I can see how it is that Newt is able to catch, like, a squirrel a week. We have a LOT of squirrels ’round here. Right now, sitting at my desk, I see two squirrels at one of the feeders, another squirrel running around in the pecan tree hanging over the back yard, and there are another two or three chasing each other up high in the magnolia tree. We even have a red squirrel – the first one I’ve seen down here.
Newt’s not interested, though. He’s napping on the side stoop. Maybe he’s waiting for Maxi to show up and play with him, I don’t know. He HAD to be out there. He’s got the highest-pitched meow I’ve ever heard from a grown cat.
I think Newt is really growing on Fred. Used to be, he was a big fan of Maxi, and didn’t much care for Newt. These days, I think Fred’s a little tired of Maxi (Maxi will climb up on him and roll around and look cute, but then after 1.5 seconds of petting, she turns all teeth-and-claws. Low threshold for the petting, that one), and Newt is such a happy thing that you can’t help but love him.
Yesterday afternoon when he got home from work, Fred went out to measure the back forty. Newt was sitting on the side stoop when he saw Fred, and he FLEW off the stoop and ran out toward Fred as fast as his stubby little legs could carry him. He gets VERY happy when he sees someone outside.
If our three orange cats (given that Spanky is part orange – I guess I should say our two and a half orange cats) are anything to judge by, orange kitties are born happy and they stay that way.
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These days, when I get up in the morning – as long as it’s light out – I collar up the cats and open the back door so they can go outside. It’s gotten quite a bit cooler, though, so after they run out to see what the weather’s like and decide it’s too cold, they generally come back inside pretty quickly. Once they’re clearly in for the time being, I close the back door and then go upstairs to let the foster kittens out of their room.
The funny thing is that when I open the door to the foster room, they run out (well, all of them except Skittles) and then when they see me walk into the room, they follow me back in. I sit on the floor, and they walk back and forth and ask to be petted, and rub up against me. Skittles is invariably hiding under the dresser (I think she runs under there when the door starts to open) and has to be coaxed out for petting. When they’re done with the petting, I get up and go clean out their litter boxes.
Usually Punki and Elle hang out in the guest bedroom during the day. Felicia either hangs out with them, or finds a place downstairs to nap – a couple of times I found her in Stinkberbelle’s favorite napping place, atop the cat tree. I go upstairs a couple of times during the day to hang out with Skittles, who absolutely will not leave the kitten room. Fred tried bringing her downstairs the other evening, but she was having none of it. I wish she wasn’t so frightened – she’s a sweet, loving cat, but so very skittish that I worry she won’t be adopted.
In the evening, Punki, Elle, and Felicia come downstairs and hang out with us. They’ve gotten the hang of Snackin’ Time, and it is APPALLING to have TWELVE cats milling around at snack time. Elle, especially, thinks that every time I’m in the kitchen, there should be food going into her mouth.
TOO MANY CATS UP IN THIS HOUSE.
“She thinks I don’t see her back there, but I do. Oh yes, I do. And when she least expects it, I will leap upon her with a furious vengeance, and I will unleash my ninja kitty powers, and she will wish she had NEVER been born.”
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Old Man Spot. Who does NOT look ratty. (Except that he does.)
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Previously
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.