Lily Has Spring Fever
Spring is here and even the cats are enjoying it from inside. Lily, Max and Sophie love the thrill of chasing the various bugs and flying things that find their way into the house. They like watching the accelerated bird activity outside the windows. And they love the scents we bring into the house—on our shoes and in the garden bouquets.
I miss having cats in the yard with me when I’m gardening. I miss watching them roll in the warm dirt, nibble on tall grass, bat at butterflies and I miss being able to photograph them in natural settings. But we, like so many other cat people, are committed to raising our cats inside where the danger level is lower.
That said, let me remind all cat owners that there are also dangers inside—more than we always realize until our cats teach us some tough lessons. Yesterday, for example, I saw Lily playing with something. I discovered that it was a piece of red ribbon from our granddaughter’s hair and it had been severely shredded. Lily was in the process of eating pieces of the fine string. I snatched it up and she fought me—she was almost desperate in her eagerness to grab hold of that long, fine piece of string that had unraveled and was tangled all around the giant cat tree. She searched for several minutes for more string after I had picked it up. Then she found it in the waste basket where I had deposited it. I had to remove it to a more secure place.
Soon after this incident, Lily came into the living room and began pulling at strings visible on a piece of fabric I had fashioned into a cape for our granddaughter. I quickly put that away. I’ve never had the experience, but string, according to the vet, can be a disaster for a cat. If they swallow it, it can get entwined in their intestines and kill them. Have any of you had this kind of horrific experience?
I did have a cat swallow a piece of string with a needle on it once. That was a close call and my heart still aches when I think of the pain it must have caused the beautiful shaded silver Persian. It happened while I was sewing one day. Here’s the short of it—read Catscapades, True Cat Tales for the whole story plus around 40 additional heartwarming, harrowing and humorous cat stories.
Crystal was sitting too close to the pin cushion and, while licking herself, evidently picked up a piece of green thread with her tongue. She most likely tried to spit it out, but it kept moving farther into her mouth until she had no choice but to swallow it. Unfortunately, there was a needle attached to the thread. Thankfully, we discovered the needle which was stuck in her throat, in time to remove it before it caused any real problems. Order your copy of Catscapades, True Cat Tales here:
http//www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html or through Amazon.com.
It will make a wonderful Easter gift.
What are some of the other dangers inside a home for cats? Here’s a partial list: a variety of plants and flowers, chemical cleaning and other products, onions, ribbon/string, pins/needles/pin cushions, falling objects, bags with handles, faulty window screens and more. The list is much longer for kittens and includes toilets and blind cords. You’ll learn more about dangers for inside kitties in Catscapades, True Cat Tales.
And you’ll enjoy over 40 fabulous kitty photos. Order yours today and get a free gift with each book ordered. http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html.
