Herd your cats here

[Puget]

I'm so sorry AmLitHist-- never easy, but it sounds like Fela had a great and long life with you!

[onehappyunicorn]

I'm so sorry to hear that AmLitHist, it's clear that she was given a great life.

[Volhiker78]

I’m sorry for your loss. Fela was a wonderful companion; glad you found each other. 

[clean]

Adding my hopes that everyone feels better soon, remembering the best of times.

[Larimar]

So sorry to hear it, AmLitHist.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Sorry to hear it, ALH.

[AmLitHist]

Thanks everyone. 

[smallcleanrat]

Does anyone else have a cat that has a love-hate relationship with being groomed?

Maestro has a short, silky coat that barely sheds, so he needs minimal maintenance from us humans. Caramelo, on the other hand, has some form of double coat with a layer of detachable fluff beneath a coarser outer coat. If he doesn’t get brushed, we get little tumbleweeds of Caramelo rolling about the place.

I bought one of those grooming gloves with rubber spikes that catch the fur as I pet him. Caramelo loves the feel of it, and purrs when I run it along his back, but I always have to do this when he is preoccupied with food or television. If he happens to glance behind him and see the black, spiked glove going for his hindquarters his eyes widen, his fur bristles, and his whole expression screams, “That’s what was touching me?!? Get it away!”

Fortunately, he’s easily distracted again and happily accepts more grooming (so long as he doesn’t actually look at the monstrous tool doing the deed).

[Larimar]

Calico has a coat like Caramelo's. She sheds more than the other three Larimar cats put together. I have a comb for her, and will sometimes use it when she's on my lap. She likes it okay, but has a limited attention span for it. She'll abruptly decide she's had enough and will jump down from my lap and take off. The only trouble I have with her is if she gets mats and knots in her undercoat. She has a very low tolerance for tugging at snags in her fur. She'll complain loudly, and has even bitten me a time or two. I had to figure out a new technique. When I find a snag, I put the comb down and pull the snag apart slowly with my fingers until it's no longer a tight knot before combing it out. Calico tolerates this much better.

Welcome back, Smallcleanrat, Maestro, and Caramelo. Glad to hear from you.

[the_geneticist]

Our floofy, floof beast also has a love/hate of getting brushed.  Sometimes Izzy will come trotting over, purr, roll around with happiness while getting furminated. Other times she will notice that A HUMAN is holding the brush and jump scare like “you were going to try and touch me?!?  Ahhhh!!”  Sometimes both in the same session.

Some cats get overly stimulated from being brushed. Offering a toy they can attack can help.

So happy to hear from you, small clean rat!  We love updates about you and your kitties.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

I enjoy your updates too, scr! Keep 'em coming!

Here's the 1 million dollar question-

Why does my cat (and most other cats) insist on sitting on my paperwork (especially when I'm working on it)? Why???

[AmLitHist]

^ If it fits, I sits. Applies to boxes, papers, printed crochet patterns I'm trying to use, et al. 

When it involves work-related papers, clearly it's a sign you must stop and try again another day.

[clean]

The Center of Attention is to the one you serve! 
IF you are ignoring the Master, then the Master will move to reorient you toward the center! 

(my kitty - now departed- used to chew on the pencil/pen I was trying to write with!)

Please consider it this way... IF you were playing with a mouse, wouldnt you want the kitty to join in?   
Since you are focusing on paper, you must be waiting for the mouse!  And Kitty will wait for the mouse with you!

[the_geneticist]

What is More Important that the cat?  Clearly, you are distracted by these silly, human items and the cat will help remind you of the Importance of Cat.  Now that you are properly focused, you may rub their ears.

[smallcleanrat]

I enjoy your updates too, scr! Keep 'em coming!

Here's the 1 million dollar question-

Why does my cat (and most other cats) insist on sitting on my paperwork (especially when I'm working on it)? Why???

Maestro enjoys sitting on papers. I think for him the explanation is AmLitHist’s “If it fits, I sits.” He also has an active mind and craves novelty. I can almost see the speech bubble over his head: “Well, here’s something I’ve never parked my butt on before.”

Caramelo only seems interested in the papers I’m specifically trying to work with. In his case, I’d say clean and the_geneticist are describing it exactly right: he is interposing himself between me and the not-him object currently commanding my attention.

I was trying to work my way through a stack of bills this weekend, and Caramelo made the task twice as long as it needed to be. Maybe it’s not just attention; maybe he also wants my money diverted away from anything that is not him.