I wrote a post at BlogPaws about some of my volunteer work. You can find it here:
Category: Cats
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Bromance at Average Jane’s House
Despite the fact that Dr. Jones was the most hostile of our cats when Toby arrived, the two of them have become good buddies. I've seen them snuggled together sleeping and they even run around and play together sometimes.
Yesterday Toby jumped up on the bed with Jones and was trying to get him to play. Jones cuffed him on the head several times, which either meant that he was playing along or he wasn't in the mood to play just then. I think Toby took it as play.
I'm glad that Toby has found a special pal among the cats.
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Lazy Sunday at Average Jane’s House
It's cold and gloomy outside, so my plan is to remain in my pajamas and robe as late as possible today and hang out with the critters. I have Thanksgiving leftovers to sustain me, plenty to read, and I'll almost certainly take a nap later on because I stayed up until 2:00 a.m. after going out to see a Bon Jovi tribute band play last night.I had thought about putting up the Christmas tree and other decorations but I've decided there's no hurry. I have another four-day weekend coming up the week after next, and it makes more sense to do it then.
Enjoy your Sunday!
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Average Jane Volunteers
Man, it's been a long day. I took two shifts at different Petco stores taking care of the adoptable cats.
This morning I filled in at a large store that had fourteen cats and kittens. It took two full hours to clean the playroom, kennels and free roam area. The cats were all very sweet and I got to meet some that I hadn't seen before.
Once I was finished, I had time to go to a friend's brunch and hang out for a couple of hours.
After that, I went home and got online to continue the project I started last night: adding cats and kittens to Petfinder. It's a time-consuming process but very important because it helps them get found by people who are searching for specific cat attributes, and also makes it easier for people who see them in the stores to apply for them.
My husband woke up late, but once he was up and around, I took him out to dinner.
On the way home I went and did my usual Saturday evening Petco shift at a smaller store (five cats and kittens). The younger cats needed liquid medicine and it must have tasted awful because I think more of it ended up splattered on the floor and walls than down their gullets.
Now I'm finally finished and ready to take it easy, watch some TV and have a glass of wine. I think I've earned it.
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Average Jane’s Nearly Wordless Wednesday
You only wish you could sleep as deeply as Dr. Jones does.
P.S. There's still plenty of time to enter yesterday's Red Envelope giveaway, if you haven't done so.
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Average Jane Gets Crowded Out
When my sister posted this photo of my niece asleep with her favorite cat, Hutch, wrapped around her head, it made me realize I had a post in the making about the various pets that are always competing with me with for bed space.In general, I have no objection to sharing my bed with any of the other beings in the household. Well, my husband does snore more than I'd like…
Anyway, that can mean as many as three cats and a dog jockeying for space on a queen-sized bed with me and sometimes my husband as well, depending on his sleep schedule. Fortunately there's never a fourth cat in that equation. Xena and Trillian take turns because they can't stand the sight of one another.
Toby is always the first to join me. He curls into a compact ball and presses himself against me. If I'm lucky, he keeps his back to me. Otherwise, I get his feet poking me at random intervals when he stretches in his sleep. Either way, he tends to cause me to move closer to the edge of the bed than I'd prefer.
Xena likes to cuddle. She especially loves to settle her great bulk into my husband's armpit and drape herself onto his shoulder, but she'll accept me as a substitute if he's not available. It's kind of nice to be able to hug her while I'm sleeping, but she's awfully warm. She also likes to get under the covers near our feet, which is where she was when I woke up today.
Velvet usually lingers around my head – all the better for licking my hair when she gets the urge. I wish she wouldn't.
Dr. Jones spends all day sacked out on the bed by himself, so he doesn't seem to feel as compelled to lie there when we're there. Still, he'll occasionally come up and settle himself on my chest.
Trillian is an even rarer visitor, but she'll go right for your chest as well. She really prefers to interact with people who are sitting up, though, because she likes to be held and snuggled.
So that's why I have dark circles under my eyes every day. Just kidding! That's genetic.
No, the pets are really fine most of the time. I'm sure I'd sleep somewhat more restfully without them, but I'd miss them. Every time I stay in a hotel room, I wish I had at least one cat to keep me company.
How about you? Do you allow pets on the bed at your house or keep them somewhere else while you sleep?
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Average Jane Adopts A Dog
This post is my entry into the BlogPaws Blog Carnival Contest sponsored by BISSELL Homecare, Inc.
When this much cuteness comes into your life, you have no choice but accommodate it.In less than a week, we went from "we're fostering Toby to see how it goes" to "of course we're keeping him." The adoption will be finalized next week, but he's been "our dog" almost since the beginning.
I've never had a dog before. We had dogs when I was growing up, but none of them were ever mine. I was always a cat person and I figured that our unfenced yard was a dealbreaker when it came to getting a dog.
As it turns out, there are plenty of types of dogs that aren't suited for being left unattended in a yard, and Italian greyhounds are among them. That means we take Toby on lots of walks. He's well trained to walk on a leash, so our walks aren't a struggle in any way. He really needs a long walk each day; otherwise, he gets restless and bored. Have I mentioned that he's already shaved a minute off my average mile pace when we do my 3.4 mile morning walk together?
When Toby is indoors, he's very well behaved. He likes to lie next to me or sit on my lap while I'm reading. He'll follow me up to my office and curl up under the desk to sleep once he's been petted to his satisfaction. I haven't seen him get into anything, chew anything or otherwise misbehave in any way.
He wants to meet everyone he sees. Fortunately for him, the sight of a well-mannered small dog on a leash is a magnet for passers-by. He's also a magnet for free roaming dogs. Twice I've had big, unleashed puppies come bounding up to introduce themselves. Toby is not one of those small dogs who thinks he's a big dog; he's rather intimidated by larger dogs, so I have to be cautious when we encounter them.
I never realized we had a dog-shaped void in our lives until we met Toby. He's so different from our cats, but we love him just as much already. I look forward to many years of his companionship and I'm glad we can provide him with the attention he so clearly needs and enjoys.
Welcome home, Toby!
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Average Jane Is Leaving For BlogPaws
I had intended to put up a post about how incredibly naughty and terrible my cats are, but Typepad has decided that I'm not allowed to save drafts and have them again later so it's gone forever.
Thus, I'll post the rogues' gallery with some brief descriptions so my new BlogPaws buddies will be able to get a peek at our household of furry critters and leave it at that. I still have some packing to do and my flight is EARLY, so I need to get to sleep.
This is our eldest cat, Velvet. She's the household peacemaker and she gets along with cats and people alike. If she could be doing anything in the world right now, she'd be licking my hair. When we adopted her she was already an adult and she'd been at the shelter for more than seven months. If I'd realized she didn't know her name when we got her, I'd have chosen something cooler. It's too late now.
Xena is our next oldest cat. She has a very high opinion of herself and she sincerely believes she has a shot at stealing my husband away from me. Xena knows how to open the pocket door to the bathroom and she is fond of jumping into people's arms, often unexpectedly. She's a little chubby, but she gets mad if you refer to her as "tons of fun," as I often do.
Next we have Trillian, nickname "Tiny," who is sometimes referred to in our household as the "snapping tortie." She hates Xena and the feeling is mutual, so there's a lot of drama between the two of them. As her nickname suggests, Trillian is half Xena's size, but that doesn't stop her from keeping hostilities fresh on a daily basis. Notice that her left ear tip is gone; she was rounded up with a feral colony and spayed as a kitten and later adopted out when she proved to be tame.
Finally we have Dr. Jones. He's my youngest and he's, well, not too bright. He's very sweet and friendly, though, so that's good. Somehow he has failed to learn any cat manners in the nearly two years he's been alive, so he casually strolls the counters and jumps on the cupboards, never understanding why we're yelling. His latest trick is to separate the water bottle from the base of our cat waterer, spilling water all over the kitchen. I have no idea why he thinks that's a good idea.So that's the gang I'm leaving behind when I get on a plane in the morning. I can't wait to meet everyone at BlogPaws!
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Average Jane Is Going To BlogPaws!
I just found out last week that I'm one of the official BlogPaws Paws on the Ground bloggers. That means I'm not only going to the conference, but I'm part of the team helping to promote it from now until registration closes on August 26th. I've been wanting to go to a BlogPaws conference since they first started and I am very excited!
If you love pets and blog about them even occasionally, you'll get a lot out of the conference. There's even a full track just for veterinarians. If you can get your vet to sign up, they'll get 20% off their vet track registration and you'll get to attend the regular conference for free!
Even if your vet isn't interested, the regular conference cost is very reasonable and I can hook you up with a 20% discount (just email me or comment and I'll send you the code).
A portion of the attendee fees and sponsorship dollars goes to shelters and rescues. Also, at the end of the conference, one registered attendee will win a donation to the animal rescue group of his or her choice.
I talked to my cats about the upcoming conference to see how they felt about it, starting with Trillian:
Me: Hey Tiny, I'm going to a blogging conference August 25th through 27th that's all about pets!Trillian: Uh, you're not taking me along, are you?
Me: No, no. I'll be flying there. You're more of a road trip kitty.
Trillian: Whew. Okay then. Well, have fun.
Me: I'll probably bring back some cool treats and toys for you guys.
Trillian: Whatever, as long as I don't have to go.
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Dr. Jones was nearby and overhead my conversation with Trillian, so it made sense to talk to him next:
Me: I'm…Jones: You said treats! What kinds of treats?
Me: Well, I don't know yet. But I'm sure they'll be good ones.
Jones: Are you bringing home any paper or cardboard? I love chewing on that stuff, too.
Me: If I bring home anything paper or cardboard, it'll probably be something I don't want you to chew up.
Jones: Can I have a treat right now?
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Xena wandered into the kitchen, so I stooped down to have a little chat:
Xena: Did I hear you say you were leaving for a few days?Me: Yes, at the end of August I'll be going to Tysons Corner, Virginia for BlogPaws.
Xena: You don't say. Well, I'll take care of my, I mean, your husband until you get back.
Me: That's very thoughtful of you.
Xena: If you want to extend your vacation, go right ahead.
Me: Well, thanks for that, but I'll need to get back and go to work after the conference.
Xena: Suit yourself.
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Finally, Velvet and I had a chance to sit down for a bit:
Velvet: Can I go with you?Me: No, it's best if you stay here.
Velvet: But won't there be lots of people there to pet me?
Me: Well, yes, I'm sure there will be lots of cat aficionados at the conference. But you'll get petted here and I won't be gone very long.
Velvet: I'm going to miss you SO much! I think I'm going to lick your hair for a while now.
Me: No! Please don't lick my hair. We've talked about that. No licking of hair. No licking of any kind.
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So that went well.
But seriously, this is such a cool conference and the speaker list is, well, pretty much everyone you could hope for at a conference about pets, animal welfare, etc. There are a number of people attending and speaking that I already know and many that I've been wanting to meet for a long time.
As I mentioned before, the cost is rock-bottom and even the hotel rooms are only $119 per night; cheaper than that if you find yourself a roommate.
I hope you'll be able to attend. I'm really looking forward to going.
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Average Jane Celebrates
Today marks the four-year anniversary of our cat, Velvet, joining the household.
She's a lovely cat with a great personality and I'm glad every day that we were able to take her from the shelter and give her a happy life with us.Oh, and if you recall her quarterly staff review from last year, you'll be heartened to know that she has made improvements in several key areas.