You are a Siamese! You are fun-loving, playful,
energetic, talkative, and exotic. You are the
center of attention and you love every minute
of it.


What breed of cat are you?
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A Funny Letter

This was a forwarded email to me by an online buddy in a Cat Forum. It made me laugh big time, so i decided to share it with all my readers here. Cheers!


My dear Cats,

I love you guys, but you’re making my life a living hell right now. I hope this is just a reaction to some natural disaster looming in the near future and not how you intend to live the rest of your lives. Because, if this is the way you intend to live your lives, they will be very short indeed!

White cat: Shut the fuck up. Yes, I know you’re there. There is absolutely nothing wrong with my eyes. Have you ever noticed how I leave the house for around 9 hours each and every weekday? I have this job thing. This thing keeps you in food and toys and stuff. It also allows me to purchase the furniture you so readily destroy. If you keep raising hell at 5am, I will continue to be in a pissy mood and stand a good chance of being fired from my job. Result? No more stuff for you.

Black cat: Ever heard of a courtesy flush. Well, that’s what we humans do when we let loose with a particularly rank dump. In case you haven’t noticed, you specialize in particularly rank dumps and I think a courtesy flush (or in your case a courtesy scratch) would be in order. And no, scratching the floor AROUND the litter box does not count. There is a reason for that litter. Think about it and use it.

To both of you: Work with me here; stay out from under my feet. I can’t feed you if I’m unconscious on the floor. Try lying on clothes that actually MATCH your fur color instead of contrasting colors. Stay the fuck away from my food. I certainly don’t mess with yours. Make sure that all wildlife brought into the house is actually dead. I’m getting tired of cleaning up after your slasher movies.

If you follow these few simple rules, you will live long and prosper and I will love you with all my heart!

Thanks,
Me

Boe's Special Day!

It's Boe's 4th birthday!

I will never forget the first moment I saw Boe. Her eyes instantly cut through me and right there and then, she stole my heart. How time flies really and I still can't believe I have this awesome cat who never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

This is the second time she's spending her birthday with me and I know we'll both celebrate many more birthdays together. She's been a real blessing. Just a couple of weeks ago I found myself in the ER having a terrible case of gastritis. Days before that, I was bravely resisting the urge to bring myself to the hospital and throughout that time, Boe was a source of comfort to me. She would climb up my bed and lean againts me. She would normally stay in her basket below my bed but surprisingly, that very week she slept on my bed as if to convey that she's there for me. Cat's are sensitive creatures. They know when somethings not right. When I'm feeling down and depressed, she would always have a way to make me smile.

Happy birthday my baby Boe...you're truly an angel. Blow your candles now and yes, you can have extra servings of your favorite treat.

More Cat Tales

I (sometimes) envy my cats. They are masters in the art of relaxation and creatures of contentment.

Take for instance, my Pozzy would sit hours on end on a window sill enjoying the sunlight through the smoked glass. I would often wonder what she's thinking of whenever she isolates herself that way. I look at her and instantly see that sense of contentment and peace in her face. She sits there with her eyes half closed, softly purring away. But aside from this, she has another way of expressing contentment. And each time she does it, she makes it difficult for me to resist the temptation of approaching her for a kiss on the forehead or rubbing her soft belly. How can I resist? She's sooo cute and adorable! I'm almost certain that if you we're in my place, you wont be able to resist Pozzy's charm. I highly doubt it.

And this is Boe's idea of relaxation

& contentment:snuggling next to me.

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I bought a bigger Cat Track for my babies. This one has a scratching pad and the ball is exposed. I like the fact that it was built to really entice my cats to play. In fact I see both Pozzy and Boe frequently playing with it.

I get loads of fun watching Pozzy deeply engrossed in playing with it. She'd crawl inside the play tunnel and pretend to hunt down the white ball as her prey. She would reach out for the white ball, trying desperately to scoop it out and when she gets frustrated, she'd push it hard enough so that the white ball would to go round the track in a rather speedy fashion.

Boe on the otherhand absolutely loves the scratching pad and uses it to stretch out whenever she wakes up from her naps. Boe even found another way to enjoy this remarkable toy (and thinking outside the box so to speak) by making it her day bed!

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Now look who's (stealing?) eating Pozzy's food?

And sleeping on my leather chair...

The Play Tunnel

I drove to Ikea last weekend to get my dahling kitties the Ikea child tent I saw online. I told myself that would be perfect whenever Boe and Pozzy want to assert their feline privacy. Cat's love to hide themselves and take naps. But unfortunately, the red and blue tent that I wanted was out of stock. The creative side of me decided to choose the Ikea PS Fangst instead. It was designed in such a way that children can can use it to climb and stuff their toys inside. With this design, kids can practice hitting targets making tidying-up and sorting more fun.Trying to hit targets helps develop a child's ability to estimate distances and coordinate movements. I was suddenly struck with an idea how to transform this item into a fun toy for my babies. I bought 2 and chose the orange and yellowgreen.

I realized that the brightly colored polyester mesh was an even better choice than the tent I initially wanted considering its tunnel-like design. It was easy to see what's inside through the net so I can watch my babies when they play inside or whenever they choose to take catnaps inside. As soon as I got home, I immediately assembled the whole thing, attaching one end of the loop to another and hanging small toys inside so that they can play with it when they crawl in. I should have bought 4 so that the tunnel would reach the bedroom. Oh well. Will do that next weekend. As it is, it looks great and my babies loveee it. The pictures below show just that.

Pozzy comfortably seated inside the tunnel watching me

Hmm, maybe I should go out from this hole

Boe enjoying the green end of the tunnel.

Now I can have some peace and quiet

Cat Play

Other than sleeping and eating, play is a major part of my cat’s life. Since cats are true carnivores, their games center on hunting. Rabbit, Bird, Fish, and Mouse are the four major games that cats play, and their mothers teach them these skills as kittens. Cat's can play with a human companion, another cat or group of cats, or another species of animal altogether. Some cats have the ability to amuse themselves alone, but cat's aren't as creative as most young humans. This is why they usually require a basket of toys. Toys and moving objects are great for cats and most of them relate to the four major games cats play.

Playing with my cats strengthens our bond, helps disperse their aggression, reduces whatever fears they have, builds trust and confidence and corrects any inappropriate biting and scratching. By setting aside playtime with Boe and Pozzy, I provide them with the necessary exercise for their mind and body. Let me briefly touch on the four basic types of play my Boe and Pozzy indulges in everyday.

The Bird Game
In this game, Boe and Pozzy would leap through the air and swat on a particular toy. This is done for the purpose of capturing the elusive pretend bird. Most cats are able to leap five times their height from a standing position. Whenever I watch Boe and Pozzy play in this manner, it's a little like watching a cat ballet.


The Rabbit Game
In this game, Boe and Pozzy grabs an object, wrestles it to the ground clasping with the front paws and kicking with the hind legs(Boe's picture above illustrates this even more, see her grab the scratching post and kick it with her hind legs). This is how any cat for that matter would attack a prey of similar size in the wild (and in the case of domesticated cats in the home including the owners foot).


The Mouse Game
In this game, Boe and Pozzy would execute a finely executed pounce. This starts with pawing, stalking, biting, and capturing the object playing the part of the mouse. Sometimes it will look like the they are treading backwards when suddenly they would springs forward on the imagined object. This could be a squeeze toy, a furry mouse, or in the case of some owners, their big toe!


The Fish Game
In this game, Boe and Pozzy makes a scooping motion that imitates little hands pulling up a fish. This is often done with one paw reaching into the perceived prey. See Pozzy reach in with her paw, trying to pull out the ever illusive green ball.

Cat owners should really spend more quality time with their kitties. Personally I find a deep sense of fulfilment each and everytime I play with my cats. The laughter I derive from each activity wipes the daily blues instantly. I don't need coffee or chocolates to give me that "high". Seeing them enjoy playtime with me is more than enough to give me that happy feeling.

Here's to a constant playtime for you and your cats in the coming days!

Grooming Time

I love grooming my cat's. By this I mean two things, brushing their coats and clipping their nails. It's my way of spending quality time with them.

I have to admit, I don't follow the book when it comes to cat grooming. For example, it is advised that short haired cats like Boe need very little brushing usually once a week or once every other week is enough. Just stroking her fur is enough to bring out the beautiful shiny sheen. But I can't stand not brushing it anyways at least every other day. She's ok with this except when I sort of get carried away and brush too much and longer than she could handle. She won't bite or claw me but usually she would swish her tale to warn me of her irritation, just enough to give me time to back off. I learned my lesson the hard way when I didn't really understand the swishing of her tail when I brushed her coat for the first time. As expected, Boe gave me a warning bite. After that incident, I started to read more about cat behavior just to understand what certain feline movements mean.

While Boe require very minimal brushing, it's exactly the opposite when it comes to my Pozzy. She needs to be brushed DAILY(and she hates it). It's not easy brushing her at all. At first she would swipe me with her claws. I had to think of a way to avoid getting hurt. And so I managed to attach the brush in a 12 inch flat stick. This way, even if she tries to swipe me away with her claw, she would only hit the brush and not my hand. Brushing Pozzy is like forcing a 4 year old kid to take a bath. She would usually run away the moment she see's my hand with that evil brush. I would follow her anywhere just to brush her coat. Eventually she felt resigned to the fact that I AM THE BOSS and I get things my way whether she likes it or not.

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If it's a crime at all, then I would readily admit to forcibly cutting my cat's claws. Most cats do not like having their toenails trimmed. I have to "force" Boe and Pozzy to submit to this stressful session otherwise, they might hurt each other in one of their cat fights. When left uncut, their claws grow to be razor sharp weapons of defense.

This may seem like a daunting task at first, but trimming our cat's claws regularly is an important part of maintaining their hygiene. Keeping our cat's claws clipped will also minimize scratches that we might suffer. Trust me, it's not a pleasant feeling getting scratched by cats claws. From experience, the best time to trim my cat's claws is when they are relaxed/sleepy or when they just woke up from a nap. I literally avoid giving them a pedicure right after a stressful experience or an energetic round of play.

Some cat owners use clippers to cut their kitties claws. I use the ever dependable nail cutter instead. I would hold it vertically so that the claw is trimmed from bottom to top instead of across the nail. This position help prevents splitting the nail that usually occurs when it is cut horizontally. I would hold a paw in one hand and press a toe pad gently to extend the claw. I make sure I dont cut the pink tissue (also known as the "quick") on the inside of the cat's claw and literally avoiding it; cutting into it will cause pain and bleeding.

That pissed look from Pozzy before

and after a nailclipping session

Boe's resistance to the nailclipping session is nothing compared to Pozzy's. She just hates it and would do anything to break away from my grip. I would talk to her in the most loving voice just to calm her down and assure her I'm not going to hurt her. I somehow suspect that her previous owner must accidently hurt Pozzy in the process which explains her resistance. I don't know if Pozzy will ever get over the trauma so I am trying my very best to use "gentle force" on her( if there's such a word). I would usually shower her with praises right after each session and immediately spend some playtime with her. I want her to associate nailclipping to playtime so that eventually the fear and resistance will lessen and hopefully she would look forward to the session instead.