Nothing to report in Southern Florida

WInter is over. It was a sort of wet cool winter. It's my first in
Florida so I don't have much to go on but everyone tells me that it
was a cold winter. Not by my standards but there were a few weeks
where it was too cool to hang out by the pool.

Now we have a week where every day is going to be within a degree of
80f. I can handle that. The cats? They're sleeping. Nipsy has started
using the new cat tree, and I saw Marlo on the next to top shelf. It's
not a huge tree but wasn't too expensive either. Scooter spends much
of the day by the partly open window in the bedroom, watching whatever
people or critters happen by.

Baby is a bit improved. She comes out from under the bed during the
morning and she never used to do that. I can touch her without her
panicking. Only if she feels like it of course. I have small hopes
that she might become a regular cat instead of being frightened all
the time. Boy, I really misjudged her. If I had to do it again I would
probably have left her behind.

I hear that a new cat has moved into my old neighborhood. I got a
picture from a former neighbor of a cat that looks just like Scooter.
Tuxedo. Well, I can't do anything about that anymore. No longer my
neighborhood.

I also got a picture of a dumpster in front of my old house, filled
with my former walls and kitchen/bathroom. The new owners are gutting
the place. I can't say that it wasn't necessary - it was.

Happy Spring to everyone! I know, not officially yet but it's coming.

On 3/9/2016 10:15 AM, dgk wrote:

WInter is over. It was a sort of wet cool winter. It's my first in
Florida so I don't have much to go on but everyone tells me that it
was a cold winter. Not by my standards but there were a few weeks
where it was too cool to hang out by the pool.

Now we have a week where every day is going to be within a degree of
80f. I can handle that. The cats? They're sleeping. Nipsy has started
using the new cat tree, and I saw Marlo on the next to top shelf. It's
not a huge tree but wasn't too expensive either. Scooter spends much
of the day by the partly open window in the bedroom, watching whatever
people or critters happen by.

Baby is a bit improved. She comes out from under the bed during the
morning and she never used to do that. I can touch her without her
panicking. Only if she feels like it of course. I have small hopes
that she might become a regular cat instead of being frightened all
the time. Boy, I really misjudged her. If I had to do it again I would
probably have left her behind.

I hear that a new cat has moved into my old neighborhood. I got a
picture from a former neighbor of a cat that looks just like Scooter.
Tuxedo. Well, I can't do anything about that anymore. No longer my
neighborhood.

I also got a picture of a dumpster in front of my old house, filled
with my former walls and kitchen/bathroom. The new owners are gutting
the place. I can't say that it wasn't necessary - it was.

Happy Spring to everyone! I know, not officially yet but it's coming.

I'm glad you're all getting settled in. I'm especially happy to hear
Baby is starting to come out of her shell.

Nothing much to report here in South Carolina, either. The weather has
been quite comfortable, temps around 70F during the day and no humidity
to speak of. I've had the windows open, no need to run the heat or air
conditioning.

Buffy watched a couple of squirrels fighting over an acorn on the patio.
She ignores birds but when those squirrelw were tusseling she couldn't
take her eyes off them! One squirrel triumphed, chased the other
squirrel away. Then it got a drink from the bird bath and ate the
acorn. That's about as exciting as things get around here.

Jill

On 3/9/2016 9:15 AM, dgk wrote:

WInter is over. It was a sort of wet cool winter. It's my first in
Florida so I don't have much to go on but everyone tells me that it
was a cold winter. Not by my standards but there were a few weeks
where it was too cool to hang out by the pool.

Now we have a week where every day is going to be within a degree of
80f. I can handle that. The cats? They're sleeping. Nipsy has started
using the new cat tree, and I saw Marlo on the next to top shelf. It's
not a huge tree but wasn't too expensive either. Scooter spends much
of the day by the partly open window in the bedroom, watching whatever
people or critters happen by.

Baby is a bit improved. She comes out from under the bed during the
morning and she never used to do that. I can touch her without her
panicking. Only if she feels like it of course. I have small hopes
that she might become a regular cat instead of being frightened all
the time. Boy, I really misjudged her. If I had to do it again I would
probably have left her behind.

I hear that a new cat has moved into my old neighborhood. I got a
picture from a former neighbor of a cat that looks just like Scooter.
Tuxedo. Well, I can't do anything about that anymore. No longer my
neighborhood.

I also got a picture of a dumpster in front of my old house, filled
with my former walls and kitchen/bathroom. The new owners are gutting
the place. I can't say that it wasn't necessary - it was.

Happy Spring to everyone! I know, not officially yet but it's coming.


It was nice to read this report and to see that you have settled in. I
really think you made the right decision to take Baby with you. My very
first cat (years ago) was feral. It took about two years for him to
become truly relaxed. After that, he became the most wonderful
companion imaginable, and he lived for almost 21 years.

We have had torrents of rain the last couple of days. Some nearby areas
have already had 12 inches of water. Except for those two days, we have
had beautiful weather. Like you, it seems like spring has arrived. I
have lots of azaleas in bloom, and there are lots of spring flowers all
around town.

Duffy has hyperthyroidism, and I am medicating him twice a day. He has
been doing very well--he seems to feel well, and he has a great appetite.

MaryL

On Thu, 10 Mar 2016 01:20:20 -0600, MaryL
wrote:

On 3/9/2016 9:15 AM, dgk wrote:

It was nice to read this report and to see that you have settled in. I
really think you made the right decision to take Baby with you. My very
first cat (years ago) was feral. It took about two years for him to
become truly relaxed. After that, he became the most wonderful
companion imaginable, and he lived for almost 21 years.


That's possible. Right now she's sitting on the nightable looking down
at the Temptations I just dropped at her feet. Sometimes she gulps
them down, other times she ignores them, like she doesn't realize that
they're the same kitty crack that she usually enjoys. A fairly strange
cat.

I've been to visit Serene a few times. She used to live across the
street from me and was the other cat lady (even though I'm a guy) on
the block. She lived with her husband and son in a one bedroom
apartment with six cats. The landlady died and they were being thrown
out after 20 years. Since the son was starting at the University of
Tampa, they decided to move to Lakeland (halfway between Tampa and
Orlando) and did so a month after I moved to Delray Beach.

They have a very nice house with several fruit trees in the large yard
- lemons, grapefruits, oranges, and bananas. The cats seem to be in
heaven. After being squeezed into a little apartment, they now have
the run of a four bedroom house, and they are allowed into the yard -
only under adult supervision since Serene found half a cat in the yard
shortly after they moved in. No word on where the other half was but
presumably in the belly of some beast.

It is a three hour drive each way to visit them though, so I don't do
it too often. Still, it's nice to see the cats get the benefit of the
new house. Serene is forever doing new things to that house,
decorating, and now they're building a new screened porch. Those are
only of limited use in Florida since most of the year it's just too
hot to stay out of the A/C. I haven't done much with my house since it
was in pretty good shape to start with.

I'm buying a rug cleaner, some Bissel brand thing. It's on sale at
Costco this month, and my living room has a big white carpet and my
bedroom has a slightly off-white carpet. Naturally, both have picked
up some brown stains from cat vomit and I'm interested in seeing how
the rug cleaner handles those spots. They aren't terribly noticeable,
I mean, I do clean them when I notice the vomit. But they're there.

Carpets are a bit of a pain to keep clean, and I'm coming from a house
that only had wood floors. But, like the rest of the house, the old
lady who owned it used the best quality stuff and the carpet is very
nice. I thought about ripping it up and putting down tile or laminate,
or wood, but I figured that I'd see how it worked out. It's mushy and
I kind of like walking on it.

Ok, time to go to bed. Good night all.

I'm playing a lot of tennis.

On Mon, 14 Mar 2016 11:47:34 +0000 (GMT), Judith Latham
wrote:
...

I'm playing a lot of tennis.

It's lovely to hear how you're getting on. I often wonder how people get
on with white carpets. I have enough problems with a pink one but luckily
Sootie doesn't vomit much, unlike my previous cats who had long long fur.
The carpet cleaner should do the trick I think. last year I bought a big
VAX carpet cleaner but haven't had a chance to use it yet. I'm waiting for
some warm day so that I can have the patio door open to help it dry but
living in the UK I'm still waiting.

Judith

I did buy the rug cleaner and assembled it but haven't had the time to
give it a try. I just came home and found that someone had thrown up a
big brown blotch (with hairslug) onto the carpet. A foot from the edge
where the tile begins. Well, now I have another reason to fire up the
cleaner.

On 3/14/2016 7:47 AM, Judith Latham wrote:
I often wonder how people get
on with white carpets. I have enough problems with a pink one but luckily
Sootie doesn't vomit much, unlike my previous cats who had long long fur.

I wish, wish, wish! my mother had mentioned it to me when she was having
the carpets in this house replaced. When they built the house (1986)
mauve was all the rage so she had mauve wall-to-wall carpet installed.
The only rooms that don't have carpet are the bathroom and the kitchen.
Well, some years later she changed it to white. My parents didn't
have pets but the carpet was still quite apt to get dirty.

My dad used to putter around in the yard and never took his shoes off
when he came inside. Mom's solution was to put carpet runners all over
the place. Oh, that's attractive! (NOT). She once actually asked me,
"Why did I buy white carpet?" Beats me, Mom! I'd have suggested dark
beige or a light brown.

Fast forward many years later... I moved here to help my mom with Dad,
who had Alzheimers. A few months after he passed away I went back and
broke Persia out of "kitty jail" (she'd been boarded for six months,
poor thing!) and brought her here with me. Persia always had a very
delicate stomach. No matter what food she ate, she'd vomit frequently.
Or she'd hork up a hairball (she was short haired) which certainly did
nothing for the white carpet.

So I have a house with stained white carpet. I wish I could afford to
replace it. Even more than that, I wish my mother had asked my opinion
before she had white carpet installed!

On a good note, Buffy doesn't throw up at all. She sheds like mad (good
thing I've got a furminator) but she has never horked up a hairball.
I'm still stuck with ugly white carpet and I doubt even a professional
cleaning would ever get it to look nice.

Jill