Georgia, would you consider being the Dungeon Master for a game of D&D or any other role-playing game for me and my friends? I bet you would excel! You weave a tale, my friend. Merry Christmas to you, the Man, the Toddler, the Baby, and the Boys!
Thank you, Jenna!!! I *have* Dm’ed a campaign once, but very briefly! I love being a player character too much. (I usually play a wizard!) I have a future headline planned for the kitties interfering with a D&D board and dice and such, because Pucky likes to jump up on the table! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I too have DM’d a few D&D games.
I used to play, using the 2.0 to 3.5 systems.
Then, got out of it for too long, doing web work!
These story lines of yours, are fantastic! I love these cats. 🙂
Keep up the great work, and take good care you yourself, your family, and all the animals in the strip. 🙂
Great minds think alike. I just had the idea today of playing a BCN RPG. I do not know that it would work as a campaign world, but maybe characters based on BCN characters would.
Elvis is prone to self-aggrandisement. Stealing credit, stealing treasure: similarities. Hmm.
If you’re into roleplaying AND cats (and really, is there anything better?) then you might want to look for a game called ‘Cat: A Little Game about Little Heroes’. Players take on the role of cats, guardians of the home. It’s thanks to that game that the husband and I now understand that tooth-hugs are a cat’s method of tracking their person through dreams.
I once played a D&D game using a “cat shaman” character. Her powers were all based on things cats do… like jumping tall objects. She and Lupin would have made a great team.. a cats of adventure story.
One game to consider is “The Mutant Epoch” RPG. (Website: http://www.outlandarts.com/mutantepoch.htm) It is set after the big war. There are all sorts of neat things to play and play with.
One type of character to play is beastial human. (Yes, I know it should be “bestial”, but Will has not hired a proofreader yet.) I think that the next time I get to play it, I will see if I can play a cat-based character.
It is a fun game. I also mention it because, like me, the author lives in Kamloops, BC.
I did too, Chef Homster! We were able to *finally* see it this morning, while the kids were with the Man’s aunt so we could do a bit of last minute Christmas shopping. We finished early and snuck off to Star Wars! I cried a few times–without spoiling anything, I bawled at one point, but because I was so happy to see certain things from the original movies, ha!
Saw Star Wars tonight and was captured by the emotion and magic all over again. Am very fond of emotion and magic, which is why I love these little watercolor cats so much.
Purr-haps there’s a pawsibility of seeing our beloved BCN feline family and friends dressed up as different characters, in honor of the series? We all love seeing your artwork on Facebook, it gives a warm and fuzzy feline in our hearts…
Ahem….
**Announcer voice**
Is Angora related to Lupin?
Will Alice learn the meaning of Christmas??
Who is that cat holding the money bags in panel 5?
Will a canine ever appear in BCN in 2016?
Stay tuned to BCN News!
The cat with the money bag is Snowball Taggart, the antagonist to Kit Chase in his quest for the love of Angora. Haven’t you been watching “Our IX Lives?”
Following the adventures of Elvis, Puck, and Lupin is the gift that keeps on giving. Jake, Elwood, and I wish everybody the best holiday possible, and may you all continue to be blessed in the new year! =^..^=
I’d been thinking the Robber Mice moved to the walls of the People house. If that’s the case, I’m now wondering how Mouse fit in there. Mouse must’ve been quite the cat when she was young and spry, to spring Agnes and return Buzzy without anyone noticing what she was up to. Interesting hints to be history of the Robber Mice, too. Will we be finding out more about them?
And whether or not Baba is honorary from Burt to Mouse, he’s obviously just as sneaky as her!
Is Burt yoda or something? he manages to get from outside puck’s window to the av room without being spotted, which could be explained by moving off screen, but he gives wisdom-filled-advice, and sets up a camera in the mice room without being caught, and zooms and pans from a distance. I’m pretty sure the force is strong with this cat!
Yep, you have to love his cool demeanor and ability to know just what is needed in a situation. Makes me think, what if Obie Wan had had a cat? He probably would have been just like Burt😊
Cats have the ability to evaporate, especially when you are looking for them. Then, later, they reassemble from their catly molecules in a completely different location (such as where you just looked for them). “Stealth” aircraft don’t have a patch on cats. Our 8-ball is so stealthy we sometimes call him “Nighthawk” (his white and black coat resembles the markings on the bird.)
Aawww…Another wonderful Christmas Tale (last years is running on gocomics), brought to us by your artistic and narrative talent ! (with one more episode to go ?) Wishing you and the man and all your two, three and four-footed little ones, the Merriest of Christmases and the Brightest of New Years. Thank You – all.
I hadn’t considered they they had once been pets. How sad 😢 Now I’m going to be wondering if, if they were pets, what happened? Did their owner die? Was there a house fire and they had to flee? Did somebody toss them aside😢 Poor Alice. She’s not bad, she was desperate and wants to give her sister and her two friends a good Christmas. She may not have gone about it but in the right way, but her heart was in the right place. Panel nine with Alice and Agnes hugging was so sweet. Panel nineteen with her crying because they don’t have much to give was so sad. Burt making sure the boys saw Alice’s talking-to by Baba Mouse was so genius 😀
Yes, Sue, I think you’re right – reading Alices’ speech in panel 11… We don’t yet know where the mousebase is – maybe its a neighbouring house that’s been vacated with the mice left behind? The mice have then been raiding Burt & Baba’s barn as well as the Boys’ house.
I’m thinking that maybe the Mouse Ladies had been under Baba Mouse’s care when they were little mouselings. I had puzzled about her name when Georgia first introduced her since baba is what grandma’s are called in many Slavic languages. So I wondered why she was called ‘Grandma Mouse’. Perhaps she was charged with caring for Alice and Agnes when something happened to their mom?
I love that Georgia keeps us guessing and she never fails to disappoint us as we discover more!
When Burt introduced Baba mouse he said she’d had over 90 kittens. Presumably a lot of her descendants still live on the farm and call her Baba even though some may be many, many times great-grand kittens of hers.
This is just so perfect–how wise Baba Mouse is and the importance of inviting the Christmas spirit into your house and heart! Each panel is an inspiration. Happy Holidays to all of you from me.
They may not be in the house…. The crack in the wall is how they get in and out of the apartment, but the exact location of the robber mice’ lair remains a secret.
That’s the laundry chute. If anybody missed the discovery of the basement/laundry room, they should definitely check it out. It’s a seven-part adventure where they not only find the laundry room, but also meet Sir Figaro Newton and Tabitha! The first part is here: http://www.breakingcatnews.com/comic/lupin-found-a-tiny-door-in-the-bathroom-closet/. I think Burt has A/V equipment in both the basement and the barn, looking at http://www.breakingcatnews.com/comic/barn-cat-revealed-av-cat-kitties-promptly-pounce-to-ponder/ and the one right after it. In Part 2 of this year’s Christmas Special, Burt showed that he has cameras all over the place. He’s aware of everything that happens. He saw things going badly and sought the wise counsel of Baba Mouse 😀
Cats and rodents share a unique skill set in that if their heads fit, the rest of them can follow. I mean, how does Sir Figaro pop in and out of scenes?
Plus they’re so quick about things. Keeping a cat shut in or out of somewhere demands every human’s full attention!
I’m not so sure I’d want to see BCN animated myself. The amount of drawings to produce a minute even of animation is incredible, especially to do it smoothlu. But more than anything, no matter who they chose for voices, I’d be disappointed though I acknowledge that many others would probably love to watch it.
I’d never thought about it till I read your comment but I’ve a mental sound image of what the different characters sound like. Can’t quite explain it but I’m sure as soon as I heard voices for them on TV, I’d be “They don’t sound anything like that at all!” Just me.
Ohhh!!! I just knew Baba Mouse had something to do with this! 😀 Yay! She’s so clever and wise. And I just adore that “Our IX Lives” romance scene that we see at the beginning–that’s just so precious! Kit is such a devastatingly romantic hero and Angora is a gorgeous damsel–I love her name and that is such an appropriate breed for a damsel-in-distress from an overbearing wealthy father. It reminds me of a Victorian drama. 😀
You know I’ve been pondering over it and I realise that Angora and her father are more than likely pure bred and perhaps show cats–so yes, no wonder he doesn’t want her to mix with Kit, but still, that’s no reason to deny his daughter’s heart. 😉
The three BCN prints I ordered through Etsy arrived yesterday. They’re so great I’m gonna have a hard time giving away the ones that are supposed to be gifts. The stickers decorating the envelope were icing on the cake!
Thank you for these.
And thank you for Breaking Cat News.
Yep, tooth hugs are the affectionate bites our Dobby Cat gives us every night. He’s a kisser and a biter, we’re convinced he thinks noses are tootsie pops, you know, lick, lick, lick…bite!
If I recall correctly, I seem to remember reading that this behavior is common among predatory species. It may be a development of the mother carrying her kits/pups by their necks (sometimes the scruff, sometimes the entire neck). Maybe they’re saying, “I like you as much as if you were my kitten.”
And what does it mean if a cat *pets* you? Back when I had cats, one of mine once petted me on the cheek. She was very careful with her paw to not extend her claw.
I love all the Easter eggs you put in your strips for us to find😊 And I love that you have the oldest and wisest cat teaching the next generations the way to go.😊 Your strip is so unique in that it actually promotes being good to each other in a time where that is not always happening. In other news, lol, we saw the Star Wars movie yesterday too and I’m glad you said you cried too because I bawled like a little baby. Best ending to a movie EVER, by the way..😊 I also played d and d, my husband used to be a dm and we would host games at least once a week. It’s amazing how long you can play when you are young..lol..I was usually a ranger in those days,but I liked Wizards and an occasional thief for lock picking skills, lol…brings back lots of wonderful memories…Merry Christmas Georgia, to you and your family. Thanks for the gift of smiles 😊
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mary! I played Dnd every Friday night for much of high school, all of college, and a few years beyond. The Man and I would still play, if we could get a game together! Perhaps one day! And thank you so much! And Star Wars, OH MY GOODNESS. I loved it so much, I’m very pleased with it.
Although Puck wanting to hug the vacuum was hilarious.
Our Nine Lives… is Angora akin to Kayla? I love that ongoing piece. So cute!
Baba reminding Alice that she didn’t exactly invite the Christmas Spirit in when she stole Buzzy Mouse and kicked Puck in the face. (Although that latter part was pretty awesome.)
Very much looking forward to the rest of this… as per usual!
The most well-known soap story I know of with an over-bearing, uber-rich father who disapproves of his daughter’s love interest is Nina on AMC. And it was quite an event when she defied money-bags Cortland Palmer and married Cliff.
UNLESS, it’s Viki from OLTL because her father, Victor (also the richest cat in his town), never approved of her marrying working class Joe Riley.
But I could be wrong. Look at me… I’m as into Our IX Lives as the characters of BCN are!
Hi Marge! Baba Mouse is based on a fiercely-mean-but-brave grey cat my family had when I was a child. Her name was Mouse, and that’s why Baba’s named Mouse. 🙂
My husband and I used to Live in California, and started adopting foundling cats over a period of years. I found one pregnant tabby cat under a bush in the front yard, and the way she was curled up, she looked a bit like a snake, so I named her Sidewinder, although after giving birth she became Mamacat. We also had a cat named Frog because as a kitten she travelled by hopping. There was one named Gato, and one named Tiger, not because he was striped (although he was) but as a kitten of just a few ounces he threatened me with the most ferocious growl. And there was Stalker (named for the Night Stalker because she started hanging around our house when Richard Ramirez was on the prowl). We also had Belker, named for the character in Hill Street Blues who was known as Belker the Biter, because our Belker would wake us up by biting our noses. And there was Moishe Dayan, who had one eye. And Mack the Truck because he purred like one. So naming a cat Mouse is okay by me.
Sai Sai (Cantonese for “little one” or “little dear”). She was so small when she was a kitten. She grew into a big cat, and a roommate used to call Tammy “little one”, because he knew what “Sai Sai” means.
Littleboy: a small male.
Button: She was as cute as one.
Sweetpeach: a lovely cat. My dad ended up getting her and shortened it to “Peaches”.
Sam Adams and Besty Ross were born on July the 4th. I soon renamed Besty Ross “Ima” (Hebrew for “Mother” because even though she is the youngest of the cats she acts like a mother making sure everyone is taken care of before she eats or does her thing. She could be Tabby’s twin.
Lokta is named after the treeless paper that she looks like. She was a pregnant stray I rescued.
Mo (short for Mordehai or Mordy) was born during Purim as was his litter mates King, Haddy (Hadasshah aka Esther) and Taki (the Chamberlain). Mo is very vocal and seems to have an opinion on everything.
Pinky (Pinchas) and Puah (aka Pooh or Pooh Bear) were born during Passover. Both names are mentioned indirectly in the Passover story. BTW, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear Pinky was Lupin’s twin and Puah was Pucky’s twin. My cats seem to act the way you depict your cats. And Mo, while not siamese does seem to have Elvis’ personality. Puah was named after one of the midwives that halped Moses’ mom give birth to Moses before she put him in the Nile. Puah is Egyptain for “mouth”. After Puah was born and started running around he’d climb on me and suck on my earlobe for the longest time to calm himself down or for reassurance. He’s outgrown that since. He’s the first one to always jump in my lap whenever I’m sad or upset.
Nessa (short for Manesseh) was born when I was studying the 12 tribes of Israel as were her litter mates (Effie aka Ephraim; Joey aka Joseph & Benny aka Benjamin). Manessah means to forget a bad event as in the birth of Joseph’s son Manneseh helped him forget that his brotehrs sold him into slavery. Nessa came in my life as I was getting over a bad event. I see some of Tillie in her.
Marky was born when I was studying the Gospels (as was his litter mates Matty (Matthew), Luke and Yochannon (Hebrew for John). Marky looks like Sir Figaro Newton.
Bella is a cat that I found outside my apartment one day. All I have to say is that she’s a male Tommy and you’ll know how she is. Very very VERY friendly and very free with her kisses. A found her original owner who reported her original name was Presta. Anyway Bella’s owner wasn’t able to keep her so I kept her. So far, I haven’t had a kitty that resembles Burt or Baba Mouse yet LOL. Anyway. Happy Holidays everyone (person and kitty) & Georgia I can’t wait for tomorrow for the conclusion of this holiday special!
I lost my cat Boo at a time when money was very tight. A couple of friends gave me gift certificates to the local shelter so I could afford to adopt a cat. On the way to the shelter I heard Van Morrison’s song Gloria. Remembered that both friends’ mothers were named Gloria. Naturally it was meant to be that the new cat would be Gloria. And she was quite lively after midnight as was the Gloria in the song.
Not quite that complicated. Snowball Taggert just does not have a snowball’s (or is that “Snowball’s) chance in hell of getting (whether by buying or otherwise) Kit’s loyalty.
Hmm, two parenthetical comments in one sentence. OK, you are right: “Our IX Lives” is complicated.
I was going to give the vacun a hug but instead of doing that ………………….HE SHOULD…………..sleep for a looooooooooooooooooooong time and never wake up. (Vacun for cats is vacuum but vacun also stands for in cat talk tornado monster.) XD! Well I think that’s what it means.LOL BD👍😆
Georgia, I’ve been collected Beatrix Potter books to read to little ones and as gifts. I just finished looking over The Tale of Samuel Whiskers and it made me think about your comics. Did you read them when young (I’m sure you must’ve) or read any to your Toddler? Your stories have the same sweetness about them as hers, although hers reflect the way animals were viewed back then. Children weren’t shielded as much from some of the unpleasantries involving animals.
And second question – since you like video and RP games, have you ever read the web comic Gamercat? They’re not nearly as cute as your Boys and the humour’s different but sill quite enjoyable.
I have not read Gamercat, I must check that out! And I adore Beatrix Potter. 🙂 We had a kitten before Puck we named Beatrix for her. Very, very sadly she passed from FIP, we miss her. The vet who treated her also treated Pucky months later when he lost his foot. When Beatrix passed on, she was kind enough to tell us she would help us find a kitty if and when we felt ready to adopt again. Since Beatrix had been so young, and we were all pretty broken up (especially Elvis) the Man asked her to please keep us in mind if there was a special needs kitty. He felt like it it all had to happen, hopefully it could benefit a kitty that otherwise might have had a hard time finding a home. That’s how we adopted Puck!
It is not, which illustrator did you mean? Kit is short for Kit’s real name (to be revealed possibly…) and Chase seemed like a dashing soap opera hero name, hehe!
OH WOW!!!! You know what is really wild about this? We have a beautiful alphabet print of theirs hanging in the nursery! Their artwork is lovely! Strangely, I only knew them by their Etsy shop name!! And Kit’s original name was going to be Chase, followed by a last name I gave another Our IX Lives character… Yes, there may be more Our IX Lives characters… But I loved the idea of a fast bad boy cat named Chase so much I made it his last name. …Or maybe I did see it in print and it got filed away somewhere in my brain and that’s why the name sounded so perfect, lol! (I honestly don’t know!!) THIS IS WEIRDING ME OUT IN THE SWEETEST OF WAYS!
Oh dear, oh dear, mild panic that artists I admire will think I made one of them a dashing bad boy kitty in an online cat soap opera. How do you explain that to someone? IS IT FLATTERING? I HOPE IT IS FLATTERING, AHHHH!!! WHY ARE BRAINS SO WEIRD WHY
We are not only stranger than we imagine, we are stranger than we can imagine. That’s why we want to understand the universe.
Don’t panic. As for being made a “dashing bad boy kitty in an online cat soap opera,” I’d be very surprised if the gentleman wasn’t pleased. Your Kit may be a bit of a rascal, but all of us secretly wish to be a dashing rascal, an underdog (undercat?) unafraid of the odds.
I was going to give the vacuum cleaner a hug. PRICELESS!
Looks like Christmas is going to be saved!
Georgia, would you consider being the Dungeon Master for a game of D&D or any other role-playing game for me and my friends? I bet you would excel! You weave a tale, my friend. Merry Christmas to you, the Man, the Toddler, the Baby, and the Boys!
Thank you, Jenna!!! I *have* Dm’ed a campaign once, but very briefly! I love being a player character too much. (I usually play a wizard!) I have a future headline planned for the kitties interfering with a D&D board and dice and such, because Pucky likes to jump up on the table! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
How did we know it would be Pucky? =)
Fantastic strip. I can’t wait to see if they resolve the “something missing” from the Found Art Tree.
I too have DM’d a few D&D games.
I used to play, using the 2.0 to 3.5 systems.
Then, got out of it for too long, doing web work!
These story lines of yours, are fantastic! I love these cats. 🙂
Keep up the great work, and take good care you yourself, your family, and all the animals in the strip. 🙂
Thank you so much, Burke! I loved 2.0, and 3.5 I liked well enough. I have heard that 5 is great, and I hope to try it at some point.
Great minds think alike. I just had the idea today of playing a BCN RPG. I do not know that it would work as a campaign world, but maybe characters based on BCN characters would.
Elvis is prone to self-aggrandisement. Stealing credit, stealing treasure: similarities. Hmm.
That would be so awesome!!
If you’re into roleplaying AND cats (and really, is there anything better?) then you might want to look for a game called ‘Cat: A Little Game about Little Heroes’. Players take on the role of cats, guardians of the home. It’s thanks to that game that the husband and I now understand that tooth-hugs are a cat’s method of tracking their person through dreams.
That. Sounds. AMAZING!
I think you could do that using the Bunnies and Burrows system, or just GURPS Bunnes and Burrows.
You can turn a Savage Worlds system into just about any setting, maybe even Cat News.
I once played a D&D game using a “cat shaman” character. Her powers were all based on things cats do… like jumping tall objects. She and Lupin would have made a great team.. a cats of adventure story.
That is awesome!!
One game to consider is “The Mutant Epoch” RPG. (Website: http://www.outlandarts.com/mutantepoch.htm) It is set after the big war. There are all sorts of neat things to play and play with.
One type of character to play is beastial human. (Yes, I know it should be “bestial”, but Will has not hired a proofreader yet.) I think that the next time I get to play it, I will see if I can play a cat-based character.
It is a fun game. I also mention it because, like me, the author lives in Kamloops, BC.
Sniffle … a great lesson for everyone! Thank yoU!
I can’t take the suspense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!=^~^=
=^~^= =^~^=
Eeeeeee!! My theory was right! I love Baba Mouse.
I cried during Star Wars this afternoon before work,
I’m about to cry again.. *Sniff* I bow to Baba’s wisdom…
*gets tissue…*
I did too, Chef Homster! We were able to *finally* see it this morning, while the kids were with the Man’s aunt so we could do a bit of last minute Christmas shopping. We finished early and snuck off to Star Wars! I cried a few times–without spoiling anything, I bawled at one point, but because I was so happy to see certain things from the original movies, ha!
Saw Star Wars tonight and was captured by the emotion and magic all over again. Am very fond of emotion and magic, which is why I love these little watercolor cats so much.
Purr-haps there’s a pawsibility of seeing our beloved BCN feline family and friends dressed up as different characters, in honor of the series? We all love seeing your artwork on Facebook, it gives a warm and fuzzy feline in our hearts…
I may… I did do a few sketches of the characters as Star Wars characters this past May 4th! 😀
I remember those drawings, now that you brought it up.. Wow, how the year flew by for our furry newscasters…
Agreed! This year has been a flash!
P.S.
Ahem….
**Announcer voice**
Is Angora related to Lupin?
Will Alice learn the meaning of Christmas??
Who is that cat holding the money bags in panel 5?
Will a canine ever appear in BCN in 2016?
Stay tuned to BCN News!
The cat with the money bag is Snowball Taggart, the antagonist to Kit Chase in his quest for the love of Angora. Haven’t you been watching “Our IX Lives?”
Hahahaha!!! I just read this comment aloud to the Man and we both loved it! 😀
Ohh, that kit chase ! Sooooo handsome. I wish our local network would broadcast our nine lives. Another adorable strip, Georgia.
I would watch it. I also enjoyed the brief glimpse of (I presume) Snowball Taggert.
Yes!!! That’s him! 😀
Following the adventures of Elvis, Puck, and Lupin is the gift that keeps on giving. Jake, Elwood, and I wish everybody the best holiday possible, and may you all continue to be blessed in the new year! =^..^=
Thank you, Fritz!!! A happy holidays and blessed new year to you and the boys too!!!
Don’t even get me started on Star Wars! Oh the feels! And I love this storyline so much!
I’d been thinking the Robber Mice moved to the walls of the People house. If that’s the case, I’m now wondering how Mouse fit in there. Mouse must’ve been quite the cat when she was young and spry, to spring Agnes and return Buzzy without anyone noticing what she was up to. Interesting hints to be history of the Robber Mice, too. Will we be finding out more about them?
And whether or not Baba is honorary from Burt to Mouse, he’s obviously just as sneaky as her!
We may indeed learn more about their history in time! 😉
Is Burt yoda or something? he manages to get from outside puck’s window to the av room without being spotted, which could be explained by moving off screen, but he gives wisdom-filled-advice, and sets up a camera in the mice room without being caught, and zooms and pans from a distance. I’m pretty sure the force is strong with this cat!
Repeat to yourself “It’s just a webcomic about talking cats; I should really just relax.” 😀
Yeah. I mean you don’t see Elvis getting excited over little things, do you? Oops! Bad example.
Gene, nothing that Elvis gets excited over are “little things”! Well, at least not to Elvis. 😆
Yep, you have to love his cool demeanor and ability to know just what is needed in a situation. Makes me think, what if Obie Wan had had a cat? He probably would have been just like Burt😊
Cats have the ability to evaporate, especially when you are looking for them. Then, later, they reassemble from their catly molecules in a completely different location (such as where you just looked for them). “Stealth” aircraft don’t have a patch on cats. Our 8-ball is so stealthy we sometimes call him “Nighthawk” (his white and black coat resembles the markings on the bird.)
Hug a vacuum cleaner? Pucky is very brave.
my favorite bit of this episode
Thank you for a great Christmas message.
“Is that a camera?” And Burt’s wink. When did that sly devil sneak that in?
And oh, the FEELS!
yay! I can now go to bed. (after poring over this installment for a while)
Merry ChristMICE!
And a merry Xmouse to you too 🙂
Aawww…Another wonderful Christmas Tale (last years is running on gocomics), brought to us by your artistic and narrative talent ! (with one more episode to go ?) Wishing you and the man and all your two, three and four-footed little ones, the Merriest of Christmases and the Brightest of New Years. Thank You – all.
I love Pucky’s hug a vacuum line. :). I wonder if the robber mice used to be someone’s pets?
I hadn’t considered they they had once been pets. How sad 😢 Now I’m going to be wondering if, if they were pets, what happened? Did their owner die? Was there a house fire and they had to flee? Did somebody toss them aside😢 Poor Alice. She’s not bad, she was desperate and wants to give her sister and her two friends a good Christmas. She may not have gone about it but in the right way, but her heart was in the right place. Panel nine with Alice and Agnes hugging was so sweet. Panel nineteen with her crying because they don’t have much to give was so sad. Burt making sure the boys saw Alice’s talking-to by Baba Mouse was so genius 😀
Yes, Sue, I think you’re right – reading Alices’ speech in panel 11… We don’t yet know where the mousebase is – maybe its a neighbouring house that’s been vacated with the mice left behind? The mice have then been raiding Burt & Baba’s barn as well as the Boys’ house.
I’m thinking that maybe the Mouse Ladies had been under Baba Mouse’s care when they were little mouselings. I had puzzled about her name when Georgia first introduced her since baba is what grandma’s are called in many Slavic languages. So I wondered why she was called ‘Grandma Mouse’. Perhaps she was charged with caring for Alice and Agnes when something happened to their mom?
I love that Georgia keeps us guessing and she never fails to disappoint us as we discover more!
When Burt introduced Baba mouse he said she’d had over 90 kittens. Presumably a lot of her descendants still live on the farm and call her Baba even though some may be many, many times great-grand kittens of hers.
This is just so perfect–how wise Baba Mouse is and the importance of inviting the Christmas spirit into your house and heart! Each panel is an inspiration. Happy Holidays to all of you from me.
I’m confused. How could Baba Mouse fit in the walls of the house?
They may not be in the house…. The crack in the wall is how they get in and out of the apartment, but the exact location of the robber mice’ lair remains a secret.
Ooo that’s cool! It has to be somewhere in the barn–I’m intrigued! 😀
Well, kittens and cats get into walls all the time. Burt ran wires and he knew the robber mice were there. I am sure he knew a way in.
There is a cat sized door from the laundry room to the cat’s apartment…Baba could have come that way.
That’s the laundry chute. If anybody missed the discovery of the basement/laundry room, they should definitely check it out. It’s a seven-part adventure where they not only find the laundry room, but also meet Sir Figaro Newton and Tabitha! The first part is here: http://www.breakingcatnews.com/comic/lupin-found-a-tiny-door-in-the-bathroom-closet/. I think Burt has A/V equipment in both the basement and the barn, looking at http://www.breakingcatnews.com/comic/barn-cat-revealed-av-cat-kitties-promptly-pounce-to-ponder/ and the one right after it. In Part 2 of this year’s Christmas Special, Burt showed that he has cameras all over the place. He’s aware of everything that happens. He saw things going badly and sought the wise counsel of Baba Mouse 😀
Some houses have some dead space, such as under stairs. I’m thinking the Robber Mouse Lair is in such a place!
Cats and rodents share a unique skill set in that if their heads fit, the rest of them can follow. I mean, how does Sir Figaro pop in and out of scenes?
Plus they’re so quick about things. Keeping a cat shut in or out of somewhere demands every human’s full attention!
Angora is such a wonderful name!
Thank you, Gene!! <3
Loving this. Someday I very much hope to see a half hour BCN Christmas special on TV. 🙂 I wonder who would do all their little voices.
Yes, I’d also love to see an animated special. And maybe a Christmas spinoff . . . and oh, what’s going to happen around Valentine’s Day?
I’m not so sure I’d want to see BCN animated myself. The amount of drawings to produce a minute even of animation is incredible, especially to do it smoothlu. But more than anything, no matter who they chose for voices, I’d be disappointed though I acknowledge that many others would probably love to watch it.
I’d never thought about it till I read your comment but I’ve a mental sound image of what the different characters sound like. Can’t quite explain it but I’m sure as soon as I heard voices for them on TV, I’d be “They don’t sound anything like that at all!” Just me.
Ohhh!!! I just knew Baba Mouse had something to do with this! 😀 Yay! She’s so clever and wise. And I just adore that “Our IX Lives” romance scene that we see at the beginning–that’s just so precious! Kit is such a devastatingly romantic hero and Angora is a gorgeous damsel–I love her name and that is such an appropriate breed for a damsel-in-distress from an overbearing wealthy father. It reminds me of a Victorian drama. 😀
You know I’ve been pondering over it and I realise that Angora and her father are more than likely pure bred and perhaps show cats–so yes, no wonder he doesn’t want her to mix with Kit, but still, that’s no reason to deny his daughter’s heart. 😉
Also the fact that calico cats are always female, Kit must be a cross-dresser. Or just sterile. Love knows no boundaries
😛
He’s still not a calico… His tail may give his breed away! 😉
Georgia! Your stories make people’s hearts shine. They are not just funny stories. They can make the world better! I do think so!
Thank you so much, Irene!! <3
The three BCN prints I ordered through Etsy arrived yesterday. They’re so great I’m gonna have a hard time giving away the ones that are supposed to be gifts. The stickers decorating the envelope were icing on the cake!
Thank you for these.
And thank you for Breaking Cat News.
Yay!! Thank you for ordering, Roberta! I’m so happy they arrived safe and sound and that you like them!
I think Burt is my favorite now.
Merry Christmas to all of us…readers, Georgia and family and cats! Best wishes from Pippin and Rain in Ohio…..
Georgia I’ve prob said this before but Baba Mouse reminds me of Grandma Hawker!
Yay!!! She does have a bit of Grandma Hawker about her! I feel like they would enjoy many quiet nights by the campfire reading tea leaves. 🙂
Love this!! Amazing as always, Georgia! What are tooth hugs?
I’m not entirely certain myself! I took it to mean when cats gently love bite? Was I wrong?
Yep, tooth hugs are the affectionate bites our Dobby Cat gives us every night. He’s a kisser and a biter, we’re convinced he thinks noses are tootsie pops, you know, lick, lick, lick…bite!
Hahaha!!! I love that!
If I recall correctly, I seem to remember reading that this behavior is common among predatory species. It may be a development of the mother carrying her kits/pups by their necks (sometimes the scruff, sometimes the entire neck). Maybe they’re saying, “I like you as much as if you were my kitten.”
And what does it mean if a cat *pets* you? Back when I had cats, one of mine once petted me on the cheek. She was very careful with her paw to not extend her claw.
This arc is so sweet that I just want to cuddle it.
I love all the Easter eggs you put in your strips for us to find😊 And I love that you have the oldest and wisest cat teaching the next generations the way to go.😊 Your strip is so unique in that it actually promotes being good to each other in a time where that is not always happening. In other news, lol, we saw the Star Wars movie yesterday too and I’m glad you said you cried too because I bawled like a little baby. Best ending to a movie EVER, by the way..😊 I also played d and d, my husband used to be a dm and we would host games at least once a week. It’s amazing how long you can play when you are young..lol..I was usually a ranger in those days,but I liked Wizards and an occasional thief for lock picking skills, lol…brings back lots of wonderful memories…Merry Christmas Georgia, to you and your family. Thanks for the gift of smiles 😊
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mary! I played Dnd every Friday night for much of high school, all of college, and a few years beyond. The Man and I would still play, if we could get a game together! Perhaps one day! And thank you so much! And Star Wars, OH MY GOODNESS. I loved it so much, I’m very pleased with it.
Terrible fan here: can someone remind me where Baba Mouse is first introduced? Thanks!
The story arc that introduces Baba Mouse starts on September 10, 2015.
She first appears September 17th. 🙂
Thanks!! I’ve read from the beginning, but I think I need to read through a few more times to pick up on everything I missed!
Baba Mouse was first introduced when Burt showed up on the scene. Burt became the AV guy at the end of that series of strips.
The dec 21st edition of this strip is the moving thing I’ve seen (or read) this holiday season
P.S.
Old cat saves the day!
And Baba is a knitter, too! Wonderful! (I guess there are lots of kittens that need mittens.)
How’d poor Kit lose his eye? Get an itch on his eyelid and forget to retract his claws? 🙁
Read this last night and just love it. A true Christmas story.
Thanks so much for this wonderful tail. I hope our amigos over at Noticas Gatos have their own novella version of Our IX Lives.
With all these tips my Christmas is going to be the best ever
Baba Mouse saves the day!
Although Puck wanting to hug the vacuum was hilarious.
Our Nine Lives… is Angora akin to Kayla? I love that ongoing piece. So cute!
Baba reminding Alice that she didn’t exactly invite the Christmas Spirit in when she stole Buzzy Mouse and kicked Puck in the face. (Although that latter part was pretty awesome.)
Very much looking forward to the rest of this… as per usual!
She’s not *quite* Kayla. Without giving too much away, I may have based her a bit on a fabulous lady character on another soap….
The most well-known soap story I know of with an over-bearing, uber-rich father who disapproves of his daughter’s love interest is Nina on AMC. And it was quite an event when she defied money-bags Cortland Palmer and married Cliff.
UNLESS, it’s Viki from OLTL because her father, Victor (also the richest cat in his town), never approved of her marrying working class Joe Riley.
But I could be wrong. Look at me… I’m as into Our IX Lives as the characters of BCN are!
I was thinking that Kit was a nod to Patch on Days of Our Lives, played by that hunk Steven Nichols.
I have been waiting for someone to ask why Baba Mouse isn’t Baba cat, or did I miss it?
Hi Marge! Baba Mouse is based on a fiercely-mean-but-brave grey cat my family had when I was a child. Her name was Mouse, and that’s why Baba’s named Mouse. 🙂
My husband and I used to Live in California, and started adopting foundling cats over a period of years. I found one pregnant tabby cat under a bush in the front yard, and the way she was curled up, she looked a bit like a snake, so I named her Sidewinder, although after giving birth she became Mamacat. We also had a cat named Frog because as a kitten she travelled by hopping. There was one named Gato, and one named Tiger, not because he was striped (although he was) but as a kitten of just a few ounces he threatened me with the most ferocious growl. And there was Stalker (named for the Night Stalker because she started hanging around our house when Richard Ramirez was on the prowl). We also had Belker, named for the character in Hill Street Blues who was known as Belker the Biter, because our Belker would wake us up by biting our noses. And there was Moishe Dayan, who had one eye. And Mack the Truck because he purred like one. So naming a cat Mouse is okay by me.
I love hearing cat names!! These are some great ones!
Names I have given cats:
Tammy (Tammy Tabby): due to her coat striping.
Sai Sai (Cantonese for “little one” or “little dear”). She was so small when she was a kitten. She grew into a big cat, and a roommate used to call Tammy “little one”, because he knew what “Sai Sai” means.
Littleboy: a small male.
Button: She was as cute as one.
Sweetpeach: a lovely cat. My dad ended up getting her and shortened it to “Peaches”.
Let the flood of cat names begin.
Sam Adams and Besty Ross were born on July the 4th. I soon renamed Besty Ross “Ima” (Hebrew for “Mother” because even though she is the youngest of the cats she acts like a mother making sure everyone is taken care of before she eats or does her thing. She could be Tabby’s twin.
Lokta is named after the treeless paper that she looks like. She was a pregnant stray I rescued.
Mo (short for Mordehai or Mordy) was born during Purim as was his litter mates King, Haddy (Hadasshah aka Esther) and Taki (the Chamberlain). Mo is very vocal and seems to have an opinion on everything.
Pinky (Pinchas) and Puah (aka Pooh or Pooh Bear) were born during Passover. Both names are mentioned indirectly in the Passover story. BTW, if I didn’t know better, I’d swear Pinky was Lupin’s twin and Puah was Pucky’s twin. My cats seem to act the way you depict your cats. And Mo, while not siamese does seem to have Elvis’ personality. Puah was named after one of the midwives that halped Moses’ mom give birth to Moses before she put him in the Nile. Puah is Egyptain for “mouth”. After Puah was born and started running around he’d climb on me and suck on my earlobe for the longest time to calm himself down or for reassurance. He’s outgrown that since. He’s the first one to always jump in my lap whenever I’m sad or upset.
Nessa (short for Manesseh) was born when I was studying the 12 tribes of Israel as were her litter mates (Effie aka Ephraim; Joey aka Joseph & Benny aka Benjamin). Manessah means to forget a bad event as in the birth of Joseph’s son Manneseh helped him forget that his brotehrs sold him into slavery. Nessa came in my life as I was getting over a bad event. I see some of Tillie in her.
Marky was born when I was studying the Gospels (as was his litter mates Matty (Matthew), Luke and Yochannon (Hebrew for John). Marky looks like Sir Figaro Newton.
Bella is a cat that I found outside my apartment one day. All I have to say is that she’s a male Tommy and you’ll know how she is. Very very VERY friendly and very free with her kisses. A found her original owner who reported her original name was Presta. Anyway Bella’s owner wasn’t able to keep her so I kept her. So far, I haven’t had a kitty that resembles Burt or Baba Mouse yet LOL. Anyway. Happy Holidays everyone (person and kitty) & Georgia I can’t wait for tomorrow for the conclusion of this holiday special!
Happy holidays!!! These are great names, I love the references behind them, so interesting and a wonderful way to tie into their personalities!
I lost my cat Boo at a time when money was very tight. A couple of friends gave me gift certificates to the local shelter so I could afford to adopt a cat. On the way to the shelter I heard Van Morrison’s song Gloria. Remembered that both friends’ mothers were named Gloria. Naturally it was meant to be that the new cat would be Gloria. And she was quite lively after midnight as was the Gloria in the song.
Awww, I love that! I’ve always been fond of the name Gloria. And strangely, my name is heard over the phone as “Gloria” about 30% of the time, ha!
I think Puck should still give the vacuum a hug.
Hugging the vacuum cleaner! <3
Man…Our IX Lives is complicated.
Angora’s father wouldn’t approve of Kit, who wants to be with her, even though Snowball Taggert is apparently trying to buy his heart…
Not quite that complicated. Snowball Taggert just does not have a snowball’s (or is that “Snowball’s) chance in hell of getting (whether by buying or otherwise) Kit’s loyalty.
Hmm, two parenthetical comments in one sentence. OK, you are right: “Our IX Lives” is complicated.
Love Babushka and Handsome Bert 🙂
Hi everybody,
only 19 hours until christmas eve!
P.S. Georgia, will you be putting out a strip on christmas eve?
(this comment posted at 9:54 A.M. wed dec 23 pacific time)
Yes, I will! 😀
I was going to give the vacun a hug but instead of doing that ………………….HE SHOULD…………..sleep for a looooooooooooooooooooong time and never wake up. (Vacun for cats is vacuum but vacun also stands for in cat talk tornado monster.) XD! Well I think that’s what it means.LOL BD👍😆
I love the exploding snowflakes in panel 3. Reminds me the fireworks scene in “To Catch a Thief”
Georgia, I’ve been collected Beatrix Potter books to read to little ones and as gifts. I just finished looking over The Tale of Samuel Whiskers and it made me think about your comics. Did you read them when young (I’m sure you must’ve) or read any to your Toddler? Your stories have the same sweetness about them as hers, although hers reflect the way animals were viewed back then. Children weren’t shielded as much from some of the unpleasantries involving animals.
And second question – since you like video and RP games, have you ever read the web comic Gamercat? They’re not nearly as cute as your Boys and the humour’s different but sill quite enjoyable.
I have not read Gamercat, I must check that out! And I adore Beatrix Potter. 🙂 We had a kitten before Puck we named Beatrix for her. Very, very sadly she passed from FIP, we miss her. The vet who treated her also treated Pucky months later when he lost his foot. When Beatrix passed on, she was kind enough to tell us she would help us find a kitty if and when we felt ready to adopt again. Since Beatrix had been so young, and we were all pretty broken up (especially Elvis) the Man asked her to please keep us in mind if there was a special needs kitty. He felt like it it all had to happen, hopefully it could benefit a kitty that otherwise might have had a hard time finding a home. That’s how we adopted Puck!
Is the name ‘Kit Chase’ a nod to another writer/illustrator?
It is not, which illustrator did you mean? Kit is short for Kit’s real name (to be revealed possibly…) and Chase seemed like a dashing soap opera hero name, hehe!
Found on Google: http://www.trafalgarssquare.com/pages/about-us
OH WOW!!!! You know what is really wild about this? We have a beautiful alphabet print of theirs hanging in the nursery! Their artwork is lovely! Strangely, I only knew them by their Etsy shop name!! And Kit’s original name was going to be Chase, followed by a last name I gave another Our IX Lives character… Yes, there may be more Our IX Lives characters… But I loved the idea of a fast bad boy cat named Chase so much I made it his last name. …Or maybe I did see it in print and it got filed away somewhere in my brain and that’s why the name sounded so perfect, lol! (I honestly don’t know!!) THIS IS WEIRDING ME OUT IN THE SWEETEST OF WAYS!
Oh dear, oh dear, mild panic that artists I admire will think I made one of them a dashing bad boy kitty in an online cat soap opera. How do you explain that to someone? IS IT FLATTERING? I HOPE IT IS FLATTERING, AHHHH!!! WHY ARE BRAINS SO WEIRD WHY
We are not only stranger than we imagine, we are stranger than we can imagine. That’s why we want to understand the universe.
Don’t panic. As for being made a “dashing bad boy kitty in an online cat soap opera,” I’d be very surprised if the gentleman wasn’t pleased. Your Kit may be a bit of a rascal, but all of us secretly wish to be a dashing rascal, an underdog (undercat?) unafraid of the odds.
Aw, she finally came around. ;3