Introducing Betty White

daftcat75

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Despite pulling the blinds mostly closed, we still got plenty of afternoon sun for these pictures. Excuse the box next to her fountain that is donations not yet donated. As much as I like that car, Betty doesn’t care for it. We can do better.
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Ripple rug is partially under my chair to cover up a carpet bald spot developing that the area rug didn’t cover. You also get to see my kitchen Litter Genie. Or should it be called an Eggshell and Coffee Pod Genie?
 

tarasgirl06

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Feels too hot to turn on the light and fix the rug. Despite having a honeycomb backing, I think I still need a rug pad to keep this from moving around and bunching. I’ll get a picture later.

That’s a nice breakfast nook for the fur kids. I don’t have one of those and the kitchen is small enough that I don’t want to share it with Betty. Also I really like being able to keep track of her eating from bed. Sure I could move the camera to her new feeding area. But I like being able to either sit up and check on her progress or simply listen for the noms.

While you’re waiting for the area rug picture, here’s Betty’s new thing. I have these bags made of a tent like material that I use for workout clothes. A green one means fresh clothes. And an orange one is my dirties. I laundered (at least) one of these bags and Betty claimed one for her laundry day nest. Since then she’s been found frequently napping on it. I think the material is cooler than the bed or anywhere else she naps.
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Look forward to seeing the rug. And yeah, if you think it needs it, you should get it because no one likes to land on their ahs while trying to navigate a room. Those honeycomb backing rugs are a great idea except -- and you probably don't want to hear this now -- if the backing is rubbery, it will disintegrate with washings. That's why I'll never buy one of those again. Hopefully my rugs will last, but if they don't, I'll opt for those rag rugs -- they're colorful, cheap, and you can put a mat under them. On a related note, I just found a 2-pak of terry cloth cat-themed kitchen towels for a great price on eBay. Those "flour sack" towels don't absorb, and wear out in no time. Really glad I found these, and they're vintage-y, so they fit in with my house.
Betty looks like she's surfin' on that bag! :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob:
TYSM. Yeah, it's a 1937 house, no "open plan" anything, so instead of a boxy room with an island, there is a separate breakfast room, a separate kitchen, and a separate laundry room. I love it! THE laundry room has space for a huge litterbox which has become the fave of the boys; it has a door I can close off, too.
 

tarasgirl06

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Despite pulling the blinds mostly closed, we still got plenty of afternoon sun for these pictures. Excuse the box next to her fountain that is donations not yet donated. As much as I like that car, Betty doesn’t care for it. We can do better.
View attachment 479578View attachment 479579
Ripple rug is partially under my chair to cover up a carpet bald spot developing that the area rug didn’t cover. You also get to see my kitchen Litter Genie. Or should it be called an Eggshell and Coffee Pod Genie?
I like the rug. Yeah, I'd definitely get a pad.
It's great to see Betty's shark again, too. Especially as it's Shark Season on TV. I saw a great program about baby sharks last night on NatGeoWild! I like sharks.
Thanks for explaining the Genie. That sets my mind at ease. :lolup:
 

daftcat75

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It's great to see Betty's shark again, too. Especially as it's Shark Season on TV. I saw a great program about baby sharks last night on NatGeoWild! I like sharks.
Tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic. :lolup:

The rug was a super-affordable Amazon number. Thin as a rag but very soft. I'll get a pad for it. But that's going to have to wait a paycheck. Semi-annual car insurance premium posted to credit card this period and upset the budget. 🤦‍♂️

Betty seems to like the ripple rug the best. But she'll lay on the mat or the rug too. She also likes to attack the mat during her Zoom calls. :crackup:
:runningcat:

Next to the kitchen Genie is a small trash can. That's my recycling. There's no trash under the sink anymore--and no bugs! and no stink! and no allegedly tear-resistant bags that tear every time! And if you squint (or zoom) you can see Betty's poop Genie above her litter enclosure across the room.

In my old apartment, there was indoor washer/dryer. I miss that so much! And there was a space next to the washer that fit a litterbox. I like the enclosure I got for Krista and still use with Betty. It's held up well. Both Krista and Betty had no issues using it. And I love the drawer and surface above it for storing the Genie and a screw-top kibble enclosure I use for the extra litter. It doesn't keep Betty from tracking litter out the box. But it does give us both a measure of privacy without having to use a litterbox cover which I've always hated. It turns a spacious bathroom suite into a porta-potty with all the lovely scent absorbing plastic to trap those odors inside. I also don't like automatic litterboxes. I tried a couple of the electric rake kinds and they're awful. I don't have much faith for the rotating drum kind either. Seems like they all have seams that attract spillage and overflow. For all the time and trouble they are supposed to save, they claim it all back when you have to clean them or otherwise buy after-market parts to prevent over-pee and other dumb defects. The box was too shallow that Krista didn't have any room to turn around. So she would walk in, pee out the front of the box, and then figure out how to turn around and leap out. Total poop show! Literally! 💩🎉

I love that enclosure.

(Talking that much about my cat's bathroom--tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic.🤦‍♂️ :lolup:)
 
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tarasgirl06

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Tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic. :lolup:

The rug was a super-affordable Amazon number. Thin as a rag but very soft. I'll get a pad for it. But that's going to have to wait a paycheck. Semi-annual car insurance premium posted to credit card this period and upset the budget. 🤦‍♂️

Betty seems to like the ripple rug the best. But she'll lay on the mat or the rug too. She also likes to attack the mat during her Zoom calls. :crackup:
:runningcat:

Next to the kitchen Genie is a small trash can. That's my recycling. There's no trash under the sink anymore--and no bugs! and no stink! and no allegedly tear-resistant bags that tear every time! And if you squint (or zoom) you can see Betty's poop Genie above her litter enclosure across the room.

In my old apartment, there was indoor washer/dryer. I miss that so much! And there was a space next to the washer that fit a litterbox. I like the enclosure I got for Krista and still use with Betty. It's held up well. Both Krista and Betty had no issues using it. And I love the drawer and surface above it for storing the Genie and a screw-top kibble enclosure I use for the extra litter. It doesn't keep Betty from tracking litter out the box. But it does give us both a measure of privacy without having to use a litterbox cover which I've always hated. It turns a spacious bathroom suite into a porta-potty with all the lovely scent absorbing plastic to trap those odors inside. I also don't like automatic litterboxes. I tried a couple of the electric rake kinds and they're awful. I don't have much faith for the rotating drum kind either. Seems like they all have seams that attract spillage and overflow. For all the time and trouble they are supposed to save, they claim it all back when you have to clean them or otherwise buy after-market parts to prevent over-pee and other dumb defects. The box was too shallow that Krista didn't have any room to turn around. So she would walk in, pee out the front of the box, and then figure out how to turn around and leap out. Total poop show! Literally! 💩🎉

I love that enclosure.

(Talking that much about my cat's bathroom--tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic.🤦‍♂️ :lolup:)
Awww, c'mon. NTs like sharks, too. That's why channels devote weeks or even a whole month to shows about 'em. :crackup:🦈
I loathe those litterboxes! Mine are all manual. There are 6 of them throughout the house. Only 2 get used. But just in case. I take care of tracking with those little dustpan/broom combos from dollar-type stores. I keep one handy in under-sink cabinets or other cabinets, and it's easy and quick to clean up. In the Mojave, I had a litterbox in a corner of the master bedroom and used the dirty-clothes hamper as a sort of privacy screen. It worked. *Isn't it great, though, to be in a place where you can wax eloquent about the whole feline bathroom thing without fear of flamers?*
We had one of those tall chrome-plated round trash cans that had a step-on for the lid there. It was great but it doesn't fit here, so I got rid of it and now I just have those standard plastic under-sink ones that I line with plastic. Not perfect, at all, but they fit.
I was going to ask you about your car. Yeah, they reallly suck up the profits. 🚗
The second pic shows the layout of your place more than others you've posted. I like the way you've got things arranged.
 

daftcat75

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Had a weird experience this morning. Woke up to a little lake in the hallway between the office and the bathroom. I couldn't find where the water came in from. And I owe my neighbors an apology (maybe---water could have come from them) for running my Bissell at 5am. That thing is LOUD especially on laminate vs carpet. But there was far too much water to sop up with towels. It was loud. But we got through it. I picked up most of the water with the Bissell, then sopped up the rest with a towel. I fed and medicated Betty and then we went back down for third sleep. I fully expected to wake up to a smaller lake again. But that didn't happen. Never did figure out where that water came from. But it hasn't returned yet. I thought I heard some plumbing work going on in the next unit this morning. But it may have been our normal shared wall bathroom sounds. My larger fear is that it may be tied to the sprinklers somehow and we may have another lake tomorrow morning. In any case, it's probably going to be easier to get service tomorrow than today.

My apartment isn't cooling much overnight. I may just have to pull the sleeping bag (for padding, not bedding) down to the yoga mat and sleep under the ceiling fan. Betty's already conked out on the bed and the home automation shuffled me to the office even on a holiday. It is 84 in the office according to the Dyson. I believe it! I'm going to run the Dyson fan on high for a bit here and see if I can't bring this room down a couple of degrees for Betty's afternoon. I think the taproom is open today. That's where I will be after I've put down Betty's lunch.

There is a small air purifier that runs on low next to the litterbox enclosure. (Btw, I do the same with a hand broom and dust pan stored in the drawer of the enclosure.) Betty found a sweet spot where the little purifier and the ceiling fan were blowing air on her from two directions. I also got a big yawn out of her when I photographed it. 😸
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Margot Lane

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IDK why but it seems that more furballs get dropped in hot weather. Mr. Fluffy had one yesterday, too -- one like Ms. Betty's so a quick clean-up but even brushing him a lot every day, this is his second in the month he's been with us! :sniffle:
Hoping Betty will enjoy her lunch. View attachment 479572
Hope the foil on the windows is helping. It stays pretty comfortable in here with everything closed up until dusk.
You got a new area rug? Can we see?
Since changing the boys' dining area from the bedroom(s) to the breakfast room, it's working out a lot better for them. Mr. Fluffy isn't used to an eating schedule yet -- as his foster fed him dry free-choice, he probably didn't ever have one before. I'm having to seek him out, pick him up, and deliver him to his food. Elvis loves having his in this location.
I much enjoy playing “spot the kitty tchotchke” in your photos! Is that a Lion cookie jar?
 

tarasgirl06

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Yes, Margot Lane Margot Lane *and so do I, BTW* -- I seem to recall buying it at a Walgreens or other drug emporium yonks ago. I love it. And when you open his mouth, he says, "Get your hands outta my cookie jar!" :crackup: I was sold instantly.;)
That's bizarre, daftcat75 daftcat75 . So the source can't be traced? Wow. *genius idea to sop up the water with the Bissell, BTW. In lieu of a shopvac, that's undoubtedly the next best thing!* Hoping you find the answer. Us being us, I know you NEED to know. I would.
My master bedroom ceiling fan is right over the bed, which is good for me *and not so much for some cats who don't appreciate having their fur blown all night long. But I digress.* It does really help.
PRICELESS pic of The Big Yawn :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob:
 

daftcat75

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Yes, Margot Lane Margot Lane *and so do I, BTW* -- I seem to recall buying it at a Walgreens or other drug emporium yonks ago. I love it. And when you open his mouth, he says, "Get your hands outta my cookie jar!" :crackup: I was sold instantly.;)
That's bizarre, daftcat75 daftcat75 . So the source can't be traced? Wow. *genius idea to sop up the water with the Bissell, BTW. In lieu of a shopvac, that's undoubtedly the next best thing!* Hoping you find the answer. Us being us, I know you NEED to know. I would.
My master bedroom ceiling fan is right over the bed, which is good for me *and not so much for some cats who don't appreciate having their fur blown all night long. But I digress.* It does really help.
PRICELESS pic of The Big Yawn :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob:
The place where the water seemed like it *may* have come in from makes no sense. On the other side of that wall is my closet which does not have a water source and did not have water in it. But yeah. It was a mystery. It did not seem to be coming from above or from the toilet or the sink or any other obvious source. It took two tanks to get all the water up. That was not going to come out with towels. I tossed my shopvac years ago when I realized the Bissell could replace it.

Honestly, having to call someone and wait for them and have them in my unit and what they might find and whether I may have to relocate for some period of time if they have to rip stuff up to fix it,.... this all stresses me out more than assuming neighbor had a leak and it got fixed if there are no repeats. If I don't have any repeats, I'll assume it was found and fixed and I'll probably forget about it in a week. So that's what I'm hoping for!

I just plated Betty's lunch. Usually she eats most of it on the first pass and leaves a few nibbles for later. Not this time. Clean plate already! 🤦‍♂️ I hope dinner comes mercifully quick for her. 🤞😽
 

tarasgirl06

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The place where the water seemed like it *may* have come in from makes no sense. On the other side of that wall is my closet which does not have a water source and did not have water in it. But yeah. It was a mystery. It did not seem to be coming from above or from the toilet or the sink or any other obvious source. It took two tanks to get all the water up. That was not going to come out with towels. I tossed my shopvac years ago when I realized the Bissell could replace it.

Honestly, having to call someone and wait for them and have them in my unit and what they might find and whether I may have to relocate for some period of time if they have to rip stuff up to fix it,.... this all stresses me out more than assuming neighbor had a leak and it got fixed if there are no repeats. If I don't have any repeats, I'll assume it was found and fixed and I'll probably forget about it in a week. So that's what I'm hoping for!

I just plated Betty's lunch. Usually she eats most of it on the first pass and leaves a few nibbles for later. Not this time. Clean plate already! 🤦‍♂️ I hope dinner comes mercifully quick for her. 🤞😽
*PRAYERS* for that to be so!!! Of course, us being us, I know (a lot of) how you're feeing about that.
I've always had a jinx on water. I love it for washing, drinking and cleaning. Period. Two locations ago, the sewer backed up into our (rental) and ex was away on business so his bro, who hated me, had to come deal with it (while his wife was in labor). No, I'm not a drama queen. I didn't make this up.
So when I moved in here, and had a plumbing matter, I elected to get the entire house repiped. *My eternal gratitude, Dad.* And I got the most expensive warranty/service package when I had the water heater (28 years old) replaced early this year. Because, you know, WATER. That's how serious a matter it is for me. And being on a raised foundation, I won't take any chances.
Ms. Betty. Oh, Ms. Betty! Don'cha know it's summer? *Hoping this just isn't something she's thinking about. Because putting the food in the cat is a wonderful thing.* :hearthrob::cutecat: :hearthrob:
 

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IDK if Ms. Betty would be interested, but *TWILIGHT ZONE marathon on SyFy tonight*:sleepycat:🤖👽👾
Funny you should mention that. I found Twilight Zone on Paramount+ and started watching it the other night. I don't stay awake and pay enough attention anymore for that show. You pretty much have to watch it start to finish to get the reveal at the end. And iPhones and Instagram (and sometimes eBay) have ruined my attention span! I like baseball and Star Trek because I can get little hits of fun even if it can't hold my attention the whole time. We'll probably watch baseball and maybe Eras concert movie again. Because if I have to turn up my TV tonight over fireworks, then why not enjoy it!
🎼🎤:dancingblackcat:
 

daftcat75

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No lakes this morning. If we’re going to get a repeat, it’s not on a daily schedule. Assuming we don’t get a repeat next week, I’m not going to worry about the monthly schedule possibility. I probably won’t remember in a month anyway. 😎👍
 

tarasgirl06

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Funny you should mention that. I found Twilight Zone on Paramount+ and started watching it the other night. I don't stay awake and pay enough attention anymore for that show. You pretty much have to watch it start to finish to get the reveal at the end. And iPhones and Instagram (and sometimes eBay) have ruined my attention span! I like baseball and Star Trek because I can get little hits of fun even if it can't hold my attention the whole time. We'll probably watch baseball and maybe Eras concert movie again. Because if I have to turn up my TV tonight over fireworks, then why not enjoy it!
🎼🎤:dancingblackcat:
I saw TZ listed on SyFy online, but on my satellite, it was on HI ("Heroes & Icons") and I have the same problems, but I watched it anyway and got most of the ones I saw. I love the cars, clothes, furniture! and of course, Rod Serling (the marathon was billed as "Rod, White, & Blue" :lol:) Two of the episodes starred a young William Shatner (Who I didn't know is Canadian!) acting his paranoid heart out. It was a fun evening even though good neighbors next door had their first party since being here (not anywhere near as annoying as the cretins before them, just a get-together with music that wasn't loud and talking and laughing, acceptable if a little annoying, and they broke it up by 11, my bedtime) and the sounds of mayhem from, I presume, over the L.A. border went on until after that. I really liked the fact that CBS, or whomever controls HI, adjusted the aspect ratio so it wasn't watching a tiny square on the flatscreen, which is the case with another vintage fave, "Perry Mason."
So that doesn't look like Olivia, Meredith, or Benjamin there...:lolup: Hoping you both had a good Fourth and that Ms. Betty didn't experience any scaries as a result.
 

daftcat75

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Cat trap worked fantastically! Warm folded towel from the laundry placed on the floor next to her.
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This is where she’s “chillin” out of my way while I fold the rest of the laundry. 😼👍
 

daftcat75

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She can be awfully stubborn to her own detriment. So I knew I had to lay another cat trap to get her to spend some time under the ceiling fan cooling herself off. Worked again!
😼👍
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daftcat75

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Healthy gain: 9.66. I had been putting a little extra on her plates to make sure she can gain weight after three weeks of losing weight. I’ll let her keep the extra as I continue to wean her off the A/D and as long as she doesn’t gain too much.
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tarasgirl06

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Healthy gain: 9.66. I had been putting a little extra on her plates to make sure she can gain weight after three weeks of losing weight. I’ll let her keep the extra as I continue to wean her off the A/D and as long as she doesn’t gain too much.
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Hoping she enjoys the cooling effects and not the fur-blowing. Some of my cats haven't liked that. She's at a PURRfect weight, don't you think? :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob:
 

daftcat75

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Hoping she enjoys the cooling effects and not the fur-blowing. Some of my cats haven't liked that. She's at a PURRfect weight, don't you think? :hearthrob: :kneading::hearthrob:
I laid her traps sufficiently away enough so she's not in a direct breeze, but can still benefit from the cooling effect of one or the other. The location under the ceiling fan still provides relief without being directly under it. There's nothing stopping her from laying directly underneath it if that's what she wants. The "fan" (bladeless Dyson doesn't seem as effective a fan as a bladed fan) is turned on high, diffuse, and pointing at the day bed. From that distance, she gets a gentle breeze. Besides being near me, it's clear she enjoys this one.

I didn't like the sound of the fan airflow or window blinds hitting the foil on the window. I also didn't like how dark the foil made the room. So I took down the strip of foil I put up today. There's another strip I put up because the new lights they installed on the property were shining directly onto the bed without that strip. That strip stays. I just bought this double sided bubble insulation. It's basically the same reflective stuff you put in your car windshield to keep the heat out. I bought a "roll" (not rolled but folded) of the stuff that should be large enough to cover the sliding glass doors. I also got a bunch of velcro stickers so I can take these off in cooler weather. Though I'm told they will also help retain heat in the winter. Still, I assume the light transparency is going to be rather low. I will likely not want them up all the time and I'll be happy if I can simply put them up and take them down as easily as advertised.

I'm not concerned with Betty's absolute weight at the moment. I was just getting a little concerned that she was losing weight for a few weeks now. She lost a half pound last month. I didn't need her to gain weight. I just wanted to make certain she still could gain weight or at least stop losing weight. She's a great weight right here. She's got a little headroom if she keeps gaining and she has just a little wiggle room if she has a hairball day. But I don't want her losing another half pound from here. That is big time worry territory if she gets back down to or below 9 lbs. Here's good. 😽 👍
 

daftcat75

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I think I got a clue on the indoor lake on Thurs morning. No recurrences. Thankfully! On Sat or Sunday, we got an email from the property about what is and is not acceptable to flush. 🤔

At least it was clean water that had flooded my apartment.
 
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