Note to Malcolm

This is an open letter to Malcolm. He holds a warm spot in the hearts of Poodins everywhere for his brave and selfless actions.

Litter training:

When the beans rescued Autumn Savannah she didn't know what the litter box was for either; she was used to humans but grew up on a farm so she always went outside.

When she got pneumonia the owners of the farm took her in at night since it was January but let her out in the morning so she usually held it until then. When the beans rescued her they kept her inside and let her sleep with them in the bed.

They didn't know what to do about the litter box. Autumn didn't seem to understand what it was for, but she was such a good kitty that she never went to the bathroom in the house. Mommy was afraid she would explode!! The first night that she was with my humans she started giving the mommy kisses until she woke up. Somehow mommy figured out that was her way of letting her know she needed to go out. Mommy put on a robe and took Autumn outside. Once outside, Autumn did her business. When she finished, she went and sat on the sidewalk next to the mommy. Mommy picked her up and they went back inside and back to the warm bed. Mommy thinks that is the most charming thing she has ever seen...a house trained kitty.

Well, that solved the problem of Autumn not blowing up, but she still needed to learn what a litter box was for. Mommy went out and got bunches of dead leaves from around the area where Autumn chose to do her business and put them on top of the litter in the box. Still no go (pardon the pun).

Finally, mommy fed Autumn a LOT of stinky goodness and waited. About an hour later Autumn started telling the mommy that she needed to go outside. Mommy just waited. Finally Autumn started scratching around in the corner of the room. Mommy snatched Autumn up and placed her in the litter box. Since Autumn was already 'committed' at that point, she went in the box. After that she understood and there has never been an accident since. In fact, even now when she goes outside with the mommy she doesnt do her business outside, she always goes in the litterboxes in the house.

Also, mommy fosters abandonded kittens. we call them the Tiny Ones since sometimes they are only a day or two old. When the right time comes, mommy puts a litter box over the area they have chosen to do their business. They usually sniff the litter a lot and then pee next to it. Ha ha. Everytime this happens mommy just picks them up and puts them in the litter box. If they make a doodle anywhere other than the litter box, she puts that in there so they will know where to do it next time. It is kind of instinctual for them to bury their waste to avoid predators finding out where they are so they figure it out pretty quickly. But dont be surprised if there is an accident from time to time, they forget where the box is sometimes.

This process can take up to a week so dont be discouraged if it doesnt happen right away. Mommy says that even though it takes some time to litter train the Tiny Ones, it is much harder to wean them.

I am so annoyed!

Mommy and Autumn went out this morning to weed the garden. Mommy was pulling weeds, Autumn was eating the ones mommy missed. I am starting to think Autumn isn't really a kitty. I am thinking she is more of a grass transport system. Shes eats grass outside and then brings it inside to throw it up.

While they were doing the gardening, mommy saw that her lilies were blooming. She was so happy over some silly flowers. The lilies are peach, and dark purple, and white with peach on them and they are all mixed together. I have to admit, they are pretty, but still, all I see is salad.

Mommy was sad before she left cause she thought that they would bloom while the beans were on vacation and she would never find out what colors they are. When mommy planted them last fall they were just little brown things but she knew she got all different kinds. She knew her lilies would be a surprise this year and was bummed about missing them.

When she got back, she saw that her SweetPeas were blooming at the mailbox, and that her Japanese Irises were finished blooming. But on the happy side, the lilies are just blooming now, the Gladiolas are getting ready to bloom and the grandma gave her about 100 more Irises. Apparently the grandma doesnt like irises and her new house has tons of irises all along the south side of her house. As soon as the rain stopped for a few minutes Mommy and Autumn went out to the side of the house and planted Irises all along the wall and the fenceposts. Mommy doesn't expect anything to happen with them until next year though. Good thing she has Glads on the fence posts, they would look pretty bare without the Glads. I wonder if the fenceposts are glad to have the Glads. Ha ha ha.

While the mommy was weeding she found a spot with lots of little feathers. She didn't see anything else, just lots of feathers. She thinks an outside kitty may have caught a bird and ate it.

I DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD DO THAT!!!!

Why didn't any one tell me we could do that! What have I been missing out on all this time. I mean, I LOVE chicken so I am sure I would like bird. I mean, doesn't everything taste like chicken? I have been practicing on the moths that get close to the screen at night, I am pretty good. In fact, I would bet that I would be so good at it that I could support my whole family on the birds that I could catch.

Well, maybe just the kitties...

...well, ok, just me...

...ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! The only way I could survive on my hunting skills is if birds flew INTO MY MOUTH. And even then, I would need stinky goodness once a day. Sheesh.

Stoopid mommy and stoopid Autumn and their stoopid weeding and finding the stoopid little feathers.

I am all mad now.

I am going to go find something to shred to bits...wait, mommy cut my nails last night.

OH! WILL THE HORRORS NEVER END...

Mommy Came Back!!

The Beans came back the other day! I was so happy to see them that I forgot to ignore them. AND when they came back they took about 10 minutes and petted us and then fed us stinky goodness right away! I was so happy that right after I ate I fell asleep. And then, later, they came and slept with me. I gave mommy kisses in the middle of the night slept RIGHT ON HER NECK to tell her how happy I was.

The next morning, when I went downstairs, there was all this...stuff...Downstairs that smelled funny. It must have smelled like the woofie that they were staying with cause it sure didn't smell like our house. The beans went all the way to Missouri and Kansas for a couple of weeks. I don't know why they would want to go there, but mommy says that my grandmas live there. Well, I guess that is okay then.

Mommy said that she brought back some friends for us. I can only imagine what that means. The last time the beans went to Kansas they brought back Autumn Savannah. I don't think I need any more friends, I don't like the friends I have. I don't need new ones.

The Beans still have all their clothes in the suitcases. I wish they would hurry and unpack so I can play in the empty ones. Mommy keeps saying that she is getting to it, but she always seems to have something else to do instead. I cant seem to make her understand that I want to play in them, therefore she needs to do it now. Human Beans...They have been back 3 days and they are already getting on my last nerve. I think knocking something off the table will make me feel better. I'll let you know if it worked.

Woofie!!!

This is a picture of the Woofie that the beans are staying with. I just know that everything she brings home will smell like woofie. I can tell he is a needy dog. Needs food, needs water, needs petting, needs walks...you know...needy stuff.












I miss the beans. I mean I have Emily here to cater to my every need (at least mommy thought that far ahead) but I have needs too. I need to kiss the mommy and slobber all over her in the middle of the night. I mean, it isnt like she doesnt go back to sleep. Oh, and I need to yell at the mommy too. I get to do that a lot when she is home. Sometimes, just to annoy her, I will go down to the basement and yell and yell. She actually gets up and comes to find me to see what I am yelling about. Tee Hee. A couple of times I stood at the bottom of the stairs with a toy and when she came down she threw it for me.

Unfortunately, she is smarter than I give her credit for because she only came down and threw the toy for me twice before she caught on.

Mommy Called!!!

The mommy called. The beans went on vacation last Saturday and we have a babysitter. The Babysitter has been talking to the mommy but this morning I was able to get on the phone and discuss the staff situation with her.

The babysitter's name is Emily and she is living in my house until the Beans comes home. I have to say, no disrespect to the beans, but I think I am going to keep Emily. She plays with us much more than the mommy does. And Emily brings her friends to the house so I can have more people to pet me.

Mommy said that it was a long trip. They drove from Baltimore to Indianapolis the first day and then from Indianapolis to Springfield Missouri the second day. Mommy says it is too hot for her and that there isnt enough grass and trees. The grandma moved to Springfield this month cause she says it is better for her old bones. The other grandma is going to be there today. She is driving from Kansas to Springfield and will be there around 3 in the afternoon. So for 2 weeks the beans will have both sets of parents in the same house. Just thinking about it makes me get all poofy. I am glad I am here and all I have is Emily and her friends. I think they each have 8 hands cause I get scritches a lot from them. Mommy just tries to give me kisses.

DONE!!!

The beans finished the yard work! Finally! Here is the yard on the side that took up so much of mommy's time. (Time that could have been spent brushing me, I might add).

She was telling the man that it is finished just in time for them to go on vacation. And, if they weren't going to go on vacation then it will be too hot to use it anyway. Mommy says she can't wait till fall now so she can go sit in her garden.

I am glad all that is over.

Mommy was too tired to do anything 'cept groan about how tired she was. The daddy is injured so he can't do anything either! I swear - are you guys 80?!? - what's with all the griping about hard work. I work hard every day and you dont hear me complaining!

Do you think it is easy to look this good all the time? There is maintenence involved here! Stuff like getting you to brush me, getting you to pet me, getting you to give me kisses and snugglies. It isnt easy to motivate your lazy butts. I dont want to hear about how tired you are after doing all the yard work or working in an office with no air conditioning all day! And I certainly don't want to hear how the woman had to do so much homework her eyes crossed. Come On!!! You were home all day! How tired can you really be. SHEESH!!!