Lion vs. Raccoon

I'm cheap. Cat food is not.

This morning I was getting ready for work when Josh, my roommate, excitedly inquired, "Hey Jason, buddy, pal, good morning! May I feed The Lions? Aside from sneezing, it is one of my most favorite activities in all the land."

"Good morning fellow roommate, sir. Yes, you may feed The Lions, but be sure to watch your hand this time. You know how 'bitey' they can be in the morning," I said.

Josh skipped with excitement toward the garage to enter The Lions Den.

I went back to tying my shoes when the back door abruptly opened, causing a breeze to float through the blonde curls on my head.

"Dude, where is the cat food," Josh enquired.

"Uhh, in its usual place, dude. The drawer in the garage next to the kitty bowls," I said.

"I looked there, its gone," Josh said.

Disgruntled, I walked to the garage and looked into the drawer, confirming Josh's discovery.

We walked back toward the house in the back yard, brainstorming on where the bag had walked off to. Were The Lions that hungry? Were we not feeding them enough? Right at that moment, I spotted the dry kitty food bag on the grass in the backyard, with several ripped holes. Not a single morsel of kitty food left.

Rewind to last Saturday, Josh and I were in the living room when we spotted a large raccoon about twice the size of The Lions walk up to my front door, stop, then walk back across the street and into the neighbor's yard.

"Maybe it's spraying to mark it's territory," I said.

"I like raccoons. I think they are cute and cuddly. I want one someday," Josh said.

Turns out the real reason was the raccoon sniffed out a big meal.

Luckily, I had some left over canned kitty food to feed them this morning so they won't ram their heads on our legs when we get home.

The raccoon has struck first, but believe me, The Lions and I will have our revenge. Beware, come to my house, you're stepping on a war zone...and I hope you like Raccoon Soup.

Lions Roar

I worked all weekend tearing down and rebuilding my back yard fence. Matt, Josh R., Josh McD., Amy, and I tore down the fence and dug holes for new posts Saturday. Jessamy made a fantastic lunch for all of us. Simba also got in on the action. Good kitty! Its going to take a couple months (big backyard). Thus, I'm tired and don't have much to say. But I do have some pictures.

Oh, I did find some grey bird feathers scattered on the dining room floor today. No signs of any other bird parts yet. Maybe it will be in my cereal tomorrow morning. I'll keep you updated. 

Kink yelling at me to stop scratching up his couch.

New trend: live kitty scarf.

The Lions Return

The Lions were a bit upset after moving from Kitty Heaven to their new temporary home at Angie's home. Lets just say they expressed their frustrations and Angie can't wear those clothes anymore. 

After an emotional exchange (...ahem, Angie and Jessamy) The Lions are back living with me. I'm very happy to have them around. Luckily, they know the area well and were able to adapt quickly. I've got the kitty door open on the back door and garage door so they roam freely through the house, backyard, and garage. The only off limits location is Josh's room which of course is the place they want to roll around and spread their dander. I think they do a kitty laugh every time Josh sneezes 26 times in a row. What does a kitty laugh look and sound like? hummm.....

As evidenced by the following photos, Simba is a WSU Cougar fan. Sorry Aunt Sharon. Per Simba's request, I've opened a WSU college savings fund. Go Cougs!

Simba beat me in a game of horseshoes but later I beat him in arm wrestling so we are even.

Angie's First Post

I don't think this email was intended to be a post, but I'll post it for Angie. 

I can't believe jess gave you my email address....I read your blog... a total figment of your imagination.
I by the way I haven't even heard of what you are doing for jessamy's bday but it better be the best day ever.
Anyways there was no mention of Kinks human size poop that he took in your blog...if he does another one I will take a pic for you. Kinks has found another hiding spot behind the baby's bed. Both the cats try to keep there distance from Kahlel...I think he is a little loud for them. But they are all about Karin though he is not quite as fond of them; I think he does have a soft spot for Simba though. I think Kinks might be depressed because he doesn't seem to eat as much as Simba. I have been doing to cups a day as you suggested not the one cup so maybe that has something to do with it. Anyways don't mean to interrupt your party planning for jess.... talk to you later.

Lion Landing

Jason here...

Deb is in the land of strange accents (Michigan) for five weeks, meaning you will have to suffer through Jason's portrayal of The Chubby Lion Chronicles.

Jessamy and I delivered The Lions to Angie's beautiful 1930's home in West Seattle. They recently moved in and are still unpacking, making empty boxes great hiding spots for The Lions.

Similar to my first-time Lion Handler anxiety, Angie had a Lost Lion scare on day three. She couldn't find Kink and called Jessamy in a frantic panic (I might be exaggerating for the sake of a good story):

"EEK! I cannot find Kink! Oh dear, I have not seen him for three hours! Jessamy, you are wise beyond your years. Please help!"

Angie sidetracked, "speaking of years, you have a birthday coming soon. I've heard Jason will be doing something very nice for you. He is such a great guy for you, very caring and understanding. And Cute!"

After a brief silent moment that was slightly awkward, Angie got back on topic. "Oh, back to Kink. Please give me guidance so I may reunite with Kink. I miss him dearly!"

Jessamy, an experienced Lion Handler, giggled and calmly explained, "Oh, my poor, sweet cousin, Angie. What ever am I to do with you? Kink loves to hide in inexplicable locations such as Jason's sock drawer (photo in May's post). Dearest cousin, check all the nooks and crannies of your new home and I'm sure you will find Kink in the quickest of time!"

Angie became overwhelmed with hope and inspiration from the advice of her highly intelligent cousin. She immediately hung up the phone and began The Search for The Lion. Within minutes, Jessamy received a call from Angie.

"Oh my dearest cousin! I have found Kink hiding in a moving box! Angie's voice beamed with joy. "You are quite the gem of a cousin, indeed!"

Ok, I'll end the sappy story. I think I could have gone on forever and bored everyone. Anyway, Angie is a VIP and not able to make regular posts/photos to the same frequency as Deb. Instead, Angie will send me emails while she is at work saving lives on boats (Coast Guard) and I'll post them for her. Enjoy!

Moving Day

Yesterday the boys headed south to their new temporary home in West Seattle. Here Rick carries 45 pounds of lion weight to the car. The boys were not too happy about the car ride but they did great. Now they are staying with Angie, Kahlel and Karin. Kahlel is almost 3 years old and loves kitties. So the boys will be entertained. Plus they will have three floors of stairs to run up and down. They saw Jessamy and Jason during the transfer which was comforting to them.

I woke up this morning without two hungry lions to feed. Simba and Kink were a joy to have in the house and it is satisfying to know we kept them nourished, safe and cuddled for KnK. Until we meet again......

Changes

We had thunderstorms and rain overnight so the ground was wet this morning. That did not stop Simba from bringing me another chunky live mouse. Good thing I am not afraid of mice. I was at the kitchen sink and turned to find the frightened fur-ball scurrying for shelter with Simba following close behind. In his haste, the mouse ran and fell off the upper floor landing to the stairs below where Simba was poised to pounce. Since I am getting good at catching critters with cottage cheese cartons, I covered the mouse with a carton and then turned him loose outdoors. I don't think Simba realizes that I am the spoiler of all his fun.

The boys' suitcases are packed and ready to go. They will be moving to a new temporary home tomorrow. Jessamy is going to take them to her cousin Angie where they'll stay for about a week until they can return to Jason's. I know Jason will continue the blog. I think the plan is for Simba and Kink to return here after my visit with relatives. These boys have very special personalities and were a joy to cat-sit. We look forward to seeing them again.

Daily Routine

The boys have been here for over six weeks now. They know the neighborhood well and come and go freely all day. They have established a routine...eat around 7 am, followed by a morning stroll, then check back in for a scratch on the head, and back outside. They start their long afternoon naps around 1 pm. After a refreshing 2 or 3-hour snooze, they're back outdoors looking for critters. Simba and Kink are in the house for the night by about 8:30 pm. Simba would stay outside longer if I would let him. Then they're to bed by 10 pm.

Kink stays very close to the house and doesn't wander far. He prefers a plush couch or chair indoors. Simba must have some hound in his genes. Many times he returns home with grass, dirt and maybe some flower pedals in his fur. He has acquired a bit of a smudge on his nose that I've attempted to wipe off without success so far. I'm hoping Kink can remove it when he gives Simba a face wash.