Tag Archives: Banner

Banner King of Chaos, Director of Illumination & Head of Printer Operations

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Banner the ornage cat reves up with a cup of Joe before planning his daily does of chaos

The Internet Is Full of Cute Cats… But None Like Mine

The internet is overflowing with adorable felines.

There are the upside‑down cuddlers, Doug the 1‑der Cat and his lobster alter‑ego, the Business Cats, and the Canadian trio — Pudding, Onyx, and Olive — who run the Oreo Cat empire. Milo and Poppy (the black cat who never blinks) always deliver drama, and Maisie is the newest chaos intern in that household. Walter the Wizard Cat casts spells daily. If you displease him you will be sent to the VOID.

And then there are Kurt and Gary — the emotional support duo of the entire internet. Kurt, with his soulful eyes and “I’ve seen things” expression, radiates the energy of a cat who has read your diary and still loves you. Gary, meanwhile, is pure serotonin in whisker form — the kind of cat who could fix a bad day just by existing. Together they’re the quiet heartbeat of Cat Internet, the ones you check on like old friends.

I love them all.
But none of them — none — get into the kind of nonsense Banner does.

Banner’s Resume: Director of Illumination

You may recall Banner’s 3 a.m. hobby: turning on the bathroom light.
Not with a paw tap.
Not with a gentle nudge.
No — with bite marks in the switch.

Every light switch in this house is now in protective custody behind child‑proof covers. Banner considers this a personal challenge.

Nanaki, the orange upside‑down kitty, might give him a run for his money — Nanaki recently learned to turn on the oven.

Meet Nanki and his long suffering hooman

Banner hasn’t figured that out yet, but he does enjoy warming his behind on mine whenever it’s on. So we’re… halfway there.

And Now: Head of Printer Operations

But here’s where Banner truly sets himself apart.

Banner has decided the printer is his personal chaos button, and he is committed to pressing it at every opportunity.

This cat has exactly two modes:

  1. Sleeping like a Victorian child in a painting
  2. Causing administrative disasters

He’s not trying to print anything.
He’s summoning the Paper Spirits.
In his little cat brain, the logic is simple:

“I push this button, and the house makes snow.”

Incident #1: The Paper Blizzard

The first time he found the print button, I got one blank page.
Not ideal, but survivable.

When I returned home later, the entire paper tray was empty. Pages were scattered across the floor like confetti after a parade. The culprit? Snoozing peacefully in the bedroom, pretending innocence.

Incident #2: The Full Diagnostic Suite

A couple days of peace passed.
Then Banner apparently thought:

“I haven’t caused any chaos lately.”

I heard the printer whir to life.
There he was — sitting smugly on top of it like a tiny furry CEO.

I expected another blank page.
Nope.

He triggered a full diagnostic.

Four pages of printer diagnostics.
A full‑color test page.
And then — because he’s thorough — a one‑page printer report.

At this point, the printer needs a warning label:

“Not cat‑proof. Not even a little.”

Banner’s IT Career Begins

This cat isn’t playing anymore. He has:

  • Initiated a system audit
  • Run a diagnostic suite
  • Possibly applied for a job in IT

Honestly, the printer should automatically stamp each page:

“Triggered by: Banner the Menace.”

Emergency Protocol: Power Button

That was the last straw.
I turned off the power button.

They say most cats never figure out power buttons — they’re too flush, too boring, and they don’t make satisfying noises. Banner prefers the chaos buttons: the ones that beep, whirr, and spit out paper like a Vegas slot machine.

But on my printer, all the buttons are flush… and he’s already mastered those. I may not be safe unless I unplug the machine entirely.

Banner’s Troubleshooting Sequence

If he tries again, I fully expect him to follow the classic cat IT protocol:

  1. Stare at printer
  2. Tap it once
  3. Tap it harder
  4. Sit on it
  5. Yell at it
  6. Walk away like he never cared

He may not have been able to change the lightbulb for me, but he can run my printer like an IT pro.

The Printer’s Future Looks Grim

Who knows what he’ll get into next — especially once he borrows the orange cat brain cell again. Whatever he thinks of next, I just hope it doesn’t involve electricity, diagnostics, or anything with a paper tray.

Banner and his old printer before it bit the dust. I wonder if it got clogged with orange cat hair?

 

Kitty Shenanigans: The Continuing Saga of Life With Two Cats

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Cat Wrestling to start the day off right. What more can be in store for me?

The Morning Mayhem Begins

What a morning. My two tiny terrors have been in rare form. Usually the day starts the same way: breakfast for both kitties, followed by a full‑speed race around the condo. I try not to be in my recliner when this happens, because it’s one of the main sections of their racetrack. They’re just as likely to launch off my head — leaving tufts of my gray hair behind — as they are to springboard off the back of the chair. It’s truly a dangerous place to sit once they’re wound up.

The Post‑Race “Recovery” Phase

After that comes the recovery phase. Once they’ve burned off that first burst of morning energy, they each find a spot for a quick nap while they wait for me to clean the litter box. They supervise this process closely. As soon as I finish, they each reclaim a box — I’ll spare you the explanation. Then they get their morning treats, and normally I get a little peace to write, read, or even sneak in a nap of my own.

Balboa, Agent of Desktop Chaos

But today? Today they rewrote the script.

It started with Balboa. As soon as he finished breakfast, he came over to my desk to “see what I was doing.” He stretched out across the desktop, looking perfectly relaxed. That was just to lull me into a false sense of security. The moment I moved my hand from mouse to keyboard, a paw shot out like lightning. He grabbed for the mouse. I grabbed back. My typing came to a halt. Balboa was not deterred. His paw moved from mouse to keyboard, and the next thing I knew, I had a whole blog post of kitty gibberish.

This back‑and‑forth went on for a while. I was getting nothing done, and Balboa was delighted with himself. Fortunately, he has a short attention span and eventually wandered off to find some other form of mischief.

Banner vs. The Fitbit: A Rivalry for the Ages

Enter Banner.

My Fitbit was on the charger — and somehow, Banner knew. My Fitbit is his nemesis. He tries to chew it off my arm, he finds it when I hide it in the medicine cabinet during my shower, and no matter which charging station I use, he senses it. He has some sort of sixth sense for wearable technology.

Thus began my efforts to distract a determined agent of chaos. Banner has a much longer attention span than Balboa, and this was turning into a full morning of distraction. Cat 1, Hooman 0. The Fitbit barely survived.

Eventually, I gave up trying to charge it and put it back on my wrist. Banner gave me a tail flip — the feline equivalent of a rude gesture — followed by a disgusted look before wandering off, muttering under his breath the whole way.

Temporary Peace… Probably

Back to my work… I hope.

I quietly snuck the Fitbit back onto the charger. Both cats finally settled down for their morning nap/recharge cycle. And now I wait, wondering what they’ll dream up next.

Tiger Panther box war

Living with cats is like living with tiny, furry project managers — always supervising, never helpful, and absolutely convinced the world revolves around their schedule.

Banner and Balboa would like you to know this post contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a small commission — which they insist should go toward treats, toys, or whatever they’ve decided to knock off the counter next.

 

Certified Innocent (According to Them)

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Life with cats is nothing of not entertaining.

The Innocence Project

It’s time for an installment of the The Banner & Balboa Show: Starring Two Cats and One Exhausted Human

The Quirky Lives of Banner and Balboa: A Household Run by Cats

Every cat owner knows the truth: you don’t live with cats — you simply coexist with tiny, furry agents of chaos who believe your home is their personal amusement park. And honestly? They’re not wrong.

Scrolling through Facebook the other day, I saw a meme that said:
“You’re not a cat owner until you hear something crash at 3 a.m. and decide it’s a problem for tomorrow.”
And I thought… yes. Yes, that is the entire biography of my household.

Because if there’s one thing Banner and Balboa excel at, it’s quirks. Endless, baffling, hilarious quirks.

The Morning Indy 500

Every morning, without fail, the boys kick off their day with what I can only describe as the Feline Grand Prix.

The track layout changes daily, but the highlights include:

  • Up the cat tree
  • Over the TV stand
  • A dramatic leap over the cat fountain
  • A full‑speed sprint down the hall
  • A victory lap into the bedroom
  • And then… repeat.
    And repeat.
    And repeat.

Coffee doesn’t wake me up.
The thunder of tiny paws does.

Banner: The Social Butterfly With a Heated Seat Obsession

Banner is the friendliest cat on the planet. He would greet a burglar with a head‑butt and a purr. Delivery drivers? His best friends. Random dog walking by? He’s already planning a meet‑and‑greet. I swear, if I ever lose him, he’ll be in someone’s yard introducing himself like he’s running for office.

But his real quirk?
The stove.

The moment the oven turns on, Banner materializes like a summoned demon and plants himself directly on the stovetop. Not near it. Not beside it. On it. Because apparently nothing warms his royal backside quite like preheating to 350°.

I’ve tried explaining the concept of “danger” to him. He disagrees.

Balboa: The Dramatic Artist, Professional Nap Innovator

Balboa, meanwhile, is a creature of comfort and questionable decisions.

One afternoon, I walked into the kitchen and found him curled up — peacefully, smugly — inside a glass bowl. A bowl meant for salad. A bowl that was absolutely not meant to contain a 14‑pound panther‑cat. But there he was, looking like a furry croissant, proud of his new life choice.

He also believes the bed belongs entirely to him. If I get up in the night, he immediately stretches out to full length like he’s claiming territory for the crown. Returning to bed becomes a negotiation.

The 3 A.M. Symphony

Every cat owner knows the sound.

That unmistakable, horrifying, adrenaline‑spiking noise:
Huuuuurk… huuuurk… HUUURK.

Forget alarm clocks. The sound of a cat about to puke will launch you out of bed with Olympic speed. Too bad it always happens at 3 a.m., when your brain is still buffering.

And of course, once you’re up, Banner and Balboa assume it’s breakfast time. Or playtime. Or “let’s stare at the wall for no reason” time.

Doors? Cabinets? Mere Suggestions.

Need a bit of light? Banner will turn it on for you. He’s mastered the art of flipping the switch with his teeth, leaving behind tiny bite marks as his signature. Nothing like walking into a room at 3 a.m. to find the lights blazing and Banner looking very pleased with his electrical handiwork.

Light Switch with Banner’s tooth mark

Both boys have mastered the art of opening things that should remain closed.

Cabinet doors? Easy.
Bedroom doors? Child’s play.
Privacy? A myth.

When Balboa was little, he used to squeeze under the counter next to the dishwasher like a tiny mouse. Now that he’s too big to fit, he simply opens the cabinet under the sink and climbs in that way.

Banner, meanwhile, sits outside the opening like he’s watching a nature documentary. He can stare at that hole for hours, waiting for Balboa to reappear like a groundhog predicting spring.

Life With Cats: A Comedy, A Mystery, A Warm Fuzzy Mess

Living with Banner and Balboa means:

  • Never eating alone
  • Never sleeping alone
  • Never having a moment of silence
  • And never, ever being bored

Their quirks are ridiculous, inconvenient, and occasionally hazardous to my sanity — but they’re also the reason the house feels alive.

Because at the end of the day, nothing beats a warm purr, a head‑butt, or the sight of a cat proudly sitting in a bowl he absolutely does not fit in.

Life with cats isn’t perfect.
But it’s perfectly theirs.

 

One More Thing

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One more Thing

I forgot one other noteworthy accomplishment from that memorable week. Banner and Balboa had their annual check ups. No surprises. Both are healthy and happy. Banner was his normal inquisitive and friendly self. Balboa hid and refused to come out. Of course being black he was really hard to find because he blended in the shadows behind the furniture and under the bed.

The Vet

Our Vet is Dr. Ross from Ross Veterinary House Calls. She is wonderful and I am so happy to have found her. I love that she comes to the house so the cats don’t get stressed out. Of course Balboa stresses out over everything and anything out of the ordinary. But we try. She was so calm and quiet when we were all trying to get him out from behind the computers. When he finally did come out I had taken myself out of the search to limit the number of people chasing him so he went to her.

Banner

Banner is my big guy and not surprising he was overweigh but not by much. Dr. Ross said to make sure he maintained and didn’t gain any more. Easier said than done with Banner. His idea of a strenuous play session is to lie on his side and bat at any toy that manages to roll his way. Chase it? What’s that? Hunt it? I don’t think so! And he certainly won’t jump and grab. Banner weighted in at a whopping 15.1  lbs! Carrying him around is like lifting weights.

My little helper

 

Balboa

Balboa, once we caught him, was the surprise. I always think of him as my shiny, sleek house panther. I knew he wasn’t anywhere near as heavy as Banner.  Where Banner is a lump on the floor, Balboa  is always up high on the back of a chair or the top of the wardrobe. When we play Balboa is like a Flying Wallenda! You can imagine my surprise when my high flying super cat turned out to be overweight too! For his slender body type Dr. Ross said he should weigh no more than 10 lbs. OOPS! Balboa weighed 11.2 lbs.

Balboa reaches new Heights

 

TOYS, TOYS and MORE TOYS

When we pulled the old stove out I found out where all of the missing toys had gone. Before the new stove was delivered I filled a box with all of the balls and toys from under the old stove. No need to buy any more for awhile!

 

Is Maine an Option?

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A Spring Vacation in Maine?

I saw a chance to reserve a cabin in the Maine woods in May. I’ve been to Rangeley Maine before. There’s not much to do except enjoy the scenery and hike. You might see a moose or deer  or if you’re really lucky a fox kit.

 

Little fox on side of road

I spent a week in Mane in June one year so I jumped at the chance to make the reservation. Now I’m having 2nd thoughts. For one thing I’ve added Banner to my household and he can’t go. If he was a dog he would be welcomed but cats are not allowed. I’m not sure I’m ready to be separated  yet.

 

The second reason is that Maine has reinstated it’s COVID quarantine for people from MA. If I have to be quarantined for 2 weeks I might as well stay home.

My last reason for questioning this decision is snow. Rangeley Maine is in the middle of the state right in the mountains. It’s a beautiful place but will it still be snowbound in May? Perhaps some more research is needed.

Speaking of Banner

Banner is growing like a weed and is a really good kitten most of the time. He leaves me alone to work either sleeping or playing with his toys. That’s amazing! But he did discover the jigsaw puzzle so that project had to be boxed up before the pieces were lost. A few now have kitty teeth marks!

We discovered Cat TV on YouTube.  When he gets particularly feisty I put the video on. If I add sound it really makes him crazy . He goes after the speakers so we usually watch “silent” TV.

As you can see Banner can be distracted too but comes back strong. Can you hear him purr? He is quite proud of himself.

He can also be entertained by just watching the curser or the letters on the screen as I type.