The Kitty with No Name

Tigress writes:

I have a new friend!  Well, we've known about him for about three months, but he's relatively new as a regular.  He's not telling us his name yet, though.  He's a young boykit, definitely a "teenager" or very young adult.  Daddy says the boykit's probably between 10 months and a year old.  He's not fixed, so we've all been trying to get him to come eat on a regular schedule so that he'll go have surgery like the other boys did.  He'll probably even get an eartip like Sherbet and I have!

So far, he's been coming every evening between 6:30 and 7 pm, and sometimes throughout the day when I run into him while I'm hunting and bring him by.  The first time I brought him by in the evening, I came up first then talked to Daddy when he opened the door.  I told him that he'd better put food out even though I was coming inside to eat, then I went in and out a few times.  Daddy listened and did what I asked, then the boykit came up to eat after Daddy closed the door.

He doesn't come when called yet, but he will stop what he's doing and come toward the door when our purrents call, "Kitty!"  At least he knows something to be called at this point!  I've been trying to show him that it's ok to come inside, but he's not ready for that yet.  He'll eat even when the door's cracked open a bit, and even when one of the inside kitties pokes their nose out to sniff.  He hasn't touched noses with anyone else from inside yet, and hisses at our purrents if they put their hands out.

He's making a lot of progress, though!  Here's a picture that Daddy took of him.

Public Service Announcement: Foxtails!

Miss Marble writes:

When I came inside last night, Mommy did my "burr-check", just like she does every time I come in.  She runs her hands over all my fur, including my tummy and legs, to check for tiny seeds called burrs.  They are ball-shaped, with tiny hooks, and were the inspiration for Velcro.  Well, they sure do that to my fur if I go through those plants that have burrs!  One time, Mommy got five out of me at once, and I have short fur!

I only had one last night, but then Mommy felt something that was a bump with prickles.  She made me stay put, holding me between her knees to keep me in place, while she parted my fur and looked at the bump.  She pulled something out with her claws (which she calls fingernails) and said I had a foxtail!  No, I have a kitty tail, Mommy!

She showed it to me, and I promptly tried to gently bite it out of her fingers.  I knew it was bad, no matter what it was called!  This kind of foxtail is a seed.  It has a hard point that sticks in skin, then grass-like parts that act as arrow barbs.  The point gets embedded in the skin, then the whole thing works its way in, through muscle, veins, arteries, anything that gets in its way.  Nasty things!  I'm so glad Mommy got it out of my fur before it tried to work its way under my skin.

If you have cats, dogs, or any other animal that goes outside, please be sure to check them for these nasties.  Check your own clothing, too, including socks and laces, before coming inside so you don't inadvertently track them in.  It's definitely foxtail season out there!  Click here for a picture and more information.

I'm free!

Miss Marble writes:

I'm free of the carrier!  Last night, when I was out on one of my supervised jailbreaks, I ran into the bathroom and peed in the box.  A few minutes later, I ran in again and pooped in the box!  Actual poop, although it was soft!  My humans were so impressed that I felt that much better, and they let me stay out of the carrier all night.  I'm very happy right now, although I really want to be outside with my sister.  We touched noses through a crack in the door last night, and again this morning, then I made sure that she got fed when Mommy woke up.  I wanted to snuggle with Mommy last night, but she said I couldn't be up on the bed yet until my poop was drier.  Everyone gave me lots of pets last night and this morning, even the little boy, but none of them would let me out even though I was reaching up to the door handle.

Carbon's Wordless Wednesday