Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

We still have time to mess this up!

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Second rate reporter says what?

Republicans want to make it harder to vote and easier for them to cheat.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Books are my comfort food!

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

I am pretty sure these ‘journalists’ were not always such a bootlicking sycophants.

There are a lot more evil idiots than evil geniuses.

He really is that stupid.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

“Facilitate” is an active verb, not a weasel word.

Mediocre white men think RFK Jr’s pathetic midlife crisis is inspirational. The bar is set so low for them, it’s subterranean.

The revolution will be supervised.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

Conservatism: there are people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Friday Night Open Thread: Cats Who Are Not People Persons

Friday Night Open Thread: Cats Who Are Not People Persons

by | 45 Comments

This post is in: , ,

via JJMcNabb’s twitter feed
.

The average cat is not interested in the media spotlight — especially when they can’t be confident they’re looking their best. Read the whole thing.

Yes, I am (also) a mean heartless person, but keep in mind all these cats are at least alive & in safe hands. Heavily gloved hands, one hopes.

What’s on the agenda as we start a badly-needed, hopefully-low-news-impact weekend?

Reader Interactions

45Comments

  2. 2.

    RSR

    Great organization here in the Philly area called Red Paw Relief. They do search and rescue and provide temporary housing for displaced pets (usually from fires).

    It great seeing the pics posted when they reunite the pet with the owner(s).

  10. 10.

    humboldtblue

    Speaking of cats, the first cat that ever decided I was worthwhile came up to my kitchen/smoking window (when I still smoked) six, maybe seven years ago in the middle of a pitch black cold wet drizzly Humboldt night. I couldn’t see her because she was pitch black as well but I could hear her. I took some food out to the back stoop and left it. She returned the next morning and at one point even made the 7.5 foot leap onto the windowsill to let herself into the kitchen. I heard her and cautiously approached and she immediately jumped back outside but the ice was broken.

    Within a day or two she was regularly on the front stoop getting fed and petted and I would leave the front door open to see what she would do and one afternoon she came tentatively inside in that way cats do and she saw a small mouse toy my GF had bought (cat lady all the way that woman). She sidled over to it pawed it and the snatched it up in her mouth and scampered outside.

    It was a day or two later, maybe day four since we had been introduced and I again had the door open and was doing some stuff outside by the garage. After about 45 minutes I came back inside and who was sitting in my rocking chair as comfortable as can be? Midnight. She’s stayed with me ever since and become my best pal.

    Now, as I type this I have to prepare for something i have never had to do before — start thinking seriously about how I am going to say goodbye.I took her to the vet in April because of a steady loss of weight and some obvious issues with her stomach and despite the medicine the vet gave me I’m not sure she’s gonna be around much longer.

    She came in today and to say the least I needed to clean her backside because things are not getting better and as I held her the way she likes to held, like a baby draped on my shoulder, I was overwhelmed by the thought that we aren’t far off from a final goodbye and it simultaneously pissed me off and made me overwhelmingly sad.

    Over a motherfucking cat. A cat I don’t want to say goodbye to god-motherfucking-dammit.

    So that’s my lighthearted happy fucking cat story to finish off this lighthearted happy and joy filled motherfucking week.

  12. 12.

    Mary G

    It will break your heart, but she is worth it. I’m sorry that you have to go through those hard decisions. Try the vet again, though. My beloved Sophie lived two or three more years after the vet’s first solution didn’t work.

  13. 13.

    PurpleGirl

    @humboldtblue: Ah, that’s a good although also a sad story. Sorry that she won’t be around much longer.

    A few months ago I was visiting my friend who has a cat/kitten rescue. Two slightly older kittens were paying attention to me. Celine would climb into my lap and look into my eyes and then bonk my forehead and scamper off. A second older kitten did something similar: Sweetie would climb all the way up on my shoulders, get all the way into my eyes and then bonk my nose and scamper off. They did this repeatedly… silly kittens.

  14. 14.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @humboldtblue: It’s none of my business but it breaks my heart. They leave such big paw prints on our lives.

  15. 15.

    Felonius Monk

    @humboldtblue:

    it simultaneously pissed me off and made me overwhelmingly sad.

    I understand how you are feeling. I have been there myself more times than I care to remember. If it wasn’t for you, her life would probably have ended long ago. Good luck, I hope the vet can find something that works.

  19. 19.

    Gemina13

    @humboldtblue: I’m sorry. They are worth it, down to the last cent of the last vet bill, but they never live long enough. I’ve said goodbye to 5 cats in my life, and it never gets easier. But each new companion that comes my way reminds me of how much joy they bring.

    Wishing you much more time with Midnight, who sounds like a lovely lady to know.

  21. 21.

    WaterGirl

    @humboldtblue: Well, I have tears in my eyes reading a lovely story about a kitty i have never met or even heard of before, so maybe that will make you feel less mad about not wanting to say goodbye to a delightful girl who has been your friend and companion for 6 or 7 years.

  27. 27.

    Miss Bianca

    @humboldtblue: Oohh, that is so sad. I had a calico cat named Mab that I raised from a kitten, and I had her for 18 years, and finally had to put her to sleep. Just the best cat ever. Lefty the Office Kitty reminds me of her – she’s also dainty yet somehow quaintly fearless – and she’s a tricolor, with the heart-melting tendency to stand up in my lap and raise her little face up to mine.

    Damn cats. They just get to us. So sorry to hear you are facing that crux in the road with Midnight.

  29. 29.

    Eric U.

    @humboldtblue: this story just illustrates the insanity of the gun humpers. If a good guy with a gun had put strickland out of our misery, it would have been fully justified in my mind. With high capacity clips and semi-auto weapon he could have eclipsed Orlando, or at least Va Tech. I believe his lawyer that he thought he was defending himself. But in that instance, shooting him would have been defending a lot more people

  30. 30.

    sinnedbackwards

    Now that we’re both brushing Medicare we’re not looking at kittens.

    Back in Lexington (KY) cats found us, every three or four years. Our current oldest, Talayna, showed up Thanksgiving, 2000, part of what we think was an abandoned litter in the “nice neighborhhood”. (We think at least two of the other three were adopted.)

    Since we transitioned to California (it took six or seven years for both of us), we’ve discovered kittehs do not find you.

    Coyotes.

    So our latest was an old, flea-ridden, abandoned black Persian, probably about twelve, who is sweet as can be, but still very jumpy. The Humane adoption lady REALLY didn’t want the cat back so made us jump through hoops that we were deserving (Thanks, Mae!)

    We expect any more will be in the 10+ age so we have a better chance to co-terminate with them.

  31. 31.

    Mike in NC

    @humboldtblue: Grew up in a home where cats and dogs were not allowed. We had to make do with goldfish and turtles from Woolworth’s who lived a couple of weeks. But I eventually married a cat person and we’ve had seven devine felines in our 25 years together, and have dearly loved all of them as if they were our children.

  32. 32.

    Eric U.

    @Mike in NC: can’t imagine growing up without cats and dogs, I think our peak was one dog and 4 cats. Although the oldest cat lived with other people and only visited occasionally. I remember the last time I saw him, he was over 20 y.o. and only had one ear and 3 working legs, but he was stalking a bird in our back yard. I wouldn’t mind having cats, but I don’t think they would get along with the 3 dogs. There used to be a cat that tried to adopt us occasionally , but I think the dogs finally scared it away

  33. 33.

    Ella in New Mexico

    @humboldtblue: Oh Humbolt, I know what you’re going through. Just took our 16year-old to the vet for the same reasons. She could be hypothyroid, which can be addressed. But I feel the end may be near. She’s SO skinny, and weak, and that sparkle is dimming…

    Now I’m administering IV fluids sub-cutaneously and hoping that if it’s her time, she just passes peacefully, on my bed at my shoulder, where she loves to cuddle and purr.

    Sweet souls they truly are.

  34. 34.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @Eric U.:

    I remember the last time I saw him, he was over 20 y.o. and only had one ear and 3 working legs

    … answers to the name “Lucky” ….

  35. 35.

    Mike in NC

    @Ella in New Mexico: Ten years ago we had a cat with kidney failure and simply couldn’t let him go. Gave him a daily bag of intravenous fluid but we only prolonged his demise. We love them too much sometimes.

  37. 37.

    laura

    @humboldtblue: that’s my weekend too, most likely. Timmy the indoor feral tabby is at the end of his road and I’m sad and hoping for maybe one more week.
    Eighteen years with a gentle sweet boy.

    I’m sharing your burden and impending loss and offer you good memories of companionship.

  38. 38.

    J R in WV

    @humboldtblue:

    I’m sorry to hear about Midnight. But I’m glad her story is one of love and rescue. I don’t think our critters fear approaching death at all, it just isn’t in their universe.

    Not that this makes it easier to do them that final hard favor… ending suffering they can’t recover from.

    Back when Mrs J was in the hospital, my neighbors took over feeding the critters, 2 dogs and (at the time) 5 cats, two old guys and three younger kittens growing up. The oldest cat was at least 18, he adopted me at the local gas station-hardware store. I stopped for gas, and he walked out from under the car and rubbed my leg.

    I left for work, and stopped and went back for him, took him home. He wasn’t full grown, to my surprise, he was huge, white with rec spots. As he got really old he started creeping into bed after I was asleep, and laying across my bald head, to stay warmer… while Mrs K was hospitalized, his kidneys failed. He wouldn’t touch the “alternative kidney food” and was losing weight.

    So I bit the bullet, no one can live long without kidney function, and took him to the vets, where they all knew him, he was a lover, not a fighter. And I didn’t say a word to Mrs J – the next oldest cat, a little skinny alley cat we rescued from downtown, he was really an alley cat, started sleeping on my head that same night, which made me cry.

    And a month later his kidneys failed. I finally had to tell Mrs J, not long before they kicked her out of the hospital. She asked, and I am a shitty liar. But Mrs J is kicking and strong, so that’s good.

    Take care of Midnight, love her as best you can, do what you have to. Then, find someone else to rescue – a kitty who needs you so bad… and can make you smile again!

  39. 39.

    satby

    @humboldtblue: So sorry humboldtblue. I hope the vet can try some alternatives and give Midnight a bit more well loved time.
    It’s harder on us than them to say goodbye, but they depend on us to protect them, even at the end when it’s time to protect them by letting them go softly and without any more pain. I’m waiting for my two oldest rescues to let me know they’re ready to go too.

  40. 40.

    lumpkin

    I have no interest in cats as house pets. The only reason I ever had cats was when I lived in the country with stock animals and had to deal with rodents who always will move in if there is animal feed. I took good care of the cat that we had, including neutering, shots, vet checkups, etc. but I would never have a cat as a house pet. They don’t like humans, they just tolerate us if we feed them.

  41. 41.

    No One You Know

    @humboldtblue: Yeah.

    Our fur people rescue us, and none more so than the ones who adopt us. Being glad to know them, and loving every day we have with them, and cherishing how they’ve changed our lives–it’s the only way I can bear a coming departure. I have senior cats (third time, now), and they are dearer to me than a litter of kittens; we grew into our love. I feel a little foolish about scrapbooking pictures of them, but it helped.

  42. 42.

    seaboogie

    @humboldtblue: What I love about cats is that they are all “Okay – here’s the deal…” and they spell out their terms of cohabitation. If you are confused, please refer to their original memo, and also the terms of said memo may have been changed and updated. Up to you to check on that.

    But when they get older (mine is pushing 21 now), I appreciate the absolute trust and knowingness that we have accumulated over the years. Every day I find her still alive and limping is a pretty, pretty, pretty good day.

  43. 43.

    seaboogie

    @lumpkin: Depends on that cat in question. My old kitty and I are in a companionable marriage of convenience. However, my landlady’s cat is my BFF. That handsome boy loves on me and rolls around to the point that it makes her jealous. Me and Mister Rufus – we got a thingggg….going onnnnnnnn

  45. 45.

    humboldtblue

    Y’all are too too kind and we certainly are some sucker for a meow and a purr that’s for damn sure.

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