Buckwheat

Born June 2, 2004

Domestic Long Hair - Black

Buckwheat was the 2nd kitten born, and he looked like he was very dark gray at the time.  When it came time for naming the kittens, we chose "Smokey".  Since we already had our 'bandit' girl, it seemed pretty fitting at the time.  But then as he grew, he started changing colors.  At first he turned brownish, and then he turned black.  The poor little fella didn't quite know what name he was going to end up with because we didn't know what color he was going to end up being!!  One day the man of the house started calling him "Buckwheat", remembering one of the charactors in the old tv program "Little Rascals", and the name stuck with him ever since.  After being "all black" for awhile, though, now he's beginning to get some brownish tints again, but we're still keeping the name.

He's been a pretty layed back and easy going kitten right from the start.  We think it's because he was never as sure footed as his brother Johnny C, who was forever "on the go"! Buckwheat tried to follow him around, but usually ended up crashing to the floor instead of landing on the box, or anything else he was trying to get to.  We think he must have learned at an early age that it was much safer to just lay back and watch his brother.  Him and Bandit (oops, we mean Miss Daisy) were content to go off and investigate things on their own, while playing with each other the entire time.  We also think he missed Daisy the most, after she left for her new home, because he soon became a "mommy's boy", and still is!

His favorite 'toy' is an old black shoestring.  He'll drag that thing all over the house, and it usually ends up becoming a tug of war game between him and whoever's feeling as playful at the time.  You'll notice in the picture above (on the right) that he's got it right there beside him, and he's guarding it rather closely!!

He was smaller than Johnny C and bigger than Miss Daisy when the kittens were born.  But he's growing pretty fast and now he's bigger than his brother.  Of course, with all that long hair that he has, it's kind of hard to tell for sure!!!  He's already passed up Critter, though, and he's only 6 month's old.

When both the boys went to the vet's office to get neutered, we don't think Buckwheat has ever moved as fast as he did when he saw Bj bringing out the cat carrier!!! He must have remembered the trip to the vet's for their first shots, because he certainly "shot" out of the living room at lightening speed that day!!!!  He was down in the basement before Johnny C even knew what was happening!

When Mysti first went to the vet's office right after we got her, Bj wanted to get her spayed right away.  Our vet wouldn't do the surgery until he "knew for sure" that she needed it.  None of us knew her background, and none of us had any idea she was pregnant at the time!!  We're very thankful now that he's like that, because if he would have done it, then we'd have lost all 3 kittens.  Bj didn't really want more than 2 cats, and she didn't want anymore with long hair, but what can we say?  We ALL love cats around here, and we're all thankful things turned out like they did!