Pip: When I Run for President

This is what my campaign poster is gonna look like!

First Trip to the Vet

(Originally Published 2/14/2011)

Our humans took us for our first check up--at the Forest Hills Cat Hospital, which sadly, is no longer located in Forest Hills. At least it's still in Queens.

PIP: The vet examined me first. He said the folks at Northshore Animal League did a great job of sewing up my bad eye. He checked my other eye and said I have some sight in it. Duh--I knew that. I can get almost anywhere I want--on the couch, the bed and the tables. Very soon, I'm planning to figure out how to get onto the kitchen counter. All my food seems to magically appear from there.  

The last thing the vet did was take blood. Yuk. Definitely not my favorite thing.  I squirmed like crazy, and the vet tech hung onto me with all her might. Just wait until I'm bigger--I'll get even!

Marley: I was next. I've been in places like this before. I don't like being poked and prodded.

 

Dr. Neville said I have great teeth--look ma, no plaque! He said my teeth showed him I might be younger than five years old. That makes me four, right? 

 Dr. Neville examined my heart, too. He said Pip and I are both really healthy. That means we don't have to come back until almost next year. How long is a year?

Pip: My new collar

There are a million and one uses for packing tape—and I managed this one all by myself! 

Pip: Picture for Today

My human dad and me. We like to snooze together.

Marley: Picture for Today

(Orig. published Feb 2/2011)

 

This picture was taken the day I arrived. I was a little scared that day...

Marley and Pip at Play

The Northshore folks were really worried that Pip would terrorize Marley. They urged us to think long and hard about whether we were letting ourselves and Marley in for a bad time.

I'll just sit here quietly with my toy...

 We did worry about it, but decided to take our chances. When we brought Pip home, Marley had been with us for a week and had just decided that he was a full-fledged member of the household. That is, he stopped hiding next to the sofa and began lounging around in the middle of the living room floor.

So we were thrilled to see that they are good for each other. Pip is hyperactive; Marley is ... pretty darned laid back. When our upstairs neighbor and her son met Marley a day after we brought him home, they waved a catnip toy in front of him. Marley's reaction? Too much work. I'd rather sit here and look grand.

So we think Pip is going to keep Marley on his toes, in a good way. I'll even bet Marley lives longer because of it.

Maximum Claw

(Originally published Jan 30/2011)

To make up for the loss of his right eye and most of the sight in his left eye, Pip relies a lot on his claws and sense of smell—and on the fact that most of the furniture in the house stays in one place. 

Here’s what we haven’t yet figured out: How to keep him from racing across our bodies as we sit on the sofa (or Allen sits at his computer or walks around) with no warning and “maximum claw.”

This is a big problem for Allen, since Pip enjoys sitting on Allen’s shoulders and purring away as he types. We guess the close body contact feels good to Pip—makes him feel safe and secure. The problem is not being on the shoulders—the problem is deciding to jump down. Ouch, ouch, ouch. You can see the results below!

Kitty-proofing the house

I have to say, in the three weeks between losing Pushkin and adopting Marley and Pip, we were happy not to worry about carrying out Daily Cat Precautions. These include, in no special order:

• Leaving food unattended on the kitchen counter or table, or on the coffee table for kitties to get into.
• Wrapping just-used dental floss in TP and carefully place in the trash (can’t flush it; it’ll back up the toilet) so that no cat will swallow and choke on it;
• Leaving no string or thread lying around for kitties to eat and throw up (or eat and sicken on);
• Closing the bedroom door at night so that kitties won’t wake us up by licking our faces at 4, 5, or 6 am in totally adorable, yet equally annoying attempts to cajole us into putting breakfast on the floor;
• Shutting the door to my home office so that neither kitty will chew the phone/electric cords, pee in a corner, and/or get accidentally locked in overnight;
• Putting plastic over spots in odd corners of the house previously peed on (and cleaned; but that smell is impossible to get out) by prior cats
• Covering the "nice" bedspread with an old throw because kitties are bound to upchuck on it at some point...

I’m sure there’s a whole bunch of Cat Precautions I’ve missed. Anyone out there, feel free to comment with your own…

Will They Get Along?

(Originally published Jan 25, 2011) The big question at the shelter folks was: Will little dynamo kitty and big laid back adult cat get along?

Their first (brief) meeting -- at the shelter -- was not promising. (See photo at right.) Pip ran at Marley. Marley hissed and stuck a paw out at Pip. Hissing and close contact fighting ensued.

The shelter staff separated the two. Back to your cages!

The shelter staff expressed their fears that when we got both cats home, Pip would terrorize poor Marley, who, it should be remembered, is more than twice Pip's size.

We know that a kitten can be the "alpha" cat -- years ago we brought a kitten into the house to live with our "single" older cat (her sister had died suddenly). The kitten strutted in and took over the household. Just like that.

So we were worried. "Poor Marley," we said. "What if he hasn't got a chance?"

Today, Allen gave Pip free run of the apartment. And guess what? The two cats get along fine. No hissing, no fighting and a bunch of chasing and playing. Pip may well prove to be the alpha, but they're really good together!

Pip’s Post

 

My name is Pip. (My human parents originally named me Ty—short for "typhoon!"—but they decided that Pip, aka “Pipsqueak,” aka “the Pipster,” was more fitting.) I do tend to squeak when I’m demanding to be fed!

 

I’m 5 ½ months old, and yes, I’m missing my right eye. My sister and I were living on the mean streets when we were found. I had so much grit in my eyes that the people at Northshore Animal League had to take the right one out. They did a good job and it’s all healed up. I can’t see too well out of my left eye, either. But I’m still pretty darned cute. 

My sister didn't have any health problems, and she was adopted before me, to another family. Northshore named me Marshmallow, but my human family said I had too much spunk for a marshmallow! As you can see, I like being on people's shoulders. You can watch a video about me here.

(Originally posted Jan 23, 2011)

Marley's post

My name is Marley. I’m not sure of my exact age – I know I’m more than 5, but less than 10. Can’t tell you anything about my former parents either, except that they let me go! (How anyone could have could have given up a cat as cute as me I can’t fathom.) 

At least they had the good sense to bring me to the Northshore Animal League, so that the people there would help me find a good home. My new human parents (aka "my wait staff") adopted me this week, and so far, I think I’ll keep them. They give me two square meals a day, served on the kitchen floor, clean water, a litter box, lots of room to run around, and really long belly rubs. 

I’m not sure how I feel about the new kitten they brought home yesterday though. Reserving judgment on him.  

(Originally published Jan 23, 2011.)

Adopting Marley and Pip

Originally posted Saturday, January 22, 2011

After our two 18-year-old cats, Colette and Pushkin (Pushkin is black and Colette is black and white) ...

 

passed away, Colette in September and Pushkin in December, I thought it would be a long while before I'd want another cat. But I've lived with cats for 30 years and a cat-free home just felt ... wrong.

Or, as a friend who just lost a beloved dog wrote to me, "The urge to fill the house with dander, fur, barking, pee, poo and general mayhem is overwhelming. Hence the contract with the few remaining unincarcerated mob hit men should we venture near a pet shop or animal shelter."

So Allen and I adopted two cats from Northshore Animal League in Port Washington, NY this week. Marley, the "tuxedo" cat (and my birthday present from Allen), arrived first. We picked up Pip on Saturday. Pip, as you can see, is missing one eye.