04/26/2009 Cat Grass

I bought a couple of little kits at the grocery and hardware store for growing grass for the cats to eat. This came AFTER Grayson ate so much of my shamrock that it went on to heaven. I didn't have much hope that I would succeed in getting the grass to grow from seeds but folks, let me tell you, it did. In one week, I have gone from having seeds in a little white bowl to having 1 to 2-inch grass. I bought one kit about 3 weeks back and IT HAD NO SEEDS whatsoever. I went and bought 2 more (after peeking to be sure there were seeds included) and spread the seeds among the 3 containers of dirt. The directions said to put the freshly planted seeds in a dark area for 3 days and the seeds should sprout. Well, I forgot about it for a week and when I went to look yesterday, there was tall grass - ready to eat I would say. Grayson has already "discovered" his new plant and started eating on it. I put some right in front of Milo tonight and told him I was going to start serving him a "salad" as an appetizer. He smelled of the stuff but seemed disinterested for now. Wait 'til he sees Gray eating on it. He'll change his mind, I am sure. Anyway, so much for growing grass seed indoors. It really works. I'm going to try and put it in a larger planter and see if it will spread for me. From the way it is thriving, it might not be that hard a trick.

2009/04/23 - Milo Misses Out on the Shower Again

I got up and ran shower water for about 3 to 4 minutes this morning. I knew I was going to work out today and would take my shower later so I did this just for Milo's benefit. He tried to pounce the edge of the swirling water around the drain. He still thinks it is some kind of prey and he wants to catch it or conquer it in some way. I just told him "ataboy" and let him continue to try. He finally gave it up and sat outside the stall and peeked in.

Bertha came later and Milo slept through her cleaning of the shower area. He usually takes that as a second chance to observe the water-monster. Bertha missed him being there and I told him it was okay because I would take a real shower later so he would have yet a third chance at it.

Ever since I started his blog, Milo has slept more than usual. I haven't had as many mischievous happenings to tell about. I hope he perks up soon, but I really think he may have seasonal allergies that are getting to him a little. I love my sleepy little boy but I want my scamp back. Grayson, however, is loving it. He is taking this as an opportunity to catch up on all the petting he has been missing and now that he is clean, I don't mind letting him sleep next to me where it is easy to scratch his head and under his chin. He self pets the sides of his head on my hand if I hold it out for him. Right now, both boys are lying here next to me sleeping away. Gray is on the floor looking like a fainting goat - just laid out on his side. Milo is in a chair that is right next to mine and he appears to be sound asleep as well.

Good night all. If I tiptoe, I might get my bed to myself for a while - that might be an interesting turn of events.

04/19/2009 Milo on a Sunday

Milo got all wet in the shower this morning. His tail looked completely pitiful when he finally got out of the shower stall. Why would he let himself get that wet without making a move to get out of the wet? Don worked some more on the slideshow and some of the blog design. I am happy with the slideshow as it is but we keep learning as we go so we might have something really slick before it is over. I'm having fun with it already although the writing has been the least of it so far. The pictures and slideshow have taken up a lot of time, mostly Don's with getting the slideshow to work from another web address.

04/18/2009

I told Milo I am going to start calling him Sneezy since that seems to be the order of the day. Bless his little heart, he sneezes like crazy and it is not just a sneeze, it is a dozen or so in a row and really strong ones. The vets say this is a typical complaint for little pushed-in-nose Himalayans. Unless he gets badly congested along with it, I try to ignore it but I really don't want him sneezing all over my bedroom while I am asleep. We went through a round of antibiotics a month or so back and it helped for a while but I can't keep him on medicine for life. The vets also say to try and bear with it as they can't just keep prescribing antibiotics every time it happens. He might get really sick someday and need them to help out with something worse. So, why am I up at this hour? I believe Milo had a sneezing round at the same time someone ran a car motor outside and I hoped the newspaper would be here. Instead I wound up feeding Gray (and Milo got offered) and coming to the pc to see if there was any email last night. I hope the sneezing is over for a while. I am going back to bed. Milo seems more interested in aggravating Gray right now than he is in me. I am getting a few breaks from his being glued to my body here lately. I needed a break but of course, I liked his attention also, just as he likes mine.

Milo completely missed the shower today because he was asleep in the living room and must not have heard the water running. After, I went in and said, "You missed out, bud. Are you going to be all right about that?" He got up, raced to the bathroom and talked to me about it the best he could. I turned on the water and let him observe the nozzle for about 2 minutes and turned the water off. That will have to replace the shower fix for the day. At least he got to see the water come out which is his favorite part.

I also brushed on him some which is NOT his favorite thing - so he bit at me after a while and I quit brushing. I guess a man's got to do what a man has got to do. We put a slideshow of Milo on this blog today and I hope to do some more writing about his history as time goes by but the slideshow took up such a chunk of the day that I will wait for another time to do that.

04/17/2009 Friday - Milo's Day

Now, here are a couple of contortionist photos of Milo (3rd and last) and even one of him in the tub in the days before his showering obsession began in earnest. The fourth photo is of Bandit (God rest his soul), who was even larger than this at one time and the first picture is one of Grayson in his outdoor days. He could go out until he came home with a screaming bird one day. No more for me. He can look but not touch is all I have to say about that. My neighbor was kind enough to get the bird away from him and once that incident was over, I put the cat in the house and he stays in the house. I think he thought he was bringing me a prize. Silly boy!

Milo's day today has been his usual: eat a little, sleep a lot, get in the shower with mom until the water starts to hit him too much, then out of the shower and look in every now and then. He has become utterly obsessed with being in the shower with me when I first get in. I usually go turn on the water for a minute or two so he can be in there by himself in the beginning. He started to get obsessed with showers after I had been away too many times at the end of the year and he didn't like it. He started following me around like white on rice and even had to sleep with his body against mine. Then one day I saw the shower door moving while I was in the shower. IT WAS MILO pushing the door with all his 9-pound might. I could not believe it but it was true. He wanted in and came in. Ever since, he has joined me in the shower every single day. He hates to be left out of this big event. Even the lady who cleans for me every other week says he gets in the tub and shower when she runs water in them. The first time, she reported that she had "baptized" herself because she was in such shock at seeing a cat in the tub while the water was running. How could you not love this creature who loves me so much and has such endearing little habits. Although....it is difficult to shower and not drench the cat, which I worry about somewhat but am less and less worried. He does know what he is in for after all.

We are having a normal peaceful day and I am not running all over creation for a change. Mondays thru Wednesdays are the most filled up days of my week and Fridays I try to stay home with my two boys. Milo is resting through this day mostly. He is sleeping right where I lay at night and I may want to use that spot in a minute so I may have to move him to Milo's spot on the other side of the bed.

04/17/2009 Friday with Milo

I know some of you followed another blog I have about myself and know that Milo missed me so much during a 3 day hospital stay I had at the end of the year that he started wanting to be close to me all the times - up to and including having his body against mine at night. Then 4 or 5 weeks ago, I saw the shower door moving while I was in the shower and looked around to see this little 9 pound cat's foot in the door trying to move it with all his might. I opened the door for him and in he came to my great surprise and shock. Evidently, he wants me in his sight AT ALL TIMES including when I am drenching myself in water. It is very difficult to shower with a cat present without getting the cat very very wet. He does leave at the first sign he is not going to be able to stay reasonably dry but he parks just outside the shower and wants the door open enough that he can peer in every now and again. Needless to say, I have no pictures of Milo in the shower during the shower. He now races to the bathroom at any sign I might be going to bathe as he doesn't want to miss it. It has become his favorite thing to do all day and if I am late doing it, he stays awake so he can race to the bathroom if need be. I had company one day and closed the bathroom door before he got in and he sulked all day over missing out. So now, I make sure he is involved no matter what. Some days I run the water about 2 minutes for his benefit only. That way he feels he witnessed the water event and feels okay about going to sleep.

When my cleaning lady comes in every other week, she has to run water in the tub and shower stall in order to wash things down. Milo races to the bathroom to witness this as well. She said the first time it happened, she looked around and there sat Milo in the bathtub and she said she was so shocked, "I baptised myself." I told her he has become obsessed with running water in bathrooms and he will likely be in there every time he hears her running water to clean. How on earth could I not love this creature.

More of THE Milo Pictures and Some Grayson Too

The first two pictures are of Grayson and the next two are of Mr. Milo himself in some restful poses. Grayson is Milo's "brother (adopted)," of whom he is very jealous. Milo does not appreciate sharing his space or his mom. We'll get some contortionist pictures somewhere along the line also, as Milo can twist himself into a pretzel sometimes. Enjoy as these are two very handsome cat-men and I would go so far as to say that Milo is absolutely gorgeous in a manly kind of way. Gray looks really good too especially after his bath yesterday. He feels really silky and clean.

Man, I sure did get in my practice with posting pictures. I lost bunches and then "found" them later and deleted. We'll play with this some more over the next few days.

04/16/09 Milo's Work is Never Done

Milo has been sleeping mostly for the last two days, thanks to the trauma of a bath on the 14th. He must not have slept at all that day. The groomer said he let her know when he had had enough and let her know even more when it was MORE than enough. Such is his attitude toward life. He puts up with nothing that is disagreeable to him. But after all the showers he has wanted to take with his "owner," Linda, who would guess that he would hate bathing so much.

His "brother," on the other hand is the one I would have predicted to put up a fight out of panic from the dunking. But no, he was a golden boy, sitting there and taking it like a brave little man (or maybe a cowardly little statue). His groomer bragged on how easy a time she had bathing and brushing him out.

More later to catch everyone up on Milo's showering habits. For right now, I just wanted to get this blog started and Milo and Grayson introduced.