Stick Figure Cat!

Kitten in red sauce, almost

After I fished him out of a sinkful of dirty dishes...

He jumped right back up onto the kitchen counter and tried to walk into the frying pan. Fortunately the lid was on, or else he would have gotten tomato sauce all over his paws. I put a noodle on a plate to see if he'd like to have some. He batted it around but decided it wasn't edible.

A family portrait

In spite of the Spots' not-too-friendly looks, they're getting along better now. The big cats barely twitch their tails when Max zips by, much less bother to hiss. Max was even able to plant a quick kiss on Not Spot's forehead this morning :)

My parking lot prince

You know that Hans Christian Andersen story about the princess who could feel a single pea through 20 mattresses and 20 feather beds? Spot must have read it recently. His new favorite pastime is balancing himself atop stacks of pillows.

I hate to tell him, but he's more pauper than prince. He's forgotten that he grew up in a parking lot. Still, he's become quite a handsome boy. And unlike the pea princess, he's ever eager to help out with chores.

Almost like a snooze bar

He purrs and blinks and goes into nap mode when you lay him on his back. It works like a charm, which comes in handy when he's in the midst of a wild rumpus.

But... while most alarm clocks have 9 minute snooze internals, his only lasts for about 90 seconds. After that he goes from the cutest, cuddliest little thing into a finger (or tail, if one of his big brothers are nearby) chomping monster!

Thank you for your order

So I got a box in the mail. When I opened it up, I found... a cat? I do like his pink nose and striped tail.

He's a size 7 cat, to be exact. He came so neatly packed! No bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts needed.

Thanks, Lands' End! He's just what I wanted - even if he looks nothing like those shoes I thought I bought...

Cucumber and kitten salad!

What's that, he asked? After tearing open a bag of dried mushrooms and taking bites out of several crackers. A few days ago he shredded a bag of bread, too. And made a neat paw print on a piece of pumpkin pie. And stuck his little pink nose in a cup of raspberry yogurt.

What got his attention now was a cucumber on the cutting board. Maybe he'd never seen a cucumber before. I keep wondering about his past, how he lived before his previous people dropped him off at the shelter.

So there he sat, snuggling with the cucumber, refusing to budge until he figured out that it's not the yummy treat he was hoping for.

I told my friend Catherine that by now he probably thinks his name is NOOOO! She said even that's probably a better name than China Man. He doesn't look very Chinese, after all. So I think I'll call him Max, after Maurice Sendak's Wildest Thing of All who had supper waiting when he came home from his wild rumpus.

Cloud 9

He was looking for a warm place for his mid-morning nap...

Here's where he ended up. Can you hear him purr?

A cat-shaped shadow

That's what I'm looking forward to having for the next 15-20 years! I had planned to find China Man a good home. I already had two cats and wasn't looking for a third. But the more time I spent with him, the harder it became to imagine life without the little troublemaker.

So I filled out his adoption paperwork last Thursday. He didn't seem the least bit surprised when I told him he's here to stay. In his mind, he already owns the place!

His favorite place

China Man's the kind of guy who's totally into spend time in the kitchen. Earlier I made an omelet under his supervision. He's looks like he's not sure I chopped the red peppers finely enough.

Next he wanted to help get a plate to put the omelet on. No thanks, silly cat. That's how you broke a glass last time!

And finally, we've got to unload the dishwasher to make room for that pile of cups and bowls in the sink. I don't know about you, but I've never met another cat that's so useful around the house :)

Fearless

China Man is not afraid of Spot, who is twice as big as him and has such sharp teeth! (Don't worry - Spot is just yawning.)

He's not scared of the vacuum either, not even when it's turned on. He actually hopped on the canister and stayed for the ride!

I wonder what he'll think of Dr Marohn, who should be here in a few minutes. I called for an appointment because China Man had a coughing fit yesterday. It lasted no more than a minute and seems to be gone now, but better safe than sorry, no? The Spots think Dr Marohn (along with just about every visitor) is frightening, even though she's sooo nice and gentle. I'll bet China Man climbs all over her the minute she walks in the door!

Update: China Man loved Dr Marohn. She thinks he's pretty cute, too. She found no respiratory problems, but was a little worried about his ears. The ear mites he arrived at the shelter with have been successfully treated, but there seems to be some lingering bacterial infection. She is going to run some tests and might prescribe some ear drops. He's otherwise totally healthy.