Living with Zapps

I've now been a cat co-owner for a few weeks, and there are definitely quirks to living with a kitten that I could never have expected. I'm going to enumerate the few that resonate most powerfully, either because they're potent memories, or the most frequent occurrences, or simply because I find them the most hilarious.

1. Prepare to be licked. Alot. Zapps' tongue is her way of communicating many things: I want attention, Thank you, You smell like enchiladas, etc. It's a new experience too: that rough, gritty, I-love-this-but-hate-it surface that can really start to irritate your skin after a while. You get used to the frequency, but never the act itself :)

2. Much like a three year old child, anything can be a toy if used properly. Paper bag? Heavenly. Laptop cord? A real treat. Aggie Ring? Shiny, and therefore, desirable. Empty Cheerios box? A delight. Toy balls aren't just toy balls: they're outlets for pure kitten joy.

3. If it jingles, glows, vibrates, tickles, bounces, swings, or makes noise, it's exciting. Some of the toys that we have for pets now - climbing towers, electronic things that move at random, etc... they simply amaze me. We're in love with our pets, and rightly so. They dont' hold grudges quite as long as children to ;)

4. Poop is an experience. I'll leave this one at just that.

5. Showers are to be examined and probed, but never taken. So, this might just be a Zapps thing, but when I'm in the shower, she'll jump between the green and clear curtains, and watch the water splash and drip down (safely protected herself, though). Occasionally she'll try to poke her head into the actual shower zone, but the water quickly sends her bolting for the bathroom door. I'm not sure what our first bath experience is going to be like, but I have my apprehensions :)

6. Who needs a collar? There's a reason my cat's middle name is Houdini. She can get out of any collar. No matter how (appropriately) tight I make it, no matter how much I distract her, she has the ability to pop it off. That's actually how Laura and I first met her - at the shelter, with her blue collar resting on the floor, a curious smile on her face.

7. Teaching is, as I know from previous points of life, difficult and slow. Kids taught me this, but the cat has reminded me of it. She's not a terrible scratcher by any means, but she does have her vices: jumping on the dining room table, trying to chew on my MacBook power cable, etc. I know she'll break these eventually, but in the meantime, I find myself saying "No Zapps" quite a bit... and then immediately petting her again.

8. Laptops make great beds, beds make great caves, and the best home is a cardboard box. Seriously... cats are weird.