Din in My Ears

Some call it music
I call it noise
People howling
Rattling my toys

Lyrics of longing
Lyrics of lust
If it doesn't stop
My eardrums are gonna bust

Whatever happened to making a difference
Catchy tunes all about change
Now all I hear when the music starts up again
Is tripe about feelings or people acting strange

American Idol panders to populist tastes
With songs and a band that totter down the middle of the road
The homogenization of the seventies is alive, if no better
Daunting and blunting any who would dare to be bold

Now for those who claim to want control of their music
Who invest the time to program an mp3 player
Shouldn't such pap be a thing of the past
Shouldn't the music I hear be stronger or gayer?

But no, I continue to be subjected
To strained tunes old and new
For my human's tastes (or selections)
Evidently are just too few

Sleeping In

Sleeping in is usually a solo activity
But today involved watching a loud tv
And sharing space and blankets too
And the occasional stroke or loving coo
Guess that makes the sharing worthwhile
Getting to sleep in fine feline style

Brain Befogged

So much negative news these days
Regarding contents of commercial pet food
Time to switch to homemade treats
Made with love and served with good attitude

The temperature has leveled off once again
I can hunker down comfortably in my den
There's time enough for a loving cuddle
Without encountering a sweaty muddle

Rhyming in sweltering heat
Is just too exhausting

Too Hot

I say it's too hot
JJ says it's not

I spend my days atop the tree
Where no one else can reach me

The Gurlz bound energetically across the grass
No thanks, say I, I think I'll pass

All that running and jumping is for the young
I'd rather not have to hang out my tongue

I'm not a dog or even a spry kitten
I'd rather spend my days sittin'

Nouna's a lady who understands
She's content to watch the lands

Lying cool and quiet within
Far from all that din

Quietly we sleep
Within the keep

Back at Last

My PU's back and I'm so happy
Time to blog something really really sappy
Hugs and kisses and rubbings abound
The One who was lost has now been found

My PU's back and I'm so excited
Heard the car before she was sighted
Packs and bags swinging so dangerously
I don't care; my PU's back and I'm filled with glee

My PU's back and I'm higher than a kite
Now she's back, everything's right
Today the sun is shining instead of that dismal rain
Even the Little Gurlz have stopped being a pain


JJ's bouncing and eating again
Nouna has stopped being a wet hen
Ajax has got her game once more
Comet is once again eager to explore

Now I can relax and let down my guard
Being the Big Boy has really been hard
But now PU's back and life is once again sweet
Amongst all our paws are two sturdy feet

Mini-Max

I saw a younger version of my son today
He sat in the bushes looking to play
I saw his footprints all over my car hood
Right before I saw his tail disappear under a pile of wood
He has that same soulful look as my Boy
A promise of being a most excellent toy
But there's really only one Max for me
That's the one I can't wait to see

Something's Up

Pudee's busy and that's not right
Nouna's been challenging JJ to a fight
Comet wants to join in but doesn't quite know how
Ajax just wants her daily game, and she wants it now

I'm a simple fellow with loving on my mind
All I want is everyone to be gentle and kind
The dryer just stopped so I have to go
I'll lose my seat if I'm too slow

I hear the East Coast is stormy and wet
I'm glad that kind of weather hasn't reached here yet
Tomorrow should be another sunny day
Too bad the weekend won't be staying that way

There's violence on the news today and it's very sad to hear
People go to college to learn, not to live in fear
When the shots rang out, there was little heard
Till two hours later when an email was read by a curious nerd

What kind of warning is only sent on the Net?
People haven't lost their hearing yet
Hindsight, however, is too easy a critique
What should have been is an argument too weak

People do what they do in times of stress
Trying to contain the spread of distress
If they guess right, they're heroes to the world
If they guess wrong, accusations are hurled

Now I'm guessing that Pudee's getting ready to take flight
If she does, I'll be lonely; I don't want to be right
I'd rather by far that she stay right here
I want my Pudee very near.

Tough Day

The sun is back
The wind is up
Nouna's on the prowl
JJ's woe is a full cup

The compost has manure
The Gurlz like it lots
They may be stinky
But JJ's got the hots

That doesn't matter
It's just been a tough day
The music is all madness
Karaoke still holds sway

Why doesn't someone
Make earplugs for cats
Pudee's still yowling
Less sharps, too many flats

Time to turn inward
Find some private place for peace
Hunker down and flatten my ears
Till that pathetic noise does cease

On-Demand Selection

My human found the
Karaoke button this
Weak end - Woe is AI

Note: Max disavows all connection with this entry.

Sunny Friday

Shannon has snow on the ground and sleet all around
But I've spent today lying out in the sun
Melissa writes of spring in the air and music in her ears
But these warmer temps mean I'm getting nothing done

There are plenty of tasks awaiting my attention:
There's soil to mound and sushi to roll
There's an oven to clean and chicken impatiently waiting,
But I'd rather find air-conditioning and bowl

No, that's not true either, if the truth be told
I'd rather bug PU and practice my firm hold

Someone has accused me of lacking rhythm and tune
A complaint lodged when I last serenaded the moon
But if you could have heard the base caterwauling last night
You, too, would have hidden in awe-inspired fright
As the newly discovered Comcast karaoke "singing" began
And frightened us all: wild beasts, homebound cats, and the neighbor's whole clan
It's okay, Little Darlings, everything is all right
PU will get over it; just sit tight

Morning Observations

Morning Observations

It’s always fun
When other chores are done
To return to a blank screen
And try to say what one might really mean

Let’s see –

This morning this Furry Son sat enjoying the Spring sun
As a sprightly young lass bounded joyfully about the grass
There was nothing she couldn’t vault because this morning’s dustup wasn’t her fault
She stretched out her little toe and began to hoe
In the now bereft former turnip patch
Where’d she’d been waiting to watch a wasp hatch
Or perhaps there had been a spider’s eggs
Waiting to burst open between her legs
In any event she was filled with the glee that comes only with release
When one has survived an encounter with a parent and fled in one piece
Now she lies resting from her morning’s exertions
While her sister prowls about looking for her own special excursions
And through it all JJ sits, a silent sentinel
Waiting for his turn to go where he will

Warming's Biggest Wallop

Warming's biggest wallop aimed at wildlife, not people | csmonitor.com

Global warming continues to be in the news today
Scientists from around the world have much to say
Some of it's good, some of it's sad
CO2 emissions evidently aren't all bad
Plants are growing bigger and stronger
As warm seasons are lasting longer
But ecosystems can't help but be affected
As species after species can no longer be detected
The coldest climes are hurting the most
As life used to the cold is becoming toast
Everything that wants to survive
Has to shift over or take a dive
Meat and vegetables, whatever they used to eat
Now they must forage for some other treat
I guess I'm lucky my family has become domesticated
Or my littermates and I might also have been ill-fated

Big Bro Tracks Well

It's not enough that GPS now comes standard in every new car
Now they're tracking walruses on their journeys near and far
Truth to tell humans have been tagging animals in the wild
From wintry wastelands to waters where the weather is mild
For more decades than I've been alive
Yet wild creatures still manage to survive
Though their numbers are dwindling, it's true
As constructions buries more and more morning dew
Land, sea, air
All venues once so fair
Are now under continual assault
By humans who deny any fault
Everyone needs nesting spaces for their young and old
Shelters and hideaways from enemies, work, and cold
Harmony is for paintings in drafty halls
Not for wild things trying to avoid abrupt falls

Perils of Penguins and Other Sad Stories

Winter has broken and Spring is upon us
Flowers are blooming with all sorts of fuss
But as we rejoice in the return of warmer days
Politicians debate the ever more bewildering maze
Of climactic changes attributed to global warming
Resulting in melting ice caps and severe storming
An earthquake induced tsunami has ravaged the Solomon Islands
While penguins are disappearing individually and by bands
It's hard to know right from wrong
So much simpler to simply go along
Let "wiser" heads decide what should be done
Then wonder what happened when there's too much sun
Or not enough air - just blame it on the pollen
And try to ignore how many innocents have fallen

Recalled Pet Food Revisited

The list has grown to hundreds of labels
The death toll is rising too
People should cook for their pets
Mine does; don't you?

Of course, my human shops in Chinatown
But I don't often get gravy
It's just boiled or grilled or baked for us
Nothing havey-cavey

This growing global economy
Has allowed more fingers to point
Companies, like people, need to step up
And admit when they've rolled a joint

Your furry friends have entrusted themselves to you
Believing you know what you're doing
You need to take a firmer stand
And do more than just your usual cooing

Just because you call us pets
Doesn't mean you can neglect our care
Watching out for us
Means more than the occasional bath and trimming of hair

Foie Gras-Laced Hot Dogs

Chicago has banned foie gras-laced hot dogs
That's fine; they're just lumps on logs
Those pups think that they're so fine
You'd never catch me claiming one of them as mine
Their meat is mixed with duck liver paste
Harvested from birds that have been bred in haste
I like my fowl free from contamination
In fact, all my food without need of explanation
But I also believe in free feeding for all
So I'm against banning duck livers from the mall
I'm glad I'm not slated to be made into someone's meal
But seriously, folks, let's get real
This nation runs on speed and commerce
And that, folks, is the end of today's verse.

I'se Closed

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.
- Jack London

The sun is shining but my eyes are closed
There's nothing left through which I haven't nosed
The Little Ones may gambol as they please
JJ is still susceptible to a friendly tease
But all I need on such a day as this
Is some timely sweet loving and a gentle kiss
Food there is aplenty, of that I can be sure
Water is where I want it without an estate tour
The roaring of planes overhead are easy to ignore
Only the dreaded kitty eater is still not a bore
I don't have to file taxes because I have four paws
No IRS agent can get me with his legal claws
Looming tax deadlines don't worry me
Because as a cat, I'm financially free

Woolly Organ Donors

This article was billed as a discussion of furry organ donors, but evidently it refers to a slightly different direction. Remember Dolly, the first cloned sheep? Well, evidently her species has been providing researchers with opportunities for more genetic experiments. While this may all bode well and good for the future of medicine, I am personally concerned with potential conflicts over the future of my lamb and mutton consumption... Very disturbing... very disturbing...

Good thing the humans have stopped feeding us Iams Lamb mix...

clipped from www.dailymail.co.uk Chimera: sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells The sheep have 15 per cent human cells and 85 per cent animal cells - and their evolution brings the prospect of animal organs being transplanted into humans one step closer. Professor Esmail Zanjani, of the University of Nevada, has spent seven years and £5million perfecting the technique, which involves injecting adult human cells into a sheep's foetus. He has already created a sheep liver which has a large proportion of human cells and eventually hopes to precisely match a sheep to a transplant patient, using their own stem cells to create their own flock of sheep. The process would involve extracting stem cells from the donor's bone marrow and injecting them into the peritoneum of a sheep's foetus. When the lamb is born, two months later, it would have a liver, heart, lungs and brain that are partly human and available for transplant.

Rainy Daze Amaze

Been awhile since we've had a proper rain
With water visibly running across each pane
The kind of day that makes you just want to huddle
Deep in the blankets with your favorite cuddle
No sense sitting out in the kitchen cold
Just to prove that your heart is bold
Better to find your favorite warm place
And claim it before someone tries to steal your space
The Little Gurlz have been restless all morning
Well aware of the overnight meteorological warning
That there's a storm coming, as all the SF movies claim
Right before everyone in sight gets maimed
But that's a different subject than this
As I sit here making a wish
For sunny skies or warm bodies or both
That stimulate positive feelings and healthy growth
It's a good day to ignore what passes these days for news
Items that remind me more of little kittens' mews
With all those reports of the piteous states
Of people and places and nonexistent rebates
Today is better by far I think
For rambling and stopping to sip a refreshing drink

Return of the Kitty Eater

Max was very brave today
Held his ground and did not sway

Nouna held her place as well
Until the monstrous sound did swell

JJ wisely sat outside
A little unnerved but too proud to hide

The Gurlz were flashes of tail in flight
Better today to run than fight

Perhaps that's why later in the day
Each tried to swing at poor JJ

The simple truth is that everyone turns tail
When the vacuum comes, it's time to bail