WCB

Weekend Cat Blogging #181: More Luna in Exile

As the construction at CatSynth HQ drags on longer and longer, Luna remains at her home away from home. I go to visit her quite often, and she is usually happy and excited by my arrival. Here is one of her many greetings, she has gotten quite good at standing on her hind legs to head-butt:

She is quite active and social, and enjoys cruising the hallways. Also playing in her own room:

and especially looking down from her alcove:

This is often where she sits as I leave, peering through the outer door at me. These visits are both joyous and melancholy. It would be better to be back at home. But I do know she is being well cared for, and is happy and healthy.

There is a radio on in the cats’ area, usually tuned one of our many pop-music stations. Usually, I don’t notice it much, but when I’m sitting on the concrete floors and some R&B from the 1960s or 1970s comes on, the whole image feels “right.” Again, quite melancholy, but still somehow positive, something out of a story I haven’t bothered to write down…

I do try to keep these visits as unmediated as possible, and often don’t bring the camera at all. But today is one of those days that I did. Of course, I couldn’t resist taking a few city photos in the waning November-afternoon sun. It’s been a little while since I have done that.

We’re going to take a break for the holidays, and hopefully after that we’ll be back in our real homes, at both the reconstructed CatSynth site and the reconstructed CatSynth HQ.

Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted this weekend by the Cats in Maryland. Extreme cuteness alert, with baby pictures.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will be hosted by
Miz Mog and the Kitties. Chaos is an apt term for life these days.

The Carnival of the Cats is going up this Sunday at Artsy Catsy.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging #180


We at CatSynth welcome everyone to Weekend Cat Blogging #180.

We are away from home, both virtually and physically. Luna joins us from her home away from home during our construction. And of course we are here at the “trailer” while we rebuild the main CatSynth website. But we’re looking forward to a good WCB round-up amidst the dust and the distance. Please leave you submission as a comment, and we’ll post updates throughout the weekend.

And with that, let us being this weekend’s round-up.

The “Cat Boys” Kashim and Othello are helping there momma in the kitchen this weekend. The did their part to help bake a banana nut bread. It also looks like they are helping with the computer and blogging duties.

We welcome back some old friends at Belly Timber (often known as the “Angry Cat Blog” in past WCBs). We are treated an image of Port and her “serious face.” Ironically, this is from a carefree day in the garden this past summer. They should come visit us in San Francisco for this fantastic mid-November sunshine.

Joanna of A Cup of Jo shares a picture of her cat Buttercup doing the classic “Cat in a Box” pose.

Visit Chey’s Place for a special edition of Find Chey. There are lots of hints in the building and the vegetation, for the astute observer.

Then visit Sidewalk Shoes for a A very sweet portrait of Patchouli. It looks like they were also named a “Blog of Note” by the folks at Blogger.

Parker has a new layout for Perfectly Parker. Check it out and let her know what you think. It was a collaborative effort with Zoolatry and Chica and Pumuckl’s mom.

Rosa of Rosa’s Yummy Yums reminds us of the words of Paul Gray, “Cats were put into the world to disprove the dogma that all things were created to serve man.” We at CatSynth are all for disproving dogma…and serving cats.

Sarah of First Draft: Fledgling Freelancer found Weekend Cat Blogging via blogs-of-note, and is now joining us for the first time. Ranger is one of five cats in the family. Please welcome them to WCB!

We have lots of photos of Cece this weekend. First, a fine stretch atop a wall at iInfidel. He deftly avoids wet paint at Mind of Mog. And all this attention on Cece has Meowza upset and being “less than cooperative” when it comes to photographs.

Freya demonstrates motherly love at the House of Chaos. She is very protective and doting, but at the same trying to wean her kitten and teach him independence. Of course, chances are he’s going to spend a few years wanting nothing to do with her and then move back in.

Tristan invites you find out more about him at Tabbylicious, as he participates in the “8 Random Things About Me” Meme.

Meanwhile Diamond Emerald-Eyes explores the woods out back with several of her friends (including Tesla, whose picture appears above). Go visit all of her friends.

At Artsy Catsy, is focusing, meditating, purring, purraying and sending positive healing thoughts for his dear friend Moki. We are sending our healing thoughts for Moki as well. Don’t forget, Artsy Catsy’s auction to benefit both Moki and Criz ends tonight at midnight.

It’s Kitties, Kitties, Everywhere with Samantha and Tigger at Life from a Cat’s Perspective.

CathyJDiscoveryBay, another first-time participant, presents Quotes for Cat Lovers. Welcome!

We will continue to post updates throughout the weekend. Thanks to everyone who participated.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Patio one last time

This weekend we revisit Luna’s adventures on the patio, before the construction/destruction begins on Monday.


[click each photo to enlarge]


[click each photo to enlarge]

It is ironic how it was only after our move to the city that Luna got to enjoy time outdoors. Our patio is high above the ground and safely enclosed by high walls. The watery theme of the murals depict ocean, beaches, and all sorts of critters:

It will be sad to see it so badly damaged in the construction. Fortunately, we are going to have it restored in the spring. No two original works of art are ever alike, but the restored version could end up even better.

Another issue with the construction is that is isn’t a safe place for a cat. Luna will be checking into a great nearby boarding facility. She will be doted on and treated quite well. However, it is probably going to be a bit lonely here at CatSynth HQ.

Weekend Cat Blogging #178 is being hosted by Cece at Mind of Mog.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is being hosted by Kashim at the BKCFOC home site.

The Carnival of the Cats will be at Chey’s place this Sunday.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Weekend Cat Blogging: Halloween and Black Cat Edition

We at CatSynth are proud to again host the Hallowe’en Edition of Weekend Cat Blogging. We also want to take a moment to appreciate the chat noirs, the black cats.

Every year one can read articles both celebrating black cats, and warning for their safety. From the Santa Barbara Independent:

The superstition surrounding black cats cause them to be the target of pranks on Halloween. Therefore, people with black cats should be extra careful about keeping them safely inside on Halloween. The concern is serious enough that most humane societies avoid adopting out black cats during the Halloween season due to the risk of them being harmed.

Superstitions and unfounded prejudice persist to this day – and not just at Sarah Palin rallies. Fortunately, stories of harm to cats on Halloween is relatively rare. But there is more concern for black cats being used as “Hallowe’en props”, only to be returned to the shelter or abandoned after the holiday. But black cats have a difficult time during the whole year, not just on Hallowe’en. From The Cat’s Meow by Kathy Covey:

When you look at the fate of black cats in animal shelters, you’d surmise they were the most unlucky of creatures. Overlooked in favor of their orange neighbor, last of the litter chosen, passed over for the more visible white cat — they make up the largest segment of the Cat Adoption Team’s shelter population.

But Covey then describes the virtues of black cats, and leaves us with this thought:

So all of you who have and love black cats, consider yourself fortunate to be in the presence of such a genetic marvel, the black cat!

So we at CatSynth would like to celebrate black cats this weekend. All cats are welcome to join, but if their is a chat noir in the house, we would ask you to feature him or her in your post. As always, you can leave a comment below, or contact us, and we’ll add you to the round-up over the course of the weekend.

And so let us begin…


Cece comes over trick-or-treating this morning at iInfidel. Looks like he wants in.


Want to see something scary? Check out this baking disaster at Paulchens FoodBlog. Othello seems unperturbed, and is determined to relax this weekend.


Welcome to Pam and Patchouli of Sidewalk Shoes, who are first time participants in Weekend Cat Blogging! Patchouli give us her fake "smile for the camera" smile for the occasion. Please do stop by to welcome them.


Black cats can be very helpful, and Samantha helps recycle bags (that is, after first playing with them). See Samantha, and Tigger, and fall foliage at Life From a Cat's Perspective.


Rosa's Yummy Yums features the lovely black cat Marushka and a tribute to cats from Jules Verne.


Luna's fellow house panther Diamond Emerald-Eyes shares this "fangtastic graphic" with us. She also hosted Costumed Capers this past Thursday, a veritable feline masquerade. We think we spotted a few of our friends there.


Over at Gattina's, Rosie attempts to be scary for Hallowe'en. But being scary requires some serious follow-through. Let's go see if Rosie succeeds, or just ends up being cute.


The handsome black denizen of the The House of Chaos, Loup-Garou, joins us this weekend. He is suffering from stress, which was probably exacerbated by a trip to the vet. We hope that things calm down a bit.


The story over that The House of the (Mostly) Black Cats is more comfy than scary, where Mini enjoys a unique way of sitting in a lap.


It's time to turn back the clock in Stockholm at The World According to Pia. We are also reminded to "appreciate cats, no matter what colour, as well as other animals, as the most amazing, loveable, adorable, quirky beings they are." We at CatSynth couldn't agree more.


We remain in Stockholm for a moment to visit with Klara at Anne's Food. Klara may be the opposite of a black cat, but she is still very cute.


More cuteness, and more than a little mischief, can be found today at Cuisine Guylaine.

Thanks to everyone who participated this week. We will continue to post entries through Monday morning.








Weekend Cat Blogging: Rest and Play

Well, the shows are now behind us. And so before the busy work week starts up again, we at CatSynth take a moment to relax:

and to play:

Weekend Cat Blogging is hosted this week by Niko and Cloud of The Cats in Maryland.

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos is hosted by Diamond Emerald Eyes – you can’t go wrong with an event hosted by a black cat with emerald eyes.

The Carnival of the Cats goes up today at Life from a Cats Perspective.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Don’t forget, the Hallowe’en Edition of Weekend Cat Blogging will be hosted right here at CatSynth!







Preparing for performances next week.

With two performances coming up, next Thursday and Saturday, we at CatSynth are very busy preparing. Actually, it’s more crisis management. Luna’s serene appearance belies the fact that we at CatSynth are dealing with serious equipment failures. First, the Mr Echo pedal has been having its problems. It was mostly an issue with the power jack, which I was able to repair. But after an evening of fantastic practice and experimentation, it stopped working again. This time the power appears to be fine, but now there is no sound.

In the middle of all of this, our MacBook had a serious hard drive failure – or least that what it appears to be. One moment, we’re happily web browsing, the next a spinning pinwheel of death (SWOD), and after a forced reboot it simply will not come up.

I am of course doing my best to continue preparing for the show. I am shifting the focus to other pieces of equipment, and using the old PC laptop. Although now the PC, which is old and slow under the best circumstances, appears to also have some hard-drive issues.

Oh yeah, and I hear the entire world was having some financial difficulties last week.

It’s a good thing Luna is here for comfort and stability, We will also try and visit Weekend Cat Blogging with Salome and Astrid. And the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos with Sammy and Miles Meezer. And the Carnival of the Cats at My Big Fat Orange Cat.

Meanwhile, I’m on my way to a local music store, and probably the Apple Store as well, for a little help.

UPDATE: As of Monday evening, the pedal is working again. But the MacBook is out for repair.













Weekend Cat Blogging: Triste

There is often a bit of sadness and melancholy in the air. Sad news from friends, anxious news in the world. And the first showers of the season add to the effect.

And that happens to be the theme of this week’s Photo Hunt, and the subject of our Weekend Cat Blogging.

It’s a good time to cheer up with a walk, even in the rain.

Weekend Cat Blogging is being hosted by the Cats in Maryland. It is their first time hosting, so please give them a warm welcome.

The Carnival of the Cats will be up on Sunday at the Catboys Realm with Kashim, Othello and Salome.

And of course the the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

We at CatSynth are sending thoughts this weekend to our friend Breadchick of the Sour Dough. We also sending thoughts for Janice of the Criz Cats.



Weekend Cat Blogging #173: Reflection

This morning we at CatSynth are reflective. When we look into physical or conceptual mirrors, do we really like what we see?

It is in fact a really beautiful morning here. Warm, sunny, the city noises stirring in the background. We will see how that translates into a day…

Pet of Pet’s Garden Blog (home of the “Bengal Brats”) is seriously ill, and facing major surgery. She and the Bengal Brats have been frequent participants in our weekend cat events. We send our thoughts and wishes for comfort and healing this weekend.

Weekend Cat Blogging #173 is at The House of the (Mostly) Black Cats, where napping (and a bit of nibbling) appears to the plan for the day.

Salome is hosting her first Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos. Her chosen theme is LOLcats, we’ll see if we’re feeling a bit more LOL later in the weekend…

The Carnival of the Cats will take place on Sunday at Chey’s Place.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.


Weekend Cat Blogging #172: Autumnal Equinox

Luna and I welcome everyone to the autumnal equinox edition of Weekend Cat Blogging. For us, the changing of the season is more of a formality, but there is no escape from the shrinking days. And for those of us in the U.S., daylight is not the only thing in decline this week.

But I digress. This is about celebrating our feline friends. And we would love to have you all participate. So please leave us a comment with your (cat related) links, and we’ll add you to the round-up…

And with that, let us get started…

We at CatSynth know that it can be challenging to photograph black cats. But it’s well worth the effort, as in this lovely expressive portrait of Maruschka. Definitely not camera shy.

More expressive black cats. Puddy displays some serious ‘tude after refusing to sit still for the camera. This is of course another challenge of cat photography, and Katie is giving up on getting a “pretty photo” for this weekend. We of course still think Puddy is pretty.

Samantha does her impersonation of monorail cat atop a chair, at Life from a Cats Perspective.

We now move from black to white, with August, the handsome British shorthair gentleman at The World According to Pia. Check out his baby photo as well, you can see how much he has grown.

At Anne’s Food, the white kitten Klara is not enjoying her first outing. Luna did not enjoy her first outing either, though as the top photo suggests, she’s becoming queen of our balcony patio. So Klara may come to appreciate the fresh air and grass soon enough.

Meanwhile, Salome enjoys some scritches while Kashim helps himself to the big pot of cat grass that Astrid bought. The weather is turning in Vienna, getting colder and rainer. So less time out on the balcony, and Othello does like this at all.

Our friend kitikata-san presents Weekend Animal Blogging. Animals of many species share shelter, and perhaps friendship, as they ride out hurricane Gustav. It’s a wonderful image, one that humans can learn from.

At The Sour Dough, LB is delighted to have his mom home sooner. He is also enjoying his new mouse toy. We at CatSynth are also curious about the wine that Breadchick has brought back…

Thanks for joining us for Weekend Cat Blogging. We will continue to post entries through Monday as we receive them.









Weekend Cat Blogging #171

We at CatSynth are exhausted.

This weekend we need to rest, and recover some of our energy. We also have a lot of things to catch up on. It seems like we do so much, but it’s never enough.

So that is all we have for now. Hopefully we’ll catch up with our music and art posts from last week. Also some of our reviews of books and film. But for the moment, we rest. And catch up on some pets.

LB and Breadchick are hosting Weekend Cat Blogging. Actually, I think it’s just LB this weekend, as Breadchick is on vacation (sounds like a great idea, actually).

The Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos will take place with Mr. Tigger at the M-Cats Club.

The Carnival of the Cats goes on air Sunday evening with Rocky at Artsy Catsy.

And of course the Friday Ark is at the modulator.

Our thoughts are with our friends in Texas and the Gulf Coast. We hope they are safe and dry this weekend after hurricane Ike.