Aby-a-Day – 12 Juni: Ministry of Silly Walks (Silly Saturday)

Dashiell is a very beautiful and graceful cat.

As long as he’s standing still.

As handsome as Dash is, he has a very…awkward way of walking.

Standing: Gorgeous.

Walking…not so much.

Aby-a-Day – 22 Maj: First, we had Strollercat…now we have Strolling Cat (Swedish Saturday)

Following up on Thursday’s post about about Izaak’s bouncy gait, here is Alfred casually walking across the grass.

Freddy saunters when he walks with very little bounce.

You can see it in the line of his back.

He keeps it fairly level with each step.

Freddy walks like a cat on a mission.

Even when he’s only leisurely strolling down our hill.

This is what Freddy walking looks like from the front. Look at the determination in his eyes. He’s so intelligent, and you can see that in his face.

Aby-a-Day – 16 Maj: “If you’re not in the parade, you watch the parade. That’s life.” (Swedish Sunday)

All my life, I thought boycats were more friendly, outgoing and social than girlcats. The females I had, apart from Crystal, were all aloof and, if we’re being honest, a little neurotic. Tessie and Kylie changed that preconception a bit, but they had their moments.

And then I met Lorelai.

We’ve been keeping her on a leash because of her heats, as you know. Which means when the neighbourhood children want to pet one of our cats, she’s kind of a sitting duck. Luckily, she doesn’t mind at all.

In Sweden, at least where we live, kids run around outside and play all day long, a lot like I did when I was a kid, (*Ahem*) in the 1970s. It’s nice to see, especially compared to how sheltered children are in the States. It’s also a little annoying; why do kids feel the need to SCREAM when they’re playing?

The last time we went outside, one of the kids asked Björn if they could hold Rory’s leash…and it lead to a little parade.

And Rory loved it.

It’s also really great PR for what cats as pets are capable of. Hopefully, when these children grow up, they’ll be cat people.

Aby-a-Day – 10 Maj: Lorelai’s love-hate leash relationship (Movie Monday)

With Lorelai going in and out of heat, sometimes she needs to be on her leash when we go out.

Today was one of those days.

It was a really nice, summerlike day today: 20°C (70°F). Even though we still aren’t 100%, we couldn’t let this day pass without taking the cats out. So we took out some recycling.

Strangely, Izaak did not want to go with us today. So it was just Alfred and Rory.

But she is so good on her leash! I made a little video to show how fast she walks alongside me – I can actually walk at a normal pace most of the time. Keep an eye out for Freddy’s cameo!

Aby-a-Day – 26 August: Logan at Min Veterinär (Cinema Sunday)

Whilst I was going through last year’s photos, looking for all of the pictures of my finger, I found some photos and some videos of Logan going to the vet in the middle of all of it. Full disclosure, I have used some of these photos of Logan in a previous post, but the videos are all new.

My Facebook post from 15 September: Logan was a little listless and had no appetite (to the point where he wouldn’t even eat treats!) the past couple of days, so, paranoid overprotective mom that I am, I managed to get a vet appointment this morning. Feel a bit silly now. This weekend is claw clipping, which also includes ear cleaning for the LunaTicks, and bum checks and teeth cleaning for the boys. So this morning I figured, start with Logan, so he’ll have nice short claws at the vet, right?

So I get to the tooth cleaning bit in the routine, and… yeah, super loose premolar and slightly bleedy gums. Teething! 45 minute (each way) bus ride to Skultorp… well, at least they didn’t charge me, and it’s better to have him checked out, especially before a show!

Anyway, here’s Logan in the exam room, showing off his grumpy old man voice. I think he sounds like Walter Matthau.

Watching these videos and looking at these photos, I can see how different Logan and Izaak are. They look alike…but they are still so different.<

For this video, I posted: Logan is getting pretty good at leashing…and he knows where he lives!

Compare Logan walking home to Izaak walking the same route. He has to be under my feet!!!

Aby-a-Day – 24 April: Wordless Wednesday (Cat and Bear Save the World)

Aby-a-Day – 23 April: We go out walkin’, out in the moonlight…

(Okay, it wasn’t after midnight. It was about 22:30. But still.)

After we said good-bye to Logan, Alfred and I took the 20:03 train home to Skövde. On the way from the bus stop to our apartment block, I like to let whichever cat is with me to walk home. Jacoby loves doing that. So I let Freddy out of the carrier, and we walked together.

They are a little blurry, of course, because we were both moving, but I like them anyway.

Hey! That’s the wrong way!

I am also happy to report that after he explored the sandpit at the foot of the slide near our building, Freddy did not “use” it.

Here’s a short movie of Freddy walking. I am very pleased with it because, for the first time ever, I edited a movie in Photoshop! It was very dark before, so I lightened it and tweaked the contrast and colour a little. Just click the image to watch.

Aby-a-Day – 4 April: Wordless Wednesday (Logan in the hotel’s hallway)

Aby-a-Day – February 22: National Walking the Dog Day

Yeah, you read that title correctly. Apparently today is “Walking the Dog Day.” Well, screw that.

According to Jacoby, Angel and Summer the Somali, today is “Walking the CAT Day!”

On Monday I took Jake and Angel out in the snow for a little winter experience.

This was Angel’s first time in snow.

I had some boots for her, but considering the struggle I had to put her coat on, I didn’t try to put them on her feet.

Jake wore his boots but he didn’t like them.

Well, he liked them in that his feet were warm and dry, but he doesn’t like things on his feet, especially the one back foot that was injured in the escalator incident.

These photos are actually from after we went out in the snow. I’ll post the other photos of our outing later this week.

Aby-a-Day – September 18: Waterfront walk

After our trip to Grafton on Sunday, Jake wanted to walk home, and since we don’t have all that many more nice warm days left, I indulged him.

When he feels like walking, he just hops out and trots along next to the stroller.

He didn’t walk for very long, though. We were both pretty tired.

It was a long day. When we got home, we both took a nap together.

Hard to believe that soon it’ll be too cold to take walks like this.

Aby-a-Day – November 25: On the fence (Hipstamatic Monday)

Jacoby never fails to make me laugh.

Here’s some more photos from when he tried to climb that fence on our walk.

He stood up and looked through the mesh at the park and the traffic beyond it for quite a while.

Then he decided it was time to climb.

Alley-oop!

You see? I wasn’t kidding when I said he’d have gone over if I wasn’t on the other end of his leash!

Aby-a-Day – November 23: “Over” (Saturday Photo Hunt)

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

A couple of weeks ago, Jacoby and I went for a little walk out to Rolling Bridge Park and on the way home we walked along Foundry Street.

There’s a chain link fence there at the back of a little park.

For some reason, Jake decided he felt like climbing!

I bet dog people never have this problem when they go out for walkies!

He totally would have gone up and over, too, if I hadn’t stopped him!

Aby-a-Day – July 3: Wordless Wednesday (Walking the cat)

Aby-a-Day – June 13: I’m walkin’ here!

Turns out, Angel is pretty good at walking on a leash. Sure, Jacoby gets all the attention, but Angel can hold her own.

She decided all on her own to jump out of the stroller and walk alongside it.

Jake was already walking up ahead with me, and I think it was a case of “Aby see, Aby do.”

Cats do learn by observation and imitation, after all.

I was very impressed – and proud!

She trotted along like a real pro, which is really awesome considering she hasn’t been outside since (I think) the summer before last.

I wonder if walking on a leash is an inherited trait?

It seems to be in Angel’s bloodlines!

Aby-a-Day – May 30: Into the sunset

On Monday, Jacoby, my husband, and I took a little walk to the Post Office and South Station.

This is one of Jake’s favourite places to walk. And who can blame him?

He gets to a point on the way home where he decides he wants to walk, and then he hops out.

He just trots along the seawall, happy as can be…

While we were walking, I made a little video; I know, I forgot to turn my iPhone sideways. Sorry about that. But you can see how he walks along until he gets tired and decides he wants to get back into his stroller!

What’s interesting is that Gun-Hee also loved to walk along this same stretch of the Harborwalk. This video is from 2007, and it’s November, not May, but you can see how similar they are.

Aby-a-Day – May 28: On the waterfront (Hipstamatic Monday)

Jacoby really loves walking along Fort Point Channel.

I think he recognises the area, and he knows we’re close to home there. He can walk all the way to our building once we get past Binford Park.

You would think he’d prefer to walk on the side of the path furthest from the channel, but this isn’t the case at all.

I think he likes to look at the water.

I can’t argue with him; the channel is a lot more exciting than Gillette’s parking lot!

Aby-a-Day – May 19: No better place

I don’t think we’re ever happier than when we’re walking home along the Channel.

I think Jacoby enjoys it as much as I do.

It may be an industrial area, next to a major train station and not far from an international airport, but it’s also just beautiful, especially at dusk.

We can see the Prudential Building on our way home, too.

“Mo-o-om! Are you coming, or what!?”

Aby-a-Day – May 18: Wordless Wednesday (Summer Street Bridge)

Aby-a-Day – May 17: These paws were made for walking

Jacoby loves walking along Boston’s Fort Point Channel.

He likes to walk either alongside the curb…

…or on it.

He actually trots along at a good clip.

I have go at a pretty brisk pace if I don’t want to be left behind!

Of course I am never far away…someone has to drag his carrier!