We hired the gutters cleaned. We hired the trees trimmed.
We are concentrating on the maintenance only we can do—like actual gardening and garden plumbing. We had only one glitch: our gutter cleaners were supposed to bag the refuse and they did—in 80 lb bags which cannot be moved. Jane didn’t call me to help, darn it, but she had to open the bags and shovel, and is exhausted. Two very nice strong young guys, who probably haven’t a clue that we’d have to lift those bags to shoulder height to get them into the bins. They’re going to hear about this one.
I swear, Jane’s cat. The half-Bengal. I’m crossing the living room where he’s lying, and he reaches out and hits me. Hard. Then gets up and head-butts my leg, as in, pet me, feed me, I’m your friend. Just now he’s lying on my dresser, right under the telly, not bothering the telly. If it were on, it’d disturb him, and he’d get up and claw the screen, darn him—but he likes sitting there, warmed by the electronics, and watching out the window.
And why is he there? So he can be aware when I move, whenever I go near the kitchen…because—food!
OTOH, we do have him on a reduced-portion diet with a diet kibble. And it is working. He now has sort of a waist.
how do you keep Shu from grabbing Sei’s portions? Sei’s pretty docile compared to the “inwardly wild Bengal who looks deceptively friendly”…
A closed door. 😉 And if giving treats, I fumble lengthily and individually with Shu’s—he thinks I’m such a klutz—and give skinny Seishi several at once. I am so sneaky…
Spunky is now ‘hose on sight’. This morning, Froofy and Little Brother were on the lanai waiting for breakfast, when Spunky came growling around the corner. LB beat a hasty retreat, while Froofy was so spooked she darted into the house; when I escorted her back out, Spunky chased her around the side of the house. Spunky came back and chased LB under the cars, at which point I said “Enough is enough” and unlimbered the hose. Of all the free range cats in the neighborhood, Spunky is the most ill-tempered, and his staff shows no interest in trying to help. If Spunky will not play nice, he will be hosed until he gets the message or crosses our property off his list of territories.
Water pistol—for instant karma! 😉
My fold has been on a reduced calorie smaller portions diet for almost a year now, she’s just about where she should be weight wise, but she is definitely glued to anyone going near the kitchen cuz.. food… She’s a twit. She’ll walk up to a total stranger and beg for petting, then as soon as said stranger touches her she’ll hiss and fake a nip. Well, sometimes its not so fake. Anyway, I warn anyone that comes in the house. She’s more than earned her name ‘BitchyKitty’
I’m extremely lucky she can’t jump so I can put food out for poor Squeaky who is rather timid and needs all the calories she’ll eat.
Seishi (straight-ear Fold) is long and lanky: he was an unsold adult at the cattery, sweetest manners in the universe, and least suited cat in the universe to push back against Shu. Fortunately this quiet manner is the correct answer for getting along with Shu, who was a kitten when they became acquainted, and Shu always thinks of him as Big Cat. Shu will wash Sei’s face very sweetly and they sleep together. The two of them romp through the house like a herd of buffalo, more so since we have the slippery laminate floors. They squall and they fight, then wash faces. But Shu, who is smaller, is solid muscle, weighs like a bowling ball, and can knock your foot out from under you if you’re in process of taking a step. Sei weighs like marshmallow, no other way to put it.
My two make an odd pair. Goober ~finally~ got ticked enough at Smokey’s badgering recently, that Goober argued back. I was all for this, because Smokey is Mr. Assertive, and pushy, including taking Goober’s food, and Goober would still let him. Goober is Mr. Non-Assertive, the gentleman cat. So whatever finally got Goober irritated enough to stick up for himself, good for Goober.
However, they also cooperate to tag-team me, and they do, at times, hang out together. So although I’ve always been frustrated, trying to figure a way to balance the two, I’ve also known they’re basically OK enough together.
Smokey can be a brat (Shu and he always sound very much alike, they even look somewhat alike). But Smokey has reasons for that, as he started life as a street kitten, rescued and given to me by someone. Smokey gets too big for his britches. But he’s basically OK and, like Shu, basically just wants lots of attention and all the food he stuff into his little face…. Heh.
Goober has his own story too. He earned his name by being a lovable, smart little guy with a tendency to be klutzy. He also had a sneaky sense of humor early on. So, Goober for being a goober. (His first night with me, when he was a kitten, was eventful enough to get his name easily.)
They are both completely different, and I wouldn’t take for either of them. They are nearly always hanging out in the same room with me, except for occasional needs to check the windows for whatever is more interesting than the human. 😉
I’ve never found a good solution to Smokey stealing Goober’s food. I made an early mistake in scolding Goober for objecting, hissing, when Smokey, as a new kitten, tried to eat from Goober’s bowl. Goober looked dismayed that little Smokey could possibly be so rude, and hissed, objecting, and I scolded Goober. Mistake. Goober took that too much to heart. — So Smokey often tries to take Goober’s food, and I often discourage this, but it doesn’t stop it entirely. — Putting them in separate rooms to eat doesn’t work: the other one wants to see what the first one has, and eat with him. Putting them in separate rooms ~and closing the door~ *really* doesn’t work: Both cats get anxious and want to get the door open and get their buddy out and be with them. Heheheh. So this also tells me that, even though they fuss at each other some, they bically are good-hearted towards each other and consider each other buddies. — But dang, if I could get Smokey not to steal Goober’s food, and get Goober to be more assertive…. (Goober is just inherently not that assertive.)
I just came across this image, which I thought was relevant to the discussion. https://m.facebook.com/Homerblindcatfans/photos/a.126189087421104.9824.126124190760927/1351477471558920/
And when they do their herd of elephants impression, I wonder how they got their reputation for stealth and grace 🙂
We now lock KikLaSoisi in the bathroom while she eats, and keep her there until Aloysius and Friendly finish eating. We have to be careful how much we feed Friendly as she turns into a scarf and barf if we give her too much food at a time. Aloysius is a long, lean tiger. (He can stand on his hind legs and see to knock thing off counters!) He loves Kiki so much that he will let her eat all his breakfast and dinner if she wants. And we wondered why Kiki was looking like a football and Aloysius was looking kind of skinny! The newish program seems to be working. Kiki has lost a little bit and Aloysius has filled out a bit.
We were concerned enough about Aloysius to have his thyroid checked. He’s fine; he just is a lean cat with a big appetite, who likes to nibble on toes and ears when he is hungry!
Off-Topic: I’ve just seen an (another?) trailer for Kubo, coming out this mid/late August. The film (animation) looks very good. I’d seen that George Takei has a parat (voice) in it, but I don’t recall the other actors. I’m not well-versed enough to know if the story is from an actual Japanese folktale, or is meant to evoke that. Looking forward to it, though I’ll likely have to wait until it’s not in theaters.
Today is Cindy’s spay day….a practically sleepless night last night, since I had her in my bedroom with the door closed and just a litterbox for her “accommodation” (no food or water after midnight). The procedure is a bit pricey, and the vet is probably the most expensive in town. I don’t know why that is, but he’s very good, and as such, I guess I’m paying for premium care for my girls.
The base price is around $147 just for the surgery, but I also opted for the IV fluids and the after-care pain medications for her, which tacked another $75 onto the cost. Some people might ask, “All that for a cat?” Why not? She’s family, too…..well, I just don’t buy as many groceries this month after the bills get paid…… and no, I’m not complaining when I remember other people here have even worse financial problems than I do…at least I have money after my bills are paid, others aren’t so fortunate.
We know you love your kitties, and are sure Cindy will come through with flying colors (the staff may opt for a nap after, however!) 🙂
I picked her up about 4:30PM EDT, she’s doing well, a little groggy, and she definitely is hungry. I have to watch that she doesn’t gorge herself silly, though.
The doctor gave me some pain medication for her, liquid (thankfully, so I can squirt it into her mouth instead of the classic “How to give a cat a pill” routine).
She’ll get the sutures out in a week…other than that, she did just fine.
We had one fixed, back in the mid-60s, and when she went in to have the stitches removed, the vet found she’d already taken them out.
Cats – what can you say? [/shrug]
So glad. First surgery and being sure they can stand the meds is a real nervous time. I do what you do—opt for everything helpful I can.
I remember my childhood cat back from the vet for the male procedure. Four-legged staggering is impressive, succeed or (eventually) fail. (Soft carpet.)
When staggering, I have a one in two chance of falling over a foot; is it one in four or three in four if you have four feet?
So what you’re saying is, it takes four to tangle? :rofl: :clunk:
Never a dull moment here…… 😀
Well, I think the chances of a front and rear foot tangle are pretty much nil, so you have two pair to tangle. If it’s 1/2 to not tangle one pair, it’s 1/4 to not tangle two pairs. If you could tangle any foot with any other foot, that would be twelve possible tangles or 1/4096 chance of staying up. I think.
Of course, there’s also, “Walking is just too much trouble!” Flop.
So the chances of a tangle are 4!, where the chance of any foot getting tangled with any other foot are… Ummm, I need a calculator here.
The squirt guns have been procured. Not as satisfying as the hose, or even the alpha strike of a cupful of water, but much more portable in terms of kitty discipline. Little Brother has taken to curling up under the car and watching us chase Spunky around when he aims to misbehave. “Hey, dinner and a show!” He has apparently figured out he’s not the target.
I believe the answer is 24 (4!), if one allows all combinations, including all four at once.
So the chance would be about 1/16 million. (I don’t have powers of two memorized quite that high.)