It was a kittentastic weekend around here, as you might expect. We got a few toys for them (and a carpet covered “kitty jail” to hide and climb through and besiege your sister in) although, as all parents probably suspect, their favorite toys ended up being things that we didn’t buy them at all, like the pulls on the blinds.
The two kittens are showing distinct personalities already, with Lucky being essentially fearless (just too busy having fun for much cuddling yet), and Hanna showing the impact of being raised in a house with a lot of children and a lot of dogs. Hanna guards her food like she’s in a prison cafeteria and when she gets a toy she likes, she will puuuuuull and try to take it back to somewhere she can savage it on her own. And this kitten, who is probably less than a pound weight still, has broken not one, but two toys this weekend, by yanking them and engaging in a tug of war, determined to take an entire pull toy (and the ~200 pound guy at the other end) with her under the rim of the waterbed.
Saturday photos:
Sunday photos (all by Jenn):
I would have thought it would be too soon to get a new cat after losing Motley Sue, but when Jenn brought home the yard cats from Ellis Truss last weekend, two things happened:
First, I realized that, although they might be maniacs (one more than the other), I really liked having Patch and Penny around.
Secondly, I saw how Jenn lit up when they were here, playing with each other, being silly, being fascinated by the fish tank, or getting cuddly with us (mostly her).
So, when she realized this week that it wouldn’t be realistic for me to head up to Northern California for Thanksgiving with the Yarbrough clan this year, due to my illness, she asked if we could celebrate Thanksgiving this year by welcoming two new cats into our home. Late yesterday afternoon, Helping Paws rescue/adoption from Apple Valley brought over two eight week old kittens, the only two from their litter from an owner who, for whatever reason, will not spay the mother cat, who in turn produces litter after litter after litter. The two kittens were raised in a house (very) full of children and other animals, and once the newness of this move wears off, we expect them to be pretty fearless.
The two kittens are a black female we’re probably going to call Lucky, and a black and white female whom it looks like is going to be called Hanna. Both have now ventured out from their hiding spot behind my dresser to eat a little Kitten Chow and drank a little water (and be shown where the litter box is), and to wreak clumsy havoc on some cat toys, but they retreat back into hiding whenever they decide they have had had enough adventure for one go.
It feels great to have cats in our home again. Updates to follow.
Jenn brought the two kittens over from the Ellis Truss yard to spend the weekend at our apartment. They’re allegedly there as mousers, but only one of them, Penny, shows any inclination towards hunting down and killing small animals.
The two sisters are, I think, about seven months old, and still very kittenish.
Penny shows her Siamese blood in her startling blue eyes, lack of fear of water and verbalization. She has markings like a snow leopard and six fingers on each paw, which look somewhat uncomfortable (that extra finger is just jammed in there), but she seems not to mind. She’s more reserved than her sister, although that’s not saying much.
Patch, a standard calico, although with Siamese facial features, personality and fearlessness towards water, is an absolute maniac, and she eggs on Penny when they’re together. (“Ooh, I bet we can get into the TV cabinet behind the DVD player!” “Oh, I bet we can get on top of the fish tank and stick our paws down through the opening for the filter and catch the fish that never actually swim to that spot!” “Hey, let’s do high-speed laps of the house for several hours, starting at 2 a.m.!”) I fully expect Patch to get into the liquor when we’re not looking, procure some cigarettes and sit up all night with Penny, calling boys long distance.
That said, when the two are separated, they’re both very sweet. If they eventually make their way into our home full-time, it won’t be a bad thing. But only if they knock it off with the 3 a.m. races.
- Update: The law has been laid down over at the truss yard. These are Ellis cats. Not a bad deal for two kittens, having too many people willing to offer them a home, is it?
Note to myself, since I’ve forgotten all my lesser symptoms the first time I got sick with this:
- Eyes like eggs being boiled in my sockets
- Phantom itchiness on lower legs
- Nausea
- Light-headedness
- General discomfort with clothes, bed linens, etc
- Tender spots on my calves, especially on the back
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