To: Cayti; From: Arthur

My mom had a gift ready for Cayti's birthday (nevermind that she was way late getting it to her) but I thought that Cayti needed to be able to know that it was from me too:

New Photos

Meet Ellie Harris

My name is Eleanor Walker Harris, but they just call me "Ellie" because I'm short. I am named after Eleanor Walker (a.k.a Ellie Walker) from The Andy Griffith Show.

I am five years old and am the baby of the family. I first came to live here when I was only a couple of months old. I was outside the house crying and the lady who lived there, who is now known as "Mom," was outside watering her plants on the front porch. She brought me in and fed me and started trying to find a different home for me. After a couple of weeks, someone contacted her that they would like to have me, but she told them that she was far too attached to me by then and that they couldn't have me (Not like anyone could "have" me anyway, because I am far too independent for anyone to own me).

I am a very quiet kitty and speak probably only a couple or three times a day, if I REALLY want something. Otherwise, most of the time, I just get by using my cuteness and don't usually have to ask for things. Like Margaret, I am a very small kitty. Actually I am smaller than she is, but I'm a little chubbier than she is, not to imply that Margaret is anything but ideal.

My nemisis is Arthur. He's mean to me and he picks on me. I know that it is just because he has to be threatened by how adorable I am. Sometimes he just looks at me and I know he's up to something, so I'll just go ahead and 'BIP' him in the face.

You could call me a vegetarian, like my mom, except that I eat meat. My favorite foods are snap peas, green peas, tomatoes, corn, green beans, spinach and brussels sprouts (and the brussels sprouts make really fun toys, too. What's better than a food that is also a toy?). I like kitty food too, in fact there really isn't much that I won't/don't eat.

My favorite toys are these spider rings leftover from Halloween and my mom's ponytail holders that she wears around the house.

Meet Margaret Harris

Margaret is 9 years old. She is named after Margaret Thatcher because of her color.

Jeff brought her home from BSC when she was about 4 weeks old, as most of the cats on campus don't make it. Because she came from a pretty long line of feral cats, she is truly our scaredy cat. She is perfectly happy and content in the house with Jeff, Beth, Tigger, Arthur and Ellie, but let a stranger so much as step onto the front porch and she hides for hours.

Getting her to the vet is an event. She has been only three times in her life, because it traumatizes everyone, not just her, when it occurs.

She prefers running water to drink, but we have spotted her on the rarest of occasions drinking from the water dish. She is a FREAK for catnip. I've even caught her once or twice with the cabinet open trying to pull the container of catnip out.

She is by far the sweetest and most polite kitty we have, but don't try to snuggle with her dad or you'll get smacked!

Margaret is a very small cat, but is perfectly proportioned and ounce for ounce she is likely the strongest kitty we have in our family. She is quite athletic and her curiosity makes her an excellent hunter. Oh yeah, and she is definitely a daddy's girl.

Cat Definitions

(Found this online)

• Aquarium: interactive television for cats.

• Cat: 1. a lapwarmer with a built-in buzzer.
  2. a four footed allergen.
  3. a small, four-legged, fur-bearing extortionist.
  4. a small, furry lap fungus.
  5. a treat-seeking missile.
  6. a wildlife control expert.
  7. one who sleeps in old, empty pizza boxes.
  8. a hair relocation expert.
  9. an unprogrammable animal.

• Cataclysm: any great upheaval in a cat's life.

• Catatonic: a feline medicinal drink.

• Caterpillar: a soft scratching post for a cat.

• Cat Scan: to look for a new cat.

• Door: something a cat always wants to be on the other side of.

• Energy: the element of vitality cats always have an oversupply of until you try to play with them.

• Human: an automatic door opener for cats.

• Impurrsonate: to act like the cat.

• Kitten: a small homicidal muffin on legs; affects human sensibilities to the point of endowing the most wanton and ruthless acts of destruction with near-mythical overtones of cuteness. Not recommended for beginners. Get at least two.

• Purrade: an organized march of cats.

• Purradise: the garden of Cats.

• Purramour: a cat lover.

• Purranoia: the fear that your cat is up to something.

• Purraphernalia: a cat's personal belongings.

• Purrch: any favored feline napping spot.

• Purrchase: anything bought for a cat.

• Purrfume: the scent of an open can of tuna.

• Purrmission: a feline hunting expedition.

• Purrpetual: everlasting feline love.

• Purrplex: a house with two or more cats.

• Purrsuit: the garment your shedding cat rubs against just as you are leaving home to go to an important meeting.

• Purrverse: a poem about a wicked kitty.

• Tuner: sonar-like device in cat food that causes cats to appear.

• Yawn: a cat's honest opinion openly expressed.

Meow

We didn't do much today other than walk around the house, take a nap, grab a snack, etc. But we did get to sit in the open windows this evening.