cats -- don't you just love them too

[twirl]

my first cat, Putt-Putt, a black cat with a tail       ( my black cat, Slugger, has no tail)
hated my twin sister
she would attack her and climb up her night grown and slap her in the face
growled at her and went crazy
Putt - Putt lived to be very old and she never could stand my twin
Putt- Putt died years before I needed a kidney
my twin will not give me a kidney
and I wonder if Putt- Putt could sense it

[kitkatz]

My cats are nuts. Ming is sitting here hollering for apiece of string cheese.  Followed me out of the kitchen into the den area.  Hollering the entire way.
The other cat completely ignores me when Victor is gone, but when Victor is home I become the cat's best friend. I don't get it!

[MIbarra]

Twirl, I think animals are amazingly sensitive to our personalities.

I had my cat Raja for 13 years since he was a kitten. I was the only person that could pick him up without him stabbing his claws into flesh. When I moved back in with my parents, it took them over a year to be able to even pet him. He would run away and he stayed wherever I was in the house if I was home. One morning my sister came over and Raja was sleeping on one of thoise little cat beds you attach to a windowsill. He was sitting facing the window and did not notice that it was her that walked in. She picked him up and when my cat looked up at her and realized it was her, Raja slashed my sister across the nose and jumped out of her arms. My sister didn't try to pick him up again.

Most of my family has scars left over from him. I think the only person he didn't scratch was my husband and Raja wasn't even fond of him for a long time.

I miss that cat. He died in December last year. We have been looking for another cat, but I just want him back.  =(

[jbeany]

MIbarra, you don't replace a cat.  You get a new one because the house feels like it's missing something without a feline presence, but it's never a replacement.

[okarol]

When I left home at 17 I got a cat. Her name was Lil' Kitty and she was my best friend. She was such a good listener. She stuck with me through job changes, boyfriends, up and downs. Even with marriage and children, she stuck with me. She lived 18 years and I still miss her. 

[twirl]

another thing about Putt-Putt
I had a problem pg with Stasie b/c of PKD - I had to stay on bed rest for a long time
Putt stayed right by me
she would not let Hippie, my border collie, ever walk by me
when Stasie was born and able to walk, she would pick Putt up my her tail and
Putt was always gentle with Stasie
She never hissed, growled or did anything to Stasie
Hippy, my sister's dog Sam, Putt and now Slugger have all lived a long time
Sad Sack is about 13 or more
I held Putt in my arms and felt her last heart beat
Hippie and Sam were our dogs in 9th grade and they died when I was in my early 30's

[pelagia]

We've had a bunch of great cats over the years and a few completely deranged ones.   One of our cats showed up on the doorstep early one morning, February 2004.  He was just sitting there staring up at me when I opened the front door.  His head was kind of cocked to one side and he looked kind of like he'd been an alcoholic for 30 years.  Dirty and matted.

Stephen response to all this is "let's open the door and see if he'll come in."  You gotta love a guy who thinks like that, right?

Well, never mind that it was February, over the next few days the door stayed open and the cat eventually came in.  Stephen eventually got him to the vet so that we could get all of his infections cleaned up and get him his shots.  We named him Mocha, because he was that color.  Turns out Mocha was born without the right eye and was probably brain-damaged since birth.  He was pretty, sweet and loving, but didn't like to be handled much.  He often went in circles when agitated.

He lived a happy, comfortable life until this past spring when he went to kitty heaven after a run in with a pack of hunting dogs.  It was very sad for us.  Mocha had no idea which way to run when the dogs showed up at our back deck one evening.  My husband could barely fend the dogs off.  By the time he did, I think Mocha's internal injuries were too great.  Stephen and Will took him to the emergency vet, but Mocha died by the time they got him there.

We will probably be adopted by some other cat at some point down the road.  It's hard to predict when it will happen.  There's been a black and white cat hanging around in recent weeks.  I'm thinking it may belong to some new neighbors in a new house on property that borders ours in the back.  Our other cats don't seem to like it much.  But even so, the new cat was lounging on the back porch the other day.  Maybe he just came for vacation!

[twirl]

such a touching story
do you have a photo
of your Mocha
 

[peleroja]

I certainly don't love the 5 cats that just moved in next door, cuz they all do their business in my garden, and not one of them covers.  I tried talking to the woman who owns them and she feigns not speaking English.  Funny, she was speaking perfect English when she banged on my door and needed to use the phone because she locked herself out.

[MIbarra]

jbeany, I know you can't replace a cat and certainly not Raja, he was the most beautiful cat I'd ever seen and I'd never had such loyalty from a cat. We've just been checking shelter after shelter and none of them feel like "our" cat. One day, I'm sure we'll find "that" cat, hopefully soon.

peproja, I'm beginning to think you don't like animals at all.

[Bajanne]

My dad was a cat fanatic.  At one point we had 17 cats at the house.  When he sat at the dining table they would all be around his chair.  My mother was not a tremendous cat lover.  She was like me - just took care of the animals the pet lovers brought in.  But at one time there was a special one that was her particular pet.  when we relocated from Barbados we had about 8 cats and had to give them away.  My daughter grew up with animals always at the home and complained from the time we got here because at first we had no pets.

[twirl]

you have a beauty of a kitty now

[skyedogrocks]

I like cats but I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO allergic to them.  I can't go in a house that they are in without breaking out in hives, sneezing, eyes watering, etc. 

I had 2 cats growing up, one (a kitty) was mauled by our neighbor dog  and the other was stolen (it was a money cat, I guess they were rare back in the 70's). 

I just love pets, it doesn't matter what they are.  They give you so much love and joy!  When my son first came to live with us, he became attached to our 2 dogs before us.  Our 2 dogs showed him unconditional love, they wouldn't reject him, hurt him, yell at him like so many people did to him in his past.  When our dog Skye died in January he took it sooo hard as did the rest of us.  He still talks about her 7 months later and still misses her.  He now sleeps with our dog Luke.  They snuggle up to each other every night and are so very happy  .

[glitter]

I dont always like people- but my kitty's I always love

[MIbarra]

   They are lovely!

[RichardMEL]

Cats are very perceptive... and I believe Dogs are too but I am not a dog person so can't really say... but I know Cats definitely bond with some humans and not others... they can also sense those who are cat friendly and those that aren't (well usually!). I know getting Celeste in 2004 has been the best thing that's happened to me in the past 4 and a half years. She totally runs my life... but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thank you for all the stories....

[Deanne]

I have five of them and can't imagine it any other way. Clyde is my oldest one. I sort of stole her / rescued her a week before she had kittens 11 years ago. She's my alarm clock kitty. She gets me up in the morning by walking up the ramp onto the bed (I have a ramp for my dachshund to get on the bed). She walks across my chest and jumps off the other side of the bed, meowing the entire time. A minute or two later, she does it again until I finally decide that snooze alarm just won't shut itself off.

Miss Eliza Jane (one of Clyde's 11-year old "kittens") is headed off for bladder surgery next week. I'm not looking forward to the experience. Eliza is a bit temperamental and I live in fear of trying to medicate her.

[kitkatz]

HOW TO GIVE YOUR CAT A PILL
IN TWENTY EASY STEPS

Sit on sofa. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your elbow as though you were going to give a bottle to a baby. Talk softly to it.


With right hand, position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. (be patient) As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. Drop pill into mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.


Pick the pill up off the floor and go get the cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. Sit on floor in kitchen, wrap arm around cat as before, drop pill in mouth. Let go of cat, noticing the direction it runs.


Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. Scoot across floor to pick up pill, and go find the cat. Bring it back into the kitchen. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. Drop pill into mouth.


Pry claws from back legs out of your arm. Go get the cat, pick up half-dissolved pill from floor and drop it into garbage can.


Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of closet. Call spouse from backyard. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.


Retrieve cat from curtain rod, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figures from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.


Get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.


Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.


Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with rubber band.


Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.


Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take another pill from foil wrap.


Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small spanner. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour one cup of water down throat to wash pill down.


Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call at furniture shop on way home to order new table.


Get last pill from bottle. Go into bathroom and get a fluffy towel. Stay in the bathroom with the cat, and close the door.

Sit on bathroom floor, wrap towel around kitty, leaving only his head exposed. Cradle kitty in the crook of your arm, and pick up pill off of counter.


Retrieve cat from top of shower door (you didn't know that cats can jump 5 feet straight up in the air, did you?), and wrap towel around it a little tighter, making sure its paws can't come out this time. With fingers at either side of its jaw, pry it open and pop pill into mouth. Quickly close mouth (his, not yours).


Sit on floor with cat in your lap, stroking it under the chin and talking gently to it for at least a half hour, while the pill dissolves.


Unwrap towel, open bathroom door. Wash off scratches in warm soapy water, comb your hair, and go find something to occupy your time for 7-1/2 hours.


Arrange for SPCA to get cat and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

[kitkatz]

Here ya go!

[twirl]

  so funny and yet so true
do we have a kitty icon and a dog icon

[RichardMEL]

LOL.

Celeste is a pretty laid back cat. She pretty much takes it all in without much fuss. When I take her to the vet for her yearly shots and check up she just sits quietly on the table and accepts the poking in her ear, mouth and even backside (!)... and when the F4 injection goes in the back of her neck she just looks around like "Did something happen? I'm still waiting!" She is a very good girl. I have not had to give her pills yet so not sure how that will go, but I think she mostly trusts me enough to know that if I was having to do that to her it's because I love her not because I want to torture her on purpose!

My sister's cat on the other hand.... he's the sort that those cartoons depict!

[twirl]

I save left over water from can of tuna and pour the water over cheap hard cat food-
my dogs like it also -
I was reading in another thread about giving pets medicine
the last time Yogi was bitten by a snake he had liquid medicine that I was told tasted like chicken gravey
Slugger also like her pills
tasted like treats----- I guess

[MIbarra]

Well, I can not get my little brat dog to take his flea prevention pill this morning. He ate it last month! Now he won't. He is so frustrating.

[kitkatz]

My cat will argue with me, however she will eventually swallow the pill.  The dog on the other hand....

[pelagia]

I can get my dog to swallow anything if I wrap it in a piece of salami!  That never seems to work on the cats however...