Perches

One thing my cat Kimba seems to miss in the new place is window seating. I thought she would enjoy viewing trees, birds, and the ocassional deer from the bedroom, but instead prefers keeping tabs on building visitors and the number 15 bus from the living room. My sills are narrow and the casement windows rule out most feline shelving so I had to resort to carpeted cat furniture to provide comfortable viewing options. Fortunately a small mom and pop company in Gainesville let me pick a carpet color other than beige! She barely let me get her new perch out of the box before she climbed to the top and behaved as though I had dropped ecstasy in her water bowl.

Of course then I felt badly that my other cat Nicky did not have his own perch but was reluctant to devote any more real estate to cat furniture so I ordered Feline Cloud Shelves. They have been more of a hit with people rather than the cats. I had to coax Nicky on the shelves with catnip and he only ocassionally uses them. Now that the leaves are falling there is a better view of the neighboring complex's trash dumpster out the back window so there is hope the clouds will catch on.

I Can't Believe It's a Litter Box!

Originally submitted at Wayfair

Looks like a cat planetarium

By msarthur from Silver Spring, MD on 10/16/2011

 

5out of 5

I will refrain from posting a photo of my cat using this product. But it looks great! My medium size cat (I think she is around 13 pounds) gets around in it just fine. I would not get this box for a big cat. It is very easy to clean and the filter controls odor.

I can't believe it's a cat box!

(legalese)

Cat Scratcher Fever!

Originally submitted at Wayfair

Cats love it and it looks great!!

By msarthur from Silver Spring, MD on 10/16/2011

 

5out of 5

I am very vain about my home decor yet my life revolves around the cats which can create a dilemna when they take over the living room with their toys and accessories. My cats love this scratcher and it is incredibly stylish. It actually looks good next to the panton chair! Delivery was prompt.

Looks great!

Tags: Picture of Product

(legalese)

Like Flynn

Finally I am in the new place. The cats love it!  I couldn't have imagined all the mortgage finance drama and schlepping in 100+ degree heat being worth it unless Oprah showed up at the door with car keys. However just the liberation from beige carpeting alone has justified the effort. It is a little sad that I am alone here, but then again, I am not sure I could find a partner who would go along with my color scheme. The only women who appreciate my aesthetics are straight which is not at all helpful. Here are some shots of the new place.

Um...I don't think this encourages home sales

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The map above shows where I will be moving if I can get PNC mortgage to approve my loan!! Their underwriters have provided numerous last-minute "gotcha" moments that have delayed my close twice so far. The day before my first scheduled close the processor informed me that not all the paperwork had been completed. The next day was spent on standby while revised owner occupancy numbers traveled from e-mail boxes to various desks for approval. Then Wednesday, I was informed the mortgage underwriter would not approve the loan until my rental payment history from the past year was verified. Why this information wasn't requested earlier during this two-month application process remains a mystery. I was hoping to close on Friday but Thursday evening a new wrinkle surfaced: the mortgage insurance underwriter cited a randomly enforced federal regulation requiring proper egress from the bedroom. A welder removed safety bars from one of the windows and the mortgage guy sent photos of the completed work to the MI people this weekend. I am hoping to close tomorrow though at the same time I am wondering what documentation they might want next...SAT scores? Dental records?

A Different Form of Sampling

Back in November I adopted a dog who is trapped in a cat's body. Nicky (formerly Mikey) ended up at Greenbelt Animal Shelter because his owner moved to an apartment that didn't accept pets. Kimba is less lonely now although she does not appreciate being chased around by a big black cat.

Unfortunately when I started packing, Nicky started thinking outside the box. Though the most likely cause is anxiety created by all the moving upheaval, I wanted to rule out a UTI or urinary crystals since either can lead to a fatal blockage if left untreated. Nicky wasn't able to produce a urine sample for the vet on an initial visit, so I had to drop him off one morning on my way to work so he could sit in a cage all day until he had a donation ready. At 4:30 pm I received a distressing call from the vet informing me that Nicky had "flipped out" during the collection procedure, and the technician was having to go to the hospital.

Needless to say they didn't get a sample this time either so I was given a home test kit consisting of plastic cat litter, a syringe, and a test tube. I isolated Nicky in my bedroom last night with a brand new cat box containing the non-absorbant plastic litter. I was not optimistic that this approach would work, but at 5am on Sunday I was awakened by the dulcet tones of Nicky scratching the plastic litter! Despite the early hour I was able to gather the urine and transfer it to the test tube with the syringe like an enthusiastic chemistry student. Mission accomplished!! Now I just have to drive over to Bethesda tomorrow and drop off the sample.

Moving On

Long time no talk!! A couple of weeks ago my life entered a real estate buying labyrinth littered with endless forms to complete. My friends tell me it will be worth it in the end, when I can stand in the middle of a 2 bedroom co-op adjacent to Sligo Creek Park and savor the responsibility of home-ownership. In the meantime I am fixated on picking out colorful paint swatches and obsessing about furniture placement. Stay tuned!