Virtual Vacation from Waffles #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  Oh, hello. Would you believe today's #TuxieTuesday post is the second Waffles-free zone in two weeks? 

KATIE:  Considering he's been part of the Townhouse, ok... family, for nearly three long years now, it's frankly about time he start sleeping through Tuesdays.

KATIE:  The sunrises are sunrise-ier.

KATIE:  The fetch toys are fetchier.

KATIE: And the naps are nappier.

About Today's Photos

Each of today's photos are from what just might be Katie's biggest highlight in all of her nine lives. They're from the vacation we took earlier this year in northern Minnesota. Oh, the relaxing bliss of a townhouse on the shore of Lake Superior. 

Katie was in her element. It was her first time away from when vets and needles weren't involved. And she was in heaven. 

We hope to go on another one of these getaways again someday. Of course, Waffles would come too. Katie's got to have someone to boss around. 

In case you missed all the fun, it's not too late to go back catch up on our vacation posts. Lots of fun photos... even some with Katie and Waffles outside discovering what the sights and sounds of the second biggest lake in the world.

On the Road with Katie & Waffles: Lake Superior Vacation 

Deep Cat Thoughts #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  So you probably think I'm pondering the meaning of life. 

KATIE:  How the world would be a better place if we choose kindness. 

KATIE:  Those are indeed very noble thoughts. But right now this very minute? I'm just amazed that Waffles hasn't horned his way into my #TuxieTuesday blog post. 

KATIE:  And I'm loving every minute of it!

About Today's Photos
Thank you so much for your encouraging comments and generous shares of our post yesterday. We don't know if we'll win the trip to the BarkWorld conference, but our paws are crossed. If we do, Katie will be accompanying Glogirly this time. She's been such a brave and adventurous traveler this year!

In fact all of today's photos were taken during our hotel stay earlier this summer. It took Katie only 15 minutes to settle in and make the hotel suite her own. She was so comfortable, it was like she never left home. The Queen of Change. We should all be so adaptable!

Of course Glogirly would LOVE to bring both Katie & Waffles to the conference, but it's nearly 1,200 miles and a road trip is out of the question. The airlines only allow one pet per traveler, so this time, if we go, it will be Katie's turn.

Girl Shopping #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  I'd heard stories about places like this. Tales of tall shelves lined with delicious treats. 

KATIE:  Wand toys and feathers and catnip mice aplenty. 

KATIE:  And WILD animals. Uncaged, small people with sticky fingers throwing something Glogirly calls a tantrum. I sure hope we're not bringing any of those home!

About Today's Photos
Since Katie has done so well on the recent trips and vacations we've taken, Glogirly decided it was high time to introduce her to the big box store with the bright blue shopping carts. Waffles has been many times, but this was Katie's virgin voyage.

She did great. She was calm, curious, interested and even let a few people talk to her and pet her. She was the feline star of the food aisle. We're always very careful though because this is new territory for Katie. Glogirly is very protective and takes time to show people the right way to approach and pet Katie. Very slow, from below her head and allowing her to first sniff their fingers.

It was Saturday so there was a lot of barking going on what with the adoption events and training. But that didn't even seem to phase Katie.

The toddler tantrums in the checkout lane...now that was a different story. Glogirly and Katie retreated to the back of the store until it was deemed safe to complete their purchases and exit. Sometimes the biggest sounds can come out of the smallest packages!

Based on how great Katie did, we're seeing more shopping excursions in her future.

Where's Katie? #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  Is it Tuesday already? Last week when Waffles hijacked #TuxieTuesday... as if we all don't get enough of him already... my devout Katie fangirls (and fanboys) cried out in protest. 

"What happened to #Tuxie Tuesday?" 

"But where's KATIE???" 

"We want MORE Katie!"

"Katie, Katie, Katie!"

KATIE:  Music to my ears. And I'm not talking about that howling Waffles calls 'music.'  

So today, it's all about me. 

And my nip nanna. 

KATIE:  *sigh*  I thought this thing tasted a little OFF.  

About Today's Photos and Nanna
Today's photos bring back painful memories. They were taken last year, just shortly before the first day of spring. It was a Friday. No, a Saturday. March 15, 2014. The day the nip nanna died.

We received 'Nanna' that very day from the man in brown shorts. Well, it was cold so he probably wore pants. Glogirly opened the box and held up the beautifully fragrant and pristine nip nanna. So bright and yellow. She was magnificent. While Glogirly was getting her camera ready, Waffles got a hold of her. Nanna, that is.

What happened next was horrifying. Puncture wounds everywhere. Poor Nanna didn't stand a chance. Within 15 minutes, Nanna sprung a catastrophic leak. Katie tried to help, but it was too late.

Nanna was laid to rest in the kitchen garbage can. She was later moved to the garage, where her remains were safe from Waffles the scavengers.

RIP Nanna.

The Story Behind the Story #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  I know what you're thinking.

Is she softening?

Does she actually like Waffles?

What's the real story behind that scandalous photo from yesterday's blog post?


Let me refresh your memory–

It's no secret that Waffles is infatuated with me. Can you blame him? 

Some of the comments from yesterday's post thought Waffles was asking for my paw in, well... something ridiculously romantic.

Some thought I was actually going to share my pillow with him.

Some noticed his helicopter ears. 

Some were DYING to know what happened next.

Let me just start by assuring you that Waffles was NOT invited onto my pillow. Nor did he commandeer my pillow.

True Confessions

Ok, it's not that I don't like Waffles. He's really more like an annoying little brother. So when I give him a small whap, it's only to teach him right from wrong and remind him who's the Boss. 

There was a time, I confess, that when Waffles would approach I'd take off and run the other way. Over time, I learned that this reaction never ended well. I was either chased around the Townhouse, up and down the stairs, or whatever it was I was eating, scratching, playing with or napping on was hijacked by the furry orange thief. 

So I decided to test an alternative response to his unwelcome advances. And if there's one thing I can do REALLY well, it's stare. If staring were an olympic sport, I'd have more gold medals than that swimmer guy. 

Go ahead. Just try it. How long can you last before you have to look away? See???

So What Happened Next?

When Waffles tried that paw holding maneuver on me, I sat motionless, staring (ok glaring) into his eyes. I didn't move a muscle. Not even a whisker.

Once I saw his helicopter ears, I knew I was home free. 

He pulled back his paw, turned slowly and scampered away. 

Ahhhh... it's nice being Boss.

Little Bit of Tongue #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  Sometime's a girl's got to show a little tongue. 

KATIE:  It's fun...

KATIE:  It's flirty... it's – 

WAFFLES:  P-L-L-L-L-L-B-TH!!!

KATIE:  *sigh*

About Today's Photos
Today's photos of Katie were taken in May of this year, just before her trip to the BlogPaws conference in Nashville. She was modeling her harness in our DIY Cat Harness Makeover post. We often use treats during our photo shoots and though Waffles inhales them like he's never going to eat another meal, Katie is the picture of perfect etiquette. From the way she moves to the way she plays, and the way she eats, Katie is ALL-girl.

Waffles on the other hand...

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He Said, She Said #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  And then he was like, "MEOW!"  I couldn't believe it.

KATIE:  He actually tried to blame ME for stealing those treats. Why, I'd NEVER–

KATIE:  So I told him, "No WAY, those aren't MY paw prints and teeth marks all over that shredded bag." I mean have you seen him lately? It's pretty obvious who's been loading up on all the meal enhancements.

WAFFLES:  Did someone say meal enhancements???

About Today's Photos

Today's photos of Katie were taken only a few minutes before we clicked 'publish' on our blog post. It was so late in the evening in fact, they were shot in virtual darkness. But through the magic of Photoshop and a pretty great low-light camera, we managed to get some beautiful and rare shots of Katie and Gloman having one of their heartfelt conversations. 

It's no secret Katie's not a cuddler like Waffles is. Most evenings Waffles waits patiently for Gloman to finish his dinner and lay down on the sofa. That's his cue and in 15 seconds or less, he's curled up on Gloman's lap for the duration of the evening.

But last night it was Katie who had love on her mind as she beelined over to the sofa. There was purring, twirling, outstretched arms, curled up paws... she was not going to let Waffles horn in on her love fest.

After an hour or so, Katie repositioned herself on a favorite pillow next to Glogirly for Love Fest Part Deux. And as we're clicking that publish button, she's not moved a muscle. 

Uh, can someone bring Glogirly a soda?

Like We Never Left #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  It sure was nice staying in that beautiful hotel suite. 24/7 room service, a comfy sofa to nap on, lots of velvet... even someone to scoop my litter box. 

KATIE:  I suppose you could say it's almost like being at...

KATIE:  ... home.

About Today's Photos

Glogirly was ready. Camera in hand, she thought for SURE there'd be plenty of photo ops once she sprung Katie & Waffles from their Sleepypods upon arrival at the new & improved townhouse. After all, there were a dozen or more strangers traipsing through the house leaving trails of sawdust everywhere they went. We hear one of them has a 160 pound dog at home! That's like a whole PERSON!

New smells, new floors, even a new treat cabinet.

But to everyone's surprise, Katie & Waffles just meandered over to the kitchen with that "Lunch?" look on their faces. And soon after, found familiar spots to assume their regularly scheduled activities. It's like they never left.

WAFFLES:  Hotel? What hotel?

Tuxedo Outtakes #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  *BOP!*

WAFFLES:  Hey! What was THAT for?

KATIE:  Waffles, not only are you photobombing my photoshoot, you're photobombing my#TuxieTuesday outtakes. 

WAFFLES:  I'm not bombing. I'm here for the takeout. You know, like Moo Goo Guy Pan or fried chicken or something. General Toe?

KATIE:  Waffles, it's General TSO not TOE. 

WAFFLES:  Do you think General Toe and the Colonel are friends? 

KATIE:  Waffles, today's post is about photo OUTTAKES. Not takeout. Not chicken. Not General Toe–TSO! Not Colonel Sanders, KFC or extra crispy. Outtakes, Waffles. OUTTAKES.

WAFFLES:  Outtakes? Do they taste like chicken?

About Today's Photos

Katie's been getting in on the action when it comes to product review photo shoots. Ordinarily Waffles horns his way in to try out the newest bed, lounger, dish, carrier or treat before Katie has a chance to meow a word. 

But lately Katie's had a renewed confidence and spring in her step. A reminder to Waffles that she is most definitely, the Boss. You've got to roll out of bed VERY early to get a step ahead of Katie lately. 

So when we were taking photos of our new Peach Pillow Bed from yesterday's post, Katie took command. In fact, she's been hanging out on the pillow ever since.

We'll often shoot a hundred or so photos in hopes of getting just a few really great ones. And often we'll fire away so quickly, we're not even sure of what we've got until they're downloaded. Here's just a few of our favorite outtakes.

"Sometime today would be nice."

"Missed a spot!" 

"Practicing for those stupid Halloween cat silhouettes."

"Outtake? Who's calling this an outtake?"

The Many Faces of Katie #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  I've been told I often wear the same expression. I like to call it my classic deadpan look. It keeps people (and cats) guessing what's behind my green eyes. Like my simple wardrobe of black and white, for me it works.

Conversely, many have said Waffles is a cat of a thousand expressions. There's happy, curious, sleepy, devious, focused, bored, plotting, crazy, guilty... to name a few. And let's not forget bewildered. He's really got that one down.

Though Waffles may have me beat on sheer numbers, I can take him any day of the week when it comes to my wide range of expressions inspired by a single event, or rather a single CAT.


The Six Faces of Katie
Each of the six photos below were taken within a few minutes of each other. And in each I can assure you I'm thinking EXACTLY the same thing.

So what do YOU think I'm thinking?

Black and White and WHAT??? #TuxieTuesday

From the WAY-BACK machine... Katie Kitten and her first fur-sibling, Larson. (RIP)

KATIE:  This is sure a funny looking cat.

LARSON:  CAT??? Who are you calling CAT? 

KATIE:  Ok, rat?

LARSON:  Sheesh. What's a guinea pig got to do to get a little respect around here?

KATIE:  Ok fine. I'll make you a deal. Stay away from my food and I'll call you whatever you want.

LARSON:  Larson. And I'd appreciate it if you kept your mitts off my lettuce and pellets.

KATIE:  Yeah, no problem there. I'm not big on greens. And I'm not touching anything called a PELLET.  

KATIE:  So Larson, are you sure we haven't met before? You look a little familiar. You wouldn't be related to my catnip mouse would you? 

LARSON:  Uh oh. I've seen that catnip mouse. Or what's left of him. 

WAFFLES:  Hey, what about me??? I changed into my black and white furs. Can I play too?

About Today's Photos:
Very few people know about Katie's fur-sibling that came before Waffles. Actually, he came before we even had a blog. The first two photos were taken in the late summer of 2005 when Katie was just a few months old. Glogirly worked for Marshall Field's at the time and they held a fund raiser for the Humane Society at their photo studio. Staff photographers were on hand to take portraits of employees' pets in exchange for donations to help the shelter animals. Way back then, Glogirly's stepson (Gabe) and his guinea pig (Larson) were living with us in the Townhouse.

There were all kinds of animals at the studio... dogs, birds, cats, a hamster, a couple guinea pigs ... even an iguana. After Katie and Larson each had their portraits taken, the photographer asked if he could take a few pics of them together. Katie wanted to have fun but Larson wasn't really into her.  ; )

"He's just not that into me."
~ Katie 

Flirting with my Wand Toy #TuxieTuesday

KATIE:  Why hello my little Neko fly. It's been a long time.

KATIE:  You've had quite a love affair with a certain orange cat.

KATIE:  Don't you think it's about time you went a little tuxie???

KATIE:  It's going to take me a long time to get the taste of orange off this thing.

KATIE:  A LONG time.

WAFFLES:  Wait. What? Orange???

About Today's Photos

Today's photos are very special to us. It was just an ordinary Sunday, day before yesterday. Waffles was begging Glogirly to play with his Neko fly and Katie was lounging in a sun spot. When all of a sudden, Katie joined in and started playing with the wand toy too. She was jumping, twirling and her favorite... grabbing at the toy through the staircase railing.

So what made all this so special?

Ever since we started treating Katie for IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disorder) and feeding her a whole food diet, she's become so much more relaxed, affectionate and even playful. It's wonderful to see her feeling so good. And what's more, Waffles is learning respect. When it comes to play, that is. He's holding back, watching Katie when it's her turn, until he gets a signal that it's his turn.  Oh, he wants to dive in and steal the toy, but he's been showing remarkable restraint. ... most of the time.

Do your cats take turns when playing? Or is it every kitty for themselves? ; )