The Ding Ding Chronicles

Dingers inspires artists

2011-03-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

Ding Ding thought she could just quietly retire from the public eye--but her adoring public just won't let that happen. She is now the subject of two, yes, two paintings. And, as if that weren't enough, followers of this blog (well, we don't really know if there is more than one, but hope springs eternal) pester me to post more often. Never let it be said we don't aim to please.

What cats do while their people work...

2010-10-10T10:42:00.001-07:00

This picture says it all.

High wire act

2010-08-03T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ding Ding is an acrophiliac. She seems to have absolutely no fear of heights, and continues to explore all the elevated possibilities offered at both her residences. I don't have a picture of it, but this weekend she was walking along the railing of the second story deck like a tightrope walker without a net. This photo shows her on the roof of the shed, which she accesses via the tree at left. Rusty is a more down to earth kind of guy. Although he is a powerful jumper, he is not a climber unless something really worthwhile (food, e.g.) is on offer.

Back by popular demand

2010-07-01T19:28:00.000-07:00

Requests have been pouring in for new chapters in the Rusty vs. Ding Ding saga--well, two requests, anyway. So here we go. When I last posted we were trying to control Rusty's weight by putting Ding DIng's food on top of a book case. You can see from these photos how well that worked. We were amazed how high Rusty is able jump when there's food to be had. We even took away the chair, and he could still get to the Purina. I wonder if he could have a career as a spokescat for Purina.

Ding Ding goes for a walk

2009-10-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

Dingers was visiting Lopez this weekend, and decided to accompany her people on a Sunday morning walk. I've never been on a walk with a cat before--but I suppose if it was going to happen, it's not surprising considering what I know about Ding Ding.

Rusty is now on a diet. Having ballooned from 11 lbs. to over 17 lbs. in just 3 months, drastic action seems called for. Rusty never met a morsel of Purina Cat Chow he wasn't willing eat. Dingers only eats a few at a time, and remains quite svelte. What to do? Dingers is now eating her dinner on a bookshelf, Rusty is on limited rations until he regains his youthful figure.

More Ding Ding, more Rusty

2009-09-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Rusty and Dingers are still coming to terms with each other. Rusters is becoming downright portly now that regular food is a part of his life. Last time we checked he weighed in at about 14 1/2 lbs--approximately twice as big as Ding Ding. We suspect he is heavier now.

I am also attaching a picture that will be hard to decipher, but it shows Ding Ding nose to nose with a young deer in our back yard this summer.

Detente???

2009-07-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

Rusty has now been integrated into family life. He has virtues--he uses his litter box and he loves his scratching posts. He is very gentle, but we also believe he is a bit passive/aggressive. He seems to make a point to sleep in all Ding Ding's favorite places, and particularly problematic is that he sleeps on the bed with us. Nothing to be done about it unless we banish Dingers, too. We fall asleep; he insinuates himself. Things are relatively quiet--no hissing, a little swatting (Dingers not Rusty). All fingers crossed for a good outcome.

Introducing Rusty

2009-07-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

With this posting Rusty Staub makes his official debut on the blat. You can see he's already shedding on the furniture, which had really not been an issue when Dingers was an only cat.

A little too big to be comfortable

2009-07-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

When she was little Ding Ding loved to lie on my shoulders. As she got bigger this became less comfortable for both of us. Still, every once in a while she thinks she'd like to try those shoulders again. Here she is with Rog--who is none too pleased since he's trying to grade papers.

Ding Ding Returns!

2009-07-14T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ding Ding regrets her long absence from the blogosphere, but she is a very busy cat--so just suck it up. Dingers finally met Henry over July 4th, and nothing horrible happened to either baby or cat. So that's good. But now a new challenge lurks in the form of Rusty Staub, an orange male cat who first arrived on the scene about two months ago as a pretty pathetic stray.

We began feeding him, because he was obviously hungry, and finally won his trust. At which point I lured him into a travel container, and we took him to the animal shelter. He's now back with us, minus some basic male equipment (although he doesn't seem to hold that against us). I am hoping this is not a gigantic mistake, but we are still in the getting to know you phase. Rusty lives in his fortress of solitude, otherwise known as the guest bedroom, while he acclimatizes to his new situation--and Ding Ding tries to wrap her brain around the fact that she is no longer an only cat. Pictures of Rusty and Ding Ding to follow. Dingers is complaining that this blat is beginning to look more like a blab, what with all the baby pictures.

Everyone's a Critic

2009-05-28T16:47:00.001-07:00

Due to complaints about the infrequency of posts of the Ding Ding Chronicles I am moved to write, albeit not for long. Ding Ding's newest relation continues to grow. I believe he now weighs more than she does.

New Family Member

2009-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

She doesn't know if yet, but there has been an addition to Ding Ding's family unit. Her humans have become grandparents. It's possible she will meet Henry this summer, and I hope she will be as accepting as Henry's cat Lola has been.

No boundaries

2009-04-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

I've had complaints about the length of time I've left the dead rodent up on Ding DIng's blat. Tonight I will remedy that. Unfortunately I haven't been taking pictures of the Dingers lately. That doesn't mean she hasn't been busy--in fact she's been demonstrating new levels of fearlessness (or stupidity, depending on how you look at it). I just don't have photo documentation. Several weeks ago I saw DIng Ding stalking a raccoon across the neighbor's lawn. It was like she was herding it. More recently both Roger and I saw her tailing a possum. She lived to tell about both adventures, with no scars as far as I can seel--but I worry. She has no sense of her place in the universe. Since I don't have a new picture of her I am adding one from a previous visit to her island getaway.

Deadly Ding Ding

2009-03-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

The rodent pictured here died this fall. We don't know that Dingers was the assassin, but we are suspicious!

3,000 miles apart, cat friends love shopping bags

2009-03-14T11:23:00.000-07:00

Although they are separated by the width of the continent and almost a decade in age, Ding Ding and Lola prove in these pictures that cats will be cats--wherever they live, and however old they are.

Special places

2009-02-27T08:46:00.000-08:00

Ding Ding enjoys placing herself artistically.

Where does Ding Ding go?

2009-01-22T19:24:00.000-08:00

We have often wondered where Dingers goes when she is outside. Rog wanted to put a catcam on her, but we are both technologically lazy and inept, so that's not likely to happen. There was an article in the Seattle Post Intelligencer a few weeks ago about a couple who actually did that. They set the camera to take photos every few minutes. They found out the cat roamed much farther than they had imagined, and that it slept a lot. No surprises there. A prolonged period of snow last month gave me an opportunity to see where our cat actually does go.

Friends of Ding Ding

2009-01-18T11:45:00.001-08:00

Dingers doesn't have a Facebook page, not is she on Catster--but that doesn't mean she doesn't have friends. She is now friends with Hercules, a carrot-loving Papillon who lives in Pennsylvania; Marlin the cat, who lives in Delaware; and Lola, who gave Dingers some very delicious freeze-dried salmon treats for Christmas. Although Lola loves the salmon treats very much, and I think she would probably have preferred to eat them herself. Lola lives in Boston, and she will soon have to share her apartment with a new baby.

Ding Ding Meets Her Match

2009-01-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

In our ongoing effort to teach Ding Ding some basic manners we have come to depend upon this squirt bottle. We first tried the spray bottle we use for ironing, but it produces a mist. The mist didn't faze her. This bottle produces a much stronger stream of water, and she doesn't like it at all. All I have to do is pick it up, and she either doesn't jump up or if she's already up, she gets down. I guess this is progress--she knows she shouldn't be on the counters, and we have a way to enforce our wishes. But I'm pretty sure if we're not here she wouldn't hesitate to roam where ever she wanted.

The higher the better

2009-01-07T20:08:00.000-08:00

Ding Ding is the first cat I've owned who loves to climb. She likes altitude both inside and outside, and the thinner the branch the more she enjoys "going out on a limb."

A very bad cat

2008-11-23T17:20:00.000-08:00

I have accumulated a number of photos documenting Dingers' bad habits, and since I have not been a very diligent blogger I am making up for lost time today. One photo illustrates the pleasing contrast (if you don't object to cats on counters, which I actually do) between black and white fur and granite countertops. The other photo documents a new and annoying behavior--table top resting. In this particular photo, Roger was trying to eat breakfast. It should be noted that she never did attempt to scarf his English muffins, although I'm not sure that makes up for her being on the table.

The loneliest cat in the world

2008-11-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

When we went on vacation in September Ding Ding stayed behind. She was visited daily by Kate, who feed and watered her. She also took some photos to document how lonely Dingers was.

2008-11-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

Winter has arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and this has been a bummer for Ding Ding. You see her above, enjoying her vacation home in the San Juans. Now she wonders every day if she will be able to go outside at all. Molly Bloom, our cat pre-Ding Ding, was a true native of the Northwest. She didn't mind if it was raining, or if she got wet. Dingers does. This is a problem for her humans, because she is still very energetic as cats go. We find ourselves putting her outside simply because we need a break from her antics. When she was little we could burn off her energy by throwing newspaper balls for her to fetch. She still likes for us to throw the balls, but she doesn't retrieve the way she did when she was a kitten. This means less exercise and a living room covered in small wadded up pieces of newsprint. And less energy expended in acceptable activities means we spend our time fending off attacks on newspapers we are trying to read, chasing the cat off the counters as we try to cook or clean-up, or having to pick up papers she has deliberately pushed on the floor.

We know we have been lax in training Ding Ding. I can only say that we were totally unprepared for the cat we now share our house with, and we haven't yet figured out how to get through to her. Suggestions from more disciplined cat people would be welcome.

Offline but still busy...

2008-10-28T16:13:00.000-07:00

Fans of Ding Ding will have noticed that she has been offline for most of the summer. But that does not mean she has not been busy. Dingers had her first encounter with a deer while visiting Lopez Island this summer, and although she was terrified at first (who knew there were animals that BIG out there?) she quickly realized that she was able to intimidate the deer despite the rather significant size differential.

Then in September Ding Ding was The Loneliest Cat in the World for a week when her humans took a vacation and left her behind. Gasp. And in the care of a Stranger. The Stranger likes cats, always a good thing in a catsitter, and documented Ding Ding's anguish and desperation in photos. We will post those pictures next time. And we promise not to let more than two months go by.

Ding Ding Crashes the Party

2008-07-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Ding Ding brought new meaning to the acronym BYOB this past Friday night, when she decided to show up for my annual staff party with a bird (not dead) in her mouth. She galloped into the house, clutching her trophy, only to have me chase her back out.

It was pretty gruesome, although she was very proud of herself--and not too pleased with her reception. I'm sure she must have surveyed the refreshments, and thought the table needed something with feathers.

Although I have heard that they don't necessarily solve the problem, I think I will get her a bell for her collar.

On Vacation

2008-07-17T12:19:00.001-07:00

Ding Ding has been asked what she's been up to, and it's true it has been quite a while since I've posted on her blat.

It's been a traumatic time for cats in our household. We discovered that Ding Ding's step-sister Annie was not making use of her litter box just before we were heading to Lopez Island for a week of family togetherness.

Rather than leave Annie to do more damage, we packed her off to a kitty hotel and took Ding Ding to Lopez. Which she enjoyed, excepting for the car ride. Maybe there are cats who are good travelers, but I haven't met one yet, and Ding Ding is no exception. Upon our return we retrieved Annie, only to discover that although she had no physical issues that would cause urinary problems, she didn't regularly use her litter box at the vet's.

When I got home with Annie we left her on the back patio, an area she has enjoyed before, while discussing how to set up our house so as to limit cat problems. Next time we looked, Annie had vanished. More than a week later, we still haven't seen her. We now have a have-a-heart type trap, and we're hoping we can catch her. It's hard to believe she can have gone far, but we haven't found her yet.

Dingers does not miss Annie. They were not friends. But we feel responsible, and will keep looking. She does have a microchip--but she is mostly feral, and will not come when called or let people pick her up under most circumstances. So the outlook is not good.

More later.

Nature Red in Tooth and Claw

2008-06-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

She looks so innocent when she's sleeping, but don't be mistaken. Ding Ding is proving to be a predator. I came home from a meeting the other night to find my husband disposing of a dead robin. Ding Ding had brought it into the kitchen, and was playing with it. He had a battle getting it away from her--she kept grabbing it, and trying to bat it around. He finally prevailed, but I'm sure she'll do it again. I wouldn't mind dead rodents (although I'd prefer them not in the house), but I do hate to see her going after birds.

Always something going on...

2008-06-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted, but Dingers has been busy. She loves the outdoors, and spends a good part of her day outside unless it's really raining. I am including a picture of her in one of her favorite outside places--hiding in the grass.

The other morning I found her climbing around on the top of the 8 foot high backboard of an antique walnut bed we have. I ran to get the camera, but she got down when I left the room. I hope to get this feat documented on film, but who knows.

Water, water, everywhere

2008-05-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeanne is responsible for introducing Dingers to the joys of running water. And now it seems as if there's no going back. The cat has a strong need to check out sinks and bathtubs, and she's especially interested after I've been doing dishes, or if someone has just taken a shower. But she was overjoyed to play with water that was actually running. She has spent as long as thirty minutes playing in the sink.

Jail Break

2008-05-13T10:00:00.001-07:00

Roger was taking the trash out the other day, and Ding Ding made a break for the great outdoors. She immediately climbed our magnolia tree, and was extremely excited about all the falling petals. She got up pretty high in the tree, but had no trouble getting down on her own.

She is continuing to explore the great outdoors, a little at a time. Yesterday she went out again, and had an encounter with our neighbors' small dachshund Willy. Willy is a very yippy dog, and although he's not that much larger than Dingers, she was intimidated by his noisiness and happily retreated inside.

Looking forward: see Ding Ding enjoy running water, and watch her watching her favorite television programs.

Back By Popular Demand

2008-05-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently the reading public is desperate for an update on Ding Ding. Well, one person (my son) asked me when I planned to post again. So here's another entry for fans of Ding Ding.

Dingers has had an exciting new experience (not yet documented on camera). She has been outside. I am still unsure about whether she should be allowed to go out on regular basis, given the tragic demise of Molly Bloom (see first post), but she is very eager. She came outside with me yesterday while I worked in the yard, and she encountered a neighboring feline, Kato. It wasn't clear how this might work out, so Roger intervened and shooed Kato away. At this point, Ding Ding seems to prefer to hide under the shrubs, but she will probably get bolder.

The picture above shows Ding Ding in a favorite place--a paper grocery bag.

We Need a Cat Whisperer

2008-04-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing this cat is cute, because she has atrocious manners. None of my previous cats had any interest in kitchen counters. Ding Ding jumps up on ours regularly to see what's new. We've tried scolding and spraying her with water--so now she knows she isn't supposed to do it. The problem is she doesn't care. When we catch her on the counter she scurries to sit next to the toaster. Maybe she thinks we can't see her?

She also loves to drink out of the toilet. Yuck.

Ding Ding Displays an Early Interest in Literature

2008-04-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

We're not suggesting that the cat is able to read, but she is very interested in reading material. Since Ding Ding shares her house with a librarian and an English professor it seems very appropriate that she cares so deeply about books and newspapers. This is especially apparent on Sunday mornings when she amuses herself by playing fetch with small, scrunched up balls of newspaper, or diving under any sections of the paper that are scattered on the floor. We offer these photos as evidence of her varied taste in literature.

More Pictures of Ding Ding

2008-04-24T09:03:00.000-07:00

April 24, Part 2

2008-04-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

This is Annie, who lives, unhappily, with Ding Ding. Annie likes to be left alone--not a concept that Ding Ding understands.

April 24, 2008

2008-04-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Ding Ding is named after a friend of my daughter-in-law. Her friend is Chinese, and she says that Ding Ding is a very common name for pets in China. During Ding Ding's first days with us my family was visiting, and because of the cat's outgoing nature my sister-in-law grew quite attached to her. I promised to share pictures of Ding Ding as she grew up. At first I thought I would make some sort of album on my computer, but then I decided a blog would be the perfect vehicle for keeping everyone who likes Ding Ding informed of her progress. Hence the Ding Ding Chronicles. My husband thinks I should call this a blat instead of a blog. He says a blog would be for a dog.

The photo above is one of Ding Ding's favorite toys. She loves to play with all her toys, and even things that are not her toys. She is especially fond of playing fetch with small crumpled-up pieces of the newspaper.

In the beginning...

2008-04-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

In December, 2007, our cat Molly disappeared. She went out one day, and never came home. We posted signs around the neighborhood, sent out emails, and visited the shelter in hopes of finding her. But we never did. Finally on January 12, we decided to get another cat.

Molly only liked my husband and me, and would never even stay in the house if we had company. Her companion cat, Anna Livia, is a feral cat, and she shares our house, but is very afraid of people. We decided this time we wanted a really friendly cat. So off we went to the animal shelter-- my sister-in-law, my nieces, my son and his wife, and me. We looked at every cat they had, and I held many. Then my son said "what about one of these?" There were two kittens in a cage. One was black and white, the other a grey tiger. They were chasing each other all over the cage. I asked to hold the grey one first. Then I asked to hold the black and white one. She immediately started purring, and didn't stop as I handed her around to everyone.

So Ding Ding came home with us that day.