Cat Views

Over the years we have had 7 cats (all at one time) but the first two created many memories with their quirky antics. Alex was a big black ALPHA male cat. He was the first cat; our second was a darling Blue-point Siamese named Pye. When Pye first joined our family, Alex was furious!  After several months they finally decided to just barely tolerate each other.  Pye still continued to try to make friendly advances and was always rebuffed by Alex. Two years later we moved to a new location, and shortly thereafter Alex broke his leg. The vet put a metal loop cast on his leg and naturally Alex kept trying to get it off. Finally, as a last resort we put him in a waxed chicken box with holes all around the sides and tied the lid down. He was placed in there when no one was available to sit and hold him. Whenever he was in the box Pye would go and peer into the holes. Every time he did, a big black paw would shoot out and bop him on the nose. Pye would just shake his head, and go right back and try again always with the same result. He would then wander off and curl up in his cushy cat cave keeping a watchful eye on the box. Once Alex was healed and the cast removed the two became really close friends and peace reigned in the household.

This is a domestic cat breed appearing in 1994.These are fairly large muscular cats with the males weighing up to 20 pounds and the females between 10 and 15 pounds, and do not mature until they are about 4 years old. Their bodies are rectangular in shape with broad chests and shoulders and their hindquarters are as broad as their chests. Raga Muffins have thick plush coats that do not mat easily making them easy to maintain. The majority of these cats are blue-eyed color points. Raga  Muffins are an expensive breed so most owners keep them indoors due to their loving affectionate natures. Cuddles and tummy rubs are favorites and they love to play, remaining playful in to adulthood. With their great personalities they get along well with children and other pets. Cat gyms and cat perches are great means of exercising these cats. Raga Muffins are not the same breed as the Rag Dolls.

Isn’t it fun to watch your cat stalk prey? I love the way they creep up, hunch down, wiggle and “chatter” while they wait and watch. They wait patiently until just the right moment to pounce! One day, a hummingbird was hovering just outside our open glass door. Our cat spotted it and proceeded to get herself into the pouncing position. Just as she sprung to get the bird, I slid the glass door shut. She jumped into the door, and was so surprised! Shaking her head, she just couldn’t believe it. The little hummingbird flew off and she became furious with me for foiling her attempt to catch her prey. She flew into her condo to sulk after spitting and growling at me. I had one unhappy cat!

These lovely cats are the Japanese Bobtails. The many white cats you see in Oriental Restaurants with the raised paw relates to Japanese folklore that goes back as far as the 17th Century. Maneki-Neko as she originally named, was a small bobtail cat (according to the lore) that beckoned to strangers giving them good fortune. Here in the U.S. these cats are only seen in the fancy cat shows while they are seen everywhere in Japan, China and Korea. The first Japanese Bobtails were brought to the U.S. in 1908, and were not accepted for Championship Status until 1976. The unique feature of these cats is true to their name. They have a shortened rigid tail structure. They are a small to medium sized cat with a long lean body structure, large ears and the eyes are large ovals with an oriental slant. The coat is soft and silky with little or no undercoat and are water-resistant allowing them to swim (which they enjoy doing). These are very affectionate cats, but strong willed and not easily intimidated. They need to be kept active and given lots of attention. Good with children and dogs, easily trained but only if they are having fun doing it. A cat gym would be wonderful for these delightful cats to play on.

There once was a cat named Missy
She was not at all a sissy
She’d take on a dog at a moments glance
The poor dog knew he had not a chance
Little and fierce she was, feisty too
The melee she caused was a big to-do
The poor dogs always left in defeat
She was proud that she couldn’t be beat
So into her cozy cat condo she’d climb
Feeling she’d earned her rest sublime.