Sunday Smupdate!
Posted on August 19, 2018 Posted by Athena Scalzi 16 Comments
Howdy, everyone! How’s your weekend going? Hopefully, it’s going well, but if it’s not, I’d like to offer you a Smupdate in this trying time.
Smudge is getting bigger and becoming even more of an asshole than before, but I’ll be darned if he ain’t the cutest thing I ever did see. One down side of him getting bigger is that he’s stronger now, so he bites a lot harder when he plays.
The other cats are still not entirely used to him, which I figured they would have been okay with him by now, but, cats are weird. Sugar is really the only one that actively hates him, the other two only dislike him when he attacks them randomly, which he does several times a day.
I can tell he’s getting cabin fever, since every time anyone opens a door he sprints to it in an attempt to escape, alas he is the perfect size for an eagle to carry him away, so, he’ll just have to live with being stir-crazy. And crazy he is! If Smudge was a power source, he could give an entire city energy. This can prove troublesome at four in the morning when all he wants to do is attack your toes, but you kind of already have plans to sleep.
Anyways, he’s doing great and is super cute, so enjoy these pictures.
And cute he definitely is! Hopefully he passes through the stage of “kitten adolescence” soon, though, and gets on better with the other cats as a consequence! Thanks so much for sharing him with us.
Ah, the Smupdate is much appreciated! That is some weapons-grade cuteness there, and a good thing, too, if he is that much of a pest. It’s a form of protective coloring – keeps him from getting killed when he starts one of those 4 a.m. toe attacks. Or at least it works that way for our two hellions.
My Sunday has been productive, thanks, as I am currently engaged in processing 40 pounds of tomatoes into our winter’s supply of tomato sauce. Taking a much-needed break while it slowly condenses down into thick tomatoey goodness on wide shallow pans in the oven, and hoping that it’s ready to package up before midnight because tomorrow is a workday, alas. But it’ll be worth it to be able to pull a pint of condensed summer sunshine out of the freezer in January.
Awww
Thanks for sharing the amazing post.
Such a bit of cuteness!
Were he not so cute, you might possibly consider eating him first, before the eagles get him…
I actually came here hoping for cat pictures. I need cat pictures today. Thank you!
Cute!
Don’t let him continue to bite or he’ll do it as an adult too. At the first bite, walk away and ignore him. He’ll learn that a bite means no more fun time. If he attacks your toes at night, remove him—either put him in a room (with water and a litter box) where his crying won’t keep everyone awake, or shut your door (he’ll sit outside and cry, though).
As Scripture says, “Train up a kitten in the way he should go, and when he is old he will sleep all day anyway.” 🐱😉
Just wondering if your family has thought about a cat playpen for Smudge? There are many pre-made on the market if no one is handy to try to make one. It might keep Smudgie-wudgie safe but allow him some outside time. Some people put a cat door on their house that leads to a penned area for their cats. Might give the other cats some relief from his relentless kitten-ness.
What Pogonip says. If kittens learn that assholishness = people-fun stops they modify their behavior pretty quickly. I’ve used this method to raise quite a few sweet, gentle adults who could be trusted to play with claws IN and no biting. Even when you do under-the-sheets finger scampers. Thanks for the updates!
I agree with Lym and Pogonip with one caveat: I trained my own mean cat to do this with me (he won’t bite/scratch me in play or casually – he’s as careful as he can be not to, unless I’m doing something to make him mad, like give him medicine) but each human has to do it or he only learns not to bite/scratch that particular person. Because one family member didn’t work on the training, he still scratches them. And they still let him.
Also it didn’t help in our case with the other cats. He has to be kept separate from them. Which is a pain.
That sleeping kitten picture is a cure for whatever ails you! Thanks for sharing.
The top picture needs the Jaws music playing. You can see the mayhem in his eyes. Bottom picture, apparently wreaking mayhem is exhausting.
Our cat went through a phase where he would hide, suddenly gallop out, and launch himself with front paws outstretched to grab an unwary person’s leg. He derived great fun from hearing the screams and feeling the panicked reactions of his unfortunate prey. It finally took one of my sisters giving him an intense several minutes-long stink eye for the cat to finally knock off treating human legs as prey.
Hi Dana,
Never had any problem with a cat attacking the other cats after a few growls and slaps upside the head (from the attacked cat, that is, not from me). Yours must be very determined!
Knew a guy once who could flawlessly imitate a feline growl. He owned the best-behaved kitten on the planet!
Smudge is so cute! Don’t worry, I think he will calm down over time. Last year, our family rescued 3 kittens to replace one of our 12 yo cats (Matisse) who is no longer with us. Of course, Picasso, our remaining 12 yo cat did not like Mycroft, Bandit and J’zargo invading his territory, and for about 9-10 months we had our hands full with playful kitten scratches and bites. But now that the 3 younger cats are about 1 1/2 years old, they have calmed down and even Picasso will tolerate them! Bandit could still be a power source, but no more biting and scratching now. Coincidentally, Mycroft is the fat one who sleeps all day. J’zargo is constantly pestering me to throw his puffball so that he can bring it back to me!