Notes from Candice Ransom

Atticus: Status Update

web atticus basket

When we left off a few months ago, the kindly old man and woman who adopted Atticus were wondering when their “little kitten” would settle down.  The old man says the cat is calmer than he was.  There are actual whole minutes when the cat just sits.  However, the old woman, who stays with Atticus all the livelong day, knows better.

This is her office on a typical day.

atticus office

This is the innocent perpetrator.

atticus floor web

Atticus is a “carrier.”  He carries things in his mouth, usually things that don’t belong to him.  This Staples bag contained supplies when Atticus made off with it.

atticus bag

Once when the old woman was working in her office one evening, she heard odd noises coming up the stairs—the cat’s usual stampede (he still doesn’t walk) accompanied with a rattle, rattle, rattle.  He trotted into her office dragging a full-sized bag of popcorn (already popped).  He had stolen it off the kitchen counter, carried it through the downstairs rooms, up the stairs, down the hall, and into her office.  She figured he wanted her to open the popcorn and put a movie on for him.  His choice: “Aristocats.”  Her choice: “That Darn Cat.”

Actually Atticus has no problem opening things.  He hauled a bag of dried split peas off the counter, chewed a hole in the bag and ate some dried split peas.  He still eats anything not studded with spikes or marked with a skull and crossbones.  Oatmeal.  Russell Stover chocolate caramel eggs.  Scrambled eggs with hot sauce.  Lettuce.

And he still gets into everything.  Everything.

atticus folder

It wouldn’t be so bad if he wasn’t so mean.  He’s so mean he can’t stand his own self.

atticus chair

He’s so mean he bites door hinges and faucets.

atticus faucet

If meanness could be boxed it would look like this.

atticus box

Atticus is also clever.  How many cats could yank off the tablecloth and leave the Sunday Washington Post still in its exact spot?

atticus tablecloth

The old woman, who gets grayer and more wrinkled and shorter every day, is thinking of hiring him out as a magician’s assistant.  Or sending him out to work on a garbage truck.

She misses the old days when he’d tucker himself out and slept a few winks.  The photo at the top of this post is dated December 9.  That’s the ONLY time she and the kindly old man have ever seen the cat with his eyes closed.

He sleeps when they are out of the house (every chance they get–they fight over who goes to the grocery store).   One day the old woman will snap a picture of dozing Atticus.  She has a better chance of capturing a shot of the Loch Ness monster.  In fact, she’d gladly trade the Loch Ness monster for Atticus.  Nessie, at least, has settled down.

9 thoughts on “Atticus: Status Update”

    • You heard some of those stories at the retreat. He won’t be the Worst Cat in the World forever . . . just for a year or so.

      While I put up the post, Atticus rearranged everything on the kitchen counter and brought me a packet of mustard, all the way upstairs into my office. He felt I have a mustard deficiency this morning.

      Reply
  1. Oh, Atticus! Thanks for the update — enjoyed reading about his antics. That tablecloth trick is too much! And that bit about popcorn and a movie is hilarious :D. If you read Downton Tabby to him he might settle down. Or not.

    Reply
    • I could follow that cat around one day and have dozens of pictures of him into stuff and in general misbehaving. We do a lot of yelling around here and “time out.” But we also laugh a lot. He keeps us on our toes, something we haven’t experienced with a cat in years. Can’t read anything to him yet, except the riot act!

      Reply
  2. Well y’know… I could have given you our CAT! But nooooo, you had to go and get a KITTEN!!! He’s still freaking adorable. (My theory is they are cute at this age so that we don’t kill them.) 🙂 e

    Reply
    • I know! I wanted a big, solid, calm catly-cat like Winchester. So I got a kitten that’s mostly fur (and stomach) and moves faster than a comet. But he is very cute . . . and yes, that theory makes a lot of sense. Do puppies cause so much trouble?

      Reply
  3. Well, at least your life is not dull! Atticus seems to provide a constant source of entertainment. Perhaps his adventures will be the inspiration for future books. He is a handful, but surely he’ll settle down with age!

    Reply
    • Constant source of entertain *and* agitation. I didn’t put Winchester in a book for 10 years. I wonder if Atticus will ever go in one–maybe some of his antics!

      Reply

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