I Love Cats

These are just a few of my cat family. As you know I come home to 11  cats every day.  I know and you know that 11 cats are too many to have in one home, but they are all well taken care of.  They are all fixed, so there are no little bundles of joy expected. They are also taken to the vets when they are in need of veterinary  services.  This is not a hoarding situation by any means.  But I do love cats, I have always loved cats, and will always love cats.  So even though I can not bring anymore cats into my home, I still love cats that are not mine. 
Every Friday afternoon after work I go and cuddle cats at the rescue I belong too.  Someone close to me said that I should not get " too involved " with these cats. This statement made me realize that well, I love these (rescue) cats just as much at I love my own cats. And this is not a bad thing either.  The fact that these cats receive love and attention from someone gives them, not just a moment of affection.  But it gives them a feeling of being loved and wanted.  So when a potential adopter comes around, these cats recognize and accept  the feeling they are getting from them.
So mock me, ridicule me, I don't care.  I LOVE CATS  all cats, my cats, stray cats, feral cats, rescue cats, my neighbours cats, cats I have never met or seen..... I just love ALL CATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Meet Chloe! Chloe is my 11th and finale feline addition. Chloe was only going to be a visiting for a few days, weeks, however she ended up staying for good. This was not my nor Chloe's choice, but for good bad or indifferent this is how it's is. Without going into a lot of detail, Chloe's previous Mom was unable to look after Chloe, for health reasons, and because Chloe had been re homed once already I decided that Chloe could find her forever home with me.

Chloe is not an easy cat to get along with. My usual quote about Chloe is " when Chloe's not happy nobodies happy, when Chloe is happy everyone is happy"

So it became my mission to find out what makes Chloe happy. So far I have found out that Chloe likes a certain kind of food. Soft food is good, and so is the cheapest dry food. But make no mistake about it Chloe does not like the specialty dry foods. No sirree, no way Jose!!! Give her cheap cheap cheap and she is a happy girl.

The next thing I found out Chloe likes water from the tap. Some people don't like there cats on the counter, and certainly don't like them drinking from the tap, but if this makes Chloe happy, then it's a small price to pay. And it makes the home a happy home too.

The finale piece to the Chloe happiness puzzle( there still might be more) is Chloe loves grass, and Chloe loves grass so much that she is willing to put on a harness and leash and go outside to eat eat eat fresh grass.

Chloe has come a long way in the year and half that I have had her. She has become quite the cuddlier, and loves most attention she gets from me, however she is not purrfect, and I don't expect to be, but a little less cranky would be nice. .......maybe it's time to take her out for a walk and a little grass chomping....Here Chloe, come on Chloe ....lets go for a walk Chloe!!!!

Bijou

Bijou is #5 in my pride of 11 cats. As a "middle" cat she sometimes is in the background of the feline activity. It also doesn't help that Bijou is a very timid cat. She is afraid of her own shadow at times.

But despite that she and I have created a bond that with both, well that she can deal with. I would like to hold her, but she has strict rules about being held, and if I don't abide by them then I get a swift swat to the arm from Miss Bijou.

For the past few months Bijou has been in hiding more than is normal for her. And when I walk towards her she just runs away. This is not unusual behaviour for her, but she was getting to be more and more of recluse. In previous months when she was being affectionate I had noticed a definite sour smell from her mouth, indicating she had some dental problems. However the fact that she was becoming a recluse and her fear of being held, kept me from taking her to the vet to have her examined. Well finally a day came when she could be trapped in one room, and after 45minutes of chasing her around from under my bed, I finally grabbed her and put her in a create. With no appointment I phoned the Vet in hopes they had an opening.....they did.

With one quick look in her mouth the Vet said definitely she has dental problems. Without going into a lot of details I will tell you that Bijou stayed at the Vets from that very day(because I wouldn't be able to catch her again) until she had her dental two days later, and then finely once she started eating again I was able to take her home on the Saturday.

Let me just say that Little Miss Bijou is now home in her own room(she has to take meds for a few weeks) and a completely different cat. Bijou has done a complete 180 in terms of how brite and active and lord don't let me forget talkative. The first day home she told me her whole life story. It was music to my ears. Bijou was the happiest I have seen her in a long long time and that made me happy too! >"<

I'm Baaack!!

Well I can't believe that it's been 2008 when I last wrote in my blog. Yikes!!

A lot has happened since then. I have adopted not one, but two more cats.

Zelda a long hair tortie ( I love Love LOVE long hair torties). Zelda was almost 9 years old and was back at VDACS and up for adoption for the second time in as many years, and getting a little depressed too. Then came Chloe,

Chloe could have a Blog of her own. She is one finicky kitty. " when Chloe's not happy, no one is happy" Yes she looks cute and totally relaxed in this picture, but it has taken me a year and many trials and tribulations to get to this spot, not to mention continued trials and tribulations. But that will be left for future post

Nail Trimming Day

Ever tried to trim your cats nails? The fact that they need to be trimmed means there long & sharp, and ready to be used!!
When I only cat two or three cats, I used to trim their nails every month. After the addition of the fourth or fifth cat I changed it to as needed basis, which means once or twice a year.
I wait until I hear the cats claws catching the carpet, then wait until I can't stand it any longer, or worried they are going to get their nails caught on a scratching post when I'm not home, and the are dangling from the post until I come home several hours later. In reality I know this wont happen, their nails are too sharp and would cut the carpet and they would land safely to the ground, but I am a worrying Momma Catz.
So on the day I decide to cut their nails I get out the bag of treats, and shake it so cats all come running, or at least the ones I want to cut their nails, then I hand out a few treats getting them nice and happy!!
Next I grab and unsuspecting cat and trim those nails, and let me tell you these cats are not that smart at this point, because they all hang around watching the one cat get their nails cut, so when I am done with that one I can easily grab the next victim (lol).
After I have done trimming the nails bring out a bag of catnip and rub it into the scratching post so the can sharpen their now trimmed nails.
Since adding 6th to 9th cat, I have decided that if they don't catch on the carpet, then they don't need to be trimmed, so the newer additions don't need their nails trimmed much at all. I also have a great vet, that will trim their nails ,no charge, when I bring the cats in for their yearly shots. The cats act a whole lot more submissive at the vets than at home!!!

The soft gentle sound of a cats Purrr

The saying goes a bad day on the golf course still beats a good day at the office, well for me it's a bad day at home with the cats beats any day at work. Although my work is not very difficult, it can be very stressful. Depending on who I am working with or who walks through the door with a bad attitude, my day can be one idiot after another, not always, but some days.
When it is one of those days, I can't wait to come home to my cats!! Once I walk through the door, I am met with a number of my cats greeting me, happy that I am finally home. Sure they want to be fed, but once their bellies are full, they come to me for some love and attention. Sophie will jump on the desk while I am at the computer, and walk in front of the monitor until I reach over and pick her up for a cuddle and a purr. That purr makes the worst day bearable. There is nothing and I mean nothing that is more relaxing than the sound of a cat purring.
When I go to bed at night, at least one of my cats jumps up on the bed with me.
If it's Willow (I call her Willow my pillow) I rest my head beside her and drift off to sleep listening to her gentle loving purr.
I adopted Trixie, because of her purr. I remember going to the shelter, and the woman kept putting cats in my arms, they would jump out of my arms just as soon as she let go. Then I realized there was a cat in my arms and it was purring too!! Well that was it, that was the cat for me, I could stop looking.
She till does too, all I have to do is pet her or groom her and she starts to purr.
I tell you there is nothing in this world that sounds better, or is more relaxing than the sound of a cat purring.

Update Maggie

Well Maggie has had a few days to recover from her trip to the vet, and all seems well. By the next day Maggie's eye was looking better, and by the day after that she was back to bulling the other cats.
As Elton John once sang...." The Bitch is Back" !!!