Paper Toss

My cat L loves to fetch small pieces of crumpled paper. He made up this game. I don't even remember the first time he dropped a paper ball in front of me. I just thought what if he thinks I like to throw the paper and that he is playing with me as opposed to my playing with him. Hmmmm. He is quite adept with his pieces of paper, and as a consequence the house is filled with them, as we always want to have one handy to throw. They get everywhere, under the refridge, move the couch and there are hoards of them, went to clean out the stove and found them underneath. An infestation of pieces of paper. When I'm lying in bed reading or watch TV L will jump onto the bed with one in his mouth. He walks right up me and drops the paper on my chest, sometimes he drops it in my hand, and if he drops it at the foot of the bed and I say "Here" while tapping the bed next to me he will look at it, look at me, and bat it over with his paw. So whenever he jumps onto the bed with something in his mouth I'm ready for the throw. That is until tonight. I was reading, L jumped on the bed and dropped something, I reached for it and realized it was a mouse!

The Three Boys

We were catless. Our H had died at 13 years old and the house was empty and feeling forlorn. After having lived with Siamese for so long I wanted to continue with the breed and began the search for Siamese kittens. I was having a hard time locating any kittens when a friend said she had heard from another friend of a person who had had a pregnant cat a few weeks ago. Maybe the there were kittens now. So I called the person of the pregnant cat and found out, yes indeed her cat had given birth to four kittens. They were only three weeks old. I wanted to make sure I had a chance with these kittens so I asked if I could come over and see them, to show my intense interest. I was grilled with questions about my kitten worthiness and finally was invited to view, view only, the kittens. Rob and I drove an hour and a half for the viewing. We walked into a small kitchen that seemed to have a live cat on each and every surface. It was an enchanting vision for cat starved eyes. We had agreed that we would get two kittens, to “keep each other company” when we were at work. So we sat in that cat infested kitchen and chatted with Lynn for about 45 minutes before we were invited to see the kittens. We were lead into her bedroom. A pile of four mewing, eyes barely open, furry turtle like creatures were in the closet. Lynn said, “Go ahead and play with them as long as you like.” My jaw dropped in amazement, “But I thought you said we would not be able to handle them.” “Oh, I just wanted to be sure you were truly cat lovers.” We played and played. And agreed with Lynn to come back in about 5 weeks to select “our kittens”. Of the four, one looked like she would be a Lilac Point and Lynn said she was going to keep her, but the other three were available.

On the drive home, Rob asked me how we would know which to take. I told him when they were older we would have a better idea of their personalities. He was quiet a moment, then said, “If we choose two then one would be all alone, we’re just going to have to take all three!” I asked him if he knew what he was suggesting, but there was no moving him on this issue. So five weeks later we became the proud parents of THREE Siamese kittens!

Cat hunting

I got thinking of cats I have known and their collective hunting activities. One orange tabby who lived in the city until he was 2 1/2 years old discovered hunting when we moved to a place where he could go outside. His first trophy, that he so proudly dropped at my husband's feet, was a dead decomposing bird carcass. M was my husband's first cat and I have to forgive him his actions, as he really didn't know the correct etiquette when presented with a trophy kill. He kicked the offending object off the porch. M watched it fall. So the next day M jumped through his cat door, with strange sounds eminating from him. When my husband went to find out what was the matter, M released a LIVE bird into the house. Took us hours to catch the bird and release it outside. M never again brought home a trophy, though we did hear from neighbors that he developed into a fierce hunter. Dead bird, live bird, no bird for you.

Animal Stories

I am sitting at my laptop, considering what I want my first post to be about, and my cat leaps into my arms and begins to purr and knead furiously. Is he excited that I am doing a blogg about animals? Does he want my complete attention? How can I write when there is such an outpouring love in my arms?

Oh, he has now settled into that closed eyed expression of pure bliss. And purring quietly. What am I doing here? I was thinking a place where animal lovers, pet lovers, can share your stories about the wonderful creatures you share your life with. Post pictures. No contests, no prizes. Just stories.

So here goes, my first entry. The leaves have turned and the weather is beginning to turn cold. As the temperature drops the outdoor mice become indoor mice and move into our basement. My two cats now disappear for hours, sitting in the basement hunting mice. I go to bed and am awakened by the sound of scurring under the bed. All I can think about is that they will bring their trophy into bed. I get up, turn on the light to see what all the commotion is about. They sit and look up at me all innocence. Hmmmm. Back to bed. This goes on several more times until I get up and move out of the bedroom. "Hunt all you want, I'm going to sleep." In the morning all is quiet. I gingerly enter the bedroom searching for evidence of the hunt. I can't find anything. I can't find the cats. Then I notice one sitting on top of the TV staring intently at the wall. I walk over to him and look at wall also. Amazing how they get us to look isn't it?! Perched on the curtain rod is a tiny mouse. Just sitting there staring back at the cat. A stand off. I get a small box. I climb up on a chair and hold box in front of the mouse. I said to the mouse, "Your choice, sit here all day or jump into the box and I'll take you back outside." The mouse appeared to think about my offer and jumped into the box! My cat gave me a dirty look.