Charlotte has become a hunter. At least to some degree. She's been going out in the garage at least once a day for many weeks. It's one of the first things she wants to do in the mornings.
Then, yesterday, we heard her diving into a pile of stuff out there. I opened the door to see what was up. I saw her actively hunting in & out of the pile. I closed the door.
Later, I went out to get something from the car and she was actively tracking something near the front corner of the garage. As I got my item from the car and was backing out of it, I saw a big fat vole zip across the from the wall side to under the car. I went back in the house.
Later that night I heard her meow at the door. She didn't have the vole or any other critter in her mouth or in sight. We don't know if she chased it away, killed it and left it somewhere, or killed it and ate it.
Since then she's not been as focused out there and she's wanted back in the house quicker. So whether she scared it away or killed it, it would see there's nothing out there to hunt, at least for now.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Tunnels!
We've got some flat (not yet set up to fill) packing boxes leaning up against my big computer backpack in the living room. Charlotte loves the "tunnel" at the bottom - that triangular gap on the floor. She was playing in it and hiding in it, but we didn't realize how much she liked it until we straightened up the boxes. That looked a bit neater, but it removed that "tunnel". She let us know about it. So, we slid the bottoms out again so she'd have her tunnel.
That tells me we're going to want to get some big PVC pipe (irrigation pipe?) when we get to Trout Creek. We'd planned to make her a climbing post from either PVC or 2x4s covered with carpet and mounted to a wall. Now, I think we'll need a tunnel or two, also. I'm hoping to design something that won't jar too much with the house & furniture. The color & texture or the carpet we use to cover the PVC pipes should take care of that. Now, to think of the places to put tunnels for her.
That tells me we're going to want to get some big PVC pipe (irrigation pipe?) when we get to Trout Creek. We'd planned to make her a climbing post from either PVC or 2x4s covered with carpet and mounted to a wall. Now, I think we'll need a tunnel or two, also. I'm hoping to design something that won't jar too much with the house & furniture. The color & texture or the carpet we use to cover the PVC pipes should take care of that. Now, to think of the places to put tunnels for her.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Honk!
One of the things I can use to stop Charlotte from doing "bad" things is to "honk". We have an aerosol boat horn (a small can with a horn & button on top - intended as a portable boat horn).
She hates the sound. So do we. But, it works better than trying to get up and get across a room to stop her. She's learned it well enough that is has gone from running when I blast it to running when I pick it up to, now, just the threat of "I'll honk you" has the desired effect.
These hand-held boat horns can be hard to find at an economical price, but they're worth it.
She hates the sound. So do we. But, it works better than trying to get up and get across a room to stop her. She's learned it well enough that is has gone from running when I blast it to running when I pick it up to, now, just the threat of "I'll honk you" has the desired effect.
These hand-held boat horns can be hard to find at an economical price, but they're worth it.
Friday, April 22, 2016
Awww!
On a recent afternoon Tom fell asleep while providing Charlotte with her favorite nap spot. For some reason she really likes to curl up on Tom's lap, especially if he's got one leg crossed over the other.
She'll sit on my chest/belly (my lap is usually covered with my laptop) sometimes. Usually she just stays a few minutes, then goes to Tom. Other times she'll go to another of "her" places. Once in a while she'll spend long enough on me that I have to disturb her nap.
Her weight seems to be holding steady for some time now. We watch for the belly bump and try to cut back just a little bit when it starts getting bigger, but without her feeling like she's being deprived.
Her weight seems to be holding steady for some time now. We watch for the belly bump and try to cut back just a little bit when it starts getting bigger, but without her feeling like she's being deprived.
Monday, April 18, 2016
New Digs
We're in the process of slowly moving from state to another. The house we're moving to is almost twice the size of the one where we are. And, being a log house it has deep window sills. And a lot of linoleum in the large kitchen & dining room. She loves to tear into a room with a slick floor then skid across the floor and rumple up any throw rugs.
With all the floor space, she loves to run the length of the house. And she loves to go "fishing". I bought a kid's fishing kit (all in one rod & reel, complete with line & a practice plug). I cast toward the bathroom or kitchen and she chases the plug. She hates to have the line touch her - that triggers a whirl & run, which catches the line and really pulls out the line until she gets free, often behind a piece of furniture. Sometimes she just watches it go by after she runs to it. I have to keep changing directions so she'll chase it.
She loves the window sills. Between the deep sills in the dining room, living room and bedrooms, and the sliding glass door in the living room, she can look out all four sides of the house. The sills are deep enough for her to lounge.
She made a happy "I know where I am" sound when we pulled into the garage in this this house when we returned to our current home. I'm hoping, expecting, her to have a similar reaction when we return to the new house.
With all the floor space, she loves to run the length of the house. And she loves to go "fishing". I bought a kid's fishing kit (all in one rod & reel, complete with line & a practice plug). I cast toward the bathroom or kitchen and she chases the plug. She hates to have the line touch her - that triggers a whirl & run, which catches the line and really pulls out the line until she gets free, often behind a piece of furniture. Sometimes she just watches it go by after she runs to it. I have to keep changing directions so she'll chase it.
She loves the window sills. Between the deep sills in the dining room, living room and bedrooms, and the sliding glass door in the living room, she can look out all four sides of the house. The sills are deep enough for her to lounge.
She made a happy "I know where I am" sound when we pulled into the garage in this this house when we returned to our current home. I'm hoping, expecting, her to have a similar reaction when we return to the new house.
Friday, April 1, 2016
The Head Bump
Another behavior that has entered Charlotte's repertoire - the head bump. Just in the last 2-3 weeks she's started really bumping us, bumping things as she goes by. It started as a small bump now and then, mainly while on our laps. Then it became a stronger bump as she passed.
Now, she bumps just about everything she passes and bumps our legs as she runs past as we're walking. It's a little scary at times because she's really bumping hard as a foot comes down and we might trip on her one of these days. And when she does it on the stairs it's even scarier. We need to be aware of her at all times for our safety.
Her need to get up onto things is getting stronger and more frustrating. Once we get to Montana we're going to find some ways to allow her to get up high on things that are allowable. I'm tired of picking up piles of shirts and other things that she's pulled down in her efforts to get up on shelves, dressers and other high places.
As I was writing the paragraph above, she came from the bathtub to visit. She likes to go sit in the tub and lick water from the shower walls after we finish our morning showers. She also likes to pounce on the curtain to see the water drops roll down. Once she's through playing in the wet tub she comes to share her wet feet and wet bottom with us. Sometimes, once the shower curtain has dried, she will launch herself at it with all four feet in an effort to get the water drops down - but it just doesn't do anything but push the curtain out past the tub. On bad days we wind up gathering the curtain and folding it over the rod to stop her beating it up.
Now, she bumps just about everything she passes and bumps our legs as she runs past as we're walking. It's a little scary at times because she's really bumping hard as a foot comes down and we might trip on her one of these days. And when she does it on the stairs it's even scarier. We need to be aware of her at all times for our safety.
Her need to get up onto things is getting stronger and more frustrating. Once we get to Montana we're going to find some ways to allow her to get up high on things that are allowable. I'm tired of picking up piles of shirts and other things that she's pulled down in her efforts to get up on shelves, dressers and other high places.
As I was writing the paragraph above, she came from the bathtub to visit. She likes to go sit in the tub and lick water from the shower walls after we finish our morning showers. She also likes to pounce on the curtain to see the water drops roll down. Once she's through playing in the wet tub she comes to share her wet feet and wet bottom with us. Sometimes, once the shower curtain has dried, she will launch herself at it with all four feet in an effort to get the water drops down - but it just doesn't do anything but push the curtain out past the tub. On bad days we wind up gathering the curtain and folding it over the rod to stop her beating it up.
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