name those cats!

Oliver's son and daughter need their official names and I'm hoping you can help.

Tomorrow, it will be exactly one year ago that I trapped Oliver's offspring, two sons and a daughter. They were spayed/neutered, vaccinated and then returned to the yard for Oliver to look after. Even though Oliver has become friendly with me, his off spring have kept their distance - until recently that is.

Oliver's unnamed son is darling cute! I just want to pick him up and snuggle him!

Each day he seems to get a little more comfortable being around me. He's now willing to share the porch with me when I put out the fresh breakfast. Of course he stays at the opposite end of the porch, but that's only about five feet (1.5 meters) away.

He likes hanging with his brother, MK (on the right). MK generally keeps a greater distance than his unnamed brother, often preferring to wait just outside the door while I prepare the food. MK however spends a lot of time on the porch playing and lounging with Oliver.

enough with the flashy box, time for foods!

Sometime recently I discovered that this unnamed boy has taken up residence in Oliver's heated guest house! The other day I was taking out the trash in the middle of the day and I happen to glance in the door of the guest house and there was a black cat with golden yellow eyes looking back at me. At first I thought it was Oliver, but when I called out Oliver's name, out shot this guy in a fright, apparently he didn't like being mistaken for his dad!

This sweetie is long overdue for a name!

Oliver has some breakfast while his unnamed son waits 

patiently for the human to leave so he can have some too!

I've not been able to get many good close-up pictures of Oliver's daughter yet. She doesn't come around quite as much as the boys, but she does still visit. She still spooks easy and doesn't allow me to get near her nor even get a good look!

Here are a few pictures of her from last summer using a large telephoto lens through my dirty windows! At least I think it's her!

Sometimes telling her apart from her brother is quite the challenge. Her face, particularly her muzzle appears different to me and I think her little white spot is a tad larger than her unnamed brother's. She is also smaller than both of her siblings. Seeing them all together makes it easier to tell who is who, but it's very rare to see a full family reunion.

MK (left) hanging out with his unnamed sister

I'm having a hard time coming up with the perfect names for these perfect cats. Please share any name suggestions you might have for these stunning beauties. Your help is greatly appreciated!

MK lounging on the Dining Hall roof last Spring

love bomb

Nahum looked different Monday morning. He looked like he somehow got more floofy and lighter in color. I suspect he had Willow bathe him all night so he's all clean and extra-soft!

I tried to get some pictures of his new look, can you tell the difference?

Nahum Monday morning

Nahum a few weeks ago

It's kind of hard to tell, but he's lighter! I promise!

And then Nahum got tired of the photo shoot and...

out of the blue he charged the photographer...

knocking him to the floor...

and then it got ugly...

he demanded head rubs.

The look of a successful love-bomb!!

Someone's looking rather happy with himself while his victim lay near death on the floor

16 pounds of fluffy cat holding you to the floor can be overwhelming

especially when he demands even more loves

When will it end?!

Finally, he relents. And thankfully sweet Willow came along and nursed me back to health, so I lived to tell the tale. Flufferoonies! Watch out for that super fluffy Nahums!

the season

It's winter, which means colder temperatures and frequent rain.

It also means it's snuggle season, which means Nahum is in demand.

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Thanks everyone for the supportive comments from yesterday's post.

prologue

With so many delightful cats to feature, it's been awhile since I've written much about my personal world.

For quite a while now I've been feeling kind of emotionally frozen, where I know the emotions are in there but accessing, naming and expressing them has been arduous. Having first noticed this shift last Spring, around the time when my mother’s health started to decline leads me to believe the reality of facing her mortality has overwhelmed my emotional system. My mom continues to hang in there, although her chronic atrial fibrillation and crazy high heart rate are really working her over, not to mention the cancer. She goes in sometime this month for a comparison scan which will tell us the status of the cancer.

In addition to my emotional disconnectedness, after having moved thousands of miles away from my faith community twelve years ago, I’ve come to recognize that my spiritual faith has withered over the years from lack of consistent nourishment. My soul longs for deeper connection. 

Having recognized these things, I’ve recently embarked on a journey to open my heart and soul further to the richness of what life has to offer. I’m not sure where this journey will take me and I’m a bit apprehensive about heading into the unknown, however I’m tired of living a relatively black and white life in a world that I know has millions and millions of colors. I’m tired of surviving and am ready to thrive.

I’ve got a few ideas of how to start my journey. I’m planning to reread a series of books that once stirred intense emotions several years ago when I first read them in hopes that this may ‘prime the emotional pump’. I blogged about them at the time, the Warriors series of cat-based adventure books. I’m also planning to invest in my spirituality by intentionally creating space for connecting and seeking more meaningful relationship with God. I desire to have an openness toward stepping into opportunities that may further my journey as they arise.

I do not wander alone. I am thankful to have Laura, the cats, and other friends all of which keep me firmly grounded in what is good, what is true. Every so often I will share updates related to this journey, so stay tuned.

Now it's time to prepare some snacks. Good snacks are essential for having a good journey!

black cat party

Almost every night on the back porch, Oliver hosts a black cat party!

You can come too if you're all black...

and you like to hang out in the wee hours of the morning.

Sometimes the party starts early.

Come on, get up!! Let's party!

Food is provided, but quantities are limited.

There are only two warm beds...

 so sometimes you gotta negotiate...

and sometimes you gotta share the bed.

Who let the white cat in?!

There's always plenty to do...

sometimes even wildlife to watch.

It's always a good time at Oliver's all night black cat parties!!

If you meet the criteria and wanna party, please consider yourself invited!

Party! Party!

bustin' the moves

Nahum doesn't get nearly as much play as he would like. Above all else, he loves it when I take him upstairs all by himself and play sparklestrand-toy with just him. That individual play time means the world to him and he completely comes alive. I so love seeing him beam with joy and delight.

Even after all these years he's still quite nimble and fast.

Sometimes faster than the cameraman!

He also loves digging the toy out from under a blanket

His paw moves faster than the speed of light!

Victory at last

Playing with Nahum is mutually beneficial for all involved. Definitely a win-win!!

Speaking of winning, congrats to Katnip Lounge and Terry - both winners of the puzzle giveaway!! Marilyn you're the runner-up, so if you're interested, please email me so I can send you the next cat puzzle I get.