This morning Mom made us cream of wheat and then for dinner we had BBQ chicken and potatoes, yummy. All I need to top it off is a chocolate chip.

Now who is going to declare Rodent Appreciation Day?

Mom moved the girl's condo down so they are now on the shelves below us. It is great; we can smell them and talk to them when Mom opens our condo door. Salsa even jumps down on the top of their condo when he can. Otherwise, him and Fig just dump our food down on top of the girls through the slot we have made in the back of the condo. Don't tell Mom though or she will want to close the hole up.

~Nic

Kitty President Larry has evidently declared March 1st Feline Appreciation Day. Everyone must celebrate. Hail P. Larry I hope my beans see this. ~Shadow

This afternoon Mom is off helping Kinsey kitten's class with mewwsic so I have the computer to myself. The vermin are asleep and Shadow is...somewhere. Well, it is good to be a poodie cat. I'm feeling philosophical today and have been thinking how lucky I am to live with my pets, Mom, Kinsey kitten, Dad, my nemises Shadow, and my future entrees-the vermin. I also have salad again as Mom brought me ginger flowers the other day, tasty.

Right now I have the opportunity to be reading Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats and I am enjoying it very much. However, I don't see a CATegory for me in there. I may have to write my own poem.

It is very cool here today because the winds are blowing and if you sniff just right, you can smell the sea air. A great day for thinking. I am content.

~Merlin

Little does he know, I not only played with one of Merlin's bitzy balls the other day, but I broke it. Yes, I broke it into three pieces, the top, the bottom, and the bell. Then I ask Kinsey kitten to help me hide the evidence. He will never find it.

Now my bean Mom loves books. So do I. When ever I get the chance I read, read, read. It keeps me informed about all kinds of things. But, the other day I was preaparing to pick out a couple of books from Mom's "library" when I found one of my bitzy balls broken in half and stuffed back behind the books. Now I really want to know who did this. The bitzy balls are my favorite toy and EVERYONE here knows that. So who stuffed a broken bitzy behind the books to hide it. If they are going to break my toys, why not come out and say so? It's not like I would bite them or something. I understand accidents happen. I would blame Shadow, but she doesn't have the needed thumbs to pull this off. Hmmmmmmmm, I have to check this out further.  

Now that I have completed my kitty yoga, I am ready to face the day. Right in front of me in the ratpest condo. They happen to be sleeping right now, but I still like to watch them when I can. They do not do kitty yoga. Mom says it is because they are not built the same way. How disappointing that must be for them. They cannot stretch the way we poodies do, but I have seen the small ratpest one called Nicci clean out his ear with his back foot and toenails. It was very interesting, but not as graceful or beautiful as kitty yoga.  

This is part of my kitty yoga exercise. Yes, I am an avid fan of the great techniques. To start with you must relax your face muscles, especially the eyebrows. Yes, poodies have eyebrows. Look at your poodie closely. Then to continue with the relaxation given by kitty yoga, you need to relax your ears and let them droop forward a little bit. Next is the whisker area, of course, where you simply relax all of your cheek muscles and let those whiskers drape. And don't forget the nose. ~Shadow 

Contrary to popular belief I do enjoy having my picture taken sometimes and I'm not antisocial. I like to rest on Mom's chair with my legs hanging down and my head over the edge. It allows me to fully relax and meditate in the khama cat pose. It is not true that I fall asleep in this pose, that would defeat the purpose. Yes, I sometimes fall asleep in the lotus purr pose, but that is entirely different. I enjoy kitty yoga and strongly advise everyone to try it. It keeps me very flexible. The other benefit is my ability to stretch and reach and leap up into the air when I want and land as soft as a bug on whatever I land on. Mom says this is because I am part Siamese, but I don't know. I contribute it to my study of the Eastern meditation techniques and my kitty yoga.  

Sometimes you just have to find the coziest place and take that much needed nap while your Mom is doing stuff on her desk. I will use the computer later...yawn....zzzzzzzzz~Nic 

Look guys. It is the biggest candy bar in the whole world and it is just lying here. Someone left this here for rat food obviously. Here if we all work together, we can get it back to the condo. ~Nic, Salsa, Fig, Pip 

I believe this is mine. Look aren't I cute? Look at what I found. I'm sure someone left this here just for me. ~Nic 

Mine, all mine. Look at what I got for Valentine's Day and it's ALL MINE. I have my greedy little paws on it but I still think it is to big to move. No, no one touch it. I mean it. It is all mine. ~Salsa 

I've been caught in the act. ~Nic 

Investigation takes a good amount of time if you are a diligent poodie who values security. I make sure no one comes even close to the windows up here. And I get to be snoopy and see what the neighbors are up too. The are a gecko couple who are getting ready to start a family. ~Merlin 

I just love flowers. I really do. Any kind of flowers. ~Merlin 

I almost was rid of him and had it all to myself. ~Shadow

After lots of good advice from fellow poodies I have decided it is not a good idea to run away from home. Plus, today was tuna day. I almost forgot.

I had my revenge though. I poked my Mom's butt through the dining room chair while she was eating. That always gets a good reaction and attention. Then I went over and grabbed Kinsey kitten's hair through her chair. Yes, revenge is sweet. And so is tuna.

~Merlin

I am leaving home. I'm going to find a place where I will be appreciated for my singular talents and not overlooked and moved about like I am a piece of furniture.

Tonight I was going to help my Mommy with her giant scrapbook, the one she pastes newspaper articles and stuff in, so I settled down on one of the pages to help out. Well, this wasn't good enough. No, she had to pick me up and move me over so she could "turn the page". So I left her room. I know when I'm not wanted.

Then I went into Kinsey kittens room and she had her top junk holder out, the ones that slide in and out of the big boxes. Well, left in the big box was a poodie size hole that led to another junk holder, holding none other than soft, warm clothes all in neat piles just waiting to be poodie-ized. Yes, I snuggled in. Well, this was not good enough either because in comes Mom and moves me so she can put the missing junk holder back.

I've had it. I'm moving.

~Merlin

I do not feel well and I'm still having trouble breathing, but today I took my medicine all by myself and my Mom didn't have to wrap me up in a towel. She said I was a very good boy and then gave me a chocolate trip. I LOVE chocolate chips. ~Nicodemus 

The beautiful Shadow with the patron goddess of cats, Bastet. "I love to pose, if I'm in the mood for Mom to take my picture." Shadow 

Here I am, the trusty Merlin Baggins, carrying the ring to Mordor with my Mommy. Yes, she makes very good Lammas bread and pasta. I contemplate my task as I look out the window. ~Merlin 

The VET

Yesterday, Mom had to take me to the vet because I have raspys in my chest. Now I rode on her shoulder the whole way. Then I very politely sat in her purse. No, I was not about to ride in the plushy blue carry bag she had. Only her purse because it smells like her.

While I was there I sat very nicely on the table waiting for the vet and then when the vet came in, I showed her how cute I was by sitting by my Mommy and boggling and chattering in her ear. And STILL the vet poked, prodded, and listened with that big, cold flat thing while I PATIENTLY looked put out.

All that behaving and guess what? I have medicine to take for the next three weeks. Mom is really worried about me though because I am having such a hard time breathing. She even fixed spaghetti and garlic bread for me last night, but I wasn't hungry very much. The medicine taste foul!!!! However, Mom is pretty good at handling squirming rat even though it usually takes rolling me up in a towel to hold me, which really isn't necessary. I don't think. I still am able to slap away the medicine dropper with my hand. I slap hard too.

~Nicci

I know if I can reconnect these cords then I can probably make an outgoing signal that will block the incoming signals to everyone's cable and then I can take over the world and demand tons of catnip and a pillow made of furry stuff. These cords are the trick; I know they are. Wait, what was that click? Act like a cat, act like a cat. ~Shadow 

This is a picture Kinsey kitten drew of me at school when she was even smaller than she is now. I was flattered. I love my Kinsey kitten even though she doesn't always share her toys. ~Merlin 

This is on our kitty webpage, but I thought it looked really good of me and Kinsey kitten experimenting with one of Mom's picture takers. I'm not sure still how it works, but Kinsey assured me that it would take our picture and sure enough, here we are. I was trying to watch which button to push. I think a poodie finger would work. ~Merlin 

Okay here comes Mom with the picture taker. It is not enough that she woke me up, she has to continue to flash that bright light while talking to me like I don't know what she is up to. ~Merlin 

Sometimes Mom can be really irritating with the picture taker. The flash leaves little dots in front of my eyes so I like to look away. The vermin like to get closer, but not poodies. Shows who is smarter in my opinion. ~Merlin 

Yes, I was sleeping hard. No my face was not smashed against the cushion. I planned it that way. I happen to like sleeping with my head propped up. I had a hard day. Being a poodie can be hard work. ~Merlin 

This is a rodent pile in the grass. :) Heehee 

Here is a favorite rodent passtime, playing and digging in grass. We love to dig in the grass and lay in it and smell it and eat it. See I am in the lower left corner resting after vigorous digging. ~Nicodemus Raticus 

This is little Narnia. She does not seem to be growing much. I'm not sure, perhaps Mom got a pygmy rat. 

Yes, I am Fig, and I'm fluffy. It is genetic. I don't eat anymore than the other rats.