Santino

Caught exiting the pot and pan cabinet in the kitchen. Issey is still inside, no doubt looking for food and wondering why there's nothing IN the pots!
Santino is a laid back happy kitty....












There are very few things that Santino insists on:

*To get on the dining table when there are guests.
*To be given Pitr-Pats on demand.
*To be given a little bite of everything that Issey has, even of things which Santino does not like.
*To be brushed on demand. He wants the RIGHT to eat it....which he does not.
To have his daily fill of sisal.

My Four Kids

Sophie loves to lie on the living room floor, always in exactly the same spot.

Sometimes they are cooperative and sometimes not so much....just like humans! Rudy is jealous of Issey so I did not expect to see the two very close, but neither would even look at me when I called to them. It's this kind of behavior which prompts people to believe that cats are independent. I think of it more in terms of "free" or "healthy"....even as "having inner lives".





















I looked at Issey and Santino together and said "awwwww". It will take Santino some time to learn that I no longer use the flash and it's safe for him to open his eyes.

Life Goes On

Two dishes of food, usually turkey or chicken in one, and beef, deer, or tuna in the other. They are soooooo happy! Rudy is the only one who would prefer to be alone when he eats, but since he is overweight, I am not inclined to oblige him.











Doesn't Issey look sweet? I love his folded paws.










Issey now weighs a little over 8 pounds. He still looks like he is all legs and people still refer to him as skinny. He is anything but skinny, but they don't have the opportunity to caress his solid silken body.











I have begun trying my shooting without flash. In this case, I got the image to be light enough by "pushing" it in my photo editing program...the simple one, not Photoshop which I keep avoiding as being too complicated.












Sometimes all the kitties, including Sophie, and I are in bed together. This morning I woke up with all of them, Sophie quite close. She even walked over me.:-)

Napping

We do a lot of napping here! As a matter of fact, I think we have napping perfected. We can do it in the sun, in the shade, alone or together. We can do it sprawled out on the floor, or cramped in small spaces. Best of all, is napping under the covers, curled up with Mommy.

Letter to Virginia

Dear Mommy Viginia,

Thank you for leting me go with my texas Mommy to my new hoom. Everythin is gud.
I have 2 cats to play and sleep with. Thats reely enuff for anybudy. Why do you hav so many ? The thurd cat heer is ok but he want to b in charge and thats not right. My Mommy luvs me best, and I now how things need to work.

Sofee and Santeeno are no trubbel. Espeshally sofee hoo does wat I want. Santeeno is nice. lets me eet his food. But mabe you cud talk to Mommy? She is suppost to giv me a bite of her food. Last nite she forgot. I wus gud. No pester while she aet. I see she lef meet chop on kitchun counter. Me not go on counter. But how els get poke chop? Goes on counter, yes. OOO, so gud, so gud. Me purr, purr, purr. Me happy, Cut up with teef. Me big. Get my own snak.
Me feel gud. Purr.

Mommy com in kitchun. and mommy luk not like mommy. Hoo is dis? Mommy maik loud noise say noooooooo, noooooo, noooooo. Wats you meen noooooooo? Me get my snak. You leev for me, big boy. Mommy cut off were I chuud and gav to Rudee and Santeeno. Say go way to me. Y say that? Me no go way, me want moor treet. Mommy luv me but say nooo. Y she not let me get treet? Y she luk funnee, not like my mommy? I wurred. She not like big boy get own treet? I lef her alone an she turn into Mommy agin cuddl, kiss, purr.

Yoor big boy,
Issey

A Cat, a Pig, or a Dog?

Here you see Issey getting ready to take a nap, after having given up on my lap. This is his and Santino's favorite chair, which anyone can tell by the layer of white hair on it. Since I wind up working standing up, anyway, the chair belongs to the cats.

But, what I really wanted to write about is Issey's piggishness. He eats at lightning speed! He inhales the other cats' and his own food, and begs for more. Is the only solution to feed him in a separate room? I think that change would upset all four kitties. And, add more work for me.

What follows stinks.

Such a little creature, not yet a full-grown cat, passes large volumes of gas! It seems like a dumb reason to take him to the vet....but, could there be something physical which is resulting in his eating habits?

(Rudy, who has always swallowed his food whole, also has digestive issues. And, yes, I buy kibble for "sensitive stomachs"....but no digestive system is built for processing unchewed foods.)

So Beautiful To Me, Can't You See?

This is a popular sleeping place when I'm on the computer. Issey starts out on my lap, but I can't stay still enough to suit him. It's really nice to always have a kitty next to me!

Look at that beautiful wedge! I've never seen a better profile.:-)











I don't really have green cats. I just wasn't paying attention to the lighting. Though Santino and Issey never quite manage to arrange themselves as bookends the way litter mates do, they come close. These two are more alike in personality than they are different.

They both know what they want, want it now, and insist on getting it. Santino is mellow, but as a kitten, was a lot like Issey is now. ON me! Crying for treats. ON me. In my face. :-) Crying for treats. Now the only think Santino insists on is a daily brushing. He will wail until he gets it.