Sleeping before midnight

Gun-Hee was sleeping so cutely tonight, I needed to capture it for posterity…

Gun-Hee and the Xmas aftermath

I didn’t take very many pictures this morning…you know how it is, the place looks like a tornado hit a Christmas Tree Store, and the last thing you think of is grabbing a camera to capture the moment. But I did take a few…

Gun-Hee in his new fleece warm-up, playing with Tessie’s sparkleball garland
(we took the balls off the string later). He got a new collar, too.

The fleece warm-up has a reflective strip up the back.

Playing with a little wind-up bird I got him.

I got him the most amusing catnip toy…a Chill Pill!

My husband asked, “Do you think it will work?” when I took it out of Gun-Hee’s stocking.

I don’t know if it’ll work or not…but he does seem to like it!

Happy Christmas to all Gun-Hee’s Friends!

Thank you for following his adventures this year, and stay tuned for more next year!

‘Twas the night before Xmas, and all through the house…

…Not a creature was stirring, not even Gun-Hee!

Premier Pellburn’s Prince Gun-Hee

Gun-Hee earned his Premiership at the last cat show we went to on November 11. Here is his confirmation certificate from the CFA.

Helpful little Gun-Hee

We bought cat food over the weekend, and we were transferring it into a smaller container in the kitchen. Of course, Gun-Hee had to help…

He actually managed to catch and eat some of the pieces as they were being poured into the container.

No pink blankets – we’re boys!

This cracked me up today. I’d put Kylie’s pink fleece blanket in on top of the heater bed to make it softer and more comfortable. Well, this afternoon I discovered that Gun-Hee and Patrick didn’t appreciate my choice of colour…

No pink blankets, mom! This is a boy’s clubhouse!

Christmas is awesome

I got my Christmas package from my dad and stepmom today. They always send a lot of small things, individually wrapped and tagged. One little package was marked “For the Tree,” which I knew meant, “Open now.”

So I opened it. To find the most appropriate “For the Tree” gift I think I’ve ever received. Well. I mean, judge for yourself.

And they hadn’t even seen their Christmas card yet!

I Want an Abyssinian for Christmas

Last year, I got the idea to filk the old 1950’s Christmas song, I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas as I Want an Abyssinian For Christmas, but I got stuck on a couple of lines, and then Christmas was over, and I kind of forgot about it.

Until today, when I heard the song again. And, finally, I finished it.

I want an Abyssinian for Christmas
Only an Abyssinian will do
Don’t want a doll, no dinky Tinker Toy
I want a Abyssinian to play with and enjoy

I want an Abyssinian for Christmas
I don’t think Santa Claus will mind, do you?
He won’t have to use our dirty chimney flue
Just bring him through the front door, that’s the easiest thing to do

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see an Aby baby curled there

I want an Abyssinian for Christmas
Only an Abyssinian will do
No Devon Rexes, no Himalayans
I only like Abyssiniayans
And Abyssiniayans like me too

People say an Aby would tear apart my house,
I’m sure with proper training he’ll be quiet as a mouse!

There’s lots of room for him to play and jump and fight…
I’ll feed him and I’ll love him and I’d never sleep at night!

I can see me now on Christmas morning, creeping down the stairs
Oh what joy and what surprise when I open up my eyes
To see an Aby baby curled there

I want an Abyssinian for Christmas
Only an Abyssinian will do
No Devon Rexes, no Himalayans
I only like Abyssiniayans
And Abyssiniayans like me too

What a difference a year makes

Gun-Hee on the sofa with the remote, Dec. 16 2006.

Gun-Hee on the sofa with the remote, Dec. 16 2007.

Santa’s Little Helper

As with everything else I do, Gun-Hee had to help me with Christmas. I was wrapping gifts this past week and he was right there, very interested in everything I was doing.

The bag of paper and ribbon was particularly mesmerising.

Gun-Hee’s Thanksgiving

Gun-Hee and the others sharing their Thanksgiving feast last month. They’re eating Merrick’s Gourmet Thanksgiving Dinner canned food, and they absolutely love it! Well…Gun-Hee pretty much likes any kind of food, but it’s unsual to find a food that all four of them like the taste of and will eat.

Gun-Hee as an elf

This amuses me endlessly: Gun-Hee as an Elf.

One year ago today…

Gun-Hee joined our family!

Happy anniversary, Gun-Hee!

Sometimes you can believe the hype

I know I’ve said this before, but damn. Owning (or being owned by?) an Abyssinian is definitely an experience unlike any other feline husbandry situation I’ve ever experienced.

I mean, seriously: I read the breed profile on the CFA’s website, and I’m like, oh right. They’re making this stuff up.

I mean: “…however, when that mischievous playfulness moves them, they like to see what may happen when they push some trinket over the edge.” Well, Friday morning I had my cellphone on the bathroom counter while I was getting ready for work. He sees it, paws at it…I tell him, “Gun-Hee, No…” and he looks at me. And then wham! He pushes the phone off the edge. The battery comes out and everything. And he thinks it’s the coolest thing ever.

Or this: “These cats constantly seem to patrol their territory.” I realised this morning as I was getting ready to run errands that Gun-Hee knows the difference between weekends and work days. And he’s figured it out: when I get up with the alarm and get dressed right away, he doesn’t get to go with me. But if I wake up without the alarm, and hang out for a while in my pajamas, maybe work on the computer and watch some television, eat breakfast, and get ready slowly…he knows there’s a chance I might take him with me for a ride on the T and an adventure. So while I was getting ready, he was, basically, stalking me. Every couple of minutes, I see a little brown shape and eager gold eyes making sure I’m not done yet. Because if I’m not done, I’m not leaving yet. And if I’m not leaving yet, he still has a chance.

He’s wicked smart, that one. I wish it had been warmer today; I would have loved to taken him with me today.

And then there’s this: “As a breed Abyssinians seem to be able to defy gravity at times. There seems to be no place in the house where they cannot get. Frequently it appears impossible for them to reach certain perches…” Um….yeah. Gun-Hee does things no other cat I’ve ever known. In fact, he does things the other cats never even conceptualised, let alone attempted.

But no other cat I ever have known ever thought to themself, “Hm, that vent cover over the stove is kind of flat…I bet I could get up there,” let alone actually tried to do it.

(We’d been on vacation. It got dusty while we were away. It doesn’t usually look like that. Just saying.)

So yeah. They are amazing cats. But if you read this journal and think, “wow, I want one of those cats!” please look at the photos of the top of the stove vent hood and ask yourself what you would do if that was your stove and your cat…