The pictures with no pictures of Jupiter Jones...

I didn't get pictures. I didn't have time, as it all happened too quickly and I was too caught up in wondering what might happen and what needed to be done. Laughter? Yes, there was some of that, admittedly - - as well as a keen interest in not being caught in the line of fire. This was a time to stand against a wall and let Didgeridoo Boy handle everything, just because, and because it was all his idea.

He decided last night was the time to introduce Jupiter Jones to a collar, and it was one with a bell. "Let's see what he will do." And the thought entered my head that I might like to get a video, but I decided to start backing away a little bit. The way the kitten was rubbing his chin on his chest with his eyes looking all the world like they were crossed made me feel like that might be the best choice.

Didge chose to try this in the foyer, so the only places to be out of the way were down the hall and into the bathroom - - which Didge conveniently claimed as his own. At the point in which Jupiter tried to stand on his tail like a kangaroo about to box, we both ducked (why, I don't know), and I tried to hide behind Didge. He wouldn't let me. But it was fine - the kitten didn't fly down the hall with his claws extended as I had feared, instead, he rolled to one side with his mouth open (still chin-to-chest and cross-eyed) and put his left hind leg behind his head.

And we both said, "Oh, shit." Then he put his right front leg alongside his head and writhed, spinning. We said, "Oh, shit.", again. When it became evident that Jupiter was going to find a way to get his lower jaw under the collar, Didge boldly stepped in and unclipped the collar, making the observation that Jupiter would likely not be a cat who liked collars. The kitten solidified that opinion by jogging down the hall with a freakish amount of purpose, taking a swing at my legs on the way to the living room.

That's not the end, darlings. Oh, no. Think of who we're dealing with.

Didge decided, a couple of hours later, to try it again. Jupiter moved his head around in a few large circles, eyes crossed as before, suddenly became excessively still, then flopped down on the floor and became even more so. And we stood, looking. Totsi the Dog came over to sniff - she had to make sure her kitten was okay - and he still didn't move. Accordingly, neither did we. Didge said, "Yeah. He's not going to move until I take this thing off. Some of them do that when they don't like something, they'll just lay down on the floor and refuse to move." He bent down over the seemingly lifeless Jupiter, and proceeded to unsnap the collar.

And Jupiter moved. He flipped onto his back, grabbed Didgeridoo Boy's wrists with both of his sets of front claws, and bit him on the thumb while making a grand attempt to get his back claws into Didge's forearm. Once the collar was finally off, Didge put it on the mantle and the subject was dropped. So, like Didge said after his first attempt, clearly this is a cat who will never in his life wear a collar, because we're damned sure not going to try putting one on him again.

I don't even want to begin to think of what it will be like for Didge to have to give him a pill.