of the bathrooms. Frankly, it really makes me mad. Why should I get in trouble? I mean, I was here first! Why don't they put Third Cat in the bathroom. Jeesh.

Where the hell is everyone?

2008-03-30T21:16:00.003-05:00

We (me, Other Cat, and Third Cat) have been all alone for days. I'm serious! The People just left, and didn't come back. Another Person comes and gives us food and cleans our boxes, but that Person doesn't stay very long. I'm seriously pissed. We've been trying to amuse ourselves, and Other Cat has been doing a lot of plant eating, but really it's getting a little ridiculous. I miss Main Person especially at night, when I like to sleep next to her armpit.

UPDATE: The people came home...after a really long time. The nerve.

My favorite sleeping spots

2008-03-22T22:26:00.005-05:00

During the winter, I like to take the approach of bears and do a lot of sleeping. Here are my top 3 favorite places to sleep when it's cold outside:

3. With Other Cat. We sleep in all sorts of places, and he often puts lets me bury my head under his chin.

2. On the dryer (with or without Other Cat). It's really warm up there because it's right next to the heater. It's even better when the dryer is actually on!

1. On the green fuzzy blanket on the bed (without Other Cat). My people don't like it, but I'm really into this fuzzy green blanket on their bed. Here I am sleeping on a little patch of it. Note how jealous Other Cat is.

A funny video

2008-01-26T14:59:00.001-06:00

HA! My person and I found this today. We think it's very funny, and maybe you will too.

New Year, New Blog

2008-01-26T11:15:00.000-06:00

Well, it's embarrassing, really. My friend Milo has been putting me to shame in the past...what? 18 months? So, I woke up today resolved to get started again. Hm. We'll see if it works this time. But, toward that effort, I have re-vamped my blog style. For 2008. What do you think? Should I go back to the old one, or stay with the new?

Other Cat, Third Cat, and I have been very busy in the past few months. First, we spent 7 days on our own. Yes, sans people. Well, one person came around once a day to give us food and clean up after us. But Our People just disappeared. At first, we were pissed, but eventually we realized it was a pretty good deal. We could eat the plants, barf anywhere we wanted, and scratch things without getting into any trouble.

Then, they took us on a trip. We went to see Chloe and Sasha again. Those cats. For some reason, Sasha is not afraid of me. I try to do my best growling and fierce facial expressions, but she seems completely unimpressed. Hmph.

But for the last few weeks, we've just been at home. It's been really cold, so Other Cat and I spend a lot of time in a ball together. I give him baths sometimes too. He likes that.

And, by the way, here are some photos of Other Cat. He is watching the grizzly bears that were inside of our TV set. So weird.

Lame

2007-11-07T00:15:00.000-06:00

I haven't blogged in a long, long time. Other Cat says I should start again. He thinks I should write about my mental issues with Third Cat. But I don't think it will help. But my friend Milo has a great blog, and he inspires me. Maybe in the next few weeks I'll try to re-vamp the blog...

Spring Fever

2007-05-23T09:50:00.001-05:00

Well, it's come to my attention that I've been a very poor blogger recently (OK, for the last 5 months, really). But I'm going to try to be better. Really.

In today's post, I'd like to share my new garden digs with people. Many days ago, Milo's person came to visit. (It was great!!) She and my person went away one morning, and came back with a huge bag of dirt and a bunch of flowers. They spread it all out on the floor of our back room, and a few hours later, our balcony was transformed. My person went back a week later and got more plants, so now we have a little urban garden.

On the left, you can see the flowerboxes that we now have. They are full of purple and pale yellow petunias, as well as lobelia, "pony tail grass" (which is really tasty), and trailing plants.

Here, I'm trying to pose in front of one of our arrangements, but I kept getting antsy and walking away. Around me, you can see the two pots of mint and lots of purple flowers. (I can't remember the names of all these things.)

We also have some hostas and some other blooming flowers that are supposed to grow tall. I like the hostas.

I also really like this plant with the spikey leaves. I keep biting it, and my person gets mad. I can't help myself though.

Both Other Cat and I like to sit out there. Here I am on the chair, and we are both watching a bird on our roof. It's like the Sierra Club out here!

I'm back...

2007-02-16T15:33:00.000-06:00

...and ready to rumble! With the cold weather here in the midwest, I've taken to spending most of my days on my people's bed, swathed in fleece and flannel bedding. But today, Main Person informed me that it was time to resume the blog. So, here I go.

First of all, I want to say that it is damn cold here. The good thing is that the other cats and I don't have to go outside like the people. We can feel the cold air when they come in, and we can tell from the window that it is snowy and icy out there, but we're well shielded from the elements here in our cozy condo.

The other thing is that Third Cat is letting us hang out with her a little more. Sometimes she sleeps on the bed with me. I make sure that there is at least one hill of blankets in between us, but if I'm tired enough, I let her hang out there. (She will anyway, so what the hell.)

Other Cat has been his usual goofy self. Today, hung out with that squirrel for awhile. To be clear, the squirrel was outside, and OC was inside. I think they have some sort of secret code of communication. Very suspicious: Why would a cat want to hang out with a squirrel? Rodent.

Today, my person talked to me about getting one of those eye covers for me when I sleep. She said that Milo's person had recommended it. I think it would make a good Valentine's day gift from OC. Maybe he could get me a red fleece one.

Ahem!

2007-01-08T14:24:00.000-06:00

It has come to my attention that I have been somewhat, er, lax at keeping my blog up to date. Well, things have been busy around here, and I don't have all day to just blog, blog, blog. That said, I will concede that I could be doing a better job.

The one thing I really want to share is that I have a fabulous new visiting person--you know, the person that comes when my people are gone. My person tells me that this visitor is a flight attendant. Maybe that's why she is so attentive. She came every day to visit me, Other Cat, and Third Cat during the holidays, and she even brought us new toys. I got a mouse filled with nip. We also got two little nip pillows with Christmas-themed fabric. We love them. In fact, we didn't even miss our people, and they were away for a whole week.

Thanksgiving "Vacation"

2006-11-28T22:56:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday morning, the People tricked us into getting into our little carrier houses and stuck us in the backseat of their car. Needless to say, we were not happy. Other Cat tried to start an insurrection. We yelled and rattled those cage doors, but the people continued to ignore us.

Hours later, we arrived. We were at that place that Main Person likes to take us. I like the screened porch there, but that's all. We saw Sasha and Chloe, who are getting much bigger. I still don't like them, but maybe they're better than I thought at first. Sasha is kind of OK. But just to show her who's boss, I sat right on her person's lap. HA!

When we returned home today, I was exhausted. I even lost my voice from having to shout at the people in the car, just to be sure they knew I was not happy. Anyway, when we got home, I drank, ate, and then slept for hours. I just woke up for a second to tell everyone on the blog about our adventure, but now I'm going back to sleep. Sigh.

Update

2006-11-17T20:32:00.000-06:00

I have been very negligent recently. Main Person recommended that I share some photos on the blog to keep people updated on things around here. Actually, there's not much to say, but here are some of my recent photos.

Here's Other Cat trotting down the hall. As you can see, Third Cat no longer runs away from us. But I don't think she really likes us yet.
Third Cat still likes to sit on her person:
but she also really likes to lay on/in blankets. Unlike me and Other Cat, she likes the blanket to be wrapped around her.

Recently, I have been sleeping on the People's Bed after I eat my breakfast. I usually stay there until 2pm or so. It is very cozy. One day I even found a cave-like area and slept there all day.

Other Cat has been birding a lot more these days. Usually he watches birds for about an hour in the morning. But one morning, a couple weeks ago, a squirrel visited him for awhile on the porch.
Since it has been cold lately, we like to use each other's body heat to stay warm.

Today is a damn good day!

2006-11-08T10:33:00.000-06:00

I'm simply going to link to another blog to express how me and people feel today. Click on the YouTube video.

http://time.blogs.com/daily_dish/2006/11/what_the_heck.html

I'm exhausted

2006-10-23T21:29:00.000-05:00

It seemed like a regular Monday morning. Then, around 10:30, as I was happily sleeping on my people's bed, Main Person came in with The Cage. I keep forgetting that I'm supposed to use all my might to not get in that thing! Nothing good ever comes from being in that box. So, she got Other Cat too, and then she and Second Person put us in the backseat of the car. Next thing I knew, we were back at That Place where they put you on the metal table and poke and prod you.

I like the guy there OK, but I still hate the place. The Guy usually calls me "Fuzzy Man." Today, he commented on my beautiful, thick coat. Of course, that was seconds before he stuck a needle into me. He also squeezed my bum a little bit--but nothing like the last time we went and he had do squeeze a lot. (That was horrible; I cannot even write about it on my blog, it's so disturbing.) Anyway, the whole ordeal was apparently only about 4 minutes. He picked some tartar off of my teeth, commented on my blue eyes, and felt my belly. He said I weigh 13.5 pounds.

Other Cat also got poked and prodded. He lost weight, which Main Person says is because of his nightly workouts. But, apparently, we are both OK and don't have return to That Place for another year. Thank goodness.

Lazy!

2006-10-21T12:02:00.000-05:00

Boy am I one bad blogger. And I mean "bad" in the literal sense! I promise to update my blog this weekend, especially if Other Cat leaves me alone for awhile. Geesh!

In the neighborhood

2006-10-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

In my new neighborhood, there are many exciting things going on. My main perspective on this is from my backporch. Here is a tour from the porch.
Nearby, there is a building with a nice backyard. This yard is a virtual cat lounge! At one point, Main Person and I counted 8 cats there (at one time!)! In the pictures below, you can see many of these cats. There are 1 or 2 in each photo. See if you can spot them.

In addition to being near an active cat community, we are in the flight path for large airplanes coming in to a big airport nearby. There are probably at least a hundred planes a day that fly over us. Usually they fly right above us, but this one was just a little north of us so you can see the side of it.
I like sitting on the porch in the late morning and early afternoon, when the sun is hitting it. Sometimes Main Person lets me sit on the lawn chair and take a bath.
Sometimes I prefer taking a nap in the shade, with just my nose getting touched by the sun.

Almost Friends

2006-10-04T23:26:00.000-05:00

On Guard

2006-10-01T10:00:00.000-05:00

Enter the cat room at your own risk.

Leave the cats alone, Dr. Frankenstein!

2006-09-25T13:17:00.000-05:00

In case you hadn't heard, scientists have created "hypoallergenic" cats for people with allergies.
Actually, for rich people with allergies--they are almost $4,000 each! You can read the whole story on the BBC.

Personally, I am highly disturbed by this. What is next? Creating cats who don't shed? Cats who don't catch birds? Cats without claws? Sigh.

Speaking of litter boxes

2006-09-24T20:26:00.000-05:00

I recently received the following message from Milo (well, it is actually from his person to my person, but I've decided to cut the middle-people out, since it's the cats who need to decide this topic):

What kind of litter are you using now? I am thinking of trying Feline Pine scoopable or World's Best, which is made of corn. But I'm skeptical about the clumping and odor control.

Milo, this is a good topic of discussion! We used to use some kind of pine pellets for over year, in Indiana and then in our first apartment in Chicago. Main Person said it was better in our small apartment because it didn't track as much as Tidy Scoop. But there was an odor problem. It wasn't too bad, but not great either. And in a small apartment...well, you know. So, then last spring she switched back to Tidy Scoop. Other Cat and I both prefer this even though it is more work for the People. Still, I know that Main Person finds it easier to clean the box with the clumping litter. We never had clumping pine pellets--is that what your person is thinking about getting? Let us know!!

Oh--our friends at The Paw Path Cat Blog had a discussion about this recently too. You might want to read it, Milo.

Update: Milo posted our favorite Hallmark haiku. It made my person laugh hysterically all over again!

Survivor: Chicago

2006-09-24T15:44:00.000-05:00

So, the People stranded us for two entire days. They left on Friday morning and just returned this afternoon. I knew something was up on Friday night when Main Person set up a 3rd litter box. Then the next morning she filled several bowls of food and put them in various rooms throughout the house. Shortly after that, they left with suitcases. I figured that they were going somewhere, but usually we get someone to come in and play with us every day. HA! Nothing of the sort this time. We were left to fend for ourselves, left only with some food and water.

Well, we did survive, all three of us. But I'm going to make sure that the People feel pretty bad about what they've done. The other cats and I are currently scheming. Any suggestions?

I hate Tuesdays.

2006-09-19T22:44:00.000-05:00

The people got up early this morning and fed all of us. That was the last good thing that happened. After filling our bowls, they ate and left. That was 7:45 AM. We sat around all day waiting for at least one of them to come home. You want to know what time they arrived? 10:00 PM! By my count, that is 14 hours. And 15 minutes. Um, hello. We are here, and we are hungry! Geesh. They finally fed us, but not even full scoops. Something about not wanting us to get sick from eating too much too fast. Of course, Other Cat promptly barfed up his after finishing in 1 minute and then scavenging my dish and Third Cat's.

I think something is being planned for the weekend too. Main Person asked me if we would need a 3rd litter box for a couple days. This is very suspicious. I will keep you posted.

In better news, my friend Milo got his blog back up and running. His person gave him a really great fleece blanket for the fall season. I wonder if Main Person might decide that we need one too. After all, it's colder in Chicago than Philadelphia, isn't it?

My Favorite Things

2006-09-17T22:32:00.000-05:00

What a weekend it's been! Surprisingly, Third Cat is still sleeping on her chair...despite Other Cat's charades. And I lost my s*** with her today too, chasing her around and growling really loudly with all my hair standing up on end. I don't know what got into me! Main Person got kind of mad and made me sit in another room by myself for awhile. I hate that.

And in other news, I am really missing updates from my friend Milo. Main Person told me (through Milo's main person) that he's having some sort of technological issue. I hope they get it sorted out soon because I miss hearing about what's going on in his life. He's my buddy! (And, Milo--at least you can write comments here! Let us know what's going on with you!!)

But I thought I would use this blog post to tell you a little bit more about me and some of my favorite things. I like lots of things, but here's my top 10:

10. Jumping into boxes or paper bags. Or laundry, fresh out of the dryer.

9. Sitting on the couch with my people in the evening.

8. Having a really good bath.
7. Sleeping in the People's bed after they get up in the morning. Sometimes I stay there all day.

6. Wrestling with Other Cat. (This is another variation on Games.)

5. Games. Specifically, running around with the zooms. I like to tear down the hall really really fast (ears back and a full gallop), and then jump on the couch with a good roar.

4. Laying on humans' stretched out legs, especially when they are sitting in a lazy boy chair.

3. Laying on my back like an otter. This is even better if I can get some sun shining on my tummy. And if someone rubs my belly at this point, this is pretty much my #1 favorite thing.

2. Sleeping with Other Cat.
1. Rolling in clean sheets while they are being put on the bed.

Other Cat messed it up.

2006-09-14T23:58:00.000-05:00

Damn it! You can see here that just when things were going well, O.C. got a little overzealous in his chasing of Third Cat. She was sitting on her chair when he sprung up from below. In the action shot you can see the leg work of Third Cat.
In the subsequent shot, you can see Third Cat's airplane ears.
Not happy at all. Now she is hiding in the back room below furniture so no one can get to her. We've been set back weeks now!

Moving in the right direction

2006-09-14T22:06:00.000-05:00

Other Cat and Third Cat sat one foot from each other just looking at each other for several minutes. There was no growling or flat ears. I still think she doesn't really like us, but she is at least tolerating us these days. Now, if only we can get her to play with us...

EXTRA: Third Cat Ponders More Socializing!

2006-09-11T23:49:00.000-05:00

When we first moved to our new home three months ago, Third Cat would sit in the same room with the rest of us (cats and people) in the evenings. She hated us chasing her and she made sure to keep a good buffer zone between her and us, but she would at least sit in a corner where she could see us. About one month ago, she became more and more reclusive, spending most of her time in the back of the condo (while we hang out in the front) or in Second Person's scary room.

But over the last two days, we have seen some slow improvement! Last night, I chased her around and she didn't get all weird and growly like she usually does. (Mind you, she was not really happy, but not as angry as usual.) Today, she slept in the living room on a chair about six feet from my pillow all day. She even tried to sleep on the corner of the People's bed last night! (She left promptly when Other Cat jumped up there.)

We are holding our breath that this might be a turning point!

Pissed

2006-09-07T21:45:00.000-05:00

The People have abandoned us. They were gone all day Tuesday and Thursday. I heard Main Person say she was going to be leaving the house early tomorrow morning too, and getting back after dinner. I gave her a look of disgust this evening about the whole situation. Scratching my back for a couple minutes does not cut it, Lady!

Gratitude

2006-09-02T14:51:00.000-05:00

Other Cat liked my post about him a lot.

12 Things about Other Cat

2006-09-01T21:38:00.000-05:00

I frequently write about Other Cat in my blog, but there are several things that you may not know about him. Today, I dedicate a blog post to O.C.

1. Other Cat is five years old. I hated him when Main Person first brought him home, but that was four years ago. Now he's my best friend.
2. Other Cat had a weak constitution when he first came to live with us. He had ringworm and then got pneumonia when Main Person gave him a bath (which was the Vet's fault, because she told Main Person to bathe and shampoo him with this special medicine). Now, he is quite hardy.

3. Other Cat has several names. Before he came to live with us, he was called Domino. Main Person gave him the name Tomas, but I never use it. Our Vet in Chicago calls him Little Man.

4. Other Cat is currently on a strict exercise regime. Other Person is trying to get him to exercise for 20 minutes per day. Usually I get involved in this during evening Cat Dancer events, but he is also big at Fetch. He loves the plastic rings from milk jugs, and he can play fetch with them for long stretches of time. Here you can see him fetching.During breaks, he guards his loot.5. He recently spent a night outside on our porch, inadvertently.

6. He considers himself a Hoosier.

7. His nose gets bright pink when he is excited and nearly white when he is tired.

8. He loves dairy products. He can hear a yogurt container opening up from rooms away, and he is very assertive about getting to lick any remaining yogurt or cereal milk.

9. His favorite place to sleep during the day is Main Person's closet. In our old home, he would jump to the highest shelf with the sweaters and sleep there all day. In our new place, the People try to keep him out. He doesn't like that.

10. Other Cat and I are very good at acting like twins.
11. He has a cell phone and used to text-message Second Person all the time.

12. Other Cat keeps a picture of me in his knapsack.

My Yoga

2006-08-29T23:19:00.000-05:00

I'm settling into something of a routine with the blog these days. After a long day, I unwind with a short post. Tonight, I've been inspired by my friend Milo to share some of my famous moves.

This evening I want to write about my favorite yoga positions. Now, I'm no yoga expert, but I've been told that several of my favorite body moves are in fact taught in yoga classes. I also am sure that I've mastered many of them in ways that people would never do.

This is what I like to call the "Dead Opossom" pose. It's my warm-up move.And here is "The Ostrich" (get it--burying the head in the sand??). I use this one when I want to stretch my obliques.
This is "Twister," where I get my legs all scrambled up. In this photo, I'm just starting to move into position.
Finally, this is "Sea Otter." It's a little hard to see, but if you click on the image you'll get a better view. In this move, I channel my furry marine friends to lay on my back for as long as I can. Sometimes I also groom my chest hair while in this position, to make it even more authentic.
I think that my yoga has helped keep me agile, especially for the rousing games of Chase that Other Cat and I have. I am also keeping that middle-age weight at bay. Still, I welcome suggestions for new moves.

Brrrr

2006-08-28T23:52:00.000-05:00

It was quite chilly here today, so I found myself curled up in a chair all day. Here you can see how I had to tuck my paws in to keep them warm.
Later, I even had to tuck my head in too.I'm considering sleeping with my people tonight, if they'll let me under the sheets.

Pawdicure

2006-08-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

Damn! I was in the midst of a deep sleep when I started dreaming that someone was tapping my toes. I thought I was in some cat trap where my toenails got stuck in some nappy fabric or something. Then I started coming out of that fuzzy sleep feeling and realized that Main Person was cutting my claws! She got all 4 paws before I could swat her away. I heard her tell Second Person that she got Other Cat and Third Cat too. This calls for concerted action.

People.

2006-08-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

We've had a house full of people here the last few days. My two people, plus the two people from that other place we visit sometimes (the place with the great screened-in porch). I was a fairly gracious host, showing them my Cat Dancer skills and my running speeds. I think they were impressed. This morning I also pulled a fast one on everyone when I knocked a 20-pound book off of Second Person's dresser to get him out of bed. It was really loud (like a transformer blowing or something) and woke up everyone in the place. He he he.

After all of the people around here, I'm ready for a long rest today. I may post more later, if I get up.

Cat days of summer drawing to a close

2006-08-23T15:28:00.000-05:00

Main Person and Second Person have both been spending more time at their computers and more time outside of the condo. I think the end of summer is looming. Back to long days with only Other Cat (and maybe Third Cat) to entertain me, without ear scratches or back massages in the afternoons. Hmph.

We haven't had a lot of news here, but I will try to report on the few mundane things that have occurred. Yesterday morning, we all noticed that Other Cat had been hoarding his milk ring things, and he collected them near the dining table. Look at this:Last night, Other Cat and I felt kind of chilly, so we slept together for a long time in the papasan chair. Usually I don't like sleeping with O.C. during the summer, but he was giving me a really nice bath.

Today, Main Person has been cooking--weird. I don't know what's going on with that. But it doesn't smell like anything I want. Anyway, I think that the cooking might have something to do with the fact that she said that Chloe and Sasha's people are coming. But not Chloe and Sasha--thank Buddha!

For those of you who don't know, here are Chloe and Sasha, who--in my opinion--are so small that they barely count as cats. Again, I repeat, they are not coming to my condo.

Dopplegangers!

2006-08-21T16:49:00.000-05:00

So, I'm surfing around, trying to expand my cat-o-sphere knowledge, and I come across this blog by another Siamese and his/her partner who both look uncannily similar to me and Other Cat! Check this out: http://chatcatchats.blogspot.com/

I think I might drop them a line.

This is disturbing

2006-08-21T16:28:00.000-05:00

I have never understood the fascination that some humans have with decorating cats with things. And now I find a human-run website that is filled with photos of cats being tortured by human objects: http://stuffonmycat.com/

Just look at the indignity that this poor Siamese is facing on the 8/21 post. I am considering contacting P.E.T.A. about this.

Cats with Distinction

2006-08-21T14:18:00.000-05:00

Main Person just told me that I'm lazy. Why? Because it's 2pm and I'm still in bed. Sometimes a cat just has to sleep in.

But now that I'm up, it's time for a post (which I'm writing in bed). I thought I'd share with all the new blog readers a little bit more about me and The Gang. Obviously, all of us felines have our unique qualities. For our friend Milo, it's his voluminous meow and freakishly powerful strength. So, what makes us, here in Cat Condo Central, unique? Well, here are some pieces of trivia that you may not have known.

Here is a photo that Main Person (M.P.) took of me just a few minutes ago, before telling me to get out of bed. What do you notice?

Yep, I have a very unique tail. M.P.'s mother calls it "special," and I think she's right. See, most tails are long and fairly straight, though they may curl around when we wave them. Not mine. It is about 4-5 inches long with a knot on the end. What most People don't know (but most cats do) is that this is a special trait of Siamese cats. My ancestors were actually guard cats for the royal family in Thailand. They used to let the royal people keep rings on their tails and tie a knot at the end so the ring would stay on. That was a long time ago, but after so many of us had our tails tied, the knot just sort of stuck around. Now, you may be thinking that you've never seen a Siamese with a knot in his or her tail. That's because The Breeders didn't like them (they have a very odd aesthetic) so they only bred cats with no knot or kink in their tails. But a few of us have survived. And, in fact, my tail is really important because it shows that I have a direct genetic line to the Royal Cats of Thailand.

Third Cat also has a special feature. For her, it's all in the paw. When she started living with Second Person last summer, he thought her paws were just like every other cat's. But one day, he and M.P. were giving her a pedicure and they noticed something odd when they got to her back-right paw: only three claws to trim! Then they noticed that she only has three toes. So, now her nickname is The Three-Toed Cat.

You can see here, her back-right paw (top photo) and her back-left paw (bottom photo). She hasn't told us yet how it happened, although we all suspect it represents a dark period of her life, so we try not to push the subject. And we tell her that, like my tail, her back-right paw is cool.

OK, last and final cat of the fearless tirumvirate: Other Cat. His most unique quality is his voice, which I cannot share on this blog yet (we're still a little technologically challenged here). But it is pretty high, not very befitting of a cat of his age. (Plus, it totally allows him to get away with all sorts of hijinks with M.P., who somehow associates his voice with kittens...hmph.) There's also his udder. Yes, u-d-d-e-r. Like a cow. Which is funny because he kind of looks like one anyway. It is long and the best bit is how it jiggles (well, maybe it's more of a sway) back and forth when he runs down the hall. Weird, because he's a little scrawny other than that udder. Still, this is one of his features which (although he's trying) is unlikely to disappear, so we love it. I can't get a photo of it today (you can kind of see it in his big-tail photo in the post below), so instead I'll show you the scar that he is currently sporting above his right eye. I think Third Cat may be responsible for it.

Fellow readers, what other unique marks do you have? You can even leave your comment anonymous, if you don't want anyone to know about it.

The weekend in pictures

2006-08-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

We had a pretty typical weekend around here. The big excitement yesterday was when Other Cat tried to enter Third Cat's no-cat zone. Check this out:I supervised.

Later in the day, Other Cat wowed us with his big-tail trick.On Sunday morning, we watched Meet the Press. Yawn. Other Cat played Fetch forever this evening. It made me dizzy just watching. Other than that, I've been trying to catch up on some reading. Second Person (think I'll just call him "S.P." from now on) loaned me a book because I've been wanting to know more about this stuff in the Middle East.

We've been wondering about our friend Milo. Main person said he had read the blog and liked it. Milo, tell us what you want us to blog about. We take suggestions from all cat, dog, and human friends too.

uh...seriously?!

2006-08-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

OK, I may not be a political whiz, but isn't this a little over the top? HellO!

Sen. Orrin Hatch, who continuously decries the bitter partisanship in Washington, implied this week that Democratic success in November's election could result in terrorist attacks on America.
Hatch was quoted in Tuesday's Tooele Transcript Bulletin as saying Middle East terrorists are "waiting for the Democrats here to take control, let things cool off and then strike again."

Even someone with a brain the size of a walnut can see through this, Hatch!

Thanks to the Daily Kos for the tip off. Now, if only this would make it to any old local newspaper.

All Fired Up!

2006-08-18T17:04:00.000-05:00

Got up early this morning, managing to get Second Person out of bed for some breakfast. After a short nap back in bed, the games began. Other Cat, as you can see here, managed to locate one of those milk rings somewhere. As usual, he pretty much monopolized it, but I did get a few turns at it. After some serious exercise, I was exhausted.

We did watch more of those loud planes on the deck this afternoon. The People didn't notice that some bugs got into the place, and this gave me plenty of opportunity to hone my fly-hunting skills. Other Cat used to out-jump me with some pretty tricky maneuvers, but I think I held my own today. Together, we managed to search and destroy.

After about two bites of food for dinner, I got some kind of weird adrenaline rush. I don't know if it was from the food or what, but I couldn't stop running around. Wow. Third Cat watched from the side, while the Other Cat and I created a chase-track that involved the couch, the table, and the hallway. Now, I'm just trying to catch my breath and updating the blog.

We still haven't been able to get Third Cat to join us in our antics. Whenever we chase her, she just runs away instead of chasing us back. Any ideas? Sigh.

Laundry Day

2006-08-17T12:33:00.000-05:00

Today was laundry day for the sheets! With this new bed that the People got, it's even more fun. It seems to take Main Person longer to get the sheets actually tucked in, so there's more chance for getting under them. She got a bit mad today when I wouldn't get out of there, but it's worth it. I had a good run around the condo afterwards. Felt like a real champion.

In other news, it's been pretty hard to sleep today because of the loud plane noises. Apparently, there is some show in town where planes fly around all day, and today was the practice day. The People seemed pretty intrigued by it, but Other Cat and I were fairly annoyed. Those planes were really loud.

I also updated my links for my blog. I plan to keep adding to this, but for now, I've got some of my favorites. Still waiting for comments and suggestions. Is anybody out there?

Whew!

2006-08-16T22:53:00.000-05:00

Played a long round of Cat Dancer tonight with Other Cat and Main Person. I'm exhausted! Will sleep well tonight...

Can't stop blogging

2006-08-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

We've had a very busy day so far, as you can see.

My first post

2006-08-16T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hi. My name is Yuri, and I've decided to start a blog...or, a Cata-blog!

Here, I will share my daily adventures (well, maybe not every day). Let me give you a little background.

I'm a Turkish Siamese Cat. Not Turkish-Siamese, but Turkish and Siamese. Now, I live in Chicago. I share a 3rd floor condo with two other cats and two people.

The Other Cat started living with me awhile ago. I didn't used to like him, but we've reached an agreement. He knows who's boss.

The Third Cat started living with me more recently. She's OK but, between you and me, something's not quite right about her. Other Cat and I are trying to tolerate her and show her the ropes, but she's kind of a slow learner.

Then there are the people. My Main Person is fantastic. I've known her my whole life--or at least as long as I can remember--and she understands me. My Second Person is good too. He understands how sometimes my brain feels like popcorn and I just have to lash out at people or cats. He says he has the same thing. Both my people take pretty good care of me, so I can't really complain (although I sometimes do.)

So, what do I do? Well, when I'm not writing on my blog, I like to eat, play soccer, watch TV, and do yoga.