It is just a beautiful day here, so you are on your own. I’m going to be out and about- checking the shelters to see if I can find the right friend for Tunch, doing laundry, washing the car, hitting the market, etc.
Have fun.
Open Thread
by John Cole| 53 Comments
This post is in: Open Threads
mr. whipple
yeah!!! two cats.
then it’s 3 cats.
then………………
Comrade E.B. Misfit
A friend of mine did that. She now has two cats who pretty much despise each other.
Then it’s "John Cole, the crazy cat person."
jnfr
I envy you your beautiful day, since we had yet another spring snowstorm last night.
DougJ
Even if Tunch and the new cat don’t seem to get along, Tunch will be happier having another cat around, especially when you are away.
John Cole
Who said I was getting another cat? I might get a dog.
Krista
You have fun, too! It’s sunny here, but cold. We’re just going to run some errands — bringing our recyclables and garbage to the dump, buying a few groceries — nothing too strenuous. Hope you have success finding a friend (or sparring partner) for Tunch.
Incertus
Crappy teachers make my life worse and I would like to hurt them.
And I second the idea that getting Tunch a friend is a good idea. Eliot was the whiniest thing ever until we got him Wally almost four years ago. Now he’s only a pain in the ass on a bad day.
Soylent Green
John I strongly urge you to consult some of the available guides to bringing a second cat into your adult cat’s home, as there is a good chance you will have marking (peeing on the rug) contests if not savage fighting while they hash out their territorial prerogatives. One idea for example is to keep them in separate rooms for several weeks (aware of each others presence) and introduce them to each other very slowly, a few minutes each day.
Now if you get a dog, all bets are off. Tunch may terrorize the dog into submission, or get along with it famously. I trust he still has his claws for defense.
Krista
John, this one looks like a sweetie….
And there’s a pretty little JRT there named Sophia who would probably give Tunch (and you) a lot of exercise. :)
magisterludi
We were going to go look for some chickens to keep in our urban backyard, as several of our neighbors do (it’s pretty weird and cool having roosters crowing in the heart of Memphis), but we cooled to the idea when we found out one must be prepared to kill them. Seems chickens have very fragile health and one must be capable of personally putting them out of their misery. Neither of us are willing to step up to the plate on that issue.
We’re real pussies that way.
South of I-10
A dog friend for Tunch! My cat and dog were both adults when introduced to each other. There were a couple of spats in the first two or three days, but they are buddies. Don’t you travel fairly often? Much harder to do with a dog.
Cat hair everywhere
It’s a slippery slope to four cats (my own personal "crazy cat lady" line), however, my two boys groom each other and the girls get along with them and each other fairly well. Of course, the kitties cuddle up with my two rescue dogs as well, so a dog is not a bad idea either. Tunch might like a dog to boss around. Have fun!
BSR
Now that Tunch is looking all sleek and sexy, I suggest you go with the dog as a way of keeping yourself in shape as well. I have lost about 6 pounds since I got Oma 3 months ago.
mr. whipple
.
Tell me about it.
gil mann
Anybody near you do fostering? Tunch might like the safety net of a return policy.
Friend-shopping for an established cat is notoriously problematic. Not for me, though! Nope, my seven cats and two dogs all get along famously. And that’s great, because otherwise I might have to get rid of some of them, and then I wouldn’t have seven goddamn cats and two goddamn dogs, and dates might come back to the apartment more than once, and I could occasionally go barefoot without stepping in a puddle of hairball goop, and I might even have some dispensable income. So, y’know, thank God they’re all so amicable.
Just Some Fuckhead
@gil mann: lolz
R-Jud
@magisterludi: Ah, that puts the damper on our chicken-farming dreams as well. Our next-door neighbors have six hens. I like hearing them. I like the eggs even better. But I wouldn’t like killing them. I guess we’ll just put in some potatoes where the coop would’ve gone.
bodacious
If I just blow past every opinion and grumpy neighbor comment that you regurgitate, and just try and match you task for task on the cleaning you post, my life might actually be better. Certainly cleaner. As long as someone doesn’t recommend me for OCD treatment…….
See, your blog can serve a purpose!
geg6
Fabulous Saturday here, too. Your day sounds a lot like mine, John. The car washing especially. My car looks like a dump and it’s spring car cleaning time. Though my local tv tells me we might still get a flurry or two next week, which would be a good excuse to put that off if it wasn’t sunny and mid-70s today.
Cat Lady
It’s a feature, not a bug.
/crazy cat person
debit
When we brought a second cat into the house, the established cat thought it was great. The second cat, not so much. It took several weeks of leaving him alone to settle in for him to return to his former disposition (he’d been living in our backyard for weeks and had been sweet and affectionate). I’m glad we gave it time, because he’s become the best cat I’ve ever had.
The Other Steve
Today I clean up the mess of winter. Have to clean the windows, wash the car… sweep up the sidewalk, and look at the damage done to my concrete statues on the front porch. It appears when they said use a concrete sealer they were serious as they took a hit from the salt.
The Other Steve
If you bring a second cat into the house… slowly introduce them. Keep the new cat locked up in a spare room for a week. Go in there to visit.
Then swap the cats. Lock the old cat in the room for a week.
This will help them get used to each others smell.
Then when you first introduce them, keep one cat in the kennel so they can’t start fighting. See how that goes, before releasing them together.
Incertus
@geg6: Maybe the reason I like driving hoopties is because there’s little to no expectation that they be washed. I keep the interior free of garbage, and I don’t eat in it, so there’s no smells or anything, but I just never got into the whole washing and waxing bit. Nothing I do to my 95 Saturn is going to make it look hotter than it is, which is to say, not at all.
Ninerdave
You need these
John, or any one else looking for a pet, might want to try petfinder.com. The shelter I volunteer at uses it. Might save you some driving around. That said, we do find it hard to keep it up to date sometimes.
Kevin K.
This makes my teeth hurt.
R-Jud
I guess everyone has been bitten by the spring cleaning bug. We’ve done everything from shampoo the carpets to defragment the hard drives today. Seeing as it is also very lovely over here, I washed all the bed linen and lay it over the rosemary hedge to dry. Smells absolutely fantastic when you lie down on it at night.
Cat Lady
@R-Jud:
Nice.
Maude
Why not get a bird or a fish. That way if Slim doesn’t like it, he can eat it.
Saves gas by not having to return "friend".
benjoya
soylent green @8 is right (and also, people). i had good results by ignoring the new cat for a week, so the old cat took the newbie under her, um wing. also, new cat, starved for affection from me, turns to old cat and they bond quickly. IIRC, i read it in a book called"Cats on the Couch"
Polish the Guillotines
Not cat-related, but this is heap big win.
Corner Stone
@debit
Listen, I’m not a pet person at all but I have zero clue what the hell this means:
What, exactly, makes a "best cat"? My sister is a cat person, my mom a dog person. To my understanding there’s no such thing as a "best cat" since they all do wildy different things.
Honestly, I don’t give a damn what the answer is, it just struck me as off.
Comrade Darkness
Whoa. Double the cat pictures.
We are not worthy.
Comrade Darkness
An aside: We’ve gone from Malkin’s ugly mug to ads from the Militant Workers’ Union?
Is there chiropracty available for partisan whiplash, I think I pulled something.
Cain
@Soylent Green:
Yeah, I tried to do that. I had a 3 month old kitten female as a companion to my male cat. I had put the kitten in the bathroom, and planning on introducing to my male cat when I got home. In the meanwhile, the male cat was pacing back and forth in front of the bathroom.
I came back from work and I see my male cat and the little kitten walking behind him. THe damn cat opened the door by pulling on the handle and let himself in. Luckily it all worked out. They fight but they also sit together, and hte male cat grooms the other one (she freqauently comes over to get groomed) For awhile ther he was even cleaning her butt since she didn’t really know how to clean herself.
cain
WereBear
Actually, we can match the existing cat, if we understand cat types.
I had a Beta and a Gamma. I got a kitten Beta, and the two Betas became buddies right away. The Gamma even improved.
And, introductions are important, too. But picking a cat doesn’t have to be a gamble.
Of course, sometimes the cat picks you.
debit
@Corner Stone
I’m not sure why I’m answering since you’ve stated you don’t give a damn, but here it is anyway:
I’ve also had a dog I’ve liked more than any other dog, a horse I consider superlative to all others and even a person I like more than other people. I call that person my best friend.
Krista
It all depends on what one is looking for in a cat, I suppose. Shadow was the best cat my folks ever had. He never tried to get up on the counters or climb the drapes, was very gentle and sociable, was an excellent mouser, and had tons of patience with children. AFAIC, he was the ne plus ultra of cats.
Their current cat, Zoe, meows incessantly, gets up onto everything, bites, and isn’t much of a one for snuggling. She is most definitely not the "best cat". But, to someone who likes a very spirited, playful cat with lots of energy, she very well might be the "best cat" ever. My stepdad just adores her, and found Shadow to not be playful enough. Go figure.
geg6
Incertus: Dude, my car is 2000 Cavalier Z-24 convertable with almost 200,000 miles. Washing won’t really improve it’s looks much but it gets the bird poop off the roof. Sadly, it’s probably it’s last bath. My brother-in-law is putting together my next car as we speak. He’s a body man and he got me a 2005 Intrepid at auction with relatively minor wreckage (needs new hood, front bumper and lights, and air conditioning condenser) and 50,000 miles for thirty- five hundred bucks, including parts and labor. Sweet deal and another car I won’t have a payment for. So glad I fixed my sister up with him.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
I must be a bad cat parent, because we always just dumped New Cat in with Old Cat(s) and let them sort themselves out. Some hissing, some hiding, but eventual friendship, cuddling and grooming results.
Of course, a few years after we became a three cat household, our tabby started hating every other cat around. One morning we found her hiding under the bed with a canine half knocked out, poking out of her mouth like a misplaced unicorn horn. (Poor thing!)
She had to be rushed to the vet for an emergency extraction. She came home smelling like Vet, the other cats got hissy and pissy with her for a day, and she never forgave them, although she never took it out on us.
Laura W
@Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse:
I was really impressed that your kitty could get a stunned dog into her mouth and drag it under the bed!
I’m with you. I never separate newcomers from the pack. Bring ’em in, throw ’em down, and tell the others to "deal". The only cat I separated was Annie, but she was to be a "foster", dontcha know, and had been living outside as a stray. Didn’t want to traumatize her. That lasted for 24 hours, tops, before I let her out and the "foster" part lasted for about 6 weeks. The only reason I did not adopt her sooner was because she terrorized my Sadie, who is the most low maintenance cat I have ever had. Annie still terrorizes Sadie, but Sadie and I seem to stress about it less. It’s just a fact of life here. We are not all compatible.
D-Chance.
Did my first mowing of the year two days ago. Since then, we’ve had 3+ inches of rain. So my second mowing will probably be next weekend. In the meantime, I keep glancing out the front window. A squirrel is leisurely rummaging around for food. A robin keeps sweeping in from a tree across the street and collecting large amounts of grass clippings (on some trips, his beakful of grass is as large as his head). Several starling are flipping wet leaves looking for insects underneath, while the occasional stray wanders over to my water-filled ditch to take a quick bath.
It’s in the low 70’s, the sun just peeked out a couple of hours ago, this Monday I’m walking into my local bank and paying off the balance on the mortgage only 2 years and 7 months into my 10-year loan term. It’s a nice day around here… and in 48 hours I should be able to scream, "I’m debt free!".
Elroy's Lunch
@Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion of Bad Horse
"hiding under the bed with a canine half knocked out,"
Elroy recently went in for his annual "Tune-up and oil change" at my sister-in-law-the-vet (who bequeathed him to us) and she had to remove an upper canine that was loose. Now because of the missing tooth every now and then his lips don’t quite get back together quite the way they used to and the result is that he walks around the house with a mouth that looks exactly like Dick Cheney’s sneer. Gah!
His new nick-name is "Cheney-breath."
I always suspected he was a Republicat. Now I’m sure of it.
AnneLaurie
Well, if you haven’t already found the right dog, your uncle can probably fix you up with a rescue or retired Papillon. These little guys make wonderful cat toys… I mean, companions / exercise buddies. When I decided I wanted my first dog, the Spousal Unit insisted we get an ‘honorary cat’ — "Something tidy, not a drooler, small enough to lap-sit if I like it or punt into another room f it’s just annoying". Our Siamese-cross voted for a kitten instead, but I couldn’t bring a kitten to obedience classes. Our first Papillon, a ‘pet quality’ puppy rejected for being a smidge over the size disqualification, was such a success that we’re currently living with Paps #3, #5, and #6 (as well as 3 cats) and in an emergency the Spousal Unit would probably rescue his favorite Bute-Hime-Sama before he checked to make sure I’d gotten myself out safely.
Tattoosydney
@Laura W:
Is it sad that I read that sentence in exactly the same way?
Laura W
@Tattoosydney:
Tragic. I pity the poor fool who processes the world the way I do.
Sympathies.
Comrade Mary, Would-Be Minion Of Bad Horse
Ahem. Anyone reading Elroy’s Lunch quoting Laura quoting me should understand that I don’t hide under my bed with dogs, conscious, semi-conscious or unconscious.
What I do on top of my bed with my guy is also off topic for this thread.
(Poor Elroy. A painful vet visit and now a face only his Mom can love. You’re a good egg, Elroy’s Lunch.)
Shell Goddamnit
I am totally not taking the time to read all the comments, but I cannot recommend highly enough signing up with a rescue and becoming a foster cat house for a while, with space for just one foster cat at a time. Tunch gets used to other cats, no one is unreturnable, when the right one comes along you will know it, etc. Then you can move on to thinking of the new third spot in the cat lineup as the foster cat opening. I had the cat of the month club going for a while, and it was fabulous.
Litlebritdifrnt
The introducing new cat thing is relatively easy. You stuff them up face to face, then you stuff new cats butt into old cat’s nose, for long enough to get a good sniff and vice versa and job’s a good en. I have only had one failure in 17 years, when we adopted a kitten who was pound bound from one of my husband’s students while he was student teaching. Poor old Con (short for Amy’s Con) has been a pariah ever since and none of the other cats like him at all. Thankfully he and Arnamade (the GOS) get along famously so at least Con has a friend now.
Shell Goddamnit
I had the best luck with putting the new cat in a room by itself for a while, a room that I would frequent and get new-cat smell, and they would smell each other under the door, and eventually would start playing paws under the door, and at that point you let em all in together and see how it goes. It usually takes longer the first couple of times but at some point you’re down to a couple of days and bob’s yer uncle.
demimondian
The “new cat joins old cat household” thing? Piece of cake.
(1) Bring in new kitten
(2) Old cat kills and eats kitten
Hey presto — nolo contendere.
Wile E. Quixote
@John Cole
I read that as “checking the shelters to see if I can find the right food for Tunch. I just had this vision of Tunch right out of one of the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons where you come home and find Tunch looking guilty with a kitten’s tail sticking out of his mouth and have to force him to disgorge it. But seriously, Tunch isn’t fat, he’s just big-boned. I mean pleasingly plump. I mean he has a great personality.
dog's eye view
May I put in a word for a beagle? Shelters are often full of them. Some — not all — hunters abandon them rather than feeding and caring for them until next season. Beagles are incredibly sweet dogs and good companions.
Only caveat: some of them can be hard to housetrain. (Truth in labeling: take a good look at the pet stain/carpet cleaner/enzyme products labels — 2 to 1 it’s a beagle and some adorable kitten pictured.)
I have two beagles. One is a dream and even likes baths. The other is hardheaded, but the most loyal creature ever. She’s 16 now, and becoming quite lame. Love her dearly.
Beagles love outdoor time and sniffing around, but are good apartment dogs too. They sleep a lot. Always in close proximity to their loved ones.
Beagles also bay, but not continuously and not all of them.
Beagles will get you out walking around and talking with your neighbors and people you meet. Maybe what you want, maybe not.
But hey, the Cole family is used to JRTs — which are pretty much small extremely active beagles on steroids.
Whichever pet you choose, I hope you and Tunch will enjoy the new companion.
Good luck!