A Hemingway Kitty~~pictorial Journal Part 2

If it is possible, I love love my Milo kitty more now than ever. He is a constant source of entertainment and unquestioning devotion. Although make no mistake about it, this is HIS home and I am allowed to share it.

He perches wherever, whenever....and he allows me to adore him when he needs it most...and truth be told, I need it as much as he does sometimes. Read more about Mlo at this link--- https://hubpages.com/animals/Animal-Anamolies-My-New-Kittys-Paws-A-pictorial-journal

This quote has been tweaked a bit but the essence of it belongs to Derek Bruce...

In order to have a true perspective of one's importance everyone should have a dog to be loved by and a cat to be ignored by.

If you have either or both, you get it!!

A little over a year and a half ago, my feline companion, Milo, came to my house.

Having Milo come to my house was not in my plan. I did not want another pet. One pet, an inside but more outside kitty, was enough for me.

My grandson asked me if I would take Milo.

Finally the day of decision arrived. It was now or never. I finally just came right out and asked Jay if he would mind if I did not take the kitty. He really did not have to answer. The look on his face said it all.

Now you know how I came to be Momma to a most marvelous kitty. What a gift he is. This has been a most difficult year in many respects. Having Milo as a companion has been great therapy.

He makes me smile. He makes me laugh. He annoys me sometimes with his little pranks. He is a welcome addition to my world. And, he has opened his world to me freely and without limits.

In the first entry about Milo, explanation of his lineage was given. His Momma is a Hemingway kitty. She is very tiny and is very ill at this time. She is not expected to live much longer. But that is another story for another day.

Milo inherited the traits that Hemingway kitties have: he has extra toes on his front and back paws.

He has learned to use his paws almost like hands in some instances. His paws are quite large but not out of proportion to his body. He is so cute when he is sitting or standing looking around or waiting for me. Those distinctive little paws are extending out almost as if a young person were looking at you with his hands on his hips. It is too cute.

For about six months I had a continuous feeder for him. I liked it because he had food at all times of the day so he was never really ever ‘starving’ so he did not gulp down his food. He is a little bit persnickety about some things it seems.

There was just a small problem with that method of feeding. At least once a day he turned it over and out came all of his food. He refused to eat it off the floor so Momma scooped it up and replaced it into the container.

I had told my grandson Jay that I had considered gluing a brick to the bottom of the feeder but that just did not work for me.

After about two weeks of this ‘spill the food and watch Momma pick it up’ game, I discarded the feeder and now he has a nice glass dish for food and a glass cup for his water. Problem solved. Happy kitty. Happy Momma.

All feline lovers and all who know almost nothing about kitties, the book,

The Cat and the Curmudgeon by Cleveland Armor is a must read.

In a most delightful and candid way the secrets that most kitties wish we would never find out are revealed. It is amusing and entertaining and informative.

Another little quirk of his has to do with snacks.

It is probably that he has trained me and trained me well.

I buy him catnip flavored treats by the semi load. You should see the semi pull up and back in to drop them off. Ok, so I exaggerate a bit but I almost always have them on hand and if not, he lets me know about it. In no uncertain terms. And very loudly.

I keep them in the refrigerator. Just do. When I make a trip to the kitchen for coffee or for anything, no matter where he is in the house, he beats me to the kitchen. He sidles up to me and weaves in and out with each step I take, reminding me of course he is in great need of a treat.

If I open the refrigerator, he scoots right over by me and looks up adoringly. He knows shortly a few pieces, five or six, of his treat will soon be placed on a little chair for his snacking pleasure

He has many pastimes …never at a loss for things to do. He has toys aplenty which he plays with alone or with me.

He loves to climb in any box or other container that I may bring home.

One of his favorite places to have fun or to relax is his very tall tower that my daughter’s son in law made for him before he came to live with me. That is usually one of the first places I will look if I cannot find him.

When I visited my niece last month, she gave me a tunnel for him that lights up when it is moved. He thinks it is great fun to run and slide inside of it. I can always tell when he is playing with it because it is made of crinkly material and makes lots of noise when he is playing in it.

The house we live in has an abundance of windows…there are many windows in every room. He loves to perch on a table and watch the birdies playing in the trees or on the lawn. If I have a window open, he will lie in the space at the bottom of the window and nap or once again, survey all of the activity that is just beyond his reach.

When I am reading in the sitting room, he will invariably sidle up beside me and lay his sweet little head on my thigh and sleep or look up and adore me.

If he finds me spending too much time in front of this laptop, he will hop up on the table and lie right beside it with his head on my arm while I write. If I move too much, he will scoot around behind the computer and lie there, stretched out and content.

At night when I finally lie down, he hops right up and throws his little body down so part of it lands on my arm and purrrrrrrrs so loudly it is like a most magnificent song that lulls me to sleep while I pet him.

The rhythm of life is in sync when wondrous creatures find their way into our lives.

What a blessed life I have…precious daughter, grandsons, son in law, and many other family members who love me and I love back. And two loving kitties to add to the joy I find each day.

Milo is truly a gift. He found his way into my life at a time when I needed him most. Now I think it is a mutual adoration that we have for each other.

He has invited me to join in his world and learn about life through his eyes.