Got a new cat!

[oldred]

This little gal came to us a few weeks ago and she is a bit different, a short haired Polydactyl Calico she has 24 toes! Actually she has an extra half foot attached to each of her feet, while cats with extra toes are not rare it is rare for the toes to be this fully developed including extra pads on the bottoms and on all four feet. She is an extremely smart and active little bugger and my wife and I have already decided she is going to be our new indoor critter.

92986

92987

92988

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[garym1a2]

Watch out, cats like to coat lubed boolits with cat hair and barf on your loading chair.

[JeffinNZ]

How wonderful she has a home. Long may she live and comfort you.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

that critter is made for walking on powdery snow!

[oldred]

that critter is made for walking on powdery snow!

She sure is, I get a kick out of watching here walk away because it looks like duck feet on her hind legs! Our vet said she has seen a lot of Polydactyls but she has never seen one with this many toes or as fully developed as they are plus having the extra foot pads. This one definitely is a case of simply having an extra half a foot attached to her normal feet, because she is so smart and perky she sure is a fun little critter even if she had normal feet.

[jonp]

Cats make good target practice

[richhodg66]

I love cats. Never had one with extra toes though.

As long as it's friendly and healthy, ought to make a great pet. The one we have now is our baby and he is spoiled rotten but he seems to appreciate it.

[Char-Gar]

I am a big cat fan with three..she have a name yet?

[mpbarry1]

I've never been a cat hater. We have two, onethat i love and one that i tollerate. That cat you have is a cool critter. I hope you have years of enjoyment from her! ( and i hope she kills mice!)

[oldred]

I am a big cat fan with three..she have a name yet?

My wife named her Tippy after another pet she had years ago.

[Poygan]

With that many toes, I would think she is anything but "Tippy". BTW we have five cats and one very old yellow lab.

[Pb2au]

That is fantastic! I love cats. I think Tippy is a fine name for such a cool cat.

[AkMike]

I usually name a critter after it's been with me a while. That way I get to know what the personality is like. This cat is called P.A.V. (Pizz And Vinegar) because it's so feisty.

[Doc Highwall]

I have one like that named Precious, my nick name for her is monkey paws.

[contender1]

Put me in the category of cat lover. We own 6 of them. Our youngest is about 7-8 months old. She just came back from the vet today after getting "fixed." All of ours are full time indoors cats. Car traffic and coyotes convinced me long ago to do that.
Your new cat looks sweet! My wife loved Hemmingway's place in the Keys due to the cats.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Seven of 'em here. My own in-house version of Wild Kingdom. son would go before I lost a cat.

dale in Louisiana

[Beau Cassidy]

I had a polydactile calico as a child named Fido. A great mouser she was. A little over a year ago a long haired grown black polydactile adopted us. We call him Scooby. The neices call him Scoobster. He is a great squirrel catcher but now mainly stays inside.

Cat haters need not reply to this thread.

[DougGuy]

Neat cat! I have never seen one with paws like that. Heard of them having extra toes, etc, but nothing like half a foot. Hope she doesn't take a liking to climbing Christmas trees!

The best one (and smartest) I had was named Bocephus. Orange tabby that lived up to his name. When I got him I was working construction and he came skittering up the sidewalk all sideways and sassy. I let him in the room and he ran right over to a can of beer I had sitting on the floor and started licking the top of it. I said well, there's a cat after my own best side.. He got up on the coffee table one day and gf swatted at him and man he rared up and raised his paws and hissed at her, he weren't havin' none of that swatting business at all! He knew about 20 words and would go through a wicker basket until he found the exact toy he was looking for. You could ask him "where's your ___" (a toy), and he would go to where he last saw or played with that particular toy and start looking for it. Pretty dang smart cat.

Here he is guarding one of my guitars, he was loveable and all that but boy you cross him up and he gets mad? He will draw blood in a heartbeat..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/The_Bocephus_attitude_showing_Aug_2005_zpsc3487579 .jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/The_Bocephus_attitude_showing_Aug_2005_zpsc3487579 .jpg.html)

[MaryB]

Or they barf on your pillow when you get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night... nothing like having to change bedding at 3AM. I have 2, one is my bed buddy(he barfed last night) other is my best buddy but he is not a bed cuddler.

[wallenba]

Watch out, cats like to coat lubed boolits with cat hair and barf on your loading chair.

And use your tumbling media for kitty litter.

[MtGun44]

Had a long haired tortoise shell with fully functional opposed thumbs. Looked
exactly like mittens. We called her Widetrack - referring to the old "Wide Track
Tiger Paws" tire commercials of 35-40 yrs ago. She had one litter, one had
the thumbs on one paw - called it "Half Track".

Best wishes for long life with your new pet. They can bring a great deal of
joy into a home.

Bill

[DRNurse1]

I've never been a cat hater. We have two, one that i love and one that i tolerate. That cat you have is a cool critter. I hope you have years of enjoyment from her! ( and i hope she kills mice!)

MPBarry, I think you have that backwards...the cats tolerate us.


Old Red: I hope you and Tippy have a long and happy relationship...outside of the reloading room!

[Col4570]

jonp,you sure are courageous.

[OBIII]

How wonderful she has a home. Long may she live and comfort you.
How wonderful she has a home. Long may she live and control you.

Fixed it for ya Jeff. :drinks:

Oldred, good on you. I've always had my share of cats, and hope this one is good for you.
OB

[Thin Man]

The old line is "dogs have masters, cats have servants." I serve 2 cats. The white one was brought to us by a family friend when she was very young. Not overly friendly, but now older age is getting a lot of that out of her. The black one was brought to us by a son-in-law who found it in his yard immediately after the mother gave birth and walked away, not seen again for almost a year (feral). I fed him with eye-droppers until he could do for himself. Now he is fat and sassy, overly affectionate, and tears up the house. His favorite trick is to drop his dirt on the floor just outside the litter box!

When I saw the photos of oldred's kitten's paws, my first thought was how lucky cats are that they never get Athlete's Foot - could be fatal in her situation. Very pretty baby, and double lucky to have found a loving home.

Thin Man

[Col4570]

http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/LULU04082012001.jpg (http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/livebattery/media/LULU04082012001.jpg.html)
This is Lulu,she moved in with us four years ago.Her previous servant allowed this ,she has seven other cats.

[opos]

Congrats on the "Hemmingway" cat...Hemmingway was a cat lover and his compound was a haven for cats...still is...the great majority of cats that are "protected" on his old estate are 6 toed...they were his favorite and they bred that way...sort of a natural selection.

Our indoor cat has had some thyroid problems so went to the vet Monday for the radiation treatment and cure....he comes home tomorrow and we have to sort of give him a wide berth for a week or so to keep from glowing in the dark.. (mostly government hype...taking care of the population even if they don't want to be cared for)..I imagine he's pretty bored ... just "resting " in a cage for 5 days.

Good on you for taking in cats...we are big cat people. Always adopt strays or tame ferals..they make great friends...always remember that cats do not have owners...they have staff.

[oldred]

She is 12 weeks old and we have had her for three weeks now she is very smart and the indoor training is going well, so far she has trained us to get food from the pantry when she's ready to eat, to retrieve toys for her when she wants to play and to open the door for her to get to her litter box on our enclosed porch. Her favorite "toy" is a feather dust mop that's about twice as big as she is and she will drag it all over the house! She does not like my hat and if I pick her up she will instantly slap it off my head and dare me to put it back on!

I hate cats! [smilie=1:

[CastingFool]

Put me on the cat lover's list, too! I used not to like cats, but my wife's family did, and the little critters eventually changed my mind. At one point, we had 7 cats. Eventually, they got pared down to 5, 3 indoor, and 2 outdoor cats. Due to illness, and other unfortunate events, we are down to one indoor cat.

[Doc Highwall]

The wife and I are servants to three cats, Precious who is about 8- 8-1/2 years old but today we know that Jason and Jasmine are 15 years old today because we know when they were born on January 9th.

[MtGun44]

I think that is "Cats have staff." My wife and I are "the staff".

Bill

[square butte]

Nice photos - How did I miss this thread for 2 days. Hope you will put up a few more photos of her. Always thought the cats with extra toes were just plain special. We like the ones with not too much tail - Manx. Have seen extra toes and short tail together. That's a neat combo.

[oldred]

The neatest Polydactyl I know of is a Main Coon owned by a friend of mine over in Kentucky (maybe that should be Main Coon that owns a friend of mine?), this cool kitty not only has extra toes on all four feet but he weighs 28 lbs! With his long hair and all that weight he is a real monster and those feet look like they should belong to a lion!

[Maximumbob54]

That's crazy!!! I've seen extra toes on cats but that's actually half a paw each foot!!! That's a neat cat.

[Dan Cash]

Watch out, cats like to coat lubed boolits with cat hair and barf on your loading chair.

They will also pee in your box of empty brass and **** in your tumbler media.

[dagger dog]

Bigfoot or Digit would be on my name list for such an animal. She's special and I'm sure she'll make a fine companion.

The wife and I co-habituated with a large Persian cat named Scratch, he was the devil incarnate, we were fortunate to be able to stay on his good side .

He was hell on strangers and hard to get to know, he had total control of the house and was the best watch cat I've ever seen, and large enough to back up his attitude.

A knock on the door was his signal to go into alert mode, you were greeted and given the sniff test, some passed and the ones that didn't weren't tolerated ,we had to separate Scratch from those that flunked.

He gave us 17 years of his life and is buried in our pet cemetery along with Dolly our canine companion.

[RED333]

Cool cat, congrats.
I used to not care for cats, we now have 6, my fav is Com Pow #36 on the menu.
My nephew gave her to us with the promise not to give her to a
Asian, as he saw on the tube they eat cat.
Thus the name.
We have 6 cats and 8 dogs.

[firefly1957]

Enjoy your unique pet many here hate cats i do not, but i do hate feral cats in the wild they are terrible on wildlife.

[oldred]

I don't hate feral cats for what they do to wildlife, they are just trying to find something to eat and can't be hated for that. But having said that I also realize that truly wild feral cats can not just be allowed to run rampant and must be dealt with like any other out of control predator. I have raised several "wild" animals, rabbits, a raccoon and even 4 baby groundhogs that my daughter brought in after their mother was killed and there is a distinct difference between animals like these and both dogs and cats. Dogs and Cats not only seem to be much more intelligent but they seem to have an "emotional intelligence" that most other animals lack, most animals are just sort of "there" and other than survival and breeding instincts seem to have little emotion about them. I think it's this difference in intelligence that separates dogs and cats from others that has resulted in their relationships with man, it seems the kind of bond between our us and our dog or cat pets just can not be made with most other animals because they lack the emotional ability to do so. Just me thinking out loud here but I think most people who have raised other animals will understand what I mean.


BTW, of the others we raised (all were allowed to leave on their own into the wild) the most fascinating and fun were those groundhogs! Those things absolutely loved attention and became almost pesky before they reached the age where they were more interested in finding mates at which point they finally wondered off into the wild, they would still come when we called for them on occasion looking for the cookies they loved so much but as time went by they became more distant and eventually reached the point where they became more wild than tame and seemed confused by our presence.

[sav300]

Am also a cat person.I googled Polyactyl and now know what they are.

[Ajax]

I have a grey striped short hair. He is the most loving and playful cat i have ever owned. you try to pet hims and he wants to play chase you get bored of it and sit down he comes jumps in you lap to be petted. He is hell on what he thinls don't belong in our house lol. I have to honestly say he is my second son and i would protect him as such. His name is Leroy Jenkins from the world of warcraft parody. When he was a kitten he ran into every situation wide open and without care lol.


Andy

[oldred]

I have a grey striped short hair. He is the most loving and playful cat i have ever owned. you try to pet hims and he wants to play chase you get bored of it and sit down he comes jumps in you lap to be petted. He is hell on what he thinls don't belong in our house lol. I have to honestly say he is my second son and i would protect him as such. His name is Leroy Jenkins from the world of warcraft parody. When he was a kitten he ran into every situation wide open and without care lol.


Andy


I know what you mean! I was not a cat person, didn't exactly dislike them just didn't think much about them one way or the other, and like lots of folks I had the wrong idea about them. I thought they were all sneaky and didn't have the ability to bond with people like dogs do but was I ever wrong about that! Our first cat was a solid black short haired male that someone had abandoned at about 6 weeks old and my son, 10 at the time brought that skinny sickly looking kitten to me and begged me to let him keep it. He turned out to be basically healthy but starved and he recovered quickly to become a family member and a whole new experience for us, we were heartbroken when he disappeared after 16 years but it was no surprise since his health had been failing due to age. We got a Siamese kitten and what a demon that one was was! Then the Himalayans and a mixed breed and it just went on from there, I discovered they are indeed fantastic and loving pets, it's just that they don't want you knowing that last part! :roll:

[bob208]

we have an Ollie, Feisty. Inky. Felix ,Idity, Beany, Tiny, Moose, Tootsie, Markus and Maxine.

[contender1]

I will follow up with a hearty "Thank You" to all the folks who seem to have become the caretakers of more than a few cats.
Growing up, anybody who kept more than one or two cats were considered a bit "odd."
And most cats back then were relegated to living outdoors mostly, except for the occasional visit to the inside to eat or visit. Add in that most "macho men" hated cats, life for them was rough.
I now see many fine MEN who appreciate cats for the companions they are, and it's NICE knowing that while I "only" have 6 cats myself, many of y'all enjoy even more of them.
Until the house gets bigger, I hope we stay at the current numbers. :D

[Char-Gar]

It warms my heart to see all of the cat people here. It was only a few years ago, when the cat haters ran amok here. I don't understand their thinking, but that is just the way of it, I guess.

[btroj]

We are allowed to live with two cats. They are part of the family.

I am not a dog person at all. Cats do tend to be aloof but I like that. I like the independent nature of felines. Ours are finally getting out of the "kitteny" stage and mellowing out a bit. One is a good lap cat, the other isn't quite ready for that yet.

[Char-Gar]

We are allowed to live with two cats. They are part of the family.

I am not a dog person at all. Cats do tend to be aloof but I like that. I like the independent nature of felines. Ours are finally getting out of the "kitteny" stage and mellowing out a bit. One is a good lap cat, the other isn't quite ready for that yet.

I am a critter person I guess. I like dogs and cats, plus most other creatures save snakes. I have three foundling cats (Chuy, Murphy and Beamer) and one dog (Whitman) that was a high dollar purchase. He is a Pekinese and the best companion a fellow could want. I like all dogs, but prefer small house dogs at this time in my life. If, I didn't have any critters, a big chuck of value in my life would go away.

If you get a pure bred dog from a top notch breeder, their personalities and behavior run true to type. But cats are different, while they have mutual feline characteristics, their personalities will vary quite a bit which makes them quite interesting. Cats are very much individuals.

[Dale in Louisiana]

we have an Ollie, Feisty. Inky. Felix ,Idity, Beany, Tiny, Moose, Tootsie, Markus and Maxine.

I have Miss Kitty (named by the 2nd wife), Shadow (named by a friend), Peeve (my pet, Peeve - I named him), Romeo and Juliette (named by former owners), Ding (because he was sitting an a keyboard at a control console of a gas compressor station, making alarms go off) and Sucha (as in Sucha fine cat! - I named him, too)

All would be raodkill by now, but I give them a place to live and they give me hours of entertainment.

dale in Louisiana

[MaryB]

Tigger telling me to quit typing and scratch his ears

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd248/maryalanab/2012-11-02_00-44-24_636_zps5226bcde.jpg

Oreo being a goofball

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd248/maryalanab/2013-04-19_17-46-17_595_zps60e5ceaf.jpg

[arjacobson]

I love cats. We have three sphinx. This is our youngest sphinx bella. Sphynx are a great cat breed-very funny-very vocal-too smart for their own good-playful too!93245

[shdwlkr]

I have had at least one cat in my life since I was 3 weeks old, even had one when in the military. Currently have two a male and a big fat old female that is cranky and a small dog we have fun, they create work and we get along fine.

I understand animals better than people. Might be why my dad put me to work on a farm at age 12, by 14 I was doing a lot for the owner to improve his herd sometimes he would balk at first but dad being a Ag Engineer made it a lot easier for me to get things changed or done depending on how you look at it. Well the farmer didn't like so many cats around so he put all he could capture in a burlap and dumped them way away from our farm. Well in a few days the really good mousers were back and he got told to stay away as they kept the mice numbers down and even let me know when the rats got into the grainery. Big mistake for the rats, farmer never said a word after that about the cats around the barn.

[Col4570]

When somebody states they like Dogs but hate Cats,I can,t help wonder at their state of mind.It equates to soccer hooliganism where fans realy hate rival teams supporters.

[arjacobson]

When somebody states they like Dogs but hate Cats,I can,t help wonder at their state of mind.It equates to soccer hooliganism where fans realy hate rival teams supporters. I agree...never trust someone who hates cats....

[shdwlkr]

The reason many don't like cats is because the cat will do what they want when they want and can't be controlled. Dogs can be taught to do what the master wants, not so cats
Some just can't be around cats, health issues
Some just never learned that cats can be lots of fun
Some have mental issues that come out when around cats because they can't control them and yes these people need to be watched as it can lead to other issues. Sometimes it never goes past not liking cats which is fine as long as they don't harm the cats.

Currently I am owned by two cats that tolerate my presence, especially when it is time to eat or catnip treat time.

Yes I have a small dog also that keeps me on my toes also.

[JeffinNZ]

That's kinda what I like about them. They do as they please. I'm adamant that Frodo believes he is not a cat at all. A superior being at least.

[smokeywolf]

How'd you get hold of a cat from Fukushima? Tweety Bird better watch out.

smokeywolf

[TXGunNut]

I'm not much on cats, had a little girl cat adopt me awhile back. She had a litter under the toolbox of my truck and one of her offspring is still around. He likes to take a swat at me every chance he gets but he's just kidding around. He's an outside cat, thank goodness.

[oldred]

he laid down and never woke up ( around 3 years old).


While the cause for that could be any number of things my vet told me something a few years ago that I would never have thought, feeding a cat table scraps can be deadly! There are a number of foods we eat that can be harmful or even deadly to our little friends, anything with even very small amounts of onions or garlic can easily kill your cat! A cat can get enough onion or garlic to die from eating foods just seasoned with them and they do not have to eat large pieces of either for it to cause serious harm. Chocolate is really bad for them also (even worse for dogs I think) and it doesn't take much to make them sick but most cats love the stuff. As the vet said to me, it might seem like a loving thing to do to share a nice piece of your steak with your cat but you could easily be causing it serious harm depending on how that steak was seasoned!

[oldred]

Lot's of things can get cats that go unexplained, there are several lethal viruses that cats can have for years without any outward signs and appear to be healthy until suddenly they will die seemingly without warning. We have had our cats tested for the more common ailments and fortunately they are clean but I have known people to lose several pets within a matter of days. We too have a cat with crippled hips, I have mentioned her here before because of how we came to own her (or her own us as the case may be!). We were feeding our outdoor cats last spring and she apparently heard us calling them and knew what it meant, she came kind of crawling, staggering and falling across the yard she was so weak from hunger. Some IDIOT (and I didn't stutter!) had abandoned this poor creature in her crippled condition knowing full well she would most likely starve because she was unable to hunt, her injury was an old one and she can still get around just fine but she hops like a rabbit instead of walking normally. This cat was probably the most malnourished animal I have ever seen that was still breathing so we took her to our vet who said it was probably hopeless but that she would try, this little long haired Tortie cat not only survived but has become fat and one of our most cherished pets! This has got to be the most lovable animal I have ever encountered and our vet has said the exact same thing! How anyone could be so cruel to such a lovable creature like this is just beyond my imagination, what is not beyond what I can imagine however is what I would like to see happen to the SOB who did this!

[geargnasher]

I'd get my camera and take a couple shots from my easy chair right now, but I'd have to disturb Rusty from my lap and that would never do. Lucy (5 yr old tux who was literally thrown out of a car at the end of our road as a kitten) and Yuri (3-ish yr old White Russian rescued from animal control before execution) are both passed out in front of the wood heater, and Spooky (Black Russian I adopted when I first got set up in my new place after divorce many years ago) is stretched out on the floor to my left giving me the evil eye that the relative newcomer is getting lap time and he isn't. Rusty wandered up a couple years ago starving and with half the side of his face an awful, infected mess, probably hit by a car or fell out of an RV window, we'll never know. No collar or chip but he was obviously someone's baby, he knew what the sound of a pull-tab being popped on canned food was but ignores the sound of a soda can being opened. From day one he was a lap cat. He's old and broken but the vet saved his eye and most of his ear and he's as loving as they get, I only wish his last servants knew he was ok and found a good home.

While I am a "cat lover", I have no illusions about the damage that a feral cat population, or domestic outdoor cats for that matter, do to the ecology. All future cats here will be strictly indoor, as I like cottontail rabbits, Inca doves, roadrunners, and quail too and cats keep them killed out. One hard and fast rule on our place: Chummy wanderers get taken in, registered, vaccinated, and seen after. Wild cats who show no will to be pets get eliminated.

Gear

[geargnasher]

Oldred, we just learned about some of these odd diseases, my Dad's 14-year-old Persian went down a couple of weeks ago after a cold spell, the vet said he had a blood parasite and the cold must have knocked down his system enough that he started showing symptoms (couldn't get up). He's been fighting for his life ever since, having lots of secondary issues now, infections, fevers, etc. We hope he makes it, he's a unique animal. Years ago I watched him chase a grown buck squirrel to the end of a tree limb, break its neck, drag it back down the tree, and eat it. The cat wasn't hungry, I think he just got sick of the squirrel taunting him. The next few days will be dicey, he may be too weak to make it through the complications now, but fortunately the vet had the right suspicions and gave him the right meds even before the first blood test results were in. A second, more complete test was returned from the lab today indicating he has the "worst" of three kinds of blood parasites, but none of us had any idea as the cat always acted quite healthy.

Gear

[mikeym1a]

A friend of mine says that veterinarian doctors are superior to people doctors, as people doctors can ask them where it hurts. The Veterinarians just have to know.

[geargnasher]

People doctors have been working on the same two models for several thousand years and haven't figured out much about it yet. Vets work on hundreds of species from the other four phylums where far less research has been done, fewer meds exist, little patient feedback, more primitive diagnostic capability, and still with astonishing success rates.

Gear

[waksupi]

I trust a good vet more than any sawbones.

[2thepoint]

Teddy & Yummy on guard duty. Yummy (aka Scooter) on the right has three legs....he lost his left hind leg two years ago to cancer. The Vet says he's clear now. He can outrun and climb with the best of them. They're great company when reloading. Only problem is that they swipe small parts from my workbench and don't return them!


94320

[oldred]

Teddy & Yummy on guard duty. Yummy (aka Scooter) on the right has three legs....he lost his left hind leg two years ago to cancer. The Vet says he's clear now. He can outrun and climb with the best of them. They're great company when reloading. Only problem is that they swipe small parts from my workbench and don't return them!


94320


Abyssinians!

Abbys are known as the most intelligent cat breed and for good reason! Our Abby, Minx, is so smart it's almost spooky and people who claim cats are not as smart as dogs have never met an Abyssinian! She has amazed and delighted us for 9 years now but she too was a rescue, I found her belly deep in mud at a coal mine in KY and I never could figure the circumstances of just how she came to be there. She was wearing an expensive fancy collar and had just recently had her claws neatly trimmed yet there she was miles back on a mountain in Kentucky trying to slog through belly deep mud at a coal mine! My theory is that she had gotten out of someone's home and hid in a truck where she "hitched" a ride to the mine, a local effort to post notices of her finding and a note in the newspaper classifieds (some people still read newspapers 9 years ago! :roll:) got no results so she was added to the "herd".

[oldred]

I'd get my camera and take a couple shots from my easy chair right now, but I'd have to disturb Rusty from my lap and that would never do. Lucy (5 yr old tux who was literally thrown out of a car at the end of our road as a kitten) and Yuri (3-ish yr old White Russian rescued from animal control before execution) are both passed out in front of the wood heater, and Spooky (Black Russian I adopted when I first got set up in my new place after divorce many years ago) is stretched out on the floor to my left giving me the evil eye that the relative newcomer is getting lap time and he isn't. Rusty wandered up a couple years ago starving and with half the side of his face an awful, infected mess, probably hit by a car or fell out of an RV window, we'll never know. No collar or chip but he was obviously someone's baby, he knew what the sound of a pull-tab being popped on canned food was but ignores the sound of a soda can being opened. From day one he was a lap cat. He's old and broken but the vet saved his eye and most of his ear and he's as loving as they get, I only wish his last servants knew he was ok and found a good home.


Gear


That's the kind of thing we like to hear because there are so many neglected but otherwise loving pets out there who need help, non-cat owners just don't know what they are cheating themselves out of!

[bob208]

well yesterday we lost one had to have him put down. he used to help me eat my breakfast he loved egg.

[geargnasher]

well yesterday we lost one had to have him put down. he used to help me eat my breakfast he loved egg.

Sorry to hear that. Ol' Percy lost his fight with the blood parasite about an hour ago, I'll be burying him tonight. Sad day for us both.

Oldred, didn't mean to turn this into a sad thread, enjoy your new fuzzy companion.

Gear

[gew98]

I've got two housecats about 16 and 17 years old . I've got a good solid tabby outside whom lost his twin to a bobcat. A couple months ago I saved a pair of little black kittens from a farmer whom was letting his dogs eat their siblings. Owl got one the first night and the little female survived to be one helluva mouser and mole killing machine. Had her spayed and is a permanent crazy family member. Yesterday the neighbors pack of half wild half breed dogs made their daily raid through my yard and woods ..and they did'nt know I was home. One got a little peice of my black cat's fur and they had her on her back screeching. I stepped out of the shed with my 5,56 and solved one problem and I think I winged a second. I am an animal lover..but half wild dogs are as good as dead to me as any coyote.

[mtnman31]

Pets, in general are great. I have two cats in my house. They are both unique and distinctly individual personalities. Both were rescues, one a semi feral cat and the other was adopted from a family friend who was killed by a hit-run driver. They are both older now and don't do much other than eat, sleep and cuddle. While I like dogs as well, I have mostly had cats throughout my life. They fit into my active lifestyle a little easier than a pooch would. They are a bit more independent than dogs. If I go on a short trip and am gone all weekend or camping for a few days, a cat is fine alone for a few days. Dogs need a bit more interaction and care.

In addition to the two cats, we have a small rabbit and some fish. The rabbit was a rescue. A couple years ago we saved him from imminent death at the hands of my mother's cat who had him cornered in a wood pile. When we got him he was a tiny little bugger that fit in the palm of my hand. He was a domesticated rabbit that I assume got away from someone who raised them. He is a pretty cool pet but can be destructive if you don't keep your eye on him. He used to play and interact with the cats quite a bit. For some reason, last time we moved, the cats established different territiories in the house and now they don't interact with the rabbit as much.

I don't plan on any more pets for a while. Once I am retired and not moving around anymore, I'll look at getting a dog. I imagine our cats will have passed by then. My wife wants goats but that isn't happening. I don't mind goats, when they are raised with people they can be quite social and domesticated. I know that if we had goats they'd end up like most other things my wife wants, i.e. we'd get them for her and I'd end up taking care of them and assuming responsibility for them. We'll stick with more traditional "pets".

Like Bob Barker always said, "Don't forget to spay/neuter your pets".

[contender1]

I have been gone a bit, (SHOT Show) and just now getting time to return here.
I see our cat postings have continued.
I hate to hear about the ones we have lost recently, as I too enjoy my feline friends.
I will say this.
Many who feel a cat doesn't miss you, or is fine if you leave for a few days may not recognize the fact that they too get very attached to you. I came in the door after being gone for 6 days, and I had to sit down, and spend about 30 minutes just petting all 6 of mine. One was VERY clingy when I sat down, and it has taken her a few days to get back to accepting that I'm home & not leaving.
Cats do miss you, and enjoy shared affections.
I do love mine!

[Doc Highwall]

I just got back from Florida after 15 days and the cats are climbing on me.

[2wheelDuke]

I had a cat as a kid. I don't think of myself as a big cat person, but cats don't agree. I do think of myself as an animal lover in general.

I have an old long haired cat now. He was "our cat" but my ex left, so now he's my cat. The cat bonded with me from the first day we took him in, so it works out. 94543

[Jeffrey]

Diary of a cat (funny) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKffm2uI4dk

[oldred]

Made my day! I sent that to my daughter at the Hospital where she is an RN, they just watched it in the break room and she said they all enjoyed it immensely, thanks for sharing.

[Beau Cassidy]

Cats will hold out on you pretty bad when they are sick. By the time you realize they are sick they are REAL sick. I lost a great tortie kitten a little over a year ago to FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). She was healthy and showing promise as a real good kitten but went south and died in short order.

[osteodoc08]

My Kit-Kat is an American shorthair I took in when she was a starving and cold kitten. She has been a blessing and knows how to make my day. I was always a dog lover and still am. She's changed my mind about cats. She sleeps on top of my dogs and pals around with them. Never had the first issue with house training and meows at the door to go out and meows to come back in. She keeps the mice population down and leaves them in the porch for me. There's a fat mole out there now. She also likes baby squirrels.

BTW, she was actually a he. He still loves me.

[Dale in Louisiana]

Cats will hold out on you pretty bad when they are sick. By the time you realize they are sick they are REAL sick. I lost a great tortie kitten a little over a year ago to FIP (feline infectious peritonitis). She was healthy and showing promise as a real good kitten but went south and died in short order.

The opposite is true, also. Last year I had a pretty bad cold and stayed home with a fever. I sat in my recliner and had one cat or another visit me all day. That's more sympathy than I got from my last wife.

dale in Louisiana