Kitty WWF

I just don't know about my cats. I love them dearly but I think they are both nuts.

Case in point.

Darwin and Shadow were hanging out with me on my bed. They both took a snooze, woke up and started grooming each other. Next thing I know Darwin ponces upon Shadow's neck and grabs him with his teeth and starts biting. It must've hurt because Shadow starts yeowling, then hissing. Next thing i know, there was a knock down and dragout on my bed. I snapped a towel and yelled at them to "Get out!",  and they both fled to continue their scuffle elsewhere. I slammef my bedroom door closed in order to have a few minutes peace and quiet.....

Darwin usually comes back and meows (sqeaks) at my foor to be let in after they've finished fighting. Shadow skulks about and creeps back in if Darwin lets him....

Lately Darwin has taken to stationing himself at the foot of my bed like a sentry. While lying there Darwin can see and hear Shadow when he sneaks up the hallway to my bedroom. If Shadow sees him "on post" he won't come in. If Darwin choses to allow him access, or is not there he'll come in...

I feel like one of those National Geograohic narrators describing the lioness as she takes her cubs down to the local watering hole....

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

PS  WWF stands for Worldwide Wrestling Federation.

No More Mat

Well, Darwin no longer has mattted fur on his back.

Yesterday while he was eatting I started scratching his back.  I noted that he was too busy chowing down to take a swipe at me with his claws or bite.

So, on a whim I grabbed a scissor and gently cut the mat off. Now Darwin has a bald sport on his back where the mat used to be. But it will grow back.

If Darwin had let me groom him, he wouldn't have the problem in the first place.

I might use feeding time to give him a couple of soft strokes with the brush so he'll get used to being touched and groomed. That's Darwin's real problem. He's been ferral so long he's not used to and doesn't like to be touched. That can be overcome....

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

Mister Matted Fur

I have a wee bit of a problem.  Like Spiral, Darwin tends to get matted fur on his back.

When Spiral had them I either brushed or combed them out, which he really enjoyed. If they were really bad I would take a scissor and cut the matted fur off.

However, Darwin due to his formerly ferral living conditions, doesn't allow me to touch him that much. Ever once in a while I'm able to sneak in a pat or a scratch. But any prolonged touching and Darwin will either respond with a bite or scratch.

So you can imagine what happened when I tried brushing the mat out. Yes, he bit and scratched at the brush and me multiple times. I did manage to use the scissor and cut a tiny portion off. But Darwin bit that too. I'm currently waiting for my chance to do another sneak attack on him to get the rest of it.

Which makes me wonder if Darwin will ever learn to trust me enough to touch him with out trying to bite or scratch me. I guess three months is not long enough to tell yet. Perhaps this time next year, eh?

Now, if he'd only bite and scratch Shadow like that when it comes to his food......

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

Old Habits

It is said that old habits die a hard death. I'm beginning to believe this is true when it applies to Shadow and Darwin.

After three months of living with me Shadow still sucks his food up like a shop vac. I've never seen a cat eat so fast without choking. After he finishes Shadow immediately goes after Darwin's food. And it doesn't matter if I'm standing right there to deter him. Shadow will take a chance on getting a swat from a fly swatter in order to steal a mouthful of food and dash out of the kitchen. 

The strange thing is, Darwin would be in the middle of chowin down, but he'll step back and let Shadow raid his dish! Agggggghhh! It's so frustrating! If Darwin would rise up and give Shadow a coupla good whacks he would stop the nonsense.  But he won't.....

Sigh......

Darwin has his quirks too. He keeps missing the litter box. I think I've got it down to a science though. I believe if the litter boxes is too full he will use the floor. Which not an option for me cuz I get to clean it up. Which is not enjoyable.

When I bought the two litter boxes I originally intended Shadow to use one and Darwin to use the other.  But you know cats. Shadow immediately put his scat in both which I believe turned Darwin off. That's why he started using the floor because he didn't want to share. Cats are extremely territorial like that, you know.

Darwin's learning but slips up.  I have a third llitterbox and I'm considering setting it up to see what happens.

This is a definite change from the well behaved kitties I used to have.  Shadow and Darwin are rogues compared to Biscuit and Spiral.

I should buy them both pirate costumes .....

=▲▲=
Dawn Skyy

Bad Puddy Tats

Just like Tweety Bird says my cats have been bad pusses. I dont know who has misbehaved more. Darwin or Shadow, all I know that they both got swats on their kitty bums for being naughty.

Darwin, for deliberately taking a poo on the livingroom floor. He's been very good at using the litterbox, considering that he was once feral. However, every once in a while he likes to leave me an unpleasant surprise.....

He also pulled a fast one on me one afternoon. I was brushing my teeth and spied him coming into the bathroom to use the litterbox, but he didn't stay long. Next thing I knew he was behind me in a corner. I finished, turned around was greeted with a puddle of wee on the floor!  What, the litterbox was not good enough for you, Darwin?

Shadow? He's back to his old habit of hogging food. Up until this week he was good about eating his food and leaving the area. I still have to supervise mealtimes unless I give them dry kibble. This week even though I wad standing right over and watching them, Shadow  risked growling and dived for Darwin's bowl to steal a mouthful of food then dashed off with his fat self.

Needless to say, the fly swatter was busy this week.....

=^^=
Dawn Skyy 

The Dreaded Black Hair in The Sink Mystery

So I've been wondering to myself, "Where is all of this black hair in the bathroom face basin coming from?"

Well, yesterday evening sfter I'd come home from my jog I found out. Apparently Shadow loves to curl his fat body up on it like it's a nest ... And of course he detested me taking his picture. He doesn't know it yet but one of the requirements for living with me is to be on 24/7/365 call to take plenty of photos.

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

Gzuntheight!

With the passing of Labor Day (the first Monday in September) Summer is officially over and Fall has fallen.

For me the change of seasons means marathon sneezing sessions because I'm allegic to something or other.  I'm past fifty and my doctor has stopped short of telling me that I should live in a bubble....

Well yesterday I had one of my sneezing sessions and Sir Darwin happened to be hanging out with me. I noted that everytime I sneezed Darwin would meow.

With him he really doesn't know how to meow yet. He's been practicing with Shadow when its time to sing/yeowl for their supper. He's getting better but in the meantime he still squeaks instead of doing an official cat's meow.

So I noticed.....

Me:  Achoo!

Darwin:  Meow!

Me:  Achoo!

Darwin:  Meow!

This went on for a good ten times untill I finally figured out that Darwin was telling "gzuntheight".......

I guess next he'll hand me the tissue dispensor.......

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

Yarn Buddies

Nothing catches a cat's attention faster than a ball of yarn. Well... let me rephrase that...  a skein of yarn.

I decided to embark upon a little crochet project. I bought a new cellphone (a Samsung 3) last Saturday and its way too big for a holster, so I decided to make a little pouch for it.

So I selected a skein of yarn from my stash and found my crochet needle box and settled in to start. I totally forgot about my felines until they tried to take over and abscond with my supplies!

Good grief! Is nothing safe in this house? I guess not....

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

Hug And Bite

I've oft spoken about this routine Darwin likes to engage in. He dashes ahead of me as I head towards my bedroom. In a very dog like fashion if my bedroom door is open he leaps up on my bed and makes himself comfy on the foot end. Most times he does it so quickly that I don't see him. I'll sit and there'll be this grey bump on the end of my bed.....

I should've named him Lighting.....

Anyhoo.....  If the door's closed, he sits at the door and meows at me, well sort of meows, he sort of squeaks for me to open it. Of course, there are times I don't want him jumping up on my bed so I'll use my right foot to hold him back. That's when Darwin loves to do his "Hug and Bite". Most of the time I have on my slippers, which are loud pink, imitation Crocs, but last week I had on my running shoes and he went to town!

Sorry for the blurry photo. He was moving fast and I grabbed the first thing ready that was capable of taking pictures. My trusty cellphone.......

=^^=
Dawn Skyy

No Boxes

Darwin and Shadow are strange. Last week I went to the Post Office and got two boxes (yes, they are free) and I set one up in the livingroom just to see who would take an interest in it. I was all prepared with my camera to take photos either Shadow or Darwin in the box. Fat chance that....

Neither of them showed any interest at all. Wouldn't you know it I have two "poo putt" cats! It's either that or they are hanging out in it when I'm not home or asleep. I might need to invest in a nannycam to see for myself?

Hey, if the NSA can spy on American citizens I can spy on my cats......

=^^=
Dawn Skyy