And you know Christmas has come and gone...

There are the after-Christmas sales, for one thing.  Not as crowded as in years past, but pretty long lines at  checkout.  I got some good bargains, but I'm thinking the sales will be even better next week.

Another way you can tell is that some people are already taking down their trees and not turning their Christmas lights on.  I guess that's a sign of the state of the economy in a way.  People didn't seem as much into the holiday at the parties I attended.  They sent less cards and bought fewer and less expensive gifts.

But the new year is just around the corner.  It feels as though the years go faster the older I get.  Have you noticed that too?  I don't have any big plans this year.  Hubby is working New Year's Eve, so it will be Dick Clark again for me.  I'll do some channel surfing, no doubt, to see what celebrities are on the other channels.

Whatever your plans are for that night, make it a safe and sane holiday and may you have a wonderful 2011.

~The Summersetter

I know it's nearly Christmas because...

• I know it's nearly Christmas because: some of the houses in my neighborhood started decorating the day BEFORE Thanksgiving.
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: The Summerset Singers have been practicing for weeks and have started performing for others.  We have about 10 events planned for the winter season - 4 down and 6 to go.  Tonight we sang at the Summerset II holiday party.  Tomorrow we're singing for a retirement party.  
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: the stores are crowded and traffic is really heavy.
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: the Safeway store has cranberry sauce piled up at the front of the store, next to green beans and mushroom soup cans.  
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: in addition to my own singing events, I attended my granddaughter's holiday concert last night.
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: this weekend is my son's Wind Orchestra concert and my grandson's guitar recital.
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: I've gotten a list of desired presents from my family in Houston.  I'm expecting one from the California contingent soon.  
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: we're baking pies to enjoy at dinners with friends and family.
• I know it's nearly Christmas because: on Monday I have a Christmas brunch, a Christmas luncheon, and a Christmas dinner.  I also know I'll be letting out all my clothes.
  
  HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON, WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE!

If Halloween is over...

Actually, the stores don't wait for Halloween to be over before putting out all of the Christmas stuff.  When I was working this was the time I looked forward to.  About a week before Thanksgiving people started taking vacation and honestly, not much work got done from then till after New Year.  But now I'm retired.  No work to avoid.  Now I just have time to shop and I might even cook this year.  No more excuses!  :-D

Do you have teen-aged grandchildren?  The younger ones are a little easier because they still want toys or dolls.  It's gotten harder and harder to know what to get for the older ones, though.  So about this time of year I start asking their parents what the kids would like.  I guess I'll just have to go out shopping and maybe something will come to mind!  If you have any suggestions, let me know. 

Is it just me?

Can't believe it's only a month until Thanksgiving.  Is it just me, or is time speeding up?  We have a Hollywood party this weekend and are trying to come up with costumes.  B.J. is thinking of being a vampire.  I'll probably go as a witch.  Wonder if I even have a broom I can bring.

I thought our change in weather would be a bit more gradual.  We got rain, clouds, and very chilly (for us) weather overnight!  Good thing water aerobics is over and the pool is closed.  I'm pretty sure none of us would have been in the pool today.  All I wanted to do was hibernate.

Alex's soccer team is still unbeaten.  Hooray, Alex.  Great job.  Nate's robot team is getting ready for their robot games this weekend, and I hope I can get to both that and the soccer game. Julie and Veronica are busy with the theater.  Wish Texas wasn't so far from California.

Our chorus is sounding so good this fall.  I hope someone is going to record one of our concerts because I want to be able to hear us.  We'll be singing at the other Summerset neighborhoods, at a Sirs luncheon at the Nines restaurant, Cortona Park, and the Senior Center here in Brentwood.  Come listen to us at one of these.

My attempt to pull together a small high school 'west coast' class reunion resulted in a VERY small class reunion.  There will be one other couple, B.J. and me, a graduate from three years behind me, and maybe my sister and brother-in-law.  Oh well, we'll have fun in Vegas, and we have tickets to see Terry Fator.  He's the ventriloquist that won the first year of America's Got Talent and has gone on to have a major contract at Bellagio.  I don't think anyone since has had as much talent as he does.  Looking forward to staying at our timeshare at Westgate Planet Hollywood.  I'll take pictures!

Guess Summer is Back

Wow, nearly October and the weather is back to nearly 100 here in Brentwood.  Looks like they may leave the pool open for us for an extra two weeks.  After that, it will just be cold water in the pool if we continue to go to our water aerobics class.  That's northern California for you.  We may get yet another hot spell around Halloween.

It's definitely a time of change here, though.  The Jewish High Holidays are past.  I really enjoyed services at B'nai Torah.  Did I mention that Rabbi Ira Book knew my parents when they were living in Hayward?  He was the rabbi in San Leandro where they went to services.  What a small world.  Friday is Simchat Torah services.  It does feel good to be attending services again.

The Brentwood schools are finished with their first session and the kids are off for two weeks.  We're on a modified year-round school schedule, which is good for some families and not so good if you have a two-working-parent family or a single-parent family.  Lots of grandparents here at Summerset have extended time with their grandchildren during these mini-vacation periods and they enjoy that.  Since my grandchildren are in another part of the Bay Area, and they aren't on the year round school program, I don't have that pleasure. But I spend as many weekends as possible visiting them.

This Saturday Alex has a Soccer game - and it's around noon.  That's a good thing since it's an hour drive and I don't have to be up at 6 AM to get there in time.  Now that I'm retired those 8:00 games are a bit harder to make.  In spite of all I heard all those years ago about people at "my age" waking up at the crack of dawn, it has NOT happened to me.  I'm making up for all those years I traveled 90 minutes to work and had to get up at 5:00 be there at 8:00. The games are fun to watch.  Alex plays goalie the first half (and is very good!) then goes onto the field the 2nd half.  Nate decided not to do soccer this fall.  He's preparing for another robot tournament.  Now that Melissa is 7 she's getting into her own interests.  I'll have to talk to her about her choir this weekend.  Maybe Grandma Ann's love of music has been passed on through me to both of my granddaughters. 

Summer is Gone - It's Soccer Season!

The weather is changing.  You can smell it in the air.  The kids are all back in school and tomorrow...it's back to soccer games at 9:00 AM in Fremont.  I love the games, it's the 7:00 wake up call on Saturday to allow time for the hour drive.  It's knowing that in a couple of months it will be really cold at those games.  But if you're a grandparent like me, it's worth it all to spend time with your family.  So Alex, kick butt tomorrow.  Can't wait to see the soccer match.

Fall also means that Water Aerobics will end soon.  I'm really sad about that because I had a summer cold and missed quite a few days of class.  Now we have less than a month left before our pool closes.  Then I'll have to go back to the local gym and the indoor pool.

Fall also means the leaves start to fall and need to be raked.  Well most of us have to rake.  Our house is on a corner where the wind comes through and takes our leaves to other homes.  I guess my husband knew what he was doing when we looked at the corner house.  Although it probably makes up for it when he mows the hill that goes down to the street.

This just in:  Amazon is having a big blowout sale.  The sale ends on September 26th at midnight.
 
And so much for that cooler weather.  I guess we can't decide if it's still summer or if fall is here.

Keep in touch!
Barbara
Also visit us at FurbiesPlace.com
and write to me at Furbie@FurbiesPlace.com

Dog Days of Summer

This is normally when it's super hot in Brentwood.  So far we have had no 100-degree weather here.  I suppose I shouldn't say anything because I don't want to jinx it.  I have loved the 80-something days.  We are on a warming trend, but so far I haven't heard a forecast for anything over 90.  I know the rest of the country has been sweltering and they have humidity to boot!  That's why it costs so much to live in California.  We pay for this great weather!

It's so quiet around here with the McLarens back at home.  We miss them already, and I know their cousins miss them too.  Hopefully we won't wait a year to see them again.

Melissa turned 7 this week and tomorrow is her birthday party.  She's so grown up.  I think our children grew up faster than we did, and our grandkids are growing up faster yet.  They seem pretty mature to me.  Melissa gave me a little massage one day when I was suffering from a very sore shoulder.  Would you believe she fixed it?  Just turning 7 and she got rid of that sore muscle for me. Their hugs and kisses make us feel so good, but did you know they could massage away the aches and pains?

The picture of my grandchildren is one that was taken while the McLaren family was visiting us in California this summer.  This is an annual event and it's amazing to see the changes over the years.  This time Grandma wanted to be in the picture, too, so that's me, surrounded by my amazing, adorable, smart grandchildren. 

Hope you're enjoying the dog days of summer.

July went so fast!

Hard to believe the kids in Brentwood are back in school already.  My grandchildren still have a bit of summer left, though.  In fact, My daughter, son-in-law, and two of my grandchildren will be here in a few days.  I can hardly wait.  They live in Texas so we only see them once a year when they can manage a trip back to California.  Their California cousins are looking forward to it too.  We're planning a sleep-over on Saturday, so if you have any hints on entertaining 5 children between the ages of 6 and 15, please send them.

The Summerset Singer's 10-year anniversary show, called "Celebration," has come and gone.  It was great from what I could tell from my spot on the risers and the comments from friends.  Lots of work, but it's all worth it.  And tonight we celebrate our celebration with a cast party at Nines.  If you missed the show, be sure to get tickets early next summer.

Time to get dressed and get over there, so I'll close.  But first, my commercial!  Don't forget to visit http://FurbiesPlace.com for articles about cats and dogs.  Furbie and his puppy friend, Lexie, also each have a store, so check them out as well!

Have a great  week and I'll see you soon,
Barbara

Maintaining a Healthy Weight for Dogs

Author: Furbie’s Place
Is your dog gaining weight? It’s something you should be on the lookout for, especially as a dog reaches his middle years. That might be around the time he is 7, depending on his breed. A dog’s life expectancy varies by breed. His health and life expectancy can be at risk if this is the case, and his later years might be painful.
Dogs will usually eat as much as we feed them and feeding him too much at one time is not healthy. Rather than one large meal, dividing his daily food allotment into two meals would be better. Be sure to let other household members know if you have fed him or set up a system that shows when he was last fed. Perhaps having only one family member responsible might be the best course of action.
As a dog ages his metabolism will slow down, not unlike ours. Overeating then becomes more of a problem. Since different breeds and dogs within each breed can be of different sizes and shapes it is hard to say that there is a specific amount of food he should be given. Either some research or consulting with your veterinarian will help you find what’s right for your dog.
You can determine that his weight is within the normal range if you check that you can feel his ribs, but they are not visible. Also check that his hips can be felt and aren’t surrounded by too much flesh and fat. Checking your dogs configuration from above him, you should be able to notice that his body curves slightly inward behind his rib cage. This will also reflect a healthy weight.
You’ll want to be sure to give him plenty of exercise to ensure he maintains a healthy weight. If he appears too thin, be sure to consult your veterinarian for advice, just as you should if he is overweight. Taking him for regular walks will keep you both in tip top shape.

The celebration has ended, but the age lingers on...

What a great birthday week I had.  I got to see Voices In Harmony in San Jose.  They're a group of 60 male singers.  They were really great.  If you live in the Bay Area, you should try to see them.  They brought in Manhattan Transfer who did some new songs.  I've been a fan for a long time so this was a rare treat.  I also had lunch with friends (more than once) and went into Walnut Creek to see "Into the Woods" at the regional theater.  Both theater events also included a chance to see my son and his family, which is always a treat.  Now that it's a week later reality is setting in.  But the partying isn't over, even if it's no longer MY birthday.  This weekend we celebrate the 70th birthday of one of my cousins.  Maybe I'm entering my 2nd childhood (or my 3rd).  Birthdays are fun again after 60.

We've been back in the Summerset pool for a few weeks now.  Though I love it, this week we had another cold snap with lots of wind.  The wind seemed to have turned off the solar panels that heat the pool.  So between the cold water and the very windy and cool morning, we were all shivering.  But hey!  That just made us move faster so maybe we burned off a few more calories.  Have to look on the bright side.

 They tell me that FurbiesPlace.com is nearly done.  I still see lots left to do to make it gorgeous.  But take a peak and let me know what you think.

Have a great weekend. 

Happy Birthday to me

 Today is my actual birthday!  Not one of the big ones - big, just not ending in 0 or 5.  Tonight we'll have friends over for dinner and cards.  I've had lots of friends send greetings on Facebook and got some cards in the mail.  You know who you are - and I thank you.  

Yesterday I posted my daughter, Julie's, poem to me.  As I mentioned it's a family tradition now to write a poem instead of getting a gift or a card.  After all, at our age here in Summerset, what do we really need?  Today I received the following email poem from my son.  Aren't computers terrific?  And isn't it nice that I can have a blog and say pretty much anything that comes to my mind?

Michael's Poem:

I could have been late, I could have been early,
but for once I'll be on time.
I'm going to try my very best
to see if it all can rhyme.

So these wishes come over the internet,
at rapid electronic speed, you bet.
And I haven't given up trying to rhyme just yet.
I believe I've successfully completed this set.

So birthday greetings you will get.
Spend some quality time with your pet.
I hope there are no trips soon to the vet.
I know cats hate to get wet.

And I'll forever be in your debt.
Happy Birthday.

My response:

Thanks for the rhyme,
Pretty good, and on time
I know it helps to drink some wine
In order to make the words come out fine.

I love that we have Instant messages
Composed of zeros and ones
I don't have to understand how it works
But I know how to get it done.

Furbie and Missy are sure to give me
A gift of fur from head to knee
BJ baked me a cake made of cheese
And I'll enjoy that with steak tonight if I please.

I thank you for your gift of rhyme
My birthday has made me think about time
Thinking how quickly fly the years
Can make an old lady fill with tears

But they're tears of joy for our memories
First my children, now grandchildren, have grown like trees
Whatever I've done, was done with love
And I thank you for letting me spend lots of time with you and the kids...

P.S.  Did you get tickets for Manhattan Transfer?

I love you!
Mom 

OMG can I be that old?

My family has started writing poems for birthdays.  Well mine is nearly here and my daughter sent hers today.
  Here's my daughter's poem:


I know your birthday is a couple days away

But this I had to share

I wrote a poem for Rob's brother

I'm sure he was not aware

Of how we send out birthday wishes

How we celebrate

I wonder if a new tradition has started

I wonder if it's fate

Better to be early

Than it is to be late

So I'm sending you my birthday wishes

Enjoy and celebrate

Hope you have a fabulous day

Better yet, a fabulous week

When you are done reading this

I hope your eyes don't leak

Happy Birthday, early! Love Julie, Rob, Veronica and Kenny

And here's my response:
 

Thank you for the early gift
You know me all too well
Anything to do with my kids
Makes my tear ducts swell.

Above my desk there is a photo
Taken by a tree
Long ago in Long Grove
Taken there by me.

It's you with Rick and Brooke,
A tiny Nate and Ronnie
And next to that another print
Taken more recently

It's the one you took last summer
Nate and Ronnie joined by three
It shows "how swiftly fly the years"
(Yes, a line from another memory)

So with this thank you comes a request
I hope you're saving these
And that one day you'll make another book
And in it include them please.

They mean so much, along with the pictures
They're a reflection of my life.
This week I'll be turning 69
And several times a wife

And you all mean the world to me
You show I've left my mark
I love you all so very much
And I hope by now that I've made you tear up a bit too!

Love,
Mom

Anyone want to adopt this custom.  It sure makes a mother happy!

The day after

Well it turns out the best time to pick cherries on the holiday weekend is after 2:00 PM.  Everyone else is gone and we had the orchard practically to ourselves.  And those cherries were amazing.  I never knew that you had to plant a Black Tartarian cherry in with the Bings (At Lopez cherry farm they told us it's every 6th or 7th one) to cross pollinate them.  They are really sweet and juicy.  Nathan used the Bings to make a french cherry dafoutis for dessert.  No, I'd never heard of it either, but it was pretty good.  Great chicken, corn, and fettuccine, too.  I couldn't move for hours.  Back to the good food plan today!

Speaking of back to... back to cleaning up the kitchen.  Can't believe the number of dishes and pots we used for a BAR-B-Q!

It's Memorial Day Weekend

Didn't it seem like the rain would never stop and spring was skipping 2010?  It teased us back in March, but then it seemed it was gone for good.  Well today it's 75 degrees at 9:30 in the morning.  Fingers crossed that the rain is gone till next winter.

This is the weekend that cherry picking opens here in Brentwood.  Traffic will be awful on our normally quiet country roads.  People come from all over the Bay Area to pick our delicious cherries and pick up our peaches and other local produce.  So today my friend Joyce and I went to the Farmer's Market in town to get fresh fruit and veggies and avoid the crowds at the farms.  It's too soon for Brentwood corn, but the corn at Safeway or Raley's  is pretty good too.

We're going to need a bunch of it because our oldest son and his family will be out for a Bar-B-Q on Sunday.  The kids (7, 13, and 15 years old) love fresh corn on the cob. We'll try our hand at picking some of those cherries on Sunday too.  We heard it's less crowded on the other side of Walnut, so that's where we'll probably head. 

How will you remember our vets this weekend?  Don't forget to take a few minutes at your picnic or Bar-B-Q to thank those that are serving our country and all who served in the past. 


HAVE A GOOD MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AND STAY SAFE!

The Summerset Pool is Open

It may not feel like summer yet in Northern California, but that didn't stop many brave souls from jumping into the pool. It opened late last week and water aerobics class got into full swing on Monday. Actually, jumping in was the easy part. Getting out to find your towel is another, so many of us made a brief stop at the hot tub to warm up a bit before braving the 50-something degree air. Our instructor, Robin, has us getting a great workout and the best part is we don't have to worry about breaking out in a sweat!
(P.S. on 5/27 - It must be working, I've lost 4 pounds since the pool opened.  Think this Miracle Suit will help me?)

Tomorrow night is our Social Club's Friday Night Social. This month it features hot dogs and an election. I hear we can expect to have a terrific board again this year so we can count on a lot of enjoyable events throughout the year.

Kare Bears and Summerset Singers are also having their elections. I'll give up a couple of positions and pick up one new one. They say staying active keeps us young. Not sure my body believes it, but my head says I'm still 19.

Besides all of our activities here at home, this is also a busy season for our grandchildren. Nate and Alex are involved in spring soccer while Melissa is playing baseball again this year. Instead of T-Ball they have a pitching machine for this 2nd level of young players.

And if that's not enough activity for a senior citizen, I've also got my web site: http://FurbiesPlace.com. I'm enjoying adding articles and products and trying to make it look interesting. Hope you'll check it out.

Meanwhile, enjoy your spring weather.

Mothers' Day in Summerset

The weather is lovely as Mothers' Day approaches.  I'm looking forward to spending the day with my family someplace outdoors.  It's nice to have this mild weather for a little longer this year.  Before we know it our Brentwood summer will be here with it's 90 or 110 degree days.  It also means that the pool is open at Summerset and our water aerobics class will be starting soon. 

This weekend my niece and her husband are here checking out the San Francisco area in hopes of living here after she gets her law degree next year.  They'll be traveling to several other cities but of course I'm hoping they do wind up here.  First of all, of course, I'd love to have them nearby.  But it would also mean my sister Leslie might visit here more often!  Having the four siblings in 4 different states (make that 5 as Sandi lives part of the time in Nevada) means that we don't get together very often.  Though we'd never all go back to our home town of Chicago (just too cold in the winter and hot and humid in the summer), none of us really wants to leave our chosen cities in order to be closer together.  For now, we'll just continue to plan vacations together and be satisfied with that.

Have you visited my website?  It's called FurbiesPlace.com -- a Place for Pet Lovers.  I've been spending lots of time on that these days and I'm finding some terrific articles and pet products to incorporate.  So although I'm "retired,"  this gives me that feeling of accomplishment that my job once did. 

Hope you all have a wonderful Mothers' Day weekend!

Spring May Finally Be Here

Finally!  It's sunny, warm, and the birds are twittering all around us.  B.J. did some weeding in the garden and pulled the chairs out from under the patio cover.  Good day to soak up the fresh air.  A mint julep might be in order if I knew how to make one.

I've been doing more work on http://FurbiesPlace.com.  New theme and more products to spoil our pets.  Check out the new look.

We're looking forward to a visit from our niece and her hubby in a couple of weeks.  Haven't seen them since their wedding in 2008, so this will be a treat for us.  I'm hoping they get to live out here for a while so we can visit more often.  There are a few places they're looking at, including San Francisco and Portland.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 After a couple of really cold weekend days watching soccer, it will be nice and warm out on the fields tomorrow.  Might actually get to work on my summer tan.  Which reminds me, Water Aerobics class starts soon.  It's really fun getting out in the pool at the crack of dawn (well it's early for us retirees).  It's refreshing and you can exercise without sweating.  I'm a big fan of Maxine's; I'm sure she'd say the same about exercise.  If you have one of her cartoons that says it, let me know in your comments.  She probably has something to say about bathing suits, but that's another conversation for another day.

Can Spring be Far Away?

Friday was actually a pretty nice, sunny, day for those of us in the East Bay.  Grandma Jane and I took Melissa out for Princess Tea in Pleasanton.  Melissa is a little tomboy much of the time, having been trained well by two older brothers.  However, when she goes to tea, she is quite the young lady.  Princess Jasmine served us our tea and finger sandwiches and we all used our best manners. 


I know it's not April 21st yet, but in Northern California it's usually spring pretty early in the year.  This year it has teased us, but hasn't stayed.  Yesterday I attended an early morning T-ball game, a mid-afternoon soccer game, and an evening soccer game for my grandchildren.  The sun peaked out from behind the clouds once or twice, but for the most part it was windy and pretty chilly.  I was quite the fashion queen in my sweat jacket with hat pulled down over my ears.  Today it's cloudy, cold, windy, and raining.  Come on spring, this is getting depressing.

Being gone for a full day yesterday, my cats are staying quite close to me today.   Maybe I'll give them a special treat - a can of salmon flavored cat food. 

Hope your spring is going well.

Litter Box Advice From Your Cat

Author: Carolyn

 Dear My Human,  I wanted to write you because we have a very serious issue to address. This issue is my litter box. My litter box demands are not being met to my satisfaction. Please find below my requirements to be a healthy and happy cat- and if these wishes are met, I will no longer poop on the floor:  1. I need a big litter box, like, the Taj Mahal of litter boxes. It needs to be big enough so that I can move around, stretch my little cat paws as far as they can go, read a newspaper, inspect my beautiful self and so forth. Also, I require a deep litter box so that if I so choose, I can dig to the ends of the earth in search of the finest fish. But, my dear human, the box cannot be too tall so as to cause injury my fabulous physique. I would advise cutting a “cats only” entrance for me if the box is too tall. If there is more than just one fantastic feline in the home, the quantity of litter boxes must reflect this. Many a cat doctor advise that you provide one more litter box than the number of cats in the home. This would be greatly appreciated, and well… I think I deserve it!  2. I understand that you don’t like when I track my litter around the house. Well, my human, there is something you can do. A litter box mat will catch the extra litter clumps from my graceful paws! It is, in essence, a red carpet grand entrance to my commode, and que bellisimo… a functional one at that! Mats come in many different colors and patterns, so you can accommodate my high society, cultured taste. Paparazzi, cameras, and fans are optional.  3. But what, my human, is the good of a red carpeted Taj Mahal litter box if it is not smelling of flowers and sunshine?!? You must promise to keep my litter box clean as the spring breeze. I have an unprecedented sense of smell; my nose abilities are far stronger than those of your primitive nasal cavities. If you don’t enjoy the smell of my commode, then most certainly I do not. We cats are simply creatures of a higher order, who will not tolerate foul smell or unsanitary conditions. In lieu of this information, human, my litter must be of the clumping order, unscented and dust free.  4. The proper cleaning of my commode should be completed twice a day. I ask you, my human, do you enjoy performing your business in an unsightly toilet? Nay, you say? I don’t often like to point out the similarities of you human creatures and we alluring felines, but unsightly commodes are not enjoyable for either of us. Please be wary of keeping the litter box sanitary, or I will remind you in a way that is unbecoming to my cat nature. Proper cleaning supplies and attire are advisable. A litter scoop made of plastic and strong will, a filter with the power of 1,000 white oleanders, and a proper holding container, preferably with the bright, enticing colors of the earth and sun will do. In this way, you can achieve litter box cleanliness that is fit for a king or queen! (namely, me). That being said, a maid’s outfit would make this more official, so please go to your local human store and purchase some appropriate cleaning attire.  5. My human, I understand that you are busy and may not have the time to keep my Taj Mahal box in perfect condition. (Try looking as good as me every day for a week…now THAT would keep you busy) But alas! There are easier ways to fulfill my cleanliness requirements! It is possible to purchase litter box liners, which easily fit in the bottom of my box. When the time has come to clean my commode, you simply lift the whole liner and dispose with the other rubbish. Simple, yet fruitful! Another easy way is a roll and clean litter box. Sometimes, you humans are just so darn innovative! You pick up this light, attractive box which serves as my commode; flip it over, and TA DA! The unused litter goes to the bottom, the used litter and the cute little droplings I produce are filtered into a tray that can be easily removed.  6. Location, Location, Location, my human friend. Location is of much importance for my litter box. Please do not place my litter box in a room or closet where the door is often closed, (because believe me, I will find a door that is open… probably your bedroom) a place only reachable by stairs, (when I grow older into a senior cat full of wit and wisdom, it may be difficult for me to reach it) or a very open, very public space (Unlike you, human, in your simple nature, this is not because of modesty, but because of my instinctual nature to always be aware of my surroundings. It is a wild jungle out there, and I don’t want to be ambushed by an enemy when my guard is down).  7. You say you don’t want the litter box seen by your “oh so high society” human friends? It is possible to acquire a very trendy, discreet and fabulous decoration to go over my commode. In fact, it matches the rest of our furniture! How Savvy! It looks like a wooden chest, (which you can place foliage and human pictures on top of so that I can knock them over with grace and ease) and even your most cultured friends will never know that inside is my very own Taj Mahal! While they come in different styles and colors, I prefer the one in wood with that fabulous cherry color. Perfect for the most refined fancy cat.  Thank you, my human, for taking the time to read my requirements to be a healthy, happy, and “non pooping on the floor” cat.

5 Secrets For Litter Box Success

Author: Lee Dobbins

Cats make wonderful pets, they're soft, cuddly and affectionate without being overbearing and they don't require too much maintenance.  In fact they're almost perfect except for one thing - the litter box.  While most cats will use the littler box with little or no training it can be a smelly and messy area in the home but it doesn't have to be that way.  Here are five tips that will help keep your cat's litter box smelling and looking great.

1.  Make sure you have enough of them.  Cats like to have a clean litter box and some of them can be a little quirky about the way they use it so you should have at least one litter box per cat.  Now this doesn't mean that each cat will have its own litter box they'll probably use all the litter boxes  some may like to only urinate in one and defecate in another while others won't like to use litter boxes that other cats have used - you really won't know until you watch your cats and see how they behave and then you can decide what works best for them.  It's also not a bad idea to have an extra litter box if you have the room.  If your house is more than one floor you'll want to consider having at least one litter box on each floor. 

2.  Keep it clean.  The biggest reason that cats will use the litter box is that it's full.  You wouldn't want to dig around in a bunch of clumped up pee and poop would you?  Well, neither does your cat so you should be sure to keep his litter box clean.  Be sure to scoop it at least once a day and totally change it out and wash it every week.  This will cut down on the litter box smell as it is actually the bacteria that's causing the smell and, remember, even if you can't smell it your cat probably can, so keeping it clean is important if you want to keep your cat using the box.

3.  Use a litter your cat likes.  If your cat refuses to use the litter box, it might simply be the litter.  Try using different types to find out what the cat seems to like best.  unscented litter is your best bet and kittens under four months should use a non-clumping letter only.  I personally like a clumping litter that is made out of wheat which is called "Swheat Scoop" and is all-natural and biodegradable and doesn't have all that dust that clay litters have - and my cat likes it too!

4.  Make it private.  Just like you, your cat wants to feel relaxed and comfortable when he's using his litter box so you want to put it in a place away from noisy areas that has a little bit of privacy.  Make sure it's not anywhere where something might happen that could frighten the cat away.  Also, do not put the litter box near their food and water dishes.

5.  Proper introduction.  Young kittens already have the instinct to use something that can be raked as their litter, but they might find that your plants or other things in your house are just as convenient as a litter box.  Until your kitten gets used using a litter box and only the litter box, you might want to limit where they can go so that the litter box is the only appealing place for him to do his business.  If you bring a new cat into your house, confine him to a small area that has his food, water, bedding and litterbox.  Once he has used  the litter box several times and you feel comfortable it's the only place he wants to go in, you can widen his range and slowly move the litter box to where you eventually want it placed.  Once you find a spot for the litter box keep it there always.

Having a litter box is a necessity if you have a cat, but keeping the area clean and introducing your cat to the box properly can make this part of cat ownership a breeze.

Happy New Year!

 Happy New Year!