cats

grumpy Caturday

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fuzzy wuzzy wuzzy

We haven’t had a Caturday for a while. This photo is a good representation of how I’m feeling this morning – kinda tired and squinchy and why-are-you-bothering-me and there-isn’t-enough-coffee-in-the-world. Hopefully my hair is looking slightly less rumpled than Griffin’s, though there’s no guarantee.

For some reason he loves to sleep on the kitchen chairs when they’re pushed into the table – it makes a sort of cozy cave for him. It also frequently leads to me nearly sitting on him, especially when he’s too groggy to move.

cat on a mat

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paws crossed

For Caturday this week, I give you the smuggiest of smug Stellacats, lying in the sun on the kitchen mat. She’s recently taken to crossing her paws whenever she lies down, I have no idea why. It’s certainly cute.

Clara

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Clara

This week’s Caturday is brought to you by Clara, our cat-in-law. She’s a pretty thing, a bit round these days, but not as pear shaped as our own gray Stella. She has  gorgeous eyes,  loves chasing a laser pointer bug, and has her people firmly wrapped around her paw. She likes to sit in the kitchen sink.

pale green eye

sleepy Caturday

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fuzzy feet

I had meant to get a post up yesterday, but the pertinent photos are still in the camera, so…how about an adorable picture of a sleepy kitty? This bed, positioned near our dining room table, is one of the places Griffin likes to hang out so he can keep an eye on us. We spend a lot of time at our dining room table, so he spends a lot of time in bed. He takes his job seriously.

who, me?

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aren't I cute?

Look at that face. Is that the face of a cat who would ever misbehave? Of course not. She would never steal bread off the counters, hurk all over the house, or bite someone trying to turn over in bed. Not her. She’s a GOOD cat. Mostly.

Have I mentioned that one of the first things this cat did as a baby was to steal an entire piece of pizza off of my plate? Her manners have not improved noticeably. Good thing she’s so cute.

snug in a rug

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Mickey

A couple of days ago I was feeling cruddy, so I stayed home and turned on the fireplace. Mickey immediately climbed into the big armchair, curled up in the wool blanket, and stayed there for something like ten hours. Oh, the life of a housecat.

I had to sit on the couch. I know my place in this household.

Miss Sleepycat

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sleepytime

We both had Wednesday off for Veteran’s Day, so we celebrated by taking the cats to the vet. It’s really hard work for them, since they have to hide under the furniture and be dragged out, then wail continuously on the drive across town, then shiver with fear in their carriers, then be manhandled in embarrassing ways by the vet. By the time we all make it home, they’re just exhausted. Everyone found a sunny spot and slept the day away. I would have liked to do the same thing.

The good news, after all that fun, is that all the cats are healthy (even Stella of the plump tummy and palpable thyroid) and their teeth are in good shape, thanks to the rather pricy tartar-control food we give them. Fortunately for us, they adore it and consider it a great treat every time they get it. Beats paying for teeth cleaning.

Caturday!

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color coordinated

After a solid week of posting, I’m feeling a little entitled to digress. How about some kitty pictures? This one (as you’ll know if you’ve examined my cat page) is Griffin. He’s a well-meaning cat, and incredibly beautiful (we bought this carpet partly because he looked so good on it) but rather stunningly clueless. Fortunately his life doesn’t really require keen wit or insight.

Griffin is our primary cooking assistant: he likes to sit on a stool by the kitchen island and watch us closely. He also likes to sniff whatever is on the island, and we once caught him licking the butter dish. Good thing we aren’t subject to health inspections.

asparagus with ajwain and ginger

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asparagus with Griffin

Local asparagus still isn’t here, but when I stopped by the co-op yesterday to pick up something for dinner they had the most beautiful bundles of organic Mexican asparagus – I couldn’t resist. We were feeling a little hankering for Indian food, so I roasted a pork tenderloin that I had rubbed with salt, pepper, cumin and paprika, and cooked the asparagus with ajwain, fresh ginger and amchoor (green mango) powder, like the green bean recipe from Madhur Jaffrey.

cumin and ajwain seeds

In case you were wondering, this is what ajwain looks like, piled up next to some (larger) cumin seed. We bought our current supply at a small Indian grocery in the Pike Place Market. Continue reading →