cat

Relax, it’s nap time

| AnnaM

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One of B’s favorite things is to relax, and if you disturb her she will let you know.  She prefers peace and quiet and doesn’t like a lot of walking around while she’s resting.  She’s like your mother, always telling you to sit down if she thinks you are running around too much.  I think of her as always being lazy but it’s clear that she follows a routine.  Without fail, she will sleep next to me on the left side of the bed, leaning against my pillow. In the morning she will hangout for a while after getting breakfast and a drink of water from the faucet, but very soon after she will head to the deep recesses of the closet where I have two towels hidden on a shelf (one for each cat).  In the afternoon, she will switch to active resting mode and move to the living room, stretching out on the chair or even on top of the dining room table.  She manages to get through her day, all the while projecting an attitude of complete calm and leisure that we can only hope to achieve after the day’s activities are done.

 *P.S. What is your cat’s routine?

(Cat) Selfies

| AnnaM

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Someone asked me for a current picture the other day.  I said sure, then whipped out my phone for what I assumed would be a quick find.  I soon realized that I had thousands of cat pictures but very few of me.  Actually, I had a few of my face from when I had been experimenting with the photo booth app – the one that stretches or otherwise distorts your image – but those were completely ruled out as options for sharing.  Thankfully, I had a few selfies, and what better way is there to get current pictures of yourself while still taking cat pictures?  It’s a little bit tricky since the cats are wondering why I’m getting so close to them.  Also, B loves to use the phone was a face scratcher.  But if you are quick (and take a bunch), you are sure to get a picture that makes you feel good about turning the camera around for once.

*P.S. Please share your cat or dog selfie pictures in the comments section!

Fantasy (Paw)ball

| AnnaM

hank on the tv

Since it’s the official start of football season, Hank is wondering why the game isn’t on TV.  You see, he loves all sports, especially football and hockey.  He also likes golf, but the action is a bit slow for his taste.  If he had his pick, he would rather play than watch, but his teammates (read: family) aren’t nearly as dedicated.  He often has to settle for making up his own games.  He will drop a toy on the floor then pretend he doesn’t see it while casually walking past it.  When his back leg is positioned just right, he’ll “accidentally” kick it away while looking the other direction.  Then he’ll chase after the toy and start all over.  Sometimes, he drops the toy in a shoe or bats it under a piece of furniture.  Then he’ll take a few steps back to do the pre-pounce wiggle before attacking the toy again.  Having the game on TV is especially nice because there is usually something interesting to watch and it can be interactive.  “What about the scratches to the TV?”, you say?  I do cringe a little when he swipes his paw at the puck or tries to tackle the players, but if it means my little guy is entertained for a few minutes with no effort required on my part, then I say, “Isn’t that what a TV is for?”

(Cat) King of the Condo

| AnnaM

Hank on top of the wall 

Did I mention Hank is smart?  He’s never content with the status quo.  He’s always searching for something interesting, looking for new areas to explore, new toy options, new paths to higher ground…In the early days when I separated Hank and B for stress relief, I came home one day to find that they were both in the bedroom.  I assumed I had been absent minded and had locked them both in the bedroom.  The next day, I was sure Hank was out of the bedroom before shutting the door (two sets of food, water, and litter, for those that are wondering).  Again, I came home to find they were in the same room.  I was stunned.  The only way into the bedroom when the door is closed is up and over a ladder to the loft, followed by a long jump to the ground (or bed, as it turns out) on the other side.  Also, the ladder is no cake-walk.  The rungs are made of thin re-bar – not for people scared of heights or bare feet.  However, later that night in the bedroom with the door closed, it wasn’t long before I heard the soon-to-be familiar sound of Hank’s paws hitting the steel bars as he climbed the ladder with “cat-like” agility.  The loft became his own private retreat, away from the hustle and bustle of the main area.  There was no need to worry about what to do next or the other cat(s) and dogs in the condo.  It was his, and his alone.  Finally, when it was time to get back to business, it was the best place to take it all in, to survey the landscape if you will, before jumping in (down). 

 

Meet B, the annoying companion you can’t live without

| AnnaM
B, usually found in this position on one of the sitting devices around the house.
B, usually found on one of the sitting devices around the house.

Meet B.  She is the original cat of the house.  I knew I didn’t want a Siamese cat because they are vocal, but I assumed the initial meowing was related to being in the shelter and not typical behavior.  Looking back, I should have recognized the hint of triangle in her face and the fact that very few of the other shelter cats were meowing in their cages.  I got her soon after moving into my own condo, having just been through a divorce and feeling the emptiness in the rooms.  She was immediately confident and full of character.  B fills those rooms and along with a big section of my bed, managing to take up (what feels like) a 3rd of the space with her stretched out legs and inconvenient spooning.  She isn’t worried about being polite and will traipse all over you while scream meowing, knowing that it will likely get her fed sooner.  She sometimes just wants to talk, keeping her words short and garbled.  One time she got sick and lost her voice – it was the sweetest week of her life.  She likes to play but is often overwhelmed by the complexity of the string.  It’s hard to tell if she’s dumb as a rock or half blind but both could be the source of the half second delay before she spastically swings at the passing toy.  She is adamant about two things, staying on the bed (maneuvering through an entire changing of the sheets) and sitting on your lap.  You don’t ever have to worry about offending her.  She will always come back.  Thankfully, that’s exactly what I want her to do.       

Meet Hank, the best boy that there ever, ever was a best boy

| AnnaM
Hank hunting for the fun of it, not for the food.
Hank hunting for the fun of it, not for the food.

Meet Hank.  He’s the cat you’ve always wanted.  He is mischievous.  He’s handsome and svelte.  He’s loving, but in the way that males are often loving…always enough to keep you on the hook but always a bit out of grasp.  He rarely meows but when he does, you know it’s important.  His voice is sweet.  It’s a combination of rolled r’s and an ascending note from a flute.  He loves to be pet, but he loves to play even more.  He has significant charm and uses it to his full advantage when leading you over to his string, which he does every chance he gets.  Most of all, he’s smart.  He doesn’t endlessly chase the toy.  He learns the toy’s pattern then waits until it comes around again before pouncing, not because he’s lazy but because he wants the optimal point of attack.  He bullies his sister but comes running when she is trapped in the cat carrier.  He sleeps in the crook of your knee at night, but not for too long.  He has shit to do.  He is important.