Ella

We will be making our annual trip to Arlington in a month or so, on the anniversary of our daughter's death. Sometime after that, if we come across an available female kitten, or adult younger than Ella, we'll probably take her home. Ella did her time as subservient to Cutie and Lydia, so I wouldn't want to take in a cat that would dominate her. It's her time to be the top cat. I think it's good for a cat to have another cat around, although she'll probably hate the new cat at first.

 

I've no idea. I don't know much about rocks. They are just ones that I picked up in various places, such as along the sides of the potato field on our land up north, along the road, and some that my neighbor had left over after building something in his basement.

 

Pure ambition.

She had been sleeping in that position when I first picked up my phone to take a picture, but she was on to me.

 

Nothing so gentle as unrolling it. She tears into them like a rat gathering material for a nest, and she'll do it right in front of me; which, I guess, is one of the weaknesses of not using corporal punishment.

 

Several of them, and yes they are.

 

So, I just watched a half-hour of a movie that I had no interest in, largely because it was in Polish because Ella was fascinated with it. She sat in front of the television, giving it her full attention for a half-hour. When she finally turned away, I turned the channel.

 

We'll be open to a cat once we get back from Arlington later this month but I want to be sure, first of all, that it's a female and not one that is likely to dominate over Ella, since Ella did her time as the subservient younger cat.

 

Ella has been a pain-in-the-ass (PITA) lately. She is constantly begging to go outside but then doesn't, because it's cold, then feels pretty confident that it has warmed up ten minutes later, and begs to go outdoors again. She's so full of pent-up energy that she's a major PITA. My keyboard has become her regular traffic pattern, and she's knocking things off of my desk, the bookcases, and who knows what else. I hear things crashing to the floor from time to time. She's begging for treats and somehow manages to be constantly in my way, here in my office downstairs, while simultaneously doing the same with my wife upstairs. I have been trying to wear her out with the laser-light toy but she's unstoppable. I make as much time as I can to play with her with Da Bird, too.

She hates winter, of course, because cats like being warm, and last winter she had Cutie to keep her company. Sometimes, she runs from my office up the stairs, then back down again, doing her part to drain her energy stores, I guess. She's a great cat. She's just used to being able to run around outdoors, chasing squirrels, being chased by squirrels, climbing trees, and so on. It could be worse, I suppose. We could live in a tiny apartment, instead.