Cat Views

Burr… it’s chilly in Alaska! But, what the heck it’s always chilly in Alaska, especially for pampered felines right? For a special treat, one of our customers just bought a luxury modern cat bed, custom ordered with special foam filling along with an opening in the back seam for the electric cord for a comfy pet warming pad. As a bonus, we were able to offer it at no extra charge, however since the bed is RONDO cat furniture custom made Germany; 220 volts would certainly create a worrisome situation. Instead, we suggested she buy a pad designed for U.S. use (110 volts), just to be on the safe side! Don’t want any crispy critters!

A few years ago I finally broke down and replaced my old mattress with a Sleep-By-Number bed. I decided on it over a foamy kind because I liked the idea of customizing the firmness on my side of the bed. O.K., o.k…. so I’m big on control!! A few weeks ago I noticed my side was loosing air. I found the phone number for customer service on their About Us page who advised me I needed to figure out whether the leak was caused by the pump or the mattress. So, following their directions, I disconnected the air hose from the pump and jammed a AA battery to plug the hose. It’s a slow leak, so it’s taken about 2 weeks to realize the mattress is the problem. Doofie, my cat loves to do that kneading thing. I suspect that’s the cause. If she had just kneaded in one of our luxury cat beds, instead! Do you suppose one of those tire tube repair kits will fix my mattress?

I have a cat and dog as my “housemates”. The dog is elderly (15 years old) and the cat is about 7 years old and was acquired several years ago. Fred has out lived the other cats in the family as they were “elderly” when he came to live here. When Precious came to live with Fred and I she immediately declared herself the ALPHA pet! She would sit and watch for Fred to go out of his pet door, and then position herself right in front of it not allowing him to come in. This continued until she realized that if he could go out of the pet door she could too! She also feels that his food bowl belongs equally to her and tries to push in when he is eating. Fred, being a very gentle dog allows this much to my chagrin. Fred is deaf and almost blind which creates some interesting situations. One day she was stretched out sleeping in a sunny spot and he literally ran over her on his way out of the pet door. That upset her, and now she bats at him whenever he gets too close. The two have really bonded and become very close. When he is napping she goes and curls up in her cozy cat bed but still keeps a protective eye on him.

Japan has come up with something new and a wonderful idea. They have established “Cat Cafes” which are becoming more and more popular.These “cafes” are a wonderful combination of animal shelter and tea house. Workers in Japan face long commutes and long hours of unpaid overtime. What better place to go and de-stress than a Cat Cafe? You can sip on tea or coffee, read a magazine, and have a cuddly warm cat curled up in your lap to pet at the same time. The cats are provided with wonderful accomodations like cat gyms, perches, condos, scratchers and cat beds. (These are professional cats). Calicos seem to be a favorite. It seems that single men in their 30’s find these cafes very appealing. They can go in, pay a nominal fee and spend an hour relaxing and playing with or petting a cat of their choiuce. These men are probably  gone on frequent business trips and do not have the time or accomodations to care for a pet. What a wonderful way to have a pet plus it is a great situation for the animals! They are loved and cared for while providing a great service to the customers.

I’ve been talking to some friends about the strange habits of their cats. One cat loves to be petted and the more you pet her, the bushier her tail grows until it is a full bush. Another friend says her cat has a very annoying habit. He does not like it when she brushes her teeth. She goes into the bathroom and unless she locks the door, he opens it and comes in. While she is brushing her teeth he will jump up and bite her butt! How many of you have cats that like to sleep in the wash basin in the bathroom? You can even turn the water on mine and he won’t move. My daughter’s cat lines up the heads of his “kills” in her bedroom closet for her to see. (Ugh)! My female cat hates closed doors and will go around opening them. Closets, cupboards or any closed door is okay with her to open and she is very good at it. We have strange habits and so do they. Most of the cats do like their scratchers and condos and a nice cozy cat bed and in spite of their oddities we supply them with these beloved items, because we care about our pets!

Cats are well known for their “Cat Naps” and seem to be able to fall asleep anywhere, a plant, a closet, your best clothing, a dresser drawer, a basket of yarn and etc. How about when you are reading the newspaper and suddenly it contains a warm furry body that snuggles down and purrs. If you are on your desktop or laptop computer and your feline appears figuring that you need help typing and then decides to curl up on your keyboard. This can be somewhat frustrating at times, and endearing at others. A towel folded, a piece of clothing left on a chair or bed and even a piece of paper can entice your cat to curl up on it. They appreciate the warm secure feeling they get from curling up on things with your scent on them. Why not give your cat a warm comfy cat bed of its own. You can always include a small towel with your scent on it tucked in the bed. This will provide a warm, secure place for your cat to curl up in.

When our daughter was toddling around, everything fascinated her! We got a kitten at that time, and they bonded immediately and became almost inseparable. One of our friends brought her a little goldfish in a bowl. We placed the bowl up on a small table where it was visible to her. Later that same day, we had a couple of those “Kodak Moments” with the baby and the kitten. The baby was up on her tip toes on one side of the fishbowl and the kitten up on the table on the other side. They were both wide-eyed watching the fish swim around. It made for a darling photo! After a while, they both became bored and disappeared. We went to look for them and found them both curled up fast asleep in the kitten’s knitted cat bed. Picture time again!

Louise was a small calico cat, and Wilson a sleek black handsome male. Together they produced four very lively kittens. Louise took very good care of her family and as the kittens got older they grew more and more active! One day they were especially rambunctious and she was getting tired of constantly running after one or the other of them. While chasing after them she spotted an open dresser drawer in the girl’s bedroom and proceeded to round up the kittens. One by one she would pick them up and jump up to put them in the open drawer. Once she had all the kittens corralled, she crawled into her “Cabra” Kitten Nest and let out a sigh. She knew they were contained at least for a little while!

Kittens and Christmas trees are accidents waiting to happen. Being young and full of mischief the shiny balls, blinking lights, and glittering trinkets captures their attention and requires further investigation. How many ornaments get broken by being batted off the tree? How many trees have been toppled over by large sized kittens trying to climb them? What fun though to watch kittens playing among the gaily wrapped packages with their “no longer beautiful bows”. However, there are packages that contain toys and treats to be sniffed out and opened (claws are a plus for this task). The tree is a great place to play, hide, and even take a nap in. A beautiful hand knitted cat bed placed under the tree may entice them to settle down (at least for a while). Hanging toys off their own cat tree could possibly interest them to play there leaving your tree alone. Over all, kitten’s outrageous antics and Christmas are fun any way you look at it

For many pet owners, a cat’s desire to sleep snuggled up in bed with its master is rather touching – at first. Cats are naturally nocturnal, however, so there’s almost no chance they will stay still through the night. Most cats prefer to slink around the house during the late-night and early morning hours. Having your cat pounce on your head or chest in the middle of the night doesn’t bode well for a good night’s sleep.

A custom cat bed provides a welcome alternative. Try filling it with a soft blanket or some other downy material to get your cat acclimated. Cats love to curl up in snug, warm spots, so the more comfortable you make the bed the better. Just remember not to hold it against your cat when you spy him sleeping soundly in his bed when you’re getting ready for work.