We have a new baby at the house, and I’d love to show you more photos, and a video. She’s such a cutie pie.
Pedro has been wanting his own cat for a few years, but Racecar the Diva did not allow pets in the house. She, of course, was the boss, and not a pet. She hissed and attacked every cat we tried to bring near her. She hated all other animals, chickens and dogs and reptiles too. So Pedro patiently took care of that grumpy old lady with me, till she died at age 18 on Thanksgiving Day. Now it’s his turn to have a pet.
Pedro says her colours and stripes remind him of the planet Jupiter, and he thought of that name right away. He waited about a week before naming her though, calling her Placeholder in the meantime. He has been working in a hosting platform for multiple computer programming languages, called Jupyter. He likes that spelling. In the end, the name Jupyter kept sounding good to both of us, so that’s how she got her name.
This is the first cat we ever got from a breeder. We were very uneasy about it, since there are so many problems involved with unethical breeders and scammers who say they are breeders. We worked with a woman who lives nearby, so we could visit the kitty before we made our final decision.
We went this route because we really wanted a Maine Coon, and they are popular so it’s hard to find them at shelters. I tried, and many that were listed as Maine Coons or mixed Maine Coons were not. Getting a bred cat means we got to see photos of her parents:
We think she has much of the colouring of dad and the eyes of mom. In bright light, she’s more tan and brown, but in shadow, she looks grey. If you catch her just right, Jupyter looks like she’s judging you harshly, with the top of her eyes low and flat like her mom. Both parents have enormous ears.
This is a good cat. She’s not very loud, hardly ever meows. She tends to sleep all night long, which is nice. She makes messes constantly, and is always on top of the dinner table, and we have not yet discovered a way to keep her off of it. She especially likes trying to push the salt and pepper shakers onto the floor, knocking over the vase of flowers, and chewing and tearing up the paper napkins. So everything that used to live on the table must now be stored nearby. The placemats are always on the floor now. Urg. All that activity would make any cat tired.
Conscious Engagement 
She’s doing a fine job of training you and Pedro. What cute little Princess…..I mean kitten!
Oh you were right the first time – a tiny princess! I think Pedro would agree. 🙂
She is quite pretty. It’s good to see you have a good cardboard box supply 😹
We’ve both had so many cats, we know that their favourite toys are the ones that cost nothing, like a cardboard box, a string, or a rubber band. Right now she loves a crumpled ball of aluminum foil.
My friends from years ago taught their cat to play fetch with an crumpled aluminium ball
Good fun for all
Indeed. We are enjoying her kittenness, since we haven’t had a kitten in the house for many years.
She is adorable. I’m so happy you wrote this post with lots more photos and a video. I can understand why Pedro wouldn’t want her to be outside, and from the look of it she is comfortable in the harness. That seems like a great way to start for both of them. Enjoy the mess and boundless energy for the time it lasts.
She is getting better with the harness, and I think that will improve as she gets larger and fits it better. She still spends the first few minutes in the harness adjusting to how it feels. Usually limping, which I think is so funny, because she’s not hurt, just confused. Yes, I’m trying to enjoy the messes for what they are – just proof that we have an energetic kitten, doing what she is supposed to be doing.
Sweetness!! Except for the mess, but that will come and go, hopefully. I loved the video with the squirrel the most.
Yes, the messes are to be expected, and so that makes them easier to deal with. These days I am most grateful for the squirrel video to see how BIG she is getting already. She’s twice the size in just one month.