Harley Dude

It's been a while since I've blogged about my little dude. He's doing very well, and has settled into life in my apartment quite nicely. He's about seven months old now, and he's growing like a weed.

I've learned since adopting him that he was abandoned by his mama cat. He was found in an old car on someone's driveway, only two or three weeks old. The car owner knew his neighbor fosters kittens for Lodi Animal Friends, so he took the little baby to her. She was happy to take him in. He was bottle-fed and hand-raised. It shows--he's completely unafraid of people.

His shelter name was Kahn, but the second I picked him up, he purred like a Harley and licked my nose. I had no choice in the matter--this kitten adopted me.

He's quite spoiled, of course. An active kitten needs plenty of toys. His favorites so far are Mousketeers (the little fuzzy mice that rattle when you shake them) and Crinkles (a sort of ball made out of a foil-like stuff). He's also fond of his catnip cell phones.

I've gotten him used to having his nails trimmed, and, more importantly, I've gotten over my fear of cutting too close and hurting him. He has very light nails, so it's easy to see the quick and avoid it.

Millie is used to having him around, and while they sometimes go a few rounds, ears back, with Millie hissing, for the most part they just play-wrestle. He likes to ambush her one minute, cuddle the next. They've gotten quite good at sharing the Sweet Spot, and it's not uncommon to wake up in the morning with two cats on me.

He is definitely living up to his name--he purrs all the time, and he is quite loud about it. He's very affectionate and he follows me around. He might be curled up in the Sweet Spot, fast asleep, while I'm working on the computer, but if I get up to go to the bathroom, he's right there with me.

Today was a busy day for him. He managed to upset the glass top to my living room table (didn't break it, thankfully!) and pull down the shower curtain. Since December he's managed to scratch my sofa and chair into nice ragged pieces (when he's older, I'll get new ones) and shred his share of toilet paper and break a vase. Oh, and I had to pack my favorite Spanish sheepskin rug away for a while because it seems he likes the taste of it. As this is a rug that my parents bought in Spain in 1979, I'd like to keep it nice.

I couldn't love him more. I love having two, but I've learned that I don't have the Crazy Cat Lady gene--two is enough! Three would be way too much for me to handle.

He's a handsome little dude, with stripes going down his spine and markings on his tummy that look like he's got six-pack abs. He has rings around his tail and big feet. And a darling pink nose. As of January 5th, he weighed 6 pounds, but I'd put him at about 8 pounds now. He's got a bit of a tummy, but he's built like Millie was at his age. I think he'll be long, tall and lean when he's fully grown. For now, he's a growing boy, and he eats like one.

His full name is, of course, Harley Dude, but nicknames include Little Dude and Doodlebug. Oh, and let's not forget "Purrvert," because he likes to watch me shower and has been known to stick his paw down my shirt.