Furry Monster!

HELP!!!! I'm being attacked. Geddit offa me! NOW!

Can anyone guess what it is that is encompassing Austin's head?

It's just your friendly neighbourhood (faux) fur trapper hat come to cosy up!

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benign, be-nine  - what Austin will be after he be eight

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Tigger

A couple of folk have mentioned that they don't know who Tigger is or much about him, so I thought I would give a brief resumé of his story.

Just a few months after Austin came to us, he started going outside and it wasn't very long before he brought this little tabby home. One day I heard Austin scratching at the door and when I opened it there was my tuxie with the tabby both looking up at me and they were obviously about the same age and the tabby obviously had Austin's permission to come in! Since that day they have been great pals .. sort of!

We (eventually) called him Tigger and he made himself right at home!

I first blogged about this in May 2008, but you can read here about how their relationship developed. It was obvious he was not a stray. Someone wanted this kitty! However, despite asking questions around the neighbourhood, we have not discovered to this day who he belongs to! He just turns up (not every day, but most!) and eats some food and often just goes out again, but sometimes he wants to hang around.

Sometimes they have a face off! (Actually they are about to hug!)

Sometimes they just chill (not that often!)

But mainly Tigger just likes to eat!

As you can see he makes himself right at home and has grown into a fine (huge!) kitty

AND he's quite happy on Austin's pink blanket!!!

They have known each other well over four years now and they get up to all sorts of mischief! We have to be careful though, as Austin is a bit spiky at the best of times and he needs to be sure that everyone knows who is the king of this castle!

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Giveaway - For folk living in the UK, there is a giveaway going on over at A Tonk's Tail …. If you would like to win some stuff from VetVits in the UK, now is your chance to enter! You have until Saturday night! Go here to see!

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cocktail, cock-tail - what Tigger does in front of the crocosmia bush

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Watching the world go by!

See that over there?

Black sheep is a bit like me.

Stands out in a crowd!

Me and my shadow!

Someone's always pointing the finger!  Cool though, isn't it! Some cats cast a long shadow and Austin is definitely one of them!

BTW Austin is also featuring today over at Coccolino's My Mini Pet Pig. He is pretending to be cute whilst napping on his pink blankie. Something he is very good at when the mood takes him. Go over and say hi to Cocco. He is quite special :)

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dewdrop, dew-drop? (interrogative) - question asked to a clumsy person

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Austin the poet!

One thing's for sure, there is no doubt,

she often forgets that I am out.

When this happens, I have no choice,

but give her 'the eye' and lift my voice!

Come on old dear and let me in,

it's the only way to stop the din!

Pick yourself from off the floor,

And open up this flippin' door!

First I'll have a bite to eat

And then kip down and get some sleep.

But hark! I hear the dulcet tones

Of that darn tabby, Tigger Jones! 

He's on my bed and stretched out nice!

No doubt he dreams of birds and mice.

So there's only one thing that I can do

to show you all what I think of you! 

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carbuncle, carb-uncle (noun) - a starchy male relative who's a bit of a drain 

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Awardaholics Anonymous!

It’s Austin here. Don’t get me wrong, I love awards, I really do! But to receive an award with cupcakes on it ……? Where’s the tuna? That’s all I’m saying!

Errr thank you Dr Tuxedo!

This sweet award has come to us from three (yes three!!) different bloggers:-

Nellie - The Cat (who's not really) from hell

Willow from Devoted to Willow

Katie and Cocco from My Mini Pet Pig

Thank you all very much :) If you don't know these guys then please pop over to their blogs and check them out, soonest.

It was the magnificat Alfie of Mollie and Alfie who originally devised the award and I think it is fair to say that a fruit cupcake is what he is!!!  Now I believe we are supposed to pass this on to five other sweet blogs, so here goes ….. 

Kjelle Bus

Spitty the Kitty

Mr Black

Katie & Glogirly

Brian's Home

If you have already received this, then you are obviously doubly, or even triply, a fruit cupcake! Nuff said ;)

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design, de-sign (verb) - to intentionally, purposefully, knowingly, wittingly and consciously take down signs

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The Austin Syndrome!

Tigger suffers from the rather distressing condition called Austin Syndrome! It is characterised by feelings of impending doom and the fear of the imminent paw thwack and neck bitey. 

Scene: The summerhouse on a cool and showery October day.

"Is he coming?"

“Ok, I shall take a nap!"

“He could still be coming!"

“Room for a small one?"

Tigger takes solace and succour where he can!

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succour, suck-er (noun) - any cat-loving human with a lap, who is just about to go shopping, do chores, or cook a cordon bleu meal for twenty

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A Boots Digression!

I think I am the only person in the world who can set off the security alarm by walking IN to a shop! It happened the other day when I went into Boots the chemist. The sound of the alarm caused everyone to stop and look towards the entrance where I was standing, and of course I immediately looked guilty and went red in the face! There didn’t appear to be anyone going out of the shop and some gimlet-eyed-old-boot-in-an-overall who had something like “Stasi” written on her chest appeared to be about ready to execute me on the spot! (Yes, now you know why it’s called Boots!).

I clutched my bag closer to my aged body and marched purposefully towards “Perfume and Makeup”. Then, once I’d seen the interest wane from the gimlet-eyed-overall-person and everyone else in the vicinity, I sidled back around into the "Fetid Feet and Distressing Skin Condition" section, selected my desired item, paid for it at the back counter (behind electrical appliances) and slunk out past the BOGOF basket by the end door.

Austin raised an eyebrow when I told him …. well, he cocked an ear! This is him (he?). I believe he is sniggering!

Happy Tocktober

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aspirate, as-pirate (verb) - to breathe like Captain Jack Sparrow

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The Winner of the Zee & Zoey book giveaway!

Thank you very much to all who put their names forward for the draw to win a copy of the beautiful book The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey by Deb Barnes. The response was amazing! Even Austin was impressed!

Without further ado here he is to announce the winner (which was done entirely by random.org, so no cheating:). It is ………..

No silly billy! Not the entire state of Texas, but

Texas, a Cat in New York 

who is French, by the way.  Yes, I know there is an Austin in Texas. Stop confusing things errr .. Austin! Anyway you already have a copy of the book!

Congratulations and well done to Texas and thanks to all who participated. I am sorry everyone couldn’t win. However if you live in the USA, you can purchase a copy at the Zee & Zoey website.

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Dr Austin Tuxedo’s Dictionary of Words - Word of the Day

fought = past participle of "to fink" 

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Addictive!

Austin! …….. Oh Austin?!

Oh well! We will carry on without him. When he wakes up, he will be delighted to know that he has received another award! Oh yes he has :)  This time it is from the super dooper mancat Nerissa (yes he is a guy!) from Nerissa’s Life blog and it is:

Thank you very much Nerissa. We are not sure why we would be addictive, but I know there are places you can go where they can help you get over addictions with therapy and stuff!

Now we are supposed to say why we blog and how we started. The answer is in this post I did a while back and you can read it if you click here being too darn lazy to write it all again! Austin and a couple of other cats thought it was quite interesting!

We are supposed to pass the award on to ten other bloggers, but we are going to cop out and say that if we come and visit your blog then you are addictive, so please feel free to take it ;)

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Dr Austin Tuxedo’s Dictionary of Words - Word of the Day

platelet, plate-let = a small plate 

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Please don’t forget if you would like to be entered for the draw for the splendid book The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, there is only one more day left to leave a comment here. Time’s up at midday BST tomorrow, Saturday. The announcement will be made later on in the day. 

On balance!

Walking a fine line between wheelie bins!

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Dr Austin Tuxedo’s Dictionary of Words - Word of the Day

transmogrify, trans-mog-ri-fi-ca-tion - (Brit Eng.) the act of making a cat angry. From trans (cross) and mog (cat). 

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Please don’t forget if you would like to be entered for the draw for the splendid book The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, there is still time to leave a comment here.

High Dive!

Let's count to five

then you can dive.

Oops! one shouldna oughta

removed all the water!

It’s worth a gold medal.

No time to back peddle.

Try for the high jump,

but land with a big bump!

You land on the ground,

all safe though not sound.

And no shout of “hurrah"!

As you slink under the car!

Editor’s note: Squeee!
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Today we are launching a new regular feature here at CATachresis. In keeping with Austin’s newly acquired intelligence, we are introducing “Dr Austin Tuxedo’s Dictionary of Words”. On each post  the good doctor will highlight a word which some of you lesser felines might not already be using on a daily basis and then he will give his definitive, but slightly eccentric interpretation. So here we go with today’s word:

minuscule = a very small place of learning

Thank you Dr Tuxedo!

Please don’t forget if you would like to be entered for the draw for the splendid book The Chronicles of Zee & Zoey, there is still time to leave a comment here.