Karen Cunningham's Blog

Catnip Mice

2008-12-26T13:10:00.000-08:00

My friend Denise brought the cats knitted catnip stuffed mice for Christmas. They LOVE them! And loved them to death.

Snow!

2008-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

The cats don't go out except on our upstairs deck (no access to the big bad world!). During the recent snowstorm JoJo kept asking to go out there so I let him out. He was quite surprised by what he found. He shook his paw with each new step. Finally, he got to a clear spot, under a chair and stayed there a while before continuing his prance.

Maggie watched for a while then took her turn. She made one quick 10 second pass and came right back in! She usually is the smarter one!

One Year with the Kitties!

2008-11-15T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe JoJo and Maggie Mae have lived here a whole year. They are perfect feline companions - they like to be with me and interact with us in so many fun ways. I am so grateful that I found them. Thank you Niko and Matt!

Missing TGoys

2008-11-12T12:50:00.000-08:00

The toys seem to always disappear. I lifted up my chair and found quite a stash.

Alpaca Toys

2008-10-30T12:46:00.000-07:00

I picked up an alpaca cat toy at the Knitting Expo. Since the cats LOVE alpaca I thought it would be a favorite. The next morning, I found the toy disassembled in the living room - fiber scattered around, naked ball!

2008-04-14T20:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Pat!

Anniversary

2008-03-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing to do with the cats here. Today is Ward and my 26th wedding anniversary. Hard to believe. Actually the one cat-related fact is that all of our other cats were born on the 20th of a month - Basil August 20, Klar October 20 and Jasper July 20. Didn't think I should hold out for a pair born on the 20th of something - the 26th will do fine!

We missed you!!

2008-03-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure what to expect when we arrived home last night. previous cats had often ignored we when I returned home from a trip, no doubt making sure I knew they were unhappy with my behavior. JoJo and Maggie Mae first took a bit to be sure who I was. A great deal of sniffing and such. Then about 2 minutes of ignoring followed by obsessive attention. My goodness! JoJo especially had to be in my lap, right up against me in bed, etc. Glad to know I was missed I guess.

Vacation

2008-03-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Ward and I are heading to Phoenix for a few days of Spring Training baseball games. A friend's twenty something daughter is house and cat sitting. It was funny how Maggie Mae and JoJo seemed to know that something was up. They kept getting in the suitcase and otherwise behaving a little nervously.

As usual, I tried some new toys I had waiting. These were particularly fun - mice with feathers! Not terribly realistic but definitely fun for cats!

Tulips - part 2

2008-03-10T23:55:00.000-07:00

Remember the tulips a few days ago? And the somewhat successful training? Well, this afternoon I was upstairs getting dressed to go chair a long (as always!) school board meeting and I heard a crash (I hear quite a few crashes these days). I didn't hurry down but waited until I finished. When I got to the family room, I found the vase on its side. This time all the water landed on the coffee table. Where we have too many piles of paper! Needless to say, we had some drying to do.

Oh, and the tulips? Since they were old and starting to lose petals anyway, they became petal-less and thus history! I should have taken a photo but was a little frazzled about being late.

Rats!

2008-03-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Pat bought these at Ikea on a trip there Thanksgiving weekend. They have been a consistent favorite of both Maggie and JoJo. I find these stuffed rats moving to different rooms all the time.

I can help

2008-03-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Maggie and JoJo follow me everywhere in the house and try to get involved with most tasks. When I tried to take items of clean laundry out to fold JoJo just thought the game was even more fun.

Uh Oh - Light and Dark Trouble again!

2008-03-05T10:25:00.000-08:00

I bought some tulips today. Fortunately I had carefully researched what cut flowers wouldn't be dangerous for kitties. I put them on the coffee table in their vase and went back to the sink to throw away the trimming. Crash - vase knocked over, all the water on the floor. Refilled the vase and sat down to try to convince them NOT to chew on, play with, or otherwise disturb the flowers. Somewhat successful for now.

Favorite Toy, Favorite Playground

2008-02-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

These tinsel balls are still Maggie's favorite toys. She loses them under things for a while and then somehow find s them. She either hits the ball and chases it or carries it in her mouth and drops it to bat it or tosses it in the air and catches it. Her favorite locale for this activity? Our new king size bed with our lovely gold comforter cover.

Two Approaches to Life, the Sequel

2008-02-27T23:37:00.000-08:00

Another example. This large mess is on the desk in Pat's room. I'm working on moving all my beads (and there are a lot of beads!) up there and reorganizing then. This involves putting them into flip top tubes and sorting the tubes into boxes. Both cats have come to check it out while I work.

Maggie Mae carefully finds a way to climb onto the desk. She steps delicately and carefully around the stuff, looking and sniffing. Nothing is disturbed and ultimately she finds her careful way down.

JoJo starts on the floor in front of the desk and hurls himself up. About 2 out of three times he falls back down because he hasn't counted on all the stuff. When he land, it involves scattering stuff everywhere. As he walks around, stuff crashes in his wake. He finds a tube and bats it around to hear the noise. Eventually he flies off the deskscattering more stuff.

Very different beasts!

Six Months Old!

2008-02-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much these guys have grown in the almost 4 months they've been living with us Whet delightful companions.

Happy half birthday kitties!

How did they do that?

2008-02-25T15:32:00.000-08:00

I was upstairs and heard a crash. I went downstairs and discovered that they had knocked a wooden card box off a cabinet and onto the base of a lamp in the living room. Nothing too unusual. The amazing thing was that they had also somehow turned on the lamp! It has a pull chain to turn it on and off. My guess is that they stretched off a chair to bat at it, turned on the lamp in the process, fell and knocked over the box. Now the question is will the fright from the crash outweigh the fascination with the light coming on.

A Physics Experiment

2008-02-24T18:17:00.000-08:00

I finished reading my board packet and dropped it on the floor near my feet while I did other things. Next thing I knew I heard a "snap." I looked down and discovered JoJo using his paw to pull up the rubber band and let it go. Maggie came over to join in the fun,

Breakthrough!

2008-02-20T23:08:00.000-08:00

Maggie has been quite a challenge about scratching. She looks at me and then turns back to the corner of a chair or sofa and scratches. I finally ordered a very tall and sturdy post covered with woven sisal fabric (and some catnip). I then started finding ways to get her interested. The alpaca band and wide ribbon started catching her fancy. Finally I put treats in the recess at the top of the pole. Success! She is now scratching on the pole more and her transgressions are more infrequent.

I'm afraid I need another one upstairs.

Two Approaches to Life

2008-02-18T22:57:00.000-08:00

JoJo and Maggie Mae not only look like opposites but they have totally different styles. Maggie is definitely more curious and playful - not to mention braver. JoJo is more affectionate and emotionally needy. JoJo is also kind of a big lunk, kind of filling all the space around him without regard to what's in that space.

I thought the way they were sitting on the chairs showed their approach to the world..

Can I go to work with you?

2008-02-15T10:20:00.000-08:00

Ward was getting ready to go to work this morning and had set his computer bag on his chair. Maggie draped herself over it when he walked away. He came back to get it and she looked rather pleadingly at him.

Baby Pictures

2008-02-14T17:25:00.000-08:00

Today I was getting some pictures off the CD Maggie Mae and JoJo's former owners gave me to print them. The pictures were so cute that I thought a little family history here would be good. Mom Tallulah is pictured with Dizzy (now JoJo), Duke, Ella (now Maggie Mae), Holiday, Louis, and Thelonius. I don't think I could tell you which is which except I know that Maggie was the smallest and JoJo has the longest hair.

Mellow Kitty

2008-02-13T09:48:00.000-08:00

JoJo relaxes comfortably on my ottoman.

That smells familiar ...

2008-02-12T22:13:00.000-08:00

I took off Maggie Mae's collar tonight. She had seemed to not even notice wearing it after I flipped it down instead of over her face but as soon as I took it off she very happily took a thorough bath. She washed all her paws, her neck, her face. Didn't even touch the incision area (which looks well healed). I left the collar sitting near my chair. She ran into later and was quite intrigued by the smell.

Mmmm ... Catnip!

2008-02-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

New catnip toys arrived in the mail today. Big fluffy objects. Filled with catnip so strong you could basically smell it before I opened the box. I tossed one to JoJo and he went nuts - grabbing, chasing, kicking, biting. Loved it! I tried to toss another to Maggie Mae but JoJo zoomed over and pounced on it before she could get it. Eventually she got her turn. Her best move was tossing it in the air and catching it and rolling around. Great purchase!

Chasing Rainbows

2008-02-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

We obviously haven't had much sun since the kittens came to live here. I have a garden ornament which consists of a bunch of little mirrors hanging on a mobile stuck in a container plant. The sun came out and little beams of light (barely visible in the top left corner) danced around the carpet near the window. JoJo was enthralled chasing them.

Wanna see my scar?

2008-02-07T15:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the big day. Time to spay and neuter Maggie Mae and JoJo. I got them in carriers around 8AM and they were definitely NOT happy. Maggie went in the smaller carrier first and thrashed madly and wailed. Caught JoJo and stuffed him in the bigger carrier. He HATES the outdoors and, even more, the car. He started to cry piteously as soon as I opened the door. The drive to the vet was noisy - alternately "call and response" and stereo wailing. I assume they could hear JoJo while we were still outside. Signed the consent and went home to worry.

I called the vet around 11:30 AM yesterday and found out all was well. Maggie was resigned to whatever was going to happen. JoJo was quite agitated and had a rapid heartbeat. They had to get him calmed down before they could proceed but everything went fine.

Picked them up just after noon today. JoJo looked pretty normal (Aside: he's around 8 pounds now, about 2 more than Maggie. Yikes - he's going to be HUGE!) Maggie is wearing a collar so she won't lick herself open - needs to stay on at least 5 days. Oh boy. She looks a little more tired. Was told to "keep them from running around too much." Right.

We got home and I thought we'd sit quietly in Pat's room together. Not what they had in mind. Apparently it was very important to see if anything new had appeared in any room of the house. After about an hour Maggie got a paw caught in her collar and ran around the house like a banshee. I finally caught her, calmed her and freed her paw. A few minutes later she stuck her head under a rug trying to get the collar off and totally freaked out again. I called the vet and the tech suggested changing the collar from "looking like a flower to looking like a skirt around her neck." Much happier girl!

Dark Trouble? Light Trouble? No - BIG Trouble!

2008-02-02T14:38:00.000-08:00

I heard a crash from the living room and figured the kittens had knocked my silk flowers over. It had happened before. Went to explore and this time it had gone a little farther. The dish it sits in had broken in half. Uh oh. Fortunately glue-able and not precious.

Alpaca - My Favorite

2008-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

Knitting continues to be a challenge with the kittens. They - well, honestly mostly JoJo - love animal fibers. Cashmere, angora, wool, alpaca - all delightful. I was redoing a hat for Chris to make it fit better. I started the new one with fresh wool and then unraveled the one that didn't fit well to finish it. I only unraveled the yarn as I needed it, starting at the crown, so I ended up with a ribbed band and a little of the knitted cap. I stitched the edges together to make a knitted ring and gave it to the cats. They wrestle lovingly with it.

King of the Hill

2008-01-30T10:22:00.000-08:00

Or at least of the family room. JoJo perched on the back of my chair and watched us eat our dinner. Thought he might pounce. He is very interested in people food, particularly anything that swam while alive. Maggie Mae is a little more discreet - or perhaps just less ravenous.

Hide and Seek

2008-01-26T10:17:00.000-08:00

A new game! Maggie and JoJo took turns hiding under this throw rug.

Lap Cat Wanted

2008-01-21T09:59:00.000-08:00

I've never had a lap cat. Basil and Klar pretty much stuck to each other and left me alone. Maybe because I was working at least full time out of the house and wasn't around with them as much. Jasper loved to me with me but always about a short distance away at my feet. I thought that was where I was heading with these guys. Maggie Mae loves being on the ottoman often draping herself on my legs or otherwise seeking adoration. JoJo often is on the floor between my chair and the ottoman. Lately though he likes to climb onto my lap and rub faces. And try to type on my laptop. And snuggle next to me - finally a lap cat?

Scratch? Who me?

2008-01-18T12:10:00.000-08:00

I noticed that the cats aren't liking the cardboard scratchers as much as before. JoJo prefers the carpet. Maggie is a furniture gal. I bought this small carpet post to see if JoJo would like it. Like it? He LOVES it! Wraps himself around it. Climbs up it. Probably needs a bigger one. Maggie, on the other hand, apparently thinks the concept is ridiculous.

Wonder where the rest of that bird went?

2008-01-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Maggie Mae and JoJo discovered the feather duster today. They enjoyed stalking it and dragging it around. Maybe I could train them to dust?

X marks the spot

2008-01-16T22:57:00.001-08:00

Having a black and a white cat makes for some amusing photo ops. JoJo was snoozing on the ottoman and Maggie plopped herself down crosswise over the top of him. Cute!

Yum - tuna!

2008-01-15T22:38:00.000-08:00

I needed a very quick dinner before I went out so I decided to make my speedy pasta with tuna sauce - olive oil, an anchovy or 2 sauteed for a minute, a can of tuna in olive oil, some capers, a little grated lemon peel and lemon juice, parmesan reggiano, parsley - tossed with a nice wheat germ pasta. I had JoJo at the anchovies. I ignored him. Then I opened the can of tuna. I was VERY popular with the cats. I gave them a little bit of tuna and it was practically inhaled.

I ate my dinner - with a feline audience. After I removed my plate, IK caught JoJo pretty much rolling around my place at the table - I guess I had dropped a drip or two. I left Ward's dinner in the pan on the stove.

When I got home, I asked Ward how his dinner was. He said it would have been better if Dark Trouble hadn't eaten part of it. Apparently he set his plate on the table and turned away for a minute. When he looked back, JoJo was eating the pasta. My response? "Did you take a picture?" Of course he hadn't so I had to stage one so I could tell the story.

Separation Anxiety

2008-01-13T22:32:00.000-08:00

I'm headed off for a beach weekend with friends. JoJo draped himself over my suitcase when I tried to pack. Perhaps he sensed something?

I left Ward a list and emphasized the litterbox scooping and plentiful water. Things seemed to go okay while I was gone but boy were JoJo and Maggie Mae glad to see me! Ward probably was too but the cats were more obvious - definitely wanted some attention.

Bath time

2008-01-10T22:21:00.000-08:00

Loved this posture Maggie struck for her evening bath!

Dark Trouble and Light Trouble

2008-01-08T22:57:00.000-08:00

Maggie Mae and JoJo have new nicknames. We've taken to calling them Dark Trouble and Light Trouble because trouble is usually what they are up to!

Tonight they discovered a new game. They pawed a small area rug until the edge lifted up. Then Maggie (Light Trouble) scooted under and sat there until JoJo (Dark Trouble) sat on top and waited to attack. Eventually JoJo took his turn under the rug.

Where's our tree going?

2008-01-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

The Maggie and JoJo were enjoying our tree even more once the ornaments were gone. I could almost hear them thinking, "It's so much easier to climb now!"

Tonight we took the tree down. Put it in its bag and left it in the hall while we had dinner. The cats decided to show it a little love even though it was no longer recognizable as a tree.

Hey that Ward guy is cool after all!

2008-01-05T22:40:00.000-08:00

Ward made this swimming screen saver with the AboutUs logo. He set the computer down on the ground and left it open. As the logo started to swim it attracted the kitties attention. Glad they didn't attack it!

Guarding the tissue paper

2008-01-03T22:30:00.000-08:00

I might have to take out sheets of tissue paper all year long since these guys love it so much. Tonight I saw Maggie carrying some in her mouth like an animal she caught. JoJo ended up lying on some on his back, wallowing in the pleasure of it.

Little Miss Innocent - NOT!

2008-01-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

We always think that JoJo is the wild one. He seems to get into the obvious trouble more often. And yet I know that Maggie loves playing with toys more than him so ... Today I caught her in the act, climbing quite high in the Christmas tree that I'm working on undecorating. She managed to unlpug the top strands of lights making the job more difficult.

A quiet house

2008-01-01T22:18:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Eve Slovak dinner party - 27 diners! - is done. Christmas morning gifts and stockings are done. Our open house - dozens of people many of whom wanted to find and meet the kitties - is done. The boys and Sevanah left today for Eugene. I think all 4 os us - Ward, me, Maggie Mae and JoJo - are feeling a little let down. And a little exhausted!

Of course there is another reason for this exhaustion today! We got a new king size bed a few weeks ago. More room for the kitties to curl up next to me and sleep. Most nights. Some nights it is just more room for the hunting game. Last night. when I finally got to bed, several hours after the new year began, both cats decided they wanted to play. JoJo jumped onto the bed carrying a toy mouse in his mouth and proceeded to drop it and pounce on it - over and over. Maggie did the same with her favorite tinsel ball. A few times they dropped their toy near my pillow. In an attempt to get them to play somewhere else, I tossed the toys across the room. What did they do? Played fetch like puppies and brought the toys back to me. I eventually went to sleep on the couch in the kitty/craft room figuring it would offer less room for their antics.

A toast to the new year

2007-12-31T22:14:00.000-08:00

JoJo loves checking out my water glasses. First he sticks his paw in. Next he sticks his head in and tries to get a drink. I have to watch my drinks closely and remember not to sip from a glass he has enjoyed.

Pretty girl

2007-12-29T22:11:00.000-08:00

Maggie Mae discovered the dining room windowsill today. I think she was more interested in the lace curtain than the view.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

The kuttues got some new toys in their stocking. A multi-pack of fur mice, JoJo's favorite, and a laser pointer which quickly became a favorite of both of them, At one point I noved it back and forth and watched Maggie's head look like a bobble head doll. They chase it up walls and slide all over the wood floor.

Yarn cravings

2007-12-22T21:57:00.000-08:00

JoJo has quite a thing for wool. First there was the beautiful pink cashmere. Then, the love silk and wool blend I'm trying to knit a gift with. And today I came out of the shower and found a ball of green yarn in the bedroom. I picked it up and discovered it was a small part of the ball. I followed the yarn down the stairs, around the family room, into the dining room, around several chairs several times and out into the hall. The coat closet had been left ajar and JoJo hopped in (not the first time 0 last week I found many balls of yarn scattered all around the living room) and found a treasure.

Time to clean the closet floor and move my stash of yarn!

Everything is a toy

2007-12-21T21:51:00.000-08:00

Maggie Mae and JoJo are going to be sad - well at least bored - when the holidays are over! They love playing with everything. Here the toy is a box some gifts came in.

A new game

2007-12-20T22:32:00.000-08:00

Brand new jumbo roll of Charmin in the powder room - ready for party season. Heard a few strange rustling noises. A little later went into the powder room and found what it was. Maggie Mae and JoJo had invented a fun new game. Might have to get used to turning the roll the other way so it isn't so easy to unroll.

Who me?

2007-12-18T22:26:00.000-08:00

Look at these sweet innocent faces. How could they possibly misbehave? Ha! I found a few ornaments on the floor this morning. I hung them back on the tree. Later, the same ornaments were on the floor again. I hung them back on the tree. A little while later I saw the tree branches shaking. I went closer to explore and the same ornaments were back on the ground. I looked closer and found JoJo sitting in the tree. Yikes! A quick squirt and (hopefully) he won't get back in there.

These Christmas preparations are exhausting!

2007-12-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

The holidays definitely bring too many things for these guys to get in! They love the tissue paper I wrap ornaments in. As I decorate, I drop it on the floor and they jump on it and slide across the floor.

2nd vet visit

2007-12-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

We went back to the vet for the kittens second shots. They got weighed and checked over too. They are definitely thriving! JoJo weighed 2.2 pounds a month ago and 5.2 pounds today; Maggie Mae was 2.6 pounds last month and 4.6 today. That's a lot of kitten food!

Adoration!

2007-12-12T22:04:00.000-08:00

Just over a month and the bonding is quite complete! JoJo and Maggie Mae spend most of their time hanging out near me. When I go downstairs in the morning, they follow. When I go up for my shower, they follow. They sit nearby while I do things. When I go up to bed, they follow and come to bed with me for pets and purrs.

I sit in my chair in the family room quite a bit. I put my feet on my ottoman and they shove each other aside to sit near a leg.

I've got it covered!

2007-12-08T21:51:00.000-08:00

Put up the tree today. Could see those little kitty brains trying to figure out why in the world THAT was in the house. I did a little ornament hanging and then sat in the living room with my squirt bottle. Each of them made a swipe at it and got a squirt. Seems to have done the trick (so far).

New toys

2007-12-04T21:44:00.000-08:00

I was spending today baking cookies. As soon as I started working I heard the cats getting into everything in the living room. I decided if I was going to get all my baking done I had to distract them so I gave them each a feather toy. They chased them, batted them and generally had a wonderful time playing with them for over an hour. Then they collapsed on chairs and took LONG naps!

Meet my new friend Charlie

2007-12-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

When I was cleaning out Pat's room I brought this stuffed St. Bernard downstairs. It was Ward's mom's and she had named it Charlie. I walked into the living room and found that Maggie Mae had decided she enjoyed snuggling with Charlie.

Wow - wish we could find the whole bird!

2007-12-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Remembered that I had a few peacock feathers left. I pulled one out and waved it at the kitties for a bit. Then I let them play with it. They love it! Chased, kicked, chewed it and otherwise reveled in it's beauty!

Paradise lost - and found again

2007-12-01T10:11:00.000-08:00

Well, we developed some litter box woes in the last week. JoJo decided things weren't quite to his standards. He started marking on a spot Jasper had peed on in the living room. Then, just to be sure I got his point, he peed on the end of my bed, near my feet, while I was trying to sleep. Yuck.

After a conversation with the vet (thank you Dr. Erdman!) I tried a number of things. Downstairs, I recleaned the spots with enzyme cleaner, installed a kitty pheromone diffuser in that area, and put a bowl of food on the prevalent spot. Upstairs, I also got a second litter box, with different (clumping) litter. Interestingly, JoJo now uses the new box and Maggie the old. He still seems to not be sure about the sandy texture but I think it keeps it smelling better for him. Maggie sniffs and even pokes the litter in his box but seems to know better than to use it. The boxes are only about a foot apart but JoJo seems to have decided this situation is much improved!

Phew!

They started it!

2007-11-29T19:05:00.000-08:00

Ahh - decorating for Christmas WILL be more interesting this year! These snowmen are clearly a little too accessible. One has a girl with long fuzzy hair hugging him - or maybe I should say had. I found clumps of the hair around the living room. He has now been relocated a little higher up and more out of the way!

Simple pleasures

2007-11-28T21:05:00.001-08:00

I had some shelves delivered today. They were wrapped in LOTS of packaging including some brown paper. I could tell the kittens would enjoy playing with the big piece of paper, with its crinkles and folds. I was right!

Kitty love

2007-11-27T19:59:00.000-08:00

Maggie and JoJo have decided they like to hang out around my chair in the family room. They have spent some time on my lap - I am holding out hope that I will (after 3 other cats) finally have at least one lap cat.

What a fun place this is!

2007-11-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

First all the smells of turkey, stuffing and all the other food. Now Christmas stuff wrapped in tissue paper.

Kitty paradise!

It's a LONG way down!

2007-11-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

So I thought writing about taunting kittens with a turkey wing might portray me in a bad light. This one is worse. My apologies to the kittens' first home - truly things are better than this 99% of the time!

The second floor landing is open to the main floor. There is a wall about 4 feet tall with a flat top. Jasper got on top of that a few times and totally freaked me out. I've been worrying about Maggie and JoJo They can't quite jump that high yet so I figured it was okay.

I had switched Chris's mattress with Pat's and left the extra in Chris's room. Last week, since Chris was coming home, I moved it into the hall and leaned it against the wall - yes, THAT wall. I also put a hamper full of Pat's old stuffed animals there. Well, no surprise here - the kittens climbed onto the mattress and from there onto the wall. The first time they did it I almost grabbed for them but decided that might scare them and cause a fall. They did it a few times and seemed to walk agilely along the ledge so I stopped worrying. DUMB!

This morning we heard a loud bang, a thump and scurrying cat feet. Looked up and saw Maggie running away and upstairs. She may be more shy around people but definitely is as much as an adventurer as JoJo. She had decided to perch on the light fixture that is a few feet under the ledge. Of course her weight knocked it off and they both fell. Fortunately, she is fine - poken and touched limbs and tummy with no pain, she's running fine, eating, etc. Phew! The light fixture made it okay too. Needless to say, the mattress is now in the garage and I hope they never try that maneuver again!

Thanksgiving at the Cunninghams

2007-11-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

We're having our Thanksgiving today since Pat and Sevanah spent yesterday in Medford with her family. The boys are trying to win over JoJo and Maggie Mae but the kittens remain skeptical.

After dinner the cats got really interested in the food around the kitchen. Tried to eat the Creme Brulee. Looked longingly at the turkey leftovers.

While I was cutting the turkey off the carcass they looked for hand outs. I taunted them a little with a wing. JoJo was the most insistent but I didn't give in.

I'm thankful for ...

2007-11-22T10:17:00.000-08:00

Among all the other things I'm thankful for are these 2 terrific new kittens who have become great friends to me in the last 2 weeks. They tend to come to where I am and really enjoy getting pets and love from me. Yesterday I came home from running errands and was getting voice mail, etc. without saying anything out loud. Didn't see any cats. Then I returned a phone call and as soon as they heard my voice they came scrambling down the stairs. I guess they've decided they like being with me.

Chris came home last night and they are a little afraid of him. We'll see how the bathroom sharing goes!

Murder and mayhem

2007-11-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

My board meeting was scheduled to go until 10:25 and actually didn't end until 11:30. Then I had about a half hour drive home. Got home and needed to help Chris edit a paper. I went upstairs with a little drink to edit and unwind. On the floor I found fur spread everywhere. Not actually sure what this toy was but I found fur, a 99 cent Western Pet price tag and a cloth covered ball that must have been the guts. My cute little hunters!

This morning Bonnie and Valerie came to meet them. They brought fur mice and tinsel balls. Maggie adores the ball and they both think the mice are a-okay. Can't wait to see if they dismantle them.

Maybe the downstairs IS safe ...

2007-11-19T10:28:00.000-08:00

This morning when I went down the stairs JoJo and Maggie Mae sat at the top of the stairs watching me. I looked at them and said, "You can come with me. Come on."

Amazingly, they followed! They ran around and then hung out in the family room while I read email. After a while JoJo started meowing in his "I'm uncomfortable" way but settled down again. At one point, the phone rang and I got up to answer it. The kittens freaked out and tripped over each other running part way up the stairs.

After about an hour, they took themselves back up to their calm and safe place.

Feathers = Friends, part 2

2007-11-18T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ward went upstairs yesterday afternoon for some kitten time. I went up a few minutes later and saw that he had adopted the same technique I did a few days earlier: the feather fishing pole. They were having a great time. He had them flying through the air to catch the feather. The best move was Maggie Mae jumping about 3 feet and flipping over in the air.

Moving from scaredy cats to curious cats

2007-11-17T20:32:00.000-08:00

We have a cat tree - left over from Jasper - on the landing between the upstairs and the main floor. It is a tall structure, around four feet. There are multiple parts covered with sisal for scratching as well as carpet covered tunnels for sitting. There is a large window in the landing so it seems like a good spot to look out and enjoy the scenery.

This morning, I stopped on my way downstairs and scratched on it. The kittens pretty much follow me around the upstairs so they saw me - and heard it. I got downstairs and heard a thump and some scratching. JoJo had decided to check it out. I'm not sure how he got up on top - it is a pretty big jump for a little guy!

Next, I kicked one of their kitty jingle-balls on the fllor down there. Wonder of wonders - 2 kittens appeared! They ran all over the main floor. I could tell they were a little freaked out. JoJo ran around squawking - which is what he does when he isn't comfortable. Maggie just ran - which is what she does much of the time. I let them check it out for 10 minutes or so and then walked back upstairs with them following.

They haven't ventured down again but I bet they will soon! If not, I know how to entice them.

If she's there it must be the right spot ...

2007-11-16T17:00:00.000-08:00

The kittens usually hang out together, play fighting or running around or hiding and napping. Eventually one decides to get close enough for some pets, especially if I'm lying down on the sofa or in bed. One of them snuggles close and enjoys a good kitty massage. Inevitably the other waits a few seconds and then jumps up right on top so they can get the same attention. I try to move one so they can both enjoy my company but there is clearly only one place that is appropriate!

Refreshing!

2007-11-15T22:00:00.000-08:00

Not much of a story here. We are still hanging out upstairs - sure glad I worked on this room all fall! Tonight I brought up a small bottle of Orange Calistoga and my glass. I set it on a tray on the bench in front of the sofa - we use it like a coffee table but it's much for comfortable for feet. Much curiosity ensued. I had finished most of it so they didn't get a taste. I did worry JoJo might get stuck!

Ward meets the kitties

2007-11-14T15:32:00.000-08:00

Ward arrived home from his trip to Pakistan today. We headed up to Maggie Mae and JoJo's room :-) and sat on the sofa. Somebody immediately scratched the back of the sofa - hadn't happened before. Of course that is one of Ward's cat issues so I found it quite ironic. They kept checking him out from afar.

Trip to the Vet

2007-11-13T21:12:00.000-08:00

I've never had 2 kittens before. 2 cats but not 2 kittens. Went to our new vet today. Got both kittens in the carrier with only a little trouble - JoJo was in and tried to escape when I put Maggie in. JoJo does NOT like travel. He wailed the whole way to the vet, I thought it was close by but it seemed endless while he cried :-( They heard him coming from outside. He quieted down once we were inside.

Having 2 rambunctious kittens weighed, examined, temperature taken, blood drawn, vaccines given, etc. is quite an adventure. Even vet technology has changed - they gave them each a pill that would kill any live fleas on them. The fleas started to bail from Maggie within minutes. Another dose of Advantage in a day or 2 should finish the flea problem off. Otherwise everything looks okay,

The bed

2007-11-13T11:11:00.001-08:00

My bed is up pretty high - high frame, thick mattress and memory foam pad. The kittens haven't been able to get up on it. Until last night.

I helped JoJo up the first time. He figured it out after that. Maggie does not want to be left out. I offered her a hand but she ignored me and figured it out for herself. Somehow I imagined them snuggling up and sweetly sleeping with me. Right!

That big, smooth, empty (Ward's still in Pakistan on business) place was an amazing playground in their eyes. It seemed JoJo was sliding around like it was a skating rink. They ran in circles and wrestled for what seemed like hours. It was in reality not that long. I had set the TV sleep timer for 30 minutes. When it turned off and the room became quiet and dark they froze for a few seconds. Then the action started again.

Eventually JoJo settled into the space just behind my pillow and an extra at the head of the bed. He purred so loud it was almost as hard to sleep as when they were playing. I'm not sure where Maggie was but she was most likely close by.

Notice they got a good nap in this afternoon :-)

Why kittens are so cute

2007-11-12T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today I was reminded why kittens are so cute. If they weren't, they might not live to become cats!

I came upstairs after lunch and they were nowhere to be found. I got on the sofa and looked behind it and saw my fuzzy fine pink yarn. I've been working on a lace sampler scarf. It is quite challenging for me at the moment. I've started over 3 times and it goes very slowly. I fished the yarn out and realized the knitting wasn't attached. UH OH. Explored a little more and found pieces of yarn wrapped around the leg of the bench in front of the sofa. The plot thickens.

Finally I got down on the floor and looked under the sofa. There was JoJo sitting on my knitting. I should have taken a picture but instead I calmly took my knitting and realized he had ripped out half of about 8 rows as well as tearing it off the rest of the ball. Here's the scarf after a little work at trying to get to a place I can continue from.

The Downstairs if safe. REALLY!

2007-11-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Definitely going well! These guys are definitely feeling okay with me and with the upstairs. They happily go from the bathroom to my bedroom to Pat's room. They really love Pat's room. Lots to explore, a sofa, hiding place and it doesn't hurt that I have a few toys in there for them. They have no problems finding the litter box (knock on wood) - a skill Jasper never excelled at - and are hearty eaters.

I did catch them accidentally venturing down the stairs while chasing each other. But they immediately turned around and headed back up the stairs. How will I convince them the downstairs is okay too?

Branching out

2007-11-09T23:00:00.000-08:00

I let Maggie and JoJo out of the bathroom while I got ready for my day. They were nowhere to be found when it was time to leave so I left more doors open and went to the OSBA convention.

I came home after lunch, found them happily resting in my room and LOTS of their food eaten. I had forgotten how much like babies kittens are! Of course that statement means I've also forgotten a lot of what babies are like! JoJo plays like crazy and then walks around meowing (whining) until he figures out he''s tired and finds a spot to conk out.

Feathers = Friends

2007-11-08T23:00:00.000-08:00

9:30 PM

It was a very long day - OSBA convention reception, Beaverton Community Math Forum. I got home and brought my glass of wine upstairs to watch TV with the kittens in Pat's old room, recently converted to my craft haven. I grabbed the kittens out of the bathroom and they started exploring, but were still not too interested in me.

I stretched out on the sofa and played with an old kitty toy - kind of like a fishing pole with feathers on the end. They loved it! Eventually JoJo came and snuggled next to me on the sofa. What a motor he has! Maggie thought he might have the right idea and approached for some more pets. Breakthrough!

Out of the carrier!

2007-11-08T11:30:00.000-08:00

At 5:30 AM I woke up and went to check on the kittens. Still in the carrier! I took it to my bedroom, put it on my bed (Ward was out of town), and left the door open. Every now and then I stuck my hand in and petted them while I dozed. Eventually, Maggie decided I needed a bath and licked my hand rather completely. They had no interest in leaving the carrier. When I got up, I put them back in the bathroom.

The funniest thing is that every time I get near Maggie, she hisses at me. It is really very comical to see this teeny tiny creature try to scare me off with her petite little hiss. Maybe I should have named her after a snake. Or a flat tire.

Around 11 I went to see how they were and (FINALLY!) they were out of the carrier. And hiding behind the toilet.

Home with the cats

2007-11-07T19:30:00.000-08:00

8:30 PM

We got home and I opened the carrier. JoJo immediately hid under my chair and Maggie hid in the back of the carrier. On my way to bed, I tipped the chair, got JoJo out, put him in the carrier and took the carrier up to the boys' old bathroom. I set the litter box, food and water up in there, opened the carrier door, closed the bathroom door and went to bed.

New Cats

2007-11-07T19:00:00.000-08:00

After Jasper died in June of 2006, I decided my next cat acquisition would be 2 cats from the same litter, preferably a boy and a girl. I was hoping for them to look different from other cats I've owned. This weekend I learned of a litter of kittens that I decided to visit.

The mama was a stray, similar in color to Jasper. She had 6 kittens on August 26. There were 3 left, 2 boys and a girl. The couple that took the stray in had named the kittens after jazz artists since the mama had calmed down when they played jazz during the birth. I chose Dizzy, a black longer haired male with a white bib and paws and Ella, an ivory female with Siamese-like markings.

The initial meeting was a little rocky! First I took Dizzy and he scratched me and jumped away. Ella hissed, snuggled into my arms for a minute and then ran away. In spite of this, I decided they were healthy and friendly enough and took them home.

I decided to rename Dizzy JoJO from the Beatles song "Get Back." Ella was going to be Eleanor Rigby until I remembered that part about "dies and was buried along with her name." She instead became Maggie Mae for the song by another favorite musical artist of mine, Rod Stewart.