Belly-Up Sprawl

Gold Medal Winner – Misty May
So…we are in the midst of the XXX Summer Olympics and usually Kitties Blue would be displaying their penchant for the games. But with the heat we’ve been having, the most “hotly” contested event is the BELLY-UP SPRAWL. Mauricio and Misty May both get extra style points for the best lead-in—the drop, flop and roll. But, Misty May is the clear gold medalist, as she is known for her ability to spend about 22 hours per day on her back.

Silver Medalist – Lily Olivia on her back! Lily Olivia gets the silver medal. Giulietta earns the bronze based on her girth and floofy hair-do.
All the sprawling has given Giulietta the energy for the occasional Track and Field events. She is the master of the BACK-TO-FRONT DOOR SPRINT as well as the BACK-DOOR-TO-UPSTAIR’S-FOOD-BOWL SPRINT. Should another feline mistakenly cross her path, a little CAT-ON-CAT WRESTLING can ensue. When that happens, I am forced to disqualify all those involved.
On the other paw, Astrid is definitely the best at the STUFFED MASCOT WRESTLING event. She refused to let me take her picture as she didn’t want to give away any of her top-secret techniques. And with sibling, Lisbeth, she has mastered the HIGH-FLYING-BUG SWAT AND GOBBLE. (She’d have some hard competition in 2023 with Kizmet and Audrey being masters at this event.)

Baby Mauricio with His Kitten-sized Volleyball
One would think Mauricio and Misty May, named for gold-medal volleyball players, would take a bigger interest in that sport. But even though Jolly Old England is the locale for the people Olympics, neither find the sport to be their “cup of tea;” though, as you can see, Mauricio once did. (Mauricio eventually found that he enjoyed volleyball as a spectator sport from Dad Tom’s lap.)
Additional Events
The Olympics always have been contested among the resident kitties. They aren’t really partial to either the summer or the winter games. Games take place all year around and include a variety of “catrobatics.” These include LEAP CAT, TEAM PAW BALL/CORK /STYROFOAM PEANUT (a lot like team handball), CAPTURE THE CRITTER, WRAPPING-PAPER WRINKLING, MOUSE MUNCHING, TUB-TAIL TAG, LASER LIGHT KEEP-AWAY and the always favorite, CHRISTMAS TREE DISMANTLING.

Mauricio competes in Capture the Critter.
Kitties Blue have become quite distressed by the discontinuation of many events due to our usage of laptops, tablets and smart phones. No longer contested are ANSWERING MACHINE ANNIHILATING, MODEM MAULING or FAX FIDDLING.
We wish they could be better sports cats and competitors, but as I have said often, if wishes were cats, we’d be up to our necks in cat poop…oh, wait a minute, we are. Maybe LITTER BOX SCOOPING should become an Olympic event for the caregivers. We’ve certainly built up some great upper-arm strength…probably even enough for the CAT CLEAN AND JERK. (Dad Tom does most of the scooping now for which I am entirely grateful.)
Dad Tom at the Olympics

Tom (2nd from left) and his fellow Referee Commission Members
For those of you who know Dad Tom and me, I have added this bonus photo from the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics in London. For those who are just becoming acquainted with us, Dad Tom is a member of the FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) Referee Commission.
You should definitely video the games. I’d watch
Those were fun times when we did those animal styled Olympics! We did doggy and kitty ones back in the day!
Baby Mau made me go awww!
Very cool that Tom is a member of the referee commission. XO
We are glad to see in the comments from Tom that yours is a “clean” Olympics. We hope someday that will be true of the people events, too.
In the meantime, it was great to see y’all participating in your Kittie Olympics! XOX Xena, Lucy, Chia and Riley
Pee Ess Do you live in England?
Baby Mauricio – so darn cute but then the whole crew is adorable and very athletic!
Hugs, Pam
WOW WOW WOW, dad Tom is amazing and mama loved vollyball as a kid and was captain for one day until she broke her little finger, haha. LOVE the kitty olympics…incredibly creative events!!! Also hilarious and made our morning full of smiles, a plus on any day.
I spend a lot of my day on my back, too.
Interesting range of events in the Kitty Olympics! I don’t watch much of the human Olympics but I’d probably watch these kitty games!
Mauricio with the volleyball is so cute. We have been tuning into the Olympics every night. I bet the Games have been such a blast this year!
Janet, you neglected to mention that Kitty Olympics are absolutely clean. Frequent anti-doping tests assure that no catnip is consumed by any participants.