I heard these firm words this morning, as George stood looking out the kitchen window. I know when George says this, firmly and quietly, that something amazing is happening in the back yard. Sometimes it is a herd of wild turkeys, one time a huge pregnant raccoon drinking out of the birdbath in broad daylight. Today, I went to the window to look and there was a hawk sitting on the lawn pulling feathers out of an ex-pigeon.
We have been bothered by the pigeons that are coming to eat out of the bird feeder. They line up on the roof and do their pigeon things up there, and we don't want them. They are messy, and look ridiculous trying to hang on to the finch feeder, sometimes four deep, twirling and unbalanced where they do not belong. We asked them to go back to Boston Common, but they don't listen. George sometimes resorts to throwing a pail, or garden tool, or whatever is at hand. I bang on the upstairs bathroom window with a can of hairspray. Well, today I think they are listening. It was unnaturally calm for a while this morning. In fact, there were no birds anywhere for awhile. Seeing a predator will do that to a fella.
This is the second pile of feathers we have found on our lawn. We thought a cat had caught a bird. Now we know who the real hero is. A beautiful, brown, and magestic hawk. And it isn't some hapless bird, but a pigeon as big as a small chicken. You go Mr. Hawk.
Have a great day.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Kittydom
Today the kitties were roaming around the house and it became apparent that they were sleepy and ready for their nap. I put them in the kitchen, with the door closed, and went to work at my beading table. In a while, I looked behind me, and the kittens were up on the shelf in their cage, with their heads together, leaning on each other and enjoying a peaceful kitty nap. George took this picture, and you can see the back of my head. They love their playpen/cage, and I'm glad that we have a peaceful place for them to go where they feel secure and safe.
Friday, August 08, 2008
Home Bodies
George and I are spending a nice Friday night at home with our cats, watching the opening of the Beijing Olympics. The kitties are in bed after three hours of fun exploring. We are happy that they are adjusting so well, and getting to know their new home. Safari spent some time behind the china cabinet, and Simba likes to explore behind the TV, but they also had time for some love bugging.
Have a great night.
Have a great night.
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Kitties in the living room
Tonight was a big step in a kitty's life. We had our first long visit in the living room. There are so many fascinating things to see. Safari was amazed by the little rocker. Simba likes just about everything. Safari discovered the window to the world first. It is going to be nice not to have to take a nap on the kitchen floor anymore!
Training cats and parental instincts
George and I are pretty strict parents I guess. A friend of mine has a new kitty that was alone and unwanted. They picked her up a week ago and that little kitty has the run of the whole house already. That little kitten hasn't been to the vet yet, and already has access to several rooms and a screened-in patio. I also heard that she likes to hide, and has scared her owners to death more than once. I'm sure this kitty will be fine, and will grow up to be a wonderful cat, but because we went through a shelter adoption agency, our process for making a home for our kittens is very different.
In comparison, our kitties came to us with a file full of vet records, paperwork and lots of baggage. They have all the shots needed for the first year, and were spayed and neutered and one was microchipped. (Little Safari still has that to look forward to.) We acquired cages, beds, toys, scratching posts, litter boxes, bags of food and lots of advice from the shelter foster mom. We have gained knowlege in the process of adopting and I have bought and read four books about raising kitties from Amazon. It is a crash course in kittydom.
George and I are working to train our kitties to mesh with our lifestyle. They have the kitchen to run and play in during the day, and at bedtime, they both scurry into their cage, and bunk down for the night. The cage doors are closed, and locked, and we know where they are. They aren't unhappy about that, and neither are we, and we are all in our beddies by 9:30 p.m. I haven't told these kitties that cats are nocturnal, and maybe they won't find out by themselves. One can hope.
Our plan is to acclimate the kitties and get Safari to be less scared of being picked up by leaving them in one room. We also wanted to make sure they wouldn't escape. We have an "air lock" to make sure; we don't open one door to the outside, until we have shut the other. This means we have to stand in a very tight space and suck it in, but it is worth the effort when we imagine what it would be like to see a kitty streak through to the outside.
The kittens are big in size but small in experience. Safari explores the top of the kitchen counter, and I fully expect her to find the kitchen window to the world one of these days. Simba is like the adolescent athlete. He jumps, climbs the cage and hangs from one leg and isn't much curious about the rest of the world. He is happy and well adjusted. Safari is wary and curious. She tiptoes across the counter in front of the sink as if she is traversing a rope bridge over the Amazon valley. She peers at each dish and is very stealthy. And she must think she is doing something wrong, because when we come in the door, she jumps for the floor. I have never seen her get up to the counter except once, when she jumped from a chair. Without the chair there, I don't know how she does it. Simba is the strong and fearless jumper, not Safari, but there she is, tiptoeing up to the KitchenAid mixer in wonderment of it all.
Someday soon I imagine it is time to open the door and let the kittens explore the house. But, it seems right now, that they have enough to learn in their own little kitchen-world and we are very happy to know where they are.
Have a great day.
In comparison, our kitties came to us with a file full of vet records, paperwork and lots of baggage. They have all the shots needed for the first year, and were spayed and neutered and one was microchipped. (Little Safari still has that to look forward to.) We acquired cages, beds, toys, scratching posts, litter boxes, bags of food and lots of advice from the shelter foster mom. We have gained knowlege in the process of adopting and I have bought and read four books about raising kitties from Amazon. It is a crash course in kittydom.
George and I are working to train our kitties to mesh with our lifestyle. They have the kitchen to run and play in during the day, and at bedtime, they both scurry into their cage, and bunk down for the night. The cage doors are closed, and locked, and we know where they are. They aren't unhappy about that, and neither are we, and we are all in our beddies by 9:30 p.m. I haven't told these kitties that cats are nocturnal, and maybe they won't find out by themselves. One can hope.
Our plan is to acclimate the kitties and get Safari to be less scared of being picked up by leaving them in one room. We also wanted to make sure they wouldn't escape. We have an "air lock" to make sure; we don't open one door to the outside, until we have shut the other. This means we have to stand in a very tight space and suck it in, but it is worth the effort when we imagine what it would be like to see a kitty streak through to the outside.
The kittens are big in size but small in experience. Safari explores the top of the kitchen counter, and I fully expect her to find the kitchen window to the world one of these days. Simba is like the adolescent athlete. He jumps, climbs the cage and hangs from one leg and isn't much curious about the rest of the world. He is happy and well adjusted. Safari is wary and curious. She tiptoes across the counter in front of the sink as if she is traversing a rope bridge over the Amazon valley. She peers at each dish and is very stealthy. And she must think she is doing something wrong, because when we come in the door, she jumps for the floor. I have never seen her get up to the counter except once, when she jumped from a chair. Without the chair there, I don't know how she does it. Simba is the strong and fearless jumper, not Safari, but there she is, tiptoeing up to the KitchenAid mixer in wonderment of it all.
Someday soon I imagine it is time to open the door and let the kittens explore the house. But, it seems right now, that they have enough to learn in their own little kitchen-world and we are very happy to know where they are.
Have a great day.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
If it flies like a bug, its a bug.
The other day I went into the kitchen and found that the kitties had chewed off the feathers from their feather toy. The upsetting thing about this is that I never found the feathers, so they are probably already digested. I've learned another lesson about feather toys. Now we are left with a small stick with an elastic cord and a bell at the end. Safari is CRAZY for that bell. It is her favorite toy. She is the one who likes bugs, and this little light weight bell flinging around is just the kind of fly she likes. She jumps and twirls and hangs from the rafters when that bell is around.
I have to be careful, because I don't want to hit her in the eye with it, and I don't want her to eat and swallow it, so I have it securely fastened and we only play with it a few minutes at a time. But she loves it so much, I can't resist.
Simba will play jump around the kitchen like a madman with all toys. He likes the big yellow fake feather one the best. Fake feathers are much sturdier than real ones, and since they are made out of fabric, they hold up to chewing much better than real feathers. They sell feather toys for cats that have long elegant and colorful feathers, and look beautiful. Those would last about five minutes.
We change the toys around, and give them someone new to play with, and put the older things away and then bring them out again later. This seems to satisfy that curiosity. Still you don't always need store bought toys. One of Safari's favorite things to do is to go by the back door and hide under one of George's nylon coats and wait for Simba to find her and pounce on her.
Who needs pretty feathers when and old gray coat will do just fine.
Have a great day.
I have to be careful, because I don't want to hit her in the eye with it, and I don't want her to eat and swallow it, so I have it securely fastened and we only play with it a few minutes at a time. But she loves it so much, I can't resist.
Simba will play jump around the kitchen like a madman with all toys. He likes the big yellow fake feather one the best. Fake feathers are much sturdier than real ones, and since they are made out of fabric, they hold up to chewing much better than real feathers. They sell feather toys for cats that have long elegant and colorful feathers, and look beautiful. Those would last about five minutes.
We change the toys around, and give them someone new to play with, and put the older things away and then bring them out again later. This seems to satisfy that curiosity. Still you don't always need store bought toys. One of Safari's favorite things to do is to go by the back door and hide under one of George's nylon coats and wait for Simba to find her and pounce on her.
Who needs pretty feathers when and old gray coat will do just fine.
Have a great day.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Life is 10% stuff and 90% kittens
George and I went to Paxton, Massachusetts on Saturday to join Michael and Michelle and her family at the memorial service for her grandmother. As I read about her grandmother, who I only met once, I wished I had known her better. Her home is filled with beautiful artwork that she created, and I would have had fun talking to her about that. I did get a chance to talk to Michelle's grandfather about his rhododendrens and the beautiful large plantings by the front door. The two acres of land in the back were beautiful and serene, and while we were there, a gentle rain was falling and everything was emerald green. It was lovely.
Paxton is a historical place, and I would like to learn more about it. It is interesting to think what it would have been like to grow up there. It is very different than the plains and praries of Oklahoma. The Paxton Congregational Church in the center of town was built in 1728. It was standing for 140 years before Oklahoma became a state. No wonder we are "sooners". Massachusetts is full of history, and makes me wish sometimes that I was a "later" instead.
The kittens are doing well. Safari has discovered climbing, and has been to the top of the cage (like the top of the Empire State Building in kitten terms), and is very interested in bugs and flies. She can chase and catch and bat, and is really agile and quick and intensely interested. I hope one of my china cups never comes between her and a fly. The cup will lose.
Simba has learned how to jump over to my lap and nuzzle in for some petting. Safari stands nearby and watches, and now rubs just a little on my leg. She is coming around. They are a handful, and just taking the time to play with them several times a day sort of wears us out. George lays down on the kitchen floor and pets Safari gently to get her used to being touched. And sometimes he taks a little snooze there. Since the kittens arrived, sleeping on the kitchen floor doesn't seem strange at all!
Have a great day.
Paxton is a historical place, and I would like to learn more about it. It is interesting to think what it would have been like to grow up there. It is very different than the plains and praries of Oklahoma. The Paxton Congregational Church in the center of town was built in 1728. It was standing for 140 years before Oklahoma became a state. No wonder we are "sooners". Massachusetts is full of history, and makes me wish sometimes that I was a "later" instead.
The kittens are doing well. Safari has discovered climbing, and has been to the top of the cage (like the top of the Empire State Building in kitten terms), and is very interested in bugs and flies. She can chase and catch and bat, and is really agile and quick and intensely interested. I hope one of my china cups never comes between her and a fly. The cup will lose.
Simba has learned how to jump over to my lap and nuzzle in for some petting. Safari stands nearby and watches, and now rubs just a little on my leg. She is coming around. They are a handful, and just taking the time to play with them several times a day sort of wears us out. George lays down on the kitchen floor and pets Safari gently to get her used to being touched. And sometimes he taks a little snooze there. Since the kittens arrived, sleeping on the kitchen floor doesn't seem strange at all!
Have a great day.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Great Balls of Fur!
Our kittens are great balls of fur. We play every morning and every night and the fur really flys. Simba can jump four feet in the air, as high as the kitchen counter, and she can do almost that well. They chase the feather toy, and I have to be careful so we don't hurt ourselves. Claws out! Beware!
George and I are spending a lot of time in the kitchen with the kittens, and they are showing the effects of all this good food and love. They stay in the kitchen all day, and the play must have been really good yesterday, because they were two sleepy kitties last night.
Pictures of kitties in play are all a blur. They love to play together, and once or twice a day, they indulge in a playful love fest, where they hug each other and roll around like two wrestlers. They are all "claws in" when they do this, and there are no yelps or scratches....just a lot of rolling hugs.
Have a great day.
George and I are spending a lot of time in the kitchen with the kittens, and they are showing the effects of all this good food and love. They stay in the kitchen all day, and the play must have been really good yesterday, because they were two sleepy kitties last night.
Pictures of kitties in play are all a blur. They love to play together, and once or twice a day, they indulge in a playful love fest, where they hug each other and roll around like two wrestlers. They are all "claws in" when they do this, and there are no yelps or scratches....just a lot of rolling hugs.
Have a great day.
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