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#1
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Visitor!
I meant to post this yesterday, but forgot. The other night around
midnight, I was just settling down to watch a little TV before going to bed, when I heard a very familiar *bap* on the bottom of my screen door. I ran to the door, opened it, and there stood Smudge, as though it hadn't been months since she last did this. So I opened the door, and she strode in as though she did this every night. I went back to the couch and sat down, she came over to the nearest scratching post and had herself a scratch, and then she jumped up and made herself comfortable on my side. Just as though it hadn't been months... She stayed there for at least 30 minutes, purring softly. Occasionally she stood up to turn around and knead for a minute before settling back down. Nobody else, by which I mean mostly Licky, bothered her. Roxy looked like she really wanted Smudge's spot on my side (it's a little chilly in the apartment, but not enough to turn on the heat, so I'm the warmest thing in the house as far as she's concerned). She started to walk over to us, and I knew what she was up to. When Roxy wants a spot that someone else is curled up in, she'll just go right up to them and bap them on the head. They hiss or growl, and then leave, so she gets her spot. But I didn't want her knocking Smudge off, so I repeated several times, in a sing-songy voice, "Noooo, Roxy, no! Uh-uh-uh-uh, Roooooxy, no!" etc. Smudge knew I wasn't talking to her. Roxy got the message, lay down where she was, and glowered at us. Eventually, though, I was bothered by the many deep mats in Smudge's fur. I've already been working on some of them - I bring a pair of scissors outside with me when I feed her, so I can try to clip one or two off while she's eating. But here she was, dozing on my side. So I got out the scissors (which were within reach) and started clipping. She let me get away with this for a while, but then started getting annoyed. I did manage to remove 2 or 3 bad ones, but there are still several more embedded in her flanks and rear end. It's going to take a while. Once she got annoyed, she jumped down - and then all of a sudden, it was like she was noticing for the first time that I have two other cats, and she started growling and hissing at them. She ran to the door, growling the whole way, so I got up and let her back out. Joyce -- audiophile, n: Someone who listens to the equipment instead of the music. |
#2
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#3
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Visitor!
I'm so glad she showed up and was so affectionate. I hope she lets you get
rid of the other mats soon. -- Joy There is something about the presence of a cat... that seems to take the bite out of being alone. - Louis J. Camuti wrote in message ... I meant to post this yesterday, but forgot. The other night around midnight, I was just settling down to watch a little TV before going to bed, when I heard a very familiar *bap* on the bottom of my screen door. I ran to the door, opened it, and there stood Smudge, as though it hadn't been months since she last did this. So I opened the door, and she strode in as though she did this every night. I went back to the couch and sat down, she came over to the nearest scratching post and had herself a scratch, and then she jumped up and made herself comfortable on my side. Just as though it hadn't been months... She stayed there for at least 30 minutes, purring softly. Occasionally she stood up to turn around and knead for a minute before settling back down. Nobody else, by which I mean mostly Licky, bothered her. Roxy looked like she really wanted Smudge's spot on my side (it's a little chilly in the apartment, but not enough to turn on the heat, so I'm the warmest thing in the house as far as she's concerned). She started to walk over to us, and I knew what she was up to. When Roxy wants a spot that someone else is curled up in, she'll just go right up to them and bap them on the head. They hiss or growl, and then leave, so she gets her spot. But I didn't want her knocking Smudge off, so I repeated several times, in a sing-songy voice, "Noooo, Roxy, no! Uh-uh-uh-uh, Roooooxy, no!" etc. Smudge knew I wasn't talking to her. Roxy got the message, lay down where she was, and glowered at us. Eventually, though, I was bothered by the many deep mats in Smudge's fur. I've already been working on some of them - I bring a pair of scissors outside with me when I feed her, so I can try to clip one or two off while she's eating. But here she was, dozing on my side. So I got out the scissors (which were within reach) and started clipping. She let me get away with this for a while, but then started getting annoyed. I did manage to remove 2 or 3 bad ones, but there are still several more embedded in her flanks and rear end. It's going to take a while. Once she got annoyed, she jumped down - and then all of a sudden, it was like she was noticing for the first time that I have two other cats, and she started growling and hissing at them. She ran to the door, growling the whole way, so I got up and let her back out. Joyce -- audiophile, n: Someone who listens to the equipment instead of the music. |
#4
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Visitor!
wrote in message ... I meant to post this yesterday, but forgot. The other night around midnight, I was just settling down to watch a little TV before going to bed, when I heard a very familiar *bap* on the bottom of my screen door. I ran to the door, opened it, and there stood Smudge, as though it hadn't been months since she last did this. So I opened the door, and she strode in as though she did this every night. I went back to the couch and sat down, she came over to the nearest scratching post and had herself a scratch, and then she jumped up and made herself comfortable on my side. Just as though it hadn't been months... She stayed there for at least 30 minutes, purring softly. Occasionally she stood up to turn around and knead for a minute before settling back down. Nobody else, by which I mean mostly Licky, bothered her. Roxy looked like she really wanted Smudge's spot on my side (it's a little chilly in the apartment, but not enough to turn on the heat, so I'm the warmest thing in the house as far as she's concerned). She started to walk over to us, and I knew what she was up to. When Roxy wants a spot that someone else is curled up in, she'll just go right up to them and bap them on the head. They hiss or growl, and then leave, so she gets her spot. But I didn't want her knocking Smudge off, so I repeated several times, in a sing-songy voice, "Noooo, Roxy, no! Uh-uh-uh-uh, Roooooxy, no!" etc. Smudge knew I wasn't talking to her. Roxy got the message, lay down where she was, and glowered at us. Eventually, though, I was bothered by the many deep mats in Smudge's fur. I've already been working on some of them - I bring a pair of scissors outside with me when I feed her, so I can try to clip one or two off while she's eating. But here she was, dozing on my side. So I got out the scissors (which were within reach) and started clipping. She let me get away with this for a while, but then started getting annoyed. I did manage to remove 2 or 3 bad ones, but there are still several more embedded in her flanks and rear end. It's going to take a while. Once she got annoyed, she jumped down - and then all of a sudden, it was like she was noticing for the first time that I have two other cats, and she started growling and hissing at them. She ran to the door, growling the whole way, so I got up and let her back out. Are you now worried about how her new people are looking after her? I wish she would come back home to you. Maybe she will, let's hope so. Tweed |
#5
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Visitor!
Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message I heard a very familiar *bap* on the bottom of my screen door. I ran to the door, opened it, and there stood Smudge, as though it hadn't been months since she last did this. [snip] Are you now worried about how her new people are looking after her? I wish she would come back home to you. Maybe she will, let's hope so. She doesn't have any "new people" per se. There are several people in the neighborhood who sort of look after her, which mostly means putting down dry food for her. I did approach a neighbor who likes her a lot, and in whose yard she often sleeps. I know he doesn't have any other cats and I thought she might enjoy being in his house. Mostly I'm worried about the upcoming winter. It doesn't get frigid like it does in Mooch's territory, but it's still raw and wet, not nice weather for kitties. I asked him if he might consider adopting Smudge. I also said that if he didn't want to take full responsibility for her, that if he just wanted to let her sleep in his house at night during the winter, that would work for me, too. He said he would think about it, and he seemed genuinely interested. Of course it would break my heart to actually give her up for adoption, but maybe it won't come to that. And after the other night, I'm thinking that maybe she'll bite the bullet and come into my place on rainy, chilly nights. Joyce -- A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. -- Groucho Marx |
#6
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Visitor!
wrote in message ... Christina Websell wrote: wrote in message I heard a very familiar *bap* on the bottom of my screen door. I ran to the door, opened it, and there stood Smudge, as though it hadn't been months since she last did this. [snip] Are you now worried about how her new people are looking after her? I wish she would come back home to you. Maybe she will, let's hope so. She doesn't have any "new people" per se. There are several people in the neighborhood who sort of look after her, which mostly means putting down dry food for her. I did approach a neighbor who likes her a lot, and in whose yard she often sleeps. I know he doesn't have any other cats and I thought she might enjoy being in his house. Mostly I'm worried about the upcoming winter. It doesn't get frigid like it does in Mooch's territory, but it's still raw and wet, not nice weather for kitties. I asked him if he might consider adopting Smudge. I also said that if he didn't want to take full responsibility for her, that if he just wanted to let her sleep in his house at night during the winter, that would work for me, too. He said he would think about it, and he seemed genuinely interested. Of course it would break my heart to actually give her up for adoption, but maybe it won't come to that. And after the other night, I'm thinking that maybe she'll bite the bullet and come into my place on rainy, chilly nights. I would be tempted to get her back and keep her in for six months |
#7
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Visitor!
Christina Websell wrote:
wrote in message Of course it would break my heart to actually give her up for adoption, but maybe it won't come to that. And after the other night, I'm thinking that maybe she'll bite the bullet and come into my place on rainy, chilly nights. I would be tempted to get her back and keep her in for six months That's something I've been considering, too. I think it would be misery for Smudge, Roxy, Licky, me, and any neighbor within earshot. But maybe worth it, I don't know. When she was younger, I kept her indoors for a few years (before I had the idea to put her on a leash and tie it to the stairwell railing). She *never* stopped trying to get out. Every time I opened the door or even went near it, she tried to race through it. When I was home, she would stand at the door and howl to be let out. And this was *before* she ever tasted the joy of being a free-to-roam, bona fide indoor/outdoor cat. I sense that she would find it intolerable to be trapped indoors now, and would become very depressed and hostile. That doesn't mean it's out of the question, but I don't have a good feeling about it. I think it would be better for her (and me, my other cats, etc) if she slept inside someone else's house when it's raining and/or cold. Joyce -- I want freedom, the right to self expression, everyone's right to beautiful radiant things. -- Emma Goldman |
#8
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#9
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Visitor!
wrote in message ... Christina Websell wrote: wrote in message Of course it would break my heart to actually give her up for adoption, but maybe it won't come to that. And after the other night, I'm thinking that maybe she'll bite the bullet and come into my place on rainy, chilly nights. I would be tempted to get her back and keep her in for six months That's something I've been considering, too. I think it would be misery for Smudge, Roxy, Licky, me, and any neighbor within earshot. But maybe worth it, I don't know. I guess they choose to live where they want to. Both mine did. KFC hated her home and waited years to come here. Boyfie was a lost soul and ended up here without my permission. He was up for the cat's home, but I got to like him. |
#10
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Visitor!
MLB wrote:
wrote: I cannot believe that you would tie a cat to a rail or anything else. That would be one quick way to strangle a cat. Please say this wasn't so. MLB I did do this for several years. But I didn't attach the leash to her collar. She wore a harness and the leash was attached to her back. What made me stop doing that wasn't a fear of strangulation, but the fact that she was attacked by dogs one evening and was unable to run away. That's when I realized that, in trying to keep her safe from traffic, I made her a sitting duck for dogs, mean kids, or anyone who came after her. So after that, she was allowed to go in and out freely. I live in an apartment, so building an enclosure isn't an option. I don't even have a deck where I could set something up like Marina has done. There's a narrow balcony in front of my apartment, but I can't block it with a cat enclosure because my neighbors need to walk through that area to get to the stairs. I've lived in my apartment for 10 years, so I've thought of it all! My neighborhood has several indoor/outdoor cats, who I've seen around for many years. It's not 100% safe, but very few things in life are. If I kept her indoors, she might well live longer - or, as the saying goes, "it would just feel that way." Joyce -- War is God's way of teaching Americans geography. |
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