Author: Summer Samba
It’s my birthday, and I’m 10 years old! That means I’m middle-aged in cat years. That means I’m not ready for Social Security, and I can’t cash out my IRA yet. Wait, I don’t have an IRA. Anyway, my man set up some party decorations in the dining room.There was nowhere to hang the Happy Birthday banner, so he placed it on the dining room table.The therapy organization I belong to sends me a birthday card every year, which is really nice of them!Of course there is cake! My human tried to be frugal with the frosting, because it’s made…
It’s time for funny pictures this week, and I have a lot to share.Considering this was my first time learning how to jump vertically through a hoop, I’m surprised there weren’t more awkward photos from this session!You could say I was more energetic after my visit to the children’s hospital this week! I hope my man will be more generous with treats.Remember my post about cat training the other day (that is, about cat training with people, not the other way around)? My man did something that we only occasionally do on set. He brought out some toys to keep…
March 12, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentI know many tricks, which my man taught me. High fives, bell ringing, jumping through hoops, and more. But there’s one trick he didn’t teach me, and it’s what all cats know: how to train people!That’s right, you people are trained to do your cat tricks. And we use the same methods people use when they train us: persistence and routine. Because that’s what we know, and what we’re good at.You do not believe me? If you don’t think your cat taught you anything, let me know which one you do.Wake up an hour (or…
March 11, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentI got to visit the children’s hospital this week! We signed in at the front desk together as a mother with her daughter. The girl was sitting in some kind of combination wheelchair and gurney, and she was so happy to see me! We were all going to the second floor so he hugged me as we went up the elevator. Then the two of them headed for rehab while my husband and I went to surgery.The nurses in the operating room loved me, so I took a photo before visiting the patient couple there.…
Remember my tongue in the pictures for my post the other day? My man didn’t search the archives for random tongue shots of me (although I imagine he might have…maybe thousands!). No, he staged it, completely. With these Tiki Cat Stix with Duck in Creamy Gravy.I love these lickable treats, so I was very excited, as you can see.He let me eat, and then took a picture of me trying to lick what was left of my face. It was a very chaotic photo session!We ended up with more photos than we could possibly use. Plus the fun video you…
March 7, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentIt’s a two-cat therapy visit day at the big hospital because Josie and her people signed up at the last minute. So we did all our rounds together.At first, it didn’t seem like we were needed! Our first stop was the Cancer Center, but the waiting room was empty and a chemo patient was sleeping. It was nice visiting with the nurses though, since they love both me and Josie.Then we visited the Pediatrics Ward…and no kids today! That always makes us happy and sad. Happy because there are no sick children, and sad because…
March 6, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentWe cats have tongues that are pretty special! If your cat tries to pet you, or gives you a gentle lick of sandpaper, you know it. But there’s more to kitty tongues. So let’s see.Cats lick you with their barbed, sandpaper tongues for many reasons. They lick you as a sign of love. They may want to marry you, just as they would any member of the feline family. They might think your hand, arm, or face is delicious! Or they may be marking you, as cat saliva is one of the many ways they…
March 4, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentI had an unusual photo session! My man thought a blog post about flehmen’s response would be fun! For those who don’t know, the flehmen’s answer is the stench of our cats’ faces with their mouths slightly open. Why we do this, and other facts about it, are quite interesting!But one thing he needed was a picture of me actually doing it! That means he has to find something to give me that face. It turned out to be more difficult than he thought.With other ideas, he took off his boots and presented his feet…
February 27, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentThis week, I visited assisted living homes with residents with dementia and Alzheimer’s. It’s always a little adventure. You never know who will remember you and who won’t. If you haven’t seen someone, you don’t always know what stage they are in, or if they have anything else going on besides dementia. My man is always happy for the regulars because he knows what to expect.We saw quite a few regulars in the first house. The nonverbal woman who held me with heavy hands spent hours gently caressing me and smiling. I also saw the…
February 26, 2024 by: Summer SambacommentTo this day, how a cat purrs is a mystery, even to scientists. But recently, it looks like a team of researchers may have cracked the purring code! And there’s one fact that might give you pause. Before I explain how they know this, I’ll tell you a surprising fact.A cat’s purr is probably unintentional!That’s right, a cat’s purring is an automatic response and apparently cannot be done voluntarily. People can fake a smile, but a cat can’t fake or force a purr. It will happen, or it won’t.How Research MeetsAn international team, led by…