Pablog

One year ago today...

2012-02-06T23:11:00.004+11:00

...I said goodbye to my dear Pabsy.

It feels like a hundred years since he was part of my life.

I miss you, Pabsy.

Cheers,
--Kate

A poem for Lucy

2011-12-16T21:39:00.003+11:00

Hello again friends,

Just dropping by to thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers after Lucy's passing. It took Sue a little while to bring herself to read the previous blog post and all your lovely comments, but she was very touched when she did.

The Cat Blogosphere is a very kind place. Not everyone out there in the 'real world' knows how much it can mean to lose a feline companion. Here, we are among friends.

I wanted to share with you a poem that our friend Sheila wrote after hearing of Lucy's passing. A short and elegant poem remembering a long and happy life:

Once upon a time

there was a Lucy cat.

Only once,

but for a very long time.

Cheers,

--Kate

(PS: Happy birthday, Sheila.)

Farewell, Miss Lucy

2011-10-24T14:43:00.003+11:00

Hi friends.

I'm breaking my blogging hiatus (and yes, I still have a few more Pablo posts to do, I can't seem to bring myself to put them together) to bring you some sad news that I feel Pablo would want his friends to know.

Our dear friend Miss Lucy, the feline matriarch of West Hobart, was helped to the Bridge, old and full of years, last month.

While Lucy had been in pretty good health for the majority of her remarkable twenty-three years, she did go downhill quite rapidly in recent months; she developed diabetes, among other complications. Her devoted mum, Sue, made sure she had excellent health care, including daily insulin injections, but in mid-September, Lucy began to let Sue know that she was ready to go.

We all know how heartbreaking it is to say goodbye to a dear animal companion, and to make the decision that it is Time. I'm so grateful that Lucy made it clear to Sue that she was ready, making Sue's hard decision just a little bit easier.

Lucy was a beautiful, gentle, peaceful ladycat whom I had the pleasure of visiting and feeding on many occasions when Sue went on holidays. Pablo was never a very affectionate cat; so I relied on Lucy for kitty snuggles.

Rest in peace, dear Lucy. Thanks for the love you gave to Sue, and to others, over your many years on this earth. You will be missed fiercely.

Cheers,
--Kate

Moving on

2011-07-20T21:19:00.002+10:00

Our old house... in many ways, it's going to be hard to leave.

Hello friends. It's been a while.

My days as a cat blogger seem as long ago and far away as dear old Pablo himself.

I kind of left this blog a bit up in the air a few months ago. I intended to sign off in a more final way, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Alex going on a late autumn romp on the beach, May 2011

Life's been going well these past few months. We're in the midst of a very chilly winter. Our dear baby Alex is now a big, walking, talking, mischief-making toddler. I can't help but think about how he and Pabs would cope with each other these days.

I can't help but think of Pablo a lot lately... you see, we're moving house in a week. It's quite exciting; after years of renting and saving a deposit, we can finally afford to buy a place. We found one that we like a lot. It's old and needs a fair bit of work, and it's in the suburbs, not the city, but it's ours.

The process of packing and cleaning up our current place is stirring up a lot of memories of Pabs... and more than a few Pablo hairs! Many of you would remember that when we moved here in late 2007, Pablo hid in our bed for a week; he didn't come out to eat, drink, or use the litter tray. But he very quickly warmed to the house and its very cat-friendly terraced backyard. (Pablo was a big fan of vertical space.) Pablo was very much at home here.

My dear friend Pablo catching some early morning rays in his beloved backyard, November 2009.

Every room has its Pablo memories, and the yard is just full of them. Saying goodbye to this place - the place where Pablo spent the last few years of his life - is going to be quite emotional. Like saying goodbye to Pabs all over again. Leaving him behind.

As we head towards Pablo's fifth blogoversary on 16 August, I'm going to do a few posts sharing some of my favourite memories of Pablo... and some of our friends' favourite memories of him too. And I'll say a final goodbye on Pablo's blogoversary, with a fun little surprise for everyone. So stay tuned!

Cheers,
--Kate

The Right Time

2011-03-09T09:09:00.009+11:00

Sunday marked one month since we said goodbye to Pablo, and I hadn't yet done anything with his ashes.

I knew where I wanted to scatter them.

I was just waiting for The Right Time.

Yesterday was a warm, humid day (26C/79F). The warmest day we've had in a month or more. It was fairly cloudy all day, but towards evening the sky cleared and there was a lovely pink sunset. The air had cooled a little too.

It was just the kind of evening that Pablo loved, particularly because it was garbage/recycling night. Pabs always escorted me as I took the garbage and recycling from the backyard to the front kerb and we spent a little quality time together outside afterwards.

So after I put Alex to bed, just as the sun was setting, I knew that it was time.

Nick said a prayer to thank God for the life of our dear Pablo. Through tears, I then scattered his ashes in his favourite hangout spots in the backyard:

Under the apple tree...

...on the grass...

...under his favourite leafy plant...

...in the daisies...

...in the pot of the lovely memorial tree that
Nick's mum Judy bought for us...

...Nick even thought to scatter a few over the neighbour's fence,
where Pabs did spend quite a bit of time!

Then I spent a bit of quiet time outside by myself in the lovely balmy garden. It wasn't hard to imagine Pabs slinking up beside me, rubbing himself against my leg.

It was most certainly The Right Time.

I'm so glad I waited.

Cheers,
--Kate

The saddest gotchaversary of all...

2011-02-25T12:55:00.002+11:00

Today marks nine years since Pablo came to live with me.

On a warm evening in February 2002, I drove around to my friend Heidi's house with a brand new cat carrier in the back seat and a joyous smile on my face. I was picking up Heidi's two-year-old cat, Pablo, who was coming to live with me. For good.

Heidi was soon to move into a new house where cats were not allowed, so she needed to find somewhere for Pablo to live.

I'd known Pablo since he was a kitten; he had a reputation for being wild and untamed, and I'd had many a bite and a scratch from him over the years in my attempts to convince him that I was a friend. Still, I'm not sure that my housemate Rachel and I knew what we were in for when we decided to take joint ownership of Pabs.

Pablo was sunning himself in a chair on the front porch when I arrived at Heidi's. He was most put out when I picked him up and wrestled him into the carrier. He yowled and yowled during the short trip from West Hobart to our sharehouse in Sandy Bay. He peed in the carrier too.

As soon as I let him out of the carrier when he arrived in his new home, Pablo nervously scuttled to the safest place he could find - under the couch in our living room. He stayed there for a number of days, only coming out to nibble on a bit of food and pee in a corner of the dining room. Pablo hadn't exactly taken to being toilet trained in his kittenhood.

I sat patiently next to the couch for those few days, trying to win Pablo's trust and goodwill. Every now and then I slipped my hand under the couch to give Pabs a little pat on the head. It took the best part of a month to convince him that I was on his side (and to toilet train him). But he slowly became more comfortable in our house, and with our housemates. And I knew that I'd won him over one night when we chased each other up and down the hallway. When I moved out of the sharehouse to get married a few months later, it was a given that Pablo was coming with me.

One of my friends who knew Pablo in his kittenhood described him as Byronesque. He may have been mad, bad and dangerous to know, but somewhere inside of Pabs was a shy and nervous kitty who wanted to be loved on his terms. It was my great honour to have been that person for nine years.

Missing you today, my dear friend.

Cheers,
--Kate

A week without Pabs

2011-02-14T15:38:00.011+11:00

Pablo's chair...

... and a detail of the beautifully embroidered tea towel
on the chair, made by our friend Debbie who stayed
with us a few years ago.

Hi everyone,

Well, it's been a week (and a day) since we said goodbye to Pablo.

Life without Pabs has been even harder than I thought it would be.

Everything, everywhere around the house reminds me of him. He had his own 'spots' in pretty much every room (like his chair in the living room, pictured above with all his pillows and blankets gone), and many favourite hangouts in the garden. His absence is painfully palpable. Many tears have been shed.

But I've been so touched by all of the lovely comments that our friends have left on Pablog, and the tributes somecats posted on their own blogs. It's a comfort to me to know that Pabs is being mourned and celebrated all over the world. Thank you all so much... I'll get to each of your blogs to thank you personally. I've helped Pabs write many words of condolence on others' blogs when someone has gone to the bridge... I didn't realise quite how much it meant.

Often when I've thought of Pablo this week, I've thought about the song 'Strangers' by The Kinks. It's a beautiful song. Here are some words from it:

...so we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
’til peace we find tell you what I’ll do
All the things I own I will share with you
If I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We’ll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one.

I'm going to wind this blog up in a few weeks, but I've got a few more posts planned before then. Stay tuned!

Cheers,
--Kate

All things must pass

2011-02-06T20:08:00.003+11:00

Pablo sunning himself in the garden yesterday. He seemed so sad.

Dear friends,

It's with a very heavy heart that I have to tell you that we said goodbye to dear Pablo this morning.

His kidney disease advanced quite rapidly in the past few weeks, to the point where he was eating very little, even when on appetite stimulants. His mouth had become ulcerated and the vet said she thought that he probably had ulcers down his digestive tract and in his stomach too.

I wanted to give him the weekend to improve, but it became obvious to Nick and I last night that Pabs was in real trouble. We found him huddled in a corner in the garden and carried him inside to a special bed in our room, where he lay all night, not really sleeping, but not making a fuss.

This morning, I made an appointment with the vet and took Pabs in. He didn't sing his normal 'I don't want to go to the vet' songs; he just sat very quietly in his carrier. The vet was in no doubt that there was nothing more that could be done for him. He was down to 3.9kg (from an unhealthily heavy 6.6 kilos just four months ago), he was dehydrated and his mouth ulcers had gotten far worse, despite being on medication for them for a week. He looked so sad and small.

The vet gave me a bit of time alone with Pabs before she gave him the needle. We were all in tears as he very quickly fell asleep with his dear little head cradled in my arms.

I am utterly heartbroken, yet at the same time quite relieved. It's been a difficult few months for Pablo, with his urinary blockages and then his kidney disease. He'd been through an awful lot, and wasn't his usual gruff, manly self. But what on earth will we do without him?

Rest in peace, my dear, sweet friend. You were a mighty, mighty cat.

Cheers,
--Kate

La Bella

2011-02-05T20:10:00.001+11:00

My last post was about the oldest girl on the block, my 23-year-old friend Miss Lucy.

This post is about the newest girl on the block, the lovely Bella, pictured above.

Bella has just moved to West Hobart to live with our friends Em and Gwyd. Em and Gwyd have wanted their very own kitty for ages, but their landlord kept saying no. Happily, the landlord changed his mind a little while ago, and Em and Gwyd raced straight to the Hobart Cat Centre and chose Bella, the beautiful mountain lioness.

The aptly-named Bella is around a year old, and has already been a momma to her own litter of kittens as well as fostering some others.

And now she's found herself the best forever home she could possibly have hoped for.

Bella, as President of the West Hobart Tigers, I welcome you to the 'hood.

Cheers,
--Pabs

(Twenty) Three times a lady

2011-02-01T12:13:00.005+11:00

What were you doing back in 1988?

If you're a non-human animal like me, chances are you weren't even born. I was still 12 years away from making my appearance in the world.

But this week my good friend Miss Lucy, the Grand Matriarch of West Hobart, celebrated her twenty-third birthday! Her mum, Sue, held a lovely afternoon tea in Lucy's honour, which Kate and little Alex attended. Here are some photos of Lucy from that day:

She's in pretty great shape, for an *ahem* older lady. Like me, she's on a special kidney diet. She's also on blood pressure tablets, and is stone deaf, but she's still got a great quality of life, and is very well loved.

Lucy started her life as a rescue kitty. I'm sad to tell you that her kitten siblings were flushed down the toilet because homes were not found for them. Thank goodness that Lucy found the perfect forever home!

Happy birthday, grand old girl! And many, many more.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Sad times

2011-01-26T18:58:00.003+11:00

On Monday, my good friend and fellow Aussiecat Gypsy had to he helped to the Bridge. We can be thankful that he lived a great life with his mum Karen and his sister Tasha, but it's always so hard to say goodbye to friends. Gypsy and Tasha were my first Secret Paws buddies... our mums have even had dinner together in Melbourne!

If you haven't done so already, please go visit Gypsy and Tasha's blog and leave some kind words, hugs and purrs.

Gypsy, mate, we will miss you.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Kate ain't no Annie Leibovitz...

2011-01-25T08:39:00.003+11:00

Kate likes this picture of me, even though it was an outtake. I'm not sure why she likes it. You can see the bit of fur that they shaved off my front leg when I had my IV fluids a few weeks ago. It's growing back... slowly.

Lots of you have asked how I'm feeling. Thanks so much for caring! I'm kind of ok, but I'm still not eating enough.I have appetite stimulants that I can take every 3-4 days, but we've noticed that about a day after I take a tablet (and I'm only taking 1/8 of one tablet), I have a vom. We don't know if it's the tablet that makes me sick, or the fact that I have more food in my tummy that makes me sick. So, once again, Kate's 'keeping an eye on me' and will take me back to the v-e-t if need be.

But I am getting out and enjoying the summer sun in my garden. And snuggling with Kate in bed at night. So life's pretty good.

Kate likes this picture too. I can't for the life of me work out why.

Cheers,
--Pabs

That's more like it!

2011-01-18T21:38:00.003+11:00

After days of wet, dismal weather, and floods across the country, it's been great to get a few gloriously sunny and warm days down here at the bottom of the world. (That's the view from my backyard.)

Aaah. Dappled shade on a warm day. It doesn't get better than this!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Sending our thoughts north

2011-01-12T11:40:00.003+11:00

While I'm resting in the l-o-n-g grass in our backyard, I'm thinking about the people and animals of Queensland. Three-quarters of the state, in north-eastern Australia, has been declared a disaster zone due to devastating floods. Many people, and no doubt animals, have lost their homes, and even their lives. It's a sad time.

I'm still doing ok, although I had a bit of a vom at 3.30am a few mornings ago. Nick gave me another dose of appetite stimulant today, to make sure that I continue to eat my renal diet. Here's hoping it continues to work! Thanks again for your good wishes, purrs and thoughts.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Pablo's progress

2011-01-09T21:35:00.002+11:00

Hi everycat,

No photo today, sorry, but I thought I'd let you all know that I came home yesterday afternoon. It's so great to be home, hanging out in the yard in all my favourite hiding spots.

I can't believe how many lovely comments I've had from my blogging buddies, old and new. Thanks so much for all your support.

The IV flushout went well; I came home feeling pretty good. And the renal diet food is pretty tasty... although I'm not sure how much I'll like it when Kate stops giving me the appetite stimulants.

So now we've just gotta wait and see if the renal diet is enough to save my kidneys. And hope, hope, hope that going off my urinary health diet doesn't mean that I get another blockage.

Oh, boy...

Cheers,
--Pabs

In treatment

2011-01-07T21:01:00.003+11:00

Well, guess where I am.

Yep. In THERE.

They took some bloods from me the other day to do a 'wellness profile', and they detected a high level of toxicity in my kidneys. So I'm in overnight you-know-where having my kidneys flushed out with IV fluids.

The v-e-t is switching me to a kidney-friendly diet, so I can't be on my urinary diet anymore. Apparently we have to take a chance with that, because if I don't switch to a kidney diet, I might not make it.

One day, I'll get to blog about something other than my health.

One day...

Cheers,
--Pabs

Cat. Mat.

2011-01-02T17:19:00.003+11:00

Call me a traditionalist...

Long time no blog, everycat! Sorry.

Things have been pretty good around here. Even though it hasn't been a very warm summer (yet), I've been spending most of my time in the garden, in my usual sweet hiding spots. Christmas was great... Nick, Kate and Alex went away to visit their family and left me with Fiona, who is an AWESOME house-sitter because she lets me sleep on her bed WHENEVER I WANT.

Healthwise, I'm still not 100%. I'm not eating heaps, and I'm pretty skinny. I think I'm in for a checkup you-know-where this week. Uh-oh.

I really hope that everyone's had a great Christmas holiday. Here's to an awesome 2011 for all of us!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Birthday boy

2010-12-04T21:41:00.003+11:00

No, no, not me.

The blurpy boy.

It was his first birthday today. They had a birthday barbecue for him at a local park. (Thank goodness they didn't have it at home... can you imagine how many sticky little people would have invaded my space?)

Even though Alex was the guest of honour, I was given a prime position in the celebrations.

What do you think?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Confused and confusing

2010-11-23T13:37:00.004+11:00

In other news... they finally put my bed together. Am I doing it right?

Hi again,

It's been a confusing week.

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. Baby Alex has started crawling FAST, which means that Kate spends all her time running after him, and I spend all my time running AWAY from him!

And we've kind of been waiting until we had some concrete news on my health. But we don't, yet. So I went back to the v-e-t last Monday (15 November) for more tests. They had to keep me in overnight because they got blood in my #1 sample (they had to try and get it with a needle, and I moved at just the wrong time).

Anyway, they finally got a clean sample (makes me sound like Lance Armstrong!), and all my indicators that they were worried about were in the 'normal' zone, and I had no urine crystals.

So they sent me home to see how I went, and it's been over a week and I'm kind of ok, but still NQR (not quite right). I'll still only eat dry food (at least it's the urinary diet stuff), and I'm not eating as much as normal, but I'm in pretty good spirits.

I still have to give Kate another #1 sample to take in to the V-E-T, but I'm kind of holding out on that.

Thanks so much to all of you for your thoughts, prayers and purrs. I know I haven't posted much, but we've been reading the comments and feeling really loved. As you Americats prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I can join in and say how thankful I am to have such AWESOME friends.

Cheers,
--Pabs

No Good

2010-11-14T16:58:00.002+11:00

Well, my bloods were No Good.

The weekend v-e-t told us yesterday that I have 'some level of kidney failure' as well as my bladder issues.

So tomorrow, it's back to you-know-where for me, for a day of tests to confirm my health problems. It's not looking totally dismal; the kidney issues may be able to be controlled by diet. They just have to work out whether I need to be on a kidney diet or a bladder diet - which is the priority.

Feeling sick is No Fun. When I'm feeling sick or sad or angry, I sit on my chair like this.

Think I might be here for a while.

Cheers,
--Pabs

You've got to be #$@%ing kidding me

2010-11-12T16:32:00.004+11:00

No WAY.

So I had to go the the v-e-t again today.

Because I'm not eating again.

And when I ate yesterday, I threw up.

When Kate called the v-e-t and told him, he asked her to bring me back in TO STEAL SOME OF MY BLOOD. He's worried that my #1 sample from the other day was a bit dilute, which may suggest a kidney problem.

Great.

So I got jabbed by needles and prodded by human hands and he put the you-know-what up you-know-where.

And I'm on extra anti-vomiting meds now.

Hope your Friday doesn't suck as much as mine does.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Lest We Forget

2010-11-11T13:03:00.004+11:00

Today, as we remember the fallen, we remember Rupert Cosmo Johnston. Private Rupert Cosmo Johnston was baby Alex Cosmo's Great, Great, Great Uncle. He was a member of the 21st Battalion of the Australian Army, and was killed in action in northern France in September 1918.

We remember the fallen, and those currently serving, with pride.

Cheers,
--Pabs

She did it!!

2010-11-10T15:23:00.003+11:00

Yes everycat, that is mine.

The v-e-t wanted Kate to get a sample from me to take to my appointment today. He said to put some plastic over my litter tray and get me to pee on it, then collect the pee in a syringe.

She was very dubious. I was very dubious.

But when a mancat's gotta go, he's gotta go.

Dr Geoff was so proud of Kate for bringing in a sample. It made my checkup much easier.

And guess what? My crystals are gone! There were no other bad things in my pee either, and I've lost 200g. I don't have to take any more Valium (unless I start refusing food again), but I do have to stay on my special diet. Dr Geoff felt my bladder and my kidneys and looked in my eyes and checked me out all over. He said that I seem in good shape.

Dr Geoff said that I was a gorgeous cat.

Tell me something I don't know, Dr Geoff!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I'm still here

2010-11-08T20:22:00.005+11:00

Kate promised to set this awesome cat bed up outside for me to help me relax while I'm recovering. I couldn't wait for her to finish.

Hi everycat.

Pablo here. Thanks so much to y'all for your care and concern and advice while I've been sick. We really appreciate it.

I've been home from my last trip to the v-e-t for a week now. Sorry I haven't blogged until now.

I'm still feeling pretty delicate. I'm not doing a whole lot, just resting, just catching some of our awesome spring rays.

My last blockage was crystals, not protein. So the v-e-t said I need to be on an all-wet-food diet (prescription diet) to help me stay unblocked.

I miss my crunchy food.

I miss it so much that I wouldn't eat the wet stuff to begin with... until they gave me Valium to calm me down and stimulate my appetite. I hafta say, that stuff makes me feel... strange. Floppy. Clingy.

But I seem to be eating ok (not heaps though) and peeing ok. Got a checkup on Wednesday. Kate's supposed to try and collect a #1 sample from me before then.

Yeah, good luck with that, Kate.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Thanks, everycat!

2010-10-31T21:30:00.003+11:00

Message from Kate: Me again. Thanks so much, everycat, for your good thoughts and prayers for my dear Pabsy's health. And thanks so much to dear Huffle for spreading the word about Pablo's latest health scare. It means a lot to know that there's a whole world of kitties and woofies and their families thinking of us all the way down here.

It's Sunday evening here. Early this afternoon, the v-e-t called us and said that Pabs was doing well, his blockage has been cleared and his urine output is good. But he still has a catheter in and his appetite has been poor. The v-e-t wants him to eat wet food (the special diet kind that dissolves urinary crystals), and I know that it's best, but he just won't eat it. We've tried him on it; the best that we could do was get him to eat the special urinary diet biscuits. Anyway, the v-e-t gave him some valium today to stimulate his appetite; let's hope that works.

All things being well, we'll be able to bring Pabs home some time tomorrow. We'll keep everyone posted. Thanks again for being so caring; it really does mean a lot.

Cheers,
--Kate

Here we go again...

2010-10-30T19:50:00.002+11:00

Message from Kate:
*sigh*

It's 7.56pm on Saturday evening, and we've just taken Pablo to the emergency vet again for another urethra blockage. He should be ok, I was just hoping that this problem had been resolved. Please send good thoughts and prayers Pabsy's way. He was so sad and uncomfortable when he left home.

Cheers,
--Kate

I'm ok

2010-10-25T20:45:00.002+11:00

Hey everycat,

My good friend (and Awesome Footy Finals Fever Competition winner) Huffle Mawson stopped by the other day and asked me how I was going. Thanks Huffle.

You know what? I'm doing ok. I'm still taking the anti-inflammatory meds for my bladder, but I'm tapering off those now. I'm still taking things pretty easy, and I have a checkup with Dr Gareth on Friday, but I'm eating and drinking well... and my *ahem* number ones seem to be coming out ok.

But you know what else? Baby Alex couldn't handle the fact that I was getting all the attention, so he arranged for one of his little sticky baby friends to give him bronchiolitis. He's on the mend too, but he's had a nasty cough and wheeze. Kate said that she needs a holiday.

I can't think why.

Cheers,
--Pabs

A Pablo health update

2010-10-15T20:26:00.004+11:00

Hey everycat.

So I've been home for a week now.

And although I'm getting better, I'm still not feeling the best.

I've really been off my food; both the new urinary diet and my old crunchies.

Kate took me back to the V-E-T today. Dr Gareth is awesome. He's the one who unblocked my... um, man parts... in the middle of the night a week or so ago. He looked after me so well. Today, he gave me some more meds to make sure that my bladder continues to improve. He weighed me... I've lost 700g in a week, which is too much too fast.

So they're just gonna keep an eye on me and see how I go over the weekend. I guess I'll just take it easy.

Hope you have a good weekend, wherever you are.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Pablo is home!

2010-10-07T20:59:00.004+11:00

Message from Kate: After a day of good #1 output, Pablo was allowed to come home this afternoon... a day sooner than the v-e-t thought! I've tried to maintain Pabsy's dignity in these photos of him resting by the heater (not too much of a view of his shaved bits). Check out his purple smiley face bandage on his front leg. Very un-Pabs.

He has to be closely monitored for a few days to make sure he doesn't have another blockage, he's now on a special urinary diet and we have to help him lose a kilo, encourage him to drink more water and exercise more. This is going to be tough... it's hard to make Pablo do anything he doesn't want to do. But we'll try!

It's great to have him home. Thanks, everycat, for your good wishes and support!

Cheers,
--Kate :)

Pablo is sick!

2010-10-06T08:24:00.004+11:00

Pabsy in happier times (that's his leopard tail toy in the foreground)

Message from Kate: Hi blogging buddies. Our dear friend Pablo is in hospital today, recovering from emergency surgery for a life-threatening urethral blockage.

Just before bedtime last night (10pm-ish) I noticed him taking a long time to do his business in his litter tray, then leaving before he'd done anything. Then he wandered around the house, meowing and hissing, before flopping on his side in an armchair. He was meowing and growling low, obviously in pain. So while I stayed at home with baby Alex, Nick rushed him to the emergency vet, and they assessed him and decided to perform surgery there and then (at midnight!) to unblock his urethra. The vet said that we did the right thing to bring him, that the blockage could have been fatal if left untreated. Pabs came through the surgery well, it seems like it was a protein blockage.

Today, they did an ultrasound on his bladder, because he wasn't producing as much urine as they would have liked. Thankfully, it was all clear, so they're now just keeping him under observation for the next few days. We miss him around the house... every little noise, every movement I see from the corner of my eye, I think they're all him. Please join with me in praying for his speedy recovery. I know we haven't been able to blog or visit blogs much since baby Alex's arrival, but we still feel like we're part of the CB family... and we could use your support!

With thanks,
--Kate
(PS The Collingwood Magpies won last weekend's AFL Grand Final rematch by 50-something points! Which, I believe, makes Huffle Mawson the winner of Pablo's AWESOME Footy Finals Competition. But I'll let Pabs announce that when he's back on deck.)

Pablo's AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition - Redux

2010-09-30T09:15:00.005+10:00

Oh. My. D-O-G!

For only the third time in the 116-year history of the Australian Football League (and its predecessor, the Victorian Football League), last Saturday's Grand Final was... a DRAW. In a tough encounter, both the Saint Kilda Saints and the Collingwood Magpies scored 68 points each.

And you know what? Unlike every other major sporting competition I've ever heard of, according to the AFL rules, there's no overtime in the Grand Final. No tiebreaker.

They have a replay.

For reals.

It's like having TWO Christmases!

So, my AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition has been extended. Same rules, same teams (see last week's post for more info). Get your tips in by 2.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time this Saturday. (By the way, tips recorded last week DON'T count for this week... you hafta enter your tip on this post.)

Cheers,
--Pabs

Pablo's AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition - be quick!

2010-09-24T14:00:00.005+10:00

Well everycat, it's springtime Down Under.

And in springtime, a young mancat's thoughts turn to... FOOTY!

Tomorrow is the Australian Football League's Grand Final for 2010.

This year, the Saint Kilda Saints and the Collingwood Magpies will face off to see who will be this year's champion.

And YOU can be a winner too! Just join in my AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition.

From now until game time, 2.30pm Australian Eastern Standard Time tomorrow (25 September), every blogging animal of the non-human variety can enter their tip for who will win the game, and predict the winning points margin. To enter, just post your prediction, with your name, in the comments of this post. Like this:

Pablo, Saint Kilda Saints by 999 points (an exaggeration).

Feel free to add a little cheer for your team, but these will not affect the outcome of the contest. The winner will be the blogger who guesses the winning team with the closest points margin to the actual final points margin of the game. In the event of a tie, the blogger who posted their tip first will win. One entry per blogging household. And I can change these rules whenever I want (but I'm not likely to).

A $40 (Australian dollars) donation to the Hobart Cat Centre (my local) will also be made in the winner's name... and I might even send you a little something! Past winners of this AWESOME annual competition include The Island Cats, our dear friend Luxie and Daisy the Curly Cat.

A hint from Pablo: in general, most AFL matches are decided by under 30 points, but it's not unheard of to have a points margin of 100 points or more. In last year's Grand Final, the Geelong Cats beat the Saint Kilda Saints by 12 points. The Saints haven't won the flag since 1966. The Magpies have lost MANY Grand Finals over the years. They last won in 1990, but have been the strongest team by far this year.

Last time Saint Kilda and Collingwood met in a Grand Final (in 1966!) the Saints won by just one point! If you're interested in studying the teams' form, or keeping up with the score during game time, you can visit the AFL's website. Otherwise, just make your bestest guess!

Start tipping... NOW!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I am the MASTER

2010-09-05T15:16:00.003+10:00

...of anti-socialness.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Take THAT!!!

2010-08-28T13:48:00.004+10:00

...and THAT!

Man, I am so TOUGH.

Cheers,

--Pabs

When Grandma comes to stay...

2010-08-13T12:13:00.002+10:00

...her coat's the place to be.

Happy Friday, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

A World Cat for World Cat Day

2010-08-08T08:25:00.002+10:00

Happy World Cat Day, everycat!

In honour of World Cat Day, I have a World Cat to introduce to y'all:
This World Cat lives on the island of Corsica, off the south-east coast of France. My Uncle Herb took this photo on his recent world trip. This kitty lives in Pigna, a small artisan village in the hills in the north-west of the island.

Corsican kitty, because you live on an island and because your claws are so awesome looking (and because it's World Cat Day), I'm gonna ask my friends Wally, Ernie and Zoey (The Island Cats) if you can become a member of the Island Cat Club. It's a pretty cool club: no dues, no meetings and only 3 rules you have to meet...
1. you have to be a cat
2. you have to live on an island
3. you have to be spoiled rotten.

Most of you know that I live on an island at the bottom of the world called Tasmania. Apparently it's the 26th largest island in the world. And Corsica is the 84th largest.

I guess you can't win them all, Corsican kitty.

Cheers,
--Pabs

HPSTR KTTY

2010-07-08T11:00:00.004+10:00

[props to Uncle Simon and his rad iPhone]

Cheers,
--Pabs

Honorary Oregonians

2010-07-04T09:04:00.004+10:00

A little while ago (well, a few months ago, actually), my super friends Phoebe and Joey at the Pablo Fan Club bestowed a great honour on me. They made me an Honorary Oregonian!

Here's my Official Honorary Oregonian t-shirt.

And, if you look closely, you can see that Phoebe and Joey gave it their Paw of Approval before sending it to me.

Uh... what do you mean it's not for me?

Oh. Maybe we can share the honour. I don't do clothes, anyway.

Happy Fourth of July, Americats!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Fazzy Friday

2010-06-18T16:22:00.001+10:00

This time last year, Kate and her mum went on a BIG overseas trip to the UK and Europe.

The highlight of their trip?

...meeting Miss Faz and her human Christine on a sunny Wimbledon morning. (It was before Birks came on the scene.)

Can you believe that was a year ago, Faz? Hope that Christine has a great time at The Championships!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I've been FRAMED

2010-06-13T14:15:00.002+10:00

Portrait...

...AND landscape.

Cheers,
--Pabs

P.S. Just wanted to wish the Socceroos, the Australian football team, best of luck in their first game in the FIFA World Cup. We play Germany in the early hours of tomorrow morning, Australian time. Go Socceroos!

Thoughtful Thursday

2010-05-27T09:17:00.001+10:00

Know what I'm thinking about?

Sunshines.

I miss them.

And it's not even winter!

Yet.

Cheers,
--Pabs

We're a little bit late

2010-05-24T07:04:00.003+10:00

...but we know it's still Sunday 23 May in the States. So...
Happy birthday ML! Thanks for keeping the Cat Blogosphere running. We love it, and we love you!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Five months on...

2010-05-04T05:14:00.003+10:00

...and this guy:

finally weighs more than this guy:

...but the latter guy still has sharper claws.

So there.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Cute boys with cats?

2010-04-30T20:26:00.002+10:00

You be the judge: Cute Boys with Cats.

Happy Friday, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I love my chair

2010-04-24T20:55:00.002+10:00

Boy, do I LOVE my chair.

Yep. Love that chair.

Cheers,
--Pabs

It was only a matter of time...

2010-04-03T12:57:00.002+11:00

...before I was immortalised in edible art.

My good friends Miranda, Phebe and Lizey made these for Kate. Not only do they look great, Kate tells me that they tasted AMAZING.

My favourite one is the one with three eyes.

Hope everyone has a great Easter and gets lots of yummy, species-appropriate treats.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Sorry Kate...

2010-03-28T08:13:00.003+11:00

...I don't have time for a photo shoot.
I've got some autumn Sunday morning sunbeams to chase.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Taking the short cut

2010-03-22T21:07:00.003+11:00

Who needs doors when you've got an open window?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Earning his stripes

2010-03-08T14:06:00.002+11:00

Baby Alex is pretty smart.

From an early age, he realised that to be a member of this family, you hafta earn your stripes.

The photo above was taken when Alex was just a few weeks old. Not only are stripes his #1 fashion choice, he also chooses to stimulate his growing brain by gazing at some high-contrast tiger stripes in this artwork by prolific kidbean artist Phebe.

'Mr Tiger', as we call him, guards Alex's change table. He has become Alex's closest friend and confidante.
Apart from me, of course.

Cheers,
--Pabs

A decade of Pabs

2010-02-25T19:02:00.004+11:00

Is there a better way to celebrate one's tenth birthday than with a snooze on one's favourite chair?

Today is the day that we celebrate my birthday and my gotcha day, which fall roughly around the same time of year.

It's my EIGHTH gotchaversary and my TENTH birthday.

Yes, a whole DECADE of me.

Awesome.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Awards season

2010-02-19T19:23:00.008+11:00

Catchin' some early morning rays in my garden...

A few weeks ago, my mate Yoggi gave me the Superior Scribbler Award.
These are the particulars for this award:

Each superior scribbler must pass on the AWARD to 5 friends who are also SS.

Each SS must link the author and name of the blog from whom he receives the award.

Each SS must display the award on his/her blog and link to the post which explains the award.
(For more info, visit: http://nollsnip.blogspot.com/)

You know what? I'm so late with posting about this, most of my buddies have it already. So if YOU don't have it yet, it's yours! ALL my friends are superior scribblers!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Superbowl Monday?

2010-02-08T09:09:00.003+11:00

That's right, Americats. We're so far into the future here in Australia that Superbowl Sunday is Superbowl Monday.

I'm just having an early morning roll in the sun before settling down in front of the TV for the big game.

I haven't followed the NFL this year at all, so I just have to pick a team to support based on the team names. So I'm supporting the New Orleans Saints today, because Nick's Australian Football League Team is the Saint Kilda Saints, and they just missed out on last season's championship. Here's hoping that the New Orleans Saints can go all the way!

Really, I'm most excited about seeing The Who rock out at half time.

Have a fun day, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Pablo no-show

2010-02-03T21:09:00.002+11:00

My friend Heidi came to visit me today.

Heidi was one of the people who adopted me when I was a kitten. (I only came to live with Kate when I was two.)

You could say Heidi's been like a mother to me.

Heidi now lives on the island of Yap in Micronesia.

In the middle of the Pacific.

She hasn't visited Hobart for, like, five years or something.

So what did I do when she came to visit me today?

I hid in the next door neighbour's garden.

There aren't any photos of today.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Once I had a Secret Paw...

2010-01-30T07:36:00.000+11:00

I know it's awfully late of me to be posting this... turns out that having a new babybean plays havoc with one's blogging life. Anyway, my Secret Paw for 2009 came from my Wisconsin, USA buddies Victor and Nina. My package was filled with awesome goodies:

Lovely Lucy - an awesome furry mousie toy (not to be confused with Miss Lucy, my kitty friend who turned 22 this week), a nip pouch, some cool squishy straw thingies and a beautiful Christmas decoration with my name on it!

Yessir, that's some quality nip!

Oh, and I scored a coupla cool cards this season, too. The one on the left's from my buddy Trip (although his brothers are on the card... maybe next year, huh, Trip?), and the one on the right's from Victor and Nina.

I had a great first Christmas as a big brother, with a little help from my awesome kitty blogging friends. Here's hoping that my next Christmas won't be ruined by a certain tail-pulling stickybean!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Happy birthday, Miss Lucy

2010-01-26T17:25:00.002+11:00

Today, my very good friend and fellow West Hobart resident Miss Lucy celebrates her twenty-second birthday.

Yes, that's 22 human years!

Awesome.

Happy birthday, Miss Lucy! May you have many more birthdays and continuing good health.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Fun with (near) Alex

2009-12-29T04:38:00.003+11:00

Hi everycat,

It's been WAY too long since I last blogged. Sorry. A belated merry Christmas and happy holidays to you all.

We've had a very low-key Christmas. The weather's been warm and we've all been busy adjusting to life with a babybean in the house. As far as I can tell, this has mostly involved hanging out in the living room and watching the cricket (the sport, not the insect) live from Melbourne, Huffle, Gypsy and Tasha's hometown. I've been surprisingly chilled out, and spend a lot of time in my favourite chair:
Kate is 'very proud' of how I'm coping with the arrival of baby Alex. I'm not a big fan of the crying, but I'm not freaked out either. I don't even mind being reasonably close to the action:
... but not too close!

Hope everyone's doing okay. I'll try and visit you all soon, I promise!
Cheers,
--Pabs

Goodbye, sweet friend

2009-12-13T08:39:00.002+11:00

You've probably heard the news that my dear friend Monica, founding co-chairfeline of the Pablo Fan Club and dear sister of Phoebe and Joey, had to be helped to the Bridge on Friday. You can read more of the details at their blog. Please stop by and send Monica's family your bestest purrs.

It's a shock to have such a sad thing happen after the excitement of welcoming my babybean brother Alex into the world last week. I guess that's life, huh.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Oh, brother!

2009-12-09T23:27:00.005+11:00

Remember how in my last post (like, a month ago) I was worried about having to wear that red suit?

Well, I've got some news. It was actually for this little guy:

Baby Alexander Cosmo came into the world last Friday (4 December) at 3.36am, three weeks before his due date. He weighed 6 lbs 8.5 oz (2.965 kg).

Kate and Nick and Alex are all doing well, even I'm coping ok, joining Kate and Alex in front of the heater in the living room for the mid-night feeds.

He is the noisiest creature I've ever come across. Hendrix, you didn't tell me that they scream like that!

He looks a whole lot better in that suit than I would, anyway.

So sorry we haven't been blogging much, things are a little crazy around here. Hope everycat's doing well, we'll try to keep in touch!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Fashion Friday

2009-11-10T16:19:00.002+11:00

Lately, I've noticed that some small fashions have been appearing around the house. Like this one:

There's NO WAY they're getting me into that!
NO WAY.

Cheers,

--Pabs

Dona nobis pacem

2009-11-05T14:05:00.003+11:00

Peace in our time, everycat! Imagine that.

(FYI, more about the blogblast for peace here.)

Cheers,
--Pabs

The opposite of cooperation

2009-11-03T13:36:00.002+11:00

Some of us were trying to get a photo that captured how well the quilt cover matched my lovely greenyellow eyes...

... but some of us were just trying to get some sleep!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Um...

2009-10-31T07:31:00.004+11:00

...it wasn't me?

Man. Looks like I've got some 'splaining to do.

Happy weekend everycat... keep your paws clean!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Still here

2009-10-19T13:14:00.004+11:00

You may have noticed that I haven't updated my blog recently.

You may have also noticed that I haven't been leaving many comments on othercats' blogs recently.

That's because recently, Kate has been REALLY slack at helping me blog.

So what that she's still got three weeks' full-time work left before she goes on maternity leave?

So what that she's been 'too tired to help' when she gets home from work?

So what that she keeps forgetting to buy new batteries for the camera?

This blurpy thing hasn't even come out yet and it's ruining my life already.

Sorry, everycat. I'm still here and I still want to hang out with y'all, but my visits might be a bit sporadic until Kate finishes work, at least. I hope you understand.

By the way, Wally, Ernie and Zoey, the fabulous Island Cats, were the winners of the 2009 AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition. They predicted that the Geelong Cats would win by 21 points, and the mighty Cats won by 12 points; their second premiership in three years. It was a very close, exciting match. Anyway, we made a $40 donation to the Hobart Cat Centre on behalf of the Island Cats and I'm planning to send a little present their way... but who knows when Kate will get around to helping me with that?

Honestly.

Cheers,
--Pabs

It's on again!

2009-09-25T19:24:00.004+10:00

That's right, everycat!

Tomorrow is the Australian Football League's Grand Final for 2009.

This year's top two teams, the Saint Kilda Saints and the Geelong Cats, will face off to see who will be this year's champion.

And YOU can be a winner too! Just join in my AWESOME Footy Finals Fever Competition.

From now until game time, 2pm Australian Eastern Standard Time tomorrow (26 September), every blogging animal of the non-human variety can enter their tip for who will win the game, and predict the winning points margin. To enter, just post your prediction, with your name, in the comments of this post. Like this:

Pablo, Geelong Cats by 999 points (an exaggeration).

Feel free to add a little cheer for your team, but these will not affect the outcome of the contest. The winner will be the blogger who guesses the winning team with the closest points margin to the actual final points margin of the game. In the event of a tie, the blogger who posted their tip first will win. One entry per blogging household. And I can change these rules whenever I want (but I'm not likely to).

A $40 (Australian dollars) donation to the Hobart Cat Centre (my local) will also be made in the winner's name... and I might even send you a little something!

A hint from Pablo: in general, most AFL matches are decided by under 30 points, but it's not unheard of to have a points margin of 100 points or more. In last year's Grand Final, the the Hawthorn Hawks beat the Geelong Cats by 26 points. If you're interested in studying the teams' form, or keeping up with the score during game time, you can visit the AFL's website. Otherwise, just make your bestest guess!

Start tipping... NOW!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Tweet week

2009-09-18T13:14:00.005+10:00

Many of you would know that Fin has been celebrating Tweet Week all this week. It's been awesome. I thought I'd contribute by showing you all some tasty Tasmanian tweets. Kate took these photos of parrots when she was home visiting her parents at Easter. Like Fin's parents, Kate isn't so hot on her bird names. The first one is a Rosella parrot; the second one could be too, it just looks a bit different. Oh well, they both look tasty!

We've had a bit of disturbing news on the tweet front in Hobart this week, actually. It turns out that lotsa sparrows in the area are dying from a strain of salmonella (who knew that sparrows ate salmon? But how do they catch them?), and a local cat may have caught it. So Kate's told me to lay off the sparrows for now. Here's hoping I can stay on the wagon!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Loving my recharge pad

2009-09-14T14:34:00.002+10:00

Happy Monday, everycat!

Spring has finally sprung down here in Tasmania. Even though we still have some cold days and some dismal days, the sun is now a regular visitor to my domain.

On sunny mornings, when Kate is making breakfast and pottering around in the kitchen before work, I sit just outside the backdoor on what I call my 'recharge pad'. It's the bestest place to catch some early morning rays to charge me up for the day. Mmmmmm.Ok, now I'm all charged up, it's off to cause some trouble, Pablo-style!

Cheers,
--Pabs

The winter of my discontent

2009-08-31T13:37:00.003+10:00

A photo from happier times, when the sun actually shone and the grass wasn't a freezing bog.

Hi everycat.

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. Kate is so tired from brewing a baby bean that she just collapses in front of the TV when she gets home from work. And she has to sit some kind of exam in a few weeks. I think it's a work thing. So she hasn't been available for much blogging help.

Besides, I haven't been up to much lately. The weather is so, so dismal down here, endless days of freezing weather and wind and rain and snow on our mountain*. This morning, I meowed to be let outside about 150 times in the hope that the next time someone opened the door for me, the windy rain would have disappeared. But no. One time, I got so angry that I bit Kate on the foot (well, on the purple fluffy slipper). I was kind of trying to punish her for all this bad weather.

Tomorrow is supposed to be the first day of spring down here. I'll believe it when I see it.

But tomorrow is the first day of September, which can only mean one thing... the Australian Football League finals series! Y'all would know that I usually run an AWESOME Footy Finals Competition each year. I'm currently in negotiations to see if I can run it again this year. Watch this space!

Cheers,
--Pabs

* This is a link to a live webcam of our city, hosted by a local school. We live on the far side of the bridge, on one of those hills in the distance with all the houses on it. Usually this webcam gives you a lovely view of the city and our mountain, Mount Wellington. But the weather is so dismal that when you look at it, the clouds will probably be covering it :(

Blogoversary blossoms

2009-08-16T10:05:00.008+10:00

Guess what, everycat? Today is my THIRD blogoversary!

The weather decided to hold an early celebration for my blogoversary yesterday. Poppy Q has been asking me if spring has sprung here in Tasmania yet. Well, until yesterday, it hadn't. We've had dismal, rainy, cold weather for weeks and weeks. But yesterday...

...I could have my first roll of the season! Woo hoo!

Aaaaah. Feeeels gooood.

Check out the lovely blossoms in my backyard! And the blue, blue sky! We haven't seen that in weeks:

And you know what else? All the blossoms in the street decided to have a pink party in honour of my blogoversary:

It's very kind of them. I can't bring myself to tell them that pink is not my favourite colour. It's certainly a great colour for blossoms.

But today, on my actual blogoversary, the weather got it a bit wrong:

Back to dismal winter weather. Kate took this photo at around 9.30am, and you can see from the reflection in the window that it was so dark she had to have the light on.

Oh well. Yesterday was a great reminder that spring is on its way... sometime.

Cheers,
--Pabs

One whisker less Wednesday

2009-08-12T13:08:00.003+10:00

Some context:
In order to promote more harmonious sleeping arrangements now that she's got a baby bump to contend with, Kate has put this comfy sweater at the foot of the bed to encourage me to sleep there. (Actually, she put a comfy fleecy old bath robe there, but I barfed on it and so it's going through the wash a few times.)

I like my special spot. But I hafta say I do miss snuggling a little closer on these chilly winter nights.

Cheers,
--Pabs

(P.S. Grammatically, Kate's aware that it should be 'One whisker fewer Wednesday', but went with the more poetic, less correct, version.)

When you don't have your own cat door...

2009-08-05T13:41:00.002+10:00

... you gots to improvise!

(Apologies for the darkness of the image. We're not getting a whole lot of sunlight down here at the moment.)

Cheers,
--Pabs

Yawn...

2009-07-23T18:26:00.002+10:00

I love a good yawn.
Seriously, is there anything better than a good yawn?
...and that is a good yawn right there.
I'm talking well over 100 degrees of yawnage. Maybe even 120. I don't know, I don't have a protractor handy.

(P.S. How many kitties and peeps yawned while checking out this post? I know someone did when they were helping me write it...)

Cheers,
--Pabs

She's back!

2009-07-21T13:08:00.002+10:00

Kate's been back from her trip for over a week now, and life is quickly returning to normal.

This was supposed to be our reunion photo shoot, but what can I say?

I just don't do hugs.

I'm outta here.

Cheers,
--Pabs

While the Kate's away...

2009-07-08T18:54:00.002+10:00

...the Pabs will play...

Confession time.

I've been playing Kitty Fight Club outside with my buddies while Kate's been away.

Things got a little out of hand one evening, and I came home with a limp (hey, you should see the other guy!). So the next day, Nick took me you-know-where, and now I'm on 'precautionary antibiotics'. Great.

And Nick won't let me snuggle with him in bed the way that Kate does. Awesome.

Kate, if you're reading this, come home! I, um, need you.

Just a bit.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Bachelor boys

2009-06-25T23:21:00.004+10:00

Hi everycat,

Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive and actually having a pretty good time at home with Nick while Kate is away. We're enjoying some quality man time together, as you can see: chilling out, eating food, watching DVDs... it's a pretty good life. (BTW, sorry for the poor quality photo... it's from the camera in our Macbook. Of course, Kate has the real camera with her!)

I am missing Kate, and get a bit meowy at night, singing songs that remind me of her. But I'm pleased that she got to visit Faz and her human, and that she could pass on my cat-sized Richmond Tigers football to Faz.

Kate is in Germany now, and is enjoying some lovely summer weather. Her blurp-in-utero is still making her feel pretty sick, and she's done a couple of spectacular voms at two of her hosts' houses. Ew!

Sorry that I haven't been able to visit you all... I'm feeling very cut off from all my blogosphere buddies. I PROMISE I'll visit as normal when Kate returns in a few weeks.

Until then, purrrs to you all!

Cheers,
--Pabs

On paws

2009-06-23T05:00:00.001+10:00

...or should that be pause?

Kate is in Europe on holiday with her mum, so I'm out of action for awhile. Hope you're all having an awesome time.

Cheers,
--Pabs

WHO IS THIS???

2009-06-11T11:18:00.003+10:00

I've seen these pictures before somewhere. Hendrix, you posted one on your blog a few months back... why have my people got one of these pictures? What does this mean? Who is it?

I don't like the look of it.

I think it looks like trouble.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Still dismal

2009-06-09T18:00:00.003+10:00

Oh, hi. I'm just sitting at the back door, checking to see if it's stopped raining yet. Think I might need to take a closer look...

Ugh. Still dismal. It's been raining for, like, a week. Can everycat please send me just a little bit of your sunshines? I've kind of forgotten what the sun looks like.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Dismal

2009-06-02T17:54:00.006+10:00

All the leaves are brown (well, most of them are)... and the sky is grey...

Yesterday marked the official first day of winter here in Australia (we go by the calendar, not the solstices and equinoxes. Don't ask me why) and boy, has it been cold. And dismal. Especially last weekend, when these photos were taken.
Kate was going to do some much-needed gardening outside, and I was going to help her. I love helping Kate in the garden. But she said that the weather was 'too dismal'. So I went inside and sulked. I felt like this:

dismal.

Hope things are sunnier where you're at!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Baby remember my name (re-mem-ber, re-mem-ber...)

2009-05-21T21:25:00.004+10:00

My geek buddy Jason sent me an email yesterday with this screen shot attached. It's his Google Reader page. He wanted to show me which page came #1 in his top recommendations... mine! Can you see it there? I circled it for you.

Kate tried to tell me it was randomly generated, but I know better. It's a sign of my super-stardom.

For sure.

Cheers,

--Pabs

Hibernation

2009-05-16T10:05:00.002+10:00

Hi everycat.

It's been two weeks since I last posted on this blog. People have been stopping Kate in the street and asking her when she's going to help me post again. Not quite, but people have noticed.

Sorry. (Especially to you, Original Grandma Chris).

We've kind of been in hibernation down here. It's almost winter, and it's cold, dark and rainy. Nick and Kate get home from work when it's dark and I've been spending most of my time in or under the bed.

But that's no excuse. We've missed y'all and will try and be more organised and post more often.

For now, though, it's back to bed.

Cheers,

--Pabs

P.S. Happy wedding day to Adan and Lego's mum, Michico and her almost-husband, Arion! Wishing you double happiness today and always.

Ahhhh...

2009-05-01T10:20:00.002+10:00

Chin scritches on my chair from Nick. That's what I'm talking about!

Happy Friday, everycat. (And a BIG happy birthday to my beanfriend Alexander up there in Sydney. I got you a present: Geelong v Melbourne.)

Cheers,
--Pabs

Easy like Sunday morning...

2009-04-26T15:43:00.001+10:00

...and afternoon
...and evening.

Hope your Sunday is as snuggly as mine!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Wordless Wednesday

2009-04-22T10:50:00.002+10:00

Cheers,
--Pabs

Thanks, Easter Bunny!

2009-04-13T13:17:00.005+10:00

Hey, look at what the Easter Bunny left for me at the front door!

Yup, a juicy, fresh, home grown tomato! Thanks, Easter Bunny! I hope that the Easter Bunny left you a delicious, juicy, fresh, home-grown tomato, too...

...hang on, does he normally give tomatoes? Hmmm. Oh well. Happy Easter anyway!

Cheers,

--Pabs
(P.S. Don't worry, I didn't eat the tomato. I know that tomatoes can be very bad for cats and dogs to eat. Like chocolate...)

Rolling, rolling, rolling

2009-04-06T13:32:00.002+10:00

Let it roll, baby, roll!

You gotta roll with it...

This is just how I roll...

Cheers,
--Pabs

Wordy Wednesday Challenge

2009-03-25T13:18:00.002+11:00

My friends at Zoolatry made this graphic for me as part of their Wordy Wednesday Challenge. It relates to some funny spam I got on one of my recent posts from someone trying to sell me some basketball sneakers.

Do you think there's a market for these shoes? If I was the shoe-wearing kind, I know I'd want a pair of Air Pablos.

Well, two pairs.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Mancat Monday

2009-03-23T19:56:00.004+11:00

Psst. I'll tell you a secret.

This photo wasn't actually taken today.

It wasn't even taken on a Monday. It was taken someday last week. Someday that wasn't Monday, that is. Maybe Tuesday. Maybe Thursday.

But it's a very mancatly shot, don't you agree?

I hope the mancatliness of the shot makes up for the factual inaccuracy of this post.

Who am I kidding? Of COURSE it does!

Cheers,
--Pabs

P.S. Before I forget, a BIG happy birthday to my friend Tracy, one of the human staff members of the Pablo Fan Club. Purrrrrs to you, Tracy!

Turn! Turn! Turn!

2009-03-20T13:42:00.006+11:00

Ah, seasons...

Some of you may remember last springtime, when my friends at the Pablo Fan Club sent a human delegation from the States to visit me. I was glad to see them, to be sure, but I also had a lot of business to attend to while they visited. I conduct most of my business from under this leafy green bush in the backyard. (Note: I WAS NOT HIDING UNDER THE BUSH BECAUSE I WAS SCARED OF MY VISITORS):

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I noticed that summer had done THIS to my leafy green bush:

No more hiding - I mean, conducting important business - under there. For now. But, as you can see...

... my leafy green bush is slowly but surely growing back! This makes me very happy. I miss hanging out under there.

Happy weekend, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Wordless Wednesday

2009-03-18T17:10:00.002+11:00

Cheers,
--Pabs

A week. It's been a week and she hasn't helped me post. What's she so busy...

2009-03-13T13:03:00.005+11:00

...with anyway? How does she think I can keep up my international following if she doesn't help me-

What? I'm on air? Oh. Um.

Ahem.

Hey everycat, remember me? Pablo. From Hobart. Sorry I haven't been blogging much lately. Kate's been 'too busy' to help me. Too busy indeed! At least she hasn't been too busy to feed me or snuggle with me.

Anyway, in my absence, I've received a number of awards! Grrreta gave me the Proximity award. Here's the deal:

This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships! These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award. You should/could give it to eight more - or just enjoy it.

I pass this award on to Sweet Praline (glad you're feeling better!), Phoebe, Monica and Joey, Fui and Suey (and all their foster kitties), Momo, Derby, Zippy, Sadie and Speedy (happy birthday, Sadie!), Samantha and Mr Tigger, and Lux, Silky and Ninna.

Meanwhile, Mr Skeezix himself gave me the Kreativ Blogger Award:
This award requires recipients to name six things that make them happy. Here are my six:
1. Chicken.
2. Sharing the same birthday as the late great George Harrison.
3. Golden, warm autumn days in the sun (as pictured above... we're having some lovely autumn weather at the moment).
4. Having my very own chair in the living room (I don't know why no one else wants to sit on it. It's the bestest chair in the house).
5. Watching The Wire on DVD with Nick and Kate. It makes me feel all tough and streetwise. Mos def.
6. The Australian cricket team, who have just won their test series against South Africa, thus retaining their #1 world ranking. Awesome effort, boys!

And I gotta pass this award on to six bloggers, too. Phew! Here goes: Poppy Q (who's been very 'kreativ' with her scratch pad all this week), Jack and Persephone (for their 'kreativ' paper art), Maggy and Zoey (for the endless Zoolatry 'kreativity'), Adan and Lego (always have very 'kreativ' photos on their blog), Honey P. Sunshine (always has very cool and 'kreativ' songs rocking on her blog) and the Artsy Catsy kitties ('kreativ' by name, 'kreativ' by nature!).

Wow. I need a rest after all that. Happy Friday, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

My latest acquisition

2009-03-05T13:27:00.005+11:00

The Pablo Refrigerator Gallery is proud to reveal its latest acquisition, a mixed media piece by renowned littlebean artist (and my good friend) Phebe. According to the artist's statement, the cat's name is 'Ilada'. It must be noted that the Oregon fridge magnet (a gift from the Pablo Fan Club when their beans visited Australia last year) was my touch, and not part of the original work.

'Illada' takes her place alongside the other iconic works of feline-inspired art in the Pablo Refrigerator Gallery, which includes one of Phebe's earlier works, 'Untitled #37, with pipe cleaners', acquired by the gallery in 2008:

As you can see, the Pablo Refrigerator Gallery contains one of the world's finest collections of feline-inspired art created by littlebeans.

Cheers,
--Pabs

(P.S. Thanks so much, everycat, for all your purrs and well-wishes on my gotchaversary/birthday last week. Sorry I haven't been very active in the blogosphere of late. Apparently Kate has been 'very busy'. Whatevs.)

Gotcha!

2009-02-25T23:06:00.003+11:00

One of the earliest pictures we have of me, not long after I came to live with Kate back in '02.

Today is my seventh gotchaversary!

Seven years ago, Kate came and picked me up from the place where I used to live and took me to live with her. That was even before she and Nick got married.

It's also the day that we celebrate my birthday, even though it's not exactly the day that I was born. Today, I'm officially nine years old!

Finally, on this very special day, I'd like to send special purrs across the universe to my birthday buddy, the late George Harrison. Thanks for your musics, Georgie Boy.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Faux feral Friday

2009-02-20T18:07:00.000+11:00

I'm not feral, or formerly feral, but we're all a little wild at heart, aren't we? To all you FFs out there, did I get the look of fear right?

Cheers,
--Pabs

A Pablog exclusive: Axel's narrow escape, part 2

2009-02-19T17:31:00.004+11:00

Axel and Manny enjoying a snuggle when they were reunited after the fires.

As promised, part 2 of my Pablog exclusive: Axel's narrow escape (check out yesterday's post if you missed part 1):

Nonno quickly got us out of there, but there was no other free road, so we had to go back home. We didn’t have much time, so it was back to the dam next to the vineyard where we held our last stand. We were all ready with blankets to jump into the dam if need be. With pumps and hoses going, we were not only able to save ourselves, but also the vineyard, sheds, equipment and house too!! The paddocks and fences and all that was in them are gone though.

Daddy tried to get up to us, but was blocked at every road in by the police. He knows the area well, and found a forestry road in, but was stopped only a few km’s away by burning trees on the road!! He had to go back home, not knowing what happened to us. It was all ok for us though, he came the next morning with Aunty Gianna, and helped out with the initial cleanup. The goats survived too. We lost a lot, but nothing compared to so many in our area and the rest of fire zone. The danger hadn’t passed though, it was days until all the spot fires were out, and the threat of another big fire was real. So the fire fighters charged though the properties putting in fire breaks with bulldozers and were backburning.

I hope that the pictures tell a better story then I have. As they say, a picture tells a thousand words.

As heartbreaking as it was for all this to happen, and what is still happening, it’s also heartwarming too!! Within hours, the reports of property loss and the death toll was being fed to us. But also as fast was news about the support and relief efforts! Every imaginable thing has been thought of and supplied to everyone affected by the fires. Even cat food!! You see, even though our property and house may not have been burnt down, there are still a lot of other long-term problems to be fixed. Ash and silt are everywhere!! All food and water is contaminated, the house needs to be washed down, inside and out. The animals now have to be hand fed, as there is literally no grass left. And the cleanup effort will take months to finish. I normally like a nice dead animal to play with. But there are so many around – wombats, kangaroo’s, possums, rabbits, deer, as well as livestock– that the stench is unbearable in this heat.

But the main thing is we’re all ok. A lot of the neighbours were not so lucky, losing a lot or everything. And it has brought the community, and Australia, together!! I am so proud to be an Australian!! Even though there are a few sick people taking advantage of the generosity, we are, as a whole, the lucky country. And Daddy says from now on he will chew the head off any hippy who whinges about the nation!!

With love and purrs, Axel. Full-time Farm Supervisor and part-time Tiger.

A goat in one of the fields that was saved from the fire... you can see how dry the countryside was before the fires!

A goose in the area where Manny's parents stopped the fire. Hooray!

Manny and Butch posing in front of the damaged farmland. Even in times of crisis, Manny is a poser (!)

What an amazing story! Thanks so much for sharing it with us, Axel and Manny. By the way, if you want to give financial support to those who need help after these awful fires, you can go to the links I posted in my post last Tuesday.

Cheers,
--Pabs

P.S. Kate's a little bit worried about what will happen next time she sees Manny, as she may well be one of the 'hippies who whinge about the nation' that he was talking about!!

A Pablog exclusive: Axel's narrow escape, Part 1

2009-02-18T18:11:00.008+11:00

Axel on farm patrol. Looks like fun!

Axel and his daddy, Manny. They're old friends of ours.

Most of you heard about the terrible bushfires that happened in country Victoria (in southeast Australia) in early February. While many people and creatures lost their lives and their homes in these fires, we can be thankful that no blogging kitties or their families were hurt in this disaster. But my mate and sometime blogger Axel had a very close call, and he's written a report on his experiences that I'm honoured to publish here on Pablog.

First, some context. Axel was born in Tasmania and adopted by his daddy, Manny, who is a friend of Kate and Nick's (Kate even went to the adoption centre with Manny when he adopted Axel!). A few years ago, Axel and Manny moved from Tasmania to Victoria. Axel now lives with his nonno and nonna on a farm around an hour's drive north of Melbourne, just north of a town called Wandong, while his daddy lives in the city.

Here is part 1 of Axel's narrow escape, along with a few pictures taken by Manny in the days after the fires:

Hello Everycat, Axel here.

The first thing I want to say is, I am not a bushfire victim, I am a bushfire survivor. Pablo has asked me to give a meow-by-meow account of what happened on Saturday the 7th of February. I am very honoured to have been asked to do this. So here goes...

We woke up to another bad day of heat and wind. In fact, the worst that Victoria has ever seen on record. The gauges at the farm read 49 degrees (120F) by midday! Then my nonna and nonno saw smoke directly west of them, over on the other side of the Hume Highway, the main route from Melbourne to Sydney. The wind was blowing south towards Melbourne, so we were ok. It very quickly spread to the Hume, then jumped over the other side, but we were still ok. We lost power and phones, but the mobiles were still ok. So nonna was calling daddy every hour or so for updates from the emergency websites.

They activated their fire plans when they realised this fire was out of control – a few fires were now burning, a cool change was predicted, but they still put me, my farmhand Jerry, and Butch the sleepy dog into the cellar out of the smoke and danger. The cool change came, but it didn’t help at all. All it did was turn the wind straight back at us. It wasn’t long before the fire was raging straight up at us!! So we abandoned everything, all got into nonno’s ute (like a pickup truck) and tried to get to a safe area. Only a couple of km’s down the road the fire had caught us, and big trees were falling everywhere. It was very dark now too. Even though it was only 6pm, the thick smoke was blocking out the sunlight. All of a sudden – SMASH!! We drove into a fallen tree!!

The family ute, which was hit by a tree.

Butch the dog inspecting a fire-damaged paddock on the farm.

A nearby home, destroyed by the flames.

Stay tuned tomorrow for part 2 of Axel's narrow escape...

Cheers,
--Pabs

I'm not the world's most passionate mancat...

2009-02-14T17:08:00.004+11:00

...but I know that today is a day for friends and, ahem, lovers *blush* to think about how much they mean to each other.

I hear that flowers help with this sort of thing, so here's a picture of some sunflowers that Kate and I grew this summer:
Happy Valentine's Day, everycat! May all your wildest dreams come true, especially if they involve chicken.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Too many sad things

2009-02-10T13:20:00.004+11:00

There are just too many sad things going on at the moment.

I think most people in the world would know that there have been some terrible, terrible bushfires in Australia over the past weekend. They've mostly affected the state of Victoria, which is where my friends Huffle Mawson and Gypsy and Tasha live (but they're in the city, so they're ok). So far, these fires have claimed at least 173 human lives, and no doubt the lives of countless pets, feral animals and native animals. At least 750 homes have been destroyed, and thousands of people (and probably lots of animals too) are homeless.

At the same time, there have been big floods up in northeast Australia, where the Forever Foster cats live (but they're ok too). Many beans and animals have been affected.

Australia can be a very extreme place to live sometimes.

Meanwhile, My friend Momo's SS lost her dear aunt yesterday afternoon. And last week, the blogosphere lost some dear friends, including Jake, Huffle's brother Salvador, and Bear. It's all too sad.

So today, I'm sending purrs to people and creatures everywhere who are injured, hurting, or missing someone they love. Please join me.

*** If your beans are able to help those who have suffered in the Victorian bushfires, they can make donations to the Australian Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal or to the RSPCA in Victoria (I'm not sure if these online donation facilities will work overseas. It's worth a shot!)***

Cheers,
--Pabs

Investigationing

2009-02-07T11:35:00.004+11:00

With props to Aussie comedian Ryan Shelton for the title of today's blog post.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Newsflash: Aussie cat to play in Super Bowl XLIII

2009-02-01T21:55:00.004+11:00

... unfortunately, it's not me.

But former Geelong Cats captain (from the Australian Football League) Ben Graham, who punts for the Arizona Cardinals, will tomorrow (Australian time) become the first Australian to play in a Super Bowl when his team goes up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's overcome a niggling groin injury, and looks set to make history for Australia.

As you can see from the photo above, I'm usually a Vikings man, but I'll be supporting the Cardinals in the big game, for Ben Graham's sake. Go Cardinals!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

P.S. I'm honoured to be featured in Zoolatry's High Five Sunday today. Go and check me out, I look great, thanks to some Zoolatry magic.

Chillaxin on a Friday arvo...

2009-01-30T23:44:00.004+11:00

Hi everycat,

Ahh, it's Friday arvo (that's Aussie for 'afternoon'... we Aussies love shortening words and putting 'o' on the end). It's been a warm week in Hobart, not the sweltering conditions that my mates in Melbourne and Adelaide have endured (with daily maximums in the mid-40s), but some lovely warm weather in the high 20s/low 30s (Celsius). I've been spending most of my days out here on the patio, roasting my furs on the warm concrete and having some lovely grit-baths.

As my mate Jeter Harris would say, 'life iz grate'.

Happy weekend, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs