little poser

Mushi was hanging out in the bathtub tonight so I decided it was a great opportunity to grab the camera.  He's almost a big man now at 9 months, the same size as Nami who is 3 years old.  He's going to be a beast!

 

hunting season

It's that time of year when the pigeon's flock to our balcony.  Sex, violence and tender moments, we've seen them all.  Nami has been enjoying this spectator sport for a few years while this is Mushi's first.  It's going to be a good hunting season.

Bokeh and Kitties

Robert bought me the SLR Bokeh Kit from Photojojo for my birthday and it is Awesome.  We took it out for a test drive this evening and I love the results.  Looking forward to testing some more while we're in Japan.

Mushi was particularly crazy this morning, writhing around the chair in a playful manner.  I decided to snap some photos of his silliness and also caught a picture of Nami watching him from afar.  Below is a diptych to tell their story.  To me, the photo represents their individual personalities.  Nami is quiet, contemplative and an overall sweetheart while Mushi, still in his kitten stage, is a little ball of adorable destruction. 

Play time

Lots of chasing and wrestling this evening.  I'm so happy they get along so well :)

Stalker Posing

Nami and Mushi show me what they're made of . . .

He's 4 months old today!

He's going to be a BIG kitty.  I think the testosterone is kicking in; his neck is getting thicker and he has a much stalkier "I'm going to kick your ass" kinda stance.  Like a Bob Hoskins.

He's also developed Cat Acne on his upper lip.  At first we thought the white was changing colour and for a couple of days we made a joke that he was developing a Hitler stache.  But after closer observation, there were tiny black bumps on the skin.  My cats had this growing up, but it usually developed under their chin.  After some research, I found the cause could be plastic food and water bowls, which is what they had.  I changed their dishes to stainless steel and the acne cleared up completely. 


Mushi sporting his acne

We're a little stumped as to the cause of Mushi's.  He drinks out of a stainless steel bowl and his food plate is ceramic.  The vet said it's most likely a reaction to something in the environment.  She suggested removing the dish soap from the counter and any plastics he may be chewing on, to keep out of reach. 

Robert removed all of his plastic based toys and our kitchen counter is spotless all the time with chemicals put away; like child proofing.

It's been a week since it first appeared and it seems to be slowly clearing up.  Hopefully we've tucked away the cause and he heals to his adorable self again.



Macro Mushi

Mushi and the 7D test

A short video of Mushi using the Canon 7D. 

Lens: Canon 50mm f/1.4

It's a Boy!!

Welcome to the family, Mushi! 

Birth date: Aug 04, 2010.  9 weeks old

I decided to take the Friday of the Thanksgiving long weekend off to have some time to introduce Mushi to our resident 2 year old cat, Nami.  Mushi settled into the bedroom almost immediately when I brought him home, as any curious kitten probably would.



After a couple of days of separation and a handful of hisses and growls from Nami, she and Mushi play gently under the door.

 

By Sunday we decided to have them meet.  Mushi was placed in his carrier and brought out to the living room so Nami could investigate the bedroom where Mushi has been kept.  As cats rely completely on smell and are extremely territorial, the first couple of days both kitties were rubbed down with towels and exchanged several times a day.  Mushi didn't really respond much to Nami's smells, but Nami's nose worked over time as she sniffed his odor filled towels.  With the continous swapping, Nami adapted fairly quickly to his scent. 



After Nami explored the bedroom and mainly ignored the kitten in the carrier, we decided to release him to test her reaction.  There were several gentle bops on the head and a few more hisses to show Mushi her first rank in the household.   Lots of chasing back and forth through the apartment followed by crash naps for both, we continued to separate them for extended periods and repeat short meetings.  We are having much success!

I am so incredibly proud of our Nami! :) She's making the transition for Mushi an easy one.