I’m sure you remember Orlando. A year ago, he looked like this:
And now, when he’s laying in wait for his big sister Pickles to come along, he looks like this:
Isn’t that an AWESOME picture?
When he’s trying to “rescue” his new big brother Hobo, he looks like this:
“Gimme your paw, Hobo! I’ll pull you through!”
Orlando’s big brother Hobo looks like this:
And when I saw that picture, I was like “Holy cow! He looks JUST like…”
Tig, from the Sons litter in 2011. Right down to the patch of black on their chin!
But we knew they weren’t the same cat, not only because all Challenger’s House cats are id-chipped before they’re adopted out (Hobo didn’t have an id chip), but also because Hobo…
Has a full-length tail.
And Tig just had a nubbin.
Which leads me to the reason I’m sharing all these great pictures with y’all. Teresa (Orlando’s and Pickles’s and Hobo’s mama) has a question, and I thought y’all might be interested in chiming in! Teresa said:
Question regarding Hobo…. our newly rescued adorable, sweetheart of a marshmallow poof. Keeping in mind his background – we have seen him outside randomly for 2 years, but more often since the day we chose Orlando, and then non-stop in Dec/Jan. Happily we now have him indoors but with limited access around other animals until a recheck with Vet and ‘all-clear’. He is 15 pounds of fluff, about 4 yrs old, and was neutered and declawed by whomever his owners were, at some point.
My curiosity, I know it’s a silly question, is this. Have you encountered an adult cat that pretty much looks like they’re walking on an ice rink when they walk on smooth tile or wood floors? This boy is clumsily adorable now, as I watch him carefully walk across my kitchen floor! He has been in a room that’s carpeted for the past few weeks, and I’m now letting him out to explore more of the house, by himself. Could it be no front claws, or his big size, or new-place-nerves, or who knows how long since he’s actually been inside a house and on tile, or just plain akward…? Have you seen this with any of your backyard rescues?
I told Teresa that I haven’t seen that before, myself, but I think that maybe it’s just a matter of new-place nerves and possibly he hasn’t been on smooth tile or wood floors in a long time. I mean, a carpet is similar to a lawn, in that there’s some “give” to it. I’m sure he’s been on concrete, but tile and wood are smoother and feel different than concrete. I’ll be interested to hear whether his walk changes as he gets used to it.
I’d like to hear if any of y’all have opinions/experience with that sort of thing. Please share!
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The other day I took the kittens into the bathroom so that I could clean their room without any additional “help.” When I was done and went back into the bathroom, they’d curled up on the chenille rug in front of the litter box and gone to sleep. I carried them back into their room, and they rallied to play for a few minutes, but it wasn’t long before the sleepies overtook them again.
“Am exhausted, lady.”
They climbed into my lap.
“Why she keep makin’ us look up? She gettin’ to be annoying.”
Paul was the first to succumb to the sleepies.
Mary wasn’t far behind (and would have fallen asleep even sooner if Peter hadn’t kept biting her).
I made bunny ears with Paul’s ears, but to be honest, it just isn’t as much fun if they’re not outraged by it.
Peter was all “Why everyone got to go to sleep? I wanna play!”
He climbed up for a snuggle, and ended up like this.
Then he fell asleep, too. I had to pee, but what was I supposed to do? It’s illegal to disturb a kitten’s rest for such a mundane reason, and I’m pretty sure that disturbing the rest of THREE kittens would have landed me in the hoosegow for sure.
Lucky for me (and my bladder), they really only snoozed for about 15 minutes before waking up to wreak havoc again.
Yesterday, I loaded the kittens up in the carrier and took them for their combo (FeLV & FIV) test. They tested negative, which I fully expected. What I didn’t expect was how well they handled the whole experience. They were calm and relaxed in the carrier, I didn’t hear a peep from them all the way to the vet or all the way home.
What I’m saying is that it appears they’re excellent travelers. In case that’s of interest to you. 🙂
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Only one video today, and it’s a short (but utterly adorable) one. I was watching Paul and Peter, hoping they’d run and play, and wasn’t paying enough attention to Mary. She let me know by spitting at me. When I turned and asked her if she’d just spit at me, she did it again. The sassy little brat!
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Please note that Sheriff Mama (Kara) is NOT going out there. Warm, muddy weather she can handle. The ice? Not so much. (It was 72 here yesterday. Today, the high is supposed to be 30, and we’re apparently going to have an ice storm. SIGH.)
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Previously
2014: Ferdinand was the last one to run off, because he’s NOT SKEERED OF NO STRANGERS.
2013: That’s right, still bakin’.
2012: Oh, look! Time to eat. That only happens constantly, we’re lucky I had the camera with me while it was happening.
2011: No entry.
2010: No entry.
2009: No entry.
2008: Sometimes the wait is so long and strenuous that he sits there, dozing.
2007: Sugarbutt does his Popeye impression.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.