Felix Snugglebunny — The First Indulged FUrry

April 2, 1994 - November 2, 2008

Felix adopted me at a local pet store where the S.P.C.A. was holding their Saturday morning adoptions.  He was 4 months old and full of love that he wanted to share with someone. The minute I saw him I knew we were meant for each other. I took him from his cage and we bonded instantly. He just wanted to be held and loved. It broke my heart to put him back in his cage, but I had come to the store to buy something for a friend's pet and I didn't want to adopt him on a whim. I asked the adoption lady to "reserve" him for me so I could take some time to be sure.  I couldn't stop thinking about the kitty who didn't want to be put back in his cage, so about one hour later I returned for the soft kitty who stole my heart.  That was the beginning of the Indulged Furry Home.

When I arrived at my new home, I just had the basics: a litter box, food & water bowls, and few toys. I didn't need my own bed because I got to sleep in mom's big bed with her.  Mom and I had lots of fun together.  One of my favorite games was playing "stalk".  There weren't any other furry playmates in the house, so she would play with me. She'd hide behind the couch or around a corner and I'd stalk her! When I hunted her down she was always surprised that I had found her so quickly and stealthily. Sometimes she knew I was coming (she'd peek under the couch and see my feet) and then she'd surprise me and scoop me up for a big snuggle.  She'd put me back on the ground and give my bottom a tickle and send me on my way.  I liked pretending to be a ferocious predator and I'd run up to her, rear up on my hind legs, reach up with my front paws - all spread out (but not with my claws out) and pretend that I was going to attack her.  Then, before she could snatch me up, I'd flip around and escape her mommy snuggle! Of course I didn't stay away from her very long because I love I being snuggled and cradled like an infant. I also liked piggy-back rides. We didn't have a tall perch yet, so mom was my "tree" and I'd climb up on her back.  I learned to do this as a kitten and even now that I'm 10 years old I still get piggy-back rides around the house.  It's a fun way to travel, just be sure you don't dig your claws into your mom's back.

Playing with mom was fun, but I was home alone all day while she was at school and things got pretty boring.  So mom thought it would be nice for me to have some kitty company.  I thought that was a good idea because I needed a daytime companion and kitties can do "kitty things" together that I just couldn't do with mom.  About 1 month after my homecoming, my little sister Smokey joined our family.  On her first day home mom let me "investigate" my new little sister and I followed her around the bedroom sniffing her backside.  She was a big kitten, full of energy, personality, and she quickly became my very best kitty friend.  We were inseparable siblings who loved to play, groom, snuggle, sleep, eat, and enjoy treats together. Now I had another kitty to play chase with and stalk! I loved my little sister, and as her older brother I would do anything to make sure she was loved and protected.

This is one of my favorite photos of Smokey and me.  I like it because I like to remember how little she once was.  Ever since I was one year old I've been a long, skinny 9 pound kitty.  Even though Smokey is a naturally large kitty,  my "little" sister's passion for food meant she quickly grew up to be a "big girl".  It didn't take her long to surpass my 9 pounds, then continue up to 12, 15, and 18 pounds!  She always stole food from my food bowl, and mom eventually had to put her on a diet.  That meant my food bowl was taken away so Smokey couldn't steal from it, but that was ok.  I'd rather be hungry and have my sister healthy.  Mom would try to quietly sneak me food while Smokey was in the back yard. I'm a much more finicky eater than Smokey (she ate almost anything), but there were times when we shared some really yummy treats together.  We loved licking the beaters after mom made chocolate pudding. If you haven't had the opportunity to try it, you should have your caretaker make you some.  It's delightful and it's one of the few treats I enjoy.

Everyone raves about pet drinking fountains, so mom bought me one.  It didn't interest me at all. Why drink from a noisy fountain when you can get fresh water right from your mom's hands? Every day my mom uses her hands to make a personal drinking waterfall from one of the faucets. I also get on the side of the tub when she takes a shower and wait for her to pull back the shower curtain just enough so she can stick her hand over, let the water run down for me to drink, and I don't get sprayed from the shower (sorry, no photos of that). She tries to remember to leave a faucet dripping for me so I can get a drink when she's not home, but when she forgets I can always play in the sink!

I'm very active and agile, and I love running around the house like a wild kitty. Mom says I "have the friskies". She still chases me, but I'm so fast she can't catch me, unless I want her to.  One of the simplest kitty indulgences in our house is that the couches are pulled out a few inches from the wall.  This give us more places to run behind and play stalk from.  When mom is chasing me I always run behind the couch and she can't catch me because she has to go around.  What's really funny is when the couches have been nudged back a bit and I'm the only kitty skinny enough to fit behind them.So when Ed and I are playing, he can't fit behind the couch and I escape his pudgy pounce !  You may have already seen the page showing our extensive perch collection. Mom bought my first cat perch soon after I arrived at the Indulged Furry house, and over the last 10 years, we've added many more.  The perches are a fun way to scratch and get exercise.  Mom moves them around sometimes, so there's always a new combination of kitty jungle gym perches to play on.  Part of our perch collection includes some large logs that are wonderful for scratching.  We decided that since we aren't allowed out to explore the neighborhood and all the big trees, then it was only fair that they should come inside for us! I'm lucky to have a mom and dad who don't mind "odd" furniture in the house. Ok, Dad kind-of minds, but he knows it makes mom and us very happy so he tolerates it!   I can reach almost 3 feet high when I'm standing on my hind legs and in "full stretch", and my 40-inch long log is the perfect height for me.  If you know anyone who's cutting down a tree, I highly recommend asking for a large limb and having it brought inside for your very own scratching post. Of course have your owner clean it off with a good sweeping or even a vacuuming before bringing it inside, and only get wood from a healthy tree, not one that's dying or has bugs. 

We haven't gotten a new perch in a few years, but we did get Catwalks!  I saw a book called "The Cats House" and convinced mom that as an Indulged Kitty I must have catwalks so I could have my very own "second story" in the house. Of course I'd share them with Smokey and Ed, but being the most active and agile of the group, they were perfect for me. The catwalks go all around our living room and we can walk around the room way up high. It's lots of fun to be up high above your human where you belong!  We recently moved to a new house and the catwalks came with us, but they haven't been installed yet.  We really miss them and hope mom can finish negotiations with dad on which rooms get a "second story" for the kitties!

I enjoy all my "material" indulgences, but what's most important to me is Smokey and my mom.  It was very hard when Smokey got sick. I could tell something was wrong with her because she didn't have the energy she used to.  When she passed away, I was very sad.  My little sister who I had lived with every day for the last 8 years was suddenly gone, and I missed her.  For about 2 weeks I went around the backyard and house looking for her in all her favorite sleeping spots. I would even sit & meow outside the linen cabinet where Smokey would go in and sleep. Smokey tried to teach me how to open the cabinets, but I could never figure it out, so mom would have to open the cabinet to show me that Smokey wasn't there.  Mom told me Smokey was in the Spirit World, and she would visit me whenever I needed her.  I still sleep in our blue snuggle bed and it's nice remembering I had her company for 8 years. I'm not telling you this story to make you sad.  I only wanted to share this with you so that if someone told you cats don't feel a sense loss when one of their housemates is gone, you would know it isn't true.   

Always remember that being indulged means keeping your caretakers on their toes and enjoying the finer things in life. Investigate places where you really shouldn't be!  Sleep on the laundry when its warm from the dryer.  Indulge yourself to stretching out in the sunshine, relaxing, and getting a nice tummy brushing so you look nice and sleek!  And then curl up in your favorite perch for a nap!