Otis the Quat

I have been telling Otis I was going to write about him one of these days, since he sorely misses his friend Sierra, and needs a bit of cheering up.

Back when I was still working up north, Monica acquired Otis in a three team deal, which brought relief to the heart of sister Mary Ann - by virtue of the fact that she had been working at the animal shelter and thought Monica needed some company. Sister Carolyn (the Chief Animal Lover of them all (can't even squoosh a spider) was also enamored with the idea, as she is the co-person of two dogs and two (very old and very dear) cats.

Otis was always very active and friendly as a young lad, but had the weird habit of disapearing for days at a time, holed up in the back of a storage cabinet or in the back corner of a closet. He has a chip buried beneath his right ear and we were told he is not to go outside at all, and if we ever decided he needed a better home, to return him to the shelter. He did provide Monica some company during the week while I was away, and always tried to sleep on her feet or on her head. And he loved visitors - he would prit and mrrrr and meeeoowwww to anyone who came over.

He also likes to rub his face into everything he can. He rubs his sides and backside into the walls, furniture, cabinets, us. He scratches himself often, and has been awarded the Cone of Shame on one occasion due to an open sore behind his ear. I think he mostly enjoys rolling on the carpet.

 

Now he runs and hides when someone comes over. He is always hungry, and lets us know it. He gained alot of weight when he first stopped growing, so now I feed him twice a day moderate amounts of food. He likes to sit in the sun, even if it's 90 degrees outside and we've got the air conditioners frantically working.

Basking in the mid-day sun is a favorite hobby of Otis'

He has a very subtle purr - barely audible - but you can feel it if you're holding him. He likes to explore, and is always ready for an adventure. He loves looking outside at the birds and playing at every opportunity.

Here, Otis shows off his 'i see another black and white kitty outside!' look

Otis loves to play - here he is attacking my phone charger cord

He has been a blessing to both Moni and me. His big green eyes, little white mittens, and his readiness to engage in conversation are his distinguishing features. He likes to look at bugs intently, and sometimes paw them, but they are more of a curiosity to him than they are prey.