Do you buy or do certain things for certain cats?

bastetservant

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Though cats don't have much of a sense of property, pretty much everything is theirs it seems, sometimes I buy certain things for one of them in particular, or do something one likes, just for them. Sometimes it doesn't work out as I expected.

I bought one of those padded igloo or pyramid things for Tonya because I thought it would make her feel more secure to get in it. She absolutely wouldn't go near it. I put treats in it to try to entice her. She pulled them out with her paw. I even put her food dish in it. She ate with her head in it, but the rest of her out. After a couple of months I finally gave up and took it out of her room (which she still lives in though she comes out on her own on a limited basis). Both Ariel and Harlow use the igloo quite often.

I fill the bird feeder for Ariel because she is my most devoted bird watcher. I always tell her I filled it for her.

I bought one of those wave or curl horizontal scratchers last summer. Lily is very possessive of it. She was especially like that the first few months. Lately she hasn't gone after the boys and smacked them if they dare to touch it.

I bought Tonya a Star Gazer Turbo Scratcher. She loves it. She is always, however, putting other toys in the track so the ball doesn't go around all the way. She seems to like it that way. Harlow sometimes goes into her room and plays with it. She goes under the bed then.

I buy these foam "soccer" balls at Petsmart for Lily because she particularly loves them. Harlow does, too. There seems to be about 16 of them lost in my house. And I do clean under things, really I do. I just don't know where they disappear to.

Every time I buy a new cat bed I never know who is going to take a shine to it. But somebody always does. Except Lily and Tonya will never get in any bed. They like flat pads and towels - no beds. Harlow, Claude, and Ariel each use 2 or more beds each - but no sharing - they each have their own favorites - except the igloo/pyramid thing that Harlow and Ariel both use.

I bought the Go, Go, Dancer toy, and a Neko Flies toy to try to get Claude to play. He couldn't care less, but the 4 others love those toys.

Ariel and Harlow have long hair and need to be brushed/combed. Ariel lets me do it, very gingerly, a little. Harlow hates it and loves it. We struggle over it. But the two who absolutely love, love, love to be brushed or combed, are Lily and Claudio. But they don't really need it! But they come running for their chance to be brushed, whenever I start with anyone else.

Those are just some examples that came off the top of my head. How about you?

Robin
 

strange_wings

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I buy crinkly small mylar balls for Tanna. They're her favorite toy to play fetch with and even though her games of fetch are annoying (as is her timing) we indulge her. It's amusing when DH is napping on the couch and Tanna brings him a ball. When he fails to immediately respond she starts her loud whining.
Some of the other cats like the mylar balls but Tanna doesn't share.


Other toys I specifically make for them. Like the 23" catnip worms. They're long and skinny and Siri loves to bat them halfway under the couch or living room closet door then play with them. I have yet to figure out that objective of that game...

I made a kitty multi level pillow bed /hammock hanger thingy and hung it next to our bed expecting Sho and Tomas to maybe use it. Neither of them are remotely interested. Instead the kittens took it over. There's probably one or two of them sleeping in it right now.

Originally Posted by bastetservant

I buy these foam "soccer" balls at Petsmart for Lily because she particularly loves them. Harlow does, too. There seems to be about 16 of them lost in my house. And I do clean under things, really I do. I just don't know where they disappear to.
I have the same problem here. I've moved all of the furniture I can, I look behind and in things, and yet there are still several toys missing.

Current rough guesses are
10 fleece balls
7 small mylar balls
1 catnip worm
1 braided raffeta feather toy
the bottom half of an plastic Easter egg
1 practice golf ball (they have 2 of them)
1 large orange rubber super ball
2 juice bottle lids

All but the mylar balls I expect to turn up from time to time since the cats eventually rediscover where they've hidden them. I have yet to see any sign of those mylar balls and am at a complete loss as to where they've been for close to a year.
 

cococat

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Of course, that goes for all pets here. Who doesn't?

It is just part of having animals live with you and share life with you.
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by cococat

Of course, that goes for all pets here. Who doesn't?

It is just part of having animals live with you and share life with you.
I think she was wanting to chat about toys and kitties favorites more than it being a yes or no answer. Maybe I'm wrong?
 
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bastetservant

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Yes, I was hoping to hear about things people here do for their particular cats, or buy for them, or make them (I'm getting inspired by you to do that strange wings). I really like to hear stories about cats and talk about my cats (no kidding
) and that's the main reason I come to tcs.

Because, you know, I REALLY like cats!


I was just musing about how mine are so different, and such individuals, and that I like to do special things for each of them that will please them as individuals. But, sometimes it doesn't work out like I hoped. But that's OK, as it works out some way, and often it's funny.


Robin
 

strange_wings

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That's one of the nice things about a multi cat home, though. Sometimes your good intentions with toys or cat furniture items ends up with a different cat. But at least it's being enjoyed.


I have a cat bed I made years ago for Sho. He wasn't that fond of it. Now I commonly find every cat but Sho and Siri using it. There's also a basket that I got for Tomas because he likes to climb into things and sleep. He never seemed to really like it. Now Blasa and Tanna use it frequently.
 

jenwales

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I buy communal toys. They all like the same things.

Lily loves boxes more than is healthy, I think. She likes to squeeze into tiny boxes so if I see any good Lily boxes at work I snag them and bring them home for her. She gets so excited. DH doesn't like boxes lying all over the place and tends to throw them away frequently, so I just bring more home. Poor DH.
 

zohdee

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Charna has managed to drag off and hide two Da birds. She loves those. Aberdeen loves boxes of any kind. They all love greenies. I am out at the present time and they are all following me around like I am the pied piper.

I try not to play favorites but I am getting Charna a bit more stuff so she can be more social with me.
 

alicatjoy

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I both purchase things and do things for each of my cats based on their needs, likes, and dislikes. It comes with the territory of being owned by kitties
.

Cassidy: I always have Da Bird refills and batteries for the laser pointers on hand. She loves those two toys and it's the main way I get her to move around and get exercise. I also buy her the balls or disks that release food or treats (though I usually fill them with her kibble) when batted around. As far as what I do for her, I spend a lot of time grooming her. She enjoys it, but especially likes the hairball treats and Petromalt that I give her. Cassidy is all about the treats all the time and that's something else that I keep in mind when shopping for her. Those are our special times together and I know she really relishes that time -- I know I do.

Delaney: For Laney, it's all about the toys that make noise. She loves toys that chirp, squeak, or make other sounds. She's big into chattering at her toys and so they are a must in order to keep her entertained. Our special time together is in the morning when I first get up. When I feed the others, Delaney comes and sits with me for a bit (usually when I'm reading or saying my prayers). She snuggles me and I pet her and get her motor going. She can be standoffish the rest of the day, but mornings are our time together. Scratching posts are another favorite, as is anything she can use to scratch on. I'm always looking for the next best thing for her.

Emory: Last year, I bought a special mat that heats up using the cat's own body heat. I knew, as soon as I saw it, that Em would love it. And, she has. No one else is allowed on her mat though Delaney sneaks on more often than not. And, it's odd that Emory doesn't fight her -- especially considering they are the two that don't get along as well. I buy mats for the other cats as well, but I usually try to always pick out a deeper, cushier bed for Emory. She enjoys being enveloped in warmth. I also got her a curry comb since she has sensitive skin. She's not as snuggly with me as the others, but grooming her with the curry comb does give us one-on-one time together.

Finnegan: First and foremost, Finn gets his special prescription food. He also gets a lot of attention. He likes to be all over me and I do carve out time in my day to spend with him and him alone. He also gets a lot of catnip toys. He loves this one kind of toy (it's hard to explain) and I have been known to go to multiple pet stores in order to find him his favorite toys. Treats are another big one for my little guy. He only gets hypoallergenic treats, but he enjoys them (as do all of the other kitties). I also like to get Finn things that he can go into. He likes to hide and then pounce on the others. And, while I shouldn't encourage that behavior, I can't stop him. So, I try to keep him occupied with anything and everything. It's for all of our sanity.

I could go on and on forever. But, I won't. Suffice it to say that each of my cats have me wrapped around their little paws. Each ones' needs are separate and unique, but I try to do my best to allow them all to be individuals as well as a group. I could never have it any other way.
 

Winchester

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Let me see.....well, we keep the electric blanket turned on for all the kids whenever we're at home. Their old bones appreciate the warmth.

Whisper gets her Hills KD food for chronic renal failure; she was diagnosed back in December. We got it in time and she's doing very well so far. The other night she was jumping around playing with a meece (mouse) and you'd never think that girl was going to be 17 years old in July!

BooBoo loves to play with sparkly balls and when he gets them under the stove or the hutch, I have to get down on the floor with the yardstick to fish them out....even if it is 3:00 in the morning! We give BooBoo Prednisone for an allergy that he's developed. Boo also gets an extra snack at night because the Prednisone makes him hungrier...and because he deserves it. Boo and I do the Bounce about twice a week and he loves Bouncing with me.

Ms. Pepe loves, loves, loves a good brushing. Every night when the dishes are done and the kitchen is cleaned, I get the grooming tools out and brush one or two cats. Ms. Pepe is always the first one to be brushed because she won't leave me alone otherwise. That girl has the softest, shiniest coat and I think it's because I brush her pretty much every night.

Mollipop loves her meeces! She also loves Da Bird and, after doing my brushing duties, she and I will play with Da Bird for about 30-45 minutes pretty much every night. She also gets an extra snack at night because, well, she's a growing kitten....and because she's Mollipop!

Bootser doesn't play much at all. And Amber's favorite toy is Mollipop. But when I'm in the computer room, Amber will sashay into the room and flirt with me. By flirting, I mean she'll come just close enough that I can touch her, then she'll shy away. She's still really skittish (after 8 years), and we've learned to leave her alone unless she initiates contact. If we're sitting on the couch, she'll jump up for just a few minutes, just long enough to say, "I do love you, but I'm just a nervous-Nellie!" and then she'll jump back down.

Oh and at night right before bed, the cats will all line up at the foot of the bed for a few treats. I'll yell "Treat!" and they all go running to the bedroom. I'll get the treat bag and each cat will get a treat or two. Whisper and Bootser usually just get one because a lot of times, they'll puke them back up in the middle of the night....not pretty. And Ms. Pepe is a little mass-enhanced (never tell a kitty she is fat!), so we have to be careful with her, too. We had done bedtime snacks for years, but after Banshee died, I stopped. I started it back up again a few months ago, and they remember! All I had to do was yell "Treat!" from the bedroom and five cats came zooming back the hallway. Well, Mollipop came back, too, even though she had no idea what was going on at the time. She does now, though.

Years ago, I bought a toy for Banshee that I knew she would just love. But she didn't. And for years, DH called that toy "Pam's Folly" as a way to remind me. But then, when Amber came into the house, she adored the toy. So I was vindicated.
 
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