What's a girl to do?

Attention cat owners: Is there *any* way to train a cat?

My adorable, gentle, and sweet "bunny-rabbit" greets strangers excitedly, purrs on our laps all the time, infinitely improves my moods and stress levels, and is generally a perfect pet. EXCEPT I cannot stop him from jumping on the counter. This horrifies houseguests and creates work for us (eternal wiping down and/or washing our arsenal of cutting boards—guaranteed cat-free prep surfaces). And, as I was reminded today, when he jumped on the counter and jetted across the HOT STOVE, it is NOT safe for the cat! (He was fine. Phew.)

He jumps on the counter mainly because he loves the sink. We tried getting him a kitty fountain, but he still likes the sink. We tried squirting him with a bottle, but he just deals with the water. "No" is a word that cats understand—and laugh at and ignore. I hear double-sided tape can deter cats from certain surfaces, but our cat loves to chew on tape (what a weirdo!). This "blender defender" seems a little extreme...anyone have any practical advice??

Pre-wedding fun

Seems like we're in wedding overdrive lately, but there is a lot of fun leading up to this!

Exhibit A, drinking with my mom and aunts in Providence:

Exhibit B, Waterfire in Providence (through a slightly drunken lens):

Exhibit C, Cats love early wedding presents wrapped in paper.

Cat belleh

It's been a while since your last cat belleh. Too late for a mid-week pick-me-up, but here's a nice little boost for the end of your week. Nothing warms the heart like a little blissed-out cat belleh!

Cat belleh

One of the best ways to brighten up a dreary day is to give the cat a belly rub. I give you Roger's furry, stripy littly belleh:

Happy birthday, Roger!

The furry little kitty we all know and love turns 1 today. (Well, 1-ish, we're going by the date from his medical records.) He may be an occasional hindrance to productivity (see above), but life with him just can't be beat. Seems like just yesterday we brought the furball back from the ASPCA. 

He was so little!

Then he learned to read the New Yorker (er, cats read upside down)...

Then he developed his habit of jumping in any available bags or boxes (or drawers)...

And became obsessed with water and the sink (though the bane of my existence that he jumps on the counters, he does look pretty funny with a wet head, from sticking it under the faucet)...

And, of course, he loves his people:

If you are looking for a furry little companion, let me take the opportunity to get up on my soapbox and recommend adoption. Whether through the ASPCA or one of many independent rescue organizations (you can track them down on Petfinder), chances are that there is an animal of the breed, age, and temperament you are looking for. And they're eager to live with you in a loving home! 

More done-ness

As much as I'd love to play violin myself on October 3rd, I'm going to be a little busy getting married, so I had to find someone else. At least one violinist from my old high school and youth orchestras is up for the job! I may decide to have 2 violins, if we opt for the Bach piece I've been imagining. And there's a second violinist available if so. Yay!

I didn't hire Roger. He only auditioned for the part of sleeping in a violin case, which he obviously got.

File under...

Kittehs are very neat and organized pets. Here, Roger demonstrates by helping with the filing:

Belongs in here somewheres...

No, not under A...C? No...H, I, J...

I filez me under "K" for "kitteh"

Feed the Cat, Tuppence a Bag

If only feeding our furry and feathered friends were as easy (and cheap!) as buying a bag of bread crumbs from the iconic St. Paul’s bird lady. Now we know that feeding people food to the birds is not really good for them, and we also know more about the negative consequences of packing cat and dog foods with corn fillers and wheat gluten.

Chris and I are pretty efficient grocery shoppers, but when we hit the Pet Supplies aisle, things hit a standstill. We freeze in front of the cat food, puzzling over brands, ingredients, and prices.

We know that feeding your pets a good quality food prevents health problems, prolongs their lives, and, as an added bonus, keeps your vet bill low (hooray for “well” visits!). But what is a “good” food?

Like any concerned cat-mom, I hit the Interweb to find out. As with human nutrition, there’s a lot of conflicting information. Some sources say rice and veggies are good for a cat’s diet, others disagree. Cheaper brands are full of icky by-products, but even pricey organic brands have histories of recalls. (Begging the question: How organic is organic, anyway?)

Homemade pet foods are gaining in popularity, but since I do not eat beef or chicken myself, I can’t see purchasing these ingredients and cooking (or not cooking, as raw food diets demand) dinner for my cat. Honestly, sometimes I hardly get it together enough to make sure the boy and I get healthy dinners. And I wouldn’t trust myself to give the cat his proper balance of crude proteins, vitamins, etc. I am not a vet.

Under consideration:

Iams is an affordable, “premium” brand. However, only a few “flavors” are available, and many contain meat by-products. They make special formulas for various health conditions, but our kitty is not in need of these.

Purina Pro Plan Selects is not organic, but seems to get rave reviews for its high-quality ingredients. Sadly, I can’t find this stuff anywhere in order to try it out. I hesitate to order a case, in case Roger hates it. I'd also prefer not to rely upon having cat food shipped.

Wellness "natural" food is available at one of the specialty pet stores in our neighborhood. The price makes me a bit wary, in addition to complaints against one of their manufacturers.

We are still on the hunt for the perfect food. And that’s just wet food—grain-packed dry foods are an entirely separate headache. For now, he gets both wet and dry, in measured helpings 2x/day. Our beloved vets at the Sunnyside Veterinary Group assure us that Roger is a healthy boy…we’ll do our best to keep him that way.

Roger's belleh, for your enjoyment.