Nap buddies.

Meet Ninja.

 Ninja is a ten-month old, eleven-plus pound black kitten.  I have known him since he was about three months old, and it has been so much fun watching him grow up.

Ninja was born to my boyfriend's brother's cats in April 2011.  He was the only kitten in his litter, and he has spent most of his life around only Rene and me.

As I think you can tell in the pictures, Ninja has a pretty goofy personality.  At first, he was all claws and teeth, and he was hard to touch or hold.  I diligently gave him "sweet boy lessons," which consisted of lots of hugs and kisses, and now he is quite a bit easier to interact with.

 Ninja was an only child at Rene's until December.  We spoiled him with tons of toys, and he thought he owned the apartment and everything in it.  Everything that was brought home, be it a box, a table, or anything else, was instantly claimed as his own.

 I knew Ninja needed company to keep him happy and to burn up some of his energy, so I kept asking Rene to get him some friends.  In December, Rene brought home the two girls, and Ninja has never been happier.

Ninja is very special to me.  He is the first kitten I had been around in years, and there's nothing like playing with a little wild kitten.  Not only is he wild, but he looks like a little black panther.  Everything on him is solid black, except three things: his yellow eyes, his white toenails, and random white hairs on his chest and legs.  He often blends into the shadows or black furniture; he truly is a ninja.

Battle play.

Surprise visitor.

An old friend followed me up the steps this morning:

Grey Kitty. 

  

 As she enjoyed her treats, I remembered how Grey Kitty was the one who introduced me to Doodles.  Grey Kitty had been around my apartments' courtyard for many months, and I had fed her canned food a few times.  One night, Grey Kitty wandered up, and she was not alone.  A cat I had never seen before, Doodles, was following her.  Without Grey Kitty, I wouldn't have met and adopted Doodles. 

Goodbye Grey Kitty, visit me again soon.

Sunbathing Doodles.

Silly Lily.

Flower sniffers.