Deserted, Replaced, Invasion

It’s been so long since I was able to update you on the goings on here at home. First of all, early Monday morning Sam and Mandy woke up and left us. We had been preparing for their departure for a long time, and both Peyton and I were relieved when they finally left.

Clara came to take care of us a few times, and then strangers came into our house! They came in the back door and moved in! Mandy told us they were coming, but honestly I was still surprised. Phil and Stephanie had a half-sized with them. Her name was Tessa. Although it took me a long while to warm up to them, I finally introduced myself. They were all very friendly. They gave me lots of treats and fed me and played with me. In someways it was likt having a replacement family! I loved it, even it Peyton never warmed up to them. They splashed around in the big tub like Mandy and Sam do, and I think they had fun. I always like to watch the half-sized humans splash around. They always look like they have the most fun. Maybe someday they will come back and visit me again. They were very friendly to play with us, and before they left Stephaine put all our toys up. We left them right where she put them so Mandy would have a clean house to come home too. When Phil, Stephanie and Tessa showed up, we had our toys spread all over the house! Mandy left most of our toys in the bedroom, but what fun is it to play in just one room, when we have free reign of the whole house?!

Mandy and Sam returned from their long vacation just as they promised. We greeted them immediately when they walked in the house. As soon as I heard Mandy I ran to greet her in the kitchen. She picked me up and snuggled me and I meowed to be put down. However, secretly I loved her exuberant hug and stuck close by the rest of the night.

While Mandy and Sam were gone, Peyton and I always try to find a little something we can do to irritate Mandy. This time, we opted to sleep on top of the noise maker. Both Mandy and Sam have tried to buff out our paw prints, but just to rub it in a little more, Peyton decided to sleep on top of the noise maker yesterday. Mandy was furious and told Peyton only bad cats sleep on the noise maker. We have not touched the noise maker again, but since it made her so upset, we will remember this trick the next time they go out of town.

I had fully intended to update you on all these happenings sooner, but Monday we had an invader and we had internet difficulties yesterday. I found the intruder first, but when Mandy came to see what I was playing with, the invader was hidden. I wondered if perhaps I had made up the scenario, and went about my business. However, a little while later, Peyton found the intruder and chased him around the entryway, in front of the front door and around into the dining room. Mandy thought it was a bug, and when she got close enough to kill it, found it was a lizard! And boy could that lizard move! He ran behind the china cabinet so fast, Mandy could hardly bend down to catch him. Peyton and I took turns guarding the cabinet to make sure the lizard didn’t escape. However, he did make a bee line for the couch and hid under there for a while. At one point the lizard escaped and hid under a box. What we didn’t realize was that if we jumped on the box we’d squish the lizard. Once he was dead, we hid in the bedroom until Mandy found the lizard. She wasn’t upset, because she knew we were only playing with the lizard. We really didn’t mean to kill it and that we felt very remorseful. He was great fun to chase, and I was sad to see him die. RIP lizard. However, the lizard was taken outside for burial. Hopefully the other lizards saw what happened to their friend and will keep it as a warning not to enter our domain. Even if he was fun to chase, that lizard was still an intruder. And it is my job to keep intruders out of my home!
Elway