If The Shoe Fits...

Mickey Kitty's fascination with shoes is getting to be a comedy act. He inspects every pair of shoes that he finds, whether they're attached to someone's feet or if they're sitting in the foyer by the front door or in the laundry room by the back door. It doesn't matter to Mickey Kitty if the shoes are mine or my husband's, he has just got to inspect them all, inside and out.

He likes my husband's "Dockers" because they have shoelaces, which he's always trying to pull out. He loves the black sandals that I usually wear around the house because they have tiny rhinestones covering the flower design on the front. He found my "winter" slippers in the closet this morning (a pair of soft leopard slip-ons) and he tried to force his small body down into the front of them. If he had found those slippers shortly after coming into our home, I think his whole body would've fit into one of them-- he was that small. Mickey Kitty weighed just a few ounces over two pounds when we found him, and I think he's about five pounds now.

This little kitten's adventures in the house are getting more frequent. In another week's time, he will think his name is Mickey No! instead of Mickey Kitty. I think he already knows his name, though, because he looks straight at me when I call him. He doesn't run over to me, like the older cats do, but he's young yet. I even tried testing him by calling Rusty's name instead of his own, and he didn't even glance in my direction.

Right now, though, Mickey Kitty's passion in life is shoes. Hopefully, Mickey Kitty won't be a shoe-critic like AngelBoy is. AngelBoy only likes shoes if they feel soft to the touch-- his touch. He loves my leopard slippers because he can rest his dainty little chin on them and have a nice nap. When I first bought those slippers, I had to hide them from AngelBoy if I wanted to wear them. I couldn't ever just leave them by the side of the bed because he'd curl up with one of them and I never had the heart to disturb him. (No, my cats are not spoiled. Whatever made you think that?)

I think AngelBoy has out-grown the leopard slippers now. We'll find out for sure on a cool night in December and see if Mickey Kitty and AngelBoy are fighting over those slippers. (AngelBoy will be the one meowing, and saying Mine! Mine!)