New Cat

[Justawoman]

We have a new cat. Achilles is his name. He showed up next door at our oldest daughters house. She invited him and he is there. So it is official, I have a grandcat. He is so beautiful. He is white with gray patches on his back. You can tell he belonged to someone. He is clean and well mannered. Achilles is also very vocal and his green eyes shine. Looks like another trip to the vet. WE need to get this little man neutered if no one claims him. that is the hardest part, playing the waiting game while you get more attached. He is a young cat and very loving. She said he would talk to her during the night because she was not touching him. She would put her hand on him and he would hush. He even nipped her elbow once because she turned away from him. I didn't tell her I thought this was cute. This may prove to be a touchy relationship in the beginning. I am curious to see who has the more dominant personality, my daughter or her new roommate.

I have also been trying to find time in my schedule to volunteer at the Sundance cat ranch. It is the only nonkill facility in our area for stray and abandoned cats. I love cats. My Ms. Andy is helping me type this. I think she is a bit pissy because our oldest daughter hasn't come to see her today. She will be all attitude when she sees the new cat. Right now she is needing TLC and doesn't care who knows it. Cats are just little souls in fur bodies.

[Noseypoo]

Good luck with the new kitty. Sounds like he's quite a ham. {toothy}

I hope the old owner doesn't show up. http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/liebe/150.gif

[jamesglewisf]

Sounds like fun. I think we would probably have a cat if my bride and I weren't both hugely allergic to them.

[Justawoman]

Get a hairless cat Jim.

Hubby came in from work last night and asked who the new gentleman in the yard was? I said, " our grandcat." He just rolled his eyes. This one meets him at the truck already. I hope they get to keep him too. Our second daughter calls him Babies in that baby talk voice. Never thought I would see my two oldest daughters be goofy.

[JacMac]

yay...another kitty found a good home! Hope y'all can keep him! http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/tiercat/tiere027.gif

[Noseypoo]

Get a hairless cat Jim
Or just make your own ...

[JacMac]

Nosey...wherever do you find them? You are SO funny!
http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/lachen/lol01.gif


My boyfriend jokes about shaving ours (he's almost all persian!) He says he wants to leave his head and tail...maybe do the "lion cut" - I said the cat would not come out until it grew back in! I have to show him this picture!

[Noseypoo]

lol ... it's awful looking, isn't it? {rotflmbo}

[Noseypoo]

My boyfriend jokes about shaving ours (he's almost all persian!) He says he wants to leave his head and tail...maybe do the "lion cut" - I said the cat would not come out until it grew back in! I have to show him this picture!
He might want to reconsider doing that, after seeing this (http://www.thecatgallery.com/himalayan_cat_models_page_8.html) {rotflmbo}

[JacMac]

Okay...gonna get me fired....

I'm trying not to cry here...I am totally doing the silent laugh...y'know...shoulders bouncing up and down, eyes watering, feeling a huge bellow welling up inside and if I opened my mouth...

http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/lachen/13.gif


I love the one of the "ticked off cat" That is SO funny. I don't think I can show these to him. He will seriously want to do it.

[Noseypoo]

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_2_112.gif

[Justawoman]

Well Achilles is still around. He does not like the idea that my oldest daughter won't let him stay in the house when she goes to work or school at night. Well he ain't coming in my house. She has already said he likes batting things off the counter. Hmmmm ... some little man needs some manners. Plus our cat shouldn't have to share her domain after being top kitty for 10 years. She barely tolerates the dog!!

[Noseypoo]

Well Achilles is still around. He does not like the idea that my oldest daughter won't let him stay in the house when she goes to work or school at night. Well he ain't coming in my house. She has already said he likes batting things off the counter. Hmmmm ... some little man needs some manners. Plus our cat shouldn't have to share her domain after being top kitty for 10 years. She barely tolerates the dog!!
Sounds like your daughter needs to invest in a kitty-door http://www.addis-welt.de/smilie/smilie/tiercat/nwin.gif

[JacMac]

Does your oldest daughter already have other animals? Why doesn't she want him in the house? You said in the first post that it seems he had belonged to someone, has she called the shelters or animal control to see if anyone is looking for a cat like him? He probably expects to be let in for a reason. Do you have a problem with coyotes or anything there? Our coyote problem is crazy (I believe because of overpopulation and everyone building on any piece of land they can find) but at the vets I worked at we heard ALL the time about cats being coyote snacks. Mine is strictly indoors for that reason. I said I would consider letting him out if we bought a place with land and horses, etc. but I don't know what survival skills he would have having been inside a house for most his life. He is not declawed so he still has the tools, I just don't know if he would have the skills, y'know? So is she planning on keeping Achilles?

[Justawoman]

Our cat goes in and out all the time. So does our dog. Nothing ever bothers them. When she gets in from work or school she lets him in....IF... he is there. We found out he belongs to our neighbor down the road and he loves to go visiting. You know the neighbor that pops their head in for a quick cup of coffee, some talk, then leaves. That is what Achilles is doing. WE forgot to ask what his name was though. Will have to do that.

I wouldn't want a cat door. WE do have field mice and they are bad enough keeping em out without providing a door for them.

[JacMac]

There's a children's book I loved when I was teaching. It was called six-dinner sid and it talked about a cat who lived in the city and traveled around to 6 different houses and pretended to be their cat. He had a different name at each and played a different personality. He was found out in the end because he got sick and was taken to the vets 6 times. At the end the families all shared him but made sure he didn't eat 6x a day! It was SUCH a cute story!

[raybeck]

I have inherited 7 cats, since building our house here on the ranch. First it was 3 tiny kittens that just showed up, so I fed them...now they are mine. 2 of them are very loving, one is a scaredy cat, but coming around. Then, out of the blue another cat showed up...and she was really pg looking...3 days later she had a litter of kittens in our outdoor fireplace, up on the flue (sp?). I told my DH well it sounds like there might be 2 or at the most 3...turned out there were 6! Well, to make a long story short, I have found a wonderful home for 2 of the kittens, one didn't make it, just disappeared, one of the kittens that is left is not a social cat, won't let you near it, that's sort of how the Moma cat is, too. So now I have 7 cats. We haven't moved our cowdog from the little ranch house yet, or our schaunzer (inside dog), so don't know what will happen. I can't keep 7 cats, but I am really attached to 2 of them and especially one in particular. Don't know what to do. I feed them Science Diet food and they get a small can of evaporated milk everyday, so they look really healthy and fat! lol I thought for awhile I wouldn't mind having 1 cat in the house when I no longer have an inside dog (our dog is 11, and very active and healthy and I'm planning on here being around a long time), but I've been reading about how they throw up hair balls and sometimes won't use their litter box, so don't think I could handle that. I must say I have really enjoyed them, they are very interesting to watch and one of them really wants to live inside with us...

[Justawoman]

I hate our new keyboard. I had my quick response ready to go and wham it disappeared just because my finger strayed. Uh!!!!!!

We are in the process of kitten hunting. Wish we lived closer to you Beck. My oldest daughter wants a kitten for her new house. She takes our cat over to spend the night. It is the funniest thing. So we are sharing Andy right now between houses. Good luck in figuring out what to do with all those cats.

[Madge]

I really love cats, especially ours. She used to be an outdoor cat - that killed me, because she's so pretty and I figured someone would take her - but as she's getting older she stays in a lot. Her name is Catrina. She's become extremely accustomed to her litterbox which is in our downstairs bathroom (we call it the "powder room" in honor of Catrina!). Although she's a long-haired blue point Siamese, I've never known her to bring up a hairball. She does sometimes leave a little pile of dry cat food that she had a problem keeping down. It's not gross or anything - heck - my husband leaves his dirty socks in the living room, and THAT can be gross!!

[raybeck]

Thanks Madge, one of the cats that I have become so attached to is one of the original three that first wondered up as babies about 9 mos. ago. Her name is Skittle and she is a cream colored long haired cat, too. She has beautiful golden eyes and just loves affection! She just looks like she should be inside...not sure my inside dog would love her so much, though, but you never know until you try. I would really have to work on my DH, too, although he has opened the door ,since we have moved into our new house, on a couple of occassions to let her come in and visit for a few minutes, so there could be hope!!!

[raybeck]

Madge, thought of something else to ask. Do you notice lots of cat hair in your house? One reason I like schnauzers is because they don't shed. We have been to other folks homes that have cats and it is disgusting at the hair, you hate to even sit down, so I was just wondering if you only have one cat if it is all that bad.

Also, "Happy Birthday" hope you have a wonderful day!!!

[Madge]

She tends to shed a bit in the spring - her fur is a very light grey color - for a longer haried cat she's EXTREMELY neat and tidy. She's no problem to me on any level (she's a beloved family memeber - maybe THAT'S why!!) We did have another cat, a short-haired Tortoise. She passed away almost 2 years ago now... poor Jessie... She was very easy, except she liked to claw furniture, and that drove me insane!! Thanks for the birthday wishes! I had a great day! I appreciate you thinking of me!!

[Justawoman]

I just found out this past week that cats get kidney stones. I went to see a friend and ask how Diablo was doing. He is her baby of 10 years and a beautiful solid black male. She said he had to have day surgery to remove kidney stones, He kept backing up to the wall in their kitchen acting like he was going to spray and would just mew. She knew this was not normal behaviour so took him to our small animal vet here. She said kidney stones to my friend. They put him to sleep. They extract them through a tube that is inserted through his manhood. He was put on a special diet of new food which he hates.

Amazing what ailments our pets can get.

[raybeck]

Glad your friend's cat is okay! You are so right about things our animals can get. Just keeping up with their yearly shots and heartworm pills and flea and tick pills, cost a small fortune! I have always believed that if you are going to own a pet you have to take care of them and I guess that will always include ailment expenses. They are just like one of your kids, sometimes you could just kill them, but you wouldn't take a million dollars for them! lol

[Madge]

Very true, Raybeck. When my Jessie was so ill I just kept telling the vet to do whatever she could to save her. As it was, the poor cat was suffering and didn't understand what I was putting her through. It was cruel of me to make her hang on as long as I did - it was selfish of me. I just couldn't be sure she couldn't be saved - I tried so hard. It cost me over $1,000.00 but I don't care. Jessie was with me through some very hard times, and I'll never forget her.

[Justawoman]

Pets truly can leave wonderful memories behind.

I made a new friend yesterday while cleaning a house. Her name is Mitzy. This young woman's husband got her for a companion to her and the other chihuahua. She is a blond chihuahua and very petite. Her original family just didn't want her in their new house. I felt so sorry for her. She came with her lil bed and bucke of toys. She greeted me like a well brought up lil lady. Let me love on her and talk to her. She followed me around while I cleaned their house. She got snippy at me once for moving her bed and toys. I don't blame her for snapping at me. I am sure she is homesick and those are her things. I talked gently to her and reassured her I didn't want her stuff. When I finished vaccuuming and was putting the vaccum up. She went over to her bed and toys, I had already put them back, and brought me a toy. She laid it at me feet and raised up on my leg. I wanted to cry. I said thank you and gave her a kiss. I know she was apologizing for snapping and understood I wasn't after her things. How precious. Of course the other female chihuahua still has that look on her face like, " oh my gosh you are still here Mitzy." They are cute trying to share their momma's lap.

[Justawoman]

Pets truly can leave wonderful memories behind.

I made a new friend yesterday while cleaning a house. Her name is Mitzy. This young woman's husband got her for a companion to her and the other chihuahua. She is a blond chihuahua and very petite. Her original family just didn't want her in their new house. I felt so sorry for her. She came with her lil bed and bucket of toys. She greeted me like a well brought up lil lady. Let me love on her and talk to her. She followed me around while I cleaned their house. She got snippy at me once for moving her bed and toys. I don't blame her for snapping at me. I am sure she is homesick and those are her things. I talked gently to her and reassured her I didn't want her stuff. When I finished vaccuuming and was putting the vaccum up. She went over to her bed and toys, I had already put them back, and brought me a toy. She laid it at me feet and raised up on my leg. I wanted to cry. I said thank you and gave her a kiss. I know she was apologizing for snapping and understood I wasn't after her things. How precious. Of course the other female chihuahua still has that look on her face like, " oh my gosh you are still here Mitzy." They are cute trying to share their momma's lap.

[Justawoman]

Well that posted twice after going into edit it and adding a "t" to bucket. How strange. I hope my whole day isn't going to be like this. *L*

[raybeck]

Oh, what a sweet story, Justawoman, almost made me want to cry and laugh at the same time.

Madge, I totally understand about not wanting to let go, we went through an experience similiar to yours with our last schnauzer...it's still hard to think about, but God always seems to send another your way that need lots of loving, too.

[Justawoman]

She has such a sweet lil personality. I can't wait til my next appointment with them. These two lil ladies should be great friends. Chihuahuas are so cute.

[Madge]

It's just so hard, beck - these perfect little beings bring so much comfort, understanding and innate love into a person's life, without asking a thing for it in return. I dont' talk much about my life - what it is now is "what it is" - I don't like to look back or wish for things to be that can't be. I'm grateful in every way possible for what I have and can give back. That's me, and I like it that way. Some people do not understand me and think I'm missing out on something by giving so much devotion to my "animals". These people do not know me and that's the way I like it. WE are animals; our beloved pets are innocents.

[Justawoman]

They are truly wonderful gifts aren't they Madge. I love my cat and dog so much. I truly get what you wrote.

[Madge]

Thanks, J.A.W......