Rudy

Yesterday, Petsmart was unusually well staffed and I asked what their best selling dry catfood is.  The answer:  Iams and Science Diet.  

The minute I received this answer, I guessed that I had asked the wrong question.  This is NOT an area of  "cat worshippers".  It is rare that anyone knows what a Siamese is, and, it follows that Abysinnians are "Abby WHATS?" and  my Balinese is a "fluffy Siamese".  This is Dog Country!  (I now go to a 32 year old vet who does know the breeds...and I think he is SO smart!:-)

Oh...Petsmart....I asked about Friskies, and was told "It's like feeding McDonalds.  And, Iams and Science Diet?  Better Foods.  And, what is best?  Yes, all the foods which cause Rudy to vomit.  I asked what  ingredient all these "best" foods might have in common which would cause vomiting....and, I really don't know why I had not thought of this....They are much richer foods!  It's not an allergy at all, but a digestion issue.  And, not only does Rudy have a sensitive digestive system, I think he is sensitive PERIOD.  Now, I understand his diarrhea during and after the move from California. 

Everybody is fine with Iams but I would love to feed a better food. 

Cabin Fever?

Can cats who have never been outside (only Sophie is the exception), get cabin fever?  Well, if such a thing is contagious, they got it from me.

 I was mostly home bound for two weeks when my car was in the body shop,  The entire time I felt kind of discombobulated...unable to relax, settle down, and feeling lost.  Then again, my cats could have been behaving oddly ALL along, and I only noticed it now when I was home so much. :-)

Miki's favorite thing to do was to stagger around on my work table, inside a plastic bag which he always found, sometimes dragging the liner out of a trash can. His choosing my the table in my studio where I was working added a touch of drama.:-)  

Santino, my golden chocolate child who loves everyone, has begun asserting himself.  It looks like he thinks he should be Number ONE Cat.  Oh, and what a bratty look he has on his face when he does this!  Miki calls him on it, Rudy screams like a baby, and Sophie doesn't mind.  SHE is probably urging him on!  And, speaking of Sophie....She has gone from rubbing up against the boys to backing up in front of them, presenting her rear end for them to smell.  They are not interested.  I can imagine them muttering "Weirdo!".

Rudy, who has never groomed others, is now attempting to wash everyone!  Oh, he tries so hard...but, it's obvious he doesn't like it!  He gives a few licks, stops, shakes his head slightly, starts again, makes a face, and walks away.  Miki and Santino are happy to bathe him anyway....maybe he'll get the hang of it. 

Everyone is barely eating.  They are holding out for Friskies, I think. And, they are looking better and better.  Wish I were.

Going Higher

Rudy tried to convince me that he could not get down.  I knew better.  Surely he doesn't remember that I went and got a ladder when he was a kitten? 

Only Miki and Rudy visit this high perch occasionally.  Santino looks and looks, but has not figured out how to do this.  Neither did Blue. 
And, I really can appreciate a non-climbing cat!  

Zippy, also a Balinese, taught both Miki and Rudy.  All three have walked the 9 foot high drapery rods....which I'm grateful to say...they have stopped doing. The fact that I've learned to remove any possible furniture from which they can launch themselves....and, now that they are older, things like ceiling fans have lost their interest...has helped! 

You'd think an old lady who has raised 4 human children....several of which seemed to have a death wish....would not bat an eye if her 4 cats swung from the ceiling fans....I have no chandeliers.....but, no...I am ever vigilant.:-)

But, what I really wanted to write about and forgot...is short of cooking for my cats, since Rudy cannot tolerate any of the "good" manufactured dry foods.....what do I give them????? 

What Are They THINKING?

People who don't particularly like animals maintain that animals are not capable of thought, and people who don't like cats claim a cat is not smart enough to be able to think.  What foolishness!  I think these people are not very observant.

But, though I am certain that a cat's brain (at least MY cats' brains!) is constantly processing information and forming opinions, I am not able to always follow their logic.  Oh, I understand jealousy behavior, food preferences, and much more, but what about bathroom habits?  Thank goodness, my cats have decent bathroom habits, and I am only questioning how they make decisions.

I have read that a good cat mommy has a litter box for each cat plus one extra.  In reality, that's pretty ridiculous.  I have plenty of space for four cats but no way could accommodate five litter boxes!  But I do have TWO, one in my bathroom and one in the laundry room.  The one in the laundry room was an addition when Sophie and Santino joined our household.  I clean them every morning...and have thought about going to twice a day litter box duty.  But there I stop...at the thought....because a tiny voice inside my head screams "NO WAY!".

There would be no issue if all four cats used both boxes, but only Rudy and Sophie use the box in the laundry occasionally ....as much as I can tell....on whim.  What are they thinking?  Their decisions appear to be made randomly.  but of course, I realize that cats are too smart to do anything randomly!  I must figure this out. :-).....obviously, I don't have a life!....or, I can just be grateful that they always DO use a place I have intended for their bathroom.

Oh, The Cuteness!

I don't think any human baby, and certainly not cats, were ever photographed as often as my crew!  But, they are just so cute, and I am having fun with it.:-)

Have you any idea how difficult it is for me to keep my hands off Sophie?  No, she still won't allow me that close.  I don't know what will happen if I need to get her to the vet.  It's good that she doesn't sharpen her claws on the furniture, though, since I can't clip them.  (Last night she rubbed herself against Miki.  He wasn't sure what was going on!:-)

Santino loves to sling one of his paws casually across someone....me or the boys, doesn't matter. 
I had just ruffled his fur...which he loves....He is winter fluffy!   I would have brushed him, but he doesn't like that.  I call him "Prince Fluffy". :-)

Shortly after my ruffling his fur, he rolled over.....and over.

And here we are, all calm and collected again.  

There have been several men over (doing a bathroom facelift).  Santino has been right there with the other two boys supervising their work!!!  They have spoken Spanish with him.  I didn't even know Santino knew Spanish! :-)

Kitty Pica

 

Cat proofing a house is not a simple thing.  The logical items...logical to someone who raised 4 children...are easy....but only one of my children had a peculiar yen.. for dirt.  Even that was easy...no potted plants in the house.  Thank God, she grew out of it, but cats only get more enamored of their favorites, it seems.

 So far, Sophie is my only kitty who is...to my knowledge...free of pica.  I wonder if purebred cats are especially given to this "disorder"?

Miki loves plastic bags.  He loves the odor and doesn't enjoy anything more than wrapping himself up in the heavenly scent.  At first, I just watched him, but when he became obsessed with all plastic bags, hunting them down, I became concerned and now lock them up.  Poor Miki. :-)

Rudy licks the emulsion on photographs.  Fortunately, there aren't too many here!  Old ones are stored in boxes, and new ones come off my Epsom printer.  Second rate ink, second rate emulsion on photo paper, Rudy says.  Just let him find a "real" photo and he grows ecstatic, leaving it very quickly dripping with saliva.

And, baby Santino eats sisal!  What am I going to do?  Replace the sisal scratching posts?  Geez!  Yesterday, I found him chewing on a woodsy decorative thing which he'd pulled off the table.  He didn't even look up as I snapped the photo, so engrossed he was.

 

Still, I consider myself  fortunate.  I once had a Siamese who ate all the fringe off decorative pillows. Now that was one expensive cat!

Plumbing Fixtures & Cats

First about the cats.  I got a coupon for a free bag of Friskies.  Feeling quite guilty about giving my kitties junk food, (It is at least 15 years since I bought Friskies!) I mixed it with a bag of good food.  Oh, my!  Now all four eat breakfast while purring loudly.  Sophie is so happy that she comes within inches of my hands placing the food dish down.   Now I have spoiled them for sure!  What becomes of Royalty fed McDonalds?

Sophie continues testing whether she truly is allowed this luxury.  She is.  Soon I will find her on my bed pillow!  That's where I draw the line.  No food counters or tables, and no bed pillows.  No sharpening claws on furnishings. That's it!  Rudy is the only one who has trouble with the rules. :-)

Until a few days ago, Santino has been the one doing the kitty muggings.  Much to his delight, both Rudy and Miki have jumped on him from behind the last two days. (the weather warmed up and they are more active.)  Then they gallop through the house.....oh, how I love that sound!

So, er...plumbing fixtures....Well, sometimes it really pays to be a cat lady!  Yesterday I was purchasing a faucet and a sink at a plumbing supply dealer.  I had just been quoted a very reasonable price when the sales woman made reference to herself as a "crazy cat lady".  My response was that in my opinion it was all the ladies without cats who were crazy.  What I thought to be a somewhat humorous passing remark was followed by her telling me all about her 3 cats, including her daily routine of singing to them, the same song for each ritual.  

Secretly I thought "This is one crazy cat lady!"....but I reminded myself to allow her the pleasure.  It was such a small thing to allow her the pleasure of talking about her relationship with her cats!  And, guess what?  At the end she made me a plumber!!!  Yes, she gave me a plumber's wholesale discount! :-)