Our little kitty is growing up. These photos from the morning walk tell the tale.
As always, Uncle Bob is singularly focused on his walks. Aunt May, however, is busily exploring the world. Here, she contemplates tree climbing.
This is a new fascination. She’s tried lots of trees but I tell her, each time she scrambles up, that that tree is too high. She jumps down after my admonishment and re-joins the walk.
But there, at the quarter mile mark, looming in the center island at the heart of the cul-de-sac, is a magnificent live oak. It’s a perfect cat tree. The trunk has a nice V just right for perches and surveying one’s Queendom.
As we approached this stately beauty, I encouraged her to try her luck. We arrived at its base and gazed upward at this mighty Everest of a tree. Aunt May and I, in hushed tones, quietly discussed the potential of success. It needs must first pass the sniff test, which it did. I pointed out the back, which has a perfect lean. Excellent for getting down from the expedition.
As the risk assessment was continuing, Uncle Bob meandered up, took a rare glance upward, and blessed the adventure with his special anointing. The wide base of this tree is also an excellent blind for attacking one’s bro.
Psyched with support from her family, Aunt May took a deep breath and patted the tree thoughtfully with one paw. She was committed, and with a graceful leap, she undertook the daunting climb.
Eyes pinned to her goal and scrabbling hard with her back legs, she ascended this milestone.
She reached the V and, to my wild cheers, there she modestly posed in triumphant success. She wasn’t even breathing hard. After peering around and discovering there wasn’t a thing to do but sit, Aunt May was ready to prep for her decent.
She turned to unsheathe her claws only to realize the real terror had just begun. A head-first return.
Her claws wouldn’t serve her for this feat. Scared, a single, tiny mew could be heard but with my encouragement, she carefully proceeded. A little tentative at first, she paused, assessing her best path.
And then, her jungle ancestry surged and, purrfectly poised, our dynamic little kitten executed a flawless dismount.
The crowd, had there been one, would have roared.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Nancy