Cat Views

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.

When my sister met her husband, they were both young singles sharing apartments with their respective cats. Their big concern was whether or not their cats would be compatible. After much growling and hissing, the cats came to terms and decided they liked each other. Whenever they were together they played and played and had a really good time.A bridal shower was given for my sister by her friends (many of them are cat lovers). After opening her gifts, several large packages were still sitting on the floor. When she questioned someone about them, they brought them over to her. What a surprise when she opened them! She started giggling before revealing the contents. There was a cat tree, a kitty condo, and hand painted feeding bowls! Her friends had decided that her cat needed a bridal shower too.

My parents had a big orange cat who loved to travel. She liked gas stations, capitol buildings, Christmas lights and camping. One weekend they took off to go camping near the river. The cat was excited when she saw the tent and goodies being loaded in the car. They took off, arrived at the site and started to unpack. Oops! My dad had forgotten to pack the tent poles. Well, that meant a return to home. The cat was furious with him. Growling, spitting and hissing at him all the way home. After arriving home, she went in to her cat condo and ignored him. She would spit at him whenever she saw him for the rest of the weekend. By Monday, her snit was over and she was hoping for another camping trip.

Our family loved to camp and we always went as a family unit (including our two adored cats).  Other friends and their families joined us at the campsite bringing along their pets as well. One weekend we were forced to use an “overflow” camping area where there were no regular campsites. After dinner, we discovered our oldest cat was missing. He had slipped his collar and disappeared.  We were frantic! Our house cat was loose in the woods and it was dark! After several hours of calling and searching we all sat down around the dying campfire totally worn out and depressed. One of the girls glanced up and said, “mom, dad, I know where he is”. We immediately came out of our lethargic state with renewed energy ready to resume the hunt. We didn’t have far to go! Alex, the cat, was sitting under the car watching us the entire time. The next trip, the cats will have their own Kat Kabin to sleep in!

It was summer and our big, fluffy cat, John, loved to be outside.  One bright sunny day a mockingbird landed on our fence and spied the cat! Well, the bird took it from there. He taunted the cat who naturally, went after him. The jumped up on the fence, but the wily bird flew up to the roof. The cat leaped up to the roof and the bird flew down to the picnic table. The cat landed on the picnic table and the bird took off to the fence. When the cat tired of the chase he would retire to his KatKabin.  The bird would then sit on the fence and call, “kitty, kitty, kitty”, until the cat would flatten his ears and shoot out of the Kat Kabin and resume the chase.  After a month, the bird finally tired of taunting the cat and flew off. Once again our summer days were quiet and restful and the cat could enjoy the yard.

We all know about our cats and their sometimes not so wonderful hunting abilities. Some cats really like to show off their trophies and ours was no exception. It was just around suppertime when the cat raced in to show us his prize.   It was a bird! The bird, still alive, escaped from his jaws and fluttered around the kitchen. We captured the bird and placed it safely in the cat’s carrier. The next day, we took the little bird to Game Management. They took one look at our little bird and told us it was a baby Fly-Catcher and were surprised it had survived in the carrier overnight. The carrier door was opened. The bird escaped and flew around the office. One of the gentlemen there scooped it up in his hand. When he opened up his hand, the tiny bird had a firm grip with his little beak on a finger. He commented, “This one is a survivor”.

We brought the carrier home and the cat crawled in looking for his bird. After discovering the bird was missing, he looked at us and spit, scooted out of the carrier and furiously stalked outside with his ears flattened. He had to go and replace his trophy!

With hardy winter weather conditions afoot, cat owners become concerned about how best to care for their outdoor cats, particularly their feral feline friends. How cold is too cold, especially on chilly winter nights?

There are a number of outdoor cat condo options, but one of the most economical is a new product by K & H Pet Products, the Kitty Camper. This is the perfect solution for your outdoor or feral cat buddy, the Kitty Camper. It’s like a little pup-tent for cats! Great in the basement, garage, outside shed or patio it can be plugged into any standard outlet. The little side cubby allows for easy access while the ends can allow your cat to snooze & peruse their surroundings. Designed to gently warm the inside of the bed area, the heat gradually radiates to the surface of the bed when your cat lies on it. Safe, energy efficient and therapeutic warmth for convalescent, arthritic and older pets, this nifty little cat bed will a favorite spot for your outside buddy.