Nikita's Campaign Continues

December 15

I once more had replaced the broom in the poor, beleaguered snowman's hand.  Not one to overlook such things, Nikita takes decisive action.  "That's enough!"  Stares fixedly at the snowman.  Something clearly must be done.  Weighs the possible consequences, debating.  Mama will probably not like it if she takes out that broom, but what choice does she have?  Her no-broom policy must be enforced.   No more backsliding will be tolerated.  Ready...Set...ATTACK!

 Teleports out as soon as I realize what she's been up to.  WHEE! 20 minutes go by.  She rematerializes in the hallway.  20 more minutes go by.  She has been chairing another meeting of the of the Cat Council

Nikita had another action-packed week of kitty fun, but also showed her sweet, caring, empathetic side as well.  On December 12, we received one of her Christmas presents in the mail.  I set it up on the floor.

Nikita was initially a tad cautious:  "what?  you're actually letting me touch this?  it's allowed?  hey, wait.  that's odd.  I'm not sure what you're up to, Mama.  Is this some sort of trick?'  Decides to approach.  Hmm. that smells good.  It looks like people food, but yet it's not.   let's sniff some more.

OOOHHHHH  CATNIP!  WOO HOO!

This is the best thing ever!  well, aside from the stick.  Feels giddy.  A little unsteady.  Wow, sudden feeling of having the munchies.  Weaves her way to the kitchen.  Nom nom nom.  Strolls back in and prompty falls asleep.  

December 13 late at night

Having spent most of the evening sleeping, Nikita wakes up at about 10:30.  Nice of her to wait until Jon Stewart is over.  Teleports to the kitchen.  Sounds of rustling, plastic containers hitting the floor.  Then, even more frightening, nothing.  Not a peep.  Apparently a new portal has opened in there and she has gone to a meeting.  

10 minutes later.  SWOOSH.  She's back!  Notices those pesky snowmen, still having the gall to sit in front of the famous apothecary chest.  "That's it!  I'll show them who's boss!  You, there!  Yes, you on the right!  That snowball will be mine."  Sees me getting my camera, "What?  I'm just posing for my Christmas photo!"

Spots the other snowman, still in possession of the broom.  How did that broom get put back.  She just stole it last night.  Mama must have had something to do with it.  Must not have made my point clearly enough.  Ha!  We'll just take care of that right now, shall we?  

Oh so casually, knocks the poor thing over.  Stifling kitty giggles.  

Zooms into the dining room.  "I'll just sit up here and look regal.  Yes, you peon, worship me!"

December 14

The awful news of the shootings in Newtown hit me hard.  Sensing how upset I was, Nikita decided to be good.  We sat together watching the news, crying.  She offered comfort as best she could:

 Finally, she decided to hold my hand:

Moments like this make all the mayhem seem just fine.

A Battle of Wills

Nikita and I continue to disagree over whether or not she should be allowed to cavort on the mantle.  Nikita's perspective:  I love to jump.  Jumping is sooooo much fun and I am incredibly skilled.  Surely you see that?  I have to be me!  If you make me get down, I'll just get right back up there.  You know it.  I know it.  Why waste precious time discussing this.  What?  You're really going to make me get down?  Seriously? Whoa!  You're coming over here!  I'll just skedaddle off of here and head into my fort.  You can't get me when I'm in there!  Ha Ha!  Now I'll just sneak back up there.  I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS!! You are telling me to get down again?  Let me put it this way...

 

I can't hear you! I can't hear you! 

My perspective:  If she breaks that clock she goes to Time Out for an indefinite period of time.  Take your eyes off that stuff, Nikita!

Nikita decides that it might be even more fun to sit on top of the antique quilts-- a higher vantage point.  YAY!  "I am the monarch of all I survey.  My right there is none to dispute!"

 

 Spots the rectangular lacquered vase with the sticks in it.  OMG, OMG I simply must chew on those.  Eyes wide, almost dilated.  Cannot resist:

Why are you looking at me like that, Mama?  I don't think I like your tone!  What do  you expect me to do, ignore those sticks?  Come now...

Leaps to the floor and rushes off to the kitchen for a quick nosh.  I scoop her up and put her in the bathroom so that I can take laundry to the basement.  She can open the door and has surprised me more than once by streaking by down there and then hiding.  Given the size, the darkness and the wide variety of things my landlords and I have down there, it is unsafe for her to be roaming around.  Knowing she is in the bathroom, I grab a couple of stuffed snowmen, thinking that I'll have just a little holiday cheer in the place.  I set them up in front of the famous apothecary chest and then let her out of the bathroom (after she takes a nice long drink from the faucet.)  

She strolls in and few minutes later.  Hi, Mama.  Yes, I am back.  Okay, where were we?  YIKES!  What is this?  How did they get here?   Geez, I turn my back for a second a look what happens!  I have to check these things out:

 

Closer inspection is required:

None too happy about this latest development, Nikita disappears for a while, no doubt at a Cat Council Meeting.  I am busy updating Facebook about her antics so fail to notice that she has come through the portal and is back on the mantle.  Rustle, rustle. Crunch.  Bang!  Thump!  She has managed to knock the red vase onto the floor.

 

 

I shout, "NIKITA!"   She turns and looks up at me.  Completely surprised.  "How did that happen?  Mama, what did you do?  I don't think these belong on the floor.  Who, me?  I did not!  No, I didn't!  I deny all knowledge.  Do you have proof?  I thought not.  Don't try to pin this on me."

I reset the vase on the mantle.  Nikita decides to look adorable:

 

Now remembers the open box in which the fudge arrived.  Hmm...maybe something is still in there.  Let's have a look.  Nothing yet.  Well, there is some crinkly paper in here...Let's delve deeper:

Now spots a bow I made to go on a present.  Cool!  Wow, now we're talking fun!  

 

 

Burrows under the quilt.  There is another portal under it.  She is a lump for a brief moment, then is gone.

 

When I arrived home today I found stuffing on the floor beside the snowmen.  Nikita was very busy rolling around on the floor, thrilled to see me.  "What stuffing?   What is that?  huh, I can't imagine where that came from!  Let's play stick!"

A few minutes after I lost interest in stick, Nikita resumed her attack on the snowmen, stealing the broom and trying to eat it.  

 

  Now she is curled up beside me, bathing furiously.  Such an exhausting day for kitties!

 

 

Another Friday Night

Nikita has spent considerable time this week on Twitter:

She has already amassed nearly 200 followers, including a boyfriend, Mr. Biggles, who has sent her virtual flowers, candy, breakfast in bed, etc.  He has professed his undying love...

Meanwhile, she continues to press hard for me to play stick at every opportunity.   Runs in, carrying stick.  Drops it on floor at my feet.  "Please, Mama."  Getting no response from me, she picks the stick up and drops it again, causing the little bell to ring.  "MAMA!  C'MON!"  I am busy trying to work so I once more try to ignore her.  Now she's getting annoyed.  What to do, what to do?  Let's try picking up the stick and dropping it again.  Rats, that didn't work.  Fine, then.  Strolls into the dining room.  Meowing.  Airborn!  Lands on the top of the desk, giving me a look of triumph.  "Ha ha, Mama!  Made you look!"  I tell her to get down.  Sighing heavily, she does so, leaving little kitty pawprints on the desk.  Gosh, I really need to dust that thing.  Disappears into the kitchen.  Rustling, rustling, bang!  I decide to wait and assess the damage later.

Streaks back into the living room.  Yet another go at the apothecary chest.  "Mama, I am opening drawers!  What are you going to do?"  I am halfway off the sofa.  Oops!  She disappears.  I hear kitty feet pounding down the hallway.  

 

Quick break to powder her nose.  

Runs full steam back to the living room.  LAUNCH!  Once again she's up on the mantle, then a quick jump to the quilts.  YAY!  She's Queen of the Universe!

   Hmmm...Those sticks look interesting, let's examine them more intensely:

Notices me taking her picture.  Flies off the quilt rack.  Lands hard near her paper sack.   Wrestling frantically with it.  That sack won't cause her any more trouble.  Whooooooosh!  Another amazing leap up and over me to the upper sill of the window.  Blinds rattling. YEEHAW!!!! Black lightening as she travels at warp speed out of the room.

Apparently another meeting of the Cat Council is now in session.  All is quiet.

An Action Packed Week

December 2

Having launched several attacks on the apothecary chest, Nikita is now at a Cat Council meeting, no doubt gloating.

• Ruth:  Was an apothecary chest cruel to her in an earlier life? No, it's probably just the lure of all those drawers and what treats might be in them.
• 
  
• ..

   

  Ruth:  It's still mostly been quiet here. Each cat took a turn sleeping on me this afternoon. Then they were caught grooming each other (they DO NOT like being caught in this behavior)! Then there was much running up and down both staircases. Like a thundering herd of horses. Now all is quiet again.
• 
  
•  

  Marty:  I've finally figured it out! She was Sherlock Holmes in an earlier life. Think about it--her intellect, her powers of deduction, her skills at getting others to follow, AND the apothecary chest. What do you think she expects to find in there? What was Sherlock's one downfall??????????

   

  Debbie:  Catnip   

   

  Ruth ;   Yes. She must think her supply of catnip - aka the gateway drug - is in there.

December 3

"What are you looking at, Mama?"

• Me:  She's still quite irritated with me!

  
  
• Ruth:  What did she do to irritate you.....I mean, what did YOU do to irritate HER?

   

  Me:  I had the unmitigated gall to put her in time out.
• 
  
• Ruth:  You are the meanest mama ever!

  
  

   

  Me:   That is EXACTLY what she said!
• 
  
• Ruth:  I see disappointment in her face. Maybe a touch of disgust. After all, you are living in HER space, and she tolerates you touching HER stuff.

   
• Me:  Again, that is EXACTLY what she said -- funny, I never saw her mouth move!

   

  Ruth:   Oh, no. She has figured out how to telepathically talk to me, since Ollie & Murry have made themselves unavailable.
• 
  
•  

  Me: Sorry, Ruth, resistance is futile!
• 
  
• Elaine:  pretty girl.

   
• British RuthL  OMG, she is beautiful. I've had many black cats. She commands attention.

  
  
• Me:  She really is stunning.

  
  
• Sheila:  and she KNOWS it!! lol

   

  Ruth:   And if she wasn't so cute you wouldn't put up with her behavior, right? Although she is scarily smart.
• 
  
• Me:  She is positively brilliant. A strategic genius! And, as we all know, completely gorgeous!

  
  
• Ruth: And obviously talented. How many cats know how to use portals?

  
  
•  

  Me:  She's gifted in so many ways, most of which we have yet to discover, I fear.

   

  December 5

  

  She is convinced I have her Christmas presents stored somewhere accessible.

  • Joye:  I love this...

     

    Me:  If I had a dollar for every time she did that...
  • 
    
  • Joye:  I'd be tempted to stuff those collapsible snake things like they stuff in cans and comes flying out when you open it..

    
    
  • Me:  That's a brilliant idea! Where does one find those things? It would be soooo worth it!
  • 
    
  • 
    

    
    
  • Me:  good idea! Found "em! Ha ha ha
  •  
  • Ruth:  I really love this "snake" idea.

     

    Me:  I'm ordering one or more -- after all, there are quite a few drawers on that apothecary chest!
  •  

    Ruth:  The idea of this makes me so happy....I hope that does not make me evil.
  •  
  • Me:  Can't you just picture her zooming backwards when she opens the drawer? ha ha ha

     

     Joye :  would love a video of that too..lmao
  •  

    Me:   She just woke up, ears up, giving me The Look.
  • Me:   A friend suggested I get a nanny cam--to find out just what she does while I'm at work.
  •  

    Ruth:   Haha a kitty cam
  • 
    

   The Same Night:  I hear noises in the kitchen. Someone's in the mood for a snack.