Why We'll Never Be Able to Get Rid of the Crate

Sometimes I go through the Living Room/Sewing Room Annex That Needs a New Name, and there's Clarice, lounging in her loft bed. She doesn't sleep in there all the time, so I never know why she decided to go climb in bed, but she's so happy there--she was purring REALLY loudly when I took these (lousy) photos just now--that I can't see us ever taking it away from her. Sigh. Everyone needs the Giant-Size Dog Crate (4 ft. long, 3 ft. high) right smack in the middle of their front room. You can see her scratching post, her huge red litter box, her various stuffed animals, and two cardboard boxes in the back (for hiding out). It's like a fort, and I wish I had one my size.

Clarice has approved this post--she's now lying in my lap, purring happily. Poor kitten:  her fur is getting longer and longer every day, and she's still so crazy and kittenish that we're having real trouble introducing her to the concept of Being Groomed. She spends much of her day with bits of her breakfast in the huge ruff around her neck. We're trying to get good photos of her, but when she's awake, she won't stay still. When she's asleep, she just looks rumpled. She's gorgeous, so we're trying to capture that. She turns 8 months old next week.