Cat-astrophes -- Part Un

It’s been a cold winter here in Seattle. We’ve been pretty much snowed in for about 10 days, off and on. The temperature has been in the 30s for so long, it’s going to feel positively balmy when it gets back to the normal winter 40s. Being home with the kits has been interesting. I’ve made a few notes on their recent antics:

Morning Coffee, anyone? The other morning, I heard a significant crash from the direction of the kitchen. In my semi-awake state, I called out to the kits to knock off whatever they were doing, then fell back asleep. A half-hour later, I visited the kitchen, only to find my morning mocha all over the counter, rangetop, floor, new Christmas throw rug, and even inside the stove, in the glass panels that make up the door’s window. “Wow,” I said aloud in an admiring voice, “that took some doing!” Much discussion of “bad kitty behavior” ensued as I sponged, wiped, mopped, and scrubbed away the coffee. All the while, I was “helped” by two kittens who had absolutely no idea how the cup had been spilled! They suggested a “seismic event” or “marauding reindeer.”

Honest, Mom. It was reindeer. Eight of 'em!

Mmmmmmm…. Catsicle: I was peeking out the door the other day, checking out the snow. I looked around, no cats underfoot, all was clear to close the door. A few minutes later, I noticed Winston clawing at the front door. Thinking that was singularly unusual behavior, I looked around to see what Franklin was up to. No Franklin. Well, no Franklin until I opened the front door and found him wedged between the house and storm doors. Oh, don’t worry, there was plenty of room for him – he’s still a tiny little thing. The main problem was it was 24 degrees outside, and I’m not sure if I would have noticed him being amongst the missing for a while. Hence… the title. ;) (I hasten to add, I do cat-checks frequently and am obsessive about safety. Toilet lids down, rooms with tempting small objects have doors closed, etc. That one got by me, though. So now I do a nose count before I open the door and turn to do one again as I close it behind me. Honestly, these are pretty high-maintenance kitties! :)