This post was scheduled to run last weekend, but then I found out WereBear had to say goodbye to their beloved Olwyn, so I decided to pull it and let her write up a little bit about Olwyn to add to the original post.
WereBear writes:
A sad addendum: we recently lost our sweet Princess Olwyn at the age of thirteen. This was after a long illness of many months. It was one thing, it was another. But we now think she was just running out of lives, which is why she would bounce back after each crisis, then lose ground again.
After the last one, we decided to not rush into something so stressful to her when she was clearly signaling she’d had enough. She quietly died in the arms of Mr WayofCats. Which is what both of them would want under such sad circumstances.
She was his first Heart Cat and he’s devastated. We got Rhiannon at the end of last year, with no idea we’d be losing another cat so soon. Now it’s three in six months and we’re wiped out by it.
Still, we find solace in our current four cat configuration. Rhiannon was sought for and planned, while Bud & Lou were actual rescues. Sir Tristan, who arrived as a 3-week-old and became a “failed foster,” is ten. He will never be ready to be the oldest cat. But I reassure him that he’ll always be MY baby.
That is the beauty of Cat Civilization. It’s a cuddly reminder that life does go on.
And it should.
Deepest condolences to both WereBear and Mr. WereBear. They leave those pawprints on our hearts forever.
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On to the original post:
WereBear has bestowed us with another wonderful post. Welcoming her newest furbaby.
======================
Welcome, the Divine Queen
When we rescued our six-month-old kitten, Rhiannon (yes, just like the Fleetwood Mac song,) it was at the very end of the year 2020. Pandemic considerations made her adoption especially challenging.
I am thrilled that adoptable kittens and cats are in shorter supply than ever before. This is one of the societal changes, wrought by the Pandemic, that I hope we keep. As it turned out, Rhiannon herself was dealing with challenges.
We’d suffered pet losses in 2020. Our thirteen-year-old, Reverend Jim, had passed away. He’d been the heart of our Cat Civilization, and helped us raise Bud and Lou. Mithrandir, himself a feral rescue, grew up… and decided he wanted to be an Only Cat. After all my attempts otherwise had failed, and our vet agreed with the diagnosis, the only way to make us all happy was letting her rehome him.
Then our oldest cat, twelve-year-old Olwyn, suffered a serious infection. She’s still recovering, mostly alone in the bedroom, out of the social swim. At her age and as close as she came, we’re happy to give her a low-stress environment and devoted nursing from Mr WayofCats.
But that dropped us into a new problem. Ten-year-old Sir Tristan was living with two rowdy teen cats. And he hasn’t happy about it.
Bud and Lou, our pair-bonded feral rescues, are delightfully social cats. They missed RJ, and reached out to Tristan. Who found himself flipped from the Fun Uncle to the Grandpa Mason-style Kitten Wrangler. Not his style, not his skill set.
Which resulted in an example of my favorite cat advice. The solution to your cat problem is more cats.
I needed the right age of kitten, teen or younger, who would mesh with Bud and Lou as a playmate. They needed the social skills to pull our Cat Civilization back together. And the people involved hadn’t gotten a kitten in six years. This was a case of Kitten Fever that was completely treatable.
The hunt began. This was different from any other “cat hiring” process I had ever experienced. My speculative, near-science-fiction, dreams of a rescue cat shortage had come true. This was thanks to the Pandemic, which had emptied so many shelters. It also kept me from my favorite tactic of grabbing a friend and Just Showing Up.
With masks and the knowledge that the shelter in question was also following best practices, we set out on a six-hour car trip, to a place we’d never been before.
This was my fourth attempt at focusing on a prospect. So many potential kittens were feral rescues. Not a problem, but that had been our last three kittens. We did not regret the six years we’d invested in loving Mithrandir. Without our patience, he never would have found his true home. Bu7t now, we needed a different dynamic.
The previous three I’d emailed about turned out not quite right. I had seen this dilute tortoiseshell kitten in the orange bag every time I looked. But she was part of a pair-bond already, with her brother. Still, it had been a couple of months. Things change. I emailed. And they had. After waiting so long in kitten-time, they had adopted the brother out. And broken them up.
It was a pair-bonding situation that had led to Bud and Lou. I watched them move like a dance team in their cage, via an unplanned, pre-pandemic vet visit for Tristan, who turned out fine. Unlike me, who was gripped by the conviction that I had to take them. Because I knew the cute, fluffy, more social Lou would appeal to someone who wouldn’t want the solemn, shy, Bud. And that would, in cat terms, be a tragedy.
Good thing I did. A few months later, the world changed. Raising Bud and Lou turned out to be a wonderful gift to a couple locked down in their home.
My phone chat with the kitten’s foster mother sealed the deal. This baby sounded like she had the right qualities. Mr WayofCats, passionate Tortie fan, was an easy sell. He’d already been molded into shape by Olwyn. He had experience.
It’s been two months now, and things have only gotten better as Rhiannon, the Divine Queen, took over every heart in Kitten Country. Bud and Lou were instantly Smitten Kittens. Tristan had to be worked on, but there wasn’t a more charming kitten on the continent. He’s completely won over.
Olwyn is still convalescing, but she’s got her ruff growing back in. It was such a narrow squeak her body had given up on the coat maintenance. Since she’s growing bossier by the week, we know she’s on the mend. And I have no doubt that when she is, they will have a good time taking turns bossing Mr WayofCats.
Our trip to farm country has paid off. I wouldn’t have been able to gamble so had I not lived in NY. I kept my searches in-state, and everywhere we went people were masked. Even though the last stretch was tiny back roads, not a lot of help from Google maps, and three wrong stops, we found her. Fell in love. Brought her home.
And thank goodness Mr WayofCats was co-piloting when we were mere minutes down the road and I looked into the rearview mirror to see a tiny kitten, perched on the back seat headrest, having Houdini-ed her way out of the carrier already. It was a barely plowed road with culverts on either side and no place to pull over. But he was able to snag her, and the carrier, and assemble both of them again.
We turned off the airbag and let her be in the carrier, but on Mr WayofCats’ lap. That was what she wanted. That’s what made her happy.
Because the Divine Queen loves all her devoted subjects.
—
Thanks to the Trump Administration and my “seemed like a good idea at the time” mid-career switch to the tourism industry, I am now a full-time Cat Guru. :)
I’ve got a book, The Way of Cats! And people seem to love it. +Follow me on Amazon to get notified of my second book, in progress, Cat Civilization.
Listen to the stories behind the posts with my NEW Behind the Blogs podcast on Patreon. Open my vault of cat advice at WayofCats.com.
==========================
Thanks, WereBear!! She’ll be around for cat chat, so bring your questions to the comments. And feel free to share your favorite pet stories and rescue stories.
I’ll probably drop another duckling post sometime this weekend. They’ve been let loose to run around the living room supervised for exercise and their first bathtub swims, both of which I need to get video of and share with you (follow along here until then).
WereBear
Mr WereBear was my first Way of Cats convert. And he has that convert’s zeal: he now regards four cats as a bit skimpy.
We are patiently waiting for the Rescue Universe to send up a flare.
germy
A few weeks ago I was buying cat litter. I was in a hurry, and anxious to get out of the small store where I’d seen several unmasked employees (until they saw me walk in).
So I bought the litter, brought it home, and phew! They put Frebreze in it.
I tried it for a few days, but then our cat started smelling like a dryer sheet. That sort of set off alarm bells for me. I threw away the rest of the litter, by using it on an icy sidewalk.
Those chemicals can’t be good for cats, right? Our girl would walk in the litter and then lick her paws, and then lick the rest of her fur.
Benw
Condolences.
And high fives!
Our 14 y.o. tabby’s eating pattern changed completely last summer and we were worried. Took her to the vet who said her bloodwork looks like a healthy 2 y.o. cat, so she’s probably just weird.
Cats, man.
germy
Olwyn won the lottery, having Mr. & Mrs. WereBear as loving humans.
It’s sad when they leave us, though.
Tom Levenson
So sorry for your loss. They leave us so soon, and so bereft.
And congrats on your new Welsh witch!
WereBear
@germy: While I agree, I make an exception in the summer heat for my downstairs neighbor, who is sensitive to smells. But mostly, after cleaning releases some yick into the air, I burn a scented candle for a bit to take care of that.
Unscented is my preference, for exactly the reason you give.
germy
@WereBear:
Here’s a story about how intensely our tabby follows our schedules and the clock:
My wife has insomnia. Her doctor advised her to get up and go sit in another room for 20 minutes if she wakes up and cannot fall back asleep. So for a few nights (around 2am) she got up and read in the living room.
Finally, one night she was about to sleep through the night. And at 2am our tabby started meowing by our bed.
Our cat was saying “It’s time for you to get up… go sit!”
WereBear
@germy: Aren’t they amazing? I’ve even trained mine to be alert for Daylight Savings and what to do when I tell them it’s about to happen.
I guess I won’t need that one any more.
cain
Very sorry for your loss. It hurts when they leave us behind and cross the rainbow bridge.I was hoping you night weigh in on something:I have two lovely cats not yet a year old. One of then though has been taking the most smelliest stools. They are both twins and eat the same food, and everything – but for some reason whatever diet Im giving them is causing something. The vet gave me a cat food that might help. Wondering if there is any other thing I should be looking at. I noticed that stinky stool cat doesn’t clean his butt that often – other one does.The cats have been a boon in these covid times – and helps me be active in my house. 2020 BC (before cats) I would not talk or say anything for an entire day. 2020 AC, has been great as I finally get interacted with – and I’m never alone. Each one of them is around for one for their preferred Cain activity (eg one for video games, the other for watching tv) Love me some critters. :-)
Now if I can just get them to stop sitting on my table and run around my kitchen countertops. They are like unruly teenagers right now. :D
Catherine D.
So sorry! My old guy (16+) gave me a scare recently to remind me that time is running out.
But Rhiannon is totally adorbs! I love the dilute gene – so many coat colors across so many species.
germy
@cain:
Crinkle paper on the floor. I don’t know what it is about crinkle paper, but cats can’t resist it.
I took a paper bag, tore it open to make a flat sheet, crumbled it up and then flattened it out again. Now it’s her favorite place to sit.
I bought some cheap cardboard “scratch boxes” at our local Job Lot. She hasn’t scratched furniture since.
germy
@WereBear:
The photos you take of your cats are beautiful.
Jay
We use pine pellets. Soaks up urine, compostable, flushable, cheap.
When the litter box is ‘nt pine scented, past time for a change.
WereBear
@cain: Cats go through adolescence too :)
I’m not a fan of dry food, even though many of my rescues insist, so I feed Orijen. Also, see if any of the food has grains in it? Cats can’t digest that, they don’t have the enzymes.
I mostly feed canned. The bowl of dry food (sprinkled with Brewer’s yeast and dry gelatin) is to help those with food anxiety, and something for the kitten to nibble on at night if she’s hungry and has eaten all her other food.
Canned is much more suited to how cats eat in nature. Also, I’d try canned (no additives) pumpkin to see how that helps the one cat’s digestion. It has wonderful qualities no matter the issue, and some cats like it. If not, it’s easy to swipe into their mouth with one of those silicone spatulas, you don’t even have to open their mouth, just squish a couple of tablespoons through their teeth.
Rescue staple!
germy
@Jay:
I never thought of that.
WereBear
Cats on tables and countertops are asking for an Outpost. It can be a barstool, a cat tree, or a designated spot marked out with a cat bed or even a placemat. They want to be where the magic happens, and if we don’t provide them a Spot, they will pick one.
Since there’s two of them, I’d look for a cat tree or the top of the fridge or cabinet; just give them a safe path to it, also. But they need territory in every place where their people spend time.
They want to spend time there, too.
For anyone: here’s a link to my online blog sets for solving certain issues:
https://www.wayofcats.com/blog/about/mini-courses
MagdaInBlack
I am very sorry for this loss. I’ve followed your blog for a long time and I’ve become very fond of Olwyn ❤️
WereBear
@germy:
Thank you! Since I’m quite clumsy it’s photography, and now, art filters, for me to be artistic with. Mr WereBear is an artist, and he says I’m developing a nice eye for composition.
Also, I constantly need pictures for the blog and social media, and this way I own the art.
germy
Here’s some 19th century footage of a happy cat:
It made me wonder, though. What did people back then do about cat food? Isn’t commercial, canned cat food a more recent thing? I imagine they just fed their pets treats, and then let them go out and catch the rest of their food.
WereBear
@MagdaInBlack: Thank you, and thanks all of you for your condolences. Mr WereBear is terribly broken up, still: she was his first Heart Cat. He’s still shaken by how incredibly close they became.
Olwyn was sick for months with nothing the vet could find. Not suffering, and that we’re thankful for. I think it was connected to her being a Fading Kitten who barely survived to be rescued. Then again, she was thirteen.
We get used to cats getting into their late teens, even beyond, but that’s not very common.
WereBear
Yes, many cats went out for a hot lunch. Pedigreed cats with rich owners were served meat, fish, and cream.
But the automobile was an earthquake in the pet food industry. Sadly, horses stopped being transport, and were turned into a… different commodity.
Even in the Beverly Cleary books I grew up on, Henry Huggins fed his rescue dog a weekly ration of horsemeat he got from the butcher.
germy
@WereBear:
I remember reading somewhere about people feeding their cats bread that had been soaked in milk!
MazeDancer
Welcome new kitty!
And deep condolences for your loss of the beautiful Olwyn.
And, yes, the answer to everything is always: More cats!
germy
I remember an old anecdote about Charlie Chaplin, around the time he was being chased out of the country by Hoover and others. He was at a party and said the only thing America had to be proud of was nutritionally-balanced cat food.
mrmoshpotato
@MazeDancer:
What about cowbell?
WereBear
@germy: And all kinds of table scraps. But as you point out, any cat is going to supplement.
WereBear
@mrmoshpotato: It depends on what is causing the fever.
Kitten fever has one cure…
Obvious Russian Troll
I’m so sorry to hear about Olwyn! Poor sweetie.
la caterina
My condolences to you and Mr. Werebear on the loss of Olwyn.
One of my free roaming sub-colonies has three cats (out of six in that group) approaching 12 or so. That seems a ripe old age for a feral, and I worry about what will happen in the coming years. We took a senior calico girl from the colony who had gone blind inside and she seems to be okay. I’m loathe to separate any of the others and I fear we’ll never find an indoor placement for a senior pair or trio if needed.
germy
Have you seen this website?
https://catinfo.org/
She made a PDF, breaking down the protein/fat/carb content of commercial cat foods:
https://catinfo.org/docs/CatFoodProteinFatCarbPhosphorusChart.pdf
MagdaInBlack
@WereBear: When I was a kid on the farm, we had the worlds healthiest barn cats because… we had friends with a dairy herd and when they were treating with antibiotics, they could not sell that milk so our cats, and theirs got it
Eta: I am quite sure those cats got some form of commercial food too, because my mother wouldnt have neglected them.
ThresherK
Fellow tortie and calico fan here. Condolences from our home to yours.
SiubhanDuinne
I’m so sorry about Olwyn. She was a beautiful cat, and I know how you and Mr. WereBear must be grieving. We’ve all been there, but knowing that probably doesn’t make it any easier.
And yet! The gorgeous and personable Rhiannon! What a lovely addition to your family. I’ll look forward to reading more about her as she grows and matures, and naturally I’m hoping for many photos!
SiubhanDuinne
@germy:
I have always wondered why the principal ingredient in commercial cat food isn’t mouse.
eclare
I am so sorry to hear about Olwyn, but happy that you passed on the love to a new kitty.
rikyrah
Beautiful post.
Sorry for your loss ???
And happy about the new addition ?
Barbara
I am so sorry for your loss of Olwyn, and just, kudos to you for keeping your heart open to new kitties.
germy
@SiubhanDuinne:
Imagine the cartoon labels!
Captain C
Sorry to hear about Olwyn. She was a great and adorable kitty.
Glad to hear about Rhiannon. She has definitely hit the cat lottery with you and Mr. WereBear.
My sister got her first cat a couple months ago! (She’s allergic, and got a shot or shots so she could have the cat; her husband grew up with cats). She’s fallen completely in love with Ripley, who appears to be a calico-tabby mix judging by the photos. I got her a copy of The Way of Cats, as your website got me from being a good cat daddy to being a great one when I discovered it; I’m sure my late kitties Misty (long-haired tuxie, probably part Norwegian Forest Cat, gentle gamma to the core to the point of loving bellyrubs) and Kashmir (short-haired silver tabby, probably part Siamese judging by face/body shape and talkativeness, and the highest strung Alpha I’ve ever met, though a sweetheart with me) would probably have thanked you given the chance.
WereBear
@germy: I listen to ALL her advice, that it my own guide to feeding my cats.
laura
I’m sorry that you and Mr. Wearbear have lost a dear and special moggie. I lurk around on your website and it is so comforting and comprehensive. Our current two are rescue ferals- one a big confident easy going tabby and the end of litter crybaby runt. They are so different in so many ways except how lovely they are in their unique ways. Spouse is worried that these may be the cats who outlive us but no cats is an intolerable way to live.
WereBear
@Captain C: What a wonderful compliment! Thanks so much; thank kind of feedback makes my day :)
Remember, to support any author, those Amazon reviews mean a lot :)
WereBear
I agree. I have a circle of friends who have cats and so we have a support system for them, should the worst happen.
I have seen the no-kill shelter movement grow incredibly over my adult lifetime, and I look forward to the day when such a worry is a thing of the past.
So any homeless cat can get a shelter home, and a chance at a new one.
WereBear
@rikyrah: Thank you, and to all the others with condolences.
See, I wanted to be Dr. Doolittle when I grew up…
Zelma
I’m so sorry for your loss. What a beautiful cat Olwyn was.
I have a question about the feral cat who waltzed into my house last October, right after my sweet Simmons died. He retreated under the bed in my guest room and I set him up there – litter box, food, etc. He now spends his indoor time in that room, mostly on the bed. This was not a problem up till now but there is a good chance that I might actually have a guest in April! Oh fabrous day!
I would like to move him out of said room and relocate box, etc. to the powder room. I am thinking that I should move said box while he is outside and close the door. (He leaves in the morning and comes back at night and spends most of the day on my deck.).
I am hoping that doing this will encourage him to spend more time someplace else. I wonder if this is the best way to handle the situation. BTW, I have renamed him Purree because I have never had a cat who purrs so enthusiastically while being petted.
Advice greatly appreciated.
ixnay
So sorry about Olwyn. Our four main cats are 12 to 14 years old. We just blew a chunk of change on Iodine 131 treatment for one. The spare backup cat is of unknown age, since she showed up in the yard a couple of summers ago and came inside and never left. Most peculiar, since we have been here more than 30 years, and she is the first to waltz in. She loves Mr. ixnay.
Lacuna Synecdoche
WereBear via Tamara (HFG) @ Top:
Rhiannon and Olwyn? Sounds like someone’s pulling names from the Mabinogion. Sweet.
WereBear
@Zelma: Surprise is usually a bad idea :) I would choose one element and start moving it to its new location. Talk up the new location as a great new place for them! Explain that there will be a stranger coming in the room, and they wouldn’t like that.
I just got an email from a reader the other day, who admitted she wasn’t sure about explaining, but tried it anyway. And it worked wonders.
Dear Pammy, I must admit explaining works
https://www.wayofcats.com/blog/dear-pammy-i-must-admit-explaining-works/39286
Whatever they like to do in the guest room, make it so they can enjoy it in the powder room. Having their room suddenly vanish would be very upsetting.
WereBear
@Lacuna Synecdoche: Mr WereBear loves the Arthurian Legends (Sir Tristan) and Celtic/Viking mythology (Olwyn, Rhiannon) while I go for Reverend Jim, (who also passed away in 2020,) Bud Abbott, and Lou Costello.
It was a rough year for cats, too.
Mary G
I’m sorry about Olwyn. It’s hard however old and sick they are. I’m feeling old, too, because I remember when you got Tristan. He was such an adorable kitten, and in what seems no time at all he is your elder statesman.
I have never had a cat that would use a cat bed, but when I saw one recommended on the internet in a time of pandemic Must Have Something New fever I bought one. My two took to it immediately and would grab it as soon as the other went to eat or use the litter box. So I bought a second one. They stopped using either one. Cats.
My housemate, who does the cleaning, tried putting them on their favorite spots, a chair and ottoman my mom bought in the 60s that has been reupholstered more than once. It looks great, because she was a fan of mid century modern and clean lines, but has never been used much by humans because it’s not comfortable at all for anyone but cats. They use the beds there, which makes the housemate happy because no more dark hair on light chair to vacuum off, and me, because I didn’t make a useless impulse purchase. Bossy cat has to have the ottoman, which is closer to my desk.
WereBear
@Mary G: What a delightful story and it made me laugh.
A classic mistake is to put the cat bed on the floor. Cats play The Floor Is Lava for a reason. They are more comfortable higher up in the environment.
So glad it had a happy ending!
KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))
@WereBear: We got a windowsill-height bookcase 9 years ago to feed our cats on. That way our son’s dog (a chihuahua; this wouldn’t work with great Dane) can’t steal their food. They love having their own place to eat, and being able to watch “cat TV” out the window. However, our little cat needs to be on free-feeding, and our big cat has a weight problem and needs to have his food intake strictly monitored. So little Loki gets his food on the center island, which 23 lb Reilly is too big to jump up on.
Loki still, after 5 years, tries to talk us into feeding him at the bookcase though. He likes his rituals.
KayInMD (formerly Kay (not the front-pager))
@germy:
Purina nutritionists experimented, and it turns out the perfect nutritional package for a cat is… a mouse. Which works out pretty well, because lots of folks back then got their pet cats to deal with pesky rodent problems at home.
zhena gogolia
Beautiful Olwyn. So sorry for your loss.
cckids
I’m so sorry to hear about Olwyn. You write about all your cat family with such care and love; we all feel related, and that we know them too. My condolences to Mr. WereBear, and to you, on such a loss.
something fabulous
Oh WereBear, SO very sorry for your loss. And so happy for your new arrival! Have been meaning to thank you for the nutritional advice: bought both Brewer’s Yeast and powdered gelatin and I think both helped give Milo a boost (what ended up being) those last few weeks. Gigi is still enjoying now.
Not ready, over here, for the Moar Cats Remedy; still feels too soon. Milo was not only my Soul Kitty/Heart Cat, but Gigi’s, too. We are still both lonely and sad, but trying to cheer each other up. Out here in LA we’re about to be barreling into kitten season, so might ease our way back in with a bit of fostering when needed, and see from there. Secretly, my heart is thinking… a dog! Can’t imagine what the sweet Czarina Princess would make of that– as you say, we’ll have to discuss it!
Thanks again for this lovely post, and all you do.
WereBear
There’s no rules. Sometimes, feeling more open to it can be a sign the right cat has moved into orbit :)
My condolences on your loss. It’s not fair that they don’t live as long as we do. But then, if they did, we would have a new set of problems.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
My condolences Werebear
something fabulous
@WereBear: So true! One of the nicest/truest condolences a friend sent me was “It is so hard that our pets can only love us for their entire life span, but not ours.”
Will think on the change of feeling being due to entering The Zone. I like that very much!
Doc Sardonic
@something fabulous: Not the cat whisperer, but it may not be too soon for Gigi. I made that mistake when my Soul cat died and in my darkness and grief I would not consider adopting another cat until I realized his adopted sister/bond was grieving more than I was so we went to get a kitten and came home with a bonded pair, she was much happier after.
WereBear
@Doc Sardonic: What a wonderful insight into the needs of others.
I love that each cat is a unique individual, but that also means their loss is not replaceable.
However, this does not prevent us from having another Special Experience. It will be different… but no less special.
debbie
Not sure I’ve seen a prettier kitty than Olwyn. I am so sorry for your loss.
UncleEbeneezer
Since the topic is cats, I just got a couple of these Paperback Brewing, Attack Of The Space Cats NE IPA’s for the weekend. Haven’t tried yet but LOVE the artwork (Paperback does some cool, noir style labels that are always interesting).
WereBear
@debbie: The funny part was how much of a mess she was when I brought her home. It was hard to tell she was a longhaired cat, much less how gorgeous she would be.
But Mr WereBear fell in love at first sight. It was a soul encounter.
Yutsano
Fair thee to the place cat souls go fair Olwyn. His prints will stay forever in your heart.
And welcome to thee Rhiannon! You have found a place of security, warmth, and love. I hope you grow up good and strong.
sherparick
So sorry for our loss. But I believe their spirits keep walking around us after their bodies leave. I feel my Ol’ Gizmo around all the time.
debbie
@WereBear:
Is she looking at Mr. Werebear in that photo?
Chat Noir
I’m so sorry for your loss. Tortoiseshell cats are awesome; I lost my Natalie (aka Princess Girlface) back in 2014 and I miss her everyday.
WereBear
@debbie:
No, she’s trying NOT to look at me!
She was Sean Penn-level when it came to getting her picture taken. Like her mentor, James Bond, they always fled the paparazzi.
Matt McIrvin
My favorite cat ever, Niobe, was a dilute tortie. She looked a lot like Olwyn, but with shorter hair and stubby little legs.
Condolences to WereBear and best of luck with the new one!
WereBear
@Matt McIrvin: I always say the “dilute” part does not apply to their Tortitude.
sab
Werebear, my deep condolences also. I had considered myself a dog person and I am still sad about the many dogs I have lost over my life.
We have five cats now, but one of them has always been my special boy. When Amir lost his Bianca and let us know how much he missed her I suddenly realized how much my little guy means to me. He has always been at the door when I come home from work or shopping or whatever. During Covid lockdown we have become inseparable (his choice not mine.) He has spent the last month supervising my first at home/remote tax prep season. Purring while prepping.
jeffreyw
You have to keep an eye on those calicos.
Zelma
Thanks for the advice. I’m not sure how to proceed with Purree. He really is not very present most of the time. He comes out of the guest room very rarely and he only lets me pet him while he’s on the floor. Partly he is leery of Bandit, the dog, because when the cats are on the deck, Bandit chases them. Purree is learning that when a cat is inside, Bandit is fine with that but he probably still feels safer in familiar spaces. Purree is pretty timid. He was always low man among the ferals I feed. I’m not sure how he survived outdoors for so long. I’m sure the dog situation makes his being comfortable in other parts of the house more difficult.
WereBear
@jeffreyw: They are subtler. Torties can stare like they are sending a telepathic message.
WereBear
@Zelma: Ferals are naturally cautious, and I’m surprised he likes the floor. Maybe you can lure him into the powder room, close the door, and do some play and treat time, just for him?
David ? ☘The Establishment☘? Koch
Rest in peace, your Royal Highness
cain
@germy: oh yeah, I got these crinkle paper balls that I got as toys. They don’t scratch anything – and they have plenty of those cardboard things to scratch. My problem ist hat they aren’t cleaning themselves and smearing shit on my leather couch.
cain
@WereBear:
OK, let me swtich to wet cat food and see if that improves things. I think they get used to munching all day. I only feed them twice a day now and they’re consumption has leveled out. One is lighter than the other but is a curiously aggressive eater.
CaseyL
So sorry to hear that Olwyn died – she was a beauty, and a lovely feisty part of the family!
I do love WereBear’s tales of Cat Civilization, and am happy Rhiannon has settled in nicely (i.e., taken over as Queen of the Universe).
I do have a question for WereBear, and for the BJ hivemind.
Jeannie is 14, and increasingly arthritic. I’ve tried vet-recommended Cosequin, which did absolutely nothing; and gaba pentin, which just made her druggy, lethargic, and depressed. People say good things about CBD, but I’m not sold on that because I’ve heard that clinical studies discovered no particular benefit in using CBD on humans so I’m not sure it’s would be any more effective on cats.
Anyone have any other ideas about what to do for an arthritic kitty?
cain
@WereBear:
Thanks! I did get a massive cat tree for them in the living room – they were using it a lot but now they don’t as much and now prefer to sit on the couch when I’m around on a chair. Dorks.
I’ll look into a cat tree higher up, but I don’t really have a safe place because I have one of those glass counter tops and I don’t really wnat to encourage them to climb on a countertop to get to a tree.
I did get a little motion sensor spray thing that will spray them (and me) if they try to jump on my countertops.
something fabulous
@Doc Sardonic: Oh yes, and fair enough. In all my time volunteering with my rescue I’ve seen everything from just a few days to never again, so I know literally anything is possible and right, just depending on the circumstances. And Gigi is a very sociable little person, so it is good to be reminded to keep her needs in mind too, so thanks.
Elizabelle
Hi Werebear. Great post. Sorry to hear that Olwyn is gone, but, wow, did she have a good and full little life with you. And the new kitten is adorbs.
None are replaceable, but it’s always wonderful to have a new pet in the mix.
Elizabelle
duplicate. Hi guys.
sab
@WereBear: I got a cat tree for my bedroom, since cats were hanging out because of the low impact space heater (warmer there.)
It wasn’t the right fit for the space and cats didn’t much like it, so I got another one that was better for that room. Brought the new one in, parked the old one in the upstairs hall. Same cats who had hated the cat-tree in my bedroom loved it in the hall. They sit on it. They fight over spaces on it. All of them sharpen their claws on it daily. So there it will sit for years in the top hall, cluttering the landing.
I am a dog person because I can almost always understand dog reasoning. They and I think alike. I am clueless about cats. I ask my husband and he laughs and says ” they are cats, who knows?”
I like that you do explain how they think, and it mostly makes sense.
laura
@CaseyL: Do you have heating pads available for lounging and sleeping on?
CaseyL
@laura: Oh, she has one on the sofa, and spends a fair bit of time on it (she and Oscar take turns – he’s not arthritic, he just likes the heat). Also, my bed is a waterbed, always heated, and she spends a lot of time there as well.
She is mobile, just obviously stiff in her joints. It is sad to see. When she was young, she’d do stuff like climb up on the roof to make me freak out.
WereBear
@CaseyL: Dry gelatin did wonders for James Bond.
https://www.wayofcats.com/blog/im-giving-my-cats-gelatin/21440
WereBear
@sab:
My science fiction dreams of making friends with an alien species came true!
And they were here all the time…
StringOnAStick
So sorry to hear of the loss of Owlyn; she was such an essential part of your cat civilization. Losing your heart kitty is such a blow, I hope Mr Wearbear is doing as well as he can with this.