Carolyn Holm

Dear Poppy,
Are you ready for our walk?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I KNEW it!!!!! I saw you change your shoes!!!!! And I’m ready. Where are we going? Up the street or down the street?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Maybe down. Either way is a lovely walk around the neighborhood. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Can we go to Inspiration Point? Sometimes we see a coyote there!!!!! 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy, 
You have shown remarkable restraint on those occasions. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
They aren’t street fighters like Raccoons, but they aren’t anyone I want to mix it up with either.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You are very wise. But today we’ll take a leisurely walk around the neighborhood. To make up for yesterday’s Poop Walk. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Poop Walk?????? 
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Everyone I know who has a dog knows what a Poop Walk is. It’s when you’re in a hurry, so the dog walk has to be quick. With just that one objective.. The moment you poop, we rush home again. Yesterday’s Poop Walk was because I needed to get to my dentist appointment.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom,
That’s why you kept saying “How’s this spot? Ok girl, how about here? Soooo let’s try here, ok?”  
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You are absolutely right. Who knew I’d be spending my time trying to coax poop out of a dog. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Puffin says you are obsessed with Poop.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He said THAT?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He did.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy
This from the cat who acted mysteriously sick, and completely stopped eating, so that we took him to the vet where we spent a fortune on X-rays and blood work. To find out that his stomach and intestines were totally packed with food. And then we came home and he produced the world’s biggest poop. Ever.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But first he started farting squeaky farts. Brrrrpt. Brrrrpt. You and Dad thought that was hilarious. You laughed and laughed while Puffin sat there farting, trying to look dignified.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well, he deserved the laughter. It had been a stressful day and that certainly lightened things up. Later we found out what caused all the trouble. He had snuck into the kibble cupboard, tore open a bag, and devoured at least a quart of dog kibble.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And then made the biggest, most expensive poop ever. Yay Puffin!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yes, what an event! And it turned out that’s all he needed. And he says I’m obsessed with poop.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Actually after all this poop talk, a Poop Walk right now sounds like a good idea.
XOXO Poppy

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Hey Mom,
I totally don’t understand Puffin’s game. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s ok honey, it’s very different from your kind of play. You don’t even understand how to play with the feather wand.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
His game has so many rules!
Winston

Dear Winston,
He does have a few.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
He loves rules!
Winston

Dear Winston,
He likes structure in his life.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He has special spots. There’s a special spot for each thing he does.
Winston

Dear Winston
Ah, that. Dad and I call that being site specific. Well, you do a little bit of that. Your affection tends to be very site specific. The only time you get on my lap is when I sit at my desk, or sit on the sofa.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Those are good snuggle spots!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
They are. It’s just interesting that you don’t get on my lap anywhere else. So maybe you have as many rules as Puffin does.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
No! He’s nuts! His evening game with you has so many rules. Where to catch the prey, exactly where to take it. And he has a special song to chant when he’s caught that thing.
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s where it’s been getting difficult. Once he’s caught the prey he won’t drop it. He has jaws of steel holding on to that thing, yelling his song. We end up having a huge argument every time. That’s no fun!
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He’s the stubbornest cat EVER. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
Last night I tried something new – I offered him a treat in exchange for the prey, so he would drop it and we could continue the game. He got completely distracted by that. I made the mistake of giving him one of his breakfast kibbles, so he stopped everything to go check his feeder. My idea completely backfired. We’ll see what happens tonight.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
I have a better game!!!!! We never argue!!!!! I knock over all the pillows, crawl under them, and peer out at you! 
Winston

Dear Winston,
And when I spot you, you burst out from under the cushions and race out of the room.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Yes!!!!!! Puffin has his game and I have mine!!!!! 
Winston

Dear Winston,
You do! You may not know what to do with the feather wand, but you sure know what to do with pillows. You also have the Lightening Strike game. Where you whack Puffin and run like crazy.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
He doesn’t like that at all. 
Winston

Dear Winston,
He’s used to being the bully. Throwing his weight around. And not just at you. He did that with Mia too. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
He thinks it’s a big deal to be the Senior Cat. So it’s really fun to hit him with a Lightening Strike.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Interesting, because for all your differences, lately at night you two have been very chummy. I know where you go at night. You are sleeping side-by-side, in the living room.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
How do you know that?????
Winston

Dear Winston,
I know everything. So what about me? I like to have a cat with me at night! 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
We come to you at five, sometimes six in the morning! You are our site specific place for morning love!
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s sweet, but that’s morning. I miss you two at night. I miss you the way I do when I travel away from home, and there is no weight of a cat sleeping on me.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Then you shouldn’t go away!!!
Winston 

Dear Winston,
Sometimes it’s inevitable. A friend and I were talking about this, and we invented a great travel accessory. It would be a ten pound bean-bag plush animal with a heating pad inside. Sort of a travel cat. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
That just sounds creepy. It would be easier if you just stayed home. 
Winston

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Puffin,
Poppy and I are going to the mountain cabin next week.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Mon Dieu, what about us?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You and Winston will be fine. We’ve done this before. You’ve always been fine. And I just got new catnip loveys for the two of you. I see you’ve already found them!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Is Cathie coming to take care of us?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, sweetie, Monsieur will be here. He’ll take care of you boys!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Monsieur has no idea what to do. 
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Yes he does, sweetie.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
No, he has no idea. Does he know that my dinner is the lovely canned food?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Yes, of course he knows what to feed everyone.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Monsieur does not know our routine. 
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Your routine? You basically take naps all day long! What’s to know?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And the litter box. Does he comprehend the litter box?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Good point, I’ll text him some reminders to clean it out.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And the Game. Does he know how to play the Game?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Maybe not. But you can forgo your game for a few days.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Mon Dieu. The routine, she will be lost.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You’re making too much of this, sweetie. You can always tell him what to do. You don‘t hesitate to inform me when I’m only five minutes late with dinner. And remember, Monsieur is very generous with the treats.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Ah, oui, c’est vrai. Monsieur he has a deep understanding of the role of treats in a well-run household.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
So there we are. You’ll have plenty of delicious routine. 
Love, Carolyn

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Mom,
You’re daughter is here with the little black and white dog.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
You know little Musso.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom
But where is the other dog? Mika, the old lady dog?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I’m so sorry to have to tell you this. Mika had kidney failure, sweetie. She is not with us any longer. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom
She always came with your daughter!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
She did. We are so sad to lose her. It seems strange without her. She was such a strong-minded presence. She will probably come back as a ghost just to stir things up.
Love, Carolyn

Mom!
She is going to be a ghost?????!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Well, a presence, because we will always remember her. But sometimes things have to change. And we still have Musso!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The cats are all upset about Musso visiting us.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
They need to calm down. Musso is a sweet dog and he is part of our extended pack. That’s why he is going up to the mountain cabin with us. You two will have a great time racing around the ridge behind the cabin, off leash, acting wolfish.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
That’s my favorite part about the cabin!!!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I know it is. I love watching you run like the wind.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
And Musso is a TV star!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
So you heard about his acting job. I’m not sure we can call him a star, but he did get a tv acting job.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
How did he get an acting job??? I want to be an actor!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It’s all who you know, sweetie. I guess we can call him a nepo baby. His dad is working on a true crime show, and they needed a dog to come along and discover a dead body. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom!
There is a dead body???????!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It wasn’t real, sweetie, it was for TV.  They had Musso come along and bark through a fence at the pretend-dead body. As if he were the one who discovered the murder victim. He was exceptional. We’re all very proud of him.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
The cats should come out of your bedroom and get his autograph!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
They don’t care about celebrity. They just regard Musso as part of Team Dog. And they are annoyed by that. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
So they stay in the bedroom.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Right. They feel more secure there. Plus I’ve put a pheromone diffuser in that room. It’s a mother cat’s soothing pheromones, and they find it very comforting.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I want one of those!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
We all want one of those.
Love, Carolyn 

– 

Today’s post is dedicated to our dear Mika!

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Mom,
You called me Muffin!!! That’s a thing people eat!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Calm down, I’m not going to eat you. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Why do you call me that???
Winston

Dear Winston,
It’s a loving name. Sometimes I call Puffin “Puffin Muffin”. He won’t admit it, but he really likes that.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
It’s loving to call someone food?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Sometimes affectionate words like that just pop out of my mouth.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Like SnuggleBuns. You call everyone SnuggleBuns.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Not everyone. Just snuggly animals.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Is the Puma a snuggly animal? You call me your little House Puma.
Winston

Dear Winston,
That’s right, we do! Because you have the aspect of a puma. The little head, the exceptionally long tail, the lanky, slouchy body. But you are a house-sized Puma. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
But is the big puma, the real puma, a snuggly animal?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Ah, your friend the Puma. Not very snuggly, not with humans, anyway. But with other cats he probably has a snuggly side to him.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
He’s my friend???? He’s so cool! 
Winston

Dear Winston,
He is cool, definitely. 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Who is he? Where does he live?
Winston

Dear Winston,
In the Santa Monica Mountains. That’s a trail cam you’ve been watching on Facebook. I think that mountain lion has got you hooked. You’ve been racking up a lot of screen time lately.
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
Can we put a trail cam in our back yard to see a Puma?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Our back yard trail cam would mostly get a lot of squirrel action. For a puma I think you’ll have to stick to Facebook on my laptop. 
Love, Carolyn

Hey Mom,
I watch him over and over!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I don’t blame you. He’s gorgeous.
Love, Carolyn

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Cher Madame,
The new grooming service is appreciated. Madame is too kind.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I’m so glad you like it! The vet pointed out that you did not seem to be grooming yourself very well, so she recommended a daily brushing.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This is an embarrassment. She said that this petit cat is not grooming himself properly?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
She did. But don’t be embarrassed. Maybe it has something to do with your arthritis. Or just old age.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Old Age? Mon dieu. She said that?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Not in so many words, sweetie. Maybe she just thought you’d enjoy the service of being groomed.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The service is lovely, but it was étrange at first.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
I know. You hissed at me, to insist I stop.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And, as might be expected, Madame she refused to stop.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
And then you growled. And then you yowled. And then I gave you treats as I brushed you.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The treats, they are appreciated. Madame is kind to include them in the Service.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
They certainly did change the situation. They have a way of doing that. Now you like being brushed. In fact you and Winston demand it every day!
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
But why does the Winston participate in this? Why does he get the Service?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
It doesn’t hurt, though he certainly doesn’t need it. He does a bang-up job of grooming himself.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Then bien sûr, this service should be only for this petit cat.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
You get most of the brushing, sweetie. But I’ll continue to brush both you boys. Maybe one day Winston will be the Old Guy who is not grooming himself properly, and it will be nice that he’s used to being brushed.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Is THAT what Madame calls this pauvre petit cat? The Old Guy?
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
No, of course not. Well, maybe behind your back. To your face we call you the Big Guy.
Love, Carolyn

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Mom,
Everyone has been wanting my food.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No one wants your food, sweetie. The cats are just walking past it because your feeder is next to the kitchen door.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Puffin comes over and sniffs it.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He’s just checking it out. You don’t need to lunge and bark at him.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I need to bark at him, to tell him how I feel. But it’s ok, he doesn’t care. He just walks away.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He knows you are harmless. After all, we’re all one pack of five here, and you and the cats are The Squad!
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
I love it that we’re The Squad! Winston and I walk around shoulder to shoulder just to show our Squad solidarity. Puffin shows solidarity with a sniff or a head bump. Sometimes. Because other times he’s grumpy.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That’s just when he’s hungry. He gets testy then. There’s a word for it: Hangry.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
But he’s in a much better mood lately, now that he’s feeling better. When he was sick, he was very gloomy. We were all worried about him.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He’s just fine now, isn’t he! Who knows what on earth that cat ate that messed up his gut, but it was an expensive experiment, whatever it was. I can’t believe he got X-rays and blood work, and all he needed to do was an enormous poop. But we’re glad he’s fine now. And I’m sure he appreciated that the Squad was concerned about him.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Winston bumped heads with him a lot to let him know that we were thinking about him. And I sniffed his butt.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
It must have been comforting to him to know you had his back.  
Love, Carolyn

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Mom!
Why are you doing this to me?????!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
Someday you will appreciate this nice little jacket! Try standing up. You don’t have to crawl when you wear it. And you can walk forward. No need to crawl backwards.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Why why why why why!!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
You’ll get used to it! When you do, we can take you out in the garden on a leash. You’ll love the garden.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
It’s SCARY!!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
We’ll get you used to it in small steps. And I think the treats will help.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Yesterday you attached the leash and then opened the patio door!!!! 
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’m really sorry about that. I jumped the gun. I had no idea you would panic at the very idea. I guess you felt the tug of the leash and it was too much.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
There’s the Inside and there’s the Outside. The Inside is all of us. The Outside is really scary. Why did you try to get me out on the patio????? That’s the Outside!!!!!
Winston

Dear Winston,
I’m really, really sorry I scared you. You were literally flying through the air in your panic. So we’ll take this slowly. You can wear the harness around the house until you are used to it. Then we’ll take it step by step from there.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Explain to me again why we want to do this?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Two reasons. If we ever have to evacuate the house, say for earthquake or fire, you’ll be safer if I have you on a leash, even if we have your carrier. And second, I think you’ll LOVE the garden once you discover it!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Wait. We’re going to have an earthquake??????? And a fire???????
Winston

Dear Winston,
We’re just being prepared. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. You’re always safe with me and Dad.
Love, Carolyn

Mom
And Cathie.
Winston

Dear Winston,
Right, and Cathie!
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
So, to go out in the garden I have to wear this jacket?
Winston

Dear Winston,
I wish it were safe to let you go outside free and naked, but we live on a very busy boulevard. I don’t want to lose any one of you! A leash means you are safe. But it will still be an adventure! 
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Is that why Poppy only goes out on a leash?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Yes indeed! People drive way too fast here, and I worry that she would dash across the street.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Wouldn’t she look for cars first?
Winston

Dear Winston,
You’d think, right? But if she saw a squirrel across the street, I guarantee she’d fly right across without looking.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Poppy can fly?
Winston

Dear Winston,
Not yet, but she’s working on it.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
She gets all excited when she sees you bring out her harness and leash.
Winston

Dear Winston,
See? The harness is a good thing! Now, stop crawling backwards and try standing up.
Love, Carolyn

Mom,
Puffin says you are just into Bondage. 
Winston

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Cher Madame,
Madame does not appreciate the fine arts.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Well, okay, I’ll bite: what are you on about now?
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame, 
This petit cat has a remarkable singing voice, and Madame and Monsieur do nothing but complain about it.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
This AGAIN? We complain because you are singing at 5:00 in the morning! And loudly. Loud enough to wake the dead.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Not at 5:00. The singing of the arias commences precisely at 5:15. 
Regards, M. Le Poufin 

Dear Puffin,
Okay. 5:15 it is. I stand corrected.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This is quite unusual. Madame frequently makes the point that she is ALWAYS right.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Now and then I concede the point. But generally I’m ALWAYS right.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
And Madame is wrong to criticize the fine voice of this petit cat.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Your voice is magnificent, sweetie. Full throated and dramatic. I’ve never heard anything quite like it. But it’s hard to appreciate it that early in the morning. And it’s so loud, babe. We have to shut the bedroom door when you launch into your arias. I’ve resorted to wearing earplugs in the morning. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
Madame she sings loudly sometimes. The Poodle Song gets quite raucous.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
That’s because Winston and Poppy love it. And I know that you do too. 
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
The Poodle Song is silly. An Embarrassment. We are not poodles, and Madame sings this silly song with such enthusiasm. C’est unbecoming, and loud.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin ,
MY song is unbecoming and loud? That’s rich, coming from you. At least I’m not singing when everyone is trying to sleep.
Love, Carolyn

Cher Madame,
This Tiff, c’est aussi unbecoming. Madame should not be tiffing with this innocent petit cat.
Regards, M. Le Poufin

Dear Puffin,
Honey, I can’t think of anyone I’d rather to be tiffing with.
Love, Carolyn

– 

A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, all based upon actual conversations. And yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!

Dear Mom,
What is going on with Puffin???
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Oh dear, now what?
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He’s been so weird.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
So, nothing new. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He went to the vet!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yes, something was clearly wrong with him. He wasn’t eating, for starters. That’s always a red flag.
Love, Carolyn 

Dear Mom,
Puffin always eats!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I know, right? He lives for his meals. But that morning he didn’t even finish his breakfast. That’s never happened. And he was listless. And he wasn’t hanging out in any of his usual places. Dad and I were really worried about him.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Did the vet fix everything?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
They did a blood workup and an Xray. His blood work looked okay, but his Xray showed his stomach and intestines were completely stuffed with food! No wonder he was uncomfortable.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He was in a terrible mood yesterday. He growled and hissed at Winston! I’ve never heard him sound that angry. He was ferocious!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
He didn’t want to share my lap. He was feeling grouchy. 
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
You said “Maybe his underpants are too tight”.
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
I was just attempting some humor.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
He seems himself again now! He’s hungry today!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Yes, he did a gargantuan smelly poop and that apparently cleared things out. We need to go back to the vet though, to try to figure out what blocked things up in the first place.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Now he wants more food than ever! He broke into his automatic feeder!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
That cat never gives up. Somehow he managed to get the feeder lid off. And then he wrestled the whole thing off the cabinet and down to the floor.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
It was so exciting! Cat kibble everywhere!!!!!  I LOVE cat food!!!!!!!
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
Thanks for your help cleaning it up.
Love, Carolyn

Dear Mom,
Is Puffin going to go live at the Humane Society shelter now?
XOXO Poppy

Dear Poppy,
No, honey, that was just Dad being humorous.
Love, Carolyn

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A note to our readers…

Poppy, Winston, and Puffin are looking forward to sharing their weekly correspondence with you! Each week one of them is featured here, and yes, you can get the week’s post conveniently in your email every Friday by subscribing in the subscriber box at the top of this page. (If you are reading this in an email, go to blog.carolynholm.com to subscribe.) If you have already subscribed, multiple paws are raised to salute you!