My cat’s most favorite feline friend in the whole, wide, world, is back in town! And still filching my ‘nip:

My cat is still somewhat ambivalent, she didn’t growl or fluff her tail when she saw him but she wasn’t super affectionate either. Time will tell, but BUTCH remembered me AND my ‘nip! I do think he remembers her too because he was outside the window singing her a “love song” earlier. He’s still a falsetto heheee.

I did see a moving van in front of BUTCH’s old house a week or so ago, and I thought they were moving out but I guess it was someone moving IN (I’d heard that BUTCH belonged to the daughter, and she’d taken him with her when she went off to college a few years ago, but I guess she’s back now and brought sweet little BUTCH with her.)

We’ll see if BUTCH walks my kitty home like he used to, and protects her from the big bad bully cats that have been harassing her lately. He’s so chivalrous it’s adorable.

I am a cat magnet, and being a cat magnet, I have a bad habit of being unable to resist petting a cat if I see one, so my normal routine when walking around a neighborhood is to say “here kitty, kitty” to any cat I see, and some of them are friendly and will come up for a sniff or a pet, but today my karma got the better of me and I was the one being molested … by the cat. A small tabby-ish cat took me up on the free scratchies and then wouldn’t leave me alone, not only did it follow me (it happens sometimes) but this cat literally wouldn’t let me get away, it was biting on my pant leg, hopping up my leg like a dog will do when its owner comes home, rubbing against me, going in and out between my feet, rubbing my shoes, and I couldn’t even walk without doing the “shuffle” for fear of stepping on it. I dunno if the cat is just super friendly, as in mental, or a very lonely stray or what, but man, I have never seen anything like it before. I’m sure it would have followed me all the way home if I’d let it; as it was it followed me for about a half block (me shuffling along as the cat molested me, musta been a hilarious sight; I noticed the dog walkers all crossed to the other side of the street lest they be molested too.) The only way I could finally get away was to toss a twig into some bushes and the cat’s instincts kicked in and it chased after the stick, giving me just enough time to jog ahead just far enough so it couldn’t catch me and it finally gave up about a block later, meowing “come back, come back, I need you!” the whole the time. I feel kind of bad, because I abandoned it, but I’m sure my own cat would have a fit if I brought home a cat that’s cuter and friendlier than she is. I fear going to that part of town now, lest I get molested again. And no, I didn’t bring the catnip with me this time.

The city recently sneakily passed a law where all cats must be licensed, but apparently it’s not a well-known law, because I didn’t know about it until my mom told me she read something in the paper about it (who reads newspapers anymore?) Fortunately, until the beginning of the year, the licenses are free, but you still gotta pay for a rabies shot which in my cat’s case cost about $100 since she was due for other shots as well and I figured since she was there, might as well get them all, right? Then I had to go stand in line at the Animal Control (actually I could have just mailed in the form, but since licenses are only good as long as the vaccination, I figured I might as well get it taken care of the same day.) They really need to put a “license only” window at the pound because it was really busy with people bringing strays and various mangy mutts and whatnot in, as well as quite a few people getting licenses for their pets or paying fines, etc. Anyway, I ended up waiting about 1/2 an hour, but the good part is I got a free packet of cat treats for my trouble. And my cat is now the proud owner of a shiny new CAT LICENSE TAG which she will no doubt promptly lose and I’ll have to pay a $10 replacement fee (or get her microchipped, which I’m sure will cost more. ) Bother. (And BTW, it’s ALL cats not just those that go outdoors who have to have the license. And I also found out all cats must be “fixed” as well, there are no cat breeders allowed in the city, “professional” or otherwise. Interesting. ::evil grin::)

I’m really late with commentary on this, but awhile back there was a story on the news about a “notorious” cat-tagger that had finally been arrested. When I first heard the story it made me smile to think there’s someone out there painting cats on freeways. Then I wondered why the hell is a guy who paints cats on freeway overpasses considered “notorious” in the first place? I mean uhm … cats are awesome. Anyone who likes to paint cats must also be awesome. Right? Well, apparently not according to the LAPD because they apparently care more about cat-tagging than “real” crime. In my opinion, his work is not “tagging” but then I don’t know for sure if the guy is a gang member marking his turf or not, but even if it is tagging, it’s a lot better than the usual tags you see around the ‘hood. I remember as a small kitty, erm sorry, kiddie, there was another “cat-tagger” who graced the flood control channels with painted pussies. I remember being intrigued by them as a kid and thinking how cool it was that someone turned the ugly-ass storm drain covers into smiling cat faces. I also seem to recall there was a bit of an outrage back then too that this person must be stopped, as he was just encouraging more graffiti along the flood channels (and yes, it did get somewhat out of control at one point.) But this brings up the question that was drilled into my head in art school: What is art? Some of the graffiti I’ve seen around the city is, in my opinion as an art-degree possessing person, most definitely art. Some of it is just crap. In my opinion a lot of “art” in galleries and museums is also crap. But where do we draw the line? Who decides? If someone were to pay a million dollars to buy a brick wall with gang tags all over it, would that make it art? Is it only art if it expresses some esoteric idea the person is trying to convey? In art school, one of the generally accepted criteria of art is that it causes an emotional response in the viewer. If a freeway cat-tag makes you smile, is it art? If it causes outrage is it art? I think so.

Disclaimer: I am not implying by my use of the phrase “cat tagger” in reference to Leo Limón, that he was a tagger or gang member, I just used it to show the idiocy of using meaningless labels (ie tags) to categorize someone’s art.

AP Photo/The White House, Pete Souza

But hey at least it has the rainbow. Just stick a horn on it, clone it and give one to every American with a free coupon for “toxic asset” Kool-Aid. Yeah.

I’m disappointed he didn’t go with a shelter dog, but then again I kinda didn’t expect him to. But at least his dog was a “return” or at least that’s what the White House claims. But the real problem here is that by not adopting a “real” rescue dog, it’s very likely Obama’s sheep-like followers will want one just like him, and well, I’d be willing to bet there just aren’t enough “reject” Portuguese Water Dogs to go around, so of course people will go to breeders to get one rather than finding a suitable pet at a local shelter. And that is the truly tragic part of this doggy tail. Shelters already have a greater number of pets than “normal” because of people losing/selling/abandoning homes they can no longer afford due to various economic issues (and just plain bad choices.) But I for one won’t quibble about the definition of “rescue” pet as being only one that comes from a shelter or rescue group, cuz my own little fuzzmuffin didn’t come from a shelter or a rescue group either, she was technically abandoned (in a box) but she most definitely fits the definition of being rescued.

I am glad though that at least the former owner returned the Obama dog to the breeder rather than dumping it on the street or something. In any case, the little guy will get a second chance, and maybe, just maybe, it’ll convince its owners that it needs a little doggy playmate … from a shelter.

Today I went to the Nature Center because it was a nice gloomy day and I like to walk when it’s dreary (I hate walking in the sun, which is why I look somewhat like a vampire complexion-wise.) And since I was nearby I stopped by the shelter next door (truth be told, the real reason I usually go to the Nature Center is because it’s an excuse to pop in and pet some pussies at the cat house at the shelter.)

Anyway, one thing I noticed is that first there were more animals there (some in the 3rd dog house, which I’d only rarely seen before) which means people are giving up their pets because the economy is bad or they’ve lost their homes or something. And secondly, what is up with all the chihuahuas? Usually it’s mostly pit bull types but this time I swear half the dogs in there were little chi-chis. I’m not really in the market for a dog due to my living situation but I like to stop and say hello to the little guys while I’m there.

This little guy wanted to play with someone SO badly, he kept going inside and outside hoping someone would toss the football to him.

This guy was Charlie, and he was my favorite, he was a bit shy and had a cute little topknot on his head. He’s a cockapoo (or at least part.) I woulda snatched him up if I could have a dog.

They also had quite a few cats, I didn’t take many pictures because the ones in the display cases are behind glass and the flash from the camera just ruins the picture, and the ones in the cat houses are usually way up high or hiding so you can’t really take their pictures.

But one cat was in a cage by herself and she was so beautiful, white with tabby markings on her head. Me want. If my cat Kaia wasn’t such a jealous Goddess and so feisty I’d adopt this one, but I know Kaia wouldn’t like if I brought home another cat, and I don’t want to torment either kitty (or myself hehe.) I hope she finds a home, she seemed very docile.

I took a few more pictures too which I uploaded to my Flickr page. If you want to give a homeless pet a “forever home” stop by your local animal shelter and find a fuzzball to take home with you.

I woke up this morning and my cat was acting all wacky looking out the window, so I peeped out and what did I see?

Babies! Nine fluffy little “grandchildren” hehe. I guess that female duck who’d been visiting, who I thought had dumped that male duck she was with, apparently didn’t? Maybe he was just at home sitting on the eggs while she was out on the town? I dunno where he is NOW though hmmm …. Anyway it was a nice surprise to wake up to, and my cat was thrilled, but when I let her out to watch them she cowered in the bushes, afeared of their fluffy l33tN3zZ.

No, not that one and not this one either. It’s duck season!

Pretty much every year, the ducks come back to take a little dunky in my swimming pool. This is how I know it’s really, truly Spring. I don’t remember them coming last year, but you gotta time it just right, and today I noticed my cat was looking particularly engaged while looking out the window, so I peeped at what she was peeping at. It was them! Only I didn’t get a picture, cuz as soon as they saw me, they flew away, so I think they must be new ducks. They sorta vary year by year, long time ago there was a male and a female, who recognized me after awhile and I’d have a little duck talking session with them and they’d tell me all their adventures. Then one year, there were three ducks, a female and two males (go girl!) I think the other male was her son though (hmmm …) but then one year the female no longer showed up, and it was two males (hmm … ) then it was only a male, but now it’s a male and a female again. So I guess the son finally got hitched. We’ll see if some youngsters show up soon.

I was reading the Lively Licks blog today and it had a linky dink to Martha Stewart’s blog (don’t laugh hehe) where she wrote about the death of one of her doggies. It’s very sad, but touching. You should go read it.

It reminded me of when my first “real” pet, my cat S. C. died and I wrapped her up in her blanky with her favorite food bowl and her pet tag, and buried her under her “napping tree” in my mom’s yard, then placed a little home-made plaque over her grave. Years later, my mom removed the tree from her yard, and the workers found the dish and the tag, and my mom gave them to me, and I still have them, along with a little plastic baggie with some of her fur that I’d clipped off before I put her to rest. Yes, I was a sentimental fool even way back then. And the memorial plaque is still in my mom’s garden, although you can’t really read it anymore. So I guess she’s a bit of a sentimental fool too.

Mmmmm … kitteh.

Moar LOLs

U votez me 5 burgrs plz? Kthxbai.