Cat thread

[Sjofn]

Both our cats are noisy in their own way. When Lizzie is rasslin' she's silent, but otherwise she's talkitive as hell. She meows at me after I sneeze (and only me, she doesn't meow at Ingmar), I can't figure out if she's scolding me or what. I thought she was a pretty noisy cat until we got Gilly, who is somehow more vocal. Her purr is loud as hell too. Also she snores.

One thing I find funny is they meow exactly the same way when they want to be fed. It's the OH GOD IF YOU DO NOT FEED US RIGHT THIS SECOND WE WILL BOTH FALL DOWN AND DIE OF STARVATION meow.

[Samwise]

Lizzie used to play wrestle ME. I have scars up and down my arm because of it (I wouldn't fight back but it would still take her a few swipes to really notice I wasn't responding).

 

Someone doesn't know her place in the food chain.

[rattran]

That's typical of cats that didn't get enough playtime with other cats when young. I only have one that does it, but it's fucking annoying. Typical is grab the hand with the front paws, fall to the side, the lightly bite/rake with the back claws.

I got to see a new trick this evening, Otto did his unbelievably stupid 'sit back on his haunches and box' thing to get Oscar to play, Oscar grabbed him by the head, fell over backwards, and flung Otto across the room. Then got up and sauntered away. Otto is still hiding behind the chair.

[Samwise]

That's typical of cats that didn't get enough playtime with other cats when young.

I thought it was more a matter of not getting taught appropriate boundaries for play by Mom (or relevant human surrogate).  In the wild, overly rambunctious kittens get pinned and tongue-bathed until they settle down.  Ergo, you just need to lick your cat more.

[Falconeer]

I love when my cat is an idiot (most of the times). Too bad this isn't a video but I am sure you all can easily imagine the missing next few frames.

[Trippy]

Why do you have one of those oversized cups like they used on the Central Perk set?

[Falconeer]

That's how I consume my daily dose of cold milk. And "Friends", loved and still loving it so much. Quake (the cat) likes it too.

[Sky]

Bart likes to fight my hand. Doesn't help that I make it into a sock puppet kinda shape. As my fiancee says "Man, there's that damn bald kitty again!" His nemesis, only rivaled by his tail. He's good about not biting too hard or scratching much, I trained him as a kitten. But when he does get a little too fierce, I just say a firm OW, which was the training word...and you won't see him for a half-hour or so as he runs in mortal fear.

He, too, is a litter digger. I often say in a chinese accent: "Oh, herro Bart, so grad to see you again!" when he's going to town. We got a litter box with the biggest sides we could find and he still flings it all over. I had to buy a cheap rug for him. Not sure what I'll do once I actually need to use that room, right now it's storage but eventually it'll be our library.

We had some mice attempt an invasion this year. Bart is an excellent pointer, so I knew right where they were. The fiancee was worried the mice might get in the house, imo that is the best possible outcome, the mice would not know what hit them, except a nightmare of black claws, more than any cat should rightfully wield. (the mice are dead now, I don't fuck around when it comes to vermin)

[Signe]

I just saw an advert for a strange, disposable mouse trap.  If I had mice and no cats, I'd give it a go if necessary.  Knowing me, I'm more likely to use one of those humane life capture mouse traps and then try and find it a good home or drive to a national park and let it go.  I don't know what's wrong with me!  I don't mind mind the wee tiny itsy bitsy mice that used to sleep in my ski boots a million years ago, but the giant juicy ones that live on garbage in the NE are different.  I'd much rather my kitties get the protein, if possible, but we don't have any vermin here.  I do get a laugh watching them go after bugs, though.  They're very good at it and I never see even a fly for more than five minutes anymore.  I try and save big spiders and set them free.  I have a soft spot for big spiders.  They're more like little animals than buggies.

Shuddup, Sky.  I know what you're thinking!   I am NOT crazy!

[Cyrrex]

I have a soft spot for big spiders.  They're more like little animals than buggies.

Have you seen the spider thread?  Big spiders have absolutely no redeeming qualities.

[voodoolily]

That's typical of cats that didn't get enough playtime with other cats when young.

I thought it was more a matter of not getting taught appropriate boundaries for play by Mom (or relevant human surrogate).  In the wild, overly rambunctious kittens get pinned and tongue-bathed until they settle down.  Ergo, you just need to lick your cat more.

This, and too many fall into the trap of using their hands as toys when the kitteh is adorable, tiny and has only little milk teeth that don't hurt. The cat grows up thinking of human hands as toys and acts accordingly. I got lucky to strike a balance in my cat between handling him enough as a kitten that he trusts me implicitly (I can put my face in his tummy and give him raspberries, and trim his claws with regular nail clippers), but he knows not to scratch or bite me, even when he's all wound up and rambunctious.

[Sjofn]

I had another cat who rassled with us, and he was DEFINITELY sent the message it was OK when he was young (by my youngest sister >< ). I didn't use my hands as toys or anything when Lizzie was a fresh new cat (unlike INGMAR, and I TOLD him not to), but she just straight up didn't care when I would yell "ouch," put her down and ignore her, or whatever else I could think of when she did the light biting + rake. Really what it was is she would get all hyper while I was petting her, but not paying attention to her tail, and she would strike. Most of the time when she chomped me, she was still fuckin' purring.  

Gilly, on the other hand, has only chomped me twice, very lightly, no claws involved. I don't know if it's because she gets it out of her system when she's fighting with Lizzie, or if she's just nicer. :P


EDIT: Also, our apartment used to have a LOT of spiders. About a week after getting Lizzie, they all MYSTERIOUSLY disappeared. :(

[Hawkbit]

I've been having some trouble sleeping lately so I made myself a cup of chamomile tea before bed and something in it set Ivan off.  Imagine catnip in liquid form. 

He's attacking me, dive bombing me from my bookshelves.  Hit and run tactics.  Finally, he wraps his limbs around my arm and digs in; claws, teeth and all. 

WTF?  Does chamomile have catnip-like properties?

[Morfiend]

So my female cat had to go get an operation today. She has this issue where her gums are allergic to her teeth. Its horrible for her. We have been treating it every 6 months with antibiotics, but finally just got most of her rear teeth removed. Poor thing. She has 5 teeth out today.

[Ingmar]

Man that is a weird problem. Poor cat.

[Sjofn]

Poor kitty. :(

Also, that is weird about chamomile tea!



Lizzie doesn't give a shit about catnip. Gilly is too young to know if she likes it or not.

[Signe]

My cats go off and on with catnip.  It didn't even affect them until last year.  Evidently, it can strike after years of them  not even noticing it.  My sister's neighbour's cat didn't bother with catnip at all until he was five or six years old. 

I'm sorry about your kitty, Morphiend.  I hope everything will turn out okay. 

[Brogarn]

She has this issue where her gums are allergic to her teeth.

 

[Morfiend]

She is home and doing good. A little wonky from being put under, but the swelling in her face has gone down a lot today, and I think she seems more happy.

[Rasix]

My cats go off and on with catnip.

My male cats just go insane for catnip.  Put some out and they go on a bender.  One cat will roll around on his back for a while leaving a giant drool puddle on the scratcher. Even my female cat likes it.  She just waits until the boys are done cracking out before she starts hugging the scratcher and rubbing her face all over it.

Haven't been bringing it out if the baby is around.  They just go a little too crazy.

[Signe]

Yes, Lister is much more goofy and drooly over catnip than Magenta.  They'll ignore the catnip for a few weeks and then pounce again.  I don't bother buying because my sister has it growing in her back garden.  She uses it in teas.  Yes, she's one of them.  It's supposed to be a sedative and calm an icky feeling tummy for humans.  I bruise some, sometimes put in a toy or just leave it on it's own, and Lister will go nuts for about five minutes, eat some and promptly fall asleep.  Magenta won't eat it so she just does the nuts stuff.

[NOT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN!  THIS MEANS YOU!] 

[Lantyssa]

I'm pregnant?

[Samwise]

I'm a woman?   

[Sky]

The cat was my child, I was pregnant with my cat, so... I gave birth to it, so... I had my cat baby in the hospital, and had a cat baby shower for it, so...

[voodoolily]

[NOT FOR PREGNANT WOMEN!  THIS MEANS YOU!] 

Now I can't have catnip? Pregnant women don't get to have any fun! 

[LK]

I'm finally moving into my own place and thinking about getting a couple kitties because I don't have enough pussy ( ) in my life. Trick will be finding some...

[Bunk]

This, and too many fall into the trap of using their hands as toys when the kitteh is adorable, tiny and has only little milk teeth that don't hurt. The cat grows up thinking of human hands as toys and acts accordingly. I got lucky to strike a balance in my cat between handling him enough as a kitten that he trusts me implicitly (I can put my face in his tummy and give him raspberries, and trim his claws with regular nail clippers), but he knows not to scratch or bite me, even when he's all wound up and rambunctious.

My cat is really good about not treating my hand as a toy, she'll only do the biting/raking thing if actually put my palm right on her face, and even then she doesn't break the skin.

My problem is, she doesn't understand that my feet are a part of me, and not toys. Foot dangling off the end of the bed is a guaranteed pounce and nom. Walk past her in the room without paying attention, all of a sudden I have nine pound hairball latched on to my shin.

She is totally trusting though, she'll let me whirl her around, clip her claws, and snip knots out of her fur all fine.

[voodoolily]

I'm finally moving into my own place and thinking about getting a couple kitties because I don't have enough pussy ( ) in my life. Trick will be finding some...

Kittehs are easy to find! Go to a farmer's market or the pound and adopt a whole pile of 'em. That's what I want to do. I like to joke around with our 4 fat, old cats that I'ma replace them with younger, cuter models if they don't shape up.

[Signe]

Massage your kittens.  Seriously.  Almost every bit of them, especially their paws and around their ears and face.  It'll make your live much easier later when you want to clean them and clip their claws.  Magenta sometimes squirms a little bit when I clip but if I persist, she caves.  Lister lets me do just about anything and snuggles when I do.  They totally trust us.  Finding cats to adopt, any age any type, is one of the easiest things to do.  Really, it is.  It's right up there with scratching your butt and staring off into space.  There are bajillions of them waiting for people to adopt them.

[Sky]

When we found Bart, he had a bad cold and runny eyes. I had to wipe some go into his eyes and clean the gunk out, and he never fussed while I did it. Now he's hell on wheels...but he always lets me clean his eyes without a hassle.

[LK]

I'm looking forward to the process. I want to start with two so they have company and so that I have company when I'm home. I grew up with four cats and up until 2 years ago I had lived with them in one place or another. But I've been dealing with dogs on an increasingly frequent basis. My current residence has a pair of dogs I can't stand anymore. One's a lovable corgi but not very cuddable and another is from a broken home that always growls threateningly at me when I'm at home and the owners aren't. It's stressful as fuck. Cats don't go fuck wild to their owners.

[voodoolily]

Watch this. 

[Sky]

Watch this. 

Bart does that to my nose. Goddamned little sandpaper tongue.

We now call noses 'the face nipple'.

[Morfiend]

My boy cat doesnt lick really, but he likes to rub his nose all over my and my girlfriends face when we are lying down in bed. Very forcefully. If you push him away he will use his paws to move your hand and charge at my face again purring like crazy. When he starts doing this we call it his "date rape" mode, cause he just wont take no for an answer.

[Signe]

Yesterday there were some strange shadows on the wall and I couldn't figure out what was causing them.  We have a line of trees back a bit from the house but that didn't seem likely.  Righ finally figured it out.  The sun was shining through about a thousand nose smears on the window.     I have to wonder what the hell was out there that got them so excited!