The Antics of Easter

He doesn't look like much in this photo, but my dear little cat Easter is many many things throughout the day.

He begins his day as the the fuzziest alarm clock in the world. He's usually snuggled up at my feet before we all start waking up, so it's a good thing I don't thrash my feet around too much when I sleep. Garm found out just how serious Easter is about Blanket Monster -- you know the monster that lives only under your blankets that cats just HATE? -- and has the scars on his feet to prove it. Since Garm gets up before me, it's usually just Easter and myself until Easter decides it time to get up. Never matters how late I was up the night before, or how hard work was, or if I have a headache, or if I'm in the middle of a really, really good dream .... when Easter decides it's time to get up, it's time to get up.

He starts by kneading my face. Sounds cute, right? I still haven't had him de-clawed. So after shoving him off the bed the first couple of times, he stops jumping lightly back up, and starts launching himself into either my back or my stomach, from which he will jump up onto my shoulder and start kneading some other sensitive part of me. The only thing that will stop him are vigorous tummy rubs, and by this point I'm so awake that sleep, and whatever wonderful dream I was having, is but a distant memory.

Usually Easter just wants breakfast. So after all this effort, I will feed him and he will eat about 3 pieces of kibble. He will be happy. I will be awake.

Easter is a Ragdoll, which is a unique breed of cat developed by a crazy lady. They're also called Puppy-Cats, which is an accurate descriptor for Easter. He will spend the morning following me around the house, mostly getting in the way of whatever it is I'm doing. If I'm on the computer, so is he .... literally. I'm constantly shoving him off my desk when I'm working on something. Making the bed means he's looking for Blanket Monster. Folding laundry means he's playing with the rolled up socks. Cleaning the bathroom means he's sniffing the 409.

He's also very good at entertaining himself. He loves tennis balls. If you throw a tennis ball across the room, he's good for 20 minutes. He'll catch it, play with it, throw it for himself and chase it again. He's also very fond of playing with pens, small rugs, and bathtubs. Yes, bathtubs. He likes shower curtains as well, but he will climb into the big garden tub and play with the shiny chrome drain for 10 minutes at a time.

All this play means that some serious naps are in order to keep up his strength and cuteness. Both animals have scheduled mid-morning and mid-afternoon naps. Easter has a favorite spot for sleeping: on top of the kitchen cabinets. He can only get to the ones above the fridge, but he has claimed that territory inarguably as his own. He's also been known to sleep (or try to sleep) in the dryer, in the bathroom sink, in whatever patch of sunlight he can find, under the bed, on Wester (this didn't last long) and in the pantry. He hasn't tried the pantry since the last time he got forgotten in there. Oops.

It's a good thing our Wester is so patient. We'll give Wester one of his teeth cleaning treats. They're designed to take a while for him to chew on, and in the process his teeth get cleaner. Well, as soon as Wester has something potentially tasty in his mouth, Easter is all over that. Poor Wester, we've seen Easter almost stick his head inside Wester's mouth trying to discover what is being eaten. It's a good thing Wester isn't food aggressive AT ALL or we might have a headless kitty. Wester has decided that some of his tastier treats, like his Frosty Paws ice cream, ought not be left out to tempt the cat, so Wester will eat it all in one massive CHOMP. I hope dogs don't get brain freezes!

Wester is allowed to do one thing that Easter isn't: go outside. The terms of Easter's adoption specified that Easter was to be an indoor kitty only, and Garm and I were just fine with that. Easter wasn't. Any time we're outside, Easter is at the back door, trying to get out with us. I got him a harness, which he hates, but I've taken him out with that. Once summer is over and we can stand to be outside for more than 4 minutes at a time I'll take him out more.

Easter is a morning kitty, and has lots of energy to run around the house, most of the time without any visible provocation, all morning long. But lately, he's had an excuse to be active at night: bugs. Apparently, we have more bugs in the house than I could have ever imagined. And Easter will find, stalk, catch and eat them all. I guess this is a good thing.

So that's my little Easter. And thanks to my wonderful Garm for helping me adopt him. I'm definitely more the cat-person in the family. But I think it's just that Easter knows who cleans his litter box. (Which reminds me, for all you people out there with cats, I highly encourage you check this out. Completely worth it!) So whether he's face-planting himself into the bathroom window (hilarious!) or just snuggled up on my lap and purring, his antics make him a wonderful addition to our happy little world.