Sir Tristan
It’s finally stopped snowing. Boulder got two feet, luckily we got a little less, but it still took me most of the day to get the driveway and sidewalks shoveled. I miss my old neighbor who would surprise me by shoveling the sidewalks, “so Bixby had a safe place to walk.” I still have to email his photos of the pups since he moved away.
On to the main attraction. WereBear has been sweet enough to share her new kittens with us once again. And at her suggestion, my cats are probably getting a ceramic water fountain for the holiday.
Take it away WereBear
==============================
We have been blessed with a couple of extraordinary kittens. I know I’m biased as a proud Pet Parent, but it’s true. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were approximately 3.5 months old when we adopted them from a feral colony rescue operation.
They are six months old now, moving into teenager territory right on schedule. For a couple of cats who are Alpha Cat Type, that is. They always put the pedal to the metal.
My system of three cat types, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, was inspired by the classic science fiction novel Brave New World. But I’m not programming people from birth to “fit” into their designated social stratum. I’m recognizing the genetic inheritance of cats from three main branches of of the different breeds. Alpha = Siamese, and all the delightful Asian continent cats who followed.
Bud and Lou
As I learned to my chagrin, Siamese and their mixes mature early. They are long, lean, high energy cats. As kittens they are pot-belled, bat-eared, gazelle hybrids. As seen in my nickname Monkey Cats, they are also paws-on. They like to act on the environment directly, and are serenely confident in their ability to do so.
We already had an Alpha Cat Type, the nine year old “failed foster,” Sir Tristan, Lord of Pickledish, Duke of Gherkin. From above, teen cat Tristan looked like a dill pickle spear, and the nicknames flowed from there. He is one wild cat, and I’m not talking about only his personality. He has stripes, spots, and ticking (the white tips) which can come and go like frost on a windowpane as fur grows out and starts over. I think Alpha Cat Types are the original issue, since they often so closely resemble their African wildcat ancestors.
Lou Costello
Bud and Lou already love to play his favorite Cat Tree Games. This will only ramp up as the kittens grow in power. They have already made Mr WayofCats charge up his cordless drill to fix the cat tree they tipped over. The others are already screwed into the sub-flooring, through the carpet. Because Tristan grew up here, too.
I have a weakness for teen cats. They are so often misunderstood. To the casual glance, they look like already grown cats. But inside, they have the delicate feelings and mental goofiness of the babies they still are. There’s one more thing about teen cats that I wish more people knew. This is the age where they start playing Cat Poker.
Cat Poker is what I call the independence game cats play as their brains mature. As kittens, affection usually comes easily. But as adulthood starts calling, they want an egalitarian relationship. Which means they aren’t always going to come to us. They now want to take turns initiating affection.
Bud Abbot
This is often when people give up on them. As epitomized by the infamous saying, “You know the problem with kittens? They grow up to be cats.” I bristle at this. There’s nothing wrong with cats. That’s a relationship of equals, with depth and continued development. If, that is, we know how to play The Game right back.
Right now, Lou, the one with the most white, will charge at me and demand extravagant affection, with both hands petting him and mutual forehead rubbing. While he kneads and drools and makes delightful chirping and chirring noises. Bud, as the straight man, is subtle. He will insinuate himself nearer and nearer, until he gets into my lap and melts. Then I scoop up stray legs and keep him from sliding to the floor.
The next step in this most important game will likely be Bud taking even more time to drift by. He might wait for an invitation instead of leaping into my lap with such abandon he bangs his head on the bottom of the desk. (I pick him up first, now.) Lou is such a mosh pit of a kitten his Game is going to be one where he “can’t stand the suspense,” and quickly feel hurt if I don’t notice him.
If we don’t see the growing kitten as much as we used to, it might be our fault. I call this Cat Poker because we “see” their loving gestures, and then our teen cat will expect us to “raise the stakes” by seeking them out and being even more affectionate. Then, they will “see and raise” us in return.
Have we not seen our teen cat lately? It might be our turn. If we need to seek out the cat, seek out the cat.
This is the Game of Cat Love.
Discover the Way of Cats. Get my book: The Way of Cats. Get the latest kitten pics on Twitter.
==============================
TaMara again. Hit the comments with your own cat questions, photos and pet brags.
John Revolta
I suspect it’s partly a trick of the camera, but Bud seems to have paws that belong to a cat twice his size!
WereBear
@John Revolta: He will grow into them. He’s more sturdy than his brother.
Cheryl Rofer
Cinderblock update!
Also, she now has her own Twitter account.
Patricia Kayden
WereBear
@Cheryl Rofer: Actually, this saddens me. They are applying human advice to feline systems.
The first step in slimming down a fat cat is go to canned only. All my clients are thrilled to not be constantly making the cat go hungry. And treadmills make no sense: cats are sprinters. Hauling their own weight up a cat tree works much better to use their muscles as nature intended.
TaMara (HFG)
@WereBear: thank you. This has bothered me since day one. Give her something to climb. Here we are on mostly canned food, with a few dry kibble on the side and I’m pleased that Gabe has realized he has all the food he needs and bowls are often still full at the end of the day.
MomSense
I miss having cats so much. It would be irresponsible for me to have them now that I have a dog with such a strong prey drive. The other sadness is that since I took my new job, I haven’t been able to help my friends with our feral cat project.
I need to find a way to bring cats back into my daily life.
WereBear
Reverend Jim was so starved he was held as evidence in an abuse case. So I had to feed him in the bathroom for the first couple months, so the two older cats wouldn’t come to me. “There’s a kitten head in my bowl. Again.”
The only cure for food insecurity is plenty of food!
WereBear
@MomSense: Awww. I hope you can free up some time for shelter volunteering or other ways of cat enjoyment.
mrmoshpotato
@Patricia Kayden:
I’m sorry. This is ridiculous. Rudy’s body just screams, “Zumba master!”
MomSense
@WereBear:
I’m thinking the new year may bring Saturday mornings at the humane society.
Aleta
@Patricia Kayden: ha
While last night Giuliani (caught by an interviewer at the airport–accidentally, or else not) helpfully offered that “The president knows that everything I did I did to help him.”
youtube.com/watch?v=lisgS54PPqo
Also reminded him that “We’ve been friends for 29 years.”
That’s a lot of dirt.
Sister Rail Gun of Warm Humanitarianism
@WereBear: I don’t know that Cinder can climb right now. I think the treadmill is more physical therapy than exercise, though the audience is looking at it as exercise.
Gotta agree about the food, though.
CarolPW
@TaMara (HFG):
I have a ceramic cat fountain, and both of my cats (and my dog) died last year. New pup will take at least couple of more years to possibly be cat friendly, because there is a cat that comes by often and taunts the pup right outside the fence and she goes ballistic.
I don’t want to throw the fountain away, and would be very pleased to send it to you. It is the fountain shown on Amazon as Petsafe Drinkwell Pagoda cat and dog water fountain, and both cats liked it.
I assume you can get to my email, and it is my real email so if you think the fountain would you suit you it’s yours.
danielx
“Bus, Rudy. Rudy, bus. I’m sure you two will be very happy together.”
WereBear
My cat love their fountains (upstairs/downstairs) and we love the Thirsty Cat brand. Porcelain, a bit pricey (we got one on sale) but beautiful and so easy to clean.
The zen splashing is a bonus. Sir Tristan has appointed himself water monitor and will let me know if it needs a cleaning :)
WereBear
It also important that political action can save our pets, too. The Great Recession created a humane crisis as people abandoned pets out of desperation when shelters filled early on.
TaMara (HFG)
@CarolPW: What a sweet thing…
TaMara (HFG)
As this is a cat thread. I’m trying to work and of course, there is a cat on my paperwork. (At the moment it’s Gabe, but Zander is looking like he’s going to nudge him away soon). Sigh.
Mrs. D. Ranged in AZ
I have two cats and the one, Mouse (American shorthair, female, approx. 4-6 years old, 10-11 lbs) had bladder surgery to remove two stones about 6 weeks ago. She had a reaction to the sutures and had another surgery to remove the seroma that developed about a week ago. They have prescribed her a special diet recommending Royal Canin Urinary SO, which is really expensive. It feels like scam that I have to buy this food. What do you think? Is there a more affordable way to avoid her develop more stones? Keeping in mind the second cat will end up eating the same thing. Second cat, Lottie, is a long haired calico, about 2 yrs old and weighs 10-11 lbs. Both are otherwise healthy.
dh
Very helpful. I am dealing with a seven-month-old rescue right now. You’re writing is exceptional and has given me a new perspective. Thank you.
WereBear
@TaMara (HFG): It’s no better on my laptop. Bud will sneak those big paws onto it. The first few times he hit a magic combination that affected every key I hit :)
I don’t know how they do it, but many cats have Magic Butts which will influence a computer to turn colors and reboot. Really, don’t they bug test with cats?
They should.
WereBear
@Mrs. D. Ranged in AZ: Here’s my post on strategies for heading off urinary issues:
Help for cats with UTI and other bladder issues
And I looked up Royal Canin nutritional profile, and here’s the ingredients (up to artificial flavor):
Chicken by-product meal, brewers rice, corn, corn gluten meal, chicken fat, wheat gluten,
The stuff in bold is not good for them. Corn is especially prone to allergic reactions, and they can’t digest any grains: they can’t make the enzymes.
In the post, I quote a vet who recommends canned food and the supplement D-Mannose. This is the kind of vet info needed to request a different kind of vet treatment from your own practitioner.
Auntie Anne
@WereBear: The second time my Siamese sat on my keyboard and magically reset my password, IT suggested I do a better job of keeping her off it. Lol!
Gravenstone
@CarolPW:
My littlest cat actually destroyed one of those. He likes to play in the running water and he would bat the central piece back and forth. Eventually he knocked it aside with enough force to snap the ceramic column underneath where the water flows up. Little bastard has broken so many different styles in a similar manner that I eventually moved to stainless steel.
WereBear
I am not a vet, but I read up on the latest vet news and follow excellent vets online so I know enough to argue with my vet when necessary. :)
Science moves so fast these days, and it’s so easy to access information, even studies, that I find vets won’t listen to me… but they will listen to other vets. I’ve printed stuff out, brought it in, and gotten the treatment I thought would work better for my cat.
I want my vet to work WITH me. They are certainly highly trained professionals, but they will also listen to a specialist who sees more of a certain problem. The vet I linked to in the UTI post is one such vet.
I feel a good one will listen to our concerns and have some flexibility. After all, we know our cats, and what they will or won’t tolerate, and whether or not it is working. We must be their voice.
WereBear
@Auntie Anne: As if! I distract them with videos on “their” Chromebook.
With RJ wanting to touch all the fish in the deep sea diving video, I flip it so the screen is flat on the carpet, and the keyboard at a 45 degree angle. Keeps him out of trouble.
Jay
@MomSense:
lots of dogs can be easily trained to control their prey drive.
often even dogs that struggle with their prey drive outside, have no issues learning that “this, is their cat, ( small dog, rabbit, rat, bird, etc)” and part of the pack.
most dogs, once they learn this, they quickly figure out that other peoples pets, indoors, arn’t prey either. The tricky part is managing the interactions when you arn’t home.
Digger had a super high prey drive, when we adopted him, but he quickly learned that the cats were part of his pack. Working on socialization got him comfortable with other peoples cats and dogs ,(etc),
but moose, deer,……. we had no luck with.
Roger Moore
@WereBear:
It sounds like you need PawSense, which detects “catlike typing” and disables commands until you tell it the cat is no longer at the keyboard. It’s so good, it won an Ig Nobel Prize.
schrodingers_cat
Has anyone used online pharmacies for pet medications? Any recommendations, suggestions? I am trying to buy thyroid medication for orange kitteh who has an overactive thyroid. The vet is charging three times as much as what I have seen online.
?BillinGlendaleCA
WereBear@OP: I’ve been thinking of getting your book for Madame and the kid as Christmas presents, they have both been adopted by cats(even though we’re a dog family).
WereBear
@Roger Moore: Yes, but I’m a Mac Fangrrl :)
I do love that it can detect “cat-like typing.”
schrodingers_cat
@Jay:
I answered your questions in the previous thread.
CarolPW
@Gravenstone: My older cat was a real hellion, and would regularly “clean” off everything my desk or the kitchen counter. He broke several things that way, but he wasn’t hefty enough to knock the fountain off and never thought to mess with the tower part.
WereBear
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Ooooh, thanks!
I am also offering an autographed paperback with a cool interface which lets someone pick the sentiment to be inscribed, as seen here:
WereBear will autograph her book for you!
You can also add a custom phrase, and some of them have been added to the list :)
But if they are Kindle fans that’s fine too, of course. I just wanted to autograph books! We did everything necessary to let bookstores stock it, but there’s another project that I just can’t fit into the schedule. We are concentrating on our audio setup so I can also release an audiobook. In my voice!
If you wonder what it sounds like, check out my limited-run podcast: In a Purrfect World. Second year in a row it made the top 10 Cat Podcast list :)
As a fan of podcasts, that was a great experience I would like to repeat. Once again, so many projects, so little time.
Jay
@schrodingers_cat:
Yup, saw it, read it, thank you.
MomSense
@Jay:
I’m not home enough to provide the consistent training she would need. Right now she is happy with my mom to cuddle with all day. Then my son comes home after school, walks her, plays with her, and then they take a nap until dinner time.
Aleta
@Roger Moore: But how would they watch their shows and order things? (Cookie watched internet weather forecasts for the rest of his life after he moved indoors.)
Raven
@schrodingers_cat: Hi, we’re watching season 3 of “The Crown”. I’m certain there are dramatizations but it, and Olivia Coleman, are very good. I knew nothing about Princess Alice and the third episode is quite revealing.
WereBear
@Aleta: Turn off the one-click! “Honey, did you order this deluxe cat tower?”
Jules
@WereBear: My cat stood on my keyboard once and managed to turn on Siri. When I yelled (yes, I’m sorry, I yelled at my cat) “Get down!” Siri dutifully replied, “I don’t understand that.”
Aleta
Sharkey would press ‘play’ on the answering machine and play the messages before we did, or sometimes press ‘record’ and leave a few meows. (He was a a talker.) He also played piano after midnight (slow, thoughtful melodies).
schrodingers_cat
Has anyone use Chewy.com? for pet meds is it good.
WereBear
@MomSense: my malamute mix was great with the cats, but I was working at home then.
Soprano2
@schrodingers_cat: I’ve used Dr. Foster and Smith, which I believe is Petco now. It worked fine and was cheaper. You have to provide them with a script – our vet faxed it to them. I got meds for several different fur babies that way.
WereBear
@schrodingers_cat: Love Chewy. This winter delivery of cat supplies is crucial. Especially since cans and litter are so heavy.
Aleta
@schrodingers_cat: I like chewy a lot, and have used it for a reputable brand of ear medication. (And for foods and toys and treats. I like that I can look up ingredients and search for where something is made.) So far I’ve never used it for oral meds.
rikyrah
They are so cute ????
Jay
google.ca/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5372798
It’s both sweet and funny.
WereBear
@schrodingers_cat: I have gotten probiotics there with good quality.
WereBear
@rikyrah: ?
So sweet, too!
Martin
FWIW, Anonymous, author of A Warning is doing a Reddit AMA:
reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/e26ruz/hi_im_anonymous_the_author_of_a_warning/
Soprano2
I’ve got one female cat who’s at least 10. I’m not sure of her age because we adopted her after she was abandoned by the neighbors across the street. She has gotten along with our dogs fine, although she wasn’t that happy about them – until we adopted our suddenly-deceased cook’s 12 year old unaltered black lab mix in April. Now she lives upstairs in my bedroom. She’s terrified of him. He’s been aggressive toward her, although I think he’s mostly curious. I don’t think he’d ever lived in a house with a cat before – to him I think cats were something to chase. She’ll come downstairs when the dogs are outside, but she’s constantly on her guard. I’m resigned to this lasting a long time, because I know I can’t force anything. I hate it, though. We aren’t willing to rehome the dog, either.
WereBear
@Soprano2: Plans to alter the dog? Easier to train the dog than add sass to such a cat.
Jay
@Soprano2:
there’s classes and online help for that.
first you get trained, then you train the dog.
zhena gogolia
Wow. Beautiful essay.
WereBear
@Soprano2: I totally understand and admire the humanitarian impulse. It’s what possessed me to adopt two kittens. Couldn’t stand their socialization halting while they grew up in a cage, waiting to be adopted together.
Soprano2
@WereBear: At his age the vet recommended against it. There’s no problem with him getting out – we have a 6 ft chain link fence. He’s not in the best of health.
Soprano2
@Jay: That’s a thought. I’ll look into it, thanks!
WereBear
This was great! Must crash, but feel free to ask questions and I’ll check in come morning to answer.
Mrs. D. Ranged in AZ
@WereBear: I was told by the vet that the food makes them thirsty so they drink more. I’m in Arizona and the vet said that this is very common problem in AZ because it’s so dry, cats just don’t drink enough. I already have a running fountain, which they seem to like. I also have a secondary water bowl upstairs for night time.
Right now I’m feeding them 1/2 cup dry Royal Canin in the morning and 1/4 of a 3 oz Royal canin can in the evening. From what I read on your blog and what you are saying here, I should go to all wet and supplement with D-mannose. And what kind of wet doesn’t matter BUT I assume that the best for them would be anything with little to no grain in it. How much wet food should a cat eat per day? The frequency I can feed them is twice a day but I leave it out all day so they can eat at their leisure. They tend to eat in multiple small sessions naturally anyway.
Mnemosyne
Despite her black-and-white coloring, I’m pretty darn sure that Charlotte is a Siamese mix of some kind. She has the body type, the vocalizations, and the Alpha personality.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, she’s wailing for me to make a “tent” under the bedcovers for her, because California temperatures have dipped below 70 degrees and SHE IS COLD, DAMN IT! ?
donnah
@schrodingers_cat:
Our dog Spanky was diagnosed with thyroid problems and our vet said he could write a prescription with our regular pharmacy because the meds were virtually the same. So the vet phoned in our prescription and I went to pick it up.
The pharmacist looked at me like I had two heads when I asked if it was ready. She finally said, “I just have to ask, did you name your child Spanky Dog?” I burst out laughing and explained that the meds were not for a child, but a dog. She had a good laugh, too, and seemed relieved.
Keith P
I’ve got a red-flame Siamese (and as far as I know, he’s half manx), and he’s definitely alpha…loves to eat out of the girls’ food dishes and take their favorite spots. He’s bigger than his sister (true manx), who is *major* alpha. They play all the time, and she’s smaller than her half-brother, but she puts up with nothing from nobody, and she will not back down from her food dish. That being said, if anybody other than me (or if I’m wearing hard-soled shoes), the male Siamese vanishes – he’s TERRIFIED of strangers.
trollhattan
Getting our asses kicked by winter’s first storm–wind, rain, shit breaking and falling. This should be the official end of California’s 2019 fire season, so that’s good, right? Next seven days forecast shows one day sunny, the rest rainy. Considering it was just 80, seems weird.
Another Scott
@Jay:
“You’re swiping the wrong way…”
;-)
Cheers,
Scott.
Sab
@Mnemosyne: My tuxedo guy Starscream sounds just like your Charlotte. I am pretty sure about the siamese ancestry, because in addition to the alpha personality, the pear shape and the voice, he has crossed green eyes. He also likes blanket tents.
TomatoQueen
@schrodingers_cat: Chewy.com has been a reliable vendor and has customer service folk who will meow back to you. I purchased Luca’s food and litter from them for many years, and when he died they sent a kind note with a little rainbow bridge. Prices and selection as good or better than local stores, especially when it comes to grain-free food.
tokyokie
I learned a couple of days ago that my niece’s family recently lost the orange tabby male who her husband had from before they were married. But she went on to say that they were thinking of getting a pair of male Siamese kittens from the same litter to replace Jack. (Her youngest son is the cat lover of the family.) Her thinking is that if the family is gone for a day or two, the kitties would entertain themselves, whereas Jack would suffer such separation anxiety that they’d have to bring him along when they traveled to see their parents or her sister’s family. When I was growing up, we got a male Siamese kitten when I was roughly the same age as my grand-nephew, and that cat and I had lots of fun together; I probably played with him as though he was a puppy, but neither of us suffered too much physical damage during the rough-housing. But TWO male Siamese kittens? The fun level should rise exponentially!
Now if I could just convince the spousal unit that we should get two male Siamese kittens for ourselves. I would expect the little fellas to harass the crap out of Marvin, the corpulent lilac-point Siamese, which may be the only way to get him to lose weight. (And I don’t know why it is, but that Siamese we had while I was growing up weighed 17 pounds, same as Marvin. None of my other cats have wound up that heavy, just the Siamese. Weird.)
John Cole
These look like different species from Steve.
silvery
Way of Cats has been an invaluable resource over the years. A few years ago we adopted a kitten from kitty jail, and your advice on how to train kittens to let their people sleep through the night produced awesome results. As Maddy grew up, it really helped to know the reciprocity that cats expect – to be treated as an equal friend in the relationship. And I use the “show me” advice constantly
Msb
Beautiful post and photos! Many thanks.
WereBear
@zhena gogolia: Me? If so, my heart is warm :)
WereBear
@Keith P: Just to correct: this has nothing to do with Alpha dog leadership. Cats are communists.
However, Alpha cats know what they want and wish to go after it personally. With Gamma types, on the other end of the spectrum, it turns into “If you didn’t want me to push you out of the windowseat, why did you let me?”
WereBear
They are. Maine Coon Cats and their mixes are Beta cats: social engineers. They figure out their people and get THEM to do all the work :)
WereBear
@tokyokie: More cats in more homes!
Because we have to use Cat Higher Math. Two kittens really are easier than one kitten.
WereBear
@silvery: It is indeed my pleasure. Making cats, and their people, happier!