Cats Aren't as Aloof as People Think

 

People often say that cats are aloof, independent, and not at all affectionate, but they don't know any of the cats that we've had through the years.  Every single one of them has turned into a loving, sweet cat who just wanted to be near us almost constantly.

 

Part of the reason is that I'm home a lot, so every cat has been used to constant attention, and they've loved it, too.  They want to be on me or near me almost all the time, day and night, when I'm sleeping or awake.  They even sit on the floor near me just to watch me wash dishes sometimes, just to be near their momma.

 

Some people think that cats don't even care if you are around or not, but none of our cats has ever liked it when we go out.  Our current cat, Zorro, gets really freaked out by it.  Yesterday he could tell when we were getting ready to go out, so he started meowing a lot.  We were only out for about 3 hours, but when we came home, he just yelled and yelled at us, even after being fed.  He can't help it, he just gets upset.

 

Actually, our cat Chrissy would barely come near us for several days after we came back from our honeymoon, which was only 5 days.  She wasn't alone while we were gone either.  She was at my  mother's house, where she had lived with me for years.  She was just upset because we hadn't been there (since she already loved my husband so much before we got married).  Of course, you can't explain to a cat that you'll be gone for just a few days.  They don't understand English (unless you say words they recognize, like "tuna" or "treat").

 

 

I love this photo, because it looks like Zorro is standing up, but he's lying down.

 

Anyway, the point is, people who don't love cats really just have no idea how great they can be.  They are constant bundles of love and snuggling, someone to talk to when you are up and can't sleep, someone to be near you when you are on the computer (warming your low back), someone to sit by your side while you draw or paint, someone to help you sleep (despite what sleep experts say). 

 

Cats are great.  That's all I can say.  Now kittens, on the other hand, they are just bananas.  I could tell you about those crazy days, but that's a story for another time. 

 

 

 

The Story of Lucky the Cat

 

Okay, so I'm not sure if I'm getting the story right, but my husband hasn't had time to write it, so I'm just going to write what I think he told me. 

When he went to get our new cats about 2 1/2 weeks ago, they told him the story of Lucky (shown above, now named Pikachu).  The shelter named him Lucky because of his story.

Two people were in the inner city here and had just been mugged.  Then they saw a cat being thrown out a door and down some stairs.  They were going to take it to Animal Control, but knew that would mean the end for him.  Maybe Lucky had sprayed in the house (since he wasn't yet neutered) or committed some other unforgiveable (to the people in the house) crime, but he did deserve to live.

One of the people knew of this cat shelter near where we live, so they drove all the way over and brought him here.  He already had part of his ear missing, probably from a street fight or something.

Anyway, he really is Lucky, because he's in a really good and loving home now.  I'm so grateful to the shelter who cared for him and to the living guardian angels who brought him to the shelter so that he would be there when we went to find new cats.  I wish we could give them a big pile of money (if we had it).  All we can do is wish good things for them and hope they are blessed in return for what they did for Lucky and for us.

Pikachu (Lucky) is a sweet and wonderful little boy, and he loves his big brother Yoshi.  We didn't want to keep the name Lucky, because we didn't want to be thinking on a daily basis of his tough beginnings.  We just want to shower him with love.  He is our little sweetie-pie.  We are the ones who are lucky, to have him.

 

Please Cat-Proof Carefully

 

 

 

 

Our new cats.  We love them so much, but they get into more trouble than we thought they would.  Every night (when I'm trying to sleep), it's something new.

 

Last night, Yoshi, named for this guy...

 

 

...who is usually green in the Super Mario games, but can come in other colors, was clanging around in the kitchen and I was wondering what he could be bashing into that sounded so metallic.  I got up to look and he came out from UNDER the oven, all covered in small dust bunnies.

 

I didn't even know it was possible for a cat to get in under there.  There's a flap of some kind, but I don't even know if it's the broiler or if this is under the broiler (I never use it).  I'm just glad that we don't use the oven lately and that this is a pilotless oven.  I was scared thinking of what might happen to someone else, so that's why I'm writing this.

 

This link (the cats in the photo look almost like ours) is pretty good, about cat-proofing...

 

http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/cat_proofing_your_house.html

 

...but it didn't say anything about them going under the oven.  There are many things that cats can get into that you'd never think of.  They jump places you didn't know they could reach and think anything they find is a potential toy (especially if they are younger).

 

My husband and I have had cats for many years, but we are still learning because every cat is different.  Our striped little one, Pikachu, is named for this guy...

 

 

...who is so sweet on the Pokémon cartoons.  Our Pikachu is very sweet, too, but also quite rambunctious.  He is zooming around and bashing into things all the time.  We knew enough to have our breakables put away, but we didn't know all of the other trouble he could get into.

 

We knew to keep our bathroom door closed because we've seen videos of kitties unrolling all of the toilet paper onto the floor.  We know to use very safe and natural cleaning products (except in the closed bathroom) and to keep yarn and string away from them, because it can get tangled inside them and cause them to need surgery.

 

All I'm saying is, look all around, try to think like a cat, and just make sure they are safe.  Of course we can't think of every possible thing they could get into, but just try your best and have fun trying to keep up with them as they find more trouble to get into!