Not me, officer!

We've gotten lazy about putting shake cans on the counter in the kitchen, because they get in our way almost as much as the boys. It's time to get them deployed again, however.

Last night I not only saw Whitey on the counter (but not fast enough to punish him), but Billy jumped up on the counter on the way to the top of the frig and cabinet tops. He saw me coming, but he was so high I was able to give him the Mist of Doom while he was still on the frig hopping down.

A full mine field was laid down to keep the boys off the counter. We'll see.

9 8 lives for Billy

A favorite game for Billy is chasing a pom pom on a string. He loves it so much when he sees humans in the living room he'll either wrap himself around the human legs, or just sit quietly with an expectant look staring up at the shelf where we store the teasers.

Of particular interest to him is chasing the pom pom up and down the stairs, and trying catch it as it leaps about on the upper stairs (caused by your truly snapping the wand controlling the string back and forth, like casting a fishing pole in different directions).

Last night, this fun time almost led to disaster.

I'm not sure how it happened, if Billy got in the way of the pom pom or if it brushed against his face after he caught it, but I looked at him and realized he had yellow pom pom fur sticking out of his eye, making him blink.

I immediately charged up the stairs and grabbed him to get a better look while yelling for Katherine. Once we got him to hold more or less still, we able to pull the strands away. It looks like they really got caught on the mucus at the edge of the eye, and not in it. Billy seemed okay, and he was more interested in the pom pom itself than his own health, even after we grabbed him a second time to pluck a few last strands out.

We're going to have to find a new pom pom game for Billy, I'm not risking his eyesight just so I can make him jump after a cat toy for me.

Cats of the Serenbedi

Fall is definititely coming, the Cats of the Serenbedi are back on display.

Okay, they never left, but this is the first I've seen all three cats lounge on the bed at once in months. They tend to spread out in summer, each choosing their own favorite spot around the house.

The boys even formed a kitten pile to keep warm during a nap over the weekend. Emily of course, is barely willing to be on the same savanna bed as the boys. She doesn't do kitten piles.

Tubbo gets tubbier

It's monthly weigh-in time again at the kitten farm.

• Emily: 7.0 pounds, same as last month.


• Whitey: 13.5 pounds, up half a pound.


• Billy: 16.0 pounds, up half a pound.

It's possible that Whitey and Billy gained in part because we were gone for a week and they weren't as active. Still, we've started setting a timer to pick up their food after 15-20 minutes. Those return visits to the buffet have got to stop...

Raining Cats

Whitey took another nap on my high bookshelf. When he woke up, he acted like Emily (who stretches a lot and rubs herself on her bed when she's relaxed).

I reached up and scratched his chin for moment.

Unfortunately, he also did something else that Emily does occasionally -- he wiggled so much he fell off.

I realized out this was possible before he did, so I had stepped back out of the way. As much I wanted to catch him, I figured him in paracat mode would be claws fully extended and flailing, and all I would do is get scratched as he bounced off me.

He landed awkwardly on the floor, but a gentle check of him showed no obvious problems. He also seems his normally mobile self.

Weekend Stench Report

Someone, most likely Emily, just threw up in the hallway down by my office. If it was Emily, it was a new location for her, as normally she's not around my end of the hall much.

We also had a miss next to the migrating dining room litterbox.

Katherine took care of both.

Photo Friday: Whitey Boxed Set

Another Photo Friday, another picture of Whitey in yet another box. This one at least opened on the side, hence the thumb helping holding it open. (Whitey didn't care if the lid was up, but the photographer did.)