Pincushion

It's been so long since we had a kitten that I had kind of forgotten about some of the downsides. Things like kittens who get very excited about playing in the bed when it's 3 AM. Things like kittens who like to climb, all the way up to your shoulder, even when they're getting really big and heavy and they use your various parts as assists to get to where they're going, regardless of how squishy they are or how painful it is for you. Things like how freaking sharp kitten claws can be. I currently have a series of scratches in various states of healing on my hands, arms, shoulders, upper back, and chest (and by chest I mean BOOBS). My right nipple is still a little sore from when Robin used me as a way to get from the couch to the chair; my boob just happened to be in her way and it provided a stepping stone, I presume, though for me it felt like a very unwanted free piercing.

Robin is still freaked out by Loki. It's understandable, considering he'll go a week ignoring her or, when noticing her, jumping up just to sniff her or look menacing, but then (like last night) he'll get some sort of bad idea in his head and attack her. The squirt bottle is getting a workout for the first time in years, and sometimes he's so vicious I have to physically pull him off her. I don't understand why he does this. We think it's better and he's gotten over having a Strange New Kitty In His House. They'll even sleep within inches of one another, Robin on Dan's lap and Loki on mine. They'll play with the same toy at the same time. But whenever Robin's stationary and Loki comes near, she'll hiss and growl at him, ears back, and I'm sure he finds it terribly rude because he'll go from minding his own business to fight mode in 3 seconds. 90-95% of the time, all he does is bluster and show how big he is, but that 5-10% I can't blame her for the hissing and the growling.

Anyhow, because Loki is Big Scary Kitteh, Robin uses us as conveyances from one room to another, from chair to bathroom counter to bed. She still goes in her room every night with the baby gates up, and most nights she comes into our bed at some point. She stays at the head of the bed while Loki sleeps, as always, between Dan's knees. I'm sure part of Loki's problem is that he never ever had to share any high up spaces (backs of chairs, counters) or the bed before, because Petra couldn't jump and was scared of our room and especially our bed. So not only is there Strange Kitteh, there's Strange Kitteh who Hangs Out In His Spots. I'm sure she keeps to high places in order to keep an eye out for him, but he finds it pretty offensive I think. As Robin gets bigger (and oh, how bigger she is getting!) we have taken to putting her down on the dreaded floor from time to time and it takes her at least 2 or 3 seconds to get up on the nearest safe high surface.

Loki, meanwhile, has claimed my lap as his own. Any time I'm sitting on the couch he is on my lap, regardless of whether the laptop's there too, or whether I'm knitting, or whether I'm even in a configuration that promotes lap-sitting on his part. It doesn't matter how many times I get up and sit back down; he is ever vigilant and must be On Me. Of course, because it's winter and it's cold I'm usually wearing comfy yoga pants. And Loki, being a Very Large Heavy Strong Kitty, has sharp, strong claws, because we can't clip them. Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but when he decides to give me a kneading in the soft part of my upper inner thigh, it HURTS. And when he's sitting in my lap and I'm cross legged and the claws on his back feet poke into me, it HURTS. And sometimes his claws get stuck in the material of my pants and I have HOLES in them now.

So here I am, battered and covered in cat scratches, with my holey pants, and 2 cats who must be supervised together at all times, but it'll get better eventually, right?