A handsome guest

Imagine you are driving through the city at night, heading over a bridge, when out of the corner of your eye you see what looks like a little rabbit.  Curious, you stop and get out to look a little more closely. Then you realize it is a little black kitten who has been hit by a car and whose tail has been run over.

Fast forward 12 years, and you are holding a sleek, warm, loving cat who looks up at you with the most amazing green eyes. The little stub of a tail that has been left after the vet amputated the balance of the damage is wiggling back and forth, showing the love and affection this cat has for you.

That is the story of Lynn and Champ.  Champ's name comes from the Champlain Bridge where he was rescued by Lynn.

We have been fortunate to have Champ visit with us for almost two weeks and we have grown to love the little purring machine during his time here.  He had his own room, with cat beds, cat tent, bookcase set up by the window for cat TV and a dark, quiet cupboard for him to go in whenever he felt the need for safety.  He could hear and smell the other cats in the household and often he would see a little white paw reaching under the door from the other side.   He met the two younger dogs, both of whom desperately wanted to stick their heads through the bedroom door and have a sniff.  He has his own Sheltie companion at home so exhibited no concern about the little wet black noses sniffing at his face.

It took him a day to get used to me. At first  he would either head into his travelling cat bag or into the cupboard. Within a few minutes his little face would peek out, and he would watch me intently with those beautiful green eyes of his.   Not my first cat rodeo...so I knew just to sit patiently and keep talking to him. Of course, a cat treat or two always helps!

Once he was used to me, I would come in to visit with my coffee and book.  Sometimes he would sit on the desk just behind my shoulder and purr, sometimes he would roll on the carpet and sharpen a claw or two (on the carpet...not on me!) When he wasn't getting enough attention (read: scratching ear, rubbing side of face, patting back) he would jump up on my lap and push his head against my hand or arm.  He has the sweetest soft little meow and he always knew when I was walking by the other side of the door since it would be quiet until I was almost by the door then I would hear than plaintive call for attention. The song of the siren..which would call to both my younger son and myself.  Hard to say no ...and I must admit I was a little late to work one day since I just had to pop in to give him just a few more head scratches before I left!

He is now back home and the guest room is sadly empty. Aaah...if only all guests were such a delight!

Spring Fever

I have just been in Calgary for a little over a week, in an animal free house. It has been very quiet, not hearing the bark of a dog excited about noises outside or the insistent meow of a cat looking for an evening snack. No snoring doggies on the floor at the foot of the bed, no warm kitties all curled up beside me on the bed.

Now I am back home, in front of the TV, with a dog lying on my foot and a second on the couch. Cats are quiet now since they have been fed and have now slunk away into the night to find cozy sleeping places.

Early in the day, though, there is usually a lot of activity in the house.  The front window is prime real estate, especially now that the huge mound of snow blocking the view has now melted right down.  Busy little squirrels are running back and forth in front of the window (a tree on each side of the window seems to hold a lot of appeal for them) and even the rabbits run by at least once a day on their way to the feeder in our neighbour's yard.

Dakota, who has no love for any of our cats, is glaring across at Spike and Sebastian who have dared invade her personal space. They are smart enough to leave enough distance that they have some warning when Dakota summons enough energy to get up and chase them, although lately it has been tough for her to easily get up.  Often she just gives them the snarl and lets them stay where they are.

A new hiding place for Spike

So this is what happens when I am away at work!  Hubby was sitting on the couch, which is right beside the bookcase, when he saw Spike casually walk by, look at the open space at the back of the shelf, and climb right in.

Other than having a prime view of hubby on the couch, I am not sure what else makes this an appealing spot. Underneath Spike is one of my work binders which can't be that comfortable.  And now there is some "floof" wafting around which I will have to capture and dispose of.  Oh well...maybe tomorrow!  

Spike is in a sharing mood

This is a follow up to the February 16th photos of Spike and Seumas with their own personal space staked out on the couch.  This time they are close enough that Seumas' ear is actually right on top of Spike's neck.  We know that these two are not scared of each other but they rarely get close.

Seumas is quite boisterous since he is still in puppy mode and often knocks Spike over when he gets excited, running over to get a dog treat.  Spike is usually smart enough to keep his distance when walking around the house but he has been caught in the puppy tornado a few times.

When Seumas is asleep on the dog bed in the living room, it is not unusual  to see Spike walk up to the tail end of Seumas and have a sniff. Spike then walks away with his mouth open, and a look of distaste!

Do I hear spring out there? Is that a bird or 2?

When I walked by youngest son's room earlier this week I saw Sebastian reaching up onto the window blind as if there was something exciting within reach.  Of course, as I tried to sneak into the room to see what caught his interest he sat back on his haunches, but with his gaze fixed firmly outside.  I heard a few bird cheeps, then some shadows of small objects moving right to left.  Sebastian's gaze quickly followed the same flight path until he realized how close I was. Annoyed at being observed at such close quarters, he quickly jumped off the side table and made a beeline out the bedroom door.

Meerkat Impersonator

Spike has a good sense of balance and often rises onto his back legs into an upright position, with his front paws hanging down.  We call him the "meerkat" when he does this and we see it often.  He can hold this pose for many seconds if his interest is caught by some fascinating object that is just a little out of his reach. He is not quite in position in the first shot above, hastily taken on my cell phone camera. By the time I had lined him up for a second photo I realized why he was so interested.

My hubby usually takes some dog treats in his pocket when he takes the dogs for their day walks.  There must have been some enticing residual doggy treat smell in the pocket because Spike's interest was focused on hubby's jacket.  Spike spent a few minutes pawing at the coat pocket but couldn't quite get his nose (and mouth!) in position so eventually gave up!

Happy ..and then not happy!

Angel was comfortably resting on the cat pad on the coffee table, watching what was going in the living room.  I thought it would be a good time for a cuddle and picked him up.  The photo below shows the split second before he dug his back claws into my arm and took off.  Apparently he was not happy with being disturbed!