Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part Six

Hilarious account of what we did and didn’t do (but should have) when a five-pound bundle of fluff dropped into our lives.

Each morning, we follow our routine. I awaken and stumble into the kitchen to serve exquisitely delicious wet cat food to our feline family of three: docile fifteen-pound Sammy, the cranky Goddess, and energetic yearling Skeeter.  The ambience and presentation of breakfast may not be Michelin four-star, but the hungry diners do not complain.  Immediately afterwards, I spend a few minutes in the human wake-up activities of coffee preparation and consumption    After that, I have a regular play date with Skeeter in the living room. 

We no longer sequester Skeeter in his own room at night, as was our past procedure for the protection of pets and home. Each morning, as far as we can discern, all three housecats are intact. No huge chunks of fur are missing from anyone’s scalp, and everyone has the same number of paws, toes, and eyes as he had the night before. Our other area of concern, the physical plant, a/k/a our house, also seems to survive three cats roaming freely throughout the night. Well, there was that one morning when we discovered 3 stacking bins in the laundry room seven feet from their usual tidy positions…

One advantage of the new system is that after breakfast Skeeter does not need to burn off energy quite as desperately.  Formerly, Skeeter raced out of his bedroom faster than a Major League Baseball pitch, knocked back a can of wet food and chased a toy on a string for ten minutes without flagging.  Now that he can wander around a larger area all night, I think he gets more exercise.  I’d say we now have a 10 percent reduction in sheer oomph after breakfast. It helps.

Skeeter’s favorite cat toy is a blue feathery puffball on the end of a fishing string and wand. Undoubtedly, he was born with hunting instincts filling his excited little body.  He LIVES to hide, crouch, and pounce!  Or, to leap and capture!  Or, to wrestle with his cat siblings.  Holy Guacamole!  With all this energy and talent, couldn’t we train him to complete useful tasks for the household?  Perhaps Skeeter could carry MyGuy’s dirty laundry from the bathroom floor to the laundry room downstairs. And, couldn’t he grab the daily empty wet cat food cans, lick them clean, leap up onto our recycling receptacle, open it, and deposit the cans?   Alas, he is a cat.  His agenda is his own.

Another useful energy burner is the tree we brought in. Yes, tree. Well, just a large branch from a dogwood pruned last autumn. Propped against a multi-level cart and anchored on the floor with a heavy block, it invited serious sniffing. We were hoping the cats would scramble up and down the main trunk, but it apparently did not offer enough stability or width or other je ne sais quoi requirement for them to climb. However, after securing a spot on the cart shelf, the cats perform more intense examination. For Skeets, it is akin to the Blues Brothers’ “mission from God.” Each twig is the opponent in an epic battle. One by one, he has vanquished them. His dedication to the task is impressive. Only a few tenacious twigs remain…but not for long.

He is a delight!

To be continued.