Poor Kitties

This morning, I carefully dressed myself: jeans, denim shirt, leather gloves. It's time to take the cats to the vet. Today, everybody gets their last series of shots, and Henry and Athena get neutered.

I started with Athena. After surprisingly few laps around the room, I scruffed her and shoved her into the cat carrier (I prop them against the wall, so I can drop the cats down through the door). She is surprisingly strong and fast. I'm glad this is our last trip - I don't think I'll be able to catch her again.

She didn't meow, but I could feel a palpable sense of "Everything bad that's ever happened to me in my entire life is due to you." as she glared at me from the back of the cage.

Henry cowered on the top of Jean's cat cage. I picked him up and rubbed him against my cheek. I felt so bad, but it had to be done.

Alma was easy - a grab and stuff and we were done.

I slipped Enya into the tape deck: music soothes the savage beast. Nonetheless, there were additional backup singers.

Chorus
Alma: Yrow
Henry: Meow
Athena: Mew
... And a one more time!

Fast forward to now. I called the vet. Henry and Athena are waking up. I took the opportunity to get them tested and they're both FIV negative. Way to go, Alma! Her struggles were successful; she has raised two healthy kittens, who will NOT go on to reproduce.

Why carpets are better

For much of my life, I preferred hardwood floors. They are beautiful. Sweeping is so much easier and cleaner than vacuuming - much more resource efficient. Spots can be completely wiped up with a dampened rag, and don't form those nasty black spots later. Hardwoods don't encourage dustmites, or other nasty little critters.

What I didn't think about was the cat interface. While, yes, it's much easier to get cat hair off of hardwood floors, cats do not have the healthy respect for the broom as they do the vacuum. Orpheus flops down in the broom's path so that he can be "swept." Henry cannonballs into the dust piles like he is the Hobbes portion of Calvin and Hobbes.

Which is also why Henry smells like chocolate. I spilled cocoa on the floor this morning. He ran over and sniffed it, leaving cocoa dust on his face. Then he lay spreadeagled over it until I moved him to sweep. I seem to be moving him a lot lately. Which is the problem with domesticated kittens. He's constantly underfoot and wants me to pick him up and pet him.

I don't have this problem with Athena. I'm basically leaving her alone. I tried chasing her down and petting her daily, but she hates it. It's much better when I do it periodically, when she can enjoy it. Maybe in a year or two, she'll be in the mood to snuggle.

The price of liberty is eternal vigilance

08-10-2002. 08:01 Hours. Agent Athena Reporting

Life progresses more or less on schedule. The Pink Monster came in with wet food at 07:13. This time I was not cozened into remaining in the room, but ran out with my mom and brother.

Once the Monster left, I was first at the dish. I prefer that the Monsters not even see me.

There are TWO Monsters outside of the Room + a nasty cat. Luckily, the other Monster doesn't come AT me as often, though still innumerable times during the day. The nasty cat will hit me with his soft paw if I come to close. He might even bite. I stay away from him and hiss, sometimes, if I see him.

The food Monster tries to TOUCH me. Is it not enough that she come AT me millions of times, so I have to run and hide? Is it not enough that I can never completely relax? But it must TOUCH my fur.

Yesterday, it did again. The sensation was surprising wonderful, but I'll not be charmed by it. I know that nothing truly good can come from a Monster. It's better to Disappear when they are around.

It's amazing how close you can be when you disappear. I see them sometimes looking for me, before closing my mom and brother into the Room. My brother I even slept for hours within reach of the Monster. It never came near. Finally, it came AT us and TOUCHED my brother. I managed to escape.

I will never submit like my brother. He will allow them to TOUCH him and even asks for it. It might feel really, really good, but I know nothing good can come of it. I remember the Cage. I remember the nasty place with the needles. I will never forget.

The treats are mine. The food is mine. I will never be a slave.

Angelical Cat Company

http://www.angelicalcat.com/

Dear Angelical Cat,

I purchased your R4 cat furniture some years back. My cat, Hinge, preferred scratching bark, and I couldn't find anything in the stores. I think it was the most expensive piece of furniture I owned for quite some time. When I got it home, I was impressed. The tunnel is at chair height and the bed is at countertop height. Very managable for almost any cat and the bed was a comfortable height for me when I brushed her.

After Hinge passed away, I got Orpheus, a large, declawed male. He, of course, doesn't scratch it, though he does like to scent it with his paws. The great thing about Orpheus and the R4 is that it's so comfortable for cats that he'll frequently choose to lie there instead of the couch, minimizing my husband's complaints about cat hair on the furniture. Orpheus likes to jump from the floor directly into the bed, he's so athletic.

Fast-forward to today. I rescued an abandoned Mama cat and her two kittens (want one?) Orpheus is not happy. The kittens about 12 weeks old now and are both currently snoozing in the R4's bed. They love to climb up the taller post onto the tunnel and play on every surface. The sides of the bed are tall enough for them to catch with their back claws when they try to jump to it (or fall out of it) and the carpeting is very sturdy. It's almost as good-looking as when I brought it home.

All of this leads up to my question: why does every cat try to prop their chin on the edge of the bed? Hinge had to crane her neck a little, but it was managable. For Orpheus, it's a comfortable lean. But, right now, I have a little kitten doing his best to reach the edge with his tiny chin and is just barely making it. This can't be comfortable.

Who can ever understand the mind of a cat?

To conclude, I'd like to thank you very much for a useful, sturdy, attractive piece of cat furniture. Five cats later I still feel that was well worth the investment.

Feral Kitten becomes Snugglebug

Henry has always been an affectionate kitten. He loves to snuggle with his mama. He washes her face when she tries to wash him. He cozies up to my other cat. But, after spending his first five weeks outside with his abandoned mother, he wasn’t too sure about people.

Times have changed indeed. Now, he enjoys being gently stroked from his ears to his tail, and even asks to be petted sometimes. When he’s not in the mood for a cuddle, his hobbies include biting toy mice, chasing after balls and trying to figure out just who is that kitten in the mirror.

Where can he find that special someone to help him bloom into the great cat he’s going to be?

He’s about 12 weeks old. He is scheduled for his last set of shots in the third week of August, and I’m planning on neutering him at the same time. His mama is FIV+. This doesn’t mean that he is, so I’ll have him tested before I send him home with you.