Christmas, Christmas, Christmas - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

The most special time of year happened. Apparently after hat tax, you get something called Christmas. Do they have Christmas where you live? Did you extra special treats and presents too? Where there lots of bags for you to play in?

Lady said only good cats get presents, and we must have been very good cats, because besides some new little toys, we got 3 really cool big ones. 

First we got something called a snuffle mat. Your people put treats in it and you hunt them out.  Even lazy Tigris would do this puzzle.  We like our snuffle mat but wish is always had treats in it. 

Next, we got one big nip stick. This was made by someone who works with one of the local rescues. Next year Santa needs to get 2 because we may have fought over it. Lanie thought it was the stupidest thing ever.  That is ok, more nip for me. I love, love, love nip. 

Gris taking it from me before the first fight over it

Gris, not wanting to share

Lanie wishing she didn't get a turn (I will take hers, I will take hers)

Last we got a new ball toy. Man didn't think we would like it, but we totally got into it. 

This we can play together

Now while Santa brought us all good things, Uncle Chris gave Lady a cat carrying hoodie. We don't love this and some training is going to be needed. Lady laughed so hard she cried. 

Screen shot taken from video of Lady laughing too hard and shoving me in. 

We hope you all had a good Christmas and no one wore you like clothes and there was no hat tax. 

Styx, who is really a good cat because Santa said so

Almost Wordless Wednesday - Merry Christmas

 

Our official Christmas picture

From all of us, to all of you, wishing you the best of the season, however you celebrate it.

Lady, Man, Tigris, Styx and Jack-O-Lanie

Dear Santa

Hi Santa, hi Santa,

I really have tried to be a good boy this year. If you can look past running outside, getting stuck in the ceiling, and exploring all the things I am not supposed to, you will see I have been a very good Styxy - one who has had many adventures this year.  Many adventures. So many good adventures. 

I know I shouldn't ask for too much, because you clearly gave me these people earlier in the year, but I can't help wanting a few things. This year I would like lots of pets, and boxes, and new toys, and adventures, and pets, and treats and fun, fun fun.  I also want other cats to find good people like mine. My Man is especially wonderful because there are no hats and much less singing. 

Thank you Santa,

Styx

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Dear Santa,

It has been a year, and I am grateful for these people, even though there is a tax for living here. 

This year I would like to be hat tax exempt, not be on a diet, and to have all the love I want, when I want it and how I want it. I would also like to be left alone and not put of with Lady's singing as much.

Tigris

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Dear scary Man,

Please alert the authorities that I am being held against my will in this warm house, with plenty to eat, excellent medical care, and wardens who are working hard to make me feel safe and loved. It is very trying to tolerate all this good stuff. 

For Christmas, I am torn if I want a prison escape (I am sure you could open the window to my room) or if I want to just feel more comfortable and be a little less feral. I think I need you to help me decided.

I do hope you don't bring me more toys that my wardens want me to learn to play with. Toys are stupid. If you wanted to bring some more treats, I especially love licky. 

Jack-O-Lanie - prisoner #3

Holiday Countdown - May the Hat Tax End - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, 

Today we are acting out the first part of a favourite story. 

I will read you the line we were forced to act out.

And Grissie in her kerchief and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winters nap.

Do you know the story?

Did we do a good job?

your pal Styxy who does not like hat tax

Wordless Wednesday - Lower Tax - Still Too Much

 

Wordless Wednesday - Only Lady Enjoyed this Moment

 

Tuesdays with Tigris - Visions of Hat Tax Free Days

 Dance in my head.

The taxes are going to be high this year. 

Maybe if I sleep on her legs, Lady won't be able to collect.

Tigris the hat wearing hater. 

Mischief Monday - It is the Most Wonderful Time of the Year - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends,

Guess what? Guess what? My people put a tree in the house. A tree inside, can you believe it?

This tree is not real because Lady is allergic to real trees, but it is a tree and I helped put it up.

First I checked out the tree bag. So did Gris.

Gris

Me

Then I checked out the tree.

An hour or so later, after I helped Lady wrap some gifts, I helped by climbing the tree.

I needed some help getting down.

Lady and Man said this year it is a lights only tree. I can't be trusted with ornaments.

Do you have a tree too?

your pal, the great climber, Styxy

How We Spent The Holidays - by Lee

Dear pals,

We had a quiet holidays up in the hills. It was just Lady and Man  and us for Christmas this year. 

We spent time playing in the 5 inches of fresh snow we got. 

Man worked in the morning of Christmas Eve, and he made the whole turkey dinner for us that night. Lady and Man ate turkey for days and days and days. 

Lady's tacky table for 2!

Christmas day was spent by the fire and upstairs playing games. Lady and Man said the quiet Christmas was wonderful. 

The people also made pasta with the pasta maker Lady got. 

Things got a little more exciting on Boxing Day, when we all drove to Grammie and the Big Guy's for the family get together.  We had a little adventure as about 10 km from their place, I may have pooped on the back seat and Lady and Man had to pull over and try and clean the car as best they could. We had to wash the cover at Grammie's for the ride home (where no one pooped). 

Uncle Chris and Emma, Aunt, C and family were also there.  We got lots of pets, some treats, and I napped some. 

On the drive home, Lady said it was a holiday miracle, that with the new seat extender she got us, we actually shared the back seat for at least some of the drive. 

That was our quiet but good Christmas. We hope, that however you celebrate, it was a nice day.

your pal Lee, who generally hogs the whole backseat. 

Merry Christmas!

 

Twas The Night Before Christmas

And all through the house

The dogs were annoyed

They wished there was a mouse

Who would distract the Lady from making them pay the hat tax. 

Merry Christmas Eve!

Hat Tax - Reindeer Games

 

I am looking at the camera, give me the cookie already! 

Mischief Monday - Tis the Season - The Hat Tax Returns - by Lee

 Dear pals,

I kind of hoped that now that I am so old that Lady would skip the tax this year. She said because she cleans up poop every day, she is collecting now more than ever.

Stay tuned for embarrassing pictures of us!

Your pal, the resigned to this Hailey Bug

Celebrating Christmas

On Tuesday, we told you about how our holidays got off to a bad start. They did improve.

On December 24, we got to drive for 87 million hours (1.5 hours in human time) to Grammie and the Big Guy's for our family Christmas. Phod threw up a lot in the car, but other than that we were super good puppies. We saw Grammie and the Big Guy and Aunt C and Uncle D and Maggie and Troy and Uncle Chris and Emma. The adults did their gift exchange. They each get one name and this years theme was charity. Uncle D adopted a cardinal for Lady from a local bird rescue and The Big Guy got Man a new game and puzzle from the Salvation Army thrift store and made a donation to a local food bank. 

Loving the tissue paper by the Big Guy's feet

Begging for turkey

The only draw back, we had to dress for the occasion

There were lots of pets to go around

Phod had a much harder time settling then Lee did

After lunch, we headed home. Uncle Chris and Emma headed to our place too. We spent Christmas eve and Christmas day, eating, watching movies, playing games and being good puppies. Lady realized she really sucked at taking pictures of us on Christmas.

I would like a present too!

We got lots of treats

Uncle Chris and Emma left Boxing Day and after that Lady and Man laid low. They played pickleball one morning. Man went to a movie. Lady met a friend who was in town for dinner. There were nice walks and a lot of naps. Lady is missing the naps this week (and only getting up at 7 and not 5). 

So while the holidays didn't start they way we hoped, they turned out to be just fine.

Traitor Tuesday - The Beginning of the Holidays

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, celebrating whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate it. For the most part, we had a very low key holiday. Lady meant to get around to visit you all, but just was not at her computer and liked it as she often spends 10 hours a day on it for work. She is back into routine now - which really means she is on a chocolate detox because at the end of last week, she is sure she was 50% chocolate.

We are going to jump back to December 22. This was Lady and Man's last day at work for 2023.  Both went to the office. Man came home early and Mr. Phod had been rather ill and pooped all over the house. It took a long time to clean up and hours for the house to stop smelling. This continued all the night of the 22nd and into the midday of the 23rd. Lady was taking him out like every 2 hours. Lady and Man think he made himself sick by eating too much turkey poop (or maybe deer or cat poop). Other than needing to poop (or as Lady kindly noted, pee out his bum), he was eating and seemed fine. He moved to a rice diet and as they day went on, clearly was improving. 

The night of the 23rd, Phod was feeling better (we had made it a whole 5.5 hours between poops!) so Lady and Man felt confident going next door for the friends' Christmas party. As it was next door at Callie's house, they were able to come home every couple of hours to check on us. While Phod's tummy was now back to normal, we were not fine because we missed out on all the fun. If smelling them wasn't enough, we found some very incriminating pictures on Lady's phone. 

First, Lady and Man got to see Santa and his elf. Maybe we are glad we missed out on that because we may have escaped a hat tax with strangers. 

 

Man gave Callie a lot of love. 

Lady played with a cat. We think this is Cinder. This was taken before she scooped him up and made him love her. 

Lady played with Callie!

We really thought after that, Lady and Man should get some coal. They were big traitors. We don't see how adding us to a house with over 30 people, with many kids, and Lee trying to kill the cats wasn't a festive idea. We think we would have really brought some life to the party. 

The holidays weren't off to the best start. They got better. Come back Thursday to find out how. 

Merry Christmas!

 From our pack to yours, we wish you the a very Merry Christmas.