We're Two and One!

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!

Reflections on My First Year

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