Kitty Movie Monday entry

Here's our entry for this week's Kitty Movie Monday. Other entries can be found at http://blogs.chron.com/catcall and http://www.youtube.com/group/kittymoviemonday

Fun way to start the week!

Recovery

It's taken all week to get this computer back together. My son-in-law, Ken, ran the recovery CD which essentially wiped out everything on the hard drive and reinstalled Windows. Then of course, Windows had to update itself umpteen times -- and one nice result is the installation of IE7. I like the tabbed browsing feature best of all! Then Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday were spent getting all the programs re-installed --the ones I care about, that is. I also was praying that all the data backed up on my Seagate external drive would work -- and it all did. Hooray!

Audace and Ruse had to help, of course, and Grace just kept her distance! Audace (above) was inspecting all the nice noisy things in the closet in this room (strictly an office, cannot serve as a bedroom without MAJOR changes!). Ruse (below) is fascinated by any open window, so that's where he settled himself. For once, it was Audace who was getting into stuff, and Ruse who was being the nice boy!

I'm sure happy to have everything back ... and cannot thank Ken enough for his patience and know-how.

Big crash!

On Monday, this computer crashed -- completely. Ken got it all working again by using the recovery CD (the only option since the hard drive was totally unaccessible). So I've spent the past two days putting on programs and restoring data from my back-up drive. I found out today that my last back-up was on October 24. Memo to self: Back up more frequently!!

I lost some cute pictures and one movie that didn't get uploaded to YouTube. So I'll start over today. I got a couple that may be worth posting -- how the kitten-cats were "helping" me while I've been restoring stuff on this computer!! LOL =)

Helpful when visiting!

While Audace and Ruse were visiting the Linehans yesterday, they were very gracious about helping to sort out some Christmas garland -- shredding, biting, and just generally spreading it all over the floor in the dining room!




And by the time they got home last night, they were two tuckered out little kitten-cats. Their mommy joined them as they all curled up together for hours of snoozing. Whew! What a day!!

Major playtime!

Yesterday around noon, all three cats were having a ripping good time, racing around the living and family rooms, in and out of the play cubes, up and down the climbing toy. They were VERY funny. In the first photo, you can just barely see Ruse's face as he peeked out from under the red cube. His little toy is right there, too.


In the second photo, Grace is just waiting for those boys to come tearing back. Throughout this whole play session, she mostly stayed inside one cube or another, and the boys were running around and through the cubes. It was very entertaining!

I have a video of this posted at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex1rokuWNLA

Enjoy!

Kitchen time

After eating and drinking, Ruse and Audace make themselves quite at home on the kitchen island -- which can no longer be used for food preparation unless these guys are absent for some reason! They do like to hop up there and relax and clean up after a good snack!

Grace is graciously sharing the water bowl. She still has her boys' best interest at heart, although lately the "play" has been getting a bit rough. I'll have to glue my camera to my wrist so I can get some photos of those little tussles!

From October

Grace and boys LOVE open windows, until neighbor-cat Henry Jack (another beautiful ginger cat) comes around and tries to claw his way through the screen in order to visit these three!



Audace likes to be in contact with someone while he snoozes! Ruse, however, usually likes to be nearby, but not touching -- unless it's his mommy or brother! Funny guys!!

September

Audace and Ruse learned lots of things in September: where to find a nice private place to take a nap (high on top of the kitchen cupboards!), where their food came from, how to play on their multi-level scratching-and-jumping toy (Austen was teaching them!), how to play in the water, and how to play with and in a box until it's in shreds.





What active little boys! And what a patient mommy they have, not to mention their servants!

Wow! It worked!

... and with photos, now, too.

Here's another test -- this time with Ruse and Audace baby pix! (Ruse above; Audace below.)

Quandry

I love the looks of this blog -- thank you, ML, for setting it all up! -- but the inability to post, with or without photos is becoming VERY frustrating. I'm looking into typepad.com and squarespace.com as alternatives, but I'd really rather have this one work and not have to switch.

So this is a test. Will Blogger work today??

Last June

When the kittens were first with us, they had many new people and things to become familiar with. It didn't take them long!! All these photos were taken between June 6 and June 16. Fast learners, these little guys!

Tummy Tuesday

This is Audace's favorite snoozing position -- toes curled and tummy up!

It's hard to resist patting that nice, soft, white little tummy. And he doesn't even wake up!

August

In August we introduced the cats to the Cat-Sitter DVD. At first only Ruse seemed interested, but eventually both of the kittens seemed to think it merited a passing glance. Grace was never impressed!

Audace is interesting, though, because he reacts to sounds he hears during regular television shows -- animal and bird sounds, doorbell or telephone ringing, things like those. You just never know what's going through those developing brains!

Hmmm...

More problems -- Blogger isn't letting me post photos today. The rats!

What's up with all this, anyway??

July

During the month of July, we were captivated by all the different kinds of play that our new babies found fascinating.


They loved the new stuff we brought home (e.g., flexible cubes that hook together, special from Target!) as well as the stuff that was already around the house (empty laundry basket!). They chewed on anything small and cylindrical, so we had (still do) to keep them away from computer cables and electrical cords.



But the most fascinating thing to me was not only the amount of time they slept, but that they always were together when it was naptime -- always. They needed to touch each other, whether they were in full body contact or just one foot each!


Grace, of course, was ever watchful -- and still did all the the cleaning, caring, feeding things she seemed to believe was her duty! Such an excellent mom!!

Beautiful Grace

On June 6, 2006, when I first saw Grace, I was just amazed. The photos we had seen of her online, including in this very blog, were impressive. Such a beauty, and she seemed so serene. All of those qualities that came through in those first photos were and are true. She's wonderful and beautiful and loving. Not even her rascally boys could fluster her!


She has filled out a great deal, now that she doesn't have four kittens to care for and is no longer nursing -- although I have to say, Audace and Ruse do still try, occasionally! Silly boys!! She didn't even weigh 9 pounds when she went in to be spayed, but now she's more like 14 or 15 pounds. She likes to guard the water dish, as you can see, and her two kitten-cats know enough to keep their distance when she's in guarding mode!

I do love this cat, and I cannot thank Deb and everyone else enough for rescuing her and her kittens that day in April.

While waiting ...

In case anyone doesn't know, I've been posting movies, photos, and little stories about Grace, Audace, and Ruse elsewhere since they came to live here in June.

Movies ~~> http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=writeacher

Photos and little stories ~~> http://writeacher.blogspot.com Look in the June, July, August, September, and October 2006 archives.

Re-naming kittens

When Deb brought Grace to us, she also brought Pete and Foster, whom my older grandson considers his own. He decided to re-name them -- to match their personalities. Heh! How can you tell that much about a kitten's personality at less than 2 months of age? Well, Austen played with them, watched them, fed them, etc., and sure enough -- the names he chose continue to suit them well.


Pete became Audace because he acted so boldly, barging right in where he seemed to think he belonged, where he was entitled to belong! This little guy continues to act like this. Whenever I come home, he's right there near the door to greet me. Whenever he sees anything interesting outside (such as one of the neighborhood cats!), he goes right up to the door or window to peer out at it and see what's what. At night, when I'm watching TV, he expects to cuddle up right next to me. He's been doing this all along.


Foster became Ruse because he's such a little imp, very sneaky, very tricky! He's always trying to get where he shouldn't go (such as in my own room or the computer room, the only no-no rooms in the house)! When he does make it into my room, he immediately skitters under the bed so I can't get him. I've learned not to bother chasing him. He'll come out eventually!

Deb and others referred to these guys as the twins, and they really do look alike. The primary way we can tell the difference is that Audace has more white on his little face, as well as a white patch on his back. Ruse has more orange on his face and all over his back. Both have this wonderfully soft and very white fur on their chests and tummies. They are perfect candidates for Tummy Tuesday posts!

These guys have truly wormed their ways into all our hearts -- and by "our" I mean myself and my daughter's family. They are loads of fun, really beautiful, and very loving. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

Bringing this up to date!

Slowly, over the next few days or more, I'll post photos and little stories about Grace and two of her kittens. It'll be fun to relive the last 4 months in this way.

Stay tuned ...

CELEBRATE - GRACE & COMPANY HAVE HOMES

Okay, Fuzz Pack, good news.
Momma Grace, Brutus & Marigold, Pete & Foster all have forever homes.
Will post new pictures soon...

In honor of this great event, check out the little orange neko in the upper left corner. Click once to activate Little Orange Cat; click twice to read about him and get one of your own.