It is back to raining and raining outside. I have homemade quiche to eat at least so I can stay in and cuddle the cats.
I've never heard of a cat reacting so badly to a harness. Both of mine are fine with the harness being on. Carrot has always been happy to be harnessed, since the first time I put one onto him. Angua pretends to die when hers is put on, but she perks up more outside.
@Whatsername85 I got the harness on her again Friday night. This time it didn't go over well.
It seems the snapping sound when I buckle it together sends her into a frenzy hissing spitting ball.
I have to back up and just get her used to the sound. I got it on her-it slides over her head and she is ok but growling. I only hope the more we do it she gets used to it. Then I only buckled one side. And pet her and gave treats. She got mad when Itried to take it off. She got me in the lip pretty good. Not sure how she clawed me there. I forgot to put my jacket on. I will have to bring home a grinding helmet to protect my face-once its on her-she is fine but mad--its when I try to take it off-it must tug on her belly=I have to find a different style that isn't tugging but she was like this at the groomers whenever we buzzed the hair off her chest/belly. She is VERY ticklish and lets you know with claws n teeth to not touch. Its just so funny how sweet and loving she can be after she calms down.
This morning she walked over to snuggle on my chest in her blanket while I watch the morning news for 20 min before I get up. She spent 10 min face plant in the blanket and paws up over her head kneading away. I absolutely love it when she does this. Drools all over her blanket.
When I left for work she was curled up on her blanket. She loves that blanket. I sleep with it at night hoping she will crawl up on me. Last night must have been too much interesting going on outside because she didn't come over or she is still mad at me about the harness.
I really wish she would see how much fun she would have when we can walk on public ways and go to the lake.
Floey used to walk along any trail with me. But then when we got a 3rd cat way back in 2005? she takes off now down the trail. We tried to let her out for a potty break on a road trip and instead of just sniffing and going like she used to do-she turned around and waddled away into the woods. I was right with her and she used to always just meander around. we tried a harness on her after that=she rolled around snarling trying to bite it off. So nope no collars. no clothes. nothing.
Honeybee is funny=I tried to put a shirt on her=she didn't seem to mind. but something to do with that loop over her tumtum turns her from sweet girl into Hellcat from 0 to .01 seconds.If she could talk-this is what we would be saying.
Wow. I remember when Lucky was sick and really nauseous. He needed a Cerenia shot (he'd never had it but Dr. Tanya's page told me he needed it and I was one stressed out kitty mama by that point). My vet was on emergency family leave since the day after he got diagnosed with acute renal failure, and the only vet there the Wednesday that I took him in (to be re-taught how to give subqs) said she wasn't comfortable prescribing something for him since he wasn't her patient. That night he was dry heaving all night long, and I could feel his poor little tummy just heaving when he was laying on top of me. The next day I called and said if I couldn't get someone there to give the Cerenia shot I was taking him somewhere else. And I was crying. I was talking to the Cat Whisperer there and i KNEW that even though she couldn't help, she'd talk to the vet. 45 minutes later, that vet called me back to bring him in for the shot. No checkup, just the shot. It's not like he wasn't already a patient at that office, they had his medical history and for all intents and purposes, he was in hospice.They have several vets-I have only seen 3 out of the 6 there. And it being the weekend-you know how it goes. At least now I can keep my vacation time I would have had to use on Tuesday but I will wait to pull back tomorrow after the appointment. I may still need that appointment for heart ultrasound-they have a board certified internal vet. Its not cardiology but the nearest heart doc is in Portland maine and its a LONG ride. for now will try to stay local. Otherwise I have to drive to Angell in Boston for cardiology. I still need to call one more local emergency vet VECC-I have had mixed problems with them-but at least there-I know Dr Winn as she was the one who treated Flash in 2012 with the blood issues. She is still there and is really good. So so many things to figure out, I probably should have just called VECC for heart scan but I will tomorrow after tonights appointment. We also go back to our reg vet july 19th at the other location. They have 2 buildings but separate doctors.
I am glad you got to sing your heart out. Its always fun listening to music you identify with!
The Hyendry harness is wonderful, except for two things:
Jasmine follows me into the kitchen, looks at her food saucer, tells me (mostly with body language) that the food sitting on her saucer is unacceptable, cries pitifully when I don't open a different can for her, and tries to stand directly behind me while I'm cooking. Then she yelps and blames me for deliberately stepping on her when I step back from the stove. (It must be deliberate; there's no other possible explanation, is there?) She doesn't try to climb me, though she does use her claws to grab at my hand when she wants pets or scratches. This gets her hissed at instead of what she's looking for; I keep hoping that one of these days she'll get the message.Just a curious question, does anyone else get chased around and howled at when they're in the kitchen?? Sam follows me around basically howling at me until I turn my back and he climbs up my body. He follows me to sit down and swipes at my food or gets on the dining table to get the food or the breakfast bar to get to the counter if I'm cooking!! Anyone else to through this?
People need to educate themselves about their rights. Being scared (of what?) solves nothing. There are so many government agencies that can and will help. Labor Board (Labor Commission) for unpaid wages such as overtime, Sunday and holiday work, having to work through lunches and breaks; ACLU for discrimination; OSHA for unsafe working conditions, the list goes on. Only when it comes to Workers' Compensation one should immediately think of getting a lawyer as nobody ever tells you that if you have a permanent disability/injury, no matter how small, you are entitled to a settlement for that apart for lost wages and medical expenses.
>SNIP<
Originally Posted by foxxycat
Does anyone else's cats prefer the food eaten off the carpet rather than in the dish?
You both may be having hyper-sensitive whisker issues. Some cats have very sensitive whiskers, and will not eat food from a bowl if their whiskers brush the edges. You might try feeding off of a paper plate, OR one of those miniature cookie sheets they make for toaster ovens. Just a thought.Leroy takes food out of the bowl and drops it on the floor and then eats it. Did I mention that I feed raw?
The main selling point on them for me was that my cats can easily escape from any kind of harness that is more like a dog harness. The walking jackets also seem to be more comfortable for cats.
The Hyendry harness is wonderful, except for two things:
Jasmine follows me into the kitchen, looks at her food saucer, tells me (mostly with body language) that the food sitting on her saucer is unacceptable, cries pitifully when I don't open a different can for her, and tries to stand directly behind me while I'm cooking. Then she yelps and blames me for deliberately stepping on her when I step back from the stove. (It must be deliberate; there's no other possible explanation, is there?) She doesn't try to climb me, though she does use her claws to grab at my hand when she wants pets or scratches. This gets her hissed at instead of what she's looking for; I keep hoping that one of these days she'll get the message.
- You absolutely must get your cat's measurements right when you order it. They're made to order and are neither adjustable nor returnable. Jasmine has grown since we got hers and I've had to add some double-sided Velcro to it to accommodate the change in her size.
- Fur, especially long fur, gets caught in the Velcro quite easily. Not only does it then pull, causing pain for the cat, it collects there and the Velcro gradually becomes impossible to use. I'm currently thinking of replacing it entirely with a wider plastic buckle style harness that I saw at PetSmart, which is both adjustable and returnable if it doesn't work. Fur may get caught in the buckle, but it's easier to keep it out of a buckle than to keep it out of Velcro.
Margret
Same thing for me, but it's useless when I can't even get the Velcro to close. Hence my desire to find some other wide harness that's more adjustable and doesn't use Velcro. I think the width is the primary reason the Hyendry is hard to escape from. I need to take a good, hard look at how it's made before the next time I visit PetSmart, then take a good look at the available harnesses there. And if none of them look like they'll do the job I'll visit Chuck & Don's and/or PetCo. Hmmm. On second thought, I believe I'll try Chuck & Don's first. I like them, even though they do tend to be more expensive and have fewer items.The main selling point on them for me was that my cats can easily escape from any kind of harness that is more like a dog harness. The walking jackets also seem to be more comfortable for cats.
The Hyendry harness is wonderful, except for two things:
Jasmine follows me into the kitchen, looks at her food saucer, tells me (mostly with body language) that the food sitting on her saucer is unacceptable, cries pitifully when I don't open a different can for her, and tries to stand directly behind me while I'm cooking. Then she yelps and blames me for deliberately stepping on her when I step back from the stove. (It must be deliberate; there's no other possible explanation, is there?) She doesn't try to climb me, though she does use her claws to grab at my hand when she wants pets or scratches. This gets her hissed at instead of what she's looking for; I keep hoping that one of these days she'll get the message.
- You absolutely must get your cat's measurements right when you order it. They're made to order and are neither adjustable nor returnable. Jasmine has grown since we got hers and I've had to add some double-sided Velcro to it to accommodate the change in her size.
- Fur, especially long fur, gets caught in the Velcro quite easily. Not only does it then pull, causing pain for the cat, it collects there and the Velcro gradually becomes impossible to use. I'm currently thinking of replacing it entirely with a wider plastic buckle style harness that I saw at PetSmart, which is both adjustable and returnable if it doesn't work. Fur may get caught in the buckle, but it's easier to keep it out of a buckle than to keep it out of Velcro.
Margret
Its definitely a challenge to get a harness that will work for a long haired cat. The jackets we have use both buckles and velcro- so I feel that may make them last longer. It definitely makes them feel more secure. I've never had a problem with the velcro, but both of my cats are short haired.
Same thing for me, but it's useless when I can't even get the Velcro to close. Hence my desire to find some other wide harness that's more adjustable and doesn't use Velcro. I think the width is the primary reason the Hyendry is hard to escape from. I need to take a good, hard look at how it's made before the next time I visit PetSmart, then take a good look at the available harnesses there. And if none of them look like they'll do the job I'll visit Chuck & Don's and/or PetCo. Hmmm. On second thought, I believe I'll try Chuck & Don's first. I like them, even though they do tend to be more expensive and have fewer items.
Or maybe I'll just buy a couple of sturdy plastic buckles and modify the Hyendry myself.
Margret
Come on, you are smarter than that. Just put half or so into two different dishes and then put both in the freezer, just put plastic wrap right onto the sherbet itself to keep it from having ice crystals on it and then enjoy it.
I have a bit of a problem. My groceries were delivered today, an order that included 1.5 quarts of sherbet. To my astonishment, dismay and secret delight, they were out of the 1.5 quarts so they substituted a gallon instead. Do you know how big a gallon of sherbet is? It's huge! There is no way it will fit in my freezer. Until I figure out how to resolve this puzzle, I will be having sherbet for dinner and dessert.
Well, I actually did try to split it up but the sherbet is like granite. Clearly it was retrieved from the bottom of the freezer at the store by someone wearing thick gloves. It's in the refrigerator now getting soft so I can eat a huge bowl of it while I rearrange the freezer. Even getting two smaller containers in there is going to be a challenge. I might have to eat sherbet round the clock before I can come to a solution.
Come on, you are smarter than that. Just put half or so into two different dishes and then put both in the freezer, just put plastic wrap right onto the sherbet itself to keep it from having ice crystals on it and then enjoy it.
I'm impressed. How did they get all that on there? I also like your wording: "Indoor only, if I'm out, I'm lost!" Very nice.@MargretYes the tag has my phone number, adress, and it also says Indoor only, if I'm out, I'm lost! On the back side.Lovely tag, but I hope there's another one with your phone numbers on it. We got Jasmine a tag with her name on the front and our phone numbers on the back.
Jasmine had a Beastie Band collar for about a year before it frayed too much. I replaced it with a stretch collar I bought at PetSmart. It has a standard buckle rather than a breakaway clasp (which Jasmine is adept at removing), and the stretch part is designed like a stretch watch band. It will stretch enough for her to get out of it should she ever get out and get it caught on something (I tested), but because it's a stretch collar I'm able to make it tight enough that it doesn't get caught easily. I'm hoping this one will last longer than the Beastie Band.
I did have to put an extra hole in it for the buckle, and cut off some extra length to make it fit her.
Margret
And beastie bands are my favorite collars to use since they have a strong velcro closure. As I stated earlier, I have one cat that is a Houdini with collars and can get any collar with a buckle off (including the ones that were like dog collars and weren't breakaway). I don't know how she did it, but she'd have the collars off within seconds of putting them on, even when fitted a little tightly. But she hasn't been able to remove her beastie band once! I'm okay with replacing them every few months, I usually buy 6 or 9 at a time so I don't have to keep ordering them over and over. That way if I buy 9, I'll have 3 replacement collars for each of our cats and I won't have to wait for new collars to be delivered every few months.
We ended up with a grass fire in a local park from illegal bottle rockets. I would say, "I don't understand what people are thinking when they do things like this," but I suspect the answer is that they're not thinking, at all.
Hekitty is over the fireworks and thunder, thank goodness,
We had our obligatory casualty. A couple of guys got into a bottle rocket war on the vacant lot next door, One of them shot a bottle rocket up the leg of the other's shorts. It was an apparent accident, as they are good friends. The shootee got away with first and second degree burns, and some damage to his thigh muscles as he tried to shed his shorts. He's lucky. He'll father children if he wants to (although given his apparent IQ, I rather hope he doesn't). And these are NOT kids, they are men in their 30's! They were both arrested. Good grief!
Good pictures, even though I'm not "quoting" them.I'll have to show the article to her. In the meantime I've been working on getting the mats out of her fur (some of them are just tangles now, not mats, but there are far, far too many mats). The odd thing is that Ra, the cat with the longest fur in the house, has no mats!
Here's an article that discusses some of the problems that can result when a cat's hair mats are not taken care of. http://www.askthecatdoctor.com/catgroomingsupplies.html As you can see, there are a lot of reasons to prevent matted hair, including the fact that they can be painful. Having that tangled hair pulling on the skin beneath can hurt.
I'm feeling greatly relieved tonight. My daughter has been sent home after the ER doctors ruled out all the serious, emergency issues that might explain her symptoms Unfortunately, they didn't actually identify a reason for those symptoms so we still have no diagnosis. I'll worry about that tomorrow. Right now I'm just glad she doesn't have encephalitis or medication toxicity or blood clots. Whew!(After finding the mats on Asia and hearing that AWM thought they were merely unappealing, I checked all the kitties. She was the only one.) Then again, Ra likes being touched. He's a very attention-oriented cat and will put up with just about any human nonsense if it means he can get pets and loves.Asia, on the other hand, is very sensitive and doesn't normally like to be touched or held. (I got scratched tonight trying to help her.) Maybe that's part of the reason...but I've warned both AWM and RB about it, and I've been asking when I'm too tired if every cat is getting brushed and combed and--then today. (Asia doesn't like the smell of the chemicals we use at work, so she stays away from me until after I've had a shower--and then I'm usually off to bed.) And RB is no help at all! I was in the middle of grooming Asia to get the mats out of her fur (they hurt, of course, but that's unavoidable since they're right up against the skin), and he let her out.Naturally, she escaped. I'll get the rest of them tomorrow if I can't use the article you referenced me to in order to get AWM to see my point.
--- GIANT SNIP ---
I certainly haven't received email notification. By the way, recently when I tried to get on Catster my browser informed me that it had likely been hacked and Firefox thought I should stay away from it. I informed management (with a good deal of difficulty -- contact links weren't working for a while) and never heard back.
I'm bummed.... I found out last night that Catster / Dogster is eliminating all of the community sections (pet profiles, forum, groups, etc) to become a magazine only web site (digital and print)The announcement wasn't even prominently posted on the web site to let all users and guest know. It's hidden away with no direct link from the main page or Contact page or anything. An email was sent out yesterday but from reading one of the groups messages, not everyone received the email.
Jasmine tries to get into the sewing room, for the same reason. And Jasmine is now officially barred from ever talking to Sophie. She can come up with her own ingenious schemes; she doesn't need suggestions.
Little Sophie has been trying extra hard to get into DD's room. She's the typical child who wants what she cannot have. It started with her stalking DD. When she heard the door open, she'd try to sneak in. Well, that didn't work. So she came up with a new plan. a few days ago, I heard a VERY plaintive crying near DD's door. Lily is my most vocal cat. Sophie- usually- is not. Who was crying by the door trying to manipulate DD into opening it?? Sophie. I went to check on her and got the stink eye. The "Go AWAY- you're going to ruin my plan" look.
Her next plan was to go into DD's bathroom and cry in there. DD went to check on her and Sophie tried to sneak in the room. She failed. Her last method was to go into the bathroom and pull on one of the cabinet doors and then let it go, making a thumping sound. She hoped DD would come investigate the noise and leave the door open. What will my devious little girl think of next?