Rico and I arrived back in Maputo yesterday. Despite a nearly sleepless journey, the trip went well and we are enjoying the singular happiness of being home. The cats gave us an especially warm welcome, with Pria even letting me hold him for several minutes, all the while purring at full volume and doing torties in my shoulder. The little ones have grown so much, and they are now easily over 1.5kg and able to hop up onto the kitchen counter.
We all snuggled together last night in our bed and watched tv. It was wonderful, despite the jet-lag that had me and Rico up intermittently at odd hours.
Today I am working from home trying to finish the draft of a big proposal for work. I spent a good portion of our time in Brasil last week stuck to the computer as a result of this proposal, and I'm looking forward to finalizing the draft for tomorrow. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but at least the document has taken shape and I am feeling the writing groove materializing.
It seems the weather shifted while we were away. Upon arrival we were greeted with gray skies, a bit of drizzle and very mild temperatures. I am hoping this means the horrific heat waves we experienced through most of February and early March are behind us.
Photos and stories from our "holiday" to come later, once my draft proposal is finished.
Showing posts with label kittens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kittens. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Friends, Felines and Férias
A few photos from our life these days...
My childhood friend Hallie and her friend Cheryl came to visit over the holidays, fresh off working on the Obama campaign. We kicked things off with the requisite meal at Costa do Sol.
We also showed them a braai, in good South African style. We had a great afternoon with swimming, meat, wine and karaoke.
The food was delicious - the right mix of spicy and sweet, perfect for summer.
While the girls were here, we took them to the beach at Macaneta. It was a beautiful day, full of sun, with just a touch of wind to keep things comfortable. At one point, we spotted something strange wash up on shore. Upon closer inspection, it was a turtle shell. The insides were definitely rotten, but it was super interesting to have a look at the turtle nonetheless.
We spent New Year's in Maputo, which was pretty low-key compared to previous years in San Francisco, Rio and Cape Town. Still, we had a good time celebrating with friends. I wore white, holding up the Brazilian tradition, but was definitely not in the majority...
Hallie and Cheryl enjoy some champagne in our living room prior to hitting the town.
Ready to be out with the old, and in with the new!
Happy 2009!! (Though I must say, this toast was deceptively early. This was still around 10pm, prior to going out, though we were ready to kick things off with style.)
Onto other news, I realized yesterday marked the 2-month anniversary of Parceiro's death. It seems like it was a year ago. So strange how time works when you suffer a loss. Rico and I think of him often, and how he must be enjoying himself in the land of fleece and treats.
Much of Parceiro's spirit has been captured in our little ones, Mano and Nina. Here we are - the entire cat fam - enjoying some tv on the bed. Pria continues to be a stellar momma cat, keeping the kittens clean and sleeping with them in a protective heap. It is incredibly cute. :)
My childhood friend Hallie and her friend Cheryl came to visit over the holidays, fresh off working on the Obama campaign. We kicked things off with the requisite meal at Costa do Sol.
We also showed them a braai, in good South African style. We had a great afternoon with swimming, meat, wine and karaoke.
The food was delicious - the right mix of spicy and sweet, perfect for summer.
While the girls were here, we took them to the beach at Macaneta. It was a beautiful day, full of sun, with just a touch of wind to keep things comfortable. At one point, we spotted something strange wash up on shore. Upon closer inspection, it was a turtle shell. The insides were definitely rotten, but it was super interesting to have a look at the turtle nonetheless.
We spent New Year's in Maputo, which was pretty low-key compared to previous years in San Francisco, Rio and Cape Town. Still, we had a good time celebrating with friends. I wore white, holding up the Brazilian tradition, but was definitely not in the majority...
Hallie and Cheryl enjoy some champagne in our living room prior to hitting the town.
Ready to be out with the old, and in with the new!
Happy 2009!! (Though I must say, this toast was deceptively early. This was still around 10pm, prior to going out, though we were ready to kick things off with style.)
Onto other news, I realized yesterday marked the 2-month anniversary of Parceiro's death. It seems like it was a year ago. So strange how time works when you suffer a loss. Rico and I think of him often, and how he must be enjoying himself in the land of fleece and treats.
Much of Parceiro's spirit has been captured in our little ones, Mano and Nina. Here we are - the entire cat fam - enjoying some tv on the bed. Pria continues to be a stellar momma cat, keeping the kittens clean and sleeping with them in a protective heap. It is incredibly cute. :)
Monday, December 22, 2008
Mano and Nina
Friends, say hello to Mano (the white one with black spots) and Nina (the one all black on top, white on the bottom). They are just over 6 weeks old now, and we are absolutely loving them. These little kittens have, without a doubt, been the best thing possible for the hole in our hearts left by Parceiro's death.
We took the kittens home at 5 weeks, due to what we deemed iffy circumstances at the farm where they were being raised, and they have adapted beautifully to our little home. We kept Mano and Nina in isolation for the first week so they could acquire the smell of our flat and have a chance to grow a bit before being introduced to big cat Pria.
Two days ago, we took the plunge and put everyone together for the first time. We had low expectations (from the internet, and previous disastrous cat introductions, we learned that Tolerance was a reasonable hope for the cats old and new), and were frankly prepared for the worst. My mom was predicting a pissing fest, the result of all the 3-cat homes we ever had while I was a child. My dad was slightly more optimistic, but noted that it took their 3 cats quite a while before they stopped hissing and spitting.
In fact, the first moments were a bit rough. Mano was much more agressive than we'd have predicted, and hissed quite a bit in Pria's face. Pria, for her part, was not amused, and got out the old pata for a few retalliatory swipes. Nina, poor thing, is the true definition of a scaredy cat, and just froze in her tracks when confronted by Pria, tail puffed out to the maximum. For most of the afternoon, Pria just lay on the table observing the seemingly offensive intruders. Rico and I were satisfied, as at least they weren't fighting (or pissing).
What we could never have expected, however, was that it would only take 1.5 days for the kittens and Pria to get on splendidly. Last night, Rico called me excitedly into the living room where he'd found our big Gato Preto affectionately licking and cleaning Mano and Nina. Pria was playing the role of Momma Cat for the first time since Parceiro came home from Day 1 at the vet. It made me cry, from happiness, as well as from the realization that Parceiro is truly gone.
I admit I had a good cry last night missing Parceiro. He will never be replaced, and we know that. But it is wonderful to have Mano and Nina, and Pria is undoubtedly much happier as well. We sensed she had a bit of a hole in her heart as well, and it seems that was the case given how amazingly she's taken to the kittens.
Tonight we are making pizza, and watching tv on the bed as a happy family - Patrão, Patroa, Pria, and the two Gatos Pequenos.
Mano and Nina on their first day at home on our verandah (5 weeks)
Enjoying some onion-free baby food.
Not quite used to sticky foods yet, so there was a lot of lip-licking involved
This afternoon, lounging on the bed. They have grown so much!
Making pizza dough while wearing the apron my mom gave me for Christmas (I obviously didn't wait for the appropriate day to open my gift!)
We took the kittens home at 5 weeks, due to what we deemed iffy circumstances at the farm where they were being raised, and they have adapted beautifully to our little home. We kept Mano and Nina in isolation for the first week so they could acquire the smell of our flat and have a chance to grow a bit before being introduced to big cat Pria.
Two days ago, we took the plunge and put everyone together for the first time. We had low expectations (from the internet, and previous disastrous cat introductions, we learned that Tolerance was a reasonable hope for the cats old and new), and were frankly prepared for the worst. My mom was predicting a pissing fest, the result of all the 3-cat homes we ever had while I was a child. My dad was slightly more optimistic, but noted that it took their 3 cats quite a while before they stopped hissing and spitting.
In fact, the first moments were a bit rough. Mano was much more agressive than we'd have predicted, and hissed quite a bit in Pria's face. Pria, for her part, was not amused, and got out the old pata for a few retalliatory swipes. Nina, poor thing, is the true definition of a scaredy cat, and just froze in her tracks when confronted by Pria, tail puffed out to the maximum. For most of the afternoon, Pria just lay on the table observing the seemingly offensive intruders. Rico and I were satisfied, as at least they weren't fighting (or pissing).
What we could never have expected, however, was that it would only take 1.5 days for the kittens and Pria to get on splendidly. Last night, Rico called me excitedly into the living room where he'd found our big Gato Preto affectionately licking and cleaning Mano and Nina. Pria was playing the role of Momma Cat for the first time since Parceiro came home from Day 1 at the vet. It made me cry, from happiness, as well as from the realization that Parceiro is truly gone.
I admit I had a good cry last night missing Parceiro. He will never be replaced, and we know that. But it is wonderful to have Mano and Nina, and Pria is undoubtedly much happier as well. We sensed she had a bit of a hole in her heart as well, and it seems that was the case given how amazingly she's taken to the kittens.
Tonight we are making pizza, and watching tv on the bed as a happy family - Patrão, Patroa, Pria, and the two Gatos Pequenos.
Mano and Nina on their first day at home on our verandah (5 weeks)
Enjoying some onion-free baby food.
Not quite used to sticky foods yet, so there was a lot of lip-licking involved
This afternoon, lounging on the bed. They have grown so much!
Making pizza dough while wearing the apron my mom gave me for Christmas (I obviously didn't wait for the appropriate day to open my gift!)
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Kitty Names
Rico and I decided. Our two new kittens are Mano and Nina. Mano because we wanted something that reminded us of Parceiro's name. Parceiro means "partner", and Mano is slang in São Paulo for "brother". Nina was inspired by the stray cat we took in earlier this year, Pequena, because they look a lot alike. The diminuitive form of Pequena in continental Portuguese is "pequenina", thus Nina.
They are so cute, and it's nice to be able to call the kitties by name.
Pria, however, continues unimpressed. There have been several hissing episodes through the varanda door.
They are so cute, and it's nice to be able to call the kitties by name.
Pria, however, continues unimpressed. There have been several hissing episodes through the varanda door.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Black and White / White and Black
That is how the veterinarian described our TWO NEW KITTENS when filling out their charts yesterday. We got them from Hugh Marlboro's farm (oh, the irony), as one of the resident cats gave birth to five kittens. Last week Rico and I went to visit them, and picked out a boy and a girl (we were hoping for two girls, but alas, there was only one in the litter). They are, as the vet's assistant tried to capture on the chart, black and white; one is nearly white with black splotches, the other is all black on top, and all white on the bottom. They are 5 weeks old and very, very cute. Now all they need is names!
We took them away from the momma cat a bit early, however it seemed like the best decision as the farm where the cats were staying has 1) poisonous snakes (the end of little Pequena, as you might remember), 2) an uncovered swimming pool (our little white/black cat actually fell in the day before we picked up the cats - thankfully the daughter of the farm supervisor was swimming and promptly plucked the kitten out of the water), and 3) there are CROCODILES in a pen behind the farmhouse (a homemade pen, by the way, with 3 crocs in it already and one ready to lay eggs tomorrow!).
I asked the farm supervisor's daughter - she is 9 years old - what they were going to do with all the crocodiles, and where they would keep them (the pen isn't that big). She matter-of-factly said the crocs would stay in her room while they were small, then they would give them to the croc farm down the road. I asked if she didn't think the crocodiles would eat the kittens, or any of the small sausage dogs they have running around the farm. No, she said, they are too small. The crocs that is, not the potential pet-snacks. I could just imagine that situation going horribly wrong about 100 different ways, but chose to keep my mouth shut. If this girl's parents think it's quite ok for her to be keeping crocs in her room, then I shall stay far away from that discussion!
So, yes, it would have been nice for the kitties to get an extra week of momma's milk. However, I'm not at all confident they would have survived that week unscathed. :)
For the time being, we are keeping the kittens in isolation on the varanda. I've been doing lots of reading on how to introduce cats to each other in the least painful way possible. They say it is unrealistic to hope for new cats to bond with cats already present in the household; a realistic expectation is for them to tolerate each other. I am 100% hoping for tolerance, but I also know it will likely be a rough next month given Pria's lovely personality. That said, I think it will be a good thing in the long run for Pria to have company, as (s)he is obviously lonely, needy, craving a play partner, and generally feeling the lack of a companion cat.
We'll see how it goes. As a precaution, we've invested in lots of bleach should our mattress become the vehicle for Pria to express her distaste with our newest additions to the household.
We took them away from the momma cat a bit early, however it seemed like the best decision as the farm where the cats were staying has 1) poisonous snakes (the end of little Pequena, as you might remember), 2) an uncovered swimming pool (our little white/black cat actually fell in the day before we picked up the cats - thankfully the daughter of the farm supervisor was swimming and promptly plucked the kitten out of the water), and 3) there are CROCODILES in a pen behind the farmhouse (a homemade pen, by the way, with 3 crocs in it already and one ready to lay eggs tomorrow!).
I asked the farm supervisor's daughter - she is 9 years old - what they were going to do with all the crocodiles, and where they would keep them (the pen isn't that big). She matter-of-factly said the crocs would stay in her room while they were small, then they would give them to the croc farm down the road. I asked if she didn't think the crocodiles would eat the kittens, or any of the small sausage dogs they have running around the farm. No, she said, they are too small. The crocs that is, not the potential pet-snacks. I could just imagine that situation going horribly wrong about 100 different ways, but chose to keep my mouth shut. If this girl's parents think it's quite ok for her to be keeping crocs in her room, then I shall stay far away from that discussion!
So, yes, it would have been nice for the kitties to get an extra week of momma's milk. However, I'm not at all confident they would have survived that week unscathed. :)
For the time being, we are keeping the kittens in isolation on the varanda. I've been doing lots of reading on how to introduce cats to each other in the least painful way possible. They say it is unrealistic to hope for new cats to bond with cats already present in the household; a realistic expectation is for them to tolerate each other. I am 100% hoping for tolerance, but I also know it will likely be a rough next month given Pria's lovely personality. That said, I think it will be a good thing in the long run for Pria to have company, as (s)he is obviously lonely, needy, craving a play partner, and generally feeling the lack of a companion cat.
We'll see how it goes. As a precaution, we've invested in lots of bleach should our mattress become the vehicle for Pria to express her distaste with our newest additions to the household.
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