kittens are great. my kids spent more time playing with them than they ever spent watching tv funny thing was even after the cats grew up they where still a lot of fun to play with.
John Laurence was a TV reporter in Viet Nam and evacuated a skitter kitten during the battle for Hue city. He tucked it into his flak jacket, and it spent the chopper ride out chewing and clawing his chest. He eventually decided it had to be a VC cat, because it hated Americans, although a truce between the two was eventually established and he brought it home to the Land of the Big PX. Laurence was in and out of Viet Nam several times, got shot at a lot and his book The Cat from Hue is a great read on the ground war, the people who covered it, and his negotiations with the cat, who never really surrendered. On a parr with Michael Herr's Dispatches, maybe better. Trust me on this one.
I love cats and dogs. There don't seem to be many people who don't like dogs, but hordes who don't like cats. How can anyone's heart not melt seeing kittens playing like that? [rocketride]
Hate to be a buzzkill, but never, never, never use your fingers or hands to play with a kitten. They will learn that biting and scratching people is acceptable. Always use a toy and stop playing the moment they bypass the toy and bite or scratch your hand or fingers. I had a kitten once that used to stalk and ambush me, including leaping out of a cupboard onto my face like a Stephen King cat. (In his case, the behavior was not taught - he was born aggressive. The family I adopted him from said, "Oh good, you took the mean one that bites.")
kittens are great. my kids spent more time playing with them than they ever spent watching tv
ReplyDeletefunny thing was even after the cats grew up they where still a lot of fun to play with.
Skitter kitten.
ReplyDeleteJohn Laurence was a TV reporter in Viet Nam and evacuated a skitter kitten during the battle for Hue city. He tucked it into his flak jacket, and it spent the chopper ride out chewing and clawing his chest. He eventually decided it had to be a VC cat, because it hated Americans, although a truce between the two was eventually established and he brought it home to the Land of the Big PX. Laurence was in and out of Viet Nam several times, got shot at a lot and his book The Cat from Hue is a great read on the ground war, the people who covered it, and his negotiations with the cat, who never really surrendered. On a parr with Michael Herr's Dispatches, maybe better. Trust me on this one.
I remember reading that years ago. Was wonderful. [rocketride]
Deletehttp://www.purr-n-fur.org.uk/featuring/war06.html
DeleteWiscoDave
That's it, Wisco. A lot more to the story than just the cat, but the cat is central to the story.
DeleteI love cats and dogs. There don't seem to be many people who don't like dogs, but hordes who don't like cats. How can anyone's heart not melt seeing kittens playing like that? [rocketride]
ReplyDeleteLove me some play cats. Wife and I fostered orphan kittens for a year or so. Too much fun.
ReplyDeleteHate to be a buzzkill, but never, never, never use your fingers or hands to play with a kitten. They will learn that biting and scratching people is acceptable. Always use a toy and stop playing the moment they bypass the toy and bite or scratch your hand or fingers. I had a kitten once that used to stalk and ambush me, including leaping out of a cupboard onto my face like a Stephen King cat. (In his case, the behavior was not taught - he was born aggressive. The family I adopted him from said, "Oh good, you took the mean one that bites.")
ReplyDeleteThat rollover/flip move!
ReplyDelete