Clara recently asked Lin and I to participate in the Infinite Cats Project.  I tried.  I really did.  I brought up the Website and, with camera in hand, tried to lure Midnight into looking at the kitties.  Wonderful fellow that he is, he demonstrated his best example of feline indifference.

Midnight ignores those other cats

I really did my best to get him to look at the screen.  He preferred to take a nap on my papers.  Cats can be so aloof.  Sometimes they can be nothing but curiosity.  Does anyone know how I can get my monitor to make a sound like the printer?  Is it worth the effort?

Last week, I talked with you about catnip.  This week,  the focus turns to cat nap.  I think I’ll need one today.  Our phone rang early this morning.  As I was about to rise, I heard Sylvia’s feet hit the floor.  I relaxed and listened to,  “Hello, hello . . .”  Sylvia was up for the day.  I tried to go back to sleep and failed in the attempt.  Later, the caller ID revealed that the call came from a young girl that we know.  She must have hit the wrong button.

So here I sit thinking about how easily Midnight seems to nod off for a bit of a snooze about anytime.  I’m not too sure, but I’ve been checking out his technique.

Look!  There he is in bright sunlight — and he’s asleep.  So perhaps the secret is if it’s not dark, make it look like it is.  Smart kitties know how to do that.  Right?

Oops.  I started to nod off and then poured my first cup of morning coffee.  I thought about curling up on a chair and throwing a paw hand over my face, but I’m to big to do that.  I’ll work on the technique later when I’m not so tired.

Are you ready for the big storm that’s coming this week?  Will you meet with your neighbors at the grocery store to see who can buy the last of the bread and milk?  Why do people do that?  Some things like that I just don’t understand . . .  Maybe I need a nap.  Just a little cat nap.

What do you think is happening in the photo?  Am I scolding Midnight?  Perhaps telling him that he should not be using my computer to watch Sponge Bob Square Pants cartoons?  Has he been naughty?

Actually, that’s what I’m trying to ascertain.  I’ve seen it on Cops and Alaska State Troopers.  I’m administering a field sobriety test to determine if kitty is high on catnip.

Good news is that he passed the test.  Fortunately, Midnight doesn’t go nuts for or get high from catnip.  A friend says that her cat is, “A mean drunk.”  In other words her guy gets nasty when under the influence of catnip.

My sister Clara had a cat that went totally berserk over catnip.  Do you have a problem with your feline friend?

Have you talked with your kitty about catnip?  You probably ought to . . .

It’s Monday.  Well big whoop!  You’d be as happy as I if the your vet had put you on a stinking diet.  Chuck says I’m 35-pounds of ninja stealth.  Hah!  I don’t weight a third that much, but my vet says I’m too fat.  Now I’m wasting away . . .  Where’s the fun in that?  I’m just going to lay here on the carpet and pout.
— Midnight

There you have it.  Straight from the hors er kitty himself.  Strictly in self defense, let me say Midnight is doing well on his diet.  He has lost some extra weight, has a lot of energy and, despite his words to the contrary, he loves to romp and play peek and chase games with me.

If someone opens the refrigerator, Midnight is right there with dreams of canned cat food in his head.  If I should forget or even be slow in getting food out for him on schedule, he’ll come and talk with me about it.

Please don’t worry about our kitty.  His protests notwithstanding, he is doing just fine.

I captured this photo with the camera sitting on the carpet.  It was an experiment that worked for me.  At least it did for this image.  Some of the other attempts did not work as well and have been deleted.

Midnight joins me in wishing you a happy Monday and a very good week.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to move the refrigerator to see if there was a reason that Midnight kept looking intently under it.  I rolled it out and behind and underneath I found these:

The ping pong balls were behind the refrigerator.  Underneath there was: Mr Mousie (He with the pouch for holding yummy catnip), a blue glitter ball that came from the end of a chase toy, the roller from a defunct cheese slicer and his favorite red glitter ball (a gift from a very special friend).

Midnight was very happy to get his toys back.  It was fun watching him play with Mr Mousie and his favorite red glitter ball.

And as I watched and thought about this I began to question if I had knocked parts of my life “under the refrigerator.”  Friends, with whom I no longer maintain contact.  Yes, there are some.

What about simple pleasures like a walk beside the river?  Before we moved here, Sylvia and I used to do that a few times each week.  It was a great way to relieve stress.  I’d love to sit on the deck again on a summer afternoon and watch the world go by.

What’s under your refrigerator?

It’s another typical Sunday afternoon.  Lunch is over and I’m sitting in my recliner.  The NASCAR Cup series race is on and I’m watching it on the big screen.  My little buddy, Midnight, has joined me to watch all the excitement.  And there we sit completely absorbed by the sights and sounds of those metal giants hurtling around the track.

Sylvia slips by on tip-toes, careful not to disturb our intense concentration.  Isn’t that nice of her?
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It was December 6, 2009 when Sylvia sent me out to the barn to bring in the lone kitten and only cat that was living out there.  We had decided that with no other cats to sleep with him, he probably wouldn’t make it through the winter.

I went out, he came up to me and when he rubbed against my ankle I picked him up in one hand and carried the little guy into the house.  Soon, he was acquainted with our house and the vet.  His funny little tail had been broken in four places.  He had been fortunate.

Here was Mom, a litter mate and our little guy on the right.  Mom had left, and we never saw either of the two litter mates again.  Midnight needed to be rescued.  And that’s what we did.

Once inside, he started to grow.  Here he is sometime before January 6 (Three King’s Day — after that we take down our Christmas decorations).  He was such a cute but feisty fuzz ball.

By summer, he had grown some more.  He knew us and the vet better.  He also knew what he could and couldn’t do.  His job of training his human attendants was right on schedule.

Now that fall has arrived we have a monster on our hands.

Lin describes her Hobbes as 47 pounds of stripey goodness.  And he is a beautiful fellow.  Our Midnight is 35 pounds of stealthy ninja who loves to ambush us at night in the dark house.  He is about a year and half old.  Can anyone tell me how long he will keep growing?  Or is it going to be like the story of the gold fish that the kids kept feeding?
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