My Fire Hydrant

Our guests (Caroline, Amy, Lana,  Nicole,  John, Dr. Janet, Dr. Eric, Karen and Skeezix) arrived on Wednesday September 9 in the afternoon. Our first activity was a get-to-know-you dinner at a very nice restaurant. Karen and Skeezix were the last to arrive–in fact, they were driven directly from the airport to the restaurant where we had just started on the appetizers.

As we sat around the table getting acquainted, we talked about our pets. Karen (also known as the Food Lady, or FL, on Skeezix’s blog), told us that she never traveled anywhere without her cat, Skeezix, and did we want to meet Skeezix? (Remember, Karen came to the restaurant directly from the airport, and she came in with a large shoulder bag which she had pushed underneath the table when she sat down next to me.)

Meet Skeezix? We’re in the middle of a fancy restaurant….does she mean that her cat is in that big bag she had pushed under the table? Poor kitty, stuffed in a bag under a table!? What if the wait staff saw him?–we’d be thrown out! Does the hotel know she’s traveling with her cat? What would we do with the kitty the next day when we toured our Pet Health & Nutrition Center?

I looked across the table at my boss, Marti. Her eyes were glazed and the size of our dinner plates. I watched her reach for her cell phone and I knew she was about to make a call in search of a kitty sitter. Everyone else at the table watched Karen, and we all expected to see a furry feline at any moment.

Next to me, Karen leaned down and pulled her bag out from under the table. I watched as she opened it. All I could see were her laptop and some file folders–was the kitty hiding in the part that was still under the table?

And then, she pulled out the Flat-Cat!

Skeezix Joins Us For Dinner.

Skeezix-the-Flat-Cat was an immediate hit with all of us and became our blogger summit mascot. He had dinner with us. And then joined us for ice cream.

Marti, Karen (AKA the Food Lady), Skeezix, and Nicole

Caroline, the FL, and Skeezix

Discussed kitty politics with Caroline, who is a staffer for the famous Romeo-the-Cat.

Skeezix Enjoys a Beverage

Skezzix went bowling with us, where we competed in the first ever Pins for Pets Tournament (more about that later).

Kitty and OJ? Great way to start the day!

 Skeezix entertained us during breakfast, 

Skeezix, Karen (FL), and Kris

and acted as tour guide when my voice gave out. Skeezix even made friends with my Substitute-Bailey while the humans talked with Dan Rajczak and other Iams/Eukanuba key people. 

Substitute-Bailey and Skeezix-the-Flat-Cat

Skeezix-the-Flat-Cat is a charmer! (More photos here.) If you visit Karen’s blog or Skeezix’s blog you will find all kinds of photos of him and his travels. Karen told me that she will soon be posting directions that anyone can follow and create their own Flat-Cat or Flat-Dog.

I see a Bailey-the-Bichon-Flat-Dog in my future!