Bella is a very sweet, gentle cat, and has never tried to...

Bella is a very sweet, gentle cat, and has never tried to kill a vet, but when she was younger she tended to bite whenever she got too over-stimulated. Like from being petted, or looked at too much. She never drew blood, or broke the skin. She was very precise in being able to inflict maximum pain without leaving a mark.

I got her to stop biting but then she shifted into slapping. As in snap-the-spine-of-a-ten-inch-rabid-Norwegian-ship's-rat-with-one-blow slapping. That was worse.

She finally stopped doing that, but sometimes she still likes to bite. So the other morning I wake up to realize Bella easing up toward my face teeth first.

Me: What are you doing?

Bella: (in cat speak) Nothing. Hold still.

Me: What? No, get away.

Bella: Just a little one on the chin.

Me: No, stop it!

Bella: Just a little one! OH COME ON!

Me: GET AWAY!

Anyway, that was the morning.


links:

The article from the Austin American Statesman I mentioned yesterday is now online: Three new novels speak to health of Texas fantasy and sci-fi writing tradition It's about me, Katy Stauber, and Stina Leicht, who both had their first books come out this year.

Locus: 2011 Hugo and Campbell Awards Nominees Congrats to everyone!

The Atlantic: Texas Wildfires If everyone could think very hard about it raining here today, it would be very appreciated.