Herd your cats here

[Larimar]

Even more reason to send them to the department meeting....(interthreaduality...)

;--}

M.

It would certainly raise the bar for the meeting! The kitties, however, would be slumming.   :)

[the_geneticist]

The Larimar cats are not having a good week. We're getting our master bathroom remodeled, and the cats have had to be locked away, in the home office by day, in the bedroom by night. We're giving them maximum possible time with their humans during the disruption, but, predictably, they are NOT HAPPY about the sudden loud noises, the paint smells, and being cooped up. OrangeGuy has had the roughest time. He'll stand by the closed door and yowl (he can be pretty darn loud!), and sometimes he'll even claw the door frame. All four kitties are hunkered down and clingy. Sorry, fuzzies, but it's not safe for you to be running around with all the construction equipment and materials lying about, and with the front door continually opening.

I ended up putting Buddycat in a harness and tying his leash to a stake in the yard so he could "help" with home renovation projects.  He really, really wanted to sit on the door I was repainting, sniff the bucket of paint, walk in the fresh cement patch on the front steps, etc.  We compromised by letting him supervise.

[mamselle]

After several days of warily getting closer, one of the two huge orange marmalade tabbies I'm pet-sitting for just plopped himself into my lap and started purring while pointing out the areas on his neck, behind his ears, and under his chin that needed attention.

Of course, I complied. I'm now covered in what looks like fuzzy baby lion-fur.

The other still runs away whenever I go by: clearly he still fears I'll eat them both.

:--}

M.

[Larimar]

After several days of warily getting closer, one of the two huge orange marmalade tabbies I'm pet-sitting for just plopped himself into my lap and started purring while pointing out the areas on his neck, behind his ears, and under his chin that needed attention.

Of course, I complied. I'm now covered in what looks like fuzzy baby lion-fur.

The other still runs away whenever I go by: clearly he still fears I'll eat them both.

:--}

M.

Awwww!

[Puget]

One of the cats apparently managed to drag their fishing pole toy out into the catio, which is impressive given that this involved getting it up onto the windowsill and out through the small cat door! I would have loved to see how that was managed. It was not managed without breaking the pole though, so I'll have to order a new one for them.

[onehappyunicorn]

One of the cats apparently managed to drag their fishing pole toy out into the catio, which is impressive given that this involved getting it up onto the windowsill and out through the small cat door! I would have loved to see how that was managed. It was not managed without breaking the pole though, so I'll have to order a new one for them.

Our little chunky one, Hazel, sometimes decides that the time to play is 3AM. She will drag one of the fishing pole toys onto our bed, I've woken up with it on my chest before.

[the_geneticist]

One of the cats apparently managed to drag their fishing pole toy out into the catio, which is impressive given that this involved getting it up onto the windowsill and out through the small cat door! I would have loved to see how that was managed. It was not managed without breaking the pole though, so I'll have to order a new one for them.

Our little chunky one, Hazel, sometimes decides that the time to play is 3AM. She will drag one of the fishing pole toys onto our bed, I've woken up with it on my chest before.

We have to keep the fishing pole toys out of reach of top of a tall bookshelf.  Sir Puck has recently discovered how to get on top of said bookshelf.  Now I have to hide the toys in the hall closet with the door closed.

[mamselle]

The second of the two kitties I'm sitting for let me sit down for a minute and scritch his ears before oozing away.

Progress.

His people come home tomorrow night, we'll see how it goes.

M.

[FishProf]

We just acquired 2 new boyz (Thor and Loki).  They are adorable and friendly.  They seem intent on stealing the Thundercats moniker from Nox and Electra.

Nox, usually the shy one, has willingly interacted 2x now.  One a staring contest, the other a slouch-by hissing.

Elektra has moved to the basement and just glares at me when I come down to do laundry.

[mamselle]

A Thunderquad, perhaps?

Congratulations on the new additions...it's hard enough to serve two cat-masters, doubling your over-lordship might be four times as difficult, not just twice...!

M. 

[FishProf]

Well, we will keep that name in the possibles pile, until the inevitable Sorting-of-the-Hierarchy takes place.

Probably at 2am on a Sunday.

[nebo113]

Water dish empty this morning.  Feline gently put her paw in the dish and looked up at me....reproachfully, I think.

[mamselle]

Awww.

Such a sensitive kitty-master.

She wants you to know your failings without making heavy weather of it.

M.

[AmLitHist]

Anyone dealt with a kitten who refused to wean?  On of Kid #1's is a little over 3 months old and has been refusing to eat.  Mama cat has stopped making milk.  A month ago, the little one was really tiny, wouldn't eat soft food, dry kitten food, either one slurried  with formula, etc., and cried constantly. We were afraid she was going to literally starve herself to death. After a can of dry kitty formula, which is nearly empty, she still isn't interested in the slurry, wet food, or dry.  I bravely told the Kid that if kitty gets hungry enough, she'll eat, but I'm still concerned.

The other thing we could get her to eat in the early days was baby-food turkey and chicken, a teaspoon or so at a meal, warmed up a little in the microwave.  That gets expensive fast, though. She has put on a good deal of weight and size and is pretty much caught up with her litter-mate sister; she has good energy and runs and plays now, and doesn't display any health/physical problems.

Ideas or suggestions?  (I'm sure my farm-boy dad would roll in his grave if he knew how we were babying this barn cat!)

[mamselle]

Is she eating from a dish or taking liquids and semi-solids from a bottle?

Were there any issues with nursing as an infant (like mom pulling away) that 'taught' her a kind of anorectic/ambivalent relationship to her desires for food?

Can you feel any little tummy or throat obstructions? Any obvious tooth problems that make eating painful?

Those are the things I've had kitties balk over in the past; otherwise, maybe call the vet?

Sorry--it's so frustrating when they can't talk to tell us what's wrong....

M.