The Chipmunk is Back

When I first moved into this house, with Pippin, there was a chipmunk who discovered that Pippin couldn't get out the porch doors. This chipmunk took great delight in hanging around on the back porch, taunting the cat. Pippin, on his part, took great delight in watching the chipmunk and could sit there for ages just staring at the little scoundrel.

Chipmunk in upper right corner.

 The chipmunk is back. Oh, now, I don't believe it's the same chipmunk. It's been ten years and I don't think they live that long. But I do think it's a descendent who was taught it's safe to sun yourself on the back porch even if there are cat(s) in the window.

In this next picture, the vacuum cleaner is two feet away from him and he's not even noticing. Thimble is terrified of the vacuum cleaner! (He did, however, notice when the cleaner got closer than that, and left in a hurry. Although he was then back as soon as I moved a safe distance away from the lookout spot!)

Chipmunk directly below him, to the left of his paw.

What's odd is that Thimble and Apricot are fascinated as all get out by him. Just like Pippin, they'll watch him for hours, never moving. They'll even be there next to each other without any shoving or domination moves.

Chipmunk watching is a group sport.

Colby couldn't care less about it. Chipmunk shimpmunk. What's the big deal? In all these pictures, Colby is in the living room "with" everyone but he's not bothering with the porch doors, even when there's space for him. Since Colby is the one who reminds me the most of Pippin in his behaviors, I find this very funny.

And it's also nice that Thimble and Apricot have something they can do together.

What Damage is Done All Unknowing

(I know, it's been ages. Oops.)

Last Monday morning I woke up abruptly at 3:30ish in the morning with a searing pain across my cheek and the definite impression someone had just traveled up and over my face.

I got up, knowing that cat scratches always swell up and get all red if I don't wash them out immediately. Stumbled (still half asleep) to the bathroom, washed it out with water (I should have used something stronger but, well, half-asleep, remember), put ointment on it, a kleenex (to keep the ointment off my pillow) and crawled back into bed.

When I got up for real two hours later, I was slightly miffed at the two boys who might have been responsible. (Apricot doesn't sleep on the bed. Also, future examination of the scratch would show that the paw size was too big for him.)

But by the time I got home from work, I had not only realized but internalized that whoever did it hadn't meant to, and being mad at them was stupid and counter-productive. They were both rather apologetic when I got home.

That night I finally actually looked at it in the mirror, and realized that wow, that looks way worse than it feels, and no wonder people had been asking me what happened all day long at work!

Note the lighter scratch above the main one.
That's from a claw on the other side of his paw.
That's how big one Maine Coon paw is!

From what I can figure out, I think it was Colby. He's the one who sleeps up next to my shoulder and would have been in line to leave rapidly across my head. He's also the one who prompted me to want to clip their claws the day before, although (obviously) I had run out of time and hadn't done it. In other words, he had a super sharp claw on the edge of one paw that I already knew about, although they all do a spectacular job of keeping their claws in (when they aren't startled) so it has to get really sharp before I realize they need their claws clipped again).

And Colby often acts guilty when Thimble jumps onto the bed and leaves as though Thimble makes him feel like he's not supposed to be there. (Thimble, bless his heart, is a bit of a bully. I try to ameliorate his behavior but since I'm only home and awake five-six hours a day M-F, it's difficult. And in his defense, he isn't doing it to be mean; he's doing it because he wants me all to himself.)

But by five days later the scab was itching, and it came off yesterday. So it's healing nicely.

And I just clipped everybody's claws, so we shouldn't have a repeat of last Monday again.