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| Name: |
Nikodemus
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Age: |
Three years old
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| Gender: |
Male
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Kind: |
Domestic Shorthair
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| Home: |
Westchester, New York, USA
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Nikodemus
(a/k/a Niko, Chunky Monkey, Ebony Fur Face, Little Brother,
Mischief Maker, et al) was rescued from the Humane Society of New
Rochelle, NY, when he was approximately seven months old. At that time,
he had a svelte body, so we were sure that he probably had a Siamese
lineage. His three-week stay the shelter had earned the name of
"Casanova," because he was very affectionate and purred whenever he was
picked-up. We assumed his purring was due to contentment, but later
learned that he purrs whenever he is scared, which is quite often,
because "one" of his personalities is very shy and skittish. He likes to
stay in the shadows, which is the perfect camouflage for his all-black
fur, but has resulted in him being sat on and stepped on a few times.
His lurking in the shadows reminded us of the biblical Nicodemus, which
seemed like an appropriate name for him and a name that would be less
likely to evoke any teasing from his two older feline brothers.
Niko's transition was nothing short of amazing and remarkable. His
brothers accepted him, within 30 minutes. There were no growls or
hisses, only curiosity, as they confidently sniffed and stared. Within a
day and a half, the crate was opened and the family blended, as though
they had grown-up together.
All of his personalities like to lurk in the shadows, but the second
personality is a bit more assertive and demanding. He loves to test the
laws of physics, by rolling things across flat surfaces and onto the
floor. This is apparently so he can assess their trajectories and
measure the decibel levels, as they become airborne and land. His first
passion were AA and AAA batteries. He could find them, no matter where
they were hidden. As with a toddler, we tried offering substitute items
in the form of wooden dowels and metal cylinders. They were
approximately the same size, but they weren't as much fun as the
contraband items. However, the ceramic coffee cup that held these
objects was very appealing. That was rescued, just in time, when it
became evident that it was going to become the next hockey puck.
Easily bored, he is very needy for attention and entertainment. He is
considerate enough to announce his plans, with very distinctively
different patterns of meowing, but insists on immediate gratification.
When talking doesn't get results, he moves on to Plan B. If he is bored,
he waits to make eye contact, then begins to "rearrange" whatever might
be within his reach, never breaking his defiant gaze. If he wants to
redirect his humans' attention away from the computers, the cordless
mouse becomes airborne or he sits on whatever seems to be receiving more
attention than he is, i.e., the hand that is moving the mouse, the
keyboard, the checkbook, etc. When the litter pan doesn't meet with his
satisfaction, he makes his verbal demands, then, pees in the bathtub.
Only the areas that are above his now-chubby leaping range are safe.
His third personality, though, is nothing short of angelic. At night, he
has no fear. He stretches his full body against his humans, hogs the bed
and offers his rarely heard purr of contentment.
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