Applejack & Zoë

Zoë Blending in with the Furniture

2009-07-23T07:44:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
People have always commented on how my brother and I blend in with hardwood floors. Well, I've found another place where I'm camouflaged. Well, okay, not really, but I like to think that no one can see me when I sit on the bookcase.

Adjusting to the New Chairs

2009-07-21T19:56:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -
I'm having a hard time adjusting to these new chairs Mom got. The old ones were folding chairs and so I could stick my head out the back when I was lying on them. These, well.... aren't quite so comfortable, as you can see.

New Collars for (almost) Everyone!

2009-07-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -
Mom bought new collars for me, Zoë, and Tucker today. I've had the same one since I was adopted and needed a new one, Zoë's had gotten stiff over time, and Tucker's had just broken.

I was used to having a plain blue collar, but now I have a fun blue one with reflective paw prints on it. Tucker used to have a red one with reflective fish on his, but they didn't have that style at the store so Mom got him a red one with reflective paws on it. We match. In a non-lame, cool guy way, not in a girly way.

Zoë used to have a plastic one (because she kept chewing on the regular fabric ones and destroying them quickly) with flowers on it and now she has an orange fabric one with little white daisies on it. She's feeling very proud, but Mom had to adjust it after Zoë started chewing on it and we were worried the cycle was starting all over again. But it's okay now.

Tucker's Army Crawl

2009-07-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
Mom was having chicken strips for dinner and they smelled so good that Tucker decided he wanted some.
So he jumped up on the chair and onto the edge of the table. He then laid down and pretended he wasn't interested in the chicken.
Then he started doing something that he considered brilliant.... he started to army crawl, very slowly, toward the plate. Then, as he got closer, he slowly stretched out his arm so he could try to snag a piece of chicken. Mom caught him, of course. Like she wasn't going to see him doing it? Give me a break. Not only did she see him do it, she got it on film.

Tuckmaster The Tubmaster

2009-07-03T07:23:00.000-07:00

Tucker is so weird. He's obsessed with licking down the sides of the tub after someone takes a shower. Since he's been here, there have even been times when our Mom is in the shower and he starts crying loudly, telling her to hurry up and get out so he can lick the tub.

The strange thing he has started doing is jumping into the tub at odd hours of the day, to lie in wait of the next shower. He just lies down in the dry tub and hangs out there. It has freaked Mom out a few times, to all of a sudden hear a noise coming from inside the tub. Or the time she went to take a shower and he was in there waiting for her. Boy, did she yelp!

Assume the Position

2009-06-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -
You know it's summer when we start doing our "cool down" poses again.

I like doing the "dead bug" pose (aka "The Gregor") while Zoë shows off her "frog" and "torpedo".

The Magic of Feliway

2009-06-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
Mom invested in some Feliway and she tried it out for the first time today. And what a difference bottled artificial feline facial pheromones make! Tucker and Caroline have gone from being freaked out to feeling quite at home.

Exhibit A: Carolina sleeping on the couch and not cowering atop the fridge.

Exhibit B: Tucker lounging on top of the bed and not cowering under it.
I guess that it's a good thing that they're not as freaked out anymore, but I hope this doesn't mean they're going to think they own the place now.

Contagious Anxiety

2009-06-16T06:01:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -
I totally get how mobs of people start acting irrationally once they get a crazy idea in their head.
Here's how our feline version went down...
Mom decided to open the sliding door to the porch this morning because it's a cool, post-rain, 67 degrees outside and we all could use some fresh air.
I walked over to sit in front of the screen door. Carolina followed, very curious. Tucker came next, with some trepidation, but still curious. Then came Zoë, who found the area crowded, but tried to get close to the door just the same.
Then it happened. A bird chirped very loudly from the tree next to the porch. Tucker started growling at the bird (don't ask me why... hasn't he ever heard a bird before?), which caused Zoë to start growling, which made Carolina start growling, which started to freak me out. Our eyes all got big and as soon as Tucker made a move, we all jumped and ran to different parts of the room, Carolina to the top of the refrigerator.
All over some silly bird chirp.
Sheesh.

Nocturnal Fighting

2009-06-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Poor Mom, she hardly got any sleep last night because we kept having little fights with Tucker and Carolina in her bedroom throughout the night. I think she's mad. But Carolina started a lot of them. I swear.

A Rough Start

2009-06-13T16:20:00.001-07:00

Zoë here -
Okay, I'll be honest, I'm not jazzed about the idea of having Tucker & Carolina stay with us. The first hour after their arrival today was full of hissing and growling (mostly mine, but Carolina has a mouth on her, too). Tucker scratched and bit my mom when she tried to pick him up, so I'm a little miffed at him. But Applejack and I have come back out after the initial shock of the situation and we are comfortably lounging in various rooms again.

I can't say the same for Carolina and Tucker.

For the last 5 hours (yes, FIVE HOURS) they've both been in the same place.
Tucker has been under the bed in the far corner and won't come out.

Carolina somehow managed to jump past all the stuff on top of the fridge and hunker down in a skinny space between the top of the fridge and the cabinet above it. What a weirdo.

(Update: 3 hours later, for a total of 8 hours spent hiding on top of the fridge, Carolina came down. She proceded to hiss at us a couple of times and then left us alone for awhile. Tucker finally came out from under the bed a few times, but always returned to his new bunker.)

The Return of the Cousins

2009-06-12T13:47:00.000-07:00

Zoë here - Mom is in Durham now, hanging out with the Chases, and she warned us that she will be returning with the two cats, our "cousins", Tucker and Carolina. Apparently, their parents are going to Europe for 2 months and they will be coming to live with us during that time.
Granted, we all lived together in the Chase house for a good 2 1/2 years, but we had much more space there. A two-story house, lots of rooms, etc. But we'll be reunited under much more cramped conditions... our mom's 1-bedroom apartment. They just better not steal my sleeping spot on the ottoman!

Here's a picture from one of those rare days back at the Lyon Farm house where all four of us were happily in the same room together. In this case, we were enjoying the open windows on a breezy spring day (girls on the left, boys on the right).

Applejack here - Mom told me specifically that I need to not be a bully to Tucker while he's at our house. I told her I'm not a bully, but she just looked at me, like "Yes, you ARE." But I can be a good host, I promised her. See, here's a picture of Tucker and me getting along and sharing a chair back at the old house....

Besides, Tucker has challenged me to a rematch at backgammon, so we're sure to have some good times together this summer.

We're back!

2009-06-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hey - Applejack here....
After a LONG hiatus, Zoë I have decided to start blogging again.
Since last we've posted, we've moved out of the Chase house (twice, really, since we all moved into a new house last summer) and into an apartment in Greensboro with our mom.
It's definitely a smaller space, but it's got GREAT windows.

During the first week in our new place, I made a point to explore the fireplace, but was quickly removed from it and scolded. This picture was taken AFTER Mom's first attempt at cleaning the soot off.
Good times, good times.

Well, I need to go take my 8th nap of the day now, but there is more to come!

Tucker loves his chair

2007-09-29T10:11:00.001-07:00

Our cousin Tucker loves sitting on the desk chair and even a huge pile of laundry can't keep him from his favorite napping spot.

Just Chillin'

2007-09-02T10:51:00.000-07:00

we'll post again soon!

2007-08-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

never fear, our faithful readers, we will start posting again soon!

Applejack on iTunes

2007-05-19T21:46:00.000-07:00

Mom caught Applejack listening to Linkin Park

Number One Obsession

2007-05-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Food.

We love our food and we can't seem to get enough of it. Especially Applejack.

Carolina: A Case Study

2007-04-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

Our cousin Carolina is a very... dynamic cat.
She's got this weird thing she does where she can flatten herself low enough to slide under the buffet hutch. It's kinda freaky and it totally weirds some of our people out.

She just thinks she's SO COOL.

But I guess we have to admit that she's pretty cute - especially when she scrunches up in a little ball on the stairwell.

Zelda

2007-04-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -

I've really gotten into Zelda these last few days. Sometimes mom will come home from work and I'll be sitting in front of the TV playing. BUSTED! Sorry, mom, but at least I wasn't playing your character.

What I really like to do when I'm not playing is to crawl into mom's lap while she's playing. She doesn't like it so much when I distract her (with my extreme cuteness and lovability, no doubt) and the Deku Scrubs take one of her hearts.

Thanks, Uncle Ceece for hooking us up!

Nap Buddies

2007-04-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Applejack here-
Tucker, Carolina, and I had a lovely nap on Lara & Daniel's bed and Mom snuck up to catch it on film.

We Hate the Vet

2007-04-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
I was NOT happy with Mommy today.

She came home early from work so I thought we were going to hang out and have fun together. But then she grabbed me and trimmed my claws. At least she gave me some Greenies afterward.
Then she had that look in her eyes like "I really hate to do this, but..." and I got scared. She was supposed to give me some benadryl before our vet appointment so I wouldn't have an allergic reaction like I did last year. (We went to the emergency room that time because I threw up 15+ times.)
So this time she took me into the bathroom - to keep me contained, because she knows me well - and tried to squirt this nasty tasting pink stuff down my throat. It was so gross and I kept trying to spit it out and I ended up foaming at the mouth and I was dripping foamy saliva all over her and the floor and I tried to run away. Darn that closed door! Mom apologized profusely, but then SHE DID IT AGAIN!!!
No way, man. I was havin' none of it and I made that clear. Eventually she gave up.
But that wasn't the end of it.
She wrangled Applejack and me up and put us in our respective carriers. I hate those things. Then we went for a ride in the car. I hate that thing. But at least I was quiet about it. Applejack cried during the whole car ride. He totally cries like a girl.
We get to the vet, wait for a little bit and then they took me to the back and GAVE ME A SHOT IN MY BUTT!!!! Apparently that's what I get for not drinking the children's benadryl at home.
I'll spare you the horrors of the checkup, but to say that Applejack was so nervous that he drooled all over the table. And I thought I was the scaredy cat!

Wednesday Night

2007-04-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

How I Spent My Wednesday Night
by Applejack

I nudged my way into the bed Zoë was sleeping in.

Then, instead of kicking me out, Zoë was nice and cleaned my ears.

At one point Mom made some noise and woke us up.
I yawned.

We decided there wasn't anything interesting going on, so we both fell back asleep.

THE END.

We love Lara

2007-04-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

Snuggle time with Auntie Lara!

Why Did Mom Do That?

2007-04-03T05:40:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
My Mommy is so silly. She slept in a different room last night. With the door closed.
Why would she do that? Her bed is perfectly comfortable and it's even bigger than the one she slept in. And she closed the door. I wish she hadn't done that because I wanted to snuggle with her. Maybe she just wanted to be alone. Nah, that's silly.
So I decided I'd go in to tell her "good morning" so she wouldn't have to wait for her alarm to go off. I try to do that for her because she doesn't like the sound of her alarm.
But it was so strange because she looked so shocked to see me there. I don't know why - I tell her "good morning" every morning. Oh well, at least I got breakfast then.

Couch: The Final Frontier

2007-03-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -
I thought I had explored every interesting place in the house, but I came across something totally awesome today. Daniel was cleaning the couch cushions and when he had them off the couch I snuck inside the couch. Once I got in there it was hard to get out. But I found some beads so I played with those. I didn't want to get out (well, honestly... I don't know if I knew how to) until Mom enticed me with a toy. Here are some photos she took.

Applejack and Stephen Colbert are pals

2007-03-27T19:43:00.000-07:00

Applejack here-
At the end of a recent episode of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert gave the TV audience a chance to take a picture with him. I wanted to try it, though it was a little awkward, so Daniel took the picture. Colbert said he wanted people to send the photos in, so Mom is going to try to do that. I might be famous!

Adoption Anniversary!

2007-03-25T19:31:00.000-07:00

It was 2 years ago today that our Mommy came to adopt us from Safe Haven for Cats in Raleigh.
The people at the shelter had named us Rocko and Pronto but those weren't very good names so Mom renamed us and we think she did a great job. Applejack and Zoë are great names (even though some of her friends pretend they can't remember them and call us Flapjack and Mincemeat and things like that).
Here are some pictures from the first few weeks at our new home with Mom and Aunt Melanie:

Sleepy Zoë - wasn't I adorable?
Applejack - I loved playing with the scratching board that Uncle Ceece gave us. We still have it and we scratch on it all the time
Zoë - I was so tiny, I barely fit in my collar!
Applejack - from the very beginning I loved snuggling in Mommy's arms
Applejack - I got introduced to the outside world (well, it was a view of the pool). Mom had to pick me up and put me on the windowsill because it would still be another couple of months before I could jump that high.

When we first came home we had to be separated from each other when we weren't supervised because Zoë still had her stitches and we would fight so rough with each other. I stayed in Mom's bathroom and Zoë stayed in Aunt Melanie's. They thought we were crazy with how rough we played; we'd latch onto each other and roll around all in one ball. We still play but Zoë doesn't like it as much as she used to.

We're so happy to have a Mommy who takes such good care of us and loves us so much! There's nothing like a snuggle with Mommy.

Counter Tops

2007-03-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

Applejack here -

I've developed some new skills that I want to brag about. Well, I won't brag too loud because Mom gets mad when I display my new skills. But it's pretty exciting for me.

Back in our old home, when we were living with Mom and our real Aunt Melanie, Zoë and I never bothered to try to jump on the counters. I don't know why, we just never did.

So, when we moved in with the Chases last year, Tucker had this really cool escape hideout he could get to. Whenever he got spooked (and I confess that at the beginning I tried to do it intentionally) he would jump on the counter next to the fridge, then up on top of the fridge, and from there up to the little ledge over the tops of the cabinets. It's amazing and to this day I don't know how he does it.

Carolina is a serious counter top jumper. She treats it like it's a sport and she's an olympic hopeful. She's always getting on the kitchen counters and the island and the tables and it looked like so much fun, I just had to try. Surprisingly, I actually made it!
Unfortunately, this exciting new skill is something that Mom hates and gets really mad at me for. Well I say blame it on Carolina, because if it wasn't for her bad example, I would never have aspired to greatness.

My favorite now is getting on the windowsill in the kitchen.

Fighting Techniques

2007-03-22T13:03:00.000-07:00

Zoë here -
I'm a defensive player. I always end up on my back, either by choice or because someone knocked me over. I tense up, put my ears back, curl up a little, and extend my back legs out one at a time to fend off the impending repeated attacks. Applejack will circle around me, looking for a good angle to attack from, and I'll swivel a little to be sure my outstretched legs will keep him off.

Applejack here -
I'm an offensive player, no doubt about it. I like to pounce and knock 'em over before they know what's hit them. Once I've got them pinned, I go for the jugular, take a big chomp, and just stay there while they try to wriggle free. It's pretty funny, because Zoë will start growling and hissing. I would laugh, but I want to keep my hold on her neck.

Now Tucker is one of those guys who will surprise you because he usually tries to keep a low profile around the house. But if we get into it, it's a whole different game.

When Tucker fights with his sister Carolina he uses the Peck-Swat technique, and that is hilarious to watch. He'll have Carolina on her back and he'll be standing over her. He'll dive down to peck at her once with his teeth and then immediately pulls his head back up while he swats her on the side on her head with his paw. He'll just do that over and over again until she fights him off. It's awesome to watch.

Carolina is a different story. She thinks she can take me, but come on, let's be real. She weighs half as much as I do. Sure, she's spry, but still... I mean REALLY, what chance does she have?

"How much is that kitty in the window...?"

2007-03-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

Which one?

We all LOVE it when our people open the windows. It was finally warm enough today and so we all gathered on the window sill to enjoy the breeze and all the outside noises. And we didn't fight over who got to sit where. It was so cool!

Zoë - Professional Hole-Puncher

2007-03-01T13:17:00.000-08:00

Zoë here -
Mom thinks I'm the weirdest cat ever because I like chewing on paper.

Well, it's not actually just paper.
I like to chew on magazines, paperback books, Kleenex straight from the box, file folders, important papers, cardboard boxes, toilet paper off the roll, and Post-Its. I'm a big fan of Post-Its. It's a bonus that Daniel works for 3M because we've always got a million Post-Its lying around the house. Jackpot!

Applejack needs a "big kid" bed

2007-02-28T06:06:00.000-08:00

Hiya, Applejack here.
When we were little, my sister and I could both fit in our little fuzzy bed (I'm on the left).

One day, more recently, Mom woke up to find me sleeping in this position (I stretched and then fell right back to sleep again) and I think it's a convincing argument that I need a "big kid" bed.

Pictures from Halloween 2006

2007-02-25T09:56:00.000-08:00

Don't you just love our costumes? Cinderella and Batman.

Our cousins Tucker and Carolina dressed up, too.

February 1st - Our first snow!

2007-02-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Zoë here -

Well, technically, it had snowed once before, but this was the first time we had the chance to actually touch it!
I take that back. Applejack touched it. I wasn't convinced it was something I wanted to do.
It was amazing to watch, and, watching from the window I thought I did want to play with it.

But then Mom opened the door to let me out and dang was it cold outside! I wasn't going out there, not me, nuh-uh, no sir!

But Applejack was braver than I was. First he checked it out, from the shelter of the doorway.

Then he walked right out onto the deck. I couldn't believe it! He was like "hey, Zoë, come on, check it out" and I was like "no way, I'm fine right where I am." So he just starts walking all around, kinda tip-toe-ing because it was so cold.

Then it was funny because he started coming back inside and was like "Whoa! What's this? Did someone else come out here with me?" He had seen some paw prints in the snow and started following them back inside.
Sheesh. I had to explain to him that they were actually his pawprints, duh!"

Pictures From Our 2nd Birthday!

2007-01-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our birthday party on January 8th.
We're two years old now - into our teenage years!

Mom made cupcakes in our honor, but we didn't get to have any because she says "cupcakes aren't for kitties."
But that didn't stop Carolina from trying to run off with one. She had already licked the frosting off one in the kitchen earlier.

We had party hats!

(Tucker only lets Daniel hold him like that)

Aunt Kristin came over to celebrate with us!

Mom gave us lots of Greenies and some spray cat nip so she can refresh our toys. 'Nip in a bottle - AWESOME!!! She sprayed some on a piece of paper to test the pump and Tucker spent 10 minutes licking that piece of paper.

We have our own blog!!!!

2007-01-01T12:38:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Zoë and Applejack here. We're totally jazzed to have our own blog!