henselpushers
@henselpushers.bsky.social
•free Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel sheet music•
Because you've played enough Chopin already
henselpushers.org/links
Also dishwasher appreciation Sundays
🐈 🫧 🥣 🍴
Because you've played enough Chopin already
henselpushers.org/links
Also dishwasher appreciation Sundays
🐈 🫧 🥣 🍴
I’m also working on a program of Bonis for the spring. FWIW I’m using “Mel” but I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here.
November 12, 2025 at 5:22 PM
I’m also working on a program of Bonis for the spring. FWIW I’m using “Mel” but I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here.
Cats may be the archetypes of agility and grace. Not this one. She is beyond clumsy… utterly lacking in proprioception.
She regularly falls off of chairs while laying on them. She fails to jump onto the seat of our very low couch.
She regularly falls off of chairs while laying on them. She fails to jump onto the seat of our very low couch.
November 12, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Cats may be the archetypes of agility and grace. Not this one. She is beyond clumsy… utterly lacking in proprioception.
She regularly falls off of chairs while laying on them. She fails to jump onto the seat of our very low couch.
She regularly falls off of chairs while laying on them. She fails to jump onto the seat of our very low couch.
Let’s see, what else.
She sits like this when she is scared.
(????)
She sits like this when she is scared.
(????)
November 12, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Let’s see, what else.
She sits like this when she is scared.
(????)
She sits like this when she is scared.
(????)
She LOVES her backpack. We use it to take her to the vet and other places, which she HATES (she panics and cries).
None of the that trauma transfers to the backpack at all. As soon as she sees it, she rushes to jump inside it before you can even set it down or unzip it
None of the that trauma transfers to the backpack at all. As soon as she sees it, she rushes to jump inside it before you can even set it down or unzip it
November 12, 2025 at 12:00 AM
She LOVES her backpack. We use it to take her to the vet and other places, which she HATES (she panics and cries).
None of the that trauma transfers to the backpack at all. As soon as she sees it, she rushes to jump inside it before you can even set it down or unzip it
None of the that trauma transfers to the backpack at all. As soon as she sees it, she rushes to jump inside it before you can even set it down or unzip it
I will try this. She has a little silicone mat but the lip on the mat is too low and it spills right over
November 11, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I will try this. She has a little silicone mat but the lip on the mat is too low and it spills right over
Now we stop her when we hear water splashing but she’s gotten really good at doing it silently so we don’t notice. You’ll just step in these occasionally and get your socks wet
November 11, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Now we stop her when we hear water splashing but she’s gotten really good at doing it silently so we don’t notice. You’ll just step in these occasionally and get your socks wet
A newer bad habit is piggy dipping in the piggy pond (her water bowl). At first we thought it was cute—which is why there is video—but now there are pools of water on the floor and she doesn’t always have water to drink.
November 11, 2025 at 10:22 PM
A newer bad habit is piggy dipping in the piggy pond (her water bowl). At first we thought it was cute—which is why there is video—but now there are pools of water on the floor and she doesn’t always have water to drink.
Perhaps my favorite of her inscrutable routines is that every two or three days, she closely inspects the two framed raptors we have in the living room.
Naturally, this is called Tap the Raptors.
Naturally, this is called Tap the Raptors.
November 11, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Perhaps my favorite of her inscrutable routines is that every two or three days, she closely inspects the two framed raptors we have in the living room.
Naturally, this is called Tap the Raptors.
Naturally, this is called Tap the Raptors.
She reverts 100% to baby while she’s suckling, which is great because you can brush her and trim her claws without her even noticing. We call it the Suckle Spa.
November 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
She reverts 100% to baby while she’s suckling, which is great because you can brush her and trim her claws without her even noticing. We call it the Suckle Spa.
Basically the only time she sits directly on a lap is when she is suckling on her blanket. This happens usually 2-3x a day.
We thought she would outgrow this but now I’m not so sure.
We thought she would outgrow this but now I’m not so sure.
November 11, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Basically the only time she sits directly on a lap is when she is suckling on her blanket. This happens usually 2-3x a day.
We thought she would outgrow this but now I’m not so sure.
We thought she would outgrow this but now I’m not so sure.
Mantissa will rarely sit directly on a lap or directly on the couch. She is always in her box, the Tub Boat.
(The box can be on a lap or the couch.)
(This is v2 of the box, she outgrew the first one like a hermit crab.)
(The box can be on a lap or the couch.)
(This is v2 of the box, she outgrew the first one like a hermit crab.)
November 11, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Mantissa will rarely sit directly on a lap or directly on the couch. She is always in her box, the Tub Boat.
(The box can be on a lap or the couch.)
(This is v2 of the box, she outgrew the first one like a hermit crab.)
(The box can be on a lap or the couch.)
(This is v2 of the box, she outgrew the first one like a hermit crab.)
Ok enough Mantissa lore. I want to talk about her quirks. There are many
Obviously there is her love for the dishwasher. This became an obsession for her at ~6 months old and still happens every day, multiple times a day.
Obviously there is her love for the dishwasher. This became an obsession for her at ~6 months old and still happens every day, multiple times a day.
Mantissa is obsessed with the dishwasher. She begs me to open it every morning so she can stare into it for minutes at a time.
November 11, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Ok enough Mantissa lore. I want to talk about her quirks. There are many
Obviously there is her love for the dishwasher. This became an obsession for her at ~6 months old and still happens every day, multiple times a day.
Obviously there is her love for the dishwasher. This became an obsession for her at ~6 months old and still happens every day, multiple times a day.
Adorable!!!! Yeah small cats can go anywhere, and they usually can get themselves out
November 11, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Adorable!!!! Yeah small cats can go anywhere, and they usually can get themselves out
It was also in the first couple days that she had her first interaction with the dishwasher, when she crawled through a 3” x 3” hole in the floorboard into a little space next to the appliance. There was no way to get her out, so we just waited and eventually she came out on her own.
November 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
It was also in the first couple days that she had her first interaction with the dishwasher, when she crawled through a 3” x 3” hole in the floorboard into a little space next to the appliance. There was no way to get her out, so we just waited and eventually she came out on her own.
By day two, she had her new name: Mantissa
November 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
By day two, she had her new name: Mantissa
Here she is that first evening. She played nonstop for about 12 hours
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Here she is that first evening. She played nonstop for about 12 hours
We thought, give it a few minutes and she’ll calm down. She didn’t.
We thought, well, now we have to wait until she stops before opening the door or we’ll be training her to yell to get what she wants.
She yelled for 45 minutes nonstop. We caved in and she has not left us alone since.
We thought, well, now we have to wait until she stops before opening the door or we’ll be training her to yell to get what she wants.
She yelled for 45 minutes nonstop. We caved in and she has not left us alone since.
November 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
We thought, give it a few minutes and she’ll calm down. She didn’t.
We thought, well, now we have to wait until she stops before opening the door or we’ll be training her to yell to get what she wants.
She yelled for 45 minutes nonstop. We caved in and she has not left us alone since.
We thought, well, now we have to wait until she stops before opening the door or we’ll be training her to yell to get what she wants.
She yelled for 45 minutes nonstop. We caved in and she has not left us alone since.
After spending an hour with her in that room, we thought we’d leave her in there to get familiar with it and have alone time. We left and shut the door and this teeny tiny cat began YELLING LOUD.
November 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM
After spending an hour with her in that room, we thought we’d leave her in there to get familiar with it and have alone time. We left and shut the door and this teeny tiny cat began YELLING LOUD.
We took her home and she was snuggly immediately.
She was clearly bothered that she could not sit in both our laps at once. … she would sit on one of us, then notice the other’s empty lap, and run to it and sit down, only to notice the newly vacant lap she had just come from
She was clearly bothered that she could not sit in both our laps at once. … she would sit on one of us, then notice the other’s empty lap, and run to it and sit down, only to notice the newly vacant lap she had just come from
November 11, 2025 at 5:57 PM
We took her home and she was snuggly immediately.
She was clearly bothered that she could not sit in both our laps at once. … she would sit on one of us, then notice the other’s empty lap, and run to it and sit down, only to notice the newly vacant lap she had just come from
She was clearly bothered that she could not sit in both our laps at once. … she would sit on one of us, then notice the other’s empty lap, and run to it and sit down, only to notice the newly vacant lap she had just come from
She was estimated to be 9 weeks old and came in with two other kittens (presumably siblings) at only ~1 month old. They were all very sick, and Billie was sickest. She had almost died from panleukopenia, diarrhea and another infection. She had just been spayed after recovering from these illnesses.
November 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
She was estimated to be 9 weeks old and came in with two other kittens (presumably siblings) at only ~1 month old. They were all very sick, and Billie was sickest. She had almost died from panleukopenia, diarrhea and another infection. She had just been spayed after recovering from these illnesses.
Ok she likes us and she can use a litter box. We’ll take her.
After a quick supply run to the pet store while paperwork was being drawn up, we talked with a head volunteer and learned a little more about her.
After a quick supply run to the pet store while paperwork was being drawn up, we talked with a head volunteer and learned a little more about her.
November 11, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Ok she likes us and she can use a litter box. We’ll take her.
After a quick supply run to the pet store while paperwork was being drawn up, we talked with a head volunteer and learned a little more about her.
After a quick supply run to the pet store while paperwork was being drawn up, we talked with a head volunteer and learned a little more about her.
Billie the tabby noticed us, came over to get some pets, looked at us sweetly. (Tumbleweed was snoozing and did not give a shit about us.) Then Billie excused herself, climbed through two little connected rooms to her litter box, peed, buried it, and came back for more pets.
November 11, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Billie the tabby noticed us, came over to get some pets, looked at us sweetly. (Tumbleweed was snoozing and did not give a shit about us.) Then Billie excused herself, climbed through two little connected rooms to her litter box, peed, buried it, and came back for more pets.
Among the 4 kittens left was a tiny tabby, swirly like a cinnamon roll called Billie, snuggled up on her sister, an even smaller tortie named Tumbleweed. Volunteers said their brother, an outgoing tabby named Rodeo, had been adopted the day before.
November 11, 2025 at 5:37 PM
Among the 4 kittens left was a tiny tabby, swirly like a cinnamon roll called Billie, snuggled up on her sister, an even smaller tortie named Tumbleweed. Volunteers said their brother, an outgoing tabby named Rodeo, had been adopted the day before.
So on 11/11 last year we went to Berkeley Humane Society to take a look at the cats. As soon as we arrived, the volunteers apologized—there weren’t a lot of cats left to choose from…. Dozens had been adopted over the weekend.
We assured them this was great news and not something to apologize for!
We assured them this was great news and not something to apologize for!
November 11, 2025 at 5:31 PM
So on 11/11 last year we went to Berkeley Humane Society to take a look at the cats. As soon as we arrived, the volunteers apologized—there weren’t a lot of cats left to choose from…. Dozens had been adopted over the weekend.
We assured them this was great news and not something to apologize for!
We assured them this was great news and not something to apologize for!
We had been enjoying the freedom of being able to travel without arranging for cat care (esp. sick cat care), but by mid 2024 were ready to begin considering -possibly- entertaining the idea of -maybe- getting another cat some time in the future. The election pushed us over the edge.
November 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
We had been enjoying the freedom of being able to travel without arranging for cat care (esp. sick cat care), but by mid 2024 were ready to begin considering -possibly- entertaining the idea of -maybe- getting another cat some time in the future. The election pushed us over the edge.