C is for Cats

 This month is the 15th anniversary of my blog, so I will be sharing previous posts this month from over 2000 that I have written. It's not easy to pick, but I had to have at least one about our cats. We have had 6 different cats over the years, and they have been an important part of our lives. Today, you will get to know a little about our cat, Lucy. 

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Tuesday, May 10, 2011

A Day in the Life of Lucy

  

Lucy started her day with a little breakfast.

Then she decided to join Wally, who was still in bed.

After her nap with Wally, she joined the family in 
a game of Scrabble.

She soon became bored with Scrabble and decided 
to play cards instead.

All the game playing tired her out, so she took another 
nap with the rest of the cats.

After her rest, she tried her paws at some arts and crafts.

The tedium of the arts and crafts made her nervous, so she chewed on a box to calm herself before her next nap.

When she woke up, she was hungry and demanded to be fed.

After eating, she decided that she would watch some TV with Annie and me, but soon fell asleep.

With her last burst of energy for the day, she caught a "mouse."

And she fell asleep for the night beside Ward.

The end.

Until next time...

Black Cat Day

 There's a day for everything now, and today is Black Cat Day. So, in honor of Black Cat Day, I'm going to rerun a post about the black cat we used to have, Lucky. 

We got Lucky with his sister Lucy, as a young kitten from one of Theo's classmates. When Lucky was a few weeks old, he followed his mother out a door that closed on him before he was all the way through. His family thought the slamming door had killed him, but no, Lucky had other ideas. When he came to us a few weeks later, he was a healthy, playful kitten that we named Lucky because of the good luck he had already had in his young life.

It was soon evident that he was the dominant cat over his littermate Lucy, a sweet, gentle girl. Three years later, he remained the top cat when the other two cats, Leo and Annie, came into the house. Despite constant challenges from Annie, Lucky remained in charge. No need for swats or growls to keep the others in line. A stern look from him was all that it took.

As part of his leadership role, he was a leader in the food department. He was the one who got to eat first and the one who opened the food bag for the others. He could tear a hole in a new bag of food in no time flat. Then the others got to enjoy the spoils of his efforts. We tried to put the food away as soon as we got it, but he was amazingly fast at this trick.

He also got first crack at the prey that ventured into our house. He didn't bring the dead mouse or mole to us, as many cats do; he hid them under one particular rug in the basement. The same rug that he did his trick of lying on his side and running around the edge of it. We don't know what all of that meant in cat behavior, but I guess he did.

Lucky was also a relaxed cat who enjoyed a good lap to purr on and a pat from anyone — stranger or not. Even the vet. That was until he had some medical problems that needed invasive procedures. After that, the vet was not his friend. In fact, sometimes it took two or three of the most experienced people at the vet's to help Lucky with what he needed. Can't say that I blamed him. I wouldn't have been very happy with the people who poked and prodded me for no good reason that I could understand. But he and I survived, as did our other cats he hissed at for several days after they had been to the vet.

He was also our adventure kitty. All of our cats were indoor cats. They were curious about the outside, but happy to watch the show from a window. A door left open by mistake might get a cat creeping outside, but never a dash. So we couldn't figure out how and why we would occasionally find Lucky outside meowing at a window to come back in. He seemed happy, just ready to come inside for a bit of warmth. Sometimes he had been out all night, and we didn't even know he was out there. One time, he helped us figure out that we had a torn screen (maybe he tore it), but other times, we never figured out how he made it out. But he always came back.

Lucky had a good, long life of 18 years, and we still miss him.

Feline Friday

 Danielle at Sweet Tea Reads is participating in Feline Friday, where you post a picture of a cat, real or imagined. Even though we don't have cats anymore, I do have a few pictures from owning them for decades, so I'm playing along.

A cat and his bag.
Not only was Lucky in charge of this bag,
 he was the king of the other cats when we had four.

And Then There Were None

Annie, a few months ago.

 When I started this blog, we had four cats. Now we have none. Yesterday, we had to put Annie down. She had taken a turn for the worse, and it was time. Several years ago, I found out that I was allergic to cats, so we won't be getting any more. After 40 years of having cats, it is going to be a hard adjustment to make.

Annie (left) and her brother, Leo - the early days

We got Annie over twenty years ago when we adopted her and her littermate, Leo, from a pet rescue organization. They joined our other two cats, Lucky and Lucy.

Annie came into the household adventuresome and bossy. Among other things, she tried to take over the favorite spots of the older cats. This had mixed results. After a few months, the pecking order was finally established, and much to her chagrin, Annie was the Number Two cat.

When she didn't make gains in territory, she focused on eating. She soon figured out that I usually did the feeding, and she stuck to me like glue. Annie would always be the first one eating, pushing others out of the way if necessary, even though they each had their own bowl. She would bump my hand as I was pouring food so more would spill into the bowl. Then, if any food was left from the other cats, she would finish it. 

Annie in her heavier days.

Her competitive eating soon made her rather Garfield-like, but her size did not slow her down, however. She was still the loudest cat and the most aggressive hunter. She was always first on the scene when anything new came into the house. But she also loved her lap time and a scratch under her chin.

Annie slowed down over the years but was still eager to let you know when she wanted something. Her very expressive meows let you know that you should fill her food bowl or come sit down and pet her.

Annie still getting in trouble in her old age.

A few weeks ago, we discovered a rapidly growing tumor on her leg. Because of her age, removal was not an option. We watched as she kept going despite the discomfort she was having. However, yesterday, we found her having difficulty with her bodily functions and clearly in distress. We guessed that the tumor had spread to other parts of her body.

Making the decision to end a pet's suffering is always a difficult one, but Wally said something that helped. He visited over the weekend and noted even though Annie was definitely showing her age, she still had her personality. So when yesterday, she wasn't showing her "listen to me now" ways, we knew it was time. 

Goodbye, Annie. You were a great addition to the family, and you are sorely missed.

 

Kris's Kittens

Kris, a regular friend here, recently got two kittens, and I asked her if she'd like to do a post to tell us about them. Because as you all know, I'm a cat person and love to hear stories about them. If you've ever had cats, or pets for that matter, you will be able to relate to many of Kris's experiences. So many things she said made me think of stories of my own, but I will save them for another time. 

Pippa and Stuart

 How old are your kittens, and how long have you had them? 

Pippa is 7 months old, and Stuart is 6 months old.  We got them in mid-September.  It was a 2 week wait to get them, but in the meantime, the shelter had Stuart neutered, so we were glad that detail was done before we brought them both home.  We had considered bringing Pippa home first and then getting Stuart after his procedure, but I think it was best to bring them home at the same time. All of you cat lovers know that cats can be territorial, and bringing two home at once minimizes the territorial issues.  

Where did you get your kittens, and how did you decide that these were "the ones"?

There are multiple cat shelters in our area.  The challenge was choosing which shelter to go through!  The one closest to our house proved to be the best option. At the time, they had 15 kittens all in one room, which gave us plenty to choose from.  My daughter and I went for the first visit to scope out the situation. Pippa immediately deposited herself in my daughter's lap, so that was a done deal.  :)    We went back a few days later with my husband in tow.  We wanted to make sure that Pippa was a good fit for us.  While we were there, my husband kept rubbing the tummy of another sweet kitten--you guessed it, that kitten was Stuart.  At that point, we had a dilemma.  

Pippa

Before we ever made a visit to the shelter, we had discussed getting two kittens.  I had always thought that if we were to have multiple cats, it would be easiest to do it at the kitten stage rather than introducing cats to our home at different times.  After thinking about adopting two, I got cold feet and said that we'd get one, not two.  And then .... along came Stuart. I went to the front desk at the shelter and asked if they could ID who he was and told them that we were having a hard time choosing between cats.  "Just get them both!"  said the worker.  I told her that she was a problem and I was going to report her.  Good thing she had a good sense of humor.  Her words ended up being prophetic, and we decided to take the plunge and get both of them.  

Stuart (with Gollum and Ragnar, the Viking Gnome)

We had talked about traits we wanted to see in our pet(s)--friendly and affectionate were high on the list.  I also didn't want any that were aggressive to other cats (or humans) or who were too acrobatic, leaping on things all the time.  During our first visit, a fly was in the room.  The fly ended up being an excellent test to weed out some of the ones we were considering--one sweet girl was able to make astounding leaps trying to attack the fly, so she moved from my "maybe" list to my "no" list.  

Did you use the names they came with or choose new ones?

My kittens are named Pippa and Stuart.  Pippa's original name was Coco, but my daughter didn't care for that name, so she and I decided on Pippa.  Stuart came from a different litter of kittens, and they were named after the minions from Despicable Me.  We liked the name Stuart and kept it.

Have you had cats before, and do you have any other pets? 

We had to put down our amazing cat, Max, in June.  We had him for almost 15 years, and he was a perfect fit for our family. That was a hard day (as I'm sure many of you know!).  We had a busy summer, so I didn't want to consider getting another cat until after summer was over.  Our house was feeling empty, though, so by September, we were ready to take the plunge. 

Max with the Grinch

What did you do ahead of time to prepare for them? Are your preparations helping? Are the kittens doing things you hadn't planned for?

Well, Pippa just knocked over a fake tree that I have in my living room! Max had knocked it over before, too, so that wasn't unexpected.  I think that we expected some wild behavior from them, but I hadn't realized quite how long they could spend wrestling with each other or how vicious their play-fighting would appear to be.  

We had a lot of the basics for a cat already, but I stocked up on cat food, litter, toys, and bought another bed. I also bought the double-sided tape sheets that you can adhere to your furniture to prevent them from clawing it.  Pippa was trying to chew it off from the sofa, so we decided it was causing more harm than good and removed it.  I bought lots of scratching boards and a post, as well.  We never had a cat tree for Max, so I was on the fence about getting one for Pippa and Stuart, but after having them home, I decided they needed one. I did a lot of internet searching to find one that was fairly tall but took up a small footprint in our house, and that wasn't covered in carpet (I don't love the shards of carpet that you find everywhere from where cats shred it off).  I was finally successful locating one that I liked, and it's proven to be a success.  In answer to your question, yes, I do think that our preparations helped a lot.  Flexibility is also helpful, as they each have their own personality, and you can never quite predict what each of them will do. 

I have no idea what Pippa was up to on the cat tree.

Have the kittens taken to any one person in particular?

The kittens are leery of other people coming to our home. Pippa is more likely to check them out, but Stuart is our scaredy-cat.  We were surprised by that because she is more hesitant to enter new situations, and Stuart will barge right into a room and not appear to be frightened.  They are bonding well with the three of us; I'm not sure they have favorites.  It will be interesting to see how they react when my son comes home from college for Thanksgiving. 

Are you seeing distinct personalities between them? 

Definitely, and right from the get-go. Pippa is more high-strung and, as I mentioned before, gets nervous about entering new areas. We started them out in my son's room for a couple of weeks and gradually started opening up the rest of the house to them.  Stuart was very curious, but Pippa needed extra time to get used to the idea before she would go explore.  She likes to be a mother hen to Stuart, and I think she feels that she has to keep track of us humans, as well.  She's very friendly and likes to rub against your ankles (and get underfoot when you are walking). She makes the funniest chirping sounds, which we get a kick out of. Stuart, on the other hand, is more laid back.  He lets out a very hoarse, funny-sounding bleat and rolls over on his back to have you rub his tummy. He has super soft fur, so that's a pleasure.  He purrs really loudly and will let you pick him up, unlike Pippa.  

Where do they sleep at night?

We started them out in my son's room because it's a smaller space.  That's what was recommended to us to do.  After a couple of weeks, we transitioned them to sleeping in the basement, which has gone well.  

Stuart

What makes you smile the most about your kittens?

So many things!  I love how they enjoy being together and will play together; they also snuggle up and sleep together, and that melts my heart!  

Pippa and Stuart

Thank you for the opportunity to share my kittens with all of you!  

Thanks, Kris. I can see that you have many years of cat fun and love ahead.

Thankful Sunday

 I am thankful for my curious kitties.

I have old cats. They move slowly, sleep a lot, and groom little. They look and act very much like the 19-year-old cats they are. But yesterday, their younger selves emerged when we brought out the Christmas decorations. They sniffed, pawed, and otherwise tried to dominate the different Christmas containers and bags. And for this spark of curiosity that I saw in Annie and Leo, I am thankful.

(And I'm also thankful that they aren't knocking all of the ornaments off the tree, or knocking it over, for that matter.)

Happy Birthday, Kitties!

Annie and Leo

Today our cats, Leo and Annie, turn 18 years old. They are definitely showing their age, but they are still showing their spunk and insistence on being the center of everyone's world, as well.

We already had two cats when we got Annie and Leo and were not planning to get any more. But you know what they say about best laid plans. Miss Landers had gotten us a gift certificate for Petsmart that we went to use one afternoon. As chance would have it, it was cat adoption day. While I enjoyed seeing the cats, I was not tempted to get any more. I thought we were doing our part with the two we already had.  I wasn't tempted, but Ward was. He started campaigning that we needed some kittens. All of my red flags went up--what about the extra litter boxes, torn furniture, vet bills, etc. Those didn't seem to phase him. I agreed to go back and look at two kittens we had seen - a brother and sister that they wanted to adopt together. 

The kittens were shy with one (Annie) cautiously venturing out of their carrier to be petted while the other (Leo) hid inside. We went about our shopping, but went back before we left the store and said that we might be interested in adopting the pair. However, we needed time to think about it. Then we went home to talk to Wally and Leo.

They thought getting two more cats was the greatest idea in the world. I laid forth all of the arguments as to why we should not get the kittens, but they had a counter argument for every one of them. So then I started to think seriously about the idea. I tended to be the one in the family who put a damper on many thing by looking at the practical/negative side of things. I told myself that maybe for once, I could do something without thinking through all of the possibilities. I gave the adoption group a call the next day and said we were interested. 

The group was very happy we called back. They had  others interested in the kittens but liked us because they knew we weren't doing it on impulse. The group's goal was to get a lifelong placement for the cats in a good home. Not one that would have them for a period of time and then get rid of them. We had to have an extensive interview, fill out a lot of paperwork, make promises for their care, and pay for a spay and neuter. All good practices, but there was one question in particular that I thought was very smart. They said that in all likelihood, that our kids would be out of the house long before the cats. Would Ward and I be okay with having four cats with only two of us to care for them? We said we would.

And two days later, we picked up the kittens in the parking lot of Petsmart and took them home to spend the next couple of weeks anchored in a bedroom as we introduced them to are existing cats, Lucky and Lucy. But that's a story for another day.

So was it a good decision to have four cats? Yes. Were there problems with this many? Yes. But the joy, comfort, laughter, and companionship they have provided have far outweighed the difficulties. 

Happy Birthday, Annie and Leo! We're so glad that you are part of our family.

Thankful Sunday, January 24, 2021

 I am thankful for our cats and 

the help they provide with our clothes.

Whether it is gathering dirty clothes, folding clean ones, hanging up coats, or packing clothes for a trip, the cats are always there to help. And for the amusement this provides, I am thankful.

Terrariums

 or A Few Cat Proof Gifts

Lucy trying to climb a plant.

I have tried over the years to have house plants without success because of my cats. First, many common house plants are toxic to cats who seem to have this irresistible urge to chew on them. Not good. And I have found even if the plants won't hurt the cats, the cats will hurt the plants. Many a day I have found parts of our houseplants strewn about the house.

I tried planting cat grass just for them hoping they would get their plant fix from that and leave the other plants alone. Nope, they still bothered the other plants along with leaving dirt and grass here and there because they would pull the grass up by the roots. 

Then I started to put the plants into an extra bedroom keeping the door shut at all times. Well, almost always. Occasionally, the door would become unlatched and the cats would have their fun with the plants again.  The main issue with keeping the plants behind a closed door was the "out of sight, out of mind" problem. The plants became neglected and didn't always survive.

Now, enter the terrarium. My kids got me a large cookie jar with some plants a couple of years ago for Christmas, hopefully finding a way for me to have some live greenery indoors. And it has worked! The terrarium is out where I can see it and watch the plants grow. The plants have outgrown the container a couple of times, but I just cut them back and watched them grow again. That has been the only maintenance required. 

So this year in one of the name drawings when I got someone's name who has a cat and likes plants, I decided to make him a terrarium. Then I added a couple of more for my kids and a few just for the fun of it. Below are a few pictures although trying to get pictures through glass with moisture droplets on it wasn't the easiest, but you'll get the idea.

Here is part of my terrarium garden. They move around the living room to different places depending on whether Ward is using the room for exercise. The containers range from the cookie jars I mentioned to jars found in my parents attic to plastic pretzel containers.

This is the inside of one of the gifts. I dug up and planted volunteer begonias out of my yard. They have been growing nicely and had to be trimmed a bit. I added an additional plant that I purchased. The glass mushroom and bee were made by a friend of mine.

This is a terrarium that Theo made in middle school as part of a Boy Scout project. He has had it ever since.  All of the original plants have died except some moss/algae. I put some new plants in and cleaned it up a bit but was careful to leave the imprints of the ferns on the side of the jar that were part of the original planting and grew for many years. The coleus came from one of our outdoor planters and I used new growth that was starting at the base. I purchased the other plant.

This jar came from my parent's attic. We spray painted the lid because it was rusted, but otherwise it has worked well. This was another volunteer begonia that has out grown the container. I plan to replant it soon.

This is a volunteer fern that I dug up out of the yard. It is planted in a plastic jar that pretzels came in. It has been very happy in here and is quickly outgrowing the container. I'm still thinking about what to do next with it. 

This one is for Wally and is filled with more begonias from the yard. It's in another pretzel container that Wally actually gave to us. It was full of peanut butter pretzels from Costco.

And the one that started it all. It houses a combination of things I got out of my yard along with some purchased plants. It's hard to see from this angle, but there are some small, blue, glass birds among the plants that I got from my grandmother.