Official 15th Birthday Portrait

Hi everyone, today is my 15th Birthday.  Here is my official 15th Birthday Portrait for your viewing pleasure.  You have no idea how much of a challenge I made this by not sitting still or looking where I should.

Ind.

My iPad

In case you've been  wondering what I've been up to, I got an iPad!

It's very good. I like the retina display.  It makes things look realistic.

Recently I got a new game.  For some reason it's called 'Cat Fishing'.  

As a game it's quite interesting.  It kept me busy for a whole 20 minutes trying to work it out the other night.  And that was after it took the parent about 30 minutes to set it up.

Simply put, pounce on a fish and score points. Whatever a point is?  I know you can't eat them. 

There are good points and bad points.  For a start, you don't get wet pouncing on fishes, which is a good thing.  This would probably lull most cats into a false sense of security and allow them to take the whole water thing for granted. This is likely to dull the fishing skills - not enhance them.  That makes it a very poor fishing simulator.

The main problem I find is, the person who made it could not have had the foggiest idea about cats or fishing. There seems to be a sheet of glass between me and the fish.  This makes it impossible to do any fishing. I tried several times to get my paw through, under, around and over the glass and no luck.  No fish!

The best thing is, while I'm working the game the parent sits still and watches me.  It keeps him out of trouble, so I guess, for that benefit alone, it's worth the effort.

14th Birthday

14th Birthday Celebrations

Hi everyone.  On Friday 24 Feb I turned 14.  After much wriggling and twisting and turning and looking in all different directions, I finally managed to pose for the staff.  


I've had a lot of adventures in my first 14 years and a lot of challenges.  But here I am, lookin' good, feelin' good and bein' good.  We elll I try to be good, but two out of three isn't bad is it?

Time For Your Annual Performance Review

"I suppose you're wondering why I called you into my office?"
"Now pay attention.  This is important.."

May Your Christmas be Merry Where Ever You Are

 

I'm enjoying my day under the tree.  Merry Christmas to all.

It's Winter Here Now

Time to snuggle up and enjoy the heater for winter

You've Got to be Kidding Me

I went down the the street on Saturday to help select my cat litter.  Litter is very important to cats, so it must be chosen with a great deal of thought.  Whilst I was down the street I saw one of the shops had been renovated and I couldn't believe my eyes.


Well, every one knows I've lived in America and as I experienced the delights of shopping in pet stores there with the Wallet Support Systems; sorry, I mean the people; I would think to myself - "Ahhhh only in America."  They had everything a cat could want.  Sadly they also had everything a dog could want too.  


But this time what I saw just made me say "You've got to be kidding me".  Take a look at it - The K9000 dual bay Dog Wash!  Only $10.

I mean in the USA they have everything and nothing they could do would surprise me.  Even if this happened in America, I would have been shocked.


Now granted, I live in Bulimba in Brisbane, which is not shabby.  Bulimba is where all the well off wannabes live.  You know, nice restaurants, hair dressers and designer cat litter.  But even they have stooped to new lows that have shocked me.


Yes, look at it, a coin operated dog wash.  Yep, look again, I had to.  So I am shocked.  Its enough to make you reach for the designer scratching post.  


What am I to make of this?  The only conclusion I can reach is Bulimba dogs are too lazy to wash themselves?  It just goes to show you, we cats have standards.  At least we take the time out to self groom and wash, so we're always looking our svelte best.


And if you look closely, the dog wash is even heated - and we live in the tropics.  All right then it's not tropics in winter, but dogs are known to go for 8 weeks without a wash and enjoy the experience.  And besides, that's why they have doggy breath - not too fussy about the teeth or what they eat.

So for $10 dogs get to forgo washing themselves and get to imagine themselves as a nice shiny car going through the car wash.  I'm not too happy about them getting a warm wash for only $10 but I'd gladly pay another 5 bucks to watch the machine wring them out.  

FFFFreeezing Here

Last night it was freezing here.  Brisbane was colder than Melbourne.  As I realised it was Brisbane's coldest June day since 1916, I thought to myself "What's a Cat to do?"

Then it struck me.  "The staff must have left this quilt folded on the lounge just for me to snuggle up in."  So I jumped up on the couch, stuck my paw between the folds and wriggle, wriggle, wriggle, I was in.  

Nice and warm and cosy.  You can tell the quilt was meant for me.  It highlights my chocolate spots purrrfectly.  "Never let an opportunity pass by I say."

You Can't Get Me

Well I had to go to the Vets for another check-up.  So off we went again.  I tried to hide, I tried to resist, I tried to run.  I even tried to tell the people I was feeling fine.  But no, they wouldn't have it and I was scooped up and carted off to the Vets.


If you remember, last time I went to the Vets they tried to test my rear instead of my ear.  So this time I was ready for it.  I worked it out.  It doesn't matter what's wrong, here comes the thermometer, a universal tool that is designed to make sure you will fake looking and feeling well, even when you are not.  


My new strategy was to lull everyone into a false sense of security.  I didn't fight, I didn't struggle, I just sat still nice and sweet.


The vet was so happy with me and said "Oh look, he's getting used to coming here and trusts us. He's very calm and relaxed."  I thought "That's right buddy, I'm relaxed so you relax too."  People can be so predictable and you can suck them in so easily.  Like when you swat them once and just growl next time and you know they will jump back.


Anyway, just as I predicted, the vet relaxed, the grip loosened and he turned around.  As I predicted he was looking for his thermometer. Ha I knew it! And that was the cue I had been waiting for.  I was out of there baby - up on the window ledge like a flash.  Only 4 mm of glass between me and freedom.  Independence, I was on my way.

 Made it to the window ledge, now where is that thermometer

 A quick glance at the door as a backup option

  Just 4 mm of glass between me and freedom

 Now how does this window catch work?

Next time I'll try and get some practice in at using window winders before I make my dash.

Flood Insurance

Hi everyone,


Thought I'd better pay attention to my blog.  Well we survived the flood, but the fight continues.  I heard my father say something about still fighting with the insurer.


From what I can see, that has caused some floods of a different kind. First of all there is the flood of tears from Mum when she saw her treadle sewing machines had a bath in sewer.  I still think it made them smell nice.


Then there is the flood of paperwork that inundates us remorselessly.  

Helping Fight the Paper War

My father said the insurers have a sense of humour.  Apparently, to insurers flood does not mean flood.  There is flood insurance for riverine flood, storm flood, tidal flood, overland flood; but the most popular flood insurance in Queensland is the you ain't getting anything from the insurers flood cover.


So in Queensland, when an insurer covers you for flood, by flood, they mean the sort of flood that could not ever possibly effect your place.  And any other flood doesn't count.


To make sure we weren't covered the insurer got the hydrologists to decide what flood it is.  They said our place was inundated by overland flood and we don't get covered.  Our neighbour was told that their overland flood insurance didn't count because they had riverine flood.   This means the insurers do high fives and tell everyone what a good job they did.  Insurers also don't let you see hydrologist reports because they only get them to tell you that you are not covered.


My dad is still arguing with them because he says it wasn't flood that flooded us. It was sewer that came up through the pipes to contaminate us.  He said the water that came up from the sewer and was full of effluent. Dad said something about helping the hydrologist into the sewer pipe if he wanted to come have a look.


I don't think the insurers understand what he wants.  We had lots of rubbish when the sewer flooded our place, so we already had enough of it.  We had so much we shared it.  Dad says the insurers letters are also full of rubbish.  Maybe they don't think we had enough of it. 


So it seems the flood continues with letters from the insurers saying why they didn't mean the flood we had when they meant flood cover, and just like the first flood it is all full of effluent.

 It is all so tiring

Brisbane Floods

Hi everyone!

I haven't been blogging much.  We've been having a flood.  A big one.

Last week we flew back to our apartment in Brisbane.  As always I flew Qantas and I was not very happy.  I heard the parents say something about free drinks, but I didn't get any.

When we got to the apartment the parents commenced bringing everything from the storage in the basement up into the apartment.  This was very interesting as there were a lot of good smells coming with them.  And there was lots of boxes to climb on and look at.

 As each hour went by there was more and more boxes and there was less and less space in the apartment.  That meant there were more places to hide from the parents.

More and more and more stuff came up to the apartment.  None of it was very good because there was nothing to eat in it.  

Finally there was so much stuff that I had to find new places to sleep.  In cupboards, on tables, where ever.  It was very tiring watching those two move stuff in and then about, then stacking it and balancing it and then knocking it over.

Then the power turned off and everything went dark and quiet.  Well it went quiet everywhere except in our apartment.  Both stupid smoke detectors started their stupid chirping because they had flat batteries.  I really hate that sound and had to hide under the bed.  My mother really hates that sound and she yells at my father.  My father must really like it because he climbed on a chair to get closer and hear it more.

The first high water flooded our street and only came up to the apartment block.  My mother and father were very happy.  Then the sewer burst down in the basement carpark.  That changed their faces.  But I got to tell you.  For a cat things started to smell nice and interesting.


The sewer kept coming up and up.  Then the second high tide came.  The water level was even higher and so was the sewer.  There was no power for the building pumps.  Finally my dad and some other men got some portable pumps and started pumping it all out in the street to show the neighbours what they had.  My father helped run the pumps for three days 24/7.  Every time he came home he smelt very interesting, unfortunately my mother would make him take his boots and clothes off before he could come inside.

We didn't have any power for nearly 4 days, so the parents had to have cold showers. Even when the power came back the hot water didn't work because it was flooded by the sewer. 


Finally all the sewer got shared with all the neighbours and then everything down in the basement car park had been removed.  A professional detox company has been pressure cleaning and disinfecting the basement for 4 days now.  


It doesn't seem to smell as interesting as before.

My family has been very lucky.  They have only suffered discomfort.  

There has been much tragedy in this, the biggest natural disaster Queensland has ever experienced. 


Queenslanders are a friendly, helpful, caring people.  Some of these wonderful people have lost their lives, some have lost their livelihoods and many more have lost everything they own.

Didn't You Hear Me?

Itchy Ear

Well here we are first week into 2011 and I can't believe it!  On Wednesday I had an itchy ear.  Actually, it was itchy on Monday and Tuesday too.  So I got whisked off to the Vets.  

Whisked is probably not accurate, because I didn't give up and just go without a fight. I mean what do you expect?  I'm a male, a guy, you just don't go to the doctors because you've got an itch right?  I mean doctors are for serious stuff, like what happens to everyone else. 

Anyway my ear was itchy.  So I'm having a good scratch, just hitting the right spot and it's starting to feel sooooo goood when out of the corner of my eye I see one of the parents come in carrying the cage.  What! Cage?! That's it I'm out of here.    

To cut a long story short, I'm sure he must have cheated to catch me 'cause we only did two laps of the dining table, three laps of the armchair in the family room, back to the dining room and once behind the blinds, but somehow he caught me and scooped me into the cage.  I must be losing my touch.

Now when you find yourself in a cage, in the car there is generally only three places to be going.  The airport, but unlikely this time as I didn't see any suitcases; the kennels; again unlikely no bags; or the vets!  That's it.  Time to yell as loud as I can.  Meowwwww.  Maybe the police will hear and think a cat is being killed in the car and intervene.  All the way to the vets I yelled, but no one came to help me.

At the Sunbury Animal Hospital my tactics are to shut up when you get there in the hope that they will either not notice me, or think I'm perfectly healthy and leave me alone or treat all those other animals that need to be there instead of me.  This tactic is yet to pay dividends.

So in we went to see Louise and this is where the visit takes a turn for the worst.  She wants to know what's wrong and the parent says he's scratching his ear.  I'm thinking so what?  The parent always scratches his ear, particularly when he's asked questions and no one cares about his ears.  While I'm thinking this and looking around I suddenly hear her say hold him still we'll check his temperature.  Whoa, I know what's coming next. What's temperature got to do with it?  I distinctly heard the parent say ear, not rear!  Suddenly it's clear to me one person needs their ears checked and it's not me!

I must admit though, deaf or not, Louise is clever.  When she takes my temperature she grabs my tail, but tells the parent to hold me still.  That leaves the parent cling to what he calls the sharp end, while I strongly consider what else is in need of a good scratching.

Finally, after what seems an eternity of me grappling with the parent she removes the thermometer and pronounces me perfect.  I could have told her that without a thermometer.  The parent relaxes and I try to get back inside my cage.  Time to go right? You heard her, I'm perfect.

But no, she's not finished with me.  She grabs a device and shoves it in my ear, at the same time telling the parent to keep hanging on to me.  That's it! I've had enough and it's time to growl.  You should have seen the parent's face.  Now he has to hang because as soon as he lets go it will be my turn to grab and hang on to him.  We'll see how he likes it.

After a good look, she says there's nothing there, but instead of letting me be, she grabs some cotton buds and stuffs in my ear.  Clearly this is an exercise in escalating my anger.

Finally they both let me be.  She disappears for some tests and the parent tries to calm me down.  Calm down?  How do you expect me to react?  You've ripped me out of my home, you've shoved things into me in several places and now you think I should be calm?  Are you deluded?  Before I do something we will both regret I storm back into my cage, turn my back on him and ignore him. 

Finally she's back and tells the parent I should have some tablets and we're free to go.  Sensational! Tablets! And yes, the parent has to try and get them into the sharp end twice a day.  Ha!

Christmas Presents

Christmas Presents

At last - Christmas is here! Hooray.  I've had to put up with soooo much.  First of all is the travel.

 I like to have Christmas in my Summer Palace - in Melbourne, where I can escape from the humidity. But getting there is so rugged.  I have to travel baggage class.  So here I am traveling with Qantas and flying on the day before Christmas Eve.  I've got to tell you, that engine looks pretty big as I go past it. I believe it's a CFM 56-7 engine.

The good thing about flying with Qantas is they use Boeing jets.  Boeing jets have a pressurised and heated compartment (I like to think of it as a private suite) in the baggage hold, just for pets.  Airbus planes don't have that, so they can't take pets.  So if it aint Boeing, I aint going!

But at last! It's Christmas Day and after putting up with so much; the travel, the stuff all around the house, a plastic tree - inside the house, festooned with lights and trinkets, and the lights going on and off to a cacophony of sounds.  Well it's enough to make a cat distracted.

 

But, here it is.  It's Christmas and I got presents.  I got a stick with a fluffy bit and feathers that is attached to a person to make it work.  It is such a good present and it is so much fun to swat, to jump on and to chew.

I also got a new litter tray, because litter trays are very important to cats.  That's all I'm allowed to say about the litter tray because Mum says there are some things best left un blogged.

May your Christmas be as much fun and happy as mine. May you enjoy your day with all your pets and the people they own.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Every One

and I can truly say

Ho! Ho! Ho!

What a year it has been!  I hope everyone is feeling as sensational as I at this time of the year. 

Now as we go into the festive season I've got the parents right where I want them, all wrapped around my little paw.  Ready, willing and able to do exactly as I command.  And if the cuteness and cajoling doesn't work, then there's my backup plan.  Yes! The ultimate weapon. Sleep deprivation.  A CIA approved strategy that I have purrfected.  They usually crack after a couple of hours, but I can keep it up for a week if they resist.  Or until someone cracks it and gets the water pistol.

Update on My Diabetes Progress

All gone! Yep, I'm better! What more can I say? Purrfect.  After the vets took me off insulin they tested my blood glucose a couple of times and it has stayed in the normal range.  All thanks to the vets at Sunbury Animal Hospital  A sensational team.

 

The parents are very pleased as it means they no longer have to measure the insulin into a syringe, grapple me, hold me tight, then inject themselves in the hand, thumb, finger or wherever else I could wriggle to make them miss.

But all I have to do now is stick to my diet of special cat food.  I don't mind the diet - but Christmas season is upon us and, well we all know how good Christmas smells.  I've got to keep practicing that wrapping of people around the paw, or sleep deprivation.

May the lead up to your Christmas be Purrrrrfect

Great News

 My Diabetes Progress

Last week I flew to Melbourne to see my vets at the Sunbury Animal Hospital.  Once again I got to fly with my very favourite airline - Qantas.  Apparently they are my favourite airline because my parents get free drinks when we fly with them. 

 

So off we set for Melbourne, my Father and I to see the vets.  Flying and vets are not my favourite activities and in my cage I settled in for a good sulk.  Before we left home I tried hiding, I tried running, I tried resisting, but I was scooped into the cage and sent off as baggage.  Excuse me! Being treated as a piece of common baggage.  And they wonder why I sulk. 

Then the next day I had to go to the vets all day.  The vets is not a fun place, but I try my best to get what amusement I can out of them by growling every time they come near me.  This can be very funny, especially when the young assistants recoil in fear every time I growl.  What's not funny is the growls don't work on Dr Dennis and Dr Glenn and they spend the whole day taking blood samples from me.

When my parents came to get me Dr Dennis told Dad that my blood sugar levels were low all day and that I should stop insulin injections for the weekend and bring me back on Monday to see what was happening.

When went back on Monday everybody came into the surgery to watch me get my blood test!  The vets were there, the assistants were there and my parents were there.  This was my golden opportunity.  I growled at every one!  A very deep loud growl from way down inside my belly to sound just like a tiger.  The young assistants recoiled in fear - which was predictable, the parents laughed, which was insensitive, I was trying to be serious, and the vet, Nicole, stuck an needle in me and got some blood.  That earned another growl.

A drop of blood was put on the glucometer and everyone held their breath; except me - I was still growling.  Then Nicole said my blood sugar was spot on perfect and I don't need any more injections.  The vets smiled and laughed, my Mother cried, and she hadn't even seen the bill yet, and My Father said something about not having to stab himself all the time trying to give me my needles.

I just glared at everyone.

I have to go back for another test this week, just to make absolutely certain, and to make sure I can growl at everyone at the Vets that I missed last time.

The staff at the Sunbury Animal Hospital have been absolutely wonderful in their dedication, advice and encouragement in working with us to get Indy's diabetes into remission.  

Shopping Bags

Shopping Bags

I know I got a new bed last winter, but, the parents keep leaving these shopping bags in the bath tub of the apartment. Well, they call it an apartment, but we know it is really a gaol.  You can tell because you just have to remember the fuss that was made when I got out on the window ledge.  If I had just learned to knot a few sheets together freedom would have been mine and there would be no stopping me.

Enough dreaming.

Anyway the gaolers, I mean parents, keep leaving shopping bags in the bath tub.  Because they've been to the shops they smell ooooh so nice.  That means they are good to sleep in.

If I sit still and hide deep in a bag, perhaps one day I might escape my prison by disguising myself in a shopping bag and get taken to the shops.  

I'm Sulking

Sulking

I'm not happy.  Today my father came home and tried to cook dinner on the BBQ on the deck.  What a debacle.  Now I've told you about his culinary talents, or lack of them, before.  First of all the BBQ ran out of gas.  Then he took some perfectly good raw meat and ruined it on the stove inside.  I don't know why he just didn't eat it raw, like I would.

But that's not why I'm not happy.  I wanted to go out onto the deck because I wanted to go to my window ledge.  Now that I know how to go to the window ledge I've never missed an opportunity to try and hop back on to it.  The parents were so funny when I went out there last time.  Waving arms, talking loudly and then, the best bit - offering me raw beef bits to come back.  Easier than hunting I can tell you!  And then, to cap it off I get cuddled.

Well tonight I'm not happy.  When my father was ruining the meat on the stove I wanted to go out onto the deck and play, and then go to the window ledge.  I thought perhaps that might encourage him to take the rapidly cremating meat off the stove.

But he wouldn't let me out.  I stood at the door and looked out.  I stood as tall as I could looking out and I kept looking back at him to notice me.  But he ignored me.  I meowed as loudly as I could.  Believe me it was loud.  He still ignored me.  So - I went and hopped into the bath tub with the shopping bags and I meowed there.  

When the gaoler finally came in, I turned my back at him.  Just sat there and said nothing.  In fact I ignored him.  Ha! I thought, how do you like being ignored now?  Not funny is it?

I hoped he would get the message that I was displeased with him.  Instead he got the camera.  I didn't expect that!  Wait until he's not looking and I jump up to where he keeps that camera, then we'll see if he ignores me.

X Marks the Spot

Hi Everyone.  Mum has been sick so, today, I set out to make it a memorable day for her.  This morning, after breakfast, I decided to surprise her. 

I went out onto the deck in my apartment, and then, when no one was watching, I jumped off the deck and onto another 3rd floor window ledge. (If you enlarge the picture of our apartment block X marks the spot.)

I could see everything from up there and I was sooooo happy.  When my Dad found me he foolishly told Mum where I was.  Mum came running out to see me.  Success!  So now I was back as the centre of attention.  I was even happier and my parents couldn't catch me.

Then came the best bit.  I couldn't get back.  You should have seen Mum freak out!  Funny how she thinks just telling Dad about the situation even louder will fix it.

Finally Dad ruined all my fun by stretching out as far as he could over the balcony railing, then he grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and under my chin and hauled me back in.  He had to lean out so far and put so much weight on the thin railing, then streeeetch to reach me so much he now thinks he's bruised one of his ribs.

Anyway, now I know exactly what to do and everytime I go out on the deck I head straight toward the window ledge.  I know my parents don't exactly know how I got out there yet, but somehow I'm not sure they are too keen for me to show them.

Stock Take Opportunity

The toaster came out of the cupboard today.  One of those rare Saturday morning events when the staff cook their own breakfasts instead of ripping something out of a packet like a muesli bar.  And I can tell you - I'm totally in awe of the way they use that toaster and how they skillfully turn perfectly good white bread to useless black toast.  Watching Master Chef on TV has made absolutely no difference to their culinary talents.

Oh I should clarify, I've been advised that I'm supposed to be sweet and cute and as a result, I'm not allowed to call the humans I have here servants or gaolers, so I've resorted to referring to them as staff.  Innocuous enough I hope.  Anyway, I digress.

So I took the opportunity to look at where the toaster lives and check if there was any food stockpiled.  Predictably there was none.

I also went to the vet today. My ear infection is back, so here we go again, more antibiotics.  I also suffered the indignity of sitting with dogs, being weighed - and now they all know my weight and having a light shoved in my ear and cotton buds stuffed into it.  Growling at the vet seemed to have some beneficial effect as he didn't try and take my temperature this time.