Flashback Friday

This week we go to this seek 2013...

TBT bought a new computer chair.

 And Marley immediately claimed it!

Iza still preferred The Lap...

Marley could still fit in the hidey hole.

Womancat Wensday

AYLA:   I have a new (sort of) sanctuary place.  Ya cant tell from this pic, but it is in the bedroom closet atop a dresser.  TBT left a pair of pants (that needs rips repaired) on it, and I decided that was a nice secret place with a "good-enough" cushion.  

I have just a few places where I like to eat.  When he realized I liked sleeping there, he added a waterbowl and offerred me my food bowl there.  I liked that.  And he leaves the folding door open just enough for me!  So this spot will be good for a few weeks.

Wensday Womancat

LORI:  I'm in the hidey hole again.

Peek-A-Boo!

I watch carefully.  Sometime Laz sits by the side and reaches a paw in at me.  

But I hadda come out eventually...

I heard a can open...

Womancat Wensday

LORI:  I HAD An excitig day.  I came in all puffed floofy-tailed.

It was much floofier when I came  in but TBT was slow to grab the camera.  TBT says he saw me tryin ta catch falling leaves but I say I was almoast catchin a Evil Skwerrel.  It my story and I stickin with it!

Later, I went inta the crawly hole unner the cabinets.  I like it there.  There is a warm blowy thing in it.  After bein outside in the colds, that is a nice place ta warm up.  But it is gettin harder ta get in an out of there these days.  I'm gettin bigger.  I'm up to 8 pounds now!

Marley and Ayla say they used ta get in there when they were smaller.  I can unnerstand Ayla gettin in there (she weighs only 6.5 pounds even now).  But it is hard for me ta think of Marley doing that.  He is so big!  Laz says he never tried it.  Well, he came here at 4 years old (TBT tells us) an dint have "kitten days:" here.  

BTW, see my beard again?  I allus have it!

Flashback Friday

Today's flashback is from this day in 2009.  When I installed additional cabinets in the kitchen, there was a floor vent and I had to cut out an opening.  Every new cat has spent time in there, using it as a "hidey-hole".  So did Iza, though she could barely squeeze in and out.

How a Sweet Gum tree seed ball got in there, I will never know.  But it was her first toy of her own.  

Later, she found The Cube.  She obviously didn't understand the purpose of it at first.   She went under...

Looked inside...

Ran through it...

Looked for stuff inside it...

Sniffed around...

 Turned it upside down and around...

Tried to nap UNDER it...

Tried a few under times again...

And FINALLY caught on that it was a place to nap INSIDE and basically, a box with side-holes!

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:  I have been loving the little cave lately. 

It was originally a stand-up thing when Skeeter was a kitten, but The Big Thing took out the insides and made it a cave.  And it fits right between posts of that real old thing he built.  

I resisted letting him take a picture of me in there.  Well, mostly because when he gets up in the morning, it means "Breakfast" and I run out.  But also because it means he knows where I is and we all like to be a bit secret about our "places"...

But I was really chillaxed, so...

Flashback Friday

AYLA:  This week, in 2010, I was hiding from Iza.  She was bigger than me. 

I had this great hidey-hole unner the kitchen cabinets where TBT cut a hole to let the vent send warms into the air.  It was really nice in there.  And I had some toys stached to pass the time.

Good place ta nap too.

After she went off ta the bedroom ta nap, I came out.

It wasn't the best times for me, but it did get better. 

Thursday Squezzing

IZA:  I decided to try ta get into the small opening under the cabinets.  Ayla slides under there easily, so I should too, right?

 It was harder than I thought!

I got MOST of the way unner...

But I couldnt squeeze in and had to back out.  How DOES she do that?

Tuesday Mancat

MARLEY:
Ayla went in here last night, and I am waiting fer her to come out.

No plans to whap or annything.  Just want to see how she gets out.  I could use some advice on tight spots.

So she tapped me on the hip and asked what was going on!

She was already out and around the house!  I dont know HOW she DOES that!  I WATCHED her go in there.  And I dint see her come OUT!

Ayla is kinna spooky sometimes!

Mancat Monday

MARLEY:  Some of you were amazed that I could fit in such a small place as "The Hidey Hole".  Well, first, it IS a a bit higher inside than the opening suggests.  So once through the opening, it is more comfy.

But still, ya gotta get IN there ta begin with.  An I'm pretty good at that.  I lay on my side an PUSH!

But I dont wanna suggest it is easy.  Ayla is a small girlcat (7.5 pounds ta my 12), an here is a picture of HER pulling herself out of the Hidey-Hole...

An ya can see it is no big opening even fer HER!  And she had the lazer eyes going!

When I was a kitten, I could do it easily, too.   This was 5 years go.

Took some pawwork as I got older...

But I finally did it again.  TBT says it is like wearing his High School clothes these days (no, he cant).  And I can still do it.  I'M FLEXIBLE!

Flashback Friday

AYLA:  Here is one from 5 years ago today.  Iza thought she had something inneresting trapped in the little cubbyhole unner the kitchen cabinets (there is a small cutout for the floor vent).  But she couldnt get at it, so she left.

So when she left, I crawled out after having a nice nap in utter peace...

MOL!

Freaky Friday

AYLA:  Speaking of the Hidey Hole, here is the problem...  Old pictures, but still true ones.

There is allus an IZA around, waiting...

The Hidey Hole

TBT here:  It's going to be too rainy/wet today for a Garden Tour, so I'll fill in myself and let the Mews nap.  You are welcome to join them BTW.  Lots of room on the waterbed.

The Hidey Hole is a bit unusual, and we haven't mentioned it for a while, so let me explain about it.

When I moved here, there was an empty corner in the kitchen for a table.  I didn't need that, but I sure needed more counter and cabinet space.  So I added some.  It was easier than you might think.

Forgive the clutter.  I get too busy to take out only what I need at the time, so things tend to stay out.  But I'll add some descriptions of stuff.

Top row, Chafing dish, Grden Harvest Basket, Ham Roaster on Turkey Platter, and marinating tupperware container, large sieve, on gorgeous glazed serving bowl.

Middle:  Microwave on MDF shelf (to free up counter space).

Countertop:  Left to Right - Ginzu knives (they really ARE good) and behind those are cannisters of rice, egg noodles, and lasgna noodles.  Toaster, Breadman II, Eukanuba kibbles (treats for mine), sunflower placemat I'm straightening, ceramic green tea bag holder, various kitchen tools,and pizza shovel on the wall.  Cat food bowls on the floor in non-skid holders (Iza could move a food bowl from the kitchen to the basement otherwise).  The empty bowl holder is Ayla's because she has decided she wants to eat up on the shoe rack mostly, but acts insulted if there isn't a bowl holder in HER spot in the kitchen. 

The possibility of the cabinet addition was probably anticipated in the design of the kitchen, since a standard 60"x26" counter fits perfectly in the space.  But I have floor vents and the new cabinets would have closed off the vent, so I made a cutout at the bottom of the kick space to let air flow out.

Every new kitten who has come here (from Skeeter to Marley) has almost immediately discovered this Cave Of Safety.  Skeeter spent his first 3 days hiding in there (he was utterly traumatized by loud noisy renovations at the little pet store I found him at).  I pushed bowls of food and water in there for him until he came out.  And oh boy, that took some awkward cleaning up afterwards!!!

LC hid in there for only 1 day, and Ayla, Iza, and Marley each took their turn hiding in there until they got used to the sounds/smells/activities of the house.

Ayla, being small, still goes in there for occasional privacy to this day.  I considered once putting a screen to cover it, but then decided "Why"?  Iza can't get in there anymore, but Marley can with a bit of effort (on his side).  And even Ayla has to "bellywalk" out, so it isn't a good pouncing spot.  Any cat coming out is more likely to GET pounced than to pounce themselves.

I do occasionally have to scoop out some cat toys from the Hidey Hole.  Ayla will sometimes bring in her favorite old cloth mousie toy when she goes in there, but mostly it is Iza who whaps one in and then can't retrieve it.

I made a "toy retriever" years ago when the previous refrigerator had enough space under it for toy mousies to get lost under.  Its a simple thing of 1/4" plywood 1" wide and 18" long with a 2" piece glued to the end.  I use it now to scrape out toys in the hidey hole and under some low furniture.

But that's the origin of the Hidey Hole...

The Wensday Hidey Hole

MARLEY:  Im not sposed ta fit in here, but I can.  Its mostly Ayla's spot (cuz she is small), but I like to show I can get in there too.

Note the toy.  Its allus good ta have a toy in secret places. Somethin ta play with is allus good.

TBT left me alone after those 2 pictures, so I napped in there.  But then Ayla came along and said she wanted ta be in there, so I squeezed out.  Annything fer Ayla...

Caturday

AYLA:  I HATE it when I get in my hidey hole an Iza waits there for me to come out.  She whaps me when I cant whap her back!

I HAVE to come out eventually, an she is just there waiting,  TBT says I should just tell him an he will carry her away.  But I NEED to take care of myself, ya know?   Cant seem helpless.

So...  Next time I am up on the cat tree an she walks below, I will drop on her from above!!!

Hidey Hole 3

MARLEY:  Since Ayla and Iza were doing Hidey-Hole posts, I thought I should too. 

Granted, its not the first time you've seen me here...

But I figure another picture of ME in my favrit spots is worth a few more pictures.

Yes, I have 2 of them spots.  They are both good...