Herd your cats here

[onehappyunicorn]

Happy Friday, time for some kitty pics:
https://imgur.com/gallery/JpNEG1T

[AvidReader]

They are so handsome, onehappyunicorn!

Artemis and Hestia change their locations regularly, but they probably go something like this:

1. Waiting outside for the humans to wake up. They are usually sitting expectantly outside the back door by 6 a.m., but I don't know if they respond to movement/light in the house or not. (They are not waiting for food; we have a food dish with a timer.)
2. Morning pettings
3. Backyard playtime. If we are there, they will play with us or toys; otherwise, they tussle and hunt bugs
4. Sleeping. In summer, they prefer the neighbors' yards, which have trees. In winter, they tend to stay closer to home (preferred spots include the space beneath the dryer vent, the south wall of the house, the patio chairs, and the electric box, which is always warm).
5. Lunchtime! If we eat outside on the patio, they come back for lunch. Artemis will sit under a chair and go to sleep; Hestia will wait beside whomever she thinks is most likely to drop food; after lunch, she expects pettings.
6. Nap time. If we ate lunch outside, they often stay under the chairs or move up onto the chairs once vacated. If we ate indoors, they typically stay in the neighbors' shady yards for the heat of the day.
7. Dinner! Though the food dish is off by a few minutes each day, they know when they think it should rotate and tend to sit and wait for it to open for the last 15-20 minutes.
8a. If we are outdoors, Hestia will leap from lap to lap for pettings. Artemis will lie on the concrete beneath one of our chairs. She is willing to be petted, but not if she has to absorb our body heat (from laps) in the process.
8b. If we are not outdoors, or when they are tired of us, it is hunting time. They often hunt for an hour or so in our yard as the sun sets, and then presumably have other hunting grounds beyond our property.

AR.

[smallcleanrat]

Happy Friday, time for some kitty pics:
https://imgur.com/gallery/JpNEG1T

I love the last pic because it looks like the kitty is doing yoga :)

[smallcleanrat]

Sorry, should have added to my previous post RE: cat clocks.

SO's been marveling at Maestro's impeccable sense of timing. SO works from home and the exact minute he clocks out for the day Maestro begins demanding supper. It seems unlikely his internal clock is that precise, but SO cannot figure out how Maestro realizes he's clocked out, because he doesn't immediately get up from his chair or log off his computer or any other obvious visual signal indicating he is now free to respond do the cat's demands.

I'm speculating some subtle release of tension in the way he carries himself, but it's still pretty amazing.

[mamselle]

Happy Friday, time for some kitty pics:
https://imgur.com/gallery/JpNEG1T

I love the last pic because it looks like the kitty is doing yoga :)

Chime!

They each look so intentional in their own way.

M.

[Harlow2]

Sorry, should have added to my previous post RE: cat clocks.

SO's been marveling at Maestro's impeccable sense of timing. SO works from home and the exact minute he clocks out for the day Maestro begins demanding supper. It seems unlikely his internal clock is that precise, but SO cannot figure out how Maestro realizes he's clocked out, because he doesn't immediately get up from his chair or log off his computer or any other obvious visual signal indicating he is now free to respond do the cat's demands.

I'm speculating some subtle release of tension in the way he carries himself, but it's still pretty amazing.

I wonder if it is an internal signal?  Ulysses shoes up at 4:38 (plus or minus a couple of minutes). no matter which room I'm in or whether I'm reading or at the computer.  Then shows up around 9:39 for treats, but that's less precise.

[the_geneticist]

We have a bird clock that makes a different bird chirp at every hour.  Sir Puck is very, very attuned to the clock since they get fed at 5:00pm.  He starts pacing right about 4:00, and will dash from room to room to try and get at least one of us to make a move towards the kitchen.  About 4:55pm he will dramatically flop in his favorite spot like he's going to starve if dinner isn't served RIGHT NOW.  The 5:00 bird chirps are the signal to dash around around and yowl at us until the food hits his plate.
Izzy comes out from hiding between 3:15 and 4:30 and will zip to her dish at 5:00.
Lady Jane thinks food is for lesser beings, but will usually wander towards the kitchen.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

We have a bird clock that makes a different bird chirp at every hour.  Sir Puck is very, very attuned to the clock since they get fed at 5:00pm.  He starts pacing right about 4:00, and will dash from room to room to try and get at least one of us to make a move towards the kitchen.  About 4:55pm he will dramatically flop in his favorite spot like he's going to starve if dinner isn't served RIGHT NOW.  The 5:00 bird chirps are the signal to dash around around and yowl at us until the food hits his plate.
Izzy comes out from hiding between 3:15 and 4:30 and will zip to her dish at 5:00.
Lady Jane thinks food is for lesser beings, but will usually wander towards the kitchen.

That's funny. Youngest evil cat does the dramatic flop too. You'd think that we all starve our cats by the way they act (but not when you look at them).

[OneMoreYear]

The weather is looking more Spring-like, and we've started opening the tops of the windows, particularly upstairs in the partially-renovated attic/office space, where the air-conditioning never works.  Ninja lived up to her fora-name yesterday, by almost climbing out of the top of the upstairs window. She got halfway out of the window (head, upper body, and front paws), before SO caught her. When he yelled "stop," she looked at him with an expression that said "What are you going on about, human? This is fine. I'm almost outside." As he was on the ball, he snapped a picture before dragging her back in and raising the window to shorten the opening.

[OneMoreYear]

double post, couple days later:

Ricochet continues to work on her bravery exposures.  Yesterday, she napped on the loveseat in the living room.  Today, she napped on the living room chair again.  This morning also brought one of the best attempts at lap sitting so far.
Maybe I'll use her examples when I teach about developing fear ladders.  Near, the top would be--being pet if both humans are in the room (she'll let us pet her if only one of us is in the room with her). Hmm, what's the cat-version of a SUDS rating?

[Puget]

double post, couple days later:

Ricochet continues to work on her bravery exposures.  Yesterday, she napped on the loveseat in the living room.  Today, she napped on the living room chair again.  This morning also brought one of the best attempts at lap sitting so far.
Maybe I'll use her examples when I teach about developing fear ladders.  Near, the top would be--being pet if both humans are in the room (she'll let us pet her if only one of us is in the room with her). Hmm, what's the cat-version of a SUDS rating?

You could set up shop as a cat therapist- I bet there's a market!
As we emerge from the pandemic, I'm sure mine are not the only cats who need someone to convince them that (a) humans in the house are allowed to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time and (b) humans outside the house are allowed to come into the house and will not eat the cats therein.

[OneMoreYear]

double post, couple days later:

Ricochet continues to work on her bravery exposures.  Yesterday, she napped on the loveseat in the living room.  Today, she napped on the living room chair again.  This morning also brought one of the best attempts at lap sitting so far.
Maybe I'll use her examples when I teach about developing fear ladders.  Near, the top would be--being pet if both humans are in the room (she'll let us pet her if only one of us is in the room with her). Hmm, what's the cat-version of a SUDS rating?

You could set up shop as a cat therapist- I bet there's a market!
As we emerge from the pandemic, I'm sure mine are not the only cats who need someone to convince them that (a) humans in the house are allowed to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time and (b) humans outside the house are allowed to come into the house and will not eat the cats therein.

I would love to be a cat therapist! However, I don't think I could use Ricochet as a success story in my advertising. Let's see:
Hire me as your cat therapist and in 5 short years, your anxious cat will be able to: sit on your living room furniture, stand on your lap, and allow you to pet her one at a time for up to 5 minutes if she is on a safe spot! If you order the deluxe therapy package, your cat may occasionally eat a treat! Hire me today!

[the_geneticist]

double post, couple days later:

Ricochet continues to work on her bravery exposures.  Yesterday, she napped on the loveseat in the living room.  Today, she napped on the living room chair again.  This morning also brought one of the best attempts at lap sitting so far.
Maybe I'll use her examples when I teach about developing fear ladders.  Near, the top would be--being pet if both humans are in the room (she'll let us pet her if only one of us is in the room with her). Hmm, what's the cat-version of a SUDS rating?

You could set up shop as a cat therapist- I bet there's a market!
As we emerge from the pandemic, I'm sure mine are not the only cats who need someone to convince them that (a) humans in the house are allowed to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time and (b) humans outside the house are allowed to come into the house and will not eat the cats therein.

I would love to be a cat therapist! However, I don't think I could use Ricochet as a success story in my advertising. Let's see:
Hire me as your cat therapist and in 5 short years, your anxious cat will be able to: sit on your living room furniture, stand on your lap, and allow you to pet her one at a time for up to 5 minutes if she is on a safe spot! If you order the deluxe therapy package, your cat may occasionally eat a treat! Hire me today!

I'd like to nominate myself as a cat therapist as well!  After 1.5 years, what you though was a snuggly kitten will finally emerge from their hiding place under the bed, allow you to pet her a few times only if she asks and only when you are sitting on certain furniture, and will sometimes sneak into the bathroom to rub your legs if you get up in the night.  However, she will happy scarf down any and all things that might be treats.  With the super deluxe special, the cat may stare out the window at you when you're outside, but dash away in terror if you happen to walk too close (within 15 or so feet).

[smallcleanrat]

double post, couple days later:

Ricochet continues to work on her bravery exposures.  Yesterday, she napped on the loveseat in the living room.  Today, she napped on the living room chair again.  This morning also brought one of the best attempts at lap sitting so far.
Maybe I'll use her examples when I teach about developing fear ladders.  Near, the top would be--being pet if both humans are in the room (she'll let us pet her if only one of us is in the room with her). Hmm, what's the cat-version of a SUDS rating?

You could set up shop as a cat therapist- I bet there's a market!
As we emerge from the pandemic, I'm sure mine are not the only cats who need someone to convince them that (a) humans in the house are allowed to leave the house for more than a few hours at a time and (b) humans outside the house are allowed to come into the house and will not eat the cats therein.

I would love to be a cat therapist! However, I don't think I could use Ricochet as a success story in my advertising. Let's see:
Hire me as your cat therapist and in 5 short years, your anxious cat will be able to: sit on your living room furniture, stand on your lap, and allow you to pet her one at a time for up to 5 minutes if she is on a safe spot! If you order the deluxe therapy package, your cat may occasionally eat a treat! Hire me today!

I'd like to nominate myself as a cat therapist as well!  After 1.5 years, what you though was a snuggly kitten will finally emerge from their hiding place under the bed, allow you to pet her a few times only if she asks and only when you are sitting on certain furniture, and will sometimes sneak into the bathroom to rub your legs if you get up in the night.  However, she will happy scarf down any and all things that might be treats.  With the super deluxe special, the cat may stare out the window at you when you're outside, but dash away in terror if you happen to walk too close (within 15 or so feet).

Why oh why do cats dash away like that?

I'm pretty sure Maestro is not scared of me, but he often stares at me with intense, wide eyes. If I make a move to approach him, he dashes away, often with a warbly "Waaah!"

Why?!?

I think *sometimes* he wants me to chase him around for play, but I don't that that's true every time. He knows I love to smother him with affection; sometimes he's in the mood for it, sometimes not. Is he running from the possibility of snuggles?

I appeal to the collective cat wisdom of the fora.

[clean]

but he often stares at me with intense, wide eyes. If I make a move to approach him, he dashes away, often with a warbly "Waaah!"

Why?!?

I think *sometimes* he wants me to chase him around for play,

That is how I read it.

consider this game...

Stalk him - sort of....

peak around the corner and if he notices, duck back around the corner.  (soon you will find that he is right there waiting to pounce YOU from around the very corner).

another thing to try is to find a small ball (or even a milk carton cap) and skip it across the floor, bouncing off the wall (or 2)  when he is in such a mood.