Kitty, the blog animal         December 17, 2003

With music lessons on hold, Kitty is going back to art, confident that her correspondence course instructors at Art Instruction Schools really don't care what species she is.   Her current lesson is about techniques for rendering motion, so she painted two new pictures; coming and going.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 16, 2003

Kitty got an official looking letter from the local junior college.   It said they know she's a cat, and warned her that if she tries to sign up for music classes again next semester, her enrollment form is going straight into the "circular file", no matter what euphemistic name she chooses to use.   So, for now, with only one cat in her band, it's pretty much a solo act.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 15, 2003

Kitty can muster up snooty looks, and she knows how to say hello in every language except Dog, so we've cancelled her skills and aptitude test.
She seems uniquely qualified as a ticket-taker, floor-walker, or door-cat.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 14, 2003

Her concept of the universe is probably much more local than global, but I would guess it is just as colorful as ours.   Kitty, exploring her universe.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 13, 2003

Summer is just a warm memory, and those long afternoons of roasting in the sun are gone.   But memories are free.   Summer sun, revisited.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 12, 2003

It stopped raining, but now it is way too cold to spend much time outside, so, almost predictably, cabin-fever has set in at Kittyland.   Kitty cheats at board-games, so that's no fun.   And we can't paint pictures because she forgot to wash out the brushes last time.
Plan "b" is to wait for inspiration.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 11, 2003

Kitty's world doesn't seem to extend much farther than the property lines, so I sometimes wonder if she knows, or cares to know, that there is a big ugly world out there.   I was explaining to her that to be cooperative and productive we must all abide by laws, but then I got to thinking about it and realized that except for her well documented crimes against birds and mice, the only reason she might land in jail is for being too darned cute.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 10, 2003

I suppose I could get out a tape measure, but it's obvious that Kitty has the ability to change her overall size at will.   Depending on the situation, she can be large and intimidating, but there are other occasions when she responds by being small and meek.   But she can also appear small when she is part of a larger element, such as the wild-and-woolly outdoors.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 9, 2003

Day after day, it's the same old furry black and white tuxedo cat, so I had her chromed.   But the truth of the story is; Kitty came home telling me how ALL the other cats in the neighborhood were ALL getting themselves chromed, and how getting chromed was ALL the rage, and how it was a fashion statement, and on, and on...   So, o.k., I admit it, I gave into the pressure and let her get chromed.   Here she is, a chromed Kitty.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 8, 2003

Kitty thinks that if she is persistent enough she can get another piece of corn out of me, but all it takes a stern voice and an unkindly comment to make Kitty realize that no means NO.   Permissiveness has always run amuck at Kittyland, so it's not really her fault that she's spoiled rotten.
Here's Kitty, totally shocked and surprised at having to be subservient.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 7, 2003

Kitty has found that she has the best chance of catching a bird if she
lays-in-wait at the base of a two foot plank fence.   I've actually seen her successfully catch a bird out there, and although I take a very dim view of the notion of hunting in general, it seems to be what Kitty needs to do.
Kitty, waiting for the unsuspecting bird to land.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 6, 2003

Holding Kitty up to a mirror and pointing out how seriously cute she is, just doesn't work.   And although she loves spending quality time on my lap as we sort through her photos, she probably has no idea of what we're looking at, or why.    The pleasure is all mine, oh fair Kitty.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 5, 2003

I've always thought that cats shy away from getting wet, but this morning, just as it was starting to rain, Kitty decided that she wanted to have her piece of corn served outdoors.   And she got wet.     picnic in the rain

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 4, 2003

The skys have cleared, and for Kitty, bird-hunting season is back on.   Kitty is more successful at catching mice than birds, but it's been a while since she has caught either.   As her partner in crime, I suggested that she disguise her silhouette by strapping on some vegitation, but you know how females are--everything has to be a fashion statement.
Here's Kitty, with her head in the vines.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 3, 2003

Kitty has no idea what a "store bought" toy is, and she seems quite content to chase after and roll around with wadded up pieces of paper.   It's great rainy-day-fun, and here at Kittyland we subscribe to the theory that play fosters creativity.   But there are other times when creative fun is less important than just sitting with her head stuck out of her cat door.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 2, 2003

It's been raining cats-and-dogs, but Kitty has been dealing with the yucky wetness with capacious amounts of sleep.   And, true to form, she has managed to commandeer the swivel office chair again...   it's par for the course.   Maybe what we need is a love seat...     Kitty,  on a rainy day.

          Kitty, the blog animal         December 1, 2003

Kitty sleeps on the bed at my feet, and we have a little routine of saying hello to each other when we first wake.   This morning was extra special because she gave me a little lick on my nose, which might have been a kiss, or perhaps she was just cleaning me up.   But regardless of the translation, and without any doubt, she is  my favorite little furry friend.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 30, 2003

Every time Kitty goes through the chow line her meal ticket gets punched, and today she went through the line so many times that we ran out of places to punch.   The mistake was thinking that by slicing her corn thinner it would last longer, and I almost expected her not to notice, but she did.   This cat loves corn, seriously.   It's lip smacking good.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 29, 2003

Twenty hours of sleep finally pass.   She wakes, rumbles, and there is a flow of motion towards proper rations of food, love, and security.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 28, 2003

Kitty puts on the appearance of being tidy and having good table manners, but she isn't going to be allowed to sit at the main table next year if she insists on using her tongue instead of the fingerbowl.   finger lickin' good

          Happy Thanksgiving           November 27, 2003

It's obvious that Kitty is very thankful and appreciative for such great corn from Albertson's this late in the season.   It may be expensive, at two for one dollar, but there is just no question that Kitty prefers fresh-raw-corn, over freshly-thawed corn.   Kitty,  feasting on a big ear of fresh corn.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 26, 2003

Kitty suggested that I "Google" owls, and now we know that the pupils of an owl enlarge when they hear sound.   Mr. Takahashi, of the University of Oregon, performed a series of experiments where he savagely strapped their heads down so he could monitor their pupils reacting to sound.
He must have "restrained" a lot of owls, because he came up with a whole book on the subject.   Useful science, and/or, what a horrible little man?
    "The pupil of an awake, untrained, head-restrained barn owl was found to dilate in response to sounds with a latency of about 25 ms.   The dilation response habituated when a sound was repeated, but recovered when stimulus frequency or location was changed.   The acoustically evoked pupillary dilation is thus a promising indicator of auditory discrimination requiring neither training nor aversive stimuli."
Kitty has gone on record that she will not be strapped down and monitored in the name of science, and I quite agree.    Kitty,  our resident owl

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 25, 2003

Finding anything right or good with the humans of this world is damned near impossible, but Kitty has generously offered her super-human and compassionate wisdom to reassure and soothe my human woe.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 24, 2003

Just when I thought Kitty was going to sleep through the winter, I noticed her outside, up to her old tricks, stalking birds.   It's a jungle out there

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 23, 2003

Last weeks rain has sprouted a fine crop of winter weeds, which our resident feline herbalist uses for hairballs and whatever else might ail.
Here she is,  chomping down on a blade of grass

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 22, 2003

It's been cold, and it took some doing to coax Kitty outside today.
The ration of afternoon sun was slim, and after she finished posing for the camera as  the pastel Kitty  she came right back inside.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 21, 2003

If I had to guess at Kitty's age, I'd say she is going to be 10 this spring.   It's evident that she is slowing down just a bit, but she can still muster up a full amount of spunk if and when the mood strikes.
Looking in on Kitty through a very dirty kitchen window.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 20, 2003

With her own personal cat door, Kitty can come and go as she pleases.   It's also one of her favorite places, because she can stick her head out the window, but keep the remainder of her body warm.   Eventually her whole world, including lunch, will pass by her door.   Looking out her cat door.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 19, 2003

It would be fun to take Kitty along on hikes and outings, but she doesn't own a collar or a leash, and anyway, it probably wouldn't be a good idea.   But she has a vivid imagination, and she can be rather creative with her interpretations of cloud shapes, so as they float overhead, so does she.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 18, 2003

Kitty is medium-sized, but depending on her mood, she can muster up just about any size she wants to be.   Small-and-meek is usually a request for love and reassurance.   Large-and-able could be a warning not to take her lightly.   Here's she is, without and with big eyes.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 17, 2003

Kitty has gotten through a whole day without freaking out about the possiblilties of getting dabbed with that horrid flea poison, but she's still keeping an eye open for anything suspicious.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 16, 2003

Today Kittyland got drenched with equal amounts of sun and rain, so the cabin-fever has subsided, but it was still a gray and turquoise kind of day.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 15, 2003

Kitty is still freaked-out from two days ago when she mistakenly thought I was going to dose her with her awful flea treatment, when in fact, I had only opened a stinky and noxious permanent felt marking pen.   Today she saw me with something else in my hand, and it didn't even stink, but she freaked out and ran outside.   I may have a real problem the next time I have to actually give Kitty her flea treatment.     multidirectional

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 14, 2003

Kitty might give the impression that it is just by chance that she has taken possession of my chair, but we've played this king-of-the-hill game many times before.   I'm not up for getting bitten and clawed, so there she remains, victorious.    A fuzzy and blurred victory, but a victory!

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 13, 2003

She probably shouldn't be using them as toys, but Kitty has succeeded in commandeering all of my pens and pencils.   Today I needed to jot something down, but all I could find was a noxious and stinky felt marker. When Kitty got a whiff she immediately high-tailed it outside, probably thinking that she was about to get another application of her equally awful smelling Advantage® flea treatment.   It took a long while, but I was eventually able to regain her trust.    a place of safety in the weeds

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 12, 2003

Kitty has always made her own religious decisions, so it's only natural that the path she has chosen is the warm and bright illumination from above.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 11, 2003

More rain is on the way, so I hope Kitty isn't going to get bored with rainy-day art projects.   She has perfected the art of stamping out monoprints with her muddy little feet, and we haven't tried it yet, but that sable-like tail of hers would probably make a really great watercolor brush.
Here she is, collecting a mental sketch for her next work of art.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 10, 2003

Kitty knows she sports a cat's nose.   But no, Kitty, your nose isn't spelled knose, although it probably should be.     The noses of Kitty

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 9, 2003

For Kitty, learning the english language is difficult enough without having to deal with words that sound the same, but have totally different meanings.   For example; an ear of Kitty, and an ear of corn.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 8, 2003

Kitty likes to keep a low profile, and even though I have bragging rights, she remains, just a little kitty-cat creature, green-eyed and meek.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 7, 2003

For hibernation purposes, Kitty uses a hooked rug, and we've finally gotten that rug officially designated as a historic and sentimental spot.   The brass placque reads, "Jedda's Rug".   You see, years ago Kitty lived upstairs with a dog named Jedda.   Jedda would visit on a regular basis, and after Jedda had milked me for treats, she would wiggle around with great vigor on her rug.   Frequently, Kitty would come visiting with Jedda, as they were the best of pals, and I'm quite sure that when Kitty uses the Jedda Rug, she remembers the good times her old doggie-friend had on that rug.
Here is a pix of a sleepy-eyed Kitty, on a temporary hibernation break.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 6, 2003

Years ago, when Kitty first arrived, she was deathly afraid of our electric wall heater, but it didn't take long for her to figure out that it was actually something warm, comfortable, and harmless.
Today, while Kitty was using me as her usual warm and soft horizontal surface, the heater cycled on.   Kitty got off me, went over, and flopped down in front of it.   After a while the heater cycled off, and shortly thereafter Kitty came back and reclaimed me.   And of course, after another while, the heater came back on, and Kitty got up and returned to her other friend, the heater.   My feelings were only slightly damaged, but I explained to her that if she was going to be so indifferent and fickle she would need to be a bit less transparent.   Here she is, thinking about it.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 5, 2003

Even though she is short in stature, for what she lacks in height she makes up in feline instinct, smarts, and wisdom.   Kitty looking skyward.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 4, 2003

If they gave out awards for intensity, Kitty would certainly get the prize.   She requires countless hours of medatative preparation, which to the untrained observer might appear as rest and relaxation.   Ms. Intensity

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 3, 2003

If they catch the proper amount of backlighting, Kitty's long and flowing whiskers turn into a wild and artful assemblage of glowing neon tubes.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 2, 2003

Kitty sees our world from only a foot off the ground, so sometimes, just for fun, I take her on a high-level carry-around tour of Kittyland.
For a brief time it's a new and multidirectional world.

          Kitty, the blog animal         November 1, 2003

Kitty demands that a strict protocol be followed during the serving of her morning corn.   A few pats on the head may not suffice.   She might need a loving pick-up with extra words of assurance.   It's a perfect balance.

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