Cat Views

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon and both of our cats had gone outside.  Alex is a big black long-haired cat and Pye, a Blue-Point Siamese. Although they have a lot in common like a tail, 2 ears & 4 paws, they barely just tolerated each other. Pye, was a newcomer to the family who encroached on Alex, the “old man” and very territorial. However, time has proven that when the “chips are down” they  support each other.

Ah, back to the event. After the cats had been out for a while, we heard an awful ruckus by the back door. Naturally, we ran out to see what was going on. Three big German Shepherds had our little Siamese cat cornered and very scared. While we were wondering how to end this melee, a big black ball of fury came roaring in at the dogs. The dogs all yelped, turned around and ran. After the dogs left, Alex walked over to Pye and swatted him as if to say, “You dummy letting yourself get cornered like that,” then turned around and stalked off. After that, he became Pye’s hero!

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!

A dog crate or carrier is an important item for your dog to have. It provides our canine friends with a safe environment inside, outside, for travel and vehicle transportation. There are so many choices in dog carriers and crates available in the market. So it is best to know what type suits your dog to avoid picking the wrong one.

High-quality and long-lasting wicker pet crates for instance combine sturdy craftsmanship that will stand up to wear and tear, comfort and style. They can be easily cleaned with soap and water. These luxurious looking crates will not absorb odors, water or stains. Not only do they give a dog a great safe home sanctuary within your home, but a well-designed wicker dog crate is stylish, classy, and actually compliments many decors while still being very functional. And to top it all, it can provide your dog a comfortable environment as it satisfies your dog’s natural instincts to relax.

[myspace 20531732 nolink]Cats are finicky, sweet, loving, ornery, independent and any other adjective you can think of.  However, they are great companions and like to be in your vicinity; as close as your lap or as far away as the other side of the room.

Sleeping with a cat sometimes makes for an interesting night.  You may have a warm cuddly spot near your feet or a rock behind your knees. Don’t even think about turning over!  Move your feet and you may have four paws full of claws attacking.  If something soft and fuzzy swishes across your face, even without really waking out, you can bet it is a tail! When morning rolls around, cats are better than your alarm clock.  You may open your eyes to a cat looking at you face to face.  If the staring doesn’t work, there is always “face patting” or is it “face batting” this can be emphasised with claws extended.  Clearing-off nightstands and dressers is another effective tactic to get you out of bed.  If these methods fail they can become more creative making you wonder what will come next.
 

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!

Today, Lady Jane has a few “cat facts” for you.  When you are feeling stressed, do you like to listen to music to relax?  Cats like to listen to music also. They will stretch out in front of a stereo speaker when classical music is playing.  Dogs enjoy music, and listening to Bach can actually cause them to bark less.  We get stressed over many everyday things but don’t stop to think about our pets being stressed.  The same household situations that cause us stress work on them because they are sensitive to us and to our moods.

Indoor cats need to be stimulated.  Outdoor cats have many new smells, places to explore, bugs, birds, lizards, rabbits to hunt which keeps them stimulated.  There is even the occasional “cat fight” to spur them on.  Our indoor cats do not have access to these stimulants, so providing them with a screened area, a bird feeder to watch and maybe a wonderful scratching post or two, as well as a cat tree makes sure they have an exciting indoor life.  Cats are natural predators and hunters.  They live for the chase.

Cats like to play.  As kittens, they are extremely playful which develops their social, mental and physical skills. They are wonderfully entertaining to watch.  A paper bag (especially for an indoor cat), catnip balls, yarn, and toy mice are favorites for most cats.  Lady Jane however, prefers her toys to be interactive!  Lizards, birds and mice will do fine.  She is very adept at catching them and bringing them in to play with her.