My Little Boy Is Growing Up

Apologies for those expecting continuation of the Kids story, bear with me they will return tomorrow in all their glorified cuteness.

Today I dedicate the post to my own special boy Leo. He turns 2 today.

My big boy out for a wander

Leo is such a character and has made my life so much more special with him in it. So, here's Leo's Story.

I met Leo at the animal shelter I work for, before I got clearance to foster kittens. I had been given approval to head into market for my own kitten after the tragic loss of both our family kitten Rosco and another little kitten that touched my heart Spike.

I admit ever since having Rosco I'd fallen in love with the unique silver tabby color. I decided early on that was the color I wanted. I also decided that I wanted a male cat as Missy - being the only female cat we'd owned - is independent and not overly cuddly.

So I walked into the room and there he was. I saw his color first, checked his notes and found he was male. I poked my finger through the bars and he came up rubbing away at my fingers and purring. I was sold.

Leo snuggling under my chin

I never got too many shifts this early in the year, was some sort of transition between where I worked and as I was a casual they had to share out shifts with others. Every spare moment I had I went out to the animal shelter and spent time with him cuddling and playing and making sure he wasn't getting sick.

Having volunteered for a little under two years approximately the shelter manager said I could pay and take him home early so long as I dropped him at the vets the following Monday to have his operation. I was fine with that, I fully understand and support the whole spay and neuter your animals.

Still a bit dopey after his neutering

I spent that weekend playing with Leo and getting to know him better. He was a character from the beginning. Late at night when he was shut in my room with me he would get extra snuggly and rub around up near my chin purring loudly.
When it was food time he'd follow me staring up at the bowl and making his, at the time, plaintive little meow going ih ih ih ih. It was a noise, I never really considered it a meow.

I decided early on to teach my new little addition to sit patiently before food was put down or given to him. This training early on, mostly unconscious became deeply ingrained so he still remembers now he's older.

He had awful trouble with fleas
 so while I could I gave him baths

When Leo got closer to the age Rosco and Missy were beginning to be let out without their harness I began freezing up with fear of the same thing happening to Leo that had happened to Rosco. I read up on statistics on cats that were let to roam outside and often Leo would show me he was not the brightest crayon in the box which made me even more nervous to let him out to wander freely.

Outside sporting his purple harness

Leo came in as a stray, a very skinny one. An early memory I had was eating some party pies on the couch and having to fight Leo off as he seriously wanted that meat. With regular food he's now quite picky with what he decides is worthy of eating.

I chose to keep Leo as an indoor cat unless he was outside on harness. He's taken to it well. If he was brighter I would have allowed him to wander freely while I was outside as well but unfortunately he makes a break towards the road every time. Silly cat.

Enjoying time outside on his harness

Now, Leo grew to be a bit of a talker. He has a wide vocabulary. He trills, peeps, meows, hums, wails...half of the noises I have never heard a cat do.

He is near human. My mother eats her bowl of cereal at the table in the mornings. He knows this routine and hops up on the chair beside her. If she ignores him he will reach across and 'tap, tap,tap' with his paw on her leg until she gives him a flake. He will do this until he's had his required three and then he'll settle down to sleep or move on.

Looking cosy on my messy bed

Originally Leo was very nervous of my father and brother. Since I got him at around 10 weeks old I am not sure what his previous life entailed but he seemed to have an issue with men. Dad called him the one minute cat. If you pick him up he wont make it a full minute until he wants down which he tells you by tensing up and waving one of his legs. He is quite happy to be held by me for short periods of time.

The purring I mentioned as a kitten faded away as he grew older. I call it the teenage years as he didn't seek out laps or pats and even now he rarely if ever purrs and when he does you have to pretty much have your ear to him to hear it.
He purrs at the most inconvenient times or decides he wants attention at them. Anyone who owns cats knows the minute you're in a different room of the house for -alone time - they then want to join you and want to be on your lap.
Leo also purrs extremely early in the mornings pretty much laughing at me that I have to go to work and he gets to sleep in demanding pats before I go. Sometimes if you rub him around the shoulders and at the end of his back he will purr but again, it is quiet.

Enjoying a rare treat of dried catnip leaves

It is only very recently he has begun voluntarily hopping up on peoples laps and getting pats or actually curling up to sleep.

I have often mentioned Leo does things that aren't bright. I think more so its his overwhelming clumsiness for a cat. He doesn't seem to think things out before doing them. He cant climb without falling or wobbling precariously on it and he freaks out going into blind panic over little things.

Trying to figure out how to turn around on the fence

Prime example that I have picture proof of his awkward cat ways is this. Instead of jumping on to the old washing machine he decided to 'climb' it....

Leo being very ungraceful 

Either way, he's my special boy and I love him to bits. He is his own unique cat and I'm sure there will be many more silly stories to share in the years to come.

Happy 2nd Birthday Leo :D

Cruising around outside - does still have harness on