Prophecy comes true

When the lions first arrived, Rick and I talked about letting them sleep with us. Rick said if we allowed that, it wouldn't be long before I have a cat (lion) on my head when I wake up. Well...his prophecy came true this morning. I awoke to find Kink on my pillow above my head. (Not much room for me.)

Both Simba and Kink are not bed hogs and usually camp out at the end of the bed. However, I think Kink had enough of me sleeping longer than his hunger pangs would tolerate. They are very good boys. I am surprised at how affectionate they are...particularly to us strangers.

Also, thanks for your comments to our blogging. I didn't realize the boys were such celebrities. I will be sure to tell them that their relatives are checking on them.

Rug Wars - The Multicolor Menace

The rug wars continue. And I can assure you that Simba is the ultimate Jedi Lion as he defeats every rug that shows aggressive behavior.

Brotherly Love

It's a jungle out there! But you'd never know by looking at these two cuddly lions. They enjoyed a morning nap together on their "throne"..the leather chair that has been off limits to every other animal that has been in the house up until now.

Wild Lions

Jessamy is bidding farewell to Kink prior to the long journey to their new home in Ferndale. She later visited the chiropractor.

Kink loved sleeping 15+ hours in my sock drawer.

Simba conquers enemy

Simba has protected us from some recently discovered in-house predators.....our area rugs! He loves to attack and wrestle with the various rugs we have scattered across the wood floor. There is no rug too big or small for him to tackle. It is very entertaining to watch him roll around under a rug, with the rug wrapped around his body and between his paws.

Kink had a long and leisurely nap in the sun yesterday further reinforcing his lion heritage. We may have to take him for some sleep apnea treatments though because his snoring was very loud. He seemed to be content and his brother waited for him to wake up before they started the playful wrestling matches and chasing sessions that are now part of their daily routine.

Dog days

As they were sunbathing on their deck perch, the Lions spotted the neighbor dog for the first time since their arrival. Needless to say, Simba was very interested in watching the dog retrieve frisbee tosses from his owner. But Kink just growled and then ran to hide under the bed. Otherwise not much activity today. I think the boys (lions) are content. They like to have their bellies rubbed and enjoy an occassional cuddle on our laps. They are very mellow and friendly. I am sure this is a reflection of the love and care they got from their mom & dad, K&K.

Secret hiding place

Each morning Kink disappears for a while to take a quiet cat nap. I haven't been able to find out where he goes until this morning. I was getting towels out of the linen closet and then he popped out from behind the sheets on the third shelf. Perfect spot for a cat to nap undisturbed. Now that I'm on to him I will make sure the linen closet doors are closed. We'll see if he finds a new spot.

Snoozing Simba

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Lions are enjoying the day on the deck watching birds and bugs. It is nap time now. They are both snoozing soundly on cushy chairs. We are still trying to adapt to their wakeup schedule. It seems that sunrise is their desired wake up time. That means about 4:25 a.m. We experiment each night with rigging the downstairs door so they can't scratch or dig into the carpet in their attempts to open the door. I think we will eventually figure out a mutually agreeable arrangement.

They are "sweet boys" as Jessamy would say. They offer plenty of affection to us and each other. Yesterday Kink washed Simba's faced and hugged him for about 10 minutes. It was so cute. I didn't think Simba was a "lap kitty" (lion) until he jumped on my lap this morning while I was on the computer. What a treat.

We know they would be thrilled to go outside without limitations. We will wait for at least another week to ten days and get Jason's OK before we turn them loose into the yard.

Rick & Kink getting acquainted 5/19/08

Day 3 in Ferndale

The lions are adapting quickly to their temporary home here in the small little town of Ferndale. We think they like the quiet deadend lane location with bunches of birds to watch. Their favorite spot is on the second story deck - rain or shine. We have a towel handy to dry them off when they decide to come back in the house.

I weighed them in today. Kink is 21 pounds while Simba is a svelt 20 pounds. I've considered using them as free weights but I don't want to put my back out. They are wonderful cats and very entertaining.

Jason was correct when he said Kink prefers men. I have a picture of Kink sitting on Rick's lap that I will try to post. If I'm unsuccessful, I'll let Jason post it. On day 2 Kink just hopped up on Rick's lap like he knew him for years.

I will post updates on a daily basis, when possible. Our goal is to keep the Lions healthy, happy and loved until they return home.

The Lions' First Days in Bellingham

[this is an email update from Deb]
Hi Jason;
The cats are doing great. They have been spending a lot of time on the deck and enjoying the birds and outdoors activities. Kink growled when a truck came down the lane then ran in the house and hid under the bed. He's not much of a watchdog. We are still trying to come up with a sleeping arrangement. They figured out how to open the door to the upstairs on Saturday night. So last night Rick put a bungee chord around the handle to make it more difficult for them to open. However, they made attempts throughout the night so we may just have to let them come upstairs. You were right about them liking men. Kink jumped up on Rick's lap last night when he was watching TV. They are good boys and are fun to have. I will take some pictures in the next few days and forward them to you. Take care of that toe.
Deb

The Lions Move North

For two weeks, I was a catsitter for my cousin's two cats, Kink and Simba. For this blog I'll refer to them as The Lions. They are brothers. They are cute and cuddly and large. 25 lbs each! Kink is the cuddler, Simba is the hunter.

Their parents are my cousin-in-law, Kate and cousin Kevin. They are temporarily moving to Alaska to fly people around, catch fish and dodge grizzlies. I've created this blog so KnK can check in on The Lions and see how they are doing.

Day 1: Upon first release into my home, The Lions get a good sniff of the place and find the darkest, snuggest corner to sequester themselves for comfort.

Day 2: I come home from work and The Lions are so well hidden I cannot find them. I decide to put food in the bowl per my cousin's strict diet regimen: feed them each 1/2 cup at 7am and 7pm. They come running.

Day 3: I cannot pry Kink off my lap. I think we might be going steady. I'm beginning to question Kink's sexuality. Jessamy is jealous of the cuddle time we spend together. I cannot pry Simba from the window. He wants to hunt the birdies in my backyard. It seems The Lions have adjusted.

Day 4: Josh, my roommate, unexpectedly discovers through 3,459 sneezes that he is allergic to The Lions. He loves cats, and was excited to pet and cuddle with them, but this new allergy is insurmountable. Not even the strongest generic Claritin knockoff antihistamine can curb his symptoms.

Day 5: Luckily, I am able to find new lion-sitters: Jessamy's parents!

Fast Forward to Day 14: With the approval of Kate, Jessamy and I deliver The Lions to their new temporary home in Bellingham. Jessamy's mother is a cat lover and sadly lost her own cat, who recently passed away after 48 years (this could be exaggerated) of meows. She will be an excellent lion-sitter. She will be emailing me updates and photos and I'll be posting them on this blog for all Lion Lovers to see.