The Opinionated Pussycat

100 Word Cat Story 26: The Warrior

2013-05-18T01:00:00-05:00

Today is day 18 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog . (Marian's new story)

My month long series begins here:

My prompt today? None, really. I just thought it was time Aubrey finally left Scotland. :-D

The Warrior by Nikita Cat

Hexham, England, December 2004

The receptionist remembered when the senior cat was brought in; It was a year ago, now, and the man said he’d found him at The Wall, near death.

Starving, flea infested, sporting an infected, broken, right back leg, the orange British Shorthair had obviously been through a lot; what he was doing in Northumberland National Park was a mystery.

Through January it was touch and go; just getting him to trust them was a major effort.

By the end of February he was out of the woods, and friendlier, too. They named the old warrior Hadrian.

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 25: The Searcher

2013-05-17T01:00:00-05:00

Today is day 17 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog . (Marian's new story)

My month long series begins here:

My prompt, today, comes from this website:

Creative Writing Prompts – hover over a number to see one

Describe in detail a person who leaves no stone unturned.

The Searcher by Nikita Cat

Wooler, England, July 15, 2003

Aubrey watched the man in the park, from the bushes, trying to figure out what he was doing.

The man was short for a human, balding, dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, and black tie; he was walking excitedly around, looking at the grass, even turning over every stone.

His young female companion looked exasperated; she kept tapping her foot impatiently, looking at something on her wrist and pointing at a nearby building.

When they finally left Aubrey at last felt safe to continue playing with the little green paper he had found.

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 24: The Conference Room

2013-05-16T01:00:00-05:00

Today is day 16 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog .

My month long series begins here:

My prompt, today, comes from this website:

Creative Writing Prompts – hover over a number to see one

Use these words in a story = Diplomat, jacket, conference room, balloons

The Conference Room by Nikita Cat

Aubrey had sat, unnoticed in the balcony, watching the diplomat give his speech to a room full of cheering supporters and, after the man was done, and everyone had left, he was still puzzling what it was all about.

Finally, he went to the floor of the conference room, looking for any leftover food, getting distracted chasing and popping balloons, before napping a while on a forgotten jacket.

Suddenly he was awakened by the sound of a vacuum, as the cleaning crew worked. He made his way, carefully, back to the balcony and waited until they finished before he left.

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 23: The Reporter

2013-05-15T05:00:00-05:00

Today is day 15 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog .

My month long series begins here:

My prompt, today, comes from this website:

Creative Writing Prompts – hover over a number to see one

A reporter arrives in town and asks questions.

The Reporter by Mr. Nikita

The reporter from Wiltshire entered the café, looking for the woman in red; when he saw her he introduced himself as a friend of a family who had seen the photos of the cat, carrying kittens to a box outside that she had shared in an e-mail.

Their son swore that cat looked like his kitten, Aubrey, who had disappeared when he was seven.

She asked, “How could it be?” Edinburgh was a world away from Wiltshire, the kitten was probably long dead and, besides, the one in the pictures had not been seen since.

He sighed…yet another dead end.

Day 16 = 100 Word Cat Story 24: The Conference Room

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

Carnival of the Cats #478

2013-05-14T20:50:27-05:00

For us Cat Bloggers the Carnival is a chance to discover blogs we might never have heard of, on subjects of all kinds!

Submissions can be sent to: carnivalofthecats(at)gmail.com

The Carnival Home Page, with an archive of past Carnivals, the Line-up for 2013 (We need only 3 more hosts!!! ), FAQ'S, and more, is HERE.

Our apologies for the late carnival, but the scheduled hosts have had a death in the family and we encourage everyone to send The Florida Furkids and their humans lots of purrs and purrayers.

To start the carnival I want to share 3 posts about Trooper, the cat who was a companion to the family member who passed away.

1. Tuxie Toes Tuesday with Cousin Trooper

2. Wordless Wednesday with Allie and Mom With an important Trooper update.

3. Tuxie Tuesday with Cousin Trooper

Next up...

4 - 7. Catherine McKinney is the author of Finn MacCool and the Woman, Kittens to Cats: Tales from Home.

On her blog she has recetly begun a series of posts, about Finn, that she calls "Cat Diaries" that I believe you will enjoy exploring:

Cat Diaries #1: Beginnings..... Cat Diaries #2: Who, and Other Commentary

Cat Diaries #3: May Day..... Cat Diaries #4: Sunlight

8. StrangeRanger has a wonderful, picture filled, tribute to Ivy.

9 - 11. As for us, we have 3 entries:

Nikita is on a challenging creative journey; "the Story a Day Challenge".

The series begins here and each post links to the next.

Street Seens 65: Daddy Kiril, Marilynn of Momma Grace and Spring
Strays.

Versatile Blogger Awardees Guest Post on Pet's Garden Blog.

Next week we will host a special "After Blog Paws" edition that will most likely be posted on Wednesday, so stay tuned!

The Elvira Factor 11: Blog Paws Preview Edition

2013-05-14T19:38:47-05:00

Hello, honey, Elvira Mistress of Felinity here. I'm more than just a great looking feline, I'll have you know! Bold, fresh, cuter than a speckled pup, and the most delightful pussycat in the world! You can call me Miss Elvira for short; just don't call me late for dinner, treats, a nap, or a snooze!

Welcome to the Elvira Factor! You are about to enter the no bull zone! Grab your tails, felinity assembled; it's going to be a bumpy ride!

Last January was when the Factor last appeared; a lot going on, especially with Daddy Kiril, as everyone knows. I apologize to our fans for not keeping up.

Now for the Meowing Points Memo:

This is a very exciting weekend for us as we send Daddy Kiril to Tysons Corner, Va. to represent us at the Blog Paws Pet Blogging and Social Media Conference.

This event is HUGE and impawtant for humans and animals who blog and write books and for those who hope to do so in the future. While some critters will accompany their humans others, such as us, will be there as "flat cat" versions of ourselves (Daddy will wear his shirt with our image on the front!).

Daddy will get to meet new friends and hang out with many of our friends who we only know online and maybe re-unite with those few he has met in Ca. but the most important things about the event are something else entirely.

There is an exhibition hall with booths filled with all sorts of interesting things to see, there are many hour long presentations to attend and learn from, there will be lots of free swag to bring home, and the annual Pet Blogger Awards and its pawty, afterwards, to attend.

FNN SPECIAL REPURRT: Countdown to Blog Paws

Daddy will be taking notes, and photos, and have his laptop so he may post live from the conference at some point.

Mr. Nikita and I welcome all visitors stopping by after learning about us at Blog Paws. We invite you to stick around, explore and comment to your heart's content and tell your friends about us.

And, that’s the Memo!

Next up is...My Word!

The word is “weird”, as in cat naming weirdness; the British kind and the kind that seems to afflict human authors and other famous people.

The Telegraph of London seems to have an affection for stories about what humans name their cats, having first written about the subject in 2006 and, more recently, 2011.

In 2006 they wanted to instruct their British readers on why they can’t call their kitties Keith! Humans seem to believe that what they name us says something about THEM. The writer of this story goes on to discuss the names that such famous humans as Thomas Hardy, TS Eliot, Samuel Johnson, Mark Twain, Florence Nightingale, Winston Churchill, Ernest Hemingway and Christopher Smart gave cats they lived with or created in their writing.

What does it say about Daddy that he gave us the names he did? He has a sense of humor, and extremely good taste in his choice of what to watch on TV.

Oh, and one more thing...In my book Keith is fine...just don't name your cat "Kiddleywinkempoops"...please. We cats have a sense of humor, too, but there IS a limit.

Why you really can't call your cat Keith by Christopher Howse

Speaking of limits…an Oct 2011 piece by a reporter for The Telegraph shows that the Brits are acting weird again...naming their cats after their favorite foods for crying out loud! Nikita has written a pair of stories, the older one quite controversial, on cats as food, that you may want to get a taste of before you dig into this story.

How soon before the Brits go from naming their cats Benedict (as in eggs benedict, hee, hee) to eating them with their tea and crumpets?

Cats increasingly named after food by their owners

Let's move on to the Knucklehead of the Week.

Police Officers are brave and resourceful, friends to animals everywhere and even share their home lives with animals of all types (Daddy's sister and her husband, sheriff deputies both, live with dogs) but, sometimes they just don't think things through.

We cats are good climbers, and come down when we are good and ready; AFTER whatever reason it was we went up the tree for in the first place is no longer a matter of interest, or concern.

It's as simple as that.

Besides, let this be a lesson....never send a cop to do a fireman’s job.

The anonymous officer is a knucklehead.

Speaking of brave firemen...this leads me to my Patriots of the Week.

The Houston firefighters who responded to a two-alarm fire at the River Stone condominiums in the Westchase District, where we live, are patriots!

There is a cool photo, on the Houston Chronicle Facebook page, of firefighter Simon Hernandez holding Boo the cat after rescuing it yesterday. There were no injuries or deaths, in the fire, but several animals had to be rescued.

Well, that's it for this edition. Now that things are calming down, after Daddy's surgeries, I plan on doing the Elvira Factor more ofte

Dear reader, your comments about anything you read in this post, or any other, past, present, or future, on this blog, are welcomed, and encouraged.

Thank You, and Good Day!

Hat Tip to our friend, the Creative Idea Gal, for the lead on the 2011 cat name story!

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 22: Decisions, Decisions...

2013-05-14T05:00:00-05:00

Today is day 14 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog. (Marian's new story)

My month long series begins here:

My prompt for today? I've still got birds on my brain. :-D

Decisions, Decisions by Mr. Nikita

It had been days since he had a decent meal; some damn dog kept scaring the birds at the wrong moment so often he decided to finally move on.

Now, he sat in the grass, beneath an open window, listening to a yellow canary chanting “here kitty, kitty, kitty!” from the safety of his closed cage.

When the humans went next door Aubrey jumped to the ledge, looked at the bird, hunger in his eyes, and asked why he shouldn’t knock his cage to the floor?

The canary smiled, pointing at a full paper lunch bag on a table…decisions, decisions...

Day 15 = 100 Word Cat Story 23: The Reporter

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

FNN SPECIAL REPURRT: Countdown to Blog Paws

2013-05-13T15:35:13-05:00

Good afternoon, felinity assembled, Nikita here! Is everyone ready? The most important weekend in the pet blogosphere is almost upon us!

There are just a few days before the BlogPaws 2013 Pet Blogging and Social Media Conference and Daddy Kiril wants me to share with you what’s on his agenda for those 3 days.

On day one there will be a Be the Change presentation on animal rescue at Sandy Hook and a Bloggers vs Vets discussion on how the 2 sides can work together and network.

There will be an evening welcome reception as well.

On day 2 the opening keynote speech is by Steve Dale then daddy plans to attend these presentations:

1. Facebook: Building fans to your page.

2. Wordpress for beginners and converts.

3. Purina will be hosting a pair of presentations and daddy chose to attend the 2nd one:

A. The Link Between Diet and Domestication: 10,000 Years of Dietary Influences on the Canine Genome presented by Arleigh Reynolds.

B. Pet Welfare in America presented by Brenda Bax and David Meyer (of Adopt A Pet).

4. Using social media to be an effective advocate.

On day 3 the opening keynote speech is by Clara Shih, author The Facebook Era.

The presentations daddy wants to attend are:

1. Foundations of reporting for pet bloggers.

2. How to write and print on demand your book in 90 days.

3. Taking Twitter beyond a Tweet.

4. Standing out in the popular niche of pet blogging.

The evening will be centered on events connected with the BlogPaws 2013 Nose-to-Nose Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards and the Pawty afterwards.

There will be an exhibition hall, and plenty of free swag, even a place where kitties in attendance can hang out together and network.

Daddy Kiril is looking forward to meeting many of our fellow pet blogging friends and also meeting his friend, the creative idea gal, Amanda Socci.

Elvira and I will be there, too!

Flat, as flat can be!

Just look for the man wearing the above image on his shirt. :-D

****UPDATE - 8PM****

BlogPaws Sells Out and Announces Livestreaming (Details about the livestreaming included)

****END UPDATE****

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 21: I Think I Saw This Pussycat...

2013-05-13T08:54:10-05:00

Today is day 13 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog . (Marian's new story)

My month long series begins here:

My prompt, today, comes from this classic cartoon.

I Think I Saw This Pussycat.... by Nikita Cat

I’m a Scottish terrier,
My humans call me Gus.

I live in Edinburgh, and will until I die.
I like to go on walkies and howl all night long,
But my humans tell me that last is very wrong.

When I am allowed
To go outside,
It's always the same.

The neighbor’s dog says
Some cat, named Aubrey,
Is chasin' birds.
Each morning, without fail,
He always says these words:

“I think I saw this pussycat chasing birds you see.”

Well, I tell him, if that cat wants a bird,
I don’t see the fuss,
It’s perfectly fine with me.

Day 14 = 100 Word Cat Story 22: Decisions, Decisions...

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project

100 Word Cat Story 20: For Mom

2013-05-12T14:45:38-05:00

Today is day 12 of a challenging creative journey; the Story a Day Challenge made by Marian Allen on her blog .

My month long series begins here:

My prompt for today? It's Mother's Day, What more do I need?

Well, OK, Marian had the words restaurant and cat as the prompt for yesterday, so....

Her Day 12 story is here.

For Mom by Nikita Cat

May, 2000, Edinburgh: Dawn, Cowgate below the George IV Bridge…

Aubrey heard desperate cries from an alley. Upon closer inspection he found 4 newborn Scottish Folds, hungry, scared, huddled next to their mother, breathing her last.

He promised to find help for the kittens and the mother died content, but now what? He’d seen a café whose name indicated it must cater to elephants; he’d scouted it out, finding only humans.

He remembered an empty box by the door; one by one he dropped the kittens off, then watched and waited.

When the kittens were found, he purred.

Mission accomplished.

Day 13 = 100 Word Cat Story 21: I Think I Saw This Pussycat...

The Blogs of Kiril Kundurazieff:

1. Mad Macedonian

2. The Opinionated Pussycat

3. SMFCB: A 365 Day Project