Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everybody!

I am very lucky and glad to have all of you for faithful readers. I enjoy reading the posts of my blogging friends and getting to know all of the great people, kitties, woofies, bunnies, horses, and other critters that post about their exciting lives!

Here is a picture of me with my Very Own Christmas Tree. I'm snoopervising the Carnegie part of the library since AB Karen was busy at the desk and AAB Photographer was busy capturing my handsomeness.


I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a Happy and Safe New Year!

That means no eating tinsel! Wrapping paper is okay in small doses! (Ribbon is not.)

Purrs,

Tober

PS I need to send a very special headbump to my very special girlcat, Ziva Zophia!

Christmas Party & Stuff

Here I am!

Again, the AAB Blog Helper is claiming "busyness"--which we all know is actually "busy taking care of leftover Christmas Party Cookies"--a job at which she excels.

Once again, I was safely snugged up in my office while the Library was invaded by 250+ people. Children got to visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, and the magical Marc Lehmann performed for folks waiting in line or having snacks. Very unique snowflake crafts were made, and downstairs Jingle John from Silly Safaris did animal shows at 6:30 and 7:30.

Wow. Those animals left behind a stink in my meeting rooms.

Here is a picture of the Big-Eared Ratdog:


Oh. Wait.

It's "official" name is a fennec fox. (I like Big-Eared Ratdog better--more descriptive.) Anyhoo, it is very small and cute and AAB Blog Helper touched it and said it could use a bath. But that was AFTER all the AAWWWWWing and squeeing that went on.

Jingle John also brought a bullfrog. I wouldn't want to meet this guy in a dark alley, would you?


Whatever you do, don't biggify. That only makes it scarier! I'm proud that my Christmas Partiers were brave enough to face that fearsome beastie.

Oh, and we also had Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. I thought they'd be good for snack, but it was determined that we should treat them as honored Guests (not for chasing or eating):


Of course, the reindeer was the Big Hit of the night. Her name was Fruitcake, and she very obligingly pooped during BOTH Silly Safaris shows, much to the delight of her fans.

Here she is. . .


. . . WAIT A MINUTE! What is Fruitcake doing off the Tarp? She is supposed to be ON the Tarp!

Whew. Luckily for AAB Ritchie, Fruitcake pooped on the Tarp like a good Guest.

The Christmas Party was deemed a Big Success! (If anyone needs any candy canes, we have them ALL.)

In other news, feet and legs were found sticking out of our ceiling this morning:


In addition to all of the holiday goings-on, I have been very busy Continuing my education. This is very important if you're going to be in the Library business. I have encouraged AB Karen to participate with me. (AAB Barb is participating, too, but Photographer only got her paw in the shot.)


Notice how I am watching the screen very attentively while Karen doodles smiley-faces on her paper. (She said she was taking notes. Huh.)

Okay, back to snoopervising the Christmas goodies. . .

Headbutts,

Tober

Do You See What I See?

Well, it's been a rough few days here at my Library, friends!

As you all know, Christmas is coming. That means three (3) things here at TPL:

1. Trees. Everywhere!

2. My stocking is hung by the chimney with care!

3. "Surprises" in the litter box. (Sorry AAB Cathie.)

I think my staff is watching the placement of Christmas bows a little better this year, since I'm such a bow-hunting master!

I kind of like Christmas decorating, especially at night after the staff leaves and I can inspect their handiwork. What I don't like is the Chaos that ensues on the day after Thanksgiving (Christmas Decoration Day). All of the stuff getting moved around, the staff not staying in their assigned seats, the treats sitting, forgotten, in desk drawers. . .

You're lucky to be reading this post.

BUT! A momentous and wonderful thing happened this year:


Did you see what I see?

Click the picture and biggify it!

That's right! I've got my Very Own Tree! It is decorated with Cat Toys Feline Training Devices, and lights, and garland! AAB Britta made it special Just For Me, and put it in the Young Adult Room so that everyone could admire it.

Dear Santa, I will try my very best NOT to eat the garland.

Speaking of Santa--Santa and his lovely wife, Mrs., will be here on Monday night to visit with any children (and hopefully Boss Cats) who would like to see him (and ask for special Christmas treats). Christmas is Snow Much Fun at the Library! We will also have an animal show presented by Silly Safaris (yes, they're letting that stinky really cool reindeer back in my Library again). And we have magician Marc Lehmann entertaining visitors of all ages, and snacks, and some snowflake-themed crafts for the little ones!

I will be Hiding in my Office for most of this, because Library Cats and over TWO HUNDRED (200!) people at one time! is a bit terrifying!

Since we have a Snow-Themed Christmas Party, I decided to check out the decorations:


The staff was all excited because I got Glitter on me. (AAB Ritchie especially loves it when Glitter gets in the carpet.) I was tormented by AAB Photographer's attempt to photograph Glitter on my furs.

If you look really closely in this picture you can see Glitter:


If you look really closely in this picture you can More Glitter (and a Pink Horsey):


If you look really closely in this picture you can see Irritation:


Thankfully the photographer remembered to turn the flash off for once.

Loving my special Tree-t,

Tober

A Perfect Specimen of Cathood

I started blogging this blog post ELEVEN (11) DAYS AGO.

Never mind. I started blogging this blog post THIRTEEN (13) DAYS AGO.

So you will notice a change in tone. . . from crabby NEGLECTED library Boss Cat to crabby SORE poked and prodded evil v-e-t experiment. AAB Blog Helper promises that she will never Neglect me and this Very Important Blog (V.I.B.) ever again and has tearfully cancelled her Thanksgiving plans.

Here you have the recap of my Horriblefying Experience at the my annual checkup:

I don't know why they even bother taking me to the V-E-T anymore. I eat well, I use my box in an acceptable manner, I drink lots of waters, and I get plenty of rest. I don't have any lumps, bumps, or lacerations, and my Assistants smear that awful Flea-stuff on me once a month without fail.

I don't cough or sneeze or urp too much (except for Hairballs, which makes me feel like a Million Bucks afterward), and I have nice clean ears and bright eyes and strong Heart.

So why do we have to visit Thorntown Veterinary Clinic every year???

I think AB Karen and AAB Christine just like going on a Field Trip.

I must say I get V.I.P. treatment when I arrive at the Clinic. I am whisked away into a room where they check to see whether I've gotten heavy from the many, many treats I receive as a Beloved Library Cat:


Guess what? 10.06 pounds of Feline Purrfection!

BRING ON THE TREATS, PEOPLE!!!

Then AB Karen holds me while we wait for Dr. Jon, the poker-prodder-needle-sticker, to come in and try to make nice with me.

Here she is lying and telling me everything will be okay:


See my face? I know what's going on here. Things are going to get personal.

Then Dr. Jon comes in. He's all smiles, 'cause I don't guess it's everyday a big Library/Internet Celebrity visits his V-E-T Torture Chamber Clinic. I don't smile or purr or headbutt him even one time.


Here we are later in the examination. Please note how my right paw is very near the edge of the exam table. Kitties, if you can grab the edge of that table, you are only one more paw away from freedom!


Here Dr. Jon is using the V-E-T version of the Vulcan Death Grip in order to keep me manageable. He is, as usual, in Awe of my awesome Mancatliness, and very relieved that I don't have front toenails.


After that things get really bad:


And then they get worse:


See the paw!?!? Almost free! But Dr. Jon meant business, and he had my Assistants and his Helper guarding the door, so I eventually succumbed to the vaccinations, even the most Horriblest one that makes that terrible POP!

I have been declared Healthy for the next One Whole Year. My AB and AAB insist that Dr. Jon was very gentle with me and that the people at the Thorntown Veterinary Clinic are a great group of caring professionals. (Whatever. I saw them all smiling and laughing while I was suffering terrible indignities.)

No, really, they're great!

Waiting for my bribes treats, and

Purrfectly yours,

Tober

Poster Contest Winners!!!

Well, everybody. . . my Poster Contest is over! Unfortunately, my AAB Blog Helper has been less-than-dependable (as usual) in getting anything posted in a timely manner. Plus they distracted me with a dreadful V-E-T visit last Friday (you'll hear ALL about that in another post). So I'm finally getting around to posting the winners!

Better late than never, right?

Anyhow, on November 3, my staff and I voted for winning posters submitted to my Poster Contest. Let me tell you, Friends, it was a very hard decision, and I'm glad I had my staff to help me out! I'm lucky to have so many talented library customers and blogging friends who took the time to celebrate my Awesomeness!

Without further ado, here are the BIG WINNERS from the contest!

The Big Winner in the Gr. K-2 Category:


I think the artist has perfectly captured my vibrant fur-coloring, don't you? Voters also liked the fun border on the construction paper. Thank you Fayth!

The Big Winner in the Gr. 3-6 Category:


This one features colored construction paper on a plain paper background, and the drawing is done with crayon. My staff really like the somewhat-disgruntled expression on my face. Good job, Krisha!

The Big Winner in the Gr 7-12 Category:


This one is a real-for-real painting, friends! How cool is that? In real life it's even bigger and brighter! Alec did great, didn't he?

The Big Winner in the Adult Category:


Check out my Halo!!! It's shiny on the poster, even if you can't see it in the scan. I don't know what that "almost" is about, though. Maybe someone vandalized the poster before it was submitted. . . ? Thanks for the great poster, Kathleen!

And the Big Winner for the Blogging Friends Category:


Jan the the Funny Farmers did a great job of illustrating the many hats I wear as a Boss Library Cat. And my staff really like the clown hat, probably because they would NEVER be allowed to do such a thing to me in real life!

Those were all of the Big Winners, but all of the entries were excellent! Here they are, in no particular order:

This one is by my friend Cherakee. As you can see, she shows what an purrfect Greeter I am here at the library.


This one was from my Special Girlcat, Ali Zophia. She wrote me an awesome poem in honor of my Finding Day--she must like me a LOT!


This wonderful work of art is by my friend Bailey. Look at all of the beautiful colors she used--and she even sneaked an Evergreen Indiana library card in there, too!


This next artist imagined me as a Rock Star (which I am, kinda). I'm thinking we need to start an annual Toberfest in the spring, since we don't get to celebrate my Finding Month until Fall. Thanks Corey!


This one is by my friend Ellie's son, Miguel. I look especially fancy with all of those stars, don't I? And I'm thinking being a COSMIC Library Cat entitles me to even more treats!


Hanna did a really cool poster of me at the beach! Look how happy I am in the poster. Do you know why? Well, I think it must be all of the sunshine at the beach!


Here is a poster by my friend Tyler. This one show me going on a picnic--this sounds fun because it involves all sorts of treats! (At least they tell me you get treats at picnics.) Look at that tree, and all those bricks! That's a lot of drawing!



Lastly but not leastly, LuAnne made a nice poster celebrating the Specialness of all Cats (but me most of all, it being my poster contest)!


Whew! That was a lot of pictures! I hope you enjoy the wonderful entries as much as I did! I've decided that the pictures will be used on special bookmarks that my library staff will give out to my Library customers during the winter months--doesn't that sound fun?

Okay, my paws are sore from all the typing and scanning I've had to do, and AAB is grouching about needed to do "other" (but not more important) things.

Thanks for reading--and look for the Awful V-E-T visit recap later in the week!

Headbutts,

Tober

The Horrors!

Thanks everybody for the Happy Finding/Gotcha Day wishes! I'm super-excited that tomorrow is my Hire Date, and even super-duper-exciteder that I get to judge my Poster Contest tomorrow!

If you still have an entry you need to submit, you can email it to csterle at thorntown dot lib dot in dot us, and she'll be sure to print it out for the judging!

In my excitement about Finding Day and My Poster Contest and all of the extra treats and love that I get from everybody, I forgot.

I forgot that November is when the Little Orange Card of Doom shows up.

Yep, my invitation arrived in the mail.

I can't bear to look.


Strong, healthy, bright, alert, and responsive,

Tober

Happy 'Tocktober

Today is my friend Derby's birthday, and he requests that we celebrate 'Tocktober on his birthday by showing pictures of our 'tocks.

I usually miss out because I'm so exhausted from Finding Day--but this year AAB Blog Helper made a special note so I wouldn't forget:


I don't usually show my 'tocks on the Internet (at least I don't think I do!), so I hope I picked a good picture that meets Cat Blogging Standards:


Maybe next year I'll command the staff to celebrate 'Tocktober.

Oh. They say "No."

Happy 'Tocktober, everybody!

Tober

Hooray for Finding Day!

Today is the 3rd (third) Anniversary of my Finding Day! I know most of you call it Gotcha Day--same thing! Gotcha/Finding Day = Forever Home!

I was worried how my Finding Day would pan out after last week's fiasco. Luckily Not-Tober has not returned to my Library. No one has called to claim him, but his foster person will gladly give him a Forever Home if we don't hear anything soon.

So I guess it's okay that he used my Library.

I'm still not over the use of my litter pan, though. That was just rude.

Anyhow, today I have been a safe & sound FOUND cat for Three Whole Years. My AAB Karen knows a good cat when she sees one, and I'm glad she saw me!

On Monday I had my Very Own Special Storytime. My friend Michael read Splat the Cat to me. Splat the Cat is very worried about his first day of school. Of course, he has to go to school so he can learn things (maybe how to write blogs?), and the story tells all about how he coped with his first day.


Michael did an excellent job reading me the story, especially with all the hard words in it. I hope I get to have more Special Storytimes like that!

I commanded my Photographer to take a picture of my Poster Contest submissions. She listened for once!


Once November 2 is here, I will have one of my staff scan them and I'll post them on the blog so everybody can see how nice they all are! Don't forget to submit your entries! The winner will be announced on November 3--my Hire Date here at the Library.

I also got a Gotcha Day Card today!


Who knew they made Gotcha Day Cards? Especially with Handsome Orange Cats on them? Wow! Thanks Laila and Minchie!

Even when they do dumb things (like letting a strange cat Number One and Number Two in my box), I'm lucky to have such a Wonderful Staff and Bored Board here at my Library. Lots of animals don't have it so good. I'm also lucky to have such Great Blogging Friends and Library customers!

Of course, there is a price to pay for all of this Wonderfulness--even on my Finding Day. For some reason, Finding Day means I get chased around with the camera a LOT. Here I am frowning at Photographer. She has this obsession with my ears. She gets all upset when she thinks they are pointed the wrong way in a photo.


My ears are pointed appropriately forward (it makes AAB Photographer feel good when she thinks I give a hoot about her picture-taking), but I am Frowning just to spite her.

For those of you who requested a side-by-side of me and Not-Tober, here you go!


Now that you see us side-by-side, I bet you can see the differences. Not-Tober hasn't quite grown into his ears yet, and he's got a long long tail. I also have more face-white and Magnificent Whiskers.

I think I'm a much more Mature and Dignified cat. But I wish all the best to Not-Tober (as long as he stays out of my Library).

Okay, that's enough words in honor of my Finding Day!

Safe & Sound & Found,

Tober

PS I rehired the Fired staff because AAB Kathy was getting lonely without them.

Not-Tober

Okay, friends. . . I played a trick on you, and it worked! You'll see what I mean.

I'm not sure where to begin today's post. Well, they say a picture is worth a skid-load of Temptations:


In case you don't notice anything wrong, let me illustrate the situation:


CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS???

Yesterday's picture was all Wrong because it featured Not-Tober!

So, Friday this Evil Imposter Cat shows up at my Library. His accomplice was a man named Chester, and the story goes that Chester "found" this cat and wanted to "return" it to the library. MY library.

So everybody runs downstairs all upset because they think that I'm gone and back again. Which I'm not. I'm RIGHT NEXT TO AAB Kathy having a snooze.

And they let this Not-Tober in the library anyway! They call him "cute" and "sweet" and "adorable" and all of the other nice things that should be reserved for me. AB Karen thinks he belongs to one of our neighbors, so she calls to see if he does.

NO. He's a cute, sweet, adorable, LOST HOMELESS cat--which apparently made him even cuter, sweeter, and adorabler to (most of) my Disloyal Staff. (AAB Kathy B. did not waver in her Loyalty and Devotion to me for one moment.)

Accomplice Chester made up some story about having to go to work, and not being able to take the Evil Imposter out of the building until he is done with work. AB Karen got all Sad thinking that this cute, sweet, adorable, lost homeless Not-Tober would have to survive on the mean streets of Thorntown.

So she put him in my Office.

The one with my food and water and toys Feline Training Devices and toilet.


He used my toilet. He Number Oned AND Number Twoed in my super-awesome litter pan.

Then he trained with my Feline Training Devices,


sniffed my Catnip-scented floorspot,


ate MY treats off of MY desk,


and when he was all tired out from using all my stuff, he took a snooze in one of MY chairs.


Letting this Imposter into my Office isn't even the half of it. AAB Cathie visited him and petted him, and AAB Britta cuddled him, told him he was the cutest, and came back from lunch early to see him. AAB Christine spent her whole lunch hour entertaining him--and she has never once in the history of my Librarycatdomhood EVER spent her lunch hour with me!

Then they made "Found Cat" posters to hang up, and they let him help. Friends, he helped type his own "Found Cat" poster on the very keyboard I use to write this blog. AAB Becki hung them up around town.


This is my Finding Month, and my most Trusted Staff let this Not-Tober into my Library.


Here I am being Mad Mad Mad because this cute stupid cat is in my Office. I would say I hate him, but they tell me that is Not a Nice Word. So I really really don't like this new weird-smelling teenage cat One Bit and I want him to leave.

My whole Office stinks like cute, sweet, adorable, lost homeless cat. I made AAB Christine Lysol her desk. AAB Britta is out buying Febreze.

And Guess What?

His accomplice, Chester, stopped by right before closing, picked him up, and took him home. (Home = Not My Library) Chester will foster him until someone claims him; otherwise, he will keep him (out of my library, hopefully) Forever.

As a result of this Most Horrible 14th Day of my Finding Month, I have Fired AB Karen and AABs Christine, Britta, Ritchie (he played with it! and he's Allergic!), and sadly, Becki and Cathie. (Becki and Cathie are two of my Favorites; the others were hanging on by a thread.)

AAB Kathy, who spent the day with me and did not ONCE visit the Not-Tober, has been promoted to Chief Treat-Giver and Tummy-Rubber.

I am relieved to have my Library all to myself again, but it's going to be days before the Not-Tober stink clears out of here.

The One and Only,

Tober

Do you see what I see?

Blogging Friends,

There is something seriously wrong with the picture below. Do you know what it is?


One Disgruntled Boss Cat,

Tober