DANTE: UPRIGHT KITTIZEN OR MISSING LYNX?

These are all pictures of Dante in an upright pawsition. He certainly seems to enjoy standing up fur himself! Of course, it's easiest fur him if he has something to balance against, and I'm not saying he could walk upright, but it is pawsible that he could be the missing lynx -- you know the one between ape and man.

After all, Dante is very lynx-like in looks and size, and he has a definite intelligence beyond his species -- his understanding of human language, fur instance. Not to say that he doesn't have the typical feline characteristics of ignoring what you say, but he is fully capable of following instructions -- to a point!

With his leash he was purrpetually getting tangled outside, and I would always use the same words "Dante, back up, go around, big tangle"! Well, though he was resistant at furst, he came to understand by doing what I said that he would not get caught. It sure beats having to unmesh his leash from bush branches and unwind him from around trees and other stationary objects. Now all I have to do is actually warn him that he's about to get into a "big tangle" and he'll back up and retreat the way he came. Anyway, all this is just to demonstrate his smarts -- due to a bigger brain, I believe.

This all supports my theory that Dante may indeed be the missing lynx, or else he is simply an upright kittizen of the feline kind. What do you think?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: DANTE GOES SQUIRRELLY AGAIN!

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE SQUIRREL KIND!

The Cat

The Squirrel

The First Encounter






Found the golden nugget

Burying the treasure

The Second Encounter




Close Encounter of the Third Kind


I was witness to this little ongoing drama in my front yard this morning. Dante was on leash, but with a 40-ft. lead which provides sufficient space for stalking. We have a resident squirrel who lives in the spruce tree which borders our purroperty and our neighbour's. This is not an evil squirrel like ones we have encountered before. This is a mama squirrel who is only trying to forage for food to feed her babies.

Ms. Squirrel is a cheeky little thing, though, and quite daring at that. She doesn't seem purrticularly threatened by the feline purresence. She is more interested in getting her message across to me, that I need to fetch nuts -- and now!

She will come quite close and look me directly in the eye, and wait (not so patiently) until I return with what she treasures most.

So, I scattered a handful of peanuts (in the shell) after which she busily hopped around gathering them one by one -- keeping one eye on Dante, but determined to collect them all. You can see how close she comes to Dante a number of times. On this occasion Dante did rise to the bait (so to speak) and gave chase, but luckily Ms. Squirrel is lighter and faster and easily escaped -- only to find a spot at the edge of the drive where she buried her newly acquired booty. (Actually, there's a nice booty shot of her burying it, there.)

So, it was a regular game of cat and squirrel -- stalk and retreat, stalk and retreat, snatch and grab (the treat, that is).

Finally, Ms. Squirrel had enough for the day and she retired to her tree house for a little R&R and some quality time with her little ones.

Dante was left to ponder the one that got away (again)!

FRONTIER FRIDAY: DANTE IN THE OUTBACK!

Today is Friday, and Dante is busy in the "outback" -- out in our back yard, that is!

It does indeed appear to be a wilderness of untamed flora. I'll make no excuses for it as I happen to like it that way (up to a point). Once the kitties are knee deep in tall grasses, it's good to whack it down to a reasonable size again.

Anyway, Dante loves his hinterland -- he has hinted as much. Dante, himself, is picturesque against the woodiness and sprouting vegetation. It is home, not only to himself and his two furblings, but to a myriad of wildlife.

Witness the third-to-last picture where Dante is hunkered down attempting to camouflage himself against the evil eyes of the malevolent squirrel. The two lock gazes, but Dante is still in the face of such villainy, and the moment passes. The sniper squirrel does a quick hit-and-run on a peanut and is gone in a flash of furry fleet feet.

In the end, Dante stands tall and unashamed, and lives to fight another day.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: DANTE GOES PHOTOSHOPPING!

Courtesy of Ann of Zoolatry



Courtesy of Carm the Crazy Cat Lady

DANTE, GRASS INSPECTOR!

This is a serial-LOL that tells the story of Dante testing the new grass in our yard. Last year we had the back lawn dug up, laid with new soil and then reseeded. We let the new grass grow long to make sure it was healthy, and then enlisted Dante to do the final inspection and report. Here are the results with translation from Meowanese:

1. These are brand new grasses in my yard that need to be tested.
2. I is searching for the best, most tender shoots.
3. I stops to sniff the freshness of the scent.
4. I sniffs the fence for the woody fragrance.
5. I checks the grasses by the fence for flavor and texture.
6. Then I sample the grasses away from the fence to see the difference.
7. I stops to savor the bouquet.
8. It tastes good to me so I really sinks my teeth into it.
9. Then I uses some to floss with.
10. Nothing like those woody flavored shoots!
11. Takes time to appreciate all those new flavors.
12. Time to go and make my report.
13. These are Grade A-1 grasses grown to perfection!