New Camper

[Pete Dumbleton]

Can't have cats myself - VERY allergic. Love the little things though.

When we went to the pound to pick up dog #2 (I'm sure I've shared the long version of that story before) I learned a valuable lesson about myself:

I CAN'T GO TO THE POUND!!! If I hadn't forced myself out of there I'd have probably come home with half a dozen dogs.

I'm a total soft touch in that regard.

mkw

Back when I had pet rats (Whoops, Long-Tailed Norwegian Hamsters!), I was a member of a rat group and one lady's experience was that whenever she went to the pound, she'd wind up bringing back at least one Rescue Rat. But, she was really into them and sometimes had 50 of them on hand, separated by age, sex and medical quarantine.

[Gina D.]

Yeah, being an avid "Rescue First" rather than a buy a dog person, when I have gone to shelters looking for the perfect buddy, it rips your heart out.

I have only Cat "Shopped" for a rescue once, a very long time ago. This thing from hell came to me the way most all my cats have.. circumstance happened.

I have discovered that when you feed it, it's energy level is increased ten fold, and it's "output" increases...there must be a way around this...

[CindyL]

OK, Kevin and I just added to the family. We adopted two Munchkin kittens yesterday. They look like Daschund cats. Now we have one of the biggest cats you will see and two of the smallest. They have very short legs. Hilarious to watch as they run and walk! Right now, the kittens are shut in one bedroom away from the iRobot, while the big guy is shut away from them. He's having a tough time. They are eating his food, drinking his water, sitting under the diningroom table which is his special place. The other cat has already begun to make friends.

CindyL

[Gina D.]

They are adorable! I had a black one like yours, colorwise anyway.

Are they dwarfs of some sort or will they grow into their legs?

[CindyL]

Yes and yes. Their legs will grow, but they will still always be shorter than normal cats. It is a recessive gene for short legs. I was not aware of this, but because they have the gene (and they are just barn kittens), they are considered purebreds.

They are almost miniature versions of our other two big cats. We have one 21 pound black and white rescue and one brown, tiger-striped rescue. Interesting events in the house right now. The 21 pound cat is trying to reestablish that he is king. They just run around him, so he beats up on the third cat. Poor thing. She is trying to make friends. She loves to play with little stuffed animals. These kittens are just like her stuffed animals but they move and speak.

CindyL

[james kent]

Gina, you must put up a Christmas tree. If only to see just how fast a kitten can climb. Gives "tree angel" a whole new meaning. Just remember that you can't have those glass balls within three feet of the ground. If you're wondering why just go ahead and ignore this warning.

[Gina D.]

Gina, you must put up a Christmas tree.

No No No No No.

This isn't my FIRST cat...I know better

[CindyL]

I bought two fireplace inserts to block off the livingroom. These two little stinkers are chasing the smiley faces on thie forum as I type this. They are so much fun to watch. Even my old curmudgeon cat who is determined to teach them who is king of this castle has moved so he can watch them too.

CindyL

[ConnieB]

I have purchased a spray bottle. I suppose that will be a temporary defense. He has figured out I won't use it if he is sitting on my head.

Hi, all - what works as well & with less mess is canned air (like you use to dust electronic equipment) - cats hate the sound & the feel, and obviously there's no damage to electronics, self etc.

ConnieB

[CindyL]

ConnieB:

Thanks for the advice. I even have some compressed air.

CindyL

[Byron Kinnaman]

Hi, all - what works as well & with less mess is canned air (like you use to dust electronic equipment) - cats hate the sound & the feel, and obviously there's no damage to electronics, self etc.

ConnieB

I'm not a pet owner, but using canned air seems a bit dangerous to me. Dust and small particles can be blown into eyes. Just a thought.

[Gina D.]

You don't point it at them, you just use it for the noise.

That seems expensive to me.. Instead I would rather look like a total fool and wander around the house going "Tsssst! Tsssst!"

Yeah, THAT scares them.

Wilson has settled in and is now showing that his problems may be genetic. I think he needs brain surgery. Something is a little "off"

He has a nice fluffy sheepskin bed, really.

[peterh]

I trained "C.B.,"one of my cats, using a cheap battery-powered squirt gun that made a da-rat-a-tat-da-rat-a-tat chatter as it squirted pulses of water. The combination of noise and water always got the cat off the table/chair/bed/whatever, but here's the good part: after a few times combining water squirting with da-rat-a-tat-da-rat-a-tat noises, I no longer needed the water in the squirt gun anymore, so things stayed drier. The second thing was the cat wanted nothing to do with the evil machine squirt gun, so one left on the table, bed, and chair guaranteed a C.B.-free zone (and cat-fur-free zone) whether I was there to play enforcer or not.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Wilson has settled in and is now showing that his problems may be genetic. I think he needs brain surgery. Something is a little "off"

He has a nice fluffy sheepskin bed, really.

I think he must be related to my Ginger.

[james kent]

Just read the other day that cats are NOT clean. They are covered in catspit.