by Mousie, chronicler of mischief and mayhem

Good morning, friends. 
 
I'm a little bemused and dismayed.  We just the results of my latest bloodwork.  Bemused because Dr. Whitecoat just called to tell us nothing showed up in the bloodwork.  BUT, because I've been  throwing up a small amount of bile in the mornings despite Grammy making sure we eat after midnight.  This is upsetting to both the vettie and Grammy. 

So, I'm dismayed because for the next three days I have to have oral meds to settle the tummy.  This is a two person job and if that doesn't work then Grammy has to stick me with needles for an additional three days.  Grammy says it is a two person task because I am a wriggly little 'monkey' when it comes to taking medications.    I agree.  I am a wriggly little monkey but that's 'cause I don't like medicine. So there, Grammy!   BUT forget me.  I have lots to tell you about the sibs and mummy.

Grammy ordered Mummy Whiskers a new marshmallow bed.  I can attest to you that it is extremely comfortable.  Now, we all have tried the bed out and while we know it was purchased with Whiskers in mind, she's been kind enough to let us give it a test run.  Since then though, mummy decided it should be ours (hers and mine) exclusively.  I'm quite happy about that.  *giggles*

When Grammy checked our room she was so pleased to find mummy curled up in her marshmallow doughnut sleeping soundly.  It was the first time in weeks that she totally relaxed, so much so that she didn't stir when Grammy got out the camera and took photos.  Great choice, Grammy.  Good on ya!

The other item Grammy purchased at the same time was a fishy for us.  The company was quite generous and sent two since our parcel would be delayed in shipping.  We thought that was very sweet of them.

Now here's the thing about these fishies.  They are pretty big, in fact bigger than a catnip banana and almost as big as me.  Our usually intrepid Sweetie was a little put off by it as you'll see in the video collage posted at the bottom of this blog. 

Quite surprisingly, Rondo likes it though he isn't as active as Grammy would like. He reassured Sweetie that it was safe to play with but she is a little skeptical.  She doesn't trust those boys completely, and who can blame her.  They regularly entice her to snuggle with them and then pounce on her and bite her neck.  Nasty little twerps that they are.   Oh, don't get me wrong.  We still love them BUT they can be sweet and cuddly and absolutely adorable for ages.  And just when we let our guard down suddenly they snap and whichever of us is closest, Mummy, Sweetie or little darling me, get the bitey treatment. And it hurts.

So, back to the fishies.  They flip and flop around on the floor enticing the boys to play.  At least that was the idea.  Grammy opened the packages and there inside was a USB cable and inside the velcroed belly of the fish is a device that when charged and turned on will act like a fish newly pulled from the lake.  FLIP, FLOP, FLUTTER.  It is very funny. 

Oh while I remember, if you order one, you need to be able to plug it into a USB port either on the computer or with an adapter for the wall plug.  The wall adapter does NOT  come with it.  The good news is the android adapter for cellphones and apple adapter for the iPad will charge them.  A red light comes on while in charging mode and shuts off when fully charged.   Both fish charged quickly and have lasted a more than 4 days.

Also, there's an internal on/off switch so you can turn it off if the flipping and flopping is too scary for kitties or while they adjust to the action.   Leave it off over night unless you don't mind us playing with it at three in the morning.  It isn't loud but can be disturbing to sleepy humans or startling to sleepy kitties if accidentally kicked by a dopey Grammy.  

So, the fishies are a hit with Rondo, a curiosity for Etude, ignored by Whiskers and me and to be wary of according to Sweetie.  I think after watching the ads of kitties going wild with the fishies that our family is weird. 

Well, that's all for today, friends... except THIS VIDEO Grammy put together for you.  Enjoy.

Your wee Gentle Mousie signing off.

By Gentle Mouse,  Reteller of Tales of Woe and Wonder

Hello friends, I thought since the others don't have much to say this week I would take a turn.   As you know I'm not too keen on visitors and when they come over I hide.  Sometimes Grammy cannot find me, other times she's pretty quick but I have to tell you about a recent visit from Aunty Melody... you know, Sugar's and Gordito's mom.

Well, it was pretty dramatic when she walked through the door.  Now, you must know I didn't witness this.  No way!  As soon as the buzzer went and Grammy let someone 'in' I scrambled off my aerie and into the closet. This isn't an easy task since there are latches on the doors that I have to overpower, but desperate enough, I do it!   But I got the scoop from Rondo who moments later followed me into the closet wide-eyed and told me what transpired.  The poor boy was so traumatized he stayed with me for the duration.

Aunty M  (yes, another Aunty M - we have many!) staggered through the door, discombobulated and kind of bloody.  She had tripped over something coming out of the subway onto the sidewalk and took a header - kind of like Grammy does. Not pretty, but eventful! 

Now when Grammy does it we run for the hills and stay out of reach until she uprights herself... but Whiskers, Sweetie and Etude were right there with Grammy all of a dither but ready to commiserate with Aunty M.  

So, back to Aunty M and her header... She hit her front teeth and upper lip and was pretty shook up. Some nice folks helped her up, offered to walk her here, but once she got her wind back Aunty M walked the rest of the way holding her parcels and her upper lip.  It wasn't until she entered the elevator that the mirror revealed the damage: swollen lip and oozing that red stuff.  Fortunately it will heal. 

Grammy, helped her into the condo then, always prepared, grabbed a Ziplocked frozen facecloth  from the freezer to help reduce the swelling, Whiskers climbed up to kiss it better while Etude and Sweetie kept pacing and saying, 'Oh dear, oh dear, what can we do to help? What to do! What to do!"   That's really useful, don't you think?  Grammy sent them off to make the coffee.  Quick thinking, Grammy!

Well, cup of coffee in hand and painful lip easing, Aunty M and Grammy started talking that boring stuff - you know - Knitting?  Yes, Purl, Knit, Slip Stitch, the projects they were working on currently AND the big bag of baby yarns that Aunty M brought for Grammy to make into items for the babies in the hospital  Woohoo!  Maybe when they are distracted we can get into it and 'help'!  We are experts at unravelling and chewing yarn, dragging projects into our lairs.  We often get wrapped up in our 'work'.  Literally!

Meantime, on with the story. After knitting chatter died down and the lip swelling too, and before Aunty M would head out for home she decided to take some photos of us... and they are doozies.  Posting a few in here.

Aunty M wrote Grammy to show how a little concealer covered the damage and she was off to start a new work chapter.... Hope you love your new job, Aunty M.

Oh, and in case you haven't already heard … Sugar has a book out called Paws for Thought My Furry Tail.  It's a page turner.  We read it in one go... couldn't put it down... and then Grammy read it again, leant it to Paige who loved it and plans to read it to us again.  And we hear that Gordito has a book planned too... but we'll have to wait until Aunty M has time to take dictation and publish it.  Her new job takes precedence for some reason. Don't understand that but then, we think Kitties should have first place in EVERYTHING.​

Comments are welcomed.... very much welcomed. ​

by Grammy at Mischief and Mayhem Central
​
Recently, as in two weeks ago, we received a Drinkwell Avalon Fountain from PetSafe. We were asked to evaluate it and give our honest opinion.  We are not being paid to do this.

This family has used Drinkwell Fountains for many years: first a plastic model and when that finally wore out a ceramic model.  On setting up the ceramic fountain - the Lotus - all kitties were curious and interacted with it immediately.  (To see video copy and  paste the following link into your browser) - https://www.facebook.com/WhiskersandMouse/videos/311758148961381/ )

The bubbling and dripping noises drew them to it where each chose how they would drink.  Two of them enjoyed drinking from the bubbling top, the others seemed to prefer the overflow spouts.  And the boys loved playing and splashing the water onto the floor.  It was a definite love at first sight.  The bonus for me, their Grammy, is it's compact design which is perfect for small spaces.  While it takes a bit of work to maintain it, it is well worth it to see the cats drinking frequently from it.

The Avalon which we were sent was set up immediately and placed in the kitchen.  Within moments Mousie, our timid, gentle cat drank from the reservoir bowl.  It was an immediate hit with her.  Unfortunately, she didn't stay long enough to get a photo.... but she's a little shy.

The boys, Rondo and Etude, and Sweetie,  aka the cow kitties, were more wary. What was that new noise-maker in the kitchen?  It took a few days of cautious, belly-to-the-floor approaches before they determined it was a fun place to splash and play in the water.  Once over that hurdle they have taken to drinking from it too.

So far Whiskers seems to have no preference.  If she's near the kitchen she'll use the Avalon. If elsewhere in the home she goes to her bubbly Lotus.  Either way, she drinks water which is important.

Grammy is pleased with the Avalon. It is recommended that the fountains be cleaned weekly for optimum performance.  The Avalon is very easy to disassemble, clean and reassemble.  This makes it a pleasure to maintain.  

The water stays fresh longer which can be attributed to the two filters... a foam filter to collect debris and fur and a charcoal filter to remove odours and other contaminants.  

Two things that Grammy thinks would improve the design is a bubbling feature into the upper bowl.... and three overflow spouts - both of these similar in idea to the Lotus.  In small places where the bowl has to be set against a wall or in a corner it would be beneficial to have two spouts which can be positioned toward the front (at 120degrees apart rather than 180) while the bubbling aerates the water... always a bonus.  Not having these modifications in future designs would not deter her from purchasing one.

Two other things Grammy has to say about the Avalon... 

1. A longer cord to the power outlet would be helpful.  It barely reaches from the power outlet to it's place on the floor.  This does not allow for moving it to a more accessible location for the cats.
2. She loves that the main parts are both ceramic. The ceramic seems to keep the water cooler. Minimal plastic parts means less need for replacing aged and easily split plastic - as we found in the Lotus -  and easier cleaning.  Might it be suggested that the Lotus plastic cone be replaced by a ceramic cone?  

Now, having said all that you must know that we are all in favour of this new fountain. For Grammy it is easy to clean, looks classy in the kitchen and comes in two colours (red and white).  The fountain attracts the cats because it makes tinkling noises and the water is cool and fresh tasting.   We give it a 5 paws/one hand up. 

​Read on.... about the importance of keeping your pets hydrated.​

Having had two cats with kidney ailments and renal disease in later life I (Grammy) have learned how important it is to keep our pets at a healthy weight, well-hydrated, and fed good quality food. Here we'll point out a few important facts about animals' needs for hydration - not just in summer but year round.

In a recent study conducted by PetSafe® Brand, it was revealed that 66 percent of Canadians were unaware that lethargy or unusual lack of energy indicates dehydration in their pets.   This is alarming.

These are common signs of dehydration:

• Sunken eyes
• Decreased skin elasticity 
• Loss of appetite 
• Depression

Alarmingly, eight percent of those polled did not recognize any of the signs of dehydration in pets.  

Consider this... pets like humans need plenty of water to stay hydrated.  This is the same whether they are active or sedentary/calm. A simple calculation for pets is  approximately  70 ml of water per kilogram of weight. 

Here are some other tips for keeping your pet hydrated:

• Monitor the weather and exercise pets during the coolest parts of the day
• Maintain a fresh water supply
• Know your pet’s safety limits and the signs of dehydration

So please, keep your pets well-hydrated... not only throughout the summer but year round. Canadian winters can be dry, especially in modern, air-tight, centrally heated homes.

We at Mischief and Mayhem Central recommend PetSafe® Brand which offers several products to help Canadians keep their pets well hydrated.​ ​

Should you wish to... here are links to their website, Facebook and Instagram.

​Website: https://intl.petsafe.net/en-ca
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PetSafeCanada
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petsafecanada/
​

​All photos in this post are copyright of PetSafe and were borrowed with thanks for this blog.

​Comments are welcomed.  Keep them light and fun.  ​