Congratulations!! Yeah, it IS kinda a big deal! Lucky kitties! I bet you enjoyed that--they have claimed ownership of you!! You are now their person. Oh, did you think it worked the other way? That they are your cats? No no no. . . . doesn't work that way.
Now, if you can keep them from claiming your pillow every night as my cats do--you are all set.
My guys know when we are ready for bed and they tear upstairs and one goes on my pillow and the other on hubby's. We move them--fall asleep and each wake-up with a cat staring at us from the lofty position at the top of our pillow piles!!
They win.
Nice job Twinky--it does take lots of love and time. If you go away again--they may just start leaping on your shoulders and follow you all around!!
Other cats I've had (okay, been carer for) have claimed space at the foot of the bed (Twinky claimed the pillow or even one's head occasionally) but these two have a way to go before then.
Once in a while Tuxy has explored my bedroom. I prefer not to let them in the rest of the house unless I can keep an eye on them. Tuxy occasionally "marks" things and I have had to throw away a red rug which she urinated on too badly to keep; and she also urinates on my coco matting near the front door, which I haul up and soak in the bath in bio washing stuff. Not so easy or light, as it is 4 ft square.
They are rather idiotic at times, like: if I enter the bathroom and one or other is in there, it's a major catastrophe and they get all scatty with panic. Or if walk upstairs and they are on the landing - their eyes go wide, they freeze in terror and/or flatten themselves, and Crypto might try hissing at me (or sometimes just opening her mouth as if to hiss, too scared to make the noise!). I can't touch them on a window sill or other enclosed area but they are okay in rooms where there is space to escape.
But still: that Tuxy ventures onto my lap and snuggles up by my leg is a mighty step forward.
I would love to get to the Texas BBQ again this year but think it will not be possible. Maybe I should vacate the house again anyway for a few days and see what benefits that might have on the cats?
Geisha: too funny. Do they give you a wash to wake you up, as well?
Grass. Their latest thing is - grass. They have to have a small handful of fresh grass every day. This they chow into with much enthusiasm. It seems to be nearly as enjoyable as ham (sorry, Mr Squirrel!!).
Can't wait till they are allowed outside. Grazing sheep? Forget it! This year's model is grazing cats.
Got them a new cat scratch pole/ perching thing from Freecycle this week. They love it. Crypto the scaredy took possession immediately and beat Tuxy off. Later, from a lower perch, she attacked Tuxy from a lower perch, and grabbed Tuxy by the throat! I surmise this was not painful and may be part of some sort of play fighting they get up to anyway, as Tuxy did not seem at all bothered.
Crypto is getting much more assertive and has made several attacks on Tuxy and on me, all very minor, but it is so strange that it is she who does it.
Fell asleep lying on my sofa the other evening. Awoke some hours later to find Tuxedo happily asleep on my feet.
Wow. Ten days ago, Tuxy crept onto my lap for the first time. Now - she thinks she ought to be on the sofa when I am on it. Better, she thinks she should be on my lap. Often she gets on by herself. Occasionally she sits near and I can sort of ease her onto my lap. She is happy that I do this as she is fully in contact with the sofa or my leg or whatever makes her secure.
Today she crept alongside me and I sort of shoved her onto my lap. She was really enjoying being fondled and seemed quite relaxed so I tried something new. I folded her into my arms and held her to my chest, stood up and walked around the room just a little. She trembled with fright, but did not struggle except gently just at first, then remained trembling in my arms. When I sat down I made her stay on my lap for a few minutes and then let her leave, which she did unhurriedly.
This really does count as a major milestone.
For a cat that is terrified of physical contact - she is "overcoming her doubt, worry and fear" in a big way.
Other cat Crypto is much more confident, demands to be stroked and pushes Tuxedo out of the way so that she, Crypto, can be stroked, and occasionally takes a gratuitous swipe at Tuxy. While I don't like the hitting bit, it shows she has become much more assertive and is less likely to put up with bullying from Tuxy.
Also she is pushing Tuxy away from the food bowl (quite something, that!) and is eating much more. She appears to be getting rather plumper, not that she's fat, in fact far too thin; and her coat quality has softened and is really nice to touch.
A new friend came to visit with me yesterday and both cats were constantly present, ie, did not hide behind the furniture, and also played with the new person.A few months ago, they would hide if a new person came to visit.
Maybe in a couple of years, I will end up with "normal" cats...?
Geisha, do show your photos of your crazy pair, high on the catnip!! They are too funny!
I love that they are coming along so nicely! Sounds like strides rather than baby steps! Congrats! It is really a test of patience.Here are the photos of Dickie and Onslow--getting the still sealed catnip out of the TOP of the cupboard and then SHAMELESSLY overindulging!My cats are junkies--I must get them to a meeting of some kind--or into rehab!http://picasaweb.google.com/DickieandOnslow/NaughtyBoys#
Well, do I have a fusspot cat or what! Tuxedo is getting oh-so-friendly. She has taken to prowling on the couch near my desk when I am at the computer in my "study."
Yesterday I captured her (several times) and made her sit on my lap (not a popular choice). In the late evening, I captured her and she struggled a little but not fiercely. When she was calm I carefully cradled her and carried her off to another room. Sat on the couch and she calmed down. Lay on the couch with her on my chest and she stayed quite still and calm. We lay like that for quite a while, an hour or so.
She does not relish this, but does not fight or bite or struggle to get away apart from a perfunctory wriggle.
I always make slow and gentle movements and talk to her reassuringly, saying her name, and make sure that her eyes reduce to nice little slits and not the staring-eye no-pupil scared look, before I try anything new.
Her fur is oh-so-soft and very gleaming. She is, however, a very bony cat, no fat, nothing spare, on her at all. Despite that she appears to eat constantly.
She was jumpy this morning and would not let me touch her first thing, but she has overcome that now and as I sit at my desk, she is again roaming the couch so that I can fondle her. She also puts her head near mine, so has obviously realized that I am not about to eat her (or whatever does frighten her) (trying to think "cat" here).
Other cat will still only allow me to stroke her and not pick up. However, when I was carrying Tuxy about and when we were lying on the couch Crypto's very concerned face appeared to watch what was going on and (for the first time) she put a paw on the couch and gazed deeply into my face, while I was cradling Tuxy. Maybe she had in mind to rescue her sister, though just a stare at her will scare her away. Nobody could call the look she gave me friendly or participative.
I always try to ensure that Crypto can see what I'm doing with Tuxy. She watches carefully and if nothing happens with Tuxy, she will have a go at it herself (eg, a new toy or something different to eat). So if she sees Tuxy enjoys being fondled, maybe she will realize it's an okay thing. She does like to be stroked and brushed but not picked up.
So things are moving well and remembering where they have come from, it's just lovely.
Tuxedo got her first outdoor excursion this week. This was fun...not.
I recently Freecycled a little blue cat harness and lead. Have not been able to get this on her before but managed to do so on Friday. Tuxy endured it for a while. Actually she lay rigid on the bed occupied by my Mum, who was visiting. When I let her loose in the kitchen, she backed away from the harness and lead, unsuccessfully, of course.
This upset Crypto, who also backed off, hissing at me and growling and all the hairs on her back standing up. All she was aware of is that Tuxy was upset.
I wanted Tuxy to have a "reward" after her ordeal of wearing the harness and to associate it with something pleasant. So after a while I picked her up and took her outside. Held her and let her sniff a bit then set her on the grass. She immediately bolted for the nearest cover (a bush) and refused to come out. She looks so like Catcup's avatar!!
After 20 mins, she hadn't emerged or explored at all so I hauled her out and set her on my lap on the garden seat. She immediately leapt off and squished herself on the concrete. After a while she sidled off and hid behind a large fern and a small shrub in pots near the door. And so she remained.
A little disappointing from my point of view: I expected her to enjoy sniffing round but she didn't. And she was very wary of me for the rest of the day. But she has recovered from this and has allowed me to put her on my lap many times since.
I will be persevering with the harness for a while until I am sure she is happy outside and not likely to run off and not return.
As for an excursion for Crypto - that might be a long time coming.
Picked her up one day and she was so terrified I had to set her down immediately.
OMG I am so glad I saw this. Thanks--excellent photos.
That doesn't look like fear--I think it is a dignity issue! LOL I have to tell you--if you painted white on the other side of the nose--Tuxy would look just like my Dickie. I get such a kick out of your cats.
The shrub thing must be universal--when my guys first began SNEAKING outside. . . :) I would go look for them and always find them cowering in the yews. Those were the days--with 8 acres to roam they have gotten bolder. Just takes time.
I am happy that you were forgiven and I imagine it was just the drama of the whole thing. Not personal. LOL They will get used to it and stay in the garden. Is Crypto next?
BTW Tuxy coat shines with no matting or bald spots--looks so healthy. How do they relate to strangers? As secure and bold and demanding as my guys are--they are shy around guests. They will stay in the room and even give a sniff, but they are wary. How do they do with your Mum?
When I was a kid--one of my friends had a Maine Coon Cat. Beautiful animal--mean though. They would tether it to a stake in the back garden--the lead was maybe 5 feet long. The cat had a wide circle in which to roam. Never got tangled or loose. It was the funniest sight. This cat leashed like a dog in the back of the house. They could never train it to stay because it was a wee bit wild. It was a coon cat--whatever that is.
If you think harnassing a cat is a challenge. . . . . I used to walk my sheep with a harness. They actually sell a lead and harness designed for sheep. Now, sheep are not the brightest animals, but they are big and strong and REACTIONARY!! When you try to leash them--they actually grow a brain and try to outwit you. . . LOL
I used to have to slam them up against the barn wall, hold them still with my hip and side, and get the harness on. You have seen me. . . I am not that big--it was a real battle of wits. I USUALLY won! Then they walked me around the property!!
Okay, I have to tell you one more funny animal story. This is actually my favorite. We have a farmhouse with land and we had a huge barn. We did a big veg garden and that was so fun, we tried animals. Sheep and chickens. One day we had to get the chickens rounded up for the health lady who came once a year to check them Do you know what fly paper is? Those long tacky strips you hang to catch flies? We had a few hanging in the barn.
Well, my husband got one stuck to the side of his head while chasing the chickens. Bad enough right? Yuck. While trying to catch the chickens one flew up and got STUCK on the fly paper stuck to hubby's head. He had a flapping panicked chicken STUCK TO HIS HEAD. LOL
Oh Twinkie, it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. He was a bit freaked--the chicken was freaked and I was laughing so hard I cried. When I ran out he yelled "Where are you going?" I said "To get the camera of course" LOL
Somewhere I have a picture of hubby with a chicken stuck to his head. You want to talk about a dignity issue?
My cats are now two years old. My Halloween cats... that's when they were born.
Crypto is still unhandled. Well, unless you count the one occasion when I picked her up and she was soooo scared and tore me up in her desire to get away. Yet she enjoys a neck scratch/fondle and loves to be near me.
Tuxy can occasionally be grabbed and made to settle on my lap. She loves her neck being scratched and blisses out once she has relaxed. Once captured, she will eventually settle (ten minutes?) on my lap and then she will start "needling" my arm and purring. And then suddenly she realises she is enjoying it and leaps up to get away.
Tuxy has the most persistent high-pitched mew when she wants something. This is accompanied by her peering intently into my face. Then it is a guess as to what she wants. Usually food, water, or to have the litter tray cleaned. Today, however, it was because she wanted to play.
Crypto makes happy chirruping sounds which may or may not relate to what she is amusing herself with. But for the first time yesterday she gave a tiny mew when I was about to eat my evening meal. And tonight I heard a tiny shy mewing sound but it wasn't Tuxy's persistent whine, but rather deeper, so perhaps Crypto is finding a voice at last.
I have had the harness on Tuxy one more time and left it on her for a while. I have not been tried to take her outside, perhaps that was too many new experiences all at once. She is not keen at all on the harness. She must be giving off bad "fear smells" - something I don't pick up on - but when she is nervous or frightened, she may remain still but Crypto will set herself off hissing and arching her back at me. Very odd.
They have refused the food they usually eat (supermarket generic kibble) but devoured a free sample of the most expensive Purina One. So now they are on Go-Cat which they think is lovely. They eat three times as much of this as their other kibble. Guess I musta been starving them. Or maybe they have the confidence to be picky.
What was nice recently was that a friend who I don't see often came round to visit, and both cats showed themselves readily and sniffed at his clothing and shoes. They wandered around with tails happily erect and not hiding at all. It doesn't seem much, but that's the yardstick that I have to measure by. My friend was amazed and said it was the first time he had really seen them; they have usually been rushing to the nearest hiding place.
I have a problem with them which I will post separately.
Okay, here is my problem. Tuxedo likes to wee on the carpet.
I had a nice red carpet that someone gave me, in the same area. I think that may have been urinated on by a previous animal. Anyway Tuxy started to creep behind the armchair and wee on it. I would clean it up as soon as I realised but she obviously did it a lot more than I'd noticed and eventually I had to throw the carpet away.
I cleaned the area very thoroughly - surface is those plastic/laminate fake wood floorboards. I washed with floor cleaner, scrubbed and left to soak in biological wash powder, rinsed off and sprayed with bleach, rinsed off and sprayed with vinegar (to kill the smell of the bleach). So there shouldn't have been any residual smell.
I now have a nice white carpet, very good quality, nice and thick. And she sneaks off and does a little watering of that from time to time. This carpet, though smaller, is heavy and would be difficult to wash. I could leave it to soak in the bath for a while but there are obvious difficulties in drying it. I don't think it is wool, but it probably has a proportion of wool in it.
The slight smell of cat wee isn't inviting or pleasant on opening the door into the house.
This has got to be a bit of a habit; it is not because she doesn't know where the litter tray is. She does, and uses it properly. This is either "marking" as the dominant cat, or stress (separation? boredom? fear?). If either of them is stressed, it ought to be Crypto, as Tuxy attacks and chases her for no reason other than playfulness (probably not perceived as such by Crypto!) but Crypto is not the culprit. No reason to suppose there are any health issues.
Websites suggest putting a litter tray in the area but I don't want to do that because it is in the "sitting" area of my room and I don't want to encourage either of them to use it for a regular toilet. I put a strong smelling product supposed to deter cats down in the area and she just did it on top of the smelly stuff. I understand it might be a stress-related thing but she will sneak off and do it while I am there, not just when I am away for a few hours.
Does anyone have any suggestions, before Tuxy (at least) gets turned into a pair of winter mittens?
You know I HAVE to read this thread--- Thanks for the update. I lost my LEATHER couch because my older cat Chandler did this same thing. Turns out it was a UTI.
You have to find out if it is a physical thing first. If they have pain when they use the litter box--they can associate the two--and will find another spot.
If it is behavior--it can be their passive-agressive acting out LOL--either way--a trip to the vet seems in order. They can actually give them something for anxiety. Kitty Prozac!!
It is a pain in the neck---eventually we end up throwing things away when they get like this. I had waited YEARS to get those beautiful sofa's. Gone Baby Gone!!
I kept Chandler though!! LOL
Off Topic, something I always wondered when I used to watch Kim and Aggie. What is biological washing powder? Or sugar soap for that matter?
I went to a DIY store a few times in GB--but only for paint. Honestly, I do wonder what those two things are.
Biological washing powder or liquid has enzymes in it that are supposed to break down organic material, specifically, body stuff like sweat, urine, excrement (kids or incontinence, anyone?) and will also remove everyday stains, fat and dirt more easily from the laundry.
So perfect for dealing with kids and cats, as it should break down the urine and completely remove the smell and remove the temptation to do it again in the same area.
They don't have any difficulty in using the litter tray. They do drink a lot so use the tray a lot and if it is not up to their standards, they will either wee directly in the bath (the tray is by their choice in the bath) or Tuxy will come and yell her head off at me until I work out what she wants and deal with it.
As it's a white carpet I keep a square of some other carpeting on it just where a foot often goes to get elsewhere. One day I was in my kitchen and moved towards the sitting area and Tuxy moved away very smartly. I looked down and there was fresh wet on the little carpet square, which I found strange as I didn't recall spilling anything. It was only when I went to mop it up that I realised she had done it right there and then, practically under my nose. And then jumped away, looking all innocent. Grr!!!!!
The only thing I know of that people have done, sans making the cat an outside cat, is to make an escape hatch either thru a window or a door or in a wall and put a kitty door there. Â Then build a kitty aviary outside around the opening with a roof and wire walls, a perch, and relocate the kitty box there, with the option of going on the ground. Â
That might solve some of the problem, I don't know if it will solve all of the problem, cats like to mark their territory, I don't know if there's some sort of alpha cat punishments you can employ that they will always respect, my friend used to use a squirt bottle with water...
Hi NowISee. Yes, I've thought about a kitty aviary sort of thing. A sort of generously sized rabbit run might do it.
Longterm goal is for them to be outdoor cats but they are so very nervous that if something scared them I am not entirely sure they wouldn't run off and not return. They cannot be caught except with great difficulty, and that's in any room in my house - never mind outside. Remember these cats are so scared that it was three months before I even saw one of them; life behind the fridge was The Best for her. Other spent three weeks behind the cabinet housing radio and other stuff before I caught a glimpse of her.
Plan is to familiarise them with the outside of the house (smells, etc) for a while before I let them out. I will ultimately cut a cat door in the door so that they can get in and out at will.
Holes in wall inappropriate, walls are 18 inches thick of solid stone. Hole in window inappropriate as double glazed, sealed units.
I've used a water pistol with another cat when it misbehaved, like attacking furniture. However the "punishment" has to be meted out at the time of offence otherwise not associated, and I've only caught Tuxy physically in the act once.
A success story with Crypto.
Yesterday I thought I heard a miaow from her.
Today I got a miaow at midday (demanding food) and another early evening (likewise). I responded immediately so as to encourage her.
Then this evening I came in and they were milling around. I opened a sachet of cat food and they were both there, and many distinct miaows from Crypto. It seems so strange and slightly shocking, seeing this bright pink mouth opening and shutting in her densely black face. But definite noises, not her chirruping sounds.
Good work Twinky, Crypto sounds like she's becoming a real people cat, congrats! Â
About the peeing, sometimes cats pee around the house cause they're upset, maybe Tuxee is upset or something is different with her ordinary routine-perhaps that is what inspires her to sully your white rug? Â
Saturday I was out all day, came in, cats hungry but food still in their bowl, both quite fussy and friendly and affectionate, rubbing around me; managed to pick Tuxy up and she settled on my lap. Took her to my door and collected and read my mail. Made a short phone call. Friend arrived. Cat escaped. Food still in bowl. Friend sat on couch, I went near couch to where wine glasses are stored. Surprised Tuxy at side of armchair sitting unusually...peeing.
I mopped it up and scrubbed the carpet with bio washing stuff. And then I gave them some fresh catbix AND PUT THE BOWL RIGHT OVER THE WET SPOT.
Crypto didn't have any difficulty in helping herself and ate normally.
But every bit of Tuxy's body language was that she hated to be doing this. She was disgusted. She couldn't stand it. She cringed away from it. But the food bowl is staying there - well until she pees elsewhere and it has to go in that location.
Now she does not like me, will not let me touch her, will eat from my fingers if it's tasty enough but otherwise ignores me, won't play or will only play after much provocation...
Still follows me about and whines with that piercing whine...
Maybe I was at fault, should have fondled them a little (if they'd let me touch them) or played with them a little, and perhaps given them some fresh food as soon as I came in. But it is still not "normal" for Tuxy, to pee because she thinks she is ignored or fondled (not ignored enough!). She definitely knows better and it was sheer naughtiness, as far as I can tell.
Treat the place like a toilet - she can jolly well eat in the toilet.
If she doesn't like it, she can go to the Cats' Home and live there.
Other than acting crazy, chasing each other around and causing only a moderate amount of destruction, your kitties counterparts here have been fairly well behaved..
and they are the same, one is pure black, the other is a tuxedo..
they aren't touchy-feely by a long shot.. but I wake up with Samantha sleeping on top of me.. and Salem, the tuxedo, he will crawl up in my lap if I'm not feeling particularly well for one reason or another.. almost like he tries to comfort me..
other than that, I think the only difference between them and tigers or lions is merely the size of the beast.. they exhibit some wild tendancies that I don't think they'll ever get rid of.
I've heard cats taken from their mother too soon are just neurotic..
Ham, not taken too soon; not soon enough. Mother cat was violently aggressive - defensive of her new babes - person tending them could not handle the kittens. She managed to give 2 pairs of them away when they were several months old and they have made reasonable cats. Mother was then very defensive of the remaining two (mine) - the Cats' Protection League woman who had them from birth has the scars to prove it.
My cats have inherited the scaredness of their mother. They're scared of they don't-know-what. Underneath the exterior behavior I think they're quite affectionate and like me.
Would love to let them have the run of the house but I can't cope with the potential mess (pee location). She has peed in my study on the couch cushions and a rug, pooed on couch cushions twice, and peed on the coir mat by the front door many times. She has been upstairs on occasion but I simply daren't trust her.
Oh here she is, come to visit. Miaowing. Wants something (food?).
I've seen what some mother cats do.. one I had would wrap it's front paws around the kitten, well it was a rather large kitten.. and beat the snot out of it with the hind legs..
he ended up being a nice cat though.. I think we found a home for him before he was irreperably damaged..
so this mother cat was violently protective of the babies, and not abusive of the babies themselves?
The one cat we had long ago, when it had it's litter.. it would let you handle them. But when you started getting close, she watched your every move.. very intently.. maybe that much care is normal.. but she never would attack us.
I don't think the mother cat was abusive of her babies. But she was taken into the CPL as being "uncontrollable". CPL just thought it was a fat cat, but a couple of days later, the kittens were born.
We had a little cat once which had a litter of 3. She so loved her babies, that she was keen for us to see them, inspect them, handle them - when the kittens were only a day old. That's fairly amazing.
These two... Tuxy is mewing away. She has just walked off (using the litter tray, perhaps). Crypto is sitting her normal 4 f away, gazing at me. At least Tuxy is not whining her piercing whine.
They just escaped into the other half of my house, up into the bedrooms, Tuxy as ever the ringleader. She whined at the door till I opened it and then Crypto shot downstairs. Tuxy does tell me where Crypto is, if she has gone missing. But they are now safely back downstairs.
I don't want to beat Tuxy though I have come very close. Once early in the piece I did hit her hard when she weed on the carpet. You can tell from this thread that it had the desired effect --- not.
The lounge part of my kitchen/lounge/diner is rather whiffy. So tonight I have fetched out all of the furniture, scrubbed the floor with various concotions, removed the white rug, and replaced all my furniture in new locations. I dislike the new layout but it'll do. Idea is to make it difficult for Tuxy to access the corner that is her secret place to wee. It now has a cabinet over it, and a couch.
The white carpet is in my shed. I don't know if it can be cleaned. And if so, how successful that will be. It's a nice rug and would have been expensive when new (got it via Freecycle, from a very upmarket home).
Tuxy hid under the table on a chair whilst all the moving about was taking place. Crypto hid in the darkest place she could find, under the stairs.
But when I sat down with a cuppa to survey the scheme, it was Crypto who adventured out to see what was going on. Who explored thoroughly the new layout. She seems to approve.
Tuxy was only enticed out by rattling the food box. She seems very hesitant. Doesn't seem to like it.
Crypto is very sweet. She has a nice nature. I had wondered about calling her "Serena" which seems to suit her. She is calm natured, good at amusing herself, playful, gentle. Wary, but not jumpy like Tuxy. She will happily feed from a hand, taking titbits of meat or whatever. A friend visited tonight, and she was eating handfuls of Go-Cat from his hand. She makes delightful little croo-ing sounds. Not bad for a cat too scared to show herself for months, when I first got her.
Tuxy has begun to be a little more friendly with me. She has avoided me for the last couple of weeks (since I last picked her up) and only in the last day or two has let me touch her again. So we're kind of back to basics. Anyway she is friendly again. As long as she isn't up to mischief in the corner!
She has got a new trick. Friend bought me some flowers, and she nibbled on the leaves which made her sick. I've moved the flowers into my study but she likes them (to eat) and has learned to climb up the bookcase to get at them - caught her at that tonight; explains how she managed to eat the leaves yesterday and make herself sick.
If I just open the door, let her out, then close it firmly, do you think she'll take the hint?
Idea is to make it difficult for Tuxy to access the corner that is her secret place to wee
have you considered.. just put a kittie box (at least temporarily) at this secret spot?
just a thought.. I just wonder what would come of it..
like slowly "migrate" the secret spot to where it really belongs..
well.. just another nutsy idea.. I'm sure you've tried almost everything..
your kitties doppelgangers have taken a "liking" to a small christmas tree in the house..
it is about a meter or so tall..
sometimes when we are not looking.. it ends up on it's side, and the little ornaments are scattered all over the house. The solid black female will play with the ornaments for hours on end.. so I've designated the small tree the cat's tree.
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TheHighWay
Okay, I know this is a long post, but I've had probably half a dozen cats in my life and I've done the same with each of them with good success. Every time I've brought a new cat home, whether it was
Twinky
Well, the girlies are really settling well, with going out. Tuxy loves to be outside but she stays nicely in the garden, and more or less comes when called. If she want to go out she has taken to ye
leafytwiglet
Take her to the vet do not pass go do not collect 200 $ she has a urinary infection. They will give her antibiotics and she will get better (((Hugs)) to you and her poor little poppet.. Regarding t
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doojable
YAY!
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geisha779
Twinky
Congratulations!! Yeah, it IS kinda a big deal! Lucky kitties! I bet you enjoyed that--they have claimed ownership of you!! You are now their person. Oh, did you think it worked the other way? That they are your cats? No no no. . . . doesn't work that way.
Now, if you can keep them from claiming your pillow every night as my cats do--you are all set.
My guys know when we are ready for bed and they tear upstairs and one goes on my pillow and the other on hubby's. We move them--fall asleep and each wake-up with a cat staring at us from the lofty position at the top of our pillow piles!!
They win.
Nice job Twinky--it does take lots of love and time. If you go away again--they may just start leaping on your shoulders and follow you all around!!
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Twinky
Thanks, both. Still a long way to go though.
Other cats I've had (okay, been carer for) have claimed space at the foot of the bed (Twinky claimed the pillow or even one's head occasionally) but these two have a way to go before then.
Once in a while Tuxy has explored my bedroom. I prefer not to let them in the rest of the house unless I can keep an eye on them. Tuxy occasionally "marks" things and I have had to throw away a red rug which she urinated on too badly to keep; and she also urinates on my coco matting near the front door, which I haul up and soak in the bath in bio washing stuff. Not so easy or light, as it is 4 ft square.
They are rather idiotic at times, like: if I enter the bathroom and one or other is in there, it's a major catastrophe and they get all scatty with panic. Or if walk upstairs and they are on the landing - their eyes go wide, they freeze in terror and/or flatten themselves, and Crypto might try hissing at me (or sometimes just opening her mouth as if to hiss, too scared to make the noise!). I can't touch them on a window sill or other enclosed area but they are okay in rooms where there is space to escape.
But still: that Tuxy ventures onto my lap and snuggles up by my leg is a mighty step forward.
I would love to get to the Texas BBQ again this year but think it will not be possible. Maybe I should vacate the house again anyway for a few days and see what benefits that might have on the cats?
Geisha: too funny. Do they give you a wash to wake you up, as well?
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Twinky
Grass. Their latest thing is - grass. They have to have a small handful of fresh grass every day. This they chow into with much enthusiasm. It seems to be nearly as enjoyable as ham (sorry, Mr Squirrel!!).
Can't wait till they are allowed outside. Grazing sheep? Forget it! This year's model is grazing cats.
Got them a new cat scratch pole/ perching thing from Freecycle this week. They love it. Crypto the scaredy took possession immediately and beat Tuxy off. Later, from a lower perch, she attacked Tuxy from a lower perch, and grabbed Tuxy by the throat! I surmise this was not painful and may be part of some sort of play fighting they get up to anyway, as Tuxy did not seem at all bothered.
Crypto is getting much more assertive and has made several attacks on Tuxy and on me, all very minor, but it is so strange that it is she who does it.
Fell asleep lying on my sofa the other evening. Awoke some hours later to find Tuxedo happily asleep on my feet.
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Twinky
Wow. Ten days ago, Tuxy crept onto my lap for the first time. Now - she thinks she ought to be on the sofa when I am on it. Better, she thinks she should be on my lap. Often she gets on by herself. Occasionally she sits near and I can sort of ease her onto my lap. She is happy that I do this as she is fully in contact with the sofa or my leg or whatever makes her secure.
Today she crept alongside me and I sort of shoved her onto my lap. She was really enjoying being fondled and seemed quite relaxed so I tried something new. I folded her into my arms and held her to my chest, stood up and walked around the room just a little. She trembled with fright, but did not struggle except gently just at first, then remained trembling in my arms. When I sat down I made her stay on my lap for a few minutes and then let her leave, which she did unhurriedly.
This really does count as a major milestone.
For a cat that is terrified of physical contact - she is "overcoming her doubt, worry and fear" in a big way.
Other cat Crypto is much more confident, demands to be stroked and pushes Tuxedo out of the way so that she, Crypto, can be stroked, and occasionally takes a gratuitous swipe at Tuxy. While I don't like the hitting bit, it shows she has become much more assertive and is less likely to put up with bullying from Tuxy.
Also she is pushing Tuxy away from the food bowl (quite something, that!) and is eating much more. She appears to be getting rather plumper, not that she's fat, in fact far too thin; and her coat quality has softened and is really nice to touch.
A new friend came to visit with me yesterday and both cats were constantly present, ie, did not hide behind the furniture, and also played with the new person.A few months ago, they would hide if a new person came to visit.
Maybe in a couple of years, I will end up with "normal" cats...?
Geisha, do show your photos of your crazy pair, high on the catnip!! They are too funny!
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geisha779
I love that they are coming along so nicely! Sounds like strides rather than baby steps! Congrats! It is really a test of patience.Here are the photos of Dickie and Onslow--getting the still sealed catnip out of the TOP of the cupboard and then SHAMELESSLY overindulging!My cats are junkies--I must get them to a meeting of some kind--or into rehab!http://picasaweb.google.com/DickieandOnslow/NaughtyBoys#
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Twinky
Well, do I have a fusspot cat or what! Tuxedo is getting oh-so-friendly. She has taken to prowling on the couch near my desk when I am at the computer in my "study."
Yesterday I captured her (several times) and made her sit on my lap (not a popular choice). In the late evening, I captured her and she struggled a little but not fiercely. When she was calm I carefully cradled her and carried her off to another room. Sat on the couch and she calmed down. Lay on the couch with her on my chest and she stayed quite still and calm. We lay like that for quite a while, an hour or so.
She does not relish this, but does not fight or bite or struggle to get away apart from a perfunctory wriggle.
I always make slow and gentle movements and talk to her reassuringly, saying her name, and make sure that her eyes reduce to nice little slits and not the staring-eye no-pupil scared look, before I try anything new.
Her fur is oh-so-soft and very gleaming. She is, however, a very bony cat, no fat, nothing spare, on her at all. Despite that she appears to eat constantly.
She was jumpy this morning and would not let me touch her first thing, but she has overcome that now and as I sit at my desk, she is again roaming the couch so that I can fondle her. She also puts her head near mine, so has obviously realized that I am not about to eat her (or whatever does frighten her) (trying to think "cat" here).
Other cat will still only allow me to stroke her and not pick up. However, when I was carrying Tuxy about and when we were lying on the couch Crypto's very concerned face appeared to watch what was going on and (for the first time) she put a paw on the couch and gazed deeply into my face, while I was cradling Tuxy. Maybe she had in mind to rescue her sister, though just a stare at her will scare her away. Nobody could call the look she gave me friendly or participative.
I always try to ensure that Crypto can see what I'm doing with Tuxy. She watches carefully and if nothing happens with Tuxy, she will have a go at it herself (eg, a new toy or something different to eat). So if she sees Tuxy enjoys being fondled, maybe she will realize it's an okay thing. She does like to be stroked and brushed but not picked up.
So things are moving well and remembering where they have come from, it's just lovely.
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Twinky
Tuxedo got her first outdoor excursion this week. This was fun...not.
I recently Freecycled a little blue cat harness and lead. Have not been able to get this on her before but managed to do so on Friday. Tuxy endured it for a while. Actually she lay rigid on the bed occupied by my Mum, who was visiting. When I let her loose in the kitchen, she backed away from the harness and lead, unsuccessfully, of course.
This upset Crypto, who also backed off, hissing at me and growling and all the hairs on her back standing up. All she was aware of is that Tuxy was upset.
I wanted Tuxy to have a "reward" after her ordeal of wearing the harness and to associate it with something pleasant. So after a while I picked her up and took her outside. Held her and let her sniff a bit then set her on the grass. She immediately bolted for the nearest cover (a bush) and refused to come out. She looks so like Catcup's avatar!!
After 20 mins, she hadn't emerged or explored at all so I hauled her out and set her on my lap on the garden seat. She immediately leapt off and squished herself on the concrete. After a while she sidled off and hid behind a large fern and a small shrub in pots near the door. And so she remained.
A little disappointing from my point of view: I expected her to enjoy sniffing round but she didn't. And she was very wary of me for the rest of the day. But she has recovered from this and has allowed me to put her on my lap many times since.
I will be persevering with the harness for a while until I am sure she is happy outside and not likely to run off and not return.
As for an excursion for Crypto - that might be a long time coming.
Picked her up one day and she was so terrified I had to set her down immediately.
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geisha779
OMG I am so glad I saw this. Thanks--excellent photos.
That doesn't look like fear--I think it is a dignity issue! LOL I have to tell you--if you painted white on the other side of the nose--Tuxy would look just like my Dickie. I get such a kick out of your cats.
The shrub thing must be universal--when my guys first began SNEAKING outside. . . :) I would go look for them and always find them cowering in the yews. Those were the days--with 8 acres to roam they have gotten bolder. Just takes time.
I am happy that you were forgiven and I imagine it was just the drama of the whole thing. Not personal. LOL They will get used to it and stay in the garden. Is Crypto next?
BTW Tuxy coat shines with no matting or bald spots--looks so healthy. How do they relate to strangers? As secure and bold and demanding as my guys are--they are shy around guests. They will stay in the room and even give a sniff, but they are wary. How do they do with your Mum?
When I was a kid--one of my friends had a Maine Coon Cat. Beautiful animal--mean though. They would tether it to a stake in the back garden--the lead was maybe 5 feet long. The cat had a wide circle in which to roam. Never got tangled or loose. It was the funniest sight. This cat leashed like a dog in the back of the house. They could never train it to stay because it was a wee bit wild. It was a coon cat--whatever that is.
If you think harnassing a cat is a challenge. . . . . I used to walk my sheep with a harness. They actually sell a lead and harness designed for sheep. Now, sheep are not the brightest animals, but they are big and strong and REACTIONARY!! When you try to leash them--they actually grow a brain and try to outwit you. . . LOL
I used to have to slam them up against the barn wall, hold them still with my hip and side, and get the harness on. You have seen me. . . I am not that big--it was a real battle of wits. I USUALLY won! Then they walked me around the property!!
Okay, I have to tell you one more funny animal story. This is actually my favorite. We have a farmhouse with land and we had a huge barn. We did a big veg garden and that was so fun, we tried animals. Sheep and chickens. One day we had to get the chickens rounded up for the health lady who came once a year to check them Do you know what fly paper is? Those long tacky strips you hang to catch flies? We had a few hanging in the barn.
Well, my husband got one stuck to the side of his head while chasing the chickens. Bad enough right? Yuck. While trying to catch the chickens one flew up and got STUCK on the fly paper stuck to hubby's head. He had a flapping panicked chicken STUCK TO HIS HEAD. LOL
Oh Twinkie, it was the funniest thing I have ever seen. He was a bit freaked--the chicken was freaked and I was laughing so hard I cried. When I ran out he yelled "Where are you going?" I said "To get the camera of course" LOL
Somewhere I have a picture of hubby with a chicken stuck to his head. You want to talk about a dignity issue?
Pets are fun!
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Twinky
Geisha, your stories are a hoot! I am laughing and tears are pouring from my eyes.
Sheep whispering...Chicken whispering... ...husband whispering?? The interests of Spotters are very varied. They never taught this stuff in the Corps!
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Twinky
My cats are now two years old. My Halloween cats... that's when they were born.
Crypto is still unhandled. Well, unless you count the one occasion when I picked her up and she was soooo scared and tore me up in her desire to get away. Yet she enjoys a neck scratch/fondle and loves to be near me.
Tuxy can occasionally be grabbed and made to settle on my lap. She loves her neck being scratched and blisses out once she has relaxed. Once captured, she will eventually settle (ten minutes?) on my lap and then she will start "needling" my arm and purring. And then suddenly she realises she is enjoying it and leaps up to get away.
Tuxy has the most persistent high-pitched mew when she wants something. This is accompanied by her peering intently into my face. Then it is a guess as to what she wants. Usually food, water, or to have the litter tray cleaned. Today, however, it was because she wanted to play.
Crypto makes happy chirruping sounds which may or may not relate to what she is amusing herself with. But for the first time yesterday she gave a tiny mew when I was about to eat my evening meal. And tonight I heard a tiny shy mewing sound but it wasn't Tuxy's persistent whine, but rather deeper, so perhaps Crypto is finding a voice at last.
I have had the harness on Tuxy one more time and left it on her for a while. I have not been tried to take her outside, perhaps that was too many new experiences all at once. She is not keen at all on the harness. She must be giving off bad "fear smells" - something I don't pick up on - but when she is nervous or frightened, she may remain still but Crypto will set herself off hissing and arching her back at me. Very odd.
They have refused the food they usually eat (supermarket generic kibble) but devoured a free sample of the most expensive Purina One. So now they are on Go-Cat which they think is lovely. They eat three times as much of this as their other kibble. Guess I musta been starving them. Or maybe they have the confidence to be picky.
What was nice recently was that a friend who I don't see often came round to visit, and both cats showed themselves readily and sniffed at his clothing and shoes. They wandered around with tails happily erect and not hiding at all. It doesn't seem much, but that's the yardstick that I have to measure by. My friend was amazed and said it was the first time he had really seen them; they have usually been rushing to the nearest hiding place.
I have a problem with them which I will post separately.
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Twinky
Okay, here is my problem. Tuxedo likes to wee on the carpet.
I had a nice red carpet that someone gave me, in the same area. I think that may have been urinated on by a previous animal. Anyway Tuxy started to creep behind the armchair and wee on it. I would clean it up as soon as I realised but she obviously did it a lot more than I'd noticed and eventually I had to throw the carpet away.
I cleaned the area very thoroughly - surface is those plastic/laminate fake wood floorboards. I washed with floor cleaner, scrubbed and left to soak in biological wash powder, rinsed off and sprayed with bleach, rinsed off and sprayed with vinegar (to kill the smell of the bleach). So there shouldn't have been any residual smell.
I now have a nice white carpet, very good quality, nice and thick. And she sneaks off and does a little watering of that from time to time. This carpet, though smaller, is heavy and would be difficult to wash. I could leave it to soak in the bath for a while but there are obvious difficulties in drying it. I don't think it is wool, but it probably has a proportion of wool in it.
The slight smell of cat wee isn't inviting or pleasant on opening the door into the house.
This has got to be a bit of a habit; it is not because she doesn't know where the litter tray is. She does, and uses it properly. This is either "marking" as the dominant cat, or stress (separation? boredom? fear?). If either of them is stressed, it ought to be Crypto, as Tuxy attacks and chases her for no reason other than playfulness (probably not perceived as such by Crypto!) but Crypto is not the culprit. No reason to suppose there are any health issues.
Websites suggest putting a litter tray in the area but I don't want to do that because it is in the "sitting" area of my room and I don't want to encourage either of them to use it for a regular toilet. I put a strong smelling product supposed to deter cats down in the area and she just did it on top of the smelly stuff. I understand it might be a stress-related thing but she will sneak off and do it while I am there, not just when I am away for a few hours.
Does anyone have any suggestions, before Tuxy (at least) gets turned into a pair of winter mittens?
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geisha779
Hi Twinky,
You know I HAVE to read this thread--- Thanks for the update. I lost my LEATHER couch because my older cat Chandler did this same thing. Turns out it was a UTI.
You have to find out if it is a physical thing first. If they have pain when they use the litter box--they can associate the two--and will find another spot.
If it is behavior--it can be their passive-agressive acting out LOL--either way--a trip to the vet seems in order. They can actually give them something for anxiety. Kitty Prozac!!
It is a pain in the neck---eventually we end up throwing things away when they get like this. I had waited YEARS to get those beautiful sofa's. Gone Baby Gone!!
I kept Chandler though!! LOL
Off Topic, something I always wondered when I used to watch Kim and Aggie. What is biological washing powder? Or sugar soap for that matter?
I went to a DIY store a few times in GB--but only for paint. Honestly, I do wonder what those two things are.
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Twinky
Biological washing powder or liquid has enzymes in it that are supposed to break down organic material, specifically, body stuff like sweat, urine, excrement (kids or incontinence, anyone?) and will also remove everyday stains, fat and dirt more easily from the laundry.
So perfect for dealing with kids and cats, as it should break down the urine and completely remove the smell and remove the temptation to do it again in the same area.
They don't have any difficulty in using the litter tray. They do drink a lot so use the tray a lot and if it is not up to their standards, they will either wee directly in the bath (the tray is by their choice in the bath) or Tuxy will come and yell her head off at me until I work out what she wants and deal with it.
As it's a white carpet I keep a square of some other carpeting on it just where a foot often goes to get elsewhere. One day I was in my kitchen and moved towards the sitting area and Tuxy moved away very smartly. I looked down and there was fresh wet on the little carpet square, which I found strange as I didn't recall spilling anything. It was only when I went to mop it up that I realised she had done it right there and then, practically under my nose. And then jumped away, looking all innocent. Grr!!!!!
Any other suggestions, anyone?
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now I see
The only thing I know of that people have done, sans making the cat an outside cat, is to make an escape hatch either thru a window or a door or in a wall and put a kitty door there. Â Then build a kitty aviary outside around the opening with a roof and wire walls, a perch, and relocate the kitty box there, with the option of going on the ground. Â
That might solve some of the problem, I don't know if it will solve all of the problem, cats like to mark their territory, I don't know if there's some sort of alpha cat punishments you can employ that they will always respect, my friend used to use a squirt bottle with water...
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Twinky
Hi NowISee. Yes, I've thought about a kitty aviary sort of thing. A sort of generously sized rabbit run might do it.
Longterm goal is for them to be outdoor cats but they are so very nervous that if something scared them I am not entirely sure they wouldn't run off and not return. They cannot be caught except with great difficulty, and that's in any room in my house - never mind outside. Remember these cats are so scared that it was three months before I even saw one of them; life behind the fridge was The Best for her. Other spent three weeks behind the cabinet housing radio and other stuff before I caught a glimpse of her.
Plan is to familiarise them with the outside of the house (smells, etc) for a while before I let them out. I will ultimately cut a cat door in the door so that they can get in and out at will.
Holes in wall inappropriate, walls are 18 inches thick of solid stone. Hole in window inappropriate as double glazed, sealed units.
I've used a water pistol with another cat when it misbehaved, like attacking furniture. However the "punishment" has to be meted out at the time of offence otherwise not associated, and I've only caught Tuxy physically in the act once.
A success story with Crypto.
Yesterday I thought I heard a miaow from her.
Today I got a miaow at midday (demanding food) and another early evening (likewise). I responded immediately so as to encourage her.
Then this evening I came in and they were milling around. I opened a sachet of cat food and they were both there, and many distinct miaows from Crypto. It seems so strange and slightly shocking, seeing this bright pink mouth opening and shutting in her densely black face. But definite noises, not her chirruping sounds.
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now I see
Good work Twinky, Crypto sounds like she's becoming a real people cat, congrats! Â
About the peeing, sometimes cats pee around the house cause they're upset, maybe Tuxee is upset or something is different with her ordinary routine-perhaps that is what inspires her to sully your white rug? Â
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Twinky
Okay, so Tuxy...is in disgrace. Bad cat.
Saturday I was out all day, came in, cats hungry but food still in their bowl, both quite fussy and friendly and affectionate, rubbing around me; managed to pick Tuxy up and she settled on my lap. Took her to my door and collected and read my mail. Made a short phone call. Friend arrived. Cat escaped. Food still in bowl. Friend sat on couch, I went near couch to where wine glasses are stored. Surprised Tuxy at side of armchair sitting unusually...peeing.
I mopped it up and scrubbed the carpet with bio washing stuff. And then I gave them some fresh catbix AND PUT THE BOWL RIGHT OVER THE WET SPOT.
Crypto didn't have any difficulty in helping herself and ate normally.
But every bit of Tuxy's body language was that she hated to be doing this. She was disgusted. She couldn't stand it. She cringed away from it. But the food bowl is staying there - well until she pees elsewhere and it has to go in that location.
Now she does not like me, will not let me touch her, will eat from my fingers if it's tasty enough but otherwise ignores me, won't play or will only play after much provocation...
Still follows me about and whines with that piercing whine...
Maybe I was at fault, should have fondled them a little (if they'd let me touch them) or played with them a little, and perhaps given them some fresh food as soon as I came in. But it is still not "normal" for Tuxy, to pee because she thinks she is ignored or fondled (not ignored enough!). She definitely knows better and it was sheer naughtiness, as far as I can tell.
Treat the place like a toilet - she can jolly well eat in the toilet.
If she doesn't like it, she can go to the Cats' Home and live there.
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Ham
I dunno.. have you considered a cat psychiatrist?
Other than acting crazy, chasing each other around and causing only a moderate amount of destruction, your kitties counterparts here have been fairly well behaved..
and they are the same, one is pure black, the other is a tuxedo..
they aren't touchy-feely by a long shot.. but I wake up with Samantha sleeping on top of me.. and Salem, the tuxedo, he will crawl up in my lap if I'm not feeling particularly well for one reason or another.. almost like he tries to comfort me..
other than that, I think the only difference between them and tigers or lions is merely the size of the beast.. they exhibit some wild tendancies that I don't think they'll ever get rid of.
I've heard cats taken from their mother too soon are just neurotic..
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Twinky
Ham, not taken too soon; not soon enough. Mother cat was violently aggressive - defensive of her new babes - person tending them could not handle the kittens. She managed to give 2 pairs of them away when they were several months old and they have made reasonable cats. Mother was then very defensive of the remaining two (mine) - the Cats' Protection League woman who had them from birth has the scars to prove it.
My cats have inherited the scaredness of their mother. They're scared of they don't-know-what. Underneath the exterior behavior I think they're quite affectionate and like me.
Would love to let them have the run of the house but I can't cope with the potential mess (pee location). She has peed in my study on the couch cushions and a rug, pooed on couch cushions twice, and peed on the coir mat by the front door many times. She has been upstairs on occasion but I simply daren't trust her.
Oh here she is, come to visit. Miaowing. Wants something (food?).
My nose tells me litter tray needs attention.
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Ham
I've seen what some mother cats do.. one I had would wrap it's front paws around the kitten, well it was a rather large kitten.. and beat the snot out of it with the hind legs..
he ended up being a nice cat though.. I think we found a home for him before he was irreperably damaged..
so this mother cat was violently protective of the babies, and not abusive of the babies themselves?
The one cat we had long ago, when it had it's litter.. it would let you handle them. But when you started getting close, she watched your every move.. very intently.. maybe that much care is normal.. but she never would attack us.
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Twinky
I don't think the mother cat was abusive of her babies. But she was taken into the CPL as being "uncontrollable". CPL just thought it was a fat cat, but a couple of days later, the kittens were born.
We had a little cat once which had a litter of 3. She so loved her babies, that she was keen for us to see them, inspect them, handle them - when the kittens were only a day old. That's fairly amazing.
These two... Tuxy is mewing away. She has just walked off (using the litter tray, perhaps). Crypto is sitting her normal 4 f away, gazing at me. At least Tuxy is not whining her piercing whine.
They just escaped into the other half of my house, up into the bedrooms, Tuxy as ever the ringleader. She whined at the door till I opened it and then Crypto shot downstairs. Tuxy does tell me where Crypto is, if she has gone missing. But they are now safely back downstairs.
I don't want to beat Tuxy though I have come very close. Once early in the piece I did hit her hard when she weed on the carpet. You can tell from this thread that it had the desired effect --- not.
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Twinky
Plan B - or is it C - or Z...
The lounge part of my kitchen/lounge/diner is rather whiffy. So tonight I have fetched out all of the furniture, scrubbed the floor with various concotions, removed the white rug, and replaced all my furniture in new locations. I dislike the new layout but it'll do. Idea is to make it difficult for Tuxy to access the corner that is her secret place to wee. It now has a cabinet over it, and a couch.
The white carpet is in my shed. I don't know if it can be cleaned. And if so, how successful that will be. It's a nice rug and would have been expensive when new (got it via Freecycle, from a very upmarket home).
Tuxy hid under the table on a chair whilst all the moving about was taking place. Crypto hid in the darkest place she could find, under the stairs.
But when I sat down with a cuppa to survey the scheme, it was Crypto who adventured out to see what was going on. Who explored thoroughly the new layout. She seems to approve.
Tuxy was only enticed out by rattling the food box. She seems very hesitant. Doesn't seem to like it.
Crypto is very sweet. She has a nice nature. I had wondered about calling her "Serena" which seems to suit her. She is calm natured, good at amusing herself, playful, gentle. Wary, but not jumpy like Tuxy. She will happily feed from a hand, taking titbits of meat or whatever. A friend visited tonight, and she was eating handfuls of Go-Cat from his hand. She makes delightful little croo-ing sounds. Not bad for a cat too scared to show herself for months, when I first got her.
Tuxy has begun to be a little more friendly with me. She has avoided me for the last couple of weeks (since I last picked her up) and only in the last day or two has let me touch her again. So we're kind of back to basics. Anyway she is friendly again. As long as she isn't up to mischief in the corner!
She has got a new trick. Friend bought me some flowers, and she nibbled on the leaves which made her sick. I've moved the flowers into my study but she likes them (to eat) and has learned to climb up the bookcase to get at them - caught her at that tonight; explains how she managed to eat the leaves yesterday and make herself sick.
If I just open the door, let her out, then close it firmly, do you think she'll take the hint?
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Ham
have you considered.. just put a kittie box (at least temporarily) at this secret spot?
just a thought.. I just wonder what would come of it..
like slowly "migrate" the secret spot to where it really belongs..
well.. just another nutsy idea.. I'm sure you've tried almost everything..
your kitties doppelgangers have taken a "liking" to a small christmas tree in the house..
it is about a meter or so tall..
sometimes when we are not looking.. it ends up on it's side, and the little ornaments are scattered all over the house. The solid black female will play with the ornaments for hours on end.. so I've designated the small tree the cat's tree.
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