me likey

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Meow!!!

If my cats were game for dress up I would so get each of them a sombrero and mariachi hat to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. The $14 and $21 hats (respectively) are handfelted by ToScarboroughFair.

Wine Box Turned Cat Condo

 

My cat Dim Sum, shown above, loves to sit on my desk while I'm working. It's way cute, but when she starts to get too comfortable, stretching her legs across my keyboard, it can be a little annoying. When I moved my "office" into a large closet in my studio apartment I decided to take advantage of a small nook in the space to make her her own little space. 

My friend Hillary works at a local wine store and scored some old wine boxes for me. Using Ikea's wooden shelf brackets, I installed the box on the wall near my desk, packed it with blankets, and within minutes she was tucked inside. 

Now, it's guaranteed that if I can't find Dim Sum she's curled up in her box. Problem is, her 16 lbs. brother likes to get in there to -- his photo after the jump...

Captain Rue's discovery

Cater News photo

OMG! Is it real? A pink dolphin! This makes me so happy -- like a four-year-old on a sugar binge who still believes in the Tooth Fairy. Can it be true?

Allegedly, this pink sweetie was spotted in Lake Charles, Louisiana by Captain Eric Rue. Now, that is a good day at work!

When Is One Cat Too Many?

So with the economy sucking a big one, I've been trying to do more entertaining at home (or convincing others to do so at their homes). One of the big draws is game night. We order a pizza, get a bunch of cheap wine, and crack open the Scattegories – a crowd fave right now. It's a really inexpensive way to have a ton of fun with both old and new friends.

Last week I found a game that I hope will replace Scattegories in its popularity. I practically screamed at the store when I found it. As a crazy cat lady myself, it just seemed like the perfect game. We haven't cracked it open just yet, but it's going to happen soon and when it does I will be posting pictures galore.

You can buy your own here.

Catnip 'Stache

Ok, this is the last cat post for a while. Etsy user masionwares makes these adorable catnip mustache toys. I got one for my little monsters last summer and they all fought for it (even k-9 lulu!) Above is Dim Sum with her 'stache.

I haven't seen it in a while, which makes me think these guys stashed (nudge, nudge) it under the oven, where all their toys seem to be.

Ikea's Purrfect Pet Bed

OMG! I totally need to make one of these for my cats. As you may have noticed, I'm a bit obsessed with my kitties. This little project was found on Ikea Hacker, one of the best sites for getting creative with Ikea's inexpensive goods.

Paola opted against the expensive (and pretty ugly) Bastis Krona pet bed ($69.99) and instead adapted the Duktig doll bed ($19.99) into a snoozer for her hefty cat.She used two Hedda Rak pillow cases and sewed them into smaller pillows and filled them with the linen sold with the Duktig bed.

Now if only there was a way I could hack this thing to make a bunk bed for my feline friends...

Two more photos after the jump!

The Three Mouseketeers -- Part Two

So late last night, after many hours sitting post in front of the heater, Gizmo coaxed the mouse out of its hiding place and all three felines went running towards the other end of the apartment chasing the poor thing. The mouse went into hiding under a little table and I was able to get it into the little box I had prepared for it. The mouse is freaking adorable, and I just couldn't get myself to kill it or have the cats torture it until its little heart stopped. Naturally the mouse spent the night in the box and I picked up a habit trail from my friend Maria the next morning.

Bruce and I set it up with plush pet bedding, granola, and water. We dropped the little bugger in its new home and watched him run around, as well as climb the containers grating. I worried that maybe the mouse could squeeze himself through the grating, but after watching him attempt unsuccessfully, Bruce and I sat back and continued our work...until, I heard the mouse drop from the bookcase we had put the habittrail and the cats scramble to get it before it slipped under the fridge! Damn! 

The cats looked at me like I was insane for taking it away from them in the first place. They've probably got a point I've given them the OK to finish the deed since the little rodent just isn't grateful enough. Unfortunately the cats are too pooped from all their mouse hunting to attempt to hunt it down again. I may have missed my big chance with them...

The Three Mouseketeers!

So I've had a mouse in the house for the past week. Yes, a mouse. Somehow I have four cats living in my large studio and they've allowed a mouse to encroach on their territory without any fuss whatsoever. When I discovered the mouse I put all felines on major food rations. Bruce told the kids, "Whoever catches the mouse gets to stay." Finally today Damian took this whole operation seriously. She knows she's on thin ice here, being feral and all, so she got into action early this morning. She had been in the kitchen since on watch, when at 5 PM she came running through the "living room" area with it in her mouth. She then dropped it a few times, whacked it, and then, on her final drop, the mouse went running. We all chased it around trying to catch it, but then when I saw it hiding behind an old suitcase I felt so bad for the little bugger. She's just so teeny, and so scared. I decided to get a box and see if I could capture her in the box. What I would do after that was still up in the air.

Well, she's run into one of the heater floor boards and the cats are taking shifts guarding the perimeter. She seems quite content in there, peeking her little head out to see what the cats are up to in between grooming sessions. I've got a box with bird seed in it nearby in case she decides to come out and be caught with the one predator without claws. Maybe I can get a little terrarium and keep her in there for the rest of her days...incubate the bubonic plague in my very own home!