Lying Cat- Mom

Everything is back to normal....more or less. I lied this morning.

I took Issey in for his neutering appointment, and when the vet tech said he needed a rabies shot, I said...oh, I did not bring it (proof of vaccination)......but would. I was not about to let them give little Issey a rabies shot!

A few words later....remembering I had a rabies tag which belongs to another kitty who wound up not coming with me to TX....I said I had his rabies tag in the car, thinking that showing it would be the end of the matter. "Oh, great! The vet's phone number is on the tag and we can just call her for the paper!" she chirped.

And, this is why one should never lie. Even if one occasionally practices situational ethics, like saving an indoor, sweet kitten from a rabies shot, there is no such thing as "just one white lie". Lies always lead to others. Now I have to do a stall because today I am dealing with the head vet, the owner of the vet practice. My guess is that he would be all about upholding Texas law, if not income of his business.....and, I will be lying again when I do a stall. I am embarrassed to find myself in this situation. Like how old am I, anyway......13?

What comes next, the flaky blond routine? Or the old confused woman routine?

I'll come clean, but to my regular vet who knows me, but who is on vacation this week. Just look at my sweet baby Issey.......It's bad enough that I have to do this neuter procedure.

Rudy has not growled once since I took Issey, his tension target, to the vet. This afternoon, I am having him checked out. I think his gums are hurting...even though he is eating normally. If he is o.k. physically, I'll get more kitty pheromones.

All Is Well

My grand-cats, Princess and Buster.....13 yrs old by my calculations, 16 by their Mama's.:-) I have known them since they were fuzzy babies. Both have been wonderful companions to my grandson; Princess adores him. Buster is a little on the grumpy side.






Princess got me to feed her OFTEN. She is bones and fur. I'm afraid I told her Mama that part of being "present" is paying close attention and giving needed care to all living beings, beginning with your own.

It wasn't that she wasn't being fed at all. However, she is alarmingly thin.







I took this photo of Buster last year right before Nate's birthday party. People who claim that cats don't show expression have never actually looked at a cat.


When I returned home, everything was normal. The only kitty who is very dependent is Rudy, but he's been nice to his companions. Perhaps, chilling out in my bedroom made him appreciate them again....Or, perhaps, he thought it his job to keep everyone in line in my absence. Issey grew..........................TALLER, that is. Cat-sitter said she had worried that he was not getting enough food. (He eats as much as the other 3 combined!) This, of course, made me flash back to
my concern over grand kitty Princess.:-)

Trouble in Paradise

AC fan motor went out. Cat sitter freaked over cats in 95 degree heat. She could not reach me because, I learned, my cell phone does not let me know of messages left! I need a smarter phone, I guess. Luckily, she called nearby daughter who got an AC repairman out on a Saturday night. It's now 80 with the smaller temporary fan motor....certainly a good temp for my fur kids if not their sitter.

Worse.....she said....is that Rudy has gone kind of berserk, showing extreme jealousy....attacking Santino and Issey. This jealousy was already building a couple of weeks before my trip, but I had it under control by giving him more attention which had calmed him back to his normal self.

I asked the sitter to isolate him to my bedroom, so he could take comfort in my bed and my personal things in the adjoining bathroom. She is to feed him separately in the room, and allow the other 3 the run of the house and the 2nd litter box. I am hoping Rudy won't destroy my bedroom!

THIS I did not expect. I guess I have been lucky (I guess the sitter has been lucky) to not have any problems at all EVER. Five more days........It will either all be alright or burn down...So I might as well dance.:-)

Bye-Bye, Babies

I am leaving Issey for the first time tomorrow morning....and oh, how I hate that. But the trip to visit family and grandcats was made prior to this adoption.

Life is full of twists and turns, some sad and others joyful. I like to focus on the good and that is Issey. I've had the house/cat sitter come twice to spend some time with the kitties. I told her I'm a new mother. This isn't the first time she's had to deal with my new motherhood.:-) I'm glad that they kitties have each other!

You might enjoy the following facts, though some may be questionable. Most authorities, for example, agree that a cat's normal temperature is 101, not 102.

CatStuff: Cat Facts and Trivia

www.stumbleupon.com

Spoil Them!

I'd like to tell you he is in meditation, but would you believe me?















Gentle, fuzzy Santino













Issey, 7 months old, but very wise!









I love this shot because it shows the red of Rudy's front (His tummy is even redder) against his beautifully ticked darker body.

Okey...the photos are just for fun and do not illustrate child...or in this case, cat rearing. Many years ago, we went to quite a few potlucks in our somewhat "hippy" community. I made that assessment by the strange non-meat concoctions as well as the style of hair and dress. I observed what I thought was over permissive child rearing. Besides having rather large children glued to exposed breasts, children were screeching and weaving through the seated adults as they were eating. I was astonished that there was a lot of back-talking and kicking the adults in the shins going on as well.

I had always thought that children had to be taught manners or they would grow into terribly self-centered, obnoxious adults.

Fast forward. I can't speak for all of these children, but I the ones I kept track of, turned into very nice and thoughtful adults!

I have softened over the years, but I still continued to have some opinions about the necessity of setting limits with cats.

Fast forward again! When I visited Virginia and Paul's peaceful 20 cats I think I remarked on how smoothly everything went. Virginia said that she gave them whatever they wanted!
BINGO! Beings whose needs are not only understood, but MET, have no reason to be other than calm.

I realize my parallels are not foolproof, but I maybe all little beings SHOULD be spoiled!

My Wonderful Family

Issey is a short haired Balinese.
But, if a Balinese is a short haired Siamese...a point which I have always argued as I find their personalities to be different.....then doesn't it follow logically that Issey is a Siamese? :-)
















Issey is just as sweet as his appearance.











Issey is so beautiful!













I melt when I see how happy Santino and Issey are together.













Rudy looks evil in this shot, doesn't he? He IS incorrigible, but not evil.











Rudy and Sophie contemplating their navels? Look how small Sophie's ears are! I consider large "fly-away ears normal.:-) Though, just like people, some cats make it challenging to love them much, I LOVE my fur children!

A Matter of Viewpoint

After going through totally normal kitten naughties, Santino has grown to a perfectly behaved young adult.

He no longer steals food off the plate from which I am eating, doesn't get on the kitchen counters, doesn't knock anything off my studio work table, and doesn't scratch the furniture. Actually, he is quite amazingly good!

And, he NEVER gets on the dining table!!!! Except this one time. One could view this as a lapse in manners. However, there is another explanation. The sugar bowl which caught his attention has never had sugar in it, let alone make an appearance on the table! Santino is actually helping me by telling me that things are out of order!

You can laugh if you want to, but how do you know my viewpoint isn't the right one? Even a half-way observant cat will show concern over things being out of order.

A Mutual Bath

Issey is a good bit more assertive than Santino. He controls who is doing the bathing and for how long, but it's somewhere close to equal.
























Issey has a very expressive face. (Be sure to click the photo to see it larger.) What do you suppose he is thinking???






















Time to settle in for a nap...The Balinese have taken Sophie's favorite perch.

Precocious Issey

I have trouble believing that Issey is only 5 months old. He is incredibly smart and mature. I keep looking at those cute light gray balls of his and wondering..........

Therefore perhaps you will understand how it is that I had a mini freak-out last night. I was dozing....not quite asleep....when I was startled by an unfamiliar sound. It was Sophie, quiet Sophie who only mutters and trills to her toys. Issey had mounted her. Before I remembered that she is spayed, I had let out a scream and that was that.

Since I had been half asleep....perhaps, even all the way asleep....I don't know whether it was only a simple mugging. :-) I can just imagine Issey laughing at me!

Just the same, as soon as Issey's shot records arrive, I am making an appointment for neutering!