Dec 2017: when attacking your toy from the ground just isn't enough.

July 2017: when you really want to play with the straw but you also don't want to get up. (Of course I gave him the straw.)

May 2017: a rare moment of calm, during a very important paw washing. Don't know what was going on with his nose, looks like he scraped it on something.

Look what @scousepie.bsky.social had made for me ❤️

Feb 2018: a quick game of fetch with a little paper ball.

October 2017: continuing the play theme, these blue fishies continued to entice throughout his life (anything dangly, really). RAWR

April 2017: when he first got this toy he used to prise the blue tunnel bits off and chase the ball under the sofa. Don't think he ever forgave me for making it more secure.

Feb 2018: the previous summer, my Dad balled up a Tunnocks wafer wrapper and threw it for Parkin. And hooo boy, did he love that game. For the rest of his life, we played THROW BALL around the sofa, so he could fling himself around in pursuit of the ball.

July 2017: Parkin using the full force of his little ginger brain to work out the butterfly toy. I think he trashed the butterfly in a couple of weeks and then graduated to real insects outside.

Sep 2019: Parkin didn't believe in closed doors. This door was to an understairs cupboard with gardening tools and, let's face it, probably mice.

July 2017: just because Parkin liked his ginger buddy, did not mean he got to test out the cat flap. The house is only Parkin's house! (I also love his little bounces across the lawn.)

August 2017: in my old house, Parkin made a little ginger friend. No idea where it lived but he'd trot round and they'd play together and hang out - sometimes one would nap and the other would keep watch, like this.

April 2017: where's Donkey when you need him? This was a relatively tame attack, most kitten owners will be familiar with the shredded hands of enthusiasm monching.

May 2017: I bought Donkey as a means to divert Parkin when he started attacking my hands (didn't always work). Here we see an boi in full zoomies mode, and with sound on you can hear two genuine RAWRs in the wild. (The third one is me.)

May 2017: I remember this very clearly because he was driving me nuts. There was nothing up where he was looking. He was wailing at air. He was always a noisy boi.

April 2017: Parkin in full MITEY HUNTER mode, while also being gloriously ludicrous.

February 2017: as a kitten, Parkin loved getting as high up as he could. I never witnessed these climbs - I'd just come in and he'd be on top of the tallest bookshelf, or on the fridge. Evidence - fallen books, dislodged fridge magnets - was everywhere, though.

February 2017: Parkin fell through the floorboards and into the foundations of my flat. There had been a loose plank for years, it was under a doormat and I never thought anything of it. One morning I heard a clatter and a yowl, went into the hallway and OH MY GOD PARKIN WHAT HAVE YOU DONE

August 2017: Parkin always loved the laser pointer. He developed a routine that, last thing at night, he would sit in front of the sofa until I pointed the red dot at the sofa back cushions and he'd race up, across and over. And repeat until tired.

April 2017: I have to tell you about Parkin sleeping. Like everything else in his life, he committed to it hard. He seemed to have such vivid dreams - often twitching paws or his mouth. Sometimes he growled in his sleep. And often snored so loud I could hear him across the room.

Febr 2017: 5 months old and developing a deep love of being comfys.

January 2017: 4 months old and the start of an obsession with emery boards that lasted his whole life. If I was using one, he'd come and steal it right out of my hand.

Dec 2016: I hadn't planned on getting a kitten that November and already had flights away for Christmas. Parkin was too little to go into a cattery and clearly couldn't be left to a catsitter, so Bill took care of him over yuletide.

Bill@bill-l.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Yowsa 😦. If I may…Can I distract you with some pictures of when little Parkin stayed in my place and sat on my laptop 😂 😸😸

December 2016: 3 months old. He genuinely fell asleep like this.

Nov 2016: 9 weeks old and in his first few days at my house. A rare moment of calm. And so, so cute.

February 2017: 5 months old and viciously attacking a pair of my socks. Such a mitey hunter.

October 2016: Parkin's mum's owner caught him peeing in the fireplace.

April 2017: about 7 months old here and with springs in his legs. That quick lick of the fur at the start is something he still did during zoomies play. How dare anything touch him! Must stop to get clean!

September 2016: teeny baby Parkin getting a hug from one of his sisters.

Thank you so much for all the kind words about Parkin. It's genuinely helped to see how many people loved my little doofus. I've been going through old photos and videos of him and I think I'll post some here over time. They've made me laugh, you'll probably like them too.