Kitty Summer Camp

So, as many of you already know, since we are about to add 2 members to our already no-so-large house, Maggie has gone to live my folks for a while in Dallas at what we affectionately refer to as "Kitty Summer Camp." We call it this for a couple of reasons: 1) there's lots of fun stuff to do there and 2) it helps this hormonal woman let go since she's just at summer camp (we won't talk about the tears I shed when we left...) But, in case you were wondering how she is doing (I get almost daily updates) here you go:

1) She is never bored anymore with her cousin Harley around! Overall they get along as well as any two cats can, but every day there is at least one skirmish with growling and swatting. Harley unfortunately takes the brunt of this - but don't feel too sad for him. He stalks her around the house, then chases her, forcing her to swat him on the nose. Since a recent nail-trimming, there hasn't been any more blood, but Harley lost a lot of hair in the bathroom the other day...

2) Maggie gets daily treats! I guess we would have to call the Jennings' house boot-camp, with its dry-food-only regimen, but at the Neiman house, each day is highlighted with a bit of canned cat food, perhaps some salmon, kitty grass or other fun epicureal delight. This tends to be when the cats get along best, unless one is slow to come and gets his food eaten by the other! Don't worry about Maggie's weight either, because all that exercise (see above) is keeping her slim.

3) She gets lots of great hunting and entertainment opportunities! Two stories worth of windows with mature trees, birds and squirrels seem to satisfy Maggie's great need for hunting. She also has trained her grandpa how to play "fish" with her on the staircase. Somtimes Harley watches, but mostly he is just hunting her!

We are very excited for our two new arrivals this fall, but we sure do miss having our Maggie around! Thanks mom and dad for taking such good care of our kitty!

It's MY Little Pony

Here's a quick video of Maggie being her normal, crazy self. We had some friends with kiddos coming over, so I pulled out my basket of toys. Before they arrived, however, we found our little one had picked out her favorite toy, pulled it out of the basket and started to play with it. Enjoy the video (turn on the volume for a great 80's flashback!)

Get Your Motor Running

Perhaps no other aspect of felines is more unexplainable and powerful than...THE PURR. While its mechanism still eludes scientists to this day, it has great power over those who hear it. Take our sweet Maggie for example. What was the first thing about her that made us take her home? Her purring on my lap. What can make my heart melt when I come near her? Oh, yes, my freinds, that same sweet sound. My personal theory is that the purr is on some hypnotic frequency that causes mind-control in humans. Any way it works, it sure lends some job security for our little one.

Besides being oh-so-sweet to hear, Maggie's purr is also quite hilarious. We in the Jennings' household call it her lie-detector. See, the purr can't be faked or hidden. What does this mean? That we know exactly when Maggie is happy, whether she wants us to know or not. Here are some examples of when she purrs, despite herself:

-when one of us walks in the room
-when we pet her, even if she play-bites (we know the truth)
-when she's hunting (kinda gives herself away, I know)
-when we give her food
-when she finds a fun place to hide (under a tent, rug, etc.)
-when she's perfectly content (this is what a cat's life is about after all, isn't it?)

So this "tell" of Maggie's got me to thinking - what would it be like if we as humans had an uncontrollable noise that came from us whenever we were happy? I can image walking down the hall in Jr. High and passing that guy I liked, only to be horrified by a loud purr coming from me. Or perhaps I would give myself away rather embarassingly when the theme song to American Idol comes on. Well, I guess I can be thankful I'm not a cat. But I sure am glad Maggie purrs for me...

Here's a video of Maggie's happy, purring moments. Go ahead, turn your volume up, and get happy...

A Merry Maggie Christmas

Enjoy some video of Maggie enjoying Christmas!

Catching Up

Find out the latest about your favorite squirrel-colored cat!

Current Age: 1 year (Happy Birthday Maggie!)

Current Weight: 10 lbs ( we got her at 4lbs)

Favorite Sport: Hunting bungee mouse from her tent

Enemies: Rugs, vacuums, tissue paper, table legs, lizards, her tail

Guilty Pleasure: buckwheat pancakes

Aspirations: to be an outdoor cat

Most Exciting Moment: climbing neighbor's tree and being rescued at 10 o'clock at night

Best napping place: brown computer chair next to window

Current injuries: bruises from hitting armoire while doing a back flip

Can't resist: a tent (or going under any blanket that could possibly be a tent)

Going as for Halloween: a black cat with highlights

Favorite Wii game: biting the controller cords during Mario Cart

Hurricane Hi-jinks

One Hurricane + four people + two teenage kittens + fourteen hundred square feet = two crazy days! Doubtless the major news stations have covered many angles of Hurricane Ike and its repercussions, but what CNN and even our beloved KBTX have failed to inform you of is the toll this storm has taken on kittens. So, as inquiring minds want to know, I will give you our perspective: Weathering the Storm with Kittens.

Thursday afternoon, our friends the Jordan's, who live in a low-lying area of Houston, were mandatorily evacuated from their home. Seeking refuge in the ever-popular community of College Station, they gave us a call seeking shelter. They were quick to make sure it was ok they could bring along their cat, Cacao. In almost the same breath, we were sure to mention that we had also gotten a kitten recently. Thus ensued the hi-jinks.

I wish I could say that Maggie was a good host to her new friend, but that would not be truthful, and as your source of news on the subject, I must stick to the facts. Suffice it to say, we have learned that cats can make many sounds of intimidation: hissing, low growling, high-pitched moaning, and "the snort." Maggie has obviously not learned to share as she continually followed Cacao around, cornered her, then lept at her whenever she tried to make a move. We finally just kept them separated, as the "just give them time together/parent trap" method of girl bonding didn't work.

Here is Cacao on top of the kitchen cabinets - trying to escape either the storm or Maggie, we don't know. She needed a "fireman" to come rescue her!

Here are some older pictures of Maggie, involved in some general teenage kitten hi-jinks. This is Maggie laying in my plant. She knows she's not supposed to be in there and that squirts of water are coming. Notice the guilty look on her face.

Here's Maggie making the most out of regular household products. I'm still finding little pieces of toilet paper around the house. Oh, and we didn't give it to her as a toy - she found it all by herself. How resourceful of her.

This is how I found Maggie one day when I came home from work. The glass object on the right is a vase that was formerly full of water and roses. Water is on counter, cat, and couch; flowers spread about. I am looking for vases with more stable bottoms.

Thanks for loving our kitten despite her teenage rebellion (or maybe because of it.) :-)

A Tail of Two Kitties

Once upon a time there was a little country kitty named Maggie. Maggie was a simple cat, born and raised in a sleepy little town in the center of Texas. Most of her days were spent uneventfully frolicking around her little home. Then one day Maggie started to notice some different things happening around her house: large black containers with wheels appeared; her water and food bowls disappeared, then her litter box; finally, she was scooped up and found herself inside another little moving house!

This moving house provided many an opportunity for exploration, though most of the time was spent under the seat, which provided great security and comfort for sleeping (for Maggie, nap time was always to be strictly observed.) After a while, the moving house stopped and Maggie found herself in a place like none other she had ever seen - she was in the city! Many a surprise awaited Maggie in this new place - new humans eager to meet her, a second floor of house to explore and most of all - her cousin Harley waiting to make her feel welcome.

Maggie's sophisticated cousin Harley was eager to show her all the fun there was to be had here. He showed her his bed, and she slept in it; he showed her his windowsill, and she climbed on it; she showed him her litter box, he used it. They were soon the best of friends. Sure, they had their scuffles, and Maggie discovered that she could make a sound like a growl, but for the most part they enjoyed just having each other around.

All too soon the week drew to a close, and Maggie once again noticed things disappearing, then was scooped up and put inside the moving house for a second time. She didn't mind it as much this time, until it stopped moving, and she heard her owners say things like, "A/C" and "broken." After that time, the moving house became very hot and windy.

Maggie was never so glad to be back in her own home again, however quaint and cozy, for it was her home and that was where she belonged.

The End - Click the image below to watch a video of Maggie in the Big City - and turn your volume up!

To see what Maggie's owners were up to while she was in Dallas, click here.