COURAGEOUS KITTEN ON COW

"THIS CHAIR IS A PERFECT FIT! In front of me is that huge warm, moving thing with the small silver box in front of her nose again. Long dangling poles from either side of her body can have food at the ends. Those are the places to watch from high up like this. If I suddenly jump on her neck, she may scream and drop the food. That happened last time." ---Papadi, Baby Boy Blogger

Uppali (Lord of No Salt)

ONE IN A MILLION, that's Uppali, head of the cats. A beautiful silver tabby Native American born on the Santa Ysabel Reservation in San Diego County who suddenly found himself in India in 2001 and didn't miss a beat. He's a kitchen cat, but inspects the rest of the premises regularly for irregularities and newcomers. Could be he's nearing his tolerance for more cats in HIS house, but to date has been patience personified (or catified). Is a little on the huge side, especially for India, where the chronic food shortage on the street and the heat have produced smaller specimens (but a lot of them). The story behind his name is told in the Comment to this post just below.

A YOGA-ENABLED BACK-OF-SELF PHOTO

TAKING THIS PHOTO with a hand-held camera with no help wasn't easy, but we do what we gotta do. Papadi is taking a snooze in one of his favorite (why?) places, upside down on my shoulder. This choice of "beds" is time limited due to space and weight restrictions coming up in the near future, so we have to enjoy it while it lasts!

SCAAAA-RYYY!

DON'T BE FRIGHTENED! He has been captured and everything is now under control. This is Papadi (history in following posts) saying something to someone. Looks scrawny here because he was still in recovery from a severe bout with malnutrition. But the will to live flamed brightly in his little frame and he's REALLY scary now. But loving.

SOAN and PAPADI

WHY DOESN'T EVERYONE RESCUE BABY KITTIES? Maybe they aren't as lucky as we are to find them! Here is Soan Papadi (top to bottom), named for a famous sweet and found together all of the time. Nothing more fun than watching kittens play, get big tummies, grow up competent and clever, and urinate all over the house, marking their territories and increasing local vinegar sales. Our spray bottle fingers can't wait to take on these cuties!

SOAN the Calico

This female fragment of a calico cat is called Soan, part of the confection called soan papadi. This is a big complement re her sweetness. She's a survivor, found out in the street by a hand cart where people reportedly nudged her away from cars. Then, a neighborhood anonymous person picked up her, her sister (Lotsa; R.I.P., too tiny and sick to survive), and brother Papadi and tucked them under our gate. Why the doberman, boxer, and indigenous dog didn't find and swallow them is another mark of these kitties' good karma.

THIS IS SOAN PAPADI, formerly known as Firstly (boy, left) and MaKa, and still sometimes known as that. The etymology is obscure. "MK" refers to our dearly departed calico Muttu, also known as Kittu, and Firstly was the first of this 3-person family we found placed inside our gate. Firstly's dear sister, Lotsa, very affectionate, died from an ameobic problem that could have been zapped with antibiotics under better circumstances. So the little family had to reboot without her and M. called them after a fine sweet, the little calico girl becoming Soan and the tiny boy, whose future was uncertain, becoming Mr. Papadi. Our cook Kuttiamma buffed him up, as will be seen in later posts. He's become a head-rubber for sure, and now has a giant tummy and is puffed up in general.

DIGRESSION: TUBOO's GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

Twice later in this blog it was alleged that Tuboo, of stripped silver and white tabby fame, actually had a borzoi in his closet.Here is proof from our archives, also showing the Blogmistress in her prime, she wishes. We hope this lays to rest the controversy over Tuboo's ancestry.

WALKING ALONGSIDE THE MASTERS

Exploring deep ideas, Papadi and Soan have climbed the heights of metaphysics and have a good grasp of Advaita Vedanta at a very young age. Papadi is recovering from a stomach ailment so looks a little drawn. But he'll pump out soon.

THIS IS FIRSTLY, ALSO KNOWN AS PAPADI, IN THE FOREGROUND, AND HIS SISTER MAKA, ALSO KNOWN AS SOAN, IN THE SHADOWS. PAPADI KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS, WHICH IS TO PIERCE YOUR SKIN CLIMBING UP TO THE CROWN OF YOUR HEAD. OUCH! BUT HE'S SO CUTE!

TUBOO the BORZOI

Earlier in this blog, it was reported that Tuboo had Borzoi ancestry and we would prove it. We have been very busy and have had no time to do that, but we will eventually. Meanwhile, we have this picture showing his uncanny resemblance to Sri Krishna's cat. That will have to do until later.

FOOBU & MUBOO are as delightful a duo as can be. Sung to the score of Hotel California, these lyrics have been created especially for them:

On a broad jungle byway,

Cool wind in their hair,

Sweet smell of stolen payasum,

Rising up in the air.

Up ahead in the distance,

They saw a shimmering krait,

Their backs arched skyward,

And their eyes grew bright,

I said, "Watch out, this thing can bite!"

(To be continued)

FOOBU & MUBOO

(top and bottom)

Siblings often share the same characteristics, and these two both love the camera and people and each other. Boy Muboo is bigger.

I'M WIRED! And ready to go, wherever. In the meantime, I'm going to do a little creative wire art here. Fuboo's the name, naughtiness is my game!

CAT RUBIK'S CUBE

THIS IS HIM AND THAT IS HER, HER BODY IS ON THE RIGHT (Suboo) AND HEAD ON THE LEFT, AND HIS (Toobu) HEAD IS ON THE RIGHT AND ... Oh, what does it matter?! The point is it's cozy when your sibling feels exactly the same as you do, and shows it!

CAT IDENTIFICATION QUIZ

Q. Who in this photo is not a cat ? A. It's that kind of so-called funny question that has earned Chihuahuas their reputation of being vicious, dangerous dogs. Here, we have Tuboo (l., male) and Soobu (r., female) making a Chihuahua sandwich out of Suwannee, ever alert for insults from anyone. Notice the animal-friendly upholstery, which couldn't look worse no matter what the four-footers do to it, its various components having been replaced haram-scaram after "accidents."

WHAT'S ON THE TUBE? TWO CATS, OBVIOUSLY

MOOBU and FUBOO (left, m., and right, f.) have their favorite actors just like anyone else. And they follow them closely. Probably would only recognize them in public by the tops of their heads.

SOME GUYS LIKE TO WEAR CHAINS, SOME LIKE TO EAT THEM! Moobu's in his play box, looking cute as hell as usual, and breaking off his teeth, which is okay with us, pin-cushioned as we have become after raising four litters in a row. Mooie is a lovely boy, a love-bug type and cuddler who has no interest in stalking anybody. Let's hear it for MOOBU!

AFTER A HARD DAY ON THE SOFA, it's good to catch a little TV, see what's on for animals. Viewing it from the front like people is too easy and, besides, on a cool day a warm tummy from the tube feels good. Here, MOOBU and FUBOO point out a cat in a commercial to SUBOO and TOOBU still on their easy chair, who depend on M/F to alert them to a good show.

wOOtie, also known as WOOTSER, was a standout from day 1, a born individualist who obviously knew who he was. Only we were confused. He seemed like a pacifist but growled at his first meal of chicken like it was his own prey. I mean, we paid for it in a store. He has a distinctive three-level descending growl. He sucks elbow pits under the illusion they are some part of his wayward mom, then after coming out of the subsequent trance induced thereby, leaves his tongue sticking out a bit. He has a Siamese face, even though he is a Malayali, and like the Siamese, has a big voice when he wants out of a room. Very cuddly and a good bedfellow, not prone to endless readjustments like most cats we could name. You're a piece of work, Wootser!