Friday, July 29, 2016

Acupressure Nap



Cyndi here in the TV studio with the latest Funny Farm news.  Stop heckling, Percy.  This is my TV studio if I want it to be!


I thought I would show you Jan's new "torture chamber", otherwise known as an acupressure mat and pillow.  She froze at a meeting yesterday which caused some scary problems with her neck and shoulders, so we're all going to be laying low for a few days while she recuperates.  You know how it is when you have a human to take care of.  They demand your full attention. 


One thing is certain.  You won't find any of us furries joining her for an acupressure nap, even though Jan says it is relaxing.  We prefer to nap on a soft bed. 

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Decorating Nightmare



Marcus:  Hey, look, our new typing chair.  It's taller than the old one, so you shorties can reach the keys easier.

Cyndi:  Wonderful.

Buddy:  What was wrong with the old chair?

Marcus:  You know Jan was always complaining she felt like she was sitting on a metal bar even with a pillow or cushion.  This Serta chair has "comfort coils". 


Cyndi:  Buddy, you're sitting behind the chair.  If you wanted to pose, you should be sitting in front of it.

Buddy:  I'm not in the picture.  *peers closely*  Oh, yes, I am.  Barely, over there on the left. 

Percy:  That's a good looking chair, isn't it!  And Jan says it is so comfortable; the first chair she has actually been able to sit properly and comfortably in for many years.

Cyndi:  That must be why we haven't been able to spend much time in it since Mr. Doug came over and put it together Monday.

Buddy:  It was a belated birthday gift from Miss Teresa, the nice lady who saved Luke the Pee Machine (now Benny) from ending up at the shelter after we returned him to his owners (owners, not "family").


Marcus:  It was a nice looking chair, so why does it look like this now that Jan is using it?

Cyndi:  Mainly because a certain kitty used to stand on the back of the old chair and use it for a scratching post.

Percy:  Why are you glaring at me?  I never!

Cyndi:  Then why is the old chair is in the background with a towel protecting it?

Percy:  I have no idea! 

Buddy:  I think the sheet is to protect the chair back from He Who Shall Remain Anonymous's claws, but the towel across the seat and the wash cloths on the arms are because Jan has been sweating so hard in the heat and humidity she was sticking to the chair.

Marcus:  I wish she hadn't done that.  I was thinking of betting on how long it would take before she slid out of the wet chair.

Percy:  I'd probably have been blamed for that too.

Cyndi:  Even if Jan has turned it into a decorating nightmare, we are celebrating the comfortable gift for Thankful Thursday.

Buddy:  Hey, before we close this post, we have some fun news.  Our own handsome mancat Rusty was interviewed by Bacon for Spotlight Thursday.   Hurry over there to read Rusty's interview.

We are joining Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop. 

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Do I Look Wet?

Taylor:  Buddy, what happened?  Get caught in the rain?  You look a bit wet.


Buddy:  Jan tried to drown me.

Taylor:  I find that a bit hard to believe.

Buddy:  Seriously.  She turned the hose on me and tried to drown me.

Micah:  I think he means Jan gave him a bath.

Buddy:  Yes, that's what I said.  Jan tried to drown me.  Don't I look like a drowned dog?

Micah:  Not really.  If you're walking, talking and whining about the water, you are definitely not drowned!

Buddy:  I heard her say you're next, Micah.

Taylor:  Where did he go?  I didn't know Micah could move so fast.

Buddy:  Jan isn't really going to give him a bath.  It was payback for what he said.  You don't think I was whining, do you?

Taylor:  No, not me!  I believed every word.

Buddy:  Good.  As I was saying, Jan tried to drown me, but I survived.  And I paid her back by using the canine towel to dry myself.

Taylor:  You shook water over her?

Buddy:  Yes.  It was such fun.

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Alligator in My Bowl



Marcus:  Here I am in my Private Dining Car waiting for the dinner whistle to blow so I can dine.

Buddy:  You are not!  You're in your PDC waiting for Jan to give you the word so you can dig in.

Marcus:  Same thing.

Merci:  So what are we taste testing today?


Marcus:  Can you believe we're eating alligator and catfish today?  It's the Blue Wilderness Bayou Blend


Buddy:  It looks like regular dog food in the can.  You're joking about the alligator, right?

Merci:  No, he's not.  I'm reading the label and the ingredients are:  alligator, chicken broth, chicken, potatoes, water, whitefish, chicken liver, turkey, catfish, pea flour, dried egg, pea protein, shrimp, guar gum, sunflower oil, salt, and vitamins and minerals.

Key Benefits from Chewy.com:
    Exotic bayou blend of alligator, catfish and shrimp
    100% grain-free and gluten-free diet
    Filled with high-quality unique proteins
    Fortified with essential vitamins and minerals
    Formulated for adult dogs
    No artificial preservatives, colors or flavors
    No corn, wheat, soy or chicken/poultry by-product meals
 

Marcus:  Jan said to dig in to my kibble topped with a good helping of Bayou Blend, so I'm digging!


Buddy:  Hello, Jan?  Merci and I have been patient.  Can we dig too?


Merci:  Hey, this is really good.  I wasn't sure I'd like alligator.

Buddy:  I like it fine as long as it's in my bowl and not in the bathtub.


Marcus:  We seem to be in agreement here.  This Blue Wilderness Bayou Blend dog food is tasty.

We received the product for this review from Chewy, but we were not paid. Any opinions expressed are entirely our own.

Monday, July 25, 2016

Fisticuffs on the Desk




Percy:  What are you doing on the desk?  I was here first.

Micah:  It's my desk too.  And I'm not bothering you.

Percy:  You bother me just by being in the same room ... in the same house.  Can I pack your bags for you?

Merci:  One of you needs to move - off the desk, not out of the house.  You know if you stay anywhere near each other you'll get into a fight.


Micah:  No, we won't.  I'll just stretch out over here and Percy can have that end of the desk.

Merci:  *three minutes later*  Jaaaaaaaaan!  Fisticuffs on the old desk!

Percy:  *two minutes later*  Zzzzzzzzz.

Micah:   Zzzzzzzz.

Merci:  I'm glad I'm not a guy.  I have never been able to figure them out.

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Happy 14 or 15 Merci

Taylor:  I thought yesterday, July 22, was Merci's 13th Gotcha Day and designated 14 or 15th birthday.  Why are we celebrating today?

Merci:  It's okay.  You cats needed to do a fishy flake review.  I wasn't planning to leave for the bridge yet, so I didn't mind waiting an extra day.


Buddy:  Come on, everybody, let's sing for the birthday girl!

     Happy birthday to you- owooooh.
     Happy birthday to you - owooooh.
     Happy birthday, dear Merci - owooooh.
     Happy birthday to you - owooooh.

Merci:  Thank you, but it would have been okay to leave out the howling, Buddy.  My old ears can't handle those high notes any more.

Buddy:  And my old voice can't sustain the notes.  Good thing Jan didn't bake you a cake.  You'd probably pass out trying to blow out the candles.

Taylor:  Since we're posting on Saturday, we thought we would join Athena for her Caturday Art blog hop.


Buddy:  And what better art to play with today than Merci's birthday card?  This is a sketch. 


Taylor:  Thirty seconds after Jan made these changes, she had completely forgotten what she did to get this effect, so we're calling it Merci's Hippy Pic.

Buddy:  That can't be spelled right.  Merci is not hippy.  I think you mean Merci's Hippie Pic.

Merci: Or my green ear phase. 

Buddy:  Whatever it's called, we're happy you're still with us.  We hope to celebrate again next July.

Friday, July 22, 2016

Fishy Flake Euphoria

Marcus.
Marcus:  Hey, that smells good.  What's in the package?

Percy.
Percy:  I'm not sure.  Smells like fish.  Were you expecting any fish?

Percy.
Percy:  Hey, it is fish.  It's a .5 ounce bag of Cat-Man-Doo extra large dried bonito flakes.  I don't believe these are for you, Marcus, so I'll take over the modeling, if you don't mind.

Marcus:  Wait, it says "cat and dog treats" on the webpage.  I'm a dog. 

Percy.
Percy:  But that's a cat fishing on the package and the package says, "Reward your cat with this nutritious treat."  I'm a cat.  The reward is mine.

Percy.
Key benefits as listed on Chewy:

    No additives or preservatives, just fish!
    Appetite stimulant.
    Made with high quality single ingredient.
    High protein, low fat.
    Healthy meal additive - helps entice finicky eaters when crumbled on food.
    Natural fish oils will keep your cat or dog’s fur shiny and beautiful.
    No refrigeration required.

Marcus & Micah.

Micah:  Don't drool on my fish flakes, Marcus.

Rusty & Cyndi.
Rusty:  They sure are tasty.

Cyndi:  Why don't we finish our post with photos so we don't have to stop eating?

Rusty:  Good idea.

Rusty and Cyndi - and Marcus licking fish flakes from his nose.

Taylor.

Taylor.

Rusty & Cyndi.

Micah.
Micah:  I guess you can tell we loved these Cat-Man-Doo XL dried bonito flakes.

Taylor:  Hey, I didn't get to say anything.

Micah:  Why don't you give the disclaimer?

Taylor:  Thank you.  A good idea.

We received a bag of fish flakes from Chewy.com for this review.  We were not paid to write this and any opinions expressed are entirely our own.


We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and RoccoBionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Love is being owned by a husky.

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Family of Five Photo


Cyndi:  Hey, this isn't fair.  There are five of you in this photo.  If you're going to have a family picture, I should have been invited.  Micah and Taylor, too. 

Percy:  We weren't invited either, so don't get upset.  I was just enjoying my Private Lounge and suddenly Jan snapped a picture.

Buddy:  At least you were caught lounging.  Rusty and I were taking a bath.

Cyndi:  Merci is dead to the world in Buddy's bed and Marcus is snoring in his Private Dining Car.  I'll never understand why he likes to sleep in there with the door open.

Percy:  I think he's hopeful if he stays long enough he'll get an extra meal.

Cyndi:  But he eats in the kitchen with the rest of us.

Buddy:  You know Marcus.  He's an optimist.

Percy:  Jan said she's pretty thankful to get five of us in the same photo. 

Cyndi:  Well, next time tell Jan to wait until the rest of us can get here.

Buddy:  Of course.  And by the time you and Taylor get done taking a bath, curling your hair and painting your toes, the photo hour will have passed and none of us will be in a picture.


We are joining Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016

An Aiming Problem


Percy: That was some storm yesterday. Good thing it was a quick one.


Merci: Jan got home shortly after it went through and rushed us off on an early walk before the next one arrived. She took a photo of the sky on our way home.

Buddy: Jan made us walk in the middle of the road so she could get a good shot of the blackness framed between the trees. I can't wait to see how it turned out.

Percy:  I think she already downloaded it.  It should be easy to find.  She hasn't taken any other photos since Monday.

Merci:  Let's go see how it looks.


Percy:  I can't find it.  This is the only new picture I can find but that's the back of our house. 

Merci:  That can't be right.  She distinctly said she was taking a picture of the black sky framed by trees.  I don't see any sky at all.  Do you?

Buddy:  I remember we were about two blocks from home.  She used the zoom and held the camera up and pointed straight ahead.  How did she manage to -

Merci:  Never mind.  If we ask that question, she'll say it was our fault because one of us moved. 

Buddy:  She has said she can't see what she's photographing outdoors.  Do you suppose she's telling the truth?

Percy:  Do you think she has a  -

Merci:  Drinking problem?

Percy:  No, an aiming problem.

Buddy:  I'd say so.  She's probably feeling a bit embarrassed about missing the intended photo.  Do you think we should mention what a good job she did trimming the tree so we could see the house in this accidental shot?  What's so funny, Percy?

Percy:  I'm just wondering how Jan managed to miss the sky.  It's not like it's the size of a splinter.

Merci:  Not a word of this to Jan!  Agreed?

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Mr. I Speak Geese




Marcus: You'll never guess who I saw on our walk the other day?

Rusty:  The geese Minnie and Mo.

Marcus:  Yes.  How did you know?

Rusty:  When you got home, Buddy and Merci told us you had been carrying on a conversation with yourself again.


Marcus:  They're just jealous because they don't speak geese.  Er, goose.  Bird, they don't speak bird.

Rusty:  So what did the geese have to say this time?

Marcus:  Mo started honking as soon as he saw us coming.  He said he was so glad to see me again.  It's been a while and he missed my face.  Or maybe he said he missed my ears.  I had a hard time translating that part, but he did miss something about me.

Rusty:  Wait.  Did you say he missed your ears?  Seriously?

Marcus:  I'm not sure.  We don't speak the same dialect.

Rusty:  Are you sure he didn't suggest you clean your ears?

Marcus:  Why would he do that?

Rusty:  I heard a rumor that dogs with dirty ears hear things that aren't ... uh, real.

Marcus:  They do?  Maybe that's Merci's problem.  She keeps complaining I scream in her ear when we set out on a walk, and you all know I'm the calmest dog you know.  I never scream.  I think I'll go suggest Jan clean Merci's ears.

Cyndi:  Where's Marcus off to now?

Rusty:  I think he's going to suggest Jan clean Merci's ears so Merci doesn't hear him screaming when he's excited.

Cyndi:  That doesn't make any sense.

Rusty:  I know that and you know that, but Mr. I Speak Geese hasn't a clue.

Monday, July 18, 2016

Bow Tie For A Moose

Taylor:  What in the world is that?


Buddy:  It's Marcus.

Taylor:  Which part of him?

Buddy:  His neck.

Taylor:  You had me worried for a moment.  I was told this is a family friendly blog.

Buddy:  It's a refreshing change to not have to see Marcus's face in a post.

Taylor:  Why is his face missing?

Buddy:  Because a while back he sat on Jan's lap while she was trying to type and this was her view.

Taylor:  He looks a bit naked.  I know; he needs a bow tie.  

Buddy:  Sometimes he needs a noose.

Marcus:  Who needs a moose?

Buddy:  You startled me, Marcus!  I was just telling Taylor that Rusty needs a mousse.  One of those rich, frothy, creamy desserts made with whipped egg whites and heavy cream.  It would put a little weight on him.

Marcus:  A good idea.  I hope we all get some too.  That picture you're looking at needs a little color.  It looks like some dog's neck.  Might I suggest a bow tie?

Friday, July 15, 2016

Hitch in My Glitch

Cyndi:  You look sad, Buddy.  What's wrong?


Buddy:  I don't know.  I guess I'm feeling a bit nostalgic.

Cyndi:  For anything in particular?

Buddy:  Yes, for the days when I was young and handsome, Miss Mother and Mr. Harwood were still with us, I was the star of this blog, and Jan took us dogs in the car because I was an excellent back seat driver.  Now I'm old and ugly, white-furred and boring.

Cyndi:  You aren't ugly and boring, Buddy.  I remember you in your prime.  Handsome, energetic, nose to the ground dragging Jan down the street.

Buddy:  Now I get a crick in my neck if I try to follow a trail and a glitch in my hitch when I try to keep the pace.

Cyndi:  Oh, I think I know the problem.  You're feeling left out and overlooked because of Marcus.  

Buddy:  Yes, he pushes his way into everything.  He's always getting his picture taken and finagling his way into the center of posts.  He shoves everyone out of his way to be first through the door, shrieks at the top of his lungs to let the entire neighborhood know he's going on a walk.  He ... he's obnoxious!

Cyndi: You're jealous, but you shouldn't be.  You were the king of obnoxious.  You moved in here, took over Merci's toys, ate her food, stepped on her to be first out the door, bayed at the top of your lungs to tell the world you were on your way -   I could go on, but you get the idea.  You're the original. Marcus is a copy.

Buddy:  Thanks for the pep talk, Merci.  I feel much better.

Cyndi:  Where are you going?

Buddy:  To get Marcus's attention, even if I have to sit on him, so I can teach him everything I can remember about obnoxious. 

Cyndi:  Sit on him?  Must be a new teaching method.


We are joining the Pet Parade blog hop with hosts Rascal and RoccoBionic Basil, Barking From the Bayou and Love is being owned by a husky.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Marcus Exercises Brain


Marcus here again.  Here I am waiting to finally be rewarded with treats for my expert tree trimming supervision these past two weeks.  I have to admit I have never worked so hard in my life.  Trying to motivate a human just wiped me out!


This is a "before" photograph from my Monday post (Supervisor Marcus Report).  The branch disappearing to the left is in actuality two branches on the neighbor's pecan tree.  The higher one is over the neighbor's property, but the bottom one has grown over ours and blocks a chunk of light to our dog pen. 

I told Jan repeatedly she should cut that one while she still has use of the saw on a pole.  But she hemmed, hawed and complained she already hadn't had energy to answer the phone for a week, why should she endanger health and limb any more over a ... well, over a limb.  


But she really wanted to take down that sucker.  And guess what?  It fell off the tree onto our lawn.  With a lot of help from Jan and her borrowed saw on a pole, of course. 


The missing limb improves our view and adds a little more late afternoon sunlight.   Jan said the squirrel that hung around posing on top of the pen (yes, there is a squirrel there between the windows of the neighbor's house) is named Mini Marcus.  You can guess why - because I always stop to pose for photos.


With our tree and the neighbor's tree and high shrubbery behind us, the amount of sunlight in our dog pen will be limited, but for the time being there will be some.  It's a contest as to whether Jan is aging more rapidly than the tree is growing, or vice versa.  Jan says she will never, never, never, never N-E-V-E-R be able to attempt this again. 

I don't know why she is moaning and groaning.  She should be thanking me.  All she had to do was the labor, whereas I had to exercise my brain. 


We are joining Pepi Smart Dog and friends for the Thankful Thursday blog hop.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Percy the Mancat

Merci:  Hey, Percy, what are you doing on the roof of  Marcus's Private Dining Car?


Percy:  This is my Private Lounge.  What do you think I'm doing?

Merci:  Lounging?  Or contemplating the mess you made?


Percy:  Both, I guess.  Jan had the nerve to lay some things down on my Lounge and I kicked them to the curb, so to speak.


Marcus:  I hope you remember to tell Jan I did not make the mess.

Taylor:  Looks like Marcus photobombed your mess, Percy.  He's everywhere.  And usually in trouble.

Merci:  Yes, and Jan sure was upset with him late Monday night when he was running around the crate and Percy was stretched out on his Lounge screaming at him. 

Marcus:  I told you all I didn't do anything to Percy and none of you believed me.

Taylor:  Habit, but Jan caught on very quickly that Percy wasn't screaming in anger.  He was in pain! 

Merci:  What happened?  By the time I got there it was over.

Marcus:  Percy was lying where the newspaper is in the picture.  His back paw had gone between the wire, twisted and come through another opening.  He couldn't move, only scream.

Taylor:  Before Jan could get to him, Marcus the Menace, who loves to torment us cats, ran around the crate, stood on his hind legs and started licking Percy's head. 

Merci:  Jan stood Percy up and leaned him the other way.  He was able to pop his paw loose. 

Percy:  You were nice  to me, Marcus.  And Micah too.  I was so relieved to be free, I leaped onto the cat tower and suddenly realized I was too close to Micah, but he didn't whap me on the head and chase me away like he normally does.  

Marcus:  How is your foot?  With all that screaming I thought sure it was broken, but you haven't been limping, so I take it you're okay.

Taylor:  I hope he learned his lesson and the next time Jan puts down something soft for him to lie on in his Private Lounge, he won't toss it to the floor.

Percy:  I'm a mancat.  I don't do soft.

Merci:  Of course you don't.  Not when anyone is looking, anyway.

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Amber Crown Collars

Cyndi:  Rusty, those are mine and Buddy's new necklace collars.  Why are you photobombing them?


Rusty:  Photobombing?  I'm just keeping them company while Jan takes a picture.


Cyndi:  The little one in the front is mine.  The darker one doubled over in the back is Buddy's.  His neck is a lot larger than mine.


Rusty:  Marcus, what are you doing down there?  You aren't supposed to be in this post.

Marcus:  But my fans will be unhappy if you don't include me.

Rusty:  Oh, okay, but you owe me big time!


Buddy:  The collar in front with the brown stones is my new authentic raw Baltic Amber Crown pet necklace.  It's supposed to repel fleas and ticks for up to one year without toxic chemicals.  Jan tried to get a shot of the actual stones but it was nap time and I wasn't cooperative.


Cyndi:  I have never worn a collar or necklace before and it took some getting used to.  The stones are small and they disappeared into my fur.  The necklace is supposed to release terpenes to naturally repel ticks and fleas.  Plus, parasites are prevented from clinging by static electricity from the friction against fur.


Buddy:  The first photos of the necklaces were taken on 5/17.  According to Amber Crown, "It usually takes up to three weeks of wearing to reach maximum repellent effectiveness."

Cyndi:  It would need to be replaced at the end of the year or when the stones become polished against the fur.  This and the remaining photos were taken on 6/21.  Sadly, you can see how much Buddy's "industrial strength nylon thread" has stretched.  There were wide gaps between stones.


Buddy:  Jan was very careful with my harness on walks.  The only thing she can figure is this happened from me scratching my neck.  She checked my face and there were fleas crawling all over it, something that was not supposed to happen while wearing this collar, so she didn't bother checking the rest of me.  If there were that many fleas so near the collar ...

Cyndi:  She let her contact know there was a problem and there didn't seem to be any concern.  But it bothered Jan so much she went on Facebook and messaged the company.  Seven days later she had an email address for them.  (Actually, one came with the collars, but a kitty who shall remain anonymous - unless he keeps bugging me - hid the individual boxes under furniture and they were only found last night behind some storage.)

Buddy:  She emailed the company her findings and concerns two weeks ago but has not received a response.  Tonight she noticed a graphic that claimed "up to 4 times larger Baltic amber pieces" on their campaign website, so she took a good look at the two collars.  The stones of each are different colors but they are most certainly not of much different, if any, size.

Cyndi:  I am a petite female kitty.  Buddy is a hound dog, several times my size.

Buddy:  They must have sent me one of the older models, not one of the upgraded "bigger, stronger" collars because it did not do anything for me.


Cyndi: On the other paw, Jan is very pleased with my necklace.  She chose me and Buddy for the review because we were both having a problem and she so wanted to for us to repel fleas and ticks naturally.  My coat has grown back silky and flyaway and all the scabs have healed - except, for some reason, the ones around my neck.  Jan thinks either the collar itches a bit or I prefer to go naked.  I'm not saying.

Buddy:  Jan would have liked for Amber Crown.com to respond to the problems with my collar so she could understand why mine failed and Cyndi's is a success.

Repeat:  Cyndi's cat necklace is a success.  The failure is with Buddy's dog collar.

We were given one cat and one dog collar for this review.  We received no other compensation.  Any opinions expressed are from our personal experience with the product.