Her humans had been gone for an unusually long time. Fall had thought it strange when there were bags and soft boxes she wasn't allowed to lie in being filled with clothes. But the humans had left the house just like normal, at the usual time of day, with the usual good-bye and assurance that they would return.
But they hadn't returned. It was getting dark out... they were normally home by now. It was almost dinner time, and they weren't home to feed her. Well, she thought with a flick of her tail, if they weren't going to feed her on time, she was just going to go have a nice nap on that pillow she wasn't supposed to get fur all over. Just as she was turning to wander off to the bedroom, she heard the sound of someone at the door. Aha! They were home. She began to meow with impatience, scolding them for being late, but when the door opened, she froze.
That was NOT her human.
The stranger reached out to pet the cat, and she immediately fled beneath a chair. It was not her human, but they were in her house. There were only two possible reasons for this. Either her humans had abandoned her (ridiculous!) or this was a burglar.
Fall had heard of cat-burglars before, and rather thought it was rude to go and burgle someone else's cat - whatever burgling was. But she had never expected to see one in her house. As the burglar moved toward the kitchen, Fall followed, crouched low and padding quietly. She peered around the corner in time to see the burglar rummaging in the cabinets - the cabinets with her food in it! The nerve! She watched as the burglar picked up her bowl. This was too much. Bad enough that this stranger was intruding on her house, but now they were touching her FOOD. She had to take action.
Trying to look braver than she really was, Fall puffed out her fur and leaped toward the stranger, yowling madly. The human caught her by the scruff before her claws had a chance to stick in, pulling her gently away.
"No. Bad kitty!"
Oho! So this was what cat-burglars did, was it? They go into other people's houses and tell their cats what to do, did they? This was an outrage! This was hideous! This was-
Fall forgot quite suddenly what it was exactly as the food bowl was placed back on the floor, totally full. She stared, confused, as the burglar refilled the water bowl too, then left the kitchen and headed toward the litter box. Weren't cat-burglars supposed to be a bad thing? So why was the burglar feeding her and cleaning her litter box? That didn't seem so bad...
The stranger washed her hands, dried them, and went to the door. "I'll be back in the morning."
And then she was gone.
Perplexed, Fall went to sniff her food bowl. It smelled alright... just like normal. She took a few bites. Tasted normal too. Finally she settled herself down to eat. Whatever this was, she supposed she would allow it. For now.
The cat-burglar kept coming back over the next several days, until at last Fall's own humans returned. She yowled and scolded and tried to tell them all about the burglar, but they simply petted her and snuggled her and simply would not listen to reason.
She supposed she would have to chalk it up to the fact that humans were simply very strange animals.
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pets. Show all posts
Friday, October 25, 2013
Cat Burglar
More fun with fiction - this time one written for a friend.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Brief lesson on fear avoidance
http://hellogiggles.com/10-awesomely-adorable-dog-gifs?sl=2#sl=3 GIF #3 if it doesn’t load properly.
This came to me on Twitter in a link entitled "10 awesomely adorable dog GIFS" - the rest of the images are, in fact, cute, so go ahead and click the link and look at the rest of them if you want to check them out, but I had to comment on this particular one.
If you recognize the body language here, this is NOT cute at all. This dog is showing very fearful behavior here. Now, if you’ve ever seen an object (ball or whatever else) come too close to your dog’s head, you will recognize the ear position and the squinty eyes - dog trying to duck and protect its face from being hit. Add that to the fact that this dog is turning its head away from the person whose shadow you can briefly see in this GIF, the mouth stretched back in a grimace, and the licking of the lips, and this is a VERY nervous dog right here. If it looks super-friendly, it’s because this dog is trying to make an appeasing gesture to avoid a confrontation.
Friday, February 10, 2012
A primer on pet rodents: rats and gerbils
I know a do a lot of talking about cats and dogs on this blog, but did you know that rodents make great pets too? Usually when we think of rats and mice, we don't see them in a positive light. They chew holes in our walls, they carry disease - why would anyone willingly bring one into their home? But pet rodents are not the disease-carrying pests we wage war on every spring and fall. I myself have kept rats and gerbils, and so these are the two types of rodent I want to dicuss today.
Rats are often portrayed in cartoons as dirty, scruffy, vicious animals - often playing the role of the villain (exceptions, of course, being Master Splinter and the rats of NIMH). Pet rats, however, are quite the opposite. They are very fastidious creatures, and can in fact be very loving. The rats you find in the pet store are descendants of the wild Norway Rat, domesticated and bred with many coat patterns, including the plain brown you would expect in a wild rat. The sex of your rat can affect its personality to some degree - for example I tend to prefer females as they remain more active over their life span. All of the male rats I have known get a bit fatter and lazier as they age.
Rats are fairly easy to keep, but there are a few things you should know. First is that while they can be kept alone, most rats are social and prefer to be kept in groups. If you buy only one, you MUST be certain to spend plenty of time with your rat, as much like any other pet they are happiest when they have someone to play with. If you decide to get your rat a friend later rather than buy them all from the same place, you may wish to look up some articles to help make sure the transition goes smoothly. Here is a brief article with the basics on introducing new rats: http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
Gerbils are another popular rodent in pet stores, and they, too, should never be kept alone. Gerbils are VERY social animals, and they tend to become vey unhappy very quickly when isolated. I recommend buying at least two from the same place - preferrably related. I had been told in the past that males get along easier than females, so I have had only male gerbils thus far. Remember that gerbils are nocturnal, so if a lot of noise at night will drive you crazy, I would recommend keeping them someplace other than the bedroom.
I always had two cages for my gerbils - the living cage and the play cage - but you may wish to instead have a larger home where they can always play. You don't want to just let them out on the floor like you can with most rats, as the gerbil is more likely to get loose by the sheer fact that it is smaller and quicker. Make sure to change up their play equipment often, as not only will they chew it up no matter what it's made of, but the change keeps them interested and active. They will readily use hamster balls and tubes, however if you use an exercise wheel make sure you buy one that does NOT have an open design, as the tail can get caught in the spaces and snap off. For this reason it is also very important that you not pick up your gerbil by the tail - if you have no other way to catch it, catch it by the base of the tail ONLY, never at the end, as much like a gecko a gerbil will sometimes allow its tail to break off as a defensive mechanism. Unlike a gecko, however, the gerbil's tail WILL NOT grow back.
Remember that all rodents are chewers, so keep anything you don't want chewed on out of reach, and make sure loose play is well supervised. Always have something in the cage for your rodents to chew on. Not only is it a natural instinct to chew, but much like rabbits, their teeth can get too long and start to cause problems if they do not have sufficient chew toys. Chewy treats are also a good idea - check with your breeder or veterinarian, or look online for lists of safe foods, but anything you see in their regular food mixes can also be fed as treats. My gerbils always loved banana chips and sunflower seeds, and would take them from my hand when offered.
The cage is another important thing to consider for both species. While a smaller cage or aquarium may be fine for gerbils, or rats if you plan to spend lots of time letting them out to play, if you are going to be gone for long stretches you may wish to invest in a larger ferret cage for your rats. This will allow them to have room to move around and explore without worrying that they might get out and get hurt, or chew on anything that they shouldn't. If using an aquarium or cage with a bedding pan, DO NOT use a sawdust bedding for any of your rodents. Common types of sawdust such as cedar and pine can cause severe respiratory problems in small mammals. I would recommend either corncob bedding, or aspen bedding which do not put off a lot of dust. Shredded cardboard or paper-based cat litters may also be used. I also recommend giving them either a tissue or a bit of cloth to chew up for nesting material, so they have something soft to curl up in and sleep.
Has anyone else out there had rodents for pets? What care tips can you offer for new rodent owners? What are your favorite pet rodents, and what stories can you tell about your pets?
Rats are often portrayed in cartoons as dirty, scruffy, vicious animals - often playing the role of the villain (exceptions, of course, being Master Splinter and the rats of NIMH). Pet rats, however, are quite the opposite. They are very fastidious creatures, and can in fact be very loving. The rats you find in the pet store are descendants of the wild Norway Rat, domesticated and bred with many coat patterns, including the plain brown you would expect in a wild rat. The sex of your rat can affect its personality to some degree - for example I tend to prefer females as they remain more active over their life span. All of the male rats I have known get a bit fatter and lazier as they age.
Rats are fairly easy to keep, but there are a few things you should know. First is that while they can be kept alone, most rats are social and prefer to be kept in groups. If you buy only one, you MUST be certain to spend plenty of time with your rat, as much like any other pet they are happiest when they have someone to play with. If you decide to get your rat a friend later rather than buy them all from the same place, you may wish to look up some articles to help make sure the transition goes smoothly. Here is a brief article with the basics on introducing new rats: http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
Gerbils are another popular rodent in pet stores, and they, too, should never be kept alone. Gerbils are VERY social animals, and they tend to become vey unhappy very quickly when isolated. I recommend buying at least two from the same place - preferrably related. I had been told in the past that males get along easier than females, so I have had only male gerbils thus far. Remember that gerbils are nocturnal, so if a lot of noise at night will drive you crazy, I would recommend keeping them someplace other than the bedroom.
I always had two cages for my gerbils - the living cage and the play cage - but you may wish to instead have a larger home where they can always play. You don't want to just let them out on the floor like you can with most rats, as the gerbil is more likely to get loose by the sheer fact that it is smaller and quicker. Make sure to change up their play equipment often, as not only will they chew it up no matter what it's made of, but the change keeps them interested and active. They will readily use hamster balls and tubes, however if you use an exercise wheel make sure you buy one that does NOT have an open design, as the tail can get caught in the spaces and snap off. For this reason it is also very important that you not pick up your gerbil by the tail - if you have no other way to catch it, catch it by the base of the tail ONLY, never at the end, as much like a gecko a gerbil will sometimes allow its tail to break off as a defensive mechanism. Unlike a gecko, however, the gerbil's tail WILL NOT grow back.
Remember that all rodents are chewers, so keep anything you don't want chewed on out of reach, and make sure loose play is well supervised. Always have something in the cage for your rodents to chew on. Not only is it a natural instinct to chew, but much like rabbits, their teeth can get too long and start to cause problems if they do not have sufficient chew toys. Chewy treats are also a good idea - check with your breeder or veterinarian, or look online for lists of safe foods, but anything you see in their regular food mixes can also be fed as treats. My gerbils always loved banana chips and sunflower seeds, and would take them from my hand when offered.
The cage is another important thing to consider for both species. While a smaller cage or aquarium may be fine for gerbils, or rats if you plan to spend lots of time letting them out to play, if you are going to be gone for long stretches you may wish to invest in a larger ferret cage for your rats. This will allow them to have room to move around and explore without worrying that they might get out and get hurt, or chew on anything that they shouldn't. If using an aquarium or cage with a bedding pan, DO NOT use a sawdust bedding for any of your rodents. Common types of sawdust such as cedar and pine can cause severe respiratory problems in small mammals. I would recommend either corncob bedding, or aspen bedding which do not put off a lot of dust. Shredded cardboard or paper-based cat litters may also be used. I also recommend giving them either a tissue or a bit of cloth to chew up for nesting material, so they have something soft to curl up in and sleep.
Has anyone else out there had rodents for pets? What care tips can you offer for new rodent owners? What are your favorite pet rodents, and what stories can you tell about your pets?
Friday, July 29, 2011
Den size and crating
Sometimes when I try to explain animal behavior to commenters on Youtube, I feel like I'm talking to a brick wall. Most often I find myself trying to explain things on a friend's channel - see, she has a fox. No, not from an "exotic pet" breeder. Hers is a fur farm rescue. She used to have two, but recently lost one due to old age. I do not often condone the owning of wild animals, however in some cases where it's clear they are being properly cared for, I do admire the caretaker's ability to bond with a non-domestic critter. This friend of mine is one of those people. She made a point of learning her foxes' habits and patterns, both in terms of how foxes in general act, and their individual personalities. And I do believe animals have to be treated as individuals.
To get back on the subject, the other day she posted a video showing her fox's sleeping quarters at night, telling her viewers that the fox got scared alone at night now that her companion is gone. The new sleeping quarters consist of a large dog crate with a few good inches of straw along the bottom. Naturally, one of the commenters started going on about how the cage was too small, and how did she know the fox got scared anyway?
Enter the animal behavior nut, who still has not gotten a response. I tried explaining first of all that if you know an animal and its normal behavior patterns, you also learn to know what abnormal behaviors mean. I don't know about you, but I find it VERY easy to determine when my animal companions are scared. Besides which, it is already a known fact that this particular fox has terrible separation anxiety.
As for the cage, it was plenty big enough for the fox to pace in a circle if she so wished. However, this is not her full time enclosure. This is her sleeping place. Unlike most foxes, this little oddball seems to have synced up to her human momma's diurnal sleep schedule. If anything, that cage is too BIG. Anxious animals tend to like close quarters. It's comforting. In the wild, a fox's den is only really big enough to stand up and turn around in. Even for a denning mother, babies only take up so much space. Sound familiar? Yes, that's exactly the guidelines you are given when picking out a dog crate. The smaller space feels like a den, which is where an animal goes to feel safe. So no, the cage is most certainly not too small for a nighttime sleeping arrangement.
Please, PLEASE, before you try and harass someone about how they keep their animals, take the time to both research what you're talking about, and to find out more about the person. A single video is only a small slice of the day. Trying to accuse people of abuse for things that are not will never help your cause. It diminishes the reality of actual abuse that goes on every day, and worries people that if they vote in favor of anti-abuse laws, that it will also ban perfectly acceptable practices that are misunderstood.
On an unrelated note, I am very proud of Anubis. For months we have been trying to show him that the other two litterboxes in the house are also his to use. Finally after this last time we dumped and hosed them out, he has started using the one in the middle of the house. It only took a few good cleanings and James putting him in it to tell him that he could go to the bathroom there. Part of the issue, we think, was that it smelled so overwhelmingly of Simba that he had written it off as her territory, and someplace he wasn't to go.
To get back on the subject, the other day she posted a video showing her fox's sleeping quarters at night, telling her viewers that the fox got scared alone at night now that her companion is gone. The new sleeping quarters consist of a large dog crate with a few good inches of straw along the bottom. Naturally, one of the commenters started going on about how the cage was too small, and how did she know the fox got scared anyway?
Enter the animal behavior nut, who still has not gotten a response. I tried explaining first of all that if you know an animal and its normal behavior patterns, you also learn to know what abnormal behaviors mean. I don't know about you, but I find it VERY easy to determine when my animal companions are scared. Besides which, it is already a known fact that this particular fox has terrible separation anxiety.
As for the cage, it was plenty big enough for the fox to pace in a circle if she so wished. However, this is not her full time enclosure. This is her sleeping place. Unlike most foxes, this little oddball seems to have synced up to her human momma's diurnal sleep schedule. If anything, that cage is too BIG. Anxious animals tend to like close quarters. It's comforting. In the wild, a fox's den is only really big enough to stand up and turn around in. Even for a denning mother, babies only take up so much space. Sound familiar? Yes, that's exactly the guidelines you are given when picking out a dog crate. The smaller space feels like a den, which is where an animal goes to feel safe. So no, the cage is most certainly not too small for a nighttime sleeping arrangement.
Please, PLEASE, before you try and harass someone about how they keep their animals, take the time to both research what you're talking about, and to find out more about the person. A single video is only a small slice of the day. Trying to accuse people of abuse for things that are not will never help your cause. It diminishes the reality of actual abuse that goes on every day, and worries people that if they vote in favor of anti-abuse laws, that it will also ban perfectly acceptable practices that are misunderstood.
On an unrelated note, I am very proud of Anubis. For months we have been trying to show him that the other two litterboxes in the house are also his to use. Finally after this last time we dumped and hosed them out, he has started using the one in the middle of the house. It only took a few good cleanings and James putting him in it to tell him that he could go to the bathroom there. Part of the issue, we think, was that it smelled so overwhelmingly of Simba that he had written it off as her territory, and someplace he wasn't to go.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Writer's block=repost.
I seem to be at a loss for anything to post lately, so instead I am reposting an entry from an old forgotten blog, posted back in January of 2007.
We had a slight adventure this morning.
Remember how dad and I stuffed the holes in the floor so the mice couldn't get in? Well we stuck glue traps just in case, so I could find out if they were able to get back in.
This morning I caught something.
See, I had gone into the cupboard to get a plastic baggie to take something to work. Wasn't in any rush to shut the door - cat seems afraid of going under there anyway. Go to put my shoes on, and finish with the first. I hear this frantic scraping noise. Get up to go look - it's coming from the cupboard. I duck down to peek inside, and out shoots the cat.
As soon as I noticed the glue trap was gone, I realized what had happened.
So, off I go, chasing the cat across the house with one shoe on. Cat runs into the spare bedroom and under the bed. I follow to try and catch her. Cat runs out of the bedroom - gets one of my shoes stuck to her somehow in addition to the mouse trap, and starts running faster.
The cat loses the shoe somewhere en route to the living room, and hides under a stand. Now that she's cornered I can finally grab her to pull the trap off her foot. Thankfully, these are the ones with what I call "snot glue" on them, rather than the flypaper type stuff, so it's fairly easy just to pull her foot out of the goop, and it sticks to itself so there's not much residue left on her paw.
That was my morning... all before breakfast. And with only one shoe on.
Hopefully my cat will forgive me for laughing at her expense.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Pets and stress
"Into each life a little rain must fall" - or so the saying goes. No matter how well your life is going, there's bound to be some stressful moments. We all have them, and we all need to deal with them in one way or another. But many of us forget how our stress can affect our pets.
James and I are no exception. Both our cats are very good at sensing when something is wrong with either of us, and usually they take it in stride and try to stick by us with purrs and snuggles to try and make it all better. Lately, though, since we both manage to injure ourselves slipping around on the ice and snow, we haven't been able to get out and blow off steam with a good dose of exercise like we normally can. So, naturally, we've taken to ranting a bit while at home to air out complaints in private, whether they be about work, politics, or whatever happens to be going on. Now, this is a normal practice and one most wouldn't think anything of. It's not like we're yelling at or about each other, just grumping about those pet peeves that we can normally just walk off.
The trick comes when you've got a cat who, by our reckoning, seems to have the approximate intelligence of a human toddler. There's a reason most people don't like to let Junior see Mommy and Daddy yelling - it upsets him, and for a kid that young it can be hard to explain. Anubis is very much the same, except for him, it's impossible to explain given that you can't just sit down and have a talk with your cat to tell him what's going on. He may understand a bit of language (no, down, good kitty, food, that sort of thing - especially food, that's the important one), but he has his limits, it's just not within his scope.
Also much like a child, Anubis has a habit of acting out when he is confused and upset. Many animals do, in fact, for various reasons. The problem being that although a child can tell you what's wrong - your pet can't. So when Anubis started chasing after Simba when she was clearly done playing, and trying to play too rough, at first we couldn't understand why he had suddenly stopped being polite. More than this, he was not listening when daddy told him "no", which is a very rare occurrence.
It was just this morning that we discovered the reason, as we had the time to really notice the succession of events. We were having a good rant, raised voices and all and after staring back and forth between us for a moment, Anubis made his way straight toward Simba and started swatting at her. The light bulb turned on. He thought we were yelling at each other. Last time daddy got yelled at by somebody that much, daddy had to move. Besides which, he is used to seeing us quite a bit calmer around each other, so the change was cause for confusion. It was not normal, and not-normal things very often make pets very upset. So when he heard us yelling, he ran off to do something he knew would make daddy come get him. It was a predictable reaction, and one he had some degree of control over, as well as a way of getting attention. Of course, we have no way of explaining to him that we aren't really fighting and that his position in the household is not in danger, so in order to change his behavior, we have to change ours.
So we have decided from now on if there's something worth yelling about, it needs to be done outside of the house as much as possible so Anubis won't go taking his confusion and frustration out on Simba.
That's part of the trick of handling behavior problems in pets - the behavior doesn't always match the cause as much as you might think, you have to do a bit of sleuthing and really figure out what changed around the time the problem started. Sometimes it is as simple as pooping in your shoes because you suddenly started going to work or school every day again after a long time of being home. Sometimes it's more complicated. And from my experience, the smarter your pet is, the more complicated their problems can be, not least of which because they can come up with much more creative ways of getting into trouble.
James and I are no exception. Both our cats are very good at sensing when something is wrong with either of us, and usually they take it in stride and try to stick by us with purrs and snuggles to try and make it all better. Lately, though, since we both manage to injure ourselves slipping around on the ice and snow, we haven't been able to get out and blow off steam with a good dose of exercise like we normally can. So, naturally, we've taken to ranting a bit while at home to air out complaints in private, whether they be about work, politics, or whatever happens to be going on. Now, this is a normal practice and one most wouldn't think anything of. It's not like we're yelling at or about each other, just grumping about those pet peeves that we can normally just walk off.
The trick comes when you've got a cat who, by our reckoning, seems to have the approximate intelligence of a human toddler. There's a reason most people don't like to let Junior see Mommy and Daddy yelling - it upsets him, and for a kid that young it can be hard to explain. Anubis is very much the same, except for him, it's impossible to explain given that you can't just sit down and have a talk with your cat to tell him what's going on. He may understand a bit of language (no, down, good kitty, food, that sort of thing - especially food, that's the important one), but he has his limits, it's just not within his scope.
Also much like a child, Anubis has a habit of acting out when he is confused and upset. Many animals do, in fact, for various reasons. The problem being that although a child can tell you what's wrong - your pet can't. So when Anubis started chasing after Simba when she was clearly done playing, and trying to play too rough, at first we couldn't understand why he had suddenly stopped being polite. More than this, he was not listening when daddy told him "no", which is a very rare occurrence.
It was just this morning that we discovered the reason, as we had the time to really notice the succession of events. We were having a good rant, raised voices and all and after staring back and forth between us for a moment, Anubis made his way straight toward Simba and started swatting at her. The light bulb turned on. He thought we were yelling at each other. Last time daddy got yelled at by somebody that much, daddy had to move. Besides which, he is used to seeing us quite a bit calmer around each other, so the change was cause for confusion. It was not normal, and not-normal things very often make pets very upset. So when he heard us yelling, he ran off to do something he knew would make daddy come get him. It was a predictable reaction, and one he had some degree of control over, as well as a way of getting attention. Of course, we have no way of explaining to him that we aren't really fighting and that his position in the household is not in danger, so in order to change his behavior, we have to change ours.
So we have decided from now on if there's something worth yelling about, it needs to be done outside of the house as much as possible so Anubis won't go taking his confusion and frustration out on Simba.
That's part of the trick of handling behavior problems in pets - the behavior doesn't always match the cause as much as you might think, you have to do a bit of sleuthing and really figure out what changed around the time the problem started. Sometimes it is as simple as pooping in your shoes because you suddenly started going to work or school every day again after a long time of being home. Sometimes it's more complicated. And from my experience, the smarter your pet is, the more complicated their problems can be, not least of which because they can come up with much more creative ways of getting into trouble.
Monday, November 08, 2010
Yet another overdue cat update
The cats are getting along beautifully now. They even play with each other, which I never thought Simba would do. Even as a kitten she wasn't big on rough-and-tumble play with other cats so this was a pleasant surprise. She's getting real exercise again, and it seems her cystitis has gone away. She's more relaxed than I've seen her in a while, not least of which, I'm sure, because she now has somebody to keep her company when we're not home. Anubis is much the same. He still wants to spend time with daddy, and she still wants to spend time with momma, but they're not as desperate when we first get home now.
Today, though, we had our first miscommunication in a while. Simba seems to have a little bit of a bug - started getting a bit sluggish about the same time we did, when the weather changed to cold quite suddenly. Even indoors she feels it. Well, Anubis wants to play and with Simba not feeling well she kept trying to slink away from him quietly after a minor slap-fight by the box (which by the body language was play - she ran with him a couple times but she can't take much right now so after the little playfight she was done). He wouldn't take the hint - kept trying to chase. He cornered her under the window seat and she hissed at him. I had to remind him that means enough and it's time to be done playing for the night. So she made her way over to me, glanced at him a few times with that look she gives me when she thinks she's upset me and didn't mean to, so I reassured both of them and told him next time to listen when she says she's done. I know that last part sounds silly but he does understand a certain amount of human speech, and the tone clues him in to what I'm getting at if nothing else.
I'm trying to teach Simba now that he's learned her cue for being done with play is jumping onto the arm of the couch and curling up. If she does that he seems to leave her alone.
Today, though, we had our first miscommunication in a while. Simba seems to have a little bit of a bug - started getting a bit sluggish about the same time we did, when the weather changed to cold quite suddenly. Even indoors she feels it. Well, Anubis wants to play and with Simba not feeling well she kept trying to slink away from him quietly after a minor slap-fight by the box (which by the body language was play - she ran with him a couple times but she can't take much right now so after the little playfight she was done). He wouldn't take the hint - kept trying to chase. He cornered her under the window seat and she hissed at him. I had to remind him that means enough and it's time to be done playing for the night. So she made her way over to me, glanced at him a few times with that look she gives me when she thinks she's upset me and didn't mean to, so I reassured both of them and told him next time to listen when she says she's done. I know that last part sounds silly but he does understand a certain amount of human speech, and the tone clues him in to what I'm getting at if nothing else.
I'm trying to teach Simba now that he's learned her cue for being done with play is jumping onto the arm of the couch and curling up. If she does that he seems to leave her alone.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Overdue Kitty Update
I suppose I owe you an update by now, since it's been a while. Between being busy and being ill (illness being the latest in delays) I haven't had much time to type up a blog post. However the antibiotics have kicked in and I think I'm up to at least offering a brief update on what has been going on.
Firstly, Simba's cystitis seems to have subsided for now, which is a relief. It isn't something that's serious or fatal, but it does cause her pain so of course I hate to see her like that. Thankfully my vet does not seem bothered at all by my requests for news on possible new treatments every time we're in his office. So far it still looks like Diazepam is her best option, though it only really treats the symptom and not the disease.
Simba has stopped hissing at Anubis almost entirely. She will still hiss every so often if he startles her (or runs over her when he has turned the hallways into a racetrack), and we had to chide her for hissing at him the other night without due cause. Well, I'm sure she considered it due cause - we had a large cardboard box sitting in the living room and she decided it belonged to her, and her alone. That was quickly corrected and she (perhaps a bit grudgingly) learned to share.
Anubis is now frequently found asleep on the bed. He and Simba seem to trade places - one on the bed, one on the cedar chest. On rare occasion they will both be on the bed. They have yet to curl up together, but they're coming closer.
It seems they have come to some sort of agreement about acceptable play, too. Rather than pouncing, Anubis has settled for playing something that looks like tag with her across the house. One cat will start poking at the other, at which point the second cat will take off running. They usually only chase back and forth a couple of times, but we're making progress.
All in all they seem very comfortable with each other now. Simba even uses Anubis' litterbox and drinks from his water bowl. I'm pretty sure I've caught Anubis eating from Simba's food bowl once or twice. He regularly goes into the bedroom, she regularly goes into the office - before they were very wary of entering each other's "safe zones". And sometimes when James and I go to sleep at night, Simba retreats to the office and curls up in Anubis' cat carrier, with him sleeping on the chair nearby.
Firstly, Simba's cystitis seems to have subsided for now, which is a relief. It isn't something that's serious or fatal, but it does cause her pain so of course I hate to see her like that. Thankfully my vet does not seem bothered at all by my requests for news on possible new treatments every time we're in his office. So far it still looks like Diazepam is her best option, though it only really treats the symptom and not the disease.
Simba has stopped hissing at Anubis almost entirely. She will still hiss every so often if he startles her (or runs over her when he has turned the hallways into a racetrack), and we had to chide her for hissing at him the other night without due cause. Well, I'm sure she considered it due cause - we had a large cardboard box sitting in the living room and she decided it belonged to her, and her alone. That was quickly corrected and she (perhaps a bit grudgingly) learned to share.
Anubis is now frequently found asleep on the bed. He and Simba seem to trade places - one on the bed, one on the cedar chest. On rare occasion they will both be on the bed. They have yet to curl up together, but they're coming closer.
It seems they have come to some sort of agreement about acceptable play, too. Rather than pouncing, Anubis has settled for playing something that looks like tag with her across the house. One cat will start poking at the other, at which point the second cat will take off running. They usually only chase back and forth a couple of times, but we're making progress.
All in all they seem very comfortable with each other now. Simba even uses Anubis' litterbox and drinks from his water bowl. I'm pretty sure I've caught Anubis eating from Simba's food bowl once or twice. He regularly goes into the bedroom, she regularly goes into the office - before they were very wary of entering each other's "safe zones". And sometimes when James and I go to sleep at night, Simba retreats to the office and curls up in Anubis' cat carrier, with him sleeping on the chair nearby.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Update on the cats
Anubis and Simba are doing well, aside from a continued flareup of Simba's interstitial cystitis.
She has been to the vet to make sure she hasn't developed an infection, aside from that we just wait. She almost got past it, then the fireworks this weekend shot her stress levels up again so we're back to fighting it. Unfortunately our vet also advised me there is still no research that has shown any promise in prevention of her condition. The issue is apparently cause because the cat has holes in the glucosamine layer along the urinary tract - studies have at least shown this much. However the research also, sadly, shows that simply supplementing glucosamine into the diet does not repair these holes and therefore does not help the issue. He did tell me there is some current research into whether a daily glucosamine cath will help, but even if the research shows promise I don't think I'd ever use that method. Unless they found that a one-time cath of glucosamine would help, it's a matter of the cure being worse than the disease. For now, as much as she hates me scruffing and medicating her, the Diazepam does work.
Unfortunately the cystitis causes pain, and the pain causes Simba to be, I suspect, a bit moodier than she would otherwise be. We were making good strides in getting her to like Anubis, but now she's gotten to where she is confusing the heck out of him. Sometimes she doesn't mine him sitting next to her, sometimes she'll hiss. We're trying to give her a firm "no" anytime she hisses for no good reason (ie: he hasn't startled her or chased her or, his new odd habit, stared at her on the litterbox). We're getting there, but slowly.
It doesn't help that Anubis has decided that with James and I out of the house much of the day, he needs a new playmate, and Simba's it. Now, even as a kitten Simba wasn't much into rolling around playing with the other cats. She likes to play with toys, she likes to snuggle. But she's not big on the pounce-and-play with other kitties. Anubis, on the other hand, likes to roughhouse a bit. He doesn't understand why she keeps hissing at him for pouncing after her. After all, he wants to play, why shouldn't she? Unfortunately his boredom has reached levels where he's jumping out at her on her way to the litterbox, on the way to her food bowl... pretty much all the time if he sees her. Which, of course, means he gets hissed at again. For some reason, though, she's running instead of her normal approach I've seen her use with every other new animal I had in the house - standing her ground and swatting. We're quite convinced that all it would take is one warning swat for him to get the picture, but she just won't swat him. So the learning process is requiring us to catch him in the act and stop him, and make sure he knows we're saying no to him without her thinking we're telling HER no for something. It's all getting rather complex and confusing, but they're both smart cats, we just need to make sure we're consistent. It's not that he's doing anything BAD, just Simba won't scold him properly herself but she clearly wants him to back off, and if he wants to make a friend we have to teach him how to interact a bit more calmly.
See, Anubis has never had a kitty playmate before. Not since he was a kitten himself. So he doesn't really know his manners as well as he probably should. He knows not to be mean, he just doesn't know that other cats don't like to be pounced every second of every day.
On the upside, they have come nose to nose a few times. Once she walked right up and sniffed him while he was sleeping. Simba is still occasionally hissing for no reason (we assume the times she hisses are when she's in more pain), but it's happening less often now. Anubis has gotten brave enough to come into the bedroom once or twice a day now - Simba has yet to start wandering regularly into the office, but we're thinking we may have to carry her in there to get her to realize she's allowed in there again. The other day Simba walked right up to Anubis, they sniffed each other's faces.... then the neighbors shot off a firework and she thought it was his fault. So right back to hissing again. Two steps forward, one step back...
It's a slow process but we're getting there. It'll get better once James isn't interviewing constantly, we stop running around trying to pick up things to organize the house, and we settle into something that resembles routine so both cats can sort of figure out what's going on. Until then it's a little crazy, and they're still both doing much better than expected.
We're just mystified by the fact that the situation is reversed from what we expected. We seriously thought Anubis was the one who would have trouble getting along with another cat...
She has been to the vet to make sure she hasn't developed an infection, aside from that we just wait. She almost got past it, then the fireworks this weekend shot her stress levels up again so we're back to fighting it. Unfortunately our vet also advised me there is still no research that has shown any promise in prevention of her condition. The issue is apparently cause because the cat has holes in the glucosamine layer along the urinary tract - studies have at least shown this much. However the research also, sadly, shows that simply supplementing glucosamine into the diet does not repair these holes and therefore does not help the issue. He did tell me there is some current research into whether a daily glucosamine cath will help, but even if the research shows promise I don't think I'd ever use that method. Unless they found that a one-time cath of glucosamine would help, it's a matter of the cure being worse than the disease. For now, as much as she hates me scruffing and medicating her, the Diazepam does work.
Unfortunately the cystitis causes pain, and the pain causes Simba to be, I suspect, a bit moodier than she would otherwise be. We were making good strides in getting her to like Anubis, but now she's gotten to where she is confusing the heck out of him. Sometimes she doesn't mine him sitting next to her, sometimes she'll hiss. We're trying to give her a firm "no" anytime she hisses for no good reason (ie: he hasn't startled her or chased her or, his new odd habit, stared at her on the litterbox). We're getting there, but slowly.
It doesn't help that Anubis has decided that with James and I out of the house much of the day, he needs a new playmate, and Simba's it. Now, even as a kitten Simba wasn't much into rolling around playing with the other cats. She likes to play with toys, she likes to snuggle. But she's not big on the pounce-and-play with other kitties. Anubis, on the other hand, likes to roughhouse a bit. He doesn't understand why she keeps hissing at him for pouncing after her. After all, he wants to play, why shouldn't she? Unfortunately his boredom has reached levels where he's jumping out at her on her way to the litterbox, on the way to her food bowl... pretty much all the time if he sees her. Which, of course, means he gets hissed at again. For some reason, though, she's running instead of her normal approach I've seen her use with every other new animal I had in the house - standing her ground and swatting. We're quite convinced that all it would take is one warning swat for him to get the picture, but she just won't swat him. So the learning process is requiring us to catch him in the act and stop him, and make sure he knows we're saying no to him without her thinking we're telling HER no for something. It's all getting rather complex and confusing, but they're both smart cats, we just need to make sure we're consistent. It's not that he's doing anything BAD, just Simba won't scold him properly herself but she clearly wants him to back off, and if he wants to make a friend we have to teach him how to interact a bit more calmly.
See, Anubis has never had a kitty playmate before. Not since he was a kitten himself. So he doesn't really know his manners as well as he probably should. He knows not to be mean, he just doesn't know that other cats don't like to be pounced every second of every day.
On the upside, they have come nose to nose a few times. Once she walked right up and sniffed him while he was sleeping. Simba is still occasionally hissing for no reason (we assume the times she hisses are when she's in more pain), but it's happening less often now. Anubis has gotten brave enough to come into the bedroom once or twice a day now - Simba has yet to start wandering regularly into the office, but we're thinking we may have to carry her in there to get her to realize she's allowed in there again. The other day Simba walked right up to Anubis, they sniffed each other's faces.... then the neighbors shot off a firework and she thought it was his fault. So right back to hissing again. Two steps forward, one step back...
It's a slow process but we're getting there. It'll get better once James isn't interviewing constantly, we stop running around trying to pick up things to organize the house, and we settle into something that resembles routine so both cats can sort of figure out what's going on. Until then it's a little crazy, and they're still both doing much better than expected.
We're just mystified by the fact that the situation is reversed from what we expected. We seriously thought Anubis was the one who would have trouble getting along with another cat...
Saturday, June 05, 2010
Introducing cats - Romeo
It's official. Anubis is completely smitten with Simba.
Unfortunately Simba does not return these feelings at the moment. She's still not to sure about him. She'll be fine hearing and smelling him in the same room, but when she sees him she starts acting all defensive. I still think part of it is because she's not very used to fluffy cats and she thinks he's poofing his fur at her.
But last night we woke up to hissing again and looked down, there was Anubis on my side of the bed, Simba curled up next to me - Anubis was just staring up at her. Not like the dominating stare, but that cute little face he does when he wants attention. He seems desperate for her to like him and she just won't have any of it yet. We figure she'll take another week or so to get the idea that he isn't going to eat her.
But it's cute and sad. He's so determined. She was at the food bowl this evening, and he sat there with his nose right at her tail but wouldn't go any closer. He spends a lot of time at her favorite spots when she's not in them, sniffing and purring and rubbing his head all over.
We were out all day today, found Simba curled up on the bed where we left her and Anubis hanging out in the office. But I saw a clump of his fur in the bedroom that I hadn't seen before so looks like he tried to make friends again today while we were gone. Poor guy. But I have this feeling one of these days we'll come home and they'll be curled up together, once Simba gets over thinking he's out to get her. But for now it's like watching a little boy with his first crush on that girl who still thinks boys are icky and have cooties.
Unfortunately Simba does not return these feelings at the moment. She's still not to sure about him. She'll be fine hearing and smelling him in the same room, but when she sees him she starts acting all defensive. I still think part of it is because she's not very used to fluffy cats and she thinks he's poofing his fur at her.
But last night we woke up to hissing again and looked down, there was Anubis on my side of the bed, Simba curled up next to me - Anubis was just staring up at her. Not like the dominating stare, but that cute little face he does when he wants attention. He seems desperate for her to like him and she just won't have any of it yet. We figure she'll take another week or so to get the idea that he isn't going to eat her.
But it's cute and sad. He's so determined. She was at the food bowl this evening, and he sat there with his nose right at her tail but wouldn't go any closer. He spends a lot of time at her favorite spots when she's not in them, sniffing and purring and rubbing his head all over.
We were out all day today, found Simba curled up on the bed where we left her and Anubis hanging out in the office. But I saw a clump of his fur in the bedroom that I hadn't seen before so looks like he tried to make friends again today while we were gone. Poor guy. But I have this feeling one of these days we'll come home and they'll be curled up together, once Simba gets over thinking he's out to get her. But for now it's like watching a little boy with his first crush on that girl who still thinks boys are icky and have cooties.
Friday, June 04, 2010
Introducing cats - tearing down the gate
We had something unexpected last night. I fell asleep on the couch, and woke up to strange meowing. I thought it was Anubis at first, crying from behind the gate... but then I realized it was coming from the kitchen. It was an uneasy sound, I went to turn on a light. There was Simba, staring toward the gate. And there was Anubis, out in front of it. He'd jumped over.
We don't know if he's been jumping over for the last few nights or not. Either way I reassured Simba, who retreated to the bedroom, and Anubis jumped back over the gate.
I made my way back to the bedroom to finish the night out actually in a bed. Not sure how long I was asleep before I woke again, this time to soft growling. It was low and quiet enough I wasn't sure what it was at first. But then I started looking for Simba. She was curled up on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed, growling away. I grabbed a flashlight to try and see what she was on about.
There was Anubis, curled up quite casually in the doorway of the bedroom. None of Simba's fur was raised, Anubis showed no signs of aggression, but Simba's ears were halfway back, nervous style. I tried to reassure her. James tried to reassure Anubis who decided maybe he wasn't allowed in the bedroom after all and took off to head back behind the gate. Simba calmed down and started purring after he was gone.
We went back to sleep. The gate came down in the morning, unceremoniously. We made sure that no big deal was made about it, we acted as though nothing odd had happened. The gate simply came down, that was it.
Simba eyed the lack of gate rather heavily when she came out in the morning, but didn't run. Other than that, not much happened. Anubis came out to explore a few more times. Sometime later in the day James brought Anubis back to the bedroom to show him he's not forbidden from that space. Unfortunately Simba had crawled under the bed from the thunder. I lifted the dust ruffle to check on her, and Anubis peeked under with me. She hissed, so he took off again.
I did manage to coax her out but for at least half an hour she didn't seem interested in coming out of the bedroom. I was a little afraid the experience had scared her into hiding, but sure enough she came back out into the living room.
She fell asleep on her favorite pillow on the couch, and Anubis came out into the living room to play a little bit.
She seems somewhat reassured when I try to show her Anubis is allowed here, but she is still very wary of him, at least when she catches sight of him. She's been in the same room with him several times now, flopped on her favorite pillow. But as long as she doesn't look at him, she doesn't act out of the ordinary. I know she can hear and smell him, and that he's close. It's only when she sees him that she acts bothered. Amd she has, after all, started to peer down the hallway now - tail up high and curious instead of down and tense.
Here is where having two behaviorists in the house is a plus, since we can both bounce things off of each other. Even with all the things I catch, with all the things I know about my cat, I had missed something that should have been obvious. Happens to all of us, I'm just glad he thought to mention it because it puts things into perspective.
We were discussing the cats' personalities, going over again why we didn't feel there would be many fights. I mentioned that Simba, even outside with the other barn cats at my parents' house, had never been on top. Her mother ruled the roost until she died, then her sister took charge. Once said sister died, sometime toward the end of my time at OU, the hierarchy in the group changed again. By the time I finished college and came back home, Simba had been bumped down to the bottom rank. It had been as good a time as any for my parents to bring her to me in my new place.
I told all this to James - I had apparently not explained to him before that when she came to me she was at the bottom of the totem pole. He pointed out what I had missed.
The last time Simba was with other cats, she was the one getting pushed around. Now that suddenly she is faced with another cat again, she is probably a bit nervous she will get pushed around again. So it is very possible that she is posturing to try and make sure she's not stuck on the bottom again.
One way or another, I think once she realizes that Anubis isn't going to try and eat her, she'll be fine. For one, I think she thinks he's got his fur raised at her - she isn't used to cats quite so fluffy (and he has loooong fur). So once she realizes that she may calm down.
For now, I think it's simply best we don't push the issue. I have advised James that while it's okay to carry Anubis into the living room to show him it's his house too, we may wish to leave the bedroom alone since that's been Simba's "safe zone" with every other animal I've brought into this house (guests and foster doggies included). I want her to feel like we're not going to be carrying "invaders" in all the time. So at this point we just let them do what they do and let them work around each other and get used to things. It does seem clear now though that they're at least not going to hurt each other, just avoid each other, so we should be okay to leave the gate down now. We're keeping both of them handy just in case, but we don't expect issues. Tonight, really, will be the test, since Anubis is bolder now and we're just trying to let them be.
I am, of course, nervous even though I know I have no reason to be. Simba is my baby and I tend to be a little paranoid when it comes to her. We're heading out of the house for a few hours tomorrow which makes me uneasy even though I know they'll be okay.
Monday will be the real test, as James and I will both be out the entire day. Hopefully Simba will adjust soon. Go figure, we both thought Anubis would be the problem and he's been perfectly calm. I know she WILL adjust, it's just a matter of when. Hopefully another week at most. She seems to have my two week adjustment period.
We don't know if he's been jumping over for the last few nights or not. Either way I reassured Simba, who retreated to the bedroom, and Anubis jumped back over the gate.
I made my way back to the bedroom to finish the night out actually in a bed. Not sure how long I was asleep before I woke again, this time to soft growling. It was low and quiet enough I wasn't sure what it was at first. But then I started looking for Simba. She was curled up on the cedar chest at the foot of the bed, growling away. I grabbed a flashlight to try and see what she was on about.
There was Anubis, curled up quite casually in the doorway of the bedroom. None of Simba's fur was raised, Anubis showed no signs of aggression, but Simba's ears were halfway back, nervous style. I tried to reassure her. James tried to reassure Anubis who decided maybe he wasn't allowed in the bedroom after all and took off to head back behind the gate. Simba calmed down and started purring after he was gone.
We went back to sleep. The gate came down in the morning, unceremoniously. We made sure that no big deal was made about it, we acted as though nothing odd had happened. The gate simply came down, that was it.
Simba eyed the lack of gate rather heavily when she came out in the morning, but didn't run. Other than that, not much happened. Anubis came out to explore a few more times. Sometime later in the day James brought Anubis back to the bedroom to show him he's not forbidden from that space. Unfortunately Simba had crawled under the bed from the thunder. I lifted the dust ruffle to check on her, and Anubis peeked under with me. She hissed, so he took off again.
I did manage to coax her out but for at least half an hour she didn't seem interested in coming out of the bedroom. I was a little afraid the experience had scared her into hiding, but sure enough she came back out into the living room.
She fell asleep on her favorite pillow on the couch, and Anubis came out into the living room to play a little bit.
She seems somewhat reassured when I try to show her Anubis is allowed here, but she is still very wary of him, at least when she catches sight of him. She's been in the same room with him several times now, flopped on her favorite pillow. But as long as she doesn't look at him, she doesn't act out of the ordinary. I know she can hear and smell him, and that he's close. It's only when she sees him that she acts bothered. Amd she has, after all, started to peer down the hallway now - tail up high and curious instead of down and tense.
Here is where having two behaviorists in the house is a plus, since we can both bounce things off of each other. Even with all the things I catch, with all the things I know about my cat, I had missed something that should have been obvious. Happens to all of us, I'm just glad he thought to mention it because it puts things into perspective.
We were discussing the cats' personalities, going over again why we didn't feel there would be many fights. I mentioned that Simba, even outside with the other barn cats at my parents' house, had never been on top. Her mother ruled the roost until she died, then her sister took charge. Once said sister died, sometime toward the end of my time at OU, the hierarchy in the group changed again. By the time I finished college and came back home, Simba had been bumped down to the bottom rank. It had been as good a time as any for my parents to bring her to me in my new place.
I told all this to James - I had apparently not explained to him before that when she came to me she was at the bottom of the totem pole. He pointed out what I had missed.
The last time Simba was with other cats, she was the one getting pushed around. Now that suddenly she is faced with another cat again, she is probably a bit nervous she will get pushed around again. So it is very possible that she is posturing to try and make sure she's not stuck on the bottom again.
One way or another, I think once she realizes that Anubis isn't going to try and eat her, she'll be fine. For one, I think she thinks he's got his fur raised at her - she isn't used to cats quite so fluffy (and he has loooong fur). So once she realizes that she may calm down.
For now, I think it's simply best we don't push the issue. I have advised James that while it's okay to carry Anubis into the living room to show him it's his house too, we may wish to leave the bedroom alone since that's been Simba's "safe zone" with every other animal I've brought into this house (guests and foster doggies included). I want her to feel like we're not going to be carrying "invaders" in all the time. So at this point we just let them do what they do and let them work around each other and get used to things. It does seem clear now though that they're at least not going to hurt each other, just avoid each other, so we should be okay to leave the gate down now. We're keeping both of them handy just in case, but we don't expect issues. Tonight, really, will be the test, since Anubis is bolder now and we're just trying to let them be.
I am, of course, nervous even though I know I have no reason to be. Simba is my baby and I tend to be a little paranoid when it comes to her. We're heading out of the house for a few hours tomorrow which makes me uneasy even though I know they'll be okay.
Monday will be the real test, as James and I will both be out the entire day. Hopefully Simba will adjust soon. Go figure, we both thought Anubis would be the problem and he's been perfectly calm. I know she WILL adjust, it's just a matter of when. Hopefully another week at most. She seems to have my two week adjustment period.
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Introducing cats - unexpected test
Things have been progressing rather well in the household, cats are getting bolder and calmer - Anubis tried to walk past the gate last night when I moved it aside for James to carry something past.
But last night we had an unexpected test on Anubis' bravery and ability to adapt. There was a tornado warning. Now, my house is nice, it's big... but it's not the best place to be in storm season. Among other things I don't have a basement. So usually when the weather gets nasty I either pack up the cat and run next door to my grandparents' house till it passes (if it's a short storm), or I haul her over to my parents' house down the road and Simba and I stay in their guest room (if they're predicting dangerous weather all night). Simba has gotten used to this, and even seems to like the sleepovers. She is an extremely adaptable cat, and I love that about her. That ability to be uprooted and not bat an eye is rare among felines.
Anubis, however, we were rather worried about. And since he hasn't been here that long, there wasn't much time for James and I to make a game plan. We got the news that the tornado sirens were going off in town, James looked to me for the plan. Only plan I'd ever used was pack up the cat and run. So we did.
Anubis did surprisingly well. Especially since it was pouring when we made the dash next door and both kitties got a bit wet. Simba, of course, took it in stride and simply started to groom herself when we got inside my grandparents' house, casual as could be. Anubis was a little nervous but didn't seem to be outright freaking out. I suspect it helped that we sprayed a bit of the artificial pheremone into his carrier again to help calm him. He was a little nervous, but James opened the door to pet him and he calmed down a little. All the while Simba kept glancing over toward him looking a bit confused. I suspect she was wondering what the heck he was so fussy about. But Anubis was good (aside from trying to snake his way all the way out of the carrier), neither cat seemed bothered by being caged in such close proximity, and Anubis even let my Gram pet him.
So we came back once the storm blew past and let everybody out into their respective rooms. The night moved on and nobody seemed the worse for wear.
Today nothing much new happened.
Tomorrow the gate comes down. Here's hoping all goes as well as we expect it to.
But last night we had an unexpected test on Anubis' bravery and ability to adapt. There was a tornado warning. Now, my house is nice, it's big... but it's not the best place to be in storm season. Among other things I don't have a basement. So usually when the weather gets nasty I either pack up the cat and run next door to my grandparents' house till it passes (if it's a short storm), or I haul her over to my parents' house down the road and Simba and I stay in their guest room (if they're predicting dangerous weather all night). Simba has gotten used to this, and even seems to like the sleepovers. She is an extremely adaptable cat, and I love that about her. That ability to be uprooted and not bat an eye is rare among felines.
Anubis, however, we were rather worried about. And since he hasn't been here that long, there wasn't much time for James and I to make a game plan. We got the news that the tornado sirens were going off in town, James looked to me for the plan. Only plan I'd ever used was pack up the cat and run. So we did.
Anubis did surprisingly well. Especially since it was pouring when we made the dash next door and both kitties got a bit wet. Simba, of course, took it in stride and simply started to groom herself when we got inside my grandparents' house, casual as could be. Anubis was a little nervous but didn't seem to be outright freaking out. I suspect it helped that we sprayed a bit of the artificial pheremone into his carrier again to help calm him. He was a little nervous, but James opened the door to pet him and he calmed down a little. All the while Simba kept glancing over toward him looking a bit confused. I suspect she was wondering what the heck he was so fussy about. But Anubis was good (aside from trying to snake his way all the way out of the carrier), neither cat seemed bothered by being caged in such close proximity, and Anubis even let my Gram pet him.
So we came back once the storm blew past and let everybody out into their respective rooms. The night moved on and nobody seemed the worse for wear.
Today nothing much new happened.
Tomorrow the gate comes down. Here's hoping all goes as well as we expect it to.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Introducing cats - Day 3
Not too much to tell today. The cats seem to be relaxing further, progressing steadily. There have been a few more encounters at the gate with no hissing or growling.
Last night was a bit rough as James actually slept in the bedroom instead of in the office with his cat, so there was a bit of yowling, but we ignored it and eventually it stopped and everyone got to sleep. I know this sounds mean to some people, but it actually is the best way to handle an animal who is crying when you know they're not hurt or sick. Going into the room every time they cry not only reinforces the behavior because you come when they wail, but it also doesn't allow them to find out that they are, in fact, going to be okay if they are left alone.
So there was one little call down the hall to let the cat know someone was still here, then we stayed silent the rest of the night.
Simba didn't seem bothered at all by the yowling. Slept through most of it from her cat bed in the living room, I assume, since she didn't even make her way back to the bedroom until much later and I heard not a peep from her. She didn't cry at all when she came back, just sat at the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and went back to sleep.
James left the house for a couple of hours today so I slipped in to spend a little time alone with Anubis, to make sure he knows even when James isn't here I am safe to be around. He's still wary but coming around. I'm sure part of it is a bit of backslide because the new surroundings smell like me, and I also smell like that other kitty that hissed at him. But I have been petting them both, going back and forth between the rooms and getting their scents on each other a little bit. I think that should help, if they smell it on themselves and come to realize the "other cat" smell isn't a threat.
But they don't seem to be acting completely scared of each other anymore, nor are they acting aggressive at all. Both cats do still act a little wary when they catch sight of each other, but nobody has been running away. They'll stare for a minute then turn and walk off. Every so often Simba still comes to me for reassurance that I still love her even though there's another kitty. But those times are becoming fewer and fewer as we go along.
Only 3 days in and everybody's making loads of progress. Which is a good thing, because I think "mom" and "dad" will be a LOT calmer once the cats have settled in. It's quite clear they are going to be fine, but it will definitely feel better once we've completed the process and everybody's comfortable.
Last night was a bit rough as James actually slept in the bedroom instead of in the office with his cat, so there was a bit of yowling, but we ignored it and eventually it stopped and everyone got to sleep. I know this sounds mean to some people, but it actually is the best way to handle an animal who is crying when you know they're not hurt or sick. Going into the room every time they cry not only reinforces the behavior because you come when they wail, but it also doesn't allow them to find out that they are, in fact, going to be okay if they are left alone.
So there was one little call down the hall to let the cat know someone was still here, then we stayed silent the rest of the night.
Simba didn't seem bothered at all by the yowling. Slept through most of it from her cat bed in the living room, I assume, since she didn't even make her way back to the bedroom until much later and I heard not a peep from her. She didn't cry at all when she came back, just sat at the cedar chest at the foot of the bed and went back to sleep.
James left the house for a couple of hours today so I slipped in to spend a little time alone with Anubis, to make sure he knows even when James isn't here I am safe to be around. He's still wary but coming around. I'm sure part of it is a bit of backslide because the new surroundings smell like me, and I also smell like that other kitty that hissed at him. But I have been petting them both, going back and forth between the rooms and getting their scents on each other a little bit. I think that should help, if they smell it on themselves and come to realize the "other cat" smell isn't a threat.
But they don't seem to be acting completely scared of each other anymore, nor are they acting aggressive at all. Both cats do still act a little wary when they catch sight of each other, but nobody has been running away. They'll stare for a minute then turn and walk off. Every so often Simba still comes to me for reassurance that I still love her even though there's another kitty. But those times are becoming fewer and fewer as we go along.
Only 3 days in and everybody's making loads of progress. Which is a good thing, because I think "mom" and "dad" will be a LOT calmer once the cats have settled in. It's quite clear they are going to be fine, but it will definitely feel better once we've completed the process and everybody's comfortable.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Introducing cats - Day 2
Day 2
The night seemed to go well (for the cats anyway, the people didn't do a whole lot of sleeping). Kitties had their first encounter this morning through the gate. Thought it was going okay, but Simba hissed and yowled. But most of her hair still laid flat and her ears didn't go back all the way so it could have gone much worse. It took Anubis a minute or so to hiss back. Simba took off for the bedroom, he retreated and James had to calm him down but everyone seemed to be okay within a few minutes (except me who is a nervous wreck - you can know all the steps and processes but when it's your own and emotions get involved it makes things rough).
Simba came back to the living room after a bit and ate a little, started to play with her toys so all is well again. We're not going to push the issue. They know there's another cat there, now we just have to let them do their thing and hopefully both will get nosy enough to meet again and maybe it'll go better next time.
I tried to feed Simba some treats in view of the gate. She started to pick them up and shake them but wouldn't actually eat them. She kept looking back toward the gate like something was going to come take her treats from her. But it's a start. And she's not used to me feeding her anyplace but beside her bowl anyhow. So I moved them back to her food bowl, she crunched them down and seemed fine.
She got back to playing again, and I noticed some little food bits around the bag of Anubis' food. Looks like somebody's been nosing in. No wonder her food bowl is still full this morning. She skipped right past her diet food for the good stuff.
Later in the day she actually played in front of the gate, and the two cats eyeballed each other - no hissing this time. I think Simba's primary issue is making sure she isn't going to be replaced. She is displaying some mild signs of separation anxiety - I tried to close the bedroom door to change and she started to cry loudly on the other end, so right now all doors must be open where I am.
All in all, it's been going much better much earlier than we expected. It looks like we may be able to take the gate down by next weekend, since they don't seem to be aggressive toward each other so much as wary and avoidant.
Wish us luck.
The night seemed to go well (for the cats anyway, the people didn't do a whole lot of sleeping). Kitties had their first encounter this morning through the gate. Thought it was going okay, but Simba hissed and yowled. But most of her hair still laid flat and her ears didn't go back all the way so it could have gone much worse. It took Anubis a minute or so to hiss back. Simba took off for the bedroom, he retreated and James had to calm him down but everyone seemed to be okay within a few minutes (except me who is a nervous wreck - you can know all the steps and processes but when it's your own and emotions get involved it makes things rough).
Simba came back to the living room after a bit and ate a little, started to play with her toys so all is well again. We're not going to push the issue. They know there's another cat there, now we just have to let them do their thing and hopefully both will get nosy enough to meet again and maybe it'll go better next time.
I tried to feed Simba some treats in view of the gate. She started to pick them up and shake them but wouldn't actually eat them. She kept looking back toward the gate like something was going to come take her treats from her. But it's a start. And she's not used to me feeding her anyplace but beside her bowl anyhow. So I moved them back to her food bowl, she crunched them down and seemed fine.
She got back to playing again, and I noticed some little food bits around the bag of Anubis' food. Looks like somebody's been nosing in. No wonder her food bowl is still full this morning. She skipped right past her diet food for the good stuff.
Later in the day she actually played in front of the gate, and the two cats eyeballed each other - no hissing this time. I think Simba's primary issue is making sure she isn't going to be replaced. She is displaying some mild signs of separation anxiety - I tried to close the bedroom door to change and she started to cry loudly on the other end, so right now all doors must be open where I am.
All in all, it's been going much better much earlier than we expected. It looks like we may be able to take the gate down by next weekend, since they don't seem to be aggressive toward each other so much as wary and avoidant.
Wish us luck.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Introducing cats - day 1
Over the last couple of days, I have been in the process of helping my other half move up to my place.
As of today, James' cat is moved up. As a bit of background, said cat is suspected to be part bobcat somewhere in his family history, and does not generally handle stress well. So we had spent a long time up to now mulling over how to handle the move.
We put some of the pheremone spray and a couple of James's old shirts in the carrier with him in the hopes of calming him down. We had tried the Comfort Zone diffusers and sprays with my cat with much success in reducing stress levels, but had thus far not tried its effects on any other cat.
Anubis panted and cried some in the car but James says that's MUCH better than he's ever done in a car ride, and that's even the longest one he's ever been on. He's in the front room now with James, he's already eaten, drank a bit, and rubbed his face on some of the furniture. Hasn't used the litterbox *yet* but we brought his old one with all the litter in it so we'll see by morning. He says he's doing better with this than he's EVER seen him do on a move before, so that's a good sign. We had planned ahead by not only putting a pheremone diffuser in the room, but also by trying to set up some familiar things before bringing him in. The desk was already set up, plus we also brought all his toys, his food and water dish from the old house, everything we could set up to make him feel at home. Familiarity is important, especially making sure there are still things that smell like the cat in the new house. This is why we kept the already "dirty" litter - totally dumping the box and refreshing it could slow the process.
My own cat, Simba seems to be doing okay. She was a bit clingy until she realized I was still going to pet her. I tried to push into my normal night routine and after that she seemed to be pretty much okay. She's a little tense, of course, but then again so are we and there's still boxes all over (we're going to start tackling those tomorrow). But she's locked eyes with Anubis at least a couple times - she put her ears halfway back like she does when she's not sure about something and wants me to tell her it's okay, but she hasn't poofed up or growled or acted like she wants to run from him. She seems curious more than anything, a little wary but he doesn't seem upset by her and she's MUCH calmer than she was with the dogs (and with Shaggy she even started to come out and get nosy about him after the first day). She is, as a general rule, an adaptable cat, but she does sometimes get a bit jealous and she is getting old and set in her ways, so I wasn't sure how she'd take it. She's not frantic, and doesn't seem to consider him a threat. Both of these things are very important.
So hopefully this is a good sign and all will go well. Simba's crashed in her kitty bed right now. So we seem to be okay as far as stress levels go. We're good for now, the next big hurdle is when we're ready to remove the gate, but we'll deal with that when we come to it. Right now, they can smell each other, they can see each other while James and I are up. He's going to sleep in the front room with his kitty tonight, so Simba can curl up with me tonight. That should help.
We're still nervous, but so far it's started off better than we expected it would so I think we're going to be okay. Now if we can just get some of this clutter pared down we'll be good. We're tackling that tomorrow.
That should help Simba relax a bit too, I think. She wasn't quite sure about the boxes that started to take over the house, so clearing that up should help.
The sad part is, I know all the steps, I've helped other people transition their pets before. I know the advice tends to work. But there's that extra layer of nerves when you're dealing with your own cats.
If the rest of the process goes as smoothly as tonight has gone, I think everyone will be okay.
Their welfare comes first right now.
We'll see where it goes.
As of today, James' cat is moved up. As a bit of background, said cat is suspected to be part bobcat somewhere in his family history, and does not generally handle stress well. So we had spent a long time up to now mulling over how to handle the move.
We put some of the pheremone spray and a couple of James's old shirts in the carrier with him in the hopes of calming him down. We had tried the Comfort Zone diffusers and sprays with my cat with much success in reducing stress levels, but had thus far not tried its effects on any other cat.
Anubis panted and cried some in the car but James says that's MUCH better than he's ever done in a car ride, and that's even the longest one he's ever been on. He's in the front room now with James, he's already eaten, drank a bit, and rubbed his face on some of the furniture. Hasn't used the litterbox *yet* but we brought his old one with all the litter in it so we'll see by morning. He says he's doing better with this than he's EVER seen him do on a move before, so that's a good sign. We had planned ahead by not only putting a pheremone diffuser in the room, but also by trying to set up some familiar things before bringing him in. The desk was already set up, plus we also brought all his toys, his food and water dish from the old house, everything we could set up to make him feel at home. Familiarity is important, especially making sure there are still things that smell like the cat in the new house. This is why we kept the already "dirty" litter - totally dumping the box and refreshing it could slow the process.
My own cat, Simba seems to be doing okay. She was a bit clingy until she realized I was still going to pet her. I tried to push into my normal night routine and after that she seemed to be pretty much okay. She's a little tense, of course, but then again so are we and there's still boxes all over (we're going to start tackling those tomorrow). But she's locked eyes with Anubis at least a couple times - she put her ears halfway back like she does when she's not sure about something and wants me to tell her it's okay, but she hasn't poofed up or growled or acted like she wants to run from him. She seems curious more than anything, a little wary but he doesn't seem upset by her and she's MUCH calmer than she was with the dogs (and with Shaggy she even started to come out and get nosy about him after the first day). She is, as a general rule, an adaptable cat, but she does sometimes get a bit jealous and she is getting old and set in her ways, so I wasn't sure how she'd take it. She's not frantic, and doesn't seem to consider him a threat. Both of these things are very important.
So hopefully this is a good sign and all will go well. Simba's crashed in her kitty bed right now. So we seem to be okay as far as stress levels go. We're good for now, the next big hurdle is when we're ready to remove the gate, but we'll deal with that when we come to it. Right now, they can smell each other, they can see each other while James and I are up. He's going to sleep in the front room with his kitty tonight, so Simba can curl up with me tonight. That should help.
We're still nervous, but so far it's started off better than we expected it would so I think we're going to be okay. Now if we can just get some of this clutter pared down we'll be good. We're tackling that tomorrow.
That should help Simba relax a bit too, I think. She wasn't quite sure about the boxes that started to take over the house, so clearing that up should help.
The sad part is, I know all the steps, I've helped other people transition their pets before. I know the advice tends to work. But there's that extra layer of nerves when you're dealing with your own cats.
If the rest of the process goes as smoothly as tonight has gone, I think everyone will be okay.
Their welfare comes first right now.
We'll see where it goes.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Bird discovery and rearranging
First of all, pardon my dust while I try to rearrange my blog and make it looks a little more fitting. Trying to change things around, make them look a bit softer, so far I'm failing but I'm getting there. I think. lol
However I do think I have finally discovered my problem with birds. I knew it all boiled down to my being too nervoud around them, but I couldn't place WHY. Especially since I love birds, and have no less experience with them than I do with reptiles, which I do fine with. Then it hit me as I was helping my aunt feed the baby chickens last week (I won't say chicks because they were just starting to get some adult feathering).
When a bird looks at you, it is a rather intent stare. Head tilts side to side very rapidly, which makes sense as given the way their eyes are placed they have to do this to get a good look at something. And birds are very visual. Moreso, I daresay, than we are.
However, my primary experience in behavior is with mammals. Give me a mammal of almost any type and I can handle it, or so my experience thus far has taught me. But when a mammal looks at you in that intent manner, head jerking to look at little movements, it tends to be rather a hostile gesture. Cats do it when about to attack their favorite toy (or prey), or if you're ticking them off to the point where they're about to deliver a nice hearty whack with full claws. Dog, well, they do less of the head movement but an intent stare of that sort is still a sign you need to use caution. So naturally, since my instincts have developed to work with mammals, when birds stare at me like that it makes me a little uneasy. When really all they're doing is trying to get a good look at me.
Now that I've figured this out hopefully I can train myself to work with birds a little more easily.
However I do think I have finally discovered my problem with birds. I knew it all boiled down to my being too nervoud around them, but I couldn't place WHY. Especially since I love birds, and have no less experience with them than I do with reptiles, which I do fine with. Then it hit me as I was helping my aunt feed the baby chickens last week (I won't say chicks because they were just starting to get some adult feathering).
When a bird looks at you, it is a rather intent stare. Head tilts side to side very rapidly, which makes sense as given the way their eyes are placed they have to do this to get a good look at something. And birds are very visual. Moreso, I daresay, than we are.
However, my primary experience in behavior is with mammals. Give me a mammal of almost any type and I can handle it, or so my experience thus far has taught me. But when a mammal looks at you in that intent manner, head jerking to look at little movements, it tends to be rather a hostile gesture. Cats do it when about to attack their favorite toy (or prey), or if you're ticking them off to the point where they're about to deliver a nice hearty whack with full claws. Dog, well, they do less of the head movement but an intent stare of that sort is still a sign you need to use caution. So naturally, since my instincts have developed to work with mammals, when birds stare at me like that it makes me a little uneasy. When really all they're doing is trying to get a good look at me.
Now that I've figured this out hopefully I can train myself to work with birds a little more easily.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Freckles
My parents put their dog down today. The one we brought home as a puppy after we found him running around my middle school... the one who reminded Jodi what being young was all about and extended her life a few more years. He wasn't my favorite dog in the world, but I at least owe him for that much.
Within the past year or so Freckles had developed a nasty rasping cough. It kept getting worse, so they took him tot he vet. Congestive heart failure. So, they've had him on meds for a while, kept having to up the dose further and further, until they couldn't up it anymore, and finally this winter he got bad enough they decided it was time.
Mom says he went peacefully, like he was ready to go. Makes it easier than Jodi's loss - she fought it the whole way down in spite of the fact that her arthritis pain wouldn't even let her walk. We figure she wasn't done teaching Freckles how to watch the family yet. She taught him how to bark at danger. She never did have time to teach him what NOT to bark at. So he barked at everything instead.
He was a dumb dog anyway, she didn't ever have much of a pupil to work with as we found out over the years with him. But he was a sweet dog and always meant well, even if he was pretty much an idiot.
He was most definitely dad's dog. He loved pretty much everyone (once he realized they weren't going to eat him, the big coward), but it was when dad went away that he was really lost.
Mom said they buried him right next to Jodi. As dad put it: close enough that she can reach over and bite him in the butt. She always did that. *chuckles* Normally you think of puppies pestering the older dog. Oh, no. That old fart would chase him around till he couldn't half stand it anymore when he was a pup. Completely backwards.
Seems strange that it's been that long... a whole canine lifetime since we lost her... and now he's gone too.
Don't know if they'll be getting another dog or not. I assume not yet, not for a little while at least. But I need to start spending more time at the humane society again... I suspect once they do decide to get another dog, I'll be called on to help. I've kind of become the official dog-finder for friends and family...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The crazy animal lady strikes again.
Stopped into a shop on the way home.
The owner had her dog there (little yorkie). Which apparently pawed and pawed like it needed to go out to pee, but then instead of going to the door with said owner, she ran up to me, so I bent down to pet her, and she licked all over my face. The owner was in shock. Apparently the dog NEVER just goes right up to strangers like that.
I wasn't surprised. I get comments like that all the time with people's pets. Shy dogs from the avoidant to the fear-aggressive, cats who avoid and even scratch at unfamiliar people, pretty much any mammal that is untrusting of most people. I have no problems. Reptiles I'm okay with but don't have much experience. Birds don't like me unless they like *everybody*. I assume it's a body language thing, since none of my family ever had birds when I was growing up.
But mammals... any one I've ever met seems comfortable with me.
If I don't end up working with animals as a career, I need to find more time to put in volunteer hours.
The owner had her dog there (little yorkie). Which apparently pawed and pawed like it needed to go out to pee, but then instead of going to the door with said owner, she ran up to me, so I bent down to pet her, and she licked all over my face. The owner was in shock. Apparently the dog NEVER just goes right up to strangers like that.
I wasn't surprised. I get comments like that all the time with people's pets. Shy dogs from the avoidant to the fear-aggressive, cats who avoid and even scratch at unfamiliar people, pretty much any mammal that is untrusting of most people. I have no problems. Reptiles I'm okay with but don't have much experience. Birds don't like me unless they like *everybody*. I assume it's a body language thing, since none of my family ever had birds when I was growing up.
But mammals... any one I've ever met seems comfortable with me.
If I don't end up working with animals as a career, I need to find more time to put in volunteer hours.
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Meet Loki
The newest addition to my household:
Unfortunately the photo doesn't show his full range of colors. The teal and red you can see, but in the right light he also shows purple and cobalt blue.
The shop also had a midnight blue halfmoon betta which was insanely tempting, especially given that it was only about $20 when they sell from breeders for over $50 as a general rule (and by his size he WAS of breedable age) but I forced myself to resist. I can't afford to spend that on a fish right now. Besides, if I get a halfmoon I want an opaque white. Which means I'd better have some cash to throw around first because those run a pretty high price tag... so like, not until I have the setup to actually breed them.
Unfortunately the photo doesn't show his full range of colors. The teal and red you can see, but in the right light he also shows purple and cobalt blue.
The shop also had a midnight blue halfmoon betta which was insanely tempting, especially given that it was only about $20 when they sell from breeders for over $50 as a general rule (and by his size he WAS of breedable age) but I forced myself to resist. I can't afford to spend that on a fish right now. Besides, if I get a halfmoon I want an opaque white. Which means I'd better have some cash to throw around first because those run a pretty high price tag... so like, not until I have the setup to actually breed them.
Sunday, August 02, 2009
Blind Betta
To start off, normally my betta fish won't eat till after I walk away. Unlike most bettas I've known, he doesn't seem to "smell" or even feel the vibrations of food hitting the water, he only ever found his food by sight, so I have to walk far enough off so he can see the shadow of the pellets against the light on top of the water. Well, tonight after I fed him, I went back to see if he'd eaten yet so I could turn off the light.
The food pellets were still floating at the top.
Which seemed odd.
Well, I looked... and there were more food pellets nestled at the bottom.
Naturally, I wanted to check on the betta to make sure he was okay. Scooped him up in the cup he came from at the store (I kept it because it works quite nicely for scooping water out for changes - and for scooping up betta when I need to check on him). Held him up to the light for a proper look. His eyes were clouded over.
My betta is blind.
I mean, I guess it's not *too* surprising since he's nearing the end of his life anyway, I'm sure... I've had him for at least the last 2 years, no idea how old he was at the pet shop when I got him, and bettas aren't the most long-lived of fish... 5 years max, average 3 years and most pet store bettas are 6 months to a year old since they don't sell as well before the finnage is fully developed (ironically, after sexual maturity has come and gone).
But I need help... I've never had a fish go blind on me before. How do I get a blind betta, who only ever finds his food by sight, to eat?
Unfortunately he does not fall into the category of "smart bettas" (because they are normally one of the smarter species of fish). He is, quite frankly, the second dumbest betta I've ever owned. So I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince him to find food another way or not...
**EDIT**
Just got a tip from someone that it might be an eye cloud disease that Melafix should be able to clear up. Hope so, because I'd hate to just watch the poor thing starve to death.
The food pellets were still floating at the top.
Which seemed odd.
Well, I looked... and there were more food pellets nestled at the bottom.
Naturally, I wanted to check on the betta to make sure he was okay. Scooped him up in the cup he came from at the store (I kept it because it works quite nicely for scooping water out for changes - and for scooping up betta when I need to check on him). Held him up to the light for a proper look. His eyes were clouded over.
My betta is blind.
I mean, I guess it's not *too* surprising since he's nearing the end of his life anyway, I'm sure... I've had him for at least the last 2 years, no idea how old he was at the pet shop when I got him, and bettas aren't the most long-lived of fish... 5 years max, average 3 years and most pet store bettas are 6 months to a year old since they don't sell as well before the finnage is fully developed (ironically, after sexual maturity has come and gone).
But I need help... I've never had a fish go blind on me before. How do I get a blind betta, who only ever finds his food by sight, to eat?
Unfortunately he does not fall into the category of "smart bettas" (because they are normally one of the smarter species of fish). He is, quite frankly, the second dumbest betta I've ever owned. So I'm not sure if I'll be able to convince him to find food another way or not...
**EDIT**
Just got a tip from someone that it might be an eye cloud disease that Melafix should be able to clear up. Hope so, because I'd hate to just watch the poor thing starve to death.
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