Tuesday, September 30, 2014

A Black Cat A Day

October is a time for Black cats. We adopted Yoshi on Guy Fawkes day, so he has this Fall holiday business surrounded.


Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Renegade from a Girl Gang: The Banshee Story Part 1

**This blog has song suggestions and can best be enjoyed when accompanied by its' soundtrack**

(Out In the Streets - The Shangri-las

While Lee Marven fancies himself King of the Castle, the house on Lemon Grove Avenue has three cats. Two of them are giant boys, with one gorgeous girl cat named Banshee.



Born on the mean streets of Hollywood with nothing but her wits, razor sharp Kitten claws, matching gloves and boots, and some serious eyeliner that would put Ronnie Spector to shame. The Banshee survived 6 weeks in a cold (well maybe not cold, it was L.A. in the Summer), unfeeling world.

Every night, alone, Banshee would wail. The whole of "Little Armenia" could hear her and the residents of one building were intent on finding the little kitten with the big voice.

(The Boy-The Shangri-Las)

Spending her days darting from apartment complexes to car engines, it was in one such engine she would finally be caught. Her rescuer as it were put her in a box marked "Your Kat has been founded." Then that box full of Banshee was left on the hood of the car.

At which point a young man coming home from work read the box and took home the little kitty who had run from him days before. Lovingly, he washed the fleas from her and introduced her to his Russian Blue, Sambor, and their roommate, his brother Bill.

While it wasn't Bill who brought her in from the street, it was love at first sight between Banshee and her human.

(Da Do Ron Ron-The Crystals)




Though Sambor could sometimes be a jerk, mean and dominating, Banshee spent years with her Human, his brother, and her big cat. (It's Easier to Cry-Shangri-Las) But things happened, as they tend to do, and the brothers separated. Bill was going to let Banshee go with Sambor, but Banshee wasn't going to let her human go for anything. So a new adventure began, an adventure we call 'The Van Nuys Studio Apartment.'

(Maybe-the Shangri-Las)

She spent a year, lonely in her 2 room domain. Seeing Bill as much as he could be there, but rent had to be paid, and L.A. traffic added hours to the time they were apart. Sure there were lots of roaches to kill, but a girl can't live by hunting and maiming alone. Then it happened.

She had seen this before. Things going into boxes. Everything packed up. Suddenly she too was in a box. the cold plastic carrier with the faded blue towel on the bottom. Where were they going? Would it be smaller? Would she see him less?





Pulling up to a two story house with plants and birds, just a mile from where it all began, Banshee didn't know what to expect. The house smelled vaguely familiar, like people she had met before. There was another unmistakeable scent...boy cat.




(Walking In the Sand-The Ronettes)

Bill had left her in the bathroom with a note on the door and some vague hope that the humans could control the first meeting of the kitties. But Banshee had just spent a year in a cell not much bigger than this room; she was in a strange land, and she was going to bust out of here and find her Bill.

The door was left open by a sleepy human and Banhee seized the moment. She sprinted from her privy prison, rounded the corner, and oh wait, there's Bill asleep on the couch. Taking up a safe position under a chair, cleverly hiding her head in the chair itself as surely no one will notice 4 extra legs coming out the bottom, Banshee waited for Bill to wake up and keep her safe in this new world.

To be continued...

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

As seen from Lemon Grove Avenue


This blog is the chronicle of the cats who live in the house on Lemon Grove. Lee Marvin, the Ginger Alpha,  Banshee, the Grand Dame, and Yoshi a.k.a. the Yosh or Dr. Yoshenberg, who holds a PhD in mischief.