Catscapades

Saturday, October 16, was Global Cat Day and National Feral Cat Day. Another day designed to acknowledge our feral cat population. It is recommended and urged that we all become advocates for cats and that we do what we can to educate others. Many free-roaming, homeless cats are just a little bit of love and kindness and patience away from becoming wonderful and gentle pets—kittens in particular.

If you believe a cat is in trouble–it’s roaming the neighborhood, losing weight, doesn’t seem to be able to fend for itself, by all means trap the cat and take it to a shelter for care. Or contact a local TNR or TNVR (trap, neuter, vaccinate, and release) group. If you’re able to rescue the cat and take her to a shelter, be mindful of the shelter’s policies.

There are no-kill shelters, meaning that the directors and volunteers will do everything they can to treat the cat and maybe even socialize her. Of course, if the cat is ill beyond help or is a danger to the public, they’ll do the humane thing in that case, as well.

Sadly, no-kill shelters evidently also have the right and often stand on that right to refuse admittance to cats or dogs. So the unwanted animal might end up in a kill shelter despite your efforts.

If only we could do more to prevent unwanted cats and dogs and prevent any animal from suffering. It’s up to each of us, yet there are still too many who exacerbate the problem by their indifference to the cats they take in and their reckless behavior with regard to the cats.

Be part of the solution to the suffering of helpless cats in America.

Feeding Olivia is often a challenge. We’ve learned that no matter how cunning and clever we try to be, she is more cunning and clever. In fact, nearly everything related to Olivia is on her terms. You may recall that I’d stopped offering Olivia canned food. She just won’t eat it. She will sniff the plate, then tear off down the hall like it bit her or something. Sometimes she’ll circle back around when she thinks we’re not looking and she eats it, but mostly not.

“It’s her feral background,” I say. Wild cats like to eat in private. I’m good at making excuses for Olivia. (Note, of course she has free-flowing kibbles and she is not losing any weight). It’s the helicopter Mom in me that wants to see her baby eating the good stuff—what I consider the more nutritious food. It had become so stressful for me and wasteful to even try to feed Olivia canned food, that I stopped offering it to her altogether. Occasionally, I think she finishes what Sophie leaves, but it’s all done rather clandestinely.

Well, the other night Olivia came into the kitchen when I was fixing Sophie’s food. Sophie LOVES canned food and she wants it five times a day. I feed her three times and in between I offer her what she didn’t finish at the previous feeding. Otherwise she’s begging for food again.

So that evening,  I’m fixing Sophie’s plate and here comes Olivia. “Mew-Mew.” She’s rubbing on me, flopping over on her side and rolling back and forth (cute). So I dug out a can of her favorite cat food—she loves those with liver flavors. I fix her a plate and place it at her regular feeding spot. What does she do?

She sneaks up to it like it’s something foreign. She sniffs it from a distance, then moves closer and sniffs it. She even tasted it, then she is off. She tears around the room, scampers down the hallway and disappears. She returns and engages in a wild and crazy play session with some of her toys, runs at high speed through her tunnel back and forth a couple of times, then flies up and over the sofa, down onto the floor, and she disappears. A little while later I look over and there she is lapping up the food and licking the plate clean. Why does she do that? Was that high-speed jaunt around the room a victory sprint? Did she want to get some exercise before eating? Was she celebrating? Who knows, but like any doting cat-mom, I am thrilled to see her eat what I think she should be eating.

Mind you, Olivia weighs just under 11 pounds. She’s a healthy girl. But in this house, no matter what we think is best for her—everything seems to be on Olivia’s terms.

Have you ever wondered how many cat breeds there are that began as shorthair breeds and were developed into longhair varieties? We’re all familiar with the Siamese and her long-furred counterpart the Himalayan. But did you know that the beautiful copper-colored Somali is the longhair version of the Abyssinian?

There’s also the British shorthair and the British longhair, the domestic long- and shorthairs and the American bobtail comes in a shorthair and a longhair version. And some cats even come with wirehair, curly hair and no hair.

Have you ever wondered how many breeds include cats with red (or orange) fur? I was surprised to learn it’s quite a number. I found 26 of them including the Persian, Maine coon, American shorthair/longhair, British shorthair/longhair…

Breeders have found ways over many years to appeal to every cat connoisseur in the size, shape, style, color, and fur type of the cats they breed. What’s your preference?

We used to have horses and I learned early on the value of grooming them frequently. Not only is it good for their coat, you want to clean particles of dirt and other matter from a horse’s hair before saddling them to avoid rubbing sores on their back.

When you thoroughly groom a horse you have the opportunity to detect any potential health problems so you can nip them in the bud. Grooming is also a bonding experience. You and your horse begin to know and trust one another. This is true with any animal, including cats.

Frequently grooming your cat helps to alert you to a flea infestation, a sore spot, problems with the ears or claws. You’ll become aware of any unusual swelling, odor, or sudden weight gain or loss. Even a change in the texture and quality of the fur could be a red flag related to your cat’s health. And the process of grooming your cat can become a really nice bonding process.

Regular combing/brushing can also keep your cat from shedding all over your clothes and furniture. That’s a plus.

Your cat may resist certain part of your grooming routine, but go ahead with those things she loves and sneak in the other procedures during those times when she is most relaxed. I can generally trim the claws on one of Olivia’s paws during a lap session before she starts resisting. I do another paw the next time we cuddle.

As for whether to brush or comb and which type of grooming tools to use—I’ve found it depends on the cat. I’ve seen combs advertised as if they’re for all cats—wrong. There’s quite a variety of fur-types and you may have to experiment to find the grooming tools that work best for your cat. We have two sets of tools here because Olivia and Sophie have such different coats and tolerance level. Sophie begs for grooming with a fine-tooth comb. She loves it. Olivia, who has longer fur that tends to mat, isn’t a fan of the type of grooming she needs to minimize her matting and shedding. So we pick our battles with her and our opportunities and switch from the brushes that she likes to the tools that actually do the job. It’s a process.