There was a contest on a cat blog I follow, Katzenworld, for a special Gingerbread Man filled with valerian root. Gingerbread Man Contest at Katzenworld

The four cats whose home this is, Ophelia, Sissy, Black Bean and Kiwi, insisted that I enter the contest on their behalf.

I protested that I have NEVER won ANYTHING!

Nonetheless, they insisted.

I am staff, and they are, collectively, The Boss. So I entered.

WE WON!!!

Today the Gingerbread Man came all the way to Ohio USA from London UK. I had only just opened the package and put the Man on the floor, when Ophelia immediately started playing with it, tossing it up in the air and cuddling with it on the floor.  Of course, I couldn’t find the camera!

Then there was a standoff between Ophelia and Black Bean. I heard growling. That never happens here. They both wanted the Gingerbread Man. And Black Bean won.

I barely found the camera in time to take a lousy photo or two of Black Bean with the Gingerbread Man.

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That’s cat drool on the carpet and the Gingerbread Man. This valerian root has a potent effect on kitties! 😛

Annoyed by my photography, especially when I had the nerve to use a FLASH on him, Black Bean stalked off.

Kiwi was waiting in the wings. This is Kiwi, who I have NEVER seen play with a toy! Not a single one…. First is the approach and the meeting, with a tentative cat kiss:

Then the real cuddling and wrestling begins:

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The action got too fast and furious for me to follow with my son’s camera, which I haven’t quite figured out yet:

Finally Kiwi essentially said, “Gingerbread Man, MINE.”  And he and the Gingerbread Man were at rest:

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It makes me think of the old Cat Stevens song ‘Cat’s in the Cradle:’

Thank you so very much to Marc-Andre at Katzenworld for letting us win this contest and sending us the Gingerbread Man!

I give a complete testimonial as to the desirability of the Gingerbread Man. Three out of four of my cats loved it, and the fourth, Sissy, still hasn’t even gotten the chance to get close to it! 😛