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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

3230.0. "P.S., your cat is high" by TPMARY::TAMIR (ACMS design while-u-wait) Wed Jan 10 1990 23:05

    My cat, an addict?
    
    I didn't want to believe it.  True, Killer had been behaving strangely. 
    But when hasn't he behaved strangely?  He's a cat.  It comes with the
    territory.
    
    At the time nothing seemed terribly out of the ordinary.  There were
    the usual early morning strolls on my head, and the sudden wind sprints
    from one end of the house to the other, the mysterious mid-night
    miaowing.
    
    But thinking back, was it "Miaow" he was saying or "Oh wow"?
    
    There were other signs, too, but I chose to ignore them.
    
    I knew Killer had a catnip mouse habit, but, hey, so do a lot of other
    cats.  It never seemed like a big deal.  He's a typical modern urban
    housecat.  He leads a high-pressure life.  He needs some way to relax
    at the end of a busy day of napping, eating, birdwatching, clawing
    furniture, eating, napping, birdwatching, napping, eating, clawing
    furniture.
    
    He deserves a treat, I told myself, and if his idea of fun is getting
    high on a catnip mouse and rolling around the floor acting stupid,
    that's his business.  Who was I to say it was wrong?  Besides, I'd
    always assumed Killer could quit any time, if he really wanted to.  But
    could he?
    
    Maybe not, according to a story in the current issue of New Age
    Journal.  In a short report headlined "Feline Groovy" writer Jonathan
    Adolph explains that catnip may not be as benign as we've been led to
    believe.  He quotes Richard J. Kearns of Hingham (Mass.), a
    practitioner of holistic vererinary medicine, who says, "Catnip is as
    dangerous, just as marijuana is dangerous."
    
    According to one cat reference book, catnip is a harmless hallucinogen
    "that induces pleasurable behaviour in cats."  But Kearns and other
    veterinarians interviewed by New Age Journal maintain that Killer's
    drug of choice can cause psychological and dietary problems if overused
    or given to catnip-sensitive cats.  
    
    As an example of how far catnip-addition can go, one veterinarian cited
    a Siamese cat he treated who wouldn't eat unless catnip was mixed into
    its food.  Tragic, but small potatoes compared to Killer's problem.
    
    Suddenly it all became clear.  I should have known.  Killer's strange
    cravings:  fresh asparagus, banana cake, oatmeal cookies, Swiss
    chocolate.  The explanation was obvious after I'd read the New Age
    Journal story.  Killer had the munchies.  But the real tip-off came
    when he actually began eating cat food - something he normally disdains
    - and gained three pounds.  I should have known then that something was
    terribly wrong.
    
    Looking back, there were even stranger signs that pointed to trouble. 
    The gold chain collar.  Did somebody give him that for Christmas?  The
    shrimp and lobster pizza delivered to the door one night.  I hadn't
    ordered it.  Who had?  Finally, there was the American Express card in
    Killer's name.
    
    I knew I was to blame.  I'd overdone it.  Moderation is key to catnip
    use, according to one of the veterinarians interviews by New Age
    Journal.  The compared catnip to a recreational drug, "a thing you give
    your cat from time to time."
    
    I'd kept Killer constantly supplied with catnip mice.  I felt I had to. 
    They kept disappearing.  He'd play with one for a day or two and then
    it would be gone.  I'd look under the furniture, in the sofa cushions,
    everywhere.  No mouse.  How could I have known then what I know now,
    that Killer was selling them to other cats in the neighborhood for
    three times the price I'd paid at Debby's Petland?
    
    It was all my fault.  I'd led him astay.  But how could I have known
    that one catnip mouse leads to another and another and another?  Maybe
    they should label them.  "Warning:  The Surgeon General has determined
    that catnip mice may be habit forming."
    
    The responsible cat owner has to step in and tell her cat:  Just 
    say "Niaow".
    
    
    		Diane White
    		Reprinted from The Boston Globe, January 10, 1990
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3230.1Higher and Higher!CSC32::K_KINNEYWed Jan 10 1990 23:339
    
    
    	Thanks for the excellent story! Perhaps Killer can still
    	be saved???!!! A rehab center maybe! A few hundred hours
    	of community service?  He could take kittens to the park!
    	Teach same kittens not to scratch the furniture! The possibilities
    	are endless!
    					kim and CATNIP!  *8^)
    
3230.2Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...ASABET::C_AQUILIAThu Jan 11 1990 11:308
    bravo!  excellent story!  we're still in tears in 4-1.
    
    cj
    
    verne and shirl (who always were under supervision by mom with catnip..
    thank god!)
    :)
    
3230.3Great StoryPOCUS::FCOLLINSThu Jan 11 1990 15:336
    Loved the story. Thanks.  Oliver doesn't seem to go for catnip.
     So I guess I lucked out.
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Flo
3230.4No 'joy' here ...XNOGOV::LISAThu Jan 11 1990 15:375
    I bought my two a catnip tomatoe toy from Harrods and they IGNORED it
    until the 'smell' wore off! HUH!
    
    Lisa :-}
    
3230.5There is HELP out there!!NUTMEG::SPINGLERFri Jan 12 1990 13:2825
    
    Help is nearer than you think.  Especially for a cat that has his own
    American Express card, and (possibly) health insurance.
    
    But you as his Mummie must act fast and decisively.  This poor addicted
    cat is your respossibility.  Call the KITTY FORD CENTER right away.
    
    Poor Killer needs help to fight this addiction, he can't do it alone. 
    After all you really don't want him to end up in KITTY JAIL for
    pushing, do you?
    
    Perhaps HRH Pookie McCurdy should look into this also, I understand
    that lately she is having "mousie" cravings and has been hoarding.  Not
    good behavior for a cat that is helping to raise a young kitten.
    
    But she has friends that will hepl her to overcome this awful
    addiction.
    
    ;^D      (Spot & Panther indulge occationally, could this be the start
    of a life of crime?)
    
    Worried Mummie,
    
    Sue
    
3230.6.. for medicenal purposes only , my dear..AIMHI::MCCURDYFri Jan 12 1990 16:0633
     re: .5
    Tee-hee.. sad but true.. Pookie does like her
    catnip!!!!!!...Currently she is hoarding all 3 of the mousies her
    Aunt Cin sent home....she is soooooooooo funny I also
    have the loose type catnip.. now Happy just rolls in it.. for
    a few minutes.. and that is that.. Pookie., well not only does she roll
    in it she eats it..  and she purrrrrrrrssssss... she does assume
    some very unlady like poses..Pookie typically sits and lays down
    in a very diginifed manner.. .. after the catnip.. whoa.. I came
    in the living room one nite to find her laying on her back..
    fur sticking up.. ruff very messy.. tee-hee.. I was shocked..
    Now Aunt Sue, you know that Precious is Happys baby,, and HRH
    has stated "she is not raising it.. but she is there to make
    sure it "raised to enjoy the finer things in life, along with
    what Happy is going to teach her.. right!!!..  you saw 1st hand
    last nite that HRH  was making sure that the "toe job"
    was done correctly and according to "Pookie standards"(patent
    pending)..
    You should see "HRH" when I am washing the kittys face, doing ears
    etc..
    sh ...SHE CHECKS MY WORK!!!.. even under the influence of Catnip..
    .. and Yes, I did mention the KITTY FORD CLINIC..	she said she would
    take it under advisement.. she also said.. she may consider it
    at a later as she had to  many other commitments at this time(social
    and otherwise..) rumor has it she is writing a "tell all book that
    will chronicle her life.. from  her babyhood, her raltionship with
    parents, her 3 husbands, kids, her greatgrandfather(the one she 
    shares  with Happy.. (Aunt Cin has consloed her somewhat on that
    subject concerning the RAJAH..)her " life on the show circuit"
    HRH has also indicated that some of the proceeds will  go to
    her favorite charity(unamed at this time.)... giggle'giggle.....
    more later.. tee-hee
    Kate
3230.7VAXWRK::FELINE/NONOTEBOOKSANFAN::FOSSATJUFri Jan 12 1990 17:2521
    And, this catnip addiction can lead to violance!!  The substance
    is distributed in a controlled environment - small amounts given
    to the three of them - once a week - Gino and Pippin take their
    time and savor the treat while the Junkie, Stitch quickly consumes
    his (and what ever else is under it, carpet, blanket, etc.) and
    then walks over to the other two in a submissive position and cries
    for more, they ignore him and then he pushes his face into their
    pile and then the fur flies - a real drug war then takes place.
     
    The other two wont give in or give it up so he goes on a search
    and destroy mission - searching for the "Bag of Stuff" (found it
    once and by the time I got to him he was so far gone we had to take
    him to de-tox) - it is now locked up.  He always has the munchies,
    vegies being his favorite - asparagus, garabonzo beans, pasta, avacado,
    string beans, red cabbage, carrots, zucchine (sp), artichokes, etc.
    
    Right now he's in re-hab! My owl cookie jar was broken last week
    as a result of the King-pen's irrational behavior - so they all
    must suffer!!
    
    Giudi, Pippin, Gino and Stitch (who said Yes too many times)
3230.8Drug-Free School ZonesNOVA::FISHERPat PendingFri Jan 12 1990 17:543
    I hope they don't do this within a 1000 ft of a school.
    
    ed
3230.9In moderationSASE::SOULARDThu Feb 01 1990 18:227
    I only give my kitties catnip on special occasions/once in a while.
    I guess they're (Kitty, Jazmyn and Sassafrass) no addicts because
    they take turns when I put some in a bowl.  They'll lay in it a while,
    dump it out, eat it - make a mess.  Then walk away... But they do
    perform and they are funny......
    
    Doreen
3230.10I have a CLOSET addict!!NRADM::TRIPPLFri Sep 07 1990 13:3831
    Just found this and HAD to add my own horror story....
    I buy my cat nip in the mini ziplok bags at the Mall Pet store.  I
    usually give  the children a pinch or two every morning while I'm
    getting ready for the day.  Then the bag is stuffed way down deep in
    the "undies" drawer and shut.  One day (or was it twice) it seems I forgot
    to completely shut the drawer, I came home the first time to find
    Holly-kitty passed out on the bed with the shredded catnip back beside
    her.  She was so drunk she couldn't even keep her eyes open.  The
    second mistake was the same thing, I had forgotten to shut the drawer
    (or maybe this cat has a talent to open drawers??) and discovered she
    had taken the bag, a brand new full one, to the far depths of the
    closet.  I wondered why she was disapearing for hours (days?) on end,
    the on closet vacuming day, I discoverd I had a "closet Catnip addict!"
    Of course the hiding place for the catnip became a problem, should've
    been there the day I pulled the unmentionables out of the drawer threw
    them on the bed and saw her pounce and begin rubbing her face on the
    "underthings"!  I truly thought she had a fettish, til I realized they
    had been sitting next to her "nickle bag".
    
    Just a quick added note, I almost fell over laughing last night, Bandit
    the kitten has a fetish for plastic-anything, she was rumaging
    somewhere, heaven only knows where, and came up with an old plastic
    DECbadge.  First he paraded around the bedroom with it in his mouth,
    then he very carefully walked downstairs still holding it in his mouth
    and paraded around the livingroom to show "dad".  Guess Bandit wants to
    be a DECie too!!
    
    Cats, ya got to love 'em!!
    
    Lyn, Holly-kitty and Baby Bandit!
    
3230.11Pot headsWILLEE::MERRITTFri Sep 07 1990 15:4612
    My guys just love catnip.  I keep it in a glass jelly jar in one
    of my kitchen cabinets...so they can't find it.  Barkley is so funny.
    I put the whole jar (with cover on) on the floor and Barkley
    can see the catnip but can't get at it...so he run frantically around
    the house pushing the jar with his nose....then he tries to lay
    on it,,,,bats it around... but never gives up until I give him some.
    He really don't care to eat it...he loves to roll in it.
    
    They are so fun to watch when they are high!!  
    
    Sandy (Tamba, Poco, and Barkley)  
    
3230.12in front of company, too!AUKLET::MEIERCollector of Glass InsulatorsFri Sep 07 1990 22:1327
A few weeks ago we had company over, which is unusual in the first place.
The few times we do have company, Tigger makes himself scarce.

We were giving our guest the grand tour, including the shop, which was where we
were keeping the catnip plant while the deck was being stained (shop door is
the only door that stays closed, and is therefore the only safe place inside
for the catnip).  The plant looked pretty sick (can't blame it!), and the deck
was just finished, so we brought it upstairs and put it in the living room
for the time being.

We then forgot about it and Tigger, and went to eat our dinner, pizza.  It
wasn't unusual that Tigger wasn't bugging us because, after all, we had
company, even though pizza is certainly one of Tigger's favorites.

I excused myself from the table and went to the bathroom, noticing on the way
that wasn't it cute that Tigger was sprawled out on the floor right by the
catnip :-)

It wasn't until a bit later that we realized the tops of all the plants
were missing!!  Now, this was a BIG (approx 12 inch diameter) pot, full of
catnip plants.  No wonder the critter was zonked out!

We put the pot back out on the deck where it could have optimal conditions,
watered it a lot, and we're happy to say both the catnip and the catnipper
are doing fine. :-)

Jill
3230.13I'll never know how he got itTYGON::WILDEillegal possession of a GNUSat Sep 08 1990 00:0323
25 years ago, I lived in Mass. with Charmin' Charlie, a little silver tabby
male that adopted me.  He loved catnip so much that I would have to hide
it in the cabinet over the area that was set aside for a small, old-fashioned
refrigerator - the space was empty because I had a larger frige in the
connected utility room right around the corner.  The cabinet was at least
6 feet off the floor with nothing but space under it, and the nearest 
surface that might be used to "attack" it was approx. 3 feet to the right
side, the counter and sink.  One day I purchased a nice bunch of dried
catnip for Charlie - which he really enjoyed.  I put the rest of the large
bag of catnip into a plastic bag and in the cabinet behind the LATCHED 
cabinet door.  I then went out to do errands.  I returned 4 hours later
to find catnip EVERYWHERE in the kitchen...all over the stove, counter,
the floor...and a nice big pile of it in the living room with Charlie
stretched out in the middle of it, beautific expression on his face.
Charlie was covered in catnip -- I picked him up by looping one hand
under his stomach and the front and back end drooped like cooked spaghetti.
He was STONED.  He just laid in any position I put him in, purring with
contentment, while I brushed the stuff out of his coat.  I cleaned up the
stove as much as possible, but being an old gas stove, it had hidey holes
not easy to reach.  For weeks afterwards, everytime I used the back burners,
Charlie came zooming into the kitchen to get a buzz.

From then on, Charlie's nickname was "space cadet"....
3230.14CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Mon Sep 10 1990 12:256
    We have some cloth nip-filled bags at home.  They're about 2x3 inches.
    Lately Halie has started carrying one or the other around the house
    meowing the whole time.  I have NO idea what's going on in that
    furry little mind.  Jack says she's using them for a kitten-substitute
    now that her own are too big to carry around.
      N
3230.15MSBCS::HEATHERMon Sep 10 1990 13:3315
    About 2 years ago, my husband left the cabinet door where the catnip
    for our crew is stashed partially open......This cabinet is a good
    2 feet above the bench, but you know how kitties can get when they are
    determined!  We came down the next morning to find our Siamese, Cocoa
    with her head soaking wet (she's a drooler!), first we thought that one
    of us had perhaps left the toilet set up, and she'd gotten more curious
    than usual, but then we spotted the very wet sopping bag of catnip,
    and knew what the real problem was!  And she was SOOOOOO Happy!
    For the rest of the day she had this real mellow expression on her
    face!
    
    Now, we always check that cupboard before going to bed!
    
    
    Heather + Muff,Oscar,Pandora + Cocoa (alias Stoned Ranger!)
3230.16SIMGJH::HOFFMANJoan, PC Systems & Peripherals, MLOWed Sep 12 1990 20:154
  Many, many years ago (since my guys are 18), a friend gave us some fresh
  catnip.  Munch proceeded to eat/throw/roll in it, and then did a nose-dive
  into the rug and passed out for about 30 minutes!
3230.17BAGELS::MATSISThu Sep 13 1990 14:165
    Where is a good place to purchase catnip, either a package of dried or
    seeds?  All I've ever seen is small toys stuffed with it and they seem
    to loose their scent quickly?
    
    Thanks, Pam
3230.18TENAYA::KOLLINGKaren/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca.Thu Sep 13 1990 20:056
    Try a pet shop.  Catnip products seem to vary a lot in terms
    of how cats like them (maybe not all catnip is fresh, or
    something).  One my guys like a lot comes in one of
    those reclosable plastic bags (where you just press the top
    together).  That one is also the least mess to store.
    
3230.19CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Fri Sep 14 1990 11:403
    Pam. Hadleigh House carries fantastic fresh catnip - BTW the
    1/2 oz bags are a better deal than the 1 oz tubs.
      Nancy
3230.20Doktor Pet Center or Mail OrderNRADM::TRIPPLMon Sep 24 1990 17:0711
    I got my catnip at the DOKTOR pet center in the Auburn Mall. I'm pretty
    sure it's a chain pet store, so where ever you are check your local
    phone book.  The next purchase promises to be in a plastic container,
    with the hope it'll be teeth and claw proof! 
    
    I need to call my friend in NH tonite, she told me she got a huge
    "bucket" of fresh catnip somewhere in her travels down south.  She said
    since that time she's been getting by mail order from the place.  Will
    post a note when I find out details.
    Lyn
    
3230.21ICS::CUNNIFFMon Sep 24 1990 17:588
    the "bucket 'o' catnip" can be obtained from Boston Pet supply, of
    which there are a few. (Cambridge, in the Lechmere area, and Waltham) I
    don't remember the actual brand name, perhaps Nancy does, but the
    container's barely teeth proof - I've seen punctures made in the cover
    by strung-out kittycats.  It's a big container (3/4 liter?) and costs
    $8.50 or so. Very fresh 'nip!
    
    jack
3230.22CRUISE::NDCPutiput Scottish Folds - DTN: 297-2313Wed Sep 26 1990 11:165
    I think its "Cosmic Cat Nip" and the kids sure do love it.  Its a
    far better deal than Doktor Pet (which is a chain and there's one
    in the South Shore Plaza) which runs about $3.00 for the same
    quantity that Haddeleigh House sells for $1.00.
      Nancy