Kitty, the blog animal         August 30, 2004

If I had to narrow it down and select Kitty's very best quality, it would have to be her  earnestness.   And yep, that's a pretty old fashioned word, but it describes her to a "T".   She is oh-so-serious about being the very best cat she can possibly be.   It all seems to come very naturally to her.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 29, 2004

Kitty has been wrapped up in the excitement of the Olympic Games, but I'm going to have to find a gentle way to tell her that this new sport she has invented --  getting distorted and wierd,  is more of an individual recreational activity than an officially recognized competitive sport.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 28, 2004

Yesterday Kitty came home with the stray idea that "blondes have more fun".   You probably know how difficult it is to change the mind of a cat, so I told her that I would love her whatever color she decided to be.   Then, to explain the way I really felt, I let her know that  black and white  are actually my favorite colors, which is entirely true...    [note: technically, black and white aren't actual colors, but let's keep that quiet.]

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 27, 2004

Kitty had to sit me down for a little talk.   But of course she can't talk, so she had to diagram the whole concept for me on the chalkboard.   And although her handwriting is kind of scratchy, I think that big word that she underlined and kept pointing to reads:  carniverous.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 26, 2004

Kitty uses her morning sun primarily just for illumination, but in the afternoon her sun transforms into  something warm and nourishing.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 25, 2004

A few days ago we found the key to wind her up, but yesterday we finally got around to actually trying it.   The result is an  artistic swirl...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 24, 2004

Ages ago, when I was seriously "into" creative photography, I roamed the countryside seeking out artistic compositions of weeds and grasses.   One day a gentleman stopped his car and asked me what the heck I was taking a picture of, and when I replied; "This spectacular display of grasses...", he gave me an incredulous look, then spat-out this foolish statement;
"There is absolutely nothing there but a  bunch of weeds...".

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 23, 2004

I don't know why Kitty has to be so dramatic, but every Monday morning, just as reality rears it's ugly head, Kitty goes into "theme mode".   When she arrives at work, I am told that her co-workers need a few minutes to figure out excatly who "that" is...   "Oh,  it's just Kitty".

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 22, 2004

Now, I'm not exactly certain where the  penguin  came from, but it seems to be Kitty's new black-and-white friend.   They share the same sense of fashion.   I wonder if the penguin is as good of a dancer as Kitty...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 21, 2004

The GOOD part of playing cops-and-robbers is that your finger never runs out of ammunition.   But the BEST part of cops-and-robbers is dying.   Dying is an opportunity for creativity.   The official cops-and-robbers rulebook specifies that after "bang-bang, you're dead" the dying cop or robber must put on the most  dramatic death performance  possible.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 20, 2004

By late afternoon, Kitty usually emerges from the shadows,
and finds a place to  soak up some sunlight...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 19, 2004

Sometimes we've got Standard Time,
and sometimes we've got Daylight Savings Time....
But right now, we've got  Corn Time, and it's two kernels past the ear...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 18, 2004

Here is our little friend, taking a  snooze...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 17, 2004

I never expected to be a roommate with a cat of such intense desire.
It's zeroed in and focused like a Kleig-light on one major goal...
...to grace the front cover of  Vogue magazine.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 16, 2004

It's Monday morning again, and Kitty has begrudgingly gone off to the office, or as she calls it, "the rat race".       the party is over...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 15, 2004

So, that's the last time I walk into Toys-R-Us and ask if they have anything for a cat.   They sold me a  train set.   It is going back to the store...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 14, 2004

Years ago, two fellows named Kellogg and Post found a way to put corn in a box so they could transport it to the masses.   But here at Kittyland, when it's  corn time,  we serve the genuine and fresh and juicy stuff...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 13, 2004

I've seen  those eyes  before...
and I didn't even know Kitty was Catholic...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 12, 2004

Each morning Kitty opens the door to Kitty's Art Gallery, and although it's a modest location, the rent is cheap.   Actually, it's just a kitchen cabinet that she commandeered a few years ago.   At first it was just her own special kibble feeding station, but of course, she started hanging around with the "artsy crowd", and that's when she added the art gallery.
Kitty, curator of Kitty's Art Gallery

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 11, 2004

I probably spend way too much time trying to figure what might be seeping into Kitty's  pretty little head,  but she isn't giving up her secrets, and I haven't the foggiest idea of how to go about finding out...

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 10, 2004

Kitty's garden is usualy not much more than a stray dandelion in the corner, but actually, Kitty's garden seems to have the ability to reassemble itself, almost instantly,  where-ever she is.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 9, 2004

Keeping Kitty in-focus isn't easy...   Unsharpness can be caused by one or more of the following:   the camera can shake; the autofocus can easily misfocus; the cameraman can quiver; or The Cat might be in the middle of trying out some tricky new dance moves for her next appearance on American Bandstand.   Generally, blur seems to be a special photographic form of  perpetual motion.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 8, 2004

Finding little ways to torture Kitty is a fine occupation...   I hope this isn't leaving any deep psychological scars...   But when I think she has had had quite enough servings of Kibble, and she keeps bugging the hell out of me for more, I start doling out the kibble one little-bitty piece at a time...   She goes along with the game, and never loses her intense and suspenseful concentration.   ...And for just those few minutes I am the dominator and I am in complete control.   All it takes is a tight grip on her salivory glands.       temporarily blurred by domination

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 7, 2004

As Kitty's dad, I am way too old to be cool, hip, or trendy,  but I guess that's what we have cats for...   The new trend is to stick out their tongue and wipe their nose with it.   I think it's disgusting and gross, but all the local cats are doing it...         brand-new trend

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 6, 2004

I knew Kitty's wind-up key was around here someplace, and we finally found it.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 5, 2004

Taking Kitty for a walk is easy.   All I have to do is pick her up and carry her around the house from room to room.   She seems to love the ride, because it always gets her purring.   But what she really seems to love is the elevated perspective.   Being built so close to the ground must get old after a while.   Yes Kitty,  it's a tall and very big world you live in.

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 4, 2004

Sleeping, eating, playing, and looking intense...   These seem to be Kitty's four basic modes of operation.      intense curiosity

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 3, 2004

When it's time for corn, Kitty prefers to have it served outdoors, picnic style.   But of course, the neighborhood yellow-jackets love picnics too, so Kitty knows she has to eat fast before too many of the little buggers arrive.     feast of corn

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 2, 2004

Kitty is an indoor/outdoor cat, but one of her favorite places to hang-out is her window mounted cat door.   She can stick her head out, but keep the remainder of herself indoors.   It's the best of both worlds, and the perfect place for day-dreaming...      a dreamy eyed cat

          Kitty, the blog animal         August 1, 2004

I'll never know, because of course I would never dip Kitty's tail into ink or paint, but I've always wondered just how good of an artist's brush her plush tail would make.   And of course, if Kitty was doing the painting, she would most likely require a rear-view mirror...     the artistic Kitty

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 31, 2004

While Colonel Sanders may have a trademark on his "finger-lickin-good" slogan, Kitty has her own little corner on the phrase "lip-smacking good".

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 30, 2004

Kitty and I may have unravelled an early form of clock...   Our theory is that in early times, cats were routinely thrown into the air, and the position of their feet, when corelated to a dial, indicated the time.     cat clock

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 29, 2004

God forbid, but if our lawmakers ever decided that looking-really-cute needed to be made illegal, Kitty would be a  notorious criminal.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 28, 2004

Kitty is easy to please...   A simple  boquet of weeds  works every time.   She seems to know that  it's the thought that counts...

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 27, 2004

The Kittyland accountant has given us no budget for sports equipment, so we have to make do...   Wadded-up pieces of paper are great fun, but her newest toy is a pair of a worn-out shoelaces tied-up into a ball.   Kitty always wins, and for the victorious, it's time for  post-game relaxation.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 26, 2004

Kitty is our official greeter, and she is 100% in charge of arrivals.   All who arrive are evaluated.   The secret handshake is a pat on the head.
hello, Kitty

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 25, 2004

Kitty isn't afraid of getting dusty-and-dirty, and she has even invented a fine new dusty-and-dirty game.   First, she rolls around in the dirt and gets as absolutely filthy as is possible.   Next, she expects me to brush her off, which of course I do, but just as soon as I finish, she takes another roll-in-the-dirt, so of course, we get to do it all over again.    a dusty cat

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 24, 2004

I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I caught myself telling Kitty that if she didn't cooperate better it would be a long time before we get our vaudeville act refined to the point where we can take it on the road.   I will give Kitty credit for a stellar effort with the singing part of the act, but she keeps missing her dance cues.   We're going to have to work on it because I don't think a real audience will tolerate any  rough edges.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 23, 2004

I can't remember when we started doing this, but if the mood is right, Kitty seems to love being picked up, upside down.   I always support her shoulders so she doesn't wreck her back, but by picking her up this way, her menacing claws automatically point straight out and away from anything she can scratch, slash, or puncture.      upside down cat

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 22, 2004

Albertsons had fresh corn on special at six for a dollar, but the ears looked so old and tired that I passed them up in favor of a package of frozen.   We usually keep frozen corn in reserve for when we run out of fresh, but rather than complain, Kitty seems to enjoy the variety.   And then, when fresh eventually returns, she gets to enjoy another change back to fresh.   Safeway has just started advertising sweet, white, and very fresh Brentwood corn.   I'll put it on my shopping list.      frozen lunch

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 21, 2004

When I tell people that my cat insists on a steady supply of corn-on-the-cob, they usually either have a good chuckle, or look at me like I'm some kind of a nut.   A few years ago a lady at work asked how Kitty holds her piece of corn.   She invisioned Kitty holding it end-to-end using her pointed claws as pronged holders.   I explained that Kitty just rips into it, and yes, it does make quite a mess...      devouring corn

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 20, 2004

Sometimes Kitty is so serious, but then later and without warning she will launch into a rousing session of fun-and-games.   Next to clawing-the-couch, batting and chasing a wadded up piece of paper is her favorite sport.   And of course, all of this usually happens at 3AM, which I guess must be the official happy-hour for cats...      a serious cat

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 19, 2004

Just when I get her in focus, she moves...
I wonder how she would feel about being renamed Fuzzy.
But going beyond her name is the question of her breed.   Of course she makes no claims of being purebred, but from the information I've been able to gather, she is a bicolor domestic shorthair.   (alias:  tuxedo cat)

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 18, 2004

The only interest Kitty seems to have in other cats is that they stay off her territory.   Such a cute cat might be expected to have more friends and an active a social life, but she seems to prefer her solitary lifestyle.
Kitty,  on the left, and another on the right.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 17, 2004

I was watching as Kitty carefully investigated the end of a twig.   To us two-legged creatures a twig is rather insignificant, but perhaps feline science goes deeper.   I can only guess, but perhaps she is able to detect some force of nature which is focused at the tip of twigs.   I just don't know.   Here she is,  checking out a twig.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 16, 2004

I've often wondered what runs through that pretty little head, but I think she ponders how her natural world is put together.   Her methods may not be terribly scientific, but she seems to be investigating how she fits into an endless variety of  mysterious and delicate natural structures.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 15, 2004

Kitty loves for me to spend time with her outside.   She follows me around like a little puppy-dog, and usually stays within the length of an arm so that she may receive her strokes and pets.   The only problem with this is that I need Kitty to be about five feet away from the camera to bring her into focus, so failing that, what we get is a  blur.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 14, 2004

I've never been a parent, so it's probably not my perogative to judge, but I'm guessing that cats are much more fun to raise than kids.   Kitty has two-and-a-half years to go before she evolves into a teenager, so for the time being, she has a cooperative and non-spiteful attitude.   I was slightly shocked when she came home yesterday with  green eyes, and I guess I can rock-and-roll with that, but we have a strict house rule prohibiting tatoos and body-piercing.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 13, 2004

For Kitty, life is at it's best when she can spend at least part of her afternoon with her nose curled up in the safety of the weeds.
The weeds flow, and she is along for the ride...

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 12, 2004

It's summertime, and since Kitty can't unzip and slip out of her hot fur coat, the only way for her to cool down is to shed.   As a result, piles of hair are accumulating all over the place.   It's hair here, hair there, and more hair most everywhere.     furscape

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 11, 2004

O.K., I will admit it...   This little cat has got me wrapped around her little claw, and it just might be because she is so soft, warm, and cute...   Please use caution, because if you look closely enough into her eyes you may see sweet promise...   To look into her eyes could chance love...

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 10, 2004

For practical purposes, the current question boils down to; when's lunch?

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 9, 2004

We counted them, and Kitty has all five of her basic sensory receptors.   She has hearing, seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting pretty well covered.   And obviously, she has additional sensory receptors, but those are more psychic than scientific, and much more difficult to photograph.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 8, 2004

When I see Kitty hiding out in the weeds I always wonder what primitive memory might be coursing through her brain.     at one with the jungle

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 7, 2004

Kitty enjoys spending her summer afternoons chomping down on tasty weeds, and she does her best, but we've got way more weeds than she can chomp...   Of course I was just kidding, but I told her that next year, instead of getting out the weedeater, I've been toying with the idea of bringing in a flock of goats.     resident herbavore

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 6, 2004

I've always wondered exactly what a "cat goddess" does, but apparently the main duty involves the judicious issuance of her  stamp of approval.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 5, 2004

If they ever start giving out awards for attentiveness, Kitty would definitely have a good shot at the top prize.   She does her best work when awake.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 4, 2004

Kitty has more than enough spare time to ponder the warm-blooded world to which she belongs, so after she finishes with that, she usually has enough time left over to ponder the surrounding world of plants, weeds, and trees.   She is, most likely, completely baffled as to why I am growing tomatoes instead of corn.       at one with her natural world

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 3, 2004

Here's Kitty, in the middle of a  soft snooze.   She would prefer not to be disturbed during snooze-time, but there are times when she is just too zonked-out to protest, ...then the Kitty petting festival is on...

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 2, 2004

Kitty carries around an entire repertoire of looks, and for each occasion, she can select from any one of them.   At one point I tried to name and document all of her many looks, but that soon turned into a daunting project.   We've named the look in today's photo  her supervisorial look.

          Kitty, the blog animal         July 1, 2004

Kitty seems to move back-and-forth between two modes... sleep-mode, and asking-for-food-mode...   Asking-for-food-mode usually follows sleep-mode, and sleep-mode usually follows asking-for-food-mode.
it's a full-time job

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