Category: Dash

Allergies

My allergies started acting up late last week. I let it go for a few days, then Sunday I decided to give both cats a bath. I’m not allergic enough to cats for it to bother me normally, but when there’s something else I’m allergic to getting rid of pet dander (that’s on the cats) helps a bit.

I figured I’d start with Dash to get the painful one out of the way. It’s a good thing I’ve got sliding glass panels instead of a shower curtain in my shower, because otherwise I’d have had to use both hands to try to hold him and probably would have ended up with a large number of scratches. As it was, Dash was crying so loudly that I let him go without getting much of him wet (it was night and I didn’t want the neighbor coming to see what I was drowning).

At that point I went and caught Talore and stuck her in the tub. She cried a little bit (and Dash replied through the door), but she was pretty good about it like she used to be. When I was rinsing her I even tried using the shower head sprayer (which detaches and is on a hose) and she didn’t mind that nearly as much as me dumping water on her with a cup. When I opened the door to let a quite damp Talore out of the bathroom Dash was out of sight, but as Talore walked to the living room he came out to make sure she was ok.

I figured Dash not getting a bath wouldn’t be a problem since he doesn’t sleep on me and doesn’t sit in my lap while I’m reading. I wasn’t counting on him sleeping within two feet of my face last night. I woke up and couldn’t breath through my nose and I felt generally miserable. Dash got a bath today when I got home.

Actually, I guess it was more of a shower. He still spent the entire time pawing at the sliding glass panels (and had one partially opened, but he didn’t realize how he did that), but it was early evening so I wasn’t worried about anyone hearing since it wasn’t as quiet. I don’t think I used enough shampoo and his hair shed water pretty well, but I’m hoping it at least did some good. It probably didn’t improve his feelings on being picked up or held, but he let me follow him around brushing him, and it seems like he dried out faster than Talore does.

Anyways, since I haven’t posted in so long I’ve got a bunch of pictures:

Dash climbing the 2×6 we wrapped in sisal rope for him to climb:

The best of many blurry pictures of Dash carrying toys around:

First snow of the year (September 14th):

It rained all day the day I took the picture of the snow, but apparently it was cold enough for a short time and the snow blew into a sheltered spot on the back step of my house so it didn’t get washed off.

Cat Pictures

I’ve been meaning to post these as I take them, but never got around to it.


Talore used to sleep on that book case while I was reading when it was down stairs, and when I was upstairs she’d be where she could see through the railing on the loft. When I moved the book case upstairs she started sleeping behind the sofa, but now she’s found it again.


Dash wishes he was cool enough to get the top shelf. He never goes there except when Talore already has the top, but at least he hasn’t tried clearing off that shelf yet. Apparently he’s gotten on other shelves and climbed behind the books because I’ve found books piled on the floor a few times now.


Nearly every morning when I get up Dash is curled up in the sink in my bathroom.

Yardwork

I went out to get a better look at my fence today to try to fix it’s lean:

Actually, the high school is the building in the upper right corner of the picture, and that parking lot is where the band practices.

I knew I was like half a block from a high school, but I hadn’t considered that I’d have clear line of sight to the marching band practice parking lot. It took me a couple of minutes to place the sound, but when I got home on Friday I could very clearly hear the metronome from inside my house. They were mostly just marching around to the metronome but they did occasionally play bits of their show. They also were out bright and early this morning (Saturday). At least in general I’m not going to be home while they’re out there, but I may have to go out in my yard and watch at some point. Also, it’s quite often raining (or has just rained) when I get home during the summer, so I’m guessing I won’t be seeing too much of them except when I get home early (generally on Friday).

Anyways, from what I saw today it looks like when the fence was put in the ground on both sides of it was at the same level. Then four or five inches of gravel were put down on most of it (leaving some open dirt to grow plants). I’m guessing the point of the gravel was so they wouldn’t have to take care of a lawn. I’m also guessing that the gravel didn’t exactly deter things from growing outside the clearly marked flower beds, because large paving stones were put down on top of it (and there are still plants growing between some of them). The amount of weight added to the inside of the fence seems to have just tipped the fence out.

Given a choice I’d take out all the gravel and put the paving stones back down, but just taking out the gravel isn’t going to straighten the fence. I don’t know how much work that will take, nor do I know what to do with the gravel.

In other news, Dash and Talore are getting along very well. I had the windows open today and with the extra space between the window and the screen Dash and Talore managed to both lay down on the same windowsill. Since I had the windows open and was going in and out the sliding door I put the collars on both cats. That was the first time I put a collar on Dash, and he was not happy. I tried to get a video of the dance he was doing trying to get a paw under the collar to push at it, but he stopped and just glared at me. I wouldn’t be surprised if Talore helped him remove it (like how she used to bite and pull on my watch band), but she didn’t today.

I have two balls that Dash just loves chasing around. Unlike Talore, he’ll hit it to keep it moving so he can keep chasing it. Earlier this week I knew were both were. Yesterday I finally found one that Dash had wedged under the back corner under the couch. I didn’t find the other, and I’m wondering if I’ll be able to find the one that Dash was playing with today. All I have to do is pick up the ball and start it rolling down the stairs, and it keeps Dash entertained for minutes at a time with no more input from me. Actually, if I get close he gets distracted and stops chasing it so I usually just watch from the loft.

Also, I think I finally figured out where Dash sleeps: behind the sofa. I can only see in from one end because there’s a bookcase at the other end, though there’s enough room for Dash to squeeze in around the bookcase.