Paddy (the cat pictured in my standard userpic)  has been very restless this spring.  He is feeling more than ever the limitations of being an indoor cat.  At times, he tears around the house, flinging himself onto various pieces of furniture with little regard for personal safety.  Since he was already fixed when I bought him, I sometimes wonder if the surgery was successful.  I could swear he acts like he's under the influence of excessive testosterone. 

Yesterday I finally gave in and bought Paddy a "cat tower".  It's hand-crafted of madrone and has stair-stepped platforms.  It's very nice and has the phrase "Sweet Kitty" burned into the wood.  Ha!  I thought it would be a smart purchse.  With a new puppy coming in July, Pads will need some place to escape. 

Paddy loved it at first sight.  He can climb up, sit on the top platform, and enjoy the view from the bedroom window.  It's nice not to be forced to power lift 15 pounds of cat into the window several times a day. 

Unfortunately, with many good things, an unexpected problem arose last night.  At bed time, Paddy climbed the "tower" and started to nose his way through the blinds to get on the window ledge.  I ended up moving his new toy away from the window so he wouldn't either strangle himself or ruin the blinds.  There's always something.