MANCAT MONDAY: FURIENDS FOR ALL SEASONS

Dante and Dylan are no fairweather furiends.  They stand together in all kinds of weather, through Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.

WINTER

Making PAWpsicles!

Testing wind patterns

Checking minty freshness

Frozen in time

SPRING

Verifying defence mechanisms

Getting back to grass roots

Springing secrets on each other

Sniffing out introoders

SUMMER

Defending mutual territory

Giving a good old pat on the back

On guard against bushwhackers

Showing a FURm Commitment

(Biggify this one for the full image)

FALL

Kiss me, you fool!

Checking out the lay of the land

Doing double duty (two heads are better than one)

Getting the full TREEment

So, as you can see Dante and Dylan have been through the gamut together.   I think we can agree that this FURiendship is fully seasoned -- enough to last two lifetimes.

FUNNY FACE FRIDAY WITH DYLAN

Dylan is usually making some kind of funny face.  If you want a "nice" picture of him you have to focus the camera on him and wait until just the right moment when his face or ears aren't contorted in one way or another.

Today, however, I have gone back through my extensive gallery of photos and selected the ones that are a little off the wall.  Something like Dylan, himself.  I think it really shows you his quirky purrsonality.

First we have a series of yawns.

Dylan speak with forked tongue!

Howlaylooyah, bruddah!

Fangs for the memories!

How do my tonsils look by the way?

Next, we have the guilty look.  The ears are flattened out for this one.

Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And boy, did it drop big time!

Those aren't feathers in his mouth -- it's what's left of Domino!

Dylan, the Drama King -- Paws for effect!

Or in need of terror-pee, purrhaps?

Of course we must have the requisite tongue shots.

Dylan's just loves to hang out!

Cross your heart and spit!

It was just on the tip of my tongue!

And here's some one-of-a-kind moments.

Dylan's a pillar of strength (and strangeness)!

Dylan just doesn't want in -- he demands it!

And finally, here's a portrait for all you Dylan fans out there!

Dante is still his No. 1 fan, though, as you can see.

Funnily enough, we've come to the end of the feature, Dylan's features anyway.  We hope you've had your fill of funny faces this Friday.

TGIF efurryone!

3-D WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: EARS TO US!

(Biggify at will)

TUXY TUESDAY WITH DOMINO: A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE

These pictures are a peek behind the veil of Domino's carefully crafted image.  Normally, she is always posed, poised and ready for a photo-op.  Here she is just relaxing on the brick walkway in front of our house, seemingly unaware of the camera taking her in.

She is still a fascinating subject, and a study in black and white tuxy perfection (if I do say so myself).

Belly floof is all just poof!

Beauty beYAWNed measure!

A ladycat of great taste!

(Biggify to see little pink tongue)

A-WRIST-o-CAT non pareil!

CATsual yet cultured!

Dis-SPHYNX-ly sphynx-like!

At ease and sPAWntaneous!

MEWsing on life!

PURRfection gets a final tweak!

So now that Domino has studied sufficiently, and you have examined her, what grade do you think she deserves?

In my opinion (of course), she's Grade A Tuxy Transcendence.

Any thoughts, Milo?

SUNDAY 3-D FAMILY REUNION

You may recall, as I have mentioned previously, that Dylan's littermate, Buttons, lives right next door to us.  Despite this, I have never been able to get a picture of them anywhere near each other.  In fact, it's very difficult even to get a picture of Buttons by herself.

She is a fencewalker, like Dylan, but is usually partially hidden by trees or bushes.  Yesterday, I was fortunate enough to get a clear opportunity, and I took it.  Buttons came out of her driveway and onto the road in front of ours.  So, with my zoom lens, I was able to capture a few decent pictures of her.

Doesn't matter where you are -- when you're itchy, you've just got to scratch!

Ah!  That's better!

Buttons will be 6 years old on July 27th (as will Dylan, of course).

Buttons is a 'Colour-Point Shorthair' with blue eyes.   This means that at some point in her ancestry (and Dylan's by default), there was some Siamese in the mix.  She has the 'points' of a Siamese, except that she's white. Her particular colour, I believe, is called a 'Flamepoint' because of the dilute red.

Buttons belongs to our next-door neighbour, but was chosen specifically for their younger son, Zachary.  Here's a picture of Zachary holding Dante. 

Buttons is definitely Zachary's cat -- she has claimed him, as much as he has claimed her, and sleeps with him every night, after walking back and forth on top of him sufficiently.

Zach's mom had originally dubbed her "Miss E".  Apparently the 'E' stands for 'Evil'.  She rules the roost (the cat, not the mom) including her adopted sister Bella, who preceded her.  However, Zach wanted to name her 'Buttons', so that was her ultimate moniker (though I really think 'Miss E' is more descriptive).

If anyone leaves food out on the table, Buttons will steal it -- including newly opened tins of tuna which she carries off to parts unknown to consume in her own good time.  Buttons also drags in all kinds of dead things -- and the odd live one -- into the house.  She has a distinct preference for snakes, though her mama does not!

Visitors must beware of Buttons and are warned that if they shut the powder room door, she will throw her entire body at it until it opens again.  She's not a fan of closed doors, and knows just where to land to pop the latch.  Nothing is sacred -- nothing is private.  Buttons owns the house and all the people and everything in it!

Despite all of her feistiness though, there is one thing that makes Buttons literally quake in her boots -- and that is Dylan!  Apparently, she has encountered him on the opposite side of a closed patio door and will just stand there and shake until taking off screaming in the other direction.

So, the only way to have a family reunion between these once familiar littermates is in pictures.  Here I have a couple of comparisons between Buttons and Dylan.  Do you think they look at all alike? 

Of course, their colouring is completely different; Buttons is even paler with the flamepoints and blue eyes, and Dylan is a creamy tabby with light green eyes.

As well as sharing a similar build, I can detect a certain facial resemblance.

So here we finally have brother and sister reunited -- even if it is only in pictures.  Have a great Sunday efurryone!

P.S.  In closing, I thought I'd share a birthday poem that Dylan wrote for Buttons on the occasion of their third birthday.

TO BUTTONS,

Happy Birthday number three
So sorry you’re afraid of me
I never truly meant to make
Your legs and tail and body quake
I’d never hurt you – I’m your brother
Yes, it’s me and not the other
If you can quell the urge to shake
We could even share a snake
But until you come around
I’m here waiting to be found
We’ve lots of time to meet, you see
Because you live next door to me!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SIS!


Love from, Dylan

FEMME FRIDAY WITH DOMINO AND THE GIRLS

Mom had one of her "Ladies' Nights" this week.  That's when she invites over a few of her girlfriends for dinner and a movie.  Of course, her other little girlfuriend, Domino, joined right in, too, as she is wont to do. 

From left to right, there is Val, Renate, Domino and Susan.  Domino's taking center stage of course -- or at least center couch!  She places herself where she can get the maximum attention.

The girls are all drinking strawberry wine, except for Domino who abstains from alcohol, though she's not opposed to a little nip now and then.  Speaking of nip, Val brought a whole tub and some cat treats, as well, for all of the 3-Ds to share.  Susan brought kitty treats, too, and a new toy, as well as some lemon candies for the beans of the house.  Renate brought some lovely scented candles for Mommy. 

Domino is dressed in her beautiful party dress for the occasion.  Renate was quite amewsed, not having witnessed Domino in her modelling attire before.

When Domino realized the camera was zooming in on her, she assumed one of her very best modelling poses.  Renate was quite imPURRessed!

Domino's not quite used to the flashy box, though, because most of her photoshoots are taken outdoors.

So, here's a close-up of the gorgeous girl, with her eyes shut from the sudden flash of light, and with a bit of drool on her pussycat lips.  She just smelled the shrimp mommy made for starters! 

Pavlov drool your heart out!  Who needs a bell when there's the scent of seafood wafting in the air?  (Note:  Pavlov signaled the occurrence of food by ringing a bell, which caused his subject woofie to salivate.)

In any event, Domino had her fair share of treats and nip, and tested out all the available laps during the movie.  As well as being a 'femme fatale', kitty fashion model and girlfriend of the handsome and devoted Milo, Domino is just 'one of the girls'!