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I may have quit blogging, but I haven't quit posting pictures of my girls.

Check my Instagram for more bengal pics.



(PS - If you're looking for Bengal Nose info, it's here.

I'd like to note that Mika's nose condition is under control now and is managed by a simple dab of coconut oil when it starts looking dry - much safer to consume and less expensive than tacrolimus. )

Snow-paw-calypse

Snowpocalypse. Snowmageddon. Whatever you call it, it's what we seem to be experiencing the past few days here in Oregon, thanks to that crazy polar vortex. Those who live in colder areas of the States will laugh at us West Coasters, but we are not used to it here and we are not prepared for it. Usually when it snows we get maybe 1 or 3 inches, and it's gone the next day, not 1.5 feet. Snow plow? What's that?

Some people here hate the snow, but I love it. It's a novelty to have it in my own yard and not have to drive to a mountain to get it. Sure, it can be inconvenient at times, but I say enjoy it while it lasts, and take extra measures to be safe.

If you look carefully at the picture above, there are people all over that hill in the distance. They have been merrily sledding down the hill every day. It's been delightful to watch.

Mika and Mochi have loved watching the snow fall the past few days and Mika has repeatedly asked us to take her out in it.  She loves the snow, even if she doesn't last too long in it before her kitty toes are frozen and she's ready to warm up.

Mochi, on the other hand, is not quite as keen on the snow. She thinks it is fascinating, but does not appreciate it falling on her head or being wet or having it be deeper than her legs. She'd rather admire it from the window.

That being said, she cannot stand to be left out, so she will brave it for a short while just so she's not missing out. While it looks like she's chest deep in snow, she's actually standing in our footprints. Neither girls wanted to dive into the untouched depths.

Mochi's had enough "fun" and makes a bounding dash for the safety of the house. She'll spend the rest of the afternoon curled up cozily in her heated pet bed (rough life).

Mika only lasts a few minutes more and she's ready to call it a day as well - partly because she's cold, and partly because she can't stand her sister crying about being alone in the house. They are somewhat codependent. 

That oddly shaped lump is my car. We haven't really seen it for a couple of days now and that is fine by me.

Beach Kitties (Part 2)

It's National Cat Day, so I figured I should finally get around to posting part two of the beach trip with Mika and Mochi. If you recall in Part 1, the girls stuck pretty close to the back edge of the beach near the comfort of tall camouflaging grass.

Matt and I were determined that they should actually experience the ocean while we were there, though, so with a bit of prodding (and perhaps a bit of carrying of the Mika in particular), we made our way through the now dense white fog toward the roar of the ocean.

Mochi was actually pretty chill about the whole thing, which is surprising because she's typically a bit of a scaredy cat. Mika is usually the braver of the two.

There were plenty of pauses for reassuring pets from Matt and I as the grass line and hills completely vanished from view. It didn't take long for us to be surrounded entirely by fog and sand, with no indication of which way was which besides the tell tale sound of the ocean.

But we made it! Mika wasn't too keen on the sound of the waves and meowed very loudly while we were out there, but otherwise kept fairly calm. I didn't make her actually touch the water. I'm not that mean.

Matt and Mochi on the other hand... Mochi actually went out into the water. She didn't mind the cold salty water one bit. I think it kind of surprised her the first time the tide rolled over her little paws, but after that she just strolled through it like it was nothing.

Both were happy to start the trek back to the safety of the grass line and toward the parking lot though. They required very little encouragement, despite being completely exhausted by this point.

You can see how tired Mika is looking here. We walked quite a ways and the sand texture was probably a little more difficult to navigate than the pavement and grass they are used to back home.

But they made it back! The hills are coming into view. Love the sand texture and color in this shot.

The kitty paws in the sand were, of course, quite adorable.  It was fun to look back and see their winding little paths.

All in all, a very successful trip with a good time had by all. The girls were good sports and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves. The trip was so stimulating it knocked them out for pretty much the rest of the weekend. Anyone familiar with Bengals will know that's no easy task.

So happy National Cat Day! Make sure to give your favorite feline a loving squeeze and an extra treat in celebration. 

Beach Kitties (Part 1)

We took the kitty girls to the coast over the labor day weekend. It was their first time there and the longest car ride we'd taken them on since the day we brought them home. Mika took to it right away and had fun exploring a very grassy hill when we first arrived.

Mochi took a little more convincing. She kept trying to go back to the car until we carried her away from that area. Both girls stuck close to the grass line after that but had no problem moving forward. I think the wide open stretch of sand was a little intimating.

It was fairly clear when we arrived, but a thick white fog rolled in not too long after we got there. It limited visibility but it was beautiful and made the beach feel a little more private.

Mika was pretty good at finding cool damp spots of sand to rest in when she was worn out from walking. The girls would also sometimes dig shelves to sit on when they needed a rest, which was kind of hilarious. I didn't manage to capture any of those though.

Mika and Mochi both kept a pretty steady walking pace. They took very few stops to rest along the way, unlike a typical park outing. Everything was too new and interesting to waste time stopping to relax.

Standing in the sand could be a little awkward sometimes, especially on hills. They slipped around a bit, but didn't seem to mind.

No outing is complete without a little bit of "stick game" with Mika, although we had to improvise a bit on the stick part. She seemed equally as keen on the long grasses, but less so on the sand that kept poofing up in her face when she'd land. Didn't stop her from attacking though!

We took Mika and Mochi out to the water to experience the ocean itself, but that's a post for another day.

Read Part 2 of Beach Kitties here.

Mika and Mochi Turn THREE!

Mika and Mochi turned three years old this month (August 8th)! We always try to spoil them a little extra on their birthday, so I picked up a couple new mice for them from Petco. One of the mice was remote controlled and they went wild for it, watching with anticipation as it sped across the floor and then pouncing it and flinging it about.

They were pretty keen on the normal mice as well.

After some mouse playing we took the girls to the park. Honestly, I think Mika enjoys the car ride as much if not more than the park. She looooves the car.

At one point a very large (and very well behaved) dog passed by. That always adds some excitement to an outing. It usually involves some frizzing, body flattening, and wide staring eyes.

The sky was gorgeous that evening, so I couldn't help but snag some shots of it.

 Of course no park outing is complete without some stick playing. Even Mochi got into it.

While usually I walk Mika and Matt walks Mochi, sometimes we switch cats part way through an outing. Today was one such outing.

In the end, a good time was had by all. Happy birthday, spotty kitty girls! <3