Catscapades

Cats and books go together. Who doesn’t love the image of curling up on a cool winter day with a cat to read a book? As we’ve discussed here in this blog, many writers have cats wandering in and out of their writing room. So it follows that cats would be attracted to a public library and that librarians would welcome them.

I wrote an article once about library cats, which included Dewey, the most famous library cat of them all. Remember the story about how librarians found Dewey Readmore Books, a tiny ginger kitten, in the book drop one frosty morning? They nursed him back to health and he spent the rest of his 19 years as a library cat in Spencer, IA.

The library cat concept is not new. According to historians, cats were used for rodent control in temples in ancient Egypt to protect the papyrus scrolls. In the Middle East, monks brought in cats for the same reason—to keep rodents from nibbling on their manuscripts. And it is told that at one point in history, the British government paid librarians to keep cats. And the tradition continues. There are currently hundreds of cats living in libraries throughout the world and most of them are there purely for the enjoyment of patrons. Some say it’s because of the calming effect of the cats. Cats can make a library visit more charming and comforting. (Maybe they should have cats in dentists’ offices and children’s hospitals.)

While some cats are brought in to be library cats, others find their way in. I remember one story where they figured the cat must have become lost while camping with his family and he found refuge at a local library. Each library cat has a story, as you’ll see when visiting these sites. Here’s one that discusses the history of cats in libraries and shows stunning photos of some of this world’s library cats. http://www.care2.com/causes/cats-and-libraries-a-longstanding-history.html This site features ten library cats: http://mentalfloss.com/article/52810/10-cats-who-live-library

The boys checking out a bunny–on Christmas

Don’t you wonder sometimes what your cat is thinking? She crouches at the window twitching her tail. You look out and see nothing. What is she looking at? What is she thinking? Sometimes your cat sits staring at an object—a toy, his breakfast, a piece of lint or your toe. What is he thinking?

Sometimes it’s as if he’s plotting. Do you ever get the idea that your cat is strategizing? That she’s formulating a plan of some sort in her furry head? You can see the wheels turning. And turning, those wheels are. Science tells us that cats do plot and plan and figure things out. Well, if you have a cat, you know that they can work things out. They figure out which cabinet their food is kept in, when it’s time to eat, what your daily rituals consist of… Lily likes to go into the bathroom with me. But when she’s ready to leave (if I stay in there for too long—to take a bath, for example), she stares at the doorknob waiting for someone to turn it and let her out of the steamy bathroom. If I don’t read her mind and understand her stare, she’ll reach up to the doorknob with her paws and look back at me. Sometimes there’s nothing subtle about a cat’s communication.

I came across an interesting article this morning talking about cats and visualization. I’ve

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told you before about some of my experiences using mind-talk with my cats. (Let me know if you’re interested in more on that topic, PLFry620@yahoo.com, or leave a comment here.)

For a cat to participate in mind-talk, she must be able to visualize. And science tells us that cats do visualize. Think about it, they must plot and plan in order to be successful hunters and in order to stay safe in the wilds. I watched an Internet video last night of a cat catching a fish—yes, right out of the ocean (or lake). He used great strategy and cunning. It took a while, but the cat caught the fish as expertly as any swooping eagle. Remarkable.

If you’re as interested in this topic as I am, you’ll find this link fascinating. There’s information about a cat’s brain and how he uses it. I don’t see a reference to where this gal got her information, but I plan to do additional research to find out. I’ll share what I find in another post. http://www.wayofcats.com/blog/do-cats-visualize/5755

So what is your cat thinking when he sits at the window or stares at your toe? Who knows? But you can be sure there is something going on in his furry little head.

Klepto Cat Mystery–Book 24

In the meantime, those of you who are waiting for Book 24 will be happy to know that I have finished the final proofing. The print version should be available when you turn on your computer Tuesday morning—or before. I’ll keep you posted.

What do you feed your cat? Does she sometimes (or all the time) beg for whatever you’re eating? Does she get excited when you’re grating cheese and wait for shreds to land on the floor? Does he look over your shoulder while you’re eating your scrambled egg in the morning?

Lily is a beggar. And she’ll eat just about anything I eat, including apples, cantaloupe, and peas. Since she’s on a special kidney diet, I’m careful what I feed her from my plate. And I think we’ve all heard that people food isn’t good for cats—don’t feed your cats from the table.

You might be pleased to know that some of our food is actually good for healthy cats and okay to feed them. You want to omit any seasoning, however. Here’s a link that lists 15 foods that are good for your cat: http://www.pawculture.com/pet-wellness/nutrition/15-human-foods-that-are-safe-for-cats/

Included here are peas, apples, and cantaloupe. In fact, I’ve discovered that most cats

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seem to like cantaloupe. Our white odd-eye cat, Winfield, was a cantaloupe connoisseur. When I’d come home from the grocery store with a cantaloupe, if he greeted me in the kitchen almost immediately, sniffing in the direction of the grocery bag, I knew I’d picked a good one.

Other foods that are supposed to be safe for cats are chicken and turkey. But please remove the seasoning. I remember my grandmother cooking whole chickens for her cats every week. That’s what she fed them—fresh chicken.

Pumpkin is on the list of safe foods. Pumpkin is used to help increase an ill cat’s appetite. We fed Lily plain, unseasoned pumpkin for a period when she was struggling health-wise—before her kidney disease was discovered. This, along with some other natural remedies and a total change in diet, helped get her over the hump. She still loves pumpkin to this day.

Some of the surprising items on this list are bread (Lily draws the line at eating bread), bananas, and blueberries.

Check out the list and maybe you’ll discover a new healthy treat for your cats.

Your Maine Coon Cat

Are you blessed with a Maine coon cat or a part Maine coon? Aren’t they wonderful creatures? I’ve known a few and I suspect that Lily might have this breed in her background. My folks took in a large, hairy grey cat some years ago. The poor thing came out of the baranca behind their house and ended up staying. A trip to the veterinarian confirmed that the cat was probably of the Maine coon variety—a gentle giant. What a sweet boy he was.

But this is a breed rather different than most cats. If you have a Maine coon cat, you know what this means. Even if you don’t have one, you might be interested in this article explaining the 20 things a Maine coon cat owner understands. http://kittentoob.com/cat-breeds/20-things-maine-coon-cat-owners-understand/

If you’ve lived with a cat for a while, you know that she has a mind of her own. She may even have a vocabulary. She understands certain words, she seems to have a built-in clock, and she certainly picks up on some of your gestures.

My mother uses the term “supper” for all of the meals she serves her cat, Smokey. So he knows that when he hears that one word, it means food. He also seems to understand “treat.” And he has trained everyone who visits my mother to give him some of his treats as soon as they walk in. How? By meowing at you, rolling around in front of you, bumping you hard with his body if you’re trying to walk into another room, rolling over your feet if you’re sitting down.

Yes, cats can communicate. A cat might use their eyes, voice, and/or body to convince you to turn on the water at the spigot for her, to feed her, give her treats, to let her in or out, to brush her, or just to pet her.

Lily has an itch that plagues her sometimes. The vet has ruled out fleas and doesn’t think

Lily lapping it up.

it’s neurological or stress. But nearly every evening, she swishes her tail and begins sort of twitching. She bites at the base of her tail. Some evenings it’s worse and sometimes quite mild. When I see this, I get her rubber brush out and call to her. She rushes to me, lays down flat on her stomach and enjoys a little gentle brushing. This seems to soothe her. Maybe it’s just a ploy to get my attention.

We all know cats who are expert at getting our attention—waking us up too early in the morning, for example, by jumping on us or knocking things off the nightstand. A hungry cat is often an annoying cat. Many cats know how to get food NOW.

Here’s a link you might enjoy. It features 10 signs that your cat is trying to tell you something. Enjoy: http://www.care2.com/causes/10-signs-that-your-cat-is-trying-to-tell-you-something.html