Monday, August 10, 2009

Cat Antics and a New Toy

This is Blanco inside the cat tunnel. The cat tunnel was a couple different toys(at least in the cats' mind's). I was cleaning out all the boxes and foam peanuts we were hoarding since we moved here to get rid of stuff. I found a xmas tree box and decided to use it for weed suppression in the garden and hadn't taken it out yet. The cats roared through the open ends, one cat in one cat out, one on top one inside, 4 inside...you get the idea. It turned into another toy when I cut a hole in the top so they could poke their little hands through it. Finally they started to sleep in it but I got tired of having a box in the jungle room for 3 weeks! I cut it open and put it in the vegetable area and then thought.."hmmm...I have a couple red clay pots just laying out in the yard - I should put one in the jungle room." So I did.

Blanco was the first to claim it. King of the pot.

To maintain ownership he had to go in, since Tuca (using the tree fern as her tower) and Bepo were next in line to claim it. I had hoped to strap orchids and ferns to the tree fern but the cats use it as a natural scratching post and they play on top and knock it over all the time.

I liked how it looked and wanted to put a fern in it but didn't want to use up my good soil or have to buy some. My solution for big pots is to fill them mainly with the foam peanuts, then to put dirt or a plant in a pot over that. So I filled the thing with peanuts.

The foam peanuts were just the greatest thing for the cats! Chicken is picking one up in his mouth and dropping it out for the others (Mars looking on the right with Bepo and Stripes waiting). This goes on all day - pulling a peanut out, knocking it around and diving in for more.

Then Tuca decided it was a good place to sleep. But when she tries to get out it is like quicksand and she kind of sinks so only her head and little hands show! (When I leave the area I put a towel over it so no one suffocates.)

And of course if you disappear into the pot everyone comes looking for you so they can harass you out of it!

2 comments:

Rosa said...

I love Blanco, what a beautiful cat. Is he tamed? or does he not allow people to get near?

Anonymous said...

Blanco rubs against me and follows me in the yard. He will also let me sit next to him on the couch. Jeff can only touch him when he is eating. He is a very beautiful and extremely mellow cat! He has little touches of apricot near his nose, ears and tail that are gorgeous! One of my cats (Washington fat cat) was growling the other night and when I went to investigate I scolded him for growling at Blanco, I reached down to touch Blanco at the same time I realized Blanco was inside the rejas looking out at us! It appears Blanco has a replica - same size, age, snow white (no apricot) with long hair. Just trying to become part of the colony I guess... katrina