Friday, April 28, 2017

Binky and Her Granny



Cyndi:  Hey, there.  *waves paw*  Remember me?  I'm the pretty calico.  At least that's what Jan calls me.

Micah:  Once.  And she was drinking at the time.

Cyndi:  Coffee! 

Micah:  Like I said, she was drinking at the time.

Cyndi:  Rusty, help me out.  Micah is picking on me.

Rusty:  He's teasing you.  Tease him back.

Cyndi:  Okay.  What do I say?

Rusty:  I don't know.  What about suggesting he snores when he sleeps?

Cyndi:  But he does at times.

Rusty:   He doesn't know that!

Cyndi:  We all hear him!

Rusty:  Right.  We hear him.  He's asleep.

Cyndi:  Oh, I get it.  He doesn't hear himself snore so he'll think I'm picking back at him.

Rusty:  Right!  And don't worry about what Micah said.  The next time Jan is drinking -

Cyndi:  Coffee! She was drinking coffee! 


Taylor:  Do you recognize this handsome kitty?  It's Little Binky from the blog Angels Whisper.

Percy:  Binky is our interview subject today over at Mousebreath.  Be sure to stop by to read her story, Little Binky Loves Granny


We are joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat, Barking from the Bayou and Owned by a husky


Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Hurry Up, Let's Eat


Marcus: ♬♬Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, let's eat! ♬ ♬ Hurry up, hurry up, hurry up, let's eat!

Merci:  What are you wailing about now, Marcus?


Marcus:  I'm not wailing, I'm singing my hurry up song.  We're about to taste test some turkey and potato recipe Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet grain free premium loaf.

Buddy: Premium loaf?  We're having bread for breakfast?


Marcus:  No.  We're having canned food mixed in with our kibble.  

Merci:  That does look good.  It says on the can it has 5 key ingredient sources. 

Buddy:  Chewy lists these key benefits -

  •     Number-one ingredient is great-tasting, U.S.-farm-raised turkey which delivers amino acids to build muscle and maintain a healthy metabolism. Give your dog all that she needs to thrive and stay healthy.
  •     This product is made without grains, corn gluten meal, wheat or soy protein. Because of this there is a less chance of aggravating food sensitivities and allergies.
  •     Formulated with optimal levels of omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid) and zinc to promote healthy skin and a shiny coat. Help keep your pet keep looking great and robust.
  •     Made with absolutely no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. This is a high quality product that is produced in the manufacturer's own facilities to ensure safety and quality.
  •     Nutro's dedicated team of experts tailor their formulas to your pet's life stage and health condition. They only use natural ingredients that they directly buy and can trace back to their suppliers.


Marcus:  It smells good, but Jan needs to move faster! I can't hold off these cats much longer. 

Buddy:  *winks at Merci* Merci and I appreciate you standing guard duty to protect our breakfast.


Marcus:  Come on, Jan, speed things up.  I'm waiting. 

Merci:  So are we.  Buddy and I don't get served until you get permission to start eating.


 Marcus:  And the "okay" has dropped! 


Merci:  Okay, Jan, any time you're ready.  


Buddy:  Hey, Merci, Jan didn't give the okay for you to start eating.

Merci:  She didn't?  Are you sure?

Buddy:  I'm positive.  There's no "okay" in, "Come on to breakfast, Buddy."

Merci:  Okay, my mistake, but since I'm already eating, you might as well dig in too. 


Marcus:  It's nice getting served first, at least until my bowl is empty and I'm watching the others eat.  Mmm, I can still taste it.  The Nutro Limited Ingredient Diet dog food is good!



We received this food free of charge from Chewy.com in an exchange for our honest review. 


Friday, April 21, 2017

The Feline Opines Five


Merci:  In case anyone has missed us, we've been very busy trying to keep Jan awake and upright long enough to scoop our poop and feed us two round meals a day.  (Not at the same time.) Happy weekend.



Percy:  If you haven't met Tucker, Jasmine, Lily, Oliver and Alberto from the blog Feline Opines yet, be sure to stop by Mousebreath to read Tribe of Five at Feline Opines


We are joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat, Barking from the Bayou and Owned by a husky.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Solid Gold SeaMeal




Marcus:  Hey, Taylor, can I have some of whatever you're eating?

Taylor: Jan said we're not allowed to let you dogs have any of it because you have your own review to do this month.

Marcus:  But just a taste?

Taylor:  A taste with your tongue and the whole plate would be clean.  I wouldn't mind but Jan would.


Marcus:  It's Solid Gold SeaMeal and it's a nutritional supplement to support overall health of both dogs and cats,   You're a cat and you don't like it.  I'm a dog and I'm sure I'd love it. 


Rusty:  I don't understand you, Taylor.  This is delicious.  In fact,  if I hurry, I might be able to steal yours.  It has dried seaweed meal and flaxseed as the first ingredients.  And Chewy says the key benefits are -

  •   Nutritional supplement to support overall wellness in dogs and cats that combines natural seaweed with flaxseed meal and digestive enzymes.
  •     Made with red, green, and brown seaweed that provides vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants.
  •     Contains flaxseed, an abundant source of omega-3 fatty acids to boost the immune system and promote optimal skin and coat health.
  •     Digestive enzymes help pets utilize their food more efficiently and helps pets suffering from chronic digestive upset, vomiting, or diarrhea.
  •     Easy to administer: just sprinkle on top of your pet's meal at each feeding.



Marcus:   The container is open. I can smell it and I want some. 


Cyndi:  I think it tastes great.  Jan sprinkled some over each breakfast dish.  Taylor is the only one with a problem, although she did eat some after Jan smeared some of her breakfast on her paw.  (Taylor's paw, not Jan's.)


Micah:  It smells and tastes much like kelp.  We've all had kelp before. 

Taylor: No, I haven't.  I wasn't too keen on it when Jan sprinkled it on the food, nor was I crazy about it when she sprinkled it on the plates before she divided up our breakfast.  I am getting accustomed to it, though, since Jan started mixing it into the food before she divvies it up.



Percy:  I hope we don't run out of the Solid Gold SeaMeal Supplement for a while.  I think it cheers up breakfast nicely and it's supposed to be good for us, so we're all happy, including Jan.  Unless you count Taylor, but she seems to have acquired a taste for it.

We received the supplement from Chewy to do this review but received no other compensation.  Chewy is not responsible for the content.


Friday, April 14, 2017

Andy and Dougy


Rusty:  No, you're not imagining it.  Neither of those cats are one of us.

Cyndi:  They're Andy and Dougy from Weggieboy's Blog,

Micah:  Can you tell them apart?  We can't.

Taylor:  I can.  We wrote their names on the picture.  

Percy:  Smoke Persians Andy and Dougy has published on Mousebreath. 


Note:  We forgot about the interview when we posted Serious Thinking.

We are beyond sad, because after having fun with product reviews (at least we had fun and we tried to make them fun for you too) and being able to try a variety of new things because of them, as of May 1st, we will no longer be doing Chewy reviews - or any other reviews! 

We want to make it perfectly clear that this decision has nothing to do with Chewy (or any other company we have had contact with).  Sydney and Natalie have been super nice and we will miss them.  

When we do reviews, we have to report the product as income even though we do not receive financial compensation.  We try to be honest and do what is right.  2016 was a good review year for us.  Trying to report it has been a nightmare!  It took a week through a maze of confusion for Federal.  The new Georgia state 5-page plus a 6th to report just one - ONE! - item nearly gave Jan a stroke.  (And before anyone asks why not use the state EZ form, she can't because of her age.)  Never, never, never, never, NEVER again!!!!

Reviews were something we all enjoyed. Jan is very discouraged!  (This is the short version for those of you who asked.)   Have a good Easter weekend.

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Serious Thinking


Micah:  Jan says we need to take a break to do some serious thinking.  We're not into thinking seriously, but since this will affect us and our blog, we need to humor her.  If we don't see you the rest of this week, we should be back on Monday.

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

Positive Difference #Chewy Influencer



Marcus:  Is it time yet?  I've been waiting for days for you to open this bag and let us taste it.

Merci:  You're a fibber.  The bag had just arrived when Jan took this picture.

Marcus:  But Jan took so long to open the bag the food froze.


Buddy:  It arrived frozen, well-packed with dry ice so it stayed frozen.  It's Tylee's turkey recipe human grade whole food. 

Merci:  Here, I'll read you the full ingredient list - Turkey Heart, Deboned Turkey, Turkey Liver, Water (Sufficient For Processing), Cranberries, Zucchini, Spinach, Sweet Potato, Sunflower Seeds, Tricalcium Phosphate, Sunflower Oil, Chia Seeds, Ground Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Cod Liver Oil Powder, Ground Cinnamon, Dried Kelp, Zinc Amino Acid Chelate, Iron Amino Acid Chelate, Rosemary Extract, Copper Amino Acid Chelate, Manganese Amino Acid Chelate.

Marcus:  Isn't that what we've  had mixed in our food for the last two weeks?  I like it.


Buddy:  I begged for some from the new bag and Jan gave me a sprinkle even though it hasn't thawed out yet.  It's good.

Chewy lists the key benefits as -

    Made with human-grade ingredients just like you’d find at the grocery store—real, whole foods you can see and identify, with nothing sourced from China.
    These recipes are easy to serve—simply defrost and add to your pet’s bowl. Tylee’s can also be used as a topper to make any regular bowl of kibble more enticing.
    Minimally processed ingredients retain all their natural flavors and valuable antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals to support your dog’s best health.
    Grain-free food for dogs can better suit pups with sensitive tummies or allergies. Plus, there are no fillers like corn, soy, wheat or by-product meals.
    Chia seeds, ground flaxseed and sunflower oil are full of omega-3 and 6 fatty acids to nourish your pup’s skin and help his coat stay shiny and full.


Merci:  Well, I had enough sense to wait until dinner when the food is thawed.

Buddy:  We're supposed to tell everyone how we are doing on this food.  We're eating it as a topper mixed in our food, not as full meals, and the only difference Jan can pinpoint at this time is that it has made a positive difference in my stools from the beginning.

Marcus:  Aren't you going to elaborate?

Buddy:  No! "Positive difference" should be enough.

Marcus:  You're not going to post a picture?

Buddy:  There had better not be any pictures of my poop!  


Marcus:  Well, I'm disappointed.  I was looking forward to -

Buddy:  Enough on the subject!

Marcus:  I was just going to say I was looking forward to all of us having a second helping, but if you're going to yell at me, I'll be quiet.

Merci:  That would be a first!  But I'm sure you will have more to say when we do our third and final post on our 30-day trial of Tylee's.


We received the dog food from Chewy.com for an honest review.  Chewy is not responsible for the content.

Monday, April 10, 2017

Great Swampi Marcus 7

Taylor:  Oh, Swampi, you shouldn't let your fans see you yawning.  They'll think you're boring.  Or should that be they'll think they're boring?  Whichever, you shouldn't let anyone see you yawn in public. 


Marcus:  I'm not yawning.  I'm the Great Swampi, hear me roar!  What do you have for me this week?

Taylor:  Barking from the Bayou asked, "Do you know how to avoid bath time? I think we would all love to hear that advice.

Marcus:  I would love to hear that advice too.  I roll in the dirt and evidently a mushroom cloud of dust arises from me whenever I scratch or am petted, so I see a bath in my own near future.

Taylor:  Molly T. of The Fast and the Furrie needs some help.  "I'm hoping you can come up with a way to get Mom to play soccer with me more often than twice a day."

Marcus:  If your mom works for green papers, you could get her fired and then she would have lots more time to play soccer with you.  That's not a good idea, though, because you have become accustomed to eating regularly and I'm sure your mom has too.  Perhaps you could learn to play soccer by yourself for when she's not available.  Better yet, I have the same problem.  Perhaps we could play soccer together.

Taylor:  From Team Beaglebratz with Lady Shasta, "Can u tell me y it hazta rain so much? I NEED my walkiez an'me an'mom don't like bein'in the rain. An'mom sez I NEED my walkiez so I can loze weight. Mom already haz me on a diet."

Marcus:  It has to rain so much so we furries can get all wet and muddy and come into the house and dry ourselves off on the bed and other furniture and track mud all through the house. Our humans love that about us.  Jan is always praising us with, "Thanks a LOT for making a mess!"

Taylor:  Loulou asked in a post on her blog, "Oh, Great Swampi, can you give me a potion that will keep The Public from fawning over me all the time?"  (Her mama and papa are "The Public".) 

Marcus:  There is such a potion that will stop the fawning but it will net you a bath.  If you're desperate and want to try it, though, just roll in some Castor Oil mixed well with cayenne pepper.


Taylor:  You might remember our Friday post on the exploding bed?  (An Innocent BySleeper)  This question is from Pooh and Her Pooch blog.  "Was it a comfy bed after the explosion?"

Marcus:  Since it was my bed that Merci destroyed, I can tell you with certainty that is is NOT a comfy bed now.  In fact, Merci moved out of my crate and into a bed she previously considered too small and uncomfortable and is now working on making that one explode too.

Taylor: She's good!  I wonder if the military could use another demolition expert?


Do any of you use the Firefox browser?  We have been trying for several months to leave a comment on two Typepad blogs we used to visit without a problem.  We have gone round and round with their support.  We have no problem leaving a comment anywhere else.  There is nothing wrong with either blog or with our browser, but the "post" icon stays grayed out so we can not comment.  Typepad insists we are the only one with a problem. We just updated to FF version 52.  Could you take a minute to see if you can leave a comment on either or both of these blogs and let us know how you make out?  Thank you!!!

The Opinionated Pussycat.

The Poodle and Dog Blog.


Sunday, April 09, 2017

Friday, April 07, 2017

An Innocent Bysleeper


Merci:  This was me Wednesday afternoon between morning and past everyone's bedtime storms.  I was really soaking up some zzzzzs.


Marcus:  This is what my bed looked like when we all woke up Thursday morning.  And before you blame me, I never sleep in my crate at night.  But a certain little redhead does much of the time.

Merci:  Do you mean Rusty?  I understand an orange tabby is actually called "red". 


Marcus:  No, I mean you, Merci!  You slept in my bed.  It was already duct taped together on the back and Jan just recently sewed half the top back together.

Merci:  I know where Jan keeps the duct tape.

Marcus:  It's waaaaaaaay past sewing or taping together.  You owe me a new bed!


Merci:   But I didn't do anything.  I just turned over the bedding and dug a little to make the bedding more comfortable.  It must have exploded while I was sleeping.

Marcus:  Yeah, sure.  You weren't harmed but the bed exploded all the way to the kitchen. That sounds like one of my tales.

Merci:  I'm so glad you're my brother!  You understand I was just an innocent bysleeper.

Marcus:  A "bysleeper"? 

Merci:  Yes, you know, a sleeping bystander.



Taylor:  We have a Mousebreath interview with Teddy Westlife posted today.  Some of you will remember his older sisfur Huffle Mawson. 

Percy:  Stop by Mousebreath to meet SuperFluff Teddy Westlife.  He used to write the Don't Bite blog, but now he is the silent partner on the Cats With Blogs Facebook page. 



We are joining the Pet Parade hosted by Rascal and Rocco, Basil the Bionic Cat, Barking from the Bayou and Owned by a husky.

Thursday, April 06, 2017

The Box Line


Micah:  Oh, look what I found.  A box of food just waiting by the window for someone to nap on it.

Buddy:  Jan is going to be very unhappy with you.  Mr. Bill sent her that box of food and she hasn't had a chance to empty it yet.

Micah:  That's okay.  I'm not as particular about my boxes being empty as some cats are.

Buddy:  Well, Jan might be particular about you sleeping there.  You're denting the food boxes.

Micah:  I think they're denting me too.  I'd really rather not have box corners poking me, but if I stay here and look uncomfortable, perhaps Jan will empty the big box faster.

Buddy:  You're a bit late.  April Fool's Day was Saturday.

Micah:  I'm not fooling.

Buddy:  If you really want to sleep in the box, I'd go borrow Marcus's Great Swampi plopped down turban (Great Swami Marcus 6)  and use it as a cushion on top of the food.

Micah:  That's a good suggestion.  I think Marcus left it on top of his crate.  Would you mind bringing it to me?

Buddy:  Why don't you go get it yourself?

Micah:  If I move, I'll lose my place in the box line.

Buddy:  *looks around*  What box line?

Micah:  The one the other cats will form as soon as I move.

Buddy:  The box has been sitting there for a week.  There hasn't been any box line.

Micah:  There will be now that I've broken it in.  Rusty will want to sleep with his head hanging off the top.  Cyndi and Taylor will want to nest between the tuna cans.  And Percy will want to spray it to cover my scent.

Buddy:  *sigh*  Okay, I'll go borrow Marcus's turban for you.

Micah:  Thanks.  And since you'll be passing the treat bag, could you bring that too?


On a serious note, we're thankful Monday wasn't as bad here as predicted. This is what we it looked like in the distance when the weather radio started squawking and the emergency sirens sounded around 12:30 pm.  We had a t-storm, hail and a downpour where we are.

And Wednesday's more severe weather mostly by-passed us, for which we are extremely grateful! A tornado watch most of the day and another round of storms due in about an hour (writing this Wed. evening), but we're doing fine - so far.

We know many of you were included in the severe weather warning area and hope all of you are okay!


We're joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop at Brian's Home.

Wednesday, April 05, 2017

Won Word Wednesday 3




Rusty:  Lonely.



(For those of you who like to identify birds, here's a closer view.)



Buddy:  You look like you swallowed that bird, Rusty.

Rusty:

Buddy:  I said you look like you swallowed that bird, Rusty.

Rusty:

Buddy:  I said you look like ... Oh, wait, I remember.  You can't say anything or you lose your One Word Wednesday post, right, Rusty?

Rusty:  Right!  Nooooooooooooooooooo!

Buddy:  I'm sorry, Rusty.  You almost succeeded and won with "won" word this week.

Note:  We are under severe weather alerts for today and might be offline all day or most of it.  We know many of you are in the path of the same storm.  We pray you will be safe! 

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Obedience School for Jan


Cyndi:  That doesn't look like a Funny Farmer.  What is it doing in today's post?

Merci:  We saw it on our walk last week.  We thought it was kind of a neat shot.

Cyndi:  What's neat about it?  It's a broken down old building, a pile of rocks and a big truck.

Merci:  Ah, but that truck is finally carting off some of the rock piles on the mill property.  There wasn't any work done there for about a year but they are finally back to trying to clean it up.

Cyndi:  How long will that take - about a week?

Merci:  I think it's going to take a lot longer than that.  You ought to help us walk Jan one day and you could see the mill for yourself.

Cyndi:  No, thanks.  I'm allergic to mills.

Merci:  You must mean pills.  You can't be allergic to mills.

Cyndi:  Okay, I'm allergic to walking with you dogs.  I've heard Jan's a handful.  Pulls on the leash, wanders off in the wrong direction, stops at the most inconvenient times to breathe ... I mean, who needs to breathe while walking?

Merci:  You're right.  She needs to go through Obedience School.

Cyndi:  Good luck with that.

Merci:  We tried once.  The receptionist asked questions such as is Jan housebroken, well-socialized, does she get into the trash,  does she bark at passersby, and does she know basic commands? 

Cyndi:  And?

Merci:  She said Jan sounds like a good prospect.  Then she asked if Jan howls when an emergency vehicle passes with siren blaring, and we had to admit she doesn't.  The receptionist cleared her throat and asked does Jan have any strange quirks.  I asked if howling at the answering machine counts and the woman hung up the phone.


Monday, April 03, 2017

Great Swampi Marcus 6

Micah:  Hey, Marcus, what happened to your ... um, your ... What is that anyway?


Marcus:  It's my Great Swampi turban.  Jan re-wrapped it to take photos and I got tired of modeling.  I plopped down and so did my turban.

Micah: Do you only see half as much with one eye covered?

Marcus:  Basically, yes, but I can still answer questions.

Micah:  I think the first question should be what happened to Merci Saturday?  She always screams when you leap at her face and screech.  But she sounded like she was being killed.

Marcus:  That was Jan's fault.

Micah:  So this time Jan leaped into Merci's face and screeched?

Marcus:  No, not exactly.  We were going out the door for our walk.  I grabbed my leash, as usual, and started tugging on it.  Jan leaned forward to stop me just as Merci stepped outside.  I let go of the leash and leaped at her face to screech and scare her.

Micah:  There had to be more to it.  Merci screamed longer and louder than usual.

Marcus:  That's because when I let go of the leash, Jan lost her balance.  She was closing the door, so when she fell forward, she slammed the door on Merci's tail.  Merci screamed!  I told you it was Jan's fault.

Micah:  To be honest, it sounds like you started it.

Marcus:  Me?  I was just an innocent bystander.  Don't I have a question to answer?

Micah:  Yes, you do.  Frankie Furter and Ernie von Schnitzel asked one.

"OH Grrrrrreatest Swampi... do you know how to get our Moms to be more GENEROUS when handing out the SNACKS??? OURS is quite STINGY.

Marcus:  Oh, that's an easy one.  Trip her.  As she goes flying by, so will your snacks - in all directions.

Micah:  Is that why you tripped Jan Saturday, so you could get more snacks?

Marcus:  No, that one was for practice.  Hopefully, next time she will be carrying some treats.

Micah:  Okay, that's it for today.  You have a full week now to get your turban on straight and prepare to answer next week's questions.  If you have any.

Marcus.  If not, I'll just make up some.  Or post a picture of Jan riding her motorcycle like Max the PsychoKitty did of his human when he didn't have any questions for his column one week.

Micah:  Jan doesn't have a motorcycle.

Marcus:  So?  Haven't you heard of Photoshop?

Micah:  Yes, I've heard of it.  Are you trying to tell me you know how to use it?

Marcus:  Of course!  I just press the button and ask for a picture of Jan on a motorcycle.

Micah:  While you're at it why don't you ask for a new photo of Marcus the Great Swampi wearing his turban.  That's what your ears are for, to anchor your hat!