Tarquin: The Day of No Biting

We have had one complete day where we have not had to remove Tarquin from the room for biting. Progress!

Like I've said before, it's never angry or aggressive or malicious behavior, that's just how he wants to play. He wants to wrestle with our hands or feet, which might be okay if he didn't also insist on using his teeth. He always broadcasts his intentions, nearly always several seconds in advance, and usually it's a small bite. Just a little nom. Unfortunately, once in a while he really chomps down like our marrow might be delicious.

We're working on it.

Cardboard box + feather = good times

On the whole, though, biting is down and asking for pettings is up. He's a good cat at heart, he just has so much energy! I think he'd be great with a companion cat.

He has a lot of good points. He's not destructive, he always uses the litter box properly, he's not territorial, he's not food aggressive, and he's not afraid of strangers*. If he doesn't play quietly and wait patiently for us to get up, he purrs and shoves his head under my hand to wake me up**. There's a general trend of no claws with wrestling, he doesn't try to escape the house (big plus for me, I'm still not used to it), and he's soft like a chinchilla. And he's a LOT better with playing with toys by himself now. He spent ten solid minutes with a peacock feather the first time I gave him one.

*the one time he was in the room with my friend's twin toddlers he was completely bewildered and didn't want to get near them, but otherwise he'll march right up and say Hello

**a little too early, but it's hard to be angry when he's purring and demanding affection

Tarquin: Bannister Bop

I know, I probably shouldn't encourage this behavior. But in all the times he's done this (many), he has never scratched the wall, the bannister, or my hand.

And it's funny every time.

 

Tarquin: Best Birthday Card Ever

I bought a card for a friend's daughter's birthday, and had it stacked on my desk in my To Deal With pile.

It's a fancy card, shaped like a cupcake, but it's one of those games where you tilt it just right to get the teeny ball bearings into the divots in the bottom of the maze.

Tarquin was very into this.

Tarquin: Rubber Band and Optical Illusion

Neither of these kept his attention for long, but they were good for a laugh.

Once in a while he'll be interested in a rubber band for brief spurts. I've been supervising and putting the rubber band away after he gets bored with it, but I've found them on the floor before, so he doesn't seem to have any interest in eating them.

I tried this because I saw this video of a kitten freaking out over this illusion and I wanted to try it. It...didn't have the effect I was hoping for. I think it needs to be bigger.

Tarquin: Litter Box

The first litter box we had for him ended up being too small. He would go through the motions of burying his poo, but he'd be halfway out of the box when he did so. Getting a bigger litter box fixed the problem.

I also got a Litter Genie. I've never had one before, but it's fantastic for odor control. Can't recommend it enough.

Every day when I scoop the box, Tarquin comes to investigate and/or get in the way, and seems very confused about why I would possibly want to save his poo in a little box.

Tarquin: Basement Adventure

Human:
We'd been putting it off, but we knew it was inevitable. Sooner or later, when our arms were full of laundry on the way to or from the machines in the basement, we knew he would sneak in and explore all the dirty corners and crevices.

The inevitable happened.

I'm told he went behind the water heater and saw some cobwebs, sniffed them, and rubbed his face in them. It wasn't an accidental "I was on my way to see something and walked through some spider webs" thing, it was completely on purpose.

I think this photo properly captures his disappointment at being taken away from the filthy playground that is the basement.

Cat:

I got into the Forbidden Room! It's amazing! It's cool on my feet and full of musty and interesting smells. I decorated my face with sticky wall-string as camouflage, but Man Human still found me and took me back upstairs. I didn't even get to sniff everything!

I will return to the Forbidden Room, I swear. No corner unexplored! No crevice unexamined!