Help send me to outer space (sorta)

So here's the deal - you've probably heard of the International Space Station. I hope you have. I'm a cat and I've heard about it. Anyway, they're shooting another room up. I suspect it's a place for the Russians to stay since they don't use deodorant and so they kinda stink. But they're having a naming contest and I would want all my fans to submit my name (spelled Tommy) so it would be painted on the side of the room thingy they're shooting up there. You can see the official NASA photo of it. Which looks like it's already on the space station. Hmm ... I hope this NASA group is on the up and up. At any rate, if you got enough time on your hands to read my blog, then you got time to click HERE and vote for my name. It's for the greater good. The name Buddy is in the top 10 and I think we can all see that Buddy is a dog's name. Talk about a retarded name! How embarrassing would it be to have a space room named after a dog??!! I'm not prejudiced or anything but dogs have to be the dumbest, smelliest, most worthless animal that runs on four legs. Plus, they're just stupid. So let's avoid a national embarrassment.

Speaking of dogs and outer space ... if my name gets on the space room, it would energize my latest initiative which is to start sending dogs into outer space. My plan is that we round up a bunch of dogs each time the shuttle flies off and when they get in orbit the cat-lovin' astronauts will open the pod bay doors, throw a frisbee into space and all those dogs will run after it! OMG that would be so funny! Those dogs would never figure it all out. So vote for me so that, together, we can punk a bunch of dogs!

Really funny dead dog joke!

Dead dog photo:"Are you sure?" the distraught woman asked. "He was a great family pet. Isn't there anything else you can do?" The vet paused for a moment and said, "There is one more thing we can do."He left the room for a moment and came back carrying a large cage with a cat in it. The vet opened the cage door and the cat walked over to the dog. The cat sniffed the dog from head to toe and walked back to the cage.

"Well, that confirms it," the vet announced, "your dog is dead." Satisfied that the vet had done everything he possibly could, the woman sighed, "How much do I owe you?" "That will be $330," the vet replied. "I don't believe it!" screamed the woman. "What did you do that cost $330?"

"Well," the vet replied, "it's $30 for the office visit and $300 for the cat scan."

Today's Visit to Dr O!

It was a perfectly normal Saturday morning. I had already been toasting myself on top of the spa - it's always warm. And then on a warm day you get toasted on both sides. Cats are experts at finding warm spots.

Then the day took a turn for the worse!

As can be seen in this photo I was tricked into this PPU (that's a portable prison unit). There's only one reason they stick me in this thing - they're dragging me to see the cat doctor. This is all messed up because I hadn't even needed any pills for a week! Well, it turns out the owners had run out and I needed a check up before they'd give me any more. So if you're wondering how many PhD's does it take to remember to refill my prescriptions --- well, it has to be more than two!

So we get to CVS and they start loving me up like I'm going to forget this is all happening. I mean CVS as in California Veterinary Specialists, not the drug store, in case anyone was wondering.

So my owner (the cute one) starts yapping away with the vet tech (aka Maggie). I'm sitting in my cage and they're yapping away. Well that's just great. At least she's asking about how I'm doing and then right there in public they start talking about my barfing a couple of times. Sounds like someone has some resentments! Maybe I should talk about when she's barfed! I could if I wanted to. Maggie keeps asking questions about me. I suppose this is so they can soften me up when they take me to the backroom to do stuff to me!

Before we get to that, I'd like to address a rather troubling issue with these Vets. These CVS vets usually seem very professional, but then they go and have all this dog stuff around (see photo above). I've circled and made arrows so my point gets across about this canine trifecta. Dogs are bigger but cats are smarter and more cunnng and their owners are willing to spend more money on us cats than all those doublewide owners and homeless people are willing to spend on dogs. Maybe if Dr Ogilvie reads this and if he has any clout in that place this could change.

So now we're just waiting. It's a Saturday and it seems like stuff takes longer on weekends. Most of the vets are probably off playing golf or killing puppies - both are pleasurable past-times. It's a long walk down the hall to the examination/surgery/torture dungeons and I have to admit it can be a little disquieting.

I notice that there is much less a sense of gloom outside. This gets me to thinking ...

That's right - I try and make a break for it!

I get past the first bench but then I'm snagged by this other vet tech. I've explained in an earlier post (in great detail) about how sneaky vet techs are. I think this one was spying on me given how easily she thwarted by escape attempt.

So after this little fracas, Michelle tries to console me. It might have worked had she had the sense to do it somewhere so that I couldn't see the great outdoors. It's hard not to get bitter about all this stuff!

So as can be seen by this photo they came out to haul me back to the backroom (as they call it).

They stick me on a cold table - like the kind they do autopsies on and start feeling up my throat. This vet in the red is from Slovinia which from the sound of her talk it's clear she's not from around here. Slovinia must be out past Moreno Valley - really far away. And Dr Ogilvie isn't my regular doctor. Dr Prouix is my regular doctor. He's a board certified specialist in oncology (cancer in other words). But they tell me that Dr Ogilvie is too. I prefer to see specialists as I'm a complex cat. I see that Dr O has published several books in the field. Well that's good. I want smart people around me to take care of my needs.

I'd like to point out that even though she is from a far away place, she still was very thoughtful in wearing red for my visit. As the Huskercat (GO BIG RED!), I appreciate the gesture. I've never seen her here before and I've been coming here a long time. They could use someone as considerate as her. I hope she sticks around! And that girl in blue can also stick around as far as I'm concerned. She obviously had a thing for me. I always like to encourage that kind of behavior!

So these photos show me getting probed and measured with their gizmos. I'm surprised that they let Maggie take these pictures of them in the act. Other than probing and poking me, they slapped me down on the table and needled me so they could get some blood. This happens every time I go there! The only thing I can figure out is that they are housing some kind of incompetent vampire who can't get blood on his own. Talk about embarrassing!

I don't quite get what all they're doing, but you have to admit that in this surveillance photo Dr O and Jenn Spela of Slovinia looks like they got caught doing something. Beats me but I've learned over the years that when Vets look like this you don't want to provoke them. Last thing I need is for them to decide that they're going to use me to juice up their secret vampire. Now that I'm home and can do a little research, I find out that Slovenia is well known for vampires! Holy cow - I was kidding a bit ago about the vampire business but now it seems clear that I'm right about this. Us cats have to go with our sixth sense on stuff like this.

HEALTH REPORT: So it turns out I'm doing great. I was assuming I was doing great since I'm looking so good. I got a refill on my human cancer drug which is actually made for human people. It's pretty powerful so when they looked at my blood cells and my platelet cluster count was good so we know that the drug isn't killing me! That's certainly good! They also gave me some more prednisolone. I have to take that every day. It's a steroid which probably accounts for my being able to kick the ass of any cat that comes in the yard even though I'm getting pretty old. I can also run dogs out of the yard, but you don't need steroids to do that. Dogs are wuses.


It's getting obvious that this vet in the red sweater is really into PDAs! Her displays of affection are getting pretty personal. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying that she's pretty good at it. She seems pretty smart and smells really nice so I bet she's not one of those vets that works with dogs. She's too pretty to let herself go to the dogs. HA!

Melissa - my sexy new friend!

It's been awhile since I've introduced another sexy new friend in my Tommy's Sexy New Friends series. It was hard to imagine that there would be anything good about a drought. Actually, I wouldn't spend time imagining a drought anyway since it's not in my job description, which to summarize, involves eating, sleeping, and getting petted (although not in any particular order). But, oh boy, did that drought end with Melissa stopping by!

I thought something was up when they had me locked out in the back yard when she arrived. I kept trying to get someone's attention at each back door and was getting ignored or forgetten about. Neither of which are forgivable, btw. She was there for quite awhile before someone noticed me and let me in. To which Melissa said Hey, I was wondering where Tommy was! That felt good. It's nice to know at least someone was interested in my company! I will be filing neglect charges against the owners next week. I hope they're paying attention! I hope they read this because I'm willing to negotiate on this, however, I will drive a hard bargain that will involve a lot of cans of Fancy Feast's Grilled Tuna Feast with Gravy and being fed more often than the gulag style 2-meals-a-day thing that passes for cat care around here. And it has to be the one with gravy. In case anyone involved is listening. If you get my drift.

It was all about showing me the luv with Melissa around! We could use more of that around here. We could use more of Melissa around here because at least then I wouldn't be forgotten out in the back yard! She's really smart too since you have to be smart to graduate from Cornell. That's an outstanding school because that's where my board certified cardiologist and my board certified oncologist each got their degrees. That makes me a first class cat! When I'm being squezzed my brain doesn't work like normal but I didn't hear anything about vet school. I don't think Melissa is planning on being a vet though because she didn't dress like my vets dress. At all. She would make a good vet though because she has a good bedside manner as can be seen in the photo above. Obviously there was no bed but I'm just sayin' that she had good cat communication and lovin' skills. She can visit anytime as far as I'm concerned. Not that anyone would care about what I think given how I was left out in the back yard all afternoon!!!

Behind the Scenes! (at my New Year's Portrait)

This first one is my standard laying on a Husker blanket trying to look interested shot. I'm carrying this off well except I notice that it wouldn't have hurt one of the people to have given me a good brushing before this. They usually have a fur person here for me but I guess there was a little too much eggnog being passed around. I'm not completely sure about that probably because I know for sure that there was plenty of catnip floating around this joint over the last few days!

The second portrait is where they made me actually get up. I don't mind getting my picture taken but it's asking quite a bit to have me go out of my way like this. But no matter, I sure look good.

In this third photo I doing what the humans call copping an attitude. I'm not sure exactly what that means, but apparently I do that a lot. I just call it making my damn needs apparent to those who can't seem to figure it out right away!! I practically live here - you'ld think they'd get used to having a celebrity in the house. They'll be totally screwed if Madonna decides to stay over sometime!

Now for a behind the scene shot!!

Since most of you aren't celebrity cats (such as myself) I thought I'd show you what it looks like when you're getting a fancy New Year's celebrity portrait taken. You have a light to make sure your fur on the top is lit correctly. And then the crew has to have a light on each side since I have two sides. Otherwise, it would probably look weird or something. Then there's yet another light kinda in front of you (not visible here). That one flashes right in your face! This kind of thing is fun for awhile but eventually, being the center of attention like this gets a little tedious. But a cats like me got to do this to keep the fans happy. So I hope you're all happy!

Huskergirl Miss September gives good squeeze!! (to me!)

It was Monday. No good bowl games today. I mean who wants to watch Rutgers play? I didn't even know that Rutgers had a football team. To be honest, I never heard of Rutgers - I don't actually keep up with all these colleges and stuff. I'm quite content to pay attention to the Huskers and I know in a few days they're going to kick the tail off of a Clemson football team. Nebraska plays on January 1st! That's a real bowl game day.

Anyways, I always like it when Natalie visits me. She's a regular around here and I suspect that she comes to just get her photo taken with me. I wouldn't be the first time someone tries to piggyback on my reputation as the celebrity Huskercat!

She moved to Alabama so I don't get to see her as much. It's a real mystery to me why someone would actually move to Alabama. If you were kidnapped then it would make sense. There are probably lots of kidnappers in Alabama.

I mean how weird is a state when their county sheriff pleads guilty to perjury and an ethics violation to stay out of prison when his crime was stealing over $9,000 for buying over $9,000 in Mardi Gras beads using the school vending machine money. I ask you how much shit for brains does a person have to have to even ponder such a high crime??? I'm sure his wife/sister didn't offer any good advice. I'm glad I live in California. Our weirdness is usually interesting and not obvious evidence of generations of inbreeding. At least we don't bury our dead in roadside graves!!

Plus, I doubt that Fancy Feast would stoop to lowering themselves to selling their Tuna Feast with Gravy in Alabama. I'm sure there's plenty of road kill innards to keep their cats all plumped up. I'm sure they can 'splain it all good by citing some Old Testament injunction about wasting food or something like that.

I suppose I'm just upset that Natalie had to leave again. She gives good squeeze! (as can be seen in the above photos) And she is Miss September in the new Huskergirls Calendar! How cool is that!! I get squeezed by Miss September! She's very classy looking. I hang out with the best - that's for sure!

She had red hair when she came over, but had black hair in her Huskergirl photo. Hell, one time she even had pink hair! Well, what can I say - this is California! I got to see if I can be in this calendar next year. In fact, I can't figure out why I wasn't asked!!

Merry Christmas 2008! What Santa brought me!

HO HO HO is the word of the day it would seem! Santa Claus came to visit or so I'm told. He's not part of our cat mythology but from what I can gather he's some fat guy who doesn't know how to shave and is old enough to retire. And he's known for delivering the goods so he's my kind of guy!

The owners made me sit on this box for my "Christmas picture." Sounds like I get one picture a year taken or something. I get my picture taken all the time. That's why they have a special photographer for me. All celebrities have their own photographer! But they can take my picture if they want - as long as there's loot to be had! I've already noticed that my sock has three candy canes but the others only have one. This bodes well. For me!

Presents are being opened and I smell something special. I can't figure it out. Us cat's have a special smell organ in our mouth and so I can always figure things out better if I smell with my mouth. Bet you didn't know that cats had this. It's just one more reason in a long list of reasons why cats are superior to dogs. I mean dogs can smell better than cats, but that's not going to make up the difference for being retarded in the brain now is it? Dogs are stupid.

It turns out that the one owner (the big one) gave the cute owner a hair skrunchy made out of mink fur! It was in her Christmas stocking. Wow - they killed a mink just to make a hair scrunchy.  Well, that's ok by me. Minks are sneaky little things and all you PeTA fans who are thinking that it's not fair for a mink to get killed to make a hair scrunchy I'd like to remind you that this mink probably had it coming for one reason or another so there's no reason to be losing sleep over this. For god's sake don't be a wuse about something like this! Save your emotional torment for something worthwhile - like how there might be a Fancy Feast Grilled Tuna in Gravy shortage! I have nightmares about that!!

My owners go crazy about cat stuff. They're complete suckers for any cat crap. Somebody has this all figured out because someone gave them some dish towels with cats on them (see surveillance photo above).  Whoever gave them these towels must live in a double wide somewhere because if they had any taste at all they would have gotten some towels with Maine Coons since we are so much more better looking than the mangy cat on the towel. 

So what did Santa bring me? That's what you really wanted to know! I got a bunch of cans of Fancy Feast Tuna Feast in Gravy (my all time fav!); and a can of Fancy Feast Tuna Feast (the kind without gravy), and a can of Fancy Feast Ocean Whitefish & Tuna Feast in Gravy. The feeders know I like the Fancy Feasts in gravy the most so I'm not sure what's up with the Tuna Feast without gravy, but I don't want to seem ungrateful, although I wish they'd pay a little closer attention to my needs than this. But I did pretty well for myself and it's time to be reflective about all the feral cats who go hungry although, I don't like to reflect on that for too long because Christmas is all about having stuff (like Fancy Feasts) and not about being down on your luck.