Friday Fashions: Part 4

Part 4 of my weekly exploration of cat-based fashions lurking in Kate's wardrobe...

This one is another gift, from my Aunty Tracey who lives in Melbourne (not to be confused with Huffle Mawson's Tracey). It came from the Melbourne Zoo gift shop! I think that Tracey bought it for Kate because the wild cats on it reminded her of me.
Tracey gives great gifts: just last night, Kate received a Flight of the Conchords CD in the mail from Tracey. Flight of the Conchords is a musical comedy duo from New Zealand (I bet the Poppy Q knows them), some of you may know them from their HBO tv series. Funny stuff.

I'm still sending my rumbliest purrs out to Monty Q and his family after the loss of their baby girl Violette ('Sprout') this week. Her memorial is tomorrow, and to help honour her memory, I've changed the background colour of my blog to violet. You can do it too!
Cheers,
--Pabs

Goodbye, little Sprout

I don't know what to say. Sometimes the world is a very terrible, heartbreakingly unfair place. My tabby mate Monty Q's baby sister, known to the blogosphere as Sprout, has passed away (she had a very bad fall). All my family's prayers are with Monty's family as we remember your beautiful baby girl. Thanks to Daisy and her mum for this most beautiful graphic.

With much sadness,
--Pabs

Friday fashions: Part 3

Part three in my weekly exploration of cat-based fashions lurking in Kate's wardrobe...

Oh, this is an exciting one, everycat: a brand new cat fashion arrived in the mail this week, with this letter:

Here it is:
I think that the people who did the embroidery were working from this photo of me (a reversed image of it, at least!).
It's a great t-shirt, but it's a bit too big for me, and I don't like to wear fashions, so I'm gonna let Kate wear it. Oh, and the secret admirer? I've got my suspicions...

Happy 08/08/08, everycat!
Cheers,
--Pabs

Say hello to my little friend(s)

I've been hanging out with these guys a fair bit lately. It's my friends Who Can It Bee Now? (Kate named him after the Men At Work song; she sings it whenever I play with him) and Nip Mousie (I named him after his insides and his outsides). We fight a lot, but sometimes we just chill out on my favourite chair. You can tell that I like these guys by the way I'm squinching my eyes shut... that's how I smile!

In other news, I'm famous! The famous Karen Jo, poet laureate of the Cat Blogosphere, wrote a limerick about me! Check it out here.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Friday fashions: Part 2

Here's another one of Kate's cat-based fashions (and no, they're not all yellow t-shirts!).This one was a present from my Aunty Tracey, who lives in Melbourne (the home of the great Huffle Mawson and Gypsy and Tasha). Tracey's coming down to Tassie for a visit in September. Can't wait to see her!

Happy Friday, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I'm officially cool!

Mr Hendrix said so!
Here I am doing a cool cat strut around the house to celebrate my coolness:

I'm going to use the Cool Cat Award to celebrate the quintessential coolness of us brown tabbies. And so I pass the award on to...
(not-so-little) Joey
Tripper (who was cool even when he had a rev-mo)
Sophiekitty (the cool tabby livin' large in the Windy City)
Merlin and Dobby (two very cool tabby brothers)
and Monty Q (nocat can do the Q quite like this cool brother!)

Hope you feel better soon, Mr Hendrix!!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Sunday shadows

I am...

...THE SHADOW!!!!

Aaahh... love this Sunday winter sun!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Friday fashions...

Well everycat, as many of you know, it's winter in Australia right now. And I've been kind of in hibernation lately, and haven't been up to many blog-worthy adventures or in the mood for many photo shoots... I've been spending most of my time in the big bed, as you can see (I stay there all day after Nick and Kate get up and go to work).

So I thought I'd take this opportunity to launch a new Friday series on my blog: Friday Fashions. Now, unlike some of you out there, I'm not the kind of cat that likes to wear fashions. But Kate is a big wearer of clothes, and some of her clothes have a kitty theme. For the next few Fridays, I'll share some of her cat-based fashions with you. Here's one:

This t-shirt has a bit of a story. The cat featured is Lucky, the mascot for the Lucky Book Club, which was a children's book order club that was around when Kate was a kid.

She found this t-shirt in a charity secondhand clothes shop about 12 years ago. I think it cost 50c or $1. When she started wearing it around, one of her friends commented that she used to have a t-shirt like that, but that her mum had donated it to a charity shop with a bunch of her old clothes...

Cheers,
--Pabs

All hail Jeter Harris

... the Catster cat of the week!

Congratulations, buddy!

Cheers,
--Pabs

The fridge meme

My kiwicat friend Poppy Q tagged me for the fridge meme. Here are the rules:
Show us a photo of the front of your Cold Box and tell us about at least one thing on it and one thing you keep inside of it! Tag your friends and remember to stay COOL! And no fair cleaning it up first!!!
So this is our fridge! One confession: I had to break one of the rules, because there was a letter on the fridge with some of Nick and Kate's personal details on it. But it was boring, anyway.

You might have to click to biggify the details, but some of the things you can see are:
1. Magnets: alphabet magnets, a Carlton Football Club mascot magnet and some cute korean magnets.
2. The 2008 Pablo calendar, designed by Nick (but inspired by me!).
3. Some cute cat drawings by my little friends Ellie and Molly.
4. A beautiful portrait of... Poppy Q herself! I promise I didn't put it there just for this meme. Poppy Q was my Secret Paw last Christmas, this photo was one of the cool presents she sent me.

... and now to the inside. Poppy Q thought that we might have some typical Aussie things in there like VB (Victoria Bitter- an Aussie beer) or a Violet Crumble (a honeycomb and chocolate bar- I didn't know these were particularly Australian). Well, none of that I'm afraid, Poppy (VB is a bit of a dirty word in this house... Nick and Kate prefer Tasmanian beers, usually Cascade Lager), but we've got the one thing that matters...

... my stinky goodness!

I hereby tag Mr Hendrix, Dragonheart & Merlin and Mickey Mantle.

Cheers,
--Pabs

We salute you, Mu Shue...

Today, we cat blogosphere kitties salute our very brave friend Mu Shue, who has gone to the bridge. Our rumbliest purrs go out his his mum, Laura, his furry siblings and his brand new baby bean brother and sister. I just know that as soon as they're old enough to understand, Laura will tell Dylan and Ashlynn all about Mu Shue Pooh King Cat the Brave.

Shine on, Mu Shue!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Wednesday wonderings...

Hi everycat,

You might remember my post a few weeks ago containing a funny story about how one of Kate's little human friends thought that she was my (biological) mother? (You can catch up here if you missed it.)

Well, a very, VERY interesting comment was left on that post in the last few days. It comes from another Kate (who is a friend of my Kate and has known me all my life):

Dear Pabs, I knew your mother personally, but she kept the identity of your father secret. Your mothers name was Bathsheba Iraq Petuli, she was small and slender, black and independent. When she was a kitten she would go around the streets wrapped around her human's neck, but she didn't like that after she grew up. I don't know if Kate every met her. She might even still be alive, living in West Hobart I think.

Bathsheba Iraq Petuli... small... black... (my dad must've been a tabby, a manly mancat tabby who had to keep his identity secret because he was a secret agent with the vishus deer squad)... living in West Hobart?! I live in West Hobart! Maybe my mum is my neighbour, and we've been living side by side all these years!

Oh, everycat, I'm confused. What should I do? Should I let sleeping d-o-g-s lie, or should I put the cat among the pigeons?

Mum? Hey, mum? Uh... Bathsheba?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Goodbye, Ben...

Benjamin Oliver Keith Hawkins
24 March 1995 - 2 July 2008

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We've both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own, I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see - you've got a friend in me

Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind, and don't like what you find
There's something you should know - you've got a place to go

I used to say 'I' and 'me'
Now it's 'us', now it's 'we'

Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do, I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again - if they had a friend like Ben
'Ben' (written by D. Black & W. Scharf, 1972, recorded by Michael Jackson)

It's with a very sad heart that I have to announce that Kate's family d-o-g, Ben, was helped to the bridge this morning. Kate's very brave mum took Ben to the v-e-t, but he had tumours in his mouth and lungs and could not be treated. Ben, a golden retriever-border collie cross, was the son of Gemma, Kate's childhood pet, who went to the bridge in 1999.

I didn't ever meet Ben (because we live 3 hours' drive from Kate's family home), but I'm told he was a loyal, friendly, loving d-o-g, who provided Kate's family with much joy over the years. He will be remembered as an excellent friend, walking and swimming buddy, and a boundary rider without peer (his favourite hobby was patrolling the perimeter of the family's half-acre block). For the first time since she was 5 years old, Kate is now d-o-gless.

But she's still got me.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Better things to do...

It's my friends Benny and Rachel's wedding day today. Here I am checking out the wedding invitation...
Check it out! I was actually invited to go (my first invitation to a human wedding):
Thanks heaps for inviting me, Benny and Rachel, I'm flattered...
... but I just found this awesome patch of winter sun in the living room, and I can't let it go to waste. Besides, I'm not so good in strange places with strange people. You can come have the wedding in my patch of sun, if you want.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Oh, Emil...

Farewell, my tabby brother. Purrs to all at The Cat Realm.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Postcards from India!!

Well just one, actually. But it was totally addressed to me. Just me. It's from my friend Goan Kitten, a (very) sometimes blogger from Goa, India. I think he's in a bit of trouble...

I don't mind if he emigrates to Australia, as long as it's not to my place. I'm strictly a one-cat household kinda guy, and I'm too old to change. He seems like a nice enough kid, and already knows who Don Bradman is, a question which Australia's former leader was keen to include on an Australian citizenship test. Do you know who Don Bradman is? Most Aussiecats would know, and cats with Aussie family members like Faz and Yoggie. I bet that Poppy Q knows too.

Part #2 of Pablo's Pop Quiz: Why would Goan Kitten include this mysterious quote on a postcard to me? (The last word is 'stare'. Goan Kitten's scribe has bad handwriting!) Try to think of the answer without resorting to Google, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Emil, go home! Quick!

If you see Emil hanging around your place, please tell him to get his furry butt home... his family's awfully worried about him!

Cheers,
--Pabs

(Oh boy, what a) Mancat Monday

Check out these lions that Kate found guarding the entrance to a very low-class bar/gaming lounge in the Market City shopping centre in Sydney...


If you look closely, you can see that there is something very mancatly about these lions...

Should I feel inadequate?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Storm is going to the bridge today...

Our thoughts are with Storm and her family as she goes on her big journey today. You've fought bravely, my friend. The fight is nearly over...

Cheers,
--Pabs

Nick and Kate's Sydney adventures

Yep, they left me alone for, like, FOUR DAYS while they went and had a little jaunt in Sydney (to be fair, it was a work-related jaunt to launch the book they'd been working on. And I wasn't really on my own, awesome Uncle Simon came to feed me and hang out with me). But Kate did a little PR for me, as well. She actually met up with Momo's SS in purrson for a coffee! They had a great time getting to know each other (no doubt all they talked about was us cats...). SS is the second cat blogger that Kate's met this year: she met Gypsy and Tasha's mum when she visited Melbourne at Easter). One day, she'd like to to a world tour and meet all the cat blogger's mums and dads. She's just looking for a wealthy benefactor to fund such a junket...

As well as meeting SS, Kate also met a cat called Cinder. Cinder is the feline in charge of the house where Nick and Kate stayed during their Sydney trip. Cinder is a four-year-old former feral who landed on his feet and now lives it up in Sydney's inner-western suburbs with his mum, Tally, and their housemate Fiona, who is Nick and Kate's friend. Cinder is a giant of a cat. His main interests are eating kangaroo meat and chasing vicious shadows. According to Kate, he is 'quite smoochy'; he even slept on their bed during their stay! (I don't really know how I feel about that.) She took some glamour shots of him while he was lounging on Fiona's bed:


I guess it's good that Kate didn't have to be without feline company while she was away, but it's also good that she came home for some Pablo smooches in the end. I'm where it's at, after all.

Cheers,
--Pabs

Dona nobis pacem: 4 June 2008

As you can see by the date in the bottom left corner of the image, this is my second year doing the blogblast for peace... why not join in?

Peace be with everycat!
Cheers,
--Pabs

'scuse me?

Seven years and older is senior? Does this mean it's time for me to apply for a pension card? I thought eight years of age was the prime of my life!

Cheers,
--Pabs

PS Can somecat please teach me how to play lawn bowls?

True story Thursday

The following conversation took place last night between Kate, Kate's friend Nikki and Nikki's three-year-old son Xavier, while Nikki was reading Xavier one of the Spot the Dog books...

Xavier: Where's Suzie? [Suzie is Spot's baby sister, who appears in some books]
Nikki: I don't know, she's not in this one, maybe this story happened before Suzie was born. Do you remember when it used to just be you and me and Papa before Esther was born? [Esther is Xavier's baby sister]
Xavier: Yes.
Kate: Do you remember when Esther was in your mummy's tummy?
Xavier: Yes... [pause] ...and Pablo was in your tummy.

What the... ?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Farewell, Bonnie

[Thanks to Zoolatry for the lovely Bonnie graphic]

The lovely Bonnie Underfoot went to the Bridge last Thursday. On behalf of the Pablo Fan Club (of which she was a loyal member), I'd like to send my bestest purrs to Victor his family at this very sad time. We'll miss you, Bonnie! Please visit Bonnie and Victor's blog to send your condolences and read Victor's touching account of Bonnie's last hours with her loving family... but take tissues!!

Cheers,
--Pabs

(Portrait of a) Tabby Tuesday

A few weeks ago, Nick and Kate's seven-year-old niece came around for a visit with her family. While she was at our place, she chose to render my likeness in felt pens (you Americats call them magic markers?). I was extremely flattered.


She also wrote a series of questions for Kate to answer about me. You'll have to biggify this to be able to read it.


Cool, huh?

Cheers,
--Pabs

A little late, but here's my six-word memoir

Quite a while ago, Zoey from Zoolatry tagged me for the six-word memoir meme. Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six-word memoir.
2. Post on your blog, and add a picture if you'd like.
3. Link to the one who sent it to you.
4. Tag at least five more blogs.
5. Let the tagged blogs know by leaving a comment.
6. Write your memoir - have fun!

Now that all the excitement of the premiere of CCSI III is over (by the way, a big fat conCATulations to the team who put the show together... I've never worked with a more professional group of animals in my life), I've finally had time to consider the six words that best describe me and my life and times:

'Eat as many chickens as possible!'

[Oh Kate, that photo is SO unflattering!]

I know it's kind of a cheaters' way to tag cats, but this one has been doing the rounds for a while, so anycat who wants to give this a go and hasn't been tagged yet, you're it!

Cheers,
--Pabs

It's almost showtime!

Hey everycat, don't forget that this weekend is the premiere of the new CCSI drama CCSI III: The Missing Mummy Caper. You can check it out at Sassy's blog: http://littlesassycat.blogspot.com Being famous sure has its perks... check out the gifts I received from the CCSI III executives for my involvement in the project:

Do you think this means that I won't be getting paid? Might hafta talk to my union about that one...

Break a leg, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I'm a celebrity! Yay!

Seeing as I'm about to become an uber-famous celebrity (I'm in the cast of the new CCSI production CCSI III: Missing Mummy Caper), I thought that I'd better take the Catster 'Which celebrity is your pet?' test. This was my result:
Keeping a straight face around Pablo is a cheek muscle-wrenching nightmare. Try as you may, but giggling is inevitable because Pablo is comedian Will Ferrell! For a while Pablo was just funny on Saturday nights, but that's all changed now that he's taken his act on the road. Whether he's being silly in real life or on the silver screen, Pablo has a true knack for making people crack up. Pablo has even managed to make the crossover to the cyberwebs, where he delivers raw, fresh, uncooked humor to his countless cyberpet fans. A fast runner, Pablo runs marathons when he's not dreaming up his next slapstick routine. Widely talented and able to impetsonate any number of two and four-legged critters, Pablo's fans will be lapping it up for a long time to come.

Hmm. We love Will Ferrell in this house, but even I don't think I'm good-natured enough to be likened to such a great guy. I think I'm a more unapproachable type... like Marlon Brando. Anyway, I made Kate take these glamour portraits of me at the weekend just in case Vanity Fair contact me at short notice and Annie Leibovitz is on assignment:



Ooh. Brooding. Sultry. Yet oddly captivating.

Here's to fame and fortune!

Cheers,
--Pabs