They're Pink!

Shadow has a shoe fetish! My stinky running shoe smell obviously does not deter him cuddling up to them. I think the color has something to do with it.....

The Layabout

Apparently I cannot leave anything that resembles a book on my bed while I study. Shadow has a habit of laying down on it.......  Sigh......

Bookmark!

I have no problem studying my Bible while Shadow is around. Look, a handy bookmark!

He's Wearing What?

Yes, Darwin is wearing a bra. Please don't ask why.....

The King

Darwin thinks he's king of the hill. It's more like King of The Laundry Pile.....

Pork Rind Lover

Bad habit of mine. I happen to love pork rinds. One day I left the bag unattended (I've totally forgotten that you are not supposed to do that with two cats). I return and find Shadow with his triangle/Siamese shaped head stuck in the bag. When I shouted at him, he grabbed a small rind and fled into the living room. There under the cover of darkness I could hear "crunch, crunch, crunch." I'll know better next time......  😸😸😸😸

A Good Match!

Shadow says: "I am black, your Dr. Martens are black, we make an excellent match!"

Stop Thief!!!

This is what happens when I leave my bag unattended. I had no clue Darwin was such a scoundrel.....

Close The Door!

Darwin is just too intelligent for his own fur.

He has been bum rushing my bedroom door for months. Sometimes I shut Darwin and Shadow out because I need some "me time", and Darwin detests that!

However, lately he's been trying a new tactic. When I'm getting ready for work he dashes into my bedroom and hides. Knowing full well I can't leave for work if I can't get him out of my room.......

By accident one night I slammed the door closed and walked away. I came back five minutes later and he was sitting right on the other side of the door begging to get out!  So now when he does the last minute bum rush I know exactly what to do. Close the door!

=^^=

These Are Not Toys!

Last week was a bang up week for me. Ever heard that saying: "I can get into enough trouble all by myself."?

Well, I did just that. Long story short. I tripped fell and dislocated my right pinky. This meant a trip to the Emergency Room, a battary of X-rays, a doctor popping the finger back, more X-rays, a splint on said digit and a trip home with a half ream of papers and a hurtin' hand.

I get home and Darwin and Shadow take one whiff and scat. Why? The antiseptic odor, plus said splint was scary looking.

This is like the sixth day of this ordeal and I've been trying to work my hand and bend my finger. I found the hand therapy balls I'd picked up from a neighborhood Chinese shop years ago. I took them out and guess who wanted to play with them?

The black nose should be a clue.

I tell you, life is certianlly more interesting with cats...... Especially with Darwin and Shadow.

=^^=

Coconspirators!

You know your feline family members have settled in when. They start learning bad habits from one another.

Ever since Darwin settled down and began to trust and love me he stuck to me like glue and followed me everywhere. Yes, even to the "throne room"....

Sometimes my bedroom is forbidden to him because I need some privacy. Namely, to sleep in peace without having to referee a feline version of a WWF cage fight match.....

However, I've noticed lately that when he knows I'm headed up the hall to my bedroom, Darwin will dash up the hallway, sit and wait at my bedroom door. Yes, like a dog! When I open the door, up he jumps up on to his favorite corner on my bed. I'll leave the door open and Shadow will slink in a minute or so later and join him.

But, I've noticed for the past few weeks Darwin has been doing what I call "The Kitty Bum Rush". Meaning as soon as I open the door a crack, he will rush in like a defensive linebacker! This has become very annoying especially when I must leave for work, or any other outside activity, as I keep my bedroom door closed. I've learned from previous feline house mates that they will absolutely trash my bedroom, so......

Previously I thought Darwin was the only one I had to watch out for. Apparently not. This week Shadow was caught in the act of doing the very same thing! Three times he bum rushed my bedroom door like Darwin, and gained entrance because I didn't expect him to do that! Obviously Shadow learned that from Darwin....

Now, I've got TWO stinkers to watch out for......  ::sigh::

Rear View

I call this "Downward Facing Cat". Darwin has his face towards the fan. Poor things get hot, too...

Good Boy!

It's been over a year and I see marked improvement in Shadow's eating behavior.

For example I've noticed he no longer growls while he eats. He no longer snarfs down his food in less than a minute. He no longer goes after Darwin's food immediately after finishing his. In fact, when Shadow finishes his meal, he leaves the kitchen like he has been taught to do. Instead of hanging around to intimidate Darwin.

This is progress.

However I've noticed other things. Shadow hates cat food with gravy. I guess the cat food manufacturers thought some foods would be more appealing if they had sauce. Shadow no like. I've caught him using his right paw to tease out the meat chunks and eat them, leaving the sauce behind. I would've never expected this from "Sir Greedy Gut".

=^^=

Don't Sneeze!

I mentioned previously that Darwin meows every time I sneeze. He lives to hang out with me and due to allergies, I have those accursed sneezing spells. And Darwin will literally meow each time I sneeze.

Shadow on the other hand, will flee the area at the first sneeze! Perhaps he doesn't want me to sneeze on him or he doesn't like the sound, but he definitely gets in the wind.

By the way, I also discovered that Shadow is terrified of the sound of aluminum foil..... No matter how I try to sneak and pull a sheet off of the roll, the second he hears the crinkle, he's gone! 

Amazing, his Shadow thinks of himself as the leader of the pack and he is afraid of everything. Except food......

=^^=

Lookit That Puss

Good grief! What kind of expression is that? 

I caught Darwin sleeping and snoring away, but as soon as I readied the camera..... well you see what happened.

Isn't This Cute?

After nearly a year, I've noticed something about my two fur babies. They are tremendously loving one minute the next they are in mortal combat.

Take Tuesday for example. I came home exhausted from work and hit the rack. As usual both Darwin (gray) and Shadow (black) sleep with me. Why do you let them you ask? Because if I don't they beg at my bedroom door. The begging sounds like this..... yeeooowwww, yeeooowwww, yeeooowwww.....  You get the picture.

So, to avoid the drama..... Like that Beatles song. "Someone's knocking on the door, someone's ringing the bell, do me a favor, open the door and let 'em in...." 

I digress...

I was awakened several times by those two duking it out on my bed while I was asleep. I finally woke up and tossed both of them out. Both went snarling and hissing down the hallway to finish the battle elsewhere. I, went back to sleep....

Yesterday, I could not believe after all of the fighting the two combatants artery caught snuggling. As proof I snapped a few pictures.

Isn't this just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?

=^^=

He's Dead Jim....

Poor Darwin! He looks like he is Dead but he's actually asleep.  I'd love to scratch his tummy but he has yet to reach the stage where I can scratch him there.

He just tolerates a few pat's on his head, only if I allow him to smell my hand first like a dog! You'd think he'd learned to trust me by now. Poor damaged Kitty.

Speaking of damage, I discovered recently that the tip of Darwin's tail is broken. I dread considering how that happened. Well, he's safe now. I hope he starts to settle in soon.

=^^=

Not Ready For Prime Time

"Mommy, I told you not to take that picture!" Shadow says.

Things I've Noticed

Like a mother, I've noticed certain things about my fur babies. I've had them for nearly a year and I'm still learning about their different traits.

Shadow still will not play nice when he eats. When I feed Darwin and Shadow, I still have to monitor them both. Shadow still tries to steal food from Darwin.

I've also noticed that Shadow growls when he eats. Yes, he growls like a dog. He went through that period when I'd first brought Darwin home. Poor Dar would panic and run, which was exactly what Shadow wanted.  Now, when Shadow growls Darwin looks at him like he's nuts and goes back to eating. Progress.

I've also started training Shadow not to growl. I use a fly swattered to tap them with when they are naughty. So, when Shadow growls I gently tap him on his head and tell him "no". He's slowly getting the message.

Note this only happens when I feed them canned food. Dry food I can leave and they will be civil.

I've also discovered that Darwin doesn't like tuna. What cat doesn't like tuna? Unfortunately  poor Darwin does. He will eat a bit of it and walk away. He like sardines and macrel tho.

He tends to eat a bit then does the litter box scratch on the floor to let me know It's yucky. But lately when I tell him eat a little more, he does.

I know, I sound like a momma with two kids. Well, I do have kids. Fur kids.....

=^^=

An Author's Cat

Shadow shows he is a true author's cat. Here he's not playing with a catnip toy, but my pens and my reading glasses.......