Post 1369: more kitty etiquette…

Andy and Dougy observe more etiquette at “kitty food time”. I serve their wet food on a plate, with both their servings on opposite sides. Andy always eats first. Dougy waits a bit, them comes around for his share.

If I were to pick him up and put him down on his side before he feels it’s OK for him to start eating, he won’t eat. He will run away! It’s not polite to eat before it’s time, his “kitty food time”,

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Is it time yet? Dougy’s hungry, too!

Is it time yet? Dougy’s hungry, too!

Yes, it is!

Post 1368: cats, complications and lost drafts…

I accidentally changed something on my laptop yesterday, one of those “one clicks” that totally alters how the laptop works, the screen looks, and…! You’ve been there, I am sure.

I managed to get the boo-boo “fixed”, which is to say I can use the dang laptop, but everything is upside down, backwards, and alien. I hate these damn things! But I have to use them to do this blog and all the other little things 21st Century people use them for. Ugh! At least I have a couple kitty photos for you.

Oh yes. I had my blog ready to publish and it disappeared somewhere into the ether…. This is my second attempt.

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This is one of Andy’s favorite perches. especially if I’m sitting in the recliner too. He knows he can get a good “scritching” in this position, with me giving special attention to that little spot between his eyes he can’t reach: It’s guaranteed to start his purr engine running if you rub it just so! Andy is a small kitty with a huge, rumbling purr. He also loves having his cheeks and the top of his head rubbed.

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One sure way to bring both Andy and Dougy running is to open a door. That’s Andy in front, and Dougy looking toward the open door.That open door gives Dougy ideas. He is my escape artist! Given the opportunity, as noted in other posts, he’d follow his nose to Fargo, so I have to be very careful about making sure the door latches or I have me a fugitive kitty!

Today, after my neighbor Gary helped me bring my groceries in, I put my car in the parking spot. Apparently, the door didn’t latch, and Gary spotted Dougy following his nose again. He made it about five feet (1.524 meters) into his 660 mile (1062 kilometers) trip to Fargo before Gary snatched him up and put him back in the house. Whew!

Post 1367: It’s just good kitty manners!

With only two cats in the house, one might expect kitty manners to be simplified, yet Andy and Dougy still practice good kitty manners when they interact. (Mostly!)

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Andy’s minding his business. He’s just that kind of kitty!

Dougy sees his brother, and stops by for a social call.

“Hello, brother!” Sniff! Sniff! They bump noses.

Okey doke! Kitty manners observed, so Dougy wanders off to do kitty stuff.

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Andy goes back to doing what he was doing… not much!

Andy and Dougy are polite kitties!

Post 1366: Peacock feathers and other excitements…

Like most kitties decide, the fancy toys have less interest than ones they create out of clothespins; pieces of crumpled paper; bottle caps; an unshelled walnut that fell on the floor; and other trash, broken toys, or found objects.

Andy and Dougy are no exception to the rule. Though they play with bought toys – for a time – they mostly like the things that cost nothing or are parts of broken toys, the parts they found exciting in the first place, if not the whole toy.

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Yesterday, it was a fresh peacock feather…that Dougy reduced to shreds in one play session. (I note that he and Andy prefer the shaft end more that the more dramatic opposite end. )

Then there is a boring old toy (shown in this video)…

…that shows up in a repurposed form.

Dougy not only turned the Cat’s Meow “mouse tail” into a new toy, he had to get on top of the secretaire to take it off the toy to do it!

He chases it if I play fetch with him, though he only brings is halfway back to me. (I hope to get him to retrieve it all the way, but halfway is fun enough for now!) Or he bats at it if I wiggle it in front of him.

(Andy waits patiently for his turn.)

Best of all, Dougy tosses the “mouse tail” into the air and bats at it around on his own, so this is a toy he can use to amuse himself when I’m not here or I’m trying to update this blog and he wants to play.

What about Andy? He’ll play with it if Dougy’s not around, but oftentimes, he watches from a “safe” distance, waiting, waiting. He’s a patient kitty! IMG_20170417_022606

Post 1365: Dougy loves peacock feathers!

Most toys end up ignored after awhile, but the kitty boys never tire of peacock feathers! I try to have a few around at all times. Dougy especially likes me to bring one out. It rarely survives intact for one play, but that’s no problem: A feather is fun, fun, fun as long as there’s anything left!

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It isn’t long before the game moves to the floor!

After one play for this feather….

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Post 1364: Andy and Dougy’s mousebreath blog interview

Andy and Dougy recently revealed all on mousebreath blog. Click on the link under the photos to see what these cheeky brothers had to say!

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Uh oh…DOUGY!

http://mousebreath.com/smoke-persians-andy-dougy/

Post 1363: Dougy hangs out…

Dougy knows how to relax. Of course, his favorite place to hang out is his ottoman.

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Post 1362: recliners are for “scritching”, too…

Andy love, love, loves to stretch out on the recliner arm when I’m there because he knows I have to put my arm somewhere. More specifically, my hand has to go somewhere, and that means he gets some “scritching” if he positions himself for it! Smart kitty!

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“More! More! MORE!!”

Post 1361: Dougy settles in for the morning…

The kitty boys are fed and have washed up. Now it’s time to settle in for the morning. Andy’s in hiding since it’s medicine time. Dougy’s followed me over to the glider and has hopped on his ottoman.

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First, we have to scratch on the ottoman to make sure everyone knows this is “Dougy’s ottoman”!!!

Then we stretch out, find a comfortable spot.

“What!? What!? What!?” Dougy saw something that surprised him.

Never did figure out what he saw. Then he settled down for the time being, took a snooze.

Post 1360: we follow each other…

I can count on the kitty boys to be wherever I am. They greet me at the door when I come home from tasks or visits, then trail around, behind, and in front of me till their curiosity is satisfied, they get fed, or they decide it’s time for a cat nap.

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Andy greeted me at the door when I came back from dialysis. Dougy came to greet me shortly afterwards, but my focus was on catching Andy. Andy managed to evade me earlier and still needed his medicine….

Andy knows what’s coming! He nearly avoided capture again, but I managed. He’s dosed for today!

After a brief “scritching”, Dougy had important kitty business to take care of.

Ugh! I need to do litter box duty for sure now! Two cats fill it up pretty fast, and I didn’t get the job done before I left this morning: Not a good deal!

Turnabout’s fair play, says Dougy, who follows me into the bathroom and weaves himself around my legs while I take care of important business. Andy prefers to watch me shower. Anyone with cats knows the routine!

A bit later, Dougy takes a tour of the dining room table, which never looks better than this because the kitty boys manage to mess things up no matter how much straightening I make of my work piles.