The Art of a Good Cat Massage

My Mom has been training hard to become my favorite person. She started reading a book called "Cat Speak" so she can communicate with me better.



In the book, she learned about cat massage as a way to "bond better with your cat." She isn't sure if the "bonding" is working, but you can see for yourself from these pics that it's a pretty darn good massage!

Gotta get the top of the head... then she'll
get my "M" on my forehead next...


Ohhh, the neck.... that's it Mom, right there...


Must not forget the cheeks...


Ah yes, the other side of my neck....


And now the back of my head..... don't forget the ears please....


I feel so relaxed.....


Mom has massaged my whole head (including cheeks, chin, and the "M" on my forehead), ears, and neck. I'm immensely enjoying it so she just keeps continuing with that approach.

For those of you who are training your humans, here's the massage training guide. It's all nonscientific, but something tells me that won't matter to you.

Peek-a-Boo Nose

My nose says peek-a-boo to you!

Big Little Man

I used to be called "the Little Man" but after visiting the dentist, I have stepped up a notch. Papa told me to be brave and stand up for myself at the dentist's office and I did. I hissed and hissed and hissed so much and fought back the technician with all my strength that with all the commotion, they weren't able to insert the anesthesia via an injection. Instead, they went on to Plan #2 and "burritoed" me in a towel and gassed me! Vets don't just gas anyone, you know. I was special. And now I've earned the title "Big Little Man."

p.s. We're in the middle of changing my blog's template and colors, so you might see things changing on you.

New Banner by Zoolatry

Wowie Zowie! Did you noticed the new banner on my blog? Maggy and Zoey from Zoolatry surprised me with a beautiful banner! That was super sweet of them and their Mom! Their Mom is so creative and artsy. I really like the theme of "prints" with the book, don't you? Thank you, Ann! Mao, mao!

Famous Friends Friday by Zoolatry

Last Friday my new friends, Maggy and Zoey, helped me to become famous. Yes, yes, I know I would have become famous this coming April when I am featured in my local shelter's newsletter, but Maggy and Zoey speeded up my famousness! If you could become famous a month early, you'd do it too, right?

Maggy and Zoey are from Zoolatry. Their Mom is an artist and she does wonderful magical things with pictures! She gathered up many of my prints (pun intended.... get it, Prints?) and put together a beautiful collage of me, Prints the Cat! I hope you stop by their Zoolatry blog to see the collage and let them know you visited! Maybe I can use the collage as my business card! The featured photos show how versatile I am in my poses. Whew, being famous is hard work! I am all tuckered out!

I am so flattered and honored Maggy and Zoey included me in their Friends Friday post! Yay! Thank you new friends, Maggy and Zoey!

I also want to let you know about their Collectibles Zoolatry blog. Please visit their 2nd blog that has their gallery of artistic photos. I was so intrigued by their Mom's beautiful works of art that I looked at all the posts from when their Mom first stared the blog. There are some very creative pieces of artwork. How wonderful it must be to be an artist!

My Territory!

Last evening, over the roar of the TV, my parents heard a racket coming from the other room. They said it sounded like I was being tortured by some machinery, like a garbage disposal, because I was making these horrible screeching noises! Panicked, they flew to find out where the sounds were coming from. There they found me, practically bouncing off the patio window, continuing to make these weird cat sounds, while my tail was "fluffed" out. Clearly something outside caught my attention. Upon long inspection from the inside looking out, my parents finally found the source of my frustration. It was a C A T in MY territory! Dad took a flashlight and shined the light in the cat's face and the cat took off... in the direction to go past my patio window and then he ran out of sight. I ran in the same direction in the house but could not find the culprit who was mocking me.

After a while, I finally calmed down. My parents are certain that if I were an outdoor cat, I would be minced meat for large cats that prowl my neighborhood. They are glad I am protected by being indoors. Yeah, I am a wimp but I am safe and healthy. I am glad my parents don't listen to me when I get so caught up in wanting to go outside without my leash. That's good training when they have the basic foundation of cat knowledge that I've so generously provided to help educate them, and then they build upon it to think for themselves, and come up with the right decision for our family.

A Serious Break in the Rain

Since we had a break in the rain on Sunday, it was a good time for an outdoor adventure. I take my job exploring the great outdoors SERIOUSLY.

I discovered a SERIOUSLY large kitty grass buffet.


I met a very SERIOUS wabbit on my walk. He didn't blink an eye.


This room has a multitude of different scents. It's SERIOUSLY overwhelming!


This is an enormous room with no walls or ceilings. I could be a SERIOUS explorer if given the chance.


I spotted a tall tree that I was interested in exploring further. But then Mom said "Prints, we SERIOUSLY need to go back inside NOW!"

Top Dog

You're gonna LOVE this! This is the Snausages Man Pulls Sled Race which took place today in Alaska! A reversal of roles, as Life with Dogs say. Hmmm, what is that saying? "A picture is worth a thousand words."

On your mark, get set, GO!!!


Do you see who's in charge? Look closely.


Who's the boss now??!!!


They are all winners!

~ Photos by Al Grillo ~
~ Permission from Danielle Paleafico for me to post the pics ~

Here's an entertaining article about the race. http://www.adn.com/2010/03/02/1164386/dogs-become-drivers-in-publicity.html

Hee hee, Dogs Rule (and Cats, too)!!

Home Sweet Home

I Love Milk... Mao Mao Mao

Every time the magic food box door opens, I'm there!


May I have some milk, please?


It's not a lot but that's okay.


Mao, mao, mao! Quick Mom! Gimme, gimme, gimme!


Yum!

Fascinating

Such a fascinating machine. Does this paper dispenser dispense milk too? And salmon treats? Maybe if I just make a wish....

Bright Spot

Sometimes my parents have a bad day. When they see me, I cheer them up. They tell me "Prints, you are the bright spot in our lives." Mao, mao, mao. I'm glad I make them happy.

I Surrender!!!!

Actually, I take that back. I am irresistible so it's my parents who I've TRAINED to surrender to me!

The Visit

I didn't have the greatest of days a week ago Saturday for two reasons.

1. I was put in a C R A T E, then set atop the dining room table.

2. While I was in said C R A T E, lo-and-behold, a big white fluffy dog appeared right there in my dining room. This was THE Casper D Dog that I had been hearing about all week. My parents said he was gonna visit on Saturday and I can attest that he did visit.



My parents were surprised I made a low growl and not a hiss. Which is better? A growl or a hiss? Other than the growl, for the most part, I was pretty silent.

One of the first sentences out of Casper's Mum was how I was BIGGER than she expected. Is that a compliment?

When I was sent back upstairs to my main room, my parents were pleased that I seemed content and undisturbed at knowing a dog was downstairs. I didn't hold any grudges because I am a good cat, however I'm still gonna send my parents to the library to get a Training 101 book on Cat Behavior so they can understand me better. They keep telling me that I'm gonna have to get used to white fluffy dogs sooner or later, but they assured me they love me and I have a permanent home with them.

Because it was Valentine's Day, even though I am a cat and Casper is a dog, I presented Casper with a bag of sweet potato fry doggie treats. I have heard Casper is a sweet potato addict.





Casper's got that Elvis grin going on for him.


Casper sure is fluffy these days!


And Casper gave us a beautiful tapestry rolling bag with lots of cats on it. It can be used for shopping or for traveling.



See how small it can fold up and put into a suitcase? When my parents go on travel, all the cat souvenirs for me can go into it for the return trip home!



My parents love their new cat carrying bag! I am starting to think my parents are becoming CAT PEOPLE! That goes to show how well of a trainer I am.

Almost Famous

I just found out that the shelter where I adopted my parents from wants to interview me for their newsletter on "happy stories." I am so excited! I am almost famous! Hopefully I am a good interviewee so they choose my story for the newsletter. Cross your paws! Brian, I know you know how exciting this is for me. "Adopt Cats! We deserve it!"

Soul Mates

I am blessed to have found my soul mate. My Dad is my soul mate. I love him to pieces. Every chance I get, I try to sit on his lap. I've said it before and I'll say it again: My Dad is my favorite person!



P.S. Remember the camera adds on 10 pounds. I have actually lost weight since adopting my family.

My Barkday and Welcome Tegan!

Yappy Barkday to Me! Barkday? Yes, BARKday! I did not come with a birth certificate, so my parents gave me Angel Hana the Dog's Barkday. My barkday was February 5th, last Friday, and they said I turned 6 years old. Mom and Dad didn't celebrate with me on the actual date, but they did buy me some CatSip the next day and I got to partake in that. YUM!

I LOVE MILK!

For my Barkday, my good friends Tegan the Eskie and Gromit T. Cat sent me a Barkday card! I don't remember, but I think this was my very first Barkday card in all of my 6 years, so it's extra special to me. THANK YOU, TEGAN and GROMIT!



Such a cute little doggie on the card.


Look, Tegan and Gromit even wrote a message. They have great penmanship despite not having opposable thumbs.


This leads to a formal introduction of Tegan and her brand new dog blog! Check it out! This is Tegan. She looks very fashionable in her ribbon necklace!



Tegan had a tough start in life. Her first set of parents abused her by keeping her chained to the fence. They didn't keep tabs on the situation so Tegan became pregnant, then she was abandoned at a kill shelter! Fortunately Heart Bandits, a rescue for American Eskimos, came along and took Tegan under their wing. Tegan gave birth to 6 puppies when she herself was still a puppy. Despite being abused, she took great care of all her puppies. What a great Mom Tegan was. Today Tegan has been adopted into a loving family and has a brother named Gromit T. Cat.

Please give Tegan a big welcome at her new blog! Her blog is very fancy!

Thanks, Tegan and Gromit, for the Barkday card!

Enjoying My Walkies

These walkies aren't so bad after all. I am navigating the backyard with more enthusiasm and going longer distances.

I still crouch sometimes, after all, a bird could come swoop me up, like how a bird swooped an eskie (Kevin) up in the movie "The Proposal."



I just keep my eyes wide open.


See, I walked all the way over to the fence and gate. What's that on the ground in the corner? Is that a MOUSE TRAP?


I don't have to hide under my parents' wings anymore. I'm also able to be in the middle of the yard and not up against a wall.



Last time we went on a backyard walk, I walked over to the patio when the walk was over, and then stood in the doorway of the patio door. I couldn't decide if I wanted in or out!

For Goodness Sakes, Get Me a Decent Leash!

Mom, if you're gonna take a picture of me on a backyard walkie, for goodness sakes, get me a decent leash! This is SOOO embarrassing! I don't care if this is Hana's puppy leash. I need a brand new leash of my own, one that isn't coming undone.

Sigh....

But on to more important matters! Thank you for all your votes for Eskie Rescuers United! You helped to bump ERU from 3rd place to 2nd place! You cats and dogs are amazing! The power of the PAW!

Relaxing and A Request

Mom managed to take a photo of me sleeping on my new handmade pillow in the bay window, with my kitty grass right beside me. What a life, eh? Like I said, the training is going well!



I have a small request. We don't normally ask for things like this, but our good eskie friends, Snowball and Snoopy (and Jen their Human) who is involved with Eskie Rescuers United (ERU) needs some votes for her shelter. They are 3rd on the Connecticut list right now and we hope to help them bump up to 1st. If you have time, please go to:

• The Animal Rescue Site
  
• click on the right side purple tab "Shelter Challenge"
• enter eskie for the shelter
• enter CT for the state
• when "Eskie Rescuers United" from Colchester, CT shows up, click the "Vote" button
• you'll be prompted to enter in a text word that matches the picture, then click "Confirm Vote"
• you're allowed to vote once a day, but I'd just be thankful if you voted this one time.
  

Thank you!