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kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: Capricious And Her First Estrus

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This short reality may upset you on some level.  So I need to give a warning.  I never thought this would happen, I didn’t think this would be something I would write about.

My kitten Capricious is nine months old.  She is the only kitten I kept from the stray that stayed: Quantum.   Now, I am not sure how old Quantum actually is, but when she went to the vet for her spay after her litter, they assumed about a year and some change.  I am not sure if her heat  with me was her first heat.  The situation was so foreign to me I was learning as I went along.  I don’t have a strong background in kittery.

Anyway, when Quantum was in heat, she showed all the signs that were google-able, namely the desire to be more affectionate and to raise her rear end in the air.   Not knowing what to do with her in her condition, I would tap on her rear end above the tail on the lower back.  Reading her language she wanted it harder, and more of it.  It got to the point where I would be using a significant amount of controlled force to basically percussively massage her back or in massage terms give her tapotement  (top-o-mont).

She LOVED IT.  Quantum wanted (and still enjoys) being smacked on the back end in quick repitition.

In no way did I touch the cat inappropriately, I was  helping her ease angst in her hormonal reactions and she wanted it because she would just stay there wanting more the minute I stopped.

Fast forward a bit, she is barely claimed as mine.  Quantum gets preg, and I keep a kitten.

Capricious kept nursing for way longer than recommended and her spay keeps getting set back because of life happenings.  I think the nursing may have stunted her maturity on some level.  Before she ever showed symptoms of heat I bought Feliway to curb things.

Well  last weekend Capricious started puking, out of nowhere.  No dietary changes.  Concerned, I cleaned up the messes and doted on her.  She seemed low energy and dismissive of appetite.  At first she just wanted to be alone, and stable in one comfortable position.   THEN all of a sudden the over affection came on.  She is already super affectionate but the quality and vocality were amplified. She was giving the textbook butt lift.

So I started to wonder if her first estrus was much like the maladies some women experience with PMS.  Or a desire to have sex right before a period as a relief mechanism.  But… cat’s don’t menstruate, and what I have gained about cat breeding is… the females know they want it, but it usually comes by force.  Sounds tragic.

As I googled such things, I remembered the ole hand held motor massage thing in the closet that my grandparents bought years ago.  I wondered if I could ease some of Capricious’ tension, by using it on her lower back because she was just as happy as her mom was with a little spanking.

The cool thing about this old hand massager is that it purrs.  Caprcious has been out of her mind horny.  She immediately liked the massager when I put it on, turned it on, and then layed my palm on her lower back.   I immediately wished that I had this vibrating pillow that my step mom had, back in the day. If you put pressure on the pillow, it would vibrate from a mechanism with a trigger on the inside of the stuffing and then it would turn off as soon as you stopped compressing the pillow.

I’m going to be honest.  I am conflicted, because I feel like this is not okay because someone might use the idea and take it too far.  On the other hand, it is a lucrative thing to gather sperm from male animals for artificial insemination in specific breeding, so obviously people explore animal sexuality for their own benefit in ways that only seem unconventional if you ignore scientific practices in regard to sexuality and procreation.

Basically I massaged the back end of my cat until she didn’t want any more of it.  And then she acted even weirder than she was before… but she was less vocal and traversing the room rolling on her back rubbing up against anything that was in the path.

She has calmed down significantly since, and then gets vocal when she wants it again.  And this doesn’t bother me at all, because I just put the thing on my hand, I lay my palm on the top of hip bones and sit there with the cats having a normal conversation about how at times it can be really uncomfortable to be female.

I admit, I googled “Do female cats have orgasms?”  But I haven’t found anything.   I think this is a temporary mitigation solution.  It sounds crazy for sure.  But when I think about it more, it isn’t.  Some human women get migraines to the point of puking during PMS.  Some are more sensitive in various ways or feeling less social.   For a woman you may suggest a heat pad, a massage and lots of water.  Most women don’t go to a doctor or an ER the first time  they are about to bleed… even if they do feel like they are dying.

I just watched what the signs were in these situations and I imagined what I could non-invasively do to help her relax her swollen inside reproductive organs.

Quantum is super curious, but she is now spayed, yet she still likes the percussive massage on her back end from time to time.  She wants nothing to do with the hand massager.  Capricious on the other hand, doesn’t want it until she wants it and walks over to the device and rubs up on it and then comes and rubs up on me, going back and forth talking until I plug it in and ask, “Is this what you want?”  She responds by walking right over and putting her ass in the air.

It’s so weird.  Just so, so fucking weird, but not.

I just imagine her getting these feelings out of nowhere and being like “what the hell is going on?  I’m not myself today.”

We do whatever we can to assist our animals in their discomfort and this was the best temporary solution I could come up with and it works on some level.  It’s certainly tames down the agitation a cat shows in heat.  I think I lucked out that she is young enough to still be introduced to noisy contraptions with a small period of adjustment.  Quantum on the other hand seems half feral and will deal with a vacuum in the room but when it is turned on she runs to a vacuum-less corner, whereas Capricious will sit atop the dresser and overlook the whole situation with curiosity because the vacuum sits right next to the litter box and most times it isn’t running.

All I am going to say is, if you have a cat in heat and you haven’t been able to get to the vet, this could temporarily relieve some tension in your house if your cat is willing.   Do not chase your cat down attempting this, and for God’s sake please do not use your vaginal vibrating device on your actual feline friend.

The picture in the title is the style of hand massager that I am talking about.  The coils on the bottom secure around your mid palm and mid fingers.  The top part is a motor.  These devices are awesome for back massages, but be careful of hair on the massagee, it can get caught in the coils and if the hair pulls out because you pull your hand away, it is more painful than an Epilady shaver.

 

Art, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: Catoon 1- Tailer Trailer

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“She was a kitten born in a sketchy trailer park; adopted by a kind old neighbor on the brink of death. 

She had the survival skills of an ally cat and dreams of loving comfort, a place and person to call her own.  A person she could trust… and rely on… for a life time.

This cat would transcend time and space to find the perfect place to land… in Dimension 18.  

Little did the humans know, the cats were grouping again after nearly a catillion years.  Within their own ranks and factions, a night fight was brewing with intensity and the expanding breeding program appeared to be out of control.

Quantum was sent as One in a team of Nine to right the balance of nature and protect the dimension.   As a Siamese Ragdoll she was congenial unless provoked by  prey or a distinctive enemy.  Quantum was hell bent on the kill, but more than that, she is intent on saving Dimension 18.

Can Nine cats, with nine lives save the 18th Dimension?  If Quantum has a choice, Dimension 18 will exist forever, and she will walk into infinity with all nine lives and all nine companions… The Human included.” 

( so if I get around to this I might make a rough comic… but I just like the idea of it as a movie trailer for a comic.)

kittie cat, life, Writing

My Cat May Be A Spy

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So I had a question, and went to Google (like ya do), to ask the question “Why does my cat stare at me while I sleep.?”  

I clicked the first link which led me to Quora, and I felt the page should be shared because the answers are funny and frightening.

Let’s face it, cats are funny and frightening.  This recent foray in to having feline companions in close proximity, is definitely causing me to see them in a new light.  I guess I never noticed how strange they really are.  Between them chasing shit I can’t see, the stare downs and strange reactions to my direct questions about surveillance and intelligence… I just don’t know.

Yes, my cat Quantum was being super talkative one night and every time I asked her a question she had a response, until I started asking her if she was in the CIA.  I know that sounds super crazy, but she wouldn’t talk if I brought up intelligence agencies.  Take from that what you will.

Quantum is also incredibly psychic, I can call her in my head and she will show up shortly after.  Given her random appearance in my life, I give her the benefit of the doubt.  I’d like to think she is an ally in some wicked spiritual battle and that she protects me to a certain degree, specifically when I sleep.  That also sounds crazy, but I have a pretty vivid imagination and my days don’t provide as much entertainment as I could imagine myself.

Quantum may be a double agent, though.  I haven’t figured that out yet.

insight, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: Big Boy & Itty Bitty Join The Black Dog Animal Rescue Foster Program.

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I knew the black kittens would be the last to go from day one.  Eventually I googled it and was confirmed in my assumption.   I really didn’t want to have to surrender these little lovers to the Animal Shelter, where they may be euthanized because of disinterest, superstition and shelf life expiration dates.   I’ve noticed significant maturity in these two in the weeks since their siblings were re-homed.  These are lovers that deserve a chance.

I decided to reach out to Black Dog Animal Rescue, primarily for that reason.  I am also slightly connected to the founder Britney Wallesch, as we graduated from the same high school a year apart and she introduced me at the 2017 Cheyenne TEDx Conference.   I really enjoy Britney’s drive to start a supporting home grown solution to the issue of animal euthanization by making  a commitment to animals by finding them loving homes, going so far as to start the Black Dog Animal Rescue organization.

Yesterday, Thursday July 5th, 2018,  I had an assessment meeting with Beth Gunthardt, the Animal Admissions and Foster Program Manager of BDAR. I loaded BB & IB into the cat crate and took them on their first car ride.  They had a lot to say about the trip but were good sports nonetheless.   I’ve continued to communicate what is about to occur with them through all the transitions of their early life.

“Momma needs a break, she is going with me for a while.”  

“You all are going to have visitors tomorrow because they want to find a companion, they are most interested in __________.  ___________, might have a new home tomorrow.”

“___________ is leaving in an hour.  Time to say your good-byes and give playful loves! “

“In fifteen minutes _______________ new family will be here…. lets have one last session of kisses, kittery toss, and belly rubs!”

This trip was no different.  We talked through the drive and arrived at the new BDAR location. When I walk through the door holding the cat crate of Big Boy and Itty Bitty, I am met by Stitches, a small heeler type with big eyes and a kind but curious demeanor.  There is a primarily white calico cat in a large crate along the west wall, meowing loudly.  An earth toned tubby tabby  grabs my attention as it jumps on the counter and begs for belly rubs.  An older black cat lays lazily in a cat bed on the admission counter  and Beth  steps around the corner ready to introduce Stitches.

Beth is a friendly, earthy lady, probably in her 30’s with a love of animals. There is dedication and patience in her demeanor.  The building I walk into is in a residential neighborhood between Nationway and Lincolnway.  BDAR had just moved into this building  which appears to be a house but  as you walk in you can tell it is in the midst of renovations to accommodate the purpose of the Rescue.

Beth and I talk a little bit, and she takes a look at the kittens and approves them.  I get some paperwork to sign and they are taken to the back for their first round of shots and dewormer.  I finish the paperwork and take a seat to wait.  It could be until next week that a foster family is available.

While I am waiting the biggest domestic cat I have ever seen walks out of an adjoining room.  This gigantic cat kind of looks like it could be a bobcat.  It is bigger than Stitches the dog.   He comes over vying for attention and he licks my hand…. good lord this cat has a tongue eight times the size of Quantum.  I immediately want to know how much food he requires once Beth emerges from the back.    She simply says “A lot.  He is always on a diet.”  I wonder if any of his owners surrendered him just out of the fear that he might eat their face off in the middle of the night.   He seemed super sweet, so it was probably just the food bill.

Beth sends me home with some extra dewormer for Quantum and Capricious, and says that I will hear from her soon.  I am super thankful for the dewormer and the generosity of assistance.

This morning (the next day) I receive a call from Beth, saying they have a foster home.   The foster parent is a lady named Katie who works reception at Cottonwood Vet Clinic, which is adjoined to the old BDAR building.  I immediately go talk to my brood about situation.  Both BB and IB are chill.   They play, and when I come in, they are full of so much love and gentleness.  I know they are going to make this hard on me.  Kisses are had, pets and belly rubs abound.  Before I know it, it is nearing 1pm and it’s time to load them up for their second and last road trip in my possession.

I show up to Cottonwood Vet Clinic.  It has nice off street parking, and a discrete location next to the air port, an elementary school adjacent to a residential area.  This is obviously a small and intimate practice, which I admire in all sorts of health care, whether people or pets.  When I walk in there is a lady at the receptionist table and I ask if she is Katie, she says “no” and calls Katie out from the back.

Katie has a vibration that is exactly attuned to what you want to feel in a vet office.  She is calm but in power.  Her voice is sweet and she seems happy to take the critters into her care.  I give her some background, pass off their transition pillows and transition food, give one last round of love and head on my way.  I admit, I got a little teary eyed in the parking lot.

When I came home I took the empty crate into my room.  Both Capricious and Quantum looked confused but knowing.  The dynamic in there is significantly different by eliminating two at once.   Quantum is in heat again and that just shifted about 36 hours ago… so even though it is the same cats, the mood is very different.

I plan on getting updates for BB and IB.  I think it is cool they get to stay together for now.  I am sure it will make the transition easier since Katie is only offering foster care and not a purrmenent home. I feel so incredibly blessed to have the sweetness of their being in my life for the last sixteen weeks.  I wish them nothing but love, safety and adventure in their new life.

Thank you, bdar.org .

itty bitty

To read about how these lives intertwined with mine, follow the links.  Quantum is the Momma, and her tale is where it all began November 9, 2017.

 

Quantum Express~ A Kittery Tale

A Kittery Tale: Sleep Deprivation and Emerging Personalities

A Kittery Tale: My Body is a Playground

A Kittery Tale: PeanutBuddy Finds a Furever Home.

A Kittery Tale: Khajiit Finds a Furever Home with Jenny and Seneca aka, Khajiit turns Rock Star

Cheyenne, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: Khajiit Finds a Furever Home with Jenny and Seneca aka, Khajiit turns Rock Star

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Okay, okay… A random cat finds you, you think it may be lost and you give it the freedom   to return to “home”,only “home” is now your house and she gets all prego… whaddaydo?

Watch life begin, of course.

The last 12 weeks have been brutal… for me.  Separations; mom wanting space, bigger poops in the litter box, everyone eating me out of house and home but ultimately jealousy.  Let me tell you about my late affection.

Little Rascal (now known as Khajiit) is one of the two calico’s from my tiny fur tribe.  She was the last one to offer me her sweetness.  When she finally gave forth, it was precious beyond words… but our beginnings were not so kosher.

In my observation Itty Bitty and Khajiit were in cat-hoots.  They like a bit of that bite and claw action.  If someone was biting at my toes, it was that Lil Rascal Khajiit. In the beginning there was minimal holding and reluctance to kiss; week 11 when Peanut Buddy (now Otto) left, the tides shifted. Lil Miss shifted from “battle bro” to “cuddle now.”  I had no complaints.  She jumped on the kissy train and settled down a bit.

Of course this begs the question of sibling dynamics, even in the animal world.  Catland was now fully saturated with females and one male, Big Boy .  Big Boy calmed down at least five fold without Peanut Buddy offering some male petition. Khajiit was in second place when it came to strength, size and agility without harassing Momma.  The Game was on.

Khajiit seemed to desire some self definition right away; she was a middle baby and despite her distinction in the looks department, her evasive nature made her hard to pin down or in human terms “force love upon”.   She seemed astute and willing to sit on the sidelines in order to form her own opinions.  I regret to say that more than once she was at the mercy of my clumsy nature around fast moving objects (namely my clumsy ass feet).  I definitely stepped on her tail more than once but always apologized and gave love afterward.   At one point I asked myself why it was always her that was at the mercy of my lack of grace…. obviously she came to grips with it because when she decided to love, it was super obvious.

All of sudden she wants to cuddle, FIRST!  Everyone else is running around like an idiot and she is like “Nah, I’m gonna grab that sweet warm spot behind the shaggy fat persons legs.”  History is made!  But Her Story is just beginning.

Jenny and Seneca wanted a kittery.  They NEEDed a kittery; my house is like a cat drug den… who will fall victim?  After Otto left, I let them all know ‘Some one is waiting for you,  and they can’t wait to show you a whole new world.”  Before Jenny came over to meet and greet, I told them “It’s equal opportunity, but I have my feelings.”   For some reason I knew LIL would make her mark in the introductory love department, and she did not disappoint.

Jenny came over for a meet and greet with a nature so gentle, I am sure all of them were surprised.    That nature is just what Lil needed if only to give them a run for their money.   Jenny wants to toilet train and walk on a leash and that is exactly the kind of world exposure newly named Khajiit needs.  A whole new world of love and adventure. Independence and dependence with the perfect balance of personality.

Khajiit is currently causing a riff of jealousy with her kin; within 48 hours of being in her new home she was given the opportunity to star in a music video from SunnyDale High, Seneca’s rad Wyoming band that thematically follows Buffy The Vampire Slayer.  Khajiit is going to be a hit.

You should definitely check out her acting debut with a great soundtrack by Seneca’s band.  Also you should definitely check out Sunnydale High when they play WARPED Tour this summer in Denver, if you do, you should tell them  “Khajiit sent you.”

May all my kitteries rock and find their love-home dreams come true.

Check out Khajiit’s debut and Sunnydale High’s music at this adorable link.

May the Meows be with you, Lord Kittery knows we all could use it right now.

 

 

 

 

 

insight, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: PeanutBuddy Finds a Furever Home.

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The time has come for the kitteries to say goodbye to me and Momma.  Time to go into the great unknown that exists outside of my bedroom.   Time to bond and claim space in places that are not “here.”

PeanutBuddy, also referred to as “My Lil Lion” was my one solitary light colored kit in the brood.   He is strong, and sweet.  The minute the kitteries pics went up, people were most interested in him.  I went with my first friend showing interests with an intent to re-home them with people I know, or people who have been vetted by people I know.

This week I have really felt the need to cull the herd; Momma is getting irritated and they are growing at a rapid pace which makes a small room feel even smaller.  PeanutBuddy was the strongest and biggest and was making daily efforts to test his strength, endurance and agility on his poor tired Mommacat. Her irritation was palatable as she would attempt to shake him off or subdue him long enough to jump to unreachable heights.

At night, I wrangle the kits into an upside down laundry basket so that I can spend a night without being ambushed or having random objects drop from shelves.  This morning I noticed they had grown big enough to require more than one laundry basket, so it’s probably a good thing they like a nice cuddle puddle.

Last night I met with my friend and her mother, to come meet the kit and sent them  home with a pillow made of my decimated bed spread; fully engulfed in the clan scent.  I wanted to make sure their current cat was cool with it, and I want something familiar for him to go to in his new home.  Their current kitty slept the night on the pillow, and will hopefully share and accept Peanut once she recognizes Peanuts smell in there.

Before they came over I debriefed the kitteries about our visitors and their intentions and our future together.  I told them all that the people were specifically interested in PB.  Once my friend and her mother arrived the kits dynamic changed.  PB who is usually quite gregarious, hung back and acted skitterish.  Everyone else stepped to the forefront, which is rare for a couple of them.  They actively engaged in play while PB hid under the dresser, unsure of his future.  Toward the end of the hang out he emerged and gave socialization a go, his little heart pitter pattering with nerves.

After our guests left, I told them it wasn’t certain, but it was likely that PB would be going away tomorrow. I explained that it wasn’t my lack of love, it was simply not economical or fair, they need their space.  We all need our space and deserve it.  Lots of love was given, but I could feel another shift in the dynamic.  I would liken it to rebellion.

This morning, ( the day after) I was given confirmation that PeanutBuddy had a new home and that he would be leaving this afternoon. As soon as I told everyone what was up the rebellion kicked off.   Bites were harder, jumps were more pronounced and effective.  (While bending over in nothing but underwear one of them jumped straight on to my  ass in the most brutal of ways…. yeah, I jumped and yelped.)

Each time I would walk into my room the energy was different, usually everyone is cuddled in a mass but today, everyone was close together with PB sitting alone at the end of my dogs bedding. It felt like contemplation and the energy of his siblings was resentful.  They knew they were losing their leader.   Perhaps I am anthropomorphizing them, or perhaps spending almost thirteen weeks straight with these little critters from day one, means I am experiencing a very real dynamic that I have limited understanding and wording for, but this is what I can liken it to.

11:30 am rolled around and it would be soon that separation would occur.  I wanted us all to share one last cat nap together.  I forgot my phone, so I asked the cats to make sure I got up by 12:30.  At first it was a struggle, everyone was blaming me with what energy they had left and PB was the last to settle down but when he did, he cuddled under my chin on my neck and fell fast asleep while the rest of his crew laid in a puddle on my abdomen.  Momma laid down on the dresser, overlooking our pile of fur and humanity and we rested for an hour and I had to get up.

It was like curtain call in the theatre.  “Okay cats (cast), life will change very soon.  Make your peace and say your good-byes. We love you PeanutBuddy!”

A short while later I asked my grandma if she would like to say goodbye, and she said yes.  I brought him into the room and she became emotional.

“It feels like I am losing a friend.” She said.  I couldn’t help but agree, once upon a few months ago they were helpless little fur balls with an uncertain future… now they could probably instinctively kill a rodent and be surprised by the outcome… how far we can move so quickly.

Everyone said goodbye, even the dogs.  And I slipped that little tan critter in to a critter carrier; it was hard.  I am not a cat person, I am an animal person.   Sometimes I hate love, ya know… you always have to say goodbye and it’s rarely a relief.   My emotions are wrapped up in the fact that I saw life happen in front of my eyes.  I saw growth and development based on my influence.  I hope they all are just the best for their new homes but that doesn’t stop the emotion I am feeling.  I am not quite sure what to liken it to as a person who has never had children.    I guess I get the same feeling when I think about my dog, or any dog I have ever loved or has been loved by people I love, and that dog passing away.  I’m deeply saddened by the idea of the feeling of abandonment.

I want that kittery to know I didn’t “abandon him,” even though it feels like I did.  Will he care once he is integrated and spoiled in his new home… probably not, but I don’t know for sure and that is why they call it anthropomorphism.  We put human attributes on animals, I don’t know if they felinopomorph, and think any one human is more or less cat-tributed behavior or personality.   I know my relationship with Quantum is significantly different now than it was when she came to me in November, and we have yet to see how that will pan out  once she regains her space and freedom.  (This bitch needs a snip-snip if you know what I mean, before she can explore the outdoors again.)

I just take it day to day, ya know?  Really it’s all I can do.

insight, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: My Body is a Playground

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These five rascally little critters are creeping upon nine weeks old.  Which means they are jumping; skipping, side-sliding and scaling EVERYTHING.  Take for instance my legs and my need to wear two pairs of pants because each and every one of these kitteries has taken a running jump onto my calf and attempted to crawl up as far as the fabric would take them.  They are like little lumber jacks, or ice climbers.  They selectively use their claws in unimaginable ways.

Recently they have taken this skill to a whole new challenge with similar height restrictions, but a broader playing area: my back, while cleaning the litter box.  There I am all hunched over feces, making sure everyone is feeling confident about their next poo when one or more of them take a running leap at my back.  I mean, obviously claws are involved in this, they are learning the the “running-jump and cling”.   This may or may not be a problem for me on any given day on account of what shirt I am wearing and the surface area that it covers plus thickness of material or lack there of.  “Lack of material” immediately inserts a negative into the question which = claws in skin which may be multiplied by the depth of penetration.

I never thought my body would be a playground.  I never knew that someone should recommend wearing Carharts, gloves and denim in order to deal with furry, sharp-sharp furriness.

Here is the juxtaposition that makes it even harder… They can be SO gentle and sweet; it is selective and you have to pay attention and the less you pay attention the more likely you are to meet some sort of feline wrath.

Perhaps you are a seasoned kitterycat enthusiast/ companion; for me this is my third instillation of “learning experiences” that have been growing more intense over time and as I’ve mentioned before, my first “hands on from birth of the feline species” experience.  I really didn’t know what to expect and what people told me to do, I kind of bounced it around and felt it out, ultimately disregarding it to the degree of augmenting it and seeing what worked in my situation.

I am by no means disappointed, in fact this whole thing has been amazing but not always perfect.

You know how I was saying that one needs to pay attention to the feline signs?  Well I do, over all; certain calls for food or new litter (and in Quantum’s case, to go outside or the fact she is tired of her kin), the kittens are in the experimental hunting phase of looks, eye connection (or lack thereof) and “mad-dogging”.

Here is how it usually goes down:   I want to lay down and primarily settle down for the night but the minute I walk through the door everyone wants attention and they are fired up.  When they are fired up they wrestle and run around and jump on everything or claw anything until their tiny little muscles say “STOP!”

I lay in bed and they treat me like some Kittery CrossFit that includes; running laps, using my bun like a weighted rope, high diving off of shelves and stealthily trying to bite/lick my eyes, ears, nose, mouth and chin.  If I was more invested I would come up with proper names for the crazy events this clan of Kittery participates in, daily.

My least favorite event, is “Stare Her Down With Looks Of Love And Then Take Swift Bats At Her Face.”  A kittery will get all close to my face hole; all big eyes and looks of curiosity.  Then they start bobbing around a little, probably because they are focusing on a place on my face to plant a claw (if they are ruthless) or just a paw (if they are somewhat scary yet playful)  and then it is “GAME ON”.   My hands already look like I not only cut myself (for fun, of course) but also as though I have experienced the “stigmata”… raisin’ kitteries ain’t easy.

Admittedly I have had to learn to retaliate from this physical abuse.  Some of the events in my height and weight Cat-agory are ” Shake ‘Em Off Like a Dog”, Human Earth Quake, Kittery Toss, and Quicker Reflexes.

I think “Kittery Toss” is fun for everyone.

When I walk through the door, they know my gait coming down the hall.  They not only swarm but also they try and escape.  I suppose it isn’t appropriate to kick them around like soccer balls, so, I pick them up one by one and gently toss them (American Quaterback Football Style) onto my bed.   If one goes, they all watch and they jet quickly to greet their tossed sister or brethren on the landing pad with some good ole fashion kitty wrestling.    I just keep tossing them up there and they just keep coming back for more.   It’s the one event that seems to leave me uninjured and the kitteries highly entertained.

If you want to read about the first two episodes click here Quantum Express~ A Kittery Tale and here A Kittery Tale: Sleep Deprivation and Emerging Personalities.

insight, kittie cat, life, Writing

A Kittery Tale: Sleep Deprivation and Emerging Personalities

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Quantum is a proud, patient, borne-to-be-a-mother of kittens.  She is naturally good at what nature gave her to do.  She is sweet, attentive, and clean.  Since the kitteries have been born, she is even more clean than she was pre-kitterville and that was SO CLEAN! She never smelled of anything but love(?).  I mean she just really hasn’t had any odor about her since she came to be here. (Yes, her shit stinks.)  About four days after the babies were born, the room smelled like curry, or a mixture of Indian spices.  That sent me for a head spin because I rarely, if ever make food with those flavors even though I love it.

Our little feline schedule has taken a shift with the arrival of these five new furry friends.  Three girls, and two boys.  With an intense feeding schedule of every couple of hours;  Momma has a bottomless pit for a stomach and a penchant for constantly cleaning, I’ve been sent into a whole new level of care taking that has no regard for the time of day or night.  Who needs sleep?

Personally, I like sleep. No, I love sleep.  I am a light sleeper and am easily awakened by the slightest of noises.  I loathe being awakened and a whiny momma cat, is not a slight noise.  The whines and cries always seem specifically timed to occur when I am just about to drift into the deep onset of sleep. She sits there, staring at me, knowing this. She always cries in that moment when I feel as if I could fall into a dream abyss.  Immediately I am snapped back to the reality that this Momma needs/wants something.  Be it food, water, or a clean box… there is no limit to the requests that may come up at 3 am and I am an idiot for thinking I can ignore her.  She wins…every…single…time.

Week two has led to sleep deprivation. I am at the beck and call of this Queen.  I do the best I can at meeting her needs before I go to bed in hopes Quantum will let me sleep a full night; what a dumb human I am to expect that I could just go to bed, unencumbered for a nice stretch of rest.

If Momma ain’t happy…

It’s got to be tough to all of a sudden have five little critters to worry about.  It’s got to be annoying to have those little critters grappling at your swollen tits, with tiny claws and emerging teeth.  It must be tedious to clean and re-clean those babies after this tactile human handles them, and kisses on them with coffee breath.  I get it.  Sometimes  momma needs a break too.

Last week as I was settling in to go to bed, with the laundry basket of kittens next to me, Quantum hopped in the basket for a kittery feeding.  I noticed a different set of squeals.  I popped on the flashlight in order to take a look at the current scenario.  See, Quantum has ten nipples but only eight of them are in use.  None of the kittens like being on the bottom row.  The top row, middle two nipples are prime real estate and if they had their preference, only two would feed at a time on those succulent momma mammarys, leaving plenty of wiggle room and no competition.

Anyway, I turn on the flash light and the two boys are fighting over nipple realty.  Fluffs of hair are being scratched off as these two little furballs fight for space.  Momma looks incredibly annoyed and uncomfortable.  I decide to step in and remove the more aggressive kit.  I decide to also remove the kit that is on the bottom row and pull them into bed with me for a while so that the others can feed in peace and Quantum can have a little break in the feeding chaos.  She looks relieved.   After a few minutes I notice one of the kits has fallen asleep at the nipple, and I gently remove it, and replace it with one that hasn’t eaten yet.  I continue the rotation until everyone appears to be satiated.  Quantum appears to be thankful, and when everyone is back in the basket and cuddled up, she curls up behind my knees for the first time since the babies were born.

I feel like Quantum is trying to “train” me.  If she is unhappy with the smell of her box, she goes to the litter bag and claws at it.  If she is unhappy about her water quality, she stands by it and whines.  If she wants more food, she becomes incessant with her cries.  No matter the time of day or night, what Momma wants, Momma gets.

Quantum is pretty balanced in her care for each of the kittens, but I get the sense she has her favorites, and they are the boys.  I am partial to female animals, and in this case the girls are significantly smaller than the boys.  Once, I noticed Quantum was being pretty rough with one of the girls she was cleaning.  A little black one I call “My little Teddybear”; My Little Teddybear is basically the runt of the litter.  And I was feeling like Momma was having some animosity, like with one less kitten, feeding would be a  peaceful and roomy event.   I snatched up that little kittery and I tell Quantum that she needs to calm down and be just as gentle with this one.  I held it and kissed it and loved on it, and since then  Quantum has been more gentle with her.  My Little Teddybear is one of my favorites… something about how small she is, just adds to her adorableness.

“My Little Lion” is a boy, he is a champagne colored kittle.  He is the only one with a full body of light colored hair, he resembles a very light tabby.  He is the biggest and strongest.  He is headstrong and adventurous.  He was the first one I noticed to start self grooming at a week old and seems to instinctively know what “I’m gonna get your belly” means.  As I put my fingers down into the basket, he clumsily rolls onto his back and lets me tickle his belly, reaching his tiny limbs toward my hand and pulling them away.  It too much cuteness, if there is such a thing.

My Little Lion is a beast at the nipple and he gets annoyed when Momma wants to clean him.  He will kick, punch and scratch his way to the prime real estate and he uses the same tactics to escape from being bathed. If one of the girls is in his desired nipple position, he will basically try and suffocate them off of it by climbing on top of them, pushing them down to the bottom row, right off the nipple they were latched to. Sometimes the girls try to fight back, but most times they just wiggle free and try to find somewhere else to eat.  Occasionally they just curl up next to Momma and wait their turn.

I can’t even express how impressed I am with this weird relationship I’ve found myself in.  I’ve never really fancied myself as a “cat person” per say. I’ve always loved cats but I haven’t spent much time with them in general.  When I was about nine years old, a calico cat adopted my family.  It was an outdoor cat, and they fed it once and it stayed around.   I think about a year later we moved two houses down the road, and the cat followed us to the new house.  I named her “Cuddles”. She was fat and sweet.  Strange that I don’t recall what happened to her.  I wouldn’t have another cat friend of my own until twenty years later.

“My Little Pirate” is of the other little girls in the batch.  Her body is primarily black but she has some calico in there, and her face is split evenly down the middle with black on one side and champagne mottle on the other.  She looks so astute and her face structure is more delicate and angular than the other kitties.  She is quiet, and something in my room causes her to sneeze.  She is also adventurous but in a timid way.  She wants to see what is going on, and then she moves forward.  I just love her.  If a tiny ass kitten can seem like an old soul, My Little Pirate has that essence.

“Lil Baby” is My Little Pirates color counterpart.  Her coloring is similar, but her face isn’t as distinctive and her features are more rounded.  Basically she is too cute for words and reminds me of good ole Cuddles.  She is a cuddle kitty, but vocal.  She also seems like the type that may like to  hide.  I was sitting on my knees on the ground and I had a skirt on over my leggings.  The way I was sitting and the length of the skirt created a sort of a dark cave between my legs, and Lil Baby walked as far back into it as she could, toward the heels of my feet, and she just sat there and watched all the other kitteries awkwardly walking around.  This was our first foray on the floor, out of the basket.

Finally, in this mix we have “My Lil Panther”, which is the male counterpart to My Little Teddybear.  They look very similar, all black, but My Lil Panther has some white hairs around his mouth and eyes, and My Little Teddybear has the cutest pink black mouth and a heart shape on her nose.  My Lil Panther is strong and feisty.  If there is some tomfoolery happening in the basket, it’s likely that he is involved with My Little Lion.  I have a feeling those two will have no problems defending themselves in the future.   My  Lil Panther seems like the hard sleeper.  If he is tired, he sleeps as the other kits crawl all over him completely unfazed.

Every few nights, I take the kitteries into my grandma’s room, so that she can see them.  She loves them, they are amazing.   I know they are therapeutic by nature, and it allows Momma a food and poop break with complete privacy.

Claddagh Wonderdawg still isn’t sure what to make of all of this. She seems unimpressed that I am sharing so many kisses with these little things that resemble the rabbits and squirrels she like to chase in the yard.  She seems curious and frightened.  In the mornings, when she gets up and greets me at the head of the bed, she peers into the basket for a split second, sniffs it and backs away quickly as if maybe all of this is a dream, and tomorrow there will be laundry in the basket instead of a bunch of wiggling fur balls.  I tried to put My Little Lion near her, and she wanted to get away from him as quickly as possible. She refuses to make eye contact with the kittens.  She does however make eye contact with Quantum, and Quantum has an intense stare.  Overall, Quantum seems pretty chill about Claddagh being around her babies, and I think she wants Claddagh to be more engaged than she is, all around.

It appears to me that Claddagh is still pretty jealous of Quantum.  Like there isn’t enough love to go around, and now there is another body sharing the bed at night, and it’s been a long time since we’ve been in that situation with my ex-cat Poppy Rascal.  (That is a whole other story.)  I probably need to take Claddagh on a date.  Get some “one on one” time doing something that she enjoys, which probably includes french fries.  Then we can sit down and talk about it.  That’s just the way it goes with my animal family.  Sometimes we have to talk through things, and we are all usually better for it in the long run.

Stay tuned… the kits are starting to get active and I am sure this is about to get even more interesting.

Want to follow the beginning and next episode?  Click Quantum Express~ A Kittery Tale    for the beginning, and A Kittery Tale: My Body is a Playground the 9 week follow up.

 

insight, kittie cat, life, Writing

Quantum Express~ A Kittery Tale

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On November 9, 2018 my friend Devon walked out of my garage to his car, and exclaimed “Do you know this cat?”

From where I was sitting, I couldn’t see what was on the other side of the door.  Immediately I thought “Well, probably not because I rarely see cats just roaming around my neighborhood.” However, much like Schrödinger, my curiosity got the best of me.

“What cat?” I exclaimed, jumping from my chair and racing to the door.  There I saw a slim, small violet Siamese cat with an injured paw.  She sidled up to the drivers side rear wheel of my car and peered at me coyly.   I knelt down and called her to me, to my surprise she walked forward to me.  She allowed me to scoop her up to look at her paw.  A small injury, but it looked  like it had been deep and healing a while.  The gash in her paw almost appeared as if she had been stuck to ice, and ripped away her pad.

She allowed me to take her inside, clean up her paw and add some Vertricyn to the wound.  She was cuddly and appeared to want to stay close.  How could I say no?

I immediately took to social media; the after hours Animal Shelter site on Facebook, and any other local group that I noticed posts of lost or missing animals. I took her to the vet to see if she was chipped. Negative.  I posted on Nextdoor, a social networking site for neighborhoods.  I called the Animal Shelter. I waited a day and then I went out and bought her food; litter, a litter box and a dish and a couple of toys.

This girl was so sweet, someone must be missing her. It was just before the holiday season, I thought to myself, “Well maybe she was being pet sat and sneakily escaped.  Maybe her person is on vacation or deployment and the cat sitter doesn’t want to worry her owners while they are away.”  I was constantly checking my post, and posts about cats in my area.  Pretty much, nothing.

About a month after the kittery had been hanging out, a woman on the Nextdoor site, insisted it was hers.  That she had left town on November 10 and had only recently returned.  I demanded pictures and descriptions.  Her cat looked nothing like the one I had been treating as my own for the past four weeks.  The markings were all wrong.  She felt dead set it was hers, so I took a risk and said “If you feel that strongly about it, here is my address, come on over and see for yourself.”   Fifteen minutes later she texted back saying that she was called into work (at the military base across town, where she lives) and that she would be sending one of her guy friends to come by.

Honestly I got a little panicked.  I didn’t know if this was a demanding boyfriend type guy or what.  I texted her to drop it until tomorrow and come for herself but she didn’t respond to the message.  Approximately 45 minutes later I got a knock on the door from a short, kind of effeminate Hispanic male and a  slightly taller Hispanic female.  Both seemed somewhere between mid twenties to early thirties.  They explained the situation on their end, and I went to get the cat for their inspection.

I brought the cat out in my arms, lazily purring.  Immediately the woman said, ” Can I pet her? ”  And I reply “Yes.” because I have only seen this cat friendly to people (unless hungry).  She is a lover.  The lady pets the cat and says “This isn’t our friends cat.  Her cat literally hates me.  She tries to attack me anytime I am near her.”  Her male companion proceeds to look the cat over and agrees, “this isn’t the missing cat.”

I tell them my end of the story, and of my growing attachment, and how I thought it would be weird for a cat from the west side of town to make it all the way over here and then not try to go home.  They admit that their friend use to live in the apartments across the street, but it had been over a year and a half ago.  We thanked each other for our time and patience, and they went along on their way.   I cuddled the kitty deeper, and decided a month was long enough to wait for an owner to appear, and then I had the weirdest thought.

What if the owner of this cat died, and the cat slipped out when EMS arrived to remove the body?  Cryptic, right?  I got a strong sensation this was the case.  This cat had been stray for a while, and it was looking for the right person to adopt.  I had proven to her that I care for her well being.  Her love was strong and instant.  All of a sudden I felt “chosen” , again; a feeling I haven’t had since I found my Claddagh Dog.

This cat needed a name.  From the first moment, she just somehow integrated so perfectly.  I continued to let her outside, in hopes she would just find her own way back home.  I’d let her out at night, when traffic is less… and every morning I would wake up to pee and think of her and she would magically appear at my bedroom window.  I would let her in, pour her a bowl of food and lay back down.  She would eat her food, and come nestle herself in the crook of my bent knees.  We would sleep a while, and when I would get up she would make the smallest squeak as to say “Don’t move, I like it here with you.”

Some nights it was a battle of the bed.  Claddagh usually wants front seat being the little spoon against my chest, and occasionally the kittery was first to call it.  Claddagh would seem disappointed, nevertheless would curl up at my feet at the bottom of the bed.

See, I am so blessed with my animals.  Claddagh is a dream come true Dog.  She is so perfect.  She had her issues in the beginning but most of that stuff is out of her system.  She has had a kittery before, she is gentle and observant. I trust her to be kind to the kittery, however I do not trust her alone in a room with a dirty litter box.  It’s good to know every ones boundaries.

This cat still needs a name.  What do I think of her, when I think of her?  Well, it’s like she just came out of nowhere.  Like, she manifested from some other dimension in Time Space.  Quantum.   Quantum Dream Cat.  Oh shit, you know that kitty is here to teach you something.

So,  Quantum came into my life, accepted her name and knows it.  If she is outside and I call her name silently, inside of my head, she arrives.  Admittedly I was a lazy owner,   taking for granted the fact that I don’t really know anything about this cat except the fact that she is extremely clean, loving and chipless.   She likes wet and dry food, and as she is getting more comfortable with her surroundings, she wants to be held less.  I still let her out for a few hours each night/early morning.  She continues to return.  Sometimes, she just jumps up on my window sill and watches me sleep, waiting for me to wake up and look at her to let her in.  Her voice is quiet most times, unless she is super urgent or agitated.  She doesn’t beg to be let in, she just waits.  Claddagh wants to hump her and I think it’s funny to watch the Animal Planet live from my bedroom.  Something tells me the kittery might be in heat, so I start to keep her in.

In all honesty, I love this situation but I am sort of weirded out.  All of a sudden I feel some spiritual “Level Up”.

Okay.  So. I know. I should have taken her to the vet the moment I took down all the posts and claimed her as mine.  I should have, but I didn’t.  I checked for a spay scar, and didn’t see one, so, that is totally a “my bad.”  I was handling Quantum quite a bit on a daily basis, and the moment her little teets no longer looked like little pieces of dried rice, I went to Google to confirm what I suspected.  Pregnancy.  Fuck.  But, what do you do, right?  So far as I know, there is no Feline Plan B.  Again, what have I gotten myself into?  Immediately I start a Google crash course in pregnant Siamese Cats.