Hugs

Kenta decided Alias needed a hug. Happy to oblige.
 

Sunny Side Up

Kenta has learned it’s very important to keep your tummy warm.
 

Musical Beds

Kenta is in Alias’ favorite bed. Alias is in Norma’s favorite bed. Norma is in the bed she and Alias often nap together. To be fair to Kenta, he’s in his favorite bed too.

Heat Pad

I can’t remember the last time Norma took a nap on my lap. She used to do it all the time when she was a kitten. Now days, she’ll sit on my lap when I’m working at my desk but she doesn’t relax much. She loves to rub her face against my chin and turn circles in my lap. Yesterday she sat on my lap on the living room couch and napped for over an hour. I wanted to get some stuff done upstairs but it felt so nice having her nap on me that I stayed for as long as I could.
 

Kenta’s Kangaroo

This is Kenta’s favorite cat toy. At first I thought it was a porcupine then I thought it might be a possum. I googled possum and it definitely is not one but a picture of a hedge hog also came up and that’s what I think it is. We’ve had it for many years and it used to be filled with catnip. My dad used to give da Boyz a package full of cat toys every Christmas. Even I never bought them gifts. None of da Boyz played with toys much. Theo loved playing fetch with crinkly balls; Mr. Max and Thompson played with catnip toys once in a while. Diego-San was too dignified to play with toys. 

Alias and Norma aren’t much into toys either. Norma does love to stab a toy with her front paw and and standing on her hind legs, fling it around the room squealing all the while. Alias has a favorite mouse toy that he’ll play fetch with.

So there’s a large bucket of mostly unplayed with toys that Kenta has checked each one out at some point. He loves his hedge hog most though. No matter where I put it, he’ll grab it with his mouth and bring it somewhere else. I constantly ask him,  “Where’s your porcupine?” A few days ago I put it on top of the living room sofa for the first time. Kenta either couldn’t find it or determined I finally figured out where the hedge hog belongs. 

This morning he was lying on my lap on the living room sofa so I pulled the hedge hog down to him. He immediately picked up his friend and brought him halfway up the stairs. From there he batted the hedge hog down to the bottom of the stairs and pounced on it. He then lay on his back inviting a tummy rub from me. He repeated this several times and was delighted I was helping him play. For the first time in the history of the world, a cat displayed absolute glee.

Warmth

The weekend plan is to stay warm.
 

Happy Thanksgiving

When it comes to things I’m thankful for, living with these three is at the top of the list.
 

Norma’s New Friend

Kenta is definitely spending more time with his sister. I’m not sure yet how his sister feels about this.
 

The Look

I adore Alias’ resting face when he sits tummy side up on my lap.
 

One Year

Saturday was Kenta’s one year anniversary of coming home. It didn’t take him very long to figure out how to fit in.
 

Shared Heat

Norma and Kenta don’t spend a lot of time together but napping in front of the space heater is one thing that brings them together.
 

Squished

Today is apparently sit on your sister day.
 

Norma’s Routine

Every evening, Norma gets a bee in her bonnet and runs around in circles while squealing. Part of the routine is running through this ‘tunnel.’ Sometimes, Kenta tries to join her but it’s clearly a solo act for Norma.
 

Wrong Way

Kenta sometimes has a hard time staying in formation.
 

Joy

Kenta finds so much joy in life including resting in his favorite cat tree.
 

Safety Pod

We’re entering a financial challenge so I let everyone know we are going to cut back on some things. Norma indicated that was fine as long as her pod remains.
 

Jack Frost

I have a picture of Alias sitting in this window four years ago today only in that picture the ground is covered by snow. It won’t be long…
 

Satisfied

Comfy cozy in their own beds.
 

‘Little Brother’

I’m not always sure Alias appreciates Kenta’s fondness for him. Hopefully just a little bit.
 

Anniversary

Forgot to mention that last Friday was the four year anniversary of bringing Norma and Alias home. They’ve melted my heart every day since. I love their partnership.
 

Comforter

I was having a bad anxiety attack when Kenta came and sat on my lap for the duration. I told him I was very grateful.
 

Warming Up

Kenta felt Alias needed a live blanket.
 

Sisterly Love

Norma often shows her brother that she appreciates him.
 

Floofy

I’ve been a little worried that Kenta is gaining a lot of weight but I think a lot of it is his winter floof. He’s very floofy.
 

Smart Girl

We had a cold and rainy Sunday. Norma had the right idea… curl up in her favorite bed/pod.
 

Racket

Alias has only heard me play that thing a couple of times. Given his response when he did hear me play, he’s glad it just sits on its stand these day.
 

Imitators

I’m not sure Norma and Alias are aware of the two stuffed animal cats behind them that look just like them.
 

He Loves to Play

I love watching Kenta play. And he plays a lot. We have toys in the house that have been here long before he came along that none of his predecessors or his current housemates had any interest in. Kenta enthusiastically tries each and everyone out.
 

Show Stealer

Norma seems mildly annoyed that Alias will try anything to steal the spotlight.
 

Future Superstardom

I went to my first Timberwolves basketball game of the season. The halftime entertainment were a group of dogs chasing frisbees. I told Alias that with his great fetch skills maybe we can get booked as halftime entertainment. We can even work out chasing the laser pointer’s red dot into the act.
 

Different Styles

We all have an individual sleeping styles. Alias prefers to scrunch himself up, sometimes into a ball. Kenta clearly likes to let it all hang out.
 

Triangles

The Bermuda Triangle is where planes disappear. Norma’s Triangle is where cat toys disappear.
 

Saying

The family that shares a window view, stays together. At least that’s how I think that old saying goes.
 

Not an Entertainer

 Alias was keeping an eye on me but apparently he found what I was doing boring.

Half Eaten Meals

Norma only partially ate a couple of her meals yesterday. During her visit to the vet a few ago, the vet said to monitor Norma’s eating because I reported she sometimes skips her meals altogether. (Kenta can’t fathom this). I hope a return trip to the vet isn’t needed.
 

Kenta’s Wishful Weekend

Kenta is looking forward to a sunny weekend. And he’s reminding me a sunny weekend would be even better with a full belly.
 

Stoner

Alias is learning his sister gets pretty loopy when she’s on the catnip.
 

We Got This

Kenta is extending a paw bump.
 

Shared Vision

The two of them have a shared vision; that everything in the world is both fascinating and frightening.
 

Big Bad Wolf

Alias is imitating Goldilocks’ Big Bad Wolf. This bed is just right.
 

Fresh Nip

My acupuncturist gave me some catnip from her yard.  It was a big hit with my housemates. Norma got the loopiest…
 

Preferences

Alias has never joined me underneath the sheets like Norma does regularly. He prefers the bed all for himself.
 

Safe Fish

Alias is protecting the catnip fish with all his ability.
 

Time Together

I miss taking naps with Norma. But that is more than made up with her crawling under the covers at night and sleeping the whole night next to me. Her purrs in the morning mean the world to me.
 

Love

Kenta is definitely a window cat just like his predecessors Max and Thompson. He loves watching the world outside the living room window. I think he loves most everything about his life, except rationed meals and trips to the vet.
 

TGIF

If you’re not hugging your brother’s head, it’s helpful to support it with you leg.
 

Help

Alias seems concerned the catnip fish has leapt out of the new water fountain.
 

Kenta’s Big Adventure

Kenta had his first visit to the vet with me. I thought the appointment was at 1 p.m. but I doubled checked the reminder email at around 12:25 p.m. and was horrified to see the appointment was actually at 12:30 p.m. The clinic is about five minutes away so I quickly grabbed Kenta and brought him down to the carrier. He was not a happy camper.

I’ve never had a cat try harder to get out of the carrier. He was crashing up against the doors both above and in front. He usually has a tiny squeak of a meow but he was screaming his displeasure. He was so upset I thought about rescheduling the appointment but figured he wouldn’t do any better later on. He pretty much meowed during the entire drive, time in the lobby and in the examination room. He checked out fine and the vet noted what a sweet cat Kenta is. 
 

Closer

Norma has been spending more time with me recently. Maybe she thought when I stuffed her into the carrier/car she was going to a new home… Or maybe she was glad to have a solo adventure with me.