Surely there has to be something I can do for fun around here….Let me see what my friends are doing…
Mondays were meant for cat mischief!
I love hunting mice (or birds, whatever)- but when the weather isn’t good, or when every single neighbor and their pet dog has their sprinklers on, I get bored out of my mind and have to find other ways to entertain myself- some of those ways, however, the Can Opener isn’t real fond of.
So what’s a bored cat supposed to do? Well, she limits my time on Catbook, so I can’t use unsocial media to get ideas from my friends, so that leaves me only one other option- cat gossip, or looking in on my neighbors’ cats to see what they’re up to.
So here are a few ideas I found to work with…
But how can I get in there?
Nice plan but I think I’ll pass…
Great ideas!! But the guy under the blinds gave me the best idea yet! š¹
We’ve been trying for the last several days to get the Can Opener to type for us but that hasn’t worked out very well. There have been a few times she sat down and started a post for us, but then something happened and she didn’t get back to it. And sometimes she tried to get back to it but started hurting in her back and knee and couldn’t concentrate, so our draft folder is full of unfinished ideas we gave her.
We’re changing her schedule (she’s objecting)- because she just can’t seem to keep things on her previous schedule before our Backup Can Opener went to heaven. But we have the same schedule, so that means we have to retrain her! Meanwhile….
I help Mom keep Sushi groomed…
That is until she calls me “Tuna Breath!”
This morning it’s beautiful and sunny and after eating and grooming Sushi for Mom, I went outside to lay in my favorite sun puddle while the Can Opener made her coffee and started her morning routine…
Oh yes- this is my HAPPY PLACE!
Then Sushi decided she wasn’t ready for the Can Opener to do her usual brushing, so instead of settling in on Mom’s lap while she has her coffee, Sushi decided to snuggle into her soft, furry bed instead-
She was all settled in and cozy and then…
In walked “Mr.Smokey”- intent on stealing our Can Opener’s heart (and food)-
He was getting all nice and cozy…
And then he looked up and saw Sushi in her bed and growled and flew out the door and down the street!!! š¹
Maybe the Can Opener should take Sushi off her diet- he looked at her (and her “What are you doing here?” look, and decided it was time to move on! Apparently he isn’t used to being confronted by a cat twice his size! š¹
Oh- I remember you. You’re the cat trying to steal my Can Opener’s heart. Too late. It already belongs to me and Sushi.
Do you ever wonder what or who your cat remembers? Do we forget things?
I can tell you that Sushi and I remember very clearly that the Can Opener left us on Thanksgiving last year because the critters’ parents needed a cat sitter for our cousins Serafina and Abby. I can also remember that we were afraid she might forget us- but she came home just like she had said she would! And I remember how extremely happy we were to see that she didn’t forget us- and we both remember how much she spoiled us when she came back.
And in case you’re wondering, yes, I remember how the new year started for our Can Opener and her family. I remember seeing our Back-up Can Opener sicker than I’d ever seen him before, and suddenly the Can Opener was going to the hospital every day, and then they both came back (in an ambulance). Soon the couch was disposed of, and a hospital bed took its place in the living room. Then strangers – (nurses, chaplains, social workers) were stopping in and calling every day. And someone called “our Pastors” stopped by.
I remember it was Christmas time- and the heavy snowfall that my Can Openers and the Critters longed for finally came- but they weren’t able to enjoy it. The Can Opener was running back and forth all night long (every hour) – to take care of “hubby”- and give him morphine to help the pain. I was on top of the desk watching over him- and Sushi and I knew something had changed.
Then about 10 days after coming home from the hospital, he coughed three times- and never inhaled again.
Sushi and I would’ve cried- but we’re cats and we don’t know how. But we both knew we wouldn’t see him again. And we watched as they took him away, and everything changed.
Yes, we cats have great memories. And I remember it took a long time for our Can Opener to “recover”- if that ever really happens. But most of all we remember that she took extra special care of us after that because she knew that we were affected by it. And it gave her strength to comfort and cuddle us.
We still remember the Back-up Can Opener too. We are just thankful our Mom is still here with us and that she’s smiling again and starting to enjoy life again. Most of all, she never stopped spoiling us rotten.
I love to hunt! There’s nothing I love better than going down to the stream to fish, and to see what the other animals and ducks are doing- I watch after the little baby ducklings too when their Mamas aren’t looking…it’s just the right thing to do.
Unfortunately, Mama ducks often don’t see things my way and they come charging at me all defensive and angry. Geez. I think they might need some counseling.
But some of my buddies do a different type of hunting – (I guess because they don’t have a stream close by or lots of wild ducks and other animals hanging around). But that doesn’t stop them from hunting- it just seriously narrows their options.
Unfortunately, they get caught too-
Hmmm… Those little round things must be pretty tasty to go to all that trouble!
Something tells me someone chased him down to take those sausages back…
Well, I wouldn’t eat that stuff – but at least they caught it!
People ask my Can Opener why she doesn’t get a dog. I’m here to answer that question.
Some cats live with kids AND dogs. Crazy!
I’m surprised at how many cats have the misfortune of living not only with those tiny, loud creatures that turn a house upside down, but also with dogs. I agree with Twilight that there’s just something messed up about that. As she would say, what self-respecting cat would allow it?
Just in case you’re wondering why it’s such a big deal, let me first point out the obvious – we’re cats. We cats are calm, chill, (smart), love to sleep, and love to play. Dogs are loud, boistrous, noisy, and barky, and jumpy, and neurotic, and eat our food, and tear up our beds and toys, bark and wake us up, dump fleas on us, and steal all our attention from our Can Openers. What cat is going to be okay with that?
But in case that’s not enough to clear things up, let me express it another way.
They plot against us and spoil our hunting and fishing plans.They eat money- which takes away from the cat food fund.
They pick on us until we get mad and let them have it, then they whine and cry and get us in trouble.
They’re idiots. They should be hoping for cat food.
You know, you humans think we cats don’t have problems. But we do!
I’ve heard humans say we cats have it made-
And they’re right- usually. That is if we are living with properly trained Can Openers. Otherwise, well- not so much.
For example… My friend Frisky who lives a few blocks away can never get his humans to get out of bed and feed him on time. So sometimes he has to get a little “creative…”
Then, next door to Frisky is Princeton – his humans are obsessed with persnickity produce that just dares him to do anything about it.
And just down the street a little further, there’s Lizzy– Whose Can Opener thinks it’s still the Elizabethan age.
And (almost) worst of all- poor Twinkie just found out she’s ADOPTED!
So the next time you see a ‘stray’ cat trying to move in with you, have a heart, will ya’? You never know what problems are driving them away from home!
No, I’m not coming out of my box. Twilight broke it. It’s MINE!
Twilight needs a diet, Mom.
Mom, why is it I’m on a diet, but not Twilight? Look what she did to my box! She slept in it and flattened the whole side of it! And left her fur all over my favorite green blankie.
Now when I want to go hide under my bed, I have half a box left! Now I’m going to go flatten her box, and leave my fur on her favorite blankie- but you need to order me a new box, okay? And how about washing my blankie, so I don’t get her fur all over me…I don’t want Smokey making fun of me about this- It’ll ruin my reputation.
And hurry up, with that new box order, okay? She’ll come flying in any minute now and try to take it over again unless you distract her with treats. By the way- where are those treats? I want to get my share before the little flea sucks them all up on her way to my box.
Hurry up, okay?
MOL! š¹I’m not big enough to flatten your box, Sushi! You did it!! And, I already ate all the treats!
I haven’t posted a lesson for you would-be respectable cats for a while, because I’ve had my paws full around here with the critters, Sushi, and the would-be feline home invader, Smokey.
But he got me thinking… of course, if he is lost, or was left behind by a family who moved out, he needs a home, and cuddles, and food- and of course, flea treatment (for the love of Ceiling Cat, PLEASE)!
But whether a cat moves in to a home by manipulation (Smokey is good at that)- or by invitation, a respectable cat still needs to know how to train his “owners.”
Now, Smokey hasn’t been adopted (but he sure is trying)- because the Can Opener has her paws full already -(and the whole neighborhood loves him and wants him).
But for you cats who are adopted, here are a few pointers you help you train your “owners” to your specifications.
For one, help them “Catify” the house to your liking….
Claim the computer- so you can sell the other pets on ebay and make sure they’re not looking at videos of other cats.
Once you snuggle up on a lap, don’t let them get up.
Make sure they take you surfing on demand. Cats need entertainment too.
Don’t let them back-talk you.
And make sure you tell them how to fix your castle to your liking…
Make your design choices clear to the Resident in charge. Otherwise, catification won’t happen.
You make me feel safe, Mom. You were always my favorite!
The Can Opener is my favorite human.
I love our human. At first I was upset and didn’t want to share her with Sushi. But Sushi was so relieved and happy when she joined our family, that I started to warm up to her a little. She wasn’t trying to steal my Can Opener’s affection, she just needed to feel secure and loved. She had been ignored and neglected for a long time by her previous “owner” and her feelings were hurt. But soon after coming here, she started to feel calmer and she loves our human. So do I.
When the Backup Can Opener was still here, he used to complain because both Sushi and I followed Mom everywhere, and we love to play with her and settle in on her lap every chance we get – and he could never understand why we didn’t treat him the same way – (even though we loved him too).
Let’s play a little longer, Mom- Sushi won’t mind!
There were some basic differences, though. While we loved him too, we just felt more special with the Can Opener. After all, she always talks softly to us, and she grooms us, and gives us back scratches, and treats – and plays with us- and she was always the one who fed us and took us to the vet. He would pet us sometimes, but not really interact with us. So, of course, we bonded more with our Can Opener.
Mom says this is something that a lot of cat “parents” experience. She understands us kitties a lot more than he did- because he didn’t have kitties growing up, so he didn’t really understand us. And he tried to relate to us the same way he used to relate to his dogs.
That doesn’t work for cats. So, we looked up this video to help humans understand that we cats – well, we’re not dogs. So in case some of you humans wonder why your cats seem to have a favorite person (and it’s not you)- this may help you understand us felines a little better. We always love all the humans in our house- but some humans are a little irritating (noisy)- or, they don’t respect our need for peace when we want to be left alone…
Or some may even remind us of someone who hurt us or was mean to us before. Nothing personal, but memories are memories, after all. And even humans have automatic responses to unpleasant memories.
So grab some popcorn and watch and learn why some kitties respond the way they do.
How to Train your Humans 