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Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a purpose. ~Garrison Keillor
Namaste
Back to normal, whatever that means, at Chez Tigre.
Tuesday, I took Kismet in for her 2-month follow up on her red blood count. Over the weekend I noticed she was eating less and thought she was having dental issues. When I first took her to the vet after I got her the vet said she was gonna need some dental work. With all the stuff that’s gone on with her over the last year, though, the dental work had to be postponed. I told him my suspicions about her teeth and it didn’t take him long to say that we needed to extract some of her teeth. Her blood count was in the high normal range so that issue’s resolved. Soooo, Wednesday morning she goes back to the vet and that afternoon comes home minus 5 teeth. Coupla real doozies came out. The vet’s office makes up a dental record complete with photos. Those are fun. She’s eating better and I don’t think her mouth is bothering her much now. I had 4 doses of an oral pain killer (Buprenex Bupernorphine, 0.25ml, q12h) and boy did she hate that stuff. Don’t have to worry about her becoming a junkie.
Last night I was sittin’ at the table listening to the Rays/Red Sox game (Rays, 3-2, walk-off homer bottom of the 10th) and I noticed Igraine in the window sill, head under the window crank, butt in the air and her tail hangin’ over the edge. Gotta get a picture. I come back out and she’s sitting up. Damn. So I sit back down and put the camera on the table. A month or so ago there was a storm brewing and we could hear the thunder in the distance. Skoshi and Maste are the only ones afraid of thunder. It starts raining and the thunder is getting closer. Igraine is lying on the dining table corner and there’s this lightening flash fairly close and real bright. Igraine is off like a shot. I’ve seen it a couple times since. I don’t think I’m goin’ too far out on a limb sayin’ that I think she equates the flash from the camera with lightening flashes. If I pick up the camera she splits. I followed her around with the camera in my hand and she tried her best to get away from me. I put the camera away and I could approach her with no problem. She can also hear the camera motor from at least 8 feet. She stretched back out on the sill and as soon as I powered the camera up she sat up. If I picked the camera up…. This picture was 2 hours in the making. When I picked the camera up she did a half turn but didn’t get up. I put the camera in my lap and waited for her to lay her head back down. When she did I pulled the old cough trick as I powered up the camera. Worked, by damn! She turned when she heard the click before the flash.
Yellowsnapdragon’s buddy Nagi? About 20 seconds. He and Gabby are such hams.
Mojo? About a minute and a half. He didn’t want to turn around for me. Bein’ a cat.
Tama is the same way as Igraine where the camera is concerned but I’m not sure what the cause is. He and Bapu were on the table grooming each other and I wanted to get a picture of the brothers for Elliott. Pick the camera up and Tama’s off to the bedroom, followed by Bapu. Damn. Tama is soooo photogenic. He’s also stitchinfool’s fave.
—
When the Great Tao was abandoned,
There appeared humanity and justice.
When intelligence and wit arose,
There appeared great hypocrites.
When the six relations lost their harmony,
There appeared filial piety and paternal kindness.
When darkness and disorder began to reign in a kingdom,
There appeared loyal ministers.
Tao Te Ching, 18, Lao Tzu
Share your tiger stories with us.
Kittens believe that all nature is occupied with their diversion. ~F.A. Paradis de Moncrif
60 Comments
Greetings “Catman” from us Gorillas. I’ve done a posting here:
An Enemy That Thinks.
That I think you might find interesting.
du
Yeah, that Nagi looks like a ham. Worship me, hooman.
What kind of personality is Mojo turning out to have? He looks like the type of cat who disapproves of everything. Except maybe a nap.
Greetings, my brother.
I’ll go read that right now.
Peace be upon you.
As we speak Mojo is trying to take over the keyboard. Into everything and pure joy to be around. Wants to be either in the dad’s lap or on the dad’s shoulders. I thought Gigi was a ruiner of clothes but Mojo’s got her beat all to hell.
. . .Cat-u-ary ! Cat-u-ary !
I got nothin’,but some giggles
Oh, he’s a lover, is he? Snuglly is good. Claws on the shoulders…not so much. Does he ruin clothes by kneading? At least his fur is thin and neutral colored. Heh. Abner loves cuddling anyone who’s wearing black. White fur, he has.
Wow. That’s a gentle, careful kitteh. Friends for life, there.
Cute vid.
He’s learning not to use his claws in my shoulders as he gets use to me movin’ around. Gigi used to ruin the area over the left pocket by kneading, Mojo hits on the seam when I’m sitting, prior to jumping into my lap. More a grab and stretch move.
I have one pair of black cotton cargo shorts. I can’t believe the amount of hair on them after wearing them for 5 minutes.
All the lit I’ve read on Devons sez they’re really into two-leggeds. Mojo is always around me or on me. Purrs at a touch.
Tom said he didn’t have fleas but I found some flea dirt in what would be his armpits, where his hair is thickest. Got a dose of Vectra. Tom also said he scratched a lot and I’m gonna find out here in the next couple days if that’s why.
He’s right here with his front paws on the keyboard. Haven’t got him to stay on the waterbed for more than a minute, though. Methinks that’ll change come winter.
Hey all. I saw my long-haired neighbor kitteh yesterday. I was out filling the bird bath, caught something in the corner of my eye and there he was strolling across the yard. I greeted him with a soft “Hey kitty.” He stopped and looked at me and then bounded off. Though the squirrels and birds lay low when he’s around I haven’t seen any evidence that he’s snagged any, or that he’s really trying to do so, so as long as he behaves I’m not going to hassle him. Fenced in yard with lots of plants, I think he just likes to hang out.
Hey, SD and all who meet here. Made it here early this week, thank goodness, because I missed last week until too late to comment (it was already past my bedtime and I was still reading comments!) Nothing new going on except I thought the plastic oxygen tubing problem had subsided (hadn’t destroyed any new tubing for several days) but alas, I forgot to fill the dry cat food dish and by morning they had extracted their revenge. I’ve pretty much resigned myself to tubing coated with electrical tape (at the expense of much time and effort, not to mention the tape itself). The bad part is, you can’t be sure you’re getting the proper amount of oxygen that way, even if you don’t feel any oxygen escaping from the areas covered by the tape.
I sure hope they outgrow this, or I’m not sure what to do. I’ve had cats for years, and never had this problem before. I sprayed that Bitter Yuck on the tubing the other day, and I swear, the cats were even more attracted to it. It didn’t seem to repel them at all. There was a wet spot left under the area where I sprayed the tubing, so they walked thru it and licked their paws afterward. That company should be sued for fraud! Hope y’all are having better luck with any behavior problems than I am.
Bird bath in my neck of da woods is a mosquito breeding farm.
Here too but I change it every day. The birds love it, not uncommon to see a dozen sparrows at once, three or four splashing like mad while the rest sit around the perimeter soaking up the spray.
The fact that we’ve pretty much been experiencing a drought since the end of June has also helped keep the mosquito population down.
Heh. Gracie thinks she’s solved my behavior problem. She’s trained me to let her stay outside until she’s hungry. Then I let her out before she marks the couch.
reminds me of the time I sprayed bitter apple on a Harry Lauder’s Waking Stick Bush – a verry slow grower – and the dog then delightedly chewed the whole bush up, rather than just a few branches *sigh*
Caturday!
She’s fortunate to have a human who is so easily trained. :)
White tiger cubs here and here and here from a huffpo slideshow.
Actually, I was a very slow learner. It’s taken about six years, a ruined couch and a stinky house before I caught on. Nevertheless, I think we’ve finally come to an understanding about my role in Gracie’s life. I am the feeder and doorman. I know my place.
I saw those. Ain’t they purty?
Well then, lucky that Gracie is such a patient teacher. :)
Gorgeous, Ma tiger too.
He’s just trying to help you type.
Just as Dan’l is ‘helping’ me type by laying across my arms right now
I assume folks had seen this story about the drugged tiger cub found in a suitcase (amongst stuffed tigers) at the Bangkok airport.
Saw the story but hadn’t see the vid. Thanks. Cute little guy. Not afraid of two-leggeds, either. Hand raised in captivity, methinks.
heh. He’s put my browser through so many hoops this mornin’. No way to tell which keys he’s walked on when the browser starts doin’ all this weird shit.
Oy! Poor bush!
If I’m away from the keyboard for a while, I’ve gotten so I go ahead and put the machine to sleep – else Dan’l will often decide to stretch out on the keyboard for his nap.
Otherwise, he usually stays away from the keyboard, although when he wants to get there, we wind up tussling and I get a few more scars on my lower arms and hands
I still have two pictures from almost 30 years ago of a long-gone but extremely handsome male tiger cat. The first was a truly regal portrait; the second, attempted a second later as a backup, is a complete blur as he whirled around to escape. The only non-blurred part if the picture was his rear feet as he pivoted to run away. Those are the only pics I have of him, aside from a couple taken quickly when he was asleep.
I love to watch the birds bathing. They seem to appreciate the water as much for that purpose as for drinking. I started feeding and watering the birds years ago to provide theater for my indoor cats, but then got interested in the birds for themselves.
I sure wish I had some pix of Tiye II. I don’t have a single one that I know of. Gonna have to go through my photos for my brother and I might luck out.
That is really funny! Nothing going on here. After a couple of decent days and cool nights, it’s hot as hades again. I have some bachelor buttons outside my front door and last Sunday there were at least a dozen goldfinches perching on them eating seeds from the spent flowers. I opened the blind on the door sidelight and left the camera nearby hoping to get a picture, but the little rascals didn’t come back. I think they cleaned out whatever seeds were there. Hopefully they’ll be back when some more seeds are ready. They are having a ball with the sunflowers that are going to seed. The flowers wilt and they have to hang upside down on the flowers and stalks to get the seeds. I have 3 watermelons that I’m waiting to get ripe. I decided the critters would know they were ripe before me, so I put a little plastic barricade around each one. All the other vegetables are about done. Unusual for tomatoes. Usually I am scrambing in October to pick the last ones that might ripen in a brown bag indoors. That’s it, that’s all I’ve got today. I saw one cat this week. My neighbor Bob, the grey tabby who is looking oh so thin.
Just saw a blog post about the Sumatran Tiger that is having its habitat in Southern Sumatra encroached upon by coffee plantations. One more reason to know about the coffee you are drinking.
They seem to love it. I didn’t have to teach my parrot to take a bath, set out a pan of water and he will dive right in.
Thanks for that. There was a time I was drinking Sumatran shade grown but switched to Ethiopian. Hard to find anything that isn’t encroaching on four-legged or winged habitat. All the more reason to move to urban farming, putting vacant buildings to good use.
What would he do if you put an inch in da tub?
I’d have to acclimate him to going into the bathroom first. Could take quite awhile. In the past I’d move some of his equipment out to the kitchen and take him out there so he wouldn’t interfere while I gave his cage a thorough cleaning. If his feathers had grown in enough he would immediately fly back even if I was with him in the kitchen. He considers the living room his domain.
I’ve been giving his cage a quick once-over, which is the best I can do with him interfering. Since he spends most of the day outside of it it doesn’t really get too bad. At some point I’m going to have to give it a full cleaning though.
Found this amazing video. Read the text then go full screen for the video. If you’ve done any acid in the last few hours don’t forget to come back.
Hmmm, I’m assuming the one in the close orbit is the moon and not an asteroid? Oops, wait a minute, I get it, that’s the Sun, the planets and the asteroids. Not one of my better days.
lol!
Hello cat and other animal people! By this, I mean to echo the remarks of yellowsnapdragon. Yes, we are the “people” of the animals.
I have little to report from the animal kingdoms of which I am but a mere serf. The hummingbirds took flight one morning, and new ones arrived on their way south. I think the little girl I rescued a couple of weeks ago is still there with the rest of her family (minus the fathers, who leave first and also leave the mothers to raise the eggs/hatchlings alone, apparently, if by a-pparently we mean fertilization of eggs.)
I am at my own abode this Sunday, which is a real treat. Little Momma had a very good week, and one of the others who cares for her is there today. I am actually getting a little schedule change this week, which is quite nice.
Howdy bgrothus.
I understand hummingbirds raise clutches of eggs in the Spring and Fall. The variety that appear on this hummingbird nestcam anyway. Scheduling is pretty much up to Ma Hummingbird, so I have to remember to check regularly. Looking forward to it coming back online.
Off to run errands, see you later.
Check for Rainforest Alliance certification–it’s the animal friendly cert for coffee. I like what they do. Gotta pay more for it, but you know what you are getting.
I was going to check in with a little Angela story. She has now lived with me almost a year. I think we are a team. Yet, today something happened that does occur from time to time. As I walked in my apt. she walked right under my feet/got in the way and therefore was kicked. She took off….and not only right then, but for a greater part of the afternoon she was running away from me!! Wow, cat abuse. I may get reported. I think she has now forgiven me…..I don’t think Ive known before that the princess holds a grudge. Yep….
LOL. Happens in all human-cat habitat-sharing. They do love to walk underfoot. Even Itsa, “my” elderly feral charge, will do it sometimes. And yes, once kicked or stepped upon, they do duck you for awhile.
And they don’t seem to learn not to weave in and around your feet while you are walking.
I have a swinging door – not quite half-size, about waist-high but with 6 ” or so clearance between bottom of door and floor — between kitchen and rest of apartment. The perfect place for a curious but wary kitteh to lie, underneath the door of course, or even better, just beyond it, in the dining room, where human-in-the-kitchen cannot see that kitteh is there lurking. Can’t count the number of times one or another lurking cat has gotten banged by the door.
I always apologize, but still get the hurt, how-could-you-do-that? look.
OTOH, I notice Patchy has been leaping away from the door before I get there in those situations. The others, not so much.
Thanks…like a support group when one is rejected by the cat. Angela is so easy of temperment that it is weird to see her having alittle pout.
Funny too that yours can’t learn you don’t lurk in that spot; Angela is a bit like that at my bedroom door. But I think she is getting better. Also, she can definitely get by on her looks. ;)
Shiimsa is constantly underfoot, particularly at feeding time. Gets booted alla time, turns right around and positions himself sideways in front of me. Gonna kill me one of these days.
Thanks for hosting Caturday, SD.
Namaste
Hey, rat! Love your description of filling the birdbath so faithfully.
You really love your birdies, don’cha? Bob’s distant cousins are grateful, I’m sure.
Our backyard has a lovely terra cotta birdbath, with a St. Francis statute on the edge. The landlord doesn’t much like it – when he bought the place a few years ago, he moved it behind the garage. One of my neighbors moved it back. Ll moved it back against the fence, where it isn’t nearly as attractive as its former spot, but at least it isn’t gone.
I asked him why he moved it – said something about mosquitoes and algae – but that was the end of the summer of the constant deluges. The only summer out of 7 I’ve been here whre it wasn’t dry most of the time, and I tip the water out when it does fill up. I’ve never seen any birds in it, though, oddly. Still, it gives the yard personality.
Yep, I love all the critters. Don’t like the idea of tracking the wild critters doo into the house though (at times I’ve had hundreds of birds feeding regularly in the backyard), so I’ve got outdoor shoes and indoor shoes and switch them at the door
They actually sell heated birdbaths here so the water doesn’t freeze in the winter. I like the idea of them being able to drink but have this paranoia that they’ll get soaked, fly off and freeze solid, so I’ll give that a pass.
They would too. I fill the birdbath as long as the temperature is above freezing. Mid-30s and they still jump right in (brrrr!).
We had a music rehearsal here today and a feather boa was involved. Let’s just say that a feather boa and a house with four cats is not a good combination for the boa.
LOL
Fantastic…they really are not patient with that sort of thing. Angela the beauty is merely spread out all over my bed…quite sure it is hers.
Oh, yes, it is hers, haven’t you figured that out yet?
As to the feather boa – I’d like to see a vid of that.
Was looking at wreaths for the front door the other day – saw a pretty one made all of deep purple feathers. Thought, no….the door does get opened from time to time – my imagination went wild.
First pic of Toes. Really beginning to come out of his shell. Hangin’ out in the living room and on the floor around the dining table after meals. His fear of the other kittehs is wearing down.
A doll….quite similar to my baby who is a little more smoky. Thanks….ain’t we got fun.
Aaawwww. Isn’t he the cutie? Pretty clear where he got his new name.
Looks like a sweetheart.
The little darling’s got a pensive look to him. Looks like a sweetie pie, though. Lucky he’s got you! For that matter, so are they all!
The last few weeks have been fun. He’s getting more comfortable every day. Greets me in the morning now. Likes to talk. Now if I can just get him to quit peein’ on the floor.
You have a cat that doesn’t know what kitty litter is for? Or does he need his own totally clean and unused one?