A Late Foster Friday: Chattering Ruby

Did you know that cats chatter?  I had never heard of this until recently.  None of my childhood cats, ever did this.  In case you are wondering what chatter is, well, it is essentially chatter/chirp sounds cats make when they are "hunting." My cats make this noise when seeing a bug outside, or like Ruby, whenever they see their favorite toy.

As soon as I take out "da bird" I am suddenly the center of attention for all of the cats.

Daisy will whine, Ruby will chatter, Cybelle looks at it eagerly, and Phoenix just...lays there.

Here is a recent video of Ruby chattering, and my other cats.

Isn't the chattering, the cutest thing?  She instantly makes this sound, it's so cute.  Don't worry, she didn't chatter for too long.  I let her play with "da bird" plenty.  She was able to chase and nibble on it, plenty. 

Ruby is up for adoption at Friends of Homeless Animals. 

Foster Friday: Snuggle Cats

It's Friday, and you know what that means...foster kitty photos!

The theme for this week is how my foster cats are so snuggly.  I have always had cats that liked to be with you, not on you.  They are more independent cats, not very lap oriented.  Or at least they only want to be on my lap when I am wearing black, or don't want fur on me.  It's like they know.

Ruby and Daisy are up for adoption through here.  They are both as snuggly as they can be.  They not only like to snuggle with me, but with each other and even my tuxedo, Phoenix.

My photos were taken from my iPhone, so please excuse the quality.

Ruby, on the right loves to groom and sleep with Phoenix.  I think they have a thing going...

 

See what I mean? Ruby and Phoenix might be an item.

 

Sisters sleep together.  They crossed their arms...so stinkin' cute!

 

In case you are wondering if they wrestle and pounce each other, the answer is yes.

Ruby, on the right might look innocent but she loves to play chase with her sister and Phoenix.  Sometimes she sounds like a galloping horse, charging around from room to room.

 

Notice that Cybelle, my white cat is no where to be found on my photos?  That's because she is not a fan of snuggling with other cats.  Like I said before, they act out the movie "Mean Girls."

 

Until next time, stay classy!

Foster Friday: Ruby & Daisy Go to the Vet

 Last week, we took the girls in to the vet for a follow up visit.  While it is not their first vet visit, it was none the less an unfavorable ride and event for the girls.  Our adventure began at home, where Jeff and I herded the girls into one carrier.  Yes, I said one carrier. We have a double deluxe carrier because I thought it was a good idea at the time.  So, that was fun.
 

  Ruby and Daisy arrived in their room, and they got to work.  I can imagine the girls were thinking "What is this wicked place?  Who was here before me?  What happened to them?"

Then they heard barking...

"What was that? I don't like this place!!"

 

Poor girls.  They both gave me unforgiving looks the entire time.  I can't say I blame them.  I too don't enjoy going to the doctor's office.

 

 

Ruby was the braver one.  She actually explored the area, while Daisy managed to hide herself behind a pamphlet sign. 

 

 

 Poor little Ruby was called chubby, so we will be monitoring food intake.  She not fat, she's curvy!  The girls don't know this yet, but we will be going back to the vet for a check up in a few weeks.  Poor babies!

 

Foster Friday: Mean Girls

 

I love the movie "Mean Girls" just as much as the next girl, but it's different when the mean girls are cats.  Your cats to be exact. 

 

Cybelle

Just about every day, my cat Cybelle and my fosters, Daisy and Ruby have a mean girl confrontation. 

Daisy AKA Regina, modeling that she is the size of a dog toy

 

It typically starts with Daisy acting defensive over the spot behind my bedroom door.  I don't know what it is about that spot...but it's Daisy's turf.  She gets unnecessarily territorial behind the door.  She isn't nasty, but she isn't an angel either.  Daisy and Cybelle usually exchange one or two swipes at each other.  I like to think that Daisy is acting out her Napoleon complex, since she is tiny.  The truth is, she just wants that spot all to herself. How selfish!  

Later in the day, the big chase will commence.  Cybelle or Ruby will initiate the great herd gallop, and they are off...  Galloping from room to room, like mad little furry creatures. 

For some variety, Cybelle may get annoyed with Daisy and swipe at her if she gets too close for comfort.  Then they all chase Da Bird, like happy little cats and go to sleep. 

It's amusing that all of the girls seem to get along with Phoenix, the only male in the house.

Rest assured, all of my kitties (fosters or not) are loved, pampered and spoiled...even if they have big personalities.

Foster Friday: Meet Daisy and Ruby

Meet Daisy and Ruby, they are my foster babies.  Daisy and Ruby are sisters, and they are about 10-11 months old.  They journeyed into my home in April, from the Hagerstown, MD area.  That's about a two hour drive; a big journey for two little cats.

Daisy is the orange cat with the white markings on her face.  She is smaller and shorter than her sister.  She is also a huuuuge talker.  She loves to talk, and even complain.  Yes, I said complain.  She is more independent than her sister and she is an agent of chaos.  She might be tiny, but she sure likes to cause trouble. 

For example, Cybelle, my white girl...is a princess and not the biggest fan of any foster.  Truth be told...she herself, was a foster cat - but I suppose that is all in the past!  I often find little Daisy instigating and cornering Cybelle.  It's quite pathetic because Cybelle is nearly twice Daisy's size.  I find myself breaking up Daisy's acts of chaos at least once a week.  As I break them up, Daisy howls like she is the victim and she is being hurt.  As you can see, Daisy is also quite the trickster!

Ruby on the other hand, is slightly bigger than her sister and an angel.  She looooves food, but we are working on keeping her figure!  She is obsessed with teaser cat toys, especially Da Bird.  As soon as she sees the toy, she starts chirping or chattering.

Ruby is also very protective of her sister. Any time Daisy is crying, Ruby comes running right away, just to check on her.  She also loves to sit with me as I watch TV, and adores being pet.  She has no problem, telling you that she needs to be pet ASAP.

 Their story...

The girls were originally named Sabrina and Brooke, but...I was not a fan of the names. So, I told them, "Sorry, girls, but your names have to go!"

 

I had recently watched The Great Gatsby  again so, the name Daisy stood out to me.  Keeping with the flapper, 20's theme, I chose Ruby for the bigger girl. 

 

The day they arrived at the cattery, I could tell that Daisy's eye was bothering her.  It was red, squinty and it just did not look good. Her eye was painful to even look at.  I felt pretty bad for her. 

 

 

Poor little Daisy's eyes during her first week at my home.

  

We took both girls to the vet and after a few days, Daisy's eyes were already looking and I imagine, feeling much better. 

 

 

Now, Daisy's eyes are clear and open.  She no longer squints or shows any signs that they are troubling her.

 

I have become quite fond of these girls, and I am trying hard not to adopt them.  I hope that by blogging about them, I can show case how cute and playful they are even though they are not your average kitten size anymore.

  

How I Became the Crazy Cat Lady

I'm pretty sure this is where it all goes down hill to kitty sweaters, and owning 20 cats.   

It all started with a plea from my local animal volunteer organization asking to foster kittens.  There are countless kill shelters in the country.  So, opening your home to a furry friend gives these innocent animals time, a temporary home (that isn't a cage), love and care. 

With that being said, meet Pinky!  Pinky came from a shelter in West Virginia, travelled to Maryland and eventually settled into my home in Virginia.  Quite a lot of miles for a little thing, huh?

I named this little bugger Pinky because she has 6 little toes on each paw.  She looks like she is wearing mittens. It's super cute!

 Pinky is a very pretty orange tabby.  She's roughly 2.5 months and maybe 2 pounds.  She is a ball of energy and quite the mischievous one.  Leave it to me to fall for the naughty bad cats.

She has really started to bond with one of cats.  Phoenix still believes he is small kitten so they play together.  The other cat, Cybele is not her biggest fan.  By that I mean she hisses but is always want to sniff her.  I don't get her.

 

 

The boyfriend and I are currently contemplating (or at least I am) about having Pinky join the cat family.  There are folks already interested in her but she is so unique and adorable that we may want to keep her!

Dilemma.  Dilemma.  I'm not sure what to do!

 

To be continued...

Meet the Kittehs!

I realized the other day that I hardly post any kitty photos on my blog...much less mention the little terrors. That is truly odd because I must take at least one photo per day of their crazy cat shenanigans.

So, allow me to introduce the kitty party.

Cybele joined our home last December.  She was adopted from a local non-profit organization.  Cybele was born to a feral mom and lived her first few months as a feral baby.  She is a sweet girl but she is very skittish around strangers and my boyfriend.  I don't think she likes males very much...I don't know why. 

 

Her nicknames include: raccoon princess, Cyby, Linda (which mean pretty in Portuguese).

Cybele is a closet trouble maker.  She doesn't like to cause mischief when we are watching...but she is a little devil.  I'm on to you, Cybele.  I know about your ways!

 

Roo, is my boyfriend's 2 year old guinea pig.  She is loud, piggy, and full of attitude. 

Phoenix joined our home last July.  Jeff wanted a cat of his own so he adopted a cat that looked exactly and behaves like my little Spotty.  Phoenix is a social cat but he is a bully.  He loves terrorizing Cybele but he also loves to bathe her and cries if they are ever separated for a few minutes.  Phoenix also has a little fox toy that he drags and "loves" around the house.  He is a little cat exhibitionist with his fox.  It's weird and awkward. 

 

Seeing doubles?  Spotty and Phoenix look just a like. 

 

Phoenix's nicknames include: Phoene, Fifi, the rat, Lindo (Pretty in Portuguese :D)

One of the many bathing/fighting sessions between Phoenix and Cybele.

 

I hope you enjoyed meeting my furry companions. 

Rest in peace my sweet kitty

This is an emotional post.

The end of 2012 was long, brutal and just plain exhausting. In November my sweet kitty, Spotty suffered and stroke and was diagnosed with vestibular syndrome.  I awoke that night with Spotty getting sick and after that he seemed different.  He was walking weird.  It was as if he had lost his balance and was straying to one side.  In effort to keep him close, I prepared him a cozy spot in the bathroom.  That morning, he was still walking weird but wanted to be left alone.  I had originally left for work but once I heard my grandmother had passed away that night, I returned home.

I am glad I came back home, because it was around 8:45 that morning that Spotty started yowling and rolling wildly.  His eyes became huge and they moved rapidly back and forth.  It was horrible, horrible, horrible.  I tried my best to comfort my sweet baby but he just kept rolling and yowling loudly.  It was very difficult to keep him still and to one side as he was having a hard time moving one side of his body.  Eventually his rolling slowed down and Jeff, my sister and I transported him to the vet.  It was there that we learned what had occurred.  We were sent back home with not much hope and some antibiotics.  The vet had bluntly told us that if Spotty did not get better within a week, we would need to consider some decisions.

My sweet little cat appeared to be in a trance.  His beautiful golden eyes just kept twitching back and forth the entire time and he was unable to move.  He simply laid on one side in a gaze.  It was a heart breaking sight.  My brave and strong Spotty made a wonderful recovery that week.  He slowly began to eat on his own again, and also starting walking.  It was difficult since he now had a head tilt and had bad balance.  I was so and still am, so proud of his fight to recuperate.  Sadly, within a week of his recovery he started getting sick randomly but then this became a regular thing.  He lost his appetite.  He lost weight.  Too much weight.  We kept taking him back to the vet but nothing was helping.  Not medication, not vaccines, not the endless variations of cat food I bought.  Nothing was helping.  I hand fed him for a week until my lovely baby left this world. 

My sick little boy

I had a bad feeling.  It was right after hand feeding him that I held his little paw and noticed it was cold and a bit off white.  I should have know then....  He seemed so sad those last two days.  I just knew something was off and I was right.  On December 20, 2012 around 11:40 in the morning, Spotty crossed over to the other side.  That entire time, I was speeding home from work to say my final goodbye but I did not make it.  Jeff was home and held him the entire time while I spoke my final sweet words to Spotty.

I know to some of you may think this is so silly, so crazy, so weird to write and even speed home for a cat.  I loved my cat with all my heart.  I had held in the palm of my hand since he was a young kitten and cared for him until he was 14 years old.  Although his body may be at rest, his spirit is with me.  He is guarding me, as he always did.

Spotty, we all miss you very much! 

Love,

Your Proud Owner and Human Companion.

Sunday's Best: Kitty Baths

I think I speak for all cat owners when I say, bath time is a pain in the ass.  In my case, it literally is a pain in the ass, since I always pull a muscle when quarreling with my stinky, furry baby.  It's sad, but true.

Yesterday, I gave Spotty a bath.  I have documented most of the bath time in photographs as it is very tragic and yet amusing for both Spotty and myself.

Bath time usually starts with me capturing Spotty and locking him in the bathroom while I prepare the tub for his highness. While I am busy getting things ready, Spotty desperately looks at the door knob, praying that it magically opens.  Next, Spotty is placed into lukewarm water, usually this is the time when sad mews escape his lips.  We exchange sad looks and he finally accepts his watery destiny.  It's bath time!

Typically, my cat behaves himself in the tub.  This is not to say, that he does not try to escape at every given opportunity.  He accepts the bath but is always looking to pounce away.  After he is shampooed and rinsed, Spotty is gently removed from the tub and delicately dried off.

I always attempt to dry him with the cool setting on my hair dryer, but Spotty prefers to do this step himself.

Spotty is sentimental, so he usually ignores me or gives me the stink eye for the rest of the day.  Yesterday, however he took his vengeance by taking a wet nap on top of my bed.  Thanks, Spotty....

Since it is pure torture for my cat, I typically bathe him a few times a year....unless he rolls around on something gross outside, then it happens more frequent! 

I hope you enjoyed the kitty bath adventure, see the below video for a hilariously tragic kitty bath.  The silent kitty scream, cracks me up every time.

Greenies Pill Pockets for cats: Amazing or Evil?

Having an older cat can be a bit challenging, especially when it comes to medicine.  Every pet owner will agree with me when I say, medicine time is torture.  It's torture for both you, the pet owner and for your lovable pet.  The vet always makes it look super easy.

"It's easy! Just stick your finger deep into his mouth.  Don't mind the razor sharp talons, or the sharp, meat tearing teeth.  He'll get use to it!"

Say what?! What about me?! Will I get use to possibly losing my finger, or getting my face scratched off?

This could be the fate of your hand, if you attempt to hand feed medicine.

This past weekend, I discovered Greenies Pill Pockets ($6.99) at my local Petsmart.  At first I couldn't believe that the product existed, then I cursed myself for not knowing about it.  Next I became skeptical.  Is this product safe?  Will my cat be okay?  Will my cat discover the secret?

My questions have not been fully answered.  However, I have done some research and discovered that Greenies has had a rough patch in the past.  It seems the regular treats for dogs have been an issue for some dog owners, see here for an example.  Naturally, issues like these worry me.  However, my cat has had Greenies treats before without a problem.  I will continue to monitor his behavior and health during these first weeks to ensure the treat is not bothering him. 

On the positive side, medicine time has become a minimal task.  Spotty now takes his medicine willingly and almost looks forward to it!  He has no clue, that I cleverly disguised his pill in the pill pocket! Ha! I win!

If you're wondering what is a pill pocket...it's just a soft chewy treat with a semi hole in the middle that allows you to place your pet's medicine inside.  The instructions read that you should place the pill in the middle and use your fingers to close the open end.  Once you've done that you will have a mini capsule shaped treat.  You are pretty much coating the pill with a treat.  It's genius, why didn't think of this?!

 Again, I am stressing that I will continue to monitor my cat's health and behavior. As usual, please use caution when buying treats, or new pet food.  It's always best to research brands and recalls prior to any purchase and to monitor pets when new food is administered.   

I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping that Spotty will continue to react well to the pill pockets.  It shouldn't be an issue since he's eaten greenies before...but you never know.  

Meows

This is a rather meaningless post.  Spotty is my 10 year old cat.  He is such a thug and an original gangsta'.  This cat has been through...everything.  All sorts of mischief, pain and adventures.  Even though he has health problems, and is a mature cat...he will not think twice about kicking some kitty tail.  It wasn't too long ago I had to go break up a kitty fight outside.  On a side note: Breaking up a cat fight...is a scary and a noisy deed!  

I love him even if he always acts like I starve him, or bites and kicks me out of blue.  I even don't mind that he always finds a way to destroy the most important paper on the floor, it's like he knows! I know deep down, that's his way of showing his kitty love.  <3



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