CATS ON TUESDAY # 10

There are many poisonous / hazardous plants which may be dangerous for our four-legged feline friends ...

Always inspect the area in which your cat spends his/her time to be sure that none of these listed plants are accessable. Remember that both inside and outside must be "kitty-proofed" in order to have a safe, healthy cat.

HAZARDOUS INDOOR PLANTS
hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla)
daffodil (Narcissus)
paperwhites & other winter forced bulbs see (amaryllis)
philodendron (Philodendron spp.)

HAZARDOUS OUTDOOR PLANTS
american coffee berry tree (Gymnocladus dioica ( L. ) Koch)
arrowgrass (Triglochin martima)
baneberry (Actea rubra )
black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.)
bouncing bet (Saponaria officinalis)
bloodroot (Sanquinaria canadensis)
bracken or brake fern (Pteridium aquilinum)
burning bush or fireweed (Kochia scoparia L. Schrad.)
bull nettle or horse nettle (Solanum carolinense)
buttercup (Ranunculus spp.)
carelessweed (Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. )
castor bean (Ricinus communis )
cherries: black cherry, bitter cherry, choke cherry, pin cherry (Ricinus communis (Prunus spp.)
clover: alsike clover, red clover, white clover (Trifolium hybridum L. and other species)
cocklebur (Xanthium spp.)
creeping charlie or ground ivy (Glecoma hederacea L.)
curly dock (Rumex crispus L.)
Daffodil (Narcissus spp.)
daphne (Daphne spp.)
devil's trumpet see (Jimson weed)
delphinium (Delphinium spp.)
dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum)
dutchman's breeches (Dicentra cullaria (L.) Brenh.)
elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)
english ivy (Hedera helix L.)
ergot (Claviceps spp.)
fern see (Bracken fern)
fireweed see (Burning bush)
foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)
ground ivy (Glecoma hederacea L.)
hemlock - poison (Conium maculatum L.)
hemlock - water (Cicuta maculata L.)
horse chestnut, buckeyes (Aesculus hippocastanum L.)
horse nettle see (Bull nettle)
horsetails horsetails (Equisetum arvense L.)
hyacinth (Hyacinth orientalis)
hydrangea see (Hydrangea spp.)
irises (Iris spp.)
japanese yew (Taxus japonicus)
jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema spp.)
jimson weed (Datura stramonium )
kentucky coffee tree see (American coffee berry tree)
klamath see (St. Johnswort)
lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album L.)
lantana, red sage, yellow sage (Lantana camara)
larkspur see (Delphinium)
lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis)
lobelia, cardinal flower and indian tobacco (Lobelia spp.)
locoweed and Milkvetch families (Astragalus and Oxytropis spp.)
lupine (Lupinus)
mad apple see (Jimson weed)
mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum L.)
marijuana (Cannabis sativa)
milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.)
monkshood, garden wolfbane, helmet flower, friar's cap, or soldier's cap (Aconitum spp.)
mountain mahagony tree (Cercocarpus montanus )
mushrooms (all outdoor varieties have potential of being toxic)
nightshade, black nightshade, or deadly nightshade (Solanum nigrum )
ohio buckeye or horse chestnut see (Aesculus glabraWilld.)
oleander (Nerium oleander L.)
pigweed see (Carelessweed)
poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans L. Kuntze)
poison oak (Toxicodendron diversiloba)
poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix)
poke, pokeberry or pokeweed (Phytolacca americana L.)
poppies: california poppy, iceland poppy, corn poppy, oriental poppy, and opium poppy (Papaver spp.)
purple mint (Perilla frutescens)
rhododendron (Rhododendron spp.)
rhubarb - leaves are toxic (Rheum rhaponticum)
rosary pea, jequirity bean, or precatory bean (Abrus precatorius)
snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia spp.)
staggerweed see (Dutchman's breeches)
star of bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum)
st. johnswort (Hypericum perforatum L.)
stinging nettle (Urtica spp.)
stink weed see (Jimson weed)
stump tree see (Kentucky coffee tree)
sudan grass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense Hitchc.)
summer cypress see (Fireweed or Burning bush)
squirrel corn see (Dutchman Breeches)
sweet pea, tangier pea, everlasting pea, caley pea, and singletary pea (Lathyrus spp.)
thorn apple see (Jimson weed)
tobacco and tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca )
tulip (Tulipa spp.)
wild onions (Allium spp.)
wild snakeroot (Eupatorium rugosum )
wolfsbane see (monkshood)
wisteria (Wisteria spp.)
yellow sage see (Lantana)
yews: english yew, japanese yew, western yew, ground hemlock, and florida yew (Taxus cuspidata)

HAZARDOUS HOLIDAY & SEASONAL PLANTS
amaryllis (Amaryllis spp.)
mistletoe (Viscum album)
christmas rose (Helleborus niger)
chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum spp.)
crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii)
jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum L.)
poinsettia (Euphorbia spp.)

SYMPTOMS OF PLANT POISONING

will not eat
vomiting
diarrhea
pale tongue or gums
swollen tongue
abdominal pain
convulsions

Check out your gardens ... do you have any of these ???

Take care,

Didyahaveagoodweekend ??

Another weekend is over, hope yours was a good one.

We went to a 50th birthday party on Saturday afternoon / night. It was a great party, caught up with some good friends, and had a nice time. It got mighty cold in the evening (that was really unusual!), and most of us weren't dressed for it (as it has been quite some time since it had been cool !!), but otherwise it was a wonderful night.

Sunday, Chicky and I went to the German Club for their Sommerfest. Had lunch ... traditional German stuff ... yummy !! Caught up with some family and friends, then headed home again. Hubby did an overtime shift Sunday night, so Chicky and I had pizza for tea ... yummy again !!

Overall, a great weekend, full of friends, family, food and fun !!

Change of subject ....

Has anyone noticed that Blogrolling and Bloglines don't seem to be updating as much as they should. Wonder if this has anything to do with the change-over to the New Blogger !! Is there something in our blog set-up that we should be changing, to ensure that our blogs show as being updated by these systems ?? I know there is a spot in the settings that mentiongs "pinging", and I have checked that it is on the correct setting (I hope). My Blogroll hasn't shown ANY updates for most of this year !! Is it just me, or is everyone having these problems ?!?! Just wondering !!!

Have a great week, catch ya all soon.

Take care,

Aaawww, How Cute Is This ...

I found this article in today's newspaper, and just had to share. I have re-typed the text, as I don't think it will zoom in large or clear enough to read easily.

AUCKLAND - Extra the kitten is a little more sure-footed than her contemporaries.
She was born with one more toe than normal on each of her back paws, and two more than the standard on her front ones.
A grand total of 26 claws against the usual 20.
Her family noticed there was something not quite the same when they began suffering more scratches than they would have expected.
"You would sort of want to wear boxing gloves when you played with her," said her owner, Kaelene Garrard, of Auckland, New Zealand.
She examined the frisky feline's paws and did a double-take.
"We counted, then re-counted, but we had it right the first time," Miss Gerrard said.
Extra has seven toes on each front paw and six on each back paw - instead of the normal five on each.
"Her mother is a normal cat but her grandmother had six toes on each paw and so does her brother," Miss Gerard said.
"But we've never heard of a kitten with seven toes on each front paw.
"She's a good climber and runs really fast.
"We won't have to worry about her ... she'll be able to look after herself."
Extra toes are not that unusual in cats but sevens make Extra extra special.

Cute, don't you think ?!?!?! Don't think I'd like to be on the receiving end of those claws !!

Hope your weekend is going well.

Take care,

Have A Great Weekend ....

Well, another week is almost over. It continues to be hot and humid here in Melbourne (and most of Victoria, I think), and it is just getting ridiculous. Almost every day they forecast "possible" showers and thunderstorms, however here where I live, they just don't happen. The clouds might roll in, the air becomes even heavier, but no relief. Apparently (but who can believe the Weather Bureau these days !!) it is meant to be cooler, and mid 20sC over the weekend. I can't wait.

We are off to a 50th birthday party on Saturday, and perhaps a "Sommerfest" at the local German Club on Sunday. Should be nice. What do you have planned ???

Take care,

It's Hot, Hot, Hot ...

Hello, fellow Bloggers !!

Hope your world is treating you well.

It is still stifling hot here in Melbourne, and there seems to be no end to it. I can't remember the last time I felt cool ... it is just getting ridiculous. Apparently, last week set a record, as it is the first time since records began (or something like that) that we had more than 5 days in a row of 38C or over. It was really, really, really hot !!! Today is around 30C, but very humid. For us Melbournians, it is like being in the Tropics. It is such unusual weather, as it is often hot here, but usually it is just dry heat.

I've gotta say, with the weird weather all around the world, I was somewhat concerned whilst watching "The Day After Tomorrow" on Friday night. Made me wonder whether we are really in for stuff like that !! Gosh, I hope not, but who knows what our future will be. I don't imagine anyone knows.

The wedding we went to on Saturday was lovely, but it was very unfortunate for the bridal party that it was just soooooo hot !! As I mentioned, the wedding was in a church in the city ... it was fairly pleasant in there, although still quite warm. The bride looked absolutely gorgeous, and the whole bridal party was a sight to see ... what a good looking bunch they were !! It was a reasonably quick service, and then we all went outside, back into the sunshine and heat, to do the congratulations and photos, and stuff !! Then we had about a 1 kilometre walk, up hill, to the reception venue ... the Old Melbourne Gaol !! (some people chose to catch a taxi, or take a tram, but we thought we'd walk ... why, I don't know !!) We had to weave through hundreds of people, as it was also Chinese New Year, and Russell Street (where the church and reception were on) was blocked for some of it's length, where it intersected with Chinatown !! Thank goodness I packed my rubber thongs, so I swapped my shoes for those, for the walk !!!

The Old Melbourne Gaol was reasonably comfortable, temperature-wise, when we went inside, but quickly heated up with 150 or so people inside. It is a very old building, so doesn't have air conditioning, although being all brick, concrete and cobblestones, it was actually cooler than outside

The above photo was taken from the second level of the gaol, looking down to the ground floor. You can see how narrow it is there, with all the cells going off the side walls. The level I took the photo from, and another above, were all similar, with lots of pokey little cells going off the passage. It was kind of creepy, with many of the cells having death masks on display, from hangings that occurred within the gaol many, many years ago. There were other displays in some of the cells, depicting former occupants !! The Old Melbourne Gaol, these days, is a museum. It is fascinating, and has lots of interesting things to see. Quite an unusual place for a wedding reception, though ... but it worked fine.

It was a wonderful wedding reception, the food was yummy, the band were brilliant, and the people we were with were a lot of fun. It was, for sure, a great night (except for the heat). Let me tell you ..... hot weather, and high-heels, just don't go together. By the end of the night, most women were barefoot and / or limping !!!

We didn't end up going to the 4WD show on Sunday, as we had planned, due to the high temperatures. We hibernated inside with the air-conditioning on as much as possible, only venturing outside to the car when we had to go out to pick up Chicky, who had a sleep-over at her cousins place. As I've said before, thank goodness for air-conditioning. But, I've had enough now ... it can cool down. I'd be happy to have to put on a jumper or jacket, or even the heating ... enough is enough !!!

Hope you are all able to stay warm, or cool, depending on which part of the world you are living in. Looking forward to stopping by for a visit to your blogs in the next couple of days.

Take care,

CATS ON TUESDAY # 9

Poor Bambi was attacked by Evil Max over the road again yesterday. She was just coming out of her little nest in the bushes, outside our loungeroom window, in HER garden, when the rotten mongrel of a cat jumped her again. The poor little thing. I heard the noise, jumped up, opened the door, and looked out, and the poor little thing came racing inside, absolutely terrified. At least she knows she is safe in here !! At least she's got the sense to run away if she's able, rather than staying to fight (as our last cat, Ratbag, would have done ... he was a tough boy !!). At first she was limping, and favouring one of her front paws. I had visions of an abcess happening, but so far, so good. She is not licking, biting, gnawing at any particular site on her leg, as she would be if there was an abcess or sore, so she might have just sprained her ankle, or something. She seems OK ... fingers crossed.

On another topic, Bambi continues to do well with her dietary change. In fact, she is quite the little Miss Piggy !!! She no longer wakes me up in the middle of the night, only at around 5am-ish, when she wants brekky !! I can live with that ... a girl's gotta eat !!! I might introduce a small amount of dry food, as a treat once or twice a week, soon. I will try a Hills Science Diet brand, the Oral Care one, perhaps, so that her teeth can stay nice !! We'll see how that works ... I don't want her addicted to the dry stuff again, as that's what caused her problems in the first place ... she only wanted dry, nothing else. Hmmmm ....

Anyway, enough from me for this post.

Take care,

Have A Great Weekend ...

Just a quickie from me to say HI, and hope you are all well.

Been pretty busy these past few days, and will be for the next couple. Hope to be dropping by your blogs again early next week. Looking forward to reading what you have all been up to.

We are off to a wedding today (Saturday), in the city. The wedding itself is at a big church on the corner of Russell Street and Collins Street, and the reception is at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Should be interesting, to say the least. It is forecast to be around 38C today, and the outfit I have chosen is probably not appropriate for a hot summer's day, but it's what I'm wearing, nonetheless. I haven't gone out and bought anything new ... don't get the opportunity to wear "going out" clothes much, so usually make do with what I have. It is a nice outfit, I feel good in it, it is comfortable ... what more could I ask for !! I imagine it will be cool-ish in the Old Melbourne Gaol, being an old building with lots of rock and cobblestones ... here's hoping, anyway (I don't imagine it has any airconditioning !!).

Off to a 4WD show tomorrow. Again it is forecast to be 38C ... gosh, I hope some cooler weather comes soon ... I am so over the heat, and having to live in a closed house with the airconditioning on (I guess I should be greatful that we even have airconditioning!). I long for some cool breezes blowing through open doors and windows ... sigh !!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend.

Take care,