Castle Pants

Furry Fighter Day 2011

2011-06-13T23:21:00.002+01:00

Three years now, and still missed as much by us all...Storm The Furry Fighter...The Most Beautiful Siamese Cat In The World. We love you so much!

Love from your brother and your Meowmies xxx

Gotcha Day!

2011-05-04T20:44:00.000+01:00

Hey everyone....!

Once again the wonderful ML has inspired us to update the blog - she reminded us that today is our Gotcha Day...by 'our' I mean me and Stormie The Furry Fighter of course - whom we still think of and miss every day. Funnily enough I had to go to the vet today and we saw her picture on the wall, still there, pride of place behind the reception desk. Ben Vet and Caroline Vet obviously loved her a lot too. Oh, Ben Vet now works at Cambridge University! He is such a clever vet! He only does a day or two a month at the vet practice now, so we haven't seen him for a long time. We miss him though.

So whilst I am here I will update you on Tigger - as you know our integration was fairly instant and successful - it was his distrust of humans that needed time and patience. Well he is properly settled now and jumps up on the sofa and bed to parade about in front of Meowmie, demanding strokes and attention. He is also good with visitors and doesn't hide anymore. He has really got his confidence now and seems totally at home. He is unlikely to be a lapcat but he does loves attention and fussing.

We also want to say thanks to Freya Cat, Sabrina, Sam and Simon, Lee County Clowder and Charlemagne and Tamar for popping by over the past few months! It has been lovely to read your messages.

So here are some recent pics of me and Tigger...two old boys that we are, we still run around and play and are great company for each other! We love a cuddle as much as like to wind each other up too!

Lots of Love from me, Tigger and Meomwie...xxx

Happy Birthday To Me!

2011-02-01T22:42:00.004Z

Thank you to my lovely friends Eric and Flynn , Jan's Funny Farm, and Cheysuli for coming by and wishing me a Happy Birthday! And while we are here thank you to those of you who spun by at Christmas and said hello too! We still all miss Stormie loads, especially on big days like today....and of course Timmy too...

Now my Meowmie really should have posted a little while ago about this...but she never has time to blog anymore...however, cos it's my birthday and cos she also wants to say THANK YOU for not forgetting us, she is going to spare me some time tonight...so I can introduce to you my new brother!!!!! Meet....Mayfushang Vittorio, otherwise known as TIGGER. He is a an Oriental chocolate tabby. Tigger joined us on Meowmies birthday - November 13th. He is almost 16 years of age (in April 2011). His story goes like this....

For the first 14.5 years of his life he lived a happy life with a family and two other cats, Burmese brothers. Unfortunately due to work commitments the family had to keep putting the three cats into a cattery, it got to the point that the three cats were spending more time in a cattery than at home, so the owners made the hugely difficult decision to rehome their pets via the Burmese Cat Club. They went to a family who were around in the day and didn't travel abroad all the time. Unfortunately the new family had three young children and although the two Burmese brothers settled, Tigger HATED his new, noisy, boisterous home and started spraying everywhere and turned into a very nervous, highly strung cat. So he ended up back at the Burmese Cat Club Rescue on his own. Meowmie saw him advertised and decided to give him a chance to be my friend...Tigger spent the first few weeks hiding from Meowmie (he liked me though) but he has gradually come out of his shell, gained confidence and seems very relaxed here now - he hasn't sprayed at all, and what is even better is that our integration only took TWO DAYS! We pretty much became instant friends! I am so glad he is here, I spent almost 7 months alone after we lost Timmy cos Meowmie couldn't find a suitable friend for me, however the day Tigger arrived I immediately stopped howling at night when Meowmie returned from work, and I became my own cat and settled down again.

Anyway...here are some images of my handsome new brother...he has worked his way into hearts very quickly!
Lots of love
Castle and Meowmie L xxx

Furry Fighter Day

2010-06-13T03:56:00.003+01:00

Today is Furry Fighter Day, in memory of my sister Stormie who lived with lymphoma for almost two years - despite being given only 6-9 months to live when she was diagnosed. Meowmie helped Stormie write a blog about her condition and treatments and we hope it still serves as a source of hope for those who find themselves having to help their pets through this illness.

Two years today we said goodbye to her, and we all still miss her terribly. Today we will remember just what a wonderful and special little cat she was - The Most Beautiful Siamese Cat In The World. We love you Kormie xxx

A little update - and Thank You

2010-05-05T19:41:00.007+01:00

Well, thank you to the delightful ML for remembering our Gotcha Day. That was such a lovely surprise to receive some email from you! Yes, it was mine and Stormie's Gotcha Day...Timmy's is September the 5th, just in case anyone thought it was the same.

We didn't realise we hadn't updated since just before Timmy left us. Well Timmy left us on March 11th, it seems so far away, yet only like yesterday. He wasn't in any pain at all and it was quite tough for Mummy having to have him PTS cos he seemed so well and normal - so she had to keep reminding herself that the wound on his cheek was going to get worse, very quickly. Timmy also gave Mummy a timely reminder by scratching the scab off the morning the vet was due, causing his wound to bleed.

Timmy didn't want to go, he hissed and growled at the vet right up until he was sedated - and Timmy never hissed and growled, so it was a bit upsetting. The vet said it was most definitely the surgical spirit smells and strangers handling him in his home that made him annoyed...plus the fact he wasn't actually 'sick', so he was still full of fight and just his normal self apart from the lump. We hope that was the case, and not that Timmy had any idea what was happening. Once he was settled Mummy cradled him in her arms and then the vet sent our precious Timmy on his way. I spent the afternoon with Timmy's body and slept by him with my head resting on his - something I never did when he was alive, so I said my goodbyes to him in my own way. The vet felt we had timed things just right, which was a comfort. Timmy Tantrum is back home now, next to Stormie on the shelf. Below is Timmy's last portrait, you can see the wound on his cheek, this was taken about 30 minutes before he left us.

I have been kind of lonely since Timmy went and Mummy misses him terribly, she loved the fact he slept against her head every night. I am a little older than when Stormie left so I do sleep more in the daytime now, but by the time Mummy gets in from work I am ready to moan at her. I also have the occasional moochy moan around the house in the evenings and day when Mummy is here. Mummy has been keeping an eye out for a friend for me, but finding an old Meezer or Oriental is not that easy. We were lucky finding Timmy after Storm passed...we'll keep looking though.

We hope you are all well....and if we do happen to find a friend for me then we will let you know immediately! Much love to you all.
Castle xxx

Timmy and Stormie will finally meet...

2010-03-10T19:51:00.005Z

Well, after 7 months of living with Oral Sqaumous Cell Carcinoma it is time for Timmy to leave us.

He had a check-up on Friday and Caroline Vet confirmed that he had 'days, not weeks left'. Frustratingly to look at him you would not think anything was wrong, he is so normal and well and playful, eating and....well...just like the Timmy we have always known - apart from the big tumour growing in his cheek and jaw.

It has got to the stage where the tumour is starting to break the skin on his cheek, this morning he scratched it (it is obviously bothering him now) and he made it bleed and opened up a wound - nothing serious, but the wound won't heal now and will only get worse the more he scratches at it. According to Caroline Vet things go down very quickly once the tumour breaks through the skin, and we don't want Timmy to suffer so we have organised for Faye Vet to come to the house tomorrow at 2pm to send Timmy on his way. We feel that maybe a day or two too early is better than a day or two too late. Mummy will then take his body to the vets where they will keep him safe for a few days, and then on Saturday Mummy is going to collect Timmy and take him to the same crematorium that Stormie went to.

Timmy turned out to be such a lovely brother - we had a totally different relationship to the one Stormie and I had, but it was a good one and we became close very quickly. I am vey sad that I am going to lose another friend. We all feel totally honoured to have had Timmy in our lives for the past 18 months...but now it is time for him to meet Stormie, and also to be reunited with his First Mummy, who is now obviously calling for him from wherever she may be.

We hope Timmy was happy with us, we sure enjoyed having him around. Here he is getting a brush down on Monday night (you can see the tumour on the left hand cheek and the start of his wound, it is now about the size of a penny) and the next image is of him enjoying a chicken this afternoon...yeah, I reckon he may have liked it here...

Thank you for your kind thoughts and support...it means a lot to us, even though we hardly blog anymore we have never forgotten any of you xxx

It's My Birthday! I am 14 years young!

2010-02-01T20:58:00.006Z

THANK YOU everyone who has remembered that today is my birthday and left messages for me in the last post which I made some months ago, about Timmy's birthday...and a huge thank you for leaving such sweet messages on Stormie's blog today too. Today we have been thinking about her a lot, and we miss her as much today as we did when she first went to The Bridge.

So, a little update for you all....I have been very well but I am afraid Timmy had some bad news at the end of November - his mouth cancer returned, despite our best efforts to remove it with surgery in September. As you know, oral cancer is the worst cancer a cat can get, very aggressive and the success rate of beating it is very low - something like 10%. At one point Timmy's oncologist was very ppositive that Timmy could be one of the lucky ones, due to the location of the tumour and the fact it was caught early...but as it turns out not early enough.

Timmy was given "maybe two months" at the end of November - but he is still here, he is still completely normal, no signs of pain or discomfort - he just has a big lump the size of a large walnut on his cheek at the moment. He has metacam and antibiotics daily to ward off inflammation, pain and infection. He had a check up a couple of weeks ago with Caroline Vet and she said he was doing very well 'considering', and said that Timmy may even have a couple more months in him yet, although it was hard to predict due to the aggressive nature of this cancer. So, like Stormie, he is doing his best to beat the predicted survival times afforded to him.

Despite the bad news, we have tried not to let it affect us too much, and we remember all the good things; Timmy has got to a ripe old age (almost 15 and a half) and we are thankful that we found him and have been able to share time with such a character of a cat. The way we look at it is that his Original Mum (who passed away 18 months ago) just wants him back now...that way, it doesn't quite seem so sad, does it?

Not the greatest news to share on my birthday, but it didn't feel right to ignore the issue when so many of you have asked how we are. So anyway, please do not be sad, let's remember my sister and also celebrate my life and the fact that Timmy is still part of it. Here is a picture of me and Tim having a nap and then one of my favourite ones of me and my sister :)

Love to my friends
Castlepants xxx

Happy 15th Birthday Timmy!

2009-12-01T00:01:00.000Z

Today is Timmy's designated birthdate. We are not sure of his exact date of birth cos he is adopted, but we know that he was around 13 years and 9 months old in September 2008.

We are so happy that we get to celebrate his 15th birthday, only 3 months ago it was looking highly unlikely that Timmy would make it to today!

So...here's to my friend (for we are very close now) and almost-brother...many happy returns Timmy Tantrum! Here we are....me and Timmy have a birthday snooze :)

Lots of love to all of our friends! xxx

Dare we celebrate this good news?

2009-09-30T11:59:00.003+01:00

(Posted by Mewomie L)

Timmy's oncologist just called me with the histiology report from Timmy's tumour, and the lab technicians have declared clear, good margins all around the tumour i.e. they are confident that it has all been removed just by surgery! Hence no radiation needed as there is nothing to radiate!

I am absolutely dumbfounded with a cautious happiness (if that makes sense). Almost everything I have read has stated that surgery and radiation are almost always needed to deal with Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (FOSCC) effectively because usually there is 'spread' and it is quite rare to be able to cut out the whole tumour. However, the report says that in Timmy's case this is what has happened, it was quite 'compact'.

I questioned the oncologist and asked were they sure, and do they not need to do the radiation as a precaution and she said that there just isn't any areas showing as needing radiation. I stated that I had read about the surgery/radiation combination being most effective, were the doubly-sure? She said that the lab techs, herself, the surgeon and the lady who owns the cancer centre (Britain's top small animal oncologist) had all looked at the results and were sure radiation wasn't needed. Were they triply-sure...? she laughed and said yes, it is rare to get such a good result with oral surgery and SCC and she can understand my disbelief.

Obviously, she cautioned that FOSCC is THE most aggressive cancer going...and all it takes is one teeny-tiny invisible-to-the-eye cell....so Timmy is now under regular observation, as it could come back...statistically a 25-30% chance of returning. So he has a check-up in 3 weeks, they will knock him out and palpitate everywhere, and then he needs to go back every three months. If they are concerned about anything then they will run him under the CT scanner.

Thanks to all our friends on the Blogosphere for your continued support, as many of you know, dealing with this sort of thing is hugely stressful for us humans too and just knowing that there are people who understand is a relief in itself!

I am so relieved, but still very cautious, it is FOSCC that we are dealing with afterall....So, please keep your fingers crossed for the old boy and hope the nasty cancer really is gone!

Love from Meowmie L
xxx

Timmy is home

2009-09-28T21:32:00.003+01:00

Timmy came home on Saturday afternoon..he has quite a big wound where Mr Henri (the surgeon) removed the tumour. Timmy's face was also quite swollen too...but he was glad to get home, he purred so much and seemed very happy to be back on his cushion.

I greeted Timmy with lots of hisses, whacks and general growling and grumpiness - much like I did with Stormie when she was away at the vet place for a prolonged period of time. I hate the smells they bring back with them so much! We have made friends again now though, the hissing stopped this morning and tonight we have been hanging out together. Kind of. The Meowmies laugh at me when I get mean, they think it is so hysterical cos I am such a soft, loving cat, so on the rare occasions when I am mean it is in a rubbish, gentle, non-threatening way.

Timmy has to wear a big Elizabethan colour cos he keeps scratching his stitches - he already pulled one out just before Meowmie collected him! Mr. Henri said that it should be ok though and the wound should heal. The problem is, Timmy rubs his face on the inside of the collar, which aggravates a tiny bit of the wound, so it is always 'wet' cos he knocks off any scab that gets formed. We need this wound to heal so we can get Timmy into the radiation part of the programme in about 10 days time. We are also concerned that the wound not healing could make infection an issue - but Tim is on Synolux antibiotics to help ward of any germs.

All-in-all Timmy is doing well. Timmy has been doing his toilets, playing, eating and washing and also trying to bite me and cajole me into a game of chase - so he can't be feeling that uncomfortable in the mouth area!

Thanks for all of your well-wishes!
xxx

Timmy's Surgery

2009-09-23T21:58:00.006+01:00

Timmy had his surgery today...all went well, no nasty surprises. Phew!

The tumour was 1.5cms wide, quite small apparently. We were 'lucky' in that the tumour was easy to detect cos of it's location on the cheek, hence why Meowmie caught it early. Normally oral cancers start off under the tongue or somewhere that you wouldn't normally notice until the tumour is fairly big and has already invaded bone structures, this is why it is important for a vet to regularly check your pet's mouth.

The surgeon said he shaved the surface of the jaw bone a little, as the tumour was quite close to the bone. The surgeon feels he got good margins around the tumour in general but he remained cautious about the jawbone area, but he said that the forthcoming radiation should now 'hopefully' deal with any remaining cells they might not have been able to see and remove.

So, that is Step One completed...so far so good...we are really am taking this one day at a time as cancer is so unpredictable and although Timmy has been given this chance, we are still dealing with a particularly aggressive cancer...one of the worst.

When Meowmie called the cancer centre just now they told her that Timmy was up and bout, eating and occasionally meowing at the other very vocal siamese cat that happens to be in there having the same treatment today. i reckon Timmy might be telling him to shut up! Timmy is actually a very non-vocal cat and it appears that he only meows when this other Meezer starts kicking off! Timmy loves to whap and nip, so maybe he is frustrated that he can not get to this other cat!

I am missing Timmy a lot, I have been pacing and looking for him and yowling constantly...here is a small taster of my behaviour this evening...

Direct Link:
http://s170.photobucket.com/albums/u245/lcole67/?action=view¤t=8f2b1fc9.flv

A Decision Has Been Made

2009-09-22T22:56:00.004+01:00

(posted by Meowmie L)

Today has been a proper rollercoaster, which i have ridden before with Stormie. i have questioned people with experience of FOSCC, myself, my vet, the oncologist...i just wish i could question the most important one of all...Timmy.

Despite the huge odds against Timmy, the oncologist called this morning and her first words were "Well I have some good news!" It seems the tumour has not affected the bone yet, so the surgery required would be minimal and affect soft-tissue only. This would be followed by 4 doses of radiation over a four week period. It seems Timmy has been given a rare chance.

I have had numerous conversations with my vet and oncologist today , and due to the fact that Timmy is in excellent health, we have caught things early, the cancer is not invading the bone and it has not spread anywhere else, recovery from surgery should be pretty quick...apparently it is not much more invasive than when he had his biopsy, which he recovered from within a day or two. My vet also called the oncologist and after the conversation reassured me that if Timmy was her cat that she would proceed with the treatment too, given all the circumstances (if it had involved removing any jaw bone she said that she would probably not go ahead with anything).

The radiation may irritate his mouth a little, but it is a short 4 week course and only one dose a week - not an intensive protocol - involving just a 2 hour stay at the vets each time. any side effects will be 'local' to the cancer site i.e. no nausea etc. the tumour is not big so the hole won't be huge. Tim will not be disfigured in any way at all and will not have future problems with eating, drinking, washing etc (should all go well). this was one of my major concerns.

The biggest concern is that the wound will irritate Timmy and put him off eating, but the oncologist is pretty confident that the wound will cause no more irritation than the biopsy. If however it does irritate him and he won't eat, they can pop a feeding tube in for a few days until he is healed, at least getting nutrition in to him - sounds hideous i know, but a very easy and common procedure. And then of course there is also the concern that the cancer could come back....there are no guarantees. If this happened then nature would take it's course, i would only try for a cure the once.

Unexpectedly the odds are in Tim's favour, he has been given a slim and rare chance according to both my vet and oncologist - they rarely get to see cats where the tumour has not yet affected other parts of the face/body or started impacting on their health, these tumours do not show up usually until it is too late - in Timmy's case the location and size of the tumour make treatment worth a go.

i have beaten myself up over this today, sought advice from all sorts of quarters, asked a hundred questions on feline cancer forums and we are going to give Tim the chance. I really was accepting of the fact that i was going to let him go this morning...yesterday i had chatted things over with my vet and Meowmie J and we discussed the options and we all kind of agreed that the ONLY way surgery would become an option is if by a miracle the oncologist called up with really positive news and said Timmy had a good chance of surviving...which she did this morning...Timmy has been given an 80% chance of long-term survival if the treatment is successful. We think it is worth trying...of course we all remain totally aware that this is a nasty cancer with low success rates...

Timmy's quality of life will still remain paramount to us and ANY indication that the surgery or radiation has failed and he is in pain then we will do what is necessary for him. we can easily stop the process if we feel it is not working for Timmy.

Timmy is scheduled to have his surgery tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd).

Thank you all for your support and friendship
xxx

An Update on Timmy

2009-09-21T23:41:00.005+01:00

Meowmie has just come back from the consultation at the oncologist and we are not sure we want to put my Timmy through the things described. We have three scenarios...

1) If appropriate (CT scan will reveal all tomorrow, they didn't do it today) surgery and radiation can be performed to try and achieve a cure. This will involve a feeding tube post-op for an undefined amount of time - anything from a few days to a month - depending on how Timmy recovers (We have no idea what a feeding tube entails or how uncomfortable it would be for Tim, if at all). He will also lose part of his jaw...which could make eating, drinking, washing a bit messy. Survival times range from 3 months through to a year, some cats reach 2 years...however 90% of cats don't reach a year...

2) If surgery is not an option then they can treat him with radiotherapy and chemo combo, this is not a cure but can prolong his life a little. The window of survival ranged from 2 months to 14 months, with a median of something like 170 days There is a new study which involves giving radiation treatment twice a day for 7 days, split over the course of 10 days (there are days off between some treatments). Chemo is given as well. This will involve a full aneasthetic, twice a day. Timmy has a mild heart mumur so this is not ideal at all. Post-treatment again we are looking at feeding tubes for an unspecified amount of time and possible discomfort.

3) We do nothing, just manage the illness with palliative care and concentrate on quality of life over quantity. He could be gone within weeks.

The Meowmies just doesn't know what to do...part of them thinks that he is almost 15 (in December) and we should let nature take its course, and give him quality of life. Another part loves him so much that they want to do everything they possibly can for him...but is that the best thing for him, or is that just them being selfish because they can't bear the thought of letting him go?

The options we have been given just sound as if they are going to cause him lots of discomfort - and one of those options isn't even a cure! It seems a lot to put him through when the odds are stacked so highly against him...from what the Meowmies have been reading the survival times for cats who have been treated for FOSCC are very poor.

I fink the Meowmies have definitely ruled out Option 2 and unless the oncologist phones up tomorrow and is 100% positive that the surgery will be minimal and Timmy is a great candidate for a successful outcome...then Option 3 looks most likely :(

xxx

Some Bad News...

2009-09-16T07:17:00.005+01:00

Well, we are not sure how to say it, so we will just be blunt...our little Timmy Tantrum has got oral cancer. It is Feline Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma...the worst oral cancer there is apparently. Mummy found a lump on his cheek/lower jaw bone about 2 weeks ago, on his Gotcha Day, so Tim had a biopsy last week and the results came in yesterday.

There are no other signs that he has a problem...he is 100% normal, all his blood tests, xrays etc show him to be a very healthy cat for his almost 15 years of age so Caroline Vet feels we have caught it early - no other signs of illness and or spread apart from the little lump in his cheek - and she holds a little hope that it is in a location that may be ok for surgery...but she is not an expert so she has sent off all the reports, pictures, x-rays etc to a specialist small animal cancer place just outside of London to see what they feel would be an apprpriate course of treatment...if any. We hope to have an assessment back in the next day or so. Ben Vet has gone back to school to get some more letters after his name, he is the lovely vet that treated and worked miracles with Storm...Caroline Vet is his boss so Tim will be in excellent hands too.

So our question is has anyone here had any experience of dealing with this type of cancer? We have some tough decisions to make if we are presented with treatment options - if i there are no treatment options then there are no decisions to make. The most effective treatment would be surgical removal and radiation if the tumour is in a good place for surgery...but we are concerned about post-surgery health, how do cats recover from oral surgeries? Also, does anyone know of any forums which are specific to oral cancers in cats? And any diet tips to slow down cancer growth?

Meowmie L is away for a few days with limited internet access but Meowmie J is staying with us and feeding us and loving us in her absence.

Thanks for any feedback - we really appreciate everyone on the Cat Blogosphere, even if we are rarely around these days xxx

Timmy's 1st Gotcha Day!

2009-09-05T01:54:00.005+01:00

Hey everyone...it's gone so quick. but it is a year ago today that the Meowmies rescued Timmy from Siamese Rescue! It was this time last year when I wondered what was going on in the bathroom....little did I know at the time that Timmy was living in there until such as time as we could meet.

We had an interesting dynamic to start with, a few battles, but nothing serious, the clashes were more out of curiosity than hatred for each other really. We are firm friends now...we cuddle, we eat together, we play and yes Timmy still likes to try and be Alpha Cat from time to time but I soon let him know whose boss! Storm would never had put up with some of his behaviours I can tell you - it's a good job Timmy had to integrate with me and not Stormie to be honest!

Anyways, we thought you might like to see a selection of pictures of Timmy, and a few of myself and Timmy being close. Thank you to everyone who sends us little messages from time to time, it means a lot :). Please write us a litle update about yourself if you come by and visit, Meowmie does not get time to visit all the blogs anymore. Thanks you xxx

Storm's Tree

2009-06-21T09:37:00.003+01:00

Thank you all for stopping by my blog, and Storm's blog last week on her anniversary. It meant a lot to us.

I wanted to let you know that the Meowmies had a lovely day remembering Stormie. Firstly the Meowmies went to the Cambridge Pet Crematorium where Stormie was cremated. Even though Stormie is not buried at the pet crematorium, the Meowmies wanted to go there and visit the Gardens of Rememberance and spend some time thinking of her. They also planted a little silver birch tree in the gardens. amongst an established group of silver birches. We are not sure this is really allowed... but we hope the gardener doesn't rip it out, but finds it and lovingly cares for it.

After the visit to the Gardens, they went on and spent the reast of the day in Cambridge, visiting the market where Meowmie L bought Meowmie J a book about the seashore. Meowmie J was flicking through it and stopped at a page that caught her eye that had a picture of a beautiful beach on it...it was called Storm Beach! How coincidental is that? Maybe Stormie is sending little messages to us from The Bridge...After the market they stopped for somthing to eat and then wandered down to the River Cam and watched the world go by. It was a lovely day. Meowmie L then came home and gave me and Timmy some chicken, in memory of Chicken Face.

Here is the picture of the little silver birch tree for Stormie. Have a good weekend everyone xxx

Dearest Stormie...

2009-06-13T00:01:00.000+01:00

One year on today...it has gone so fast, it feels like yesterday when we cuddled for the last time, waiting for Ben Vet to come and lead you safely to The Bridge.
Much has changed since you left Little Lady, and we all miss you terribly. I have a companion called Timmy now, obviously he never knew you, but your legacy was to allow homeless Timmy to come into our lives and be part of our family for the twilight of his life, after his own Meowmie died. I know you were worried about me being lonely, and I reckon it was your guiding paw that helped Timmy and my Meowmies find each other...he has settled in pretty well and we are good company for each other. Thank you.

Today we are all going to remember you and share some special moments in your memory, the meowmies have a nice day out planned in your memory. This is a little movie that Meowmie made about you Stormie, we hope you, and everyone else, enjoys seeing it...

Lots of Love
Castle & The Meowmies (and Timmy)
xxx

Gotcha Day!

2009-05-04T10:10:00.009+01:00

Well...what a beautiful surprise, despite my distinct lack of blogging I awoke to find two lovely Gotcha Day messages from Cheysuli and the gang over at A Few Good Cats! SO I thought I would see how they found out and of course it was the wonderful people over at the Cat Blogosphere who had started the remembering off. How very lovely that I was remembered...

As we were typing this post out Craig and Caroline Hind also left us a message...Craig and Caroline are a little bit special for us cos some months ago they found me via Storm's blog. You see they had a beautiful cat called Panther who had the lymphoma too and when they were reading about lymphoma just after Panther's sudden passing they found Storm's blog and left us such heart-touching messages...and then they were inspired to start cat blogging by us! Thank you Craig and Caroline...we know you loved Panther very, very much and we are sorry you had to go through this lymphoma thing as well.

I may be without my Stormie today - my first alone Gotcha Day - but she is here in other guises, and alive in the many memories I and others have of her. This is our Gotcha Day post from Stormie's blog last year. This is our fave kitten pic of Stormie:

So, I may be without Stormie...but I have Timmy, my adopted brother, who is OK and good company mostly. He has been here 9 months now and we are pretty close - we wash each other's ears, we snuggle together, we play and run around like two kittens (well, we try, but we are Old Geezers so the play sessions don't last long). We are both the Alpha cats of the home, so Meowmie now has two big boys cats vying for her attention. Timmy still likes to chase me about and will instigate most of the play sessions but cos he is creaky and not as agile as me I usually win all the time or if I am not in the mood will just jump up on the sideboard to get away from him. It has worked out incredibly well, especially when you think Timmy had not shared his previous home with other cats. Timmy is still not much of a purrer - in fact he only started purring about 2 months ago - and only when he is groomed/brushed...very rarely will he purr just for the sake of it! Weirdo. Here are some pics of Tim and I...Thanks for stopping by and wishing me a happy Gotcha Day!!! We hope you are all well xxx

It's My Birthday

2009-02-01T13:41:00.006Z

This was me and Stormie last year, celebrating our special day!

Wow, it's been a while since I posted...that's cos Meowmie is having a break from blogging, things are a bit tough at the moment for her plus she can't find enough time to keep up with all things blogging.

So, today I am 13 years old...I became a Geezer today. Meezers become Geezers at their 13th birthday. Stormie didn't quite make Geezer status though, which me and Meowmie are feeling quite sad about today. Therefore this is my first birthday alone, without Stormie, my litter-mate...on the plus side that means more chicken for me...but to be honest I would rather she was here to share it with. I have Timmy to keep me company and share my birthday chicken with, but it will not be the same.

Me and Meowmie don't feel much like celebrating today, so we are going to remember what fun we had last year when Stormie was still here and our family was complete. Check out last year's party! Stormie, Happy Birthday to you, wherever you are precious girl.

Thank you for stopping by and checking up on us, depsite our lack of blogging. We really appreciate it. We hope you are all well and that your loved ones are well too.

Love from The Birthday Boy
xxx

Merry Christmas Efurrybody!

2008-12-24T09:21:00.004Z

One day left and then we get to meet Mr Turkey!

Meowmie J is cooking Mr Turkey because she is the best cook and her cooked birds are perfect! Last year Stormie devised a CUNNING PLAN to distract me from Mr Turkey...this year I have Timmy with me and to be honest I am not sure he is as intelligent as Stormie so there will be NO WAY I can possibly miss a morsel of that lovely meat. Wow, a year brings many changes...

December 2007 - I have a loving sister

December 2008 - I have a grumpy almost-brother

This is our first Chrimbo without Stormie, and we know that some of you are also going to miss someone special this year too...but they haven't gone far, we know in our hearts that our Stormie is here with us, especially when Mr Turkey gets served up!

We hope you all have a WONDERFUL Christmas time!

The Meowmies, Castle and Timmy
xxx

Meezer Monday

2008-12-15T12:57:00.006Z

(dedicated to my sister Stormie)

A happy Meezer Monday to you all!

Today I am going to look back and remember my lovely sister and celebrate one of her milestones. Two years ago on December 16th she was first diagnosed with lymphoma and started treatment, then a year later she decided to celebrate still being alive (and exceeding her 6-9 months of remaining life prediction) by creating the Extra-Ordinary Gold Star Award.

In honour of my sister I am going to revive the award as there are so many new kitties around who deserve this award - and lots of 'old-timers' who do too!

The Extraordinary Gold Star Award was created by my sister Storm, The Furry Fighter - and is for Bloggers who have achieved or done something special. The award celebrates beyond what is ordinary or usual.

1) Post the explanation and rules of the award and link back to the blogger who presented you with the award and repeat the reason why you received it.

2) Pass the Award on to THREE other Bloggers who you fink deserve it and explain why!

So here are my three awardees:

Deb at The Taylor Catssss - for doing so much for the Cat Blogosphere, raising funds for sick kitties and going beyond what is usual in helping others.

ML at Missy & KC - for the exact same reason as above!

Niko & Cloud's Mum & Dad - for being brave and caring and nursing their adorable Texas through lymphoma so carefully...and for giving a home to two wonderful little kittens :)

There are soooooo many more people that deserve this award too, so I hope it manages to get around and bring a smile to those who receive it!

Love Castle Pants (and Timmy Tantrum)
xxx

Six Months On...

2008-12-13T18:18:00.006Z

Today marks 6 months since I last cuddled up to my Stormie, she passed away on June 13th. Stormie, we miss you so much and a day doesn't go by without us thinking about you.

Fittingly it is also The Dedication of Lights Day at VA Siamese Rescue...and our friends Kaze, Latte & Chase over at Simply Siamese have made a dedication to Stormie...we do not think they know the significance of the date for us...so this is a magical coincidence. Thank you.

If you would like to see the dedication it is currently on Page 54...click HERE.

We would also like to send our thoughts to all the other families of the Meezers and cats who appear at the Dedication of Lights, we lost some good friends this year xxx

A VERY overdue MeMe!

2008-12-12T14:14:00.003Z

Our two lovely young friends Niko and Cloud tagged me...and Timmy Tantrum...for the 8 Random Things MeMe, they tagged us WAAAAAAAY back in early November. So here are my 8 Random Things, I suppose I had also let Timmy have a voice and do his too...

Castle

1. When I was a still a young kitten I liked to play with eggs. Usually, in the middle of the night, I used to take the eggs from the kitchen and drop them outside Meowmie J's bedroom door. When she got up in the morning she was faced with broken eggs all over the hallway.

2. When I was born my litter mates were as follows: 3 Seal-Point girls (Storm was one of them) and 1 Choc-Point boy.

3. I am the biggest purrer ever, you just have to glance at me and I burst into a purr.

4. I love fuss and cuddles, I can not get enough of them.

5. I once caught a bird!!! When i lived with Meowmie J there was a tiny garden I had access to, I wasn't fussed about going in the garden, but on one of the few occasions that i did, I came back with a HUGE blackbird. It was bigger than me - I was only about 6 months old. Meowmie said that the bird was suspiciously stiff and cold, but i SWEAR it was I who caught it...I definitely DID NOT find it i the bushes!

6. As well as Stormie, I had another housemate called Dubbs, but he was a rabbit. We used to play together (supervised), and Dubbs would often get the better of me!

7. I once won 3 months worth of cat food from a cat magazine for being so handsome.

8. I can fetch like a doggie...but the difference is I know what I am doing whereas a doggie just does it because it thinks it should. Cast are brainier you see :)

Timmy Tantrum

1. I like to chase Castle around. Meowmie J thinks I am bullying Castle, but Castle does chase me back sometimes...and he isn't scared of me or anything, not in the slightest. We haven't hissed at each other for months now.

2. I like to snuffle Meowmie L's hair in the middle of the night - particularly around the crown area...I lick her head when she sleeps sometimes too.

3. I rarely purr, maybe I will purr when Meowmie gets in from work, maybe I will purr when I am fed and sometimes I purr in the middle of the night. It is very rare however - Meowmie has only heard me purr three times in the past week - and those were brief.

4. I am adopted from Siamese Rescue, my last Meowmie was an old lady but she died. It is believed that I was an only-cat in my last home.

5. I am a bit blind, a bit deaf and I have a heart murmur...and a stiff leg sometimes.

6. Every morning, almost without fail, between 6.30am and 7.00am I wake up, go and do a poo and then I sit on the floor by the end of meowmie's bed and make a really funny squawking sound until I am fed.

7. I am not a cuddle cat and I do not like being picked up.

8. Even though I am not cuddly or affectionate, I do show my liking for my new Meowmies and brother by making sure that I am with them no matter what room they are in. I will sleep on the bed with them and I will sit on the sofa with them too. I guess I am still working this strange new family out...!

*(&)*^&^&* PUSHES TIMMY OFF THE COMPUTER (*(&er$:i&**

That concludes our MeMe for today. Due to our tardiness in completing this we won't bother tagging anyone as we are sure we are the very last to do it! If not, please feel free to do the MeMe and let us know!

Have a lovely weekend!
Castle (and Timmy)
xxx

Meezer Monday - Happy Birthday Timmy!

2008-12-01T10:14:00.009Z

Today is Timmy's 14th Birthday - to be honest we are not sure of the exact date because Timmy is adopted, but he was 13 years and 9 months old in September, Siamese Rescue said his birthday was in December but did not know the exact date, so the Meowmies decided that December 1st was a good and auspicious date to celebrate Timbo's birthday (and of course, it is easy to remember). Tonight we will have Roast Chicken and catnip toys to celebrate!

Here are some Birthday portraits of the handsome-but-not-as-handsome-as-me fellow:

Now we need to do a 'catch up' cos Meowmie has been unable to blog lately and then she sort of ended up having an unscheduled break from things. We are back now though and will be doing the MeMe's and things that are outstanding in the next few days or so!

Timmy's tooth extraction went very smoothly, it was very funny when he came home that night, he was a bit high from the drugs and he turned into a very affectionate cat. By the next day though he had turned back into Mr Grumpy and is once again VERY frugal with his purring, in fact he rarely purrs but he doesn't seem unhappy or stressed at all, in fact he seems pretty settled and likes to be with me and Meowmie in whatever room we are in at any given time. Is it weird for a cat to rarely purr? Storm and I would burst into a purr just for being looked at!

Timmy's heart scan revealed nothing of concern so his heart murmur is most likely caused by stiff valves and his blood tests were really good for his age too. Ben Vet had a good look over Timmy whilst he was unconscious and discovered that Timmy's third eyelid in his almost-blind, cataract-ridden, left eye has been torn as some point in the past. We are wondering whether this was done at the same time as the rip on his ear and the scar on his nose - and we are also now wondering whether Timmy was a serial fighter in his younger days. We will never know though...

Meowmie celebrated her birthday a couple of weeks ago, Meowmie J surprised her with a trip to Paris. This meant that Timmy and I were left on our own for a few days for the first time since he moved in with us. The cat-sitter told Meowmie that Timmy was very bold and greeted her at the door and danced around her feet begging for food. Meowmie is now confident that she can take a proper holiday trip again - she hasn't been on a proper holiday since October 2006, basically since Stormie first got ill.

We hope everyone is doing well and that all the kitties on the blogosphere are happy and healthy. When you reply to this post please could you leave us a little update about yourself and what's been happening in your life? And here's wishing our American friends a belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Finally, Meezer Mondays are always dedicated to Stormie, and her gift to Timmy is probably the best one - a forever home, and the love of my Meowmies.

Happy Birthday Timbo! xxx

Meezer Monday

2008-11-10T12:43:00.003Z

(dedicated to my sister Stormie)

How I miss my delicate, dainty, ladylike sister...we used to peacefully sleep next to each other, our heads buried in each other's furs, having the bestest cat naps ever, warm and cosy in our safe little ball of Meezerness. This is what I have to deal with now though, a SNORING CAT...I am not impressed.

Meowmie has also not had a decent nights sleep since Timmy arrived as, without fail, he goes to the litter-tray at about 1am and then again at about 6.30am - he is the noisiest Scraper Of Litter ever and wakes meowmie up each time he makes a visit!

Timmy didn't have his tooth out last week cos he definitely has a heart murmur so Ben Vet put him on anti-biotics for 10 days in order to clear up any possible infections and stuff. Ben Vet explained that a heart murmur can increase the risk factor of anaesthetics and he doesn't want to take any chances with Timmy - so the operation is now scheduled for Friday 14th.

Timmy on Tuesday

2008-11-04T16:37:00.003Z

Timmy has a new name is our house at the moment...Timmy Tantrum has turned into Timmy Toothache.

Timmy went for his first visit to our adorable Ben Vet last week and the poor little fellow has got a sore tooth - a frontal lesion - which means that the soft core is exposed and is probably causing him pain. This explains why he doesn't like his chin or cheeks rubbed, he pushes the Meowmies' hands away with his paws (and sometimes nips at them too).

As suspected, Timmy has also got vision problems. He has a big cataract in his left eye, severly limiting his vision. He also has a cataract in his right eye which isn't as big, but will obviously have a negative impact on his visual capabilities. Ben Vet said he will be fine and will adapt as his vision worsens, so we are not operating or anything like that.

And then there is the suspected heart murmur...Ben was listening very hard to Timmy's heart and he heard something irregular, a sort of 'whooosh' sound in amongst the 'flub-dub' sound. This is going to be monitored as ben was not 100% sure about this.

As for his toilet problems (the blood in the poo, and the excessive amount of pooing)...we think this is just due to a delicate stomach and we have therefore changed his food to Royal Canin Sensitivity Control to see if that makes a difference - he certainly seems to be going for a Number Two less frequently now - twice a day instead of four times a day!

We haven't cuddled much and Meowmie hasn't seen us wash each other for a while, but we live along side each other calmly, respecting each other's space (mostly). I am still Top Cat obviously, as this picture verifies:

Anyways, Timmy is off to the Vet Place again tomorrow, if his suspected heart murmur has gone then he will have his tooth out under general aneasthetic, if not then he will come home and take some anti-biotics for a few days and then go back for the operation later next week.

Love
Castle x

Meezer Monday

2008-10-27T00:01:00.001Z

(dedicated to my beautiful sister Stormie)

Timmy has washed me about 3 more times (that Meowmie has witnessed) since the time in the video below, we are slowly getting used to each other. Nothing can ever replace my Stormie though...and I can't ever imagine being so close to another cat like I was with her, I wish she didn't have to leave us so soon. It's a tough time of year coming up, what with Meowmie's birthday. the anniversary of Storm's diagnosis and Christmas approaching fast...they will all be 'firsts' without our Stormie, although we have Timmy , these occasions are going to feel incomplete and a bit empty without our little lady with us. We miss having her by our side, she was one precious little girl.

A happy (and wistful, in our case) Meezer Monday to you all x

Timmy on Tuesday

2008-10-21T16:01:00.003+01:00

Finally, a bit of pampering! Meowmie was in the kitchen doing some human stuff, but she was a bit suspicious of the silence coming from us...so she peeped through the gap in the doorway and caught Timmy Tantrum washing my neck!!! This is a first...mind you, he hasn't done it since (not that Meowmie has seen anyway) but it is a start, hopefully Timmy will realise that he needs to do this more. I may wash him when he starts to behave a little more like the subordinate he is.

(Meowmie says 'sorry' for the sideways film, but her nearest camera was the cameraphone and for some reason it will only take sideways films).

Meezer Monday

2008-10-20T12:37:00.006+01:00

(dedicated to my much-missed sister Stormie)

Today I firstly want to announce that just before the gorgeous Tiki sadly passed away, he and his housemates at Camie's Kitties presented us with an Award, it is the Butterfly Award and is presented for the coolest blog that the person knows! We are truly honoured...and shall always remember Tiki, who I hope has found Stormie at The Bridge. Thank you to Camie and The Kitties!

These are the Award Rules:
~ Put the logo on your blog.
~ Add a link to the person who awarded you.
~ Nominate 10 other blogs.
~ Add links to those blogs on yours.
~ Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs.

Meomwie does not have time to visit 10 blogs today (or tomorrow) cos her workload is just stupid at the moment, so the first 10 people or cats who visit this page and read about my award can have it!

Today I want to remember my sister Storm's dainty, little, lady-like legs, feet and toes...Timmy's legs are thick and sturdy, his feet are big and he thumps around and plods along in the most un-dainty way you can imagine - he looks like a bit of a bruiser at times! Meowmie said that she has never heard a cat make such a racket when playing Herd of Elephants. So, a timely reminder of a beautiful set of lady-like limbs:

Happy Meezer Monday everybody x

Why Humans Are Always Tired...

2008-10-10T10:31:00.004+01:00

...well, this is why Humans who share their home with a cat are always tired! The chap in this video decided to film himself and his cat sleeping because he wanted to see exactly what went on during the night...he has used a timelapse camera so the film is just a short one!

Click to see how you can annoy your human throughout the night!

Some cats may not have the opportunity to annoy their Humans throughout the night because some Humans - and you won't believe this - REFUSE to let their cats sleep in their bedrooms with them!!! My Meowmie tried to stop me and Stormie sleeping in her room once but we let her know this was not acceptable by ripping up the carpet outside her room and HOWLING all night.

Have a great weekend everybody! xxx

Awards on Wednesday

2008-10-08T14:37:00.014+01:00

I got myself TWO awards to announce! This is truly incredible cos Meowmie hasn't helped me visit at all lately, so we are humbled that people still visit us and think about us. I am going to FORCE Meowmie to make time each week to come and visit you all. She really needs to organise her time more efficiently.

My first award is from the lovely Black Cat and is the Blogging Friends Forever Award. Black cat's friend 'Pinky' is thinking of adopting a cat - you must drop by and encourage him as mush as possible! I have had this award before so will share it with my fiend, Timmy Tantrum. Although they may already have it, I would like to pass this on to Princess, Casey Meezer Diva, Isis, Fat Cat Muffin and Miss Peach.

My second award is from Niko and Cloud, who now live with our old pal Texas's Slaves. This award is the 'I Love Your Cats' Award and we are so happy to get this from these two little adorable balls of fluff! I have to share this one with Timmy anyway, as it was awarded to both of us. We shall pass this on to Kaze, Latte and Chase, Daisy and Harley, Jan's Funny Farm and KC and ML

You know, I am such a nice cat to Timmy, he needs to start being a bit nicer to me though. He just wants to nip me, bat at my back legs and chase me around, which is OK sometimes as I like a game as much as the next nearly-13-year-old-cat, but at other times I just want to chill. Luckily for me, cos he can't quite see properly he loses sight of me if I run from him quickly, and because his ears aren't quite right he mostly can't hear where I am, so he just sits there looking a bit confused sometimes.

I don't think we have mentioned that we think Timmy's vision might not be quite right did we? Well, basically we don't think his periphery vision is very good cos Meowmie dangles toys by the side of his head and he has no idea they are there, plus a couple of times he has hissed and jumped at a cat-size cat statue that my Meowmie has. He also misjudges heights and a few times when he has tried to jump up on the sofa he hasn't quite made it...and vice versa, when he has jumped down from soemthing he lands a bit hard or not quite on his feet, as if he reached the floor sooner than he thought he would! It's not enough of a disability to hinder him though, he still jumps around after wand toys...but Meowmie just has to move them a little slower so he doesn't lose sight of them.

Meezer Monday

2008-10-06T16:50:00.004+01:00

(dedicated to my sister Stormie)

Today my Meowmie was searching through her work files on her work pooter when she stumbled upon a picture of....The Meezer Bus! Some of you may remember the day-trip that Stormie organised for beautiful Chey and a group of fellow Meezers...if not, you can read all about it HERE!

Timmy and I are existing in a state of relative calm and acceptance...Timmy still does most of the chasing when we play Thundering Herd of Elephants, and he does like to harmlessly nip and whap a little, he has definitely got a boisterous personality! However, we can in the main quite happily fall asleep within a paw's stretch of each other, and we both now sleep on Meowmie's bed at night - Timmy down by Meowmie's feet whilst I lay in Meowmie's arms (obviously).

This first picture is of Timmy and I in the Donut bed - Timmy joined me briefly on the Donut (he didn't lay down) before stretching out on the Flecta-Bed next door (2nd picture):

Happy Meezer Monday! xxx

Squirrels on the balcony!

2008-10-01T14:14:00.004+01:00

We live on the 11th floor of a block in Central London and almost every day we get squirrels on our balcony! This little fellow greeted Meowmie as she exited our building when she left for work the other morning - he is one of our frequent squirrel visitors and is incredibly tame, just after Meowmie took this photos he tried to jump on to Meowmie's camera-phone. Timmy has yet to see the squirrels but I am sure he will be most intrigued by them when he does eventually spot them.

My meowmie could never eat one (she things they are too cute), but squirrels used to be a popular food source many years ago in the UK, not so much now, however you can still buy squirrel dishes at some traditional British restaurants who specialise in the more adventurous cuts of meat.

Well, if things get totally desperate in the UK with this credit crunch business I guess we won't starve...what with our pigeon visitors too!

Meezer Monday

2008-09-29T11:10:00.005+01:00

(dedicated to my sister, Stormie)

Today I am remembering just how dainty my sister was, and just how much she loved chicken. This following video was filmed about 3 weeks after Storm's second bout of feline lymphoma returned; she had started chemo again but her appetite had disappeared...however, Meowmie tempted Stormie with her favourite chicken and we witnessed The Return Of Chicken Face in our household once more! Meowmie literally had tears of joy running down her face when Stormie'a appetite returned and she ate again...it's just such a shame it didn't last...

My new 'friend' Timmy is not at all dainty when he eats; he scoffs and gobbles his food up very quickly, making piggy-snorty sounds as he hoovers up his food - it's almost as if he doesn't believe he will ever be fed again! Storm and I always used to share our food bowl, even if Meowmie put out two bowls we would eat from the same one. Since Timmy's arrival I have tried, on a number of occasions, to share a food bowl with him but he is just not ready to share, so for the first time in my life, I have my very own food bowl.

Since our big fight a few days ago things are a little calmer; we play chase every day, usually when we have just woken up in the morning and when Meowmie gets home from work in the evening. Timmy still does most of the chasing. Timmy seems a bit more relaxed and even purred last night when I was sat 6 inches from him - that is a first! He is still a bit moody though and is definitely not ready for cuddles yet - we have managed to sleep next to each other a handful of times but it is usually with our backs to each other!

Oh...we know it's a bit early but we would like to draw your attention to the beautiful Christmas Cards that Siamese Rescue are selling this year - click the link on the right at the top of this page. All profits go to caring for Siamese cats in need - Timmy was one of these until my Meowmies gave him a home. There are currently around 10 cats...and a couple of 'lifers...at the South East UK branch of Siamese Rescue (with many more across the country) which need medical care, feeding, housing, and general looking after...and we all know how expensive looking after cats is! If you want to help Meezers then please purchase some Meezer cards to give out this year! Thank you xxx

Thumpin' Thursday

2008-09-25T16:25:00.007+01:00

My new 'friend' Timmy and I have had a couple of fights in the past few days...this morning's fight was particularly 'involved' shall we say. I started this morning's fight. Meowmie was very worried and was going to split us apart during the fight, but then she though it best to let us work through whatever it was we needed to work out between ourselves.

It went like this...Timmy was in the wicker cave and I decided to whap Timmy whilst he sat in there - I had him trapped in the wicker cave and was repeatedly lunging at him and biting him. Timmy then burst forth and pinned me down and bit me...I struggled free, leaving some of my fur in Timmy's mouth, and then we did the side-ways ballet dance and mewled around each other for a while before both attacking each other again a few more times. Timmy then skulked off.

After the fight Meowmie decided to put Timmy in the other room on his own for 10 minutes to try and get things to calm again. Then 20 minutes later (and aided by a few Temptations) we were both settled on the sofa together...we remained like this until Meowmie went off to work. We give the impression that we are closely bonded don't we? Oh, how the camera lies!

Despite our fighting and bad behaviours we have been given an Award by Mr Hendrix! It is the Briliante Weblog Award 2008! I have been given this before so I will graciously give this to my 'fiend' (no, that is not a typo) Timmy. Thank you Mr Hendrix so much for this. I suspect Timmy says thank you too, but he is so rude and ungrateful sometimes that i daren't even let him on here to express anything - he might just swear at you or something - he is quite unpredictable!!!

I will pass this award on to all the Cat Bloggers who haven't yet got it and whose names begins with....'S'. Sorry to be so random but Meowmie is at work and doesn't have time to help me properly pass this on, and we think this has been doing the rounds in our absence (again, not my choice, but Meowmie's, she is always 'busy').

We hope you are all OK and keeping well!
xxx

Meezer Monday

2008-09-22T13:30:00.006+01:00

(dedicated to my much missed sister, Stormie)

Stormie and I used to cuddle each other all the time, we always spent every single sleepy moment squashed up on the same bed...and then we used to sit side-by-side when not sleeping. I miss her. Here we are cuddling, the second picture was before Storm had lymphoma and she was 'curvy' shall we say!

Timmy now has free run of the home as of 4 days ago. I had hoped that with the rapid progress that Timmy and I had initially made, that we might be cuddling - even just a little - by now. But no. I keep trying to sit with Timmy and try to curl up with him but he swears and curses at me, which is just rude! The closest we have got was about 3 nights ago, I sat myself next to Timmy on the favourite cushion in the house, who then hissed right in my face, but I did not budge, despite the rudeness and aggression. I stared him down and remained next to him for about 20 minutes. Even our furs were touching!!!

Timmy did not live with another cat is his previous home so I suppose he is somewhat curious and nervous of me, he has also appeared jealous of me on two occasions recently - even though Meowmie is very careful that both of us get equal attention during this integration period. I keep trying to make Timmy feel welcome and am being very patient and non-aggressive with him...but I must admit that I did hiss in his face this morning after he kept trying to bite my tail. This is the first hiss I have done in over a week, despite Timmy's regular growling and hssing at me whenever I try to be with him!

The Meowmies are a little worried that Timmy won't ever be happy sharing a home with another cat...but I think they are just anxious to see Timmy truly happy, I can tell that they really like Timmy and want to see him more relaxed around us all. We all just need some more time I think...it is still only week 3 afterall!

PS - Meowmie has got the Feliway diffuser pumping away and is also adding Rescue Remedy to the water.

Timmy On Tuesday No.2

2008-09-16T20:06:00.006+01:00

Hmmm...Number 2....quite appropriate cos Timmy seems almost unable to do his number two's INSIDE his tray! He likes to hang his bum over the side and do his business on the newspaper which the tray sits on. Meowmie even purchased a tray with VERY high sides but he STILL manages to crap over the edge. Next step: covered trays.

So...how are me and my subordinate doing then? Well every day there is some sort of breakthrough. The hissing and growling has died right down, and only occurs if one startles the other, or one of us pushes our luck. Timmy remains a bit grumpy/nervy though so he is the one who usually starts the trouble.

We have progressed from spying on each other from separate rooms, to actually sitting within six inches of each other. We have also started playing Thundering Herd of Elephants - no contact - it is very cautious play, whilst we still try to work each other out.

Meowmie has kept us separated whilst she is not here or when she is asleep - but last night Timmy kicked RIGHT OFF and howled and mewled to be set free from his room. So, at 1.30am. 3.30am and 5.30am Meowmie got woken up and let Timmy out so that we could play Elephants for a short while. Timmy isn't being isolated tonight and will have free run of the house along with me, Meowmie needs her sleep.

Here is progress to date in pictorial and video form, as you will see, I have been very, very, welcoming and patient with Timmy, so long as he accepts I am the Boss, we should get along just fine:

Saturday Afternoon - the cautious 'camel clump'

Sunday Morning - the chilled 'sunspot sprawl'

Tuesday Evening - 6 inches to go!

...and here is Timmy and I enjoying one of first play sessions:

...and here is a Siamese Smackdown
!

Friday Friends

2008-09-12T11:44:00.005+01:00

Two of my good friends have been dishing out Awards to my household! My lovely friend Adan in Taiwan has given me the Brilliante Weblog Award. Adan handed me this a while back and because of the recent upheavels in MY house, Meowmie hasn't had time to make the proud announcement! Thank you so much Adan...! I have been given this award before by Yao-Lin too, you can see it just a few posts ago (which, beause of Meowmie's laziness is atually over a month back).

My next award has been given to me by...HOLD ON A SECOND...it has NOT been given to ME, it has been given to TIMMY!!! Well, seeing as Timmy seems a bit grumpy at the moment I will graciously advise him that our favourite movie-reviewing cat Tybalt Prince Of Cats has handed him the Blogging Friend Forever Award! Here you go Timmy...(I got this already, and I fink this has done the rounds now...plus Meowmie is pressed for time so Timmy can share my choices of nominees I made a few posts ago).

So...how are Timmy and me getting along then...? Well, Meowmie has mostly been keeping us apart in separate rooms with occasional supervised 'viewing sessions'. She divides her time between the two of us and lets Timmy have exploring sessions a few times day of the whole flat (apartment), whilst I am locked in a room. In the past couple of days Meowmie has let Timmy explore freely, with me not locked up...the hissing has almost disappeared but the growling hasn't, and it is usually Timmy who growls. I am actually quite chilled and just sit by, looking bemused at this new, growling, grumpy cat in my home, as you will see from the following video...

We did get close enough to touch noses yesterday morning without any hissing or growling, but then Timmy hissed and we had a little bicker (no contact though). This morning during his exploring time and after some inital growling and grumbling, Timmy settled down on his laurels in the doorway to the lounge, and stared at me, whilst I settled down on my laurels across the room and stared back - we did not hiss or growl for quite some time. This is the first time that Timmy has settled down outside of his room since he has been here.

Meowmie is a little worried though that Timmy doesn't like our home; he does not seem as happy as he was at the Rescue place, and he growls and grumbles at Meowmie now sometimes, he wasn't doing this a few days ago. We have to hope that this is temporary and Timmy is being like this cos he is feeling unconfident, unsettled and possibly depressed too. I am being a good cat and not attacking him or anything...and the Meowmies are giving Timmy the love and respect (and treats!) he needs...so we remain hopeful, he is so adorable when he is chilled out and wants a belly rub...apparently!

Have a good weekend everyone xxx

Timmy On Tuesday!

2008-09-09T12:36:00.002+01:00

OK, so we have had Timmy since Friday night but 'Timmy on Tuesday' made a better blog post title. And Meowmie is not unwell...Meowmie was spending lots of time in the bathroom cos Timmy is in there!!!

So, I have got a friend to share my home with and to keep me company during the day...well, unfortunately, we are sworn enemies at the moment, and are in separate rooms, but hopefully he will turn in to a friend/subordinate soon enough.

My Meowmies found Timmy on the UK Siamese Rescue site, his Mummy had died and he had nowhere to go. He is 13 years and 9 months old, has a scarred nose and a torn ear and is a Chocolate Point Siamese - lighter in colour to my Stormie, she was a Seal-Point Siamese. We are not 100% sure if he is used to other cats or not, but time will tell if he can accept me or not.

Timmy is living in the bathroom (just in case he sprayed or missed his litter-tray), he has 3 beds in there, but he prefers the safety of the den that Meowmie made from my pet carrier.

Meowmie kept us separated on Friday night and most of Saturday and because Timmy didn't meow or make any noises, I was completely oblivious to the fact there was another cat in the next room! I did pick up Timmy's smell on the Meowmies and sniffed them for ages though...When Timmy does meow though he has a VERY loud Meezer sqwauk...

On Saturday night I saw Timmy for the first time. We stared for a little while, taking each other in and then much hissing and spitting and growling ensued, started off by me - but we didn't go for each other, and we didn't display any attack-mode body language i.e. flattened ears, lowered body/tail, puffed-up furs.

On Sunday Meowmie left the doors open for short periods of time to encourage some wandering. Timmy is quite happy to stay in his room, he does wander very occasionally though. There was a little incident on Sunday evening - Timmy had wandered into the hallway and had his back to me, so I went up and sniffed Timmy's bum, Timmy spun around and we stared at each other briefly, and then we hissed and then I bapped him on the head, sending Timmy scurrying to his room.

Timmy has been very affectionate and loves to roll around on Meowmie's bed, however, he gets a bit nervy after a hissing session with me and has a little grumbly moan if the Meowmies try to pet him, so they leave him to calm down a little - he is slightly fractious at the moment.

So, in short, apart from hissing/growling when we see each other, I am kind of OK and not at all stressed out that another cat is hidden away in MY home, I have remained pretty relaxed - I am not at all frantic or 'on alert' despite there being another cat in the next room. Timmy on the other hand is nervous and not yet relaxed and I think finding everything a little daunting, he has been through a lot lately - Meowmie is going to keep us separated for a while longer, so Timmy can chill. I can understand he feels disorientated, but he needs to stop growling and hissing at me...and he needs to learn that the Meowmies can be trusted. He could fit in just fine if he follows those two very simple rules!

Meezer Monday

2008-09-08T17:28:00.007+01:00

Dedicated to my beloved sister, Stormie.

This morning Meowmie was reminded of one of Stormie's little habits. Stormie used to go to her spot in the kitchen where she could watch Meowmie walk past the kitchen window on her way out to work. Meowmie used to open a couple of the blind's slats so she could look in and see Stormie patiently watching her head off.

If you bigify this picture that Meowmie took from outside the window, you can just see Stormie looking up at the window...I am just in front of her, but I didn't really see Meowmie off that often, unlike Stormie...

I am sorry that we have been absent lately, we hope you are all well. It has been a bit hectic around here and Meowmie has been busy doing running, researching something called 'integration' and generally not helping me, which is pretty selfish really. She has also been feeling Stormie's absence a lot lately and so has been keeping herself busy.

I have also become aware of some noises coming from our bathroom, Meowmie seems to spend a lot of time in there lately...and sometimes she smells a bit funny just after she comes out...Hmmmm, maybe she is feeling unwell?

I am also VERY PROUD to be the recipient of an award from the beautiful and recently married Ariel - a special friend. I was given this award a long time ago and haven't been able to blog about it because of Meowmie's laziness. I would like to pass this on to all of you for being so supportive to us over the past few months, you lifted our spirits when we needed it. Thank you all, love Castle & The Meowmies xxx

Special Dare for Texas

2008-09-05T21:04:00.006+01:00

Texas' Dare

Before he left for the bridge, Texas came up with this Dare. He was too late in handing it in to be included with all the others for voting but as this is a very grave matter we decided to devote this weekend to just do this Dare as an honor for Texas. Here we go:

We, Texas and The Cat Realm, dare you all to do something to raise money for cancer research, especially for cats.

- donate
- volunteer somewhere
- put a link to a site on your blogs
- take the Petey challenge
- those of you with a big non-cat readership go spread the word with human bloggers
- or whatever else you can come up with to help.

Here are some reputable sites you could use
Winn Feline Foundation
The CSU Animal Cancer Center

Do a post about it and let us know where you donated, or volunteered, which link you put on your blog or what else you came up with to help.

Here is your button that you may display if you accept the challenge

WE DARE YOU!

Please, please do this for Texas, for Storm, for Rascal, for Petey and all the other furbabies who have suffered with this illness.

THANK YOU!!!
xxx

Thankful Thursday

2008-08-21T13:17:00.005+01:00

Oh I got such a cool award from Jan's Funny Farm! It is the Gold Card Award, and it is given to bloggers who "are always working to make things better for all cats and doggies". Well...thank you everyone over at The Farm! Despite being a Meezer, I do sometimes make the effort to think of others!

I now must give the award to 5 friends. Four of these friends must be dedicated followers of our blog. One should be a new blogger and live in a different part of the world. Each awardee must link back to whomever gave the award. That sounds easy enough, except it is really hard to just pick 5 friends but here we go.

I can't think of many new bloggers who live in a different country to me that are new to reading my blog - cos I am quite new myself. I guess my pal Texas would be the best match for this category, and he is very helpful in sharing knowledge bout his treatment for lymphoma, so he can have the award!

And for the 4 regular readers I am going to choose the following, but I wish I could choose many more:

Daisy
Parker
Mr Hendrix
Camie's Kitties

I am not sure this should be included in a Thankful Thursday, but I keep seeing my Meowmie looking at the following picture...apparently he is a contender for the position of "Castle's Friend (and subordinate)". He is a healthy 13.5 years old and possibly hard-of-hearing (to be confirmed), he has a scarred nose and a torn ear (not as handsome as me then). Sadly his Meowmie died and he needs a new Forever Home.

I have never met a male cat before so the Meowmies are going to go and suss him out and see if he is a good fit, then they have some long, hard thinking to do. We all still miss Storm terribly and need to reassure ourselves that we are not rushing into anything cos we still feel sad. There's no denying though that I am alone rather alot when they are at work though.

The Meowmies were only considering females for the position of "Castle's Friend (and subordinate)" cos they thought that would be best cos that's what I know, but they have since read that integrations are a tad easier between two males, so they are now considering both sexes for my friend...hmmm, we'll see...!

If you have any experience of integrations, please tell us about them in the comments bit!

Meezer Monday

2008-08-18T10:30:00.004+01:00

(Meezer Mondays - dedicated to Stormie)

Today I want to recall a story about Storm from when she was a kitten. Some of you may have noticed that Meowmie refers to Storm as 'Kormie' sometimes. Well, the reason for this is because one evening when we still lived at Meowmie J's, Meowmie L visited us all and the Meowmies had an Indian take-away and were watching a film. All of a sudden Stormie and I decided to have a mad half-hour and I chased Storm across the living room...Storm launched herself at Meowmie L's lap for safety, not realising that there was a plate of curry there until it was too late. Storm landed with a *SPLAT* in the middle of the plate and then tried to scrabble off the plate, sending curry all over Meowmie L's face and front. The Indian dish that Meowmie L was eating was a Chicken Korma...so Stormie became Korma-Stormer, 'Kormie' for short.

This is Kormie as a kitten, before her points spread across the whole of her face and her furs were all lovely and white:

Meowmie is definitely on the look-out for a friend for me...I heard her talking to a Siamese Rescue Welfare Officer last night, from what I could overhear there is a likely candidate at the rescue place, and once the vet-check has been carried out and he has the all clear, the Meowmies are going to go and check him out...I am not sure about this at all, this means I will have to SHARE things!!!

Siamese Cats Needing a Loving Home

2008-08-15T14:31:00.012+01:00

No, not me...I am OK where I am...despite the distinct lack of treats at the moment, blasted diet! Mind you, I did park myself right IN FRONT of Meowmie last night whilst she ate her dinner and I managed to get 3 mussells as a treat, which I demolished in seconds.

As mentioned yesterday, my Meowmie has been keeping her eyes open for a possible friend for me, during her search she came across a very sad advert from a Breeder - Sharue Siamese - who is in the awful position of having to give up her cats due to her ill-health. The breeder lady is devastated, she has been breeding Meezers for 40 years now and she really loves her cats - they are little furry family members, not business assets!

There are 4 girls and 3 boys that she needs to find homes for. The breeder is looking for Forever Homes where these gorgeous kitties will be much-loved pets, with access to a lap at all times (well, as much as possible). The cats are aged between 2 and 8 years old, vaccinated, wormed etc (they would have to obviously be neutered!) and are free to the right home. There are a couple of younger ones (about 3 months) which are for sale though.

If you feel that you can give a Siamese a loving Forever Home please visit the website and go to the contact page and give them a ring for further details.

Here are a selection of pictures from Sharue Siamese...

This is not me in this picture, those are Meezer boobs, not Meezer fat! Anyway, I think I have found my Face Twin though!

Brilliant!

2008-08-14T14:57:00.007+01:00

I've got an Award! It is from HRH Yao-Lin, my darling sister's Face Twin. For Yao-Lin to hand me this Brillante Weblog award, well, it is truly an honour. Yao-Lin has given it to me for the resolute way in which I have carried on, despite the loss of my sister.

Thank you Yao-Lin...I miss Stormie a lot and still call for her from time to time. The hardest part of the day is when Meowmie is at work and I am alone. I am not shy in showing my displeasure at being left alone, I yowl at them upon their return until I get cuddles and attention. My voice has changed since Stormie left too - much more Siamese-y and yowl-y. And I cuddle my meowmies differently as well...I like to tuck my head into the crook of their arms, like how I used to bury my head in the curl of Stormie's body when she was cuddling with me in the 'prawn' position. This is me, almost tucking my head into Stormie, I decided to gaze upon her beauty instead.

I would also like to point out that Meowmie will not be getting one of the kittens in the post below to keep me company. Although she loves Thomasina's kittens it is just not practical because Meowmie J is very allergic to 'regular' cats. Meowmie J can just about manage (with histamines) hypo-allergenic cats, like myself. However, should time pass and it becomes obvious I need a friend to spend my days with, the Meowmies are not ruling out finding me an older friend from one of the hypo-allergenic breeds...hmmm, not sure I would be too happy about that! I will never love another like how I love Stormie.

Anyways, I digress, I am going to pass the Brillante Weblog Award along to Moki, Isis and The St. Louis Meezers!

Wordy Wednesday

2008-08-13T09:30:00.004+01:00

Here are the latest pictures of darling little Thomasina's kittens which my meowmies visited at the weekend, when the kits were 5 days old, their eyes were still glued shut with gunk but, yesterday, when they reached 8 days old, their eyes opened!

The little ginger one (Tigger) is the most active and adventurous one, not long after opening his/her eyes he started to try and whap his mother's tail, but being a clumsy little kitten whose feet seem too heavy for him/her to lift up properly, he/she didn't quite manage a whap, he/she appears to be waving slowly at his/her Mum's tail as opposed to whapping it!

Piglet the little black tabby, has a voracious appetite and just eats and sleeps and eats and sleeps, constantly suckling from his/her mum. Mum cat seemed most attached to this one - when we picked up the kittens to look at them Mum just remained laid back and watchful, but when we picked up Piglet, she got up out of the nest and had a concerned look on her face. Pooh also has 7 toes on one foot - one is a dewclaw which looks like it might fall off, it is tiny and only attached to the foot by the tiniest slither of skin - EW!!! Piglet has HUGE feet compared to the other two.

Pooh, the little grey tabby, is similar to Piglet in that he/she eats and eats and eats. Pooh gets the hiccups afterwards too and the force of the hiccup shakes his/her whole body, it is quite alarming to see a kitten with hiccups! Pooh is also a wriggler and is constantly on the move all over and around his mum.

The Needs MeMe

2008-08-12T00:01:00.000+01:00

I spotted this MeMe over at The Cat Realm and I liked the look of it so am going to play along!

The rules: All you have to do is Google your first name with the word "needs" behind it and post the results. Don't forget to tag (if you are the tagging sort)!

So, I Google'd "Castle needs" and got the following:

Castle needs Permission
No...no I don't! I am a Meezer

Castle needs a New King
Hmmm....we don't have Kings in this household

Castle needs a princess

I already have my good friend "Princess" so I don't need another one.

Castle needs one
....one what? one chicken? yup!

Castle needs to earn it's keep
Ur...I don't think so. May I remind you, yet again, that I am a Meezer. And don;t call me 'It'!

Castle needs 6ft clear at the rear and 4 foot at the sides.
Are you trying to suggest that i am FAT?

Castle needs major expenditure.
Oh yes, I am Meezer, only the best will do.

Castle Needs our special attention.
Gosh...this is another one where is just answer "Of course, I am Meezer!"

Castle needs artefacts
Only if they are made from chicken or turkey

Castle needs saving

Yes! Save me from this starvation diet that I am on! Feed me! Help me!

Castle needs dwarf and troll battle packs.
Nope...can't say I have a particular need for those items...

...and to finish today's post I think I will post a picture of me, because I know that you all need to see The Most Handsome Siamese Cat In The World doing an upside down yawn!

Beautiful Violette Noelle

2008-08-11T21:28:00.003+01:00

For Monty Q and Family...our thoughts are with you all x

Kittens!

2008-08-08T17:22:00.004+01:00

Just wanted to share the news that a very special kitty that we know has just given birth to 3 beautiful little kittens. Mother and babies are doing well...the kittens were born on Monday morning, so they are only 5 days old!

My Meowmie is going to visit the mother and babies tomorrow, I am not entirely happy about this. I don't understand why she needs to visit OTHER cats when she has me to shower with love and affection! It's funny how she finds time for kittens, but won't find the time to help me visit my blog friends!

I think I will buy her this toy for her next Birthday present...not sure I can wait until November though, I have a point to make and I need to make it NOW!

Have a good weekend everybody x

Two MeMeez!

2008-08-05T22:38:00.002+01:00

Unspectacular Quirks MeMe

Firstly the lovely Texas tagged me for the Unspectacular Quirks MeMe...The rules: Link to the one who tagged you. List the rules on your blog. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours. Tag some blogger friends with links. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they’ve been tagged...Ok, my Unspectacular Quirks are as follows:

1. I have never scratched or bitten my Meowmies (or anyone else)

2. Since Storm passed away I now sleep under the duvet next to Meowmie

3. I fetch like a doggie

4. I really do talk back at you, I can chat for ages and ages and ages...

5. I run to the front door every time someone puts something through the letterbox

6. I will not eat treats from the humans hands, they have to place it on the floor for me.

Here is a video of me fetching my toy - this is a bad quality video yet again because the Human used her phone to record me! Hey, Human...phones are for phone calls...cameras are for filming!

The Name MeMe

Secondly, my lovely friend Tigmut'hep tagged me for the Name MeMe, so here are my answers to that one:

What is your name?
My pedigree name is Adquaam Blue Moon, my everyday name is Castle, I also answer to Castle-Pants, Castle-O and *blushes* Mummy's Boy

If you could change your name, what would it be?
Castle, The Most Handsome Siamese Cat in The World (hmmmm...maybe I will try to rig Google like Stormie did so I appear in the first page of results for 'The Most Handsome Siamese Cat In The World').

What is your pet's name?
Meowmie L and Meowmie J

If you could change your pet's name, what would it be?
Meowmie L would be "I worship Castle" and Meowmie J would be "I worship Castle 2"

What is your brother or sister's name?
Stormie...she was my true sister. I also had a brother called Dubbs, he was a rabbit so not my blood brother! He was my NOMS Brother.

If you could change their name, what would it be?
I wouldn't...they were purrfect.

Now I have to tag as many people (or critters) as the letters in my new name! I tag the following for BOTH of the above MeMe's!

I am going to force the Human to help me visit everyone in the coming days...she hasn't been helping me and I have no idea how you all are! She does check the Cat Blogosphere to make sure she isn't totally ignorant!

Happy NOMS DAY! I dedicate today to Dubbs, my Rabbit Brother (r.i.p.)

Meezer Monday

2008-08-04T00:01:00.002+01:00

(dedicated to my sister Stormie who is now at The Bridge).

As some of you may know, Stormie very much liked to watch nature programmes, she particularly enjoyed wildlife documentaries, one of her favourites being David Attenborough's Greatest Wildlife Moments. The Meowmies put this DVD on the TV for her, along with March Of The Penguins, on the morning that Ben Vet came to our home to help her to The Bridge. Stormie seemed to enjoy having the films played because when Ben Vet arrived at our flat he even commented that Stormie seemed to be engrossed by the movies...on this particular occasion though she didn't have the strength in her to sit right in front of the TV like she does in the following clip, she watched from her cushion on the sofa.

In the clip below, filmed over a year ago, Stormie was watching a programme about climate change, but because it had polar bears in it, and other wildlife, she was mesmerised! I make an appearance towards the end...only to make sure I got some attention too, I have no interest in TV programmes at all. (Sorry 'bout the orientation, Meowmie used her crappy phone to film it with! and we don't have the right software to turn the film around).

Happy Meezer Monday!
xxx

Hot Meezer Monday

2008-07-28T21:17:00.008+01:00

(Meezer Mondays - dedicated to my much missed sister, Stormie)

Well...what better way to remember Stormie than BEING DRAGGED to the Vet Place today for a 'check-up'! A check-up if you please! Not even a valid reason to take me, no injections, nothing wrong with me...just a silly check up!!! I protested SO loudly when Meowmie took me from our home, I screamed like a human baby in great pain...but Meowmie STILL took me to the Vet Place! I tried my best to embarrass her but all she said was "Oh Castle, you are such a big baby, not like your brave sister at all!" So I buried my head into my blanket and howled all the way until Ben Vet took me into his consulting room....for my 'check up'. Ben Vet was very sweet (as usual) and was pleased to see us all, and hoped that we were doing OK.

Meowmie hasn't mentioned it before but I have three lumps around my rear left leg - one of them I have had for years, but the other two are recent discoveries. Understandably, because of Storm's recent illness, the Meowmies were worried. Thankfully though Ben Vet said he was 99% sure they were just fatty cysts. PHEW! My diet is working too...I have also lost some weight - I weighed 6.5kg (14.4lbs) in April and now I weigh 5.84kg (12.8 lbs), so my diet is going very well! Ben Vet was very pleased!

IMPAWTANT: Ben Vet has some very important exams to pass in August so please send him purrs and wish him the best for his tests! He has asked the Meowmies to go out and celebrate with him when he gets his results...Good luck Ben Vet!

Today has been incredibly hot in the YooKay..Meowmie went out this afternoon and has come back and is bright red!! Here are some pictures of me and Stormie on a very hot day in May last year...we were out for the count in the coolest room in the house! Meowmie was very worried how Storm would cope with the heat as at the time she was doing her chemotherapy protocol. Stormie was fine though...she coped with heat no problem!

Happy Meezer Monday!

Easy Like Sunday....

2008-07-27T10:09:00.004+01:00

Apologies for not being around much in the past few days...Meowmie has been very busy! She still found time to disturb me with the noisy camera phone when I was fast asleep though!

Having a lovely deep sleep....ZZZzzzzz....

Disturbed by noisy camera-phone!

Have a lovely Sunday!
xxx

Talkative Tuesday

2008-07-22T10:10:00.002+01:00

I love chatting, I can have very long conversations with my Meowmie, even if it is one-sided and I am the only one talking and she is in a seperate room, not really listening.

Sabrina, Sam & Simon mentioned yesterday that they would like to hear my voice...well...here you go! This is my slightly sleepy, 'just woke up from sunbathing' voice.

Meezer Monday & Gifts!

2008-07-21T00:01:00.003+01:00

(Meezer Mondays, dedicated to Stormie)

Today I would like to share a video with you of Stormie...it's not the greatest quality and the orientation is sideways cos Meowmie took it with her camera phone. This little movie shows Stormie in her brown paper Muji bag - she LOVED to sit in her bag watching the world go by. Storm wasn't a big meowy/howl-y chatter like me, she was ladylike and would make delicate throaty, purr-y 'prumpy' noises instead - just like these ones in the video. We miss her little voice, but thankfully we have little movies to reminisce over, no matter how poor the quality:

I also want to tell you about some beautiful gifts that we have received in the past few weeks from our friends. Miss Peach and her family sent my Meowmies two absolutely beautiful handmade bracelets in memory of Stormie....Karla, Miss Peach's Meowmie, explained that the colours used in the bracelets reflect Stormie's colourings...browns for her furs and the blue for her eyes. The card and envelope that came with the gifts are handmade too and have the striking prints on them! They are truly unique!

Another very thoughtful gift that we received was from ML, Missy & KC. They sent us a book called Cat Heaven by Cynthia Rylant. It is a beautiful story and the illustrations are so wonderful, my Meowmies found great comfort in reading this, it is such a touching little tale...

Thank you so much dear friends for these lovely gifts, they cheered my Meowmies up and they are very touched by your kind and generous actions. Now...please could you all wish ML and Auntie Deb well as they are both feeling poorly at the moment...please go to their bloggies and send them love and kind thoughts.

Happy Meezer Monday
xxx

Wordy 'n' Wise Wednesday

2008-07-16T15:56:00.004+01:00

I got another award! I was going to join in with Wordless Wednesday but it is just not possible when i have so much to shout about! My good friend, the beautiful Sweet Ariel gave me the Cool Cat Award!!! It's pink too - the colour that makes me think of Stormie in her pink neckerchief!

I think I can only pass this on to one cat...so I am going to pass this on to Skeezy cos he has been on the case for me with a question I asked on the Cat Blog Help Centre. You see, we wanted to know how to back up a Blogger blog...specifically Stormie's blog cos we would be devastated if it just disappeared or something. We couldn't find the answer anywhere, so we turned to Skeezy for help...and he came up with the answer! If you have a Blogger blog, this is how you back it up, instructions HERE.

We did a test run on my blog and it backed up all the posts and the comments - but not the pictures. It also seperated the comments from the actual posts they were related to i.e. you get all your posts first, then all the comments follow so it's kind of hard working out which comments belong to which post. I have emailed Blogger people and asked them if this 'normal' or whether it was my Meowmie doing something wrong...wither way, this back up facility is great and keeps your written word safe! THANK YOU Skeezy for finding this out for us!

Fridge MeMe

2008-07-15T11:37:00.005+01:00

The very handsome Meezer, and Stormie's only ever Man Cat date, Yao-Lin, has tagged me for a MeMe! The talented, lovely, limerick lady Karen Jo also tagged me for this MeMe too!

It's a fun and simple MEME for the hot summer. Show us a photo of the front of your Cold Box and tell us about at least one thing on it and one thing you keep inside of it! Tag your friends and remember to stay COOL!

So here is MY fridge. Meowmie puts a couple of things on the side of the fridge, not on the front, because as you walk into the kitchen you see the side first of all - so it needs decorating more than the front. She also strategically places a cinnamon & mandarin scented candle on the fridge because my litter-box is not so far away from this spot... last night Meowmie had some mussels in garlic and white wine in the Fridge Box, which we then shared. I had never had mussels before and I thoroughly enjoyed them! I saw some crabsticks and crayfish tails in there too, obviously these must be for me, I may allow Meowmie to have one of each, if she behaves. If not, then she can have the ham that is about to go out of date.

Currently there is a picture of Stormie on there, along with a fridge magnet which displays the family name (coincidentally Yao-Lin has the exact same fridge magnet, apart from the family name bit!). There is also a picture of a beautiful property for sale in Devon, it is a dream home for us - it consists of two 1 bedroom cottages, set out in beautiful grounds, in a fairty-tale setting. This would be the perfect home for me and my Meowmies. Meowmie J could live in one cottage, and me and Meowmie L could live in the other - this would allow Meowmie J to be close to me, but without having to actually live with me and suffer from the allergies that I cause. The only downside being that these cottages are a bit too far to commute to London for the Meowmies, I think 5 hours each way might be a bit too much for me to expect of them in their daily pursuit of Salmon Tokens at the place they call 'work'.

The Dream Home
Rose's Cottages

I think most people have done this MeMe now..but I would like to tag:

Meezer Monday

2008-07-14T10:07:00.004+01:00

(Meezer Mondays...dedicated to my much missed sister, Stormie).

This week I am going to share a video of Stormie eating her dinner. Stormie had a very particular way of eating her dry foods - instead of eating with her face in the bowl she would pick out a morsel or two at a time with her paw and then eat them off the floor. She would not pick any further morsels out until she had cleared up the ones she had already picked from the bowl.

My Meowmie has a theory as to why she ate like this...she thinks that Stormie was FORCED to adapt her way of eating because of MY gluttony! You see, Stormie and I always shared a food bowl from the day we were born and Meowmie reckons that Storm couldn't get her head into the bowl because I wouldn't let her, so she was forced to slide her paw in under my face and pull out her share of the food!!!

I am also very PROUD to announce that I came second in Texas's Funny Picture Friday contest! Simon from The St. Louis Meezers won the competition with a hilarious photo of him doing some sort of strange Meezer
dance. I may have come second but at least the competition was won by a Meezer!

Happy Meezer Monday everyone x

Too Sad...

2008-07-12T19:13:00.003+01:00

...and now we must bid beautiful fluffy Forest farewell after she escaped from her home, she was an indoors cat and sadly she got hit by a car. Bye bye little Forest, we will miss you xxx

Goodbye Mu Shue

2008-07-09T22:33:00.005+01:00

Sad news...Mu Shue is going to The Bridge...he has not been well since he rescued Lilly & Iris from the fire...and he recently started chemo for small-cell lymphoma is his intestine too. Mu Shue is a tough and brave cat, but now it is his time to move onwards...safe journey Mu Shue...you'll be missed...xxx

Meezer Monday

2008-07-07T11:01:00.002+01:00

When I manage to post on Meezer Monday's they are going to be about my much missed sister, Stormie. Today's post is about a wonderful thing that someone did for Stormie and us.

The Meowmies have been members of Meezer.com for about 10 years now and they have always had a friendship with one particular lady on there who has been around since pretty much the first day my Meowmies have been posting on the message board. Her name is Jeanie and she is such a kind and generous soul. Even though they have 'known' each other for about 10 years, the Meowmies have never met Jeanie because she lives on the other side of the world in Australia. About 5 or 6 weeks before Storm passed away Jeanie wrote an email to my Meowmie saying the following:

"I have a little cat statue that I bought at the Oxfam shop. It's a dear little thing, made of sandstone I think. Anyway, I painted a little X on it's nose and it has a tealight candle next to it which I light daily. It sits on my special table in the lap of my Balinese Buddha statue with it's lotus water fountain. I think of Storm daily and remember to send healing thoughts to her (and you) each time I pass by."

STORM'S TABLE

THE STATUE WITH THE PAINTED 'X' ON IT'S NOSE

STORMIE AND THE 'X' ON HER NOSE

We were so touched by this act of kindness, so unexpected and so thoughtful and caring. Jeanie continued to light candles throughout Storm's final battle, sending us positive thoughts and energies at a very difficult time for us all. So, we want to thank Jeanie for creating this lovely little oasis of candle-light and positive energy in her home, for us. It was a very special thing to do.

Awards on Sleepy Sunday!

2008-07-06T20:51:00.006+01:00

I am lucky enough to have been given TWO more awards! Wow! I am so new to all of this too. My first award is from Storm's good friend, and now my friend, Parker! Thanks Parker! The award is the Sweet Home Blogger Award and Parker gave it to me because she likes my new blog home. I am going to pass this on to The Furry Kids and Sabrina, Sam & Simon.

My next award is the 'Arte y Pico' Award and it was given to my sister's Face Twin, the very handsome HRH Yao-Lin because I am 'practically family'. Cheers Yao-Lin - I am truly honoured! Here is some info about the award:

“The ‘Arte y Pico’ award was created to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creative energy and their talents, whether it be writing, artwork in all media. When you receive this award it is considered a ’special honor’. Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to at least 5 others.”

I am going to pass this on to the adorable Miss Peach who always make her blog look so pretty! We are also going to pass this on to Adan, because of all the lovely photos on his blog. Princess's blog is always so happy and colourful so I am going to pass it on to her as well. Then I think Alexi deserves this award too as her blog is so pictoral and I also want to put a little smile on her face as she lost her sibling recently too...and finally I will give this to my friend Black Cat cos she makes us laugh and her blog is very entertaining.

Meezer Rule Wednesday

2008-07-02T12:18:00.001+01:00

My first ever Meezer Rule Wednesday is...if you have a poorly sibling, don't eat all their food when they turn their nose up at it, otherwise you will get VERY fat and then suffer the consequences, which will invariably include having to go on a diet and being starved of treats and tasty foods.

I am afraid I ignored this rule, ate the food Stormie didn't want (which, as you know, was pretty much a complete bowl of food every meal time) and piled on the pounds, reaching a rather obese 6.6kgs / 14.5lbs - which is dreadful, I should be a sleek, elegant Meezer, not a wobble-belly, bubble-gut Meezer! The following picture is of fat me next to Stormie, it is not a picture of a cat and a kitten...*shame*...

I am now on a diet...50gms of Hills Senior dry food a day...that is just beyond a diet, that can only be described as STARVATION RATIONS!!! The Meowmies said that it looks like I am losing weight, they can see the shape of my leg again! Meowmie L said she will be happy when my shoulders are the widest part of my body again! OHMYGOODNESS - I am going to be starved like a wannabe model! I shall be going to see Ben Vet in the next week or so for a check-up, and to see how my weight-watching is going.

I am quite proud to announce that Stormie has been given an award posthumously from Eric and Flynn. Just before she passed away Stormie popped by their blog when Eric was poorly, to give Eric some purrs to get better...apparently this made Eric's day and they have given her the You Made My Day Award, it is displayed on her bloggie, on the right hand-side with her other awards. Thank you Eric and Flynn..Stormie would be so proud and grateful.

Hold on...I too have been given this award! My friends at the Ballicus Blog have presented this to me to welcome me to blogging! Wow, my first award! Thank you DoryDoo, Brainball, Marilyn and Chairman Mao - you make our day too.

I believe that we now need to pass this award on...I think that Storm would have passed this award on to every single cat, creature and human that came by to wish her well on her final journey, and I would like to pass this on to all who have since visited us to make sure me and my meowmies are OK..so we pass this on to all of you! You really did Make Our Day when we felt sad and down.

A Letter To My Sister

2008-06-30T13:05:00.003+01:00

Dear Stormie

It's been just over two weeks since we last saw you...on the one paw it seems just like yesterday when we were cuddling up on the sofa together, but on the other paw it feels like a lifetime since I last washed your ears and made sure you looked pretty for Ben Vet's visit.

I call for you every day, numerous times, but you don't come to me. The last time I saw you, you were very still, I checked to see if you were OK, I put my nose in your ear but you did not move your head, or twitch you ear; I washed your legs and bottom and neck but you did not raise your head towards me; you did not close your eyes with contentedness as I carefully groomed you; I laid next to you, watching over you but you did not tuck your head into my body like usual. I think these things might have something to do with why you are not coming to me when I call for you now.

The Meowmies try their best to comfort me; they make sure I am not left alone for too long at a time; Meowmie J comes to the house much more and is taking anti-histamines again to help with her allergies - but, as before, this is not sustainable as these tablets are not good long-term solutions. Meowmie J should be OK with these for a little while though - hopefully until I feel more accepting about your absence Stormie and can be alone for greater periods of time.

The Meowmies have been treating me well - I have a new shoelace to play with, and they also bought me a nice soft, fluffy pad from IKEA for our Flecta-Bed, which feels too big without you. I am also on a diet because I ate too much of your food when I shouldn't have done - I even have a nice set of bingo-wings as evidence of my gluttony Stormie. I know I didn't steal from you cos you didn't want the food anyway as your appetite had disappeared, so technically I was just clearing up for Meowmie. Look at my bingo-wings Storm!

At night I cuddle up with Meowmie L pretty much as we always have done - at first, just after you went away, I slept on our square fleece pad - the one that you were very still and quiet on that last time I saw you - but now I am happy to sleep on Meowmie's legs or I crawl under the duvet and Meowmie L cradles me in her arm. I miss cuddling you though Stormie...we were always so close and always cuddling each other and I always chose to sleep curled up with you every night when you were here. Humans can appreciate how wonderful it is to curl up with a cat too so no wonder I always chose your soft fur instead of bare human flesh!

Life is different without you Stormie, you are greatly missed. The Meowmies are very sad that you are gone, they cry sometimes but they said something about your illness having gone away, that you are now in a special place and that you would always live in their hearts. Well, I suppose that if you are in a special place and living in their hearts that is why you don't come anymore when I call for you...I am sure that if you could come back though, you would.

I know that you liked to blog Stormie, and that you met some wonderful cats and Humans in the process, so in your honour I am going to take up the mantle and do my own blog and hopefully your friends will become mine. I thought it best to leave your blog as it is - it is your beautiful story Stormie, there is nothing else to add. In your memory though, whenever I blog on Meezer Monday it will be about you...you will never be forgotten by us dear Stormie...

Until next time my beautiful sister...

Love,
Castle xxx