Ninja's Ninth Birthday Today!!!

Ninja Panther Moonrose Cat is depressed!!!

How can that be?

It's his birthday.

As Queen, I told him he must deport himself in a manner proper for my Guard and main Royal Advisor. He didn't smile, didn't straighten up, didn't purr. But, he did put on a brave Ninja face.

He refused at first to tell me what's wrong. Why in the world is he depressed on his birthday. Finally, he swallowed his pride and confessed that he didn't consider another year older to be to his advantage. In fact, his retirement from his younger, lithe, muscular, martial artist days are over. He feels therefore his life is over.

He feels he's lost his value as a mancat. He said, even though he knew better, there is an old superstition that a cat's nine lives are up when he becomes nine years old!

I told him in no uncertain terms to straighten up and fly right. Suddenly he laughed and told me he would not be doing any ninja flying techniques ever again.

But, his laugh was light-hearted, and more accepting of himself and his situation.

"After all, Queen Bambi," he said to me,  I'm happy to have my forever home and not be in that shelter where my previous people had left me."

I told him I was happy he was here, too.

"And best of all, I am happy to be here living with you and Spyder."

I gave him a nose kiss for that thoughtful remark and wished him a happy ninth birthday.

Hello Kitty Post Box

Every time Neighbor Girl arrives, we all go find a safe place to hide. She makes so much noise, moves things around, and runs the loud household machines one after the other. We like her just fine, but when she departs, We are most grateful for the peace and quiet as well as the nice clean house she has left for us!

Today is Spyder's Adoption Birthday. Miss E brought him home one year ago today! Time surely flies as quickly as the birdies!

Though Spyder can sometimes be such a nuisance, But, We still love him dearly. We asked him what he wanted for his adopta-birthday. He said he wants Hello Kitty to come visit. He has a crush on her.

Ninja and I were making plans for how to celebrate Spyder's adopta-birthday when Neighbor Girl arrived and began sweeping the front sidewalk. She accidentally knocked the mail box off the wall and the paint chipped off. Miss E was quite understanding and insisted that Neighbor Girl not pay for a new one.

Neighbor Girl wanted to fix the mail box. But, she couldn't repaint it, so she decorated it! She didn't make any big noises, which had us very curious.

Ninja and I were curious cats and investigated as she took the old Hello Kitty calendar and cut the used pages away. We were concerned because Spyder has always said Hello Kitty is his "Calender Girl". We thought he would be disturbed to see her cut up like that. Fortunately he was asleep in our two story tentament in the back room.

It was quite rewarding to observe Neighbor Girl assemble the old pages from Hello Kitty calendar and cover the mail box with them. It was a clever craft lesson, if I do say so myself. And Ninja got to chew up the spare paper cuttings.

We are most pleased! When Spyder awoke and came out to see what was going on, he was so excited and happy because he assumed the newly covered mail box was a gift for his adopta-birthday!

And we didn't let him otherwise. Though we know it was a present for the post man... er... letter carrier.

It's Queen Bambi's Birthday!!!

On the day before ChrisMouse,
Not a creature was stirring, Well you know about the mouse.
The stockings were rolled in Mamma's bed to help keep her warm
In hopes that her kittens soon would be born.

Then we kittens were nestled all snug in soft warm fur,
While visions of our futures danced in our heads.
And Mamma in her little nest, and we newborns in her lap,
Had just settled our down for a long winter’s nap.

When out in the field there arose such a clatter,
Mama sprang from the nest to see what was the matter.
Her fur up in hackles, her eyes warned a flash,
She glanced around and put on her fierce guard.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen frost
Gave the luster of mid-day to objects nearby.
When, what to our wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
Mama told us it must be the Chris Mouse.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now ride to the new kittens so I can see them all!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You see my friends, it was the day of my birth and that of my dear siblings out there in the field.

I remember it well. Though there are those who think that not possible. I remember my Mama so warm and loving, protecting us from the cold. She worried day and night where we would get food, when a stranger came along and offered us some, and took us all home. It wasn't long before the shelter took us in and helped us find forever homes. We knew we couldn't stay together, but we were happy to go. We said our farewells and began our new lives.

I was adopted by a sweet girl who went to school. We celebrated my first birthday and ChrisMouse with a great deal of joy. I was happy to be growing up, and a short time later I had kittens of my own. Then, I understood the deep love of my Mama, and fierce protection she gave us. Soon it was time to say good bye to my little ones. I still miss them sometimes, but I know they have good forever homes.

Then the day came when my school girl had to say good bye to me, and for a while I lived with her kin. This made me angry and they gave me back to the shelter, where I was unhappy until I met Miss E, and she took me as I was, grouchy and all. At first I scratched her. It was hard to trust, after all. But, I met my hero, Ninja, the all black cat, who I liked right away. He knows I'm a Queen and is there for me whenever I need him. Then along came precious little Spyder. Oh my, what an odd looking kitten with his odd mismatched eyes. He's got all white fur, like mine, but for that little black Mohawk style on the top of his head. Did I mention his strange eyes, one yellow, one blue. I knew he was special right away. We bonded like Mama and kitten, and I protected him fierce. But now he's growing and taking care of himself.

It's been a year of downs and ups, and now I am so fortunate, and grateful. I don't feel angry anymore. I don't bite or scratch. I have a home with beds to sleep on, lots of food or catnip anytime I want, room to play with toy mousies, and Miss E to take care of me, and visits by the Monk, a real special human. Everyone respects me and loves me. What more could a young Queen want?

Now, it's my birthday, a very special day!!! Even Catster is honoring my birthday in their site!

I am two years old by human time, and 24 in cat time.

We're going to have a party to celebrate and my favorite, salmon pie!
Ninja is going to test the cake first to make sure it is safe to eat.

I wish you could all be here, too. I look forward to many more birthdays to come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yes, Virginia, there really is a Chris Mouse! 
You can read about him here!

Eight Years in the Life of a Ninja

Well, here I am another year older, and wiser, I like to think. We had a great party today and celebrated with a tuna cake cut into three parts. There were no candles on the cake. Miss E doesn't believe in having candles. She thinks they are dangerous. That's okay by me. Though candles can bring about great states of relaxation by staring at them. I can stare all I like in relaxations without candles. I rather like the warmth of the stained glass lamp shining down on my fur. I don't think a candle can do that.

The years have passed by in a blur. I've had a good life. I can't complain. The only life I ever knew was with the couple I lived with and those two dogs.

One was a Lhasa Apso. Her name was Dolly... Dolly Lamar.... get it? No?

Dolly told me she is from a long line of sacred Dolly Lamars from Tibet. She is the 123rd in her lineage. She was very wise, but very sometimes hard to understand. She spent a lot of time chanting in some ancient gutteral sound. Once she was quiet, if a bell rang, she would start up again. It sounded like "oooooommahneeepadmeeeeehoooo" I think there was something about her background or training that was set to bells. if the door bell rang she would start up. If I jingled my collar bell, she would stop, and then if I jingled it again, she would start again. So, I tried not to jingle at all. That was one of my first lessons in becoming a Ninja. Being silent in my stealth techniques.

The other dog was an Akita. He was huge! His name was Kain Doshi, but our people just called him Doshi. He claimed to be a warrior monk of the highest caliber and an expert teacher of Ninjutsu martial arts. I called him Sensei, which means teacher in Japan, where his ancestors came from. Though he was large, he was quiet compared to Dolly. He really knew how to just sit, and be. I learned a lot from Sensei.

I miss those two. But when I was living with them it could be very difficult to get through a day with both of them on my tail to learn this lesson and that. It could be very confusing, since both had different points of view. Yet, they were united on their goals to train me to their "Way". Unfortunately for them I am not a dog and could not fit into their "pact". Fortunately for me, I am a superior black cat who has taken the best of their knowledge and put it into practice. Even they could never reach the state of being one can reach in the practice of "Stillness". I am actually quite excellent and can hold that pose for a very long time. No dog I know of can keep stillness for that long, always being distracted by people calling them, responding to whistling, and cars driving up to the house, and so on.

I do miss them, it's true. I miss the couple, too. Even though they were always yelling at me.

"KOBE!!! Get down from there." I had to get away from my incessant but well meaning teachers. Didn't I? How else was I to do that but by sitting on top of the refrigerator?

"KOBE, Come here!" What did they think? That I was a dog and would come running when summoned? Excuse me, even a tough guy like me has a sense of dignity. Besides I had no idea they were referring to me when they were shouting KOBE, KOBE, KOBE all the time. Dolly and Sensei showed me that when they are shouting like that to go hide and whimper, usually under the table. But, I would never go under the table with the dogs. I couldn't stand the whimpering. It was just too high pitched for my sensitive ears. So, I would go hide somewhere else. The couple thought I was "aloof", and seemed quite happy to leave it that way, as the dogs were happy to lick their faces all the time. That left me plenty of time to practice my Zen skills.

But, that last year I lived there, the couple were always bickering. I was almost relieved when we were all put in our carriers and taken to the shelter. Dolly swung into her chanting continuously that whole trip. I felt sad that my own Sensei would howl like a common dog, then too. It was quite painful to be in the middle of that. I was so relieved when we were separated but I didn't realize I wouldn't see my teachers again. That is one thing they were sure of when we were traveling in the car. I had blocked out all their noise, but they Knew it was Good bye.. Sayonara because that was part of their last messages to me.

At the shelter nice man took me out of the carrier and "inspected" me, saying I was in perfect shape. Of course, I was, even though I was already seven years old. They say that is 45 in people years. I suppose that is venerable enough for me.

So when I came to live here and was called KOBE, I turned and went in the other direction. It didn't take long before the Monk recognized who I really was, and pointed out to Elizabeth that I was truly a Ninja. He is a very smart man, and a brother in the monkhood so to speak, as it seems he can be "still" in the midst of chaos, too. And even though he has an innate fear of cats, he is able to maintain his integrity by his own zen practice. It seems that Keli, the Dowager Queen was his first teacher of cat acceptance. Though, I have noticed, even though he is able to pet me, he has never attempted to pick me up. I recall, though, that he would let Jeffery sprawl himself out from head to toe on his lap on occasion.

Now that Keli and Jeffery are gone, I have a lot of responsibility around here. First and foremost, I guard over the household by keeping my post at the head of the bed on the bookcase headboard. Then, of course, I must be a good example and older brother to Bambi, though she has little respect for me when she chases me about. I guess I still have a lot to learn about patience. And now that little Spyder has joined us, it is imperative for me to let him know who is boss around here, and teach him some manners. Though Bambi insists that she will take care of raising him in the Way of the Cat.

Sometimes I'm not sure which is more challenging, to live in a household with two dogs, or to live in a household with two other cats?

I know one thing for sure. The past is the past, and it is done. That is the way of the Zen Cat. The future with Bambi and Spyder is yet untold. Though, I may attempt to influence them with my abilities and powers, we may not always see eye to eye. Worry not, I say to myself. The future is the future, and it is not this moment now. Spending this moment now worry, is not living. It is worrying. For right now, I will just be and live the moment.

Happy Birthday to me.

Calico Birthday

Today is Keli's birthday. She would have been twenty years old. For the longest time, I had confused her birthday with my daughter's which would have been a few days later, but having found my diary, there it was. Keli was born on the 26 th.

I called Xavier and told him I would be driving Keli's poster up to his house. It wouldn't matter if he were home or not. I would just drop it off. I was too stressed out about asking Kats too ship it, to find a correct way to wrap it according to his, fedex, standards.

Even though I have found working on this fulfilling, I have also had this underlying inexplicable stress. Perhaps my medicine? Perhaps because I totally forgot to go to the animal shelter to attend the training night so I could be a volunteer there? No... more probably all the fires. The Bonny Doon fire... I mean the Lockheed fire. Why did they change the name? even though I do not live close to Bonny Doon, the winds blew the smoke and ash southerly right across the bay. Asthma all messed up. Stress. Then, there was the Gloria fire that burned south of here about 50 miles and the stench from that was worse. My breathing suffers. Locked in the house, air conditioner on. It is stressful even going out to the car. Stressful to go to the grocery store. and discover that the air in the store is polluted, that children are screaming and running up and down the aisle, that parents are shouting at their kids. That three teenage boys are throwing a basketball at each other, that the announcements from the LOUD speaker are particularly LOUD! Stress.

I just want to get home. I want to get back to Keli, to loving her, to remembering her, to knowing how much she mattered to me as a daily presence of love and peace in my life. Now, gone.