Conference misery::feline_v1

    
    
    	Yes, some cats DO think they are dogs. I had one for 
    	16 years. Her name was Orange Blossom. She used to
    	growl at the meter man when he came to read the gas
    	meter. He would not leave his car until the cat was
    	picked up. She used to chase dogs and other cats out
    	of her yard too.
    
    	Another thing I recall reading somewhere (you say your
    	Zoe is a Siamese) was that Siamese cats have acted
    	VERY WELL as watchdogs in households in Thailand.
    
    					kim and Catnippy
    

    
    It seems that it's Siamese especially who are a little confused as to
    which species they belong to.  Last night I was dangling the kitty
    tease when Tas grabbed it in his mouth - he hung on to it just like a
    puppy does to an old sock - his lips were curling and everything!  He
    didn't growl this time, but I've heard him muttering to himself quite
    often :^}
    
    Sandy
    

      Well, this is encouraging!! I was embarrassed to bring it up before,
    but I have 9 dog-cats and 4 cat-dogs. (now to explain THAT!)
    
      We originally began our animal menagerie with two dogs... Since then,
    the "group" has grown to 9 pups and 3.5 cats. The .5 cat is a gent
    named "Smokey". Old Smoke was about 4 months old or less when he was
    "acquired" by his original owner to kill mice in her barn...being a bit
    too young to do so, and since it was mid November, he crawled up into
    the engine of an automobile to keep warm one evening, and..the next
    morning when the car was started, Smokey got caught in the fanbelt. His
    owner, when she found it would cost money to fix him, decided to dump
    him instead, so Penny Houlden, who works for the vet, asked for and was
    given him. She had to have one front leg removed at the shoulder, and
    the other foot was de-clawed to prevent him getting hung-up if he tried
    to climb... When he was brought home, Penny's Bassett Hound had just
    given birth..so Smokey moved right in...and lived, slept with, ate with
    and DISCIPLINED the puppies!! Smokey is REALLY laid-back...and this
    seems to have rubbed off on the other three cats and all of the dogs.
    They all get along like a group of buddies. 
      Just this morning, I was sitting on the couch...one dog draped across
    each leg, and Smokey "appeared" at my shoulder, hopped down between the
    two dogs, gave each one a "bump" with hid nose, collected a "lick" from
    each and proceeded to purrrrr and knead-knead with the good front foot
    in complete contentment..
    
      I don't know what it is exactly..and more than one person has
    commented about it...but there seems to be some sort of "aura" in our
    house.. We have NEVER introduced a new animal to out menagerie and had
    any trouble acclimating the new one. The sense that seems to come to
    the new animal---and some have been badly abused and/or neglected
    before we get them---is "There is no need to compete here...we all get
    hugs and kisses, we all get fed, we all get walkies, we all are very
    much loved and really wanted..." People cannot understand why we never
    have dogfights nor catfights nor dog-cat/cat-dog fights...but I gues
    the animals know what's going on...
    
    JMcD

    If only my four cats would think they were dogs, elephants, or
    anything.  They think I am a slave and they are the master.  They have me
    trained and everything.  They have a cat door, but prefer the personal
    touch when ever I am around; If they want to go out in the middle of
    the night, forget the cat door--stoopid's upstairs, get her.  I am 
    pounced on and bitten if I don't do as I am told or give them what 
    they want.   I'd run away from home but after having to have the tom
    cat anesthetized to have his claws clipped I can't afford to.  Do they 
    have encounter/support groups for people like me?
    
    I plan to fight back though,  I thought I would start by hiding their
    cat nip. 
    
    Just name me Stoopid (Meaow!)
    

    
        re: .3  It's interesting how you say all the animals just seem
    to know there is no need for competition, they all get along, etc.
     It'a always been that way for me,  I've never had trouble introducing
    a new pet.  Everybody just gets along, we're all buddies, casual
    and comfortable attitude, it's great!
        Glad to know it's that way for others too!
    
                 Denise

    re .4
     Now...don't jump to conclusions!! Just because they ain't sure whether
    they are dogs or cats ain't got nuthin to do with giving up any of
    their NORMAL "rights"!! We are still slaves to all 13 of them!! If you
    don't believe that, just look at this: Who gets up every morning at
    4:30 and goes to work?? Who hits the grocery store and drops a "C-note"
    once a week and has to listen to the check-out clerk ask "Do you have
    any PEOPLE living with you??...or all animals??"
    
       Guess you get the picture!! When I'm "re-incarnated" I'm comin' back
    as a pampered dog 'r cat!!!
    
    JM

    re .3
    
    I have very much a similar situation in my household with my dogs and
    cats.  They all seem to get along and I have a two year old son as
    well.  If I bring in a new dog to my kennel they just accept her.  The
    same with a new kitty to the pack.  The dogs just give me a look like
    uh oh, not another one!  It does seem like my son gets alittle jealous
    every now and then when he has to push a kitty and two dogs off my
    lap in order to get into it himself :^).  I do have my dogs keeping
    each other straight that they are dogs and my cats keep themselves
    straight that they are kitties but I'm not so certain about my son.
    He learned to bark and meow before he said Mama or dada.  He also
    winnies for the horses too.  I can't say he isn't being raised right!
    He has absolutely no fear of animals and I have to watch him that he
    doesn't go running up to my horses.  
    
    I have noticed that my oldest sheltie trains the cats from doing
    bad things like clawing on furniture, etc.  Then again she disciplines
    all the puppies and my sons.  I should retire and let her run the
    house!!  :^D
    
    Did someone mention slave????  How did you know??!!
    
    Nancy

      Re .7
      Right!! You gotta be VERY careful with your son around horses!! When
    I was about 7, my mom and my brother who was about 3.5 and I were out
    in the garden... The garden was right next to the cow pasture, where we
    still had two of the most magnificent draught horses that I've ever
    seen. My Dad simply couldn't bring himself to selling them to a fox
    farm or some other slaughterhouse simply because we had stopped needing
    them to pull farm equipment, so he decided to let them live out their
    lives in decadence and comfort on 100+ acres of southern Minnesota
    pastureland. These two were about the size of Clydesdales and were both
    pure white. They were very gentle mares, and if approached slowly where
    one could be seen, you could walk up to them and feed them apples and
    sugar out of yuor hand and they would verrrryyy gently take it from
    you. 
      However, a three-year-old doesn't have the thought capacity to do
    what's right, so my brother slipped into the pasture in a microsecond
    when my Mom turned her back...and I just happened to look over there
    when I heard my brother give a yell.... He's snuck up BEHIND these two
    very peaceful horses and then yelled as loud as he could to get them to
    run. Well, they ran...but the first step was a spooked kick...and one
    of the reat hooves of one horse came back, caught my brother halfway
    between his knee and hip on the thigh, and when I loojed over to see
    what the noise was, I saw my brother become airborne....fly about
    thirty feet through the air end-over-end and land in a heap!! He got up
    screaming..naturally...and was rushed immediately to the hospital...
    Luckily, three-year-olds have rather "bend-able" bones, and he wasn't
    firmly "planted" when he was kicked, so no damage was done except to
    his pride... But for about 6+ months after that he had the neatest
    imprint of a horses hoof in the nicest shade of black, brown and blue
    on his thigh that I've ever seen...
      (My brother always WAS accident prone though...)
    
    JM

    re: .8
    
    Fortunately for me my upper paddock is completely wire fenced so my son
    would not have an easy time getting into the paddock.  But, what he
    does do is run over to the fence and winnies at them to get their
    attention.  He sure isn't afraid of them.  Believe me, I will teach
    him proper respect for horses when he is old enough.  I have been
    kicked myself and I wasn't as lucky as your brother.  I ended up on
    crutches and in physical therapy for seven weeks.  Besides, I have
    those fun loving arabs that don't need an excuse to kick.  Just try and
    get them to keep their four feet planted on the ground for any length
    of time.
    
    Now if you want to see something really funny you should watch my
    collie female who thinks she is a sheltie.  The shelties get really
    bent at her for being so rough.  They keep trying to tell her a thing
    or two but somehow it just isn't sinking in.  As for my birman girls
    they rule the roost.  There isn't a sheltie on my property that would
    even consider crossing one of the kitties.  After all, they know their
    place.  
    
    Nancy