Touch that ... and I bite you!

Angel has been playing "Jekyll and Hyde" these past few weeks. He will gladly cuddle in someone's lap. purring softly and looking up with those loving eyes of his. Then he will walk over to his chair and give us that "watch out" glare when anyone gets close. Papa Bear sat beside him last night and reached out to give Angel a skritch behind the ear. As his hand came close, Angel turned his head, opened his mouth and briefly gripped Papa Bear's hand with his teeth. No skin is ever broken - but Angel makes it clear that anyone who invades his personal space around the chair will be sorry they even thought about it. This shot shows he is already turning his ears back and giving the "watch out" glare, in preparation for a little bite!

Picture Perfect

This darling face is a far cry from the scruffy frost bitten cat with cracked paw pads we saw cowering in the back of the cage at the Humane Society. At that time he was still quite grimy from his several months of "freedom" on the street and actually looked like he did have gray patches of fur. A year and a half later his fur is shiny, his paw pads are back to a beautiful rosy color and he is a glorious white color all over. He is still nervous when he hears any loud sounds but he will sit still for a photo now and again.

Scratches on the floor? Who, me?

A few years back, Papa Bear worked late into the wee hours of the Xmas holidays to put down a hardwood floor in the living room. A few months after Spike arrived in the house (coincidentally also during the Xmas holidays .. but a couple of years after the floor) we started to see little scratches on the floor by the window. These were pointed out to Papa Bear (in the context of "look what your cat is doing!") but he was insistent that the scratches must have come from one of the boys pushing the chair back and then dragging it forward again. It wasn't long before the mystery was revealed. Every time a squirrel or rabbit walked by the front window, Spike would desperately try to run after them. We would hear a loud scratching sound and when we looked down we saw the back legs going like crazy, with those solid claws digging into the wood floor. Once the excitement is over Spike climbs onto the wood stand and looks like butter wouldn't melt in his mouth. "Those scratches on the floor - who, me???

Spike Behaving

Our definition of "Spike behaving" is basically anything he is doing that does not involve chasing either of the other two cats or pushing them out of the way so that he can eat their food/look out the window/play with a toy. This time he had jumped up onto the mid height bookshelf and was looking intently at something above Papa Bear's head. Spike's ears stand up and face forward when he shows interest in anything. He likely pays more attention to air movements than the other two, due to his deafness and he really doesn't like having his ears touched. Spike's ears are very firm to the touch and are quite large, in keeping with his overall build. The other two cats have nice soft ears and will gladly sit while we scratch or rub an ear or two.

Relaxing...and watching...

Spike has taken over Angel's customary resting place by the front door. Usually this blanket is reserved for Angel - and the other two cats have no interest in sitting here. But Spike has decided to see what it is like to sit here...and when Spike decides he is going to sit down, the other two have learned to move out of his way. Spike established his dominance quickly after joining the household. He can't hear the other two when they hiss or growl at him, so he just keeps on doing whatever he has started. His size can be a little intimidating and he has a habit of rising up with his front paws hanging in the air. He has great balance when he stands on his back legs and almost looks like a giant meerkat! He will come running over to one of the windows when he thinks there is something outside of interest and if another cat is in the prime spot by the window, Spike will just push right in beside. So we typically see Spike running eagerly to a window...and an annoyed cat (Angel or Sebastian) vacating the spot shortly after!

Fergie really wants to get out!

Some readers might recognize the photo of an inquisitive Fergie putting her head between the blinds so she can see better. She is now trying to get even further out - climbing completely through the blinds and finding her footing on the narrow window ledge. Still no luck - the window is shut tight! The little arm on the left is ready just in case Fergie slips and needs to be steadied.

Almost as cute as cats!

Although these aren't cats, they are still quite cute and furry ..and just as inquisitive as most cats. Papa Bear was down by the river when he saw a furry little face pop out of an opening underneath a concrete block. When he went to grab his camera, the little face disappeared quickly. He waited patiently...and then saw the face reappear. Puzzling though - because it looked slightly different than when he saw it a few minutes before. Sure enough, as soon as he moved to take a shot (photo, that is!) the face disappeared again. Papa Bear was even more determined to get a photo and continued to wait by the hole. All of a sudden, two little faces popped into view. The one on the right is slightly smaller so is likely the female of the pair. In case you are wondering what these are (as we were) it turns out they are groundhogs. Guess that means six more weeks of summer!