Is the Honeymoon Over?

           

These two adorables have been testing me! Our little darlings wake us during the night, either with disturbing-sounding vocalizing (Fluffalo), or extreme sports games in the wee hours (Peep). I love that they're having so much fun in their new environment, but I do wish they'd confine their Olympic cavorting and caterwauling to the daytime hours, and NOT when I'm sleeping!

After 4 weeks of adoring our 2 new feline houseguests, and wallowing in cat-cuteness, there have been days when I'm so tired that I feel as if I might burst into tears if one more thing is asked of me! It brings me back to parenting toddlers, and oh my! I no longer have the stamina for it.

Darling, pathetically-needy and loving Fluffalo has become my shadow. He DEMANDS contact. And heck, I must say I love it that he chooses ME.

But ... he's been tailing Dallas (resident cat) relentlessly wherever she goes, or keeps advancing menacingly towards her, even as she's yowling "NO." He keeps at it without letting up, and then acts as if his threatening advances are innocent.

He's also INSISTENT that he ought to be allowed on countertops and tables, a big "No-no" in our house. Did I mention the word relentless? I'm worn out from scolding and chastising (but it's not as if I wasn't warned ahead of time). How can he not melt your heart, though? Fluffalo usually starts the day in the negatives on the cuteness scale because of his nightly yowling, but manages to exceed way more than 100% before days' end. 

And then there's Peep - silky, talkative, and perfectly delightful. Fluffalo's feisty partner in crime has so much more dignity, smarts, and cunning. She manages to stay under the radar - I suspect she's the mastermind behind the plot to send Fluffalo out into battle with Dallas, so he can test the waters and pave the way for her ladyship.

She's so playful, and lightning fast at pouncing games. Never mind "the pitter-patter of tiny feet - I think Peep's the main culprit when it comes to thundering back and forth across the slippery floors at night, rumpling my floor mats into trip-able floor obstacles.

I love seeing her shred egg boxes for fun (I think she imagines she's tearing up prey) - it's so much fun to watch, despite the awful mess it makes. Her little vocalizations as she arrives at our side or gets stroked on a lap are unbelievably endearing (she usually chooses Dale for laps) - it's like a mix of a goat bleating and an old woman who's had her voice-box removed! She has managed to stay consistently adorable despite her one BIG flaw of charging around like a herd of elephants in the early hours of the day/night.

Despite all this, I totally adore them! It's the same as I felt about my own kids, and would go into battle for them! I love the feeling of them cozying up at the foot of our bed - if only they'd sleep ALL night through.