Cats

[Darkknife]

[michiyoLove]

...Cats you say?? I have an almost 12 year old British Blue female. My mom's side of the family owned 5 cats, sadly though my aunt just lost a cat due to throat cancer

 

But here are 2 old pictures of my cat from 2-3 years ago

 

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2

[HollyTheColliegirl]

Cloudy's a big girl. @___@ Probably about ten pounds or so and probably nearly two feet nose to tail. That's a turkey drumstick she's got there. On the carpet, like a boss. e___e

I can top that, I have a Maine Coon (we think) who weights upwards of 16 pounds. He actually got lost a couple years ago and came back 11 months later having gained weight.

[Kelkelen]

I can top that, I have a Maine Coon (we think) who weights upwards of 16 pounds. He actually got lost a couple years ago and came back 11 months later having gained weight.

That is hiLARious! (well, not that he was lost -- sad and scary! But he actually gained weight??? hahaha)

 

Cloudy looks like she's got some Maine Coon in her. The females are smaller than the males, so...

 

I'm positive that Horatio is part Maine Coon. He fits everything I've ever read/seen/heard about them, except that I know he's a 'mutt.' His coat is also very fine and silky, though there's a frizzy undercoat; he might only have 2 layers and not 3 like a pure Maine Coon, but I don't really know how to tell.

 

Anyway, he weighs 16 pounds or slightly over, and when he stretches out his front paws, he's about 1 yard long from toes to tail tip.

[Xylphia]

ooh your cats sound beautiful!

the bigger they are there more there is to hug <3

 

I have 2 cats who i love to bits, Zak is fat and has the most beautiful coat and his sister Ginger (who isnt actually ginger ) is just antisocial.

 

I love cats!

[Wookieinmashoo]

Okay I didn't know whether to ask this in the Q&A thread or here, but since it's cat related I thought I'd get better results here.

 

Lately I've been away from the house a bit and so my cat may not be used to that. All seemed fine with my cat until week three of my part time job and the cat is just skittish. He's getting better but one thing keeps bothering me. He keeps looking in a certain area behind where the shoes are stored he will stare at the area and slowly walk up to it or back away. Sometimes he will do the same with the hallway or look under one of the couches. He's not afraid of the shoes in particular since I did pick up a shoe and show it to him and he didn't seem bothered by it. I thought maybe there was a mouse in the house, but the house has been cleaned completely and there's not much of a place for a mouse to hide in the areas the cat keeps staring at.

 

His attitude has improved quite a bit over a few days but he just keeps backing away from certain areas, especially around the shoes.

 

I figured if he had separation anxiety it would have happened earlier. It's also not like I don't see him all the time except for about 6 hours out of the day. I've lived around cats my whole life and I've never had one behave like this.

[Kelkelen]

Okay I didn't know whether to ask this in the Q&A thread or here, but since it's cat related I thought I'd get better results here.

 

Lately I've been away from the house a bit and so my cat may not be used to that. All seemed fine with my cat until week three of my part time job and the cat is just skittish. He's getting better but one thing keeps bothering me. He keeps looking in a certain area behind where the shoes are stored he will stare at the area and slowly walk up to it or back away. Sometimes he will do the same with the hallway or look under one of the couches. He's not afraid of the shoes in particular since I did pick up a shoe and show it to him and he didn't seem bothered by it. I thought maybe there was a mouse in the house, but the house has been cleaned completely and there's not much of a place for a mouse to hide in the areas the cat keeps staring at.

 

His attitude has improved quite a bit over a few days but he just keeps backing away from certain areas, especially around the shoes.

 

I figured if he had separation anxiety it would have happened earlier. It's also not like I don't see him all the time except for about 6 hours out of the day. I've lived around cats my whole life and I've never had one behave like this.

It sounds to me a *lot* like there could be a mouse. Or an insect, or something else stealing your cat's attention. He doesn't sound afraid or anxious to me, just preoccupied with something he's hearing, smelling, or seeing.

 

Mice tend to live *in* the walls, so if a mouse has found a way in *somewhere* in the house (like, a hole the size of a dime in a baseboard or where an appliance is hooked into the wall), there could be mice nesting in there. Or snakes. Or just bugs, or it could be a tiny gnat or a moth or something.

 

It really doesn't seem like it has anything to do with you going away to your part-time job. The cat just senses something.

[tanglepelt3]

I love cats! I like them because they are adorable (including ones like tigers and lions).

[HollyTheColliegirl]

That is hiLARious!  (well, not that he was lost -- sad and scary! But he actually gained weight???  hahaha)

 

We have no idea how he managed that, and were quite shocked to see him bigger than ever when we got him back! It was early springtime when a lady called us saying that she had seen our lost cat posters. Apparently, our cat was living in her covered swimming pool over the winter, and had managed to find an opening in the tarp. What an innovative cat. Finally she lured him over with food and grabbed him.

 

I don't think he ever got over living almost a year in the wild. He's frightening of practically everyone and will run if you even look at him. Oddly enough, if I catch him he crawls into my neck/chest area and purrs like a motor. I think he just likes having a maternal figure to calm him down like a mother cat would to a kitten.

 

Originally we had gotten him and another cat (shorthair, black and white) from a barn where we ride horses. We honestly thought the Maine Coon was female, so we named him Willow. First time we took them to the vet, turns out he was male. We kept his name because it was a reference to a place in England. Willow had been abandoned by his mother and the black/white cat's mother had adopted him as her own. So the two actually did grow up like brothers.

 

Sadly the black and white cat died in February, and he was my bestest friend in the whole world. I'm still trying to recover from losing him, but Willow really has warmed up to me since the other cat died. It feels like he wants to help me.

 

Overall, that's Willow's story in a nutshell.

Edited June 23, 2012 by HollyTheColliegirl

[Wookieinmashoo]

It sounds to me a *lot* like there could be a mouse. Or an insect, or something else stealing your cat's attention. He doesn't sound afraid or anxious to me, just preoccupied with something he's hearing, smelling, or seeing.

I picked him up and took him to the area twice and he was terrified and struggled in my arms.

 

I tried again just now and he's still afraid of that certain area. I moved some of the shoes away so he could inspect the shoes and area separately to see if would stop being afraid of that area.

 

Other than that he's been fine. It just seems like the area scared him somehow. He was not hit with a shoe or closed in the door by accident, so anything painful that can happen in that area can be ruled out.

[TikindiDragon]

I picked him up and took him to the area twice and he was terrified and struggled in my arms.

 

I tried again just now and he's still afraid of that certain area. I moved some of the shoes away so he could inspect the shoes and area separately to see if would stop being afraid of that area.

 

Other than that he's been fine. It just seems like the area scared him somehow. He was not hit with a shoe or closed in the door by accident, so anything painful that can happen in that area can be ruled out.

Have you had another cat in the house at any point? If something else has urinated in that area he could be being bothered by that.

[WinterWhisperz]

I am a cat lover and now i get to brag about my beautiful Bombay boy Nova.

 

Hes an american bombay (can tell by the color of their eyes, his are as copper as two pennies) and has quite the attitude when it comes to strangers, but he loves his momma. He has the weirdest way of showing it too....he grabs my face with his paw (and isnt afraid to unleash his claws when I protest) and licks my nose. There are people who love that he does it, or, like my fiance, finds it very disgusting, and claims I'm "making out with my cat". but either way, he only does it to me. Other people hes fond of get headbutts, and hes not gentle. Its funny because when my fiance's brother comes to visit, Nova sneeks off into his room and wakes him with a headbutt, smack in the nose sometimes . Hes very vocal, and, living with my fiances family I get complaints about it, but hey, their just mad their cat cant say "window", "momma", "where are you?" and "I'm lost". Im not sure if his nocturnal vision is all that well, because the "I'm lost" is usually coming out of his mouth at night when he ventures out of my room, and if I dont leave the lights on, he again leaves to find a more lit area.

 

^not his actual pic, but i just wanted to let you see what they look like

[Ashes The Second]

I am a cat lover and now i get to brag about my beautiful Bombay boy Nova.

 

Hes an american bombay (can tell by the color of their eyes, his are as copper as two pennies) and has quite the attitude when it comes to strangers, but he loves his momma. He has the weirdest way of showing it too....he grabs my face with his paw (and isnt afraid to unleash his claws when I protest) and licks my nose. There are people who love that he does it, or, like my fiance, finds it very disgusting, and claims I'm "making out with my cat". but either way, he only does it to me. Other people hes fond of get headbutts, and hes not gentle. Its funny because when my fiance's brother comes to visit, Nova sneeks off into his room and wakes him with a headbutt, smack in the nose sometimes . Hes very vocal, and, living with my fiances family I get complaints about it, but hey, their just mad their cat cant say "window", "momma", "where are you?" and "I'm lost". Im not sure if his nocturnal vision is all that well, because the "I'm lost" is usually coming out of his mouth at night when he ventures out of my room, and if I dont leave the lights on, he again leaves to find a more lit area.

 

^not his actual pic, but i just wanted to let you see what they look like

Heh, I have a British Bombay, love of my life. 8>

[Kelkelen]

I picked him up and took him to the area twice and he was terrified and struggled in my arms.

 

I tried again just now and he's still afraid of that certain area. I moved some of the shoes away so he could inspect the shoes and area separately to see if would stop being afraid of that area.

 

Other than that he's been fine. It just seems like the area scared him somehow. He was not hit with a shoe or closed in the door by accident, so anything painful that can happen in that area can be ruled out.

Is there any outside chance that someone in the family could have stepped in dog poop and there's some left on the shoe (or, in fact, any kind of animal urine or feces)? I'm with TikindiDragon; your cat seems to be smelling another animal which isn't actually present, and that's what's confusing and scaring him.

 

Maybe try washing off the soles of all the shoes thoroughly?

[Will-i-is]

I have a green cheek conure (parrot) named Reggie. He's a total goof and never really seems to stop moving.

Like this

[3rdtimelucky]

My sister is getting a British Blue kitten called Middie, and I'm so excited!

*sings*

But I can't find a picture. Maybe OceanSong can...

Edited June 24, 2012 by 3rdtimelucky

[3rdtimelucky]

My sister OceanSong's getting a little British blue kitten on 10th August! So excited. Maybe I will bother to find a picture later. Or maybe not...

But she has a proper breeding license, and such a beautiful name. Midsummer Night's Dream: Middie for short. (Naturally I thought of it )

 

Beautiful blue shorthair, and when they open, her eyes will be yellow.

YAY!

[OceanSong]

I'm getting a female british shorthair kitten on 30th august!!!! (she's blue and when she opens them her eyes'll be yellow!))

[7Deadly$ins]

My sister OceanSong's getting a little British blue kitten on 10th August! So excited. Maybe I will bother to find a picture later. Or maybe not...

But she has a proper breeding license, and such a beautiful name. Midsummer Night's Dream: Middie for short. (Naturally I thought of it )

 

Beautiful blue shorthair, and when they open, her eyes will be yellow.

YAY!

If I ever breed cats, I believe I will name them all after various Shakespearean things as their full names.

[Kelkelen]

My sister OceanSong's getting a little British blue kitten on 10th August! So excited. Maybe I will bother to find a picture later. Or maybe not...

But she has a proper breeding license, and such a beautiful name. Midsummer Night's Dream: Middie for short. (Naturally I thought of it )

 

Beautiful blue shorthair, and when they open, her eyes will be yellow.

YAY!

Aww, how exciting! Oceansong, have fun with your new kitten! <3 (Now I need to go look up pictures of British Blues... )

 

My friend Brian's family has always named all their cats after Shakespeare characters.

[CJ_The_Bold]

My cat is being crazy ATM!

[OceanSong]

Oh!3rdy got there first! Yeah we're really excited, and my mum told.me to look uptalking kittens home so bye!

[Wookieinmashoo]

Is there any outside chance that someone in the family could have stepped in dog poop and there's some left on the shoe (or, in fact, any kind of animal urine or feces)? I'm with TikindiDragon; your cat seems to be smelling another animal which isn't actually present, and that's what's confusing and scaring him.

 

Maybe try washing off the soles of all the shoes thoroughly?

He's the animal (aside from the roaches) in the house and there have only been three people who have came in in the last three weeks. It's unlikely anyone has stepped in dog or cat bombs since everyone tends to stick to the driveway for walking and no one has had any time to go to any place that would have dogs roaming around.

 

I did remove the shoes and that seemed to have helped. I did single tests with shoes and he seemed okay with them. The area still somewhat scares him though even with the shoes removed. I'll move the shoes again and put some away and check the others. I guess it wouldn't hut to make sure the areas is completely clean.

[Bardess]

He's the animal (aside from the roaches) in the house and there have only been three people who have came in in the last three weeks. It's unlikely anyone has stepped in dog or cat bombs since everyone tends to stick to the driveway for walking and no one has had any time to go to any place that would have dogs roaming around.

 

I did remove the shoes and that seemed to have helped. I did single tests with shoes and he seemed okay with them. The area still somewhat scares him though even with the shoes removed. I'll move the shoes again and put some away and check the others. I guess it wouldn't hut to make sure the areas is completely clean.

Does he get to go outside?

Maybe he's made some bad eperience with someone wearing those shoes, or throwing them or something...?

 

That might sound weird, but e.g. one of my parent's cats gets scared when he sees my father in jogging trousers and shoes. Our guess is that he's made some bad experience with a jogger and connected that with the clothing.

Edited June 24, 2012 by Bardess

[Rosedamai]

I should really stop stalking this thread. It makes me too jealous and gives me too much stress on the heart after looking at all these cute pictures of kitties <3