Let’s Check in With Waffles and Biscuit, the New Uni Watch Mascots

In case you missed it last week, there are two new residents at Uni Watch HQ: Uni Watch boy mascot Waffles (short, wide stripe on nose) and Uni Watch girl mascot Biscuit (long, thin stripe on nose). Many of you have asked how they’re adjusting to their new home.

Answer: They basically run the place now. They’ve explored every nook and cranny of the apartment — including a few where they don’t belong:

In all seriousness, I was surprised by how quickly they settled into their new surroundings. They were skittish and cautious for maybe a day, but then they basically said, “Yup, we like it here.” One measure of that is that they’ve both taken to sleeping upside-down, literally exposing their soft underbellies, which tells me that they feel safe, secure, and extremely relaxed.

I’ve been learning a lot about geometry from them. Sometimes, for example, they’re circular:

At other times, they’re more linear:

As you can see from those photos, they spend a lot of time relaxing on the sofa. But a few days ago I got a “cat cave” from someone on my local Buy Nothing group, and they’ve been spending some time there:

Naturally, they like the laser pointer:

Also: When I wrote about them last week, I had a little video showing Biscuit making biscuits on Waffles. That is now a regular thing — she does it to him at least once a day. He very patiently tolerates it:

Other notes:

• They have the most ravenous appetites I’ve ever encountered, especially Waffles. I’ve had to put them behind a closed door when I have breakfast, because otherwise they won’t stop trying to eat my Cheerios. Also, at one point I was eating a pretzel rod and Waffles tried to eat the other end of it! If I even glance at the kitchen, they gather around their feeding area, expecting to be fed.
• Unlike most other cats I’ve had, they’re not very vocal. But they purr a lot, which is just the best.
• They enjoy all the usual cat toys — the stuffed mouse, the stuffed fish, the plastic spring, etc. But a few days ago they discovered a bowl of mixed nuts that I keep on a shelf, so now they routinely go up there to take a walnut (or almond, or hazelnut) from the bowl and then bat it around on the floor, which makes a fun racket. Who needs stuffed mice when you have an almond? Fortunately, I live on the ground floor — if someone lived below me, I’m sure the sound would be incredibly annoying to them.
• Naturally, they leave a trail of destruction in their wake. While I’ve been writing this post, they tipped over a small table with two plants.
• They’re surprisingly quiet at night. Usually, they sleep with me, which of course I love.
• They’re total buddies, following each other around, cuddling, snuggling. It’s rare to see one of them doing something without the other.
• It’s difficult to get really good photos of them because they’re black and white. So either the white areas look blown out or the black areas look blotchy, especially around their eyes. Hmmmm.
• They’ve been sneezing a bit — an upper-respiratory infection, which is common for kittens. But they’re due for a vaccination next Tuesday, and the vet says the respiratory thing can wait until then as long as they don’t show any other worrisome symptoms. Fingers crossed.
• I’ve totally lost my heart to them. They seem to like me too.

I think that’s it for now. I’ll continue to post periodic mascot updates as events warrant!