At this rate I’m going to end up with tiny scars dotting my fingertips and my toes.

Almost two weeks ago, I went to the Vicksburg Warren Humane Society and adopted a six-week-old male kitten. I have since named him “Tui,” after the town I lived in while working in Spain, but I seriously considered going with Dracula or Count.

He is all black except for a little tuff of white under his chin, and he sure does enjoy biting me. I have bought him multiple toys, and while he enjoys them, his favorite option continues to be my fingers and toes. He doesn’t bite hard, but pointy baby cat teeth still hurt.

He also has an annoying habit of while I am sleeping trying to bite my lip and nose, which is super painful with those needle like teeth.

Tui weighs a grand total of two pounds, and with a long tail is still trying to figure out the whole balance thing. For the first few days I left him in the bathroom while I was at work, but after he behaved well, I decided to give him a test for an hour while I went to the gym.

I closed the bedroom doors and gave him free reign of the kitchen, eat-in area, living room and what has been deemed “his bathroom” where his litter box and food are.

When I returned, I open the door to him tumbling off the back off the couch onto the floor (see above mention of balance problems). I seriously considered relegating him back to his bathroom when home alone until he could be trusted to walk without falling, but decided he didn’t make a mess, and he could have more room.

His lack of balance, ability to judge distance and love of moving toes also provide my favorite moment with him so far.

I have a five-cushion section couch in my living room and always sit with my back in the corner connecting the two side of the L with my feet at one of the ends.

While I was talking to my sister on the phone last week, Tui sat in the other end from my feet. Then he spotted them. Size 13 feet swaying back and forth and he couldn’t help himself. He crouched, gathered every muscle he had and pounced full superman pose towards to opposite end of the couch. All his effort was for naught as he plummeted to the ground a foot short, leading to a full on tear-inducing laughing fit that took a few minutes to subside before I could detail it to my sister.

He is learning and getting better and we are figuring each other out (I have actually been able to sleep the last few nights) and he has caused no problems while roaming free.

Thank you Georgia Lynn at the Humane Society for helping me pick him (I am terribly indecisive and couldn’t decide) and if you are looking for a friend the Humane Society has a plethora of kittens waiting for a place to call home and couches to tumble from.

Brandon O’Connor is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. Brandon can be reached at

brandon.oconnor@vicksburgpost.com.