How to Play with 2 Toys at Once

Grab strings for 2 toys at once — the one you were playing with and the one your “brother” was playing with — and pull strings in tight to body with paws.

Flip over, thereby twisting much of the string and several of the toys under yourself.  That way no one else can come along and steal the toys until you’re through.

When you finally stand up, be forewarned that one or both of the toys might be wrapped around your tail or torso.  Within a few steps, you should be able to shake or bite them off your body.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

How to Practice Sleep Yoga

My dear sweet Tiggin was one to fall asleep in some of the most amazing positions.  She practiced what I can only describe as “sleep yoga.”  Here she is in that classic Hatha pose, spinal twist.

No matter how uncomfortable her sleep positions seemed to me, she always looked elegant and graceful as only a cat can do.

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Mister Sleepy Face – Part 2

All the fur furs seem a bit rumpled when they first wake up, but none more so than Caesar.  There’s something about his face that just seems rearranged when he first awakes. Maybe it’s the funny positions he sleeps in, or maybe it’s just that he’s got a very-expressive face.  If you wake him before he thinks he should be up, you’re often greeted by a bit of a Caesar scowl. If you walk forward and try to pet those adorable soft paws, they simply disappear under his chest.  Infinitely annoying human!  

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Further Adventures of Pink Mousie & the Purple String

Once again, pink mousie has been involved in further adventures.  The other night, as I lay tossing and turning and unable to fall asleep, the Baby Comet brought me the pink mousie in bed. When I reached over to pet him and pick up the toy, I found it was quite soggy — most likely having had a swim in the downstairs water bowl. Mmmm, nothing like a wet cat toy in bed at 2 a.m. to help you fall asleep!  Next, Mac jumped into the action and liberated the toy from Fireball and dragged it over closer to me.  Thanks, kitties!  I dangled the toy in the air a bit and she took off with it in her mouth and that was the end of that…or so I thought.

Next morning when I came downstairs for breakfast, there was pink mousie returned to the kitchen. This time, I found the toy dangling from its purple string under a kitchen chair. Now I’m not entirely sure how this happened, but surmise someone went running around under the chairs, then jumped back through chasing the toy, only to have its long string wrap around the bottom of the chair, ending the fun until the human liberated it again. Pink mousie surely will be off on more adventures.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Old Corks Make the Best Cat Toys

One of the best and most appreciated “found” cat toys in this house is a simple cork from a wine bottle.  I surmise it’s a combination of the cork’s shape, weight, size, and texture plus bounce-ability that makes this so.  They are soft enough to bite into and carry around, and probably about the size and weight of a real mouse. Then there’s the added benefit that, with a flick of a paw, they roll quite nicely down the stairs and, when they hit a hard surface, they bounce and bounce.  Last, there’s the fact that the shape allows string, cord, or ribbon of all sorts to be tied around the middle of the cork, once again putting the human to work entertaining the cats by pulling the cork around on the floor, or dangling it teasingly off the kitty condo.

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Squirrel Watch

A small red squirrel caused a lot of commotion this week when he was seen running around on the deck right below the watch of the kitties. It’s a good thing there’re 2 panes of glass and a window screen between them and him, or he’d become a squirrelburger fast!

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Windows of Wonder

Mac loves to climb up into windows and look out.  She and her “siblings” enjoyed just such perches at their foster mom’s house, so any window in this house is fair game.  If that window also should sport a tray full of plants trying to capture some sunlight, and she can have a snack along the way, all the better.  Life as a cat is so good!

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Sleepy Face

You woke me up for what reason? Then you wonder why I hide my paws when you come around.  Humans! Can’t live with them, can’t live without them…NOT!

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Vanquisher of Mice

When I came down for breakfast the other morning, there was a lump under a rug that sits in front of the refrigerator in the kitchen. I’ve learned to look when I encounter things like this, as you just never know what might be lurking under there. Alas, I found 2 toy mice.  After the cats were fed and I’d sat down to have my own breakfast, Mac the Merkitty came over for a play.  She kept trying to flip the corner of the rug up in the air and scoop the toy mice out from underneath. (Those splashasaurus flippers come in handy when hunting.)  During one especially vigorous flip-and-scoop maneuver, a blue mouse came flying — literally — out from under the rug and landed in the middle of the kitchen floor.  Mac kept up her efforts until she managed to snag the pink mouse from its hiding spot.  That mouse had been tied with a long purple string earlier in the week so I could drag it along on the floor for a little kitty entertainment. You’d think if the human wasn’t pulling it around, it wouldn’t be any fun, but this mouse has seen some serious action on both the first and second levels of the house this week.  I’m not sure if they drag it by the string or carry the mouse in their mouth, but here it was again.  Eventually Mac did successfully hook the pink mouse and pull it out. Of course, the toy was still attached to the string, and most of the string was still under the rug, which led to some additional fun as she tried to figure out how to retrieve mousey’s long tail.

 

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Merkitty & the Unicorn

Well, the Mermaid girl has a new cuddle buddy.

One of my friends still remembers that I used to like unicorns when I was far younger than I am today. Recently, she sent the kitties some snacks and me a little stuffed unicorn toy, which I had had sitting on my desk.  Mac found the toy and started nuzzling it, so I moved it to her kitty bed in my office.

She’s been snuggling with the unicorn of late, who stands guard while she grabs a little shut-eye. I’m happy to report that thus far she hasn’t tried to chew any of the unicorn’s appendages off. The same cannot be said for her own toys….  And note the cute pink and black toe pads? Alas, those adorable yet mischievous feet are not webbed.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Baby Comet at Rest

Here’s Fireball during one of those rare interludes between energetic bouts of rushing around.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

 

Return of the Plesiosaurus

Okay, at first I could tell myself that maybe, just maybe, the water I saw under the elevated water bowl was something I spilled as I removed the bowl, washed it, and refilled it.  Water could have spilled out as I reseated the bowl, or it could have dripped from the just-washed bottom of the bowl.  However, the second time I found the water, it was first thing in the morning.  I hadn’t yet removed the bowl for washing and refilling.  No, it’s time to leave denial behind and accept that my personal household Plesiosaurus was back to her old tricks.  Argh!

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Tiger Boys Sit & Wait

Morning snack time has just finished, and the Merkitty has departed. However, the Tiger Boys are still hanging around. Maybe there is a crumb somewhere that still can be eaten. Maybe the human will give us a pet instead of pointing that silly camera at us all the time.  Maybe if we stare hard enough, the human will get the hint that we want more snacks.  Maybe…

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

It’s Started….

I should have known better than to say something about the fact that I was enjoying dry floors this week.  Alas, that has ended. The slippery, flippery Merkitty has finally figured out how to toss water out of the elevated water bowl.  Maybe she saw me keep checking for signs of water under the placemat and decided to give me what I was clearly seeking.

 

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

How to Act Regal without (Looking Like You’re) Trying

Lay down. Keep your eyes softly focused in the distance. Ears must be erect and forward, mouth closed.  Extend forearms. Wrap tail around hind legs.  Slightly arch neck.  When approached by a human, act uninterested.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Merkitty Explores New Scratching Post

The Merkitty is a really big scratcher.  She keeps those little scimitar-claws of hers honed razor sharp.  It was time to replace a scratching post we had upstairs, so the human proudly presented the Merkitty with her new scratching post last night. This one is much better and has lots more features than any of the previous ones.  It even has an adorable little kitty paw print on the back.

 

 

So far, no one seems that impressed.  After all, the human spent $25 US on this “gift,” so therefore, the proper cat response is to act bored.  Silly human looking for cat approval.  NOT!

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

So Far, So Good….

 

At the risk of jinxing things, dare I note that the new elevated water (and crunchies) bowl(s) are so far doing okay?  No sign of Splashasaurus.  I’ve even double-checked under the placemat just in case, but all is well.

Of course, this has happened before.  The human introduces something new. The Merkitty circles around and around and ponders the change for a few days to a week. Then she strikes, just at the point when the human has let down her guard thinking she’s finally solved the water-bowl problem.

This time of “doing nothing” is the Merkitty’s equivalent of the human putting down the clear water bowl — it messes with the 2-legged’s mind.  Yes, it’s a dangerous game we are engaged in, but it sure is entertaining.

 

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Big Guy hides his Soft Paws

I was playing with the Big Guy the other day.  He was chasing the tail of an adorable knitted mousy toy that I had picked up at a local pet food store.  Of course, to chase the mouse, he had to have his paws extended.

And whenever his paws are extended, the silly human seems unable to resist petting them.

But the Big Guy has sensitive, tickly feet and he doesn’t like his paws petted.  Being an inveterate diplomat, he doesn’t take a swipe at the annoying 2-legged. Instead, he just tucks his paws away for safe keeping.  Harrumph, foiled again!

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Merkitty Meets the Elevated Water Bowl

Well, the silly human made time to acquire a pair of bowls on an elevated stand yesterday.  Last evening, the Merkitty met this new situation for the first time.  So far, so good….no water splashed all over the floor.  Wonder how long THAT will last?

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.

Merflippers

Well, that didn’t last long.  The water bowl is back on the boot tray and has already been flooded several times this morning.  In fact, while I was eating my breakfast, no less, the Merkitty went splashing right in front of me. She flipped and tossed 6 or 8 times just to make sure that what she thought was in the bowl — water — was indeed that illusive substance. Once satisfied as to its efficacy, she settled down in a Merkitty crouch and proceeded to have a drink of water.

The silly human has yet to make time to visit the petfood store to acquire a water bowl on an elevated stand, not that she thinks it will make any difference.  Once a Merkitty, always a Merkitty.  Nonetheless, yesterday the human found the Merkitty in an adorable position amongst pillows on one of the couches and did go searching for evidence of webbed feet.

Instead, she found the same adorable white paws attached to black legs and outfitted with black and bright pink toe pads.  These cute feet, which cuff mice, mix blankets, scoop food, and splash water look so innocent.  No evidence was found that the Merkitty is really part water creature, but it must be there. The human just isn’t looking in the right place.

 

(c) Copyright 2014, PeggyMalnati. All rights reserved. Photos my own.