Cat Views

Smokey is a short-haired charcoal gray male cat. He is a very loving cat but looks like the neighborhood “tough tom”. His stocky build and almost no neck gives him a tough appearance. This “tough tomcat” loves to curl up in the comfy cat bed for his afternoon nap. However, Smokey’s favorite thing to do is watch the scroll going across the bottom of the TV screen. He will sit fascinated for long periods of time just watching the words go across. Every so often he will get up and walk around behind the TV as if to see where it goes, then come back and resume his watch. When the TV set is off, he will attract someone’s attention by pawing at the TV to have them turn it on. Once it is on, he is a happy cat settling down to watch it as if he was really reading the scrolling commentary.

It was a lovely summer evening , my husband and I were sitting on the patio drinking a glass of iced tea and enjoying the slight breeze. The sounds of nature were all around us. The cat was sitting peacefully along side of us.Our cat, Taz (aptly named for the Tasmanian Devil), could intimidate any four legged creature in the neighborhood, especially large dogs. Suddenly, he spotted a mouse. He lazily watched the mouse run around on the patio, while making no attempt to chase it. Finally he looked at me. The look clearly said, “Hey mom! Are you going to catch that mouse or not”? When I made no move to go and catch the mouse, he gave me a disgusted look and stalked off into the house, and curled up on top of his cat condo.  The mouse had another day of freedom!

If you’re a highly successful individual, it’s very likely that you want to exhibit that success through the decoration and décor of your apartment or home. But if you’re a pet owner, it can be difficult to balance the look of your home with the type of pet furniture that’s available on the market today. If this is a concern in your home, begin looking into the possibility of purchasing designer pet furniture.

While other pet furniture options can look tacky or bulky, designer furniture strives to be as comfortable for the pet as possibly while maintaining a sleek and contemporary look. Particularly if you’re a cat owner, you can feel good about buying these designer items. Buying the highest quality cat furniture will ensure that your cat is climbing, jumping, and sleeping on furniture that is made with the highest durability and dependability. And you won’t have to be ashamed to display this furniture prominently in your home!

We had been adopted by a big orange tabby who had decided our home in the country was better than living in the woods. My neighbor had been feeding her using her custom pet feeder off and on for two years, and named her “Rita” after Rita Hayworth…another beautiful redhead.I took the cat to the veterinarian for shots and a check-up since she had decided she was now a “house-cat”.

I explained to the Vet that I had no knowledge of her background but that I believed that she had been spayed since she had never had kittens during the time my neighbor had known her. The Vet smiled. “Well,” he said. “The reason this cat has not had kittens is that “Rita” is a male.” Needless to say, I was quite embarrassed. He also told me that “Rita” had, in fact, been neutered. He asked why my friend had assumed the cat was female. I said, “I don’t know except that it has such a pretty face.” At that, the Vet laughed out loud and said, “Tell her for me that the next time she wants to find out a cat’s gender she needs to check the other end!”

And now, for the rest of the story…we tried renaming HIM “Ritz” however, we still kept calling him “Rita”.

My husband and I were awakened from a sound sleep by loud rustling and banging noises coming from downstairs. “I think we have a burglar!” I told my husband, “No,” he said. “We have a cat.” I had forgotten we had a feline visitor for the Christmas Holidays, and went to see what was going on.

The paper bag I had containing rolls of wrapping paper and ribbon was no longer standing in the corner of the dining room. The paper was strewn all around the room with streamers of brightly colored ribbon even hanging on his cat tree. Toby was inside the empty paper bag playing. When I called his name, he stuck his head out to see who had come to play. He was quite colorful with green and gold ribbons hanging from his ears and tangled around his legs. For the rest of his visit was careful to pick up all potential “toys” before retiring for the night.

Make your pet feel at home in your home. Provide him with designer cat furniture for his own use that will blend well with your interior decorating scheme. These types of furniture are built to last and come in various colors and finishes that can match your existing décor. Choose among different cat furniture where your pet will enjoy hanging out the most:

~Pet steps – which are especially great for aging cats
~Litter box – that also serve as a tiny house
~Cat trees and perches – that will provide good exercise and scratching areas

We all love praise for things we do well, and like to please others.  Cats are no different for all their show of independence.  Here are two good examples of their love for praise.

My parents were living in an urban apartment complex which narrows cats hunting choices to mice and birds.  In the wee hours of the morning my father was awakened by something cold and wet being dragged across his face.  The cat had brought him a dead bird. He took the gift and praised her hunting ability but told her he preferred his birds alive. An hour later, she again jumped on the bed gifting him with a live bird which she turned loose.

My own cat, Bandit, was a mouser.  He brought me a lovely mouse. Foolishly, I ordered him to take it outside.  This was the wrong approach!   He and his mouse were soon back in the house.  Again, I told him to take it outside and, once again, he and the mouse were back. I suddenly realized it was the wrong thing to say, he had expected praise.  I proceeded to tell him what a wonderful hunter he was, and what a great mouse he had caught. Finally, we were both happy. He received the praise he was looking for and I no longer had a mouse in the house! This just proves a little praise can go a long way!

Cats are natural hunters and predators. It is no wonder they become active during the middle of the night! Mice and small prey come out after dark and the cats “natural instincts” seem to take over at that time.

If your cat is a house pet, evenings are for playing predatory and hunting games. The theory offered is that perhaps the cats don’t get enough play and exercise during the day. Young cats have an abundance of energy, and new kittens often feel insecure in new family surroundings, which factor in to promoting nocturnal activity.

Lady Jane offers some possible solutions:

Ø  Help a new kitten to feel more secure by cuddling and gently petting it.

Ø  Provide more opportunities for play at appropriate times ceasing at least an hour before bedtime.

Ø  If necessary, confine the cat to a bedroom or bathroom providing food and water in their pet feeder, litter box, and a scratching post.

Ø  Keep a spray bottle or gun-shaped hair dryer by the bed to thwart nighttime playful attacks.

Remember, each cat is an individual and by trial and error you can arrive at an acceptable solution for both of you.

I had a fun conversation today with Ashley who lives with Scooter & Sydney in Montana. She ordered a Deluxe Cat Perch and we added one of our new, custom Booster Box to provide additional height. Scooter is 14, a little “set in her ways” while Sydney is a young 8. We’re hoping the 2-story perch arrangement satisfies both of them. Ashley said though a little territorial, Scooter isn’t able to jump to the higher perch allowing Sydney her own private perch top. The Booster Box is an ideal height for prime outdoor viewing at the window sill. Too cold still in Montana to be hunting outside, so they can both cozy up for an afternoon buddy-snooze!

Last month while driving through Hatch New Mexico, I saw along the street outside an import store a large, interesting iron statue of a horse with rider. Normally, I’m not a much of shopper but needing a little break from driving I decided to stop. The store was filled with an odd collection of Mexican imports; mostly home decorative items. I buzzed it in typical fashion seeing stuff of no particular interest other than a hand-craved wooden Don Quixote leaning against the wall partially hidden by other items. Once home ole’ DQ was welcomed by my cat, Doofie who thought I bought her a new sisal scratch post. Fortunately once the novelty wore off, Doofie decided the sisal scratcher on her cat furniture was a lot more appealing.