Everyday life with Good Cats, plus anything else that comes to mind.
The ability to sleep just about anywhere, anytime is one of the defining characteristics of a Good Cat.
“Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many ailments, but I never heard of one who suffered from insomnia.”
— Joseph Wood Krutch
Although our Good Cats may beg to differ, Pat + I believe we spoil them quite well. Still, I’m not going to show them the this article about the Pet Boarding Industry. Some of these places subscribe to the idea that for companion animals, too much is not enough…
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You might have heard that a cat found dead in Germany was infected with bird flu, but this article says other cat owners shouldn’t be greatly concerned that their own cats will pick up the virus, too.
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Caitie stands like a statue, because she’s seen some mourning doves back at the seed feeders near the back of the property, and she’s sizing up the situation. Should she start to stalk them? If she did, would she have a good chance of getting one?
Well, after taking the picture, I did what I always do: make sure I get to the birds first and make sure they fly away. So we’ll let our bird-cat bird-dog the doves, but no more than that.
After dark, I was standing in the kitchen when Caitie scurried by me, low to the ground with the intent of getting somewhere fast. It’s the posture she takes when she’s pursuing something with the aim of preying upon it, or when there’s a feline visitor on the property.
I followed her into the dining room, and she leaped onto the windowsill. I peeked through the curtains and on the front sidewalk saw the grey tabby that’s visited in the past and left calling cards behind on the bushes. It looked at me with wide eyes, then turned and crept out of sight.
When Kelly first adopted us 10 1/2 years ago, Pat and I didn’t know much about cat behavior, but we’ve picked up on what their actions signify. Knowing Caitie’s signs of pursuit helped me get a look at the Bad Kitty.
(Bad Kitty? Not really — it’s just doing what a cat will do if allowed to roam onto others’ properties. The owner’s the one who should be more responsible. It’s just that when the Good Cats are sniffing at the bushes where the other cat has marked, I say to them, “Has that Bad Kitty been here? We don’t want Bad Kitties — we only want Good Cats.”)
Another thing that happened recently, and was based on knowledge of cat behavior… Pat saw that Nicky was on the steps and holding Caitie at bay upstairs. If Caitie were to try to go downstairs, she’d have to pass Nicky, and that would be a one-cat gauntlet where she’d be likely to receive a cuffing from the little black cat, then chased through the house.
Pat sized up the situation, and then she attracted Nicky’s attention by scratching the carpet on the bottom step with her fingernails. When he went down there to see why, she held him back long enough for Caitie to get by and get a head start.
Ever-lovin’ blue-eyed 3-week-old foster kittens and their mama have been photographed and shown to the world at Caturday.
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The hotly-contested Pawtraits challenge is over, and Timothy Dickens submitted the winning entry. Well done, Timmy!
Thanks and a tip of the hat to 2 Carolina Cats for letting so many cats show off their paws for effect.
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