h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Oh dear, lucky I hadn't started drinking my coffee when I read that or it would have been a serious !

az

Don't know about little Timmy, but she might've been trying to turn in Rocket for something misdeed or other...

Still, I'll take all the arm-pats I can get!

SC

"They become little nurses"

That's just so that they can either slip a little more arsenic in your tea or wait until you are delerious and get you to sign your fortune over to them in the will.

Tis true though that when I was recovering from the abortion many years ago in Salamanca that Lua - the most totally selfish bitch cat on four paws - suddenly became very attentive. She knew I was seriously not okay and followed me everywhere. Even when I went for a pee - there she was, sitting next to me in the bathroom and looking concerned. If I staggered out of my bed to make a cup of tea, she'd sit with me in the kitchen until I got that done. And when I was curled up in bed feeling awful she draped herself over my neck and purred.

It was actually quite adorable and something I never forgot once I got better and she went back to being her usual bitch-from-hell cranky old self. For that one week I really think she thought she was 'looking after me', and I also believed that too and really appreciated it.

So I think it's lovely that Missy was patting you on the arm, SC - showing you that she *knows* you're not totally okay right now. Take advantage while you can, that's what I say.

az

Though of course they might just be thinking - Hell, if the Alpha Cat bites the big one then where is my breakfast going to come from???


az

I'm the Alpha Cat? Usually, I feel more like the driver in the new film, "Driving Miss Missy!"

Actually, I think if left on their own, Missy could figure out how to raid the kibbles in a jiffy; Rocket would be the one who's a tad clueless when it comes to taking care of himself!

He's such a boy...

SC

Here's a link to some photos of Herman I took last night: http://public.fotki.com/psychocandy/herman!/

Herman looks like he was about to fall off that couch, in the last shot! What a comedian!!!

SC

The look on his face while he's getting stretched is priceless! (and 'Daddy' is rather cute too . . .)


az

And speaking of cute, here's another sleepy Sunny photo, taken yesterday - awwww. . .

http://public.fotki.com/azahar/gatitos/sleepyhead.html

az

Awwwww! That is SO precious! I love that one.

They can be so adorable when they're sleeping!

Thanks, everyone, for humoring me and viewing my photos, and for all the flattery for my two boys!

The thing that kills me about Herman are his total 'Sylvester the Cat' side whiskers - I've never seen a real life cat that actually had those happening.

And the poses with his front legs splayed out and him looking a bit duh also slay me. SO CUTE!

az

I love the side whiskers, too (and you're right, I've never seen a "real" cat with them before, either). And the fuzzy mane he has running all down his chest. He loves having those brushed.

The "duh" look occurs quite frequently . When he wants a treat, I tell him "sit", and he sits down like that, with front paws splayed, and a *very* pleading look on his face.

It's amazing the facial expressions they're capable of.

I missed this one: "Hell, if the Alpha Cat bites the big one then where is my breakfast going to come from???"

Which sounds an awful lot like the primary reason Herman puts up with me. It's so obvious that he's got me wrapped around his paw.

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I love the one Sunny puts on every morning - when he hears the alarm go off he gets totally into position with *that face*. That looks so pleading, that he is somehow sure he is never going to get his breakfast and why can't these huge lumps shift themselves and get those biscuits into his dish???

I mean - what? Cos Sunny looks totally distressed and worried and will sit there, sometimes pawing at us (claws in) to get us to look at his sorry face. It always cracks me up - and it's not a bad thing to wake up laughing.

Azar's morning technique is somewhat different. Once he sees Sunny doing his number he'll bounce off the bed (this cat always bounces, leaps, sprongs, etc) and will sit just outside the bedroom door screaming his head off - and man, he can get really loud!

Many mornings I lay in bed chuckling to myself while Nog gets up to put the kettle on for coffee and meanwhile hearing this duo squawking and screaming until a few biscuits get put into their dishes.

And it's all for show. Azar then eats about half a dozen biscuits and races back to bed for another cuddle! He wasn't actually dying of hunger, just wanted the attention. And then Sunny will demand at least three breakfasts - we have it down now so that he just gets a few bikkys at a time. For Sunny it isn't the quanity, it's *how many times* he gets fed with the usual cuddle that goes along with it.

Personally, I feel quite used and abused by these two beasts . . . but wouldn't have it any other way.

az

Hmmmm. az, it sounds like your boys have the "hunting and gathering" chores divided up: Sunny starts the hunt by "beating the bush", so to speak, and Azar sounds the alarm!

Here, it's all Rocket. He's convinced if he doesn't jump to the side of the bed and stick his wide-eyed little face up my nose, no food will ever darken his dish again. On the other hand, when Missy gets in the act, the situation is *serious* -- no crumb of kibble remains, so obviously she must supervise the "hunt", by pacing the other side of the bed.

Bad person that I am, since I've been ill, there have been a couple of occasions where Missy's involvement was necessary!

SC

PS -- Psychocandy, your boys *are* pretty cute!

Why thank you. I think so, too.

We also get the morning wakeup. It starts with Herman climbing into the bed (not an easy task for him, the sound is similar to someone slowly separating velcro), then tapping our arms with his paw (claws in). If that doesn't work, the next step is kneading (claws out). If we still don't respond properly, or promptly enough, he will flop over one or the other of our necks and whap his tail in his victim's face.

Still no response? He ups the ante, and heads down to the foot of the bed to start biting toes.

You would swear he's never fed, with all the squawking and howling that ensues any time I open the pantry or refrigerator doors. He'll also tip his bowl over (loudly) as a not-so-subtle hint.

As you can see from the photos, while he *is* extemely fuzzy, he's not exactly wasting away under all that fur!

Sunny and Azar's teamwork, and Missy and Rocket's, sound so entertaining. I love hearing about their antics!! What ever did I do for all those empty years without a cat around...

I wish we could have a second kitty... Herman loves other cats, even if they can be pretty awful to him, like the two bitchy kitties he used to live with were. (I told him is was his own fault, because he always watched them poop. A lady doesn't like being leered at while she's doing her business!)

I had a dream about Herman the night before last, fluffy mutton chops and all!

It was the middle of the night, and I could hear knocking on the door. When I got there, he was swatting my screen door -- trying to catch one of those big Lunar Moths.

I was so startled, I woke up; then I went to the door, in case there *was* someone knocking on the door which woke me. !

Speaking of ...

Rocket appears to be right pawed. Are cats prone to this??

I noticed today, when he came to do his little attention-getter (patting my wrist with his paw) that he stretches up and puts both paws on the edge of the desk, to the right of me, then reaches over his own left paw to pat my right wrist. And he does it this way every time. So I set up a little experiment: I dangled various things in front of him, or dragged them in front of him, and he "reached" for them with his right paw first, almost every time, even when the item was slightly to his left.

I'd be very interested to hear if any of your cats do this, as well. I had always thought there was a link between handed-ness and which side of a person's brain predominates. Would a left-brained cat be more analytical? And would a right-brained cat be artistic...

SC

Hmmmm . . . interesting theory, SC. Will test it out on Sunny if I can get him to wake up and play sometime before next winter. The experiment obviously wouldn't work with Azar since if he ever reached out with his right paw first he'd keel over - though perhaps I could test him when he is sitting up on his back haunches like a squirrel.

I remember that Lua used to usually swat at things with both front paws at once - leaping up and clapping them together in front of her. Worked great for catching flies.

az

Space Cadette, Herman was very flattered to hear that a lovely lady had a dream about him.

That's an interesting theory about paws- and I would love to have seen Lua catching flies between her paws. Dunno if I could test that theory on Herman without him tipping over, but I will try to see if he demonstrates a preference.