We've taken on a new cat - Tigger - Page 2  

We have 5 masters: Tigger (oldest @ 13) Shadow Ram (alpha 9yr.) Laptop (brother of Shadow [ same litter] and Sterling [ next litter 8 yr.] ) Sterling and Charlie (youngest)
One dog Kaitu (11 yr.) (we had to put Sitka down recently sniff) and one Cockatiel Sunshine (14 yr.)

All of them interact with all the others, except for Tigger (who does not like dogs)
I don't think we'll ever know what happened to Tigger when he was very young for him to hate dogs..... sigh. We still have hope though.

Another Tigger Update:
My master has discovered that the heating pad I use to warm my legs, while in bed, is the perfect place to "survey his domain". (I have to use the heating pad or my legs will cramp during the night) I don't have a say in the matter till my darling wife comes to bed. He MUST have the area where the heating pad heats his sleeping form. The looks I receive, and the rather insistant "What are you trying to do with MY space slave?" The arrival of my wife gives me respite since Tigger MUST use her as a sleeping pad. He is enamored of my wife (as I am) and follows her around the house and goes where she goes. I am the stairs/hallway/bridge/pathway to her if I happen to be between the two. The ONLY use I seem to serve is to turn on the water of the sink he uses to drink or to serve his food to him if I happen to be walking by him in the kitchen. (He is the only master we have that will eat when he's hungry and leave food in the bowl when he's full so we have to pick up his food and put it in the food closet)
Tiggers manner seems to be getting more gentle as time goes on. Our gentle way around the house is NOT the tension filled atmosphere where he used to live. He now allows me to "ratch" near his tail where he used to scratch/bite if you got too close to the tail. He's starting to allow the belly scratch also. LOUD PURR machine has been built since he came to live and control us. He "rarely" purred before.
My in-laws have remarked that Tigger "must like it here"

Now if he would only start to tolerate the dog.

We still have hopes

Another Update:
Tigger and all the others who get along with him (Shadow Ram & Charlie) have discovered that I don't flop around when laying on the couch. Therefore I'm fair game as a pillow. I was laying back talking to my DW on the phone, when Charlie decides that the slave is in perfect position for lounging. He stretches out on my legs and promply rolls his eyes up and contemplates his navel. Not wishing to upset this three legged master, I put the phone on the floor and wonder what's next. I'm motionless and fair game. Tigger saunters in and stops in front of the couch. He gazes upon my supine position for quite a long time. He decides that room is available and settles down on my stomach. I resign myself for a longer "rest upon" the couch than initially planned. My coffee calls.... so I drink slowly. I spy an open eye by Tigger who decides that the movement can be tolerated for the short time I'm drinking. He goes back to contemplating his navel in the legs tucked under (we call it the meatloaf position since it does somewhat resemble a meatloaf) with his tongue just slightly stuck out of his mouth. That indicates that a long contemplation is now started.

Somehow during the process my eyes seem to have rolled up and my navel is now being contemplated. I snore, which seems to be a trigger for loud purring.


The LOUD purring and noise from the slave that seems to indicate he is now going to move has attracted the attention of Shadow Ram. The smallest cat, and Alpha has been called to the living room. He decides to join us and the only space available is on my chest. He walks gingerly in circles, attempting to find the perfect position for his navel contemplation. This motion has percolated down into my snore generator as something unusual and that maybe I should just awaken enough to investigate the motion. Shadow Ram decides that facing south is acceptible. His tail is now 2 inches from my nose. I am glad he takes fastidious care of his toilet.

I must gently blow the long hair that is now in very close vicinity to my lips, which are covered with lip balm. I am not successful in keeping the long hair from now adhering to my lips. Sigh....

I once again fall into the contemplation and in the distance I hear the garage door opening. Son and wife return.

They seem to amused at my posture and quietly go get the camera. ALAS my masters have detected they primary FOOD dispensers return and awaken, stretch and head for the kitchen before son or wife can get the camera.

I am left with many cat hairs upon my lips. Darling wife comes over to kiss but detects the hair and starts to laugh.

Ah... life among so many masters continues.

Tigger has started leaving a straw on my pillow. He will HUNT them down and attack them, not unlike a kitten who has just discovered the effects of catnip. Loud and distinctive merrooows can be heard throughout the house when the "Great Straw Hunter" has made his appearance within our midst. The quiet time is often the period that he is stalking the prey. A successful hunt is announced and he will wrestle and roll with the prey till it is surly dead. It is displayed for all to see while he prances around. The ceremony whereupon he places this "kill" can sometimes seem to be elaborately planned or executed with painstaking attention to numerous parts or details that are only known to the "Great Hunter". OR... it's drop and quickly start the hunt once again.

I'm unsure if Tigger is using me as the dumping ground or he's trying to feed me.

Oh well.. it's another day caring for my masters. %^ )

We have returned from the evil Vet. The bill of health for Tigger has returned with a very clean slate. No change, except for his extended excursion into mellow life of catdom. The vet is pleased as punch that his health has not deteriorated and believes that the pleasant life at home has worked its magic. He will allow me to ratch his tummy longer than before. He may decide that he really likes it, but I still approach the tummy ratch with a careful eye on his disposition. Loud purring

On another note: Shadow Ram MUST have a drink out of the guest sink when he comes upstairs. Tigger MUST have a drink out of the guest sink when he comes upstairs. Charlie MUST curl up IN THE SINK, regardless if water is on the bottom of the sink or not.

There is a race to the guest sink to see who will drink or "rest", however, if Shadow Ram (Alpha) and Tigger arrive at the same time, Shadow Ram will defer to Tigger (the oldest) for the drink. Shadow Ram drinks and than Charlie will "rest"

Sterling and Laptop prefer the master bedroom sink and will curl up on the bed together, hiding from Tigger/Charlie. It appears the marmalade monster kitties are not of the ilk preferred by the two. (we have no idea why the marmalade Tigger is nasty to Laptop/Sterling. Charlie is an obnoxious to everyone but that is lessening as he gets older. Charlie is at least 7 years younger than the other cats with Tigger being oldest at 13??)

It is my opinion that lots of love is turning Tigger toward the force instead of heading for the darkside.

My father in law and mother in law came over for New Years and really like how Tigger has become "mellow cat"

Ah... the wonderful of out Masters continues to make our household interesting. I've noted how when the door to the downstairs is open so that three of the cats can socialize with Tigger results in a cat race to the guest bathroom with various results. Three cats trying to drink out from the same source is amusing OR if Three legged Charlie gets into the sink first he will lay in the sink. Thus Shadow, Tigger may or may not complain if Charlie get there first. However, this is an update on Tigger.

Tigger has discovered that if he sits/lays on the keyboard of my laptop computer, or Nancys he will have a WARM place to rest his aged bones. Tigger has launched some unusual programs, once starting a computer program update that takes quite a few different keystrokes to start. The best was the time he shutdown the laptop.

Nancy and I do not yell at Tigger for getting on the laptop. We figure he's an OLD cat and needs love and attention, not abusive atmosphere. We realize that he "may" destroy some data, but we backup on a weekly basis, thus we allow the behavior. We gently pick him up and give him attention till he gets down. "Most" of the time he'll saunter away purring, but he occasionally gets back on the laptop keyboard to warm his aged bones. Warm body, attention from his slaves and respect he receives.

We KNOW he thinks it can't get much better than this.....

unless a ham or beef sandwich is being made. Such begging can be heard throughout the house. %^ )

Ah... the latest has both good and bad.

My nightstand has a small pad (a shoe cleaner from some hotel) where I put my morning coffee. It also has a clock, light and plastic bottle of baby powder. It also has a little flat bowl for my change, lip balm and such.

I work a somewhat strange shift... either a 12 hr. night watch or 12 hr. day shift. 8am-8pm or 8pm-8am

Consequently I'm sleeping like a bear in the winter. I must have a heating pad for the lower half of my body because my legs will cramp if too cold. The door is left open so that my masters may enter the bedroom anytime they feel the urge. The dog, being not an intellectual giant (he was picked up incorrectly by his mother and suffered brain damage) , is stopped by the door and goes back to the living room/kitchen. The cats will taunt the dog and run down the hall with Kaitu chasing. Into the bedroom the masters go... and the dog stops. The cats may or maynot decide to do a bounce turn off my sleeping body. OR they may decide I'm a launch pad, using the rather nice oak stepstool beside the bed so "older" cats can climb up to the bed. In any case the process is: step stool to get half way up to bed level, a leap to my sleeping form so as to launch themself UP to see if they can get to the ceiling where a windchime is placed. Make a nice chime noise is worth 1000 points methinks. Bouce back to the edge of the bed.... OOPS I missed the edge and I'm going to slide on the nightstand.... Oh... I meant to do that slave so stop complaining... slide.... ooh slide on the nice pad.... knock the bottle off. OHHHHH great gobs of white stuff can be made. I like to play with that.... (I now place the bottle in the closet)

You're sleeping during the day? I'm awake so YOU MUST BE AWAKE. I'll let you see/smell my tailend. OR I'll let you smell my kibble breath.

OH... wait.... your lower end is WARM. GO BACK TO SLEEP.... I'll guard you lower half and just wait for you to wake up. DON'T TURN OVER...

ah... a cats job is never done.

Kitty TV was very interesting today. Seems that a teenage squizzle was out on the deck running back and forth on the rail. Not a big deal... but Laptop and Sterling were in my bedroom (door fully closed so that must mean the Tigger, Charlie and Shadow are in kitchen/dining/family room area and we HAVE to keep Laptop/Sterling separate else Tigger go crazy and attack them duo.... Charlie will "sometimes" hassle the duo)

Kitty TV has the volume turned up. Sterling and Laptop are both NATTERING at the squizzle. I hear the other three nattering and the squizzle KNOWS that he is the prime object of attention of FIVE cats. He runs back and forth... sometimes a saunter... but he's safe and knows it.

I go back to sleep. Sterling and Laptop join me on the bed. Sterling by my head... a long hair sterling silver cat... and a general run of the mill Tabby who likes to use my lap. He's a 15 lb or so car.... and you know when he's there.

AH.... cat nappping at it's finest.. but for some reason Laptop LAUNCHES himself (turns out to be toward the door since Nancy is opening to feed them and calls them with the dinner call) and awakens me.

HUH???...

Go back to sleep dear. I'm just feeding the cats.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I awaken with some rather large blobs of long hair from Sterling. Stuck to face and lips .....

My life term caring for my masters has entered another day.

Update on the household:

It has been somewhat of a trying time of late. Kaitu, my Alaskan Malamute, developed pneumonia and had to spend a week in the hospital. Coughing up blood so we rushed him to the ER vet. He's doing fine

My Master Sterling decided to develope diabetes. He was listless and did not want to eat last Sunday night. I pick him up and go to the bedroom. (he will only approach me in the kitchen (where he tries to convince me that he's starving) or if I'm sitting on the chair at the end of the table in the living room, or the top of the stairs. (silly kitty)

I lay down on the bed and pet him. Normally, when I stop, he will RUN away to the kitchen. He just lay there listless so I told Nancy that we should take him in the the vet and have him checked. Nancy takes Sterling to the vet while I take Kaitu to the ER vet for his checkup.

Kaitu is fine.... but Sterling has a blood sugar of 600. I HATE diabetes. My first wife died of the disease. Sigh... It takes three days of IV fluids, and insulin every hour to get him down to a normal range. Another four days till he decides that he will eat. He now gets insulin twice a day. Son Philip is being taught how to inject insulin (he's timid to do so) Nancy is a nurse so she knows. I injected my first wife almost daily... so I'm familar.

Sterling is doing fine.

Now for the update concerning Tigger.

Nothing really new, but we have noticed a behavior that is making us smile.

When Tigger decides that he needs to administer discipline to any of the cats or that other beast - the dog, he will. BUT he does seem to want to be somewhat vigorous and that can result in hurting others. When he gets stiff legged mad he should not be approached. What we do is use a squirt bottle to "get his attention" .

Now Tigger is a cat who will stick his head under the faucet to drink the water that will flow down his head. He will also stick his leg under the stream to drink also. He will also stick his paw into the water and lick the water from the paw.

Behavior befitting a master who wants to be different I suppose.

We have spied Tigger walking around the living room, sewing room or the kitchen - nothing new for a Master, but he will go out his way to "Bat the bottle" in retribution. He will only smack it once and off he goes, as if nothing happened.

Another update:
Tigger has become quite the character. He insists on sleeping upon my wife but there is a ritual that he has to perform.

1. Run back and forth from the bedroom to the guest bathroom, where he wants to drink all the water the faucet supplies.
2. Run to the living room where he has a litter box.
3. The litter box is NOT in the living room, it has been taken to the bedroom.
4. Sniff the litterbox to make sure it belongs to him.
5. Run to the guest bathroom, where he will complain loudly that he wants water. It doesn't make any difference that he just had a drink. He's supposed to have kidney failure problems, but the only thing we can see is that he drinks more water.
6. Drink till he's full.
7. Complain aloud... I found I have give him some attention by giving him a belly rub (he would previously take my hand off at the elbow if I got too close to his tummy or hips) and a back massage. I can give him a scritch/massage from his neck to his tail.
8. Loud purring

Now that it has been established that he still has complete control over his two slaves, he will allow himself to be taken to the bedroom. Close the door.

He will sit beside the door, awaiting his female slave (she's making sure the lights are off and doors locked)

I start getting ready for bed by setting up my CPAP/BiPAP machine. Tigger will observe the procedure and when I've turned on the heater for the humidifier he jumps up on the bed.

Thwap (the facemask gets a smack) or it gets pushed.

He will jump off and on the bed looking around the room and telling all who will listen that he's getting ready for bed.

By this time I've brushed my teeth and gotten ready for bed. He will come over and walk up and down my body till he decides that he's gotten the right place to wait for his female slave. Doesn't matter that I might not be ready. He's placed his chin upon my leg. Purrrrrr

and he watches my wife get ready for bed. When she has put her robe on the foot of the bed, he will get up.... S T R E C H......

and walk over to her side of the bed. Watching every move she makes he waits. When she sits down he will walk around her. Over her legs... around the back...around to the front. He will than sit on her pillow.

Loud purring, but he's getting impatient.

Walking back and forth he will give her a minimum amount of time to get settled in while he walks upon and down her legs getting just the right spot.
This is my signal to turn off the lights. He no longer glares at me for all the noise my CPAP/BiPAP machine is making.

If, however I have to keep the light on he will walk over and glare at me. Tail will thwap back and forth. When I reach to turn off the light he will go back to wife and settle in. Purring and than some gentle snores. (I can't hear this but wife tells me that it doesn't take long for him to fall asleep)

Ah... life with my master Tigger is really quite something. He has early stage kidney failure (which seems to be in remission right now or at least not affecting him very much other than drinking lots of water) so all three of us will turn on the water in the sink for him to drink. Lots of times though, he justs wants attention. He'll jump in my arms and purr and purr. I was walking down the hallway petting and letting him see into the closet.

Oh.. it's the closet and I've never been on that shelf there. (getting up onto my shoulder and planting claws to leap) [ oh the little razors are such a nice thing to be embedded into my arm/shoulder/neck] Looking left and right deciding where to jump....

Not wishing to experience trying to get Tigger out of the upper realms of closetdom, I bend over slowly before he can jump and I hope that he will jump down to the floor.

Not on your life slave. I'm going to sit right hear and look at the closet.

I get down on my hands and knees. I can hear him purring but he's not moving.

Wife Nancy is in the kitchen observing the entire episode. Much laughter

Son comes into kitchen... much laughter.

I'm asking them to get Tigger. I'm pleading....

They laugh

I'm laughing

Tigger has decide to curl up and just stay where he is to punish me for letting him get a glimse of forbidden territory.

I finally get rescued by Nancy. Tigger is enamored of Nancy and purrs even louder that his number one slave has picked him up to give him attention.

another day has started.

Does Tigger attack/claw the hose?It's wonderful to hear that Tigger is doing well with you and you've truly welcomed him into your family.[/quote]

Tigger does not attack/claw the hose. I saw him express interest with the air tubing that is coming from the next bedroom giving me supplemental oxygen. He listened to the air going through the tube. He listened to the air going through the bigger tube going to my mask. When to got to the mask itself, he was startled by the flow of air coming out of the mask that hit him in the face. He smacked the mask and walked to another part of the bed. Since it didn't fight back I suppose he thinks that it is a subservient thing.

As for welcoming him into the family, he was brought home as a teenager (more than 1 yr. and less than a couple is how I call it) to be with wife and step son. Single mom and son. About two years later he is living with my in-laws because their cat Oliver and Tigger became friends. Not wishing to break that friendship Nancy decided to leave him. Tigger was still bonded with Nancy though. He re-established the bond when he came to live with us.
Old cranky cat - because in-laws frequently "snipe" at each other, bicker and such. He is now in a home that does not display the same type behavior and has changed his de-meow-ner.

I think we've taken care of the "fang-er" by giving him plenty of straws. We do, however, have issues with Charlie and potato bags.

For some reason, known only to Charlie and Bast/Sekhmet (Egyption Cat Gods) he reacts to freshly purchased bags of potatoes like it was full of catnip. 30 seconds around the bag and he's toasted. Seems likes he's a easy drunk of a cat master.

Tigger has started a new behavior.

While going through the "normal" get ready for bed (regardless of having worked a night shift or day shift) Tigger will do the "normal" smack the mask. He than sits at the end of the bed, awaiting for the supplemental oxygen hose to be activated. (I get 2 CFM extra oxygen pumped into my system via the BiPAP. I start the flow of oxygen and walk into the bedroom. Noise from the machine is minimal if placed in the office. Kind of like a gentle hum. Air is flowing through the hose. I turn on the BiPAP and get the 15 CFM / 22 CFM flow started. The mask gets settled into place and I than attach the oxygen hose to the BiPAP.

During this process of getting the mask into place, Tigger has started pouncing on the end of the hose. His "kitten" is out to play now. He'll jump on the hose, stick his head under the covers, bat the hose around a bit and look at me with some askance if I start to take the hose. He's in "play" mode now and will be until my wife comes into the room. All play will stop, unless she has started his "kitten" engine by using one of his toys. He will than follow her around or wait at the end of the bed while she is in the bathroom. I now have the opportunity to place the oxygen hose on my BiPAP and settle in for the night.

Life with Tigger is an interesting experience as he reveals more of himself to his slaves.

I have erred. I have let my faulty memory grab hold of the situation and let Tigger run wild.

Nancy and I sing in our church choir. We received some palm leafs this last Sunday and again Tuesday night (practice for Holy Week) Nancy was shown how to fold a palm leaf into a cross (which she has wanted to learn how to do for some time) and given the folded palm.

Today, prior to leaving for church, I placed a unfolded palm on the bed. I also put the folded palm on the bed.

We returned

and found that many FANGer marks/holes were in the unfolded palm leaf. So many that it was thrown away. The folded palm was moved from where I had placed it on the bed, but methinks he was saving it or we were just coming in the door when he had planned to FANGer or hole punch the palm.

Tigger seems to LOVE to FANGer / chew leafs of that shape. Spider plants and some tree sized plant in the sewing room (I've forgotten the name, but I got the plant 21 years ago and it's touching the lofted ceiling - I had transplanted it a couple times to where it has a huge pot [for a potted plant] to grow in.
I was chastised by my loving wife and told that Tigger has loved to FANGer long leafed plants since he was a young teenager.

Tigger, of course, thanked me and just purred

and than demanded water from the sink.

Life with my master continues

Wonder of wonders.

Tigger came into the bedroom and ploped down beside me while I was watching TV. Nancy was also there, but he came over to me. Turned over and he wanted a belly rub/scratch.

Nancy and I were amazed. More than 5 minutes till he stretched and got up and walked to Nancy. HUH? What's your problem slave. You've never seen a master get what he wants? LOUD purrs the entire time

About an hour later, he again comes over and plops (that's the best way to describe it because it wasn't gracefull) over and down to get a belly rub.

Another 5 minutes of purring

than it's stretch and walk off to go somewhere in the house where he wanted to go.

Nancy calls mother in law, who is amazed beyond belief. Never ever since she has known him has anyone come close to his belly or his tail.

Life with Master Tigger continues to be fun