Beignet's favorite activity is creeping up next to you to lean on you or crawl into your lap. He tolerates being held, but prefers to perch. He has the most gentle soul!
Beignet has trapped me for long periods of time in total feline paralysis. I have no complaints.
My mom calls these "bejebejebejebeje" videos. They are her favorite types of videos- even if her phone changes the names to all sorts of things, like "bumble bee videos" or "beetle videos" or "bejeweled videos". Out of all of the videos I've made, Beignet's might be my personal favorite.
In fact, Beignet videos are some of my favorite from my fosters... this chirping video is straight up adorable!
Update 9/26/20
Beignet has dual personalities. His sweet side is worthy of his namesake... warm and soft, deliciously sugary. I love watching him fall asleep- as he often does it while sitting up, gently tottering from side to side.
If he has a shoulder to climb upon or a lap to perch in, he's perfectly content. He'll cruise around with you, alternating between quietly resting and mewling incessantly.
If shoulders or laps aren't available, he's very adaptable.
He's the perfect work companion- sitting quietly in your lap with adoring eyes. Here we are a few days ago when I started updating my blogs. Please stop and look at this picture for a long time before moving on to the next part of Beignet's personality.
Have you fallen in love with him already? Are you willing to look past some... minor personality flaws? No? Go back to the top and watch all his little videos again. Look at his loving eyes. He charms everyone he meets!! DO NOT keep reading until you're 100% certain that you can't live without him, NO MATTER WHAT.
Beignet is sweet and loving and gentle most of the time. But at food time, his personality changes... just a tiny bit. He gets a little excited about food...
His new trick is jumping into any food bin... kitten food, adult cat food, or dog food... doesn't matter... whenever it's time to feed someone, he sprints straight into the bin to chow down.
Beignet is cute, but his food aggression is troublesome. I've been trying to get him to eat more kindly, but he is resisting all of our training sessions. He is like a shark on a feeding frenzy. The entire litter can be like fuzzy land sharks, but I think it's mostly because of Beignet... if I can manage to get the others with food without Beignet around, they'll eat fairly nicely. Beignet growls, pushes, and chomps into food as if he's never seen anything so delicious before in his life. He'll take your fingers out if you hold the food too closely. I'll try to get him family friendly before adoption, but I'm not positive of my chance of success.
Update 10/11/20
Beignet is going to make the right family so happy. He's such a cuddle bug... content to sit in a lap or be held. It's hard to imagine how voracious he is when he's in snuggle mode.
I was working on a project when he came to help out by completely trapping my lower half with his cuddles. Poor guy has an eye infection right now, but he doesn't let it bother him a bit.
Update 10/24/20
I continue to worry about Beignet. He's my favorite of his litter... he's just the sweetest guy and so funny. He's going to make the right family so happy and they'll be forever entertained. But I worry that someone will fall in love with his sweet nature that he's sure to show in the adoption center and either not read or not believe the blog, the personality checklist I left.... with a family that wants the sweetness without the hijinx... he is going to make them miserable which will not be good for him.
Overall, he's been better about not getting into our food (water bottle squirts and putting him back on the floor)... but he still has his moments. We were distracted for just a bit and he snuck into my husband's dinner. We personally think it's funny (we discourage it for his health and to help him have a better chance for a successful adoption)- and we are not bothered by a little cat slobber... but I hope his future owners have a good sense of humor as well.
Good luck Beignet. I tried to beg my mom to take him but my dad said NO. I wish you the best of luck... if you adopt him, please please please keep me posted!
Update 10/25/20
We were on our way to the adoption center when the phone rang. Ok, ok... I'll be honest. We were making a pitstop at the donut shop when the phone rang. Sure, it's not great food for a kitten- but one last donut hole before they went off to find their forever families.
That phone call changed a few lives furrrrrrever! My dad, who has grumbled "get that cat away from me!" every time we've taken a kitten or two for a visit told my mom they could adopt Beignet "if it was that important". Mom knew how much I worried about Beignet finding the home that would embrace his crazy side along with his sweet side.
My worries are over! While I was filling out the paperwork to take Beignet home to his family- I also got to meet two lovely families... one for Malasada and one for Eclair (now Cleo). They've promised to keep me posted- so hopefully I'll get updates from them soon as well.
Beignet knows who rescued him. He just curled up while daddy did his diamond art. Daddy told mom, "it's a real peaceful noise that Beignet makes".
I'll get to watch this little guy grow up with my mom and dad. They're keeping his name. Mom decided that since she's keeping his name, he should keep their names. So though they're his parents, he'll know them as "grandma and grandpa" and he will still know me and the hubby as "mommy and daddy".
My parents enjoy 2 restaurants near the adoption center, so we always take them lunch after dropping off kittens. This time lunch came with a side of floof. Mom put a bowl of kitten food on the table and spent so much time feeding him that she had most of her lunch left to eat today.
After stuffing his belly full of food, it was time for a prolonged cuddle session. If she stopped petting him, he'd take her hands in his paws and bring them back to his head.
Baby Beignet was a little worn out from his long day... all he wanted to do was enjoy his new home. But mom had the nerve to put him down to go to the bathroom.
Mom said he slept on her arm the entire night. She caught daddy calling Beignet when she was outside. She took the donut that the donut shop guy gave to my kittens (he's so generous!) and cut it up into small cat sized servings- freezing them so they won't go bad. I stopped by to visit today and he just purrs non-stop. He is sooooo happy!
Update 10/27/20
Beignet had several admirers. He loves everyone on sight.
We did discover, though, that he can hold a little bit of a grudge. My dad tried to be funny and approached him a little too fast- a little too loudly. Beignet got scared, and then didn't want to go near him. He'd run behind mom every time dad entered the room. One day he got separated from mom and wouldn't come when she called him- which was just strange for her little orange shadow. Dad told Beignet he'd move- and then he got out of Beignet's pathway and Beignet sprinted for mom.
Dad had to make amends. They made up- and hopefully Beignet doesn't get sick from the cheese. But he doesn't run from dad any more!
Beignet has been with them less than 4 days, but it's abundantly clear that he is KING in this household. Their entire routine has changed to accommodate for Beignet's needs and wishes. Though he was capable of some independence when we fostered him, he's decided that his best life is receiving complete adoration 24/7. He is nearly glued to mom's side. Though I've tried to tell her that she CAN still take care of her daily Japanese lesson (5 minutes), play her phone games, text and message with friends, manage simple chores... she insists it's too difficult with only one hand. And one hand must always be petting Beignet, according to Beignet. Who is she to argue?
They talk all the time. Beignet was able to go potty completely silently here- but in his new home, he keeps up a running commentary. "Grandma! I'm going potty! Grandma! I'm digging a hole. Ok! I'm pooping now!! It's going to take awhile!! Grandma, I'm done... gotta cover it up!! OK! I'm DONE!! HERE I COME!!"
Mom, of course, talks right back to him... telling him he's such a good boy, such a smart boy, and that he's doing a good job. In her words, their conversations "are very rudimentary still, nothing too deep yet..." I can't wait to see how these develop.
My little furry land shark is now docile. There's no need to scream, cry, crawl, fight, defend, or attack your food when your belly is always full. He has food bowls set up on the table with access to kibble and kibble mixed with kitten gravy all the time. He gets little cat treats throughout the day. This morning, because grandpa and the puppies (my parents dog sit for us while we're at work) were having some, he got to try scrambled eggs.
Beignet approved.
I got a text message towards the end of my workday, letting me know the dinner plan was steak, and Beignet was looking forward to it. Mom prepared him a tasty steak dinner- no seasoning on his portion, then minced a small amount into tiny nibbles that she mixed into his kibble. He was still eating it when they finished preparing their own dinner and sat down on the couch to eat. Beignet decided that, if they were sitting on the couch to eat, he no longer wanted to be on the table and insisted on being on the couch with them. Of course, no way they would deny his majesty... so they made a little eating place on the couch and they all enjoyed a meal together.
In case you were wondering- this is what a steak and kibble induced kitten food coma looks like.
Update 11/7/2020
It's been 2 weeks since Beignet took over my parents house and hearts. He still loves the crinkle bag I bought him when they adopted him, but he's acquiring an ever growing supply of toys.
It's not all my parents. I walked in one day holding this feather wand. Beignet heard the bell before I got around the corner and his eyes went glassy. He started chirping. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000/n---------------------------------------------- (sorry, not sorry... the jailbird kittens wanted to submit their thoughts)
A few days later, I brought him a cardboard scratching bin. Mom got worried that he'd stop sleeping on her at night, though she tried to be nonchalant and pretend it would be fine because he'd still be happy. But I heard the relief in her voice the next morning when she reported that he retained his regular nightly habit of curling up with her.
He still loves his little shark, and likes to store his toys in there... but the big hit was this tiny red tunnel. No idea when I brought it, but he instantly pounced inside. It seems that every day I hear at least one red tunnel story. He likes to take his toy of the day and drop it in one end before sprinting to the other side to stalk and hunt it.
Today, we actually ordered an upgraded, meowgical tunnel. Don't tell the husband I ordered an extra one for our house.
Just kidding... we don't hide our obsessions from each other. He is used to mystery packages arriving.
My dad is not so used to being owned by a cat, but he's learning the ropes. He's actually a little jealous of the deep relationship between Beignet and my mom.
Mom and dad still puppysit, but things are a little different there now. They have to get permission to be on the couch with Beignet. Luka has more privileges. Miyuki is heavily monitored when she approaches Beignet. I tried to remind my mother that Beignet lived with these puppies- stole food from their dishes-ran around them as he pleased, but she is taking no chances. Miyuki always wants what Beignet has-whether that is food or attention.
I also made Beignet a Stitch blanket, which is one of his favorite things. Blues and teals look so good with him.
Of course, he still loves his turtle blanket (upside down in these pictures). When mom and dad eat on the couch, he INSISTS on sitting between them- refusing to eat anywhere else. So they put his food on his little blanket and enjoy a meal together. Most likely, his 4th or 5th dinner... Beignet is a tiny hobbit, eating and loving and living his best life all day.
They also got him a cat tree- which he isn't usually very interested in. I know why... it's entirely too far from the couch, which is too far from my mom. Beignet craves company at all times!
Update 12/12/20
Beignet has many nicknames now. Mom refers to him as The Boss, Boss Beignet, B, BB (Boss Beignet), and The King. Dad calls him Misonga (my very first cat-we got her the summer before I entered 4th grade) or My Cat or That Cat, or the Dog, or Luka (my male dog's name) or Miyuki (my female dog's name) or BenGay (not as a joke- just comes out that way). Sometimes when you ask mom a question, she'll say "I gotta check with my boss" and then you'll hear her ask Beignet for his opinion.
And let me tell you, he ALWAYS has one.
He has very high opinions of toys, particularly this gargantuan tunnel that takes up most of the living room floor. His small red tunnel fits inside it, and he'll drag his little red tunnel into his big Meowgical tunnel for double the pleasure. It's usually pushed up near the TV stands/snack cabinets (yes, plural... as in multiple large cabinets placed in various locations in the house, containing nothing but snacks) but one day Jaws, my mom's robot vacuum, pushed it in the center of the room. Beignet found this delightful and now drags his tunnel into the middle of the room for play time.
When not playing with his toys, like likes to gather them all up in a pile for safe keeping while he recharges his crazy batteries. He is usually fully charged by 3am, then wakes up mom for playtime, first breakfast, and playtime again. If you ask her why she's so tired, she'll tell you that "The Boss wanted to play at 3am... so we played for a few hours until he told me it was time to eat". Seriously... I do not remember this permissive parenting when I was his age.
In one of her MANY Beignet inspired shopping sprees, she found these donut toys. They came in a pack and she sent most home with me. She tried to send them all home, because "Beignet has no interest in them at all", but as a donut shop kitten, I insisted she keep at least one. It's no surprise he prefers his other toys to this adorable donut-the furry land shark who devoured food, PARTICULARLY sugar laden carbs, in a frenzy at my house has been replaced by a kitten with very picky tastebuds. Donuts and waffles have no interest for him when he is regularly offered steak, chicken, sushi grade tuna, and... one of his favorites...duck.
And though my dad's most used phrase to any animal is "Go Grandma! Go Grandma!" and he's constanting telling us to "take BenGay home with you" when we're leaving... Daddy has a serious soft spot for HIS CAT.
Mom says he can barely walk by the couch without stopping to talk to Beignet. They've started touching foreheads, though she has not been fast enough to catch that on video yet. As with any video including my dad, watch at your own peril. There is most definitely a NSFW word at the end of this one.
A few weeks ago, we went to a big warehouse sale. My dad picked up a humongous plush ladybug dog toy and said, "I gotta get this for my cat". I explained that the toy was twice Beignet's size, and not good for a cat. Dad was pretty disappointed..."Oh really?!" and put it back. We went through the same routine with several other oversized dog toys... "I gotta get this for my cat!!" and I wasn't able to talk him out of a humongous ball with stretchy tentacles (that Beignet had no interest in whatsoever... and was regifted to my husband who happily squished and stretched it). Dad got bored of shopping and stood in the center with our bags of stuff while I helped mom, carrying things she wanted to buy back to where dad was waiting to interrogate me about every item.
Dad: WHAT'S THAT?
Me: (holding up various items, including chicken filets, canned food, and the pink cat bed below) "It's for YOUR CAT"
Dad: PUT IT IN THE BAG
We repeated this routine several times, varied only by the actual item I brought back... until I returned with a plastic container
Dad: WHAT'S THAT?
Me: Food container.
Dad: WHAT'S IT FOR?
Me: Mom wants it.
Dad: *grumbles and moans and rolls his eyes as I put it in the bag*
Seriously... If I was an awful person, I could get him to buy me anything I wanted if I just told him "It's for YOUR CAT". No questions asked!!
Beignet loves his cheap cat ear cat bed, especially once we lined it with a puffy pink floof and stuck his Stitch blanket in it.
He still chirps and loves his feather wands.
And he loves visiting kittens. The first kitten we brought to visit was Alcatraz, who wandered around and nibbled on his food for at least 5 minutes before Beignet- who was just so excited to see and play with his human visitors-noticed him. I regret not having my camera out to catch the moment that Beignet noticed the kitten, mid-leap after a feather wand.... but perhaps the poofy tail gives you a sense of his surprise reaction.
But it didn't take long before Beignet was ready to play with his visitor. Since then, he's been visited by the entire jailbirds litter and, just earlier today, the two cows. (Wix is refusing to load their pics and videos right now). Beignet gets super excited to see kittens.... too excited. He has lost all perspective of how to play with kittens and he's too rough for the smaller fosters I have had since him. He loves them a little too passionately and must be supervised for his visits.
After they leave- Beignet looks for them. Mom says he started nursing not long after his first kitten visit, but, thus far, both parental units insist they do NOT need another kitten.
Beignet loves visitors, but continues to be especially excited to see me or my husband. We're there often enough that his bond to us is still strong, but infrequent enough that we're exciting to him every time. When I walk in, he will frequently leap into my arms, purring incessantly. He is pretty comfortable anywhere, as long as you're giving him attention.
I've witnessed his bathroom announcements several times-both in person and when I'm on the phone with mom. He really does announce his intentions with a special little cry... "I'm going to the bathroom Grandma!" and he'll often look at her and wait for her to say "Ok Beignet, go potty". Then he runs to his cat tree (conveniently on the way to his litter box) and get his claws ready for digging before darting into the box and calling out "OK GRANDMA! I'M GOING POTTY!" so she can say "you're such a good boy!!" followed by him letting her know "I'm done!" so she can remind him to cover it up- then he'll scratch vigorously before his other special mewl that let's her know he's coming out, so that she can then sing his praises for being "SUCH A GOOD BOY".
The phrase "SUCH A GOOD BOY" is the most frequently used phrase in any given conversation with my mom. I call her on my way to and from work daily- 20ish minutes each way, and I'm sure she says it at least half a dozen times in each conversation.
I don't mind. I happen to agree. Mom sometimes tells me that the way I play with him with the feather wand will "make him vicious".
But I don't think we have to worry about it, really. He's about as vicious as pudding.
I recently posted an update in my blog and told my mom to look for a specific video- but she forgot which kitten it was so was hunting through all my blogs. And she stumbled back upon Beignet's blog and got lost for awhile, looking at her "BABY BEIGNET" and watching videos until he woke up and watched with her. Mom says that he just loves watching videos of himself... he seems to know he's such a handsome cat. He doesn't seem interested in watching other videos, but she will sometimes show him his home movies.
While watching the videos, Beignet saw some with his siblings and walked behind her iPad to look for his siblings. While back there, he found his food bowl... EMPTY. OUTRAGEOUS. So he got in her lap, paws on her chests, and told her IT IS TIME. She didn't get to finish re-reading his blog that day- and now she has so much more to show him... until he gets hungry and demands food. What Beignet wants, Beignet gets....
Life is good.
Update 12/23/20
If you're curious... I believe that spam delivery was 40 cans of spam.
Beignet loves kitten visitors. The friendly cows have helped her learn to love "just right" instead of his overly aggressive love. They travel so easily and are so friendly and comfortable in new places, we take them out with us to visit Beignet as often as we can. We let them know Beignet is the one that sends all the treats that he deems unworthy of his own refined palate. They're grateful and don't mind that their treats are hand me downs.
Beignet got a hand me down in return. These feather toys were one of his favorites when he lived with me and one of the few things he did not have at my parents house. So we packed one up and took it to him. We tucked it into the cows kitten kennel so we could carry the kittens and all the food into the house. While getting the food set up and the kittens settled (repeatedly putting them in the potty box) Beignet wasted no time jumping into their kennel and hauling out his feather. I wish I had a video or picture of him carrying it around the house, so happy. Mom says he played with it for hours after we left.
Beignet is a total lover who thinks that everyone who comes to the house MUST be there to see him. Of course, if you do not show the appropriate amount of time and energy enthusing over her cat, my mom will quickly inform you of the expectations for coming over-and that is absolute adoration for her Beignet, as my nephew was duly informed.
My parents puppy sit for us while we're at work, so my husband drops them off in the morning on his way in. Though he's usually still sleeping and would make my mom's day if he took the time to grunt at her instead of walking in and out without a word, since they adopted Beignet, he has taken the time to say good morning to Beignet. When you arrive to the house, Beignet calls to you, and when you appear and say hello to him, he likes to leap into your arms and give you an affectionate welcome.
About a week ago, zombie husband was so sleepy he neglected his morning hello. I could hear both Beignet's and my mom's disbelief and horror when he left without saying hello to Beignet... but Seth moves too quickly to catch once he's out the door. Beignet cried and cried, but Seth didn't come back.
I drive by their house on my way to work and was a few minutes early that morning, so I made a surprise visit, which slightly appeased Beignet.
But the next morning, Beignet took no chances. When dad walked in with the dogs, Beignet climbed up his leg and said SAY GOOD MORNING TO ME AND LOVE ME NOW!
Today my mom called me to tell me that Beignet was hungry. I know... Seth fell over in shock and only the proximity of the pantry door held him aloft. She then told me that he had already had a few meals that day. This time, Seth caught himself on the kitchen counter before fainting with the sheer shock of this news.
So Beignet told her that he was hungry, but also that he needed to go potty. So mom asked him if he wanted her to watch him go potty or prepare his meal. Though Beignet will poke his head out of his litter box to ensure that mom is paying proper attention to his toileting, he assured mom that he would be able to potty solo this one time, since she was obviously going to be busy making his snack.
Mom informed him that he was getting canned food, since he had an open can in the fridge from his earlier meal. Perhaps he was too busy with his bathroom business to really hear her so he could express his true wishes, because he knew there was chicken and "chicken jelly" in the fridge. When he finished his business he arrived for his accolades ("you're such a good boy!!") and mom presented his meal.
Wet, high quality, canned cat food.
Beignet would not touch it. Mom told him that he had to at least try it. So he returned to his bowl, took a lick, and walked across the counter to inform her that this canned food was simply not acceptable when there is perfectly good chicken in the fridge.
So... my cats are getting a new shipment of canned cat food, and now we know that their conversations have, indeed, become more deep and moved beyond the rudimentary.
2/2/21
One month ago, Beignet packed my parents and a ton of food in the car to come to my house for a slightly belated New Year's celebration. Just a few blocks from their home, a truck blew through a stop sign and plowed into my mom's van , Pua, pushing them off the side of the road into a ditch. My brother, his wife, my husband and I were all waiting at my house when dad called and answered my hello by saying "we got into a bad car accident". The 4 of us dove into my van and drove over to find my dad standing in the rain, Beignet's crate in his hands, while the EMTs were finishing extracting mom from the car, splinting her arm, and transferring her to the ambulance. The EMTs were very glad to see us- since neither mom or dad could coherently answer their questions. Mom just told them she couldn't leave until we arrived for dad and Beignet and dad just looked confused and said 'I don't know" when they asked for his personal info.
Beignet wailed as we frantically transferred the contents of Pua to my van, Destiny, and talked with the EMTs, police, other family, and attempted to get my dad to sit in our warm van instead of standing in the rain. Loud crash, getting jostled, his grandma was whisked away, he was cold and slightly damp.... NO FOOD. What was going on??!!
Not maggots... mom's traditional new years soba noodles didn't survive the accident... we did salvage most of the musubi and the deviled eggs were no longer pretty but tasted just fine!
The impact broke both bones in mom's forearm and she was alone in the hospital over 24hrs. I stayed with dad and Beignet that night, but Beignet was very happy when his grandma finally got to come home.
That is until Beignet discovered that mom could not pet him with her right arm in a huge cast and sling. He could have written this entry in the Sad Cat Diaries (ZeFrank1.... love this you tube guy's voice!)
When people asked what they could do to help (everyone wanted to support us!) Mom began asking for people to come by and pet her cat with 2 hands.
Even the guy who "doesn't want a damn cat" is involved in the 2 hand cat loving.
The insurance guy called to get information about the accident. When, where, road conditions, what she remembered, etc. After asking a ton of questions, he asked her if she had any other information that she wanted to share about the accident. Mom spent at least 5 minutes telling the insurance guy, who was very sweet, about the trauma this accident and the separation during her hospital stay caused to her cat. To this day, she hasn't figure out why we were giggling the entire time.
Mom needed help to research, find, and buy a new vehicle. We discovered, to my great dismay, that the brilliance of the Honda Odyssey extra large cup holders that can secure my big hydroflask were changed and the 2021 Odyssey can't hold my hydroflask anymore. Despite this, the safety features and upgrades in the system pleased mom enough that she stuck with the Odyssey and named itMulan (they call it red, but it's a rich, pretty maroonish color). The dealership was packed and mom was throbbing, so after agreeing to the purchase price, we left to return later to complete the paperwork when the finance office was less impacted. Beignet went back with us (we had taken him out to visit with my pets) and got to ride in Mulan before grandpa.... before me! I Hubby drove them home in Mulan while I followed in Destiny.
Eventually, mom got the big brace off...top 3 pics are day she got it off. The collage is 5 days later... ignore the typo... it should read "liberated FROM cast" but I was doing that one on my phone and didn't notice the poor autocorrect.
Beignet and dad have both been trying to be really gentle and supportive of mom, though both of them are not quiet as good at it as they'd like to think. Dad offers her hot water every 15 minutes but falls asleep before he can help her take a shower. Beignet sits carefully next to her and saves his wrestling for us, but he still demands regular feedings and manages to produce almost as much pee and poop in his litterbox as we collect from one of our litter boxes with from numerous pets!! His litter bag is HEAVY!
But Beignet really does seem to understand that he has to be careful with grandma. One day, he brought one of his favorite toys to her. He loves strings and ties... like shoelaces and the dangling cords on sweatshirt hoodies... so of course, mom bought packs of laces from amazon so he has them in many colors. He presents his string to her multiple times a day... dragging it to the bathroom when she is in there, leaping up with it to the couch if she's there...
But one day, in his exuberance to capture the string, he caught mom's arm with his claw. She gasped, more in surprise than pain, but he did realize his mistake and he deeply regretted making her bleed.
He put his string in time out and steadfastly REFUSED to acknowledge it no matter how many times mom tried to reassure him that she wasn't angry with him or the string. The entire day, she tried to entice him. He'd play with any other toy, but NOT the string.
But Beignet isn't careful around anyone else, especially his dad. When we visit, he LOVES to grab Seth's arm or hand and playfully kick and gnaw at it (he never bites with pressure; he's gentle even in his frenzy). But mom doesn't like his rough housing, so if she catches them at it, she'll scold them.
Recently, they were having lots of fun when mom made them stop. Beignet did listen, because he's really a very good kitten. But he also stuck out his tongue at her for most of the rest of the night... because he's also full of sass and self importance.
My puppy Miyuki is on a diet, so Beignet is having to adjust to less frequent treats during the work week when my parents dog sit. He does not like it, but we have tried to express that Beignet is not at risk of perishing if he misses fourth breakfast or doesn't get his third elevensies. Beignet is not convinced.
Comments