Such a Dainty Drinker

If you ever have a tea party, invite Niko. She's quite the politest and most delicate drinker-upper I've ever seen. Her method? Reaching down into the glass to scoop out a wee taste, and then cleaning her paw delicately of its sweet nectar. Quite prim and proper, especially for a cat.

Niko used to employ the old face-into-the-glass trick. But most likely the tall glasses get a bit tight around the ears, making it tough to get out quickly, and I have born witness to a few nasty bouts with carbonated beverages. Niko's bright: she needed a new way to drink people-drinks, preferably one that allowed her to test the waters (figuratively and literally) and make a quick getaway if need be. Her solution? Behold, the Dip 'n Sip:

Dip...

then Sip!

Takes awhile to drink a glass of milk this way, but it's form over function, I always say. (Do I?)

Surely this is worth blogging about, even if I didn't have loads of time on my hands and nobody to share it with.

A cat, a belt, and long rubber gloves

I don't know if it's her, um, generous girth, but Merlot seems to have difficulty cleaning herself. We've noticed lately that her fur has been rather oily and dull, and decided that something needed to be done. I mentioned this to our friend Josh several weeks ago, and ever since he has been asking me whether we've washed the cat yet.

Yeah. During all that extra time we've had.

So today Josh was here working on our consultation paper with me, and I confess we weren't being very productive. He brought cinnamon scones to snack on...we started with those, and it was downhill from there.

But I do have a headstart on rental housing in Reading, should I match for internship there.

Obviously, we needed some incentive. And, as is his custom, Josh asked if we had yet washed the cat. No, Josh, that has not been at the top of our to-do list. But his query sparked an idea in my mind...Joel isn't all that enthusiastic about taking time to wash the cat, but if I can get some free help from Josh, and he would be immensely entertained by washing the cat...win-win situation, right?

So we agreed that if we finished our paper elements by 4:30, he could go to the store for cat shampoo while I synthesized our paper and then we would wash Merlot before his 6:00 class.

You know you want to see the pictures.

I couldn't find our camera, due to lazy unpacking efforts since our return late Sunday night, so these are from my phone...

Merlot sans dignity:

That's a belt around her middle. It's amazing how merely a sense of being restrained can render a cat quite serene. Only after we removed the belt for one final rinse did she begin struggling and mewing to break your heart.

Merlot enjoying a bit of after-bath refreshment:

I think a half-hour at the spa really did wonders for her complexion. She looks cleaner, healthier, younger even. And, dare I say....thinner?

I blame the fifty or so hairballs left in the bathtub.

We're still waiting for her to dry. She's been parked in the dark hallway for the last 45 minutes licking her wet paws and wounded pride. Niko acts sympathetic, but you can tell she's laughing inside. Hopefully Merlot will venture out soon and forgive me for scandalizing her delicate sensibilities with two different showerhead settings. But I hope she'll also realize that she can stop craning her neck to get at those hard to reach places and thus arrive at a place of contentment and gratitude.

How like a cat I am...how many times has the Lord washed me of some sin, only for me to struggle and protest, ignorant of my need? May I always be grateful for His firm hand and cleansing Spirit. (I'm sure it would help if He were to provide a bowl of delicious Good Kitty after the fact...)

How Many Cats?

Optical illusion: How many cats do you see in this picture?


If you said one, you're WRONG.

If you said two, then you must have magical x-ray night-vision that allows you to see invisible ninjas who are in stealth-mode.

There are not one, but two cats in the above picture, and one of them is a ninja. Her name is Niko, and she is utilizing her high-tech cloaking device known as Sitting on a Black Futon With Eyes Closed. Oh, but she is a tricky one.

The obvious cat is Merlot. She couldn't begin to hide from you under any circumstances whatsoever. Sometimes she tries, and then it turns out that she just put her head into a bag. It's like if she can't see you, then you can't see her either. But look at those eyes...she may not be a ninja, but I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley.

Well Hello There

This may well be the most seductive picture of a cat I've ever seen. It started out innocently enough, with little baby Niko curled up on the couch next to me, sleeping. Then she stretched out her little paw and it was the CUTEST thing I had ever seen, so of course I had to take a picture. The sound effects from my computer as it snapped the shot prompted her to open her eyes, and the result reminded me of a lady with her shoulder forward, tossing an eyes-half-closed sultry look toward the camera. Can you see it? What, she just looks like a sleepy, half-awake, annoyed-with-mom kitty to you?

Well, she looks much different in person. So there.

Either way, she's adorable, and don't you just love my new Target pillows that you can barely see the corner of?

Also, welcome, Brittany, to beautiful Virginia Beach! Thanks for the chocolate cake last night :-). I still don't have pictures from graduation to post, but when I do, be sure they'll be up here for all to see!

Niko Needs Treatment

Niko, fondly referred to as Little Baby Niko even though she has blossomed into kitty adolescence, likes to sit in the window and make a noise somewhere between a purr, a growl, and a meow. Observe:





Should we be concerned?