Catscapades

Certainly they do. Cats don’t like change and they’re  probably more aware of changes in their environment than we are. Cats have been known to detect medical issues in people like some dogs can, and this is probably due to a chemical or other change in that person. Cats don’t usually like change. They’re suspicious when the furniture is moved around, a Christmas tree is brought in, or there’s something new in the room. And they notice when someone or another animal is missing.

Ever try to move a cat? Even our evacuation experience during the fire of 2017 here in Ventura County was difficult for our cats. One of them even suffered afterward from what the veterinarian said was PTSD.

What about when someone or another animal moves out or dies? Does this affect a cat? Certainly it does. While the reaction is subtle in some cats, others will seriously mourn—they’ll stop eating, become more clingy, or they’ll withdraw from their human and their normal activities. Here’s a site with ideas for how to recognize when your cat is mourning and how to help him. https://www.hillspet.com/cat-care/behavior-appearance/do-cats-grieve

My mother had a neighbor cat visiting her and Smokey (her part ragdoll cat) for years. The tag on his collar said his name was Gibbs. Smokey didn’t seem to like Gibbs very much. He cowered when Gibbs was around, but he would wait at the sliding door for him to arrive each morning and he’d watch him with interest. There was a relationship there, even though we didn’t understand it. We became most aware of it when Gibbs stopped showing up. Either he moved with his family or something else happened to him, but one day he didn’t show up and we never saw him again.

Yes, that affected Smokey—something was different and he knew it he and acted out some. It was subtle and it didn’t last for very long, but it was obvious that Smokey experienced something emotionally when Gibbs stopped his daily visiting routine.

That’s why we were concerned for Smokey when my mother died. While Smokey didn’t show much emotion outwardly or change in behavior, everything had changed for him. He was suddenly alone in the house with only visitors coming in to check on him and take care of things around the house.

One of Mama’s granddaughters came and stayed with Smokey for several days. Her plan was to bond with him—to help him bond with her while in familiar surroundings before she took him to her home to live with her family. Smokey had a lot of changes to deal with, but he adjusted, and he’s doing wonderfully. Some cats have a more difficult time, but there is help out there for the grieving cat.

I could do a photo show of stray cats. I love taking pictures of cats that appear to be on their own or maybe just out of the house for the day while their humans are at work. When I spot a cat outdoors I feel as though I’m suddenly privy to his very private life as an adventurer, overseer of his yard, neighborhood monitor. When I stop to photograph the cat, I’m interrupting his fantasy and his self-imposed job of checking under the shed for mice, keeping the butterflies at bay, and certainly staving off other strays or daytime outdoor adventurers like himself.

Cats and the out-of-doors go together like cheese on a hamburger or whipped cream on Jell-O (well I used to like it that way). Just about every backdrop is a good one when photographing a cat outside—an expanse of lawn, a flowering shrub, a gnarl of dried branches, a section of an old wooden shed, a bicycle (somewhere I have a picture of a cat sitting on a bicycle), a flower bed, the trunk of a tree, a pile of junk even. A cat might perch on a post, peer out at you from under a bush, sprawl across the branches of a tree, hide behind an old shovel, sit on the back of a horse or crouch near a flock of birds at a feeder.

The possibilities are endless and intriguing, which is why I often take my camera with me when I walk around the neighborhood. You should too. It’s good for the body and the soul.

Lily and Sophie had a visitor of a different color last week. Remi, my Australian shepherd granddog came into the house for a visit. Generally, she waits outside and the cats simply stare at her through the screen door. She’s such a gentle creature, that when she meets a small dog or cat, she crouches or lays down so she doesn’t tower over her new playmate. And that’s what she does when she’s on the other side of the screen door from Lily. (Sophie always watches the dog from an undisclosed hidey spot.)

This day, we invited Remi in and I was surprised at the cats’ demeanor. Lily chose a spot in the living room where she stayed the entire time Remi was here. Sophie also came into the living room and sat out in the open. Neither of them approached the large dog, but they sure were interested in observing her. And Remi never once made eye contact with either cat. She walked wide around them and mostly laid near Lily, but without actually connecting with her. It was an interesting dynamic to watch. It appeared to me that Lily was totally in charge and confident in that power. But she never took her eyes off the dog and she was careful to be in a place where she had a clear escape route.

Here, we’re trying to get both the cat and the dog in the same frame. Remi (the dog) felt trapped and seemed a bit worried about what that ferocious cat might do. But Lily wasn’t concerned. She kept a wary eye on the much larger animal, though.

And both cats seemed to feel less threatened by Remi than they appear with just about any human visitor. No, we don’t plan to get a dog.

Do you like cats that are fluffy, sleek, active, kickback, cuddly, aloof or does it even matter? Maybe to you a cat is a cat. But down deep, is there a breed or style or type of cat that melts your heart? Maybe you remember one you had as a child or during a meaningful period in your life. Did a scrawny stray show up on your doorstep just when you needed a friend? Sure you’ll remember that cat with great reverence.

If you once happened upon or chose a Siamese or a calico or an Angora mix that turned out to be a wonderful companion, you’re probably going to look for a similar cat the next time you’re ready to adopt.

I love the fluffies—Persian types, but not those with the super flat face. That is my visual preference in cats and boy do I melt when I see a fluffy cobby-bodied, wide-eyed kitten. Since having Katy, a Himalayan, for 17 years, I strongly lean in the direction of that breed when I dream of adopting another cat. She was a wonderful cat and she was with me during a transition period in my life—a great support and friend.

But often we take in the cats and kittens that need us without consideration for type and color and style because when it comes right down to it, a cat is a cat is a cat, and a cat in need is sometimes the right cat at the right moment. Do you agree?

I don’t know about you, but sometimes the cat that walks on soft paws into my life next becomes my favorite kind of cat.