KittyPeter's Big Adventures 2

How perfect can life be for a cat?

MetPet.com Staff Writer and designated Peter Feeder

Supernatural happenings
Every now and then we find KP sleeping snugly in the back of the hall closet.  It's a very deep closet and in the back, behind an assortment of bikes and umbrellas, is a rolled up summer rug underneath a stack of folding deck chairs.  KP sleeps back there in the near darkness probably listening to everyone in the house looking for him...again. 

We know he's there because that is the only time the closet door is ajar.  In fact, that's the only time the door is open for any length of time. 

Now we have tried to open the door by pulling on the handle without turning it.  The door stays shut.  We are sure that the door doesn't pop open of its own accord.  We are also sure that everyone snaps the door shut when they've done their business and checked to make sure that there is no cat inside.  We know that because everyone is on the look out for KittyPeter.

Nevertheless, every few days, when we are unable to find him anywhere else, he appears inside the closet.  We have seen him open sliding closet doors by working the edge with his paw.  This new trick about turning the handle and slipping inside and closing it again is quite an accomplishment for a 15 pound cat. It would be quite an accomplishment for a 30 pound cat.

Candycane Tails
How happy is your cat and how can you tell?  Well, we've figured out that KP is happier than he has ever been.  

We're not even taking it on just gut feel.  We've actually tracked how often he whizzes through the house with his tail curved like a candy cane (a sure sign) and how frequently he play attacks the dogs.  His whizzing is approaching three times a day and his attacking the dogs is up to once a day on average.  

Given his generally sleepy nature, that's a big deal for KP.  What has caused this shift in personality?  We think it's the change in season.  The longer days with more sunlight and the general warmth of spring.  We're also expecting even more happy cat days in the summer. 

TV skewed
We've always been amused by how other people's cats watch TV endlessly. They try to catch race cars on the screen, watch documentaries about rodents and even watch bouncing tennis balls.

KP has ignored the TV completely even when someone sets him directly in front of it and points at moving objects.  Pictures of other cats, mice, birds, balls of yarn, etc. haven't moved him at all.

Lately though, we've noticed an odd thing.  When he sits next to the TV and turns to look at it from the side, he suddenly becomes interested.  His eyes become huge and he watches the screen as if he's never seen it before.  Perhaps that's actually the case. 

Instead of seeing the images head on, he sees them flat, from the side.  We can't tell if this is because he's nearsighted or if there's something else going on here.   

We have read about research that notices that how quickly a cat thinks affects his ability to see TV images.  The faster a cat processes information, the less likely he is to be able to register TV images.  We don't know about watching TV from the side though.

Self-taught hunting maven
Having always read that cats learn hunting techniques from their mothers, we are always surprised by KP's acquired skills.  As a kitten, he couldn't catch a mouse if you stuck it on a plate under his nose.

Today he will, when given the chance to play outside, nab a field mouse like the expert he is.  The question is, where did he learn those skills? 

There is the chance that he learned through trial and error.  The problem is that there have been few trials and few errors.

Maybe he's catching up on episodes of Nature or Animal Planet while everyone else sleeps. Maybe that's where the remote went to. 

The danger of burbs
Now that KittyPeter has changed from an urbanite to a suburbanite, he does enjoy more access to the outdoors than ever before.  That access, however, shouldn't include being out all night carousing in the mice-rich brush lining the creek.  

However, after searching and calling for him for about 3 hours recently, KP got his first camping experience.  Early in the morning, he was rubbing face against the glass patio doors patiently waiting to be let in to sleep it off. 

He wasn't any worse for wear which is more than his human companions could say. As the weather turns warmer, we're expecting more late night arguments about his outdoor camping urges. 

Hot air heaven
Having come from a house with overhead vents, Peter has been finding a bit of heaven on the floor.  He's discovered that great space right on top of the floor grates when the heater's pumping.  

It's an even better space when there's carpet on the floor and he can roll over onto his back and just bask in the warmth.  Ideally, he can waaah loudly enough to get someone to play with his new favorite Plume toy.

He gets all four feet up in the air and waits for someone to come by and wave a feather just out of reach.  He won't even move for the sound of cans opening or the smell of expensive liver treats. 

The only thing that moves this fat cat is the heater being turned off. 

Related Information:
KittyPeter's Big Adventures 1