Huddlefuzz, Spud and Pumpkin

You might remember the account in the Bible of the three Hebrew boys who were thrown into a fiery furnace for refusing to bow down to a pagan idol.  Well, did you know that they all had two names?

The boys Hebrew names were Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  The Babylonian chief court official, Ashpenaz, by order of King Nebuchadnezzar, then changed the boys names to Babylonian names. They were then known most commonly as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

So, why bring this up?  What's it got to do with cats?  Well, it seems pretty common that in most households, animals may have a given name but based on their antics and behavior they often receive silly names or "pet" names as well.  Thus, the account of the three Hebrew boys got me thinking.

We have three cats named Baby, Piggy and Sassy.  Baby is really a baby in the sense that he feels he should be treated and coddled as if he deserved everything.  He's needy.

Piggy was named for his curled tail which resembled a pig when he was little. He's very loving, protective and adventurous.

Sassy is the only girl.  She's calico and when she was born she gave early indication that she would be in charge, be first and everyone would do as she said. Thus her name because of her sassy attitude.

Over the years that we've had them, they have all received other silly names.  So, while we were sitting playing cards the other day, new names popped into our heads based on their current activity.

Baby was outside in the cold looking in the window.  He was huddled tight trying to stay warm when the name Huddlefuzz popped into my head.  Then we saw Piggy laying in front of the fireplace. We laughed and said if he was named potato we could call him a baked potato.  And then the name Spud came to life.  And over the last year, Sassy has gotten bigger and lazier.  Being a calico, she has the coloring's of a pumpkin.  Thus, the new name Pumpkin became reality because she really is rounder than she used to be.

As any animal lover knows, pets can have multiple names that they answer to and that we know them by.  Years ago a so called "expert" said animals did not comprehend their names.  How untrue that is! Our cats know all their names and whether one person calls them one thing and another calls them something else, they know who they are and come running when called, most of the time!

Pokemon Go Saves a Kitten

Here's a heart-warming story about a tiny kitten that was found while someone was playing Pokemon Go.  Check out the pictures that accompany the article and how it all turned out.  With regard to the kitten, it can really be said, "Gotcha"!

The Cathouse

Well, it's happened.  My wife, the cat lover, couldn't stand the fact that the cats had nowhere to sleep or rest outside in a protected area, especially if we were gone and it was windy or raining.  So, we bought this dog/cat house. Did they like it?  

The first few days they sniffed it, walked around it and ignored it, as cats do.  But as the days went by and they realized this new "thing" wasn't going to move, attack them or leave, they decided it might be okay to venture inside.  So they did.

Since we also put a nice cushy pad inside the house, they've now decided laying in there is cool. And, of course, it's now become a race to see who gets inside first.  Although there's plenty of room for all three of them to use it, only one at a time goes inside and blocks usage from the other two.  In fact, two of the three use it quite often.  The third cat, Piggy, has decided that it's quite the cool structure to be used, not inside, but on top. When the sun shines or the weather is dry, the roof of the cat house is his lookout point, sun-bathing arena, pop the other cats on the head as they walk by platform. 

All-in-all, it has grown on them, not literally of course because then it would crush them, but figuratively.  When the wind is howling or the rains are blowing, if the spoiled little fuzzes happen to be outside, most likely you'll find one of them inside the cat house peeking out the door watching the world go by and waiting to come inside the biggest of all cat houses, our home, which for some reason they seem to think is theirs!  We're just glad they like the little house which we purchased, at the behest of my wife, just for them.  

Selfish little things!  These entitled little beings better be thankful.  Right!

Wow! I Think This is the Most Beautiful Cat I've Ever Seen!

A picture's worth a thousand words.  Take a look!

Monkeys and Cats - One Goofball Taking Care of Another

Here's an interesting article about a cat adopting a tiny monkey.  Both species are crazy and their antics can make anyone laugh.  But this cat sees a need and decides to help a fellow animal that needs care.  Read on.

Flower is Resting Now

Today, July 4, another one of our cats died. This one died of old age.  Her name was Flower.  She was a calico and had quite an attitude.  She had a way of giving you "the eye" and you knew not to mess with her.  She let you know what she wanted and when.

We raised her from a kitten.  She was found in the wall of a business and we did not know who her mother was.  So we bottle fed her and had to train her how to go to the bathroom and how to use the cat box.  She was never one for being held, but she had her times.  When she wanted held, you held her.  You didn't tell her no.  She picked her people and decided who would hold her and when.  She was quite a character.

She will be missed.  She is now buried next to one of her tolerated adoptive brothers, Schnei who I posted about last month.  She is resting now.  She was sixteen.

Our Friend Died Today

This morning around 7:30 a.m. our white Flame Point cat died of a massive heart attack.  He was healthy and wild to the end.  He was about 10 years old.  He was outside, fell over on the porch and was gone.  We have all been sad all day long.  It's been very emotional and difficult knowing he won't come bounding down the hall and asking to go to bed at 9;30 each night.  He will be missed very much.  Rest my friend Schnei.