Kitties!

Huckleberry and Henry


New kitties!! Adopted Nov 28 2017, at roughly six months, sister and brother from the same litter. They were part of a litter of six plus mamacat, found under a deck in Surrey as ferals, very shy at first. They've gotten to understand that humans can be a source of treats and petting, but are still on the skittish side and are not (yet) into being picked up.

Not so easy to tell apart from above, they're both grey tabbies. Huck has a little white splotch at her throat. Henry is a little bigger, with a kink in his tail.

Domo and Varas

Domo Kittenwar | Domo and Varas Kittenwar

Domovik and Aitvaras were born May 23, adopted Aug 16, 2003. They're not quite identical: Domo is a little bigger than Varas, and he has the tiny white goatee and cravat whereas her tabby markings are a bit clearer. Update: their tabby markings have faded to black oblivion, and Varas is notably more long-furred than Domo. But they're still tricky to tell apart from above, sometimes. Update 2: Domo is now noticably more burly than Varas.

Domo died Feb 9 2014. Varas died Sep 2 2015.

Domovik

Male ancestral spirit of Russian folklore that guards the household, often found living behind the stove or under the steps. [He often naps under the steps.] He can take several animal forms. He helps with chores at night when everyone is asleep, as long as he is regularly fed supper. [He hasn't done the dishes once, despite regular feedings. Shocking.] He was also protective of the house from pilferers. The Domovik is also a mischievous spirit that is known to tickle people, knock over pans, and bang on walls. [He's made good progress so far on his bouncing-off-the-walls technique.] The Domovik is fond of those that take good care of their property but detest the lazy, often bringing harm to them. [Good motivation to clean the litterbox regularly.] A member of the household might sometimes feel the Domovik brush against him. If the Domovik feels hairy, good fortune is to come; however, if he feels smooth, bad luck is imminent. [He's been hairy every single time I've felt him. Clearly, life will go well.]

Aitvaras

Spirit of Lithuanian folklore. Sometimes it could be a normal animal, such as a cat (usually black in color) within a home or dwelling. However, it was said to take the shape of a fiery serpent or a flying dragon while outside. [So far she's stuck with the black cat shape, but then she's not allowed outside...] It usually nests behind the stove, eating and drinking what the inhabitants of the house leave it. Once it makes its home in a house, it is almost impossible to get rid of it. [I admit I haven't tried too hard yet to kick her out.] An Aitvaras was known to make its owner rich by any means necessary [a fine idea!], usually by stealing corn, milk and gold from its owner's neighbours. [Um, neighbors - ignore this line. And you didn't need that corn anyway.] An Aitvaras can be purchased from the Devil, the price being one's soul. [I got a really good deal from a third-party reseller, since I didn't have time to bargain with George Bush in Washington D.C.: I just paid a small fee to the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association.] If you did take the risk to own one they are easy to please, they only demand the sustenance of omelettes in return for the wealth they bring. [I use a somewhat obscure omelette recipe involving wet and dry cat food.] Before Christianity came to Lithuania, the Aitvaras were seen much as guardian angels or the like, and they were immortal spirits in the wilds or the home. When injured, they would just have to touch the ground in order to repair themselves.

Tamara Munzner
Last modified: Sun May 20 13:58:53 PDT 2018