Cat toys don't need to be from a store

I has a new toy if you want to call it that. It is something I found in the house one day. It is also the day that the Lady heard me talk out loud for the first time. That is crazy in itself coz I have been with her for 9 years and I am 15 years old. The day I found the snakey (that's what the Lady calls it) I pushed it around and carried it and called to it and cried to it and have been doing that every day since. It stays right next to me on my sleepy place and sometimes I carry it to my other sleepy place in the beans bathroom. The lady says I almost sound as loud as Beau Beau did and that's LOUD! So who says we need toys from a store? We find things right at home and couldn't enjoy them more!

Happy New Year's Eve to everyone from me and the Snakey :-)

It will be early night for us but I heard that we might have some big ocean thing with claws for dinner. Yum!

Purrs,
Angie

Easy Like Sunday - Angie style

 Easy Like Sunday by Angie

Hi everyone. I'm still here.  I am hanging out in the kitchen where the people spend all their time looking at the 'puter.  We are still reeling from the pain of losing our Beau Beau but every day is a teeny tiny bit better.  I just hang out here mostly on the weekends or the days the lady works from home.  Some things that are different since Beau Beau has been gone:
I haven't been outside much.
I sleep a lot.
And I talk now.  Da lady says I "twitter" now.  I did before but no where near what is coming out of me now.  And after I eat breakfast then I talk some more when I play with one of my toys.
And now they know how much I really eat since BeauBeau da kitty garbage pail is not here anymore to eat all my food.

Da lady looks at me a lot too to see if I am ok.  She is afraid it'll soon be my turn to go away too.

We has a lot of sads today because we lost our long-time furiend Derby.  He has been blogging a long time too and he was such a handsome ginger kitty.  Our hearts hurt for his Mommy, Janet.   I think Beau Beau and Derby and playing together at the bridge.

Holiday Photo Shoot with Beau Beau and Angie

Holiday Photos from the Swick/Bentley house with the photoshoot mitsakes :-)

Even though our Beau Beau has crossed the Rainbow Bridge we wanted to show the photo ops we got not too long ago in anticipation of these "holy days".

The first day we put up the little tree trying to get Beau Beau and Angie's Christmas photo.  This was the best I could get (iphone photos...)

 At this point - Angie had had it with Beau Beau and gave him a whap.

 Angie was done.  She swished her tail as she walked away.

 Right before I put the tree on the island to take the Christmas pics.  Beau Beau looked so good!  

This was last year's Christmas Photo shoot.  He was a good model :-)


Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!  Looking forward to the New Year!

Love and light and purrs and blessings to all.

Brenda, Bob, Angie and our angel Beau Beau

A collage for Beau Beau

BEAU BEAU

It's only been four days since Beau Beau's been gone.  We want to thank all the wonderful cat bloggers and everyone who has stopped by to leave their thoughts and sympathy and prayers.  It has been helpful to go through all the blogs and stop by to read what's happening with everyone else.  It does a heart good to see that the world indeed is still alive and moving.

I have been going through the hundreds of pictures I have taken of Beau Beau.  He was my inspiration to pick up with photography again at about the same time that digital pics became so popular and easy to take and share.  In fact, my first digital camera was a Kodak Easy Share and yes, it was easy.  Beau Beau's comical face with those expressive eyes just begged for capture and what better way than to share that than through his blog.   I'm so thankful that I have his journey with us captured through the years.

I'm still stunned that he is gone.  I really thought that with his diet and care and how healthy he seemed that he'd he be with us closer to the 20 year mark.  I totally subscribe to the thought that every day is precious and we have to be thankful for every second because life is so short.  Every day when I woke up my first thoughts were thanks to God for my husband, and Beau Beau and Angie in my life. The pain of such a sudden loss was an eye opener and I know there's a lesson in there, actually many lessons.  Life for me is all about learning and this was the most painful lesson I've ever had.  I also know that when one door closes it makes way for newness in life.  I must believe that something really good is coming my way.

As I had commented on some blogs, Beau Beau sure was in a hurry to go somewhere.  He made sure there was no way we could hold onto him any longer.  There were no obvious indications that he was ill whatsoever.  He ate well, had no other illnesses, his coat was healthy and so soft and shiny, and he did not seem to have slowed down any.  Only after he was gone and we thought back about how this could have happened we thought of some signs.  There was dandruff on the floor that had not been there before.  We thought it was just from the dry winter.  And now when we thought of it, he did tire easily but nothing where we were concerned with it.  And if there was any way he could have chosen his way to death, there was no saving him from the aggressive tumors they found.   We had one night with him where he rallied when he came home but was still very tired.  The next day he knew it was time to go.  I opened his carrier and said "go ahead on in" and he glanced outside once again and then for the first time ever he turned and walked into it on his own.

Beau Beau Your Light will Live Forever in our Hearts

RIP Beau Beau.  You gave your humans more love and joy than you could ever imagine.  You were brought into our lives when we needed you most and our life was forever changed for the better.  You taught your human Mommy unconditional love, faith and trust in the universe, kept her on her toes, and helped her find a way for creative expression through this blog and photography.  You were Daddy's 5AM or sometimes 4AM alarm clock.  You gave  him a way to show his love of routine and comfort and caregiving through feeding you and taking care of you like the wonderful father that he is.  You were here for our wedding and brought our family together.  You watched watched your human sister go from HS to College girl to worker girl.  You brought us all love.  We will miss you terribly.  And now because of our loving memories and this blog we can go back and look look at the funny, crazy, loving journey you enjoyed during your life with us.  In my heart I know I will see you again when we all cross the rainbow bridge. 

Here's how it started.  "I was a Mommy's boy and a Daddy's boy too.  Daddy is the one who picked me out at the Meriden CT Humane Society. I was only six-months old. When the humans came into the room that my cage was in, Daddy looked at me and gasped! He said he loved the way I looked. They got me out of my cage and held me and I just sat in their arms nice and quiet like. That seemed to be the charm and they took me to my forever home that day."

 Baby Beau Beau.  Look how big his ears are compared to his body.  

 Loving his Sisfur, Angie

Our morning routine was for me to walk him to the kitchen with him over my shoulder.  

Enjoying his time with his Daddy.

Some of our favorite expressions and moments with Beau Beau:

 His favorite position - laying over something with his arms hanging down

 Scary dance.

 Leaping for fevvers.  

 Beau Beau's house and attention outside watching the birds.

His - ayyyyy ow you doin' look

His best "Monty Q"

A very recent photo - resting in the computer desk cubby hole - watching me work.

A few Christmases ago and one of the few times he ever let us put anything on him.

Your light will be forever remembered in our hearts.  We love you Beau Beau.

Beau Beau's Hurty Heart

I know it's been a while since we've posted but sometimes things happen that turn our lives around. I'll let Beau Beau tell his tale.

Hi effurryone!  It's bin a while.  But now I gots somefin to tell yoo.  I am in da middle of a scary adventure.  I gots a hurty heart.  Seems like I bin lucky dat I've bin around dis long as it is.

Lots of yoo know my story how I found my furever home when Daddy saw me at da place wif da cages.  I wuz only six mumfs old.  He saw mine big eyes and said to da lady to get me owt of da cage.  I wuz furry quiet when he held me and looked at him wif mine big eyes.  Dat wuz it!  I got to go to mine forever home!

For da most part I haf always felt pretty gud.  I ate good fud and I ran around da big house a lot fur exercise and sometimes owtside wif snoopervision.  Den one time I had to go to da stabby place to get my teef checked and dey stole dem!   I herd da v.e.t. say I had bad jeans.  I don't know when I got doze jeans but fur some reason it makes yur teef get stolen.  Now after a lots of years doze same bad jeans gave me a hurty heart and made me cry wif pain.  So now I am at a differnt stabby place. Da v.e.t. lady here did a good stabby fing to me so mine heart would feel better.

Mine mommy and daddy (aka da food man) are furry scared and purraying lots fur me and I know lots of you haf purrayed and purred for me too.  Fanks all of yoo!  It helped me today and da v.e.t. lady too.

Da strangest fing is dat my daddy's mommy is in da hospital too wif almost da same fing as me.  If yoo all could pray fur her too it would make me happy too.

Luvs and purrs to all mine furriends.
Beau Beau

We will add updates as they come.

Vishus Deer Wednesday

We wuz so surprized to see dis vishus lady deer in owr garden we almost peed owrselves.   Look at dis - she wuz sayin "I'm coming to get yoo!"

Oh my COD!  Jus like Skeezy used to say, she's likin' her lips thinkin of us nice joosy kittehs.

 Holy Cats!  I don't fink she can see me over here.  I am not movin' a muscle.  Now I know how da birdies feel.

Holy cats!  Daddy come get dis lady out of owr yard!  I fink she sees me! Ack!

Can yoo beleeve dis?  I am not afraid.  Do not fear the vishus introoders.  Stay tooned for more bisits of da manimal kingdom.

~Angie - 

Mancat Monday - Mighty Mouse Hunter

For all you sqeuamish humans out dare please look the other way so the picture of mine fresh hunt does not bodder you.  Since dis is Mancat Monday it seems dat dis is the purrfect post for the day. This is da mousie I have been hunting all week.  One day I was waitin' and waitin' for the food Daddy to give me more food cuz my food plate wuz empty.  I kept lookin' at the plate den lookin' at the lady, den lookin at the food Man.  Nuffin.  So when for the squillionish time I went owtsided I finally just went and caught mine own meal.  So the moral of da story is when you finally give up lookin' for something you want really bad then you get what you wanted all along.  

~Beau Beau da hunter

Fun Floofy Friday

I am so happy on Friday!  And everyday is a fun day when I get to roll around on da lawn.  Yoo are seeing a new pose.  It's da one armed crawl with a twist.  You likes it?  Something about dis makes me want to sing da "Happy Song!"

~Purrs,
Angie

Happy Valentines Furry Day

Happy Furry Valentines Day to effury one! I know da fleurs are for me. But I can share. Yoo want a taste? Not supposed to eat dis kind of fleur so some buddy keeps moovin dem on me. Purrs and head butts to all! Loves, Angie

Beasty Beau Beau

Well da lady wuz going frew some piksures from Chrismouse time and she found dis freaky amazing piksure of me.  I don't yoozhulee let humans see how big I reely am but I let da lady put dis one owt dare.  Even I gots scared how big I am!  If I pushed on her a little harder I cudda pushed her rite over hahahaha!  Efun da lady wuz laffin cuz she can't beleeve how big I am.  Am I da biggest mancat or what? Hah!

~Beau Beau da big mancat

Vishus Deer Sighting in Connecticat

Oh my goodness a vishus deer came right in owr yard! He was so close I cud almost smell him! Him was staring rite at me den he started stamping hims feets! I thot him was gonna charge da window jus like da birds do! I started Wavin mine paws tellin' him to go way. Quess what? Dare wuz a bunch more of dem waitin fur a signal cuz we saw dem at da corner of da yard. Oh my Cod! Finally he turned an ran away and da whole herd went wif him waving dems white tails behind dem.

Dis is one acitin Sunday!

Beau Beau