Back to the Beach

 Of course, I'm so happy Wylla no longer has Mega Esophagus, the reason we could never leave her home when we traveled, but I do miss taking her on the road. Out of all the places we took her, this trip to Cannon Beach with my parents was probably my favorite getaway.

I had fun revisiting this adventure and I hope you do too!



This weekend, Craig, the Folks, Wylla and I headed to the coast and spent a lovely couple of days in Cannon Beach, Oregon, one of the most beautiful places in the Northwest.  It was Wylla's biggest adventure and longest ride in the car.  With lunch, coffee, bathroom breaks and a couple of stops for scenic overlooks, the trip took about five hours.  As we expected, our seasoned traveler did remarkably well.  It was an easy, uneventful, stress-free ride for all of us.

She travels easy, but she doesn't travel light. Her carrier, bed, blankets, food, food dish, blender, water dish, litter, litter box, scoop, towels, paper towels, rug cleaner (just in case her dinner comes back up), brush, harness, leash, favorite mouse and treats took up half the space in the back of the Subaru.

Cannon Beach is a pretty pet-friendly town, so it wasn't too hard finding a place to stay.  

And by pet-friendly, they really do mean dog-friendly, don't they Wylla? That's OK, even if they had kitty treats in the welcome basket, she couldn't eat them, anyway.  We tried playing frisbee - it really isn't much fun for a kitten.

Wylla made herself right at home in our hotel room, had a snack, and started exploring under the beds,  on the shelves, and in the bathroom cupboards.  She even made her way up to the fireplace mantle.  She was curious about the scents left by previous pet guests and needed to examine each and every one.  

After a little relaxing and unpacking, we got Wylla suited up in her harness, and we all headed out to the ocean.    

When we hit the sand, I held her close, and she peered over my shoulder. With wide eyes, pivoting ears and flared nostrils, Wylla took in the sights, sounds and smells of the beach - not nervous at all, just calm and quiet. 

We overheard many "Is that a cat???" and were stopped by several people wishing to say hello. Wylla gladly accepted pets and even a few kisses on the head from the strangers on the beach.  Some even took photographs of our oceanside oddity.  She triggered many smiles and pointing fingers.  

We walked along the beach, and Wylla took turns riding on our shoulders. Once she seemed acclimated,  I put her down in the sand so she could explore.  She stayed close with her nose to the ground, never walking far enough to tighten the slack in her leash.  

After an afternoon of exploration, we headed back to the hotel, and all took naps. Wylla was a wee bit tired after such a full day, and so were we. 

The next morning, we ventured off to the ocean again.  While Mom and Dad explored the tide pools,   Craig sat down and painted a watercolor of the beautiful scenery.  Thanks to a soccer injury, he's on crutches which made it difficult for him to walk too far in the sand, so he stayed near the edge of the beach. 

I walked with Wylla along the water's edge. It was blustery enough to part her fur and bend whiskers.  She enjoyed watching leaves and bits skip around in the sand, and when I set her down,  she pounced and played.  Eventually, we joined Craig, and Wylla sat on his lap while he finished his painting and we waited for my parents to return.

Later that afternoon, we dropped Craig at the coffee house, and the rest of us did a little shopping in town. Wylla perched on my shoulders while we walked around, and when we into the shops, Dad sat on a bench and watched Wylla and held purchases.     

The trip back home was another easy ride. When we returned, Charlene was very happy to see us and very eager to smell her sister.  I wish Bean could have come along,  but I know she was much happier staying home and having her BFF Sarah come over for visits.  Charlene doesn't care much for the car, and putting a harness on her, I'm sure, would require a pair of falcon handling gloves and possibly some Neosporin and Bandaids.

It really was fun taking Wylla along on vacation.  She was SO GOOD the whole time, never stressed at all. She truly is an unflappable cat and seems to enjoy the freedom she has.  

It's funny to think that when we first started talking about adopting Wylla, we thought of how it might be restrictive having a special-needs cat.   As it turns out, it's quite the opposite!

We look forward to more adventures to come!  And I think Wylla does too!

A Wee Walk

As I mentioned earlier this week, I've been thinking about getting Wylla out a little more, so I dug out her leash and harness and took her out for a stroll. It was a little windy, and the sky was spitting a tiny bit of rain, so it wasn't the best day be out, but we did get a little walk in.  Here's a small clip from our outing.

Once we were back inside, I thought for a moment that I might try putting the harness on Charlene, and then remembered this post below and thought otherwise....


You Can't Teach a Middle-Aged Cat New Tricks
(originally posted Oct 13, 2013)

I guess I knew it wasn't going to work, but we've had so much fun taking Wylla out for walks,  I thought I would try to harness up Charlene, and see what happened.  I had fantasies of Wylla and Charlene walking side by side down the sidewalks of Tacoma wearing matching harness and leash sets.

Years ago, when she was just a teen, I bought a harness for Charlene. We tried putting it on her a few times years ago, but never with success. The harness is adjustable, so after a little tweaking, I was able to make it fit our full-grown Bean.  I slipped her into it, and snapped the buckles.

Once it was on,  she flopped a very dramatic flop on the living room rug.


 

After a few minutes, and with some encouragement, I managed to get her on the front porch.



And I attempted to snap on the leash.

Paws were raised.

Once the leash was on, it all became a game.





And our walk went no further than the welcome mat.

Best Outing Ever!

I was thinking about Wylla yesterday, and how now that she's better, we hardly ever travel with her. There's an occasional vet visit, but it really has been months since she's been out on her harness for an adventure.

We need to step out more. It's something we all enjoyed, and we need to do more of it again.  

I was thinking about some of the trips we took and the places we went, and I think the time we visited the Pink Door might be my very favorite "stepping out" moment.

I think it's worth a re-visit. It was such a fabulous day!



Wylla has done some restaurant dining on her travels, but we've never tried anything local, so when I heard my friend Shira was coming to Seattle for work and was hoping to meet Wylla while she was visiting, I had to do a little looking online to find us a pet-friendly spot to meet for a meal.   I was delighted to discover that The Pink Door, one of my favorite spots from my early Seattle days, allowed dogs on their patio. I emailed the office to see if a cat might be welcome, they said it would be fine, so I gave the front desk a call to make a reservation for our human/feline party of three.

It was a funny conversation.  

"A cat?" said the host.

"Yes, I would like to make a lunch reservation for two humans and a cat, on the patio," I explained.

"A cat? Could I put you on hold for one moment?" and while he did, I could hear a muffled conversation between the host and management.

He returned with a few questions, which I happily answered, and  I went on to share that this cat was no ordinary cat, and assured him it would be fine.

"She's had plenty of experience in restaurants,  is very relaxed, and is kind of internet famous,"  I explained.

The "internet famous" comment triggered an "OOOHHH" from the host, he disappeared briefly to have another muffled conversation, and when he returned, our reservation was booked.

I closed our conversation with "I know this is completely ridiculous," and he quickly responded, "That's fine, Ma'am, we'll see you on Monday".

I hung up the phone feeling  my crazy cat lady craziest.   But, hey!  We were going to lunch at The Pink Door!  The thought of this made giddy for days.

I had booked our reservation for 2:00 pm, hoping a later lunch would be a little more quiet, but the day was gorgeous, so the patio was hopping.  We tried to tuck ourselves out of the way while they figured out where to seat us, but with guests coming and going and waiters and waitresses rushing by,  it was a little chaotic.  I held Wylla close, because if she was going to get nervous at any point on the journey, this would be it, but she did great and waited patiently.



They gave us a nice table in a shadier part of the patio, helped us tuck our bags away (Wylla doesn't travel light) and Shira arrived.  Wylla settled quickly, curled up quietly on my lap, and stayed there through most the meal.  At one point she did get a little curious and climbed over my shoulder and onto a stack of menus on the table behind me,  but besides that, she was a very, very good kitten.  Most guests on the patio weren't even aware that there was a cat dining with them, unless they happened to catch a glimpse of her as they exited.

Lunch was delicious, and once plates were cleared, Wylla spent a little time on Shira's lap, and got a little love. They took some selfies together, and I took a few photos too, until the check arrived.


Wylla was The Pink Door's first ever feline diner, and hopefully she set a great example, and won't be their last!  A big thanks to everyone at The Pink Door for accommodating us.  It was a wonderful meal.

After our lunch,  I went and picked up Craig from work.  As we sat in afternoon traffic,  I shared the details of the day and rambled on for minutes on end about our experience.

"Did Wylla order the lobster?" was Craig's only question.




Here are a few photos from our delightful afternoon:



Could the pink door match Wylla any more perfectly?  



Shira was so happy to meet our wee girl. 



Such a good little Wylla, sitting on my lap while we lunched.  



Wylla doesn't travel light. That's the bag we carry for day trips. 



She was a calm kitty on Shira's lap, 



and was happy to receive a little love. 




Shira shoots a selfie with Wylla. 



Our tiny diner. 

The Most Popular Posts Part Four!

Good morning, friends. We're continuing today with our big countdown of the fifty most popular IBKC posts!  Today, we're cracking the top twenty!

#20  Two Thumbs Up! 
I think this is the earliest post to make the top fifty list, and probably the IBKC image that has been shared more than any other.  It was featured on Cute Overload, which really put us on the map.  Prior to the CO feature,  we got got maybe a hundred visitors a day, but on the day this was posted, we had 13,000 visitors.  It's the reason why many of you found our way to us.



#19 My Apologies Charlene
I'm sure she hates this post as much as I love it, but dang, Charlene, you know I had to share it. And now, I'm sharing it again, because so many of you loved this, too.  Sorry, Bean.



#18 Kitten Clown Car
Those Von Tussles just keep on coming!





#17 Four Years! Really?

When we celebrated our 4th blogiversary, we took a look back.



#16 Such a Tolerant Bean
Poor Bean! This one has been shared a squillion times. It landed on Love Meow, Cute Overload, and I Can Has Cheezburger, too.




#15 I'm Their Mother, She's My Sister, He's My Brother
It was a very exciting day when we broke this news!



#14 Better
This one one of the most challenging times in our fostering history. Wylla and Audrey's brother had passed from a virus, and we were so worried about the well-being of the girls. Fortunately, things began looking up for the girls, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

 

#13 Pantalones De Loco x Four
They look so innocent here, but click on the link and watch the video. CRAZY PANTS!



#12 Stepping Out With Wylla Stout - Sweater Shopping!
When Wylla was wee, the poor girl got cold so easy, she wore sweaters when she stepped out. Here she is on a sweater shopping excursion.



 #11 The Saddest Day

We've been very fortunate that in these 9 years of fostering, we've only lost a few kittens.  These sad posts always come with many sweet, thoughtful, comforting words from all of you.  

 

Tomorrow will visit our top ten posts. What do you think will be number one?  Share your guesses, won't you?

A Good Bath

 Good morning! I'm back! It was a crazy and intense whirlwind of a trip and it feels so good to be home again. Thank you for being patient and understanding while I was away. I hope you all faired well during these kitten-less days!

Today I've got some super cute footage of Wylla bathing little Caroline and Henrietta. She really takes the job quite seriously and is a very thorough bather.  As you can tell by their motors, they love it too. I think they really do think of her as "mom".

If you look closely, you may notice the kittens have shaved bellies. Yes, I'm sad to say that it's time to say goodbye to this extra-adorable set. Because they were a little older when the arrived, their stay with us was brief.

We'll start the adoption tales tomorrow and I think you'll be very happy with the wonderful homes they landed.  We've got some repeat customers and 3/4 of the Hollis Girls got adopted by families we've met before!  We've got some really happy endings to share!

So, today a good bath. Tomorrow, good byes.

There's a New Sheriff in Town

It's been interesting to watch Wylla's role as Deputy Kitten Wrangler take shape. With the first few batches she met,  the kittens were just curiosities, then playmates, but with the past couple of litters, her role is much more nurturing.

 The last batch was the first I saw her bathe.  With the Hollis Girls, she cleans them all the time and seems to monitor them more. She is definitely more "motherly".   If there's ever a cry of distress, she runs to find them.  At mealtime, when everyone is screaming, she thinks they're ALL in a state of distress and she moves from kitten to kitten, pulls them close, and licks them feverishly as if she's saying "Girls, girls, relax! It's ok!"   She'll chirp and trill at them, too - she's always talking to the kittens.

Here's a little clip of her in action the other day. It's very brief so I repeated it a few times for you. It's kind of quiet, so turn up the volume a bit.

And please make note of Bean's paws in action.  "Back off, kitten. I'm waiting for breakfast, too."



Bean's role has changed, as well. She still interacts with the little ones, but in a different way. You'll see her give an occasional bath, but mostly she likes to just hang back and watch and let them entertain her.

I think it might be time to promote Wylla to Lead Kitten Wrangler. I think she's qualified for the position, and I think Bean might be ready to step down.

Whatever their role, I'm grateful they are both a part of the process. I do think they help prepare the kittens for their lives ahead.

Stepping Out With Wylla Stout: Touring Petco in a Shopping Cart

Wylla ran errands with me yesterday, and we had to make a stop at Petco to pick up a bag of crunchies for Charlene.

She usually rides on my shoulder while we're in the store, but this time I grabbed a cart to make things a little easier. Wylla rode in the top basket, and we cruised the aisles making a stop to say hello to the birds, then moved on to find the food.

You'll see in the video that she lets out a little cry when she notices we're passing the brand we buy, Royal Canin. Good nose, Wylla!

And then she gets a little excited when we pass to the forest of cat towers.

It's a fun little "ride" and I hope you enjoy it!

Stepping Out With Wylla Stout: An Afternoon At Point Defiance Park

Temperatures soared well into the 60s yesterday. It was sunny and bright, and not your typical January day in the Pacific Northwest. We took advantage of this glorious day, packed a lunch, packed a cat, loaded the camper, and headed to Pt Defiance Park.

The park is huge, in fact it's the second largest urban park in the county. Once you enter it, you're quickly swallowed by the green lushness, and it's hard to believe you're still within city limits. It's truly a magical place, and should you ever visit Tacoma, please make a point of spending time at Pt Defiance Park.

We found a nice level, sunny spot with a good view, and parked the truck. Craig popped up the camper while I explored the immediate area with Wylla.

 

Once the camper was all set up, we came back inside, and I prepared lunch. Wylla sniffed around the camper, looked out the window for a moment, then curled up on the seat and took a nap.

 

We lunched, then relaxed,  explored the park a little,  packed up everything up and left.

 














We spent just a couple of hours "camping", but it was a great little get-away, and a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.