Cat Tales Blog

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2010-02-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Remembering Carlton

2009-05-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Funny how a black cat could be considered a diabolic form. As an incubus, that feline monster was believed to perch on its victim’s chest and suck the breath away. For me, a black cat was more angelic. If I saved his life, Carlton may have saved mine. At least his presence got me over some rough spots. So companionable, though he might have looked like a black panther, he acted more like a black Labrador. And when he perched on my chest, I certainly never felt depleted. No matter where I’d be during the day, he knew he could always find his buddy at shower time for the evening ritual (knowing the love for rituals) which was for me to lie down so he could mount my chest and get rubbed under his chin. It never felt like my soul was being depleted. On the contrary, it gave me a little boost, or at least forced me to relax.
The bond with critters cuts across a lot of lines. Imagine the hunter lamenting a favorite hound, his blues for ol’ Blue. Imagine the prospector’s blues for his mule. Shorty Harris, who dug up the Bullfrog Mine, memorialized life with a lone burro when he wrote his epitaph: “Here lies a single blanket jackass prospector.” Writers too are renowned for feline friends. Hemingway’s cats have even inherited his Cuban estate and are now protected as park animals. Ray Bradbury’s Ditsie is a female version of the little short-haired guy who hung out beside my desk, Carlton Lord Spoilworthy.
When he turned sick, threatened by renal failure, we began to value him more each day. That was easy since he was such a good little guy. No, he wasn’t perfect. He had his moments, such as some unauthorized pissing. But that was only protest for attention. How can you condemn that? And after a while he learned that just looking as if he might do it was enough. He really didn’t want to piss on my slippers, but how else can the master get the acolyte’s attention.
Now when I realize that it’s safe to put books on the lowest shelf without fear of a urine attack, the advantage doesn’t seem worth it. I’ve even removed the plastic panel from the bottom shelf which shielded the big books, but that’s no big deal since Lord Spoilworthy isn’t around.
At a pet hospital in Sherman Oaks where Jane and I even tried an acupuncturist (that’s right, a feline acupuncturist) I check out the folks porting their ailing pets into the facility and consider the care and loot (30 billion bucks this year) spent in that regard. Seems as though folks outside of western culture have difficulty understanding why. Maybe the understanding they lack, besides an inability to sympathize with other people or animals not from their tribe, is the thing Americans really maintain in keeping pets. Loyalty. It seems pet owners pay a lot for loyalty. Perhaps it’s something lacking inside, and so it’s subordinated to the creatures who are most sure of delivering that same commodity—loyalty.
I would add a special kind of wisdom.
It was surely a momentary freak-out for Dak, a Tech Assistant at Veterinary Specialty Group in San Diego, when we brought Carlton in for an endoscopy. Dak was praising Carlton’s laid back demeanor, and I had him sputtering for a response when I confessed (tongue visibly inserted in cheek) that I believed Carlton to be an incarnation of the Buddha. Considering the odd raft of weird believers in Lululand, what did Dak know? I could have been part of a cult of cat worshipers from Malibu. Yet Dak smiled. Didn’t he— as well as most personnel who handled Carlton— didn’t they believe that he was the mellowest cat they’d met? And Carlton did indeed show a Buddha-like acceptance to all the scraping and probing those doctors performed on him.
At a cancer clinic in Culver City one young woman who worked there brought in a colleague to show her how Carlton was lounging on the scale where she’d left him after weighing. It was clear they hadn’t seen much of that. More likely they were used to dealing with fractious (their preferred word) screaming felines that required peeling off the walls. I couldn’t make out what they were saying while they giggled and whispered, but I knew it to be some form of admiration. That’s where the title of Lord Spoilworthy stuck. And there he was, Carlton Lord Spoilworthy lounging regally on the curved bed of the scale and looking like an Egyptian pharaoh sailing on his barque down the Nile.
Dr. Iburg, his regular vet, was surprised at one visit when Carlton gave out a little cry. It was so unlike him to complain at all. We were all puzzled until it turned out that she was unwittingly pressing his tail which hung over the edge of the table, and we all chuckled. Here we thought he was acting like a cat, but in actuality he had something to complain about. And even then, it was a soft complaint.
And then the time when he put his paw on the assistant’s arm— “little bubbala,” she called him as she cradled him on the exam table at the West LA Vet Clinic... It was a last ditch effort to determine what was wrong. (A test for a rare disease, which of course was to no avail.) As she was cradling and petting little bubbala lying serenely on the exam table, he looked up at her and put his paw softly on the arm stroking him. It visibly took her breath away.
At the first indication of weakened kidneys, his lordship’s diet had to be altered, and he hated such bland plebeian fare. Couldn’t understand why we were cutting him off from his favorite protein-rich food and treats. So he began to prowl the perimeter of the house, scanning all possible exits. He knew he couldn’t trust anybody, not even the food folks who used to give him anything he wanted. But soon his transcendent acceptance kicked in and he made the most of it.
A good example was his acceptance of a formerly hated guest. At best, he ruled that guests are only mildly tolerable. Sometimes it’s acceptable to allow one to touch you, being somewhat partial to strokes. But when the guests leave, there is such a racing through rooms, bounding up stairs, toys dragged out, the only conclusion to this swelter of activity is that of ecstatic relief. Sadly, that’s why the outside world, except for a few care givers, never got to see his charm.
Yet, he could temper his principles too. He tolerated a person whom previously he’d most distrusted. Despite the anti-guest feeling, he learned to accept Robert Green-Price— but it took two visits. On the first, when Carlton was new in the house, and more defensive, he hissed and pissed at Robert. On the second visit, he bypassed his own amigo to jump up on Robert’s lap. Granted, Green-Price was sitting on my chair where Carlton was used to receiving his strokes. But nevertheless, though a former arch-enemy, Lord Spoilworthy was quite content to sit there for the longest time, much to Sir Robert’s surprise, if not consternation.
That acceptance really showed up in technicolor when Christy once started coming to the house. Christy was the hydration lady, who three times a week administered fluid under the skin (subcutaneous injections for renal disease). The first few times, Carlton would make a half-hearted run for it the minute she entered, often diving under the bed. After a few visits, Christy arrived in the afternoon for the usual. She just stepped inside. She had a story to tell. She always had a story to tell. Listening, I looked past her into the living room and noticed that Carlton was hopping up on his rocking chair where the fluid was to be administered. He sat there, watching, waiting to get it over.
Games became a way of life, as with most cats. Our games were certainly of his devising: Whirly Cat, which evolved into Rolly Cat, then to Trolly Cat. No person short of a circus trainer can get a cat to act out a game— if he doesn’t think of it. In fact, that was a general Carlton rule: “If I didn’t think of it, I don’t do it.” If it hasn’t already been drawn, a good cartoon could be made of a cat singing “My Way.”
Whirly Cat started before we invited him into the house. In Whirly Cat he would rush up to me in the driveway and flop on his back so that I could rub his belly and whirl him around. That bit evolved into Rolly Cat, which was to roll him from side to side as he pretended to bite my hand. In the bedroom Rolly Cat morphed into Trolly cat, which utilized his bird toy strung on the end of a stick like a fishing pole; I would troll with the bird over the side of the bed until he suddenly leaped out from underneath like a catfish going for bait.
Pretty standard cat stuff, yes, but there were others.
Carlton was the cat’s meow, and he exercised a chorus of voices when he used that versatile meow. Part Siamese, his vocal range went from a soft sound, almost a lip smack, up to a banshee wail. Yet, though he could sound that multitude of voices— a regular carillon when he got going— Carlton rarely used them. Outside, when I first knew him, he only greeted with the faintest mew. I first noted his mime ability when I’d heard what sounded like a baby crying. I’d actually heard it a few times before, wondering who were the parents to leave a baby squall like that, until I witnessed the actual source: Carlton standing off a feline interloper.
That’s the banshee wail he turned on me when we first brought him into the house. And he would do it, standing at the patio door, only when Jane was gone. He knew I was the softie. So he gave it to me full bore. Though I never gave in and let him out, it was a gut-wrenching aria. Downright operatic, a cat flexing his vocal cords for a desired result.
While involved in some of those games I’d be reminded of Pascal who confessed that sometimes when he was playing with his cat he wasn’t sure the cat wasn’t playing with him. Carlton’s Clawing-The-Chair game was a good one for playing with my head.
Carlton had been de-clawed by his former owner next door, and then let out at night. We took him in because his face had been ripped open and then he had been locked out of the house to keep him from bleeding on the carpet. It’s a wonder the coyote, or whatever it was that tore up Carlton’s face, didn’t finish him. And the reason he had his front claws chopped was because he allegedly ripped up their furniture. So the game Carlton invented in our house was pretending to claw a fabric chair in the living room, a little psychodrama wherein he goes through the motions. It even sounded like he was clawing the chair, paws grating against the material, a sound like ripping. (It sounded so realistic when I first heard it I did a double-take.) He clawed the chair with out-stretched paws while holding his most defiant expression. Then all of a sudden he would get the guilty look of a bad kitty and break out running. Everyone knows a bad kitty must be chased.
Mistreated? What can a philosopher do but make a game of it?
Everyone’s pet is exceptional, yeah. Maybe Carlton was no different from others, but when he showed signs of understanding verbal remarks, I had to pay attention. Name recognition, of course. But besides recognizing his own name, there were certain other words. When we first brought him in, tacit agreements had to be made to keep the little guy happy. One was that apertures in the house would always be available so that he could sniff the great outdoors.
So the words “door” and “window” were muy importante. But what about “other door?”
I happened to change my mind one day just as I was opening the balcony door for him in the guest bedroom. Carlton was at the door, waiting, ready to put his head to the screen door. Then I decided to open instead the door in the master bedroom since I’d be there soon. I remarked aloud, (talking to myself, really) “No, let’s go to the other door,” as I re-closed the one being opened.
Carlton immediately turned and headed for the landing. Unconsciously, I followed. It wasn’t till I followed him through the hall, across the master bedroom, and then to the balcony door. Just beginning to open it, I looked down and realized he had come to the “other door” without any other cue but those two words. So if he understood other door, what else did he understand?
Just another instance of what made it special, living and communicating across those mysterious lines with such a good and soulful bro, a little thirteen-pounder who could fill a house.

Joe Cozzo

Carlton, Lord Spoilworthy - letter from beyond

2009-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Carlton, Lord Spoilworthy and I am speaking to you from beyond that mortal coil. I departed your veil of tears---and joy---at home on January 14, 2009, at the age of 17, with my staff Mr. and Mrs. Cozzo (or Joe and Jane, as they insisted I so casually address them) at my side. Also present were my attending physician and her nurse, who facilitated my physical demise because I was so weak from systemic illnesses (renal disease and small-cell lymphoma, amongst others). Until the end, I remained a handsome fellow indeed. I must confess that everyone I encountered during my entire life made this observation. (I enclose a portraiture of myself, to ensure that I not be accused of undue vanity.)

My staff continue to pray for the immortality of my soul, and I wish to convey to them that their prayers most certainly should be answered. I shall be eternally grateful to them for saving me from a most probable premature death. You see, I had been in the “care” of a man (a next-door neighbour of the Cozzos) whose concern and regard for me were negligible at best. Because of my benign temperament, I fatalistically accepted his treatment of me, including his locking me out of the house because the blood from the wounds of an attack were getting on his carpet.

It was at this juncture (December of 2001) that the Cozzos intervened and took me to hospital. My erstwhile “caregiver” retrieved me, but in January of 2002, I finally made the decision to leave this insensitive man and give myself over to the care of my staff, as I knew they loved me and would most certainly provide better care and support.

The initial adjustment of living with them was, I fear to relate, somewhat stressful, but through no fault of theirs. Their predecessor’s wife had had my front claws removed years prior because I was sharpening them on her chintz sofa. To add insult to injury (pun intended), this procedure was performed before I could completely do in that monstrosity. That couple continued to let me roam free, defenceless, in a neighborhood populated by coyotes. Of course, I did not realise the imminent danger when I was on my roamabouts, and quite naively enjoyed them.

Thus the difficulty adjusting to “house arrest.” During the approximately six weeks accustomising myself to this limitation, I used every verbal tactic available to me to convince my staff that I was frustrated by the change in life style.

I attempted to convey this sentiment on countless occasions, primarily through my extremely wide voice range, which spanned octaves. I used a deep baritone for a repeated “raaaaa---unh,” several times a day. On other occasions, when Jane was not present, I used my most desperate-sounding baby cry to work on Joe, but that proved to be of no avail.

Over the years, when I observed feline male trespassers on my property, I would let out the most blood-curdling, gutterally extended cry that it caused great alarm to anyone within earshot.

After I realised that my indoor life had its own rewards, which more than compensated for the absence of outdoor walkabouts, I used a very high soprano to convey contentment, almost a silent “meah.”

I soon realised my staff were unconditionally devoted to me, and did their very best to satisfy all my desires, first and foremost, constant attention. Fancy Feast food, in all the flavours I favoured, in addition to crunchies, were provided at all hours of the day and night. I even was provided with a water fountain, and later two: upstairs and downstairs. In my final years, upon awakening every morning, I only had to gaze expectantly at one of my staff and I immediately was brought breakfast in bed.

Play sessions, including rather bizarre ones, were always granted if I indicated an interest. My most favourite, as I grew older and tired of mousy-mousy and kill the ball, was what my staff called tom-toming: having my bum “spanked.” For quite a while, they remained clueless regarding the sexual satisfaction this provided. Finally, it dawned on them, thank God. I hasten to add that I nevertheless had been castrated in my childhood. Perhaps that accounted for my ability to sing counter-tenor in addition to baritone, but I digress.

My staff also allowed me to occupy, my places on the bed, in addition to providing me a down cushion on which I could make a little “nest,” and even a heated cushion on a rocking chair, which helped my arthritis.

I also greatly enjoyed the cushions in front of the fireplace where they made a fire every evening in the cooler months. I became quite adept at conveying to them when I wanted a fire---even during the daytime, especially on cold days. And all year round, even in the winter months, windows and doors were opened for me, day and night, so I could enjoy through the screens the fresh air and all the exotic scents known only to my kind.

My staff even provided me with my own home entertainment center: a bird feeder right in front of my favourite window, where I could see those tantalising creatures just inches away. They knew I was there, and yet continued to eat. I believe they actually knew that in spite of the danger I posed, I could not harm them, even though I occasionally would instinctively bat at them. Cheeky bastards!

My staff also knew when I wanted to go to the toilet. I used my voice range and distinct language to convey this need. I wanted one of them, (and preferably both of them) to accompany me to what they called “the urination ceremony.” You see, I was extremely fastidious and having them there to dispose of the waste kept my toilet clean, especially as I had a tendency to defecate and urinate in succession. Of course, when they happened to not be at home, I had to make do without their service, which was a mild source of vexation.

During the course of the years my staff served me they never left me alone for more than hours. They even took separate vacations because they could not bear the idea of my being incarcerated in a cage at a boarding facility. Even during these times, I missed the one who was not present, but at least one of them was with me. The one who was away always rang up every day to be sure I was in fine form. Needless to say, this was a source of great comfort and assurance.

Most unfortunately, in 2005 I was diagnosed with chronic renal failure, a progressive disease very common to my kind. My staff were devastated by this diagnosis and spared no expense to obtain the best medical care possible, including specialists, an acupuncturist, the requisite pharmaceuticals, and regular treatments (sub-cutaneous fluids), subsequently administered at home by a technician.

So committed were they to extending my life, that they consulted a nephrologist at one of the world’s top renal transplant facilities. In the course of tests to determine my suitability for this procedure, they discovered that I had incipient small-cell lymphoma, for which I was initially treated at that facility.

However, this diagnosis ultimately led to on-going treatment at a renowned oncology clinic. Even though the trips to the clinic were stressful, I stoically accepted them, as I knew that my staff were trying to do the best they could for me and would never knowingly do me harm.

As often occurs, the chemotherapy diminished my appetite and I started to lose weight. My staff, ever concerned for my well-being, then sought a third opinion, which led to a greatly reduced oral regimen, albeit with stressful, although---thankfully--- infrequent, trips from Los Angeles to San Diego, where the attending oncologist and gastro-enterologist practiced. My philosophical stoicism served me well during these times. Positive developments were that my renal disease seemed to be more or less stabilised by on-going treatments, and the small-cell lymphoma stayed in remission.

Until shortly before my demise, the quality of my life was as good as possible by human standards. I had the unmitigated devotion of my staff who always did what they thought best for me. Even when I gradually stopped eating, and had to endure my staff’s syringe feeding me (in my primary physician’s hope that it would effect weight gain and stimulate my appetite) I still found pleasure in certain habits and rituals, resulting in my purring until just a few days before the end.

I am greatly moved by, and appreciative of, my staff’s unmitigated gratitude for having had the privilege of living with me and so intimately knowing me. I also am aware of how much they are devastated by my physical demise, of how much they love me, of how much they miss my presence, and of how much an integral part of their lives I always will be.

I thank you for taking the time to read this missive, and I remain

Yours faithfully,

Carlton,
Lord Spoilworthy

Even Cats are Twittering?

2009-04-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Seems like everyone and everything is all a-Twitter! In case you don't know, Twitter is a booming social networking and micro-blogging service. It helps people stay connected in real-time just by answering one simple question: What are you doing? In 140 characters or less.

Even cats don't want to be left behind. They're tweeting too! An engineer who has two cats created a cat door for them to keep the food-stealing neighbor cats out. His own cats are fitted with an RFID chip on their collar. When they come near the door, the door senses the cat is authorized and unlocks the flap. Well, that's nothing new. But here's the twist--

Each time a cat comes in or goes out, a camera above the door takes a snapshot of the cat and tweets a message via the cat's own Twitter account.

Okay Mittens, you have 140 meows! Go!

Smitten by Mittens

2009-03-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Itty Bitty Mitty!

One big change in my life is that instead of taking care of one cat—Mittens, the half-Siamese—I now have three!

Adopting a Senior Kitty

First, let me tell you that I finally officially adopted Mittens. Yes, she's no longer a temp cat! She's got a permanent role—a starring one, mind you!—in my life. I'm thrilled. I can tell she is, too. She's fast asleep.

My friend Pixie, who used to be Mittens' guardian, told me that she no longer wanted to keep Mittens. And that if I returned Mittens to her, she'd just look for another home for her.

Of the three cats Pixie had, Mittens was always her least favorite.

Part of the reason, I suppose, is that Mittens used to belong to Pixie's ex-boyfriend's young daughter. The daughter went to live with her mom (the parents are divorced), who didn't want a cat. So she left Mittens with her dad, who was living with Pixie at the time. When Pixie broke up with him, he abandoned Mittens. (He himself simply disappeared, who knows where.)

Mittens’ Hard Luck Tale

I can certainly understand if Pixie doesn't have the best memories associated with Mittens. Under the circumstances, Pixie can be commended for spending hundreds of dollars on Mitten’s veterinary bills to cure her nasal fungal infection. Particularly since Pixie’s been very much strapped for cash. With all the turmoil in her life, she was having a hard time taking care of herself, let alone a sick cat. I helped out by boarding Mittens for free and providing all the care that she needed, including medicating her twice a day.

Another reason Pixie never cared much for Mittens is that she appeared to be a very needy cat. I suppose it’s because she’s been neglected most of her life. It’s surprising that she’s so affectionate even after being abused as a kitten.

According to Pixie, her ex-boyfriend’s daughter—who was a troubled little girl at the time—used to stuff Mittens in a pillowcase and swing her around.

No wonder Mittens is so skittish. She’s a scaredy little cat who spooks at her own shadow. And needy? Yes. I still remember meeting Mittens on Pixie’s bed. My buddy and I had just gone into Pixie’s bedroom to get something when Mittens sidled over to us, back arched, tail held high. Meowing non-stop, she proceeded to rub and head butt us for the next 20 minutes. As we stroked her per demand, her fur flew (boy, does she ever shed!) scattering all over the maroon red bedspread. We tried to make a break for it a number of times, but she managed to corral us back each time.

She’s a Brand New Cat

Well, I’m proud to say that today she’s a far different kitty. She’s recovered from her infection, gained weight (a tad too much!), she’s healthy, and no longer needy. Most of the time she sits on my bed with a look of smug contentment. She never accosts anyone with persistent head butting. In fact, if anyone tries to pat her too much, she’ll deliver a kung fu kick with her hind leg—just a little warning, still pulling the punches, so to speak—or give a little mock bite.

I also took her to the humane society to get microchipped. She has her own Home Again tag dangling from her Parisian chic black collar. Recently, I purchased a rhinestone letter “M” for her. She’s a styling kitty! At age 14, she’s young at heart.

The other two cats in my life now are Sammy—my new temp cat— and Lydia, a blind, albino cat, who’s here to stay for good. All the cats here are senior cats. Each with his or her unique tail and a tale to tell.

Have you ever adopted a senior cat? If so, how did that work out for you? Please feel free to comment if you care to share.

In Memoriam, January 14, 2009

2009-01-15T10:58:00.000-08:00

Goodbye, Carlton

Beloved Carlton who shared his life with my friends Jane and Joe, passed away yesterday. He was 17. He was a handsome, funny, quirky, playful, affectionate and adorable cat.

Carlton had been ill for many years. In fact, when he was first diagnosed with a kidney illness in 2005, the vet only gave him 6 more months to live. But he was given the very best veterinary care possible. He went to every specialist who could conceivably help him. My friends simply doted on him. During his illness, there was at least one person at home with him. He wasn't left alone for even an hour.

I know many cat lovers, but few loved their cat as much as Jane and Joe.

Carlton couldn't have wished for a better life.

Adopting Cats That Aren't Brothers

2009-01-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

Adopting Kitties Who aren’t Littermates

Ever wonder how if it’s okay to adopt 2 kittens who aren’t littermates? It most certainly can be done especially if the cats are young enough.

Here’s an amusing story by my neighbor and fitness guru CJ. It’s about how she came to adopt two cats that weren’t brothers. Oh, by the way, I’ve introduced her cats in a previous post:

Kidney Failure

I had a cat named Maudie, who was sick with kidney failure. I had her from the age of 8 weeks until she was 19 years old. When she had to be put down I swore I would never get another cat.

The Cutest White Kitten

About one month after she passed away I went over to one of my friends house, and she had the cutest white kitten I had ever seen. Long hair, big blue eyes, I feel in love. It dawned on me that my friend Betty wasn't a cat person, yet here she was with this adorable kitten. I told her if you decide you don't want this kitty I will take him. She just smiled and said this cat has been waiting for you!

Naming Cats by the Color

She knew that one day soon after Maudie died, I would want another cat. So I adopted this kitty who was named Madison at the time. Part of the story is that my family has always carried down from generations.... color specific cat names....all white cats in my family whether they were male or female, were named Phooey. All yellow/orange cats that were male were Maynard and all female yellow/orange cats were Pinky.

Dumped in a Dumpster

After I adopted Phooey, I decided I didn't want him to be alone so I knew someone who worked with "pets in need" and they had a couple of abandoned kitties who were dumped in a dumpster after just 3 days of life. They were rescued and waiting to be adopted.

Hyper Kitty

I went to visit these kitties and one of them was about 4 pounds. He had long, orange fur and was as hyper as heck. He was running around like a crazy cat, attacking his brother, flipping over the litter box, and just basically being a kitty. I applied to become his owner but had to pass a home inspection first.

Just Like Brothers

Shortly thereafter, I adopted Rocky, who then became Maynard. They are about 2/3 months different in age, but have always behaved as brothers. They are going to be 13 next January. They are the first male cats I have owned and, I have to say, more affectionate than females.

Long Live the Feline Siblings

I hope they live as long as Maudie did—or longer because I cannot think of them not being around. Again, I swear I will not get another pet when they pass on, but I also know in my heart that I will.

Celebrating New Year with Cats

2009-01-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

Ring in the New Year with Your Favorite Feline Friends

Are you ringing in the New Year with your cat? Will you be spending New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day alone with your cat? Or perhaps with a cat (or cats) and a significant other?

There were many years when I spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day alone with my black cat Saki. (Ditto for birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.)

Holing up with Your Kitty?

I usually had a better time snuggling with my cat and a good book than at a raucous party, or in the company of drunks. Or indeed, with my family.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy getting together my family. But spending a major holiday in the company of a feline friend is much more peaceful—and generally more predictable.

A Good Cat is Forever

At any rate, no holiday is complete without the companionship of a cat. For those of you who have lost their beloved cat recently, my heart goes out to you. I understand all too well the grief, the despair, the emptiness. But you will get through it.

If you will, send a little prayer or a loving thought to your newly departed. Take very good care of yourself. Your cat wouldn’t want you to suffer.

Spreading Holiday Cheer

If you don’t happen to have a cat, or even if you do, but you want to usher in the year 2009 with a few more felicitous felines, try calling a local animal shelter and see if they’re holding a New Year’s bash.

In my area, Town Cats, a no kill shelter is offering a light buffet of food and drinks for humans on New Year’s Eve from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The shelter, which houses more than 100 cats, is also requesting treats and toys for their resident felines. Monetary donations are accepted too, of course.

You can make a difference in the lives of these cats—and yours, too—by visiting shelter cats, giving them some tender loving care, and offering donations to the shelters.

Happy New Year! May you and your cats enjoy good health and good times in 2009 and in all the years to come.

Cats and New Year's Food

2008-12-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Welcoming in New Year with Your Feline Friend

It’s hard to believe that it’s already New Year’s Eve! Soon my laptop will be displaying the year 2009 on the screen. Amazing. I wish that my cat Saki were still alive to herald the New Year.

But I do have my friend’s cat Mittens, who is the same age as Saki if she were still around. (Saki, wherever you are in the Great Beyond, are you happy?)

Never Feed Your Cat Holiday Tidbits

Anyway, as a cat guardian I have to look after the well-being of my furry friend. On New Year’s Eve, that specifically means:

Do NOT give kitty any table scraps. Nil. Nada. It’s bad for cats. And dogs. Even if they beg, even if they look entirely too adorable, you absolutely must resist the impulse to toss them tidbits from the holiday table.

Can Mittens Ever Vibrate!

Okay, I confess. On Christmas Day I gave Mittens some organic, grass-fed filet mignon from my friend’s plate. (It’s way too expensive even for human consumption.) She was ecstatic. She blissed out. She emitted 4 loud, resoundingly happy meows, purred loudly, and vibrated her tail. Mittens vibrates more vociferously than my cell phone.

Hours later, she threw up. Fortunately, that’s all that happened. But really, I should not have given her human food. And not in the quantity that I did. Just because Mittens looked so cute that I could’ve simply squeezed her till she was purple (do cats ever go purple?) doesn’t give me the license to feed her steak.

(Okay, more confessions. I’ve given Mittens turkey from the restaurant on Thanksgiving Day. In the past, I’ve also brought her home some cheesecake.)

Nutritionally Unbalanced Holiday Fare

Festive fare is too rich for cats—probably too rich for human!—as well as unbalanced nutritionally and could be harmful to their health. It doesn’t pack the nutrients that your cats need.

Cats Must Avoid Japanese Sweets

Kittens require food that can help support their development and growth spurt.

More confessions. When Saki was a kitten, I was living in Japan so I gave her some Japanese sweets. She loved them. Even though cats can’t taste anything sweet.

When I happened to mention the snack to the vet, he shot me a look so withering that I wanted to tuck my tail and slink away. Well, at least I never fed Saki any more bean-jam filled pastries.

Be Careful What You Feed Elderly Cats

Older, geriatric cats find it harder to digest unaccustomed food. Like aging humans, their metabolism is slowing down, and they need all the nutrients they can get to help them cope with the onslaught of age.

So….

Take it from me: Keep your cats away from New Year’s delicacies!

Herbs for Cats with Liver Disease -- Part 2

2008-12-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

Your Cat's Not Responding to Conventional Medicine?

You might try herbal supplements for your cat if you’re not getting much result from conventional medicine, or you want to avoid giving your cat medication on a long-term basis for a chronic illness.

Cats with liver disease might benefit from herbs and nutritional supplements. As mentioned in my previous post, however, please be very careful if you choose to do so.

Spotty Quality Control of Herbs

Bear in mind that there is as yet little research on the effects of herbs on cats. That doesn’t mean that herbs aren’t safe—but it does mean that you should talk to your vet before giving your cat any herbal remedies.

But most vets don’t know anything about herbs or nutritional supplements. It’s rather like asking your regular doctor for nutritional and other dietary advice—they mostly don’t have a clue. (I know, I’ve gone that route before for myself.)

Get Expert Advice

Look for a vet who knows how to use herbs for cats with liver disease. Whatever time you may spend researching for one is time well spent.

You really need expert advice. Dosage has to be adjusted for the smaller body size of the cat. And remember too that some substances that are safe for humans can be toxic to cats. (Like chocolate and garlic.)

Get herbs from a reputable manufacturer. (Again, get the recommendation of a vet or a practitioner that you trust.) Herbs are not regulated by the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) and the quality can vary a lot.

Helpful Herbs and Vitamins

Here is a short list of herbs and vitamins that are sometimes used to treat cats with liver disease. I will discuss them at greater length in my next post.

Milk Thistle

L-Carnitine or Carnitine

Turmeric

SAM-E (S-adenosylmethionine)

Vitamin B complex

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Herbs for Cats with Liver Disease -- Part I

2008-12-24T11:26:00.000-08:00

Should You Try Herbs for Liver Disease?

I never used to think that cats could get liver diseases. Certainly not just because they stopped eating for a few days. But they do, they can get quite sick if they stop eating for a while, they can get hepatic lipidosis, or fatty liver disease.

For symptoms and treatments, read "Could Your Cat Have Fatty Liver Disease."

http://cat-tales-blog.blogspot.com/2008/05/feline-fatty-liver-disease.html

If you’re a cat lover it’s gut-wrenching when your cat gets sick. You just want to do everything possible for you companion.

Alternative Therapies for Cats Diagnosed with Liver Disease?

I think that if my cat had a liver disease I'd want to check out alternative therapies in addition to conventional medicine.

In fact, I'd check into alternative therapies for any illness that my cat was suffering from. After all, I always consider dietary and other approaches to health care for myself, so why not my cat? There is, as they say, more than one way to skin a cat. (Oops, sorry, bad analogy! My cat Mittens is glaring at me from across the room. I think I've seriously offended her.)

So I did a little research into some possible herbs that a cat might take if he had a liver disease. I discovered that many herbs that help people with liver disease also seem to benefit cats.

Precautions to Take When Giving Your Cat Herbs

As long as you follow the following precautions, it should be okay to consider herbs and nutritional supplements for a cat with liver disease:

Do NOT try out any herbs without getting them cleared with the vet. Although people tend to think that supplements or herbs are completely safe, they are not totally without side effects.

And you absolutely should NOT mix herbs with prescription medication. If your cat is taking meds, you definitely shouldn’t give him anything without first consulting the vet. Otherwise, you could do your cat serious damage.

You MUST get all herbs and supplements from reputable sources. They can be tainted and unsafe for consumption – as alas, so many pet owners have discovered in recent years.

Keeping a Daily Log

It's best if you can keep a log to record your cat's reactions to the herbs. In fact, it's a good idea to keep some sort of daily journal if you have a sick cat. Don't just rely on your memory.

Record the date, the time and dosage for any herbs, medication, or nutritional supplements that you give your cat. Observe your cat and note any signs, symptoms, or unusual reactions of any sort. Even if it doesn't mean anything to you now, it might provide a clue later.

Leave a space to jot down any comments. Having a journal will make it easier if you need someone else to look after your cat. And, of course, it's handy to have around when consulting the vet.

In my next post I'll list the herbs that may be beneficial for cats with liver disease.

Cat Pictures

2008-10-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

More Cat Pictures

Phooey

Just had to put up these cat pictures. These two adorable cats belong to my next-door neighbor CJ, who were once unwanted kittens. (I swear they make some of the best pets.) Aren’t they gorgeous? Actually, the photos don’t do them justice. They look even more beautiful in person (even if they’re not actually people).

My Heart Nearly Stopped

My heart nearly stopped, the first time I saw him: he was so beautiful. CJ snapped these pictures when Phooey was in one of his goofy moods. He’s a cat with a good sense of humor and a dramatic sense of timing. He has a long, bushy absolutely gorgeous tail. Oh, have I already used the word “gorgeous” many times? I think it’s time for me to whip out the thesaurus!

Phooey and his adopted brother simply adore CJ, who is a doting mom to them.

Maynard

Long Cat!

It’s hard to tell from the photos just how robust – and long – Phooey is. I was totally floored the first time I saw Phooey—don’t think I’ve ever seen a cat that was so very long, a virtual locomotive (and a very furry one), I’d say! When he stretches out, I swear he becomes almost as long as CJ is tall—and CJ is a tall woman, tall and blond.

Phooey

Boy Toy

He’s a boy toy, a toy cat, a feline gumby who lets you twist and turn him however you want. Drape him around your neck like a shawl if you want….well, maybe.

Spotted Nose

Maynard, who is 2 to 3 months younger than Phooey, is just as handsome as his brother. As you can see from the photo, he has spots on his nose. Unlike Phooey, who is sociable and just loves attention, Maynard tends to shy away from strangers. So it was a rare treat when he didn’t run away form me one day but let me sit and contemplate his nose. I most definitely can’t pick him up like Phooey. Even CJ has to be a little careful when she skritches him cause he can suddenly turn on you and claw you.

Big Boys

Phooey and Maynard are big cats. The last time CJ weighed them, which was about a week ago, they both weighed about 14 pounds. They’re not slim and trim like CJ. But then CJ is a fitness instructor, so of course she has to look fit. Maynard, being a much shorter cat than Phooey, feels heftier. They are both big boys—sometimes big, bad boys.

Calling for Cat Pictures

If anyone would like to share their cat pictures with me, I’d like to post them here. They can be pictures of your cats looking cute or funny or simply magnificent or anything else. (And of course, no animal should be harmed in shooting the photos.)

Maynard

Star Rating for Your Cat

2008-10-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

What star rating would you give your cat?

This is the age of ratings. Since we rate books, movies, restaurants, hotels, and so on and forth, why not rate our cats as well? (Of course, we have to be prepared to have our cats rate us as their owners – or guardians, for those of you who live in Boulder, Colorado.)

Actually, I got the idea when I came across the writing of William Burroughs, who apparently was a cat lover. This is what he had to say about his cat:

“I award Fletch a four-star cuteness rating. Like most qualities, cuteness is delineated by what it isn’t. Most people aren’t cute at all, or if so they quickly outgrow their cuteness…”

Now, to help you rate your cat, I’ve listed a few of the attributes you might consider. These are just suggestions. You can add to this list or make up an entirely new one.

Cuteness
Good looks
Intelligence
Sociability
Good manners
Sense of Humor
Energy level
Literacy

The lowest rating is 1 star; the highest is 5 stars. You can rate your cat on each of the above qualities, or you can come up with an overall rating—or you can do both!

Here’s how I rated Mittens, a half-Siamese cat with an intriguing midline on her face that I’ve been taking care of:

Cuteness 5 stars
No comments necessary!

Good looks 4 ½ stars
I’d say 5, but I don’t want her to get too stuck up

Intelligence 4 stars
She can open doors and she’s got me trained to feed her on command when she vibrates her tail. So I’d give her 5 stars except that she couldn’t help me fix the audio on my Skype.

Sociability 1 star
She’s getting better though she’s still rather skittish. She’s sort of okay when the neighbors knock on my door but when Pixie – that’s her real owner – comes over, she runs and dives under my bed.

Good manners 1 star
She really needs to devote a few afternoons to reading Miss Manners. It looks horrible when she – ahem, presents herself to be butt-whacked. Let’s just say that the view never improves. Not only that, she seems to prefer orienting her rear end towards me instead of her face. Never known a cat to do this.

Sense of Humor 5 stars
See above.

Energy level ½ star
She ran around pell-mell the other day—I’m sure it’s only because that was one of the few times that I had to do some catch-up sleep during the day. Otherwise, she has the energy of a slug on a winter day. It’s hard to interest her in any cat toys. Well, she is a somewhat older cat. At least she patrols the back patio on a daily basis.

Literacy 5 stars
I know that she surreptitiously reads all my books. (Shhh, don’t tell her that her secret is out.) Every time I mention books to my friends, she butts in with commentaries. It’s uncanny how she knows what I’m talking about.

I hereby give Mittens an overall rating of 5 stars! I know that doesn’t compute, but I’m never been good at math.

So, what star rating did you give your cat? I hope you gave 5 stars at least!

Overweight Cats

2008-10-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

First, my apologies for this long absence. I was caught up in deadline mania and failed to realize how long it had been since my last posting.

Today, I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Mittens, the Siamese with fungal infection of the sinuses who at one point was so emaciated that she was in danger of fatty liver disease, is most definitely out of the danger zone. The vet is elated with the cat's progress. She has to continue taking her medication for at least several more months, but she's definitely improving. She is so energetic now that she was galloping around the apartment the other day, keeping me from sleeping.

Now for the bad news. Mittens is officially overweight. She weighs 10 1/2 pounds, which is at least a pound and a half more than she should. The healthy weight range for adult cats is 7 to 9 pounds. If your cat is a bigger sized cat -- like a Maine Coon -- then you have more leeway. My neighbor CJ has a cat who's exceptionally long. He weighs 14 pounds but does not look fat.

But Mittens. Alas. She is a small-boned cat so every ounce she gains shows. I was so eager to fatten her up that I'm afraid I went overboard.

Some people think that overweight cats are cute but in fact it's not healthy. Just like with people, overweight is not healthy.

I'm now feeding her cat food for less active cats. Trying to resist feeding her every time she begs for food -- which she does with alarming frequency.

I am also trying to get her to play more, but she is not particularly interested in cat toys. I am going to have to implement strategies to help her lose her excess weight -- and above all, to keep her from gaining more weight.

Do you have cats that are overweight? How are you facing the challenges of slimming down an overweight cat?

Tips and Techniques on Giving Your Cat Liquid Medicine

2008-07-08T04:00:00.000-07:00

I have to give Mittens cat medicine (Flucanozole for her nasal fungal infection) in liquid form twice a day. The medication came in pill form at first, but I asked the vet to prescribe liquid medicine instead because it was a real struggle to pill Mittens.

I’m always looking for tips and techniques for medicating your cat.

So I was delighted to discover another demonstration video on the topic. Again, by “Partners in Animal Health,” courtesy of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. Go to this link:

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/node/305

This video is specifically about giving your cat liquid medicine. The first thing you do is to get out everything you need, such as syringe, dropper, towel, and kitty treat. That’s exactly what I do for Mittens.

The video says to place the cat on an elevated, slippery surface to make it hard for the cat to get traction. Since Mittens is almost always on my bed and since she tends to freak if anyone picks her up, I just medicate her right on my bed.

First, I drape a towel around Mittens like a bib. The towel makes it hard for her to escape. It also protects my bed in case any medication spills.

She doesn’t struggle at all now. She’s been on the medication now for a good 6 months and by now she’s pretty much resigned to her fate.

And most importantly, she’s so eager for the treat to follow, she seems to almost anticipate the medicine. (Well, maybe that’s a stretch, but she definitely looks forward to the treat.)

What I’m trying to say here is that I don’t need to restrain Mittens like the video suggests. Nor do I bother tilting her head – what I do is insert the syringe in the corner of her mouth, in the pocket between her cheeks and gums.

If you’ve never medicated a cat before, get a friend to help you. It’ll make a difference. In my case, my friends got injured trying to medicate Mittens – and I didn’t.

So having friends help did indeed make a positive difference.

For my story and tips on medicating your cat, click the link to my earlier post, “The Trials and Tribulations of Giving Cat Medicine.” http://cat-tales-blog.blogspot.com/2008/04/medicating-your-cat.html

To find the video link on giving your cat medicine in pill or capsule form, go to:

http://cat-tales-blog.blogspot.com/2008/06/giving-your-cat-medicine-instructional_27.html

You’ll discover how fun it can be to give your cat medicine. Not.

Tales of the Weird -- Animal Communicator

2008-07-05T04:00:00.000-07:00

Talking Telepathically to Your Cat!?

A friend suggested hiring an animal communicator to help me decide what I should do about living arrangements for Mittens, my resident cat.

The mention of animal communicators brought back a flood of memories.

A Pet Psychic in Boulder, Colorado

The first time I ever heard about animal communicators, I was living in Boulder. I saw a flyer at a pet store. A woman named Teri was going to be at the store for a few days offering her services as an animal communicator. My curiosity piqued, I signed up.

I automatically assumed that Teri was an animal behaviorist who could help me with some behavioral issues with my cat Saki, the black cat who had been my constant companion back then.

On the day of the appointment, I stuffed my cat Saki into my backpack (yes, I left air space!) and pedaled to the pet shop. I couldn’t lug the cat carrier with me on the bike so I resorted to the backpack whenever I biked. Saki actually seemed to prefer the backpack. At least she was quieter than she was in the carrier.

When I arrived at the pet shop, Teri – a friendly, normal-looking middle-aged woman – told me that she would be talking to my cat telepathically.

“You’re going to what?” I thought to myself, incredulous. I was skeptical of telepathy between humans was possible, let alone with cats! But this was Boulder and I decided to go with the flow.

As I was to discover, an animal communicator – a.k.a. pet psychic – claims to have the ability to speak with pets and other animals through the use of telepathy. Unlike animal behaviorists who approach pet behavioral issues as a sleuth would, trying to puzzle things out, a pet psychic goes straight to the source – to the cat herself. (Or, Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: How to Talk to Animals and Get Answers, as one popular book on interspecies communication is titled.)

So far so good. Or not.

I sat down and placed Saki on my lap.

Saki remained remarkably quiet and cooperative.

Fu Gordon, the Renegade Siamese

First, I asked Teri about Saki’s manifest hostility towards a neighbor’s Siamese cat. His name was Foo Gordon (not Flash Gordon!) and he always came to my house to play. That’s because both my then boyfriend and myself showered him with attention.

That made Saki really mad. She’d growl and hiss at Foo, and the Siamese retaliated in kind.

I knew cats were territorial but wasn’t there a way that Saki and Foo could get along better? (I was pretty clueless back then!)

“Okay, let me ask Saki,” Teri said and closed her eyes. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and relayed to me what she’d gotten from Saki.

“Saki says you don’t understand. Foo is really mean to her. You’re not aware that he’s making faces at her through the French door.

And, she fails to see what you could possibly see in that Siamese. He’s not in the same class as her, not in the same league. Not even. He’s just too far beneath her to even consider.”

(Here I thought Saki snorted every so slightly.) I must say that Teri did a credible imitation of the way Saki would sound if she could talk.

Not a conclusive evidence that telepathic communication took place, of course.

Snacking on Kitties

After that, I discussed my concerns about letting Saki outside to play. When I first moved to Boulder from Tokyo, I had believed that it would be safe to let Saki out. The town house we lived in was right up against the foothills, and the neighborhood was inaccessible to cars. It was an absolutely gorgeous area. An idyllic place for cats, or so I believed.

What I hadn’t counted on was the presence of mountain lions, foxes, and raccoons. Cats sometimes went missing in our neighborhood, apparently eaten by mountain lions. A neighbor even got footage of one eating a pet cat.

I was worried about Saki. But I didn’t want to have to coop her up indoors. I didn’t think she would stand for it anyway. The solution, I thought was to impose a curfew on her. She needed to come home before dusk – when predators were most active – say, 4 p.m. would be a good time. Could Teri communicate this to Saki?

What, Me Worry?

“I’ll try,” she replied. “But cats do their own thing so I’m not sure if she’ll listen.” Once again, she closed her eyes. Minutes later, she relayed Saki’s message to me:

“Saki says not to worry. She can take care of herself. For your sake though, she’ll try to come home earlier.”

As it turned out, about a week after the session with Teri, Saki began coming home earlier. Soon, she was regularly home by 4 p.m.

Did Saki actually understand my concern? Who knows? Whatever the reason for her change in behavior, I was pleased.

Besides, it was fun talking to an animal communicator.

Cat Rentals

2008-06-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know that cat rentals -- as in felines, not automobiles -- are available in Japan?

This post has been moved to a new site:

www.Realityntails.com

Giving Your Cat Medicine -- Instructional Video Link

2008-06-27T04:00:00.001-07:00

Want to know how to give your cat medicine?

Here’s a link to an instructional video on medicating your cat.

It’s by “Partners in Animal Health,” courtesy of Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/pet/fhc/pill_or_capsule

Sure wish I’d had access to a video like this when I was struggling to get cat medicine down my cat’s throat.

I tried to get the vet to give me a demonstration, but I only got verbal instructions. I never saw an actual demo.

This video is very well done and looks very helpful. Although I’m not sure that it would’ve made much of a difference when I was trying to give medicine to my late cat Saki.

I never, ever succeeded in her. I’d manage to get the pill way into the back of her mouth – as the video recommends – and then I’d stroke her throat to encourage her to swallow the pill – again, as recommended by the video.

When I saw Saki swallow (I observed her throat), I’d ever so slowly release my hold on her – only to have her spit out the pill! She was only feigning to swallow. I think that cat was smarter than I – I was duped each time.

What have been your struggles with giving medicine to your cat?

Funny cats -- Japanese Cat

2008-06-26T13:46:00.000-07:00

A friend sent me a photo of a funny cat from Japan. Is it a Bobtail? Maybe a Manx?

To find out about Japanese Bobtails, please see my post:

http://cat-tales-blog.blogspot.com/2007/10/japanese-bobtails-are-called-bobtails.html

Please share any stories you have about Bobtails.

The Woes of Cat Medicine

2008-06-26T13:28:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy giving your cat medicine? If you answered “no,” you’re sane and normal. Medicating a cat has to be one of the more frustrating aspects of cat ownership!

Take my friend, for instance. Her cat needs medicine daily. Because she finds it impossible to pill the cat, she’s taken to driving the cat to the vet everyday. I certainly admire her dedication, but she’s an incredibly busy person and I think there’s got to be an easier way!

She says she’s tried adding the medicine to cat food but the cat sniffs it out. Alas, that’s usually what happens! This trick may work with dogs, but not with cats. I’ve tried grinding the medicine into powder and adding it to either regular cat food or baby food, but that never worked.

Some people find the pill gun effective, but my friend says she can’t use it.

With my resident cat Mittens, I finally figured out a way to give her cat medicine. You can read how in my earlier post:

http://cat-tales-blog.blogspot.com/2008/04/medicating-your-cat.html

Please feel free to share any tips and techniques you may have on giving your cat medicine.

Shop and Help Cats

2008-06-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

So you love cats and you love to shop? Did you know that there’s a way where you can shop AND help cats?

You can do that through a program called escrip. The program streamlines fund raising – and donations – contributing a percentage of the purchases you make using your grocery loyalty cards, credit, debit and ATM cards to the group or organization of your choice.

You could, for instance, make donations to groups that promote cat welfare.

If you’d like to help humans rather than cats or other animals (my goodness!), you can do that too.

All you have to do is find what groups or organizations you want to help support are included in this program. And see which merchants participate in the program. There are about a 100 of them, including Safeway (in Northern California only), Office Max, Eddie Bauer, and Macy’s.

Then you can register yourself online. The participating businesses will contribute a percentage (may vary between 1 to 5% or more) of your purchases to the groups or organizations of your choice.

Your purchases are tracked and available for viewing online.

I registered myself in the few minutes I had while waiting for a friend. It was really simple. (If anything’s the least bit complicated, I tend not to do it.)

You can sign up for up to 3 causes. For now, I’ve registered:

Feral Cat Foundation

Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition

Project Hunger Inc.

I can shop and help cats!

If you want to know more about escrip, click below:

http://www.escrip.com/program/about.jsp

And here's a list of participating merchants:

http://www.escrip.com/merchants/new/index.jsp

I think this is a great idea! It doesn't cost you a penny extra and you get to make at least a small contribution to the welfare of cats -- and maybe even some humans -- by shopping.

I can't think of anything better than to shop and to help cats. A great boon for a shopaholic like me.

Oh, in case you'd like to know about the groups that I picked, here are the links:

Feral Cat Foundation is a non-profit that helps feral cats in the Alameda and Contra Costa counties of northern California.

http://www.feralcatfoundation.org/index.asp

Massachusetts Animal Rights Coalition is a volunteer group that helps educate people and gives voice to all suffering animals including unwanted pets and wild animals killed or abused.

http://www.massanimalrights.org/

Project Hunger Inc. is a non-profit in Grand Island, NE whose goal is to address the reality of world hunger and help local communities through education and action. (Yes, this group is for humans, not cats!)

http://www.projecthunger.org/mission.html

Cat Collectibles

2008-06-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

If you’re into cat collectibles – or if you want to give gifts to the cat lover in your life – you might consider some cat paws. Well, not real paws, but concrete stepping stones shaped like cat paws.

You can set them in your garden pathway or hang them up on the wall as decoration. You can also get round stones that are like a fat cat, or ones like a lion’s head.

They’re the creations of a general building contractor and nature and wildlife photographer John Pianavilla of Santa Cruz, California.

Pianavilla loves working with his hands and he says he’s always looking for new design ideas.

He thought selling these stepping stones would be a perfect fundraiser for an animal-related organization. He donates a portion of each sale to Project Purr, a Santa Cruz-based non-profit dedicated to decreasing the population of feral cats.

Pianavilla uses a special concrete mixture that he developed to produce stones with a very smooth surface and precise detail.

To add depth to the pieces, he sometimes adds a single color of concrete stain. He also adorns some with broken glass in the pique assiette technique.

The basic stepping stones range from $10 to $25, depending on size and design. The faux-granite stones and the pique assiette designs are based on the intricacy of the pieces.

Check them out at: http://www.pawsforacause.biz/

Cats and Software Engineers

2008-06-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

Today we have a post by a guest who's worked as a software engineer in Silicon Valley for more than two decades. (He's seen it all!) As a long-time cat lover and observer, he's long noticed a certain affinity between felines and software engineers.

What do cats and software engineers have in common?

Strange question, you might think. Sounds like the set-up line for a bad joke.
But over the years, in my career as a software engineer here in the Silicon Valley, I've seen some interesting parallels between cats and software engineers. There are definitely some common threads that tie them together.

Like what?

The first one that comes to mind is: cats and software engineers both love freely available, and preferably unresisting, food. A recent incident of chicken thievery brought that common thread forcefully to mind.

Mittens, the cat residing at Cheryl's place, has been getting much healthier and happier recently. As Mittens' health improves, her stealth improves too. Not to mention her confidence, her demanding nature, and – yes – even her apparent greed.

Case in point: Cheryl had cooked some chicken and set it aside for no more than a moment or two. Quick as the proverbial flash, Mittens had jumped up on the table, started lickin' the chicken, and promptly ran off with a piece in her mouth!

And this was very soon after Mittens had just been fed!

Mittens needed yet another food fix. Like so many desperate addicts, she resorted to larceny to support her habit.

Clearly Mittens feels much safer and more secure these days. I don't think she would have tried to pull that kind of a stunt previously. And obviously, she would not have done so when she had dangerously lost interest in food.

Little Mitt’s appetite seems quite ferocious these days. It seems to grow by leaps and bounds. In this case, it grew with a leap onto the table and a bound into the next room to devour her ill-gotten gains.

And Mittens seems to be channeling Cheryl’s previous cat, Saki, in the increasingly daring and brazen nature of her attempts to become more and more well-fed.
So what's the connection?

Over the years, I've seen many software engineers ravenously trolling for free food among any and all company events. They stalk it much the same way that Mittens stalks a helpless, defenseless piece of cooked chicken.

"There's a pot luck in HR!" someone will say, whether by email or cubicle visit, and off we'll go to see what's on offer.

It doesn't matter whether or not anyone in the raiding party has actually contributed any dish to the potluck. It's a classic predator-prey relationship.

There are no ethics. Only the eaters and the eaten. “Have lunch or be lunch,” as a Silicon Valley executive and so many others have so memorably put it.

Other times, someone will pass the word: "There's a barbecue in shipping and receiving!"

Or one of us will spy some pizza in a conference room, or in the company lunch area, and word will spread like wildfire.

Unattended food – and sometimes, even attended food! – does not last long in the digital workplace. Certainly no longer than it would with a ravenous kitty like Mittens in the neighborhood.

It’s a jungle out there. And sometimes in here too.

by John Hartsell,

Software Engineer

Can a Cat do Christina's World?

2008-06-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen a cat “do” “Christina’s World”? I'm talking about Andrew Wyeth’s famous painting. And whether or not a cat could pose as Christina.

I think most everyone is familiar with the famous portrait of Christina. She's lying on her side in a field of grass, gazing into the distance at a weather-beaten farmhouse on a wind-swept New England hill.

Christina holds the upper half of her body upright, one arm extended out to support her weight.

Her face is hidden from view. It’s hard to say whether she’s young or old. She has long hair and she’s wearing a pale pink dress.

The painting has a brooding, haunting quality to it.

In real life, Christina, was suffering from muscular deterioration that paralyzed her lower body. But she refused to let her handicaps stop her from moving around – she insisted on crawling through the grass.

Anyway, Mittens, my resident cat, often adopts a posture that reminds me of Christina. The basic position goes like this:

Mittens is lying on my comforter (almost always), and her face is turned away from me (as always). She’s either gazing into the far wall or resting with her eyes closed (as always).

She extends one front leg out, while tucking in her hind legs underneath her haunches. Her fur has a kind of wind-swept look.

She looks like she’s gazing out into the distance across the empty field under the empty sky.

It’s almost like having a real-life “Christina’s World” in my bedroom.

Uncanny, this cat.

Could Your Cat have Fatty Liver Disease?

2008-05-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

You may never have heard of Feline Fatty Liver Disease -- but if you don't heed the tell-tale signs, it could cost you your cat's life!

What's Feline Fatty Liver Disease?

If your cat ever loses her appetite or stops eating altogether, you better take her to a vet fast! When a cat stops eating for an extended period of time – say, about 2 weeks – she may die from a condition called fatty liver disease. That’s when fat accumulates within the liver cells.

The medical term for this condition is feline hepatic lipidosis.

Signs of Fatty Liver Disease

You should suspect hepatic lipidosis if your cat refuses to eat, loses weight, acts lethargic, and vomits. You might also notice that the whites of the eyes look yellow from bile pigments.

Bile is a yellowish green digestive fluid secreted by the liver. If the liver isn’t functioning well, the bile won’t get broken down properly.

Causes of Fatty Liver Disease

In humans, fatty liver disease can be caused by excessive drinking. Needless to say, this is never the case with cats. (Don’t ever give your cat any alcoholic drink – you could kill her!)

Vets don’t really know what causes this condition, but cats that fail to eat for an extended period of time, for whatever reason, are at the highest risk.

Cats can stop eating for a lot of different reasons. She might be ill or too stressed out to eat. So it’s a good idea to pay attention whenever your cat loses her interest in food. You’ve got to make sure that the cat is eating.

I didn’t, and I’ve lived to regret it. When my late cat Saki stopped eating, I was so wrapped up in my work that I barely noticed. When I finally noticed, I wasn’t overly concerned.

Saki was a tad overweight (ah, but she had green eyes to die for!), and fat-phobic that I am, I figured she could stand to lose a little weight.

Little did I know that in cats, unlike humans, losing weight from partial – or even worse, total – fasting is dangerous even if it’s only for a relatively short period of time. Apparently, cats metabolize fats and proteins differently than humans.

When a human or cat stops eating, the body starts using its own fat cells for fuel. As you know, for humans, this is the whole point of dieting.

With cats, however, the liver isn’t terribly efficient at processing fat. Most of the fat is stored in the liver cells, and so eventually the liver fails and the cat dies. Not good.

So when Mittens wouldn't eat, I really feared for her life. Until I took over the care of Mittens, my friend's cat, I had never even heard about hepatic lipidosis.

Mittens had been wheezing for some six months. At the time, the vets had no idea what was wrong. They suspected nasal cancer.

When I took Mittens home with me, she was so scrawny she looked like a concentration camp inmate. The resemblance was even more striking because one of her forelegs had been shaved – that’s where the vet had inserted a catheter when they were testing her.

Coaxing Your Cat to Eat

In addition to getting prescription appetite stimulants for her, I tried everything in the books to coax her to eat:

Warmed up canned food (Since I don’t have a microwave, I heated up the can in hot water. Alternatively, I added some hot water to the food and stirred it into a form of gruel.)

Got some of the stinkiest, smelliest food on the market (Mittens was most likely not eating because she couldn’t smell anything.)

Tried dried bonito (tuna) flakes (Many cats love them. Saki used to go ga-ga over them. But it turns out that Mittens is rather indifferent to fish.)

Minced sardines (See above.)

Canned tuna (See above. Caution: Tuna isn’t generally recommended for cats, but when a cat isn’t eating, the most important thing is to get her to eat something, anything.)

Offered canned pumpkin (It’s loaded with vitamins and fiber. Most cats love the taste.)

Human baby food (Plain chicken, turkey, beef. Made sure it didn’t contain onions – they are poisonous to cats.)

Here are a few other things to try to resurrect your cat’s interest in food:

Watered-down chicken broth (with no sodium added)

Clam juice (Add it to the cat’s regular food as flavor enhancer.)

Tuna Dash (Dried powdered tuna)

To entice Mittens to eat, I’d put the food right under her nose – but I don’t think that she was able to smell it even then. I also smeared some food right on her nose and on her lips – sometimes on her paws – so that she would have to lick them. I spoon-fed her too, and she would eat a little then. But it wasn’t nearly enough to sustain her.

The strange thing was that Mittens acted as if she were hungry. She’d smack her lips, and go over to her food bowl – even stick her face in the bowl – and yet she wouldn’t eat.

Escaping the Jaws of Death

I consulted the vet. By this time the results of Mittens’ biopsy were in. She had fungal infection, not cancer!

The vet immediately took her off prednisone, which she suspected was giving Mittens ulcers. In addition to medication to treat her fungal infection, she was also given medicine to treat the ulcers.

In less than a week, Mittens was eating again! We didn’t have to resort to force feeding her or putting tubes in her stomach – that’s something we would’ve had to do as a last resort.

“Great job. I am so very pleased,” the vet beamed at her last check-up. “She’s twice the cat she was before.”

Indeed, we now have a pair of Mittens. Some cat she is.

And what about you? Have you ever brought a cat back from the brink of death? Or coaxed a reluctant cat to eat? Please share any stories you might have.

Animal Shelter in Japan

2008-05-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

As I have years of experience living and working in Japan, people sometimes ask me what they might do when they visit Japan.

What I would recommend for starters is to visit an animal rescue shelter in Japan. Like ARK, acronym for Animal Rescue Kansai (the western region of Japan). ARK is in the hills of Toyono, Osaka. Even if you don’t speak any Japanese, if you can catch the founder, Elizabeth Oliver, you’ll be able to communicate with her in English. She is, after all, British.

Yes, rather unusual for a Brit to move to Japan and start a shelter for animals but that’s what happened. Elizabeth used to rescue animals on her own. She started ARK in 1990 to get more people involved in rescuing stray, abandoned and abused animals. She also needed to raise money so that she could continue dedicating her life to animals.

ARK became officially recognized as an NPO (Non-Profit Organization) in September 1999. Its goal is to form a network of people who love animals, want to share their lives with them, and work actively to rescue animals from suffering. ARK rehabilitates animals and finds loving homes for them.

After the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995, Elizabeth saved 600 dogs. She is also proactive in prosecution.

According to their website, ARK currently houses dogs, cats, rabbits, a pig, a chicken, a chinchilla, a guinea pig and a hedgehog.

You can see cute pics of dogs and cats waiting for adoption. Like Sow, an orange and white tabby (a stunner!) and Ron, a long-hair brown tabby (If I were in Japan, I’d adopt him on the spot!).

To give you a sample of the kind of bios they have of their animals, here’s a little bio of a white cat, copied from ARK:

“No, I don’t have big ears and a long trunk like Dumbo the elephant. I was named Dumbo because I was abandoned in a “danboo-ru” which means a cardboard box in Japanese! I love food and people. I often show off my tummy and I love to be petted! I would make a nice addition to your family! Definitely I would make a much better pet than an elephant would!”

If you can’t go to Osaka, you can visit ARK in Tokyo. Its primary purpose is to educate people about animal welfare. ARK doesn’t yet have a large shelter operating in Tokyo, but they are looking for people to join their foster program.

So if you’re going to be living in Japan temporarily, and miss having pets, you might consider volunteering as a foster parent for dogs or cats while they are waiting for permanent homes.

Even if you have no plans to go to Japan, you can visit their website – it’s bilingual in English and Japanese. It offers some information about dog and cat health, and an archive of bilingual newsletters.

www.arkbark.net

Or, check out “Angels with Fur Japan,” their blog about pets and animals in Japan:

http://angelswithfurjapan.wordpress.com

To contact ARK, email tokyoark[at]arkbark.net or, in Kansai, call 072-737-0712. In Tokyo, call 080-6146-3889 (English) or 080-6517-8913 (Japanese).

Jellicle Cats?

2008-05-16T04:00:00.000-07:00

I still find it hard to believe that T. S. Eliot, the poet who penned the line “April is the cruelest month” wrote whimsical poems about jellicle cats and practical cats and what-not-cats. Here are a few lines from Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats (also quoted in a previous post):

Practical cats, dramatical cats
Pragmatical cats, fanatical cats
Oratorical cats, delphioracle cats
Skeptical cats, dispeptical cats
Romantical cats, pedantical cats
Critical cats, parasitical cats
Allegorical cats, metaphorical cats
Statistical cats and mystical cats
Political cats, hypocritical cats
Clerical cats, hysterical cats
Cynical cats, rabbinical cats

So, as I mentioned before, I’ve been musing about what sort of kitty category Mittens, the chocolate point bi-color Siamese living in my apartment, might fall into.

Mittens certainly isn’t practical or pragmatic, and she’s definitely not dramatic or fanatic (except maybe about food). She doesn’t meow enough to be considered oratorical, and I doubt that she’ll go to Delphi any time soon. Well, she does seem to orate a bit when she’s hungry.

Now, my late cat Saki was definitely an orator. She had a great vocal range and could meow for hours, expounding on the virtues of value-added meals and extra layers of padding around feline bellies.

Mittens, on the other hand, is more of a mime. She excels at making her point by sitting forlornly by her empty food bowls with her head drooped.

I must say that she is rather good at predicting her feeding time so in that sense she might be an oracle. Oh wait, she doesn’t actually predict—she creates her own time-table for meal times.

Mittens may be a bit skeptical, but not dyspeptic—she’s not particularly morose. She’s definitely not romantic, pedantic, critical, or parasitic -- except in the sense that she gets fed and gets all her needs taken care of without lifting a paw.

She’s shown absolutely no interest in politics -- doesn’t give a hoot about Obama, Clinton or McCain. As long as she gets her food (her current favorite is chicken with herring Wellness cans) and her treats (freeze-dried chicken meat), she doesn’t care whether it’s a Democrat or a Republican in office. (Note: Mittens has recently been re-named Muttonchops.)

Similarly, the only religion she’s interested in is being religiously fed. Like all cats, Mittens is utterly self-serving. But at least she’s not cynical about anything and she’s never been guilty of manipulating stats so she doesn’t qualify as a statistical cat.

But she does seem to enjoy dipping her paws into allegories and metaphors without getting too far into mysticism.

Cats, the Musical

2008-05-12T10:35:00.000-07:00

Cats is an award-winning musical composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. The show has been performed around the world in numerous productions and has been translated into more than 20 languages.[1]

Went to see Cats, the musical. I’ve never seen it before. Even though it was off Broadway it was still highly entertaining. No wonder it played a total of 7,485 performances in New York. Cats was first shown in London on May 11, 1981 at the New London Theatre.

The musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber (he also composed The Phantom of the Opera, which I think is the longest running musical in Broadway history).

As most everyone knows, the musical was based on a slim book of poetry by T.S. Eliot, Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. I somehow find it hard to reconcile the poet who wrote “The Wasteland” with the one who wrote these funny verses about cats. I can only marvel. I love his poetry.

Now, I’m left with the task of deciding which of the following feline categories Mittens, the chocolate point bi-color Siamese living in my apartment, falls into -- as cat-egorized by Eliot:

Practical cats, dramatical cats
Pragmatical cats, fanatical cats
Oratorical cats, delphioracle cats
Skeptical cats, dispeptical cats
Romantical cats, pedantical cats
Critical cats, parasitical cats
Allegorical cats, metaphorical cats
Statistical cats and mystical cats
Political cats, hypocritical cats
Clerical cats, hysterical cats
Cynical cats, rabbinical cats

What might your cat be? What do you think most describes your cat?

Finding the G-spot in Your Cat

2008-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Some cats have a little “sweet” spot at the base of their tail that they love to have scratched or thumped. You might call it the cat’s “g-spot.” Judging from their behavior, I’d say that it stimulates the pleasure center in their brain. Whether the feeling is sexual or not is anyone’s guess. It’s hard to figure out what another human being is thinking, let alone a creature of another species, especially one that seems to display an array of baffling behaviors the way cats do.

Do cat lovers have an opinion about this subject? One friend assures me that the feline enjoyment of spanking is very much related to sex. That’s what her vet told her, she says. Besides, she once noticed that Carlton, her cat, had “a huge erection” from getting thumped on the rump (or “tom-tomming,” as my friend calls it). Carlton is very demanding about getting tom-tommed. He insists on it daily, regularly, several times a day—well, almost around the clock. Gets downright ornery if he doesn't get a piece of action, so to speak.

Suffice it to say that Carlton goes nuts when tom-tommed. And it doesn't seem to matter whether the cat has nuts or not. Carlton has been neutered. Mittens, my cat on loan, is female as well as being spayed. So neither gender nor whether the cat has been spayed or neutered makes any difference.

I’m not sure why male cats would find butt-whacking (or tom-tomming, or whatever you might call it) so pleasurable. With female cats, I can sort of see why they might have an instinctual predilection for pelvic presentations. It’s what females in heat do. For instance, the posture Mittens assumes is exactly that of a receptive cat waiting to be mounted. The difference is that although her tail is raised high, she doesn’t hold it to the side of the body (which is what the female does to accommodate entry by the male cat’s penis). She also doesn’t tread rhythmically with her rear legs. (I suppose I can be thankful for that.)

Enough about g-spots and cats’ mating behavior. I’m not trying to turn this into a kitty porn site!

Just for good measure, here’s another video of a cat getting spanked. No doubt about it -- cats are strange creatures.

Spanking the Cat 2

Cat Spanking

2008-05-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Why do some cats like to be spanked?

I've been disabused of the notion that Mittens is a sweet, innocent girl. Even though lab analysis has certified her to be a "good girl" (the official conclusion reached by her vet from examining her cells under the microscope), she is actually a lascivious, drug-addicted, sex-crazed feline. This morning she had me butt whack her by the scratching post -- so that she could nibble on cat nip and rub her face against the tall scratching post by the bed while I whacked her. The scratching post has been treated with cat nip, and the top acts like a serving dish where you can put little snacks on it. Occasionally, I leave out cat nip there for Mittens.

"Butt whacking" is the technical term my friend John uses to describe the act of gently spanking Mittens on the base of her tail. The only reason that I know that Mittens wants to be whacked on the rump is because Pixie, her owner, told me so. And because Mittens proffers me her butt -- ever so elegantly and eloquently. She crouches down with her head down, forelegs bent, and her tail and derriere raised high to fully expose—well, let’s just say that it’s not a view that should be seen in polite company.

So anyway Mittens assumes that posture until I oblige by whacking her rhythmically right at the base of her tail. While getting spanked, she face marks the bed, the desk, books, newspapers -- anything that's near her face. All the while, she purrs and purrs and purrs. Amazing. What a kinky little kit.

The other day I was on a call with a client via Skype when Mittens suddenly landed on my computer keyboard and mooned the webcam. Luckily, the other party had just stepped away—otherwise, there might have been some misunderstanding as to what message I was trying to send!

I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that Mittens is far from the only cat to enjoy a little butt whacking. I've now talked to other cat owners whose cats have a predilection for butt proffering. Here's a video of one cat who evidently enjoys getting smacked in the rump with a paddle!

If You're Happy -- Vibrate Your Tail!

2008-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

More emergency. Couldn't post for a few days, but from now on I'm going to be more consistent.

Thankfully, Mittens is a healthy kitty now. The vet was very impressed, said that we’ve got ourselves a whole new cat. Well, maybe the equivalent of 2 new cats! She looked gaunt and emaciated like a concentration camp victim. The shaved patch on her foreleg – where they inserted the catheter – heightened that impression. You’d almost expect to see a number tattooed there.

Now Mittens looks sleek and happy. She’s gained 1.6 pounds, representing a 25% increase in weight.

Several months ago I started noticing something peculiar. Mittens' tail was vibrating! At first I thought that I’d just imagined it. But then she started to vibrate her tail regularly, almost every day, and I realized that I wasn’t seeing things. My first thought was that perhaps she was spraying. A quivering tail is one of the signs of a cat that’s about to spray urine. Cats spray to mark their territory. It’s more common with male cats but females can engage in spraying behavior too.

It’s evident though, from Mittens body language that she’s not trying to practice spray painting. Every time she vibrates, she sticks her tail straight up while gazing into my face, arching her back, and emitting meows that, to my ears, sound most decidedly happy. She shimmies her tail near her empty food bowls, like an entreaty of some sort. As well as right before she's about to eat, as if she's saying grace. At times she does a quick tail burr after she’s eaten her fill and when she sees me enter the room. Like a vibro-greeting.

I asked around to see why a cat might vibrate her tail. Most people, even long-term cat-lovers, said they had no idea—they’d never seen a cat vibrate her tail in the way that Mittens does. After more digging around, I discovered that I was right, whenever Mittens burred her tail, she was expressing excitement and joy! According to experts, a cat’s tail will vibrate when she’s happily anticipating something desirable, like a treat. Some cats may also quiver their tail when they’re excited but uncertain of a situation. Apparently, it’s a way to release pent-up energy! Maybe the way kids whoop and jump for joy?

Cats have different styles of vibrating their tail. One cat might quiver the tip of her tail while another might just shimmy the base of his tail really fast—like Mittens does.

But don’t confuse the vibro-tail with a tail slashing from side to side. That’s a sign of irritation or annoyance.

Anyway, next time your cat vibrates her tail when she sees you, take that as a compliment!

The Animal Rescue Site

2008-04-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

You can help feed hungry animals! Just click on the link below -- it will take you to the Animal Rescue Site. All you have to do is visit their website and click -- and you will help donate food to cats, dogs and other animals in need. I've copied below information from the Animal Rescue Site.

www.The AnimalRescueSite.com

The Animal Rescue Site focuses the power of the Internet on a specific need — providing food for some of the 27 million unwanted animals given to shelters in the U.S. every year. Over 10 million animals are put to death every year in the U.S. alone because they are abandoned and unwanted.

Mitt in a Snit

2008-04-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

Back from Taos, New Mexico, where I attended Natalie Goldberg's writing workshop based on her new book, "An Old Friend from Far Away." Even though I was only gone 3 and 1/2 days, Mittens acted pissy when I came home. I had a good neighbor -- a cat lover and fitness instructor who lives next door -- come by every day to feed, medicate and give Mittens a bit of companionship. The neighbor reported that Mittens had diarrhea on Saturday. She's never suffered from that condition before so I'm thinking that it might be a case of nerves. Maybe she's not prepared to give a talk to real estate investors after all. I don't blame her.

Many cats seem to be unhappy with their owners after being left alone for more than a day. They probably get bored and lonely.

When I called out to Mittens, she seemed both pissed and pleased. I had to pin her down to pat, caress and stroke her. It took a long time before she started to purr. Even after all that, she continued to ignore me throughout th day.

When I stretched out on my bed to watch Eckhart Tolle's "The New Earth" (a free webcast hosted by Oprah.com -- Oprah interviews spiritual teacher Tolle about his new book, "The New Earth"), Mittens refused to drape herself across my lap like she usually does. Tolle says that animals are "Guardians of Being" -- because, unlike humans, they can just "be." They grace us with their presence; they are present in the moment. Some guardian Mittens has turned out to be!

She was still in a snit today. Normally whenever I try to take a nap (the operative word being "try"), Mittens will pad over and sit on my chest. She then kneads and purrs. Oddly enough, she usually leaves me alone when I lie down to sleep at night. Somehow, the prospect of my being horizontal in the middle of the day excites her. Something out of the ordinary, I guess. It pleases Little Mitt.

Finally, this afternoon, she got over her tiff. When I lied down on the floor to do my back exercise, she spotted me from afar (at least several feet away, came over and plopped herself down on my chest, slowly kneading on my belly (yeow!), purring. The corners of her mouth were turned up. She was smiling. Very pleased. As if she were greeting a friend from far away.

World’s Greatest Cat

2008-04-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

World’s Greatest Cat

Yes, of course, your cat is the greatest. Every cat guardian feels that way. But perhaps some cats are more equally great than others.

Certainly, some cats are rather unusual. Like Zibby Wilder’s Siamese cat, as featured in an article in the San Jose Mercury News. Knowing how cat crazy I am, friend showed the article to me.

Zibby’s Siamese cat Bo, loves cantaloupe. He’ll do almost anything to get some. Zibby says that the first night Bo came to live with her, she noticed that she hadn’t seen him for about an hour – an hour after she ate half a cantaloupe for dessert.

She called for him, and he responded immediately. But his cries were very faint. She followed the cries and thought that he had somehow crawled into the walls through an opening in an old heating unit.

After another hour and a half later and a frantic call to the landlord alerting him that she was going to take a sledgehammer to a wall in the basement apartment to rescue the cat—she opened the refrigerator door for a drink of water.

And she found the cat. Bo. He was shivering, his entire head stained orange. And sitting next to the remains of the other half of the cantaloupe that Zibby had put away into the refrigerator.

But that’s not all. Zibby has another pretty weird cat. Hopper the Gorilla Yeti. Hopper is about 5 years old and weighs 27 pounds.

Zibby, being a former shelter director, has seen a lot of different cats but Hopper is the largest that she has ever seen – and one of the most hilarious.

This big boy has a unique way of getting attention from his guardian. It’s a trick that Zibby has dubbed “Timber!”

Basically, the game of "Timber" involves Hopper either physically cutting off the target person (whoever that might be) and getting the person’s attention by making direct eye contact with the person or making a racket. Then, once he’s got the person’s attention, he suddenly swoons, falling belly up to the ground, with a very discernible “OOMPH!” Just like a tree falling. Hence the name “Timber.”

The game can happen anywhere, anytime. You could be walking down the hall, you could be watching TV, you could be reading in bed – and all of a sudden, right in front of you, on the coffee table, or maybe in the closet (knocking down shoes) – you’ll hear “OOMPH!” and see the giant cat fall.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: Cats are strange creatures.

The Trials and Tribulations of Giving Your Cat Medicine

2008-04-24T10:18:00.000-07:00

If you own a cat long enough, you’ll be faced with the task of medicating the cat. It’s not an easy matter, as many cat owners will attest.

I learned the best way to medicate cats when I had to care for Pixie’s cat, Mittens.

For a while there, what’s wrong with Mittens? became the rallying cry.

It seemed quite likely that she had cancer, lymphoma is probably the most likely one, the vet said.

If so, we can only give her palliative care. She would need radiation and chemotherapy, but that runs into thousands of dollars, and Pixie is in no situation to be able to pay that sort of medical bill. Then the best we could do her is give her prednisone.

Therefore, it was decided that she’d receive prednisone in tablet form.

I’d agreed to take care of Mittens so the job of medicating her fell on me.

After Mittens took prednisone for several weeks, she stopped eating altogether. The vet suspected ulcers so we had her on ulcer medication in addition to appetite stimulants. For a while there I was medicating Mittens 5 times a day!

The vet’s assistant gave me an impromptu lesson in how to wrap a cat tightly with a towel. This renders the cat immobile. Then, using your fingers like pincers you press the cat’s jaws open. That’s the theory, at least. In practice, it never worked for me.

We had to switch Mittens from prednisone in tab form to liquid because I was having the worst problem medicating her. For a cat so scrawny and scraggly, she was amazingly strong and frighteningly ferocious when she resisted. She was also extremely slippery -- her escape acts rivaled those of Houdini. Fortunately, I was unscathed but Pixie received a huge gash in her hand when pilling Mittens. My friend John, who is not allergic to cats, somehow ended up with an allergy-like respiratory attack that ended in a doctor's visit. His medical records to date list that he came in due to a respiratory distress from "wrestling a cat."

The vet agreed that some cats are almost impossible to pill. Like one of her cats. Even though she and her husband are both vets, they have to work in tandem to get the pill down the cat's throat -- and even then, they barely succeed.

John bought a syringe-like pill popper used for medicating cats and dogs, but I didn't have to resort to that after all once we switched to liquid medication. As to the ulcer meds, I just ground them up and drew the powder into the syringe when I gave Mittens her liquid prednisone.

Pixie discovered a somewhat pricey, freeze-dried chicken treats that Mittens loved from a posh pet store in an upscale neighborhood. (This cat is definitely costing megabucks.) The idea was that I would give Mittens this treat as soon as I medicated her. It worked. Since then, Mittens has been quite subdued, almost cooperative. Now, when I pull up the towel, she merely cringes a bit – maybe emits a resigned meow – and flattens herself. But she lets me wrap the towel around her neck like a bib and remain still while I insert the syringe into her mouth.

Easy breezy.

Temp Cat

2008-04-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

So I have a temp cat now, Mittens. My friend Pixie, who is her real owner, had to sell her house and move. Plus a lot of other things happened to her and it became rather difficult to take care of a sick cat when she already has two other cats. So I volunteered to take care of Mittens. Now that Pixie has moved into her new place, she can look after Mittens, but there's no real urgency to so I've kept Mittens with me. Besides, the cat has to be medicated twice a day and it's just easier for me to do that since I have no other cats. It's really great to have a cat again.

Pixie doesn't have her cats wear collars but if Mittens is going to be with me, I prefer that she wear one in case she goes missing or something. I got her a really cool looking collar that brings out the dark brown in her fur very nicely. I also had her microchipped. I have her registered with HomeAgain.

On their web site, HomeAgain claims to be the only service that sends out a lost pet alert to vet clinics and shelters when a pet is lost, and allows for immediate access to the pet's medical information. Mittens is enrolled in this particular service, mainly because that's what she got when I took her to a local shelter to get chipped.

I doubt that Mittens will ever go missing (she's an indoor cat), however, it's my belief that it's better to err on the side of caution. You never know what can happen.

If you've got a pet, you have to be responsible for its well-being. Even if it happens to be a temp cat, a loaner kitty here to get nurtured back to health.

The Cats are Back!

2008-04-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a really long time since I last updated this blog. Life happened, and I forgot to take back control of the helm. Illness, family death, an intercontinental move and turmoil in general just kind of got to me. But I'm back on track -- and now I've got my own temp cat. Mittens, a 13-year-old chocolate point, bi-color Siamese. I got her from my friend Pixie because she (Mittens, not Pixie) has been sick. And just like me, Mittens is well on her way to recovery.

Mittens has a rare illness for a cat -- fungal infection of the sinuses. Actually, that was great news because the vet had originally suspected cancer. I'll write more about Mittens' and other feline diseases in a later post.

Suffice it to say that Mittens got a very good recommendation from her vet when she first went in for her biopsy to determine if she had a tumor or not. I've copied the typed statement from her vet:

Recommendations:

She is a good girl.

She did well under anesthesia.

I found a mass in her retropharyngeal region -- we biopsied the mass and the results will be back by Tuesday.

Please continue the meds you are currently using.

Prednisone twice a day and cyproheptadine once a day.

So, biopsy results show that Mittens is a bona fide good girl. Perhaps her cells graduated from "Good Kitty U."

Now, how many kitties get to be certified "a good girl"? Mittens is still resting on her laurels. Well, just resting. She's a cat, what can I say?

Dog Misses Feline Best Friend

2008-01-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

I this the following story offers evidence that animals can grieve for the deaths of their loved ones.

I've copied the article below, but I've also provided a link to the original article.

From Itchmo: News for Dogs and Cats

Oscar, an 18-month-old Lancashire Heeler, missed his best friend so much that he dug up the late cat’s grave and brought the body back into the house to be reunited with him.

The dog saw his owner dig a grave in the garden for Arthur, the 17-year-old family cat, and put him in the hole.

When Oscar’s owners woke up the next morning, they found Oscar curled up next to Arthur’s body in his bed.

Oscar and Arthur were the best of friends and were inseparable, and Arthur, who was a larger cat, even used to help Oscar onto the sofa.

Oscar’s owners said, “He had managed to climb out through the cat flap in the night, obviously with the intent to get Arthur back. Bearing in mind that Arthur was a huge cat, Oscar must have used all the strength he could muster. Then he pulled him into the basket and went to sleep next to him. Arthur’s coat was gleaming white. Oscar had obviously licked him clean. It must have taken him nearly all night.”

News for cats and dogs - Dog Misses Feline Best Friend, Retrieves Cat From Grave

Learn how to blog

2008-01-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, this post has nothing to do with cats. Not directly, anyway. Maybe obliquely.

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

The best blogging techniques.
How to get traffic to your blog.
How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

Japanese Bobtails

2007-10-11T06:08:00.000-07:00

Japanese bobtails are called bobtails for a good reason — they have bobbed tails! The tail, which can be curved or kinked, look more like a pompom or a bunny tail than a standard cat tail. Bobtails shouldn’t be confused with the Manx, which is a naturally tailless cat. The Japanese bobtail’s trademark tail is created by a recessive gene. So, mate a bobtail with another bobtail – and voila! you have more bobtails with their distinctive tails.

Just as an aside, my late cat Saki, although an ordinary black cat, had a kinked, truncated tail. Her tail was longer than that of Japanese bobtails, which aren’t supposed to be more than 2 or 3 inches in length. Everyone who met her for the first time would ask me if she lost part of her tail in an accident. Maybe I accidentally slammed a door on her tail? (Yikes!) One friend kept calling her an "atomic cat" -- he insists that her tail genes were deranged by an atomic blast!

Okay, back to bobtails -- these cats can have either rigid or flexible tails. Saki’s tail was quite flexible – and she’d often wriggle the tail tip, which was bifurcated.
No doubt about it, her tail was one of the most distinctive traits about her. That, and her vocalization.

In that respect, she was like a Siamese. My Japanese friends tell me that all black cats have Siamese blood somewhere in their ancestry. It’s said that early Siamese cats had kinked, full-length tails, so maybe there is something to the theory. Saki certainly sounded Siamese – very different than the melodious voice of a Japanese bobtail. She also behaved like a Siamese, with her high activity level and her penchant for climbing. But that’s another story for another time.

As to temperament, Japanese bobtails are supposed to be affectionate, amiable, alert, playful, spirited and energetic.(Actually, this sounds very much like Saki, except for the amiable bit.) They’ll run to the door to greet you when you come home. They’re intelligent and good with children. (Frankly, if they were really intelligent, they'd simply avoid children.)

Japanese bobtails are believed to have been introduced to Japan from China in the 6th century. (Just like everything else, I guess.) They were first imported to the United States in 1968.

Allergies in Cats -- Wheezing

2007-10-10T09:18:00.001-07:00

What a prolonged case of wheezing in a cat.

I’ve been praying that it’s nothing more than a case of allergies in cats – or, in this particular case, allergies in Mittens.

Why not? After all, allergies are the most common cause of wheezing in cats.

Mittens, an affectionate if skittish, part-Siamese cat, has been wheezing for months on end. We still don’t know what’s causing her persistent wheezing.

Pixie, Mittens’ reluctant guardian (she acquired the cat willy-nilly), finally took her to the vet after weeks of foot dragging. (I hasten to add that Pixie is going through a turbulent time in her life, which has made it difficult for her to attend to things she normally would’ve managed easily.)

Wheezing in cats means there may be congestion in the lungs or sinuses. Congestion can be brought on by allergies or infection caused by bacteria, virus, or fungus. Another possibility is heart disease.

Mittens blood work was normal. Cat flu and pneumonia were ruled out. The vet told us that her chest x-ray showed an enlargement of the heart and “increased activities” in the area. Perhaps she had a tumor?

Based on her chest X-ray though, the radiologist thought that Mittens might have allergies. He gave her a cortisone shot, which immediately stopped the wheezing – for one day only, alas. Now, she’s back to wheezing. She sounds like she has a very, very stuffed up nose. Sometimes her breathing sounds completely normal; other times it’s quite labored, a gasping, high-pitched wheeze. Doesn’t appear to be any foreign object lodged in the nasal passageway.

The odd thing is that she has a healthy appetite and what appears to be a normal amount of energy. She has no nasal discharges, often a sign of respiratory infection. Except for the wheezing (which sometimes gets so bad that it interferes with my sleep, although apparently, not her sleep), she looks and behaves no different than when she was perfectly healthy.

Could it be asthma? It’s supposed to be one of the most common causes of wheezing in cats, and much more of a problem for cats than dogs. Asthma can be triggered by allergies. The wheezing sounds just like a person having an asthma attack.

Other causes of respiratory problems like wheezing in cats include:

Hairballs – Cats swallow fur when they groom themselves, and they sometimes cough and gag up hairballs. It’s not a problem usually, but if they look like they’re choking, take them to the vet immediately! An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of fur, as they say. Regular brushing can prevent the build up of hairballs.

Heartworms – Surprisingly, these parasites, which live inside the pulmonary (lung) arteries and the right side of the heart, can cause shortness of breath and coughing. Heartworms can be a serious condition leading to high blood pressure or heart failure. Preventing these nasty worms from growing inside your cat is your best line of defense because the drugs to combat these worms can cause side effects that can be quite dangerous to kitty.

Heatstroke – It’s easy for cats to get overheated if you leave them in a hot environment where they can’t escape or cool off. Cats can’t sweat like we do, so their international temperatures can quickly rise. The cat will start panting. If you can’t get the body temperature down quickly, the cat can collapse and even die.

In Mittens’ case, hairballs, heartworms, and heatstroke, have all been ruled out. So what is the cause of her wheezing? The vet didn’t seem to know.

Pixie suspects that Mittens has a tumor. If so, she would need surgery. And at 15 years of age, Pixie believes that Mittens is too old to benefit from surgical intervention.

I pray that the wheezing is nothing but allergies.

Allergies in Cats

2007-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

Allergies in cats aren’t fun – either for you or for the cat. You hear about humans being allergic to cats, but you don’t hear as much about cats suffering from allergic reactions. At least, when I was a kid, it never occurred to any of us that cats might also suffer from allergies.

In fact, allergies in cats are one of the most common problems. Cats, being the complicated creatures they are, suffer from a wide range of allergies, which can be classified into the following four types:

Inhalant allergies (also known as atopic allergies). These are things that cats can inhale, airborne particles like pollen, cigarette smoke, perfumes, household sprays, air freshener, molds, mildew, dust mites. (Yes, cats are very much like humans in this respect!) Cats can even be allergic to kitty litter, so pay attention to the litter you get for your cat.

Contact allergies. An allergy can manifest when cats have a prolonged contact with a substance that it can’t tolerate, such as grass, wool, and plastic.

Flea allergies. Some people are allergic to fleas – but some cats can be just as allergic to them. (Fleas, not people.) When the flea saliva is deposited, an allergic cat has a much more intense, itch-producing reaction than non-allergic cats. You’ll know if your cat is allergic to fleas if he bites, bites, bites, bites, and bites himself relentlessly (or if he writes you a scathing letter for letting the fleas run amuck). He might also start chewing himself so badly that he removes large patches of hair, often around his eyes, ears, and legs. He could go bald, and that would be so very sad.

Food allergies. Yes, allergies in cats include allergies to foods. (This particular type of allergy in cats surprised me. The way my cat Saki ate anything and everything within reach, I never realized that cats could ever have food allergies. Guess I was just lucky!) Cats can be reactive to grains, meats, and dairy products. The tricky part is that food allergies don’t usually manifest overnight. It can take weeks, perhaps years, of exposure to rear its scabby face.

As you might expect, cats can also react to medications, such as penicillin. Talk to your vet about the possibility of allergies to medications.

Flea allergies are supposedly the most common type of allergies in cats. Next are food allergies, followed closely by inhalant allergies. Contact allergies are the least common.

Just as with humans, allergies in cats are caused by an overreaction of the immune system to certain substances. The most common allergic response is itching of the skin, which can be either localized (in one area), or generalized (all over the poor kitty).

Allergies in cats can manifest as:

Skin conditions – including dermatitis, skin eruptions and changes in pigmentation

Digestive issues – vomiting and diarrhea (food allergies can cause digestive problems, but they can also show up as skin problems)

Respiratory problems – coughing, sneezing, and/or wheezing

If your cat’s itching and biting a lot, don’t automatically assume that she’s suffering from allergies. While allergies are the most likely culprit, there are many other causes for frantic scratching. Like lice, fungus, mange, liver disease – and plain old anxiety. (Yup, this means that you shouldn’t give your cat pop quizzes.)

Whatever’s the reason for your cat’s frenetic itching, you should definitely get it treated as soon as possible because when open sores and scabs form on the skin, they can lead to secondary bacterial infection – and lots more problems.

What’s the cure for allergies in cats? Sadly, none. You can, however, get the allergies under control by avoiding the allergens (obviously, you have to identify them first, a task best left to the vet, unless you have aspirations to become Sherlock Holmes), treating the symptoms, or desensitizing the cat.

Steroids can be used to relieve inflammation and itching in the short-term. Don’t use it long term though, because the drug suppresses the immune system – not a good idea!

Antihistamines can also be used (can be used in conjunction with steroids), but again, popping meds isn’t a long-term solution, either for your or your cat. (Unless, of course, your doc or the vet tells you to do so, and don’t get the two mixed up.)

Your cat can be desensitized to allergens through immunotherapy. The cat is injected with small amounts of the substance(s) that the cat is allergic to. The vet will give you the extracts and instructions on how to give injections at home. You generally give the injections every 7 to 21 days, depending on the cat’s condition.

Most cats respond, but some don’t. The other down side is that therapy can e expensive, and since allergies can’t be cured, you’ll most likely have to continue the injections for life.

I’ll explore the possibility of other, alternative treatments in a future posting.

For now, the good news is that there are no reports of cats being allergic to humans. Although, who’s to say, maybe some kitties avoid us cause we trigger severe allergic responses in them!

Scratch, scratch. Bite, bite. Ouch!

Cats and Buddhist Beliefs

2007-10-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Are your secretly held beliefs about your kitties similar to Buddhist beliefs about cats?

Cats have a special affinity for Buddhism. For that matter, they have a special affinity for all religions because they consider themselves sacred.

Mind you, that’s from the cat’s point of view. Humans have not always taken such a sanguine view of cats. During the Middle Ages in Europe, cats were associated with the devil, evil, and witchcraft, and were killed en masse. Some scholars believe that the near decimation of the cat population contributed in part to the Bubonic plague.

Cats weren’t particularly well regarded by Buddhists, either: they came up with a story that cats were banned from heaven for rebelling against Buddha. (The most likely cause for the uprising is that Buddha failed to produce the right kibbles for the kitties, or refused to offer up his lap while meditating.)

Legend notwithstanding, Buddhism honors the cat – as well as all other animals – as sentient beings capable of suffering and joy, living creatures that seek life and happiness. From this perspective then, all creatures—and not just Americans—have the inalienable right to the pursuit of happiness.

The Buddhist doctrine of reincarnation makes it hard for humans to lord it over animals (though they still manage to). After all, a person can be reborn as an animal, and an animal can be reborn as a person.

Being born a human is considered a great gift because it gives you a better chance to attain enlightenment and redemption, not to mention the ability to pay taxes.

So, love your cats. Treat them well. Who knows, in your next incarnation, they might turn out to be your boss at work – or maybe even your dear old mom.

Bengal cats

2007-09-29T10:39:00.000-07:00

Is the Bengal cat right for you? Watch this video by Janson Media to find out. At 3 minutes 14 seconds, it's a bit on the long side but well worth it.

Whether you choose a Bengal cat or not depends on your lifestyle and what you are looking for in cats. If you travel constantly or are away a lot, then probably the Bengal cat is not a good choice for you. The Bengal needs to be with people who are around quite a bit and can spend a lot of time playing with them.

Because Bengal cats are very active (but very, very smart and more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!), you need to cat proof your house. They are highly intelligent cats that are adaptable and travel well. they are very outgoing, social, and love people. Bengal cats live an average of 14 to 18 years.

Cat Training

2007-09-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

Cat training done properly will help you get the right cat behavior out of your cat. (As opposed, say, to proper dog behavior.)

Cat training doesn't have to be difficult or mysterious. In the video I uploaded (Mean Kitty – Episode 1), Cory “Mr. Safety” Williams hires a witch doctor to train his cat not to bite.

Honestly, cat training doesn’t require witch doctors, psychics, or astrologers to be effective.

First of all, you have to understand that cats are not human. They don’t perceive the world as we do, and they don’t think like we do. We really have to stop the bad habit of anthropomorphizing.

To hear some people talk, you’d think that their cats were just little people in fur coats. If my late cat Saki could hear them, she’d be rolling her eyes.

But to get back to cat training, the sensory world of cats is very different from ours. They can hear things we can’t, smell scents we can’t detect, and their sense of touch extends beyond their body (think cat whiskers). Their vision isn’t as acute as that of humans, but they have wider peripheral vision, and they have far better night vision.

You don’t have to cram your head into your kitty’s skull to figure out the best means of cat training.

You just have to think in terms of reward and punishment. Sentient creatures all seek pleasure and run like hell from pain (boy, do I know that one!).

So what you do is get the cat to associate its behavior with either pain or pleasure. In the long haul, positive reinforcement works better than aversive conditioning, so it makes more sense to reward your cat for good behavior than to punish it for bad behavior.

If the cat’s doing something you don’t like, simply ignore her. For instance, if the cat’s jumping up and down on your face at 4 in the morning, do not – I repeat, do not – get up and feed it. Because once you do that, then you’re doomed for life. You’ll be forever bound to get up in the wee hours to succor the demanding, wee demon. You’ll just be a sucker, and you know it.

Ignore the cat. Pretend you don’t see her, hear her, feel her. Even if the cat ratchets up her assault, stay put. Lie low. You’ve seen the footage: In the case of a nuclear attack, duck and take cover. It’s the same principle.

From watching the video, I can see that Cory Williams has got it all wrong with Sparta, a.k.a., Mean Kitty. He’s giving the cat too much attention by writing lyrics and shooting videos for Sparta; all he’s doing is reinforcing the cat’s bad behavior.

Although I did say that you shouldn’t punish your cat, if your cat’s doing something highly objectionable like biting your hand or tearing up your Le Corbusier couch, then you need to take immediate action.

One thing that will immediately stop a cat is to clap your hands and shout “No!” Or else squirt her with a water pistol.

No that any of these techniques ever worked with my cat Saki. If I yelled “No,” she looked at me like she thought I’d lost my mind. As to the water pistol, I gave that away to a friend with a small child.

All I can say is that in a matter of mere months, Saki had me well trained to feed her on cue.

In conclusion then, when you know what you’re doing, cat training can be fun and easy.

Mean Kitty -- Episode 1

2007-09-26T16:07:00.000-07:00

Here's Episode 1 of the Mean Kitty series. It's another amusing cat video by Cory Williams featuring Mean Kitty Sparta and a witch doctor he hires to cure the mean little kitty of his biting problem. It's such a funny video, my friend Pixie (guardian of the trio of felines I sometimes blog about) and I nearly died laughing.

If you haven't yet watched the mean kitty song video, it's uploaded on my previous post -- rather obviously titled "The Mean Kitty Song."

Cory Williams, also known as "Mr. Safety," is a viral film maker and TV show host, among other things.

If you like these videos, you might want to check out other videos by Cory on how he came to acquire the mean kitty in the first place and what the kitty's problem is. There's also episode 2 where he tries other tactics to stop Sparta from biting.

He (Cory, not Sparta) has lots of other videos that are great fun to watch, though they don't have anything to do with the mean little kitty Sparta or any other cats.

To see all other videos by Cory Williams, go to Mean Kitty

The Mean Kitty Song

2007-09-21T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Mean Kitty Song

or Hey Little Sparta

by Cory "Mr. Safety" Williams of SMP Films

This is THE best cat video that I've seen! It's absolutely hilarious! Unlike so many cat videos that are full of visual clichés and bad music, this one is refreshingly original and has a great beat. The video received more than 2 million views within one week of being posted in YouTube.

Here are the lyrics to Mean Kitty:

I got this little kitty about 2 months back
he was the nicest little kitty, now a pain in my crack
This little kitty is a ninja, always stalking my feet
This little kitty is a warrior you know what I mean

he's an evil little kitty look what he did to my hand
tries to get in trouble in any way that he can
I could give this cat a toy, but he'd rather have the wrapper
and I will always give him water, but he still drinks from the crapper

You could lock him in a closet and he just won't care
kitty chews on my shoes and he licks my hair
always scratching on my favorite chair and jumping on the couch
playing in the window sills and tearing through the house

He's so full of energy and easily amused
kitty will attack anything that moves
Causing trouble, starting battles just so he could be a little part of
he's a meanest little kitty so we named him sparta

Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite

Where'd you go
are you stalking me?
are you under the couch, quite possibly
ears laid back so you don't get caught
ready to pounce my leg with everything that you got

I know you're probably watching me from across the room
concentrating contemplating on attacking me soon
You're not invisible kitty, I'm gonna find you first
Come out come out before I make things worse

I've seen where you hide and I know where you've been
Hey kitty why don't you give in
Even if you try to sneak up on me, I'm prepared
Cause I've got my safety gear on and I'm not scared

I think I hear a kitty cat under the bed
I know your making noises just to mess with my head
You can stalk me all you want, but I'm not your pray
cause you always seem to find me first, but not today

Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
Come on out, I'm gonna get you now

I've got 'em cornered
and now he's mine
He's not gonna get away this time
I'll snatch him up fast before he can blink and then...
Aw man! He's asleep in the sink

What is with this cat? I'm confused
He's got a bed, but it's never been used
In every waking moment, kitty's out for the fight
then [fart] next minute kitty's out like a light

How could I let this creature live inside of my home
I gotta keep an eye on him when I'm on the phone
I'm a little afraid to leave this cat all alone
this kitty may destroy everything that I own

Look at him now, I kinda feel bad
He's the best little cat that I've had
and the one big thing I forgot to mention, was that
He wasn't fighting, he just wanted attention

Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
little bitty kitty wanna bite bite bite
Hey little sparta what is with all the fight
showing love, that's all this kitty does

****

Yup, this is one mean kitty alright! Can't think of a better written mean kitty song.

Cute Cat Pictures -- When is a Cat a Ham?

2007-09-21T12:16:00.000-07:00

Cute Cat Pictures

or, When is a Cat a Ham?

Check these out, are they cute cat pictures -- or not.

No, they're not cute cat pictures. They're just pictures of Sammy, who is, for a cat, a real ham.

He somehow manages to always insinuate himself into every photo shoot. All you have to do is point a camera -- and he's right there. You'd think he was mugging for cute cat pictures.

For instance, one day Sammy's guardian decided she'd shoot photos of a beautiful tree in front of her house.

As she walked out with her camera, she saw Sammy streak past her. He raced ahead of her, and with one leap, jumped up on the tree.

Before she could position her camera, Sammy climbed up the trunk the tree and was soon balancing himself on the branches of the tree.

It wasn't her intention to take cute cat pictures -- all she wanted was pictures of the tree! -- but she ended up with shot after shot of Sammy.

She failed to take a single picture of the tree alone.

The funny thing is, until his guardian showed up with her camera, Sammy had never taken the slightest interest in the tree.

And he hasn't since.

It seems that all he wanted was to have his pictures taken.

Do they confer any evolutionary advantages? Do wild cats go around looking for photo ops?

Cute cat pictures, indeed.

Cute Cat Pictures

2007-09-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of my friend Pixie's cute cats, Sammy and Dash. Even though she's a pretty cat, she just doesn't seem to be photogenic. A cute cat, yes. But sadly, Pixie wasn't able to take any cute cat pictures of her.

The cat pictures are:

Sammy doing a bunny impersonation

Dash, inside out

Dash, upside down

Dash as a kitten

To say that these are cute cat pictures is somewhat redundant because, basically, all cats take cute cat pictures. Except maybe poor Mittens.

Chinese Moon Festival

2007-09-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

This year, the Chinese Moon Festival falls on September 25th.

So, do cats love moon cakes? Find the surprising answer to this admittedly enigmatic problem.

First, consider this question:

Do cats celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival?

The short answer is “no.”

The long answer, alas, is also “no.”

But some cats, like Sammy, enjoy putting their paws into the box of moon cakes. (See accompanying photo. Not recommended for santitary reasons.) Others, like my late cat Saki, loved to eat the sweet bean jam inside the moon cakes. (Not recommended for feline health reasons.)I once had a pure white Taiwanese cat who loved to eat bean-jam filled moon cakes and chew gum. But that's another story for another time, not the Chinese Moon Festival.

In case you don’t know, let me back track a bit and explain what the Chinese Moon Festival is.

Some people compare the festival to the American Thanksgiving. Chinese families gather together to give thanks for the bountiful harvest, at least in theory. Like Thanksgiving, the Chinese Moon Festival involves a big feast. Instead of pumpkin pie, you eat moon cakes. At least, that’s the theory.

Like the moon, the cakes are round in shape. Unlike the moon, the moon cakes are moist yet flaky and a bit greasy to the touch. Special designs for the Chinese Moon Festival are pressed on the top. I don’t remember what they are, as I’m generally eat them without looking. The moon cakes have different fillings, such as sweet, red bean jam (my favorite and the favorite of several cats I’ve had), lotus seed jam, coconut, nuts, or meat (my father’s favorite). You can also get the kind that has egg yolk in the center of the filling to represent the full moon of the Chinese Autumn Festival.

The roundness of these cakes symbolizes togetherness. As the saying goes, Yuè yuán (the moon is round), rén yuán (people are round). In other words, “When the moon is round, families reunite.” That is the true meaning of the Chinese Moon Festival, or so I am told.

Almost every Chinese I’ve met hates eating moon cakes. (I think I love them only because they are high in calories.) But they love the barbecues they have on the night of the Chinese Moon Festival.

Children love the moon festival because they can make—or buy—paper lanterns that they can carry on the fifteenth night of the eighth lunar moon, when the moon is supposed to be at its brightest and roundest to go moon gazing on hilltops and mountains.

Have yourself a well-rounded Chinese Moon Festival!

Read more about The Chinese Moon Festival

How to Choose a Cat

2007-09-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

How to choose a cat. I bought books and created a checklist to help me choose the right kitten for myself when I decided to get a cat, my first cat since college.

Since I was living in Tokyo at the time, I purchased several Japanese books on choosing the right cat. When I went out to meet my potential kittens (mentioned in my previous entry) I took a checklist with me on specifics to watch out for.

So first, you give the cat a quick look-over. Does it look like a cat? (I can’t stress the importance of this point.) Then observe its movements for a while. Does it seem to be moving okay? What is its walking gait?

Now, take an orifice, any orifice. There should absolutely be no discharges from anywhere.

Feel the kitty all over for any lumps, bumps, or clumps. A lump around the belly button may indicate a hernia.

The cat should have good muscle tone. Avoid cats that feel like lumpy dough.

Make sure the cat is not blind or deaf. (Unless of course, that’s what you want.) If the cat can follow the movements of a string or anything else, then its vision is probably fine. To check for deafness, clap behind the cat’s head and see if it reacts. If it doesn’t it’s either got hearing difficulties or it’s an unusually placid cat.

Respiration. The breathing should be even and quiet. The cat’s got a respiratory issue if it sounds like it’s making a dirty phone call. If it’s sneezing or wheezing, it probably has an infection of some sort.

Coat Is it nice and glossy? Or is it dry, matted, and greasy? Any dandruff? Comb through the fur for signs of fleas. Telltale signs are specs of black on the coat. These are dried flea excrement. Pay special attention to areas behind the ears, the base of the tail, and on the back.

Nose Is it normal in appearance? It should be cool and slightly wet to the touch. A runny nose might mean the cat has an infection.

Eyes The eyes should be bright and shiny. Look in the corners for discharges.

Ears Look inside both ears. They should be clean, with no dark or crusty wax. Check for mites and signs of inflammation or discharge.

Mouth Examine the jaws, teeth and gums. Look at the jaw movement. The teeth should be healthy and fit together well. The gums should not be inflamed.

Anal area Should be clean, free of any signs of diarrhea.

Temperament

Observe the cat for a while. Does it seem afraid of people? How does it play with its littermate? Does the cat seem shy? Fearful? Is it a bully? Hyperactive? Noisy? Is it aggressive, argumentative, jealous, clinging, fearful, suspicious, egomaniacal, or difficult to live with? (Oops, I think I might have mixed in another tip sheet.)

And finally, is the kitten fully weaned and litter trained?

The books showing you how to choose the right cat even came with helpful illustrations and diagrams. I took them with me when I went to check out the black kitties. I planned everything just right.

Except for one small hitch: I didn’t inspect the kittens at all. I didn’t watch them play or groom. I didn’t pick them up at all. To this day, I don’t know why. Maybe I was just beguiled by the fact that they were cute cats, little black baby cats—and all rational thought went out the window. (Probably the same window that mom cat slipped out from to get herself knocked up.)

I didn’t choose a cat at all, in fact.

The cat chose me.

Isn’t that the way it usually goes?

Choosing Ragdoll Cats

2007-09-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a great video on choosing ragdoll cats. In 2 minutes and 16 seconds you'll get a great overview of the characteristics of a ragdoll. The narration is clear and the ragdoll cat they show is absolutely adorable!

If you're a quiet homebody type, ragdolls will probably be a good match for you. It's a low-energy cat, though it can be playful at times. It loves to follow its owner around like a dog.

You should be prepared to keep the ragdoll indoors at all times as it's a docile, friendly cat who won't be a match for any predators (human or otherwise) that may be prowling the streets.

Don't worry if you happen to own a large dog -- the ragdoll has a natural affinity for large dogs. It's also very gentle with children.

The ragdoll comes in 4 different colors (chocolate, seal, blue and lilac) and 3 patterns. Although it has a semi-long overcoat, it doesn't require a lot of grooming because there is no undercoat.

The ragdoll is a floor dweller, not a climber.

Black Cats

2007-09-14T16:46:00.000-07:00

My personal account of what led up to my choosing a black cat, a kitten with a funny, forked tail.

I’ve always loved black cats.

It started when I read a book as a child about a black cat belonging to a witch.

When I was living in Tokyo, Japan, I decided that it was high time I had a cat of my own. I wasn’t thinking of a black cat, necessarily. It just so happened that an American friend of mine happened to see an ad in the English Daily Yomiuri.

“You should check it out,” she said. “They’re giving away baby cats, coal black kittens. The ad says that every single kitty in the litter is black.”

When I called the number she gave me, I got a recording. I heard a coterie of caterwauling kittens. That should’ve been a red flag, but I didn’t see it at the time.

I asked a Japanese friend to accompany me to pick up the kitten. One of the cat books suggested that you should always take someone along whenever you go on a cat viewing expedition.

When we arrived at the tiny studio where the American couple lived with, the mother cat – the cat that got herself knocked up before her guardians had a chance to spay her – greeted us at the door.

One look at her, and I instantly understood why my mother always warned me that lack of discretion in mate selection meant that you could end up saddled for the rest of your life with kids who looked exactly like dad. Not good if you end up hating dear dad.

Although no one knew whom the opportunistic tomcat, the father of the litter was, it was clear that he must’ve been a black cat. Mom cat herself wasn’t the least bit black. She was a tortoiseshell, a dainty, innocent-looking feline. Who could’ve predicted that she’d act like a feral cat, a wild cat out sniffing for extracurricular liaisons. As I always say, appearances can be deceptive.

Deceptive or not, at least I remember mom cat’s appearance. That’s more than I can say about the American couple, the cat’s guardians. I vaguely recall that they were of medium build and wore jeans. They told me they’d consider keeping the entire litter, but they couldn’t because they were returning to the States in a few weeks. They were definitely taking mom cat with them and one of the two kittens that were left, probably the girl because she had a funny sort of tail that would not appeal to most people.

“We want to make sure that she has a nice home,” they explained. “But we’re also willing to give her to anyone who wants her. We figure if we want more cats, we can always adopt them from the humane shelter”

I decided I’d take the boy because he had a long, straight, normal tail, whereas the girl had a foreshortened, bifurcated tail. She wasn’t an ugly cat, I suppose you could classify her as a cute cat, but really what I was looking for was a cat that looked completely normal.

As it turned out, God – or rather, the kittens – had other plans.

After all, they're black cats.

Funny Cat Pictures

2007-09-13T10:57:00.001-07:00

Timing is everything in taking funny cat pictures. Like all cats, Sammy likes to lie across your laptop -- or anything else that you're trying to look at. He also has a penchant for squeezing himself into small spaces. He's somehow managed to put all of his behind (except for his tail) into a cap. Looks very pleased about it too.

Funny Cats -- Bully for Sammy

2007-09-12T23:22:00.000-07:00

More about funny cats. This one is about a handsome gray and white cat who is a bully.

Thug. Bully. Hooligan. Scar face.

These are the epithets that Sammy is known by in his neighborhood. Not funny cat, which is how I think of him.

Pixie, Sammy's guardian discovered this one night during a blackout when she walked around the neighborhood to see if anyone knew the cause of the power loss. She found out more than she bargained for. Sammy, it turns out, is not exactly what you'd call popular. According to her neighbors, he regularly beats up their cats. All the cats live in terror of him.

Ah, old iron paws. Who knew? Funny cat Sammy. He's not a big cat, he's not a fat cat, he's not a black cat, he's not a punked out hairless cat, and he's certainly not an ugly cat. And he's far from being a stupid cat.

No, Sammy is Mr. Nice Guy -- to humans, that is. Absolutely the sweetest cat you could ever hope to meet. Outgoing, social, and friendly, he'd put most two-bit politicans to shame. Pixie holds monthly Cash Flow games (the investment games invented and promoted by author Robert Kiyosaki, of "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" fame) at her house. Although attendance has drastically fallen off in the summer, there've been times when 40 or more people showed up to play the games. Pixie's other two cats escape in terror when they see the hordes of humans. But not so Sammy. Undaunted, he makes the rounds at each table, not exactly shaking paws with them, but meowing at the guests in a reassuring way, trying to put them at ease. "Oh, what a sweet cat!" everyone exclaims. Funny cat Sammy.

Aside from being funny (a quality in males that never fails to win the hearts of women), Sammy is most gallant. If he happens to be sprawled out across the outdoor passageway that leads to the front gate, he'll escort Pixie or me when we come home -- or, for that matter, any guest of mine. He's not doing this because he gets a kick out of it (or a treat, since none of us are inclined to give him anything -- no, we don't want to turn him into a fat cat). Sometimes, it seems like it's a real effort for him to get up and walk us to the door. You can tell that he'd much rather remain flat as a pancake on the pavement. Or flash his vital parts for the entire world to see, as he engages in the public grooming that cats are so notorious for.

Yet, no matter what Sammy may be doing (or not doing), he never fails to greet us with meows, then do what he evidenly believes is the right thing, the decent thing to do. You've got to admire his dedication. His is definitely a purpose driven life.

And what woud our life be without funny cats, without cute cats (some may say stupid cats, but I disagree) to give us a bit of paws in our busy lives.

Sneezing in Cats

2007-09-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

What causes sneezing in cats? Here's an explanation of some of the common causes.

I'm worried about Mittens, one of a trio of cats my friend Pixie owns. She (Mittens, not Pixie) has been sneezing and wheezing for weeks. According to Pixie, Mittens' owner (or I guess I should say guardian), the sneezing comes and goes. Well, I don't imagine that Mittens would be sneezing 24/7!

I remember when I got my black cat Saki as a kitten. It was only after I took her home that I realized that she was sneezing quite often. I thought it might go away in a few days, but it didn't. The couple whom I got Saki from said that maybe she caught a cold from sitting by the window with her siblings too often. I'm not sure if that's the way cats catch colds. In any case, since she had a runny nose in addition to sneezing, I took her to the vet. She got some antibiotics and was fine in a couple of days. Ever since then, I've made it a point to take her to the vet as soon as something seemed wrong.

As to Mittens, she looks relatively healthy and has a good appetite. She regularly goes outside to play. The problem with cats is that they can act perfectly healthy even when they're quite sick. With cats, appearances can be quite deceptive.

So what causes sneezing in cats? Ah, more questions to ask!

From just the little bit that I know:

Sneezing in cats can be caused by both infectious and noninfectious agents.

Infections are from a virus or a bacteria.

Cats can have respiratory infections, like colds or flus. Most of the time, with cats, you're dealing with upper respiratory infections. The viral or bacterial infection is particular to cats so people don't need to worry about getting infected. At least I don't have to worry about that when Mittens sneezes all over me!

Noninfectious causes of sneezing in cats include:

Allergies -- Like people, cats can be allergic to pollens and mold in the air. This causes cats to sneeze. Or, certain products can cause the cat to sneeze. For instance, dusty cat litter might not agree with certain cats. Then there's cigarette smoke (smokers, take note!), household cleaners, perfumes, deodorants, and so forth. Anything that can cause humans to sneeze can also potentially cause sneezing in cats.

Certain breeds of cats, like Persian cats with flat faces and little squished noses have compressed nasal passages, making them more susceptible to sneezing.

Surprisingly, tooth abscesses can sometimes be the culprit. If a tooth that has its roots close to the nasal passageway becomes infected, sneezing and nasal drainage may occur.

And what about poor Mittens? What could be the cause of her sneezing?

Pixie thought that Mittens might have a foreign object in her nose. That's not too common in cats because their noses are small, but it did happen to Sammy, her other cat. He got a long stalk of something or other stuck in his nose. It was very visible and obvious.

The vet who examined Mittens ruled out the possibility. She isn't allergic, she doesn't have a tooth abscess, and she's not a Persian (she's part Siamese, so she's not even a traditional Siamese).

The vet raised the possibility of penumonia. But after a slew of tests, he thinks it might be something else. Her heart, he says, is enlarged, and there are "activities going on around the heart." Not exactly sure what that means, but he seems to suspect a tumor.

Or at least that's what he seems to be saying. We placed several calls to him for the results of Mittens' blood work, however, every time any of us call, he's "in surgery," and to date, he hasn't returned our call.

Poor Mittens. Because her previous owner was abusive, she had a bad kittenhood, and now this.

Funny Cats

2007-09-12T10:23:00.000-07:00

For cat lovers, here are some anecdotes about three funny cats. They're cool cats.

Pixie, the friend I've been staying with temporarily, owns these three funny cats -- Sammy, the alpha male, Dash, the beta male (very beta), and Mittens, the "omega" female (bottom of the totem pole). Now that we've bonded with each other, it's going to be very hard for me to leave them.

Cats can be seriously funny.

I was brushing my teeth this morning when I heard Dash meowing most piteously outside the bathroom door, as if he'd been adrift on a stormy sea for a fortnight. When I poked my head out, he immediately perked up. With excited meows and frequent glances up at me to make sure I was following him, he lured me to his food dish, which sits on the kitchen counter. (They're on the countertop to prevent Pixie's two dogs from gobbling the cat food.)

The automatic cat food dispenser is always overflowing with cat food. So Dash wasn't trying to get me to feed him.

He just happened to have a diabolic mission in his little cat brain: Get me to watch him eat. Dash ate with a single-minded concentration that I wish I could emulate. He still managed to check up on me every few minutes to make sure that I was still watching him.

Sammy does the same thing too, lure me to the food dish and get me to watch him eat.

Mittens doesn't give a hoot if I watch her or not. What she does do is prance around, emitting urgent meows, encouraging me to pat and stroke her before she hunkers down to the serious business of eating a meal.

Poor Mittens, when she engaged in her preprandial ritual yesterday -- enjoying her feline version of aperitif -- Sammy showed up and chased her away. I had to dig up another bowl for Mittens and feed her secretly, out of sight of Sammy. No wonder I never get any work done aorund here.

Such funny cats. Why would any cat want to have a human watch it eat?

A Japanese cat magazine had a story about just such a funny cat. He was a black and white cat that just had to have the owner watch him eat. Or else he wouldn't eat.

I posed this question to a few cat lovers, but no one had a plausible answer.

Are they trying to entertain humans by being funny cats?

Does anyone know facts about cats?