SummertimeCollective
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stcollective.bsky.social
SummertimeCollective
@stcollective.bsky.social
100 followers 93 following 130 posts
Cat lady, writer, traveler, techie, seeker of beauty and authenticity, purveyor of sarcasm and cat pictures.
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stcollective.bsky.social
If I give Zella too many treats, she gets a very bad litter box reaction that causes us all agony.

We know this, yet it can be hard to resist her begging. She also tries to take them from her sister- who has a cast iron belly and could eat the whole bucket - no problem. Life is unfair sometimes.
Gray cat with green eyes is snuggled on a blue and white blanket, flashing her toe beans at the camera.
January 8, 2025 at 3:17 AM
stcollective.bsky.social
Agatha agrees! You should too, or be sorry…..?
Black cat on rug with a “stick of dynamite” (that’s a cat toy) under her front paws.
January 7, 2025 at 6:44 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
There’s a huge warehouse of free books in Baltimore. They stamp each one FREE.

I see them in little libraries all the time, and hope it stops people from selling/buying them! Might be something to consider for your area.

Check out BookThing.org if you’re ever in Baltimore!
Image text: NOT FOR RESALE This is a Free Book Bookthing.org
January 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
On this day in 2021… I was showing my cat, Jack, a first photo of a kitten available for adoption.

She and her sister moved in on 1/20.

A week later they were all obsessed with each other. Jack was an excellent big brother.

#catsofbluesky
Black and white cat sits looking at a laptop computer. On the screen is a tiny black kitten on the arm of a gray couch. This was Jack’s first look at his new sister, Agatha. Two kittens, one gray and one black, embrace on a pile of books. The gray kitten is holding the black kitten in a hug or maybe a wrestling pose. Zella and Agatha in their first week home. Zella made it clear that she was the big sister though they are the same age. Three cats on a bed. The adult tuxedo cat, Jack, is looking fondly at the two kittens, one black and one gray, leaning against him. The kittens are looking at each other. This was the second week for Zella and Agatha in their new home. Jack loved them immediately. Three cats are sitting on a green and gold rug with an iPad in the center of them. The gray and black kittens sit slightly closer and are playing a game on the iPad called Cats Paint. The screen shows splotches of colors, blues and purple, and a rainbow colored drawing of a mouse is in the middle. The tuxedo cat is watching but has not yet played the game. He is learning how from the kittens.
January 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
This coaster speaks my truth.
Image shows Green coaster with text: LISTEN, I STILL WANT TO BE INVITED BUT I'M NOT COMING.
January 5, 2025 at 11:02 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
@whiskerlitterrobot.bsky.social

We love our Litter Robot 4, but my cats are sisters and are about the same size. The one on the right is Zella and she has health issues so I need to know her patterns. The one on the left, Agatha, is usually who you say is in the box. Let’s rework that algo!
Two cats of similar size sitting on a windowsill. They are looking out the window at the birds in a tree. These cats are sisters.
January 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Litter robot has a fancy algorithm to keep track of which cat is using it.

It’s useless if your cats are the same size. Mine are sisters and similar sizes. It tried to say only one cat was using it.

Yeah, no…. Rework that logic. Add a camera and I will tell you who it is! Or read the microchip!
Photo is from the litter robot app: How SmartScale® Works SmartScale® uses an advanced cluster algorithm to determine which cat is using Litter-Robot. After onboarding your Litter-Robot 4 and creating pet profiles for your cats, SmartScale® will automatically begin analyzing individual weight data to display in your dashboard. You will be able to see when each cat used the Litter-Robot, as well as track their daily weight with separate charts. Please note: SmartScale® will automatically disable if your Litter-Robot is not on a flat surface (such as carpet), or if two or more cats share an almost identical weight. Text box added by poster to say, “Why not just add a camera?” Button says “Got it!”
January 5, 2025 at 9:13 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Agatha taking a short break from yelling “Maaaa!!! The kibble!!!”

She’s given meat 2x a day but PREFERS “crunchies”. Her sister Zella loves everything, so we use microchip feeders.

I now ask her to “try a few bites please!” before I cave and serve the kibble.

I am well trained.

#catsofbluesky
Black cat faces her food bowl but looks over her shoulder, forlornly, with expectation and disdain for not yet being offered her lunchtime “crunchies”. Note that she has already eaten the breakfast crunchies and her canned food sits ignored in the bowl. Her sister’s feed bowl is completely empty.
January 5, 2025 at 8:05 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Seriously.

This is my “lived in a storm drain until someone realized I’m a king” cat. We named him Bill because he had a random cough and drooled a lot, but also he was clearly an old man in a cat body. I called this his presidential portrait.

#catsofbluesky
Gray and white cat with blue collar poses regally in front of green elephant ears plant. His large white whiskers and piercing green eyes, along with his tiny mustache, highlight the presenc that is clearly a wise and knowledgeable old man trapped in a cat body. Bill was approx. 1 year when rescued from a storm drain. He lived with us for 16 years before the myriad old man chronic diseases, arthritis, neuropathy, and recurrent illnesses of his fragile digestive system became too much to bear. He assumed his permanent throne in 2019 and left big paw prints to fill.
January 4, 2025 at 12:41 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Nope. I don’t think I will be doing any of that. (I scribbled on the url in hopes that it won’t become a link) #scam #smishing #spam
Image is a Text message from a scammer. Text is: Delivery Team: Our staff was unable to deliver your package on time because the address information provided was incomplete. Please complete it within the next 24 hours: The redacted URL is here and includes usps.com and then additional words that make it obvious to me that it is not real. (Please reply Y, then exit the text message, reopen the text message activation link, or copy the link to Safari browser to open it, and get the latest logistics status) Thank you for choosing the USPS team
January 2, 2025 at 7:34 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
I had a live-in tuxedo-wearing massage therapist. Every evening he would work on my shoulders and at night he would wrap himself around my head, rest his chin on my forehead, and purr me to sleep. Jack was the best friend a girl could have for 17 years.

#catsofbluesky
Jack, a black and white tuxedo cat, rests on a sofa pillow, paws ready for biscuit making.
January 2, 2025 at 2:36 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Agatha wanted to be under the covers this morning. I suspect she was sharing her strategy for self-care in 2025…. “Pull the cozy blanket over your head and hide.”

#catsofbluesky #2025strategy #blanket
Black cat on bed with a blanket over her body. She reaches one paw forward and her golden eyes beckon us to join her in the alternate reality.
January 1, 2025 at 8:14 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
This series of epic photos of Agatha are brought to you by the incredible and amazing phenomenon of my opening a can of seltzer water in her presence.

I must now hold the can until it is empty because she has only one goal… knock it over to release the !!!Bubbles!!!

#catsofbluesky
December 31, 2024 at 9:11 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Driving across the country, watching the sunset in all shades of pink mixing with the clouds… instantly I remember a flat plastic oval with pink and white sand. It was my Granni’s. It swirled in the most beautiful patterns.

It was a
#Wham-OMagicWindow

Did you have one? eBay prices are nuts!
Pink and white sand in a plexiglass oval frame. Item is a vintage Wham-O magic window, photo from eBay. Original packaging for the wham-o magic window - a red box with a yellow outline around the pink and white toy. A print ad for the Magic Window shows the item in a blue and white version.
December 28, 2024 at 11:52 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
The bird flu mutated and killed over 30 tigers in Washington state. This could also be transmitted to housecats.

Zella is on immunosuppressants for her allergies. We are now very alarmed.

Do we need to disinfect before interacting with her? Do they make cat size bubbles?

#catsofbluesky
Grey cat lying on her side on a green and gold area rug. Her head is lifted and her eyes are wide open with an expression of concern. Zella is on medication that suppresses her immune system and is now more susceptible to colds and viruses.
December 28, 2024 at 6:02 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
The two very distinct personalities my cats show their cat sitter. They are sisters/littermates but I swear the gray one is the “big sister”.

That box is in the kitchen specifically to serve as Zella’s perch while she screams “hurry up and feed me!!!”

Agatha prefers upside down.

#catsofbluesky
Zella the gray cat stands on a box in a corner with her mouth open and her eyes wide while she appears to be yelling. Yes, she actually is yelling in cat sounds. Agatha the black cat is on her back, on a green and gold area rug. She is stretched out and looking at the camera with one paw extended. There are cat toys in the background. Agatha likes to be upside down and invites tummy rubs.
December 27, 2024 at 11:04 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
I was really amazed by how many usb c ports this English hotel had … but fortunately I realized that the ones to the left and right were NOT ports right before I stuck my phone cord in the electrical outlet.
December 25, 2024 at 2:07 AM
stcollective.bsky.social
My old cat, Bill, loved to throw up on the wooden stairs. If he needed to keep going, he’d move to the next step for a “fresh canvas”. Brilliant of him, I suppose, but definitely added to the danger of the staircase!
Gray and white cat naps in upholstered chair with his tongue sticking out.
December 22, 2024 at 5:18 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Struggling with the holidays? or just ennui? Short days often make it even harder for me to get through the tasks of life.

Now I have a helper.

Squench is my “Birb” and she is encouraging, fun, and helps me get ish done. Join us on Finch if you’d like to see her dance.

#Finch #SAD #joy
A cartoon of a “Birb” with a “micropet” from the Finch app. There is text at the bottom that shows the Birb’s name is Squench, and a Finch Friend Code: SLECY3RFB7 Adding that code on the Finch app will make us “friends”.
December 19, 2024 at 3:35 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Agatha, named for Ms. Christie, loves to hide in the shadows, and just generally be hilarious. She entertains herself constantly and has us completely wrapped around her paw. Her sweet aura combined with a strong sense of humor, makes her the crowd favorite.
Black cat leans on arm of patterned chair, next to open container of dry cat food. She attempts to look nonchalant, but in reality she is a few seconds away from jumping into the open container and feeding herself. Black cat sitting on pillow with an iPad. Cat is using her paw to play a game on the iPad called “Painting for Cats”. The iPad displays splotches of bright colors. Black cat sits on chair next to a green suitcase. The top zipper of the suitcase is open and a gray cat pokes her head out from inside. Look on black cat’s face says she’s waiting for the gray cat to be in trouble. Black cat relaxes upside down, stretching across a round bed of a cat tree, in a window.
December 14, 2024 at 6:47 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Zella - my gray girl, has stripes that only appear when she’s in a “mood”. She’s named for a Baltimore pizza restaurant, and coincidentally, shares the name with my grandmother’s favorite aunt!
Gray cat with no visible stripes sits on white cat sized chair Gray cat with no visible stripes demonstrates her “I’m cute!” pose, as she lays on her side, belly exposed, and front paws drawn up towards her head, folded over at the wrist, like she’s begging Gray cat curled in a ball, on a green patterned rug, in the sunshine Gray cat sitting with black cat in a box. Gray cat has visible dark gray stripes and is smirking at the camera.
December 14, 2024 at 6:31 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Happy lazy Caturday from Agatha and Zella!

Zella demanded treats for waking up with such urgency in her voice that “I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter!!” Fed and happy, we cozy it up.

Agatha greets the sunshine daily and insists on sharing it.

#catsofbluesky
Black cat and gray cat laying on a blue and white fleece blanket in a bed. Black cat in window sill with curtains parted and sunlight streaming in.
December 14, 2024 at 3:56 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
In 2020, my cat Jack attended all morning meetings, but slept through the afternoon. He tried to ignore my night classes, but if it was going too long, he climbed up into my arms to make a point.

I was the grad student holding her cat like a baby on camera.
Woman’s face with black and white cat snuggled up next to it.
December 10, 2024 at 4:22 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
Clickbait article on the google page: “experts say not to keep these things on your coffee table”.

Agatha: “Don’t read that. Ever.”

For the record, she informed me she’s NOT on the table. She’s clearly on the pile of mail on the table. Cat logic is solid.

#catsofbluesky
Black cat sits on stack of papers on round black coffee table. She glances off to the distance to ensure you can notice how adorable she is without her having to tell you. Black cat sits on stack of papers on round black coffee table. She looks right at you, defiant in her stance, melting your resolve with her golden eyes.
December 10, 2024 at 1:44 PM
stcollective.bsky.social
My final day in Bath! The rain finally cleared last night, allowing me a lovely amble by the river after dinner. The Christmas market is in full swing, I have late checkout and an evening bus to get towards Heathrow. I would stay if I could. #travels #BathUK
Plein air painters in a row across an historic street in Bath, UK. It is morning and raining lightly. The light is still good for painting, despite the dreary weather. The Huntsman pub stands proudly, with two green umbrellas outside its stately Georgian facade. I had a great dinner there the night before. Evening along the Avon River in Bath. Here is the very large bridge structure spanning the river, in the background, with a swirling water flow in the foreground. On the sunny morning, the Huntsman pub has placed a plastic keg of water out front, dispensing into a stainless steel bowl. It is labeled “Hair of the Dog 0%”. Next to it is a chalkboard sign advertising live music on Friday at 7 pm.
December 6, 2024 at 12:33 PM