Aby-a-Day – 31 Mars: Lorelai and Markis (Swedish Sunday)

The other day, despite it being severely windy, I took Lorelai out for a little run whilst I picked up all our bicycles. (I tried to take Izaak out, too, but he saw how windy it was that he noped back upstairs.)

Rory saw our upstairs neighbour cat, Markis, down the hill, and took off down towards the road to say hello.

When she got to where he was, she stopped, and just stared at each other for a moment.

Markis has been territorial towards the boys in the hallway of our apartment building, so before she got herself into trouble, I called Rory back to me. Her recall is actually really, really good.

I swear, sometimes when Rory runs, she almost gets airborne!

I love watching her run free. She’s so fast and she loves it so much!

As for Markis, he was just like…”WTF just happened?” because she bounded down and then back up the hill so fast.

I really love Markis…he actually reminds me a bit of Alfred.

Aby-a-Day – 30 Mars: There’s more than one way to use a duvet (Silly Singapura Saturday)

One day I discovered Izaak sleeping in our bed. Not at all unusual, but…

…he was literally sleeping in the duvet. Now, Zak loves to sleep under the covers, but for whatever reason…

…he found the open bottom and burrowed inside.

He was so cute in his little nest that I just couldn’t make the bed all day. I mean, how could I?

Aby-a-Day – 29 Mars: Meeting Alfred (Friday Flashback)

Two years ago this week, we went to Stockholm and met Alfred in person for the first time.

We’ve actually known him and his four littermates on Facebook almost from the day he was born.

He was a little character from the start.

I think he was born hungry.

But going to see him and four other kittens running around in real life…that was an experience.

Karin always called Freddy her “little philosopher,” and, true to the name, he took a little break from the boisterous kitten rodeo to sit on the cat tree and look out the window.

The funniest thing I remember from my first meeting with Freddy was when his mother decided it was time to go to bed. She picked him up and carried him upstairs to the bedroom.

Or tried to. Like most children, Freddy wasn’t ready to go to bed yet.

It took Mom a few tries to get a good hold. Our Freddy is a fighter!

But finally, she got a good, if awkward, grip on him…

…and Freddy was off to bed.

When I first met him, Freddy was a handsome little guy…

…and, two years later, he still looks the same.

Aby-a-Day – 28 Mars: Tabula not so rasa (Thursday Things)

In the late morning and early afternoon in spring and early summer, we get some wicked awesome sunshine coming in on the kitchen and balcony side of the house.

Any given morning, you will find an assortment of cats sprawled across the dining room table. The other morning, it was Angel, Jacoby and Izaak. Despite being a hard uncomfortable place to nap, it’s extremely popular.

“My sunshine brings all the cats to my table“…or something.

Aby-a-Day – 27 Mars: Wordless Wednesday (Emma and Jacoby = BFFs)

Aby-a-Day – 25 Mars: That next step is a doozy! (Cartoon Tuesday)

My sister’s birthday is this weekend, and, as I always do, I sent her a card. And, as I usually do, I included a little cartoon of Jacoby.

My sister is five years younger than me, and thus is turning 49 this year. That next step really IS a doozy!

Aby-a-Day – 25 Mars: “I think the loveliest time of the year is the spring…I do, don’t you? Course you do!” (Hipstamatic Monday)

It’s finally spring here in midwestern Sweden.

We can tell because there’s no snow, the temperature is getting up above 5°C, and the swans have returned to our little lake (See those two little white dots in that photo up there? Those are our swans).

Even though it was still a little chilly, I took Lorelai and Izaak outside to run around. It has been ages since they really got to run around, and run around they did.

Rory got out the door and immediately started bounding down the hill, with Zak in hot pursuit.

It is amazing how far they can get in such a short time. They are almost down to the road at the bottom of our hill.

Rory was fascinated by something in those sticks…

…Whilst Zak was more interested in trees.

Finally I got them back up the hill…

…and into the open area behind our apartment.

They’re very familiar with the back of our apartment.

We had an audience…apparently that other cat we saw on the balcony last summer has a roommate.

As much as they enjoyed running around on the back lawn, it was pretty clear that there was only one ultimate goal…

…the sandbox!

Rory did her usual digging holes in the sand and then running away from them.

Finally we all got cold enough to go back in the apartment. But we had 45 minutes of fun and bonding before we went back in.

Aby-a-Day – 24 Mars: Some are born Singapura, some achieve Singapuraness… (Cinema Singapura Sunday)

Not to make a generalisation about Singapuras, but both Logan and Izaak decided they wanted to be friends with Angel and Jacoby…no matter what.

In Angel’s case, it means Zak gets in her favourite bed with her.

And then he grooms her.

He’s quite serious about it, too.

With Jake, Zak just sleeps with him wherever he is, be it our bed or the sofa.

Does Jake want Zak’s company? I have no idea. But I also don’t think he has much of a say in the matter.

Because still photos can’t quite capture that lovin’ feeling, here’s a video of Zak forcing his affection on Jake and Angel.

Aby-a-Day – 23 Mars: Where the boys are (Swedish Singapura Saturday)

Lately, in the evenings when we watch our TV shows, we are joined on the sofa by all three boys.

Before Izaak joined our family, Jacoby would never cuddle or sleep with Alfred. He seemed to resent Freddy’s (and Logan’s) presence in his household. Zak changed all that. He is the social glue that connects the older Abys.

Zak often cuddles with Jake on our bed or wherever Jake happens to be sleeping. Singapuras are like that…they wear you down. And Zak and Freddy are friends who sleep together on the sofa often.

So if Zak is napping with one of them, it’s okay for the other to join them, apparently.

It’s almost like a bad ethnic joke: “A Pole, a Swede and a Canadian walk into a bar…”

Aby-a-Day – 22 Mars: Kit-Tea (Fashion Friday)

Björn had a wonderful Scottish bone china tea mug featuring men with dogs hunting quail made by Dunoon. Sadly, the mug was accidentally knocked off the counter and broken a month or so ago. It really is the best mug for drinking tea, but that particular design has been discontinued.

Whilst searching for a suitable replacement for his dearly departed mug, Björn also found the perfect mug for me! It features every breed of cat imaginable. Some are featured around the inside edge of the rim, and also in larger illustrations with descriptions on the sides of the mug. As you can see, the Somali is one of the featured breeds.

As you can see it’s a fairly tall mug. It holds a half litre of beverage!

Other breeds are shown along the base of the mug, including the Abyssinian…

…And the Singapura.

The Aby and the Singa are actually kind of next to each other, both next to the handle of the mug, which has a collection of “Cat Facts.” It’s an absolutely lovely mug, and I think it makes the tea taste better. Thank you, Björn, for introducing me to these awesome mugs!

Aby-a-Day – 21 Mars: Bathroom mystery (Thursday Things)

Alfred, it seems, is always up to something.

This is his newest thing. He sits in our bathroom. He’s not sleeping, he’s not grooming…

…He’s just sitting there on the rug.

I have no idea what he’s doing. Probably plotting how to take over the world. Or how to break into the cabinet where the food is kept. One of those.

And in case you’re wondering about those towels, Björn found them in this Etsy seller’s shop a couple of years ago. We thought they looked like Abys…so of course we ordered a set!

Aby-a-Day – 20 Mars: Wordless Wednesday (Window Dressing)

Aby-a-Day- 19 Mars: Kalle’s birthday card from Emma (Cartoon Tuesday)

Last week I posted the birthday card Emma drew for Björn. Turns out, she also drew one for Kalle! (Björn and Kalle’s birthdays are three days apart.) And, like Björn’s card, Kalle’s card features cats that look especially Abyssinian-like. And, even though she’s coloured brown, she has a bow on her head, so I think she’s meant to be Lorelai.

I find the drawing on the inside of the card particularly hilarious. The first side says, “Congratulations you are now 16 years old!” but the other side…it says, “That was not me.” Even though she doesn’t live with cats 24/7, Emma clearly understands cats. I suspect this is meant to be Jacoby.

Emma added another drawing on the back of the card. It’s a black and white version of the cat on the front…perhaps it was meant for Kalle to colour in?

Aby-a-Day – 18 Mars: Finally, a fun gym! (Movie Monday)

You may have noticed, in the background of yesterday’s post, a pretty cool looking kitty gym. We won it in a raffle at a cat show last summer, but we had other cat toys set up in the living room, so I’ve only just set it up.

Even though it seems more like a toy for kittens, everyone but Jacoby has played with it. I actually caught Angel examining the tunnel this morning (sadly, I couldn’t grab a camera without her fleeing)!

The gym came as a set, with the actual gym and a smaller-than-usual crinkly tunnel. Here is Izaak adorably posing inside the tunnel.

The tunnel is fun…

…but the kitty gym is funner!

Zak was having so much fun with the gym…

…he didn’t even notice that Lorelai was watching him.

At first, she seemed a little perplexed at Zak’s fascination with the gym.

But eventually Rory became almost mesmerised waatching Zak playing with the kitty gym.

Here is a short movie so you can see what fascinated her so much.

Aby-a-Day – 17 Mars: The return of the Silly Shamrock Hat (Silly Sunday)

You may remember that silly Guinness St. Patrick’s Day floppy hat I posed Alfred, Logan and Jacoby with last year?

Well, it’s baaaaaaaaack!

Freddy was a lot less intimidated by the hat this year than he was the first time.

Rory was…

…not impressed, shall we say.

…Izaak, on the other hand…

…Zak really seemed to have fun with it.

It actually has a lining in it so it will fit on a person’s head, but if that wasn’t there, Zak would have gone all the way inside it.

Zak playing with the hat renewed Rory’s interest in it…a little.

But ultimately she just left it to Zak and found something else to play with.

Aby-a-Day – 16 Mars: Bear necessities (Swedish Saturday)

In Sweden, we have a thing called REKO-Ring. REKO means “Real Consumption” (Konsumtion in Swedish) and is a way to shop for locally produced food, without intermediaries. Consumers and producers merge and start a REKO ring where locally produced products are sold directly from producer to consumer. In Skövde, our local REKO-Ring has a Facebook page where the producers post what they have available, and then people who want to buy something comment on the post saying what they want to get. Then, on alternate Wednesdays, we meet in a parking lot at a hockey arena two stops on the bus line from our house.

Well, just as I despairing of finding a really great birthday present for Björn, I happened to check the REKO-Ring Skövde Facebook page. And I found a post from Lilla Spännefalla, and they had all kinds of game for sale. Including bear meat from Jämtland in the north of Sweden.

I ordered a “Bear Box” and got steaks, ground bear meat, and chunks.
I have only had bear a couple of times, and it is delicious. The first time was in 2000, when I found it for sale in an Asian grocery store in Boston. I then had it again when we canned bear meat for sale in the duty-free on the ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki. Then I got to eat it again when we went to a medieval restaurant in Taillinn. But the thing is…The name Björn is the same as the Swedish word for bear. So when I found bear meat available for sale just before Björn’s birthday, I knew I had the perfect gift.

Bear meat is delicious. You have to make sure all the fat is removed, because it can add a slightly rancid flavour to the meat. The basic rule of thumb is, “Season like beef, cook like pork.” This is because like pigs, bears and raccoons are omnivores, and their meat can cause Trichinosis if it is not cooked well.

So, sorry guys…you don’t get to try it raw.

Despite not getting to try it raw, the bear meat attracted quite a crowd.

Lorelai, of course, had to get on Björn’s shoulder to supervise.

Izaak made sure Björn cooked it thoroughly.

And he did.

Served with plain potato wedges and mushrooms, it was a delicious birthday dinner…

…which some people in the house were eager to sample.

Zak was the first to taste bear meat whilst the plates were still on the coffee table.

Everyone else got their tastes in the kitchen. Rory LOVED it.

Jacoby tried to steal her piece, but she managed to keep it for herself. But don’t worry, Jake got a couple of pieces of the bear meat.

Alfred took his piece so quickly…

…I couldn’t even capture it with my camera. Fast Freddy!

Angel took her sample gingerly…

…and ran away from all the other cats to eat it in peace.

It took her a little longer to finish it, because of her three teeth, so she wanted to eat it someplace safe.

I guess we can add bear meat to the things Abyssinians (and Singapuras) will eat.

Aby-a-Day – 15 Mars: Remembering Logan in Finland (Friday Flashback)

I have been thinking a lot about Logan recently. I suppose it’s only natural; his birthday was last Saturday, and this is the month before we found out about his FIP. I guess March is going to be hard for a while. But this is a memory that always makes me smile.

When we took Logan to Finland for a show, Logan discovered the heated bathroom floor.

He loved it!

He was always a little less stocky than Izaak is.

It was so funny to watch him rolling on the warm, but hard, floor. He was like, “What is this sorcery!?”

Have you ever seen a happier little cat?

He really loved it.

When we couldn’t find Logan anywhere else in the room, we knew he had to be there on the bathroom floor. He even slept in there instead of on the bed or the chair!

We haven’t stayed in a hotel with heated floor since then with any cat. I was looking forward to seeing what Logan would do when we encountered one again; now I’m just wondering if Lorelai and Zak will have the same reaction.

Aby-a-Day – 14 Mars: You’ll never pee alone (Thursday Things)

A friend of mine on Facebook posted this fascinating article about why cats feel the need to accompany us in the bathroom, and it was infinitely relatable. Because Izaak sits outside the bathroom when I’m in it and YELLS until I open the door.

And when I open it…this happens.

Aby-a-Day – 13 Mars: Wordless Wednesday (Sunny Angel)

Aby-a-Day – 12 Mars: Björn’s birthday card from Emma (Cartoon Tuesday)

Björn’s birthday was on Sunday, and Emma came for the weekend to celebrate his and Kalle’s birthdays. She made him a birthday card which we are fairly certain is meant to be Jacoby. It definitely looks like a ruddy Abyssinian!

Here is the inside of the card. On the left it says “Congratulations for 54 years life! Meow! Meow! Meow!” On the right it says, “A stupid cat has eaten up my sauce!” And that stick toy the bottom cat is playing with looks a lot like the stick toy Emma and Lorelai played with last summer…