First Day Back at Work

After spending an hour longer at work than normal, I came home with trepidation to find a house full of happy kitties.

Not only were they happy to see me, but they were just happy in general. Apricot seemed even more at ease with them, perhaps thanks to the long time without a human looming over them all (or in his viewpoint, a very large deformed cat ...)

When Apricot spent his cuddle time with me, both kittens respected it and stayed back. Not very far back, but far enough that I could pet him without interference. Because of this respectful behavior (especially from Thimble, the pushy one) I tried to reward him by giving him a pet every so often between Apricot's pets.

Apricot looked back over his shoulder at me, eyes opening from their half-lidded content state, with a definite, "hey, my time" expression. Okay, okay, you got it.

And then, after supper when I had been putting the kittens away for a short time and playing with Apricot and the wand toy, he made it quite clear that he didn't want me putting them away. He made this clear by playing with them.

Thimble and Apricot go by, thunder cats, with their tails held high in plumes, Apricot in the lead. They disappear into the kitchen, and long moments go by of silence. When they finally emerge, at separate times, both of them look quite pleased with themselves.

Apricot pounces on Thimble, who sees the look before the pounce and rolls over to better receive a pounce. I notice Apricot doesn't completely collapse on Thimble but keeps part of his weight off the smaller cat.

Colby and Thimble roll over and over, biting and kicking and having a grand time, judging by the silence involved. They break apart, and Thimble tosses himself head over heels onto his back, and Colby rears back and pounces, and Colby doesn't have to hold back--he bellyflops onto Thimble's belly.

The floor-length curtain on the window behind the computer desk serves as a stalking blind for kitties. It is made even better by the fact that tails it does not conceal well, so the stalkee has plenty of opportunity to see the stalker and take action. Sometimes that action is running away, cat-giggling madly, and sometimes it's pouncing on the area of the curtain that should contain the stalker kitten ... although they don't always judge which way the tail is indicating correctly, leading to the occasional thump as they pounce the wall.

I look over and see Apricot watching the Rowdy Boys play-fight, and his eyes are half-lidded and content and happy.

It's a balm to the soul to come home to cats who are getting along in harmonious play.

And Thimble, bless his heart, (for real, not sarcastic "bless his heart") made sure I wasn't left out by bringing me his fetching toy to throw, over and over. He didn't always bring it back right away ... something about getting distracted. And sometimes it wasn't that he got distracted; it was that Colby got to the toy first. You can almost hear Thimble going, "aw, shucks," when he sees Colby grab it. There is only one toy that can be fetched. I don't know why; I've seen him pick up and carry around other toys.

Nothing was damaged, no kitties had their feelings hurt, and Apricot was much happier with his new friends all day than he ever was by himself.

I did a good thing, getting them!