That Darn Mittens

[clum553946]

Hello Bakerjw. How’s our favorite cat Mittens doing?

[bakerjw]

Funny that I came across this.
My wife texted me this morning letting me know that Mittens is waiting for me.
When I leave for work most mornings, she runs around crying and looking for me.
Today, she hopped up on my computer desk and sat waiting and hoping that I would show up.
In evenings when I try to do crosswords or suduko puzzles, she has to lay on top of everything and try to catch the pencil.
281354


The pencil catcher.
281355

[lightman]

Glad to see that she settled in and doing well.

[Norcal707]

Thought this thread was about that worthless *** Mittens in Utah...

[contender1]

I too often wonder about Mittens. This update,, with these pics,, just makes my day's issues melt away. Lots of smiles here. I truly have enjoyed following this story.

[rking22]

Glad to see she’s doing well! Seems you have been adopted :)

[clum553946]

Thank you for the update. I’m glad she’s doing well!

[bakerjw]

She has learned that during the day there is enough room on my wife's chair to get in behind her. So, I have lost some of her attention.
Well, until nap time and then she bounces off of the walls trying to get upstairs first.

[MaryB]

Such a cutie! And spoiled rotten!

[gwpercle]

I enjoy seeing Kitty photo's ... post more Mittens Updates !
Kiities Rule
Gary

[oldred]

I love cats and we have a bunch of them here on the farm, ALL of them spayed/neutered, vaccinated etc, we love them all. The little buggers have cost me a mint in cat food, vet bills, etc but I don't begrudge any of it as they are worth every penny just to have them around. These are sort of "rescue" cats I suppose as we didn't intentionally bring them here, we live in a very secluded area and idiots tend to abandon animals along a back road that runs by us. We rarely see any dogs and I am guessing the cats (usually older kittens) hear me calling our cats at feeding time and they seem to understand the universal "here kitty kitty" call for cats at feeding time. However some (most actually) are found at our doorstep in a malnourished, skinny, dirty and very scared/confused condition, the question then becomes "how do you say no to a starving kitten"? We try nurse them back to a healthy condition and then find homes for them. Right now we have 14 cats that we are caring for but some are already spoken for when they get a bit older and we expect the others will be adopted soon, of course the adoption doesn't apply to the three pets we have in the house with us!

[Mr_Sheesh]

You may experience the occasional "foster fail", thats when you meant to foster a kitty but end up keeping it. It happens! :) I don't consider it a failure, it's just what caring folks do in the case where they find a pet they really like.

I am very glad she's found a job and purpose in life (pencil monitor?) and is earning her keep :)

[woodbutcher]

:lol: Thanks for the Mittens update,She`s Real sweet heart.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[bakerjw]

such a cutie! And spoiled rotten!

very....

[Mr_Sheesh]

Spoiled rotten is the only way for pets to be :)

[NEKVT]

[QUOTE=Mr_Sheesh;5170012]You may experience the occasional "foster fail", thats when you meant to foster a kitty but end up keeping it. It happens! :) I don't consider it a failure, it's just what caring folks do in the case where they find a pet they really like.

We are total "failures", lol! My wife fostered a pregnant cat, her first, helping out the local shelter 11yrs ago. It had a litter of four in our extra bedroom. We kept two and our kids adopted the other two. Of the many she has fostered since we kept another kitten that passed at 16 months from a genetic heart issue and then replace it shortly after and still have those three. One shelter cat we fostered was experiencing kidney failure during her pregnancy and after all the kittens were adopted we kept her another three years giving her fluid IV's daily me working the bag and my wife the needle end (with her somehow managing both ends when I wasn't home) until she finally had to be put down as my wife held her. The vets called her the miracle cat and she and I had a special relationship - it helped I wasn't the one sticking her everyday. It is nice to know all the kittens we have fostered over the years were adopted with the last two recently going to a home after a couple extra years here as they were feral kittens and the male never did completely come around which is why we kept them until they could be adopted together. It was a lot of work but rewarding and we (more so my wife) are currently on a break after a steady 11 years of fostering.

[contender1]

As I've mentioned before,, we love our cats.
But I could never be a foster family. I'd want to keep them all.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I had a kitty with kidney failure, she didn't mind the sticks to put Ringers in under her fur as much as I did, I don't think. She just let me do it, no complaint or attempt to leave. And I would not call myself good at needle work.

[richhodg66]

Can't imagine a home without a cat. Our three are also spoiled rotten.

[bakerjw]

There are some very kind souls here on CB.

Our beloved cat Louise (out of a set of 3 named Hewey, Dewey and Louie <- ended up being a female) started with kidney issues at about 18 years of age. The vet where we took her explained that in some cats, their kidney cells start working overtime, that's why they need the subcutaneous water injection. It was very hard on Louise so we ended up have her put down.

[john.k]

My old cat died in his sleep at 18 ,wasnt unexpected,but did upset me......I was in two minds about getting another cat ,as I surely wont see a new one live to 18.....but I did get a year old shelter cat,and he is a bit of a trial.....despite what they told me ,Im sure he was a wildcat,and doesnt consider something food unless it has legs and wriggles.

[Mr_Sheesh]

We had one persian tabby mix live to 22, he lived with me on our boat for years, then my mom catnapped him, when I moved.

We don't know how long our furry buddies will last, thing to do is to make sure they know they're appreciated :)

Definitely no one's favorite day when they lose a loved pet, and we can't replace them, we can eventually find another furry little furry curmudgeon to be best friends with, though.

[richhodg66]

My old cat died in his sleep at 18 ,wasnt unexpected,but did upset me......I was in two minds about getting another cat ,as I surely wont see a new one live to 18.....but I did get a year old shelter cat,and he is a bit of a trial.....despite what they told me ,Im sure he was a wildcat,and doesnt consider something food unless it has legs and wriggles.

My condolences, but a lot easier to lose one in its sleep than have to put one down.

Our old one is 14 now. I love him dearly, the best cat I ever had and I've had some good ones. I sure hope he can make it past 20 years, oldest we ever had one make it was 18.

[MaryB]

Oreo is 20, having kidney issues now, losing weight so that time is coming. He has quit climbing the steps to come to bed with me and he was my constant bed buddy for years... hard to lose them but I know he has had a good life since I got him...

https://i.imgur.com/fi88yFb.jpg

[bakerjw]

:(
Aw. Cute fella...

[Mr_Sheesh]

My "usual suspect" cat has been really addicted to snuggling lately, just plain a happy camper. I love knowing that others' cats were mysteriously spoiled by some stranger (perhaps aliens? LOL) while they weren't looking, same as happened here. (She keeps claiming that I am mean, usually while snuggling but wanting more treats.)

My two have a bit of a sibling rivalry issue sadly, I haven't figured that out yet. Younger kitty sure knows some bad language and is very fluent in it, when older kitty gets aggressive, but loves it when they just groom each other. Frustrating.

I hope Mittens keeps having good days and is as helpful as she can be with your Sudoku puzzles, mine seem to think that sticking their hind end in my face is "helpful" LOL

[Gator 45/70]

Was at the camp deer hunting back in Nov,2019
Decided to go visit a cousin of mine in Longville La when I spotted this poor kitten trying to run down the road but was falling down.
She managed to cross the ditch and went into a hole, I couldn't catch her that day but, I did throw out a hand full of Cracklings and beef jerky at the spot she disappeared at.
Next day I returned and after driving slowly down the road I spotted her again, Put on the gloves, Jumped the ditch and managed to catch her.
Bought the kitten some cat food, After about 2 days she decided I wouldn't hurt her.
Cut up jerky and hand feeding her helped.
Got her to the vets when I returned home, Vet said he could feel ever bone in her body she was that skinny and wasted away.
Weighed in at just below a pound, I had planned to get her healthy and pawn her off on the grand daughter, Ha the wife put a stop to that plan
She now weighs in at perhaps 14#s
Meet Lil Bootsie Sweet little cat now.

[contender1]

Gator,, we have a similar story.
I found a cat, that had obviously been dumped off at my place. She was 9-10 months old, and had already had a litter of kittens. She was starving to death, and skin & bones. She was found because she was in the brush, crying. When I called, she came to me. Immediately affectionate. I saw she'd been nursing,,, so I got her food & all, and left her out to where she could get to her kittens. She never did. Her milk had already started drying, and she never moved from the old house I have there. After about 5 days & no change in her with regards to kittens,, I quarantined her, (always aware of rabies concerns,) kept feeding her etc. After another 10 days,, she got her first trip to the vet.
She came home after a clean bill of health & shots.
Now,, she weighs in at 20 lbs, loving, (as always,) and knows who takes care of her.

[bakerjw]

Great stories.
It is amazing how a starving cat will risk being around a stranger. IMHO, they become the best cats.
Mittens was skin and bones when I first picked her up but now she has put on plenty of weight and her coat is sleek as can be.
And oh boy does she devil the girls.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Some of cats' fur shininess is from genetics.

The rest is from human hand oils, apparently.

So you can "blame" her glossy fur on your petting her a lot :smile:

[Gator 45/70]

Thanks, From my camp pictures that are sent to the phone it seems I have a light colored cat, Another tabby out there and a bobcat.
Bootsie likes playing in the grocery bags and sleeps in a gun case?

[NEKVT]

We've been empty nesters for many years now but the three cats are referred to as the fur kids. The two females we kept from our first foster litter mentioned previously are now 11 yrs old and complete opposites physically, one all black and sleek the other black and white and a bit chunky, but are both laid back with no sibling rivalry issues.

The male we adopted 5 yrs later is a piece of work! He and his three female siblings were born in a stone wall and were eventually captured along with their mother with the kittens coming directly here and the mother going to another foster home. My wife said go see what's in the cat bedroom and when I approached the carrier on the bed the almost all black male (has a white "diaper" and one white toe) attacked the carrier door and was growling at me. Guess he was the protector and my wife still calls him the little black gorilla. Six years later he is still skittish of the least unusual sound or quick movement and will run up stairs when he hears anyone at the door. Our kids and grandkids question if he really exists since they never see him. But he has become the genuine lap cat my wife has always wanted. He thinks he is the puppy of the house and always wants to be patted and is very jealous of the other two. If we talk to them or just mention one of their names he will come out from wherever to get patted.

But his most unusual behavior is whenever I use the downstairs bathroom even to just wash my hands he will be waiting on the steps looking at me to be patted. He will go up to the landing and rub his face on the books there and then lie against the first step of the next flight until I pat him and then climbs a couple steps at a time stopping each time to be patted again. If I say " want to get on my bed?" He'll run to the bedroom and jump up on the bed waiting for me to pat him. I don't know when this routine started but like a fool I reinforced it so I get what's coming now. These are truly our fur KIDS.

[clum553946]

281680

Meet Molly. She was living at the In ‘N Out Burger parking lot, pregnant & skinny. Deb brought her home as I had just lost my cat Max. She weighted under 5 lbs, vet aborted her pregnancy as she thought she wouldn’t survive to term. The rest is history! She’s now 11 years old & my constant companion. We take trips & she just rides on my lap. She won’t eat wet food or human food so she’s well behaved around the dinner table. She’s a little ornery at times since she’s a calico but she’s the perfect cat for me!

[bakerjw]

Bootsie looks like our Libby.
We have a large cardboard box in our office for holding recycle cardboard. When it gets really full, Libby will climb in it and root around. People will be over and the box starts rustling and they wonder what it is, so I tell them to shake the treat bag. When they do, she comes climbing out to get treats.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Wait, Calicos can be ornery? <snicker>

I call it Calico 'tude. Mine both have it.

I've been known to call them the furnamic duo, also, does this date me at all? LOL

It's neat seeing others have good fur kids who've trained them like mine trained me :)