by Mousie, cutest little blogger in history *giggles*

Good morning, dear friends.  
Today we are all discombobulated.  Oh, it is a planned upheaval but it is upheaval nevertheless.  As you know life has had its ups and downs chez Mischief and Mayhem Central for a while now.   Well, today is no different.   

Grammy's day now starts an hour earlier to ensure Whiskers has her morning medication an hour before she eats.  This could be given an hour before her evening meal but Grammy's evenings are not usually stable.  She's in, she's out, she's home early or late.  AND she's usually less focused by dinner time... a necessity when trying to control a cantankerous kitty and administer meds by mouth.  At least, the mornings are somewhat more routine and Grammy is fresh... or sort of.

On top of that we are still in flux about Whiskers' health issues... but we are staying positive and hopeful that it is nothing serious.

So, that having been said, why are we discombobulated?  You may not have heard but our ceiling exhaust for laundry and lave died.   Yes, its little heart gave out and it's noisy chatter has gone mute. Sadly!  

Well, maybe not so sadly.  He was, as I said, noisy... like about a gazillion decibels.   BUT the sadly part is, we need a new one and he was very old.  It isn't a simple, pop out one, pop in another.  Oh no!  Unfortunately, the piping is different and other stuff has to be dealt with before our new exhaust fan can be installed.  This entails removing part of the ceiling.  A dirty, messy job.  Contained, but messy.

Due to the mess it'll create, Grammy has had to empty the bathroom and she will be bathroomless for three days.  Yeeeeew!  She's going to be one stinky Grammy!  No shower.  And even worse, no loo!  We just hope she's not planning to use our litter boxes.  NOOOOOOOOO!  That would not be acceptable.   

What's that, Grammy?   Oh Phew!  She has a backup plan... and wonderful neighbours.   Yes, you know that, don't you!  We have the most amazing neighbours.  In fact, our gem of a neighbour has opened her home to the old girl AND has offered to and is getting a few groceries for Grammy today too.   Talk about a kind, thoughtful lady.  We love her.  

Now you ask what has that got to do with lemons and lemonade?  Well, fan dying is the lemon, of course.  BUT...

Grammy took the opportunity to go through everything in the bathroom, discard what had expired, is no longer used, was superfluous to our lives, well, her life actually .... and it was a lot more than you'd think. Amazing how much you accumulate over the years. How could anyone have thought Grammy was a minimalist?  Not really... She's just tidy and keeps only essentials out but the stuff is/was there... in the cupboards.

So, when the work is finished we will encourage her to do a second go-through and purge some more before putting everything away.  Once back together it'll be like a whole new place.  Clean, fully functional and amazingly ordered.  Lemonade. 

Now where will we be during all of this?  We'll be confined to the bedroom, door closed, kitty door latched during the day and allowed to roam free once Mr Contractor Guy departs.  In other words, at night.  Not the best of scenarios but as Grammy says... it's a must!  Otherwise, Sweetie will be out there supervising and Rondo and Etude will be getting underfoot.  We cannot have that.  

So, I'm off to get some of that delicious lemonade.  See you.

​Comments are welcomed.  Keep them cute, like me.  Okay? 

by Rondo, the handsome, debonair poet

Well, dear friends... we have returned.  Sweetie wished to post today's blog but we decided she'd better wait until she's used up some of her pent up energy so I, Rondo am bard and blogger of the day. 

You ask why she has so much energy?   That's what we thought you asked. 

As you know she had some dental issues and had to have all but her incisors and fangs removed.  And due to the state of her mouth she must have been in pain, though she never complained. As a result, it was a shock to Grammy when they were at the annual vettie appointment and she saw her poor wee gums all swollen and red.

Well, she had been quieter, less bouncy, less mischievous, but we all thought she was settling down now that she's almost seven and a half years old.   You know... like we boys settled down and are now much more mature, dignified and less rambunctious.  

What do you mean, Grammy?  That doesn't describe us?  Of course it does.  Where have you been?  La-la land?  Oh yes, that's right, you have been in a state, you old thing.  Hush now!

Well, now that the wee darling - that's Sweetie, not the old girl - is feeling better and her gums have healed and she doesn't have to take anymore yucky meds she has returned to kittenhood.  I swear it!  She has!  Grammy tries to work on the computer, read, knit and where is she?  Right in her lap demanding attention or knocking things off the table or biting things. 

WHY, in the last couple of days computer mouse, nail clippers, file, tv remote and half a dozen other remotes the old girl keeps nearby have all either landed on the floor or been systematically carried off to be batted around the room.  Luckily, Grammy caught her before the coffee cup took a flying leap into oblivion.  And this time she wasn't trying to drink the brew, she was showing her distain for the meager dregs Grammy'd left for her to ingest.

And last night Grammy had to close the window part way!  Why on such a lovely evening, you ask?  Well, the little scamp found a small tear in the screen, had worked a bit of the wire loose and was yanking on it with her newly healed gums.... Now it's large enough for those pesky no-seeums to fly through without even catching their wings on the wire...  

OH, right!  I forgot, Etude.  Add it to Grammy's to-do list.   Fix Screen.  No, no-seeums allowed indoors.  Oh wait!  Let them in.  That'll give us things to chase that the old girl cannot see and she'll think the moths are back... Oh, such fun.  Strike it from the list!  

Sorry, friends.  So back to the woeful tale of Sweetie and her misbehaving.  Not only does she toss things and tear things but now she's biting our ears... Etude's and mine. Well, not quite biting them, gumming them, sort of... as she doesn't have many teeth left. 

Oh, there she goes again.  What now, Grammy???  She's trying to get us to exercise and chase her?  Huh!  Who knew?  Well, not us, obviously.  

Why would we need to exercise?  We got the clean bill of health at the vettie.   Oh shush!  I don't remember hearing the vettie say WE needed more exercise.  I'm sure of it. Did you, Etude?  

No, I thought not.   Well, Grammy, the vettie asked YOU about exercise... and you told her you get lots of exercise waving our wands and throwing and retrieving our toys... Nothing in there about us!  I'm sure of it.

Well, this is about Sweetie, so once again, I say, SHUSH!  

So, friends.   That Sweetie, she's getting into all sorts of trouble now her teeth are gone and her gums are better.  We, that's Etude and I, try to set a good example.  We snooze all day, only wake up to eat or get snuggles from the old girl.. oh and to … you know... eliminate. *aside R whispers to Etude* We won't mention us taking turns pouncing on Sweetie and biting her neck.  No, that's not important.   

That Sweetie is surely a slow learner.   Sheesh, life is tough.  Don't ya know it!  

A little brightener for your day.... from the bard of M&M Central himself. 

Sweetie

Sweet Cecily’s her name but she goes by Sweetie
Her bones are strong but not too meatie.
Feisty she is, she’s like a colt
Long legs she has and she loves to bolt
From bed to floor to wall to rack
She scares us when on Grammy’s back
She pounces, then with a toss
Of sail-sized ears she’s off
To adventures only in her head
And when she’s done she hits her bed.
A snooze, for that is all it is
Before she starts to skim and whizz
Past others scattered ‘neath our roof
She chases flick’ring lights and floof
To parts unknown they scatter far
Afraid of Sweetie, our feisty star.

originally published February 26, 2018

Comments are welcomed... and especially if full of mischief.
​

by Mousie, nurse and companion,

Good morning, dear friends.  
As you all know, we had our annual physicals with Dr Whitecoat a few weeks ago and all is well for everyone except Sweetie... 

Last Thursday Sweetie went back for dental surgery to address her extensive gum disease.  Well, Grammy and she weren't happy but resigned themselves to the trek. It took an extra hour to get there which was horrendous in the heat.  Travel to the border of the city was no issue but the bus from there to the vet was 40 minutes delayed... They barely got there before the Animal Hospital closed for the night. 

Surgery went ahead Friday morning.  Sweetie had all remaining teeth removed except her canines and incisors… and they say she'll be on soft food for the rest of her life.  Imagine!  That would be great... though I, Mousie, do love my crunchies too.

So, I wonder if we should re-weigh her now that she's had 8 more teeth out. Lighter?  No!  Grammy saw the teeth, they were appalling! Doctor said they were filled with cavities and hard to remove. They'd break apart.  So, it took more excavating than originally expected - 30-60 minutes ended up being 60-90 minutes and they needed every second of those 90 minutes.  Poor wee Sweetie.  

​Good news is she still has her fangs and her incisors so her photo sessions will look normal.

Friday Grammy picked her up with medications and instructions and a dear lady named Kelly drove them home again.  What a blessing that was.

Sweetie is for the most part, cooperative taking her meds with food... but for the first day or so, was wobbly and a little spaced out.  Now she's more herself.  

Mummy Whiskers and I are keeping her company while she heals...

Now, Grammy wondered if kitty dentures might be the order of the day... but knowing how she can barely handle her own we think not!  *Giggles*

Now, on to another topic.  

How is everyone holding up in this heat?   We've been trying to exercise Grammy - you know... for her health... but she refuses to chase the red dot and it's too hot to wave the feathers on a wand so until this heat eases up we are all going for major R&R&E.... Rest, Relaxation and Eating.  Yes.    

Have a great day, friends.  See you next week.

Comments, especially cheeky ones are welcomed. 

By Etude & Rondo, Canadian Kitties and Proud of it.

Happy Canada Day to all our Canadian friends... and an anticipated Happy 4th of July for those south of the border. 

Today's post will be short.  We boys have planned a day of fun and goofiness.  

First on the list is FOOD.  We must nourish ourselves in preparation for a busy day.

We thought we'd have more of Sweetie's concoctions.  She made lots of variations of Beaver Tails, and Flap Jacks with Maple Syrup, and Cranberry Tea.     

So, time to celebrate with games.

Maybe we'll play:

Pin-the-tail-on-the-Beaver, and some of the games that Grammy played as a little girl... like ...

1. Jacks, Double Dutch, Marbles, Roller skating...but with a kitty twist.... Oh, we can play  Twister too.  This should be such fun.

I think we'll have to use the roller skates as skateboards and maybe do wheelies.  Oh, that should be fun.  

When we get tired of that we'll snuggle with Grammy for a while, then show off our Canada Day gear in a mini-parade. 

*giggles*  Don't we look super-duper?


And what is Grammy going to do?  Probably knit! Really she should clean but she says she's having a lazy day.  So, I guess that means all as normal.  *giggles*​

Comments are welcomed.  Let's keep them fun and patriotic and maybe a little bit cheeky.