The Three Amigos: Phoenix, Tiger & Crackhead!!!

[Sidewinder]

Pics of the Three Amigos, my four-legged friends who help me through each day here in the high desert of southeastern Arizona. Phoenix & Tiger are rescue kittens, I picked them up two months ago after losing a really cool cat named Sage... Phoenix is NOT named after the metro dump, more like a phoenix rising from the ashes of Sage's memory, aye? Crackhead is also a rescue cat (ALL my cats are rescue cats, it's the only way for me), I've had him for over 2 1/2 years, picked him up in Show Low when I lived in the tall pines. He earned the Crackhead moniker with his crazy antics, plus he rockets around the house like a meteor at zero-dark-thirty... black cat, of course, with a white bib spot and belly markings. Here we go:


Kittehs run the show here in this high desert bachelor pad, complete with stylin' 8' pool table... I keep the table covered when it's not in use, using a blanket and carpet remnant, that way the cats can't scratch the felt as they lounge atop the table. Sometimes the kittehs eat on the dining room table, sometimes they eat on the kitchen floor... one half of the table is devoted to them, the other half is for me and my guests. While rehabbing the home I bought, I widened all the window sills and put up some walkways for the kittehs... this is their home too, so want them to enjoy it as much as I do. BTW, that pool table cost twice as much as my car (an '02 Camry with 210,000 miles on the odometer), because a man and his cats gotta have their priorities straight, LOL. CHEERS!!!

 

[Sidewinder]

Hmm, no editing? Looks like an "I" is MIA, but you heroes will figure it out... I'm off to buy more beer & cat food for the weekend, gotta resupply every Friday afternoon because the kittehs & I go through a heck of a lot of beer, 10-4?

 

[Sidewinder]

Wait, for those unfamiliar with the Stronghold, it's a technical rock climber's paradise in the Dragoon Mountains of southeastern Arizona, here are some pics from the best guidebook available:



That topo map is NOT in the guidebooks, I bought that separately, LOL. But you can see how radical the Stronghold truly is, not just for the world-class climbing but also for the amazing views to be seen from high on the crags, domes & spires of this huge natural fortress. The home I bought for myself and the kittehs has a million-dollar view of the Stronghold, every evening when we're home we watch the alpenglow on the crags, the rocks glow a golden orange color as the sun drops below the horizon... it is a primo view, and there's all kinds of offroading on the western approaches. Meh, WTF, it beats looking at Compton, North Philly or the Lower Bronx, LOL.

 

[betsygee]

I call the three cats in my avatar 'The Three Amigos' as well--Zoe, Ozzy, and Rico, my SPCA rescues.

to TCS!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Welcome to you and your lovely clowder! Yeah, I can see why you'd have named him "Crackhead." Plus, it's such a guy thing to do, LOL!

Hmm, no editing? Looks like an "I" is MIA, but you heroes will figure it out... I'm off to buy more beer & cat food for the weekend, gotta resupply every Friday afternoon because the kittehs & I go through a heck of a lot of beer, 10-4?

Editing will show up about 20-some-odd posts in. Until then, we'll figure it out! Lay in those supplies and we'll look forward to getting to know all of you later!

 

[tabbytom]

Sidewinder, Phoenix, Tiger and Crackhead, on behalf of Te Catsite community, a warm

So glad that you’ve joined this wonderful site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.

We are so

to hear about Sage but are glad that you have your rescue cats around you. They are beautiful!

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Feel free to ask questions if you have any and start a new thread of your own and post them under the appropriate forum headings and do check out the many informative articles we have here in Articles | The Cat Site and don't forget to subscribe to our Newsletter :- newsletter-subscription-tutorial.33873 to stay informed of what goes on in TCS!

Enjoy your stay and see ya around

 

[Maria Bayote]

Looking forward to more posts and pictures of your Tres Amigos.

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS.
Phoenix, Tiger and Crackhead are cutie pies.

Condolences on the loss of Sage. RIP sweet boy. If you would like to post a tribute to him, we have a Crossing the Bridge forum.

 

[Sidewinder]

More pics of the Three Amigos:



The youngsters scrapping & clowning around on the kitchen floor. Phoenix playing "Peek-a-boo" in the kitchen window... good reminder for me to put the new light covers into that overhead fixture. Meowing loudly, Crackhead moons the crowd as he demonstrates proper downclimbing technique on the "ladder" from the roof... he & Tiger really like that ladder, Phoenix hasn't tried it yet but I'm sure she'll soon be using it. The roof is safe enough, no large raptors in our neighborhood, just turkey vultures, and they won't bother the cats... I do bring the cats in by dusk, since there are coyotes on the fringes, though the varmints usually won't enter this hilltop area until midnight, when human activity dies down. This country is hard on small domestic animals, so owners need to take steps to safeguard them.

 

[Sidewinder]

I should add that Crackhead has a minor facial deformity which has given him a snaggletooth and a grumpy-looking expression... no worries, round here we judge our cats on character, not appearance, and Crackhead has quite the personality, LOL. I rescued him on sight at the White Mountain Humane Society shelter when I lived in Show Low, AZ... didn't find out about the deformity till later, since it was not evident at the time. He was only two months old when I first encountered him growling at me from his cage, it was love at first sight, LOL.

 

[Sidewinder]

Crackhead in the kitchen:






Wait, that's Tiger outside on the slab, all the cats like the cool concrete slabs in the morning, before the daily rise in temperature. Last pic shows some old matchboxes I kept solely for the artwork, LOL.

 

[aliceneko]

Welcome to you and your gorgeous furry family!

 

[Sidewinder]

I'm not sure if "gorgeous" will apply to Crackhead... as with me, life has made him ugly, LOL. Tiger & Phoenix still have their youthful charm, 10-4? Again, I don't judge cats on their appearance, the ugliest cat would still be welcome if he or she had personality... and Crackhead has enough personality to keep me laughing, except when I'm cursing the little varmint for making a mess or causing some other problem. Most of the time, he's good to go... it's the occasional bout of insanity which stirs up trouble, LOL.

 

[Sidewinder]

Angling for catfish with "the tail thing"---a plastic wand with long fake tail attached, I've had this cat toy for years and it's a bit frayed but it's hanging tough, LOL. Other shots are bonus kitteh pics!!!



Ain't Phoenix a little cutie? She sure is a slender & delicate thing, but she's tougher than she looks and she gives as good as she gets when scrappin' with Tiger, LOL. That goofy Tiger likes to sprawl across the kitchen floor, gotta watch out for him when I'm working in the kitchen, aye?

P.S. Cue racks in the Pool Room are covered with a sheet this time of year, otherwise the afternoon sun beats through the window and gives the wooden cues "tan lines."

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #2 of kitteh pics:




No, my cats aren't spoiled, LOL.

 

[Sidewinder]

Round #3 of kitteh pics, last round for today:



There's Tiger practicing for the ghetto riots: "HANDS UP, DON'T SHOOT!!!"

I put blankets & spare bathroom rugs atop those boxes stored in the walk-in closet, it's like a ginormous cat cave and all the kittehs like sleeping in there... the cave must be a cat thing, LOL. Meh, I hardly use that closet anyway, might as well let 'em make the most of it. All three kittehs also like tearing up my house slippers, I'm getting far more mileage out of those cheap Chinese moccasins as cat toys rather than slippers, 10-4? Dunno what kind of flowers those are in the yard, haven't looked 'em up yet in my guides, but they're kitteh-approved for hiding & chasing each other around, LOL. Last pic shows breakfast: somewhere under that pile of fresh peach, strawberries & banana, there's actually some cold cereal... and YES, that IS a mixing bowl, I'm a bachelor so I can use whichever bowl I want, same way I can drink milk straight from the gallon jug, LOL. CHEERS!!!

 

[Sidewinder]

CRACKHEAD WRITES POETRY!!!

It's no lie, he left some scribbling on a bar napkin when he was in his cups, so I took the liberty of translating it, 10-4? He may look like a snaggletoothed feline thug, but he has his sensitive side, LOL. Got two poems, here we go...

RAINFOREST

A wondrous hidden realm exists
Within this world of emerald dreams,
Where spirits of the forest sigh
As ancient giants touch the sky
And summon forth the swirling mists.

Then nature's mystery unfolds
Inside this pristine paradise,
For when the mists so gently fall,
The forest spirits, one and all,
Descend from arborescent eaves
To stand beneath the dripping leaves
And breathe the precious breath of life.

So grateful for this fleeting chance
To join the elemental dance,
From side to side they softly sway,
And then they slowly turn away,
To disappear with silent steps
Into the jungle's darkest depths.



That's the first poem I found, here's another... I've noticed Crackhead staring at hummingbirds before, and I always figured he was thinking of catching & eating them, but I was mistaken, he actually admires the little birds!!! Check it out:

THE HUMMINGBIRD

His agile form streaks into sight,
Then hovers there before your eyes;
This fragile master of the skies
Discovers blossoms in delight!
He savors nectar while in flight,
This clever bird of enterprise;
He wavers, then he swiftly flies,
And never once does he alight!

This gorgeous gleaming jewel so fair,
With whirring wings and wondrous ways,
Has bearing far beyond compare!
And for just seconds he conveys
A stirring gift to those who share
His daring aerial displays!



It took me awhile to figure this out but Crackhead is a very clever cat, he deliberately used an offset internal rhyme scheme which differs from the end rhyme scheme in this sonnet. I reckon "gorgeous" and "for just" were as close a match as he could make in the sextet, otherwise he did a masterful job and his command of the English language is unparalleled in the cat world. Good job, Crackhead!!! Next time, put the poetry on a thumb drive, it'll be easier to upload, LOL.

GOOD KITTEH!!!

 

[rubysmama]

Dunno what kind of flowers those are in the yard, haven't looked 'em up yet in my guides, but they're kitteh-approved for hiding & chasing each other around, LOL.

If you're really curious, or want to share gardening stories/pics, we have a gardening thread: The 2019 Gardening Thread.

Last pic shows breakfast: somewhere under that pile of fresh peach, strawberries & banana, there's actually some cold cereal... and YES, that IS a mixing bowl, I'm a bachelor so I can use whichever bowl I want, same way I can drink milk straight from the gallon jug, LOL. CHEERS!!!

It took me awhile to figure this out but Crackhead is a very clever cat,

Very clever.

 

[kashmir64]

Just noticed your hello thread.

I've had him for over 2 1/2 years, picked him up in Show Low when I lived in the tall pines.

Pet Allies?

Phoenix is NOT named after the metro dump,

Metro dump...love it.

Dunno what kind of flowers those are in the yard, haven't looked 'em up yet in my guides,

Mexican Bird of Paradise.