Manny FAQ's

Man Oh Manny! How time flies in between blog posts!! I've been so incredibly....[lazy]...about writing down Manny's antics. Actually Manny's been so incredibly lazy, hence the post-less blogs. It's so much easier to push the blame onto a cat that spends 23 hrs a day sleeping.

A few people have asked me some Manny related questions recently so I thought I'd do a little Manny question and answer session post. You all will have an opportunity to ask your questions and the end of the session via blog comments and emails. Please, hold your applause.

Here goes.

Q. Does Manny still spend most of his time in his hideout?

A. Not really. Only when the vacuum comes out, but honestly, in my house, that's not a frequent occasion. Manny much rather hang out on top of the bed laying across pillows and making himself comfortable on the Duvet.

Q. Does Manny wake you up when he's hungry?

A. Nope, I'm happy to say that he only wakes me up when he wants to be pet. He likes to poke me in the head with his paw. Over and over and over and over. In the middle of the night. During the week.

The only time he begs for food is when the fridge opens, the silverware draw opens; he hears his treat jar; when we open a cabinet; when we walk into the kitchen or when we cook chicken. Go figure.

Q. Is he still shy?

A. Not if your blonde and female. He loves girls. There are certain visitors that he gets all mushy for and will flip over and show off his belly. He purrs really loud and just totally eats up all the attention. Manny will bond with you if it's on his own terms. Just stick out your hand and he will show you where to pet.

Q. What are some of Manny's dislikes?

A. My camera in his face; loud noises; the Mets; football season; cat carriers; meat flavored fancy feast; and a messy litter box.

Q. ...and his likes?

A. Me; yoga (it might have something to do my Denise Austin yoga DVDs...); the Yankees: Fancy Feast days; sometimes The Husband; treats; and surprises that comes for him in boxes.

Q. How has Manny been getting along with the fish lately?

A. Swimmingly. Just this morning I caught him with his faced pressed against the glass undoubtedly wishing the fish a good morning.

Q. Has manny found any rogue blueberries?

A. Funny you should ask [Kevin!] I just got a good sale on some blueberries over the weekend. Maybe I will let some blueberries lose on the kitchen floor and let the mayhem begin.

Feel free to send/comment any of your Manny related questions!

More Manny can be found @ manohmanny.net

Eire

So, I think I pretty much have plans for a trip almost, sorta, kinda, just about nailed down. In a few months I should be hopefully possibly going to...IRELAND!

On one end of the spectrum, I'm beyond excited about the potential prospect of visiting Ireland for 10 days with The Husband. Ireland has been on my travel list for so long that it will be just plain awesome to actually go. However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm a little more than apprehensive on what to do with Manny if and when I'm in Ireland. I know: crazy cat lady, but I'm kinda freaked out about my options. I have the best cat sitters (The Twin; his girlfriend; and my Mom) in the world, but I really would hate to impose on them for 10 or so days. That's quite a commitment and I do actually recognize the fact that my tried and true cat sitters actually have other things to do with their time instead of hanging out with Manny every single day. How many times can I ask them to drop everything and watch Manny while I get to indulge in some travel time? If they all didn't have cats of their own I would consider considering to ask them (read: bribe them) to let Manny hang out at their places, but its not an option. So, I feel like my last option is boarding my lil orange boy at the Vet's.

The thought strikes fear into my heart.

All I can picture is Manny cooped up in a cage for oh, about 100% of the time acting all depressed and/or agitated. Should he survive his extended stay at the Vet's (dramatic much?) I'm afraid he's pretty much going to hate us for the rest of our lives upon our return from the Emerald Isle. I'm not saying that the Vet wouldn't take good care of him, its just I never had to board Manny before and I have no idea what to expect.

So, blogging buddies, what can I expect? Tell me about some of your experiences with boarding a cat. Can I be all neurotic and ask the above mentioned cat sitters to please, please, please check up on him every few days? Do the cats have to stay in a cage for their entire duration? Did your cat claw you piece by piece when you came to pick him up? Will Manny eventually forgive me?

I might be able to figure out a way not impose on my cat sitting saviors and skip the potential boarding, but there may be a time when not boarding Manny is not an option, so I should know what to expect when boarding.

Do tell.