Welcome to the catio! It’s Caturday and time for the open thread, and today’s visitors come from reader Sowmya D.:
A still moment in the lives of Nikolai Devinovich (front- looking elegantly off into middle distance) and Ekaterina Velikaya (back- staring right at you). Unusually, there was no whapping and the top of the cat tree was not a flurry of fur.
What elegant floofers! And, yes, we’re yearning for peace, little darlings, so well done.
Gorgeous!
Absolutely gorgeous felines! Love the names too, so fitting with their regal poses.
Time to go shopping for kitchen appliances today. The warranty company agreed that trying to fix the oven is futile and will cut me a check for about $300. That won’t pay for the whole new stove but it’s a help. Also got quotes to upgrade the pool controls and looking to get estimates on how much to do some landscaping for the front yard. Ka ching, ka ching, I thinking this house sees me as an ATM, lol.
Houses always see us as ATMs, just like cats always see us as waiters. Good luck with the estimates–they can take so much time and the amounts can vary so much. Ask me how I know this.
Good gosh, they’re gorgeous!
Love this, needed this today.
Marmalades are not my favorite coloring, but theses are truly gorgeous cats!
These two beauties know how to pose for the camera!
What majestic, gorgeous kitties.
Waiting in a ridiculously long line to get blood work done. What was the point of making an appointment to get here on time and have 20 people ahead of me? And, nowhere to sit down. Hrmphhhhh.
I love marmalades. And tabbies. And calicos. And oh yes, voids and 50 shades of grey.
😁😸
Beautiful felines Sowmya. So regal. (And so marmaladey 💕).
Oh my goodness, regal, gorgeous, fur babies! They sure know how to pose, don’t they.
Peeps – I had a great week (news not withstanding). Vaguely and briefly, I had a good restructuring of my job along with very nice compensation. It happened very quickly an I’m still in shock. I was going to have to apply for a different job I wasn’t excited about simply because the money was too good to turn down. Now I get to stay where I love to be, where I’ve invested time and energy, and I get to continue to work for a great boss who is taking us in exciting new directions. I’d already taken “spring break” this coming week to focus on the job application for the other position, and now, since I’m no longer applying, I can focus on important issues – like purchasing a reusable lint roller. Priorities, right? 😁 So I’m turning to the wonderful world people who love their fuzzy pets for recommendations. Do any of you have suggestions for your favorite reusable lint/fur remover contraption? I’d be so grateful.
As for the rest of our world troubles, thank you all for being here. I’ve turned to Cutetropolis so many times this week, shared it with people who just need a cute pick me up. Mr. Mike thank you for all that you do gathering and posting all of the cutest animals on the internet. Your story telling keeps me in stitches! I read “Nice going, Magellin” in the voice of Robin Williams and started laughing before even scrolling down. Thank you! Love to you all, lots of hugs, stay safe. ❤️❤️❤️
What fantastic news! Congratulations on the new job and its resulting bright outlook.
I’ve got several reusable lint roller/hair remover thingies.
Wowzer, the images are HUGE. Sorry about that.
This one doubles as a sweater depiller:
Then I’ve got a dog rake for removing (cat) fur from the couch, in this style:
Thanks DebG. 🙂 Bonus for the sweater depiller! 😉
Yay for good job news!
The best possible job news – and you didn’t have to do anything – it came to you!
that’s great news!!
Good goin’, Tara, is this by any chance at the art school? I remember you had said that you worked part time there (where I went).
And, yes, after reading the news I always have to decompress with cuteness, so I’ve come to rely on Cutetropolis (and its denizens!) and a few other sites to help lower my blood pressure. Thanks, Mike. How are your critters, Vera and – I’m blanking.
Same to you Tara. 💕
Good morning, everyone. I’m just glad this week is over.
One of my coworkers got a new job and her last day was last Friday. She gave two weeks’ notice so we had to go through all her stuff in that time. It was a lot. We’re part of the finance department, so the first week of the fiscal month is closing the prior month, and I had to do my job plus a good part of hers this week (my boss did the rest, plus we both worked on Sunday). But I will have to learn the rest, because instead of replacing her position, I’ve been promoted and they’re going to replace me (hopefully soon; my boss has someone in mind, who I don’t know well but who seems nice, at least, but this week was too busy to do an interview). I signed the promotion letter on Thursday (though it went into effect at the beginning of the week) and my new salary should be in my next check (which is next week; it was good timing with the pay period, actually).
Now I’m Senior Analyst, in charge of what she was doing plus the some stuff I already was responsible for, but the rest of my stuff (a lot of regular reporting and whatever other random stuff my boss throws at me, though I’m sure he’ll still do that) will go to the new person, who I will supervise (but my other coworker still reports directly to our boss). To make things more fun, the first week of May my boss is going to be on a long-planned vacation (he wasn’t banking on someone leaving when he scheduled it, and it just worked out that it was the only week they could do it). So that should be fun. I will need to get things organized and learn the stuff that he covered this week, so the next close will be my test run, but he has also secured someone from NY to come and help me (who actually lives nearby and works from his desk our building sometimes, anyway, but he will make sure to be there that week). So wish me luck.
My boss said I did a “phenomenal” job this week so that was nice. I slept (on and off) until 11 this morning.
In other good news, starting Monday they are letting us go in through the front door instead of the employee entrance as we have all had to do for the past two years and discontinuing the temperature taking. Masks will be optional. I might keep mine…I dunno. Maybe not in the office since there aren’t a ton of people around (but at the grocery store? yes for now). Fingers crossed that they’ll let us use the gym again someday (though soon it will stay light late enough to go to the park after work, so at least there’s that; right now it’s light when I leave at 5 but I don’t have too much time before the park closes at dusk).
In other news…
Congrats on your promotion! And for making it through this week! Of course you’ll be great at the new job.
Jeffrey can fly to me. Please please please.
Congratulations!
So glad for your new job! Sounds great.😊
I saw that pic and about died from the cuteness!
that’s great news!!
Yay! Good news all around! 🙂
Thank you, everyone 🙂
Belated congratulations! You sound like a superstar, and you seem to have a good boss, which is also cause for congratulation. Brava, Allein!
Oh, and have some coffee..
I can just smell the cappuccino – coffee and cinnamon! How cute is that foam?!
Congrats on the new position Allein! 👍
Happy Caturday, everybody! And hello to these gorgeous mini lions! Sowmya, do their names have any special significance? They sound royal, or at least aristocratic–as they should for such beauties!
It’s time for the cat hostage story, as I wait to hear for the delivery people about my washer and dryer. I’ve been trying to integrate my basement cat, Scorpius, so that he has some company. So far, this involves supervised “explores” of the main floor, usually for an hour or 90 minutes. I shut off the bedroom door where the other cats hang out; Scorp comes upstairs and roams around; if one of the others is sitting with me on the couch, it’s a good chance to see how they react.
We tried an explore on Tuesday evening, with 4 cats in the bedroom and Scorpius roaming. At the 1-hour mark, I tried to put him back in the basement but couldn’t find him. I assumed he’d already gone back down, shut the basement door, and opened the bedroom door.
Pandemonium ensued. Scorp was *not* in the basement and when other kitties came out of the bedroom, he started yowling. Everybody got scared, as happens when you hear what sounds like a mountain lion in your living area. I managed to get 3 upstairs cats back into the bedroom. Fred wouldn’t come out from under the couch.
For the next 20 minutes, I tried to herd Scorpius back into the basement. Picture me, wielding a flattened cardboard box like a shield to try to direct him through the kitchen and back down the basement stairs. It didn’t work. I gave up, moved Litter Robot, food, and water into the bedroom. Scorpius “held” us there overnight, while Fred crouched in terror under the couch. Needless to say, nobody was very happy even in the bedroom. There was a lot of puking, and Beano peed on the bed (remember, I can’t do laundry right now), and I was trying to staunch the bleeding from a scratched hand.
By morning, the situation hadn’t changed much. Scorpi was still upstairs. Fred was willing to go into the bedroom, where he crouched under a piece of furniture all day. That meant Fred’s litterbox had to go into the bedroom. I worked from home all day, so I kept checking on everybody’s food and water. I also kept an eye on Scorpi, who still had access to food and water upstairs but would have to come downstairs for litter.
Stalemate all day. When I clocked out at 4 pm, Fred was still hiding, other cats were still unsettled, Scorpi was still under the couch. I lay down on my smelly bed for a brief nap. During that time, Scorpi finally returned to the basement. Fred came out of his defensive crouch. Other cats calmed down too. When I got up, I was able to shut the basement door and return all cat accessories to their usual places.
Here’s the best part: everybody forgave me. By evening, Fred was willing to cuddle and wanted petpets. By the next morning, Scorpius was happy to see me in our WFH office. He too wanted scritchies and belleh rubs.
I’ve learned valuable lessons. I’m pausing the integration for now–things are just too stressful at home with contractors coming in for estimates, me moving around big things in the basement for appliance deliveries, etc. But my cats still love and trust me. They don’t enjoy big upheavals in their world, yet they will forgive me. This gives me hope that, if we’re able to move, I won’t destroy their happiness forever.
The hostage crisis started on the same day as the computer update at work (my responsibility). We had to let our dealers know about a big price increase on our products and weren’t sure how they’d react, so there was a lot of stress in the office. My duties involved preparing a new price list, then importing the new prices into our systems and our website. There were only minor hiccups, fortunately. But by Wednesday, my brain decided that reading comprehension and listening skills were too much! Thank goodness for the day off on Friday: my brain feels much better now. Plus the good news from yesterday.
This has been another episode of Mission: Impawssible. I’m thinking Idris Elba would be perfect to play the role of Scorpius. Still trying to cast the rest of the cats. I, of course, would be played by Dame Judi Dench.
I’d watch that movie. I’d pay premium pricing at the theater, even.
OMG DebG. I don’t think I have any other words. Or in this case, letters. 🤯😱
What a harrowing tale/tail.
I’m more curious who would play Fred.
It’s finally the weekend, and I can start to think about maybe considering the possibility of a chance where I might have an opportunity to relax.
Sorry. Painfully happy night of nerves in my foot starting to regenerate. I’m a little bit punchy from lack of sleep. Maybe these gorgeous marmies could help with that.
Hubby and I had made plans to do little things shopping for this coming Monday (he gets Sundays and Mondays off), when we were inundated by phone call reminding us of appointments we had scheduled for March 7 back in December! So hubby has to stay home all morning for phone appointments, and I have chiro and dentist almost on top of each other! There goes our fun day.
I’ve begun walking more, getting outside now that the weather is nicer and my foot doesn’t hurt nearly as much. It feels great to come home and feel tired for a good reason, rather than from health issues. I’d forgotten what that was like.
I had most of my immediate family over last Monday for cake and coffee. I had a DVD of a Celtic Thunder on for Duckie, as she goes absolutely crazy for many of their songs. I warned my family that our chatting could be interrupted at any time by an ecstatic budgie. And when one of her favourite songs was coming up, I gave them warning. Everyone was in silent hysterics at one point, as she was outside her cage and singing her tiny little heart out.
Peeps, in spite of all the crap that is being inflicted upon the world right now, I’m feeling a bit optimistic today. Spring IS coming. Covid cases ARE going down. My foot IS healing. Our province’s health officer WILL be reducing restrictions, maybe even by next week. I know it’s very self-selective optimism, and I most definitely do NOT want to seem insensitive to world events, but I just wanted to point out that there are still good things happening. Please find them in your lives.
Off to clean a bird cage and do dishes, not necessarily in that order. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Good things are happening Duckie! Yay.
I like feathered Duckie’s choice of music. 🎶🐦
Not actually a reply, as such (though I’m certainly glad to hear that you’re continuing to heal well, and 100% agree about finding the positive wherever possible). I just saw this post last night, thought immediately of you, and wanted to share:
https://afeelgoodblog.tumblr.com/post/677811883446779904/blessed-hat
Laughing hysterically, because that is so Duckie!
There was much drama in the Shortcakery last Wednesday night. I was just dropping off when I heard my dad calling for me, sprinted downstairs, and found him in a heap on his bedroom floor unable to get up. Apparently he’d just managed to save himself from falling out of bed but knocked the duvet on the floor. In an attempt to pick it up he’d got it tangled round his feet and fell over in a confined space between the bed and the wardrobe. I was unable to get him on his feet again but, this not being our first experience of this type of disaster, I wrestled his walking frame into the room (“Pivot! Pivot!”) and supported it whilst he pulled himself into a standing position. Mission accomplished! All the time this was happening I found myself wondering how elderly people and their carers are managing in Ukraine. Do you remember how, just a few months ago, we were joking about what was coming next after the pandemic, floods, forest fires and vocanic eruptions? I think alien invasions and meteorite strikes were at the top of the list and full-scale war in Europe somewhere near the bottom, if anyone thought of it at all…
I was expecting a T-rex invasion.
Hope you and your dad are okay.
I’m glad that your Dad is ok, that’s what triggered my father’s decline. Fell, broke a hip, got surgery, never recovered.
Remind your father: CALL, DON’T FALL.
There’s an old saying, whenever I think I’ve hit rock bottom, someone throws me a shovel.
I have some similar experience in this – a couple of years ago we had a guest who, it turned out, was rather sick. Both my husband and I got sick too, but my husband especially. He woke up in the middle of the night to use the loo, woke me up to say he couldn’t move! I tried to help him out of bed and all I succeeded in doing was to help him slide onto the floor in which time his bedside wicker trash bin ended up on his head. In my wisdom, I filed this incident away for later, knowing that the humor might be wasted in the current, rather serious situation. I had to call an ambulance, husband was forthwith taken to hospital where it was discovered he had the flu (as did I but I was further along). He got some meds and he recovered in a day or two. It was only then that I could relate how amusing it was seeing him with his trash bin perched on his head. He agreed that I was right to hold off telling him and now we can have a good chuckle about it.
It needs to be said. I love you all, and this site, for bringing us together. Nobody here has forgotten the horrors of the world, but we are here, reminding each other that there’s still joy and hope and beauty in our world. And laughter. And friendship. Those silver linings are essential.
Amen
Amen, amen!
❤️❤️❤️
Good goin’, Tara, is this by any chance at the art school? I remember you had said that you worked part time there (where I went).
And, yes, after reading the news I always have to decompress with cuteness, so I’ve come to rely on Cutetropolis (and its denizens!) and a few other sites to help lower my blood pressure. Thanks, Mike. How are your critters, Vera and – I’m blanking.
New washer & dryer have arrived! On time, delivered by a very competent and sweet pair of men. In about 15 minutes, I can start washing stuff! I’m going to spend the whole day doing laundry and I’m so excited about it!!!!!
The new stuff is actually *smaller* than the old stuff, but bigger on the inside. If a flood comes, I could actually sail away with the cats in the washer’s tub. Of course, it’s full of holes so that will be a problem.
So much drama this week. It’s good to take a breath.
Yippee! There are some “modern improvements” to life I can survive without, but a washer isn’t one of them. You’ll be feeling right again in no time. 🙂
Wow. I’m so glad everyone forgave you. But things really are looking up!
I don’t know how this comment ended up where it is. It was meant as a reply to the hostage situation comment.
I also had my own cat drama in the past week.
As you probably remember, my sweet Maszat was abandoned (thrown out of a car with her kittens), which made her terribly afraid of humans, any sudden movement etc.
Before last Saturday I thought I would be able to catch her soon and get her inside in spite of her will to have her first much needed medical check-up, focusing on a soonish spaying.
That’s when I made a mistake. I was working in the yard, Maszat came to me to get some ear scritchies when I saw something on her back leg. Stupid me thought it would be a wound or abscess (no glasses on me) and I caught the cat and checked her back leg. It was just a big dry leaf stuck in her big fur. (Imagine her like Maru: not much net cat inside the big fur) So I gently removed the leaf and she ran away. She got so offended that I had caught her that I still haven’t been able to get closer than 2 metres since then.
And then spring arrived even for cats. Last time I had a female cat was in my childhood, so I wasn’t prepared for what would come.
Maszat totally neglected eating, grooming, me and any regular activities she normally does. She was totally vanquished by the power of feline love while I was clutching my pearls. Well, she managed to get more partners in the past 3 days than me in my entire life.
Once I went out to check on her, she was sitting on a high perch and about 15 cats were listening to whatever she had to say and damn, she was very loud. I’m not sure whether she was holding a lecture, making a political statement or just simply informed them about the order in which they can come for their 30 secs/one night stands.
I tried to suggest that she should choose the one that treats her best or one of the more handsome boys and then I saw her with a beautiful white cat with grey spots. When he looked at me, I could see he was totally cross-eyed, so cute 🙂
As I have chased away some of her suitors, now she is even more offended than before and I still cannot get close to her. At least she is eating and keeping herself groomed again.
Oh dear. Love is a many-splendored thing until it creates unwanted kittens. Hopefully you can get her inside soon.
My darling Sevi was adopted from students who kept adopting cats to save them but then couldn’t afford to get them spayed. Inevitably, the females would find a way out of the house when they came into heat, and then they’d come back preggers. Before Sevi was actually born, I was visiting and saw the two females with big bellies. One of them was meowing to go outside, and my student was saying, “But you already have a boyfriend!” I nearly hurt myself laughing.
Ems. You are kitty’s guardian angel for sure!
Is there a rescue group that can offer assistance?
I can understand the pearl clutching, that’s like something you’d see on one of THOSE sites.
Or maybe a new reality dating show.
I think I will be able to find good homes for some of the future kittens if I get furry grandkids. If my family gets extended, so be it.
I just don’t want Maszat to go through one more stressful mating period and giving birth more than once. Of course the ideal situation would be to get her to warm up to me again and do the spaying asap, but at the moment we are very far from that.
Can you get a local rescue to help trap and neuter her? Then when she was out and about again you could cozy up to her without the added issue of her getting pregnant again.
Ekaterina and Nikolai are so beautiful!
Love hearing everyone’s good news on the job front. Promotions and raises are always welcome. Especially raises with how expensive everything’s getting. Yeah for Duckie on the foot healing. So sorry about the cat situations DebG and Ems. Glad you’re forgiven DebG and hopefully Mazat will come around shortly. I heartily agree with the idea of this place being our little sanctuary from the crazy world with all our friends to lean on.
I had some very bad news this week, not ready to talk about it but it did me good to read all your updates, congratulations to the people that got new jobs and new appliances and courage to the ones dealing with difficult cat situations.
Georgiana, sending hugs. Whatever your bad news is, I hope you’re holding on.
((Virtual hug))
{{{{{hugs}}}}}
Georgianna,
I’m sorry that you’ve had some bad news. Just know that there are people who are here for you.
So sorry Georgiana – sending ❤️
Hugs to you, Georgiana.
Additional hugs.
Hey, just popping in to share a photo of Teddy doing something he rarely does: climbing a tree. As I crossed the street to go to the mailbox, he sprinted across and zoomed up onto a branch, looking all majestic. And so, I give you the Blond Panther:
Beautiful blond panther, Teddy deserves to be starring at another weekend open thread.
VERY panther-like and gorgeous!
Gorgeous kitty and great photo.
Wonderful – and he didn’t go up so far that he couldn’t get down again and you’d have to call a tree service with a bucket contraption to go get him. Excellent.\
Oh, my goodness, what a stunning photo! Beautiful cat, beautiful tree, beautiful composition. In short: Beautiful.