Aby-a-Day – 2 November: A Red Sox Therapy Visit (Fashion Friday Flashback)

On Sunday, the Boston Red Sox won their fourth World Series in fourteen years, which is incredibly awesome. Even more awesome, I was able to watch them every step of the way, because just this year, Swedish television started showing MLB games. I mean, I have been here for over two years, but when I saw they were (finally) showing baseball, I was so happy.

It also reminded me of when they won five years ago. About a week before they won, at the beginning of the series against the Cardinals, Jacoby and I went on a therapy visit to the Fuller Center in full Red Sox regalia.

We rocked it – I even found some real baseball pants to go with my jersey.

Jake was so good about wearing his Red Sox hat.

He actually wore it for most of the visit. He’s such a good boy.

I actually miss going on therapy visits, with Jake or with anyone else (Lorelai and Izaak, I think, would also be great therapy cats), but there doesn’t seem to be anything like that in Sweden. Too bad, too…because Skaraborg’s Sjukhuset is really close to where we live and super easy to get to by bus

Aby-a-Day – August 23: Wakey, wakey, eggs and Jakey! (Selfie Sunday)

Who needs an alarm clock when you have a hungry Abyssinian?

I don’t usually feed Jacoby in the morning, but that doesn’t seem to affect my wake up calls.

It would be nice if he could learn the concept of weekends, though…

Aby-a-Day – August 22: “Beard” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

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

Cat bearding is a thing.

No, I’m serious.

It really is a thing.

And it’s a thing I’ve been meaning to try with Jacoby.

I actually first heard of cat bearding two years ago…so I’ve been wanting to try this for a while now.

Jake…Not so much

We totally failed at it. But at least we had fun trying.

Well, at least I had fun…

Aby-a-Day – February 9: Awkward Bathroom Selfies (Hipstamatic Monday)

It’s amazing the fun you can have with just a mirror and a camera.

I was getting ready for work the other day and Jacoby joined me in the bathroom to “help.”

So I scooped him up and took some silly photos of the two of us.

I was actually thinking of those “awkward bathroom cat selfies” you see on the internet.

Jake just can’t be awkward in front of a camera, no matter how hard I try, I guess.

By the way, you’ll notice that I am wearing my Winston “Adopt” T-shirt that I posted about last year.

Aby-a-Day – January 27: Sympathy Pains (Cartoon Tuesday)

Kind of a quickie this week, I’m afraid…On Friday, I woke up at 2am with fever and chills. Then I had some blood in my urine, and ended up in the ER on Saturday morning.

I was somewhat amused that I had the same thing that Jacoby gets. It’s like now, I really know how he feels when he gets a UTI flare-up. And for his part, he stuck by me the entire time I was home sick. It really seemed like he could tell what was wrong with me…and he empathised completely. And if he was the type to share his food, I’m sure he’d make this generous offer.

I actually got the idea for this week’s cartoon while I was waiting for my test results at the emergency room, and sketched it out on my iPad.

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

Aby-a-Day – January 26: I’ll be by your side (Hipstamatic Monday)

The last few days, I’ve been sick with a urinary tract infection.

Jacoby has been stuck to my side like glue since Thursday night, when I first started feeling ill.

Since I’ve been sick, it’s been him, my iPad, and CSI.

I don’t know if Jake knows why I’m sick…

…But I really do think that he knows I have the same thing he gets.

He really does seem to feel my pain.

He’s been my little buddy, stuck to my side…I think he can tell what’s causing my illness. And he knows it’s the same thing he gets.

Aby-a-Day – December 29: Snuggle buddy (Hipstamatic Monday)

One of the best thing about taking a few days off from work is napping!

Especially when every time you feel like taking a nap, you have a loyal napping buddy who is all too willing to join you.

Sometimes, Jacoby is already napping on the bed, and I have to kind of curl up around him.

He doesn’t mind when I join him. This nap-buddy gig is a two-way street.

And it actually isn’t just naps.

Jake also cuddles up with me like this when I go to bed at night.

Granted, he does it more during winter naps than he does for summer naps…but that’s okay.

It’s funny that he doesn’t want to sleep under the covers. He just wants to sleep up against my stomach, on top of the comforter.

He slept with me like that on his second day home…and five and a half years later, he still sleeps in the same place!

Candid shots from Westchester

At the Westchester show this past weekend, the club had a photographer, Olek Kuperberg, taking candid shots throughout the day. Here are the ones he took of Jacoby and I.

A cat nap between rings.

Posing with our poster.

Close up on his face.

Looking good from the front…

…from the back, though, not so much.

You can see all of the shots he took on his website.

Aby-a-Day – October 31: Halloween at the Hospital

Today, of course, is Halloween, but it’s also Thursday, and Thursday is when we visit Pratt 2 at Tufts Medical Center.

Of course we went in costume. I’ve been planning this for a year!

Jacoby wore his cowboy outfit, and I swore I’d do last year, I cobbled together a cowgirl outfit to match. I found a genuine made-in-Texas fringed cowgirl shirt that just happened to have leopard print on it. I also found a leopard print cowboy hat, and I have leopard print boots…I thought we coordinated pretty well.

Jake loves to visit so much…and of course, he doesn’t mind wearing an outfit.

As long as he gets attention, he’s happy!

Vincent is the OT who runs our visits, and of course he and Jake are old friends by now.

I also found some patient artwork that had been left behind in the room we visit in. Now, I don’t know if Jake inspired this…but I like to think that he did 🙂

Trick or treat!

Aby-a-Day – October 24: There can only B one

So last night, the World Series started. Kind of a big deal here in Boston…

It was also our “Halloween” visit to Fuller, so we went in costume. I was torn between the Red Sox unis and the Egyptian set, but given the current climate…

I thought wearing the Red Sox stuff was more appropriate.

Jacoby actually wore his hat for most of the visit.

He may not love wearing his hat…but he definitely doesn’t mind it.

The staff really enjoys seeing Jake every other week, too. This is Jake with one of the occupational therapists, Keith.

And here’s Jake and I in our matching Red Sox outfits.

I just wish I’d had time to make Jake his own beard…and gotten one for myself as well. I also need to get him some red socks…well, there’s always next year.

Aby-a-Day – April 14: Happy Birthday, Jacoby!

Today is Jacoby’s 4th birthday!

The day started out with the cutest birthday e-card from Sherry and his brother Dillin and a special, non-prescription UT diet, breakfast. They don’t make bacon-flavoured cat food yet, but I did find him pork cat food, which seems to be a pretty uncommom cat food flavour. I think he really appreciated the change.

He got two great presents.

One was a new, leopard-print SturdiShelter I found on eBay for a song – only $169! And that included not only the house, but a hammock and a matching leopard-print show table skirt.

There was also a bucket-style carrier.

Jake really liked the carrier for some reason.

IF these were still available on the SturdiProducts website (the leopard-print shelters and skirts are sold out, so you can’t buy them new at all), they’d be around $300 so it was quite a bargain.

Jake was all over his new house.

He checked it out from every angle.

He loves it!

I also got him a fleece photo blanket from Shutterfly.

Camera ham that he is, he approved of his new blankie.

After the presents, it was time for can-cake!

I found an awesome new flavour at the store: Wellness Core Beef, Venison and Lamb.

Jake was eating it even before the candle was blown out!

The girls all came to help Jake celebrate.

ALL the girls – even Angel!

Happy birthday, my kitten! I love you.

Aby-a-Day – February 21: Will success spoil Jacoby Stealin’ Home?

It’s amazing how much press some kitties can generate!

“The cat ‘Pellburn Jacoby Stealin’ Home’ made an appearance onstage.”
Kayana Szymczak/Boston Globe

There are a few different features on Boston.com, including a truly magnificent photo of Jacoby onstage taken by Boston Globe photographer Kayana Szymczak (which was also in the actual printed newspaper today). They did a preview article (and an interview with yours truly), a nice slideshow of the entire event as well as an analysis of cat videos.

The Boston Dig is also featuring a Fotobom of the day, which can also be seen on Flickr!

Then there was a great story and video by the Somerville Patch on the Copy Cat Festival yesterday – be sure to check out their slideshow, too!

I especially love this one the reporter, Sara Jacobi (no relation) took of Jacoby and me talking with Rachel Strutt from the Somerville Arts Council.

It was a long day for Jake – we were there eight hours, from noon til 8pm – but he handled it like a champ. We did take a little break at one point; Jake decided he needed to get away from his adoring public and took a little tour behind the curtains.

He was very interested in these kettle drums.

Jake wasn’t the only cat at the festival, though. This little black and white girl, Krufka, sat patiently on her own little sofa while her human read a story about her.

And as I mentioned on Sunday, Famous Seamus was also in attendance. He was such a sweet cat. And as his human said, he was twice the size of Jake! Jake’s such a big Aby…it was nice for someone to call him “small” for a change.

I also got to meet local author Clea Simon, which was awesome; I haven’t met many authors of books I’ve read! Her book The Feline Mystique is a fascinating study of the ancient relationship between women and cats. She also writes feline mysteries!

And we met Case and Emily, the creative geniuses behind Ferocious Friends cat toys…now, these things might just give Neko Flies a run for its money! Check out their video if you don’t believe me!

I also have to mention my favourite local video – this song by aspiring local singer-songwriter Kevin Choi! Not only is Kevin super-talented, but he’s a total cat person.

I read somewhere that cat people don’t really have the social outlets that dog people do, like dog parks. That’s what made the Copy Cat Festival so magical: it was a gathering of creative, artistic cat people, drawn out of their studios, workshops and computer screens, united by a common passion. I hope it becomes an annual affair – you know Jake and I will be there!

Aby-a-Day – February 20: Wordless Wednesday (Interview with an Abyssinian)

Aby-a-Day – January 14: Fighting the Flu (Hipstamatic Monday)

I’ve been really sick for about a week now. I got a flu shot, but I got sick anyway.

As a result, I’ve spent the past few days in bed.

Jacoby has been taking care of me.

He was watching football with my husband earlier, so he’s wearing his Green Bay jersey (he’s also dressed for “National Dress Your Pet Day”).

He’s such a good therapy cat.

I slept about 10 hours during the day and he was right there the whole time.

Jacoby is the best medicine.

Aby-a-Day – January 10: Fierce Love

Jacoby loves me.

Fiercely.

This is never more evident than when I’ve settled in for a little nap.

He’s always right there to protect me from harm while I sleep.

Granted, a love like this isn’t always glamourous…

…but it’s a true and fierce love.

Aby-a-Day – October 28: This ain’t my first rodeo

Today Jacoby and I went to the big Halloween costume contest at the Quincy Petco.

I found an incredible cowboy hat and kerchief at Petsmart last weekend (on sale for 50% off if you can believe it) and the instant I saw it, I knew it would be awesome on Jake.

He just needed a jacket to go with it. So, I took one of his harness-coats and added a little cowhide…

…and voilà! Jake’s a cowboy!

At Petco, they had a little runway set up. Of course, Jake rocked it.

It was the Feline Agility course all over again.

The great thing about this costume is that it’s also a harness, and it’s warm. Perfect for a late October outing.

Jake can move in it comfortably, and the hat doesn’t have to be on his head for the costume to work. He can have it pushed back and it still looks good.

I need to get a cowgirl costume, now, so that we match. It seems that human-pet matching outfits are all the rage. Besides the general costume contest, Blue Buffalo sponsored a special contest for the best lookalikes.

Since my Cleopatra outfit is in storage, I decided we’d go as Ellsbury and Pedroia.

Well…okay, we just wore Red Sox jerseys and hats. But he’s named Jacoby, and my jersey has Pedroia’s name and number, so there you go.

But it worked! We won!

It was a great party, too. There was face-painting, a scavenger hunt, cupcakes with worms in them, and a lot of great dogs – and cats – in costume.

I was thrilled to see another cat in the contest. And look! He was even in a stroller!

This is Mr. Pixel, aka SuperCat. He’s the first cat I’ve seen in a stroller outside of a cat show.

We let Mr. Pixel and Jake check out each other – and their pimped out rides.

Amazingly, they got along pretty well. I was surprised there was no hissing!

I was amused that he won a bag of BLUE Longevity, the cat food with the Aby on the front I noticed for the first time last week at Petsmart. How serendipitous!

You may also notice that the bag is full of bite holes…

…while I was putting the stroller away in the bike closet, Jake decided he wanted a snack and attacked his prize!

I guess that means it’s good food, if he wants to tear into the bag to eat it! And, I guess that’s the perfect end to a good day.