Aby-a-Day – July 31: It’s fun to be a tourist in the city (Cartoon Tuesday)

This is. as you might guess, inspired by our trip to Faneuil Hall this past Saturday. Although we didn’t actually buy Jacoby a hat (he already has one), a balloon hat (yeah, because balloons and cats are such a good idea), New England clam chowder or Boston baked beans (we actually had Mexican food for lunch), a plush lobster toy (I have one in storage…maybe) or a tacky souvenir totebag or a foam Fenway finger (well, we DO live here), we did go to Build-a-Bear and pick up a grey Red Sox T-shirt with red sleeves…

(Click cartoon to embiggen, or you can view all cartoons in Slideshow mode on Flickr.)

Calling all Aby people! “What I love about Abys is….” for Your Cat Magazine

Your Cat magazine in the UK (Where Abys come from!) is doing a breed feature on Abys for an upcoming issue, and they’ve asked all Aby people to respond to the following questions and send them to Angela Kenny, Deputy Editor:

What I love about Abyssinians is….

The most interesting thing about the breed is….

I keep my cats entertained ..

I keep my cat/s in tip top condition by…

My top tip to a potential owner is…

The most challenging aspect about keeping this breed is…

If you have this breed you must have….

Any further comments/tips for anyone thinking of buying a cat ….

Other breeds that are compatible are…

I know there’s a few of you out there who have some awesome stories to tell in response to these queries!

LOL Abys: So, I made this…

This is the special kind of genius that only happens at 3am:

Aby-a-Day – July 30: Horsing around (Hipstamatic Monday)

During Jacoby and Coco’s DAY OF FUN, Jake got his first close look at a horse.

The horse couldn’t see Jake (I don’t think), but Jake could see (and smell) the horse.

Jake was pretty cool about the whole encounter (shocking, I know).

But then, we didn’t really get very close.

Stil, even when the horse moved and a new horse took its place, Jake was fine with it – not even one little hiss!

Aby Shopping: Not to toot my own horn, but…

…I’m going to toot my own horn.

I made one of these Kor water bottles for myself, and I didn’t realise at the time that it was going to be available to anyone to purchase…but, it is!

Here’s a close-up of the photo of Jacoby; I made it as large as I could on the bottle.

Kor water bottles are really awesome. I think they may be the best water bottles I’ve ever used. They have a nice handle, easy-access lid that’s attached, nice drinking opening…and this really cool thing called “stones” by which you can put a photo or any flat item under the lid where you will see it everytime you drink!

Their stones are made of some kind of waterproof paper, but they’ll have a way to customise them yourself on their site, and, they’re water-resistant, so you can laminate the photo and it’ll be fine (at least, mine are, so far). CafePress only has two colours available, Fuschia and Blue, but you can buy replacement rings and caps for the stones and adapt the colour at least a little.

What’s more, if you order before midnight PDT TONIGHT, you can get 35% off with code #TA3541120!

Speaking of shopping…OMG THIS SHIRT YOU GUYS!!!

Thanks to Donnad for the heads up! You see, I have this shirt! I got it at the TICA show in Providence back in March, and everytime I wear it, people ask me where I got it…and all I could tell them that a cat show vendor was selling them at a show I was at…which works if they’re cat show people but is pretty useless otherwise. However, thanks to Donnad, I have a link to give people!

The one thing about this shirt is that the cat’s eyes? End up right over your boobs. I make a joke of it: “Hey, my eyes are up here…oh, wait.”

Aby-a-Day – July 29: You Know You Love It

So there’s this giant noodle in Faneuil Hall.

It’s a promotion by our friends at Kraft, but all it says is “You Know You Love It.”

Well. of COURSE Jacoby and I had to grab a random Japanese tourist (they seem to take the BEST photos) and pose with the giant noodle!

Aby-a-Day – July 28 – Jacoby and Coco’s DAY OF FUN*

We played tourist yesterday, Jacoby and I, and went to historic Faneuil Hall. We had lunch with my friend Karen (who we stayed with for the Concord, NH show in May) and some of our coworkers from China. While we were there, we availed ourselves of some of the touristy fun that locals never do…

…like getting a caricature done! (HUGE thanks to Karen for taking the “behind the scenes” photos with my iPhone!)

I went up to the sketch artist, Madman With a Marker Chris Vlahakis and asked him, “Do you do cats?” “Do I do cats? he retorted.

So we sat down. This was Marker Madman Chris’ first “catacature,” and he was worried about not having pastels, but I reassured him that I could always come back.

And I will! Because now I really want to get one of both of us.

I love the back of my catacature, too. Chris wasn’t kidding when he said Jake was his first feline subject. I love that I have a little rough draft on the back of my awesome drawing!

(Also, just in case you’re reading the title and thinking “Where is that FROM”…)

Other People’s Abys – Welcome to the newest event at the Aby Olympics

Since the Summer Games have started, I thought I’d share this email I got from Abydom Abys in Toronto, Ontario via one of my Aby lists…

Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen let me introduce you to the latest event to gain acceptance at the Games….Dust Pan Surfing!! This event is in the kitten class and can be compared to the adult version…Runway Scatter Rug Surfing!

This evening I came home and thought the 8 week old kittens would like to get out into the bigger room for some playtime, I let them out and started on the work I had brought home. An hour or so later it was time for the nightly ritual of scooping, sweeping and feeding, I entered the room to discover they were in the middle of the latest run. Oh, by the way did I mention that this is apparently a winter sport, snow is a requirement. I had unfortunately left the snow-making equipment out and they had the course nicely covered (paper towel roll). They looked like they were have such fun that I sat down to watch the current kittens run. This is a very difficult
course, many obstacles to get around, if you go to fast and lose control and hit the broom handle laying on the floor this could throw you off and into a water hazard (water bowl) or sand trap (litter box). Mom and Aunt Sammy are sitting high up on the cupboard watching each of the four athletes complete their runs (I think they must be the judges).

I have absolutely no idea who won this first day of trials as it was stopped due the fact that the street lights came on and I had dinner in my hands. Everyone one is now bedded down with full tummies dreaming of just how to wax that dust pan for optimal performance on the Bounce paper towel course.

Stay tuned for more action.
Abydom Olympic Park

Oh, how I wish there were photos of this show of athletic prowess! However, I could not find their website.

The best I could do was a screenshot of their homepage…

Aby-a-Day – July 27: Land ho! (Fashion Friday)

Just as we did last year at ArtBeat, we made a point of stopping by Mike Ritter’s photobooth at ArtBeat. Mike takes wonderful photos of people at ArtBeat, and he has a lot of fun props to play with!

This year’s theme was “Migration,” and Mike had a coming-to-America backdrop and shipworthy props. Mike remembered us, too (which I guess makes sense…how many other cats are there at ArtBeat?)!

I wore the Captain Steubin hat, while Jacoby got lei’d.

Since I was born here, I didn’t ever have to migrate, but I have been to Ellis Island. None of my ancestors came through there, though. My dad was born here, too, and my mom was born in Alberta, near Edmonton…but she emigrated to the States via San Francisco, not New York. Jake, however, was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick!

Oh, and my shirt? Is from

Abys in Need: TinyTim and BobCat in New Mexico

This may be the only time on record that I state publicly that I wish I lived closer to New Mexico.

Super sad story alert! “I have [been on this list] since Oct 2004 when I rescued my two wonderful Abys, TinyTim (a fawn) and BobCat (a ruddy/usual). They were littermates dropped off at a local shelter. My two little boys have become so much of my life. They are 8 years old, now.

I resently found out I have be relocating for my job, a 25+ hour trip with three flights, one lasting over 15 hours. My boys don’t like traveling in the car and I am worried they will not do well on this trip.

They have become so much a part of my life, but I am single and have to work. Is there anyone interested in adopting them and giving them a new home that keeps them together?

(TinyTim)

Stupid work, always getting in the way of real life! I’m guessing she’s moving out of the country, because I cannot think of anyplace in North America that requires three planes…and one leg lasting 15 hours!? Yikes. At least, I hope it’s that far away. Could you imagine changing planes three times and being on a 15 hour flight…and NOT leaving the continent? I mean, my flight to Tokyo via Chicago only took two planes and about 13 hours…and a lot of airlines won’t let you take two cats in the same carrier in cargo (the only way a single person can take two cats on a flight that I know of), and that was pre-9/11 (1998) and even then I had to cry on the phone because I flew in August (it was an overnight flight, so not hot).

If you can take in two lovely, neutered Aby boys, Contact Nancy Martin

Other People’s Abys – Calendar Cats

It seems like it’s been a while since we’ve had a Page-a-Day Calendar cat, doesn’t it? Well, meet Dixie from Pound Ridge, NY:

Abyssinians have become wildly popular, in part because of their unique beauty (they are depicted in Egyptian artworks), and in part because of their personalities. “Abys,” as they are affectionately known, are athletic and playful, but also extremely loving toward their owners.

Can’t argue with that assessment! However, this isn’t the only calendar Aby for July. There was also another red/sorrel featured on July 8th, but since that happened on a Sunday (and my Page-a-a-Day Cat Calendar is at work), I missed posting Samson from Cincinnati’s photo until now.

I love his little cowboy hat!

Aby-a-Day – July 26: The reality behind the cartoon

That cartoon from Tuesday? I drew it a while back, but Jacoby is still fascinated with that corner of the kitchen.

Yeah.

I have no idea.

Whatever it is that’s down there, it’s freakishly captivating.

I wish I knew what it was. Interestingly, Eat Sleep Sniff just did a cartoon last week about this very same phenomenon (except Jake doesn’t seem to be eating anything), so evidently it occurs on both sides of the Atlantic.

Other People’s Abys: I know that feel, Demovitational…

Not long ago on the I Can Has Cheezburger affiliate site Very Demotivational, a “Demotivational” poster was…posted…that features a rather identifiable ruddy ticked feline:

Yeah…my cat has better gear and more friends than me, too. And then he takes my stuff anyway!

Aby-a-Day – July 25: Wordless Wednesday (Bad Influence)

Aby-a-Day – July 24: Cats can see things we can’t (Cartoon Tuesday)

A few weeks ago, Jacoby was fixated on something in a corner of the kitchen. I looked, my husband looked, we couldn’t see anything. We turned off all the sound making appliances and listened, and we couldn’t hear anything, either.

But Jake could see or hear something. He sat there staring at that corner for, literally, hours.

(Click cartoon to embiggen, or you can view all cartoons in Slideshow mode on Flickr.)

Aby-a-Day July 23: Zunar-J-5/9 Doric-4-7 (Hipstamatic Monday)

Considering that The Cat From Outer Space was released in 1978, taking photos of Jacoby in his glowing Jake collar with Hipstamatic seemed especially appropriate.

Now all we need is Ken Berry and McLean Stevenson!

Aby-a-Day – July 22: Riding the Red Line

Part of the fun of taking Jacoby places is getting to those places, because generally that means riding the T.

And even a mundane task like riding the subway is a lot more fun when you’re with Jake.

It’s just so much fun to watch how much he enjoys it!

He’s always so thrilled to be out, and it just makes you smile to see his excitement.

“What? Riding trains is fun!”

Aby-a-Day – July 21: Our annual migration to Davis Square

Today was ArtBeat, the annual art festival in Davis Square, Somerville. As you may recall, Jacoby’s gone with me to Artbeat in 2010 and 2011, and before Jake, I took Gun-Hee with me. So going to ArtBeat with an Aby is something of a tradition.

And this year was much like every other year…we played with puppets and met a lot of little kids…

We visited our favourite vendor friends, like Stella Marie Soap…

We got a good meaty lunch from Redbones…

And we posed with the “cairns” that were set up around the Square to commemorate this year’s theme, “Migration.” I had to get a photo of Jake next to the “Egypt” cairn.

All in all, it was a pretty good day.

Aby-a-Day – July 20: The 70’s are back in style (Fashion Friday)

Ever since I found that blog post about the boy who wanted a Cat From Outer Space birthday party, complete with Jake the cat, I’ve wanted to find a white LED collar for Jacoby.

As luck would have it, I found a very nice nylon LED cat collar on eBay for $3. I got three…just in case I wanted to make modifications. It’s pretty good as it is, but the black clip keeps wanting to slide around to the front, which ruins the look. I’m thinking I may take one collar apart and perhaps put the LED part into a plastic tube. I need to go to the hardware store for inspiration the next time I’m in Porter Square. I’m also thinking to just take the clips off and sew the white nylon together into a continuous loop that can just slip over his head. We’ll see. Either way, we’ll have another Halloween costume for him (in case he doesn’t want to be an ancient Egyptian, a doctor, a ballplayer, or a biker).

Doesn’t Jake bear a striking resemblance in this photo to…well, to Jake?

Part of me wishes they’d remake this…and part of me is afraid they will because they’ll use a Maine Coon instead of an Aby…

Aby-a-Day – July 19: Literally obedient

Jacoby loves to “help” me in the kitchen.

He’s actually not allowed on countertops – no cats are – and he’s completely aware of this. But he still does it. And a lot of the time, I really don’t mind all that much.

But when I’m cooking, or doing something dangerous, I don’t want him up there.

I’ll tell him, “GET DOWN, JAKE.” And this is what he does:

He climbs up onto the toaster oven!

Sometimes, he just stays on there and watches what I’m doing.

But other times, he wants to be closer to the action.

That’s when he moves to sit on top of the mini 4-cup coffeemaker.

“What? I’m not on the counter!”

He’ll perch up there for a long time, too.

It’s really funny, because it’s not a very large seat, and he’s not a very small cat.

Eventually, I guess he gets uncomfortable, or maybe he’s just bored, but after sitting on the coffeemaker for several minutes, he’ll try to move back onto the counter.

I tell him to get down again, and he is quick to comply…

…By getting back on the toaster oven.

Such a naughty, literal cat!