It’s not quite seven weeks (Dec. 30th) since I brought home Princess Pinky. I’m sure you’re all dying for an update. Okay, maybe not but indulge me.
For the first ten days, while Pinky was barely as big as my hand (1 lb, 1 oz), Poppet played nice with her. Then, totally out of nowhere, Poppet attacked her. Poppet isn’t a big dog, just nine pounds, but she had the poor kitty in her mouth and wasn’t playing. Pinky limped for about five days. Because I’d been laughing as I watched Poppet and Pinky at play, I thought perhaps the attack was somehow my fault. Several days went by. Then it happened again, this time in my office and I wasn’t doing anything but writing.
Home became a little bit of an armed camp after that. I was anxious all the time and did my best to keep them apart. Pinky ended up sleeping at night in the spare bedroom (which means a second kitty box … Sigh.) After the fifth attack, I called the dog trainer and had him come over to help me with the situation. I’ve got some new commands for Poppet, and for now, whenever she is in the house, she is on the leash so that I can give her a quick correction if needed. There hasn’t been another attack in the past two weeks, although I think Poppet has wanted to get her a couple of times. One difference is, Pinky is getting bigger (2 lb, 2 oz at last vet visit) and faster, and she’s learned the one place to go where Poppet can’t get to her.
Confession: This weekend, Pinky was not my favorite pet. She got in one of those rip-around-the-house-at-a-hundred-miles-an-hour moods. On her third trip around the living room, she hopped onto the back of the sofa, ran to the end, and launched herself onto my expensive gauze-like blinds. So she is hanging there and I run to remove her. Three good-sized holes in the fabric. Bad kitty. Bad, bad kitty.
Pinky was free to a good home, but my free kitty has already cost me a small fortune. Vaccines. Toys. Climbing tree. Spray to keep her off some furniture. Spray to keep her from clawing furniture. Two kitty boxes. Food. I’m not going to think about what the blind might cost to repair. Gulp!
Today I went to pick up more litter at the pet store, and I bought a new toy (a ring with open sides with a ball in it) and some catnip toys and catnip spray. Pinky loves the new ring and tried to get that ball out of it for a good twenty minutes. Then I got out the catnip toys and I sprayed her bed with the catnip spray. She played with that little ball of fluff imbued with catnip (that little purple and white thing in the photo) all over the living room. The next thing I knew, she was in a coma in her bed (above).
Have I mentioned that my hands, forearms, and lower legs are covered with little scratches and puncture scabs. Pinky loves to attack my legs and hands. I affectionately call her “The Beast.” She’s not trying to scratch me. She just hasn’t grown a brain yet.
Truly, I’m loving having this little pest as part of my family. She makes me laugh at least once each day. And she does a spectacular Halloween cat with the hunched back and walking sideways.
Do you have any pets that brighten the days of your life?
~robin
PS You can click on the photos to see larger versions.
