Game Of Cones

Winston Cat was full of high rambunctious energy last night, and we found a new game to play. Here is a bit of video from the game.

A Visit to the Vet

It was Winston’s turn to go to the vet this morning for a checkup and rabies shot. He is not at high risk for rabies, but we have raccoons and rats in the neighborhood and if he ever got out of the house he might get exposed.

Dogs don’t like going to the vet either, but they like being with their people. Cats could really not care less about their people when the vet’s involved and it’s trauma, trauma, trauma all the way home.

He’s back in the house now, doing a thorough grooming session to sort himself out before a nap.

A Big Part of Our Lives

Feathers of Hope was neglected for a long while but we’re both glad to be back to our alternating daily posting practice. One of the things we never did here was introduce the no-longer new cats. Charlie and Diego both died before we moved into town; we had been living here for a few months and decided we needed cats back in our lives.

The SAWgust prompt today was “Companions,” a pet tax asking about our pets. Here’s my entry from today, along with the photo at left:

Two gray cats that were rescued as kittens from under a pallet behind Walmart when it was blisteringly hot. Very different personalities… Winston is big and muscular, with a meow that is much higher and pitiful than his ballbuster persona would imply, and Esmerelda aka Esme aka Missy who always always looks scruffy even after you’ve brushed her.

ETA this was taken in winter; there is no way they’d be this close today even in the coolish pre-dawn hours….

Cats and High Places

We have two gray cats that were littermates but that have very different personalities. Esmerelda, pictured here, aka Esme aka Missy Cow-Cow, has a favorite perch on this cherry rocking chair, from which she likes to leap with some commotion onto the book press and bookcase in the background. She also likes to take a running leap up a stepped series of drawers and onto the top of a different bookcase (where we keep fiction and board games).

Winston prefers, at least for now, the high bookcase in Numenius’ office, which he sprawls himself over the top of, white paws every which way.

Cat On The Windowsill

I’m taking a silkscreening class right now at the campus craft center and find myself needing a bit of black-and-white artwork from which to make a screen. I haven’t done much black-on-white art so I sketched Charlie sitting on the windowsill with ink and a Chinese brush.

Cabinet Cat

Not to be confused with Ceiling Cat or for that matter Debt Ceiling Cat.

It’s a good thing the wine glasses are on the bottom shelf.

The Week of Cats

I’ve started meditating. I bought a cushion and stool because I can’t sit comfortably cross-legged with my wonky left hip. Charlie and Diego have purloined the cushion, however.

The feral cat… I can’t remember when we first noticed her. But it seems like at least last summer. I thought the two kittens we saw on New Year’s Day were hers. But no, there’s a spay incision in her belly, and the kittens haven’t been seen for weeks.

She came up to me one night, obviously looking for affection. From the woman who hurled blue frisbees at her. I petted her, then, feeling two hair mats on her neck, fetched a brush. She purred louder than any cat I’ve heard. Yeah. Right. Feral.

Elspeth was not only spayed, but microchipped. I need to marshall all my new buddhist resources not to feel murderous toward anyone who dumped her out here. Students: In June, when you leave, please don’t dump your animals. You’ll be consigning them to a life of a) ear mites b) infection, list too lengthy to detail c) death by coyote d) death by rodenticide e) death by shotgun.

Elspeth got lucky. She found a new home, through us, a life indoors that will spare her these risks. She’s a sweetie and I hope she does well. Now back to that buddhist thing…

Sheepskin For The Kitties

The cats enjoy the sheepskin that Pica picked up for them last week at the sheep shearing.

Spinning: Different Day, Different Cat

Friday Is For Climbing On The Roof

And so was Tuesday and Wednesday. Charlie has been a scalawag this week. He’s quite snug on the bed right now though.

We’re off to the Maker Faire tomorrow! We expect to see all sorts of wacky goodness, from two-story high ray gun rocket ships to knitted Klein bottles.