Four Feet And Counting - Cat Wars: Episode I - The Small Black Menace

Some place in a galaxy far, far away....That's kind of what it feels like here at home these days. For any of you out there who have or have had cats, you probably know what a challenge it can be to introduce a new cat into a cat home. Well, this past Sunday I came home with a wee kitten, a little street urchin who was in desperate need of a home.

He was rescued by my cousins Rose and Marissa who found the little dude huddled up under Marissa's car on the engine block. They couldn't find an animal shelter that would take him and promise to find him a home, and neither Rose nor Marissa had room in their homes for another furry friend, so they gave me a call, and Sunday my sister, my nephew, and I hopped in the car for the 3 hour drive upstate to pick up this tiny black kitten with a big heart and a sweet disposition. He really is a cute little guy, but poor Josie, The Duchess Of Little Delving, was NOT happy to find this crazy little bundle of frenetic energy bouncing all around the house when she came inside Sunday evening. Oh, the looks she gave me...LOL! *sigh* I know, I know, I have been through this process before, and it has never been easy, but a guy can dream a little, can't he? Josie is a sweet heart, and she really has shown a great degree of grace and composure with all the hullabaloo that erupts in the house from time to time. For a kitty who spent the first 6 or so years of her life living outside, she has shown a tremendous capacity to adapt to the inside life without missing a beat. She's an exceptional kitty. So I thought maybe, just maybe she'd be as unflappable with a new little brother to deal with. Oi. It turns out even The Duchess has her limits! Well, the good news in all this is that the little guy is settling into his new home, and (so far) no blood has been spilled in the process. The first night was a bit dodgey with lots of hissing, spitting, and growling, but we are now into Day 3, and I'm happy to report that little dude can now get within four feet of Josie before she gets her hackles up and the spitting and hissing ensues, and that, my friends, is progress! This morning I actually caught Josie sneaking around the house looking for her nemesis. I think her curiosity is beginning to get the better of her.
Cats are cats after all.

The other fun news I have to talk about is my new friend Vanimelda from the Netherlands! We connected last week on YouTube where we both waste far too much time loading videos and what not. Vanimelda has some serious video editing chops, people, and a knack for taking Disney animation and turning it into something new and different. Here's one of her latest efforts using a song from Man Of La Mancha and video from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just click on the picture to see what I'm talking about. She's good! We've been emailing back and forth some these past few days, and it's been fun getting to know her. She has a quirky sense of humor that makes me laugh and a few interests that overlap nicely with mine, Shakespeare and Tolkien to name two. An obsession with music, that's three. Oh, and cats!

Anyways, if you like this video, check out her YouTube channel. She's loaded lots more of these wonderful Disney re-interpretations there to see. It's good stuff, Maynard. Oh, and she also has a page at Deviant Art where she's beginning to post some of her own artwork. Check her out!

Okay, that's it for now. I'll keep you posted on Josie and The Small Black Menace. Stay tuned for christening news which will hopefully come after a few more days of getting to know each other, and I'll maybe even get a few photos loaded here once the two of them get close enough to fit into the same camera frame.

Later, gators! JB