Happy Birthday Pete and Lily!!!!!

Time flies! Our Maine Coons are now two years old! Here are a few of their baby pictures, taken soon after they were pulled from a storm drain. They were so darn cute! Even back then, Pete had that pissy look on his face, with Lily being distinguishable due to her tan front paw.

I miss them like this! But, the days of our lives must march on for all of us, even kitties!

Mrs. B

Lily and Pete

Lily (top) and Pete

Lily

Pete

Pete and Lily's Christmas "Cheer"

...as the pictures show...yeah, not bloody likely! Take this freakin' jingle bell collar off me! Pete looks pissed; Lily looks as though she just want to attack and eat it!

Oh, it's so much fun to "torture" pets during the holidays.

Mrs. B

Our Path To Five Cats Part One: Pete and Lily

Seriously, folks, we never intended to own five cats! I mean, I remember a lady who lived on (or near) our street when I was a very young child who had what seemed like hundreds of cats roaming around her house and property (and the neighborhood). In fact, she had so many cats that they took over the house and she slept outside. I kid you not. So, yeah, The Crazy Cat Lady I did not aspire to be! Like life, though, it just sorta happened (the five cat thing, not the crazy part). And here is how.

After Clyde passed away, we waited a bit more than six months to adopt Pete and Lily. Even then, this wasn't necessarily planned. While we were on vacation in California, I remember talking a bit about whether the time was right with a few friends. More than one said, "Yeah, you'll have them soon". Mr. B quipped, "Probably by the end of the first week we're home".

In fairness to MOI, it wasn't that fast (but close). I was out the weekend after we got home running around taking care of errands and such. I went to this huge outdoor mall (Brier Creek) to get a few things and, oh boy howdy, there were cat and kitten adoptions going on at the Petsmart! I went to the Hallmark store next door and then to Michael's on the other side. I kept telling myself, "Don't go in, don't go in, don't go in". But, hey, who was I fooling? I was ready. So, in I went and within a few moments had been introduced to Pete and Lily, as well as their foster mom Christy and other folks from Hobbes House. There were many other kittens and cat there but I was drawn to them because a) they were right up front b) they were absolutely adorable c) they were siblings and d) they were the last of the litter (their two brothers and one sister having already been adopted). Christy shared a lot of information with me about them; where they'd come from (a storm drain in Fuquay-Varina), that she'd bottle fed them, that Lily (she called her Velma) was her particular favorite, that Pete (then named Scooby) was little pissy (somethings have not changed), and that she'd REALLY love it if they "went home" (Hobbes House lingo) together. I told them I had to talk to Mr. B about it and left. BTW, now that I've done the fostering/pet adoption drill myself, I know it is highly unusual for someone who leaves without filling out an application right then and there to ever surface again. Believe me, I learned this!

Well, most of this tale y'all already know. It's just sorta fun recalling it understanding both sides of the coin; prospective new family and Hobbes House/foster parents.

Like, for instance, I got grilled up one side down the other regarding my statement on their application that I might let them outside but only if they were leashed or supervised. Bad thing to say (again, I know NOW) to an organization that strongly believes no cat should ever be outside, especially not ones who have been rescued/a lot of money/time and effort has been spent on them to turn them into social, happy, INDOOR kitties. I mean, I think they are more hard over on this than they are the whole declawing thing (another story). But, they don't come out and say that when you are expressing interest in a cat or kitten; they wait for you to hang yourself by putting it on your application. As a matter of fact, if a person indicates that they intend to make the cat an indoor/outoor, it is cause for instant rejection. I agree with this stance 90% of the time but sometimes what it may come down to for a poor cat that's been fostered for several years (and its foster mom or dad) that it might just have a better life living in and out of doors with a loving family than locked up in a bedroom or confined to a cage every weekend.

Obviously, though, we prevailed with the application (funny, I later found out that Christy lets her own personal cats outside supervised!) and were approved to adopt Pete and Lily. We went to get them on November 15th. I swear to God, I thought Christy was going to have an emotional melt down when she handed Lily over to me.

Pete and Lily the day we brought them home

Probably because of this; I felt so sorry for her (she'd BEGGED her husband Brian to let her keep Lily but he refused since they already had four of their own + a ton of fosters in various stages of socialization) so I promised her I'd keep in touch, send pictures, give her updates on their status, etc. Which I did. And, because of this, that led to the next part of the story, fostering The Greek Gang.

Mrs. B

PS

The picture of The Crazy Cat Lady is actually a picture of an action figure; you know, sorta like GI Joe or Barbie or something.

Don't anyone get ideas about what I might need for Christmas :-)

Happy 1st Birthday Pete and Lily!

Oh, they grow up so fast :-)

Here's hoping for many, many more with our twins!
Mrs. B

Pete:

Lily:

Improvement

There has certainly been improvement with Apollo. That saying, "You gotta be cruel to be kind" is apt here (although we have not been cruel per se, just firm).

He went into the bathroom around this time yesterday. Last night, after a bit of a hissy fit, he allowed me to pet him and hold him. He's got quite the motor, too. And, he squeaks when he meows.

As we were having a substantial thunderstorm, I went back in there around 11:30 or so because I heard him crying. He was cowering in his litter box and hissed at me. I scruffed him and he immediately started to purr and cuddle against my neck.

I put him in the sink, along with a nice comfy towel and a few toys to cuddle with.

When I came in this morning, he was still there. Again, he hissed at me but his displeasure was short-lived.

And so has gone the drill all day, although he doesn't always hiss and sometimes I find him camping out behind the john rather than in the sink.

I sit on the floor and coax him out. Eventually, he comes over to me and lets me pet him and starts to crawl on me. At some point, I'll pick him up for a bit, or, he'll roll over and let me rub his belly (he loves belly rubs and having his ears scratched).

I'd like to see him eating a bit more but he is eating some of the dry food and he gobbles down turkey lunch meat like a fiend.

It is tough to leave him because I can hear him crying all the way downstairs.

But, we're making progress towards the goal of getting him friendly enough to be adopted. Once he's been in there long enough (whatever that turns out to be but it can't be longer than Monday since The Kid is due to come over and she'll want her bathroom), hopefully, he'll continue to be as friendly, even if his siblings are around.

Here is one of the (many) videos I shot of his progress this morning. The rest are on my You Tube page.

Apollo 6.10.09

I'm thinking rather than simply taking him out of the bathroom and putting him back in with all four, I might bring one of his siblings into the bathroom with him for some company and see if he's still doing okay with being petted, etc.

Obviously, my life has been somewhat absorbed by this adventure; hope y'all don't mind reading about kittens!

And speaking of kittens, here are a few pictures of OUR kittens hanging out with a few of the foster kittens. I let the fosters out in batches today (not Apollo) and both Pete and Lily were interested in them and in playing with them. Lily did better than Pete.

Both of them would run up to a kitten and lift a paw to play (no aggressive behavior allowed). Pete took great joy in bounding across the room at Zeus several times, but, for whatever reason, after reaching him and meowing, he'd then hiss and huff and puff away.

Pete and Lily ARE still, technically, kittens as they are not yet 11 months old. It's hard to believe that, though, when you see these pictures of how huge they are, Pete in particular, in comparison!

Lucy is being real champ about it all. I know she wants to spend more time with the foster kittens and lick them all over and she seems genuinely concerned when she hears Apollo crying in the bathroom.

But, a face to face intro between Lucy and the kittens is an adventure best saved for another day!

Mrs. B

Charleston Tomorrow!

Finally! We are leaving tomorrow (our 4th anniversary) to head down to one of our favorite places for four nights; Charleston SC. It's a special place because a) it's where we went on our first vacation together back in 2004 and b) it's where we were married in 2005 (well, technically we were married on Folly Beach NEAR Charleston).

Our wedding day on Folly Beach, Charleston May 16 2005

Anyway, we are staying at the same place we stayed at the other two times, Vendue Inn. And, we'll be eating tomorrow night at Slightly North of Broad (SNOB), which is where we ate on both our first night in Charleson in 2004 and on our wedding night a little over a year later.

Our first time at SNOB together April 2004

I'm sure we'll also eat at a few different places that we've not been to (one of my Facebook friends asked me to take a picture of us having a drink at the bar at Charleston Place) and I want to go to Fort Sumter. We'll probably visit Folly Beach as well, but, that's about all we've got planned; we usually don't go overboard in the planning department.

We were originally going to drop Lucy off at the kennel (Triangle Vet) tomorrow morning but I got to thinking that would be a lot of driving around (in the opposite direction of where we want to end up), especially since we want to leave by 10:00 am or so. I called a few weeks ago and they said they could accommodate her one night early.

I drove her (and her Santa) over there around 1:15 this afternoon. As soon as we pulled into the parking lot, she started hopping around in the back of the car. She gets SO excited whenever we take her there (which goes a long way, I can tell you, in abating any guilt I may feel for leaving her there).

This time, I asked to see where she'll be hanging out. So, they took me on a tour (she'd already left me).

When we can (which is almost all the time), we pay extra to have her in a run. In essence, it's like a cage but it's quite a big bigger, both width-wise and length-wise. They are several of them out there all next to one another. So, the dogs can visit but they are separated. If it's cold, they bring them all in at night (it's definitely not cold).

Anyway, there were a lot of dogs out there! All very excited and happy and barking away. Lucy didn't see me looking at her because they were busy getting her situated but I could see her; running happily about, tail wagging, big smile on her face, barking her head off.

The Kid made a comment to her dad the other night that Lucy is probably happier there because she doesn't "get yelled at all the time". In all honesty, that's probably true, to some degree. She probably doesn't get yelled at, period; and, she gets to bark, pull on the leash, jump up on people; you know, all the stuff she is not allowed to do at home.

I left and went on my way, feeling good that our girl's gonna have her own little vacation, too.

As for Pete and Lily, Uncle Jon and Aunt Shannon will be stopping by daily to see how they're doing.

All bases covered; we're ready to roll!

Mrs. B

Pete and Lily Are Maine Coons!

A lot of people have told me (including those at the vet) that they think Pete and Lily are part Maine Coon (actually, Uncle Chuck said he wouldn't be surprised if they were close to pure-breed Maine Coons; something I cannot quite figure out since they were found in a storm drain!)

When they were little, they looked like this (remember these pictures?):

So, yes, I looked up Maine Coons today and what I found stunned me in that it perfectly describes Pete and Lily. I mean, these articles could have been written about OUR cats!

Here are some excerpts from various sites, with my comments inserted:

Everything about the Maine Coon points to its adaptation to a harsh climate. Its glossy coat, heavy and water-resistant, is like that of no other breed, and must be felt to be appreciated. It is longer on the ruff, stomach and britches to protect against wet and snow, and shorter on the back and neck to guard against tangling in the underbrush. The coat falls smoothly, and is almost maintenance-free: a weekly combing is all that is usually required to keep it in top condition. The long, bushy tail which the cat wraps around himself when he curls up to sleep can protect him from cold winters. His ears are more heavily furred (both inside and on the tips (Lily's more so than Pete's)) than many breeds for protection from the cold, and have a large range of movement (I swear that Pete can swivel his ears 360 degrees!) Big, round, tufted feet (Both of them have a lot of tuft and Pete's feet are HUGE) serve as 'snow shoes.' Their large eyes and ears are also survival traits, serving as they do increase sight and hearing. The relatively long, square muzzle facilitates grasping prey and lapping water from streams and puddles.

Although the Yankee myth of 30-pound cats is just that, a myth (unless the cat is grossly overweight!), these are indeed tall, muscular, big-boned cats; males commonly reach 13 to 18 pounds (Pete was over 11 pounds two months ago; we're betting he's at least 13 now) with females normally weighing about 9 to 12 pounds (Lily was 10 1/2 two weeks ago). Add to that two or three inches of winter coat, and people will swear that they're looking at one big cat (no kidding!)

Maine Coons develop slowly, and don't achieve their full size until they are three to five years old (Oh. My. God). Their dispositions remain kittenish throughout their lives; they are big, gentle, good-natured goofs. Even their voices set them apart from other cats; they have a distinctive, chirping trill (We initially thought Pete was part squirrel) which they use for everything from courting to cajoling their people into playing with them. (Maine Coons love to play, and many will joyfully retrieve small items (Yes! Yes! Pete, in particular!)) They rarely meow, and when they do, that soft, tiny voice doesn't fit their size! They are playful throughout their lives, with males tending to be more clownish and females generally possessing more dignity (This definitely sounds like Pete and Lily!)

Maine Coons are known as the "gentle giants" and possess above-average intelligence, making them relatively easy to train. They are known for being loyal to their family and cautious-but not mean-around strangers (Yep!) and are independent and not clingy. The Maine Coon is generally not known for being a "lap cat" (Yes, neither really cares for hanging out on laps) but their gentle disposition makes the breed relaxed around dogs, other cats, and children.

Many Maine Coons have a fascination with water (Just ask Mr. B about this one!) and some theorize that this personality trait comes from their ancestors, who were aboard ships for much of their lives.

In the Maine Coon, the most common inherited health problems are hip dysplasia, which can produce lameness in a severely affected cat, and cardiomyopathy, which can produce anything from a minor heart murmur (Pete does have a Level Two (on the low end) which Uncle Chuck is keeping an eye on) to severe heart trouble.

Below are some pictures. Will the "real" Maine Coons please stand up? Some are of Pete and Lily and some are from the on-line sources; I'm sure you will be able to tell which are which, especially since I've posted these pictures of Pete and Lily before, but, by means of comparison!

Mrs. B

Pete and Lily Update

I have obviously posted quite a bit of late about Lucy (since she was my erstwhile travel companion). Here are a few pictures and items about Pete and Lily!

I thought Lily might have ear mites but, upon further reading and investigation, I don't think she does; especially as they are highly contagious to other animals (and humans) and none of the rest of us are exhibiting signs. I guess she just has itchy ears.

The dumb-dumb cleaning people left one of their feather dusters when they were here yesterday. I put it on the washer in the utility room. A bit later, I was sitting at the kitchen table blogging about the maids ineptitude and heard a noise and a scramble. I turned around to see Lily dragging the feather duster across the floor. Seriously funny, especially since it was almost as big as she was! I posted a video of her carrying it up the stairs plus another one of her and Pete playing with it on my You Tube page, which you can access by clicking under the link under Mrs. B's Stuff (it takes too long to upload videos onto this sight!)

Yesterday was Pete's follow up visit with Uncle Chuck to check on his heart murmur. Unfortunately, he still has it but fortunately, it has not increased past Level 2. Chuck explained the whole thing to me and said, basically, not to freak out about it. Many animals live for 15 or more years with a Level 2 or more. However, IF it gets worse, we will probably have to put him on daily medication. Unlike flow heart murmurs (which a lot of children are born with and ultimately grow out of), Pete will not grow out of this. So, we'll just hope it doesn't get any worse. That's all we can do. In the meantime, Chuck said not to change ANYTHING about how we're treating Pete. Good news, too; Pete gained THREE pounds (apparently side effects of troublesome murmurs can be weight LOSS). Our boy now weights 11.25 pounds. At 8 months. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say Lily weighs somewhere around 7 - 7.5.

Anyway, I'll take Pete back to see Uncle Chuck in six months (not three) so he can continue to monitor the situation.

Here is a great picture of Mr. B and Pete drinking martinis and playing cards (actually taken 3.1.09, I forgot to post it what with all of the excitement of the snow we got that night) and one of Mr. B and his girl a few days earlier.

Mrs. B

Trip Update: In Sarasota!!!

We're now in Sarasota; arrived yesterday safe and sound. Lucy was very excited to be back in the RV!

Mom and I hung out at the pool for a few hours while Grandpa T dog-sat. Here's a picture of Lucy taken at sunset last evening.

All's fine...one thing about being on a nice, relaxing vacation; there is not always a lot to report but...sleep, eat, have fun, talk, sleep, eat, have fun, talk...repeat!

Mr. B reports that life's ok back home; he's busy working long days and the cats are into mischief but doing ok. Thanks to brother Jon for stopping by the other evening and hanging out with them for a while; I'm sure they appreciated the company!

Here's a picture of the two of them helping Mr. B get ready for work this morning:

Until next time!

Mrs. B

PS

Dumb thing posted itself before I had the pictures uploaded. Hopefully they are there now!

Pete and Lily Are Growing Up SO Fast!

And, obviously, they are both very healthy eaters!!! Newest pictures taken today, 2.14.09. Also, a few new videos are on You Tube (or will be shortly as soon as they finish uploading).

Mrs. B

Lily September 2008

Lily Today

Pete September 2008

Pete Today