To Honor the Memory of Dowager Queen

~~~

Rest in Peace Beautiful One

We will always remember you with love in our hearts, and rely on your wise angel presence when you guide us through the mysteries of our feline nine lives.

Today would have been Miss Keli's 21st birthday. 

Now you know why she was called the Dowager Queen. 

Trembling Cats

It was one of those days of oddities. The moon was full, the weather bizarre with temperatures to 100 °F (37.7 °C. Celsius).

We didn't mind the heat, but we could tell Miss E was distressed.

Then we all began to feel queasy.

My Queen was very distraught and kept circling through the house checking on everything. She finally went to hide under the blanket on Miss E's bed.

I focused my best ninja powers into the phenomena and suddenly I knew! Just a moment later the earth moved and swayed.

Earthquake! It was a very uncomfortable feeling. Purrsons don't pay much attention, as I have noticed before in my years of living here.

I know it gets much worse than a 4, but just the same we were all affected deeply. That's the price of being alert and sensitive cats.

Our wild and insolent teenager, Spyder, has been behaving a little trembly and nervous since then.

The slightest noise or movement makes him jump. Poor little boycat!

I have tried to get him to calmly meditate, but he is unable to focus and his fur is floating everywhere.

Spyder has now retired to the laundry basket on the floor, and refuses to come out. Just for safety sake, I am now guarding over them both.

Times are Changing

I getting so bored with those two. The Queen and Ninja, they always telling me what ta do, how ta behave. They calling me a "teenager", like that's a bad word or sumpin'.

Ninja always saying his monk stuff. "Calm and stay focused, Young One!"

He said that ta me da udder day when I run my head into da wall.

I was playing chase wiff Bambi and she switch directshun. She run to right when she was goin' left.

That not fair! So, I end up wiff my head bang into da wall. Then, Ninja has no care for my poor bump head!

Now all they talkin 'bout is changing da name of da blog. Furst Bambi say shuld be Queen Bambi and faithful friends.

Ninja say it shud be called Cat Dojo. That means a place where ninja's get trained. But nobody here gettin' trained. I is already great atheleet.

And they pretends ta care what I fink of all this changing da name. When I tells them what I wants, they say bump on head make me say things all silly.

I don't likes it. Queen Keli was my Spirit Mama.

She came to me when I furst was here lockt in the baffroom all by myseff, and her comfort me.

And them guys nevver believes me. I tol' them all da time she was on da rocker chair, too, when her tol me all them cat secrets about da Great Queen Bastet, da muvver of all da cats.

I wants the name kept ta be Dowarrger Queen, cos she da best one furrever!

TV or Music, Which shall it be?

Spyder has been such a wild teenager lately getting into all kinds of trouble. Miss E piled stuff on the dresser so that Spyder cannot climb on top of the TV.

Spyder was not happy about that. He likes to get warm there.

One of the things Miss E piled up was her carry case. Spyder opened the top and hid inside! We were looking for him all day! Ninja found Spyder and scolded him for being naughty and making us worry.

We have been listening to a lot of music. Our Israeli friend, Amir, brought me some CD’s! Of course, others can listen, but Amir is a real gentleman and always brings me gifts. He understands how to treat a queen like me.


He brought Jazz music this time. I like the mellow kind, but the kind that gets strange and sounds like the lizards arguing outside in the sun, is irritating to my sensitive ears.

Ninja says it's not music and I quite agree. He likes it when the monk comes over and plays his Shakuhachi flute. I must admit it is peaceful, like the wind in the trees.

Ninja and Spyder went to play in the kitchen. I got tired and curled up on the bed, and spent my time listening to heavenly music!

It makes me feel so tranquil.

What's in an Appellation?

I sensed my Queen was disgruntled. She laid on the bed and moped. Even Spyder knew she was brooding. He went to our Queen to offer comfort and purrs. She sighed. I asked her what was wrong. She shook her head, rolled her eyes and answered, "Nothing!"

It doesn't take a ninja to know when a female says "nothing" it definitely means "something"! I licked my paw and looked at her sideways to let her know I respect her Majesty but if she didn't come clean and let us know what's bothering her, I would signal Spyder to give her a chase and that would get her out of her bad mood.

I certainly can't tell my Queen what to do, but I can sway her with my Ninja mind control techniques. It worked very effectively.

Our Ladyship Bambi said she was dissatisfied with the title of the blog and wants to change it.

"Seriously," she said. "Think about it a moment. With all due respect to those who came before us, I am not the Dowager Queen. I am THE Queen." She spread her claws open to emphasize her meaning.

I could see her point. It has been well over a year since I came here to my forever home with Miss E and I know the Dowager Queen was not here when I arrived, though her scent was strong. Yes, someone might come to the blog looking for the Venerable One and not understand that she has moved on.

Before I attempt to plant the idea of a name change into the head of Miss E, I thought it would be important to include our young teencat into the decision process. After all, he has demonstrated such maturity lately.

So I turned to Spyder and asked. "What do you think? Shall we change the name? Bring it more up to date?"

Spyder stood up, stretched grabbed his mousie and left the room. "Whatever!" he mumbled.

I'm really going to have to speak to him about his attitude! Teenagers!

Grumpy Cats

Everybody grumpy today. Queen Bambi grumpy. I grumpy. Miss E grumpy. Ninja most grumpy of all. It not my fault. Really, not me did it. I swares! We was running round da house same as uzual, having fun, Queen Bambi and me. Mr. grumpy Ninja was sleepin' by da bookshelp. We wasn't being quiet, but Ninja, he can sleep through ennyfing. Him always say him meditating, but I fink snoring not a mantra. Right? Is I right?

Ennyhow, I chase Bambi cross da back ov da sofa and she knock down all da pillows was up there, and one jump over and smack Ninja. Just then him look up, and me, I running cross da bookshelp and books fall down all beside Ninja, and he jump on top ov da books. Then Miss E come in da room and see Ninja and da mess ov books all over. She dint see me and Bambi cos by this time, we hiding unner da sofa. So Miss E fink Ninja knock down da books and tell him he a bad boy. And Ninja dont lyke that. Now him all grumpy.

Not my fault him sleeping right there by them books! Queen Bambi say we gots ta stay away from him coz he givving da Eebil Eye. Him look scarey when him grumpy don'tcha fink so?

Funny Cat Video

We hates to admit it, but we have done some of the same things these cats do in this funny cat video. Just the same we think you will have some laughs at our expense.

Eyes of the Ninja

Wise Cat Words

...

 "The more I know about people the more I like my cat" ~~~Yoko Ono

Photo is from Izismile

What fun to be a cat

What fun to be a cat!

Christopher Morely

American Writer

Spyder bows to Her Royal Highness Queen Bambi as she dubs him "Sir"

Cat Collar Disaster

My beautiful pink collar with all my royal diamonds is missing! And of course my identity tag! Without the tag I am nothing! Less than nothing! What should happen if I were to fall into the hands of ruffians? If they were to think I were a stray, Heaven Forbid, they would never know my royal status. I would be nothing in their eyes but a commoner!

Oh, woe is me! I better make sure I am not given over to temptation and go running out the door every chance I get, or I will never be recognized as Queen Bambi again.  

How could I possibly prove my identity unless someone were to take me to a Vet and have him read the id chip under my skin? Whatever could have happened to my precious collar? The whole situation is distressing!

I'm sure Miss E has been diligently searching for it. I notice she found the old stretchy blue one that Timmy kept taking off, playing with, and losing. Miss E put it back on him It fits him best and he's no longer interested in playing snaky with it. So, he is not interested in removing it.

He says the Dowager Lady Cat told him to continue wearing it for his well being. He means his imaginary friend. I don't know where the boy gets this from, but at least he is correct to keep his collar on. Now if he will leave it on permanently.

Though I will  miss my one of a kind, pink diamond collar, I am enjoying the new blue one with emergency snap that Miss E has purchased for me. I even have a new tag. And she put a heart on it, too.

Cat Philosphy

A kitten is more amusing than half the people one is obliged to live with.

~~~ Lady Sydney Morgan

Irish Novelist

Cat Collar Catastrophe

Oh, I was so furrstrated with Miss E. Her gave me a new collar for my Adopta-birthday. Tho it were very purrty, all purrple with suns and stars on it, I just don't lyke collars on my neck!!! I just don't know how to get that poynt across to her!

I politely sniffed the new collar. It smell good enuff. That Ok. I seed how purrty it was. But, when she starts ta put it on me, I back up. Only thing is, she was already behind me! So, I couldn't back up fur enuff without landing on her lap. So I gots stuck there, and she put dat collar right around my neck. By dat tyme I already upside down and slapping her wiff my tail in da face, but she still persisss, and latch da collar shut.

I pretend effurrything is cool and walk away. But all night long I scratch at dat collar and it jes go round and round my neck and nowhere it stop.

I spent dis morning trying ta back out of it, rolling my neck against things and turning over and over, but dat not work. This one of those trick collars... ain't no beginning, aint no end.

Bambi tell me I a bad boy. She say I needs the collar so Miss E can put tag with my name on it. I tell her mind her own buzniss, I already knows my name! Den she say she throw up her paws. She say, now I a teenager she don't know whats ta do wiff me. Well, I don'ts know what ta do wiff her either. So there! We even!

Ninja say, make calm, make relax and accept collar as a natrul part of me. He say he have many collars in all martial arts, but they is called belts. I just look at him hard in the eyes until he look away. So much for Ninja!

Queen Bambi, she don't unnerstands me. Ol' Ninja think he knows efurrything! Them guys just don'ts com pre hen me. Nobody unnerstand me. Just cos I is teenager cat dont means I gotta do efurrything efurrybody say. I is meown grown up kitty and I can do what I wants. So there! And I don't wants ta wear no new purrty purrple collar wiff sun n starss running on it! Not yestidday! Not taday! Not efurr!

This morning I hided under the bed and I stick my jaw unnerneath the collar. It a streachy collar so I got it ta streach right up over my teefs and I begin chewing. And so I chew and chew and chew on it a long time and start cutting dat collar in half. It taken a long time, I tellya! By the tyme I half way thru chewing da collar in half, I already back up out of the bedroom and out inta da hallway and backed into the linen cabinet, and I is still chewing! I mus admit my teefs and my jaw getting awful tired.

Then, Miss E, she find me, and her make those baby cry noises at me and I so glad she pick me up and slide dat collar right off me like a blinky eye. (How she do dat so fast?) And I so tired all I wanna do is have her hold me. And dat what she do. Hold me. Maybe now she believe me when I tell her no more cat collars!

Cats on Nip

Since I am immune to the desire for catnip, I can only stare in wonder at the odd behavior my housemates exhibit when inebriated, or perhaps I should use the word, "high". There are those who would say catnip is an addictive substance. After all it is a mind altering substance.

Of course, you know, I do all my mind altering with the practice of Zen, as any respectable Ninja Cat would do.

Adopta-Birthday!

Hey Efurrybody! Guess what? We ben celebratin' my adopta-birthday! I ben living here in my furrever home wiff Queen Bambi, Ninja, and Miss E for one whole year! Seems lyke it was a minnut ago. Huh?

I remembers my adopshun day, and I remembers da furst tyme I saw Miss E, too. It was ryte after dey brot me and my fambly into da shelter. We been livin down by the Watsonville Slew until then. That's kinda lyke a marsh but only better. Dey dint ketch my mama. She too smart for dem guys. But she say, "Be nice kittens. Go wid dem, cos dey gonna give yoo nice new furrever homes. Don't hafta live in da wet water ol swamp ennymore." I kinda lyke da wet water, but I did what mama sez.

So, dat furst day we was all takin' a cozy nap inside da glass room and sumpin waked me up. I roll over and there she was... Miss E! I took one looks at her and I just knew she was gonna 'dopt me. So I blinkt at her with my blue eye. And guess what? She pretty smart! She blinkt right back at me with her blue eye. Then I blinkt at her wiff my gold eye, and she blinkt back wiff her blue eye. She ain't got no gold eye, but that's okay. I loves her how she is.

I was a liddle disappoynted cos she dint take me home dat day. But da older big cats tol' me I had ta stay and get me fixed furst and tested for dehzeezuhs. I dint mind tests too much but gettin' fixed made me hurts. But, now I dont cares bout that stuff no more.

I thot I never gonna see Miss E ever again when dey take me to other shelter. But, lyke I say, she one smart purrson. She hunt me down and bringed me home.

Here I am one year later, I one growed up happy boy cellabraytin' my furst adopta-birthday!!! And I still blinks my eye at Miss E to tells her I loves her.

One Eye Jack and the Rat Terrier

One Eye Jack dropped by again. It's great to hang out with him. I didn't realize before that he actually has a forever home. He spends so much time wandering the neighborhood, I thought he was a free agent.

That being said, he has a tough guy collar and an ID tag just like the rest of us.

So, when I asked him about his purrsons, he said they were two "Dudes" room-mating, and sometimes there's a "chick" there. I'm not sure what he means. I don't understand street talk, but I'm sure I will learn.

Jack tells me he has a cat door that swings open to the outside. He can come and go as he pleases. He says sometimes the raccoons come in through his door and eat his food. But he doesn't mind. I don't think I would like the invasion of my space and I would need to protect Queen Bambi and Spyder from such intrusion.

He seems to be a very avant garde, cool cat. He's as curious about my martial arts training and meditation skills as I am interested in his street fighting techniques. I'm sure we will learn a lot from each other. I hope he will sit down sometime and tell me about how he injured his eye.

Yesterday, I watched him from my favorite window as he participated in  the neighbors yard sale. He was sniffing things out when a Rat Terrier dog trotted right into the middle things as if he owned the place.

Jack politely gave him a warning growl and raised his hackles and told him to get along. But Rat, just flipped his head at him in an insulting manner.

I like dogs well as anyone. But, what honorable cat would take such behavior from a disrespectful dog? I watched in admiration as Jack took after the Rat and chased him right down the middle of the street! Jack definitely has good control of his Qi energy!

I guess we wont be hearing from that one anymore!