Correction

Management has been informed that the wrong photo was posted on June 22 for Marvellous Marvin Monday.  You will find the correct photo below:

Management would like to point out that Marvin's cheeks always look "puffy, and squeezable, and fluffy".  And, though he does look more bunny-like in this photo, management still does not see teeth.  Perhaps management needs new glasses.

Management apologises for the error.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvellous Marvin Monday

My sister chose this photo for Marvelous Marvin Monday.

She chose it because she thinks Marvin looks like he is auditioning to be the new Cadbury Easter Bunny.  He is saying,"See how long my ears look when I lay like this. And my cheeks look so puffy, and squeezable, and fluffy." She even thinks you can see his bunny teeth - proof that Marvin can be the Cadbury Easter Bunny.

Marvin could be thinking that, as Marvin generally thinks he can do whatever he wants.  He's a cat.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvellous Marvin Monday

My sister chose this photo for Marvellous Marvin Monday.

The other pictures I sent featured more Marvin, but she thought this one best depicted what a silly cat he is.  She also wanted to point out that Marvin needed his nails trimmed.  She's right. He did. By the time she received the photo he had already had a pedicure.  

Thankfully, Marvin doesn't mind having his nails trimmed.  In fact, I get the impression he'd be a wouldn't be opposed to the full spa treatment.  He's typically cat-like in his need to be pampered.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvellous Marvin Monday

Marvin was in good form this week.  I sent five pictures to my sister.  Her choice:

Her thoughts:

It looks like the pillows behind his head are bunny ears and he's saying,  "Oh please. Just because you put crooked bunny ears on me, you can't make me hoppity hop into a box. I'm a sophisticated cat not a cute little bunny, I don't hippity hop, I gracefully lunge into a box, like a prima ballerina, WHEN I want to jump in a box."

Her thoughts are fairly close to reality.  Marvin sniffed at the box, then ignored it.  Of all the cats we've had in our home, he's the least interested in boxes.  His lack of enthusiasm is practically un-catlike.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvelous Marvin Monday

Marvin was much more photogenic this week.  My sister had five pictures to choose from.  She selected the one below, because his stretched-out neck reminded her of someone on the executioner's block. She thinks he's begging for mercy.

Please don't behead me. I didn't mean to do ...whatever he did...I'll be good again, I promise. Please!!!!! Remember how cute I am and how much you love me? Remember how you came into the shelter and our eyes met and locked? There was compassion in those eyes. Please have compassion now...it...wasn't that bad...please don't chop off my head!!!

In reality, he's irritated because I woke him from his nap to take a picture.  Besides, my sister should know that I'm too squeamish to decapitate anything.  The worst punishment Marvin ever gets it a strong scolding, or perhaps some forced snuggling. 

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvelous Marvin Monday

Photo courtesy of Hubby

Marvin wasn't particularly photogenic last week, so I had to send some of Hubby's older photos for my sister to choose from.

She selected this one because of Marvin's regal attitude.  There he is at the top of Cat Mountain looking down at his subjects.

He's the king of the castle, and we're the dirty rascals, or, as my sister says, the shitheads.  

Somehow, I don't remember swearing in that nursery rhyme.  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvelous Marvin Monday

Marvin was not particularly photogenic this week.  Only three pictures were sent to my sister, and of those, only one made the grade.

My sister chose this one because she thinks Marvin was trying to hunt a dust-bunny, so he squeezed himself into the basket to hide. He thought that, since the basket had an open top, he would be able to get out fast. He snuggled himself deep down into the basket and waited until the dust-bunny got just close enough to pounce.

1...

2... 

3...

NO!!! 

*EYES WIDE OPEN!!!* 

I'M STUCK IN THE BASKET!!!

It worries me that, even though she has never been to our house, my sister is somehow aware of our dust-bunny infestation.  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Marvelous Marvin Monday

I sent my sister four pictures of Marvin and asked her to choose one for today.  She chose two.  And she changed the title of this series.  I'm beginning to wonder who is in charge here - me or her.  Who am I kidding?  There was never any question. Marvin is in charge.  

She chose this one because Marvin looks cute and vulnerable.  He looks so serene before...

... starting one of those dreams where you're falling.  His right eye is slowly opening due to the startling feeling of STOMACH DUMP... you know, that feeling you get from plummeting through the air. His right lip looks like he's starting to smile, but he's actually sliding down the window making it seem more like he's falling...

Who knows?  Perhaps Marvin is dreaming about falling.  Or flying.  Or, more likely, about his next meal.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 15

My sister's Marvin pick for this week:

Her caption:

DON'T PULL BACK THE TOWEL!  I was hiding here waiting to attack your ankles.

She's on the right track.  He was waiting to attack his GO CAT Fur Fun toy.  It's his new favourite toy.  I'm not sure what it's made of.  Note that the description says "fur fun" not "fun fur".  What ever it is, it feels real.  And rabbit-y.  Given how Marvin reacts to real bunnies, I'm not surprised that he's so intent on his toy.  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Note:  I don't get anything for the links above.  They're there for your information.  Hope you find them useful.

Something About Marvin 14

Marvin spotted a bunny in the yard last week.  I was too slow to get a picture of the rabbit, but I was able to get a picture of Marvin's reaction to the rabbit. 

My sister thinks Marvin is saying...

I tink I saw a puddy cat. I did, I did see a puddy c...no wait...I tink I saw a baby bunny! I did, I did see a baby bunny!!! GET OFF MY YARD!!!

I didn't have the heart to tell her that he was likely disappointed that the rabbit was gone.  Marvin was an outdoor cat before he came into our lives.  I imagine that once upon a time he  snacked on  baby bunnies.  I know that he's not opposed to the occasional tin of rabbit pâté.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Note:  I don't get anything for the links above.  They're there for your information.  Hope you find them useful.

Something About Marvin 13

I think my sister is getting bored in isolation.  Instead of just choosing the Marvin photos I share here, she has started writing stories about them.  This week, she incorporated all three photos into one story.  

The Cat Was Fat

  "Help! Get me outta here! I'm stuck! I'm stuck!" screamed Marvin.
  "How could you possibly be stuck?" I yelled back.
  "I ate too many treats.  Now I'm stuck!" Marvin cried.
  "What treats? Where did you get treats?" I asked.
  "I found a bag of treats, so I dragged them over here to enjoy in the sun. Now I can't get out!"
  "I have no idea how you 'found" those treats.  They were in the cupboard.  It's your own fault you're stuck.  You can stay there until you are skinny enough to get out."

  "Hellooo! I'm still stuck. Please bring me something. Little treats would be greatly appreciated, as I'm wasting away.  I've almost vanished.  Only my head is left," whined Marvin.

  "You're not fooling anyone. If you'd close your mouth and turn your head you'd be right out of the cat--ladder," I said.

  "I'm so exhausted from fasting. My legs can't hold me up. Can you slide me over a big bowl of cat food and a bag of treats, please? I'm starving," Marvin mewed pathetically.
  "Do you not remember how all this started?" I asked.

  "How what started? Can you bring me some food? I'm starving."

My sister's story pretty much sums up life with Marvin, which is kind of funny considering the two of them have never met.


If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 12

Since early March I've been sending my sister pictures of Marvin, and she chooses the one I share here.

This is the photo she chose this week:

She wrote an entire story about Marvin tripping me as I got up from the sofa with my basket of folded laundry.  The story ends with me picking up laundry while Marvin steals my spot on the couch.  Sadly, most of that tale was lost in the aether.  It's too bad, because it sounds like something Marvin would do.

Instead she offered yoga cat on a yoga mat.  The pose combines a spinal twist with a supine diagonal stretch plus back and side bends.  We'll call this pose "Marvin in the Sun".

It's also possible he was just looking for a belly rub. 

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 11

My sister thinks I woke Marvin from a catnap, and he doesn't look happy about being disturbed . She thinks it looks like he's trying to decide if he wants to expend the energy to swat at me, or if he should just go back to snoozing in the sun.  

She got part of it right.  I did wake Marvin, though not on purpose.  As soon as I got close he opened his eyes in anticipation of a treat.  He was kind of miffed when he realized no treat was forthcoming.  No swatting was attempted.  

When we first got this cat tree Marvin would not use the top tier.  We got it so he could look out the window, but he just couldn't seem to figure it out.  It might have been because the top perch is somewhat too small for him, or it could have been because it is slightly tilted.  Whatever the reason, it takes up a lot of floor space for something that was only being partially used.  

We eventually resorted to treats to tempt him to the top level.  Once he realized there's a lot to see from the window he started using his tree regularly.  He still expects treats when he gets there, but he can usually be distracted by all the things happening outside.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 10

I just realized that I neglected to post a picture of Marvin last Monday!  I guess this not-working thing is messing with me more than I thought.

My sister chose this picture.  She thinks it looks like Marvin is trying to be a helpful "laundry fairy".  Something like the elves in "The Elves and the Shoemaker" I suppose. In her story, Marvin was struggling to fold those striped socks when I snuck up behind him.  The look on his face is one of displeasure, as now that he's been discovered he can no longer be the secret laundry fairy.  

The reality is that there was no sneaking.  Marvin blatantly hopped in the basket while I was folding laundry.  

Thankfully it was a load of dark clothing.  The black cat hair won't show up as much.  Our last cat was an orange-and-white, long-haired tabby.  We were covered in cat hair all the time.  We joked that our next cat would better match our mostly-black wardrobes.  Oddly, colour was the last thing we considered when we found Marvin.  His ability to blend with the laundry was just a happy accident.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Looks Like Marvin

Now you can see why I am glad Marvin is tattooed.  Even the cat on our puzzle looks like Marvin.  

A friend gave us this puzzle for Christmas shortly before Marvin joined our home.  We didn't start it, as we weren't sure if Marvin and puzzle pieces would be a good mix.  We're about to find out.  Desperate times, kids.  Desperate times.   

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Extra-Bonus Marvin

No meal plan today.  Meal planning doesn't seem to be a priority when I know I'll be home to cook for the foreseeable future - I got laid off on Tuesday.  In retrospect, that may have had something to do with my wanting to hit people with a stick.  Still, I'm very happy to be home.

Instead, at my sister's recommendation, I'm posting an extra picture of Marvin.  She's the second person to suggest it.  Earlier in the week a friend messaged to tell me to keep posting cat pictures, as the world needs them now more than ever. 

My sister chose this picture because she thought Marvin:

1. Looks like a ghost just jumped out in front of him.
2. Looks like he just got a big hit off a line of catnip
3. Looks like he needs to be exorcised.

What do you think?  1, 2 or 3?  Let me know in the comments below.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 9

My sister chose the photo for today.  She says it looks like Marvin fell asleep reading and now he is having happy dreams about what he read.

Marvin is the only one in our house with a tattoo.  This is a good thing.  Not that I have a problem with tattoos.  I'd get one myself if I could decide what I wanted.  No, it's because I realize that I'd have trouble identifying Marvin in a clowder of black cats.  They all look so much alike!  And you know that even if all the cats were named Marvin, not one of them would respond to the name.

Isn't clowder a great word?  

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 8

Once again I sent my sister a few pictures and let her choose one to share.  The photo above was her first choice.  I'm told it was a hard decision.

She chose it because she thought Marvin looked bashful and sleepy.  In reality he is staring intently at something in our yard.  I have no idea what that something was.  I heard him peeping and meeping on his climber, so I went to see what was up.  The last time he got agitated like that there was another cat in the yard, though that time the peeping escalated into full-scale yowling and hissing before the other cat left.  This time there didn't seem to be anything there.  I even checked other windows to see if I was missing something, but whatever it was was gone. Or maybe Marvin could see something that my limited human eyesight could not.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Instead

Today I had planned to share a picture of my sister and me. My sister and I?  My sister and myself? I suppose it doesn't matter, since I'm not sharing the picture!

We had lots fun reminiscing, but I'm saving our thoughts and the picture for another day. My head has been too stuffed up from the plague to organize our ramblings into a coherent post.

In the mean time, I offered my sister four pictures to choose from for this week's Throwback Thursday.  She chose this one:

My sister saw the picture and thought I had given Marvin the plague!  Nope.  Marvin is quite well.  In fact, he's probably better than he was in the picture.  I forgot to tell my sister that this was an old photo.  It was taken last year shortly after Marvin had to have an abscess drained.  You can't see it because of the way he is is lounging, but half his face is bald.

She also felt that, since he was sick, I should let Marvin play with the buttons on my sweater.  I guess she thought it would bring him some comfort.  Who knows?  He's a cat.  If I offered him the buttons he'd likely ignore them.  Besides, I don't think good mommies let their kids (or cats) put buttons in their mouths, though I could be wrong.  My sister would know better on this one.  She's managed to successfully raise two children to adulthood.  My only experience is with fur babies. 

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.  

Something About Marvin 7

I have an old cotton cardigan that only gets worn around the house.  It is extremely comfortable, so it got a lot of wear last week as I lounged around on the sofa.  I love this sweater.

Marvin likes it too.  He is particularly fond of the buttons.  He likes to bite and chew on them.  It can't be good for the sweater or for Marvin, so I do everything I can to discourage this behavior.  Sometimes I try distracting him.  Sometimes I evict him from my lap.  Last week, I tucked my blanket in the sweater's neckline like a giant bib. 

You can see the look of confusion and determination in Marvin's eyes.  He doesn't know where the buttons went, but he's doing his best to find them.

If this isn't enough Marvin for you, you can follow him on Instagram.  He's @marvinmeowmeow.