5 Months Old Today!

The kitties are 5 months old today. We went to the vet for their last kitten shot. Domino's up to 6.87 pounds, and Midi's up to 5.72 pounds!!  (That means both have gained about 1.3 pounds in a month; at this rate I need to buy stock in Kitten Fancy Feast.)

Both kitties are happy and healthy.

Midi's latest trick is climbing curtains. I've been mostly successful in curtailing expeditions, but she managed to get on top of the curtain rod to the picture window the other day. I couldn't reach her, so I threw throw pillows at her until she got down.   (I know that's not why they're called throw pillows, but still....)

Domi continues to foray over the basement gate. I really think he's just jumping it for fun; no evidence he's ventured down the stairs.  I moved the gate this week to do laundry, just to see what they'd do.  On the way back up I saw two little heads peaking over the pool noodle that normally blocks the gap under the gate. They didn't try coming down.

I got a new recliner today; I think they approve. We had a good three-way snuggle in the new chair a little bit ago.  I kept the old (broken) on for them to climb/lounge on in the bedroom.

Have a great week; until next time, keep purring!

Kitty Names

 Domino and Midnight were named by their foster parents; they were 12 weeks old when I got them--they already knew their names, so I didn't change them.

All cats develop nicknames, too.  Midi is Baby Girl, Midget, Midi Kitty, Mid-mid.  Domi is Dominator, Denominator, Little Man, Dom-dom.

But I have a 24-year old tradition to maintain.  When I got my first cat, Benny, I shared an apartment with my best friend.  We think Benny was 6-9 months old when I got him (stray) in December of 1998.  He was a tuxedo cat, so he needed a formal name to go with his formal attire, hence Benjamin.

I taught middle school during the day and my friend worked nights. When Benny got in trouble, she started spouting "B" names. It finally solidified.

Benjamin Bradley Balthazar Buford Bartholomew Brat.  (Ben Brat) Benny lived for almost 18.5 years.

When I got Cass a couple of years later (2000), we thought he was a girl.  (He was a very young pet store baby.)  Cassandra had a mouthful of girl names, too, until we found out she was a boy.  He was already Cassie, so he became:

Cassidy Casper Cassius Charlie Christopher Cat. (Cass cat)  Cass made it to 22.25.  I lost him last June.

So, the new kids had to have the same kind of name.  It's not just a big string of random names, though; it has something to do with the syllables and the flow of the names.  Bonus if it fits personalities.

Midnight Mischief Marjorie Macel Mariposa Mite. (Midi Mite)

Mischief: as in, full of.  Marjorie, just because. Macel was my grandmother.  Mariposa means "butterfly"; small, pretty, constantly moving.  Mite because how many 1-syllable M names fit?

Domino Dominick Donatello Daniel DaVinci Dude (Domi Dude) 

Dominick because it's similar to Domino, and is a favorite book character.  Donatello from TMNT.  Daniel in the biblical sense, but also Daniel Tiger from Mr. Rogers (when I say it, it tends to try to turn to David, but I really like Daniel better).  DaVinci just because, and Dude because the alternative was Drat.

Hopefully I interspersed enough baby pictures you're still reading.   Go find some scraps of paper to bat around.  It's entertaining to watch; it has to be more fun to play!

Water, Water, Everywhere

 The latest obsession is the bathroom sink. For the last week or so, Midnight (and Domino, to a lesser extent) has been fascinated with the bathroom sink. Anytime I'm in there, up they come. 

I think part of it's because the bowl is just the right size to curl up in. My first two cats were known to do the same when they were younger.  But the rest is the water.  If I wash my hands, they'll lick the water off the sides.  And sometimes I turn on a trickle from the faucet that is irresistable.  Wet paws!

I am getting a little tired of picking up the bottles that get knocked off, though.

So I got an idea. I have an old pet fountain that I used when my first cat Benny was younger. He didn't like stagnant water. The pump died years ago, so I've just been using it as a water bowl.  Since they like playing in the sink, I bought a real fountain.  It shoots a spray of water out into the basin continually.  They love it.  It was at least 10 minutes (forever in kitten time) before they left it alone.

I had to close the window this weekend. Fortunately, I had an acceptable substitute.  

Even though there's another hammock in the other room, they both seem to hangout in this one together.  In the second pic, note both tails, although you can't see Domi's head.

And some cuteness just because:

Until next time, keep purring!

Lazy Rainy Days

 It's been a rainy long weekend, and the kitties and I have enjoyed doing nothing together.

They're growing so fast! I had them at the vet last week; Domino's up to 5.6 lbs, while Midnight's at 4.5 lbs.

They LOVE their new cat tree. In fact, they were trying it out while I was still putting it together.

Last week, Domi either found or killed a mouse. He came trotting in with his new toy....then got mad when I took it away.  I'm pretty sure he's been exploring the basement, despite the baby gate I have blocking the stairs (unfortunately there's no door to keep shut).  I know he's been over the gate; I don't know how far down he's gone.

Midi's latest trick is to get in the bathroom sink to lick water off the faucet and bowl. 

Both kitties have settled into a routine of evening cuddles, which makes me happy.

Enjoy your lazy, rainy days.  Lots of purrs in the forecast.

Look how much they've grown!  Above was taken this week; below the first week I had them. Same window.