I'm Famous!

A nice lady contacted my peoples a few days ago and said she wanted to use my picture on her pet blog for the BaltimoreSun website! The Blog is called Unleashed, and here is a link to the post on me.

It mentions that I once fell asleep in the window with my favorite book Field Guide to North American Birds, and I thought you might like to see a picture of that.

The Girls Turned 10

Well, it has been 10 years since I gave birth to a squirming pile of kittens. Riker and Grace are both doing well, and got excellent reports from the vet a few weeks ago. In fact, the vet was so impressed with Riker that he called in all of the techs from the back room and held her up and showed her off as an example of what a healthy, proper weight cat should look like. I was so proud.

Grace has been rather naughty lately, picking on Annika to the point of bloodshed. As a result she has been staying in the girlchild's room, and life has been much calmer ever since. She has been good, and content in her new little world (which she thinks she owns) and Annika is growing more confident and her wounds are healing.

The girls had a relaxing birthday. Grace was allowed out on the couch in the living room under supervision, and Riker and I spent some quality time together.

Kitten Update

Socks Cat here bringing you an update on the kitten situation. We have decided to stop calling them aliens, and allow them to become part of the family. We still have occasional outbreaks of hissing, but we have for the most part accepted them as one of us. According to the Ashtons, the kittens may even start blogging over the upcoming Thanksgiving vacation. We go to Riker now for a report on the kittens' recent vet visit.

Hi mom! The kittens had another "well kitty" visit yesterday. According to inside sources they received their next round of jabs, and a clean bill of health report. Puddins weighed in at 3.6 pounds (1.632 kg) and Annika weighed 3.2 pounds (1.451).

In honor of Freckles, I should mention the fact that the kittens went to their visit in her blue travel box. For some reason that none of us have completely understood, that fact always seemed to be rather important to her. Back to you mom.

Thank you Riker. I think Tashi has a photo proving that we are indeed making headway in the getting along department. Tashi?

Yes Socks. We actually have some rather shocking footage of the amazing strides in friendly relations between Grace and Annika. Grace reportedly didn't hiss at her once during this whole incident.



In my defence it was rather chilly that evening, and Annika was warm.

Well, what ever the case, I'm proud of you. :) That's it for now folks, Grace will hopefully have video for us in the next few days, so stay tuned.

We Number Six Again :_(

Freckles passed away this morning. None of us really feel like talking about it yet, but we thought we should at least post something to let everyone know.

This is a rather old photo, but it shows her in her favorite place in the house.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

This is a message from the emergency broad-cat-ing system. This is not a test.

We are experiencing technical difficulties with our video department.

Please stand by. . .

(Are you standing by? . . . Good)

Keep standing. . .

Yea!! Success!! The problem is resolved. The video is now functioning properly.

This was not a test. We repeat. This was not a test.

Beep. Beep. Beep. . .

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blogging.

Alien Invasion - A Second Special Report

Riker Cat here, standing in for Socks, bringing you a LIVE Special Report. Socks didn't feel like reporting today because she is very upset about several incidents this weekend involving the kittens. The kittens were seen on multiple occasions climbing around on not only Mum Ashton, but on The Bearded One too! In my mother’s eyes this is profoundly unacceptable! We go now to Tashi who has obtained some photos of the situation.

Good morning Riker. Things escalated last night when Puddins climbed up to The Bearded One’s shoulder to take a quick sniff at Socks. Socks dealt with the situation quickly and efficiently by hissing and spitting at the youngster. Puddins understood that universal language very well and backed off. As we all know, Socks is very protective of the back of the gray chair, and Puddins probably had no clue as to the sacrilege she was committing by approaching that area. Of course, all of this comes on top of the kittens’ continued encampment in her Front Bathroom. We see here Socks’ delayed reaction.


She was averting her eyes from scenes like this. You can see why she was so unsettled. It is hard to stay mad in the presence of such intense cuteness.


Yes, it is Tashi. Thank you. We go now to Grace who has been working on a movie of the kittens for us. Grace how is it going?

Hello Riker. I am not only awake today, but I have completed the movie*! You can see it here. Be patient, it may take a few minutes to load. You could take a nap maybe. {Purrrrrr} {Yawn}

Thank you Grace, we'll try that. This is Riker Cat signing off.


* This home movie was set to the music of Gillbert and Sullivan's "With Cat Like Tread" from The Pirates of Penzance. Performed by The King's Singers.

Alien Invasion - Special Report

Socks Cat here bringing you a Special Report. The new Ashton Kittens visited the vet today and have just returned home. To get the story we join Tashi who is on location by the front bathroom.

Tashi: The kittens are back in the bathroom Socks. Apparently the vet visit went well. All tests for diseases and worms came back negative, however the doctor said that as they are probably only about five weeks old, and the tests are not really conclusive at this young an age. This is good news for the Ashton Cats because the kittens are to be quarantined for an additional two weeks at which point they will be tested again.

Socks: But Tashi, that means that the aliens will be remaining in MY front bathroom for two whole more long weeks!

Tashi: Yes Socks, but don't forget, that also means they will not be encroaching on other areas of prime real estate around the house such as the bedrooms or kitchen.

Freckles: ThemS tOok ttHe Ki10s 2 Da vEt In miNE bLuE bOx! ThEmS wiLL NeED 2 use MinE BOx aGin!

Socks: True on both counts. We go now to Riker who has some new information.


Riker: Yes mom. Grace and I have been keeping our ears open and it has come to our attention that the Ashtons have named the kittens! This is sure evidence that our days of being "the five" Ashton Cats, are soon to be over. We will soon be seven in number.

Socks: So Riker, what are the kitten's names?


Riker: Well mom, kitten #1, weighing in at 1.2 pounds (that's 0.544 kilograms for our friends overseas), has been named Puddins after Shtinky Puddin in the Mutts Comic Strip. She appears to be very adventureous and is a remarkable escape artist. Aside from being the slightly larger of the two she can also be distinguished by several pale orange calico markings.

Puddins


Kitten #2, weighing in at 1 pound even (0.453 kilograms), has been named Annika. She gets her name from a Star Trek character who is more commonly known as Seven. The Ashtons figured it was appropriate since she was the seventh cat in the family. Annika is very playful, but is already showing a strong aptitude in the napping department. She seems to be rather proud of her purr-fect grey and white tabby markings.

Annika


Socks: Thank you Riker, that is most interesting. We go now to Grace who is working on a special project.

Grace: {Yawn} Morning Mum.


Socks: Grace, it's late afternoon. What do you have for us?


Grace: Right. Sorry. {Yawn} I have been compiling a video of the four kittens for our audience's viewing pleasure.

Socks: You do realize their are only two now don't you?


Grace: When did that happen?


Socks: Sunday.


Grace: Oh. Well, I'm doing the best I can. It's not my fault it has been perfect napping conditions the last few days. Hopefully I will be able to get the movie done by the end of next weekend. As you know this will have been my first attempt at such things so I'm not making any promises as to quality. After all naps are much more important.

Socks: Ok Grace, just do the best you can. Ok folks, join us next time when we explore the questions of the future assimilation of the kittens into the ranks of the Cats of Ashton Hall elite, specifically, how long will it be before they can type?! Until next time, I'm Socks Cat, signing off.

Alien Invasion - Weekend Report

Socks Cat here with your Weekend Report. Last night the living room was the scene of wild frivolity as the kittens were allowed to explore the sofa. We go now to Riker for a full report.

Riker: Thank you mom. Yes, last night the Ashton Living Room was transformed from a quiet, tranquil retreat into a furry blur of meowing, climbing, craziness. The four kittens were allowed to climb around on the sofa under heavy surveillance. Two of the Ashton peoples were required to keep the aliens under control. They scrambled around until they finally collapsed in an exhausted little pile.

Socks: Grace was also on scene. Grace, are you awake today?


Grace: {Yawn} Yes, I’m mostly awake today. {Yawn} The kittens certainly did show remarkable dexterity for being so very young, but I was most impressed by the rapidity with which they were able to achieve a napping state. One minute they would be careening around, and the next they were dropping off to sleep. Very impressive. All this talk of napping is making me very sleepy, back to you Mum.

Socks: Thank you Grace. For the big, shocking news of the weekend we now proceed to Freckles for our LIVE report.


Freckles: 4 ov tHems LEFt in a bOx. 2 uF thems coMeD back.


Socks: Freckles, are you saying that the Ashton’s took all four of the alien kittens somewhere, and came back with only two?


Freckles: tHemS diDunT taKe Mi bOx.


Socks: Yes, but Freckles, do you know where the other two alien kittens have gone?


Freckles: niCe lAdy gaVed tHem a HOme. ShE tOokeD 2 sO TheYd haVe aa fRiEnD.

Socks: This is incredible news. Apparently two of the kittens now have a good home with a very nice lady who will take care of both of them. This leaves us with the question of the two remaining alien felines. With more on this situation we go now to Tashi.

Tashi: Well Socks, I have been hiding in strategic locations around the house to get the real story. The situation is indeed grave. The Ashtons are apparently going to keep these two kittens and add them to our numbers. I repeat, The Cats of Ashton Hall are now seven in number!

Socks: Tashi, do you mean to tell me that we are going to have to accept these kittens as part of our number? This isn’t going to sit well with some of the cats. We all feel badly for the little, motherless, youngsters, but that doesn’t change the fact that our turf is being encroached upon!

Tashi: That’s true Socks. The battle lines will soon be drawn and only time will tell the outcome of this insurgence.

Socks: Well folks it appears that this is only the beginning. Knowing the extent of our personal jealousies towards outsiders interfering with the delicate equilibrium of human time-sharing we have developed, the naturalization of these alien kittens is sure to be, um, eventful. This is Socks Cat signing off.