Cisco The Cat (2024)

02/09/2020

As Cisco’s human mom...this is a post I’ve been dreading to share, as I create the album of August photos of our beloved cat. On August 13th, Cisco went missing from our home and has not been spotted since. He was in bed with me at midnight the night before, but sometime in the night he went out and never showed up for breakfast the next day, as he always does. We have looked for him everywhere we can think in our area and posted flyers, notices online, checked shelters and have many of his local friends actively looking and keeping an eye out for him. We haven’t given up hope that he will return or be spotted by someone, but our hearts are very heavy with worry for him...and we miss him every minute of the day. He started the month recuperating from a blocked urinary tract and had finished a course of antibiotics, beginning a new diet that he was happy with, at the time he disappeared. If any of you have lost a cat like this, you understand the emotions we are feeling and no more words are necessary. Here are the last pictures we have of him from the early part of August...ending with the last photo I took of our beautiful boy Cisco, the day before he left us.

03/08/2020

Happy Birthday to me! I turned seven years old in July...and while there was no party ...I have to say that I celebrate just about every day ...living a great life with my humans who treat me pretty good. The heat is really on now...so you'll see me lying around a lot...trying to find some shade under a car..on a lawn chair in the shade....or on a wet dock after the rain. On rainy days...of which there are too many for my liking...I take refuge in the lanai...or sometimes catch a cat nap on a bed inside. When it's not too hot, I like to wander around down by the pond...stalking some rodents or lizards...or doing my Duck Patrol duties to make sure those birds don't even think of coming up on the shore while I'm around. As the month ended, I had a little problem peeing and had to be taken to the Animal ER to get unblocked...I had to stay at the hospital and the vets for a couple of night...it wasn't fun and I don't like to talk about it too much...but the last few pictures show me when I got home...all fixed up. I expect August to be a better month...with a new diet and some fancy new cat food...that I actually think is pretty good...so that's a bonus. These pictures will give you a good idea about my month...and despite they way it ended...life is good...and I expect August to be wonderful...the optimist that I am.

02/07/2020

Well...summer started officially in June...and the heat has really arrived here. I love it and being outside as much as possible...but it does slow me down some...looking for shady places to sleep...not spending too much energy. You'll see me down by the pond a lot...on the dock especially...where I can keep track of the ducks...or a passing egret...because I do take my Duck Patrol duties seriously...and can tell you...they don't often come ashore when I'm around. I also watch the bushes there closely...I've caught a rat or two as well...and expect to keep them in check. The rainy season will start soon...but we've only had a few days so far when I had to take my naps on a chair in the garage...watching the wet day through the door. All in all...living is easy ...here are some pictures to show it...

02/06/2020

May was a really great month around here. For one thing...I was feeling a lot better than last month...and then the weather is always pretty nice...before the dog days of summer set in ...and the rainy afternoons are normal. So, you’ll see pictures here of me outside a lot...finding wonderful places to sleep...clean myself...do my duck patrol duty along the shore...or just lie around on the patio...in the grass...in a chair...on the dock. I also did my best to scare rodents in the bushes...and I watched the fish and turtles from the boat on shore...whenever I was bored. All in all...life was very good in my hood. Take a look.

04/05/2020

April was a mixed bag for me...it started out kind of rough ...continuing my illness from the end of March but ended much better. After trips to the vet and lots of research online...I was.eventually diagnosed with feline herpes (they think) ....I was forced to stay inside for several days and nights...only allowed in the lanai by the pool with the pink flamingo...and given all kinds of medicine. I lost my appetite so I had to take an appetite stimulant which worked great. I eventually started to feel better and got my mojo back for the rest of the month...and good thing too because the weather was getting nice and warm, with just a few rainy days when I prefer to stay inside and dry...otherwise I love rolling around in the grass, lazing on the dock, napping on or under chairs, racing around once in a while...and generally just enjoying life with a new appreciated for good health. Here are a few pictures of my April days....

03/04/2020

March started off great for me...nice weather...lots of outdoor time...roaming around the hood...mostly just around the yard...down at the pond...up on the roof in the night...in the lanai sometimes...or sitting on the driveway watching the world go by....napping....romping...rolling around...life was good. I wish I could say it ended well...but as the month came to a close, I started to feel under the weather...an eye infection at first...and then a few more serious symptoms like a fever and just generally not feeling good. I know a trip to the vet or the Animal ER is for my own good...but I do not like those places much. As the next month begins...I’m still not feeling much better...but at least I know that cat’s can’t get Covid19 ...so I expect to get through this and feel better soon. Here are some pictures of my month...mostly happier days.

04/03/2020

So winter is pretty much on the way out around here...February is supposed to be the worst of it...but really...it was not bad at all and I spent most days outside. My duck patrol job took up a lot of time...keeping an eye on those ducks and making sure they didn’t come up on the shore when I could. I have a feeling they sneak up when I’m not around...but they know they are safe from me while they are in the water...that’s one place I won’t go. There were a few changes around the yard...an old fence came down and I got a sneak peak into the neighbour's yard before a new fence went up...thankfully...because three dogs live over there! A couple of rainy days I had to stay in the lanai...and most nights I was inside on a nice warm bed. All in all...February could have been worse...and as March begins...I can see those lazy, hazy, crazy days on the way.

01/02/2020

What a busy month January was for me...I was feeling pretty good and stayed outdoors a lot with mostly nice warm days...though night time sleeping inside is proving to be a lot better than I used to think it was...and of course any cold days, I’m not adverse to finding a warm bedroom to curl up in. I spend time down by the pond...where the ducks are fascinating...and easily scared, I’ve discovered. I also go up on the roof and sometimes the screens over the lanai...where I’m technically not supposed to go...but it’s impossible to stop me ...so.... I am drawn to anything that moves! Here are some pictures of my month in review... you’ll get the idea.

03/01/2020

So...2019 has ended and a new decade has begun....and December was a pretty exciting month really...a little sad to see the year end. The weather was quite nice most of the month...not too hot and not too cold...and I spent quite a bit of time outside...hanging around the yard...down by the pond on the dock...a favourite place to watch the ducks...or maybe with my human in her hammock. When things were a little iffy outside...I can always go up on the roof...using the cars in the driveway as safe places to keep watch...and then when a tent went up in the yard...as it does every year at this time...I was able to get in there for a nap once in a while too. A morning nap in the house...on a comfy bed...is always an option when the days are cooler. And to end the month...there is the annual xmas festivities...and I can always look forward to a few new catnip toys...and a sleep under the xmas tree when all the presents are gone from there...and the catnip high has worn off. I won’t talk about the last day of the year...New Year’s Eve is NOT my favourite day...those BOOMS in the dark are not fun! Here are some pictures to give you an idea of the happier moments of my month...

03/12/2019

November arrived and with it some cooler weather...so I spent quite a bit of time sleeping indoors...where there are any number of soft warm beds to have an undisturbed nap in. However, on sunny days, when it still felt a little bit more summery, I wandered around outside...often down by the pond where I could sit on the dock and watch the duck swimming around...or share the hammock swing ...or lay in a chair to watch the birds in the trees. If a car door was left open on the driveway...I could be found exploring inside...but mostly, I just enjoy rolling around anywhere the sun shines and I can absorb a little bit of warmth. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what my month was like...

03/11/2019

They tell me that October was the hottest one on record around here...so you won’t be surprised to find out that I did a lot of shade-seeking and took long afternoon naps outside wherever the sun wasn’t shining for most of the month. Afternoons down by the pond...in a chair or even in the grass were the best place to be...except on rainy days...then a chair in the garage with the door open so I could pretend I was outside was my preference. I did sleep inside a couple of times in the morning...but only if the night kept me more wide awake than normal. Here are a few pictures from around my yard this month....including a favourite spooky one of me...taken under the full moon while I was sitting on the roof in the dark...and another of me on Hallowe’en where I let a young trick or treater give me a pet...but just one.

31/10/2019

From my favourite night time hangout....

03/10/2019

It’s supposed to be the end of summer, but September didn’t feel much different from June, July or August...so my routine of finding a shady place sleep was not interrupted this past month. The rainy days are coming to an end though...I only had to sit in the garage and watch the rain a couple of times. Mostly, I spend mornings inside on a comfy bed but the rest of the day is either out in the front yard...on or under a car...sometimes the chair conveniently placed in front of the garage...or in the backyard in the grass, on the dock, or most likely in one of the chairs. I’m looking forward to the cooler days of fall...if they ever come...and just as long as they aren’t too cool. Here are a few pictures from my month...

04/09/2019

August was a pretty hot month...and when it wasn’t raining I was mostly looking for places to have my afternoon nap outside in the shade...on the dock, in the grass...or on a comfortable chair. Mornings you could often find me inside in a quiet bedroom...after a night outdoors...but besides looking for my meals...that’s the only time I like to be indoors. It did rain a bit too much for my liking...but luckily I have the lanai to keep dry in...and it’s kind of outside. Here are some pictures from my month...including a bunch from the day I made the big Live Oak in the front yard my personal jungle gym....a rare burst of energy for me in the summer.

06/08/2019

We’re into the Cat Days of Summer now...and as a normally heat loving feline...I found July too hot to do much more than find a good place to stay out of the sun and sleep...or sometimes to stay out of the rain and sleep...because it’s also the rainy season. Fortunately, there are so many great spots for cat napping around here...or for just chilling. You can find me up on the roof before the sun comes up...or after it goes down...in the lanai when it’s too wet outside...on the dock when it’s shaded by the trees in the afternoon...on any one of several comfortable chairs by the pond...sometimes in the boat, as long as it isn’t about to float on the water...or maybe just sitting in the grass, hoping that the thunder stops...or distracted by squirrels, birds and lizards. You won’t see any pictures of me hiding in the house under the bed on the July 4th holiday when the fireworks started ...as I do every year...we don’t talk about that horror...best to forget it as fast as I can. I should also mention that I turned 6 years old in July...and we also had some visitors in July...so I got some extra pets and cuddles...which I tolerate ...because humans like that kind of thing. Here are some pictures from my monthly scrapbook this past month.

03/07/2019

OK...I’m just going to admit it...almost all the pictures you’re going to see of me in June show me sleeping...or napping...or resting...or just lying there doing nothing. I do that better than just about anything and I know that some of you secretly wish you were me. In a couple of pictures, I could be seen walking to a sleeping place...slowly. When it’s hot outside...and yes...it’s been very hot outside...this cat doesn’t expend any more energy than absolutely necessary....and neither would you if you were wearing a fur coat in a Florida summer. Enjoy the photos...and try not to be too jealous...

05/06/2019

May is definitely the start of summer here in Florida...and it just gets hotter when summer really arrives...so I was getting a lot of practice in finding shady places to sleep...and figuring out the best stretched out postures to keep as cool as possible. Before the summer ends, I’ll be an expert. I stay outdoors almost all the time now...the rainy season hasn’t started so most days are dry still. The dock is a favourite place to sit and watch the world (and ducks) go by in the late afternoon shade...and the empty boat on shore makes a good lookout too. The chairs are still my go-to beds though...some days I like the purple one...other days the turquoise one...I’m not too fussy. You can find me in the grass once in a while... and before I head inside for a bite to eat, I like to stretch out on the concrete patio if the sun isn’t shining on it. And...very rarely...if I’ve had a good sleep...I get a wee bit of exercise by chasing a squirrel that comes enough to tempt me. I never catch them though...thankfully...not sure what I would do with one. Here is roundup of pictures from my life in the month of May...

05/05/2019

April is really the start of summer here in Florida...and so I begin to spend a lot of time sleeping outdoors...as long as it isn’t raining....and despite the verse about April showers...the rainy season hasn’t even started here yet...so it’s mostly good. We had more company and so I got lots of attention ...which I never complain about. Here are some pictures to show you what I was up to last month.

10/04/2019

Looking back on the month of March, you can see that I’ve been enjoying the outdoors more than usual since the weather has been quite nice...with only a few cold days here and there. I’ve had time to spend napping on the dock or on a chair or the grass near the pond...a nice quite place for catnaps. The only thing that has spoiled my month somewhat is that night times are not so great...a raccoon has been roaming around the yard...looking for food ...and I’ve either had to escape through my cat door into the house (hoping he won’t follow me)...or spend more time up on the roof of a car in the driveway ...or up on the roof of the house...my safe spaces. I’ve been staying close to home, needless to say, and indoor sleeps are always a good option....nothing like a warm bed to stretch out on without a worry. Here are some pictures to give you an idea of my days last month. And BTW...I'm just yawning in the last two pictures...I'm really not a fierce beast! ;)

05/03/2019

They said it was still winter, but February was a pretty nice month around here and there were only a couple of days when I had to stay inside because of the rain...which I don’t like at all! My favourite place to hang out is always down by the pond, where I can watch the ducks swimming and the squirrels running around...between naps on the dock or sitting in the boat by the shore. Nice grass down there too...for both sleeping in...and tasting....a cat needs a little green in his diet sometimes. I also wander around in the lanai when there are interesting things to check out there after I’ve been inside eating. And although I prefer the great outdoors, lately I’ve been sleeping indoors at night...after getting a bit of a fright from a raccoon that seems to like passing through our yard after dark....I don’t want to tangle with her....and anyway... there is always a nice warm, comfortable bed waiting for me inside...I finally figured out. Here are a few pictures of my life this past month.

05/02/2019

January is Florida isn’t as bad as it was in NYS where I was born...most days I can be outside for at least part of the day...though I’ve been getting used to a warm bed or chair inside when it’s really cold. Here are a few pictures of my activity...or lack of it...this past month.

06/01/2019

December is an interesting month...it started off like any other month...some nice warm days that I could spend outside...a few colder ones when I found a warm bed inside...and then visitors started arriving...and a tent went up outside...which I love and wish would stay all year round. By the last week of the month...there was a lot of activity here...lots of people to get pets from...indoor celebrations...that included new catnip for me...and generally a pleasant enough disruption of my usual laid back life in Dunedin. Here are some of the photos from my last days of 2018....

02/12/2018

You could say that this past month of November was one in which I found some new and creative places to sleep. Because there were some really cold days, and because I’m getting smarter as I get older, I found that napping inside ...on a bed...or pile of soft blankets...is a pretty good alternative to cold, wet grass under bushes. When we had a nice mild day...and there were more than a few...I still preferred to be outside...maybe on the roof of a car...or in the kayak seat (as long as it wasn’t going somewhere on a trailer)...or even just resting on the front the step in the afternoon when the sun is shining brightly there. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what my busy life was like here recently.

10/11/2018

Well, summer is officially over and October was a little cooler but just enough so that I could comfortably nap outside...still looking for shady places though...like down by the pond...in a chair...or just stretched out on the grass. I also like to eat a little grass...and there are some tasty specimens along the shore of the pond...planted there just for me, I believe. Besides roaming around the back yard, I like to change it up once in a while...so a brief time in the hammock with my human...or on the dash of the Element when the doors are all open for loading...these are a couple of my infrequent cat napping places. And...when it’s wet outside...or if I just need a real, real, real comfortable sleep...I sometimes come inside...where there is a chair reserved just for me...or a spot on the end of a bed where I can stretch out...and conk out! Here are a few pictures of me this past month.

03/10/2018

September is supposed to be the end of summer and the beginning of fall...but in Florida, it seems like endless summer. And so...this past month...I spent a lot more time just trying not to exert myself too much. It rained a lot...so a few days and nights I was stuck inside...not that an air conditioned bedroom was all that bad...but if I have my way, I prefer to sleep under the stars...or at least under the bushes. When the weather was dry...I would flake out just about anywhere...in the grass, in the dirt, on the concrete, on a chair by the pond...as long as there was a little shade. I’m hoping that October is going to bring some cooler weather because my fur coat is not conducive to Florida living...or at least Florida playing, running, hunting, prowling. One more good thing that I need to point out is that a local artist...Debra Weible... painted a couple of pictures of me in September...from photos of yours truly taken in the past....and I will share those works of art here too, first. I think they are masterpieces!

06/09/2018

August in Florida is the hottest month...and it’s also the rainy season...so most of the time I was trying to stay in the shade...or stay dry....while I took my long morning, afternoon and early evening naps. So, if you were looking for me...I was probably....under a car...on a chair under the trees by the pond...in the dry and shady lanai...and most often in the kayak chair in the garage...if the door was open so I could look out. I did manage a to spend a little time out on the dock watching the ducks...or close by under the bushes...but usually it’s too wet or sunny down there. All in all, it was a challenging month for a cat that prefers to be out in nature... stretched out on the grass or anywhere under the sky. Looking forward to the fall....

18/08/2018

The most important thing that happened in July was that I turned five years old....other than that...it was hot and I slept a lot...especially in that kayak seat that someone left conveniently lying on the floor of the garage...in front of the open door...a safe bed with a view...what more could a cat want?

07/07/2018

Summertime is really here in Florida...in June we go from hot to hotter....and all a cat can do is find a shady place to nap....unless it’s raining...then you need a dry place too. Luckily, we have a nice screened lanai where I can grab any chair and curl up or stretch out for an undisturbed sleep when it’s too wet outside. When it’s dry enough though...I prefer a grassy bed...maybe a chair or the dock on the pond...or maybe the patio when it’s shady. I found a new spot one rainy day that might become my new favourite...a kayak seat sitting on the floor of the garage ...as long as the garage door is open so I can watch the rain if I want to. It might be too hot for some...but I usually manage to spend very little energy these days...so all is good. Here are some images of me doing my thing this past month.

Cisco The Cat