Being Cautious
Mood:  quizzical
Myst and I are being very cautious with each other. We do not pounce or wrestle. Instead we sniff noses and I trill at him sometimes to entice him to play. (I would like to wrestle, but I hate making any other cat angry with me so I am taking this slowly. I want Myst to become my best friend.) The parents are slowly getting Dandelion to accept Myst, too. Dandelion still wants to drive him away, but the parents hold and pet him when Myst walks into the room.

The parents thought I was a small cat (although I look bigger with my fluffy winter coat). Then Myst came along -- he's a mini Persian. He is 1 & 1/2 years old and full-grown which is almost too hard to believe. I am glad that I'm not the smallest cat around here anymore.
Muddy

Christmas Card
Mood:  amorous
We are getting Christmas cards! This card had the name of a girl cat in it. I have seen pictures of Schmidt -- she's good-looking! I figure this car is mine so I am keeping it with me.
Muddy

Playmates
Mood:  happy
Myst is great to be with. I am no longer bored around here. He fascinates me and I follow him all over the place. The parents have remarked about how quiet I've been lately, no longer nagging them for attention as much. Instead I nag Myst to play with me. I am gradually getting my way. This morning, we ran up and down the hall together.

Myst likes to be brushed. Even more, he likes to grab and chew on the brush.
Muddy

Our New Cat is Myst!
Mood:  celebratory
Our new cat is Myst!! I know him since he has come to visit us every once in a while. The young girl and her husband own two cats, but her husband is allergic to them so they are going to keep the short-haired cat and let us have Myst back.

Also, Myst needs to eat special food because his stomach is so sensitive -- so does Dandelion. I can eat any food - I am pretty tough. Myst does best with a human at home during the day who can clean up and give him medicine when he needs it.

As for me, I am thrilled!!! I love Myst. After only 3 hours of snarling and hissing, we became friends again. I follow him all over the house. Last night, I was trilling to him, trying to entice him into playing with me. Myst is not quite ready to play with me, yet, but he lets me follow him around.

Dandelion is another problem. Dandelion does not want another cat in the house. It will be a long time before Dandelion accepts Myst.
Muddy

Sleep is an Art
Mood:  cool
Cats know the art of sleep. A lion can sleep 22 hours a day. A housecat can sleep about 16 hours a day. (I suppose, having humans for pets makes us work harder so we stay awake more often.)

Exciting news! I am getting a permanent playmate this afternoon. The mother is bringing home a new cat, about 1 & 1/2 years old who has special needs and would do best with someone who is home all day to watch him. I can't wait! Yay! It's been so boring around here since the flood cleared up.
Muddy

The Bed is Too Short
Mood:  not sure
Here I am enjoying the art of relaxation. This bed is too short, though. They need to make it longer so I can keep my tail up on top, too.
Muddy

Watching the Humans
Mood:  a-ok
Cats know how to relax. Humans could learn a few things from us.

I enjoy watching my humans rush around, though. The other night they were getting "dressed" for a party. I don't know why humans want to change their fur every time they wake up, go to sleep and leave for parties, but they do. I made sure I was sitting in the best spot, right in the middle of the doorway, so everyone would have to step over me as they got "ready." (A cat is ALWAYS ready for anything.)

I was mildly amused by my pet humans as they walked here and there, all over the house gathering things like purses, coats, cookies, camera, etc., for the party.

As for me, laying down my head, stretching out my paws and going to sleep is much better.
Muddy

Hidden Treasures
Mood:  bright
Things are getting back to normal around here. I love jumping in boxes, but also there are empty sacks around this place. The parents use them as trashcans which means lots of toys inside!! I love dental floss, especially and I will tip over the sack and root around until I can find some to carry off. They have been finding it around the floor in various rooms. The best thing is that they keep placing more in the sacks every day. I know it must be just for my pleasure and when I hear, "No, Muddy, No!" I think it means, "No, don't stop, Muddy. Keep going!"
Muddy

No Flooding Here -- Yay!
Mood:  happy
Yay! Our home did not flood. My thanks go to Ms. Tina's Class and everyone who wrote. The creek got high even though it did not spill over its banks.

Dandelion and I had quite an adventure. We were placed into cat carriers and taken to a two-story apartment. I was scared of the new place. I hid in a closet. The mother says that she can tell what I am thinking by looking at my eyes. I had big round scared eyes.

Dandelion was different. He seemed to like the new place and went exploring, poking around in everything. He even found a ball attached to a chain, all of which was lying on the floor and kept it for a toy.

When my humans were done carrying boxes into the apartment, they sat down by me and petted me. I felt much better having my pets around.

Eventually, I went exploring, too. I had never been in a place with an "upstairs" before. I like going up and down stairs! The most fun of all was finding a hole in the upstairs floor that had warm air coming out of it. I started sleeping half on top of that hole.

Most of all, I got to come home the next day. There is no place like home. I am very happy now. I get to jump into all kinds of boxes today. I have gotten good at this. I can leap from one empty box right into another. Whee!
Muddy

Flood Warning
Mood:  sad
Dandelion and I will be spending tonight and tomorrow night at the vet's or someone else's apartment. There has been much rain in our area. The river is swollen and cresting. Normally, that is not a problem, but more rain is expected and the creek by our home will have nowhere to drain the water because of the crested river. (The water even runs backwards when the river crests, the mother tells me.)

Flooding is inevitable, the familys says. They only hope it stays in the streets and does not reach the house, but they have to plan for the worst. I may not be able to post here for a few days. The mother has a cell cam and will post pictures to it as events unfold. See www.BamaPhotos.com for the latest news on us if I do not post here.

It will not be fun to be away from home. On the other hand, sniffing all these boxes that the family just brought into the house is very interesting.
Muddy