10 random things you may not know about my cat

Continuing on an Animal Week theme, today's post shall be about the most lovable of Household Tyrants - my cat, Austen (usually known as Austie).

Random facts
1. Austen was so named because while she was being driven home in the car on the day I got her she chewed and clawed the cover of the book on the car seat 'Pride and Prejudice'.

2. Austen was in fact an impulse purchase from a Pet Store in Petone. I was doing volunteer work at the SPCA and had recently become attached to a gorgeous orphan kitten. He was black and fluffy and I had already named him Koko. I had spent many a morning handfeeding young Koko and was nagging Mum to let me get another cat (we had several at the time). Unfortunately, Koko died the evening before I was finally going to take him home. I was pretty upset but not really looking for a rebound kitten. We were in this Pet Shop buying flea stuff for the dog when this lone kitty started some loud attention seeking meowing. I went over and stroked her through the bars and she purred enthusiastically and licked my fingers. When ever I went to leave she made incredibly loud wailing meows but would stop when I returned to fussing her. Needless to say, when I did finally leave the shop it was carrying a cat carrier complete with cute but stroppy feline. She is the only pet I've had where I feel the decision for the purchase was made by the pet not the 'owner'.*

3. Before having Austie, I wasn't really a fan of Tortiseshell cats. I preferred tabby or black & white cats. However, she has persuaded me to now believe that Torties are in fact the highest state of evolution in the household cat. Afterall they have a enough shades of fur to shed that cat hair will inevitably show up on any colour garment.

4. Austen used to be an efficient and ruthless hunter. She caught most critters: rats, mice, birds etc. She used to bring live mice into the bathroom, let them go in the bath tub and chase them round and round the tub. Few animals survived and the ones I 'rescued' often died of shock or some heinous internal injury I couldn't see.

5. When we lived in Japan, Austen stayed with my parents and I was scared that she wouldn't remember me or like us when we returned. It was a great relief that she obviously knew us and held no grudges when we did return - purring, snuggly cats are the _best_ thing ever when you have gone 14 months without a furry pet or any kind.

6. Matt and Austen bonded very quickly when we first started going out. It think it was safe to say that they liked each other immediately. Although many of Austie's bad habits I blame on Matt's influence. He encouraged her to 'wrestle'. Whilst previously Austen only used her claws and biting to express discontentment at humans or to gain attention, the two of them made a kind of game of it.

7. Austen lost half her tail in mysterious circumstances a few years ago. We still don't really know how it happened but Austen came in one day with her tail completely ripped to the bone to about halfway down. It was pretty gross - just blood and bone for the top 3 or 4 inches. The muscles and everything were missing so the vet had to amputate the top half of her tail. She know has a stubby half tail and it doesn't bother her too much. It was really sad because her tail was very cute and expressive. She used to be able to puff out the fur and stick her tail up to look big. She loved to tickle her tail under under dog's noses as she walked by** but I am just glad that the accident wasn't worse and it hasn't really affected her quality of life.

8. Austen has several different meows I that have come to understand. There is the greeting meow 'Rrwooaw?' - this is the meow she makes when you arrive home from work and walk in the door or if you wake her up by stroking her when she is napping. The 'watch out I'm about to jump' meow is a bit short and more urgent sounding. 'neow'? She makes this when she jumps up on your lap or onto the keyboard of the computer when you're typing. She tends to make it whilst jumping so it doesn't really prepare you in time. The aggressive 'grrrooeeow' is the noise she makes at other cats who dare to sneak about on her property. She doesn't meow for food however.

9. One of Austen's favourite games is making the bed. You can attempt to sneakily do it when she is not around but she always shows up. She loves to pounce around on the bed whilst you are making it. Having sheets dropped on her or pouncing at pillows and duvets as they move is her idea of a great workout. It can make it dangerous for the human folk - I have received several nasty scratches to my hands whilst trying to change the sheets. She also likes to bat dice around although she does this less now she is a more mature cat. When she was a kitten she would often hang around during roleplaying and should a die fall on the ground she would bat it around. D10s were her favourite.

10. Austie's favourite food is Purina One biscuits in the Chicken and Rice flavour. Favourite is a bit misleading because it is the only thing she eats. Other brands of cat biscuits are ignored. She used to also like the ocassional feed of jellymeat (although she would lurk around for it and then only eat a mouthful or two before leaving the rest to go stinky) but now doesn't even want that. She has a self-feeder which makes life easier for both of us I suppose. She does like to get a human to bend down and shake out her biscuits a bit but likes the fact that she can help herself whenever she wants. She doesn't hang about people for other types of food like most of the other cats I've had. Sometimes she might hang around in the kitchen if you're chopping chicken but half the time she won't eat any little offerings you give her. She totally turns her nose up at any human food you offer her.

* Owner seems a misnomer for the relationship I have with Austie. More like sucker who has to pay for food and other necessities.

** Which is one of the possibilities of how she lost the top half of her tail.