There is something weird going on in the downstairs bathroom again -- and I don't think it is Achilles because last time I heard JJ talking to her friend KJ, Achilles was still at the vet.

This time JJ came home, went into the bathroom with a brown travelling box. Uh oh. Then, later, she goes in there with some kind of bowls, then disappears in there for about 30 min. THEN she comes out and after awhile we hear MEOWING!! Oh my goodness gracious, henny penny, great balls 'o fire -- I believe she has a kitten in there!!!

Well, I just think kittens are useless. They mess everything up, eat out of your food bowl, poop in your favorite litter box and play with your tail! Just thinking about it makes me feel so upset that I want to go and pee on the stove! But, the last time I tried, that howling animal was up there again. Just as I got ready to get in position, it screams "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE", scared me to death!

I guess there isn't much we can do about it. I suppose we WERE all kittens at one time though I don't see how I could have ever been so useless -- oh, and I wasn't, because at that age, I was mothering little Spotty -- ummm, well maybe not at THAT age (because under the door, that thing smells like a itty bitty yibbee of a kitty!

I heard JJ say she wanted to name it Bianco ha pisciato. Hmmm, wonder what that means -- sort of reminds me of rosso bicicletta...

Jinx (Queen of the Hedgerow)

JJ has been riding that bicicletta just about every other day. She says she is getting faster, but we can't vouch for that. Besides we like to go slow -- unless the laser light is out -- wooooohooooooo.

Poor Achilles, who was rescued by Mrs. G, is still at Dr. Pete Gilyard's office. He sure has been a sick guy. Now he is on a different kind of antibiotic. They just have to keep giving him medicine till all of that infection goes away. We hear he is just the most loved cat at Dr. Pete's. I guess he is getting used to being there but, I gotta tell you all, that is NOT my favorite place. I mean, they're poking you in the butt and looking in your mouth and sticking you with sharp stingy smelly things!! We like Dr. Pete though because he scratches our heads and talks nice to us.

We have been playing hard lately. JJ has brought home lots of boxes and things have come in the mail for the bicicletta and we get those boxes and the paper that comes from them and we play and play. Jinx is still getting fatter, though. I wonder if JJ will have to take out a wall to get her out the next time SHE needs to go to the vet.

Oops, Jinx was reading over my shoulder. I was just kidding Jinx, really -- better RUN!!

Oregano (aka Doh-Doh)

OMG!! We have not written in a long time because we have been really busy working on the AARF Calendar with JJ. She spends most every night at this computer (which does limite the time we can get on) working on the calendar, trying to be sure that everything is done just right.

JJ has been riding that bicicletta a LOT. And, you know what, she even got a little upset when she saw me walking through the spokes the other day! Well, I didn't even come close to knocking it over but I think she has a crush on that red bicycle, she spends so much time with it.

After she rides the bicycyle, she comes in and heads for that shower saying she smells like sweat. ChiChi, however, thinks that is the best smell in the world and is always getting JJ's socks out of the laundry basket and putting them in the bed!! Crazy dog! She likes underwear and bike shorts too!

The neat thing is that JJ is riding bikes with Nikita’s Dad. That means we get news of Nikki all of the time. Tita, especially, likes that. MC (not to be confused with M who we don’t talk about any more EVER) and his wife, E, live not too far away from us. JJ said that last time she went over there, Nikita was all flirty and sweet to her. Nikita has a brother named Alex. He is not so keen on anyone but E who is his absolutely favorite person. Nikki sent us a message that MC thinks he is sneaking up on her and picking her up. She says that she KNOWS he is coming that (a) she is too lazy or sleepy to move and/or (b) she is in a really good mood and thinks that letting MC pick her up will make him happy, too. Now, don’t tell MC this because Nikki doesn’t want him to know — she likes the game!

Nikki is still eating lettuce. We never figured out where she acquired that taste but, I suppose if you are going to live with a vegetarian, you gotta eat like one!!

We guess we are o.k. with being ignored for a bicicletta — and, we are working so hard at playing and sleeping that most of the time we don’t even notice JJ isn’t home! (Don’t tell her THAT either!) The Cheewawa (yes, we know how the cheewawa spells it but this is the CAT way to spell it) worries a little bit but she is getting chill with it, too. At first she was always worrying that the bad man was coming to get her any time. She would be running around the house saying “Where is he? I know he is coming. When is he coming? I don’t want to go. I don’t want to go” but she is finally realizing she is here to stay. I mean, after JJ didn’t kick her out for peeing on the bed, heck she isn’t going ANYWHERE — if that isn’t something that can get you kicked out, nothing is! JJ says it smells WORSE when we pee somewhere we aren’t supposed too. Personally, I just don’t understand how humans get along without leaving pee signals for one another. How do they even know whose house they are in if everything smells all the same?]

We also hear we are getting a new boarder. Mrs. G brought a kitty to JJ in mid-July. He was really, really sick. We could feel that he was hurting very much, even though he was in the bathroom with the door shut. We felt very quiet then because we don’t like other animals to hurt, even if they ARE encroaching on our (pee-marked ha ha) territory. He did not stay very long till JJ took him to Dr. Pete Gilyard and Dr. Waller at Clemmons Veterinary Clinic. They have been taking care of him and trying to get the infection out of his leg. We don’t know who owned this boy before but, he got hurt by another cat and they didn’t take him to the vet. By the time Mrs. G brought him to our house, his leg was very swollen and his temperature was 105!!!

JJ told us yesterday that the efforts to save the poor guy’s leg were not successful. Dr. Gilyard and Dr. Waller had to amputate it. That is sad, but we know Achilles will be fine once he gets used to it. I certainly hope he doesn’t think we are going to be nice to him just because he has what the humans would call a disability! He will have to go through the same initiation/hazing that ALL of the incoming cats have to go through. Hmmmm, wonder how tough he is???

After a few days, he probably won’t even remember having that leg. If cats were going to go and get mad every time something was amputated, just think of all of those declawed cats who have had EVERY TOE amputated. They would only have time for being mad. But, animals just get on with life. After all, you GOTTA have fun no matter WHAT happens to you!!