We shall name him--Tail-Grabber

[abracanabra]

Everyone who knows our cat, Fu Manchu, has been expecting this day for some time. It all began innocently (and photogenically) enough....









Then things started to go wrong....










And very, very wrong....





The rest is not pictured because I was busy intervening. You see, Fu Manchu decided to run away from the thing grabbing his tail. The baby decided to continue to hold on to that tail, even after he fell (possibly because he was too stunned to let go). Fu Manchu panicked and bit the baby in the face. The forehead, to be precise. The baby had hysterics, because of the fall and the biting. I soothed the baby and put neosporin on his head and now all seems to be well. It was just a tiny puncture and a long scrape. He's doing fine--and still reaching out to grab Fu Manchu's tail when the cat's nearby.

No, we did not drown Fu Manchu in the river. Yes, we still have three cats.

Comments

[misslynx.livejournal.com]

Ah, small children and cats... Often an unfortunate combination. :-(

I remember when my son was somewhere between a year and two years old, and wandered into the next room while my back was turned (I think I was getting a snack for him). In quick succession I heard the following three sounds from him:

1. (gleefully) "KITTY!!!"
2. A short burst of manic laughter.
3. An ear-piercing wail of pain and terror.

I went running into the room to find the cat gone and him holding his wrist and wailing. When I was able to pry his hand off of the injury, I saw four neat parallel red lines where she had scratched him. I picked him up and comforted him, cleaned the scratch and put some ointment on it, and he calmed down pretty soon. I did not punish the cat, because I was pretty sure from the laughter part that he'd done something to merit the scratch, and upsetting though it may have been, this is how they learn not to torment the pets.

For quite some while afterward, long after the scratch had healed, he would occasionally look at her and say in a thoughtful tone "Barebell - scatch!" while pointing to his wrist (her name is actually Claribell, but he couldn't pronounce it back then).

And more recently, while petting my other cat, he said "I love Rosalind. Even when she's clumsy." (Which is usually - she is a large and ungainly cat.) And then, glancing warily at the smaller and feistier cat, he added "And I love Claribell even when she's angry."

[bitwise.livejournal.com]

My first thought was, "this doesn't look all that different from Phil sparring with Fu Manchu." Cassius just needs to work on his speedy defense.

[ladylaurel.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but this is hilarious to me. Wouldn't be if any real harm were done...I just love the idea for some reason that its captured shot-by-shot.

[green-truth.livejournal.com]

Oh my! I haven't been on here in so long and was so excited to see the baby photos, and then this set, well, both fabulously captured and not good that it happened.

I have a meeting to run to, but I am going to try to be on more and actually posting updates.

He's beautiful. Thanks for sharing the photos for those of us too far away.