12 Kitties of Christmas - Day 5

....four piles of barf
...3 ferocious felines
..2am howling
and a not so lively mousey

Caught this one first...
Technically a lady cornered her and I grabbed her...
She bit me..
She has since changed her evil ways.

Mina is the leader - The brave one
She is in charge and lets everyone know it by being a bully..
I guess she kept some of her evil ways...
When she isn't jumping on her siblings heads, or taking a nap.. she likes to play!
There is no favorite toy yet.
Out of the 5 she has the most serious eyes.

Seconds kitty caught.
She has the sweetest round face and kind eyes.
This little one was the first to accept me.
She is a purr bucket.
I believe she taught the others that I was not horrible.
I thank her for that.
She is a little ham.

Tiny little black kitten.
So sweet.
She was initially rather chicken, but she came around.
Once she decided I was useful.. I became her best friend.
She loves to be near me and be petted.
I suspect a lap kitty.

Her nick name is 'nugget' I call the shy ones Chicken Nuggets.

I am not sure of her personality yet..

She seems rather inquisitive.. Stares at me from a distance.

I make her sit with me.. Today when I let her go she took a few steps away then turned back.. Sniffed my hand then left without bolting. Baby steps...

She seems smart and sweet.

Less of a nugget than Haiden, but still shy.

I get her and Salem mixed up.. But after holding the kitty for 3 seconds and it starts to purr - I know it's Salem.

Phantom was the unknown kitty. 

I knew I had seen two black kittens, but nobody else had, 

It wasn't until she was meowing on top of the live trap ( Haiden was in it) that I knew for sure.

I am still learning her personality.

***********

They are all hilarious to watch.
A kitten has a unique way of making everything look cute. 

Once they are old enough, they will get their first set of shots. 

They will also get their check up at that time. 

First trip to the vet.. always fun.

The really fun time starts when I let them venture out of my room. 

There is a cuteness overload. 

It amazes me how good my cats are with the little ones. 

At first they put on an act... hissing... a swat here and there..

Cubby and Sebby are the main offenders. 

Willow is a surrogate mother to all the foster babies. 

She is a great girl. Never a mother herself... but she gets to use her motherly instincts to help these guys out. 

Sebby will pretend to dislike the kittens at first... but I catch him snuggling with them from time to time...

I wonder who will bond with each cat ?

The needy ones seem to be attracted to Sebby.

The independent ones hang out with Willow, the immature ones with Onyx... The wilder ones with Molly. 

Cubby could care less about other cats. He does not need the headache ... He has his routines and he sticks with them.

I look forward to the next steps..I also look forward to sharing them.

12 Kitties of Christmas -Day 4

You know that wonderful feeling ... walking into the living room and stepping on something wet and squishy ?
Oh yeah... that happens.. more than we would like to admit.



It's never just in one spot.
Noooo
Fluffy has to tour the whole living room.
In my case...Sebby barfs after eating too much.... too fast.

Willow and Cubby are my hairballers.

They take turns.
The barfing has been cut way back after I changed to a grain free dry food.
But don't tell Purina..my Cats do not get any of their delicious corn.
They never have...I have never fed them that brand.

Lists the 4 groups - or groups of possible causes

Sebby, Willow & Cubby fall under - Gastrointestinal Disorder

Sebby is only an occasional barfer...
Willow & Cubby are occasional hairballers...

Considering the foster kitties..and my meows.. I am surprised at how little I find ...
But you still get that instant -Eww- feeling when you step on something.

Hairballs
Both Willow and Cubby are long haired kitties.
Willow goes through phases where she is more obsessive over her grooming.
Cubby...yeah the old thing.. old man hackin up hairballs.

I have seen some of the kittens eat fur.. so if you have a little one that tends to act like a silly puppy and eats everything off of the floor - pick the stuff up off of the floor..or step in the results of it.

Both Vomiting and Hairballs can be a sign of something else.
Or
Their occurrence or even lack of occurrence can be cause for concern.

Know your kitty...
Cats may be strange.. but they tend to be consistently strange.
Meaning - you can tell if a weird cat is being abnormally weird.

When in doubt.. talk to a Vet.

If you are concerned it is best to seek help from a vet first.
The internet is a wealth of knowledge ...but compared to a Veterinarian - it is a know it all robot - with you as its controller.
You may be a moron.. I am not saying you are...I am saying that you could be.
You could also be Batman...

 Trichobezoars


Sounds like a Dinosaur
Isn't. 
It's another word for Hairball.

12 Kitties of Christmas - Day 3

 ..2:00AM Howling
..and a not so lively mousey 
 









They think they are so tough!
Some are.. some.. not so much.






I wonder what goes through a cats head when it is about to pounce on a cat that it lives with.















I watch Sebby go after Cubby

Onyx go after Molly

They generally leave Willow alone.
Why?
Is she high ranking in the pack?
Maybe she is in the middle ...

Sebby thinks that he is boss... maybe he is.
I believe that is the reason he attacks Cubby.
Cubby is the oldest of the group... has been around the longest - but is old and not really a fighter.
Sebby can dominate without getting his butt handed to him.

Onyx is the youngest, he is passive with Willow but aggressive with Molly.

My cats have a pecking order... but it is currently out of whack due to Purrcy.

Purrcy is that kid in class that just does not have any fear..or boundaries.
He will fight anyone, for fun. There is no intention of harming...he may just be an ass.
Or could he be driven to be a leader in a situation where he can not ?

I need the cat whisperer.

Scratch that... I really don't want to know what they are actually thinking.. it would throw off my characters.

Why do cats fight
Because they are jerks?
Some cats are just jerks. Not kidding.
I still love them, but yes... they can be jerks.


There are many reasons cats fight.
Aggression, Domination, Pain, Confusion, Irritation, Territory, Hormones, Lack of personal space...
Those are some ideas.

Check out this article on Cat Behavior, it may answer some questions.

I have never thought about each cat having their own scratching post.. but it makes sense. We all need our own things. Or at least want them.

Vertical living space is something very important to consider.
You could live in a tiny apartment but add perches and high areas for your meow to hang out and you may have a calmer house.

If you have the cash on hand to create a more elaborate vertical paradise... do it!


Sebby, as you probably have read about before - is my rather jerky kitty.
Love him loads...he is still a jackass at times.

He is the instigator.
If I ignore him, he smacks Cubby.
If I scold him...he chases Cubby.

If there is an animal outside the window and it freaks him out.. he attacks Cubby.. or me.

I was on the end of a rather large tantrum - I brought a puppy in the house.
How dare I !!
Sebby seemed alright with Leeyah after the first initial hissy fit.

It was all a lie.

Not sure what happened or how it started.. but Sebby tried to attack Leeyah.














Look at that face! Sebby must have been jealous of how cute she was.

I grabbed Leeyah and held her so he changed his tactics and attacked the back of my legs.

That little bugger bit me and scratched the crap out of my legs.
Of course I had shorts on...

I had to push him away and zip up Leeyah in her crate ( actually the same crate I am using for the baby kittens)

In this situation I decided it would be best to relocate Leeyah to my parents place.
Temporarily ... ha.. that was almost 4 years ago.
Leeyah became a permanent resident after a few months... when I was basically informed that she would be better off with them ( they adore her and she adores them )

She is spoiled and they only live 5 minutes away.

I lucked out..
Not like I would ever have given her up.. I would have figured something out..
Kitty straight jacked for Sebby?

That was the only time he has ever gone bat crap crazy.
In general just smacks Cubby around ..chases him around for a few seconds then gets bored and moves on.

None of the cat fights in my house are fur flying or vicious.
Just jerky.


I think cats are just like people when it comes to picking on or bullying others.

Sebby has had many time outs.

He sits in the bathroom to think about what he has done..
Or drink out of the toilet...

It gives the other cats time to compose themselves .. or hide..

What I need is kitty doors leading into their own spaces.. each kitty having their own special door with facial recognition.
Sure collars would be cheaper.. but I do not like the thought of any of them getting stuck somewhere because of a stupid collar.
That and I swear Sebby would steal the other cats collars.

I give him too much credit... or do I?

12 Kitties of Christmas - Day 2

On the second day of Christmas my kitty gave to me...

..and a mouse that was not so lively...


It goes something like this...

meowowwwwwwowowow
meowowowowowowow

meow

I ignore....
MEEEOOOWWWOWOWOWOW
MEOW MEOW MEOWWOWOWOW 
Cubby it's okay, I am right here...
From my room.

meow
meeooww
MEEOWOWOWOOWOW

Cubby enough.

MEOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

CUBBY ENOUGH

MEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWOW meow

CUBBY QUIET!!!!

meow meoW meOW mEOW MEOW

CUBBY SHUT UP!

MEEOO...
SHUT UP






 MEEEOOOWWWW
SHHHHUUUUUUUUT UUUUPPP

Meow
STOP IT
MOWWW
Enough.

30 seconds later...
meowowowow

WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU !

meeeeeeeeowowow

..I go out and see him

I am right here, see it's okay.. you are okay... I am okay... you are not alone... you have food, water, shelter, warmth, friends, Sebby isn't chasing you. 
Things are good. 
SO CLAM IT!


He generally stops.
I am stuck between the idea that me going out there is only giving him cause to meow every night...
But...
Me going out there makes him stop.


This has been going on for a few months now.
He has not gained or lost any weight...
He is eating and doing everything normally..

I asked the Vet about his meowing and he said it could be anxiety.
Cubby is 15
He is an old man now.

Reasons why cats may be meowing
PetMd 
Seek Veterinary advice.
I am rather sure my guy is slightly senile.
 
ASPCA -I know.. I should not get up and see him.
Guess telling him to shut up isn't helpful.
Already knew both of those things...

The Art & Science of Animal Behavior - How to train your cat to sit?
I am so buying treats tomorrow..
I highly doubt I can teach an old cat new tricks...

Who am I kidding.. I am going to teach the kittens to fetch!!
And then.. I am gonna teach  myself how to ignore Cubby meowing like a crazy kitty in the middle of the night. ( Lies.. I will keep doing the same thing because he is old and I suck at ignoring things )

The 12 Kitties of Christmas

On the first day of Christmas my kitty gave to me..

One - not so lively - Mousey

( Fictional story.. Only kamikaze mice would enter this house)

Why do cats do that?

How many times do you hear about a feline offering of a dead mouse.

Are they just being icky?

Is it a gift?

Are they showing us that they appreciate all they do for us, and would like to share their snack? 

Ha.. A cat showing appreciation.

No.

They think we suck at hunting and they are trying to show us.








 Smug little creatures.

I am only half joking.

Lets think about what we know for fact

• Momma cats in the wild bring dead mice to their babies.
• When the kittens are a bit older, Momma brings them injured mice.
• Momma needs to teach her babies how to kill the prey in order for them to be able to survive on their own.

• Even if Momma was never around to teach this to their babies, or Momma and her young have never stepped foot outside it is in their predatory instinct to hunt and kill.
• Cats are natural born killers.

The Mickey and Mallory of the bird, bug and rodent world. 
Fantastic cat names by the way.

********

If your cat brings you a half dead mouse, maybe your cat thinks you are more advanced than a 5 week old kitten! good for you!

But what if Fluffy is a boy. That throws the Motherly aspect out the window.

 I recall, way back when I was a youngin - my Cat left a dead mouse for me... On my pillow?
Noooo In my pillow case!!
That only ever happened once.
As he got older he started bringing me Potatoes and Green Beans..

I believe he understood my views on hunting and decided to take a different approach. 
No?
Maybe the mouse just got wise and stayed away.
In regards to that kitty, the gift idea seems to sounds possible.  He was my little guardian...
Crap now I am sad.
***********
Sebby has only ever brought me .. nothing, he steals from me. 
Willow steals as well.
Molly ignores me.
Onyx too.
Cubby...I do not think he has ever brought me anything. 

Some of the foster kittens have brought me toy mousies. 

I am a little annoyed now.. where are my gifts? Not that I actually want dead critters.. I do not.. 
They could bring me toys. 

Ungrateful meows... 

Maybe I should take it as a compliment. They don't need to hunt for me.. they do not need to teach me. 
Maybe they see me as less of a stupid human and more of an over grown feline. 
***********

Since killing is a natural drive for our fantastic little meows.. they might have killed a mouse and then realized they were not hungry..
Maybe they are just trying not to waste their food?

Regardless of the reason behind why a cat brings you dead or half dead tiny animals - one thing seems to be constant..
Do not scold your cat for doing this. 
You can ignore them, then throw away this 'gift?'
If they have a tendency to hunt toys and bring them to you - and you think it is kinda cute- play along.
The cat did a good job. Praise them.
Don't over do  it.. they are not stupid.


Cats are fantastic creatures, each unique in their own way.
We have tiny tigers and panthers living amongst us. ( they like to think they are tiny tigers and panthers)

If on the first day of Christmas my kitty gave to me
A not so lively mousey...
I would do my absolute best not to freak out...
Then I would consider myself lucky..
That I am not a mouse...
Then I will assume that my cat must like me. 



Afterthought.....
I find it disgusting that people could look at a cat or kitten and think are evil...
I absolutely agree that they are tiny little serial killers - they toy with their prey and kill for no reason at times...

They may even enjoy it...

If you think about it ... it's creepy. 

But..

They do not profit from killing these animals. 

They do not make billions of dollars by slaughtering animals on a daily basis to feed mass amounts of people who are not obligatory carnivores. 

They do not buy special equipment to stalk their prey and give themselves an overwhelming advantage over these creatures. 

They do not mount the heads of these animals on their walls.

They do not stuff these animals and keep them as a trophy.

If you allow your cat outdoors then you are putting birds and other small animals at risk. 

No I am not a moron... think about it. 

We buy bird feeders, bird baths, and put them up in our back yards.. then we let out bird killers. 

We build communities where wildlife live, then get angry at the wildlife for getting into our garbage - but we are too stupid to put our garbage in something they can not get into. 

We grow gardens in our back yards - then get mad when animals eat the food. 

The garbage, the garden, the bird baths, and bird feeders all have something in common.. they draw in small animals which cats kill. 

  Save a Birdy... keep Fluffy inside.