More Changes with Garfield and Chester

This is Janna - time for an update on the litter boxes and the boys!

The boys now have 3 litter boxes, down from the 4 we had while Garfield was creatively pooping.

The first and biggest step was removing the water from the bath tub and lining it with sticky paws double-sided tape for cats. I don't recall how much time passed - maybe 3 weeks - when my husband had enough and decided to remove litter box number 4 from our half bath. Garfield had one slip-up and my spouse did exactly what I thought he shouldn't have done - he picked up Garfield, looked him in the eye, and he explained to him authoritatively that he shouldn't do that. Incredibly, that worked! Garfield is also peeing more and more in the center of the boxes, rather than at the edges (with makes clean-up tricky.)

From when we first adopted Garfield and let him explore the house with Chester in another room

Was this this when Garfield made a date with the bathtub?

Chester and Garfield's behaviors are changing

Around September, Garfield started resting next to Chester (while C was sleeping), so that they were rump-to-rump. Increasingly, Garfield is sitting next to or near Chester more and for longer amounts of time. Paradoxically, sometimes Garfield will instead shoo Chester away and sit there for a bit; other times G will not stay there.  Garfield has also been sleeping in "Chester's" chair or sink when Chester is clearly not interested in resting in either of those places.

Which tail belongs to which cat?

Chester's Chair

Chester's sink

Beginning this month, Chester started to play with Da Bird in the way Garfield does and Garfield isn't interfering or chasing Chester away! The most intriguing event for me occurred maybe yesterday or the day before when the boys were rough-housing (running after each other and doing their classic/modern wrestling moves) - complete with Chester making garbled-sounding meows - and my husband brought Chester on the bed. Chester ran off and wanted to be back with Garfield!

As for me, I feel like a weight of dread and anxiety that I had been experiencing a few months ago regarding the boys' interactions has been lifted. I still have moments of fear such as when I hear Chester "squoke" (our term for what a meow resembling the sound a squeak toy makes; usually made by either of the boys when he doesn't want to be picked up) when he's tussling with Garfield, because I'm afraid that Garfield is hurting him. But then I'll inadvertently reach for a cat toy to move it out of the way and Chester comes running (from what I interpret as his "hiding place" from Garfield but I think it's more like a time-out spot) to play.

Are Exotic Shorthair cats for you?

Exotic Shorthair Chester here!

Exotic Shorthair cats are becoming more and more popular. You may wonder if we are the right breed for you, so I've put together a very short presentation. Please go to the comments section at the bottom of this page to leave any questions you may have so my people can answer them.

We're cats who like being near our people:

Our flat faces are normal to us and soon you'll agree that other cats look weird:

We like to play. When we're not playing we like to stare at our humans:

You might want to bathe us, which means you'll also give us a blow dry:

Our eyes may require daily cleaning, sometimes more than once a day:

Something that you may not find out in your reading about our breed is that some of us make noises.
Here are 2 videos of me grooming myself so you can start to get used to these sounds:

The sound is low on this video so you'll need to turn up your volume:

Garfield: I'm long

Hi! It's Garfield. Chester is very proud to be an exotical cat. I'm exotical, too but I'm long!

Here's my paw! I like this one because there's red around my paw pad.

These are the rest of my paws. My back paws are white and my other front paw has a little bit of red on my toes.

This is my face. I have some freckles on my nose. Mom used to think they were dirt and once she tried to clean them up!

 

You're probably going to think I'm being rude. I just want to show you my back! I have a long tail. It gets very puffy sometimes - mostly when I run after Chester!

I like to sit like this.

And on my back too!

But sometimes I try to do things when I'm on my back or I try to get up. They are both hard to do!
Here's a video so you can see what I mean!

Chester discusses his weight

Chester here! Now that I am a public figure, I am attracting some unwanted attention, mostly regarding my weight. My image consultants (mom and dad) suggest that I directly address the gossip. I am also available for follow up interviews since I live in New York City (or erm, as a last-minute replacement if the scheduled guest falls through.)

People are saying that I am either chubby or fat. Now I fully support a cat's decision to be his or her "happy weight" and I stand against feline obesity (see: Meow). However, I am NOT a fat cat!

I possess the ideal body type of my Exotic Shorthair breed as determined by the Cat Fanciers' Association,  which is a cobby or stocky build.

I have short legs:

A short and bushy tail:

And short a body. I also have small ears and a wide neck. Because I was a breeding cat, my head is large.

I now weigh approximately 8.20 lbs. I have gained a few ounces in my retirement, which is mostly the result of my new diet. I am on a prescription dental food to address my gingivitis. This food has "carbs".

I also require fiber since I am not a purrveyor of wet food. I do appreciate the gravy in Fancy Feast's flaked tuna which enables me to consume Benefiber. This has helped me to ::blush:: poop more effectively thereby stopping most instances of blood in the previously mentioned poop.

Here I am eating my tuna gravy and Benefiber:

Chester's blogging tips

Exotic Shorthair Chester here!

A lot of people and cats are under the impression that blogging is something that's easy. It's hard work but I have some tips that can help you to start your own blog or give you some ideas if you already have a blog.

I never know when inspiration will come:

Idea #897: String - compare different varieties of string. No, scratch that. No, don't scratch that. String, string...strin ::yawn:: s  t   r  i  n  g

Image is so important. I give thought to EVERY picture that appears in the blog:

  

The picture on the left - no, that is too, too ... no cat will be able to relate to me. I need to show an image of being RELATABLE and an everycat and yet NOT an everycat. The lower right one - I look too satisfied. I'm HUNGRY, HUNGRY (oh, is it time to eat?) ::ahem:: my work is never done - people have to come to the page thinking that my work is DONE but it's not. EVER. The upper right-hand one - now that's the picture - we'll go with that one ...wait... include the one on the left, also...and throw in a little bit about the photographer, too.

It's important to give it back. If you don't pass it on then you'll lose it and then it's not yours ::shivers::. I don't even know what that means but it's something that stuck with me and then it gave me the idea for this next story. My mom and dad went to Costco and gave me this box. I didn't want anything happening to this box, so I decided to write about it.

CHESTER RELAXES NEXT TO HIS FAVORITE BOX

 
Sir - what about this? "Human things that they put their food bowls on that double as a place to nap"

Kid, that's a nice try but people and cats don't come here for that. Which brings me to my next point - for every story that makes it here, there are like 10 that don't make it here. Don't worry about Garfield, he's on staff and isn't going anywhere!

Sometimes I won't blog about something but I'll do a video instead. So let the process take you where it takes you. It will take you...and then you'll be confused. Then do something because if you don't do something then all you are is confused. Got that?  Anyway, here's what happened with me and the string!

Garfield in "Ginger Furs" (or a a cat's take on a scene from Goldilocks and The Three Bears)

I'm Garfield...oh wait...I'm Ginger Furs and I am looking for a place to sleep!

Hey it's a box!

I don't like this box - I'm going to find somewhere else to sleep!  I don't know what that thing is but let me try it out!

Hmm, I dunno it's kinda small.

Ma - this is a dumb story - you know I like that tree. Okay, okay, I'll do it like we practiced it. And then I get a treat afterwards, right?

::clears throat and gets back into character:: Oh wait - do I see a place that is just right for me? I'm tired and wanna take a nap.

Goodnight!

PS: I forgot one of my lines. It's this: Chester, I mean Stripey Furs doesn't like sleeping here so I have it all to myself and he better not try to lick me.
PPs: it wasn't night time - sorry!!!

Chester with and without primping

Exotic Shorthair Chester here! Hey- in case you haven't heard the news, me and The Kid are in Catster. This is the link.

I wanted to let everyone know that it takes a lot to make a cat like me look good. Hours upon hours go into what you see in pictures and on video. Let me explain.

So here is the finished product:

It has filters and is one of like a thousand photos that ma took to get this perfect shot.

Do you want to know what I looked like before?* Gah!!:

After cleaning my eyes, there was a bath:

A lot of fur came off (but I got treats!):

I tolerated the blow drying:

They never get it *quite* right, though. Here I am cleaning myself. (I couldn't take the lack of filters anymore - I hope you don't mind!):

I hope this has revealed that it's a lot of work to get a cat like me ready for the camera.

Here's a video of me after all of the preparation:

*Don't worry - this is the absolute worst Chester's eyes can get when he wakes up in the morning. We are sure to clean them well when this happens - mom Janna