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Archive through March 03, 2006

The TVClubHouse: General Discussion ARCHIVES: 2006 Mar. ~ 2006 May: Hairball Haven: Cats (ARCHIVES): Archive through March 03, 2006 users admin

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Nancy
Member

08-01-2000

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 5:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nancy a private message Print Post    
] Excerpts From "A Cat's Guide To Human Beings"


1. Introduction: Why Do We Need Humans?

So you've decided to get yourself a human being. In doing
so, you've joined the millions of other cats who have
acquired these strange and often frustrating creatures.
There will be any number of times, during the course of your
association with humans, when you will wonder why you have
bothered to grace them with your presence.

What's so great about humans anyway? Why not just hang
around with other cats? Our greatest philosophers have
struggled with this question for centuries, but the answer
is actually rather simple:

THEY HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS.

Which makes them the perfect tools for such tasks as opening
doors, getting the lids off of cat food cans, changing
television stations, and other activities that we, despite
our other obvious advantages, find difficult to do
ourselves. True, chimps, orangutans, and lemurs also have
opposable thumbs, but they are nowhere as easy to train.

2. How and When to Get Your Human's Attention

Humans often erroneously assume that there are other, more
important activities than taking care of your immediate
needs, such as conducting business, spending time with their
families, or even sleeping.

Though this is dreadfully inconvenient, you can make this
work to your advantage by pestering your human at the moment
it is the busiest. It is usually so flustered that it will
do whatever you want it to do, just to get you out of its
hair. Not coincidentally, human teenagers follow this same
practice.

Here are some tried and true methods of getting your human
to do what you want:

Sitting on paper: An oldie but a goodie. If a human has
paper in front of it, chances are good it assumes the paper
is more important than you. It will often offer you a snack
to lure you away. Establish your supremacy over this wood
pulp product at every opportunity. This practice also works
well with computer keyboards, remote controls, car keys, and
small children.

Waking your human at odd hours: A cat's "golden time" is
between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning. If you paw at your
human's sleeping face during this time, you have a better
than even chance that it will get up and, in an incoherent
haze, do exactly what you want. You may actually have to
scratch deep sleepers to get their attention; remember to
vary the scratch site to keep the human from getting
suspicious.

Nancy
Member

08-01-2000

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 5:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Nancy a private message Print Post    
3. Punishing Your Human Being

Sometimes, despite your best training efforts, your human
will stubbornly resist bending to your whim. In these
extreme circumstances, you may have to punish your human.
Obvious punishments, such as scratching furniture or eating
household plants, are likely to backfire; the
unsophisticated humans are likely to misinterpret the
activities and then try to discipline YOU. Instead, we offer
these subtle but nonetheless effective alternatives:

* Use the cat box during an important formal dinner.

* Stare impassively at your human while it is attempting a
romantic interlude.

* Stand over an important piece of electronic equipment and
feign a hairball attack.

* After your human has watched a particularly disturbing
horror film, stand by the hall closet and then slowly back
away, hissing and yowling.

* While your human is sleeping, lie on its face.

4. Rewarding Your Human: Should Your Gift Still Be Alive?

The cat world is divided over the etiquette of presenting
humans with the thoughtful gift of a recently disembowelled
animal. Some believe that humans prefer these gifts already
dead, while others maintain that humans enjoy a slowly
expiring cricket or rodent just as much as we do, given
their jumpy and playful movements in picking the creatures
up after they've been presented.

After much consideration of the human psyche, we recommend
the following: cold-blooded animals (large insects, frogs,
lizards, garden snakes, and the occasional earthworm) should
be presented dead, while warm-blooded animals (birds,
rodents, your neighbour's Pomeranian) are better still
living. When you see the expression on your human's face,
you'll know it's worth it.

5. How Long Should You Keep Your Human?

You are obligated to your human for only one of your lives.
The other eight are up to you. We recommend mixing and
matching, though in the end, most humans (at least the ones
that are worth living with) are pretty much the same. But
what do you expect? They're humans, after all. Opposable
thumbs will take you only so far.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 8:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
I'll be thinking of Rosie, Costa!!

Glad Smudge is doing so well!!

Dogdoc, I'm sorry you were offended but I do think your generous information was appreciated and quite welcome and I know I've never had any blanket statements about vets as a monolithic grouop.. there are good ones and bad ones, just like in any profession.

Anyway, thanks for your great info in the past and I hope you'll at least read..

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 9:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
There ARE good ones, and there ARE bad ones.

A little story for you...

I adopted Costa from a shelter when he was 8 months old. He'd lived at that shelter for 6 months, most of the time unable to be adopted (in and out of the hospital for various procedures, including treatment of ringworm and neutering). When I adopted him, I received a free visit to a vet from a list provided by the shelter. I took Costa to the nearest vet. I got him on a Saturday, and took him to the vet on Tuesday. I fell in love with my little man during those three days.

That vet listened to his heart and immediately started rattling off that Costa had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that he wouldn't live another year, and I should immediately return him to the shelter. Remember, back then I had no clue what "hypertrophic cardiomyopathy" was, let alone able to pronounce it. This vet did not explain what it meant, and did not bother to explain that it is essentially a catchall term and can cover a variety of ailments relating to the heart, not all of which are fatal.

The vet freaked me out, needless to say. I drove home in tears. I loved this little cat, and was NOT going to bring him back. I decided that I would just enjoy whatever time I had with him. And would immediately take him to the vet who is, to this day, his regular doctor.

Dr Green, our vet, listened to his heart, and listened to what I had to say. She explained about the "catchall" term, told me what kinds of tests could be performed to determine exactly what was the cause of his heart problems, and began running tests. The only symptom he had *was* a heart murmur, by the way.

Eventually, all other tests (including various blood tests and multiple x-rays) being normal, he had an EKG/ultrasound. That test showed that he had a thickening of the heart wall. The cardiologist we were seeing then prescribed Diltiazim for him (a human beta blocker). His last tests showed that the thickening has not progressed, however he has another problem (atrium) for which Benazapryl was prescribed (a human hypertension drug).

Costa will be 10 years old this June. His regular doc says that if she didn't know he had a heart murmur, she wouldn't know (it's so faint that it's basically undetectable; but she knows to listen for it and can just barely tell it's there). She says the fact that he's lived this long proves that hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is not an immediate death sentence. And she readily agrees that the time and money (and countless visits to the vet and cardiologist) have helped to prolong his life.

I know he probably won't be here for another 10 years. And it breaks my heart to think of being here without him. But had I listened to that first vet, Costa may not have had the life he has had. I know it's been a good life for him. He's happy and well-adjusted and completely asymptomatic.

So yes, there are good vets (Dr Green) and there are very, very bad vets. Just like there is good and bad everywhere.

The one thing I learned. I will never EVER take only one opinion from any doctor. And I will do whatever it takes, no matter how much it costs, to ensure that Costa continues to have a happy, sheltered, and oh-so-spoiled existence.

And now I am gonna go find my little man and give him a big hug, and wipe away my tears.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 - 9:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Sure, same with people doctors..

LOL.. I didn't give the new vet a chance to tell me to take Critter back to the pound.. although he got very negative.

I adopted her on a Saturday, brought her home, fell in love the instant she confidently emerged from the cardboard carrier (she'd been complaining all the way home) and immediately called the vet but they were closing in a few minutes.. closed at 1pm on Saturday then, so we made arrangements for me to drop her off on Monday.. or actually I'd go to the appt for her shots and such.. well by Sunday night she was all stuffed up so when I walked in Monday morning I immediately told this vet (who I didn't know, though he was in the practice with a long time vet, in fact the vet who cared lovingly for my labrador, Kizzy, and sat with me and her when it was time for her to go.. so I get this new vet and told him that I could tell Critter had some sort of respiratory problem and that he could look at my rather thick chart from years of labs and tell that I was willing to invest in good medical care and that I'd just lost two friends and my old dog and I couldn't give up on this little girl who'd completely captured my heart when she tapped on my shoulder from her cage at the pound.

But even then, he left messages like "I'm not optimistic about her chances".. which was his opinion, but I just needed a more hopeful caregiver and made sure that we saw my original vet whenever possible and he was much more optimistic and willing to try a variety of ways to get her well and eating .. thankfully.

I've had far more good vets than bad ones.

Regee
Member

10-09-2005

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 10:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Regee a private message Print Post    
Very Cute Story, but I am so depressed I haven't been able to read anything new about anyone's human fur kitty babies all day :-(.

But I do want to ask about Rosie and how she is doing.

Smudge how are you today????

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 11:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Well my girls are fine but here is Critter on her black cat pillow:

c

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, March 01, 2006 - 11:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
and she's in Bonza's folder showing where she's been today.. in an IKEA bag.. sigh..

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 8:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
Rosie isn't doing too well. *He* isn't eating much, no matter what they try to give him. He'll eat a teensy taste of something and then turn up his nose. So he's losing strength, and weight, daily. The vet is getting in something that is similar to Ensure for humans, and they are gonna try that today. Keep keeping those fingers crossed that this little man pulls through!

Regee
Member

10-09-2005

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 8:39 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Regee a private message Print Post    
Me to Costa Go Rosie Go.

Sea I can hardly see Critter on her pillow, but oh so cute, I love seeing her eyes like that.

She looks like my one human fur baby, TT. All black, short stubby legs, long hair, and huge orange eye's.

Gonna go check out Bonza's folder now.

Native_texan
Member

08-24-2004

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 9:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Native_texan a private message Print Post    
I could be one of the reasons Dogdoc is hurt because I asked RG if she had the "incompetent" vet to update him on Smudge. The reason I used this term was because of this statement from RG:

This morning she called and said they did some pre anesthesia testing and he is in kidney failure and he probably wouldn't make it. I went to see him and they didn't have him on an IV yet and when I asked why, she said they had been busy. 3 hours later my husband went to see him and he still wasn't on an IV, which they said they would put him on to flush his kidneys and then retest his kidney function.

Dogdoc, I know that vets are human and make mistakes, but this wasn't a mistake. This was simply not doing his job. The vet knew what was wrong and what needed to be done - he just didn't do it. I am terribly sorry you may have been hurt by my statement but please know that was not my intention. My feeling is that, if nothing else, pointing out to the vet his error could help save another pet.

Cablejockey
Member

12-27-2001

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 11:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cablejockey a private message Print Post    
I found this cute picture of my main cat Kirk when he was a month old. Its so cute I want to share.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 1:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Costa, so sorry Rosie isn't doing better. I'm sending warm and caring thoughts his way.

Nancy, those posts are funny. Thanks for posting them.

Cable, baby Kirk is so cute!

Sea, that is a funny pillow that Critter has. She looks like she should be swishing her tail.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 2:32 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
cats resized smaller

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 2:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Ok, this is the very first picture I have ever posted. I think it is too small. Anyway, Oreo is on the left and Cashmere (RIP 2/14/06) is on the right.

Now that I've posted once, I should be able to do it again. I really like the thread that helped me. I wanted to make sure the pic was small enough, turns out I resized it to only 10 instead of the allowed 40 or 60K.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 2:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Cashmere Jan 2006 resized

Cashmere January 2006

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 3:01 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
The black on the right in the above pic of Cashmere is Oreo. They were always together. Her nose was dirty in this photo, most or all of the semi circle above the white (which was really pinkish) at the top of her nose was just her not being really clean. The little mark on the left side of the photo next to her nose was not dirt, more like a beauty mark.

Resortgirl
Member

09-23-2000

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 4:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Resortgirl a private message Print Post    
Costa, honestly, we had to open Smudges mouth and put food in there. He didn't want to eat it, but had no choice. A friend told us that a trick to get a sick cat to eat is to put some canned cat food on their paw. It's their instinct to clean it off. We also used a dropper and gave Smudge water and chicken broth. He liked the food better warmed up then cold too. Hope that helps!

Regee
Member

10-09-2005

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 4:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Regee a private message Print Post    
Oh I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the new photo's and well I think they all belong on greeting cards :-)

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 5:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Here's hoping poor Rosie pulls through.

I had a dear cat, Tiger, who was diagnosed with bad kidneys. He wasn't given a whole lot of time to live either. Doc prescribed him on a special diet, which he turned his nose up to also. So we mixed it with his favorite food, and he ate it. The doc didn't like that. She said the "normal" food wasn't good for his kidneys.

Tiger lived two years past the date of his diagnosis. I think adding a taste of his favorite food to his special diet was part of it. He was a strong willed fellow, and I think the idea of being restricted to a nasty tasting food would have caused him to just say the heck with it. When it was time to take him in and end his suffering, the doc said he was a very special and inspirational case. In fact, she had just diagnosed another tiger tabby with another family with the same condition, and she told them all about Tiger. Tiger was one of the few critters who didn't come to visit me regularly in his afterlife. I'd like to think it was cause he was too busy helping that other cat fight his fight.

I still remember one day, when Tiger was weak and lethargic feeling. He was sitting in the middle of the floor sort of swaying from side to side, obviously not feeling very good. Sandrat, the "second in command" kitty at the time, starting a stealth approach on him. It was evident she was thinking, "nows my time to take command." Just as she got within striking distance, Tiger backhanded her right into a backflip! His message was clear, "not yet, b!tch!" Tiger was the Boss Kitty right up till his last day!

Regee
Member

10-09-2005

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 7:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Regee a private message Print Post    
Whoami that is so funny about Tiger back slapping the other one giggle.

Happymom: I think you should have those babies blown up to a 8X11 as the one of Cashmere is so beautiful, Oreo to but; I love the intense look Cashmere is giving the camera.

Cablejockey: You should send that one on Kirk in to Hallmark they would I know use it on a card.

Keeping Rosie in my thoughts and prayers: GO ROSIE GO!!!!!!

Chaplin
Member

01-08-2006

Thursday, March 02, 2006 - 8:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Chaplin a private message Print Post    
Hugs to all my Cat friends here who need them!!!!!!!!!!!

Cablejockey
Member

12-27-2001

Friday, March 03, 2006 - 9:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cablejockey a private message Print Post    
Thanks Regee, I just might do that. This is a great place to see everybody's cats. More pictures, please!

Calamity
Member

10-18-2001

Friday, March 03, 2006 - 4:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Calamity a private message Print Post    
Rosie

C'mon little guy!

What a cutie Kirk is (I've never met a cat named "Kirk" before, lol). Critter's gorgeous - black cats always are.

And aww, that's such a beautiful photo of Cashmere and Oreo. The picture of Cashmere reminds me of Casper, not her colors but that "look". When Casper got older, she started to look a little bony, her long fur got a little scragglier and her eyes were always so big. But I still thought she was the most beautiful cat in the world, age didn't matter. I hope you know what I mean.

I'm so glad Smudge is doing better.

Tabbyking
Member

03-11-2002

Friday, March 03, 2006 - 4:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tabbyking a private message Print Post    
aah, baby kirk reminds me of e.t. hiding among the toys in trudy's closet....