2008
we found the house that the animals had built
maura @ 10:21 pm
You may be wondering how the kittens (now 5 mos old!) are doing. And I’m happy to report that they’re swell! They’ve quite settled in, and so have we. Jonathan said that he’d always thought that cats came in 2 varieties: normal and psycho. But it turns out that within the “normal” category cats actually have their own distinct personalities.
Gummy is still the little one — we are thinking that he was the runt. He’s got really big paws for how skinny he is and cuts a tiger-like figure when he strolls into the room. He’s definitely the smart one and the more accomplished hunter: he will sit still and watch while Caramel is freaking out over a toy, then bust out a crazy ninja move to steal the toy away. He also is always the dominant one when they wrestle. Gummy likes the loving but isn’t a pest about it — he’s happy to solicit cuddles and purrs mightily, but when you need to stop petting him and go do something else, he’s cool with it, catch you later, no big deal. He likes to sleep on the floor by the foot of our bed, which seems to me like something a dog would do.
Caramel is bigger, softer + prettier in a traditional cat way. His belly is super soft and he likes to be held like a baby for belly rubs. He’s kind of a dumbass, but it’s always good for a laugh when he loses it for a toy while Gummy watches + waits. Caramel is a super cuddle monster — he is all over you when he wants snuggles and meows insistently about it. He also does that thing with his paws where he kneads your leg or arm or whatever, which means we really need to keep his nails trimmed. It’s kind of annoying at times: he’s fond of walking all over our heads at 5am looking for love. But he’s a good lap-warmer, as I’ve found out these past two chilly evenings. And he’ll grow out of the early morning wakeups, right?
It’s hilarious how much cats are like kids. They are always following me around the house, wanting to be involved in whatever I’m doing. We got a fantastic new laundry rack at Ikea and I can’t really hang anything on the bottom rungs because it’s like a kitty jungle gym to them. They are even losing their baby teeth! I have found 6 so far, 4 canines + 2 molars, mostly in a spot where they like to wrestle. And of course you have to clean up their poop (though thankfully they are pooping less often than when we first brought them home).
I will admit that it’s a little hairy in our house right now. Gus is growing his hair long, “until I can put it in my mouth.” I’m not sure why that’s a compelling reason, but he does look very cute w/his skater boy hair. Which is good, because the maintenance is kind of a drag. Washing + conditioning w/every bath! Of course my hair is still long too, and the cats shed a bit… Thankfully Jonathan’s hair is pretty short right now or we’d be overrun! Or we could collect it to fill a mattress or something. (Yes, we are reading Little House on the Prairie at bedtime, can you tell?)
5 comments on “we found the house that the animals had built”
Yes, I know! My neighbors asked how we ever found the teeth, and I replied that my archaeology eyes picked them right up on the carpet.
Yay for Laura Ingalls! It’s even my book from when I was little. I remember reading them all but for some reason I only have that one and Farmer Boy now. But I think Gus is maxed out on pioneer living for the short term, so it’s okay.
Oooh, Borgel looks hilarious. Maybe in a few years. I got Gus a surprise chapter book today for our vacation next week: Kenny and the Dragon (in hardback, even! very rare for me). It’s by Tony DiTerlizzi — Gus is all a tizzy waiting for the next Beyond Spiderwick book to come out so hopefully this will tide him over.
You’ve been to the new ikea in Brooklyn? I trust the meatballs have not declined in quality.
Indeed, the meatballs still rule! And the view from the cafeteria is lovely, right out into the harbor + over the gorgeous industrialness of Red Hook. They had some new foods too but we got our old faves: meatballs, gravlax + toffee cake, yum.
HEE, faunal analysis for the home!!!
We’re reading Borgel. Hate to think what that is doing to our brains, but a giant popsicle does kind of sound good. I never did read Little House, but that Nellie (on tv) was *such* a bitch! Remember when she pretended she couldn’t walk? No way.