storyteller
TMF Master
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2006
- Messages
- 672
- Points
- 0
(m/f, >18 adults and cats--in "cat" years)
A few years ago, a homeless tomcat entered my life and subsequently came to live with me and my companion, another previously homeless kitty, Catrina. He chose his own name from a list of about 20 by keeping silent or responding, which he did to two of the suggestions. Bogart (after actor Humphrey) got a definite positive “YEEOOOW” each time it was mentioned. Another suggestion, after some German beer (I don’t remember which), got an equally definitive but disdainful, low grumbled “EERR” with a facial expression that made his opinion very clear just in case I, as a mere human, missed the “EERR.”
How Bogart got his name should tell you something about his outgoing personality. He’s very entertaining and rather possessive. He also has this habit that no one has been able to explain to me.
His habit first showed itself with my tennis shoes. He liked to chew on them and occasionally lick the soles. I thought maybe he was teething and/or missed eating out of the dumpster. To protect my shoes from his sharp teeth and claws, I bought him a hard plastic teething ring like parents give to infants. He likes the teething ring, on occasion, and now generally leaves my tennis shoes alone. But, whatever teething the little guy may have been experiencing originally (he was about 13 months old), doesn’t explain the continuation and advancement of his habit. Mostly--I think--Bogart likes to play and Catrina, typically, isn’t interested in obliging him with a game of chase. So, that leaves...you guessed it...me!
This began as a rare event, but now happens several times a week. Bogart sneaks up on his padded feet and bites at, or rather nips, my calves, shins, ankles, or toes. Sometimes if I’m sleeping, he’ll nip at my scalp, but my calves are his favorite. Wherever he nips, it always makes me jump, especially when he nips the shins! The first few times it happened, it also scared me because I thought he was going to bite me or that he was much more carnivorous than most domestic cats. But, he never breaks the skin. He just nips, and it tickles. All in all, I didn’t think about it too much until I joined TMF.
Personally, I wonder how psychic cats are because it’s not like I’ve announced to either cat that I’ve joined this forum. But the other day, Bogart found a new target for his antics--my right elbow. I was sitting in a chair at my desk with the keyboard on my lap typing away when I felt his teeth right on my elbow bone. That produced a jump and a lot of typos I had to delete! I asked him what he wanted but he just haughtily shook his head and ambled off. A little while later I was sitting in another chair with my arms on the armrests. He put his front paws on my right forearm and with his teeth nipped at my elbow joint again. I jumped again, and before I could yank my arm away, he dug his claws in a little bit to keep my arm where it was and quickly nipped three or four more times. This all took about 10-15 seconds. I’m sure most of you know what it feels like when you hit one of your “funny” bones. Well, this latest act of his felt the same. I yanked my arm away and asked him, what I usually do, “What? Do I look like food?” while laughing.
His response? He looked at me as though saying, “What’s your problem? I’m just having some fun,” and sauntered off.
So, between Bogart and a male friend who had a great time during Friday’s “happy hour” at a local pub by coming up behind me three different times and watching me jump as he poked both sides of my ribs, I’ve actually been tickled lately.
A few years ago, a homeless tomcat entered my life and subsequently came to live with me and my companion, another previously homeless kitty, Catrina. He chose his own name from a list of about 20 by keeping silent or responding, which he did to two of the suggestions. Bogart (after actor Humphrey) got a definite positive “YEEOOOW” each time it was mentioned. Another suggestion, after some German beer (I don’t remember which), got an equally definitive but disdainful, low grumbled “EERR” with a facial expression that made his opinion very clear just in case I, as a mere human, missed the “EERR.”
How Bogart got his name should tell you something about his outgoing personality. He’s very entertaining and rather possessive. He also has this habit that no one has been able to explain to me.
His habit first showed itself with my tennis shoes. He liked to chew on them and occasionally lick the soles. I thought maybe he was teething and/or missed eating out of the dumpster. To protect my shoes from his sharp teeth and claws, I bought him a hard plastic teething ring like parents give to infants. He likes the teething ring, on occasion, and now generally leaves my tennis shoes alone. But, whatever teething the little guy may have been experiencing originally (he was about 13 months old), doesn’t explain the continuation and advancement of his habit. Mostly--I think--Bogart likes to play and Catrina, typically, isn’t interested in obliging him with a game of chase. So, that leaves...you guessed it...me!
This began as a rare event, but now happens several times a week. Bogart sneaks up on his padded feet and bites at, or rather nips, my calves, shins, ankles, or toes. Sometimes if I’m sleeping, he’ll nip at my scalp, but my calves are his favorite. Wherever he nips, it always makes me jump, especially when he nips the shins! The first few times it happened, it also scared me because I thought he was going to bite me or that he was much more carnivorous than most domestic cats. But, he never breaks the skin. He just nips, and it tickles. All in all, I didn’t think about it too much until I joined TMF.
Personally, I wonder how psychic cats are because it’s not like I’ve announced to either cat that I’ve joined this forum. But the other day, Bogart found a new target for his antics--my right elbow. I was sitting in a chair at my desk with the keyboard on my lap typing away when I felt his teeth right on my elbow bone. That produced a jump and a lot of typos I had to delete! I asked him what he wanted but he just haughtily shook his head and ambled off. A little while later I was sitting in another chair with my arms on the armrests. He put his front paws on my right forearm and with his teeth nipped at my elbow joint again. I jumped again, and before I could yank my arm away, he dug his claws in a little bit to keep my arm where it was and quickly nipped three or four more times. This all took about 10-15 seconds. I’m sure most of you know what it feels like when you hit one of your “funny” bones. Well, this latest act of his felt the same. I yanked my arm away and asked him, what I usually do, “What? Do I look like food?” while laughing.
His response? He looked at me as though saying, “What’s your problem? I’m just having some fun,” and sauntered off.
So, between Bogart and a male friend who had a great time during Friday’s “happy hour” at a local pub by coming up behind me three different times and watching me jump as he poked both sides of my ribs, I’ve actually been tickled lately.
