Update on the bead game: I heard Beauty last night playing what I thought was "bead" in the kitchen. I was surprised, because these days my son is the one who keeps careful track of the precious bead so that he can play with Beauty when he feels she is in need of her playtime and exercise. I looked more carefully and found that Beauty had used some imagination and found a small nub of chalk to use instead of a bead. She also enjoys playing with a fuzzy tennis ball - the kind you use with velcro animal-shaped mitts to play catch with. She loves to hold it between all four paws, next to her stomach, and claw it with her back feet while biting it. Speaking of biting - I love how cats know how to bite just gently enough not to hurt when they are play-biting with their humans. Isn't it amazing?