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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Monday Afternoon Open Thread: Minor Pleasures of the Lockdown

Monday Afternoon Open Thread: Minor Pleasures of the Lockdown

by Anne Laurie|  May 10, 20211:35 pm| 35 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Open Threads

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excuse me sir may i interrupt your nap to share the good word about how i am hungry and bored? pic.twitter.com/eH4vgbnDx5

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) May 9, 2021

Laughing behind our hands at the noobies who’ve never cohabited with a cat before…

so the thing the vet did not tell me when putting dr. prof. robert j. catman esq. P.I. on a diet was that i would have a significantly stronger desire to murder him once he got more active, and he would be in significantly better shape to escape my reach

— GOLIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) May 8, 2021

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Reader Interactions

35Comments

  1. 1.

    Spanky

    May 10, 2021 at 1:38 pm

    Must be nice to be able to put a single cat on a diet. Here at Chez Spanky, the other 4 would murder me in my sleep if I were to impose dietary restrictions on the Fat Man.

  2. 2.

    Spanky

    May 10, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    @Spanky: OTOH, I would hate to have just one cat. As Werebear sez, the solution to most cat problems is moar catz!

  3. 3.

    mrmoshpotato

    May 10, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    excuse me sir may i interrupt your nap to share the good word about how i am hungry and bored?

    Hahaha!

  4. 4.

    Spanky

    May 10, 2021 at 1:39 pm

    I’m sorry, did I break the blog?

  5. 5.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    May 10, 2021 at 1:40 pm

    Me and some college buddies started regular online gaming sessions using VASSAL. Started playing Kingmaker, then Rail Baron. Then I got motivated and developed a module for the old SPI game, Russian Civil War, which turned out to break a decade-old issue where VASSAL wasn’t allowed to host SPI games.

    Even now that we’re all vaccinated and getting together, our online gaming sessions will continue because these are the kinds of games that can take 8-12 hours to play. Here we play for 2 hours, save it, and pick it up next time.

    If anybody here gets what I’m talking about, I’ll be impressed. The late, great Steve Gilliard was an old-school wargaming board gamer.

  6. 6.

    narya

    May 10, 2021 at 2:03 pm

    I’ve been having regular calls (via Meet or Zoom) with two friends from college. We’ve been in touch, off and on, through the 43 years we’ve known each other, but have been WAY more diligent the past 8-10 months, talking at least every month, often more. It has been a bright light in the whole year, and, given that they live on the east coast and I don’t, I hope we keep it up. The down side: my dad is fading away, possibly. He’s 90, and I think he’s just worn out, but the past year has been particularly hard on him, from a social/active-brain perspective; I’m hoping I get to see him before he’s gone, as he’s not a phone/video person AT ALL.

  7. 7.

    BruceFromOhio

    May 10, 2021 at 2:09 pm

    Good exercise for all involved.

  8. 8.

    Betty Cracker

    May 10, 2021 at 2:10 pm

    I got to play with two cats this weekend! I visited some fully vaccinated friends who have two cats, and I realized its been ages since I’ve had the opportunity to play with a cat. My family members are all dog people, and of course I haven’t visited anyone in person for a year due to the pandemic.

    Anyhoo, one of the cats was really shy, so we only saw her lurking under furniture, but the other was friendly and let me scritch his head. He kept checking in periodically for attention. It was nice to have kitties around again!

  9. 9.

    Doc Sardonic

    May 10, 2021 at 2:17 pm

    @Spanky: I have four, 1 is on a diet. It is interesting but the other 3 will eat the special diet dry, so the only supervision required is for the wet food, which the other 3 won’t touch but the one on the diet will try to eat theirs.

  10. 10.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    May 10, 2021 at 2:19 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Even now that we’re all vaccinated and getting together, our online gaming sessions will continue because these are the kinds of games that can take 8-12 hours to play. Here we play for 2 hours, save it, and pick it up next time.

    So when are you going to for big time with GDW’s Drach Noc Osten,  or that simply unplayable now with the post Soviet Union scholarship?

  11. 11.

    Elma

    May 10, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    A few month ago the vet put my 16+ LB cat on a diet.  He said, “she will hate you.”  Well, she has lost weight, as far as I can tell, she doesn’t “hate” me; but I can’t walk into the kitchen without her winding around my feet wailing about how hungry she is.

  12. 12.

    Ken

    May 10, 2021 at 2:28 pm

    @Spanky:As Werebear sez, the solution to most cat problems is moar catz!

    That’s the toxoplasmosis talking.

  13. 13.

    VeniceRiley

    May 10, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    I sneezed just reading this. Itching to start shortly from my throat and everywhere else. I love cats and I wish I could have one. (sadface first world problems.)

  14. 14.

    Soprano2

    May 10, 2021 at 2:41 pm

    I just checked our local Covid dashboard, and am happy to see our percentage of people who’ve had at least one shot has finally gone over 40%, and our 7-day average of daily cases is back down to 17! Now we need to keep those numbers good and get those hospitalizations under 20. Slow, steady progress is frustrating but also encouraging.

  15. 15.

    bluefoot

    May 10, 2021 at 2:43 pm

    @VeniceRiley: I recall reading there is at least one company trying to use CRISPR to create hypoallergenic cats.  Basically selectively removing or disabling the gene that makes Fel d1, the major antigen responsible for allergies to cats.  No one knows what the normal function of Fel d1 is, so we can’t predict what the long term effects would be for the cat (or its offspring).

  16. 16.

    Ken

    May 10, 2021 at 2:47 pm

    @bluefoot: we can’t predict what the long term effects would be for the cat (or its offspring).

    I’m guessing something like Pet Sematary, but I’m an optimist.

  17. 17.

    Dan B

    May 10, 2021 at 2:48 pm

    Our chunky orange boy, Wobbles, is off to the vet for booster shots.  He cried and wailed when my partner put him in the carrier and then proceeded to eat breakfast as Wobbles wailed.  It’s a long drive to the vet since it’s in West Seattle.  The huge bridge that connects West Seattle to the rest of the city is out due to major cracks and a sinking pier.  Now it’s a 40 minute drive instead of 15 minutes.  Poor kitty probably cried all the way like last month’s visit.

    He does a great mournful staring game when he’s locked in at night.  There are racoons and our neighbor saw Big Kitteh prints in the snow – 8 inches across – so we’d rather not He become a tasty tidbit.  The saga of a big orange kitty.

  18. 18.

    West of the Cascades

    May 10, 2021 at 2:48 pm

    @Spanky: The solution to almost everything in life is moar catz. I’m extraordinarily fortunate to have spent the pandemic with two Maine Coon sisters who came to cohabitate with me four years ago, and are unusually mindful (for cats) of “when it’s time to sleep” and “when it’s time to eat and play,” with the two time periods not overlapping with one another.

  19. 19.

    catclub

    May 10, 2021 at 2:49 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: that is usually implemented with a paw full of claws reaching out to the lip.

  20. 20.

    WereBear

    May 10, 2021 at 2:54 pm

    About fat cats:

    Cats and Food and Fat and Love

    Since I’ve often had to rehabilitate starved cats.

  21. 21.

    Benw

    May 10, 2021 at 2:57 pm

    @Spanky: Problem: I have to keep one food setup in the kitchen and another in the garage because my two cats will stave to death before touching the other cat’s food.

    Solution: another cat!

  22. 22.

    VeniceRiley

    May 10, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    @bluefoot: I would have one, I suppose, if they aren’t super costly. But I’ll probably get a non-shedding dog breed mix like a mini- Bernedoodle.

    CRISPR. Who else is wary of home-garage scientist experiments?

  23. 23.

    J R in WV

    May 10, 2021 at 3:08 pm

    Our two 14-y-o kitties both have thyroid problems, were losing weight, even the fat one named Punkin because she ate until she was a sphere. Now they both are on Thyroid y/t diet, an 8 lb bad of kibble is $50. Fortunately, they love it, gobble it, are getting 3 meals a day. We have to keep the dogs away, not let them get the special cat food, and not let the cats get anything else. They were used to tiny snacks of fish or whatever from the table, no more.

    Good news, the kitties have more energy, better coats, I think they’re gaining a little weight. We do let them outside, the smaller one is a good hunter, but mostly brings the prey to the front door, where I confiscate it. Squirrel is the biggest game she catches, mostly tiny rodents, occasionally a chipmunk.

    Really pisses her off when I take the captured/deceased tiny critters away, and I can’t blame her. 6 pounds of fierce.

  24. 24.

    Llelldorin

    May 10, 2021 at 3:09 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: As a former Ares subscriber I have a pretty good idea what you’re talking about.

    I had no idea that “no hosting SPI games” was still a thing anywhere at all! Is someone afraid that a knockoff of Delta-Vee or Wreck of the BSM Pandora will suddenly ruin someone’s IP?

  25. 25.

    geg6

    May 10, 2021 at 3:11 pm

    I’m working from home, still, three days a week. My office has been set up in our bonus room where our cat, Cleo, hangs out to stay away from the dogs she does. not. like. There is a balcony off the room and Cleo’s cat tree is set up right where the door to the balcony is. Last week, my John built a bird feeder that we put on the railing of the balcony. OMG! Cleo is mesmerized for hours by the birds and squirrels visiting the feeder. We should have done this a long, long time ago. I really enjoy when she is across the room and suddenly sees something in the feeder. She runs over so fast that you can’t even see her as she dashes over to the cat tree. I am finding watching her watching them as endlessly entertaining as she does the feeder.

  26. 26.

    sab

    May 10, 2021 at 3:15 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: There is a reason our dominant cat is named Starscream. He is mostly hungry late at night.

  27. 27.

    WaterGirl

    May 10, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    @geg6:  Now the burning question is whether your John likes to watch you watch Cleo.  :-)

  28. 28.

    burnspbesq

    May 10, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    Spouse’s cat turned 19 over the weekend, and is definitely on his last legs. There may be a visit to the county shelter in our not-too-distant future.

  29. 29.

    zhena gogolia

    May 10, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    18 has been the max for my cats over the years. I hope it will be peaceful for him.

  30. 30.

    J R in WV

    May 10, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    @burnspbesq:

    I had two beloved cats turn 19 and age out while my wife was in ICU n a vent some years back. Was really hard, not least when wife was back with us and asked about them. I can’t lie to someone I have any realtionship with, so I had to just say they were both gone. Kidney failure for both tom cats. They slept next to me for years, purring.

    So I’m sorry in advance for your future with elder cat. Does the shelter have a great vet service? Our Vet ER did a great job when our Happy Dog turned out to have a bleeding abdominal tumor, we were able to be together for as long as I needed… She was always quite calm about the vet, we rescued her from our Vet clinic after they spent 8-9 months treating her heartworm issue.

    Anyways best wishes for a calm and peaceful time. Is sometimes really hard!

  31. 31.

    NotMax

    May 10, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage

    the kinds of games that can take 8-12 hours to play

    Board games, too. Back when, some games of Diplomacy could stretch that long.

  32. 32.

    Dmbeaster

    May 10, 2021 at 6:22 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: I got it.  Old school grognard here. Glad I never bought the lifetime SPI subscription offer for Strategy and Tactics.  The Russian Civil War game was nuts.

  33. 33.

    Ken

    May 10, 2021 at 7:15 pm

    @Dmbeaster: The market for games simulating the entire European theatre of WWII at the squad level is small, but very dedicated.

  34. 34.

    MoCaAce

    May 10, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    @Betty Cracker: A cat-less Juicer!  I always knew there was something strange about you Betty : )

  35. 35.

    JAFD

    May 10, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage: Another Old School Simulations Publications wargamer here

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