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Tag Archives: Cat

9.30.12 Global Reach

30 Sep

The dogs don’t really know what worldwide reach is.  Actually, they do not like to travel further than the dog park on the other side of town.  But, I know what a very large world we live in.  The other day I discovered another level to the statistics page of the WordPress dashboard.  It showed me all the places in the world that people have looked at DogDaz blog from.  I was over whelmed and over joyed.  How amazing to me the internet is.  That my little zoo can make it to the homes and hearts of people in so many countries.  Thank you all for coming by the zoo and taking a moment of your time to check us out, and many of you for returning time and time again.  Last Christmas, my daughter Peanut bought me this really cool world map that you are suppose to scratch off each country that you have been to.  Those of you that have read DogDaz for a while know that I travel on business to some wonderful places, yet, there are so many more that I hope to visit someday.  Though I may not physically make it around to each land, I know that virtually I have touched the people, which, in many ways, at least to me, is more important.  Well, tomorrow I get on a plane once again for the week.  So off I go.  I am wondering what animal to leave in charge this week? Not Sofie, because all she does is whine and complain and drive everyone insane; Louise is being very anxious and prancey lately, so I worry it would be to stressful for her; Kitty is a hot mess and will just hide under the coffee table all week; Nine is a bully; Muffin can hardly make it up the steps anymore and everyone pushes him around; Stella is too young… I guess by default it comes back to Noël once again.  Ok, Noey you are in charge of the blog.  Do good posts.  I will be watching.


Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
15 Comments

Posted by on September 30, 2012 in Dogs

 

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Sunday’s Funny

23 Sep

pusheen: Gangnam style

pusheen:Gangnam style

 
1 Comment

Posted by on September 23, 2012 in Animals

 

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9.22.12 ‘Home’ Shopping w/ Louise

22 Sep

Louise & SweatshirtsAs you all know Peanut is away at college up north.  It is getting colder and she did not bring enough warm clothes, like sweatshirts.  So, being the TechnoMom that I am, she and I Skyped the other day (it was our first time since she left and it was so cool), and I was able to bring the computer into her room and go through her closet and drawers visually.  It was like the ‘home’ shopping network in my own home.  All the animals came in her room to help me, especially since the door has not been open much since she left.  Louise, as you can see, tried to help me but got bored and decided to go to sleep instead. I walked around the house and each of the animals were able to see Peanut on the screen.  I think some heard her voice but I am not sure they really knew it was her.     

I think the animals know that the kids are gone because they sit outside their rooms and scratch up the carpet to try and get in.  Sometimes, when I go into Peanut’s room, Nine runs in unseen and then gets locked in when I leave.  When this happens Stella goes crazy and tries to dig him out while he is on the other side, while he is trying to get out. “Help! Help!  My brother is locked behind the door!”  I am sure you can image what the corners of my carpets look like on both sides of every kid’s door.  Lately, Noel has been pushing open K8’s door (old knobs don’t hold well, so a cat can push them open easily) and going to sleep on her bed.  We have to be careful not to lock them inside. (You probably will think I am weird but I believe that cats have this ability to teleport behind closed doors somehow, since they always seem to get into closed rooms and closets which have not been opened any time recently.)  Maybe I need to put ‘Nannycams’ around to see what is really going on.  Then I could send the videos to the kids at college so they can feel like they are home.

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
6 Comments

Posted by on September 22, 2012 in Dogs

 

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9.18.12 Kitty Update

18 Sep

Miss Constance Kitty has decided that she will take over my office. When I take a break for a minute and then return to my desk, she is now always in my chair.  When I try to move her she gets mad at me.  If she can’t be on my chair than she has decided she will lay on my papers.  She does not want to go into the cat bed under the window which would be a good place for her (but it does probably smell like Noel, since it is her’s, so I kind of understand that).  I never thought Kitty liked me so I am really freaking out that she wants to be with me in my office and even is trying to get under the covers with me at night.  Kitty is one of those one person cats and she was Peanut’s kitten at first, but she turned into V’s cat over the years, but now, she seems to be taking a liking to me.   I don’t want her to like me!  (I know that probably sounds terrible.)  I already have to many other animals that beg for my attention in this zoo.  I like when the animal attention requirements is somewhat spread around to the other humans.  But, alas, it is now only V and me, which violates one of my rules – you should never have more pets than you have hands.  You see when it was us and the 3 kids, we had 10 hands.  At one point we did have 11 furballs (ok the guinea pigs had 3 babies, it was not planned).  But than the oldest moved out and we had 8 hands and 8 animals, and when it moved to 6 hands we had 7 animals, but now it is four hands and we still have 7 animals.  Oh my, I am in trouble here aren’t I, and I digress…..    

I have come to some conclusions about Kitty’s behavior:

(1) Kitty pees on the coach when people are overnight visiting (especially intense energy people).  She does this to tell us she does not like outsiders in her house.  If her routine is changed or people are loud, she gets “pissed.”

(2) Kitty is calmer when I sequester her for dinner in the bathroom with her own litter box, for at least 1/2 hr.  She is happy and calm when I open the door. 

(3)  “GoodNights” Disposable Bed Mats, with adhesive corners, are now an essential item on my shopping list.  They protect the coach cushions, under a cloth cover, very effectively.

(4)  I still do not know why she pees on newpaper or in empty bowls, but we leave no papers down, anywhere and no bowl empty, so this has not happened in a while.

(5) She secretly smiles when we spray Nine with the water bottle, mostly for chasing her or Muffin.  Tonight I actually gave Nine a very long time out because he kept trapping her into corners.

(6)  On days when Nine and/or Stella really terrorize her, she gets very upset and could act out.  Separating the cats, especially at night, makes a lot of difference in her stress level (Nine and Stella still sleep locked in the kitten room.)

(7)  Kitty is following me because I protect her and she knows it.  She is staying close because I have the power of the spray bottle and the ability to lock cats and dogs behind closed doors.

OK, I guess I can get used to her snuggling up to me if it will keep her from peeing on the furniture.  But I am going to keep my office door closed when I am not in there, just in case she changes her mind about the new improved relationship.

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
12 Comments

Posted by on September 18, 2012 in Cats

 

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Friday’s Sizing Up Dinner

14 Sep

thefluffingtonpost: PHOTO OP: Sizing Up Dinner Via Kerri Lee Smith.

thefluffingtonpost:

PHOTO OP: Sizing Up Dinner

Via Kerri Lee Smith.

 
2 Comments

Posted by on September 14, 2012 in Cats

 

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9.14.12 The Power Of Touch

14 Sep

Sometimes, when I am feeling lonely, I look up and the sky is a beautiful shade of blue and the clouds kind of hang there, just so fluffy and white, with that little grayish blue undertone that makes them look like ice cream in cones, and that is when the universe reminds me that I am not alone.  It is hard for me to remember sometimes that I am always in relation to something, always connected.  I am in relations to the earth, and other humans, and the animals, and to myself.  I heard a news report yesterday about the zillions of little microscopic organisms that live on our bodies, so even when you think you are alone, you are not (now that is kind of creepy).   I wonder sometimes if I surround myself with furry pets so that, when the other humans are not around, I still have some life form with me to connect to.  I am one of those people that needs to physically connect to other living things or I feel off balance. (There is actual medical advice now that supports prescribing four hugs per day to a patient suffering from depression. eight hugs per day to achieve mental stability and twelve hugs per day for real psychological growth. If this is the case, touch has a greater significance than most of us would realize. (US National Library of Medicine))

I replenish my energy through the cuddling of a cat and the petting of a dog.  (Now I do not want you to think I am weird, I do mostly replenish my energies through my interaction with humans (especially my significant humans) but that is for another blog (this one is about animals, remember).)  Each of my animals has their own way of asking and receiving physical contact from the humans and from each other.  Lulu does not like a lot of petting, except from me, and she can be very demanding several times a day wanting to be rubbed and hugged and scratched.  Sofie will lie on Louise, and Lulu can tolerate it for a few minutes, but then she gets up and moves to another spot (because that is all the connection Lulu can take). Sofie on the other hand, craves tummy rubs and hugs and will make sure to ask for them morning and night, from anyone and everyone.  She will not go to sleep however, until she has had a few minutes of Mommy cuddle time.  She will whine in her crate if I try to put her to bed without that physical connection.  Sofie and Nine, the cat, do a lovey dance (at least the ones that I observe) fur to fur, several times a week.  Cats lie on laps, dogs lie on feet, dogs lie on dogs….  you get the picture.  The power of touch, the power of interconnection between living bodies, it is critical to the well being here at the zoo. 

How about in your house?  How do you and your furry friend physically connect?  How many hugs a day do you need?

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
19 Comments

Posted by on September 14, 2012 in Dogs

 

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9.10.12 You Can’t See Me

10 Sep

Noel likes to hide on the kitchen bench when it is pushed under the table.  I believe she thinks that no one knows she is there.  Sometimes I actually do pull the bench out and end up sitting on her because I don’t realize she is there, startling us both.  I noticed over the years that animals think if they can not see us, then they must be hidden.  Squash used to hide his big head under my chair at the vet’s office, with 90% of his body of course not under the chair, and think he was safe from view.  Not really knowing what they are thinking, I am making a very large assumption here that they think they are totally hidden.  Do they not know that they are exposed?  How would animals survive in the wild if they do not realize that to hide, one must make sure that all of you, not just part of you, is hidden?  Maybe this is a domestic animal thing?  I have observed very young children do the same thing when playing hide and seek; they leave part of themselves exposed.

Cats love to hide.  Around here they even like to play hide and seek (try it: they love to jump out at you when found).  My cats hide for many reasons, but mostly it is to minimize the threat of danger in their environment so that they can relax.  My cats definitely hide when they are stressed and it is really hard to get a hiding cat in that situation to come out.  Around my zoo you find cats hiding on pushed-in seats (a favorite of Noel’s), under tables (especially Miss Kitty), in closets (Stella and Nine are having fun with this one), under blankets (a favorite of Kitty and Nine), and in the smallest box or bag they can find.  Muffin, doesn’t hide that I can think of (maybe because he is Alpha and feels no need to).

I still don’t understand about this partially hidden thing though?  Don’t they always know where their tails are?  Or maybe Noel is not really hiding at all?

Before we leave the house for any length of time we always count animals to make sure everyone is inside and not locked in a room they should not be in or anything like that.  I know where to find most of my furries because they have regular hiding places.  Where do your pets like to hide?  And do they do this half-hide thing?    

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
18 Comments

Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Cats

 

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Monday Morning Contest

10 Sep

(Source: imjustarookie, via couldeverdreamof)

 
4 Comments

Posted by on September 10, 2012 in Cats

 

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9.9.12 Snack Time at the Zoo

09 Sep

Note to my Readers:  Sorry for the rant, but sometimes, I just have to get it off my chest.

Sometimes when I look down and realize that we currently have 5 cats, I worry that I am someday going to be called the crazy rescue lady.  I wish I could say that everyone gets along, but lately, with Muffin really getting on in years, and Kitty, losing her mind and peeing everywhere, the multi-cat (multi-animal) household, is not working as calmly as it used to.  Over the last 30 year I have always had multiple cats: it went from Rosie & Eddy, add Babydoll & Wussy, subtract Eddy (breast cancer), subtract Wussy (kidney), add Alice & Gertrude, subtract Babydoll (cancer), subtract Rosie (old age), add The Muffin Man, Zackary, & Cuddles, subtract Alice (kidney), subtract Gertrude (old age), subtract Zackary (kidney), add Nine & Stella, subtract Cuddles (brain tumor), and here we are. And then the dogs went from Nikki, add Squash, lose Nikki, add Louise, lose Squash, add Sofie.  

With 7 animals, someone is always crying that they are hungry and because Muffin wants to eat all the time (he is down to about 3 or 4 lbs), we feed the cats pretty often.   The cost to keep the zoo in dog and cat food is killing me!  We just switched the cats to 1/2 commercial brand (9 Lives at $.43 per can) because the good stuff (Wellness $1.65 per can) is so expensive.  I am switching the dogs to something different too, but it is harder for them (they are more tummy sensitive).  Currently I am moving them from Prescription Hills ID to VeRUS, Lamb and Brown Rice (not cheaper but maybe I will use less in the long run). You almost need a Ph.D. in animal science to figure out the best animal foods at this point, and when you do, you can’t afford them. Oh my!

I will need to take a loan out of the bank to keep up with the 7 animal’s appetites at this point.  Whose idea was all these animals anyway?  Good thing that I don’t eat much (but how come they always want whatever I am eating too?).  

Oh, don’t get me started on the cost of dog treats these days…….

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
14 Comments

Posted by on September 9, 2012 in Cats, Dogs

 

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9.6.12 Tummy Rubs & Scratch Zones

06 Sep

Tummy rubs.  My dogs love tummy rubs.  I think that humans like backrubs best, but dogs, well they really like tummy rubs.  I guess it would just feel to vulnerable to me to have someone rub my tummy.  When I was pregnant, total strangers thought they had some weird right to touch my belly.  How Rude!  I think that is so invasive of a person’s privacy.  But my dogs, they love it and ask for it daily.  (Since I have never had a pregnant dog, I don’t know how they feel about it, maybe they don’t like it during that time for the same reasons that humans don’t, it is just to vulnerable.)  Louise and Sofie are both submissive animals in my pack, so I figure they get on their backs and just sort of say, ‘Hey, aren’t I cute, please don’t hurt me!’  Come to think of it, I do not remember ever having seen The Muffin Man, our old alpha cat, ever, in all his years, show his belly.  All the other cats in the pride do, but not him.  The other cats lie on their backs and show their bellies very often, but around here, if you want to keep your hand in one piece, I would not try to rub any cat’s underside (S C R A T C H!).

Tummy rubs are a big deal in our house.  I tend to give them in the morning before work and definitely find time for some before the pups go to bed.  Sofie is a big one to throw herself on the ground and roll over immediately if she thinks she is going to get yelled at (smart dog). 

Rubbing a dog’s tummy is different than scratching (I look at rubbing more like massage).  I like to give all my animals a good scratch in some of their favorite ‘scratch zones’ regularly.  Have you noticed that most dogs seem to have a scratch trigger spot down near the inside of the back leg (kind of between the ribs and mid-hip).  This makes their back leg kick as a reaction to the scratching motion. I think the dogs like it, but I don’t know for sure. Something tells me it is probably a protective response (more so in male dogs) to protect their private regions.  (Is that TMI (To Much Information)?)  Louise also really likes to be scratched on her flanks and top of her tail (as I watch the short little black hairs fly).  I am still exploring Sofie’s scratch zones, but I know she likes her chest done.

Does your furry have a special scratch zone?

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
19 Comments

Posted by on September 6, 2012 in Dogs

 

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