Trouble brewing for the Touchstone kitties (long)

There may be trouble brewing here now that Rocky has decided he wants
to be a lapcat.

First, Little Bit has never been thrilled that Rocky has been invited
into her house, though she seemed resigned to his presence as long as
he stayed on the floor. Now that he's decided to join us in the
recliner she's back to hissing and death glares. This seems to be too
much for her to stand though, and she's standing her ground this time,
instead of running and hiding. I'm glad that Rocky is so
mild-mannered, as he just ignores her and does whatever it is he
wants. Probably a good thing, too, since he has the scars to prove
that he's been in plenty of fights, not to mention he weighs twice as
much as Little Bit.

The real trouble may come when all three decide to join me in the
recliner at the same time, which, thankfully, so far hasn't happened.
In the past it wasn't really a problem, since Little Bit usually
prefers resting on top of me, while Sammy likes to be on the foot
rest. If I just HAD to get up when both Sammy and Little Bit were
sitting with me, I could usually manage to shift Little Bit to the
foot rest and get up without disturbing them too much.

So far, I've come up with some tentative plans to get out of this
spot.

Plan A: Keep an unopened soda bottle by the recliner. Sammy, almost
without fail, wakes up whenever she hears a soda being opened. She'll
even come running from another room when I open a soda and wants to
play fetch. This plan seems to offer the best chance of success.

Plan B: Keep a squeaky mouse by the recliner. Rocky dearly loves the
mouse, but I foresee limited success with this plan. When he's serious
about napping the squeaky mouse only gets a look before he goes back
to napping.

Plan C: Pretty sure this will work, although it will take about
fifteen minutes. Little Bit loves her brush, and doesn't mind being
awakened to be brushed. After 15 or so minutes, she usually gets up
and goes elsewhere to finish grooming herself. Sammy doesn't like to
be brushed, but a problem could arise if Rocky decides he does. It
would be even worse if Sammy sees the other two getting brushed and
she decides to give it a try. I could end up like Victor, having more
cats who want to be brushed than hands to do the brushing.

If none of the above work, I see only tree ways out.

First, just give up and wait for someone to decide to get.

Second, if I really HAVE to get up, do whatever I have to do and then
beg for forgiveness. I can probably make it up to Rocky by opening up
a can of Fancy Feast, and he's always ready to wolf down some FF.
Sammy will probably forgive me if I get out the feather wand. I'm not
sure what to do to make it up to Little Bit, though, especially if the
brushing failed to get her to get up in the first place.

Third, just forget sitting in the recliner in the first place and move
sofa. I figure I'll have a much better chance of getting up from there
without upsetting anyone.

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?
--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky

[remove Junk for email]
http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html

Sorry, Steve.....the Evil 3 here only all join the hoomins on the
bed......the hoomins would not *dare* sit on the recliner, because it
belongs to the cats (mainly Rowdy)! There is no question of "how to exit the
recliner" without disturbing them, as they fight over which of them is to
sprawl on it - Rowdy, biggest and baddest, usually wins by throwing his
considerable weight around - and there is *no room* for a hoomin then
anyway. Hoomins sit on the sofa or the occasional chairs, NOT the recliner.
Good luck with your problem.

"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
: There may be trouble brewing here now that Rocky has decided he wants
: to be a lapcat.
:
: First, Little Bit has never been thrilled that Rocky has been invited
: into her house, though she seemed resigned to his presence as long as
: he stayed on the floor. Now that he's decided to join us in the
: recliner she's back to hissing and death glares. This seems to be too
: much for her to stand though, and she's standing her ground this time,
: instead of running and hiding. I'm glad that Rocky is so
: mild-mannered, as he just ignores her and does whatever it is he
: wants. Probably a good thing, too, since he has the scars to prove
: that he's been in plenty of fights, not to mention he weighs twice as
: much as Little Bit.
:
: The real trouble may come when all three decide to join me in the
: recliner at the same time, which, thankfully, so far hasn't happened.
: In the past it wasn't really a problem, since Little Bit usually
: prefers resting on top of me, while Sammy likes to be on the foot
: rest. If I just HAD to get up when both Sammy and Little Bit were
: sitting with me, I could usually manage to shift Little Bit to the
: foot rest and get up without disturbing them too much.
:
: So far, I've come up with some tentative plans to get out of this
: spot.
:
: Plan A: Keep an unopened soda bottle by the recliner. Sammy, almost
: without fail, wakes up whenever she hears a soda being opened. She'll
: even come running from another room when I open a soda and wants to
: play fetch. This plan seems to offer the best chance of success.
:
: Plan B: Keep a squeaky mouse by the recliner. Rocky dearly loves the
: mouse, but I foresee limited success with this plan. When he's serious
: about napping the squeaky mouse only gets a look before he goes back
: to napping.
:
: Plan C: Pretty sure this will work, although it will take about
: fifteen minutes. Little Bit loves her brush, and doesn't mind being
: awakened to be brushed. After 15 or so minutes, she usually gets up
: and goes elsewhere to finish grooming herself. Sammy doesn't like to
: be brushed, but a problem could arise if Rocky decides he does. It
: would be even worse if Sammy sees the other two getting brushed and
: she decides to give it a try. I could end up like Victor, having more
: cats who want to be brushed than hands to do the brushing.
:
: If none of the above work, I see only tree ways out.
:
: First, just give up and wait for someone to decide to get.
:
: Second, if I really HAVE to get up, do whatever I have to do and then
: beg for forgiveness. I can probably make it up to Rocky by opening up
: a can of Fancy Feast, and he's always ready to wolf down some FF.
: Sammy will probably forgive me if I get out the feather wand. I'm not
: sure what to do to make it up to Little Bit, though, especially if the
: brushing failed to get her to get up in the first place.
:
: Third, just forget sitting in the recliner in the first place and move
: sofa. I figure I'll have a much better chance of getting up from there
: without upsetting anyone.
:
: So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
: catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
: board?
: --
: Steve Touchstone,
: faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky
:
: [remove Junk for email]
: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?
--
Steve Touchstone,

1. Shift your weight enough to pull the back of the recliner vertical. Ignore
the slitted eyes of the felines.
2. Swing legs to the right and toward the floor, edge butt toward right side of
chair. Leaving footrest up and ignoring death stares of the felines.
3. Hoist yourself out of the chair, and forget about returning to it for the
rest of the night, as the cats will re-position themselves so that they are
lying on your afghan and have left no room for you anyway.

Sherry

On 17 Nov 2003 05:04:09 GMT, itty (Sherry ) wrote:

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?
--
Steve Touchstone,

1. Shift your weight enough to pull the back of the recliner vertical. Ignore
the slitted eyes of the felines.
2. Swing legs to the right and toward the floor, edge butt toward right side of
chair. Leaving footrest up and ignoring death stares of the felines.
3. Hoist yourself out of the chair, and forget about returning to it for the
rest of the night, as the cats will re-position themselves so that they are
lying on your afghan and have left no room for you anyway.

Sherry

I don't have three cats, but TuTu is big enough to make up for it. I
don't mess around like you do -- I say "time to get off, I have to get
up" Try it -- it works. MLB

in article , Steve Touchstone at
wrote on 11/16/03 10:18 PM:

There may be trouble brewing here now that Rocky has decided he wants
to be a lapcat.

First, Little Bit has never been thrilled that Rocky has been invited
into her house, though she seemed resigned to his presence as long as
he stayed on the floor. Now that he's decided to join us in the
recliner she's back to hissing and death glares. This seems to be too
much for her to stand though, and she's standing her ground this time,
instead of running and hiding. I'm glad that Rocky is so
mild-mannered, as he just ignores her and does whatever it is he
wants. Probably a good thing, too, since he has the scars to prove
that he's been in plenty of fights, not to mention he weighs twice as
much as Little Bit.

The real trouble may come when all three decide to join me in the
recliner at the same time, which, thankfully, so far hasn't happened.
In the past it wasn't really a problem, since Little Bit usually
prefers resting on top of me, while Sammy likes to be on the foot
rest. If I just HAD to get up when both Sammy and Little Bit were
sitting with me, I could usually manage to shift Little Bit to the
foot rest and get up without disturbing them too much.

So far, I've come up with some tentative plans to get out of this
spot.

Plan A: Keep an unopened soda bottle by the recliner. Sammy, almost
without fail, wakes up whenever she hears a soda being opened. She'll
even come running from another room when I open a soda and wants to
play fetch. This plan seems to offer the best chance of success.

Plan B: Keep a squeaky mouse by the recliner. Rocky dearly loves the
mouse, but I foresee limited success with this plan. When he's serious
about napping the squeaky mouse only gets a look before he goes back
to napping.

Plan C: Pretty sure this will work, although it will take about
fifteen minutes. Little Bit loves her brush, and doesn't mind being
awakened to be brushed. After 15 or so minutes, she usually gets up
and goes elsewhere to finish grooming herself. Sammy doesn't like to
be brushed, but a problem could arise if Rocky decides he does. It
would be even worse if Sammy sees the other two getting brushed and
she decides to give it a try. I could end up like Victor, having more
cats who want to be brushed than hands to do the brushing.

If none of the above work, I see only tree ways out.

First, just give up and wait for someone to decide to get.

Second, if I really HAVE to get up, do whatever I have to do and then
beg for forgiveness. I can probably make it up to Rocky by opening up
a can of Fancy Feast, and he's always ready to wolf down some FF.
Sammy will probably forgive me if I get out the feather wand. I'm not
sure what to do to make it up to Little Bit, though, especially if the
brushing failed to get her to get up in the first place.

Third, just forget sitting in the recliner in the first place and move
sofa. I figure I'll have a much better chance of getting up from there
without upsetting anyone.

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?

I'd get a 3 foot cat perch and put it by the chair with a nice purr pad in
it. Usually works for me at the desk to have a bed for each nearby. They get
on my lap pretty much individually when the others aren't near. It can be
right by the arm of your chair so community is still there but not territory
problems.

karen

I'm jealous, Steve, since not only do I not have three lap kitties, I do not
have even one (although if I continue being patient, Soncek might some day
become one too).
Best wishes,
--
Polonca & Soncek

"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
There may be trouble brewing here now that Rocky has decided he wants
to be a lapcat.
snip

On 17 Nov 2003 00:08:33 -0600, Karen
wrote:

i




Second, if I really HAVE to get up, do whatever I have to do and then
beg for forgiveness. I can probably make it up to Rocky by opening up
a can of Fancy Feast, and he's always ready to wolf down some FF.
Sammy will probably forgive me if I get out the feather wand. I'm not
sure what to do to make it up to Little Bit, though, especially if the
brushing failed to get her to get up in the first place.

Third, just forget sitting in the recliner in the first place and move
sofa. I figure I'll have a much better chance of getting up from there
without upsetting anyone.

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?

I'd get a 3 foot cat perch and put it by the chair with a nice purr pad in
it. Usually works for me at the desk to have a bed for each nearby. They get
on my lap pretty much individually when the others aren't near. It can be
right by the arm of your chair so community is still there but not territory
problems.

karen

My two wouldn't dream of trying to fit BOTH bodies on my lap at the
same time. Too much jealousy there, but Callisto usually wins out.
The only thing is, sometimes I get restless leg syndrome (which drives
me crazy too) and by the 3rd or 4th jump leg spasm, she's had enough
and jumps down with a big harumph and baleful glare. Xena always
makes sure to get to the computer first, and claims the purr pad on
top of the monitor. Jennie

I'm jealous, Steve, since not only do I not have three lap kitties, I do not
have even one (although if I continue being patient, Soncek might some day
become one too).
Best wishes,
--

Polonca, mine aren't lap cats either. They just like the afghan that's on the
recliner. They tolerate me sharing it with them, but they won't get on my lap
in any other chair!

Sherry

"Steve Touchstone" wrote in message
...
There may be trouble brewing here now that Rocky has decided he wants
to be a lapcat.

First, Little Bit has never been thrilled that Rocky has been invited
into her house, though she seemed resigned to his presence as long as
he stayed on the floor. Now that he's decided to join us in the
recliner she's back to hissing and death glares. This seems to be too
much for her to stand though, and she's standing her ground this time,
instead of running and hiding. I'm glad that Rocky is so
mild-mannered, as he just ignores her and does whatever it is he
wants. Probably a good thing, too, since he has the scars to prove
that he's been in plenty of fights, not to mention he weighs twice as
much as Little Bit.

The real trouble may come when all three decide to join me in the
recliner at the same time, which, thankfully, so far hasn't happened.
In the past it wasn't really a problem, since Little Bit usually
prefers resting on top of me, while Sammy likes to be on the foot
rest. If I just HAD to get up when both Sammy and Little Bit were
sitting with me, I could usually manage to shift Little Bit to the
foot rest and get up without disturbing them too much.

So far, I've come up with some tentative plans to get out of this
spot.

Plan A: Keep an unopened soda bottle by the recliner. Sammy, almost
without fail, wakes up whenever she hears a soda being opened. She'll
even come running from another room when I open a soda and wants to
play fetch. This plan seems to offer the best chance of success.

Plan B: Keep a squeaky mouse by the recliner. Rocky dearly loves the
mouse, but I foresee limited success with this plan. When he's serious
about napping the squeaky mouse only gets a look before he goes back
to napping.

Plan C: Pretty sure this will work, although it will take about
fifteen minutes. Little Bit loves her brush, and doesn't mind being
awakened to be brushed. After 15 or so minutes, she usually gets up
and goes elsewhere to finish grooming herself. Sammy doesn't like to
be brushed, but a problem could arise if Rocky decides he does. It
would be even worse if Sammy sees the other two getting brushed and
she decides to give it a try. I could end up like Victor, having more
cats who want to be brushed than hands to do the brushing.

If none of the above work, I see only tree ways out.

First, just give up and wait for someone to decide to get.

Second, if I really HAVE to get up, do whatever I have to do and then
beg for forgiveness. I can probably make it up to Rocky by opening up
a can of Fancy Feast, and he's always ready to wolf down some FF.
Sammy will probably forgive me if I get out the feather wand. I'm not
sure what to do to make it up to Little Bit, though, especially if the
brushing failed to get her to get up in the first place.

Third, just forget sitting in the recliner in the first place and move
sofa. I figure I'll have a much better chance of getting up from there
without upsetting anyone.

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?
--
Steve Touchstone,
faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky

[remove Junk for email]
http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html

Substitute "sofa" for "recliner" for what goes on at my house. When I need
to get up, I start stretching and squirming. I tell the cats in my most
apologetic voice that I have to get up now. I stretch some more, and begin
edging my legs towards the floor.

If they won't budge, I shift them off me as gently as possible and/or
attempt to slide out from under them.

It takes me a loooooooooong time to get up.

Brenda

Steve Touchstone wrote

So, before I'm actually faced with this problem, how do you old-hand
catslaves manage to get up from a recliner when you have three cats on
board?

Shove 'em off.

I am impervious to death glares.

--
David Stevenson Storypage: http://blakjak.com/sty_menu.htm
Liverpool, England, UK Emails welcome
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