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We are in the process of having a bathroom floor replaced, and to repair one spot, they had to put thin set (essentially concrete) over a space of about two square feet around the toilet drain. that being done, Mary Ann and I went to the store to decide on the new tile. When we got back, Mary Ann went to check on how the thinset was drying. There she learned that cat kids are kids too ... because set into the thinset were about twenty paw prints. At least they didn't try to write their names.
We've all heard a lot about the issues with literacy in the United States, and so I think that in this time of an upcoming election, its appropriate to be alert to opportunities to help with this issues. This morning I had one such opportunity, and Id like to share my thoughts with you on the subject.
Our bookcases have full length glass doors which help to keep them dust free and more attractive. Without them one of us (I wont mention my name) tends to do things like put books in the long way so they stick out if there is something that this person wants to remember. While this might be quaint, and works for Dumbledore, it is a real eyesore in an actual home. Anyway, since weve gotten these bookcases, the issue seems to have magically disappeared.
This morning however, Mary Ann was getting a book to show me something, and left the doors to one of the book cases open. I was quite surprised to see each of the cats go over to the open bookcase, look carefully at the selection on the bottom row, and even paw around to see if there was something of interest to them. None of them actually tried to pull a book out, but that could be because of the subject matter which is woodworking and home repair. So, Ive learned that cats do have a great interest in books, and that it may be that they are only interested in certain subjects.
So, Im going to think about what kinds of books they might like, and see what happens if I stock the shelves with them. Im thinking stuff like "The Cat in the Hat," "The Borrowers," "The Field Guide to Mice and other Rodents," and "Of Mice and Men."
Will let you know how this turns out. In the meantime, I'm not really feeling too bad about not working to increase their access to books in the past. Who knew they could even read?
With three cats in the house, we have all kinds of confusion as if we didnt have enough already. Of course each of the cats have a name, but there are lots of combinations that occur. So that when Mary Ann asks who is crying (yes, they do cry a lot) it can be one or all or a combination. I wonder if it might be more efficient if we had names for the combinations, so it would make things more clear and efficient. For example, when I write to my kids and Alex Ive started signing my name as Chad (a contraction of Chip and Dad). So lets see what might be necessary and possible as an answer to who is making noise in the kitchen:
Potential Names
Marley: Same
Lucky: " or Lucky Duck
Powder Puff: " or PP, or P Puff
Marley + Lucky: Mucky, LeeLee, Luckly, LucknLee
Marley + Powder Puff: Muff, PowderLy, Marpuff, MarleyPuff
Lucky + Powder Puff: Puffduck, Lucky Puff, PowPuck
Marley, Lucky and Powder Puff: MarLuckPuff, Lee the Lucky Powpuff, PP LeeLee, the 3 little piggies, Puffy, etc
So this could lead to perfectly efficient and clear responses like:
The 3 little piggies are ready to eat.
Mucky were chasing PP and she crashed into the door.
Puffduck were rubbing up against each other and knocked over the broom.
LeeLee were playing when PP arrived and Muff split off. So when Lucky Duck ran around the corner the 3 little piggies collided.
LeeLee learned that PP was wet.
Marley was in the cereal and knocked Lucky Puff over.
See how easy and clear this could be?
Well, I think we may be evolving into a final feeding format (FFF). Most recent changes:
- Marley allows the others to eat near him (we hadn't tried before so this may not be a change)
- Lucky and Powder Puff eat in the kitchen with him
- I've had to try a couple of different feeding layouts
- They are all eating wet food, and the same kind (thank God!)
Lucky, who used to be thin as a rail like Powder Puff has now grown and put on weight so that he is just about as big as Marley (13 lbs). He looks great with a beautiful coat, and Id like to send a picture of him, but since he is darker than a stealth fighter jet, none of the details come out unless I doctor the picture and make him look like he is made of dark sand (he's not though). Lucky's appetite is second only to Marley's, but he is less pushy than Marley, at least until the food is in the dish.
Marley is the most proactive about meal time. You've read before about him taking his alarm clock duties seriously and he is just as persistent with his interest in all things food. I should note that Marley is not offensive about food, but he is very interested, and thus wants to be in on the action until he is sure his food is being prepared. He will get up on the counter as his food is being prepared, and usually will get out of the way in the pass through and watch carefully until the food is being dished out. At that point he will carefully walk over to where the dishes are, take a quick sniff to make sure its his food, then jump down to the floor so as to be sure to guard his spot.
One quick side note - all the cats appear like magic in the kitchen if Mary Ann or I are in there moving around (and they have had some time to fight and sleep off their last feeding frenzy). Marley will watch or if he is really hungry get kind of annoying by following us from place to place trying to rub up against our hands and arms as we are trying to do something. This is also the time that Marley will be in non-stop purring mode, with brief pauses to give us a plaintive request for food. Lucky will find a high spot and watch to see what he might be able to get. (the other night I walked into the kitchen and he was sticking his head in a bowl of popcorn, grabbing some in his teeth, and eating it off the counter... then repeat.)
Powder Puff will pretty much remain on the floor, looking for any opportunity to rub up against the other cats (yes, Marley now lets her do that) and if they arent available, rubbing against solid objects. She is so timid that she doesn't often rub up against us.
Lucky usually stays at a distance of a few feet, but its also plain that sometimes he tries to take Marley's place of honor in the feeding pageant.
So Mary Ann discovered that they could eat together peacefully, and I refined the dish layout to ease tensions (Marley would have to stop and check the others out after each bite. This also makes the cleanup area smaller and a little quicker to those of us waiters who must serve the food with speed and finesse.
Unfortunately, there is still a little bit of a mad scramble to see who gets what bowl, but I can handle that ... so far. At this point the routine settles pretty quickly:
- Marley sets about like a man with a mission - head down, professional, and no wasted effort.
- Lucky attacks his wet food like a vacuum cleaner - I dont know if he has time to taste it. This is the same as he was with just dry food.
- Powder Puff is interested in her food, but follows a lady like routine. She doesnt gulp (although she does lick up all of the gravy first), she is quiet and more refined, doesnt like to eat the big pieces, and quits when she is full or is scared away (by things such as the trash can lid opening or almost anything else.
- Marley keeps going, looking as if he is trying to lick the surface of the bowl off. If Powder Puff leaves for any reason, he will abandon what he has left and go get hers, then come back to finish his own. When he finishes his own, he will then go to sniff at Powder Puffs if she is still eating. This will usually cause her to leave (he really doesnt force himself on her - she just is too skittish).
- Marley always finishes his wet food first, and then looks to see if he can get any more from the others dishes. As a last resort he goes to his dry food.
So, let me see if I can show you a diagram of the feeding layout. Next up (probably): there's a new fighting king in the making.
Im not convinced that our cats are like any other cats in the world, but with the holidays coming up, I thought Id share with you some of the toys our cats have delighted in. You might want to invest in these and see how yours like them. One thing I have found is that every cat has different specifics even if they tend to cluster along common veins. Heres my list:
1.) Toilet bowl box. This appears to be a favorite with all of them. I had to replace our toilet, and knew better than to immediately get rid of the box. I just reclosed one end and waited to see what happened. Powder Puff took to it first, and spent the entire evening fighting with it, in it, around it etc and brought other items to play with it as well. Next it was used by all to hide in to get away or to lure and launch attacks from. This morning Lucky almost woke Mary Ann up from the racket he was making with the box.
2) a pea. Perhaps not the toy you might think of immediately. I accidently discovered this one when I decided to see if Lucky (our one cat who reliably wants any of our food) would like to eat one of these. Being somewhat on the immature side myself, I couldn't resist trying. I rolled the pea to him, and he took one sniff of it then batted it off the table and was after it. At this point I began to regret the whole thing. I could tell you about it, but to save time suffice it to say that I never saw the pea again. The downside to this type of toy is the fact that you are essentially hiding garbage around your house. Think about this before you try it.
3) Laser light. They never seem to tire of this one. Its the never to be caught bug, and even after Marley knew it would appear when we picked up the laser light, and he looks to us when the click sound is made as we turn it off, he still can't resist it. My advice - don't point it in their eyes, and keep it just out of their reach. I suspect that you will get tired of it long before they do.
4) a plastic Starbucks cup top swizel stick. I have no idea what attracts them to this, but they love to play with it in the inside door mat. Maybe the way it makes noise, maybe the way it slides or maybe they are just part of the Starbucks craze.
5) a straw (the ones that can be bent seem to be best). Light, easy to carry and somewhat unpredictable when you drop or sling them, these can be a lot of fun. They are even nicely chewy.
7) Shoe laces Only one of our cats is facinated with laces, particularly the tips, so you wil just have to see what yours think on this one.
8) Shoes. Cats seem to love shoes - they can chew on them, get inside them, pounce on them, put things in them to try and get, and even drag them around. Personally I don't really get it. I will tell you that its no where near as fun to watch when you need that shoe.
9) Insects, reptiles and small mammals. To cats these are the most important things, and often very challenging. I would suggest you at all costs avoid allowing these as toys. You do need to remember though that cats have a deep seated need to catch anything they can, and will often bring their prize to you when successful. If the victim was in the house, you can be glad it was discovered even if you might want another method of getting rid of it. If it was outside, I suggest you not let the cat in the house with it. When ours bring some poor soul to our door, we tell them what a great job they did, but that they cant bring it in the house. Ususally this means they drop it and it scampers away which in my mind makes everyone win.
10) things to push off high places. Well, this isnt really a toy you can get them, but you should recognize that when you leave anything on a high place, its potential for a toy is greatly magnified. And cats seem to enjoy the effects of gravity on them.
11) Throw rugs or light door mats. These cat toys provide tremendous entertainment and can also serve a function. They are a place you can let your cat scratch, and unlike any other thing you approve for your cat to scratch on, it fights back by bending and folding towards them which is of course a big "fight me" signal to the cat. Often they can be on, under or around these (and sometimes all at the same time) while play fighting. They can also be great places to play with other objects when the other objects try to hide (or are placed) under the mat. One sure fire distraction for a cat is to put a toy just under the edge and watch them go for it. The downside to this toy is that it is mostly left in an unkempt position, and may represent a tripping hazard to everyone else.
12) Plastic Bottle screw on caps. One of the biggest advantages of this toy is its ease of portability as well as its ability to slide on hard floors like a air hockey puck. So, say you have an empty toilet bowl box lying in the middle of your living room floor, and your cat tires of batting and chasing the bottle cap all over your tile floor in the other room. She can quickly and easily pick it up in her mouth and carry it to the box, and there it becomes a brand new toy that hides in and around the box as the cat jumps, spins and snakes a paw around the box parts.
13) Playing with your cat. One way to ensure quality one on one play time with your cat is to have them participate in the ritual of changing the sheets on your bed. This can be wildly entertaining for you both although your entertainment may only last a few minutes...
There are lots more of ideas out there, and they dont have to cost you an arm or a leg. One suggestion - watch out for cats falling asleep under the bedcovers after their playtime...
Let me summarize previous comments like they do on TV:
Previously on the Hines Cat Blog regarding feeding:
- Marley is biggest, eats anything as long as it is seafood in gravy, then looks for food left by the others. After eating his wet food, will eat any of theirs before starting his own dry food. Like me, he can always eat. There are exceptions
- Lucky is lean and growing, and goes through his dry food like a chainsaw on speed. He doesnt want wet (cat) food, but watch the poultry being prepared for our dinner. He eats fast and hard, gets full and doesnt need more. THere are exceptions
- Powder Puff is finicky, eats little, often just licking the gravy from her wet food. She seems like she wants to eat if only we could provide something good. There are exceptions.
If they dont like the food:
- Marley will wait to eat it last, and wont like it, but he will eat it anyway as long as it is his universe of acceptable food. This universe is expanding as he comes to appreciate the other cats tastes.
- Lucky wont eat it. He will sometimes check out the food of the other cats, but always has the same reactions - a disgusted look on his face and then he scratches the floor towards it as if to say "I've GOT to bury this stinking mess!"
- Powder Puff will briefly look at it or sniff it, then walk away and look up at me as if to say, "Isn't there something decent to eat?" You can't tell when this will happen - It could be her reaction to the same kind of food that she just devoured (an exception) yesterday.
On todays episode - Chip breaks down
Today started out okay. Marley did his normal supervisory overview which is to say he jumped up just out of arms reach of me and perched on the kitchen pass through to watch my progress. Im not sure how he seems to know when I get to his food, since I prepare all the dishes before I give any out, but sure enough, as I start on his food, he looks carefully to be sure its his, then walks through my preparation area with a quick sniff of the food then jumps down to anxiously await delivery.
Lucky does his best to help by swirling between my legs and almost tripping me whenever I have to move. Usually he will jump up to see mostly to prove he can and has the right to do so, then gets down and starts a-swirling. Powder Puff exponentially adds to this confusion by simultaneously trying to also rub up against my legs while trying to rub up against Lucky. For me it seems like Im standing in swirling flood waters, and I think of all the warnings about not moving through flood waters, but, like all those who foolishly proceed, I do have to move around to get the food done.
So this morning I finish prep work, put Marleys food down and he sets to it: guiet, professional, a man who knows what he is doing, and do it he does. He is efficient, and even places his body in a position that protects his food from the others. Lucky and Powder Puff go instantly from mid swirl to see if their food is being put down. THis used to concern me because I thought Marley would fiercly defend his food, but as they are trying to get around him I stand up, grab their bowls and call them as I walk to their eating place. Suddenly they are on board, and follow me to the annointed place. As I get ready to put down the food the black (Lucky) and white (Powder Puff) swirling activity has a dizzing effect which complicates me predicting when to put each bowl down to be sure they get their intended food. Once the food is there, things sort out quickly, Lucky turns on his eating buzz saw and eats like a vacuum cleaner on speed.
Powder Puff is the problem child. She eats her food normally just barely enough to leave me wondering why I cant interest her in food most of the time. If its true that she is trying to be a super model, she is succeeding in being skinny enough, and she probably purges later. Mostly she hardly eats at all, I have to defend her food from Marley until I am convinced she isnt going to eat more, then just let nature take its course.
Last night Mary Ann explained to me what I ought to do for Powder Puff since she had loved the food she got yesterday. Today was a different story. Not only didnt she want it, but in an unprecedent moved, actually scratched at it eventually. I tried several ways of presenting it to her but
She did not like it on the floor
She did not like it by the door
She wouldnt eat it on a mat
She wouldnt eat and that is that
I tried to tell her that if she ate
Surely she would think its great
I even told her it was clam
I pulled my hair and bald-I-am
Nothing seemed to work with her, and as I was just giving up, I looked up and saw 6 eyes staring at me with "I need to eat" written in their expressions. So I did what every parent has done some time when they are at the end of the rope - I gave them treats, and since they are Greenies, they must have some nutrition in them right?
...and I dont mean Amy and Alex, I mean Mary Ann and I, who are now the proud grandparents of a brand new kitten named Gyptian. Amy and Alex got him a few days ago, and he is about as cute as a button! I dont mean to imply that Amy and Alex arent happy, because they are, but well, to be blunt, this blog is all about me.
We had pictured this little cute thing that is quiet and sleepy - after all his older "sister" Ashley (actually not related) is like that - a little shy, very vocal, but otherwise quiet and sedate, even regal. Gyptian on the other hand is 100mph cute. He is afraid of nothing, and lives his life as if everything is new, fun and adventurous - hey, maybe I ought to look at things that way!
Ashley seems to have taken the new arrival as older sisters sometimes do - she wants nothing to do with him and views him as an invading force that has disrupted her quiet peaceful lifestyle. My one experience with the two of them together (Gyptian in a crate) involved Ashley wanting to leave the room but being afraid to look away from the danger, and when we picked her up and brought her within sight of the crate she began to hiss - something Ive never heard her do before. In the long run I think that Gyptian will be good for Ashley, but the adjustment period will be a little slow.
In the meantime, while Amy and Alex go through the yin and yang of a life change, Mary Ann and I can just be proud grandparents.
