Little cats are made of...?

Little cats are obviously made of fleecy, fur fabric of the kind used to make teddy bears!

This is a rather fuzzy shot but it shows off his tummy and curly chest wig very well. His paws are spread out as he was making to grab the camera as I tried to take the shot hence the blurry image.

beauty sleep

After all the fun and high jinks a kitten needs to make sure enough time is allocated to beauty sleep. Red takes this rule very seriously and when tired simply stops, sits down then keels over, sometimes with hilarious results as his head lolls about. These shots show him at his cutest when sleeping especially the middle one.

Tufty Club

The name of this post is a dreadful giveaway to my age. At school we had the Tufty Club to teach road safety, which officially identifies me as a fossil.

Anyway, all this is a digression, as Red looks like he will be a semi-longhaired cat I reckoned it was a good idea to begin introducing him to a comb and brush to get him used to being groomed. Right now his coat is just soft, angora-feeling fluff barely covering his fragile little bones and body but with time it will probably toughen up and need more care.

It is early days and not hugely successful as he generally chews the comb/brush or just wants to play which is no surprise. However, at the weekend both cat and comb were to hand and, as he was sleepy, I thought I'd very gently comb him to make the association with a soothing ritual. But then my wicked side took over and I very gently 'styled' his coat...! He really isn't impressed with his new Tufty look is he?

Legs Eleven

Red is growing, but not in any discernable order or pattern.These photos were taken at the weekend and show the length of his legs. Obviously the angle of the camera emphasises things but seriously the back legs have developed a life of their own.

Basket Case

This is the wreckage of our towel basket in the bathroom. The main damage was caused by Magic who loves scratching the basket. However, Red not to be outdone, reckons Magic is right on the money with this scratch post/ chew toy/ hidey hole.

My name is Red and I am a food-aholic

Yes Red still eats like a horse, no change there. However he is finally begining to answer to his name. He doesnt always do it though. Probably because if there is a juicy toy mouse to be murdered or a hidden creature in the play tunnel or under the sofa then he has a more important job to do. However, we are making headway with 'Red' and 'dinner'.

IKEA rocks and memories of little velcro

At my Christmas night out we were all catching up on what had been happening in our lives, and there was loads to catch up on. One subject was that a few of us had new comings and goings in terms of pets. There was a flurry of cameraphone activity as the beloved beasts were all shared and admired.

One very sad event was the loss of a little Cavalier King Charles. She was an absolute honey who had died following a short illness and is very sorely missed by her family. She is also sadly missed by those of us who had also known her. I was reminded by my friend that I had also once christened her dog 'velcro' after an evening at her house where the little dog spent the entire night glued the length of my thigh as I was sitting on 'her' seat on the sofa. I'd entirely forgotten about this but it was lovely memory to share.

Another friend recommended the pet tunnel from IKEA as her cat adores it and it folds flat when not in use. I made a trip to the store on Sat as I also needed some gauzy curtains to replace the ripped ones (the less said about that the better!) until the blinds man can come and sort them out in the new year. The play tunnel is a nylon and wire structure which has two crinkly sections and a hole in the middle to dangle a toy through. I also bought a jingly snake on a stick and 'three blind mice' from the supermarket.

Well, Magic had a good play of all the toys then, after her quality control role, went to sleep alternately in her radiator hammock or under the radiator in the hall. Red on the other hand, spent almost the entire afternoon and evening playing with all the toys rolling in and out and through the tunnel. He energy was inexhaustable. Magic eventually came back and, as it looked like Red was having a ball, she took up squatter's rights which lead to some big frights and some mad chasing. So, well done to my friend for the recommendation - the IKEA play tunnel does indeed rock!

The bluetack years

Something I'd forgotten from the early days of Magic's life with us. She was fascinated by things going over an edge, almost pathologically so, and though it rarely happens now she still occasionally indulges her passion. She very, very delicately and ever so gently advances the item millimetre by millimetre towards the precipice until inevitability and gravity take over and it lands with a crash.

This was the undoing of the three little halloween ghosts candle holder. They were referred to as the WhooHoo ghosts and were very cute. They had been bought at a candle party at a friend's house and were brought out each year. Now there are only two WhooHoo's behind the little candle holders. They were found one Saturday morning broken on the floor of the living room with no one around. After we'd discounted a localised earthquake centred on one corner of the tv unit Magic was in the frame. As there were only two left and the third was a mass of smashed porcelain we checked Magic had not sustained any cuts or injury and could find nothing. So the mess was cleared and the lost ghost lamented.

This was also the day the decision was taken to remove all moveable items and ornaments within her reach or to bluetack it. The clock was bluetacked to the tv, a couple of ornaments were bluetacked to some surfaces to take the empty look off the place, the tv zapper was bluetacked to the shelf at night so that it could be found the next day etc. We went through quite a lot of bluetack obviously!

This week as I watched Red run round the tv and poke his paw underneath it and begin to help some small items over the edge I recalled with dread and trepidation the first two years of Magic's life. The spectre of the WhooHoo ghost waved past my eyes waggling a pack of bluetack in it's hand and laughing heartily.....

Ah, Meeester Bond....

Last night the other human in the house came through to talk to me while carrying Red under their arm. I wondered why they were carrying him when he had been happily playing. The answer was that the other human didn't want to leave him near a loaded plate as the temptation would be all too much for him. Therefore the sensible precaution was never to leave him in the same room as any food. So thats why you look like the baddie in a Bond movie constantly stroking the cat.....

Sleeping Beauty

Red has been a little horror today. He has terrorised Magic and chased her from one end of the house to another and then sat staring her out. He is now getting bigger and she is so gentle with him. She obviously knows he is a kitten, but I am begining to wish she'd either give him a warning nip he might take heed of or just sit on him! Instead she climbs as high as possible and hides in a cupboard or on top of the wardrobe. This is fine for her but only likely to prove a tempting challenge to Red as his little legs grow.

His worst crime against Magic today was to slap her face or bottom as she tried to use her litter box. Her box has a hood and he sits on top of it when she goes in, leads over the edge and pokes and slaps her. The poor beast isn't getting peace to pee now let alone anything else. In fact at night when we head off to bed she looks at me as if to say "Thank Goodness that thing is in the other room. Finally I can just stretch out and relax".

He has also sorely tested the patience of the humans and is back to thinking his name is "Red! DOWN!". He has clambered over, under, into and through places no-one would have thought possible, he has shinned up the cheese plant behind the tv numerous times, he has attacked the ruined curtains again and tried to get in the washing machine AND the dishwasher. He is also a dab hand at clearing the bedside table in the room he sleeps in.

All in all, he has been looking like a candidate for rehoming today. Then tonight he got tired (halleluia) and the little face above made our heart melt - at least until tomorrow when the furry tornado gets his second wind!

PS: yes, those paws are as big as they look. I measured from his wrist to paw tip and it is exactly the length of my index finger. To put this into context, this is the same length as Magic's paws yet he is only 3months versus her at 6yrs old.

Curtains for Red...?

We're not sure which cat did this, but the mesh/net curtains have been up for a very long time. However, in all the time they have been there Magic has very gently found the opening and then entered if she fancies a little look out of the window.

Red on the other hand has been here for four weeks now. Two weeks ago there appeared five little tears which look like the same size as his paw. This meant the curtain needed replaced but as we are planning to install blinds we just left it. Last night however when I got home the picture above was what the curtain now looks like.

As I said, I am not sure who did it but, I certainly reckon the little ginger 'rat-ball' is not only in the frame but sitting there holding a card with his prisoner number under his chin!

Vet Visit

Red went for his second injection tonight. It went well and didnt hurt him too much. He was a little star and let the vet do it without a fuss.

The worst bit was the car journey which he detests. I find it really hard with him in the car as he keeps letting out piteously heartbreaking little cries. He seems to do this any time he is in the car and not just when he is on the way to the vet.

Normally around the house Red is very independent and doesnt really rely on human company. However, I noticed tonight at the vet's when the receptionists were cooing over him and talking to him, he kept his eyes very firmly fixed on me through the side of his box. During the consultation he also just kept cuddling into me at the side of the side of the table. So it seems that not only is he very comfy in his home environment, feeling free enough not to need constant reassurance from the humans, but he also knows that when he is feeling unsure we are there for him! Awww.

Biggest shock of the night wasn't the bill, surprisingly this time. It was the fact that he now weighs 1445g. Nearly 1.5kg! Not terribly surprised given how much he eats, but putting on over 50% of body weight in three weeks?!? Heaven help us when he gets to be full size. Although my lovely colleague who gave him to us suspects it was a maurading ginger tom who molested her sweet lady cats I now think I need to go back and check she doesnt live near a zoo with a lax policy on keeping the tigers enclosed of an evening!