America's Next Top Cat

Gobo seems to really enjoy watching TV. It's always interesting to be watching one of my shows and notice a large cat shadow cast upon the screen....yes, that's what it looks like...Gobo's silouette in my TV show. The other spot he seems to enjoy is the spot on top of my DVR....I'm assuming that is because of the heat it generates. He has such a beautiful silouette, so I really don't mind it too much. The only time it's annoying is when he actually blocks the show I'm watching (which you would think would be difficult to do with a 32in flat screen TV...nope...Gobo manages to do it).

Climbing to New Heights

So, remember when I said that Gobo and Mokey are always in the exact same place when I come home and open up the front door? Gobo is on the dining room table to my left and Mokey is right in front of me. WELL, last night was a little bit different. I got home from work and opened up my door, expecting to see Gobo and Mokey in their usual spots. Mokey was standing right in front of me as usual, but Gobo was not on the dining room table. I was surprised that he wasn't there, but then I was even more surprised when I looked up and saw where he was sitting!!! Gobo managed to climb up to what is probably the highest spot in my apartment!!!! I was wondering how the heck he was able to do that, so I waited for him to climb down...and of course, I took pictures of it all:

How did Gobo get up there?!

Is he ever going to be able to get down?

He seems perfectly content up there

Contemplating which route he'll take down...

Starting out on top of the kitchen cabinets...

Jumping down to the refridgerator...

Jumping down off the fridge onto the countertop...

Traveling to the stove...

Looking down...

"This is a piece of cake! Why were you worried that I wouldn't get down?!"

The Monday Stretch

Sigh...it's Monday. Weekends fly by so quickly, and weekdays just drag. The worst part is waking up and realizing it's Monday and you have to get out of your warm, cozy bed and go to work. Friday can never seem to arrive fast enough!

Well, since it's Monday, I figured everyone would be pretty sleepy right about now (The Monday Post-Lunch Food Coma). So, it's time for a nice stretch...

Zzzzzz....

Shhhh!!! It's "sleepy time" with Mokey....

And Gobo finds his own "sleepy time" as well...

A "Cat Person"

I've always grown up with dogs. Nobody in my family has ever had a cat. When I was born we had a mutt named Laddie, next we had a sable collie named Prince, next we had a tri-color collie named Shadow, and our last dog was a golden/lab mix named Teddy. My parents didn't get a dog after Teddy because his death was too difficult for them...he was with us for 14 years and became a huge part of our family. By that time I was living on my own anyway...so I always grew up in my parents' house with a dog. Also, my uncle/aunt have always had dogs (german shepards and golden retrievers) and my brother and his family have a dog (golden retriever). My grandfather, who passed the same time as my dog, Teddy, also had dogs...his border collie, Buddy, outlived him.

So, I was the first in the family to get a cat. I really would have liked to have gotten a dog, but not only did the apartment I was living in at the time not allow dogs, but I also have such a crazy busy schedule that I knew I wouldn't be able to properly care for a dog. I work from 8:30am-5pm Monday-Friday, I go to the gym 3-5 times per week after work, and I do a lot of community theater (usually have rehearsals from 7pm - 9/10pmish on weekdays, and sometimes on weekends). I also like to be able to pick up and go away whenever I want to...and that's really difficult to do with a dog. Even though I couldn't have a dog, I knew I wanted a cuddly pet to keep me company. So, I decided to get a cat!

I wanted a dog-like cat since I was so used to having dogs...and I really didn't want a cat who would ignore me. I was getting a cat for companionship, so the last thing I wanted was a snooty, anti-social cat. A friend of mine had a Maine Coon mix and said Maine coons are known to be a lot more friendly and cuddly than other cats. So, that's exactly what I got (the full story about my adoption is one of the first blog entries I wrote, so you can go back to see that story if you'd like). Gobo is great, and he is definitely the snuggly, loving pet that I wanted. The problem now is that I've become a "Cat Person." I don't think I've reached the "Crazy Cat Lady" stage, but I'm definitely a "Cat Person." How do I know that I am a "Cat Person" now? Well, just read on...

Reasons I know I'm now a "Cat Person":

1. I carry pictures of my cats with me, and tell stories about them to anyone who will listen....as if they were my children
2. My checks have "Cute Kittens" on them
3. My address labels have "Cute Kittens" on them
4. I have a "365 Days of Kittens" Wall Calendar and a Page-a-Day calendar called "Bad Cats"
5. I write a blog that is devoted solely to my cats
6. One cat sleeps on my head and one sleeps on my stomach...and I LOVE it!
7. I went to a Cat Expo with a friend of mine
8. My condo is filled with cat toys, cat beds, and cat trees
9. I go to "Yahoo Answers" and answer "Cat" questions all of the time
10. I miss my cats when I'm at work
11. I miss my cats when I'm on vacation
12. I would never date a guy who was either highly allergic to cats or just didn't like them
13. I get defensive when people say mean things about cats
14. I cry when I see a stray cat that got hit by a car on the side of the road
15. In my old apartment, I fed and pet the neighborhood strays, found some of them homes, and even named them
16. I tell anyone who has a cat about "World's Best Cat Litter" (seriously the BEST cat litter I've ever used)
17. I look at "Cute Kitten" websites and think to myself, "My cats are SO much cuter than these stupid cats!"
18. I've submitted pictures of my kitties to "Cute Overload" and "The Daily Kitten," and am upset that neither of them have chosen my photos yet!!!
19. When my cats do something cute, I think to myself, "If only I had a camera on me right now..."
20. My computer background image is a picture of my cats

In the Window...

One of my favorite things is coming home from work, and being greeted by my kitties. They both have their "spot" by the front doorway. I walk into my place and Gobo is sitting to my left, on the dining room table, while Mokey is standing right in front of me. I usually pet both of them on the head a bit (and Mokey chirps), and then they follow me into my bedroom. A friend of mine kitty-sat for me recently. It was funny because he said, "Gobo and Mokey were so cute...Gobo was sitting on the dining room table, and Mokey was right in front of the door when I came in!" haha! It seems to be their "assigned spots." In Psych class we used to discuss how humans are territorial...we put a bookbag on a chair so that nobody will take our spot. Usually, once you've found your "spot," you expect people to know that it's YOUR spot and they'd better not take it! I find that I do that in the gym too...I have my favorite elliptical, and when someone else is on it, I get all upset. How dare they use MY elliptical! Well, I guess cats do the same thing...they have their "spot." Their spot on my bed (Gobo is on my head, Mokey is at my feet or on my lap), their spot in my window (Gobo is in the master bedroom window and Mokey is in the 2nd bedroom window), their spot in the bathroom, and their spot when I come into the house.

Here are some pictures of Mokey and Gobo in their "spots":

Mokey's "spot" in the window (can you see her??)

Gobo's "spot" in the window (can you see him??)

Gobo's "spot" on my head

Mokey's "spot" in her hut

Gobo's "spot" on the bathroom sink

Mokey's "spot" on the bathroom floor

A Game of Cat and Cat...

Mokey is definitely a little rabble-rouser. She enjoys taunting Gobo...seeing how long it will take to annoy him. She'll usually hide to stalk him, and then just leap out and attack. Her favorite thing to do is use his tail as a play toy....he is not so fond of that game. Here are some Hide & Go Seek games that they were playing:

Mokey: "Gobo can't get me under here...heh heh!"

Gobo: "Hey...where did she go???"

SURPRISE!!!

Mokey: "Shhh...you don't see me..."

That little paw is dangerous...it can just pop out and swat at any moment!

Mokey finds a new hiding spot

Mokey hides behind the buddha dome litter box

Gobo: "A-ha! I found you!"

Gobo: "You can run, but you can't hide...anymore..."

Gobo: "What? I didn't do anything...I'm so sweet and innocent"

Purse Snatcher!

Ever notice how a cat will curl up wherever it's most inconvenient to you? I'll be reading a magazine and my cats will immediately run over to me and sit on the magazine, or I'll get home from work and put my purse down on my bed for a second, and the cats will immediately snuggle up with my purse (making it very difficult to get my keys and go out again), or I'll be packing to go somewhere and they will jump into my suitcase. They MUST do it on purpose to make sure we don't leave the house, and we constantly pay attention to them!

Snugglin' with my Gobster

One of the greatest things about Gobo is that he's a total cuddle kitty!!! Mokey is still a kitten, so I don't know if she'll be a snuggler or not, but Gobo is DEFINITELY a snuggler. I actually woke up one morning this week with Gobo snuggled up on top of my head, and Mokey curled up on my belly. It was SO cute! I didn't want to move!

I was worried that when I got Mokey, Gobo would no longer cuddle with me. Luckily, Mokey didn't change Gobo's cuddling habits. I DO notice that Gobo is a bit more possessive over me now. He'll be snuggling with me, and Mokey will come over, and Gobo will just growl at her! I think that sometimes she's just a little too playful for him. She's a kitten so she has a lot more energy than he does. He will chase her around the house a lot, but there are times when he just wants to mellow out...and she just never seems to stop. She thinks his big, fluffy tail is a chew toy! He doesn't appreciate that at all!!!

Anywho, Gobo is a champion cuddler. I used to sleep with a stuffed animal, but I don't anymore because Gobo is pretty much my stuffed animal...haha! I like to sleep on my side, and Gobo usually curls up cheek to cheek with me. Lately he's been enjoying the spot on top of my head! He'll lay on my pillow, right above my head, and nuzzle his nose on my forehead and cheek. I love it!!! Here are some snuggling moments that were caught on camera:

I was even able to catch a rare Mokey cuddling moment: