Mischief Monday - Is It Over?

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends!

First, we have not got to visit you like we have wanted to, because we are busy, busy, busy. Lady says we may not blog 5 or 6 days a week for the short term, but you will hear from us a couple times a week.  She says, things overall are just rolling along and there isn't much to talk about.  We are boring, boring, boring, in a very good way. 

Enjoying the last of the summer sun. 

Now, perhaps the most important news for me, your Styxy. The kittens have all been adopted. While some are still in our house, they will all be to their forever homes in the next day or two. 

California is going to a lovely young couple who said goodbye to their calico earlier this year and are ready for another one. 

Austin and Friendly are going to a family who have always had cats. They will live with 3 kids. They will get lots of love and not from my, my, my people. 

Together forever - Friendly and Austin

We have also heard from Phantom's (now Eva) family that she is settling in and they love her already. 

I stopped to look at the kittens yesterday, and I did not, not, not like it. I had to growl, growl, growl at them.  I am hoping having intruders will be over, but I heard Lady tell Man, she is working with the rescue to figure out the best fit for the next cat(s). We will see. I think Lady has done enough with Lanie and these kittens to help the Cat Redistribution System.  She says no, no, no. 

Styx - who isn't sure he likes new cats in his house and wants it to be over. 

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

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

Mischief Monday - Traitors! Traitors! Traitors! by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

I am very mad, mad, mad this week. My people have been the big bad traitors and i don't know if I am going to forgive them. 

A picture from before I was so, so, so mad

I got a little mad, because Lady took another day off to drive cats to get spayed and neutered. This time she took 11. Here is one of the cats she took, who sang most of the ride. 

Archie

I understand this is very important. While we cats are the most awesome, awesome, awesome, we do need to curb unnecessary reproduction. Allowing people access to affordable spay and neuter services is important! But I am still a little mad that she was gone from me all day. She could have just been with me, me, me. 

I might be able to forgive this, but Lady and Man were away for 87 million years and while they don't deserve it, they will probably tell you more about it here, I found these pictures on Lady's phone. This shows she has a pattern of loving other cats and not just me, me, me. They went to a cat cafe and played with kittens. They left us alone for 87 million years to play with kittens in another province. This is completely unacceptable. I am mad, mad, mad.

Tommy and Dakota

Tommy

Dakota

Tommy

Tommy

Part of me can't blame them from wanting to play with cats, because we are so great, great, great. These kittens are cute, cute, cute. But if I can't go, they should not be able to go.

Styx - the mad, mad, mad cat

Mischief Monday - Nothing Caught but a Catch Up

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends!

It has been busy, busy, busy here. Things have been happening and I have been too tired to catch up.

First last weekend, our cousin Troy came. He was a nice boy, although Lanie thought stranger danger, strange danger, stranger danger, and hid a lot. Troy didn't get to see her much. 

Troy gave lots and lots and lots of treats

Then Lady was gone for 1, 2, 3, THREE, whole nights. She had to go away for work. Man was in charge and it was good but not the same. We like our routine.

Then Lady came back tired and had to keep working, working, working, so when the weekend hit, she was done, done, done. 

Like my new sitting place?

She says she has a quiet week this week. While you are reading this, she is likely driving cats to get spayed and neutered again. 

We are all well, and busy, busy, busy so we are tired, tired, tired. 

A very busy and tired Styxy

Mischief Monday - My Nemesis By Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

You all know I love almost everyone. I have a heart that is too big, too big, too big! I am the anti-Grinch. However, there are two things I don't love. There are two things I want to hunt, hunt, hunt.

The first is the crow. They stay far from my house, far, far, far. They know I would get them.

The second is the black squirrel. He or She does not stay far, far, far. He or She teases me and stands right at the window, thanks to the feeder Uncle Chris got me.

Sometimes He or She even knocks on the window. I do not want to be his or her friend. I want to hunt him or her. Hunt, hunt, hunt.

Lady says it is very distracting when she is trying to work.

you pal Styxy, the squirrel fighter

Mischief Monday - I thought She Had Forgotten - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends, 

Wednesday was Canada Day. I was so, so, so excited that Lady had forgotten that she had purchased a Canada t-shirt for me, so I thought I was lucky, lucky, lucky and was going to escape the hat tax. No, no, no, she remembered and I had to wear it and have my picture displayed on surveillance capitalism sites (aka social media).

 

I do look very, very, handsome. Lady had the audacity to say I had to pay the tax while the girls did not because I just cost her $87 million at the cardiologist. To that, I said . . . .

a very handsome Styx

Mischief Monday - Is My Heart Too Big - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

Last Tuesday was a horrible, horrible, horrible day for your friend Styxy. First my people gave me medication that made me feel very funny. I felt sooooo funny. I could eat and everything, but man, the world was different. 

Then they shoved me in a crate and drove for 87 years (about 1.5 hours) and took me to a very scary, scary, scary place. Then I go to be in a room but they wouldn't let me climb. Then they took me from my people and shaved my fur. 

I have a hole on each side!

Then after the test, I got to wait in the room with my people, and I hid behind my Lady. Hid, hid, hid. Dr. Whipp may be a very nice person, but I am not a fan.

Look at all the fur I put on her

So the short story is I have a grade 3 heart murmur. I had something called an echo to look at my heart.  Dr. Whipp said the findings were a bit inclusive. My heart is not pumping blood the right way, but it could be something called HCM or it could be I have a very, very special valve. In the end, it doesn't matter for treatment, because in both cases I have to take something called a Beta Blocker for the rest of my life. I also have to see Dr. Whipp again in 3 months and then about once a year. Maybe with time, we will understand more about my "prognosis" whatever that means. In the end, the concern is my heart will get too big. I already thought I had a very big heart., the biggest heart. I can't imagine it could get bigger and if it could, would that really be a problem?

On the way home, in my feeling funny state, Lady took me to the pet store. We needed more food and I needed something called a pill pocket. The ladies at the pet store loved me, and I got lots of good attention. The first pill pockets Lady bought, none of us will eat. They are yucky, yucky, yucky. Lady has since gotten better ones, so I can easily take my pill. 

For now I feel good and we will see.

Thank you all for your POTP. It meant a lot.

your friend Styxy, who may have a too big heart

From the Lady: When people ask me how Styx is my answer is he is both ok (because he is not showing symptoms) and not ok (because he does have a heart problem). We are prepared for wherever this journey takes us.  A friend said, I have bad luck with pets (immune disorder, brain injury, neurological issues etc.) and I said I look at it as the animals who find their way to use have very good luck because we can support them with their journeys. 

Mischief Monday - Styx Alarm

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends!

Lady has gotten really too good at ignoring us climbing on her to wake her up. She says she likes the snuggles. She will pet up but she won't get up. On the weekend, this makes my breakfast late, late, late!

With a full belly I am able to have my morning nap

So I am finding new things to do to wake her up. I call it the Styxy alarm.

Last week, I got under the covers and bit her right in the middle of her back. Bite, bite, bite.

This week, I tried biting her feet through the blankets (as she has moved to the thinner summer blanket. When that did not work, she kept sleeping and sleeping and sleeping, I crawled under the covers and bit her feet. She did not like that she said "don't bite".  Cause, while I want breakfast but don't want an angry Lady, then I climbed on her and snuggled for a few minutes before she got up and fed us.

Lady says she does not need a 6:30 Styxy alarm on the weekend. I disagree.

The alarm cat, Styxy

PS If you have some spare POTP I see my cardiologist tomorrow. Lady will try and update you all later this week.

Mischief Monday - i don't See the Problem - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends!

The people have been a little less busy and been home, home, home. I love when they are home the best. 

As you may or may not know, Lady and Man have put a mat for me (well, sometimes the girls use it too, but it is mine, mine, mine) on the dining room table. I like to sit there when they are eating. I know I am lucky, lucky, lucky, because so many cats aren't allowed to do fun things like this. Lady and Man don't mind if I am not trying to steal their food (I love, love, love chicken and hamburgers!)

The other day, I thought dinner time was a great time for a little bath. I needed to be doing something while waiting for my chicken. Lady caught this pose and said it was not very table friendly. 

I don't see anything wrong with it. Is this body shaming? 

your pal, letting it all hang out, Styxy

Mischief Monday - Traitor

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

First thank you so much for your POTP for my heart murmur.  Man picked up the meds to make me feel sleepy before my appointment in June, and he asked for meds for Cinder. Long, long, long,  time readers may remember that Cinder was one of the Lady and Man's cats a long, long, long time ago.  I can't believe the Man caused mischief by using the wrong name. We are supposed to be best, best, best, buddies!

Me and my best buddy Lady, oh I mean Man (I can say the wrong, wrong, wrong name too)

The real mischief goes to Lady. She spent time with other cats, traitor, traitor, traitor! She went to Aunt C's and saw cousins Loopy and Uber.  Fortunately, she didn't take many pictures, which suggests she does care about us more. She did snap this one of Loopy.

So poor Styxy is feeling left out and forgotten this week. It was a hard, hard, hard week.

you friend, Styxy the forgettable 

Mischief Monday - May the 4th Be With You and Not Fun - by Styx

May the 4th Be With You

I guess I should be grateful she doesn't have the gold bikini

Stupid look do I 

 

Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

I had the worst day ever last week. It was bad, bad, bad. Ok, maybe it was not the worst day ever, I did live in a shelter, but it was one of the worst days I have had since coming to live with my people. It started normal with breakfast and love and then I was being shoved into a crate and Gris was also being shoved into her crate and we then had to sing, and sing and sing for a very long drive and we ended at the vet. I sang the ride there (25 minutes), most of the time in the clinic (45 minutes) and the ride home (another 25 minutes). Gris only joined me on the ride there. 

They had a great window at the vet where we got to see so many cars, more cars then we see in a month at our house. It was very exciting. 

The people at the vet are nice and tried to give me treats, but I was not falling for their tricks.  Gris totally was bought with this.

In good news, other than needing to lose some weight as she is close to 17 lbs, Gris is healthy. 

In not good news, first they suggested I had weight to lose (too many treats with Lanie). I am about 13.5 lbs. In bad, bad, maybe bad, we aren't sure yet, but maybe bad news, I have a grade 2-3 heart murmur.  In June, I will be going to a cardiologist because no one can tell how serious or not serious this is right now.  I don't have any symptoms. Lady and Man have never had a cat need a specialist before, so I am super, super, specials. I think my problem is my heart is too, too, too big! I love, love, love everyone and everything. My heart wants to sing, sing, sing too! 

Hanging up high while the Lady and vet chatted. We match the wall! 

I was happy to be home and unlike Gris, who did not seem bothered in any way by her ordeal, I was a bit tired and not hungry the rest of the day. I was back to my busy, loving self the next day.

I promise, promise, promise, to share my journey as we go through it. Lady said it is an adventure!

your pal, with a whispering heart, Styx

Mischief Monday - Outtakes and Other Complaints - by Styxy

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

The mischief this week was really people caused. People make a lot of mischief, more than us animals I think. So much more!

The first mischief of the weekend is on Friday the people left us at 9:30 am and only came back at 1 am. We were alone forever and ever and ever and we didn't think they were ever coming back. Bad, bad people. Dinner was very, very late. Bad people.  Out doing things! First apparently they had family Easter lunch, then they went and saw cousin Emma and Uncle Chris, who they had just seen at family Easter, and hung out before going to hear live music. I am not a dog fan, but I am thinking if the people got a dog, they would not do bad things like this. 

Emma getting love from Lady - she is 15 now

Next on Sunday, for no reason, our power was out. The lights disappear. It seems in April we have an outage Lady says. This was a weird one because no extreme weather and only 59 places affected. So weird, so mischiefy. Lanie really didn't like the generator sound and she hid. Gris and I went about our business.  I tried calling to Lanie, but she didn't want to come out. 

The last mischief for today, is the hat tax outtakes. Lady and her love of hat tax is not good, not good, not good. Lady says it brings joy to others. It does not bring joy to us. We hate it! Lanie is the most cooperative, then Gris, she is pretty cooperative, and I Styxy, do my best to resist. Lady says CRA (Canada IRS) will come after me if I don't cooperate. I don't think the treats are enough of a balance.

Lanie

Gris

Me

                    

I hope your week had less mischief.

your friend, the tax evader, Styxy

Mischief Monday - New Things - Hard Days - by Styx

 hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

We had a very exciting and scary week last week. Very exciting, very expensive, scary for cats day. 

Lady and Man let 2 strangers come into the house and do work. While the strangers were in the house, we had to all be in Lanie's room so we were out of the way. 

Me looking at what the strangers did., with Lady's finger in my picture. 

We did not like being locked in the room together. We did not fight or anything, but we were very mad at the Man (who was home when the banging was happen) did this. When we had to be locked in for a bit the second day, Lanie was smart, she hid. Man found her in Lady's office so just closed her in there. 

All the banging and 2 guys in and out was because Lady and Man had a heat pump installed. I didn't know what a heat pump was, so I asked Lady and she said it was a HVAC system that is energy efficient and heats and cools the house. Lady said they got it for the cooling feature. See, we have electric baseboard heat, like most people in Quebec. We don't have a furnace and we don't have ducts, so to get the house a/c this was the best way.  We will all have a/c this summer. This is very, very exciting. Lady has never lived with all house a/c. Man is less excited because this was expensive. However, they will be getting rebates and should save money on electricity. 

One of the heat pumps. One is in the bedroom and one is in the living area. 

While it is still too cold to try the a/c (it was -20C/-4F on Friday), we have noticed it makes the house much warmer. Gris and I think we may really, really love heat pump, even if we were trapped for a day. 

Lounging and enjoying the warm air

That was the very big, exciting mischief in our house.

Styx, a very warm cat

Mischief Monday - Agree To Disagree - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

Lady and Man said the following was not good. They said it was mischief. I disagree!

What do you think?

Styxy, standing in front of a painting done by an elephant

Mischief Monday - Unwanted Play

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

The real mischief is we had to pay the hat tax on the weekend. Apparently season change means we have to pay. Taxes are very high, Styxy does not like high taxes. He wanders what his taxes go to. He does not remember voting for his people to be the leaders. He does not believe he is living in a democracy. He should protest and refuse to pay taxes, but the treats that come with them are soooooo good. Too good. Styxy can't resist.  I would show you, but you will have to wait until Friday because that is the first day of spring.

I do have other mischief. The Man taught me to wrestle Tigris when he says Tussle Time. I love this instruction. Tussling is so much fun. It was what Styxys do best! Grissie does not love this time. She gets mad. This makes it even more fun. She makes super angry noises. 

She really didn't like this Tussle Time as I got her caught on the couch. She may be mad during it, but like a good mom, she always forgives me. I will love it for the two of us. 

Remember, remember, the wrestling Styx has his first contest. Go HERE to learn about it. 

your pal, River Styx, the mid-weight, house champion tussler 

Mischief Monday - I Want To Eat Them - by Styx

 Hi friends, hi friends, hi friends,

Yesterday was a special day, it was international women's day. It is a very important day as women and girls are not getting fair treatment in the world. 

Every year, one of Lady's co-workers brings in flowers for all the staff (even the 2 men who work with 26 women, because they are allies and they are brave enough to work with 26 women). 

I was very, very happy to have flowers. So happy. 

Yummy flowers

Lady did not want me to eat them.

It took a lot, but she finally found a place I could keep them safe.

I tried everything to figure out how to get them, but I couldn't. 

How can I get up there

I want the flowers

I was very sad I couldn't enjoy the flowers too.

you pal, the flower loving Styxy

PS - sorry we weren't around this week. It was a crazy work week, Lady had a headache still and on Sunday our usual chill day, Lady went to have lunch with her family and drive her cousin, who is returning to his tour in Latvia after a short leave, to the airport.  We hope you are all well and know we are thinking about you all.