the miao chronicles

Miscellaneous Miaos & Miaolings

littlemiao — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 14:38:52 +0000

Here is a photo of Merlin from a couple days ago. He seems to be doing about the same. His favorite nap-spot is currently a box on the kitchen floor. Thank you for all of your kind thoughts.

More Miaos. It is well-known that the Miao Brothers love snuggles.

Chun never snuggles with anyone but me. I wish his uncles could convince him to be cuddlier.

Sprocket needs no convincing. He is a great communal snuggler and I had a recent photo to prove it but I can’t find it. So here is a Sprocket on a fleece ready for a snuggle.

Last night I fell asleep snuggling with Sprockpurrs. I woke up at some point full of sadness because he wasn’t there any more. I thought he had abandoned me. I went back to sleep, though not as peacefully. But when I woke in the morning, I found that Sprockers had been there all along, burrowed under my five quilts and countless fleeces. It’s easy to get lost, even on a twin-sized bed.

Re-tail Therapy for Sprocket!

littlemiao — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 16:25:18 +0000

Check out this Laugh-Out-Loud Comic!

The comic inspired me to look for photos that show off Sprocket’s incredibly cute tail puff. Much to my dismay, I discovered that I have very few such photos.

Teeny-Tiny August. These photos were taken just two weeks after his surgery!

Is it possible that my little Sprockers was ever so little?

About a month bigger. He is curled up with his tailio.

Invisible tail

Spider tails! How could I miss an opportunity to resurrect Sprocket’s Corpse Bride costume?

Short but fluffy!

We are huge fans of the Laugh Out Loud Cats. Sprocket even got to meet his hobo hero Pip in his very own special comic!

Miao Musings – Cookies, cannibalism, and kitten-friendly literature

littlemiao — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:00:53 +0000

- I’m feeling sort of down (or at least I was until the three cups of strong tea and pile of cookies). Part of it is Merlin and the rest is just sort of the general angst that you get when you can’t quite see your way out of your current not-so-happy situation but you know it’s in large part because you’re not trying hard enough. Which in turn is because you sit in front of the computer blogging and browsing and eating cookies and feeling sorry for yourself for squandering all those great opportunities you had before that didn’t seem so great at the time. Oh wells.

- I fell a little behind for February Letter Month. I was ahead and then I didn’t send anything out for days. I’ll probably still be sending Miaoling Trading Cards out in March. The peeps who received Miao Mail at the beginning of the month may have been shortchanged because at that time I had a meager supply of Miaoling Trading Cards. After I received replenishments from snapfish, I became more generous. I would also like to apologize to the individual who received a seriously sprocketted Sprocket Trading Card. Or maybe I should let Sprocket sprocket more Trading Cards to make them more collectible. If any peeps still want to join in and receive some Miao Mail, just email us at miaochronicles [at] gmail [dot] com. Please indicate whether you would like extra toof-marks.

- Kemi has been even more affectionate than usual these last few days, following me around and purring and giving me bear hugs and even back massages. Thank you, Bear.

- I am seriously enjoying THE EYRE AFFAIR by Jasper Fforde. Thank you to the handsome cowkitty who suggested I read it next.

- My addiction to buying used books isn’t quite under control yet. I bought a few books this week… but they were all necessary for my Miao Library – a Terry Pratchett and the next two Little Bo (kittens!) books. Plus, the libretto to Sweeney Todd (maybe not so kitten-friendly). Oh, and there were two (or possibly three?) recommendations from peeps that I absolutely had to get. How much does that add up to? Next week I will do better.

- My book purchases aren’t always selfish. My Miaolings got this as a surprise for for someone, but they can’t tell who because it is, obviously, intended as a surprise. It is volume 2 of the four-volume mangafied version of Howl’s Moving Castle based on the Hayao Miyazaki film and published by Studio Ghibli. I think if you can only have one volume, volume 2 is the volume to have.

Tashi and Merlin Update

littlemiao — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:26:29 +0000

Tashi’s blood work came back today and he is doing better. His kidney values are just a little higher than normal, not super high like they were a few weeks ago. They are at a level that we can maintain. And since he is eating and not vomiting, and has gained half a pound this month, the doctor is optimistic.

Unfortunately Merlin’s labwork isn’t very good. The doctor told us he has end-stage kidney disease, so it is significantly worse than Tashi’s. But his appetite is good and he isn’t vomiting, which are obviously positive signs. Just this evening, he pulled Sprocket’s tuna dish out from under his nose. He is still bright-eyed and spunky, even though he doesn’t go around with his glitterballs anymore (though he was up until a couple months ago). He was first diagnosed with renal disease two years ago. He is about fourteen and a half.

For most of their lives, we have fed them super high-quality crunchies and prescription diet kidney crunchies. I guess that’s just not enough sometimes.

Sunday Cuteness

littlemiao — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 06:07:24 +0000

Technically I missed posting today, because tomorrow began five minutes ago.

Sprocket started it!

littlemiao — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:06:20 +0000

I’m not any closer to getting my Miaoling in their berets to kitty-kiss. Here is my latest attempt.

Miaolings in berets on butterflies!

Ka-pow!

chomp!

not quite a kitty kiss

berets in disarray!

Chun is *not* pleased

miao update (tashi & merlin)

littlemiao — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 02:39:44 +0000

I took Tashi and Merlin to the vet today for a regular check-up. Tashi has gained half a pound since his last visit, a good sign, and we will know more about how his kidneys are doing after his blood work comes back. Merlin is doing better weight-wise too, though he mysteriously lost a bunch of fur on his left side. It is hard to see because he is so floofy.

january tashi

february merlin (and sprock-paws)

I am trying to get a better picture of Merlin but it is surprisingly difficult. Most of the time he is either eating or napping in a little enclosed wicker basket. Overall he seems to be doing okay, though not as active as he had been a couple years ago.

merlin august 2011

Anyways, things seem to be pretty stable. Ping is flourishing and regularly demands extra meals. If the sunshine cooperates, I will take some Miao Brother photos this weekend.

Miaolings in berets! with butterflies!

littlemiao — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:50:37 +0000

Silly Sprockers is sticking his nose up at you! I think he’s hoping for a chin-skritch.

Sprocket is a very whiskery boy.

I tried to use a purple butterfly robe as a backdrop but it turned out so wrinkly, I would have to iron it. I really don’t like ironing things. My ironing board is one of those mini ones and Chun loves rubbing his paws on it because it is so smooth. I have had it for at least ten years and maybe used it five times. But anyways, the purple butterfly idea failed.

Chun and his baby elephant butterfly.

Chun in his blue beret!

littlemiao — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 02:01:36 +0000

Chun doesn’t like to go for more than a day or so without wearing his little blue beret.

Because I have no new photos

littlemiao — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:36:33 +0000

This week, I have had a mini photo session with my Miaolings, but I still need to convince a non-Lotus Miao Brother to participate, and I will bar my poor little Miaolings from the room. They will squeak (Sprocket) and whine (Chun) and feel very left out, but this is the only way I can get Miao Brother photos.

Here are some Sprocket photos from last year that I may or may not have shared already.

Determination

Neck Ruffles

Beepable

Sprocketiness