catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (contemplative kitten)
It's now after Thanksgiving (even though we're actually doing our Thanksgiving tomorrow - Sunday), so it was time to put up the Christmas tree, and McKenzie just had to check it out for herself!
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
This had been the kitten's scheduled spay-day, but since her digestive problems continue, I didn't think that she was in good enough shape for surgery yet, so we postponed the spay for two weeks. Her latest new food, Taste of the Wild grain-free, seems to be helping somewhat - she has put on a bit of weight, and her coat feels silkier to the touch - but it hasn't fully resolved the problem.

This morning the kitten particularly impressed me with what seemed to be logical thinking from a cat's point of view. She was watching me scooping out the litterbox. With clumping litter, I use little plastic poop-disposal bags. After observing what I was doing for awhile, she came up next to me, squatted and pooped right directly on a plastic bag. I guess she figured she was helping me cut out the middle step by delivering right to the destination! I gently picked her up and put her back into the litter box to finish her business. I hope she got the message, but I couldn't scold her for what probably seemed to her like a very helpful thing to do.
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
In order to try to keep the kitten (and the dogs) out of the kitchen garbage, I have been tying up the half-empty bags, but that makes it difficult for Ken and Jess to use them, so this weekend we bought two tall, covered kitchen trash containers for the kitchen, the kind that are operated by a foot-pedal to open and close the top.

So, how well do they work at keeping the critters out of the trash?

When we arrived home after dinner this evening, Jess commented that she hadn't seen our little mischief-making kitten since she came in. Only moments after she left the kitchen, I heard a "pop" and I turned around to see the lid of one of the trash containers opening and the kitten shooting out. :-)
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (princess kitten)
Dear kitten: This is MY keyboard. I type words on it. I know that you find it to be a nice, warm place for you to take a nap. I have a keyboard blocker so that you can do that, when I'm NOT using it. However, I am using it now. MINE.
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (McKenzie)

McKenzie and Logan
Originally uploaded by catecumen
McKenzie and Logan - sitting peacefully together for a change!
catecumen: (my happiness)
I set my alarm for 5:30 AM so that I would have time to wash the dishes, brew and drink coffee, take care of all the pet stuff for the morning, and still have time to shower and dress without rushing before 8 AM court (summer hours). Instead I'm still sitting here at the computer, waiting for the morning fog to lift, not outdoors but inside my head.

And why is it that I'm still at the computer, and not in the kitchen brewing the coffee, which might actually help to lift that fog? Well, there's a warm, snuggly little kitten on my lap. She has a paw stretched out beside her face, hooked on the edge of the desk, with her nose leaning against that outstretched paw while she snoozes on my lap, and it is beyond adorable.
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)






Background music by Kevin McLeod from his royalty-free music site at incompetech.com
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
At seven to eight weeks old (we don't know her exact age), McKenzie is already a very accomplished jumper: she can make it from floor to lap, or from floor to top of baby gate, in one leap.

So far, at least, she does NOT seem to be jumping beyond her limits, the way that both Saavik and Katie did as kittens.

McKenzie and Logan are learning to tolerate each other in small doses, just a few minutes at a time. I'm hoping to be able to build that up, little by little.

McKenzie

Jul. 16th, 2009 04:25 pm
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
So, her name is McKenzie, and she is verified to be a female, and she's definitely a scrappy one. She has already figured out how to jump to the top of a baby safety gate, even though she's probably no more than seven weeks old. On the way back from the vet, she certainly made her displeasure known about all those assaults upon her dignity.

She's generally healthy, although she will need routine treatment for ear mites and worms, but nothing out of the ordinary. We're getting her on a schedule for all the vaccinations, etc., under the Banfield plan.

Right now she's sleeping near the top of the cat tree. :-)
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (cat-mask)
Jess and I spent some time trying to get the dogs to accept the new kitten today, with moderate success. (As I write this, Logan is barking in the direction of the front room again.) I guess it will take some patience, and I'm not so good at that lately, but I'll work on it.

I will bring the kitten to Banfield tomorrow morning to set up an account, and I'm hoping to have a more permanent name than "Alley-Oops" by morning. McKenzie, playing off the "mackerel" tabby with the "M" on the forehead? Izzie? Something altogether different?
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
Playing with a kitten really is like a form of prayer - not worshipping the kitten, but experiencing the awe of such a beautiful and perfect creation, and being grateful for the divine creative force which brought such perfection into being, a force which I choose to call God.

On a more mundane level, I'm working on cleaning the kitten's ears (ear mites!) and re-discovering the obvious fact of how differently puppies and kittens play, and why they should have different toys. (A kitten will bat a ball around the floor with its paw; a dog will immediately bite into the ball.)

I'm thinking of "McKenzie" as a possible permanent name for this kitten. "Alley-Oop" or "Alley-Oops" is really just a temporary placeholder name until we think of something better. I'll need to settle on at least a working name for tomorrow when I set up the kitten's Banfield account.

(This should now be cross-posting to "catecumen" at LJ, formerly "wandering_cat")

Coat color

Jul. 14th, 2009 06:43 am
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (cat-mask)
I found the name for the kitten's coat color pattern: "mackerel tabby."
catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (alley-oops)
I had forgotten that something so tiny can be so perfect.

Profile

catecumen: Ellen custom made by dhampir (Default)
catecumen

September 2020

S M T W T F S
  12345
6 789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930   

Syndicate

RSS Atom

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags