The Office Cats
As I'd mentioned before, at the end of 2003 I'd quit my job to be able
to work full-time with my DH in his office. What this means, aside from no longer having a regular paycheck g, is that I get to spend lots more time with the office cats, Ozzy and Tiger. Ozzy is lion-colored, solid sandy ginger except for a stripey tail and very faint stripes on his legs. He is a chunk o'kitty, short-legged and very stocky, with big round innocent-looking green eyes in a broad face. The last time he went to TED we were surprised that he only weighed about 12.5 pounds; he's so *solid* that picking him up feels like hefting a cement block. Oz galumphs around the office, sounding like at least 4 elephants on the hardwood floors while chasing his furry mousies, which he renders tailless first thing. He is clumsy, and a goofy sort of cat. Yesterday, I saw him outside tussling with something in the azalea bushes. I went out onto the porch to have a look, wondering what he'd caught that was giving him such a fight. It was a potato. I don't have the slightest notion where he got the potato. (I assured him I was *not* laughing; those are the sounds a person makes when awed and terrified by feline hunting prowess.) Oz is my helper; he helps me sort copies by leaping on and sliding in the piles of paper, and he helps me type legal documents by walking on the keyboard and inserting lots of random characters. I just know that one day I'm not going to notice, and the parties will have to ask why one clause of their contract consists of nothing but line after line of the letter "P". Tiger is a funny looking little guy. He is, I suppose, a tabby, brown and black, but he's not striped in most places so much as he is brindled like a d*g. He has beautiful big green eyes and a little beard that somehow reminds me irresistbly of Burl Ives. He's a tiny little thing; when he first appeared at the office, we'd thought he was a kitten, a few months old. After a while, however, we realized that he'd been getting regular meals for quite some time, and he hadn't grown any. When we took him to TED for his initial vaccinations and neutering last year, he weighed 4.25 pounds, and he was approximately a year old. He is now due again for his annual shots, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that his weight has doubled, in spite of his diet of low-cal Iams. He is disgracefully fat; you can actually see rolls of fat on his back when he's sitting down! Tiger's name doesn't really suit him; he is about the *least* ferocious thing I've ever seen. He is very timid and is frightened of coming into the office. I am trying to encourage him to spend more time inside; I'd love it if we could get him to the point where he would be willing to at least sleep indoors. I will sit at my desk in the lobby with the front door open on 30-degree F days while Tiger sits very bravely *just* inside the door. Once he finally discovered that it was okay for the humans to touch him, he found that he LOVES petting, and he will venture farther inside for scritches on occasion, but every noise (ringing phones, that awful grinding sound when the printer runs out of paper) will send him skittering back out the door in a panic, and closing the door is entirely out of the question. He is getting more socialized day by day, and he is such a little lovebug that I believe if he gets just a teeny bit bolder he will turn into a lap fungus. Oz could do without this, though (they get along okay, though Ozzy completely dominates sweet little Tiger, who just runs away); as far as Ozzy is concerned, the office is HIS; Tiger can have the porch. This afternoon, Tiger had come in and discovered one of the mousies; he tried to play with it but couldn't work up much enthusiasm, since Ozzy was *glaring* at him from appx. 8 inches away. Both kitties can be attention hogs and jealous of each other, but if there's a ruckus it's always Oz who starts it. Both of the boys had turned up (at different times) on DH's office doorstep; Oz made himself at home from the start, but Tiger seems to be more feral and is still very shy, though in the last year or so he's come a long way from the little kitty you barely caught a glimpse of as he ran away. He's discovered he adores being petted, though he does NOT like to be picked up. Ozzy has always loved to be petted, and leaps into my lap as soon as I sit down. I will try to remember to take the camera to work with me soon and put up some pictures of our boys, so that you can all admire these hard-working lawcats. :-) ------ Krista |
It's so nice of the kitties to be of so much help to you. Very much looking
forward to the pics, Krista, -- Polonca & Soncek "LOL" wrote in message om... snip I will try to remember to take the camera to work with me soon and put up some pictures of our boys, so that you can all admire these hard-working lawcats. :-) ------ Krista |
LOL wrote:
...I get to spend lots more time with the office cats, Ozzy and Tiger. Great post! I really enjoyed reading about your working felines. Ozzy is lion-colored, solid sandy ginger except for a stripey tail and very faint stripes on his legs. He is a chunk o'kitty, short-legged and very stocky, with big round innocent-looking green eyes in a broad face. Oh, he sounds adorable. I have a soft spot for short-legged, stocky cats - Roxy is one of those. And green eyes in a broad face - he must be a beauty! Yesterday, I saw him outside tussling with something in the azalea bushes. I went out onto the porch to have a look, wondering what he'd caught that was giving him such a fight. It was a potato. LOL! I often discover Licorice playing with something odd and incongruous like that. I do hope that Ozzy subdued that nasty tuber! He is disgracefully fat; you can actually see rolls of fat on his back when he's sitting down! But doesn't it feel nice to pet him? Roxy is somewhat chubby - I wouldn't call her a fat cat, but she's definitely not skinny either. She's very substantial, and it's not all muscle. I love holding her, the layer of fat feels very soft and cuddly. Of course, Tiger's not a very cuddly cat, so you don't get to appreciate that. YET! :) I will try to remember to take the camera to work with me soon and put up some pictures of our boys, so that you can all admire these hard-working lawcats. :-) Yes, please - I'd love to see them. Joyce |
Awww, Krista -- love these descriptions of your office kitties. Oz sounds
like a double for Tucker in every way! Christine "LOL" wrote in message om... As I'd mentioned before, at the end of 2003 I'd quit my job to be able to work full-time with my DH in his office. What this means, aside from no longer having a regular paycheck g, is that I get to spend lots more time with the office cats, Ozzy and Tiger. Ozzy is lion-colored, solid sandy ginger except for a stripey tail and very faint stripes on his legs. He is a chunk o'kitty, short-legged and very stocky, with big round innocent-looking green eyes in a broad face. The last time he went to TED we were surprised that he only weighed about 12.5 pounds; he's so *solid* that picking him up feels like hefting a cement block. Oz galumphs around the office, sounding like at least 4 elephants on the hardwood floors while chasing his furry mousies, which he renders tailless first thing. He is clumsy, and a goofy sort of cat. Yesterday, I saw him outside tussling with something in the azalea bushes. I went out onto the porch to have a look, wondering what he'd caught that was giving him such a fight. It was a potato. I don't have the slightest notion where he got the potato. (I assured him I was *not* laughing; those are the sounds a person makes when awed and terrified by feline hunting prowess.) Oz is my helper; he helps me sort copies by leaping on and sliding in the piles of paper, and he helps me type legal documents by walking on the keyboard and inserting lots of random characters. I just know that one day I'm not going to notice, and the parties will have to ask why one clause of their contract consists of nothing but line after line of the letter "P". Tiger is a funny looking little guy. He is, I suppose, a tabby, brown and black, but he's not striped in most places so much as he is brindled like a d*g. He has beautiful big green eyes and a little beard that somehow reminds me irresistbly of Burl Ives. He's a tiny little thing; when he first appeared at the office, we'd thought he was a kitten, a few months old. After a while, however, we realized that he'd been getting regular meals for quite some time, and he hadn't grown any. When we took him to TED for his initial vaccinations and neutering last year, he weighed 4.25 pounds, and he was approximately a year old. He is now due again for his annual shots, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that his weight has doubled, in spite of his diet of low-cal Iams. He is disgracefully fat; you can actually see rolls of fat on his back when he's sitting down! Tiger's name doesn't really suit him; he is about the *least* ferocious thing I've ever seen. He is very timid and is frightened of coming into the office. I am trying to encourage him to spend more time inside; I'd love it if we could get him to the point where he would be willing to at least sleep indoors. I will sit at my desk in the lobby with the front door open on 30-degree F days while Tiger sits very bravely *just* inside the door. Once he finally discovered that it was okay for the humans to touch him, he found that he LOVES petting, and he will venture farther inside for scritches on occasion, but every noise (ringing phones, that awful grinding sound when the printer runs out of paper) will send him skittering back out the door in a panic, and closing the door is entirely out of the question. He is getting more socialized day by day, and he is such a little lovebug that I believe if he gets just a teeny bit bolder he will turn into a lap fungus. Oz could do without this, though (they get along okay, though Ozzy completely dominates sweet little Tiger, who just runs away); as far as Ozzy is concerned, the office is HIS; Tiger can have the porch. This afternoon, Tiger had come in and discovered one of the mousies; he tried to play with it but couldn't work up much enthusiasm, since Ozzy was *glaring* at him from appx. 8 inches away. Both kitties can be attention hogs and jealous of each other, but if there's a ruckus it's always Oz who starts it. Both of the boys had turned up (at different times) on DH's office doorstep; Oz made himself at home from the start, but Tiger seems to be more feral and is still very shy, though in the last year or so he's come a long way from the little kitty you barely caught a glimpse of as he ran away. He's discovered he adores being petted, though he does NOT like to be picked up. Ozzy has always loved to be petted, and leaps into my lap as soon as I sit down. I will try to remember to take the camera to work with me soon and put up some pictures of our boys, so that you can all admire these hard-working lawcats. :-) ------ Krista |
Awww... I love it when I get to work from home and I get to spend the
day with the kids. It's not often enough though! -- Victor Martinez Send your spam he Email me he |
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"LOL" wrote As I'd mentioned before, at the end of 2003 I'd quit my job to be able to work full-time with my DH in his office. What this means, aside from no longer having a regular paycheck g, is that I get to spend lots more time with the office cats, Ozzy and Tiger. Thanks for telling us about your wonderful office cats. Please give them both a scritch from me (if Tiger will have one). LOL about the spud monster! -- Marina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki |
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Victor Martinez wrote in message ...
Awww... I love it when I get to work from home and I get to spend the day with the kids. It's not often enough though! **gasp** You mean you don't have cats at your workplace! However do you get anything done without kitty help?! ------ Krista Taking dictation from Ozzy |
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