Mr. R.W. Emerson

Welcome to Sleepy Sunday at our House

2011-11-13T20:02:00.006-05:00

Welcome to our home!

Hey, Little Nicky. I'm the senior one here and I should be welcoming everyone!

Let's all go upstairs and take a nap. It is Sleepy Sunday, after all.

I want to show everyone one of my other favorite nap spots these days - atop the big Panera bag that is filled with newspaper recycling.

Happy Napping!

Love,

Mr. Emerson

and Little Nicky

Indoor Jungle

2011-10-30T22:53:00.008-04:00

Hi everyone!

Here I have allowed Mommie to photograph my magnificent tail. She and Daddie returned home today from a long weekend trip to Cape May, NJ to see birdies. Little Nicky and I didn't get to go despite the fact that we love birdies.

While they were gone, it got very cold outside and we had some snow! Unfortunately, Mommie neglected to bring her houseplants in from the deck before she left. She thinks that most survived the cold, and she brought many of them inside this evening.

Oh, Mommie, why is this plant where I like to sit and observe the squirrels? Hmm, maybe I need to investigate these plants and ensure that they are bug-free. I'll just climb up the drapes and

investigate.

Look at me!

Maybe I can join the circus because I can walk this tightrope very well.

Uh-oh! How do I get down now?

Tune in next time to learn whether Little Nicky is doomed to live the rest of her life atop the draperies--or whether she survives a death-defying leap to the floor.

Happy Halloween to all!

Love,

~Mr. Emerson and Little Nicky

BlogPaws with Mommie!

2011-08-26T23:27:00.003-04:00

Mommie took me to BlogPaws in Tysons Corner, VA. We met the great Food Lady, now editor of MouseBreath. (She's the one in pink.) I also met some old friends like Skeezix, Mao, DaisyMae Maus, Charmee, and Sparky Fussypants. Who knew that being a flatcat could be so much fun?

~Emerson

Visit to the Cardiologist

2011-08-05T22:03:00.010-04:00

Hi - Emerson here. This past week I had to have a check up with my cardiologist.
After the tech checked my vitals (including my blood pressure), we had to wait for the doctor.

There was a computer just outside the examining room door.

There was a diagram of a dog's heart on the wall, but none of a cat's heart.

After the doctor examined me, I was taken into another room for an echocardiogram. Both mommie and daddie accompanied me. The news was not very good. This is my diagnosis:

*Juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

*Systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve - resolved on atenolol (Yay!)

*Moderate mitral regurgitation

*Severe segmental left ventricular hypertrophy - left ventricular papillary muscles and the posterior free wall (Boo!)

*Severe left atrial chamber dilation - posing a risk for congestive heart failure and blood clot events (Boo!)

*Normal left ventricular contractility (Yay!)

The doctor told mommie that juvenile-onset hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is more serious and aggressive than the kind that develops later in life. After I was given some blood tests (which mommie did not get to witness!), the doctor prescribed some more meds for me. In addition to my atenolol (which I've been taking for over a year), I now have to take Benazepril and Plavix. If I do okay on them, the doctor might add something called Diltiazem. That's a lot of meds for my pill pocket. But I'm a good boy and I want to live as long as I can so I will take them.
To lighten up this post, you might enjoy this photo of my silly sister in her yurt.

She's an angel when she is asleep. Her yurt looks a little unstable to me.

Let me give Little Nicky a kiss.

Love,

~ Emerson

We're Two and One!

2011-06-19T23:39:00.013-04:00

Hi! Emerson here. Long time, no posts! Last week, June 11, I turned TWO! And Little Nicky turned ONE!

Mommie decided that we should have the same birthday so we could celebrate together. We don't know Nicky's REAL birthday.

Mommie finds that I am hard to photograph because I am so active! I think that I look pretty cute here with my big round eyes.

Mommie could not decide which of these photos she likes best. She likes this one because it shows my tail,

but she likes this one because it shows my eyes.

One of our birthday presents was this mouse track. It's great fun, and we both enjoy it.

We LOVE reusuable shopping bags! I like to hide in them and let Little Nicky pounce on me. Our favorite time to play together is just after breakfast.

Here I am watching the deck. Sometimes neighbor cats come to visit and drive me crazy, but mostly it's the squirrels and little birdies that taunt me and Little Nicky. Lately Mommie has had the screen door open, and Little Nicky will climb it to hunt bugs and moths. She gets in trouble for that, but Mommie does admire her athleticism. I'm too dignified for such antics.

Who, me?

Oh, yeah, this! Somehow Mommie thinks that this is BAD! I'll always be a kitten!

Though my leg is long healed, I still have my crate. We both love it because it is complete with bed, rug, litter box, and scratching post, and is in the TV room.

See how much we love each other.

It's great to have a pal.

~Mr. RW Emerson and Little Nicky

P.S. Little Nicky is named after the nice lady out in the country who rescued her!

Meet Little Nicky

2011-02-28T20:30:00.019-05:00

Hi! I'm known as Little Nicky, and my big brother Emerson said that I could use his blog to tell my story. Well, here goes.

I blocked out most all my bad memories, but one of the first things I remember was the nice lady who saw me trying to eat bird seed under her bird feeders. She lives way out in the country. She has three kitties of her own, and they were not very friendly to me through the glass. The nice lady knew I was hungry, and she was worried about me. She fed me and tried to make a comfy spot for me on her covered porch. I was ever so grateful and purred and purred. But it was winter and the weather was becoming MUCH colder in a couple of days. I wanted to be inside! A friend of the nice lady came to visit. She liked me, but she already had two kitties and a doggie at home. Guess what she did? She took a photo of me with her phone and sent it to my mommie with the caption, "Cute little kitty needs a home." You see, BOTH of the nice ladies are friends with my mommie.

What could mommie say when she saw my cute little face?

Of course, it was yes, but she made it conditional. She didn't want a "feral" cat, and she said that she was worried about Mr. Emerson and his feelings about having a little sister. She also wanted to make sure that I was 100% healthy because she didn't want to expose Mr. E to anything harmful to him. (Though he appears to be a tough guy, he has a heart condition and takes daily medication.) Mommie's friend took me to her veterinarian friend and had me tested and checked out. I had ear mites, but no fleas. I also had a bunch of tests.

Mommie came to visit me at the vet's office and learned that I was a sweet, loving little girl. She didn't take me home yet because she decided that I should have an operation to remove my lady parts. The doctor said that I appeared to be between 9 and 12 months old, though I am small.

I had my operation, and Mommie was supposed to come pick me up after work one day. Unfortunately, snow fell that day, and it took Mommie four and a half hours to drive home from work that night. I had to spend another night in a cage. Sigh. But Mommie took the next day off from work and brought me home. Yay!

At first I had to stay in the library, a room in the house with lots of books. My FIP test results still weren't back yet, and I needed to rest after my operation anyway. I did catch a glimpse of this beautiful big fluffy ginger kitty, but I could not meet him yet.

My test results came back and I was A-OK! I got to meet Mr. Emerson, and after just a little bit of hissing, he sniffed me up and down. He seemed to accept me from the start.

I loved him instantly and was thrilled to have a big brother. He shared all of his wonderful toys with me. I love to play with EVERYTHING! Red dot game, track ball, feather wand, crinkle balls, ball with bell, catnip banana, toy mice, just everything! And I LOVE to wrestle with Emerson.

Life is great here. Can you guess how I got my name? It has a special significance.

I'm so glad that I'm well loved!

~Little Nicky

New Sister

2011-01-31T22:47:00.005-05:00

Today I met someone whom Mommie calls my new "sister." She was hidden behind the door for several days, but I knew she was there. I'm not sure if I'm going to like her in the long haul, but so far I've been a very nice and tolerant big brother. Her name is Little Nicky. I might let her tell her own story next month.

~Emerson

Merry Christmas-Toys for Tots

2010-12-25T22:49:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone! A couple of weeks ago, my mommie brought home a new friend for me.

She was in this awful PTU. It had only ONE hole in it for her to breathe. I stuck my paw in to pet her.

She meowed, moved her head, and washed her face, but she didn't seem to appreciate my efforts to free her.

I'm sorry, Miss Lulu; I cannot get you out! It's just as well because I like being a spoiled only kitty in this house.

Mommie , maybe you can donate this kitty to the Toys for Tots Campaign and make some little kid very happy. (Mommie took my advice!)

Merry Christmas!

Love,

~Emerson

Thanksgiving Adventures

2010-12-05T21:47:00.011-05:00

Hi! I hope that everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I have to tell you about my Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina to stay with Mommie's sisters' family.

The house has a cool railing on the second floor and I found it intriguing. My friends Skeezix and Daisy the Curly Cat like high railings.
I just had to walk along that narrow edge. It was slippery and I didn't know how to get back through the bars onto the carpet. Luckily Mommie was nervously watching me from below. I hate to admit this, but I slipped and fell . . . right into Mommie's outstretched arms. Whew! She saved my life!

This is one of my cousins--Freckles the Bengal cat. She likes to survey the world from this post.

And this is my cousin Sugar Magnolia. She liked to hiss at Mommie. I got along better with the dogs in the house.

Don't worry, Mommie. I love you. And thanks for catching me.

Love,

~Emerson

Last Day for Pools

2010-09-05T22:50:00.006-04:00

Mr. Emerson the lifeguard is on duty and ready to enforce all the rules.

Here I am checking the water level. Remember, no diving allowed!

Ah, checking the scene for any cute girl kitties in itsy bitsy teeny weenie bikinis.

Note: Unfortunately this is all fantasy for me now because I no longer get to go outside since my injury. These photos were taken in May when I got to accompany Mommie to a beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

~Emerson

Reflections on My First Year

2010-06-11T21:08:00.030-04:00

Note: I wrote this on June 11, but Mommie didn't post it until today, August 8, because she never added the pictures for me until now.

It's been quite a year for me. Today, June 11, is my birthday!

Right now I am recovering from KNEE SURGERY. I had an accident.

I was out on the deck with my mommie and daddie on Memorial Day weekend.

I was sitting on the back of the chaise lounge watching the birdies taunt me from their feeders.

Suddenly, I just couldn't stand it any longer! I leaped at them, but, still being a kitten at the time, I didn't think of the consequences--such as where to land. I missed the deck railing (I wasn't aiming for it) and the birdies. I flew over the rail and landed down on the grass. It's a good thing that our deck isn't too far off the ground, but I probably came down at least seven feet. Ugh. The landing didn't feel too good. Once I recovered, I tried to walk, but it hurt a lot and I limped badly. Mommie and Daddie took me to the vet as an emergency visit on that Sunday (May 30). I had dislocated my knee and tore up some of my soft tissues. The doctor said that I needed an operation, but, because I have a mild heart murmur, he wanted to send me to a cardiologist for a consultation before a specialty surgeon operated on me. He also said that I had to be kept confined in a very small space with just my litter box, bed, and food.

He recommended a dog crate.

So, I was in jail in a big dog crate. It wasn't too bad since everything was convenient, and I didn't feel like running around anyway.

On June 3 I had my operation, and I got to go home on Friday, June 4. I had pain meds, heart meds, antibiotics, and this awful collar.

That collar was the worst part. I really wanted to lick my incision and make it heal, but I wasn't allowed to. I also had to rely on Mommie to groom me. Ugh. Thursday, June 10, I went back to the surgeon, and he examined me and removed my five stitches. He said that I looked great! And that I could have the collar removed today! That was the best birthday present of all today--Mom took that thing off. (I wish I knew Jeter's secret since he didn't have to wear his collar while he healed.) I'm still in the dog crate, and will be for another 4-6 weeks, but I have adjusted well. Mommie takes me out to cuddle.

I've had other exciting things happen to me. I got to go to the beach house in May, and I survived despite the overwhelming number of dog cousins that also visited. (Mommie can't find the photos right now, but promises to post them later.)

In other DOG news, I thought that I had my neighboring dogs under control. I met several of them last fall. This golden retriever is named Utah, and he is owned by Mr. Stuff and his girlfriend.

Here is one of the dogs that lives behind me.

I wasn't scared at all.

We sniffed through the fence, and all was well.

Except in March.

It was a beautiful day; Mom was teleworking out on the deck, and she had me out with her. I wandered around the yard and tried to pay no mind to the big husky dog. He was outside and watching my every move, but didn't bark. Unfortunately, he decided to climb his wood pile to get over the fence, and he tried to maul me! I cried, and Mommie came to rescue me behind the shed. I had icky slobber and a sore spot on my side and ended up getting a mat there. At least I didn't require medical attention. Mean dog! I thought that he was my friend!

Epilogue, 8/8/10: Well, my knee has healed up nicely. I went back to the surgeon last week, and he thought that I looked good. He still wants me to take it easy for the rest of the month, so I am not allowed to play wild feather wand games. I take a half pill of Atenolol for my heart condition (hypertropic cardiomyopathy--a thickening of the left ventricle) every day. I also have been told that I DO NOT get to go outside. Maybe, just maybe, Mommie and Daddie will take the big crate out on the deck or in the grass so I can sit outside. I fear that my garden kitty days are already behind me. All things considered, I have a pretty good life and a family that loves me very much.

~Emerson

Good bye Winter, Hello Spring!

2010-02-28T22:30:00.013-05:00

Look at what was in my yard in early February! I would have been smart to stay here,

but Mommie let me go out on the deck to explore! I'm glad that the deck has a roof over part of it. There's a lot of cold, wet stuff beyond.
Hmm. I'm not so sure about this.

This is about as deep as I like to go.

No wonder Mommie didn't worry that I would run away. There's a tall wall of white stuff fencing me in.

Things don't look much better out the front door.

Hey, it's several weeks later and the deck looks a LOT better!

Flowers are blooming! Mommie says that they are winter aconite.

My first spring!

I look forward to exploring in the garden as everything springs to life.

Love,

~Emerson

Snow Kitty

2010-01-30T15:40:00.006-05:00

Hi, everyone! I've been begging to go outside all week, but Mommie has had to work and she doesn't let me go outside without close supervision. (Sigh.) And Mommie's friend, whom I call Daddy, doesn't think that I should EVER get to go outside. (Another sigh.) But TODAY, Mommie heeded my cries and let me go out on the deck. It is snowing!
This is not the first time that I've been out in the snow, but today it just seemed so much colder.

I looked off the deck into the yard, but that cold frozen stuff was everywhere.

Mommie didn't have to worry about my getting away. I never left the deck and asked to go in after a short while.

When will it be spring?

Love,

Emerson

How I Got My Name - or Not

2010-01-10T13:56:00.007-05:00

I have been told that the resemblance is uncanny.

Do you think that I will look like this when I get old?

~Emerson

My History

2010-01-10T13:52:00.003-05:00

Read about the history of my young life on the blog of my predecessors, Jake and Bathsheba, to whom this blog is dedicated. They will never be forgotten.

~Emerson

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T17:26:00.001-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MOMMIE AND ME!

Love,
~Emerson