Aby-a-Day – December 31: “Tiny bubbles” (Cartoon Tuesday)

Disclaimer: Do NOT give cats alcohol. It is doubleplus ungood for them.

That being said, this cartoon was inspired by my red-point Siamese girl, Sigrid, who died in 1999. She loved white wine, sparkling or otherwise, and would steal it out of any glass she could find when you weren’t looking. We didn’t let her drink it…but she managed to get enough to actually get a little tipsy a couple of times. And a little hungover the next morning, too.

I got her when she was already six years old, and she died of cancer, so I don’t think that affected her lifespan, but honestly, I don’t really know. So, if you’re drinking tonight, remember to guard your glass from curious kitties! Happy New Year!

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

Aby-a-Day – December 30: The tunnel king (Hipstamatic Monday)

We are packing to move into a new apartment.

This means that old, boring toys, scratchers and beds suddenly appear in new and exciting places!

Like this little round bed tunnel.

Jacoby won this tunnel at the Seacoast cat show in Concord, NH last year, and it’s been in the bedroom since we got it.

It’s been largely ignored for ages.

Put it on the top of three plastic storage bins, however, and suddenly everyone wants to get in it again!

Jake got in it and simply would not get out of it again.

Angel was camped out on top of the cat tree, waiting for him to leave so she could have her chance, but Jake simply refused to move.

She had a long wait, too. From the time we first moved it and Jake noticed it, he stayed in there until dinnertime, about five hours later!

Aby-a-Day – December 29: Catatouille

Jacoby is such a great help in the kitchen. It’s particularly impressive when you consider that he isn’t, technically, allowed on the counters.

And, yet, he finds a way to supervise all cooking operations.

He’s not too sure about those carrots I’ve put inside the turkey, though.

He’s also not completely certain about all that junk I’ve put on the turkey’s skin.

But he’s willing to give it a chance.

Um…okay, Jake. That’s quite enough chance-giving. Move along.

Aby-a-Day – December 28: “Shimmer” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

This week’s Photo Hunt subject is “Shimmer.”

Meg gave us this wonderful stained-glass, solar-powered Aby lamp.

When I set it up next to the Christmas trees, it shimmered.

It definitely got Jacoby’s attention!

Aby-a-Day – December 27: Jake Draper (Fashion Friday)

Back around Halloween, United Bamboo had a clothing auction…for cats.

This was the image I saw on Catsparella’s post about the auction, and the moment I saw it I knew what I had to get Jacoby for Christmas.

I mean, seriously? Seriously, what other cat on the planet could rock this suit the way only Jake can? Good thing I’ve been using eBay since 1997 and know a thing or two about winning an internet auction…

…because look what Jake got for Christmas!

And I was right, too.

It’s like this suit was made with him in mind.

It really works with his retro Like Kittysville lounge, too.

And for the office Christmas party…

…all Jake needs is his Mistletoe hat.

That’s our Mr. Jacoby, the life of the party!

Aby-a-Day – December 26: Jake in the Box!

In honour of Boxing Day, the Daily Abyssinian is proud to present…

The all-new Jake in the Box™!

I think that Boxing Day should be the official international cat holiday. Because what could be better than cats and boxes?

Aby-a-Day – December 25: Wordless Wednesday (Merry Christmas Mayhem)

Happy Aby Holidays: Christmas Tree Crash & Wrap Battle

I love the title of this video: “Abyssinian Kittens discovered; no remorse.”

See? It could always be worse…And then there’s this little holiday video, starring Morgana the Aby and Mookie the tabby:

Happy holidays!

Aby-a-Day – December 24: “Up on the rooftop” (Cartoon Tuesday)

Who hasn’t wondered about this at some point in their life?

Why should Jacoby be any different?
Merry Christmas, Good Yule, Joyous Solstice, Adequate Festivus and Happy New Year to one and all!

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

Aby-a-Day – December 23: Christmas Eve Eve (Hipstamatic Monday)

Christmastime is so exciting!

All the packages!

This one is from Cousin Taz and Louis-Fire. Somehow, Jacoby knows it’s for him.

And he really wants to open it!

There’s also a bag from Galileo’s Organic Catnip Toys under our “tree.”

And that really shiny one behind Jake? That’s from his mother Catalina and his littermate-brother Dillin.

No wonder he wants to sit next to it. I wonder if he can smell family on it?

I just love how much Jake loves Christmas.

He loves the lights, the trees…everything.

Don’t worry, Jake. Only one more day after today, and then you can open your presents!

Abys in Need: Ravenna in LA

I don’t know if it’s the season, or what…but doesn’t it seem like we’ve had more of these than usual?

“Ravenna is a 2 year old ruddy abyssinian. There was no “ruddy” color on Petfinder but she is definitely a purebred. Ravenna needs to be kept on a raw food diet as she is prone to gaining weight and also having some intestinal issues if she doesn’t get a good quality food. She really loves a raw or cooked diet too.

She is ultra affectionate like many Abys are and wants to be with you helping you in any way possible. She gets along with dogs and some cats.

If you are interested in meeting her please contact New Homes 4 Animals by email or phone 310-671-7795 for an application and we can tell you more about this wonderful girl.”

Aby-a-Day – December 22: Weruva, Jake’s new BFF

The other day, Jacoby got a box in the mail.

He knew it was for him as soon as I brought it into the apartment, too. Of course, it said “For the Cat of the Year” on it, but I didn’t know Jake could read.

The box was full of Weruva Cat Food and treats!

Weruva is based in Natick, MA, and they also make Best Feline Friend cat food. I love that the company is named after three cats: WEbster, RUdi and VAnessa. I also love that there is a cat named Vanessa.

This was part of Jake’s “Cat of the Year” award from the Westchester show last month. I didn’t know Jake was getting food as part of his honours and was very surprised when the Weruva rep announced it during the ceremony.

Jake inspected the contents of his box thoroughly.

Very thoroughly.

Very very thoroughly!

He was much more interested in the treat canisters than he was in the food packets. Typical.

Weruva food prides itself on not being “mystery mush.” As they explain on their website: “We do not blend our ingredients into the meatloaf-style pate. We instead flake our protein cuts off the bone, and they are then hand placed into cans along with other food ingredients that may be in the formula. Our philosophy is ‘what you see is what you get.’ We want you to see and identify the quality of the ingredients that we list on the ingredient statement.” I do have to say, some of their food looks (and smells!) pretty good to me…and the cats love it, too.

Since I wasn’t opening any of the packets or tubes of food, the box took on a more immediate interest to Jake.

He really fell in love with this box, too. I guess Webster, Rudi and Vanessa gave it some extra good smells before they sent it off. Natick is only about 20 miles from Boston, so the box didn’t have to travel far.

It isn’t like we don’t have any other boxes lying about the place, but this box was special.

And the fact that it came with a food supply (which Jake diligently monitored, just in case they spontaneously burst open) only made it that much more attractive.

Perhaps a little too attractive.

Look at Jake’s face! I think he’s more concerned that Angel’s going to try to take away his box than he is about her taking the food!

“I didn’t want your stupid old box anyway,” Angel says as she stalks away.

Of course, we had to try some of the grain-free, all-meat treats…as you can see, they earned the Aby Housekeeping Seal of Approval!

Abys in Need: Jezebel in Wyandotte, MI

Here’s something you don’t see every day: a Fawn Aby in a shelter!

“Jezebel is one of the sweetest cats at the shelter. Turned in as a stray with a mild injury, she is almost completely healed and was an absolute angel even when not feeling well. she loves to cuddle and seems good with other animals as well.

The cats/kittens that are posted are available, unless it is stated ‘adopted.’ If one is ‘pending’ you still may submit an application in case the adoption does not go through. The Wyandotte Animal Adoption Center Committee reviews this application before releasing any animal to a new home. If interested in Jezebel, please copy and paste the application on this listing, and email to wacvolunteers@gmail.com.

Gotta give props to the shelter for the awesome adoption photos. But I do have to wonder…a Fawn Aby…turned in as a stray? How does that happen? Didn’t her family want her back?

Aby-a-Day – December 21: “Mellow” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

This week’s Photo Hunt subject is “Mellow.”

Now, these photos of Angel on the windowsill exploring our Christmas decorations may not seem to illustrate the concept of “mellow.”

That’s because, for most cats, things like walking on the windowsill is just “normal.”

Especially for an Abyssinian!

But for Angel, who – even after five years of living with us – is still nervous and skittish, especially in open areas, this is a display of great confidence and calmness.

So Angel had to be feeling pretty mellow to just nonchalantly wander over to the windowsill and sniff the lamp.

Although by the time she was ready to get down, you can see by her posture and the expression on her face that it’s starting to wear off. And indeed, just after I took this last photo, she jumped down, and went back to one of her “safe places.”

Aby-a-Day – December 20: Battle for the bed (Friday Flashback)

Christmastime is always a little bittersweet, because we got Gun-Hee on December 15. I always think of him as my Christmas kitten, and the memories of him always come back the strongest at this time of year.

He was such a funny little guy. Kylie got this cute pink bed and Gun-Hee loved it…but he didn’t love the cushion that came inside. He was constantly burrowing underneath it, if not throwing it out of the bed completely.

One day, he threw the pillow out so forcefully, the bed flipped over!

Turns out, it was even more fun upside-down.

And then Kylie came to reclaim her bed.

Kylie’s 8 now, 4 years older than Jacoby, but she was only a year older than Gun-Hee, and they were very close.

They would play together a lot. But that doesn’t mean Kylie was ready to relinquish her bed to him.

In fact, she was prepared to do whatever was necessary to reclaim her rightful pink bed.

I think Kylie outweighed Gun-Hee at this point…this could not have been comfortable!

She managed to get him partway out of her bed…but possession is still 9/10 of the law!

I can’t remember how this ended up…but I love the perplexed look on Kylie’s face as she’s figuring out her next move in extracting him from her bed.

Aby-a-Day – December 19: Winter vet visit

Kylie’s been having runny, goopy eyes lately, so last week I took her to the vet.

It was really cold when we went – something in the high teens, if I remember correctly, so I took her in the stroller with the SnuggleSafe heating pad all warmed up. She also wore a little fleece jacket, so she was nice and toasty.

The stroller has a cover that helps block any wind and keep in the heat. The front is a tight mesh, but cats can see out through it.

Jacoby also came with us, to help keep Kylie warm and to lend some moral support.

Jake is the only cat I know who enjoys going to the vet. He loves to see everyone and he loves all the attention.

Nothing fazes him, not even the canine patients, which included a very active 4 month old puppy.

Lyndsay took this one of Jake showing off in his holiday hoodie for treats. Dogs? What dogs?

Kylie, on the other hand, was perfectly happy to stay in the stroller.

In fact, as soon as Dr. Yollanda finished examining her, Kylie went straight back into the stroller to cuddle up with Jake. Jake is such a good therapy cat – he helps humans and felines!

Aby-a-Day – December 18: Wordless Wednesday (Christmas lights)

Aby-a-Day – December 17: “Don we now our gay apparel” (Cartoon Tuesday)

It’s fascinating to me how very alike Jacoby and Angel are in some things…

…and how vastly different they are in others.

(Yeah, okay…and I wanted to draw Jake in his mistletoe hat.)

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

Abys in Need: 13 year old Cosmo in Louisville, KY

Speaking of Abys who need homes…Isn’t he lovely?

I don’t know much about this boy, whose name is Cosmo, at all. The email didn’t have much info:

“13 year old male Aby, declawed, from breeder in some rest. No health issues. Louisville, KY. Has until Friday.”

I don’t know where he is or why he “has until Friday” but I’ve emailed the person who sent this message to the Aby Rescue List and as soon as I find out more I’ll let you know. For more information, please email Susan:a4katpal@yahoo.com.

Edit: I got this email this morning (Wednesday, 18 December): “If everything goes as planned, Cosmo will be going to his new home in St. Louis tomorrow. If something changes, I will let you know.” How great is that!?

Happy Ending! QT from Chicago is now home in WI!

You must remember Poor QT in Chicago whose human died.

Well guess what! QT has a home in Wisconsin with Abyfriend Paula!

As she posted to the Abyssinian Cat Club on Facebook:

“I was picked to adopt him from a home in Chicago where his owner had passed away. My husband passed away in October this year and our boy, Bowzer, went over the rainbow bridge in June. I’m pleased as punch to adopt this lovely boy and happy to say his older “sister”, Zoe (age 5) has decided to give it a try.”

Yay! I’m so happy that this young man has a new family for Christmas!