Mischief Monday - Not Enough Pictures of Me - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

This week was fine, fine, fine, EXCEPT, I got a peak at the Lady's phone and there are 87 million new kitten pictures and no new ones of me. I let her know my displeasure by giving her the stink eye, which she captured on film.

Who would want pictures of kittens when they have the most handsome guy in the world here!

your very handsome friend, Stysy

Caturday - Foster 4 - Week 2

It has been almost 2 weeks since the fosters arrived. Hopefully, as you read this, all 4 kittens will be available for adoption. Friendly had her follow up yesterday and once she is healthy enough  to get her first vaccine, she will be ready. Her sneezing has improved. Austin was neutered this week and is doing great. 

People have asked why we decided to foster.  First, Man, has been bullied into this. This is not his dream. My dream is actually to foster old dogs, but this was not something Man wanted as I need a co-foster parent for when she works late etc I pivoted to cats. I also have the dream of becoming a crazy cat lady, and this allows me to do so in a more reasonable way. I know I am going to be sad to see them go, but also joyful. How lucky am I to get to be a small part of these wonderful cats lives, even for a short time. 

Here are some of the fun pictures for this week.

When vacuum came out

Nature Friday - St. John's Day 2

On our second day in St. John's we took advantage of the two day hop on/hop off bus and went back out to Cape Spear. 

Cape Spears, which is about 12 km/8miles from downtown St. John's is the Easternmost point in North America.

The original lighthouse was built in 1836 and it is the oldest surviving lighthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador. For 5 generations one family lived in and operated the house. 

Here are some pictures from Cape Spear. 

Looking up at the original lighthouse

Marking the most Easternmost part

During World War Two, Cape Spear was a critical defence battery. Built by Canadian and American's, soldiers were stationed here to watch for German U-Boats.  The battery, which is built into the hill is still there for people to visit. 

Looking out at the fog

The new lighthouse built in 1955

After our time in Cape Spear, we took the bus back to the city and spent time at the Rooms. The Rooms is the province's largest museum, art gallery and archives. It is named the rooms as it is designed to look like traditional fishing rooms, where people gathered to process their catches.

I have been to hundreds of museums and historical sites in my life, and the Rooms World War I exhibit, is one of the best I have seen. Newfoundland was not part of Canada during the war and the Royal Newfoundland Regiment lost 801 of it's members of July 1, 1916 in the Battle of the Somme. In total Newfoundland lost 1700 individuals, giving it the sad distinction of having the most losses per capital of any British colony. The stories of many of those lost and survivors is beautifully told.  I highly recommend this stop. 

They also have a nature section. Here is a whale skull from it. 

After several hours in the museum, we took the steep walk back to our hotel. 

Next week we will finish our trip to Newfoundland on the ocean. 

Lanie's Log - New Inmates

 It has been 303 days since my imprisonment and my captures have brought in new inmates. 

Mostly the inmates stay in my former solitary confinement cell, but the other night, the Wardens brought 2 of them out. 

What is up there?

Phantom

Friendly

While Tigris and Styx kept their distance, I was interested and hung around. There presence did not bother me, except it did delay my evening lap love and treats. I am not sure I like the new prison schedule.

Lanie, Prisoner #3

Wordless Wednesday - My Heart

 

Tuesdays with Tigris - Ummm, I Don't Need This Diet

Readers,

While my people were away, the children caring for me gave me too much food. Also, to make it easier on them, I was not required to just have my diet food. Now, the people have the audacity to say it is time to get serious about my weight loss. Just because I weigh more than 4 kittens, I don't see the problem. 

I argued there is no body shaming in 2026, and the Lady said, it wasn't shaming if it was true concern about my health.  Lady says, it is not about how I love, it is about my health as medical experts (who clearly got their degrees online) said I need to slim down.

So a stricter diet has begun and I am not happy about it.

Tigris

Tigris

Mischief Monday - Where's My Chicken - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

As you know, I am a very, very polite cat, so, so, so polite. I have learned very good table manners, and yet still, I have to ask "Where is my chicken?"

A very hungry Styx

Caturday - Foster 4

 Hello,

Welcome to a new feature on the blog where we share about our foster kittens and cats (when we have them). We are fostering for TNR La Peche (the same organization I have been transporting cats for spay and neuter for).

Last Monday evening, we got a call asking if we could take 4 kittens that were in a barn. We said yes and it has been kitten overload every since. These kittens never stop purring.

Introducing . . . . 

Austin - He is the oldest and only male. He is about 5 months old and weighs about 5 lbs. Austin is super chill and didn't even flinch at the vet getting his shots. He is going to be the perfect compassion for someone who wants a buddy to sit beside them on the couch and watch TV. He likes to be beside, not on people. He also loves to play and run and wrestle. 

Austin will be neutered next week

Phantom - 4 month old Phantom is a cuddle bug. She weighs in at 4.4 lbs and is the most vocal of the kittens. Phantom loves to give kisses. She does not love when Austin plays too hard. She got her name for her colouring, her grey fades to white and it made me think of a Phantom. 

Phantom the kiss queen

Friendly - She got her name because she is the lap cat of the century. Always pushing the others out of the way, this 3.14 lbs purr machine has a bit of a respiratory infection and fever. You wouldn't know it because it hasn't impacted her play. She, and her likely littermate Phantom will be on antibiotics for a week, to treat the sneezes.

Friendly

Last but not least - Miss California

At 4.5 months old, this 4.4 lbs beautify rarely stays still for a picture. She is the most playful, loves to chase toys, hold the others in headlocks to lick them and she is the biggest scratcher.  In the moments she is still, she does love a good cuddle too. 

As this is our first time, we are not 100% sure what the process will be. We will continue to love them, transport them for medical appointments, and provide care as long as the rescue requires us to. They are a joy. We will continue to share their progress and joy. I am so excited to have this chance to love them and be part of the journey. 

If you are wondering how Tigris, Styx and Lanie are with them - well the kittens stay in the cat room (where Lanie lived her first 2 months with us), and will likely continue to do os. Tigris will go hiss at the door, and Lanie has taken to spending more time in our bedroom but otherwise no significant change from the chosen 3. 

Nature Friday - St John's Newfoundland

 The cats have agreed to let me have Nature Friday for a few weeks to share our trip to St. John's, Newfoundland. This was my last province to visit, and I feel I may have saved the best for last. While we stayed just in St. John's, it is exactly the type of place I want to live, rocks and ocean, and few people. 

We landed at about 1 am Sunday morning, after a short, direct 2.5 hour flight. The fog was so thick, it is amazing the pilots and hotel shuttle driver could see! After a night at a hotel near the airport, we headed on to the adventure. 

Before we begin the tour, a little about this province. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador has a populations of about 550, 000 people. It was Vineland as discovered by the Vikings, and was the last province to join Canada (it only joined in 1949), It is distinct from other parts of Canada because it has it's own time zone and the people have kept Irish accents. Anyone who has seen Come From Away, will have heard one of the Newfoundland dialects. 

Here are some highlights from our first day. 

We began near the spot where Canadian icon Terry Fox dipped his foot in the Atlantic to start his Marathon of Hope on April 12, 1980. Sadly, due to his cancer returning, he was forced to end his run in Thunder Bay, Ontario on September 1, 1980.  The Terry Fox Foundation holds annual runs in Terry's honour ever September, in over 30 countries and to date have raised over $1 billion for cancer research. 

The Man met him when he ran through the Ottawa area in August 1980.

In several places in the city were statues of the official dogs of Newfoundland, the Newfoundland dog (developed by European settlers and fishermen in the 17th and 18th century as working dogs), and the Labrador Retriever, (developed in the 18th century to retrieve for local fisherman). 

We went up to Signal Hill.  While made famous as the location of the world's first transatlantic wireless signal, it has also severed as a military fortification as well as a spot where locals would signal which ships were coming to port. 

Cabot Tower - built in 1900 

From Signal Hill we did the 3 km/1.98mile walk down. Here are some of the beautiful sights we saw. 

We ended our walk in the fishing village of Quidi Vidi. This fishing community was settled in the 1600s. 

Families of fisherman lived here for generations until the over fishing caused by the Canadian Government. The closing of the fisheries in 1992 left at least 60, 000 Newfoundlanders out of work overnight and is one of the biggest economic disasters in Canadian history. Slow the cod are returning.

In our wandering from Quidi Vidi to our hotel, we passed some of the Jellybean houses. These former fisherman family homes were originally painted with left over boat paint. Because you wanted to have a boat you could see in the fog, bright colours were used. If you had a yellow boat, you would also have a yellow house. Now, residents must keep them bright colours, any colour as long as it isn't he same as a house directly beside it.  

I hope you enjoyed some of the 17 000 steps we completed on day one. Next week, we will visit the most Eastern part of North America! 

Lanie's Log - Ok I Missed Them

 It has been been 293 days since my capture. I hate to admit it, but  while the people were away, I sort of missed them. I was very happy to have them home and I showed the Lady Warden by staying on her lap once for about 10 minutes and once for at least 5 minutes, even when the treats were gone.

Also this week, Styxy and I had a tussle on the bed while the Man Warden was sleeping in it.  I am just living my best life in the house. Don't worry, I still give lots of tortitude.

Lanie, Prisoner #3