Hi David and Caprice,
Hard to believe that Cricket is almost 6 months old now. We love him so much. He is so sweet
and playful and smart and naughty!! He loves to mouth me--"gnaw" on me especially. Hmmmm. How
come? Loves the heights. Been using water bottles, but to no avail. Loves any sound--so
inviting to explore. Oh, he loves when I play "chase" with him. I run and "try" (that's the
operative word) to hide from him, but he always finds me. Then we pounce on each other. He is
too funny sometimes. Ashley and I are talking about getting another kitten---for Cricket--- of
course!
Cricket, by the way, can fetch. Seriously. I mean I realize it's on his terms (that's the
way with cats), but last night when I was in bed reading The Da Vinci Code, a GREAT mystery,
he jumped on my bed with a blue puff ball in his mouth.
Cricket's coat is changing. He is so sleek and soft. Every day his tail is getting fluffier
and beginning to resemble the plume I so remember Tibbs having, and after he turns 6 months on
June 28th, I will schedule his neutering appointment. Poor Cricket, he has to go through life
"ball-less"!!! Although Cricket was shy for the first few days, the passage of a week and a rising comfort
level created an amazing change; Cricket now wanted to play with anyone and everyone who visited
our home. Not only was he insatiabley curious about the "new people', but he also was very
friendly and gave "leg rubs" to all guests. He is so smart!! Like having a genius child who gets
into everything before he can talk.
WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH!
Christina
Well - we have decided to get a friend for Cricket. We asked and Cricket said he would
love to have a little Lilac Point Boy kitten to have as a little brother. David & Caprice agreed
it would be good for him so we now have a little boy we call 'Skitty".
Hello Caprice and David,
Our boys have bonded beautifully. Like human children, their personalities differ.
Cricket is confident, friendly, loving, and ever curious. Skitty is shy but they
are bestbuds. Can they every play chase!
Being the dominant male, Cricket cleans the new guy, but I now notice that he
sometimes cleans Cricket too!. My best to you both. Have a Merry Christmas.
Christina
PS: You all are right: Balinese need--have to be--with their
owners. Right now, both
are on the floor where they are sleeping inches away from my feet.
Dear David and Caprice,
This is Ashley writing to you guys this time. I am home from college for spring break and
have just spend a wonderful week relaxing. I thought you might want an update on the cats.
I realized that we have had Cricket for a whole year now...time has flown by! As we speak,
Skitty is sitting on the ironing board watching me type. He will probably come over in a few
minutes and walk across the keyboard, then proceed to curl up in my lap and fall asleep.
He is quite friendly to Mom and me and at times, he is more affectionate than Cricket, and he
loves to be
petted and snuggled with--when he is in the mood. Like Cricket, Skitty is one smart cat. He
fetches just about anything--catnip mice, "tickle sticks" (those things with feathers on the
end of an elastic string attached to a flexible rod), and, once, a toilet brush. He and
Cricket are great friends, and "tussle" all the time. They sleep and play together, although
sometimes Cricket feels the need for some tranquility and hides from the energetic kittenness
of Skitty. It's so funny when I come home for a visit because the cats cannot decide whose
room to sleep in, so they go back and forth during the night. I just got a digital camera,
so I will send you pictures of them snuggling (so cute!!) when I get it set up. Cricket was getting a little "hobbitty" (read: fat) so mom put him on a diet, which has
helped a lot. He is getting slimmer, and I don't even think he misses the extra food. Mom
and I both agree that he is a really exceptional cat, namely because he is so friendly...I
mean...he would make friends with a Mastiff if it would let him. More often than not he
greets me by running up, flopping down, and rolling over on his back with his legs in the
air. He is a very trusting cat; he lets me kiss his belly and carry him around, purring
the whole time. While it is true that Cricket really does have an "X factor," we agree that
both Skitty and Cricket are special cats! Skitty, while not as gregarious as Cricket, is a
total "snuggle bug" as the lady at the vet said. They are both a hoot to watch, and I am
really happy at how close "the boys" have gotten. You guys have wonderful cats!!
Purrs,
This is an update. Skitty it seems, loves the bed. Christina wrote this of Skitty "If I am in bed,
he will come and get under the covers and then come out and curl up next to me or stretch out,
roll over and expose his belly all the while purring and “chirping” to be petted."
Here is a photo of the two boys all grown up.
(Not the first time, but this was as
though he really "got" this fetching business). Anyway, I proceeded to toss, and he'd jump off
the bed to retrieve it, and then jump back on the bed with the puff ball in his mouth. I bet we
did it over and over again about 50 times. Smart cat! Of course, his human HAD to go to sleep,
so that was the end of his playing.
Cricket has discovered
the window box in the kitchen, and I have had to systematically move items around because he
would bat the tomatoes into the sink (when I wasn't home, of course) and play with a few teeny,
tiny wooden houses Ashley made when she was 7 years old. Even though we do the whole spraying
routine to try to keep him off the kitchen counters, if we are not watching, he will get up on
the counter and go directly to the window box where he likes to lounge, stretch luxuriously in
the sun, and then sleep all the while looking so angelic! Meow....ouch! Cricket is attacking
my
feet--trying to get my attention! Gotta go.
By the way, Skitty fetches
just the way Cricket can!
As soon as I say "On your mark, get set..., he crouches ready to run after
the toy I toss! It's so cute to see him sail off my bed in pursuit of a mouse.
When he growls as he is bringing the mouse back to me, I tell him that he is
such a "ferocious kitty!" Most of the time Cricket watches him fetch as though
he is bemused by this frisky addition to our household.
Ashley
Christina also told us that Cricket taught his little brother Skitty to drink out of a glass!
"Pathetic, isn’t it, the boys drink out of a glass on my night table next to my bed.—Cricket “taught” Skitty that trick".
It is always wonderful to hear how well our babies are doing and we thank Christina and Ashley for giving our boys such a good and loving home!
