Nuage the Terror

We threw out Nuenue's scratch post about a month ago because it was all moldy on the bottom. That scratch post was one of the things I brought home with the then 3-month-old Nuage almost 3 years ago. It was the second thing Nuage loved the most. It was more than a scratch post: it was Nuenue's safe spot whenever he got spooked.


We threw out the scratch post while Nuenue was staying at my mom's, hoping that he wouldn't notice that it was gone. Well, he did. He was so upset that he took it out on Bill's computer chair (Whenever Nuage gets upset, he always chooses Bill's stuff to wreck). At first, Nuage did it only occasionally and for a short while each time. In other words, though he wasn't content with the substitute, he coped. As time went on, however, Nuage learned that playing nice kitty wouldn't get him anywhere and decided to take more drastic action. He'd even time it so both of us could see him in action.

One calm evening last week while Bill and I were watching a show, Nuage went to work on the computer chair. He dug his claws so deep into the fabric that it popped as he pulled out his claws. It also made the back of the computer chair sound like a sheet of plastic wrap. What made it even creepier was the fact that Nuenue's head was turned to the side facing us as he demonstrated what he was capable of. What we knew as the fluff ball who loved nothing more than taking his morning nap in one of the cubicles on the bookshelf suddenly turned into Nuage-the-Terror. He was looking at us with this psycho maniac shine in his eyes while the computer chair groaned in pain. When it was over (and Bill rushed over to examine the damage on the chair), Nuage glided across the living room with the grace and lightness only cats possess and went to the kitchen to munch on some of his kitty cookies as if nothing had happened.

We got the message. The search of a scratch post was on.

It wasn't easy finding a perfect scratch post. First it has to be stable so it doesn't tip over and knock the kitty out cold. Next, it has to be in a size reasonable for apartment living. None of those monstrosities that look like fuzzy refrigerators with big holes. Ideally, it'd have a pad on top so Nuage could pretend he's looking down at his kingdom. Finally, and this is more for the human than the kitty, is that it has to be in the right colors. Oh~~ trust me. In Asia, the colors (and combination) used on products can be very... um... "creative". The only guideline seems to be "as long as it's cute", especially when it comes to products for pets -- a word many people mistaken as a synonym for kids. Bill and I went to 5 different pet stores, picked up and put down countless scratch posts, but we came home empty-handed. Nuage-the-Terror continued expressing his discontent with increased frequency and aggression. More threads were coming out of the back of the computer chair.

We found the perfect one last night -- one that looks like the top of a tree with a hammock, which is made to look like a giant leaf, on the side. However, it is currently out of stock, so we have to wait until the end of the month to get it. We didn't want to disappoint him again, so we got Nuage a temporary replacement. Though it doesn't have a pad on the top like his own one, it's got a fuzzy ball that provides hours of entertainment. He had a great time with it last night.

I know Nuenue doesn't look very excited here, but it's because I made him stand beside it just seconds after he had woken up from his morning nap.


Nuage is his happy fluffy self again... for now.








P.S. Bill just told me that the Martins are doing a "Fruit Loop". I wish we could be there. I love fruit, and Bill needs more fruit. In fact, Bill crowned me Queen of the Fruits just last night. Wait-a-second... that doesn't sound much like a compliment at all.