Things are progressing with my babies...slowly, but progressing.
As to Crypto:
on 8 November this happened:
I managed to grab hold of Crypto and had a decent long cuddle with her. I lay on the couch with her on my chest. She was there quite a while. Didn't fight or struggle to get away. Eyes as big as saucers. Clearly terrified. When I let go, she couldn't escape fast enough. Nonetheless, she didn't avoid me the next morning and still wanted her head scratched. If I can do this often enough, I might end up with at
least one fondle-able cat.
...well, that was the state of play then. Since that attempt, I have been trying to catch her again, without success.
Over the Christmas holiday I nearly caught her. I surprised her lying on a dining chair, head one side of the cloth and body the other. Thought if I could seize her round the shoulders/neck, she could not make a quick getaway. Hah, do not try this at home folks! My injuries were fairly mild, two bite marks/puncture wounds, not deep, and some scratches, now healed, across the knuckles.
However, she remains friendly and rubs up against chair legs as if to invite a fondle, and loves it when I fondle her neck in the morning or evening. Just stays out of arm's length.
She seems so much to want to be fondled. She looks longingly but runs off if looked at. How do you overcome that level of fear? And yet she can be so "brave" at times (brave for her).
I went away overnight to a New Year’s Eve party. I set the automatic food timer so the girlies would get two meals while I was away (less than 24 hours). When I came back, unfortunately the feeder hadn’t opened so they had had no food for about 20 hours (though a good feed just before I left). Tuxy looked definitely slimmer (the little fat pig, her!)
So as to Tuxy:
This evening, she has been so fussy. She has whined about wanting who knows what. Finally she came up to my chair where I am now. She whines until I stroke her head (this is her “thing”). She can become quite demanding at this.
Finally tonight, I grabbed her tail and she lay down. This invites me to pick her up (if she doesn’t want to be picked up, she scrabbles at the carpet). She lay on my knee demanding fondles, head and neck rubs, all over rubs, fidgetting down and snuggling right up against my chest. Normally I need to lay one hand on her rump for her to stay but tonight there was no way she was leaving. There she was, needling my poor sweater, purring happily, squishing herself against me…just like a normal cat. We had several slow blinking sessions and these just reassured her to go at it some more. Guess she was there for an hour and a half, a record. I wanted her to leave – that’s a first!
But tomorrow – her mood may be altogether different. She might be an Untouchable again. When I go away, she either refuses to leave me alone and follows me about, whining; or ignores me totally and runs off if looked at.
My mum visited over Christmas. They have met her on several occasions. ( She usually stays for a few nights every month.) No way were the girlies having anything to do with her. If Mum and I sat in my study (a lounge area) with the doors closed, they would sit quietly outside. When we sat in the (other) lounge, they would keep out of sight. When Mum went to bed, straight away the girlies would fuss around me straight away, as if they had watched her go to bed and get out of the way.
Now Mum has gone home, and a frequent visitor has also returned home to this city. They know this friend, who often visits me. Immediately the girlies started hanging around. And this evening when friend and I were in the study with the doors shut, the girlies hung around outside, banging on the door and Tuxy whining, till they were let in. Once the door was closed, then they banged on the door and Tuxy whined until they were let out again.
So strange how they know who is about and when they leave to another part of the house. No doubt it’s sense of smell, but you’d think that that same sense of smell would allow them to understand the friendly pheromones from my cat-loving Mum.
I am not sure if Tuxedo has made some new year resolutions, or if she has had a brain transplant, or there is an imposter in the house. Heck if she didn't want another good fondle this morning, curled up and slept in my lap, purring mighty contentedly. My poor sweater sleeve is looking bedraggled due to her needling of it.
I am posting to let you know about a very serious concer I have with one of your recent posts.
The post said you were scratched and biten by your cats. I want you to be aware of a illness that comes about from a cat stratch, the name of it is cat stratch fever (not the ted nugent song), Im very serious .
One of my children became very ill after playing with a cat outside the cat had scratched her lightly and it healed up quickly YET soon after she had flu like syptoms and I took her to the doctor and he said it was cat scratch fever. I didnt believe him at first but she was very ill.
the cats breed bacteria in their claws and when they scratch the germs can cause a serious infection in your blood stream that must be treated .
just thought I would let you know. Also I was biten by a neighbors cat as a child and I got distemper in my arm and was in acast for over six months very very ill.
Thanks, Pond. Yes, I'm careful when I get injured by them. Tuxy has bitten me twice and the first time I was on antibiotics (strong ones) for 3 weeks, having let the infection go too far. Second time, I deal with it straight away and was on the antibiotic that worked, straight away.
When Crypto scratched me, I washed immediately with soap and water and sprinkled the wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Everything has healed up perfectly, no signs at all left.
But I hear what you say. I am mindful that they use their litter trays, leaving very smelly parcels, scratch around (perhaps) to cover that, and they don't wash their paws afterwards. If they puncture me, there's too much potential for cat poo bacteria getting into my body (yeuk).
Don't think they bite or scratch a lot - they don't. Just if something really scares them. They're very gentle, really.
I always found that whispering to unruly cats the classic phrase "crock pot" does wonders for human/feline social interaction. For those cats which need more remedial help; a reminder of Stubb's BBQ sauce adds "emphasis for clarity"
Rummie, they have been threatened (not by me) with becoming a pair of mittens!
Tuxy wanted (yes, wanted) a good cuddle this morning. And boy, does she go at it with those claws, needling away.
No further progress with Miss Ultra Timid (Crypto) but she watches Tuxy enjoying being fondled, so perhaps eventually she will get the idea.
I think they have their own ideas about my solitary remaining fish outside in the pond. I suspect they whisper "tartare sauce" to him. However, he is a wily critter and is not fooled by them.
I always found that whispering to unruly cats the classic phrase "crock pot" does wonders for human/feline social interaction. For those cats which need more remedial help; a reminder of Stubb's BBQ sauce adds "emphasis for clarity"
Hissssssss! Meow
Twinky,
We had another little kitty event the other night. I was getting ready for family to arrive for a nice stay. . . . I was in a very happy mood. . . puttering around, fire burning in the wood stoves. . . snow outside. . . big pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs cooking. . . . home alone just really relaxing. Me and three cats.
The cats have a basket of toys in the kitchen and they often take them out and play hard skidding around the rug in the kitchen. . . . I was in the kitchen getting their food ready while they were going nuts with what I thought was their toys. Oh wasn't that cute. . . . even Onslow was playing hard. I brought over the plates to set them down expecting them to come right over. . . they kept playing really fast. . . . as I was bending down I heard an ugly high pitched squeal and looked over. . . . they didn't have toys, they had not one, but TWO live mice.
I don't do mice. I scream for someone else!! There was no one else home. So, of course, I still screamed. . . ran out of the kitchen grabbing the phone on the way out. . . called hubby and promptly started to cry.
He talked me through getting the broom to shoo the cats. . . . which I did. . . and he told me to shut the door to the kitchen and wait for him. Well, it is a swinging door and as soon as I got one cat out another one came back . . . . I could see those mice running back and forth looking for escape . . . it is a glass door.
I was hysterical. The cat's were, I swear, laughing at me. . . and shamelessly taking advantage of my unhinged state. Chaos for 1/2 an hour until my son came home and rescued me. I was cat wrangling while watching icky mice whose lives I didn't really want to save, but dangit. . . . I had company coming.
Ian got the mice out the mudroom backdoor. . . brave soul. . . . after all that. . . the cat's went upstairs to take a nap. . . but, I was shot.
I don't always like living in the country. . . . I can't stand how cats toy with the mice. . . . and I wasn't about to clean up dead mouse. . . . or regurgitated mouse as is usually the case.
Figures they would get industrious right when I was basking in hearth, home, and family. Usually a mouse can run across their paws and they wouldn't blink an eye.
I was hysterical. The cat's were, I swear, laughing at me. . . and shamelessly taking advantage of my unhinged state. Chaos for 1/2 an hour until my son came home and rescued me. I was cat wrangling while watching icky mice whose lives I didn't really want to save, but dangit. . . . I had company coming.
I have to be voting for the cats on this one....heck sounds darned near like an SNL skit
I have been known to rescue mice if they are caught in the house.. Only because I hate to see them toyed with that way too. The cats all know to keep their catches outside and kill promptly if they want to eat them LOL
Mice and Honking big spiders... the bane of country living
I have been known to rescue mice if they are caught in the house.. Only because I hate to see them toyed with that way too. The cats all know to keep their catches outside and kill promptly if they want to eat them LOL
*smirk* and I bet you think you are an animal enthusiast!!! Why leafy dear you are robbing those cats of their exercise, long history of surviving as natural hunters, recreation, and last but not least, their entertainment!!!
Geisha, you do have some fun with your cats! Truly, a mouse won't hurt you...much... and they don't eat people for breakfast. Your cats might, though, if you take their toys away. These cats...they do know what they are supposed to do, and not to do.
Twinkle used to catch a bird or mouse, and then made this particular noise. When I went to see what she had, she would show me from a safe distance, then run off and hide behind a bush in the garden. She knew I could only be one side of the bush at a time and we would sort of play peek-a-boo while I tried to make space for the prey to escape.
So far the girlies have only caught butterflies. I am not certain what they would do if a real mouse arrived. Tuxy would probably start off all scared, then hit at it. Crypto would probably stalk it and leap upon it. She is a fearsome hunter of toys, bits of string and plastic bags.
Geisha, do post about your hubby and the chicken. I think you told me in a PM or email and I had tears of laughter rolling down my face as I pictured the scene. And just thinking about it. Or do you have another hilarious story?
*smirk* and I bet you think you are an animal enthusiast!!! Why leafy dear you are robbing those cats of their exercise, long history of surviving as natural hunters, recreation, and last but not least, their entertainment!!!
LOL Rummie not a bit... they are free to kill anything they catch... outside!
I just hate the blood on my carpets.
and they are encouraged to .. especially the gophers and ground squirrels and mice!
My Magneto who recently passed ... she could kill a squirrel in 30 seconds flat . she was a fast and efficient hunter.
The other two Lilac and Little one, were my mothers cats and spent most of their lives inside so they never learned how to kill to survive. On the rare occasion when they catch something they play and terrorize it, it is a catnip mouse to them. Death for any critter they catch is purely an accident.
One of the cats of old.. she was quite a hunter.. was ranging about the house, meowing.. in the yard was.. a Squirrel.. desecrating her environment..
She resorted to HOWLING at the door..
I opened the door.. the cat sprung out like a bolt of lightning..
once the squirrel got up to speed, the cat was about a foot and a half behind. and could get no closer. The squirrel crossed a busy road.. the cat followed.. my heart skipped a few beats..I thought it might be the last time I saw the cat, at least in an animate condition. She still could not catch this bugger.. on the other side of the road, the squirrel jumped into a tree..
this was a cat who caught SHREWS.. on a regular basis. Maybe the squirrel had a charmed life or something..
This cat.. she would study your behavior. And calculate when you would be opening the door. Usually she was on the mark, and would be out the door when it was open only a few inches.. it was entertaining when she launched off a second too early..
We lived in a burmed house. So the front windows were on ground level. We would let the cat in and out these front windows. The funniest sight.. was watching this cat bounding through the yard to bring the latest catch to her family. It was a full grown rabbit. It looked larger than the cat..
She was solid black. I've always liked black cats.
Now I have three cats.. two were from the same litter.. the oldest is solid black, her sibling a tuxedo. The third one, younger than the two, is an insane asymmetrically marked tuxedo. The oldest cat never has had to fend for itself, unlike the other black cat a few years ago. So this one, has chosen a different role than hunter. If she can't hunt, she will be an administrator..
really.. she wakes me up, 6am or so, not so I will feed HER.. but the other two..
An "Administrator" cat... maybe that's what mine are, for each other. Often one will whine but doesn't want anything - but the other wants feeding, or something.
LOL, chasing the squirrel. Mine have yet to see one.
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 decided to get some farm animals. Sheep and chickens. One day we had to get the chickens rounded up for the health inspector 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. Ran right into it. Bad enough right? Yuck. While trying to catch the chickens one flew up and got STUCK to the fly paper stuck to hubby's head. He had a flapping panicked chicken STUCK TO HIS HEAD. I kid you not.
It was the funniest thing I have ever seen. Hubby was a bit freaked--the chicken was really 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"
Somewhere I have a picture of hubby with a flapping chicken stuck to his head. You want to talk about a dignity issue?
I think I told you about the time one of our cats brought a live rabbit up to our second story window. . . . through a ripped screen . . . . and into our bedroom at 2:00 AM. . . . placing it on the bed we were sleeping in. . . . didn't I?
Woken from a sound sleep. . . hubby can't find his glasses. . . . I am standing on the bed screaming like a loon. . . . the cat is trying to protect its prize and the chase of the century which followed?
I just checked out this thread for the first time last night. I guess I thought just because I don't have any scaredy cats I wouldn't have anything to add.
Cutey cute pictures of the cats. They all look like they could have been from the same litter.
I just got my daughter a yellow, male tabby for Christmas. Her other yellow tabby, Spanky, (yes, two of our dogs were Darla and Alfalfa) was maimed by the two boxers that Alfalfa protected me from. This little fellow is just 8 weeks old. It is sweet having a new baby in the house.
Our other cat is Sweetie Pie. Sweetie Pie was also the name of the baby in the carriage in Our Gang. Our Sweetie Pie is a black, white and yellow calico. When I got her, I was told she was 8 weeks old. I said, gee, she sure is tiny. Oh, her mom is little. Sweetie Pie almost died and the owner was forthcoming and admitted she was only 5 weeks old!!!
Sweetie slept on my chest or neck and I woke up to find her limp as a dish rag. I woke up daughter and we worked feverously through the night with her. She was limp yet panting with her tongue hanging out. I started injecting small amounts of red Gatorade down her throat with one of those little pet syringes. As soon as the pet store opened I was there to buy feline mother's milk. One hour she got a syringe of milk and the next a syringe of Gatorade. After 24 hours we took her off the Gatorade. We kept her on the milk for 2 more weeks. It took her about a week to recover to where she was able get up and walk. Very scary couple of weeks.
As far as Sweetie Pie knows, we are her mamas. She doesn't know how to hunt because she has never been taught. She knows her name and will come when called. She rarely has to be called because she is content being where we are.
Her reaction to the new baby kitty is another story, though.....
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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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leafytwiglet
HI Twinky you haven't posted in a long while I hope you the kitty is okay.
Let us know. {{{Hugs}}} Leafy!
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Twinky
Things are progressing with my babies...slowly, but progressing.
As to Crypto:
on 8 November this happened:
I managed to grab hold of Crypto and had a decent long cuddle with her. I lay on the couch with her on my chest. She was there quite a while. Didn't fight or struggle to get away. Eyes as big as saucers. Clearly terrified. When I let go, she couldn't escape fast enough. Nonetheless, she didn't avoid me the next morning and still wanted her head scratched. If I can do this often enough, I might end up with at
least one fondle-able cat.
...well, that was the state of play then. Since that attempt, I have been trying to catch her again, without success.
Over the Christmas holiday I nearly caught her. I surprised her lying on a dining chair, head one side of the cloth and body the other. Thought if I could seize her round the shoulders/neck, she could not make a quick getaway. Hah, do not try this at home folks! My injuries were fairly mild, two bite marks/puncture wounds, not deep, and some scratches, now healed, across the knuckles.
However, she remains friendly and rubs up against chair legs as if to invite a fondle, and loves it when I fondle her neck in the morning or evening. Just stays out of arm's length.
She seems so much to want to be fondled. She looks longingly but runs off if looked at. How do you overcome that level of fear? And yet she can be so "brave" at times (brave for her).
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Twinky
I went away overnight to a New Year’s Eve party. I set the automatic food timer so the girlies would get two meals while I was away (less than 24 hours). When I came back, unfortunately the feeder hadn’t opened so they had had no food for about 20 hours (though a good feed just before I left). Tuxy looked definitely slimmer (the little fat pig, her!)
So as to Tuxy:
This evening, she has been so fussy. She has whined about wanting who knows what. Finally she came up to my chair where I am now. She whines until I stroke her head (this is her “thing”). She can become quite demanding at this.
Finally tonight, I grabbed her tail and she lay down. This invites me to pick her up (if she doesn’t want to be picked up, she scrabbles at the carpet). She lay on my knee demanding fondles, head and neck rubs, all over rubs, fidgetting down and snuggling right up against my chest. Normally I need to lay one hand on her rump for her to stay but tonight there was no way she was leaving. There she was, needling my poor sweater, purring happily, squishing herself against me…just like a normal cat. We had several slow blinking sessions and these just reassured her to go at it some more. Guess she was there for an hour and a half, a record. I wanted her to leave – that’s a first!
But tomorrow – her mood may be altogether different. She might be an Untouchable again. When I go away, she either refuses to leave me alone and follows me about, whining; or ignores me totally and runs off if looked at.
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Twinky
It has been odd with these two lately.
My mum visited over Christmas. They have met her on several occasions. ( She usually stays for a few nights every month.) No way were the girlies having anything to do with her. If Mum and I sat in my study (a lounge area) with the doors closed, they would sit quietly outside. When we sat in the (other) lounge, they would keep out of sight. When Mum went to bed, straight away the girlies would fuss around me straight away, as if they had watched her go to bed and get out of the way.
Now Mum has gone home, and a frequent visitor has also returned home to this city. They know this friend, who often visits me. Immediately the girlies started hanging around. And this evening when friend and I were in the study with the doors shut, the girlies hung around outside, banging on the door and Tuxy whining, till they were let in. Once the door was closed, then they banged on the door and Tuxy whined until they were let out again.
So strange how they know who is about and when they leave to another part of the house. No doubt it’s sense of smell, but you’d think that that same sense of smell would allow them to understand the friendly pheromones from my cat-loving Mum.
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Twinky
I am not sure if Tuxedo has made some new year resolutions, or if she has had a brain transplant, or there is an imposter in the house. Heck if she didn't want another good fondle this morning, curled up and slept in my lap, purring mighty contentedly. My poor sweater sleeve is looking bedraggled due to her needling of it.
Hey, she's getting like a normal cat!
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pond
hello twinky
I am posting to let you know about a very serious concer I have with one of your recent posts.
The post said you were scratched and biten by your cats. I want you to be aware of a illness that comes about from a cat stratch, the name of it is cat stratch fever (not the ted nugent song), Im very serious .
One of my children became very ill after playing with a cat outside the cat had scratched her lightly and it healed up quickly YET soon after she had flu like syptoms and I took her to the doctor and he said it was cat scratch fever. I didnt believe him at first but she was very ill.
the cats breed bacteria in their claws and when they scratch the germs can cause a serious infection in your blood stream that must be treated .
just thought I would let you know. Also I was biten by a neighbors cat as a child and I got distemper in my arm and was in acast for over six months very very ill.
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Twinky
Thanks, Pond. Yes, I'm careful when I get injured by them. Tuxy has bitten me twice and the first time I was on antibiotics (strong ones) for 3 weeks, having let the infection go too far. Second time, I deal with it straight away and was on the antibiotic that worked, straight away.
When Crypto scratched me, I washed immediately with soap and water and sprinkled the wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Everything has healed up perfectly, no signs at all left.
But I hear what you say. I am mindful that they use their litter trays, leaving very smelly parcels, scratch around (perhaps) to cover that, and they don't wash their paws afterwards. If they puncture me, there's too much potential for cat poo bacteria getting into my body (yeuk).
Don't think they bite or scratch a lot - they don't. Just if something really scares them. They're very gentle, really.
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leafytwiglet
SO good to hear Tuxie is becoming more and more friendly.. There is nothing like a good kitty snorgle!
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RumRunner
I always found that whispering to unruly cats the classic phrase "crock pot" does wonders for human/feline social interaction. For those cats which need more remedial help; a reminder of Stubb's BBQ sauce adds "emphasis for clarity"
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Twinky
Rummie, they have been threatened (not by me) with becoming a pair of mittens!
Tuxy wanted (yes, wanted) a good cuddle this morning. And boy, does she go at it with those claws, needling away.
No further progress with Miss Ultra Timid (Crypto) but she watches Tuxy enjoying being fondled, so perhaps eventually she will get the idea.
I think they have their own ideas about my solitary remaining fish outside in the pond. I suspect they whisper "tartare sauce" to him. However, he is a wily critter and is not fooled by them.
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geisha779
Hissssssss! Meow
Twinky,
We had another little kitty event the other night. I was getting ready for family to arrive for a nice stay. . . . I was in a very happy mood. . . puttering around, fire burning in the wood stoves. . . snow outside. . . big pot of spaghetti sauce and meatballs cooking. . . . home alone just really relaxing. Me and three cats.
The cats have a basket of toys in the kitchen and they often take them out and play hard skidding around the rug in the kitchen. . . . I was in the kitchen getting their food ready while they were going nuts with what I thought was their toys. Oh wasn't that cute. . . . even Onslow was playing hard. I brought over the plates to set them down expecting them to come right over. . . they kept playing really fast. . . . as I was bending down I heard an ugly high pitched squeal and looked over. . . . they didn't have toys, they had not one, but TWO live mice.
I don't do mice. I scream for someone else!! There was no one else home. So, of course, I still screamed. . . ran out of the kitchen grabbing the phone on the way out. . . called hubby and promptly started to cry.
He talked me through getting the broom to shoo the cats. . . . which I did. . . and he told me to shut the door to the kitchen and wait for him. Well, it is a swinging door and as soon as I got one cat out another one came back . . . . I could see those mice running back and forth looking for escape . . . it is a glass door.
I was hysterical. The cat's were, I swear, laughing at me. . . and shamelessly taking advantage of my unhinged state. Chaos for 1/2 an hour until my son came home and rescued me. I was cat wrangling while watching icky mice whose lives I didn't really want to save, but dangit. . . . I had company coming.
Ian got the mice out the mudroom backdoor. . . brave soul. . . . after all that. . . the cat's went upstairs to take a nap. . . but, I was shot.
I don't always like living in the country. . . . I can't stand how cats toy with the mice. . . . and I wasn't about to clean up dead mouse. . . . or regurgitated mouse as is usually the case.
Figures they would get industrious right when I was basking in hearth, home, and family. Usually a mouse can run across their paws and they wouldn't blink an eye.
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RumRunner
I have to be voting for the cats on this one....heck sounds darned near like an SNL skit
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geisha779
Remind me to tell you about the time the live chicken was stuck to hubby's head. . . .
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leafytwiglet
LOL Best story ever.
HEHEHE
I have been known to rescue mice if they are caught in the house.. Only because I hate to see them toyed with that way too. The cats all know to keep their catches outside and kill promptly if they want to eat them LOL
Mice and Honking big spiders... the bane of country living
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RumRunner
*smirk* and I bet you think you are an animal enthusiast!!! Why leafy dear you are robbing those cats of their exercise, long history of surviving as natural hunters, recreation, and last but not least, their entertainment!!!
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Twinky
Geisha, you do have some fun with your cats! Truly, a mouse won't hurt you...much... and they don't eat people for breakfast. Your cats might, though, if you take their toys away. These cats...they do know what they are supposed to do, and not to do.
Twinkle used to catch a bird or mouse, and then made this particular noise. When I went to see what she had, she would show me from a safe distance, then run off and hide behind a bush in the garden. She knew I could only be one side of the bush at a time and we would sort of play peek-a-boo while I tried to make space for the prey to escape.
So far the girlies have only caught butterflies. I am not certain what they would do if a real mouse arrived. Tuxy would probably start off all scared, then hit at it. Crypto would probably stalk it and leap upon it. She is a fearsome hunter of toys, bits of string and plastic bags.
Geisha, do post about your hubby and the chicken. I think you told me in a PM or email and I had tears of laughter rolling down my face as I pictured the scene. And just thinking about it. Or do you have another hilarious story?
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leafytwiglet
LOL Rummie not a bit... they are free to kill anything they catch... outside!
I just hate the blood on my carpets.
and they are encouraged to .. especially the gophers and ground squirrels and mice!
My Magneto who recently passed ... she could kill a squirrel in 30 seconds flat . she was a fast and efficient hunter.
The other two Lilac and Little one, were my mothers cats and spent most of their lives inside so they never learned how to kill to survive. On the rare occasion when they catch something they play and terrorize it, it is a catnip mouse to them. Death for any critter they catch is purely an accident.
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Ham
One of the cats of old.. she was quite a hunter.. was ranging about the house, meowing.. in the yard was.. a Squirrel.. desecrating her environment..
She resorted to HOWLING at the door..
I opened the door.. the cat sprung out like a bolt of lightning..
once the squirrel got up to speed, the cat was about a foot and a half behind. and could get no closer. The squirrel crossed a busy road.. the cat followed.. my heart skipped a few beats..I thought it might be the last time I saw the cat, at least in an animate condition. She still could not catch this bugger.. on the other side of the road, the squirrel jumped into a tree..
this was a cat who caught SHREWS.. on a regular basis. Maybe the squirrel had a charmed life or something..
This cat.. she would study your behavior. And calculate when you would be opening the door. Usually she was on the mark, and would be out the door when it was open only a few inches.. it was entertaining when she launched off a second too early..
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Ham
We lived in a burmed house. So the front windows were on ground level. We would let the cat in and out these front windows. The funniest sight.. was watching this cat bounding through the yard to bring the latest catch to her family. It was a full grown rabbit. It looked larger than the cat..
She was solid black. I've always liked black cats.
Now I have three cats.. two were from the same litter.. the oldest is solid black, her sibling a tuxedo. The third one, younger than the two, is an insane asymmetrically marked tuxedo. The oldest cat never has had to fend for itself, unlike the other black cat a few years ago. So this one, has chosen a different role than hunter. If she can't hunt, she will be an administrator..
really.. she wakes me up, 6am or so, not so I will feed HER.. but the other two..
at least it seems..
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Twinky
An "Administrator" cat... maybe that's what mine are, for each other. Often one will whine but doesn't want anything - but the other wants feeding, or something.
LOL, chasing the squirrel. Mine have yet to see one.
Ham, let's see a photo of your beauties.
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Ham
Here they are. So quiet, so cute, for the moment..
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geisha779
I think I told you about the time one of our cats brought a live rabbit up to our second story window. . . . through a ripped screen . . . . and into our bedroom at 2:00 AM. . . . placing it on the bed we were sleeping in. . . . didn't I?
Woken from a sound sleep. . . hubby can't find his glasses. . . . I am standing on the bed screaming like a loon. . . . the cat is trying to protect its prize and the chase of the century which followed?
Classic country living.
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geisha779
Dickie and Onslow
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kimberly
I just checked out this thread for the first time last night. I guess I thought just because I don't have any scaredy cats I wouldn't have anything to add.
Cutey cute pictures of the cats. They all look like they could have been from the same litter.
I just got my daughter a yellow, male tabby for Christmas. Her other yellow tabby, Spanky, (yes, two of our dogs were Darla and Alfalfa) was maimed by the two boxers that Alfalfa protected me from. This little fellow is just 8 weeks old. It is sweet having a new baby in the house.
Our other cat is Sweetie Pie. Sweetie Pie was also the name of the baby in the carriage in Our Gang. Our Sweetie Pie is a black, white and yellow calico. When I got her, I was told she was 8 weeks old. I said, gee, she sure is tiny. Oh, her mom is little. Sweetie Pie almost died and the owner was forthcoming and admitted she was only 5 weeks old!!!
Sweetie slept on my chest or neck and I woke up to find her limp as a dish rag. I woke up daughter and we worked feverously through the night with her. She was limp yet panting with her tongue hanging out. I started injecting small amounts of red Gatorade down her throat with one of those little pet syringes. As soon as the pet store opened I was there to buy feline mother's milk. One hour she got a syringe of milk and the next a syringe of Gatorade. After 24 hours we took her off the Gatorade. We kept her on the milk for 2 more weeks. It took her about a week to recover to where she was able get up and walk. Very scary couple of weeks.
As far as Sweetie Pie knows, we are her mamas. She doesn't know how to hunt because she has never been taught. She knows her name and will come when called. She rarely has to be called because she is content being where we are.
Her reaction to the new baby kitty is another story, though.....
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