Pawprints From Space

I don't have the cats wear collars being as they are inside babies. However, when they are little they are belled. Considering how kittens get into everything can seem to be everywhere at once and get themselves into all sorts of situations it's best to at least be able to hear them when you otherwise can't find them.  Of course the ding-ding-dinging at 2 a.m. during the Kitty Olympics is annoying. What you ask are the Kitty Olympics? Games that have been going on since 1986 when Pouncequick and Chaos launched the wee hours romp through the house at break neck speed. Yup in 25 years I haven't had a night of truly uninterrupted sleep or a meal in peace. Not complaining exactly ... except for the meal thing. That's really bothersome. I have always tended to wake up around 2 a.m. for no apparent reason anyway. And now when I do I get a kitty cuddle.  Purrcy is quite upset over the motorcycles and large trucks that roar passed the house. Poor little bug has no idea w...

Since the big kitties have yet to master the fine art of cornering when racing through the house as if their tails were on fire it is no wonder that little bitty kitties have a hard time with it too.  Of course little bitty kitties aren't real good at stopping either and the take off is funny when the back feet can't gain a purchase. It is like watching a cartoon. You know, the sort where the feet blur for a few frames before the character zooms out of the picture. What I really like though is the straight up in he air kitten-got-startled by something. In this case it is usually Rumba zooming by that causes the boing! straight up, spin about in mid air and land all puffed up.  When you take a sharp corner when running on hard wood floors you have to be careful that your front paws don't end up going one direction while the back paws go in a completely different direction. When stopping try to use the paws not the head that slams into the footstool, sofa or anything els...

When Bonzai was a kitten his nemesis was a broom (he still hates that broom by the way). Purrcy has decided that the dust mop deserves to die. He has pounced on it, attempted to shred it and basically rode the thing around the room while Mama tried to use it. It made for an interesting bit of house cleaning. Unlike Rumba, Purrcy is not waking me up every two hours for something to eat. But once I do get up he stuffs his whiskers.  All in all this is a MUCH easier integration than any since Pouncequick met Chaos WAY back in 1986. Today he tried to get Bon to play by doing the boing! boing! boing! kitten dance followed by a pounce right at the big guy. Bon just sat back and looked confused. Should he bop the kitten, play with the kitten or... he chose to walk away. Probably the safest thing to do... for Purrcy.  Lucky's tail was eyed from the safety of Purrcy's "fort" she caught on and dodged the paws reaching for her tail. Purrcy's "fort" if you recall...

Around 4:00 a.m. today the power went out briefly. I know this because the phone in the bedroom beeped, the dehumidifier in the basement beeped and Purrcy pulled everything on the nightstand down on his head. Thankfully I tend to wake up all at once and have fast reflexes and was able to save the lamp a tumble in the wake of the clock, a photo of Les (wooden frame) a small Yankee Candles jar candle, my cellphone, glasses and inhaler. The little stinker's claw had gotten snagged in the Japanese handkerchief I use as a sort of tablecloth and he pulled, it slid and down they all went. The beeping may have startled him also. It sure did me. Purrcy then spent the entire rest of the day wanting to be carried, held and basically not have his paws touch the floor. Go to put him down and he clings for dear life grabbing hair, clothes, skin whatever he could dig claws into to hang on, even when very nearly asleep.  Like a the member of the rag doll breed we suspect his daddy was ...

There comes a time in every kitten's life when cold hard reality sets in and he has to learn that his human is NOT something to be climbed, used as a scratching post or a launch pad. The first clue is usually the shriek that erupts when claws dig in. This was the lesson of today. Not that it has in any way sunk in. Tonight the craziness is in full bloom. The little fella had to be bopped (hard) several times before he would stop chewing on the cell phone charger's cord. He is having a obstinate evening for some reason. It was bound to happen eventually but some of the crap he is pulling could get him seriously injured. The word "brat" does not begin to cover it. It is chew on everything and bite whatever moves night here. I knowing he's "teething" but really! And yet this behavior doesn't phase the big kitties at all. Rumba still wants to play. Honey gives a growl when he gets too close but nothing more than that. Bon is ignoring him being more con...

Mama took a leap of faith and let Purrcy stay out among the big kitties last night. Being a light sleeper I figured that I'd hear it if anything got ugly. I didn't hear a thing and everyone was calm in the morning. So I took another leap of faith and let him stay out all day today. Unable to get home over lunch, I asked Mom to check on him at noon and she said that everything was fine. When I got home everything was still fine. Nothing broken, no one hiding, screaming or bleeding. This is huge progress, the first day out in the general population so to speak is typically a day resulting in upheaval. Once again Purrcy's low key personality wins the day. Although he is trying to eat the lap desk at the moment and I'm getting grabbed and nibbled while I'm trying to type. Someone is over stimulated and about to get the old "oh look a chicken" toss of a toy to distract him from eating something he shouldn't. In that aspect at least he is a normal kitten. I...

This morning Mr. Purrcy Paws didn't want an early morning cuddle. He'd much rather zoom around the house at top speeds thereby annoying the big kitties and yet the annoyance didn't show all that much. Oh sure, Honey snarled some and hissed a little but saved the majority of her vocal displeasure for Rumba, the normal morning brouhaha. It was a shame to lock him in the bathroom but it was going to be a long day without being able to come home over lunch to check on him and unfortunately thanks to a last minute addition to the schedule that won't be possible tomorrow either. Hopefully Friday. The integration process continues to go well overall. Purrcy's food is on the top level of his two story Hide, Perch and Go carrier during the evening so that he can quickly have an energy boost and (mostly) the big kitties have no idea it is there. Until tonight. Bonzai figured it out. An Purrcy got protective. A quick pounce and growl and the little bitty stared down the huge...

Monday and Tuesday this week were days three (3) and four (4) of Purrcy's integration into the household. While all this craziness is going MUCH more smoothly than Rumba's arrival two (2) years ago there are, of course, issues. Day 3 - Monday: Purrcy Sees the Vet & Meets Grammy . In the morning Purrcy decided he hates car rides and thus whined about it all the way to the vet's. Once there he charmed everyone in the place including Dr. Joe who scooped the little guy up and showed him off to the staff including Dr. Wendy who commented on how big he would end up being (big feet) as well as how cute he is (and she's more of a dog person so this praise is significant). Everyone was surprised that he was a shelter kitten, having not known that there were any kittens at the shelter.  Mama came home for lunch and let the little stinker out of the bathroom for a while. Bedlam ensued as usual. Mom stopped by in the evening and met her new "grand-kitty" and prompt...

Purrcy (as with all new kittens in the household) spent the night in the bathroom - bed, bowls, potty, toys all the essentials. Unlike every other new kitten he didn't cry this may be because after spending about a month in a two foot by three foot cage he's pretty used to confinement. He had to retire to the room a few times during the day today as I needed to get things done without him underfoot - the other four were enough to wrangle.  Today the little guy decided that he was going to growl back at the big kitties or growl first in some cases. So he puffed all up to his full size (not much bigger than my running shoe) and growled and hissed back at everyone bigger than he is. Lucky was most perplexed since she hadn't hissed at him at all but she gave him a wide berth. Honey got into an ever bigger snit and spent the majority of the day in the basement. Rumba puffed up right back and there was at least three hissing contests as a result most ending with Rumba backing do...

Purrceval joined the household this afternoon at around 2:00 p.m. He did not have a nap until about 7:00 p.m. - has to be a record for kittens everywhere is certainly a record for kittens in this house. He still hasn't truly slept. It will be a long night methinks. Bonzai is taking it well, minor hissing and one good bop has the little kit in line already. His survival instincts are better than Rumba's were at this age. Rumba still doesn't take anyone seriously when they hiss at her, or growl, or slash, or bop.... Purrcy on the other hand, knows when not to push it. At least so far. Lucky is giving him a fairly wide berth after a couple of nose touches, actually he seems more afraid of her than she is annoyed by him. Which is amusing since she's the least threatening and similar in color to him and his mama (a gray tuxedo).  Honey hates him. But then Honey hates everyone. She's still not entirely thrilled with Rumba although they play together and on occasion sle...

You see a LOT of "crazy cat lady" items out there. Just visit CafePress and search for crazy cat lady the results are staggering. I am not fond of the phrase myself, it isn't cute, it isn't funny and it conjures up images of the little old lady with a house full of cats at the horder level.  I have four cats presently and will be bringing home another kitten on Saturday. His name is Purrceval. Purrcy for short. He is at the Humane Society presently and was dropped off there with his mom (a beautiful gray tuxedo) and his four brothers (black tuxedos). Purry thought isn't black and isn't a tuxedo. His markings are more Siamese or Ragdoll in nature. He is just gorgeous. And that purr motor will not stop.  Why Purrceval? Well of course the spelling is feline friendly but... Perceval was a Grail Knight. A rambunctious boy who (in some versions) became the Knight who found the Grail and cured the Fisher King. Also he purrs non-stop. We need more male ener...