Herd your cats here

[Larimar]

I feel you Puget.  We always said the next time we adopted, we'd go out of our way to socialize with new people from the beginning.  And, here we are, three months later, and the only people they've seen besides us are cleaners (vacuum cleaners), the exterminator (scary smells), and the occasional work person (loud noises).  This is going to be interesting to try to undo later. 

Today is 3 years since I lost my LittleGirl.  As much as I already can't imagine being without our new additions, I don't have that same connection with any of them yet.  Part of me knows a bond like that takes time to build, and part of me is scared I only get one of "those" kitties in a lifetime.

I feel you statsgeek.  I lost my beloved Buddycat 3 years ago.  Lady Jane, Sir Puck and Izzy kitten are sweet and silly kitties, but not even close to the same sort of bond.  And we just lost our Effie cat a month ago.  Mr. Dr. Geneticist is certain that he will never have another cat that special.

When we said goodbye to the Mighty Bunga, I never expected to find another cat of comparable grandeur.   While Orestes is not yet there, his increasing chirpiness, robust purr, and cuddly loving of MrsFishProf and Smolt (but not yet me) has made him a solid contender.

+1 to these. When Mr. Larimar and I lost our feisty little calico Harlequin a few years ago to a sudden heart attack, we were devastated. She was unique. Our current crew succeed her, not replace her. They're wonderful, but in different ways. Pets have individual personalities just like people do.

[smallcleanrat]

I'm reminded of the ending of Charlotte's Web:

"Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart."

Some bonds really are exceptional.

[OneMoreYear]

Ninja has decided to help me work on my work-life balance. I'm sick and still grading at almost 10pm. She is now sleeping on top of my grading materials.  This is a sign I should stop grading, right? Can't disturb the cat, right?

[smallcleanrat]

Ninja has decided to help me work on my work-life balance. I'm sick and still grading at almost 10pm. She is now sleeping on top of my grading materials.  This is a sign I should stop grading, right? Can't disturb the cat, right?

That would be my interpretation.

Maestro likes to step on the keyboard, and tends to smash the 'E' and 'W' keys which are sitting right next to each other. So more than once, my kitty's typed the message 'ewwwwwwww' onto the document I'm working on.

[OneMoreYear]

Ninja has decided to help me work on my work-life balance. I'm sick and still grading at almost 10pm. She is now sleeping on top of my grading materials.  This is a sign I should stop grading, right? Can't disturb the cat, right?

That would be my interpretation.

Maestro likes to step on the keyboard, and tends to smash the 'E' and 'W' keys which are sitting right next to each other. So more than once, my kitty's typed the message 'ewwwwwwww' onto the document I'm working on.

Awww. When Ricochet was a kitten, she ran across the keyboard when I was in the midst of responding to student emails and somehow managed to send one.  Thus, a student received an email that went something like this:

Stu Dent,
That is a very good question.  I eoywe8ryw3hpriwe0yw8r

The student was apparently amused when I explained what happened, and also surprised. She said cats generally did not like her, so she never expected to get cat-mail.

[mamselle]

I may have said this upthread, but the student I referred to a bit ago was in the middle of playing her scales one day (must have been in the spring, it was online) when one of the baby boy-cats sitting on the nearby sofa just up and did a zoomie right across the keys and down again.

We were both startled, and just sat there for a moment, blinking.

We decided it was to send a message.

They do not LIKE it when you ignore them....unless they want you to.

M.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Elder evil cat decided to do some interior decorating today and vomited all over the carpet (it's always on the carpet- isn't it?). Instead of standing in one spot, he walked around the room until we could catch him! This happens when he gorges on cat food, so we have been limiting his intake. Unfortunately, he is very sneaky and will steal the other cats' food when we aren't looking or forget to put it out of his reach.

[statsgeek]

We just cleaned spots of poop off the door, about two feet high.  I don't understand. 

[FishProf]

Spraying?  Cats do have anal glands.

[clean]

Is the word "sharted"?

[spork]

Maybe there is a parasitologist on this thread: the wifey has gotten involved with a cat rescue organization as a foster parent, which means I am now also a foster parent. We have adopted one of our foster kittens and are in the process of adopting a second kitten. Both have had the standard package of vet care including tests for various pathogenic organisms. They have been 100% indoor cats since they were rescued and will remain that way. We have given each them a single dose of Revolution Plus as ordered. The vet clinic used by the rescue organization recommends monthly treatments of Revolution Plus for all cats. The rescue organization's position is that it pays for one does of Revolution Plus then it's up to whoever adopts a cat to decide what to do, but it's not something they recommend.

For a possibly unrepresentative comparison, I had two indoor cats for 17 years, never gave them Revolution Plus or any other similar medication, and they never got fleas, ticks, or worms.

So is this monthly dosing cost effective? What's the number needed to treat?

[the_geneticist]

We just cleaned spots of poop off the door, about two feet high.  I don't understand.

Is the door close enough to the litter box to be from overly enthusiastic litter flinging?
Or from wiping poop off of their paws?

[wareagle]

Fatso Catso jumped in my lap last night, reeking of poop.  Could not find any on his butt, tail, or paws.

He got a bath anyway.  Not a happy cat.  But he smells much better.

[sprout]

Maybe there is a parasitologist on this thread: the wifey has gotten involved with a cat rescue organization as a foster parent, which means I am now also a foster parent. We have adopted one of our foster kittens and are in the process of adopting a second kitten. Both have had the standard package of vet care including tests for various pathogenic organisms. They have been 100% indoor cats since they were rescued and will remain that way. We have given each them a single dose of Revolution Plus as ordered. The vet clinic used by the rescue organization recommends monthly treatments of Revolution Plus for all cats. The rescue organization's position is that it pays for one does of Revolution Plus then it's up to whoever adopts a cat to decide what to do, but it's not something they recommend.

For a possibly unrepresentative comparison, I had two indoor cats for 17 years, never gave them Revolution Plus or any other similar medication, and they never got fleas, ticks, or worms.

So is this monthly dosing cost effective? What's the number needed to treat?

Indoor only?  I wouldn't give it to them regularly.  I've only ever used it when I've seen evidence of infestation: bites, or the insects themselves.  It may take multiple doses to do a single course of treatment, though. 

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

We just cleaned spots of poop off the door, about two feet high.  I don't understand.

Was your cat doing a downward dog pose while projectile pooping?