Happy Christmas!

Quinnocent

WHAT?! Santa, I am totally innocent. Look at this face!

Bella

Bella uses that box as a pillow. Sometimes a little box goes a long way.

Santa Can Suck It!

I started something fun and new over at http://www.SantaCanSuckIt.com. Come check it out and join in the fun!

Cats Who Stare at Goats.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Not to be confused with this, which I also loved.

It's my birthday!

Dear Readers,

I am now 29 years old. It's strange to be so close to thirty. Age really is just a number to me, but I feel like I have been here a long time. I am genuinely happy to wake up every morning, even though I do it alone. My cats don't count, of course.

I've been trying to think of something funny to post. I just haven't felt at my peak of hilarity lately. I feel like I am trapped in a ledger. I'm climbing around and making corrections, but the math isn't right yet. I hope that makes sense. (I don't mean financially. I just mean that sometimes I view life as an equation that I need to balance or solve.)

As you should by now know, I do not make resolutions every year. I have one perpetual resolution that I wake up and make every day. Move forward.

It doesn't mean the same thing every day. It doesn't mean something solid. It just means to push through, find adventure, and embrace the unexpected pleasures of every day. That's it. That is my goal. I am not planning to take over the world or any part of it. I'm just going to keep exploring. I hope you all plan to come along for the ride.

Yours,
Courtney

P.S. LOOK at the cake my boss bought!

Google and I need to have a talk.

I'll admit it. I google myself. It's a good way to find out what people see when they google me and when there are spoof accounts made in my name. I recognize that I am no one, but spammers on Twitter dig me.

I'd really like my first and real blog to come up before http://www.thekindofcatlady.com. I'm a single woman now. I'd rather the men I date not think about this when they see me:

Also, I love this song. Mr. Sandman, this one's for you.

Big Cuddlepile!

Last night my boyfriend decided that he hates Florida and as soon as he can he is leaving. Unfortunately, I am not part of that plan, so we are no longer together. My cats came together and snuggled me to near death. Bella and Quinn put aside their bickering and snuggled me next to each other and Obi climbed onto my calves. She knows I hate that, but it's her favorite spot. Anyway, my cats made things easier last night.

Perspective.

It's funny how quickly things are put into perspective.

This morning, Dr. Quinn got out because my brother left the front door open. I was so upset. Quinn wouldn't come in. He ran from me. I was sad and panicking. When he came back I was so relieved.

This afternoon, mothers and fathers lost their children. Children lost their mothers or fathers. Three men felt the need to attack other people. There is so much pain in the world. I just can't imagine it all.

My friends today put Quinn on their #pawcircle today and prayed that he would come home. He came home and I was relieved. I just can't help but think about those folks who will never make it home.

Cat girlfriend Betrayed!

This is very funny. It's not for children though.

My friend, Will Mize, posted this on his Facebook and I took it from there.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

This Halloween, Obi Wan decided to be a ZOMBIE! Check it out!

Max, Annie, and I are going to have some great adventures! I can't wait to tell you about them over at courtneyschoenfeld.com!

Bella

Do you have a license for that camera?

Since my brother has moved into the house Bella has needed a little extra assurance. If I am sitting she is on my lap like a kid on Santa. Unfortunately, all I have is snuggles.

A Letter from Obi wan.

Dear Mom,
   Uncle Cameron moved in this week and he's at the house all the time. He keeps our litter box clean and lets us hang out while he reads. He sits in your chair and I don't like that.

   Why is he so big?! You are big, but he is bigger. He has feet bigger than BELLA. I don't see how he could possibly be your brother.

   I really like the princess blanket that someone spread out under the bed. That is MY spot. I just thought you should know. I guess I might share it with Bella and Quinn, but only if they play nice.

   I hope you aren't gone the whole weekend. Uncle Cameron might forget to FEED ME!
*Purr*
Obi Wan

Today, the bunnies are filling in.

These bunnies are from my Grandma's farm. It was her birthday this weekend. I visited the bunnies after lunch and thought I would show them to you.

My house is experiencing a transition and because of that my normal cat photography is experiencing some down time. I promise things will be back to normal soon.

Sea of Love

This cover is done by a group called Cat Power. How could I not post it?

I remember my mother singing this song.

Latchkey Cats

   My cats are driving me nuts. I realize that that is what cats do. This is there world, I just pay for it. Lately, I walk through the door and 3 cats are flying at me. "MOOOOMMMY!" You'd think I was gone for months at a time. This morning, I was leaving for work and suddenly Obi Wan and Dr. Quinn came running and tried to block the door. They were meowing loudly. I had to put my things down and snuggle them.

  I can do nothing in my house without cat interaction. I was trying to use the restroom and all three cats are at my feet. Bella likes sitting in my lap which doesn't work for obvious reasons while one is using the bathroom. Dr. Quinn and Obi Wan like to sit on both sides of the toilet and play tag or something.

   When I shower, Bella climbs in between the shower curtains and waits for me to finish. When I eat, a cat is either at my feet or attempting to get on the table. When I read in my recliner, I have one or two cats on my lap. When I am in the kitchen, the cats sit and eat their food and watch me. Did someone hire train these guys to be my bodyguards? What's the deal?

   I am not sure what to do, but I think I may need to spend more time at home or leave the TV on or something. I want them to be happy and content. Not neurotic and clingy.

Princess Bella graces you with her photo.

That is all.

FAIL!

I got home from seeing The Invention of Lying last night. My cats had eaten all of the food in their bowls. I, being a good cat parent, decided to feed them. I picked up the bag of cat food and found that the cats had chewed the bag. It wasn't open, but it was just strong enough to break AFTER I picked it up.

As you can see, the cats were thrilled by the new free form feeding method. I have never heard them purr so loudly. I was furious. I was so glad that I had a container to put the cat food in, but I was not thrilled to be picking up 15 pounds of cat food. The good news is that in order for this to happen again they would have to chew through about a half an inch of hard plastic. I suppose if they do that, they can just have the food.

The best part of waking up is a kitten in your lap!

Obi Wan and I like to sit in my recliner and snuggle in the morning. She's a big fan of morning breath.

Bella - Furry and Fabulous

This is Bella.

This is Bella where she knows she is not supposed to be.

This is Bella on my kitchen table. I was attempting to make a list of things that I wanted to do for my relay for life team, but this is Bella sitting on said list. Notice the focused look in her eye. The furry paws placed daintily on the list. This is the look of Bella Bear - The Conquerer. It is her way or no way.

At least until I toss her butt on the floor.

We are comfy.

Dr. Quinn, Medicine Man and Obi Wan snuggle. (Bella lurks in the distance, making her sad face.)

Claw Trimming and other death defying feats.

This morning I woke up to a claw in my behind. This was not the first time, but I decided it would be the last time for a while. I grabbed the nail clippers and the first cat and started trimming.

The first cat was Quinn and he was ANGRY. I patiently held him down and clipped his front paws. He hissed and fought. He attempted to slap my face, but I was victorious.

The second cat was Bella, because she sat there and made fun of Quinn the whole time. She sat right next to me giving him this smug "Mom likes ME better!" look. I snipped her nails quickly. She was so shocked that she didn't even fight at first. As always, the second paw was hell. She screamed and growled manically.

Finally, I got to Obi Wan. She completely panicked, but it worked out for the best. She braced herself against my body which gave me perfect access to her back claws. I trimmed them in seconds. I then went to work on her front paws. She hissed and growled, but new better than to act.

It wasn't a bad experience and I have certainly had worse. My boyfriend's cat is awful. She's the sweetest cat ever, but her claws are much thicker than my cat's. It makes it much more difficult because I can't see where to cut as clearly.

I suppose practice makes perfect. Eventually, I'll get it down to a science.

This was stolen from Krystalle's facebook page.

I find this strange, but amusing. Love the action shots!

Are you in the Tampa area and looking for a kitten?

If you are in the Tampa Bay area and are looking for a kitten please let me know. These kittens need a new home by Friday.

How can you resist?!

The Dr. Quinn Dilemma.

Dr. Quinn is a cat I picked up from the mean streets of Tampa, Florida. He was homeless, dirty, and giving his undying love to everyone that passed him on the street. I would estimate that he's about 1 year old.

I adore him. My children adore him, but I feel like I'm swimming in cats all the time. I never intended to keep him, but the children are begging me to. In addition, they would like me to get rid of Obi Wan and Bella. That, my friends, is not going to happen.

The way I see it, I have two options:

1. Keep Dr. Quinn and hope that the other cats accept him fully and I that I can deal with the constant cat care.
2. Find a home for Dr. Quinn where he will be loved, adored, and cared for by someone who can dedicate more of their time to him.

The thing about Dr. Quinn is that he is so precious. He's just a kind hearted kitty. He likes dogs and children. He faithfully uses the cat box. He loves to cuddle. He prefers to hide under the recliner or snuggle with Obi Wan.

If he was my first time kitty, I'd want to keep him, but I feel like he's being neglected because of the amount of time I spend away from home. Obi and Bella don't mind. They have each other and spend a lot of time playing and cleaning each other, but Dr. Quinn looks like he wishes he could be part of the "in" crowd.

Obi Wan - Warrior Princess

Do you believe in destiny or fate? Do you believe that there are some people who were meant to be in your life and that your life wouldn't be whole without them? I'm not sure if these things are predestined or if I'm just lucky, but here's the story of how Obi Wan came to me.

In case, I failed to mention it before, I have two wonderful (human) children. A grandparent called me and said you will never guess what we have. These people are dog folks. They have a long history of owning dogs and shunning cats. I don't understand it, but I accept it. I guessed until I realized that, she was right, I would never guess.

She told me that she had kittens. I was in a state of shock. I asked how they came to have the kittens and they said that the mother had passed away due to some third party interference. My heart broke for them. They were two weeks old roughly and they had been born outside in the safest place their mother could provide them. They were in the grandmother's back yard. I asked how they were feeding them and I was told they put some watered down milk in a saucer and that the kittens were attempting to drink from it. I told her immediately that I would take them all when I came to visit the next day.



The kids and I brought the kittens home and I put them in my giant claw foot bath tub. I put towels and the cat bed that Bella had ignored for a month in the tub and tucked them in. I then began the process of feeding them. They wouldn't nurse for the bottle. They were so very hungry that it was as if they just didn't have the patience for it. I took a deep breath, got a tiny measuring spoon, and spoon fed them.

There were four kittens. I didn't want to name them since I had no plans to keep them. I wanted them to grow and be healthy. I had already called St. Petersburg's Friends of Strays because I wanted these guys to live.

Whenever I would walk into the bathroom chaos would ensue. All of the kittens immediately wanted food and affection. I gave them both, obviously. The formula was helping them to grow into big monster kittens, except for one. The runt was half the size of the others. She was ferocious, loud, and demanding. She was determined to not be forgotten. I'll admit that I am and always have been a sucker for a runt.



The kittens were old enough that they could eat solid food and they knew how to use a litter box. My job was done. A friend took one black kitten and named her Suki. I know had two chunky gray kittens (temporarily named Buddha and Romeo for obvious reasons) and I had the runt. I put the kittens into the box and was going to take them all to meet the man who represented the Friends of Strays, but I couldn't do it. The runt was freaking out and desperate to get out of the box, so I did the only think I could think of, I took her out of the box and kept her.



I took the others to the very nice gentleman. We met at PetSmart and when the box left my hands I lost it. Right then and there, in the middle of the stupid store, I burst into tears. I was so embarrassed. I mean, who freaking sobs in a pet store? I do. I decided to leave immediately, now that I was mortified. The kittens were crying so loud that it felt like my chest was being ripped out. It was like I was leaving my own children, but I left them.



I got home and Bella was growling and roaring at the bathroom door. I shoved her away from the door and went in to my newest addition. She looked like a little Yoda. She had huge ears and everything else was so tiny. I thought it was a terrible thing to name someone Yoda, so I thought Obi Wan would be nicer. I should mention, if it isn't painfully obvious by now, that I though Obi was a boy. I am not sure why. She had no boy parts. I just apparently missed cat anatomy.

Obi Wan never allowed Bella's grumbling to intimidate her. Initially, I seperated them because of Obi's size. Bella, though only a year old, could have hurt her. At least, that's what I thought. When I was home I always let Obi roam free. One day Bella got in her face and I thought I Obi would run away or submit, but she didn't. She about smacked Bella's face off and then lunged for her throat. Bella was shocked beyond words. She initally ignored the neck biter and then she took her paw and held Obi down on the floor. She was gentle and patient. Obi Wan calmed down and allowed Bella to clean her. I'd never seen her do that before, but from that moment on the girls have gotten along like milk and cookies. Alone they are good, but together they are great.

An introduction to Bella.

A long time ago, I was married. I had a husband and a baby. I thought everything would be perfect. It was not perfect and not long after I had everything I had dreamed of, it was all gone. My husband was married to someone else. My children didn't live with me. I was alone.

I had a live in relationship which fell apart due to mutual craziness and past hurts. I moved in with my best friend. I had a pet snake (that I eventually gave away). I had pet mice. She had a cat named Tommy that I begged her to put down. (The poor thing was in bad shape at the time.) My best friend found love and married and I was again in flux. I went to live with some family and then it was time for me to be on my own.

I found a job that required me to move and allowed me just enough financial freedom to rent a place of my very own. I was so thrilled. It was just me against the world! All by myself for the very first time. The apartment was a one bedroom, one bathroom place with a huge kitchen and a decent sized living room. It had a porch and a big fenced in yard. I was set.

I visited my grandmother's farm a few weeks before I was set to move in. I was enjoying my sweet tea and eagerly awaiting the collards when I was told that their were kittens. I was encouraged jokingly to take one and I laughed and said no. Suddenly, the most adorable little piece of runty, calico, fur caught my eye. I picked her up and was in love. She attempted to nurse from me and after realizing I didn't have what she wanted, she simply passed out in the cradle of my arms. I have a picture of that very moment. I knew it would be important.



Bella Bear has been with me ever since. We've gone through a few boyfriends. Several nights she sat with me as I cried myself to sleep and licked away my tears. She sleeps with me every night that I'm home and worried about me every night that I'm not. I know if I have been gone too long because she simply stops bathing herself.

She has not been thrilled about the new additions, but she's grudgingly accepted them. Starting with Obi Wan. You'll get her story next.

Three cats and me.

I got three cats and no microphone.

I do, however, have a blog. I have several blogs actually, but this one is devoted to cats and other animals.

Yes, I do have a tiny bit too much free time.

I also have three cats. I will list them in order of receipt.

Bella:


Obi Wan:


Dr. Quinn, Medicine Man:


Yes, these names have stories, but those stories are for another time.