Critters Archives

20 December 2006Freaking the Cats
Nothing scares a cat like a random event that they can't percieve the origin of. And nothing is more difficult for a cato percieve than the origin of an earthquake. So the when the earth starts to move, even with...
09 December 2006Squirrel Threat Level: Red
Fil's on the job...
01 December 2006Makelani Litter Box Shuffle
30 November 2006Fil and the IKEA Lamp
21 November 2006The Flight of the Penguins
I love Nature. I think it's one of the best and most worthwhile shows on television and continues to be a shining example of the reasons why we need to keep supporting public broadcasting. Their latest effort, Penguins of...
06 June 2006That didn't Take Long
It seems my cats, seemingly normal under regular supervision, are like a couple mental patients who when you look the other way for a minute are smearing their feces all over the walls. Here's a report from my sister tonight:...
28 April 2006Makkie Loves Yogurt
14 April 2006Mak & Fil in the Sun
31 March 2006Fil's Favorite Spot
10 March 2006Friday Cat Blogging: Mak Digs In
I've been posting so many shots of Fil (she's very photogenic) and have been neglecting Makelani, my male cat, so here goes....
06 March 2006Morning Ritual
17 February 2006Friday Cat Blogging: Andrew & Fil
14 February 2006I Give Up
I've been looking for months (ever since I moved into my new place) for a cat proof fire place screen so I could keep my ever curious critters out of the fireplace. Not so much because I plan to have...
30 January 2006Why the Cats Are Under House Arrest
I woke up this morning to the sounds of the cats going nuts. Usually they are very active in the morning, wanting to get up for whatver reason, sticking wet noses and whiskers in my face at 6am just to...
05 January 2006Role Reversal
It almost never happens like this. Fil is always the one taking care of Mak, and rightly so. Mak needs round the clock care. But it did happen and I have it all documented here....
03 January 2006What Can I Say? She's a Head Hugging Freak.
More photos of Fil taken this morning with my 10D....
29 December 2005Reason #38 Why I Love my Cat or Filemu, My Deranged Head Hugging Freak of a Cat
And, yes, for this and many other reasons, I love her to death and would have gladly gone all the way to Samoa just to pick her up. (as it turns out, I was already there)....
28 November 2005Nervous Cat Owner
I let the cats out unsupervised for the first time since I left Vail, CO yesterday. They've managed to escape before and been out on the leash a few times. But I haven't let them out and let them wander...
26 November 2005Adopt A Cat: Macy's SFSPCA Xmas Window
Last year it was sleeping cars, this year, Macy's and the SFSPCA has put cats up in a luxury hotel suite in their window display right off Union Square. Lots of people checking out the cats (and a few dogs)...
15 November 2005The Ecstasy of Makelani (and the Nine West Purse)
Ok, so my cat has a bit of a purse fetish. What of it?...
15 November 2005Mak in the Sun
10 November 2005Wandering Fil
I'm starting to think about letting the cats out to run around in the yard and the neighborhood. I'm not worried that Mak will travel too far, but I think I might need one of these for Fil. I love...
31 August 2005Cat in the Box
What do you when you have a fucktard cat who doesn't understand the litter box and sprays through the seem where the two pieces of the box join? I've tried to hold him down and make him watch his sister...
29 August 2005Trying to Tell me Something
While I was away back east to do computer training at the behest of my company, my cats (I'm not sure which one, but I have my suspicions) dragged my Chiron fleece from my desk into the living room and...
20 August 2005Battle Royale
This is best shot (so I think) from a series of photos that I took of my little guys playing king of the hill on the kitty condo a few days ago. I love it when the cats sumo. It's...
09 August 2005Mak & Fil on Condo
08 June 2005Toilet Train your Cat! Oh, How I Wish
Toilet Train Your Cat and Throw Your Litter Box Away! Thousands of cats have been trained to use the toilet and yours can too. Any cat - skinny, fat, young or old can be trained to use the toilet bowl!...
03 June 2005Poultry Lust
I went home for lunch today (no sign of any urinating transients), but when I stopped at the mailbox I was buzzed by three low flying mallards, 2 horny males in pursuit of a female. The males were fighting each...
02 June 2005Abandoned Planet Bookstore Cats
The resident felines in the Abandoned Planet Bookstore on Valencia in the Mission District of San Francisco. I've been coming to this bookstore for years. The cats have always been there....
27 May 2005Fil in the Early Morning Alameda Sun
If you look closely (or at the original shot), you can see a reflection of me taking this shot in Fil's left eye. Pretty cool. This pic and a whole lot more posted on Flickr....
20 May 2005Friday Cat Blogging
This pic and a whole lot more posted on Flickr....
20 May 2005He's Likes the Flavored Stuff
In the last few months I've been catching Mak drinking out of the sink, the toilet and even the track that the shower sits in. Every time, I think, fuck I must be out of water. I grab him, go...
13 May 2005Spring is in the Air
The other day Chip and Dale here were chasing each other around the large pine tree in front of my house. Up and down the tree. Across and around the trunk. Back and forth across branches. All over the damn...
13 May 2005Best Intentions
I finally went and bought a 16 foot retractable lead so I take Fil on walks and not be limited by the short 4 foot leash that I had been using. More freedom for the cat, I thought. Great idea,...
06 May 2005Classic Filemu
I love this shot. Not just because it's so cool, showing Fil as the quintessential hunting machine that she is, but also because it reminds of a different time and place, partly of my life, but mostly of the life...
02 May 2005He's OK
Just to let know that Mak is 100% fine, having suffered no obvious damage after his harrowing 35 foot fall from the roof my building. Other than showing little inclination to go outside, he's little changed at all, and back...
29 April 2005Down to Eight Lives
I almost had a heart attack last night. I think anyone would have likely had some palpitations under the circumstances. It was brought on, of course, by my shithead and extremely lucky Samoan cat, Makelani. I've documented Mak's inferior intellect...
22 April 2005Makelani's Big Day Out
I finally took Mak out for a walk last night. It was his first time out of the house, other than hanging out on the balcony, since he escaped while I was carving a pumpkin last Halloween. He needed it....
15 April 2005Makelani & Filemu
11 April 2005Ooh, Flavored Water
Today after I took a shower, I caught Mak drinking the water out of the shower door track. It was so disgusting, but there he was, slurping it up like nobody's business. I thought maybe their water bowl was empty,...
08 April 2005Mak Hanging On For Dear Life
I moved the kitty condo in front of the window and now they can sit on it and peer outside. Before they wouldn't touch it. Now it's their favorite play thing. Why didn't I think of that earlier?...
01 April 2005This is Not A Joke
What more can I say about this picture? I think Fil might have a chemical imbalance or she's going stir crazy from being under house arrest for a year half. Clearly she's not right in the head. Either that...
21 March 2005A Boy and His Cat
John & Betty, and Betty's brother Benj (in the background above), came over to Alameda on Sautrday afternoon for lunch. And what do I do when I have friends in from out of town? Take the cat out for a...
19 March 2005Fil Eyeballs the Roof
16 March 2005The Great Wisconsin Cat Massacre of '05
Here's an interesting discussion from Jonah Goldberg over at the National Review Online about how the state of Wisconsin is considering open season on feral cats. The reason: they kill too many birds. As Goldberg so aptly puts it, "some...
11 March 2005Classic Mak & Fil
10 March 2005Taking the Cat For a Drag or Fil's Big Day Out
The weather is improving and the days are starting to get long enough so that there's a sliver of sunlight left when I get home from work. Today I decided I want to take Fil for a walk (I'd love...
04 March 2005Fil's New Thing
Fil, my female cat has always liked to get up on the shower door when I'm taking a shower. It's one of her many endearing qualities. I even chose the apartment I'm in now partially because it had a shower...
23 February 2005Kitty Porn
Click here for the hottest girl on guy action....
04 February 2005Oh, How They Grow!
28 January 2005Maximum Comfort
21 January 2005Mak in Drawer
06 January 2005Clever Little Filemu
This morning I finally let the braying cats back out on the balcony, mostly just to see if Fil would make the leap to the tree or navigate her way somehow down the facade to the ground. She did neither....
04 January 2005Outside Privileges Revoked
I came home last night and Fil was gone. I was looking everywhere, all her usual hiding places, if you can call them usual since I've only been in the new place two weeks, but she was nowhere to be...
27 December 2004In the Sleeping Car
I went shopping in the city last night with my buddy Brian and his wife Becky. First stop, Macy's. Macy's has teamed up with the SF SPCA to put together some awesome window displays that look like classic train cars....
10 December 2004Best Friends
03 December 2004Xmas Kitten
The calm:...
22 November 2004Kitten M*A*S*H
After 5 months or so of house arrest, I finally decided to let Mak and Fil have a run around around the apartment complex. I supervised Fil because she had a tendency to drigt away to another zip code and...
12 November 2004Makelani on the Shower Door
05 November 2004Fil Attacks!
01 November 2004The Prisoners Have Escaped
Last night when we were carving our over-priced pumpkin, Jennifer noticed that the screen door was open and my cats were nowhere to be found. I didn't freak out. Each of them has gotten out a few times since I...
07 September 2004The Trouble with Makkie
My male cat Mak(elani) has been acting funny lately. More funny than usual, anyway. In the morning, he's more plaintive than typical, following me around as soon as I wake and crying at me more incessantly than normal. He's also...
03 August 2004Strike First, Strike Fast, No Mercy, Sir
Fil, my female kitten, has become a one woman guerrlla attack cat when it comes to Jen's tuxedo, Smudge. Smudge will enter the living room, gingerly now, as she suspects an imminent attack from any direction. Fil will stalk her...
14 May 2004The Smudge
06 May 2004Squirrel Threat Level: Elevated
MAK ON HIGH RODENT ALERT Since I moved back to California, I've already seen more wildlife here in the WC than I did in three months in Colorado. To be fair, I did see a wolf trying to steal burgers...
02 May 2004Feline Harmony
THAT'S RUBY ON TOP AND SMUDGE ON THE BOTTOMBringing my kittens to California was one thing. Bringing them into an apartment with two other cats, was entirely different. In subsequent places, the poor guys have endured birds, a large dog...
21 April 2004Little Red Fil
This morning I was writing some postcards using my red sharpie because I couldn't find another pen around. Fil, being every so catlike, decided she needed to be in my lap at the same time I was trying to write...
20 April 2004Fucking Dogs
Yesterday I went to go pick up a friend of mine and while I was waiting for him outside I was "playing" with these two dogs. There was one black lab like friendly little guy who came over and wanted...
15 April 2004Caption Contest
Can you caption this photo? The winner gets a year supply of pisupo* and the undying admiration of your peers. *since no one should eat pisupo, a year's supply consititues zero cans...
14 April 2004Kitten Love
30 January 2004Does the Pope Shit in the Woods?
I don't know if the Pope defecates in the woods (probably not with his bad back), but my kittens have taken to shitting in the potted palms of my new, and ever-patient, housemates. They have a clean litter box and...
27 January 2004Kittens in the Snow
12 January 2004Mak for Dean
09 January 2004Mak and the Deep Blue Sky
He's mine and he's paid for (unlike the car)....
28 December 2003"I Think I Have Your Cat" or The Top Ten Reasons Fil is Trying to Escape
Once again I got a call from a stranger this morning claiming to have my cat. And once again it turned out that they did have my cat, my wayward cat Fil. This time it was even further away, at...
27 December 2003"Do You Own a Cat Named, Fil"?
Not once today, but twice the phone rang and on the other end was someone saying, um, do you own a cat named "Fil"? Uh, why, yes I do. What seems to be the problem? The first time it was...
20 December 2003We Must Protect This House
I was playing with Mak this afternoon and he was being his normal affectionate self. Then his ears perked up. His head was still. His eyes were glued on one of the trees down below the deck. He took off...
13 December 2003How Much is That Doggie in the Window?
I recently went up to Flagstaff, about 45 minutes north and 2000 feet above Sedona. I discovered this incredible pet shop called Animal Kingdom. They have puppy Weimaraners and Schnauzers and Boxers and Huskies and a probably a dozen other...
12 December 2003The Cat Who Came in From the Cold
You ever see those shows on the Discovery Channel or Nature on PBS where biologists are tracking animals using radio collars? I saw one recently about Jaguars in the so-called "Necklace" in Central and South America. This one biologist, Alan...
09 December 2003Little Cat Lost
Last night, Mak come in from the cold at the usual time, just before sunset, but there was no sign of Fil. This didn't surprise me or worry me. She's always been more independent and adventurous. Worrying about her does...
25 November 2003The Best Purchase Ever
My mom dragged me down to the neighboring hamlet of Cottonwood so that we could pick up a new DVD player for the den at the Walmart. I've got her hooked on movies, signed up for Netflix and all that....
10 November 2003The Kids Are Alright
Sedona is a paradise for kittens, at least my mom's well landscaped house is. Other than the chilly night time temperatures, I'm happy to report that the kids are doing great here. They can't however, come inside the house, which...
06 November 2003I Like Chicken, I Like Liver...
On the way out of Phoenix we stopped at Walmart to do some shopping for the kittens. I picked up a mammoth 22.5 pound bag of Meow Mix. I used to be able to get Meow Mix back in Samoa,...
21 October 2003Hippo Yawn
And I thought I had bad breath...
10 October 2003Letter from my Cats
Hey Dad? How did it go today ? We are fine... & say Hi. We slept most of the way from LA to Sedona on 1/4 mg of stuff that someone 'stuffed down us. Yesterday eve (we got here right...
07 October 2003Catastrophe
I knew traveling with the kittens was never going to be any fun. I was going to be as tough and stressful on me as it was on them. Maybe even more so more. The pain and suffering started...
05 October 2003Mak Galloping
01 October 2003Makelani Demonstrates Safe Packing Procedures for Felines
01 October 2003New Kitten Bed
When Sarah left Samoa for Indiana, she gave me this beautiful "sleeping mat" interwoven with purple and orange dyed stands. I didn't have room for it on the floor, so I placed it on top of my bookcase, stacked so...
27 September 2003Filemu Sleeps in DVD Burner Case
27 September 2003Cat's Meow for Health
My Mom sent me this great story by Chet Day about how healthy it is to keep cats around the house. I totally agree. I would have lost my mind a long time ago without my precious (albeit insane...
21 September 2003Laulaufaiva
Jen and I went to Matareva Beach on the south side of Upolu. We grabbed a beach fale and were quickly adopted by a perfect little tuxedo kitty we named Laulaufaiva which means "tongue" in Samoan. Laulau almost always...
11 September 2003Puppies
Lila's puppies are growing up quickly and moving around all over the place. It's becoming increasingly difficult for me not to want to adopt one of them. I've even named one of them, the little girl in the top...
29 August 2003The Biggest Cat in Samoa
This might come as a big surprise you to many, but I, well, have this thing for cats. See, I love them. I can't help it. I just do it. On Wednesday this past week, I went to Coconuts...
27 August 2003Jake Update
Jake seems to be doing really well. I've been giving her antibiotics everyday and though she loves to spit it out, with patience, I eventually get her swallow the pill. She has no signs of infection, which is amazing...
21 August 2003New Neighbors
For the last several mornings, I've been hearing the yelping of puppies that sound like they are being restrained or something. I could only take it for so long. Then I would walk outside to try to find out what...
19 August 2003Cat Nip in the Peace Corps Office
Of all the things to find left in the "free" box in the Peace Corps, I discovered a little plastic container of cat nip. I quickly nabbed it and brought it to home to drug the kittens. I was worried...
15 August 2003Jake Update
I met the vet from the APS (Animal Protection Society) at the government building to see about poor Jake. The vet, a volunteer from Japan named Kazuo, de-wormed her (I found out he is a she) and gave me...
14 August 2003Filemu Shake
14 August 2003"Jake LaMotta"
"Jake" is the tabby who hangs out behind the government building where I work. I hadn't seen him in while. Then yesterday he was sitting in the shade, as usual, but he looked like he just went 10 rounds...
14 August 2003Filemu Montage
12 August 2003The Great Dirt Experiment
MD's Big Fresh is out of kitty litter (they tell me they are getting a shipment at the end of the month), so I'm having to experiment with dirt in the litter box. There are noteworthy advantages and disadvantages....
12 August 2003Reason #34 Why Cats Are Better Than Dogs
When your blender explodes, spraying your strawberry milk concoction all over the living room floor, the cats not only will lap it all up, but they will do it with enthusiasm and ask for more. Look at the little...
05 August 2003Jane's Tabby
Wherever I go, cats inevitably follow, which I suppose is nice considering how much I like their company. My surprise guest this weekend at Jane's Beach Fales was a wizened female tabby who took a liking to me and...
04 August 2003Swimming With Turtles
GALLERY: Seta'olepai Turtles This afternoon I swam with turtles. It was amazing. There is a small, unfunded, family-run conservation project in the village of Seta'olepai on the north coast of Savai'i. The family buys turtles, mostly green turtles and...
31 July 2003Damn Centipedes
About 30 seconds ago, a large, ugly, red centipede came streaming in from the bathoom as I sat on my bed. The kittens started following it, but I gathered them up, locked them in the bathroom and Mortein'ed the shit...
23 July 2003Mak on a Hot Tin Roof
The other day, I was taking a shower, and out my window I could hear faint dsitress meows. I quickly toweled off and found that my male kitten Makelani had gotten up on the roof of the car port....
08 June 2003Chow Down
A couple of PCVs returned from stateside this weekend bringing back for me two boxes of Kitten and one box of Meow Mix (I like chicken, I like liver...). My cats are in heaven. I went down to one of...
24 May 2003Early Morning Chase
This morning I woke up at dawn, around 6am. I don’t know why. I should be sleeping in. It’s Saturday. But it was six and I was up. I let the kittens out and sat down at my desk to...
23 May 2003Sweet Filemu
This morning I had a rare pleasure. Filemu, my 7 month old female kitten sidled up to me and fell asleep on my chest. I think this might be the second time in the 6 or so months that we’ve...
01 May 2003De-Sexed in the City
Today was a rough day at the fale in Fagali'i. Both of my kittens went under the knife and were de-sexed this morning. It was a horrible ordeal for them and pretty terrible for me as well....
20 April 2003Pussy Whipped
I got a last minute request to feed Van's cat. I'm serious when I say last minute. By the time I found out about it, she was already in Siumu. She left me her cell phone, the key to her...
16 April 2003Upchuck City
I was doing my laundry this morning, listening to some great techno MP3's that were sent to me by my good friend Jon Taylor. One of my cats, Filemu, was at the door and wanted to come in. She was...
03 April 2003Ever Wonder What Cats Are Thinking?
I have a good idea. Here's an approximation of a conversation we might have upon my return to the house after a long day on the job: "What's up, bitch? Let's see some food on the table." "Can you wait...
26 February 2003Things That Go Feto'ai in the Night
SUBJECT: THINGS THAT GO FETO'AI IN THE NIGHT DATE: 26 FEBRUARY 2003 FROM: ANDREW My house in Fagali'i is a regular menagerie of critters these days, most of them, sadly, are uninvited guests. Fortunately, the two critters that do...
22 January 2003Arachnophobia
Sure I got spiders. Mostly there are the daddy long legs variety that hang innocently in the corners of the bathroom. I tend to leave those guys alone since they hoover up the insects. It's the big, hairy freaky spiders...
10 January 2003My Fanau
TO: YOU SUBJECT: MY FANAU DATE: 10 JANUARY 2003 Fanau (pronounced fah-now) is one of those interesting words that is uniquely Samoan. It means children, but it only refers to the children of someone in particular. The word for...