Cats of the Farm: The Pride Goes On

[dressagetraks]

My church always has an auction of donated things in November with 100% of proceeds to our Christmas offering, not to the church itself. Usually conducted live, but this year, for obvious reasons, they went online. It ran this last week. I won two smaller things, though I didn’t chase things. This was for charity, but even so, some of the items really got into a bidding war and surprised me on amounts. A 9 x 13 inch pan of cinnamon rolls went for $135, for instance.

Anyway, I am the proud winner of a one-gallon tea jug that is covered in cats. It’s adorable. Also a wooden horse figure that is heavier than I thought it was on picture online. This thing is sturdy. I’ll probably make it a wall decoration, maybe with a seasonally appropriate ribbon.

So here was the inspection when I first got home. Pilgrim was first there, of course. He is the tuxedo scientist.

Then came Psalm and Brio, investigators in training. This shot is a good proportion study between the big and little cats. The kittens are growing.

[Marla_100]

Did the kitties make it to their snip snip surgery this past week? How’d it go?

[dressagetraks]

Had to bump that off a check. We go in December.

[dressagetraks]

I have said that Brio’s philosophy in life is to play with everything. More proof: I returned from Walmart with, among other things, cat litter. So I was pouring more into each box, and Brio jumped in to play with the litter-fall. He did this so quickly that I didn’t dodge/shut it off in time, so now he was covered. Then I dusted him off, which, of course, he thought was just petting him. Then moved to the next box, and here he came again. He wanted to play with it as it came out of the box, rearing up and swatting at it in mid air. Whee! It’s a game! Wound up pinning the kitten so I could pour with the other hand.

[Marla_100]

Brio needs some enrichment activities like maybe an obstacle course or a game room. haha
or a cat gym?

[dressagetraks]

Brio is a riot. I have known many kittens in my life, obviously, and he is over the top even for a kitten. Boy can he purr, though. And the most friendly of them, the easiest to tame. All he wants to do is play.

That is just the perfect name for him, if I do say so myself. Fits to a T.

Definition of CON BRIO

[dressagetraks]

Happy Thanksgiving from Cotton and the rest of the pride.

[dressagetraks]

Stepmom on Thanksgiving gave me the remainder of the bag of chocolate chips left over from making the dessert (a pecan/pumpkin/chocolate pie! She can cook). I was just walking back through the house and paused as I passed the fridge, opened it, took out this rustling bag, poured myself a small handful, scarfed it down, replaced the bag in the fridge, and turned around. There was an entire audience of eyes glaring at me from the floor.

That was not YOUR treat bag, cats. That was MY treat bag. I keep trying to tell them that other things besides cat treats are kept in the fridge, but they don’t quite believe me.

P.S. The cat treats live in the fridge not because they are perishable but because the fridge is cat proof.

[shiloh]

OMG, that’s hilarious. So what yours is theirs and what’s theirs is…still theirs?

All my cats have decided that if I get out the container of shredded parmesan they MUST have some. When I don’t surrender, oh boy the looks I get.

[dressagetraks]

Solo’s expression is that of happily-child-free-by-choice humans everywhere. In spite of being the female, she is the least maternal of the bunch. You could see the thought bubble. Kids! (Like many kid humans, Brio was blithely unaware of Solo’s thoughts as he frisked around.)

Bagheera and Satin, former official PLTs (poor little things). Had an update on Panther, who with Pharaoh completes that dumped litter, this week. He is doing wonderfully well and is still the best friend of his boy.

My little Mary. She fascinates me. Different from the other kittens, although she is playful. This one thinks. Very, very slow to accept people, too, although we’re making good progress with me. I think she may eventually be like HRH Rosalind, may she rest in peace, whose idea of paradise would have been for every human except me to go jump in the lake. She is at least more sociable than Rosalind with felines. Rosalind also would have liked for every other cat to go jump in the lake.

Rosalind, since I’m thinking of her. Still miss her eloquent “grrr.” I’m glad I named that cat out of Shakespeare; nothing smaller could have possibly been appropriate for her personality.

[dressagetraks]

The tree went up this morning. Lord (and kittens) have mercy. I did spray it with hot spice deer repellent.

[shiloh]

Very cute. I love how Mary has taken over the tree skirt.

[dressagetraks]

A Prayer for the Christmas Tree When You Have Kittens:

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Christmas tree will keep,
That it will hold against sharp claws
And playful swipes from catly paws,
That it will stand secure, upright,
Throughout the unobserved night,
And that when morning’s daylight dawns,
It will have received feline yawns.
If it should fall before I wake,
I pray that nothing on it break.

D.H., 12/07/2020

[dressagetraks]

Ah, explaining “cat” to those who don’t speak “cat.”

Group text from this morning. Back story: There was a scaled-down but still present Thanksgiving at Dad’s place in KC. He wanted to go on with it. He has health issues, and next year isn’t guaranteed even aside from the virus. That went carefully but well, and he said then that he wanted to do Christmas, too. Anyway, stepmom has been preparing for Christmas. A day or two ago, her freezer died. Alas, her freezer had had Christmas dinner in it, bought at the last grocery store trip first of the month. She didn’t discover the death until after everything was shot. $$$ flushed. She was annoyed.

Anyway, this morning, she’s in regroup mode. She sent a group text saying that due to circs beyond her control, she needs more help with Christmas dinner. They can’t afford to replace everything lost. So please chime in with what you could cook/bring.

One relative responded that she had a spare turkey in her freezer and would be glad to cook and bring it. Stepmom replied great, and then said please also be sure to make up a care package for the grandcats. (She always sends me a few turkey trimmings for barn cat celebration. Not too much, just a taste as a treat.)

So she said: “Be sure to make up a small package for the grandcats.”

Reply from relative. “Huh?”

It made perfect sense to me.

[Marla_100]

makes sense to me plus the grandogs and the armadillo who has become my at night porch pet looking for cat food.

[dressagetraks]

They are being 85% good. In kittens, I figure that’s all you can ask for. In human babies, my patience is far, far less.

Best wishes and thoughts for the amigos as they go to the vet for their snip trip on Thursday.

[dressagetraks]

Here’s Psalm watching my mouse move on my computer screen.

Send good thoughts to the kittens for tomorrow and to me for tonight. They have to fast for surgery, so my last move tonight will be taking the food bowls away. From everybody. They are not going to be happy.

[Marla_100]

Here’s hoping all goes well for the little former orphans. You’ve done well to get them healthy and ready for this.

that’s a lovely, artsy photo of Psalm. Very poignant.

[dressagetraks]

They’re at the vet. I got the big carrier out this morning, and Atticus promptly self loaded. Had to pry him out. Then loaded Psalm and Brio, and by this point, Mary exited the room, stage left. Insert a five-minute chase through the house. She tried hiding under the direct center of the table, in the middle of all the chair legs. I swished a wand toy with the adult cats joining the game to try to lure her out, and she just sat there and gave me an “are you kidding?” look. That cat definitely is a bit different. I like it.

At the vet, receptionist was checking in while the tech was looking through the bars. Since kittens were entwining, it was a bit hard to keep track. She said, “Which one is Psalm and which Mary? They’re getting mixed up.” (Nobody has any trouble identifying Brio.) I pointed out the most obvious difference, that Psalm has ample white while Mary has none, but I thought I’ll bet, after working with them today, they won’t have a bit of trouble telling Psalm and Mary apart, even if they looked more alike than they do. I can just imagine them trying to sweet talk and reassure Mary, and her sitting there giving them a sardonic expression. Yeah, that one doesn’t really sweet talk well at all. You have to prove it.

[rubygirl1968]

I hope their spays go well and they’re back home creating havoc in no time