15 Week Countdown- Week 10: A Cat Mom's Love

Welcome to Week 10 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.)

Today's post honors all the cat moms, moms without fur, and the influential women who have shaped our lives. Like the kitties, Glogirly was adopted when she was just a kitten...er, a baby. She's been blessed with four mothers over the course of her life. First was the young woman who gave her life. Then was her mom you taught her how to live it. Her mom chose a very special woman to be her godmother, who near and far was always there for her, especially after she lost her mom to cancer. And most recently, Glogirly's birth-aunt, the older sister of her birthmother. She was another mother. Unexpected, and one of her life's greatest gifts. 

Here's a spacial conversation between Glogirly and Waffles. And a glimpse of those four amazing women Glogirly has called mother.

A Cat Mom's Love, plus Honoring Glogirly's Many Mothers

WAFFLES:  So, Glogirly? 

GLOGIRLY:  Yes, Waffles?

WAFFLES:  Glogirly, are you my mom? Because you don't really look like me. You don't even have orange fur or stripes or anything. But I really love you. You know, like a mom and stuff.

GLOGIRLY:  Of course I'm your mom, Waffles. I adopted you so that you'd be part of our family and we ALL could love you, take care of you, and spend our lives together. 

WAFFLES:  So even though you're not really a cat, you can still be my mom? Like forever and stuff

GLOGIRLY:  Forever and always. Forever and ever, Waffles.

WAFFLES:  And so you're Ellie's mom too, right? Forever and everything?

GLOGIRLY:  Forever and EVERYTHING.

Happy Mother's Day X4!

Mother's Day is a pretty special day for our girl. You see, like us kitties she was adopted as a tiny little one. Not only did she have a mom who loved her with all her heart and taught her how to love and be kind and study hard and grow up to find happiness and joy in the world, she's also been incredibly fortunate to have many mothers looking out for her and holding her in their hearts. 

You could say Glogirly has 4 moms!

Her mom-mom, who along with her daddy adopted her when she was little like a kitten. She's lived more years without her than with her and even now, misses her so much. 

Her birthmother, who carried her for nine months and had the strength and love to give her away.

Her Godmother, Barb.  Their mothers were sisters. Glogirly's mom was the youngest and her Godmother's mom was the oldest. Growing up, Glogirly always knew that if anything ever happened to her parents, she would go to live with her Godparents, who have always loved her like their own. When Glogirly was just 24, she lost her mom (her mom-mom) to cancer. A few years later, she and her Godmother became very close and today they are closer than ever. Glogirly loves her with all her heart...and so does Waffles! She will always be a mother to her. 

Her birthmother's sister (Dorothy), who Glogirly met 16 years ago and immediately bonded with. Her positivity and joyfulness are infectious. She welcomed Glogirly into her family with open arms and an open heart. Dorothy has three sons and Glogirly has become the daughter she never had. 

An Update:

Sadly, less than a year ago, Glogirly lost both Dorothy and Barb. Within just a day of each other, heaven gained two more angels. This has made mother's day this year especially meaningful. Both sad for the loss of their frequent conversations and visit, but grateful for the memories and the mark they've made on her life. 

Another Mother Memoir

Many of our friends have read Another Mother, Glogirly's story of her search for her birth family. It still sits here on the pages of our blog, and she still has plans to someday turn it into a memoir. If you've never read the story or would like to read it again, we invite you to curl up with your kitties, brew a favorite tea or coffee, and enjoy her journey and the story of her search.. 

It's "narrated" by Katie, our beloved tuxedo kitty who inspired our blog 13 years ago. 

Today, we're dedicating it to all the strong women out there who have taken others under their wing to show them the way. 

Read Another Mother HERE.

15 Week Countdown - Week 9: THE KISS

Welcome to Week 9 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.) 

Today's post is a fan favorite! We couldn't let this countdown go by without including it. Katie and Waffles had a complicated relationship. Waffles wanted to endear Katie SO much, but Katie really wanted nothing to do with him. It was not uncommon for fur to fly when Waffles made his moves. That's what made this post and the photos SO crazy. 

Glogirly couldn't help herself when she saw how great these shots turned out. LOL! We hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Golden, CO
February 13, 2019

Shock waves out of the sleepy mountain town of Golden, Colorado today. Two supposed rival cats caught on camera in what can only be described as a most embarrassing and compromising position. According to an anonymous source, the lip-locking felines have been identified as Waffles and Katie of the GLOGIRLY cat blog.

The photographer behind the salacious shot is rumored to have sold exclusive rights to the photo for a figure in excess of 25 cents. 

Katie, the tuxedo cat pictured above, originally argued the "misleading and horrifying snapshot" was a result of someone's mad Photoshop skills, however the authenticity of the image has been confirmed and the photograph deemed untouched. 

Katie now claims the viral photo is "nothing more than a bad camera angle." 

A VERY bad angle indeed.

Waffles, (pictured above in a press photo provided by his agent), has admitted he is the orange tabby shown only with his back to the camera in the controversial shot. He's wasted no time sharing the KISS photo on social media. Meanwhile, women across the globe and clowders of female cats are left shocked and heartbroken.

L-R: Princess Floofenfluff, Chris, Pancake, Tutu

"NOOOO, say it isn't so, Waffles!" 

-Princess Floofenfluff, Lubbock, TX


"But I thought I was his girlfriend!" 

-Chris, Kansas City, MO


"YOU TWO-TIMING #%&*@!!" 

-Pancake, Savannah, GA


"But...but what was all that one in elebenty billion talk???"

-Tutu, Fargo, ND

The complicated and often contemptuous relationship between Waffles and Katie is no secret to fans of their blog. According to legal experts, a single picture like the one published on the Enquirer today, exposing the two cats in a blatant public display of affection, could not only permanently tarnish their reputations but take down the entire GLOGIRLY empire with a single swipe of the paw.

15 Week Countdown - Week 8: Waffles Tries Out His Pickup Lines

Welcome to Week 8 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.)

Today's post is from 2016, back when we lived in our Minneapolis townhouse, Katie and Waffles would often hop up onto the  bar stools overlooking the kitchen, and more importantly, the food prep area. But never until this day had they BOTH sat at the counter, side by side. With breakfast in their sights, they put adie their usual "complicated" relationship and Glogirly snapped away at as many photos as she could get. That's the story behind the photos...but what she imagined them saying to one another paints a far funnier conversation.  

Waffles Tries Out His Pickup Lines on Katie

WAFFLES:  Hey Boss, you come here often? 

KATIE:  Seriously? You're going to use that line on me?

WAFFLES:  Ok. How about this - can I get your digits so we can FaceTime? 

KATIE:  Waffles, you're already in my face ALL the time. The last thing I need to do is FaceTime you. And mitts off my digits.

WAFFLES:  Snapchat?

KATIE:  Waffles...

WAFFLES:  Man, picking up chicks is hard.

KATIE:  Waffles, you've got a lot to learn about girl cats.

WAFFLES: So what am I supposed to say? 

KATIE: Well, you should say nice things. Compliment her. Tell her you like her fur... 

WAFFLES:  Ok. I like your fur.

KATIE:  Waffles, you need to romance it. "I love your furs... how do you keep them so silky-soft?" 

WAFFLES:  Thanks, Boss. I lick them everyday. 

KATIE:  No Waffles, you're supposed to ask ME how I keep MY fur so soft. 

WAFFLES:  But I already know. You lick yours like elebenty billion times a day. That's why you cough up all those nasty hairballs that Glogirly steps in and–

KATIE: Waffles... IF you want to impress the ladies, do NOT bring up hairballs. Ok, let's try this again. Just say, "Hello, my name is Waffles. What's your name?"

WAFFLES:  Got it. HELLO, MY NAME IS WAFFLES! 

KATIE:  Take it down a notch, Waffles. A little lower.

WAFFLES:  *low voice* Hello, my name is Waffles.''

15 Week Countdown - Week 7 The Paw Touch That Rocked the Interwebs

Welcome to Week 7 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.)

Part of the fun of our countdown is perusing some of our most favorite blog posts. The funniest years of our blog were absolutely the early years of Waffles and Katie. Those of you that have been with us all this time know their relationship was complicated. Waffles was fascinated with Katie, vying for her attention every chance he got. Katie tolerated Waffles. It's not that she didn't like him...it was more like a sister brother relationship. Or rather, the all knowing older sister and annoying little brother relationship. 

This is one of our MOST favorite funnies. In part because Katie NEVER let Waffles touch her. Like EVER. Until this. Until the infamous Paw Touch.

The Paw Touch that Rocked the World

WAFFLES:  So Boss. We've been together now for about elebenty seven years.

KATIE:  Actually, it 2 years, 8 months, 21 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes.

WAFFLES:  That's what I said. Elebenty seven years.

KATIE:  Fine. Elebenty whatever. So just how long are you planning on keeping your paw there? Because for the record, mine was here first. And yours is encroaching.

WAFFLES:  Uh, but when a boy cat and a girl cat go out for elebenty seven years –

KATIE:  Go OUT???

WAFFLES:  Yeah, Boss. You know. Like going study and stuff.

KATIE:  You mean going 'steady'? We are NOT going steady, Waffles. 

WAFFLES:  Does that mean we're not going to the first base thing?

KATIE:  What, you mean like baseball?

About Today's SHOCKING Photos

You should have heard Glogirly squealing after she shot these photos this past weekend.

Katie and Waffles HOLDING HANDS??? 

Call CNN!
Call Entertainment Tonight!
Call Jackson Galaxy!

Waffles is fascinated with Katie. He SO wants to engage. After breakfast, Katie trotted over to one of her favorite hang out spots - her big soft pillow by the sliding glass doors. It's one of the few spots Waffles usually lets her be. Until today.

He walked up to her, sat down just at the edge of her pillow and started meowing. Long, extended meows. Slowly he reached out with his right paw towards her. He carefully set it down right on top of her paw and then laid it on the pillow next to hers.

Then came the stare down.

This was one of those moments Glogirly would pay just about any amount of money to be able to read their minds.

And in case you're wondering...

These are actual, untouched photographs. NO photoshop trickery was used. For real.

15 Week Countdown- Week 6: Cat Tax

Welcome to Week 6 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.) 

Since it's April 15 today, we thought it would be fun to share Ellie and Waffles take on taxes. In between skiing, Glogirly managed to find time to prep all her records for the big tax day and the kitties OF COURSE had to help. 

 Cat Tax Prep

WAFFLES:  Whaddaya mean you can't deduct our toys on your taxes??? 

ELLIE:  Glogirly says that's not how it works, Mr. Waffles. She also said you don't even know what a deduction is.

WAFFLES:  I do too know what a deduct is.

ELLIE:  You mean a deduction? 

WAFFLES:  That's what I said. And our toys should totally be a deduct. And our litter, and our food.

ELLIE:  Glogirly said you also have to pay taxes to claim deductions. Do you pay taxes, Mr. Waffles?

WAFFLES:  PAY?? You mean like with real money and stuff?

WAFFLES:  This whole tax thing is no fun at all. 

15 Week Countdown- Week 5: Face 2 Face

Welcome to Week 4 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.) 

Last week we shared the arrival of sweet Ellie and her first face-to-face encounter with Waffles. We've often wondered if when Waffles looked at Ellie with eyes as big as saucers, he remembered Katie's glare when he first met her way when he joined the family. What goes around, comes around! 

Here is one of our very first posts with Katie and Waffles. It comes from way back in 2012. FYI-In the beginning we called Waffles, "Waffles Too." Don't let that throw you. We'll have to explain that later! For now, we hope you enjoy Waffles in his fresh kitten cuteness and the shock and awe of Katie.

Face 2 Face

Hi everyone, Katie here.

He's out. Waffles Too has officially come out of the kitten room. After our supervised meet-and-greet I wrote of yesterday, Glogirly & Gloman decided (without my consultation I might add) they saw no reason Waffles Too and I couldn't spend the day together with the run of the townhouse ...under their watchful eyes.

Waffles Too THINKS he can stalk me.

That kitten was EVERYWHERE. I had no idea anything could move that fast. I just sat back and watched the show. It's like watching Animal Planet TV on steroids. Truth be told, it's kind of entertaining. So much so that I haven't even had reason to lower my ears into the aircraft position.

For the most part we kept our distance. But when Waffles Too approached, and crossed that sacred line, I countered with a well articulated hiss.

Only once did the pea eyed monster return fire. He caught on quickly though and began to walk around me, maintaining a 24" no fly zone. 

Stand Off at the OK Wand Toy

Toys. Can you say *AWKWARD?* To Waffles, the world is his toy. This includes all of MY toys. Sometimes the lure of the wand toy causes him to cross the no-fly zone, thus resulting in another hiss exchange.  Waffles doesn't let it get him down though. He doesn't cower into a corner or run for cover. He just hops away and moves on to the next shiny object. He's got chutzpah and the attention span of a gnat. 

Glogirly is home much of the time now, so she's been able to watch Waffles and make sure he doesn't blatantly screw up. When she leaves to get groceries or go to the gym, she puts Waffles back in the Kitten Room. She also puts him back at bedtime. She probably wants to make sure the little monster doesn't attack me in my sleep. For that, I am grateful.

For the most part, this kitten invasion has been turbulence free. The seat belt sign is off and we are now free to walk about the townhouse.  

But Waffles, be careful where you step.

15 Week Countdown - Week 4: Hello Ellie!

Welcome to Week 4 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.)

We thought it would be super fun to relive the arrival of sweet Ellie. She joined our family in September of 2020 and life has never been the same here in the mountain house. She's still a petite little girl, but oh my...these kitten photos of her are SOOO cute. We can't believe she was ever that small. We hope you enjoy her adoption story and all of her kitteny-cuteness!

Hello ELLIE!

WAFFLES:  Wait a minute...who are YOU???

ELLIE:  I think my name is Ellie. What's your name?

WAFFLES:  I'm confused. Ellie???

ELLIE:  Hi confused. It's nice to meet you! 

WAFFLES:  I mean, I'm, I'm Waffles. 

ELLIE:  You mean like pancakes? You don't smell like pancakes.

WAFFLES:  You really don't smell like pancakes.

Surprise!
Last week we promised you a surprise, and boy do we have a BIG one! ...well, actually she's only three pounds. We're so very happy to introduce you to Ellie, the newest member of our family and our blog. We brought Ellie home on Saturday, September 12. Just like our beloved Katie, Miss Ellie is an anniversary kitty. Glogirly and Gloman celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary and decided it was time. Time to bring a new life into our home, time to share our love, and time to turn Waffles' world upside down!

Ellie has only been with us for 8 days now, and it's safe to say we are ALL in love. Ellie was born on a farm in rural Colorado. A very nice lady who lives on the farm, and who adores cats, knew that she wasn't equipped to care for this tiny kitten and her still-a-kitten mother. She contacted a small, local non-profit organization called The Feline Fix in Commerce City, CO. 

For more than two decades, The Feline Fix has championed the welfare of cats by providing a wellness clinic, spay/neuter services, a humane TNR program, and adopting & fostering. They are Colorado's leading spay/neuter source for free-roaming "community" cats and a significant provider of affordable spay/neuter services. They have spayed/neutered over 42,000 cats at their clinic, preventing the births of hundreds of thousands of unwanted cats in Denver and its surrounding areas. 

Ellie was living in a foster home when we found her online through Petfinder. (The same website we used to find Waffles almost 8 years ago!) Our adoption experience was a unique one given the precautions so many shelters and clinics have in place due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Glogirly filled out her adoption application online, and once it was approved, a Zoom meet-and-greet was set up for Ellie & her foster mom, Glogirly & Gloman, and Nicole, the adoption coordinator from The Feline Fix. 

Before the call, Glogirly was having a very hard time imagining adopting a cat without being able to be with them in person. To hold them, talk to them, and play. She had butterflies in her stomach when the Zoom call started. She and Gloman got to see Ellie interact with her foster mom and play with feathers and red dots. Waffles was sleeping on Gloman's lap during the whole call...it was a family affair! 

It took all of 15 seconds for Glogirly to fall in love and whisper to Gloman, "She's the one...we have to adopt her!" And the very next day, Glogirly and Gloman drove to The Feline Fix to pick up Ellie and bring her home, to her new forever home.

You're probably wondering where her name came from. Her foster name was Ella. Such a pretty name which totally suits her sweet and feminine face, with that beautiful eyeliner! She's SO tiny and cute that we decided to call her Ellie. Miss Ellie Belly. Gloman calls her his sweet little bean. ...like Jelly Bellys.  

One Week Later...
We had no idea how Waffles would take to a new kitten in the family. He has always had a very hard time with new animal smells. In fact, when Katie would go to the vet, Glogiry would have to separate them for a few days after they returned home. Waffles was so sensitive to the unfamiliar smells, it was as if he didn't even recognize Katie.

So we were ready and had our guest room set up for Ellie. Sure enough, there was a lot of hissing, growling, and moaning those first couple of days. Ellie's whole world had changed too. New people, a new environment, and a new cat. While in her foster home, she didn't have any contact with the resident cats in the home. She needed a little time to acclimate and feel safe. We supervised their contact and Glogirly slept in the guest room with Ellie. 

Then something amazing and wonderful and beautiful happened. 

As Waffles became more comfortable with this tiny new kitten, Ellie became more confident and began exploring the whole house. Pretty soon, when the feather toy came out, both Ellie and Waffles were playing. 

Next, they started chasing each other around the house, wrestling like a couple of kids. Waffles has been incredibly gentle with her. It's as if he's aware of his size and strength, and purposely shows Ellie a gentle touch. 

Ellie has discovered a new and SUPER fun toy. An orange striped TAIL!

Waffles' extra-long and wiggly tail is just too much of a temptation for her. But when she chases it, or even catches it, Waffles shows patience and compassion.

Soon, Waffles started sleeping in the guest room. In Ellie's Sleepypod. Usually, while she slept on top of the bed.

And then this happened.

Just eight short days, and they've become BFFs. 

Ellie has found her place in the world. She's such a happy kitten. A lover, a cuddler, and a gamer. She watches Waffles closely and is quick to copy. Once she saw Waffles sleeping on Gloman's lap, she did the same. Once she saw that Waffles sleeps every night in bed with Glogirly and Gloman, she was was right there, all night long.

And for Waffles, it's a whole new world too. Already he has a relationship with Ellie that he's never had with another animal. Katie was incredibly loving too, but she was much more independent and enjoyed Waffles from a distance. Now he has a chance to experience life up close and purrsonal with another kitty. 

Here we go!

We can't wait to share more of Ellie and Waffles' adventures with you!

You may have noticed a new header image on top of our blog page. Little Ellie is in the driver's seat of the Jeep, though she can barely see over the steering wheel!

Check out our new Meet Us page and our new About page for more!

15 Week Countdown - Week 3: We Wear Short Shorts

Welcome to Week 3 of our 15 week countdown to retirement! (Just click over to HERE if you missed the big announcement.) 

Today is a VERY special day at the mountain house. It's Gloman's BIRTHDAY! Each year here on our blog we've tried to do something fun for his big day and our absolute favorite was back in 2016. We were still living in our downtown Minneapolis townhouse. We hope you enjoy our birthday celebration for him. And we apologize for the ear worm you will likely be stuck with once you read it. 

A "We Wear Short Shorts" Birthday

WAFFLES:  Ok Boss, is this where the H goes?

KATIE:  Hurry it up, Waffles. Gloman's coming down the steps any minute. We've got work to do.

WAFFLES:  He's going to be SUPER surprised, isn't he! I bet he doesn't even know I can spell Happy Birthday. 

KATIE:  You can't, Waffles. The sign came already spelled.

WAFFLES:  So how many pairs of shorts did we get him for his birthday?

KATIE:  Enough that we're going to string them all up on this clothesline. Now where's the end?

WAFFLES:  I got it! I got it!

KATIE:  Waffles, it's not a toy. It's a clothesline. Now hand it over.

WAFFLES:  I got it! I got it!

KATIE:  Waffles?!

WAFFLES:  Uh, Boss? I thought you said it wasn't a toy.

WAFFLES:  Boss?

* 60 minutes and an untold number of shorts later*  ...can you find Waffles?

He Wears Short Shorts ♩♫

So you're probably wondering what's up with all these shorts and what looks like laundry day at the Townhouse, right? Well Gloman REALLY needed some new shorts. And you see, he has this thing about shopping. He hates it. So instead of bringing Gloman to the store, we brought the store to Gloman. 

Glogirly went a little crazy and bought a BUNCH of shorts for him to try on. Lots of styles, colors and sizes. This way he could try everything on in the comfort of home in front of the windows for the neighbors to see. Once he chooses his favorites, Glogirly will just return the rest. 

Though we're getting kind of used to having a 100 foot clothesline strung though the house.

We set all of this up early in the morning on his birthday, before he got out of bed. When he came downstairs from the bedroom... SURPRISE!  

So how many pairs of shorts do YOU think he had to try on?