mmm... dunno. I think most gardeners also like animals and probably have pets of some kind. But not sure that it goes the other way. I know a number of people that love their dogs, but don't think of ground as anything but something for the dog to poo on.
I don't know what it is about cats, but I think in households with a cat and a dog, the cat is frequently the "alpha male" (even when she is female). We have a 45 pound dog and a 12 pound cat. If the cat is on the stairs and the dog wants to go up, all she has to do is hiss a little and he can't go past her.
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rainbowgardener
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I heard somewhere that people who keep cats are more likely to have dogs too, but not the other way around. In households that have both cats and dogs, the cat is usually the alpha. People can follow simple rules to make sure the pets understand the pecking order in the household. The cat always gets fed first, and always gets attention first and occupies the premium spots in the house. It had something to do with the way position is determined in an animal society. The alpha in the dog pack always gets the largest share of the kill and all of the other dogs in the pack are subservient to the alpha.
I think people who keep pets and garden have a nurturing nature anyway. I don't think so much that pet people would make good gardeners but it may work the other way around.
I think people who keep pets and garden have a nurturing nature anyway. I don't think so much that pet people would make good gardeners but it may work the other way around.
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applestar
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My first pets were fish, birds, and chipmunks. First non-caged pet was a dog.
When I lived in an apartment, they only allowed cats so I got this guy (looking so smart sitting on the dictionary
)
...he WAS smart. He was my first cat and I didn't think anything was amiss when I trained him to play "fetch". He learned very quickly -- less than a week -- and favored crumpled up printer paper ball and milk jug cap rings and straps, but he would also fetch any of his toys when thrown.
He was an only cat so I gave him a toy stuffed tiger named "Tigger" to play with and keep him company while I was at work. But first time I washed it, I found out it had walnut shells as hard/heavy filling for its feet and it dripped brown liquid and stained. I didn't trust it to be safe for him so I bought him a new stuffed bear from the baby section labeled as "child safe" and "machine washable". So he would know that this will be his new companion, I also named the bear "Tigger" and played with the toy exactly as we did with the tiger. He caught on right away, and even though initially, it was a bit big for him, he used to carry it around everywhere, including hopping up on the bed with it at bedtime. I would say "Where's Tigger? Where's Tigger-bear?" and he would run around the apartment to find it where he left it and bring it to my feet. So we started playing a new hide-and-seek game in which *I* would hide Tigger.
He had that toy bear the entire rest of his 18-1/2 year old life.
He learned to run to me when I whistled, and after we moved from the apartment to a house with a backyard and he was allowed outside on supervised outings, he would run back to the patio and jump up on the table to be flea combed when I whistled.
...ah, I miss him.
When I lived in an apartment, they only allowed cats so I got this guy (looking so smart sitting on the dictionary
)...he WAS smart. He was my first cat and I didn't think anything was amiss when I trained him to play "fetch". He learned very quickly -- less than a week -- and favored crumpled up printer paper ball and milk jug cap rings and straps, but he would also fetch any of his toys when thrown.
He was an only cat so I gave him a toy stuffed tiger named "Tigger" to play with and keep him company while I was at work. But first time I washed it, I found out it had walnut shells as hard/heavy filling for its feet and it dripped brown liquid and stained. I didn't trust it to be safe for him so I bought him a new stuffed bear from the baby section labeled as "child safe" and "machine washable". So he would know that this will be his new companion, I also named the bear "Tigger" and played with the toy exactly as we did with the tiger. He caught on right away, and even though initially, it was a bit big for him, he used to carry it around everywhere, including hopping up on the bed with it at bedtime. I would say "Where's Tigger? Where's Tigger-bear?" and he would run around the apartment to find it where he left it and bring it to my feet. So we started playing a new hide-and-seek game in which *I* would hide Tigger.
He had that toy bear the entire rest of his 18-1/2 year old life.He learned to run to me when I whistled, and after we moved from the apartment to a house with a backyard and he was allowed outside on supervised outings, he would run back to the patio and jump up on the table to be flea combed when I whistled.
...ah, I miss him.
I have both a cat and a dog. The cat came in as a small kitten, and my dashchund raised her, so I think the cat thinks she's a dog. I call my cat my "alarm cat", because she wakes me every day at the same time(sleeping in on weekends is not allowed). I did have a cat once that always wanted to sleep on my head. If I shoved him off my head, he'd get on my chest to sleep-He weighed 10 lbs! And he was HOT! All cats have different personalities. I have had many, and I love them all.
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Hey Apple that's an extraordinary cat. You were lucky to have him and for so long!
Thanks for the reminder! I have two cats and a dog, the dog being the youngest. Good to keep in mind!The alpha in the dog pack always gets the largest share of the kill and all of the other dogs in the pack are subservient to the alpha.
I just read an article about cats and dogs and how cats don't really care about anybody. However, their test was not well thought out. They pretty much did a test for stranger anxiety and separation anxiety.
Not a great test because it does not take into account that cats and dogs are different species and have very different social structures. Dogs are pack animals, cats are not. So, sure dogs will have more anxiety when they can't find their pack and cat would probably not go up to strangers nearly as much since they are not just predators but also prey animals.
But, my cat still likes to play with my feet and follow me around the house, even though she doesn't like to be picked up and it has nothing to do with food. The big eyes and ears are a give away that cats are nocturnal animals. That is why they sleep 17 hours of the day and like to run around at 3 a.m. You really should not try to test any cat in the middle of the day, they would rather be alone and sleep anyway.
Not a great test because it does not take into account that cats and dogs are different species and have very different social structures. Dogs are pack animals, cats are not. So, sure dogs will have more anxiety when they can't find their pack and cat would probably not go up to strangers nearly as much since they are not just predators but also prey animals.
But, my cat still likes to play with my feet and follow me around the house, even though she doesn't like to be picked up and it has nothing to do with food. The big eyes and ears are a give away that cats are nocturnal animals. That is why they sleep 17 hours of the day and like to run around at 3 a.m. You really should not try to test any cat in the middle of the day, they would rather be alone and sleep anyway.
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rainbowgardener
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Can I say my cat cares about me? That's difficult. I can say she loves to sit in my lap and be petted and follows me around waiting for a chance to do so, then cuddles up next to me in bed at night. We also have "feral" cats that we feed and some of them also like to sit in laps and be petted, even when there is no food in sight.
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applestar
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Subject: W. Murcott Afourer Morocco mandarin seed-grown trees
...and my overwintering lemongrass are kept out of their access.
They eat African violet blossoms as soon as they appear, but are otherwise satisfied with occasional vegetables -- they LOVE carrot peelings and frozen green beans for example.
We hang "child and kitty safe" ornaments on the bottom and hang the breakable ones on upper branches and that seems to work for us. They haven't tried to climb any of the trees. And they have been indoor cats since they were weaned, and maybe that's part of the behavior, but they don't generally try to dig in the plant containers.
What they DO is walk on the soil and compress them by crouching on the soil surface while using the pot as a watch posts for gazing out of the windows -- sometimes they somehow even fit themselves comfortably(?) around the planted tree and dose off in the sun -- so that despite the best nightly efforts of the resident earthworm(s) in each pot, they manage to thoroughly compress even the fluffiest potting mix with their little kitty paws
When they are extremely naughty, DH is allowed to squirt them with water
-- I even gave him one of my Gilmore professional plant sprayers which he keeps filled by his feet in the family room. They of course generally dash away as soon as he reaches for it. I use another, exactly same model sprayer to mist the plants every day, and they have the identical expression on their faces as they calmly sit on the windowsill, their eyes narrowed against the fine mist during the thorough misting process -- "So glad it's not us... But what did THEY DO?" 
Haha. I'm about to give up and move my ginger tub with the browned foliage to off-limits-to-cats room upstairs because one or both of them keep using it to help upchuck hairballsimafan26 wrote:...cats and plants have not gotten on well together.
One of my former cats loved ornaments. I would come home find the ornaments on the bottom half of the tree gone or find the tree on the floor toppled over and my cat licking the resin off her paws which would make her sick.
Another cat, waited daily for her trip outside to eat the bamboo leaves. She also would eat plastic and cardboard and bread had to be kept in a container because she would chew a hole in the plastic wrapper because she liked the smell of the bread.
Any orchid, even a seedling brought in the house overnight would be found the next morning dug out of its pot. It did not matter where I put it, the cats would get to it and pull it out.
I planted a tray of cat grass for the cats. It was the only thing they totally ignored.
...and my overwintering lemongrass are kept out of their access.They eat African violet blossoms as soon as they appear, but are otherwise satisfied with occasional vegetables -- they LOVE carrot peelings and frozen green beans for example.
We hang "child and kitty safe" ornaments on the bottom and hang the breakable ones on upper branches and that seems to work for us. They haven't tried to climb any of the trees. And they have been indoor cats since they were weaned, and maybe that's part of the behavior, but they don't generally try to dig in the plant containers.
What they DO is walk on the soil and compress them by crouching on the soil surface while using the pot as a watch posts for gazing out of the windows -- sometimes they somehow even fit themselves comfortably(?) around the planted tree and dose off in the sun -- so that despite the best nightly efforts of the resident earthworm(s) in each pot, they manage to thoroughly compress even the fluffiest potting mix with their little kitty paws
When they are extremely naughty, DH is allowed to squirt them with water
-- I even gave him one of my Gilmore professional plant sprayers which he keeps filled by his feet in the family room. They of course generally dash away as soon as he reaches for it. I use another, exactly same model sprayer to mist the plants every day, and they have the identical expression on their faces as they calmly sit on the windowsill, their eyes narrowed against the fine mist during the thorough misting process -- "So glad it's not us... But what did THEY DO?" -
ElizabethB
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Applestar as a life long human subject of cats I thank you for the discussion.
Callie was a young stray from G's hunting camp. A beautiful. short hair calico. I was indulging in a tub soak with a book. Callie jumped onto the toilet and began circling the seat. After a few turns she placed her feet on the front and back and peed in the toilet. I laughed so hard I nearly drowned. I grabbed the phone and called Mom. Cool cucumber that she is Mom asked "Well did Callie flush?"
We have had several long lived cats. Patches - a stray adopted in 86' lived to 17 years old. She died from kidney failure. Bandit - a beautiful male tuxedo who suffered from obesity - died from heart failure at 10 years old. Callie - my lovely calico died at 19 years old from cancer. Patches - another adopted stray died at 22 years old from kidney failure.
We now have 2 young girls. Sallie Sue was 3 in September. She was abandoned in my sister's flower bed by a feral mom at 2 weeks old - bottle fed every 4 hours 24/7 for 6 weeks. She only weighed 3 1/2 ounces when she should have weighed 6 ounces. She has made up for the deprivation and is now an obese 20 lbs. I have talked to my Vet, I monitor her food intake, I make her play and exercise. She is still FAT!
Our younger cat is Daisy Faye (they are southern girls so they need 2 names) She will be 3 in March. She is a stunningly beautiful long hair calico, I did not a long hair but one look at her face and I was done. She was a farm cat and our friend said she was 6 weeks old and he was getting rid of the kittens one way or another. She was actually only 4 weeks old and needed some supplemental bottle feeding for a couple of weeks.
Sallie Sue is a sweet, lovable, cuddly girl. Daisy Faye is Crazy Daisy. She is a high energy cat and literally bounces of off the walls. She is also scary smart. She will fetch her toys and bring them to us for play. She opens bi-fold doors and any door that is not securely closed. She sits in front of the fire place and plays with fire. She manages not to get singed. She has this "look" that says watch out. She is fixing to get into mischief.
G's friends kid him about being a cat guy. He is a big old man's man - hunting, fishing, watching sports and hunting and fishing shows. He is a sucker for our girls.
Sallie Sue and Daisy Faye are indoor cats. Our previous cats were indoor/outdoor. We spent way too much on vet bills. Even though my animals are always spayed and neutered tom cats still attack my females. They end up with abscessed puncture wounds. We had to treat them monthly for parasites. They were subject to ear mites. Keeping them in is much better for them and us.
Every now and them one or the other will sneak out. Kind of funny. They will not leave the patio and will only stay out for a couple of minutes then scoot back inside.
Adore my girls! Thank you for talking about cats.
Callie was a young stray from G's hunting camp. A beautiful. short hair calico. I was indulging in a tub soak with a book. Callie jumped onto the toilet and began circling the seat. After a few turns she placed her feet on the front and back and peed in the toilet. I laughed so hard I nearly drowned. I grabbed the phone and called Mom. Cool cucumber that she is Mom asked "Well did Callie flush?"
We have had several long lived cats. Patches - a stray adopted in 86' lived to 17 years old. She died from kidney failure. Bandit - a beautiful male tuxedo who suffered from obesity - died from heart failure at 10 years old. Callie - my lovely calico died at 19 years old from cancer. Patches - another adopted stray died at 22 years old from kidney failure.
We now have 2 young girls. Sallie Sue was 3 in September. She was abandoned in my sister's flower bed by a feral mom at 2 weeks old - bottle fed every 4 hours 24/7 for 6 weeks. She only weighed 3 1/2 ounces when she should have weighed 6 ounces. She has made up for the deprivation and is now an obese 20 lbs. I have talked to my Vet, I monitor her food intake, I make her play and exercise. She is still FAT!
Our younger cat is Daisy Faye (they are southern girls so they need 2 names) She will be 3 in March. She is a stunningly beautiful long hair calico, I did not a long hair but one look at her face and I was done. She was a farm cat and our friend said she was 6 weeks old and he was getting rid of the kittens one way or another. She was actually only 4 weeks old and needed some supplemental bottle feeding for a couple of weeks.
Sallie Sue is a sweet, lovable, cuddly girl. Daisy Faye is Crazy Daisy. She is a high energy cat and literally bounces of off the walls. She is also scary smart. She will fetch her toys and bring them to us for play. She opens bi-fold doors and any door that is not securely closed. She sits in front of the fire place and plays with fire. She manages not to get singed. She has this "look" that says watch out. She is fixing to get into mischief.
G's friends kid him about being a cat guy. He is a big old man's man - hunting, fishing, watching sports and hunting and fishing shows. He is a sucker for our girls.
Sallie Sue and Daisy Faye are indoor cats. Our previous cats were indoor/outdoor. We spent way too much on vet bills. Even though my animals are always spayed and neutered tom cats still attack my females. They end up with abscessed puncture wounds. We had to treat them monthly for parasites. They were subject to ear mites. Keeping them in is much better for them and us.
Every now and them one or the other will sneak out. Kind of funny. They will not leave the patio and will only stay out for a couple of minutes then scoot back inside.
Adore my girls! Thank you for talking about cats.
I, too, am a cat person. I also have a miniature, too fat, dashcund, that is supposed to belong to my son-long story, but I have him, along with just one cat, now. Itty Bitty was not supposed to stay with me-she was a stray that showed up at our office, but the person I was going to give her to never came and got her. I have had cats all my life, and they all have different personalities. I had 2 that were 15 & 13 years old that I had to put down about 6 years ago. One had kidney disease and the other had mouth cancer. They were indoor/outdoor cats and I hardly had to bring them to the vet except for yearly shots. Since then, 3 strays and 2 more that came from the pound, I only have Itty-and she thinks she's a dog. Peanut (the dog) raised her, and she acts more like a dog than a cat, although I have had PLENTY of birds, squirrels, mice, lizards, skinks and snakes come in the pet door with her; She brings them to the dog and turns them loose. When I hear her knocking around in the night, I KNOW she's brought something live in, and we have a party trying to catch whatever it is.
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ElizabethB
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Catgrass, Your cat should be named Mischief. Sounds like my Daisy (Crazy) Faye. When she opens the bi-fold doors on the pantry and the laundry room she finds some thing that she does not like and knocks it off of the shelf. Crazy edited Cat. I love her to pieces. I scold her and tell her that if she were not so beautiful I would snatch her bald. She rolls her eyes at me. G laughs.
If I had a child I would never allow him/her to get away with the foolishness that my cats get away with. HMMMM think I am a certifiable cat nut.
Love my cats and love all cat lovers.
If I had a child I would never allow him/her to get away with the foolishness that my cats get away with. HMMMM think I am a certifiable cat nut.
Love my cats and love all cat lovers.
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applestar
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We have a low table that is positioned below the TV in front of the TV cabinet, and the kitties have claimed it as their spot. They often lay there watching us watching the TV above/behind them.
Once in a rare while, we catch them turned around and staring at the TV screen. Do they / can they see the flat LED screen? I was pretty sure they couldn't perceive what was on the old tube TV ...but then, I have this photo of my little sou-chef-in-training....
Well, DD's have reported that twice, one of the kitties was watching the opening scenes of an older Dr. Who episode and when the TARDIS came zooming out of the time vortex, she freaked out and ran away. 
This one also likes watching car commercials (though like most, she does NOT like to ride in one).
Then yesterday, she was watching the opening scenes of a Merlin episode and when the camera zoomed in to Merlin's eyes glowing gold, she freaked and ran.
FWIW, they believe she likes David Tennant as Dr. Who but not Matt Smith. She hasn't decided about Peter Capaldi... Yet.
Once in a rare while, we catch them turned around and staring at the TV screen. Do they / can they see the flat LED screen? I was pretty sure they couldn't perceive what was on the old tube TV ...but then, I have this photo of my little sou-chef-in-training....
This one also likes watching car commercials (though like most, she does NOT like to ride in one).
Then yesterday, she was watching the opening scenes of a Merlin episode and when the camera zoomed in to Merlin's eyes glowing gold, she freaked and ran.
FWIW, they believe she likes David Tennant as Dr. Who but not Matt Smith. She hasn't decided about Peter Capaldi... Yet.
My dog was afraid of the dark. We tried a radio when we went to work but that did not work. He associated the radio with us not being home. We do leave the tv on while going in and out of the room all the time. So, instead we left the tv on for him all night while he slept in his crate. He would bark at the dogs on the t.v. Eventually we did wean him to a night light. He got used to the idea if we went into the bedroom at night and he could see the hallway from his crate, that we were eventually going to reappear from the hallway in the morning.
When there were thunderstorms though, I would still sleep on the couch in the living room to keep him company.
When there were thunderstorms though, I would still sleep on the couch in the living room to keep him company.
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applestar
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This is not exactly amusing... But... Last night, one of the kitties caught another mouse that snuck in from the garage. It was after dinner, and they had been given a fair amount of scraps from everybody's steak... In fact they didn't finish it all.
My older daughter is in charge of appropriating the captured mice, dead or alive, from the cats and disposing of them, and I heard her exclaim: "NOOOO! DON'T PUT THE MOUSE NEXT TO THE STEAK!!!"
Apparently, the kitty thought she would save the mouse for later... right in her dish next to the steak bits she was planning to finish later, too.
My older daughter is in charge of appropriating the captured mice, dead or alive, from the cats and disposing of them, and I heard her exclaim: "NOOOO! DON'T PUT THE MOUSE NEXT TO THE STEAK!!!"
Apparently, the kitty thought she would save the mouse for later... right in her dish next to the steak bits she was planning to finish later, too.
With five cats, a dog, and a quaker there are plenty of stories I can tell but they'll have to wait till after I get some sleep. In the mean time, I caught this on tv tonight and I think that y'all will enjoy it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVuqfXohxc 
sooo cute!!!!!!!!
sooo cute!!!!!!!! -
A Happy Seedling
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When I got my Great Pyrenees dog, Cody, he ran into the screen door trying to get outside . My creek minnow Hannah would refuse to eat omnivorous food or fish flakes but she devoured the bloodworms. To this day, my family uses the phrase "like Hannah was omnivorous" to describe something dubious! She was a great, smart fish, and I miss her a lot. Electron, my betta fish, would go to his sleeping cave and poop only there ! My pet silverfish (which is a bug) likes to go into the corner and almost suffocate herself, I have to get her out every three hours !
. My creek minnow Hannah would refuse to eat omnivorous food or fish flakes but she devoured the bloodworms. To this day, my family uses the phrase "like Hannah was omnivorous" to describe something dubious! She was a great, smart fish, and I miss her a lot. Electron, my betta fish, would go to his sleeping cave and poop only there ! My pet silverfish (which is a bug) likes to go into the corner and almost suffocate herself, I have to get her out every three hours !-
applestar
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This morning, I washed all my little seed zip bags, plastic fork, spork, and spoon-heads, and straws that I am using for seeds germination, put little straws inside the zip bags to help them drain and dry, and put them all on this cabinet by the window so they will get some light and sun.
This evening, I was planting 40 more little sprouted tomato seedlings, and organizing the newly sprouted ones and needed a straw. I looked around and remembered I'd washed a whole bunch this morning -- wait a minute ... WHERE ARE THEY? ...then remembered I'd put them on that cabinet on the old blue kitchen towel... But the cabinet top was bare. In fact I'd been USING that cabinet top to put stuff on.... So where did all my nicely washed stuff go????
Hmmm... Last I remember, one of the cats was laying there, looking out the window..... Oooooohhhh. So I looked down at the window bench butted up to the side of the cabinet, and sure enough! There they were -- the kitchen towel and the two containers obviously had been pushed off the cabinet to make room.
Hmmm... Last I remember, one of the cats was laying there, looking out the window..... Oooooohhhh. So I looked down at the window bench butted up to the side of the cabinet, and sure enough! There they were -- the kitchen towel and the two containers obviously had been pushed off the cabinet to make room.
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rainbowgardener
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When I was a kid growing up in SoCal in the days before people had A/C in their homes (yes, it was not so long ago!), we always had the doors open with just the screen door closed. We had a little front entry hall from the front door. The cat loved to get a running start down the entry hall, leap up on to the screen about head height, and hang there by his claws, looking out at the world, as long as he could. Unfortunately, then my parents decided he needed to get de-clawed, because the furniture was getting clawed up. For months after that, the poor cat would do his run and leap and then slide down the screen, because he didn't have enough claws left to hang on with.
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applestar
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(I posted the quoted portion somewhere else, but a new discovery has made it impossible not to share the story here in this very appropriate thread 
)
posted Dec 3, 2015 at 8:22am
It turns out that this very ordinary-looking orange tabby who dashes to you with enticing dancing chassé steps and enchanting expression on her face to charm you and greet you... who has a lovely plumed tail that she waves fetchingly as she strolls away... and who had me worried by snuffling around the floor in front of the couch and licking up our hair... HAD A SECRET AGENDA•MISSION, which she has flawlessly executed
DH's sprayer, which he kept by his feet under his TV table for the remotes, reading glasses and his iDevices... Has been sabotaged to the point that it SPRAYS SIDEWAYS from multiple holes in the side of the nozzle, and of course is incapacitated with correspondingly diminished frontward shooting distance.
-- I put it on this flashlight so you could easily see the holes --
)...well...Cats will be cats. They eat all kinds of things you don't want them to, especially with their ability to get to high places and their irreverent tendency to NOT listen to their humans. They just wait until you are not in the room, and do whatever it is anyway.
Even if you have them live indoors all their life, they think they are asserting their "catlines" by hunting and foraging.
One of ours has a habit of finding crumbs in front of the couch and licking them up. In the process, she licks up and swallows OUR hair. My two DD's have long hair, one down to shoulder blades and the other to her waist. We are constantly pulling hair out of her gullet when we catch her with the end hanging from her mouth with an odd cross-eyed expression on her face.
-- I won't go into details about what happens when the long hair makes it through to the "other end" x_x --
I'm more concerned that some day a hair will tangle up and choke off her intestines... But hair falls out of our heads every day -- I won't bother to look up the statistics -- and I'm not diligently cleaning the floor for the cats' benefit and we are not all cutting our hair short either. So this will continue, B-|
The other one jumps up -- on the counter, the table, the stove, a book shelf even -- if someone leaves a plate of food or a bowl of chips. I've NEVER allowed them to walk on surfaces where our food goes. We've even adopted the water gun and water spray method and instantly spray at her. I even gave DH one of my three new Gilmour hand sprayers to use as his own (which he sometimes does with unseemly glee and enthusiasm >:D ). She recognizes our body language to reach for one and jumps off before you are properly aimed. She even jumps up on the stove to lick the pots while we are watching TV in the next room and we could see her if we looked in that direction. (I swear she waits until we are engrossed by the drama on TV) She jumps up on the stove even though she has been burned more than once. Either she is very stupid, or very smart. O_o
It turns out that this very ordinary-looking orange tabby who dashes to you with enticing dancing chassé steps and enchanting expression on her face to charm you and greet you... who has a lovely plumed tail that she waves fetchingly as she strolls away... and who had me worried by snuffling around the floor in front of the couch and licking up our hair... HAD A SECRET AGENDA•MISSION, which she has flawlessly executed
DH's sprayer, which he kept by his feet under his TV table for the remotes, reading glasses and his iDevices... Has been sabotaged to the point that it SPRAYS SIDEWAYS from multiple holes in the side of the nozzle, and of course is incapacitated with correspondingly diminished frontward shooting distance.
-- I put it on this flashlight so you could easily see the holes --
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rainbowgardener
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I wanted to tell another story about our cats. From when they were kittens, I've trained them to accept being handled -- opening mouth to inspect teeth and gums, opening mouth to drop in pills, clipping claws, flea combing, washing, bathing, etc. It was one of the basic pet ownership necessities that I hadn't learned properly early on with a previous cat, so I'm pretty thorough about the early training, especially after I had children and I wasn't about to let them get hurt by any catly willfulness... and I've always wondered about other mothers who lament that their cats have scratched or even bitten their children.
So today, as usual, I told one of the kitty's "Flea Check" and laid down an old baby swaddling cloth on the floor (baby micky/minnie pattern) that I use for this purpose, and invited her to come get flea combed. She immediately came, stood on the "towel" and turned around, and when I grabbed her tail, flopped down on her side. This one in particular loves the process. I hold her tail so she doesn't edge beyond the towel to lay down, forcing me to pick her up and pull her back on to the center of the towel. She started purring almost right away, and, as I have taught her, shifted position as I worked according to the way I pushed her around and gave progress commands. (I only found one "possible" flea -- it wasn't moving so it might have been just a black speck)
I have progress "commands/status" words like "Belly Button" for laying on her back and exposing her belly to be combed, "Under Arms" for me to hold her foreleg up and comb under the front legs and the base of the forelegs to the ribs (I think this tickles -- they try to pull their forelegs out of my hand and used to object quite a bit, including initially snarling and trying to bite. Now, the most they do is push at my hand with claw-sheathed hind paws, but I have a command for that, too which is to disengage their paw, tuck hind leg, and say "Don't Kick"). "Chin and Flat Chin" for combing under the neck and having her push her head flat down on the floor. "Tail" for combing her tail, which with their fluffy fur, can be tangled and probably painful sometimes even though I take care not to yank.
When needed, I finish with clipping all of the claws, and for the awkward to get in position left foreleg, put her on my lap.
Throughout, the one kitty purrs and drools from purring too much, and the most problem she causes is that she tries to rub her jaws on any hand that is close enough, hindering my movements.
Our other kitty doesn't like it as much and does NOT come to the towel. In fact, if she thinks I'm even considering it, she runs away and have to be fetched back. She used to dash off and run away every chance she got DURING the combing process, but since I set the DD's to bring her back every single time, she has finally caught on and has given up on running away. one of the things she also doesn't do is roll over -- instead she hooks her claws into the carpet so I have to unhook her to roll her over. But she does the "Flat Chin" better than the other kitty. She literally flattens her head completely, whereas the other kitty wants to see what I'm doing and tends to pick up her head. This one doesn't purr and will dash off as soon as released with "Done" --whereas, the other one sometimes won't get off my lap no matter how firmly I say "DONE" and has to be dumped off.
So today, as usual, I told one of the kitty's "Flea Check" and laid down an old baby swaddling cloth on the floor (baby micky/minnie pattern) that I use for this purpose, and invited her to come get flea combed. She immediately came, stood on the "towel" and turned around, and when I grabbed her tail, flopped down on her side. This one in particular loves the process. I hold her tail so she doesn't edge beyond the towel to lay down, forcing me to pick her up and pull her back on to the center of the towel. She started purring almost right away, and, as I have taught her, shifted position as I worked according to the way I pushed her around and gave progress commands. (I only found one "possible" flea -- it wasn't moving so it might have been just a black speck)
I have progress "commands/status" words like "Belly Button" for laying on her back and exposing her belly to be combed, "Under Arms" for me to hold her foreleg up and comb under the front legs and the base of the forelegs to the ribs (I think this tickles -- they try to pull their forelegs out of my hand and used to object quite a bit, including initially snarling and trying to bite. Now, the most they do is push at my hand with claw-sheathed hind paws, but I have a command for that, too which is to disengage their paw, tuck hind leg, and say "Don't Kick"). "Chin and Flat Chin" for combing under the neck and having her push her head flat down on the floor. "Tail" for combing her tail, which with their fluffy fur, can be tangled and probably painful sometimes even though I take care not to yank.
When needed, I finish with clipping all of the claws, and for the awkward to get in position left foreleg, put her on my lap.
Throughout, the one kitty purrs and drools from purring too much, and the most problem she causes is that she tries to rub her jaws on any hand that is close enough, hindering my movements.
Our other kitty doesn't like it as much and does NOT come to the towel. In fact, if she thinks I'm even considering it, she runs away and have to be fetched back. She used to dash off and run away every chance she got DURING the combing process, but since I set the DD's to bring her back every single time, she has finally caught on and has given up on running away.
one of the things she also doesn't do is roll over -- instead she hooks her claws into the carpet so I have to unhook her to roll her over. But she does the "Flat Chin" better than the other kitty. She literally flattens her head completely, whereas the other kitty wants to see what I'm doing and tends to pick up her head. This one doesn't purr and will dash off as soon as released with "Done" --whereas, the other one sometimes won't get off my lap no matter how firmly I say "DONE" and has to be dumped off. My cat Ginger died last year and she was the "talker" actually it was more the nagger. After she was gone Jack has starting meowing more and I even heard Tootsie with a short meow yesterday. Cats don't really talk that much to each other. They are more into non-verbal body language, and hissing when they don't like something. It seems talking is reserved for communicating with their humans who they apparently have figured out will respond to their demands for attention more if they meow than if they stick their butts in your face.
The best way to get a cat to ignore and hide from you is to frantically call them. They respond to tone more than the words you say. Anytime I wanted to get my cats to come I would just shake the box of cat food. They always came running.
The best way to get a cat to ignore and hide from you is to frantically call them. They respond to tone more than the words you say. Anytime I wanted to get my cats to come I would just shake the box of cat food. They always came running.
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applestar
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Last night my kids gave our kitties 1/2 a hot dog each for midnight snack. They've had hot dogs before so they know what's what ...namely that the hot dogs are hot. But one of our kitties is what my DD affectionately calls a "Dum-Dum."
From DD's descriptions this morning, I gather that one kittie took one sniff and stepped away -- this is the clever one -- while the other one immediately grabbed it out of her plate and spit it out in a hurry... on the kitchen floor. She spent the next several minutes swatting at the dangerous piece of meat that bit her back. One of the DD's video recorded it. At one point, the kitty had paused after a thorough swatting and the hot dog rolled towards her -- you could see she visibly jumped away, startled, and proceeded to bat at the thing some more. When she finally decided it was safe to tuck in, THAT'S when the other kitty stepped up to her own half and started to munch away.
From DD's descriptions this morning, I gather that one kittie took one sniff and stepped away -- this is the clever one -- while the other one immediately grabbed it out of her plate and spit it out in a hurry... on the kitchen floor. She spent the next several minutes swatting at the dangerous piece of meat that bit her back. One of the DD's video recorded it. At one point, the kitty had paused after a thorough swatting and the hot dog rolled towards her -- you could see she visibly jumped away, startled, and proceeded to bat at the thing some more.
When she finally decided it was safe to tuck in, THAT'S when the other kitty stepped up to her own half and started to munch away. I'm not a camera or phone person. I do like to keep pictures of my pets in an album. However, taking their picture is not that easy. The cats I have now are camera shy and they are both dark. Jack looks like a witch's cat black with a crooked tail. Tootsie mostly brown and black with a little bit of white on her belly. It is hard to take pictures of them against a wood floor. They blend in. I tried to take Jack's picture but when the camera flashed he bolted and all I got was a blur. I finally got a decent picture of Tootsie, but it is mostly of her backside. My other problem will be getting the photo's out of my camera since I cannot upload it to the computer. I will have to see if I can get prints made at Costco or if they can load the photos onto a thumb drive or dvd.
We had a cockatiel for a few years before Hurricane Katrina hit and she was a great bird that loved to socialize with us. When we got her, the breeder had clipped her wings so she couldn't fly, but we let the feathers grow out and she was soon soaring through the house---------after we made sure all the ceiling fans were turned off.
If someone was on the sofa eating chips or other crunchy snack and her cage was open, she'd fly up to that person, sit on their shoulder and put her head right next to their mouth hoping something crunchy would fall out, and she'd definitely pick off any bits that fell on your shirt.
Here's where it gets interesting. I stayed when Katrina hit and our city flooded. I wound up with over 4 ft. of water in the ground floor and after 4 days, I decided to get out and waded my way to an evacuation area. I decided to leave the bird and put her in the bathroom with the door closed. She had the whole bathroom to herself. I taped the tub drain as tightly as I could, filled it with about 3 inches of water, put a couple extra pans of water on the countertop and a few pounds of bird feed in other pans for her to have free reign. It was over 2 weeks before I got back to check on the house after the water went down and the first place I went to was the bathroom to check on the bird. I called for her several times when I entered the house, but no reply. I expected the worst when I opened the door to the bathroom, but much to my surprise, she let out a very loud shriek and literally dive bombed me. I guess it was her way of expressing anger for being left behind and giving me "what for."
She did eventually get over the abandonment and live for several more years before she passed on.
Now I have a corn eating, edamame eating cat the will often scare the junk out of me with her being so quiet as she approaches and gently putting a paw in the air to just barely touch me when she wants my attention.
If someone was on the sofa eating chips or other crunchy snack and her cage was open, she'd fly up to that person, sit on their shoulder and put her head right next to their mouth hoping something crunchy would fall out, and she'd definitely pick off any bits that fell on your shirt.
Here's where it gets interesting. I stayed when Katrina hit and our city flooded. I wound up with over 4 ft. of water in the ground floor and after 4 days, I decided to get out and waded my way to an evacuation area. I decided to leave the bird and put her in the bathroom with the door closed. She had the whole bathroom to herself. I taped the tub drain as tightly as I could, filled it with about 3 inches of water, put a couple extra pans of water on the countertop and a few pounds of bird feed in other pans for her to have free reign. It was over 2 weeks before I got back to check on the house after the water went down and the first place I went to was the bathroom to check on the bird. I called for her several times when I entered the house, but no reply. I expected the worst when I opened the door to the bathroom, but much to my surprise, she let out a very loud shriek and literally dive bombed me. I guess it was her way of expressing anger for being left behind and giving me "what for."
She did eventually get over the abandonment and live for several more years before she passed on.
Now I have a corn eating, edamame eating cat the will often scare the junk out of me with her being so quiet as she approaches and gently putting a paw in the air to just barely touch me when she wants my attention.
...something is WRONG with this mouse...Animals are a gardeners friend. Over 25 years my dogs have never soiled the garden area. We nicknamed our now deceased Chow Chow the "constant gardener." To my knowledge he never broke a branch or seedling and loved to go into the garden every morning to sniff around the herbs. For you cat lovers Chow Chows behave in ways that are similar to cats based upon my experience with both. Every morning he knew the routine.
I had another white lab that figured out how to break in the garden but would only eat perfect ripe red tomatoes. She spit the orange ones out and never picked a green one: Very discriminating. Imagine coming home from work to see a happy girl laying in the shade of the giant tomatoe plants. Too cute to scold her to harshly. Built a better fence. . At least she had good taste. She and our other dog would wait to be tossed the occasional carrot for their hard work.
I had another white lab that figured out how to break in the garden but would only eat perfect ripe red tomatoes. She spit the orange ones out and never picked a green one: Very discriminating. Imagine coming home from work to see a happy girl laying in the shade of the giant tomatoe plants. Too cute to scold her to harshly. Built a better fence. . At least she had good taste. She and our other dog would wait to be tossed the occasional carrot for their hard work.
Well, I now have a cat after years of dog ownership and finally getting tired of picking up dog junk every couple of days. The cat is mainly a house cat, but does love to explore the yard and garden a few times a day. Unfortunately for me, she has taken a liking to my loose soil raised bed that I like to grow root crops in. Right now it is dormant due to our nasty summer weather, and if I don't keep it covered, she likes to think it's her own personal litter box. Nothing quite as nasty as weeding an area and grabbing some cat scat lying just under the surface.
When I plant seeds or transplants, the first thing I do when finished planting is to put some hog wire over the entire area so she can't get in there and that works out fine.
When I plant seeds or transplants, the first thing I do when finished planting is to put some hog wire over the entire area so she can't get in there and that works out fine.
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applestar
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Call me mean, but I won't tolerate that. Our two have learned to get OUT OF MY WAY when I'm walking. I maintain alpha-female status in THIS pride.imafan26 wrote:Jack, the cat is making himself comfortable on the living room floor. He doesn't even bother to move when I come down the stairs, but he has learned to shriek at me to make sure I don't step on him.
I often walk around in the dark or carrying armloads of things and not able to see, and I'm not going to be made to feel bad for accidentally stepping on or tripping over and kicking them -- I don't want to hurt them -- and I will not have them loitering at the top of the stairs when someone is on their way up and especially on their way down. So they have been taught to smartly vacate the spot where I will be walking. When lounging at the top of the stairs (typical fave spot for cats I believe) and I'm on my way down, it's satisfying to see them jump up and leap down 2-3 steps then trot on down to the first floor ahead of me. Of course they are hoping I might soften and give them a treat, which I did in the very beginning, but not any more since this is an EXPECTED behavior.
If they show reluctance, I start muttering "...out of the way... out of the way... you'd better get out of the way..." and they move along. If they are deeply asleep, I will nudge.poke with my toes to wake them up and will NOT step around them.
That Alpha female statement made me chuckle as I recalled a conversation I once had with my then teenage stepson. He was about 16 and feeling his oats and testing the limits of my tolerance. When he reached my limit I had a sit-down with him and explained how this household was going to run.applestar wrote:Call me mean, but I won't tolerate that. Our two have learned to get OUT OF MY WAY when I'm walking. I maintain alpha-female status in THIS pride.imafan26 wrote:Jack, the cat is making himself comfortable on the living room floor. He doesn't even bother to move when I come down the stairs, but he has learned to shriek at me to make sure I don't step on him.
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I told him in the animal kingdom----- and make no mistake about it, we reside in an animal kingdom--- there are always going to be Alphas and Betas. In this household, I was the Alpha male and his mother was the Alpha female. And just like in the animal kingdom, when a Beta tries to step up and supplant the Alpha's role, he better be prepared to suffer the consequences.
Somehow, he never decided to test those waters because when I delivered that little bit of life's advice, I was not the least happy with his behavior and the point seemed to be received.
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applestar
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I have been taking the two Indoor kitties outside with me to the garden for Garden Patrol duty lately. I want them to leave their scent and give chase to chipmunks and rabbits to deter them. I don't really expect them to catch anything outside. They can't even catch a mole. At least so far.
Today about 10 minutes after we went out, it started to rain heavily. But for once I had not put them in enclosed garden space but let them roam, and of course could not find them. One kitty thinks she is clever and will find a hiding place, but normally the other one will come to me when I call. But this time, she wasn't making an appearance.
The rain tapered off so I decided to continue with today's ToDo tasks, but when it started to really pour 30-40 minutes later, it was definitely time to go inside. I called them again but they were still missing, and I decided to wrap up my stuff -- collecting the harvest and finished washing them...in the rain... took pictures between raindrops... I was almost done when it started to thunder and the clever kitty decided her hiding place was insufficient and came running to the patio. I shooed her in and proceeded to find the other one. I walked all over the back yard in the deluge, then did a quick stroll in the front yard. I was dripping wet, soaked to the skin. Then it occurred to me that DH's truck was not in the driveway when I went by, meaning he had gone to work at some point and I didn't notice. ...what if...?
I went inside -- I was leaving puddles in the kitchen and front hallway -- whistled up the stairs and here came the missing kitty dry as dust and still wearing her *dry* bandanna.
Today about 10 minutes after we went out, it started to rain heavily. But for once I had not put them in enclosed garden space but let them roam, and of course could not find them. One kitty thinks she is clever and will find a hiding place, but normally the other one will come to me when I call. But this time, she wasn't making an appearance.
The rain tapered off so I decided to continue with today's ToDo tasks, but when it started to really pour 30-40 minutes later, it was definitely time to go inside. I called them again but they were still missing, and I decided to wrap up my stuff -- collecting the harvest and finished washing them...in the rain... took pictures between raindrops... I was almost done when it started to thunder and the clever kitty decided her hiding place was insufficient and came running to the patio. I shooed her in and proceeded to find the other one. I walked all over the back yard in the deluge, then did a quick stroll in the front yard. I was dripping wet, soaked to the skin. Then it occurred to me that DH's truck was not in the driveway when I went by, meaning he had gone to work at some point and I didn't notice. ...what if...?
I went inside -- I was leaving puddles in the kitchen and front hallway -- whistled up the stairs and here came the missing kitty dry as dust and still wearing her *dry* bandanna.