March 26th, 2024

Be forewarned, this is another kittyboy update!  If you are not interested in yet another chapter in the lives of Brysco and Wyatt, feel free to go on about your business. I bear you no ill will. Those of you still interested, please read on (and on a peronal note,  Yay!  so happy you wanted to read more)

The three remarkably similar items in the above photo are supposed to be toy butterflies attached to cords which are in turn attached to sticks.  If you look closed you will notice that one has no feathers, one has two tiny remaining rather bedraggled feathers and the last one has larger, less molested looking feathers.  These are the kittyboys most favourite toys in the world.

We bought the first one on a whim.  It was at the checkout register at the local pet supply place where we buy kittyfood.  The stores had, rather cleverly, put a bouquet of butterfly toys right there at the checkout with a rather inexpensive price tag dangling enticingly.  At the last second, we added one to our pile of cat food cans.

When we took it home, the boys went wild for it!  They displayed none of their usual cautious circling and sniffing of something new in the house.  Instead they went straight for the attack.  The Butterfly Must Die was their rallying cry and they proceeded to ravage it.   It was completely featherless in less than 24 hours.  We thought that once the feathers were gone, they would lose interest and well, that was $5 bucks poorly spent.  Oh well, live and learn.

But instead, to our surprise, they continued to beg to play with the butterfly.  Which involves a human (usually Tim or myself) holding it tantalizingly above them, moving it back and forth quickly on the floor or making the butterfly appear to swoop and dance through the air.  The crazier and wilder the butterfly moved, the better they liked it.

They crouch on the ground "behind" something, eyes wide and dark, whiskers forward, nothing moving but the tip of their tails until suddenly they pounce on the poor unsuspecting butterfly.   Other times they leap spectacularly into the air with flips and twists, totally unconcerned about where they might land.  They will race through the house at top speed chasing us as we  run, "flying" the butterfly behind us like a flag.  And the kittyboys cannot get enough.  They will play until they are exhausted and collapse to the floor, panting, sides heaving, and still, the instant the butterfly twitches, they are up and ready to play again.

 They get so overexcited by this butterfly game that I have had to teach them how to take turns.  It took awhile for them to grasp the concept but they do pretty well most of the time now. I will play with Brysco for a few minutes and then say, "its your brother's turn now" and then I play with Wyatt while Brysco catches his breath and watches intently.  Then I switch back to Brysco and Wyatt takes a break.  Mom doesn't get a break until the game is over.

Usually the game is over when either I need to get back to whatever I was supposed to have been doing in the first place or Brysco has done one of his truly amazing leaps into the air and grabs the butterfly with his mouth, lands and then refuses to give it back.  When I drop the stick, off he marches, butterfly firmly in his teeth, stick and cord trailing him, as he takes it to Tim.  Every single time.  Yesterday when Brysco tried to deliver it to Tim, the office door was closed so Brysco left it as the door as an offering.  Occasionally when Tim is too  busy to do the usual pets and praise when he delivers his butterfly, Brysco will take the butterfly into the KittyBoy hideout (which now lives in Tim's office) and hides it there.  I am convinced that Brysco is laughing while I search the house over for the toy later. 

Which is why we now have 3 butterflies.  Well that and Tim is an old Softie when it comes to these guys.  And that is also why, here and there throughout the day, Tim will take a little break from his workday, come out and play Butterfly with the boys. The boys love it, Tim loves it, he certainly deserves a break and it's good excercise.  Win/Win

I tried to get some photos of the kittyboys mid-air leaps and catches during the butterfly game but it turns out that I cannot play butterfly and take photos of it at the same time.  But then, I am also the person who struggles to chew gum and walk at the same time. oh well.  So I had to settle for more low key butterfly play for the photos.  Maybe one day soon I will get my camera out while Tim plays with them and try (TRY) to get some action shots.

And that's it for this kittyboy update!  

What's new with you?