The China Cabinet

Tomorrow is Zoe’s ‘gotcha day’ which means she’s lived here for a whole year. I can’t believe I survived it! At least without a major maiming.

Bet you’ve been missing hearing from me, huh? If not, go away, I don’t need you anyways.

That lady tells me I should be nice but forget it. I’m a cat. We don’t do nice unless it suits our own needs. So far, I get what I want even if I’m only a sweet little kitty for just a few minutes at a time. I think I’m pretty much set here.

I do miss the squirrels, though. They used to run along that Maple tree that the Lady was all upset about last week. Now that the big branch that went to the house is gone, I never see them running back and forth. Maybe it’s that fox I’ve been smelling. The Lady says there is no fox - that she’s faking it - but it smells like fox to me and the dog says the same thing.

China’s been all shivery the past few days. She’s afraid of that rumbling that sometimes happens when it rains. Me, I con’t care. It’s obviously afraid of me since all it does is yell at me from way up there. I tell China that but she just ignores me and keeps on shivering until all the yelling stops.

I can’t believe July’s almost over already! Only a few more months of warm and then the cold times come back. Even Mom thinks the summer is going too fast.

We’ve had some bad weather lately. A mini-twister blew by our house and half of one of the big Maples fell off! It landed on the roof but the other branches broke the fall and there was no damage. It was lots of fun watching Grampy and Uncle Dave crawl around the tree and cut it up. Mom didn’t think it was fun but she’s just glad they didn’t decide to cut down the whole tree.

Zoe has discovered Daddy’s chair and is trying to claim it as her own like Hissy Kitty used to do. So far, Daddy is standing his ground - well, sitting his ground, I guess.

So, get this. I just got yelled at.

And what for?

Eating flowers.

The Lady just hasn’t figured out that that is what flowers are for. I’m supposed to eat them so’s I can throw ‘em back up again. That’s the natural order of things.

But noooo. I can’t get on the counter, which is where they are. I can’t eat the flowers because they’re not there for me, they’re there to ‘look pretty.’ Pfft on that! Why do they need anything to look pretty when they’ve got me around? Flowers are like pigs - they’re for eatin’.

Mom likes to feed the birdies (and Zoe Monster loves to watch them) so we have a couple of bird feeders around the house.

The problem with this is that birds aren’t the only ones who like the seeds. Personally, I don’t see what’s the big deal about seeds. I’ve tried them and they’re like popcorn without the pop. Bleah. But my new arch-nemisis loves them, loves them, loves them.

There used to just be one squirrel that hung around. Mom hates him because he’s taken to living in our back shed (which is attached to the kitchen) and totally wrecked it this past winter. She’s tried traps but he just pushes on them until they snap and then steals the goodies.

Now that it’s warm, he’s started stealing the birdies’ food and he’s invited friends! I’ve tried chasing them, sneaking up on them and a few times I’ve tried climbing the trees but I just can’t do it. Zoe isn’t allowed outside to help and one of these guys is almost as big as her!

It is now my life’s mission to rid my yard of these pests. Mom is trying to help but she’s even slower than me. She bought this stuff that smells like fox urine - and it does, I checked - that’s supposed to scare them away. Maybe it’ll work but I will continue to take Mad Eye Moody’s advice… ‘Constant Vigilance!’

Mom just showed me this awesome tail-er - uh - trailer for a movie that I want to see, but guess what? Dogs aren’t allowed in movie theaters! Not us normal, non-working dogs and even if I really tried, I don’t think I could pretend to be one of those seeing eye dogs. I get way too distracted.

So, I guess I have to wait until it comes out on video. Hmph.

Here’s the trailer

I have a new hero.

Mom’s been watching these tapes she has that she made a long time ago - before I was born even! They star this cool white Jack Russell Terrier named Wishbone and while he’s not as dashing as Thor or Duke, he makes up for it in spunk and imagination!

And he’s very well read.

A year ago today we said goodbye to the Hissy Kitty. Mom and Dad still miss her a lot and so do I. She may have never liked me, but she never stuck her claws in my butt.

One of our blogger buddies, Ari, is going to be famous!

Her mom just got a book deal all about Ari and her adventures as a ‘canine naturalist.’ (Did I spell that right?) Mom says books are good things - I wouldn’t know, I can’t read - so good luck to Ari and her mom with the new book!

Mom promises she’ll buy a copy and read it to me when it comes out.

Hello friends and cyber-neighbors! It’s me China, the long-silent red mutt. It’s been a busy Spring for Mom and of course my blog was low on her list of priorities. Hmph. Like making sure plants get into the ground before they die in their pots is more important than recording my thoughts on sniffing, chewing and eating.

At least I like to sniff the flowers and plants. Mom won’t let me get in the garden with them - I can’t even run though that big ol’l patch of dirt with those little weeds growing in them. What? Those aren’t weeds? Then what are they?

*Groan* More evil gourds - and four different kinds this time!!! The miniatures I can handle, but Pie, white ones and big, squashy Cinderella gourds? Nooooo!!!

Oh well. I have a few months to plot their demise - I mean, learn to live with them.

Zoe has been even badder than usual lately. If she wants attention and Mom and Dad are busy, she’ll start running around, scratching stuff up, going behind the TV (where Daddy’s paranoid she’ll pull wires out). She’s just a bad cat. I don’t think she was born brown - I think she got that way ‘cuz she’s so rotten.