Soft Furry Things

Hack and Velvet (October 2001)

These are the very earliest pictures of my new kittens, Hack and Velvet (Velvet has since been renamed Diva). I apologize for the quality of the pictures. I'd yet to figure out how to use the digital camera at that time.

	Velvet, hiding in her new home.
	Hack and Velvet, still not wandering out of the bathroom.
	Velvet on my lap.
	Hack and Velvet snoozing in their kitty bed. Compare this to photos later on as they get bigger!
	Velvet and Hack playing with a collapsed box.
	Hack and Velvet playing with their scratching ramp.

Hack and Velvet (November 2001)

That first month went by in a blur as these kittens grew and tore up my apartment. Fortunately for me, they can be easily distracted with laundry.

	Velvet playing with the scratching ramp.
	Velvet and Hack, trying to get to each other underneath the ramp. Now that they're bigger, they can't really do this anymore. It's a shame because they were awfully cute playing this game.
	Velvet and Hack, wrestling in their kitty bed.
	They love boxes. Boxes, boxes everywhere! Of course, they're just a pair of pussies.
	The kitties at their food bowls. Not surprisingly, Hack's at the one on the right, where the wet food was placed. Velvet would get muscled out until he was done and then go back to eat what was left.
	Hack, chewing on my toes.
	Hack, snoozing in front of a mirror.
	Hack, harrassing a lounging Velvet.
	Hack, in my boxers, and Velvet, playing a game whenever I was in the bathroom, or at least until they were too big to jump into my shorts. Yeah, sure, this is kinda embarrassing because I was sitting on the toilet when this picture was taken, but it was incredibly amusing to be entertained while taking care of business.
	Hack and Velvet, still playing with my shorts.
	Hack, lounging in my darks.
	Velvet, chasing the tail of Hack, who is burrowing in my darks.
	Velvet, lounging in my darks.
	Velvet, wondering what I'm holding high over my head as she snuggles in my lap. They're both such sluts for laps.
	Velvet, out cold in her kitty bed.

Hack and Velvet (December 2001)

Two months later, they're somewhat bigger but no less cute.

	Velvet investigates the oddly coloured paper beast while Hack lounges in the background.
	Velvet and Hack lounging about.
	Why guys shouldn't be allowed to wrap presents. Looks like a bear, right? It was actually a rabbit.
	Hack taking a big ol' yawn.
	Velvet, looking adorable.
	Velvet and Hack, snuggled-up siblings.
	Velvet, very comfortably relaxed.

Hack and Diva (January 2002)

This was a fun month. The kitties are getting bigger and have figured out how to bust into my bedroom pretty regularly. Been trying out different ways to keep them out. So far, having giant balls of aluminum foil seem to be deterring them, but I think they're starting to get over them. Might have to wrap the door in foil soon... or get a deadbolt for it.

The little girl's been talking a lot more, meowing at me every morning and when I come home from work. I think she's jonesing for food, but it sounds cute anyway. I've decided to rename her Diva. She doesn't seem to mind. Almost seems to revel in it. She likes to sniff out my hairline, strangely.

Unfortunately, January was also the month that my little girl got sick. She contracted a urinary tract infection and the vets found some crystals in her urine. Antibiotics and Science Diet for the Diva...

	Velvet, now named Diva, snuggling up with her brother while I worked.
	Diva, wondering what that dangling circle of plastic was, hanging from a cord attached to the digital camera.
	"Thank you for flying Kitty Airlines. Buh-bye!"
	Diva and Hack, discovering how much they like Raisin Bran for the first time. Or maybe it was the milk. This was the first time I'd had any milk products (aside from cheese) while they were around.
	Diva trying to capture the dangling lens cap while Hack looks on.

Hack and Diva (April 2002)

My sister needed some pictures of cats for a brochure on allergies that she was laying out for a medical center. Ever mindful of copyright and royalty issues, she asked me to take some pictures of my cats for her. One morning, I grabbed the camera and followed them around for a little while.

	Diva and Hack discovering that the window is a nice place to be in the morning.
	Hack, looking artistic in the morning light.
	Hack, poking around the window sill.
	Diva, appreciating the fact that I'd done my laundry the previous night.
	Diva, in a laundry basket. I rather liked the play of light in these pictures.
	A closeup of Diva, still in the laundry basket.
	Hack, lounging on the bathroom tiles.
	Diva, having a drink of water.
	Hack, having a drink of water.
	Diva on the bed, looking out the window. This is the one that my sister ended up using in the brochure.
	Hack, playing in some shipping paper.
	Hack, looking artistic in the window.
	Diva and Hack lounging by the window in the morning.
	Diva's unique calico colouring.
	More of Diva's unique calico colouring.
	Diva and Hack on the futon, watching the Ottawa Senators push the Philadelphia Flyers out of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Beaver