A Sad Day

Yesterday morning, our beloved Toby Parker went off to the Bridge. He had been in declining health for a while and become progressively more ill over the past week. With heavy hearts, we decided to let him go. We have already received condolences from our many kitty friends and are gratefully overwhelmed by the love shown. We take some comfort from the fact that Toby left us on the anniversary of Fat Eric's death. We like to think they finally got to meet and even now are companionably having a snack or two. Or three. We will be posting a tribute over the weekend and we resolve to start posting again. Thank you, all. Cupcake, Kate and the family.

A day without cats on the Internet?
Damn pinko commies!
*mutter, mutter*

IF you don't like being brushed and IF you resist being groomed by your Mum and Dad by going limp and batting the grooming comb and IF you develop great big mats in your furs and IF you then have "digestive issues" and can't reach, or don't want to reach certain areas for cleaning, then THIS can happen to you.

Hello, everyone!

This is me on MY new kitty tree. It is mine. I sleep here in the tunnel part and I have already started to bring all MY toys over to it.

I love my new tree- it is MINE, bought for ME by Mum and Dad as a Christmas present.

I shall name it 'Calico Castle' and I will love it forever and ever.

Toby here. I thought you all would enjoy a photo of me enjoying MY new tower Santa brought me for Christmas. I like it very much. I have rolled all over it , purring and scratched it to prove it's mine. I am so high off the ground that when I play the cello, I pull in Starfleet transmissions.

I love MY tower and I shall name it 'Tiger Tower' after me, as I am the floofiest, tigerest kitty of all.

We wish all of our friends friends a happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!

Oh, no!! Mum promised us that she would blog today and post photos of us with our new cat tree, BUT when she and Dad went to put it together for us, there were parts missing!
They will have to wait until the weekend to get a new one and the photos will have to wait till then , too.
We want to wish all of our friends a Merry Christmas and health and prosperity to all!
Toby and Cupcake

The best part of Christmas ...

... is sleepin' in the boxes.

Sunday update

Hi, everyone. We've gotten some lovely Christmas cards from our kitty friends. We are especially impressed by the fact that Lilly Lu and Mu Shu posed for their photo. We have sent out our cards and some e-cards as well to our friends. We wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and lots of treats and cuddles.

Miss Lydia is settling in. She still doesn't like to be picked up but loves to be petted. Every evening she plays "Red Dot" with Daddy and races around the house. Toby is well but being a bit of a mean big brother. Sometimes he chases Lydia and has to get squirted with the water bottle.

Friday evening Mum had a bit of an accident. While getting the mail, she slipped on the ice and fell. She broke her wrist. Fortunately there were no other injuries and her pacer/ICD is OK. She will be going this week to get a cast. We may not be blogging as much until she's back to normal. Poor Dad will be working double shifts, one at the paper and then at home. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

Take care and Merry Christmas.

Happy Sunday, everyone!
Mum Kate here. I'm having a bit of a problem with the kitties and I'm hoping someone in the Blogosphere can help.
Miss Lydia is settling down fairly well. I made the mistake of trying to pick her up and she scrabbled off. She's now a little skittish again. It's my fault, but I couldn't resist the soft fluffy fur... you know how it is.... I'm going nuts because I want to cuddle my girl!
The problem is that Toby, while not actually physically attacking her, has become the resident " Intimidator". He lounges around the living room, keeping her from the food bowls and won't let her near our bedroom. We already have a separate litterbox in the living room for her, but I really don't know what else to do. Our apartment is tiny, so there isn't a lot of ability to separate them and I want them to get used to each other anyhow. After a while, he saunters off to the bedroom to sleep and she is able to eat. She doesn't hide now from him and he generally ignores her, just throws his weight around.
I've had cats all my life and I know from experience that I need to be patient and that most cats will learn to tolerate (if not like) each other. She is lively and playful, so I'm inclined to think I just need to be more patient.
I would appreciate any comments, suggestions, feedback and bearer bonds.
Thanks in advance.

Well, wasn't THAT a party! First off, we want to thank everyone who showed up. It was great seeing old and new friends. We'll have to do it again real soon. We especially liked the creative uses for leftover turkey...yum, turkey tamales!
Mum says she's going to change the blog to reflect the changes in our family. If no one objects, we'd like to keep the Gorgeous Gingers logo. Tilly is no longer with us, but she is a member of the Rainbow Division. We will keep our name so you can still find us!
Lydia is sleeping in her hideyhole behind the big bookcase and Toby is sleeping on the floor of the bedroom closet. They both snore loudly. Fat Eric was still here late Saturday, but I think he finally made it home. Mum is shaking her head as she wanders around, gathering up catnip toys and rinsing out cat bowls and scooping litterboxes....
Have a good evening!

Party time!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Those of you who got up early to go shopping and are back home can just relax and have a bite to eat.

We brought in extra turkeys, including one each just for Ed and Fat Eric. There are all kinds of napping spots and toys to play with. Lydia is turning into a playful girl so maybe some of you old pros can show her how to play tub hockey. Later on, the girl kitties will get together to discuss proper household management, wardrobe and who is the cutest Red Sox player.

We invited Groucho Marx and his friends to sing a song about Lydia. The video (which belongs to someone else) is here on YouTube. Groucho got the lyrics wrong. It's supposed to "Lydia, oh Lydia, have you met Lydia? Lydia the Calico Kitty."

We also had a hard time keeping Harpo off the ceiling.

Everyone is so kind -- welcoming Lydia to the blogosphere and Toby is glad to meet up with old friends.

Drop by anytime and stay long!
P.S. Mum says there will be seafood later, for those who want.

An Announcement

Here at the Tower Hill Mob, we have been adrift for some time now. Dad gets up in the morning and grumbles off to work. When Mum isn't at various doctors' appointments, she's doing even less housework than normal. (It's true -- she's a slug!) Toby has a breakfast or two, has a bit of a wash and spends his days napping in his hidey-holes. In short, we are in a Rut of monumental proportions. We needed leadership, we needed organizational skills, we needed Dr. Phil to chew our collective butts out and get us motivated.


Dr. Phil was busy.


It is a truth universally agreed (sorry, Jane, couldn't resist) that torties/callies are the best organized, bossiest kitties around. One of those could help us, Mum decided.



Meet Lydia. She is a dilute calico, about 3 years old. She is shy, yet friendly. She does have pupils, but decided to use her laser eyes for her first photo. We look forward to being bossed around by her for many years to come.


We are hosting an after-Thanksgiving party tomorrow. All kitties and other critters and their beans are invited to come and eat leftover goodies and meet Lydia.

We expect to be updating our profiles and posting more frequently (Mum hopes).

Happy Thanksgiving to all,

The Tower Hill Mob (Toby, Lydia, Mum and Dad)

N.B. I didn't take this photo and I don't know who did. It's a fantastic shot of the woman I want to be in about 25 years.
Kudos and thanks to a most talented photographer!

GO SOX!*

* Sorry, Jeter Harris et al. You're very nice kitties, but...

Mad Toby Parker, Pirate King of the Merrimack Valley, shares with an amazed public his thoroughly modern stealth pirate ship. He refuses to disclose the location, but informed sources say they suspect it is in or near the Baltimore region. The ship,known simply as " Cat Breath" is in port for refitting and for the crew to gorge on crab and shrimp steamed with Old Bay seasoning and kegs of Yuengling beer.

Tag, I'm it

Hello, everyone. My good friend, Sir Ed the Rotund tagged me for a meme so I thought I would check in to the blogosphere.

1. Where were you 10 years ago?
I was a young 3 year old kitty. I lived with Mum and Dad and my brother Jiggsy Doodle and Tilly in a different apartment. We would watch the birdies and squirrels from the deck and race down the hallway all night.

2. Where were you 1 year ago?
We were still mourning the sudden death of my brother. I was getting used to living with just Tilly (the Orange One).

3. 5 Snacks you enjoy?
I like ham, Temptations, tomato sauce, milk/ice cream lappies and NIP!

4. 5 Songs I know all the words to?
Hmmmn, tough one. Mum and Dad often sing songs to me. They usually make them up as they go along, so the words change. I like " I am the model of a very large tigger cat" and " Tigg of the day, where will it nap?" You get the idea...

5. 5 Thing if I were a millionaire?
Lots to charity-probably Best Friends or other no-kill shelters and for bean charities like the Salvation Army.
Pay off Mum's medical bills!
Buy Dad the kicka** Altima coupe of his dreams!
Take Grandma on a trip.
Help Dad's Mum and Dad with their bills and stuff.

6. 5 Bad Habits?
I shed LOTS! I tend to flop over from ennui and hunger in the most inconvenient spots.

7. 5 Thing I like doing
Eat. Sleep. Root around in the cabinets. Sit on Mum's implanted defibrillator and play the piano. Sit on Dad's back when he's sleeping and play the cello.

8. 5 Things I would never wear again.
I don't wear clothes. I'm a nudist. However I admire the fashion sense of my feline friends.

9. 5 Favorite toys?
Feather toy, nip in various forms, the cord to the blinds in the bedroom. I don't understand catnip bubbles or the Red Dot. I am old and a bit dim.

I enjoyed doing this meme and hope everyone is well. I tag any kitty who hasn't played yet.

Love to all,

Toby

Toes Tuesday Lots of my kitty and bean friends have been asking about me. As you can see, I'm doing well!

Auld Lang Syne

Hello, everyone!
The Mum here. Over the past several months, I have been overwhelmed by the the kitties and beans who blog. I could spend hours each day(and sometimes have!) reading about the adventures of my contacts. I have made many friends and have become deeply concerned about the welfare of folks I may never meet outside the Web.

For us, it has been a bit of a difficult year - my continuing health issues and the loss of two beloved kitties, Tilly and Jiggsy. I started blogging because I thought it would be fun - it is! but along with that, is the dawning realization that I don't have the talent for it. I am continuely impressed by the blog content out there - The Calico Girls and their exquisite website, The Meezers and weekly reports, the catcams at IFOC and so many more.

I have decided to stop blogging. I love the cat blogosphere and will pop in to visit frequently, but Toby and I are old and dull. We're at the point where we'd rather sit in a quiet corner with a drink than burn up the dance floor.

We cherish you all and wish everyone a healthy, prosperous new year filled with cuddles and skritches.

Love to all from the Mom, Dad and Toby, too.

Just out of curiousity- how many beans have changed or amended holiday decorations based upon their cat's (pets') activities? Please let us know. My beans seem to think they are the only ones.
Thanks,
Toby

Sleepy-time kitty

Toby here. I was very tired Saturday and taking a nap when Mum and Dad covered me up to make certain I was snuggy. I didn't seem to mind a bit.

Then Mum saw this picture on the Calico Girls blog. It looks like Mittens and I have been sleeping in the same bed. (Ssssh, don't tell anyone but I think Mittens is a very nice kitty. I wish she would come and visit me!)

It was very sad to hear about Laurence Simon's kitty Piper going to the Bridge. We hope she meets our Tilly and Jiggsy there, and of course Edloe from her own family. We enjoyed checking the Simon catcams and finding Piper sleeping on her favorite chair.
We know from reading their blog that the Simons love their kitties very much. We have found their high-tech catblogging fascinating.


Even though she was gone by the time we discovered her, Edloe has always been one of our favorite Web kitties.

Dad is a big Star Wars fan and this picture of Edloe from the Simon's archives is one of his all-time favorite photos.

Hello, everyone.

Toby here. I was worried about my beans for a while after Tilly went to the Bridge. Neither cried much, but both were unusually quiet for a few days. I made sure that I was available 24 hours a day for cuddle duty. I'm glad I was able to say good bye and resolve any differences we had. It was time.


Well,I 'm the only cat now and I have to say I'm kinda enjoying all the attention. I've made a special effort to be more sociable and even playful and I've been richly rewarded. I'm especially enjoying the feather toy Mum bought me. I understand what all the fuss was about now. Playing is OK, but I still prefer to stretch out on Mum's lap, purring and cutting off circulation to her legs.


I have challenged Kukka Maria for a photo of her famed multiple nipples and am thinking of other challenges. Stop by the Meezers to read Miles' spritely " Hammy Smells".

Mum says she just got the best Christmas present possible- her youngest nephew is home safely in the US from serving in Kosovo. He arrived late last night in Bangor, Maine and was able to call his parents when he landed. You may not know this , but all military planes landing at Bangor are greeted by folks who come from far and wide to welcome them home. The soldiers are applauded (loudly), given cell phones to call family and friends and given snacks. When the people found out he was from Maine originally, they all cheered him. Mum and Dad want to thank all the good folks in the Bangor area who welcome our soldiers home. Thanks, everyone!


Mum has put me back on an all- crunchy diet. I think it's just as well. The Stinky Goodness loses its specialness when I can have it all the time.

I hear that Cousin Molly has been knocking over plants from the living room again. Yet she she still gets Temptations! THIS IS NOT FAIR! Mum has shown absolutely no inclination to open the lovely tin she bought in Canada, but apparently Molly has been has been getting so-called holidat treats since Thursday! I'm very distressed by this.

I smell meatloaf cooking. I better go assist with the dishing up.

Headbonks and purrs to all!
Toby