The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

After setting up the tree this year, I asked my friends on Facebook to place their bets.

The bets were all about how long Squeak would allow the tree to stand. How long the ornaments would stay on. Whether he would climb it. But the only thing Squeak has done is turn the lights on (and off and on and off and on and off and on and off and on and off and on and off and on and off and on and off and…).

People forgot all about Kitten Thunder. And that this tree is for Obi.

Oliver was content to watch. And duck the halls, courtesy of a friendly toddler.

Eventually, even the tree was tired and we all took a nap.

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That’s a Wrap

Why we still have a “roll” of wrapping paper on the floor in the basement hallway, which we walk on every time we go into the workshop:

If you scroll through this really quickly, it’s almost animated!

The Cozy Dilemma

I was evidently cold when I was writing my Christmas wish list this year because I got a whole bunch of fleece. Pajamas and sheets and a robe and slippers. It is awesome.

The first time Oliver walked over the really soft robe, he came to a full stop and looked down at his feet in amazement. He is no longer interested in snuggling on the old fuzzy blanket. Only on the robe.

Last night was or first night with the fleece sheets on the bed. We figured this morning would be a glorious morning of sleeping in for the grey kitten and me. But things didn’t work out that way.

At 5:30 this morning, I got up to feed the kittehs and went back to bed. Oliver found me there and was purring before he even got situated under the covers.

Fleece. Sheets. Are. Awesome.

But I have this cough right now and it is worst in the morning. Getting up started the coughing and I couldn’t get it to settle down. To let The Boy sleep, I got up.

Oliver was horrified.

Fleece sheets? He looked at me sadly.

“You can stay here and be cozy,” I whispered to him. The grey kitten turned in three circles and plunked down with his head on my pillow. I tucked the sheet under his chin.

I’d have chosen the quiet, soft sheets over a coughing Girl, too.

Man Stuff with Style

Oliver and I were on the couch this morning when Obi came up, leading The Boy to the belly rubbing rug. The Boy said “show your girl why you aren’t allowed to help with Man Stuff.”

Obi was not interested in showing me. He wanted his belly rubbed.

But The Boy borrowed my camera so he could document the issue.

Seems the brown kitten rubbed against a door frame, claiming it in the name of Obi, just seconds after The Boy painted it.

While he looked awesome with frosted tips, I used the brush and a wet paper towel to remove the paint. And Oliver have him a bath.

***

We wrapped presents today. Although Kitten Thunder is kind of mad about their boxes being filled with things that are not for them and jammed under their tree, Oliver thinks this is the best bag ever.

Treejoicing

It was Thanksgiving weekend so, as all good American families do, we put up the Christmas tree.

For this, Obi was thankful.

He spent all afternoon under his tree. By evening, Oliver was also under the tree and u discovered the capabilities of my camera.

Tomorrow we go back to work. Oliver, lying in my lap, doesn’t want to hear about it.

Christmas Cruelty

Dear bloggypeople,

Once again, I write to you – or dictate to The Girl who is typing this because “I can’t spell” – to report the most grievous behavior from my people. My Girl and The Boy left Obi and I alone, without food or water, for A YEAR.

At first, things were okay. After packing up the car with our boxes and most of our wrapping paper, The Girl gave us a bonus breakfast. But, while we were eating, they LEFT. For WEEKS.

The Lori came to feed us at first. She’s pretty good at the scritching and feeding so we thought we would be okay. And if she shows up we know that The Girl will probably come back soon. But she didn’t come back. And then, after weeks of helping us scrape by, The Lori also stopped coming.

We were doomed.

The straights, they were dire.

The kitty crunchies, despite our rationing, were creeping down below the level of the top of the bowl. The water bowl was only half full. Days stretched into weeks. Weeks stretched into months. Obi and I would soon perish, we were certain.

Plus, somehow, the litter box got fuller and fuller.

Finally, today, The Boy and The Girl returned. The Girl insisted on picking me up and kissing my ears before she fed us. Luckily, she carried me to the plates so I wouldn’t have to walk on my own in my weakened state. Obi was carried in by The Boy who had foolishly tried to rub his empty belly.

Who needs an empty belly rubbed?

I’d forgiven The Girl, a little bit (she’ll need to be punished later, after I’ve had some snuggles). Then I see THIS.

This isn’t me!!! The Girl has some picture of a guy named Nama on her phone! And then…THIS!

The Boy let some other cat RIDE him. WHO THE PFFT IS MADDY!?! So not okay.

I’m so mad, I’m off to lick my tail vigorously on the other side of the room. Maybe the next time, The Girl will think twice before she wanders off for a year to cheat on us with other cats.

Please, if you see The Girl out and about – should we ever allow her out or about again – glare at her pointedly and tell her that this type of behavior is unacceptable.

Sincerely,
Oliver Pi
Chief Executive Kitten

***Note from The Girl: We were gone for five days and Lori, bestest kitteh sitter in the world, came to see them every day except yesterday (Christmas) and today, because we came back today. And I like them to be hungry when we get home so we can bribe them with breakfast.

A Very Merry Christmas

The Boy and I were in Rock Springs this weekend for Christmas, parts 1 and 2. Cousin Gracie got what she wanted – a tower of boxes on which to sit and be gorgeous in front of the tree.

“Merry freaking Christmas.”

And Cousin Spade got what he wanted – two more people to play with him.

“You suspect nothing.”

 

How to Wrap Presents

Step 1. Open The Boy’s closet and encourage the kittens to take a nap inside.

Step 2. Casually walk downstairs like you’re not going to do anything interesting.

Step 3. Go ahead and turn on the camera – you know steps 1 and 2 are fruitless, right?

Step 4. Consult the brown kitten as you choose a paper.

Step 5. Ask the grey kitten about the paper when he runs the brown kitten off.

Step 6. Lay out paper to judge size according to the package being wrapped.

Step 7. Move the grey kitten off the paper, onto the shelf under the window.

 Step 8. Watch, helplessly, as the grey kitten tries to step back on the table but puts his foot on paper that does not have table underneath it. Watch him fall, slamming his chin on the table edge on his way down.

Step 9. Drop everything and scoop the grey kitten into your arms. Check for injury. Walk around the house with him in your arms for 20 minutes while his world stops spinning.

Step 10. Decide to blow of wrapping for a while.

Step 11. Return, after dinner, to wrapping.

Step 12. Allow the brown kitten to “curl” some ribbon.

***

Oliver is fine. We finished wrapping presents and snuggled up on the couch. Purr therapy works both ways.

 

Please hold…

The Kitten Thunder blog is moving to KittenThunder.com. We love WordPress and will continue to use it, but I’m going to private hosting.

While we wait, think about Christmas. Think about wrapping your presents in Cousin Spade. He’s very festive.

Meowy Christmas and a Happy Mew Year wrapping pape Gift Wrapping Paper by KittenThunder
Browse additional wrapping paper at Zazzle

Battle: Ear Wax

As I have mentioned before, Oliver has allergies. Allergies that do gross things to my handsome grey kitten like give him goopy eyes, chin zits and icky ears. If the symptoms don’t bother him I usually don’t put him through a veterinary visit. But after cleaning his ears on Monday? His ears were bothering him. I called in my favorite people at Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic.

Obi and I met Tiffany and Laura at the door, because that’s what we do. They came in and set up while we small talked. What they didn’t notice, while unpacking and rubbing Obi’s belly, was Oliver coming in, checking them out, then going upstairs with hopes that they were there to see Obi. So I had to go upstairs to fetch the grey kitten.

Still holding Oli, I presented his ears to the doctor. She was appropriately concerned by the caverns of black crusty mess. And a little bit suspicious that it might be ear mites. I agreed with her that it certainly LOOKED like ear mites. But Oliver is an indoor cat. And he and Obi lay ear to ear all the time but Obi’s ears are clear. And, until Monday, there was no itching or head shaking. I hadn’t ruled it out, but ear mites seemed so unlikely.

And then the ear cleaning began.

There was hissing and screaming and growling. There was not enough cotton ready. It. Was. Gross.

During the whole process, I held Obi. Obi cried. He was very concerned about what they were doing to his brother. When I wasn’t holding him, he would run up and try to help free the brother. 

Finally, it was over. 

Oliver stomped off. Then he came back, ears pressed down to show they were broken, and fixed Tiffany with a mighty glare. He left again with a flick of his tail. “I think he just flipped me off!” she said. Then she played with Obi for a minute. The brown kitten forgave everyone as soon as the growling and hissing stopped.

After a quick trip to look at gunk under a microscope, the ears are officially full of bacteria, NOT bugs. After nine hours I was forgiven, even though Oli’s ears were still bright red inside. Poor kitten. And after I poured medicine in his ears this morning, Oliver was perfectly okay with me leaving town for a while.

***

I am in Rock Springs right now for business. Cousin Spade is standing in for my usual IT team.

Here he is, looking for some more accessories for my laptop. Or the notebook that I need but left on the coffee table in Cheyenne.

***

So! As you may know, Kitten Thunder has a Zazzle store. Our top seller is our Meowy Christmas ornament. Personally, I would buy the 2-sided ornament that says Meowy Christmas and a Happy Mew Year, but whatever. My point is this: if one option is good, many options is better! Instead of just Cousin Spade, who is super handsome, I would like to offer many faces on this ornament. A Meowy Christmas ornament with a calico. One with a grey tabby. An orange tabby. Long hair, short hair, no hair! If you have a gorgeous feline that would like to be featured on an ornament, please send me a photo of your furry friend at angelharp64@hotmail.com.