Moooo-ooom! He's on My Side of the House

I know you haven't heard from us in awhile. Life's been kind of chaotic. Mom worked a lot and she didn't have a lot of free time, nor, she said, inspiration for writing. I don't understand that. I should be all the inspiration she needs.

Things changed in the summer in a big way. Mom left Mija and I to take a "vay-kay-shun", whatever that is. We just know that this guy came over and fed us every day. He's okay. He knows how to open cans.

When she came back, she brought something with her.

His name is "Hamlet". He's little, or he was back in July. She said a friend of hers found him in a drain pipe trying to stay above water. That friend couldn't find him a home so mom said he could come live with us. Did she ask us? No. She said he rode back from Virginia under the front passenger seat of the car.

Well, I'm not sure about this. I try to have my own space but he finds me.

He has so much energy and a dignified lady like myself, just wants to amble through the house, sit on mom's lap and NOT be chased. I like to sit in the sunshine. I'm not interested in sharing it.

It seems Mija and I don't have veto power over whether he lives here so I guess we have to get used to this. Harumph.

(Mom's note:  Don't let her fool you. This was last week.

For all her haughtiness, Pilchard has gotten used to Hamlet faster than Mija has. I keep trying to get a video of the two of them playing, but she's wise to the sound of the camera. Mija still complains but Pilchard goes out of her way to find him when she wants a wrestle. The best part, having a kitten in the house has improved the health of both of them. They were a bit on the chunky side, but are now down to optimum weight, thanks to playing chase. He's also a love bug and they have noticed. I get both of them in my lap at night when I get home from work. Pilchard taught him about the camera. He knows it and ceases to be cute when I point it at him. Darned cats.)

Love,

Pilchard

Like Mother, Like Daughter

I am proud of my daughter, as mom's are, but doubly proud this week. She added a bitty house panther to her pride. Meet Jacen.

It started last Saturday with a trip to the pet store to get Frontline for the two she and my son-in-law already have; Faux, a Maine Coon, and Tobey, an orange marmalade. The pet store was having an adopt-a-thon. $10 for each pet. Jacen and another kitten, Jaina, a calico, had been injured and were coming off rehabilitation at a foster home. They had bonded so the store asked that they be adopted together. I got a text on Saturday afternoon, "We may have just done something stupid."

I know I'm preaching to the choir, since we all love house panthers, but it's not stupid to have the means to give cats/kittens homes. They arrived on Sunday and have settled in. Tobey wasn't interested in them at all, but Sunday and Monday evenings, he followed my daughter into the kitchen, sat down and "complained" to her. She said they knew it was a complaint by the tone of the meow. He has not hissed at them.

Faux hissed briefly on Sunday evening, but then retreated to his lofty perch atop the bookshelves in the dining room. Monday evening, he walked up to Jaina, sniffed her and walked away. My son-in-law has never had kittens in his house. He's always had adults. These two are 14 weeks old.

My daughter said it was kind of sad to be at the adoption event. They had 7 black kittens and, while people were cooing over them, she didn't see anyone take one home. She knows how much I love Pilchard and how I stress that black cats are the least adopted so that kind of pushed them over the edge. Plus, my son-in-law is a huge Star Wars fan. He now has his "Darth Vader"-esq cat, even if he named them after Han Solo and Princess Leia's children. My daughter has discovered a problem I have. Black cats are hard to photograph and doubly so when they are kittens with boundless energy.

Love,

Pilchard's mom.