The "Semi" Daily Maine

The Trouble with Cats

2011-10-25T05:48:00.000-07:00

Cosmo, the "Lion King". Get better soon baby boy!!

I know I know, it's been forever since I posted, or felt like I needed to post, the "Semi-Daily Maine" (semi yearly is what it should be called now :-), yet here I am again posting. It's been a little bit of a trying time here and I think I just need to talk about it.

On Oct 4th while Cosmo was sitting on my chest (preventing me from taking a deep breath I might add) I noticed a strange swelling on the left side of his upper lip right next to his nose. Mark thought it might have been a spider bite, but it looked so really odd to me. It looked like the swelling itself was made of wax, and was shiny and very pink. So I immediately got on line to see what I could find out. There it was, almost instantly, Eocinophllic Granular Complex. It's a complicated disease found only in cats and is an allergic reaction to something the cat is exposed to which creates an immunosuppressant reaction. (the body basically attacks itself creating loads of white blood cells and in this case ulcerations) It can manifest itself three ways, the most common of which is "indolent" or "rodent" ulcers appearing on the cats' lip. These ulcerations have nothing to do with rodents, but can result from flea allergies, food allergies, or something in the cats' environment. That's what Cosmo has and though it is not fatal it can be disfiguring completely eroding away the cat's lip. The treatment is risky however. (it could result in life shortening condition such as diabetes) The gold standard treatment is injections of Cortisone (Depo-medrol, a long-lasting injection that is given at two-week intervals for three sessions) We opted for a more conservative approach first, giving pills (prednisolone) plus an antibiotic. Unfortunately they did not work, and he actually got worse so last Thursday he got an injection of Depo. I do think it may be starting to improve, the vet said one shot would do it but I think he'll need the three. He HATES going to the vet, it stresses him incredibly but I think this will be his lot in life, because this usually recurs. Of course while we are treating him we are searching for the cause of the allergic reaction. I am aggressively treating for fleas (my three Maine Coons are strictly indoor cats, never been outside) since we did spot fleas on Cosmo this summer for the first time. I am praying that once we get this calmed down and eliminate the fleas we will be all set. I hope so, I want my big happy man-cat back again!!!

Cosmo, hoping to be all better really soon!

Now for THIS morning's drama. I put Sophie, our little wet food eating blue smoke girl, into Mark's office so she could have her breakfast without having to fend Star and Cosmo off. After about 4 minutes I heard an incredible racket from inside and as I opened the door a blue streak flew past me, with something dragging from her tail. I never NEVER saw an animal move so fast. It was like light speed!! I panicked, my usual reaction, but thank God Mark did not panic, HIS usual reaction. We got her cornered under the bed and even though she hissed at Mark she let him take the cord and key to the treadmill from her tail (you know one of those things you plug into the treadmill to start it up, and then attach to you as an automatic shut off in case something happens). I have NO idea how she got it wrapped around her tail, but she did! She's fine now, but all three of them were in hyper mode.

Sophie, relaxing with a little yoga after her ordeal!

Of course Star had to have her teeth cleaned two weeks ago. I worry about everything and that was no exception. I really do NOT like having it done unless there's a REALLY good reason. The vet thought she might lose some teeth (Star apparently has a natural tendency towards plaque) She came out of it fine, and with all of her teeth, but I've seen waaay too much of my vet lately!!!

Sometimes I think I'm getting too old for all of this, but....nah they are truly worth all of the worry and pain! I'll post Cosmo updates as they are needed. Send a good thought or two his way, no one wants to have something called "rodent ulcers"!

PS Thanks to the lovely and kind Dr. Laura (Bill Hue's wife :-) for being patient with me and answering ALL of my questions!

Star looking calm and collected through it all, and with very clean teeth!

Pre Christmnas Jitters!!!

2010-12-03T07:53:00.000-08:00

Cosmo and Sophie on the well "loved" cat tower :-)

Hi all, how are you? I know it's been awhile, AGAIN!! A couple of "interesting" things have happened as we prepare for the glut of Christmas decorations about to be scattered about my house (much to the delight of our three very curious and much-too-smart-for-their-own-good Maine Coons :-)

One great thing that has happened is that Sophie continues to become a cherished part of the family. She gets along cordially with her kitty sibs, and I expect that after some more time they will be even more than cordial acquaintances!

The sisters doing some "bird watching"

We did have a minor scare with Sophie two weeks ago, one which sent us at 2AM Saturday night to the emergency vet. This in itself would not be a huge deal, if the vet lived closer than the 60 miles we had to drive (and cost less than the $120 we paid) Late that evening Sophie seemed suddenly very lethargic, and her respirations were at about 60 per minute. (she had been "rough housing" with Star earlier in the day and has rolled down the stairs so I worried about broken ribs, or a concussion) This really scared me and all sorts of things ran through my mind. I looked on line for clues from "experts" (all of whom said that she needed to be seen immediately) and watched her closely. When she didn't perk up I felt certain that she was in genuine distress. I know I probably overreacted, but I could never have forgiven myself if I had NOT taken her and something awful happened. So, after calling all over the place and finding out that my vet (as well as the vet covering for him) was unavailable we took her to the only emergency clinic within 150 miles. They took her vitals, examined her closely and found there was nothing amiss, so we took her back home as they stated they thought she would be fine until at least the AM.

When we got up on Sunday she was not any better, but was also not any worse so we arranged to take her in to our vet at 6:30AM Monday. In the meantime she started eating again and by the time we got up Monday AM she seemed almost back to her old self. Still, I felt compelled to take her in for blood work and x-rays. $240 more and no one could find anything wrong and she has been great ever since. (knock on wood) .

Perhaps she is merely taking after her half sister the beautiful little "diva" Star who pulled a similar stunt after coming to live with us over 2 years ago. Oh well, "all's well that ends well" I guess. I am sure there will be more drama to come after all the decorations are up, and I promise I'll keep you posted!!

Star and Cosmo get a drink, while Sophie tries to figure out how to walk around the edge of the tub without falling in!

The "Happy Hummer Club"

2010-09-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Miss Sophie, adjusting to her new home!

Well, actually there has been little to no "humming" thus far, let me explain. My Aunt Suzie had a great dog named Bowser who used to come with my Uncle Jim, Aunt Sue, and cousin Susan when they visited my parents. ("sister" Deb was not here yet, this was a LONG time ago :-) I was a kid and we had cats but no dog so it was nice to have a dog in the house. The cats however did not share this opinion and they spent the whole time "humming" (growling under their breath) at poor Bowie. Aunt Suzie dubbed them the "Happy Hummers" (though I doubt they were all that happy)

The "Happy Hummer Club" meeting for morning coffee!!

Thus, when finally this week all three of our Maine Coons met for the first time I was wondering if I would get my very own version of the "Happy Hummers". We've had a lot of hissing, a couple of swats but no growling.

It's been a very interesting process to watch and as the week has worn on the situation has been shall we say "fluid". At first Sophie (ahhhh, she is no longer "Baebae", she is Sophie, it just seemed to fit her better :-) took command hissing at and intimidating both Star and Cosmo. But just this morning (day three of the "meeting of the minds") Star asserted HERSELF and at least for now appears to be the boss of them.

Cosmo trying to convince Sophie that she does indeed want to play with him!

Cosmo wants very badly to play with his new "sister" and they do romp a bit, just as long as Cosmo doesn't get too "in her face." She and Star have a ways to go yet for real play, though as you can see in the picture I took, Star was interested in Sophie's whereabouts.

Where DID she go? Maybe under the bed!

Sophie seems to feel more comfy upstairs in general, largely I think due to the fact that she started out here and feels it's the "safe" part of the house. I am hoping that within the next few weeks she will come to view the whole house as her own, and she just this morning came down to see what I was having for breakfast. Michele Cole (who I have to thank for any success we are having with this) of Maine Delite (where all three of our MCs began their lives) thinks we are making good progress. I think so too, and I hope it continues. I'll keep you posted!

Wow, the new kid on the block has LOTS of energy, time to take a break!

Sophie, all worn out from her adventures. She needs a nap too!

Baebae's Freedom

2010-08-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Not really sure about coming out after all!!

Today we decided to let Baebae loose in the upstairs hall outside of her "home" (which until now has been Mark's office). Funny thing is that although she had been trying to get out of the room on occasion when we were going in and out, she was more than hesitant to do any real explorations on her own.

So this is Mom and Dad's bedroom!

We decided to close all of the doors upstairs, except the one to our bedroom (right across the hall from the office) which would allow Baebae to see some of the upstairs as well as the downstairs hall too. She made a couple of tentative circuits of our bedroom, went down the stairs (and right back up), and then back into her "safe room". Michele suggested we let her look around on her own without her "helicopter parents" watching her every move, so later when we went downstairs to be with Cosmo and Star we opened the office door. I am not sure what she did, but an hour later when I went back up she was sleeping in her room.

That's a LONG way down!

In the front hall, ever so briefly.

We'll try it again and keep trying until she seems to like more room to roam.

On another note, Baebae had two visitors today and was sweet and friendly to them both. I am very pleased that she seems affectionate and playful, as well as being beautiful. All in all I am very encouraged by her progress!!

If I could read her mind I think it would be saying, "close the door please I feel safer in here!"

BaeBae's First Week.....

2010-08-20T05:37:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Miss "Baebae" in her room with a view...

Our new kitty's time here started out kinda rough, and as usual I was sleep deprived and got gloomy too early. But this week has turned out to be a great one with our new little Maine Coon girl.

Cosmo and Star just KNOW something's going on in "Daddy's" office. Hmmmmmmmmmm

Now let's discuss names before we get to the more mundane stuff. Her registered name is "Blaur Seen" (blue lake) and she was a wonderful breeding cat at Maine Delite and was owned by my friend Michele Cole of Dublin, Ohio. Michele decided she needed to find a "forever" home for her and agreed to let us give her that. Blaur Seen had been called "BB", but for reasons I won't go into here I have problems with that name :-) So I suggested "Baby" since it sounds similar. Mark found BaeBae (pronounced "baybay") in the urban dictionary and I kinda liked it, so (for now) I think we'll go with it. Now she surely is no "ghetto" kitty, but I like the sound of it, and she doesn't read the urban dictionary anyway :-)

At any rate sometime during this week Baebae decided she could and would trust us. Each day we have heard more "chirps," purrs, and general welcoming meows! Today she took a further step towards becoming a real part of the family by not being upset with a visit from my Mom, I was very proud of her.

"Baebae" just chillin' with "Daddy".

As far as her "brother" and "sister" go, there has only been one little hiss from Cosmo on Monday from under the office door. Each day they touch paws, and sniff without seeing each
other and it's going well (I think :-)

The next big test for Baebae will be on Sunday when we let her out of her safe place to explore the upstairs hallway. I think I am going to keep all of the other doors closed and let her get used to just being out of what has been her home. Of course the other babies will be shut off in the downstairs, introductions are probably a couple of weeks, if not longer, off.

Wish us all luck, I think this is going to be a beautiful family. Thanks to Michele for the wonderful kitty and all of the incredible advice!!

Cosmo lunges for the blue paw which just disappeared from under the door. Not yet big guy, not yet!

Waiting for BeeBee!!

2010-08-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

Cosmo and Star gaze out the living room windows, blissfully unaware....

I know I know, it's been forever since I posted here (last winter) but as you know when kitties get to be two years old they slide into their daily routines with very little drama. This is about to change!! We are getting a new kitty!!

Michele Cole (of Maine Delite catter y) has made available several adult cats who she has chosen, for one reason or another, not to breed anymore. One of them really captured my heart. Her registered name is "Blaur Seen" but Mickey calls her "BB" and I am only changing the spelling of this to "BeeBee" (just to be contrary I suppose). She is just two years old and is a blue smoke (Mick says she appears to be almost purple)

Blaur Seen at 5 weeks.

We are picking her up in Dublin, OH on August 13th (yes I know it's a Friday the 13th, but she is NOT a black cat, only a very dark blue one :-)

Now will there be drama when this gorgeous two year old enters the house? You bet there will be. I have read several articles on how to successfully introduce a new cat to a household which has cats already, and we have Mickey to answer all of our concerns. I truly feel Mark and I have the ability to do this well, and we have more than enough space to separate all concerned parties as long as need be. (along with the loving patience to introduce them all slowly)

Blaur Seen (a.k.a BeeBee) as she is today!

Only time will tell, and I will be posting here about the whole process. Are we nuts? Nah, but wish us luck anyway!! See you soon....

Cosmo and Star now on the lookout for their new "sister"

Wintertime with the Kids

2010-01-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Cosmo "helps" me make out Christmas cards!!

(I had meant to post this right after Christmas and well...time got away from me :-)

Well, now the snow is melting and it's January thaw time. Christmas is just a memory but I have pictures of the babies having a ball with the decorations, and the tree. I had to be somewhat careful with what I put out this Christmas, and I "stuck down" whatever I could with sticky putty.

This one is mine, right?

Cosmo loved diving under the Christmas tree and running from underneath it to grab at ankles and his "sister". We also placed "decoys" along the bottom of the tree for them to play with, stuff that can't be broken or harm them, and it's worked out really well. That is it worked out until we took the tree down. LOL I had a couple of porcelain ornaments on the floor and I was just getting them ready to wrap up and put safely away when Cosmo ran through the living room, he knocked one (by accident) into the other and they both broke! How could I get angry, it was not his fault. My only disappointment was that I really thought we had gotten through the whole season without incident! Ha!!

Star making sure no one has peeked at their Christmas gifts!

So above and below are a few shots I took of them in December, enjoy!!

Final Christmas tree "inspection" before it all comes down for another year.

The Holidays are over, everything's been cleaned up, and now we can get back up on the center island, right? No!!! :-)

Bath Time for Mr. Cosmo

2009-11-22T08:47:00.000-08:00

"Who SAID I needed a bath?"

HI Everyone!! Sorry it's been so long since I've posted anything, but frankly there has been precious little to post about. We have been super busy with well, just life, and the babies continue to grow and thrive (Cosmo may be growing a little TOO much around the middle if you get my drift :-)

This is the week we decided to give them their fall baths (to look good for Thanksgiving company) and Mr. C drew the short straw to be first. Since this is getting routine for him we decided to have Mark document the experience. It's not all that exciting, but it was fun to do, well fun for US not so much for Mr. Cosmo! Star gets her bath on Tuesday, we probably won't shoot that one LOL

Enjoy, and everyone have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

As Mickey would say, "rinse, rinse rinse"! :-)

The drying does take a while, but I'm just glad Mr. C doesn't mind the blow dryer!

Star (a.k.a. "Sissy") wondering when it will be HER turn.

"Geez Mon, aren't you done YET!!??"

Getting there, he's almost dry enough to finish on his own! All he needs is some snuggle time

All done and almost all dry!!!Lookin' good baby!!

The BEST Babies in the World!!!

2009-10-02T04:48:00.000-07:00

Cosmo with his beautiful "cousins" Jennifer and Christina

And I don't make that claim lightly, though I do admit to being prejudiced in my cats' favor!!

Last weekend we had another family reunion here in Jamestown, this time my side of the family. Among the people coming were an eight year old boy and teen aged cousin girls. Ethan, the 8 year old, stayed with us here along with his mom my first cousin Deb and her hubby Eric. I was a little concerned about how the kids would react to having a small person in the house with us for a few days, but as usual I needn't have been.

Cosmo and Star never left Ethan alone, they followed him all over the house, tried to sleep with him at night, and played with him 'til they all dropped. It was so amazing to see these beautiful cats playing so happily with their cousin Ethan, it's like they had all been raised together.

We hosted a dinner and then a breakfast for the whole clan and Cosmo and Star got to meet their beautiful young cousins Jennifer and Christina. The girls carried Cosmo all over the house and he didn't struggle or ask to be put down, he was a perfect gentleman! Star was a bit more reticent about participating in all of the activities, but she still was so sweet and never put a paw wrong. Nope not a claw or tooth was seen, they were playful BUT gentle. They are the best cats in the world!!

Thankfully my cousin Deb and my husband Mark took lots of pictures of the goings on and I am posting some of them here, enjoy!!!

Sometimes you just HAVE to take a break! Ethan was hardly covered up before Cosmo joined him!

What ARE those tiny pieces?

More playing Leggos with Ethan, Star inspects them to be sure all the pieces are there!

It's Been A Whole Year!!!

2009-07-31T04:06:00.000-07:00

Star and Cosmo, a year ago just little "babies"...

...and here they are today, almost all grown up!

It seems so hard to believe that it's been a whole year now since we brought our babies back home from Columbus. The time has flown and even though there were times, while being sleep deprived, that I wondered what the heck I had gotten myself into, it's been a wonderfully joyful learning experience!

Just hangin' in the kitchen!

To say the kids have grown is an understatement as you can tell from the pictures posted. The originals were taken in early August 2008 and at that time Cosmo weighed in at 5lbs, while Star weighed about 7.5 lbs. You see them as they are now one year later with Cosmo weighing 17lbs and Star weighing 13lbs. This means we started with 12.5 lbs of kitty one year ago and we now have 30lbs of kitty and still gaining, amazing!!! :-)

Star used to be so much larger than Cosmo, not anymore!!

They are such a joy and delight to live with we cannot imagine not having them as a huge part of our lives. They rescued us from our deep sorrow at having lost our first MC Gabriel, and are a blessing every day, even when they are "naughty" :-)

"Daddy" holding the distracted "babies"

Thanks Mickey for all YOU have done, and for these fur children you gave us, you are the best! Now....I have my eye on your little "Joy", what a beauty, hey Mark what do you think if......

A year ago I could hold them both very comfortably...

...today I am covered in "fur babies" when I hold them both at the same time!

Renovation Nation

2009-07-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Cosmo keeping a sharp eye on the contractors!

It's been forever since I posted anything to you all, sorry I've been so remiss. We are hosting a family reunion in about 3 weeks and we have been working like crazy to get things done at home for it. The house is being sided (something we have been in angst over for years due to the historic nature of our house), and we have painted and redone two bathrooms. The list goes on and on. BUT the kitties have been sailing through it all with only minor glitches now and then. They mostly LOVE watching the guys siding the house, it's their fave sport now, but they rest very little during the day so they are so tired at night.

Once and a while one of the guys will pound loudly and they will respond to it by looking up at us with those huge MC eyes, but in general they enjoy the chaos. I am posting a couple of pics of the babies, enjoy and have a great summer all of you!!

Star takes a break now and then choosing to observe the action from the upstairs landing, where she can keep her paw on the pulse without getting it dirty :-)

I Finally Got Smart, or "Smarter"

2009-05-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Star, getting some much deserved rest after being up all night!

It's been such an interesting week with the "kids". They seem to have grown up almost overnight (not in size but in "maturity") I wish I had known that all I had to do the help this along was to keep Cosmo with Star at night downstairs. DUH!!!

As you might know, Cosmo always slept with "Mom and Dad" and Star had charge of the downstairs at night for us while we slept. During the spring it became increasingly more apparent that Cosmo wanted to be up longer and get up earlier, so we decided that he needed to be with Star. The ONLY reason we didn't come to this conclusion earlier was that Cosmo was the "terminator" when it came to knocking things off of shelves ect.

Cosmo, still on the job!

He "mysteriously" has ceased doing this. (I believe in favor of looking out of windows at the deer eating my garden, chasing moths and other insects, while playing with Star all night) It's amazing but they are doing very well together, not making lots of mischief, and letting us sleep. YAAAYYYY!!!!

Star, winding down after a long night's work.

The nicest part is that they are so happy to see us in the morning, that we gets lots of "kitty kisses", head butts, and purring.

As I write they are asleep now after a long night on patrol. They are crowded together on top of the cat tower in my office, both looking like the angels they have become. (knock on wood :-)

Cosmo, looking so handsome always willing to pose for "mom".

PS I love both of these cats more than I ever thought I could, but (please don't tell Cosmo) that Star has found a special place in my heart. And to think that if I had not asked Mickey a last minute question about her, she may never have become ours!

Mr. Cosmo's Birthday...

2009-05-04T04:58:00.000-07:00

Cosmo, one day old taken May 2, 2008. Thanks Mickey!!!

Hi everyone, hope you all had a nice weekend. We have been cleaning out the attic and garage, which explains why I didn't post this on Friday May 1st which is the actual day of C's first birthday.

Cosmo appearing to be "chowing down", but...

He's only in it for the Greenies!!

Here are some pics if him in what appears to be an irresponsible cupcake binge, but what is in actuality only Gre enies on top of a cupcake. Don't worry he ingested no chocolate whatsoever. Enjoy!!

"Mommy" feeding Cosmo a "cupcake"

First Cat Show for Cosmo

2009-04-27T05:50:00.000-07:00

Cosmo in his third show ring of the day. He is being evaluated by the judge.

Hi all, well we finally got our first crack at a cat show with Cosmo, and it was a little disappointing, but it was also a pleasure at the same time.

The show itself is very nice, and the people we met were wonderful, but Cosmo was not the Maine Coon Pre mier the judges were looking for this past weekend.

Our "neighbor" in the benching area shown with her little Himalayan girl. She did VERY well at the show.

I am now aware that politics raises its ugly head even at cat shows, and to be clear I am not so blind that I see no faults in my cat (though from what the breed standard states he had VERY few if any). But it "seemed" like the "fix" may have been in for a local breeder. I really want to avoid sounding like I am full of "sour grapes" because I am not, nor does the term apply to Cosmo as show success is definitely NOT unattainable for him. So I'll leave it at that, lesson learned....

Cosmo with Judge Honey.

Cosmo was stressed in the car on the way out and back (it's about a 45min. drive from our home to Erie, PA) but once at the show and "benched" he was fine. He loved watching all of the activity going on around him, and was alert and responsive to all of his admirers, and he had many!

This is what the benching area looks like at a cat show.

He behaved relatively well in the show ring itself, or so I am told since I couldn't bear to watch and stayed behind in the benching area :-) He only hissed a couple of times, and from what I understand this is normal for a cat as young as he is. (just under 1 year) Thank God no blood was shed :-)

Cat shows are interesting, and somewhat confusing if you have never been to one. They are unlike dog shows in many respects. Firstly, "neuters" or "premiers" are not shown in the dog world, but may compete in cat shows. And there is no central ring where everyone can see the competitors, but rather (at least at this show) there are 4 smaller rings where each of the 4 judges "sees" all of the cats at a show during the day. There are many breeds and categories to be seen. Cosmo was judged with the other long haired premiers, most of which were Maine Coons.

This is the guy who beat Cosmo in the "color category". Cosmo is a brown mac tabby with white, this kitty is a brown classic tabby with "high white".

As a spectator it's fun to go from ring to ring and watch the action. As a exhibitor it's a lot of "hurry up and waiting!!"

Cosmo came away with exactly the same result in each ring, two second places. One for color, and one other for, well something I am still trying to figure out.

Cosmo was as confused as we are as to what exactly he won, or didn't win :-)

The bottom line is that I feel I may have rushed into this show a little too soon. He was by far the youngest Premier there and needs to mature a bit physically before his next show. We have decided to give him 6 months to gain some coat and weight (he weighs 15 lbs, the winning MC Premier weighed around 20 lbs)

This past weekend we got our feet wet, and we liked the show experience very much. Now it's onward and upward!

We are now planning on going to the Columbus, OH show on December 5-6 where we can show him with his breeder Mich ele Cole. She'll be showing her own cats, but it will be nice for us to have her support there. I am really looking forward to it.

I've posted some of Mark's picture as you can see. He shot them on his digital Diana camera which gives the pics an interesting look, I hope you enjoy them!!

Phew!! Thank goodness THAT'S over with, what a LONG day!! Now I can relax :-)

Open Door Policy

2009-04-09T11:41:00.000-07:00

It's a "tight fit" but Cosmo persevered!!!

I know it's been forever since I've added to the blog, but with starting a new venture , work, and the Holidays it's been crazy.

Since we are now on "spring break" we decided to address the "sleep situation". As you may remember, Star sleeps downstairs on her own while Cosmo bunks with us. I have felt badly about this since the beginning so now that we can "afford" to lose a little sleep we wanted to leave the house open at night and see what happens. It's been working out fine so far, no real problems except that Cosmo likes to get up with the birds @5:30AM and we are trying to "sleep in" a bit. If we do want to sleep in we take turns getting up with him. Star doesn't mind if she is up on her own independent little peach that she has probably had to become. Cosmo, however, wants company and will persist until he gets it. :-) This too shall pass though and they are so precious to us that a little sleep seems rather unimportant.

Now for some vital statistics:
Star is 15 months old and weighs 13.5lbs.
Cosmo is 11motnhs old and weighs 14.5lbs.

More exciting (?) news, Cosmo is officially in the Cat Nation Fanciers Cat Show in Erie on the 25th and 26th of April. He is participating in the "premiership" category which is for neutered and spayed purebreds. Wish us luck, there will likely be more blog entries until then.

I'll post some pictures this time of the "little " babies trying to wedge themselves into a tiny box something or other came in the other day. Also I have one of Cosmo being a clown, enjoy!!

Too bad there is no "clownish behavior" category at the cat show, Cosmo would win hands down!!

Even though we had thrown the box away, Star still wanted a go at getting into it!

Star's Turn in the Tub

2009-03-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

What a beautiful girl she is, and look at those eyes!!

Yesterday we decided that it was past time for Star to have a bath. Michele @ Maine Delite suggests that you give a bath with the change of the seasons to get rid of old hair ect so we jumped the gun a bit on spring and went with it.

She took it pretty well, and though I know that she has been bathed in the past it has been a while. She really didn't panic, though she did struggle a little bit.

We did the total "show groom" just to get her good and fluffy and she looks stunning now.

My little "diva" on her favorite perch!

Her "baby brother" Cosmo watched from a distance seemingly glad that this time it was someone else's turn :-)

She also is not afraid of the blow drier so after wicking as much water as possible from her we blew her dry in about 25 minutes. The pictures tell the story, she is gorgeous!!

On an unrelated note, I sent in the show entry form for Cosmo on Saturday night, I am very excited. The show is at the end of April in Erie, PA and even though it's the last show of the year and he probably can't really get his Premiership this season (?) at least we will all get our feet wet, so to speak, and be all ready for the next show season.

My gorgeous babies!!

Mr. Cosmo's first Show Groom

2009-02-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

Cosmo looking up at us wondering what it was all about after his "ordeal"

Well, I finally got the courage, and all of the stuff, to do a proper show groom on Cosmo. If we are going to show him, as we plan to in April, then this is something we needed to practice.

Now Cosmo is a very easy going kitten/cat, as LONG as he gets his own way that is. :-) He dislikes being brushed, and so I had my trepidations about doing an actual show groom on him. But all in all he did very well with it, only struggling for a while. It has quite a few steps to it, so as it went on in time he either decided to accept what was happening or just got tired LOL.

Cosmo looking a bit "scruffy" before his show groom.

The results were wonderful though, and Michele says he looked "stunning". He didn't stay that way too long, but hey he's a baby cat still and loves to get into "messy" things.

Here are some more pics of him right after he was dried. I was very happy that he accepted the blow drier as readily as he did too, it sure made what was a long process a bit shorter. If the first time was the worst then we should be able to do this at least a few tmes a year.

Cosmo, looking oh so sweet.

Thanks Michele for all of your help, thanks Mark for holding him while I scrubbed him, and thanks Cosmo for being such a "good boy".

The fluffy finished product, Cosmo lookin' good!

Getting Ready

2009-02-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

The calm before the "groom"....

I know it's been ages since I've posted anything here. I am sorry about that, but it indicates two things. Firstly, I have had no time to do this , unfortunately, but secondly the "kids" have been going along in their daily routines with little or no drama.

But, I got an email from Michele, their breeder, telling me as an aside that Cosmo is "high show quality". I have been seriously thinking I should show him because in my own, not professional, opinion he is a good example of his breed. But after Mickey's note I think I really have to show him so....I have to give him his "show groom". I will cut and paste from Michele's web site just what this entails to give you an idea of what I'll be doing with him this weekend.

SHOW GROOM INSTRUCTION FOR MAINE COONS
First you dry bath the kitten/cat in Groomers Goop - rubbing it in the coat and working it to the skin.... you can use small amounts of warm water to help get it to the skin. Pay close attention to the mane, back of ears and the britches. Then you rinse, rinse, rinse,,,,,, then rinse in somewhat cooler water. Note: you really need to make sure all this is rinsed!

Next you bath the kitten/cat in Pet Silk Deep Cleanse shampoo. Then you rinse, rinse, rinse,,,,,, then rinse in somewhat cooler water

Next you bath the kitten/cat in whitening shampoo EZ Crystal White Shampoo. Then you rinse, rinse, rinse,,,,,, then rinse in somewhat cooler water (Note this is only for kittens/cats with white, silver or cream colors)

Final step and frankly one of the most important.... 1/4 cup of White Vinegar to a gallon of warm water...... rinse the kitten/cat with this and then cool water rinse until all areas are squeaky clean.

Towel and blow dry if possible,,, If kitten/cat will not tolerate the dryer, then towel dry completely and then use several paper towels and absorb most all the water you can. After the groom - DO NOT HANDLE THE KITTEN/CAT UNTIL THE SHOW!! AT THE SHOW, ONLY BRUSH BETWEEN RINGS to fluff the coat and tail ,,,,, as you handle and pet you kitten/cat,,,,, the oil in their coat will start to re-appear.

If the kitten/cat hair is full of static at the day of the show, use the Anti-stat Conditioner and Detangler - this is listed on the previous page...... use it by spraying lightly on the brush (not directly on the kitten/cat) to condition those fly-a-way areas. Make sure you use this sparingly as you can't take a wet looking kitten/cat in the rings. Best to use this when you get to the show @ 1/2 hour before entering the rings. ONLY use this if there is static.

This may all sound very extreme, however shows are won and lost on a groom. This insures that the kitten/cat is represented in the very best way. You will be amazed at how your kitten/cat looks !!!

Caution: do not over brush your kitten/cat!!! taking to much hair out of the kitten/cat by pulling with combs and brushes will thin the coat and the representation of the kitten/cat will be very poor at shows. Granted keep your kitten/cat brushed and tangle free, but don't over brush - especially that beautiful tail. They need that tail large and fluffy for the judging!!!

No, it doesn't scare me, exactly... I'll give you a blow by blow of how it went with pictures. Wish us all luck!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STAR!!!

2009-01-20T04:11:00.000-08:00

Star wondering what it's all about. Luckily Taylor blew out that candle before any noses got singed.

I am a bit behind in my blogging (a bit?) and the day before yesterday was our Star's 1st birthday. She is such a treasure and we are so happy to have her. And to think that getting her was a last minute decision. Here are some pics of her on her "special day" with my dear friend's granddaughter Taylor, who is a"princess" by the way, and with her "baby bro" Cosmo. Enjoy!!!

Star in her birthday boa with "mommy".

Star and Cosmo, after the "party".

St. "Sissy" and the "Little Devil"

2009-01-12T08:34:00.000-08:00

Star helping "daddy" out in the office.

As you may or may not know we are owned by two wonderful Maine Coon cats who we love beyond belief. One of them is Star and she is "good," the other is Cosmo and he is...well not bad but challenging. LOL

We give our babies nicknames and Star's (well one of her's) is Sissy. She is not a "sissy" but a sort of "sister" to Cosmo. (they may be distantly related but are not sibs) She is wise and wonderful, affectionate and for the most part gentle. She has become a fierce huntress and a great leaper, though she never jumps up to places she should not be. She is my BFF, for sure!!

Cosmo has no nicknames other than the occasional "Baby 'Mo". He is smart as a whip and gets bored easily. He is inventive, mischievous, very loving, and powerful. He is able to jump great heights to places cats should never go. In other words he is wonderful. All the "tricks" out there suggested to keep your cat off of counters, tables, center islands, ect. don't work with him. He is determined!!

A slightly "rumpled" Cosmo watches the back yard from one of his favorite perches.

Cosmo settles down at 11 each night and for the most part never stirs until between 6-7AM.

Star never settles down until about 11AM and she sleeps most of the day. She is up with us until bedtime at which time she needs to go downstairs to do whatever she does each night. If she stays with us she tries to get Cosmo to play with her, but he needs his sleep as he is not a "napper". I have always felt badly about this, but so far it seems to be working. I dream of the day when we can all sleep together.

Star can help me in the kitchen when I am baking. She sits and watches me giving me occasional advice as only she can. A chirp here and a chortle there and we are good to go.

Cosmo likes to jump up into the cookie batter, or worse yet on the hot stove so when I am baking in particular he needs to go upstairs for a little R&R. I guess it will all work itself out, but it has been about the most interesting nearly 6 months I can remember in a long time, and our lives are so much the richer for them.

Thanks so much for these little blessings Mickey!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2009-01-01T06:12:00.000-08:00

These beautiful babies have enriched our lives so very much!

Hey all, I KNOW it's been a very long time since I updated the blog, but we made it through the Holidays with only a few minor "mishaps" and now look forward to a new year. MOST of my trepidations about the house trimmings were unfounded and we all enjoyed a relatively calm and peaceful Holiday season, well as calm and peaceful as two very energetic Maine Delite Maine Coons will allow LOL .

My best "girlfriend" Star makes sure this box will last until next year

Cosmo "inspects" the dried cranberry wreath before it gets put away for another year.

Speaking of the babies, Cosmo is 8 months old today and Star will be 1 year old on the 18th of this month. Cosmo weighs in at approx. 11 lbs and Star is about 12 lbs. They are big babies!! I'm posting a few "after Christmas" pictures, they enjoyed taking everything down yesterday much more than putting it all up. LOL

I did notice that they seemed very "hyper" while the house was in Holiday regalia, and I know this is to be expected. After all, their world had changed. Now we can all get back to "normal", whatever the heck that is, and get on with the long winter ahead. Enjoy the photos, and a very Happy New Year to you all!!!

Cosmo loves those nutcrackers

The kids invent a new game with Rubbermaid!

A Disaster a Day!!

2008-12-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

"UH Mom, he did it again!!!" Hmmm "Mommy" is really starting to wonder who actually pulls the strings here!!

Cosmo is going through "a phase". A very BAD phase, for me at least it is. He, however, is having a BALL. He is happy and well, but I am a wreck.

He has discovered that he has powers far beyond those of mortal men, er...cats. He can jump up to ANYTHING, yup anything at all. When he gets there he decides that he just LOVES to watch whatever is up there with him hit the deck.

Now, I most definitely "cat proofed" the house, but I am talking things that are waaaaay up there. Things like antique pitchers, lead crystal candle sticks, you get the idea. I wish he would start working on wooden objects, at least they would not break LOL

I know how smart he is, I know he has a very analytical mind, so I bought him a "smart cat toy". We'll see if things improve, I am not necessarily hopeful as I know this likely needs to be "outgrown". Good thing he is such a sweetheart MOST of the time, well OK 50% of the time!! LOL

Christmas Insanity

2008-12-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

Nutcrackers standing guard in the living room.

I have been so guilty of not updating this as often as I had planned, but this time of year is so busy with baking for clients AND baking for myself in time to get stuff mailed out to friends/family that I have no time for ANYTHING!!! So, the blog has had to wait.

Big news, I finally got the courage to put up a Christmas tree and so I need to post some pics I shot of the kids around it. Bigger news, I finally broke down (I literally cried) and got an artificial tree. Now, it's a beautiful one to be sure and has over 1500 lights crammed onto it (my goal is to have a tree just like the one in Rockefeller Center :-) but it's not real. I just figured that it would be so much better for the babies if they did not have pine tar all over their fur, and easier for me too.

Cosmo pretending he is "in the woods".

So far the decorations have withstood the "test of Cosmo". He has knocked a candle out of one of the front windows a couple of times and the bulb has broken and needed replacement. But...other than that so far so good.

Here they are with the tree. More to come once I get ALL of my Holiday baking/mailing done. Enjoy!!

Star in her new favortite spot for a nap!

Grabbing and Other Nasty Habits...

2008-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

Innocent bystander, OR evil mastermind? YOU decide!!

Cosmo is just a little "grabber". He can't keep his paws off of....well anything!! He'll grab opportune items off counters, shelves, tables, entertainment centers, you name it. Almost anything you can think of has hit the deck in this house over the past few weeks.

He is not as "filled out" as Star was at the same age, but his body is longer and he weighs more than she did when she was 6.5 months old. Consequently he can "stand up" and get to most everything. This includes onions that are being chopped, toast for breakfast, any pens or writing implements on the center island, anything.

Not only this, but he has also learned several of "big Sister Star's" bad habits such as; dumping over water bowls, turning the faucets on in the bath tub, and ramming into the kitchen widow to scare (or ostensibly) chase the birds at the feeder.

Above and below are some shots of the "kids" I took today. I have no earthly idea of what I'll do for Christmas this year. I have a closet FULL of lovely decoration we have collected over the years that I suspect will not see the light of day for Christmas 2008 :-(

"They" don't know that *I* know I've been set up, but what the heck, I'll bite!!

Just a little more to the right, got it!!!

This coffee is too strong anyway!

Maybe we should see what's happening in the living room!!

These candlesticks on the on the marble table have always bothered me, hmmmmm...

I never liked them here, let's put them someplace else.

Who me? What'd *I* do?

Just growing and growing...

2008-11-09T05:49:00.000-08:00

Look out below!!!

Not really been much to talk about lately with the kitties. (knock on wood the drama has quieted down) They have been playing, eating, growing, sleeping, playing, eating, being bad, being funny, and being just plain AMAZING!! But, I did want to to post their weights and length measurements and get a few new shots of them posted.

Cosmo:
age- 6 months
weight- 9.25 lbs
length- (from tip of nose to tip of tail) 30"

Star
age-10 months
weight- 10.5 lbs
length- 29"

Cosmo, "relaxing" in a box

Star in her fave spot, the antique bathtub.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

2008-10-31T05:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!

It's been awhile again since I have posted anything about the kitties. I have had a cold, but really things have been "quiet" and there has not been much to say. Here are some pictures of them in their usual guise as morning "house destroyers". They can be rather "wild" when they first get up and play together, but they are also so much fun the watch. Cosmo never lets Star play with anything on her own, then again she puts up with far less now than she used to which is, I think, a good thing. They are a both a trick and a treat!! Have a great Halloween and enjoy the pictures.

Cosmo ready for action, as always!

Star has been into the candy bowl!!

The "kids" have been "fighting" over the Halloween Smarties.

Star keeping an eye on her sneaky pal!

Daily Routine

2008-10-22T07:50:00.000-07:00

The "morning" nap spot on the daybed in my office.

On days when I don't work the kids are my helpers, well sort of. They will follow me assisting with things ranging from showering to vacuuming (though Cosmo is not crazy about the Dyson) and though they try to be "useful" they wind up being "under foot". The thing is that after Gabriel died the house felt so empty and we were so lonely that to complain about almost anything they do seems absurd. Except, Cosmo doing a tightrope act on the upstairs railing.

If he fell from just the right spot the drop would be about 20 feet and that scares me. So we jerry-rigged a solution that I hope will work. We taped cut cardboard in he shape of a peak to the flat top of the railing to make it too hard to walk on (we HOPE it's too hard to walk on anyway) If anyone reading this has a better idea (short of moving to a single story house) please let me know.

Necessity IS the mother of invention, I hope this works because it sure looks awful. What happened to my house?

Otherwise here are some shots of the babies up in my office with me while I blog in the morning. They LOVE hiding in the daybed between the two components of the trundle beds. Enjoy!!

Star in her special "hiding place"

Star thought she had a safe haven, but she was wrong!! Here's baby bro!

Together Again?

2008-10-14T04:51:00.001-07:00

Baby Cosmo, relegated to sleep on his own!

Finally, after what seems like years, I have my house back in one unit. Having to separate the cats was a good thing from the standpoint that it allowed Star to "dry up", but it was a BAD thing from the standpoint that it literally cut my house in half. Now that things "seem" to be "normal" again it's nice to have that regular flow through our house has always presented.

The cats are loving it too, they also missed being able to run a muck throughout the house without the bothersome restrictions of closed doors.

Star's personality also seems to have blossomed in the last few days. She is playful and kittenish in a way that she has not been heretofore. Her hormones and the subsequent milk "issue" which made her subdued, do not do so anymore!! :-)

Star on her own, and loving it!

As a matter of fact, as you can see from the pictures I just took Star has asserted herself as being no longer a "surrogate mother" to Cosmo. To the point that she is keeping her distance and "cleaning his clock" (as it were) when they play. Unfortunately for "Miss Star" Cosmo will eventually be a bit bigger than she is, and perhpas less submissive? Yes indeed, the "drama" continues. I think it should become a reality series. Hey, if they can make "Ghost Hunters" they can make "Cosmo and Star, the Journey Continues" :-) Am I right?

Cosmo looks longingly at Star, with no effect.

New portraits of the babies

2008-10-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

Our Cosmo certainly looks innocent!!

This is regrettably the first opportunity I have had to post an update in quite a while. Life is hectic and though they are still mostly separated from each other as Star "dries up" they continue to grow and become more and more at home with us. Yesterday while we were teaching they actually busted through one of our doors and spent the day (actually I am not sure how long) playing together. (let's hope that's all they did Star still "feels" the same) I can't wait for this to be over with so they can keep each other company, I know we will all be happier.

In the meantime here are a few shots I took of them on Monday, enjoy!!

Cosmo in "exile" downstairs.

Star waiting for her "freedom"

My beautiful Star, sweet as can be!

The "Semi-Weekly" Maine

2008-10-01T12:15:00.001-07:00

They look so innocent, but looks can be deceiving. :-)

Things have been insane around here, really nuts, and so I have not had the chance to take the time to report what is happening with the babies. They are well, very healthy and growing like weeds. Star is up to 9.5 lbs at almost 9 months of age and is very regal, more about her shortly. Cosmo turns 5 months today and weighs in at over 7lbs. This means that he has gained over 2.5 lbs in the 8 weeks we have had them. I think that is good for Maine Coons, but I am not sure. Michele says that their weights look good and if she says so I believe her, she is always right :-)

Star seems to have recovered completely from her leap, though her once high pitched "chirp" is still not quite right. The vet could find nothing to indicate a real problem so I am not sure if she swallowed part of a toy which irritated her throat or what, but she seems to be in better voice this week than last.

Now about the "false pregnancy" that the emergency vet mentioned. There was no false pregnancy, she was not in heat when she was spayed. Cosmo has been sneaking in some "nursing," probably for a few weeks unbeknownst to us. He must have caught her right before she was spayed and now it's a matter of her "drying up". After she does, now that she has been spayed, she will no longer produce milk and will reject him.

Why he did this is unknown, to me at least. I know he was weaned correctly. He gets more attention and love than he probably needs, and so why he sought "comfort" in this way is a mystery to me. This begs the question as to why Star would let him? She is a very compliant cat, she has always deferred to him by giving him her toys when he comes barreling into the room. She'll also let him eat her food (unless *I* catch him that is) so I suppose that's just her personality. I hope she changes, a bit.

We have to to make sure that he no longer nurses in order to get her milk to dry up. This is OK if one or both us has the time to watch them like hawks (he is very sneaky) but when we can't we have to put them in separate parts of the house, or close one off in a room. I HATE this because I got two of them so they could be companions when we can't be there. This has defeated the whole purpose of what we thought was such a great idea, and I am so depressed!

Michele says this will end soon (2-3 weeks) and that things will go back to normal. Also our vet, Dr. Derby, thinks that Cosmo's burgeoning hormones have caused him to want to do "something" with Star, but since he is not sure about mating the next best thing is nursing. Really, I thought I knew cats, after all I have had them for over 50 years. Seems after all that I KNOW NOTHING >sigh<

Too Much Drama...

2008-09-23T05:56:00.000-07:00

With cardboard back in place the stairway may look like this for the next 17 years or so.

I know it's been awhile since I have posted, but things here have been exciting, and not in a good way. While my house needs cleaning, I need to bake for clients, and I also need to actually just sit down and talk with Mark like the "old days" my Star decided she was Amelia Earhart. She is a dare devil who,while very intelligent, thinks she is indestructible. (maybe it's her age, you know how teenagers are!!) At any rate, the results of her "stunt" Saturday were not what she, nor I , expected.

As you can see from the above photo we have an open staircase, one which has always given me great consternation as far as it being dangerous to cats. Gabriel always went right to the edge, but never ever went over. So when we brought the babies home from Ohio I blocked off the spindles completely with the cardboard shield you see in the pic. The look is less than DIY worthy, but it does the trick. I was waiting for Cosmo to grow up a bit and get some sense, little did I know that he was not the "problem".

Star has been, she since arrived, my good big girl. She's the one I never needed to worry about. She is large for an 8 month kitten (9.5 lbs) and is smart, so I erroneously supposed she had some sense too. Boy, was *I* wrong, as I found out not two hours after I removed the cardboard.

Star "decided" that she could jump from the landing outside the bathroom door to the stairs below. Before I could grab her she did just that, and landed awkwardly on the stairs about 7 feet down. At the time she seemed OK, I watched her closely and felt little concern. Sunday morning when we got up she also seemed fine, but when we returned from shopping she was very lethargic and her "chirp" was off. Naturally I panicked.

We called around until we found a vet who would see her on a Sunday and took her in. All of her vitals were normal so we left her overnight for x-rays the next day. They turned out to be OK with some swelling on her chest wall, but she was eating ect so they thought she would be fine, just really sore. But, one interesting finding is that when we had her spayed she must have been in heat because she is now having a sort of "false pregnancy" which I hope will end sooner rather than later due to possible complications. In the meantime I am limiting her contact with Cosmo due to fears of rough play. It's always something, and it's way too exciting for me!!

Update: it may be something else that is causing symptoms of "false pregnancy" we'll see our vet tomorrow, I am so upset, not to mention tired.

Star, checking out the "scene of the crime".

A Day in the Life

2008-09-18T05:11:00.001-07:00

Turn out the lights the party's over!! The "kids" fall asleep amidst the debris of their "toys".

Well, it's a "momentous" day around here today. Not only is it Star's birthday (she is now 8 months old) but it is also the anniversary of their "occupation" of our home. They have been here 7 weeks today and really the time has simply flown by. So, in honor of all of this I would like to sketch out a "typical" Kirsch family day.

As teachers we get up early. Usually we get up at 5:45AM, as a sub when I am going in I get up at 5AM to get things going. Cosmo sleeps with us and likes the 5:45 wake up call, but NOT my 5AM version so he'll stay in bed with Daddy. Star loves it when I get up really early and we get to have some "girl talk" and play time. On those days when I am not teaching, or have baking orders to fill Daddy goes downstairs first for his coffee and brekkie. Cosmo will usually go down too to see his "sister". (I should interject here that after a number of attempts as letting both kitties sleep with us we have decided that Star can have the whole downstairs every night. Cosmo sleeps through the night with us very well, but unfortunately Star likes to get up every couple of hours to roam, and this was keeping even Mark awake. She seems none the worse for being on her own all night, and her schedule is one which finds her sleeping pretty much all afternoon while we can sleep all night.)

The morning then consists of eating, playing with toys, "romping" with each other, short naps, more play, more food, you get the picture. I always worry that they will be bored or something, I hope that's not the case. Stuff you read on the net suggests that cats can get depressed if not stimulated enough, well I have invested in what seems like hundreds of toys for them, and of course they have each other. They play in the shower, have a "cat condo", ect so if they are bored or depressed it's not for any lack of effort on our part, but I still worry. Trouble is soon they will both be so huge, the biggest cats I have had (Gabriel was a smallish MC) that at times I wonder if my 2500sq ft home is big enough for all of us :-)

As usual I digress, so back to our day. They sleep in the PM for a couple of hours, Star usually a bit longer than Cosmo, and get really going again when Daddy comes home (or both of us when I am working@school). The evening is spent in play, though the play is usually not as "crazy" as that in the morning and bed time rolls in around about 10:30 or so on school nights.

As for the sleeping arrangements I alluded to earlier, Star seems to have adjusted really well to being on her own at night. We have a lot of windows which look out on the woods and lawns that surround the house and I am sure she has lots of "business" to attend to at night. Our home is quite old (circa 1880) and has the "basement from Hell" consequently we get a few mice on the first floor now and then. I will be curious to see when Star starts to find and "dispose" of them. I am really hoping however that she doesn't supplement her diet with "crunchy mouse heads" as Gabriel used to >sigh<

Quiet afternoon time, my favorite!

Family "Portraits" and a Vet Visit...

2008-09-16T17:20:00.000-07:00

"Daddy" with the kids, not really ready for "stupid pet tricks", yet.

I thought that it was probably past the time when a couple of "informal family portraits" were included in the DM. This is so when they are older, and we are old, we can look back and see how much things have changed. (us and the cats that is :-)

This post also coincides with a visit to the vets. Star has gone from 8.5 lbs to 9.1lbs in two weeks, and Cosmo has gone from 5.5lbs to 6.3lbs in two weeks time. It's so wonderful to go to Moonbrook because all of the people who work there LOVE Maine Coons and look forward to seeing Star and Cosmo. They have their own small fan club!! The "kids" are growing so fast and changing so much that I would have to post pics of them on a twice a day basis to keep up!!

"Mommy" and babies, no one really likes having pictures taken!

Random Shots

2008-09-11T11:37:00.000-07:00

Star is still bigger, but Cosmo is catching up.

Over the past week I have taken more pictures than I could post and I want to catch up now and put a few up.

Cosmo getting bigger every day.

Star wondering where all the birds go when she shows up in the window.

The "kids" continue to grow and thrive. Cosmo is a little devil, and a little angel. He goes right to bed at night with us though and stays put. Star sleeps with us for a few nights, get restless, and winds up downstairs on her own. I then feel so guilty about having her down there by herself that the next night she's back up with us for another try, I always give in. I am hoping that she can be "trained" to sleep through the night. I know I read somewhere out there that someone did that with their 4 cats. Of course it took them three years, YAWN :-) We'll see.

Baby Cosmo with "Grandma Joyce".

Windows

2008-09-09T09:44:00.000-07:00

Any window will do, all they need is a room with a view.

Right outside our kitchen widow we have various bird feeders which cater to most of the local and visiting population. Mark built a perch along one of the windows, and the cats have been spending time at it where they can watch the birds as they feed. They love sitting in any window actually, and as there are many of them in the house they have their choice.

I tend at times to be guilty of anthropomorphizing my animals and I wonder if they ever dream of being outside, or if they dream of the freedom they will never have. I honestly doubt it, and that's good because I would feel badly if they knew what they were really missing by being indoor kitties. But, it's a dangerous world our there, even in a quiet neighborhood like ours, so they will always be inside where they can sit in the sun, watch the birds, and "dream".

Star and Cosmo, "dreamy" cats in the kitchen window.

Gabriel

2008-09-05T05:25:00.000-07:00

Our little "baby man" Gabriel age 7 years

At this point I think I can finally talk about our first MC baby, Gabriel. He died in April after a long courageous battle with CRF and I think that I will grieve him forever. He was a very special kitty, that once in a lifetime animal that if you are lucky enough graces you with perfect companionship. He was smart, brave, laid back, funny, affectionate, and beloved by all of our friends with whom he got along very well. He was 14 when he died and though some people will say that's a good long life for a cat, I would disagree. Our "deal" was that he would live to be 20, but that was sadly not possible.

Gabriel was diagnosed with CRF on February 19, 2005 and we were lucky enough at that time to find a vet who was a cat specialist and who prescribed medication that would make it easier for his kidneys to function longer. Gabriel (a.k.a. "The Baby Man") was a water loving MC and always wanted to drink from any cup I was holding so he got all the water he needed from me, and from the pet fountains we placed in the house upstairs and down. He never really needed sub-qs which was a blessing because I always felt he would not tolerate them very well. He progressively got thinner and thinner and it was only the last couple of months of his life that he seemed really ill. I still torture myself with thoughts that I waited too long, or didn't do enough for him, but this is not at all helpful and of course won't bring him back. We did the best we could for him, and somehow I hope he knew that. We went with him when that sad day finally came and we knew he needed to be released. It is actually a beautiful and peaceful thing to do, to be able to hold your beloved animal while it dies, and if people fear it IMO they shouldn't. He is buried outside the kitchen window in Mark's rock garden, and he is keeping his eye on the new babies. I tell them they have a lot to live up to when it comes to "Uncle Gabriel", but they know that already and naturally will be their own cats.

Gabriel's angel.

My search for new MCs was my therapy. I would be sitting at the computer in tears for hours looking at all of the various breeders who are within a 500 mile radius of Jamestown hoping that I would find one who I felt was just the "right one". I was lucky enough to finally discover the wonderful Maine Delite Maine Coon cattery owned by Michele Cole. Michele has 30 years experience as a breeder, she is a vet tech, and the home page made it obvious that she takes great care in her breeding practices and loves her kitties. At the time I contacted her there were no kittens available, but I was put on her notification list and on May 2 she let me know that there had been a litter born, Cosmo was here!! Star was not in the picture at that time for adoption, Michele was going to keep her for show and breeding, but changed her mind and made her available. So when I saw her picture on the website I KNEW she hd to come home with us too.

The BEST thing about Michele is that she doesn't just sell you cats, she is there for you so much after you take them home. I have written her numerous times with questions about this and that, and though I KNOW how extremely busy she is I always get a prompt answer from her with great information. She is just the best choice I could have made, and the cats are so beautiful, smart, and fun that bonding with them was very easy. Sure they have "taken over" the house, but you know for now that's OK because it makes the hurt over our loss just a little bit easier to bear every day. Michele and her kitties are a blessing, that's for sure. And if he's around somewhere. and I have suspicions that Gabriel is still here, I think even he would approve.

What a Difference the Vet Makes!!!

2008-09-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Star, feeling just fine after her stitches were removed.

Yesterday we took Star and Cosmo to Moonbrook Veterinary Clinic to see Dr. Prudence Derby. Star had to have her spay stitches out, while Cosmo had the last in his "kitten series" of shots. All around it was a wonderful experience. Dr. Derby, who we had not met when she spayed Star two weeks ago, is such a sweetie to patients and their owners alike! She loves cats, and Maine Coons especially, and was very efficient while being friendly at the same time. Who said bedside manner with pets or people alike means nothing?

Star healed very well and her stitches came out easily, I can't wait for her belly fur to grow back. Cosmo cried a bit with his distemper shot, but was fine. We then had a good discussion about the leukemia shots, which I have conflicting feelings about. She made some good points and her suggestion was that they get the shots and boosters for one year, then no more. This way they would have some immunity IF they ever got outside. I was delighted with her openness on the subject which I think is somewhat controversial. I don't know what I will do however.

She then checked over both cats and proclaimed them very healthy. Cosmo weighed in at 5.6 lbs, which is good for a 4 month old kitten I think. Star weighed 8.5 lbs, she will be a BIG girl!! I am so relieved to have found someone who loves the kitties, is not trying to sell me stuff they don't need, and is considerate to the owners. I would think that anyone would appreciate Dr. Derby.

Cosmo, none the worse for wear after his shot.

Stitches

2008-09-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

The beautiful baby diva Star at 8 weeks.

Star gets her stitches out this afternoon and we get to finally meet the new vet who did Star's surgery. Cosmo will also get the last shot in the series of three that kittens get, so it will be a "two-fer" today. I am very excited about their vet Dr. Derby for a couple of reasons: one she is related to my dearest friend Cindy, who says she has done a great job with her Beardie "Boodles", and secondly Dr. Derby is a "cat specialist" which makes me feel hopeful confidence in her.

I'll post more tomorrow about how the visit went, plus I have some great pics of the babies with their "grandparents" from the other night, but for now I am posting two "baby" pictures of Cosmo and Star. These were taken when each was 8 weeks old. It's amazing to see how Star has "lightened" in her coloring as she has aged.(this has been all "natural" I assure you :-) The pictures were taken by their breeder the wonderful Michele Cole of Maine Delite Maine Coons. Enjoy!

Cosmo at 8 weeks, he looked like trouble on wheels even then! :-)

Discipline and Love

2008-08-30T12:02:00.001-07:00

Star takes good care of her "little boy".

It's hard to fathom now, but we've had the babies for over 4 weeks and we are all still at the beginning of getting to know each other's quirks and personalities. Cosmo is the sweetest little stinker you can imagine, and I alternately/sometimes simultaneously want to hug him and give him "time out". For the more egregious offenses---such as jumping up on the kitchen table to sample food or biting human hands and feet---I have resorted to using a spray bottle and it has worked rather well. I am thinking (hoping?) that time and "maturity" will largely take care of his behavioral deficiencies. (yeah right) One thing I have noticed is that when he plays with the ever tolerant Star he will sometimes become what I call "overly stimulated" and will find he has a hard time controlling himself. This is when "time out" works best. I pick him up and shut him away for a few minutes in a room by himself, something he really loathes. After he gets out he is usually fit to be with again. He also sometimes plays too rough with Star and though at first I worried SHE would be too rough with HIM it's the other way around. She often takes a lot of crap from him and rarely dishes it out. She'll also lets him take her toys away, and unless I intervene he will eat her food as well. I don't want to make him sound like a bad kitten, he is JUST a boy kitten that's all. The other side of that coin is that he is very loving and very affectionate.

Star is just a jewel, period. Other than her nocturnal night stalkings she is a wonderful cat. She is still slightly distant, but I attribute that to her inherent personality and her sex. Bottom line is that we love them both, though at times I admit to having wanted to buy them a train ticket back to Columbus :-)

Very Good Friends

2008-08-29T05:20:00.001-07:00

Just taking a little "cat nap" together.

Star and Cosmo are doing extremely well as "housemates". I would not say that they need to be with each other constantly as each will separately seek us out during the day to be with us, but they clearly get along "famously". They play together, mostly in the mornings, groom each other, and sometimes take naps together. Last night we experimented by NOT closing Star up in Mark's office (where she has been at night since her surgery). She is still much more nocturnal than Cosmo is, at least at this time, and I think for the foreseeable future she will be sleeping in the office. She thankfully doesn't seem to mind sleeping on her own at all, and even though Cosmo was not responding to her 3AM wake up call last night as he sleeps like a "log", I did, YAWN. I am really hoping that with age and diminishing hormones she will calm down and be able to join the family at bedtime, but this may be just who she is and since Cosmo loves to sleep with us, and even sleeps in, I hate to lock BOTH cats out. Still I do feel guilty about "isolating" Star at night, and I hope that this situation turns around sooner rather than later.

Speaking of Star here I must mention that some puffiness has suddenly developed around her incision. Most vets take the stitches out after 10 days, which would be today, but Dr. Derby wants to wait a full two weeks. This swelling is apparently not at all unusual and indicates the cat's reaction to the internal stitches. It allegedly will resolve by itself in anywhere from three weeks to several months. In any case it was disconcerting to see it appear yesterday, especially after her recovery has been so routine. I wrote to her breeder Michele Cole (who is also a vet tech) about it this AM and she says no worries as long as there is no drainage or redness, which there is not. I am very happy to know this, but along with the joy of having these guys goes some occasional worry and concern about them, because after all they are my "babies".

Freedom

2008-08-27T04:24:00.001-07:00

One of the beaches at beautiful Presque Isle State Park, time for a little break.

Star is out. She is healing so well that, even with Cosmo present, she is safe to be out of "confinement". She also no longer goes after her stitches which at this point would likely not be easy to pull out anyway, so the "collar" is off as well. Trouble is it will be a whole week before she gets her three stitches out, instead of the standard 10 days. I am all for erring on the side of caution, but this seems a bit excessive.

The "kids" were all alone almost all day long yesterday too. We went to Presque Isle for one last summer picnic (kids in PA are back at school so it was very quiet). Naturally we had to shop while In Erie, for cat food of course! Any road trip we have taken lately has in actuality been merely an excuse to listen to David Sedaris audio books, but I digress. They seem to do well without us too, but as Mark went for his Tuesday Hollyloft group ride I had sole babysitting duty for the seond of three consecutive nights. Mark has already started teaching digital photography two nights a week at JCC and that's great, but they do keep me hopping and unable to do other things. I know that as they grow up and get to be "mature" they will need far less supervision, and at that time I will probably long for the "good old days" when they really needed me, but there are times now.....

When they play Cosmo gets really worked up, sometimes I feel he is overstimulated by all of it. He then gets himself so tired that he can't stop and needs some "intervention". I have gotten out the spray bottle, but use it only when he is too rough with Star, or goes after human hands and/or feet. Most of the time when he gets overly worked up all he needs is a big time cuddle and he'll fall into kitten unconsciousness.

One of their favorite places has come to be my bathroom where they both follow me in to "use" the sink for water play. Maine Coons LOVE their water!! We'll it leave at that for now.

Cat action at the sink.

Healing

2008-08-23T05:40:00.001-07:00

Star is healing beautifully, the stitches are thankfully still in and her incision looks great. But, she now "feels" so much better that she wants to run, jump, play, and chase Cosmo, at least early in the day. (I have noticed that by the end of the day she is still feeling the effects of her procedure and is much more laid back than she normally would be) She is after all only three and half days out from her surgery, major surgery I might add, and she really does need the time to heal. I feel so sorry for her confined to one room, especially now that she seems to be feeling so much better, but I feel there is no other choice I can make. After the weekend I'll call the vet and ask about limited play, but I know that with a "wild man" like Cosmo in the house it's not going to be advisable. I realize that I am probably being far too cautious as usual, but that's me a worrywart.

Cosmo in one of his quieter moments!

Cosmo is growing by leaps and bounds as it were, he is up to 5 lbs this weekend. He plays constantly when not "unconscious" and other than an occasionally runny eye he is the absolute picture of kitten health. After carefully looking at that eye I am thinking he has a hair or whisker that might be growing into it. His breeder assures me that there has never been feline herpes or other illnesses in her cattery, and the eye does not appear to have true conjunctivitis, only sporadic runiness that is completely gone the next day. We'll see, but I really think there is little of concern here. Mark had a wedding yesterday and Cosmo was a great companion, he can be a little jewel. I know Star would have been with me too, but the poor baby is "in jail" and I visited her frequently during the day. A week and a half before those stitches come out, it's hard to imagine.

PS Star requested that we take no more pictures of her in her "sick room" (Mark's workout room/office) as it's embarrassing. The room is her concern, not her appearance. :-)

What a Day!!

2008-08-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dreaming of freedom in the window

You think that if you have owned cats for many years you've seen everything. And I have seen LOTS. I had my Siamese spayed years ago, but had no other cat living in the house at that time, so this will be a new experience. Yesterday we brought Star home from her surgery and of course the first thing she did was to try and pull out her three stitches. We ran back to the vets to get her an Ecollar to try to stop her and thus far it has worked. She is still, I think, a little bit under the influence of the three day pain killing shot they gave her so she is intermittently sleepy. She is confined to Mark's office and has all of the "amenities" she could want there, except freedom of course. But, the biggest surprise so far has been Cosmo's reaction to the whole thing. He did not seem to miss her at all when she was gone overnight, but he sure wants to get in that room now to see how she is and possibly torture her. I think he is "concerned" by the strange smells she came in with from the vets, and they are allowed a couple of minutes at a time together a few times a day to groom each other a bit, but as soon as he starts to play with her I have to carry him out. She is feeling friskier this morning than she did last night too, and really seems a bit more ready to play. Unfortunately for her she is stuck in the room until after the weekend and then will be allowed out only under "supervision". If we didn't have a highly energetic kitten here I would let her roam the house on her own, keeping an eye in her to prevent her from jumping. But with Cosmo here ready to pounce that is just not possible. The complete healing cycle takes about two weeks give or take, and so it might be a tough time for Star, and us!! Fortunately the wound itself looks really good this morning, and the collar is still on so I am taking this and running with it, it's been a good night. I have some baking to do so here is another picture of my baby in her "Elizabethan collar". Poor Baby!! More to come...

In the "nick of time"

2008-08-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

This is all the "mothering" Star needs to do!

Star goes in for surgery tomorrow AM and it's , I think, in the nick of time. She is showing some signs of going into "heat" and I am very glad that we can get her in to get the procedure done asap. I am hoping that this will calm her down as she is the one who gets the gang up at 5:30AM every day. She also seems very restless much of the time and though some of that might be attributed to the newness of our home I think lots of it is due to her being "hormonal". We will keep her overnight at the vet's Tuesday because Cosmo is here and I really want her initial healing to be quiet, and then we may keep her isolated for a few days due to his sometimes "rough play". In a way I hate to take her out of an environment in which she is just becoming accustomed to have her spayed, but it really has got to be done.

Cosmo continues to eat anything that doesn't walk away from him, he is so different from Gabriel who was such a picky eater all the time. Cosmo's growth seems incredible too, you can almost watch him grow. Anyway, there is more to come with a description of what a "typical" day is like around here with two "wild animals" in residence.

If a picture paints a 1,000 words....

2008-08-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Their favorite green chair, a moment of relative calm

Then why am I writing? I have a couple of shots I took last night that I think I'll put up today. They continue to grow, eat, sleep (sometimes), and play!! They are thriving. I am still trying to decide how to handle the unprofessional vet we saw on Tuesday, one thing was clear she didn't like purebred cats, or maybe it was us she didn't like I don't know. But, IMO someone (me) really needs to say something because we can't be the only people she gives misinformation and rude treatment to.

Cosmo in the "treetops".

Star "deep" in thought :-)

The vet from Hell!

2008-08-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes all you really need is a paper bag to entertain you!!

The trip to the vets yesterday was a disaster. The female vet, who shall remain nameless, was cold, rude, dismissive, and not even nice to the animals. She lied to me about a testing procedure which I know is in existence, and tried to sell me products for a nonexistent condition in one of the babies. Needless to say we will not be back. I called my old vet's office and they now have a "cat specialist" on staff. We scheduled Star's spaying for Tuesday. I guess I should have known that you can't trust someone who will not look you in the eye, this vet was just the worst and I may go over to Angie's List and warn people from her. The babies thus far seem no the worse for wear, though the rabies vaccine required by NYS set them back a bit yesterday. I also put on some Advantage and am hoping like crazy they will not have a bad reaction to it. >sigh<
The "good news" is that Mark and I finally got a good night's sleep, boy did we need it!!

Growth and Independence

2008-08-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

The babies are growing at an accelerated rate. Cosmo's growth is easier to see since he started out quite tiny, but I know Star is growing too. I did not officially weigh them when they arrived, but the vet will do so tomorrow and then I can keep better track of their progress. They eat very well with no urging needed , unlike Gabriel, and Cosmo in particular continues to be a gourmond and NOT a gourmet. He will consume his food as well as Star's if I don't watch him closely.

Meanwhile sleeping has still been sporadic at best, so tonight I may shut them downstairs to either sleep , play, or eat on their own. Michele Cole, the breeder who we purchased them from, suggested that they will not really be ready to sleep soundly with us for a while yet. Cosmo settles right in at 11 each night, and I think that if we just had him it would work. But Star seems to be the more nocturnal of the two and sometimes wants to start playing at 4:30AM. What with the Olympics on until midnight (and beyond) I am continually tired and need at least ONE really good night's sleep. We'll see if I get the guts to shut them downstairs or not. Meanwhile at the vets tomorrow we'll find out if Star is in heat now (I think she is not) and if not have her spayed asap, this may also help with the sleeping situation.

They'll always get a "good night's sleep" even if it's in the middle of the day!!

It's all in how you play...

2008-08-09T05:31:00.001-07:00

Star plays surrogate "mom" on top of the "cat condo".

Sometimes when Star and Cosmo play I can't watch. The play rough. They are supposed to, and I know that they are getting rid of frustrations, energy, and are establishing their boundaries and pecking order (no contest at this point, she has the top rung of that ladder). But nonetheless it scares me to watch them. Sometimes I wimp out and just leave it to Mark who is the more easy going "daddy" observing their play while I go make beds or write for TBV. Some mornings they race around what used to be my house like wild mad banshees, and other mornings, like THIS morning, they only play with normal over the top kitten intensity. Thus, I have decided that I must just let them be, let them figure out what is what without too much , if any, interference from me. Mark had a wedding yesterday so it was mom and kids all alone for the day. They were wonderful companions hanging around with me wherever I went. They helped me clean, cook, blog, and take a nap. I confess that there have been times, when I was tired, that I wondered if we did the right thing by getting two of them, but after yesterday I have no doubts. They are wonderful! Just letting them be was probably the best thing I have done for them so far.

OK, so it's the "semi-daily" Maine...

2008-08-08T04:44:00.000-07:00

Sleeping with us at night is one thing, napping on the utility room floor is another...

Yesterday got away from me what with important things to post over on TBV ect. , so the DM got pushed aside. But I'm back and the kids are rarin' to go as usual this morning. I have been reading the on line debate over the past week about whether or not you should allow your cats/kittens to sleep in your bedroom. For me it's never been an issue really. I've had cats since I was a little girl, honestly it's been for as long as I can remember, and they have always slept with me in my bed. Mark doesn't mind in the least, so they have been with us since night 1. For the first few days I had the master bedroom and adjacent office closed to the rest of the house while they became accustomed to their new home. Part of the reason was that the place they came from was much smaller than this house and they were a bit overwhelmed by the scope of it all, and part of it was due to the fact that Cosmo was tiny and I had to be confident in his ability to negotiate our 14 step oak staircase. Now they have access to the whole house all day long, but they still choose to bunk with us when the lights go out. Cosmo sleeps between us and Star generally sleeps down at the foot of the bed. Cosmo's position in bed was sort of alarming at first. This tiny little 3 pounder glomms himself right up against one of us every night, and both of us are still sleeping lightly due to fears that we'll roll over on him. He has grown tremendously in the past week though, as he eats like the proverbial pig, so this fear may start to abate slowly. Star is already a big girl so we wouldn't have those trepidations in her case, but she usually likes to sleep at the foot of the bed anyway where she can keep her eye on things. She wakes up anytime between 6-6:30 and gives the rest of us notice that it's time to begin the day. All in all the transition has been an easy one, though those summer days when we blissfully slept until 8 now seem to be lost in the distant past.

It's the differences that make life interesting...

2008-08-06T17:48:00.002-07:00

The "kids" atop the "cat condo" biding their time...

We have noticed that Star and Cosmo are very different in their approach to life. I am not sure at this point if Star, who will be 8 months old next week, would have been different had she been ours since Cosmo's age, or if she's different because she is just who she is. But, Cosmo is so easy. He's the essence of confidence as he bashes through the rooms of our house and into our hearts. He is a little stinker and a little angel all at once. Star is very quiet in her demeanor, and very humble for something with so much beauty. She sits back and watches all, waiting to see what will happen next. She is always thinking and is sometimes very affectionate and talkative, while at other times reticent finding her own space with no one else needed. It does indeed make for interesting contrasts, they are so alike and yet so vastly divergent.

The breeder we got our cats from is giving me some advice on how to get a better night's sleep (I have little hope of actually getting a GOOD night's sleep for some time to come) but that will have to ...YAWN... wait until tomorrow.

Easy day, thus far...

2008-08-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Cosmo not quite ready to wind down yet for the day.

I have to admit to having thought that the adjustment period on both sides of this proposition, the new cats and us, would be more difficult than it has been. So far, it's been relatively easy. (with the possible exception of the early morning wake up call, Mark and I are now alternating "dawn duty"). They are both bright, perceptive, and well adjusted cats, no mean feat. The older one ,Star, is very bright, you can watch her figure out how to solve her little problems. Cosmo, the "baby", is still into the "eat, sleep, play, eat" mode so his "brain" is seemingly less well developed though I suspect he'll get to Star's level of problem solving expertise one of these days. It's fascinating to watch them decide how to solve their various daily puzzles. My only real problem with them is the occasional "rough play" they exhibit. I know lots of people love watching kittens plays with each other, but I admit to fearing some kind of horrible injury that I would then have to explain to my new vet. And yes I got the courage to call and make an appointment with a new vet. The one we had used lives over a half hour's drive away and though he is perfectly competent and did a nice job with our very ill Gabriel, it's just too far for emergencies or snowy wintertime visits. We are scheduled for appointments with both babies on Tuesday so we'll see how that goes. I am very optimistic.

Star looking too alert for her own good too!!

There's nothin' like a good nap

2008-08-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Star and Cosmo having a siesta.

I know this because I NEED a good nap today!! What a crazy day! Mark was at the emergency room for three hours this PM with a cinder in his eye, needless to say he will NOT be riding with HollyLoft tomorrow night, and we had a minor crisis with Star. Cosmo is like beautiful clay, he is so young and unformed that he molds to everything we do. But, Star has been elsewhere for almost 8 months and she has had routines established in her life that no longer exist. I have not left the babies alone since they came home last Thursday, either Mark or I will always be here. But, Mark had a meeting this afternoon BEFORE the emergency room visit (I need to interject that we are teachers and have the summer off until after Labor day, well I do Mark shoots weddings each weekend) Anyway I decided to try to relieve my sleep deprivation (they get up at 5:45AM on the clock) and take a short nap this PM. Star did not know that I had Cosmo with me and she shrieked when she thought she was alone. This cat is the Grace Kelly of the kitty world: aloof, elegant, and seemingly needing no one, until she proved THAT analogy incorrect today when she thought she was alone. Of course I called for her immediately to let her know where we were, and she came trilling like only a Maine baby can do, but it was a lesson for me. I know now that I have more to learn from them than they have from me. Tomorrow, I switch vets, scary!!

Welcome Home

2008-08-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Star and Cosmo

I've been blogging for about two years now and it's something I enjoy doing, though at times it can be tedious. I hope that this blog is not tedious at all. It will concern the two Maine Coon Cat kittens my husband and I recently brought home with us. The younger, Cosmo, is 3 months old and is a brown mac tabby with white. and the previous link shows you Cosmo's dad. To say he is adorable would be completely understating the facts.The older kitten is female and her name is Star. She is a very glamorous silver patch mac tabby just like her mom Star is almost 8 months old. We lost our 14 year old MC to renal disease this spring and decided that our house was an empty place, so in order to fill it and our hearts I searched until I found a great MC breeder. Maine Delite Maine Coons, found in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio was just what I was looking for. Our babies made it home here to Western NY safely on Thursday and have already made great progress in adjusting to us, our house, and their new lives with us. I'll try to post pictures each day as a way of keeping track of how they have grown along with a few comments on what they have been doing. By doing this I also hope that the comment section of the blog will be a great place for other MC/cat lovers to discuss their favorite cats, and how they can best be raised.

Star

Cosmo