Sam and Sig, Formerly Peko and Machi, Doing Great in New Home

I just talked to the woman on the coast who adopted Peko and Machi, now named Sam and Sig. They're doing great, she said. She's already had them to her vet. She's just a real responsible wonderful cat person and I'm so happy to have run into her at the right time. She's even had excitable loud grandkids there all weekend and the boys have run around playing with them. She is taken with Peko (Sam) and the way he flops limp when picked up. I told her, those three, from N. Albany, have ragdoll tendencies. She's a believer now.

The other two, Starry and Nemo, have decided I'm mom and that means sleeping against me and playing on top of me half the night. I don't have to discipline for such bad behavior. Miss Daisy and Electra do it for me. They are so outraged over active kittens horning in on their "me" at night, when I am theirs. I do not belong to the kittens, is written all over their faces, and "how dare I bring them into the bedroom which is theirs."

"Whatever," I say to them, with a look. But I am punished later for my sins.

Electra has this constantly swishing tail, especially when irritated over kittens invading her space. And yet that tail is irresistable to a playful kitten. I try to calm things by putting a blanket over Electra's switching tail, so the kittens won't pounce on it, thereby earning Electra's wrath and sometimes a swinging paw, claws out, which oft misses the wayward and quick reflexed kitten and hits me.

I woke with a scratch across my forehead. It didn't come from a kitten.

Most of the cats watch the kittens like middle aged people might watch young kids at a skate park, with a mix of jealousy, memories and awe. Some join in. Calamity, Honey and kitten lover Brambles get overly excited to see kittens here. Zach likes the kittens. Sam ignores them when he's not showing off his athletic skills in front of them. Teddy growls, jealous. Shaulin hisses and spits and tries to gain my attention. Buffy attacks her brother in displaced outrage. Mops attacks her back because he always does anyway.

Comet has come in, from spending most of his time in the cat yard, to enjoy the kittens. Feather moves out of their way. Angel tries to mother them. The kittens are drawn to Dex, but she just wants left alone and held by me. Poppy likes to play with them. Gretal has too many issues from her past to care one way or another. Mooki loves to play with anybody willing. Jade just loves kittens and would hang out with them over any adult. Matilda is still out in the cat yard and likes it there.

Cattyhop is still looking thin, but has gained some weight and I don't know what is going on with her. For awhile, she had diarrhea, but finally she's over it, and should start regaining. She's a manx, and came to me as a tiny kitten with squirting diarrhea and every now and then, she gets it back. She has only small issues with rumpyhood from lack of full spinal innervation due to manxhood. Manx cats are abnormal and should not be bred. That tail is needed by cats.

Tugs and Mums couldn't care less who they play with. Button and Tweetie are hanging in the cat yard, with the good weather. Shady likes the cat yard too, most of the time. Today, I had to net her. She needed her ears cleaned. She saw me watch her scratching her ears and knew right away what she was in for. She began her mournful "I'm being tortured to death" howls before I even went to get the net and continued them as Sam paced around her, worried for her, and I cleaned out her ears, then treated them with miticide and clipped her nails. Then she sat and howled some more, and I petted her and consoled her and fed her a treat, which she ate, then moved off to seek sympathy from Sam and Stinod, while howling mournfully, and looking back at me like I am the devil. Later she wanted petted by the devil, me, and held, and given more treats.

So the cats here are used to the in and outs, the rescues, the ragamuffins, the hissing mother ferals and their babies, here for sanctuary, a rest, a respite from the storm, before they return home, or are adopted out. They watch them come and watch them go and most are greeted like long lost friends, like family.

We all miss Peko and Machi, but we are also very happy they are gone, to be honest, and are in such a wonderful home now. Good luck, Sam and Sig. You don't really need it. You scored a great home.