Mad Hatters

Sometime next week, the Feeders are off to England for a visit. They did go last year at about the same time, and we'll have our guest feeder to look after us, but we're not too happy about them leaving. Especially as last year, they went to an English Rowing regatta, and, according to the photographs that they took, it's de rigeur for the Ladies wear cat toys on thier heads.



The above example upset our English Feeder somewhat, as it appears these are real butterflies, but, dead ones. A painted Lady, a Red Admiral and (perhaps?) a Small Tortoiseshell, he thinks, based on his schoolboy butterfly identification skills (of which he's a bit proud).




Frankly though, however clever these hats may look at the big event, we can only assume that their wearers are returning home to a cat-free environment....




Because, well, I have an inkling we don't have to tell you, but Fritz and I would be ready to bring them down a peg or two...

Miss Peach's Meme

Our friends Anastasia and Karl have tagged us for Miss Peach's meme. We love learning more about our cat friends, so here's another chance to learn more about us!

1) Favorite season?
Fritz: Winter for sure! I love snuggling with the Feeders and catching snow flakes from inside the window!
Ernest: Springtime! That's when the birdies come out!

2) Favorite colors?
Fritz: Orange, of course!
Ernest: All the brightest colors! I embrace the rainbow!

3) Favorite room?
Fritz: The kitchen... that's where the Grammy's Pot Pie is!
Ernest: The living room... that's where the best windows are!

4) Do you like dogs?
Fritz: My best friend from kittenhood was a dog. Some of them are great fun!
Ernest: I've never met one.

5) Ever been in an airplane box?
Fritz: Yes. It was not fun. At least I got to ride in the cabin with a Feeder.
Ernest: Never.

6) Do you have the get bathed?
Fritz: Hell, no! I do not like getting wet.
Ernest: I fell in the tub once when a Feeder was taking a shower. It wasn't pretty.

7) Are you in love?
Fritz: I love my catnip cigars!
Ernest: I love all the ladies!

8) Where would you like to travel to?
Fritz: Hmmm... I'm not a fan of the cat carrier and I definitely did not enjoy my airport experience. I'm happy here!
Ernest: Any exotic locales!

9) What do you ignore?
Fritz: Ernest in the morning.
Ernest: Any time a Feeder says "ERNEST!"

10) How many lives have you used up?
Fritz: Luckily I have not had any close calls. I still have all my nine lives.
Ernest: It's hard to say how many lives I lost in that basement before the Feeders found me.

11) Do you have any dark secrets?
Fritz: Nope.
Ernest: Well, I do have a secret lair. That's where I hide the toys...

12) What is your favorite holiday?
Fritz: Thanksgiving! Turkey is a great treat!
Ernest: Isn't every day a holiday?

13) Water or milk?
Fritz: Milk makes me sick.
Ernest: I have never had milk before.

14) Why do you blog?
Fritz: I like to make new friends!
Ernest: Me too!

15) Are you into extremes?
Fritz: Well, I am a championship napper!
Ernest: I am into extreme playing!

16) Favorite TV shows?
Fritz: I really enjoyed the dinosaur series on the Discovery Channel.
Ernest: I don't watch TV.

17) Are you a pesty lap cat?
Fritz: I do like a good nap, but I wouldn't call myself pesty!
Ernest: Laps! Laps are for sleeping!

18) Inside or outside cat?
Fritz: Inside only... we live in New York City!
Ernest: Inside.

19) What makes you happy?
Fritz: A full tummy and a warm Feeder's lap.
Ernest: Climbing on the bike frames!

20) Your most embarrassing moment?
Fritz: I always act with the grace and poise one would expect from a cat.
Ernest: See answer to #6.

I hope you all enjoyed that! We tag all the cool cats out there who have not done this meme yet!

Half Moon over Manhattan

Here's a view from our window this evening. The thunderstorms came through yesterday and today has been a clear and less humid day; our kind of weather. This may be too small for you to see in this picture, but those are lions on the cornice of the top (12th) floor of the building accross the street.

We admire them often, and wonder how the air (and bird spotting) is up there.



Again, perhaps the picture may be too small, but if you can see a lattice like pattern imposed over it, well, that's our nemisis: the anti-pigeon netting. This was insatalled around the inner parts of our building about a year ago.

So, alas, no longer can we stalk the pigeons from behind our windows as they preen upon our fire escape.

Luckily, there are still plenty of birds to espy; but now they are just farther from our no-doubt terrifying posturing

Talking of which, here's Fritz from a year ago, pre-netting, looking through our window: he has him in his sights!

Regrettably the pigeon, for some reason, looks fairly defiant!

A New York pigeon knows a 6th floor apartment cat does not have open windows without screens, and hence, Fritz can only threaten in vain.

Dragon replaces monkey on dogs back.

We don't get out much, in fact we do not get out at all, and so another dragon sighting is just another anecdote to Fritz and I. However, the Feeders were excited: they saw the real thing at large in the wild, and reported back accordingly....



The sighting was from the : you may recall, they have bizarre window displays.
As well as the dragon, a cat appears to be eating a dog; a fine idea of course , but is this good for dog food sales?



The feeders tell us we're lucky: they've been to Wales once or twice, and never yet seen a dragon. Wales has many claims to fame of course, not least of which is that it's fine dragon spotting territory, as good as it gets we're told. Yet, the dragons are here in New York too, just around the corner at the pet store. So we'll just maintain our window-sill look-out, who knows what may fly on by?

They fell for it!

Last week the English Feeder had to work late. The American Feeder was left to feed us dinner. She also gave us treats... she said something about feeling sorry for us. Well, when the Englsh Feeder got home, Ernest and I told him that we were very hungry and would love some treats! He fell for it and gave us some! Two rounds of treats in short succession! This never happens because the American Feeder is very stingy with the treats. She thinks we'll get fat if we eat too many. Doesn't she know that keeping this svelte figure takes calories?

Fritz announces limited "awake" availability.

I suppose he's older, but Fritz does spend a lot of time napping. Of course, I admire his philosophy, but I do still feel that there's plenty of potential mischief around that needs to be "acknowledged". For some reason, I always feel obliged to heed that call, even if I'm feling drowsy. This, necessarily, keeps me quite busy.

As Fritz is somewhat less highly strung,(i.e. asleep often), he posts here even less frequently than I do.
Nonetheless, if you're ever concerned about Fritz, please rest easy, (as indeed, he often does).

Here's Fritz is in all his sleepy glory ...



Mind you, when he's awake, apart from the time he spends "coaching" me in life's lessons, Fritz is a great cat. As well as keeping an eye open for me, he also manages to be rather good company for the Feeders, who never seem to fail in falling for his sleepy inclinations.

In his honour, here's a recent rare picture of him in his waking state, looking rather handsome and almost looking as smart as he really is, (when awake).



Fritz is available, for very short periods of time between naps, on a consultancy basis, to offer advice to younger cats, or humans if they know where the cat treats are hidden.

Occassional Guest Animal, 8

Super Happy Cat! One paw up, implies happiness; two paws,well, who can venture a guess? We saw the picture from We three Ginger Cats. , and the feeders remembered the ceramic cat that sits high up on display in thier local Japanese restaurant. He's sponsered by a Japanese beer company, and they don't have a photograph of him in his natural habitat, but they did find another picture that shows another, similar, super happy cat:



We say , one, or two paws up, either way, good luck to all readers, (and their owners)!

Update : Occassional Guest Animal, Number 2 revisited

You may recall the feeders "other" pet, Mr Flappie.

Well, Fritz and I don't really get it, but they persist in attempting to nuture this inedible bird. He survives, although he's not gaining points very quickly, and certainly hasn't evolved beyond his original primitive state (i.e. bird-brained).
Here's the latest picture as he basks in New York's currently overcast skies:

In the Blue chair

Here we are , one up, one down, as they might say. One of our favourite sitting chairs is this one. It has been in almost every abode of one of the feeders since childhood. Once upon a time, it sat alone in his childhood bedroom in England and told him stories from it's carvings. Now it's in New York, with us adding to it's fabric, in our own ways. At night, this chair has tales to tell: it still whispers.

Occasssional Guest Animal, 7.

It's happened in the past; feeding time has come and gone, and no sign of the necessary accessories to our satisfaction. It transpires that on these admittedly rare occassions, if we were allowed out to roam, we might find them at their "local".

Such was the case this evening.

Their excuse - the Beefeater Gin promotion evening, a G&T being a not unfavoutite tipple of at least one of the Feeders. A very strange event by the looks of the evidence:



Feeders descibe the whole event as , variously, "incongruous" and "bizarre".
Notwithstanding this ,our latest guest animal today is human, but , in true New York fashion, playing a role. Although, this further photographic evidence may suggest he's from the "fully immersed method " acting school? (probably just one of those unfair pictures).



You'll perhaps be happy to hear that the Feeders returned in better looking shape, and fulfilled their obligations to those who must be fed, admired, and generally adored (F & E, no G & T)!

They did so (they'll tell you) despite these terrible temptations, such as they never thought they'd encounter on their own street corner.

Looks like we're in for Stormy Weather...

Within the last three days we've had some mad weather here in New York. Hot and humid, followed by tropical-type thunderstorms with dramatic downpours. When Fritz senses the strorm clouds a- gathering, I think his instincts from childhood down on the farm in Ohio take over. "Tornado! Head for the shelter"! And indeed he does. We're all too polite to remind him that he's already inside inside a rather solid pre-war New York apartment building - it's in his blood. Here you may observe Fritz just the other day, before such a storm, keeping a weather eye out from his shelter for the coming tempest:

And after the rain, all that New York humidity dissipates, and Fritz naps, with no need to keep a look out:

When the coast was clear, I sneaked into Fritz's shelter. Should he awake, I'll be in touble, hence my slightly nervous appearance...

Wherever you may be, Fritz and I wish you good shelter from any storms heading your way.