Friday, September 15, 2006

Friday Cat Blogging

Granny's Boys

Before they became the Hooligans, when they were small, Merry and Pippin were known as Granny's Boys. Like all cats, they love to get in small, enclosed spaces. Here is Merry, in the waste basket. I would come downstairs in the morning, and there he would be. I would come home from work, and there he would be. Isn't that the sweetest kitten face you've ever seen? I'm glad that it is an attractive basket, since he certainly isn't trash.

Pippin, who has always been his own cat, preferred the dish strainer. Flash bulbs show that his fur isn't pure black; there is some mottling of fawn in it. However, under any other light, he looks deep, coal black. You can see him here, helping me fix breakfast (see the blender with my smoothie in it). Wherever I am, there they like to be, and they love to hang out on counters and help me cook or clean up. Try and convince them that cat hair isn't a necessary ingredient (the equivalent, perhaps, of garlic) in any and all dishes; it does no good. They know I would be lost without their help, have no idea that there ever was a time before them, so they don't worry about how I got along in those far off, unimaginable times.

They also love to climb. This is one of my favorite pictures of Merry, as he climbs the scratching post with a black shoe lace in his mouth. Notice the tension in his little neck -- it reminds me of Julie with the box, if you want to know the truth. After he climbed the post with the shoe string, he would lay it across the top and then lay on his back and bat at the ends. Talk about a kitten who could entertain himself -- he even made his own toys. I've never seen another cat do anything like this. Because he has always been the larger cat, he was always ahead of Pippin in athletic pursuits.

As I said, Pippin is his own cat. He much preferred to climb my daughter in law, Kathy, and snuggle with her. She obviously enjoyed it too -- such contentment on her face and in the lines of his body. Pippin has a real talent for just melting right into the person he is laying on. Pippin is a little older here than they are in the other pictures, and Kathy is wearing a sweater, so it must be around my birthday (in April, still sweater weather in Alaska). I was given them right before Christmas, which is when the other pictures were taken.

10 comments:

Anvilcloud said...

Cats are great. There is one beside my keyboard righg now.

J said...

What cuties. :) Sometimes it would be fun if there were a way to keep them small...or maybe, as Susheela used to say, to have them small again, just for a day. Of course, she said that about her children, not pets, but still...

Maya's Granny said...

I know. I would love to be able to have my children and my pets small again, just for short periods of time, of course, with the children.

Autumn's Mom said...

They are very cute. I love cat personalities. We have three and they are each so different. Of course, my cat Joey is the best ;)

Joy Des Jardins said...

Yep, that is the cutest face alright. I can see how much you love them...they're very lucky to have you J.

meno said...

I have three of the wee beasties myself, and they are always good entertainment. One of them has taken to bringing me socks from the laundry room a couple of times a day. And he is as proud of himself as if they were dead rats.

LauraHinNJ said...

Cute pics! I would never have one, but do like other people's cats - and who can resist a kitty in the trash?

Thanks for sharing.

Lorna said...

those are some nice cats. Actually, they're all nice, although I don't feel as accepting of cat hair as you do.

Chancy said...

I love those photos of the cats. Perhaps Merry should patent his toy post scratcher with shoe string. :)

"After he climbed the post with the shoe string, he would lay it across the top and then lay on his back and bat at the ends. Talk about a kitten who could entertain himself -- he even made his own toys. I've never seen another cat do anything like it."

Maya's Granny said...

Lorna, I'm not accepting of cat hair. Just not willing to kill the hooligans to avoid it.