Saturday, August 11, 2012

Two kinds of cats, two kinds of quilts

According to that Cat Whisperer guy on Animal Planet, Jackson Galaxy, there are bush cats and tree cats;  i.e., cats who are happiest on the ground and those who head for the top of things.  Molly has pretty much been a bush cat all her life.  Except for her ambitious, daredevil kittenhood (when I once found her balanced on the valance rod of the bedroom drapes, and she adeptly scaled everything, including my husband's tower speakers - clad in canvas slipcovers in anticipation of just such as that), she has never been much of a climber, unless she is trying to get our attention about something.  A few weeks ago, because she was begging for her dinner early, she got up on the tall dresser and proceeded to carefully knock stuff off the top, looking at me the whole time.  (Of course, in the past she also had tantrums and pushed all the couch throw pillows onto the floor.)  Now, in her sedate and dignified middle age, the highest she gets is her perch on the windowsill.


Tuxedo, however......is a climber.  Also a clawer, a nipper and a one man wrecking crew, if allowed.  But he's also very sweet a lot of the time.  It seems that our civilizing influences are having an effect but like everything difficult, it will take time.  He's spent the last three hours in the den/kitchen with me and has done very well.  He confined his clawing to the scratching post, played with his stuffed bunny and the feather on a string, laid in my lap and generally behaved himself.  Now, he's dozing on top of the piano, the highest spot he can get to in the room.  Well, actually he is fully capable of getting on top of the bookcase, my desk hutch or the fireplace mantel, but blessedly has not tried.

Sleep well, little man, you're slowly becoming a house cat - albeit the tree version.

On the quilty front, I have all the blocks and sashing made for the center of my Orca Bay variation, ready to join together.  Can you spot the differences?

Original Orca Bay:

My variation:

Here's a hint - Pinocchio ("I've got no strings....")

4 comments:

momtofatdogs said...

Uuuuu! I ike version #2 the best!!

Sam

Linda said...

Molly looks very happy there. My cat never climbed anything but the bed except one time. There was a mouse on the top of the curtain and she was very determined to get it and she did. She was a great climber even without her front claws. I still miss her.

I like both quilts but version 2 is also my favorite.

Katie said...

Your quilt is a winner!!! :-)

Tanya said...

I'm getting caught up on blog reading and find that you have TWO CATS!!!! Absolutely fantastic!!! You rescued Tuxedo!!!! Oh I am so happy. Though I know I will never meet your feline family in person, I still worried about the little fellow trying to get on in the world! I hope he adapts well!