Image February 7, 2015 by Beverly J. Harvey

Moggiepurrs Shutters Blog Site

Mom emptied a basket and I appropriated it for my new bed. See if the dog gets his paws on this!

It is with incredible reluctance that I am posting to tell you Moggipurrs will cease to exist as an active, updated blog from this point forward. The site will still be here, so people can access the content, but I won’t be writing new posts. I didn’t want to just “disappear” from the blogosphere without saying a proper “so-long.”

I say this move is “with reluctance” because it has been a wonderful experience learning about the blogging world, creating a blog site, wrestling with the technology (and the inherent joy when comprehension dawned), and I will miss hearing from my incredible followers/friends who have come to enjoy the antics of Sophie the Cat and Ollie the Dog. I think it is amazing we made it up to 260 followers! Thank you ALL.

We’ve had an incredible two-year run, which is the average time for blogs to hang around — although some of you blow that statistic right out of the water and have been doing this for years. Nevertheless, I have said most everything I ever wanted to say about cats and even repeated it a time or two. I have also learned about the discipline of writing regularly and the magic of inspiration when you think you can’t come up with one more thing to say!

My writing interests have expanded in these two years and I now contribute a piece every month to HeartandSoulezine on different metaphysical topics. I am hopeful many of you will join me there and read about whatever spiritual conundrum I am wrestling with that month. It will be interesting to explore this new medium for my writing. I might even give myself permission to write a “title” at the top of my compositions, and not worry about whether it is a “headline.” (I do worry about these things. Comma placement, too, keeps me awake at night.)

Before we go, please know that I think you are all incredibly creative people from whom I have learned much and my life has been immensely enriched for having “met” you online. You may still see me when I comment on your blogs — I will check in with Kitties Blue, Sammy, Summer, Cinco and Manna, Carl, Wally, Ernie, Zoey, Austin, the Zee and Zoey Gang, Glogirly, and too many more to list here. You see, you’ve become a delightful part of my life, and I’m not willing to let go of you just yet.

To close up a few loose ends from the December posts: We moved and have adjusted to the new downstairs apartment. I am inordinately pleased with not having to fight the stairs every time I go out. The dog and cat still merely tolerate each other, but I feel exceedingly blessed by my good fortune to have found these sweet animals and made them a part of my life. I also want to mention that I am extremely blessed with some great friends who never blinked an eye when they saw the work that lay ahead. Those very same friends also helped me unpack boxes, hang pictures, organize cabinets, and so much more. All of you have my heartfelt and never-ending thanks.

This wouldn’t be a Moggiepurrs post without photos, so in closing, I will show you the last few photos in my camera that might have been part of a future post if we had not closed down. Please don’t be strangers — you can still comment at anytime and I will see it and try to respond.

With fondness for all, I am bloggingly yours.

Beverly, aka Moggiepurrs (Sophie and Ollie, too)

Hi. I’m Ollie. I have a Fonzie doggie jacket. ‘Nuff said.

Mommy bought these new placemats for the table, but I think they make great scratchers for kitties.

December 23, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Happy Holidays To All

Sophie here: We’re signing off for the year now and will return in 2015 with an update on the move, and our State of the Blog

I love all the Christmassy smells!

address. We have company coming this year for Christmas, so we have to wait for them to clear out before we can begin packing in earnest. Boy! It is going to get CRAZY around here. I hope the woofie behaves…I don’t want mom upset with all of us furry critters.

Hope everyone has a great holiday and that Santa Paws brings you lots of goodies!

Image December 20, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Gearing Up for Change…Again

Sophie here: Me and the Mom-Person have been busy planning our move. The last time we moved was pretty traumatic

Sophie…ace snoopervisor at your service!

for me. I didn’t eat for 3 days. But there is no car ride involved in this one as we are just moving downstairs. I think I can handle this one. We’ll see.

She told me the dog has to come with us. Well, okay, I suppose we can’t leave him behind. I’ve learned to tolerate him and only occasionally have to hiss at him and throw out a claw. He keeps his distance now. We’ve worked out a sharing-schedule, though, for the arm of the sofa that is in front of the window. Great movies happen outside that window! I refuse to give up my dibs on that seat!

Anyhow, back to the moving prep. I’m snoopervising. It’s a lot of work! I must keep track of the quickly disappearing cardboard boxes and be ready to leap out of one fast before she closes ME up in the box. I feel like she is using all of my toys to pack her things. Once we move, I know she’ll throw them all out again. Maybe I can get her to keep at least one for me to play in. Boxes are a cat’s favorite toy! We felines are like children that way. You keep the contents, just give us the box. We’re happy.

I love it when the man with the blue shorts knocks on the door. It usually means there will be another box for ME. (Hey, can you believe it? Last time he was here he tried to bribe Ollie with a dog biscuit! Imagine that!) If you ask me, people who come to the door have more reason to be afraid of the cat than the dog! The dog will just lick your hand and say, “Come on in! So glad to see you.” Good help is so hard to train these days!

Mom explained to me that the new place will also have a great window for us to watch bird and squirrel TV. In fact, I’ll have an even better view of any intruder cat stalking the neighborhood. I hear there is a Tortie who looks just like me wandering around outside. It makes Ollie nuts when he sees her because he thinks it is me and he knows I don’t go outside. Silly dog.

Well, even though I am the snoopervisor of the move, mom is a hard task master. I have to get back to work after I make this post. Rest assured, I am doing my level best to provide mom with great fodder for future blog posts.

Humans — they are so easy!

Image December 17, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Cat Says Chill Out Mom

I was aghast, AGHAST I tell you, when I saw that it had been more than two weeks since our

Oh, a bow! My favorite toy. I wonder how long it will take me to rip it off that box.

last post here on Moggiepurrs. Yikes! But that doesn’t mean I haven’t been enjoying all of your great kitty-posts. I’ve yucked it up with Sammy and Summer and Carl and Waffles and Katie and Ernie and Wally, the Kitties Blue, and Cinco and Manna, the Zee and Zoey gang and so many more. (I sound like “Miss Jean” on Romper Room. Come on now — show your age! How many of you remember the show Romper Room?)

Anyway, this is where I list the reasons why I couldn’t get a post out, but they are probably no different from the many excuses you’ve heard before now. In fact, you have likely used many of them yourself: holidays, health, work, projects, MOVING, physical therapy, allergy testing. Oh, and a recalcitrant cat…what are you suppose to do when the “talent” refuses to pose for the camera? All I could get was a snap of brown, blurry fur streaking out of range and some unintelligible remarks about the pawparazzi and suing. You know, I do this all for HER! Does she think I actually have fun doing this?? (well okay, yes, I DO enjoy it, but that’s not the point.)

Since we are so close to Christmas and I have no confidence my schedule will improve over the next 10 days, I am posting Sophie’s Christmas photo so as not to appear a complete Scrooge. I can see now that my first New Year’s Resolution will be to get back on track with my writing.

Happy Holidays to all of you, my bloggy friends, my kitty friends, and my faithful readers. As we wrap up YEAR TWO of Moggiepurrs, it’s time to reflect on what next year will bring.

Oh, that sounds like another post…I should write that down. *scribble, scribble, scribble*

Image December 4, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Cat Lends Another Post to Human

Sophie has graciously allowed me to hijack another post off of Moggiepurrs so I

Hmmm…do kitties have angels, too?

can tell you about my writing.

There is a post on Heart & Soul Ezine with more information about connecting with your angels. Yes, I wrote it. I hope you will read it. It’s based on personal experience. If you would like to comment (and I certainly would love to hear from you), please do it here on Moggiepurrs. Thanks.

Image December 1, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Who Stole All The Good Smells?

Our first snowstorm of the season produced widely different reactions in

Someone stole all the good doggie smells!

my pets. Sophie loved watching the snow come down for hours. She would not move from her perch on the sofa. Ollie, on the other paw, was in for a shock.

When nature calls, you gotta go — it doesn’t matter that there’s a storm outside. So, out we go, bundled up for the cold and snowy weather. Ollie wore his Fonzi-like jacket (he looked so ~~cute~~ cool).

He didn’t know what this white stuff was falling from the sky and making him wet. He was not happy. It was the first time we’ve been out for a “walk” for him to do his business that he actually “got down to business” quickly. He wanted no part of the snow.

I could almost see the thought bubbles forming over his head.

“Who stole all the woofie smells? Where is my one perfect blade of grass? I must find it. Everything looks and smells different. What am I going to doooooo?!” (whine, whine)

It didn’t take much encouragement and he was finished.

Hey, look at all that white stuff!

He gave me “that look” that said “Oh, mom. REALLY? Can’t we go back inside now?” I know he was not happy, but I felt vindicated after the many days of 45 minute walks and begging him to “hurry up and GO, will you?”

Sophie was able to observe this scene from inside the warm apartment. When Ollie and I returned to our cozy living room, she called me over closer and whispered: “Cats do not have this problem, you know.” She sniffed and went back to her snow gazing.

Leave it to a feline to state the obvious.

Image November 21, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Uh-oh, Bad Kitty No More

Sophie here: Uh-oh, I guess I have been a bad kitty. I can’t be Miss Crankypants with mom anymore. She just told me that in January 2015 she will go in for knee replacement

Sophie is always monitoring the perimeter for interlopers.

surgery on her right knee. Yikes. I’m glad it’s her and not me. But that means me and the woofie will be cared for by others for about 3 days while she is in the hospital, and then for WEEKS afterward, there will be helpers coming in to assist with the pet chores. I suppose as long as MY food bowl stays full, everything will be okay.

Mom says she’s known she was headed down this path since about the year 2000. She’s been hobbling around for too long now and it’s time to do something about it. If you ask me, I think the woofie was a big push for her. Taking him out for walks and stuff was hard on her knees, but then after the surgery, the doctor says taking the woofie for a walk will be the best thing for her. Mom told me all about it.

So, I guess my sweet, little feline heart will have to get used to MORE changes around here. Gosh, is there no end to the list of things I have to put up with every day? I guess one thing I can do for mom is not get upset with her when she calls me “sweetie” and “silly cat.” Oh, yeah, and not to jump up on her knees after the surgery. That, too.

Stay tuned. There will be LOTS more said about this development…

Image November 17, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Cat Communicates with Human

My kitty told me the other day that she wasn’t feeling so hot. How do I know? When

(c) Moggiepurrs 2014 "Wake me when it is Springtime again."

I tried to pet her down the length of her back, she turned quickly to give me a nip on my hand. That’s not like her. Then, another day, I reached my hand down from my chair to pet the top of her head as she was sitting near my feet, and she threw a claw at me and drew blood. She’s telling me that she would rather be left alone. Enough with the affection already!

She’s 12, so I suppose she’s entitled to a little crankiness. Twelve for a cat is probably real old in people years. I’m sure her joints ache — I can empathize with that! She is sleeping a lot more than usual (me, too). Oh, and she might, JUST MIGHT, still be a little miffed at me for bringing that woofie into the house. They have definitely worked out a sharing system for who gets to lounge on the arm of the sofa and look out the window. When the dog is on it she walks up and just STARES at him. He quickly relinquishes his spot to her. I would say that is some mighty-fine non-verbal communication right there!

Occasionally, I’m surprised to hear a little hissing coming from Sophie. She’s grown to tolerate Ollie being in the same room with her, but she draws the line at him invading her personal space. Get too close, and watch out!

This may have been Sophie’s personality all along, but having the dog in the house to compare her with has suddenly made me more aware of her behavior…and there is SO MUCH to observe. I love watching the interplay between the two of them. I can almost see the thought-bubbles above their heads with what they are saying to each other.

Animal watching is a fun pastime for me. You just never know what they will tell you! Do you ever think you know what your pets are saying to you?

Image November 10, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

For What Are You Grateful?

If you look closely, you will see Sophie’s reflection in the eye.

I think, for people who live alone, the greatest gift they can give to themselves is to share their home with a pet. Having a reason to rush home from running errands may seem like a hassle, but I’m sure glad I have that reason. Purchasing rawhide bones for the dog or kitty treats for the cat really doesn’t cost me much, but it pays back in huge dividends. My little moppets think I’m the greatest thing going. I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of that sentiment.

And how much effort do they demand for that love? Surprisingly little.

If I accidentally step on a tail and receive a sharp rebuke from my furry friend, or it takes me a little too long to get the food bowl on the floor, they are so forgiving (well, as long as I eventually come through with the goods, they are).

They are also a never-ending source of entertainment for me. The other day the cat jumped up on the dining table and I remedied the problem by making lots of noise and clapping until she got down. The dog came running to see what the racket was about: “Oh, boy! The cat got in trouble!” he seemed to say.

Siblings!

When the dog is lovingly placed in his crate at night with his dog treat before bed, the cat slyly looks at the dog, sniffs and walks away. SHE gets to roam free at night and the dog does NOT. She is certainly pleased to be the alpha animal in the house!

My cat and dog are my source of amusement, love and affection, as well as my motivation for exercise, volunteer work, and often, my writing work, too. They remind me to appreciate life and all of the wonderful blessings I enjoy. They make me feel grateful that I have a home to house them and that I can physically and financially serve their needs.

(c) Moggiepurrs 2014 My little guard dog watching out the window, keeping me safe from all hazards.

I don’t own a lot of things, but I am rich in love and friendship. The next time you have to scoop a litter box or take the dog for his last walk of the night in the cold or rain, remember that. It takes so little to show your compassion for these animals, and they return the gift tenfold.

I am quietly pleased to have my little furry family. What more could one ask for than to have such sweet creatures to tend to each day?

With them, I desire no distractions in life.

You want me to do what now?

Image November 3, 2014 by Beverly J. Harvey

Silly Human Riles Cat

Sophie here: So my human keeps calling me everything but my real name. Frequently, I hear “silly cat.” Next up is “sweet baby.” I am neither silly, sweet, nor a baby. I’m a CAT!! Human’s should know these things.

What’s that Mom???

Oh, Mom says she’s not going to let me use the Internets anymore if all I do is complain. I am 12 years old and think I have earned the right to complain a bit, don’t you think? Especially when I have to put up with SILLY HUMANS calling me silly names! Not to mention that now I have to live with a silly DOG.

Seriously, does your human call you everything under the sun except your real name?

I say the same thing to her every time I want her attention: MEOW.

Hey, it works!

“Fill my bowl.” Meow.

“Where are my treats?” Meow.

“You’re sitting in my chair.” Meow.

“Clean my box.” Meow.

“Look what the silly dog is doing!” Meow, Meow.

See, there is no reason for using a silly name. Mom says she says it with something called affex-shun, whatever THAT is, and not to get so riled up about it.

Okay, silly Mama, see how you like it. MEOW.

You want to see a silly cat? I’ll show you a silly cat: Look at this picture below right –> Now THAT’s a silly cat!