Funny Adventures in Cat Adoption, Part Five

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

We live in a county which was heavily Pennsylvania-German for centuries. Therefore, the culture persists in our nooks and crannies and some of the old-timers (especially the fah-mers) still speak the “Pennsylvania Dutch” language. My sixth-grade teacher told me the people called themselves and their language “Pennsylvania Deutsch,” (Deutsch is German for German) but that the English colonists couldn’t pronounce the second word, so they corrupted it into “dutch.” Kind of hard to believe about people who include the words “toy” and “joy” in their language, but that was her explanation.

My Guy grew up here. Although his family were not farmers, he heard enough of the expressions and ate enough of the food, that he considers himself to be a “Dutchman.” So, as we see the mischievous things our rescue cat, Skeeter, performs, My Guy has declared that the cat is a “nixnutz!”

A nixnutz is a lovable mischief maker, a cutie-pie who doesn’t have a single mean intent, but somehow always finds trouble. I agree. In fact, I agree so much that it has become Skeeter’s unofficial middle name: Skeeter Nixnutz!

(Pronunciation guide: “nix” sounds exactly like the English word “nicks.” Tricky part: “nutz” does not sound like the end of “peanuts.” Instead, it rhymes with the word “put,” as in “Put your clean clothes away” or “Please put the fork on the left.” )

Having a frisky, delightful, energetic yearling cat is much like having a human toddler. Except it’s a toddler who can leap higher than his own height, and climb to the ceiling or beyond! Since Skeeter arrived, lit candles are a forbidden adult decorative feature of the past. Medicines, make-up, and other potentially harmful items cannot be left on a countertop. Garbage cans cannot sit in the open and heaven forbid that I should place an emptied cat food can un-rinsed in the sink. Are you getting the picture?

We had two rooms in which our cats are not permitted. Now it is three. This week My Guy had "Enough!" of Skeeter and the Goddess racing around in his office and knocking over papers so carefully piled.

Running water fascinates our Nixnutz. I am guessing that his prior family did not give him enough, so he had to scavenge as best he could. On his first day with us, I caught him drinking from the toilet. This prompted my edict that the lid of the toilet must now be closed when not in use. My Guy had trouble believing the necessity of the new rule until he next stood to use the john. There was our rascally Skeeter - in between his legs "supervising." Skeeter also likes to help us brush our teeth and may trot back and forth along the side of the tub as we shower.

The other two cats know that table and counter tops are off limits - at least when the humans are around. But, the devilish Skeeter is harder to train. I tried spreading plastic carpet protectors upside-down on our kitchen table. The theory is that the little spikes sticking up will be too annoying for a cat to traverse with its tender paws. Well...in a prior life our little boy must have been an Asian mystic who walked on beds of nails. It was no deterrent for him!

Whether it is a human or cat toddler, we get to see the world through fresh eyes. Everything is new and exciting and wonderful to Skeeter and the joy is contagious. His curiosity is perpetually on HIGH.  The wonder of the world is a precious gift he shares with us as he happily believes the entire world is his playground.  I wouldn't have it any other way!