Cat-A-Blog

Auri Is a Cat Burglar!

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Today Susan was making herself meatballs for lunch. She heated them up and put the plate down on the counter while heading to the refrigerator for some tomato sauce.

Up jumped Auri, who stuck out a claw and flipped one of the meatballs off the plate! She then played meatball hockey for quite a while after finding out it was too hot for her to eat!

Of Popes and Cats

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:14:00 +0000

Back in the Sixties or Seventies, David Peel released an album entitled "The Pope Smokes Dope". While that scenario is extremely hard to believe, it is no doubt true that the current Pope and I share a different addiction...that of kissing cats.

Pope Benedict XVI is well-known as a cat lover and a recent New York times article goes into this in some depth.

But wait, there's more! His official biography was written by a cat! How things have changed since Pope Gregory IX declared black cats to be evil, causing innumerable cats to be killed!

Like cats, Popes have multiple names. Pope Benedict's cats may call him Benny, but I doubt it, since his real name is Joseph (he took the name Benedict when he was elected Pope). And, anti-Catholic propaganda to the contrary, even Popes don't have unlimited power -- Pope Benedict was unable to have his cats join him in his official residence. So fooey on the Vatican, anyway...at least "Catholic" begins with "cat"!

Tuxies In Japanese!

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:13:00 +0000

We have a very dear friend who lives in Tokyo and is not only a world-famous computer journalist but also a cat lover. She has two cat blogs -- one in English and one in Japanese -- and she recently sent us a link to a Japanese tuxedo cat video. It's on the Japanese-language version of YouTube, so there are lots of tuxedo "related videos" on the right side of the page, just like the English version.

A Moment of Silence for Some Friends of Cats

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 06:25:00 +0000

OK, not really friends, perhaps. But all the cats loved to watch them.

Today Susan unexpectedly lost one of her beautiful fish, a Gold Nugget Pleco, and Madame Houdini, a White Line Gecko. Dang, they were both fine yesterday.

Here's a picture of Madame Houdini with two of her little gecko friends in happier days (like when she was alive):

She wasn't called Madame Houdini for nothing. In her most famous escape (documented in the upcoming book Famous Geckos and Where They Hid, soon to be a major motion picture starring Stickon D. Wall and Leggo Mai Gecko), she not only got out of a completely sealed tank, but eluded six cats for three days by pretending to be a wall decoration, and then resisted capture by numerous experienced reptile wranglers. If you don't believe me, check out these photos.

Madame Houdini could often be found on the back wall of her tank, where she teased the heck out of all the cats, but especially Jennifur, Auri, and Aurum. Jenni sometimes stood up on her hind legs like a meercat to look at her, while Aurum would come out in the middle of the night and stare at her for hours.

We will all miss them both.

Want a Job Working with Cats and the Public?

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 22:42:00 +0000

When I went to the Animal Rescue Site to do my daily "click to donate", and check the sales :-) I noticed AnimalWork.org. I've written about the Animal Rescue site in Good Places to Shop While Helping Others, Too.

I already have a great (most of the time) job working with animals and helping people take the best care of their pets as possible. But for others who are job hunting -- AnimalWork.org lists job openings for positions in the U.S. at zoos, grooming establishments, veterinary practices, retail, pet training, pet caretakers, service related organizations, and welfare and protection (i.e. what most of us would call shelters and animal control).

The Six Sleeping Cats

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:09:00 +0000

We have a guest blogger this evening: Steven, our youngest (a precocious 14-year-old) son. As soon as I heard what happened to him, I dragged him over so you could hear it too:

Hello, this is Steven. Just tonight, I fell asleep on our living room couch. I wake up about an hour later with Charger laying next to my chest, Agile under my head (he makes a very furry pillow), Yang in the crook of my leg, Yin on the other side of my legs, and Aurum (mind boggling!) sitting right on top of my side. It was quite a furry blanket as you can imagine :) Then Auri decides to get next to my face so I can taste her fur...

Auri Found To Be Member Of Two Gangs!

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:38:00 +0000

We are devastated!

Our dear little Auri...the sweet little tuxedo kitten that we just wrote about the other day...we now have evidence that she's criminally inclined!

I guess it's true what they say about Saturday night being reserved for wild behavior. I woke up early Sunday morning when I heard some odd scratching. I followed my ears to the closet. I opened the door. And what did I see?

Auri, Agile, and Charger, guiltily looking up at me with their beautiful eyes, imploring me not to turn them in to my wife Susan ("The Furminator")! Together, they had broken into the locked closet and had been greedily wolfing down Panther's special prescription diet food (40 bucks a bag, thank you very much!). Because it's prescription food, this may be a federal offense!

But wait, there's more! Google News reported that Auri was also identified as a member of the notorious Tuxedo Gang! They even have a known hideout!

We've tried to raise her right, but she just wants to raise hell (or maybe just raise heck, after all, she's still a kitten!). Where did we go wrong?

Auri, Auri, Aurikins!

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:16:00 +0000

One of our readers gently reminded us that we haven't written about Auri, our newest kitten, since we first got her way back in October. So here I am to correct this serious oversight.

Auri is such a joy to have around. Really, she's so adorable and happy that every once in awhile I check her belly to see if maybe there's a battery compartment in there!

When we first got her from the Folsom Carl's Jr. (no, she wasn't in a bun, she was begging outside) she was all fire and brimstone, hissing and growling at all our other cats -- even Charger, who back then was easily five times her size! But a good dose of our patented Unconditional Love eventually solved that problem, and now she mostly just annoys Aurum for some reason.

Auri is still a kitten, although she's grown quite quickly, and she can always be counted on to flip her little toy wolf in the air, or fly down the hall in pursuit of a laser dot. She is quite an expert at sleeping, and when sleeping next to one of us will stretch out, turn into a little black-and-white ball, or assume any other reasonable shape in order to stay asleep and stay next to us while we toss and turn.

Having grown to kittenhood on the kindness of Carl's Jr. patrons, she is also one of the first to the feeding bowls, which is no doubt part of how she has grown so quickly! Here she is in her current sundae best, looking delectable enough to kiss and kiss and kiss some more:

She is a sweetness.

Update on Panther -- Lessons We Have Learned

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:59:00 +0000

Last year our beloved first cat, Panther developed diabetes. So we learned about injecting insulin and glucose curves. Last fall, he vomited violently 3 times, and we rushed him to the pet emergency clinic on a Saturday night. We learned about pancreatitus (again) and giving subcutaneous fluids.

Panther has had several more episodes of pancreatitus. So we keep an I/V unit with a pouch of Ringers Lactate ready in the closet. We already had one cat chew through the tubing, so the closed closet is safest. When his fur looks bad and I tent his scruff which doesn't go down quickly -- with Steven's help I give him subQ fluids from 50 to 150ccs at a time. Sometimes once a week, sometimes twice a day.

When Panther meows and makes me follow him, then jumps on the "insulin perch" I know to give him his 1/4 unit of Lantus/Glargine. But only after he eats!

We learned that Panther has a "sensitive" pancreas. That's the organ that produces insulin and various digestive enzymes. So he eats prescription Hills Science Diet I/D and canned Purina Proplan salmon/fish or turkey and giblets. The canned food is amongst those recommended for diabetic cats.

During this time Panther has willfully downgraded himself socially from top male cat to the bottom of the social scale. So no more energy expended in boxing matches with Charger.

Panther is wise enough to direct us in what he needs and when. And we have become wise enough to listen. That is why he is still alive and experiencing a decent quality of life.

Nightstar's poem

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:48:00 +0000

Last night our two year old cat, Nightstar -- yes she is black all over -- began to sing softly. At about 4 A.M. These words popped into my head, and luckily I was able to remember them:

Light increases slowly
Grows longer each day
My fur will be warmed

This reminds me of when Glory (our first Bengal -- who died a bit over 2 years ago) used to sing on many mornings just before dawn.

I am glad we have another poetic cat. Yawn!

China Loves Animals, But Not As We Know Love

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:48:00 +0000

I just now read an article on the Salon website recounting the author's experience in China, wherein he was offered meat from a dog he had befriended. Whether this was intentional or simply insensitive is not the point, but the timing is impeccable, since it was just yesterday that I posted my own article about the many abuses going on in China.

Since this is a cat lover's blog, I do ask you to read my article, but feel free to skip the link there talking about China's death camps for cats and dogs, since the contents were even too distressing for me to read in detail. And the reason for China's killing dogs and cats is to simply "clean up the cities" before the Olympics, although they claim it's to "prevent disease". The Catholic Church tried killing cats in the Middle Ages, and the result was the disease called the Black Death. Unless you believe there are no rats anywhere in China...especially this year!

In any case, I would like you to take away three main points from all this:

Cheap Chinese goods are no bargain when they support death.
We should all try to cut down on our purchase of Chinese-made items.
Boycott the 2008 Summer Olympics. Don't even watch it on TV.

Black Is the Night

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 14:05:00 +0000

Tonight I was lying in bed on my side, which I often do to prevent Jennifur walking on my balls in the middle of the night, which she often does otherwise.

At some point I thought I felt Nightstar moving around on the bed. She stepped up and sat down on my hip in Sphinx pose. I was amazed because she never does that; she usually lies down right next to my pillow, under the covers with me, or at the other end of the bed entirely. I actually raised my head for a quick peek to make sure it was her, because Jennifur sometimes sleeps on top of me, but always on my stomach...but she was surely too dark to be Jennifur.

Well, we stayed like that for awhile. Every five minutes or so, I felt the urge to shift around a little, but resisted because I was sure she'd get off if I did...she seemed a bit precarious up there. Finally I couldn't help myself and rearranged a bit. Amazingly, she stayed on, even rearranging herself a bit. I eventually started falling asleep and that's when the fun really began.

Suddenly my head began filling with thoughts. I actually saw a page begin to fill up with writing about cats -- a whole collection of things I had been planning to write for ages. Cat love; cat promises; cat prayers! And, if you've been following this blog for more than 30 seconds or so, you've probably noticed that I haven't been able to write anything for months. Well, here I am at 5:30 in the morning writing now, and I'm seeing words fill up on the page just like it did a little while ago in bed. But wait, there's more.

I had shifted a few more times and Nightstar stayed right where she was. Suddenly I had a flash...this didn't really seem like the Nightstar I knew. I remembered Yang was in the room and I know he can sleep through any amount of movement. Steathily I found the tail and raised it up and looked. Even in almost pitch dark, I could see it was definitely a black tail and not a white one!

And yet the fur didn't feel like Nightstar somehow. So I started counting off cats in my head. Not Yang, not Jennifur. We just weighed Nightstar at 14 pounds and this cat seems awfully light...so it can't be Agile either. The door was closed, and the only other cat in the room was Panther...but he hasn't even slept on our bed since 2001, and never on either of us.

Just about then, she (or whoever) jumped off. I couldn't stand the suspense, so I sat up, put on my glasses, and found my flashlight. I looked on the bed and there was Agile where I had seen him last...with Nightstar sleeping right beside him. Jenni was on her shelf, and since Yang was nowhere on the bed, that meant he was in a box in the closet.

Which left Panther, who was eating from a bowl on the floor after jumping off the bed.

No pun intended (this time, anyway), but this floored me. Clearly Panther -- who I've never been able to "hear" in all the time he's lived with us -- had sent me all this information for a reason, even sitting on me to make sure I got the message. So 5:30 in the morning or not (and I'm definitely not a morning person), I figured if it was this important to Panther, it was important enough for me to get up and get back to writing.

So here I am again, folks. And all hail Panther.

Bird Lover Kills Cat, Faces Jail Term

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:20:00 +0000

As reported in The New York Times and numerous online news sites, a "bird lover" named James Stevenson is on trial for killing a cat that he claimed was preying on endangered birds. He now faces a $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail if convicted on animal cruelty charges in Texas.

The defendant doesn't even dispute that he shot the cat with a rifle, and even boasts of shooting many other cats he found on his own property. However, this man runs a commercial bed-and-breakfast establishment targeted at bird enthusiasts, so it could easily be proved that he had a pecuniary interest in killing cats. Instead, his defense centers around the idea that the cat was feral and therefore killing her could not be prosecuted under the older state law.

While there's a good chance the prosecution can prove that the cat, Big Mama, did effectively belong to someone (based on the fact that someone had fed, named her, and provided her with toys and a bed), the essential fact is that someone went out of their way to deliberately kill a cat. Big Mama died in pain, according to a police officer who was at the scene, though predictably the defense attorney attempted to discredit even this witness by saying ?He?s not qualified to know what the cat was feeling."

Perhaps bird lovers have no feelings for other animals, so they find it inconceivable that other humans could. But it doesn't take much compassion to realize that animals have the right to live. And I bet James Stevenson didn't name his birdies, either.

Experiencing the Miracle of Kitten Birth

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:00:00 +0000

Not for the squeamish, this video was taken of a somewhat difficult birthing process. From the You Tube description:

"One of the common excuses for allowing a pet cat to give birth is "I want my children to experience the miracle of birth." This woman has done exactly that, and videotaped the occasion for the world to see. In all fairness, she may be a foster to this cat, or it could have shown up at her door, as pregnant strays often do.

If you want your own children to witness the miracle of birth, please get your female cat spayed, and have your children watch this video instead. It would be best to preview it first, though. I found myself holding my breath for fear the last kitten wasn't going to make it."

Much of these two lists I adapted from several adoption center and humane society web sites.

The Low Cost Spay and Neuter web site allows you to search their database for places in the US, Canada and Europe that provide this important service.

Ten important reasons you ought not to breed your cat (or dog)

This is not a good way to teach your children about life. If you want them to see live births, try fish such as guppies, mollies or platys. Cat births usually occur at night and in secluded places and the mother will be hostile to intruders (this means YOU!) If you still want them to see mammalian birth, the video above, or others sponsored by National Geographic or Animal Planet should suffice.
Females in estrus (heat) are noisy, irritable and her cries and pheromone scent will attract males from all over to your home, where they will give chorus and may even fight. We got Glory shortly after she had been neutered. Upon arrival in our home, she began to sing her songs and soon after we had the local feral toms crooning noisily outside our home at all hours. When we bought her great granddaughter (a newly retired queen), Aurum, she went into heat before we could get her spayed and the tension around here from all our neutered males was amazing and annoying, too. One neutered male cat even started spraying urine which he had never done before!
Pregnancy is much like that for humans: balanced diet, vitamins, mood swings, potential dangers, expenses and all.
Not all females make good mothers. Ask any cat shelter volunteer.
You will be bottle feeding every two hours 24/7, and massaging their stomachs and wiping their rear ends to make them urinate and defaecate after every feeding for weeks if the mom rejects them -- just like a human baby, they will be totally helpless and dependent on you.
You will be potty training them, too.
Unneutered males are more likely to spray urine around your home.
Cats (and dogs) are more likely to develop a host of medical conditions if they are not spayed or neutered-- see #3 and #4 below.
Keeping a cat intact will not make him or her more kitten-like. So you don't need kittens to have playful cats. I have seen incredibly playful 14 year old cats!
You may not be able to find good homes for the kittens or puppies -- that is why so many get dropped off in boxes at shelters and pet stores, or abandoned in empty lots, or chained to a post in the rain, or thrown in bag and tossed off a walkway bridge, or a hundred other worse stories I could tell you.

Six excellent reasons why you should spay or neuter your cat (or dog)

It's a lot cheaper than pregnancy and the 4 months of care after birth -- there are many low cost clinics offered by shelters, vets and adoption groups We paid only $60 for Agile to be neutered, and this also included 3 nights at the shelter, his first vaccinations, rabies shot and deworming.
Spaying or neutering will teach your children that each life is precious -- a very important lesson in this day and age.
Spaying before a female's first heat (estrus) will prevent uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduce the possibility of breast cancer. She doesn't need an estrus cycle to become full grown either!
Neutered males will not develop testicular cancer and the chances of prostate disease is decreased.
Fat cats happen because of too much food and not enough exercise, not from being neutered or spayed.
Spaying or neutering will make your cat (or dog) less likely to run away or get into fights with other cats that require trips to your vet for stitches and antibiotics.

Another Great Site Dedicated to Pet Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 06:12:00 +0000

Since my last post about going somewhere with your cat, I've found another good information site. PetTravel.com has US and International travel information by plane, train, car, and ship. Every factor that you have to research before taking a pet traveling is touched on at this site, including quarantine rules, immigration rules and forms, pet carriers, and health issues. They also have a store from which you can buy not only carriers, but EU-required microchips, pet immigration forms and other necessities.

A Little Too Much Cat to Love :-)

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 04:28:00 +0000

At their annual checkup we found that both Charger and Agile are overweight. We take them in to our vet at the same time, as this saves us one office visit basic fee. When you have as many cats as we do, saving money in this way can be a Good Thing.

We are giving them high protein canned food to replace some of the kibble they eat (similar to what Panther is getting). Charger is a large male Bengal at 19 lb 12 oz. Agile is a broad chested formerly feral feline at 15 lbs. Our goal for the next two years is to get them down to about 18 lbs and 13 lbs respectively. So, much more exercise, combined with having to jump up to platforms for smaller quantities of food is in store for both cats.

Cat-Related Children's Toys

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 05:29:00 +0000

I was in the family room to see what my younger son was watching on TV this Saturday morning. The usual run of commercials showed up. One was pleasantly surprising: a veterinary hospital play set! I remember the LEGO zoo and farm play sets we bought when the boys were younger. Not much else was available, except for stuffed animals of varying quality.

I was intrigued. We like toys that stimulate the imagination and allow for role playing, while teaching our children to think. So I went on a short hunt for other pet-related play sets and toys. These toys can also be used to stimulate family discussions about nurturing, being responsible for a pet's life, etc. Or just for fun.

Fisher Price has Sonya Lee and Her Pet Salon and Chutes and Ladders with a pet twist: Rescue Hero's Pet Rescue

FurReal Friends: Jungle Cat (Leopard Cub) or the tamer Calico or Marmalade

Gund My Little Kitty Playset

A few of Hasbro's Pet Shop play set and add-ons:
Littlest Pet Shop Little Lovin' Pet Playhouse
Cat & Dog
Persian Cat with Carrier

Even the venerable toy icon Barbie has Barbie Pet Doctor Kit with Cat

Then there are these imagination prompting play sets, too:
Deluxe Complete Little Kitten Care Set for Children

Learning Resources: Pretend and Play Animal Hospital

Parents' Animal Hospital
Step2's Village Veterinarian Accessory Set

Take Your Cat on Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:30:00 +0000

While not the easiest to navigate, Pets Welcome.com is a great place to visit. They present detailed information on pet friendly Hotels and Motels in the U.S. and Canada, describing their site as having over 25,000 pet friendly hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, ski resorts, campgrounds, and beaches listed.

Search under Country, then by state or province, then by city. Many hotels/motels charge fees for pets ranging from $10 to $100 (not exactly pet-friendly). Some say dogs only, or that no pet must be left alone, or crated only. Once you find a hotel you like, you can click through for more information. Pets Welcome says they even have negotiated rates with some of these places.

I am amazed at how many hotel/motel chains accept pets these days!

They also list pet sitters and lots of other useful information for those who won't leave home without their furry friends.

Enjoy exploring...and vacationing!

Year Round Gift Donations that Help Cats and Make Humans Feel Good, Too

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 21:41:00 +0000

Not sure what to get? You need a gift for "someone who has everything"? Your friend said no gift this year? How about donating in their honor to one of these worthy causes.

Petfinder.com you can donate in Honor of or in Memory of someone (human or feline), or sponsor an unadopted pet waiting for a home. They also accept donations for their Disaster Relief Fund and the Animal Shelter Fund (Purina is the corporate co-sponsor).

Purebred Cat Breed Rescue not all abandoned cats are mixed breeds.

Operation Nobel Foster every time reservists and others in the armed forces are called upon to serve overseas, the drop off rate at shelters sky rockets. This group was formed to help prevent such heart wrenching events. Volunteers foster the cats of military personnel so that when they come home, their cats are waiting for them. No matter what your political leanings may be, please consider helping this worthy cause.

Consider your Local Shelter or volunteer adoption groups. Not sure how to find them? See my blog entry on how to find them in your area. They can always use: money, cat food, litter, beds, blankets, paper towels, coupons to pet stores, pet food coupons. Call and ask what they need. then make a donation in someone's honor. A gift that serves more than one!

Woman Jailed Almost Two Months for Dried Cat Pee

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 05:31:00 +0000

Jacking in from the Twilight Zone, because it's probably even too weird for the Weekly World News...but true nonetheless.

Cynthia Hunter, 38, was jailed in Tampa, Florida after being arrested for petty theft from a Wal-Mart. A vial was found in her purse containing a yellow substance, which Hunter claimed was dehydrated cat urine for a science project. Eyes no doubt were rolled when the substance tested positive for methampetamine using a field test kit, so the Florida authorities packed Hunter off to jail.

Imagine their surprise when proper lab tests showed that it was dehydrated cat urine all right! Of course, that was after Hunter had sat in the slammer for 50 days.

There's a lot about "court appearances" in the original article, but nothing about an actual trial. So we're not sure how much has changed in Florida since the days of Easy Rider.

A Tail of Two Kitties

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 04:47:00 +0000

Today at work one of the pet groomers came to me and said she had a small kitten that needed a home, would I like to see her?

I was on lunch break, so I asked her to bring the kitten (who was kenneled in our grooming salon). Everyone at work knows I have cats. OK, read "sucker for hard luck cases" :-) But where did you get her and why can't you keep her...? Questions and more questions.

The groomer had been eating at a local fast food restaurant. The kitten came up to her, meowing, and then when she opened the door to leave, the kitten followed and jumped/scrabbled into her car. This was three days earlier. Kitten was very skinny. The groomer is renting an apartment; the lease says two pets only and the kitten makes three. Kitten has been sleeping with her small dogs. She has trimmed claws and freshly washed and groomed fur (hey, she's a groomer...).

I am holding the kitten who is a cute, cuddly, black and white tuxedo cat. I feel her belly and she gets squirmy. Suddenly I asked about if she had a litter box in the kennel. No, she does not. So I quickly improvise one. Kitten steps in and immediately "does her business". She must have been holding it in because after that she wasn't squirmy.

Sigh. Oh, BTW, all the local no-kill shelters we know of are full. And even the kill shelters have too many kittens this year (as if we'd leave any animal for one of those).

So I am able to borrow the groomer's carrier to take her home. I am sort of dreading the trip home. Sundays at work are exhausting, plus I have to persuade my family that taking this little girl in is the reasonable thing to do.

Worries For Nothing, And the Kits For Free

My husband knows me. He makes no fuss, neither does my 13 year old son. We set her up in our bedroom, quarantined until she has shots, etc. I gave her a kitten dose of Revolution, which I just happened to have handy, since she'll be sleeping with us. She gobbles down almost a full can of canned kitten food. Sniffs the kibble. Drinks water. Explores the room and plays with the toys. Purrrrs!! After a quick dinner, she meows when she sees us and greets us at the door, tail held high.

She hisses and growls at our other cats as they come to the gated door to sniff around. Standing her ground, saying she has the right to be here. No hostility really, just a declaration of belonging.

Oh, did I mention I dreamt of a tuxedo kitten recently?

Based on her personality, we think she is a "keeper".

What a contrast to this other kitten I'll tell you about.

About 3-4 months ago someone dumped a pregnant black and orange tabby in our area. Like all the other strays in the past, we began feeding her, seeing if we can approach her. No good. Eventually she turned up with three tiny orange furballs. We fed and watered them, too. Their den is very close by, as they come soon after we open the back door to put out food. The kittens grew.

Keep in mind we have foxes, skunks, racoons, possums, deer, neighbors dogs, etc. Keep in mind that of all the many abandoned cats we have seen here, only Agile's parents survived even one winter in our area. Right now, Agile is snuggled up near me on the cat shelf by the window as I type this. He is the first feral kitten we were able to catch, born of two feral parents, whom we called Eager and White Paws. They lived for about three years here and both died before last winter.

We started setting out our trap, using canned kitten food as "bait".

Amazingly we caught one just three days ago and took her to our vet. She bit me -- through a heavy towel -- when I grabbed her to put her in the carrier (we used a lot of antiseptics at the vet's office). She is FIV and FLV negative, about 9 weeks old, and weighs 2 lbs 13 oz. She was covered in fleas, so the vet gave her a dose of Revolution and her first vaccinations. She was so terrified, hissing, scratching, and trying to bite that the vet had to give her a dose of ketamine and valium before he could safely examine her. I helped clean her ears, all the while asking questions. The final bill was well over $200, not something we can afford to repeat if we catch her two siblings and mother. We took her there because getting an appointment with Animal Outreach (a local non-profit low cost spay/neuter cats only health clinic) can be problematic and well, we had a wild cat on our hands.

So if we catch them, we will take them to Animal Outreach which does the medical workup and spay/neuter really inexpensively. Our marvelous Agile's 3 day stay with Animal Outreach plus vaccines, deworming and neutering cost us only about $60. He is the sweetest, calmest cat we have, and always has a friendly greeting.

Adblock

She is noisy! She yells when she knows her siblings are nearby...calls for them mostly at night, when we are trying to sleep. She is calling right now! So we have white noise generators running and doors closed so we can sleep. When we go into the bathroom she is in, she runs and hides behind the commode or in the carrier, hisses and tries to swat if we get too close. She eats wet food and kibble. We tried to give her some commercial kitten milk in a dish but she ignored it. Won't play with toys. At least she uses the litter box.

We are fostering her, and any other members of her family we can catch. If necessary, we will spay and release the mom cat. I already have a lead on one family that wants an orange kitten. But we will screen people. No kittens in a box at a supermarket for us. Thinking about her getting abandoned while pregnant gets me angry. I may have to write a blog entry about that, too.

How To Safely Put Your Recalcitrant Cat Into a Carrier

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:01:00 +0000

OK, we all know about cat carriers. Some are collapsible, others are made in various styles and sizes of rigid plastic and metal. We always use one in the car, no matter how much our cat protests. If you don't, you run the risk of the cat getting under the brake pedal just when you're coming to a busy intersection...and as any cat lover knows, they have a knack for doing the wrong thing at the worst time! :-)

With most carriers, it's also possible to guide the shoulder belt through the handle, helping save the cat from becoming airborne if you should actually get into an accident.

One trick we learned is to put the carrier on its end and sort of, well, drop the cat in hind-end first. This works once. Then they get wise to our tactics. Two people and a few scratches later, we try the head first technique, making sure all the legs go in also. Don't forget the tail -- no your head stays in!

Or we spray the carrier with Feliway, wait ten minutes for the alcohol base to evaporate, and then put cat head-first into the carrier. Or a bit of highly desirable wet food on a small plate inside the carrier. Cat is so busy sniffing, it can be easier. A bit easier. All of these variations involve two people and long sleeves for safety.

We have several types of cat carriers and try to alternate which one we use with any particular cat.

Unless you're planning an 8-hour trip (in which case try to stop somewhere off the highway to let everyone stretch their legs; use a leash and harness), don't bother trying to put food and water in the carrier; it will just spill. Instead, wait until the cat asks for treats and then feed and water her.

One of our cats is so nervous about traveling in a carrier, we have to put in a piddle pad. We won't embarrass said cat by mentioning any names. :-)

The newest version of a carrier I have seen is like a child safety seat in that you can permanently attach a base to your car using a seat belt and then click the carrier in (or out). Wow.

Adorable Holiday Cat and Dog Cards -- And a Worthy Cause, too!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:22:00 +0000

I found these kitten and puppy holiday cards on the American Humane Association's home page (right side of the web page in the middle).

The AHA's Shopping Page has children's books and other fun things. They also have two catalogs: one for animal welfare professionals and another for child welfare professionals. Both catalogs can be downloaded as.pdf files.

As they describe themselves: "Since 1877, the American Humane Association has been protecting children and animals from cruelty and mistreatment. From the Adopt-a-Cat Month to conferences on Family Group Decision Making (FGDM), the American Humane Association has a variety of outreach programs that promote healthy family relationships and animal care. You can help make a real difference in a child's or animal's life."

October Is Time To Bring Your Black Cat Indoors

noreply@blogger.com (David (Dragon) Fiedler) — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 15:34:00 +0000

We always keep our cats indoors. But every year at this time we remind our friends to keep their cats, especially their black cats, indoors for the rest of the month, no matter what.

And we hate to even think about why. Even though many people think it's just an urban legend, it's indubitably true: there are emotionally and mentally sick people out there who enjoy doing unspeakable things to cats, especially black ones, and especially at Halloween.

Susan reminded me that we were once sitting in the waiting room of a local veterinarian when a Goth-dressed girl came in and asked the people sitting there if they "wanted to get rid of any cats". We all stared at her until she left.

It was October 29.

A Grassroots Movement to Save Dogs in Shelters

noreply@blogger.com (Susan Fiedler) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:15:00 +0000

A very worthy cause...I have not yet found one for cats. Please donate to help them spread the word, or better yet adopt a dog if you can. Thank you.

As they say about themselves:

"DogsInDanger.com is owned and operated by The Buddy Fund, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)3 animal welfare organization dedicated to helping dogs in need.

DogsInDanger.com is a national shelter outreach program...It may be uncomfortable for some to see lists of names and photos of dogs scheduled to be euthanized, but, the truth is uncomfortable. By making it personal, we believe more people will be compelled to help these dogs. Thus dogsindanger.com refuses to present a sanitized version of the truth. Our ultimate goal is to see a day where healthy and treatable animals are no longer killed by their most trusted friends."

They have an Education Page listing a number of sites for more information about no kill ethics, solving pet behavior problems, and dog adoptions.