Pets, Not Perfume Post

Okay, it’s been a good, long while since we had a Pet post, and my little family of pets are making me insane right now, so…. I’m going to share with you!

That little guy above is Rex.  His name has been changed about 15 times. Nothing seemed quite right until this morning, after a particularly destructive bender on my desk, I called him a T. Rex kitty (well, it wasn’t quite that nice), and that, well, seemed just right. He’s a Toyger with perfect tiger stripes.  He is hell on paws and absolutely pwns this household.  Boo, now that he’s back out in the open (our other cat, big fat black kitty) is a slave to Rex, licking him and kowtowing, it’s embarrassing.  Buddy (the yellow lab) was used to chasing kitties that ran.  Rex.doesn’t.run.  He turns, arches his back, hisses and smacks that big galoot on the nose, then prances off.  Right now he is about ready to jump on Buddy’s back. He is the most self-confident and self-possessed kitten I’ve ever had, while being the biggest klutz in the KatWorld.  He will snuggle up with you for hours, and then shred your arm , though just a little no and a light tap on the nose makes him at least stop for a millisecond.

But this isn’t just a kitten post. We’ve had a horrible scare with Buddy, the lab.  We took him to Kansas this last weekend, where he promptly managed to get into something with his ears (ant pile, spider nest?) that has caused a horrible allergic reaction in his ears, then got into the garbage and went through all of the trash, which has given him a horrible vomiting for two days.  So he has swollen soapapilla ears and hasn’t been able to hold food down for two days. You have never seen anything more sad than the look of a labbie that can’t eat.  So the vet has doped him up with benadryl shots and anti-nausea shots, x-rayed him for obstructions, and nothing serious seems to be happening, just an allergic reaction to something and an upset tummy, but it’s scary when your pup isn’t feeling good, and I’ve been pretty freaked out for two days with him.

What’s reall cool, though, is my vet. It was my first visit at this particular vet. I go to the other branch. Since I spent so much money on my first visit, to thank me, they gave me a bottle of wine.  Hey!  What a great deal that is $300 in vet bills nets me a bottle of wine.

To bring this all back to smell, my kitten smells that sweet furry new kitten smell, and he has a sparkling catbox that never smells because I got one of those catgenie things that cleans itself twice a day (walk, don’t run, to buy one of these if you hate litter  boxes as much as I do).  See?  And you thought I couldn’t make this a useful post.

So I know many of you have pets, so how many pets do you have, and if your pet wore perfume, what would they wear?  Rex would wear Bandit.  Boo would wear Black Oud. Buddy would wear Jicky.

  • clare stella says:

    such a beautiful kitty and with those ears he can hear anything you say about him! i love all the names of these pets! i want to hear more about your cat litter box. do tell all. i have spent more money on litter boxes than i spend on my wardrobe. i am currently using one that needs that crystal type litter stuff. you can purchase cardboard type refills (15 each) but i bought a permanent plastic tray and i refill it with crystal litter that i purchase in walmart. the only problem is that the plastic tray (I got it on ebay) has started to smell because it is an absorbent material.
    any suggestions appreciated.

  • AnnE says:

    What a handsome rake that Rex is!

    I’m sorry to hear that your Buddy has been so sick; I hope he’s back to his old self soon and gobbling kibble with the best of them.

    I have two standard poodles, and my girl, Lola, is a long-legged model of fluffy white perfection. Even if I do say so myself. :”> She’s very self-possessed but is always ready for a cuddle, and she wears my old bottle of 24 Faubourg.

    Our newly adopted boy, Tyler, has been a handful! Hopefully, the trainer coming tomorrow will show me how to convince him that the humans are the pack leaders in our house, and not him. [-x Before we had him groomed, he looked like a huge brillo pad, but now he’s looking quite handsome, even though he is shorter than Lola. He would wear Vetiver Extraordinaire, since that’s such a dominant fragrance, but perhaps after tomorrow he may progress to something a bit more gentlemanly, such as Guerlain Vetiver.

  • minette says:

    rex is gorgeous! i love tabbies/tigers.

    currently i have two, pete and george, who pop up now and then on my blog (http://www.scentsignals.com). that’s george in the pink feather boa at the top of the home page.

    pete would wear n’aimez que moi because that’s what he is always telling me.

    george would wear amour amour because that is what he is to me.

    of course, they both smell utterly fantastic au natural, so i’d never want to perfume them.

    hope your buddy is feeling much better. allergic reactions in pets can be scary.

  • Chris says:

    Our dog, Rags, is a black Afghan Hound. He thinks he is Social Register. His mother was a champion. Rags thnks he does not need to do anything special to get along in this world, and he expects others to do nice things for him, like giving him cookies and letting him sleep on the sofa. If a dog was giving a party and Rags came to it, the party would be a great success by his mere presence. But he is too dumb to know enough to come in out of the rain! (I know people like this, but it’s very cute in a dog.) Rags goes to the beauty parlor once a month and they don’t put perfume on him, but if they did, he’d like “L’air du Desert Morocain.” Rags sends warm regards (translation: Woof!Woof!) to his new friend Buddy and hopes his health returns quickly.

  • zara says:

    rex has some nasty spark in his eyes 🙂
    we have a yellow lab too, her name is arisu, she’s 4 now and quite calm, but used to be a real demolition lady. and yeah, i can imagine the sad stare of a lab not able to devour everything in her reach, believe me. they are gluttons, but i love them, hm, she would wear something gourmand, like potl luctor&emergo heh
    then, we have a senegal parrot, he’s called guy, it’s just like rex but with feathers. bites the lab into the nose and paws, just for fun of course. and he can be loud if he wants to. i’m not that resourceful right now to think of a perfume that loud.
    we also had a fish accidentally caught by a friend of ours and a chinese water turtle called jim (but we were just foster parents for her).
    we’re a funny bunch, yeah

    • Patty says:

      I’m waiting for Buddy to fully com into the peaceful phase of his life. He’s slowed down now that he’s 4, but he still has some boundless energy when different humans come into the house.

      i’ve always wanted a parrot, but decided I’m too old now to get one.

      • zara says:

        yes, parrots outlive people sometimes, but it depends on what kind of parrot that is. if you don’t want that to happen, don’t buy an african grey parrot 🙂

  • Teri says:

    Looking at your cat (it seems somehow sacreligious to call such a regal-looking creature a kitty), one can understand why the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. I think Rex suits him — both for his dinosaurian tendencies and because he would surely see himself as suited to be a rex (ruler).

    Best of well wishes to your beleaguered Buddy boy. You know, there’s a reason that people who love them call them labradorks. They are true exemplars of that adage about fools rushing in….

    I have one dogson and one granddogger along with two grandcats. I mention them all as mine because my son travels so much for work that I believe I actually have joint custody.

    My little dogson, Buddy, is a rescue from death row at the pound. As best as we can tell, he’s part poodle, part bichon with possibly a splash of cocker spaniel thrown in. Buddy is the gentlest soul I’ve ever known. It’s clear he came from an abusive background because sudden movements make him cringe and hide. But if you sit quietly and let him lay against your side or on your lap, he beams like a 250 watt lightbulb. He’s not a young fellow – we estimate he’s 9 or 10 – but he will race around the house like a young buck with the slightest of encouragement. I can see Buddy wearing Eau de Hadrian, which is as sunny and straightforward as he is.

    My granddogger, Quinn, is an 8 mth old border collie who herds us all around at will and brooks no nonsense from us, either! She is absolutely brilliant in dog terms, so you have to watch very carefully what you demonstrate in front of her. If she sees you do something once or twice, she’s 100% capable of repeating it….whether you want her to or not. Especially when you don’t want her to. lol On the other hand, she adores her people more than any other pet I’ve ever lived with. Happiness to Quinn is a pile of squeaky toys and one of her beloved humans to toss them for her to fetch. Since Quinn’s still a little girl in relative terms, I think she’d wear one of the nicer mass market offerings for the youthful, such as Hilary Duff’s With Love.

    I also have two grandcats, Action Jackson and Harvey Greypants. Jackson is grey tabby on top and white on the bottom and is absolutely Garfieldesque in his aloofness. Jax will sit near you, but not touching you. You may pet him on occasion, but he will remind you that humans are basically filthy creatures by washing himself furiously after you’ve touched him. Still and all, he’s not unfriendly. He will follow you around ‘talking’ to you and ejoys sharing a bathroom with anyone and everyone. I see Jackson wearing Gendarme.

    Harvey Greypants is a grey tabby maine coon mix. We found him nearly dead in a basement window well where he’d been trapped. He’d injured himself trying to escape from the window well and had a broken leg as well as being severely malnourished. It was touch and go at first, but the vet who treated the little guy (he was about 12 weeks old when we found him) contacted a local maine coon rescue and enlisted their monetary help in getting Grey everything he needed. He’s still a huge favorite at the vet’s office. Looking at him today, you’d never know his history — he’s the epitome of the contented cat. A grey eminence one minute and a playful goofball the next. Grey might be a candidate for Iris Gris.

    • Patty says:

      What a great troop you have, and I”m always happy when people rescue one from death row. I’ve had a lot of pound kitties and pups over my life, and they have been such great pets.

  • March says:

    Oh, poor buddy! 🙁 Here’s hoping he gets well soon. I know, the stuff they eat. Yeesh. We had a lab mix and when we lived out west I think he ate half a rotten cow once or something similar and man, was he sick. Also it took him twice to learn to leave the porcupines alone. [-(

    • Musette says:

      See, that’s what I mean. Doofus. Beyond Love….but doofus as all get out! I am always yelling at Pickle, saying “you know better than to pick stuff up off the ground…now SPIT IT OUT!”, which he does, with a thoroughly disgusted look on his face. I really get nervous in the spring, when snakes are out…so far we’ve been lucky – all the ones we’ve come upon have gone to their Maker.

    • Patty says:

      Buddy would view a half rotten cow as a thing more precious than life. I hope he never finds one. 🙂

      • March says:

        Seriously, I look over and the dog is IN THE COW, which is all swollen up in the sun like one of those big fake cow cartoons. One of those moments when I realized how unsuited I would be for the rigors of farm life.

        He did drag home an entire (bleached) longhorn skull once. Good doggie.

  • moi says:

    Wow, that’s a seriously gorgemous cat. So sorry to hear about your Lab – best wishes for a speedy recovery.

    My pit bull/shar-pei cross has his own particular, all natural parfum we call Eau de Ivan. But if I were to alter that, it would be with Mandragore for sure. Nothing like a little mint to freshen up doggie funk.

    • Patty says:

      Is that his name, Ivan? What a great name.

      When I get my bulldog eventually, I already have his name, Peabody.

  • Lee says:

    My barking lovehound will arrive on Aug 9!!!:x

    • MattS says:

      Hooray for lovehounds, of all species!!

    • Patty says:

      Yeah!!! Make sure to send me snaps!!!

      • Lee says:

        Course I will. And I hope beautiful Buddy is better by the day. Rex looks the business – very regal and in charge. I imagine he can swipe like billy-o with those paws… Shame I’m so allergic to the tinkers.

  • Olfacta says:

    Our natural mink Tonkinese, Paco, would wear something so incredibly expensive that it hasn’t been made yet. Or vintage Mitsouko. In a Baccarat flacon. Which he would knock over and break the first day.

    Our plain ol’ ordinary black rescue cat Cholo (which means fat little gangster in L.A. Mexican slang) would wear Bandit. Or Bulgari Black. Something shadowy.

    • Patty says:

      Oops, sorry, my response to you got posted one up!

      • Olfacta says:

        Hey Patty — Weeellll….yeah. I don’t think Paco is a typical Tonk though. He’s, um, a little destructive. In the nicest possible way of course. When he was still just a big kitten, he managed to knock over and break a huge cut-crystal vase that had been given to the DH by his dearly departed Aunt. It weighed at least ten pounds. I still don’t know how he managed it…oh well. It’s just Stuff.

        Cholo is a sweet kitty, but he spent his first six months in a cage and is still most comfortable viewing people from behind bars — or the staircase newels, in our house. Hence the name.

        I can’t imagine living without at least one cat.

  • Debbie says:

    OT, but:

    Neil Morris is having 15 percent off everything over $95 until Aug 15. Enter the code MUA. b-)

    • Patty says:

      Your kitties sound so great. I had a tonkiness (yeah, what cat haven’t I had?) years ago. What a lovey cat she was, just fully content to be on someone’s lap all the time.

  • Disteza says:

    Your cat is too adorable! We’ve got a b&w tuxedo who doesn’t really have a name, but he does answer to ‘Tssst!’ His previous owners called him Linden, but as that name doesn’t fit him at all, we’ve stopped using it. Poo-poo is usually what we refer to him as, and he knows how to be cute for food and answers commands pretty well. I usually let him sniff the perfume of the day, and while he doesn’t generally show much interest, he was quite taken with one of my vintage Guerlains (Pois de Senteur, I think). Evidently the cat’s got taste.

    I’m a dog-person though, and my lack of canine companionship is something I mourn every day. I dream of having a pair of sleek Dobermans to wander through the woods with me. =((

    • Debbie says:

      Um, so why no doggie, if it’s not too personal?

      • Disteza says:

        Neither my home nor my schedule are currently able to handle the addition of dogs; I’d hate to get the perfect puppy only to have him locked in the house all day with nobody but a dog-hating cat for company. If our yard was larger and fenced I’d consider it, but as it stands now I’m not selfish enough to force that on a dog. I do miss dogs terribly though; my Dad used to raise Akitas, and we always had other types of dogs as well.

    • Patty says:

      I’m sorry you don’t have a canine friend. I resisted a dog for years, they’re just a lot of work, with leash training, potty training, constant attention, and then one day you realize how much their shadowing of your life has become a part of who you are.

  • Anthony says:

    FUN! hahaha!! Well, I have three dogs, a giant dopey Leonberger (Maggie), a scaredy-cat Golden Retriever (Abbey), and a chihuahua (Sophie), who, like Rex, owns the place. I often imagine her in well-pressed army uniform with a clip board, checking off boxes as she secures the perimeter throughout the day. I picture her in a very formal fragrance, something that screams “get the &$^# back in line!” Hmmm… Tabac Blond, Querrelle? The Leonberger would smell of hay, something really natural and outdoorsy, but really, she would be a woman that goes without fragrance. The Golden, any number of Celebrity fragrances would fit the bill, or perhaps Eau d’Mervilles 🙂 She’s the prissiest golden retriever I’ve ever met… she doesn’t even like to go swimming! Can you imagine?? By the way, the ears thing happened with my leongerber Maggie and it took a while to get back down, and we had to be careful the she didn’t play too rough with the other dogs and re-injure herself.

    • Debbie says:

      Oh my goodness. A German Shepherd Dog soul was reincarnated in a Chihuahua body. I’m not kidding. That’s a GSD personality. Thankfully, she has adapted. :d

    • Patty says:

      What a great crew! I had a Newfie many, many years ago, and when we went to our training classes, there was a Leonberger there (the Newf’s relative), and what a gorgeous dog, but dopey, it was. Well, but he was much better behaved than my obstinate Newf!

  • Francesca says:

    Rex is gorgeous, Patty. I’ve never heard of a toyger before; will have to check that out. And sorry about poor Buddy’s ears. Hope he’s all back to normal soon.

    I’m currently owned by two beautiful little Japanese Chin, Dion the perpetual motion machine, age 1, and Beau (Ch. Blake’s Little Executive. Ahem.), age 5, who likes to sleep and cuddle. Based on personality, I think maybe Ananas Fizz for Dion, and, hmmm, SL Un Bois Vanille for Beau, but when I take them visiting I really do spritz a little Goutal Eau du sud on them. And after I give them a bath, I like to rub a little lavender essential oil on my hands and run them through their luxuriant fur.

    • Patty says:

      Well, Buddy is taking his time getting back to normal, but it’s a better normal tonight than yesterday, so that’s great!

  • 2scents says:

    Rex is gorgeous. We are considering a new kitty for our 13 year old girl’s birthday, so only ostensibly for her. We have an 18 month old pound dog–chocolate lab/australian shepherd. He is the lovey-est dog ever. I confess to spritzing him with Vetiver (Guerlain) a couple times. The teeny 10 year old cat, Phoebe, though, is too fast for me. A tortoiseshell and white survivor of the streets, she is definitely made for a leather scent. I imagine Jolie Madame today, because she looks extra cute. (May I say that this is a great way to start the day and is lifting my spirits despite the fact that I must return to work after four days off…)

    • Patty says:

      Oh, I’m glad it was a good start to the day. Thinking about pets always makes me happy and calm. It’s a good place to be with people can be so disappointing sometimes. 🙂

  • Christine says:

    We have one cat. We adopted him about a year and a half ago, and he was estimated to be six or so then. He’s a buff tabby with some white and is very laid back, but gets playful.

    We named him “The Ginger Ninja” or really just Ninja, but had we waited a month or so, he would have been named “Butters” after the character on South Park, because I swear Ninja’s vocabulary would be comprised of a lot of “Oh Gee, fellas.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butters

    I usually call him Ninny or Ninja-noo or something else, because tough he is not. If he were a person he would probably wear Axe because he wouldn’t know better, but it would never suit him.

    • Patty says:

      That’s funny. I tried to get everyone to accept the name Butters for Rex, but it was a no-go, darn it!

  • Musette says:

    Poor Buddy! Dogs are seriously doofus. I know: I have 2 Rotties who do everything in their power to stop my heart on a daily basis and prior to these two I had a pack (3) who were glorious to behold, in a scary way. They were always throwing a kidney or losing their livers…I miss them

    My current brood is a father and son: Geo and his son, Pickle. Georgie wears Joy. He seldom deviates from it and he’s very secure in that choice of fragrance (which he’s actually worn, many times, though by proximity rather than intent. As it sticks to his slightly oily coat he nearly always has a haze of Joy goin’, which is startling to those who want to smooch him – and they are legion). My 11yr old darlin’ has congestive heart failure but he’s hanging in there…and I like to think that haze of Joy helps just a bit[-o< Pickle is a Calyx kinda guy but lately I'm thinking he might be ready for Poive Samarcande... he can still leap 5' in the air from a standing position...but lately he's been doing it with a lot more dignity and grace. Geo rules the house with an iron paw in velvet fur. He can get me to do nearly anything, with just a look. Pick rules El O's life - it's funny to see that big bruiser of a man talking smoochies to the dog. El O, btw, wears Eau de Guerlain because I like the smell.

    • Debbie says:

      I hope the CHF stays at bay for a long time.

      I was smitten with Roxie love when my BIL’s climbed up into my husband’s lap for luvin’. Great big sweet hunk of love.

      • Musette says:

        Thank you for the kind wishes. He’s doing okay – I’m the one who is worrying all my hair out!8-| He’s also got this neurological disorder where he just……..falls down! For awhile this elicited a lot of shrieks on my part and emergency trips to the vet (he’s too frail for sedation so we’re kind of at an impasse on tests) – now I just help him get up and brush him off and we go on our merry way. He’s still enjoying his life and I’m enjoying his life, too – so all is well.

        They have NO idea how large they are, do they? (or what sharp elbows they have!). Two of my original pack climbed into my friend’s lap, which was okay with him…until they started fighting over him! Then, not so okay! He was bruised for a week from the flying dog elbows!

        • Debbie says:

          Oh my goodness, that would be so absolutely alarming to have one just fall over like that!

          No, they don’t have any idea of their size. I guess that’s why some say to not allow a large-breed puppy into our laps. But, like, you’ve got to be kidding. I don’t think I could do it.

          Two Roxies fighting over a lap, while IN the lap… LOL! No, not good at all either. Yikes.

    • MattS says:

      Well, it is summertime and they could all be wearing leather like their mama. I totally forgot during our exchange about summer leathers–Lonestar Memories. It’s perfect. And per your recommendation, I’ve pulled out a sample of Oud Cuir d’Arabie that I’m saving for a hot, hot day. Or night.

    • Patty says:

      Sounds like a fun pack. I do hope the CHF is holding up okay. It’s hard to worry all the time. Will we get to meet the fur babies this fall when we’re in Chicago?

  • Tigs says:

    Yikes, Buddy, I hope you are on the mend. (And hope this comment goes thru – keep getting eaten my the filter…) And I love a cat who is all ears! They remind me of those little foxes, I forget what they are called, but they always look so alert.

    So we are dog people, grew up dog people: my husband always had big black labs, and me with shelties and border collies. But we just adopted a stray cat, almost involuntarily – she just moved in. It’s only taken a month or two and I love her helplessly. Know nothing about felines, so I gave her homo milk for days to improve her skeletal frame, which gave her terrible runs. The second week I took her to the vet to get shots & a checkup, and now she’s spayed and everything else to the tune of $500. Taking her there, I was sure they’d find a microchip or she’d be ancient/ill or something, so I was determined not to invest my heart in her, but then they said she was barely a year, maybe, and that she had scars from probable abuse. Whoops! There went my heart. She is “charcoal” I am told – black, with white undercoat and green eyes, and a big Egyptian head and ears. My husband, who believes in people names for cats, insisted she was a “Gary” and that just kind of stuck, although NST commenters and Robin gave me some good perfume-based (and girl-appropriate!) suggestions. Dzing! might have fit, name-wise, but somehow I see her in CdG 2 -loud, confident, kind of schizo in a fun way.

    • Tigs says:

      Okay, so the filter objects to my normal handle…

    • Debbie says:

      Thank you for rescuing Gary!!

      • Tigs / Erin T says:

        Thanks, Debbie, though in a sense, it is Gary who has rescued us – from our cat prejudice. 🙂 My dog-loving family had me convinced that cats were antisocial, either biters/scratchers or the shy, always hidden type. As you know, with your small feline army, this is not the case! Gary is as affectionate and tolerant of toddler torture as any dog, and she has a very distinct, enthusiastic, “chatty” personality – the name Gary somehow does sort of suit her. So sorry to hear about Sonny – but what a great life he has had!

        • Debbie says:

          Thank you, Erin. Sonny has been very loved.

          I’m glad Gary rescued you from cat prejudice. They are all as unique and individual as people or dogs. She sounds like a great cat!

    • Patty says:

      I am so glad Gary found you! That is just horrible. I wonder who in the world can ever hurt a dog or cat. I mean.. honestly! They do all wind up stealing your heart, even when you just want to murder them.

      Rex has been chasing my hands as I type all day. It is a huge chore to type while trying to shake off the teensy sharp claws of an itty bitty kitty-critter.

  • Billy D says:

    I left three cats and a dog at home–they now live happily with my empty nested mother.

    1. Tybalt-I was in a Shakespeare phase when we were naming them. Eau Sauvage.
    2. Mushy-I initially wanted to call her Zahra, but the name never stuck. Black Orchid Voile de Fleur
    3. Baby Mushy-her younger half sister. When she was still a stray, she bit me and I had to get my rabies shot rotation–fun! Musc Kublai Khan
    4. Otis–our mut. I wanted to call him Gavin. He might go for Eau Sauvage too, or maybe Rive Gauche por homme.

    The bf and I share custody of our little princess, Lily (who usually goes by Kitty Jones), who was named after Lily St. Cyr. I get into these moods:-) Anyway, she is haughty, incredibly fastidious (spends all her time grooming), and has a beautiful long black coat, but remains very lithe and slim. Is it too cliche to say My Sin? If so, I would say un Lys.

  • Melissa says:

    Stunning kitty! We are dog people but our Shiba Inu has the temperament of a “cat-dog”, slinking quietly around the house and appearing at your feet for a scratch between the ears. She could only wear something so regal as Shiseido White Rose. In fact, she loves perfume and sample vials must be guarded carefully, as she has a tendency to hide them around the house. Anything smelling of perfume is likely to end up in one of her hiding places. The Yorkie, Lance, has a typical terrier temperament. Tiny little guy with excessive energy and a bossy, but loving personality. He would wear something courageous, loud and not a bit timid! Too many options to name!

    • Billy D says:

      When I was a kid, I was obsessed with getting a Shiba Inu. First, I loved the name. Second, we saw one in one of those horrible mall pet stores with the cubby hole living quarters that makes me sick. But then I didn’t know any better. We actually took him out to play and he was so much fun. You are making me envious now that you say they have cat-like personalities. Hmm…

      BF wants a borzoi (he likes the idea that only the Russian aristocracy were allowed to own them for a long time), I’ve always wanted a corgi though.

    • Patty says:

      I have a friend with a Shiba, and they are just the coolest dogs. I need to get another dog so Buddy stops thinking he’s a cat or a person and gets a little more acclimated to being a canine, and it’s probably a bulldog, but I’ve really thought about a Shiba too.

  • Divalano says:

    I love T Rex, he’s fabulous. He is my new crush, paws down! So sorry to hear about your pup, it’s awful having ailing furry kids, but gotta say, I’m moving to your town because around here a $300 vet bill means you walked in the door, ran a couple of blood tests. No one bats an eye.

    OK so eau de kitty in my house:
    I got the bright idea last year to give my cats kitty cod liver oil. This would make shiny coats & bright eyes & build strong bodies 12 ways. I pour said miracle elixir into a spoon & offer it to Nikolai. Niko takes a tentative little sniff & then immediately, so fast I couldn’t withdraw the spoon, rubs his head & ears in it. He was Eau de Fish Stank for weeks. Humans didn’t like it but we figure he fancied himself wearing the epitome of feline niche scent.

    Miss Bratzy would probably wear Bandit for the most part, except when she’s in her pet me nowwwwwwwwww moods, then she’s probably more of a Fracas girl.

    • Debbie says:

      =))

    • Patty says:

      Really, that much? I thought this was horrible, and it included xrays and two shots and a really thorough exam.

      • Francesca says:

        Huh. I heard that in New York, where I live, it costs more to do a C-section on a cat than it does on a woman. This may be an urban legend, but having gone through two bouts of canine congestive heart failure at the Animal Medical Center, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched.

      • Divalano says:

        Bratzy has kidney issues & gets exam, urinalysis & bloods run twice yearly. It costs around $250 each go. Last time the vet suggested an ultrasound as an elective additional … I was all for it until I found out it would be around $500. Seriously. NYC.

  • Elle says:

    Oh, I adore hirsute children beyond words! And my heart just breaks for Buddy! So glad he’s on the mend! Sending him huge cyber hugs and kisses. Rex is beautiful and sounds like a blast! We lost my beloved canine child last year and I didn’t know if I could ever recover (still in deep mourning and may always be) and get another child, but we did this spring. Got a Maltese we named Bubba (to balance out the frou frouness of his size and breed), but he’s called Bubbachka most of the time. He shares Rex’s exuberantly destructive tendencies and I think he’s got hopes of getting on the Olympic high jump team. If he wore scent, I think it would be Dinner by Bobo – quirky, fun, foody. Yep, that’s what he’d choose. Oh, and I need to look into that litter box you mentioned. We’re training him to only use the bathroom indoors in a litter box (easier for traveling w/ him and for inclement weather) and that sounds amazing.

    • Patty says:

      the litter box is amazing. Only one word of warning, make sure to check the drain after the cleaning company has been here to clean. They took the drain out, and it went all over the bathroom floor. Really nasty.

      Other than that, it is perfection, I never think about the catbox for Rex, it’s just magically clean all the time. Now, I just need to get the big chicken Boo to using it. Makes cleaning his box more of a chore!

      I think we never get over the pets we have been loved by. I still mourn all of my little friends that have accompanied me in life. They’ve all made my life so much richer.

  • Louise says:

    My, Rex, what large ears you have :d/ What a stunning kitty!

    I’ve only owned one cat in my life, Leon, but what a full-on alpha he was; he had my mum cowed. Every morning, he would hide atop the fridge, and ambush her, slowly scraping his way down her back to remind her who was boss 🙂 I suppose he would have worn Brut well.

    Needless to say, he “retired” early to a friend’s farm, where he became a champion mouser, and full-on stud cat. I miss him still. We had many dogs in the house growing up, and I desperately feel the need for a dog-bud, but can’t manage it in my current condo arrangement. But the day will come for a pound pup and me 😉

    Best wishes for Buddy’s speedy recovery 😡

    • Patty says:

      He is stunning,and his face is growing into his ears slowly.

      I would be so sad without my pets. They just alway sknow when to curl up next to me to keep me warm.

      I can’t wait until you can get your pup one day!

  • chayaruchama says:

    PETS !
    Now, there’s something I love….

    Poor Bud- I was thinking about him on Sunday.Kisses to him !
    I love your kit- gorgeous.

    Matt- I hate to tell you this, but Dougie would be mine. Yes, they all succumb to me, sooner or later.
    I managed to collect 7 dogs when I lived in the country- and most of them started out belonging to very nice folk- but they refused to STAY with them, lol.
    Be forewarned !!!

    Bryan- a Samoyed !
    NOW I know how I’ll recognize you- you’ll be the guy covered in long white hair !
    How marvellous…

    I’ve had guinea pigs for the last few years- with a nurse’s schedule and a small flat, it works best.
    They smell like Bois Blond marries SMN Muschio- the timothy hay makes their lil’ bellies smell wonderful.

    But Miss Bitsy Biatch [aka Ninotchka] is SUCH a quixotic, moody girl- but she would wear Miss Balmain extrait.
    She’s as smooth as silk, tri-colored [black, fawn, and vanilla].
    Pamina, who’s a copper/ vanilla smooth coat- is a Chypre kind of girl- soft, woody, a bit timid, but loving.

    I still grieve for my all-black Brunnhilde, who loved only me; she would curl between my breasts, around my neck, and sleep on my pillow.
    She actually adored my perfumes, and smelled like FdB, Mitsouko.
    My sons would pick her up and smell her..” She smells JUST LIKE MAMA !”

    I’m such a pet fool.
    I considered it the HIGHEST compliment when a neighbor declared, “Jenny knows where you live !
    She can smell you…when we walk by your house, she stops in front of it, and I have to drag her down the street”…

    I was chuffed.

    • MattS says:

      Ahhh, love, if anyone could break through Dougie’s stony exterior, it would be you, my pet. Perhaps that’s what he needs, summer camp with Auntie Ida to get him into shape!

      Now Miss Ninotchka, she sounds like a creature after my own heart. Perhaps we share an inner Garbo…

    • Patty says:

      Pets and perfume… they just go together somehow. 🙂

  • Anne says:

    I know how it feels to have a lab that won’t eat. Describing just how sick she was to family, all I had to say was Bailey (10 years old) wouldn’t eat dinner last night OR breakfast this morning! Now that is SICK. The cause – our mango tree is dropping fruit on the average of 10 a day. Most I rescue but some I miss. Seems Bailey and her cohort Babe (2 year old mix of something and something but looks like a miniature German Shepherd) had a feast. Yes, both my dogs LOVE mangoes. Bailey loves them so much she sometimes eats the pits. Yes, colon obstruction is where I am going. $$ vet bills and several days later the pit passes and she’s back to her normal self.

    So for Bailey there must be a mango note. Have you tried the Strange Invisible Perfumes Tropical Vial? Could be her HG.

    • Patty says:

      Yikes!!! Mangoes?!??! Yeah, noneating labbies are just devastatingly sad. Their faces are so…. distraught! Just putting food in front of them, just to have him turn away makes my maternal instincts go haywire. Lab.not.eating — doesnotcomputerdoesnotcompute.

  • rosarita says:

    Awww! I adore cats but my husband can’t stand them, he’s definitely a dog person. Now that we’re in our house, I’m trolling the adoption sites online. I’m hoping to adopt a beagle mix that’s at least a year old, in late fall after we get a fence up. We haven’t had a dog since we had to say goodbye to our golden retriever 8 yrs ago. He & my daughter grew up together and he lived to be 14, surviving heartworms, garbage eating, and the heartbreak of never catching one of those bunnies in the yard. He was an Old Spice kind of guy.

    • Patty says:

      Dogs really just sorta complete a family. They are so much trouble sometimes and not nearly as easy as a cat, but their undivided and unswerving devotion to their humans just makes me so overwhelmed.

  • MattS says:

    Awwww, man. What is it about pets that makes us get so goopy-eyed and sentimental? That Sarah McClachlan commercial with the hurt dogs and cats makes me tear up every time I see it. Your T.Rex is beautiful, which kinda excuses him for being such a destroyer.

    I hope Buddy starts feeling better soon; give him love and kisses from all of us. I’ve never had a vet give wine, nice touch, but I did have ours send flowers after our first Scottish terrier was put down with cancer. That was an unexpected kindness that was greatly appreciated.

    We now have Scottie #2, Dougie…stubborn, willful, hard-headed, hates most people except immediate family, otherwise, there’s barking and biting for everyone else (obviously, we don’t have a lot of company since Dougie came into our lives). He’ll beg and bother when there’s food around and ignore us the rest of the time. But every once in a while, when he sees fit, he’ll jump in your lap unexpectedly and honor you with a little love, deeming you suddenly fit to give him a back scratching. He’s a Yatagan kinda dog and we’re all his slaves.

    • Debbie says:

      Great dog!! Your choice of fragrance for him is perfect.

    • tmp00 says:

      I absolutely cannot bear watching that commercial- it just kills me!:((

      • MattS says:

        I’m glad you said that, ‘cuz I do more than tear up; I start crying and have to turn the channel. It kills me too, sadly enough, more than images of humans suffering and I don’t know why that is. Bless the beasts and the children, I suppose.

        • tmp00 says:

          It makes me change channel at the speed of sound- those heartbreaking puppy eyes! Can’t bear it…

          • Existentialist says:

            Yes, I kinda wish they would stop running it (we lost our dog last winter and it is still hard… and sorry, I can’t think what perfume would have suited him. Something for a big, lovable doofus).

    • Patty says:

      Wow, the flowers are a nice touch at a time when too few people realize how much that can hurt. Wine works, though. 🙂

      I can’t watch that commercial. It was on a lot this last weekend on the channel doing the Harry Potter marathon, and I would just choke up every time it came on. It kills.

      • Musette says:

        Ours gave donations to the Anti-Cruelty folks in each of my darlings’ names. I don’t keep a lot of memorabilia but I keep those cards. Such a thoughtful gesture. Heck, any gesture that recognizes how important our furred ones are to us is thoughtful, IMO.

        xoxo

  • Bryan says:

    Patty,
    Beautiful kittykat. I am pulling for your labbie. I am sure all will be well. Please email me some info on the toyger….I have had bengals and loved them, but they are sooooo shy. I am in the market for a kitten (or adult for that matter). I was thinking Egyptian Mau perhaps….didn’t know about your toyger, though.
    My bf and I have (she was really his when we met eight years ago) a Samoyed….she’s gorgeous…looks like an arctic wolf…with an Alpha personality to boot. She is a Mitsouko or No. 5 kind of empress. She is a queen.
    Love you.:d

    • Cathleen says:

      Bryan, we have a 15 year old American Eskimo (looks like a half sized Samoyed) female named Cicely. She is quite an enchantress, with a beautiful bright white coat that makes her look like she’s wearing a very expensive fur coat. She has a sashay that Marilyn Monroe would stop and watch. She attracts attention wherever she goes. She, too, is an alpha, although her reign in our household is mostly benign, except at dinner time! I think she would wear Shalimar, but she mostly smells like my husband’s aftershave, since she allows him to pick her up for a hug. We love her as much as she demands to be loved.

    • Patty says:

      You would love a Toyger, Bryan. They are just uniquely crazy. I’ve loved having Abssynians in the past, but their individual bonding thing was hard, where Toygers are pretty much sluts. Whoever is scritching/playing with them is their new BFF.

      Buddy is eating today and not throwing up, so that’s good! He also has diarrhea — boo!!!! I swear, he’s just a mess right now. I just want him back to my normal, bounding bundle of joy.

  • carmencanada says:

    Patty, that Rex is *such* a little beauty! As you know, I’m a recent cat mommy myself — after my beautiful half-Siamese Kiki had to be put to sleep at 18… Little Jicky is pure round-head Siamese sealpoint, a tireless demoness kitten, a little monkey who’s enslaved the household. But I think Bandit would suit her just fine too — in fact, if she’d been a male (Bandit is a masculine noun), that’s what she would have been called, definitely.

    • Debbie says:

      I love those meezers! I grew up with a couple of them. I’ve been a fostermom for Siamese Rescue, and I am still signed up as a Meezer Express volunteer if any should need to come through Ohio. We haven’t had many transports, lately though. Because of gas, they are trying to adopt out to people closer to the cats, and we only have *one* foster in our state. Sniffle.

    • Patty says:

      I wanna see snaps! We should make a pet photo board for ya’ll to post pet/perfume pictures on. 🙂

  • T. Rex is fabulous, regal, perfect. We have a striper like that, Tunuki, who, when we got him as an abandoned adult, only had three stripes, and one of them was a bone,he was that thin. He ate himself into cheery satisfaction, and we have to buy him a few more stripes every month, now that he weighs 19 pounds. He got deathly ill a month ago–same thing your lab had. Cost $1,000. Did not get wine. Hummph. Tunuki would wear whatever made you happy. He’s a placid boy.

    Aretha, however, is not placid. We took her in as feral, and it took five years to get her to get over it. She’s a black long hair, except she’s really mostly espresso colored when you see her in the sun. She now sleeps on the headboard and demands to be brushed because she is beautiful. She would wear Serge Noir by Serge Lutens, but it won’t be an import. Aretha doesn’t care.

    Buster is a tuxedo cat who thinks he is a dog. He begs at the table, fetches a ball, and seriously believes the world is there to rub his tummy. He caught what Tunuki had and we didn’t get any wine for him, either. He hates perfume of any kind, and when I spritz it on, he smacks me in the ankle.

    One month from today, they will be picked up by the cat transport people who will move them via climate controlled, pressurized transport plane to Arizona, the day before I get there. I have to pick them up at another vet. (Bet there’s no wine there, either.) Commercial flights won’t take cats to AZ in the summer. Too hot. These guys are flying Fed-Ex, at a price that would allow two humans to fly a round trip.

    And we are forking it over. For three stray cats. I amaze myself.

    • Debbie says:

      You are such a good catmom! I was delighted to read of your three. I could imagine Aretha wearing SL’s Vetiver Oriental. I have to smile at Buster’s “take that” reaction to getting spritz. Who hasn’t felt like that when they’ve been spritzed against their wishes? 🙂

    • Patty says:

      What a happy furry family you have! Transporting pets is so grueling. I cringe at ever having to transport Boo any distance, he yowls like you are killing him, and we can barely do the 6 blocks to the vet.

      • All three of ours yell nonstop, which is why they aren’t going in the van (my husband is driving, we are moving ourselves) for four days straight, we are paying to have them shipped. They can harmonize to their content!

  • Debbie says:

    Rex is so beautiful!! I feel so sorry for Buddy, and I am glad that there wasn’t anything seriously wrong. But….who in vetland gives a bottle of wine as a thank-you gift? You’re kidding, right? I’d be happy to get liquid, all right, but more to the tune of Frontline Plus for Cats.

    We have seven of the furry little monsters. It is extremely sad here these last three days, however, because our oldest cat was just diagnosed with lymphoma. He is 22 y/o, very unique, and very loved. Another cat is 14 y/o….I hope he stays with us long as Sonny the Ancient. Here is a list of their fragrances:

    SONNY, 22 y/o yellowcat – Eau de Tuna Jus. He says it’s that or nothing.
    TWEAKERS, 14 y/o Maine Coon – NM Dark Season
    GANDOLPH – 11 y/o smooth blue-grey tuxedo – Apres L’Ondee because he is a gentle cat and that fragrance is a blue-grey fragrance.
    FRODO – 10 y/o solid black, Asian-build cat – Bulgari Black. Besides the color, he’s kind of quirky like BB.
    VARDA – 7 y/o beautiful Maine Coon mix female – I need help picking her fragrance. She is seductive, stunningly beautiful, shy, playful with the following cat.
    BILBO – 7 y/o swirled grey tabbie – Botrytis, because he is that sweet
    BUDDY – 5 y/o yellow tuxedo tabbie – Dzongha. He wants to smell of alcohol. He is the imbiber who is a little too friendly with everyone at the party.

    Sorry you asked, aren’t you? OT, but I am really looking forward to the Top 25 list winners.

    • MattS says:

      Ooooh, Debbie, it sounds like your Gandolph could steal my heart!

      • Debbie says:

        Thank you, Matt. He very well could. He makes the most beautiful meow’s of any cat I’ve ever heard. Just dulcet. And he also has an interesting “brrrt” noise he makes to let you know he’s there.

        • MattS says:

          He sounds enchanting and I’m a dog person who has, over the last year or so, developed a new-found appreciation for cats.

    • Patty says:

      What a household! Yup, wine, it’s just a thank you gift for new customers. I actually thought it was pretty sweet, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy drinking it!