The Official HTF Cat Thread (2 Viewers)

[DaveF]

The seven minute video embedded is worthwhile.

Why Humans Are Obsessed with Cats

In this short video, Abigail Tucker, author of 2015’s The Lion in the Living Room: How House Cats Tamed Us and Took Over t

kottke.org

 

[TJPC]

Are all cats creatures of habit?

Every night we go down to the basement and watch TV on the big set. — Finn joins us and sits between us on the sofa at around 8:30.
He stays for about an hour and goes upstairs.
He returns an hour later and sleeps between us again for about 40 min. then goes upstairs.
At around 11:30 he comes down again peeks at us around the corner and let’s out loud meows and licks his lips to tell us he is ready for the final feeding of the night and his treats.

 

[bmasters9]

Here lately, when I go to feed my cats of a morning, two of them (Harry and Wilma) are out there at the shed ready to be fed, but Sally doesn't come till much later in the morning, and then shows up wanting to be fed.

What's going on? Why is Sally doing this?

 

[Malcolm R]

She's the Queen and likes to sleep late?

 

[bmasters9]

She's the Queen and likes to sleep late?

Could be!

 

[DaveF]

Are all cats creatures of habit?

Every night we go down to the basement and watch TV on the big set. — Finn joins us and sits between us on the sofa at around 8:30.
He stays for about an hour and goes upstairs.
He returns an hour later and sleeps between us again for about 40 min. then goes upstairs.
At around 11:30 he comes down again peeks at us around the corner and let’s out loud meows and licks his lips to tell us he is ready for the final feeding of the night and his treats.

I think most animals are creatures of habit and daily cycles.

More practically: our cats tell us when we're late for morning treats, make extremely clear when dinner is an hour away, and start herding us to bed when we're taking too long.

 

[DaveF]

Here lately, when I go to feed my cats of a morning, two of them (Harry and Wilma) are out there at the shed ready to be fed, but Sally doesn't come till much later in the morning, and then shows up wanting to be fed.

What's going on? Why is Sally doing this?

Behavioral changes can just be cats getting older and becoming grumpy old men and women. Or signs of social changes among them in the household. But changes can be indicators of health problems.

If she's showing new lethargy towards eating, watch for weight loss as that can be a sign of a health issue. Or look for social changes among the group. Are the other two boxing her out of eating at the normal time? Something that might be pressing her to not try to eat at the same time as before? Maybe she's older, needs more sleep, and feels food can come later?

 

[Johnny Angell]

OMG, we’ve got an invisible cat. There must have been a sunspot or something that would explain the phenomenon. Wow!

But, no, there he is, that lump in the bed. I should have know, Buster does like to burrow under the covers.

 

[Johnny Angell]

This is Buster, and yes, he is a polydactyl. And also a sweetheart. I’ll have more to post about him and two others.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Early November, a long-time Feline Rescue & Rehome volunteer suddenly and unexpectedly, died. She had moved to the Boston, MA area about 5 years ago. She had three wonderful cats that FuRR felt responsible for. Her family did not want them. It is amazing how often, when a person dies, the family does not want the pets. This is not uncommon.

The 3 are very bonded and we said we’d take all three. We soon discovered that when they said bonded, they meant bonded. After all the stress they went thru, the 3 cats have never been anything but sweet to each other. There has never been a single hiss or sign of aggression amongst them. They do head bump each other and rub bodies. It is wonderful.

They are also people cats. Harry was quickest to adapt, on the first day he was hardly afraid of us. By the end of a week they had all acclimated. They were never terrified, but Buster and Huck were shy. Now, both my wife and I end up sleeping with cats between our legs.

Here’s Harry:

Here’s Huck:

Here’s Buster again:

 

[Johnny Angell]

To follow up:
While we are thrilled to have these great cats join our family, we’d much prefer that Moira still be with us and still loving her babies. Make no mistake, Moira really doted on her kids and dressed them for photos. The costumes came with us and that’s why they tolerated us doing it.

We’ve had 3 previous polydactyls and all of them were wonderful. They feet are wonderful but the personality of all our polys has just been fabulous. Now we’ve got 3 additional cats with great, loving personalities.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Our youngest, Bella, loves to burrow under things when she is cold.

 

[Malcolm R]

Growing up, our cats were often the opposite. We'd try and pull coverings over them on cold days and they didn't seem to like to be covered up.

 

[Todd Erwin]

Growing up, our cats were often the opposite. We'd try and pull coverings over them on cold days and they didn't seem to like to be covered up.

That is the case in our house - cats never want you to do things to benefit them, like cover them with a blanket or pick them up and snuggle. It all has to be on THEIR terms!

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

This is Buster, and yes, he is a polydactyl. And also a sweetheart. I’ll have more to post about him and two others.

That's nothing. Dukie claims to be a pterodactyl when he jumps and goes flying through the air.

 

[Johnny Angell]

That's nothing. Dukie claims to be a pterodactyl when he jumps and goes flying through the air.

OK, now that’s frightening.

 

[TJPC]

Our Finn loves the huge plastic bags that the Costco paper towels come in. He is about 25 lbs, so fitting in a bag is a rarity. Of you place the bag on the floor with one end open he rams himself in in about 5 seconds. Then you have to play “don’t-dare-touch-the-bag-from-the-other-side-or-I-will-bite-you” and be on the anti-suffocation team until he gets tired of the whole experience and moves on.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Our Finn loves the huge plastic bags that the Costco paper towels come in. He is about 25 lbs, so fitting in a bag is a rarity. Of you place the bag on the floor with one end open he rams himself in in about 5 seconds. Then you have to play “don’t-dare-touch-the-bag-from-the-other-side-or-I-will-bite-you” and be on the anti-suffocation team until he gets tired of the whole experience and moves on.

It’s one of those crinkly bags isn’t it? Cats love those, but I’m glad you supervise.

 

[ChristopherG]

Our Finn loves the huge plastic bags that the Costco paper towels come in. He is about 25 lbs, so fitting in a bag is a rarity. Of you place the bag on the floor with one end open he rams himself in in about 5 seconds. Then you have to play “don’t-dare-touch-the-bag-from-the-other-side-or-I-will-bite-you” and be on the anti-suffocation team until he gets tired of the whole experience and moves on.

25 lbs? That's a lot of cat...

 

[TJPC]

This is a cat we inherited when my wife's mother passed away. I don't know what she did, but all her cats got huge. Try picking him up!