A little Kitten called Tonto came to live with us much to the delight of my two youngest girls, and the annoyance and dismay of my two older cats. I vowed never to get another cat after I lost Tilly in 2009, but here we are with a new kitty.
A couple of reasons. 1/ The girls can't remember having a kitten (they were too young to remember Sooty and Tipsy being kittens apparently) and they wanted to experience this joy. 2/ they promised to feed and clean up after kitty, and 3/ being self employed now apparently means it would be ok to have another cat if I was at home more! None of these added up as I am working a lot more now as self employed, but I still gave in when we heard of some kittens needing homes. Then when we were sent some pictures, it was a done deal.Tonto was picked due to his black eye mask on a white face, and a white tip on the end of his tail which looks as if he had walked past a tin of white paint and accidently caught the end of his tail in it. He seemed very out-lawish and mischievous, and he looked like a Tonto, plus I had to get the namesake of Johnny Depp in there somehow.
Tonto was so small and he wanted to play with everything. Not afraid of the big cats who were at the best agitated and at the worst- kept looking up at me as if to say I'm staying outside until this one goes home.
They soon realised he was not going home, as his home was with them. How they loved me those first few days. Ha! But Tonto made himself at home very quickly, and by day three Sooty soon forgot he was in a huff. Even the neighbour observed and commented on how 'put out and huffed they looked' on that very first morning. Sooty still gives Tonto an exasperated look as if to say why is he still here, and then gives him a gentle paw bat if Tonto goes for his tail once too often. Tonto doesn't seem to mind at all!
Kitten Tonto is a hair sniffer and a chest snuggler. He also loves finding a snug place around my hair or back of neck to go to sleep. I know when he is about to go to sleep as his purrs rattle his little tiny body very loudly. He won't be able to snuggle about my neck for ever, so he had better make the most of it now.
The older cats are experts at being couch potatoes, and now Tonto thinks the couch is his bed as well. It has been photo city since Tonto arrived. Rarely do I get a shot of all the cats occupying the same space and I dare not enter this space for fear one of them will dart away and ruin my entire photo. But I have managed to get one somehow.
They always have had the knack to knows when something's up. Seriously, they can tell when I'm just thinking of getting up from the chair and heading out of the living room. I just have to move position and Tipsy is at the living room door, giving me her lazy blink, and more or less wondering what I am playing at for not getting to the door before her. They are hilarious when we are getting suitcases out to go on holiday, they know something is up, and pace around thinking they are supervising. Picking out which case to sniff and lie on, and then look at the other cat with that look as if to say ha, I bagged it first.
They do not have a particular bed to lie on, as they like to change places often. It could be the laundry basket, the empty amazon box, or the best chair in the house. It will never ever be the luxury deluxe cat bed you bought and is still as new. In fact I think i might use it as a back rest or pillow, they might take an interest in it then.
And obviously I have to be back from the shops well before they awakes from their 4th daily cat nap.
Ever wondered why cats love cardboard boxes? They have to investigate, observe, and then climb in. Try it out for size. I think it is the same reason why kids play with cardboard boxes on Christmas day. I still don't understand it, but its just something animals and children do. Normally the smaller the better for cats.
Today Tonto has his new kitten collar on and he only protested for the first ten minutes, it is so tiny, but a safety one, as I need to know where he is as he is so tiny. So I hear him before I see him now.
Tonto along with Sooty and Tipsy are going to be in a book I am writing, so there will be much amusement for cat and children's book lovers along the way.
More cat tales will no doubt follow. I have already blogged about Sooty and Tipsy, so please check back blogs to read.
Tonto and books.
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