cat – Dust Bunnies and Dog Toys

The Royal Carriage

Published on September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Recently I was editing client photos in the office and heard the sound Luna makes as she’s falling asleep nearby, but she was no where to be found. I looked around and soon discovered she had curled up in the antique baby carriage I’d recently brought home as a newborn prop and put in the corner of the studio. Not only was she a perfect fit for the little stroller, but she seemed so comfy she didn’t even open her eyes when I moved a box sitting next to the carriage. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to pull the carriage out a bit and quickly put up a backdrop to capture a few shots.

I might not have newborn shots of all my fur babies, but this ranks right up there with that! Her siblings were fairly concerned that their kitty was snoozing in this contraption and each took turns checking on her.

Eventually Tequila laid down to keep watch while her kitty cat slept – or perhaps wonder why we don’t have a stroller she could fit in! 🙂

Eventually, the Princess arose from her beauty sleep and posed for the paparazzi (aka – mom). Seriously, could she look any more regal sitting in a stroller, lace draped out the side with a glittery gold backdrop?!

And this isn’t the first time she’s shown her approval of my prop and décor finds. She also declared this antique wooden box suitable for her royal hinny!

I’m so glad she approves. Her parked rump is much more appreciated than the dog’s use of my couch throw pillows as dirty paw rests! But such is life with pets. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!

Our Luna-tic

Published on March 16, 2015April 2, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Hi lovelies. I took a little break from blogging last week to get caught up on that crazy thing called life. Things have been a little overwhelming recently and I just needed some down time to tie up those pesky loose ends that seem to multiply just when things are busiest. But now that I’m back, I thought I’d share a little about our kitty, Miss Luna. She’s had cameo appearances in several posts since we brought her into the family just over a year ago, but I haven’t posted much about her personally during that time. So here’s her moment in the spotlight. Although she wasn’t much pleased to have doggie siblings when she first came home, she’s adapted and certainly holds her own. These days she tolerates standard doggie behavior such as sniffing rears and barking so long as it doesn’t interfere with her kitty duties of monitoring the bird and squirrel population in the backyard and nap time. If you follow the DB&DT Facebook page you’ve seen this photo of her and Bacardi enjoying each other’s company – within limits. While she’s certainly lived up to the nickname “Princess” as most cats do, she’s also had plenty of “Luna-tic” moments such as darting through the house at full speed while the rest of us are snuggling on the couch watching TV or attacking a small remnant of a dog toy as if it were the most interesting prey you’d ever seen. Recently, she’s been climbing the ladder that is sitting in the office for an in-progress project I’ll be sharing in the near future, but she makes her way to the top via the wrong side of the ladder which makes for some hysterical stretching techniques. Occasionally I can document these odd behaviors with photos on my phone such as when she decided to help with the laundry, or when she explored every inch of the garage and the kitchen or when she inspected the kitchen faucet. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to have my real camera ready for these shenanigans like when she attempted to climb the columns on the front porch. Not sure where she thought she was going, but she was pretty determined to get there. Plus she’s fascinated with drawers. If you leave a drawer open in our home you’re bound to have a cat in it within minutes. She’s even tried to open drawers herself by pawing at them! But one of her all-time favorite things is plastic bags. Every time I switch out the holiday décor and have a pile of bags on the floor, there’s bound to be a cat in it. Unfortunately the bags don’t seem to love her back quite as much. She recently took a tumble off the bed when she decided to sneak into an online order shipment bag I had just emptied and we’ve found her in this situation twice now. The look of embarrassment on her face is priceless! She certainly is a curious kitty, but she’s smart too which keeps her from using up those extra lives in pursuit of adventures. I’m so happy to have her as part of our family and I look forward to many more “Luna-tic” moments in the years to come. 🙂

Christmas at the DB&DT House!

Published on December 25, 2014January 6, 2015 by JennaLeave a comment

Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Here at the DB&DT home we had a fun time introducing Bacardi, Stoli and Luna to Christmas presents, which they all got to open themselves. Bacardi wasn’t too sure about the idea at first, but she eventually figured it out.

The excitement made Luna a little unsure, so she hid out under the tree while the dogs opened their gifts and then proceeded to act like toddlers on a sugar binge.

Eventually she came out to see if there was something for her to open.

And seemed fairly pleased that there was several items with her name on them.

The first was this fun fishing pole toy from Uncle Mark & Aunty Mere! She was ready to pounce as soon as she saw it!

Now that she had this gift opening thing figured out she moved on to the next present, one from mom and dad.

She had to dig to the bottom to find it!

And almost thought the bag was the gift!

But it was actually a play tunnel! I think she thought the bag was better at first…

But curiosity won out and she decided to investigate.

She explored slowly and didn’t seem to notice the window in the middle.

Probably because she spotted something interesting at the other end, which she quickly attacked!

Big sister Tequila wasn’t to happy about her kitty kat being hidden inside this new thing.

Even when she could be seen in the window.

Big brother Stoli was also worried about his kitty.

Luna however, wasn’t too happy that they could peek in at her.

But without a doubt, the tunnel was the biggest hit of all the presents, keeping the dogs and the cat – as well as the hubs and myself – entertained! The hubs gets all the credit for picking this one out! But all that play eventually made for some tired kiddos and humans…

So we had to take a break before opening the rest of the presents, which included more toys and fun. We wrapped up the day with a walk in the snow and a yummy Christmas dinner followed by special treats for the kiddos. I look forward to many more Christmases this this goofy group. 🙂

The Princess and the Pea?

Published on May 30, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

It’s well known that our fur babies are spoiled, but our cat, Luna has recently been taking things to a new level at bed time. She’s the only fur baby allowed to sleep on the bed with us, due to her size, and the fact that she doesn’t take over the bed like the dogs do.

When she does sleep in the bed, she usually sleeps next to me. Sometimes curled up in a ball behind my knees but often she’s stretched out down along side me.

But being ON the bed isn’t enough for her. Apparently she LOVES being under the covers. At first it started out as a cute “tucked in” thing, where she’d snuggle herself up under the blanket.

Then I’d come in the bedroom to find a purring lump in the bed, or a nose protruding from the blankets when the hubs hadn’t made the bed.

But her newest antic is pestering us to be let under the covers, where she claims a spot next to me. No doubt about it. She’s a princess. And I’m certain there is no pea under our mattress, but I’m sure she will continue to want to insist she sleep there to prove it!

Luna, the Explorer

Published on May 7, 2014June 1, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

When we brought little Bacardi home, the hubs made the doggie door go all the way to the floor so it was easier for her to learn how to use it. That change also provided Luna the opportunity to start using the exit as well now that she didn’t have to jump over a glass panel at the bottom. This new-found freedom turned her into quite the explorer, much to my concern.

I’ve always had indoor/outdoor cats and hoped to eventually get Luna to that status one day as well (mostly so we can eliminate the litter box!), but I was nervous since she’d always been an indoor cat and had only been outside with supervision before this. She had just recently started going out without her harness and leash, so she was probably feeling quite liberated. Granted she does have her claws and is pretty good at defending herself with the dogs, but Alaskan wildlife might be a different story. Also the cats I’d had in the past began life outside and migrated to becoming part-time indoor felines, so I never worried that they had the skills to find their way home safely.

At first she stayed pretty close to the house, scouting along the walls, but she soon grew bolder and started wandering out into the trees. Then she would disappear for several hours at a time. This included a couple overnight explorations on very chilly nights, which was worrisome for me.

But she kept coming back home to her food bowl and belly rubs while snuggling on the bed with Mom & Dad. So my fears have subsided, although I still worry when I haven’t seen her for a while. It’s just a Mommy thing. But I’m also proud to see her be independent.

Unfortunately, she also still seems pretty tied to her litter box. In fact, we watched her come inside, eat a few kibbles, go potty and then go back outside. I’d get rid of the box and force her to go outside, but I feel think that might be a cue to go a little too independent. Plus I’m fairly certain that her outdoor adventures will subside come winter since she’s not a fan of the snow. So I guess scooping the box remains on my to-do list for the time being.

Benched

Published on February 24, 2014May 20, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

I haven’t been having much luck on the local buy/sell pages or Craigslist so I was stunned when I happened upon a post for a wooden bench for $40 and NO ONE had claimed it yet. I immediately commented that I’d come get it that evening or could send the hubs that afternoon.

Once I commented that gal messaged me and said she had just realized there was a bolt missing on one side so she would reduce the price to $25. Um, no I don’t have a problem with that! I texted the hubs the info and let her know that he’d be by soon.

It turned out to be as nice as the photo portrayed it to be, so we’ve placed it on the front porch for the time being. It does fit there fairly well, although it might be better on a bit of an angle. I have a sneaking suspicion that once we start getting the yard put together come spring, it might end up elsewhere. Especially since it would make a wonderful photo prop for clients who want to split their session with indoor and outdoor shots! 😉

It turns out the missing bolt isn’t too big of a deal. It is kind of important to make it more stable, but thanks to the return of the snow, we don’t spend a whole lot of time sitting outside.

It’s also makes the perfect perch for Luna now that she’s started going outside on her harness when we take the dogs out to play. She’s not very fond of the cold and wants absolutely noting to do with snow, so she investigates the corners for the porch and then resumes her lofty viewpoint to watch her siblings bound around like crazies in the frozen wilderness.

And when she’s had enough, she goes to the door and says so! LOL

She’s used to being on her harness outside at her previous home, so we’ve continued that policy here for now. Hopefully, she’ll eventually get to a point where she goes out without it, although then she’ll have to have a collar with a bell so she doesn’t get too close to the birdies I plan to entice to our yard this summer!

There’s a New Sherriff in Town

Published on February 9, 2014February 8, 2014 by JennaLeave a comment

The hubs and I had discussed getting a cat again after moving into the new house. He wanted a Siamese like his mom’s Honey Baby, but I’m partial to calicos since that’s what I’ve always had. There was no firm plan on when it would happen. Instead I figured it would happen organically, at the right time. Apparently that time has come. Last week we saw a post on a buy/sell page from a lady looking to rehome two cats, one being an adorable calico. I chatted with her back and forth about the cat confirming she was litter box trained, friendly and not prone to destroy furniture. The lady seemed to think that she’d do ok with dogs, so we set up a time to meet Luna this weekend.

She wasn’t sure about us ‘strangers’ at first, but once we hung out a bit, she started purring and let us hold her. We chatted with the lady a bit about her and decided to bring her home. Unfortunately, it was the hub’s last night shift before he starts his new job next week, so he had to leave and go to work, while I drove everyone home. Two dogs and a new cat in the same car for an hour…. yeah.. that was.. interesting. We put the dogs in the bed of the truck, which they were NOT excited about and per the lady’s suggestion left Luna loose in the cab on her harness and leash. She did ok while we were traveling under 40, but as soon as we picked up speed she voiced her concerns. I finally got her to come snuggle in my lap or next to me on the console where she seemed to quite down. Of course the two whining pups in the back window were none to happy to watch some kitty get the attention they normally do!

Once home, I let Luna free in the house to explore. The dogs immediately wanted to greet her and get to know her. Let’s just say she wanted NONE of that. She hissed. She even growled. And then she hid behind a large box in the spare room, refusing to come out. After a few hours I figured she was getting hungry and in need of a litter box, so I picked her out of her hiding spot and took her to the laundry room where I’d set up her litter box and food. She soon realized she could get on top of the washer and dryer from the window ledge where her food is and has since taken up residence there. I go in and check on her every so often and the dogs follow me in hopes that their new housemate will be ready to play.

This is the resulting scene. Two mugs looking up with “please come play with us” faces only to receive the look saying “not in a million years” from above. LOL

She’s super sweet with me, purring and wanting to cuddle whenever I’m near. It’s just those active doggies she’s not ready to interact with. I’m sure they will work it out eventually, which means Luna will dictate when she wants them to be near her and when she doesn’t. And perhaps one day in the not so distant future there will be a kitty at the head of the ‘treat’ attention line. 🙂