Chillaxin on a Friday arvo...

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

A very special day

January 26 is a special day in Australia. It's a public holiday for Australia Day, marking the day in 1788 when the First Fleet of British settlers landed in Australia (in Sydney, to be precise). It's a day to celebrate everything that's good about being Australian and living in Australia. But it's a sad day for the traditional owners of this land, who see 26 January 1788 as a day of invasion. Somebeans think we should pick a new date for our national holiday. They might be right. But, like last year, there is a whole NOTHER reason why we can celebrate on 26 January: It's my friend Lucy's TWENTY-FIRST birthday!!!!

Lucy has taught me many things, but the main thing she's taught me is that a cat is never to old to enjoy the magic herb (cat thyme, that is). Here she is cosying up to her favourite cat thyme plant on her deck. Lucy is still in great shape and has a wonderful life with her bean, Sue. Sue comes and feeds me sometimes when Nick and Kate are away. She rocks.

Happy birthday, Lucy! May you live to be a million and twenty-one!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I know nothing...

I'm totally pleading the fifth... do we have that in Australia?

Cheers,
--Pabs

Yes. We. Did!

...watch Barack Obama's inauguration, even though it took place at 3.30am, Tasmanian time. This is what I look like when I get woken up in the middle of the night. I must say though, I looked a lot better than Kate did!
Once I woke up a bit and realised what was going on, I made my way to a comfy spot in front of the TV:Kate dragged my underbed mattress into the living room especially for this historic occasion.
Our friend Fiona (who hung out with me when Nick and Kate were away a few weeks ago) came around and watched the inauguration with us. It was great to witness this important moment, even though it meant waking up in the middle of the night. We wish you all the best, President Obama!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Mancat Monday: Extreme grooming

A mancat's grooming is never done (especially in summer when all our furs are shedding). May as well make it an extreme sport. It's the mancatly thing to do.

Cheers,
--Pabs

It's unani... unanima... um... we all agree!

... that Daisy has the BEST pet blog EVER!

So there!!

Cheers,
--Pabs

What I did last week...

Last week, Nick and Kate went on a little holiday. That's why I haven't been blogging so much lately. Their friend Fiona came to stay with me, and helped me write this post. Sorry that it's late...

My beans have been ‘on the mainland’ for the last few days (that’s what us Tassiecats call the rest of Australia). They recruited their friend Fiona to be protectorchef while they’re away. I can’t believe they still don’t realise that I am mancat enough to feed and defend myself.

Things got off to a bad start with Fiona. She came around with a big and littlebean and the littlebean said rude things about me. (“He sounds like a baby.” I did not sound like a baby - I was merely informing Fiona of my heartfelt desire to go outside.) They looked at a wad of paper Kate had left then went WITHOUT LETTING ME OUTSIDE. How am I supposed to maintain my mancat status if I’m denied the opportunity to battle the othercats?! Then the next evening she returned AND STILL REFUSED TO LET ME OUTSIDE.

Thank goodness there’s been lots of food and water and Nick and Kate’s underbed. That’s all I can say.

Cheers,
--Pabs

NB Things picked up with Fiona. The next morning Fiona relented and let me outside, so I had some goodtimes lying in the sun and keeping an eye on things.

The poop cushion

Can you see the poop on the cat cushion? It's on the right-hand side of the cat's face, just below his ear. Here's a close-up:

That's what I'm talking about! And Daisy, it did smell good. Really birdy.

Cheers,
--Pabs

There was a bird! Inside! My house!

It was up there! Inside the chimney! I think it was a late Christmas present from Santa! But they took it away, and they didn't even get any good photos of it, and only this laser-eyed one of me! But I could smell that it had been there! In my living room! And it pooped on a cushion! Wow!

Cheers,
--Pabs

New Year's Eve... bring it on!

It may still be daylight, but it's New Year's Eve and you know what that means? Flashy, noisy, bang-y things in the sky tonight! So I've got my hiding spot under Nick and Kate's bed all picked out.

By the way, me hiding here during the day has got NOTHING to do with the fact that Nick is mowing the lawns right now.

Nothing.

Happy New Year, everycat! See y'all in 2009!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Hey! I'm up here!

Can you see me? I'm not in jail, I'm just up on the patio, chilling out. Our garden is terraced so there's lots of great vertical space... and lots of jumping and climbing to be done. Keeps me young.But for now, I've got some chilling to do...

Cheers,
--Pabs
P.S. I'm a little slow with the news, but Jeter Harris is home! Woo hoo!!!

Here comes Momo!

Every year, on Boxing Day, the famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race begins, attracting entrants from all over Australia and the world. It's an amazing sight to see all the yachts leaving Sydney Harbour in full sail, and when the 'yachties' finally arrive in Hobart (most take three or so days to get here), it's one big party! Many stay for our New Year's celebrations on the famous Hobart waterfront.

Can you see who's at the helm (?) of this yacht? My Sydney mate Momo is coming down to see me! Woo hoo! She's much braver than me. I hate even thinking about getting my paws wet.

Cheers,

--Pabs

Merry Christmas from the blogging kitties of OZ!

Merry Christmas, everycat! The blogging kitties of OZ are celebrating in style this year, with amazing graphics from Zoolatry (thanks, Ann!!). Above is my individual portrait, depicting me lording it over Tasmania, my island home.

... and here we all are in our group montage. Who knew that there were so many blogging kitties in Australia? Along from our Kiwicat friend Poppy Q, (who's a few hours ahead of us) we are some of the first kitties in the world to celebrate Christmas. So if you want to get a sneaky early start to Christmas, visit the blogging cats of OZ (these are all links, even if they don't look like they are): Momo, Charlotte, Gypsy and Tasha, Fui and Suey, Bangles and Bombay, Vampy Vic and Mushka, Pye, Trixie and Tigger, Huffle Mawson, Oscar and Diamond.

Oh yeah, the Aussiecats are representing for Christmas 2008!

Wherever you are in the world, I hope that you have an awesome, safe, fun, peaceful Christmas (with lots of ham and turkey and chicken and pork and other yummy dead things!!!).

Cheers,
--Pabs

It's begining to look a lot like...

Christmas?

That's right, everycat! In Australia, Christmas looks like this. Hot sun, dry grass. I can't imagine what a snowy, wintry Christmas might be like. Now that summer has finally arrived, I've been spending my days like this, roasting in the sun and then taking to the shadier parts of the garden (behind me) for refuge when it gets too hot.

I can't stop thinking about my poor friend Jeter Harris, who is hanging around outside in the cold and snow and won't come inside. Jeter, mate, I'm purring for you and hoping that you're keeping warm, wherever you are, and that you're brave enough to go home and let your mum look after you. You can do it, matey!

Happy Christmas Eve, everycat!

Cheers,--Pabs

Saturday sun

Finally! A sunny morning in Hobart. This is the view over the rooftops down to the city.

It's a great morning for a roll on the cement.

Oh yeah.

Happy weekend, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

Thanks, everycat!

My squishy-eyed smile of thanks to all of my buddies who voted for me

I'd just like to say a big THANKS to everycat who went to the trouble to vote for me in the My dream is... competition (see my post below if you're not sure what I'm talking about). The voting has closed, and it will be a week or so before we find out how we go. We're not expecting to win, but we're very happy because we got 175 votes! Thanks to everyone who voted, but some extra thanks to Skeezix, who posted about the competition on his blog, and to KC, who reported about it on the Cat Blogosphere website.

Whether we win any money or not (there are runner-up prizes), we're already winners because this competition has helped us to realise just how many friends we have around the world. That really means a lot... more than any money in the universe, or any forever home.

... and I'm a winner in another way, too! Last week, my new friends the Hyggecats (from 4 Cats Ruffin' It) gave me the Lemonade Award, for blogs which show great gratitude or attitude:

What an honour! The rules of the award are that I'm supposed to nominate 10 other blogs to receive this award, but I'm gonna break the rules a little... ok, a LOT. I hereby award the Lemonade Award to EVERYCAT who voted for me in the My dream is... competition! Woot!

Cheers,
--Pabs

I have a dream

... and YOU can help!
Kate and I have entered a competition to win $10,000 towards our dream (which is to save enough money to buy a forever home so we don't have to keep renting for the rest of our lives). The competition is being run by an investment company in Australia. To have a chance at winning, we need people to vote for the picture we've uploaded onto the competition website (it's the one here in this post, taken last time we had to move house, in 2007. I look so sad because I HATE MOVING HOUSE!!!).

If you would like to vote for me, please visit this website: http://mydreamis.ingdirect.com.au/?id=5329
and rate my photo out of five. Voting closes at 11.59pm (eastern Australian time) THIS SUNDAY, 14 December. We know that the competition is a long shot, but we thought it would be fun to give it a good old Aussie go. If you decide to vote for me, thanks! But it's ok if you don't vote... we can still be friends.

Happy weekend, everycat!

Cheers,
--Pabs

P.S. Thanks, everycat, for your kind thoughts and purrs at Sooty's passing. They meant a lot!

Goodbye, Sooty

We had some sad news at the weekend.

Sooty, Nick's family' s cat who lived with Nick's parents in northern Tasmania, had to be helped to the Bridge on Saturday. She was very old - around 20 years old - and was having a lot of trouble moving around. When Nick's dad took her to the v-e-t, they found that she had diabetes too. So the hard decision was made to help her to the Bridge.

Even though we will miss Sooty, we can be thankful that she had a very long, happy and adventurous life. She even had her own blog for a little while, which Nick's dad, Peter, helped her to write. Here's a photo of her that was taken in August this year. She's posing in front of her very own house in the courtyard of Nick's parent's place.

And here's a shot of just a part of her extensive territory beyond the courtyard, which she actively traversed and defended right to the end:
And just beyond the bushes in the background...

This most beautiful beach.

See you at the Bridge someday, Sooty. And big, rumbly purrs of thanks to Peter and Judy for looking after her so well for such a long time. (To read a post I wrote about Sooty last year, click here.)

Cheers,
--Pabs

A whole lotta Pabs

A few of my recent photographic collaborations with Kate to spice up your Thursday:

Hmm. Pablo, centerfold model?

This one is a little more artistic. I like the use of negative space.

Cheers,
--Pabs

The thankful-est Thursday of them all

Today, I'm thankful for many things.

I'm thankful that I live in a warm, safe house in a safe, quiet part of the world.

I'm thankful for having such awesome people, Kate and Nick, to love me and look after me.

I'm thankful for having so many awesome blogging buddies around the world.

But most of all, my friends, today I'm thankful that I don't live in a house with a blurpy bean who takes an active interest in cats:
That's my buddy Beto and his blurpy friend Bella. Guess which one of them is having fun?

Happy Thanksgiving to all my Americat friends, and to all my other buddies around the world.

Cheers,
--Pabs