One little splotch ...

... on her snowy white boot.


Leslie: "Missy, have you been getting into some muddy mischief?"

Missy: "Of course not, silly human. It's a beauty mark."

Who's this other cat in the window?

We've figured out that Missy is fascinated by her reflection. Wherever she happens to find it (in the screen of the fireplace, in the screen of the TV when it's off ...), she gives it a long, inquisitive look. She seems to recognize that the other kitty is completely non-threatening, but we're not sure if she knows it's just her own face looking back at her.

Lickety spit!

Missy apparently thought I was in need of some grooming after I popped the laundry into the dryer (that's the rumbling in the background).

It seems Missy believes in mutual caretaking -- she's begun offering us this favor during and after her grooming sessions! We brush, she licks. We're touched, Missy; it's so very thoughtful of you. I just hope we taste okay ...

Beauty and the brush

It's not easy having such luxurious fur, is it, Missy? She's downy soft thanks to a very plush undercoat -- which sheds a bit more than our other fosters' coats have.

Fortunately, Missy loves being groomed. We start the day off with a brief session with the brush, during which she often presses her head directly against its bristles! Maybe she thinks it's a massage tool?

An elusive underside

Missy's cues haven't been the easiest to read in her first week here. She'll roll over and show us her tummy, purring invitingly, but any of our attempts to pet it (when given such signals) haven't exactly been welcomed.

We figured Missy just needed time. And to our delight, she told us she was ready to trust us with her belly on Tuesday:

Apologies for the clicking noise -- it's the lens on my (rather old) digital camera adjusting whenever it has to change focus. But Missy really is purring underneath all that.

Zzzzzzz ...

We know Missy's completely out when she tucks her head under like this and starts snoring. It's not a purr -- she makes plenty of those too, whenever we offer her head scratches. This sound is more like a higher-pitched buzz.


Sweet dreams, little girl ...

She's partial ...

... to the red blanket.

It was love at first sight. The fleece was on the floor by my feet. Missy plopped herself down on it and began kneading vigorously.

I normally do my work downstairs, but since we've been giving Missy the run of only the upper hall for this first week, I decided to keep her company by setting up a little computer station on one of these window sills. Missy came to my chair several times and got up on her hind legs to check out my lap, but she seemed uncertain about testing it out. On a whim, I picked up the red blanket and placed it on my knees.

That sealed the deal.

Now, whenever I sit down to start the day, Missy waits for me to put her fleece on my lap and then hops right up. After that, she's good for hours. Yep, hours. There's purring and head-bumping and kneading and napping and grooming and napping some more ...

Here, Missy, why don't you show everyone what I'm talking about?


Um, Missy ...


Ope, a little to your left. More left. Wait -- there!


Okay, close enough, you can stop making that face, Missy. I'll get right back to the head-scratching. So sorry to interrupt your bliss.

All tied up

We'd have Missy introduce herself properly to you, but she seems to have another engagement at the moment ...

Meet Missy

This brown tabby girl was waiting for us Tuesday afternoon with the sweetest look in her big, jade-green eyes. By evening, she was offering up her belly for us to admire and asking for head scratches.

She's given her approval of the kitty suite and has explored the length of the catwalk fearlessly. We're going to keep Missy upstairs for a few more days, but we're pretty sure she's excited about the idea of getting whole-house access. Soon, sweetheart, we promise.

We're back!

And the kitty suite is ready for its next resident. We're hoping to pick up our new guest tomorrow, so stay tuned. In the meantime, here's some footage of Sara during a play session with Dieter.

Also, in case you missed it, check out the update on Sara from her family in the comments on the previous post. Sounds like Miss Fuss in Boots is enjoying tons of TLC!