Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!

Yesterday we had a terrifying Summer Reading Finale program here at the Library! I knew that Coyote Chris from Silly Safaris was going to be here, and I knew that there would be an International Food Tasting after the show, but I was NOT told about all the weird and vicious creatures that would be inside my library! The program was Animals with "Tales" from around the World.

Here are the animals he brought in order of horribleness (least to most), as determined by me: a tree frog, a turtle named Shelby, a fuzzy rabbit, a skunk (it was destinktified), a coatimundi, a Madagascar hissing Cockroach (the horrors!), a snake as thick as a well-fed cat belly, a baby (or at least SMALL) alligator, and a potentially cat-eating Owl of Doom.

Here is the Owl of Doom, probably convinced it sees a handsome, tasty, ginger Mancat in the hallway:


The children (and grown-ups!) really enjoyed the program. Coyote Chris told all sorts of stories and interesting facts about each of the creatures, and the children even got to pet some of the less-horrible ones. I think the children were very Brave to be in a room with some of those animals.

After the program, and after all of the people washed their hands, we had the International Food Tasting.


The Staff was very eager to help with the eating serving of all of the different foods. (From this picture you cannot tell it. For some reason, the staff hides from camera-pictures. If we ever need to evacuate the building, we'll send AAB Photographer around to point the camera at people.) Some Mommies and Volunteers helped as well. Visitors got to try Coconut Macaroons, ANZAC Biscuits, Sweet Scones, homemade Ginger Ale, Mealie Meal Bread, Pasta Guayabe con Queso, Tacos, Puerto Rican Rice with Chicken, Sweet Potato Fries, Chinese Fried Rice, Asian Snack Mix, Thai Candle Cookies, and Hummus. Much of the food was declared Quite Yummy by the tasters, although the smaller tasters had no qualms emitting "yucks" and "ewwws" when they found things not to their liking.

No one brought me anything to eat, and I was exhausted from all the working.


Maybe the owl sensed that I was a tired, weak, underfed kitty and decided that it should settle for whatever Coyote Chris feeds it, instead? Hmmmm.

I am happy to report that the unauthorized (by me) animals left promptly after the program, and I am now the only non-human living in the Library. Which is how it should be.

Star of a One-Mancat Show,

Tober

The Mean Staff Diet

I have heard my staff muttering the most alarming things lately. I keep hearing words like "supper" and "dry food only" and "treats" and "he'll be okay" and, most importantly, "No More Soft Food."

No More Soft Food.

This is getting out of hand. They think that they can deny me my daily doses of Stinky Goodness because I don't eat it at it too much. I just like the gravy. But still, I like the routine--knowing that they will drop whatever they're doing and run to the grocery store. . . how they apologize and give extra Catnip when AAB Breakfast-Giver Becki is out and they do the usual bang-up job of FORGETTING to FEED ME. . . how the smell of my squishy food invigorates my nose and whiskers after a good seven-hour nap!

What am I supposed to do with these people? I'd fire them all, but I suspect they'd come back because they wouldn't have anything better to do. Oooh, AAB Christine said that was a Rotten thing to say. Well, it's Rotten to starve a Poor Defenseless (no thumbs!) Little Orange Cat and change his routine without asking permission!

You know what else is Rotten?

My pepper from my gracious West Lafayette friends. AAB Britta discovered some fur growing on the underside of it (in the broken part) last week, so we took one last photo together. They even wrapped it in paper towel so AAB Ritchie wouldn't fish it out of the trash like he kept doing with Little Green Pepper.


If I'd know they were going to take my suppers and breakfasts Away, I'd have saved Pepper for a snack.

Wasting away at the hands of my Treacherous Staff,

Tober the (skinny) Cat