On Father’s Day we went for lunch at my Mom’s place. What happened on the way there was a lesson in Karma…

We were just going out to the Mom’s for a Grandpop’s lunch of home made fried chicken, potato salad and sourcream cucumber salad and as we were getting ready to leave,  Terry was standing in the laundry/mudroom deciding which shoes he was going to wear with his jeans. As he pondered his shoe-choice, I heard a loud guffaw and exclamation "She’s scooting! She’s scooting!"

Lulu [our 7.5 month old kitten] started butt scooting across the lino floor in the mud room. She had a little turdy stuck to her butt… So, while her human father was laughing at her and pointing in amusement, I went to get a babywipe to, well, wipe the baby’s butt. Once T caught his breath, he stooped and scooped up the turd, wiped the floor and since we were now running late, we quickly headed out the door.

We made our planned pitstop at the Hallmark card shop and Save-On grocery store on the way to Mom’s place, and that’s when the hilarity really ensued… We chose the Dad’s Day cards we wanted, then I asked T to pay for them, while I went next door to the grocery store to pick up the pie and a few other things we’d need for the luncheon. He could catch up with me in the grocery store. So… I’m wandering up and down the aisles when he walks up to me and tells me to look down.

It seems that while T was walking over to the grocers from the cardshop that he noticed a problem… He couldn’t figure out why one shoe felt tighter on his foot than the other, and after glancing down at them, he quickly discovered why. He had on two different shoes!

You see… it seems that while the kittykat dad was laughing at his 8 month old furgirl, HE forgot that he was trying to decide which shoes to wear with his jeans - one very casual and one definitely dressy. By the time Lulu and the floor were cleaned up, he had forgotten about the shoe issue as we quickly headed out the door so we wouldn’t be late for lunch. Well, when he figured it out and walked up to me in the grocery aisle, telling me to look down, I nearly peed my pants I was laughing so hard. My perfectionist hubby, who prides himself on always trying to look his best, had on two very nice, but VERY different shoes.

Karma definitely bit the kittydad in the ass on Father’s Day. THAT is what you get when you laugh and point mercilessly at your butt-scooting kitty… you end up looking like a total and complete dork with two different shoes on. At least they were both the same COLOR.

OK… Like I don’t have a million and one things to do - but Kittenhood only lasts a few months!

With cats, it seems that once they hit about 1-2 years old, any air time left in their legs seems to get grounded pretty fast - so… Here she is, Lulu the wonder-kitty! She jumps, she leaps and bounds hitting heights of 3+feet in the air, chasing that damn feather stick [she’s already defeathered one stick and two toys… this one is going fast too LOL!]

And just to see what HER world looks like… here is the Lulu Critter Cam!

Videos were recorded on my Casio EXILIM 10MP camera and edited in Quicktime 7.03 - cool!

Proof that Lulu thinks she’s a dog… and my first YouTube submission =)

GUESS who was caught in the fireplace again. Not actually IN the act this time, more like the aftermath of an afternoon romping in ashes and trying to figure out HOW to get the birds at the top of the chimney… Yep, little miss Lulu.

We arrive home from work on Wednesday evening, was greeted by our evening welcoming committe, as per usual; however, we noticed a very big difference in Miss Lu’s feet… Gone were her lovely, frisky white back leg stocking and front toes! In there place were dark, nearly black, furry fireplace cleaners. YAY! Welcome home Mom and Dad! <Meow> I love you… <meow> purr purr purr.

Well… up she went with us into the bathroom and got a bath in the sink with mild shampoo and lots of water! Amazing how strong a barely 2lb cat can get when she DOESN’T want a bath. Should have thought about bath time and water BEFORE you ventured behind the fireplace screen huh Lulu?? Maybe next you’ll think twice.

Here is the evidence of her naughty afternoon:

Evidence File:

Yeah… we still love her =) and no we’re not giving her up for adoption. Good try!

Tonight, late, after the Canucks hockey game… as usual, silliness ensued and we discovered that Lulu has a unique gift. She can balance scotchtape on her head!

Yes… in the style of Oolong the Pancake Rabbit, Lulu has demonstrated exceptional skills at head balancing! I think we will work to try and develop these skills, if for nothing else than our own entertainment and fun. However, we don’t think we’ll be able to use pancakes as the Japanese rabbit did - Lulu will hoover anything edible before you can even blink an eye!

Here is Lulu exhibiting her exception skill:

Note: the scotchtape looks like a pill-box hat, very Jackie O. LOL!!

Next… Lulu as a Goaltender!

Now if only we can get her to hold a McDonald’s Mini Hockey stick… Awesome!

Small cat [Lulu] gets stuck behind fireplace screen and covered in ash… Bath time at 11!

Well… I may be alive, but I wish I were dead - just kidding… I have a nasty cold/flu and it’s finally started working its way up from my throat and chest into my head. YUCK! 
Anyways, thought I’d share some Lulu updates.

Kodiak and Lulu began the process of ‘getting to know you, getting to know all about you’ and working out the living arrangements at Chez Lazar-Schuler. Here is the breakdown of the progress thus far:

• we arrive home from CHA on Sunday Feb 4 - Lulu still in our room, separated from Kodi
• Monday night, introductions are made between the two - Kodi gets lots of fresh chicken when he doesn’t growl or hiss at Lulu… she putters about, checking out all the new space we’ve just given free reign to. There is alot of posturing and hissing/growling from Kodi [he’s establishing himself as the ‘boss’] and she seems to be ok with it and pretty much ignores him. We keep her out for about 1.5 hrs, then back into our bedroom.
• Tuesday night, Kodi is more relaxed [chicken must be working!] and only growls when she comes near him. Again… she pretty much ignores him, or puts on a brave kitten face. She’s out for 4 hours, then back in the bedroom.
• Wednesday night, we let Lulu out of the bedroom at 5:30pm. She’s out in the house all evening until we go to bed - 7 hours. Minimal growling from the Kodster, no aggressive stance and we think that he is finally accepting her - or a least TOLERATING her. She’s back in the bedroom at 12:30am for the night.
• Thursday night, same as Wednesday except NO GROWLING from Kodi. She’s been in his face in a playful way and he seems to be interested in playing with her - or at leasr playing CHASE. Very good sign! She’s out all night again and sleeps in the bedroom with us.
• Friday. Let’s be brave. It’s been going very well between the two of them now… let’s see what happens with us not at home. They are out together ALL day. We come home, no war wounds, blood-shed or fighting appears to have occured! Hurrah… we have reached the critical mass and it’s all been very good behaviour for both of them. YAY!

We are now officially back to a four-member family - two humanoid parents and two furbabies! Mackenzie would be happy - we miss her. Here are some new pics of the baby Lulu. We think she grew at least an inch while we were at CHA!

Lulu is also a lap cat. She’ll cuddle up with whoever is available, Me or Terry preferred; but, she even crawled into my brother’s lap this weekend. She a real cuddler this one =)  Tonight, this is how she fell asleep on Terry’s lap, back legs STRAIGHT UP and in the air… LOL! Absolutely hilarious!

This is Kodi and Lulu… Look at how HUGE he is compared to her. So funny that he was actually a little scared of her at first LOL!

Well… that’s it for now. I’m off to bed after I blow my now runny nose, again. <sigh> Where does all this bodily fluid come from anyway??

No, no… unfortunately our good news is not a REAL baby, but it is a happy, new furbaby friend for Kodiak and us!

The story: I went to our vet to order some of Kodi’s special dry food and when I went in, I spied an exam room full of 8 kittens. Our vet works closely with the SPCA throughout BC to adopt out kitties to homes here in the Lower Mainland and specifically in Richmond. She is a Cat Care specialist and only serves kitty cat patients.

Well, I had to see them… I had been missing Mackenzie dreadfully for the last week and I needed a little kitten tlc, and after all, they ARE kittens - all spazzy, purring and desperate for love… they make you feel good. One little 9 week old girl grabbed my attention immediately. It was something in her demeanor, her tortoiseshell coloring and a sweetness in personality cried out to me - she reminded me of my sweet sweet Mackie girl. I picked her up and I was done. I had to have her… Had to love her…

We had initially planned on waiting until we returned from CHA to pick her up, if she was still there, but our vet recommended that we do it sooner than later. Luckily we have a housesitter coming to stay while we’re gone, so Kodi wouldn’t be lonely and alone for so many days, so he’ll just keep her segrated from Kodi as we will this week. We’ll make introductions between the two of them once we’re home and can monitor their interaction. So for now… Kodi knows something is up. He can hear her meowing, the bedroom door is closed and I think he’ll be ok once they meet.

So here she is… Miss LuLu Lazar-Schuler at 9 weeks old. Ain’s she sweet?

We have a little bit of exciting news to share with our blog friends… will post pics tomorrow =)Hmmmm… what will the news be?!? [Aren’t I evil?]

Mwah ha ha ha <insert evil grin here>

I have been reluctant to post over the last few days with Mackenzie’s condition, considering this is supposed to be a happy time of year… but today has been a difficult day and an end to a sweet, loving life.

Mackenzie took a turn for the worse late yesterday and with much sadness and heavy heart we took her into the vet today. Her condition had deteriorated quickly over the last 24-48 hours and our vet confirmed this morning that she had more fluid in her abdomen, it had moved up into her chest and was creating difficulty in her breathing, she was weak and very tired.  It was a matter of time, and she would probably have a traumatic episode of respiratory failure in within the next day or so.

Terry and I made the difficult and heartwrenching decision this morning to let our dear, sweet furgirl go.  We did everything we could to save her. She passed away with dignity, in my arms, at 11:45am. She was 3.5 years old. We loved her for 3 years. We are heartbroken.

Goodbye sweet Mackenzie [aka Mack Mack, Baby Mack and Dooters]… We miss you already.
You have left a permanent paw print on both of our hearts. We love you.