Beach Kitties (Part 2)

It's National Cat Day, so I figured I should finally get around to posting part two of the beach trip with Mika and Mochi. If you recall in Part 1, the girls stuck pretty close to the back edge of the beach near the comfort of tall camouflaging grass.

Matt and I were determined that they should actually experience the ocean while we were there, though, so with a bit of prodding (and perhaps a bit of carrying of the Mika in particular), we made our way through the now dense white fog toward the roar of the ocean.

Mochi was actually pretty chill about the whole thing, which is surprising because she's typically a bit of a scaredy cat. Mika is usually the braver of the two.

There were plenty of pauses for reassuring pets from Matt and I as the grass line and hills completely vanished from view. It didn't take long for us to be surrounded entirely by fog and sand, with no indication of which way was which besides the tell tale sound of the ocean.

But we made it! Mika wasn't too keen on the sound of the waves and meowed very loudly while we were out there, but otherwise kept fairly calm. I didn't make her actually touch the water. I'm not that mean.

Matt and Mochi on the other hand... Mochi actually went out into the water. She didn't mind the cold salty water one bit. I think it kind of surprised her the first time the tide rolled over her little paws, but after that she just strolled through it like it was nothing.

Both were happy to start the trek back to the safety of the grass line and toward the parking lot though. They required very little encouragement, despite being completely exhausted by this point.

You can see how tired Mika is looking here. We walked quite a ways and the sand texture was probably a little more difficult to navigate than the pavement and grass they are used to back home.

But they made it back! The hills are coming into view. Love the sand texture and color in this shot.

The kitty paws in the sand were, of course, quite adorable.  It was fun to look back and see their winding little paths.

All in all, a very successful trip with a good time had by all. The girls were good sports and seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves. The trip was so stimulating it knocked them out for pretty much the rest of the weekend. Anyone familiar with Bengals will know that's no easy task.

So happy National Cat Day! Make sure to give your favorite feline a loving squeeze and an extra treat in celebration. 

Beach Kitties (Part 1)

We took the kitty girls to the coast over the labor day weekend. It was their first time there and the longest car ride we'd taken them on since the day we brought them home. Mika took to it right away and had fun exploring a very grassy hill when we first arrived.

Mochi took a little more convincing. She kept trying to go back to the car until we carried her away from that area. Both girls stuck close to the grass line after that but had no problem moving forward. I think the wide open stretch of sand was a little intimating.

It was fairly clear when we arrived, but a thick white fog rolled in not too long after we got there. It limited visibility but it was beautiful and made the beach feel a little more private.

Mika was pretty good at finding cool damp spots of sand to rest in when she was worn out from walking. The girls would also sometimes dig shelves to sit on when they needed a rest, which was kind of hilarious. I didn't manage to capture any of those though.

Mika and Mochi both kept a pretty steady walking pace. They took very few stops to rest along the way, unlike a typical park outing. Everything was too new and interesting to waste time stopping to relax.

Standing in the sand could be a little awkward sometimes, especially on hills. They slipped around a bit, but didn't seem to mind.

No outing is complete without a little bit of "stick game" with Mika, although we had to improvise a bit on the stick part. She seemed equally as keen on the long grasses, but less so on the sand that kept poofing up in her face when she'd land. Didn't stop her from attacking though!

We took Mika and Mochi out to the water to experience the ocean itself, but that's a post for another day.

Read Part 2 of Beach Kitties here.

Peavy Explorations

We took Mika and Mochi to Matt's office to meet some of his coworkers on Friday in Peavy Hall. They had fun hopping around the computer parts and exploring every nook and cranny of the back rooms. The cats and people seemed to have equal amounts of fun.

They had a lot to say on the trip over. They love going out but hate the car crate.

Exploring is much better than the car crate.

What's over theeerrre?

Surplus kitty!

This is a cozy spot.

What was that sound?

All wrapped up. Who knew wires could be so comfy?

Mom and Dad's coats make great cushions.

Petcoholics

I started leash training Mika and Mochi about a week after we got them. It started with just harnesses around the house for short bits to let them get used to the feel, then play time with the leashes so they associated them with fun, and finally a trip to my office after hours when there were few people and they could explore freely. Mika took to it instantly, trotting along the corridor excitedly. Mochi cried the whole time, even when she was trotting after Mika.

The second outing was to Petco and involved half as much Mochi meows. Now they both love outings, and Mochi has actually become the more confident one in our leashed outings. They especially love Petco.

Oh, oh, what's over theeerrrre?

Mika's digging the obstacle course laced with feathers.

Peekaboo Mochi!!!

Mika: Why don't we have this many condos at home?!?!

Mochi: OOH. Catnip. Do want.

Now that Mochi is adjusted to the harness, she actually complains the squirms the whole way to the car when we leave the store. There's just too much fun stuff there. Aisles of towers, toys, and food. What more could a kitty want???

If only they would adjust to the car as well. They hate riding in their cage, even if it is spacious and comfy. Lots of MEOW, MEOW, MEOW for most of the trip. Maybe someday they will realize their meowing doesn't make a difference on how fast I drive.

The Pick-Up

The weekend we picked up the kittens was without a doubt a very cat-filled weekend. Someone local to us had been cat-sitting our Navy friend's pair of cats for about a month while he transitioned from Oahu to his new station in Bremerton, WA. We agreed to return his cats the same weekend as we were to pick up ours.

It was a nightmare of a weekend as far as driving was concerned.

The calico cat, Kira, was quite calm and just stayed curled up in her carrier watching us through the openings. Toby, a fluffy black male, would have nothing to do with calmness. He spent the whole 5 hours flailing around in his cat carrier and wailing loudly.

This would have been all fine and well and bearable, except that when we picked up our own little darlings...

Mika wailed nearly the whole drive back, high-pitched and deafening. Our nerves were pretty worn down by the end of the trip, to say the least. At least she didn't pair it with flailing. And unlike Toby, there were moments of quiet, even if brief.



MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW! MEOW!

Still, even that could not dampen my excitement at having this beautiful pair of Bengals. Pictures did not (and still do not) do their beauty justice. The markings, coloring, and sheen of their coat is much more amazing in person. The rabbit-like softness is a nice added bonus.

13 weeks old, and their first day in our house: