Cat Views

Bombay cats are exotic in appearance resembling a “mini panther”! These cats can be leash trained and will even play “fetch” with you. Bombays can be very entertaining just by using their own creative measures. These cats are congenial, outgoing, intelligent, socially inquisitive, affectionate, lap-cats. Easy going, they are very compatible with dogs and other pets. They do well with children and often act as a “greeter” towards guests. Their bodies are medium length with rounded heads and short muzzles. Their coats are short, flat and gleaming black with gold to copper eye color. Keeping these rare cats indoors is essential. It is important to provide them with a variety of scratching posts for the natural behavior of scratching in lieu of de-clawing. Not de-clawing allows them to live a healthy life and you to fully enjoy them and their very unique personalities.

I grew up in a big old frame house in the Midwest. Our basement was only partially dug out, and the furnace sat in a cement recess in the floor. When it rained heavily this recess (pit) would fill with water. We had a big shiny black male cat named “Needles” (for obvious reasons) who loved to hide in the basement and jump at my mother when she would come downstairs. One day, not knowing the pit was full of water, he ran downstairs and prepared himself to jump. When my mother arrived, he made his move, just as he did, my mother turned away and he ended up landing in the pit! Well, that was one very mad, very wet cat! He spent the next two days sulking in his Cat House Condo, because it was all her fault that he got wet.

A few months ago, I moved to a new apartment just a few miles away from the old one. It offered a more convenient location and easy access to public transportation. My cat was a little underwhelmed with the move, however. She had grown accustomed to roaming free in the backyard, going outside and coming back in at will. The new apartment lacked a backyard, and I didn’t want to risk her wandering into the road.

It might have just been a coincidence, but the cat started clawing the furniture to shreds as soon as we moved into the new place. She seemed frustrated about being sequestered indoors. Rather than getting her declawed, I bought my pet a cat scratching post. This allowed her to take out her aggression on an object that didn’t cost me an arm and a leg.

The Chartreux cats were named for the Carthusian Monks of France. According to legend, these cats lived with the monks. Their woolly textured fur is reminiscent of well known Spanish wool of the Eighteenth Century and also contributed to the naming of these cats. Chartreux cats have a robust body, broad shoulders, deep chest and medium short finely boned legs. Their blue fur is medium length and “woolly” with a very dense undercoat. Round heads and round eyes are other characteristics but their distinguishing feature is their “smile”. These cats become very attached to their human family and will develop a dog-like behavior. They will follow like a dog, and even fetch a ball. Being a quiet breed, they will chirp rather than meow. These are very intelligent cats and find television fascinating. As kittens, they are very precocious but may not physically mature for 3 years. Playing in their Triple Level Cat Tree keeps them entertained for long periods of time

Kittens are adorable, lovable little balls of fluff. What fun to watch their crazy antics! Give two kittens a paper sack, and they are in and out of it pouncing on one another and having a great time. A piece of string, catnip mice, and balls with bells in them can entertain them for hours.

Kitten Play Centers provide plenty of exercise while chasing each other up and down and perching precariously on the top. A cozy cat bed provides a wonderful place to nap, although young kittens can suddenly drop in place and fall sound asleep. Curiosity can get them into all kinds of predicaments like jumping into a box that they can’t climb out of, getting a head stuck in a glass while trying to reach the milk. Climbing curtains usually upsets their owners while they are having a good time. Extricating them from some narrow space they tried to explore and can’t escape from is a common occurrence. However, the pleasure derived from watching these mini-clowns outweighs the necessity to bail them out of the results of their mischief.

Turkish Angoras are a rare breed of beautiful cats. It is believed they originated in the mountainous regions of Turkey. Their written history can be traced back as far as 16th century France. These cats have a soft, silky, medium-long coat that rarely mats. They are elegant, fine boned cats with loving, playful natures and easily adapt. They accept dogs and other pets but assert themselves to become the “Alpha” pet of the household. These cats are excellent companions for children, and seniors. Cat trees and cat perches are good choices for these gorgeous cats to entertain you as well as themselves. Turkish Angoras are usually called “Turks” and are all white however; today at a cat show you might see them in black, cream, blue and red. Turks are considered a National Treasure in their native land. Current “Turk” owners consider them a “treasure” as well.

It’s no secret that cats love to jump and climb. Most of the time, cats can jump from all kinds of heights and awkward places and still land on their feet. Other times, they may make one misstep and hurt themselves. If this happens, you’ll want to get a set of pet steps so they can still get up onto their favorite couch while they’re recovering.

After your cat recovers from a fall, it’s a good idea to position a set of pet steps under the place where they fell. That way, if they attempt to jump again, they’ll have a place to land that’s not as far down as the ground. Similarly, if your cat likes to jump to really high places but often gets stuck, you can position a set of pet steps under the area to help him transition to the ground. This will save you many headaches in trying to rescue your cat over and over again from the top of a tall cabinet!

There once was a cat named Ogee
Who loved to play in his Pet House Cat Tree
Up he would climb to the top
Where he really would have to stop
At the top he would stay and play
Before he decided to make his way
Layer by layer down he would go
Till he reached each limb below

Meet Kiki…. She likes to read her Sunday morning paper lying in the middle of the family room floor in her not-so-snazzy box lid. Pet parent, Alan decided to upscale her digs with a custom 3-sided window cat perch. Although she already had a window perch, he thought perhaps she might especially enjoy the luxury of style by mirroring the design of the perch to match her proclivity to her cardboard lid. It fostered ‘almost’ instant snuggles, happily perched during her afternoon naps to enjoy the outdoor neighborhood happenings. Another spoiled kitty!!

Cats are amazing creatures and awesome to watch! Their lithe movements and supine positions are reminiscent of a well-oiled precision machine. Innate hunting skills allow them to survive even in the strangest situations. Independent and quirky personalities of cats are the delight of many pet owners. Several well used sayings about cats come to mind while watching our pets. “She walks on silent cat feet”, and “Dogs have masters, but cats have staff”. It is always surprising when a cat suddenly appears as if from nowhere. It can cause you to wonder!
Most cats love their toys and have playful natures. It is interesting to see what they find to play with that can keep them busy for some time. As much as they love their toys, they love a warm place to snuggle and snooze. Heated cat beds and cat condos are an ideal place for them to nap. They also like cat trees for exercise (especially indoor cats), and are great fun to watch while playing in one. Yes, we pamper our pets, and why not? They are a wonderful source of comfort and companionship. Watching their antics can amuse us for hours.