Super Cats Day

In Japan it is already February 22, 2022.  2/22/22.  I was pointing out this unique sequence of numbers to one of the 6th graders at the crosswalk this morning and she informed me that today was Super Cat Day.   And why is it Super Cat Day?  Well, February 22 is usually called Cat Day because of the numbering and the super comes because this is the year 22.  

Japanese love to make puns and word plays out of numbers and the number 2 in Japanese is "ni".  It so happens that Japanese cats say "niao" rather than "meow" and kittens might consecutively say "nyan-nyan-nyan".  That's why February 22 is called "nyan-nyan-nyan day" and this being 2022 makes it "Nyan (February)  Nyan-nyan (22nd)  Nyan-nyan (2022) Day".

In honor of Super Cat Day I am posting recent pictures of my cats.

I had hoped to report, and planned to blog, about how my cats were mellowing out.  Because everyone is getting old, we were experimenting letting Toi and Patora out of their isolation to mingle with the other cats and it seemed to be working.  There is Cleo in the foreground with Mi looking over her shoulder and Patora and Toi snuggling in the back.  Toi and Cleo are arch enemies but I found them all on the bed together!  

"This is finally going to work!" I thought. 

Alas, a day later, Toi ambushed Cleo again, fur flying, Cleo trembling and traumatized and Toi was placed back into his large room with Patora occasionally keeping him company.  

On another day, same bed, Patora and Cleo sat within sniffing distance of each other.  These two are actually brother and sister but they have had past issues also...  And anyway, Patora would prefer to sit with Toi so it all works out.

Here we have queen Chip who wishes she were an only cat.  She doesn't like anybody and spits and slinks away rather than fight with anyone.  She sticks to Tetsu like glue.  She hates John with a passion and the feeling is mutual.

John and Chip are putting up with each other in near proximity only because both of them want to be on the warm side of the heated carpet.

And here we have Mi-chan, the darling of them all.  She loves everyone, she'll play with John, she'll snuggle with feisty Toi and try her best to get close to Chip and Patora.  She is the least healthy of all our cats (feline aids) but she is hanging in there and all the cats are over 10 now, Patora and Cleo are 16!

John thinks the house is over-run with too many cats and he's probably right.

"Nyan-nyan-nyan-nyan-nyan!"