Show Posts - Think Cat Ems

 

Thanks KC!

This is useful (having spent the weekend back with the cats being constantly snotty, and coming home and feeling fine, I think I'm a little allergic. This will never stop me from putting my face in cats fur. Worth the pain for proper cat cuddles, i think)

I think sphynx cats are strangely beautiful, but i know even some die hard cat lovers find them unnerving..poor kitties, they do get a bad rap.

 

These seem to match for Harry, although seemingly he only has limited moods: hungry, cross, sleepy, and happy. There is one tail action we like to call the "question mark" tail, and we like to think he does this when he's curious or content. It is literally a big hanging ? in the air, and is very cute!

 

I think we should endeavour to create a cat emoticon with a fro to add to this collection, perhaps using ziggy's face? 

 
Hello!

Speaking of cats and big noses, I have met a new cat, a fellow aquiline nosed cat with a equally long name: Garrus Kittyvitch Stormageddon III Dark Lord of All, who I get to visit occasionally at a friends.

His nose is wide and squashed, which we are putting down to him being super clumsy and probably falling off something as a kitten. He is again, a tuxedo cat and he's very vocal.

He's also managed to convert one of the most hardcore dog lovers I know into liking cats. No mean feat.

Hi fellow cat lovers! This is my first blog post for the new Think Cats Blog, in which I'll be updating you all on call things cat related that are going on around me. A lot of the time I'll be mentioning home - I'm currently studying 300 miles away, so "Home" is where my cat is, but sadly not, always, where I am (to avoid any confusion!). I also have two cats and they don't live in the same house, (more potential confusion...). This first post is all about Harry, who lives with my mum at Home. The second cat, Ziggy, who I'm sure to mention, lives with my dad, which for ease I'll call Home #2. Disclaimers over, let's get onto the blog!
 
 

After adopting us seven Christmases ago, it came as no surprise that our cat Harry was a wanderer; he frequents at least one other kitchen that we know of, but we suspect this is merely the tip of the extensive cat-food-chain iceberg which he and many humans are a part of. In his tuxedo, with his demanding meow and charming swagger, there is no doubt that he knows his way into the kitchens with the best food for miles around.

An unexpected sighting got us thinking about how far Harry got on his travels. When driving well out of our neighbourhood, we were given a glimpse into the possible scale of his kitty operations when we saw him sitting by a bus stop, as if waiting to hop on. We couldn’t believe it, and almost stopped the car – what was he doing this far out? Cat owners, even of the most promiscuous cats, all crave the monogamous attention of their pet. It felt like we had caught him doing something secret and shifty, and my mother wished she’d never seen him, preferring ignorance over the possibility that someone else was loving our precious cat. I’ve come to accept that Harry goes where he wants, and as much as we like to think we keep him, he in truth keeps us. So after denial, anger, and bargaining (more treats, more food, more cuddles) came for me, acceptance, and most importantly, interest. When he’s not sleeping (most of the time) or on someone’s lap (a lot of the time) when did he fit in these sojourns?

The BBC documentary The Secret Life of the Cat, aired in May last year (see link below for clips if you didn’t catch it!) added fuel to our curiosity surrounding Harry and his nomadic lifestyle. The myriad of tracks and journeys made by the cats of Shamley Green, Surrey captured our imaginations: and revealed some truths we didn’t want to face up to. Our cats were not our precious babies – well they were, when no other cats were watching, but they were also socialites, guardians, patrollers, killers, stalkers, burglars, and much more. Some cats spent their waking hours in the humble parameters of their own gardens, occasionally crossing other cats on their territorial walks. The biggest surprises were those who travelled in long circuits, their territories spanning miles. All of a sudden, everything made sense: Harry was obviously one of those cats.

So as a silly birthday present (yes, we get presents for our cats, don’t tell me you don’t too!) we got Harry a small Cat Camera, which takes pictures at random intervals, attached to a cats collar, in order to see where they go. Although not nearly as sophisticated as the BBC documentary, who used miniature lion GPS collars and specially developed catcams,  I’m convinced the answer to the scale of his wanderings (and the constant fleas) lies in the grainy pictures of that tiny camera, as yet unused and lying in our cupboard. That is if he doesn’t shake it off, like every other collar we’ve attempted to give him.

This weekend I’m visiting Harry at home, and I think it’s time for his close up…
Until next time, where I hopefully detail the progress of our mini Secret Life of the Cat project!

Happy cat cuddling,

ThinkCatEms

www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/secret-life-of-the-cat.html

Hello everyone! I'm Ems, but that's boring, so  I'll introduce myself through my cats:

Currently I only have two, although 11 sounds like something I want to aim for!

The first, Harry, ~10 is a black and white DSH, once slender but now a lot more podgy, or "thick set" as we like to call him. This is all down to the fact that Harry is a wanderer, and we guess he visits more than one other kitchen in the neighbourhood. He chose us 7 yrs ago on Boxing Day morning, when he sniffed his way into our kitchen, and decided to stay. I've never met a cat more sociable than Harry; at parties he is known to walk straight into the middle of a group of people and blink lovingly up at them, winning everyone's hearts - even the most die-hard dog owners can't help but smile when he tries to walk his way to the highest point of you to settle down (he is never satisfied with laps. He is not a lap cat, he is a HEAD cat. Shoulders/chest will suffice if you're not in the mood to have a cat as a hat).

Obvious problems have come up with Harry, as we had no clue other than a guesstimate of his age, or any health problems or allergies. However it soon transpired that the previous owner of our wandering cat was my old art teacher, and he gave us some information about his age and told us he had a brother, which explained Harry's move away from home (Harry likes to be the center of attention, and will not share this). Since that day we have taken full responsibility for his healthcare, and the chronic fleas that this vagabond cat constantly has. Will no doubt be asking you lot for any maverick tips for this later on, as NOTHING works but constant manual de-fleaing (not front line, nor any other shop or internet bough medication).

Ziggy is the second current cat and the newest, and is my dads cat, a beautiful ginger tom adopted from the RSPCA. They are in love with each other, and Ziggy reminds me of a young Harry, placid and suave and long legged and slinky (Harry gets grumpier and more particular about who he spends time with in his old age).

Cats are essential to maintaining a happy state of mind, and too long away from them is never a good idea for me! Hence my tendency to pet all cats I come across that seem friendly enough to want me to.

Are we all universal pet lovers or do we have undying loyalty to our cats at home? Especially seeing as THEY ALWAYS KNOW when you have been sneaking around with other cats.