Window Moke

The other evening, as I finished up some yard work, I heard a familiar meow.  My brain didn’t place it for a second or two.  I stepped off the porch to turn on the water. As I’m doing this, I think, He’s not supposed to be out here.  I look down, and sure enough, there’s Moke at my feet.  It’s also about this time I noticed the screen on the ground. 

Moke fell or jumped from a two story window. 

Part of me thought he busted out.  It was a daring jail break hashed out over many afternoons of sitting in the window watching the birds, squirrels and chipmunks merrily cavorting.  Nope, he couldn’t take it any longer…

Then the Rational me kicked the Creative me in the pants.  Moke probably just leaned on the screen a little too hard and Whoosh!  Down he fell.

Either way, the damage has been done. 

Oh, don’t worry, he’s fine, and the screen popped back in despite being bent. 

Here’s the kicker: Now Moke knows he can escape by pushing on that screen – or any screen for that matter.  

 Yippee   :-)

Wanted: Sanity

I love Smokey. There are some days, though, that I’d love to throw his whiny little butt outside. Maybe dropkick is the right word.


He’s noisy. If you need a 4am wake-up, he’s your cat. He meows to go outside and when he’s hungry – which is 99% of the time. He also lets you know he’s up to something bad with this odd high pitched chatter. Basically the only time he’s quiet is when he’s eating or sleeping.

He’s too smart for his own good. He can open cupboard doors with ease and remove the lids from plastic containers.

He’s a menace. He knocks things off countertops just to get your attention. He also likes to pick fights with his housemates or drop a stinky turd in the nearest litter box, just to let you know he’s unhappy about something.

He’s a thief. He will eat just about anything. Everything is fair game to him. Watermelon, tomatoes, cantaloupe, green peppers, oatmeal, nuts. He’ll even chew on a lemon rind. You can’t leave anything where he can get it. There are baby locks on the cupboard where we store the garbage so he can’t get into it.

He’s the enforcer. He patrols our house, keeping the other cats in line. Sometimes, I think he feels he’s following my orders.


Smokey is lucky he’s a snuggly bug. He sleeps with me some nights, throws his little body against me with a sigh. Melts my heart every time.

The Moke

His name is Moke or Mokerson or Moke Moke. Well, those aren’t really his names. More like call signs, tag lines, depending on our moods and his behavior. Moke is one of our six cats and the loudest, most annoying, territorial, rambunctious, intelligent, and exacerbating. Fortunately for him, he’s playful, cute, and likes to snuggle in bed. He sleeps beside me most nights, hogging the pillow. If he sees I’m awake in the middle of the night, he’ll give me a soft mew and a light nudge with his head. Melts my heart and resolve. But before long, he’ll be patrolling the perimeter, harassing and goading the other cats, meowing at the top of his lungs for breakfast.

Moke wandered on to our porch about 7 years ago, sleeping in a pizza box for two weeks while we got to know him and decided to add him to our family. The vet warned us we’d have our hands full. Moke has an extra thumb on one paw, which means it’s easier for him to open cabinet doors to dig in the trash can. Or pry open plastic containers. He is constantly on the move, prowling his territory. Mewing to go outside. Climbing on forbidden countertops. Licking dishes in the sink. Pushing pots filled with food off the stove.

He’s lucky he found us.

I don’t know if anyone else would have the patience…

Edited 8/08/09 to add...

And he's at it again tonight. Trying to pry the lid off a plastic container. Because he wants some WATERMELON!

Clumping Cat Litter or Should I say Quick Drying Cement?

I’ve thought about going back to the old fashioned litter you have to dump every day or so, and I’ve tried the pine stuff. My cats didn’t like it, and most of you know what it’s like when your feline friend doesn’t want to use its box. So, I don’t experiment very often. But days when I scoop the concrete blocks from my little creatures of habit who only seem to do their business in the corners, I wish for something better.


Here are a few things we’ve done to improve our litter box situation :


We added more boxes to prevent ambushes and for convenience.

We took off the roofs for better air flow.

We switched to fragrance free litter for their health and ours.

We changed to 25 gallon plastic tubs rather than a standard litter box.

We put towels on the floor under the boxes to cut down on litter being tracked throughout the house.

We buy high quality, low-dust, clumping litter. Our next move will be a switch from clay.

We scoop every day - sometimes twice.

Most of all, we keep our sense of humor...



...and pray for patience.

In Memoriam

Biggie has gone ahead... Our lives are not the same without her.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Today my Zoomer got a treat. Her last grape tomato of the year. Well, the last from my little garden. She loves veggies of all kinds and some fruit. Crazy cat that she is. We can't have a compost bowl because she will dump it and drag pieces parts to her bed. I've found green pepper parts, limes, apple cores - you name it. Now don't give me a lecture. I am careful about foods she shouldn't eat like onions and mushrooms. Although, she used to eat a lot of mushrooms before I read they weren't good for her. The jury is still out on that one. I need to do more research. We don't feed our cats mainstream manufactured processed foods. If they get kitty crack (dry and canned foods from the big brands), it's mostly as a treat or last resort. These days, I don't trust big companies to feed my family. I trust them to line their pockets and that's about it. Sometimes, we buy organic food from chain stores, but it's too expensive to be an every day thing. So our cats eat what we cook them. Livers, gizzards, hearts, brown rice, eggs plus what ever whole foods we might be eating. It's a balance though because no matter how much we love them they are still cats. But it's all a labor of love!!


Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Give your pets a hug and let them know how much you love them!

Nap Time

And this is my nap I'm talking about not the semi-constant state of couch potato-ness my cats exist in during the day. The funny thing is once I try to rest, it's like a switch has been thrown. Often I fall asleep with one cat pouncing on my feet (sharp little teeth and claws going right through the covers) and another draped across my back. My bedroom is an amusement park, me being the main attraction. If I'm not paying them sufficient attention, which I'm not since I'm trying to sleep, they will lick any exposed body parts or pull my hair. So, I'm tucked into a coccoon, and I open my eyes to check the clock, and that's the cue for whoever is sitting right by my head to meow in my face. And not just any meow but the loudest, most whiny sound you have ever heard. I'd say it's the opposite of blood curdling, but just as piercing. Occasionally, I succeed and squeeze about 20 min of sleep into an hour and a half. Most of the time, I stomp downstairs, annoyed and grouchy.

The trick is - don't let them know you're awake. And this may take practice and patience because you have to slip under the covers, tuck in all your wings, clamp your eyes shut and remain still, ignoring all onslaughts. And it's tough because they will do everything in their power to engage you. Stick to your guns and you just might become part of the scenery.

Good luck and sweet dreams!