Tortie Tuesday - Useful

So, last week Tybalt did the "7 Useful Things Meme," and we weren't included. However, Bendrix, Ivy's personal hero and role model, tagged her for the meme, so we are BOTH going to do it today. Ivy gets to go first, since she was the one who was tagged.

IVY

1. Tybalt isn't the only alarm clock kitty around the house. I make sure to wake mommy up no later than 3:30 am every morning by whapping the bedroom blinds. Mommy never oversleeps.
2. I keep mommy in shape. I make sure she has to chase me to keep me from being naughty at least once every day. She gets a good cardio workout.
3. I test out all the furniture by sharpening my claws on it. Not only does it give it a certain stylish flair, but it also makes sure that I keep a flawless pawdicure.
4. I talk to mommy a lot. She is never lonely. Sometimes we have entire conversations. I will even wake her up to have one.
5. I keep mommy company. It is never fun to nap alone, so I always make sure that I am either next to her or right on top of her whenever she lays down.
6. I know mommy has a kittenish playful side, and I keep her feeling young by playing "cover wars" with her in bed. This is when I tunnel underneath the sheets and attack her from behind with my teeth and claws. I know she likes this because she yells and grabs for me. Then I run away and then sneak back in so we can start all over again. The best times are when mommy is wearing a nightgown and I can squirm my way underneath that as well and attack her bum. I LOVE LOVE LOVE playing cover wars!
7. Mommy needs a new carpet in her room, and I like to remind her that she need to update her decor by clawing it up. This way she has a constant reminder that her bedroom needs an upgrade.

HOLLY

1. I make sure all of mommy's kitchen things are in order by opening the cabinets and drawers and going through everything. Sometimes I will even drag out something that I think she needs to get rid of, or pay more attention to.
2. If I find something of mommy's that is fragile, and I find personally distasteful, I will help her out by whapping it to the floor and breaking it. That way it goes in the trash and doesn't offend my sensibilities anymore. I have helped mommy out with numerous objects, including a coffee pot and a candleholder. This way mommy's house remains tasteful and understated.
3. I see mommy off to work every morning. I begin by helping her put her shoes on, then I sit next to her bag on the table and rub against her, and I finish by following her downstairs. Sometimes the others join me, and sometimes they don't, but I always see her off. Always.
4. There is nothing healthier than kitty snot. That is why I make sure to sneeze it on mommy or fling it on her at least once a day. I find the best time is right when mommy has gotten in to bed at night and has closed her eyes. It's easier to get maximum coverage when she is still.
5. I keep a vigilant watch out of the windows for evil squirrels and birdies. I will yell at them if they get too close to the house or (horrors!) come up on the porch. You can never be too careful of squirrels, especially. I just know they have an evil master plan . . .
6. I make mommy squeal with my cute toesies. She just loves my paws and how cute they are with the extra toes. I use them to hold mommy still when I want to give her love bites, and I use them to open cabinet doors and drawers. They are also useful to bat toys away from your fursiblings when you think it is your turn to play. Mommy never gets on to me for anything I do with my "mittens," because I am just too cute.
7. I don't talk as much as Ivy and Tybalt do, but I can yell very loudly when I want to. This is how I let mommy know that I am lonely. I know that if I am lonely, then she must be, too. Not only does mommy get more exercise by hunting me down to see what is wrong with me when I yell, but she also gets to pick me up and cuddle me when she finds me. Everyone knows cuddling cute kitties like me is healthy for mommies.

Thankful Thursday Thirteen

Guess what, kitties? A squillion years ago I guessed a song right for Ghost, and I got a prize package! A little less than a squillion years ago, the package came in the mail and instead of letting us open it right away, Mommy hid it in the CLOSET! And then with one thing and another, I didn't get to open it and check out all the great stuff Ghost sent me. Last night I finally got to open it, and boy was I thrilled! You won't believe all the great stuff I got!

1. Here I am checking out the package. It smells great!

2. As you can see, I got a lot of help. The Tortie Twins were all over it!

3. Look at all the cool stuff I got! That's Ivy, horning in on my territory.

4. Here I am trying to hide all of my goodies from Holly by laying on them. You can see a little bit of my classy new necklace Ghost sent. I think the colors complement me nicely.

5. Here I am modeling my new necklace. I think it makes me look dashing! Am I handsome in it, Samantha?

6. I am guarding my new blue chirpy mousie and catnip from my sisters. A mancat must always be aware of his surroundings! Especially when you live with the Terrible Tortie Twins.

7. Ivy says "Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip."

8. I had to put the bitey on the mousie! It needed discipline.

9. Some mousies never learn. I had to discipline it some more.

10. BUNNYKICK!

11. Catdancer! Ivy is on the left, and Holly is on the right. Can you see Ivy's claws of doom?

12. I decided to check out the catdancer, too. I was very brave to get between the twins and the catdancer!

Well . . . . it was almost a Thursday Thirteen! For my thirteenth thing, I think I will share some lyrics with you . . . these are the lyrics Mommy helped me to guess so that I could win all of this cool stuff!

13. Melancholy Child, by Pam Tillis

You take a black Irish temper and some solemn Cherokee

A Southern sense of humour and you got someone like me

There are thorns on every rose to this I'm reconciled

They're just a little sharper to a melancholy child

***BONUS GRANDPAPA UPDATE***

Grandpapa went back for his 2nd follow-up appointment today, and the news was good! The eye v-e-t said that he did not think that grandpapa will have a CAT-aract in his eye that was operated on, even as naughty as grandpapa has been. Also, he went ahead and lasered the tears in his other eye, and said there should be no further problems. *paws crossed* Grandpapa gets to go back to work on Monday, so hurray! Thanks everykitty for keeping my naughty grandpapa in your purrs and purrayers. Mommy and I really do appreciate it!

Tortie Tuesday - Helping

We Terrible Tortie Twins thought we would report to the Catblogosphere about the importance of helping your siblings! Here is an excellent example: what to do when they get mail (and you don't!)

First inspect the package carefully. Sniffing it is a good idea.

Next, you may want to feel it with your paws, to make sure it contains nothing suspicious. (Be aware that your sibling may mistake this for claiming their mail as your own.)

If your sibling is younger, they may not be able to read as well as you, so helping them with any cards or messages that may be included in the package is a must.

A quality control check is usually necessary for any items that were included in the package. Unfortunately, Tybalt claimed the catnip fishie right away and whapped at us when we tried to perform our check on it. (Sammy's lessons are really paying off!)

Supervising your sibling while they open and enjoy their package is always necessary. Never get lazy and just walk away! Make sure that you get plenty of time to sniff, paw, and play with . . . er . . . we mean quality check any items they may receive.

Happy Tortie Tuesday, everykitty!

Tortie Tuesday - No Squillions?

Hello Everykitty! Welcome to another edition of the Terrible Tortie Twins' Tortie Tuesday!

We noticed that a lot of you have squillions. Squillion's Day kind of pointed that out to us. *wink* They look like lots of fun! Sadly, we don't have any squillions, but since our mommy is also a crazy cat lady (and dog lady!), we have quite a few kitty-themed objects around our house. We thought we would share them with you today.

This is probably our favorite. It is an angel holding a kitty. We think all furries have angels just like beans do . . . I know our guardian angel made sure that mommy adopted us and brought us home! (Mommy agrees because she told us no one else would put up with us the way she does. *snicker*) This angel lives on top of the entertainment center in the living room, usually, but lately she's been taking a vacation in the hall closet. It seems some kitty can't leave her wings alone . . . *ahem*

Here we have Hello Kitty (given to our mommy by Jack and Dante's mommy) and Puss N Boots (given to our mommy by Almost Dad). These two currently live on top of mommy's chest of drawers in the bedroom. We aren't sure, but we think those two might be dating. They are standing awfully close to each other, don't you think?

And the last kitty-themed object today is this kitty-shaped frame that Almost Dad got mommy. He lives on top of the entertainment center in the living room just like our angel does. Do you see whose picture is in it? We know he's a handsome boy, and the author of this blog, and the BABY of the family . . . but really, mommy, can you make it any more obvious who the favorite of the family is? We know you are always telling us he poses nicer than we do, and that if we would just be still and cooperate you'd have more pictures of us, but still . . .

Well, mommy, here you go. We CAN pose nicely . . . when we want to.

~IVY~

~HOLLY~

Thursday Thirteen - Tortie Style

Tybalt received this award from the lovely Diamond Emerald-Eyes yesterday. Way to go Tybalt! He'd like to share this award with his sweetheart Samantha, Queen Snickers and Empress, and the kitty fashionista herself, Daisy.


On to other exciting news, we Terrible Tortie Twins were officially accepted into the T.A.T.A.! You can read our submission here.

In celebration, Tybalt is letting us take over the Thursday Thirteen, and we are going to fill you in on our favorite things to do!

Favorite Activites of the Terrible Tortie Twins

1. Opening cabinet doors and exploring.
2. Whapping the cabinet doors so they slam loudly at 3 AM.
3. Scratching mommy's walls, doors, and doorjambs.
4. Bunnykicking.
5. Flinging Poo. (Ivy)
6. Snorting catnip.
7. Patting mommy's face. (Holly)
8. Loving on the doggies.
9. Stealing dogfood.
10. Drinking the doggies' water. (Holly)
11. Watching squirrels and birdies out the window.
12. Whapping the blinds loudly at 3 AM. (Ivy)
13. Demanding affection from mommy.

Tattling Tortie Tuesday

Hello, kitties! It's me, Holly, reporting to you for this week's Tortie Tuesday!

Ivy and I had some excitement last night. We got mail! Yes, you may recall how a certain someone in our house has been hogging ALL of the Christmas Cards we've received. Well, our friends Tazo, Titus, and Earl Grey certainly did, so they sent us a card of our very own! It was clearly addressed to "Holly and Ivy."

Now for the tattling part of today's post. Well, as you may notice in the next picture, Tybalt just couldn't stand it. Notice how his paw is placed on OUR CARD!

He even nosed his way in when Ivy was checking out the card!

Thank you so much! Tazo, Titus, and Earl Grey . . . you are the best! See how much I love your card?

Where, you may ask, is Ivy? Why isn't she helping me report?

Well, kitties, we also received cards from Beau Beau and Angie (they were gorgeous!) and a certain mancat and his naughty alter ego (Hendrix/Bendrix). Ivy was so excited about that last card that she's been slaving away at a special greeting of her own.

Here it is:

Tortie Tuesday Tattle and Mail

Holly: Hello, everykitty! We are back for another Tortie Tuesday!

Ivy: And another Tattle Tuesday!

Holly: AND for a special mail call!

Ivy: When mommy helped us pick our cards out, she made sure they were from ALL of us to everykitty.

Holly: But we have noticed that Tybalt has been claiming all the cards WE have received as HIS!

Ivy: Imagine our shock and disgust at that! Every card has been addressed to "Tybalt, Holly, and Ivy" . . . or at the very least "Tybalt and Family."

Holly: So this time we made sure that we were there when mommy came home and announced that we had mail! We were the first ones to check it out.

Ivy: And then, of course, Tybalt had to come and interrupt our investigation.

Holly: You can see in the picture above how I REFUSED to be moved away from our cards.

Ivy: I didn't think it was worth fighting over, so I went ahead and left. But you can see in the next picture how Tybalt CLAIMED all three cards as his!

Tybalt: Hey! It is my blog, after all girls. Plus you can see my paw is on Kimo and Sabi's card . . . they are my fellow mancats. Plus Queen Snickers and Empress share mine and my mommy's interest in anime . . . and Abby is a gorgeous fluffy sweetheart of a kitty, plus her sister Boo is my friend Jack's sweetheart . . . these were SPECIAL cards and meant a lot to me!

Ivy: Riiiiight, Tybalt. These cards were "special." What about the other cards you have gotten?

Tybalt: They are ALL special! These kitties are my friends! I don't mind sharing with you, but you have to admit that the cards mean more to me than they do you. You girls are hardly ever on here, after all.

Holly: You are probably right, Tybalt, but you know ONE card is going to put Ivy on Cloud 9 when we get it.

Ivy: HUSH! *blush*

Tybalt: Oh, you mean . . . Bendrix?! *eye roll*

Ivy: ANYWAY . . . next comes the tattle part. We finally got mommy to start putting up our cards on display so that we can see them all the time, even when she is gone.

Holly: And guess what, kitties? We have received more cards than our mommy! She has received two cards, and we have received seven!

Tybalt: I feel kind of bad about that. Maybe we should share them with her? Here is a picture of the cards we all have received so far (including mommy's).

Ivy: You will notice that mommy has hung the cards on her unfinished dining room door, no doubt in an effort to prettify it.

Holly: She tries.

Tybalt: Mommy does her best, girls. You know that! Anyway, that is it for Tattling Tortie Tuesday!

Tree Trimmin' Tuesday!

Well, as you kitties know, our house was decorated last week so that we could be extra sure that we furries were ready for Sandy Paws. Mommy thought she was the one doing all the work, but that just proves how silly mommies can be. Of course most of the difficult work was done by me, with a little help from the terrible twins. Part of my princely duties is to make sure that all is in order for the holidays, and that includes inspecting every decoration to ensure that it is up to my high kitty standards, and to supervise mommy to make sure she is doing her job correctly. I thought I would share a few pictures with you all to show how difficult it was getting ready for the big Sandy Paws visit.

For some reason mommy always packs the tree away in a box. That means we have to make sure none of the bits are missing, and to check out any interesting smells. Holly is helping me here.

I got a little worried about mommy. This is not where our tree goes! See how much she needs me?

Ivy and I had to make sure the tree skirt was properly put in place.

Holly did some quality control work behind us.

Ivy checked to make sure all of the lights were working.

And finally I got to enjoy our tree after all that hard work!

Tortie Tuesday with the Terrible Twins!

Tybalt: Because I am a thoughtful and generous prince, I decided to share my blog with my sisters today. I just hope they don't embarrass me. Okay . . . it is your turn, ladies.

Ivy: Thanks Tybalt! Happy Tortie Tuesday everyone! My sister and I would like to say hello again and apologize that we haven't been more active in the Tortie community. We've been busy exploring cabinets, climbing furniture, and scratching up walls, but that is really no excuse for not being here more! Although I have to say Tybalt hasn't exactly been sharing his blog well lately . . .

Tybalt: HEY! That's not true! I share with you all the time. You and Holly don't like to share with me. Here is proof:
Holly wouldn't share the fun pink toy with me last night! Everytime mommy whirled it around for us, you or Holly would jump on it and take it away so that I didn't have a chance.

Holly: I'm sorry about that, Tybalt, but you have to understand that it is very important for me to practice my gymnastics skills for tomorrow night. I need to be able to balance on the back of mommy's broom, and be able to jump back on it if I slip.

Tybalt: Stop saying that! Mommy isn't a witch!

Holly: You'll see.

Ivy: Anyway, back to Tortie Tuesday. I thought it was important to have a close-up taken . . . for no particular reason. I just thought maybe everyone would appreciate it if mommy gave you a better look at me . . .

Holly: I'm sure Bendrix will love that picture, sister. *snicker*

Ivy: *blush*

Holly: I had mommy take a picture of me practicing for our big night . . . HALLOWEEN! I am practicing my best "witch cat" look. This is how I plan to sit on the back of mommy's broom. I have to look alert to keep a sharp eye out for bats and ghosts and other spooky things! Notice how I spread my whiskers wide so that I can feel the cool autumn breeze blow through them.

I am so excited! I can't wait!

Tybalt: You will be disappointed Holly . . . I'm telling you, there will be no broom ride! I asked mommy and she told me so.

Holly: She just doesn't want to hurt your feelings, Tibbles.

Ivy: Stop picking on our brother, Holly. You know how sensitive he is about mommy. And he doesn't like anyone but her to call him "Tibbles" either. Now you've embarrassed him. I bet we never get to use his blog again!

Tybalt: We'll have to discuss this further later, ladies. For now I think our Tortie Tuesday has come to an end. I don't want to be humiliated anymore in front of the other mancats. Sisters are such a trial!

The Terrible Twins

Before I introduce you to my two sisters, let me announce that Captain Jack and Dante have honored me with an award! I am so excited! I am purring as I type. Here it is!




I would like to share this award with some of my new friends! Momo, who is also new at blogging, and Derby who welcomed me and had his owner take pics of pretty things while she was driving in her metal monster! If I could, I would give it to everyone, but I think most of you have already received this award, anyway. That's how wonderful we kitties are! =^_^=


I also want to thank all of the wonderful kitties who welcomed me! I purred all night, I was so happy and excited! My sisters couldn't wait to get introduced today. They knocked over mommy's trash first thing this morning in celebration.

The title of this post is "Terrible Twins" because that is what my mommy calls my two sisters, Holly and Ivy. They are two very, very naughty kitties. Sometimes they even draw me into their diabolical schemes! Even though I am a prince, I am still their little brother, and there is two of them and only one of me. I try to remind mommy about that everytime she catches us. I don't think that explanation works for her really well, though. I am going to have to work on my innocent look more.

Holly and Ivy just turned three years old on September 30. We celebrated with tuna, and mommy and grandmama sang Happy Birthday. Mommy always celebrates our birthdays so nicely! Later on, when mommy went to bed, we all celebrated more by opening all the drawers in the kitchen to see if we could find anything new to play with. Like I said, my sisters are naughty.

Holly and Ivy were adopted by mommy when she was celebrating her first Christmas in her very own house. At the time, Mommy was just living with Loki, my doggie brother. He was a handful and she knew he needed a friend, plus mommy was missing having a purring kitty in her lap. Mommy found out that her cousin was fostering some kittens that had been abandoned on the side of the road, and she took this as a sign that she needed to adopt a Christmas kitten. When mommy first saw the kittens, they were tiny and starved, with little scrawny tails. They looked so pitiful! But she noticed that nothing was stopping them from running and playing and trying to steal food from people's plates. Mommy soon learned that the kittens had been living with a pig, and having to fight it for meals! Grandmama says this explains the twins' manners (or lack thereof). Although mommy had only intended to take one kitten home, she adopted both sisters, and Grandmama helped to name them Holly and Ivy. As soon as they arrived in their new home, Holly and Ivy settled in and began their reign of terror.

This is Ivy.

She may not be the naughtiest of the two, but she is the one that gets caught the most. She tries to use her big eyes to look innocent, but mommy knows better. Ivy gets caught red-pawed too often for mommy to believe that she is an angel! Ivy likes to believe that she is mommy's favorite. She loves to get in mommy's lap and snuggle up to her at night. She also stretches out her paw to pat mommy on the face, in an effort to make herself more endearing, I'm sure. Mommy would find this much more cute if Ivy didn't have litterbox issues. Ivy's paw does not always smell so nice or look so clean. When Ivy was a kitten, she had some tummy problems. Loki says that when she would use the litterbox he would cry and howl and beg mommy to let him outside so that he could escape the smell! Mommy tried all sorts of different types of food in an effort to end everyone's misery. Finally, Ivy's tummy settled down, and we haven't had a stinky house in quite awhile. Ivy still hasn't mastered covering up in the litterbox. Her sister usually goes in right after her to tidy up. Occasionally, Ivy even flings poo! I think Ivy secretly believes that she is a monkey. Just see how she likes to climb! This is Ivy being naughty and climbing on top of mommy's tv in order to attack Pepe Le Pew. Even though she knows it is forbidden, she does this at least once a night.

This is Holly. She is being naughty, too, and planning an attack on Puss n Boots.

Holly is extra special, because she has thumbs! Holly likes to use those thumbs to make it harder for mommy to get away when she wants to give her some serious love and attention. Mommy says Holly has an incredible grip. Because of her extra toes and the claws that don't retract all the way, you can hear Holly walking on the hardwood floors. *CLICK CLICK CLICK CLICK* Grandmama says that Holly sounds like a velociraptor (just like in that scary big lizard movie Jurassic Park!) Holly is an expert at opening cabinets and drawers. She would make a great burglar kitty. Holly doesn't want to be a burglar, though. She wants to be something called a familiar. Holly thinks my mommy should be a witch so that she can help her cast spells and ride on broomsticks. I got upset at Holly for saying that, because my mommy is not bad! She is a sweet mommy! Holly just smiled at me and told me not all witches were bad. I don't know if I believe her or not. Sometimes when Holly is nesting and she has her eyes half shut in contemplation, I just know that she is thinking dark and mysterious thoughts. I refuse to allow her to corrupt my mommy!

Just look at her! She is planning something.

This is me shunning Holly and her dark plans for my mommy.

That is it for my kitty sisters! Tomorrow I plan to share more about Loki. Thanks again, everyone, for such a wonderful welcome! I can't wait to read what everyone is up to today!