Cats

Cat owners here? I would like to announce my adoption of an 8 year old orange tabby who I rescued from a kill shelter in N Carolina. He is my third rescue. But he is special in that he travelled a long way to get to me. He is a love! Anyone else have rescued pets? "Otis" watches FS like my deceased orange tabby. He has allergies, but otherwise is healthy an very happy. So that is my "feel good" story. I love dogs very much too but cannot care for one.

Pet owners at GS? Happy holidays.

I have a 11-yo cat that came from the shelter when she was a new kitten, and a 9 yo cat that came from a place that rescues feral cats (he was 9 months when I got him). I had a 3 yo cat who died of cancer over the summer... he was rescued as a nearly newborn kitten, with his siblings, from under a car motherless after a hurricane. I don't understand why people keep breeding cats & dogs & other animals when there are already so many who need to be loved.

Over our lifetimes, we have had 4 cats. 3 were rescues.

Our last cat, Lydia (the Tattooed Lady), a tiny silver & gray tabby, was really rescued. Our son was at college and wanted a cat of his own. He went to the Montpelier-Barre animal shelter to get a cat (in VT). At the time, that shelter was killing cats by gassing them with the exhaust from a car; at least the paper said that's what they were doing. That's why son went there for a cat. He asked them which cat was scheduled to be killed next, and the cat was Lydia.

The reason that Lydia was scheduled for execution, was that she had been placed, and then returned by the new owner. She had a bad habit of jumping on you when you were asleep and digging her claws into you. The new owner thought he might like a cat without that habit a lot better.

Son Ludwig managed to cure her of that behavior. However, his next landlord would not allow him to keep a cat. Ski & I ended up with Lydia. She lived 21 years, and we still miss her.

treesprite said:

I don't understand why people keep breeding cats...when there are already so many who need to be loved.

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And yet it costs about $175 to adopt a cat from SPCA and $600 to buy one from a store in Vancouver, Canada. "If you pay for a cat, you will see it as something of value and take better care of it," said a staff member of SPCA that we visited.

Anyway, we bought a "female" kitten (so we were told) from a farm and named it Sheba or "She" in short. Never did we expect that She would turn into a He as it grew older. "Sheba is actually a Shebert, a male trapped in a female body," my husband explained to our friends. "She" is our beloved child. He demands lullabies when sleeping in our arms. By "demand" I mean he would actually open his eyes till we resume singing. And he talks, meowing only for a reason. He once stayed a few days in the animal hospital and when we paid him a visit, he talked with such verbal ability that we could feel his pains, wants, and complaints, and that all vets gathered in amazement, commenting that they had never heard a cat talk like that. He is virtually our shadow, following us 24 hours a day. We go "hunting" (shopping) together. We take him for a walk in the park, on the riverbank or along a mountain trail. Of course, there were several incidents where he got lost for some unforeseen reasons, but he always hid near the place where he saw us last and would not come out till he heard our calls. He sleeps with us in the same bed and eats with us at the same table. Like a kid, he prefers ice cream over salmon, and the worse part of his spoiled manner is that he would shut down my computer by pressing the power button if he waits too long for attention. Don't tell me that cats are independent or low-maintenance--That was what I thought before I actually raised one. And this is our typical baby talk on the phone with him: "Who is the goodest kitty? The goodest kitty in the 21th century with a higher than normal expectation?"

Such adorable stories. At my local shelter cats are currently 100.00 and kittens 150.00. I have a 17 year old from the shelter who is with my mother. I miss her badly but she still goes out in suburbia and she cannot here on the 14th floor. Also she is used to space in a house and I have little here. I know, I get upset at puppy mills and cat breeders when so many need homes. As for talking, skatinginbc, I have the most talkative cat anyone has seen in my calico. She was a witch, most are-genetic mutation -they are all female and most are divas. My calico Daphne won't play at 17 but is the most demanding, talkative,diva-cat i have ever seen. She talks with everyone and it is amazing, if we had to compare her to a person we all know, it would be Svetlana Khorhina. This is a cat with major attitude and she now mellowed but was a biter and scratcher, very much the huntress and almost wild. Now she is an old lady and hates to be alone, though she preferred it in her Marlene Deitrich like youth!

Every animal has a personality. I love these stories...hope more cat owners or dog rescuers will share. Yes, Doris, that is exactly what happened to a bunch of other cats down in NC who were gassed. A nurse and two others bring the animals to my state for adoption. I wanted an 11 mo old but she said she had the perfect cat for me. Had I said no, he'd have been gassed with others. It is horrible. It took a month, I was so frustrated...but Otis (not my choice!) is a love-a sleep deepy cat, but very sweet. Interestingly, he does not really take to men. He clearly prefers females!

I haven't had cats for awhile, and I miss them. I love hearing all your stories. Cats have so much personality. Anyone who says they're cold and aloof never met a real cat. My last cat, Mitty, would literally drop food out of his mouth and leave his dish to come to me if I called him. (I only did that once. It wouldn't have been fair to him to do such a thing on a regular basis.) A friend of mine referred to him as Motorhead because of his purr, which was almost continuous.

I love the idea of a cat that's like Svetlana Khorkhina. I could see such a feline, though I never had one. Mine all ended up being motorheads who wanted to be held and petted. Was it nature or nurture? I couldn't tell you. All my cats were hand-me-downs from people who had to give them up for one reason or another. Lucky me!

If I could pick a cat by appearance, I'd likely choose a silver tabby like Lydia or a gray cat. But my cats, who were all chosen for me by destiny or possibly Divine Providence, were all beautiful even without my having a hand in the decision. I've almost never seen a cat that wasn't. Just the way they move is beautiful. And their elegant paws, and their faces like flowers, and their ears. It's nice that cats put up with us, isn't it.

I have five cats, all rescues. All of them are great but one, the youngest, is by far the most gorgeous. He is all black with green eyes, and he's both very large (in danger of obesity, to be honest) and unbelievably graceful. I love watching him move. It's like living with Alexei Yagudin or that princely Japanese ballet dancer who was so condescending to Daisuke. : ) And we have a little red poodle pup too, who even when full grown will be only 4.5 pounds, smaller than any of the cats.

Here's a great cat poster that I saw in my vet's office this morning. For those who don't speak French, I'll translate the captions, going from left to right on each line:

INDIFFERENCE
DECISION ... GOOD MOOD
ANGER
COMPLETE JOY... SINCERITY ... CUNNING
DISTRUST ... JOY ... LAZINESS ... DISTRESS

I'm sure we cat people can recognize all of these moods.
http://www.amazon.com/24x36-French-Caractere-Domestique-Poster/dp/B003SGIYBU

Some of my cat's typical body languages:

"Glad that you are back. I missed you" = Jumping up and down to rub against my lap with his head
"Wanna play itchy-and-scratchy? I got my claws ready" = Both ears straight up, eyes wide-open with a mischievous look.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it" = Both ears withdrawn, neck contracted, a submissive (but not scared) look.
"Come chase me and play hide and seek" = Hopping crab-wise several feet to the side.
"Ain't I just adorable? You can't resist me, can you?" = Squirming about on his back in a really cute fashion.
"I trust that you will always support me" = Collapsing almost headfirst on my chest as if fainting. Of course, I always catch him with my arms.

We have numbers 11, 12 and 13 right now. We've had some absolutely wonderful cats over the years. I was always a dog person as a kid but resolved never to have one in the city because I like big dogs and walking one wasn't feasible for us. We got seduced by a neighbourhood cat (Vivian the Vamp) and then started with our first two, Bigfoot and Woozle. We had a stream of black cats, one of whom used to steal steaks from barbecues and bring them home to us! He was so sneaky that he was never caught! Then it was a leg of lamb at Easter (mostly eaten) and chicken breasts from someone's garbage, one after the other at 10 minute intervals. I gave up after the pizza carcasses showed up on my doorstep.

Most of our cats had health issues, a few behavioural as well. One lived under the bed for 3 years until she decided it was safe, several had cancer, a few got dementia, one had a colonectomy but made it to 10 years. All of these came from shelters. Although we started with black cats only, we ended up with all different colours and sizes. This was because a magnificent gray tabby, Brillo, gave me the eye at the shelter. Truly love at first sight.

Our current 3 cats deviate from the pattern. I decided that I wanted to have a healthy cat with no issues. So we went to a breeder and got a Maine Coon. We didn't want him to be alone as he is very social and we got 2 Ragdoll girls from a shelter. They had lived in 2 rooms for their lives and were very timid at first. All 3 are sweet-natured, great companions, very funny personalities. Theyget along well, sleep together.

Assuming I outlive these cats, I would like to take on elderly cats who probably don't have much time left and need a warm comfy place to end their lives. I'm glad I've done it both ways, mostly shelter with a purebred in the mix. As I sit here, Arabella is on the top shelf among the stuffed animals; Jools is on the bed and Lord Chutney is also on the bed on his back. I wouldn't have it any other way.

What great cats, Scrufflet. I'll probably be chuckling over the meat burglar for the rest of the day. And I love your names, especially Brillo.

I think that Mitty was at least part Maine coon. He was large-boned and shaggy and very mellow in terms of personality. He shed like a month-old Christmas tree and purred like a jet engine. Though he was probably about 13 pounds (and not at all fat; this was just the size of his frame), that's apparently at the low range for Maine coons.

Olympia said:

What great cats, Scrufflet. I'll probably be chuckling over the meat burglar for the rest of the day. And I love your names, especially Brillo.

I think that Mitty was at least part Maine coon. He was large-boned and shaggy and very mellow in terms of personality. He shed like a month-old Christmas tree and purred like a jet engine. Though he was probably about 13 pounds (and not at all fat; this was just the size of his frame), that's apparently at the low range for Maine coons.

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Sharmani's Lord Chutney of Glengarry (the Coon cat) is 18 lbs. of solid muscle and is typically goofy, quite mellow like your Mitty. He loves to climb and we'd find him on top of doors; we got them all a cat tree which solved it. He still leaps onto high spots; we've lost about 3 lamps this year. The girls are Lady Juliana of Belhaven, or Jools and Lady Arabella (von Fuzzbucket). They are litter mates, one short-haired, the other long-haired! I think some "backyard breeding" was involved here.
Others quite entertaining: Spooker (the barbecue cat), Princess Chloe (extra toes on front, had a romance with a skunk in our backyard. They would hang out in the back in the evening and he would escort her to the back door, exchange a nose kiss and then leave. No spraying ever.),Mischa the white goddess(think Marilyn Monroe in a cat), The Bun (22 lbs. of happy rescue cat), Mr. Scruff (a particularly ratty semi-feral who showed up at the door and captured our hearts), and there are more. Who needs TV when you have this kind of entertainment?

Scrufflet said:

one of whom used to steal steaks from barbecues and bring them home to us! He was so sneaky that he was never caught! Then it was a leg of lamb at Easter (mostly eaten) and chicken breasts from someone's garbage, one after the other at 10 minute intervals. I gave up after the pizza carcasses showed up on my doorstep.

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My cat once caught a sparrow and excitedly brought it to my bed. Half asleep, I was shocked to see a live bird in his mouth. I screamed and jumped hysterically, so he let it go. Thank goodness, it wasn't a rat, or I would have had a heart attack. He doesn't associate life animals with food. In fact, he refuses to eat any meat not cut into thin and tiny slices. If I throw a chicken leg before him, he wouldn't know it is food. He likes eating grass and leaves though. Sometimes I wonder if he is a vegetarian.

Right now we have Fred and Ginger, brother and sister, who were rescued from a Minnesota forest along with their mother and brother. My best friend still has their brother and found a home for their mother. The momcat was very tenacious and brought the kittens up to my friend's cabin. She was just begging to be rescued along with her kittens.

Fred and Ginger are adorable - Ginger is a little thief and will steal food from under Fred's nose if he doesn't eat fast enough. They both love French bread as well as pastries too! (I guess they must have been starving so their food tastes are varied.)

They do have an annoying habit though - they love to wake you up about 4 AM with "the claw"! We are so glad our friend rescued them. They would have died in a typical Minnesota winter.

I still live at home (part time wages dont cut it) and we have lots of animals. Right now we have 3 dogs, 2 cats, a fish tank, and a tortoise. The dogs are 15, 13, and 11 years old. The cats are 14 and 11 years old I think. Basically we have a senior citizen's home going.

One of my dogs is named Charlie and he's a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. He's like my little magnet - he follows me around everywhere!! And then we have a grey cat (a Tonkinese) named Claudia, she stays with me in my room all the time. We adopted her when she was about 3 or 4 years old, and the previous owners declawed her (which I am against). So no, we did not choose the silly name, haha.

Claudia's favorite foods include Macaroni and Cheese, cheese pizza, Captain Crunch (I don't like milk so no worries about her getting milk), Cream of Asparagus soup, and Beefaroni. I don't willingly give her these things, it's just if I leave the plate unattended, she'll lick it clean.

Years ago, I had a beautiful tabby-and-white cat named Octavian, but nicknamed Beast. He had a fondness for the straw that my mother used to drink from a can of cranberry juice every night. I remember that one day she was leaning with her back against the kitchen counter, holding her can of juice, and this striped paw came snaking around from behind her--Beast had jumped onto the counter and was ready to hijack her straw. The brazen little thief. I believe he was purring at the time.

He also loved yogurt. Mom would eat a container of yogurt and then give it to him to lick. He would push his little face into the container to get every last morsel.

Charlie sounds like a lovely dog. King Charles Spaniels are such handsome animals.

I start to get the idea that cats are good at thieving. Maybe I should train my cat to associate a wallet with food.

My Maksim is a rescue off the streets as a kitten in summer 2009. He was up in a tree at the courthouse square. By coincidence I was walking to the bank that day, a day of the week I never bank on. When I came back out of the bank he had been lured out of the tree but was under a car. Some of the girls coaxed him out with food. None could keep a cat so I took him home and he turned out to be a nice kitty.

I really think it was fate.

A number of years ago when we had 7 cats (I know, we were crazy), I was in the sunroom listening to the radio, CBC, to a cat expert discussing behaviour. He said that they do not like to sleep on their backs often unless they are in a completely safe situation. I looked up to see 6 of my 7 on their backs, feet up in air, most purring. Hee hee.

Scrufflet said:

A number of years ago when we had 7 cats (I know, we were crazy), I was in the sunroom listening to the radio, CBC, to a cat expert discussing behaviour. He said that they do not like to sleep on their backs often unless they are in a completely safe situation. I looked up to see 6 of my 7 on their backs, feet up in air, most purring. Hee hee.

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That's a wonderful image! Thanks for the giggle on a gray, wet, cold, busy workday. My office is freezing, and the thought of a cat sitting on my lap is delectable.

Someone once wrote describing cats snoozing on a sunny windowsill as the world's most efficient passive solar collectors.

My cat goes bonkers if a weather system is coming. It is going from 51 to 23 in less than 15 hours and he was all over the house crying and trying to get outside.