Our farm kitten has grown big enough, and smart enough, to figure out how to climb things.
Our sofa is looking distinctly the worse for wear . . .
Ashbutt is only 4½ months old, but already bigger (height and length) than our adult female cat, and he’s growing like a weed. The vet has warned us that he’s going to be a VERY big cat. I’m willing to bet he’ll be at least 20 pounds when full grown, and may be quite a ways heavier than that.
He’s always happy. I’ve never seen him anything but cheerful. He plays at the drop of a hat, and drops it himself if he thinks you aren’t getting the message. He chases his toys all over the house at breakneck speed – in fact, I’m wondering why he hasn’t broken his neck half a dozen times already, running into walls and furniture at full gallop!
When I get up, usually in the small hours of the morning, and sit down at the computer to write, he leaps into my lap and spends half an hour purring heavily in the crook of my left arm while I go through the news headlines, blogs, etc. He usually objects strenuously when I put him down to free up my hands to type, and I often have to fend him off a few times before he gets the idea that no, I really mean it, NO MORE LAP! He’ll either settle down on and around my feet, or head back to the bedroom to wrap himself around my wife.
He’s always purring, too. We’re thinking of augmenting his name to Ashbutt McDieselThroat.
Peter
And you only have three more years before he 'settles down'… If ever… 🙂
Kittens are known for being a constant source of entertainment, whether you want it or not.
You have yourself a Maine Coon Kitten [or part Maine Coon].
They do get BIG. We have a 18lb Ginger Maine Coon. They are Purr Machines.
We have more fun with our Guy..
Enjoy!
Glkstr
Can't wait to see what he looks like full grown.
Sounds like ya got a good'un. Who needs a guard dog when you have a guard panther!
Ah, the crook of the left arm! Huckleberry liked to do that, back when he was a little bitty kitten.
He still likes to do that, and he's going on 4 years old and 14 pounds. Oof!
Sounds like Ashbutt is going to get bigger'n Huckleberry, in both size and personality. Fun, but quite a challenge! Especially if he develops leaping ability, and starts nesting in upper bookshelves, checking out "inaccessible" houseplants, and so on.
You should add a new label to your posts related to that feline fellow.
Drop the "Mc" and call him Ashbutt Dieselthroat – delivered basso profundo.
"This. Is Asbutt Dieseltrhoat. World's. Most powerful. Lapcat."
Better to get them accustomed to laying over your left arm. I have one who prefers the right arm. Typing is bad enough with cat forearm warmers, but using a mouse is really difficult with a chin nudging your hand. And they seem to have FESP, and know exactly when to nudge as you are about to click.
[Feline Extra Sensory Perception – much better than humans.] Trying to highlight text? fergeddaboudit. Chin scritch much more important than human piddlings.
Not easier when full grown, they are more willing to make a day of it instead of a quick kitten short-attention-span visit.
Enjoy your new master. 😮
more pictures
Indeed. Definitely go with the new name, love the McDieselThroat!!
Male cats are usually much more playful and better tempered than female cats. Although all of my cats have been outside cats, and thus less neurotic than those with limited 'life experience'…
My last male was named Calvin (yes, from Calvin and Hobbs). He was that playful. What a grand little guy he was, shadowboxing and trying to engage our female American Longhair – she was a B…. for certain and would box his ears for his trouble. He persisted and now and then he could get even her to play.
Sadly, coyotes tend to pick off cats here in Hill Country (yeah, we are fellow Texans), so they only last with us a few years. Far longer than they would have had, if we hadn't taken them in. Shelters are full and people dump their kittens off around here… Sigh… (Before I get slammed, we are both far too allergic to cats to have them inside.)
If you click on my name, it'll take you to my blog entry celebrating my Norwegian's first birthday. Seventeen pounds of furry mayhem with not a hint of slowing down.
One of his "talents" is to walk across the keyboard and discover functions that I didn't know this laptop had.
I live in an older, not terribly well-sealed house, and have had several forms of the local fauna wandering through, Not any more: I'll find a tail or a leg, and that's it. Of course he thinks that I provide this sort of entertainment and constantly demands that I provide more. Sigh.
Anon @4:06,
the allergy component is in their saliva. Some have a lot of the enzyme? in it, and some have none. This varies considerably, it's not an all or nothing situation. If you find a cat that doesn't make your skin itch when they lick/drool, make that your indoor cat.
They coat their fur with saliva during cleaning, which is why they can be so much of a problem if allergic. For me, some cats' saliva feels like an acid, they have such a high content.