shinji – Mindflight

Our webmistress is nearly 13 weeks old!

Here’s a progress report on the Webmistress, and her brother!

Little Nishiko is growing like a weed. She already likes to help me on the computer – and her training as a webmistress is going well. It’s truly amazing how many traits she shares with Nezumi. She even likes lettuce as she did! She likes the same flavors of cat food, dislikes the same things, and has similar body language and habits. It’s like having sweet Nezumi back in our lives again – and perhaps that is so.

Nishiko’s brother, Hiroshi, is wonderful and active and friendly. The two of them play/fight every morning and every evening. One of the things I love about Hiroshi is that the moment he sees me or the spouse, or if not then the moment I start petting him, he begins a deep, loud purr. It’s a wonderful thing. Sometimes when he’s a rascal I call him “monkey” because of his really long tail and habit of grabbing everything.

These kittens are a trial sometimes, but they bring me true joy and have healed the deep well of pain that Nezumi’s passing left. Sometimes I spend time just looking at them, drinking in their perfection. The spouse and I both feel such love for them, there aren’t words to express it.

Shinji is being a wonderful foster father, doling out discipline with a gentle paw, even when he’s annoyed. He also grooms them and cuddles them, and even once in a while plays with him. Hiroshi wants to be like Shinji when he grows up, I can tell. Nishiko plays with Shinji less but relies on him more for comfort and occasionally protection.

All three cats are just wonderful. I’ve maintained a mostly grain free diet, including occasional treats of cottage cheese or unseasoned grilled chicken, that I make in little foil packets so that it’s protected from any salt. They have boundless energy and are developing into truly beautiful cats. They are also INTO EVERYTHING and on an endless quest to learn everything possible about their world.

As for progress, Nishiko and Hiroshi know their names, sort of come when called, and know “up,” “down,” and “no.” They don’t always listen to “no” but they know what it means. Tip for fellow kitten parents: Get a squeaky toy that is as loud and shrill as possible. It mimics a kitten’s distress sound so is a pretty good auditory deterrent, like if they start climbing up your bare legs or biting your fingers. It tells them “ow! That hurts!” and they understand it pretty well.

I hope you enjoy the pictures! They are taken during the past couple weeks.

Nishiko belly — I’m as big as Foster-Dad! See?

all three in window June 28 — A well deserved nap

Crazy Hiroshi — Brother, you’re such a goof

Hiroshi on chair large — I, Hiroshi, survey my domain

I meant to do that — Time for a streeeeeeetch

Feline Inscrutability

Jokes and Humor

It is I, Nezumi!

The Moms are off shopping, it’s the weekend after all. Littledog out back is making all the noise he can, scratching at his door, and I’m glad there’s a fence between him and me. Out front, there is Bigdog. He’s as big as some two leggeds. Sometimes he comes up to the window in front and we look at each other. Good thing I can’t smell him through the glass. He hardly ever barks or makes noise.

Newcat, I mean Shinji, is pretty fast moving for an old man. There’s something else about him, though. He’s inscrutable. I can’t tell if he’s going to hiss at me or run or just go lie down somewhere, because with those stripes on his face it’s confusing.

I think maybe it’s because his ancestors came from Thailand. They guarded both temples and palaces. Now, he’s got a fair dash of tabby mixed in, but he also has the long body and blue eyes. I’m still getting used to those. Before that, the only one who had blue eyes was Mom. But Shinji’s are even bluer than hers!

Shinji seems happier than he was. He’s even gained weight. I guess that’s okay, since I still get the same amount of pettings and nobody makes me share my Gooshy food, or my beds. He’s so quiet. Except at mealtime. Then he’s loud! His feelings are very obvious then. But the rest of the time he’s inscrutable.

Here he is, meditating. Or possibly, just avoiding a photo.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/inscrutable/

Meet Shinji, Mindflight’s droll new co-mascot.

Photography

Nezumi here. Mom’s busy working the camera and trying to get decent photos. Something about “darn autofocus,” whatever that means. I have bad news. Very, very bad.

There’s a new cat in the house. Do you hear me? A NEW CAT. For the first day or two I hissed at him all the time just to let him know who’s boss. Then I eased up a little and just stole his food, and gave him the Demon Eyes when I saw him. Then I just hissed at him when he meowed too much.

He’s something called a Siamese. He looks funny, with stripes and pale patches and blue eyes and stuff. He’s kinda small too, especially for a boy, and the Moms keep calling him “Minimeez” or “Permakitty.” It’s a good thing they are both giving me treats and petting me a lot, or I’d have to evict him.

The other day, Mom laughed at me hissing at him, and said “remember when Orion used to hiss at you, back when you were a kitten?” She thought that was pretty droll. Orion was my best friend. I still miss him. It’s hard to imagine being hissed at by my adoptive dad!

The Moms told me all about Shinji. He’s an old man! He could be as much as fourteen years old, and I’m only eleven! But he looks and acts like he’s three or so. The Moms said I should be nice to him because his two legged mother died, and then his two cat friends, and he was living in a backyard, and he needs a loving home.

I might be nice to him. Later. After all, he is pretty good at ankle-winding, and the Moms like that. For now I’ll just not growl at him. Much.

He’s not very good at having his picture taken yet, is he? Oh well. I’ll teach him everything I know. Eventually. Anyway, here’s me, the great Nezumi, signing off. All this blogging has made me tired.

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/droll/