My Dusty kitty was a stray that adopted us a couple of years ago, so we know nothing of her background. Now I've had several cats in the past, but none as unusual as this one. As a pet, I couldn't ask for a better animal, but I'm curious about some of her more unusual characteristics. Can anyone shed some light on this unusual cat?
She is a "tuxedo" charcoal gray & white spayed female.
Fur:
She is a "domestic long-hair" according to the vet. But she has the softest fur I've ever seen - very fine and very long when her full winter coat is in about January.
She only sheds once a year in the spring. Shedding lasts from March through April, and then she looks like a different animal! During her shedding period she has quite a problem with hairballs. Last year she lost 2 lbs. due to constant throwing up. This year I will make sure she gets plenty of Petromalt. The rest of the year she doesn't shed at all - no hair on her bedding, nothing.
Fleas/ear mites:
Since she was an outdoor cat when she came to live with us, I thought she would get fleas, so used Advantage for a couple of months. But for the past year I've used nothing and she still hasn't become infested with either fleas or ear mites. I only let her out in the daytime, and she rarely leaves our backyard. However, she has caught a few birds, ugh!
Allergies:
I am allergic to most cats, but this one doesn't bother me at all. I've had several people over - one in particular who is severely allergic to cats, but he had absolutely no reaction when he was exposed to her. Strange.
Personality:
She is absolutely the most loving kitty I've ever known! She loves to be petted, and is very diplomatic, dividing her time between me and my husband! She likes to lay close and will nuzzle my face when I'm stretched out on the sofa. She follows me around the house like a puppy, and wants to be where we are at all times when she is in the house. Right now she is on my lap begging for pets and interfering with my typing!
She has NEVER had a potty accident and usues her litterbox faithfully. She doesn't scratch on the furniture, and only uses her scratching board. She doesn't climb on the kitchen counters or table. She is quite the behaved lady.
However, she doesn't play. I've tried every toy and activity I can think of, and she's just not interested. (However, we KNOW she hunts!) We also bought a cat condo, which she wouldn't even explore, so we took it back to the store after two weeks of her jumping down every time we put her on it.
This picture was taken in January 2004 shortly after she adopted us. This is her winter coat. She is NOT fat, but looks that way - weighed about 8 lbs.
Here she is with her summer coat. Different cat? Nope!
She is a "tuxedo" charcoal gray & white spayed female.
Fur:
She is a "domestic long-hair" according to the vet. But she has the softest fur I've ever seen - very fine and very long when her full winter coat is in about January.
She only sheds once a year in the spring. Shedding lasts from March through April, and then she looks like a different animal! During her shedding period she has quite a problem with hairballs. Last year she lost 2 lbs. due to constant throwing up. This year I will make sure she gets plenty of Petromalt. The rest of the year she doesn't shed at all - no hair on her bedding, nothing.
Fleas/ear mites:
Since she was an outdoor cat when she came to live with us, I thought she would get fleas, so used Advantage for a couple of months. But for the past year I've used nothing and she still hasn't become infested with either fleas or ear mites. I only let her out in the daytime, and she rarely leaves our backyard. However, she has caught a few birds, ugh!
Allergies:
I am allergic to most cats, but this one doesn't bother me at all. I've had several people over - one in particular who is severely allergic to cats, but he had absolutely no reaction when he was exposed to her. Strange.
Personality:
She is absolutely the most loving kitty I've ever known! She loves to be petted, and is very diplomatic, dividing her time between me and my husband! She likes to lay close and will nuzzle my face when I'm stretched out on the sofa. She follows me around the house like a puppy, and wants to be where we are at all times when she is in the house. Right now she is on my lap begging for pets and interfering with my typing!
She has NEVER had a potty accident and usues her litterbox faithfully. She doesn't scratch on the furniture, and only uses her scratching board. She doesn't climb on the kitchen counters or table. She is quite the behaved lady.
However, she doesn't play. I've tried every toy and activity I can think of, and she's just not interested. (However, we KNOW she hunts!) We also bought a cat condo, which she wouldn't even explore, so we took it back to the store after two weeks of her jumping down every time we put her on it.
This picture was taken in January 2004 shortly after she adopted us. This is her winter coat. She is NOT fat, but looks that way - weighed about 8 lbs.
Here she is with her summer coat. Different cat? Nope!
