Daily Photo: Little Mariposa

February 28, 2023February 28, 2023 Bernadette

This photo is actually from January 2019 when Mariposa was about 18 months old. She still looks little, her face isn’t filled out yet, her ruff is kind of skimpy compared to her mature mane, and her deluxe ear hair hasn’t developed yet. But she does have her big eyes and very alert expression, and her WHISKERS!

She was actually still pretty new here as well. She arrived in August 2018. She was about one year old when I had trapped her and her colony at the beginning of June 2018 and held them all before moving them to the farm for two feral mom cats who were nursing their kittens; we prefer to keep them together as long as possible.

Mariposa somehow communicated to me that I should take her home. I decided that I could foster her when I finished with several big TNR projects that summer and had the time to work with her, if she had proved at all amenable to socialization. She wasn’t hostile to it according to her temporary foster, so she moved here. She was frightened about the new space but adjusted quickly, and didn’t mind the minor touches and pets I gave her and grew to enjoy them and became very affectionate. By her choice she stayed completely in the bathroom until October when she began slowly exploring then spending time in the upstairs, still overnight in the bathroom. In late October she came downstairs for the first time and over time carefully explored the first floor, then the basement, still returning to the second floor and then the bathroom for overnight. She began eating with us in December and then spending her time completely outside of her foster room.

So when this photo was taken she was six months from living as a feral cat and one month fully integrated into the house and household. I don’t know how she knew, but she did. She was very careful integrating into a household of older cats who already owned the territory, as she would have learned as the smallest adult in the colony of 11 and possibly the only surviving kitten from her litter. She is very wise and good-natured, and still clear in her communications.

From around this date in past years

Mirrored Naps, 2022

two cats on bed — Sienna and Mariposa mirror their naps.

Sienna and Mariposa mirror their naps. These two and Hamlet all spent a long afternoon on the bed. I found each of them, and these two together, in some pretty relaxed positions each time I passed the bedroom doorway. This one was the best, though, the girls surrounded by all their cat pillow friends. I keep wanting to choose a photo of one of these over the past few years to paint. I can’t make up my mind, and they keep making more images. What am I going to do?

From around this date in past years

Ahhh, 2020

black cat drinking from faucet — Ahhh………..

Now that’s a satisfying drink of water!

From Instagram

Not exactly sure what Bella has in mind for my neatly folded pile of clean laundry, but I think I’d better move it before I find out.

black cat with laundry — Bella with the laundry.

Mimi thinks it’s too cold but really wants to be outside. Mariposa thinks she’s nuts.>

And below, former fosters and adopter updates! Plus, windows open to spring-like weather.

. . . . . . .

Photos from around this date in previous years

A Noseful of Nice Weather, 2018

Wow, what a treat, the basement door open in February! Enjoy it now, because it snows tomorrow! Bella and Hamlet got lots of whiffs, and thoroughly sniffed the blue door, the screen door, and the doorstep. This kept them quietly occupied for several hours.

Mimi and I went outside.

Oh, my, what a great amount of peemail to download after this long winter! Plus lots of other critter messages! Was good to get grounded with our bare paws first time this year.

Mimi downloading peemail and other messages.

Earlier in the studio…

I just realized I’ve been standing at my computer for about an hour, turned to look at my chair, Mewsette and Mimi are enjoying all the crochet things I’ve used to mske this old chair comfortable–for me.

~~~

Open Windows! 2017

OPEN WINDOW! Bella, Jelly Bean, Mimi, Hamlet, Basil. Of course there's a screen. — OPEN WINDOW!
Bella, Jelly Bean, Mimi, Hamlet, Basil. Of course there’s a screen.

I put one of the screens back in the dining room windows and opened it up to the afternoon air. They all lined up to catch the breeze, and then…

SQUIRREL! In surround sound! Same group. — SQUIRREL! In surround sound!

Squirrel! In surround sound! Not that muffled stuff like all winter long, that squirrel was right there!

. . . . . . .

What other photos have I shared on or around this date?

Some foster updates from last year!

Charmee Helps Grade Papers

And then there’s little Charmee.

Charm is helping her person grade papers. That’s very important work.

It also means her person is on the floor with her papers, because Charm likes it that way.

Charm deserves this.

Imagine where Charm would be right now, and her kittens too, if some people hadn’t cared enough to rescue her. She certainly wouldn’t be lying on her back on a nice warm carpeted floor telling her person what to do.

Simon and Theo

Simon and Theo look pretty relaxed down there in Savannah! My niece shared a couple of photos of them napping on Valentine’s Day.

Theo is up on the back of the couch where it's really comfy, and right by the window. — Theo is up on the back of the couch where it’s really comfy, and right by the window.

I don’t have a rescue story ready for today, and with a couple of assignments this has been a busy week so far. Instead, I’ll be sharing updates on my former fosters!

They’ve been there a little over a month and all is going well. They have the run of the house, and they take advantage of it. Theo was pretty bold from the beginning, but Simon kept in one bedroom or another and was afraid to come up the hallway on his own.

That could have been because of the D-O-G, Bingo. Dogs weren’t really in their experience, but my niece told me the first time Theo and Bingo came nose to nose, Theo looked scared, then hissed, and Bingo—well-trained by his tabby fur sister Elsa—immediately started whining an apology and backing up. Theo was pretty impressed with himself. Apparently this worked for both of them.

Simon has the prime spot on the floor where he can see everything.

Simon just needed a little more time, and now Jennifer tells me he’s just everywhere. She opens a door, he’s in the closet, in the refrigerator, in the cabinet. I did warn her, but it’s hard to explain and she just had to experience it.

They both seem very happy. I’m thrilled to see them.

The lead tabby girl, Elsa, has been keeping in her room for now, so perhaps in time she’ll be back out running the show. Baby developed a URI about two weeks after the boys arrived, and it might have been something they carried, one of the casualties of moving pets distances, or it might have been a flare-up of a URI when she was a kitten. Cassidy had to wait to take her home from the shelter because Baby had developed a URI and her eyes were really infected; they almost thought she wouldn’t survive, and in fact her sibling did not. But Baby did, and came home. When felines are stressed, they tend to hold things inside, reducing their immunity, and situations like this are stressful. All seems to be well now.

. . . . . . .

From Facebook and Instagram

All kitties like to nap on the bed. It’s hard to tell because it’s so dark but this is Hamlet and Ophelia cuddling on the nice soft comforter. They played all afternoon.

. . . . . . .

Well, someone’s getting bold. Hamlet on the windowsill in my studio, while I’m working at my desk with Giuseppe on my lap.

. . . . . . .

What other photos have I shared on or around this date?

Daily Photo: A Few More of Bert–oops, Simon!, 2015

Here's Simon looking as soft and fuzzy as he really was in life! — Here’s Simon looking as soft and fuzzy as he really was in life!

Yes, Bert’s name is now Simon, and it’s such a natural for him that I took to it right away and forgot he was called Bert for quite some time! I have a few of my favorites here along with a few from his adopter, Christy, who has been sharing his photos on my Facebook page and sending me updates. Above he looks soft and sweet and ready for petting, which he was—I’m so glad he got to like it because everyone is going to want to touch such a beautiful cat.

Simon tended to blend in with things in the bathroom and I finally got a photo of him in the tub looking very handsome.

orange cat in the tub — Simon in the tub!

He took to the scratcher and loved to stretch his back while digging into the strip of jute carpet backing I have at the top, and always made sure it was convenient for me to scratch his back with he stretched.

orange cat scratching post — Simon has a good scratch!

While Ernie really liked the cat track that was just a track, Simon liked the one with the scratcher in the center, and had developed a habit of sitting purr-fectly centered there. I finally got him to look up at me.

orange cat on cat track — Simon sitting in the middle of the cat track.

He never did get what I enjoyed about being totally covered with water.

orange cat — What Simon thought about me soaking in the tub.

We’re using this photo as our Sunday Selfie this week!

Scroll down to see who else is participating.

Now these photos are Simon in his new home! First, he’s soaking up the affection. He transitioned right to his new person without any hesitation.

Piper, the resident kitty, comes over to see what’s happening. Piper has been curious and friendly, but both are being cautious.

orange cat and black cat — Piper comes over for a closer look at Simon.

Piper is still the lord of the manor, but Simon is definitely finding his place there.

. . . . . . .

From Facebook and Instagram

Feel like you’ve got your head stuck in an oatmeal box? Well, maybe you do Giuseppe.

Giuseppe with his head in a box of oatmeal.

. . . . . . .

Wordless Wednesday: Truly Spring, 2013

cat silhouette with sun flares — Truly spring has arrived at the morning widow as Mimi is bathed in pinks and surrounded by rainbows. Who’s my Valentine?

. . . . . . .

Clean Up This Snow, 2012

black cat meowing — “Clean up this snow.”

Mimi is fine with the collar, and even the leash is okay.

But cold, wet paws are not part of the bargain. She did take one step out of the clear spot on the big rock, then got back up on the step.

“You need to get out there and clean up that snow,” she looked up at me and said.

This from the kitty who used to trot all over the neighborhood in all sorts of weather.

black cat in snow — To give her credit, she did give it a try.

Gifts featuring cats you know! Visit Portraits of Animals

Fine Art • Photography • Gifts • Greeting Cards • Books • Commissioned Portraits & Artwork

pastel painting of cat on quilt on bed — “Bath, Interrupted”, pastel, 13″ x 10″ © Bernadette E. Kazmarski

She was born to meowdel. Read more and purchase.

Copyright

All images and text used on this site are copyrighted to Bernadette E. Kazmarski unless otherwise noted and may not be used without my written permission, although links to your site are more than welcome and are shared. Please ask if you are interested in using and image or story in a print or internet publication. If you are interested in purchasing a print of an image or a product including it, check my animal and nature website Portraits of Animals to see if I have it available already. If you don’t find it there, visit Ordering Custom Artwork for more information on a custom greeting card, print or other item.