Mylow

the spark

Mylow portrait
  • Self-centering instinct
  • Disruptive presence
  • Relentless teaser
  • Fiercely affectionate
2008
Mylow 2008
2009
Mylow 2009
2010
Mylow 2010
2011
Mylow 2011
  • Spring–Summer 2008 — born as one of ten kittens
  • August 2008 — visits from the neighbor’s ginger cat Garfield (2008–2019) inspire the decision to adopt again
  • Adopted from the local shelter with brother Jamie, the same place Carry once came from
  • August 29, 2008 — first day home
  • First encounter with Garfield — hisses erupt on both sides, fur bristles, tension rises — Garfield is brought back outside
  • Wildly playful — constant mock fights to test strength and boundaries
  • Ears outgrowing the rest of him in early months — a disproportion that slowly balances out
  • The living room and the basement bar become his playground with Jamie — the bedroom their wrestling arena
  • When playing with humans, interrupts Jamie and takes over; in adulthood the roles reverse, and in old age the old rhythm returns
  • Through kittenhood and early adulthood, often sleeps curled up with Jamie — grooming him more often than he is groomed in return
  • First time outside, rushes toward Garfield in the garden — smaller and months younger, but fearless; Garfield flees
  • Accidentally locked inside a nearby garage soon after first going outside — heard and located by Jamie, who leads his human mother there; back home, he rolls across the floor in unrestrained relief
  • In early years, comes to the front door when someone returns home — drawn by new scents and activity; over time, the habit slowly disappears
  • Mylow is leaner — noticeably larger ears than Jamie and a thin tail with a small kink near the tip
  • When stroked along the tail to that kink in dry winter air, a tiny static snap jumps exactly at that spot
  • As kittens, Jamie and Mylow discover claws and jump strength — their humans teach them where scratching and jumping are allowed and where they are not.
  • Shows a particular passion for scratching — and keeps testing higher jumps and stronger launches
  • Accepts being carried only when young; later resists it
  • Closely bonded with Jamie when young — sharing play and sleep — later keeps more distance, but relies on him when conflicts with other cats escalate
  • Frequently provokes and annoys Jamie
  • As a kitten, fearless toward strangers — later retreats completely; inside, almost always hiding together with Jamie beneath the basement stairs, only rarely elsewhere; outside, disappears alone
  • Seeks constant physical contact with his surroundings — rubbing his mouth against hands, clothes, walls, bottles, remotes — anything within reach becomes part of his sensory world
  • Poor hunter — usually finds prey but treats it like a toy, rolling beside it instead of engaging seriously
  • Affectionate with constant repositioning — never still for long
  • Paws unusually rough — dry and coarse
  • More glimpses coming soon
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