Aby See, Aby Do

It was a mighty crash. There are few things as thorough in their crash-worthiness as a glass plate meeting a tile floor. Add to that the plate had held a carefully crafted (my husband does not know how to make anything less) club sandwich and the results were devastating though spectacular.

Shards of pretty blue glass rested on white tile, amid pieces of turkey, ham, lettuce, and mayo on toasted Chicago Italian bread. Being a Vegan, I thought only of the turkey and pig who died in vain. My husband saw his much anticipated snack laid waste on the dirty floor. The three second rule goes out the window when the food is covered in broken glass.

It would have been plain to a blind person who the culprits were. That would be the two Abyssinian cats crashing into each other in a cartoon-like haste to flee the scene. Left to take the blame was Fancy, the feral-turned-housecat, who is so grateful to have a home, he does little in the form of mischief. Fortunately for him, I saw the whole thing, and quickly came to his defense.

I didn't do it - I swear!

Now, here's the funny part - if it had been any of the others but the Abys, my husband would have thrown a major fit. The thing is, mishaps with the Abys have become part of our regular routine. No longer do we jump and exclaim, "What the hell was that!!??" upon hearing a crash, bang, swoosh or splat. Nowadays we just stop what we're doing, look for blood or shards of glass, then go get the dust pan or vacuum. Hazmat is no longer on speed dial.

Life is good.

Dash protecting his baby sister.

It didn't take long after Dash's arrival to realize Abys aren't your average cat. I watched Dash desperately try to engage my other cats - three Ragdolls and the aforementioned feral-turned-housecat Tuxedo - in his kind of play. They were not interested, or perhaps never quite caught on. I mean, Abys are serious about play. Thinking my poor Aby boy, Dash, needed a buddy, got me searching for another Abyssinian.

When another litter was born, I had hopes there would be a girl so I could get Dash a companion, not a competitor. Sadly, there were two boys - Mike and Sully. I really wanted a girl so I thought I'd just wait until another litter came along.

Well, about a month later, I got a call from the breeder saying "Mike" was actually a "Mike-ette" - or not a boy. She was renamed Boo, after the little girl in Monsters, Inc., and the name stuck. The exclamation point was added after her personality dictated it.

I immediately said, "Yes! I'll take her!" Life hasn't been the same since. Dash and Boo! formed an alliance the moment she arrived. I knew they would. What I didn't anticipate was this did not mean simply cuddling together or playing Aby Tag. No, this would mean my sweet Dash had a partner in crime. Well, she's more like the Crime Boss. Boo! thinks up the mischief and Dash helps her carry out the deed.

I was told a lot of things about Abys before getting one. Things like:

Abys like to jump high. Okay. So that's not a big deal. I mean, we have vaulted ceilings and several of those useless bulkheads, so popular in homes built in the 80's. We learned with our Ragdolls, who not only figured out how to access them by jumping from counter to fridge then shelf, but also fell when their abilities didn't match their intentions, the spaces needed to free of any clutter. Back in the day, people filled those spaces with all forms of dust catchers - plants, artwork, collectibles, etc. Here and now they function as race tracks and high perches upon which a kitty can look down upon his/her realm..

 

 

 

What I did not anticipate was the Abys' ability to reach never before explored heights. Like the shelves near the (vaulted) ceiling where nothing but dust has existed since the house was built in 1989. Imagine our surprise when we caught Boo! calmly strolling across the top of the flat screen TV which hangs on the wall above the raised fireplace. No Ragdoll would attempt such a feat. To Miss Boo! it was a walk in the park.

Those new cats wear me out!

They may or may not seek human attention. HA! Both of them are obsessed with us. More so me because I am here all of the time. When Dash was a kitten, I wanted to ease his transition by keeping him safe in a bedroom at night. I slept in there with him. He used this time to "get to know me" as in, poking me in the eyes, nose and mouth with his paw while I slept. I was dreaming I had been abducted by aliens and they were probing my facial orifices - only to wake suddenly and realize it was Dash playing an alien invader with his "probe" (paw) up my nose. I fell back to sleep imagining where that paw had been...

Miss Boo! spends a good part of her day curled up inside my shirt. I have even answered the door with her tucked in there, only to have the visitor look shocked when a cat springs forth from my shirt. I don't mind it one bit. Family members think it's weird.

I don't think this is weird at all...

Abys will eat just about anything. Having experience with finicky cats who like something one day then bury the same stuff when offered another day, did not prepare me for the Aby Appetite. They eat non-stop, yet barely gain an ounce. Dash weighs about seven pounds and Boo! is only four. They have the metabolism of humming birds! And there is nothing at which an Aby will turn up their nose. Boo! even steals various greens as I'm chopping them for my Bearded Dragon.

Mom! Dash took my treat!

There are many more Aby-isms - almost as many as there are Abys. One thing is definitely shared by all who live with them - they are unique and will steal your heart.