Thursday, July 24, 2014

Dawn Patrol: Anniversary Edition

On 22 July 1989, I first met +Katherine Derbyshire in person and took her to lunch in Boston, MA. 25 years later, on Monday we drove and ferried our way to San Juan Island for two nights. It was a nice getaway, and the feline overlords were looked after by our regular sitter, +Heather Waters of Fetch Pet Care Kirkland.

It was also nice that within an hour of getting home yesterday afternoon and handing out kitty treats, we had three cats visit the living room couch and snuggle us while we watched the end of the Mariners day game. It's nice to be loved.

Unfortunately, early this morning they repeatedly announced that they both love and rely on us. In no particular order, the following routine activities occurred before we got up:
  • Someone loudly deposited a hairball at the top of the stairs. (Leading suspect: Penwiper)
  • Someone jumped up to the exterior water dispenser in the refrigerator door, loudly knocking its metal tray to the wooden floor. (Leading suspect: Billy)
  • Whitey offered meows of despair from downstairs.
  • Penwiper growled from under the bed. Looking over the side, it was Whitey impinging on PW's personal space. (At least Whitey came upstairs on his own ...)
  • Oscar cuddle time was declared shortly after 7 AM via a head butt to the the almost sleeping human, me. (I did cuddle, lest he start meowing.)
  • Penwiper went on a tour of the window sill, which included walking behind the blinds and rattling them.
  • Billy went on a tour of the dressers, poking at things and generally making noise.
All that was missing was Billy scratching at the bathroom door to be let in, and Whitey clawing his way up the headboard over Katherine to be feline death from above.

It's nice to be loved and relied on after you've been gone, but I wish they didn't remind us quite so early.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Check for Penguins ... and Other Overlords

We call the master bathroom the Penguin Pen, because a certain tuxedo cat likes both to attend the humans using it and to hang out there after lights out, quietly warbling about his sadness.  This is not to say he and his housemates don't like the other bathrooms, but their doors are usually closed and thus off-limits as performance spaces.   They will use them when available, so we always "check for penguins" before closing bathroom doors.

Katherine used the center upstairs bathroom this morning before kitten breakfast, and she left it open because Whitey slipped in with her.  He was guaranteed to follow her down to breakfast, saving her the effort of shooing him if she waited to close it.

Later, Billy hopped on my desk to get a drink out of my (okay, his) water mug, causing me to notice it was low.   After he refreshed himself, I refilled it from the still open center bathroom.   While in there, I discovered a fluffy penguin lounging on the bath mat, who departed gracefully.  I then checked the tub, lest Whitey was hiding behind the shower curtain.

Katherine mentioned I should also check the under sink cabinet for Whitey.  This makes sense in general as Whitey loves to hide in our self-closing French-hinged cabinets, but makes no sense in that bathroom because the door hinges are misaligned.  The doors to be lifted while closing to get them slide over each other and actually close.  Even a small human with thumbs couldn't do that from the inside.

Whitey was inside the cabinet, with the doors closed.

Beats me how he closed them.

Update:   I tested both doors. The right door is misaligned. the left door will open and close fine if the right is left untouched.  I must always be using the right door.

Friday, July 4, 2014

Holiday Roll Call

Happy Independence Day.

I'm delighted to report the the boys aren't thinking much about it.   They might prefer less of a distraction to better hear the creatures outside, but they don't seem to care one way or another about the fireworks noises.   Certainly they aren't acting overly tense or hiding this year.

To check on them, once the fireworks had picked up after dark I did a roll call the old fashioned way, with a rattle of the kitty treats bottle.  Oscar was a little late, but that doesn't mean much -- he tends to be last to ad hoc treats.

I made good on the rattle, and much chasing of treats ensured.   Clearly treats were more important than noises a block or more away, and that's a good thing.

Photo Friday: Ten Years of the Quiet Hunter

As noted, Whitey likes his window perch in the evening.

Whitey Quietly Watching the World from his Window
I considered posting a photo of him looking at me (and the camera) from the window, but let's face it: That's not what he is there for.