Report from the Trenches

We've been lazy posting, and of course, no one missed us. *sigh*

A bigger sigh is because since Memorial Day we seem in one long litter-box crisis upstairs.

Billy is intermittently stalking his Aunt Emily, who then hides behind the litter-box to do her business. She's leaving a solid miss as often as everyday. She has also had a soft stool, like stress is giving her diarrhea

One (or both) of the boys is missing the litter-box up to once a day, soaking the cat paper. We're going through that stuff at an amazing pace.

This morning hit a mew low, with someone missing even the cat papper. Katherine had to empty the closet to clean out under the plastic blanket boxes.

I just don't see an end in sight.

We're saved!

Regular readers (and other cat owners!) will know that litterbox misses are one of the most frustrating aspects of sharing your home with a cat. Billy -- aka Tubbo -- does exactly what he's supposed to, and yet sometimes his tubby butt is completely inside the box and sometimes it isn't. It's hard to be mad at him, but no one likes cleaning up messes.

Enter CatPaper. It's just a layer of superabsorbent paper on a plastic backing, but it makes cleaning up after a miss miraculously simple. Fold up soiled sheet, handling from the completely unsoiled plastic side. Throw it away. Put down a fresh sheet. Done. Go order more CatPaper to make sure you never run out.

(No connection with the company, just a very satisfied customer.)

A Not Very Weekly Weigh-In

It's been a while since we posted a weigh-in. Everything is pretty much as before, though the boys seem to be creeping upward again.

Whitey: 13 lbs 8.5 oz
Billy: 14 lbs 9 oz
Emily: 7 lbs 5.5 oz

Dawn Patrol, Ark Edition

We were gone over weekend, and are still getting back in the swing of things. For example, we were up later than we normally are.

The cats are however, are their usual mayhem causing selves, and early risers to boot:

• 6 AM, Emily throws up. Katherine cleans up after her and feeds her.
• 6:26 AM, we take a power glitch just long enough to make every UPS alarm in the kitten farmhouse to pulse. Loudly.
• 6:45 AM, Billy knocks the sealed Rubbermaid container which stores the cat bowls off the dining room sideboard onto the floor.
  Much to his delight, this knocks the cover off and he can snack on Emily's dry food.
  Much to Katherine's dismay, she's jolted awake by the crash.
  Adding to Katherine's dismay, upon examining the scene of the crime, she finds one the bowls broke. She cleans that up too.

At this point we're both quite awake.

At least the Boston area flooding hasn't affected us. We have the even less than the traditional trickle in the basement, and our mason thinks he can nail the remaining leaks.

Photo Friday: Portrait of a Lady

Lousy photo quality (the camera phone was handy again), but great subject.

Photo Friday: Emily's Morning Bask

I mentioned a few weeks ago I wanted to get pictures of Emily on the sun deck. Need I say more?

Weigh-in

Whitey: 13 lbs 4.5 oz
Billy: 14 lbs 6.5 oz
Emily: 7 lbs 2.5 oz

Claims of impending starvation appear to be greatly exaggerated.