She just can't get enough

Sara lives for belly rubs. She'll flop down when you walk by and roll back and forth, with all four paws in the air, meowing insistently. Once she gets you to oblige her, she curls up on her side, still as can be, soaking in every stroke in content silence.

Here's a look at Sara in the middle of a session with one of our Thanksgiving visitors. Again, thanks to my sister for the footage!

The learning curve

Getting to know a kitty is always different with each one's personality. After the last few days, we're sure Sara isn't picky about who cuddles her, as you can see. This is Sara in the arms of Teddy, my sister's boyfriend, after less than half a day in his presence. Hmm, Sis, I think you may have some competition for Teddy's attention now that this sweetheart has entered the picture.



But what else does Sara like?

Apparently, anything you can do while she's on your lap. You can read ...


... you can chat ...


... and even blog too.


More thanks to my sisters for these photos!

Nap time

These are just a few shots of Sara taking advantage of a very sleepy post-turkey guest who was with us for Thanksgiving. I don't think he seems to mind.




Thanks to my sister for these pictures!

Sara's Thanksgiving

We have many kitty-loving guests in town for the holiday, and Sara got the full benefit of their attention yesterday, from cuddles and chin scratches to kisses and belly rubs. We weren't sure how she'd react to so many new faces, but everyone who got a chance to sit with Sara was greeted with warm purrs and gentle head-bumps. We've decided that she is very much a lap cat, perfectly content to snuggle in anyone's arms for hours.



We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of love and companionship. We know everyone who met Sara certainly did!

Knock, knock

Dieter: "Who's there?"

Sara: "I'm stuck in this cabinet, will you let me out already?!"

It appears that Sara knows how to open doors. From the side you pull, that is. Once she's through, the push function that lets her go back the way she came isn't so clear to her.

She's a burrower

Apparently this blanket is a kitty favorite. Jada loved to sit on it, and Sara --


Well, you get the picture.

Photographer's note: We had to uncover Sara a little to show you that she was really in there. She was perfectly content to be completely curled up under the fleece, kneading away.

So, Sara, tell us a little about yourself

We figured an interview was in order with this little girl, as she's quite articulate. She even dressed up for the occasion in her best tuxedo, which comes with beautiful white gloves and sleek white boots. Yes, this kitty is a stylish one.

Leslie: "Sara, shall we begin?"

Sara: "Yes! But will you scratch behind my ears first? I love that."

L: "Sure."

S: "A little to the left."

L: "As you wish."

S: "More. MORE. Ahhhh, there we go, that's good. Do my chin now."

L: "Okay, but --"

S: "Ooh, how about my neck too? And my shoulders? Here, let me roll onto my back and then you can give my belly some attention."

L: "Um, Sara?"

S: "Yes?"

L: "The interview?"

S: "Oh."

A brief pause.

S: "And then will you pet me some more?"

Getting some R&R

Sara is our guest for at least the next week or two as we help her get over a kitty cold. She is resting at our place so she doesn't give her sniffles to any other kitties at the shelter. This means she sneezes and coughs a bit and has to have antibiotics once a day, but she should be in top shape soon. And then we can work on helping her find a new family.

Despite having this bug, Sara is very active and affectionate. She loves being scratched and stroked! Dieter and I have determined that the two-person petting method is one of her favorites. I hold her so that she's resting securely in my arms but has her two front legs free (stretched out and dangling). Then Dieter pets and scratches her head and neck while she kneads his chest with her front paws, purring blissfully the entire time.

Meet Sara ...

... the kitty who can scale anything.

After we'd gotten Sara settled in the kitty suite, I went back to check on her a little while later. All I could hear when I got into the room was "Mrowr! Mrowr! MROWR!" (rough translation: "Where have you been? I've been lonely!"). But I couldn't see her anywhere. And then I looked up.


Yep, she'd found her way to the top of the cabinets over the washer and dryer. And she had no problem getting down either. She went back to her perch after Dieter and I headed downstairs (with the barrier in place at the top of the stair landing). It gives her a line of sight to the first floor, apparently. That's how we were able to get a shot of her from there.

So we've already given Sara the run of the hallway upstairs -- she clearly wanted more space and was ready to come out to play. We promise more news on this little sweetheart as we get to know her. In the meantime, I think somebody upstairs is letting me know that she wants company ...

A look at the kitty suite

When we first brought Jada home, we introduced her to our place a little bit at a time so she wouldn't be overwhelmed. This is the kitty suite we gave her for her first week with us.


Cozy kitty bed, food and water dishes (the one for food is elevated on an empty tissue box), and a litterbox, which is hidden around the corner of the dryer. The little mat is something we added later for Jada to scratch.

Once Jada was used to us, we gave her the upper hallway to explore and then eventually opened the downstairs to her as well. We'll probably do the same with our next foster kitty.

I'm happy to report that our new guest is settling in very well. Within five minutes of exploring the suite, she had claimed the bed for her own and started making biscuits on it vigorously. Stay tuned for photos very soon! (We figured we'd keep the paparazzi action minimal today and let the girl rest before her debut.)

A little cleanup, and then we'll be back

You didn't think we were going to stop after one kitty, did you?

Good! Neither did we.

The kitty suite is undergoing preparation for a new resident, who will be joining us very shortly. I wasn't sure if I'd be emotionally ready to take on another one so soon, but the Jada-shaped hole in my heart needs filling! (It helped that I put Jada's bedding in the laundry right after she left so I wouldn't have to see the empty spot by our bedroom door the next morning, but without her little mewls at 7 a.m., it was impossible not to miss her.)

So I'm off to finish putting things in order before we head back to the SHS. Pictures to come, I promise. For now, here's a shot of Jada and her gorgeous tail. I think I'm going to miss seeing that part of her, flicking here and there around our furniture, the most.

Hooray!

As of last night, Jada has a new family of her very own! And lucky girl, one of those family members is a big brother kitty for her to play with.

Trevor, Jada's new dad, was very kind and posted an update on her first 12 hours in her new home. He writes:

Hey everyone! My girlfriend, myself, and our wonderful kitty Bluto (who could pass for her twin) adopted wonderful little Jada last night. I am happy to report that she is eating, drinking, and eliminating just fine. She spent her first night with us last night in our office. She is such a curious little cutie. There are plenty of places for her to hide, but she is not bashful. She hangs out right in the open underneath my desk. She is still kind of unsure of us, as she gets a little bit hissy, but no strikes, and she will let us pet her for a second. Bluto has taken a keen interest in her, and for a second, was only set on defending his territory, but that was over in less than 2 minutes. Now he just wants to be her friend. Jada doesn't want anything of it at this point though. She seemed interested at first, but has now resorted to hissing and growling at him :D

Bluto mreowls, Jada growls. Its pretty cute.
Thank you Leslie and Dieter for taking care of her so well!

Awww, Trevor. You're so very welcome! Thanks for the update so soon after taking Jada home. Bluto sounds like a gentleman :). Be patient, big brother! Jada will come around when she's ready.

Here's one last glamour shot of Jada. We'll miss you dearly, Miss Fluffernutter, but we are so happy for you.


In honor of beloved kitties, I'm going to direct you to this link. Enjoy.

Routines, routines

I'm all about routines -- they make me feel safe and happy. Yep, this is Jada. I thought you should know some things about me right from the horse's -- er, cat's mouth. This is Kittitas, you know. Veritas about kitties. So without further delay, here's a look at how I've been spending my days with Dieter and Leslie.

7 a.m.: As soon as I hear the alarm clock go off in Dieter and Leslie's bedroom, I make adorable meows and chirruping sounds outside their door so they'll come out. When they do, I walk them to my dish so they know it's empty.

8:30 a.m.: Breakfast! When that can of food comes out of the fridge, I dash up the stairs to my kitty suite.

9 or 10 a.m.: Litterbox time. Leslie made sure I got a spacious one for my toilette. There's nothing worse than a litterbox that's too small.

11 a.m.: Pondering the meaning of a cat's life in my cozy kitty bed. The sun comes through the nearby windows and warms this spot nicely.

12 p.m.: Playtime with my kibble toy. Leslie puts the dry food inside and I bat it around.

1 p.m.: Making biscuits on my favorite blanket on the couch and then settling in for an afternoon nap.

4 or 5 p.m.: Bathing my beautiful coat. It's not easy keeping the floof in good shape, but I am a fastidious groomer.

6 p.m.: Dieter comes home. Playtime with my feather toy, shoelace, or Spider! And time to start staking out the fridge while Dieter and Leslie make dinner.

8 p.m.: Doing my rounds of the house. Have to keep tabs on my space, you know. I stop by the fridge a few times just to remind everyone that I need to eat too.

8:30 p.m.: Dinner! Off to my kitty suite again.

9:00 p.m.: A little more playtime and/or people-watching from the stair landing.

11 p.m.: Bedtime for Dieter and Leslie. They give me goodnight pets and snuggles and turn out the lights.

A behind-the-scenes look at Jada and her trainers

Okay. So by now, if you've been following Jada's progress, you know she gets exercised regularly at our place. And you also know how much she hopes, whenever we go into the kitchen, that we're getting that next meal for her.

What happens when you put these things together?

The 30-yard dash.

This workout usually requires two people if, like Jada, your kitty likes to follow you everywhere (someone has to keep her upstairs while the other person goes into the kitchen). But it is totally worth it for the calorie burn. Jada does this six times in a row on average before she starts to lose interest.

A kitchen sink drama* in one act

Scene: the kitchen. Dieter is beginning dinner preparations.


Of course, if there's someone in this room, Jada is never far away.


Dieter approaches the fridge.


Jada: "Yes! Time for food."

But Dieter goes back to his mixing bowl.


Jada: "What? This isn't part of the script."


Jada: (sighing) "Amateurs! I hate it when they improvise ..."

End scene.

*Okay, not really if you go by the definition here.

Thanks, but no thanks

Once we saw that Jada was comfortable on the catwalk, we were happy to offer her other new perches to encourage her to move around during the day. She was amenable to this until we tried the post at the bottom of the stairs:


"Not enough room here, guys."


"Really, I mean it -- would you give me a hand? Please?"


"This is so undignified."

Guess who discovered our catwalk

Yep. Actually, it was Dieter who put Jada there. She was a little uncertain about it at first:



But once she discovered she could get an entirely new view of the world below, she took to the railing just fine.

Oh, those come-hither eyes

Is it just me, or is Jada making advances at Dieter in this picture?!


I know Jada's a lovebug, but honey, we're taking photos to help Jada get adopted, remember? Try not to get distracted ...

There's a toy at the end of the tunnel

One of Jada's favorite ambush spots is behind the giant piece of whiteboard we use to block off the stairs at night (yes, we jury-rig a lot of things around here). When we're not using it, it just leans against the upstairs railing. Here's how it becomes the perfect hiding place:




Jada: "Ah ha! I see you, Spider."

Dieter: "Only for now. Watch this!"



Jada: "But -- but -- "

Dieter: "Where'd it go, where'd it go?"


Dieter: "There it is! Get it, Jada."

Jada: "You know, sometimes I think he thinks I'm a toy."

Hi-hi, Pookie Pie

Yeah, I'm pretty shameless about showering Jada with pet names (no pun intended). That's my usual greeting to her in the morning, which she always answers with a little chirrup.

After this shot from Dieter, though, I may have to start using the name I give her when she's zipping around after her Spider toy: Miss Fluffernutter. Check out the floof!


We can assure you, with the way Jada's diet is going, that she's losing her extra padding. So how is it that she doesn't look very different in the shots we've taken over the last two months? She must be converting fat to fur ...

Paw, meet blanket

We'd never seen Jada "making biscuits," as it seems to be called, until we brought out this blanket. It's chilly enough during the day in our house that sometimes you just want something extra to cover your legs when you're not up and moving. For Jada, it's the perfect place to get her kneading fix. This is usually accompanied by some reminiscent mewls -- maybe she's remembering kittenhood? -- and a sudden wave of sleepiness. As you might have guessed, I shot this after she disappeared into dreamland.

Jada's new crush

Jada: "Now this is a perch I could get used to. Can I have him?"

Leslie: "Sorry, darling, he's already taken."


Jada: "Right. Says you."

Leslie: "Hey ..."

The not-so-itsy Spider

If you're wondering how Dieter's been helping Jada shed some weight, here's one of his best tricks -- a piece of ribbon tied to a sturdy nylon cord. Jada loves going after this because the target she chases is small. (She seems to prefer stalking prey she can cover with a single paw.) We've nicknamed this toy the Spider because it can be made to behave a lot like the real thing.

(Apologies for the video quality -- we're working on better filming techniques!)

Another good place to perch

The arm of the couch where Leslie rests her laptop. It's pre-warmed with a great view of the birds on the other side of those windows. Leslie won't mind, right? I'll just hop up here while she's taking a screen-time break -- ahhhh. So nice of her to move that machine for me every time she gets up.

Perfectly sized paws ...

... for scaling the narrowest ledges in our house. Jada has become an expert at walking on the back of the couch, even with the rod to her feather toy underfoot.

Good news

We took Jada to be weighed at the SHS yesterday and it looks like she's lost nearly a full pound since we brought her into foster care. This is excellent, as she went into the shelter at nine pounds and came to us at twelve. So Jada's moving in the right direction, thanks to all the playtime Dieter's been giving her.

Didn't know he was exercising you that whole time, did you, Jada?


Oh, don't look so surprised. You know you liked it.

She's figured us out

At least, where we store the kitty food. Whenever we open the fridge, Jada comes running to see if we're going to take it out.


"I see it! I see it! That can right there!"


Sadly, it's not mealtime yet, Jada.