Author |
Message |
Janfts
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 3:42 pm
LK- cool, just touching all bases with you. Sounds like you're in good hands. Max-thanks and yes, i hope to be starting at a shelter here soon.

|
Costacat
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 4:27 pm
Speaking of "presents" from our kids... my two are indoor only. I'm not sure what they would do if they encountered a real mouse, but I think Costa would make a good mouser. He retrieves, and he loves playing with those tiny furry little mice with leather tails (which he promptly bites off so instead of furry mice I have furry hamsters!). Anyways, I keep a little pile of the meeces near his bed in my office. When he wakes up from a nap, he goes and picks one out, and carries it into the living room, usually dropping it somewhere in the middle of the room. He used to carry them over and drop them near his food bowl (when he was my only kid and I left food out all the time for him). Do any of yours do that with any toys? It's like he's bringing it out to eat with him. Or for him to eat? Or to remind me that he wants to eat? It's kinda funny (and very predictable!). Not so funny, of course, when I get up in the middle of the night and step on one of the dratted little hamsters (ouch!).
|
Janfts
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 6:28 pm
Yep, Cleo has a fish with a dogs head (a dogfish, rather than a cat fish..lol) toy that he carries all over with him. It's like Linus with his blanket! Luckily, it's a soft stuffed toy so stepping on it or kicking it going from room to room doesn't hurt. Thanks to you all for allowing me to gush over my baby. If it weren't for this i'd be boring all my friends with cat stories. Some don't have cats and hard as it is to believe, some don't even like cats! Strange, sad, flawed people, aren't they?..lol So, thanks from me, and no doubt from them too!!!
|
Marmosquirm
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 8:02 pm
I once had a cat who loved this big stuffed seal that I had. She'd carry it around with her. The thing is, it was almost as big as she was! I once saw her take it and try to jump up on the bed with it (the seal didn't quite make it up with her.) Anyway, it was adorable!
|
Seamonkey
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 8:12 pm
I also don't leave bags with handles around.. either put them away or cut them off.. Costa, Critter always removes the leather tails from those mice too!! I have a basket where I put all her toys.. it is in the same room as her food bowl. And of course she moves them around.. it always amuses me to suddenly see a tiny mouse or larger mouse or a ball or a snake or whatever in the strangest spots. Also if she decides to play with a toy in the middle of the night she emits the most amazingly awful caterwauling. I'm used to it, but when my friend was staying with me after my surgery, Critter really startled her when she started singing in the middle of the night It is almost the sound they make when they are in heat, but she's been spayed for over 12 years.. sigh. I'm gradually feeling less blue, but I find myself peering out the front door, looking down.. for the little kitty who isn't there. At least someone will remember her.
|
Costacat
| Tuesday, January 06, 2004 - 8:37 pm
Sea, just remember that you helped her last days be loved ones. She's probably romping around on the other side of the bridge, teasing real mice, rolling in catnip fields, and having a kitty blast!!! Marm, your story reminds me of this Wobble toy that Costa loves. It's a weighted ball with a stick out of the top, with a rope and a feather dangling off of it (it wobbles, like one of those roly poly dolls). For some really bizarre reason, he got it into his head to retrieve with it. So he'd bite the feathers and pull it around the house. Imagine my surprise when, one night, he woke me up trying to jump on the bed with it in his mouth. Needless to say, he wasn't successful either (the base is really weighted!). Aren't our kids such goobers???? Hours of enjoyment, amusement, and demanding attention (this latter cause my little girl is currently seriously headbutting me, to feed her).
|
Seamonkey
| Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 12:01 am
Do any of your cats have a cat dancer?? I think it is the most clever of toys for cats.. simple, inexpensive, elegant.. I have one stuck thru the back of a cane-back chair so it arches out..
|
Costacat
| Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 6:45 am
I do. Or rather, did. Both of my cats turned their noses up at it, so I took it down. I did have, at one time, a feathered toy that hung off a string (from a plastic clip that went over the top of the door). Costa would play with that thing for hours. Unfortunately, none of my local pet stores sell the replacement pieces any more. For a while, I was gluing my own feathers on the toy, but that's a pain in the rear. They do like the laser mouse that I pull out every now and again.
|
Mamie316
| Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 9:06 am
I buy toys for my cats and they never want to play with them. They would rather play with my daughter's hair things. I find them everywhere!
|
Juju2bigdog
| Wednesday, January 07, 2004 - 9:41 am
I recently signed up for Kim Komando's daily newsletter about computer, electronic, and online stuff, and I really like it. She has a popular radio show. Here is what I got from her today:
Quote:AND NOW FOR TODAY'S SITE... Online reference for pets Having a sick pet can be heart-wrenching and frustrating. It's nice to know that there is a reference manual that can answer almost any question. With over 12,000 indexed topics and 1,200 illustrations, The Merck Veterinary Manual claims to be the single most comprehensive electronic reference. After looking at it, it's hard to discount that claim. Has your cat been diagnosed with feline leukemia? Find out the various treatments or future prevention and control. Thinking of forgoing store-bought food for your cat or dog? You might want to read the section on nutrition first. If you have a pet, you might want to bookmark this site. TO VISIT THIS SITE, GO HERE: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp See you tomorrow with another great place on the Internet! Kim P.S.: Don't forget that you can listen to me Monday through Friday on hundreds of radio stations throughout this great country. To find me near you, complete the form here: http://www.komando.com/findkimonair.asp P.P.S.: Do you like my Cool Site of the Day? Sign up your family and friends! Go here to sign up eight of your friends today: http://www.komando.com/newsletter.asp#friends
|
Prisonerno6
| Thursday, January 08, 2004 - 7:44 pm
Would you like to hear a "How stupid is my cat" story? My cat is so stupid, she forgets to eat. She will eat a little canned food, wander off for a bit, wander back, look around like there's something she should do, go to her cozy spot, look around again like she's wondering if sleeping is what she wanted to do, and then go to sleep, forgetting the 3/4 of a bowl of food left (which she will not eat once the top microscopic layer dries out). However, if I keep sticking the food bowl under her nose when she wanders back in, she gets a "Oh, hey, food! Good idea!" look on her face and chows down again...until she loses interest and we start all over again. If I keep sticking the bowl in her face, she will eventually eat the whole thing. Oh, and her favorite toy is the DVD player. I keep hitting the eject button to move the tray in and out, and she will sit there for the kitty equivalent of hours (roughly two minutes), staring at it. She also likes to play with the rings off plastic milk jug caps. Mother bought her something that looked almost the same as a milk jug ring, and little Spats ignored it. I then tossed a milk jug ring on the floor, and Spats started playing with it. Mother was not amused.
|
Juju2bigdog
| Thursday, January 08, 2004 - 10:33 pm
Lol, Prisoner. Uhhhhhh, you doing some hard time?
|
Lucy
| Friday, January 09, 2004 - 7:12 pm
Well, I was gonna post some cute kitty Lucy pics, but now I can't figure out where they went...I'll be back later!!
|
Jbean
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 1:44 pm
sea, your description of the little stray ani sounds like my girl. how sad, and how sweet of you to take it upon yourself to take care of her. wish the outcome could have been different. 
|
Marmosquirm
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 9:57 pm
Prisoner, I have a cat like that too! I think he's somewhat retarded. Sometimes he wanders around just not sure what to do with himself. And when we feed him, it's the same as your cat. You have to sit with him while he eats and not only keep putting the food towards him but also you must rotate the plate of food for him to finish it! He'll also eat a few bites of canned food and then go eat a few bites of dry food, back and forth until he's through! When he's finally done he'll sort of look around and I know that means he wants water. Again, I have to hold it up by his face for him to drink. But he wouldn't go get it himself if I just left him alone, he'd go to sleep without drinking. He's also really weird about the shower, if he's inside, just loose in the house. Which is isn't often because he doesn't like our other cats and we've had a lot of problems with him peeing in the house so now he stays in his own room when he's inside at night! But if he's around while I'm in the shower, he just sits outside the shower door and cries. Once, when I tried to tell him I was OK, he grabbed my hand with his teeth and wrapped his paws around my arms and pulled as hard as he could like he was trying to pull me out of the water! Very strange!!! Anyway, I just thought I'd share about our special cat. He's super sweet though when he's not around other cats even if he is a bit odd!
|
Mamie316
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 10:02 pm
My cats have to come into the bathroom with me when I take a bath. One sits on the toilet, one on the floor and the most adventurous sits on the tub. He's fallen in a couple of times and it doesn't even faze him. He likes it! It is so nice when I can sneak into the bath without any of them there. Of course, when I do, they are like my kids when they were little and cry outside the bathroom door. If I don't let them in, they lay outside the door until I come out.
|
Rosie
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 10:29 pm
One of my cat's favorite toys is a sock. Yup a sock. When I take a shower she gets a sock and places it outside the shower door. I don't know why. She also moves the sock around when I am gone for a while too. When I was working, I used to move her toys/socks all around the house in the morning so that she would find them. I am wondering if she is still playing that game???
|
Rosie
| Saturday, January 10, 2004 - 10:30 pm
Marm, do you think he could have a problem with his vision?
|
Costacat
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 10:35 am
Actually, I would think it's less of a vision issue than a smell issue. Particularly canned catfood... there is NO way you (or your cat!) can miss the smell of canned food! It's entirely possible that you just have a non-food-motivated cat. Our kids are smart... unless they live in a multiple cat household, they may adjust their own eating habits. I think Costa started to eat more when Kassie moved in, but I think that's a relic of his days in a shelter. It's also possible that the food is not desirable. I know that neither of mine will eat beef, chicken, or liver. But put down salmon, and they are all over it! I don't feed canned food as a primary meal. They get a spoonful of canned food each night for "dinner" (small spoonful; a small can of cat food lasts for three days). The only reason they do is because Costa has been on medicine for years (first thyroid, now beta blockers) and it's easier to get him to take his meds himself. I hate to force a pill down his throat. So now, they get a spoonful of food, and boy do I hear it if I don't get it down in a timely fashion! It's not enough to fill them up, but they sure do expect dinner to be served on time! Mine also get small amounts of "Tender Vittles" (moist food) every two weeks. This is what I use to bribe them when I clip their "toes" (claws). This is a "special" treat since they never get moist food otherwise, and it sometimes helps to shut 'em up while I clip. Whoops... got sidetracked. Cats are pretty smart. They are not gonna starve themselves. A sedentary cat is going to require less caloric intake than a really active cat. It's possible your kid is just not hungry, and only eats to please mom (when you push the food in his face).
|
Pamy
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 4:40 pm
Where is that Rainbow bridge poem/thread?? My friend just put her 20 yr old dog to sleep and I want to print it out for her. Thanks
|
Costacat
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 4:45 pm
Oh no, Pamy! How sad for your friend. If you google on Rainbow Bridge, you'll find a lot of resources. But the actual poem is at Rainbow bridge.
|
Pamy
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 7:36 pm
Thank you sooo much COsta!!!
|
Moondance
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 8:58 pm
Pamy here is another one I really love... Rites of Passage Some of the most poignant moments I spend as a veterinarian are those spent with my clients assisting the transition of my animal patients from this world to the next. When living becomes a burden, whether from pain or loss of normal functions, I can help a family by ensuring that their beloved pet has an easy passing. Making this final decision is painful, & I have often felt powerless to comfort the grieving owners. That was before I met Shane. I had been called to examine a ten year old dog named Belker who had developed a serious health problem. The dog's owners; Ron, his wife, Lisa, & their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker & they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker & found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, & offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron & Lisa told me they thought it would be good for Shane to observe the procedure. They felt he could learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life; like loving everybody and being nice, right?" "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long." By Robin Downing, D.V.M. from Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul
|
Pamy
| Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 9:17 pm
aaahhh Thanks Moonie!!!! It's beautiful
|
Prisonerno6
| Monday, January 12, 2004 - 6:45 am
Quote:Cats are pretty smart. They are not gonna starve themselves.
That's a pretty simplistic -- and dangerous -- viewpoint. Unfortunately, it's one I held far too long, until the weight loss in my cat became noticable. It turns out that she has an illness (CRF) that left untreated leads to loss of appetite. Now, with a quarter tablet of PEPCID every other day, she will eat some prescription dry food during the day (when she had stopped eating dry completely), but she needs to be retrained to eat the canned food. Going all dry food is not an option, since she needs all the water she can get. Loss of appetite can be a sign of illness, so I hope no one else does what I did and assume she was eating less just because she was getting older and less active and didn't need as much.
|
|
|
|