Sparky Report #7

Hello! Back again, later than expected, due to computer problems. Let's hope this post doesn't disappear too!

Yes, that is Sparky on the left, having fallen asleep on a paperback. The cat has good taste. *g*

Sparky Tabasco's Excellent Adventure

A few days ago Sparky captured a moth! As moths go, it was a big one, and she spent a good 20 minutes stalking, leaping, creeping, pouncing, and finally catching the erratic flapper. Once she caught it, however, she wasn't sure that to do with it. But feline instincts took over and she ate it, making faces as she did so. This was high adventure for such a youngster, and once she had a taste of bloodlust, she was hooked. In the picture, you can just see the freshly caught moth in her mouth.

The Bed Bug Bites

Sparky has a strong nesting instinct. No matter the material involved, if she can turn it into a nest, she'll do it. And that includes those flimsy plastic grocery bags. I had three of them on my desk after emptying them of office supplies, and Sparky immediately commandeered them for her own use, as you can see.

And once she got bitten by the let's-steal-a-bed bug, she advanced to the dog's very private domain:  Shona's crate. Marched right in, curled up to a bemused Shona, and fell asleep. This has become a regular occurrence, and Shona seems to appreciate the extra body heat and companionship.

Sparky has the ability to turn anything into a toy. I took a series of pictures showing Sparky playing with a variety of objects. Nothing is sacred. Below are pictures showing her playing with, respectively, a ball point pen, a staple remover, a glue stick, a wristwatch, an articulated artist's dummy, and a paint brush.

What about your cat(s)? Do they have unusual toys? Quirky sleep habits? (Or are they just plain quirky?) If you have a dog, do they get along? Inquiring minds want to know!

Comments

[Janice]

I've only had one cat - Grits of beloved memory - who was a kitten when I got her. She too was tiny enough to sleep on a paperback book (in that day, it was Andre Norton). I had never been around little kids and other small animals much, and I was so afraid that I'd step on her by accident and hurt her. I say good morning to her photograph on the wall every day. As I do to all of them. What a joy Sparky must be to you :)

[Sherrie Holmes]

Janice, I understand your fear of stepping on such a small beastie. I've stepped on Sparky 3 times, because she sneaked up behind me and I didn't know she was there. The first two times I got her foot, but the third time she was lying on the floor and I got her rib cage. However, God gave us good reflexes for a reason. just as my foot touched her, I was able to do one of those ungainly windmilling change of directions and the only hurt she sustained was a sore foot for about 30 seconds. Then she was off on another adventure, none the worse for wear. It was moe traumatic for me than for her!

Yes, Sparky is a true joy, and I bless the day my sister and I kept hearing this pitiful sound that we at first mistook for a bird in distress. As I write this, Sparky has found a piece of crumpled up paper that missed the wastepaper basket and she's batting it all over the room. Oh! And now she's found a pencil and has abandoned the paper. Kittens. They have the attention span of a gnat.

[Lucy]

Little monkey. :D Watch out for a developing interest in electric cords.

After someone made an expensive snack of the printer cable, I was obliged to go to the hardware store and buy coils and coils of clear plastic plumbing-type hose--then slit it lengthwise with a knife, poke my cords inside the hoses, and seal the closures with electrical tape. The kittens have long grown, but some of those cords are still in their hose-coverings.

(Also handy is a sharp "No!" and a quick spritz of plain water from a spray-bottle.) :-)

[Jo Banks]

Sparky is definitely all cat and I bet when she moves in on the dogs they just give way and let her !I know our Fergus despite having his own cosy bed would bunk in with the dog on cold winter nights and woe betide poor old Ben if he disturbed him !

[Sherrie Holmes]

Lucy, how wise you are! What a great idea for protecting your electrical cords and cables from kitty teeth!

Your warning is timely, as Sparky has indeed discovered the tempting assortment of computer cords and cables under my desk, and I've caught her hugging them to her chest while trying to disembowel them with her hind feet.

I like your clever idea of using clear plastic tubing to protect your cables. I happen to have some tubing left over from a project and it's just the right size for my cables. Besides, I just hate the mess of all those electrical cords under my desk, so it will be nice to neaten them up with your plastic tubing! Thank you!

[Sherrie Holmes]

Jo, you are right: when Sparky decides she wants to snuggle with Shona, the dog has no choice in the matter. And to be honest, since the death of my Doberman a few weeks ago, Shona has been lonely, so it was a good time for Sparky to commandeer Shona's bed!

The fun part is watching them play while they lie together in the crate. Shona makes fake biting motions, and Sparky does the fake slapping and biting. They certainly entertain themselves! I have managed to get several good pictures of them roughhousing in the crate.