Sunbather

Princess Mandu will let you pet her now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Chingu hopes you got all the big pieces of turkey!

Life's Rich Pageant

I'm at that advanced age when finding good kitty litter that clumps and doesn't make my house smell like chlorine is a win for the month.  Maybe year.  Anyhow, thank you Arm and Hammer and please don't raise your prices anytime soon.

Princess In Repose

 

Princess Mandu is meditating right now, but please return later with Churu and skritches.

Magnificent Mandu

 

Meet Mandu, AKA Mandurita, Little Hunter, Little Tiger, Princess Mandu.

A few nights ago I went to my back patio to lift up some furniture that had blown down during a pretty heavy wind / snow storm.  Mandu and her brother are indoor cats, so going outside for them is a big no-no.  So I closed the patio door behind me and picked the furniture up all in about 45 seconds.  As I returned to the door and tried to re-open it I realized it wouldn't budge.  This furball had managed to lean on the locking door handle and pushed it "down" into the lock position.

I was locked out.  In the snow.  With no shoes.

I managed to get back in after actually going to a very friendly neighbor and calling a locksmith.  In the end I managed to get back inside my house without the locksmith's help, but it was all a saga nonetheless.

Mandu has always been pretty well behaved compared to her brother Chingu, but lessons have been learned.

Cute kitties are dangerous.

The Lioness Sleeps Tonight

 

Princess Mandu never seems to get enough sleep.

Planning Their Next Crime

 Speaking of the two furried terrors, here they are getting up from their fifth nap of the day.

Be Prepared

Chingu Cat: "Please fill wet food bowl."
Me: "You just ate."
Chingu: "But possible earthquake today, you don't come home."
Me: "No."
Chingu: "Possible Zombie Apocalypse, please fill."
Me: "Unlikely."
Chingu: "Locust plague. Wild fire."
Me: "No. No."
Chingu: "I'M GOING TO STARVE!"

— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) December 18, 2022

The Ballad of Chingu and Mandu

 

Chingu (tuxedo) and Mandu (cream with brown spots) taking a much needed rest after knocking something else over.

I've been working at the local Humane Society for over a year now, but I was one of the only people there who didn't have any pets.  Living with my Dad it would have been too much for him -- I was convinced that during one of his 3 a.m. ramblings to nowhere he might have kicked a dog or cat, or simply just opened the front door and let them out to play with the hungry local foxes and coyotes.

Anyhow, we've moved my Dad into professional care and not long after that I adopted these two knuckle-heads (technically I'm fostering until they're fixed, then will formally adopt).  The tuxedo is Chingu, a boy.  His name in Korean is "friend."  I didn't stop there, so his sister (not biological, but I'd challenge anyone to tell the difference) is Mandu, or "dumpling."

I've hesitated to say more about these two gorgeous creatures for a simple reason.  Chingu was going to get put down due to some health issues.  As horrible as that sounds, it's just a fact that in an Animal Shelter setting issues of "adoptability" and ease of re-homing are always present.

It's been about a month now and while I don't want to jinx anything, Chingu is improving.  He's objectively doing better and growing all on his own.  He had issues with his bowels.  This might mean he'll later have the very common cat issue of bad kidneys.  But for now he's lively and playful and makes me smile even when I'm scolding him for trying to light the house on fire.

And let's not give short shrift to Mandu -- she's also growing, has a beautiful coat and eyes, and will purr on first or second brush of a human hand.  She's actually more shy than Chingu, even though as far as we can tell she's always been perfectly healthy.

I love these two, and in a few months we'll be driving across the country together once my Dad's house is ready for resale.

Cat Life

Chingu Cat: "I am getting in shower with you."

Me: "Why? You hate water."

Chingu Cat: "Here I come."

Me: /splashes some water at Chingu Cat

Chingu Cat: "IT BURNS! IT BURNS! WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"

/end scene

— "Give Me Ammunition, Not a Ride" James (@wetcasements) December 11, 2022