Necessity is the mother of invention and eliminating cat box odor with four cats takes some work. Let me tell you how I do it.
I scoop daily using a Durascoop, the biggest metal scoop you've ever seen, and PetSmart's Exquisicat Premium Scoopable litter. I scoop everything in to one of those paper lunch bags you used to take to school with you. Bio-degradable, cheap, and exactly the right size for what I need. Then I sprinkle some Simple Solution cat litter odor remover on the top. It's the cats' job to work it in.
Every two weeks I dump the litter and put in fresh stuff. It seems like that's about all the litter can take - it gets slightly darker and doesn't absorb the smell, though it still clumps just fine.
When I fill up the tray, I sprinkle a layer of Ammo Cat in the bottom. The cats usually work this through the litter with their normal action. The one problem with it is that it's too big for the holes in the scoop. I can't use a scoop with bigger holes because we also have tiny clumps about the same size. I don't worry about it and just scoop the Ammo Cat too. It doesn't seem to run out by the time I change the litter. On the other hand, I might try using the Simple Solution only.
I wash the pans every couple (few) months. I might try the Simple Solution cat box cleaner, their products are great, but right now I just use Pine Sol.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Saturday, February 18, 2006
The Last Straw -or- Don't bank at Bank of America
I have not been, emotionally, a "Bank of America customer" for quite some time, though I've continued to bank with them. I was waiting for a convenient moment to change banks. That moment has found me. Get this:
If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you'll know that I have an "e-bill initiated payment" set up. This means that my billers send their invoices to my bank. I have requested that my bank automatically send these payment to arrive three days before the due date on the bill. Ideally, this requires no interference with me. In the real world, during "cash poor" months, I'll adjust the payment dates the bills are paid to correspond with my having money in the bank.
Let me recap: on the ebill online page, I have checked a radio button that states "Send my payment to arrive ____ days before the due date." I filled in the blank by choosing "3" from a drop down box. This means that my request is to "Send my payment to ARRIVE 3 DAYS BEFORE the due date" for the majority of my ebills.
This weekend, Bank of America (BOA) changed their policy in sending e-bill initiated payments. To show you how I got screwed, I'll show you BOA's statement, translate what it means, and compare a before and after scenario. Then I'll tell you what happened.
Here's how I was alerted to the change:
In the BEFORE world, you would schedule when you wanted bills to be sent. BOA would give you a rough estimate of how long it took for the payment to get there (e.g., 2 days) and you would choose when your money left the bank.
So, if I wanted my payment to reach my biller by Wednesday, March 1st, then I would have to send the payment on Monday, February 27th. The money would be withdrawn from my account on the 27th, but not credited to my bill until March 1st. I would also have until the 26th to alter the amount of the payment or the date that the payment would be sent out.
In the AFTER world, you schedule for the bill's arrival. So, if I want my payment to reach my biller by Wednesday, March 1st, then I would request for it to arrive on the 1st. The money would be withdrawn from my account on the 1st and it would be credited to my bill on the 1st. A few business days before the 1st, the ebill would be shown "in process." This means that the money hasn't left my account, but I am not able to adjust the amount or date of the transaction.
If I were given a choice, I'd pick the BEFORE world. It means that the money is being taken out of my account a few days earlier, but it is more intuitive given the way the world currently works. In the world of paper, you receive a bill and write a check. You mail the check reasonably early, so that the post office has sufficient delivery time. Billers understand that there are variances in post office delivery, so they generally grant 3-5 days grace before you are considered "late." Thus, if the BOA payment arrives in three days instead of two, my biller will likely mark the bill as being paid "on time."
And, recall, in an attempt to be responsible, I have my payments sent to arrive three days before the bill is due. Given the 3-5 days grace, I have 6-8 business days to fix any problems or arrange for alternate payment before my bill is past due. The AFTER world only has an impact if you are drawing income on the money used to pay your bill, such as a business that requires tight cash flow and liquidity. Unfortunately, having $300 in my savings account for an extra two or three days does not provide enough interest to make up for the inconvenience of having to transfer the money to checking on a specific day. Remember, you can only withdraw from a savings account six times a month.
My preferences aside, I still got screwed because Bank of America took this as an opportunity to send an unauthorized draft from my account. As I have stated, my online request to BOA was to have my payment "sent to arrive three days before the due date." My bill being due on March 1st, my directions to the bank meant that my money should arrive on February 24th.
In the BEFORE world, this means that my money would leave my account two days early, on February 21st, to arrive on the 24th. I could change this date and amount anytime up to February 20th.
In the AFTER world, my money should be drawn from my account and applied to my bill on the 24th. It would be "in process" starting around the 21st, but I should be able to edit the date and amount up to the time it is "in process."
In the REAL world, Bank of America sent my payment on the 18th to arrive on the 21st. This is because, according their records, my money left my account on the 21st. So, they sent my money so they could withdraw it from my account as they had done in the past. BUT, this is not what I authorized.
I did not check a button saying "take the money out of my account 6 business days early." My request was that BOA send my payment to arrive three days early. Thus, the payment they sent was not what I requested or authorized.
I can understand their reasoning. In the past, the money left my account 6 days early but, equally, I was able to alter the payment any time up to 6 days before the due date. Given the way BOA handled this bill, I had to change the date 9 or 10 days before the due date. I think that's before I received the bill. On the other hand, who cares? Paying the bill 6 days early or sending the money 9 days early was not what I authorized.
Pop quiz:
Also, being Bank of America, you can rest assured that they won't fix matters with my mortgage company if they deny payment, or take care of my credit card companies when my rates are jacked up because I have a delinquent account. In my experience, BOA takes care of what they do, but they won't take care of the consequences of what they do.
So, I'm fixing their mistake myself. One of the ways I'm fixing it is by changing my banking establishment.
Seriously, it's about time.
Pop Quiz Answers:
1) b
2) b
If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you'll know that I have an "e-bill initiated payment" set up. This means that my billers send their invoices to my bank. I have requested that my bank automatically send these payment to arrive three days before the due date on the bill. Ideally, this requires no interference with me. In the real world, during "cash poor" months, I'll adjust the payment dates the bills are paid to correspond with my having money in the bank.
Let me recap: on the ebill online page, I have checked a radio button that states "Send my payment to arrive ____ days before the due date." I filled in the blank by choosing "3" from a drop down box. This means that my request is to "Send my payment to ARRIVE 3 DAYS BEFORE the due date" for the majority of my ebills.
This weekend, Bank of America (BOA) changed their policy in sending e-bill initiated payments. To show you how I got screwed, I'll show you BOA's statement, translate what it means, and compare a before and after scenario. Then I'll tell you what happened.
Here's how I was alerted to the change:
Bill Pay just got better.This isn't real clear, so let me break it down for you.
You've helped make Bill Pay #1 among online banking service. As our way of saying thanks, we're making it even easier for you to use. With our simplified scheduling, just tell us when you want your payment delivered and we'll see that it gets there on time. Even better, funds can stay in your account longer - since your money remains in your account until the payee receives the payment. Select the Bill Pay & e-Bills tab to start enjoying these Bill Pay improvements today.
In the BEFORE world, you would schedule when you wanted bills to be sent. BOA would give you a rough estimate of how long it took for the payment to get there (e.g., 2 days) and you would choose when your money left the bank.
So, if I wanted my payment to reach my biller by Wednesday, March 1st, then I would have to send the payment on Monday, February 27th. The money would be withdrawn from my account on the 27th, but not credited to my bill until March 1st. I would also have until the 26th to alter the amount of the payment or the date that the payment would be sent out.
In the AFTER world, you schedule for the bill's arrival. So, if I want my payment to reach my biller by Wednesday, March 1st, then I would request for it to arrive on the 1st. The money would be withdrawn from my account on the 1st and it would be credited to my bill on the 1st. A few business days before the 1st, the ebill would be shown "in process." This means that the money hasn't left my account, but I am not able to adjust the amount or date of the transaction.
If I were given a choice, I'd pick the BEFORE world. It means that the money is being taken out of my account a few days earlier, but it is more intuitive given the way the world currently works. In the world of paper, you receive a bill and write a check. You mail the check reasonably early, so that the post office has sufficient delivery time. Billers understand that there are variances in post office delivery, so they generally grant 3-5 days grace before you are considered "late." Thus, if the BOA payment arrives in three days instead of two, my biller will likely mark the bill as being paid "on time."
And, recall, in an attempt to be responsible, I have my payments sent to arrive three days before the bill is due. Given the 3-5 days grace, I have 6-8 business days to fix any problems or arrange for alternate payment before my bill is past due. The AFTER world only has an impact if you are drawing income on the money used to pay your bill, such as a business that requires tight cash flow and liquidity. Unfortunately, having $300 in my savings account for an extra two or three days does not provide enough interest to make up for the inconvenience of having to transfer the money to checking on a specific day. Remember, you can only withdraw from a savings account six times a month.
My preferences aside, I still got screwed because Bank of America took this as an opportunity to send an unauthorized draft from my account. As I have stated, my online request to BOA was to have my payment "sent to arrive three days before the due date." My bill being due on March 1st, my directions to the bank meant that my money should arrive on February 24th.
In the BEFORE world, this means that my money would leave my account two days early, on February 21st, to arrive on the 24th. I could change this date and amount anytime up to February 20th.
In the AFTER world, my money should be drawn from my account and applied to my bill on the 24th. It would be "in process" starting around the 21st, but I should be able to edit the date and amount up to the time it is "in process."
In the REAL world, Bank of America sent my payment on the 18th to arrive on the 21st. This is because, according their records, my money left my account on the 21st. So, they sent my money so they could withdraw it from my account as they had done in the past. BUT, this is not what I authorized.
I did not check a button saying "take the money out of my account 6 business days early." My request was that BOA send my payment to arrive three days early. Thus, the payment they sent was not what I requested or authorized.
I can understand their reasoning. In the past, the money left my account 6 days early but, equally, I was able to alter the payment any time up to 6 days before the due date. Given the way BOA handled this bill, I had to change the date 9 or 10 days before the due date. I think that's before I received the bill. On the other hand, who cares? Paying the bill 6 days early or sending the money 9 days early was not what I authorized.
Pop quiz:
And, of course, they can't do anything about it. Though they won't charge me late fees. Nice of them, hunh? If I had done the same, not only would I have had to reverse my charges, but I would have had to pay BOA a substantial additional amount.1) My original request/authorization was based on:
a. The date the payment was to be sent
b. The date the payment was to arrive2) How many days earlier than the due date was the payment to arrive?
a. 6
b. 3
c. 9
Also, being Bank of America, you can rest assured that they won't fix matters with my mortgage company if they deny payment, or take care of my credit card companies when my rates are jacked up because I have a delinquent account. In my experience, BOA takes care of what they do, but they won't take care of the consequences of what they do.
So, I'm fixing their mistake myself. One of the ways I'm fixing it is by changing my banking establishment.
Seriously, it's about time.
Pop Quiz Answers:
1) b
2) b
Monday, February 13, 2006
Cold, Warm, Hot
Post on Best Friends website (to Ann H, a horse trainer):
BTW, I tried your tactic of moving away with my kitty Athena. She is determined to remain feral, even though she was rescued before 6 wks old and despite having the fuzziest, sweetest, purriest mom and brother. (Though, actually, I think it's just that she's still really, really afraid of my hands.)
I've been trying to get her used to being around me and being touched. No dice, even though it's been almost a year.
So I've stopped trying to touch her and started "running away." I act like she does with me. When I see her, I skitter off and hide somewhere, or move to the farthest edge of the room. She's reacted to this by following me (my god! approaching! what a breakthrough!) and by jumping on the dining room table, just to see what I'd do. (No, still not allowed.)
I sense that it's given her a greater feeling of control in our relationship, added a new word to our vocabulary ("I respect your personal space"), and given her the confidence to sit on the couch when her family and I are having our evening snuggle.
She's actually touching me on occasion (though I can't touch her). Laying down next to me. Coming up to me and biting my feet. Enormous.
BTW, I tried your tactic of moving away with my kitty Athena. She is determined to remain feral, even though she was rescued before 6 wks old and despite having the fuzziest, sweetest, purriest mom and brother. (Though, actually, I think it's just that she's still really, really afraid of my hands.)
I've been trying to get her used to being around me and being touched. No dice, even though it's been almost a year.
So I've stopped trying to touch her and started "running away." I act like she does with me. When I see her, I skitter off and hide somewhere, or move to the farthest edge of the room. She's reacted to this by following me (my god! approaching! what a breakthrough!) and by jumping on the dining room table, just to see what I'd do. (No, still not allowed.)
I sense that it's given her a greater feeling of control in our relationship, added a new word to our vocabulary ("I respect your personal space"), and given her the confidence to sit on the couch when her family and I are having our evening snuggle.
She's actually touching me on occasion (though I can't touch her). Laying down next to me. Coming up to me and biting my feet. Enormous.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Great minds think alike
You know how much I love my George Foreman Grill?
A whole lot, right?
You know about the GF Grill with the removable plates that you can stick in the dishwasher?
I'd love that more.
BUT, there are also electric griddles, flat grills that butterfly out so that you can use it as either a clamshell or as a griddle and waffle irons.
I don't understand why you couldn't have a GF grill with different types of removable plates: a grill plate, a flat plate, a waffle plate; AND that you could either use as a clamshell OR open up to use both sides as a griddle.
Apparantly, Georgie-boy and I are sisters under the skin. He's come out with the G5 grill. It has a steak grilling plate (with little holes), a regular grilling plate, a flat plate that you can use open as a griddle or closed to bake, and two waffle plates. I don't see that it has the "open up flat" option, so my psychic wishes didn't come through completely clearly. But, he's doing pretty good. It is $129.99 at Target, so don't pay more if you find it elsewhere.
Since my birthday is coming soon, perhaps you could all chip in and get me one! ; )
A whole lot, right?
You know about the GF Grill with the removable plates that you can stick in the dishwasher?
I'd love that more.
BUT, there are also electric griddles, flat grills that butterfly out so that you can use it as either a clamshell or as a griddle and waffle irons.
I don't understand why you couldn't have a GF grill with different types of removable plates: a grill plate, a flat plate, a waffle plate; AND that you could either use as a clamshell OR open up to use both sides as a griddle.
Apparantly, Georgie-boy and I are sisters under the skin. He's come out with the G5 grill. It has a steak grilling plate (with little holes), a regular grilling plate, a flat plate that you can use open as a griddle or closed to bake, and two waffle plates. I don't see that it has the "open up flat" option, so my psychic wishes didn't come through completely clearly. But, he's doing pretty good. It is $129.99 at Target, so don't pay more if you find it elsewhere.
Since my birthday is coming soon, perhaps you could all chip in and get me one! ; )
Sunday, January 29, 2006
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
I kick the other cats' asses
The black ones, both the lads and the lasses
And the white one and the orange one too
The black and white one - he knows what to do
Hides in his house and stays behind his fence
Otherwise we'd talk about him in the past tense
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
I got no bitches 'cause I got no balls
That's why I don't mark on the walls
Instead I leave my mark on the animals
I'm a killer - anything cute and furry
Best leave my yard as fast as it can scurry
I don't need no stress, I don't need no worry
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
Yeah, I'm the O-Man
Bet you didn't know Orpheus was a rap star!
I kick the other cats' asses
The black ones, both the lads and the lasses
And the white one and the orange one too
The black and white one - he knows what to do
Hides in his house and stays behind his fence
Otherwise we'd talk about him in the past tense
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
I got no bitches 'cause I got no balls
That's why I don't mark on the walls
Instead I leave my mark on the animals
I'm a killer - anything cute and furry
Best leave my yard as fast as it can scurry
I don't need no stress, I don't need no worry
I'm the O-Man
I'm the O-Man
Yeah, I'm the O-Man
Bet you didn't know Orpheus was a rap star!
Cell Phones on the road: Not just for driving anymore
In a list of the places where one should not use a cell phone, walking around in the center merge lane of Roswell road would have to be close to the top. Not crossing Roswell road. Not on a median strip. Just walking around in the middle of an arterial road.
Of course, jay walking in front of oncoming traffic is also a bad place to use a cell phone. Especially if you have to stop in the middle of a lane to adjust your purse.
On the other hand, another not-particularly-smart idea is arising from a sick bed to buy a final ball of yarn, needles (OMG, I got addi TURBO needles. A slice of heaven, I kid you not.), and some pretty beads. Especially if you forgot to eat breakfast. Especially if people are standing around in the road talking on their cell phones.
I made it home, without a fatality, to have Orpheus greet me in the yard and ask to come inside. That tends to be a problem, because Henry likes to divebomb Orpheus from the new cat tower. Orpheus isn't particularly partial to this. So we went in through the basement door. It eliminated the rowdy crowd at the front door, but discombobulated everybody. To the point where Orpheus was seen licking the top of Alma's head. I'm aware that he intended to pin her to the floor by the back of her neck until she screamed in anger. He just got a little confused.
Of course, jay walking in front of oncoming traffic is also a bad place to use a cell phone. Especially if you have to stop in the middle of a lane to adjust your purse.
On the other hand, another not-particularly-smart idea is arising from a sick bed to buy a final ball of yarn, needles (OMG, I got addi TURBO needles. A slice of heaven, I kid you not.), and some pretty beads. Especially if you forgot to eat breakfast. Especially if people are standing around in the road talking on their cell phones.
I made it home, without a fatality, to have Orpheus greet me in the yard and ask to come inside. That tends to be a problem, because Henry likes to divebomb Orpheus from the new cat tower. Orpheus isn't particularly partial to this. So we went in through the basement door. It eliminated the rowdy crowd at the front door, but discombobulated everybody. To the point where Orpheus was seen licking the top of Alma's head. I'm aware that he intended to pin her to the floor by the back of her neck until she screamed in anger. He just got a little confused.
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Here's a couple pictures of the new cat tower.
Alma is in the picture on the right. You can also see Athena - the two yellow dots peering from the bottom hole.
In the picture on the left is Alma and Orpheus sharing (!) the cat tower.
The front door is immediately right of the tower, great for scratch-marking the tower on the way in, or leaping on entering cats from above.
Actually, everybody was acting a little strange that day. Turns out that everybody's favorite feral is a knitty kitty. To the point where I had all her little claws stuck in my leg as she attacked my yarn. I let her play with the yarn - what's a couple of sweater-snags if Athena's coming around? - but I wouldn't let her run off with the whole ball. Who CAN resist Barranco's Soft Twist in Cycle?
Athena's still afraid of my hands but, as long as I don't try to touch her, is getting increasingly comfortable with the whole concept of me.
Friday, January 27, 2006
I have to admit it's getting better?
Albuterol tastes like a combination of cabbage and feet. Though it's better than coughing 'til you throw up. On the other hand, Gatorade isn't half bad to vomit.
Dr. Aubley's nurse said that if I wasn't "turning a corner" yesterday, to give them a call. And I was. I sorted through some paperwork. Made a few calls. Logged in to Bank of America to discover that my mortgage payment went out two days before my paycheck arrived. Uff da. But, so it goes. My current financial system is still better than anything I've had before. At least my mortage payment went OUT. I do wish that I had been conscious enough to have caught it in time.
Went to the yarn store. Got some yummy yarn that wasn't nearly enough to complete the pattern I wanted to do. Found a really, really cool free pattern on the internet (see it here).
Have you checked out the pattern? Are you asking yourself why I'm trying to knit something demonstrably above my skill level? Did you know I have four cats? Perhaps there's a common explanation. Like, I'm completely crazy.
On the other hand, I pretty much quit knitting for six months. I was doing a scarf in a fun yarn (I wanted to give it as a gift). But I now I realize I hate scarves. I've been looking at quite a few patterns lately and there's a certain feeling I get when the pattern is right. It's not the "that looks fun and easy to do," it's "oh my god, you can knit that? I could knit that?"
Today, I'm flat on my back again. Must of "over did" it yesterday. Going to a yarn store and Kroger.
On another note. Since I haven't had the energy to train Athena, I tried running away from her for a couple of days. Every time I saw her, I went in the opposite direction. It was interesting. You know, Henry is steak. Something that you could have every day, and would always be nice. Athena is Tobasco sauce.
She reacted in several ways.
Dr. Aubley's nurse said that if I wasn't "turning a corner" yesterday, to give them a call. And I was. I sorted through some paperwork. Made a few calls. Logged in to Bank of America to discover that my mortgage payment went out two days before my paycheck arrived. Uff da. But, so it goes. My current financial system is still better than anything I've had before. At least my mortage payment went OUT. I do wish that I had been conscious enough to have caught it in time.
Went to the yarn store. Got some yummy yarn that wasn't nearly enough to complete the pattern I wanted to do. Found a really, really cool free pattern on the internet (see it here).
Have you checked out the pattern? Are you asking yourself why I'm trying to knit something demonstrably above my skill level? Did you know I have four cats? Perhaps there's a common explanation. Like, I'm completely crazy.
On the other hand, I pretty much quit knitting for six months. I was doing a scarf in a fun yarn (I wanted to give it as a gift). But I now I realize I hate scarves. I've been looking at quite a few patterns lately and there's a certain feeling I get when the pattern is right. It's not the "that looks fun and easy to do," it's "oh my god, you can knit that? I could knit that?"
Today, I'm flat on my back again. Must of "over did" it yesterday. Going to a yarn store and Kroger.
On another note. Since I haven't had the energy to train Athena, I tried running away from her for a couple of days. Every time I saw her, I went in the opposite direction. It was interesting. You know, Henry is steak. Something that you could have every day, and would always be nice. Athena is Tobasco sauce.
She reacted in several ways.
- She hid, because I was acting weird.
- She walked toward me to see what I'd do.
- And she tested whether or not the dining room table was fair game.
After all, if I'm running away from her, then I can't get her off the table, right? So she jumped up. And I made her get down. And she jumped up. And I made her get down. And she jumped up. And I made her get down. What about if she just puts two paws on the table and sniffs? No? What about one paw? What if she sits on the chair in front of the table?
Too smart for her own good.
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Excerpts From 'A Cat's Guide To Human Beings'
A cute forward:
1. Introduction: Why Do We Need Humans?
So you've decided to get yourself a human being. In doing so, you've joined the millions of other cats who have acquired these strange and often frustrating creatures. There will be any number of times, during the course of your association with humans, when you will wonder why you have bothered to grace them with your presence.
What's so great about humans, anyway? Why not just hang around with other cats? Our greatest philosophers have struggled with this question for centuries, but the answer is actually rather simple:
THEY HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS.
Which makes them the perfect tools for such tasks as opening doors, getting the lids off of cat food cans, changing television stations and other activities that we, despite our other obvious advantages, find difficult to do ourselves. True, chimps, orangutans and lemurs also have opposable thumbs, but they are nowhere as easy to train.
2. How and When to Get Your Human's Attention
Humans often erroneously assume that there are other, more important activities than taking care of your immediate needs, such as conducting business, spending time with their families or even sleeping.
Though this is dreadfully inconvenient, you can make this work to your advantage by pestering your human at the moment it is the busiest. It is usually so flustered that it will do whatever you want it to do, just to get you out of its hair. Not coincidentally, human teenagers follow this same practice.
Here are some tried and true methods of getting your human to do what you want:
3. Punishing Your Human Being
Sometimes, despite your best training efforts, your human will stubbornly resist bending to your whim. In these extreme circumstances, you may have to punish your human. Obvious punishments, such as scratching furniture or eating household plants, are likely to backfire; the unsophisticated humans are likely to misinterpret the activities and then try to discipline YOU. Instead, we offer these subtle but nonetheless effective alternatives:
4. Rewarding Your Human: Should Your Gift Still Be Alive?
The cat world is divided over the etiquette of presenting humans with the thoughtful gift of a recently disembowelled animal. Some believe that humans prefer these gifts already dead, while others maintain that humans enjoy a slowly expiring cricket or rodent just as much as we do, given their jumpy and playful movements in picking the creatures up after they've been presented.
After much consideration of the human psyche, we recommend the following: cold blooded animals (large insects, frogs, lizards, garden snakes and the occasional earthworm) should be presented dead, while warm blooded animals (birds, rodents, your neighbour's Pomeranian) are better still living. When you see the expression on your human's face, you'll know it's worth it.
5. How Long Should You Keep Your Human?
You are only obligated to your human for one of your lives. The other eight are up to you. We recommend mixing and matching, though in the end, most humans (at least the ones that are worth living with) are pretty much the same. But what do you expect? They're humans, after all. Opposable thumbs will only take you so far.
1. Introduction: Why Do We Need Humans?
So you've decided to get yourself a human being. In doing so, you've joined the millions of other cats who have acquired these strange and often frustrating creatures. There will be any number of times, during the course of your association with humans, when you will wonder why you have bothered to grace them with your presence.
What's so great about humans, anyway? Why not just hang around with other cats? Our greatest philosophers have struggled with this question for centuries, but the answer is actually rather simple:
THEY HAVE OPPOSABLE THUMBS.
Which makes them the perfect tools for such tasks as opening doors, getting the lids off of cat food cans, changing television stations and other activities that we, despite our other obvious advantages, find difficult to do ourselves. True, chimps, orangutans and lemurs also have opposable thumbs, but they are nowhere as easy to train.
2. How and When to Get Your Human's Attention
Humans often erroneously assume that there are other, more important activities than taking care of your immediate needs, such as conducting business, spending time with their families or even sleeping.
Though this is dreadfully inconvenient, you can make this work to your advantage by pestering your human at the moment it is the busiest. It is usually so flustered that it will do whatever you want it to do, just to get you out of its hair. Not coincidentally, human teenagers follow this same practice.
Here are some tried and true methods of getting your human to do what you want:
- Sitting on paper: An oldie but a goodie. If a human has paper in front of it, chances are good it's something they assume is more important than you. They will often offer you a snack to lure you away. Establish your supremacy over this wood pulp product at every opportunity. This practice also works well with computer keyboards, remote controls, car keys and small children.
- Waking your human at odd hours: A cat's "golden time" is between 3:30 and 4:30 in the morning. If you paw at your human's sleeping face during this time, you have a better than even chance that it will get up and, in an incoherent haze, do exactly what you want. You may actually have to scratch deep sleepers to get their attention; remember to vary the scratch site to keep the human from getting suspicious.
3. Punishing Your Human Being
Sometimes, despite your best training efforts, your human will stubbornly resist bending to your whim. In these extreme circumstances, you may have to punish your human. Obvious punishments, such as scratching furniture or eating household plants, are likely to backfire; the unsophisticated humans are likely to misinterpret the activities and then try to discipline YOU. Instead, we offer these subtle but nonetheless effective alternatives:
- Use the cat box during an important formal dinner.
- Stare impassively at your human while it is attempting a romantic interlude.
- Stand over an important piece of electronic equipment and feign a hairball attack.
- After your human has watched a particularly disturbing horror film, stand by the hall closet and then slowly back away, hissing and yowling.
- While your human is sleeping, lie on its face.
4. Rewarding Your Human: Should Your Gift Still Be Alive?
The cat world is divided over the etiquette of presenting humans with the thoughtful gift of a recently disembowelled animal. Some believe that humans prefer these gifts already dead, while others maintain that humans enjoy a slowly expiring cricket or rodent just as much as we do, given their jumpy and playful movements in picking the creatures up after they've been presented.
After much consideration of the human psyche, we recommend the following: cold blooded animals (large insects, frogs, lizards, garden snakes and the occasional earthworm) should be presented dead, while warm blooded animals (birds, rodents, your neighbour's Pomeranian) are better still living. When you see the expression on your human's face, you'll know it's worth it.
5. How Long Should You Keep Your Human?
You are only obligated to your human for one of your lives. The other eight are up to you. We recommend mixing and matching, though in the end, most humans (at least the ones that are worth living with) are pretty much the same. But what do you expect? They're humans, after all. Opposable thumbs will only take you so far.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Cough, cough, cough
Well, the bronchitis/pneumonia put a crimp into the whole "training Athena" plan. I haven't had time to do much besides sleeping, eating and opening doors for cats. Not even email. I've lost about three pounds too.
On the other hand, I've finished the first sweater I can wear.
My actual "first sweater" was started for my niece in 1999. I learned the basic knit and purl stitches from the premier issue of Family Circle's Knitting magazine that I bought in 1994. Unfortunately, I didn't understand that you had to turn the knitting around at the end of the row. So, I tried to do the next row backwards (right needle to left needle) and ended up with a snarl. I took a class in June of 2003, right after I got laid off from Onity, and cleared up that little misunderstanding. So, I finished "my niece's sweater" in February of 2004. I didn't have the yarn to do her current size, so I did the smallest one. It looks like somebody's been playing rugby in it. But it's done.
So this one, "the first sweater I can wear" was started on 3/16/2004 and finished on 1/15/2006, during which time I also completed a baby cardigan... And, actually, the pieces were finished before my move, but the assemblage got tossed aside... ok. Enough excuses. So, it took me almost 2 years to complete. But I did it.
My current cat collection takes a professional interest in the whole knitting thing. Like, they're cats, so they're obligated to play with the yarn, but it's not an obsession and they're not going to chase the yarn ball across the room, etc, etc. In contrast to a certain Hinge-kitty that I can remember. Though there are teeth marks in my stitch counter.
Alma is much more interested in the "lap" concept. I don't sit much, except at the computer. So she's enjoying the opportunity. As a matter of fact, I'm under the impression that she could find stuff to do on my lap for a whole day. Perhaps, someday when I have a chair that doesn't make my ass numb, I'll stockpile some goodies for me and have a "Good Day for Alma." A whole day of Varda's lap, finished off by a catnip jamboree.
Anyway, here's the sweater:
It's from the Paton's Back to Basics book, an adult cardigan with raglan sleeves. I used Lion Brand's Micro Spun, a super-soft, yummy yarn, in Lily White.
I'm going to change the buttons as soon as I feel strong enough to leave the house. The part of the button band that's behind the neck is a little loose and folds backwards. And there's a jog in the back where I layed down my knitting in the middle of a row. When I picked it back up and knit back along the half-row that I'd just knitted. I realized what had happened a few rows later. Tore part of it out, knitted it back. Repeated that a few times. Too much was done to tear all of it out and start completely over. And I was pretty sure I'd fixed it. Anyway. 99.99% of the sweater is in the acceptable to perfect range, so I'll wear it with pride.
On the other hand, I've finished the first sweater I can wear.
My actual "first sweater" was started for my niece in 1999. I learned the basic knit and purl stitches from the premier issue of Family Circle's Knitting magazine that I bought in 1994. Unfortunately, I didn't understand that you had to turn the knitting around at the end of the row. So, I tried to do the next row backwards (right needle to left needle) and ended up with a snarl. I took a class in June of 2003, right after I got laid off from Onity, and cleared up that little misunderstanding. So, I finished "my niece's sweater" in February of 2004. I didn't have the yarn to do her current size, so I did the smallest one. It looks like somebody's been playing rugby in it. But it's done.
So this one, "the first sweater I can wear" was started on 3/16/2004 and finished on 1/15/2006, during which time I also completed a baby cardigan... And, actually, the pieces were finished before my move, but the assemblage got tossed aside... ok. Enough excuses. So, it took me almost 2 years to complete. But I did it.
My current cat collection takes a professional interest in the whole knitting thing. Like, they're cats, so they're obligated to play with the yarn, but it's not an obsession and they're not going to chase the yarn ball across the room, etc, etc. In contrast to a certain Hinge-kitty that I can remember. Though there are teeth marks in my stitch counter.
Alma is much more interested in the "lap" concept. I don't sit much, except at the computer. So she's enjoying the opportunity. As a matter of fact, I'm under the impression that she could find stuff to do on my lap for a whole day. Perhaps, someday when I have a chair that doesn't make my ass numb, I'll stockpile some goodies for me and have a "Good Day for Alma." A whole day of Varda's lap, finished off by a catnip jamboree.
Anyway, here's the sweater:
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It's from the Paton's Back to Basics book, an adult cardigan with raglan sleeves. I used Lion Brand's Micro Spun, a super-soft, yummy yarn, in Lily White.I'm going to change the buttons as soon as I feel strong enough to leave the house. The part of the button band that's behind the neck is a little loose and folds backwards. And there's a jog in the back where I layed down my knitting in the middle of a row. When I picked it back up and knit back along the half-row that I'd just knitted. I realized what had happened a few rows later. Tore part of it out, knitted it back. Repeated that a few times. Too much was done to tear all of it out and start completely over. And I was pretty sure I'd fixed it. Anyway. 99.99% of the sweater is in the acceptable to perfect range, so I'll wear it with pride.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Black Lightning
Perhaps I have a superhero on my hands?
You see, Hinge used to hide under beds during thunderstorms and Orpheus hides in closets.
Alma insisted sitting on my front step, bolt upright between the rails and watching the storm. A little odd for a cat.
Perhaps she's some pagan priestess in disguise?
Or maybe she's just a slightly strange snugglekitty. Who's helped me perfect the art of making a bed one-handed (the other was more usefully employed in scratching kitty ears) - and without disturbing the cat.
You see, Hinge used to hide under beds during thunderstorms and Orpheus hides in closets.
Alma insisted sitting on my front step, bolt upright between the rails and watching the storm. A little odd for a cat.
Perhaps she's some pagan priestess in disguise?
Or maybe she's just a slightly strange snugglekitty. Who's helped me perfect the art of making a bed one-handed (the other was more usefully employed in scratching kitty ears) - and without disturbing the cat.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Communication
My last post gave me an idea. Training gives animals control over their environment (sorry about the anthromorphization, Dr. Machado). It gives them decision power - in a certain situation, they know that by doing something they will get a treat (or whatever). If they don't do it, they won't get the treat. It's really a form of communication. As I stated, Athena seems to need the communication and control, showing this by her insistance on routine and my opening doors at her demand.
I know it seems strange that by MY training HER, I'm giving her control - especially since the examples that I'm using go the other way. Trust me on this. She's not going to see it that way.
As Jonathan said, when I trained Travis, "What if he thinks that by [performing the action] he's training you to give him tuna." My response was, "He'd be right." Training by positive reinforcement isn't so much one animal forcing another animal to do something as it is a rough-and-ready form of communication. I say "sit," but what the cat is hearing is "If you want tuna, you can get some if you sit." Then they have a choice about whether they want tuna or not.
This also breaks us out of the cycle of our current relationship. So far, it's mostly composed of my giving her treats and trying to pet her and her asking me to open the basement door so that she can go downstairs and hide from me. I should have seperated her from her family as soon as she could eat solid food, but it's a little late now. I hereby do solemnly swear that I will not try to touch her at all during the training sessions. Thus, this will be a "safe" space for her to interact with me without her usual worries.
So - I'm going to "train" her to go to the top bed of her cat furniture on command. It's something that she does already, so it's a point of least resistance.
When I trained Travis, I started by having him jump up on the kitchen counters. Then I had him jump off. He could sit on command, and I was getting him to turn around when we stopped the training. This made it easy for him to understand
First, that he needed to do something for a treat.
Second, that he needed to do different behaviors at different signals.
Third, that when he saw a new signal he needed to watch me for cues on how to perform.
He was a really smart cat, and very trainable.
I think Athena is trainable too, but for different reasons. Travis's behavior was very variable, so he had figured out every possible way to get table food (and a few other things) when I started training him. For him, training was a new way to get table food. Athena is treat-motivated and likes rountine and rules.
I started Pavlovian-style clicker training today. Click-treat, Click-treat. It's impossible to get animals a treat in time to reinforce very specific behaviors, and if they come to you for the treat, they are associating coming to you more than the behavior. The clicker is a clear, fast, distinctive way of telling an animal "Yes." She left the last treat on the floor, so I've got about 6 - 8 chances in one training session. That will keep me from overworking her.
She gets it. Tomorrow, I'll do 3 clicker-treat pairings, then start asking her to do stuff for the treat/click. Let's say 4 training trials.
If I don't get good behavior response from treats, I'll see what tuna can do.
I know it seems strange that by MY training HER, I'm giving her control - especially since the examples that I'm using go the other way. Trust me on this. She's not going to see it that way.
As Jonathan said, when I trained Travis, "What if he thinks that by [performing the action] he's training you to give him tuna." My response was, "He'd be right." Training by positive reinforcement isn't so much one animal forcing another animal to do something as it is a rough-and-ready form of communication. I say "sit," but what the cat is hearing is "If you want tuna, you can get some if you sit." Then they have a choice about whether they want tuna or not.
This also breaks us out of the cycle of our current relationship. So far, it's mostly composed of my giving her treats and trying to pet her and her asking me to open the basement door so that she can go downstairs and hide from me. I should have seperated her from her family as soon as she could eat solid food, but it's a little late now. I hereby do solemnly swear that I will not try to touch her at all during the training sessions. Thus, this will be a "safe" space for her to interact with me without her usual worries.
So - I'm going to "train" her to go to the top bed of her cat furniture on command. It's something that she does already, so it's a point of least resistance.
When I trained Travis, I started by having him jump up on the kitchen counters. Then I had him jump off. He could sit on command, and I was getting him to turn around when we stopped the training. This made it easy for him to understand
First, that he needed to do something for a treat.
Second, that he needed to do different behaviors at different signals.
Third, that when he saw a new signal he needed to watch me for cues on how to perform.
He was a really smart cat, and very trainable.
I think Athena is trainable too, but for different reasons. Travis's behavior was very variable, so he had figured out every possible way to get table food (and a few other things) when I started training him. For him, training was a new way to get table food. Athena is treat-motivated and likes rountine and rules.
I started Pavlovian-style clicker training today. Click-treat, Click-treat. It's impossible to get animals a treat in time to reinforce very specific behaviors, and if they come to you for the treat, they are associating coming to you more than the behavior. The clicker is a clear, fast, distinctive way of telling an animal "Yes." She left the last treat on the floor, so I've got about 6 - 8 chances in one training session. That will keep me from overworking her.
She gets it. Tomorrow, I'll do 3 clicker-treat pairings, then start asking her to do stuff for the treat/click. Let's say 4 training trials.
If I don't get good behavior response from treats, I'll see what tuna can do.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Scaredy cat
Lost cat detection "idea"
Have you ever noticed how a scared and puffy cat has a distinctive odor? It's a faint mix of cat urine and dead skunk, just barely detectable.
So, since we're able to train bees to detect land mines (click here for details), couldn't we train bees to track that scared cat smell? Thus, if you lose your cat (most of the time they get stuck or are hiding somewhere close to home), you'd release these bees and track them over the next three days. Where they start congregating, you know you have a cat in need.
Have you ever noticed how a scared and puffy cat has a distinctive odor? It's a faint mix of cat urine and dead skunk, just barely detectable.
So, since we're able to train bees to detect land mines (click here for details), couldn't we train bees to track that scared cat smell? Thus, if you lose your cat (most of the time they get stuck or are hiding somewhere close to home), you'd release these bees and track them over the next three days. Where they start congregating, you know you have a cat in need.
Scary movie
Athena started to relax around me. Then I tried to TOUCH her a few times. My bad.
On the other hand, the most demanding feral in the world (aka Athena) has been having me open and close the basement door for her approximately every 15 minutes. I think it might be her way of feeling "in control" of our relationship. She meows and I open the door. Every time, except when I ignore her. I do not grab her, put her in a carrier and take her to the vet. She's making completly sure about this one safe aspect of our relationship.
In explaining this to Sergie, we evolved a movie idea - a cat terror flick.
Just when you think it is safe to go downstairs and hide in boxes, right there in your favorite corner - it's the VET with the VACCUUM. Snip, snip, snip.
On the other hand, the most demanding feral in the world (aka Athena) has been having me open and close the basement door for her approximately every 15 minutes. I think it might be her way of feeling "in control" of our relationship. She meows and I open the door. Every time, except when I ignore her. I do not grab her, put her in a carrier and take her to the vet. She's making completly sure about this one safe aspect of our relationship.
In explaining this to Sergie, we evolved a movie idea - a cat terror flick.
Just when you think it is safe to go downstairs and hide in boxes, right there in your favorite corner - it's the VET with the VACCUUM. Snip, snip, snip.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Razor Paws
Alma seems to have provided her kittens with exceptionally sharp claws. Both Sergie and I were pretty scratched up by Henry, and Alma can take apart a shower curtain with just one swipe.
One of my friends got Soft Paws for her kitty when she adopted a baby. I decided to look into them. I bought a pack and, in reading the instructions, discovered that you have to trim kitty's claws before you put on the Soft Paws.
So, I got claw clippers. I haven't tried the Soft Paws yet, but trimming cat nails is surprisingly easy. Get them nice and relaxed in a snuggle, then clip a claw. Pet, pet, pet, clip. It's about the same rhythmn as petting a cat, rubbing the fur backwards, then petting them again. If you can do that for hours, keeping them pissed off, but not enough to leave, you know how to easily clip their claws.
One thing that I do want to mention: it looks like Soft Paws keeps the claw from retracting. It doesn't. I discovered upon clipping my cats' nails that the claw never fully retracts, it's just hidden between the pads in the hair. The Soft Paw cover just makes this more obvious.
On a down note, the ease of clipping the claws of two cats just makes me that much more angry at the people who declawed Orpheus. How could they be that inhumane for such a trifling inconvenience? Of course, I'm sure that people would be equally upset at my letting him outside. And they'd be right. But he LIKES being outside. He's not so appreciative of being declawed.
One of my friends got Soft Paws for her kitty when she adopted a baby. I decided to look into them. I bought a pack and, in reading the instructions, discovered that you have to trim kitty's claws before you put on the Soft Paws.
So, I got claw clippers. I haven't tried the Soft Paws yet, but trimming cat nails is surprisingly easy. Get them nice and relaxed in a snuggle, then clip a claw. Pet, pet, pet, clip. It's about the same rhythmn as petting a cat, rubbing the fur backwards, then petting them again. If you can do that for hours, keeping them pissed off, but not enough to leave, you know how to easily clip their claws.
One thing that I do want to mention: it looks like Soft Paws keeps the claw from retracting. It doesn't. I discovered upon clipping my cats' nails that the claw never fully retracts, it's just hidden between the pads in the hair. The Soft Paw cover just makes this more obvious.
On a down note, the ease of clipping the claws of two cats just makes me that much more angry at the people who declawed Orpheus. How could they be that inhumane for such a trifling inconvenience? Of course, I'm sure that people would be equally upset at my letting him outside. And they'd be right. But he LIKES being outside. He's not so appreciative of being declawed.
Black as a mouse, Big as a house, Tail like a snake, I make the earth shake
Sergie was saying to me the other day, "When Alma lived outside, she was slim and fashionable. Now, she's fat and ugly."
He's right, and it makes me sad to think of what I've done to her. But, I thought she was pregnant and spayed her (she, thank God, wasn't), then stuck her in a room where her kittens were free-feeding on kitten food. I'm not sure what else I could have done, but she ballooned up like a blimp. I think it makes her feel bad too.
When I was in PetSmart last, I picked up a Cat Fancy (they're irresistable with their pretty cats and great articles!) partially because they advertised an article about cat diets. Even kitties need New Year's resolutions.
This was a goldmine of information. Instead of the usual "give your cat less to eat and play with him more," they offered usable advice. Such as, wet food is better than dry food for a diet. Wonderful! A cat that is happier as she gets healthier for once. They referenced a cat calorie counter: you enter your cat's age, weight and sexual status, then the type and amount of food and treats you feed him. You are given a comparison of your cat's nutritional needs vs. what he is getting.
To weigh your cat, you should pick her up and get on a scale. Then put her down and subtract your weight.
I found out that Orpheus should have been getting a 1/4 can of wet food and 3/4 cup of food a day instead of the 2/3 cup of food and the can to lick.
Alma and Henry each should be getting about 1/2 cup of food a day, in addition to their wet food and treats, instead of the 2/3 cup food - which is about 1/3 of a cup of food less between them. (I estimated Alma's ideal weight to be roughly what Henry currently weighs.)
Athena, who I wasn't able to weigh, I guesstimated to be about 2 pounds smaller than Henry. This means that she should be getting 3/8 cup food + wet food and treats. She was getting 2/3 cup as well.
Besides the more accurate portion sizes, I'm not doing anything fancy in terms of feeding. I'm just dividing the appropriate amount between the four bowls and letting each cat each as much as they need. It seems to be working - even though, between them, they're consuming about a 1/3 cup less food daily, there's no whining and begging for more food. If somebody gets too thin, I'll start providing their portion separately from the others.
The final vein of information was a sidebar suggesting a new activity: throwing a treat down a long hall. This is especially effective for my pudgy little Athena. I call the game, "Manna from the Heavens." First, there's a lot of running and pouncing. Then, there's an Easter egg hunt as everybody searches for any treats that might have been missed. That's after they wash, of course. It's a real hit and keeps the cats occupied for a surprisingly long time after the treats stop flying through the air.
He's right, and it makes me sad to think of what I've done to her. But, I thought she was pregnant and spayed her (she, thank God, wasn't), then stuck her in a room where her kittens were free-feeding on kitten food. I'm not sure what else I could have done, but she ballooned up like a blimp. I think it makes her feel bad too.
When I was in PetSmart last, I picked up a Cat Fancy (they're irresistable with their pretty cats and great articles!) partially because they advertised an article about cat diets. Even kitties need New Year's resolutions.
This was a goldmine of information. Instead of the usual "give your cat less to eat and play with him more," they offered usable advice. Such as, wet food is better than dry food for a diet. Wonderful! A cat that is happier as she gets healthier for once. They referenced a cat calorie counter: you enter your cat's age, weight and sexual status, then the type and amount of food and treats you feed him. You are given a comparison of your cat's nutritional needs vs. what he is getting.
To weigh your cat, you should pick her up and get on a scale. Then put her down and subtract your weight.
I found out that Orpheus should have been getting a 1/4 can of wet food and 3/4 cup of food a day instead of the 2/3 cup of food and the can to lick.
Alma and Henry each should be getting about 1/2 cup of food a day, in addition to their wet food and treats, instead of the 2/3 cup food - which is about 1/3 of a cup of food less between them. (I estimated Alma's ideal weight to be roughly what Henry currently weighs.)
Athena, who I wasn't able to weigh, I guesstimated to be about 2 pounds smaller than Henry. This means that she should be getting 3/8 cup food + wet food and treats. She was getting 2/3 cup as well.
Besides the more accurate portion sizes, I'm not doing anything fancy in terms of feeding. I'm just dividing the appropriate amount between the four bowls and letting each cat each as much as they need. It seems to be working - even though, between them, they're consuming about a 1/3 cup less food daily, there's no whining and begging for more food. If somebody gets too thin, I'll start providing their portion separately from the others.
The final vein of information was a sidebar suggesting a new activity: throwing a treat down a long hall. This is especially effective for my pudgy little Athena. I call the game, "Manna from the Heavens." First, there's a lot of running and pouncing. Then, there's an Easter egg hunt as everybody searches for any treats that might have been missed. That's after they wash, of course. It's a real hit and keeps the cats occupied for a surprisingly long time after the treats stop flying through the air.
Monday, December 26, 2005
'tis the season to be jolly
Athena likes eggnog. She is still anti-social, though increasingly relaxed. I'm seeing quite a bit of kitty-belly and she hangs around me fairly often. No petting or snuggling allowed yet though.
Both she and Henry have hand issues. Henry tries to bite or scratch hands (and he's got sharp little claws too. Or did until I trimmed them). Athena also doesn't like hands, though she won't allow herself to be touched with feet or implements either.
So, I try to offer them treats by hand whenever possible. As I was pouring myself a glass of the festive drink, I thought "who could resist eggnog?" Apparently small black kittens are not of the number who can. I dabbed a bit of the super-yummy cream layer onto my finger and offered it to the princess. She continued to be leery of the hand, but was not above licking at the cream
Of course, black cats do not come single spies but by battalions: Henry and Alma made an appearance. Alma was perfectly happy to lick the rest of the cream off my finger. Henry, alas, doesn't get the "lick" concept and, once again, bit the hand that feeds him, waters him, cleans his box and offers him treats. Sigh.
Both she and Henry have hand issues. Henry tries to bite or scratch hands (and he's got sharp little claws too. Or did until I trimmed them). Athena also doesn't like hands, though she won't allow herself to be touched with feet or implements either.
So, I try to offer them treats by hand whenever possible. As I was pouring myself a glass of the festive drink, I thought "who could resist eggnog?" Apparently small black kittens are not of the number who can. I dabbed a bit of the super-yummy cream layer onto my finger and offered it to the princess. She continued to be leery of the hand, but was not above licking at the cream
Of course, black cats do not come single spies but by battalions: Henry and Alma made an appearance. Alma was perfectly happy to lick the rest of the cream off my finger. Henry, alas, doesn't get the "lick" concept and, once again, bit the hand that feeds him, waters him, cleans his box and offers him treats. Sigh.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Quick update
Athena now demands treats and to be let into the basement, but will still not be snuggled. She is the most high-maintenance feral I've ever encountered.
Henry is the biggest snuggler ever. He acts as the hub of the cat family - he's got such a sweet personality and won't take "no" for an answer.
Alma, I think, would be happier in a home of her own. She beats up her kittens and hates Orpheus. She loves to sit on my lap for hours though, and is completely devoted to me.
Orpheus spends much of his time outside, which is serious neglect on my part considering that he's also declawed. On the other hand, he likes it so much and he's lost a lot of weight because he has something else to do besides eat.
When I work from home, I have a constant rotation of black cats on my lap. Which is nice.
Henry is the biggest snuggler ever. He acts as the hub of the cat family - he's got such a sweet personality and won't take "no" for an answer.
Alma, I think, would be happier in a home of her own. She beats up her kittens and hates Orpheus. She loves to sit on my lap for hours though, and is completely devoted to me.
Orpheus spends much of his time outside, which is serious neglect on my part considering that he's also declawed. On the other hand, he likes it so much and he's lost a lot of weight because he has something else to do besides eat.
When I work from home, I have a constant rotation of black cats on my lap. Which is nice.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Athena is a snugglekitty???
In other news, Orpheus was having some sort of allergic reaction (he sounded like he was having asthma) so I took him to the vet. They weren't able to identify exactly what it was, but they gave me antihistamines and antibiotics. Additionally, we got him test for FIV: He was negative!!! So that means that Alma is my only FIV cat. (Thank god, I'd feel incredibly guilty if I cause O to get the disease)
Most surprisingly, Athena snuggled up to me on the couch last night. She curled into a little ball with her back against my leg. For about 2 seconds, but what a breakthrough. I had put Rescue Remedy into the cats' water a few months back. It just made Athena sleepy but no less wary. Recently Alma has been in a bitchy mood (I think it's because she's weaning, but she may just not like other cats). Orpheus has been pissed off because he's not feeling well. And I'm tired of the hissing and growling. I added the flower essence to their water again and Athena is perceptably more laid-back. If this keeps up, I'll keep dosing her until she's tame.
Life is good!
Most surprisingly, Athena snuggled up to me on the couch last night. She curled into a little ball with her back against my leg. For about 2 seconds, but what a breakthrough. I had put Rescue Remedy into the cats' water a few months back. It just made Athena sleepy but no less wary. Recently Alma has been in a bitchy mood (I think it's because she's weaning, but she may just not like other cats). Orpheus has been pissed off because he's not feeling well. And I'm tired of the hissing and growling. I added the flower essence to their water again and Athena is perceptably more laid-back. If this keeps up, I'll keep dosing her until she's tame.
Life is good!
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Six Photos
A few of my favorite photos from the last few weeks.
Alma (left) and Henry (right) sitting in the office window.
The twins in the window. I think it's Athena on the left and Henry on the right.
Alma being very cute while I try to work.
It's hard to see what's going on in this photo, but it's one of my favorites. Alma (left) had started to wash Henry (center). Like he usually does, he started washing her back. He's licking her ear while she's cleaning his right arm. Athena is on the right.
Here is one way of getting rid of my kittens; Athena in the bathroom garbage.
All you can see of Athena in this picture are two yellow dots for her eyes.
Alma (left) and Henry (right) sitting in the office window.
The twins in the window. I think it's Athena on the left and Henry on the right.
Alma being very cute while I try to work.
It's hard to see what's going on in this photo, but it's one of my favorites. Alma (left) had started to wash Henry (center). Like he usually does, he started washing her back. He's licking her ear while she's cleaning his right arm. Athena is on the right.
Here is one way of getting rid of my kittens; Athena in the bathroom garbage.
All you can see of Athena in this picture are two yellow dots for her eyes.
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