Breaking Cat News by Georgia Dunn for December 10, 2022

Ora Zella vs. the Bird! Round One!

(ding)

FIGHT!

Alas, poor Cardinal. We barely got the chance to know ye!

It’s . . . dangling. And . . . spinning. And . . . IT’S SHAPED LIKE A BIRD! Honestly, what did you expect?

That second panel perfectly encapsulates the indulgent dread of cat ownership.

Is Ora sliding down the tree with her catch?

Sli-i-i-i-ding down the tree… with my prize, that bright red bird!

The mighty hunter pounces on her hapless victim!

That Lupin ornament in Panel 3 looks so realistic!

So the ornaments are unbreakable, I hope that tree has a super large base it’s bolted to and… tied tied down with moring lines at the top. otherwise…….

Product testing has begun!

Challenge issued, challenge accepted!

Let the challenge proceed!

oh, that cute little tongue as seen from above in panel 2!

This is soooo funny!

I like how Lupin just.. emerges out of the tree like some sort of stygian horror. Though Ora falling backwards while clutching an ornament triumphantly still slaps.

Unbreakable does not mean unstealable.

On less redbird already?

Lupin and Ora Zella have accepted the Christmas Cat Challenge: denude the Vegas tree by sun up, or forfeit their Chaos merit badges!

What are your predictions for the fate of

(a) the bird ornament

(b) the star ornament

© the cactus

(d) the whole tree

?

Scrounge the tree’s boughs, holy moly! Fa la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la, la la la la)

‘Tis tree’s reason to be falling Fa la la la la, la la la la (fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa!!)

Doncha know when cats appear, Fa la la la la la la la!

Trolling around and cause ya fear, Fa la la la la la la la!

See the blazing tree before us, Fa la la la la la la la!

Call alarm and join the chorus, Fa la la la la la la la!

Follow me in urgent measure, Fa la la la la la la la!

Yuletide cats can cause a seizure, Fa la la la la la la la!

Fast away the ornament passes, Fa la la la la la la la!

Doncha sue, ye lads and lasses, Fa la la la la la la la!

Sing we joyous all together! Fa la la la la la la la!

The tree’s swiped off so, what’s the matter?, Fa la la la la la la la!

Die, Red Baron…er…Bird!

And thus them hyoomans has avoided the bird-en of cleaning up a mess.

I love blissfully ignorant, innocent Puck here

Ora is about to try to disembowel the cardinal ornament. She’s too small to take the tree down. Lupin, OTOH…

Hallelujah, it’s raining kittens!

Shatterproof ornaments? Let’s find out.

From the Association: Windy

Who’s sneaking up the boughs of the pine tree

Stalking a bird that’s unbreakable?

Who’s climbing up to grab the ornaments?

Everyone knows it’s Ora Z!

…….

Who’s tempted to run all over the living room

Ready to grab everything she sees?

Who’s ready to wreak havoc with Lupin?

Everyone knows it’s Ora Z!

…….

And O. Z. has big green eyes!

That look innocent as the sky!

And O. Z. just loves to climb

Right to the top of the tree!

…….

Who runs around like a streak of lightning

Along with Lupin and her friend Iggy?

Who steals our hearts as she steals the ornament?

Everyone knows it’s Ora Z!

Ora Zella attacking a bird makes sense. Lupin attacking a star makes sense for Lupin, given that he’s the one who wants to catch a car and bat it around. Hopefully the combination of their weight and enthusiasm doesn’t bring the whole tree down.

It’s beginning to look a lot like this mess

Is gonna grow and grow

Take a look at the bird and then, it’s missing once again

With chitters and Ora’s happy glow

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Ain’t gonna shine no more

’Cause the prettiest sight to see is the tree that soon will be

On your own den floor

- Meredith Willson – It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Something to do OT:

OT: Georgia on facebook, “I was so upset when Lupin chewed the corners of this book (oh, how he loved to eat books!) Now, it is a bonus feature. I’m happier to see those teeth marks than I am to see the book itself. Included are some photos of Lupin’s paw print. An ornament made on a tense afternoon in late March 2020, as I clumsily tried to teach a fossil science lesson to the kids. We made one for Elvis, Puck, Lupin, and Goldie with salt clay. Soon we will make some for Iggy and Ora Zella. This ornament and these ragged book edges mean a lot to me this Christmas. This book is a holiday favorite. Treat yourself to a cozy Christmas read if you enjoy gnomes. And if your pet chews the corners, don’t be too dismayed. Those bite marks might mean a lot one day.”

It’s the most wonderful crime of the year

With nobody the wiser

As two cats are naughty and filled with cheer

It’s the most wonderful crime of the year

- Eddie Pola / George Wyle – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Such quivering whiskers!

Oh, Burt! You had me at “Intense Chittering”! And Ora’s HUGE green eyes laser focused on that unsuspecting bird…

Chittering. I’m glad to know what that’s called!

I have a plush Christmas gnome that Smudge carts all over the house. It’s a hunt every morning to find where he’s stashed him. Forget an elf on the shelf – I have a gnome who roams!

The only ornaments I have around these days are a bunch of craft store picks. I wander around the house and stick them into house plants, between books, in vases, anywhere that could use a bit of decor. Today Val finally noticed one and batted it to the floor. Soon Finn tried to join in the bat the pick game but it became one of their swatting matches. Sigh, detente is still fragile.

Ora Z. and Lupin are looking both naughty and thrilled. On my home front, I’m happy that the Marshmallow Mouse has stopped chewing cords (I think).

Uh-oh, the poor bird is a goner.

OH, the look on her face when she sees the bird. And of course Lupin has to have the cookie star. Wonder how long before most of them have been knocked down?

So far, Oopsie has just sat next to the tree, unimpressed. Let’s see how he does tomorrow when I start putting up the ornaments and lights.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are thy branches

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are thy branches

Your boughs, so long and strong

I bravely climb you all day long

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are thy branches

The ornaments you bear give to us our merriment

To bat them around is heaven sent

They clink and clack and dance around

We chase the ones that fall to the ground

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are, are thy branches

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are, how sturdy are thy branches

Their pillars all to climb upon

Our trust that they will stay strong

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How sturdy are thy branches

These cats are best buds with mice and numerous other critters yet they eat birds? Weird. Lupin’s star looks like a pizza.

intense chittering :D lmao

OT: Still no news…

Does anyone speak “Chitter?” I’d love to know what Ora Zella is saying to that bird.

“Intense Chittering” makes me think of my MapleSyrup, who would sit on a chair by the window and watch the birdfeeder, and chitter away. Intensely.

I’ll bet O.Z. has a very cute chitter.

The hunting noise.

My 4 will pile in the rear windows of the house to bird and squirrel watch. And the chittering gets intense. So much so that sometimes their prey hears it. I never forget that I live with tiny predators.

Beatrix in the second panel is so freaking cute! I can practically hear it.I’ve been following this series for years, but I don’t think I’ve commented before. It’s my favourite comic (and I have the physical books as well). I just love all the cats so much <3

OT – Happy, happy news

For those who were discussing and reading about ‘eating the tree’ in yesterday’s chat, I posted a reply with a link to a Euell Gibbons commercial (not the one we were looking for, but funnier)

There’s got to be an “Angry Birds” joke in there somewhere

oh, oh, I just found out on Facebook that a movie (by author Terry Pratchett) will be released in January. And it’s about a CAT! “The Amazing Maurice” (pronounced More-eese) was one of my favorite Pratchett books, and this one looks adorable. It will be released January 17, although it is already up in the UK. Huzzah! Go over to IMBD (the movie place) at https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10473036/and see the teasers.

RUH ROH, REGGIE!!!Maybe it’s time for the no no bottle.

It’s the unbreakable cardinal rule

You know, I didn’t realize that was a bird ornament until the last panel. I thought the werewolf was chittering at the tree and was gonna make a comment that Smokey used to make that noise…. but only for birds and squirrels and chipmunks.

Hehe… sano still sits at the doors and chitters at birds. Love it, as always.

I had kitties all through my childhood and them being outdoor kitties I often observed the chittering that they do when they stalked a bird…sometimes success for the bird; sometimes success for the kitty. Life….it’s what it’s all about!

You cannot land on your feet if you are holding a bird in your paws. Cats will seize hold with the teeth. Paws are for striking.

New favorite!