From: daveike@sumax.seattleu.edu (Eickerman)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: Shoulder Kittens
Date: 13 Dec 92 04:14:00 GMT
Distribution: rec.pets.cats
Organization: Seattle University


Well, since people are talking about their shoulder kittens, I thought I
would talk about mine.  

Some background first:

She is about eight months old now.  She was a stray that I got a few days
before graduation.  My girlfriend and I would sit in the kitchen window and
look down at the neighbors yard at the new litter of kittens, about seven
of them running around the yard.  The neighbor lady fed these cats like
crazy, and strays were all over the place, spreading diesase.  Well, my
girlfriend went down there to visit them one day, and I joined her a few
minutes later.  Most of the cats ran because they were scared, but there
was this one kitten that came running, with her tiny legs, toward us.  She
was so damn cute, and still is in fact.  As you can tell, she is the one
we picked.  The other kittens were not in good shape, they had some sort
of eye infection, mine was fine.  The next day I decided to keep the
kitten, after much prodding from my girlfriend.  I really didn't want a
kitten at this point because I was just graduating and was going to be
busy and out of the state during the summer.  I had planned on getting a
cat in the future though.  Well, after I brought the kitten up to the
apartment, we decided to catch as many of the other kittens as we could
and take them to the pound.  We caught 3 of them.  One kitten's eyes were
very bad, she could barely open them because of infection.  Those three
kittens were immediately put down because of it.  I took my kitten to the
doctor, and she was clean, both from the infection and for any other
feline disease amazingly enough.  

My apartment was on campus so we had residence hall people to deal with. 
The student RA used my computer all the time and we are good friends, so
he let me keep her.  He did consider her a fur ball just so that there 
wouldn't be a 'cat' in the room. ;)  Well, my girlfriend is very upset at
this kitten though, because the kitten would rather be with me than her. 
I would walk into the room, she would come running to me to be picked up,
but not for her, very maddening.  This fiesty little thing also loved to
climb, because she was so small.  She had to climb up the sheets to get
onto the bed because she couldn't jump up there.  She also climbs on pant
legs.  She would think that your leg is a tree and shimmy up it.  The
thing is, if you don't have jeans on, your safe.  She will climb up the
legs until your waist and stop, either waiting for you to pick her up and
hold her, or to jump down onto the floor.  If you had a jean jacket on,
all the way up she goes.  Then should would perch ontop of your shoulder
and ride around.  She still loves to do it, even though I usually pick her
up to get up there.  She will still crawl up the pant leg, and walk around
your waist.  She usually doesn't dig into skin, just into the pants, very
nice of her huh.  She is very content to be up on your shoulder and ride
around for a while, and she doesn't care which side she is facing.  If she
gets tired of one side of your shoulder, she will walk to the other side.  

When we first got her, she was very vocal, now she hardly makes a sound,
except for little chirps when she jumps onto laps and purring.  When we
took her away from her mother, she was between 4 and 5 1/2 weeks old.  She
was very small, nicknamed 'tinykins', but we had to do it so she wouldn't
get the diesase.  She is a very lucky cat.  She is an indoor cat only,
because my parents have two i/o cats, and they get in too many fights,
both are very territorial.  I don't want her to deal with that.  

We named her Snort, because of the first look that she gave my girlfriend,
kinda like "humph, who do you think you are", gave her a snort.  I like the
name, but my parents don't.  They call her Shadow.  She follows my dad
wherever he goes.  She is living with my parents now because I cannot have
a cat where I am living now, very temporary arrangement.  

She is a very curious kitten, loves to watch the toilet flush and to watch
people shower.  She will put her head inside the shower to watch you and
the water.  She is not afraid of water at all.  When someone goes to the
bathroom, she is right there, ready and waiting for 'the flush'.

My dad, who really doesn't enjoy cats, loves this little kitten.  She
loves to be with people, a very happy kitten.  

Whenever I see her, I pick her up and think how lucky she is, considering
the fate of her siblings.  She is a very lucky kitten.  

I hope that you all didn't get bored with this story, I just found this
news group today and thought I would let you know about my kitten.

John Eickerman              If the world were a logical place,
daveike@seattleu.edu             men would ride sidesaddle