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Guest post: Kittens and catterflies

Guest post: Kittens and catterflies

Sometimes, my brain goes on meandering side trips with, neither particular reason (sound or otherwise), nor rhyme (iambic pentameter or otherwise).

Some vague thing will twinkle off at the edges of literal or figurative sight, and there I go…chasing butterflies, bumbleflies, flutterbys, dragonflies, and dragons, once again and all at once.

Overlapping spirals of kaleidoscopic imagery somehow take firm shape, then melt away into the mists or night or clouds of rainbow colored smoke.

Tumbleweeds of fuzzy ideas coalesce and dissipate, firm for a moment before floating off into the ether.

Steering my brain in a straight path, wrangling it to hold firmly onto just one idea at a time…well, frankly, it’s like catching kittens.

Actually, it’s more like trying to hang onto kittens once caught, which is no easy feat (ask one particular calico who, along with some friends, has so frequently needed catching that there is now a baby gate doubling up the blocking capacity of the door to the Special Needs suite).

Kittens are notoriously difficult to hang onto. They are the embodiment of wriggles — weirdly wonderful in a wild, wacky way.

Kittens are also extremely energetic, right up until the moment of complete collapse — sort of neutron-starry in that way. Galactically explosive and powerfully entertaining, then oh, so, very, very…catnap.

But, when they are awake, kittens spring and leap about. Kittens wrestle (link to Koneko Rikishi) and cavort. Kittens dance gavottes and jigs and get us joining in their homespun fun, making us laugh with delight even as we fend off their more zealous advances.

Meandering down paths is just not an option with kittens. One must dart and zag and leap about in a shared frenzy of fur and fluff and purr and puff. Toys that swish and roll are the best, except for the ones that crinkle and squeak. Oh, and don’t forget the treats.

Now, as you might imagine, visiting the kittens is both invigorating and exhausting (and sometimes rather fragrant – thanks to whomever did that thing that one time that…oh…sigh…kittens).

It is always well worth the time spent to know that the twinkles in the corners of one’s eyes are real, that those very twinkles will traipse over on delicious toe beans to play with you and climb all over you, as demonstrated in this gratuitous kitten video:

Happily, with kittens, there is no need to imagine. There is no need for bizarre imaginary journeys over fanciful landscapes. Each kitten is every bit as spectacular as rainbow-butterfly-unicorn-kitten, as superb as any catterfly, and cooler than any dragon or Lenny Kravitz.*

Gloria and Elaine

Kittens are the real deal.

Better still, kittens grow up to be cats. And we like cats…a lot.

*Hat tip to our fearless leader of the Tabby’s Place blogiverse, one Angela Hartley, for that savory tidbit of wisdom. 

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