After examining a recent video I sent her of the kitten, my mother asked, “Is he getting really big?” I don’t think so, I told her. He’s just a baby.
But I dutifully got on the scale, got on the scale with him, and then did the math. (Actually, I tried for about ten minutes to get him to stand on my kitchen scale, which he refused to do with more than two paws at a time.)
When we first got him, he was somewhere around four pounds. Now he is EIGHT AND A HALF POUNDS.
He’s still just a baby though.
We’ve had the kitten for two whole months now. I think it’s safe to say that he’s completely changed our lives. For the better, I hasten to add. Of all the life choices I’ve ever made, getting him is right up there near the top.
Names
The first thing you should know, is that I lost the naming battle. We call him the name my daughter gave him, Leo; Lenny is a blog-only name. Oh well. There’s always next time. (Although now I have a desire to name a kitten Lionel, so we’ll see.) (We have no current plans to get a second cat. Desire, yes. Plans, no.)
We hardly call Leo by his given name, though. We all refer to him as Cat, or The Kitten. I have a variety of nicknames I use for him, namely Buddy or Baby Cat or Floofy McGee or Cutie Patootie or Blinky Baby.
Likes
At this stage in his young life, the kitten has many preferences. His favorites, in no particular order are:
- Playing
- Looking out the window
- Scratching things, especially things he should not be scratching, but also, fortunately, things we bought specifically for him to scratch
- Colorful plastic springs that of course get lost SUPER easily under chairs and couches and the stove and doors (I now understand why they come in a pack of 60)
- His people
- Shoes
- Water dripping from the faucet (to bat and bite)
- Lying in front of the open freezer door
- Filtered water (to drink)
- Our robot vacuum (although I suppose instead of liking Rocky, the kitten could possibly harbor a deep and suspicious hatred for it???)
- Being blow dried
- Boxes
- Back-foot rubs
- Paper bags
- Paper in general
- Jaw scritches
- Top-of-head scritches
- Tummy scritches
- Cat grass
- The plastic slipcovers we bought for our chenille armchairs
- Chasing his springs into the chenille armchairs so he can jostle the plastic slipcovers
- “Hiding” under the plastic slipcovers we bought for our chenille armchairs
- Climbing onto the chenille armchairs beneath the plastic slipcovers
- Concealing himself underneath the coffee table or couch, or behind doors or walls, and leaping out at whomever walks past him in an attempt at ferocity (he does not use his claws or teeth when he attacks, which I find so endearing)
Dislikes
The kitten is an extremely agreeable fellow. The parent of Carla’s friend, on first meeting the kitten, said, “He’s really pliable, isn’t he?” I think he was looking for the word “compliant,” but “pliable” is accurate too; the kitten is very floppy and amenable to existing in all sorts of strange and uncomfortable looking positions.
He does, however, have a few dislikes.
- Baths
- Being held when he wants to PLAY
- Postponing a meal by any amount of time AT ALL
- Staying inside when his people are going outside
- Car rides
- Being excluded from any activity
Contributions to Smooth Running of the Household
The kitten has undertaken several jobs and has committed to doing his work as effectively and adorably as possible. In many cases, he has been promoted to manager and takes his supervisory duties very seriously. On any given day, you might find him:
- Supervising the robot vacuum
- Overseeing the cleaning of the litter box
- Investigating anything that takes place on the kitchen island
- Ensuring the safety of his humans by accompanying them at all times
- Scrutinizing all shoes that enter our household, even while still on a visitor’s feet
- Examining the interior of any rooms or cupboards usually unavailable to him
- Disposing of flies
- Testing his humans’ Emergency Response System by performing daredevil acts on the second floor balcony
- Reminding whichever human happens to be in the kitchen at meal time what their primary purpose is (he does this first by sitting patiently near the human’s feet, then by rubbing the length of his body against the human’s ankles, and finally, if the human still isn’t getting it and requires disciplinary action, by stretching his front paws up as high as he can reach on the human’s leg and gently biting the human’s knee)
- Keeping a close eye on the housecleaner and performing spot inspections of her tools
- Monitoring the loading and unloading of the dishwasher
- Administering the assembly and installation of new furniture
- Inspecting the laundry
- Assessing the sinks
Allergenicity
So far, I am not allergic to the kitten. I mean, if I pet him and immediately rub my eye and get cat hair in my eye, my eye will get itchy and red. But that’s IT. I am so incredibly grateful for this. After yearning to have a cat for decades, I finally have one and it feels like a miracle.
Toys
When you are a kitten, everything is a toy. A current favorite is the unlucky wool dryer ball that dropped out of a pile of clothing and into the kitten’s line of sight.
State of Purr
When the kitten first joined our household, he purred near constantly. I wonder if some of the purring was born of anxiety from being extracted from his family of origin and deposited in a new house with strangers. He no longer feels the need to purr at all times. But he still has a roaring, appreciative, sometimes intense-to-the-point-of-chirping, purr that he deploys frequently when:
- we return home from being anywhere, including the backyard where he can see us at all times
- someone begins to prepare his food
- it’s cuddle time (not to be confused with play time, during which he will submit to being held but will decline to purr)
Daily Routine
We are slowly developing a routine of sorts. One that will get thrown into disarray, I’m sure, when Carla returns to school.
- 6:30: Breakfast with Mom.
- 6:45: Help Mom clean the litter box. Sometimes he will interrupt his own breakfast to ensure that Mom is doing the job appropriately.
- 7:00: PLAY.
- 7:10: Wait a second, that’s not enough playing! MORE PLAYING.
- 7:30: Help Mom wake up Carla, which involves intense purring and then falling asleep in Carla’s bed.
- 7:45-11:30: Combination of sleeping or playing, based on some internal schedule his humans don’t fully understand. Join Mom in her office where she pays way too much attention to that clicky rectangle.
- 11:30: Eat lunch!
- 11:45: PLAY!!!!!!
- 12:00: Seriously, that’s not enough play time.
- 12:30: Cuddle with Mom, which involves thunderous purring and falling asleep.
- 1:00-6:30: Mainly sleeping, with some occasional interludes of play.
- 6:30: It is DINNER TIME, PEOPLE. Get it together.
- 7:00: PLAY!!!!!! and/or entertain the humans with his antics if they are sitting down to dinner at this time.
- 8:30: Accompany adult humans to Carla’s room, take up spot of honor between the pillows, and commence full-body purring.
- 9:00-3:00: Sleep in a cinnamon roll shape on Carla’s bed.
- 3:00: Awaken to Mom removing him from Carla’s room and closing her door so he can’t see her probably ever again. Despite the disturbance, initiate appreciative purrs for encountering a human at this time of night.
- 3:03-5:00: More sleeping.
- 5:00-6:30: TIME TO EXPLORE AND PLAY!!!!
Evidence of Brilliance
The kitten:
- Plays air hockey
- Plays fetch
- Communicates his needs (his water spilled, a plant tipped over, his spiral got stuck under the oven, he wants to play with the wand toy but it’s on top of the bookcase) via a combination of meowing, sitting, and leading his humans to whatever needs their attention
- Sits on command
- Comes when called
Regularly Uttered Phrases
The kitten isn’t, so far, a big talker. But we talk to him (and about him) a lot.
“Why are you so pretty?!”
“Where’s the cat?”
“Oh, hi, cat!”
“Where’s your spiral, Buddy?”
“He’s just a baby!”
“Leo, in this house, we don’t [climb on counters] [scratch the carpet] [climb on tables] [climb on desks].”
“Are you the cutest cat ever?”
“Whatcha doing, Buddy?”
“Excuse me! Are you supposed to be doing that?!”
“Who’s the best kitten?”
“Such a seepy eepy weepy baby!”
“Yes, you are so fierce. The fiercest babycat I’ve ever seen.”
“What is the cat doing?”
“Biiiiiig stretch!!!”
“Biiiiiig yawn!!!”
“Leave Rocky alone, Leo.”
“Where’s my purr?”
“There’s my purr cat!”
“Are you so happy???”
“Good job, Buddy!”
“You’re so perfect.”
“We need a kitten for our kitten.”
45% DAVID FROM SCHITT’S CREEK
Oh my god this was an absolute delight, Suzanne. I am not a Cat Person generally but now I am a Leo/ Lenny Person. I mean. HE IS ON THE ROOMBA GOING FOR A RIDE. I could die of the cuteness. I could actually just keel over and die seeing him hiding in the baskets and under the plastic chair covers and I THINK MAYBE I DID DIE? *pokes self*
I love that you use the term “cinnamon roll shape” to describe his sleeping. I use the term “doughnut” when talking about Rex’s sleep, I think they are similar (except that Rex is about 95 pounds heavier than Leo/ Lenny).
Also, good boy, eating the flies!!!
I love how no one calls their pets by their actual names. I mean, I do. But also it’s Big Silly, Puppy, My Puppy, Silly Billy, Doughnut, and – and this goes with your post – Baby. Although honestly Rex is four and I really can’t call him that anymore. But he’s MY baby.
I love every single photo and I am SO happy you’re not having any allergies!!!
Rex is totally just a baby! I love that you call him Doughnut. Adorable. 🥰
The kitten is SO cute and SO naughty (Rocky gets thrown off balance and goes in circles when the kitty sits on it) but so far the cuteness outweighs all the naughty.
This is so marvelous – he’s such a cute, magnificent boy, doing all the cat things!!!
Kittens are addictive. My son volunteers at a shelter helping with cats and kittens, and I want to adopt them all. I pick out names and try to con my daughter into adopting a cat for her dog. Just dreams for now! My husband has drawn the line at two.
My one cat was more Moira from Schitts , but a great cat none the less.
Oh my goodness I would love to meet a Moira-style cat! Kittens are addictive! I completely understand now how people end up with two or three.
I love Every Single Thing about this post! Thank you for it! Your baby-cat is so utterly adorable.
🥰😻❤️
This post is officially the best thing on the internet ever. The rest of us can stop blogging right now because there is no need for further content.
I had forgotten about cats’ love for springs! I haven’t seen a dog toy equivalent. So it begs the question: are dogs not into springs (doubtful because dogs are into pretty much everything)? Or is there no way to make a dog-safe spring since their bite power is a lot stronger than a cat (that’s probably why)?
I want to be clear that my dog is All Dog, but she does have a lot of cattributes. She is small enough that she can pounce like a cat, and she is a champ at being underfoot. Thankfully she is too big to get on counters.
Kids and pets…they grow up so fast. Sigh.
CATTITUDES. I love that term so much!
I bet you are right about the dog equivalent of a spring. But it would be so fun to have a giant dog size version!
What a great collection of photos. The one of him under the slipcovers made North laugh.
He is SO ridiculous, Steph. I wish I could get a picture of him under the slipcover but on the seat of the chair. He looks so devious.
Okay, he’s cute. And obviously you’ll overlook any of his failings because he’s cute. I do wonder when you get any work done, considering how many photos you’ve taken of him. But then, of course, he’s cute… 😻
ALLY. The number of pictures and videos on my phone is out of control. To be fair to myself, my kid takes an enormous percentage of the photos, but I do photograph him a lot.
He really is so pretty!! One of my cats, too, loves to have her back paws rubbed (if she’s verrrry sleepy). I love that. I can’t believe you’ve been able to bathe him at all, and I am so happy that you aren’t allergic! <3 Baby Cats are THE BEST.
We started bathing him early, both out of desire to make baths tolerable and out of necessity. (He has long fur in the litter box region and sometimes it gets unpleasant.)
He. Is. So. Stinking. Cute!!!! 😍😍😍
Kittens really are the best, and they’re soooo much smarter than people think they are, with highly developed personalities. Sounds like he has settled in nicely and his training of y’all is going according to the Great Cat Plan 😉 hehe
Give him a big cuddle for me please, I was so devastated to discover I’m allergic to cats after getting married/moving out of a house full of cats … I totally still cuddle Mom’s cats whenever we visit though, I just have to medicate first
Oh I’m so sorry you are a fellow allergy sufferer! We have had encounters with several other cat-allergic people and they have ALL had ZERO reaction to Leo, so maybe you are in need of a Siberian????
I may have to look into that!!!
Hee hee! He is absolutely ADORABLE!!! Our Muffin is now five years old, but we still treat her like a toddler. She was so little when we got her, and we can’t get used to the fact that she’s not a baby anymore. She still likes those plastic springs, but not as much as when she was a kitten. And yes- every once in a while we’ll move the couches and find about 50 of them. Both my cats (Charlotte is old and cranky now) love boxes and bags.
I’m SO GLAD you got him, and so glad you’re not allergic. Yes, you might want a second one at some point, heh heh. I’m currently lobbying for a third… we’ll see.
I want a second kitten RIGHT THIS SECOND Jenny. I would do it without hesitation. But I am not the only member of my household, so…
I love this kitten so very much.
Cats can slow blink at people as a sign of affection so perhaps that is some of his Blinky behavior. I used to blink back at my cat when she would blink at me.
And I loved this post so much that I have already read it twice and will probably be back for more.
He is the best kitten. And I get so much joy out of my friends enjoying him too! You should come visit and see some antics in person.
We got our cats their own dryer balls when I got tired of them always stealing mine!
Hahaha! That is a great idea! 😻
Omg—he’s getting bigger! And even cuter! Who knew that was possible? You have so many great pictures of him. Are you taking them with your phone or a camera? His fur is gorgeous. I’ve never had a cat—well, my grandma had one when I was very little, and we lived with her for a while, so I considered her mine—but between grandkitty and Leo, you’re seriously making me want a kitty!
The photos are all with my phone!
I highly encourage cat ownership. I had reservations before he arrived, and he does require work and there are a few negatives, but they all pale in the face of Having a Kitten.
I love it! Your photos are beautiful!
A delightful roundup of your new family member! With your mentions of the litter box and Leo waiting for you to come back into the house, does that mean you’ve decided that he’s an indoor cat? If so, is there a particular reason?
Yes, he is an indoor cat! One reason is that he’s not neutered or microchipped yet, another reason is that my understanding of cats is that they tend to live longer when they are indoor cats, and there are a few other tertiary reasons as well.
Leo is a beautiful kitty and does look much bigger; he still acts like a kitty though with all the playing. I’m eyeing your litter box and wondering if my Mari needs a similar one. It looks like it cuts down on litter mess and urinary accidents. (peeing a bit outside the litter box) Could you give me some info about it? I enjoyed the photos and stories and especially loved your joy in finally having a cat. I never wanted a cat but babysat my younger daughter’s for the year she was teaching in Korea. During that year, we fell in love with each other and when my daughter returned, I refused to give Mari back. That was 10 years ago.
Awwww that is such a sweet story, Margaret! Cats are so wonderful.
We wanted a big litter box (because Leo is supposed to get up to 20 pounds) and we wanted one with a lid because we discovered that he is fastidious about covering his, er, tracks but has no concept of what’s behind/outside the litter box. This one helps immensely: https://amzn.to/4lf2kQw. I also find that it prevents odors from escaping, although we do spread an Arm & Hammer odor powder on his litter daily as well.
This is so much fun. I bet it is hard to remember life before Leo/Lenny. He has certainly become part of the family/part of the background. I have no idea how you get anything done. I’m very allergic to cats, but your looks like a blast and he is so pretty.
Right?! HOW did we not get a kitten YEARS AGO?!?!?
Well, this post made my entire day! Maybe my entire year! I will be referring back to this whenever I’m feeling cranky or blue. I love every photo, every description, every kitty name – everything! He is the best kitty ever, well besides my kitties Luna B. Kitty, Jilly G. Kitty, and Big Jet Kitty. Yes, I have three! Yes, you need a kitten for your kitten! (He may disagree though…)
Have you posted about your kitties??? I want to know more!
Suzanne, this post is perfect. Seriously. Perfect. Lenny is perfect. The descriptions of his daily habits and quirks are perfect. His relationship with the vacuum cleaner and chair cover is perfect. PERFECT, PERFECT, PERFECT.
I am allergic to cats but I know if I croak tomorrow, within a month my husband will have a cat. He loooooves cats and I will NOT show him this post. Even me, a quasi anti-cat person, is starting to thaw though.
Well he’s just the best most perfect most helpful prettiest boy!!!!
He is SUCH A PRETTY BABY.
We call Lucy The Dog, The Puppy, Shrimp, Little Puppy Person (even though she’s a dog), Mister Dog (even though she’s a girl), Widdle Baby and occasionally Asshole (when she comes to the back door to be let in, then takes off again the second someone opens the door for her). I remember when we first got her and no one could stop demanding that everyone pay attention to what she was doing adorably, even if that something was just breathing.
I am both a cat and a dog person. I would have one of each except having to both scoop poop outside and change a litter box inside seems like a bit too much poop.
I’m so happy you’re so happy with Leo (my friend got a cat for her daughter and said the daughter could name it and then was dismayed when the daughter picked the name Larry).
Gah! He is so darn cute! I hope we have a cat again but that time is not now unfortunately. We sort of have a cat but she lives with my MIL where she enjoys a house with many windows and no loud children except when they visit on weekends. Her name is Oscar (because she was misgendered when we got her) but everyone has always called her ‘Kitty’. This post makes me nostalgic for her kitten stage. She’s 10 years old now so not at all a kitten but she’ll forever be Kitty to us!!
He’s the most beautiful cat ever, and I could read this content all day. I’m so happy that you all are so happy with little Blinky. <3
I love the memes, especially the first one. (I’m just a baby)
SUZANNE! If only you could hear me read this post—my comments, my giggles, my ‘oh, so damn cute’ verbiage.
He’s such a lovely boy and you’ve described him in such a way that now I WANT KITTEN.
I’m not getting kitten, but my desire is there.
Thanks!
Girl, I laughed at your plastic cover for the chenille chairs; can you go back in time and imagine that this is your life now? I love it.
I will not show Peanut and Biscuit the picture of Leo IN the dishwasher, because my girls try so hard to get in there to do the pre-wash, and I’m such a fun-sucker, I don’t let them.
Zelda is now 14 and we still call her kitten and every day I say that she is so adorable that it’s upsetting. I just want to squeeze her and kiss her and she doesn’t want me to do any of that. But it’s her fault because she’s so cute!
YESSSS BABY KITTEN. I once wrote a post about all the insane things I say to my cats throughout the day. There is a lot of I love you’s and “you’re so cute, I have to call the cute police” and “I MISSED YOU!” which I always say when they emerge from whatever hiding place they were in.
Leo is ridiculously cute and I wish you didn’t love him so much so you could give him to me. SIGH. FINE YOU CAN KEEP HIM.
I’ve always thought I’d be a good cat owner but have yet to get one. I consider myself a cat lady without a cat.
I’m sorry, Suzanne. I’ve died of the cuteness and I can’t comment further. He. Is. Adorable. And now I want a cat. Sigh. I am so glad he’s brought so much joy (and so few sniffles!) to your life.
I am commenting late, but I have to say: HE IS BEAUTIFUL!!! All the heart-eyes!! And now I want a cat.