Inspired by Fusun's lovely post on OSman, I wanted to share as well. I've put up a couple of posts on Popper, our Craigslist adopted rescue cat. She was timid and scared when she first arrived, as is often the case. She found an unsecured vent and crawled into a wall behind a tub for a day. There may have been had some kitty trauma in her life as she is still skittish at times, but really, she owns the place now.
The shot above shows her breaking a rule. She's not supposed to be on that throw, according to the bride. But the bride is out of town on business. And less you think she looks a bit guilty about her trespassing, we can dismiss that notion in the next shot.
I sent a note to Fusun to share the link on that first photo, and to tell her how much I enjoyed her post. This is what I wrote to her:
Popper finds the throw last night on the loveseat, and walks on it. Instant pleasure as it's so soft. She stands for a moment with eyes almost closed, "kneading" the blanket. She settles down and then looks over at me and squints, which a cat lover told me is a cat's way of saying "I love you." I squinted back.
We squint at each other a lot.
She especially loves to nap on some piece of my clothing. She might also enjoy a muted green, which is my favorite color too, but it seems like she gets her face right into the sweater or t-shirt—and squints.
Even though my son rescued her, Popper and I have a mutual affection. She often wants to be next to me. The early morning routine of coffee and getting ink on the fingers from the analog local newspaper is a shared time.
If you look at the larger size, you'll see her face covered in dirt and dust as her new favorite thing is to go out in the backyard and take a rolling dirt bath (the backyard is a fenced and secure place, though she's often paranoid and looking over her shoulder up to the live oak and rooftop for squirrel monsters).
She keeps a constant watch out the front windows for trespassers. She stalks stray cats from window to window, occasionally swearing like a sailor kitty. And feels safe enough to throw gang signs at the leashed dogs on their constitutionals.
What Popper sees, and allows:
Thanks for stopping by. Have a lovely Sunday, may it be filled with human and animal warmth and love.
Previous Popper posts:
all photos © 2010 barry b. doyle · all rights reserved
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thanks for the sunday sharing of cozy domesticity.
♥R
and instead Percy - Hotspur - Sir Henry Cat-
A Cat sits on the couch with bbd. Cute Cat.
You sure can photograph Lions and Bears.
You make me thirsty for Two Belgium Ales.
It's Sunday Sauna. I no turn OS on until bbd.
Thanks.
`
Marge Percy (sp?) wrote a book `
Sleeping With Cats.
You should see the barn cat we got!
Golden like Tink and one eye's blind.
The Cat has ears that are ragged as a pigs ear.
Pigs bite each others tail, ears, and they squeal.
The blind in one eye makes him (neuter) tough.
Fusun, you provided the inspiration for this post, (Diana did as well in a comment on the Flickr page where the images reside). Thanks so much for your narrative of OSman. A beautiful cat, with much mutual affection for you both as well.
Ah, Arthur, I'm honored by your presence and your words. Thanks so much. I'm nearly blind in one eye, but I really don't think of myself as tough, I have a much easier life than a barn cat though.
i'll check back with fusun's cat later and all the other stuff i'm missing today. tell popper i'll never, ahem, rat her out about the throw.
- wonderful pictures, Barry!
Catherine, she is so pretty, I agree. I used to be cute too, long ago, as attested to and evidenced in what's seen in the last shot...I'm not sure you meant to include that photo with your comment "wonderful pictures..." =) Thanks Catherine.
John, I often say "it's not the equipment, it's the art you do with what you have" but I think in my case, a lot of it is indeed the equipment. Thanks friend.
Buffy, I loved your glamour post, a terrific remembrance and beautifully timed. Thanks for stopping by.
Doesn't a feline 'knead' a blanket,sheepskin rug etc as it reminds it of suckling it's mother? My Siamese who were hand reared do.
"Press send FRed(tm) and we'll go back up there and look at the American feline again. Then g,g,yahoo.co.uk what a CraigList is?"
Creekland, Craigslist is an online classified ads site that has locations for most major cities and locations in the US and worldwide. It's worth perusing, and generally a much safer and more satisfying experience than ebay, though CL is not an auction site. And I think you're right, there is some latent memory going on when a cat "kneads."
Cathy, thanks so much, I understand the need to concentrate on the grandbabies (which I know know how it's physically possible for you to even have any).
aim, you have that exactly right, thanks!
Abby, ha! I don't think I could bear to make Popper suffer through a water bath, but I do take a warm washcloth to her. You should see the washcloth when I'm done, it's amazing. She sort of tolerates it, but I have to approach her with it hidden behind my back. Thanks for visiting.
[warning: don't type Popper's name too quickly]
A gorgeous, affectionate post.
Abby, ha! indeed, on both counts.
emma, they do know how to use resources available, so nice to see you here.
Mary, good luck. If you get some shots you need to share. I'd love to see them.
Kate, thanks so much. Hope you're all recovered from the terrible events and things have dried out a bit.
I know when Kimber, our girl Dobie, is intent on pointing down a squirrel, almost nothing can dissuade her. Thanks Barry!
Gary, I know that look that Kimber has. Popper has it on occasion too. I try to be quiet when I see her in that mode so as to not interrupt her concentration and fun. You can see that Popper pose here, and image from the first OS posting on Popper. In the image in this post, I think her concentration was directed to some shrubs outside that house sparrows frequent. I'm not sure the birds can see into the window, so Popper loves having that upclose view that gets her primal juices flowing. and chittering. Thanks for your words friend.
Alysa, thanks for that, and thanks so much for your open call that resulted in so many wonderful posts. A nice weekend on OS.
Patricia, thanks so much. It feels like a bit of too much self promotion to put a link up on FB, but OS makes it easy with the link button. I really do it for the friends connected to the FB account that are either not OS members or might have missed a post. Seems a more benign way then sending out mass PMs here on OS.
Harry, ha, that's ok on the gender slip up, though calicos are most often female. She does like to purr, but it's not a loud one. She came up on the bed about 5 am this morning and since I wasn't quite awake, she found my hand and put her head under it waiting for some half asleep head scratches.
iq, sorry for your ginger white passing, but thank you for going the SPCA route, I wish more would do that. Thanks for your kind words.
Laura, the pets do seem to like routine. When it's time for me to go to bed, Popper wants to be carried to the towel I have on the top of my dresser. There she tries to remove some of the backyard accumulated dust in her own nighttime kitty ablutions. She's never completely successful. (thanks for the comment on the last pic xo.)
http://open.salon.com/blog/sweetfeet/2011/02/27/favorite_things_an_animal_adoration
(sorry, couldn't resist self-promotion)
We just took in a new cat. (With a wife who works at the Humane Society, it's hard not to.) Midge is tiny--black with white booties and a white triangle on her chest. She came home with us because she had a cold and needed to get out of the shelter for a few days. But she's not going back. I was never a cat person. Now....
And I really like that profound wisp of a sketch at the end (Yours?).
I can prove it:
http://open.salon.com/blog/aghrab/2010/11/11/elegy_for_our_cat_roncho
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When Ming the Merciless was a tiny, tiny kitten, we'd sit and wink at each other and he'd get so happy that he'd just fall asleep. Happy kitties are a wonderful thing. :)