Too Big and So Fluffy

When I was little, I could stretch out in my hammock

When I first came to my family, I was so small and fluffy.  Jen thought I wouldn’t get much bigger after the vet said I was probably about a year old.  As time went by, I started to outgrow my favorite bed and the other pets didn’t seem so big to me anymore.  I still fit in my bed, which Jen calls my “hammock,” though I can't stretch out like I could when I first got it.  It's still very comfortable.

After being homeless, I wasn't used to having food on a regular schedule.  I would sometimes eat all of the food, even whatever Loki and DiNozzo didn't eat.  Loki usually eats a lot, but DiNozzo will eat a tiny bit and come back several times for a little bit more.  I didn't let him do that.  I was too hungry and was afraid there wouldn't be food later.  I started to grow all over and they said I was getting too round.

As I got bigger, I had to get creative to stretch out

 

As I got bigger, Jen started saying she thought I was part Maine Coon, whatever that means.  Before too long I was bigger than Loki, and he's a big cat.  I also started to realize that there was always going to be more food, so I stopped gulping the food down when it was put in my bowl.  I still like to eat out of the other cats' bowls, but I don't eat all of it anymore.  Sometimes Misha does that and she gets in trouble.  It’s very rude of her to do that.  We don't eat out of her bowl!

 

After awhile I could feel that I wasn't as overweight as I had been.  I'm still a little on the chunky side, but Jen says I'm fine because I'm a very big cat.  My hair grew longer and my tail is very fluffy.  Sometimes I struggle to clean it because there's so much hair!  Jen has given me a bath a few times, which I absolutely hate.  She sometimes tries to trim my hair, too, especially at the base of my tail because I can't reach and ended up with a little bit of matted fur once.  She also tries to trim the hair around my butt because I get poop stuck in it now and then.  She is never happy when that happens, and that is usually when I get a bath.  As much as I hate baths, it is nice to feel clean and not stink afterwards.

My hair grew longer as I grew fatter

 

This past spring Jen was using an electric trimmer to cut the dog's hair.  Apparently Misha always gets a trim when the weather gets warm.  Jen called to me when she was finished with Misha and started to trim my hair.  I didn't mind at first—it definitely made me feel cooler and less bulky.  After a few minutes I started to get bored of this and was ready to go play.  Jen tried to get me to stay with treats, which she knows is my main weakness.  I just love food so much.  But I was tired of the trimming game and kept trying to get away.  Jen kept trying to grab me and started to get angry.  After awhile she gave up, meaning I won the game.

 

Fluffy belly, short-haired top

I did feel weird having only my top half trimmed and long hair on my belly, but that game was too boring.  Still, it was nice to not have all that hair going into the hot summer months.  I mean, I usually sleep right next to the air conditioner, but it's still hot.  The humans kept saying how soft I was after that.  Jen's mom said I looked weird because my undercoat was a light grey, but no one else cared.  They said I felt like soft velvet and would pet me a lot.

My hair has mostly grown back out, which is fitting as we are starting to have cooler weather.  Misha's hair doesn't grow as fast because she still looks like a short-haired dog.  I don't think she likes having so much hair, but I don't mind mine.  Jen said I am the first non-short-haired cat she's ever had in all her years of cats, so I guess we are both learning as we go.  My hair is just long enough to be fluffy, but not so long that it mats easily.

 

Even though I fight it, I appreciate that my humans help me take care of my fluffy coat.  Sometimes I am just reminded that I am so lucky to have people who care so much for me...and who keep plenty of snacks on hand.

Relaxing on the couch again

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