I stumbled across this forum through googling random cat things. I'm not totally sure which cat thing in particular lead me here, because before I knew it, I found myself lurking and boy did I feel embarrassed! I was lurking pretty fierce too; I bet I had a goofy, zealous look on my face! I felt like I was getting into everyone's personal business uninvited, so here's a little of my pers biz:
I'm just a disabled mom living with my 4yo daughter and my handsome pibald/tuxedo, Tybalt, whom I affectionately call 'the suit,' or just 'Tybs'- but only in casual situations, he's got to keep his composure! He's a service cat after all! Yes, he is my emotional support animal, but if cats could qualify as official service animals, he'd be one, for sure. He walks very well on a leash and harness (could be better, but I think the harness might be a bit warm on his winter coat, so I don't blame him), he sits, stays, looks directly at me, follows me right by my side even when I'm not holding his leash, and even gives me high-fives and kisses. Sorry, I had to brag on him there a bit. He's been with me for only four months, and he's already alerted and assisted me with two attacks, so I'm very emotional about him. If you or anyone you know has severe PTSD, you'll know the passage of time works a little differently for us sometimes, so it really feels like he's been with me a much longer time. It's just that we bonded so hard, so fast, and started training from day one (mainly because I wanted to see right away if he was susceptible to service training). Now, keep in mind, he was not bred as a medical alert or PTSD assistant animal, nor was he bred at all. For personal reasons, I don't support breeders. I actually took him in from my mother's feral colony.
In April, his mother, a lovely calico, joined the colony looking for food because she was ripe with kittens, ready to explode- poor thing. She still hasn't gotten spayed yet, but as soon as she can be humanely captured, my mother plans to. The kittens were easy to snag, but she's very skiddish. All her kittens were calicos, tuxedos, or torbies. So pretty! And oh so intelligent! I had actually planned to take his brother the day I took him in, but his brother wanted nothing to do with me, while Tybalt, who never had interest in me, followed me and cried the whole time I was looking for his brother in the house.
He just does so much for me, and is always right by my side, ready to please, watching intently, and wanting to know I'm okay. (He's actually laying on my feet right now- such a good feet warmer!) He nuzzles me harder than any cat I've ever met, pulls his paws around me when I hug him, and is always talking to me. He is everything I could have ever asked for in a cat and so much more. I just wish he wouldn't try to clean my hair when I sleep! :lol3:
He's so big too! Sheesh! Ten months old and nearly 9 pounds! He's not overweight, barely even fat. His muscles are just so solid. I think he'll favor his suspected older brother, affectionately known as Bagheera, who is a monsterous, panther-like cat. I say suspected, because while the mother was a never before seen 'spare cat' (or polite nickname for dumped cats- it happens a lot in the country), Tybalt and his siblings have the signature face of Bagheera and his nearly equally monsterous father, a very clever and trap evading black-coated wild cat.
Well, enough about us. The lot of you are probably gagging over my sappiness. I just have to vent how much I love this dude sometimes or I'll explode. He's really my best friend!
I'm just a disabled mom living with my 4yo daughter and my handsome pibald/tuxedo, Tybalt, whom I affectionately call 'the suit,' or just 'Tybs'- but only in casual situations, he's got to keep his composure! He's a service cat after all! Yes, he is my emotional support animal, but if cats could qualify as official service animals, he'd be one, for sure. He walks very well on a leash and harness (could be better, but I think the harness might be a bit warm on his winter coat, so I don't blame him), he sits, stays, looks directly at me, follows me right by my side even when I'm not holding his leash, and even gives me high-fives and kisses. Sorry, I had to brag on him there a bit. He's been with me for only four months, and he's already alerted and assisted me with two attacks, so I'm very emotional about him. If you or anyone you know has severe PTSD, you'll know the passage of time works a little differently for us sometimes, so it really feels like he's been with me a much longer time. It's just that we bonded so hard, so fast, and started training from day one (mainly because I wanted to see right away if he was susceptible to service training). Now, keep in mind, he was not bred as a medical alert or PTSD assistant animal, nor was he bred at all. For personal reasons, I don't support breeders. I actually took him in from my mother's feral colony.
In April, his mother, a lovely calico, joined the colony looking for food because she was ripe with kittens, ready to explode- poor thing. She still hasn't gotten spayed yet, but as soon as she can be humanely captured, my mother plans to. The kittens were easy to snag, but she's very skiddish. All her kittens were calicos, tuxedos, or torbies. So pretty! And oh so intelligent! I had actually planned to take his brother the day I took him in, but his brother wanted nothing to do with me, while Tybalt, who never had interest in me, followed me and cried the whole time I was looking for his brother in the house.
He just does so much for me, and is always right by my side, ready to please, watching intently, and wanting to know I'm okay. (He's actually laying on my feet right now- such a good feet warmer!) He nuzzles me harder than any cat I've ever met, pulls his paws around me when I hug him, and is always talking to me. He is everything I could have ever asked for in a cat and so much more. I just wish he wouldn't try to clean my hair when I sleep! :lol3:
He's so big too! Sheesh! Ten months old and nearly 9 pounds! He's not overweight, barely even fat. His muscles are just so solid. I think he'll favor his suspected older brother, affectionately known as Bagheera, who is a monsterous, panther-like cat. I say suspected, because while the mother was a never before seen 'spare cat' (or polite nickname for dumped cats- it happens a lot in the country), Tybalt and his siblings have the signature face of Bagheera and his nearly equally monsterous father, a very clever and trap evading black-coated wild cat.
Well, enough about us. The lot of you are probably gagging over my sappiness. I just have to vent how much I love this dude sometimes or I'll explode. He's really my best friend!