Cat Views

Looking for a new place for your kitty to eat? Want something up to date as well as earth friendly? We have the perfect thing! This Pet Diner is made solidly of Bamboo; with a water resistant finish and two top of the line stainless steel bowls. Bamboo can grow up to a rate of one meter a day. This means that when you cut a tree that is 60 years old, it will take 60 years to replace that tree. Bamboo allows you to cut them down and they will return in about 60 days! That’s a huge difference. Not only is bamboo great at growing, but also is quite strong. Some people in the tropics can build houses out of bamboo! There are also over 1000 species of bamboo, each with a distinctive natual beauty. This Pet Diner will be sure you last you along time in your home, but it will be doing the earth a great favor as well.

Cats are noted for being finicky but how much attention do we pay to their unique tastes, especially when it comes to “people” food? After living for a good many years with seven cats and a dog (who didn’t stand a chance against so many cats), you learn about the individual tastes they acquire. Alex, the oldest was our Italian cat. He loved Oregano (which affected him like catnip), pizza and spaghetti. Next, a Blue Point Siamese named Pye, who favored peanut butter and melons. Candy loved iced tea and would drink your glass down (if she could get it) as far as she could put her head into the glass. Smokey, loved Mexican food, enchiladas but especially rice and beans. Bandit was the pickiest…he NEVER ate any cat food but wanted eggs scrambled (in the microwave only, if you please) stir fry veggies and of course, chicken, fish and hot dogs. The other two cats just ate cat food and never did like anything else but an occasional treat of evaporated milk. One thing for all their different personalities they all agreed on was their perches and kitty condos. The cats had great fun playing on them and then taunting the dog and leaping up out of harms way.

When my sister met her husband, they were both young singles sharing apartments with their respective cats. Their big concern was whether or not their cats would be compatible. After much growling and hissing, the cats came to terms and decided they liked each other. Whenever they were together they played and played and had a really good time.A bridal shower was given for my sister by her friends (many of them are cat lovers). After opening her gifts, several large packages were still sitting on the floor. When she questioned someone about them, they brought them over to her. What a surprise when she opened them! She started giggling before revealing the contents. There was a cat tree, a kitty condo, and hand painted feeding bowls! Her friends had decided that her cat needed a bridal shower too.

We were having beautiful fall days; warm and sunny with gentle breezes. Our young cat, Sheba loved spending her time out in the enclosed patio. We purchased a new feeder for her, an Oval Double Diner. We purchased this feeder to put out on the patio since she was spending her days out there. After filling it with kibble we set it out on the patio to Sheba’s delight. The kibble was rapidly disappearing on a daily basis and we were puzzled by the fact that so much of the kibble was gone and yet Sheba wasn’t putting on any weight. After a week of constantly refilling her bowl, my husband came up with the idea of setting up the video camera to find out where the kibble was going. It worked! When we viewed the image on the video, we couldn’t believe what we captured! There was a mouse running as fast as it could with kibble in its mouth and Sheba chasing after it! The mystery was solved. The mouse hole was located and blocked. Her kibble was safe!

What kind of toys does your cat prefer to play with?  Cats tend to play with toys that match their natural tendencies. There are cats who are “birders “and like toys that are bird-like, fluffy and with feathers.  “Mousers” prefer catnip, mechanical mice and toys that resemble mice in shape.  Other cats like bugs and will show a preference for bug-type toys and enjoy to batting around small objects.

We discovered our Siamese cat was a “birder” much to our chagrin.  It was almost Christmas and my collection of small stuffed birds adorned the tree along with popcorn and cranberry garland strings.  After a day of shopping we returned home to devastation!  Our beautiful tree had been ravaged and a few birds were left in the upper branches.  The cat had totally stripped the lower section of the tree strewing stuffing and feathers everywhere.  My great hunter had captured all those birds that had been resting on the lower branches.  While he was devouring the birds, his partner-in-crime, the dog, managed to strip the garlands of the popcorn.  He had no use for the cranberries.  It goes without saying that was the last year our Christmas tree sported birds and popcorn!

Cats are well noted for their independent and quirky natures.  Their personalities vary as much as their coloring.  My Blue Point Siamese is no exception.  He is a true “people” cat; outgoing, friendly & very loving.  In the mornings, he loves to have a cup of coffee with me.  Yes, he really does drink coffee … without cream in case you’re wondering!  After his morning coffee, he curls up in his heated cat bed for a nap.

When visitors arrive, he is the first at the door to greet them.  Next to snoozing, his favorite thing to do is “kiss” people!  We love to play cards and the family gets together often to do so.  When everyone is seated at the table (and there may be as many as 9 of us(!) undaunted, he leaps into the midst of everyone and makes the rounds from person to person “kissing” them, but always ignoring one.  It is never the same person each time.  He only does this when everyone is seated around the table talking or playing games.  While he is making his rounds everyone is held in suspense waiting to see who will be left out.  This is his version of a game!

Cats really are amazing and definitely have individual characteristics.  “Alex” showed his preference to us in a rather startling way.  It was close to the Christmas Holidays and I was preparing some herb rice mixes for gifts.  I was using a sauce pan and set it on the stove (no heat).  The doorbell rang and I left the kitchen.  To my dismay, upon returning to the kitchen my big black cat, Alex, was trying to stuff himself into the sauce pan.  After removing the cat, and emptying the saucepan, I sprinkled some Oregano on the floor to see what would happen.  Within seconds Alex was rolling, leaping and happily munching the oregano just as though it was catnip.

Several ensuing incidents further reinforced the fact that he had a definite affinity for Italian food.  A pizza was delivered and set on the table.  As soon as he got a whiff of the pizza Alex jumped onto the table and was doing his best to get the box open.  He succeeded and enjoyed the pizza.

The next event amused the entire family.  I was preparing a spaghetti dinner and of course, Alex was hanging around in the kitchen.  As an experiment, we put a small amount of spaghetti in a little bowl and placed it in front of him.  He looked at it, sat down and proceeded to take a paw and scoop up a few noodles and eat them from his paw.  He ate the entire bowl that way!  After that, he always had spaghetti with us and I kept waiting for him to order garlic bread and a salad!

Is your cat a pampered pet?  Most cat owner appreciates the independent spirit and intelligent ways of their furry companions. Speaking of spoiled, my favorite little bundle of fluff is exactly that!  He refuses to eat cat food.  For him, it is scrambled eggs and stir-fry veggies.  However, he will only eat eggs that have been scrambled in the microwave.  While the microwave was being repaired, the family was running to neighbors and friends to microwave his eggs.  We tried preparing them in a pan and while they looked the same, he knew the difference and refused to eat them!  Fortunately, the microwave was repaired within a few days and life returned to normal.  It just goes to prove the old adage, “Dogs have masters. Cats have servants”!

Have you had a bandit in your house?  Many cats are marked with masks, and not all are “bandits,” but are christened with the name. Not just cats, but dogs, and even birds have been named Bandit. The name seems to have universal appeal to pet owners.

My small, fluffy, black and white cat is aptly named Bandit. With black mask and cape markings on his white furry body, he even looks like a bandit! He is also known as “the fastest claw in the west.” The household rule: never leave your dinner plate unattended.  Our little thief will sneak up on your chair and with a swipe of his claws your food disappears. Once your food is in his possession, he moves like a streak of lightening. A much favored refuge is his kitty condo.  Safely inside, he dines like a king on his stolen bounty.

OK, I know it’s not one of those fancy Drinkwell pet drinking fountains, but boy is it convenient! No electric cord needed and it’s already color-coordinated with the bathroom, too! The only caveat is that Zuli’s clue when to drink is when we’re headed into the bathroom for our own needs! Not a lot of privacy! She’ll practically run us over if we’re heading towards the door! She’s a real clown, skidding around the corner, leaping onto the bathroom counter and bellying up to the faucet, front paws positioned in the sink. They say cat’s don’t like water…. Wrong! Look at her left paw, already soaked and more to follow all over her muzzle as she licks-in as much water as we allow. Now, if we could just figure out an automatic feeder.