The Mega Pawsitive Fundraiser

[tarasgirl06]

mani Garlic heaven! How wonderful. It looks good.
MoochNNoodles I predict a lot of happy napping on that bed by Noodles! They are really plushy and apparently, quite warm.
@ileen So the house was in the Camp Fire. I can't even comprehend that tragedy but thankfully everyone is safe, which is the most important thing. *PRAYERS* for them, and for all the ferals!
My PAWSitive is that I have a Big Blue laptop propping his chin on my arm while I work. Not exactly easy, but very endearing.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My neighbor's old propane tank has been hauled away! That means work on cleaning and restoring the property really is starting! It's been a long time coming! I'm not sure if they are selling the land yet; but I have a feeling she will get more for it without the condemned house on the property! I know it isn't what she truly wanted; but I think it's best for her in the long run. So it is something to feel pawsitive about. And I'll feel very pawsitive about not finding shingles, chunks of siding and insulation all over my yard.

 

[Moz]

As someone who loves bread and has a slice or two of sourdough a day, I thought I ran out of bread yesterday. I just looked in the freezer and found a loaf from two weeks ago. The relief I felt was incredible!

I was also digging in the spare room today and found a honeysuckle or catnip bag (I smelled it and I still can't figure out which it is...) that I bought in the summer and forgot about. I gave it to the cats and both of them were going nuts over it, rolling all over the floor and licking it. Needless to say, they're quite happy that I found it again after all this time!

 

[tarasgirl06]

As someone who loves bread and has a slice or two of sourdough a day, I thought I ran out of bread yesterday. I just looked in the freezer and found a loaf from two weeks ago. The relief I felt was incredible!

I was also digging in the spare room today and found a honeysuckle or catnip bag (I smelled it and I still can't figure out which it is...) that I bought in the summer and forgot about. I gave it to the cats and both of them were going nuts over it, rolling all over the floor and licking it. Needless to say, they're quite happy that I found it again after all this time!

Oh, a fellow sourdough lover! I'm currently in a state of limbo as I'm out, but I feel as you do about it.
If the bag smells slightly sweetish, it's probably honeysuckle and if it smells more herbal, it's most likely catnip. My three love both as well as Silvervine, which is like catnip on steroids. You owe it to yourself (and them) to try some sometime. Prepare to be amazed.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I looooove sourdough bread! Sooo yummy!

I realized while we were out today that BOTH my kids have technically outgrown coats I expected to last through this year. So I made a last minute decision and stopped in a store I was passing thats normally out of my way. I managed to get both brand name winter coats for $55. I also got DS a pair of dress pants for Christmas for $7 and a funny pair of Christmas leggings for DD for $5.

 

[mani]

MOD NOTE:
Please remember to fit within the guidelines of this thread. We need to delete posts that don't adhere to them.

And my Pawsative is that the very destructive fire that looked like it was going to decimate a small township in central Qld is now under control. Those firefighters, both professional and volunteers all deserve a great deal of thanks and respect for the work they do.

 

[tarasgirl06]

mani You KNOW your post resonates with us here in So. Cali. and grateful *PRAYERS* that those brave heroes have that fire under control! We are still reeling from the massive fires we just had here. I can't imagine "over 14 THOUSAND" homes and structures destroyed in the big one up north. I guess that is PAWSitive -- not being able to imagine it.
If I had some sourdough bread, that would be a PAWSitive, too, MoochNNoodles with the great buys! Since I don't, I AM looking forward to one of my junky chow mein noodle kits tonight. I don't use alcohol or other drugs, smoke, or date, so I guess that's my (very occasional) transgression.

 

[Tobermory]

There was PAWsitively great excitement in the Tobermorey household this afternoon. We received not one but three boxes from Chewy, full of fabulous crinkly paper! No one cared about the contents: a new high-sided litter box for the litter flingers (Iris, I’m lookin’ at you), a bag of Dr. Elsey’s dry which I use for treats, three jumbo litter boxes for the sanctuary where I volunteer, and one of those collapsible tubes, again for the sanctuary kitties. The paper was a big hit!

I’ll use the heavy duty Chewy boxes to make DIY scratchers for the sanctuary kitties.

 

[tarasgirl06]

There was PAWsitively great excitement in the Tobermorey household this afternoon. We received not one but three boxes from Chewy, full of fabulous crinkly paper! No one cared about the contents: a new high-sided litter box for the litter flingers (Iris, I’m lookin’ at you), a bag of Dr. Elsey’s dry which I use for treats, three jumbo litter boxes for the sanctuary where I volunteer, and one of those collapsible tubes, again for the sanctuary kitties. The paper was a big hit!

I’ll use the heavy duty Chewy boxes to make DIY scratchers for the sanctuary kitties.
View attachment 264109
View attachment 264110

It's like Disneyland for cats in there! And the food is actually GOOD, too, unlike that place. The litterbox looks like a good one for "little flingers". My Big Blue likes to leap! Very high! over the cutout in his HUGE box. Scattering litter, of course, all over the tile floor. But I'm used to it and I keep little broom-&-dustpan combos right beside the box. No matter how PAWSitively he flings, I PAWSitively clean it up. Because CATS.
I hope the sanctuary residents love their tunnel -- I know ours has been enjoyed very much! -- and that they love their scratchers. Boxes are definitely the gift that keeps on givin'. As is paper. I don't think cats would care at all if their entire environments were full of both. They'd be jumping and clawing and partying 24/7-365!

The box is seen as quite a challenge by Elvis, no doubt.

 

[Alicia88]

My pawsitive for today is remember to come back to this thread after not receiving any notifications of new posts in over a week (!) - I had lots of catching up to do.

What a cutie! Does he always have that many little doggies to play with, or was that just for Thanksgiving? If not his usual environment, what did he make of them? I loved seeing him cruise around the room to the rocker. Is he walking on his own yet?

I posted about my trip to California earlier in the month; I have a not-so-positive update. The home we stayed at for the beginning of our trip near Sacramento had a fire the Monday before Thanksgiving. The house is still standing, but unlivable for now. No one was injured, and their two cats are accounted for, though one was out in the rain for three days and was not happy when they found him. They're living in a hotel until repairs can be made to their home, but are still returning daily to feed the ferals in their backyard.

He gets to play with the doggies when we visit my husband's aunt. The dogs are hers. We watch closely, though. One is a rescue who may or may not have been abused before he was found - he can be skittish at times. He also had a problem with his eye a year ago and after months of treatment, it wasn't able to be saved so he's even more skittish. Another is deaf. They're all older dogs, as well. Granted, I keep a close watch when he's around ANY animal because they could snap at any time. I'd just rather be safe than sorry.
My positive for the day: I made this and it was absolutely delicious!!!
How to Make (non-alcoholic) Butterbeer
I'm a bit of a Harry Potter freak and this was a ridiculously exciting find - thanks to the lovely member who shared it in the "What's On Your Mind" thread.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

There was PAWsitively great excitement in the Tobermorey household this afternoon. We received not one but three boxes from Chewy, full of fabulous crinkly paper! No one cared about the contents: a new high-sided litter box for the litter flingers (Iris, I’m lookin’ at you), a bag of Dr. Elsey’s dry which I use for treats, three jumbo litter boxes for the sanctuary where I volunteer, and one of those collapsible tubes, again for the sanctuary kitties. The paper was a big hit!

I’ll use the heavy duty Chewy boxes to make DIY scratchers for the sanctuary kitties.
View attachment 264109
View attachment 264110

That looks like fun! Look at all the crinkle paper!

Tobermory , I think a lot of people are buying from Chewy this week!


The pawsitive is that Milly got a box yesterday, too, and besides the box itself to play in, she got a bag full of Feline Natural Beef Treats which she found incredibly yummy!


While Milly was busy, Mr. PushPurr discovered something about the box that we didn't know about before:

 

[tarasgirl06]

PushPurrCatPaws OH BOY! A BOX! That's genius. I hope Drs. Foster & Smith get wind of that and do something similar. Because for cats, there's just nothing like a good box to make for a PAWSitive mood.

And for you humans, there's THIS: 18 Curious Cats Hilariously Bumping Into Cameras which is every bit as PAWSitive.

 

[jcat]

The shelter has a stand at Sunday's town Christmas Market, selling handmade pet toys, among other things. We just got a little map today, and the stand is in a prime spot.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

We LOVE the Chewy paper around here! Well; everyone except DH who doesn't like stepping around it for days. I've wondered if they infuse that paper with catnip or something because it's such a hit.

I need a tall box like that tarasgirl06 . Mooch doesn't squat anymore so if our litter is too deep she goes over the side. But I've got the depth figured out so it doesn't happen often. DH and I marked it with a sharpie in the box (when it was clean ) so it's easy to manage. We keep a little broom and dustpan hanging on the wall above one box. They were a good investment.

My pawsitive: DD and I made some sachets of orange peels to hang under the Christmas tree. They seem to be helping deter Mooch from chewing on the tree so much! She walks by the tree and glares at it now. I miss the girls sleeping under the tree; but the constant chew and puke is frustrating. Noodles is less deterred; but maybe more sachets will help. They don't sleep under the tree as much anyway.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Yeah, MoochNNoodles -- people can pick up those little dustpan-and-broom sets at dollar stores and they really, really come in handy. You might want to check the "big box" stores for their sweater storage boxes -- almost as good as mine for a good price. We got a bunch for the barn crew and they worked great. Cut the door, put the top on, and they're protected. Just pop the top off to clean. Very nice!
Some people used to make pomanders to have on holidays and I could see them looking nice on the trees, too. Drying the orange peels and putting them in the pomanders makes the room fragrant -- especially if you add spices, too -- and probably are less than wonderful to cats, who reportedly hate citrus (although my Baby Su loves a few crumbs from this one store brand of lemon cookies. Go figure.)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Well...my megapawsitives start out sounding negative, so READ THE "BUTS" after the statements!


My neighbor from two doors down (Jessie) was rushed to the hospital for chest pain, BUT it is "only" walking pneumonia, not his heart, and he is resting comfortably at home.
My next door neighbor dropped a glass table top on her foot, cutting it opened and requiring 15 stitches, BUT she missed tendons and ligaments, and will recover very nicely. I sent my kitchen stool over (has a nice chair back on it) so she can sit while cooking and doing dishes.
My neighbor from four doors down totaled her car at 6 AM this morning, really wiped it out, BUT escaped with nothing but a few bruises and sore spots.

SO...many things that COULD HAVE BEEN very bad are just...fairly minor inconveniences

For myself, Hekitty is being an angel kitty today. And that really IS magapawsitive!

 

[segelkatt]

I see all these comments about cats going nuts over boxes and papers and none of mine are interested and never have been. I'm missing all the fun. Now catnip is another matter, the catnip bananas are a particular hit and I grow some catnip in a pot on the patio. Even old Capucchino takes a swipe at one every once in a while. DaBird is about the only fishing pole toy that gets any attention even from Capucchino who will paw at it. Chamouti drags out toys from a box just about every night and I find them everywhere the next day. But he's very quiet about it unlike Panthera whom I can HEAR running around, even the neighbor downstairs could hear him, thump thump thump. OK, he weighs 20 lbs and has small feet so I guess he's to be excused. What's not excused is that he jumps on my bed several times at night and lands on whatever is in his way, my arm, my leg, whatever and he leaves bruises. Ouch. Then he cuddles up next to me so how can I complain? A cuddly cat is always pawsitive. And all three of them have recently discovered their cuddly side. Capucchino had been standoffish for quite a few years, since her visit to the vet for her snotty nose she has been coming to me several times a day meowing and pushing her head at me wanting me to pet her and hold her. Panthera recently had discovered my lap, I think he had seen Chamouti there and his jealousy just could not abide that so he now tries to be there first. If Chamouti is there first he tries to chase him away by walking right next to him which usually is enough for Chamouti to leave. If on the other hand Panthera is there first then Chamouti will just go on the other side and cuddle up next to me there.
Capucchino had not been taking care of her fur for quite a few months, fought the comb and brush and so she developed some mats but did not want me to remove them, she scratched me several times pretty badly. Since her vet visit she is another cat apart from her sudden affection. Not only is she eating like a pig, 3/4 of a large can for breakfast, the rest of it around noon, then another 1/2 can around 4 pm with the rest around 9 pm (she could stand to put on a little weight), that's 2 whole cans in one day! but she has suddenly decided to groom herself again. I find these huge mats (2 inch x 1 inch) lying around and one side of her and her chest now look a little shabby with the mats gone. I hope she starts pulling out the mats on the other side pretty soon too. Then I will be able to comb and brush her again without causing her pain and thus not getting scratched which is also pawsitive.
It started to rain during the night and it is still raining off and on, not really heavy, nice and light so it can soak in. The heavy rain apparently was farther north and is causing mudslides making people having to evacuate again. I feel so sorry for them. On top of that it is now so much colder, it was 51F last night and probably was even colder up north, add the rain and it's pure misery. I'm glad I don't have to go outside although I dragged out some of my houseplants to get them a good washing and getting rid of some of the salts that accumulate when watering, I will just have to do a little fertilizing later.
This nice light rain means I don't have to water my garden for several days which is also pawsitive and as I had picked one big bokchoy and enough Swiss chard for a meal yesterday I will have enough fresh veggies for 2 days and I still have lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers for salad which I had purchased at the farmers' market last Sunday.
These days I have the "heavy" meal at lunch like I had grown up with and munch on salad in the evening so that I won't put on the weight again that I had lost during the last year. So far it is working. Sometimes I do not have anything at lunch at all, particularly if I don't have breakfast until 10 or so, that's when I have a snack around 3 which could be something I had not had for years because everything landed on my hips, such as a dish of ice cream or a banana or a soft-boiled egg with half a slice of sourdough bread. Yes, I am another sourdough bread lover, that's what I grew up with and was appalled at the foamrubber bread (remember Wonder Bread, do they still make that?) which people were praising when I first came here. I hated that stuff, you could roll it in your fingers and it would turn into something that looked like playdo. There are so many different kinds of bread available now so that this atrocity of something called "bread" is no longer necessary.
I'm just full of pawsitive things today, I hope everybody else is too.

 

[tarasgirl06]

WOW, Mamanyt1953 -- thank god you and Hekitty are all right. Do you live in some kind of weird Bermuda Triangle-like accident zone or something? That's terrible about those neighbors though as you say, it could be much worse in each case and I hope THEY are able to see the PAWSitive of that, as you are.
segelkatt I'm loving the rain and the cool and looking forward to more, which we're supposed to get here any time until about 9 tonight. And as for that "weight" -- I could stand some of that, as I'm like a washboard. Your fresh produce sounds so amazing!!! Something I love is soy "cheese" with tomato and onion slices on sourdough that is sprinkled with fresh ground black pepper and grilled. Now THAT's a SANDWICH.

 

[segelkatt]

I've always been "pleasingly plump" and put on weight very easily. So after having reached a unpleasing heavy weight and for some reason having lost it during the last year I am trying very hard to keep it off. Being thin unless its extreme at least is not dangerous. Being fat, on the other hand, is and brings the danger of all kinds of diseases with it. As I plan of living at least another 20 years I want to be as healthy and without pains as possible. Right now I am at a happy weight but would like to lose another 20 although if I don't it will be ok. So I have a clean bill of health from my GP but for some GI problems which are manageable. I suppose being rail-thin has its own problems such as finding clothes that fit right. As long as you're healthy it's all pawsitive.
I do like the rain, I was thinking of the people who have first been burnt out and now are getting rained out which is certainly NOT pawsitive even if it was warmer.

 

[tarasgirl06]

I've always been "pleasingly plump" and put on weight very easily. So after having reached a unpleasing heavy weight and for some reason having lost it during the last year I am trying very hard to keep it off. Being thin unless its extreme at least is not dangerous. Being fat, on the other hand, is and brings the danger of all kinds of diseases with it. As I plan of living at least another 20 years I want to be as healthy and without pains as possible. Right now I am at a happy weight but would like to lose another 20 although if I don't it will be ok. So I have a clean bill of health from my GP but for some GI problems which are manageable. I suppose being rail-thin has its own problems such as finding clothes that fit right. As long as you're healthy it's all pawsitive.
I do like the rain, I was thinking of the people who have first been burnt out and now are getting rained out which is certainly NOT pawsitive even if it was warmer.

Yeah. Extremes seem to be our "new abnormal". So fortunate where you and I live that we did not have to endure what those poor people, cats, and others are going through.
Well, I think some people think I'm sick, but as long as I'm doing all the stuff I need to do, that's all right. I love to cook and eat, but I don't eat meat (except occasionally tuna and VERY occasionally chicken) and I normally avoid dairy too, being lactose intolerant and knowing it's not good for people or cows or anyone else for humans to use dairy. Last time I shopped I had to buy some cheese as the alternative they had is inedible. So we'll see how I do with that! The animal products are basically what put the weight on (and cholesterol) so I eat whatever I want otherwise. Old Navy is good for me because their sizes are pretty consistent and I can get fit there with no problem.