Friday, August 31, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Oh No He Didn't
You wouldn't believe how tenaciously a cat can cling to a smooth surface. I had to pull him out by his hind legs because he wouldn't back up and he couldn't turn around. Jeez lawheeze.
Never before seen
There she lay, entirely at ease and oblivious to everything in the room. Such an unnatural state for Meera that I doubted myself. Was this truly Meera? A second glance at her generous girth left no room for doubt. It must be she, yet I had never seen her so...relaxed.
She lay as though there weren't two black-eyed boys in the next room, sparking with electricity and ferociously on the prowl. She lay as though her human weren't two feet away, dying to put her ear to that exposed belly and listen to her heartbeat.
I've glimpsed flashes of white as she leapt from floor to chair, or as she tussled with her brother, so I knew she carried tiny cloudlets in the luxuriance of her underbelly. But who would have predicted the shapes of those clouds? Can it be that we've shared space for a year and a half, and I never knew about the heart she hides?
Take a look...
She lay as though there weren't two black-eyed boys in the next room, sparking with electricity and ferociously on the prowl. She lay as though her human weren't two feet away, dying to put her ear to that exposed belly and listen to her heartbeat.
I've glimpsed flashes of white as she leapt from floor to chair, or as she tussled with her brother, so I knew she carried tiny cloudlets in the luxuriance of her underbelly. But who would have predicted the shapes of those clouds? Can it be that we've shared space for a year and a half, and I never knew about the heart she hides?
Take a look...
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
ACHOO (baba) !!
So we went three whole days without sneezing, and then Wicket had to go and ruin it all by spraying us all as we lay on the couch. And then within the next two hours, MeeraKai & I all sneezed ourselves...
To freak out, or not to freak out, that is the question...
Is this the universe telling me to vacuum more often?? Will Terry Pratchett weigh in on this one?
To freak out, or not to freak out, that is the question...
Is this the universe telling me to vacuum more often?? Will Terry Pratchett weigh in on this one?
Their wildlife counterparts...
If Kai is a meerkat (see http://meerakai.blogspot.com/2007/03/hmmm.html), then Wicket is a desert fox...
(And now it's so obvious, Aunt Jennie! Thx!)
(And now it's so obvious, Aunt Jennie! Thx!)
Monday, August 27, 2007
Steam clouds and water beads
Meera has a partner now, at least in one thing she does--waiting for me to open the bathroom door after my shower. Where once there was one little loaf of bread waiting patiently for the fun of steam clouds and water beads, now there are two!
But Wicket still isn't allowed to attack her tail... No! she says, That is NOT a toy!
But Wicket still isn't allowed to attack her tail... No! she says, That is NOT a toy!
To do: find rugs with rubber tread
The lady who lives below me says that when I'm gone she can hear a herd of elephants racing from one end of the apartment to the other. She's not complaining; she loves to know they're keeping themselves entertained. Her cat Boobers jumps onto the kitchen counter and turns her head to follow my cats' progress across the floor above.This morning I was caught in the stampede of Kai and Wicket. From bedroom to living room to kitchen, to living room and bedroom again. Is there anything funnier than watching a cat try to race around on un-carpeted floors? I keep meaning to get more rugs, guys, really I do.
...drifting along with a tumblin' tumbleweed...
There's always that one stubborn little fluff of hair that escapes the vacuum cleaner. Somehow it knows where to safely hide from 64 horsepower suckage, and then when the machine bent on its destruction is tucked away and the lady of the house curls into the couch with a book and a cat, this little tumbleweed rolls serenely out of its hiding spot and tickles her toes.
Yesterday afternoon the fluff went airborne for a moment. It was amibitious, daring, and beautiful as it rode the air current. And blissfully unaware. The moment it left the ground, Meera locked her eyes onto it, then watched it rise two feet into the air and drift over the arm of the blue chair...at which point she leaped and snagged it, and ate it.
Which death is better? Death by vacuum, or death by Meera?
Yesterday afternoon the fluff went airborne for a moment. It was amibitious, daring, and beautiful as it rode the air current. And blissfully unaware. The moment it left the ground, Meera locked her eyes onto it, then watched it rise two feet into the air and drift over the arm of the blue chair...at which point she leaped and snagged it, and ate it.
Which death is better? Death by vacuum, or death by Meera?
Not freaked out
Rain and thunder and lightening flashed and lashed outside our open windows. The sky was black! The trees bent sideways! The smell of electricity filled the air! And our three littles lay (or played) unconcernedly in the living room. Bella aimed a half-hearted swipe at her catnip mouse, then closed her eyes again. And the storm raged unabated!
"Maybe I've lost my touch..." wondered the storm, sadly.
"Maybe I've lost my touch..." wondered the storm, sadly.
Kai Little Guy, we shall pamper you
Kai is going to be just fine!
His temperature was normal at the vet's, his eyes and nose and mouth checked out. Apparently his innards felt the way they should to the vet (who spent a long uncomfortable moment shifting his organs around), and vet lady determined that he's not keeping anything in that should be coming out.
So prognosis is that he's stressed out by all the changes in our family, and needs a little more time to get comfy again. He's to have plenty of water, and space away from baby W if he needs it.
And actually, I haven't seen him do the in-out-in-out thing in his litter box since we got home from the vet, so maybe the stress of that visit (the cat-carrier, the drive, the trucks on the highway, the potholes, the dog barks, the unfamiliar smells and people, the thermometer (goes where??), I felt them all with you, little guy) made W seem like nuthin by comparison.
His temperature was normal at the vet's, his eyes and nose and mouth checked out. Apparently his innards felt the way they should to the vet (who spent a long uncomfortable moment shifting his organs around), and vet lady determined that he's not keeping anything in that should be coming out.
So prognosis is that he's stressed out by all the changes in our family, and needs a little more time to get comfy again. He's to have plenty of water, and space away from baby W if he needs it.
And actually, I haven't seen him do the in-out-in-out thing in his litter box since we got home from the vet, so maybe the stress of that visit (the cat-carrier, the drive, the trucks on the highway, the potholes, the dog barks, the unfamiliar smells and people, the thermometer (goes where??), I felt them all with you, little guy) made W seem like nuthin by comparison.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Off to see our vet lady Isabel
Kai went a little yesterday, not pee, and continues to do the in and out thing in the litter box. I'm worried, but as Aunt Jennie pointed out, it would be an odd coincidence that he develops a health problem just as we're introducing a new member to the family. I hope I hope I hope it's just stress, but just in case it's not, better to get checked out than not. (Thanx Lizzie! We'll keep you posted)
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Worries and woes, and things that go Splash in the night.
Well, it's been a stressful two days. My three are doing bee-yootifully, and even Meera only hissed once this morning (Wicket snuck up on her as she tracked water beads on the shower curtain). It occurred to me (again) this morning that three is such a nicer number than two...
But.
Wicket sneezed all day yesterday.
And for two days now Kai has been sitting in his litter box for long moments, then coming out without having...left...anything, and then going back in a few moments later to sit, and sit, and sit. I let the kitchen faucet drip last night in case he was dehydrated and preferred the drip to his water bowl. I think he really liked that, but I feel guilty about wasting the water and I have yet to see if this is what's causing his problem. Maybe he just wants more privacy in the litter box area? But this never stopped him from going before... When there was a litter box behind the door of Wicket's temporary holding-room, I notice Kai liked to use that one. It did seem a little more private than the one in the pantry off the kitchen...
As for the sneezing, I'm hoping it's due to the very dusty litter I use, and not anything more serious. I stopped by the store yesterday morning to get some tasty treats, and took a look at
other litter brands. I talked to a woman whose daughter uses an organic litter that wasn't tooooo expensive, made of wheat, very absorbent and clumping, and flushable (tho frankly, I don't plan on flushing anything). Best of all, the bag says "97% dust-free." Last night I mixed some in with their usual stuff, and I'll transition completely to the new stuff over the next day or two. Here's hoping....
On top of all that, last night I left the little window above the litter boxes open, and of course it rained, and rained IN. This morning the litter box area was a soggy, crunchy, muddy mess. I was so discouraged when I saw it, and of course the cats were totally disgruntled, but there was nothing to do but close the window to a mere crack, wipe up the mess, and change out the litter. Sigh.
AND Wicket has these rough little pads that just collect litter like mad. He tracks it all over the apartment, into my bed and onto the carpet. I can't walk across my kitchen floor without picking up a million pieces with my bare feet. Annoying...I wonder if in time his pads will smooth out?? If not, though, his sweetness is OF COURSE more than enough to make up for this, and if all this other stuff wasn't going on, it wouldn't even be an issue. I just have to vent.
But.
Wicket sneezed all day yesterday.
And for two days now Kai has been sitting in his litter box for long moments, then coming out without having...left...anything, and then going back in a few moments later to sit, and sit, and sit. I let the kitchen faucet drip last night in case he was dehydrated and preferred the drip to his water bowl. I think he really liked that, but I feel guilty about wasting the water and I have yet to see if this is what's causing his problem. Maybe he just wants more privacy in the litter box area? But this never stopped him from going before... When there was a litter box behind the door of Wicket's temporary holding-room, I notice Kai liked to use that one. It did seem a little more private than the one in the pantry off the kitchen...
As for the sneezing, I'm hoping it's due to the very dusty litter I use, and not anything more serious. I stopped by the store yesterday morning to get some tasty treats, and took a look at
other litter brands. I talked to a woman whose daughter uses an organic litter that wasn't tooooo expensive, made of wheat, very absorbent and clumping, and flushable (tho frankly, I don't plan on flushing anything). Best of all, the bag says "97% dust-free." Last night I mixed some in with their usual stuff, and I'll transition completely to the new stuff over the next day or two. Here's hoping....
On top of all that, last night I left the little window above the litter boxes open, and of course it rained, and rained IN. This morning the litter box area was a soggy, crunchy, muddy mess. I was so discouraged when I saw it, and of course the cats were totally disgruntled, but there was nothing to do but close the window to a mere crack, wipe up the mess, and change out the litter. Sigh.
AND Wicket has these rough little pads that just collect litter like mad. He tracks it all over the apartment, into my bed and onto the carpet. I can't walk across my kitchen floor without picking up a million pieces with my bare feet. Annoying...I wonder if in time his pads will smooth out?? If not, though, his sweetness is OF COURSE more than enough to make up for this, and if all this other stuff wasn't going on, it wouldn't even be an issue. I just have to vent.
...right where she's supposed to be when the Green Monster appears. Duh.
And here she is, getting soothed after the vacuum finally shut up...
Streeeeeeeetching toward the laser pointer
When she's elongated like this, you can barely tell she's a woman of such generous proportions!
Pretty boy! (in a totally set up pose)
In this pic you can kind of see his habit of walking around with his mouth drooping open. So adorable. If he hadn't been called Wicket already, would it have been wrong to call him Dopey (what with that lip and those huge hangy-down ears)?
Thieving from the M'm! M'm! Good! bowl
Meerakai are used to eating their daily ration out of those pretty red bowls. Wicket's been getting a bit of his old brand of food mixed in with his new brand of food...
...but of course Kai wants to try the stuff that's new to him, so he dips into his new friend's stuff while keeping an eye on the horizon...
...but of course Kai wants to try the stuff that's new to him, so he dips into his new friend's stuff while keeping an eye on the horizon...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Wicket pulls a Bambi
Remember the Disney movie "Bambi"? And there's that part where Bambi slips on the ice and falls flat on his belly. That's exactly what Wicket looks like when he dives for the feather-toy. He starts about two feet away, gets into crouching position and wiggles his butt, then runs...leaps...and SPLATS onto the slippery floor. He ends on his belly with his legs splayed behind him, and (was there ever a doubt?) the feather tightly between two paws.
On their own
Last night there were no doors shut in my apartment. Wicket sat on the bed for awhile (with Meera a mere 12 inches away!! Talk about progress...) but ultimately chose to spend the night on the comfy blue armchair in the living room.
He is a very vocal kitty, and I have no problem tracking him throughout the apartment. I just listen for his whirrs and quorls, or I call his name and listen for the ripple reply.
The trio have been together for 8 hours now (20 hours if you count last night and yesterday evening). I'm eager to get home and see, well, just see. But I'm positive everyone behaved themselves... Positive. Absolutely positive.
He is a very vocal kitty, and I have no problem tracking him throughout the apartment. I just listen for his whirrs and quorls, or I call his name and listen for the ripple reply.
The trio have been together for 8 hours now (20 hours if you count last night and yesterday evening). I'm eager to get home and see, well, just see. But I'm positive everyone behaved themselves... Positive. Absolutely positive.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Acquaintancing
Friday night Wicket came home from Aunt Jennie's place. It was very sad to take him away from what felt like his home. It was at Jen's that he learned he could rely on a steady supply of food, water, shelter, AND love & affection. With her he made all kinds of breakthroughs--snuggling with Jen, and play-fighting with Duncan. We think he finally found a family that took care of his basic needs so that his personality could blossom...
...and now that he's with me, he continues to prove how charming and funny he can be. This morning he ambushed Meera (much, much, much to her displeasure). It was almost time for me to leave for work, so I took the opportunity to pick him up and explain carefully how much respect and distance is due to the matriarch of the apartment, then tucked him away in the spare bedroom. Meera licked her tail carefully, went to take care of some unfinished business under the bed.
Yesterday was a day of growlings and hisses. Meera didn't want to be in the same room with the newbie, whereas Kai's curiosity and excitement at the thought of a new playmate kept getting the best of him. When I brought out our new toy (thanks, Aunt Jen!), it didn't matter that they hadn't officially made friends yet. All three slid around on the wood floor in pursuit of their prey. A useful technique to remember when tensions run too high...
...and now that he's with me, he continues to prove how charming and funny he can be. This morning he ambushed Meera (much, much, much to her displeasure). It was almost time for me to leave for work, so I took the opportunity to pick him up and explain carefully how much respect and distance is due to the matriarch of the apartment, then tucked him away in the spare bedroom. Meera licked her tail carefully, went to take care of some unfinished business under the bed.
Yesterday was a day of growlings and hisses. Meera didn't want to be in the same room with the newbie, whereas Kai's curiosity and excitement at the thought of a new playmate kept getting the best of him. When I brought out our new toy (thanks, Aunt Jen!), it didn't matter that they hadn't officially made friends yet. All three slid around on the wood floor in pursuit of their prey. A useful technique to remember when tensions run too high...
Lessons learned: keep the door shut
(I didn't have this problem before our new addition...not that I'm complaining...)
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