Cat Views

What do taxes & cat furniture have in common? Oh, I really, really wish nothing! Last summer, I attended a “How to file your state sales tax” seminar. I recall telling the guy signing me up for it, “I really don’t want to know, everything you wanted to know about taxes!” He said since I was in business, I’d probably should consider learning as much as I could handle! It was good advice, but nonetheless – well, can’t I complain just a little? So I figured today was my day to tackle 2007. It wasn’t as bad as I may be making it out to be. In fact, by the end of the day all the records were neatly cataloged and filed away. We had managed to document pretty well through the year. Though we experienced a few really odd transactions which made reconciliation a bit of a challenge it wasn’t as bad as I’m making out. Yea… it‘s done!  So, not too much to comment on cat beds today, just about the business of owning a cat furniture website!

A mother cat will often catch prey (usually a mouse or lizard) to teach her kittens how to hunt. Once she has the prey she takes it to her kittens and turns it loose for them to learn to catch. Older cats will catch small prey for food or sport depending upon their circumstances. Our household pets consisted of 6 active cats and one very large dog. One afternoon I walked into the kitchen and was surprised to find all six cats in a circle in the middle of the floor. They had a little mouse running around in the middle of the circle. It was quite a sight and they would bat at it as it came near them. I am standing there wondering what to do about the situation when all of a sudden I yelled, “will one of you guys catch that mouse and take it outside”! Well, the smallest of the cats ran and grabbed the mouse while the others just sat and looked at each other. He scooted out the door with the mouse and that was the last we saw of it. As a reward for his cooperation we bought him his own personal Baza Hammock which he loves and is very protective of.

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.

My daughter has 2 elderly cats and a brand-new grandson. Her daughter and the baby stayed with her the first week after he was born. After they arrived, it became an interesting week. At first, the cats totally shunned my daughter! How dare she bring that interloper in! When they realized he wasn’t going to go away, little by little, they came around. Her female cat became interested in the baby. The male cat, however, was totally jealous. Whenever my daughter held the baby he would jump into her lap and squeeze himself in between her and the baby. He would eye the bassinet when she would go to put the baby down. Thank goodness he is no longer able to jump that high. The perfect solution was to buy him a Thermo-Kitty Cat Bed to use as his own bassinet where he could curl up whenever she put the baby in his. Both “babies” were able to nap at the same time in their respective bassinets and the jealousy abated!

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

[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 furry, warm delightful creatures.  They are intelligent, independent and can be very entertaining.  Some people fear cats and feel they are “sneaky” especially when they are creeping up on prey! They are excellent hunters. It is in their nature.

When my present cat, “Lady Jane” came to live with us, we were delighted.  She had been surviving on her own after being abandoned.  My daughter delivered her to our home and while she was here, the cat cuddled in her lap. When she left, Lady Jane promptly did the “catly thing” and hissed at the dog. He had been excited about her arrival, and was crestfallen when she hissed. He sulked, and she went under the bed.  She spent the next three days under there.  We even had to feed her under the bed. After she decided to come out from under the bed, she was still hesitant to mingle with the family.  However, once she became accustomed to the family’s lifestyle, it became THE CAT RULES!  She even demanded her own personal cat bed.

So, only 5 more days until Christmas! The pressure is on to find those last-minute gifts for the hard-to-buy-for folks in your life. One of my more challenging purchases this year was a gift for my parish priest. I decided to buy him a Betta fish; bowl, rocks, plant, food… a complete aquatic milieu! The bible mentions fish a lot like, “I Will Make You Fishers of Men,” Matt 4:19 so I thought it would be right up his “alley.” I know, it’s an odd gift but just a couple of months ago I bought my cat a couple of goldfish naming them Cat & Nip. I set the bowl on top of my bookshelf right next to my computer. She’d jump up and supervise their morning snack of brim shrimp. The top shelf is the exact height of her cat tree, so once the feeding frenzy tapered off, she’d meander across the top and jump into the top perch cat bed. There, she’d continue to watch them at eyeball-level until her early morning nap took precedence. Oh… the life of a cat!

But not for long…. Meet Templeton [left]. This is Templeton’s new Bella cat bed. That, is George [right] trying to get a little catnap-time in Templeton’s turf. I think George is trying to convince Templeton that he’s not really encroaching too much, see he’s displaying a very non-aggressive posture. Kinda cute, actually! But notice too, Templeton can’t quite fit one of his back legs in his bed, so apparently this photo opportunity was a brief one!  I wonder… who got it first?