The Difference Between Cats & Dogs...

...as interpreted by these guys.  Hilarious for both cat and dog owners and lovers.  And alarmingly accurate...

Technology, not just for humans. Oh, and the NFL Season kicks off!

Dis mine.  I keep it now.

This is just too funny not to share.  In noticing the cats increasing weight gain, I've been trying to find new ways to get them on the move.  Fergie will have her occasional burst of energy and go nuts playing with her toys, but those times are short lived and few and far between.  I searched the App Store on my iPad to see if they had any games for cats.  They did!  Some were free, some were around .99 cents or so.  I purchased one called simply "Toys for Cats" and it was a hit to say the least!  You can choose from a mouse, rat, spider, frog or ping pong ball for them to chase and bat around on the screen.  The rat has a little hole it can go into and disappear...that's Fergie's favorite.  She looks under the iPad and tries to figure out where it went, when it pops back on screen she goes insane.  I highly recommend making the .99 investment if you are looking for something new to entertain a sedentary indoor kitty!  Spencer gets into too, however he didn't take to it nearly as well as Fergie.  He's more of a feather-on-a-wand sorta guy.  Check out my crazy girl in action:

Here is her sister, Rigby, becoming interested in what she's doing:

In other news, this past Sunday opened Week 1 of this NFL season!  The Colts didn't pull out their first win, but at least Andrew Luck got his debut out of the way.  He had a lot of turnovers...but I still have high hopes for our #1 overall draft pick!!!  Peyton Manning's first game as a Bronco was bittersweet to say the least.  Seeing him in that orange jersey seemed so foreign and wrong.  It was fantastic to see him playing like his old self...like he never skipped a beat.  I now have to add the Denver Broncos as my second favorite NFL team, and will absolutely be cheering for them too.  Go Manning!

Rigby and Pete were also in the NFL spirit!

Equal Opportunity Pet Owner

You've got your self-proclaimed "cat people" and your self-proclaimed "dog people".  I like to think of myself as an equal opportunity pet owner, giving equal love to all my species, and being just simply, an "animal person".  I enjoy the company of dogs and cats for different reasons.  Sometimes I love it that Pete and Rigby (dogs) are needy and up in my face, but other times it's completely annoying.  I love that Spencer (cat) lays on my lap all night because he wants to, and not because I've called him over to me and he obeys. I love that I never get any privacy in the bathroom because Fergie (cat) just loves to tag along because she knows that's her designated belly rub time.  Cats and dogs are very different and I don't think I could imagine life without either one.  Statistics show that there are more cats living as pets in the United States, but more dog owners.  This means more people have multiple cats in one household, versus just owning one dog per household.  Makes sense to me as cats are much more low maintenance!  I got these statistics from The Humane Society.org's website, and I thought they were interesting:

Dogs:

• There are approximately 78.2 million owned dogs in the United States
• Thirty-nine percent of U.S. households own at least one dog
• Most owners (60 percent) own one dog
• Twenty-eight percent of owners own two dogs
• Twelve percent of owners own three or more dogs
• On average, owners have almost two dogs (1.69 percent)
• The proportion of male to female dogs is even
• Twenty-one percent of owned dogs were adopted from an animal shelter
• On average, dog owners spent $248 on veterinary visits (vaccine, well visits) annually
• Seventy-eight percent of owned dogs are spayed or neutered

Cats:

• There are approximately 86.4 million owned cats in the United States
• Thirty-three percent of U.S. households own at least one cat
• Fifty-two percent of owners own more than one cat
• On average, owners have two cats (2.2)
• More female cats are owned than male cats (80 percent vs. 65 percent respectively)
• Twenty-one percent of owned cats were adopted from an animal shelter
• Cat owners spent an average of $219 on routine veterinary visits
• Eighty-eight percent of owned cats are spayed or neutered

Pets offer so many benefits to us and enrich our lives.  Yeah, they can be a pain in the rear when it comes to pet hair, boarding costs, the occasional "mistake" in the house.  But what we yield in return is priceless!  Lower blood pressure, exposure at a young age actually reduces allergies, and unconditional love!  

Our Brood

 I like to link to this once a year, just in case someone has missed it.  This Dog vs. Cat Diary has been around for years, but it still makes me laugh every time I read it.  

 The Dog's Diary

•   8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
•   9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
•   9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing! 
• 10:30 am - Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
• 12:00 pm - Milk bones! My favorite thing!
•   1:00 pm - Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
•   3:00 pm - Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
•   5:00 pm - Dinner! My favorite thing!
•   7:00 pm - Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
•   8:00 pm - Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
• 11:00 pm - Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!

The Cat's Diary

Day 983 of My Captivity

My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. Although I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength.

The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet. Today I decapitated a mouse and dropped its headless body at their feet. I had hoped this would strike fear into their hearts, since it clearly demonstrates my capabilities. However, they merely made condescending comments about what a "good little hunter" I am. Bastards!

There was some sort of assembly of their accomplices tonight. I was placed in solitary confinement for the duration of the event. However, I could hear the noises and smell the food. I overheard that my confinement was due to the power of "allergies." I must learn what this means, and how to use it to my advantage.

Today I was almost successful in an attempt to assassinate one of my tormentors by weaving around his feet as he was walking. I must try this again tomorrow, but at the top of the stairs.

I am convinced that the other prisoners here are flunkies and snitches. The dog receives special privileges. He is regularly released, and seems to be more than willing to return. He is obviously retarded. The bird must be an informant. I observe him communicate with the guards regularly. I am certain that he reports my every move. My captors have arranged protective custody for him in an elevated cell, so he is safe. For now ...

Eh, needs more pets.

A rare moment when everyone is content to hang out together in the basement...

Derby, Surprise Humor and Guests

It's the most exciting time of the year to be a Louisville resident!  Derby is next weekend!  Thunder Over Louisville kicked off the events last weekend, but it was rainy and nasty out so we decided to stay home and do some yard work instead.  It truly is a spectacle if you've never seen it, but being cold really isn't my thing.  My friend Jennifer is coming in from Boston this year to go with us and I couldn't be more excited.  It will be her first Derby experience.  We're planning an action packed weekend full of hats, horses, food and good company. The best thing about Derby time for me is the pageantry of it all.  The hats, the dresses,  the shoes, the flowers!  What's not to love?  I almost just called it "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing", but that's the Indy 500, isn't it?  Anywho, next weekend should be a ton of fun if it's anything like our last two Derby weeks have been!

Photo by Allie Brosh

I love reading humor blogs.  Love it.  I stumbled upon one of the funniest humor blogs (could also be a web comic I suppose) I've ever read.  I realize I'm a little slow on the uptake here as she's been blogging for years.  Her name is Allie Brosh and she writes a blog called "Hyperbole and a Half".  Her intentionally crude artwork adds to the hilarity of her writing.  If you have a few minutes to kill I couldn't recommend anything more for a good laugh than checking her out.  A few of my favorite posts are her post about how Kenny Loggins almost ruined a Christmas, and a childhood recollection of her undying need for cake.  Both brought tears to my eyes.  She isn't posting as frequently due to an upcoming book release later this year, but there are hundreds of old posts for new readers like me.  Good stuff.  I aspire to be a fraction as funny as Allie!

O hai!

While doing the aforementioned yard work last weekend, a little surprise guest rolled up in our yard around 5:00pm Sunday evening.  He was a tiny little pug, and he had no tags or identification on him!  We knew he had to be someone's pet as he looked very clean and had a blue and brown collar on.  After walking him up and down the street, driving him around the neighborhood to no avail, we decided this little guy was going to have to crash with us for the night until we could get his microchip scanned first thing Monday morning.  As luck would have it, this would-be nomad's name was Tucker, and he lived very close to us!  We were happy to reunite the little guy with his family and hope that next time we see Tucker, he'll be safely on his leash!