As I may have mentioned, for Christmas the cats very kindly and thoughtfully gave me a three and half story cat tower, with scratching posts, for me to put together for them. (The "half" is a little half tunnel thing between the top and second stories that in the optimistic view of the designers can be used as a resting place for a small cat and a good place to dangle a tail from.) As I was informed, the cats had decided on this cat tower in the hopes that the top of the tower would tempt a certain small black and white cat away from from the top of the bookshelf in the living room, where he is not wanted on the grounds that when he descends from the top of the bookshelf, he lands either on the aquarium (whose cover was not exactly designed with cats in mind), the TV/TV stand, which now holds a considerably more expensive and lightweight TV that could be knocked over, or on a small grey cat who finds having a black and white cat fall on her a terrifying experience that justifies not using the litter box for a few hours. AUUUGH. Also their old little cat condo was getting quite scratched up and scruffy looking (they've had it for about ten years -- they don't get into it but they like to scratch the outside and the Grey One will sometimes sleep on the top curled up into a small ball. The cat tower would also give the Grey One new places to hide in, which if you are the Grey One is a decided advantage.

So, naturally, this morning I found the Grey One standing on top of the second story not hidden at all, and the Little One sleeping on top of the bookshelf.

I didn't take him down (although I am watching to keep him off the aquarium). I should, but he's 13, and I rather like this reminder that he's incredibly active for a 13 year old cat (far more active than the Grey One, who at 11 has decided that really, this is the time of life when cats should nap a lot, preferably in places where they can't be seen.) He still dashes around the house, still plays with his mice, and still seems to be under the impression that he's a kitten or a dog. I can take a little bookshelf excitement. And maybe he'll find the top part of the cat tower at some point.