Fiona the Fearless!

Is someone talking about me???

My lovely wife Evelyn has a post up at her blog about how she and Fiona communicate. It's also got a cute picture - in fact, that's your "Awwwwww" Photo of the Day!

Two Friends

Fiona watches quietly while Rex chows down.

Stalking the Wild Carrot

Something I threw together yesterday... for more examples of my fine art skills, click here.

Available for weddings, parties, and bar mitzvahs!

"Awwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Fiona in an artistic mood...

Sing "Ho!" for the Life of a Rabbit!

It's tough being a rabbit! Rex takes a well-deserved nap...

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Rex and Fiona. She's very interested in him and he doesn't seem to mind her too much...

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

What's unusual about this picture isn't just that Nicki's sleeping on the bed in broad daylight, but that he's let Oski and Fiona join him! Here's a close-up of just Nicki:



He really doesn't like getting his picture taken!

Rex Sez...

"A clean cage is a happy cage!"

Noah's Wish

Noah's Wish is a group that helps rescue and care for animals caught in natural disasters:

Noah's Wish is on full mobilization for Hurricane Katrina.

We will have a 7 member initial assessment team in the Region Tuesday, followed by over 80 of our trained Volunteers on Wednesday and Thursday. More Volunteers will be dispatched as needs become known. Given how widespread and devastating this hurricane is projected to be, we are prepared to set up in multiple locations.

As of this morning Hurricane Katrina is an extremely dangerous Category 5 storm with sustained winds of 175 miles per hour. Without a doubt Louisiana, and portions of Alabama, will be the first to experience the wrath of Hurricane Katrina. There are also concerns that heavy rains inland will cause serious flooding. Noah's Wish has teams on alert to respond to any flooding that occurs in inland states.

Noah's Wish has a 10 member team working right now on processing information that we are receiving, including requests for help from animal organizations and individuals in Louisiana. The team will be monitoring this developing storm over the next 48 hours.

If you can, help Noah's Wish out.

Thanks!

The Cat Art of Louis Wain

One of my favorite bands from the "New Wave" era was a little group from Scotland called Orange Juice. They've just released a compilation of their early singles and other work originally recorded for a tiny Scottish company called Postcard Records:



The cat above was the image Postcard Records used on their label. Turns out it was based on a painting by a guy named Louis Wain, whose cat pictures were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th century:



Here's some info on Wain from a website called Catland:

Louis Wain (1860-1939) was an English artist who was most famous for his drawings of cats. Although he was a household name at the turn of the century, his reputation subsequently diminished after his death until the late sixties when Rodney Dale's Louis Wain: The Man who Drew Cats was published. Since then, there has been some interest in Wain's art but not nearly to the extent that it deserves.

According to Dale, this was the information that was easily available on Wain when he started the research for his book:

He was born in 1860 and started to draw cats in his early twenties. By the turn of the century, his was a household name, for he had created the Louis Wain Cat, a special type of mischievous feline which found universal acclaim. But he was obsessed with drawing cats, and when the demand for them eventually diminished, he was not able to come to terms with the situation. He had heavy family commitments, but no one would buy his work—his only means of making a living. His mind failed and he was admitted in poverty to a mental hospital. After a time, he was "discovered" there, and a number of influential people set up a fund to enable him to spend the rest of his days in comfort. He died in 1939.

Of course, the above does not do justice to the tragic yet fascinating life of Louis Wain which was the reason that Dale wrote his book. It is essential reading for all Wainophiles.

Since Wain's death, the two main groups interested in his works are cat lovers and those interested in the art of schizophrenics. Wain is especially fascinating to those who study the art of the mentally ill because he had one main subject, cats, and there are examples of his art from both before and during his illness...

I hadn't heard of Wain before, but I like his stuff!

Blackie's Back!

He-e-e-e-e-ere's Blackie!


Blackie comes and goes at very long intervals. Last time we saw him was in May, before we got Fiona. Two nights ago, he turned up on our porch like nothing had happened.



He seems very well taken care of, so we think he belongs to someone - but we don't know who or where. And when he does show up, he hangs out at our place a lot!



His usual pattern is to eat in the morning and evening, and then sleep on the porch at night. During the day, he disappears. He likes a little petting, in the evening especially. He doesn't actually fight with the other outdoor cats (Sadie, Annie, and Emma), but he does take a swipe at them and they usually try to steer clear of him.



Anyway, we're happy to see him again. Welcome back, Blackie!

Friday Catblogging

If you didn't already know, I also have a weekly Friday Catblogging as well! Here's one of the pictures from that - Annie deep in the jungle of our backyard. I try and not use the same pictures on both sites, though a couple did slip through this week...

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Oski watches over Fiona. He's a good big brother!

Rex at Work

Being a rabbit is a tough job! Here's Rex digging hay out of an empty paper towel tube - one of his favorite toys!












"Whaddaya think yer lookin' at?"

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Fiona hides... she's just waiting to pounce!

Annie and Sadie on the Sidewalk

Here's Annie (bottom) and Sadie rolling around in the sun. We used to think they were sisters, but one of our neighbors said they were actually mother and daughter. We're not sure which is which, though Annie seems to act more "motherly."

Moon With Lamp

Here's Moon! She finished all her medicine and is over her cold now...

Oski on the Bed

Here's Oski in one of his favorite places - on top of some laundry fresh from the dryer!

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Fiona wakes up from her nap.

Annie and Sadie

Annie (left) and Sadie take a snooze together. Annie and Sadie came with the house. When we first moved in, they were very skinny! In fact, they looked so underfed that we finally started feeding them. Now, they're both getting very tubby, because not only are they eating here, but other places in the neighborhood!

Rex Rabbit

We adopted Rex from the House Rabbit Society, a rescue group in Richmond, California that deals exclusively with rabbits. Most people don't realize that rabbits should be treated as house pets and not stuck in a hutch in the backyard. For one thing, this makes them extremely vulnerable to predators. Also, rabbits need attention and care just like cats or dogs. If they're in the house, they get that, as opposed to being ignored and forgotten outside. We have an indoor pen for Rex, where he usually stays, though he also likes to come out and run around. Here's a picture of his "lair":



That's a tube for pouring concrete in the middle - Rex uses it as his "hole." And two litterboxes - yes, rabbits can be housetrained!

If you're thinking of getting a rabbit as a pet, check with your local animal shelter first - lots of people think they want a rabbit, and then give them up when they get tired of them. Also, the House Rabbit Society is an invaluable resource for not only finding rescue groups in your area, but anything you want to know about raising a healthy, happy rabbit!

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

The always-photogenic Fiona in the ever-popular box!

Nicki Boy

Here's Nicki out in the (sort of) open. He hasn't been hiding out as much, and though his mouth is still bothering him, he's eating up a storm. He's going to the vet for a check-up Monday, so wish him luck!

Moon on TV

Literally!

Extra-Special "Happy Birthday" Post!

Happy birthday to my lovely wife Evelyn! Here she is with her "baby," Oski. She has her own blog about animal communication, and also has a Cafe Press shop featuring her cat paintings (still under construction, but check it out).

We've been married for four years and I'm very lucky to have her - she puts up with a lot, believe you me!

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

That's a big stretch from a little girl!

The Regal Moon

Moon is much quieter and more reserved than our other cats. She doesn't like to be picked up and doesn't sit on our laps. But she does like to get petted and having attention paid to her. Oski used to really run after her when they were younger, but now that the tables are turned and Fiona chases him, he leaves Moon alone for the most part. She wasn't too sure about Fiona, but recently we've seen the two of them running after each other occassionally. She has a big crush on Nicki, though, and loves to be near him, though he's a grumpy old man and doesn't want to play!

Cards by a Very Talented Painter for Sale!

Here's a painting my lovely wife Evelyn did. I put it on a greeting and a post card at Cafe Press.

She's been doing a lot of paintings like this and plans on opening her own Cafe Press store soon, so watch this space! She also has her own blog, which is all about communicating with animals. Check it out!

"Awwwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Moon had a bit of a cold last week, but we took her to the vet Friday and now she's much better! The vet prescribed some antibiotics, which she takes very nicely and with no complaints... what a good girl!

Annie In a Box!

The smaller the box, the more they seem to like it!

"Awwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Oski (top) and Moon take a snooze together. Moon went to the vet yesterday because of her cold, but she's much better now, thanks!

Fiona Sleeps!

I guess she's actually awake here - but she was sleeping before and after this picture was taken!

Nicki Eats!

Nicki's been suffering from stomatitis - a painful infection of the mouth - for about a year. For a while, he wouldn't (or couldn't) even eat, and he lost a lot of weight. Our vet has been treating him homeopathically, and he's shown real improvement the past couple of months. Here he is eating! Not a big deal for most cats, but we're glad to see it!

"Awwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Fiona in a box!

You can see this and other photos over at my weekly Friday Catblogging site. They're all as cute as this one!

The Art of Moon

Here are some drawings of Moon. Someone below liked my drawing of Carlos so much, she wanted to use it as wallpaper on her computer! In the near future, I'm going to put some of these photos and cartoons on greeting cards through Cafe Press, so watch this space!

"Awwwwwww" Photo of the Day

Fiona says: "Let me out!"

Moon in a Box

Here's Moon taking a snooze. She's got a little cold, so we're taking her to the vet Friday. Wish us luck!