Puntina, Pallina, Musetta, Streghetta, Gattina, Carinissima: Jolie

So Jolie is the latest member of our little clan -- would you believe there is 4 of us?

Her and Flip, of course, do not get along at all. They don't seem to mind sharing a dish of food or a litter box but they can't seem to share the same cubic meter without going into a hissing frenzy. Suprisingly they manage to stay out of each others way, when they aren't pouncing on each other... so the days are quiet. Mostly.

But with us, me and Jac that is, she's an absolute sweetheart, coccolona, super cuddly and soft.

Here is an album to enjoy: http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2137951&l=85ef4&id=16103479

Note that in the pictures in which Flip and Jolie seem to be peacefully laying together --- i've put them together while they slept. The second they realize where they are....


hssss.

Flip, Capriola, Micio, Sorcio, Cucciolo, Amorino...

Just some of the many names per day I call my cat, Flip. I thought an update might be merit worthy and so i'm giving one -- especially in highlight of some recent, exciting news. Which i'll get to. Just keep reading.

So Flip has adjusted quickly and well to his new home. Yeah, it HAS been only about a week and a half since he's been allowed out to 'wander' all by himself but he's proved a faithful cat and has always come home. After all the sweat and tears we went through putting netting up all along our garden only to watch Flip scale this netting in the matter of 2 seconds the first time we let him in the garden and turned our backs -- it became very obvious that our efforts were futile and that Flip had the upper hand. Cats can get out of anything. Perhaps not a steel enclosed case but I wouldn't bet on it -- and I think it'd be a bit inhumane to try it.

Comunque--ahem- it wasn't easy. I went chasing after him the first 10 times he got out and kept bringing him home until one day I said "basta" and let my little Flip run off on his own.

I would have never have made it had it not been for living on a Private Street.

So the verdict? Flip is happy with his indoor/outdoor cat life. Really happy. He comes home all cuddly and sweet and exhausted and only wanting to be coddled by us. He's calmer, he's sweeter --- he's healthy and fit.

He still spends most of his time in the house --- at first it wasn't that way but I guess after he had a taste of "Liberty" he chilled out a bit. He greets us at the door when we come home and ----- he's the cute part --- cries when we leave. And now that he can get out of the garden he follows us when we walk away, crying.

Because Jac and I often "walk" away instead of driving this has become a big problem. We don't want to walk him out of the street, onto the main road --- so we've taken to keeping our walks short and closing him up in the house while we are gone. The only other option is taking the scooter or the car (to make for a quick escape so he can't follow us) --- but often we're only walking to something a few minutes away so it's a waste of gas.

For now I find it really cute to have my little black kitty trailing us because he adores us and wants to be with us so much --- but it's going to technically become a problem if we hope to keep him away from the street. We've thought about getting him a lease so we can start taking him with us --- but I don't know --- you might say cat's aren't made for leashes but I tell you with my most serious face on that Flip is in many ways not like a cat at all --- and much more like a dog (in that he plays fetch, rolls over and other inexplicable feats that we never actually trained him to do....).

Ideas are welcome.

So here's the exciting new news. Now that we have the space, and a garden (and lots of love to give) --- we've decided to get our long awaited second cat! We're thinking that she (yes it will be a femminucia) and Flip could take care of each other during the day. Friday we'll make some calls and hopefully go pick one up. Rome has no shortage of "gattini" (little cats) --- so finding one in the local classifieds will be a cinch. A lot of the ads are for boxes of kittens that have been abandoned on sides of roads or similar --- which sadly happens a lot here.

Anyway --- it's like planning a second child! Jac and I actually sat down and had a serious talk about it the other day over a beer. We've actually been talking about it and waiting for the right moment since we got Flip --- and now feels like a good time .... so we're ready for the challenge.

And you may say --- why a challenge?

Well i'll ask you to do as our "cat manual" says and think about a 2 month old kitten like a 2 year old child. With claws. That can climb curtains.

Think about it....

Update on Flip

It's been a while since i've spoken of the cat.

And i'd like to let ya'll know he's gotten HUGE and beautiful. We've got him eating science diet "Hill's" which is super-de-duper fancy scientific cat foody stuff -- so his coat is super slick and shiny and black and his greenish-yellow eyes are big, piercing and curious.

He loves to surprise attack from behind doors as we enter rooms, has figured how to open up every damn door in the house and when we come home from a long day at work he likes to be picked up and cradled like a little baby while he purrs and arches his back.

He has a love for all things wires and has a little stuffed cat toy he ports around in his mouth wherever he goes and that he loves to play (gasp!) fetch with.

At night when we try to read he plants himself between us and our books and purrs until we cuddle him and stop reading. He bites our feet when they stick out from under the comfortors and when he's very sleepy he'll climb into the tiny space between Jac and I as we sleep and pass right out.

He's a lovely cat.

I can't wait to get another one :-)

Jac is kind of holding off on the idea but I shall have my way!

Resemblance? Hmmm.

Introducing the Dolcissimo Flip!

So, he was playing with his catnip mouse and doing head over heel flips on the couch and I cooed at him then asked Jacopo what he thought of a name like "Flip". He smiled, we shook on it and the name was decided.

Minus the part when he peed a pool on Jacopo's duvet (12 euro dry cleaning bill), he's been so well behaved! He learned (mostly) everything after being shown once --- and doesn't cause a ruckus when we go out for a few hours. He's amicable with everyone willing to give him a lil' love and is full of energy.

And we're like a little family, and Jac and I joke about being Ma and Pa as we cheerfully share expenses and litter-box-poop-scooping duty.