Move over, Paul Rudd!

Every, now and then Mom need some girls time. We hang out in one room and lock the new kid out for  a little while, then we can talk about how our day was, if I liked my food and my nap and what she's up to. I can play with my Easter egg blank without being disturbed by an overexcited teenager. And sometimes we have to talk seriously.

"Mom, we have to talk."
"Oh dear. I hate when somebody tells me that. Do you want to break up with me?"
"Don't be silly."
"Sorry. Have a seat and let's talk."

"It's about den Dekan, isn't it? What has he done now? Has he broken something? Has he stolen one of your spots again?"
"It's more serious than that, I'm afraid. I think he has completely lost his mind now."
"Ooookay. From the start, please?"
"Do you remember how you've watched Stephen Colbert's videos with Paul Rudd the other day? The ones about auditioning him for 'Sexiest Man Alive 2021'?"
"Yes, so what? Those were just funny videos."
"Well, der Dekan got into your account."
"So? There was nothing weird about those videos."
"No, but der Dekan is convinced that Rudd was the wrong choice. He thinks he's far sexier."
"Oh ...."
"Right. Oh. You should be more responsible with your viewing choices."
"What's the problem, though? Don't tell me he has written to People magazine to complain."
"No, but he's determined not to let something like that happen again next year. He's planning a campaign and he's starting a portfolio with pictures and skills. You'll want to see these."

"Now that is pretty harmless, don't you think?"
"Only because the photographer cut off the edge on the right hand side which would have shown you his legs up in the air. Now look at this. He's doing the 'sexy slump' for the cover. Yes, he got that idea from your videos."

"And now be prepared for the worst. You NEED to have a word with him. He's not even grown up. What else are we to expect? His own perfume line? 'Male Hubris by Der Dekan'? Fashion? A rockstar career?"

"Wowie! Move over, Paul Rudd. This little guy is too sexy for his fur. Maybe I should write that email to People ..."

I'm despairing here, it's completely hopeless. In the name of Bastet, please send help, my friends. This household has gone completely nuts and I'm the only normal one here! Where will this end??
Stay tuned and be prepared for me turning up on your doorstep on short notice if things get worse!

The Avengers

"Got thrown out again, did you?"
"It's ridiculous, all I did was knock one of Mom's vintage thingies off the chest next to the printer. She shouldn't keep stuff there if she doesn't want them knocked off."
"Oh, Dekan, you young fool. Have you still not understood that she doesn't want you to knock anything off anywhere at all? No pictures off walls, no thingies off chests, no wire spools off her nightstand. Mind you most of these things have been around way longer than you have even been in this world. Don't worry, though, as long as they don't break completely or disappear, she'll be fine."
"It was rather funny, though, that she tried to pick that octopus up from behind the little cabinet using barbecue tongs."
"Be glad it wasn't broken. A friend made it and Mom loves it very much. Still got you thrown out, too. You are young, you will learn. Come on, sit down, and I'll tell you the story I promised you, about The Avengers."
"Who are ...?"
*stern look*
"The Avengers, Mr. John Steed and Mrs. Emma Peel. It's an old British TV show about spies. Now listen."

"After Mom's sister A. lost Mulder - whom I never had the honor to meet - she said she didn't want another cat. You know how it is, though. In the end they can't do without us for long, it's too quiet and who can live without furs and purrs?
Mom's other sister B., the one that was here just the other day, mentioned that at the vet's, and before long, they called to say that they knew about some kittens who needed a new home.
When Mom and A. went there, there were four little kittens. One of them, the only girl, was called Emma and she looked a lot like Mulder, white with tabby spots, so it was no wonder that she was the first chosen one.
All the others were boys, and finally A. picked one of them and renamed him John as she liked the name Emma and was inspired by The Avengers. Of course John turned into Johnny rather quickly, and honestly, from what I heard he's still not a gentleman like Mr. Steed was in the show.
These are the two as babies, by the way. You can already see that Johnny's fur has a touch of red."

"Are they still babies?"
"Of course not. This was four years ago and they have both grown up, just as you have already grown because you eat three times your own weight every day. Look, this is them two years later."

"And this is them now. Emma has become a beautiful and very elegant lady. Johnny has grown into a very handsome fellow. He likes to get on shelves and cupboards, just like you. Only he jumps up a lot better than you do. "

"Will I be that big one day and become a good jumper?"
"Only Bastet knows that. At the moment, I wouldn't want to bet on you while I would definitely put my money on Johnny or Emma."
"You don't even have any money except the change in the container that I keep knocking over."
"O Dekan, you still have soo much too learn. Next time I'll tell you the story about where I came from, and maybe I'll even let you in on the secret about where Mom hides her money and how to order toys off the internet."

Youngsters, eh? When Mom came back out, she let me into the room, so I could take an undisturbed nap in the computer chair, and from what I heard, der Dekan also had a little nap on her pillow.
There's nothing like a nice story to help you sleep ;-)

Introducing the new kid on the block

Welcome back to my little corner of the Universe which has become even a little smaller because doors have to stay shut a lot here these days. Excuse me while I'm glaring at a 6 1/2 month old kitten when saying that.
I'll have to explain.
In June this year, Mom made a very unfortunate remark to Kosel, one of the upstairs poodles. She told him that she wasn't able to pick an older companion for me at the moment and that he should bring a kitten from the farm near his humans' garden in a village nearby. She claims that she was whispering, but a few days later a box appeared in front of our door and said box contained a kitten.
Awww, he was so cute, he was so small, he was so adorable. Ugh, you know how humans are around kittens.

I won't beat around the bush. Ever since the kitten left quarantine - which he had to spend in the bunny room with a lot of toys and enough food for a grown tiger both as an introduction period and because of the contents of his litter box (no words to describe that, I swear) - he has been wreaking havoc. On Mom (who deserves it for her reckless decision), but also on his surroundings (Mom deserves that as well, she keeps stuffing things into cupboards and drawers and she even started decluttering!) and on myself (which is completely inappropriate).

His name is "der Dekan" which means "the Dean". He is named after one of the wizards of the Unseen University from the Discworld books. I'm not so sure about that name. Attila the Hun would have fitted nicely or maybe Godzilla even if it's just our place he's trying to destroy and not Tokyo. He steals, he fights dirty, he's wild, he knocks stuff over and down, he eats about twice his weight every day, and I doubt that the rugs in this flat will ever lie straight again. And doors get shut a lot because right now we can't be in the room with the staircase both at the same time (he keeps jumping at me up there and Mom does not want us to fall down), but also because der Dekan loves the kitchen counter and isn't allowed in there during preparing of some food and cooking, because he gets so excited about food that he inhales his and then tries to eat mine, because Mom needs some time to do things without him, for example take a shower or work on something, and so on and on and on .....

You will hear more about him eventually. I need to vent somewhere, right?

And you will hear what I will be teaching den Dekan (don't be surprised that the article will be changing, that's just German declination). The youngster is totally clueless. All he knows is the farm and his large number of siblings (nine, they said). Yesterday, when he tried to knock Dude's portrait of the wall, Mom stopped him and told him to honor the ancestors. She told him Dude's story and how he might not even be here now, hadn't it been for Dude. I have no doubt she's going to tell him more stories, but I think I'm better at that.

So in the next post I will pick up where Ponder left off in 2019. I'll tell dem Dekan about the feline master and mistress of my Mom's sister, Johnny and Emma. Ponder said that there were 1000s of pictures, and miracles happen, Mom finally edited and sorted those, actually not just those of the Avengers, but also old pictures of yours truly.
I know that Ponder who had a very big heart for new people and cats would want me to show the pictures and tell the story, so that's what I will be doing very soon.

For now, I'll leave you with a picture of the new kid from about a month ago. I picked it for the look on his face. Remember how Ponder tried to tell Mom that I was dangerous and a thief when I first came here? I wonder what he would say to this brat now ...

See you around soon, I hope!
~ Gundel

Self-service

"Gundel, I know that you are busy ironing my jeans with your butt, but can we have a short word?"
"Again? What is with you? Talking, talking, talking. Are you bored because of self-isolation and think you have to annoy me all the time? I'm starting to think about getting a restriction order."
"Oh yeah? How about I get a restriction order, so you won't take up all the space on my pillow in bed all the time?"
"You love when I sleep on your pillow. Even then you can't keep your hands off me and stop talking. Admit it."
"Yeah, okay. It's true. You are so cute when you sleep and your fur is so soft and ..."
"Get a grip, lady! So what is it you wanted to talk with me about?"
"Valerian."
"Geez, now what have I done?"
"This."

"That's the bag in which your offering of a brandnew valerian pillow came. What about it?"
"I had put it on the side, you were not supposed to open it yourself."
"What, now I have to ask you if I take something that's mine, anyway? You should be the one reprimanded for leaving it out."

She looked so silly with her mouth open like that when I left her standing there. Honestly, if she doesn't want me to take something, she should put it away.
By the way, if you are worried, I didn't eat the plastic. This is just the cleaned up version of the bag. In fact, it was the only plastic bag I ever ripped apart. That pillow sure smelled good. Or so I thought. I guess it had been the other one that I had killed a few weeks ago whose scent was still lingering. I left the new pillow on the spot, it was boring.
But hey, at least I didn't pee on it. That should make Mom happy, shouldn't it? ;-)

The pillow

"Lady G., a word?"
"I'm busy."
"I can tell that! What in Bastet's name are you doing?"
"Playing with my pillow. What's the problem?"
"What's the ... ugh. Let me get the dustpan."

I honestly don't know what Mom's problem is now. She got me two new spelt and valerian pillows with the last food order.
I love valerian, I lick it and drool on it and it makes me happy. She only lets me have it for a little, though, because she's afraid I'll get too high or ingest something that's not good for me.

"Gundel, that was the last time I got you valerian pillows."
"May I ask why?"
"You may. The last time I got you some you peed on one of them while I was on the phone telling my sister how much you like your new pillows."
"I did like one of them."
"What was wrong with the other one?"
"It didn't feel right."
"And what have you done with this one? I saw you lick it, turned my back on you for five seconds and then this!"

Seriously, do you know what her problem is?