Brain Surgery Versus Plumbing

Buddy:  I wish you guys would have let me know before Monday's post (Great Swampi Marcus 5) was published.

Marcus:  Why?  Was there something wrong with it?

Buddy:  Not exactly wrong, but I could have given you the perfect response to (Name Removed) who wanted to write a guest post on the subject of financial aid and education policy.

Percy:  I thought we did a good job of responding to his misstatement of his subjects fitting into our blog theme.

Buddy:  Marcus had not yet been born in 2009, but how quickly you forgot.

Percy:  2009?  Of course I've forgotten 2009.  That was like fifty or ninety years ago.

Marcus:  It was?

Percy:  Not quite, but a lot of posts have gone live since then.  What happened in 2009?

Buddy:  I got a higher education and I did it without any financial aid.  I graduated debt free.

Marcus:  So what response would you have recommended to Mr. Name Removed?

Buddy:  I would have sent a -

Percy:  Oh, wait, I do remember what happened in 2009 and I know how we should have responded.

Buddy:  I would have proposed -

Percy:  We should have sent Mr. Name Removed a picture of Dr. Buddy with the message that he managed to graduate from medical school without incurring any debt.  (Dr. Buddy on Call)

Marcus:  Why?  To make him laugh?

Buddy:  Will you guys let me finish a sentence!  I was going to suggest the same thing.  In my day, I was quite the example every mom used to encourage her son to set a goal and make something of himself!

Percy:  Every mom never heard of you and those that did moved to Wisconsin before her son could try to emulate you and flood the house or fall through the roof.

Buddy:  I never fell through the roof.  Okay, I did flood the house once, which is why I needed to change careers.  But I was a terrific brain surgeon!

Marcus:  Brain surgeon?  I think I'm thankful this was before my time.

Percy:  The rest of us are thankful Dr. Buddy is retired.

Buddy:  I might be old and arthritic but my brain still works and I can still wield a scalpel.  Perhaps not as accurately as I once did, so I would be careful if I were you.

Percy:  I think I'll be sleeping with one eye open for a while.

Marcus:  Staying awake sounds like a better idea.  I wonder if caffeine works for dogs.
 


We always have much to be thankful for, so we are joining the Thankful Thursday blog hop at Brian's Home.  

Billy Sweetfeets and Dr. Buddy

A few days ago we learned that Billy Sweetfeets Norton Gingersnap has cancer.   He has always been a happy, loving mancat who loves to dance so we wanted to do a happy post for him. He's not sure how much time he has left - a couple months ... a year.  We hope he will be sharing many months with his family.

Billy and his brothers Sammy, Miles and Nikki from Meezer Tails are old blogging buddies. Six years ago, Dr. Buddy operated on Billy's brain.  Billy was a great patient and we had a lot of fun writing a 3-part story on the subject.  Because we love Billy, the Meezers and Mom Mary, we decided to take a trip down memory lane today. You are welcome to join us for a smile. 

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First posted Saturday, December 05, 2009 -

Jan left this comment on The Meezers blog: Hey, Meezers the Mom, Freckles and Deb suggested I ask you if you are aware Sammy & Miles told Buddy they are sending Billy over for brain surgery? They even offered to sign the pre-surgery forms since Billy is underage. Buddy is sharpening his scalpel. Is this okay with you?

The Meezers: Deer Jan and Buddy, I is aware that Sammy the great and Miles the wonderful haf signed Billy the weerd up for brain surjery. I am hopeing that Buddy can find out what is wrong wif him. Sin-seer-lee, MeezerMomMerry.

Jan: Uh, the Meezer Mom, this is Jan again. I received your permission for Buddy to operate on Billy's brain but I'm a little suspicious. The spelling looks more like Sammy and Miles' pawwriting. Did they intercept my message and "give permission" or are you actually in agreement?

Click to continue reading --Dr. Buddy Prepares for Surgery.

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First posted on Sunday, December 06, 2009 -

Percy: Well, today was Buddy's big day. His first scheduled brain surgery is finished. Billy Sweetfeets was volunteered by his brothers, Sammy and Miles Meezer. They wanted to find out why Billy is "weerd."

Cyndi: I was Dr. Buddy's assistant. I was afraid I would pass out at the sight of blood. I didn't. I barfed. All over Dr. Buddy. At least I missed the patient and the sterile instruments.

Sam: Then she passed out. Instead of falling backwards so I could catch her, she fell sideways, landing on Merci, who screeched and dropped the emergency phone. It rolled out of her reach under the operating table.

Cameron: Perhaps we should begin at the beginning and give you an abbreviated account of our day in the operating room.

Click to continue reading - Billy's Brain Surgery.
.

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First posted on Monday, December 07, 2009.

Yesterday's post on Billy's Brain Surgery brought some interesting comments. We're still exhausted so we're just going to share some of them with you today.

Eric & Flynn left a message on The Meezer's blog: We googled green spots in the brain and it appears that Billy has been taken over by aliens!

We left a comment at the Meezer's too: Hey, guys, we're relieved to read Eric & Flynn's comment above. So that's what happened to Billy's brain. We're glad you enjoyed the surgical experience, Billy. Or at least most of it. We hope your head isn't too sore today. Miles & Sammy, we hope you are happy your little brother is home safe and sound. Buddy turned out to be a very competent surgeon. Much more competent than when he tried plumbing. 


Click to continue reading -  Comments on Billy' Sweetfeets.

Electrical Surgery

Sam:  Psst, Sam here.  I heard a nasty rumor that Jan ate the dog food for our review.  Do any of you know anything about that?

Marcus:  WHAT?  Jan wouldn't do that.  She doesn't like dog food.  Or does she?

Buddy:  Are you sure she ate it?  I heard a whisper that she fed our food to the cats. Why would she do that?  They have plenty of food.

Merci:  I heard it had something to do with crossed eyes.

Sam: I didn't know Jan has crossed eyes.  Did any of you notice that?

Merci:  No, Percy's eyes are slightly crossed but I don't think Jan's are.

Buddy:  No, I haven't noticed Jan having crossed eyes, but I have noticed she has been wandering around with crossed wires lately.   

Merci:  Wires, that's it. Crossed wires.

Marcus:  Should we call a doctor?  An ambulance?  Does she need electrical surgery?

Merci:  No, Marcus, crossed wires are in the brain.  I don't think she has an electrical circuit.  If she did, she's lost it.

Sam:  We don't need to call an ambulance.  If Jan needs a surgeon, Dr. Buddy is the best brain surgeon around.

Marcus: *wide-eyd*  Buddy is a brain surgeon? 

Buddy:  Of course.  A few years ago I operated on Billy Sweetfeets (Part 1 and Part 2 - uh, we advise you to visit the human litterbox before reading these posts) and he is doing well.

Marcus:  That's great.  But what about our food.  Did she feed it to the cats or not?

Merci:  Here it is.  The cats not only ate our food but they posted a review on it yesterday! 

Sam:  Isn't this against the Cat and Dog Treaty of 2008, subsection 124 of Section 29A?  There shall be no cross posting ... Oh, wait, it actually says, there shall be no cross-dressing between cats and dogs. 

Marcus:  Why would I want to dress as a cat?

Buddy:  I have no idea, but after this, I think I need a nap.

Daily Reminder until October 15:  And please help PAWS Norwalk, CT to win the Vetericyn giveaway.  Voting is so easy.  No apps and no sign-in. You can vote once daily through October 15. 

1. Click on this link.  bit.ly/1qVZSBi  (it will open a new tab)
2. Click on "Click here to vote for a small animal organization". PAWS, Norwalk, CT will appear.
3.Click "Vote".

If you aren't voting for another shelter in this giveaway, please consider voting and sharing this with your friends to help PAWS Norwalk, CT. 

Mutton Hollow Interview

We are pleased to introduce the kitties of the Mutton Hollow Critters blog - Ruby, Hootie, Zeek, Moosie, Scuby & Sylvester - as our interview subjects this week.  If you haven't met them yet, stop by Mousebreath to read their story, Cat Critters of Mutton Hollow.. If you've already met them, you might get to know them better. 

Bhu, Empire Opurrator

This week we interview the handsome Bhu from the Pattyskypants & Bhu blog.   He was not originally  intended to be a part of the blog, but he's just so darn cute, he quickly became  the S-T-A-R. You can read the in-depth interview exclusively at Mousebreath, Bhu, V..P. for Empire Opurrations. 

We'd like to add a couple of links for bloggers.

1)  We have written a number of times about the frustrations of word verification, so we were glad to see this story on The Real Blogger Status - If you Use CAPTCHA .. Try Publishing a Comment as a Guest.

2) If you have ads or write reviews on your blog, you need to be aware of and follow the latest FTC regulations.  They've made the rules stricter.

Prancer, Pip and Puddles

This week we have the cats from the Prancer Pie blog as our interview guests.  We're sure you'll learn some things about them you didn't know - or have forgotten.  Stop by Mousebreath to read their story, The 4 Ps ... Prancer, Princess, Precious and Princeton.

As many of you know, Princess left for the bridge very unexpectedly last Saturday, so this - her last interview  - is dedicated to her. 

Prancer will be visiting the vet Monday and his mom is very nervous after losing Princess last Saturday when she took her to the vet, so purrs would be welcomed.  

Today, March 15, is a very special day for the Dynamic Duo of Puddles and Pip.  They have brought so much joy (and mayhem) to our lives that Blogville's Mayoress Madi has declared this Pip and Puddles Appreciation day.  And they are being awarded the following Blogville honors- Pip will be bestowed the title "Blogville King of Cheeseburgers"  and Puddle with the title "Blogville Queen of Merriment and Mayhem."

We are so happy for both of them, knowing full well they deserve this honor - and more.  For example, Puddles should have her driving privileges restored in North or South Carolina (or both?) and anywhere else she's currently only licensed to walk, not drive.

Pip and Puddles, we will never forget the day you came to visit and we had so much fun (and only caused two accidents).  Riding the rails at Six Flags Over Georgia, speed-boating down the Flint River with the wind blowing Buddy's ears, pigging out at an all you can eat catfish buffet, and sharing Cheetos with the feline Funny Farmers (who had enough sense to not ride in a sports car with Puddles driving).  Sometimes we go back and read 6 Flags and 5 Fruitcakes again.  We don't ever want to forget that perfect day. And we only received 3 letters of complaint after you left.  That's probably a record for you two.

Mr. Pip and Nurse Puddles, thank you for being our friends.  We will always treasure your friendship.

Enjoy your special day.  Tomorrow Madi will send you a bill for the party damages to Blogville. :)


Today is another special event at the Tabby Cat Club -  Beware the KittIDES of March!!!  Hosted by Sparky.  Stop by and check it out.

Trout Talkin Tabbies

Some of you have already met Da Tabbies O Trout Towne.  Those who haven't are in for a special treat.  We suggest you grab a cup of nip tea and head over to Mousebreath to read Trout Talkin Tabbies ... Boomer, Dai$y, Sauce & Tuna.    We think you'll enjoy it.

And then you can stop by to visit Trout Towne for some mackerel hot off the grill.  We're still laughing over their blog post on the interview.

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Happy Hanukkah  (or Festival of Lights) to all our friends who are celebrating it

The computer hog has been at it again, so we're even more behind than usual.  Our Christmas card will be posted soon.  

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We received an email from Toby Franks this morning and decided to share it with our readers, in case any of you are from or know someone from Barberton, Ohio.

Barberton Feed Ban will be voted on Dec. 17 - Video from Fox 8 News

http://fox8.com/2012/12/13/cat-fight-feeding-pets-could-cost-you/

While most communties are moving away from arcane animal control practices and embracing non-lethal methods, Barberton City Council plans to fast-track a vote on a feeding ban on Monday, Dec.17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Barberton City Council Chambers - 576 W. Park Ave., Barberton, Ohio 44203

Barberton residents who feed an outside pet when it is dark can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined $50 a day by one of four enforcement agencies. One of the enforcers according to the ordinance is Summit County Animal Control.

This feeding ban was passed in an open meeting of the subcommittee. Carol Frey, chair of the subcommittee, said that there would be no further discussion. Law Director Lisa O. Miller, wants one reading rather than the normal three readings. Concerned Barberton residents will not be able obtain clarifications or explanations. Barberton residents should be able to provide care for their pets, feral cats, or the occasional lost or stray pet. There should be three readings so that citizens can be informed about the ordinance.

Please attend the City Council meeting on Monday Dec 17th. You can speak for five minutes. If you cannot attend, please call Barberton City Officials, send emails & faxes to express concerns, ask questions and ask for more time to obtain clarifications and explanations and to remove the punitive aspect of this ordinance.

A public record request showed that there were only 13 complaints in all of Barberton in an entire year -- not all of them were about feeding and not all of them were found to be valid. A complaint is counted numerically even if it is called in anonymously and even if no problem is found. An earlier version of this ordinance was unanimously withdrawn by Barberton City Council in 2007 and by the Barberton Safety Committee in 2010.

The President of Barberton City Council is Fred Maurer, and his email address is fmaurer@cityofbarberton.com

Here is the contact info for all Barberton City Officials:

http://www.cityofbarberton.com/govt/departments/council_clerk.shtml

Meezers and SweetFeets

Whew!  We survived an interview with the mischievous Meezers - Sammy, Miles, Nicky & Billy..

Fortunately, Sammy didn't ask to drive Jan's car.  (We doubt she carries enough insurance.)  But they did manage to pull a prank on Miles again.  He did survive the "shipping" and is safely home.  The box with the food that they shipped him in?  It didn't fare quite as well, but we all just brushed off the dirt and ate the slightly squished ham sandwiches.  Buddy, Merci & Sam got the leftovers.  They thought the dirt added flavor.

All in all it was a lot of fun.  But now we all need a nap.

We hope you will go by and read the interview - Sammy, Miles, Nicky & Billy Meezer – SweetFeets.

Oh, and in case you wonder why Billy is so keen on Dr. Buddy - you're a new reader or you've forgotten the story - stop over and enjoy Billy's Brain Surgery.   Dr. Buddy truly is an amazing surgeon and we Funny Farmers make a great surgical team.

Buddy Bunny

 Hi, it's Buddy.  It's my turn to post today and I have some exciting news to share but first ....

Okay, we didn't get a couple of days off.  Yesterday we all started working on the blog list on JFF. Some blogs have moved, some have closed, some are too busy to blog -   We need to update it, our bookmarks and Google Reader subscriptions.  What a mess!

After 5 days of fighting with our blog template, Jan was "brain dead" and never wanted to look at Blogger again. But she decided to redo another blog she has. This one was cooperative and since she had worked the sizing so many times for JFF, that one was finished in about an hour or less.

She also figured out the problem with Blogger in Draft, which she needed to access Blogger's new templates, and now that JFF is set up, we hope our dashboard is back to normal and our auto posts will start auto posting again. Guess we'll find out one day soon. But for today, we're going to post this ourselves. :-)

Thank you for our new look, Jan. We would reward you for your hard work, but since you won't give us an allowance, all we can offer you is some dry kibble in a bowl. Help yourself.

Now, to get to the exciting news.  I entered the Easter contest hosted by Socks, Scylla, Artemesia & Fenris' mom.  And I encourage all of you who can to enter it also. You can read about it and post your entries at Contest Hosted by Alasandra.  This is my entry.

Buddy Bunny

This year I decided to celebrate Easter by serving my fellow furries. You guessed it, I volunteered to help the Easter Bunny deliver baskets to all those furries who want one. Or to all those we can reach before our hoppers wear out. (That means before our paws wear out, in case you are wondering.)


Yes, some of you already know me as Dr. Buddy, the renowned (at least around the Funny Farm and The Meezers') brain surgeon. But very soon I will be Dr. Buddy, Assistant Hound to the Easter Bunny. And the other Funny Farmers will be my assistants. As usual, I will be in charge, and they will most likely be their usual 4 left paws selves. But if they do a good job, they can wear bunny ears next year.

I haven't been given our top secret route yet, but perhaps I'll be assigned to deliver in your area. If so, remember this -- do not laugh at the hopping hound bunny! This will be grounds for immediate consumption of your intended Easter basket by said hopping hound bunny.


Happy Easter!

Buddy Bunny
& Assistants: Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Rusty & Sam

Sam and Dr Buddy's Cool

We haven't set up our 2010 calendar yet -- no snickering please -- and so we've been embarrassed yet again. We completely forgot today is Sam's 4th birthday. Yep, we just learned it the same way some of you did, on the Cat Blogosphere. Thank you, KC & ML. What would we do without you to remind us of important furry occasions.

Happy Birthday, Samaritan! We love you. Despite your size, you are sweet and you try hard to be gentle. You just don't know your own strength. We're glad you're our brother.

There are no furries appearing in today's video. Not a cat or dog, not even a gerbil. Well, there is a dog named Lou but we never even hear it bark. We think you'll enjoy it anyway.

This is about a young girl who stayed calmer in an emergency than some adults would. Talk show host Bonnie Hunt plays a 9-1-1 tape of five-year-old Savannah talking with a 9-1-1 operator when her father has chest pains and can't speak.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

As we listened, we thought of how different it would be if our 5-year-old Buddy had to take over for Jan in an emergency. He tends to bark quickly, howl often and becomes a bit discombobulated in a personal emergency.. His conversation would probably sound more like one long word, "This is Dr. Buddy. Send an ambulance immediately. Just send it north on Whatyacall it Road and look for the black tabby cat standing on a porch railing waving a white scarf. I've had a bad scare and I'm having trouble breathing and if you don't hurry, I'll go four paws up and then who will dial 9-1-1 for Jan. What? Of course I know this line is only for humans. What do you think Jan is? Oh, you want to know how she is? Uh, passed out on the floor. Is that important?

However, if you should need brain surgery, Dr. Buddy would be calm, cool and professional.

Have a good day.

Dr Buddy is My Brain Surgeon

We had a creative message today from the Meezers. Sammy & Miles wrote, we likes your zazzle shop, but Billy wants a "Dr Buddy is my Brain Surgeon" shert!!

So guess what? Yep, we loved the idea and we made a Dr Buddy is my brain surgeon shirt for Billy Sweetfeets. If any of you kitties or woofies or even your beans' friends like this design enough to wear it, you have Billy Sweetfeets (& his conniving brothers) to thank for it.

We have made a few changes at our JFF Zazzle Design store. (Thanks for the tip on folders, Daisy.) Drop by and see our Dr. Buddy is my brain surgeon shirt. We considered I survived Dr. Buddy's Brain Surgery but Doc wasn't too pleased with that plan.

We have a funny video for you today.Silent Monks singing Handel's Hallelujah Chorus



If you can't view it, click here.

Reminders:

Don't forget to visit Sparky the dog's blog for the video of his painting which is being auctioned on eBay to benefit a shelter. Bidding is up to $56.00 as we type this Monday evening. Ends Dec 17, 200921:36:49 EST.

And Gracie kitty's blog for details of the auction to benefit Fiona.

Comments on Billy' Sweetfeets

Yesterday's post on Billy's Brain Surgery brought some interesting comments. We're still exhausted so we're just going to share some of them with you today.

Eric & Flynn left a message on The Meezer's blog: We googled green spots in the brain and it appears that Billy has been taken over by aliens!

We left a comment at the Meezer's too: Hey, guys, we're relieved to read Eric & Flynn's comment above. So that's what happened to Billy's brain. We're glad you enjoyed the surgical experience, Billy. Or at least most of it. We hope your head isn't too sore today. Miles & Sammy, we hope you are happy your little brother is home safe and sound. Buddy turned out to be a very competent surgeon. Much more competent than when he tried plumbing. (You can read about that at The BMP Plumbing Service.) Billy's The Mom Lady, we know you are taking good care of Billy's booboo. Thanks again for your permission. (s) Dr. Buddy & the rest of the FF

Annie, Mollie & Gyp think the green dots are smart pills Billy takes to fool people.

Freckles & Deb wonder if those green spots give him his great dancing talent which only shows up on Tuesdays.

Khyra regrets not being there for the surgery. Her excessive shedding in the operating room wouldn't have been a problem. And perhaps she could have taken Cyndi's place while she was unconscious.

Sweet Asta was so overcome by the scary saga she fainted several times while reading it.

MissBreezyBox believes the spots might be M&Ms he ate.

The Meezers disagree over whether those green spots are the jelly beans Miles tried to shove in Billy's ears or they are mold and Billy needs to see a brainwashing specialist for a brain bleach.

Dr. Buddy will always treasure Billy's comment: huh, maybe that's why ME always sees green spots. ME hadded fun!! well, exsept the head smashing and the bleeding. and the staple gun. but ofur than that ME hadded a good time.

The general consensus seems to be that everyone loves Billy Sweetfeets just as he is. And we agree.

Dr. Buddy: I am so glad you had a good time, Billy. And I appreciate you and your family allowing me to do exploratory surgery on Billy. It was my first operation and I know all my friends and family expected me to fail. But I succeeded. Even in the midst of chaos -- Cyndi barfing on me, Percy mistaking the operating table for a litter box in his shock at the sight of spurting blood, Crystal supplying coffee filters instead of cotton -- I am finally vindicated as the Funny Farm klutz. I have found my niche. The only question now is ..... who will be my next patient?

Jan finally got one photo partly done in PhotoShop Elements yesterday. And then she discovered there is no text editor so she couldn't finish it. So she was not a happy "creator" yesterday. So again we just didn't get to visit.


We borrowed this photo from the Cat Blogosphere. Thanks.

Except we did try to stop by Alasandra & the Cats & Dog blog after Jan saw Khyra's comment on Facebook that Charbydis had died. It was a shock to all of us. Their butterfly wouldn't even let us read the post. For some reason it often locks up our browser. Jan was beating the mouse on the desk in frustration. But Khyra sent us a copy of the post. There is a special blog set up to leave photos, and/or memories of Charbydis. There are no other details. Whatever happened, it was evidently sudden and unexpected. We send warm purrs and tail wags to our good friends Socks, Scylla, Fenris and their family.

Billy's Brain Surgery

Percy: Well, today was Buddy's big day. His first scheduled brain surgery is finished. Billy Sweetfeets was volunteered by his brothers, Sammy and Miles Meezer. They wanted to find out why Billy is "weerd."

Cyndi: I was Dr. Buddy's assistant. I was afraid I would pass out at the sight of blood. I didn't. I barfed. All over Dr. Buddy. At least I missed the patient and the sterile instruments.

Sam: Then she passed out. Instead of falling backwards so I could catch her, she fell sideways, landing on Merci, who screeched and dropped the emergency phone. It rolled out of her reach under the operating table.

Cameron: Perhaps we should begin at the beginning and give you an abbreviated account of our day in the operating room.

Cotton: Yes, everything was going well. Percy knocked Billy over the .. uh, knocked Billy out with the anesthetic.

Rusty: Dr. Buddy asked me for the x-ray of a cat brain. I showed him the one he'd left lying on the computer desk.

Dr. Buddy: Rusty, this isn't the right picture. This is a CAT scan of a brain. I need a scan of a cat brain.

Crystal: Here you are, Dr. Buddy. I remembered you were looking at it when you were looking for food on the table. Just brush off the crumbs.

Merci: Everything is ready for you, Dr. Buddy. Are you all positive you want to go through with this? What if something goes wrong?

Dr. Buddy: Don't be a pessimist,. Merci. What could go wrong? Cyndi, scalpel!

Percy: Yikes! That's a lot of blood. Is he supposed to bleed that much?

Cotton: It's a head wound. I read they always bleed profusely.

Sam: This is when Cyndi barfed and fainted.

Dr. Buddy: I can't see what I'm doing. Cotton!

Cotton: Yes?

Dr. Buddy: No, hand me some cotton! I have to sop up some of this blood so I can see.

Crystal: Here you go, doc.

Dr. Buddy: What .... This isn't cotton. It's a coffee filter! Where's the cotton? Who's in charge of supplies?

Crystal: Sorry, doc, I am. I couldn't reach the cotton, so I grabbed a pack of coffee filters.

Cameron: We'll stop there. You get the idea. Things didn't go exactly as planned.

Rusty: And now the operation is over and Dr. Buddy has to give the bad news to Billy's family.

Percy: Dr. Buddy, would you rather one of us tell the Meezers and The Mom.

Dr. Buddy: No, that's my job. Here come the Meezer brothers now. Pull up a couple of chairs for them, will you. They'll need to be sitting down when they hear this news.

Cameron: Those of you who know the Meezers know they have a particular speech pattern and spelling which we don't want to try to copy for fear they'll think we're trying to imitate them. They'll have enough to deal with in a moment.

Sammy: We're here to pick up Billy's remains. Uh, I mean we're here to pick up Billy. Is he ready to go home yet?

Dr. Buddy: No, he's not quite ready yet. And I need to have a serious talk with you two about what happened in the operating room.

Miles: You mean he's .... gasp ... er ...

Merci: Dead.

Sammy & Miles, in unison: Billy's dead!

Merci: Oh, no, Billy's fine. I was just finishing your sentence for you.

Cameron: Yes, Billy's still sleeping off the bop on the .. uh, the anesthetic.



Dr. Buddy: Yes, Billy is fine. But I need to discuss what I discovered during the operation. After I sopped up the excess blood with coffee filters, I found something very mysterious about Billy.

Sammy: What's that?

Dr. Buddy: Billy is weird.

Miles: But we already knew that.

Dr. Buddy: But he's really weird. Here, let me show you what a normal cat brain looks like. See, how pink it is. Now this is Billy's brain. See the difference!

Sammy: What are those green spots?

Dr. Buddy: I'm not sure. Perhaps Billy is a secret nip addict. Or maybe Shaggy, Scooby & Scout were right and Billy's brain needs a good wash. But I didn't feel qualified to do that. You'd need a brainwashing specialist. Oh, it sounds like Billy's waking up now. He should be ready to go home soon. Just don't drop him on the way. The staples will need to be removed in a few days, but your The Mom probably has a staple remover at home. Thank you both for volunteering Billy to be my first surgery patient. I think it has been an educational experience for all of us. If you'll excuse me, I need to go find a tree. I've had my legs crossed for the last 3 hours.

Merci: Hey, doc, Cotton helped me scoot the phone out from under the table. But it's all wet. It smells of pee.

Percy, mumbling: When all that blood started spurting, I nearly joined Cyndi on the floor. But I took it like a man. I didn't barf. I didn't pass out. I just missed the litter pan by about two rooms.

PS -- You can leave get well wishes for Billy at the Meezers.

Dr. Buddy Prepares for Surgery

Jan left this comment on The Meezers blog: Hey, Meezers the Mom, Freckles and Deb suggested I ask you if you are aware Sammy & Miles told Buddy they are sending Billy over for brain surgery? They even offered to sign the pre-surgery forms since Billy is underage. Buddy is sharpening his scalpel. Is this okay with you?

The Meezers: Deer Jan and Buddy, I is aware that Sammy the great and Miles the wonderful haf signed Billy the weerd up for brain surjery. I am hopeing that Buddy can find out what is wrong wif him. Sin-seer-lee, MeezerMomMerry

Jan: Uh, the Meezer Mom, this is Jan again. I received your permission for Buddy to operate on Billy's brain but I'm a little suspicious. The spelling looks more like Sammy and Miles' pawwriting. Did they intercept my message and "give permission" or are you actually in agreement?

The Meezers: Deer Jan, Hmm, we needs to improve our spelling it seems. Our the mom is a little "tied up" right now, but when we ungagged her, errrr, ran in and hollered "Buddy wants to operate on Billy's brain" she said "ok dears, whatever you want is ok with me". So that should give you her approval. Billy is 'acited about it too! um, will the surjery make him SMARTER?

Percy: Okay, now that Billy's mom has given permission for Billy's surgery, Jan has reluctantly given Buddy ... er, Dr. Buddy back his scalpel and her permission to operate.

Dr. Buddy: I am very much looking forward to this. Sammy & Miles Meezer have signed the consent forms and they will send Billy over as soon as he has finished annoying his The Mom for the day. He's too excited to concentrate on counting backwards to go under an anesthetic at the moment. I do, however, have some rather bad news for the Meezers. I doubt very much if this operation will make Billy smarter. It is, after all, only exploratory. Perhaps more protein in his diet would be of benefit.

Percy: I have volunteered to knock out ... uh, put under the patient.

Cyndi: Dr. Buddy has drafted me as his operating assistant nurse. Buddy, are you absolutely positive I won't pass out at the sight of blood? I've never seen a friend cut open before. Anyway, isn't looking at a guy's brain kind of intimate? And I'm not sure it would help Billy any if I fall over onto the operating table while he's unconscious. Wouldn't that contaminate the field?

Dr. Buddy: Don't worry about it, Cyndi. If you pass out, just make sure you fall backwards over Sam instead of forwards over the patient. Cotton will step forward and take your place. There is one main rule in my operating room --- NO SHEDDING! Any cat or dog caught shedding will be banned for life. Or at least until I need your help again. And with that said, I do believe we'll be ready for the patient when he arrives tomorrow.

Merci: I don't know, Buddy I still think this is a bad idea. You have a history of bright ideas that morphed into broken water mains. I think I'll volunteer to help with the operation too. I'll hold the phone so it's handy to dial 9-1-1.

Balecti on Russia's Got Talent

Hey, furries, today's post is for your humans. Go round them up, then watch them smile and go, awwwww, as they watch this video. Furries and kids have that effect on most of them.And you might even reap a belly rub or a special treat for sharing this cute video with them.

These kids are young and talented. The video is titled "Baletaci on Russia's Got Talent." We can't find out what Baletaci means, or even verify that it actually is from Russia. But who cares? Just enjoy their performance.



If the video doesn't play for you, click here.

Dr. Buddy has some very good news. The Meezers left a comment on yesterday's post, the one where Buddy asked for volunteers needing brain surgery. He has to keep up his medical skills, you know. Well, the Meezer brothers, Miles & Sammy, said their brother Billy Sweetfeets needs brain surgery and they were sending him right over.

Buddy can't wait to do his first major surgery. Billy is too young to sign the pre-surgical forms, but Miles & Sammy offered to sign as surviving ... uh, we mean, next of kin. Buddy is sharpening his scalpel. We hope he'll wait till morning so he can get in a good night's sleep or he might fall asleep mid-operation. He's been kind of tired and sluggish ever since Jan's rolls came up missing.

As to the subject of the rolls, we received this comment from Chey yesterday: Today the Woman found that someone had vomited up something that looked like toilet paper. She is thinking about calling your human to blame that all on me. I just want to say: I did not eat all nine rolls of your toilet paper!!!! Chey, Buddy would like you to know (but can't bring himself to utter words that would lay the guilt back on his plate) you don't have anything to worry about. It was 9 baked yeast rolls, not 9 toilet paper rolls.

Our only other news is that Jan had a breakdown yesterday. A big one. She gave up, gave in, swallowed her determination to NOT install Works Suite 2005 after doing a clean install of Windows XP fairly recently. When we asked why she broke her word, she claimed she didn't install Works, only Microsoft Picture It. We tiptoed out of the room when she started mumbling, Scissors, I have to have scissors, how can I cut out anything without scissors? We decided we would be safer in the same room with a hyperactive hound handling a scalpel than in the same room with a wild woman waving virtual scissors.

Revenge of the Old Lady

We have been wondering what will happen to Jan now that she's old and slow and grumpy. We found our answer at YouTube. We'll have to bail her out of jail.

Whatever you do, don't mess with Jan either! She might fall asleep standing on the curb but her reflexes work just fine. Once you wake her up.

Have fun.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Percy: And speaking of Jan, can anyone point us to a simple explanation of layers in photoshop or any other photo editor? We said "simple." We need to understand it so we can explain it to Jan. When she made a design a while back, the design looked fine in the viewer but the dots in the "see through" area printed out on the printer. Ruins the design if you don't want it to print. Dots, dots, go away. Jan is confused enough and we need to straighten her out ASAP.

Buddy: This photoshop program is harder to learn than medicine. I breezed through medical school when Jan had the splinter under her nail. (Miss it? Click here.) By the way, does anyone reading this need brain surgery? I can't seem to find a volunteer.

Dr. Buddy On Call

Dr. Buddy: I am pleased to announce that this past weekend I obtained my medical degree from the Brown Hound University of Medical Research. Just in time to be of help to Jan. As many of you are aware, Ms. Nimble Fingers managed to shove 2 wooden floor splinters under one fingernail, only one of which she was able to remove Saturday morning. Because of this, JFF has been posting updates through one-and-a-half pawed Percy, who has been having phantom sympathy paw pain.

Percy: Pssst. Slow down. I'm still typing with one and a half paws.

Dr. Buddy: Okay. One of the reasons I took the accelerated course was so I could be the one to do brain surgery on our Jan.

Cotton: Brain surgery? She had a splinter under a nail.

Dr. Buddy: Yes, I am aware of that, Cotton. But pain affects the human brain, so brain surgery was definitely called for. I was so looking forward to getting a glimpse of how Jan's brain works. Or seeing if it does work.

Sam: Brain surgery was called for? You mean it isn't now?

Dr. Buddy: Yes, thanks to my eagle eyes and tremorless hands, Jan no longer requires brain surgery. At least not for a splinter. This afternoon I deftly removed the splinter with a pair of needlenose pliers.

Crystal: Ahem.

Dr. Buddy: Oh, right. I am exaggerating just a tad. But the prognosis is good and my fee will be reasonable.

Cameron: Buddy, you can't charge Jan for taking out the splinter. She removed it herself.

See the little splinter? Ouch!

Dr. Buddy: How am I ever going to get paying patients if you guys are going to be so negative? Remember, Jan just spent a lot of money that was set aside for something else.

Merci: Right. She just bought an area rug and a couple of large mats to try to cover some parts of the floor that splinter so we woofies won't suffer with splinters too.

Rusty: Yeah, so we need to help get Buddy's medical practice off on a positive note.

Cyndi: But Buddy can't exaggerate. That would be lying.

Dr. Buddy: I wouldn't be lying if I say I snoopervised the splinter's removal.

Sam: That's true. You did snoopervise.

Cotton: I thought Buddy slept through the operation?

Percy: He did, at Jan's feet, with one eye open. Now please stop trying to all talk at once!

Dr. Buddy: Well, I think my first medical case has come to a satisfactory conclusion. Now, on to the next. Percy, let me take a look at your injured paw.

Percy: Noooooooo way. It's phantom sympathy pain, Buddy. I only think it hurts. And now that Jan's finger is on the mend, my paw is too.

Dr. Buddy: Well, if you won't let me examine your paw, can I at least operate on your brain?

(s) Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Cameron, Buddy, Rusty & Sam

PS from Jan: Why any landlord in the humid South would rent out a house with unsealed floors is beyond me! These are not the first splinters, but definitely the worst. Several hours after the injury on Saturday, I remembered my mother using a baking soda paste to draw out a bee stinger, so I tried it for a splinter and it did work. The splinter went very deep (I could see the path through the nail) so it took longer, but this afternoon I was relieved to find it had worked out just enough I was able to pull it out using tweezers -- very carefully. Thanks for all the nice messages and for the advice some of you emailed.

Cameron Is 5 & Dr Buddy

Dr. Buddy was going to be our guest today. We hope he will still be practicing tomorrow. If so, Dr. Buddy will return then.

What Jan read on a splinter under a nail was scary, so she requested prayer from a couple of her friends yesterday and shortly after thought of something that might work, She's trying it. This morning she's had two emails from friends suggesting the same thing. We all have crossed paws for it to work, though from the size of the splinter, it might take longer than 24 hours.

We've had a few ask how Jan is doing. Suffice it to say she isn't chewing on her finger so far today??? Seriously, she had teeth imprints (hers, not ours) in her injured finger yesterday.

So please ignore any typos or stranger than normal mistakes. I (Percy rhe typist) still have phantom sympathy paw pain and have to type one-pawed. Yes, I know I have extra paws, but it is impossible to type with one front and one back paw!

The story of Percy's phantom sympathy paw pain can be found here. The cruel practice of devocalizing dogs is discussed in the same post. We had a couple of comments we would like to share.

By email from a dog rescuer: Just jumped my vet's (butt). Why? Cause he does that crap. He said he would start advising people about training instead and the dangers. (Way to go, Mark!)

Our family cat-a-blog: This is the momma talking now and I have something to say! I had a Great Pyrenees Dog years ago. Pyrs bark and bark and bark and bark. I rescued Willow because I didn't want her to end up in a shelter. I didn't know baloney about Great Pyrenees but did research and found out that they are barkers to the max. It was in Willow's nature to bark to keep wolves away from her sheep and those of us inside the house were her sheep.

Did I have her debarked. NO! She was doing what she was bred to do and it was up to me to make the necessary adjustments. Living in the city, she was never allowed to bark unless it was daytime and then once she had had a good time, I made her come back into the house. At night, I'd let her get a few good ones out and then back into the house once she had done her business. Dogs bark to communicate. A dog needs to bark just as we need to talk. (You sound like a good momma for any woofie!)

To breeders, research labs and those-who-shouldn't-have-a-dog because -you don't want him to bark -- would you want your doctor doing the same surgery on you because your mate doesn'r want to listen to you jabber all the time?

And now for our birthday boy! And thanks, Cat Blogoshpere, for reminding us of an occasion again.

Sam: Oh, no, not again! So much has been happening, we forgot about Cameron's birthday today. He was born in the house next door to us 5 years ago. I wasn't born yet, though.

Cotton; We're sorry we neglected your day, Cameron. We really do love you. You're handsome and kind. It doesn't matter that you can't count past your toes.


Happy birthday, tuxie brother!

Love, your furry family -- Crystal, Cotton, Merci, Cyndi, Percy, Buddy, Rusty & Sam (and your human Jan)

PS -- Please remember Hansel's auction for Sugar. Sugar was mauled by a pack of dogs and although she had expensive treatment including an oxygen tent, she didn'r make it.