"A belated Happy New Year to all my friends! Once again, my mom has been too busy to type up my blog, so I'm a little late in wishing you all a great 2011. I think it's going to be a good year. The last few years were really hard because of all the changes in my life, mainly because I lost my older brothers and sisters. And then I had to take on two new younger brothers. If you're a regular reader, you know that relations have not been quite as harmonious as I'd like. But things are looking up.
Willie & Me Eating Together in Peace
I take full credit for the improvements. Seeing that Willie and Grayson were not going to change, I had to adjust my own behavior a little bit. Mommy told me to stop hissing and swatting at Grayson when he passes by me, and I think I've done better about this. He still has this way of invading my personal space, but sometimes I just let it go. Not all the time, mind you...he still needs to know that I'm the big sister and that I command respect. And then there's Willie. I still can't figure this boy out. Sometimes he acts like he wants to be sweet with me, and he will lick my head. I have even licked his head back. But other times he stalks me for no reason and chases me from room to room. You'd think by now Willie would have figured out that I'm not a threat to Grayson. I mean, I'll hiss at him and stuff like that, but I'd never really hurt him. (The main reason I'd never hurt him is because it would make my mom sad and angry. She's the one I love most.)
So, like I said, things have gotten a little better. It's not perfect. Not at all. Both boys pick on me without provocation. And sometimes I have to stand my ground. But there are little glimmers of hope when the rugrats show me the occasional sign of respect or affection. I'm holding out for even better improvements in our cat family in 2011. Hope you have a good one too!"
"It's Christmas and it's been busy around here but I want to wish a Meowy Christmas to my friends and loyal readers. I hope you are having a great day and Santa Claws brings you lots of dangly toys and catnip! There are snow flurries here, which is nice for Christmas, but they're not going to stick, so forget about a White Christmas in Washington DC this year.
Christmas started for us a couple weeks ago when mom brought home the Christmas tree. We didn't get one last year because mom was traveling, so this was Willie and Grayson's first tree. Mom wasn't sure if they would behave themselves around the tree, but they have been amazingly good. I guess they knew Santa was watching them. Of course, they were very curious during the trimming of the tree and at one point mom thought they were both going to jump into the tree. Check out this picture and see what I mean.
The next thing I have to share is a photo of Willie with Santa. Yes, mommy actually took Willie to see Santa this year. She didn't dare take me. As much as I love Santa, mommy knows I hate to go in the car and even though I would have liked to meet him, I don't want him holding me. I don't even let mommy hold me, so no way I would let Santa! Mommy also knew that Grayson would be a big baby if he went to see Santa. Grayson would squirm and cry and probably end up scratching Santa (not on purpose, but because he's a big scaredy cat). So mom took Willie to Dogma for the photo by photographer Jeanne Taylor. The event benefited our local animal shelter Animal Welfare League of Arlington. (I wish my feline and canine brethren in the shelter a Meowy Christmas and wishes that they get adopted soon.) Willie did good with Santa. He wasn't scared of the dogs and the strange people and he let Santa hold him long enough to get this photo. I'm not Willie's biggest fan, but even I have to admit it's a nice photo.
So this morning we opened our presents. It was a lean year due to the economy, I guess. We didn't get much. Mom got us a catnip asparagus and a new bed from Cat Faeries, but she gave those to us a couple weeks ago. So this morning we didn't have much to open, but that's OK because we cats really like to play in the tissue paper and boxes. Here's a picture of goofy little Grayson taking a break from the paper, and also a picture of me supervising the unwrapping and playing.
I know it's not the best picture of me, but I didn't really want my picture taken, so I didn't cooperate. Mom wanted me to post it anyway because she said all three of us should have a picture in my Christmas edition blog. I guess she's right. I mean, I featured my two brothers, but I'm important too.
So that's it. We're just going to enjoy the Christmas spirit, spend some time together, play and eat today. Meowy Christmas to all!"
"So, mom sits for other people's cats. It's awful nice of her. But what happens when she needs to travel? Who watches my brothers and me? Well, we have a couple good sitters. Our neighbor Deb watches us sometimes and she is very sweet with us. She used to have cats, so she knows what to do, and she doesn't mind getting on the floor to play with us. But the topic of this blog is our other cat sitter: Crazy Carlos! We love Carlos! He's a lot of fun. He has his own cat Binks, but he loves us too. He plays with us and absolutely spoils us! I had a chance to interview Uncle Carlos and wanted to share that with you, dear readers. If you ever have a friend and pet-sitter as fabulous as him, don't take them for granted."
Curry:Hey Uncle Carlos, I'm becoming known for my interviewing skills. Thanks for helping me to hone them. Let's start with your cat. You have a cat named Binks. I think Willie even met him briefly when he ran into your apartment (that silly Willie!). What is Binks like? Carlos: Binks is a very sweet and independent cat. He really loves sticking to himself and can be quite vain since he knows he is very handsome.
Curry:Mom told me that you like dogs too. What are your favorite things about both dogs and cats?
Carlos: Why I like cats? They are sweet and loving - and their curiosity cracks me up. Why I love dogs? Cause they require me to go outside for fresh air and because they love to cuddle more than cats do with me.
Curry:Well, the cuddling part really depends on the cat. I'm not a cuddler, but my brothers are.Mom wants me to ask you if we cats behave ourselves when you're sitting for us, so do we? (Be careful, you're watching us again soon and I've been sharpening my claws!)
Carlos: Of course you cats behave yourselves when mom is gone. ;) For the most part everyone is on their best behavior. But there is one particular orange fella who shall remain nameless that loves to go nuts and take reign of the house. Willie has been known to rearrange furniture, defrost freezers, as well as clean out the cupboards.
Curry:I don't think he remains nameless anymore. Speaking of names, what inspired you to give us cats nicknames? Please share those names with my readers.
Carlos: I tend to give everyone nicknames, from humans to animals. You are "C Money" because you are just very lady like and precious like money. Willie is "Chill Will" because he acts as crazy as he can be one minute, then the very next second he is just chilling like he did nothing. Grayson is "Lil G" - self explanatory - Grayson is the youngest of the bunch. I also had a nickname for my best buddy Zorro, which is "E-Z" - sort of a joke since Zorro was far from easy when taking his allergy shots. I miss Zorro.
Zorro "E-Z" and Carlos
Curry:Uncle Carlos, don't you know it. We all miss Zorro like crazy. I'm posting a nice photo of the two of you. Zorro was my favorite brother. Right now I'm adjusting to living with my two crazy younger brothers, who run around the apartment like they're sprinters. Of course, we cats all love sport. What are your favorite sports to watch and to play?
Carlos: Baseball is my favorite sport to watch, followed closely by football. My favorite sport to play is basketball when I have a chance.
Curry:Well, we cats are more into soccer, especially Grayson who chases balls around on the wood floors. Lately, I've taken to joining him in a game of soccer. What are your favorite cat sports/games to play with us?
Carlos: Nothing beats watching Willie play with plastic bags. But my favorite is watching you guys go nuts with the laser pointer. Grayson's gymnastic routine with the dangler toy is fairly amusing as well.
Curry:Everything Grayson does is amusing, unless it's annoying. Sometimes it's both. In the video above Grayson didn't want to perform, but Willie and I enjoyed playing with you. Well, our time today is coming to an end. Do you have any final thoughts about cats and dogs and pet-sitting?
Carlos: I love spending time with my animal friends - they return all the love that I give, and love me unconditionally.
Curry:Aww, we love you too! We will see you soon, I know. Have a great holiday season, Uncle Carlos. I'm going to go check up on my brothers now to make sure they haven't destroyed our Christmas Tree!
"Well, technically not cheese, and it wasn't 'moved' per se but mom changed our food. Yes, it is I, Curry Cat once again. I let Willie and Grayson each take a turn at my blog. I guess they did OK, but now I'm back. Some of you may have heard of a book called 'Who Moved my Cheese?' that came out several years ago. It's about dealing with change, something that's hard for people and also hard for cats. Mom changed things up for us on the eating front.
Me, Grayson and Willie at Dinnertime
It all started when Zorro got sick (we still miss Zorro so much). Zorro's doctor talked about the importance of a good diet and suggested mom look into more natural and organic varieties of cat food for him. And she also suggested more canned food because meat in its less processed form is our natural diet. So mom agreed that it was a good idea. You see, previously we ate mostly dry food: Nutro Natural Choice for indoor cats. We would get canned food about once a week as a treat. But immediately mom started feeding us more canned food. And she switched brands on us. We now eat Tiki Cat cans. Why? Because they have no by-products and they all have kale, which is good nutrition for us (and I like it), and they have lots of good vitamins and minerals too. And Tiki Cat is certified by the USDA for human consumption, so it's no second-rate food. I don't deserve second-rate food, and neither do your pets. They also practice sustainable fishing at Tiki Cat (and Tiki Dog), which most cats wouldn't care about, but I think we need to take care of the oceans so we can have yummy tuna for many years to come.
I like my Tiki Cat now, but there was a period of adjustment as we tried different flavors and made sure mom knew which ones we liked and disliked. Tiki Cat has all kinds of crazy flavors that include calamari, shrimp, crab, brown rice, and other interesting but yucky things. You can call me a purist with my food choices. I don't like that weird stuff. Just give me good old chicken or good old tuna without anything extra. Zorro wasn't picky, and neither is Willie, but Grayson is picky. With all the flavors, mom should have tried them one at a time before buying more. Well, did she? No! She immediately stocked up on Tiki Cat variety packs. Well guess what? Most of the flavors in the variety packs have calamari, shrimp, crab or brown rice! There are also no fewer than three sardine varieties. I hate sardines! Well, finally mom knows what we like and she promises only to buy the following Tiki Cat flavors for us:
Hawaiian Grill - Oh, this is my favorite! It's just pure and simple ahi tuna (with a little bit of kale, of course). Koolina Luau - This is my second favorite! It is chicken with bits of egg. Yummy! And I don't care about that human saying 'which came first...?' Hookena Luau - This one is the best of both worlds: tuna and chicken together. My own surf & turf! Bora Bora Luau - This one is sardines with lobster consomme. Even though I hate it, mom says sardines are really good for cats and she wants the boys to have it. She wants me to have it too, but I never will. Papeekeo Luau - This is tuna with mackerel. Mom thought I'd like it because of the tuna, but I hate mackerel. The boys like it though, so mom is going to continue with it so they get more variety.
Out of 17 Tiki Cat flavors, those are the 5 that mom buys now. We have tried them all, but my discriminating palate has ruled in favor of those top 3, and mom insists upon giving the boys those bottom 2 as well. Actually, there is a plain chicken flavor (without eggs) that I like, but mom says why have the plain one if I can have the one with eggs. It's not a lot of eggs; it's really more of a garnish like the kale.
Now that mom figured out our canned food, which we now get twice a day, she is also changing our dry food. We get Blue Buffalo. It has more protein than most other dry cat foods. Mom thought it looked nutritious, but it's possible that she's just a victim of their marketing campaign. Anyway, this one we are taking longer to adjust to. Not only is it a different food, but mom is now limiting our portions of dry food. Willie doesn't like this because he likes dry food a little better than wet food, but he needs to lose weight. Well, the Blue Buffalo food isn't bad, it's just a bit of an adjustment. I'm OK with it, but really I'm just happy to be getting cans of tuna and chicken every day.
So that's what's going on with our diet. A mundane topic, perhaps, but to us cats it's pretty darn important. I'll let you know how Willie does with his weight loss goals (or, mom's weight loss goals for him). And no, I am not compensated by the Tiki Cat or Blue Buffalo companies. This was not a paid endorsement. I'm just educating my readers about different kinds of food. I'm a Siamese cat; I will never sell out."
After Willie's blog (see previous) Grayson was inspired to blog as well. Curry grudgingly allowed this on the belief that they'd get it out of their systems and her blog would once again become her own. So here is Grayson, the little gray cat that I still call a kitten because he has yet to outgrow his lankiness or his kitten-like demeanor:
"It is me, Grayson. It's my turn to steal Curry's blog. I don't even right as good as Willie but it's OK because I's still a kid. I saw Willie right the blog 'fore this and so I asked my sister Curry if I can right too. She frew up her paws and gave a sigh and leff the room and now I's bloggin. I don't wanna make her mad but I don't know howta make her happy. I don't fink she loves me. I know for fact that she doesn't like me much. Mommy tells me to be nice to her but I don't wanna and I got a good reason. But first, a picshur of me and Willie sleeping. We are cute. And don't worry 'bout Willie's belly cuz mommy is making him loose wait.
OK, so 'bout Curry. See, it started when mommy dopted me and I came here to live. Well, I new I had it pretty good and I was happy. I bonded mediately with mommy in the car. I slept on her lap for 7 hours give or take. It was a long ride from my home state of OH-IO to my new home in Ginia. So I already new my mommy loved me and I loved her too. And then I came inside with my litter sister Bailey. She used to be called Sky but now she is Bailey and she wasn't 'posed to stay with us cuz she had a new mommy to go to but first she had to wait a couple weeks. Like I's saying, I came into my new home already loving my mommy and I was x-ited cuz I saw that I had two new brothers and one new sister (not Bailey). Well they all sniffed me cuz I had a smell to them. And they had a smell to me so I sniffed them a couple times. That's what we do. And first Zorro...oh, I miss my bro Zorro so much...but I can't fink bout it much or I will cry...so first Zorro wasn't outgoing to me. But it didn't take long 'fore he and me were good brothers. And Willie loved me right away. He also loved Bailey. He took good care of us. And Zorro was good too. And I was happy and I wanted Curry to love me too. I thought she was a pretty girl and she would make a nice sister cuz she seemed very smart and mommy sure loved her a lot. Well, I jus tried to play with her and stuff. She didn't wanna play with me. And I tried jus to sit nex to her or sleep nex to her and she wasn't havin none of it. She hissed at me a lot and a couple times she would take a swat at me so I would run away. But I was a opteemisstic kitten and I gave her a secon chance and a third and a fourth and then I lost count. I could only count on my 10 toes and 1 tail back then, so that makes 11, but I am better at counting now. So I tried to be a little brother for Curry. I really jus wanted to play and have a sister to cuddle with. But she never ever warmed up to me. And I'll be honest that it hurt my feelings and it still does. Everyone else loved me. And all of mommy's friends like me too. And I am not proud but I think I am a nice boy. So sometimes I still try to be a brother for Curry but she gets meaner to me and so I get meaner to her cuz I's old nuff now that I defend myself. It's not to be mean. Jus so you no I's not mean here is a picshur of Curry getting scracht by my aunt Christine who moved to some place called Scaatlun where they got a monster in a lake.
So I don't know what to do. Me and Willie are good brothers. We miss Zorro but at least we have each other. Wish I still could get 'long with Curry but I tried and I dunno how else to be with her. And now that Zorro is gone Curry is more lonely and I would love her if she let me. So I dunno. What is a boy to do?
In this special edition blog, Willie borrows the keyboard from Curry for the first time. He has some sad news. Here's Willie:
"This is Curry’s blog but I don’t care. I am Willie. I am the orange cat. I don’t write as good as Curry but I’m still a good cat. A couple times she called me names in her blog, but I forgive her. See, I am a good cat.
I have to share sad news. In Curry’s last blog she talked about Zorro being sick. Well, we are all very sad because Zorro died. It happened a few weeks ago. Mommy and our vet were taking good care of him. But he was too sick. He had that anemia thing and we don’t know why, but we know it was bad.
One day he just lost his energy. Mommy called it “thargic” whatever that means. He was just laying there and we all tried to cheer him up but he was very quiet and didn’t do much. Our neighbor and cat sitter Deb came over to visit with Zorro. He ate some of his dinner but not much. He was really quiet and sitting on mommy’s lap that night. A couple times she thought she lost him but he hung on. Then overnight Zorro had a bad night. He couldn’t get comfortable anywhere. None of us slept well. Curry and Grayson and me stuck close to Zorro. Mommy kept moving from the bedroom to the sofa to be where Zorro was. She wanted to show him as much love as possible because she knew he was very sick and uncomfortable. In the morning Zorro was worse and he wouldn’t eat. Mommy took him to the vet for the last time. They told her they could keep treating him and observe him, but she knew it was time to say goodbye. She could not let him suffer. In fact she told us all to say goodbye before she took him to the vet. We saw him in the carrier going to the vet a lot that month so I didn’t think anything of it. Neither did Grayson. Curry was worried though. She lost other cat siblings before and she knew what to expect. Well, soon Grayson and I knew too. It was the saddest day for everyone. We all loved Zorro. We really did. He was a real good brother and loved us all, and we all loved him too. It was the only thing that me and Grayson and Curry all agreed on – that we loved Zorro.
Zorro with baby Curry
Zorro with baby Grayson
Zorro and me (Willie) with Catnip Toys
Now we’ve been without Zorro for a few weeks and we still miss him but we are less sad. Things got back to normal, of course not ever the same. This is the first time I lost a brother cat and it is very sad. Me and Grayson only had a little over a year with Zorro. We are still lucky we had that, because he was the most special big brother. Curry had more than six years with Zorro and this is hard for her. I wish I could be a good brother to Curry because she is sad. But sometimes she picks on Grayson and I have to protect Grayson. So sometimes I defend Grayson which means I have to teach Curry a lesson. Mommy hates this but I try to show her that’s how cats work and I’m the top cat so it’s my responsibility. She still doesn’t like it.
I have to go now because I have some serious napping to do. I can’t help it. It’s what cats do. But first I just have a few words. For our cat sitters Deb and Carlos, thank you for being so good to Zorro (and to the rest of us too). And for Zorro, we will always love you. I’m sorry I was mean to you when I first moved in, but once I knew how good you were, I was nice to you, right? I love you always and so does mommy and Curry and Grayson. Meow, big brother, meow! Love, Willie."
Curry hasn't blogged in a while. She's gotten caught up in my own busy schedule. And lately, we've been dealing with a medical condition that Zorro developed. He has anemia and has spent the last few weeks going back and forth to various veterninary appointments. I'm happy to say that he's feeling better, but he still needs some help, and lots of love from his friends. Curry will tell you more.
"Well, just like my mom said, Zorro has been having a tough time. He went to our regular vet Ballston Animal Hospital for his annual check-up. Mom was a little concerned that he had lost some weight and was drinking more water than normal. They ran some bloodwork and found that he has anemia, and it is a pretty severe anemia. So Zorro spent a couple weeks going back and forth between our regular vet and the specialists at SouthPaws. He had more bloodwork, x-rays, an ultrasound of his abdomen (see his shaved belly in the photo), and some very thorough examinations. The doctors couldn't determine the cause of his anemia, so the next test they wanted to do was a bone marrow biopsy. Ouch! Mom said that would have been a painful and expensive test. She chose not to put Zorro through that, and I'm glad. He was not up to that kind of invasive procedure because he already wasn't feeling well. And the results of the test were not going to substantially change the course of his treatment, so no bone marrow test for Zorro.
The specialist veterinarian prescribed a sterioid for Zorro: Prednisone, a drug also used for humans. But mom wasn't satisfied with just giving Zorro a steroid, so she took my brother back to Ballston Animal Hospital to see Dr. Morse. She's a regular veterinarian, but she also practices holistic medicine. She has an extra layer of knowledge about alternative treatments, and mom thought there might be some options for Zorro to help him get better. Of course, I didn't go with Zorro to see Dr. Morse, but the way I understand it, she was very gentle with him and he was more at ease than we was for any of the other doctors. Dr. Morse prescribed several supplements for Zorro. He's on a Chinese herbal remedy that is supposed to help with his blood. He's also taking an amino-vitamin B supplement, ginseng and probiotics. Dr. Morse also said Zorro should have omega-3s, so she said he could have a fish oil supplment or he could eat sardines. Mom doesn't eat sardines, so she never had them in the house. She bought some sardines packed in water and gave them to us. Yuck! I hate sardines! I like other seafood, but not sardines. But the good news is that Zorro loves them (see below), so he can get his omega-3s and all the other good nutrients from sardines. Willie and Grayson liked them too. I'm sorry, but I just don't get it. Sardines are yucky little fish.
Zorro seems to be feeling a lot better with his steroid, his supplements, and the changes in his diet. But the coolest thing Dr. Morse suggested was acupuncture. Yes, acupuncture. Mom took Zorro to see Dr. Morse yesterday for his first acupuncture treatment. I guess he did OK. Dr. Morse only used a few needles for the first treatment because she wanted to see how he did. He was restless at first but then settled down. Dr. Morse also did some energy work on him: something called reconnective healing. I don't understand what it is, but we are all open to anything that might help my brother. Zorro goes back for his second acupuncture treatment in a few days, and a few days after that they will do another blood test to check his anemia.
We are all happy that Zorro is feeling somewhat better and mom and all of us are less stressed than we were a week ago before the treatments began. I'm still concerned about Zorro because he's my favorite brother and he helped raise me. Please, everyone, send Zorro and all of us some love because it definitely helps to know that people care!"
"I don't know why humans think that it's always cats against dogs. First of all, you guys can like both of us. Secondly, we don't necessarily hate each other. Even though I haven't had much exposure to dogs, I have plenty of respect for them (until their owners start dressing them up in silly little outfits...but then, I guess it's really my respect for the owners that goes out the window). It's why I posted a blog about rescuing Boxers (I still think it's a good cause, so please foster or adopt if youcan). And it's why I'm going to give some credit where credit is due and commend some Denver-area Pit Bulls for protecting a Chihuahua. Here's the story about the little Chihuahua named Buster who was attacked by a coyote and rescued by Pit Bulls.
It proves to me that it's less about the breed of dog, and more about the training and love that its owners give it that really matters. Clearly, those dogs were trained not to attack, but to protect. They recognized that that little Buster, while smaller and more defenseless, was one of their own kind: a domesticated dog. They not only chased off the coyote, but stayed with Buster to protect him. Good dogs. I hope if I'm ever out in the wild and find myself threatened by a larger animal, that a Pit Bull will rescue me. But, who am I kidding? I'm an indoor cat in a high-rise building. The worst threat I face on a daily basis is Grayson, and I can take him.
A word about the coyote though. The Buster situation was not his (or her) fault. He is a wild dog and doesn't know better, so I don't blame him. I do think it's too bad that many cities have been experiencing 'coyote problems.' The coyotes need a place to live, too. I'm glad that man quoted in the article mentioned this. I'm afraid I don't have a solution to the coyote issue. After all, I'm no expert on urban land use or wildlife control. I do hope that the real experts can figure this out, with respect for the coyotes.
Little Buster, I wish you the very best wishes for your recovery. Don't forget to thank those Pit Bulls for being so kind to you! Now, to celebrate both cats and dogs, I think I'll ask my mom to sneak me into the movie theater so I can see 'Cats & Dogs: the Revenge of Kitty Galore' in 3D."
"Our mom doesn't like to wake up in the morning. Once she's up, she's fine, but getting her out of bed to feed us our breakfast can be a challenge. Sometimes we need to start the process early. Around three or four A.M. we start making noise and waking her up every hour on the hour. This wears her down so that by six or seven she finally gets up and feeds us. I used to have to do more of the work, but now that Grayson is here, he has taken over. He runs around on the bed and attacks mom's feet. I'm perfectly fine with this because that way I don't get in trouble. That's not to say that I deserve no blame. There are lots of things we cats can do to to wake our humans...without them even realizing it! Just take a look at this video of Simon's Cat. That Simon sure knows cat behavior (and his cat is very resourceful). Just don't tell mom that we do stuff like this or she'll never buy us a baseball bat."
"We had visitors for the recent 4th of July holiday weekend. Mom's friends from Ohio, Nikki and Shelly, came to stay for a few days. We've had adult human visitors before (and it was a repeat visit for both of these ladies), but this time there was something special. Nikki's five year old daughter E came too! I am the first to admit my lack of experience with human children. Their strange habits puzzle me. For example, why are their voices so loud and high-pitched? Why do they sometimes run around erratically? Why do they crawl on the ground and play with our cat toys? I may never have the answers. What I can do is tell you how well E fit in, or didn't fit in, with the feline crew.
First, the good news: Willie is in love with E! The two of them became fast friends and Willie was continually amused by all the attention paid to him by E. And in return, I think E was amused by Willie. They're kind of on the same wavelength and maturity level. The thing is, E will continue to learn and grow, but Willie is about as smart and mature as he's ever gonna get. I've gotta give Willie props though. He had more patience than I did when E picked him up (not an easy feat for her, because Willie needs to lose a couple pounds). He never lashed out, clawed, bit, or otherwise showed aggression toward E. Not even when she chased him. Not even when she played patty-cakes with his paws (he just patty-caked her right back).
On the other extreme of the feline spectrum, Grayson was scared witless by E's presence. Poor Little Gray. He's shy to begin with, and is very cautious around adult humans. I think he just wasn't ready to be exposed to a human kid. Grayson pretty much hid out in the bedroom, behind the bed, during E's waking hours. He ventured out cautiously when she went down for afternoon naps, and after her bedtime. But he had never met Nikki or Shelly, so he was timid around them too. Mom felt bad that Grayson was so scared for four days. I, on the other hand, think he got his just desserts for being such a pest to me over the last year.
Zorro was shy with E too. That wasn't any surprise. He's always shy with strange humans. He kept his distance, but wasn't nearly as freaked out as Grayson. The thing about Zorro is that he loves everyone...he just hates sudden noises or movements. Zorro and I had no problem hanging out with E while she was sleeping, as you can see from this picture.
Like Zorro, I think I prefer my human kids asleep. But I do make exceptions. E was very willing to play with me and Willie and our favorite dangly toys. Mine is the Cat Dancer, and Willie's is a 'fishing pole' toy with metallic plastic streamers. E could use some work on her technique with these toys, but she more than made up for it in enthusiasm and endurance. Mom never plays with us for quite as long as E, who never seemed to tire.
So, was it worth it to have guests for the long weekend? Yes, if you ask Willie and me. (Willie definitely missed E after she left, and I was sad that this sociological experiment had to end.) No, if you ask Grayson or Zorro. (Actually, Zorro was kinda neutral about the visit, but Grayson breathed a huge sigh of relief when the weekend was over and he could go back to his normal routine.) There you have it. Our first experience with a human kid, and with mixed results. E, you're welcome to come back anytime, just don't expect Grayson to be quite as welcoming as your best bud Willie!"
