Even at 8 years old, Missy loved to play. Around 10 every night was our play time, and if I was busy on the computer she would hound me to come and play with her, or sit wistfully in the living room gazing at me, willing me to come. She was an expert soccer player with a little sponge ball, or anything that she could propel along the floor or into the air. More often than not, mice and balls would disappear all over the apt. having been chased under furniture, or swatted high up in the air and landing in the most unusual places. She loved for me to bounce a sponge ball at her for her to chase and swat back to me. Or she would sit high up on her seat at the top of her scratching post and I would toss balls at her and she would hit them back to me with either of her front paws -- never missing a shot! She was so quick with those paws. She had a wide variety of handmade toys filled with catnip, which she absolutely adored and after rubbing them all over her head, she would fling them high into the air and catch them. Another of her favourites was the beam of a laser pointer, which she became obsessed with. As soon as she heard the faint click of it when I activated it, she would be in a frenzy looking for the little dot of light on the floor or walls or ceiling.
On the wild side, she loved to catch June bugs out on the balcony and stun them. They would later come back to life and she would recycle them for some more fun.
She loved to lie in hiding and ambush me when I would walk by, racing out and touching my ankles with a paw. I would give a little yell, and this seemed to delight her. Another of our games we played together was peek-a-boo around corners. She absolutely loved this pastime. Each of us would position ourselves around a corner, and then take turns peeking at each other, until finally she would come charging towards me to scare me. She would come at a full gallop around the corner and then put on her brakes. And I would ruffle up her fur, and whirl her around in my arms.
In the early years she loved to watch TV -- game shows, wildlife shows, figure skating -- anything with motion -- but also the 11pm news with Canadian CTV anchorman Lloyd Robertson ---- don't ask me why! Must have been the sound of his voice intrigued her. With the Wheel of Fortune, she would stand on her hind legs with her paws on the screen trying to catch the wheel as it spun.
I bought her a cat video filled with birds, squirrels, and chipmunks, and she would sit and watch it in its entirety -- a full 20 min. and quite often try to figure out where the critters were in the TV., going around to the back of the set to seek them out.
How she could make me laugh! And how I miss her antics!